Rogue knew instantly that Saturday was going to be a bad day. She first got
the vibe that night when she couldn't sleep. She finally slept only to wake
up four hours later at eight. She gave up grumpily, but as soon as she took
one step out of her bed, she knew something was off.
She couldn't explain it, but that sick feeling in her stomach kept with her as she showered and dressed in black jeans, a red halter-top, and a long sleeved, see-through black top over it. She put on black gloves that went up only a little past her wrists, and headed to the lobby. No one was there. Rogue briefly wondered where Jones was, but she soon found out that she really didn't care.
Rogue doubted that any students, in their right mind, were up this early on the weekend. She knew Jubilee wasn't. Only the adults were up at nine-o- clock.
She sat down on the sofa and turned the TV on. She flipped through the channels only to see the usual Saturday morning cartoon junk.
Nothing to worry about, right?
Wrong.
She continued flipping until a familiar house filled the screen on the large TV.
It was her house.
It was on fire.
Rogue sat numbly as the news caster spoke.
"This is shocking footage of what took place earlier today in small town Meridian, Mississippi. What you are seeing was shot at six-o-clock this morning. The fire, now, has been put out and we take you live to Rachel Burkhardt, who is on the scene."
The footage changed and instead of a forty-year-old lady who looked twenty- nine with died blonde hair, a young red headed girl was standing outside on Currier Street. Rogue recognized it instantly.
"Thank you, Sharon. I am here with Meridian's fire marshal, Steven Richter. Hello, Steven."
The camera shot to a man in his early forties. He was the leader of the angry mob that attacked Rogue the day before she left.
"We've discovered that the fire was no accident. Several witnesses say they spotted a brown haired man and police have sketched out this as a possibility of what he may look like."
A really crude drawing of John Allerdyce flashed on the screen as Mr. Richter kept talking.
"The fire started in the upstairs master bedroom were George and Rebecca D'Ancanto were currently sleeping."
"How did it start, Mr. Richter?" Rachel asked.
"Well this might sound impossible, but it appears that the fire itself came through the window and into the bed room and killed Mr. and Mrs. D'Ancanto
Dead.
Both of her parents were dead.
How could he do this?
Why did John do this?
She already knew the answer.
Magneto.
"What about the murderer? Have the police found him?" Rachel's voice etched into her thoughts.
"No. Several people have sighted a man who fits the description heading northeast. He was last seen around Worcester, Massachusetts. We strongly advise for...."
Rogue stopped listening. She numbly stood up and ran, still clutching the remote. Tears streamed down her face, blurring her vision as she bolted down the hallway. She barely registered that Kurt Wagner was walking out of the library, face buried in a book. A sickening thud sounded as the two bodies collided.
"Oufff! Gees, Vogue, vere are you goink in such a hurry?" Kurt asked helping her up.
His expression quickly changed when he saw her tear stained face. She tore away from him as soon as she was on her feet. She couldn't stall; she was already running out of time. She raced down the hallway towards the garage.
There was no time to get Bobby, and besides, the car she was taking would only seat four anyway.
*~*~*
"Kurt? Kurt, what's wrong?" Storm asked as the blue teleporter slowly walked into the staff lounge.
He looked like he had just seen a ghost. She noticed that he had a book and a remote control in his hands.
"It's Vogue. She vas cryink and she van down the hall and bumped into me. She dropped this." He explained holding up the remote.
"Kurt, in what direction was she running?"
Storm's question was answered as the sound of tires squealing tore through the room.
"Rogue!!" Storm yelled as she bolted out the main doorway and onto the driveway, "Rouge!!!!"
It was too late.
She was gone.
She slowly walked inside to find Logan, Scott, and Jean coming from all directions to see what all the noise was about.
"She's gone." Storm said to Kurt.
"Who's gone?" Logan demanded.
"Rogue." Jean whispered, "In your new car." She added looking directly at Scott.
"What?!" Scott yelled.
"Where is she going?" Logan asked.
"Boston." Jean mumbled in deep concentration.
"Why?"
"I don't know, she's out of range."
"That quickly?"
"Logan, the car she took can fly."
