Callous

Chapter 01 – Teaser

Two and a half months following the 'Day of Reckoning'…

Rogue rubbed her thumb over her other fingertips, feeling for the rough patches that had once been there before she had to wear gloves all the time. Now her hands were smooth as satin from being protected from the elements by gloves. All the time. They didn't used to be this soft and smooth. They used to be rough and calloused from climbing trees and playing sports. She used to be a tomboy, but now she was a mutant. More than that. A mutant mutant. A freak among freaks. She wore an armor of clothing on her body, an armor or make-up on her face, and an armor of rancor, a bitchy hands-off disposition on her personality. She layered the trendy façade of Goth on top of it all. The Gothic façade kept away the squeamish people, prevented them from even bothering with her, from even trying to get anywhere close to her.

She was the pariah [1]. She was the power-vampire. She was the thought-thief. She was the Rogue [2].

Was ah a tomboy? Was that me? Or someone ah absorbed? Rogue sighed and put her glove back on. It was hot out and the gloves were making her hands clammy, but she couldn't take the risk, not even sitting outside by herself as she was. What's the point of worrying about it? Either way, it's part of who ah am now.

She was sitting on the ground, leaning back against a gnarled, sprawling tree. Good climbing tree. Her backpack sat beside her, to her left. A vampire novel lay open on her lap, though it was being ignored as she was consumed with her thoughts.

School was over for the day, but she didn't feel like heading back to the Institute. It was still being rebuilt and, therefore, was a constant reminder of that day, that fight, and all that happened afterwards. She was dealing with the memories of that fight with Magneto and his newly formed team better than she was dealing with what happened while she'd been captured and even better than she was dealing with the new ghosts in her head and the new powers coursing through her. She didn't talk about these things with the other X-Men. They wouldn't understand. They couldn't see what the big deal was. She'd absorbed people before, so why would this be any different? Well, simply put, the ghosts were permanent now, just like their powers. The latter was all that the team seemed to care about. They all thought her new powers were soooo cool. That she was soooo lucky.

Yeah, right.

So she didn't try to talk to them about it. She didn't bother even bringing it up. She didn't even have Jean or the Professor's telepathic probes picking up on them. That part, they all knew about. And boy was she grateful for it. It was one of the added benefits of all the added powers and ghosts inside her. Jean and the Professor couldn't mind-scan her any more. No telepath could, as far as any of them figured. Even telepathic communication, you know mind-talk, was next to impossible if she didn't help them along, let them in. The rest of the mind shielding was beyond her control, though. Just like her absorption powers. It was ON all the time.

So, everyone at the institute knew about four of her new abilities:

One, she had superhuman strength. She couldn't disguise that fact even if she wanted to. It wasn't hard for the others to notice how she kept breaking things while she was adjusting to the feel of exerting that strength.

Second, she was well nigh invulnerable. She would've tried to hide the near-invincibility if that secret hadn't been revealed even before they'd finished rescuing her and the others. Kind of hard to keep them from noticing that she walked away without as much as a scratch on her after the entire warehouse had collapsed on her.

The third one, her immunity to telepathic probing, was outed by Jean and Xavier after they'd tried to check if she were still living when the warehouse had collapsed on her. They could sense she was there, but not what her thoughts were. Plus, they had to convince her to allow telepathic mind talk. It was like calling someone on the phone and screaming over the answering machine to get someone to pick up. Rogue was quite fond of this third ability. It was her second favorite.

Now, the fourth power, well, that one she didn't want to keep secret. That one was her absolute favorite. She liked it so much it made her feel guilty. The way she got it was not nice, not nice at all for herself, but especially not nice for the person she'd gotten it from. The fourth power the X-Men knew she'd gained was the power of flight.

