Multiversed

A/N: A lot of backstory from the X-Men stories in the first part of this chapter so Tony can get up-to-speed on Rogue, some of which is told from Storm's perspective.

Disclaimer: X-Men and the Avengers belong to people with a lot more money than me.

Three

Tony watched as the newly uncuffed Rogue followed Steve over to the gathered Avengers for a "proper introduction" – her words as she gave Logan a sarcastic look. Barely paying attention to the niceties he listened as JARVIS rattled off information from the files the AI hacked from Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.

"Files pertaining to student 158907 codename "Rogue". There are four different sets of records, sir, under different levels of encryption and security firewalls. According to the records under the lowest level of protection, Rogue was a student at Xavier's for two years after being brought the school along with another mutant codename "The Wolverine." In that time she received her high school diploma and participated in various college-level programs specializing in art, creative writing, and languages. She lived in a solo dorm room for the first six-months before being transferred to a shared room for one year and then the last six-months in a solo room once more."

He smiled and greeted the beauty as she moved over to him, the last on her little round of meet and greets. Going through the motions he agreed with the plan for her to stay with Steve for the time being as she showed him the physical issues with their security before meeting Tony in the control room to go over the technical weaknesses with him and JARVIS.

Nodding he walked over to the elevator, cueing JARVIS to continue with his report.

"What's the next level up got to say?"

"The next level is a file compiled by the late Dr. Jean Gray and then added to by Dr. Hank McCoy regarding Rogue's medical history and the effects of her mutation on her physical wellbeing. Upon arriving at the school Dr. Gray did a full workup on the then sixteen-year-old. She showed mild injuries from a car-wreck caused by Sabertooth while the mutant was in the employ of the Brotherhood of Mutants. Dr. Gray noted that the worst injury was a contusion cause by a blow to the head during the wreck. Rogue also sustained injuries congruent with a wreck including deep diagonal bruising along the clavicle, sternum, and ribs from hanging by her seatbelt while unconscious.

Dr. Gray noted that Rogue's mutation is one of absorption of energy and power through skin-to-skin contact. Which led to others referring to Rogue as having "poisonous skin". Dr. Gray was unsure as to the extent of the mutation as she had no physical markers of having a mutation. Also noted is that Rogue's mind is unreadable by telepaths which is considered either a by-product of her main mutation or a second mutation.

An incident is noted that during one of the Wolverine's nightmare's the first night at the Manor, Rogue attempted to wake him resulting in his stabbing her right below her heart with his claws. Rogue then was seen to put one hand on his face and "stole" his healing factor, enabling her to heal and thereby saving her life. It is also noted that the injuries from the car wreck were also healed during this transfer.

There are two other incidents of "transferring" or "stealing" powers by Rogue from other mutants in addition of dozens of other injuries and accidents during the two years Rogue was at the school.

The first incident involved the Liberty Island Attack where one mutant forced his power into Rogue and almost killed her by forcing her to power his machine. She was again saved by the Wolverine transferring his healing factor to Rogue.

The second incident involved the Alcatraz Island Incident. Dr. McCoy noted that by that time it was well-established that Rogue could "borrow" the powers of another mutant for a limited amount of time after contact with her skin. Rogue used her power to drain the Phoenix aka Dr. Gray which led to her death.

It is not noted whether this death was natural or if Rogue killed Dr. Gray.

Dr. McCoy added an addendum to the file which noted that Rogue sought him nine-months ago for a cure to a poison that had invaded her system. He was able to find an antidote to the poison but it left Rogue with a metastasizing cancer."

Tony let out a whistle as his mind arranged the facts from the medical file along with what Rogue herself said during her talk with Logan. Moving into his lab he sat down in his chair, resting his jaw in one hand. Thinking out loud he said:

"So this Viper poisoned her but left her with an incurable disease. Because of her mutation and her personal history with him she knew that Wolverine could heal her if she could get close to her." He mused. "Some of the phrases in the medical file bother me." He frowned. "Poison skin. Stealing powers. If that's how they thought of her there no wonder she took off after Wolverine left."

"Indeed, sir." Safely ensconced in the lab JARVIS projected his voice over the speakers instead of the earpiece. "There may be more in the other two files. So far one has been decrypted. It is a private file written in a journal format by the current Headmistress, Ororo Monroe, Codename: Storm. In the beginning it references and describes the events leading up to Alcatraz with only occasional mentions of Rogue but afterwards focuses solely on the then-eighteen year old"

"Read it for me on speaker."

"The word of this Cure has spread like wildfire through the school. The Professor is concerned over the effect of Cure on the public as a whole with Magneto's constant attacks on mankind. I'm worried about the children seeing this as one kind of saving grace. There's nothing wrong with us. There's nothing to Cure about us. We are what we are. But not all of us will see it that way. I worry about Rogue in particular. She of all mutants would welcome having that which makes her so special taken away from her. She's come too close too many times to doing irreparable harm to another for her to want to keep her mutation if she has the option of getting rid of it.

