Author's notes: In this chapter I will finally get to the bad guy. Please forgive me if it took so long.
For the next two weeks Rogue became a fast friend with Robert and his brothers. She learned much about them. For example, they all carried switchblades with them at all times. When they were in school they would hide them in a little sheaths they had taped to their arms. She also learned the reason why they would act so funny and do many comedy improve things. To help them forget about their madness, which was very difficult to do at times.
As those two weeks went by the other X-Men at school would see Rogue talking with the boys about whatever. They were happy for her since she did not have many friends, and they were even happier to see humans with open minds to mutants. Sadly they did not know of the boy's insanity, and how they were no longer human because of it.
One afternoon as Rogue was leaving the school grounds she noticed Evan surrounded by three jocks. They were pushing him around and yelling, "freak," and other harsh names that mutants had inherited.
Rogue's eyes turned wide at this scene. This was one of the main reasons Evan left the X-Men, other than his powers going crazy.
The Goth ran over to the boys just as one of them punched Evan right in the face. Evan wanted so much to skewer one of those jocks, but he knew the trouble it would cause.
Rogue shoved one of the jocks down as she said, "back off assholes."
He stood back up and said, "you stay out of this freak, this ain't your fight."
Rogue took off one of her gloves and said, "well three on one sure as hell doesn't seem like a fair fight to me."
Evan stood next to her and whispered to her, "you could get expelled if you use your powers against these guys."
As Rogue heard those words she slipped her glove back on. The first jock stepped forward and said, "you know I never hit a girl before in my life, but in this case I can make an exception."
Rogue readied her fists as the three jocks prepared to fight. The Goth knew that Evan and she would get blamed for this fight no matter what, but she knew they could not back down.
But before the fight could start four clicks were heard from behind the jocks. When they turned around they saw the four brothers with their switchblades in hand.
The three jocks froze in place as the four stepped forward. "Well, what do we have here," said John as he walked.
"I'm not quite sure," said Troy. "It looks to me like three sons of bitches causing a bit of a fuss."
Robert walked up to the first jock with his switchblade by his side. "What's going on here," he asked him.
"Nothing," the jock claimed, "just a little private matter between me and these mutants. This don't concern you."
Robert then quickly grabbed the boy by the hair and held his blade up to his neck. "Don't give me that horse shit," he said. He slid his blade along the jock's neck, but did not cause him to bleed.
"You know its people like you who made my life a living hell when I was little," he said looking the jock dead in the eye.
The other two jocks tried to come to their friend's aid, but Robert's brothers stood in front of them with their switchblades ready to slash.
Robert spoke again. "Now listen to me very carefully. Lay off the mutants. If they get any injuries from you, then you're gonna get worse."
"What," the jock asked panicked.
"Let me be more clear," said Robert, "if one of them has a bruise then you're getting a scar. If one has a limp, I'm breaking your leg, and if one has a broken limb, you're loosing one of yours. Do I make myself clear?"
The jock could only nod.
"Good," said Robert, "so why don't you get the hell out of here."
Robert released his grip and all three of the jocks quickly moved away.
When they were far enough the first jock said to his buddies, "those little punks should learn their place in this school. They should no better than to threaten us. Get in the car, we're gonna show them who they're messing with."
As soon as the jocks were gone the four brothers slid their switchblades back into their sleeves.
Evan looked at the boys. "Uh thanks," he said. Nobody in the school ever really stood up to the jocks before. It was shocking to see these boys do so, especially for mutants.
Rogue looked to the boys and said harshly, "you know how stupid that was. You guys could get expelled for bringing those knives to school. Are you guys crazy?"
The boys just looked at her and she said, "right stupid question."
Troy said to her, "look Rogue we know that it was stupid to threaten those jocks, but we weren't about to let you guys get blamed for them being jackasses."
Rogue harshness went away and was replaced with a smile. No human had ever done this for a mutant before.
Robert looked to Even and saw a red mark on his face where the jock punched him. "Are you ok," he asked as he pointed at the bruise.
Evan rubbed the mark and said, "yeah it's fine. Those guys just hit me pretty hard."
Robert leaned a little closer to him and said, "for five bucks, I can make it so they never come to school again."
Both Rogue and Evan could tell he was kidding. Evan chuckled a little and asked, "you'll do it for only five bucks?"
"Yeah you're right," said Robert, "I'll do it for free."
This caused both Rogue and Evan to laugh. Evan stopped laughing and said, "hey Rogue, we better get going or we're gonna miss the rides back to the institute."
"You go ahead," said Rogue, "I'll get home eventually."
Evan shrugged and headed for the cars. As he left Phil called to him; "alright we'll see you later Evan. I'm sorry we didn't get to talk much, but we're glad you're feeling much better. It's ok a lot of men have some what feminine names. I'm not trying to piss you off, I just never think before I say anything."
Rogue could not help, but laugh. "You guys are so weird," she said.
"And there's nothing wrong with that," John said to her.
The four boys began to walk back to the bar, which they called their home. Rogue walked with them.
"Don't you guys have a ride back to the bar," she asked.
"Nah," said Robert, "we prefer to be pedestrians. We ain't fond of cars."
"Right," said Rogue as they left the schoolyard. She paused for a while before asking the question that she had been asking the brothers for the past few days.
"Have you guys thought of any reason to stay alive," she said. She felt that that was not the proper way to ask the question. However the brothers were not offended.
"Sadly no," said John. "It's probably only a matter of time before I put a bullet in my head."
"Yeah," said Phil. "Who knows tonight may be the night I slit my wrists."
