Disclaimer: Marvel's, not mine.

Thanks to ishandahalf, heartsyhawk, Episodic, Chica De Los Ojos Café, Sweety8587, enchantedlight, and Antonia for reviewing the last chapter.

Questions:

Episodic: This is actually partially based on AOA and the evolution timeline. It's just another one of those what if scenarios.

This is a quick update, I will try to respond more thoroughly in the next chapter, especially since I'm sure there will be a lot more questions.

…………………………………….

They didn't have much time to prepare. Scott's warning had come nearly too late. As the first explosion rocked the building, Rogue had a strange sense of déjà vu. But it was overcome by something worse. Something all-consuming, final-nothing she had time to think about now, as she dodged another piece of the ceiling.

How had she ended up down her, in the basement, alone.

Without Remy.

…………………………………….

Remy LeBeau had always enjoyed a good fight. He had spent his beginning years growing up fighting off thieves, murderers and rapists, only to move onto assassins. He would not die now, not against man made men. Made by a man he truly despised.

In the back of his mind his thoughts lay on Rogue. He wondered where she was, if she was alright. He tried to bring her to the front, where his anger boiled, eyes gleaming, thoughts centered on one person.

Essex.

…………………………………………..

The young girl slammed into the wall, or she should have. Instead she went right through it, colliding with another body.

"Shit, Rogue!"

"Kitty? Thank gawd Ah found someone else,"

Kitty stood up, "Yeah, well, we better move fast. I just got thrown in here by some hairy looking monster thingy."

Rogue wasn't really expecting what happened next. She thought she had control. Kitty reached over to grab Rogue's hand, urging them to keep moving. Always urging her to keep moving. Rogue sighed, and then froze, feeling Kitty's nervous emotions flood into her skull.

The girl collapsed in Rogue's arms, her skin twice as pale. For a moment she stopped breathing, her legs unable to move away from the debris.

The monster Kitty had spoken of gave a loud, hideous laugh. He was in the doorway. Rogue narrowed her eyes, confused for a second at where she was. She felt delusional. Nothing like this should ever exist.

Until the man's claws nearly came down on the two women. He managed to scrap Rogue's arm, tearing fabric. Rogue scampered away, dragging Kitty in her arms, tripping on the remnants of the room.

She fell backwards and into the next room, her absorption of Kitty consuming her phasing powers.

And then she snapped out of her reverie, Kitty's memories slowly escaping her mind, clearing her vision. Climbing to her feet, she picked Kitty up with both arms and rose from the ground, heading up, just as the large beast broke down the wall. She kept flying, crashing through every ceiling until she reached the sky.

And then she wished she hadn't.

She heard the snort of a horse behind her first, and cautiously she turned to face it. Or them. Three of them to be exact. Strange, she had always thought it was the four horsemen.

"There are four Rogue."

Rogue's cheeks were red from the cold, her hair whipping her skin harshly as she turned to greet Betsy's voice.

She was in the air, held in the arms of Angel.

"But Warren doesn't need a horse. He has such beautiful wings."

Before Rogue could even scream, a sharp blade sunk into her brain. Her hands immediately rose to her head, spasms rushing through her body. Kitty fell from her arms, but Rogue didn't have time to imagine where she would fall, since she followed the girl only moments later.

…………………………………………..

Jean cursed herself for losing Kitty. She was roaming what was left of the upstairs, her eyes watching through the new skylight, explosions and screams causing her to cringe.

But she held her position. She had to find Kitty. Or anyone that might still be alive.

Gliding through the bedroom halls, her eyes on constant alert, she saw it.

The man who had warned them. He had arrived hurt, and they had not had time to heal him. He was stuck in the room, debris covering most of his body.

Using her telekinesis she quickly removed as much as she could, and then gently lifted him from the mess. His jaw was clenched as he tried valiantly to not scream in pain.

Jean smiled, in effort to keep him calm and reassure him. She lay him down on the ground to examine him. Her hands moved up and down his body, checking for broken bones.

"I think you have a couple of broken ribs, and some back injury. Can you get up?"

