Author's Notes: Thank you for reviewing. I will try to keep the story riveting. I only hope I don't get infected by the infernal writer's block.

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Fighting Alone

Jean struggled to release herself from the table. Vonce was completely out of sight and the other four X-Men were still chained to the wall.

Scott looked at his girl friend helplessly. If only Vonce had not made his powers inactive he might be able to save her. He never thought that he would actually want his powers if they had gone.

Jean tried a few more times to escape from her chains, but it was no use. "I can't get out," she said. "This is hopeless."

"Calm down Jean," Kitty said. "Rogue and Andre are still out there trying to save us."

Kurt turned to Kitty and said, "they can't come here. Remember Vonce is"

Before Kurt could finish his sentence a loud screech was heard coming from below. Jean's eyes became full of fear. She had heard that screech before.

All they X-Men turned and saw the three remaining Totems standing in the doorway of the torture chamber.

Jean began to struggle with her restraints again as the three creatures began to walk over to her.

Suetek's special child jumped up onto the girl's chest. It looked her in the eyes.

Logan yanked on his chains and yelled, "hey, leave her alone you little bastard. If you hurt one hair on her head I swear I'll"

The voice of Suetek was then heard in the room cutting off Logan's threat. "I don't think you are in any position to give me orders."

The sound came from the Totem on Jean's chest. Suetek spoke again; "you and your friends have been allowed one of Toulon's kin to live in your home. The grand child of the man who stole the secrets of everlasting life from me. You also have helped the Puppet Master. In y view that means you all deserve to die."

The Totem then turned around and held its claws and the sides of Jean's head. It didn't claw her, nor do anything to shed blood. It just skipped to sucking out Jean's life energy.

Jean screamed as she felt the energy that kept her alive being sucked out of her. She was afraid she was going to die.

The door to the chamber then slammed open and there stood Andre and Rogue. Andre's eyes turned wide. He ran over to Jean and knocked the Totem off of her before she lost all her life energy.

The Totem slammed against the wall, but one the other two made their attack. It leapt onto Andre and dug its claws into his shoulders. The boy tried to get it off, but its claws kept the little monster from detaching from the boy.

Rogue took off her gloves, forgetting that her powers had no affect on the Totems. She put them on a near by table and ran to help Andre.

She grabbed hold of the Totem and pulled it off her brother. A small bit of blood came flying out of the boy's shoulders.

When Rogue couldn't feel her powers kick in she remembered that they didn't work on the Totems.

The creature scratched her above her eyebrow. She gave a yelp of pain and dropped the Totem.

The creature stood up ready for another attack, but Pinhead and Six-shooter ran and grabbed both of the creature's arms. They slammed it against the side of the table that held Jean and kept if from running away.

The other to Totems left the torture chamber.

Andre recovered from his attack and ran to Jean's side. He looked at her restraints and said, "damn it we need a key to open these shackles.

Logan said from behind Andre, "listen kid, you and Rogue gotta get out of here now."

"Not without you guys," Andre said as he began to search for the key.

Then Jean said, "no Andre you don't have time. Vonce is just using us as bait now."

"What," Andre said in surprise.

Rogue didn't here Jean's warning. She wiped the blood away from her eyebrow and went to get her gloves. When she got to the table they were gone.

She looked around the table and then said in a panicked voice, "where are mah gloves? They were right here."

Andre turned to Rogue and said, "we gotta leave now Rogue."

"Not without mah gloves," Rogue said even more panicked.

She then heard Vonce's voice say, "looking for these."

Rogue turned around and saw Vonce holding her gloves in his right hand. "Give those back, or Ah'll suck out your life force," Rogue said angrily to the cloaked man.

She began to run at Vonce with her hands reached out ready to knock him out with her powers, but Hennin came out from hiding and held a spear up to her neck. Then two more of Vonce's men came out from hiding and did the same. Rogue had three spears held up to her neck.

Andre turned and saw the spears around his sister. He held up his cane and said, "leave her alone."

As he began to charge at Vonce the cloaked man said, "take one more step and my men will shove those spears right into your sister's throat."

Andre stopped and put his cane back down by his side. Vonce then looked from him to the Totem that was held by Pinhead and Six-shooter.

"Well, what do we have here," Vonce said as he picked the little monster up. "Ah yes. One of Suetek's Totems."

He looked back at Andre and said, "you should thank me now. I'm doing you a favor."

The cloaked man held the Totem over the tub of flame. The creature struggled to escape its coming death.