By that time Kurt had left his fellow X-Men and walked towards the TV that the remote belonged to.
"Uh....guys?!!" He yelled hoping to catch their attention, "You better come look at this."
They all gathered around the TV and watched, open mouthed, at what they were seeing.
"I think I know vhy Vogue left."
*~*~*
Rogue knew where Scott hid his car keys, so there wasn't a reason to hotwire it. Within five minutes, five grueling minutes, she was there. She landed the car in the Drakes' driveway and strode up to the door. The house wasn't burning and there was no sign of John; at least she knew that she wasn't too late.
She pounded on the door not caring for subtlety at the moment. It was Ronnie who opened the door.
"I need to talk to you and you parents." Rogue said with a tone that belonged to Logan.
Ronnie, immediately recognizing her, tried to shut the door in her face, but she was too quick. She put her arm out in front of her and stopped the door from closing.
"Please. You and your family are in serious danger. I am only here to help."
Ronnie slowly opened the door and let her inside.
"Who's at the door, dear?" Madeline Drake asked as she came into the living room.
"Bobby's girlfriend."
Rogue stood unsure of what to do and say next. This all had seemed so easy in her head.
"Get out."
"Mrs. Drake, I can explain."
"Ronnie, call the cops."
"No, just hear me out. I've come here to protect you."
"From what."
"From a mutant who is very dangerous."
"The only dangerous mutant I see here, is you. Ronnie, didn't I tell you to call the cops?"
Ronnie hadn't moved a step and Rogue knew why. He was afraid she'd attack him with her powers. She sighed.
"The only way I can harm you with my mutant power is if I touch your bare skin with mine, and seeing how you two are an the other side of the room and I am all covered up, I don't think I'll be touching you anytime soon."
"Honey, why is she here?" William Drake asked as he walked into the room.
At least she had them all in the same room, she thought.
"Yes, why are you here?" Mrs. Drake added in a rude tone, "You were just telling us."
It took all of Rogue's will not to imprint them all and drag them to the car. This was taking too much time.
"I am here to save you." She said calmly.
"We already know that." Ronnie spat out.
"You know, I wasn't asked to come here!!!!!!" Rogue yelled, finally snapping. The Drakes were surprised at her sudden outburst.
"Then why did you come?" Mr. Drake asked.
"You know that family that were killed today by a mutant attack, George and Rebecca D'Ancanto? I am Marie D'Ancanto. Those were my parents! They treated me just like you treated Bobby, if not worse, and here I am trying to save you bunch of unforgiving people and all you can do is treat me like trash!
"The mutant who murdered my parents was John Allerdyce also known as Pyro. You might remember him; he was the one that blew up the cop cars right in your front yard. I don't know what his reason is for this sick plan of his, but I do know that he is just a puppet and is being controlled by a stronger mutant named Magneto."
Rogue's voice started to get quivery as she neared the end.
"John is coming after you. It is too late for my parents, but it is not too late for you. I'll take you to a safe place where you will get answers to any of your questions and you and Bobby can clear things up. Do you trust me?"
Her little ordeal must have worked because they actually looked as if they were considering it.
"Look, you all still love Bobby, and I know for a fact that he still loves you. Don't put him through the hell I've been in. No matter what my parents did to me, I still loved them. I didn't get to tell them that. Please come with me, for Bobby's sake, not mine."
That seemed to do it.
Mr. Drake looked from Rogue to his wife to Ronnie, and then to Rogue again.
"Let's go."
The cat, they said, was at the vets, so it was one less thing to worry about. Rogue rushed them to the car saying that there wasn't time to pack anything, and she was right. As soon as the Drakes got in the car, a strange orb looking thing came from the sky.
"Get down. Make it seem like there is no one in the car. No matter what happens I want you all to stay hidden until I say so or until he leaves. If something should happen to me press these." She hissed pointing to three red buttons, "Make sure the car is on first. After you press those, flip this and the car will automatically take you back to the Mansion. Tell them that I didn't make it and that it was John who killed me. Ok?"
The Drakes numbly nodded.
"Good. Now get down."
Rogue shut the drivers door making it appear that she had just arrived. The orb opened and Pyro stepped out of it.
"John!"
