The Rogue
Author's Note: RogueDragon5, yeah I know I said it was Sabertooth… but I change my mind… I don't really know who the father is now, I'll think about it when the time comes. By the way: Make sure to check out author: So Deeply In Love, who's making an alternate ending to The Rogue.
Girl Number 1: thank for all the suggestions! Be sure to know that Gambit will be in the prequel along with some familiar faces and a lot of new ones.
Yuriko: Pirates of the Caribbean? I've been dying to see it! Too bad I don't have moolah.
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Xavier sat in Cerebro for nearly 18 hours, trying to locate Rogue, with no relief. His temples throbbed and his body couldn't last any longer. The more he forced himself to stay in the machine, the more his mind ached for a break.
Tears sprung into his eyes as he sighed in defeat. He took his helmet off, and wheeled himself out of the room.
Tired faces greeted him as the doors slid open. Logan looked as if he had been tortured, his hair disheveled, he was slouched, making him look more his age. Jean looked as if she lost all hope; her eyes were vacant from looking at computers all day, trying to locate labs through government files. Ricky was silent; he neither ate nor talked… just… sat waiting patiently for news.
Jamie was constantly bumping into things, making duplicates of him that bumped into other things. However, Xavier was more concerned about Scott. He was in a dark state of depression, violent and temperamental. He'd been beating himself with guilt and self-loathing, drinking while he constantly cleaned the Blackbird.
" How's Scott?" Xavier asked.
Jean shook her head in dismay. " He's still in the garage. He's down to the last bottle in the Institute," Jean rasped. " He hasn't eaten in a week."
" Who gives a rat's ass about Scott?!" Logan growled at Jean, glaring at her, feeling bitter that she could have saved Marie… but she didn't. " Marie has been kidnapped, we don't know where the fuck in Mississippi she is, and all you give a damn about is that fucking stiff with a stick up his ass!"
Jean hung her head and tears stung her eyes. " I didn't-"
" That's right you didn't!" Logan yelled, clenching his fists, venting his anger at the red headed doctor. " You had the power to stop them…"
Logan turned around and stomped off, looking for a drink. Ororo sighed as she came in the room, almost bumping into Logan.
" Professor, sorry to interrupt, but the students are getting quite testy… mostly Jubilee, Kitty and Bobby," the African Goddess said. " And we all would wish to know the news…"
She eyed Ricky who was just sitting patiently in one of the chairs. Ororo felt for the boy, hoping they would find his mother soon.
' So young, he shouldn't be facing these types of situations…' she thought.
" Storm, would you please go and console Logan… I believe this is a hard time for him as well," Xavier said. " We need everyone in their best, in case we get a sign that Rogue is still in Mississippi."
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Scott coughed and took another swig from the bottle. ' One week' he thought bitterly, scrubbing the wing of the jet. ' One fucking week in hell.'
He sat on the Blackbird in nothing but his black silk boxers. He hadn't slept for days, hadn't eaten, and hadn't had contact with the rest of the school… nothing.
He remembered, at one point in his life… he had wished that his mutation could be controlled, that he would be able to see colors, and not just hues of red. Now, he just wished that he would be able to see Marie's face again, feel her lips on his, feel her body in his arms… feel her smooth skin and her soft hair.
' I'd give anything to see her again,' Scott thought as he brought the bottle of beer to his lips.
As he finished the rest of the bitter liquor, he threw it over his shoulders, taking pleasure in hearing them smash on the ground, like the countless others he threw over the week. He knew it wasn't healthy to drink so much, especially if he didn't have the healing factor that Logan did.
" Scott?"
Scott turned around, his heart soaring with hope. " Mar-" he stopped and frowned as he saw Jean, standing below the jet, holding a tray of food.
" Come down, have a sandwich," she coaxed. " You must be starving… you haven't eaten all week."
Scott ignored the woman's voice. It was funny, how the woman he had thought he loved, turned out to be the woman he now loathed. The one person Scott knew could save Marie was Jean. She was telekinetic, she had enough control to lift that truck… but she didn't.
