Chapter Eight
Rogue had gone to the wreck room where all the other mutants were watching the news. Rogue's anger suddenly increased as she watched the news.
"And the next candidate who wishes to compete for your votes is Doctor Nathanial Essex." Said the guy on the TV.
There were claps for him as he came on stage with his skin painted peach and his black hair covering the red diamond in the middle of his fore head. He had contacts in and was dressed up in a black suit. Just seeing that twisted horrible evil smile of his made Rogue shiver and shake with fear and anger. She couldn't stomach to see this any longer. Rogue turned on her heels and left the enterance to the wreck room. She stormed down the corridors and stormed out of the building. The tention was raising in her the further she got and the more she held it in, but where ever she looked there were people there. She didn't want people to see her. She couldn't cope with people seeing her. She didn't want their judgements about her. She just wanted out. And as soon as she got outside, Rogue began running in the forest. She ran and ran and ran until the tight burn in her chest was too tight and painful that she couldn't take it anymore. Rogue let out an agronising scream and fell to her knees as she let it escape her. Birds flew up out of their trees and other land animals ran for cover too. Rogue's breathing was ruggid and heavy, but she felt freer. She felt somewhat freed.
But not fully. Rogue held her head as horrrible flashes of memories passed. She hated the memories. Hated them. She could feel the pain of each and every one of them and how they made her sick. Hot tears started to form, but Rogue thought back. She wiped roughtly at her eyes and thought to pick herself back up and get back on with her life now. She wasn't a prisoner now and she didn't need to fear him. He had no idea where she was or who she was with. He couldn't hurt her if he didn't have her and he didn't. Finally, Rogue picked herself up on shakely legs and began looking around her.
She had lost herself in the forest. Rogue thought that if she just turned around and went straight back up then she'd find the base. But then Rogue though of all those strangers eyes on her as she passed and how she'd only end up locking herself in her cell like room anyway. Instead of going back, Rogue turned around and kept going forwards. Not sure where she was going or what she was doing. Rogue just kept going until she came to a river. The river wasn't big, but it wasn't small. It was a nice steady one that she reckonised as being the one from Magneto's window.
She looked around her, but couldn't see Magneto's window, so she figured she must be a little more up stream. Rogue sat at the edge of the lake, deciding to take her shoes and socks off so she could put her feet into the cold water. It numbed because it was cold, but other than that, the water felt nice. It reminded Rogue of the first home she'd ever had back in Mississipi. She used to have a den next to the river where she would play and hide and no one knew about it because it was her secret and her sceret alone.
"Hey."
Rogue turned around to look behind her. It was Pyro. He was walking out of the forest, hands in his jeans and casually walking over.
"Hi." Rogue said. She wondered why he didn't look at her in anger like he usually did. "What's up?"
"Nothing really. Heard a scream. Thought I'd come check it out. Was that you?"
"I thought you were showing Magneto something?"
"I was, but the show finished. Nothing else I could do except leave the big man to come up with another plan."
"He's making a plan to kill the new candidates for president."
"You got a problem with that?" Pyro asked.
Rogue knew her answer, but thought what could happen if she gave her true answer to Pyro. Finally she shuck her head, "No."
"Good, 'cause if you were to have a problem, you'd probley get hate about it from the other Brotherhood members. You don't seem to be getting along with any of them at the moment. Well, none except Mystique, but even then she's kicking your arse up an down the gym."
Pyro had come to sit down next to Rogue, which she found strange. "We're not fighting. She's training me. That's all."
"Yeah and your getting your butt handed to you every time."
"Well what do you expect? I've only just started fighting. She's been fighting for years-"
"Whoa, whoa, calm down sparky. I was just teasing. I know you're only training. Gee, keep you hair on." Pyro noticed that something about that comment hurt Rogue and she looked back to the river with hurt in her eye. "Sorry, just, people around here are used to me taking the mick you know? But, then again, you don't really get on with the people around here do you?" Pyro jumped up to his feet. "Tell you what, how 'bout I introduce you to some people you can befriend and eat meals with at lunch?" He held his hand out to Rogue.
Rogue looked to Pyro's hand, then looked up to his eyes. She knew Pyro and knew he liked pranks and jokes. She looked into his eyes for any tell. There was none. Rogue wanted to believe he was being friendly. She did, but it just wasn't like him. Though, she hadn't known him for over a year. Maybe she should give him a chance. Rogue gave a light hearted smile, as awkward and unused as it was, she placed her hand in his and he helped her to her feet.