Vonce dropped the Totem into the fire. It jumped around in the flames and gave one final screech before burning to death.

Vonce then turned back to Andre and said, "now here is the deal young Puppet Master. If you tell me the formula for eternal life I will spare your sister's life."

Andre's eyes were full of rage, but his voice was calm when he spoke. "You're lying Vonce. I know you. As soon as I tell you the formula she's as good as dead."

"Oh trust me Toulon," said Vonce, "how do you know I won't let her live. She is at more risk if you don't tell me the formula."

Andre thought for a while. He looked at Rogue and saw the fear in her eyes. He wanted to save her, but he knew he couldn't tell Vonce the secret that he had kept for so long.

"Why do you want the formula Vonce," asked Andre. "Are you afraid of death?"

Vonce's voice sounded angry as he spoke. "I fear nothing."

"That's not true," said Andre, "every body fears something. Is death what you are afraid of?"

Vonce didn't speak. Andre smiled and said, "yes. You're afraid to die. I can see it."

"Shut up you son of a wench," said Vonce.

"I can see your nightmares," Andre said. "You're in the coffin as somebody's burying you. You are dead, but your mind is alive."

"Stop it," Vonce said.

He suddenly began to see himself in a coffin. He couldn't move, but he was still alive. "Stop this now Andre," he demanded.

"You want to scream, but you can't," said Andre, "because you are dead."

Vonce began to breathe heavily. His men stood around Rogue and watched as their leader began to shiver. They could not see what Andre was showing him.

Andre continued, "you can here the dirt pile on top of your coffin as your vision begins to fade. Your mind is dying now."

Vonce tried to speak again, but he couldn't, just like what happened in his nightmare.

Hennin's grip on his spear loosened. "My lord, are you alright?"

Rogue saw he opportunity. The men around her were too concerned for their leader to pay her any attention.

She slipped out from between the three spears. The three men saw her escape and tried to stab her, but the spears missed her body as she ran away from them.

Andre and his puppets slipped through all the men and followed Rogue out of the torture chamber.

Vonce's nightmare disappeared from around him. He turned to his men and said, "after them, now!"

Andre and Rogue kept running through the hall. The puppets had managed to get only a few feet ahead of them.

Rogue could hear Vonce say from behind her, "there they are, get them."

The young Goth didn't even want to think about what the Hanzain Cult would do to them if they were caught.

Andre ran fast for a boy with a bad leg. He was only about a foot behind Rogue. He had learned long ago how to run with his cane. It was almost as if he had an extra leg.

Hennin and the rest of Vonce's men stayed with the two mutants. He tried as hard as he could to get a little closer to them.

When he was sure he was close enough he raised his spear and threw it directly at Andre.

The spear flew clear through the air. Its sharp point went dead into the ankle of Andre's good leg. The boy gave out a grown of pain as he fell off balance.

Rogue heard her brother grown and turned around to see what was wrong. Andre then fell right into Rogue. His face fell directly on her ungloved hand.

The Goth's powers immediately kicked in. The boy's life force, powers, and memories went right into Rogue. In no time at all Andre was unconscious. His hand went limp and his cane dropped to the floor.

Rogue watched as her brother fell to the floor. "Oh no," she said, "no, Andre wake up. We've gotta go now. Andre?"

Vonce and his men caught up to them. They stood around the girl as she hovered over the unconscious boy.

"Ah, it looks as if you have done us a favor girl," Vonce said. "Thank you for incapacitating our prisoner."

Rogue stood up and held her hands out ready to touch who ever came near her brother first. "Ah won't let you anywhere near him," she said.

The puppets broke through the circle and stood near Rogue. Vonce only laughed and said, "you won't be able to protect him." He simply snapped his fingers and his mean held their spears up to the Goth.

Rogue said even louder, "Ah won't let you hurt mah brother."

"Well, I suggest you just stand aside," said Vonce, "you won't be able to protect him if you're dead."

Rogue knew he was right. If Vonce took Andre away now there was still a chance that she could save him.

She stepped aside and two of Vonce's men grabbed Andre by the arms. Hennin kept his spear aimed at Rogue. Vonce looked at the unconscious Andre and said, "you know it's funny." He looked back at Rogue. "This is the second time you've been responsible for one of your family getting captured by us."

"What do you mean," Rogue asked, "Ah didn't knock him out on purpose."

"That is true," said Vonce, "but he wouldn't have been knocked out at all if it wasn't for your powers."

