Saturday, November 24, 2007
A BIG THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE FOR ADDING ME TO THEIR FAVORITE AUTHOR LISTS SINCE CHAPTER 6:
angelfire1; b.a.n.h.s.f.c.x.oc.; Christinamarie712; Fairy Of Anime; FireOpal73; firewindgirl; Incendia Lupus; ladykind; Shakko; Solunita;
Prior to chap. 6:
Arian69; Lil'crazzigurl; LuckyTurtle; M.B. Wade; New Moon Night; PyroWhore; Ryan628; b.a.n.h.s.f.c.x.oc; Deadsnowhite; death06; egolust92; and le rose noir
THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE FOR ADDING ME TO THEIR FAVORITE STORY LISTS:
Converse-Fiend; Die Schurkin; HologramX; Incendia Lupus; Kioyuki Oniga; Shakko; firewindgirl; japanesegirl101; pinki84297; sarahmadison; xLebeaux; Bart Chamber; Fairy Of Anime; Jutwfiniei; PyroWhore; Rose Of Demise; Ryan628; Sassy18; SupermanPleaseSaveMe; everwing; ladykind; lildreamer lil2cool; musicmuse28; rogueylovesmoi; stargazer824; Crimson Angel Winges;
Prior to chap. 6:
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Dear AMY, who reviewed and left no contact info… Please check out my FFN forum called "Literary Discussion of Romy's and More." I have posted a little section on there under "chapter 12 help" just for you and other fans like you who are interested in knowing what I have planned for Rogue & Apocalypse. There are many spoilers, but it will tell you what you want to know.
The forum is: fanfiction (dot) net (/) my forums (/) Wiccamage (/) 402474 (/)
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Rogue bit her bottom lip and listened as Gambit shuffled back to the cave. She had his duster clutched against her front with one hand and in the other were the tattered remains of the black dress.
Once she was satisfied that he wasn't watching, she lowered the coat to the ground and set about putting on the dress. She untwisted the cool, but thankfully dry garment and laid it out across her legs.
She scowled wearily as she examined the torn cloth and bit back a growl when she noticed that about six inches of fabric was missing from the bottom hem. So THAT'S what he'd been tearing. The darn sneak thief had taken off with part of her dress!
Rogue ground her teeth together as she tried to reign in her temper. There would be plenty of time to beat the Cajun to a pulp later. If she yelled at him now he'd come out of the cave and probably see her in the buff… again. The thought made her glance around nervously, as if he were lurking nearby and just waiting for her to drop her guard so he could catch another peek.
The mere recollection of how many times that man had seen her naked in the past 24 hours made Rogue's entire face turn crimson. Quickly, she slipped her hands through the dress and raised it over her head, but the rapid movement tweaked her ribs and she suppressed a gasp of pain.
Carefully this time, she pulled the tube top over her head and down to her collarbones. As the soft fabric smoothed over her skin and hid her pale flesh again, Rogue breathed a sigh of relief. Now that she had some clothes on maybe that stupid Acolyte wouldn't be able to throw her off guard all the time.
Shivering slightly in the cool morning air, she continued to gently tug the dress and frowned. The top was heavily padded to accommodate for the lack of a bra and her broken ribs made it impossible to wiggle around enough to pull it down from the top hem. She'd just have to stand up and pull from the bottom.
Taking a deep breath, Rogue exhaled slowly as she moved to her knees and, wrapping one arm around her throbbing ribs, she used her other hand to push off the ground. She managed to get to her feet, but the small effort shot flaming arrows of pain through her torso and she couldn't stop the yelp that escaped her lips.
Without a sound, Gambit was by her side instantly and steadied the teetering girl by grabbing her bare shoulders.
He had finally put some pants on, but his chest was still bare and Rogue tried not to focus on his muscular body.
The feeling of his soft, strong hands on her skin was incredible and yet in the back of her mind she knew that she shouldn't be so casual about him constantly touching her. Eventually she'd get her powers back and then…
"Y' alright petite?" Gambit questioned, interrupting her internal battle.
She ground her teeth together out of pain and annoyance. "Yeah, fine." She was getting really frustrated with both him and herself – him for touching and annoying her so easily and herself for letting him.
Remy noticed that her shallow, uneven breaths and stiff posture betrayed her biting words and didn't move away.
"Ya want some help wit' dat?" he asked quietly.
Rogue was momentarily taken aback by the sincerity in his tone, but managed to recover quickly.
"No, ah don't need yer help, Gambit. Ah'm perfectly fine thank you," she retorted and tried to shrug his hands from her shoulders without moving too much.
"And don't you say anything cheeky either! Ah certainly don't need any more flack from the likes a' you," she added as an afterthought. His little side remarks were really starting to get to her and she hated the way he always made her blush.
Gambit opened his mouth to deliver an equally biting retort, but quickly closed it after a moment.
"All right den petite, if y' don't need me, Gambit'll just be on his way den," he stated casually and removed his hands without stepping away.
Without his support, she immediately began to sway and he reached out to steady her once more.
"Dat's what Gambit thought," he smirked as she turned her head away from him and blushed.
He motioned to a large boulder beside the cave and gently tugged on her arm. "T'ink you can make it over dere t' sit?"
Rogue nodded and though she refused to meet his gaze, huffed softly.
"It's a couple of broken ribs Gambit; ah ain't an invalid ya know," she retorted, but still allowed him to guide her slowly to the designated spot.
