A/N: To all those who reviewed....THANK YOU!!!! I am just starting this writing caper and it is great to have such encouraging reviews. Please keep em coming.
The next chapter may take a little longer as I have to do some research ( watch movie again..the things I sacrifice for my art :) but don't go away, cos the best is yet to come...maybe.



Rogue finished landing with a thump.

She felt as if she had been sucked backward through a very skinny hose pipe, her head spun and her ears rang from the speed and pressure she had been subjected to.
Opening her eyes she amended that thought to a hose pipe full of sandpaper and razor blades.
Okay, reminder to self she muttered kill Forge.

Rolling over she saw what had broken her fall.

A refuse heap, complete with rotting vegetables and broken crockery along with other things she'd prefer not to identify and there was a scrabbling sound she was sure was a rat.
Change that to kill Forge very slowly she muttered through clenched teeth, carefully extracting herself from the mound.
Seeing what was currently stuck to her leg she added With a cheese grater.

After removing as much of the vile mess as she could Rogue stood up and looked around. She had absolutely no idea where she was. All around her were the high walls of brick houses, their mullioned windows reflecting brilliant sunlight in a multitude of sparkles far above her head.
The air carried, despite the stench, a tang of salt and she could faintly hear the sound of waves breaking against the shore. That meant the sea. So number one I am now near the sea.
Looking down she saw she was standing on a cobblestones. Okay.
Also it was hot, a tropical warmth that was making her sweat inside her covering uniform. Which really wasn't helping with the smell.

Ugh. I need a shower she grimaced, pushing her dirty hair away from her face.
So I am in a place that is clearly not Bayville and not anywhere I've been been before.

Big help you are brain

Alright Rogue, she thought, use logic.

Forge's dohickey manipulates time, and it got a huge energy increase when Ray hit it. So, she reasoned, since this clearly wasn't Disneyland, it was most likely she had been propelled into the past.
Since when did my life get to a point where being shoved back in time was the most reasonable explanation? she wondered aloud, absently dusting herself off. She instantly regretted it when she felt the muck that coated her clothing.

She wondered what to do now. The growling of her stomach reminded her she hadn't eaten lunch that day. Yet another thing she regretted.
I'll have to start makin' a list she muttered.

The dilemma was, should she stay here in the hopes of rescue or should go off and try to find food and a shower.

If they even exist here, she thought darkly

She didn't have any money or identification, not that either would help much if she was indeed in the past. Also her skin tight combat uniform wasn't exactly blend material so she'd need to find some clothes.
How about some pixie dust while I'm at it she added to her impossible To Do list.

Taking a deep breath, through her mouth to avoid the worst of the smell, Rogue closed her eyes. Focus. Calm.
She opened her eyes and made a decision. She would investigate and try to find food and a place to stay.
Besides, she reasoned I'm not even sure this is the past and I won't know until I look around.
Glad to have at least made a decision, Rogue set out purposefully, trying to ignore her wretched state.
Despite herself Rogue smiled. This place could turn out to be okay.

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

About five minutes later had Rogue changed her mind. This place sucked.

The narrow filthy streets were surrounded by tall gloomy houses and everywhere there was the stench of rotting fish and seaweed. Dirty children ran past her, throwing rocks at each other and squatting to fish objects out of the overflowing gutter. Above her a window opened and a stream of water splashed onto the cobbles, at least she hoped it was water. The one positive note was that she was now sure she was in the past but that really didn't make her feel better about it.

She had lifted a coat from a washing line between two houses, nimbly climbing up one side and down the other, silently thanking Kurt for his help with her acrobatic skills. The coat had once been bottle green but faded with age and wear to a pale grey green, the deep cuffs and tall collar ragged. It was ridiculously big, swallowing her small frame and too hot besides, but it did cover most of her uniform and gave her a measure of camouflage which was well worth the discomfort.

