Rogue's head jerks back as if she were slapped.
"WHAT?"
Mr. McCoy glances over at her, shaking his head slightly.
"Shhh!" he hushes. He clears his throat, then continues, "There are several of those posts around the premises. They not only set the boundary lines, but it's from them that the actual force field emanates. If we could get rid of those, we could make a run for it."
Her stomach sinks, and there's a sickening feeling climbing in her throat.
"But we can't. We couldn't do it without Magneto seein'."
"Maybe we could do it quickly."
"But how? Wouldn't ya have ta rewire 'em or somethin'?"
"Not necessarily," Mr. McCoy answers with another shake of his head. "We could just divert all the power momentarily. Overload the system while we jump through."
"How could we do that?"
"I think it would work if someone could withstand the force of holding onto one of the posts. All the energy would be focused on that person. If my observations are correct, it would short-circuit the system after a bit of time, just long enough for us to pass through without being stung TOO badly."
"But no one could handle that power! It'd kill 'em after more'n a minute."
"It'd a kill a person after far less than a minute."
"Then see? It can't work, Mr. McCoy. It'd have to be somethin' inanimate divertin' the shock."
"The forcefield would shrug off an inanimate object in a second. We need some time for the energy to start weakening. A person could latch on and take hold."
"Until they die," she mumbles.
"They don't HAVE to die, Rogue. Not if they're inorganic."
"What're ya...?"
In a sudden flash of coherence, she remembers Piotr, his body becoming covered in metal plates.
"Oh mah God," she whispers.
"He's not inanimate, but he's inorganic!" Mr. McCoy says softly, but with excitement. "I think he could give us the necessary time and survive."
"But..." She swallows the growing lump in her throat. "If he helps us, they'll KILL 'im."
"He could come with us, Rogue. It's actually better that way. I don't know how long we'll last on the run from this place; a person with free-using powers would be of great help if..." He hesitates. "If we have to fight."
"Yeah," Rogue murmurs, distracted.
She thinks of gentle Piotr, who doesn't want to be here at all. She thinks of his faceless sister, faraway and depending on whatever assistance Magneto is providing. Will she die without it? Or will she and the rest of his family suffer for Piotr's betrayal in some other way?
"Will you talk to him, Rogue?" Mr. McCoy asks, intruding into her thoughts.
She blinks.
"He...he doesn't speak English."
"He has to know SOMETHING. Just talk to him. Maybe he can understand enough to get the gist of it. If you can trust him, that is. Do you think you can?"
"Ah'll have ta...think 'bout it."
"All right," he sighs.
And silence reigns again, chasing into the yard on the coattails of dark.
* * *
"Have ya ever considered the spoon?" St. John asks.
They sit at the dining room table the next morning. Rogue, as usual, ate her breakfast hours earlier with Piotr, but today she keeps her other friend company as he slurps at his bowl of cold cereal. She looks up blankly and stares at him.
"'Scuse me?"
"The spoon," St. John repeats. "Ever thought about it?"
"Um, not really. Should ah've?"
"It just makes no sense, y'know? Human beings spent thousands of years eatin' just fine with just their fingers. Why overcomplicate things? Seems like a case of 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it.' But here we go an' fix it. Supposedly."
"Maybe," Rogue replies slowly. "The spoon was invented ta make it easier ta eat some thangs."
"But that goes against instinct, in my opinion. If we started out eatin' finger foods, why would we even start tryin' things we couldn't handle? Why would it ever occur to us to eat somethin' like if meat an' plants do just fine?"
"Ah've never thought've it lahk that," she answers. "Ah don' spend enough tahm thinkin' 'bout silverware, ah guess."
St. John snorts and shovels another mouthful of cereal into his mouth.
"Savage. Whatta they teach ya at that school of yours then?"
He swallows and is thus able to once again speak clearly.
"No wonder ya don't wanna go back."
