A/N: I Lied! There will be an epilogue up in a week or so. Sorry I just couldn't fit it all into one chapter.
The rating on this keeps jumping around but I've settled on T.
xXx
Chapter 8 – For Lack of a Better Title
Four acolytes watched the sun set over Manhattan from a stockyard in Brooklyn. John shivered in the evening air.
"Why does Mag's insist we show up an hour before he does?" He asked bitterly huddled between Piotr and Remy for warmth.
"So he can make an entrance." Said Remy feeling as bitter as his Australian friend.
Sabertooth, Magneto's only loyal servant, made a grunt and the other three looked up to see a figure gliding down to the ground.
"Did his cape get bigger?" Gambit asked of the vast bed sheet that fluttered behind him in the wind.
"His spandex tighter?" Both grimaced at John's observation.
Magneto landed gracefully and marched towards his minions.
"Hello, Acolytes," He said in a holier-than-thou tone. "How has your past month been?" The two love sick Acolytes grunted while the other two opted for silence. "Come now," He said turning away from them. "We must plan a Homecoming party."
xXx
From a roof top a witch watched through binoculars. The boy who had claimed Magneto was dead had led her right to him.
xXx
Rogue lay in bed, where she'd been since three that morning. It was now four in the afternoon. She'd played sick, though Logan knew she was lying. He had caught her coming home that night.
"Stripes?" He had called down the dark hallway as Rogue reached her bedroom door. She wiped her wet eyes, which only further smeared her eyeliner. "You alright?"
"Yup" She nodded too quickly and gave her lie away. He didn't question her any further. She was safe and at home. He could figure the rest out in the morning. Besides he already had a good idea of where her tears had come.
Now, many sleepless hours later, Rogue wasn't any closer to stirring. Remy's memories were still vivid in her head. Each worse than the previous.
She had known he'd worked for Magneto. She had known there were things about his past he didn't share. And she had accepted that. She knew better than to judge some one based on their past.
But how could she be with someone who was capable of the things she had seen?
Somehow she found the strength to move and crept down to the lower level of the institute. (They kept the good painkillers in the medical ward.) She carefully peeked around a corner. The coast was clear. She carefully stuck one toe out but flinched at the sound of her name.
"Rogue," She heard from behind her. Scott stood there in his X-men suit. "I was just coming to get you and the rest of the team."
Rogue groaned. "Why?"
"Magneto"
Rogue's attention was caught. "What?"
Minutes later the entire team was suited up and being briefed by Scott.
"Magneto was spotted in Manhattan last night. We can't be sure exactly of his plans but this morning Logan went by the Acolyte base and found it empty."
Rogue looked across the room to Logan. He noticed her stare but kept his eyes one Scott.
"The Professor has traced the Acolytes to lower Manhattan. We will go there and patrol the area."
Rogue did not want to see Remy, especially under these circumstances, but she doubted her teammates would let her get out of it. Plus Logan would most likely know her reasons for not wanting to go.
She felt she had to redeem herself. She'd spent the last month cavorting around with Magneto's lackeys, the least she could do was chip in on stopping them from blowing something up.
xXx
The Black Bird touched down in the East River and the X-men took their places in the ten-block radius in which Magneto had been spotted. Rogue was lucky enough to be stationed at the shore by the Brooklyn Bridge.
It smelt like a pile of dead cats. She was going to kill Scott. She paced around the sidewalk impatiently. She was as pissed off as the hundreds of drivers stuck in the traffic jam on the bridge.
"How are you holding up?" Cyclops' voice asked through Rogue's headset.
"I'm fihne," Said Rogue through clenched teeth. "How sure are yah that this source that claimed Magneto was in New York is reliable?"
"You can never be to careful, Rogue."
Rogue growled. She was really going to kill Scott. She reached the end of the block and turned around to double back but froze.
"Remy?"
"What?" Asked Scott through the headset.
"Nuthin'." Rogue clicked her headset off and continued to stare at Gambit who stood a few feet from her.
