Chapter 6
Sleepless nights
Logan walked nervously through the halls of the X-Mansion. The team has returned yesterday, surprisingly with Gambit. And without Rogue. Ever since their return, Jean has been with Professor X, both focusing on Rogue's powers. They were, however, unable to locate her.
The Cajun shut himself in Rogue's apartment, just as she used to when she had a hard day. And that was where Logan was headed. Immediately after he entered, he opened the fridge and took out two beers. When he didn't find Remy in the living room, Logan walked into the bedroom.
There was Gambit, sitting in a big armchair, which he took from the living room. The wolverine sat opposite him on the bed and gave him one of the beers.
"We'll bring her back, Cajun. She's the toughest girl I've ever seen. She'll be back in no time, chasing ya sorry ass for doin' somethin' stupid." even though Logan didn't like Remy Le Beau he knew Rogue did, and therefore he was trying to be nice.
"I want to go back there. I shouldn't have left. She be out there." finally, Gambit was betrayed by his voice.
'X-Men, assemble in my office in ten minutes.'
Both men heard Charles Xavier in their heads. Gambit ran from the apartment and was in the mansion in a blink of an eye.
"Does it have something to do with Rogue?" Storm asked, after everybody arrived.
"Indeed, it does." Gambit lifted his head and his eyes were filled with hope, "Apparently, one of the abducted mutants was found. Mister James Miller was found in his apartment in New Jersey; he doesn't know the actual date or what exactly happened to hi-"
"What are we waitin' f'r? Let's find dis homme!" Gambit jumped in.
"I've already contacted his family, who assured me that Mr. Miller will be here by tomorrow. However, Mr. LeBeau, I have to ask you not to interrogate him while he's here. The young man is scared and your actions might worsen his condition."
Not only Gambit, but also Storm, Logan and Kurt, who wasn't even supposed to be there, were staring at the professor in disbelief.
"You're going to vait 'till tomorrow, while meine schwester iz ztill being held by some lunatic? You can't mean zat professor!"
"I'm sorry Kurt, but I am going to wait. But I wanted you all to know that we're closer to finding the truth that is behind this."
X
Remy was wandering the mansion. He was impatiently waiting for the guy to show up. Finally, James Miller arrived before lunch the next day.
It was a middle-aged mutant with bright yellow hair. Otherwise, he was way too ordinary. He was wearing blue jeans and a shirt, but it didn't make him look tough like Logan or sexy like Remy. James was just an ordinary guy in an ordinary shirt.
This time, there was only the professor and Gambit assembled in the old man's office.
"Don't worry son. Just relax and concentrate on your last memory, before you found yourself in your apartment." Professor X said as he put his hands near James' temples.
Then suddenly three things happened at once. The professor fell from his chair as if thrown by some invisible power; James jumped, his eyes were glowing and from his throat came blood-freezing roar; Gambit awoke from his apathy and threw few mildly charged cards at the raging mutant in front of him.
The sound of the explosions sounded throughout the mansion. Kitty and Jean were the first ones to get to the office, as they saw the scene, they prepared for attack. Thankfully, the attack never came, instead, the man started to levitate. He was kicking the air around him, but Jean's hold of him was too strong.
The room was immediately filled with young and old mutants, students and teachers. Exhausted Gambit fell in the nearest chair.
"You all right, Remy?"
"Haven't slept well lately, petite," He answered Jubilee's question.
"Gambit go to your room, now! We'll take care of that man. You need to rest; you're only a human after all," Storm ordered flatly.
Gambit surrendered and headed for Rogue's apartment instead of the mansion's dormitories.
"After I took out a very advanced mind-controlling device Mr. Miller's memory was restored. I believe he's no danger to us. And I've also searched his memories and I'm sure I've found the place where Mister Sinister is right now. I want you Storm, and Cyclops to form two separate teams based on powers and experience. Storm your team will take care of Sinister and his lackeys. Scott, you'll find and free all the prisoners. Just remember, and I'd like to emphasize this one thing – do not go alone against Sinister at any circumstances." With that, the professor X dismissed them. Scott ran to look for appropriate students as his teammates, while Storm went to see Gambit.
