Alone

Shadow Knight

Chapter 20: Fractured and Sewn

Disclaimer: Well, I think you know the facts.

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NOTE: Sorry I haven't updated in so long. I hope this chapter will make some people happy who have continued to read this. This is the final chapter, but mind you, there's an epilogue.

----There will be no labeling of P.O.V.'s in this one. I think you guys are smart enough to figure it out. If you're not sure, check at the bottom real quick.

-

If you were to travel along the roads, you might think everything was peaceful in the world. A blanket of snow, laid out by the heavens stretched over the land as far as the eye could see.

Yes, it was calming. . . . but deceiving.

It muffled out the screams coming from that dark building on the corner. From the room where the blinds were drawn and sealed the dim lit room in shadow. No one could see the man remove the iron clasps from the pale wrists. Nor the malevolent grin that spread across his face as the girl stood before him, her eyes glassy and doll like.

Reaching up to his face, he scrubbed at the dried mask of scarlet for a moment before reaching for the doll's wrist. He pulled her away from the metal gurney where she had been moments before and brushed her crusted hair away from her face. His fingers lingered lightly on her cheek, brushing it deftly.

She didn't respond.

With the face of a red devil, he pulled her closer and kissed her cheek, lingering even longer. Withdrawing, he grabbed her chin roughly and jerked it upward toward his face. Brushing his fingers again along her face, he mumbled with a smile, "I know you're still in there my dear Rogue. I know you can hear me. . . but don't worry, as soon as you stop being so disobedient, I let you come back out."

He searched her eyes and was only met with an unseeing gaze. "Yes, don't you worry. Once we finish off these pests, and you have learned your place, I'll let you come back out of that hole in your mind."

Dropping his hand, the man's eyes grew darker. "You must realize that you belong to no one else but me. . . not even yourself."

The light flickered out as the man laughed coldly at the sight of the girl's emotionless face. . . . . .

But. . . no one knew of it. . . no one saw or heard it. . . . For who cared about the struggles of mutants?

-

b-b-b-dum. . . b-b-b-dum. . . b-b-b-dum. . . b-b-b-dum. . .

I watched agitatedly as Maximoff drummed his long, pale fingers continuously along the arm of the chair he was sitting in. I bit my tongue, trying not to shout certain. . .expletive words . . .

b-b-b-dum. . . b-b-b-dum. . . b-b-b-dum. . . b-b-b-dum. . .

No, I had to be calm. I couldn't let him get to me. Especially not now when-

B-B-B-Dum. . . B-B-B-Dum. . . B-B-B-Dum. . . B-B-B-Dum. . .

I couldn't take it any longer.

"Maximoff! Cut it out!" I heard myself shout angrily, "We're not in a damn marching band!"

Pietro looked at me with a steely gaze. Eyes blazing, his lips thinned across his mouth in a baleful frown. "I wouldn't be this way if we were gone by now."

"The professor is locating Rogue. Can't you stay still for more than two minutes?!"

"Not when Rogue's life is on the line," he bit back at me.

I sighed and plopped back down into my chair. There was no way I would be able to get through to him. Not like this. I brought my hand up to my face in exasperation. We were getting no where as a team.

Gazing through the gaps of my fingers, I saw his ruby colored head swivel away, his fingers drumming faster now. Geeze. . . when had things become so. . . so different?

Everything was changed now.

Sure, I was still a teacher at the Xavier institute as I had started right after high school. . . but. . . why'd everything seem to fall apart now? The X-Men weren't as great as they used to be. The rays of glory that had made us all so proud to serve the professor in our crusade to save mutant kind. . . . had faded. It seemed as if everything we had fought for. . . was destroyed.

Our purpose to serve humanity and mutant kind alike. . . . had flickered out.

The world rejected us. I think that we had all expected it. . .but. .when it actually happened. . . it was bad. . . worse than we had thought it would be. The friends we had known before looked at us with fear and disgust, their lips whispering wicked little secrets. It was too much.

