Disclaimer: Again by Tapping the Vein.
Sagging to the floor, Rogue whispered, "No..." Her pale face admitted defeat, and she closed her eyes, willing everything to disappear, that this was some kind of dream. Her eyelids fluttered open to see a changed scenery; the psyches had vanished and instead, small crystal globes spun in their wake. Each were a different clear tint of color and glitter spun inside them as if it flowed through water.
"If you were given a second chance in life, would you take it?" Mystique serenly gazed at the green globe in her hand and let it float away, watching it leave traces of light green glitter in the air. "More specifically, if _you_ could give someone that chance, would you?"
The green ball floated towards Rgoue and she closed her fingers around the cold surface of the glittery globe.
~*~*~
A frantic woman stumbled through the woods, trying to escape the wolves snapping at her heel. Her face was covered by a hood and clutched in her arms was a tiny, crying bundle.
Coming across a bridge, one of the wolves forced the woman to lose her balance and the bundle dropped, plopping into the crushing river.
"No!!!"
~*~*~
Her fingers released the shining crystal from its clutches in a way like a flower would unfurl. A low hum resounded and it was on its way again, traveling in an aimless path.
"Those were yahr memories, weren't they?"
Mystique's psyche beckoned to the other glittering balls with a wave of her hand. "You do much more than peek at our past, Rogue. Part of our powers are stored within you as well." She flicked at a pink one and it tinkled as if chattering angrily at her. "Do you realize how powerful you are? With a simple touch, you can take other mutants' powers, using them as your own, but you also glimpse at their memories. What's to stop you from erasing what they know?"
"Why are yah tellin' meh this? As Ah recall it, y'all aimin' t' kill meh."
Idly fingering another globe, the psyche tapped the clear, glittery-blue surface and said instead, "What do you think would happen if this broke?"
Rogue sneered. "Yah won't catch me that way. They may be other people's memories, but they's mah memories, too. If they broke, Ah wouldn't be meh anymore, leavin' you guys free t' take over."
Smirking at her, the psyche said amused, "So, you're not as stupid as you look." Tossing the blue globe into the air, she caught it easily. "Your control over your own mind is already slipping. What makes you think you can hold out on us? Sooner or later, we'll destroy you, with or without your cooperation." As if to prove it, she held out the crystal blue ball in her dark blue hand.
As if in slow motion, the glitter swirled inside the crystal as it slipped from her fingers like water from a rock and crashed onto the floor.
----------------------
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
Letting out a sharp gasp, Rogue bolted upright in the bed. Touching her forehead, her fingertips felt slick beads of sweat. Taking in her surroundings, Rogue saw she was in the Institute's infirmary.
Wiping her face with the edge of the blanket, she noticed the IV needles inserted in her arm. She tapped them and fingered the crude bandage holding the needle in place. With two swift yanks, she pulled them out and hissed at the rush of pain. A though dawned to her and her fingers traced the collar on her neck. 'Yep. Still there.'
Pulling back her gown sleeve, Rogue half-hoped it wouldn't be there but when she saw the scabbing cut on her arm, reality laughed at her. Wiping away the stubborn tears that spilled over, she let out a chuckle. Pietro did always say she was too sensitive for her own good.
Swinging her legs over the side, Rogue tested her weight and stood delicately on her feet. Dizziness washed over her as her ears roared and her vision blurred heavily. Stumbling, Rogue grabbed onto the IV stand, taking short, deep breaths.
"Y'should still be in bed; y'been asleep f'sixteen days."
She waved him off but his hands steadied her as she dropped back onto the bed. Looking up, she said, "It _is_ yah. What'r yah doin' here, swamp rat?"
~*~
I am wearing this weight Again
It cuts like it did then
It's consuming all my thoughts
and swallowing me Again
~*~
Remy plopped himself down next to her and stroked her head. "'Cos Remy gets worried. 'S t'at so bad?"
Massaging her temples, Rogue snapped, "Unfortunately, yes." Her head was going dizzy again; she knew what was coming next and she wasn't sure if she wanted to hear it.
~*~
And what you see is what's left of me
but I'm here
I didn't think I'd scare very easily
but I fear this thing
~*~
Flipping her a melting smile, Remy looked at her with puppy eyes and buried his face into the groove of her neck. "So mean. Anyone ever tell y't'at?" His fingers somehow managed to tangle themselves with Rogue's pale ones and he gently caressed them.
~*~
It is wearing me out and thin
Paralyzing me Again
It was vicious all the way here
I am barely alive
~*~
"Y'knows... I've been meaning t'tell y'..."
