Xavier's Institute, Monday Aug. 12th 9:45 pm

The X-Men returned from their mission in hysterics. The day would be known in the future as Armageddon and there would be countless Danger Room exercises modeled after it. Not only were hostages taken but every administrator as well. Emma, Ororo, and Hank were all captured trying to rescue students detained at the riots in Mutie Town. Special Agents were imprisoning and transferring mutants to an unknown location.

Laura, Rahne, and Illyana (Piotr's sister) were captured before hand. Piotr was inconsolable on the Blackbird. He'd been shot with something that suppressed his mutant abilities and had been unable to stop the soldiers from taking them. Kitty's head was bleeding and she was freaking out, feeling guilty for pestering Piotr to bring his sister to the institute in the first place. What had meant to be a training mission for some new recruits turned to life or death really fast.

Everyone noticed the small sample of the X-Team running into the school grounds, panicking. Rogue had been reading in the common room when she heard the sound of foot fall. Usually the X-Kids came to lay out what had happened that time. When she caught sight of Kitty's bloodied head she paled.

"K-Kitty wha-"

'Every student report to the conference room unless they are back from mission and injured. Rogue, please assist those students in the infirmary.' It dawned on Rogue that Hank wasn't there to treat them. As far as she could tell he wasn't anywhere on campus.

"Almost everyone's gone..." She panted, her eyes bloodshot. "Ororo, Hank, Rahne..."

"Illyana, Emma, Laura..." Bobby continued, making Rogue notice he looked a little worse for wear himself, covered in sweat and some scratches. Piotr was shaking, desperately trying to activate his metal skin so he could aid in the rescue of his sister.

"C'mon... Piotr..." He grunted desperately. Kitty placed a had on his arm as he shook.

"Please rest, P. We don't even know what they shot you with..." Kitty hurriedly presented Rogue with a needle of what had been shot into the metal mutant. Breaking from her stupor, she grabbed it and tucked it safely into one of the pockets on the X-Team cargo jumpsuit she was wearing. Before they had gotten back she had been reluctantly helping Joseph work on The X-Jet and the helicopter. She looked worriedly into her friends' faces.

"Vhat are ve gonna do!?" Kurt cried, yanking on his hair. "They had collars to stop our powers, mists! Shots..."

"They just rounded us up like cattle. They went to Mutie Town and started a confrontation just to do it!" Bobby screamed. Rogue shook her head. "We just ran!"

"Bobby, Kurt. Get to the conference room. Kitty, Piotr," Her gaze softened. "I'll see what I can do for you, c'mon." She shared a last look with Bobby and Kurt before they broke off sprinting in different directions.

Rogue clambered for the first aid kits and bandages, struggling not to shake. She'd never wished Logan or Scott were around more but they would get through this. They had to. She sterilized a cotton ball and gingerly cleaned Kitty's head scrape under Piotr's watchful eye. She taped three bandages on it and shined a light in Kitty's eyes against her protests.

"Ugh, I'm fine. Really-"

"Makin' sure you don't have a concussion, asshole." Her pupils seemed to be dilating correctly. She exhaled in relief. "Just take it easy, okay?" She said, a worried edge in her voice.

"Yes. Please." Piotr pleaded with her, his massive hand dwarfing her own. She squeezed his tightly.

Rogue sighed when she looked at the giant mutant. She was being trained in first aid for emergencies just like this but she wasn't Dr. McCoy. "Piotr are you feeling okay? All I can suggest is you drink water and rest 'til we go get Hank back." She told him apologetically. He got in a standing position, swaying.

"Piotr is fine," He said through gritted teeth. He stuttered to one knee, causing Kitty to cry out.

"Piotr!" He winced, holding his side.

"You can't come without without ya powers, not like that."

"My sister..." He breathed, tears squeezing past his eyes. Rogue placed a hand on his shoulder and looked at him seriously.

"We're going to get them back. All of them." She promised. Kitty looked at her friend.

