WARNING: The following episode contains rape. If this subject disturbs you, please do not keep reading! READER'S DISCRETION ADVISED!
AN: Here it is! The final appearance of Kate Bishop this season! This episode is very big, revealing several things and changing the game ultimately for the second season! We're almost done with the first season! This is the second-to-last episode before the three-part Season Finale! I originally wrote this episode during the mid-season break, then decided I didn't like it. I ended up cut & pasting from the original to this document, editing, re-writing, and adding in an entirely new sub-plot which will explain several things and set up the series for Season 2 (which I'm aiming for fifty reviews to achieve).
Please enjoy the episode and don't forget to leave a review if you enjoyed it!
Previously on X-Men:
"There's a file waiting on your desk for you." Trask informed Rogue. "Make sure the mission gets done or more than your job is in danger."
"Delta Tango-Two, thirty out."
"Roger, Delta Tango-Two, we count fourteen heat signatures, including the hostages, in the target perimeter. You are authorized for use of deadly force, over."
"Roger, Command, ten out. Lock and load."
"Everyone out now! The hostages are not here! Repeat! It's a trap!"
The line went static as the building exploded.
"One of these women will die." The pirate said, glancing at Kate and Eleanor Bishop.
"You fucking psychopath!"
"It's clear you don't take me seriously. Five seconds, General."
Silence.
"Very well, the daughter it is."
"No! Don't shoot her!"
The pirate smiled and turned, shooting the mother three times in the chest. The daughter screamed through her gag as her mother's body hit the floor, still shaking with the after effects of death.
"Twelve hours, General. If the funds are not in my account by then, if you attempt a rescue, I will torture this girl, rape her, break her bones, until I have what I want. Good day, General."
"Director Stryker," the pirate greeted. "Good to hear from you."
"I was ordered to give you a heads up: S.H.I.E.L.D. is sending a team to find you. You should hurry up with Katherine Bishop's execution."
'Hello?' Bishop's mental voice came softly.
'Kate, my name is Kitty.' Kitty said. "We're coming for you."
With a firm kick, Hawkeye sent the door flying into the hostage room and took out the three guards with three arrows in as many seconds. He pointed the last arrow at the pirate who hugged Kate tightly to his body, his gun pressed to her forehead.
"Get away from her!" Hawkeye yelled.
"Lower your bow!"
"I said get away from her!"
Kitty's head appeared out of the ground. She grabbed Kate who promptly screamed and morphed her away. The pirate looked startled.
"Don't do it!" Hawkeye warned.
In a desperate attempt, the Captain aimed his gun at Hawkeye. Hawkeye loosed the arrow and it flew, going halfway through the Captain and knocking him out of the window, falling three stories into the middle of a crowded alley.
X finally had enough and stepped forward, unsheathing the claws in her hands.
"X!" Rogue hissed.
Erik's eyebrows raised, as did the other members of his party.
"Adamantium claws..." he whispered. "How very interesting..."
"I said, step. away. from her." X growled, taking another step forward. "Or so help me: I will put. you. down."
"X! Calm down!" Rogue exclaimed.
"X?" Havok asked, glancing at Magneto.
"I suppose you heal at an accelerated rate." Magneto asked.
"That is none of your concern!" X exclaimed.
Magneto turned to X-23. "You have memory lapses from your past?"
X snarled like a wild animal.
"I can restore them."
X stared ahead blankly, her claws retracting.
"Director Fury called personally to warn us. You remember our arrangement with S.H.I.E.L.D., sir? We are allowed to use X-23 as long as Wolverine does not become aware of her existence."
Fury ordered a tablet and pulled up a communication line with Bolivar Trask.
"Did they make contact?"
Silence.
"No."
Fury wiped the tablet and smashed its processor in his fist.
A small, feminine figure stumbled inside. She reached out for Jean with one arm. The arm was just a stump, no hand. Her brown eyes were mostly closed from what looked like a terrible beating and her brown hair was a mess.
"Rogue!" she gasped out before collapsing onto the floor, unconscious.
X-23 lay bleeding on the floor.
McKenna Pryde, like her sister Kitty, also had brown hair and blue eyes. McKenna let her hair flow freely from her shoulders and didn't wear glasses. She was playing with a car.Over the course of their playtime, the two girls kept their toys separate. Then, for an unknown reason, McKenna decided to turn her car around and hit Kitty's doll with a satisfactory "fwoosh!".
"Hey!" Kitty exclaimed, picking up her doll.
McKenna laughed. "Woops! Barbie's dead!"
"Hey!" Kitty exclaimed again. "That's not nice!"
McKenna continued to laugh, enraging Kitty. Kitty threw down her doll, snapping an arm and the head off, and began to assault her sister with her fists. McKenna, unprepared for the attack, fell back and cried out.
Charles opened the times that specific file had been opened and read it. Lorna had attempted to open the file, but had been unsuccessful.
"Charles? What is the "Hand"?"
Charles didn't respond. He typed in a few commands.
"File sealed. Would you like to restrict access?"
Charles typed in a few more commands.
"Confirmed: Xavier, Charles is now the only authorized user allowed to open this file."
"Charles!" Storm called, flying after him. "What was that file?"
"Don't worry about it, Storm." Charles replied.
"Charles, it's too dangerous! There's too much inf'rmati'n on there that would harm a lotta people. Give me the file and delete it." Rogue exclaimed.