Now we were forced to hole up in our house. Even going to the super market downtown, we had to use one of the professor's disguises to ease the fear from others seeing us. I looked over at Maximoff aimlessly. He certainly had changed. We all had, but I don't think I noticed as much a change in anyone as much as him. I could see his face had grown sharper, more cold. His eyes were narrowed as he stared at the door the professor had left through, leaving me with the impression of a calculating, businessman, deriving no pleasure from life.

How could one person's disappearance destroy all of us?

My thoughts continued to wonder on our broken future when suddenly a voice broke through my reverie.

-Scott, please answer the door.-

I shook my head and firmly adjusted my glasses. -But who's there, sir?-

-You'll see. . . -

I noticed Pietro staring at me oddly, but I simply pointed toward my head as I stood up to the door. I wasn't sure what to expect when I answered the door, but I certainly was surprised.

"Hey ruby eye, you gonna let us in or not?"

X-Men. . . and the old Brotherhood gang. . . together? . . . At the front door?

"Uh. . . yeah, sure. Sorry," I flushed and quickly jerked to the side, pulling the door open.

They flooded in through the door and into the room. A bit dazed, I shut the door behind them at watched the proceedings. I watched the X-Men gather into the room, a huddled bunch, talking and chatting. Turning my eyes toward the other side of the room, I saw the Brother Hood, staring at the floor in their awkward circle. The tension between them was thick like the humidity of a hot summer's day.

Todd's eyes were flicking back and forth nervously about the group, his hands like jittery rats, crawling up and down his arms. Freddy, wow. . . he certainly looked different. His massive arms were sculpted and strong, bulging like thick tree trunks in his expensive coat. I had heard of his books being big, but now I saw it now myself in his classy clothes.

Yet, seeing his goofy grin, I could tell that he was still his old self. Lance was different too. He had cut his hair shorter, pulling it back in a short ponytail. I also saw that he had finally gotten glasses. Kitty had told me that his headaches were bad when he used his powers, but I guess he found that now he needed glasses just for reading.

All of them were talking and reminiscing when I suddenly found Kitty slip off from Lance's arm and stroll over to our group. I grinned when I saw a gaudy ring glitter off her finger. I knew it wasn't hers by the size and glanced over to Lance who was laughing at something Todd said.

"I see you all made it."

Everyone turned and I saw the professor role out from around the corner, watching everyone with careful eyes. No one spoke as he finally stopped in front of us.

"I know you're all wondering why you are here," his eyes combed over us gravely, "I have called you here to help us fight. We are fighting to get back a member we had lost. . . . ."

As I saw everyone listening to the professor with rapt attention, I felt something stir in my mind. Maybe things weren't so different after all. Maybe we hadn't changed as much as I'd thought.

That's when the world fell down around our ears.

-

"My dear puppet. . . let's go have some fun with those annoying pests, shall we."

He grabbed the small white hand, and led her forward. "Yes," he murmured, looking forward toward the huge mansion they were approaching, "this should be fun."

-

Screams ripped through the air like harpies of ancient lore. I reached up my hand to my forehead and felt it come away with a slick pop. Something ran down my palm, slippery and wet. When the windows shattered, a shard must have caught my forehead, spilling blood over my eyes. I glared through the crimson haze at the doors.

A figure stood outlined in all the chaos. Obsidian marbles fell about the room in a dull stare. With a tattered dress wrapped around a pale frame, the figure looked like a doll. A white foot stepped forward, oblivious of the glass fragments littering the floor. As I wiped more blood from my eyes, the figure came into sharper clarity.

"R. . . Rogue?"

I stared, startled for a moment before I jumped up. I ran only two feet before I heard a voice from behind.

"Pietro stop!"