"Wait, you said 'we're'. Are you coming?" Rogue's eyes hardened.

"Do you really think I'd sit out on all this happening because I don't wanna be on the team?" Kitty shook her head.

"No, not at all-" She threw herself around Rogue unexpectedly. "I'm just glad that you're coming. Nobody knows what to do!" Scott and Logan's absence was probably just as hard for the younger mutant. There was a giant hole in the institute where they and Jean used to be. She put her gloved hand on her head.

"Nobody knows what to do, Kitty," She said, her eyes wistful. "We just have to do something." She turned to Piotr. "Please rest. We'll handle this."

"Have faith." Kitty begged, putting on a brave face. Piotr didn't want Kitty to go back out but he felt safe with Illyana depending on her.

"Give Little One my regards." They kissed passionately for a moment, as if Rogue weren't there. She understood. Tomorrow was the last thing that was promised.

Bobby was waiting around the corner for them when they left the infirmary. He tossed a bright, oddly colored suit towards Rogue. "Here," He began. "The suit I asked Ororo to make you." Rogue's face flushed. The suit was the polar opposite of her current X-Suit. Classy. Tactful. Subtle. Hint of green and her gloves. What Bobby had made was nothing like that. It was bright magenta and honey comb yellow. It was the most retro, 90's thing Rogue had ever seen and when she first saw it she became furious with him.

"Bobby..." He grinned at her, certain she would be delighted by his 'surprise'.

"Yeah! She thought I had gotten mixed up, but nope. This is what I came up with." He stared at her and waited for the real reaction, her face was oddly blank.

"Is this some sort of prank?" Bobby cocked an eyebrow.

"No? Why would I do that-"

"Because, why the fuck would I wear that? I don't even know why I came down here I don't want to be an X-Man." She crossed her arms and sent him a world famous glare. She was back to that short-haired goth and he was an immature prankster the X-Girls couldn't stand. He held his hands up defensively.

"Whoa, whoa. Alright. You don't have to get mad, I didn't mean anything by it. I just feel like we all needed a change." She watched him suspiciously. "I know I do. Everything's been freakin' terrible since Scott and Logan left." Rogue's shoulders sagged. She wasn't the only person who felt the way she felt. Even if it was way in the outfield Bobby didn't deserve to be chewed out over an X-Suit she didn't have to wear. She huffed, letting the tension and hostility flow out of her body.

"Okay," She said finally. "But don't expect me to ever wear that." Her eyes narrowed. "Jus' cause I don't wear the makeup or the clothes anymore don't mean I ain't the same girl." She snapped. He chuckled at the venom in her voice. She was being defensive but she didn't mean it, they both knew that.

"Sure, Rogue. Whatever you say." He looked back at his handiwork. "Who knows? I think one day you'll look at this and think, 'I need this. We all need this.'" Rogue shook her head, eventually busting into a smile.

"You've got a great imagination, Bobby Drake."

She gave him an extremely annoyed look but she realized she really didn't have time to worry about the color of her X-Suit. She ducked into a corridor without them and began to change quickly, making it into the conference room just as the professor began to speak. She caught a lot of eyes and when a few gasps sounded, all eyes.

"Ah," Xavier made a slightly startled Rogue. "Thank you for looking after Kitty and Piotr." He smiled warmly for a second before frowning, continuing his speech. "This is as worse a scenario one could think of. Not only students, but my teachers. Your leaders. The ease with which they were able to detain our brethren makes me scared for our future."

He looked at them all seriously. "I understand Piotr cannot access powers as of now," He looked down glumly. "But Kurt, Kitty, Bobby. Could I ask you to return back to retrieve our teammates?" They tried to hide the fear and apprehension on their faces and all nodded.

"I'll go... Lead." Xavier locked eyes with Rogue. She was the oldest student and the only one there now who had begun training to lead missions before Jean's death. Kurt, Kitty, and Bobby were gonna do what they could but they were not ready to lead a troupe of new recruits. They turned to her, glad she was returning after such a long absence.