After she updated him on what the professor told them, she asked him to join her team.
"Stormy, Remy would rather be there for his chére."
"I know Remy, but your powers are very handy in fight." the Cajun sighed. She was right and he knew it.
"After all, the decision is on Scott, whether he takes you to his team. Nevertheless, be prepared, we're leaving tomorrow 6:00 sharp."
Remy growled quietly, reminding Ororo of an angry dog. "Why waitin' anot'er day?"
"I don't like it either, but we need to form those teams and get ready."
The weather goddess left him alone in Rogue's bedroom. Gambit fell asleep in the queen-sized bed almost immediately.
X
"Je t'aime, ma cherie."
Rogue jerked and woke up.
"Ah don't know what's in the food, but it ain't healthy." She muttered as she put her palms to her temples. She was moved from her original cell to a smaller and more hostile – if it was even possible – as a punishment for her third escape attempt.
It also had a bright side; for the last few days Sinister didn't try any of his little anatomy exercises with her, since he was afraid she would try to escape again. Also, he knew that the X-Men were planning something soon and he couldn't risk her running away to them.
A bright red beam tossed the guards away into the opposite wall and Rogue gasped. Surprisingly, it took her only seconds to collect her voice, which she didn't use since she spoke to Sabretooth.
"Cyclops! Ah'm here!" She shouted with all her strength.
He was there in a minute, blasting the sensors that created the bars. The young X-Men stepped into the cell and Rogue threw herself into his arms as she hugged him. "Thanks. Ah never thought Ah would be this happy when Ah saw ya, Cyke."
"Those stupid shackles! Are they made of adamantium or what?" X-23, who was summoned by Logan for this mission, exclaimed as tried to free some green-skinned mutant.
"In fact - yep, they are." Rogue smirked. She went to the guards Cyclops knocked out and found bundle of rays. After she unlocked hers, Rogue tossed the keys to Jean, who caught them with her power.
"Let's kick some ass!" Rogue exclaimed as she lifted off the ground. She flew off and saw the lab that caused her nightmares, in ruins. Her emerald eyes quickly scanned the room and locked on a lying body. Her heart stopped as she came closer. Tears flew from her eyes as she cupped his head.
"No, no, no . . ." she was whispering. "Come on, Swamp rat!" Then it hit her, the slow motion of his chest, the slight moving of his mouth – he was alive.
"Ya're gonna pay for scarin' meh like this," Rogue said with obvious happiness. She squeezed his gloved hand. Rogue felt a tiny hold on her hand and then it faded. Along the movement of his chest. Without giving it on thought, Rogue pressed her lips against his and exhaled into his mouth. She barely remembered the CPR from Logan's survival curse. Few seconds later, which seemed like hours to her and Remy still wasn't breathing. Rogue felt a strong force that threw her against the wall. She blurry saw Jean rushing towards Remy as well as the rest of the X-Men. Rogue lost consciousness, wishing she was never born as a mutant, even if it meant never meeting Remy. Because that would mean he would be still alive.
X
Rogue woke up in her apartment. Of course, she couldn't be put in the Med Lab. The Mississippian girl stood up and went downstairs, into the garage. There she saw, in a corner, two Harley's. First was dark orange, the second black one, with a more complex pattern. On the right side were scattered cards and on the left were crossed big King and Queen of hearts.
Rogue sadly smirked as she approached the bike. Keys weren't in the ignition, but she knew how to hotwire a bike, after all she was on her own for some time.
It took her only few seconds and the garage was filled with loud roaring of the bike. It overlaid her sobbing. Once again the bike cried out and she left the garage. The young girl didn't know where she was headed. After an hour long ride, she ended up in a forest. She carefully drove among the threes. On a meadow, she got of the bike. Rogue lies down on the cold wet grass.
Millions of thought ran through her head, as she shook it.
"Rogue?"
