Chapter Twenty-Two

Rogue had stood by and watched them all leave. It had been hard to get them all around to agree to her plan, but she'd done and said whatever it took to get them to do as she needed. In the end she had gotten her own way.

Now it was time for Rogue to bored the X-Jet with all the others. Their numbers had grown a little, but they needed more, Rogue knew. So, she had planned three prison breaks and splite the team into three. They dropped off the first team at the first base, the second team at the second base and Rogue stayed on the plan as it travelled the furthest to the last camp they were going to hit tonight. Rogue had told them all there was a possibility that the camps would be empty and there would be no mutants in the cells and if that was the case then they were to dodge all the traps and blow up the building. Rogue had gone through all the buildings hiding places, traps and also all that she didn't know about the bases. They were all to attack at the same time. And all were to get back in there own way. The last group had the X-Jet, the second group had a lot of teleports and other talented mutants who were good at escaping. They would be able to hold off until the X-Jet got there to pick them the last group, which had been the biggest, had planned to keep half their members outside that could attack the building long range and get the others out of there safely and quickly. They also had a truck which Wolverine was drinking up to that base which would be their escape wagon.

Rogue looked over her last group. She wasn't expecting where they were going to be full of mutants, but guards that might be able to give up information. On her team was Magneto, Jean Grey, and Cyclopse. The Professor and Emma were with one of the two other groups so they could all keep in contact with each other and, Rogue had told them, to use their mind reading skills on the higher up guards to learn more about where other camps were. Rogue didn't want to give them much to make them think they were in control though and told them that even after they got the information it would be useless as Sinister will rearrange the camps and move prisoners. They did ask what the point was but Rogue had said any bit of information would help and it would (help her). Rogue was playing a very very dangerous game. Not only playing Sinister's games and war, but also playing with the X-Men. Rogue had to be very very careful of very thing that was happening.

Rogue looked over to Magneto. She wondered if what she was doing was right. There was a reason she knew this camp would be empty and she wondered if he was ready for this

Rogue jolted as she felt a sudden flash of pain in her head.

"Are you alright?" Asked Magneto from besides her. He had noticed Rogue had been distant and in deep thought, and he'd also noticed her flinch.

Rogue opened her eyes and looked up at him. She nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just...the voices in my head have started to play up for some reason. It was the truth, the voices in Rogue's head were beginning to yell at her all at once, but she didn't understand why or what they were saying. She'd been able to keep them quiet so far, why were they playing up now? This headache went on for a long time.

"We're here." Said Cyclopse, whom was driving the plan.

Cyclopse landed the Jet were Rogue had told him to and she were undetected. When they got out of the Jet, Rogue led the way into the forest. Rogue kept her eye on Magneto, waiting for any sort of reaction. Rogue was just about to move forwards when Jean said, "Stop, there are people ahead."

They all stopped. Rogue looked to Jean then looked back to the trees and bushes that were blocking their view. This was the only way Rogue knew into the base that wouldn't be undetected. Sinister must have figured out her game plan and prepared for her. Rogue told the others to wait as she crouched down and peeked through the bushes to see that there were about three guards outside, surrounding the grid. Rogue tried to think like Sinister. These were only three guards that could be taken down easily. He must have had some other tricks up his sleeve. Rogue looked around and spotted Sinister's trick.

"Magneto, there are camera's in the trees. They're most likely recording the guards and if anything happens to them, the people watching them will set off an alarm."

"Oh great, so how'd we get in now then?" Asked Cyclopse.

Rogue looked from one to the other and thought of the only thing that would lessen the attention of them entering this side. "We're gonna need a distraction."

XXXXX

Rogue had had to alter her plans, but not by much. Cyclopse and Jean were to wait for the signal and then they were to take out the guards and the camera's which Magneto had pointed out all considering they were metal and meta; was his thing. After that they were to enter, being careful to take out all the guards they saw and to go free the prisoners. Rogue had told them the directions and said that her and Magneto would be joining them soon. Which she planned to. Her original plan was that it be Cyclopse and Magneto to make this distraction, only she didn't know they would be together and she had an idea what was coming with Magneto. And when that time came, she wasn't sure how she was going to handle the situation herself.