' Why is that?' he wondered out loud, knowing Jean would be able to hear it, 'Why didn't you save Marie?'
Jean bit her lip and sagged. She placed the tray on the floor and backed away. Scott turned around and asked it again, only louder and to Jean instead of just thinking it.
" Why didn't you, Doctor?" Scott said bitterly, out loud this time, when she refused to answer him. " I thought being a paramedic meant that you saved lives… not let them slip through your grasp."
Scott waited impatiently as she stopped in front of the door. She opened the doors and slipped through. Scott growled in anger, climbing down the jet swiftly.
*You wanted her to be caught didn't you? * Scott thought. *You selfish, prudish, whore! *
*That is quite enough, Scott * Xavier's voice said, filling his mind. *Jean feels just as bad as well all do… *
Scott kept silent, clenching his jaws as bitter tears streaked down his chiseled face. He blocked the professor from his mind and concentrated on Jean. *Some friend you are * he thought bitterly.
He walked through the garage shoeless, ignoring the pain as he stepped over the broken beer bottles as he went. He didn't even take the sandwich, but he continued to walk.
" Scott?"
He stopped and turned to the voice and found Ricky with disbelief in his eyes. Scott closed his eyes and took off his glasses, rubbing his eyes angrily as tears fell.
Ricky ran towards the man and enveloped him in a hug. " Don't waste away, Maman needs you to be strong…"
Scott choked as he sobbed silently, kneeling towards the 9-year-old boy, holding him in his arms. Xavier and the rest of the people who were in the hallways, stopped and sympathized with them. Scott clenched his eyes and took a deep breath. He stood up and gave Ricky and mental 'thank you' and made his way towards his room.
Jean had witnessed the interaction between them from behind one of the walls. ' Why didn't I try to save Rogue?' she wondered, guilt eating at her conscious.
She wandered towards the porch and found Logan smoking, leaning on his bike. " Logan?"
He ignored her and kept puffing away. " I'm waiting for Ororo," he said gruffly. " Might as well say something to someone before I leave."
Jean felt his words stab her. " Look, I-"
Logan stopped her and shook his head. " Just tell Ororo that I'm heading down to Mississippi. I can't stand here and wait until we find out whether they killed her or brainwashed her," he said, throwing his cigar as he saddled his bike. " Make sure you tell her now. Say goodbye to Ricky for me."
"Logan, I-"
" Would you just go and tell 'Ro already?" Logan snapped. " What happened back there with Marie happened. Y'could've stopped her but ya didn't, so now we're here."
" That isn't fair!" Jean retorted.
Logan turned back to her. " Why isn't it?" he asked harshly. " Face it Jeannie, everyone's onto you. They know you're not who they thought you were. Forget trying to get on my good side. I lost Marie 'cause of you, and I ain't losing her to some psychopath doctor again."
He started the engine and revved off. Jean did as she was told and Ororo nodded.
" You couldn't have stopped them," Ororo said quietly, hoping to console the hurting woman. " They're just bitter… they lost someone dear to them."
" Professor Xavier was close to her too, you don't see him biting my head off," Jean snapped. " I don't even know why I didn't… I could've…"
" I just kept thinking… Scott…" Jean whispered, tears coursing down her face. " I kept thinking how my life would be perfect if she wasn't there… and now…"
" She's gone…"
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Marie closed her eyes, deleting psyches in her head and re-organizing her thoughts and her powers. She wandered through her 'files' to see which power could be of use in her escape.
" My dear, have you thought of our proposal?"
Marie's head shot up and she faced DeVillago, who was on the other side of the plexiglass. They had transferred her from the experimenting room to a padded observation cell.
" I'd rather burn in hell!" she spat out.
She felt like a lunatic, in a straight jacket lined with adamantium chains; her arms tied to prevent her from escaping. They didn't know about her control five years ago, they still didn't, but her original powers were of no use to her. They knew about her skin and were extra careful to be clothed, especially since they no longer had a collar to keep her restrained.
" That can be arranged," he said.