Rogue walked over to the balcony and hung the silver chimes up carefully. On a spur-of-the-moment decision, Rogue pulled off her scarf and wrapped it around the chimes. She rang them gently in the darkening night and went back inside, disrobing and crawling into her bed.
-
Xavier Institute
January 16, 07:09 EST
-
The sunlight filtered into Rogue's room, warming her skin. The weather was still cold and Rogue was huddled under several blankets. Her grandmother's quilt was buried beneath several other blankets. The Belle was soft asleep.
A figure moved outside of her window, the shadow flickering through the glass and onto Rogue's sleeping body. The slight hum that signaled her security defenses were in place stopped. A hooded, feminine figure entered the room, pushing the glass doors open gently, sliding in, and closing them behind her just as quietly. She seemed to float across Rogue's room to her bed, not making a sound. She sat down on it, pulling her hood back. The woman's hair was curly and brown with three thin stripes of straight black hair on either side of her head. She sat down gently on Rogue's bed.
"So beautiful…" she whispered, taking a strand of Rogue's hair between two fingers and stroking it gently. "So peaceful…"
Rogue smirked in her sleep as she felt a hand brushing over her cheek. "Are you playin' with my hair again?" she asked slowly, pronouncing each syllable as if it were its own sentence.
The other girl smiled and removed her hand as Rogue opened her eyes.
"It is good to see you again, Eliza."
"I ha'nt been called that name in some time." Rogue yawned. "Nonetheless, it's good t' see you again, too, McKenna."
The second female in Rogue's room was sitting on the Belle's bed, her feet pointing to one side. The costume she wore consisted of multiple layers. The first layer was a dark red pair of loose fitting cotton clothes that had always reminded Rogue of the Jedi Knight robes. Over this McKenna wore a jacket of black leather, wrapped tightly around her torso, with a V-neck that reached the start of her breasts. Loose, black sleeves reached down McKenna's arms to her elbows where they stopped. Her gloves were red-black strips of cloth, spiraled over one another to create a never-ending effect.
McKenna's pants were the same red as her gloves. She had knee-pads and thigh-pads sewn in for shock absorbing. She wore black combat boots. The tail of her top trailed down behind her like a trench-coat. On her waist was a half-sword of sorts, several small balls that acted as smoke bombs, and other useful tools for a one-man army.
To keep her features hidden from the world, McKenna wore a shawl over her shoulders of the same black leather material her shirt was made from with red ornamental stitching. A golden clasp kept the shawl on and created a diamond window right above her breasts. She had taken her hood off and lower mask, which she normally pulled up over her nose to keep her identity a secret. She smiled at Rogue, her dark hair stirring gently in the early morning wind, her dark-blue eyes looking at Rogue with an undetected emotion.
"I heard your chimes that you set out. What is it you need?" McKenna asked.
"Like you, sometimes I just need someone to talk to." Rogue said, sitting up in her bed. She adjusted her thin shirt and turned to McKenna. "You remember why I left, right?"
"Of course. I still think it was one of the worst mistakes I have ever made."
Rogue smiled quickly. "Yes, well now I have that same prob'em with secrets, 'cept I can't just walk away."
"What kind of secrets?" McKenna asked.
Rogue sighed. "Take, for example, your sister."
"Kitty?" McKenna asked, almost inaudibly.
"Yeah, she's right on the other side of that wall there."
McKenna moved quickly to pull her hood up, but Rogue laid a gentle hand on her forearm and McKenna calmed.
"Don't worry. She can't phase through the walls and this room is sound-proof." At this McKenna relaxed onto Rogue's bed, though considerably more on-guard now.
"What about her?" McKenna asked, slight concern in her eyes. She spoke with a middle-eastern accent, after having spent too much time in the region. The accent was gentle and almost…provocative.
"Well, I didn't know she was a mutant 'til two days ago when I was introduced to her. Then, yesterday, someone tried to access that file you gave me."
"Did they get in?"
"No," Rogue replied. "No one has. We are the only people who have ever seen what's inside. I took the file back and hid it."
"Where?" McKenna asked.
Rogue gave her that look.
"Of course," McKenna responded. "I still wish you would come back with me, Rogue." The brunette reached out and placed her hand on Rogue's.
"You know I can't." Rogue said. "I can't take the killin' anymo'."
"You kept the stripes," McKenna pointed out, running a stripe of Rogue's white hair through her fingers. Rogue smiled and reached up, grabbing McKenna's hand gently.
"They've gotten me outta some difficult situations, saved my life a few weeks ago**. Apparently, yo're still a pretty big figure in the Hand."
"You know I am." McKenna said, a hint of sassy creeping into her voice.
The two girls laughed.
"Did you tell Kitty?" McKenna asked.
"Naw," Rogue responded. "That's yo'r secret to tell."
"Thank you," McKenna said breathlessly.
"But…" Rogue started.
"Should've known." McKenna sighed.
"McKenna, you should tell 'er. After that car accident, she—"
Someone knocked at Rogue's door and McKenna leapt to her feet, hand going for her hood.
Rogue sighed and rolled her eyes. "What?" she hollered.
"Professor X wants to see ya, Rogue! Said it's urgent!" Bobby's voice came from the other side of the door.
"In a minute!" Rogue responded.
"Some girl stumbled in last night with one arm and said your name before collapsing."
Rogue's eyes widened and she darted to the door before stopping and looking at McKenna. "If it's nothin', I'll be back in a minute. If it is…let yo'rself out."
