Disclaimer: This is not mine.
44-Dark Tidings
Rogue shifted positions, trying to concentrate on the plate of food in front of her. Today was harder than most days to eat. She had the itch again. Her fingers drummed the tabletop impatiently, her heart felt as though it were jumping out of her chest, and every little sound made her jump in her seat.
On either side of Rogue, Tabitha and Bobby were exchanging glances. The entire table kept shooting Rogue furtive looks as if that would help them decipher the southerner's fidgety state. Across from Rogue, Kurt and Kitty were whispering together conspiratorially. Neither one of them could seem to agree on what the other suggested, thus leaving Rogue alone to continue her drumming.
Further down the table, however, Rogue's latest habit was driving one Alison Blaire nuts. The blonde pop singer winced as the drumming began to give her a headache. She kept shooting dark glares at the southerner, but Rogue seemed oblivious. Rogue's eyes stared at the blank wall behind Kurt, without really seeing it.
Rogue, meanwhile, was busy thinking…or trying to think. Her mind kept jumping from one random thought to another. It had started with a German prayer, then became the last score she had made in a football game, then she was thinking about fire, then she was thinking about the last rainstorm, then it was all about killing Sabertooth, which was then followed by thoughts of Star Wars and boys, to beating Evan in everything he did, to killing her father for putting her in an asylum, to killing her brother for locking her up on an army base, then it was all about destroying Kelly's home in an earthquake, to lighting fireworks, then became thoughts on her past in a concentration camp, to the time she had been stoned for showing her blue skin, and then finally became thoughts of Scott.
"Stop it!" screeched Alison pushing her chair back as she got to her feet. "Jesus Christ, would it kill you to give it a rest?"
Rogue blinked in surprise, her fingers pausing as she began to crave a cigarette. Rogue relaxed at that last thought. Yes, that was more like her. She sat back in her seat with a thoughtful look on her face as her mind concentrated on finding a cigarette. Awkward silence filled the dining room as Alison plopped back down in her seat. At the head of the table the adults eyed each other carefully, trying to piece together Rogue's latest state of mind.
Moira dropped her head and moved her eggs around idly with a fork. She had never gotten the chance to talk to Xavier about Rogue. Things had been hectic since Gabrielle had arrived—and the woman hadn't left yet. Xavier was doing his best to convince her that David didn't need his mother around to coddle him, but Gabrielle had been adamant. She wasn't leaving the mansion, and Moira was inclined to believe her.
With another sigh Moira glanced in Rogue's direction. The brunette was toying with a strand of white hair now, oblivious once more to everything around her. Moira took a deep breath as she pushed herself onto her feet.
"Rogue, can I have a word with you?" she asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence. Everyone at the table glanced up in genuine surprise. Rogue blinked back to reality and nodded once. The teen stood up and followed Moira out of the dining hall.
Moira led Rogue downstairs to her lab. She always felt more comfortable there. Rogue was silent the entire way. She was getting better at keeping her mouth shut…and it was starting to unnerve her.
"What did ya wanna talk 'bout?" questioned Rogue taking a seat on a stool in the lab.
"Have you talked to Logan yet?"
"No. That's not why ya wanna talk ta meh, is it? Ah hate gettin' lectured ta. Ah don't take it very well."
Moira shook her head as she rummaged around for a needle. "No, I want to take another sample of your blood, if you don't mind?"
"Ah guess. Whaddya need it for?"
"I want to double check something that I've noticed after studying your last sample."
Rogue rolled her eyes. "Now you're gonna tell meh that ya don't think Ah'm Rogue—that Ah'm someone else."
"Something like that," replied Moira seriously. Rogue frowned but rolled up her sleeve and offered Moira her arm. The scientist-doctor took another sample of Rogue's blood and turned to deposit it in another dish. Rogue watched curiously as Moira placed the dish beneath a microscope, muttering under her breath the entire time.
"Well?" murmured Rogue as Moira straightened back up.
"I want to show you something. Come look through the lens and tell me what you see."
Rogue hopped off the stool and placed her eyes over the microscope. It took her a while before she could focus on the blood sample. "Is it supposed ta be all clumped together like that in four different groups?"
