Chapter Ten
Rogue had ran out of Magneto's room, out of his base and into the forest where she hurt herself punching trees and kicking them too. She needed to get rid of her rage some how though and it was the only thing she had without having eyes on her. Finally, when Rogue had tired herself out, she found herself sat by the river. Rogue breathed in deeply, then breathed out a sigh. The river was cool and calming. Nice and relaxing. Only, the strange thing was she felt like she'd been where she sat before. The sencery seemed familiar. Rogue looked around, then finally looked behind her and there she saw it. Magneto's large window and at his desk she saw Magneto. He was on the phone and Rogue read his body language as mad and outraged. Rogue knew that telling Magneto about the bases could ether go one of two ways. One, he could out the bases and anounce war, making all the world suffer, but he'd still be able to help the mutants that had been captured, or two, he might be able to get all the prisoners out and take down Sinister without a war. Rogue could only hope for the laterer. Rogue turned back to the river and tried to relax listening to the sound of gentle running water.
And then she heard it. A voice calling out to her. At first she thought it was the voices in her head. They had gotten free when she was taking her anger out on the trees, but she was sure ever since she had got to the river that she had got them under control. Then she heard it again in the distance. It was Pyro.
"Rogue." He was yelling. Rogue turned to see him. He was screaming out her name, looking for her.
Rogue didn't want to face anyone at the moment, got up and started to move down stream. Rogue looked once again to Magneto's window and caught the eyes of the now serious grey eyes. They shocked her for a moment. Kept her in place. She thought his eyes were blue. Blue when he was at ease. And grey when he was an emotionless monster. Rogue hated that look in his eye. She understood the rage he had, but it still scared her and hurt her to think that he had to go back to being that hard headed war planing machine after everything he's been through; still having a life of fighting and hiding just to stay alive with no happiness giving him reason to live, except the dream that his people will be free.
Rogue turned her head and continued walking far away from Pyro. Rogue had been walking for some time now, just following the river. It was starting to get dark and late and she was thinking of heading back.
"Well, well, well." Rogue froze. "Lookie what we have here." Rogue looked up to the sky and saw a woman stood on a tree branch looking down at her. Rogue knew the woman. She went by the name of Vertigo and her mutant powers did exactly that. Rogue felt the adrenaline rush into her veins and she was prepared to run, until she heard the crake of a branch from behind her. Rogue looked all around her. She was surround. To her left were two men. A man with long wavey white hair called Ruckus and the big bulky man next to him was named Georgious George. Behind her was a tall purple man known as Slab and to her right was another man known as Hairbag; a very hairy man who could be mistaken for a gorilla.
Rogue painiced. She looked around for any escape hole she could find, only she couldn't see any without having to go through a fight. Rogue looked around her and tried to think what the best course of action would be, It would be eaier to get past Hairbag, but then she knew Vertigo, Ruckus or Slab would stop her. She needed to go for one of them and try to get passed them. Rogue decided that, seeing as there was a straight clear pathway underneath her, to run forwards and underneath Vertigo. Rogue don't get far though before she was bombarded by the feeling of Vertigo and Ruckus' screams. Rogue feel to her knees screaming in pain. Pain for her bleeding ears and dizziness. The Vertigo was also making her voices in her head act up too, which was even more painful as past memories burst into her head. Rogue was in agnony.
Slab scooped her up and the ear ache and Vertigo stopped, but Rogue was still daze and captured. No, she couldn't be. Not again. Rogue began kicking and struggling as much as she could.
"Awww." Said Gorgous George as he came closer. All of them came closer. "That was easy."
"Yes it was. She didn't even put up much of a fight." Said Ruckus.
"But don't forgot we took her by suprize." Said Vertigo.
"We've took her by suprize before and she's still managed to get away." Said Ruckus.
"Stop doubting us Ruckus. We got her first time. Easy work. Easy money. No complaining. Let's go give her to Sinister." Said Hairbag.
"Oiy." Rogue stirred and opened her eyes to see Pyro not far off from them. "I'm only gonna tell you all once. Put her down and no one gets hurt."
There were some sniggers of laughter.
"I think we'll take our chances little boy." Said Vertigo.
Rogue watched as a devilish grin appeared on Pyro's face. Rogue began to panic and wished she could duck down. She knew exactly what Pyro was going to do. "Suit yourself."
And just like Rogue knew it was coming it happened. Pyro used the new improved lighter which was always in his hand and ready for use which Magneto had built him to throw fire at all of them, bending the fire so it missed Rogue as it hit Slab, and knocking them all back. Rogue went back with them, but felt Slabs grip loosen. Rogue made to roll out of his grip and crawl away. Pyro aimed his fire up to the sky and let it go as far up as he could. While he was focusing on getting his fire up in the air though, the Nasty Boys (as they were called) started to get up. Rogue spring to her feet, still feeling dizzy, but she made her way over to Pyro.
