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Disclaimer: see chapter 1
Deconstruct to Reconstruct: In the Eyes of Destiny
She sailed between the tables in her section, tray held high and a smile on her face. The owner, Jerry, had been right; it wasn't too busy, but it was enough to keep her on her feet. It was a good thing too – her body still ached with all of the extra movement, but she didn't dare let on. She had taken something during her first break to help dull the screaming in her ribs. If there was any night that she needed to at least look at one-hundred percent, it was tonight. So she kept her head up, and faked the spring in her step as best as she could; it seemed to be fooling most people.
Bars like this one were mostly all the same, she figured. You had your regular guys who came for a quick drink after work or to celebrate some special occasion, then there were the ones who tried to make her squirm with vulgar comments and suggestions (those were the most fun to put into place), and then there were the ones who were there practically every night because for one reason or another, they didn't want to be at home. She'd used the same formula she'd used back at Rodney's bar: a smile here, a wink there, and an accent exaggerated just enough to be cute. So far, it seemed to be paying off.
"All right, Ah got two scotch on the rocks," she placed each drink in front of the appropriate customer, "one screwdriva, and a double whiskey sour for the birthday boy." She smiled and winked as she put the last drink down. "Anythin' else Ah can get for y'all?"
"How about a kiss for the birthday boy?" Whiskey sour-boy winked and angled his face up for her.
She laughed good-naturedly and blew him a kiss as she walked to tend to the other tables. The man pretended to catch it as his friends laughed at Anna's smooth decline. She looked ahead to find a pair of men setting themselves up around a pool table on the other end of the room. One was tall, lean, but the well-defined muscles on his arms suggested he was probably not one to tangle with. The other was older, shorter, and although just as strong-looking, was more on the stalky side. From this distance, the shorter one looked familiar, but she couldn't quite place him.
They hung up their jackets on the nearby hooks and selected their cues. "I'll get it this time. If the waitress comes by, order me a beer," Logan said.
"What kind of beer you want?" Remy asked as he stared down the end of a cue.
"Don't matter, whatever's on tap," he said as he moved away from the table.
No sooner had Logan left then did Remy see the (very attractive) waitress approach. He'd seen enough bimbo waitresses to know that she was not one of them. One would think the white in her hair would mean she was an older woman, but he almost wondered if she was old enough to work here. As she got closer, he took in her full, cherry lips and deep, emerald eyes, both of which were a stark contrast to her delicate, fair skin. Once she got close enough, Remy was quick on the draw; in one fluid motion he swept up her hand and placed a chaste, but charming kiss on her leather-clad knuckles. "Enchanter, Cherie." He lifted his eyes to meet hers and grinned.
To say that Anna wasn't slightly thrown off her guard would be a lie. Not only did his actions take her by surprise, but his eyes… they were nothing like she'd seen before. She recovered quickly though, and pasted the smile back on her face. She relinquished her hand and, acting as if he hadn't done anything out of the ordinary, proceeded with her customary greeting. "Evenin' sugah. What can Ah get for you tonight?" She readied her notepad and pen to receive his order.
Remy quirked an eyebrow, mildly impressed at how his advance seemed to roll right off her back. "My friend will have whatever you've got on tap. An' I'll have bourbon, on the rocks." He watched as she quickly scribbled his order down.
"Comin' right up," she smiled again and sauntered up to the bar.
Remy's eyes stayed glued to her swaying hips until she got lost among the other patrons of the bar. She was beautiful, of that there was no doubt, but beautiful women were a dime a dozen. There was something different about her that he couldn't quite put his finger on.
"Waitress come by yet?" Logan grunted as he set the rack of balls on the table.
"Oui, order's comin' up," Remy replied, picking up the square of blue chalk. "She mus' be new though. Don't think I've ever seen her before."
"Jerry did say he might have found someone to fill the ad he posted yesterday. You wanna break or should I?"
