Will You Help Me?

            Logan watched as Rogue grabbed Sabertooth's face, her powers causing him to recoil and knock her into the icy black water.  Rogue screamed as she fell, spurring Wolverine into action.  He rushed forward in an attempt to catch her, but it was to late.  Rogue's body fell into the water and was sucked down, her body being severely battered in the process.  Thus Logan watched in horror as her body was thrown over the falls, disappearing as suddenly as it had appeared.

            "'ROGUE!" Logan roared, his eyes watching her disappear.  Suddenly, a new rage exploded inside him.  Shooting out his claws, Wolverine advanced upon Sabertooth, "You BASTARD!  I'm going to KILL YOU!"

            "Logan, stop!" a cold voice called out, "He's not worth it."

            Wolverine turned around to face Storm, the moonlight making her whole body glow.  For a moment their eyes meet.  She was pleading with him, "Logan, if you kill him you'll destroy yourself.  Look at him; he's not even conscious.  Besides, he didn't try to hurt Rogue, she just got in the way."

            Then he knew.  In one fluid movement, he dropped Sabertooth and grabbed Storm, his arms and claws were trusted into her stomach, "Your not Ro."

            Blood poured over his hands.  A pair of pain filled yellow eyes looked at Wolverine, "How…how did you know?"  With that, Mystique reverted to her original form.

            "Easy, Storm would never say that about Rogue."  Logan turned around, "Now to take care of Creed."

            "Don't think so Runt."  Logan never saw the branch hit him.

            Storm landed gracefully on the cold ground.  Beside her Nightcrawler appeared, Shadowcat and Iceman at his sides.  They had been able to track Wolverine by using the communicators, but with the forest so thick it was getting hard to see the ground.  Yet somehow Storm had managed to spot Wolverine's bike, they would have to go on foot from here.

            "Alright team, Wolverine shouldn't be far from here.  We're going by teams.  Shadowcat, you come with me," Storm motioned to the boys, "As for you, stay out of trouble.  If you see anything, tell us immediately.  Remember, time is of the essence, the longer we take the less chance we have of finding Rogue."

            Storm and Shadowcat walked though the forest, winching at every stray noise.  Around them the crickets chirped, wind blew, and the moon laminated the area.  Under different circumstances it would have been a beautiful night.  Storm glanced at her teammate.  Shadowcat seemed to be on the edge of tears.  Her body was shacking from a mixture of fear and exhaustion.  Storm started to open her mouth when Shadowcat gave a small yelp.

            "Storm!  Over there, its Wolverine!"

            Storm rushed over, "Shadowcat, call the others."  Storm shook Wolverine slightly, "Logan.  Logan, wake up!  Where's Rogue?"

            Wolverine started to stir, letting lose a moan of pain, "That bastard's really asking for it."

            "Oh thank the goddess you're alive!"  Storm suddenly looked at her immediate surroundings.  Blood covered the ground and there seemed to be no sign of Rogue or Sabertooth, "Wolverine, what happened here?  Where is Rogue?"

            Wolverine's eye's shot to where the metal sphere had been,  "Shit, Sabertooth must have ran."  Logan sighed, "Rogue tried to help, but she fell into the river.  I don't know where she is.  Mystique showed up, that's where all the blood is from.  Hope I killed her, the little bitch.  After I stabbed her, Sabertooth knocked me out and must have taken off with Mystique."

            "So Rogues…" Storm chocked on the words.

            Wolverine shook his head sadly, "I don't know.  I saw her get swept over the falls, but what happened after that…"

            "Well, we'll have to go after her!"  Storm turned to see Shadowcat glaring at them both, hands on her hips, "We need to save her!  I'm going to go and find her, you can help if you want."  With that Shadowcat turned and walked away along the riverbed, leaving her very stunned teammates to follow behind.

            "Rogue.  Rogue, please wake up.  Rogue?"

            Rogue's eyes snapped open.  Her body was sprawled out on the ground.  Around her was nothing but blackness.  There was no up or down, just an endless black void.  Never ending darkness.  Rogue's body shook violently.  It wasn't really cold, but at the same time it wasn't really hot.  It just was.  Overwhelming fear washed over Rogue.  She knew this place.

            "Rogue?  Rogue, please.  You must wake up!"

            Soft voices echoed in the void.  Rogue looked around her.  Silvery wisps of smoke were starting to appear from the darkness.  The voices grew louder as the smoke got closer.  Panic seized Rogue's heart.

            "No!  No, go away!" Rogue screamed.

            She knew these thing now, they were the psyches; shadows of the people she had absorbed.  The psyches stopped moving closer, almost like they were startled by her outburst.  Suddenly, the voices grew louder.  They screamed, yelled, crying insults at her.  Angry voices raged around her.  They wanted her to listen, to notice them, to do things for them.  Now the psyches were all around her, twisting and wrapping around her body.  Icy cold to the touch, it felt like they were draining all Rogues warmth, her life, away.

            "NO!  No, go away!  Leave me ALONE!"  Suddenly Rogue's eyes snapped open, "NO!"

            "Rogue, Rogue its ok Rogue.  Calm down you're safe now.  They won't hurt you anymore."

            Two hands rested on Rogue's shoulders, shaking her slightly.  Rogue's eyes glanced up to see the owner of the voice.  A young woman knelt in front of her.  She had smooth, pale white skin, and dark brown hair and eyes.  But as Rogue looked into those eyes, a strange flash of yellow told Rogue who she was really talking to.  It was her stepmother, best friend, ex-principle, and archenemy - Mystique.