Rogue looked at Andre and back at Vonce. "What do you mean that this is the second time that Ah've been responsible for a member of mah family being captured by you," she asked.

"Well," Vonce said, "have you forgotten your dear father."

"What are you talking about," Rogue asked, "Andre said he sacrificed himself to save us. How can Ah be the reason for mah father's death?"

"You just answered your own question," said Vonce. "He only killed himself because of you. If you hadn't existed he would still be alive today."

Those words pierced Rogue's heart. "That's not true," she said.

Vonce said, "oh yes it is. Because of you, he had to sacrifice himself in order to keep you and the secret of Andre Toulon the first protected."

"Shut up," Rogue yelled.

Vonce laughed and said, "you should have seen his face when I killed him. He said to me that if ever I was to discover where you were hidden he begged for me to just take the formula and spare you. That was only moments before I skinned him alive."

"Stop it," Rogue yelled louder.

Vonce continued. "He screamed so loud when I ripped off the first shred of his flesh. He sounded so weak and helpless. Your mother reacted the same way when we did the same to her."

Rogue tried to sound confident when she spoke, but she couldn't help sounding defenseless. "Why are you telling me all this?" She couldn't prevent the tears from rolling down her face.

"I thought you knew," said Vonce, "I despise the Toulon family."

"WELL, AH HATE YOU WAY MORE THAN YOU COULD EVER HATE ME," Rogue screamed as the tears continued to fall. She put her face in her hands as she cried.

"Weak little girl," said Vonce, "full of grief. Why did Toulon ever think that you could follow his footsteps?

Rogue took her face out of her hands. "What's that suppose to mean," she asked.

Vonce said, "I don't understand why Andre Toulon the first thought that you were capable of protecting the secret and his puppets."

"Ah'm not suppose to be protecting the puppets," said Rogue, "they're Andre's responsibility. Ah'm just supposed to help him with it. At least that's what Ah thought."

"Oh you are way off girl," said Vonce, "these puppets are just as much your responsibility as they are your brother's. You are a member of the Toulon family, there for you were to protect the secret as well."

"Ah can't handle that," said Rogue, "Ah've got enough problems as it is."

"Oh, that is very true," said Vonce, "you have already proven that you can't handle this by letting your brother, the only other person who knows the secrets of your grandfather, get captured. You have brought only pain to those you care for. You are no good to anybody."

Rogue stood silently as tears rolled down her cheeks. She had thought before that she was no good to anybody, but this was the first time any one had said so to her face, and it hurt her.

"If you wish to try and save your brother you may," said Vonce, "but I doubt you will be able to."

Rogue still remained silent. Vonce commanded his followers to drag Andre away. The puppets did not prevent their master from being taken. They knew that if they did harm would come to their master.

Vonce followed his men as they took dragged Andre down the hall. Hennin walked next to him. He looked back at Rogue who still stood with tears in her eyes. He turned back to Vonce and said, "may be we should take her with us. She is still a threat to us as long as she is still alive."

"No she isn't," said Vonce, "her spirit is broken. That is why I said all those things to her. I doubt she will be able to stop her tears."

Hennin smiled under the shadows of his hood. He chuckled to himself as Andre was taken away.

Rogue remained where she stood. She could not believe. After all this time of being with Andre and the puppets she only now discovered that she was suppose to protect the magic as well, and she had failed.

She backed into the wall of the temple and sat down. She then put her face in her hands and cried. She didn't sob or let out any wailing howls of sorrow, she just cried. He spirit was broken and she couldn't help, but weep.

The puppets stood around her. Blade walked up to her and placed his hook gently on her knee trying to console her. Rogue only said through her hands, "just go away."

Blade looked sadly to the ground. Then he and all the other puppets left Rogue alone in her sorrow.

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Andre had regained consciousness when Vonce's men had dragged him all the way to a round arena with a sand-covered floor.

He was thrown down into the sand as Vonce entered the arena. When Andre looked up he saw that the five captured X-Men were chained to the wall. The boy stood up, ignoring the pain in his left leg from the spear wound, and he looked at Vonce.

"You looked confused," Vonce said to him. "I can see it in your eyes. You are wondering where you are."

"Where's Rogue," Andre demanded.

Vonce said, "don't think your pathetic sister will be able to help you. I already broke her spirit. She won't be able to save you, or her friends now."

"Don't be so sure of that," said Andre angrily.

Vonce walked towards the five X-Men. He looked directly into Kitty's eyes and grabbed her chin gently. "I have invited you five here to witness the revealing of the Toulon secret. You will watch as young Andre here spills his heart out in a very short time."

