Disclaimer: I do not own the Xmen….. I would be so freaking rich.. Do I look rich to you?? Huh Huh?? Huh?? I don't hear any answers!… Oh and I don't own the songs either… :p

Hello! I am the famed RoguesHeart! (* well I'm not famous..so sad) Anyhoo.. I am here to provide you with another fabulous chapter! Thanks to: Floods-Evo, Linda Keene, and Ishandahalf for your reviews! They have been truly helpful, now I am teeming with ideas..oh the ideas!! Let us see how I shall fair during this chapter. . . Feel free to tell me if you like the chapter or not.

Recap: Rogue is helpless… so sad. Remy is helpful and wears an apron. Rogue is asleep. She has a dream..(* yup it was a dream*) To make a long story short: Rogue beats up Aspen, Aspen beats up Rogue. On with the story. . . .

Chapter 17: Overkill

" Darkness is most discomforting for one

Who fears it." ….. WUSSY!"

~ RoguesHeart~

The chains were beginning to tear away at his wrists. Desperately trying to remove them, Jamie began to scratch at his arm. They just wouldn't come off, he scratched and scratched until his skin became raw. Crying aloud in anguish, Jamie slumped his back against the wall. Looking up at the window, he could feel cool breezes striking him harshly in the face. The sunlight bounced off the bars and reflected onto the wall, giving the room a dungeon-like feel.

His face was grungy with dirt and practically all of his saliva was gone. They had been in this prison for at least two weeks now, the only reason why he knew was because he kept count by scratching the wall with his broken nail. It was always so quiet in there, besides the occasional scream that would escape from one of the others. The main noise that would resonate through the room was the one coming from the inhibitor wrapped around his neck.

The only time he would see the others was when that man would make them go outside and do manual labor. Jamie had never hated anyone before but there was always time for something new. He had never seen the Xmen look like this before. As if all hope that was there just two weeks ago had dispersed away. He had always looked up to Kurt because of his lively happy-go-lucky attitude but now.. His eyes were so dead. Kurt's vigor was lost forever, casted away never to be seen ever again. Nowadays he would just stare at the back of the wall lifelessly.

Tears began to well up into his eyes. Why wouldn't anyone come to help them? They always risked their necks to save people who didn't even care about them. Is this their way of repaying them.. Was he just taking his pain out on them?

It wasn't like he didn't have enough time to think about it. Nobody was coming to them, not a soul would care if they were dead or alive.

" How cruel reality can be sometime, eh mate?"

Whipping around, Jamie squinted roughly in order to see who spoke. On the outside of a big steel door stood a man with red hair. Carefully hauling himself up from the cold floor, Jamie shuffled over to the speaking outlet.

" Who are you?"

The man gave him a slightly insane grin before answering.

" Well mate, Ya can call me your savior."

" Hey what about us?!!"

The strange man turned to face the two females behind him.

" Ya'll are mah back up Shielas!"

" WHAT!"

Jamie flinched as he saw the blond girl form a small quantity of flaming balls in her hands. Turning his sight to the other girl, he saw her hand scrunch it to claw-like fashion and sparks shoot out of her hands. The unusual man held up his hands in mock surrender and rolled his eyes.

" Can't you Shielas take a joke?!"

The blond girl grinned mischievously before answering.

" Obviously not."

*************************************************************

Aspen sat in his room staring at the wall abhorrently. They had made him run drills for the past fifteen hours, all because his bitch of a sister had claimed that he was being "insubordinate to his superior". Aspen flinched at the word "superior". Since when did they stop being equals and since when did she care what he thought or said? Rogue had changed, not for the better like he had previously would've thought a while back but for the worse. All he wanted was for them to take their jobs more seriously and now looked what happened. Rogue was probably off somewhere, huffing orders to anyone who was unfortunate enough to be in her presence. Spike, most likely off whoring around with one of his women or searching for Rogue. But Spike knew if he really wanted to find Rogue, then he would have to return here.

Standing up slowly, he began to stretch out his sore muscles. Wincing at the stitch in his left side, he started to head out of his room and into the kitchen. Once there he ran into Jeremiah Shepherd, who was munching on a sandwich.

" Hey…Aspen…" he said between bites.

" Hmmph.."

Jeremiah rolled his eyes and got up to rummage through the refrigerator. Once he found his desired orange juice, he sat back down at the table. Staring precariously at the exhausted Aspen, Jeremiah spoke.

" Why aren't y' wit' Rogue and Cadmus?"

Aspen growled and left the kitchen. He couldn't stomach being in there any longer talking to that Neanderthal.

Jeremiah sat in the kitchen still eating, picking up on the hateful thoughts of Aspen as he stormed out.

" Hey, it not be my fault dat y' pissed Rogue off.."