We're all guilty of underestimating Rogue, myself included. The only one of us that has never taken her power for granted besides herself is Logan. The two of them are connected in some way. After Jean died for us all in Canada they became even stronger in their friendship until he left again. I fear without him here to council her, Rogue will take the "Cure" and lose herself in the bargain. She could very well be the most powerful mutant on the planet even if the Professor and the others refuse to see it inside of the quiet young girl.

Next entry:

The Professor has picked up a burst of mental energy coming from Alkali Lake. Despite the advice of others and the need for us to be together at this time while facing extinction, Scott has left for Canada to search Alkali Lake for Jean.

Next entry:

Logan has returned once again from his travels. Rogue was ecstatic as ever however has broken off her relationship with Bobby due to Logan discovering Bobby in a compromising position with Rogue's roommate Kitty. I'm afraid this will push Rogue even closer to taking the "Cure". With St. John's defection to the Brotherhood while with us in Canada at Alkali Lake, this has left Rogue with no friends of her own age. I fear her reaction when Logan leaves again.

Next entry:

We picked up another, larger, burst of mental energy from Alkali Lake however we have been unable to contact Scott. I will be piloting the Blackbird with Logan and Hank accompanying me to investigate matters there.

Next entry:

Dear Goddess Jean is alive. We found her in the remnants of Alkali Lake. The Professor is concerned about her mental state following the severe overuse of her abilities from keeping herself locked in a protective barrier of her powers deep within the lake for so long. He fears that the blocks he placed to keep her power in check have degraded and the effect on her mental state this might have. I believe Logan said it best. 'When you cage a beast, the beast gets angry.' I'm just happy to have my best-friend back.

Next entry:

Please Goddess give me strength and guidance. Jean has murdered the Professor and we know believe killed Scott as well. She no longer acknowledges herself as Jean Gray but rather as a being called 'The Phoenix'. Her power is…awesome and terrifying. She has joined Magneto and his Brotherhood for some purpose we have yet to discover. How am I supposed to lead the X-Men or be a guiding light for these children in the face of so many threats when my faith in everything good has been so tarnished?

Next entry:

I know now I was right to question whether I could do this, take up the Professor's cause and lead us forward. In the middle of everything going on Rogue just slipped through the cracks. She's gone, undoubtedly to take the 'Cure'. Now we have to pray that Logan can bring himself to face the demon that wears the face of the woman he loves because the only other mutant that could stop her has abandoned us to our fate after our willful neglect.

Next entry:

Tony stops JARVIS with a question.

"The Wolverine was in love with this Jean Gray? Our Wolverine?"

"So it would seem, sir."

Shaking his head in amazement at this hidden side of Wolvie while processing the new information on Rogue, Tony gave JARVIS the command to continue. No wonder everything about her screams both bitterness and power. From what JARVIS has found she's been feared and underestimated ever since coming into her power by everyone except herself and Wolvie. And Wolvie kept leaving her behind seemingly without a thought. Talk about trust issues, she just might be more fucked up than Tony himself. Might be more fucked up. Might.

"Forgive me, Goddess, for wishing this upon her. It appears that rather than seeking out the 'Cure' Rogue instead sought out an old friend. She sought out St. John aka Pyro and with his help joined the Brotherhood on Alcatraz Island. While everyone else was distracted, including myself, except for Logan who was facing off against Jean, Rogue and Pyro crept up behind her, allowing Rogue to grab hold of the Phoenix and siphon off her power. And that's when everything went wrong. The battle came to a standstill at the sight. Even now I have a hard time describing it.

It was as if the Phoenix ripped every power Rogue has ever absorbed out of her body and they were wrapped in a floating cocoon of powers, fire and ice, steel and pure energy, everything I could imagine. I've long thought Rogue was more powerful than the others wanted to believe but even I couldn't imagine this. Logan said afterwards that the Phoenix was trying to take Rogue over, hull her out like a canoe and replace her with herself. Only this time she would truly be unstoppable.

Jean always did underestimate Rogue.

In the end they collapsed in a burst of pure power. Jean died because she held onto Rogue until there was nothing of herself left in her own body. By the time she realized her folly there wasn't enough of her life force left to save her. So she forced Rogue to take it all, everything she was.

Logan revived Rogue in a heartbreaking display reminiscent of Liberty Island.

My Goddess, I will regret for the rest of my life that I wished this on Rogue.

Next entry:

Logan left today without a word to anyone. Not even Rogue.

It won't be long now until she leaves, whether to follow him or just to be somewhere else I don't pretend to know, but I am sure she will leave. She only speaks perhaps a dozen words a day and that's only when forced. Logan was the only one who might have had a chance to bring her back from the darkness Jean cast her into but he's too far lost in his own pain to have a care for Rogue's.