'They'd be proud of you...' Kurt thought. She turned to some of the newer mutants. "Amara, Ray, Sam," She looked at them seriously. "Do y'all think ya can come? This isn't gonna be the Danger Room, this is gonna be hard." She told them, her face grim. They nodded, their faces determined to step up. Xavier looked at them, proud.

"I came to make a plan but you've beat me to it." He smirked. "I was able to briefly communicate with Emma for a moment and have sent a coordinate to the jet." His face became a frown. "It won't be easy infiltrating. You must stay strong and stand together, X-Men!" All the students nodded. Rogue looked away, lost in thought.

'I've got someone else to ask...' She thought grudgingly, thinking of Joseph. 'We need his powers. And if he can't remember how to use them I can take them!' She thought to herself. 'My powers still aren't so reliable in stressful situations.' She broke away the meeting to approach Joseph and hope he was deluded enough to join them. He was still outside, he said the metal in the earth was natural and comforting.

She approached him quickly to his surprise.

"Rogue-"

"You swear you don't remember anything. On your life?" He looked down at her with amusement.

"Not a thing, Rogue. For all intents and purposes, I'm Joseph." She stared at him hard before grabbing his wrist.

"C'mon," She began. "We need your help, then." He looked at her in confusion but then nodded.

"Okay. I'll do it." 'That was easier than I thought...' She looked at him wearily before dragging him towards the mansion. He hushed her and dragged her down to the ground suddenly, looking around.

"Someone is on campus." He alerted, looking around. Even if he wasn't Magneto he had his reflexes. Rogue was shocked at how he'd gotten the element of surprise on her for such a docile guy. She watched him carefully.

"Our alarms would've gone off." She reasoned, not taking her eyes off of him.

"They found a way around them." She started to protest but he covered her mouth. They heard silence and the sound of leaves rustling. She inhaled with surprise as she focused on telepathy. Joseph watched around them.

"They must've followed the team back." They looked at each other as the figures moved like shadows in the dark. "Shit," She thought as she looked around. 'Hey, everyone. That anti-mutant brigade came back here! Joseph and I are on the lawn!'

'You and Joseph?'

'Totally got it!'

'Coming!'

Joseph huddled protectively over her as his eyes glowed yellow. He reached out and was able to snatch a pile of weapons away from the soldiers.

"We've been compromised! I repeat! We've been discovered!" One of them screamed over the walkie. Rogue placed a hand on Joseph's shoulder.

"I appreciate the chivalry..." She said as she picked up a giant statue of a gargoyle. Joseph watched, finding himself more and more amazed by Rogue as he was around her. "But I got some other powers you haven't seen yet." With a roar she tossed the statue at some soldiers trying to sneak up on them without their weapons. They screamed, tumbling backward in the debris. Joseph yanked a metal fence from the lawn and wrapped it around the soldiers with a groan.

"Guys!" Rogue looked to see Angel descending towards them, his feathered wings spread in the moonlight. She gasped at the sight as they watched him pluck two soldiers and drop them over the fence again.

"Angel! Can you stay here with students while we go rescue some?" He nodded and smiled at her.

"You got it," He answered.

"The Angel, who helped me..." Joseph murmured with wonder. "His wings, they're fixed." He stood there and smiled for a moment, Rogue watching him.

"You took the metal off of them." She said before she thought better for it. "How did you know?" He looked deeply into her gray eyes and she felt her earlobes begin to burn. She dropped her stare when Bobby, Kurt, and Kitty all came sliding over.

"Rogue!" Bobby called, calling her attention to the call at hand.

"Right!" They slid over them and he began icing an enclosure around the remaining soldiers while they screamed. They hopped off near Rogue, eyeing Joseph wearily. "Good job, Drake." He smirked at Rogue. She looked around. "C'mon, before they send more reinforcements. It's been long enough."

Unknown Location, Monday Aug. 12th 11:06 pm

Hank and Ororo stood on either side of Emma in the small cell. She sat in the middle, her head dipped beneath her hands at her colossal failure.

