Kidnapped
Rogue lay awake in bed. She couldn't fall asleep. She kept on thinking the same words over and over. 'Ah have a brother.'
The words soothed her mind. Ever since she moved into the Institute she never thought that she would find her real family. She did really know if she wanted to find them.
But now she knew that she had parents that really cared about her. If only she had known them.
Rogue turned in her bed. She had wondered why the puppets had not returned to her room yet. She assumed they were just learning to find their way around the institute.
The Goth decided that she couldn't get to sleep tonight. Too much was spinning around in her head. She got out of bed and put on her usual Gothic attire. She figured a long walk would help her get tired.
As she headed down the hall she passed by Andre's room. She looked in and saw her brother standing in front of the window. He was looking out at the lawn of the institute.
Rogue walked into his room. "Why are you still awake," she asked quietly so she wouldn't wake the other X-Men.
Andre never took his eyes away from the window when he spoke. "I don't sleep much. I'm lucky if I can get at least two hours of sleep any night."
Rogue asked, "do you have insomnia or something?"
"I guess you could say that," he answered. "I can never fall asleep. I've been wondering if I should take something for it, but I don't think that's the proper way to fix things."
He turned to his pale sister. "Why aren't you asleep yet?"
"Ah'm just not tired for some reason," she said, "Ah was just going for a walk."
"Do you mind if I come," the boy asked.
Rogue smiled and said, "sure, why not."
*************************************************************
When the clock struck eleven Vonce and his four followers made their way into the institute. They slipped quietly through the front door and surveyed their surroundings.
One of the cloaked men asked, "sir, how are we going to capture these mutants. Their powers could make our hunt difficult."
Vonce laughed and took out five vials of a green powder. "This will help us in our hunt. It is a special powder that will render a mutant's abilities helpless. The only way to get their powers back is the antidote, which is back at the temple. All you have to do his have any mutant breath this in and their powers will be useless."
He handed each one of his men a vial and kept one for himself. They headed their separate ways into the darkened halls of the Institute.
Blade and the other puppets were watching the whole thing. They came out of their hiding places and split up following the five members of the Hanzain cult.
*************************************************************
Kitty slept soundly. Her body was limp and looked very comforted in the darkness around her. The blankets outlined the parts of her body that were under it.
The door to her room slowly opened as she slept and in came one of Vonce's men. He stood in front of her bed holding the vial in one hand. He watched the girl's stomach move up and down as she breathed.
The cloaked man wanted so much to jamb a knife in her gut right now. To the members of the Hanzain cult death was a thing of beauty. They were always tempted to kill any one who was not a member of their cult, but this man remembered his orders from Vonce.
The man reached into his cloak and pulled out a rope and a sack with his free hand. He put them down on the floor and took the cork out of the vial.
Kitty stirred in her sleep. The cloaked man had left the door open and a cold draft was now blowing through. The girl woke up and saw the dark figure standing in front of her bed.
Her eyes turned wide and she leapt out of her covers and onto the floor. "Who are you," she demanded. Her voice wasn't very demanding, it was more afraid.
The man took out a large curved knife from his cloak and said, "just cooperate child and you will feel no pain."
Kitty prepared to phase through the floor. The man tried to through the powder at her, but before he could he was pulled off balance by small hands.
The vial flew out of his grip and smashed right in front of Kitty. The powder filled the air around her and she began to gasp and choke as it went into her lungs.
The man turned his head and saw Pinhead and Jester standing next to him. Pinhead ran up to the man and grabbed his neck with his vise-gripped hands.
The green dust around Kitty cleared up and she could breath normally again. She saw Pinhead on the man's neck with Jester cheering him with light grunts, hisses, and giggles.
The man grabbed Pinhead and ripped him off his neck. He through the large puppet at Jester, knocking both of them down. They slammed hard against the wall and laid on the ground unconscious.
The man stood back up and faced Kitty. She ran for the wall and was ready to walk through it, but instead she just hit the wall face first.
She put her hands on her injured nose. Her powers were not working. She looked back at the cloaked man.
He laughed at her and said, "your powers are useless now. They will remain inactive for as long as we wish."