There were yells like "Stupid boy." Aimed at Pyro and he was suddenly being attacked by Vertigo and Ruckus. Rogue wanted to help him though she came to have her own problems. Hairbag and Gorgous Geoge had surrounded her. Hairbag attacked her first. Rogue thought back to her training with Mystique. Smoothly and quickly, just as Mystique had forced into her, Rogue dodged his punch with one movement and then intercepted him, going for his most vunerable week point. Hairbag was down on his knees choking from the low blow. As Rogue stood up, she felt a hand on her arm trying to restrain her. Rogue was quick in reacting though and just as she had been taught by Mystique, got out of the guy's hold and turned it around on him. Rogue then went to kick the back of his knees so Gorgous George fell down to the floor and before he could even reach behind him, Rogue knocked him down with a swinging kick to the head. That would keep those two down for a while, now she had to help Pyro.
As Rogue turned and began moving to where she had last seen Pyro, she was intercepted and a large hand wrapped around her waist again. She was lifted up into the air. Rogue tried to fight Slab, but it was hard. Unlike Gorgous George when he had held her, she couldn't kick or twist her way out of this. Rogue only seen one way. Rogue headbutted Slabbed hand and absorbed him. She felt Slab go weak and drop her.
Rogue was about to push out of his grip and make a run towards where she'd last seen Pyro when she felt increably dizzy. Rogue fell to her knees. Not again. Vertigo had stopped her from getting any further. The voices in Rogue's head screamed at her as she went down. Rogue couldn't even make out which way was down or up.
Something clicked around and a cool ring around her neck made her shiver. The vertigo lifted and Rogue was lifted up too. Slab had regained himself and now held Pyro and Rogue captive in either hand. Rogue looked around her, still dizzy and in pain by the voices, but she saw Pyro's limp body being held captive and saw the other Nasty Boy members gathering around them. Rogue closed her eyes and hung her head. The pain was too much.
"You satisfied now Gorgous?" Asked Ruckus.
Gorgous George growled at Ruckus. "Let's just go before anyone else decides to slow us down." Said Slab.
"I'm afraid you won't be going anywhere. Especially, not with my people." Rogue opened her eyes. She felt the world spin and her vision wasn't straight, but she looked around until she found the owner of the voice. Magneto. He was here. He was going to help them. And he had back up. Rogue noticed that behind him was the whole army of Brotherhood followers who were willing to fight to get them back.
"Sorry Magneto, but I'm afraid we will be leaving and we'll be taking your precious little Roguey with us. And your firebug too." Rogue's chin was gripped harshly by Vertigo and Rogue was forced to look at Vertigo, instead of Magneto."You see there's someone who's just dieing to see little Roguey here again," Vertigo smiled as she saw the flicker of fear in Rogue's eyes just like she wanted to see. She let go of her chin and continued talking to Magneto."and we have orders to make that happen. Now, we don't mind giving back your little firebug here, but the Rogue comes with us." Vertigo stroked Rogue's check with her gloved hand. Rogue tried moving away from Vertigo's tormenting touch, but she couldn't get too far.
Magneto's fist tightened. "There is no negotiating this! Either you will leave Rogue and Pyro with us and you may walk away with your lifes, or you die."
"Why do you care so much for one little girl Magneto?" Asked Ruckus. "She isn't apart of your Brotherhood, yet you're risking the life of someone who is apart of your cult to suffer for her. Don't you feel betreyed by that." Said Ruckus to Pyro, who had now come to. "Don't you feel betreyed by all the time and effort you've put in to support Magneto, and he's willing to risk you'ree life simply over a little girl who's only just recently come into his life? Don't you think you should question him and his priorities? " Ruckus turned to face all of Magneto's other followers. "Don't you all think you should question your leader?"
There was a quiet thinking silence. Rogue felt guilty and that this was all her fault. Ruckus' twisting ways were good and talented and Rogue knew from experience of having seen the effects of Ruckus' big mouth what'll happen. Rogue scarsly looked up to see what was happening, and to her suprize, Magneto looked unfazed. She saw some others around him question what Ruckus was saying, but others just stood still and unphazed, like Domino.
"If my followers believe that I am not worth following then they shall not follow me. But those who do believe in me as being their leader and whom back me will know that I will fight for them and will fight for our goal which is the freedom of all mutants. You may make my people question my leadership, but what all of them can see is that you intend to abuse your own kind. Strap us down to tables, cut us open and experiment on us. You have turned against your own kind and are just as bad as those who appose mutants. It does not matter how long or how little I have known the mutants you hold captive. The same fate will be perturbed on any mutant you capture. I made a vow to make this world a better place for mutants." Magneto lifted himself into the air. "And to do that I shall protect all mutants under my care. I will protect them from the violence and evils of the world and I shall protect them from you."