"Come on; sit," he commanded as he moved around to her front and grasped her elbows lightly.
Rogue gnawed on her lower lip for a moment before she wrapped her small hands around his biceps and let him lower her down. She swallowed at the feel of the strong, lean muscle beneath her fingertips and marveled at the way it rippled and flexed as he extended his arms to help her sit.
Just as Gambit released her arms and moved away, the morning sun crested the tip of the ravine and bathed the two in its warm glow. Almost reluctantly, she removed her own hands and placed them timidly in her lap.
With tinted cheeks, Rogue gazed up at Gambit as he turned to the sunrise and the sheer sight of him standing there, bare-chested in the golden light made her breath catch.
A few flecks of perspiration dotted his smooth, hairless chest and made his well-toned pecs and abs gleam brilliantly. His brown hair was tousled and unruly as he brushed it back from his eyes, but the unkempt look only enhanced his rugged yet incredibly handsome image.
Rogue swallowed a second time and whetted her lips as she stared at him. He was Adonis in human flesh; desire, strength and charm personified; the very epitome of sexiness and masculinity. And good lord was he ever hot…
Gambit turned slightly to flash a knee-weakening smile at her and Rogue bowed her head, her face flaming in embarrassment at having been caught staring.
"See somethin' y' like chere?" he asked coyly.
"N-no, ah wasn't… ah mean, ah didn't… ahem, " she stuttered before clearing her throat and finding her voice again. Damn but that man knew how to fluster her!
"What ah mean t' say, Cajun, is that ah was only noticin' how badly you're lookin' t' need a shower," she smirked triumphantly.
"Hmm," Gambit pondered as he ran a hand over his light stubble.
Rogue's smirk warped into a small smile as she prepared to mark her win. At last, she had finally won one over Gambit and beat him at his own game!
Before she could declare victory though, Gambit turned to her and grinned lecherously. His look was still playful though and not menacing and lustful like Apocalypse's had been.
"Y' thinkin' a' me in de shower, petite? M' flattered, really, but it seems t' me dat YOU are d' one in need of a shower."
He cocked his head to the side as she glared at him with an open mouth. "Although," he finished, "de drowned rat look kinda suits ya. Mebbe I call you 'river rat' from now on, eh? Dat way, Gambit'll always remember how cute y' are with all dat mud and sticks in y' hair."
Rogue simply gaped at him like a fish as he turned back toward the cave to retrieve their shoes.
"Gambit just LOVES de curls by de way chere, dey tres belle." (very beautiful)
Rogue simply squeaked incoherently and clenched her fists as the color rose to her face for about the dozenth time in less than 12 hours.
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The doors to the war room slid open quietly as Eric Lensherr entered. He was not wearing his typical battle garb, but a nicely pressed pair of black slacks and a simple white dress shirt. His clothes were decidedly casual, but his very manner and poise screamed intimidation and power.
He cleared his throat quietly as he waited for his colleague to acknowledge his presence.
Xavier had been hard at work nonstop since before eight and it was now nearing noon. Plus the man had worked halfway through the night as well and Eric doubted that the few hours of sleep Xavier had gotten were very restful.
As he waited, Eric tapped his fingers on a chair impatiently and gazed around the room. In the middle was a long, rectangular table used for debriefings and above the table was a digital projection screen for relaying all types of schematics. There were numerous monitors on every wall, some displaying digital computer readouts and others keeping a silent, watchful eye on every news station worldwide.
Forge had created a simple, small device that filtered through all the channels and notified him of any strange occurrences happening at any time throughout the globe. Unfortunately, the boy genius had yet to work out all the kinks, so he was in stuck in Xavier's office checking out every medical mystery, UFO sighting and tabloid report that popped up along with the legitimate news.
In front of Charles was a large, flattened screen shot of the earth. As Eric watched, the continents slowly elongated and grew in size until they had all nearly disappeared. Only a miniature version of Egypt remained and it glowed brilliant red for a moment before the image swiftly vanished and only a fading residue of light lingered on the now blackened screen.
With a sigh, Xavier carefully removed Cerebro from his head and rubbed his stiff neck.
"Did you find anything Charles?" Eric asked as he moved toward his friend.
"I'm afraid not. I've been checking every place Mesmero has been in the last few months, but I cannot find anything definitive. All I've discovered is a large beacon of energy emanating from a few key areas throughout the world."
Xavier pinched the bridge of his nose and continued. "One is in Egypt, presumably under the Sphinx where we discovered Apocalypse's ship. The second is in Tibet, a third in Mexico and a fourth in China. There is a fifth, very faint, beacon radiating from somewhere in the western United States, but I cannot pinpoint the exact location of any of these energy sources. It's as if something or someone is blocking my probes and moving the beacons as soon as I get close to them."
Finally Xavier turned to face the other man. "Apocalypse is much more powerful than I originally suspected Eric. If we do indeed find him, I'm not sure how we shall manage to defeat him."
Eric placed a reassuring hand on Xavier's shoulder.
"We will manage, Charles. We must."
Xavier nodded solemnly, but within moments the anxious and foreboding look was gone from his countenance as he gazed up at the door.
"You may come in Kurt," he called out. Magneto tried not to shudder – Xavier's gift for anticipating every word and action always had unnerved him.
Not unexpectedly, Charles smiled lightly at his friend and shrugged in silent apology while Eric rolled his eyes.
"Sorry to intrude Professor, but I vas vondering if you had found anything yet?" Kurt asked as he stepped inside the War Room.