McKenna nodded.
Rogue darted over to the door and opened it. "What's she look like, Bobby?" Rogue demanded, opening the door partly.
Bobby's eyes widened. Rogue had only worn a pair of black panties and a green tee to bed. The green tee was…less than conservative, partially see-through, and clung to her full figure.
"Uhh…Rogue?" Bobby asked, completely taken aback by Rogue's strange appearance.
"Bobby! Get with it!" Rogue exclaimed, slapping him hard. "What's she look like?"
"Uhh..brown hair, eyes? Maybe sixteen? I dunno, Xavier wouldn't let me in!"
Rogue darted off down the hallway.
"Uhh…Pants?" Bobby asked. He sighed. "I'll get them for her. Good excuse…" Bobby went to push Rogue's door open, but a strong hand from the other side shut it in his face.
"What the—"
Most of the other mutants were not awake yet, so Rogue didn't make as huge a spectacle as she normally would have running through the hallway with no pants on. She ran into the infirmary, past Charles, Jean, and Scott and up to the bed.
"Oh, X…" she whispered, a tear dripping from her eyes. The female was lying in the bed, tubes running to various parts of her body. Her brown hair was scattered on the pillow, her face peaceful and asleep. What took the focus of Rogue's attention was the round stump on X's right hand. She touched it gently before turning to Xavier.
"What happened to her?" she asked.
"We do not know." Charles replied softly. "She stumbled in last night like this…well…not exactly…."
"What do you mean?" Rogue demanded.
"She had more injuries on her. We sealed up her missing hand, but even that seems to be healing..."
Rogue looked at X. "Do you think her healing ability can re-grow entire limbs?" Rogue asked.
"I do not know." Charles replied.
"From what I've seen, it may." Jean said from across the room. "She's recovering quickly, Rogue."
Scott cleared his throat. "Uhh…Rogue? Would you like some pants?"
"Yeah, sure." Rogue said distantly.
"Jean, Scott, please go to Rogue's room and get her a pair of pants." Charles instructed. The couple only made it a few yards before realization dawned on Rogue and she turned around and exclaimed. "Wait! Don't go up there!"
Jean and Scott looked at her puzzlingly. Charles raised an eyebrow.
"Err…It's a mess up there." Rogue said. "I'll take a robe for now."
Jean and Scott eyed her strangely but nodded as the Belle slid on a white robe handing on the rack there. Charles pushed the door too and turned to Rogue.
"She's in a coma, most likely her healing factor conserving energy in an effort to rebuild her body." Charles said. "She should be out of this soon. How exactly did you know her?"
"X was my partner at the Sentinel Project 'fore Trask decided to litter us with bullets. I thought I killed that bastard…"
"Why do you call her X?" Charles asked.
"It's her military designation: X-23."
"Doesn't she have a real name?"
"Nope, least not one she can remember."
"What?"
"Her memory doesn't start 'til about a year ago." Rogue replied. "Some sorta…freak amnesia."
Charles was becoming increasingly concerned.
"Does she—X—have any abilities other than advanced healing?" Charles asked.
"Yeah, she's got a fierce attitude, intense knowledge of weapons and tactics…"
"Mutant abilities?"
"Ah, she's got claws that come outta her hand and feet, made of metal. She said somethin' about her skull bein' covered in the stuff too once, but I thought she was nuts."
Charles was quiet.
"What?" Rogue asked. "What is it?"
Charles shook his head. "I do not know for certain. I will have to investigate it further."
Rogue nodded.
"She's up there right now isn't she?" Charles asked.
Rogue smiled through her tears. "Yep."
-
New York City
February 14, 21:09 EST
One Month Later
-
"Limos are sick!" Kitty exclaimed as she got out of the car.
Kate laughed. "By the time I was old enough to notice, it had lost its touch."
"So jealous!" Kitty replied.
The limo drove off and the two girls walked down the sidewalk, arm-in-arm. They were dressed to party. Kitty was wearing a light-blue cocktail dress with slightly darker shades on the outside, emphasizing her every curve. Her brown hair was done up in a bun with golden clips to keep it in place. Kitty was wearing her usual necklace with the Star of David engraved in silver; on her wrist was a diamond bracelet Kate had not seen before.
"That from your boyfriend?" she asked, pointing it out.
"Yeah," Kitty replied. "Really nice, huh?"
Kate had half a dozen at home, but she agreed with Kitty for her sake.
"So why aren't you with him tonight?" Kate asked. "Not that I'm complaining or anything…"
Kitty laughed. "He's got a big test for his citizenship he's got to prepare for. I knew I'd only be a distraction so we had our moment earlier today." Kitty smirked. "I'm still kind of tired from it…"
Kate laughed full and outright. The black-haired teen was wearing the same style cocktail dress as Kitty, but in magenta and with the shades inverted. Her black hair was done in curls, hanging around her shoulders. She had on a beautiful, tight golden necklace and a pair of Ametrine earrings, the beautiful purple and yellow stones glistening in the lights of the city.
Kate walked up and flashed her ID badge to the bouncer who let her in. Kitty walked up behind her and flashed her ID badge, but the bouncer held out a hand.
"Sorry, you're not allowed inside." He said.
The bouncer was tall, African-American, and very well built. He didn't scare Kitty though.
"Why the hell not?" she demanded.
"You've been banned for life from this club, I can't let you in."
