Disclaimer: no, this does not belong to me, and I'm sure everyone is very much aware of that little fact…
A/N I: ahem. No, I'm not quite dead. I apologize that this has taken over a year to update. My personal life has been overly hectic and I've been without a muse as a result. I'm like a year away from being done with college, so that hasn't helped either. Lame excuses, I know, but I want to reiterate here and now that I will finish this story. Just bear with me as I sort out writing time and the like.
--
Chapter 56 – Death
Rogue grimaced as she placed a foot on the dirt floor of the temple. She didn't like the feeling the temple gave her. It wasn't just the unease that settled in her bones, it was the impending doom she could feel from within the depths of her soul. It made her more fearful than she already was, and fear was all too visible in the faces of Remy and Caliban as they too moved further into the temple. The trio had finally managed to take the long steps forward to enter the sacred temple of Apocalypse, bracing a dust storm and the shifting of the ground beneath their own feet to get inside. Apparently fate itself didn't like what was to happen within the ancient Egyptian architecture it had hidden for so many millennia.
"I don't like the quiet," murmured Remy as he eyed the ceiling of the temple nervously. Rogue couldn't help but smile at his mannerisms. As a thief he had never struck her as the type to be afraid of anything, normally running into things head first and without much thought; but now it seemed Remy was wary…it was as though he felt he was somewhere he didn't belong. It was rather ironic in a sense.
"It will be loud soon enough," replied Caliban with a world weary sigh. Despite his normally pallid features the mutant seemed even more sickly than usual, causing the smile on Rogue's face to falter. It pained her to see him resigned to death; it was only she that intended to die today…she and no other but Apocalypse.
Her fingertips traced the handle of the dagger she and Remy had retrieved from the Middle East. She had decided its presence was only a small relief to her otherwise troubled mind. At the moment the various personas in her mind had quieted, leaving only her as the sole occupant inside her head. The brunette had a dark suspicion this would only last for so long. The moment Apocalypse appeared the personas would clamor for her undivided attention, each one seeking to be the sole power behind the demise of the most powerful mutant in the world.
Second most powerful, she amended to herself in a scolding manner. The Phoenix is quite possibly more powerful than the Apocalypse…or will be if Jean lets go completely. Her powers are too controlled to be solely the Phoenix. Jean's still in there somewhere. I know she is…just like I'm still here.
Remy's eyes shifted to Rogue who seemed to be drifting away in her thoughts. It was times like these that he grew worried. When her mind wandered it usually meant someone other than Rogue was calling the shots up in that pretty little head of hers. Clearing his throat the Cajun asked, "You alright, chère?"
Rogue blinked at Remy's question, her green eyes refocusing as they moved in his direction. They seemed to twinkle for a moment as the southern belle stepped forward to wrap her arms around Remy's waist without a word. It was all the reassurance that Remy needed to know that for the time being Rogue was whole. He knew that it was only a matter of time before she let loose the chaos within her, creating another chasm of fate loose on the world.
Outside the Temple
A lone figure stood in the stand, his back straight like that of a soldier preparing for battle. He rolled his shoulders, causing the large white wings on his back to spread open before closing again. A single feather floated to the ground, but the figure ignored it. His mind was only focused on one thing, and that was the temple standing directly in front of him. Inside was the very person he had come to kill per orders of his true master.
At the same time however there was a tinge of doubt making its way to the forefront of the Archangel's mind. It was one of recognition and a rather deep emotion he vaguely remembered as something akin to love. This feeling had rushed upon him as he had watched the three mutants enter the temple a short while ago; most of it had resulted from the only female in the group. There was something about her that triggered a familiarity in the former horseman that he had couldn't quite put a finger on. It was as though he knew her. It was as though he couldn't bring himself to do what he had been ordered to do. Kill her.
From the west came a warm breeze sifting sand into the air and into the Archangel's face. He closed his eyes and allowed the warmth to refresh his skin before taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly. As he opened his eyes he forced the tug at his heart away. He was Death in its ethereal form. He had to be strong today. No woman, human or mutant, would make him question his job. He had very little choice in the matter anyway. Two more powerful than he wanted that female mutant dead, and if he didn't make good on his promise to get rid of her he himself would find his life forfeit.
Yet the Archangel could not make his feet move from their current position. A frown settled onto his face, and with great reluctance the man bent his knees and lowered himself to the sand. He would wait a few more minutes before entering the temple. In that time frame he was hoping he would be able to rid himself of the doubt gnawing at his soul.