Xavier couldn't keep the worry from his eyes as he gazed upon Kurt. The boy hadn't changed from his pajamas yet and his shoulder length hair was tangled and shiny – presumably from anxious hands running and tearing through it for the past day. Kurt hadn't even bothered to wear his image inducer and Xavier knew that the simple absence of the watch was the clearest sign of how deeply the young X-Man was hurting.
Sighing, the Professor shook his head lightly as the other students and two of Magneto's representatives joined them. Bobby, Scott, Jean, Kitty, Lance & Colossus all entered solemnly and sat around the large table. Only Jean managed to look somewhat put together. Still, the dark circles under her eyes couldn't be entirely hidden by makeup and Xavier knew that she had gotten very little sleep as well.
"I'm sorry Kurt. I cannot find a trace of Rogue anywhere."
"Zen vhat about my dream? How could zat be real if she isn't alive?" Some of his melancholy was replaced with anger and frustration and the Professor had to fight back yet another sigh.
"I don't believe it was real, Kurt," he began and held up a hand as the boy started to protest. "I believe that the vision you experienced was Apocalypse's attempt to infiltrate your mind and either gain information or to try and lure us into taking the fight directly to him. My guess is on the later."
"But Professor," Scott interjected, "why would he want us to come to him? Why not just come here and beat us on our own turf? I'd think a guy like that would enjoy humiliating his enemies."
Xavier nodded. "You're right Scott. Based on all the information Hank and I gathered from his temples, Apocalypse is just the type of man to bring the fight to the home of his enemies. However, I have a theory that, if true, may be of some use to us."
Logan, Hank and Ororo, silently summoned by the Professor, joined the crowd as Xavier began his explanation.
"I believe that Apocalypse used the vision of Rogue to try and lure us into the open – to try and make us angry enough to run blindly into a fight. I don't believe he would antagonize us unprovoked, however, unless he was anxious to beat us.
"There's a common psychology about being on one's own 'turf' and that the threat to one's home will make a person fight harder and with more conviction than an invading party. I believe that Apocalypse wants a 'home court advantage' so to speak. I believe that he is empowered by his temples and that he wants us to go to him so that he has a greater chance of defeating us in battle.
"As far as I can tell, Apocalypse intended to use Rogue as a type of battery to constantly fuel him. With her powers at his disposal, he wouldn't need to stay hidden inside his temples and would be free to roam the world causing chaos and destruction. If he had Rogue's powers, if he had utter control over her mutation and could use it at his disposal, I believe that he would have attacked us by now."
The Professor stopped to let the revelation sink in.
"So you think Rogue … you think he doesn't have her powers? But how…" Jean asked before Kitty cut her off.
"I like, already told you guys. Rogue wouldn't go down without a fight. She'd die before she'd let him use her like that."
With folded hands, Xavier nodded. "I agree Kitty. I believe that for one reason or another Apocalypse has failed at taking control of Rogue's powers. I think the more likely scenario is that Rogue anticipated his intentions and … took matters into her own hands. Either that, or something went wrong during a secondary transfer – perhaps that would explain why I was able to sense the sudden explosion of energy…"
"No!" Kurt shouted and slammed his fists on the table, "I told you she's not dead! I saw it, I FELT it!!"
"Kurt, please," the Professor beseeched him, "I know what you think you saw, but I assure you that your vision was merely a machination by Apocalypse to manipulate your mind and…"
"NEIN!" Kurt hollered, his eyes flaring yellow, "I know vhat he can do to my mind. I know zat he can make me see things zat are not real, but he cannot influence vhat I know is true in my heart!"
"Apocalypse can make you feel anything he likes Kurt and there is no way to differentiate your own feelings from those he wishes you to have."
"Vith all due respect Professor, I do not believe zat is true. Just because your computer screen tells you zat she is gone, does not mean zat it is fact. A computer knows nozing of emotion and instinct und (and) love Apocalypse may have made YOU see vhat he wanted you to see. He may have made you THINK she is dead so we could walk into his trap unprepared. He may have even killed Rogue for real and vhile you were all crying and pretending to actually care about her, brought her back vhen you veren't looking just to screw vhit us!
"Apocalypse cannot make me feel zat Rogue is alive or dead anymore zan he make me stop believing in God. He can rip all knowledge from my mind, plant vhatever thoughts he wishes, but he cannot make my heart forget."
With a last desperate look around the room, Kurt took a deep, shuddering breath and teleported away.
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Mesmero sighed in dismay. He had just witnessed the entire exchange between the Professor and Nightcrawler and was not pleased. It would be so much simpler to just take control of the student's minds and have a direct influence over matters, but that damn Xavier had already placed severe mental inhibitors around the Mansion.
Apocalypse would be far from happy about the latest developments at the Xavier Institute. The only thing Apocalypse's under appreciated minion could be thankful for at this point was that he'd had the foresight to make Rogue place a few bugs throughout the mansion so they could keep an eye on everyone.
"Mesmero!" Apocalypse bellowed from his throne room.
Mesmero quickly scuttled inside and kneeled before the all-powerful mutant.
"Yes, your excellence?"
Apocalypse was slumped upon the gold and stone chair with a small turquoise stone in his open palm. His once young face was wrinkled and weary, as if he had aged 20 years in the last 24 hours, and although his limbs were weak, his voice and countenance were still strong and intimidating.
He slowly opened his drooping eyes to glare at his servant. "Well? Have you found the girl yet?!"