Marie looked around and found nothing that would aid her escape. 'If only I was invisible… or I could…phase…' she cursed under her breath. 'The one time I need Kitty kat, she's not here…'
Rogue knew that Xavier would never find her with Cerebro unless she used her imprinting abilities. She needed to convince one of the guards to somehow take their clothes off…
She eyed the movements beyond the glass and found DeVillago taking a call. ' I wonder who from' she thought. He took a look at her and smirked arrogantly before leaving the room and placing a metal shield to protect the room if ever the glass was broken.
' Perfect' Marie thought. She eyed the door to her left and found the slots where the guards could see her with. ' Time to put my acting skills to test…'
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"What was so important that you had to take me out of a session?" DeVillago asked one of the scientists.
" Sir, we've got the media contacted with LaTonya's secrets. They should be aired within minutes," replied a tall blond woman. " And a Mister Logan has called in to ask about our facilities."
DeVillago turned to the woman. " Logan?" he asked.
The woman nodded. " He says he wishes to know what our cause is about, to donate money… I believe were his exact words."
' Logan… project 'wolverine'…'
" Karen… you just earned yourself a raise," he replied. He then walked towards the stairs and smiled at the woman brightly. " Meet me at my apartment at eight… make sure to wear something… tight."
Karen blushed and nodded. " Oh, sir? What of your other appointments?"
" Cancel them… I'm off to meet LaTonya and to accept my new role as the Mayor of this…" he started. " County."
Karen nodded and rushed off to grab her things.
' Once I'm mayor, I can finally expand this lab… finally rid the world of these filthy homo sapien sapiens' he mused. As he reached the elevators, the chuckled softly. " After all, who would ever think to blame the mayor of such a drab little town?"
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The Guards looked into the slots as Marie anticipated. They opened the door and placed a tray before her. One of the guards winked at her and she gave him her best seductive grin.
" Sugah, would you mind if you loosened these?" she asked motioning for her jacket. " I got an itch and… well since my hands are tied up at the moment, would you mind doing it for me?"
The black haired man looked back to his partner who grinned pervertedly. He unzipped her jacket and revealed a white spaghetti strap tank top.
'Damn it… gloves' Marie said.
The man scratched her neck and she sighed appreciatively. " Sugah, Its still there, mind using y'nails?"
The guard was too engrossed with her chest to think; he took off his gloves and started to scratch her neck again.
'Bingo'.
As soon as the man had touched her, he began to convulse as his memories, his life energy… everything was being absorbed. Marie stopped the flow enough to make sure he was still alive. His partner, was so shocked, her left the man in the room but locked the door tightly.
Marie used her telekinesis to retrieve the keys for the jacket. 'Thank you Jesse, you always prove to be my best friend' she thought. She levitated the key towards the slot located on the back of the jacket. Soon, the sleeves dangled on her sides and she was able to wriggle free.
" Corey?"
'Shit' she thought as the guard began to wake up. ' Now what?'
She knew the other guard was now calling backup. 'Where's Mystique's powers when you need them?' she thought bitterly.
She tripped on the jacket's top and cursed as she hit the floor, hearing a wooden 'thud'. She mentally thanked the jacket and tied the top around her waist, disabling any possibilities of it getting in her way.
Using her acquired super-human strength, she ripped the padding off the walls and tapped the wood, to see if it was hollow or not. Hearing a satisfying sound of an 8-inch wall, she smiled and thanked the fallen man.
She broke through the wall easily, but not silently. She floated inches from the floor, hoping her stealth would get her out of the labs faster. She used the guard's memories to see where the exit would be located. Nearing the password- encrypted door, she froze, hearing the sound of a lone applause.
" You passed with flying colors," DeVillago stated proudly. " Now, its time for your mission."
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Author's Note: RogueDragon5: ^-^ um, sorry if I confused you, I just… well I wanted the father to be Sabertooth to prevent any problems that might occur if I said Wolverine… she'd have a harder time to choose between Scott and Logan. But then, it also occurred to me that Victor/Sabertooth in my story has a wife… and so it can't be Rogue that he's paired up with.
The Rogue: To Be Continued…