En Route to Egypt
Pyro tugged at the igniter around his wrists, snapping the material up and down out of habit more than anything else. It was his indication that he was nervous, something rare for the Aussie. He had never been fond of flying before, and this time around was no different. It also didn't help that he was going with some of the very people he had tried to push out of his life forever. In the chair across from his sat Bobby. The two still hadn't spoken since the Brotherhood had ganged up with the X-Men two years ago. Sorting out their differences wasn't high on either of their agendas, though they did share the same concern over Rogue. Well, maybe not the same reasons. Bobby was looking to patch things up after screwing them up so badly; Pyro knew the Iceman blamed himself for Rogue's freak-out after she caught him cheating on her, and while the pyromaniac didn't mind seeing his old friend suffer under a shitload of guilt, it was getting rather old seeing Bobby beat himself up over nothing.
With a sigh Pyro glanced at Bobby before speaking. "It isn't your fault, mate."
"Huh?" Bobby looked over in surprise. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Yes you do. You think this whole thing is your fault, but it isn't. You're giving yourself too much credit, Popsicle."
Bobby narrowed his eyes at the name, but he wasn't too concerned about it as much as he was concerned about the rest of what Pyro had said. "My fault?"
"Yeah, you know the whole thing with Rogue. Man, I shared a room with you for months, I know how you think. You had the biggest crush on Rogue, but by the time you guys finally hooked up you were halfway over her. That's why you cheated on her. You can pretend it was because she was pushing you away, but that wasn't it. You never loved Rogue, not like you think you did. You were just infatuated with her for a while. I don't blame you, mate, she can get under any man's skin with just a look."
"Is there a point to this, John?"
"All I'm saying is just because you cheated on her with Carol doesn't mean this whole fiasco was your fault. Carol was looking for a fight with Rogue from day one, at least that's how I hear it. She would have started something up even without your help—you were only a pawn, mate. You weren't the reason Rogue flipped out—the Sheila's been wandering around with a few screws loose in that head of hers for a long time now, you can see it in her eyes."
"And what exactly am I supposed to be seeing?" demanded Bobby. "Rogue's not insane—"
"No, but she was never really there," replied Pyro softly.
Bobby opened his mouth, a form of protest already making its way to his lips when he slowly closed his mouth. From up front Psylocke and Lady Deathstrike exchanged glances as if they too knew exactly what Pyro was talking about. Lady Deathstrike turned around to see whether or not Bobby would argue against Pyro's point but the blonde seemed to be lost in thought.
"She's not lost yet," stated the Asian after a long moment.
"She was lost the day she became a mutant," muttered Bobby without bothering to look at the older woman. "She'll never be an X-Man."
Psylocke snorted. "That doesn't mean she's lost. It just means she won't ever be the person you'd like her to be."
From behind Bobby Magneto grimaced and then spoke, choosing his words carefully. "You act as though the girl doesn't have a mind of her own. Take it from someone who knows, my boy, Rogue is anything but lost—she has a clear plan in that head of hers on how to live her life as normally as possible. Thanks to you and your belief that humans will accept us Rogue has been unable to accept herself for what she is."
"Oh yeah?" demanded Logan from the cockpit. "And what would that be? A mutant-terrorist?"
"No, a mutant. Whether you know it or not she craves to be like everyone else rather than the only one who has to be extra careful of what she does. Rogue doesn't want to be a mutant you know, she wants to be a human, and she didn't get that belief from working for the Brotherhood."
"No," agreed Storm, her eyes fastened on the sky in front of her. "She got that from everyone else. We tried to be careful around her; we tried not to upset her; we made her feel fragile and confined. It isn't anyone's fault what happened, no, but we could have gone about accepting her and making her feel at home in a different manner."
Banshee made a face as he pulled at the seat belt around him. "You really think that would have made a difference, love?"
Storm was silent and no one else dared give an answer to the rhetorical question. It really didn't matter anyway. What was done was done; there was a final battle looming on the horizon and with it the fate of the world.