Resting her cheek on top of his head, Rogue did not prompt him. She could at least let him have this moment. Tears pricked her eyes and she became angry; was she some stupid baby to cry over every little thing? A tear splashed onto Remy's hand before she could stop it and he shifted so that he could see her face.
"M'honey... why's y'cryin'?" His hand brushed away the water trail that the tear left on her cheek. He gazed into her swimming green eyes and leaned in, landing soft kisses on each of her eyelids. As she closed them, the tears that were held captive from her lashes dropped.
'If you were given a second chance in life, would you take it? More specifically, if _you_ could give someone that chance, would you?'
"Because Ah'm goin' t'miss yah," she whispered. Ignoring his inquiring look, she turned her face up for a kiss.
~*~
I wish you love
With anyone else but me
I wish you love with anyone
~*~
Rogue turned on her power like one would flip on a light switch and she felt his memories suck into her but she shoved them away, looking only for specific ones. 'Maybe... if Ah tried this...' Rogue called out a soft tune and several memories slapped her; visions of Remy making faces at her, him handing her that one rose, ones where they played scrabble and several others stuck to her. Clutching onto them like paper, she shooed the others away and opened her eyes, pulling away from Remy.
He collasped on the bed; in that short amount of time, Rogue had rendered him unconscious.
~*~
And all I can do I will do for you
If I'm here
I promise you I'll remember you
While I'm here
~*~
"Rogue? You're awake! But who's that?" Mr. McCoy rushed over to Rogue's side.
She swayed and blinked; she didn't realized that she was standing. Collasping into Mr. McCoy's arms, she murmured tiredly, "He works f'Magneto, but Ah tooks his memories 'bout t'is place. He won't remember a t'ing." She made a face at her thick Cajun accent.
Moving her onto a different bed, he asked, "Your powers allow you to do that?"
Rogue merely crawled under the covers and nodded. Blackness threatened to drape over her once more and she whispered, "Make sure Logan don' hurt him or somet'ing." Through drooping eyes, she watched Mr. McCoy lift Remy like a rag doll onto his back and did not close them until she could not see them anymore.
~*~
I wish you love Again
I am surrendering me
Surrendering mine
~*~
A/N: Mmm... that didn't make any sense either, did it? ^^ Oh well. I promise the next chapter will for sure explain any questions that are popping in your minds! At least... I think it will. As always, reviews are welcome and very much needed.
Thank you to those that have. It's helped me work out my writing block. ^^
Sagging to the floor, Rogue whispered, "No..." Her pale face admitted defeat, and she closed her eyes, willing everything to disappear, that this was some kind of dream. Her eyelids fluttered open to see a changed scenery; the psyches had vanished and instead, small crystal globes spun in their wake. Each were a different clear tint of color and glitter spun inside them as if it flowed through water.
"If you were given a second chance in life, would you take it?" Mystique serenly gazed at the green globe in her hand and let it float away, watching it leave traces of light green glitter in the air. "More specifically, if _you_ could give someone that chance, would you?"
The green ball floated towards Rgoue and she closed her fingers around the cold surface of the glittery globe.
~*~*~
A frantic woman stumbled through the woods, trying to escape the wolves snapping at her heel. Her face was covered by a hood and clutched in her arms was a tiny, crying bundle.
Coming across a bridge, one of the wolves forced the woman to lose her balance and the bundle dropped, plopping into the crushing river.
"No!!!"
~*~*~
Her fingers released the shining crystal from its clutches in a way like a flower would unfurl. A low hum resounded and it was on its way again, traveling in an aimless path.
"Those were yahr memories, weren't they?"
Mystique's psyche beckoned to the other glittering balls with a wave of her hand. "You do much more than peek at our past, Rogue. Part of our powers are stored within you as well." She flicked at a pink one and it tinkled as if chattering angrily at her. "Do you realize how powerful you are? With a simple touch, you can take other mutants' powers, using them as your own, but you also glimpse at their memories. What's to stop you from erasing what they know?"
"Why are yah tellin' meh this? As Ah recall it, y'all aimin' t' kill meh."
Idly fingering another globe, the psyche tapped the clear, glittery-blue surface and said instead, "What do you think would happen if this broke?"
Rogue sneered. "Yah won't catch me that way. They may be other people's memories, but they's mah memories, too. If they broke, Ah wouldn't be meh anymore, leavin' you guys free t' take over."
Smirking at her, the psyche said amused, "So, you're not as stupid as you look." Tossing the blue globe into the air, she caught it easily. "Your control over your own mind is already slipping. What makes you think you can hold out on us? Sooner or later, we'll destroy you, with or without your cooperation." As if to prove it, she held out the crystal blue ball in her dark blue hand.