Flying was the most incredible thing. She never felt as free as when she soared at supersonic speeds or lazily floated alongside the others as they were forced to merely walk or run. Even just hovering in place just out of their stretched grasps made her feel free and alive… and special. And the ability was hers without the cumbersome wings like Angel had, without the limitations of riding the winds like Storm had. Her power of flight just existed at will. The best part of her power of flight, though, was that she had almost complete control of it right from the moment she'd absorbed it. It had been the most beloved ability of the person she had been forced to absorb it from. And along with the ability, itself, and the love of the ability as well, Rogue had also absorbed the absolute control of the ability.

But there were other powers she kept secret.

So, she avoided the under construction Institute and its still recovering occupants as much as possible. She was grateful, in a guilty sort of way, that she had the excuse of the lack of privacy that the many hole-filled walls, floors and ceilings that the under construction state of the Institute granted her. She told them that she couldn't hang around inside when there were enough holes for it to be considered still outside. She would just spend her time after school hanging outside at the high school. Sometimes she went to the mall or the park, but they were crowded enough often enough to keep her from being completely comfortable. The school, however, was pretty deserted—except for the various club meetings and sports practices—after classes ended for the day. And since nobody that stayed after for those things wanted much to do with her, she was as alone as she could get nowadays.

Not that she wouldn't get enough of being alone for the rest of her life because of her powers.

The others just didn't understand. They never would. And she was tired of trying to explain it.

Always tryin' ta get me ta socialize with them. They don't get it. Ah'm a prisoner in mah own body an ah can deal with it in three ways. Ah can get depressed and give up, crawl inta a whole an' say goodbye ta the world fohevah… Or ah can give in, an not care one wit 'bout who ah absorb, who ah hurt, and find mah own pleasure in doing it… Or… Or ah can do what ah'm tryin' ta do… Ah can resolve mahself ta a solitary life. Ah can still know them, still hang out with them. But ah'm trainin' mahself to never to get too close… to never allow the opportunity for a chance accidental brush of skin.

But nobody made this easier on her. They made it more painful with each invitation and with each plea for companionship… Especially since they all flinch… Just like she does.

Her white striped hair whipped across her face from the short burst of wind that signaled Pietro's approach. He stopped on her right side, opposite where her backpack was. His arms were crossed across his chest. He wore a matching 'I'm-de-bomb' smirk and 'I'm-de-bomb' glimmer in his ice blue eyes. One foot was crossed lazily over the other foot as he leaned his shoulder against the tree so that he was looming over her in his pose of nonchalance that still managed to demand everyone's attention on him.

Before she could acknowledge him, the speedster spoke, "Hey-Roguey-What-you-doing-Are-you-day-dreaming-of-that-guy-that-nearly-blew-you-up-with-his-cards-Forget-about-him-And-the-X-Geeks-for-that-matter-Come-back-to-the-Brotherhood-and-I'll-let-you-fantasize-about-me-all-you-want."

"Ya'll wish, Speedy," Rogue said, her surly tone contrasting to the lilt of a playful smile gracing her lips.

Pietro was arrogant and cocky and got under her skin in the worst way… and the best way. Plus, he was brash like her. The bickering banter they participated in annoyed her, challenged her, and was more fun than talking with any of the kids at the Institute. She had to admit she liked him. Heck, she wouldn't even hate admitting it. Short as it had been, her and Pietro always had fun when she lived with the brotherhood.

Rogue gestured to a group of giggling girls that huddled on the sidewalk to their right, then continued their playful teasing, "Your fan club's over there, an' if ya hadn't noticed, ah'm not with them."

Pietro looked over to where Rogue pointed. He chuckled when he saw the giggling gaggle of girls. They were congregated a few parking spaces away from where Lance's jeep was parked. The rest of Pietro's fellow Brotherhood members were waiting for Pietro at Lance's jeep. Lance was waving for Pietro to join them. Pietro's eyes twinkled mischievously with an idea. He looked to Rogue and said, rather slowly for him, though not quite normal speed, "I'll-go-ask-what-you-need-to-do-to-join. Be-right-back."

"Pietro, don't!" Rogue gasped, but she was too late. Pietro was already on his way… to the jeep. Rogue laughed quietly to herself. The little twit tricked me! It amused her to watch him pass the girls, wave and wink at them, and then catch up with Lance and the others at the jeep. She continued to smile as she watched all of them, Pietro included, climb into Lance's jeep.