"Rogue?"
"John please don't do this!" She pleaded running up to him.
"I have to."
"No you don't."
"They don't understand, they never will."
"Give them a chance."
"Like the chance they gave precious Bobby? Like the chance that your parents, hell, your whole town gave you? You can't tell me that they didn't deserve it."
Rogue stood speechless.
"They hurt you Rogue. I made sure they never hurt you again."
"I can't let you do this."
"Rogue."
"I wont let you do this."
"Rogue, please. I don't want to hurt you."
"John!"
"The name's Pyro!" He roared as he pushed Rogue back.
He lit his lighter and just as he threw his fireball, Rogue jerked his hands back, causing his flames to go off course. Before Pyro could stop it the fire blasted into Rogue causing her to fly backwards and onto the hood of her car with a surprising force. The abnormally hot flames licked at her clothes, at her skin. By the time Pyro pulled them back, it was too late.
"No!" he screamed, but he couldn't help her.
Already he heard the distant sirens. He quickly torched the house and jumped back into his orb.
By the time the cops an the fire department came, the silver orb and the red Saturn had flown off.
*~*~*
The X-Men were just about to leave to find Rogue, when the doorbell rang. Bobby, who was roughly woken up by Logan and filled in on the situation, answered it.
"Mom?" He asked in surprise. What on Earth was she doing here?
"Bobby! Oh, God, it was awful! She came and we got in the car and the flames!! She was on fire!! We pulled her in and then we flew here and, oh God, she's dead, Bobby!! She's dead!!"
Bobby stood completely confused as his mother cried onto his shoulder. He took her inside as Ronnie and his dad stepped into the entry hall. His dad was holding something in his arms, and it took Bobby awhile to figure out what, and who, it was.
"Marie!" Logan screamed as he and the other X-Men saw her burnt body in Mr. Drake's arms.
Logan rushed over and took her into his own grasps. Kurt quickly teleported the two down to the hospital wing. He came back and did the same with Jean and Scott. He then came back for Storm.
As much as Bobby wanted to go with he stayed with his family.
"Don't worry. Everything's going to be ok." He said with a certainty he didn't feel, "I am going to take you all to the Professor and I want you to tell us everything that happened.
She couldn't explain it, but that sick feeling in her stomach kept with her as she showered and dressed in black jeans, a red halter-top, and a long sleeved, see-through black top over it. She put on black gloves that went up only a little past her wrists, and headed to the lobby. No one was there. Rogue briefly wondered where Jones was, but she soon found out that she really didn't care.
Rogue doubted that any students, in their right mind, were up this early on the weekend. She knew Jubilee wasn't. Only the adults were up at nine-o- clock.
She sat down on the sofa and turned the TV on. She flipped through the channels only to see the usual Saturday morning cartoon junk.
Nothing to worry about, right?
Wrong.
She continued flipping until a familiar house filled the screen on the large TV.
It was her house.
It was on fire.
Rogue sat numbly as the news caster spoke.
"This is shocking footage of what took place earlier today in small town Meridian, Mississippi. What you are seeing was shot at six-o-clock this morning. The fire, now, has been put out and we take you live to Rachel Burkhardt, who is on the scene."
The footage changed and instead of a forty-year-old lady who looked twenty- nine with died blonde hair, a young red headed girl was standing outside on Currier Street. Rogue recognized it instantly.
"Thank you, Sharon. I am here with Meridian's fire marshal, Steven Richter. Hello, Steven."
The camera shot to a man in his early forties. He was the leader of the angry mob that attacked Rogue the day before she left.
"We've discovered that the fire was no accident. Several witnesses say they spotted a brown haired man and police have sketched out this as a possibility of what he may look like."
A really crude drawing of John Allerdyce flashed on the screen as Mr. Richter kept talking.
"The fire started in the upstairs master bedroom were George and Rebecca D'Ancanto were currently sleeping."
"How did it start, Mr. Richter?" Rachel asked.
"Well this might sound impossible, but it appears that the fire itself came through the window and into the bed room and killed Mr. and Mrs. D'Ancanto
Dead.
Both of her parents were dead.
How could he do this?
Why did John do this?