"N-no my master. I have dispatched the sentries to search out the ravine she recalled during the vision. If she is nearby, we will find her within the hour." Mesmero stammered as he deliberately turned his eyes to the floor.
He knew that Apocalypse could still destroy anyone he wished with a mere thought. The mega-mutant's powers may be weakened, but that didn't make him any less dangerous.
"And if NOT?!" Apocalypse raged. He gripped the small stone tightly in his hand, but was incredibly careful not to crush it.
"My lord, we cannot track the girl because of the ritual. It has stripped her of all her powers and made her nearly impossible to find. It will be much easier to track her companion, Gambit, but as long as the psychic shield remains in place, we cannot locate him either unless he uses his powers." Mesmero flinched as Apocalypse glared at him murderously.
"If we compromise the shield, my lord, Xavier will be able to find Gambit and the girl almost immediately and I will not be able to intercept them as I can with the shield in place. However, as long as it remains intact, Xavier will also be unable to detect them and even if he does, I can easily render him unconscious."
Apocalypse closed his eyes again as he considered their options. "What of Xavier? Is he any closer to finding them with the shields in place? How has the vision affected their quest for her?"
"Xavier's powers are limited yet. He has not fully reached his own potential and is unable to locate the girl or the Acolyte while the shield is in place. Also, he is not searching for a powerless Rogue, only her mutant signature." Mesmero replied as he remained bowed before Apocalypse.
"Then he is a fool," Apocalypse sighed, "he will not find her mutant powers no matter where he looks. The girl could be standing right in front of him and he would likely denounce her as a baseline human."
He held the small turquoise stone in front of his face and examined it carefully. It was a deep blue, but it shined so brilliantly that it practically glowed in the low lighting. Every so often a light would flicker against the smooth, flecked surface and it appeared as if another light from inside the stone were dancing or swimming softly.
"Master, there is more," Mesmero began again, his eyes still pinned to the same spot on the ground. "Xavier has unfortunately ended the search for the girl; he believes she is dead and that the vision was an attempt to draw them into battle. They sense our intentions and have created a device to block out my communications. They know we wish to use the visions against them."
Apocalypse sighed, "Then the first ritual has done what it was designed to do. It is a pity though. I had rather hoped Xavier would make contact with the girl while the shield is in place. I would much rather him find her first so we can dispatch the both of them together. In the meantime, I want you to keep a watchful eye out for the girl and LeBeau, Mesmero. We can use her connection with the vessel to manipulate her dreams and try to locate them.
"Otherwise, we will wait until Gambit uses his powers or Rogue attempts to contact the Professor directly. It will not take long before they grow weary of life in the wilderness. They are stranded with no food, water or shelter and only each other for company."
Apocalypse raised his free hand to his chin as he continued to examine the stone. "Yes, they will not last long at all."
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For having a few broken ribs, Rogue was walking at a surprisingly brisk pace. It was so quick, in fact, that she had gone at least a full mile in the last 30 minutes.
The cause of her miraculous recovery and subsequent speed walking was currently sauntering along behind her at a rather casual looking, but equally fast pace. He was quiet (for once), but Rogue knew that he was only bidding his time before he attempted to royally humiliate her all over again.
Right after his comment about her curls, Gambit had returned to her side with their shoes, his shirt and the tattered bits of her dress he had ripped apart earlier. Much to Rogue's horror, she couldn't even put on her own shoes because of her injured ribs and Gambit had more than eagerly volunteered to help.
She'd been shocked at how gently and innocently he had tied the straps around her ankles and up her calves, but of course he had made some smart-assed comment about how he'd just love to switch positions with her laces and she had all but kicked him in the mouth.
She had immediately bolted from the rock, regardless of the pain in her ribs and started heading down along the river. Thankfully he had at least waited to say anything until after she was all tied up and ready to go, otherwise she might have been walking shoeless through the forest.
Gambit had caught up with her easily enough and his quick note on how her dress didn't fit quite right really started the ball rolling.
Rogue had nearly forgotten about getting the dress pulled down any farther and after Gambit's observation, she had stalked ahead of him by a few feet and angrily pulled down the tube top.
Her intention was to quickly yank it in place and, of course, that's not how it worked out.
Rogue had pulled so hard on the dress that the top had come down past her chest and stopped right above the waistline, leaving her partially exposed and incredibly embarrassed.
Struggling with the garment for at least five minutes, Rogue had been extremely careful to stay well ahead of Gambit so he wouldn't know what had happened, but she knew it had to be pretty obvious as she continued to tug upward on the top hem of the dress without any results.
Finally, when Rogue was so frustrated she was nearly in tears, Gambit had snuck up on her silently and offered her a hand. She'd wanted to scream, throw a tantrum or smash through a hundred danger room simulations she was so aggravated with his natural ability to throw her off, make her blush and otherwise humiliate her regardless of the situation or her current state of undress. Whether she was fully clothed or completely naked, he seemed to have the same effect on her.
Rogue had quickly covered herself up and refused his help, but after another few minutes of struggling, she finally accepted his offer with great resignation.
He had stood behind her at least, giving her a little privacy, but she couldn't hide her utter mortification with the entire situation and then…
Oh, she didn't even want to THINK about what he'd done then. 'Accident my ass' she thought bitterly as she crossed her arms protectively over her now covered chest. She was never letting that pervert within five feet of her again. Just wait until she got home and told Logan what that sneaky, dirty, no good, rotten Cajun had done! Hoo boy would Gambit get it then!!