Deep Inside the Temple
"It is the only way, my liege. You must fight her – she can be beaten – she's a mere mutant girl, no match for you." Sage spoke in as soothing a voice as she could muster. Her goal was to placate the great mutant in front of her to go into battle with Rogue, and the goal behind that was entirely unknown. Sage only worked for her own reasons, no more, no less. It was no surprise that her loyalties were shrouded in mystery yet again, even if it did seem as though she was currently aligned with the Hellfire Club. She had no real care for sides so long as she was paid at the end of the day. Sage had gone without money before, as well as a roof over her head and people who cared about her, and after that trying experience she had vowed never to do so again. It wasn't the life for her. Of course, one could argue that the current life she was living, the one in the shadows helping fate go its natural course and all that followed was no life either, but Sage had never been one to care for public opinion before now, so it wasn't likely she would really give a damn what anyone thought.
"The prophecy says she will kill me," stated Apocalypse bluntly, his eyes gazing beyond Sage's head from his position on his throne. He had been in a type of void since learning that yet another of his Horseman had been defeated and killed. One girl – that was all she was, one girl; and yet, she was slowly becoming everything he had secretly feared she would be come – his destroyer.
"Her mind is unsteady," replied Sage. "She can barely remember her own name let alone how to destroy you. My bet is that she'll go insane in the middle of battle and end up fighting herself – all those voices in her head can't be good for her sanity, even you can see that."
"For all I know the voices could be what keeps her going."
"Then you will hide? She will find you. She's here, even now. Rogue won't let anything stand in her way of destroying you – she really has nothing else to live for."
"She's just as human as the rest of her teammates."
"The X-Men? The Brotherhood?" Sage shook her head. "She's her own goddamn army. She doesn't need a team to back her up – hell, as far as I can tell she hasn't let human emotion dictate her actions for the last two years. That girl is far too dangerous for you to let walk this planet any longer. It's time you fought for what is rightfully yours – your throne."
After a long moment Apocalypse turned to study Sage, his eyes glinting in the ray of sunlight that was poking through a hole in the bricks above. His face was stoic however, and he didn't dare utter a sound. Silence loomed.
The Other Side of the Temple
"He's already here," stated Rogue flatly.
Remy made a face. "You didn't think he wouldn't be here, now did you, chère?"
"I don't know what I thought," admitted Rogue with a small sigh, her eyebrows furrowing into a frown on her face. She closed her eyes for a moment, causing Remy to crease his own forehead with worry lines. It seemed every day more was filled with inner turmoil for Rogue, and while he knew there was that too high of a chance that she would be killed in this final battle, he still worried over the toll the many powers running through her veins would ultimately have on the southern belle. "I can feel you staring, Swamp Rat."
"Just want to make sure you're alive sometimes, chère."
"And staring does this how?" responded Rogue glibly, a glimmer of her former self peeking out as she opened a single eye to study the Cajun thief.
"Well, I figure it like this – if you talk back because you feel my eyes taking your clothes off then you're alive and we're okay."
Rogue opened the other eye to give Remy a dubious look and a shake of her head as she slowly turned to move further into the temple. There were too many times that she didn't know why she even bothered to ask him any questions. It was like that saying – ask a stupid question and get a stupid answer. With Remy it was more like ask any question and get a stupid answer. Where the Cajun came up with half the things that flew out of his mouth was beyond her imagination, but she also knew that she wouldn't have it any other way.
Yet there was a tinge of worry within her when it came to Remy. They had been together for close to two years now – and in more ways than one. They hadn't exactly given their relationship an actual definition; mostly because Rogue had made it very clear from the very beginning that she wasn't in it for the long haul. But every day more she was starting to see that living without Remy would be out of the question. The thief had stolen her heart, and here he was about to let her, albeit unwillingly, kill herself off in the name of some sort of demented justice. It was too much for her tender mind to take at times. Was it love? Rogue wasn't even sure what love really was. How could she considering all she had gone through in her short life? Her adoptive parents had loved her, but that was a genuine affection sort of love, not at all the hardcore love of true parents. She supposed Mystique loved her – despite all the woman had done to Rogue it too had all been in some sort of demented version of love. The woman had only tried to do what was best for Rogue, even if it wasn't all that good. Logan … well, Rogue wasn't quite sure what to make of him. He obviously held some sort of soft spot for her, otherwise he wouldn't have been so protective of her in their short time together – it was probably love, but Logan was still a new aspect of her life, one in which she hadn't actually experienced for very long. Then there was Kurt. Thoughts of him always brought a smile to her face; he was such a sweet guy. Rogue had to admit she honestly loved the blue fur-ball, even if she hadn't yet made up her mind about either of her parents.