"No," answered Moira. The tone in her voice made Rogue look up sharply. Moira continued. "What you're looking at is an anomaly unlike any other. I tested each of those groups and found that you have all four possible blood types."
"What does it mean?" demanded Rogue as she began to panic. She didn't need any more problems to add to her already growing list. She had already begun to consider herself something of a schizophrenic.
"I'm not sure; I'm still trying to figure that out. The best hypothesis that I can come up with is that it is a result of your powers. Rogue, you can borrow powers, and yet, no one is entirely sure what it does to you in the long run."
"Ya mean like a permanent effect?"
"Yes. I think that every time you 'borrow' a power you incorporate a part of that person within you. Not just an imprint of their personality in your own mind, but I think you almost become that person by taking on some of their more unique…traits."
"How is that even possible?"
"Mystique has the ability to look like anyone she wants to look like…whereas you have the ability to have the powers of anyone you touch. Powers come from a special gene that many have come to know as the X-gene. It's possible that after you borrow someone's powers—or life source—that the DNA needed to make those powers develops inside of you, giving you the same blood type as the person you originally borrowed powers from. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"
"Yeah," replied Rogue sinking back down on her stool. "Ah think Ah do. What does it all mean in the…long run?"
"I'm not sure yet. I would have to do more tests…and study you as well. Rogue, you've seemed a little distracted lately. Would you care to tell me what's going on?" Moira watched Rogue carefully as the girl drifted off in thought once more. "Rogue?" repeated Moira gently.
Rogue looked up in surprise, glancing around at her surroundings. A minute later she answered as though she had never drifted off. "Ah'm not sure what's goin' ohn with meh. One minute Ah'm doin' somethin' ahn the next Ah'm thinkin' 'bout somethin' Ah've never done before. At first Ah thought it had somethin' ta do with mah last little…power outage. When Ah lost control Ah couldn't remember who Ah was or what Ah was doin'. It was like Ah was watchin' mah body from the sidelines. Ah couldn't control mahself," said Rogue. "Ahn lately, Ah dunno, Ah think Ah'm gearin' up for another freak out. Sometimes Ah find mahself using powers Ah shouldn't have."
Moira nodded absently. "It could be a result of all the different X-genes trying to take control of your own X-gene. It would make sense. I think you're gaining a lot of unwanted DNA—and it's struggling to make room inside of you to be free."
"Great," muttered Rogue darkly. "Ah really am a freak."
"You're not a freak, Rogue, but you do have powers unlike any other I have every heard of. You have the—"
"Ah know, Ah know," sighed Rogue. "Ah have the potential ta be the most powerful mutant in the world. Everyone keeps tellin' meh that, they don't realize how unnerving it is ta an eighteen year old. Ah never asked ta have powers—Ah never wanted ta be a mutant. Ah would give anythin' ta be human again. This isn't the life for meh."
"No one ever asked to be a mutant," started Moira gently in her brogue, "but sometimes life throws you an unexpected twist. You just have to learn to accept who you are and try and utilize your gifts in the best possible way you can."
Rogue chuckled dryly. "That's the problem; sometimes mah powers do things without askin'. Ah'm not the one in control anymore—Ah never have been."
"I'm trying to find a way to help you, Rogue. You don't have to go through this alone."
"Ah know…but what if ya cahn't help meh? What if Ah become a lost cause?"
"I'm not saying I can produce a miracle for you, Rogue, but I won't give up on you. Neither will anyone else here. Until then, however, you just need to make the best of what you have. Don't push people away because you're afraid of hurting them. Keep them close—maybe they'll keep you in one piece longer."
"You think so?" questioned Rogue wistfully.
Moira shrugged wearily. "You never know until you try."
Upstairs:
Bobby paced back and forth in the foyer as Kitty and Kurt watched on. The pair was seated on the bottom step of the staircase, watching their friend worry himself to death.
"It's probably nothing serious," stated Kitty.
Kurt shook his head. "What if Dr. MacTaggert is telling Rogue she only has six months to live? Or what if she found out that Rogue is really crazy and they have to lock her up forever? Why aren't we pacing?" he demanded jumping to his feet. "Rogue could be in trouble and there's nothing we can do about it!"
"Gettin' a little ahead of yourself, aren't ya, Blue?" teased Rogue as she appeared in the foyer. Bobby and Kurt blinked in surprise to see the brunette standing there.
