Chapter Two

They didn't have to wait long for the plane to take off. Seconds later the silence grew deafening. Rogue turned her head, counting to make sure all the members of the small group were aboard. Paige sat beside her, looking at her hands, every so often tearing away pieces of her skin to reveal a new set of hands, each a different color. She was making a large mess on the floor around her, but it was distracting the girl and Rogue wasn't about to stop her. Behind her she could see Rusty Collins and Paige's older brother Sam resting against one another and whispering while two younger girls that Rogue didn't know very well were casting worried glances at one another.

Rogue turned the other way in her seat and caught sight of little Roberto who sat next to Bobby. She followed her boyfriend's gaze to Pyro who was staring back at him, neither willing to be the first to turn away. Turning in her seat, she looked back at Paige and forced a smile, hoping to reassure the girl.

"Are you injured?" Magneto asked, walking back towards her, and Rogue froze.

Paige looked at her and then towards him with fearful eyes and Rogue forced herself to look at him, not wanting to frighten the girl more. "I'm fine," she said, through gritted teeth, tightly clenching the armrests of the seat.

"You're bleeding," he continued, pointing at her shirt.

She looked down and saw the red stain blotting her white shirt. The image of Jubilee's terrified eyes flashed in front of her, followed by Tom's surprised ones. "It's not mine," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

Rogue looked back at him, trying not to flinch as she did. "What are you going to do with us?" she asked, making her eyes stay locked on his.

"You make it sound as though I mean to harm all of you," he mused, frowning at her.

"Personal experience," she retorted, glaring at him for a second before losing her nerve and looking away.

"I don't make it a point to harm mutants, Rogue," he replied and she looked up at him.

"I guess I'll just consider myself to be special then," she said, blinking back the tears that were building up in her eyes. She would not cry in front of him.

An irate sigh was his answer and she looked away from him, frightened by the sound. Paige whimpered and Rogue reached a hand out to comfort the girl, quickly pulling it back to her as she remembered she wasn't wearing gloves. Something fell into her lap and she looked down, a perplexed expression gracing her face as she saw a pair of black gloves. His black gloves.

Looking up, she saw that he was back at the cockpit conversing with the pilot. She picked up the gloves and for a second thought of throwing them at him. Paige let out another whimper and Rogue pulled the gloves on and reached over to grasp the girl's hand, gently squeezing it. The gloves were big and dwarfed her hands, but they added a layer of protection. "We're okay," she assured her, offering a smile.

xxx

As the aircraft landed, Rogue turned to look at Bobby, trying to gauge from him what they should do. The younger mutants were looking expectantly at them, placing their welfare in the older ones hands. Rogue wasn't sure she was ready for this much responsibility. Paige's grip on her hand tightened as the pilot and other Brotherhood members began to disembark. Magneto turned his attention towards them, unbuckling their seatbelts with a wave of his hand.

"This way," he said, his tone demanding their obedience.

Rogue looked back again at Bobby, who nodded cautiously, taking Roberto's hand and leading the group towards the exit. They walked down the ramp and entered a large metallic room that held various sized aircraft in it. They followed Magneto out of the room, Sam letting out a gasp of surprise as they came to a metal bridge over a deep trench.

Rogue stopped, irrationally refusing to set a foot on it. "Can't you just contact the Professor for us?" she pleaded. "He's in Washington at a--"

"Conference?" Magneto interrupted, turning around to look at them, rage in his eyes.

She felt the others take a step backwards and Paige's grip tighten again. "He and Mr. Summers went there," she replied, forcing herself to stand her ground as he walked towards her, trying not to shake in fear.

"There was no conference," Magneto stated and she felt a chill run down her spine at the coldness in his voice. "As soon as they arrived at the capitol building, they were detained, and placed in one of the new registration camps the President instated this morning."

"The professor would have known," Bobby interjected. "He'd have sensed--"

"I do not have time to explain every detail, young man." Magneto interrupted, directing an icy glare at the younger mutant.

"Camps?" Rogue asked with a shaky voice, flashes of his life in Auschwitz invading her mind.

He turned his attention to her, his eyes searching her face, before nodding. "Yes," he answered gravely.

"I want to go home," Paige whined, burying her head in Rogue's side.

The other children voiced their assent to that before Magneto quieted them with a loud, "Enough!"

They cowered in front of him, casting hesitant glances towards Rogue and Bobby. "Come," Magneto commanded and turned, walking once again down the metallic bridge.

Cautiously, they followed him across, none daring to speak. They walked up and down various passageways and Rogue shivered at all of the metal. Eventually Magneto stopped in a hallway that had several doors. With a flick of his wrist they slid open. "I suggest all of you try and sleep," he said. "Someone will come for you in a few hours."

They looked at one another and then at the various doors, none of them making a move towards them. Rogue cast a quick glance towards Magneto and could tell his patience with them was nearing its limit. "Bobby, why don't you take the boys in one and I'll take the girls in the other?" she suggested.