She turned back to her book and tried to actually read it this time. A lock of hair tickled her left cheek. She reached up to push it behind her ear. Something caught her hand, her thankfully gloved hand. She flinched with the surprising contact, but a gloved hand grasped her hand and held it in place beside her ear. She panicked and jerked her hand away. She expected her superhuman strength would've yanked the assailant tumbling to the ground beside her, but he let go of her hand instead. It slapped against her knee from the force of her yanking it away. She was about to whip her head around to face her assailant when his warm breath tickled her ear and neck. She froze, her panic doubled.

He's too close. He's too close. He's too close.

"Y' can do better dan him, chere," whispered Gambit's husky accented voice as he trailed a playing card behind her ear, down her neck, to her collar, and then dropped into her lap.

Suspecting the card was charged to explode—though it wasn't—Rogue launched herself to the side and then up and away from him. The motion only took a split second and it ended with her hovering a foot off the ground.

She faced her assailant. Gambit stood there, facing her, with a suave and relaxed confidence. He was standing behind and beside her backpack, just to the left of where she had just been sitting only a moment before. He was half hidden by the tree she'd been sitting against, giving away the fact that, while Pietro had been talking to her, he'd been concealing himself there, upwind of her, and keeping the tree between him and her and Pietro.

Her eyes met his ruby on onyx eyes, which revealed his surprise at her quick movement and her ability of flight.

"It's you!" Rogue gasped loud enough for the Brotherhood members to hear from where they sat in Lance's jeep waiting in the line of cars for their chance to pull out from the parking lot and onto the street.

Huh? Rogue? Pietro wondered as he turned and saw Rogue, using her flight powers in public, facing the very guy he had just teased her about. They didn't look to be on friendly terms at the moment, though.

Gambit's surprise flickered away an instant after it'd arrived. It was replaced by a flash in his ruby on onyx eyes and a dazzling devil-may-care grin. He bore the wickedly seductive expression into her. He was using his charm powers.

Rogue's breath caught as she felt him using it. She felt him attacking her like he had when they fought the first time. It was similar to what it felt like when Jean or Xavier now tried to scan her mind… yet it was different. She felt the same excitement tingling in her, but instead of just feeling it in her head, she felt it in her stomach and chest as well. It was like being anxious and scared and getting butterflies in her stomach. But that was all that had happened. She got the tingling sensation, but didn't lose herself in his gaze like last time. His charm powers didn't work on her any more than Jean or Xavier's telepathy did.

Rogue's eyes narrowed into a glare and she floated in closer to him, just outside his reach. She growled, "What're ya doin' here?"

A grimace was his only response. No one had ever effectively eluded his charm power before. In fact, he'd used it on her the first time they fought and it had worked just fine then. Of course, he seemed to have been glued to her, as well, that first time. Hehe, de femme charmed y' too, hein? She's definitely easy on de eyes, dis one, neh? The thought lightened his mood and drew out his devil-may-care grin again.

A whoosh of air and the sudden appearance of Pietro beside Rogue stole the grin away once more, though.

"What'sgoingonRoguey?" Pietro asked while glaring at Gambit. He'd said it so fast Rogue compared it a fly's buzz at her ear and instinctively waved a hand in annoyance to force the buzz away.

Gambit met Pietro's gaze then moved it to the other Brotherhood members that were rushing up to join them. Rogue and Pietro followed his change of attention, looking behind them to see Lance, Fred, Tabitha, and Todd hopping and jogging up to them.

"What's he doing here, yo?" Todd asked. Gambit was getting quite bored with the originality of these people's questions. Their continual interruption annoyed him more, though.

"Ah was tryin' ta find that out mahself, ya'll," Rogue answered.

"Anot'er time, chere," Gambit said, drawing their attention back to him. She turned to face him, only to find that he was gone.