"You're alive!" cried out Kurt launching himself at his sister. Rogue made a face and wheezed in pain as the German teen hugged her tightly.
"Not for much longer," she hissed breathlessly. Kurt's eyes widened and he quickly let go of Rogue.
"Sorry, we were worried," apologized Kurt sheepishly.
Bobby nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you were down in the lab for a long time. What did Dr. MacTaggert want with you?"
"Nothin' much," replied Rogue with a shrug.
"Nothing much?" asked Kitty with a raised eyebrow. "Are you sure?"
"Well…it wasn't important," murmured Rogue softly. She placed a smile on her face and turned to Bobby. "Ah was gonna head into town ta get a pretzel, wanna come?"
"Yeah, sure," said Bobby eagerly. Rogue smiled brightly and grabbed Bobby's hand in her gloved one, leading him towards the door. She was going to take Moira's advice to heart. She wasn't sure how much longer she would still be herself.
Kitty watched as Rogue and Bobby disappeared out the front door with a grin on her own face. She glanced up at Kurt who was still trying to make sense of what had just happened. With a sigh Kitty got to her feet and wrapped her arms around Kurt's waist, resting her forehead against his back.
"She's fine, Kurt. She looks ten times better than she did this morning. Whatever Moira talked to her about did Rogue wonders. She almost looked happy."
"With Bobby?" asked Kurt incredulously.
Kitty giggled and turned Kurt around to face her. "Yes, silly. Bobby's our friend. He really cares about Rogue—and if she likes him then we should encourage it. She's had poor choice in guys up until now. Bobby will be a good change for her."
"I hope you're right…who's gonna tell Logan?"
"We'll tell him later."
Kurt smiled as he leaned down to kiss Kitty on the lips. Things were finally starting to settle down around the mansion—and all for the better. Kitty smiled into the kiss, but the pair was interrupted by a knock at the front door. Kurt groaned as they broke apart.
"This had better be important," he muttered under his breath as he let go of Kitty and went to answer the door. His mouth fell open when he found Amanda standing on the doorstep with a suitcase sitting beside her.
"Kurt!" Amanda hurled herself into Kurt's arms, sobbing into his shirt. Kurt awkwardly patted her back as he turned to face Kitty. Judging by the look on her face, this wasn't the right step forward in their re-blossoming relationship.
Elsewhere:
Dr. Bolivar Trask nodded briskly at the lab aid as he walked down the sparse hallway of the lab. He was an imposing man in his own right. Tall and handsome with graying brown hair and brown eyes, as well as a growing mustache. He pushed open a glass door and strode into the small office where another scientist was working away on her computer.
He dropped a folder onto her desk, startling the dark haired, brown eyed woman. She looked up in surprise.
"Look inside," instructed Dr. Trask snidely. The woman opened up the folder and glanced at the first paper that greeted her eye. Minutes later she was shuffling through the rest of the file, scanning the contents inside.
"What does this mean?" she asked with a slight accent.
"It means my hypothesis was right all along. Mutants will one day replace the human race. We are an endangered species, Kavita."
The Indian doctor rolled her eyes. "That's not new news, Bolivar. You're just trying to prove to the government that your Sentinel project is a needed addition in the war against mutants."
"This information is going to give both of us the grants we need to continue doing what we are doing. I will make my Sentinels—protectors of human-kind—and you will work on your Hope project—the possible cure for mutants," replied Dr. Trask flippantly.
"Do you think the government will buy it? Those papers of yours, I mean?"
"They hired S.H.I.E.L.D. to do their dirty work, didn't they? Just think of it, one day we'll be famous. Dr. Bolivar Trask, the creator of the god-send Sentinels, and Dr. Kavita Rao, the woman who cured mutants!"
Kavita chuckled in amusement. "So long as we get our grants to continue our projects, I don't give a damn what I'm labeled as."
"That's the spirit!"
At The Same Time:
Sabertooth growled to himself as he darted down the sidewalk. He had been given one simple mission, and already it was going down hill. Sinister had ordered him to watch Rogue—follow her every move the next couple of days without being seen—but apparently that was not to be.