Kitty remembered punching a guard back in November, coincidentally right before she met Kate…
"Ah…" she said. She leaned over the bouncer's arm. "Kate!"
The millionaire turned and walked back.
"She's with me." Kate said with a smile.
"Sorry, ma'am. No exceptions." The bouncer replied.
"I'm Kate Bishop." Kate informed him.
The bouncer studied her face before straightening up and dropping his arm.
"Yes, ma'am; Sorry ma'am; This way, ma'am." He said.
Kitty smirked and walked past him. "Overdone a little." She winked and proceeded inside the club.
Gremlin was just as she remembered it, except not so blurry and without the spinning.
"So because you're rich you get in anywhere, anytime?" Kitty asked, impressed.
"No, I know the owner." Kate replied. "I have complete run of the place pretty much!"
"Who owns it?" Kitty asked.
"You'll see her in a minute." Kate said, grinning. "You want a drink?"
"Sure!" Kitty responded. "Something with olives!"
Kate raised an eyebrow, but ordered the drink anyway. Kitty downed hers in one gulp and ordered another.
"Well I guess I don't have to break you into the club circuit." Kate said.
The music shifted to a different song and the lights changed to a more oceanic tone of blues and greens.
"Isn't that the new Alison Blaire song?" Kitty asked in amazement.
Kate nodded, a wide smile on her face.
"The one that hasn't even been released yet?"
Kate nodded again. "Well, "Dazzler" made a performance here, decided she liked the club and offered us to have the first rights to the song! Cool or what?"
Someone jogged over and hugged Kate tightly. She had reddish-brown hair, done in curls like Kate's and was wearing a red, backless shirt and tight leather pants. Kate greeted her with a return embrace.
"Kitty, this is the owner of the club: Rachel Osborne; Rachel, this is Kitty Pryde." Kate introduced the girls.
"The X-Man who saved my girl's life!" Rachel greeted. "It's good to finally meet you!"
"What's that accent I'm detecting…British?" Kitty asked.
"Could be, could be Australian. I've been to a lot of places with my dad!"
"Wait, you're Norman Osborne's daughter?" Kitty asked. "Sick! No wonder you could afford such a cool place!"
Rachel laughed. "Yeah, being a rich bitch certainly has its advantages."
"So how do you two know each other?" Kitty asked. "It's obvious how I know Kate, but what about you?"
"Kate and I practically grew up together! We've been best friends our whole life! We always said—"
Before Rachel could finish her sentence, some waitress ran up and said something to her. Rachel turned around with an apologetic look on her face.
"Sorry! Some moron didn't give these Russian dudes the right vodka, so now I've got to go fix it! Nice meeting you, Kitty!"
Rachel ran off.
-
Two Hours Later
-
Kitty had lost count of the number of drinks she had downed, or even what they were. Gremlin was beginning to look like its old blurry, spinning self. The lights were now flashing red and Kitty sighed as Kate came off of the dance floor.
"No guy?" she asked, a little hazy.
"No guy." Kate confirmed. She took the shot-glass right out of Kitty's hand and swallowed it. "Why don't you get out there? You could pick up a guy instantly."
"I'm seeing someone." Kitty replied. "And I'm drunk, not a good idea."
"Not that drunk if you can recognize it," Kate replied.
"Eyes, two o' clock." Kitty gestured.
A handsome man with medium-sandy hair and a loose-fitting suit was leaning against the wall eyeing Kate from across the room. He didn't deviate his gaze when Kate glanced at him.
"Seems nice enough." Kitty replied. "I'm going to go now and leave you to it. If I come home any drunkener—"
Kate laughed.
"—I'll be grounded 'till I'm forty."
"Well good night to you, my friend!" Kate said, raising a glass hazily to her friend.
"Yeah, call me when you wake up in the morning." Kitty said with a sly grin. "I want to hear all about it."
The man started walking towards Kate. Kitty winked and departed. Kate leaned against the bar, suddenly dizzy. The guy walked over and glanced at her.
"What do you prefer?" he asked.
"Martini." Kate replied, glancing at him. "If you can make me a martini, I'll dance with you."
The man raised an eyebrow and leapt over the counter. He grabbed a few containers and began making the drink. Kate watched him with a woozy look on her face. He was pretty hot…
The man placed the drink down in front of her and dropped a lime into it. Kate raised an eyebrow and took a sip.
"Not bad…" she said.
The man leapt back over the counter. "May I have that dance now?" he asked, a hint of playfulness coming into his voice.
Kate had half a mind just to go on the dance floor, but she remembered Kitty telling her to live a little, so she leaned up and whispered in his ear:
"How far's your apartment?"
The guy looked surprised and gestured outside. Kate smirked, downed the rest of her drink, and followed. She was stumbling a bit, her heels harder to navigate in without the aid of a sober mind. She stumbled down the steps and the man caught her, her face pressing into his warm chest.
"Hmm-nmm." She moaned softly into his chest. He stood her up.
"Just this way, we'll cut through the Park."
Kate was up for anything right about now, so she followed without question, wondering in the back of her mind what the hell she was doing, but the alcohol screamed to that part of her mind: shut up!
The two walked across a few streets and entered the Park. Kate stumbled again as she slipped from the sidewalk into the grass. The man helped her up and walked her deeper into the park. It was growing darker, less populated, dirtier, and the foliage thicker. Somewhere in the back of Kate's mind, alarm bells went off, but she ignored it.
She stumbled again. "How much further?" she asked. "You said a shortcut."
