"Rogue," she looked up to see Logan over her, "Stripes, you okay?"
She held her head, "I'm fine. Someone came in my room last night. Hit me in the head before I even realized what was happening. Is Remy okay?"
He paused, "What makes you ask about him? Something happen?"
She sat up, "I heard them say his name before I lost consciousness. Is he alright?"
She looked down and saw the Queen of Hearts card laying on the floor. How was that possible? She had given it back to him yesterday. Logan tried to hold her back as she frantically dashed to his room. Empty, where the hell could he be? Logan caught her arm as she moved to run down the steps.
She looked up at him, "Where is he Logan? What happened to him?"
"We, we don't know Stripes," he said slowly, "We're looking for him."
Her entire body went numb. A power flowed through her; one she'd never felt before. Logan grabbed his head and fell to his knees. Around the mansion several others did the same. Xavier let out a grunt as he felt his mind being probed, only feeling this once before. She levitated in the air, her hair flowing in all different directions as wind swirled around her. Her hands glowed red, her eyes white. Logan looked up at her in wonder. This power, this control, it was like nothing he'd ever seen before. He tried to reach out to her, to pull her out of this trance like state she was in. He grabbed his head again. At this rate it was going to explode.
"There," she said suddenly and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
Logan let go of his head, "Charles," he bellowed as he bolted down the stairs.
Professor wheeled himself into the main living room, followed closely by Jean and Emma. Jean massaged her temples, willing the disrupted entity known as the Phoenix back into it's mental cage. The sudden burst of psychic energy rattled it, excited it. It cried to break free, to go to this unknown source of power. Professor looked at her for a moment but let out a sigh of relief once she regained her composure. He'd never felt such raw power before.
"Charles," Logan stopped in front of him, "What the hell was that?"
"It appears Rogue has unknowingly tapped into some of her power. She's tracking Remy much like I would with Cerebro," Professor stated.
"Some? You mean she gets more powerful than that," Logan grunted, "I felt like my head was going to explode, Charles. She didn't need Cerebro to do all that. How is that even possible?"
"Yes, that is how it would feel I were to use Cerebro to wipe us out. I didn't such power was possible," he paused for a moment, "We have to find her, using too much uncontrolled power like that could kill her and if she falls into the wrong hands, she could kill us all."
"She looked pretty in control to me," Logan mumbled under his breath.
"We need to find her," Jean said.
"No," Emma interjected, "She's not just going on a rampage through the city. She's focused in on Remy. She's going to find him, kick the ass of whoever took him and bring him back. She'll be back before we even have a chance to prepare. I think we just need to let things play out for now."
Professor nodded, "Very well. Jean, tell Scott to ready the others should things go south. I hope you're right Emma, for the city's sake."
His hands and legs were cuffed to the uncomfortable metal chair. His vision was fuzzy but he recognized the smell of Magneto's headquarters. He blinked as his surroundings came into focus. He scuffed, what kind of thief allows themselves to get kidnapped? He knew the answer, an out of practice one. His mind flashed to Rogue, passed out on her bedroom floor. Had they grabbed her too? What were they doing to her? He struggled against the cuffs. He had to find her, needed to know that she was safe.
"Your precious angel is still safe with the X-Men," Mystique said from behind him, "It's not time for her yet. Really Gambit? You fell in love with her? Disgusting, absolutely disgusting."
"She's better than you could ever hope to be," Remy snapped.
Mystique laughed, "Do you honestly think she could fall for you? A thief, a liar, a cheat. You're beneath her, you always will be. You are nothing more than a cheap thrill for her. Her feelings will fade, leaving you with nothing."
Remy struggled again, "You're wrong! She doesn't use people like that!"
"Really? Has she told you that she loves you or has she just spent her time screwing your brains out? Tell me, Gambit, if she really cared for you," she smirked, "why hasn't she come for you? Why haven't any of them come for you?"
Remy's head fell. He had no smart-ass comeback. He'd been here for hours and none of his new teammates had come to his rescue. Had they even tried to find him? He wouldn't blame any of them if no one came. What did he have to offer them? He'd fought against them more than he fought with them. Then he thought about Rogue. She'd never so much as let it slip that she maybe loved him. Not that he'd told her either, but he'd never been one to say it first. Maybe Mystique's words had some truth to them.
Mystique laughed again, "Have you come to accept your fate? Your life is in his hands now and he has no use for traitors."