The tawny haired beast cast a furtive look over his shoulder, cursing his luck. Of course today would be the day that uniformed men he vaguely recognized followed him at a fast pace. Whoever the men were, they meant business; and Sabertooth had a nagging feeling that they had something to do with the past he couldn't remember.
Meanwhile, Rogue and Bobby ambled down the sidewalk just talking. Bobby had discovered that when Rogue wasn't hiding in her shell she was a very likeable, sweet girl; and Rogue had discovered that she missed being the carefree person she had been before she had gained her powers in Mississippi. It was nice to just be normal with another person. And she was quickly discovering that there was more to Bobby than met the eye. He was a sincere, caring, funny guy—and Rogue liked that about him.
"I tried telling Kurt that he had forgotten his pants, and that he was walking around in nothing but a shirt and his boxers, but Evan wouldn't let me. He filmed the entire thing instead. It was a week before Kurt would talk to us again—at school he was known as Captain Undies. The jocks teased him about it up until he and Kitty started dating."
Rogue chuckled. "That sounds like Kurt—always rushin' off without makin' sure everythin' is in order. Hey," she said suddenly becoming more serious, "do ya think Kitty ahn Kurt are gonna start datin' again?"
"They might as well if they already aren't. They're meant to be together," replied Bobby with a nonchalant shrug. "Why do you ask?"
"Shouldn't she like ask mah opinion or somethin'? Kurt is mah little brother."
"Right, because you and Kitty have the greatest history together. She's probably afraid of you."
Rogue made a face. "Then Ah guess Ah'm gonna hafta have a lil' talk with her. Ah'm tryin' ta do things right this time—ahn that means lookin' out for Kurt's best interests."
Bobby grinned. "Alright, as soon as we get back to the mansion we'll sit Kitty and Kurt down and drill them."
"Maybe we should have Logan do it. He's a lot more intimidatin' that Ah am."
"Actually, the newer recruits would say otherwise. Half of them volunteered to do extra Danger Room sessions the other day rather than convince you to make dinner for everyone. They hide whenever you enter the room—no one wants to make eye contact with you."
"Really? Ah haven't noticed that. Ah'll hafta try ahn pay attention from now ohn," murmured Rogue thoughtfully.
"Why haven't you been paying attention, Rogue? You've seemed really out of it lately." This time there was no teasing manner in Bobby's tone.
Rogue shrugged uncomfortably. "It's nothin' much…Ah've just had a lot ohn mah mind."
"Like what?"
Rogue went silent. Bobby stopped in his tracks and made Rogue turn to face him. "Don't clam up on me, Rogue. I'm here for you, dammit! Why won't you let me in? I really care about you…and I want to help you!"
"Bobby…" Rogue sighed in frustration. "It's complicated."
"Try me."
"Logan's mah father."
Bobby blinked in surprise. "What?"
"Mystique finally told meh that Logan is mah birth father…ahn Ah had Moira double check. Well, he is. Ah've been tryin' ta find the right time ahn the right way ta tell him. It's a big deal. What if he doesn't want meh?"
"Rogue, haven't you noticed the way Logan watches you like a hawk? He's ten times more protective over you then anyone else in the mansion. Tabitha can break the rules a hundred different times—but you break a rule once and you're grounded for a month while Tabby only gets to clean bathrooms. Remember when you and Warren started dating? Logan worked him to death in the Danger Room. Rogue, I think Logan would be relieved to know you're his daughter—then he'd have an even bigger reason to not let you out of his sight," pointed out Bobby gently.
"Are you sure?" questioned Rogue hopefully. Bobby nodded. Rogue wiped away a stray tear before allowing Bobby to pull her into a hug. She had needed to hear that. Now she could finally talk to Logan.
The two teens were oblivious to the world around them, until the sound of a gun firing startled them. Rogue's eyes widened in fear as she realized just how vulnerable they were out in the open; around them people were beginning to scream and flee in fear. Rogue gritted her teeth as Bobby pulled her down to the ground. Humans fled from everything, and it was beginning to grate on the southerner's nerves.
Bobby placed a protective arm around Rogue as they cowered down beside a stone bench. He glanced around to try and determine where the gunfire was coming from. Eventually he sighted the source of the panic. Sabertooth was running down the sidewalk with armed men hot on his heels.