"Why did you want us here for that," Logan demanded.

"Because, I wanted it this way," said Vonce as he let go of Kitty's chin.

Vonce stood in front of Andre. Then Hennin and two of his other men stood beside him. "Do you wish to just tell the secret now," said Vonce, "and prevent yourself the agony."

Andre sounded calm when her spoke. "You can do what ever the hell you want to me, I won't reveal the secret. You can't make me betray my family."

"Very well," Vonce said.

He snapped his fingers and Hennin walked right up to Andre until he was in hi face. The heat of his brother made Andre sweat.

Then without warning Hennin punched the boy right in the gut. Andre knelt down a little from the blow. Then Hennin kneed him in the face.

Andre fell to the ground as blood began to drip from his mouth. When Hennin came at him again the boy shot up and punched him hard in the face.

It was then that the other two of Vonce's followers ran up and grabbed both of Andre's arms. They threw him across the room. The boy his the rock wall hard and fell to the ground.

"Stand him up," Vonce commanded.

The two cloaked men lifted Andre up. Vonce looked him right in the eye and said, "do you wish to tell me the formula now?"

Andre spit blood right in Vonce's face and said, "go screw yourself."

Vonce gave and angry grunt and punched the boy in the stomach, and then punched him twice in the face.

Scott struggled with his chains and yelled, "leave him alone Vonce!"

Vonce grabbed the boy by the hair and said to Scott, "would you rather take his place?"

He punched Andre two more times and let him fall to the floor. "Stand up," Vonce demanded. Andre didn't move. "Come on stand up," Vonce said again as he kicked the boy in the gut.

Andre stood up quickly and punched Vonce in the face. Then he gave the cloaked man and upper cut in the jaw.

Vonce's men grabbed the boy and threw him against the wall again. Andre stood up as Vonce walked over to him.

Jean yelled from the side, "Vonce just leave him alone. He won't talk."

"Oh, but he will," said Vonce, "I can do this all night."

Andre wiped the blood off of his chin and said, "so can I."

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Rogue sat in the dark hall crying. She felt so helpless. She had practialy just met her brother and she let him get captured. She did not know what to do.

The puppets came back to her after giving her some time alone. Blade and Decapitron stood in front of the other puppets hoping Rogue had calmed down a little.

The Goth took her face out of her hands and saw the puppets looking at her. She wiped her tears away, but they were only replaced with more. "What are looking at," she asked the puppets in an angry voice. She was not mad at the puppets, but she was mad at herself.

Blade and Decapitron looked at each other and then back at Rogue. The other puppets seemed confused by Rogue's tone. Rogue then said, "stop looking at me like you're waiting for me to tell you what to do. Ah don't know what to do."

She stood up. "Ah'm no Puppet Master. There's no way Ah can handle this. Stop looking to me for answers."

She turned away from the puppets and continued to cry. The puppets could feel her sorrow. They wanted to give her some consoling words, but sadly they couldn't speak.

Rogue continued to cry. Her weeping was suddenly interrupted by a familiar voice. "Please do not cry child. I can not bear to see you this way."

Rogue knew that voice. She turned around and saw an old man in old beaten up clothing standing in front of her. She said, "you, you're that guy that was in mah dream."

The old man stepped forward and his face could be see clearly. He had a gray goatee and gray hair that stuck out the top of his head. "That is correct grand daughter," the old man said to her.

Rogue wiped away a tear and said in amazement, "grandpa Toulon."

"Yes," said the old man. The puppets surrounded their old master. They seemed very joyful when they saw him.

Rogue took a few steps closer to the spirit of Andre Toulon the first. The original Puppet Master. "What are you doing here," she asked. This was the first time she had seen the spirit of Toulon and she didn't know how to react.

"Usually I speak through the Decapitron when I speak to others in this world," said Toulon, "but in this case I chose to come to you in my normal form, to try and help you grand daughter."

"So you know what's going on," asked Rogue.

"Yes," said Toulon, "I have been watching you ever since your brother found you."

Rogue looked sadly to the ground and said, "so you saw what happened with Andre."

The spirit only nodded. Rogue began to cry again. "Ah'm sorry grandpa. Ah didn't mean to knock Andre out. Now I let him get captured."

Toulon put his hand under Rogue's chin and made her face him. His skin felt cold, like wet cotton, but Rogue didn't mind it. Her powers didn't work on the specter. This was the first time she had ever touched some one, and it was her own grandfather.

