***
Disclaimer – I don't own X-Men: Evolution
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"I can't believe it took them three months to cover up the hole." Rogue mumbled to Ray as they both walked down the hall, ready for the morning training session.
"Professor X nearly fell out of his wheelchair when they heard the explosion." Ray smirked at the memory. "What I can't believe is that they kept you in the medical wing for two whole days when the explosion happened across the room."
"Now, not only do I have to try to control my own powers, I have to control other peoples powers." The Southern sighed heavily. "I just wonder how many powers I can absorb until I explode."
"I wouldn't mind having your power." Berzerker said, sighing lightly as he imagined it. "I'd absorb every mutant and become the most powerful mutant ever. Even Apoc wouldn't dare to fight me."
"Yeah, sounds like a great power." Sadness spread over Rogue's face. "But you can't have skin-to-skin contact." She felt his hand on her shoulder and looked across at him when she felt him squeeze it.
"Hey guys!" Kitty ran up the hall to catch up with them while pulling her brown hair into a high ponytail. Ray retracted his hand as she walked in between them. "It's so easy to spot you two because of your hair." She giggled as if she just had made a joke.
"As if I haven't heard that before." They both mumbled in unison.
***
Later that day, Kitty sat in the library studying for a Chemistry test, Rogue sat at the end of the table reading a book and Ray sat half way across from Rogue, at the other end, surfing the net on his laptop. A few other recruits, Amara, Bobby and Jamie sat at the table next to them; Amara was studying, Bobby was supposed to be writing a paper on Antarctica but found frosting up the paper to be more entertaining and Jamie—well, Three Jamie's sat at the table, all three reading a book.
"I hate Sundays." Kitty complained, sighing in frustration. "You're, like, so lucky you graduated already."
"Seven more months and you're finished." Rogue said, not looking up from her book. "Stop complainin', I had to make up a credit in summer school for missin' so much school."
"You should go to a local college, like Scott and Jean!" Now, Rogue looked up from her book, both brows arched. "Or not."
"Scott is pissed off at me." Rogue glanced down at her book, a smirk curved onto her lips. She could sense the anger coming from Scott every time he saw her, or talked to her. "He thinks I'm a turncoat, or somethin'. I may have been Remy's friend but I ain't him."
"Have been? After all that you found out, you're still not forgiving him?" Kitty asked, remembering what Rogue had told her the night before. From the corner of her eye, Rogue could see Ray glance up from behind his laptop.
"Things change." The Southern said with a shrug. "Gambit has a new life of his own now." She paused. "And so do I." She looked over at Ray who was now looking back at the screen. "So, 'Zerk. You lookin' at porn o' what?" She ignored Kitty who giggled loudly at the word porn.
"Professor X blocked all those sites." He said, making a face. "Mostly because of Jubilee and—" he looked over at Kitty. "And a few others." He looked back over at Rogue. "You don't want to know. Believe me."
Kitty scratched her neck and said nothing as Rogue gave her a look. "We'll be talkin' later, Kit'." Kitty made a face at that comment and went back to studying. "It's too quiet in here." Everyone, excluding Ray and Kitty, watch as she closed her book, stood up and left the room. Her heart pounded as she quickly walked down the hall, wanting to get away from them. She could sense it; she could sense that most of them didn't trust her.
They don't accept me. She realized as she walked into her bedroom. I have to stop being so weak. I have to stop pitying myself. I have to be myself.. I have to be.. Rogue.
***
"Good morning Rogue." Kurt greeted her with a smile the next morning as she walked into the kitchen.
"What's so good about it?" She asked rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. That didn't stop her from seeing the hurt expression that diffused over the German's face.
"How did
you sleep?" He tried again, continuing to smile at the older female. His smile
faded when she shrugged.
"Don't know. Made a few mistakes." She looked down at the floor and then back up at him. "Can I ask ya somethin'?" He nodded. "What do ya know about Mystic and Magneto?"
"Mystic? Oh, you mean Mystique." Now, he looked down at the floor. "Mystique is my.." He glanced up at her. "Mother. She works for Magneto."
Rogue folded her arms over her chest. "Your mother? And you decided to stay with the X-Men?"
He laughed slightly; it was a nervous laugh. "I found out about a year before you joined. There's no way I would join her." His thick German accent softened. "I fight for what's right."
"Why do you wear an imagine inducer? 'Fraid of what people might think?"
"'Fraid of their reactions." He was startled when he felt her gently grab his chin with her gloved hand.
"Don't be 'fraid of who you are, Kurt. Be blue and fuzzy. Because it's you." And with those words, she patted his chin, turned on her heel and left the room.
"That made absolutely no sense." Kurt decided with a soft chuckle.
***
She ran her tongue across her chapped lips as she sat down in the empty library. A few sheets of lined paper and a pencil sat neatly in front of her. Her neatly painted black fingernails tapped nervously on the desk. After a few minutes, she blew a strand of white hair out from her face and allowed her head to fall forward onto the hard wooden table. A loud thud echoed out through the library followed by a muffled 'ow.'
"I think you dented the table." Someone jeered. Immediately she looked up to see Ray across from her, lowering himself down into a chair. "So, what'chya doin' Rogue? Other than losing thousands brain cells?"