A dog barked at her from an alleyway and a toothless old man sitting in a doorway cackled and mumbled as she walked past.
This place is foul, she thought, no wonder they got all those plagues and diseases. But Rogue was no coward so she continue down the streets, unsure of where to go but looking for anywhere that she could get some food.

She turned the corner, onto Lime street, according to the grubby wooden sign on the brick wall beside her. It led out onto a paved square, ringed by shops selling everything from pots and pans to cloth and shoes. There was also a low dark building, Rogue was sure was a tavern from the barrels outside and the large group of scruffy men lounging around in front of it.

Looking around the square she decided nothing here would be of use to her. Rogue decided to keep going, maybe they had a soup kitchen or a homeless shelter. She remembered something from history about poor houses. Maybe they were the equivalent and they'd have one here.

And maybe monkeys will fly outta my butt she thought wryly, smiling to herself.

She failed to notice the men around the tavern had been watching her with great interest.

Hey lassie. Why don't ye come over here and keep a man company? One of the louts from the grog shop doorway called.
Rogue ignored them, walking past and trying despite her clothes, to look inconspicuous.
As the men nudged one another and stood up, moving toward her she groaned inwardly. Attempt to avoid trouble a failure.

, the speaker strode in front of her, cutting her off. Now where might ye be goin' in such a hurry? We just want to pass a word with ye poppet. No harm in that.

Leave me alone she growled trying to get past him, a suppressing the twinge of fear rising in her belly.

No. I don't think we'll be doin that, he leered at her showing broken yellowed teeth Not a'fore we've had a bit o' fun leastways

Don't touch me she warned, shifting her feet into a fighting stance, trying to keep all the men in her sight at once. This proved very difficult because they had formed at loose circle around her, two of them always behind her. The feeling of dread was growing greater as they angled her into the dark alley beside the tavern. The only way to get past them was to shove them out of the way. She looked around for help but everyone was either ignoring her or making no effort to aid her.

Now there's no need for that pretty filly. Just you be spreading your favours to me an' the lads. Tis no great task. Just a moment an' ye'll be back on your merry way

When she didn't move his face twisted, and he nodded to the men behind her. Rogue spun and caught one behind the knee with her kick, and he dropped cursing and clutching his leg but before she could move again two other men grabbed her arms and held her tight. She twisted, trying to break their hold but she simply didn't have the body mass to shift them.

Where's Freddy when you need him? she thought hysterically as the leader closed in.

He pushed his thick face right next to hers and pressed the rest of his bulk against her, forcing her back into the two men behind her.

I'm in the shit now she thought as she looked into his bloodshot eyes.

Ye may be a skinny street rat, but ye can still spread for me wench he whispered in her ear, his sour breath dousing her face. One meaty hand buried itself in her hair, the other reached down to her thighs. Despite herself Rogue screamed, struggling frantically to escape. The man clamped one fat hand over her mouth and nose to silence her.

Rogue tried to breathe, choking on the filth of his rough skin when all of a sudden it began, the electric thrill, the pulsing warmth, the euphoric current as with each beat of her heart she pulled more and more of the man's energy into her body. In front of her the lout went rigid, his skin greying, veins bulging across his forehead. He keeled over, striking the ground with a meaty thump.

Rogue fell to her knees, not feeling as the rough stone tore her uniform. All of her attention was focused on controlling the energy, the mind of the man. As some of his greasy thoughts brushed hers she gagged, desperately forcing the bile down.

one of the men stammered in horror while the others backed away from Rogue and their fallen friend. In her head the man she had absorbed seem to shrink from her too.

Oh fuck she ground out around her clenched teeth, still clutching her stomach.

The men ran back into the square shouting Witch! Witchcraft! at the top of their lungs. Two soldiers who had been patrolling the area, strode over to investigate.

With a sinking feeling in her stomach quite apart from the nausea caused by the man's filthy personality she watched the two guards approach. The shit just kept getting deeper.


TBC