"Stop it," Rogue said. "You guys don't have to kill yourselves to put your lives at ease."
"We're trying to find other ways to escape our insanity," said Troy, "but we just can't live with it for much longer without a reason to live. All we want is one, but that hasn't come yet."
Rogue said sternly, "look, if I can get through my days without jumping off jumping off a cliff because of my difficulties in life, then you can to."
Robert turned to Rogue very concerned. "Something tells me you've actually wanted to do that."
Rogue paused for a while and said, "yeah I have. Some many times I've wanted to jump off that cliff in the back of the institute and just end my suffering."
"Rogue you have no reason to kill yourself," Robert insisted.
"What," said Rogue, "well how about the fact that I can't touch anyone."
"That is true Rogue," said Robert, "still you have so much to live for."
Rogue just looked at him curiously. Robert continued. "You've got a beautiful home and people how care about you even though you can't touch them. People who would risk their lives to save you from danger. All those people except you for who and what you are. We would kill to have your life."
All of his brothers nodded in agreement. They turned away from Rogue and continued towards the bar.
Rogue stood and thought for a while. The Robert was right; a lot of people aren't excepted for what they are.
She called to the brothers. "Guys wait up."
They all stopped and let her catch up. "There was another reason why I wanted to talk with you guys."
"Really," said Troy. "Well please don't keep us in suspense."
"Well," said Rogue, "I was just think you should try to get to know some other people besides me. I mean I don't think I should be the only person you know in this school."
"But we prefer the company of mutants," Phil insisted.
"I know that," said Rogue. "I was thinking you should get to know some of the other people at my institute."
"And how do you suggest we do that," asked John, "just go over to them some day and say, hey tell me who the hell you are?"
"No," said Rogue as she laughed a little, "I'd like you guys to have dinner at the institute on Thursday. Do you think you can?"
"Well, lets check our schedule," said Robert as he took a piece of paper out of his pocket. "Let's see, Tuesday help Fred clean the bar, Wednesday cause a nuclear holocaust, yeah we're free Thursday."
Rogue laughed again, "alright, well I guess I'll see you then," and she headed back to the institute.
As she walked she heard Robert yell back to her, "ok we'll see you Thursday! Just dress up nice for us! And you know you're still very pale, get a little sun!"
Rogue smiled to herself and rolled her eyes knowing the boy was joking around.
The boys were about a mile away from the bar where they lived. They continued to goof around as they moved unknown that they were being watched.
A creature watched them from the woods. It glared at them with hate filled eyes.
As the boys moved John turned to Robert. "Yo Robert are you sure we should be getting to close to Rogue. We may not be around for much longer."
Robert became serious as all his brothers did after John's question. "We may be around for longer than we hope," said Robert, "who knows maybe we will find a reason to stay alive."
The brothers were silent until Phil said, "you've gotten pretty close to Rogue haven't you?"
"Well yeah," said Robert, "she's the first real friend we've had other than each other."
Before the boys could speak again they heard the sound of a car coming at them at a great speed.
They turned around and saw the three jocks that attacked Evan driving at them. The boys jumped out of the way, but Robert was hit by the car. He spun over the roof and landed behind the speeding vehicle.
The jock jumped out of the car and headed over to the boy.
Robert stood up from the ground with a huge cut on his forehead, but strangely he did not seem to notice it.
His brothers came around the car and stood next to him.
The jock walked towards them with baseball bats in hand. "What the hell do guys think your doing," Phil demanded.
The first jock said, "we're teaching you your place. You protected those mutant freaks and that's earned you a beat down. You guys are lousy excuses for humans."
"Well maybe that's a good thing," said Troy, "most humans only know how to hate and hurt."
All the jocks readied their bats as they went into to attack the boys.
Before they could a voice was heard coming from the woods. It was hissing and demon like. "Stop," it commanded, "leave the boys be. It is I who will get the pleasure of killing them."
The jocks turned to the voice. The first jock stepped forward and said, "oh yeah. Well you're only gonna get these bastards from us if you if you fight us for them."
The voice paused and said, "very well."
As soon as those words passed a black figure leapt out from the bushes and onto the first jock. The boy screamed for help, but received none.
The thing on top of him grabbed hold of the boy's neck with his mouth and tore out his throat. The other to jock jumped into the car and drove away in terror.
The thing stood up and faced the four brothers. It could now be seen clearly. It had a lizard like body that stood upright like a man. It had had a raptor like head with glowing green eyes. He had two five fingered hands and each finger had a razor sharp claw at the end of it. Flaps of skin came down from his wrist and attached to the middle of his long tail.
The boys knew the thing immediately as the dark mutant Morganist. They had run into this mutant before.
Morganist looked at the boys and gave them an evil smile. "Ah," he said, "if it isn't the Worriers Doused in Blood.
"What are you doing here Morganist," John demanded.
"I suppose I should be asking you the same thing," the evil mutant said.
"Well we had a feeling you would come here," said Robert, "we just didn't know why. What are you here to kill innocent people again?"
Morganist laughed and said, "how pathetic. You're still befriending mortals. I have not come to you in order to kill you. I just am warning you to stay out of my affairs."
"You already know we won't you son of a bitch," Phil said very angrily.
"I thought just as much from you," said Morganist. "We will meet again boys. And tell your X-Men friends I said hello."
And with those words he left. The boys stood stunned by his last statement.
How did he know the X-Men? What did he want them for?
They figured that they would find out. They decided not to tell the X-Men for fear that they might panic. They did not know about Morganist and the brothers thought it best not to tell them until they were absolutely sure of what Morganist was up to.
They headed back to the bar to discuss the matter at hand.