X-Men: Fate
Gone Rogue
Rogue looked over Kitty, her friend, and Kurt, her half-brother. They were chained down: not by actual chains but by the spiritual chains of the mutant responsible for suppressing and blocking abilities.
"Don't worry," Rogue said. "We won't hurt you. Soon as we have Jean, by the time we have her, you'll be conscious and free to go."
"Anna," Kitty said, struggling against the invisible force. "I don't understand any of this. Why join the Brotherhood? Why are you doing this? What do you want with Jean?"
"Why can't you let me go?" Caliban threw in his question. "I'm not an X-Men."
"Trust me," Rogue said over her shoulder, "I know." She nodded toward Quicksilver, who proceeded to knock Caliban out with a single punch.
"I still say we keep them as leverage," Havok said. "They could come in handy: might get us out of a tough spot down the line."
"That's not the way I operate," Rogue said. "Neither do you."
"That was before what happened to Scott," Havok said, and then he turned away from Rogue.
"We're not going to use my son as leverage," Azazel said.
"But you don't mind abandoning him again and leaving him unconscious," Quicksilver said.
Azazel teleported and appeared behind Quicksilver with a tail wrapped around his neck.
"Azazel," Psylocke said, "don't let Quicksilver pull you into a petty fight. Neglectful fathers are a pet peeve of his, considering his own father. Doesn't change why he's here. Doesn't mean neglected kids love their fathers any less. You cannot deny the truth. You weren't always there for Kurt." Quicksilver and Azazel gave Psylocke a look of annoyance and respect respectively. "Save your energies for the fight that will actually matter." Azazel glanced Quicksilver glanced at each before Azazel returned to Rogue's side and Quicksilver went to stand with Havok.
Rogue watched Kurt, who looked after Azazel before he returned his attention to her.
"Is this necessary?" Kurt asked her. The last time they had spoken to each other was privately right before she left.
"It is," Rogue said.
Kitty and Kurt failed to understand; they were lost, and they could see that Rogue would not be providing them any answers.
Rogue touched Kitty and then Kurt. She watched them fall unconscious and their chains fall away.
"We'll have the element of surprise," Rogue said, after a beat of taking in the sight of these two people she cared about she had put to rest. She turned and faced the others. She wanted to get this mission over with. "Havok, you'll draw their attention and disorient them. Do not do property damage. Be mindful of the school and the kids."
"I got it Rogue," Havok said. "I haven't become a heartless bastard."
"Azazel, you'll have to remove Emma from the premises as soon as possible," Rogue continued. Azazel nodded in agreement.
"Quicksilver, keep Dani and Remy busy," Rogue said.
"That'll be fun," Quicksilver said. "Haven't seen those two in a while: your two old lovers."
Rogue ignored Quicksilver; she didn't even look his way.
"Psylocke, I'll leave Logan to you," Rogue finished.
"Leaving Ororo to you," Psylocke said.
I shouldn't do this, Rogue thought, but if Destiny's telling the truth, if Raven knew this would happen, then I will go down this path.
"While we draw them out," Rogue said, walking to stand in front of the three new acolytes, "you three will obtain Jean's body."
"Nova," Psylocke began, divvying out instructions, "you'll run point and make sure everything runs smoothly. Obsidian, your job will be to protect your team and draw fire if necessary. Phantom, everything rides on you. If you don't accomplish your part in this mission, there will be consequences and not just for you. You will awaken Jean and bring her out of her prison."
"Yes Mistress," all three bowed, responding in unison.
!
"That was easier than I thought," Reva said, clapping her hands together as she, Reth, and Adrian entered the sub-basement.
"That's because you didn't have to do much," Adrian said bluntly.
The two glared at each other.
"We have the device," Reth said, interrupting the two before they were at each other's throats. "We know how it works. Those were the easy parts. Now we have to get Professor Howlett out of the picture and actually accomplish the real mission: save Jean."
"That'll be easy too," Reva said. "I can handle getting rid of Logan. We don't need him gone long just long enough to get inside Jean's head."
"You make a good point," Reth said. "Once we're inside, we can't get out until she releases us."
"We don't really have a true psionic on the team," Adrian said, "so she's our only way out. If she doesn't release us, we're trapped, and we fail our mission."
"Really?" Reva questioned Reth.
"Really," Reth said.
"We've come this far," Adrian said. "Don't doubt us now."
"Not a chance," Reva told him. "You guys hide, because Logan has a nose like a bloodhound, and we'll get started."
"Danger Room?" Adrian suggested. Reth nodded in agreement.
Reva took off running for the medical lab while Adrian and Reth hurried for the Danger Room. Reva wanted to be out of breath, get her heart pumping, so it'd be easier to lie to Logan. When she made it to the medical lab, allowing the door to open, she started.
"Logan," she gasped, trying to catch her breath.
"What is it?" Logan asked her, standing from beside Jean.
"Professor Monroe," Reva said. "It's an emergency." She talked frantically with her hands. "She said she needed you. She didn't say why. She just… I've never seen her look so grave and serious." She sounded as if she were on the verge of tears.