Toulon looked at her and said gently, "don't blame yourself for what happened to your brother. Vonce has a way of weakening people by filling them with grief in order to break their spirit. And that is just what he did with you."

He took his hand off of Rogue's chin and the Goth asked, "so he was lying about very thing he said to me?"

Toulon paused and said, "well, he did lie when he said that you were responsible for your fathers death. But when he said that it was also your responsibility to protect the magic, he spoke the truth."

Rogue turned away from him. "I wish he was lying about that," she said as she sat back down where she had been crying.

"Why is that," asked Toulon.

"Because Ah've already got enough problems. Mah powers make it was Ah can't touch anybody. Ah just recently let loose Apocalypse, one of the most evil and powerful mutants ever. Not to mention Ah recently found out that Mystique is mah foster mother."

The old Puppet Master sat by Rogue. "You know she was instructed to tell you all about the puppets long ago," he said.

"Yeah," said Rogue, "Ah already got that little tidbit of information I can't handle this responsibility."

Toulon gave a little snicker and said, "when you say that you remind me of someone who thought the same way you did when he received the magic. He was younger than you."

Rogue looked at him and said, "let me guess. It was you right."

"No," said Toulon, "I was older than you when I obtained the power. I am talking about your brother."

"Andre," asked Rogue.

Toulon nodded and said, "yes. I'm sure he told you that Vonce killed his foster parents when he was only six years old. After that had happened I knew I had no choice, but to teach him of the magic then. There was nothing else I could do. Mystique had taken you away with out my knowledge and I didn't know how long it would take to find you. If Mystique didn't leave with you I would have left my grandson with both of you, but sadly that was not the case. So I had to teach him the magic, and he spent the rest of his childhood hiding, which is not life for a child."

"You sound pretty unhappy about that," said Rogue.

"Yes I am," said Toulon. "After your father was killed I wanted you both to be left somewhere where you could live like normal children. I wanted you each to have a childhood before I taught you the magic. When your brother's foster parents were killed I had this six year old child who wanted nothing more then to play with other children, and I had to take away all that I wanted him to have. After only a few months he had completely forgot how to be a child. Right now he doesn't even know how to be a child of your age."

"You mean he doesn't know how to be a teenager," Rogue asked. Her grandfather just shook his head. Rogue spoke again, "so he doesn't know what its like to go out and eat pizza with a bunch of his friends, or go to some party or dance and just have fun."

"No," said the specter.

Rogue felt sad for her brother. She didn't really get out of the institute much, but she some what knew how all that stuff was like.

Toulon then said, "he took the whole thing very well from the start. He never whined, he never cried, he did complain on occasions, but that was very rare. He guarded both the puppets and the secret well."

Rogue sat silently for a few seconds and then said, "so your saying that if Andre can put up with all the crap that he did then Ah should be able to."

"What I am say granddaughter," said Toulon, "is that Andre has a strong will that you have as well. Using that will you can handle the responsibility of the magic. I believe you can. And I will be with you every step of the way Puppet Master."

Rogue felt touched when her grand father had called her Puppet Master, the honorary name of the Toulon family. "But what about Andre," she asked, "Vonce is gonna torture him until he tell about the formula."

Toulon stood up and said, "I wouldn't worry about that. Andre would die before revealing the secrets of the formula to anybody."

Rogue stood up and sounded alarmed when she spoke. "Ah don't want that to happen. Ah'd rather have Andre tell him the magic then to have him die."

"Relax," said Toulon, "Vonce knows that if your brother does die he will never get the formula. He will not take that chance. All Andre has to do is hold out long enough until Vonce sees he won't get any information out of him. He will stop the tortures temporarily and by you some time. Now if you will excuse me grand daughter, I must leave you now, but I will still be partially with you."

Andre Toulon the first began to slowly banish. Rogue waved goodbye to him and then stopped. "Grandpa wait," she said before the spirit disappeared. She paused for a while and said quietly, "thank you grandpa Toulon."

She looked back down at the puppets. They all seemed sad to see their old master leave. "You guys were really close to him weren't you," she asked them.

They all nodded. Rogue looked back at where the spirit was. She thought to herself, 'Ah can do this.' She turned back to the puppets and said, "well this ain't no time to get emotional. We gotta save Andre."

The puppets quickly changed from their saddened state and looked like they were ready to fight. They ran down the hall with blade leading the way. Rogue chased after them. Ready to help her brother.