Disclaimer—I don't own this stuff.
Chapter 17-The Problem with Multiplication
"I'm sorry I had to do this, but you are simply no longer of any use to the Senator. I'll be sure to pass along your condolences when the time is right. Ta-ta." Mystique gave a shove and watched with satisfaction as the dead body of Senator Kelly's aide sank to into the water, pulled several blocks of cement.
"Besides, there's only room for one Mr. Guyrich this year, and that just happens to be me." Mystique stepped away from the edge of the dock and began walking towards her car parked in the shadows of the nearby warehouse. As she walked she shifted into the very man she had murdered. Another phase of Magneto's plan was now in effect.
Infiltration.
The Ride to Bayville:
Rogue glanced around the inside of the limo nervously. She had never been in one before, and she wasn't sure she wanted to be this close to another person. Across from her sat the same boy who had somewhat "rescued" her from the Anti-Mutant convention. A Warren Worthington. A rich boy, judging by his current ride.
"Are you feeling better yet?" asked Warren studying Rogue carefully. She hadn't said a word since they had gotten into the limousine.
"Fine. Thanks for the ride," murmured Rogue softly, avoiding his gaze.
"No problem, uh, um…sorry, I don't believe I caught your name."
"Rogue. You cahn call meh Rogue."
"Alright, Rogue. Should I be taking you to the hospital? You don't have some kind of illness I need to know about, do I?"
Rogue allowed herself a small smile and shook her head. "No. The convention just upset meh, that's all. Ah'm sorry ta be so much trouble."
"It's no big deal. My father can afford the expenses. Serves him right…he was there today—at the convention. Showing his support for that asshole of a senator. You weren't there to support Kelly, were you?" Warren leaned back in the leather seat and sighed in relief as Rogue vigorously shook her head. "Good, me neither. My father thought it would be a good idea to see some politics in action…he didn't ask me if I actually supported the celebration at hand."
"Mah…mah mother made meh tag along too. She doesn't support them, but for some reason she wanted to go see the senator. Ah don't know where she went after we got there. She totally vanished into thin air," supplied Rogue timidly. She wasn't used to opening up to strangers, but she felt she owed Warren something for all the trouble he was going to on her behalf.
"Parents, huh? Sometimes I think I would have been better off an orphan. Think your mom will get worried when she can't find you?"
"Nah, Ah'm pretty sure she wanted meh ta find mah own way home to begin with. Ah think she just wanted company for the ride up…she'll know where Ah went if she actually looks for meh."
"She sounds as bad as my old man. Wanna trade?"
"Ah think Ah'm good. So, you live in the city?"
Warren nodded without much enthusiasm. "Yeah. It isn't all like the movies make it out to be. My father keeps me shut up at the house studying a shitload of things to do with Latin and democracy. I don't get out much…even if I did it would be something dictated beforehand by my father. He thinks he should run my life according to his expectations. I don't get much of a say in anything. I learned early on to keep my mouth shut when I didn't see eye to eye with him. How about you?"
Rogue shrugged. "Ah just kinda reconnected with mah mother. Ah left mah adopted parents a while back and ended up in Bayville with mah mom. She isn't around much, Ah'm kinda left ohn mah own. She has some other kids livin' with us in this boarding house. It's like some kind of reject home…but she cahn be real tough. She has high expectations…if ya don't play by her rules then you're screwed. Bein' the only girl there Ah don't always hafta follow the same rules. 'Course, Ah honestly don't think she knows what ta do with meh."
"No parent knows what to do with their kids. They just hope for the best," replied Warren sagely. Rogue bit her lip as they lapsed into silence.
Ah wonder what Mystique would do if Ah told her Ah know she's mah mother? Would she accept meh?
Rogue's thoughts were interrupted as the limo pulled up in front of the boarding house. The lights were out, meaning no one was home. But Rogue wasn't sure she wanted company at the moment. She cautiously made her way out of the vehicle without touching Warren. "Thanks for the ride," she murmured gratefully.
"No problem. If you need anything, don't hesitate to give me a call, okay? Orphans like us need to stick together." Warren handed Rogue a piece of paper with his phone number. Rogue nodded and watched as the limo started back the way it had come. She pocketed the phone number before walking down the street. She wasn't ready to settle in for the night. Pulling out a cigarette, Rogue made her way to the park mulling the events of the day over in her mind. Twilight was beginning to take over the skies as she settled herself onto an empty swing.
"Ah wonder what kinda doom Destiny was talkin' about," she mused between puffs of her cigarette. Rogue hoped she would never find out.
