The Rogue
Author's Note: Hey y'all! I'm actually updating early this time! Lol! Just to let y'all know, on Friday, July 25th, I'm going to be in the country fixing up our little messed up abode, so it might take a while for me to update the chapters, whichever number it may be. Sorry for the inconvenience, but at least I'm updating NOW.
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Ricky examined his new room and was impressed by the size as well as the feeling of comfort that resonated within its walls. He assumed that mutants in the school had no idea he was immune to his mother's original powers or that he was a mutant himself.
' At least I have an advantage,' he thought.
Unlike most children, who resented their parents and hated their lectures, Ricky cherished the moments that his mother would sit him down to talk to him about serious matters. He was a fast developing boy, and he knew it. None of the children in the orphanage held a match to his intelligence, street-wise or school-wise.
'Maman is a good teacher,' he said as he laid flat on his stomach on the larger bed.
He had burned the lessons that she taught him in his memories. The important pieces of advice that she would often send his way, as well as tips on how to survive in a world where humans despised you. But, even in the midst of all the pain and torture, Ricky found himself admiring his mother for her limitless amount of forgiveness and hope.
" Just because you have the power, doesn't mean you have the right," Ricky whispered, repeating the same words that Rogue had told him many years ago, once his mutation had developed.
FLASHBACK
His mother sat on the cell bench, holding Ricky in her arms, rocking him as he shook with rage. His mother's tattered body was aching from the beating and the seemingly endless torture, but she kept it together for her son. Blood poured out of new cuts from her arms and legs. They would heal soon, but Ricky still cried for his mother.
" Once I'm older, Maman, these bigots will suffer!" Ricky hissed as he cried in his mother's arms.
His mother looked at him and shook her head. " Non, you should not judge these people just because of what they do," she said gently. " They just don't understand us. They fear us. We hold within us the power to destroy, or to defend. Just because you have the power, doesn't mean you have the right."
Ricky frowned. " But… regarder! See what they have done to you!"
" If you wreak revenge on them, you're no better than they are, mon fils," she said soothing his anger to a dull bitter feeling. " You are my more precious treasure. As long as you are safe, I don't care what happens to me."
Ricky felt tears fall from his eyes once more, realizing that her torment would not stop. She hugged her closer to her body, feeling herself heal.
"Ne pas perdre l'espoir, donner leur chronomètre, ils comprendront."
FLASHBACK ENDS
A small knock woke Ricky from his thoughts and he wiped his tears away. He opened his door and found Scott smiling down at him.
" Hey Ricky."
" Hi, Mr. Summers," Ricky replied. Putting back his act. No one but his mother was supposed to know the true extent of his understanding. They were to only assume that he was a slow child.
" Call me Scott," Scott said. He liked Ricky, and wanted to know him better. ' Let me in, Ricky' he thought. ' I'm not as blind as everyone assumes I am'.
Ricky nodded. " Okay… Scott." He said smiling.
" Your mother is going go through surgery pretty soon, and I have to be present. You want to come?" Scott asked, knowing fully that Ricky would agree to attend.
" Oui, sil vous plait." He said, his eyes lighting up. Scott smiled and opened the door wider. Ricky ran out the door and waited impatiently for Scott to reach him. " Come on!"
Scott chuckled and nodded. As they walked towards the MedLab, Scott decided to ask about Ricky's past. " Ricky, I noticed that you sometimes speak French… why is that?"
Ricky, being so ecstatic about seeing his mother again, didn't realize that his façade had melted and he was really showing Scott who he really was.
" My maman taught me French. She and I used to talk to each other in French because none of the guards were -" he stopped and realized that he had dropped his childish way of speaking.
" I see, my mom always told me and my brother Alex to learn another language," Scott said, still holding Ricky's hand. " Alex used to bribe me with candy to do his French homework. I took Spanish and he took French. Unfortunately for him, since I was always the one who did his homework, I was the one that acquired the skill."
" What happened to him?" Ricky asked, after he felt a bit of sadness from Scott.
" My family and I were in a plane crash. I was said to be the only one that survived," Scott explained. " I got a bit of damage to my brain, so I can't control my mutation."
Ricky felt a bit sad for the man and kept silent until Ororo joined their walk. " Hello there Ricky," she said. " How are you adjusting?"
Ricky smiled. " It's strange, but I like it. Everyone's nice… I'm just not used to all the people."
Scott frowned in confusion. " What do you mean? I thought you were sent to an orphanage when you were 6?"
Ricky shook his head. " Non, I was never in an orphanage until I the doctors sent me there for Maman to pick me up."
Ororo threw Scott a worried glance and excused herself as she went to the Professor's study. " What the hell are they thinking?"
Ricky knew Scott whispered so that he wasn't supposed to hear, but he did. Ricky panicked as he remembered the he was bugged. He had to ditch his clothes and get new ones. If these people were capable of helping him and his mother, he wasn't just about to play dumb and let them get caught.
" Scott," he said as he tugged the man's shirt. " I need a piece of paper and a pen, sil vous plait. "
Scott looked at him strangely, but complied. They took a small detour towards a small room and found Logan staring into the operating room. Ricky had been in similar rooms before. Whenever his mother was sent to absorb another helpless mutant, he was forced to sit in a room with doctors observing the experiment. Ricky knew enough to know that the people in that room could not see through the mirror.
" Damn it Jean! She's not ready for this yet!" the man growled as he punched the plexi-glass.