"Just get on with it then," he said hopelessly.
She walked around to face him, "Patience, don't be so eager for death," she patted his cheek and left.
He looked up to see Magneto followed by Pyro, Colossus and Saber tooth. Saber tooth smiled wide as he gazed at his newest prey. Remy grimaced at his fate. He'd be hunted like a dog, used for his twisted teammates amusement. It made him sick. He took solace in the fact that Colossus would most likely grant him a quick death. He had always been the most humane of Magneto's bigger, better team.
"I thought I made my feelings about traitors quite clear when I hired you, Gambit," Magneto spoke calmly, "Falling in love with an assignment. I specifically sent you so such matters could be avoided. You know why I can't allow you to live, you know too much of my plans. Losing you will be a great loss."
He felt the cuffs on his wrist and ankles fall to the floor. Gambit stood and assessed the situation. The odds were not in his favor. Saber tooth would probably be the first to attack, then Pyro followed by Colossus. Magneto moved towards the exit, leave it to him to not get his hands dirty. As Remy thought Saber tooth attacked first. Remy dodged the right claw but caught the left. He felt the blood run down his side. He used his staff to jump over them and ran towards the exit, ignoring the pain in his side. If he could just make it out of the building he might have a chance.
He felt someone grab the back of his shirt before being slammed into the wall with a thud. He fell to the ground with Colossus looming over him. Saber tooth pushed past and slashed Remy in the stomach. He let out a gut-wrenching scream, unable to hold it back. Colossus threw him again. He tried to stand but couldn't. He just had to make it to the exit. He felt wind swirl around him. He looked up to see her levitating in front of him. Her eyes white, her hands covered in red energy that he recognized as his own. She soundlessly touched the ground.
Pyro smirked, "Well, well. What have we here? Hello, Sheila."
At the mention of Rogue Saber tooth turned, his mouth forming into a sadistic smile. He heard the beast laugh under his breath. Remy tried to stand yet again, he couldn't let them touch her. He used his staff for support, slowly inching his way up. She roundhouse kicked Pyro in the face as he charged at her, knocking him out. Saber tooth snarled as she turned to face him. She jumped over him with easy, placing a hand on Colossus's metal skin. Despite the mental layer of protection he fell limp at her feet. She turned towards Remy, who had fallen and now lay in a puddle of his own blood.
"Come on pretty girl, thought you came here to play," Saber tooth snickered, "What? Don't you like what I did to your boyfriend?"
He swung a massive claw at Rogue, catching her arm. She didn't even flinch, no emotions played across her face. Instead she extended her hands, showing claws of her own. Saber tooth snarled and bared his fangs at her. Before he could make a move he fell to his knees. He grabbed his head, feeling as though it was about to burst. She stared at him, utterly emotionless. Remy looked on in horror. Who was this? This wasn't his Rogue, his angel. This was an animal, driven only by power.
Saber tooth slowly released his head. He snarled but looked back to Remy, charging at him instead. Remy watched as she grabbed his waist before slamming them both through the metal wall. Remy looked as Rogue stepped out, completely unharmed. She knelt beside him. He smiled weakly at her, reaching up to touch her face. She closed her eyes for a moment before carefully placing her arm under him, pulling him to his feet.
"You actually came for me," he said weakly, "I didn't think you would."
She gripped him tighter, subconsciously realizing that her power was beginning to was slowly coming back to reality, not fully aware of what had happened. She hadn't even noticed the hairy beast had come back through the wall, too focused on getting Remy out of the headquarters alive. She felt a sharp pain in her back as she teleported them to safety. They landed in front of the mansion with a thud. Rogue fell to the ground with Remy, blood running down her back. She was breathing heavily but tried to pull them both up. Remy grabbed her hand as they fell once more.
"Chere," he said weakly, "we made it back. We're safe now, just," he let out a labored breath, "just try to stay with me."
She lay there motionless, her eyes returning to their normal emerald color. She smiled weakly before her eyes closed. Remy stared at her, trying his best to keep his own eyes open. He looked up as Logan ran down the long walkway, followed closely by Scott, Storm and Jean. Jean lifted Remy up, laying him on the stretcher while Logan cautiously picked up Rogue. He tried to keep his eyes on her, but everything was starting to go fuzzy. He blinked a few times, fighting the urge to pass out.
"We gotta get these two to McCoy and quick," he heard Logan say.
"Chere," Remy said weakly before being engulfed by darkness.