"I'm tryin' to write a letter."
"Rogue—" He reached over and patted the top of her head. "You're supposed to use your hand to hold the pencil, not your head."
"What would I ever do without you?" She spat, sitting up straight. She picked up the pencil and slowly started to write on the paper. After a few short minutes, she glanced up at him. "Want somethin' Sugah?"
"Only you babe." He murmured with sarcasm. "What's with the 'sugar' thing?" He seemed very interested as he rested his elbow on the table and lazily set his chin on the palm of his hand. "Is it some kind of Southern thing?"
"Yeah." She answered, trying not to roll her eyes. "Only Southerners understand it. Ya have to be in the club to understand." Her accent was thick with sarcasm.
"Like Gambit?" Ray jeered, noticing how she immediately tensed up at just the slightest mention of the codename. "He was just a friend wasn't he? Or did you two have something going on behind the scenes?"
"Just a friend." She mumbled softly, avoiding any eye contact with him. For once, her stolen empathy powers were not working, so she couldn't read his emotions. She needed to learn how to use the powers she absorbed at will, not at random times. She picked up the pencil and twirled it between two fingers.
"Then why are you making such a big deal out of all of this?" Now, she made eye contact with him. Her usual grey-green eyes now twinkled a danger glint, and flashed into a darker green color. The pencil stopped twirling and got snapped in half. It was the only sound in the library until Rogue stood up knocking her chair back.
"I've been lied to for over half my life. I find out my own foster mother kept secrets from me, never telling me about her mutant powers, my mutant powers or how she worked for Jean-Luc. I got mad at my best friend for somethin' I thought was his fault—" She stopped and shook her head. "Why do I even bother?" And with those words, she rushed out of the library.
Ray just sat there, speechless. After a few minutes, he leaned over and grabbed the sheet of paper Rogue had. He hadn't noticed the words she had written on it just a few minutes ago: Dear Remy.
***
"I don't think I'm ever goin' to understand why we have training sessions." Rogue mumbled as she adjusted her belt so it hung loosely around her hips.
"Now with Mags as a 'threat' we have to train even more." Ray said with a small sigh. He stood between Rogue and Kitty as they walked out of the control room. "We just have to wait until he attacks again. We don't even know when that is." He sounded a bit angry as he spoke the words. "This is stupid."
"Wearin' spandex is stupid." Rogue said looking down at herself and grunted. "I look horrible in it."
"Nah." Ray's attitude suddenly changed. "You look great in it. It really clings in all the right places.."
"Ohmigosh!" Kitty squealed; blushing at the comment he had made at Rogue. "That was, like, so sweet and perverted!" Ray and Rogue just switched glances. "Well, I'm going to, like, go take a shower."
"I'll help Rogue to her bedroom." Ray said, wrapping an arm around Rogue's shoulders as he gave Kitty a wink that made her squeal again.
"Gee thanks." Rogue said, feeling uncomfortable as they reached her room. She slowly opened her door and walked in. Ray was at her heels. "I don't think I could have ever found my room without you, 'Zerk."
He scratched the back of his head. "No problem Rogue." He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, still from behind. "So, do you think I'm pervertedly sweet?" He whispered into her ear.
"Oh yeah, and I hear you're a real charmer too." She smirked and pulled out of his grip. "Kitty told me that ya took Amara to a taco place on your first date."
"Taco Bell." Ray corrected as he walked over, closer to her. He placed his hands on her hips. "I thought it was a great idea."
"A nice romantic dinner over taco sauce. What's better than that?" She jeered, still smirking, even as she felt his hands slowly move up and down. "Oh, I can see that you're thinking of what's better than that." She said, as her belt fell to the floor. She leaned in so that her face was just inches away from his. "You seem to have forgotten, Ray-Ray; I can't have skin contact."
"I haven't forgotten." He stated, his eyes meeting hers. "How would you like to have some electrifying powers?"
"I-" She was cut off when his lips pressed up against her. In a matter of seconds, she felt his body go limp against hers and fall to the floor. "Pun." She realized as his memories relived themselves in her head.
***
She changed into civilian clothes before she left the institute. It was a cold night out, so she grabbed her leather coat on the way out and when she reached for the knob, she had received a shock that made her heart race. Just get out. She told herself, and she did. She left the institute, without telling anyone, which would probably make them think of her more as a turncoat, but she didn't care. Rogue knew what she had to do. She exited the property of the institute easily, by phasing through the front gate.
It took her well over ten minutes to her destination, a twenty-four hour convenient store. She quickly walked over to the payphone. This is a bad idea. You're going by a phone number in a memory, Rogue. Remy's memories, though. She cautiously picked up the black-wired phone, inserted two quarters into the slot and slowly dialed the numbers implanted into her mind.
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Part one completed – December 13, 2003
hnh, that an offer to be my lovely beta reader? I'll e-mail you later or something. :P
cool-chick-rae, actually, her powers aren't exactly 'growing' 'cause you see.. I've tweaked her powers a bit. This is an A/U ^^ I made it so that when she absorbs someone, she permanently keeps the power she absorbed. And she has to learn how to control it and all.