"Get outta here." He ordered.
She didn't move. "No."
Remy sighed. "Rogue, yah don't want ta be here right now, Leave."
"What is Magneto planning to kill a couple hundred civilians?!"
"Rogue-
Rogue clicked her headset on. "Ah've spotted one of the Acolytes at 5th and 89th, at the mouth of the Brooklyn Bridge."
Remy backed away from her. It was only now that she noticed he was crying. He reached back and grabbed a rope that hung over the bridge's railing. It glowed red when he charged it. Her eyes followed the glowing rope and realized that it was coiled around the bridge's base.
Over the horizon Jean Grey and Storm flew, followed by the rest of the team on the ground.
Two Acolytes ran from their positions on the bridge towards Remy.
"What are you doing!? You not supposed to charged the rope till-
Pyro and Collosus stopped at the sight of the entire X-men ensemble.
They stood staring at each other for a moment before Sabertooth charged past Pyro roaring. Logan ran at his rival and the rest followed suit. A wall of flames burst from Pyro's flamethrower and light bolts and bursts of red energy shot through the air. Bewildered commuters ran from their cars.
The only two who remained still were Rogue and Remy. She wondered if he would do it. Let go of the rope and let the bridge blow. He was as frightened as she was that he might in fact be capable of it.
"Gambit, my boy!" Yelled a voice. Rogue looked up and saw a figure perched atop one of the bridge's towers. "Follow your orders!"
Remy's eyes burned into Rogue's. "I'm sorry" He said in a whisper. His hand slowly parted from the rope. There was a moment of dead silence as all the fighting stopped and the mutants stared at the bridge.
Even with the anticipation Rogue fell backwards at the sound of the explosion. She couldn't hear a thing, her ears were ringing.
With out any support the bridge sunk and cars and pedestrians slid into the river.
All but Logan was too stunned to move. He went to charge at Gambit but realized he couldn't move. Then against his will his metal lined body stepped forward. His arms reached out and grabbed Rogue, who still sat on the sidewalk, holding her arms behind her back.
Metal railings ripped out of their places on the bridge and wrapped themselves around the rest of the X-men snuggly.
Magneto glided down to the sidewalk where the mutants stood.
Jean eyed a large piece of ruble. A second later it flew past Magneto's head.
He chuckled. "I almost forgot." Magneto pulled out a metal briefcase and opened it. Inside were a dozen metal collars. The collars flew and wrapped themselves around each of the x-men's necks.
"You won't be needing that." Said Magneto peeling the metal visor from Scott's eyes. Scott flinched and shut his eyes tightly. But something felt different. He slowly opened his eyes. Nothing. For the first time in a long time he looked at the world with out the red tint.
The sky cleared up and Storm's eyes returned to the their strange blue.
Magneto smirked as the X-men all stood confused. Their powers had mysteriously faded.
"Mutation negators." Stated the king of Magnets. "Thought they'd come in handy when I had to deal with you."
Still being restrained by Logan, Rogue managed to slide a glove off. She cautiously lowered her index finger to a bare patch of Logan's skin. He smiled for her when he didn't feel a thing. She couldn't help but smile back at him.
Remy looked away from Rogue to his boss.
"Where did you get those?"
Magneto smirked at him. "An old associate of yours."
Remy looked back to Rogue who was gazing at her bare hands. There was a light in her eyes he had never seen before.
Sirens whined in the background. Growing closer. A helicopter flew overhead, its spot light gliding over the mutants at the mouth of the bridge.. Magneto yelled something but couldn't be heard over the copter's racket. He sighed and with a flick of his finger the vehicle plummeted into the East River.
Around a corner a bunch of police cruisers and SWAT vans arrived. Magneto turned to his Australian minion.
"Take care of them."
The officers filed out of the vehicles and aimed countless guns at the mutants. They paused though. They weren't sure at whom they should fire.
Pyro obediently drew a flame and threw he arm back to hurl it in their direction. But before he released his arm he noticed motion in the corner of his vision.