So what about Remy? He had become such a large part of her life – and she had already decided she wanted him to stay in it. But did that mean forever? It was a frightening prospect for someone like Rogue. She had only allowed herself to become this close to him due to her being able to control her powers – though that was due to Apocalypse. Part of her was hoping that she would die in the battle with Apocalypse if only to prevent the inevitable – not being able to be with Remy in the correct sense of a relationship. The last two years had not done much to vanquish that childish need to love and be loved in every sense of the word. Rogue craved human touch – and two years of it would kill her if she ended up back where she had started – cursed.
So in a way, yes, Rogue did love Remy, and it was that realization that stopped her in her tracks, freezing time around her. Behind her she could hear Remy explaining to Caliban all the ways in which he could test whether or not Rogue was alive – going into details that would normally just piss the southern belle off, but it seemed so far away. Rogue stared ahead into the darkness, her thoughts no longer as focused on the destruction of Apocalypse as they were on a certain Cajun. It was quite possibly the worst moment of her life, for either turnout would tear Remy from her.
New York City
Irene had woken from her nap only twenty minutes before the hour. It was close to midnight, meaning it was daylight elsewhere in the world. That mattered very little to her. What mattered was that the migraine she had been trying to get rid of was still very much with her, making her life all the more difficult. As if being blind wasn't enough she had the constant agony of headaches and migraines – all preludes to something bigger: visions.
Since coming into her powers the red head had never really gotten used to being able to see possibilities of the future. She had never been bold enough to claim them as fact – all visions could change if a player in them was able to change a course of action. No one's fate was set in stone. Perhaps this was what bothered her. As the mutant Destiny Irene was supposed to be able to see things that would be in order to help those on her side. For as long as she could really recall she had only been seeing things for Magneto and the Brotherhood, most of which had been at the behest of her friend Mystique. Thus far not many of her visions for this particular side had come to pass. Too much had come into the picture and intervened like the X-Men, the Hellfire Club, and Apocalypse – all of which had changed one vision after another to make an entirely different picture in the end. It was that lack of control over fate that made Destiny feel truly powerless in regards to her powers.
And yet the visions continued to come. Of late she seemed to be having more and more of them, a possible result of the looming battle she had foretold so long ago. The blind clairvoyant was of the belief that Rogue would win, though she wasn't certain how that would come about. The younger woman was a bit of an enigma at this point. Hell, if Irene wanted to be truthful all people aside from Mystique were complete strangers to her. She had never allowed herself to get close to anyone for fear of seeing something that could possibly never be undone. Irene had seen so much death in the past that it hardly made for a good reason to make friends if she might see their death as well. What did one say to another when they saw something like that looming on the horizon? It certainly wasn't a conversation starter. Unfortunately as a result the woman hardly knew the people she was siding with in the mutant crisis. She barely even knew herself. Visions had taken over any form of life she could have made for herself.
With a sigh the woman straightened herself on the couch from whence she had awoken. A hand went to her forehead, rubbing it gingerly as she tried to ease the pain within. This time around the migraine seemed worse than ever, something that Irene knew to mean that this particular vision in the making was going to be a big one. It had only happened a few times before. Most of the visions that Irene had were trivial in comparison to the grander scheme of things; when she did manage to have a vision on a grand scale it was as though the woman could feel fate shifting right around. It wasn't a pleasant feeling to be sure, so it was only natural that Irene would find herself dreading whatever was to come.
And then it happened; the vision came. Irene could almost feel the axis of the earth slowing down as pictures filtered through her brain, each one stronger than the last. Almost immediately the blind woman knew what was to come. One side stood the X-Men; on the other stood the Brotherhood of Mutants. Only one would harness a power greater than all that of the universe.
And there would be death on both sides as a result.
But that wasn't what scared Destiny the most; death was a natural part of life. It happened every day. No, what scared her was that this time around death would be welcome in comparison to what was to come.
This was only the beginning of an evolution unlike any other.
Egypt
The temple seemed darker now. One possibility for this was the fact that there seemed to be very little light left in the torches on the wall. Something had caused them to go out, and whatever it was would remain a mystery for as long as Rogue chose it to. Her eyes were instead focused on a large pair of stone doors directly in front of her. She had finally ventured into the very heart of Apocalypse's temple, and now she had reached her destination. All she needed to do was go in and begin the battle that would change all their lives forever.
Or so it was said.