Pyro led them back to the base as he knew the way much better. Rogue stayed right behind him as he led them back into the base. Rogue felt awkward holding Pyro's hand and they were getting strange looks as they walked passed people. She tried pulling her hand out from his, but he kept a firm grip on her hand.
Pyro took Rogue into the wreck room, heading towards the sofa where the people he was sat with before were at. The people who hated Rogue for getting straight into the metal base.
"Pyro." Rogue said pulling him to a holt. "They don't like me."
Pyro shrugged. "They don't like anyone. You just gotta stick your head up and defend yourself. Come on."
Rogue didn't get to say anything more. They were stood before the others before Rogue could object again.
"Hey." Pyro said, letting go of Rogue's hand and dropping down on the sofa. The others ignored Pyro and glared at Rogue. Rogue meet each and every one of their eyes then looked back to Pyro, folding her arms where she stood. "Well don't say hi back then." Pyro said.
"What's she doing here?" Said a girl with blond hair to her shoulders.
"Everyone this is Rogue. Rogue this is everyone. You all play nicely together now like good little children."
"Can it Pyro! You're not welcome here." Said a blue skinned mutant with a darker blue patch over her eye to Rogue.
"Well apparently I am as Magneto hasn't kicked me out yet." They all looked to her, irritates in their eyes.
"That's not what I meant." Said the blue mutant.
"I know. And I also know you don't like me 'cause I'm a newbie. Well guess what." Rogue moved to sit down on the sofa next to Pyro. "I really couldn't care less." Pyro had a smuggle little grin on his face as he altered himself so Rogue had more of a place to sit and he wrapped his arm around the back of the sofa behind her.
Rogue, on the other hand, was putting on a show. It was easy to be defensive when people were asking her questions and trying to break her, but she found it was harder trying to enforce herself on other people. She seemed to be doing well though.
The blue mutant raised her eyebrow. "Well then, I can see why Pyro invited you over. You're just as big headed as him. Becareful where you step though hunny. You never know who you might end up pissing off with that attitude."
"Wait, we're just gonna let her sit here? Just like that." The girl with blond hair clicked her fingers. "Dom, she took the room that should have been yours."
The blue mutant shrugged her shoulders. "I know, but remember luck is always on my side. Must be a good reason why I didn't move into that room. Am I right?"
"The room's very cramped and there's hardly any space to move. And it gets very hot at a night time since there's no window to open."
"Told ya." The blue mutant said with a smile on her face to the blond. The blue mutant looked back to Rogue. "I'm Domino by the way. This is Boom-boom." Boom-boom rolled her eyes, got up and walked away. "Don't worry about her. She's a little more touchy than us. She'll come back once she calms down."
"Yeah, I don't really care if she doesn't like me or not. Only reason I came over here was 'cause of him."
"Hey, don't shot the guy who's made you a new ally." Pyro said, putting his hands up in the air.
"We're not allies yet Pyro. Don't go counting your sheep." Domino said to Pyro.
"Don't need to. Don't have any."
Both Rogue and Domino rolled there eyes. "So, why are you here?"
"I'd think Pyro had told you all about my crazy antics by now." Rogue looked to Pyro out of the corner of her eye and then back to Domino.
"Believe me, Boom-boom pestered and pestered, but he wouldn't budge. So tell me. Why are you here?"
Rogue looked from Domino to Pyro and saw that Pyro's smile had dropped. He hadn't told them that she was some kind of creepy stalker or just plan weird from saying she had been in a past he can't remember. She wondered why. "Just..."
"You killed the president too, hmmm. How was that like?"
Rogue looked up to meet Domino's eyes. Then looked away. "Truthfully. It was soul destorying. Mind ripping. Gut renching... It changed me. Changed who I was and who I thought I was... But in away, I already knew I'd changed...Shoting the president was just the final bult to awake me and then I meet Magneto and things just all came together and made sense. I knew who I was and I just... I just joined up with the Brotherhood. First kill. "Rogue added at seeing Domino's raised eyebrow.
"Hmmm, well, that was insightful." Domino said, an awkward silence hanging in the air. Rogue was serious in what she had said. Everything else that she thought made sense in her life had finally changed and from that moment nothing made much sense until Magneto found her and his ideology gave her hope and understanding. Ever since getting kicked out of the X-Men, things had happened to her. Bad things. A lot of bad bad things. Things that had broken her and were slowly changing her still till finally she'd snapped. She thought it was the moment she decided and planned how to kill the president, but it wasn't. It was when she actually killed another life. It was hard, but it proved a point within her. It showed her darker side. It showed that she was really willing to do things she would never normally do for her sake and the rest of mutant kind.