She already knew the answer.
Magneto.
"What about the murderer? Have the police found him?" Rachel's voice etched into her thoughts.
"No. Several people have sighted a man who fits the description heading northeast. He was last seen around Worcester, Massachusetts. We strongly advise for...."
Rogue stopped listening. She numbly stood up and ran, still clutching the remote. Tears streamed down her face, blurring her vision as she bolted down the hallway. She barely registered that Kurt Wagner was walking out of the library, face buried in a book. A sickening thud sounded as the two bodies collided.
"Oufff! Gees, Vogue, vere are you goink in such a hurry?" Kurt asked helping her up.
His expression quickly changed when he saw her tear stained face. She tore away from him as soon as she was on her feet. She couldn't stall; she was already running out of time. She raced down the hallway towards the garage.
There was no time to get Bobby, and besides, the car she was taking would only seat four anyway.
*~*~*
"Kurt? Kurt, what's wrong?" Storm asked as the blue teleporter slowly walked into the staff lounge.
He looked like he had just seen a ghost. She noticed that he had a book and a remote control in his hands.
"It's Vogue. She vas cryink and she van down the hall and bumped into me. She dropped this." He explained holding up the remote.
"Kurt, in what direction was she running?"
Storm's question was answered as the sound of tires squealing tore through the room.
"Rogue!!" Storm yelled as she bolted out the main doorway and onto the driveway, "Rouge!!!!"
It was too late.
She was gone.
She slowly walked inside to find Logan, Scott, and Jean coming from all directions to see what all the noise was about.
"She's gone." Storm said to Kurt.
"Who's gone?" Logan demanded.
"Rogue." Jean whispered, "In your new car." She added looking directly at Scott.
"What?!" Scott yelled.
"Where is she going?" Logan asked.
"Boston." Jean mumbled in deep concentration.
"Why?"
"I don't know, she's out of range."
"That quickly?"
"Logan, the car she took can fly."
By that time Kurt had left his fellow X-Men and walked towards the TV that the remote belonged to.
"Uh....guys?!!" He yelled hoping to catch their attention, "You better come look at this."
They all gathered around the TV and watched, open mouthed, at what they were seeing.
"I think I know vhy Vogue left."
*~*~*
Rogue knew where Scott hid his car keys, so there wasn't a reason to hotwire it. Within five minutes, five grueling minutes, she was there. She landed the car in the Drakes' driveway and strode up to the door. The house wasn't burning and there was no sign of John; at least she knew that she wasn't too late.
She pounded on the door not caring for subtlety at the moment. It was Ronnie who opened the door.
"I need to talk to you and you parents." Rogue said with a tone that belonged to Logan.
Ronnie, immediately recognizing her, tried to shut the door in her face, but she was too quick. She put her arm out in front of her and stopped the door from closing.
"Please. You and your family are in serious danger. I am only here to help."
Ronnie slowly opened the door and let her inside.
"Who's at the door, dear?" Madeline Drake asked as she came into the living room.
"Bobby's girlfriend."
Rogue stood unsure of what to do and say next. This all had seemed so easy in her head.
"Get out."
"Mrs. Drake, I can explain."
"Ronnie, call the cops."
"No, just hear me out. I've come here to protect you."
"From what."
"From a mutant who is very dangerous."
"The only dangerous mutant I see here, is you. Ronnie, didn't I tell you to call the cops?"
Ronnie hadn't moved a step and Rogue knew why. He was afraid she'd attack him with her powers. She sighed.
"The only way I can harm you with my mutant power is if I touch your bare skin with mine, and seeing how you two are an the other side of the room and I am all covered up, I don't think I'll be touching you anytime soon."
"Honey, why is she here?" William Drake asked as he walked into the room.
At least she had them all in the same room, she thought.
"Yes, why are you here?" Mrs. Drake added in a rude tone, "You were just telling us."
It took all of Rogue's will not to imprint them all and drag them to the car. This was taking too much time.
"I am here to save you." She said calmly.
"We already know that." Ronnie spat out.
"You know, I wasn't asked to come here!!!!!!" Rogue yelled, finally snapping. The Drakes were surprised at her sudden outburst.