So it was that 20 minutes later, Rogue's face was still crimson and now her ribs were really starting to throb.
"Rogue, y' mebbe wanna take a break now? Y' look a little tired." Gambit offered politely from somewhere behind her.
"No, ah don't wanna take a break and, you know what, don't even talk to me anymore, okay? If you could just shut yer mouth and not say another damn word t' me it would make this whole crappy experience a little more bearable."
Gambit sighed. He hadn't meant to make her so angry. Yeah, he shouldn't have tried to cop a feel, even as a joke, when she'd needed his help, but he just couldn't contain himself sometimes. He had been so good all day, even with her lying naked beside him last night, and he had only wanted her to loosen up and relax a bit.
Most women would have melted in his hands hours ago, but not this one. This girl was definitely something else.
She'd gasped and then stayed perfectly still for about 10 seconds after he'd removed his hands and just as Gambit thought she was going to simply ignore it, she'd turned around and slugged him in the eye.
Not even slapped, but slugged. He'd been slapped by women before, a little painful sure, but still somewhat amusing. He'd also been punched by other men before, but this was much worse. Even the sucker punch he'd received from her earlier was nothing compared to the wallop he'd received just 20 minutes ago.
After recovering from the incredible pain the slight girl had delivered, Gambit had taken the extra bits of cloth from her dress and, soaking them in the river, had gingerly applied it to his swollen eye without complaint.
Yeah, he'd deserved it.
He'd immediately resigned himself to backing off and giving her as much space as possible; in fact he didn't even plan on speaking to her for the next few hours, but she was moving much too quickly for her broken ribs and Gambit knew it was only a matter of time before the pain became nearly unbearable.
What he didn't bank on was that she would continue pushing past her natural limits just to maintain her distance from him.
"Rogue, I really think we should stop to rest for a minute, eh?" he offered again.
She ignored him and continued walking even though her pace had slowed significantly.
Gambit stayed close behind her as they traipsed through the forest for another 10 minutes and he had to bite his lip when she tripped over a small rock and nearly fell. She righted herself quickly, but couldn't hide her small moan of pain as she wrapped her arms around her ribs.
Eventually she'd wear herself out and stop before the pain got too bad, right?
Five minutes later he got his answer.
With both arms wrapped around her enflamed ribs, Rogue tried not to stumble as she continued onward. When she moved to climb down a small, rock-encased ledge, however, the burning, throbbing sensation finally got the better of her.
The ledge wasn't steep or long, and it wouldn't have even been that difficult to climb down had she not been in utter agony, but as it was, the small amount of bending, twisting and maneuvering it required was too much for her to handle. There was a small, narrow path of dirt that wound down through a couple of giant boulders and ended at a steeper, tree-lined incline that eventually emptied out into the valley.
Rogue had just twisted her way around the first rock when she suddenly gasped and started to sway. She reached out to steady herself against the boulder, but the now excruciating pressure on her ribs was too much for her to bear and she started to black out.
Gambit reached her just as she started to fall and caught by the arm with one hand while his other steadied her hips.
"Rogue!" he cried, "Rogue, are y' alright?"
She simply moaned as her eyes rolled back in her head and she slumped against him.
Gambit scooped her up under the knees and shoulders and with amazing speed and agility, maneuvered through the boulders and placed her down inside a small crevice that was surrounded by rocks on all three sides and shaded by the trees above.
As Gambit laid her gently in the dirt, he took note of her shallow, wheezing breaths and kicked himself for not making her stop earlier. Pulling the strips of black fabric away from his own eye and retrieving still more from his pocket, Gambit raced back up the hill to the river and soaked them all in the freezing water.
He was back at her side in a minute and placed each strip over her injured ribs to try and soothe the inflammation. As he placed another strip over her forehead, Rogue's eyes fluttered open and she moaned softly.
"Guess ah shoulda stopped after all," she murmured through another grimace.
"Don' blame y'rself Rogue, Gambit shouldn't have … done dat. M' sorry. Didn't mean to make y' mad," he explained quietly.
"What was ah supposed t' do, laugh?" she demanded incredulously.
"Well, no, but I was hopin' f'r a smile at least."
Gambit hung his head. He felt like the nine-year-old boy who had been lectured about how to treat a lady by his Tante.
"A smile?" Rogue asked, her voice rising, "you thought doing THAT would get a smile from me?!" She propped herself up on her elbows to glare at him, but immediately gasped in pain.
Gambit grinned sheepishly as he helped her lie back down. "I know, I know. Pullin' une fille's (a girl) hair ain't gonna make her like y' none. I just…"
Why was he so darn flustered about this? It was a quick brush of his fingers, it wasn't like he'd meant to… okay, so he HAD meant to do it, but still. The explanation shouldn't be this difficult.
"I just…" he tried again and sighed. "I been tryin' t' get y' t' smile all day and all I do is make y' mad at me."
ARGH! This man was just so darned frustrating! One minute he acted like a complete jerk and the next he was absolutely charming. He'd embarrassed and humiliated her, then been so sweet and caring it had nearly drove her mad and now he was saying it was all just to get her to smile!!!
"Ugh!" Rogue made to scream at him, but her increased heart rate made breathing harder and more painful and the pressure on her chest was overpowering.