Rogue looked back to Magneto. He was eyeing up the base, strangly. "You OK, sugar?" Rogue asked.

He looked at Rogue as if he'd only just noticed her. "I'm perfectly fine my dear. Ready."

Rogue shuck her head as she saw his posture change and saw that he was readying himself.

"OK then, let's do our bit." Rogue looked around at all the metal fences and doors around the building. She smiled, deviously. "Tell me Erik, just how much metal can you feel here?"

Magneto grinned back at her. "My dear, I do believe you are forming an evil side."

"Perhaps. But I'm not the one going to create a evil monster. Whenever, your ready Erik. Let loose."

Magneto stepped forwards, in front of Rogue and took it all in. Took in the music of the metal and it's melody. He felt it all under his grasp, closing his eyes and listening to it was like heaven. So when he opened his eyes, he changed that melody to hell. Twisting and pulling at the metal, all that he could feel and molding it together so that it formed a gigantic metal beast that towered high over the base and the trees. The guards trembiled in fear as their guns left their hands and they were faced with destruction. The metal monster just kept growing and growing the closer it got to the base. Magneto had designed the monster to look like a man, with two legs, two arms and a head.

Rogue smiled wildly at the monster as it stomped forwards and with one big step, crushed the enterance to the base in one go. Rogue began laughing as the monster swung it's arms and knocked down more of the building. There was their enterance. Rogue looked to Magneto and saw for the first time that he looked tired. The control over the monster was taking a lot out of him. Rogue came towards him, seeing him sweat. He wouldn't be able to keep this up for much longer. Rogue reevaluated their situation. They had been spotted and now the guards were running towards them with plastic guns and, what Rogue feared most, plastic collars.

Magneto fell onto one knee and Rogue knew they were in trouble. He couldn't see the soliders running up hill towards them and he couldn't see that his monster was slowing down. If Magneto didn't do something soon, then they were both going to get collars around their necks and sent back inside.

Rogue did the only thing she could think of. She ran forwards, taking off her gloves and touched Magneto. It hurt only a little. Magneto collapsed and Rogue now had full control over the metal beast which had stopped and frozen. Using Magneto's powers, Rogue made the beast turn around and walk towards them. She could feel how hard it was to keep control of this beast. It felt like there was a car above her head and she was trying to push it up to stop her from falling on her. The pressure was too much to handle without a break.

Rogue paniced as she saw the beast wouldn't make it to them in time. She had to think and think fast. But apparently, she didn't have to think so hard as Magneto had seen the same danger she had and using what little strengh he had, pulled parts of the metal monster away and sent mental gun and doors flying at the soliders; killing them as the metal sliced through them.

Rogue still kept the monster coming towards them though. It was no longer safe where they were. They needed to escape and get out of range. Rogue tried to control the monster which was getting heavier and heavier until she made it get close enough, it got down onto one knee and moved it's hand out towards them. Rogue fell to her knees, too tired to keep control of the beast for any longer.

"Come on my dear. No turning back now." Magneto said, as he came to Rogue's aid. He took Rogue by the waist and hand and guided her ontop the metal monsters hand. Magneto retook over his monster, making it turn and return back to the base.

"Jean..." Rogue tried saying, but found herself breathless. "Jean and Cyclopse should be inside by now. We... We should join them."

"Agreed." Magneto said.

He was getting tired again, Rogue saw, but she knew she couldn't drain him again. Not yet. She wouldn't be able to carry him and take down all these soliders on her own. Magneto, however, managed to get them to the heart of the base without too much trouble. He made the monster put them down on the floor and cover them, forming a large metal dome around them to protect themselfves.

"Come on." Rogue said, as she came to Magneto's side. She took his arm, wrapping it around her neck and lead him down the stairs which led to the cells and they moved quickly, coming across layed out bodies which they guessed were Jean's and Cyclopse's doing. Soon they reached the cells to find half the mutants were already out. Rogue looked to Magneto as he looked around wided eyed. She saw that now he realised where they were. Rogue put Magneto down against a wall and told him, "I'll come back for ya." He looked to her, and she saw that lost little boy from back during World War 2. The scared little boy who didn't understand what was going on and why he was being treated so badly. Rogue looked down at him, symperthicly, gently stroking his check. The quick absorbtion of her powers kicked in and made him weaker. He seemed to relax and calm a little under her touch. She didn't want to see him in pain, but she knew that he'd want to be the one to bring this camp down just as she wanted to be the one to bring down the camp that inslaved her and the man wo totured her. She understood his pain.

