Big thanks to La Belle Rose Noire, Chellerbelle, holyshoopuff11 and tfobmv18 for reviewing! I LOVE reviews =D and don't worry La Belle Rose Noire she'll get back to the X-Men ... eventually lol
Rogues head continued to spin and the effect of Logan's shoulder bouncing into her stomach as he ran made her feel extremely ill. But that did not prevent her from screaming obscenities at him the entire time while she desperately tried to wiggle herself free from his grasp. He held her legs pinned to his chest so she couldn't kick herself free and his uniform prevented her from reaching any bare skin so using her powers was also out of the question.
"Shit!" Logan skidded to an abrupt stop, and then Rogue heard the distinct sound of his claws extending from the hand that was not holding her legs. "Get out of my way woman." Behind Logan Rogue saw Remy round the corner as he finally caught up with them. Logan turned his head and snarled ferociously.
"I think not, Wolverine. Release the girl now!" Rogue heard Mystiques cold voice reply. A low growl ripple through Logan's chest but he slowly dropped Rogue so that she was standing in front of him, but before she could back away from her former instructor he put an arm around her neck; if it weren't for the current situation one might say that it was a hug instead of restraint. He dropped his head close to her ear but kept a sharp eye on Mystique.
"Kid I don't know what they've done to you but we can still get out of here, whatever it is they told you it's a lie. Just trust me for five seconds and keep Gumbo off my back while I take care of Mystique. You're family kid, no matter what, and I ain't leaving here without you." He waited, his body tense, hoping beyond hope that she would respond. That she wasn't totally lost to him.
"You're the liar, not them." She replied with a steely calm. "All my time with the X-Men Ah was never treated like family, Ah was never truly welcome there. They all hate meh, they're all scared of meh." Logan pulled away from her slightly with his hands on either shoulder; he searched her face in confusion.
"That's not true, kid you know that's not true."
"Yes it is!" she screamed at him as waves of images flashed before her eyes. First it was glimpses of the first time she saw the X-Men when they attacked her in her home town and Mystique taking her to Bayville to keep her safe from them…
Next, Mystique was standing over her in the school gymnasium, "They use you for target practise in their training sessions. I'm just trying to protect you dear, but ask them for yourself if you don't believe me."… "Yeah of course we do, you're the enemy even if you are an easy target to take out. Hahaha…"…
"You're lying, you always have!" She pressed her hands to her temples as the images refused to go away.
Scott towering over her after she accidently teleported Nightcrawler into another dimension, "I swear to God if you've hurt him you're in for a world of pain, you little bitch."…
A painful pressure was building up in her mind, as it grew the images came faster and became more disorienting. She pushed away from Logan and tried to shut them out.
X
"What have you done to her?" Logan shouted at Mystique.
"Nothing, it's what you did to her that is causing her so much pain." Mystique smirked at Logan as she moved closer behind Rogue to hold her shoulders in a motherly way. Rogue was shaking her head back and forth, she didn't appear to know what was going on around her anymore and a slow trickle of blood appeared from her nose. Logan moved forward to take the girl from Mystique's clutches when pain shot through his head.
'Sorry Logan I really didn't want to have to do this 'cause of the dangers to … oh err right Prof … Professor says he believes they have messed with Rogue's mind somehow, she appears to be fighting it but you have to help her.'
'How?'
'Talk to her, if she knows someone is messing with her head it should help. Forge out.'
Logan looked at the small girl Mystique had wrapped her arms around and felt white hot anger seer through him. He wanted to rip that bitch to pieces for what she was doing to Rogue but the kid was his first priority.
"Rogue! Rogue listen to me." Logan desperately called out to her but she didn't seem to hear him.
X
Stares of suspicion and hatred danced across Rogue's vision as she saw the students faces after she joined the X-Men ... she heard them whisper in the corridors when they thought she wasn't there to hear, "I heard she's a spy for Mystique" ... "She crazy, completely off her nut psycho" … "Don't go near her even with her gloves on she could still kill you" ... "Why would she think Scott would ever be interested in her, ha ha ha" … "She's a loose cannon, a danger to the entire team"… "She is such a disappointment" ..."I heard even the professor is afraid of her powers, that's why she's here so he can hold her back... he's afraid if she ever learns control she'd be unstoppable."
Suddenly Logan's voice broke through the memories, "Rogue they've had a psychic mess with your head. It's not real Rogue, fight it!" Confusion seeped through her again, she knew something weird was happening but why would Logan care? He had never liked her, he went out of his way to make life hard for her so why try and help now?
"He's lying to you Rogue." Mystique whispered from behind her. Her hands griping Rogue's shoulders protectively. "They want to turn you away from me; don't let them win."
"She's the one lying to you, don't listen! Remember everything she did to you, try to remember."