"Who the hell are they?" demanded Rogue as she too spotted Sabertooth and the armed men.
"Don't know, and I don't particularly want to know. We need to get outta here in case they're bounty hunters. Our faces have been plastered on the news before—they might recognize us."
Rogue nodded sharply and clutched Bobby's hand as the two slowly stood up, keeping the stone bench in front of them. The moment they came into view though, Sabertooth let out a fierce growl. Here was the girl who had caused him so much trouble. If Sinister hadn't wanted him to follow her Sabertooth would be holed up in the Brotherhood hideout, sharpening his nails.
"Ah don't think he's happy ta see us," hissed Rogue as Bobby placed himself directly in front of her.
"They never are," said Bobby. Before the blonde teen could ice up, Sabertooth was tackled to the ground. Rogue peered around Bobby hopefully, figuring Logan had sniffed them out, but it wasn't Logan on top of Sabertooth. It was someone Rogue had thought dead. It was Lady Deathstrike.
Despite the fact that Rogue had never seen the Asian woman before in her life, she knew without a doubt that this was the mutant Logan had battled and killed at Alkali base. Apparently she wasn't as dead as Logan had thought.
"You've got to be fuckin' kidding me." Logan's voice made Rogue's head swivel to the side. There stood the gruff X-Man staring at Lady Deathstrike in complete shock. With a growl his claws popped out of his knuckles as he made his way over to the Asian woman and Sabertooth.
"Ah don't think this is gonna turn out ta be a happy reunion," murmured Rogue in Bobby's ear.
Lady Deathstrike got to her feet, watching warily as Sabertooth did the same. Her attention darted to the approaching Logan. "We don't have time to screw around," she said sharply. "These men are after us."
"Define 'us'," snapped Logan.
"They come on behalf of S.H.I.E.L.D."
Sabertooth made a face. "Who the hell are they?"
"Strategic Hazard Intervention, Espionage and Logistics Directorate," replied Lady Deathstrike. "They made us into who we are today. We are part of what was once known as Weapon X—and it seems they are eager to get us back. Stryker was in charge of Weapon X a long time ago. I would suggest drilling him for answers—but someone had to go and kill him a couple of months ago."
Logan snorted. "He had it coming. Now why don't you tell me how in the hell you survived?"
"My healing powers took a long time to kick in and heal my wounds, but it seems that the adamantium that you injected in me fused into my bones turning me into something of a mutant shield. I'm practically invincible thanks to you."
"Way to go," muttered Sabertooth glancing at the approaching armed men. "So what do we do about them?"
"There ain't no we, bud. I'm takin' Rogue and Bobby outta here—this ain't their fight. And frankly, I don't give a damn about Stryker and his operations anymore. I don't have time to go running around after my past—not during a war," snarled Logan turning to go.
Sabertooth shot out a hand to grasp the other man's shoulder. "They'll take her. They'll find out what kind of powers she has and use her—just like us. We are fighting machines—born killers. What makes you think they won't turn Rogue into one of us? We both know how dangerous that she-devil is."
Lady Deathstrike followed Logan's gaze over to Rogue. She studied the teen girl curiously. "If she is as dangerous and powerful as your friend says, then this is your fight. Even if she weren't powerful they'd want to use her as a lab rat. They're always looking for mutants to test on."
Logan pulled away from Sabertooth and turned back to the soldiers in front of them. "Fine, then let's get this over with. I don't have all day." He called over his shoulder, "Rogue, Bobby, don't go anywhere! Stay put, got it?"
Bobby nodded briefly as he squeezed Rogue's hands. The two teens watched as Lady Deathstrike, Sabertooth, and Wolverine launched themselves into battle mode against the armed men. Rogue watched with genuine interest, studying the styles each of the mutants used versus the humans. Logan and Sabertooth were practically animalistic in their fighting skills—lashing out with their claws. Lady Deathstrike on the other hand was a little more clean cut with her extended nails—but no matter how many bullets seemed to strike her, they all bounced off as if she were made of metal.
"Crap," said Bobby glancing to the side. Rogue looked and frowned. Several soldiers were approaching them with their guns drawn. Bobby clenched his hands into fists, ice slowly forming up his arms.
