By Raven the Dark Angel
Chapter 2: From 666 to 777
Television, television, "reality" dating shows, commercials, lame ass soap operas, talk shows, educational cartoons, yada yada… Boring.
Rogue clicked the power off and sighed sinking deeper under the covers. Nothing on and nothing to do and most of all no one to talk to. Mr. McCoy, Ms. Munroe, and the professor had all left the school well over an hour ago in search of new recruits. She really hadn't been paying attention to Hank's long speech about how they need to welcome the unwelcome whatever he was talking about. The only thing that really stuck in her mind was the fact that he mentioned he and Xavier would need to keep her under psychiatric evaluation.
The thought of them poking and prying at her problems was enough to make her want to jump out of the window right now. She didn't need some doctor or tests or saying what's on her mind to make her feel any better. Rogue sighed. If only they spent as much time focusing on training her to gain control of her powers then they'd be getting somewhere. However the subject of control always remained on the backburner of Xavier's to-do list.
She couldn't really blame him. The man was always very busy. It's just that he really had promised her that he would teach her or at least help her with them. The only time she did actually receive that kind of attention was when her powers were threatening the lives of others and herself. Rogue closed her eyes remembering the time she had completely lost it… everyone she had ever absorbed all coming to the surface… ever since then… nothing had been the same.
The professor had later explained to her that her powers were manifesting… like a similar power surge that Jean had experienced just before her… Though Rogue didn't feel like she had changed at all. She still couldn't control anything… and most of all, still unable to touch.
Flinging off the covers, she stomped out of the infirmary, however making sure to tip-toe across Logan's room as softly as possible to hers. She closed the door behind her and walked toward her dresser. She glanced into the mirror seeing her face ghostly pale with dark circles under her eyes, yet she wore not a drop of makeup. Tucking the streak of white hair away from her face she pondered for a second if it really was a sign of her mutation or more out of complete and utter stress. Either way all she knew was she would feel much better in nice clean clothes verses the dingy hospital gown she dawned.
Loosening the knot in the back, the whole garment dropped to the ground revealing every morsel of her poison skin. She sighed fluffing her hair staring at herself. No one would ever probably see her like this… She would never get the chance to give herself to anyone intimately… but even if she could just control her powers for a simple kiss… anything would be better than nothing…
A long slow appreciative whistle chimed in the air cutting off every bit of Rogue's thoughts. She quickly flitted her eyes past her reflection to behind her shoulder catching sight of none other than Remy LeBeau.
The girl whirled around opening her mouth to scream, however her body was swiftly slammed against the wall along with a gloved hand to suppress any shouts. Her eyes widened watching the filthy Cajun glancing her up and down with nothing short of a hungry naughty smirk.
"Figures dey be black," he commented referring to her panties the only article of clothing she wore.
Rogue's eyes darkened as the enemy continued to enjoy the predicament she couldn't free herself from. The man pressed closer flattening the fleshy mounds on her chest against him. His teeth flashed once again as he placed a hand on her hip. She froze at the touch and swallowed as he leaned his face close to hers almost touching her nose. His breath tickled her cheeks and stirred the few white strands fallen in her eyes as she closed them. She could almost feel the warmth of his skin. Her heart screamed colliding so hard against her ribs at the risk of touching him she swore it would burst. What if he touched her by mistake? What if she couldn't pull away if he did? What the hell was he doing?! What the hell was she letting him do?!
"Promise not t' scream, chère?" he questioned as her eyes refused to advert away from his.
Rogue nodded causing Remy to take a step back. Immediately she kicked him in the stomach and covered herself with her hands.
"What are ya doin' in mah room ya fuckin' pervert?!" her whisper sliced the air with clear vengeance. She wanted to kill the god damn bastard for ever coming near her and touching her… he touched her bare body! Even though he had clothes on he still had touched her! She never wanted anyone to come that close to her ever unless it was someone she truly cared about. Hell she never wanted anyone to even see her like that and it would be fate's lovely joke to let such a womanizing pig be the first and probably only.
"Would y' believe t' steal one o' dese?" he responded and snapped the rubber band on her undergarment.
The boy must've had a death wish flinging a gallon of gasoline to the explosion of her anger. "Get out!" she hissed a bit louder scrambling one hand in her dresser for anything. "Do ya know how dangerous it is t' come near meh, like this?! Get out before Ah intentionally suck ya dry!"