Rogue was of the belief that this particular battle wouldn't matter very much. There had to be something worse out there than Apocalypse. Humans still hated mutants, if not more now than they had previously, and why not? Mutants hated them back. It was a natural pecking order, and without it the southern belle wasn't quite sure what the world would do. There had always been some form of prejudice and war in the world. It was possibly what made the damn thing go round every so often.
Reaching up a hand to push open the doors the brunette had to let it fall back to her side as a small cough caught her attention. Turning around the teen found herself face to face with none other than her parents; Remy and Caliban already seemed to be under the watchful eyes of their companions from the jet.
Pursing her lips together Rogue could only cross her arms before her chest and eye Logan and Mystique with disdain. "Y'all know how to make a girl annoyed, did you know that?"
"That's what parents do best, darling," replied Logan with a shrug. He flexed his fingers as though he were itching to move forward, possibly to hug Rogue or something. The southern woman sort of doubted it considering Logan wasn't the most emotional of people. It was more likely that he wanted nothing more than to shake some sense into her for what she was about to do.
"You can't stop me. Destiny already foretold what was to come; I have to go in."
Mystique frowned even more. "The woman hardly gets anything right with her visions. I have a feeling she isn't going to be one hundred percent on the nose on this one either."
"Let me guess, we all make our own fates? Hate to break it to you, but I've already decided to follow that one. It's kind of the reason I'm standing here right now. This is my choice; you can't tell me otherwise."
"And why not?" demanded Logan, his eyes turning to Mystique with a hint of accusation in them. "I thought you told me parents had more leeway with their kids."
"I said they should, not that it always happened that way. She's more your child than mine, I hope you know. All that independence comes from you, Logan, not me."
"This coming from a woman who decided not to tell me about my kid until seventeen years down the road."
"Oh please, I did you a favor by hiding her from you. I highly doubt you would have made a great father to a tiny tot – you're not suited for fatherhood."
"Oh, and you were suited for motherhood? That's right, you weren't – you were the one that handed her off to strangers on their doorstep and let the old tin can get to her before you could step in. Remind me to write that down for the speech I'm giving when you win mother of the year."
"Good god." Rogue rolled her eyes as she eyed the feuding pair in front of her. "You two do know that you both suck in the way of parenting, right? Does it really matter who I take after? If I don't destroy Apocalypse we're going to end up in the midst of a mutant holocaust. Now, I don't know about you, but I'm pretty sure we don't want that to happen. Besides, I helped cause this mess; I should at least take up my place to put an end to it."
"Alone?" questioned Mystique softly. "Rogue, we can help you. I know that I'm not quite the person to hear this from, but sometime teamwork is the best option available, and while I can understand your doubts given the past under both the X-Men and Brotherhood, I don't think you understand what's at stake here. Yes, you've made mistakes, as have we all … but you're not alone. You don't have to do this alone. We can help you. We can work as a team and stop Apocalypse. You just have to let us in; let us help you."
Rogue shook her head. "It's my burden to bear."
"You really think that, Stripes? You think with all those voices running around in your head you can really stop big and ugly all on your own? What kind of team do you have here, an albino and that fast talking Cajun rat? I don't they're going to much help. But add in a few battle-hardened souls like the rest of us and I think you stand a chance at beating that guy. I know you can. You're not as dumb as you make us think you are at times, kid. You know you can't do it alone. Don't make the same mistake I made. Don't pretend you're unbreakable, because you are. Everyone is."
It wasn't the greatest pep talk Rogue had heard before, but for now it was something. Logan's word had sense behind them, odd as that was to believe. Even the words that had come out of Mystique's mouth seemed to make sense. Rogue wasn't truly alone. She supposed in a way she never would be. It was more than the many voices and personas running around in her head on a regular basis; that was unlikely to be something she would ever get rid of. No, it was the fact that Caliban and Remy had come this far with her without her even asking. It had been an unspoken agreement between the three of them that they would go into the chamber with Apocalypse together. Would she really have been the only one battling the ancient mutant in there? Thinking on it now told the woman it was hardly unlikely.
Which meant one thing: she was still afraid to go it alone.
She still believed she could be helped.
Rogue still believed she could be saved.
"If I let you come in you have to promise to actually attack Apocalypse and not each other," stated the petite brunette after several long moments. "I'm not taking time out of my little date with destiny just to break up any fights the two of you might try starting up because there's a battle going on and no one else might see what you're doing."