"Rogue?" Gambit questioned, concern marring his red eyes. Her face was scrunched up and sweat beaded across her cheeks and brow. The black strip of cloth across her forehead contrasted sharply with the paleness of her skin and the pink tint of her cheeks, but her green eyes were alight with pain and emotion.
"Can't … breathe," she panted finally.
Her hands were clenched at her sides as her fingers clawed at the dirt. Her entire body was tense with the tumultuous sensations coursing through her torso and Rogue was certain that either her heart was going to explode in her chest or her ribs were going to collapse her lungs.
"Okay chere. I want you t' try and relax d'accord? (okay)" Gambit coaxed her gently and kneeled directly above her head. He lightly touched her elbows, but she immediately flinched away from him and moaned as the movement jostled her ribs.
"Calm down Rogue, I ain't gonna hurt ya. Gimme y'r arms, I'm gonna lift 'em above y'r head; it'll take some of the pressure off y'r ribs an' make it easier t' breathe."
With a skeptical look Rogue gingerly complied and he helped her slowly lift her arms to rest on either side of his legs.
"Dat should help un peu (a little), but y' need to relax and focus on breathin'."
"It HURTS ta breathe," she managed.
"Shush, don't speak or it'll be worse. Jus' close y'r eyes and take slow, short breaths."
Rogue closed her eyes and tried to follow his instructions, but couldn't help a small whimper when she tried to suck in too much air at once.
"You try t' breathe too deep and it'll hurt more. Dat's it, jus' breathe easy. Nice and slow. In through y'r nose & out through y'r mouth. Bien (good). Focus on tryin' t' relax y'r body Rogue. 'S just like meditation," he coached gently.
"Good girl, keep breathin' like dat and focus on my voice, d'accord? Start down at y'r toes and feel de muscles in y'r feet contract…" he paused to watch her toes curl up in the sandals, "and release."
As Remy continued he softly brushed the hair from her face and began to massage her temples, face and scalp. Before long she was breathing soft and evenly, all evidence of the pain in her ribs replaced with a look of near serenity.
Remy smiled to himself. This girl sure was a puzzle. One minute she didn't want him near her and in the next she was falling asleep under his gentle ministrations. She burned cold one minute and hot the next – further proof that she really didn't know what she wanted. Her mind and body were at war with each other on a constant basis and Remy doubted that even she knew where her heart weighed in.
Knowing Rogue, her heart probably didn't even qualify.
Mid contemplation, Remy was startled from his reverie by a loud thumping noise that reverberated through the trees and echoed loudly in the small, recessed rock.
Rogue sighed softly in her sleep and began to mumble something incoherent when Remy clamped his hand over her mouth. Immediately her eyes flew open to stare at him, but he pressed a finger to his lips and pointed skyward. Sure enough, another thump resounded through the forest and Rogue tried to sit up to move farther in. Thankfully Remy still had his hand pressed firmly to her mouth because she yelped when she tried to move and he was able to stifle the sound.
Remy held his hand out in a silent "stop" and Rogue quit moving. She was beginning to hyperventilate from the fear of being discovered and only his hand on her bare shoulder reminded her to stay calm and breathe.
They were both frozen for a moment, unsure if the trees and rocks would sufficiently block them from the robot henchmen or not. They could hear one clomping around the forest nearby, but they had no indication of its exact location and didn't even know how many there were. Judging from the amount of noise there could very well be two or more out there.
As the footsteps got closer to their hiding spot, Gambit pulled his deck of cards from his jacket pocket and had to force himself not to shuffle them nervously. He and Rogue were both still as death with Rogue lying on her back, staring up at the tree covered sky, and Gambit still on his knees by her head, only his eyes darting around to track the movement.
When it sounded like one of the robots was nearly on top of them, Gambit quickly and silently placed his hand over Rogue's mouth. She stared at him quizzically until he wrapped his free arm under her left shoulder and around her chest to quietly drag her up next to him.
Rogue had to bite her lip and swallow the scream that threatened to erupt from her throat as Gambit pulled her alongside him, but she quickly focused on getting the shooting pain back under control.
'Breathe in and out, slow and short; try to relax your body; focus on de sound of m' voice,' she recalled his words and willed herself not to think of the pain. She looked to Gambit, but he was deftly scanning the trees and sky for any sign of the stone guards.
She watched him, fascinated by his resolve and his ability to never waiver from the task at hand. He was all business as he waited for the potential attack and yet Rogue could sense that he was as tense as she was.
An epiphany struck Rogue in that moment. Gambit – Remy – was risking his very life to keep her safe and away from Apocalypse. He could have just killed her or let her drown, but he hadn't. For some reason, Gambit had pulled her from the clutches of death itself and was now trying his best to keep her alive and well.
Rogue nearly forgot the imminent threat of the robot henchmen as she studied the Acolyte. He didn't have to do this. He wasn't being forced to play protector to her. Nor was there any reason why he would simply want to make her smile.
Was there?
Did he have some ulterior motive that she didn't know about other than making sure Apocalypse didn't get her? Perhaps he was just playing nice so he could … ugh. No, that didn't make any sense because he'd had plenty of chances to make a move earlier. If he'd wanted THAT he could have taken it by now.
So what was it? Why was the Acolyte risking life and limb to protect her? Rogue knew that technically SHE'D be "safe" even if they were caught. Apocalypse wanted to use her as his queen or weapon or whatever and would need her alive. But Gambit…
Rogue's breath caught in her throat. Apocalypse would probably kill Gambit without batting an eyelash. The thought made her throat swell and her chest ache with a completely different kind of pain.