Kate heard something on the path behind her and saw two rough-looking guys come out of the shadows.
"Hey—oh!" the guy she had been travelling with was standing right in front of her. He slipped a gag into her mouth and Kate screamed…too late.
"Hold her down." He instructed the bigger guy.
Kate screamed and struggled, the adrenaline surge clearing her mind of all wooziness. She placed a sharp kick to the larger guys shin and he cursed her. He reached around to slap her, but the guy Kate had come out with shook his head. "Don't mess up her face. She's too pretty for that, aren't you, Kate?" he asked.
Kate let out a grunt and screamed.
-
Xavier Institute
February 14, 00:09 EST
-
"I find them disgusting." X said from the table, watching as Rogue made herself a sandwich. "They lack proper vitamins and nutrients."
"It's meat an' vegetables, X." Rogue replied. "It's even got dairy in it!"
"That mayonnaise and mustard are both fattening, as well as the horseradish. You also have an unhealthy amount of tomatoes on there."
Rogue sprinkled too much salt on the tomatoes and finished making the sandwich. She turned around and stared at X, taking a large bite out of the sandwich without breaking eye contact.
"Disgusting." X repeated.
"Uh-huh." Rogue said through a mouth full of food. She pulled a coke can out of the fridge and sat down across from X. "How ya fittin' in?"
"Pretty well," X replied. "I am sharing a room with Amara. It is good to see her again. At least I have one friend here."
"Well, that's a good start." Rogue replied, taking a long sip from her drink.
"Yes, she is already expressing concern in my lack of…individuality."
"Not enough rock posters?" Rogue asked.
"Apparently not." X replied.
Rogue laughed.
"What about you?" X asked. "It is Valentines Day, a day devoted to romantic interests, I am surprised you have not contacted Gambit yet."
"Who said I haven't?" Rogue asked slyly, picking up her drink and taking another sip.
"Is that who was in your room last night?"
Rogue spewed her drink all over the table and coughed.
"What?" she asked through tear-filled eyes. She was still gagging for air.
"I heard some movement in your room the other night and smelled someone else. It did not smell like Gambit, but he may have changed his scent after being away for so long."
Rogue looked at her curiously before nodding and going quietly back to her sandwich. "Yeah, Gambit…"
"You are lying. It was a woman."
Rogue gagged on her sandwich, choking again. "What?" she managed to choke out.
"I can tell the difference between the smell of a male and female. The person in your room last night was a female."
"You know 'er name?" Rogue asked, almost upset, folding her arms over her chest.
"No, but she smells familiar. Similar to someone at the Institute. I can not place it though…"
"Keep yo'r voice down!" Rogue whisper-exclaimed, glancing around to see if anyone heard them.
"Why?" X asked.
"X, ya can't tell anyone about this. It'll ruin everything."
"Ruin what?" X demanded. "What are you hiding Rogue?"
"Just…trust me." Rogue replied. "There are some secrets best left hidden, an' this secret—"
The front door opened and Rogue jumped up, taking any chance to get away from this conversation. X watched her leave and turned back, eyeing the sandwich carefully. She poked it as if it were a dead animal before picking it up and taking a small bite out of it. She made a disgusted face and dropped it back onto the plate.
Rogue walked into the front hall, still wiping tears from her eyes from the lack of oxygen. It was Kitty. She was still in her party clothes and stumbling around. She had one shoe off and was trying to get the other when she slipped on the carpet and fell. At that precise moment, Kurt teleported downstairs and Kitty fell on him.
"Vhoah! Kitty! Vatch vhere you're going!" Kurt exclaimed. He was dressed in a loose T-shirt and sweats, obviously ready for bed.
Rahne stumbled past Kitty clutching her nose. Rogue remembered the same reaction from X the first time Rogue had shown up after drinking alcohol. It stank unbelievably, even more so to those with enhanced nasal senses.
"Careful, Kurt." Rogue called. "I think she's had a bit too much t' drink!"
"Gee, vhat vas your first clue?" Kurt asked.
Rogue laughed. "Just get 'er upstairs and I'll get her a cure. No teleporting too, that'd be bad."
Kurt nodded and threw one of Kitty's arms over his shoulders. "Come on, Kitty! Vhooh! You need to lay off of the cheeseburgers."
Rogue laughed.
Kitty groaned as she descended the stairs. Her brown hair was messy, her pajamas wrinkled and crunched up. She was clutching her head and stumbled a bit on the way down. She had neglected to do anything after the party except drink Rogue's completely disgusting drink and change into her pajamas (which she only halfway did before falling asleep).
Kitty had woken up with a massive headache this morning, which she considered her just punishment for drinking so much. She walked into the kitchen. Lorna, Emma, and Rogue were there. The news was on the small TV in the corner.
"Well good morning, sleepy-head!" Emma greeted.
Kitty replied with a groan. She got a glass from the cupboard and walked over to the sink where Rogue was.
"You suck." She said, filling her glass with water.
Rogue laughed. "How many times did ya puke?" she asked.
"Point taken." Kitty replied, remembering a distinct lack of memories regarding her toilet.
Rogue grabbed a plate and a few pancakes from Emma's batch and sat down at the table.
"Hey, where's the new girl?" Lorna asked while Kitty drank her water and moved in front of the TV, watching the recap of last night's game.
"Oh, X is out doin' exercises." Rogue replied.
"Already?" Lorna asked. "It's like eight o'clock!"