"Don't try any funny stuff, kid, or I'll shoot your little girlfriend," threatened one of the men.
"Shoot her and you'll see first hand why humans fear mutants."
"Have it your way then." The man aimed his gun at Bobby and pulled the trigger just as Rogue kicked the gun out of his hands. The weapon fired, hitting one of the man's comrades in the arm. As Bobby iced the soldiers attacking them from the front, Rogue twirled around to deal with the men sneaking up behind them. She was breathless as one man grabbed her from behind.
"Let go of meh!" she shrieked. In Rogue's mind she could feel her powers itching to drain the man, and the sane part feared the consequences. Anger began to build up inside of her. She hadn't done anything—that she could remember—to these men. What right did they have to attack her? Another part of her mind however was fuming over the possibility that she could be turned into a lab rat. Rogue would rather kill herself than be tested on by humans.
With that last thought Rogue broke free of the soldier's grasp. Her fingertips fizzled as she pointed a single finger at the soldier who had had a hold of her. "Ya pissed meh off—ahn now y'all are gonna pay."
The man's eyes widened and he turned to run from the angry teen with fire in her eyes. Rogue shot him in the back with fireworks, smirking in satisfaction as he fell to the ground. Behind her another soldier aimed his gun, only to have it float into the air and point itself at him. Rogue twirled around and raised her eyebrows in amusement as the man placed his arms into the air.
Bobby glanced up from the latest soldier he had frozen and did a double take as the gun began to pull the trigger. "Rogue!"
The gun fell to the ground in a clatter as she turned to look over at Bobby. She frowned in confusion as the soldier in front of her ran off screaming. It was as though she didn't know what she had been about to do. Bobby ran a hand over his face as he made his way over to the brunette.
"Rogue—" His next words were interrupted by a shadow flying over them. Both Bobby and Rogue glanced into the sky at the latest mutant to join the scene. This time it was one they had never seen before.
The mutant was a broad built red and silver man with scraggly blonde hair pulled back into a pony tail, and with a red headband around his forward. His eyes were a fierce red, but that wasn't the most impressive part of him. The mutant also had two silver tentacles on either side of his body. The small group of mutants already on the ground paused to watch the newcomer land in front of them.
"Now what?" demanded Logan in exasperation.
Lady Deathstrike sucked in her breath. "He is not on our side—he worked for Stryker once too. My guess is he's still working for S.H.I.E.L.D."
"Who is he?" asked Sabertooth studying the mutant in front of him.
"I am called Omega Red—and you three are coming with me. Weapon X has been recalled—it is too dangerous for you to roam the streets any longer," answered the man in a gruff, accented voice.
"Not if Ah can help it," stated Rogue floating into the air. Around her the wind began to pick up as metal rattled on the street below. Logan gritted his teeth as his body became glued to the ground. Lady Deathstrike had a similar look of pain on her face as well.
"You think you can stop me?" chuckled Omega Red. "You are foolish."
"Not as foolish as you!" Rogue extended both her hands, pushing the wind against Omega Red. Her hands crackled with fireworks and cars flew off the ground, crashing into the evil mutant. Omega Red knocked the cars aside, causing them to burst in flames. Rogue manipulated the flames to edge closer to the Russian mutant as his tentacles whipped up towards Rogue. The southern girl felt the breath rush out of her as the tentacles tightened around her waist. In that brief moment she felt the powers inside of her subsiding—she was growing too tired to keep control, and the powers were tired of fighting for control.
Rogue began tugging at the tentacles around her waist, hoping to free herself before Omega Red pulled her to the ground. Logan was already moving with his claws extended to their full length. Keeping Rogue firmly in the grip of his tentacles, Omega Red swung a fist into Logan, knocking the X-Man backwards. As Sabertooth and Lady Deathstrike tried their own attacks, Rogue struggled to gain control of the powers inside of her once more. But no matter how hard she tried, nothing happened. Instead, Rogue tugged off a glove and prepared to drain Omega Red as soon as she was out of the air. She knew that part hadn't vanished—not with her luck.
Down on the ground the three Weapon X protégés were struggling to get back on their feet. Omega Red was a powerful foe—he hit harder than a speeding train. Omega Red, however, was concentrating on Rogue as he finally brought her down to the ground. As soon as she was within reach Rogue shot out a hand towards Omega Red's face—only to be pulled backwards by a pair of strong arms.