He was trying so hard to help her, to be nice to her, had even gone as far as to openly and unabashedly flirt with her and all she'd done was be a jerk to him.
Rogue bit her lip and resolved herself to be at least a LITTLE nicer to Gambit… er, Remy. After all he HAD saved her life more than once now.
As Rogue sat assessing Remy, he suddenly shifted nervously and his entire body coiled in anticipation. He was staring straight up through the trees and his eyes were locked on something above them.
Rogue's breathing turned harsh and erratic as she slowly lifted her gaze.
She stopped breathing entirely when she saw two outlines of Apocalypse's stone guards standing on the rocks, not even 20 feet directly above them.
Thankfully the trees were low and dense and at the moment, it appeared that they didn't see the pair hunkered low and still under the branches.
Rogue tried desperately not to panic as Gambit maneuvered his cards into striking position and for a moment she wondered if the robots could hear her heart thudding in her chest like a drum.
She was certain Gambit could.
As Gambit waited anxiously for the stone monsters to either leave or discover them, he tried to recall a time in his life when he had ever been so on edge before. If the threat of eminent death weren't so terrifying, this would be almost fun.
He felt the terror rolling off Rogue in waves when she finally looked up to see the two guards standing directly above them. He was certain the girl was approaching a panic attack, but wasn't certain how long it would be before she flipped out completely and gave away their position. As it was, her breathing was so loud and labored he thought for sure the guards would have discovered them by now.
Maybe they would just leave. Maybe they would give up and leave and would never look down at all.
Just then, the stone guard with a hawk's face looked straight at him and cocked its head.
Or maybe not…
Gambit heard Rogue stifle a squeak of fear and surprise. It sounded ridiculously similar to a mouse and, if it weren't for the fact he was about to fight off two incredibly large robots, he might have actually laughed at her.
Still, she kept her ground, unmoving, and he had to give her credit for at least keeping her head.
The hawk robot (a representation of Horus) began to move the various pine and fir tree branches aside as it tried to get a better look at whatever was hiding in the rock's crevice.
"HAVE YOU FOUND THAT GIRL YET!!!?!?!?!?" Mesmero suddenly shouted from a radio transmitter inside the robot and it caused both the metal guards and the two mutants below to jump simultaneously.
The hawk guard spoke for the first time and it sounded nearly identical to Microsoft's first prototype of the talking computer.
"Neg-a-tive. Have…not…lo-ca-ted. Will…con-tin-ue…search," it stated aloud.
"You will do nothing of the sort. Get back to the temple immediately. We will infiltrate her dreams again tonight and you will continue the search tomorrow once we have a new location. They might be anywhere by now and there are other matters that need attending to. We must prepare for the second ritual."
Mesmero quickly cut out and the guards turned to head back to the temple without so much as a glance back at the crevice.
After a good two minutes, Rogue exhaled all of the air she'd been saving up in one giant sigh. Gambit, too, heaved wearily as he fell back against the rock wall.
"Dat… was way too close," he stated as he shoved the cards back in his pocket and closed his eyes.
"Yeah. Definitely," Rogue agreed as she plopped down on the earthen floor. Her ribs still ached slightly, but it was nothing compared to the bone-numbing terror they'd just experienced.
"What was that stuff about infiltrating y'r dreams, t'ough. Y' think they found us 'cause a dat vision you had?"
Rogue swallowed hard. "Ah wouldn't doubt it. Ah could tell Apocalypse was messin' around in mah head 'cause he was talkin' about stuff no one but me would know about."
"Like what?" Gambit asked, curious as to what secret thoughts Apocalypse had seen.
"Uh, nothin' important. Just thoughts and stuff," she waved it off quickly before changing the subject. "What about that 'second ritual' Mesmero mentioned. D'ya think there's more to it than Apocalypse wantin' to make me his slave?"
"Um, yeah. Dere's a lot more to it actually," he started, then got up quickly and offered Rogue his hand. "Gambit'll tell you 'bout it on de way, but we should get outta here b'fore dey come back or somethin'."
Rogue frowned, but nodded regardless and allowed Remy to help her down the hill.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Kurt, come on, it's been, like, HOURS now! You gotta come outta there soon or I'm calling Logan," Kitty berated her friend with a huff.
The boy had been running the same danger room simulation over and over again with the same results. Apocalypse won and Rogue was captured.
"Kurt this is NOT healthy! Stop it right now!!" she shouted over the microphone in the control room, but he simply ignored her.
"Cyclops!" he yelled to the computer-generated character, "use your optic blast now! Magma, Boom Boom, go!"
Nightcrawler had even added the younger students to the simulation in the hopes that with more people, they might have been able to save his sister. Or, at the very least, might still be able to save her.
"Kitty, just let him be. He's not hurting anything by it. He just needs to blow off some steam," Lance sighed. He had followed her after the debriefing with the Professor and they had subsequently discovered the furry blue X-Man playing the ultimate game of "what if."
"Lance, how can you say that? He's beating himself up over what happened to Rogue. He refuses to believe she's dead and I'm really worried about him," she paused for a moment as tears stung her eyes and she gazed down at her friend.
"His mom betrayed them, his sister's dead. He, like, doesn't have anybody left but us and everyone else is too busy with their own pain to notice his."
Kitty sniffled and wiped the tears from her eyes with her free hand. Her other arm was still bandaged and now supported by a sling while the severe burns healed. She almost hoped they'd leave scars. That way she'd always have a physical reminder of what they'd lost.