The pressure began to grow in her mind again as she desperately searched her memories trying to decide who to believe. Her memories fit with what Mystique was saying but if Logan was telling the truth then were those memories meaningless? Rogue grimaced in pain as the pressure made her head feel like it was ready to split open. Something in her desperately wanted to believe Logan but all her memories of him were of a severe instructor that enjoyed making her run extra danger room sessions and shouting at her at every opportunity he got. Mystique's and Logan's voices were slowly fading but they were fighting to be heard and the pressure in her head was growing unbearable.
She screamed out in pain, she no longer cared who was telling the truth just as long as this pain stopped. It consumed every part of her, numbing her senses and making her sick to her stomach. Black dots danced across her vision, growing in both size and number.
She saw one last memory before the darkness took her. Gambit leaning in her bedroom window, his soft lips brushing against her own in a tender lingering kiss that left them both hungry for more.
X
Logan watched as Rogue, her face scrunched up in pain with a bloody nose and tears rolling down her cheeks, let out a final scream before falling into Mystiques arms unconscious. He stalked forward, this time fully intending to do serious bodily harm to Mystique but was stopped short as a brutal blow to the back of the head knocked him clean out.
"Been wanting to do that a long time." Sabertooth, who had appeared besides Gambit a few minutes ago, chuckled to himself.
"Then what took you so long, god alone knows what kind of damage this has done to Rogue!" Mystique stopped her rant and sighed, "Just take him to cells and make sure he doesn't get out."
Sabertooth growled in response but picked up the unconscious Wolverine and carried him off in the direction of the Acolytes cells. Mystique lifted Rogue into her arms as Remy walked towards her.
"Want me to take her down t' de med lab?"
"No, I think you've done quite enough damage for one day." Mystique spat at him as she stalked away with Rogue still in her arms. "Get yourself cleaned up, you're dripping blood all over the floor!" She shouted back at him over her shoulder before she disappeared around the corner.
xXx
"My X-Men, I have some bad news to report to you. While Wolverine successfully entered the Acolytes base and found Rogue he was unable to get her out and has been captured as a result. Rogue appears to have been brainwashed and believes that we are not her friends and family but in fact believes that Mystique and the Acolytes are." Xavier paused, resting his chin on his clasped hands.
"I'll prep the team and organise a rescue mission Professor, we'll get them back." Scott stood, looking every bit the leader Xavier was preparing him to be. Many of the other students were nodding in agreement.
"I'm afraid it is not that easy Scott. We don't know how Magneto was able to brainwash Rogue and the confrontation with Logan alone seemed to cause Rogue severe pain. Until we know how to reverse it I do not wish for her to come into contact with any of us as we don't yet know what damage it may cause her." Kitty jumped to her feet next to Scott.
"But Professor we, like, totally cannot leave her there!" She looked around for someone to stand up and agree with her but the professor cut in before there could be anymore arguing.
"I understand your concern Kitty but I fear a rushed decision will do more harm than good at this point. Logan is currently locked up in the Acolyte cells but we are still in contact with him via Forges extraordinary device which none of the Acolytes know of. We may yet be able to gather more information which could prove vital in rescuing Rogue. Now I know it is difficult but I must ask you to return to your ordinary routines." With a few murmurs and grumbles Xavier's young students filed out, leaving only three worried adults in the room.
"Hank, could you go and see if you can find out if Mesmero is back in the Acolyte ranks? We need to figure out how to reverse what has been done." Xavier rubbed his head; being a powerful telepath he not only had to deal with his own concern but also the fear and the worry that everyone in the mansion was currently feeling. Hank left with a simple but troubled nod.
"I am worried Professor." Storm said quietly from beside her mentor.
"We all are Storm my dear, but Rogue is a strong girl. We can get her back from this." Xavier patted her hand reassuringly.
"It is not only Rogue I am worried for. Logan cares for her a great deal, I fear he may do something stupid trying to protect her and get himself killed." Storm looked at her feet as if embarrassed by this statement. Professor Xavier studied her face before he replied.
"Of all the students here Logan does seem to care for Rogue the most but that is all the more reason why he will keep his wits about him; he won't risk her getting hurt. But tell me Ororo, how long have you felt so deeply for our Logan?" Xavier smiled at the African beauty standing beside him. Her cheeks flushed but she kept her cool demeanour as she replied.
"I don't know what you are referring to Professor." She returned his knowing smile before leaving the room. Xavier watched her go then decided to check in on the students telepathically before heading back to Forge to see if Logan had regained consciousness yet.
Jean and Scott were in the kitchen, he had just placed a warm cup of coco onto her hands as she smiled sadly at him.
The younger students had gathered in the rec room, there was a movie playing on the big screen TV but none of them were paying much attention to it.
Upstairs Kitty was crying on Kurt's shoulder while he was staring at nothing with a worried expression on his face.
Professor Xavier sighed sadly to himself, "Rogue, if only you could see how much we really do care about you."
Yuck, way too mushy an ending for my tastes but hey it seemed kinda right
R&R
Aza x