"Then why did you come?" Mr. Drake asked.
"You know that family that were killed today by a mutant attack, George and Rebecca D'Ancanto? I am Marie D'Ancanto. Those were my parents! They treated me just like you treated Bobby, if not worse, and here I am trying to save you bunch of unforgiving people and all you can do is treat me like trash!
"The mutant who murdered my parents was John Allerdyce also known as Pyro. You might remember him; he was the one that blew up the cop cars right in your front yard. I don't know what his reason is for this sick plan of his, but I do know that he is just a puppet and is being controlled by a stronger mutant named Magneto."
Rogue's voice started to get quivery as she neared the end.
"John is coming after you. It is too late for my parents, but it is not too late for you. I'll take you to a safe place where you will get answers to any of your questions and you and Bobby can clear things up. Do you trust me?"
Her little ordeal must have worked because they actually looked as if they were considering it.
"Look, you all still love Bobby, and I know for a fact that he still loves you. Don't put him through the hell I've been in. No matter what my parents did to me, I still loved them. I didn't get to tell them that. Please come with me, for Bobby's sake, not mine."
That seemed to do it.
Mr. Drake looked from Rogue to his wife to Ronnie, and then to Rogue again.
"Let's go."
The cat, they said, was at the vets, so it was one less thing to worry about. Rogue rushed them to the car saying that there wasn't time to pack anything, and she was right. As soon as the Drakes got in the car, a strange orb looking thing came from the sky.
"Get down. Make it seem like there is no one in the car. No matter what happens I want you all to stay hidden until I say so or until he leaves. If something should happen to me press these." She hissed pointing to three red buttons, "Make sure the car is on first. After you press those, flip this and the car will automatically take you back to the Mansion. Tell them that I didn't make it and that it was John who killed me. Ok?"
The Drakes numbly nodded.
"Good. Now get down."
Rogue shut the drivers door making it appear that she had just arrived. The orb opened and Pyro stepped out of it.
"John!"
"Rogue?"
"John please don't do this!" She pleaded running up to him.
"I have to."
"No you don't."
"They don't understand, they never will."
"Give them a chance."
"Like the chance they gave precious Bobby? Like the chance that your parents, hell, your whole town gave you? You can't tell me that they didn't deserve it."
Rogue stood speechless.
"They hurt you Rogue. I made sure they never hurt you again."
"I can't let you do this."
"Rogue."
"I wont let you do this."
"Rogue, please. I don't want to hurt you."
"John!"
"The name's Pyro!" He roared as he pushed Rogue back.
He lit his lighter and just as he threw his fireball, Rogue jerked his hands back, causing his flames to go off course. Before Pyro could stop it the fire blasted into Rogue causing her to fly backwards and onto the hood of her car with a surprising force. The abnormally hot flames licked at her clothes, at her skin. By the time Pyro pulled them back, it was too late.
"No!" he screamed, but he couldn't help her.
Already he heard the distant sirens. He quickly torched the house and jumped back into his orb.
By the time the cops an the fire department came, the silver orb and the red Saturn had flown off.
*~*~*
The X-Men were just about to leave to find Rogue, when the doorbell rang. Bobby, who was roughly woken up by Logan and filled in on the situation, answered it.
"Mom?" He asked in surprise. What on Earth was she doing here?
"Bobby! Oh, God, it was awful! She came and we got in the car and the flames!! She was on fire!! We pulled her in and then we flew here and, oh God, she's dead, Bobby!! She's dead!!"
Bobby stood completely confused as his mother cried onto his shoulder. He took her inside as Ronnie and his dad stepped into the entry hall. His dad was holding something in his arms, and it took Bobby awhile to figure out what, and who, it was.
"Marie!" Logan screamed as he and the other X-Men saw her burnt body in Mr. Drake's arms.
Logan rushed over and took her into his own grasps. Kurt quickly teleported the two down to the hospital wing. He came back and did the same with Jean and Scott. He then came back for Storm.
As much as Bobby wanted to go with he stayed with his family.
"Don't worry. Everything's going to be ok." He said with a certainty he didn't feel, "I am going to take you all to the Professor and I want you to tell us everything that happened.