"I suppose I can live with that," murmured Mystique, her eyes sizing up Logan beside her. "He isn't worth my time anyway."
"Keep telling yourself that darling," replied Logan without bothering to look at the shape shifter. "But I won't be held responsible for where my claws go if she gets in the way, do you hear?"
"It's better than nothing," muttered Remy from a few feet away. The Cajun flinched under the glare directed his way from two pairs of eyes. "Chère, I think maybe we ought to keep your parents away from little old me as well."
"Good luck with that, they're like bloodhounds when they really want to be." The voice seemed to come out of thin air and out of nowhere Kurt appeared with a rather dazed looking Laura at his side.
Rogue had to shake her head, her lips pressed tightly together. "Would anyone else like to join this little sideshow too, or is this all of you coming?"
"The rest of the team is coming on the other jet," said Laura with a shrug. "I sort of threatened Kurt to get us here first. I don't want to miss any of the real fun."
"Right, because battling one of the more powerful mutants on the planet should be a barrel of laughs," agreed Rogue.
"You laugh now, but wait until you get back to that thing you call the Danger Room – it sucks. I've been going up against a bunch of nothings for the past two years while you got to play for real. Logan won't let me out of the mansion."
"For good reason," stated Logan gruffly. "You're almost as bloodthirsty as Rogue when she's got a few voices loose in her head."
"Which makes her the crazier one," whispered Kurt in an aside to Rogue. "At least you have an excuse for being crazy … Laura doesn't."
"I heard that." Laura directed her baleful gaze at the blue mutant, causing him to shrink back in the direction of Remy. There was always hope that if the tiny creature known as X-23 decided to attack him she might miss and kill Remy instead, which would really be a good thing as it would then prevent Rogue from hanging around the loser Cajun all the time.
Shaking her head with a wry smile on her face Rogue turned back towards the doorway, her hands moving upwards to be placed upon the smooth stone. She knew that it would be now or never, and that whatever happened next would decide her fate and that of all mutant and human kind. It wasn't a good feeling to bear, but the southern woman knew that she ultimately had very little choice. She closed her eyes for just a moment, letting out a small breath of air to steady her wild nerves. Her fingers itched with a need to bear the power within her, already working to call forth the many skills she had obtained in the last two years. It was a troublesome little itch, and one in which the brunette forced at bay before opening her eyes again.
Then she opened the door.
The first thing to greet her sight was Apocalypse standing on the other side. Somehow Rogue had known that he was already there, waiting for the inevitable just as she had been, but she still took an unsteady step backwards as though she hadn't expected this greeting at all. Perhaps her fear of death was the cause, for Rogue knew that in order to defeat the being in front of her she would have to show no fear, and already she felt that perhaps that part of her had failed. Apocalypse had to know that he had the upper hand – Rogue was the one standing in front of a makeshift army of mutants, he alone on his side.
It was a mistake to have let them stay. I should have sent them into limbo or somewhere equally as safe. I won't be able to live with myself if I lose them all …
The humane side of Rogue that she had been dueling for two years came forth with a vengeance, causing the woman to turn around ever so slightly and gaze at the faces of the ones she loved. She couldn't do this; that much was evident in her eyes.
Remy saw this immediately and sprang forward as Apocalypse raised a glowing hand. He tackled Rogue to the ground, cursing under his breath as broken stone hit part of his shoulder. Apocalypse had let loose a hail of power, causing the rest of the group of mutants to get out of the way.
"Damn it all to hell, chère. You just had to lose that wild side of yours now, didn't you?" demanded Remy as he pushed himself off of his lover. He was harsh in tone; something he hoped would piss her off enough to lose control. Even he could tell the powers she struggled to control had abated in this moment to give the southerner peace of mind. Of all the times for it to happen, now was the worst of all. They needed her to be raw and uncontrolled if they were to defeat Apocalypse – it was the only way to survive.
"I can't do it, Remy," murmured Rogue, her head shaking as she glanced back up at the Cajun with more fear evident in her eyes. "That's not who I am – it's never been who I am … I'm not a killer. I shouldn't have to do this! I never asked to be cursed with my powers – I never wanted to be a mutant!"
"Some things you can't change, Rogue – like who your parents are, who you fall in love with, who you piss off without meaning too – it's all a part of something bigger than we will ever understand. When fate has something in store for you, you can't just fight it, you have to let go and just live. Don't keep denying who you are!" The Cajun flinched as the sound of Logan letting out a rough cry reached his ears. A quick glance over his shoulder told the former thief that the rest of the group was trying to give Rogue some time to pull herself together by attacking Apocalypse on their own. They wouldn't last long, that much Remy was certain.