" What!!"

The shout arose from the hallway. Not even looking up, Jeremiah continued to eat. Aspen came clomping back into the kitchen, his face distorted with anger.

" How dare you go into my head!"

Jeremiah shrugged him off and turned his attention back to his sandwich.

" Den y' shouldn't project dem so loudly."

Aspen growled fiercely.

" You're the one entering people's minds!"

Jeremiah returned Aspen's glare with one of his own.

" Y' of all people should know Aspen, that I don' be goin into people's heads."

" Oh yeah.. Then how would you explain what you just did!"

Jeremiah rolled his eyes and pulled the sandwich up to his mouth.

" Hey Aspen, y' be de dumb ass who don' know how t' shield y' mind."

Aspen's eyes widened with rage.

" How dare you!"

Shrugging once more, Jeremiah persisted with eating.

" Hey it be de sad truth.. Even Spike learned how t' block people out."

Aspen grew so infuriated with Jeremiah, that he reached over and snatched the sandwich out of Jeremiah's hand. Using his mutant power, he called upon the fire of his soul and disintegrated the sandwich. Jeremiah sat there stunned for a minute before pulling himself out of his seat.

" Aspen, y' can insult me… prank me… hit me…. "

As he spoke, Jeremiah's body began to shimmer red with anger. The more he shimmered, the more his body seemed to grow till his muscles had ripped through his shirt (* A/N: No, not like the Incredible Hulk but in an incredibly hot way **think Vin Diesel or whatever guy you think is hot.**).

" But never…And I mean never…TOUCH MAH SANDWICH!!"

With this, Jeremiah raised his hand and lifted Aspen a good five feet off the floor and shot him through the kitchen wall stunning him. By now, they had attracted the attention of the other inhabitants of the house.

Aspen stood up shakily and brushed himself off. Jeremiah stood in front of him fuming. Aspen pulled his hand up and beckoned him to just try and attack him. Jeremiah growled and lunged at him ferociously. Aspen's face turned into a twisted grin and he quickly dodged Jeremiah's frontal attack. Raising his boot to Jeremiah's face, Aspen managed to knock him off his feet. In midair Aspen kicked Jeremiah in his gut, forcing him to the ground with a hard crash. He was going to show this punk some manners if it was the last thing he would do. He would show them all, they always looked down at him.. Scowled and talked about him when they thought he wasn't looking or listening. It was time to show them..show them all what Aspen Rise was capable of doing..doing to all of them. They were all liars…betrayers… they all had to pay.

Aspen had landed on top of Jeremiah and began to swing furiously down at his face. Jeremiah did what he could to block the blows but it was inevitable. Blow after blow struck his face, the more Aspen hit the more anger he felt flowing through him. A few people had tried to pull him off but he deflected them with his powers and turned back to beating Jeremiah. Taking his steel toed boot he jammed it into his side causing for Jeremiah to cry aloud in pain. The sound was like music to Aspen's ears as he consistently kept kicking him… harder and harder. His tortured screams were like a blessing to him. Finally someone to share the pain that had plagued him his entire life, living in someone elses shadow.

Kill….kill…..kill……….kill…. Kill the betrayers…kill the betrayers… Die…Kill… Death.…kill…Kill…

Once more, Aspen's fists crashed upon Jeremiah's face, crushing his jaw. The pain that had spurted into Jeremiah's eyes had gave him a feeling of freedom but it didn't give him the passion he needed. Aspen turned to hit him harder..

Kill ….Kill the Betrayers…. Kill the traitors….Traitors….Kill…Betrayers…..Kill…Kill….Kill…….

Smashing his fist into Jeremiah's diaphragm, Aspen heard an agonizing shudder escape from his throat. Smiling maniacally, Aspen decided to hit him there again just to get the reaction…he needed it…he needed release….

KILL….TRAITORS….KILL……BETRAYERS…..KILL….KILL…..KILL….KILL..

Pitilessly, Aspen began to hit Jeremiah with every force of strength he had in him. The man's screams began to grow louder as Jeremiah kneed him in the groin. Then Aspen grabbed the man by his arm and jerked it back. A sickening snap rang into Aspen's ears, and a strangled shriek of agony spilt from the man's mouth. Yanking his hair back, Aspen stared into the eyes of Jeremiah.. There he had found it…

Kill………….Kill………….Traitors……….KILL………….Betrayers…………Kill………..Punish……Kill……Punish..