"Be my guest," Remy waved his hand outward. "She's cute, I hope she works out."
Logan shot the cue ball into the triangle of coloured balls, causing them to scatter. "I guess it's too much to hope that you haven't tried hitting on her already."
"Ah monsieur claws, you know me too well." He set up his shot and managed to sink three balls.
"Count on you, Gumbo, to hit on any remotely attractive piece of ass to come within ten feet of you."
Anna was on her way back to the pool table when she noticed the short man had re-joined his friend and their game was underway. Maybe concentrating on the game would keep the taller one from putting so much attention on her. As she got closer though, something clicked in her brain. The stalky one – Wolverine – she remembered him from when she briefly lived with Mystique. He was a member of the X-Men. They had tried to recruit her a few times before she ran away. The memories she got from Mystique revealed that everything she told her about them was a lie. They weren't mutant hunters, like she was told, but just a rival group who did not share Mystique's view on human/mutant relations. Her chest tightened a little. What was she going to do? It was her first night; she couldn't just refuse to serve them. Maybe if she played dumb and pretended she didn't know who he was, he either wouldn't recognize her, or at least assume that she didn't remember him.
"Alright, Ah've got one beer, and bourbon on the rocks," she said as she placed each drink on one of the side tables. "Anythin' else for y'all?"
Remy grinned, "Your name perhaps?"
"Sorry sugah, that's not on the menu tonight." She matched his grin.
His grin didn't falter, "Perhaps another time then chere." He pulled out a twenty and handed it to her. "Keep the change." He winked as he handed it to her.
"Why thank you sir." She turned her attention to Wolverine briefly, "Be sure to holler if y'all need anythin' else," and walked away.
Remy turned to Logan and noticed the bemused expression on his face. "What's up homme? You know her from somewhere?"
"You could say that," he answered. "She used to go by the name Rogue. Cerebro detected her a few years ago when her powers manifested. We went out to help her, but she was such a confused mess, there was no getting through to her. We figured out later that Mystique probably had something to do with it since she showed up to school the following Monday with the Brotherhood boys."
"So, she's one of the bad guys then?"
Logan shook his head, "Scott tried to befriend her a few times at school, saying that she just didn't fit in with the Brotherhood. She never really participated in the trouble the others caused, and even helped rescue Jean when Blob kidnapped her."
"What happened, then? I haven't seen her working for either side. Didn't even know she existed until now."
"That's just it, one day she just stopped coming to school. Rumour has it, she ran away for some reason or another. For a while, Mystique came after us, convinced that we had her."
"Question now is, what's she doing back in Bayville?"
"I dunno, but I think this might be something the professor would want to know about."
"D'accord," Remy downed his drink, "It's a shame I didn't get to finish kicking your ass in pool."
Logan snorted, having chugged back his beer, "What makes you think that was going to happen?"
~oOo~
"I know you don't like it Raven, but if the visions are true, it's for the best."
"How can leaving her with my enemy be the best for her, Irene? She would be the safest here with us!" Mystique slammed her fist on the table.
Destiny sighed, "She's been away from us for all this time, I think she'll be alright for a bit longer. Besides, after the way she parted from us, I highly doubt she'd be willing to accept our help. If anything, we could wind up pushing her further into danger."
Mystique slumped against the back of her chair and closed her eyes as she pinched the bridge of her nose. Of course Destiny was right. Her visions weren't always one-hundred percent accurate, but most of the time they gave at least good insight into what might happen. Her latest premonition, like all the others, was muddled and very open to interpretation, but one thing was clear: someone or something was coming after Rogue and, if they weren't careful, she could wind up seriously hurt or dead. After searching for her for so long, Mystique had finally found her only to face the possibility of having her ripped away again. A hand on her knee broke through her inner turmoil.
