Hey guys. Listen, I know some……….most………well, all of you kind of hate me right now for not updating this story in, well, a year, but I want you to now what I honestly am sorry and I have a perfectly reasonable excuse that I think you'll all agree with. I'm an idiot. There, I said it, and I'm sorry. But I'm gonna try and make up for it now. Now, this next chapter I've had on the shelf for a while for a completely different category, but now that I think about it, it works a little bit better with this one. So…I hope you all stop hating me pretty soon, because I really like all the good reviews you guys gave me……..which reminds me, I wanna give a huge thank-you to everyone who reviewed the first chapter. The last couple of them were actually the one's that inspired me to write 3 more chapters. Have fun reading, love ya. Academia

Disclaimer: The most important thing I own is a pickle. Thanks.

'Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. My head.'

'Where the hell am I?'

'Why am I so cold?'

'The last thing I remember…………the café. Where did I go after the café?'

'Damn. My head's killing me.'

'It's cold. Why is it so fucking cold?'

'I wanna go home.'

'Who the hell am I kidding…I don't even know where home is.'

'Why can't I move?'

'Why is it so damn cold?'

'What the hell is going on?'

'Shit. Why aren't my eyes opening?'

'Okay…Stay calm. You're blind folded. Blind folded and tied to a………something.'

'Oh hell no………the last time I was blindfolded…okay…okay, just stay calm.'

'Remember what Storm always taught you: Whenever you're in tight spot, asses the situation. It's always better than what you think.'

'Who am I kidding? It's never better.'

"It's not good to talk to yourself, Marie."

Rogue's head snapped to the side in the direction of the voice. That voice. I've heard it so many times before. In my head. In my dreams. In my nightmares.

Magneto.

Her breath became quicker; shorter. It took everything in her not to scream at the top of her lungs. But she was done screaming. She was done being afraid. She was done being Marie.

"Why?"

In her mind she could picture Magneto's smug grin falter at her sudden question. There was no fear in her voice, no anger, no hatred. That was because she didn't fear him, she wasn't angry at him, and she didn't hate him. She was too numb to feel anything anymore. She was done caring.

Getting impatient, Rogue let out a small, frustrated sigh.

"Why'd you kidnap me this time? For revenge? Another one of your little machines? Tell me."

"I believe I don't know what you're talking about, my dear." Magneto's voice echoed. A metal room. Surprise, surprise.

Rogue rolled her eyes, though she knew he wouldn't see her.

"Then why am I tied up?"

Her voice was, once again, unwavering and flat, her southern drawl having been disappeared, thanks to almost a year in New York.

"Insurance." Was the only reply.

She chuckled sarcastically, "Great. First I'm a mutant freak, now I'm a car."

"Hmm, a sense of humor and bleach highlights. You've certainly got it all." A calm, rippling voice called Rogue's attention.

"Hey, Mystique. Long time no see." She grinned, "Literally."

There was a brief silence in the room before she heard light, bare footsteps moving toward her. Thanks Logan. Out of every enhanced ability Rogue "borrowed" from Logan, the enhanced hearing stayed with her somehow. She inwardly grimaced as she recalled the countless amounts of time she would just lie on the floor in her room, staring at the ceiling, and she would hear Kitty and some of the other girls talking about her. Yea, real handy.

Suddenly a dim light filled Rogue's eyes as Mystique pulled the blind fold off her head. But soon the light was replaced by a pair of piercing yellow eyes. Rogue laughed inside her head. Mystique always came off as this dangerous femme fatale, and now her eyes reminded her of her tabby cat back in Mississippi. Ah, sweet irony.

"Can I get you something, sweetie?"

Rogue's eyes widened. What the hell! She looked for any sarcasm in the older – well, maybe older – woman's eyes; any sign of the bitter, cynical hatred she knew – hoped – was somewhere in her soul. There was none.

"Uh………I'm good, thanks." She nodded slowly, watching Mystique carefully.

A Cheshire grin crossed Mystique's face, "Don't be afraid. We don't have any reason to harm you."

All of a sudden the blue mutant's grim face was much closer – uncomfortably closer – to Rogue's.

"Don't give us one."

It was only when Mystique exited the small room did Rogue realize the unfamiliar tone in her voice. It was impossible. It had to be. Did Mystique sound sorry? No…nope. She didn't. It's all in your head.

For a moment, the room become eerily silent again, with the exception of the ceiling fan's frequent humming. Rogue, in an attempt to take in all that had occurred within the last few minutes, didn't notice a pair of dark eyes watching her every breath.

"Marie,"

Once again her head snapped up at Magneto's voice, her deep brown eyes searching his.

"I have a proposition for you."

Again, there was a silence between the two.

"On one condition." She answered.

The old man grinned expectantly.

"Call me Rogue."

Oooooooo! Drama! Lol. I'm working on the next two chapters right now, so don't get your panties in a bunch. If you have any suggestions for story plots, or even characters that you'd like to see in the story, feel free to put them in with your review. Most of them will probably at least make a small cameo in the story. Some might even make it into the next chapter. You never know. Well, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, I know it's pretty short, and I'm sorry. The next one'll be longer. Promise.

Xoxo-

Academia.