He leapt forward as a beam from the bridge toppled over. The gigantic tower of metal with the blue auror around it nearly crushed Magneto before he saw it and forced it in the other direction.
It shook the ground as it landed on what remained of the bridge.
"Wanda!" The father called out to the daughter. From beneath the crumbling bridge the Scarlet Witch flew up into the sky (1). Ruble from the bridge began flying towards Magneto, who skillfully dodged it.
"ARGGH!!" Wanda screeched. She could not hold back her rage at the sight of her father. She continued to hurl ruble at him but her anger made her reckless.
John watched from the ground terrified. She wasn't really attempting to take on Magneto by herself?
A door ripped itself from an abandoned car flew towards the Witch. She was thrown backwards and hit the pavement.
"Wanda!" John dashed to her side. Her body lay motionless. He patted her cheek. "Are you okay?" Wanda's hand shot up and grabbed John's.
"Quick it." She snapped. Her eyes opened slowly to see John's smile of relief. "What are you smiling about?" She asked in an annoyed tone. The two had only a moment to stare at each other before Magneto's anger boiled over.
He drew his hand back to hurl a beam at the Acolyte who dared speak to his daughter, but was blinded by an explosion inches in front of him. He fell backwards, losing control on the metals around him. His hold on Logan dropped momentarily and he let go of Rogue.
Gambit threw another handful of cards at Magneto who was this time prepared. He dodged the explosion and lifted Gambit up by his boots and flung him towards the edge of the bridge.
Rogue bolted to ledge of the bridge. Her outstretched arm caught Remy's. He now dangled over the edge of the sinking bridge. Rogue lay on the pavement with out the strength to pull Remy up.
It took a moment for them both to realize it but they were touching, without consequences.
"Wow," Said Remy looking at where their skin touched.
"Yeah," Said Rogue back. She was slowly sliding further over the edge.
"Rogue," Said Remy with tears in his eyes. Their grip on each other was slipping. "Ah sorry, Ah-
"This ain't the tihme, Swamprat!" She snapped.
"Ah love yah."
Rogue shut her eyes as tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Ah love yah too."
"Aw how cute" Bellowed a voice. "They love each other." Magneto apparently found this very amusing. "Too bad young love never lasts."
Magneto wiggled his finger and Rogue felt the collar around her neck loosen.
"No." She sobbed. The collar ripped off her neck and almost immediately Rogue felt Remy's memories flood her psyche. She was soon back in New Orleans and Remy was passed out barely holding on.
With every second Rogue drained more of Gambit's energy.
"Arghhh!" Flame burst from John's flamethrower and he and Wanda stormed at Magneto. Once again his hold on the metal around him dropped.
Logan, again able to move, ran over to Rogue. He helped her pull the unconscious Remy up over the edge. Placing two fingers on the Cajun's neck he sighed in relief.
"He's got a pulse."
John's flames surrounded Magneto. Wanda hurled and giant hunk of rubble at him, which pinned him to the ground. She stomped over to where he lay and stood over him. There was rage in her eyes.
Here she was. She had imagined this day since she was a small child. The day that she would get back at her father for what he did to her. She drew her hand back, ready to strike, but paused.
She felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked back and saw John. The look in his eyes made her lower her fist. She looked at the ground and then at her father.
"You're not worth it."
John gave her an "I'm proud of you" look.
"Don't look at me like that." She snapped before jamming her tongue down his throat.
After Rogue took off his mutation negator, Kurt returned to his fuzzy blue self and bamfed the rest of the team out of their restraints.
Magneto managed to wiggle out from under the rubble Wanda had trapped him under but realized the entire NYPD had their plastic guns aimed at his skull.
Jean looked in disgust at John and Wanda who were rolling around one the pavement.
"Ick," She said while Scott gazed longingly at the couple.
Hmmph. Nothing like that ever happens to me.
xXx
– I never saw Wanda fly in Evolution, but she did in some of the comics.