"I know you love her, and you want what's best for her," Irene's gentle voice floated to her ears. "Being apart for so long doesn't change the need to keep her safe. I spent so many years raising her, I couldn't love her more if she was my own flesh and blood, but my visions, and my instincts tell me that here is not the best place for her right now. If my previous visions hold any truth, then she's already been through Hell, and she's climbing her way out as we speak. All we can do is stand by and to what we can to make sure she doesn't get pulled back in." Mystique placed her hand on Destiny's and squeezed it lightly. Destiny's lips turned up into a small smile. "Even if she winds up with the X-Men, then at least we know where she is, and you can always keep a distant eye on her. Once her life settles down, we can try to rebuild our relationship with her."
Although Mystique said nothing, she grudgingly accepted what the precognitive told her. Despite what she wanted, Anna Marie's life was what was important here. She would keep watch from afar and be ready to intervene if those incompetent X-Men fail to keep her daughter out of danger.
~oOo~
Jerry waved Anna over just as the bar was closing up for the night. The bouncers were "encouraging" the last few patrons to leave. It appeared that "Birthday-Boy" and his friends weren't ready for the party to be over yet. She picked up the last of the glasses from the table and jogged over. She couldn't help but hold her breath. This was it: she would find out if she had the job or if she needed to keep looking.
"Let me start by saying that I'm a pretty hard person to impress."
Anna bit her lip in anticipation.
"The way you worked the tables and kept the customers happy, I had a hard time believing that you only just started tonight."
She let the tiniest smile slip.
"So if you're willing, I'd like to hire you on."
"Yes! I mean of course I'm willing," she beamed.
"Now before we talk about your schedule, I have a question for you," he levelled his eyes with hers. "Are you settled anywhere yet?"
"Uh, no sir, I was hoping to go apartment hunting tomorrow."
"Well, tell you what, it's not terribly busy during the week, so why don't you wait to come back on Thursday. That'll give you a couple of days to find a place and then we can discuss a more permanent schedule then."
"Thank you sir."
"Oh and Anna?"
"Yes sir?"
"Enough with this 'sir' business. Just call me Jerry like everyone else."
"Okay s- … Jerry," she grinned sheepishly at the slip.
"You head on now, I'll train you on the rest of the closing duties when you come back."
Anna thanked him and went to the back to get her things. She couldn't keep the smile off her face. All of the fears she had before about not being able to make it on her own didn't weigh on her now as they did just hours earlier. The aches and pains she suffered through tonight were all worth it. She almost skipped out into the street as she began her trek back to the hotel. Tomorrow, she'd get up early and try to find a place… her own place.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a slurred voice behind her, "Hey baby! I'm still waiting for that kiss."
~oOo~
Remy leaned back on his chair, feet propped up on the table, and stared up at the picture displayed on the large screen. It was almost hard to believe that the sexy, sassy waitress had once been this angry, insecure teenage girl. He read her stats:
Name – Unknown
Alias – Rogue
Height – 5' 8"
Approximate weight – 120 lbs.
Age at initial detection – 17
Current age calculated at – 21
Mutant abilities – Absorption of memories, life energy and mutant abilities (if applicable) through skin-to-skin contact. Can use acquired abilities for a short time after contact is made. Contact can leave victim unconscious and/or experiencing extreme weakness and fatigue for an undetermined amount of time. Effects may vary depending on duration of contact.
"Rogue disappeared roughly four years ago," Professor Xavier's voice drew Remy's eyes away from the screen. He rested his elbows on the table in front of him and steepled his fingers. "I thought I might be able to track her down with Cerebro when she used her powers, but the last time on record that she used them was before she went missing."
"I wonder where she's been all this time," Jean said, standing behind a seated Scott with her hand on his shoulder. "And does anyone else think it's a little weird that she hasn't used her powers at all in four years? I mean you'd think that with a mutation like hers there would at least be an accident or two."
"The question is what is she doing back?" Scott asked. His posture straightened a little as he spoke, as if guarding himself for something. "Is she working for someone? Is she affiliated with some other mutant group?"