She proved her threat by nearly touching his bare face with her bare hand, but the Cajun couldn't seem to do anything but stare at her bare body. He smirked. "Hmm… Maybe dat be fun. Any kind o' suckin' from y' sounds good t' Remy."
A growl rumbled in her throat, so fierce and feral it could rival with Logan's. Rogue instead of kneeing him in the balls like the perverted bastard deserved, reasoned it'd be better to get dressed first. Oh the horror that would unleash if Wolverine were to ever walk in on them now…
Slapping on a ripped pair of grey jeans and a purple tank top with mesh-like sleeves to cover her arms, she tried desperately not to turn around and rip every piece of hair out of the smiling swamp rat's head.
"What are ya really here fo'?" she insisted planting her gloved hands on her hips that itched so badly to bash him in the face and decorate the floor with his bloody teeth.
"Not'in' really," he replied shuffling that deck of cards that always seemed to appear out of nowhere, "Remy jus' t'ought t' pay his chère a visit, non?"
"Ah ain't yo' anythang! Besides how did ya know Ah wasn't in school?" She interrogated narrowing her eyes. She never trusted the man one bit ever since he handed her that card that nearly blew off half her body. Then the time he knocked her out with gas and kidnapped her all the way back to the south for his own personal benefit just topped all her hatred for him with a pretty pink bow. She never knew why she stopped Logan from ramming his claws into his jaw… She'd never know why…
"Lucky guess?" he cocked his head at her and winked.
"Lucky mah ass!" she spat at him, "Ya'll been watchin' meh again! Is that it? What do ya'll want this time, hmm? Ah'm through being yo' tool!"
"In Remy's defense, chère, like de guardian angel, he jus' lookin' out fo' y' an' saw y' be a femme in distress." He placed the cards back in his coat.
Rogue rolled her eyes and shook her head. "If ya don't watch it, yo' gonna be a homme in distress!"
"C'mon, chère. Quit actin' like y' hate it." He persisted placing his hands on her shoulders and shoved her close. "Jus' tell Remy all y' problems."
The Goth growled pounding on his chest struggling to get away. With one strong shove he stumbled backwards onto the soft cushion of her bed and far the hell away from her. The corner of his mouth twitched upward in that ever present lopsided grin as he stood up and smoothed out the wrinkles in his clothing.
"Such a dominatrix," he commented.
She slapped him. Hard. Remy cried out surprised by the sudden pain and held his hand to his stinging cheek.
"Ya stupid swamp rat!" she hollered at him gritting her teeth. "What did ya think ya were doin'?! Hands off!"
"Mmm Remy just loves it when y' get feisty," he purred gazing down at her with those demon blood eyes so warm and soothing and yet dangerous like a fire burning into her soul.
Rogue sighed and held her head. She couldn't even wack the crap out of him and knock some sense into the sick freak. Whatever she did, he always seemed to enjoy it like everything was some disgusting sexual fetish of his.
"Seriously dough," Gambit's smile abruptly faded, "Is it because of y' powers?"
She folded her arms. "Get out."
"Because if Remy recall right, y' powers are de one dat helped y' save de world from Apocalypse."
"Get out!"
"Non."
The two locked narrowed eyes. She didn't care what the hell he wanted to talk about. She wasn't going to discuss her powers with him. It didn't matter how she helped save the world. It wasn't really her powers that did it anyway. It was Dorian's. Everyone should be thanking him, not her. She was nothing…nothing but a vampire… a monster that fed off of everyone's souls and abilities to get anywhere in life.
She had hurt Dorian badly when she touched him… he was comatose for days… days. She never had seen someone knocked out for so long… maybe it was because he was a child? She didn't know. She didn't know and apologized so many times to his mother. She wondered if she'll ever be able to forgive her. But it didn't matter… even if she did accept such declarations of regret she could never forgive herself.
"Just leave meh alone! It ain't yo' business!" Rogue screamed uncaring of the volume that shook the walls. She just wanted him the hell away from her, and now.
Gambit opened his mouth to argue when the sound of Logan's voice boomed in the hallway just outside the door.
"Stripes?!" he bellowed pounding on the door.
He hadn't much time left before those claws of his sliced open the door and caught him with her. He remembered all too well the feel of the metal almost slammed into his face last time he treaded a little too near Rogue.