Kitty didn't know what to do. She didn't even know who this guy was or why he was after her. "Why are you doing this," she asked almost in tears.
"It is nothing personal girl," the man said, "we just need you as bait for the two Puppet Masters."
Kitty's eyes turned to shock, "Andre, and Rogue," she said without thinking.
The cloaked man picked up the lamp that stood on Kitty's dresser. He ran at her and swung it directly at her head.
Kitty let out a scream, but it was cut short by the blow to her head. She was knocked out instantly. She fell almost lifeless to the floor, but she was still alive.
The man dropped the lamp and picked up the rope and the sack. He held Kitty's hands together behind her back and tied them together.
He then took the sack and put it over her head. It covered everything from the waist up, only her legs and some of her short pink pajama bottoms could be seen.
The reason for the sack was so she wouldn't see anything as she was taken to the Hanzain Cult's layer. This way if she escaped in the temple she wouldn't know where to go.
All of the Hanzain cult members would blind their victims before taking them to their temple.
The cloaked man picked up Kitty in the sack and took her out the door. Her bare legs dragged behind her as the man walked.
As they went down the hall Kitty regained consciousness. She saw nothing but blackness around her and she began to panic.
Outside of the sack her legs began to kick wildly to try and free her from the grip of the man, but her captor's grip was too strong.
Kitty began to scream, wondering why no one heard her cries for help.
*************************************************************
Charles heard a knock at his bedroom door. He quickly slipped out of bed and into his wheel chair. When he opened the door he saw Logan standing in front of him.
Logan didn't wait for the Professor to question him. "Chuck, I heard Kitty screaming just a few minutes ago. When I went to check in her room she was gone. Rogue and that Andre kid are missing to."
Xavier's face turned to worry, "wake the other X-Men quickly."
*************************************************************
Jean found sleeping in the infirmary difficult that night. She kept on thinking that something was wrong. Hank had left her alone and said he would be back in few minutes, but he had been gone for a long time now.
Her body began to shake as she felt a cooled draft enter the room. The door to the infirmary opened and there stood Hank, but he stood rather strangely. His eyes were closed and he looked limp.
Jean sat up in her bed and asked, "are you ok Mr. McKoy?"
Hank then was pushed forward with a syringe sticking out the back of his neck. As he fell a man in a black hooded cloak came into the room.
He faced Jean as she got out of her bed. She was still a little weak from her attack.
She used her powers to lift up a few sharp instruments and point them at the man. "What are you doing here," she asked the man demandingly.
"I have come for you," he said, "I suggest you put those instruments down, they won't be hovering for much longer."
Jean didn't obey. She let the sharp tools fly at the man. Each on hit him and went deep into his flesh, but the cloaked figure did not react to his wounds.
He laughed evilly and said, "you think this will help you. The society, that I am in, enjoys the feeling of pain. Your attacks will have no affect on me."
He took the vial out of his cloak and threw it at Jean. It broke against the wall next to her and the green dust surrounded her. She began to cough as the dust went into her.
The Man then walked up to her and grabbed her by the neck. He put his hidden face right up to hers and said, "do not fight me. There is no hope for you now."
Jean tried to scream for help, but the man held her neck so tightly that she couldn't even breathe. In no time she passed out from the lack of air. She was lucky she was not killed.
The cloaked man ripped off a peace of his cloak rapped it around the girl's face. He then took out some rope and tied her hands.
He dragged Jean out of the infirmary passed the unconscious Hank. Jean remained out like a light as she was taken back upstairs.
*************************************************************
Rogue and Andre walked down the street side by side. Rogue kept asking the boy questions about him, their parents, and even about the puppets.
Andre did his best to answer all of her questions. He couldn't help but feel amused with his sister's behavior. All the questions she asked made her seem like a curious child.
When Rogue's questions halted for a few seconds Andre asked, "do you know what time it is?"
Rogue said, "Ah don't know. No watch." She held up her hands to show that her wrists were bare under her black gloves.
Andre looked back towards the institute and said, "may be we should be getting back now." He looked back at his sister.
Rogue gave a look of concern. "Are you afraid that the Hanzain Cult might find us out here," she asked.