Pietro sped off to search for him. Rogue took to the air to look for him as well. She concealed herself from the students that were still making their way off campus by using the tree's upper gnarled and sprawling branches for camouflage. She hoped that if anyone did see her up there they would think she was just climbing the tree. She'd rather have them think she was weird and childish—it wasn't any worse than most of the students thought anyway—than let them know of her powers. Xavier had gone through the trouble of erasing the memory of the X-Men and Brotherhood's being revealed as mutants from everyone at the school. He had sacrificed his ideals in doing that and she couldn't just ruin his sacrifice right then and there by showing her mutant powers to everyone. She'd only just gotten back to attending classes that week.

A whoosh of air and Pietro appeared below Rogue with the others. "I-couldn't-find-him-I-don't-know-how-he-got-away-so-fast-Nobody's-as-fast-as-the-Speed-Demon," Pietro said, talking slower than the beat of a fly's wings, but still faster than most people. He looked up to Rogue, who was still hovering in the top of the tree, and asked, "What-about-you-Roguey?"

She didn't answer. She stared off in the distance at nothing, really, just searching.

"Hello? Rogue?" Tabitha said sarcastically.

"Demon… He has eyes like a demon," Rogue whispered, not realizing she'd spoken aloud.

"He's a what, yo?" Todd asked as he hopped up to a branch much lower that the ones at the top that Rogue was hovering in.

"Huh? …" Rogue, remembering that they were there, asked. "Oh… it's nothing. He has red on black eyes, is all," she said trying to make it sound unimportant. She lowered herself to the ground and Todd hopped down as well.

"Did you see where he went?" Lance asked.

"No…" Rogue said, still a little dazed from what had happened. She shook her head trying to clear thoughts of him from her mind.

"Are-you-okay?" Pietro asked in his half-speed.

"Ah'm fahne," Rogue said trying to make it sound harsh like it usually would sound, but failing.

"Hey, this one didn't explode," Tabitha announced as she picked up the card Gambit had dropped in Rogue's lap earlier. She looked at it and smirked as she held it up for all of them to see. "Ace of hearts," she said, handing it to Rogue, "Think it means anything?"

"Yeahright," Pietro said, imitating a fly's wing buzz again, but with a slight sneer, "Joker,morelike."

Ruby irises glowed in their onyx orbs, piercing through the shadows of the dense branches and leaves of a nearby tree. The Diable Blanc those eyes belonged to was crouched in agile ease on perilously thin branches that could barely hold his weight. He was located very high in the not-so-good-climbing-tree. The tree was very tall, wiry, with frail looking branches that reached no lower than seven and a half feet from the ground, and it was dense with clusters of leaves.

No, it wasn't a good climbing tree at all. No one would've thought to look for him in it. In fact, none of them had. That was precisely why he chose that spot. From there, he could watch the one called Rogue and her enemy-friends without being seen.

He watched for a long while.

Thank you for reading.


Footnotes:

[1] Pariah: 1. Outcast. 2. Any person or animal that is generally despised or avoided.

[2] Just in case you didn't know the actual definition of this noun… Rogue: 1. A dishonest person; scoundrel. 2. A playfully mischievous person; scamp. 3. A tramp (not the slutty kind) or vagabond.

TIME LINE

0 days: DAY OF RECKONING. 1st news broadcast of mutants. Rogue, Logan, Fred, and Hank are captured.

3 days: RAID ON THE INSTITUTE. Described briefly in prologue.

42 days (6 weeks): RESCUE. Mentioned in prologue. X-Men discover that Rogue has new permanent powers that allowed her to survive the warehouse collapsing on her and prevents Jean and Xavier from reading her mind (Ch. 1).

56 days (8 weeks): PROLOGUE. It is revealed that Xavier changed the memories of Bayville inhabitants to make them forget that the X-Men and Brotherhood were the mutants involved in the news broadcast of the giant Sentinel attack.

70 days (10 weeks): CHAPTER ONE. Rogue's 1st week back to school. Pietro tries to rescue Rogue from the dastardly Remy, who has so evilly trailed the Queen of Hearts card on her cheek. How horrible of him!