"I'm sorry." He said this as he lifted himself into a sitting position.

Jean looked him in the eyes.

"Don't be. In the end you made the right decision. That's what counts."

She smiled again, and it was contagious, as he smiled too.

But then his smile began to fade, as he rose one hand up to his visor.

But the blade sunk through her side anyway. He was too late. More so than he would ever be able to imagine.

She sunk forward, her hands gripping onto his legs, as he let out a red blast, sending the man behind her shooting into the far wall. The soldier slid down the wall, but did not get up. Dead.

Scott scooted forward, grabbing her by the shoulders. He didn't even know her name.

It's Jean. She tried to smile but blood choked up her throat, dribbling a little from her mouth.

Scott looked confused for a second, before realizing she was a telepath.

"Well, Jean, you're going to be fine."

She had always wanted to be a doctor. And looking down at her stomach, she knew the real truth. She felt a shiver run down her body, but she looked up and let him take her into his arms.

She forced one smile, just for him, as he carried her out the door.

…………………………………….

Remy had never wanted to see these people again. They were the lowest, nastiest people in the world. Not a shred of compassion remained inside any of them. During Remy's time with them they had called themselves the Mauraders.

Flipping out his bo staff he easily dodged the harpoons being thrown at him. He knew their moves. Their thoughts, their tactics.

And then he froze, just barely escaping another harpoon, his eyes glued to the sky.

Rogue.

Just before she fell from the sky a burst of energy shot up Remy's arm. In a second he was sprinting towards her small frame hurdling down. He took one moment to look behind him.

Harpoon's body lay charred on the ground. He must have charged the man's weapon.

Remy didn't reach Rogue's body in time. He watched it slam through the roof, and not wasting a moment he blew up the side wall and went to find her.

He heard her coughing under a pile of rubble. And his eyes were wide as she climbed out, brushing the dust away, pulling a piece of glass from her hair.

Then she looked up, their eyes meeting, and in one quick breath they were in each other's arms.

"Remy, where's Kitty?"

"What do y'mean chere?" He gripped her hard, one hand clutching her waist, the other moving up her back.

"She fell just before me." Rogue tried to pull out of his grasp, but he held tight.

Frustrated, Rogue pushed him hard, and he slammed into the wall.

"Remy this is serious! Kitty might be dead!"

"I know dat Rogue!" Remy shook his shoulders, rubbing his right arm as he moved away from the wall. "I just," he paused, looking at her longingly, like he had done the first day they met. "I just didn't want to move."

Rogue nodded, a single tear rolling down her nose. "Ah understand Remy."

He walked over, taking her hand. She didn't flinch.

"I didn't see Kitty fall through dis roof. In fact, I never saw her fall. Just you."

Rogue wiped one hand across her eye. "Maybe someone caught her."

"Oh Rogue, optimism just doesn't suit you."

Immediately the two spun around, on their guard as Betsy and Warren swooped down.

"Shoulda guessed you were in cahoots with Summers," Remy spat, his hands glowing pink as he pulled out his bo staff.

"I was, until the pathetic boy turned against me."

"Not that any of this matters now," Angel stated behind them, his wings spreading open, a dozen missiles on the inside threatening to shoot out.

Rogue jumped from the ground, flying right into the man, bringing him back up into the air, away from Remy.

When Remy looked back down, Betsy was gone.

"Oh come now Psylocke, no need to be shy."

Psylocke was a trained ninja, her movements graceful, fast. Her power allowed her to blend in with the shadows, disappear, much like Remy could. He was her perfect match.

And he knew exactly where she was.

Spinning around he caught her foot in one hand as she moved in to kick his back. She looked surprised for one second before twisting out of his grip.

She tried a slew of kicks and hand combos, all of which were artfully blocked by Remy. To the outsider watching, it would have looked choreographed, beautiful.

Except Psylocke was aiming to kill. After awhile, she stood back again, pulling out her pink psi-knife.

"Fine. I always enjoy using my blade anyway. Maybe I will finally be able to read your mind." Remy could see the anger flooding behind her eyes, a weak point for technique.