I fear for her every day. I fear each morning that this will be the day where I hear she's gone. I fear each night that come morning I will find her dead in her bed either from a broken heart or by her own hand – if such a thing is even possible with her power.

What shames me is I also fear her. I fear what will become of her if she survives this. I fear what not what she could do but what she will do.

Trials like those she has faced and overcome have broken many a woman.

If Rogue breaks and Logan is gone who will bring her back to herself?

If Rogue falls…who will save the rest of us from her?

That is the last entry detailing anything pertinent to Rogue except for a notation of the day she left, six-months following the last entry as Rogue told the Wolverine."

"Jesus." Tony breathes scrubbing his hands through his hair. "No wonder she's pissed. And I thought I've been through hell and back. If that's what's in the third-most protected file…I don't know if I even want to know what's in the last file."

"That may be a wise decision, sir." JARVIS said. "As I have not been able to completely decrypt that file, I am unsure as to the contents and am unable to advise you."

"JARVIS under no circumstances will you release any of this information to anyone but me. No one. Not even Pepper. Am I understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"Excellent." Tony blew out a breath. The lack of any real personal information in the files definitely tells him that Rogue is a supremely private woman. Fuck, no one even seems to know her real name. There's no fucking way he would ever have a chance with her if she found out he got his hands on this information and then passed it off to someone else.

No, whatever Coulson can dig up will have to be enough for Fury. He'll be damned if he'll fuck her over. If Fury got his hands on what are clearly some big-ass mutant community secrets Rogue would find herself in a cell on a permanent basis just out of Fury's blind need to lock up anyone that could possibly be a major threat if he can't find some way to control the.

Tony and everyone else who's ever come up against the Rogue are all no doubt well aware that she can't be controlled. It's not in her nature and something the Xavier School found out for themselves the hard way.

*x*x*x*x*x*

Rogue rolled her head on her shoulders, cracking her neck after going through all the little pitfalls in the Stark Tower security Remy helped her pinpoint and exploit when they were planning their op. She kept a couple that she didn't have to use to herself, just in case she needs a quick evac later but felt she kept up her end of the deal. She told them how she got in just not how she intends to get out.

There was something weird going on with these people.

She couldn't figure out if they were some kind of vigilante group like the X-Men or a government operation or a mercenary outfit or what-the-fuck.

They don't make any kind of sense to her.

They've got billionaire playboys rubbing elbows with stuffed-shirt federal agent-types. A pissy bald guy in an eye patch running around barking out orders and a huge guy with a hammer sparring with a real well built boy-next-door. And then there was Logan and the good Dr. Banner with his knock-out potion that he used on Rogue.

Not that it would work again.

Now that Viper's poison and the subsequent cancer is out of her system Logan's healing factor has kicked in with a vengeance. All of her absorbed powers are permanent after the Phoenix decided to try and take them for a test spin but Logan's has never worked at its full capabilities for some reason.

Probably because she seems to get injured so damned much.

The electrifying sense of being alive and powerful again was giving her an amazing buzz and the enhanced senses combined with it to make her feel like that time Remy kissed her until they both passed out.

She's just…alive after spending most of her time since manifesting her power in an omnipresent fog of guilt for one fucked-up situation after another.

David was an honest mistake but it took meeting Logan to get over it.

Then Logan and all of his baggage added to her own.

Liberty Island and almost destroying the world.

All of the missions where she picked up mind after mind and power after power all in the name of "the greater good."

Alkali Lake and losing John as a friend for a time.

Her life has been one shit-storm after another and it did its damnedest to kill her.

Nearly succeeded a handful of times.

But she's still here.

Now she just needs to figure out what the fuck to do with the rest of it now that she's all fixed up again. God knows she's not going back to the Manor and that's what Logan is going to be pushing as soon as he gets a chance. Thank god she's either been running around the building with Steve – sweet but too by-the-book for her sanity – or with Stark…

Stark. Now there's a man that's neither sweet or by-the-book. Something bothers her about how he looks at her though. At first it was pure curiosity mixed with a good dose of lust. She couldn't really blame him for either after all it isn't every day some woman dressed head-to-toe in tight leather breaks into his space and takes out one of the toughest guys on the planet. Then when she met him officially after Logan put the deal on the table, it was like he was sizing her up to put her under his microscope or something. Like he had something planned for her.

But now after working with him on the technical parts of the security system his curiousity has diminished to nearly nothing while something a lot like…well like has taken its place.

Stark looks at her like he wants her but like he wants to sit down and have a conversation or play chess after getting naked and sweaty with her.

Weird.

She's used to the "I want to get you naked" looks. She's not blind to her own appeal. She's pretty, with wild hair, long legs, and a stacked body. She's used to looks from appreciative to downright leering.

But "I want to get to know you" looks. No. Never. Not even Daken or Remy ever gave her those. She's too closed off, too in-your-face dangerous for that.

That doesn't seem to be stopping Stark though.

If anything it's egging him on.

*x*x*x*x*x*