"No," said Andre, "I just have this strange feeling. It's almost like I can't explain it. I just feel like may be we should get back, like there's something wrong."
Rogue looked towards the institute and back at Andre. He looked really worried. "Well may be it's just a feeling," she said.
Just as she said that she was contacted by the Professor in her head. She heard him call, "Rogue? Rogue are there? Are conscious?"
The voice was loud in her head and she couldn't help, but cover her ears. She said in her mind, "don't yell so loud. Why are yelling like that?"
"Oh, thank God," Charles said in the young Goth's mind. "I'm sorry Rogue. It's just that Kitty and Jean have disappeared. We found Hank out cold in the infirmary and Kitty was not in her bed. When we saw that you and Andre were not in your beds we thought that you had been kidnapped."
Rogue said in her head, "well, Andre's with me. We just went for a walk because we couldn't sleep. Kitty was still in bed when we left."
Charles voice paused for a long time. He finally said, "Rogue I want you and Andre back here right now. We need to find Kitty and Jean immediately," and he left her thoughts.
Andre stood starring at her. "What was that all about," he asked.
"The Professor jut contacted me," she said. "He said Kitty and Jean are missing and that"
Before she could finish Andre's eyes turned wide and he began running back to the institute as best he could. His cane clacked against he ground as he ran.
Rogue yelled, "Andre, wait," and followed her brother. She hoped that the creature that attacked Jean wasn't the cause for this.
*************************************************************
Back at the Institute Scott and Kurt were searching for the two girls. They were very worried. It was rare for a student to disappear in the institute unless there was something really wrong.
"Man," said Kurt, "we've looked every where for those two. Where could they be?"
They heard a grunt from behind them. When they turned around they saw the puppets Torch and Tunneler. They looked at the two puppets curiously.
Scott asked, "are you guys looking for Jean and Kitty too?"
They both nodded. Both Scott and Kurt smiled at the puppets. May be with their help they could find Kitty and Jean easier.
All four of them began searching again. When they turned a corner came face to face with one of Vonce's followers.
"Well, well, well," he said. "Looks like my victims have come to me."
Scott readied his hands on his glasses. "Who are you," he demanded.
"You know how many times we've been asked that question tonight," the man said.
Kurt and Scott prepared to attack, but before they could the man took a communicator out of his cloak and said, "I wouldn't do that if I were you. My comrades have four blades against the necks of your female friends outside. All they have to do is hear me yell into this communicator and your friends are dead."
The man held the communicator right up to his hidden face, ready to give his companions any sign that he was in trouble.
Scott and Kurt backed down. "What do you want with our friends any way," Kurt yelled.
"It is not them we want," said the man. "What we want are the secrets of the renowned Puppet Master Toulon."
The man then heard the sound of a drill from his side. Tunneler ran up to him and stuck his drill right into the man's right leg. The man fell to the ground loosing his grip on the communicator.
Scott lifted the man off the ground and pinned him against the wall. He held his hand up to his glasses and said, "if you so much as move you're gonna get some of this." He took his glasses off and blasted some of the wall next to the man's face.
Scott slipped his glasses back on as Tunneler and Torch stood next to Kurt. Kurt looked down at the puppets and said, "good job Tunneler."
Scott kept his grip tight on the man's cloak. "Go get Logan," he said to Kurt.
The elf nodded and *bamfed* out of sight. All that remained was the smell of sulfur in the air and a little smoke.
The man in Scott's grip began to laugh. "Do you really think any one can save you now," he asked.
"Save me," Scott questioned, "you're the one who was captured by me."
"Oh no, no, no," said the man confidently. "I was just waiting for you to get close enough so I could do this."
With those words he put his hand, full of the green powder up to his face and blew it into Scott's.
Scott backed away as he breathed in the dust. The cloaked man came at him with his fist ready, but he was stopped by a sudden grunt. When he looked down he saw Torch with his flame-thrower ready.
The puppet let out a blast of fire directly at the man. He dodged the flames and was then hit by a punch from Scott.
The cloaked figure fell to the ground and looked up at the mutant facing him. Scott took of his glass; ready to blast his enemy, but nothing happened.