"Where is she?" Logan questioned her.
"Her office," Reva answered quickly.
"Kitty…" Logan whispered. "Anna…" He immediately left the room, leaving Reva behind.
Reva didn't move. She didn't want to give off suspicion or draw Logan's attention. After a few minutes, Reth and Adrian rejoined her. She locked the door while keeping a look out. Reth began to set up the device. Adrian went to Jean's side.
"The X-Men don't want to lose you," Adrian said. Reva and Reth listened to him. "We're going to bring you back. Help us." Reva and Reth heard him; they didn't say anything in response. His words to Jean were enough.
"You're a great actor," Reth told Reva after finishing up with the device.
"You're surprised?" Adrian said.
"Don't go there," Reva said to him, scowling at him.
"Are you guys ready?" Reth asked them seriously, drawing both their attentions.
"We've got this," Reva said.
"We'll get it done," Adrian said.
"We'll place our hands on Jean," Reth said. "I've calibrated the device. It'll blast us. Our consciousnesses' will be transferred into her mind, leaving our bodies behind." He pushed a button, and then he and Reva stood on opposite sides of Jean. "All right future X-men, let's show the veterans what we can do." He, Reva, Adrian placed a hand on Jean's chest. A beam shot from the device, and the energy from the device laid out the three bodies on the floor. However, Reth's body quickly jumped to its feet. The second conscious now had control of the body.
"Guess I'll keep watch," the second Reth said, looking over Adrian and Reva before resting his eyes on Jean. "You guys got this. Do me proud."
!
Logan made it to the main floor of the mansion when he smelled trouble: three unfamiliar scents. Suddenly, he recognized a few more: the Brotherhood.
The lights that surrounded the premises were suddenly been blasted out.
"Emma," Logan called to her via his thoughts.
"We do have guests," Emma told him calmly. "I cannot identify most of them. My ability is blocked. We can assume they are all those we previously discussed. Forge says the security system has been shorted. Needless to say, Rogue has gained Kitty's ability. However, they have more numbers than they should. Be on guard. I'm trying to incapacitate them-" She went silent.
"Emma!" Logan called to her again. "I'm heading for Ororo." He told her unsure if she even heard him. Emma was a survivor; he wasn't worried about her safety. He didn't get a chance to make a move because he had to jump back when Psylocke came down upon him and tried to slice him in half.
"You're breaking and entering in the wrong mansion lady," Logan said, bringing out his claws.
"You always were such a sweet talker Logan," Psylocke said, standing at the ready with a glowing blade of psionic energy.
!
Ororo arose in her bed, sensing trouble nearby. Thunder rumbled overhead. Lightning flashed. After it flashed, she sat on the edge of her bed and saw Anna standing across from her.
"Anna…" Ororo said. She stood to converse with her. They had needed to meet, and she was aware that whatever plans Anna had they were now in motion. "Are Kitty and Kurt alive?"
"Yes," Rogue said. "I love them. I would never hurt them…I would never kill them."
"Tell me why you are here," Ororo said. "You are not here to destroy the mansion or hurt the students. I know that for a fact. Explain yourself. Can you do that, or are you in some kind of trouble?"
"I'm in no trouble," Rogue said. "I'm here for Jean. I'm taking her."
"Why?" Ororo demanded.
"She's the key to resurrecting the Professor and Magneto," Rogue said. "Not only them, she's the key to resurrecting Scott and Raven too."
"Impossible," Ororo said. "Even if this was possible, they would not be the same. Restoring their lost lives would be wrong."
"You don't get to decide this," Rogue said. "I knew you would be against it, and unfortunately for you I don't care. The Professor and Scott didn't deserve to die at Jean's hands."
"The Phoenix," Ororo corrected her.
"Jean," Rogue said adamantly.
"If this is the mission of the Brotherhood," Ororo said, "then it becomes the mission and duty of the X-Men to stop them." Her eyes turned solid white.
"This is something I understood from the beginning…" Rogue said under her breath: already prepared to fight although she had hoped for a different outcome.
!
When the second Reth heard something crash through in the distance, he unlocked the door to the medical lab and left it but not before he programmed the door to lock behind him. He didn't have to be a rocket scientist to know that trouble was at the X-Men's door, and after he jogged down the corridor it only took a few seconds for that trouble to round the corner. The second Reth found himself facing off against three intruders.
"Looks like the X-Men have got themselves a new member," Nova said. "They must've kept intel from us to test us. Only one-Our first mission, this won't even be a challenge."
"We shouldn't underestimate him Nova," Obsidian said. "I don't like the look of his eyes."
"He's none of our concern Obsidian," Phantom said. "He's not our mission objective. We can't lose focus. The Brotherhood wouldn't approve."
"Take it easy Phantom," Nova said. "We've got a little time to knock this little newbie back into the hole he came from."
"Ladies and gentleman of the Brotherhood," Reth said, cracking his neck and then his knuckles, "you're not making it down this hall. You're not making it past me. You picked the wrong side, and I'm about to show you why."