I halted obligingly at the sharp, crisp tone. Turning, I saw Xavier roll closer to me, rotating between the crouching bodies around the room. His face was stern as he glared at Rogue. A frustration rose inside me. But before I could respond, he rose his hand, and spoke, never taking his eyes of Rogue.

"Pietro, I know what you're thinking, but don't do it. It's not her."

My eyes blazed and I pointed in her direction, "What the heck are you talking about?!

She's right there!"

Xavier shook his head. "No, Pietro. . . that's only a shell."

I couldn't decide what was crazier. The fact that Rogue was finally standing in front of me, within grasp once again or that Xavier was not blabbering about Rogue being a "shell."

Eyes narrowing, Xavier frowned. "She isn't there Pietro. Everything you knew about her . . . . is gone. She's just a puppet."

My eyes flicked back to Rogue. Something crashed inside as I watched her dull eyes. I couldn't stop staring at her, even as I heard Xavier speak beside me. "Shawn, come out. I know you're here."

I turned to him. Shawn? Glancing back I saw a tremble ripple through Rogue's still form. A clapping suddenly echoed through the room. Everyone was up now, staring at the door to see who was clapping. A tall man showed up beside Rogue.

"I applaud you Charles," he stopped and rested a hand on Rogue's shoulder, "But that prying little mind of yours is going to get you hurt someday."

So that was the little shit that had shot me, his hand grasping Rogue's shoulder. I felt my hand ball up into a fist unintentionally. "Damn him," I seethed through my teeth.

Suddenly, the man known as Shawn turned to me and shook his finger like a chastising mother. I was startled to see Rogue's form raise a hand and mimic him in sync. "Now that wasn't very nice," he said darkly, his voice speaking from her darkly painted lips.

"Rogue. . . . what happened to you?"

The cold voice cut through my questioning like a knife in butter, "Her personality, her essence. . . her mind. . . . . . . it's all mine."

A burst of adrenaline laced through me and I rushed forward. "Rogue!"

Shawn suddenly snapped his fingers and I watched as Rogue threw up her hands. A wave of power shot forth from her and smacked us all backwards. As I hit the wall, I heard the crunch of metal crash by my ear. Struggling to push myself up against the wall of gravity, I opened my eyes blearily. Rogue's hair flew about her face as another gravity field was released from her fingertips.

"Kitty, come up through the floor and surprise her!"

I turned and saw Scott shout, just as Kitty sank through the ground. Suddenly she phased through the floor and grabbed for Rogue's ankle. Kitty's hand fell through as if Rogue were a ghost. Rogue jumped and disappeared with a flash. Sulfur and brimstone lit up inside my nose as she suddenly reappeared, her eyes burning crimson. A beam fled from her eyes and struck at where Kitty's head was. Kitty phased up from the ground and leaped backwards, only to be struck by another beam that sent her spinning to the floor.

As static appeared and danced around Rogue's fingertips, I heard Shawn laugh and exclaim with glee, "You fools can't hurt my Rogue. She has all your powers combined! Controlling my little puppet with all this power is too easy."

He pointed his finger in our direction, and the bolts jumped from her fingers and shot in toward us. Dodging the deadly assault, I watched Freddy charge forward like a lumbering bear, ready for the kill. Just as he lunged forward with a huge, meaty paw, Rogue's eyes slid back into her skull until only the whites of her eyes were showing. Her hands darted out toward the floor. The ground buckled and rippled under her control and like a wave beneath the ground, a huge swell threw Freddy onto his back with a crunch.

I heard a savage roar of fury and saw Lance use his own powers to send the rippling ground in her direction. Sensing danger, Rogue's eyes flashed and she flew up into the air, avoiding the crater that settled in her previous place. She raised a hand toward Lance and I watched in horror as he started rising up into the air, struggling and panicking at the loss of ground. Rogue made a fist and I heard Lance scream out in pain as he shook. A bit of blood dribbled from his nose as he gasped.