Scott stood in bewilderment. He felt over his eyes wondering why his powers were not working. Then he remembered the green dust that the man had blown at him. It must have stopped his power.
The man laughed and began to stand up. Tunneler started up his drill and ran at the cult member.
The man saw this happening and reached out his hand, grabbing Tunneler with extremely quick reflexes.
Tunneler struggled to release himself, but the man threw him right into the wall.
Scott watched the little puppet fall immobile to the floor. He looked back at the cloaked man.
Torch gave an angry grunt and aimed his flame-thrower at the one who injured his companion. The man looked at Torch and then grabbed hold of Scott.
He pulled the boy in front of him and slipped a large curved knife out of his cloak. Before Scott could do anything he had the blade up to his neck.
The cloaked man said to Torch, "stand down or your friend dies."
Torch hesitated for a moment and let his flame-thrower hand drop by his side. The man walked over to a hall closet with Scott still in his grasp and opened the door quickly. "Now get in here," he said.
Torch got into the closet grunting angrily. The man closed the door, trapping the puppet.
The man then said to Scott, "now you will come with me. No more fighting no more resisting, you just come with me now and you will feel no pain."
Scott didn't have much of a choice. His powers weren't working and he had a knife up to his throat.
The man began to drag him away as Torch started banging against the closet door trying to get out.
*************************************************************
Rogue and Andre ran into the institute. It seemed very quiet even though every one was looking for Jean and Kitty.
"I'm picking up a really bad vive right now," said Andre.
Rogue nodded and said, "so am Ah."
They walked slowly to the staircase. Rogue helped Andre as they went up the stairs. The boy stumbled a few times before they got to the top.
They walked through the halls. Rogue took her gloves off of her hands just incase she needed to attack.
As they walked they heard a knocking sound coming from behind a corner. They ran to the sound.
When they passed the corner they saw Pinhead banging his fists against a closet door. Next to him stood Blade and was trying to wedge his knife into the crack of the door. Behind them stood Jester and Tunneler waiting for the closet to open.
Andre and Rogue walked over to the puppets. "What's going on here," asked Rogue.
Blade just pointed to the closet. Andre opened it and inside stood Torch. He walked out of the closet and stood next to Blade.
"What the hell were you doing in there," asked Andre.
Blade grunted and hissed a little, but he knew his masters would not be able to understand him. He walked over to the wall and used his knife to carve into it. Andre watched as he carved a large V into the wood.
Rogue looked at it. "V, what does that mean?"
Andre's eyes widened as he said, "Vonce."
Blade and the other puppets nodded. Andre began to panic. Vonce was a man who showed no mercy. He felt no pity, or fear. He enjoyed pain and making others experience agony. If he was here in the institute he would defiantly harm the X-Men.
He began to yell, "holy crap! Holy crap! Holy carp! We are so screwed."
"Why," asked Rogue, "the X-Men will be able to handle Vonce."
"No they cant'" said Andre, "his men and he enjoy pain. There's something about that makes them extremely fast, have quick reflexes, and they're stronger than normal humans."
Rogue became nervous. "Why would they want to hurt the X-Men?"
"They don't care who they hurt, but they're probably here on the count of us," said Andre.
Rogue looked down at the puppets and immediately understood. "We gotta find the X-Men now."
Andre ordered his puppets to follow him. They began to run down the halls leaving Rogue behind. "Where are you going," she called after them.
Andre called back, "I have to find the other puppets." His words trailed off through the hall.
Rogue stood alone. She walked in the other direction with her gloves still off her hands. She was ready to attack any one that crossed her path.
*************************************************************
Rogue ran down the stairs. "Where the hell are the others," she asked herself.
She began to call for them. "Logan! Scott! Kitty! Can any one hear me?!"
She heard a noise coming from the meeting room. It sounded like a strange pounding sound. Like the sound a of a fist hitting a pillow.
The Goth slowly followed the sound. She wanted to be ready for anything. Her heart pounded in her chest as she walked.
When she entered the meeting room she saw two dark figure standing in the far corner. The sound was coming from there, but it was join by painful gasps.
Rogue watched as two cloaked figures looked towards her. She knew who they were right away.
Her eyes tried to adjust to the darkness. One of the men was holding something. When she could finally make it out she gasped.