            Mystique had watched in horror as she saw her daughter be thrown into the river.  She had watched as Rogue was thrown against rocks and eventually get sucked down into the black water.  Despite all of this, Mystique had done nothing; instead she stuck to the plan.  A few days ago, Mystique had contacted her ex-lover, Victor Creed aka Sabertooth, with an awkward request.  She begged him to help her in contacting Rogue, telling him that she needed him.  Of course this was all a lie; Mystique needed no one.  But it had worked; Sabertooth had agreed to help her.  So Mystique planned this whole thing, she planned Wolverine finding the stone and bringing it back to the institute, planned Rogue's kidnapping, and finally planned the attack on the X-Men.  Mystique had planned this entire ordeal just to talk to her daughter.

            But after her encounter with Wolverine, on thing she hadn't planned for, Mystique wasn't so sure how this was going to work out.  She hadn't counted on being so weak and injured when she found Rogue's body washed up on the riverbank.  Yet somehow despite her injuries, Mystique managed to drag Rogue back to a cave where Mystique had patiently awaited Rogue's awakening.

            "Mystique.  What do you want?  Here to use me again?" Rogue snapped, anger and hatred apparent on her face.

            Mystique looked away, a hurt expression on her face, "No, it's not like that.  I just…"

            "No!  I don't want to hear it!  Just, just leave me alone!"

            Mystique watched Rogue as she struggled to stand, "Even after absorbing Sabertooth she isn't fully healed and she knows it.  Got to admire that spirit."  Mystique rushed to Rogue's side, helping Rogue to stand, "Rogue, you need to calm down.  Sabertooth's healing abilities haven't fully restored you yet…"

            Rogue recoiled at Mystique's touch, pushing her away with a gloved hand.  Mystique fell to the ground with a cry.  Glancing over, Rogue saw blood on the cavern floor.  Her eyes looked to Mystique questionably.  Mystique was bleeding.  Her cloths were soaked with blood, making them turn a reddish brown color.

            "What happened?" asked Rogue.

            Mystique gave a half smile, "Courtesy of your friend Logan.  Why?  You concerned about me?"

            "No, just wondering if you were first kidnapped then pushed into a river all so you worst enemy could see you.  Now that would have given us something in common."

            "We have more in common than you may think," Mystique looked at Rogue, "I don't expect you to understand my actions Rogue.  However, you should get you information straight before you start accusing me.  I never used you, everything I did I could have done without your aid.  You were just making it more convenient.  I could have pretended to be Kitty's friend, or one of the new recruits, God knows it would have been easier.  But no, I chose you.  I wanted to be your friend, I wanted to be closer to you."  Mystique climber to her feet, "Rogue, I'm sorry for what I did to you.  Truly, I am.  But don't flatter yourself into believing that I needed your help.  Absorb me, see for yourself if you don't believe me," Mystique extended her hand, "Not that you would.  You're too afraid of your mutation, of your wonderful gift.  But never again when I'm finished with you."

            Rogue looked at Mystique's hand, "I could.  It would be so easy.  I cold get all the answers, tell if she's lying or not."  Rogue looked at Mystique's eyes, "When she was Risty, I had complete faith in her.  I never thought that she could lie or betray me.  But now, as Mystique…" Rogue sighed, "No.  I won't absorb you.  If I did you would die, you're to weak from blood loss."

            "Good.  Rogue I'll be honest, I need your help."

            "I knew it!  You're using me again!  No way, go find some other pawn to do your dirty work."

            "No, it's not like that.  This will help us both, please just listen.  If you still don't want any part when I'm done, then I'll leave." Mystique begged.

            Rogue looked at Mystique.  Her blue skin was very pale and her eyes had a glassy look to them.  Mystique was very weak she could barely even stand.  Her breathing was very quick and shallow.  If she didn't get treatment soon, she would die.

            "Fine, what is it?"

            "I knew you would say yes."  Mystique hid her smile, "A military facility.  They're working on a new drug, one made specifically for genetic mutations.  This drug targets mutations and destroys them.  In the case of mutants, it would kill them.  However, this research is only known to a select few, five men to be exact.  Three have already been disposed of, but there is still two left.  Sabertooth will be taking care of one, but the other one never leaves the lab."

            "So where do I come in.?"

            "We would need to break into the lad and dispose of both him and all the evidence of the research.  Normally I could do this myself, but I need you to absorb the locations of any evidence that shows that the lad existed.  I can't do that Rogue.  Only you can absorb his knowledge."  Mystique's eyes looked pleadingly at Rogue, "This isn't just for us, for me.  This drug could kill every mutant in the world.  Please Rogue, will you help me?"

            "Yes, on one condition.  After all this is over, I never want to see you again.  If you ever come near me, or anyone I know, I'll kill you.  Agreed?"

            "If that is what you want.  Fine.  I need to help, and take care of a few things, and then I'll be back.  You'll know when the time comes."  With that Mystique transformed into an owl and flew away, "When this is all done with, you'll be begging me to stay with you."

            Slowly Rouge slid down the cave wall, "I should go soon, but right now I think I should just…rest."  Rogue lay sprawled out on the cavern floor, to exhausted to notice when a loud noise and the smell of brimstone filled the cave.