"Everybody get down!" I whirled around just in time to see Evan launch a barrage of his spikes toward Rogue. Smacking against the floor, I felt the air leave my lungs. My eyes turned up to see Rogue move in a blur of black and white, Lance having been forgotten and crumpled on the ground beside Kitty's body.

Suddenly, a burst of wind rippled over me, forcing me to shield my eyes. I heard a muffled shout and the sickening crack of bones breaking. Evan folded in half like an empty bag of chips under Rogue's kick. His eyeballs rolled back and he slumped to the ground.

"Rogue!"

Turning, I saw that it was Shawn who had yelled out Rogue's name in panic. Todd had jumped at him, an anger burning in his eyes as he lunged for the man's throat, his hand reaching out for his jugular.

He didn't make it.

Todd struggled in the air as Rogue held out a hand, halting his descent. She threw her hand in the direction of the wall. I watched as Todd smacked into the wall, the air forced out of his lungs as he slid down and plopped down onto the floor, unconscious. Amongst all this, I felt frozen and powerless, watching the woman destroy all my allies. I couldn't dare lay a hand on her in violence. So, I stood there, struggling to decide whether I should fight and potentially hurt the woman I love or continue to let her hurt my friends.

I didn't have much time to think as Rogue was suddenly thrown against the wall. Cracks splintered along the walls from the impact. I saw Jean with her hands out toward Rogue, concentrating with all her effort to hold her there. Rogue raised a hand and I heard Scott shout as his glasses were ripped off his face. Red beams shot from his eyes, uncontrolled and destructive. With a simple twist of her hand, Scott twirled and his beam shot around haphazardly.

Jean, hearing his yell, turned around just in time to see, Scott twirl in her direction. She didn't have time to scream before she hit the floor.

Rogue, unhindered by Jean now, slipped down from the wall. I suddenly heard Shawn laughing. His face was broken by a malevolent grin. An ire beyond any I had felt before fired through my veins and engulfed my being like nothing before. He was the cause of all this! He was the one destroying my friends one by one! He was using Rogue as a source of that power, making her destroy everyone and everything she had known and loved. Damn him!

My legs worked on their own as I raced toward him, my fist arched back to hit him. I was going to knock that stupid grin of his face! Then I'd make sure he would never be able to carry on a legacy of e-

I was knocked away before I could touch the freaking bastard. The skin of my back screamed in pain as I scraped along the floor. Looking up, I saw Rogue floating above me, her hand in my direction. She started to lift me off my feet when a beam hit her from the back. I tumbled to the ground and watched as Rogue, as she glared down at the stumbling Summers. His aim had been just lucky enough to hit her at that moment.

Shawn smiled, and I watched that smile grow on Rogue's face as if it were a photograph. She dropped to the ground and grabbed Summers' glasses. Walking toward him, her shape shifted and altered.

As she stopped in front of Summers, she reached out a smooth hand and stopped the boy. He shook and shivered, his eyes clenched shut. "Here Scott," her voice whispered, "Let me put your shades on."

Summers seemed relieved. "Jean, I'm so glad to hear you voice," he mumbled with a sigh of reprieve as he allowed her to slip on his shades, "I thought that I had knocked you. . . out. . ."

He suddenly cut off when he had opened his eyes just in time to see Rogue's form twist and morph back into shape. He leaped backwards, but not in time to avoid Rogue's savage punch to his gut. Gasping, he fell down and floundered.

I was the only one left standing now. I watched her as she monitored Scott, the impious grin of Shawn's still on her face. I heard him laugh and yell with wicked delight, "This is too good! Too good! Psychological warfare can do wonders! Hah! I haven't had this much fun in a long time."

He acted like this was all a game. . . .

Rogue kicked the Summer's side to see if he were still twitching.

. . . like we were only toys that entertained or were destroyed. . .

Shawn continued to laugh.

Something snapped inside me then and I felt my fingernails chew at the flesh of my hand.