She left Magneto by the door as she turned and went straight down the hallway to one spersific door. Rogue forced it open using Magneto's powers and looked inside. There was the colourful girl she and Magneto had saw when they hid in her cell. Rogue gave a light hearted smile towards the little girl. She was in the same position as last time. Shaking in the corner of her room. Rogue approached her and knelt down in front of her. "Hey there sweetie. You're name wouldn't happen to be Jen, would it?" The little girl nodded her head and Rogue's smile grew kinder. "Well then Jen. How's 'bout we get you reunited with your papa, huh? He's been lookin' all over for ya, never stopping till he finds ya. So, you ready to go?"

The little girl's eyes exploded and her breath got heavier. It was an awkward smile she gave Rogue, but when she jumped forwards into Rogue's arms, Rogue saw the little girl couldn't be happier to escape this hell whole. Rogue lifted the girl up in her arms, telling her to be careful not to touch her skin as she left the cell.

When Rogue came out of the cell she was suprized and rather pleased to see that Magneto had recollected himself and had saved them time by opening up all the cells. Rogue looked to Magneto and smiled. He looked like a man on a mission with his fire relit. Rogue couldn't be happier to see that determination and fighting spirit which she thought had left Magneto for a while why they had been at the base.

Jean and Cyclopse finished gathering up all the badly injuried mutants and they all left, heading towards the tunnel Jean and Cyclopse had come down out of. Only, as they all arrived at the ladders and mutants began climbing up them, Rogue saw that Magneto wasn't with them. She looked around, panicking. Where was he? Rogue moved to Jean, giving the little girl over. "Jean, have Cyclopse go up top and make sure it's safe first before any other mutant. They don't have their powers to fight like we do. Here, take care of this one. I'll be back Jen. I just gotta go find Magneto."

Jean nodded and watched Rogue run off down the corridor. Rogue was running back towards the way she and Magneto had come in, when she noticed that there was another hallway she could take. Te doors had been ripped down and she guessed that that was the way Magneto had gone. Rogue ran down that corridor, following all the destoried doors and dead guards until she finally came to where Magneto had come. To the experiment room.

Rogue was just in time to watch Magneto cut the doctors head off with one of his own surgery tools. Rogue looked around the room seeing dead bodies everywhere, until her eyes came to the table with a mutant boy strapped down to it. He was crying and looked in pain. Rogue moved towards the child, unstrapping him and picking him up, warning him too not to touch her skin. She turned to see where Magneto had got to to see that he was on the Doctor's computer. A file came up on the huge screen and it had a picture of him on it with all the information they had found out about him besides it.

"Erik?" Rogue called in a gentle voice, but Magneto was enragged. He slammed his fists down on the computer and it burst into flames. Magneto destoried the computer with his bare hands after that, physically ripping the machine apart. Rogue causiouly moved towards him, slowly placing her hand on his shoulder. "Erik." She called again.

He stopped under her touch. Falling to his knees, defeated and tired. "Erik." Rogue called again.

He held up his hand to silence her. "I am alright. Go, escape with the others."

"Erik-"

"Go!" He yelled.

"Erik, where's the lab where they keep all the mutant DNA?" Rogue said. Seeing the computer made her remember what she had forgotten and now she was determined to distroy every mutant file here they had.

Magneto looked up to her, a dangerous spark in his eye. He got up off his knees and marched forwards, passing through the untouched doors in the experiments room and into the next room which held all of the medical files. Apparently that wasn't all it held. As Magneto's eyes searched the shelves, he saw it. Rogue watched from behind Magneto as he was reunited with one thing he'd openly admit he loved. His red helmet. He reached out for it with his powers and brought it back to him. He'd missed his helmet. Magneto took his time, enjoying the weight of the thing as he placed it upon his head. Then his inner rage came out once again. Rogue watched as Magneto destroyed every last one of those files by ripping down the metal shelves and somehow setting them on fire. It must have been mixed chemicals that started the fire.