It was Kurt. One of the men was holding him up and the other was punching him. Rogue observed the gruesome seen.
Kurt's eyelids were swollen shut. His blue fur on his face was covered in blood. The red liquid dripped onto the floor and next to an empty glass vile.
One of the cloaked men walked towards her holding a knife in one hand. "Who's there," Kurt asked. He sounded like a scared child.
Rogue said in a very shaky voice, "it's me Kurt. It's Rogue."
The man that was walking towards her stopped. He spoke. "Ah so you are the sister of Andre Toulon. The grand daughter of the famous Puppet Master. So I see that your brother has finally found you. I take it you know who I am."
Rogue breathed heavily and gave the man an angry look. "You're Vonce? Ah thought you'd look a little tougher than this."
"Rogue get out of here," Kurt screamed.
Vonce looked at him. He walked right over to the blue mutant and punched him dead in the mouth. "Do not talk again, or I'll close your mouth permanently."
Kurt fell limp in the other man's arms. He had never been hit that much before.
"Kurt," said Rogue, "why won't you just teleport out of here?"
"Because he can't," said Vonce, "not after what we did to him."
"Rogue became more angry and said, "what did you do?"
They both heard an angry voice say, "yes, do tell."
When they looked in the direction of the voice they saw Logan leap into the room with his claws extended. Storm, Beast and Xavier followed close behind.
They all looked at Kurt and saw his wounds. Storm said, "let him go now."
Vonce said back, "you are in no position to ask for anything. If one of you takes one step closer your friend will be killed."
He snapped his fingers and the man that accompanied him held a knife up to Kurt's neck. The X-Men froze where they stood. They didn't want anything to happen to Kurt, or the other X-Men that were captured.
"What do you want with my students," Xavier asked. He sounded very angry, the angriest then any of the X-Men have seen him before.
Vonce said, "I don't want these students. What I want is the Puppet Masters. The girl and the boy. He turned to Rogue and asked, "where is your brother anyway?"
Rogue didn't say anything. Andre then came into the room saying, "I'm right here Vonce."
Vonce looked over to the boy who then said, "what do you want with these kids?"
Vonce laughed and said, "it's nothing personal. We just needed the right motivation for you and your sister."
Andre looked confused. Vonce then said, "we're going to play a little game. You and the girl will try your best to rescue your friends. If you fail we will take the puppets and learnt the secrets of your grandfather. We will be taking the mutants to our temple; the location of it and how you will find it is your own problem. Do you except the challenge?"
Andre paused for a while and then said, "I will if Rogue excepts as well."
Rogue said immediately, "it's not like we have much of a choice, so Ah except."
Vonce said, "very good. There is just one problem. I was hoping to get five mutants while I was here. So one of you will be coming with us as well."
Vonce then quickly took his vial of powder out of his cloak. He pulled the cork out and three the green dust at Logan. The dust spilt into his lungs as her gasped and choked.
The X-Men did not have time to help their friend. Vonce Quickly grabbed hold of Logan and slid his knife across the gruff man's eyes.
For the first time in their lives the X-Men heard Logan scream in agony. Rogue wanted to run over and choke the life out of Vonce, but she stopped when the cloaked man held his knife up to Logan's neck.
Vonce said, "the green dust will render your friends' powers useless until we give them the antidote. We will give this man the antidote so his wounds will heal, but then he will loose his gift again."
Rogue yelled, "how did you know his powers healed him?"
"We observed all of you," he said. And then both the men ran out of the room dragging their captives with them.
When they left the room Beats was prepared to chase them down, but Andre stopped him. The boy said, "wait Hank, they won't get far."
*************************************************************
Vonce and the other cloaked man dragged the two mutants towards the hall. They stopped for a few seconds when they came to the front door. Vonce said, "we must hurry the other mutants will be close behind us."
Before they could move again the second cloaked man fell onto the floor loosing his grip on Kurt. Vonce looked down on the floor as the puppet called Pinhead was holding the man's feet.
Soon the other six puppets came out from hiding. Jester and Six-shooter grabbed the man's hands and stretched him out across the floor.