"She's been out there for almost an hour." Emma replied.
"She's very disciplined that way." Rogue replied.
"More like kill-joy." Amara corrected, walking into the kitchen. Amara was the only one besides Emma and Lorna to get dressed before coming downstairs. Today she was wearing a lava-themed shirt, leather jacket, and jeans.
"Well, you agreed t' bunk with 'er." Rogue replied.
"Not complaining by any means," Amara said. "It's just a little difficult to adjust to."
Rogue glanced over at Kitty who was staring at her phone.
"Expectin' somethin'?" Rogue asked, amused.
"Piotr texted to say he's going in to take his test, so radio silence there for a few hours. I was trying to see if Kate texted."
"Bishop?" Rogue asked. "The rich girl in New York?"
"Uh-huh…" Kitty said distractedly. She closed her phone and turned around with a wry grin. "She's probably still sleeping in with some guy."
"Kitty!" Rogue exclaimed.
"Like you have never slept with someone before." X retorted, entering the kitchen and wiping sweat off of her neck.
"Not just a random guy!" Rogue retorted.
Kitty laughed and turned back to the television screen.
She froze and dropped her glass, it shattering on the floor.
"Repeating once again our top news story, Kate Bishop, daughter of multi-millionaire mogul Derek Bishop is in the hospital for what we are being told is a severe sexual assault. No leads or confirmations yet. Derek Bishop was unavailable for a statement."
-
X-Men: Standing Guard
Season 1 Episode Ten:
"The Price of Revenge"
-
"I'm afraid you can not go to New York City by yourself Kitty."
"Oh come on! I go by myself all the time!"
"That is different. You are meeting up with someone. Someone who is conscious." He added when Kitty opened her mouth to retort.
"That's not fair, Professor!"
"Unless someone goes with you, you can not go." Charles said firmly.
"What if I take 'er?" Rogue asked, leaning against the arm of the chair.
"Yeah! Rogue can take me! She's some sorta bad-ass, right?"
Charles eyed Rogue.
'What's going on, Rogue?' he asked.
'Nothin'' Rogue responded. 'She needs t' see her friend and I've got the means to help 'er.'
Charles sighed and nodded. "Very well. Let me know her condition and how long you'll be staying."
"Thank you, Professor!" Kitty sighed, relieved. "I'm going to grab some clothes, meet you in the garage in five!" Kitty said, darting out of the room.
"Are you sure there's nothing going on?" Charles asked.
"Charles, if this were Lorna or anyone else, I'd still have offered." Rogue said. "McKenna doesn't factor into this."
"Have you spoken to her recently?" Charles asked.
"Last night," Rogue said. "Speakin' of which, X is on to us."
"What?" Charles asked, alarmed.
"She smelled her in m' room last night. Kinda creepy. I gotta come up with an excuse, but that's gonna be hard 'cause X can, quite liter'lly, smell through a lie."
Charles shifted slightly in his chair.
"Charles?" Rogue asked.
"Rogue, there's something I've discovered about X-23. You need to hear it."
Rogue looked at him cautiously, arms still folded over her chest.
Charles sighed. "You know what S.H.I.E.L.D. is?" Charles asked.
"I'm—aware of 'em." Rogue said cautiously. "Why?"
"They have a special operative, nicknamed the Wolverine. He has the exact same abilities as your friend X-23."
"That's not strange. Mutant powers often overlap on others. Look how many telepaths there are in this house alone."
"That's not the point. Along with sharing abilities, they both share the exact same hair color, eye color, and…rather specific traits."
"Like…?"
"No memory of their past, adamantium on their skeletons and claws, a mysterious affiliation with the government. I did some research using S.H.I.E.L.D.'s restricted files. Have you ever heard of the Weapon X project?"
"Yeah, some nut-case blue skinned woman escaped from it a few months ago…Mystique I think."
"Were you aware they were the ones that gave Wolverine the metal on his claws and skeleton? They spent half a billion dollars making him the perfect weapon, but he betrayed them. They wiped his memory and he works for S.H.I.E.L.D. now."
"So?"
"So, the Weapon X project was a division of HYDRA." Charles said. "According to files from S.H.I.E.L.D., they captured the project, but never shut it down, using HYDRA's research to further their own."
"I don't see anything wrong with that." Rogue shrugged.
"After Wolverine's escape in the early seventies, HYDRA began trying to create a clone of him."
Rogue saw where this was going.
"HYDRA hired a doctor, Sarah Kinney, to create Wolverine's clone using a damaged sample of his DNA. Kinney tried and failed twenty-two times before taking a separate route. Cloning the X-chromosome twice, Kinney succeeded in making a female clone of Wolverine. They designated her…"
"…X-23." Rogue breathed. "Well that makes a lotta sense!"
"You aren't surprised?" Charles asked.
"Not really. It explains 'most everything an' isn't that far-fetched."
Charles nodded. "I thought you should be the one to tell her, considering you're the one she's known the longest."
Rogue nodded. "I'll tell 'er when I get back. I want 'er to get settled in 'fore I go and blow up 'er world."
Someone knocked on the door and Emma poked her head in. "Professor, do you mind if we talk?"
"Of course not, just let me finish with Rogue and—"
"Oh, I'm done." Rogue said. "Gotta go get ready." She departed the room, glancing at Emma as she did. Emma rolled her eyes and walked in, muttering "Americans".
"Is there something I can help you with, Emma?" Charles asked.