When he was finished, Rogue saw how tired he felt all his emotions as well. Magneto might of thought he looked weak being down on his knees, tired from all his hard work, but she saw the strongest man she had ever meet in her life. She admired this man. Magneto looked up to Rogue from where he knelt, not feeling inferiour of her seeing him weak on his hands and knees. But he felt her. He felt her strengh and her belief in him and her admiration. When he looked to her, seeing her somehow helped him. And it did, some how. It made him feel... Safe. Protected. Calm. Warm. Loved. Magneto felt that he could be the most beaten down man on this planet, yet, if he looked to Rogue, she'd still see him as the same strong man she knew he was standing tall in front of her. Seeing her and having her with him was something he wasn't going to take for granted.

Then Magneto watched as the person who had been the one to make him feel this strong and good about himself went down, screaming in pain. A solider or a few had found them and shot Rogue from behind when they saw her standing in the door way. They shot her in the lower gut and Rogue fell forwards screaming in pain.

Magneto's rage exploded. Magneto grasped onto any metal he could and throw it at the soliders, chopping them all into little pieces. Magneto came to Rogue's side, turning her over on to her back. She still had hold of the child who was unharmed, but had been knocked out as his head had hit the floor. Rogue's face was twisting in pain. "That the boy!" She said to Magneto. He looked from the boy who was unharmed by the gun shot to Rogue who was bleeding heavily. "Take him!" She screamed at Magneto as she pushed the boy towards him.

Magneto had to make a decision. Magneto pushed the boy back down onto Rogue's chest, then, moved his arms under Rogue's neck and legs. He slowly, lifted the two up in his arms, focusing on the support and strenght of the metal around him. He carried Rogue and the little boy out from the experiments room and back to the tunnel which they were going to use to escape. He had to use a lot of support from the metal around him to keep him going.

Finally, he reached the ladders where he found a problem. All the mutants had escaped, including the two X-Men which was good, however, Magneto knew he was going to find it a struggle getting both Rogue and the boy up the ladders.

"Magneto." Magneto looked up to see the voice had come from Cyclopse.

"A little assistance would be appreshiated." Magneto said.

Cyclopse slid down the ladders and Magneto stepped back. Cyclopse turned around seeing both Rogue and the little boy curled up together in Magneto's arms. "Take the boy, he's just unconsious."

"What about Rogue?" Cyclopse asked.

"Shot." Magneto said in utter disguest.

"You sure you'll be able to carry her?"

Magneto looked down at Rogue. Her eyes were closed now and her face was pressed into his chest. He could feel she was still alive, but she needed medical treatment. "Fine, take Rogue and get her to saftey. I'll handle the boy."

Cyclopse took Rogue from Magneto, then throw her over his shoulders which caused Rogue to moan a little. Magneto's eyes widened as his temper fleared at how rough Cyclopse was being with Rogue. "Sorry." He said as he began climbing the ladder. Magneto followed up the ladder.

They weren't in the clear yet though as there were sill soliders aiming and shoting guns. Cyclopse stopped, gasping as he was half way out of the tunnel with Rogue when he heard the gun shots. The shots that should have hit him, bounced off an invisable wall though. "Hurry Scott." Called Jean in his mind.

Cyclopse didn't need to be told twice. He climbed up the rest of the way and made a run for the helicoptor with Magneto shortly behind.

In the helicoptor, Cyclopse put Rogue down on the floor and Magneto placed the boy besides her. "Did you set the bomb?" Magneto asked Cyclopse and Jean. They both nodded their heads. "Good, then lets not be here when it goes off."

Cyclopse hurried to the controls of the helicoptor and began lift off. Jean still reflected bullets long enough for them to get away. Magneto's attention was drawn to Rogue though. He moved to the back of the helicoptor, finding a first aid kit and moved back to Rogue. He cleaned out her wound and was just about to wrap up her wound with a bandage to stop the bleeding when there was a loud explotion. Magneto had to stop what he was doing and twisted his head till he could see the place where he had been tortured like numourious others exploded into little bits.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Magneto looked to the seat besides him. He had hardly noticed that Pyro had been saved amongest the prisoners. He should have known. Should have remembered. But Pyro didn't seem to realise that he had been forgotten. He looked to Magneto with somewhat of a relaxed smile on his face. They were both finally free.