At the Local Café:
Lance rolled his eyes for the tenth time that evening as Kitty chattered away about something or another that had happened during one of her classes earlier in the day. All he had wanted was to relax by himself, but Kitty was attached to him like some kind of plague. She wouldn't leave him alone, he was lucky she hadn't followed him into the restroom yet.
Finally, Lance snapped. "Enough! Kitty, I don't give a damn about some girl saying she likes Kurt. Good for her, why don't you go buy her a fucking candy bar, huh? Geez, why can't you just leave me alone?"
"I'm like totally sorry, Lance. I promise to stop talking about Amanda and Kurt. So, like, how was your day?" Kitty smiled at the dark haired teen winsomely, but he only glared back at her.
"Fine. I'm being talked to death by an annoying girl."
"You don't have to be so mean."
"Kitty, Rogue and I are back together. I thought I told you that already. Leave me the hell alone, okay?"
Kitty pouted as she wiped tears out of her eyes. "Lance, I thought I had made it like totally clear how I feel about you. I know you like Rogue, but she's like totally wrong for you. I can't explain. I just know."
"Whatever. I'm with Rogue, and I ain't screwing that up, got it? There is never gonna be a you and me. Not anytime soon," said Lance seriously.
"But you like can't deny that there is a possibility that we'll end up together some day, right?"
Lance kept his mouth shut. He didn't know what to say. There was a feeling in the pit of his stomach that something big was coming, something that would try to tear him and Rogue apart. And Lance was afraid that whatever came their way would be something he couldn't prevent. He wasn't that strong.
At a nearby table, Pietro only half listened to his date. He was much more interested in Lance and Kitty. He had heard their entire conversation…Rogue was in for another heartbreak if she hung onto Lance. And Pietro wasn't going to stand by when that happened. As soon as he was done with his date, he was going to round up Toad and Fred and let them know they had a problem.
A big problem.
The Park:
Kurt couldn't stop grinning to himself as he made his way through the park. Amanda Sefton liked him. And he definitely liked her.
"Man, could this day get any better?" he asked out loud.
"Would anyone really care?" retorted a familiar voice. Kurt glanced up to see Rogue swinging languidly in front of him.
"Gee, you're full of good cheer," he muttered, his German accent thickening as his mood changed.
"Ain't Ah though? Move along, Blue, Ah ain't in the mood ta kick your ass."
Kurt ignored her and took a seat in the only other empty swing. "Did you and Lance break up again? You weren't in school today."
"Nah, Lance ahn Ah are fine. Ah just got to go see some asshole spew about locking mutants up. He's a real talker too. Saw your geeky friends there."
"Senator Kelly. He is someone even the Brotherhood should be concerned about."
"No shit. Spare meh a lecture, would ya? It's been a long day."
"Sorry. I never got to thank you for saving me from Sabertooth that day."
Rogue snorted. "You got us outta there, not meh, remember?"
"I know…but you helped…kind of."
"You don't know when to quit, do you?"
"Not really. Scott says that's my biggest problem. He thinks I'm as bad as Kitty." Kurt chuckled. Rogue glanced at the boy beside her and rolled her eyes. She must have some kind of sign on her forehead asking all the X-Men to try and bond with her. If not, these guys were just too damn friendly for her liking.
Just as she was about to comment on that a shriek pierced throughout the park. "Didja hear that?" she demanded, the hairs on the back of her neck rising.
"Ja. It sounded like it was coming from the basketball courts. Come on!" Kurt jumped to his feet and sprinted towards the area he had indicated. Rogue didn't think twice as she took off after him. She wasn't that cold hearted.
The pair reached the basketball courts in time to see a group of local hoodlums surrounding a wiry looking boy wearing clothes twice his size. One of the thugs laughed harshly and pushed the boy to the ground. Rogue sucked in her breath as four more boys seemed to pop out of the original. He was a mutant.
Rogue gave a small growl as she made her way over to the group. "You boys picked the wrong day to come out ahn play." With those words she grabbed the nearest thug by the shoulder to turn him around in time to meet her fist. Another guy attempted to grab her, but Rogue easily flipped him over onto the cement court. She readied herself for another punch when Kurt appeared in his furry blue form.
"Hello," he said popping onto a thug and knocking him to the ground. Kurt smiled, baring his teeth, causing the guy to scream a high pitched sound. Rogue grinned at the noise and slammed her foot into another fellow's kneecap. She chuckled at the resounding crunch of bone breaking before burrowing her elbow into the nose of the guy trying to sneak up behind her.