"Are you happy, Emma?" Ororo's voice began, quiet but firm. Like a storm gaining power. Hank huffed tiredly. He knew where this was going. "You just had to drag babes along and showboat your teaching experience?" Emma sighed, officially taking the bait out of boredom.

"I took newer recruits on missions all the time at my school-"

"But this isn't your school, is it?" Ororo cut in with venomous smile. "You don't even know what's happening to you own-"

"Please, my friend." Hank interjected finally. "This isn't helpin-"

"No, Hank. Allow her to be passive aggressive, it is her right." Said Emma with an eye roll. She knew it was hopeless with the power suppression collar but she still tried to listen out telepathically from habit. She sighed. "I am worried," She began. "About the kids." Both Ororo and Hank cast a sidelong glance at her.

"So you do have feelings." Was all Ororo responded. They were all she had been thinking about since they were captured. They hadn't bothered with them. Emma ignored her comment.

"We have a mutant who controls the weather and one of the strongest telepaths left on earth. They haven't bothered with us at all." She chewed her nails nervously. "What are they doing with them..." Ororo shook the morbid thoughts from her brain. Hank heaved another heavy sigh.

"Illyana, Piotr's little sister..." He began, his voice grim. "If they figure out to weaponize her gifts and talents..." He thought about her vast and hard to describe interdimensional abilities. "A lot of people will die." Emma snorted.

"That's what they want." She said bitterly, wondering what they were supposed to do now. "Maybe you all are used to situations like this but, shouldn't we be more concerned?" Ororo huffed.

"The professor and the kids at the school are making a plan as we speak." She filled in confidently. Emma only chuckled.

"We got caught and we expect the remaining kids and a paraplegic to be able to bust us out?" Ororo smiled again.

"You're underestimating them, Emma-"

"I'm not. Your kids are sweet and average and fine. And not necessarily something I feel comfortable leaving my very life in the hands of."

"Then maybe you are at the wrong school." Emma didn't have time to formulate a response, an alarm started blaring.

'"INTRUSION. INTRUSION." Ororo couldn't help but smirk.

"I told you..."

xxXXxx

"Are you sure?" Rogue repeated, looking at Joseph. He nodded.

"An electromagnetic pulse should disable their cameras, the sensors, their locks. Everything." He closed his eyes and focused, his hands held in front of him. Generating electromagnetic fields was different than just manipulating metal but it wasn't something he couldn't do. Groaned, he pushed out and a visible wave of electromagnetic energy was formed. It bombarbed the facility housing their teammates and watched as the lights inside went off.

"Vhoa..." Kurt murmured. "Convenient."

Joseph rubbed his head and smiled tiredly. "We should be good to head in." Rogue nodded, her hand on his back.

"Thanks." She told him, walking ahead.

"Okay. Kitty, Kurt?" They nodded with determination and split the group. Kitty phased half of them in and Kurt ported the rest into the dark facility. Rogue focused on that piece of Logan's psyche in her head and focused, his sharp sense of smell barely leading her. "This way..." She pointed ahead. Joseph started slightly when he saw her claws emerge, made of bone.

"Your hands..." He murmured. Bobby watched her curiously. He always found it interesting when she conjured Logan's powers, she took on his memories. She was a 110 lbs soaking wet, claws on her hands, and hunched ready for a fight like a wolverine. She stopped suddenly when two human sized sentinels appeared.

Kitty yelled out in surprise and Joseph threw his hands forward, disabling their guns. Rogue flew forward and screamed while punching one to pieces. The other was shot with a blast of ice from Bobby then heat from Amara, destroying it. Joseph waved a hand and a door opened, inside were Ororo, Emma, and Hank.

"Every'vone!" Kurt cried in relief. Kitty hurriedly ran in and phased them all through the cage. She threw herself around Hank with relief.

"I'm so glad you're okay!" She sighed. Amara and Ray gathered around them.