The man had fear in his eyes. The two gems of eyes glared up at him pleadingly, begging for him to stop…but no, he couldn't stop yet….no not yet. He still hadn't proved it yet..He was better..so much better…

Kill….KILL……PUNISH……PUNISH….KILL…..TRAITORS…….TRAITOR….KILL…

It wasn't enough, he needed more…so much more.. It was like a craving.. Pulling his hand back he slapped the man's face with all the force he could muster. Jeremiah's head bounced off the floor with a force that could've rivaled the Juggernaut. Blood spilled from his head and leaked onto the floor.. His eyes were still rolled open. Walking slowly over to the lifeless body, Aspen leaned over and placed his head over his chest. It was still beating…

Kill…..Kill….Kill….PUNISH…….KILL….TRAITORS…..PUNISH….KILL….KILL…..KILL..

He couldn't let him live…it wouldn't be fair to him. After all he did all this work and did he have anything to show for it..no…they just laughed at him.. All of them.. Those traitors, every time he turned around they would talk…talk…about him.. He couldn't take it..

Kill……Kill…..Talk……Talk…..Kill…..Traitors….Kill…..talk…. Punish….Betrayers…lies…lies…so many lies…..

No more lies… no no no more lies… Can't take no more lies…

The only solution is too kill…kill them…kill them all.

Gazing upon the prone body beneath him, Aspen leaned over him. Placing his hand in the blood that began to form a puddle around his body, he began to smear it across his hands. He was better… better than them all… no one will say other wise…

Kill them…..kill….. Kill…kill…. Punish …. Kill….lies…..lies…. Liar…..die…..lies….Punish…PUNISH..KILL..

They all had to die…all of them.. That should make father so proud of him. He would have to accept him then… acceptance…just wanted a little acceptance.. But no..noo…never anything.. No gratitude… he just wanted acceptance….

Looked down upon….so empty….KILL….DEATH….KILL…TRAITOR…LIES…NO…NO..

Gazing over his bloodied hands, he began to scratch at his arms.. So dirty…so dirty…

Can you here the calling of the raving wind and water…. We just keep dreaming… of the land across the river….

Dirty… they had made him dirty…so disgusting they were..they would pay..

We are always on the way to find the place we belong… wondering to nowhere…we're paddling down the raging sea…

They would sleep the eternal rest…they would burn..they would die.

Who can cross over such raving wind and water,… from the road the broken sills..shiver with coldness .. From the highland … come by the river.. It's just another place… we just paddle along down the river still..

Can't let them live..they would try to hurt him again.. Can't let it happen again…no not again..he had suffered so much…so much…

From the morning we will see the sky.. Bright shining morning.. We will the sea… Play who the silver bells still fly away… let us dream…. Let us grieve…Search for the light……light……light….light…..

Glaring down at himself with disgust, he couldn't handle it… he was stained… He was always upstaged… nobody will talk again… never again… no more.. No more…talking.. Just silence…beautiful, calming…silence.

Can you here the calling of the raving and water … we just keep paddling down the stream up the river..

No destination… but we are together…in the sun and sadness… we're paddling down… down the raging the sea….

He didn't want to hear anymore…let them all die.. They needed to be punished..suffer..death was only suitable for them…they should be punished..punished….

Down to Nowhere…. Down…Down…to nowhere……

Can you here the calling of the raving wind and water… we just keep paddling…paddling..in this sun and sadness.. We're paddling down… Down the raging the sea….

Down to Nowhere…Down to Nowhere… . Nowhere…. Nowhere…


Looking down at his arms, Aspen saw long scratch marks from where his nails had been. Blood slowly dripped onto the floor joining the puddle beneath him.

Kill… killl………………Kill……KILL….KILL…….PUNISH…..Punish…… Kill… punish….Kill…die…lies.. .

Deliver the twilight….For full of light it rings the twilight……

Time to kill…destroy them….all who dared….kill….destroy them all…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sinister watched from his lab, the scene that played out in the hallway. His experiment has begun to get a bit out of control..nothing he couldn't handle. In fact it played into his hands perfectly.. It wouldn't be long now.. Soon the new leader will come, he would lead them all..

For now, he would simply wait.. All was falling into place. The master would be pleased with him, so pleased.

Wow.. That was kinda fun.. I should do chapters like that more often huh?

So was that angsty enough? Huh? Huh? Huh? I like writing angst from time to time. . . And I figured that because you haven't heard from Aspen in a while. And it was suggested to me that Aspen shouldn't be tortured soo. . . . . I won't do it physically but there are oh so many other ways of getting my point through.. PLEASE REVIEW!! SEE BECAUSE OF PEOPLE REVIEWING I GOT TO WRITE THIS BEAUTIFUL CHAPTER!!

So what did you think of Aspen's breakdown? Did it seem just a wee bit familiar? If not.. Think about it..

* Hint Hint** Review Rogue's dreams and compare them.. Just thought you would like to know for future reference!

Well gotta go. . . .cuz my hand kinda hurts. BuhBye.. Expect an update soon!!

~ RoguesHeart~