"No more. . . . no more. . . NO MORE!" An inferno blazed beneath my skin as I shouted with my heart's blood.

I didn't know what I was doing, but I ran. Ran for Rogue. Ran as fast as I could. Before she could throw me back, I gathered her up in my arms from behind, embracing her tightly. She struggled against my chest, but I wouldn't let her go. As I felt her power building, I closed my eyes and whispered in her ear.

"Rogue. . . . ," I clutched her like a life line as she buckled and whipped, "Don't forget us like this. I know you're still in there. Fight it. . . fight him. Come back to me. Rogue. . I don't want to lose you again."

Suddenly a voice rang in my head. -Pietro, hold her for a bit longer.-

I knew it was the professor and I wasn't sure what he was doing, but, I held Rogue with all my strength. Staring beyond her hair, I saw Shawn approaching us with a frown.

"Rogue. . . I know you're still in there. No matter what the professor says, I know you're still there. Don't let him win. You don't belong to anyone!"

Her struggling stopped.

Suddenly, Kurt appeared behind Shawn, holding the professor in his arms. In the professor's arm was a strange metallic device. Before Shawn was able to turn around, the professor reached out and jammed the machine on his head. Immediately, holes appeared all over the helmet like contraption. Flexible metal rods snaked out and swung about toward his face. Metal discs fanned out around the ends of the rods and latched onto Shawn's face, burying into his skin and skull.

Shawn shouted and clawed at the device on his head until his fingernails were dark with sprays of blood. He continued to struggled, sinking to his knees. His shouts began turning into screams of desperation and fear. Eyes flickering about, he stared at Rogue in my arms. "Rogue, help me," he shouted hoarsely.

Hearing her name, I felt Rogue grow slack in my arms. I tried to adjust my grip when suddenly she slipped from my arms and strode over to where Shawn sat, eyes wide with fear. The professor yelled out to Rogue and closed his eyes, concentrating. Rogue's legs suddenly halted, throwing her slightly off balance. She turned and stared at the man in Kurt's arms. Her eyes flashed dangerously and the professor winced.

Shawn suddenly stopped struggling with the device when he saw Rogue's feet appear in his line of vision. He looked up nervously. Her eyes were still cold and glassy. "Rogue?" he gulped, "Help me with this, would you, my dear?"

Rogue sat down to her knees in front of Shawn reached out towards his head. Xavier shouted at her to stop, but she ignored him. Seeing her compliance, he smiled a little. "I knew I could always count on you, Roguey. Just find a latch or something to take it off. . . "

He suddenly paused when Rogue's hands rested on his cheeks. He looked at her slightly bewildered. "Rogue. . . thank you, but I need you to get this off immedi-"

"I've learned a lot from you Shawn," Rogue spoke coolly, cutting him off, "More than you probably know. . ."

Shawn was growing nervous at her speaking. If she was forming her own thoughts. . . . "Rogue! Do as I say and get this off immediately!"

"Well, how about I show you a demonstration of my lessons?" She ignored him as her lips stretched into a cruel, dark smile. Suddenly she brought his face close to hers. Grinning, she spoke in a low growl, "You see Shawn, every time touched me, and every time you toyed with my mind, a new door opened. You were changing me, but more than you would ever know. . ."

Suddenly she bent down and kissed his lips. Shawn flinched as her lips touched his, struggling to pull away. His attempts were to no avail. Shawn's hands trembled from their position on her wrists as his face blanched into a pale white. Veins grew apparent around his wide, wild eyes. His hands dropped from her ankles and smacked onto the floor, lifelessly. I heard small, desperate muffled whines escaping him.

Rogue, seeming satisfied, lifted her lips from bluish ones. She let him drop in an ungraceful heap upon the floor, crumpled and broken. Spitting on the ground near him, she raised a hand to wipe her lips.

Crouching close to the ground, she tapped her head and said, "You see Shawn. . . you helped me evolve. All the brainwashing you did finally opened the door to the next level. Now I can control my powers. . .