"So, how'd you two meet?" Domino asked. Her question brought Rogue out of her deep thinking.
"At Xaveirs. Rogue used to go to the stupid place too only I hardly ever saw her so I didn't know she existed till a few days ago. Meet her in the corridors, started talking to her and thought I'd introduce her instead of having her walking around thinking she wasn't apart of the Brotherhood. After all, we all look out for each other here. One for all and all for all and what not here with us."
Rogue and Domino laughted at Pyro's stupid impression of being a musater.
"Was he always this dumb when you knew him?"Domino asked.
Rogue had an evil smile craft her face. "Oh no." Said Pyro.
Both girls started laughing again.
"He wasn't that bad, although he wasn't that good either. I remember this one time, we were out on a school trip, and these boys came over to us and asked Pyro for his lighter, only Pyro started teasing them and when they finally snatched it off him, he made one of their cigarettes blow up in a boy's face."
Both Domino and Rogue laughted. But Rogue noticed the stiffeness of Pyro besides her. When she looked to him, Pyro seemed a bit taken back. "You were there for that?" He asked.
Rogue's laughter was lost and her face sank. That was another memory she wasn't apart of. Rogue looked away from Pyro then stood up. "Well, I think I'm gonna go get a shower then go bed. I'm pretty tired after having Mystique kick my arse this morning. It was nice meeting you Domino. Sorry for taking your room."
"Don't worry about it." Said Domino. "Be seeing you round then."
"Yeah. Be seeing you." And Rogue left them.
XXXXX
It was late and Rogue was lay down on her back looking up to the dark bedroom ceiling. She'd woken up from another nightmare. There was no light at all in her room. She let her eyes adjust to the darkness. Rogue had been thinking of Xaveir's mansion again and going through all the events that had happened to her since she'd been kicked out. Images of Dr Essex or Sinister as she knew him came to mind. Very horrible imagies. Untill finally Rogue couldn't stand it anymore and went in search for a distraction once again.
Rogue left her room and started wondering the empty corridors. She already knew how to get around, so by the time she had walked every corridor, she thought she had mastered her way around.
Rogue ended up coming out into the cafeteria again. Rogue was feeling a little thristy and thought to get some food too. So Rogue walked through the cafe and into the connected kitchen and made herself a coffee and two pieces of toate with jam on them.
When Rogue came out of the kitchen to sit at one of the tables, she was suprized to find Magneto was already sat at one. They locked eyes from across the cafe. Rogue felt like the child who had been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. "Midnight feast I see." Rogue looked down to the cup and plate of toate. She hoped she really wasn't in trouble for taking food. "It's good to see you willingly eat." Rogue looked up from her food to look into Magneto's eyes. They were calm cool and gentle. Rogue decided that she didn't have to avoid him and went to sit down opposite him. "What are you doing up so late Rogue, or should I say early? It's four o'clock in the morning, again."
Rogue shrugged her shoulders as she picked up her toate. "Guess we're both just early risers." And she bit her toast. Moments past where neither said anything to the other. After swollowing her toast Rogue asked, "Nightmares again?" In a very calm and gentle voice.
Magneto seemed to lose his ease. "You know of what I dream Rogue?"
Rogue nodded and tapped the side of her head. "I have your memories too... I sometimes, wake up from your nightmares... Was it about your mother's death again?" Magneto didn't answer, instead he looked behind Rogue and held out his arm as a metal mug of coffee came to his hand. "I...I don't know how you cope with it. I had to have the Professor block most of your memories off, but... Sometimes they still come back. It's no wonder why you fight so hard to make sure mutants don't go through the same fate."
Rogue put down her toast and suddenly didn't feel like eating. "The memories never go away, but what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger and I, my dear, intend to grow stronger with each passing day until I die."
Rogue looked back up to Magneto who watched her as he supped his coffee. "You know, your moma would be proud of you right?"Magneto removed his eyes from her and placed down his cup. Rogue reached across the table, cupping her hand around his as he had done to her before."Of everything you've accomplished and tried to do. Somethings you know she would have smitten you for them, but what you've become after such tragic events... She can defently rest in peace." Rogue had somewhat of a sad face as she said such moving words. Magneto couldn't meet her eye for the time. Rogue compared herself to Magneto and thought of all the tragic events she had been apart of. She skulled herself for not even coming up close to being or doing anything amazing as Magneto had done. She felt Magneto shift his hand under hers. She thought she had overstepped the line, but instead Magneto held her hand tightly in his. She looked up to him, his blue eyes hard and strong.