Ricky was waiting patiently for Scott to get the paper, but he found himself drawn to the angry man who seemed to radiate worry.
" She's not fully recovered…" the man said softly. " I don't care what they say… she's not fit for operation…"
" Maman's strong. She'll pull through," Ricky said, offended by the man's lack of faith in his mother. " I've seen her pull through dozens of worse things than just one stupid operation."
Logan turned to him and blinked. He had chosen to stay in the MedLab ever since he stabbed Rogue, and had not left her side. He hadn't known that her child was already in the Institute.
" Who're-"
" Ricky? I got your paper," Scott said, handing Ricky a lined piece of paper and a marker. Logan was about to ask what he needed the paper for, until Ricky started writing a message on it.
I think you should burn all my clothes.
' What the hell?' Logan thought.
Scott put two and two together, realizing that Ricky must be suspicious of the doctors as well. He nodded and went to inform Professor Xavier.
" What the hell was that?" Logan asked. " Why-"
" Because they're probably contaminated," Ricky said, hoping Logan would get his hint. When a silence fell over them, Ricky shook his head and gave up. He decided to look through the glass and found two doctors carefully cutting behind his mother's neck.
" You know what kid? I don't care what those two say… this operation might just make it worse," Logan said, not bothering to sugar coat his words. " She was just stabbed, and now…"
" She's a fast healer," Ricky said as he leaned his forehead on the glass.
Logan kept silent. They watched as Henry pulled out a small metallic object, about the size of a dime. Suddenly, there was an erratic beeping occurred and the two doctors found themselves in a state of panic, as Rogue's heartbeat became dangerously slow. Jean was about to get the necessary equipment to revive the girl when Rogue opened her eyes.
They realized that Rogue was now awake and would soon feel the wound from the operation. Henry placed the metal restraints on, hoping her body would not convulse as the drugs wore off.
" Jean, give her more anesthetics!" Henry yelled, but Jean couldn't penetrate the girl's skin, and just ended up bending the needle.
" What the hell is going on?!"
They watched as Rogue began to search wildly around the room, looking around for anything familiar.
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" So, Ricky believes that he was bugged?" Xavier asked as Scott sat patiently on one of the large chairs set up in his office.
Scott nodded and hoped Xavier would just get moving. He was anxious to get back to the lab and see how the operation was going.
*Professor! *
Scott stood up as he heard Jean's cry. 'What the hell?' he wondered. Jean had her abilities in control, she wouldn't just call out of the blue unless-
"…Marie…" Scott whispered. He ran out of the office and hoped that nothing was wrong in the MedLab. He burst through the doors and found Ricky and Logan being restrained by Henry from entering the operating room.
He found Marie thrashing wildly against the restraints. Screaming as tears fell from her eyes.
" Richard?! Où vous l'avez pris?! Où avez-vous pris mon fils?!" she sobbed. (translation: Where is he? Where is my son?)
Scott translated it in his head and was about to get Ricky when Marie broke free of the metal restraints and ripped out all the IV cords and needles from her body. He noticed that the deep cuts clotted immediately.
"Qu'avez-vous fait à mon fils?!" she asked looking at Henry with pure hatred in her eyes. "Je vous ai dit je coopérerais si vous n'avez pas nuire mon fils!" (translation: What have you done to my son? I told you I would cooperate if you didn't harm my son!)
Scott moved quickly as Henry started to levitate and choke. Ricky was crying as Jean grabbed a hold on him, taking a needle to calm the boy.
" Hank! No!" Scott said. " She only wants her son!"
" But we can't risk the child getting hurt!" Jean said, still keeping the needle in her hands. " He might be absorbed if he touches her!"
" I'm immune! I'm immune!" Ricky started shouting. Scott slapped Jean when she would not listen to the boy, and gently guided him towards the door.
Marie heard her son's voice and she stopped her hold on Scott. She let the man down and pushed her way through Logan and Jean to find Ricky in Scott's arms. Logan couldn't move. He had been frozen in place during the whole scene.
" Ricky," she said softly, kneeling as Ricky ran smiling into her arms. " Ils vous ont endommagé?" (translation: did they hurt you?"
Ricky shook his head and smiled brightly. " Non, they-they saved me, Maman… don't you remember? Your friends?" he asked, unsure of what to say. 'Did they trick me? Is this another laboratory?'
Scott watched intently as Marie looked at them all. " I'm sorry for my outburst… but… I'm afraid I was disoriented…" she said, still kneeling on the cold floor. " I'm Rogue."
Henry looked at Jean, concerned about Rogue's welfare. Jean massaged her neck and in turn looked at Scott, who was starting to become an unhealthy shade of white.
" Rogue, we know who you are…" Jean said slowly. " Don't you remember us? We're your friends… the X-Men?"
Rogue shook her head and smiled sheepishly. " I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I don't remember much… about the past… what is it now? 10? 11 years?"
*Scott? *
Scott looked around and found Rogue sitting on her operating bed. He came closer to the woman and found her expression moving from confused, to scared, to annoyed and back again.
*Scott, are you there? *
" M-Marie?"
Rogue looked at Scott and for a brief moment, Scott saw recognition in her eyes. *Logan? Scott? Professor? Anyone? *
Rogue gasped in pain and clutched her head. As she looked at Scott, she whispered only one plea. " get the professor…"
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Author's Note: It seems Rogue is always in pain… and unconscious… don't worry more explanations in the next chapter. This was pretty long…