"Actually, Professor," Emma said, taking a seat. "I believe I can help you."
Charles raised an eyebrow.
"You haven't been successful in your therapy with Rahne, have you?" Emma stated more than asked.
Charles nodded. "Unfortunately, nothing seems to be working."
Emma looked at her hands then at Charles again. "What if we erased her memories of the incident?"
Charles went to protest immediately, but Emma cut him off.
"Just her memories of the…murder. If we can take those out, she'll feel much better! If we don't do anything, she'll continue to be as useless as she is now."
"Absolutely not!" Charles exclaimed. "Just because we possess the power does not mean we can manipulate other people's lives!"
"Might doesn't make right, I know." Emma replied, obviously not a believer in the statement. "But—"
"I wasn't through." Charles said, holding up a hand and cutting Emma off. "Yes, Rahne made a mistake, yes she terribly regrets it and would do anything to take it back, but simply erasing her mind is not going to bring that man back to life. Besides, we must live with our mistakes. There are no two ways around it."
Emma just glared at him. "Fine, she can continue to mope in her room until you decide to do what is best for her."
The blonde stood up and stormed towards the door.
"And Emma," Charles called.
Emma turned and looked at him, her feelings quite plainly spelled out on her face.
"No one is ever useless."
Emma huffed and left.
-
New York City General Hospital
February 15, 13:09 EST
-
Getting to New York had taken longer than Kitty expected. It turns out Rogue didn't have an official driver's license, and she'd had to forge one. It also turned out she had multiple arrest warrants out. It was lunchtime and there was traffic. One thing after another prevented the mutants from leaving. Kitty hardly ate any of her lunch and was waiting in the car rather impatiently for Rogue.
Rogue had an old 1970s mustang. It was painted a bright orange with two white stripes down the middle. Rogue had apparently been working on it since she arrived at the Institute and had replaced the engine with some sort of blue, glowing one. Kitty could have sworn she had seen the car floating at one point, but Rogue denied it. The glass and metal looked the same, but they were now bulletproof and titanium reinforced. The radio had been ripped out in favor of a state-of-the-art communications system and control board. It looked fancy and no one had a clue what it did. They knew well enough not to touch the car for risk of loss of limb and life.
Rogue climbed in the car and grabbed the bag of chips Kitty was eating, tossing them out of the window.
"No eatin'." She said simply.
Kitty sighed, nodded and the duo set off to New York City.
The two females were in an elevator in the hospital, coming out on the 29th floor.
"So where's Kate?" Kitty asked. "I can go ask the nurse."
"No need," Rogue said, pointing at the third doorway from the waiting room. "Armed guards. Gee, I wonder."
Kitty walked up to the door and tried to enter, but the police blocked her way.
"Sorry ma'am, I need to see some ID."
"Uh…I'm a friend." Kitty said.
"Sorry, ma'am. No ID, no visits."
The door opened and Rachel leaned out, her eyes bloodshot.
"It's okay, officers, she's a friend."
The officers nodded and moved to allow Kitty in. Rogue froze in the doorway. The girl in the bed—she knew her. Her hair, the shape of her chin…
"Rogue?" Kitty asked. "What's wrong?"
Rogue just remained fixated on Kate, trying to get the image out of her head.
"Uh..nuthin'," she replied. "I—I just remembered I hate hospitals. I'll go in the waitin' room. You go on inside."
"You sure?" Kitty asked.
"Yeah," Rogue said, trying her best to collect herself. She smiled and it was so fake that even Kitty spotted it.
"Okay…" Kitty said, unsure of what exactly was going on. Rogue walked off at a rather quick pace and sat down in the waiting room. She gasped for breath and covered her face. What were the odds?
-
Northern Africa
December 1st, 21:09 AT
38:21:09 Before Operation Bishop*
-
Kate Bishop and her mother were leaving the mansion where Ian Quinn had hosted his charity ball. The mansion was almost a hundred yards behind them, their hotel fifty in front. The night was dark and rather chilly, Kate clutching at her bare arms and complaining to her mother. Her mother smiled and laughed at her daughter.
"Not funny! I'm freezing my ass of out here! I should have brought a jacket!" Kate exclaimed.
"Now who told you that?" her mother asked.
Kate remained silent, but with a playful look on her face.
Rogue stumbled out of the shadows and acted as if she were going to be sick, clutching her stomach. The Bishops seemed rather alarmed. Rogue stumbled forward, begging for water. Eleanor, ever the humanitarian, went to her purse to pull out a spare bottle of water. Rogue took the opportunity and leapt, stabbing her in the throat with a needle and knocking her unconscious. Kate screamed and started to run, but Rogue leapt at her, tackling her to the ground and injecting her with the same fluid. Kate collapsed to the ground.
"Secretary Stryker, targets subdued, next instructions?" Rogue asked into her comm.
"An exfil unit is on its way. Stand by, deliver the packages to Beta Team, your ride will arrive momentarily."
Two black SUVs drove up next to Rogue, their lights dim. Several soldiers got out and the Captain* stepped out as well. He shook Rogue's hand.
"Agent Prospero Harper, Sentinel Project. Thank you for your assistance in capturing these terrorists. I've been instructed to give you a ride to the airport and debrief you. As with all of these missions, you do not remember anything and you were never here."
Rogue nodded, she knew the drill.
"How is she?" Rogue asked as Kitty exited the room.
