Chapter Five: Family Ties
* ~ *
"Vhat are you looking at?"
Rogue jumped and wheeled around. "Oh, Kurt, you scared the shit outta me!"
"Sorry, I do have a habit of 'porting in on people, don't I? I'll have to vork on that," Kurt replied with a smile. "Vell, vhat are you looking at?"
She tried to hide the computer screen from her friend's view. "Uh- nothin' really, just borin' school stuff. You know th' drill."
He grinned. "In that case, I'm a vhis at the computer! I promise to cut your internet-surfing time in half!"
He lunged for the laptop before Rogue could even lift a hand in protest. She gasped and waited for what he would say after he read the file.
*
Although I'm pleased with Rogue's studies and the use of her athletic abilities to shelter her from the hurt caused by using her mutation, I still know she doesn't like using her power in any situation. The thoughts and memories she absorbs frighten her, as they frightened me when I first came into my power of telepathy. No doubt she curses Lucifer every day for the burden he has given her.
What's worse is that unlike most students (Kurt excluded), Rogue has no idea who her family is. She feigns unconcern with the details of her past, but I know better. She is dying to know. I suspect this is the reason why she is hiding things.
I have no idea what she has been experiencing lately. Rogue has a gift for shielding her thoughts from telepaths (I believe this little skill was inherited the last time she absorbed Jean's powers), so I have no way of knowing without her consent.
If she is looking for her family past, I can almost guarantee it will come to no avail. I know almost as little as she does about her history.
Irene is her foster mother, Rogue knows that much. I've known Irene for quite sometime. She's been the companion to Mystique for many years, her precognitive friend. I wonder myself if Irene's decision to send Rogue to Mystique was thought-out. Was there a plan behind the action? Many secrets lie inside that woman's head. It's too bad Miss Adler traveled down the wrong path. She could've been a great help to both humanity and mutant- kind.
Mystique, the enigmatic, homicidal sociopath my students have faced regularly has always been somehow connected to the rogue. I'm not sure how, and I realize both Kurt and Rogue want to know about their past. What they don't know won't hurt them, however. And I feel the knowledge will do more harm than good.
*
Kurt looked at Rogue with wide eyes. "Mystique is your mother, too?"
She shook her head vehemently. "No! O' course not! Ah can't be, ah don't look anythin' like her-"
"But. I do."
"Besides, it says here that he suspects she's connected t' our past. It don't mean she's our mom!"
"Vhy are you looking at this anyway? I thought you said you didn't care about your past," he snapped.
She sighed. "Ah- ah, don't. It was f'r a family tree project at school. Guess ah'll just have t' use Irene's family instead."
"Rogue, don't lie to me," he said softly. His golden eyes looked sad. "You do care about your family. You vant to know vhere you come from, just like me."
Rogue turned from him to hide the angry tears spilling from her eyes. "You don't understand!" she wailed, punching a wall. "Y'r parents loved you. They prolly threw me out cuz they knew I was a horrible mutant!"
"Think about vhat you're saying, Rogue. Except for your hair, you've always looked normal. Think vhat my real parents did when they saw me- blue fur and all!"
"But you don't have a dangerous power like ah do. Ah mean-! Oh mah Gawd, what if ah killed mah mother? Ah mean, what if she touched me an ah-"
He put his arm around her, but she shoved him away. "You don't understand. No wonder they hated me! Ah can never get close t' anyone! If mah real parents are still alive, they prolly hate me!"
"Rogue-" Kurt protested.
She ran out of Xavier's study, past Scott with a concerned expression, Jean with puzzled eyes, past everyone until she could cry on her balcony in solitude.
* ~ *
"Raven, you know alcohol is bad for you," Irene chided.
She downed the glass of brandy with a look of apathy. "It's a good memory blocker, Irene," she said dully.
"And think of the memories it has brought upon you," she replied.
Raven slammed the glass down angrily. "How dare you even bring that up!" she exclaimed. "How can you be such a bitch?! You know what happened there and-!"
To her surprise, Irene was laughing. The woman smiled and shook her head. "I know what happened well. I'm also reminded of it, because I feel as though I'm staring right back at Brigit."
Raven gritted her teeth at the pain Irene's wound has caused. Just being compared to her mother was murder. All her life, she swore she'd never be the least bit like Brigit, but in a way, the woman always shown through Raven. Before she knew it, she was acting like the bitch she vowed not to be.
The incident with Rogue and Cyclops was a perfect example. Raven wouldn't have care in the least if Cyclops lost his life. The boy was like a fucking boyscout, and Rogue was insane for even liking the drip. She would have been pleased to rid the world of him and his goody-goody friends.
She had no intention of hurting her daughter, however. It just happened. Raven never wanted to harm Rogue in any way.
It was supposed to be so easy. She knew Rogue would never join the Brotherhood without proper incentive. So Mystique tricked her! It was for her own good!
"It's for your own good!"
Brigit loved that saying. Raven shook her head in disgust. How could she call herself a mother? She had sacrificed her children and her true love for the sake of 'mutant kind's salvation.' Even if Irene's visions were right, what more did she have to live for?
Raven sighed. She didn't care what Irene said. She had to see her children, to hold them close one last time. The world could wait.
* ~ *
Yay! Please review. Love it, hate it? Want me to focus more on some characters? Anything else? Let me know!
