X-Men: Fate

Rogue Agent

Rogue couldn't use her ability to absorb Ororo's ability because she needed to keep Azazel's ability to teleport. She decided she would just have to put her backup plan in motion in the midst of all the chaos.

"Ororo," Rogue said to her, teleporting from Ororo's body to the top of the mansion before Ororo's discharged lightning had a chance to render her unconscious. "You won't understand, but I'm doing the right thing." Rogue didn't give Ororo the chance to respond; she teleported again. This time she teleported to the now conscious Jean Grey.

"Anna?" Jean questioned while gently laying Reva and Adrian on the ground and keeping an eye on them along with Reth, who hadn't fallen unconscious.

"You're coming with me," Rogue said, and she teleported the two of them from the mansion grounds.

A moment later, Rogue had teleported herself and Jean to Cerebra's location with Rogue having placed Jean in its chair.

"Jean," Rogue sternly called her because Jean was disoriented.

"What are you doing?" Jean asked Rogue. Jean sounded tired. She looked worried; she looked ill.

"I'm still angry with you for what you did," Rogue said. "Everyone forgives you. Everyone blames the Phoenix. I blame you for all of it."

Jean looked like she might cry at hearing those words.

"That's not important right now," Rogue said, stopping herself before she began yelling at Jean. The memories of the Dark Phoenix once again fresh in her mind. She had to clear her mind for what she needed Jean to see. "This conversation between the two of us will have to wait. Read my mind Jean. Search my past for Matthias. "

"Why should I do this?" Jean asked. "Who is Matthias? Those three… They need my help."

"If Logan and Ororo chose them," Rogue said about those three recruits, "they'll be fine. I don't know who Matthias is, but he's someone whose need for help has been a long time coming."

Knowing Anna was right, considering the impression they had left on her and what she had seen of the three, Jean let her curiosity get the better of her and slowly, carefully dove into Anna's mind.

!

"She wants to destroy everything Charles and Erik built," an older man, who appeared to be in his early 50s, had spoken with Anna. He had platinum blond hair in a short ponytail with his bangs partially covering his dark brown eyes. His complexion was pale. For a man his age, he was moderately built and quite attractive. He stood half a head taller than Anna.

"For now," Matthias said, "I'm on her side willingly, but it will only be a matter of time before she discovers that I'm leading her astray. Before that happens, you have to find me."

"Who are you?" Anna asked confused. She held Raven's diary in her hand.

"Matthias Calhoun," he introduced himself. "I have to leave soon."

"Raven wrote about you," Anna said. "She told me to meet you here on this day in her diary: Siphon. You have the ability to take the powers of anyone once you've seen them use it, then you always know when they use it and where they are when they use it, but you can't use them for yourself."

"We met in the past," Matthias said. "Listen to me, without Charles and Erik this woman will put an end to all mutants."

"That wouldn't be possible," Anna said. "Who are you talking about? Who is this woman?"

They both heard people coming. They heard the sounds of people kicking down and ramming through the doors of other motel rooms.

"She's found me," Matthias said. "Those are her Purifiers I'm sure. You have to leave and then find me. Once you do, we can bring back Charles and Erik. I know the mutant that can do this."

"Could this mutant bring back Scott and Raven?" Anna asked.

"If that's what it'll take for you to help me," Matthias said, "then yes."

Was she so desperate to have everyone back that she would believe this, the existence of a mutant that could revive the dead, someone that couldn't possibly be real…

The Purifiers burst into the motel room they occupied.

"I can fight them off," Anna said. Even though she hated relying on the abilities she gained from Ms. Marvel, this would not be the time to feel guilty.

Matthias quickly held his hands up and stood in front of Anna to hide her from sight.

"Go," Matthias told her. "It'll be safer for everyone this way."

Reluctantly, Anna left Matthias, teleporting from the motel back to Raven's room.

!

"Neither Ororo or Emma would agree to do this," Rogue said, "but Jean, the Professor is dead because of you. Scott is gone too. Erik… Raven…

You can help me undo all the damage you did. I won't apologize for blaming you for everything, you can hate me for it, but use Cerebra to find Matthias and the Brotherhood will stop its assault on the X-Men, those recruits, and the mansion. This time you can save everyone."

Jean didn't have time to process everything she had seen. She wanted to know what it all meant. She had questions. She wanted to talk to Anna and fix the damage that now existed in their relationship. All she could do at the moment was think about Reth, Reva, and Adrian. With the Phantom Phoenix now in their midst, she didn't want to be responsible for any more loss or death.

"Anna," Jean said.

"Rogue," she corrected her.

Jean looked Rogue in the eye.

"I'll find him," Jean said. She placed Cerebra around her head.

Unlike Cerebro, Cerebra showed her all the mutants in the world. Rogue disappeared from the room.

Jean found the Professor, Charles, when he was younger. He appeared to be in his mid-twenties. He had hair then; he walked. He was tied to Magneto, Erik; he was younger too. Cerebra showed them both. Cerebra worked to show the chain.

The two of them looked like good friends. Charles was talking. Erik was actually laughing. Jean had never seen them like this before. They were out in a night club: a mutant night club. They were dressed mighty fine. A man about their age joined them. He was half dressed. He had jet black hair then, but he still kept his hair in a short ponytail with his bangs partially covering his eyes. He had a smile that lit up his whole face, and both Charles and Erik seemed to appreciate that about him.

Birth name: Rhee Hyeon-U

Adopted name: Matthias Calhoun

Cerebra was nothing like Cerebro. It gave and it gave: more information than Jean thought she could handle. She focused less on the logical aspect of Cerebra and in kind Matthias and focused more on the emotional aspect.

The scene changed; Matthias attended their funerals. The scene changed; he was on his knees crying harder than Jean had ever seen anyone cry.

The scene changed; she saw Matthias after Anna had left him and the Purifiers had appended him. He fought them off. He broke free. He escaped.

The last scene: Jean found him. Cerebra showed Jean the coordinates as Jean saw Matthias; dirty, half dehydrated and starved, sitting behind iron bars in a dimly lit prison. He was in Mexico. He appeared to be sleeping. Matthias lifted his head and opened his eyes. Somehow, he was looking directly at her.

"Thank you Jean," Matthias told her.

Jean removed Cerebra from her head. Rogue looked hopeful. Jean transferred all she had seen to Rogue.

"Don't tell Ororo," Rogue said. "Not yet. You owe me that."

"Save him," Jean said, ignoring Anna's words that cut her deep.

Rogue nodded before she teleported them both from the room.