She freezes. When she finally does move, it's only her eyes shifting to rest on him, narrowed. He blithely continues his meal.
"What'd ya say?" she asks quietly.
"Hmm?"
"Why would ya think ah don' wanna go back?" Her voice hardens.
His eyes widen almost imperceptibly, and Rogue knows he has suddenly realized that he's made an error.
"Well, um - "
"Ah didn' say that. EVER. Why would ya THINK that?!"
"Jeez, I didn't mean - "
"What DO ya mean then?"
Rogue stares at him, frowning and angry. St. John swallows hard, then slowly answers:
"It's just that ya don't talk so much about goin' back. Not 'nymore, at least."
Her glare is steady, but inside she feels ill. He's right, of course. She's not thinking about being reunited with the other X-Men - wherever they are, whatever they're doing - so often. She's certainly not talking about it. The desperate need for rescue has left her since friends entered her life and complicated the situation.
Rogue is no better than Fred and Evan, really. She has abandoned them emotionally just as they have her; it just took her a little longer to do it.
For the first time since they arrived here, she understands them. And she hates it.
Without any further words to St. John, Rogue stands up and flees the room, the hall, up the stairs, another hall, to her room. Her room. Quietly, she shuts the door and sits down to cry.
To be continued...
**Surprisingly, Not Long Author's Note:
NiteQueen - I wouldn't put anything past Magneto.
Pyromaniac - *beams* I love St. John and Piotr. Did you see them in X2?!?! *drools* However, I like Remy too. Just not with Rogue. I prefer him as a ladies man, but if he's with Rogue, he'd have to be faithful. A faithful Gambit is not a fun Gambit, in my opinion.
Hmm, not too many personal comments this chapter. I'm trying to cut back anyway. Of course, I also didn't get as many reviews as I normally do, but that's to be expected. My punishment for going away so long, I suppose. But I DID manage to get this one out during the month of May, as promised, though only barely. Hope you guys enjoy! I also hope I can get the next chapter out relatively quickly, as I have absolutely NO idea what's happening in it...
"WHAT?"
Mr. McCoy glances over at her, shaking his head slightly.
"Shhh!" he hushes. He clears his throat, then continues, "There are several of those posts around the premises. They not only set the boundary lines, but it's from them that the actual force field emanates. If we could get rid of those, we could make a run for it."
Her stomach sinks, and there's a sickening feeling climbing in her throat.
"But we can't. We couldn't do it without Magneto seein'."
"Maybe we could do it quickly."
"But how? Wouldn't ya have ta rewire 'em or somethin'?"
"Not necessarily," Mr. McCoy answers with another shake of his head. "We could just divert all the power momentarily. Overload the system while we jump through."
"How could we do that?"
"I think it would work if someone could withstand the force of holding onto one of the posts. All the energy would be focused on that person. If my observations are correct, it would short-circuit the system after a bit of time, just long enough for us to pass through without being stung TOO badly."
"But no one could handle that power! It'd kill 'em after more'n a minute."
"It'd a kill a person after far less than a minute."
"Then see? It can't work, Mr. McCoy. It'd have to be somethin' inanimate divertin' the shock."
"The forcefield would shrug off an inanimate object in a second. We need some time for the energy to start weakening. A person could latch on and take hold."
"Until they die," she mumbles.
"They don't HAVE to die, Rogue. Not if they're inorganic."
"What're ya...?"
In a sudden flash of coherence, she remembers Piotr, his body becoming covered in metal plates.
"Oh mah God," she whispers.
"He's not inanimate, but he's inorganic!" Mr. McCoy says softly, but with excitement. "I think he could give us the necessary time and survive."
"But..." She swallows the growing lump in her throat. "If he helps us, they'll KILL 'im."
"He could come with us, Rogue. It's actually better that way. I don't know how long we'll last on the run from this place; a person with free-using powers would be of great help if..." He hesitates. "If we have to fight."
"Yeah," Rogue murmurs, distracted.