"Nice to see you too, Kitty. Might you do something about these collars? We gotta find the others." She nodded and phased her hand through their devices, rendering them useless. Hank politely pulled them off of himself and the women. Emma rubbed her neck profusely. "Thanks."

Kitty smiled tensely. "You guys find Illyana and Rahne!" Rogue called to them. "Logan's gonna help me find Laura!" She had disappeared before anyone could agree to it. Emma closed her eyes and instantly began scanning.

"Illyana is close. We are the only ones in this place besides the people who run it." She reported. "This must just be a pitstop on the way where we were really going." She continued probing and frowned. "I'm having a hard time finding Rahne at all." She said quietly. Everyone went a few shades lighter. Amara grabbed on to Emma desperately.

"B-But you still feel her, right?!" She cried. She tried not to look annoyed.

"Yes." Amara chewed her lip as Bobby placed an arm around her.

"Hey, we'll get to her." He told her reassuringly. She hugged herself nervously. Emma looked over the group.

"Original X-Men, why don't you come with me to get Illyana." She looked at Kitty. "Everyone else head with Hank and Ororo to find Rahne. This place isn't big, regroup and retreat as soon as possible." They looked around the dark, ominous facility. Ororo and Hank nodded and took their kids as Kurt, Kitty, and Bobby split with Emma. Joseph looked around before following Kitty and Kurt, assuming Rogue would eventually regroup with them.

"I don't think there are human soldiers watching this base," She reported, looking around. "Which means there are probably full blown sentinels somewhere in here..." Kitty swallowed. They had expected as much.

xxXXxx

Rogue raced through the dark, relying on her sense of smell and hearing to carry her where her eyes couldn't see. She was one big ball of adrenaline when she channeled Logan. It scared her and she loved it at the same time.

Having absorbed him almost a year ago in a fiasco, she learned that his 'abilities' were overwhelming and almost torture. To hear, smell, feel, sense every shift in the atmosphere would be too much for most people. Not for Logan, though. It was making it easy to zero in on Laura's scent. He had her catalogued in his important smells, along with and her other X women and young recruits.

She stumbled upon a room with a giant window where Laura sat, huddled in a ball. "Laura!" Rogue cried, her throat tightening. The girl opened her eyes to see Rogue, her hands covered in claws like Logan's. She jumped to a crouching position, like she was ready to spring against the walls to get herself out. Rogue seamlessly thought about the first time she allowed Kitty to hug her and phased through the glass door, shocking Laura. "I'm here," She assured the girl. She only exhaled in response.

She grabbed her wrist gently and led her to the door, phasing them both through. Laura's eyes never left Rogue, seemingly searching for the appropriate reaction to her actions. "There." She said, wiping her brow. "You're safe now." She seemed to be eyeing Rogue's loud attire. In front of the young mutant, Rogue suddenly felt embarrassed.

"ESCAPEES! ESCAPEES!"

"MUTANTS!" Rogue shoved the girl instinctively, the world moving in slow motion.

"Laura!" She screamed.

They found Illyana easily after they broke apart. Kitty wasted no time phasing her through the crude restraints. "It's okay! I'm here Little Snowflake, I'm here." Illyana whimpered, still too distraught to form words.

"K-Katya..." Emma exhaled a breath she'd didn't know she'd been holding.

"She's speaking. Good." She bent down to the mutant's eye level. "Can you stand?" She nodded shakily as Kitty supported her weight. "Good girl. Let's go, careful..." Kurt took the other side and they helped the girl along, clad in only a hospital gown. 'They did experiment, or at least start to.' Emma thought bitterly. 'Damn it...'

"ESCAPEES! ESCAPEES!"

"MUTANTS!"

Emma held her arm up defensively in front of the kids, staring into the darkness. "Guards." She breathed, ushering them back.

"Laura!" The blood drained from Kurt's face as he galloped forward.

