Chapter 14
When Pyro had been at Xavier's he'd kept up a pretence of sanity, and once more put on the facade as he entered again. He didn't know what had happened the previous night, but among other things he'd finally found out why Rogue had been at Gambit's apartment, and blamed the x-men for her suicide attempt. Gambit had accidentally told Johnand so now here he was, back at the institute. If Xavier tried to get into his mind John would just innocently project some interesting information Rogue had told him about Xavier and a past flame that happened to be male…
"Pyro. What are you doing here?" Scott was the first to run into John. He didn't call him John anymore because that would make him seem more like a friend.
"I have some information you might want."
"And what kind of information would that be?" Scott was not in the mood for this. He hadn't been since Rogue went missing actually. Of course he'd never admit that had anything to do with his bad mood.
"It's the kind involving the present location of Roguey," John replied in a sing-song voice. He loved taunting Cyclops when he lived at Xavier's and that had not changed. In fact, now it was even more fun.
"What?" Scott's tone changed, it became more serious, strained.
"I don't know if you deserve to know-"
"WHAT IS IT!"
"-but Roguey… well…" he made himself look on the verge of tears, "she… she's dead."
"SHE'S WHAT! WHAT HAPPENED? WHO DID IT! WHERE ARE THEY!"
Inside Pyro was smirking. On the outside he maintained a nervous, depressed, and slightly frightened expression. "She killed herself. We found her and tried to save her but it was too late…" He proceeded to say that he'd been chosen to tell the x-men since he used to be one. After that lovely performance John ran from the damn place.
Scott, in shock, was contacted by the professor. "Scott, what's wrong? I sensed your distress but your thoughts are too jumbled for me to make anything out."
"Rogue…"
"What is it? What did you learn?" Charles Xavier was clearly concerned.
"…She… she's dead." A moan could be heard by those passing by Xavier's office. Inside if any had been there to witness it, the man hunched over slightly, like someone had placed a great burden on his shoulders and he could barely take it. Mournfully, he alerted all of his x-men, students or teachers, "Everyone, come quickly. There is something very urgent I need to tell you." All of them excluding Scott. He, at that moment, was in his car on the way to a bar.
The x-men gathered in Xavier's study, whispering among themselves. "What is it Chuck?" Logan asked. Xavier cleared his throat and all noise stopped.
"It is about Rogue." The room visibly tensed, all except Bobby intrigued. "She…" his voice broke, "She is no longer with us."
"Who-"
"She did it to herself," Xavier's eyes were closed. "She took her own life and bled to death because we had been unaware of her depression. It could have been prevented, but wasn't. A ceremony will be held in 2 weeks. If anyone has any suggestions for the epitaph, please inform me." The whole mansion seemed to sag under an invisible weight. If possible, everyone within it now hated Bobby even more than they had beforehand. Well, except for Carol Danvers, who believed Rogue was a selfish bitch.
Back at the Acolyte's base Rogue was avoiding everyone, Pietro and Remy were fighting, Magneto was trying to get Rogue out of her room for a session and Piotr was helping, and Pyro was grinning insanely while imagining the look on the face of each of the x-men. Xavier would probably hold a funeral in a couple of weeks. His grin widened. A plot began forming in his mind involving Rogue witnessing her own funeral. It would be great fun. Well, first he'd have to get her out of her room…