. . . and yours."

Shawn's eyes, if any more possible, grew larger in a deep fear. "You sampled my poison far too much, never knowing that each touch meant another ounce of your power was mine. . . ."

Her eyes grew dark as power surged through her veins. Shawn's form suddenly twisted and writhed, spasms shaking his frame until he was left in pathetic fetal position, quivering erratically. Eventually he grew still. I watched Rogue's face as she stared down at the man that used to control her.

There was no sympathy.

Broken glass crunched under his wheels as Xavier rolled toward her. Observing Shawn from beside her, he spoke to her calmly. "Rogue, what did you do to him?"

She stood there for a moment, her face blank as she stared at the man she had hated for so long. Finally she spoke, her eyes not moving from the battered body. "He has no power over me anymore. . ."

Xavier studied her for a few moments "He's not going to wake up. . . is he?"

Rogue didn't bat an eye. "No, he's going to sleep for a long time. All that's awake in there is his mind. He'll sit in that useless shell. . .forever."

Turning she looked at Xavier. "He's not a threat anymore."

-

As I walked toward the doors of the building, I couldn't say any more. I was frozen inside. I was finally free from under Shawn's thumb and should have been feeling free, the weight lifted off of my shoulders. . . . but. . .there was something missing that made my heart feel cold and hollow. . .

"Rogue, wait," I heard a voice yell.

A whip of wind surged from behind me and bustled my clothes forward. I knew he stood in front of me. I knew I couldn't get past him, so I just stopped. I let my hair fall in front of my face in a deep shame and sadness. Why. . .why was he still chasing after me?

I felt him put his hands on my shoulders. "Rogue," he whispered, "where are you going? Why are you leaving?"

"Pietro," I muttered, my throat growing warm "please let me go."

He gripped my shoulders harder. "No, I won't let you go again. Rogue, I can't let you walk out of my life again. Never again."

Abruptly, he pulled me tightly into his arms. I breathed in the scent of his clothes, tainted with wind blown skin and a sharp clean smell. Oh, how I wanted this to last forever! But. . .I knew it couldn't be. . .

"Don't leave me Rogue," he suddenly breathed into my hair.

An overwhelming sadness grew within me. More than I could bear. It coursed throughout me until I was shaking in his embrace. He pulled me away at a distance and caught my chin in his smooth palm. "Rogue," he asked with concern, "what's wrong?"

I turned my face to him as tears scarred my cheeks. I couldn't contain it any longer. "Pietro," I whispered sadly, "I. . I can't stay with you. . . I'm not the same person I used to be. . .I. . I've struck down too many lives and hurt too many people. . . .Pietro, I can't be with you. . . . I've left too many with scars. . . including you-"

He suddenly pulled my face closer to his, cutting off my speech. Then. . . then he captured my lips. He kissed me gently and hugged my frame tightly. A stream of tears flowed from my eyes as he felt the warmth of his heart for me. When was the last time I had felt such love? I couldn't remember feeling a happiness like this before.

Breaking off, he whispered, "Rogue. . . I love you."

I felt my shell of defense crack as I closed my eyes, his lips meeting mine again. We had both had our share of pain, and I just wanted it all to evaporate with this kiss. I wanted to be free of the darkness that had shadowed my life so long. Free of the nightmares and free of the pain.

I just wanted to be with him.

-

YAY! Another chapter finished! Alright, next is the Epilogue. Then, this story will be done and all of you wonderful readers who've kept up with this will all breath a sigh of relief. :P Well, sorry I haven't finished in so long. Been so busy. . . and lazy. . .

Anywho, I hope you guys have enjoyed this story. This was my first on fanfiction.net and will be the first long-term story I've finished. Thanks too all of those who actually read the odd workings of my imagination and/or were kind enough to review it.

Until the next and last chapter,

Ciao. :P