Remy swooped up Rogue's hands and bent to kiss the tops of them yet hesitated. A smirk played across his face as he instead turned her arms over and placed his lips against each bandage concealing her sliced wrists. Before she could utter one word in question of his knowledge of her wounds he lifted the window open and jumped out.
"Stripes!" Logan screamed for the fifth time smashing the door down.
Rogue just blinked at him.
"Now can't a girl get dressed?" she commented folding her arms once again. She kicked herself internally finding herself covering for the Cajun. She didn't know why but something inside of her never wanted to see him hurt, though another part wanted to shove Logan aside from killing him and assault the pervert with her own hands.
Wolverine just sniffed, walked up to her, inhaled the air around her, and stalked toward the open window. He leaned forward, anymore and he would've fallen out as he glanced left and right.
"What's the mattah with ya?"
"Thought I smelt the gumbo," he answered so sure the boy's scent was everywhere in the room. "Why's the window open?" he interrogated while looking behind the curtains and under the beds.
"Ah was hot. Ya'll gettin' paranoid, Wolvie." Rogue replied tapping her foot wondering when he was going to settle back down out of territorial defense mode. She should just tell him he was here. It was so obvious. She couldn't cover up the sent he left behind. She could even smell the fragrance of his spicy cologne and tobacco thick in the air.
He opened the closet. "What are ya doin' out of the infirmary?"
"Ah got tired of the same boring white walls."
Logan sniffed the air once more and narrowed his eyes at her. "I'm going back to sleep. You should do the same." He paused at the entrance hearing her grumble. "Oh and Stripes, If I EVER catch the gumbo around ya again, taking you back to the south or down the street, if he's near ya, I'm not gonna hesitate to slice and dice him and eat Cajun for breakfast."
Rogue nodded watching him force out and retract his claws for emphasis.
Back in the infirmary again… Rogue held her breath ready to scream any second at the torture. They should've returned over twenty minutes ago and yet here she waited… And waited…
The door slid open revealing Mr. McCoy with a bright cheery smile and a clipboard. Rogue released her breath and welcomed him with a smile of her own. "How'd it go?" she questioned wondering if they did in fact bring in more students.
"Well I'm not sure how exactly it went," he answered with a slight chuckle, "The two we talked to were…rather interesting."
Rogue raised an eyebrow.
"Free spirited, I really should say. They seemed like that didn't have much guidance in the past few years, which is one of the reasons we were trying to get them to join us…"
"What were their names?"
"Oh my apologies," Hank grinned flashing his fangs, "They're the Acolytes."
"The Acolytes?!" Rogue screamed. "Are ya'll freakin' nuts?!"
She couldn't believe this… What went so terribly wrong in their brains? They were the enemy! Rogue held her head not paying one bit of attention to Mr. McCoy's speech of everyone deserves a chance. She could just imagine that crazy Cajun walking in on her showers following her around until she went mad and either killed him or went out on a date with the horny bastard just to shut him up. Colossus would probably pick up every piece of furniture in the house and rearrange it just for fun … and Pyro would end up burning everything in sight… oh the horror that would unleash when it was his turn to cook… The professor must have gone mad to think those three loonies could ever live with them.
"Wait a second," Rogue cut McCoy off feeling a headache coming on, "Ah don't get how ya'll can have them join us if Magneto is employin' them."
"That's the reason why we went to there," he explained, "Magneto seems to have disappeared again, leaving the three alone. I'm not sure if Sabertooth went with him or not. When we got there…
Acolyte's Housing Quarter's two hours ago:
St. John and Piotr lounged in front of the television enjoying the leftover pizza from last week. Or was it the week before that…? He flicked his lighter sparking a fire and willed the flames to lick the bottom crust of the slice as the Russian beside him leaned away uncertain of his control.
"Ooo!" he exclaimed at its charcoaled state and turned to glance at Piotr, "Would ya loike meh ta do yoah's too, mate? Let ol' St. John 'ere cook 'er up!"
"Um I appreciate the offer but I find it just fine cold." he politely refused.
"Mmm! Noyce an' crispy!" Pyro smiled crunching his food.
The door bell rang. "I'll get it," Piotr announced getting up and walking towards the door hoping it was Gambit. He needed someone else in the room besides the fire obsessed Aussie or else he feared that his sanity would soon leave his brain permanently. However Gambit never used doorbells… he never used keys for that matter either.