With her mouth open ever so slightly Rogue listened to what Remy was saying. She knew he was right, she knew what she needed to do, but she simply couldn't make herself call forth the power within. For the first time in two years she felt at peace with herself … she was finally in control. Sure she could still feel the unchained power in reserve waiting for her to call it forth, but it was just so easy to simply ignore it as though it didn't exist. This was part of what she had wanted for ever so long now – to feel safe in the arms of the one she loved, never fearing she would lose her mind completely and let go of all that she had been working towards.
I'm the only one that can defeat Apocalypse.
Her own thoughts couldn't move her however. It was becoming something of a lost cause, and Remy could see that as well. He opened his mouth to blast Rogue for finally getting a hold of herself, but found he couldn't do so. He loved her too much to force her to her death, one in which he would never forgive another soul for. Instead the Cajun pulled Rogue into his arms, tightening his grip around her. It was quite possibly going to be the last time he could do this – Apocalypse was simply going to crush them all and be done with it, and if Remy was going to die he was going to do so with the one he loved.
"I won't make you do it, chère," he whispered hoarsely. "I can't."
"I know." Rogue closed her eyes, tears stinging the lids as she wrapped her own arms around Remy. She was making the wrong choice. It was more than apparent, but Rogue didn't care. How many times before had the southerner ever really made the right choice? She had gone with the Brotherhood when she should have really gone with the X-Men; she had trusted the wrong people, cared for those she knew she could never love, and hated the ones that she now loved the most. Rogue was the epitome of misfortune. She knew that, and for this she was willing to sacrifice all for one moment of selfishness. She figured she was insane to do such a turnaround in so short amount of time. Only moments ago Rogue had been stating that she had to do this because it was a part of her destiny, and now here she was blatantly turning her back on it.
And even as Rogue knew she wanted to make the wrong choice, she also knew she needed to do the right thing.
It was quite the complication. Her soul was torn between following her head and heart. Each one led down a different path, each one bringing her to a different result. To choose between the two was a terrible thing, but Rogue knew that she only had so much time left before she had to do one or the other.
Or was it too late?
How many times in the past had she chosen one thing and felt she could never undo it again? Her past had taught her that with ever action there was a reaction, every cause had an effect, and for every mistake there was a chance for redemption. She only had to know where to find it … or to simply stumble across it by accident.
But would she be able to do so this time around?
Rogue didn't think she could.
A loud roar, like that of an angered battle cry interrupted her thoughts, causing the petite mutant to glance upwards. Standing over her was Apocalypse, his arms batting away the rest of her friends that tried to attack him in futile desperation.
"You can't run from me, child!" cried out the powerful mutant with a rage unlike any he had ever expressed before. "Fight while you have the chance – don't sit back like a coward and let me have this moment of glory – you do your prophecy a disfavor by doing so!"
Remy maneuvered his body around to be in front of Rogue's, his hand taking out his ever faithful bo-staff from his coat. He was working on a witty comeback when the mighty Apocalypse flew backwards, a giant bullet like object striking the creature in the chest. For half a second the Cajun thought Rogue had flown up from behind and attacked, but a quick peek behind him showed that his pretty bride-to-be-against-her-will was still very much behind him. Doing a double take Remy focused his attention on Apocalypse only to see none other than Angel battling the giant mutant with a fury all his own. An ironic grin worked its way onto Remy's face. "Old boyfriend of yours, chère?"
"… yeah."
"I don't like him then."
"Neither do I."
Both Rogue and Remy glanced upwards to where a new voice had originated, and finally Rogue began to feel her blood stir with the ever familiar itch for power.
Phoenix had arrived.
Before Remy could say another word Rogue was in the air, her hands gripping Phoenix around the throat as she bulldozed into the red headed woman.
"You're mine!"
And thus the battle for all matters of evolution changed.
--
A/N II: I know this chapter is a bit everywhere, and for that I apologize, but it's been difficult getting back into the swing of things for the story. Again, I'm sorry about the wait, hopefully the next one won't be as long. As such, a favor: I'm in need of a beta in order to keep me going with the story, especially as there's a lot going on that I need to hash out with another. If someone would like to help me out, let me know – thanks!