"We have come to rescue you!" announced Black Tom as Juggernaut grabbed Omega Red from behind. The slender mutant gripped Rogue around the waist and used his club to blast away the tentacles. Omega Red was too busy battling with Juggernaut to notice he had lost his prisoner.
Rogue stumbled to the ground in a daze, trying to catch her breath. Her head felt woozy and black spots were all she could see. Placing a hand on her head she tentatively placed the other on the cement to keep herself steady. She could feel her forehead burning up with a fever before she slowly replaced her glove on her hand. Something was very wrong with her.
"Rogue!" Bobby was instantly at Rogue's side as Black Tom stood up to take a protective stance in front of them. Despite the fact that he was outnumbered Omega Red wasn't slowing down. Just when it seemed Omega Red would win the battle an alarm sounded, startling the group of mutants.
"That is my cue to leave. We are not finished yet, Weapon X. I will hunt every last one of you down," vowed Omega Red solemnly. He turned on his heel and stalked away, leaving the rest of the group in shock.
Lady Deathstrike glanced around warily as another alarm sounded out. "I think we should go as well. I think it'll be a mutant roundup if we stay any longer."
Logan nodded sharply, turning as Bobby called out to him. "Logan, we need to get Rogue back to the mansion. I think she's sick."
Everyone glanced down at Rogue whose face was drenched in sweat. Her lips were moving, mumbling incoherent words. Every few seconds her head would snap side to side. Logan rushed over and bent down beside Rogue. He placed his hand on her forehead, only to snatch it away as though he had been burned. Without a word he scooped Rogue into his arms and stood up.
"We'll finish this another time," he said to Lady Deathstrike. The Asian bowed her head in understanding, watching Rogue curiously. Logan jerked his head at Bobby, and the trio turned in the direction of the mansion.
Lady Deathstrike watched them go, her mind racing. "The prophecy," she murmured.
"Come again?" asked Black Tom.
"That girl is the prophecy." Lady Deathstrike turned to Black Tom and Juggernaut with an unreadable expression on her face. "Do you work for her?"
"What's it to you?" demanded Juggernaut suspiciously.
"She is the prophecy. I plan on living in the future—and the only way to do that is to stick close to her."
"Makes sense to me," said Black Tom leaning on his club. "We could use the company, don't you agree, Juggy?"
"You're all crazy," scoffed Sabertooth shaking his head. "Every last one of you."
"Fuck off," growled Juggernaut. Sabertooth snorted and began to walk away.
Lady Deathstrike turned back to the pair in front of her. "Do we have a deal or not? You could use someone like me—especially when Doomsday comes along."
"Fine, but just so you know, it ain't sure whether or not Rogue's gonna live after Doomsday," pointed out Juggernaut. "For all you know she'll die."
"But at least we'll be alive after that. Besides, I have a feeling she won't go down that easily. Not with the powers she's packing inside of her."
Black Tom pursed his lips thoughtfully. "What do you know about her? See, I'm just tagging along with Juggy here, and he's only working for Rogue until his debt is up. But it would be nice to hear more about this…prophecy you're talking about."
"Are you sure you want to know?"
"Absolutely."
The X-Mansion:
Ororo jumped in surprise as the front door crashed open. Bobby rushed in with Logan right behind him. In Logan's arms was Rogue.
"Oh my god, what happened?" she exclaimed jogging over to the pair. She brushed aside a damp strand of hair from Rogue's face. Rogue looked up, her green eyes clouded over.
"Ah hafta tell ya somethin'," she mumbled. Her eyes closed again and Rogue seemed to drift back into a comfortless sleep.
"We gotta get her to the infirmary," said Logan. "Bobby, find the Professor and the doc—tell 'em we have an emergency!"
Bobby took off down the hallway as Ororo led Logan to the elevator. In the underground level the pair half ran, half walked into the infirmary where Hank was busy putting away some towels. The blue beast glanced up in surprise, but he leapt into action, motioning for Logan to place Rogue in one of the beds. Hank quickly set about checking her pulse and taking her temperature as Moira rushed into the room.