Remy let a few metal spikes slip from his sleeve, lighting each one. As she charged at him, flipping in the air, he threw them, each one embedding into her chest or stomach area before letting off only a light explosion, enough to draw blood.

Her body convulsed quickly, collapsing back to the ground and into Remy's arms. There were a few brief moments of silence.

And then she swung her body up and around, the dagger prepared to jab into the back of Remy's head.

But one pale hand clamped down on Psylocke's wrist, and it was strong, too strong for Betsy to fight.

Especially when that hand was slowly draining away her life force.

The psi-knife gradually disappeared as Betsy's hand went limp, her head slumping down against her chest. Remy let her drop to the floor.

"I'm sorry chere."

Rogue looked up into his bleeding eyes.

"For what sugah?"

"You're right, we woulda been better off on our own."

Rogue smiled and reached a hand over for his.

"This will be over soon Remy. Just stay right beside me. Never leave."

He took her hand, squeezing it.

Then he put on a charming smile and nodded, but behind it she could see the lies. They had not been developed yet, and maybe it wasn't his purpose to put them there. Things often happened that could not be controlled.

For now at least, he meant to give her everything he could.

So they started running, and even though it was away, Rogue now had someone with her. They ran from the building, to the surrounding rocky area. From there they could see everything.

And it was a mess. They held each other close, because from their view they could see the world ending, once again.

The X-Men were losing.

Rogue felt Remy's hand grasp her firmly against her cheek, his fingers pressing into her skin as he turned her to face him. Then, leaning in, he kissed her fiercely. Rogue shuddered as his arms wrapped around her, pulling closer, always closer.

He was the man who would have waited for her. He did exist, and Rogue began to cry silently as he pulled away from her.

"Remy?"

The two southerners turned around. Scott stood there, a limp Jean Grey in his arms, his entire body deflated, defeated.

"Scott-

"I, I," he stammered, his jaw shaking.

"Is she dead," Rogue asked quietly.

He nodded slowly, and tears become visible from behind his visor.

"I never knew her. But I can't let her go. She's so beautiful."

Remy put one arm forward to calm the man.

"Dat may be so Scott, but she's dead. Just put her down. It'll be okay."

Rogue's vision, the space behind her eyes, of memories and thoughts, became hollow. She placed one hand against Remy's arm. Scott was in shock. He had a heart, one Rogue had failed to see before. He hid it so well.

Movement became slow for the three, as Remy tried to take a step towards Scott, to help him.

The shot was sharp, perfectly aimed, resounding through the air slowly. Scott's voice caught in his throat, his mouth open, spitting blood and then he keeled over, a large hole, now filled with blood, visible on the right side of his skull.

Rogue's hand went to her mouth immediately, as Remy turned to face the man who had killed Scott.

"Scalphunter," Remy seethed, putting a tight grip on Rogue's arm.

"The boy shot me first Gambit. He mistakenly took me for dead. He always was too trustworthy for his own good."

Rogue never really would understand what happened next. Several large explosions took place nearby, and the man Remy had called Scalphunter had taken off in that direction, disappearing into the smoke.

She remembered feeling Remy's fingers peel away from her arm as he took off after the man.

She tried to follow, but the smoke overwhelmed her senses, blinding her vision. She swept her arm through it, tried to fly, but it was too thick. Finally, she collapsed to the ground, coughing uncontrollably into her hand, her muscles weak, the first time her body had physically been affected in a long time.

Things became dizzy, and she couldn't lift herself back up. She curled into a ball, and lay down, promising she would get back up, but knowing the second she closed her eyes, she never would.

In her last seconds before everything went black she felt something pull her arm and try to drag her. Unable to move or help the person, Rogue let herself be pulled.

When the smoke cleared, and she began to feel the gravel scrape her body, she tried to open her eyes. She knew what she wanted to see. Who.

She felt her body be racked with sobs as she met the eyes of her savior.

It was the girl she had met on her journey west with Remy. The one from the diner. Wanda.

Not Remy.