Just so you guys know…the whole Vargas thing is the next stories in this series…yes, it is a series.

Ready? Are ya sure? Completely? Alright…if you guys are sure…

Rogue stepped out of the house and observed what was happening. Apocalypse and Rama-Tut were still going at it, both oblivious to the fact that everyone else and stopped battling for the moment. From the looks of things the two were pretty evenly matched. Rama-Tut had futuristic weapons in his command though, which pushed things in his favor. Apocalypse, though, was determined in the way a megalomaniac can only be.

Rogue knew that everyone in the mansion was watching her through the windows. They were frightened, as they should be. The plan Rogue had formulated all those years ago was dangerous and very complicated. Just to make sure everything was going right Rogue went over it in her head again.

The plan, as it was, was for her to release the Phoenix inside herself to do battle with the Dark Phoenix. Unbeknownst to Shaw and his Queen, Rogue had imprinted Jean not long after Shaw had revealed her as the new Black Queen. Rogue had stockpiled those abilities for use at a future time. She hadn't left them alone however. She'd known that Jean would be a moving force in the future, so she'd studied them, their weaknesses and strengths. Because she'd absorbed Jean before her mental reconditioning had been finished, Rogue had gotten the "pure" Phoenix. The one inside was not tainted as the Dark Phoenix was.

The only problem with this plan is what happened to the Dark Phoenix. The reason Jean had given into the dark side (as it was) was emotions. Phoenix delighted in new emotions and that was dangerous. In order for Rogue to give the aspect of her personality that was Phoenix enough power to take down her progenitor she had to feed all the imprinted mutants' powers into that one aspect. She had to have a control though, something that would allow her to keep control of her personality and to accomplish what she was trying to. That was purely Rogue's fault though. Because as a teen she'd given in to the personalities in her head before it made her predisposed to opening to them. And letting them take over.

That was where John came in. Rogue needed someone she trusted to be her control. Since her little period in Genosha the only people Rogue could absorb were mutants. And there was no human that Rogue trusted with this. The only reason John could be a control for her is because technically he was no longer a mutant. He was less than mutant, but not human. Stuck, but it was a damn good way to be stuck. It was like everything that had happened to them had happened for a reason. And taking this bitch down was the reason.

Rogue held out her hand for John to come to her. Though scared out of his mind for her he came. You could always trust John to do that, to be there for someone he loved.

"Are ya ready?"

"Babe, are you?"

Rogue nodded and clasped John's hands in hers, skin to skin. She was scared, but she was strong. Nothing would stop her now.

Rogue released the ironclad control she had on her powers. Inside her she could feel the personalities begin to swirl. Round and round until she couldn't tell which was which. Overhead the storm that had begun to slack roared again. The ground shook underneath their feet, and the air screamed with tension.

Rogue was bent backwards in John's arms. Such incredible pain, so encompassing! Inside her mind she screamed. Then there was silence. The personalities still flew around her mind but they were silent now. Rogue huddled in a corner of her mind. She hadn't known it would be like this. It was supposed to be simple! Wam-BAM! Thank you, ma'am! Nothing is ever simple.

A hand fell onto Rogue's shoulder and she started. Turning all she saw was a large orange blaze. The whirling spirits of her mind surrounded it. One by one it was eating them and growing stronger, stronger than her. The hand that had clasped her shoulder drew her up. Looking at it all Rogue saw was herself. Then she realized. This WAS her. This was the unconscious part of her mind, the part that stayed hidden. She'd never before encountered her, though she'd been told she could.

"Get it."

Rogue glared at it. She didn't want to get up. She couldn't.

"Yes, ya can. Ah am ya, now get it!"

Rogue shook her head.

"Listen to me, if you don't do this, they will win. They'll have two Dark Phoenixes. Do ya want that? So ya want to be weak!"

"Nah."

"Ya can do it…we can do it. Don't you feel him? He's there for ya and so am Ah." Rogue could feel it. John was whispering her name. He thought she was failing. Rogue could not fail, for him and for everyone else she would do it. Rogue took the hand her unconscious self offered her. Together they walked towards the now bird shaped flame. Together they were consumed by it.

Outside her mind, physical Rogue screamed. And as she did her eyes flew open, revealing a small flame inside each pupil. Rogue's back bowed as she began to convulse. Before John had wrapped his arms around her to keep her from rolling away from him, she began to rise. Keeping his hands in her's so she didn't lose the connection, John and everyone else watched as Rogue floated in the air a couple feet off the ground. An orange glow began to seep out of her pores. Within seconds Rogue was surrounded by the same flame that the Dark Phoenix was. And her's was the shape of a phoenix, a pure one. Not the warbled and distorted one of the Dark Phoenix.

The Dark Phoenix took notice. She had been high in the air, seeking out people's minds to destroy, when an unsettling presence shoed up behind her, at the battle site. She levitated herself down to see Rogue there.

"Well, well. Little sister wants to play?"

Rogue laughed (startling everyone). "Little sister is going to kick big sister's ass." Her voice was different. Completely full of power, very deep and resonant like there were many people speaking at the same time. Rogue pulled one of her hands from John's and flung it at Dark Phoenix.

Dark Phoenix cried out. Large gashed were appearing in her body, along her arms, torso, and everywhere else. Blood was seeping out and onto the grass. Within seconds, however, the gashes were closing. She was using her telekines to close the wounds and stop the bleeding.

"Oh, Rogue! You're going to pay for that."

Rogue smiled. "Try it bitch."