"That's Rogue!" He cried, Kitty and Bobby chasing after him. Emma followed rather helplessly around the corner as they stumbled into Rogue and a very bristled Laura. Bullets began flying before anyone could react. Only two before Emma had both soldiers on the ground, incapacitated. One was a was a shot that burrowed into Kurt. He yelped and Kitty hurriedly ripped the needle out of his arm. The damage was done, soon his eyes changed. Then his fur to regular skin.

"Oh my god..." Bobby breathed as Kurt reverted to his human form.

"Vhat? Vhat is it?!" Kurt screamed as he looked at himself. "Scheisse." He spat. Emma placed a hand on his shoulder.

"This just strips them for some hours, you'll be fine."

The other needle hit Rogue in meat of her hip, causing her to hiss in pain. "Anna!" Joseph screamed, hovering over and removing the needle deftly with magnetism. The damage was done, more than half of the solution had managed to be injected inside her. She shook her head and looked at Joseph.

"Thanks..." She murmured as he peered at her. She stumbled slightly and he caught her.

"Are you alright?" She shook her head.

"Ah think so," She took a step but it felt like her feet weighed a hundred pounds. "I think I was shot with a tranquilizer," She explained. "But my invulnerability is fighting it off. Sort of." She groaned, her head foggy. "I'll manage." Joseph slipped a hand around her back.

"That we will." He smiled at her. Laura growled.

"It's heroin." Eyes fell on the young mutant. "A hot shot. I smell it." Rogue looked at her hip where it was shot.

"Great." 'That must've been enough dope to kill an elephant. Even with Logan's healing factor and my powers, I'm sluggish.'

Emma nodded, noticing Laura anchored at Rogue's side. "Let me see how the others are doing."

'Ororo, Hank. How's Rahne?'

'We've found her...' Hank's head voice sounded solemn. 'She's doing very badly. She can't even shift out of her dog form.'

Emma gasped. 'Okay. Get her and get to the jet. We'll meet you there.' She blinked and faced the expectant faces of the young mutants.

"How are they doing?" Amara asked anxiously. Emma tried to smile.

"They've found her, they want to get her back to the jet." She began moving before she thought about what that meant. "Let's g-"

"SENTINEL PROTOCOL ACTIVATED SENTINEL PROTOCOL ACTIVATED." The electronic voice sounded over the speakers. Rogue unhooked herself from Joseph and stood in front of her now powerless brother. They watched the walls around them descend suddenly, leaving them in a very wide open space. The alarm continued blaring as the massive robots began stomping into view.

"Charming," Emma snarled, looking wearily at them. "Hope you prove you're of some use." She said more towards Joseph. He only smiled, his eyes soon turning yellow. He focused on the robots (ones still foolishly made of metal) and halted them, disabling their guns and lasers. He grunted under the strain of holding the mammoths back. Reluctantly, Rogue began to focus on his memories, memories he didn't even remember.

Her eyes began to glow as well and she joined him in trying to hold them off. 'She's amazing...' He thought as she held her hands out and supported without being asked. With their combined efforts they dismantled one, pulling it apart into a torso and scattered robotic limbs landing all around them. Both Joseph and Rogue shrank forward in exhaustion. "Good job," Said Emma tensely.

The remaining sentinel continued it's assault toward them. "Um," Kitty began.

"You guys," Bobby said, looking at the two. Rogue was trying but her nose was already bleeding, a human looking Kurt bracing her shoulders. Joseph focused but his eyes weren't yellow.

"I-" He shook his head, exhausted from the magnetic pulses earlier.

"TARGETS SIGHTED."

"Is anyone capable of fending this thing off or are we to be locked up again?" Emma snapped crossly, wishing very bad in this moment that she was a telekinetic, because she would be a damn good one.

"Jus' hold on," Rogue grunted, tears forming in her eyes as she tried again to capture Magneto's power. 'What's wrong with me...' Her mind was lost in a fog. She remembered the shot. 'Damn it.' She stuttered to one knee, her body feeling tired. The sentinel shook the the whole building stomping toward the huddled group of mutants. Bobby iced out immediately but his ice wasn't holding it off.