Metal spheres came from all around the forest. Rogue was unsure where the metal could even come from in the forest, but as long as she didn't have to go back with the Nasty Boys and was saved, she didn't care. Vertigo and Ruckus, put up a good defence and tried knocking Magneto out of the sky, but he protected himself with a magnetic force field and finally killed all of the Nasty Boys.
Pyro and Rogue were dropped to the ground. Slowly they both got up onto their knees then onto their feet. Rogue looked over to Pyro who looked back at her.
"You alright?" He asked.
Rogue nodded her head. "Yeah. You?"
"Yeah, I'm good." Said Pyro. Boom-boom came by Pyro's side, giving Rogue evil looks as she linked her arm with his and began leading him away.
"Oh Pyro." Rogue said, making Pyro stop walking away with Boom-boom and turn to look at her. "Thanks."
Pyro nodded his head then let Boom-boom pull him along. They followed behind the Brotherhood members who were all leaving to go back to camp. Rogue looked to her side and saw Domino was besides her. "You OK?" She asked.
"Yeah, I'm good. Just a little shaken up, that'll all." Rogue turned around to look back at the Nasty Boys. They all lay close together with their blood merging with each others and sinking into the ground. Rogue knew it was selfish what she was thinking, but just like when she killed the president, she was glad they were all dead. At least now they could never try to capture her again and take her, or any other poor innocent mutant. But seeing them here and willing to take her back again just made her think of the one man behind it. Sinister. He was still after her and he wasn't going to give up. If he hadn't given up after all this time, then he'd never give up. He was going to keep sending people after her to try and capture her and Rogue thought she might not always have the Brotherhood around to save her. Another question which puzzled her was how did they know where she was? It made her worry about all the other lives she had put in danger. Rogue began forming a plan in her head, and, as always, she was hating what she had to do.
"What's that?" Domino questioned. Rogue's attention was brought back to Domino who was pointing to the ring around her neck. Rogue reached up and touched it. As Rogue ran her gloved fingers around it, Domino watched her eyes expand and shock rise in her eyes. "Magneto." She called.
Magneto who had been watching everyone from up in the air where he hovered looked down towards Domino. She looked up to him, then indicated to Rogue with her head. Magneto flew down towards them. Rogue looked to be in a daze. Her eyes were wide and full of shock as she looked down at the Nasty Boy's bloody bodies. He saw that she was gently rubbing the band around her neck. "What is that?"
Rogue looked up to Magneto, brought out of her daze. Rogue wan't sure what to think of Magneto again. She had been getting over the fact that he had tried to kill her. She'd just accepted that he thought he was doing right and that he really didn't want to kill her, but he had to. She knew how that felt and although she'd never forgiven or forgotten it, she just learned to move on and live with it. Rogue didn't have a problem with him killing the Nasty Boy's at all either. But now she had to question wheather she should open up to him and tell him everything or leave. It was a hard choice, to open up to the man who had saved her from a life of hell or to push him away and not let him in. Which was the better course of action?
"I don't know. Do you know what it is Rogue?" Domino asked.
Rogue looked at Domino, then back at Magneto and then away from them again and at the Nasty Boys. She couldn't help but look at them. She had to look at them. Had to look at their dead corpse. Memories were coming back to her. Horrible horrible memories, involving them and she needed to know those memories weren't likely to repeat themselves ever again. She had to be sure that the Nasty Boys were dead and the only way to do that was to look at their bloodly bodies. Rogue zoomed out from having to answer that question about the collar. The collar brought back other memories too. Memories she didn't want to think about, but was being forced to think about. By looking at the Nasty Boys though, they brought up other nasty memories, one's which were easier to bury though as they were dead.
"Come Rogue." Rogue felt a strong hand on her shoulder. A familiar firm palm. The weight of it on her shoulder seemed heavier than it was, but that weight made her feel like she was sinking into a nice warm bubble bath. It was comforting and warm. A warmer and nicer thought away from the bloody memories. Rogue, although she didn't realise she was doing it, started to fall back a little as if she really was sinking into that bath. A firm strong body was behind her and stopped her from falling, but he was warm and comforting, just like the warm water. It was firm and made things more real. Made the peace more real. Rogue closed her eyes, and althought she didn't know that she was passing out, she felt like she was being embrassed by a nice warm bubble bath as she was lifted off her feet and the warm water wrapped all around her body.