"From the looks of it," Logan's voice cut in from his spot against the wall, "I'd say she's just trying to get by. I don't know what her reason is for leaving wherever she was, but it looks to me like she's just looking for honest work and a paycheque."
"How can we be sure she's not working for Mystique again?" Kurt asked.
Logan sighed, "I don't have any proof, but my gut says that she's not really working with, or for anyone besides Jerry at the bar."
"I think Logan might be right," Ororo said. "If she were here to work for Mystique again, I don't think she would have revealed herself to us so quickly. Mystique would have known that the pub was a place a few of us frequent and told her to stay away."
"Maybe it's all part of some big plan," Kurt countered.
Charles sighed. It was late and he was sure that most of the people in this room just wanted to be in bed. "Kitty is trying to gain access to the airport security video feed so that she can see where Rogue's flight might have departed from. Perhaps if we can get a name that she was using, we can get a better idea as to what she's doing here. In the meantime, why don't we…"
His words were interrupted by a flash on the screen and the feminine monotone that the computer system was programmed to speak in. "Mutant activity detected. Updating archived file: Rogue."
"Display current location of mutant activity," Charles' head whipped over toward the screen. Remy dropped his feet from the table and leaned in as the map zoomed in on her location.
"That's just about a block away from the pub she was working tonight," Logan grumbled.
Abruptly, Remy stood up and quickly made his way out of the room. His instincts were telling him something was wrong and he needed to get there fast. Logan was close behind him, followed by Scott, who was trying to put together an impromptu game-plan. Remy punched the switch for the garage door and grabbed the keys for the van off its hook. If she was injured, there were medical supplies and a cot in the back. Why am I so worried about her? Because his gut was telling him so, that's why. If there was one thing that Remy LeBeau had learned in his lifetime, it was to trust his gut. It rarely steered him wrong. He climbed into the driver's seat and Logan got in the other side. Scott barely made it in the back before Remy sped off.
~oOo~
Anna's body tensed at the sound of the voice, but she did her best keep her eyes straight ahead and continue on toward her destination as if she didn't hear him. Had it been another day, she might have stood a chance, but she was already injured and in no condition to fight off a drunken pervert.
"Hey! We're talkin' to you! It's rude to ignore someone when they're talking to you."
The voices were getting closer and she could hear their hurried footfalls as they jogged to catch up with her. Before she managed to quicken her own pace, a hand roughly grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back. She lost her footing and fell to the ground, stifling a cry as searing pain cut across her ribs. She hadn't yet had a chance to regain her composure when large hands hooked under her arms and dragged her up to a standing position. She could feel them pulling her back into the alley and stopped near the wall of a building. She recognized the man as "Birthday-Boy" from the pub.
"Now as I was saying," he leaned his face in close enough for her to smell the sharpness of the alcohol on his breath, "how about that kiss?"
In retrospect, it probably wasn't a good idea. On some level, she knew that it would only infuriate him and land her in more trouble, but she was sick and tired of being manhandled. She had come to this town to escape this kind of treatment, and she wasn't going to stand for it anymore. Her lips curled up into a sneer before spitting in his face. "Fuck you," she ground out.
His face contorted into a mix of anger and disgust as he wiped his face with his sleeve. "I wasn't gonna go there, but if you insist…" Like an attacking cobra, his hand lurched forward and grabbed her by the chin, squeezing her lips together.
White-hot pain burned through her mind as thoughts, memories and the very essence of his life rushed into her. A shriek erupted from her throat as his hand fell limply from her chin, following the rest of his body to the ground. The two that were holding her stared in shock for a moment while the fourth man called up from his fallen friend's side, "What did you do to him?"
"She's a fucking mutie!" the one on her left shouted. She felt the back of her head hit the brick wall of the building as they shoved her back. She sunk down to the ground, and watched the world fade away.