"The shot, idiot!" He scolded her worriedly, shooting a wall of ice in front of them. He shot a stream of ice at the sentinel but it kept advancing. Magma joined in but the machine was relentless.

It pointed it's many guns and lasers at them, causing the group to shrink back.

"If anyone had an idea?" Emma suggested wryly when Kitty ran forward, her face determined. "Katherine!" She snapped at the girl, standing in front of them all.

"Kitty, what the heck!?" Kurt screamed.

"I've kind of been working on something!" She began, her face focused.

"And now seems like the time to try it out?" Emma rebutted, growing more anxious by the second.

"Give her a chance," Rogue drawled tiredly, still trying to conjure any magnetism she could despite the failed efforts. 'I'm too fuckin' high to do anything...' She thought, even breathing was kind of difficult. Kitty closed her eyes and held her hands up. The sentinel fired a barrage of rockets and bullets at them. Everyone watched as they hit an invisible wall and fell. Sweat dripped down her brow but somehow, Kitty had moved the particles in the air and erected a barrier. Everyone stared at the tiny mutant in awe.

"Since vhen can you do that?!" Kurt cried in surprise. Kitty smirked, smiling in spite of herself.

"I figured it out in the Danger Room." She explained, her teeth clenched in focus. She could make barriers but they depleted her of all her energy. Without warning she collapsed on the ground, causing Emma to scream. She dropped beside the teenager, a frown on her face. She placed a hand on her shoulder and watched the sentinel anxiously.

Bobby came forward and shot a another stream of ice at the robot. Rogue flew forward and with great strain, lifted the sentinel into the air. With a yell she tossed it underneath her.

"Good riddance!" She huffed, her ponytail splaying behind her. Laura leapt into the air with a feral roar, slicing clean through the sentinel with her indestructible claws, electricity crackling everywhere. Emma exhaled with relief when Kitty twitched and began to stir.

"There you are!" Kurt exclaimed excitedly, wiping the sweat from his head. She jumped a little in surprise when she realized Emma was kneeling by her side.

"You," She began.

"Yes," She answered with a smile. 'Two people would murder me if I let something happen to you.' She thought, looking around. She helped her to a standing position. "Can you help phase us one last time?" She nodded shakily, rubbing her head. Emma did a quick head count and ushered everyone along before they were discovered again. It was going to be tight squeeze into the jet but she was just grateful they were all making it back.

"Hurry," She emphasized. "Ororo says Rahne needs to be back at the institute." Everyone's faces fell. They limped their way grimly back to the X-Jet, still shell shocked. Rahne was in her dog form, unconscious as Hank grimly worked on her and tried to assess what was wrong. They filled in seats where there was room and new recruits lined the floor as everyone sat in silence. Emma and Ororo piloted wearily, trying to forget that they had been imprisoned. Rogue sat in the corner, exhausted. Laura was standing stiffly beside her.

Everyone was silent and subdued, thinking about what had happened and how it affected them personally. How many more times was this going to happen? Were Scott and Logan ever coming back? Everyone wondered.

Rogue's head lolled on to Kurt's shoulder and he leaned on his adopted sibling's. Laura began to growl, causing him to frown.

"Hey, vhats vrong?" He asked suddenly, Rogue not bothering to rouse.

"It's okay, Laura." Kitty said tiredly, Illyana's arm hooked in hers. "We're safe now." She comforted but Laura shook her head.

"No," She grunted. "Something's wrong." She looked around uncomfortably. "I smell it." She stared at Rogue. Kitty unhooked herself from Illyana's side despite her whispers. She looked normal, albeit sleep. Kitty couldn't see what Laura meant until she noticed that the smallest sliver of her skin had been touching Kurt. For most of the ride. Kitty yelped and shoved him farther from her, on the verge of freaking out.

"K-Kurt? Haven't you realized you've been touching?"

"Vhat? No? I didn't feel anything?!" He tried to rouse her suddenly, blanching when she didn't respond. "Rogue?"