Slowly opening her eyes and turning her head after the voice and saw a silhouette in the sky. A pair of white wings helped her recognize the man. Angel landed next to Rogue, who didn't move from the ground.
"Why are you here?"
"Ah needed somewhere quiet, guess in a town full of mutants it ain't possible."
"But why?" He sounded too happy to Rogue's liking, "Wouldn't it be easier if you were around people?"
She frowned. "It's never easy when Ah'm 'round people."
"Don't say that. Ehm… I know it might be early, but I wanted to ask… if I… you, you wanted-"
"Are ya askin' meh out?" Rogue asked cagily, "Hell, Warren, it hasn't been one day!" He surely had some nerves.
"I know, I… I'm sorry, Rogue. But, I mean, it's great, isn't it?"
"What do ya mean 'great'?" She cut it furiously.
The winged X-Men continued as if she didn't say anything. "Now that you can control your power."
Rogue's mood immediately switches from angry to confused.
"Control mah power? Are ya high? Warren, Ah've never been able t' control mah mutation."
"Yes. What were you talking about? Maybe it was unintentional, but we all saw it! You saved Gambit's life when you gave him CPR. And you didn't absorb him." It was clear he was happy about the news, but in his voice echoed jealousy.
"Wait. What kind of a sick joke are ya tryin' t' pull?" she exclaimed. "Ah didn't absorb anythin', meanin' he was dead."
"No Rogue. After you fainted, Gambit regained consciousness. And in the jet, Hank patched him up. We're more worried about you, though. All the mutants we saved from the lab had some changes with their mutation or implanted chips. It was really creepy, but Hank managed to take care of everybody,"
"And… Ah? Do Ah have anythin' implanted?" She asked with obvious disgust.
"Hank didn't find anything, so you don't have to worry." He soothed her and pulled him into a hug. "But it looks like he did something good to you mutation. Obviously, we should thank him." He leaned forward to kiss her.
"Thank? Have ya gone crazy? That lunatic did experiments on meh! It was the worst tahme in mah life and ya sayin' Ah should thank him?" Slapping Warren, she turned on her heel and jumped on the bike.
Angry and confused, Rogue wanted to find somewhere really quiet. Without thinking she ended up back at the institute. Not bothering to park the bike, Rogue flew on the mansion's roof.
Once there, she sat down, hugging her knees.
X
A high-pitched squeal sounded throughout the Xavier Institute. Young girl, Kitty Pryde, was running literally through the mansion looking for her best friend.
"Mr. Logan, have you, like, seen Rogue?" Once again, she got 'No' as an answer.
She went to ask in the Med bay, where she found only sleeping Cajun. She didn't give him one more look as she phased through the wall, back onto the grounds of the institute.
"Rogue?" she yelled at the tiny figure on the rooftop. The Valley girl dashed to Storm's attic and on the roof.
"Like, what are you doing here? You missed a party! And everybody's leaving tomorrow." The young mutant counted off on her fingers everybody who was leaving the next day, though Rogue wasn't listening. "It was awesome! Like, Professor Xavier even invited the Brotherhood! They'll like, be staying here for Christmas, since the boarding house is totally ruined. Also, Logan is staying, and Gambit, and I think Jamie and that's it. Everyone else is going home. Rogue, are you like sure, you don't want to come with me or Kurt? You know, like to celebrate Christmas with a family." Kitty stopped as she noticed that her friend wasn't paying attention. "Rogue?"
"Yeah, Kit?"
"Were you like, listening?"
"Sure, Ah was."
The younger girl raised an eyebrow as she looked at Rogue. Suddenly, they both burst out laughing.
"Ah'm sorry, Kit. It's just,…" she placed a loose strand of her white bangs behind her ear, "It's nothin'. And thanks, but I'll spend Christmas here, guess it'll be much quieter that with ya or Kurt,"
The two girls were again, sitting in silence. It wasn't awkward silence like most would think; it was the kind of silence between friends that said more than any words could.
The Valley girl finally spoke the question that was hanging over them as a knife, "Rogue? Is it true? That you, you know like, can control you power?"
"No. Yes. Ah don't know."