"Hey Kitten, don't cry," Lance admonished her gently and pulled her into his arms. "It's gonna be okay, you'll see. Rogue… she's at peace now, you know? She wouldn't want you to be sad for her."
"I'm not sad for Rogue, Lance," she sighed, exasperated, as she pulled from his arms, "I'm sad for KURT! He's the one in pain right now and I know that Rogue wouldn't want me crying over her when he's so miserable."
"Oh," Lance replied quietly and hung his head, "I see."
"You see what?" she asked, utterly confused at his sudden change of mood.
"You uh, you like Kurt."
"Well yeah, like, duh I like Kurt – he's my best friend," she retorted and smacked herself on the forehead. "And, he's NOTHING more than that Lance, I swear. I don't LIKE like Kurt. He's just, well, he's Kurt. I guess I kinda think of him as my brother too."
Lance brightened immediately.
"Really?"
"Yes, 'really' you silly! You know you're, like, the only one for me," she teased with a playful smile.
Lance grinned, but it faltered some after a minute.
"Then what about that Acolyte guy? Is he like 'your brother' too?" the grin quickly turned to a small scowl.
"What are you talking about Lance?"
"This morning you totally blew me off, but you grabbed him and brought him to Kurt's room. I didn't even get to go downstairs with you to see what happened. From what I overheard from Jean and Scott, that nightmare was pretty bad too. I should have been with you to see that. You know you can't handle scary stuff like that on your own." Lance huffed and folded his hands over his chest like a petulant child and Kitty had to keep from rolling her eyes.
Boys…
"Look, Lance," she started, "I'm, like, totally sorry I forgot you, okay? It's just, Pete called me Katjya, and it's just a silly little nickname, but I don't know, it caught my attention and I unphased long enough that he managed to grab on." Kitty squirmed a little under Lance's reproachful gaze.
There was no way he'd know that she'd also hid in the other man's arms during practically the entire replay of Kurt's vision.
Lance didn't seem to be all that convinced of her excuse, however, so she continued.
"He's just, like, really, really big, you know, and I'm not sure if you realized this, but he's a little hard not to notice. It was just…good timing I guess. It's not like I MEANT to ignore you, ya know."
Kitty folded her arms over her chest and pouted. It was true. She hadn't intended to ignore him, but she had been so focused on Kurt's screams…
So what was it about Piotr that made her stop? She recalled the way he had said her name, almost urgently, pleadingly, and the way his arms had felt around her downstairs.
Warm and safe and constant.
It wasn't like Lance, who could run hot and cold with the flip of a switch. Pete had held her close without demanding, without complaining, or really doing anything but what she wanted. When she'd tried to look back at the screen, he'd whispered gently in her ear.
'It is your choice, Katjya, but I would not watch now.'
He'd given her a CHOICE. Instead of "Don't look Kitty," or "it's not safe for you Kitten," he had trusted her to make her own decision with a simple recommendation thrown in. He'd treated her like … like an adult instead of a weak little girl that needed protecting.
Piotr was sweet and shy and made her feel like an equal, not like she constantly needed supervision. He was the type of man that would let her bury her face in his arms during a scary movie, not grab her to see how far she'd jump – unlike someone else she knew.
Kitty sighed again, but smiled as she noted the sad, apologetic look on Lance's face. God that boy was cute. A little dense sometimes, but still so cute.
"Lance, you really don't have anything to be jealous about you know. Pete's just, I don't know a friend, maybe. Probably more like an acquaintance. It's not like I'd ever date an Acolyte or anything."
Lance raised an eyebrow. "You dated me, I'm almost the same thing as an Acolyte."
Kitty groaned and rolled her shoulders as she tried to ease the tension out of them. "Lance, you're different and you know it. I knew you before you became a member of the Brotherhood, and it's not like you REALLY enjoy doing all that stuff…" she smiled sweetly at him and ran her good hand along his arm.
"You're a good person, you know?" she reassured him before planting a kiss on his cheek.
He smiled back at her and kissed the top of her head.
"Thanks for believing in me Kitty, I don't know what I'd do without you."
Kitty beamed up at him before fitting herself under his arm and wrapping her free one around his waist.
"I know. Now, let's go find Logan before Kurt kills himself."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Oh my gosh. So that ALMOST completes day one for our heroes.
I'm so sorry I took so long (two weeks! Agh!) for this update, but I worked my butt off all day Friday and Saturday so I could get this to you finally. Thankfully, my husband was on pager and had his internet card this week or it wouldn't have been until Monday.
Please review and leave me any comments. My husband (beautiful, wonderful man that he is) helped me work through one of my biggest challenges with this story and it also adds a little extra twist to it at the end/middle/whenever you figure it out. I'll just say that one of the chapters I've already posted is slightly deceiving and it works to my advantage. If you pay close enough attention to the detail during the Apocalypse/Mesmero scene you should technically figure out what it is. Maybe it's too vague. I don't know. Tell me what you think. Like I said, I suck at plot twists, so yeah.
A HUGE, HUGE thank you to Sassy, who helped me work through this and the next few chapters on my FFN forum so that you all could have this beautiful update.
It's 22 pages, so you better be bloody thankful. I'll have to write four pages a day to get this large of an update again! I really hope you're all happy!
Anyhow, I'm signing out. 14 hours at a computer is not boding well for my bottom.
Love and light,
Wiccamage