"Dr. Mccoy?!" He had standing vigil over Rahne in the jet, deeply concerned for her and the other kids. He had an ear cocked to the hubbub beside him.

"Ororo, if you could..." She got up as if in a daze from beside Emma and moved beside the child mutant. He placed rubber gloves on and approached Rogue as if on auto pilot. "What did you say she was shot with, earlier? Different than Kurt?" He mumbled, opening her eye lids to investigate. 'Not dilating.' He noted with a frown.

"Heroin." Kitty repeated, a scared look on her face.

"Good heavens, it must've been enough heroin to knock out a horse!" He remarked in frustration, kicking himself for letting them see his concern.

"Is she alr-" Kurt began, his eyes wide.

"Yes." He cut in before he could cause a panic in the jet, lifting her with ease in one arm. "Just going to check her vitals as they shot her with something in the compound too." He explained, his face impassive.

'Hank,' Emma began suspiciously in his mind.

'Emma.'

'Is everything alright?'

'Rogue is ODing.' Emma felt her stomach drop out of the jet. 'They must have made some sort of super heroin and used it to cull and control 'volatile' mutants.'

'Is there anything on the plane for-'

'Yes. Narcan. Whether or not its enough is-'

'Hank.' Her head voice choked out.

'Focus on getting us back to the institute, Emma.' He moved quickly and worked on the floor of the X-Jet as if that was normal. He ignored the eyes slowly accumulating on him and worked efficiently. He leaned in and listened to her chest. 'Not breathing.' He thought, wondering how he was remaining so calm. He stabbed the pen of adrenaline in her shoulder suddenly, causing most of the girls to whimper.

"D-Do you need any help, dr. McCoy?" Bobby asked, his voice shaky.

"I'll let you know know, Bobby." Hank answered distantly, staring at Rogue. 'C'mon...'

He stuck the nasal medicine in her nose and muttered a prayer.

"Dr. McCoy?" Kitty asked, her voice rising in octave.

"Hank-"

"Not now, guys," Said Ororo quietly, her hand resting solemnly on Rahne. "We are almost home." Kitty chewed her lip and Illyana hooked her arm back in hers, leaning her head on the small girl.

Hank sighed with relief and wiped his brow, a bit in awe that a semi-normal dose of Narcan seemed to work. 'We have a tall order for the infirmary when I get back.' He thought grimly as the jet thankfully started to land.

Emma was trembling. That had been nothing but a series of close calls. It would be on their minds for every mission going forward. Hank hesitantly let Joseph carry Rogue to a few strange looks and he grabbed Rahne with a sigh. Kitty ushered Illyana off the landed Jet and Laura followed Joseph wearily, her eyes on the magnet mutant the whole time. Emma watched wearily as they all filed out.

"What the fuck do we do now?" She asked, her voice trembling. Ororo just sighed.

"What we can."

Rogue twitched and came to in the infirmary bed with a migraine. Turns out, OD'ing sucked. Rogue didn't know that, she had sat down in the X-Jet and that's all she remembered. She looked down and saw she was still wearing her ridiculous, loud X-Suit. She tried to sit up and hissed in pain. That caught Hank's attention and he turned to her, his eyes wide with worry.

"Rogue-"

"Hank," She croaked, trying to sit up. He ushered her back but she looked around worriedly.

"Is everyo-"

"Please, rest." She sat back slightly and studied his face for answers. Her eyes focused beyond him and she could Kitty and Piotr. Sobbing. Fear plunged Rogue's heart into an icy lake. She looked back at Hank who avoided her gaze.

"Hank-"

Emma appeared in the doorway, her face as white as her ensemble. Time stopped for a moment. She leaned against the door frame and just sighed, helplessly. Hank seemed to know what the look on her face meant but Rogue didn't. She took a deep breath, and then another.

"Rahne's gone." She shuddered, causing Rogue to rip the sheet off of her with a cry.

"What,"

"Please, god. No." Emma inhaled.

"And whatever she has, Illyana's got."