* ~ *
"Vhat are you looking at?"
Rogue jumped and wheeled around. "Oh, Kurt, you scared the shit outta me!"
"Sorry, I do have a habit of 'porting in on people, don't I? I'll have to vork on that," Kurt replied with a smile. "Vell, vhat are you looking at?"
She tried to hide the computer screen from her friend's view. "Uh- nothin' really, just borin' school stuff. You know th' drill."
He grinned. "In that case, I'm a vhis at the computer! I promise to cut your internet-surfing time in half!"
He lunged for the laptop before Rogue could even lift a hand in protest. She gasped and waited for what he would say after he read the file.
*
Although I'm pleased with Rogue's studies and the use of her athletic abilities to shelter her from the hurt caused by using her mutation, I still know she doesn't like using her power in any situation. The thoughts and memories she absorbs frighten her, as they frightened me when I first came into my power of telepathy. No doubt she curses Lucifer every day for the burden he has given her.
What's worse is that unlike most students (Kurt excluded), Rogue has no idea who her family is. She feigns unconcern with the details of her past, but I know better. She is dying to know. I suspect this is the reason why she is hiding things.
I have no idea what she has been experiencing lately. Rogue has a gift for shielding her thoughts from telepaths (I believe this little skill was inherited the last time she absorbed Jean's powers), so I have no way of knowing without her consent.
If she is looking for her family past, I can almost guarantee it will come to no avail. I know almost as little as she does about her history.
Irene is her foster mother, Rogue knows that much. I've known Irene for quite sometime. She's been the companion to Mystique for many years, her precognitive friend. I wonder myself if Irene's decision to send Rogue to Mystique was thought-out. Was there a plan behind the action? Many secrets lie inside that woman's head. It's too bad Miss Adler traveled down the wrong path. She could've been a great help to both humanity and mutant- kind.
Mystique, the enigmatic, homicidal sociopath my students have faced regularly has always been somehow connected to the rogue. I'm not sure how, and I realize both Kurt and Rogue want to know about their past. What they don't know won't hurt them, however. And I feel the knowledge will do more harm than good.
*
Kurt looked at Rogue with wide eyes. "Mystique is your mother, too?"
She shook her head vehemently. "No! O' course not! Ah can't be, ah don't look anythin' like her-"
"But. I do."
"Besides, it says here that he suspects she's connected t' our past. It don't mean she's our mom!"
"Vhy are you looking at this anyway? I thought you said you didn't care about your past," he snapped.
She sighed. "Ah- ah, don't. It was f'r a family tree project at school. Guess ah'll just have t' use Irene's family instead."
"Rogue, don't lie to me," he said softly. His golden eyes looked sad. "You do care about your family. You vant to know vhere you come from, just like me."
Rogue turned from him to hide the angry tears spilling from her eyes. "You don't understand!" she wailed, punching a wall. "Y'r parents loved you. They prolly threw me out cuz they knew I was a horrible mutant!"
"Think about vhat you're saying, Rogue. Except for your hair, you've always looked normal. Think vhat my real parents did when they saw me- blue fur and all!"
"But you don't have a dangerous power like ah do. Ah mean-! Oh mah Gawd, what if ah killed mah mother? Ah mean, what if she touched me an ah-"
He put his arm around her, but she shoved him away. "You don't understand. No wonder they hated me! Ah can never get close t' anyone! If mah real parents are still alive, they prolly hate me!"
"Rogue-" Kurt protested.
She ran out of Xavier's study, past Scott with a concerned expression, Jean with puzzled eyes, past everyone until she could cry on her balcony in solitude.
* ~ *
"Raven, you know alcohol is bad for you," Irene chided.
She downed the glass of brandy with a look of apathy. "It's a good memory blocker, Irene," she said dully.
"And think of the memories it has brought upon you," she replied.
Raven slammed the glass down angrily. "How dare you even bring that up!" she exclaimed. "How can you be such a bitch?! You know what happened there and-!"
To her surprise, Irene was laughing. The woman smiled and shook her head. "I know what happened well. I'm also reminded of it, because I feel as though I'm staring right back at Brigit."
Raven gritted her teeth at the pain Irene's wound has caused. Just being compared to her mother was murder. All her life, she swore she'd never be the least bit like Brigit, but in a way, the woman always shown through Raven. Before she knew it, she was acting like the bitch she vowed not to be.
The incident with Rogue and Cyclops was a perfect example. Raven wouldn't have care in the least if Cyclops lost his life. The boy was like a fucking boyscout, and Rogue was insane for even liking the drip. She would have been pleased to rid the world of him and his goody-goody friends.
She had no intention of hurting her daughter, however. It just happened. Raven never wanted to harm Rogue in any way.
It was supposed to be so easy. She knew Rogue would never join the Brotherhood without proper incentive. So Mystique tricked her! It was for her own good!
"It's for your own good!"
Brigit loved that saying. Raven shook her head in disgust. How could she call herself a mother? She had sacrificed her children and her true love for the sake of 'mutant kind's salvation.' Even if Irene's visions were right, what more did she have to live for?
Raven sighed. She didn't care what Irene said. She had to see her children, to hold them close one last time. The world could wait.
* ~ *
Yay! Please review. Love it, hate it? Want me to focus more on some characters? Anything else? Let me know!