Bobby nodded and herded the boys towards the first door, yelping in surprise as it slammed shut behind him. "You're locking us in?" Rogue asked, directing the girls inside inside. Paige wouldn't budge, keeping her head buried in Rogue's side.

He did not answer and Rogue stepped backwards into the room, glaring at him as the doors slid shut. "Come on, Paige," she said and coaxed the girl towards the bed.

After a few minutes the younger three were asleep on the bed while Rogue sat on the floor in between it and the door. She stared at the metallic entrance, compelling herself to stay awake and guard the others, though she wasn't sure from what. Eventually, the events of the day caught up with her and her eyes drifted shut, nightmares invading her thoughts and causing a restless sleep.

xxx

There is no way its time for school already, Rogue thought drowsily, shrugging off the hand that was gently nudging her. Her eyes snapped open at the sound of her name from Magneto's lips. She looked at him, blinking rapidly, confusion clouding her mind before the events of the last few hours came back to her. He rose from his kneeling position, towering over her, and she backed up, her body eventually coming into contact with the bed, her fear for him coursing through her veins.

"You have no reason to fear me," Magneto commented.

She looked at him with disbelief. "You may have forgotten your insane plan on the Statue of Liberty," she told him bitterly. "But I can assure you that I have not," she finished and flicked one of her strands of white hair.

He raised an eyebrow at that, crossing his arms at his chest and let out a sigh. "Follow me," he said and turned, walking towards the entrance.

Rogue made no move to follow. He turned back towards her, the icy look he directed her way causing her to stand. "Where are we going?" she asked, casting a glance back at the sleeping girls.

"It appears that the others look to you for guidance," Magneto responded.

"They won't exactly like it if I'm not here when they wake up," she replied, crossing her arms at her chest.

"Then stop being obstinate and come so you can return before they do," he said, shutting the door behind her.

He stopped in front of the other room and the door slid open. Bobby was sitting on the floor in front of the bed, keeping a watchful eye on the door, and had risen quickly. "Iceman," Magneto said and motioned for him to follow before turning to walk away.

Rogue gave Bobby a weak smile as he exited the room, grateful when his hand reached for hers. She gave it a gentle squeeze before turning towards Magneto. They followed him down the passage, trying to remember the number of times they turned and which doorways they entered and exited. After a few moments Rogue gave up. Each hallway looked exactly like the other, a long metallic passage with doors on either side. "Where are we going?" she asked again, fear rising inside of her.

What if this had all been a ploy to get her again? What if behind the next door there was another one of his machines for her to power? She looked down at her gloved hands and then back up at him. This time she would go down fighting, using all the basic training Mr. Summers and Logan had taught her. She was no one's sacrificial lamb. She cast a quick glance at Bobby, certain in the knowledge that he wouldn't let Magneto use her.

Another door slid open, this one revealing a variety of electronic equipment, including a television screen turned to CNN. Her eyes locked on the images being displayed. Mutants were being rounded up by the military. There were images of what had once been the school, now only the front end was still standing; the rest was piles of rubble. And finally, there was a shot of the Professor and Mr. Summers being led towards a van marked MRA, a neural inhibitor on the Professor's head.

"MRA?" Rogue asked, looking over at Magneto.

"Mutant Registration Agency," he answered his voice void of any emotion.

"You want me to power your machine again, don't you?" she asked, looking away from him and back at the atrocities that were occurring. Through the gloves she wore she could feel Bobby's hands becoming colder every second, gathering his power to use if they needed to attack.

"Rogue, if I thought for a minute that turning the rest of the world into mutants would help, you would have been strapped into the machine the moment you got here," Magneto informed her.

She nodded, taken back by his honesty. "Why are you showing us this?" she asked.

He did not answer and she looked at him, her eyes widening in understanding. "They're children!" she shouted. "You cannot expect them to fight."

Magneto looked over at her. "I don't," he answered, staring at her intently. "However, you and Iceman are another story."

"You're insane," Bobby replied, shaking his head in disbelief.

Rogue shook her head, holding fast to all of the Professor's doctrines about peace. "I suggest you and Iceman discuss what you have seen," Magneto continued, his blue eyes locking onto hers. "If you fight for me, I'll keep your young ones here, if not, you're all out on your own."

"You'd throw us out?" she asked, glaring at him.

"This is a war, Rogue," Magneto replied, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "I do not have time for insubordinate behavior."

He turned from them and waved his hand, another doorway opening. A young woman entered the room. "Take them back to their quarters," he told her before turning his attention back to the two. "You have one hour to come to a decision."

"I hate you," Rogue snapped, glowering at him as they followed the woman.

"Hate is good," he told her. "It will keep you alive."

xxx

Rogue shut the bathroom door behind her and locked it with a loud click, not wanting any of the others to disturb them. She looked at Bobby, watching as he continued his tirade about his opinion of Magneto. She sat down on the edge of the tub and looked at her hands, removing the gloves from them, and ran her fingers over the edge of the tub.

