Test Drive

A bucket of water to the face was never the best way for a person to wake.

Worse, if the person could absorb you and knock you out cold for a good few hours, you learn to wake a person with a lot more dignity.

At least that was what the two guards Lilly had sent to escort her to the med lab found out.

"Well, well, well, it seems that our Rogue is in fighting mood this morning," Lilly's voice said, coming through the hidden speakers in the room.

It took a little while for her words to register, even while the two guards psyche found out about their roommates in her head, namely Wolverine and Magneto. While the two men could not stand each other, they were united in the fact that they hated those who abused mutants. Rogue had her hands full trying to keep everything running smoothly, thus giving Marie an instant headache.

A headache that instantly grew with Lilly's next words.

"Hope you keep up the spirit for our little experiment this morning. Now walk quietly out of your cell and my guards will escort you to me."

Marie scowled at the camera, and refused move from her position.

Lilly laughed. "You really need to learn who is Mistress and Slave, my dear. When I say 'jump' you are to say 'how high, Mistress'."

"And I say to you, you can kiss my lily white ass. After all you do share a name, eh, darlin'," Marie growled.

"I see you will need a little forceful training. PROCEED TO THE DOOR NOW!!!"

She punctuated her words with strong blasts from the mutant suppressor.

Marie felt the force of what the vile choker could do. The electrical bursts had all her synapses constricting, giving her less oxygen. She struggled to breathe, and yet she would not move an inch to the door.

And Lilly give her reply in sending more of the vile poison into her system, suppressing her mutation, part of which was the healing factor she had inherited from Logan.

Pain had her dropping to her knees and then curling into a fetal position, as she went past all higher brain functions, leaving her in a world only of pain.

And then it eased.

"I hope that you have learned lesson number one well, Rogue, darling. I really don't want to have to teach you again. Now on your feet, and proceed to the door. The guards will escort you to me."

She growled low in her throat, but slowly, painfully got up and proceeded to the door.

Score one for Lilly.

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"Well Rogue, darling, I must say you recover very quickly from your ordeals. Your pallor is much better than a few minutes ago," Lilly said in a falsely concerned tone.

Marie pulled her lips back in a snarl, but said nothing as the lab assistants strapped her to the gurney.

She tested the straps and noted that they were extremely tight and strong. Even with the Juggernauth's strength she would not have been able to break free from this.

"Ah, I see you've discovered another of my inventions. The straps use your own strength against you. The harder you pull the tighter it will restrict you, using your own strength to power it. I can't have my subjects bursting free when I'm trying to cut them open, now can I?"

"You can go to hell, bitch!" Marie snapped.

An electrical pulse was Lilly's reply.

Marie jerked in response.

"Everything is prepared, Doctor," the assistant informed Lilly.

"Very good. Bring in Subject 165," she said to the assistant. To Marie, she said, "This is my favorite part about experiments. All my pores raise. I get all excited. I mean this could mean the progression of my plan or reveal that I have more work to do. Either way, it's so exciting."

The young woman that was brought into the med lab could barely walk unescorted. She leaned heavily on the two guards that brought her in. She was gaunt, her black hair hanging limply around her shoulders. But it was her eyes that caused Marie's eyes to water slightly.

They were the eyes of the abused and hopeless. Not a shred of faith could be found in the girl's brown eyes, and that more than anything, caused such pain in Marie's chest, she had to close her eyes from her image.

"Meet Subject 165, Marilyn. Marilyn has been with me for quite some time, way before the cure. She's an empath and telepath, but nothing major, just a class one. But what really drew me to Marilyn was her fire. She was a lot like you in that manner, but she learned, as you will, as well. Of course she will be used to for your first official test drive of your skin and the progress of my work."

"Now Marilyn, I want you to hold Rogue's hand, and don't let go," Lilly commanded.

"Yes Mistress," the girl lifelessly replied.

"What!" came the startled shriek from Marie.

She watched in horror as the girl slowly walked toward her, as if on mind control. It reminded her of a horror movie that she and Jubilee had watched recently. One woman had taken control of an entire town and everyone had been turned into a zombie. Of course, at the time she and Jubes had laughed till their side hurt at the idiocy of such a thing happening. But it was. And there wasn't a thing that she could do about it.

Marilyn grabbed hold of her hand.

At first, nothing happened.

She breathed a sigh of relief, for once glad for the suppressor.

Her eyes met Lilly's and the woman smiled, even as she pressed a button to stop the flow of the poison into her body.

Immediately, she started to imprint.

She met Marilyn's eyes, silently pleading with her to stop, to pull back.

But there was nothing there. No spirit, no life.

She felt the psyche of Marilyn growing stronger in her, and fought for control, the switch to turn it off. Anything but this. It was so much like her experience with Magneto that her terror grew. But it was worse. For she knew that if Marilyn didn't let go soon, she would be dead, and Marie would be her murderer.

"Please…" she begged Marilyn.

And for one moment, she saw life; she saw spirit.

But Lilly being the predator that she was, sensed it too, and brought her gloved hands to cover theirs.

Marie couldn't break her gaze from Marilyn's eyes. She saw the spirit flare brighter and encouraged it.

"Don't do this!" she begged the girl.

The entity made a last ditch effort to fight back, but Lilly was too strong.

And then…

She was gone.

Her body dropped lifelessly to the floor.

Marie watched in horror at the shrunken figure, devastated at what had been done.

In that moment, something vital inside Marie snapped.

She was no longer Marie and Rogue. The innocence that kept Marie alive was gone.

Instead she embraced the Rogue in her.

All the entities, David, Magneto, Pyro, Bobby, Wolverine, the guards, and finally Marilyn, all converged on the one emotion they shared.

Rage.

Claws shot out of her knuckles.

Fire scorched the gurney under one hand, while under the other was frozen solid.

Metal flew unrestricted all across the lab as assistants dove for cover.

And those closest to her held their heads and screamed in pain as she amplified their terror.

But through it all, Lilly stood there impervious, smug smile on her lips.

They saw red and focused on her.

"WE WILL KILL YOU!!!!" they said in a layer voice of all the entities. "YOU WILL SUFFER!!!!"

A/N: Hope you like the chapter people. Thanks to all my reviewers, and to my beta Sublime Angel.