"She's asleep and healing. The doctors said that there was no permanent damage, but that she's still pretty badly beaten. She's also going to need a therapist." Kitty replied, obviously disturbed.
Rogue nodded. "She's lucky…"
"Yeah, right." Kitty snorted.
"Coulda been a lot worse," Rogue pointed out.
Kitty nodded, accepting her point.
Kitty felt guilty, Rogue felt guilty. They both stood there in silence.
"I just wish I could do something to help." Kitty whispered.
Rogue nodded and muttered an agreement. It took her a moment for the idea to pop into her head. She looked up and dragged Kitty into a less occupied part of the hallway.
"What if I told you that you can?" Rogue asked.
"What?" Kitty asked quietly.
"The news said the police had an idea who did it, but didn't have anyone in custody. What if we went after them? What if we brought her attackers to justice?"
"Are you suggesting using our powers to hunt down people? Rogue, we don't do that!"
"Not to innocent people." Rogue pointed out. "These people aren't human! They deserve what they get comin' to them! There's nothin' wrong with some good, old fashioned, American revenge!"
"Rogue—"
"What would you propose we do?" Rogue demanded. "Sit here?"
Kitty looked at her feet.
"How the hell do we even know who to look for?" she asked.
Rogue grinned.
"A police station?" Kitty hissed. "Are you insane?"
"Jury's out." Rogue said, continuing to survey the police station from across the street. "We're just borrowin' a few files, then we'll do their jobs for 'em! No harm, no foul!"
"I hate police stations." Kitty muttered, folding her arms over her chest.
"So I read," Rogue replied.
Kitty looked slightly startled.
"Alright, the file room is in the back of the buildin'. You phase me through the wall, I'll take out the cops and you lock the door. Try an' be quiet about it, too. I don't have plans to take on the entire precinct."
Kitty nodded.
The two phased through the wall into the back room. There was only one officer there, a donut in his mouth. Rogue hit him once in the throat, knocking him unconscious, and took a bite out of his donut. She proceeded to a computer and sat down. She pulled out a thumb-drive and plugged it into the computer. The computer logged in and Rogue began searching for files.
Kitty had locked all of the doors, already nervous. Rogue was typing on the computer.
"Got it!" she confirmed.
"Good, hurry up! I think someone's coming!"
Rogue hit PRINT and unplugged the thumb-drive. She was wearing gloves, so no worries of prints. Someone tried to open the door and couldn't. Kitty glanced at it nervously. Rogue gestured for her to be quiet.
"Rogue!" Kitty whispered, leaning over her shoulder. "Hurry up!"
"Two more!" she exclaimed quietly.
"Damn it, Bill. Stop locking yourself in." the officer's voice came. "This isn't funny. Alright? I'm sorry about the other day on patrol!"
"How damn slow can this be?" Rogue exclaimed. The computer was still printing the final page.
Keys rattled in the doorway. Rogue grasped Kitty and yanked the paper, only half-printed out of the printer. They phased into the floor right as the door opened. The officer saw nothing.
Rogue and Kitty made it back to the other side of the street. Kitty kept a wary eye on the precinct, but Rogue wasn't worried at all.
"Crappy tech," Rogue muttered, glancing over the pictures. "Take all of that money for taxes, still cain't get a decent printer."
"So how many suspects are we looking at?" Kitty asked, trying to get an eye on the papers.
"Well, three did it, but there's seven suspects here." Rogue looked at Kitty. "Guess we're gonna have to get our hands dirty."
"So when do we start?"
"We just did, sugah." Rogue replied. "But we ain't doin' the real fightin' till night, 'cause that's a shore way t' get caught. 'sides, you gotta get dressed. I'm assumin' ya brought yo'r uniform?"
"Yeah, left it in the car. If there's one thing I learned at the Institute, it's be prepared for anything."
"Good," Rogue replied. "Been a while since I wore mine."
The duo had changed into their uniforms and were waiting in an alley for night.
Rogue's outfit was a full body-suit, stretching from her neck, down to her wrists and ankles. The body-suit was made of a dark, rich green fabric with a large yellow stripe, maybe half the size of her chest, running straight down the middle. She was wearing yellow gloves, black combat boots, and a long, brown trench-coat with a white fur collar on the inside. She had strapped her hidden blades to her wrists and a gun to her waist, making sure to carry extra rounds this time. She wore no mask, letting her red hair flow freely in the wind. Rogue's state of mind was that if they remembered her, she didn't hit them hard enough.
Kitty was a little more protective of her secret identity. She wore a dark-blue body-suit similar to Rogue's except with half-length sleeves. Kitty had a large, dark yellow triangle starting from the edge of both shoulders and gently sloping inwards until it reached her waist. She wore a belt, gloves, and knee-high boots of the same dark yellow color. She had pulled her hair back in a ponytail and had a black half-mask covering the top half of her face. Rogue found masks uncomfortable and itchy, but understood why Kitty wanted one.
"How'd you get those?" Kitty asked suddenly.
"What?" Rogue asked.
"The white-stripes in your hair, how'd you get them?"
Rogue touched them, running a strand between her fingers. "They were a gift, surprisingly enough."
"A gift?" Kitty asked. "Lame birthday present."
Rogue laughed.
Kitty looked at her. "So now what?"
Rogue grinned wickedly. "Now we go hunting."
END PART ONE
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*Check out Episode Six "Bishop" Parts 1 & 2!
**Rogue speaks Chinese in 1x08 "Gone Rogue"