Moira placed a hand on Rogue's forehead, and then quickly took it off before opening her eyelids to peer at her eyes. "I was afraid of this," murmured Moira with a shake of her head.
"Afraid of what?" demanded Logan gruffly.
"First let me bring her fever down…and then I think it's time that we adults talked about Rogue. It's important."
About an hour later Moira, Logan, Ororo, Xavier, Gabrielle, Sean, and Hank were seated in Moira's lab staring at the remains of a slide show of Rogue's blood samples.
"What does it all mean?" asked Ororo breaking the silence.
Moira sighed. "I'm afraid now it means that Rogue's DNA is changing—her powers are evolving…and I can't say whether or not it will be for the better. Every time Rogue borrows another power, that x-gene imprint melds together with her own x-gene, changing it. Right now Rogue has gone almost two months without borrowing another power. As a result of this break the x-genes already inside of her are finally settling down to make a brand new x-gene."
"If her powers are just evolving we don't have anything to worry about, do we?" questioned Sean.
"Actually, I'm afraid we have a lot to fear. With each x-gene entering Rogue her mind becomes vulnerable. A part of the person she drains is inside of—eventually they subside into the recesses of her mind until she has another mental breakdown. Opening herself up to intense emotions releases the powers she has borrowed before—making her very dangerous to herself and others because she cannot handle the amount of power inside of her.
"I've been doing various tests today and from what I've gathered I believe that Rogue is in a very fragile position right now. The next time she borrows a power could have a permanent effect on her until she can't remember who she is—or it could kill her."
Logan ran a hand over his face. "So we don't let her touch anyone anymore, no big deal, right? As soon as she's not fragile she can return to normal, right?"
"Even if the next borrowing doesn't affect her, the one after that could, or even the one after that. What I'm saying is that Rogue is in a lot of danger. I think on some level she already knows this…and that worries me. Rogue is difficult to understand in general, but I believe she knows exactly how to use her powers and when to use them," said Moira softly. "Her mind must be able to let her know just how fragile she is in this weakened state, and if that is so then I think she's waiting for the right time to use her powers."
Xavier looked up thoughtfully. "You're talking about the prophecy," he stated.
"Yes. Rogue knows about the prophecy. I don't know how long she's known, but she does, and I think that will be when she uses her powers again."
"Is there any way you can stop her?" murmured Gabrielle edging her stool closer to Xavier.
"No," started Logan after seeing the look on Moira's face, "it'll be up to Rogue to make the next move. She's the one living with her powers—we can't make any decisions for her."
Meanwhile:
Rogue gazed up at the ceiling, studying the white paint carefully. When she focused her attention on spot in particular she could see a bird-shaped design amidst all the white, and if she didn't tear her gaze right after sighting the shape it would begin to glow a reddish color. Then Rogue would turn to the wall on her side and spot what appeared to be a giant man standing up out of a triangle. On the wall across from her Rogue would then see herself staring directly back at her.
No matter how hard she tried, Rogue couldn't rid the shapes from her mind. A bird, a giant, and herself—she knew the three were forever entwined together. But Rogue wasn't sure what the outcome would be after the three met up. One thing she did know was that she would be the one to decide their fates.
Rogue closed her eyes and prayed for a dreamless sleep. She didn't want to think about the prophecies anymore. She didn't want to think about her powers either. It was all becoming much more than Rogue could handle. Whatever came next would change her life forever.
At The Same Time:
Sinister stepped forward, basking in the undivided attention given to him by the group of people circled up in the room. All eyes were glued on him with champagne glasses half raised to their lips. The Lord of Evil smirked triumphantly. These people would follow him to the ends of the earth from this point onwards. He was their only link to eternal glory.
Emma narrowed her eyes before speaking. "All right, Essex, we're here. What is it you wanted to show us? What makes you so damn sure the tides will turn in our favor?"
The door behind him opened up and in stepped a young woman with bright red hair and dark blue eyes. She was dressed in a red body suit, her lithe form crackling with unused power. Sinister's mouth twisted into a smile. "Ladies and gentlemen of the Hellfire Club, may I present to you our savior: Phoenix."
A/N—Rogue's character was intentional throughout this entire chapter. You'll see why soon enough, if some of you haven't already guessed what's coming. The next chapter will be up later this week.