As if in slow motion, the glitter swirled inside the crystal as it slipped from her fingers like water from a rock and crashed onto the floor.
----------------------
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
Letting out a sharp gasp, Rogue bolted upright in the bed. Touching her forehead, her fingertips felt slick beads of sweat. Taking in her surroundings, Rogue saw she was in the Institute's infirmary.
Wiping her face with the edge of the blanket, she noticed the IV needles inserted in her arm. She tapped them and fingered the crude bandage holding the needle in place. With two swift yanks, she pulled them out and hissed at the rush of pain. A though dawned to her and her fingers traced the collar on her neck. 'Yep. Still there.'
Pulling back her gown sleeve, Rogue half-hoped it wouldn't be there but when she saw the scabbing cut on her arm, reality laughed at her. Wiping away the stubborn tears that spilled over, she let out a chuckle. Pietro did always say she was too sensitive for her own good.
Swinging her legs over the side, Rogue tested her weight and stood delicately on her feet. Dizziness washed over her as her ears roared and her vision blurred heavily. Stumbling, Rogue grabbed onto the IV stand, taking short, deep breaths.
"Y'should still be in bed; y'been asleep f'sixteen days."
She waved him off but his hands steadied her as she dropped back onto the bed. Looking up, she said, "It _is_ yah. What'r yah doin' here, swamp rat?"
~*~
I am wearing this weight Again
It cuts like it did then
It's consuming all my thoughts
and swallowing me Again
~*~
Remy plopped himself down next to her and stroked her head. "'Cos Remy gets worried. 'S t'at so bad?"
Massaging her temples, Rogue snapped, "Unfortunately, yes." Her head was going dizzy again; she knew what was coming next and she wasn't sure if she wanted to hear it.
~*~
And what you see is what's left of me
but I'm here
I didn't think I'd scare very easily
but I fear this thing
~*~
Flipping her a melting smile, Remy looked at her with puppy eyes and buried his face into the groove of her neck. "So mean. Anyone ever tell y't'at?" His fingers somehow managed to tangle themselves with Rogue's pale ones and he gently caressed them.
~*~
It is wearing me out and thin
Paralyzing me Again
It was vicious all the way here
I am barely alive
~*~
"Y'knows... I've been meaning t'tell y'..."
Resting her cheek on top of his head, Rogue did not prompt him. She could at least let him have this moment. Tears pricked her eyes and she became angry; was she some stupid baby to cry over every little thing? A tear splashed onto Remy's hand before she could stop it and he shifted so that he could see her face.
"M'honey... why's y'cryin'?" His hand brushed away the water trail that the tear left on her cheek. He gazed into her swimming green eyes and leaned in, landing soft kisses on each of her eyelids. As she closed them, the tears that were held captive from her lashes dropped.
'If you were given a second chance in life, would you take it? More specifically, if _you_ could give someone that chance, would you?'
"Because Ah'm goin' t'miss yah," she whispered. Ignoring his inquiring look, she turned her face up for a kiss.
~*~
I wish you love
With anyone else but me
I wish you love with anyone
~*~
Rogue turned on her power like one would flip on a light switch and she felt his memories suck into her but she shoved them away, looking only for specific ones. 'Maybe... if Ah tried this...' Rogue called out a soft tune and several memories slapped her; visions of Remy making faces at her, him handing her that one rose, ones where they played scrabble and several others stuck to her. Clutching onto them like paper, she shooed the others away and opened her eyes, pulling away from Remy.
He collasped on the bed; in that short amount of time, Rogue had rendered him unconscious.
~*~
And all I can do I will do for you
If I'm here
I promise you I'll remember you
While I'm here
~*~
"Rogue? You're awake! But who's that?" Mr. McCoy rushed over to Rogue's side.
She swayed and blinked; she didn't realized that she was standing. Collasping into Mr. McCoy's arms, she murmured tiredly, "He works f'Magneto, but Ah tooks his memories 'bout t'is place. He won't remember a t'ing." She made a face at her thick Cajun accent.
Moving her onto a different bed, he asked, "Your powers allow you to do that?"
Rogue merely crawled under the covers and nodded. Blackness threatened to drape over her once more and she whispered, "Make sure Logan don' hurt him or somet'ing." Through drooping eyes, she watched Mr. McCoy lift Remy like a rag doll onto his back and did not close them until she could not see them anymore.
~*~
I wish you love Again
I am surrendering me
Surrendering mine
~*~
A/N: Mmm... that didn't make any sense either, did it? ^^ Oh well. I promise the next chapter will for sure explain any questions that are popping in your minds! At least... I think it will. As always, reviews are welcome and very much needed.
Thank you to those that have. It's helped me work out my writing block. ^^