Torch, Tunneler, Decapitron and Blade stood in front of Vonce. The cloaked leader of the Hanzain cult said, "you want to fight me. You will not win."
Before the puppets could make an attack they heard a screeching roar near by. The Totems were in the institute. They faced the puppets as if they were ready to fight.
The four puppets the were not holding the other cloaked man took their attention off of Vonce.
It was then that he grabbed hold of Kurt's shirt and dragged both him and Logan out the door.
None of the puppets went after them. Now that the Totems were in the institute they thought it best to take them out first.
These little monsters, thou small, were very dangerous. The puppets had had a few encounters with these small creatures before, and right now they considered them to be a greater threat than Vonce.
The three puppets that were holding the cult member down continued to do so. The other four began to circle the creatures.
One Totem leapt towards Blade. It grabbed his knife and hook hands. Blade struggled to free his weapons, but the creature did not let go. They began to push and pull each other around, trying to dominate the other.
Torch and Decapitron saw this. The started to run over to their friend, but the second Totem stood in their way. These creatures were not only good killers, but they also could perform acts of magic.
The Totem raised his hand and both Torch, and Decapitron began to float up in the air. The Totem began to twirl his clawed finger around and the two puppets began to spin around in the air.
The third Totem pinned Tunneler against the wall. Tunneler started up his drill and swung his head back and forth trying to hit his attacker.
It looked as if the puppets were going to fail. The Totems had them right where they wanted them. They Puppets feared that they might not win this battle.
Within a few minutes, The remaining X-Men and the young Puppet Master came into the room. They saw the small battle right in front of them.
Rogue screamed out, "let them go you little bastards!"
All the Totems looked over at the X-Men. Torch and Decapitron fell to the floor as the Totem took his attention away from them.
Rogue stepped forward in a fighting stance accompanied by Beast. The large furry man snarled and said, "let them go."
The creatures then ran. Rogue and Beast chased after them. They stopped when the saw the little monsters fade right through the wall.
Andre walked forward to check on his puppets. As he did Rogue asked, "what are we gonna do now?"
Xavier sighed and said, "I don't know. I don't know any thing about this Hanzain cult and now that the students that they have capture had their powers deactivated I won't be able to find them with suriebro."
Andre stood up after checking his Puppets and said, "Vonce won't have them killed yet. He wants Rogue and me to die first before they kill your friends, but he probably will torture them for sure."
Rogue felt her heart sink. She couldn't bear to even think of her friends getting tortured.
Andre then heard the sound of struggling. He looked and saw his other three puppets holding down the cult member that they captured.
"Well, look what we have here," he said as he walked over to the restrained man.
Ororo stepped towards the man and asked, "they caught him?
"Never underestimate my puppets," Andre said with a smile. "All right guys let him up, and Torch, if he tries to run, fry his ass."
The puppets released the cloaked man and he stood up. His knife was in his hands, but he didn't attack.
Andre looked the man dead in his hidden eyes and asked, "where is Vonce taking the other mutants?"
The man held up his knife, ready to kill the boy. Before he could Rogue stood next to her brother with her gloves off and said, "if you lay a hand on him Ah'll drain the life out of you!"
The man looked at her and then to the other mutants. Hank said, "we will protect the boy as well. I you're smart you will tell us where your leader is taking our friends."
The man stood silently. He looked down and saw the puppets stand in front of the master and his sister. He knew he couldn't fight all of them alone.
The man yelled out, "I'LL SEE YOU ALL IN HELL! " and he stabbed himself in the heart with his knife. He fell dead to the floor.
The X-Men looked at the body with open mouths. Rogue's blood ran cold. She had never before seen someone kill them selves, and she hoped she never would, but now that she saw it, she felt afraid.
Andre shook his head and said, come on we need to find out what we're gonna do."
Ororo starred at the body and said, "could you please just give us a few minutes. We never have seen this before."
Andre said, "I know it's difficult to see, but in not time at all, Vonce will be at his lair and he will torture your friends without mercy. We need to find them as soon as possible."
Then he left followed by his puppets. The X-men looked at the body a little while longer and then shook the feeling of fear off. They would deal with this body later; right now they had to figure out how they would save their comrades.