"Had enough?" she questioned as Kurt jumped on the back of the last guy standing, digging his claws into the man's skin. The guy hollered with pain until Kurt let go. Blood seeped through the man's clothes, and more glittered on Kurt's claws. The group of hoodlums gathered together and began backing off from Rogue and Kurt, keeping them in sight. As soon as they figured they were far enough away they took off at a dead run.
Kurt wiped the blood off his claws onto his shirt, before turning his holographic inducer back on to revert to his human form. "Ugh, gross. Man, why can't people just back off when someone confronts them? Why all the violence?"
"You do know that the two of us aren't very intimidatin', don't ya?" demanded Rogue wrinkling her nose.
"You scare me."
"That makes meh feel so much better. Ah cahn scare off an elf. Bonus for meh."
"Thank-you!" Out of nowhere, the boy who had been knocked to the ground instantly hurled himself at Rogue, latching his arms around her waist in a hug. "I love you!"
"Hold ohn there, pipsqueak—Ah don't know you, and you sure as hell don't know meh. Let go." Rogue tried to pry the kid's arms off of her, but to no avail. The boy only tightened his grip. He glanced up at her with adoring blue eyes.
"I'm Jamie Madrox."
"Great. Nice ta meet ya, now why don't ya head home, huh?"
"Can I come with you?" he pleaded.
"Why don't you go home to your own folks?" shot back Rogue acerbically.
"Aw, be nice, Rogue," said Kurt. "You saved his life. You're a hero."
"Ah cahn die happy, Ah'm some squirt's hero. How old are ya, Jamie?"
"Almost ten. Can I come with you? Can I, can I? My parents want me to go somewhere safe…they said they can't take care of me…and all the other mees I make sometimes."
"Oh no," protested Rogue desperately trying to get the tiny boy off her. "No way, there's no room where Ah'm stayin'. Lance will go nuts!"
"Please?" Jamie made a pleading face, still refusing to let go of Rogue. He never wanted to leave her—she could protect him from everything.
Rogue grunted and finally managed to untangle herself from Jamie. She quickly shoved him into Kurt's arms, speaking to the German teen. "He's better off with you…Ah cahn't baby-sit him at the boarding house. Fred might sit ohn him or somethin'. You take him."
Jamie sniffed. "You don't want me?"
"Man, this really isn't mah night." Rogue sighed and knelt down in front of Jamie, her heart beginning to melt at his tears. "Look, sugah, Ah'm in school a lot." She ignored Kurt's snort on purpose. "There are adults with Blue here--he'll take care of ya, alright? It doesn't mean we cahn't be friends, it just means ya won't see meh all the time. Ah'll check in ohn ya though…someone has ta make sure those freaks treat ya right."
"You promise?"
"Yeah, Ah promise."
"I love you!" Jamie locked his arms around her neck for another hug, and then he let go, taking Kurt's hand. "Can we go now? I'm kinda hungry."
"You know, food sounds really good right now," agreed Kurt as his stomach rumbled.
"That's all you ever do is eat," announced Lance joining the small group. He glared at Kurt and studied the small boy holding onto the X-Man's hand. "You guys that desperate for recruits?"
Rogue made a face and smacked Lance in the arm. At his confused look she explained, "Do you wanna play baby-sitter? Mystique would be pissed if the kid came home with us. We're not a day-care center."
"Tell that to the other three cry-babies we live with," muttered Lance rubbing his arm. "You ready to head home then? Or are you planning on hanging out with the elf and shrimp?"
"Don't push it, Lance. Let's go. Later, kid." Rogue gave Jamie a lazy wave as she took Lance's hand, allowing the older boy to lead her away from the basketball courts.
As soon as Rogue and Lance were out of sight, Jamie spoke up. "I don't like him."
"Neither do I, but Rogue does."
"Why? He's mean!"
"Girls are strange creatures. Some talk too much, some don't talk at all, and some are like Rogue—they scare you for a living."
"I love Rogue. She can beat people up for me."
Kurt looked down at Jamie with a smile. "Ja, that she can. C'mon, let's get some food. The Professor is definitely going to want to meet you. You're the only person who's gotten through to Rogue."
"I love Rogue," repeated Jamie with a sigh.
"You already said that."
"She's great…" Jamie rattled on about Rogue, but Kurt didn't hear him. There was something about her that bothered him. Rogue reminded him of someone…if only he could recall who…
A/N—Is this amazing or what? This is the quickest update I have ever done. Unbelievable. I'm not sure if I'll get any more out this weekend, but you never know. I really don't want to do homework…Anyhow, hope you like this one! A little short, yes…but still kinda cute. Enjoy!