"Maybe we can find Wolverine," Bobby stated and she looked up at the name. He looked intently at her. "He has to be out there somewhere. They couldn't have caught him."

I wouldn't have thought the Professor would be easily caught either, she told herself, twisting the gloves. "I don't know where Logan went," she informed her boyfriend. "He only said he'd be back in a few days, didn't tell me where he was going this time." Which means it was either somewhere far away or some place dangerous.

Bobby sighed and leaned against the sink. "We can't join the Brotherhood," he said, shaking his head.

Silence fell between them, each trying to determine some place else they could go. "We could try and rescue the Professor and Mr. Summers!" Bobby exclaimed.

Rogue looked at him dubiously. "Where would we even begin?" she questioned. "How would we get to wherever they're being held? I doubt we can just walk up to whoever has them and ask nicely for them to be released."

He looked sourly at her in response and she looked away, focusing her attention back on the leather gloves. These were not cheap gloves, like the ones that filled her top drawer back at the mansion. No, these ones were like the pair Logan had bought her, the ones she kept in her closet and only brought out for special occasions. She briefly wondered what had happened to those gloves before shaking her head.

"He isn't going to stand by and let the camps function peacefully," Rogue stated, bringing her gaze back up to Bobby. "Magneto is going to investigate their operations, learn all he can about them and then attack."

"Killing hundreds if not thousands in the process," Bobby retorted.

She nodded in acquiescence to that fact. "But, Bobby, during his investigation he could learn about where the Professor and Mr. Summers are being held," she prodded, hoping he would see her logic.

Slowly a smile spread across his face. "And if we're here, helping out with the investigation, we could learn where their being held," he said.

"Exactly," Rogue said, a cunning smile gracing her lips. Magneto never said we had to believe in his goal, she rationalized with herself. Just help fight.

xxx

Exactly an hour from the time they had left Magneto, the bathroom door flew open to reveal him on the other side. They jumped slightly at the intrusion, watching him with guarded eyes. "We'll help you fight," Bobby stated, surprising Rogue with the determination in his voice. "But we have some concerns."

Magneto raised an eyebrow at that, an amused smile forming on his face. He waved at them to continue.

"We won't kill humans," Rogue stipulated.

"Even if they are leveling a weapon at you, or one of your young charges?" Magneto asked.

"We won't kill for fun," Bobby responded.

"I hardly find killing to be enjoyable, young man. Ask Rogue," Magneto replied and looked at Rogue. "I took no joy in placing you into my machine, did I?"

She twisted the gloves in her hand, wanting to call him a liar, but images rose of his apologetic expression as he had taken her face in his hands, and the sorrow that flowed through her as she took his power. "No," she replied and looked away from him.

"You can't use Rogue in any of your schemes," Bobby said, redirecting Magneto's attention to him.

"As the one in charge of the Brotherhood I will do as I see fit," Magneto said, his voice growing cold. "If that means I must sacrifice one in order to save thousands, I will."

"Then you should have powered your own damn machine," Rogue whispered vehemently, pushing a strand of white hair from her face.

"My patience is wearing thin," Magneto warned and she looked up at him, glaring in response.

"When you know more about the Professor we'd like to know the details," Bobby said.

Magneto looked intently at them for a few moments before nodding his head in assent. Rogue and Bobby looked at one another, pleased with this knowledge. "Can you tell us what happened at the mansion?" Bobby asked.

"I can tell you what I know," Magneto replied.

Rogue looked over at Bobby who was unsure what to ask. "What does FoH mean?" she asked. "Some of the soldiers had that on their shirts."

"Friends of Humanity," Magneto replied wryly. "They're an anti-mutant militia group."

She looked back down at her hands, gathering the courage for her next question. "Were…were there any other survivors?" she asked, her voice shaking.

He didn't answer right away and she looked back up at him. "No," he replied, sounding apologetic.

Silence fell between them and Rogue thought of all those who had been at the mansion, who hadn't survived. Children whose lives had been cut short because of hate and prejudice. "What are you going to do with us now?" she asked, feeling rather vulnerable.

"Do with you?" Magneto asked a perplexed expression on his face.

Rogue opened her mouth to respond but quickly closed it, unsure how to put her thoughts into words. "What are we supposed to do?" Bobby asked. "We'd be going to history class soon if we were at the mansion."

"This is not a school," the older mutant replied, his face acquiring a steely expression. They tried not to quiver under his gaze. "It is lunch time, and I suspect you and the others are famished. I'll be able to introduce you to the other members of your new team."

With that said, he turned from them. "But," Rogue started and Magneto turned around, giving her a piercing look. "How…where do we go?"

"You have five minutes to meet me in the hallway," he informed her and exited the room.

She looked at Bobby and gave a weary sigh. What did we get ourselves into?