Piotr opened the door and nearly transformed into his metal form when Pyro slapped his shoulder and sang, "Ooo it seems we 'ave a bit a' company!" He flicked his lighter and smiled at the teachers of the Xavier institute minus short and grumpy. "'ello mates. Whoat can we do foah ya?"
"Is Magnus on the premises?" Xavier questioned pressing his fingertips together.
"Last toime Oy saw ol' frig magnet was the day ya fought Apocalypse, baldy."
Piotr slapped his forehead and shook his head, very slowly.
"So I take it only you two are left? Where are the others, if I may ask," Xavier continued ignoring the comment on his hairlessness. Kids would be kids.
"Aww if ya lookin' foah the kitty, he just up and left one day, prolly on a quest fah the perfect ball a' yarn. And the ugly faced one who loikes ta pretend he's pretty with illusions went back ta the rock he crawled out from unduh."
The three adults blinked several times trying to decipher any word he spoke between his thick accent and his creative way of referring to people.
Piotr cleared his throat realizing they weren't used to insanity this early in the morning or perhaps any time of the day for that matter. "He means we don't know where Sabertooth or Mastermind are either."
"May we come in?" Mr. McCoy questioned.
Instantly the carrot top shoved the three of them inside while the quieter one shut the door behind them. Pyro smiled like a mad man motioning for them to sit by slapping on the couch repeatedly as dust flew everywhere. Hank and Ororo unwillingly sat on the filthy thing and managed a smile each.
"Sooo whoat's with gettin' so friendly all a' sudden?" he asked flicking his lighter on and off again causing Ororo to feel a little more than just nervous being the one who sat next to him.
"We were wondering if you'd like to join us," Charles put forth the opportunity, "You of course would have sufficient housing and be fed-"
"Whoat?" Pyro interrupted, "Are ya sayin' we don't eat? We 'ave food!" he proclaimed and shoved the open pizza box at the professor.
Xavier smiled at the boy and glanced down at the contents. Was that something furry growing on one of the slices?
"'ave a piece!" he offered picking up the one with green substance on it.
"That's quiet all right."
"No Oy insist!" he argued pushing the slice closer to the older man's mouth. "No wonduh ya don't 'ave any hair on that 'ead a' yoah's. Ya gotta eat properly!"
Xavier blinked at the boy. "I'm fine, really. Thanks very much for your kindness and your concern for my health. But perhaps you should watch yours more. You do realize there is mold on that slice."
"Oy know! Maybe if ya'd eat it, the stuff would grow on yoah 'ead! Oy mean green fuzzy ick is bettuh than blindin' shininess. Ya moight get a sun burn!"
Piotr slapped his forehead and shook his head, very slowly.
Charles' Xavier School of the Gifted, Infirmary present time:
"And so they told us how they were fending for themselves since Magneto left," Hank explained to Rouge. "Colossus has been selling paintings he has made, Gambit has been pick pocketing and stealing expensive items, and Pyro had a job at Burger King but ended up getting fired when he burned the entire grill to ashes"
Flame broiled whopper alright. Brings a whole new meaning to the word fired, Rogue mused in her head. "So they're perfectly fine," she commented folding her arms, "No need for us to interfere right?"
"Most of their money supply comes from thievery. They need guidance," Mr. McCoy persisted, "I completely agree with the professor that it would be very beneficial on both of our parts. It would teach the students here that everyone should be treated with equality and fairness no matter who they are. If we didn't uphold those beliefs, you my friend, wouldn't be here at all."
Rogue grumbled. "Ah still don't like it."
"However they didn't agree to join us yet," he continued flipping through his clipboard now, "They said they wouldn't agree to anything until their temporary leader, Gambit had something to say about it."
She laughed out loud. "That swamp rat is their leader?" Hank wrapped the medical instrument around Rogue's arm and began to pump it up as he checked the gauges for blood pressure.
"Hold still please," he requested and wrote the number down on the board.
The door opened as Xavier rolled into the room. He smiled warmly at the teen while he pulled up beside her opposite of Mr. McCoy. "Rogue are you ready for your first session with us?" he questioned.
Author's Note: I wasn't too sure on the Pyro and the professor bit… please tell me at least one of you laughed out there. Good? Bad? Just okay? Let me know! Pretty please?