She thinks of gentle Piotr, who doesn't want to be here at all. She thinks of his faceless sister, faraway and depending on whatever assistance Magneto is providing. Will she die without it? Or will she and the rest of his family suffer for Piotr's betrayal in some other way?
"Will you talk to him, Rogue?" Mr. McCoy asks, intruding into her thoughts.
She blinks.
"He...he doesn't speak English."
"He has to know SOMETHING. Just talk to him. Maybe he can understand enough to get the gist of it. If you can trust him, that is. Do you think you can?"
"Ah'll have ta...think 'bout it."
"All right," he sighs.
And silence reigns again, chasing into the yard on the coattails of dark.
* * *
"Have ya ever considered the spoon?" St. John asks.
They sit at the dining room table the next morning. Rogue, as usual, ate her breakfast hours earlier with Piotr, but today she keeps her other friend company as he slurps at his bowl of cold cereal. She looks up blankly and stares at him.
"'Scuse me?"
"The spoon," St. John repeats. "Ever thought about it?"
"Um, not really. Should ah've?"
"It just makes no sense, y'know? Human beings spent thousands of years eatin' just fine with just their fingers. Why overcomplicate things? Seems like a case of 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it.' But here we go an' fix it. Supposedly."
"Maybe," Rogue replies slowly. "The spoon was invented ta make it easier ta eat some thangs."
"But that goes against instinct, in my opinion. If we started out eatin' finger foods, why would we even start tryin' things we couldn't handle? Why would it ever occur to us to eat somethin' like if meat an' plants do just fine?"
"Ah've never thought've it lahk that," she answers. "Ah don' spend enough tahm thinkin' 'bout silverware, ah guess."
St. John snorts and shovels another mouthful of cereal into his mouth.
"Savage. Whatta they teach ya at that school of yours then?"
He swallows and is thus able to once again speak clearly.
"No wonder ya don't wanna go back."
She freezes. When she finally does move, it's only her eyes shifting to rest on him, narrowed. He blithely continues his meal.
"What'd ya say?" she asks quietly.
"Hmm?"
"Why would ya think ah don' wanna go back?" Her voice hardens.
His eyes widen almost imperceptibly, and Rogue knows he has suddenly realized that he's made an error.
"Well, um - "
"Ah didn' say that. EVER. Why would ya THINK that?!"
"Jeez, I didn't mean - "
"What DO ya mean then?"
Rogue stares at him, frowning and angry. St. John swallows hard, then slowly answers:
"It's just that ya don't talk so much about goin' back. Not 'nymore, at least."
Her glare is steady, but inside she feels ill. He's right, of course. She's not thinking about being reunited with the other X-Men - wherever they are, whatever they're doing - so often. She's certainly not talking about it. The desperate need for rescue has left her since friends entered her life and complicated the situation.
Rogue is no better than Fred and Evan, really. She has abandoned them emotionally just as they have her; it just took her a little longer to do it.
For the first time since they arrived here, she understands them. And she hates it.
Without any further words to St. John, Rogue stands up and flees the room, the hall, up the stairs, another hall, to her room. Her room. Quietly, she shuts the door and sits down to cry.
To be continued...
**Surprisingly, Not Long Author's Note:
NiteQueen - I wouldn't put anything past Magneto.
Pyromaniac - *beams* I love St. John and Piotr. Did you see them in X2?!?! *drools* However, I like Remy too. Just not with Rogue. I prefer him as a ladies man, but if he's with Rogue, he'd have to be faithful. A faithful Gambit is not a fun Gambit, in my opinion.
Hmm, not too many personal comments this chapter. I'm trying to cut back anyway. Of course, I also didn't get as many reviews as I normally do, but that's to be expected. My punishment for going away so long, I suppose. But I DID manage to get this one out during the month of May, as promised, though only barely. Hope you guys enjoy! I also hope I can get the next chapter out relatively quickly, as I have absolutely NO idea what's happening in it...