"Thank you Rogue." He said, squeezing her hand tightly. There was a moment shared between them where neither looked away. Where Rogue saw new found strengh and hope in Magneto's eyes, Magneto still saw the pain and torture in hers. "It seems unkind for you to know so much about me, yet I know so little about you and what is making you upset. Please tell me Rogue, why do you look so sad?"
Rogue turned her head away from Magneto and drew back her hand. She picked up her toast and took another bit out of it.
Magneto stiffened. "Why do you refuse to tell me how you survived on your own? I take it there is a reason that cannot be a good one."
Rogue looked up to meet his eyes. "There are things about me I'm not ready to share yet. It was you're own choice to take a risk with me and you knew the consequences."
"Indeed, I did. So, it is an issue of trust."
Rogue turned back to eating her toast. "It's not to be unexpected. After all betreyed by first your family for them finding out what you are, and then being turned away from the X-Men, a place you thought you could turn into a home."
Rogue put down her toast and looked back up to Magneto. "Yeah, not to meantion that you can't seem to trust anyone in life. Not even you." She picked up her coffee and took a sip of it.
"Indeed not me. I'm a man with a goal and will do anything to achieve it. At least you know that I am not to be trusted. However, they always say it's the innocent one's you have to becareful of. But you're not as innocent anymore are you? Tell me Rogue, what was your goal in killing the president?"
Rogue went silent and looked down to her toast. How did he know to ask what she was just thinking about? Why did he have to pick at that? It only reminded her of things. Things she didn't want to think about. "Rogue?" Asked Magento.
Rogue looked up to meet his questioning gaze. She gave an attempt at a smile then stood up. "I best go catch up on as much sleep as I can before my session with Mystique. If not then she'll kill my arse easier than usual. Good morning." And Rogue started to walk off, taking her plate and cup into the kitchen so she could clean them.
"I'm afraid Mystique won't be able to teach you're class this morning."
Rogue stopped and turned to look at Magneto. "Huh?"
"I've sent her on a mission. She is not here."
"Oh." Rogue said rather quietly and disapointedly. "OK." Her fighting classes with Mystique seemed to be the only thing she looked forwards to while she was here. Rogue might of made a new ally in Pyro and Domino, but they still asked questions and reminded her of things she didn't want to think about. Same with Magneto actually. There was no one else she could turn to and nothing else she could do around the base. "For how long?" Rogue asked.
"I'm afraid I don't know. It depends how fast Mystique can... Finish her mission."
"What's the typical amount of time she spends away on these...Missions you set her?"
"About a week."
"Oh." Rogue said again quietly. She could picture her days going by slowly and lonely in that little box cell. Maybe she could explore the forest to keep herself entertained. But apart from that she wasn't sure what she was going to do. Rogue turned to leave.
"I hear you have rekindled your relationship with Pyro again and befriended Domino. Does this mean you won't be joining me for tea from now on?"
Rogue turned around with a puzzled, amused look on her face. "How'd you know about that?"
"Word travels fast and it is always useful to know what is happening amoungest the people who are working for you so you can preditic and prepare for the dramas awaiting to unfold. So, will you join me for tea?"
Rogue was a little bewildered by that question. "Do you mean join you for a cup of coffee or me eating and you drinking coffee?"
"If you have not eaten again then food and coffee it shall be?"
"When do you eat?" Rogue felt like it was a personal and strange question to ask, but she thought it funny. She hadn't once seen him eat anything. She found it funny to picture the 'bad guy' eating food at all.
"Four."
Rogue raised her eyebrow. "In your office?"
"Yes."
"Why do you eat away from people?"
"I find eating with others is more of a social gathering; paying more attention to the actual person you are with than eating the food you are suppose to be eating. And I find talking too much over a meal ruins it."
Rogue nodded her head. "So you wouldn't want company then?"
"If you wish to join me an hour earlier than you can do."
"Maybe that'll be best. Least if you're not talking you can't ask me any questions."
"Perhaps." Rogue smiled and turned around to finish walking to the kitchen. "I will find out what is troubling you my dear. It can't all be down to just the X-Men."
Rogue stopped and looked over her shoulder at Magneto. "You can try sugar. You can try." And then she dissapeared into the kitchen.