Entangled

by Wiccamage

Continuation of Ensnared. Co-Written with Maedelin! Driven by the heady combination of drugs and sex, Rogue makes her choice, letting Magneto use her as 'bait' in his quest to bring down the Friends of Humanity's trafficking ring. She'll soon discover, however, that once she's opened Pandora's box, it is impossible to go back.

1. Chapter 1: Setting the Trap

This is the continuation of Ensnared, but is listed under FFN as a completely separate work. I've decided to leave it all under the same title here on FFN just because I know how much people hate jumping around to try and find the sequels. ;)

Entangled (Chapter 2 and onward) is different in that it was completely co-written with Maedelin, who is a freaking GENIUS with RoNeto stuff. All the credit for everything from Chapter 2 and up goes to Maedelin, because this story NEVER would have happened without her. I was content to leave it as a PWP one-shot, but she had such great ideas and we have been working on it tirelessly since mid-October (like 3 days after I published "Ensnared" on AO3).

There will be smidgens of ROMY mixed into this story, with my version of the final chapter/s being a ROMY-esque ending. Be warned, however, there aren't many ROMY moments throughout most of this work.

Ensnared/Entangled is DARK. Like 50 Shades of Grey without the happy ending Dark, but with drug-use thrown in.

My goal with the rest of this story was to highlight the way a person (even as heroic and stalwart as Rogue) could get swept into poor decisions and an unhealthy relationship, as well as addiction and how it continues to spiral.

If things like non-consensual sex, attempted r#p#, non-consensual drug use, addiction, etc, are triggers for you, DO NOT READ THIS STORY. If you've been in one of these situations (manipulative, non-healthy relationships, drug/alcohol addiction, etc) and would like to offer insights on anything from the sliding into 'rock bottom', poignant moments, or even the best 'recovery' and/or relationship moments, we would love to hear from you, so feel free to send a PM.

I will say that the plot for this is beyond incredible now that Maedelin has jumped on board with me. She helped me take a block tower and make a freaking Hogwarts style castle with it.

Please read and review (especially since the traffic graphs on FFN no longer work)!

~X~X~X~X~X~

ENTANGLED

Chapter 2: Setting the Trap

~X~X~X~X~X~

Her damn sense of heroism won out before she'd fully finished dressing. However rash, she'd made her decision.

"Okay," she said, settling one ungloved hand on her hip. Funny how getting dressed made her feel a bit more in control. There were barriers now and it seemed to calm her still pounding head, allowing her a modicum of clarity.

She almost asked for an aspirin, but reconsidered for the moment. Erik was on the couch now, idly scrolling through a few of his files. "Hmm?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow. Every line of his body spoke of a relaxed tension, giving no lie to how he truly felt.

"Fine," she huffed impatiently. "Ah'll do it. Whatever it is you're plannin', I want in."

Erik rose from the couch and stood before her. "Do you?" His voice was low, his gaze intent. Icy blue eyes captured her red-rimmed green.

She was tired, but she felt clear enough in her convictions for this. She could handle a mission with Magneto, easily. Rogue stared back, undaunted. "Yes. Don't call that cab so soon, Erik. I wanna help."

He didn't suppress the smile, but he did hold back the pleasure he felt at her acceptance. Hands caressing her shoulders: warm, assuring, supportive, guiding.

"Very well. If that is the case, then I will certainly be able to include you and your inestimable abilities." His hands tightened, thumbs rubbing as he ghosted his lips over hers. "I do, however, have work to do that I cannot yet share with you, and I require a diversion-free environment. Why don't you rest? You most certainly will need it." There was a dark undertone to his words that made her stiffen against his embrace.

He chuckled. "Do not fret, my dear. All I meant was that we may have a long day ahead of us. And, you shall most definitely require a wig. I'm afraid that hair of yours is far too beautiful - and distinctive - not to hide in this case." His mirth took a dark tone as he guided her to walk backwards with halting steps to the bedroom area once more. Despite the fact she had just woken from a deep slumber, her full belly and satisfied body, as well as his dark urgings, felt like a shadow cast over her mind.

But her head was pounding; she was certain it was the hangover from her migraine last night, never considering other possibilities.

"Rest, my dear. Let your headache run its course."

"How did you know-oh!" She gasped as her legs bumped against the edge of the bed. Her knees buckled and she thumped onto the soft comforter. He leaned in, using her momentum to his advantage.

"As the Master of Magnetism," he said, his voice not changing a whit, "I have worked to use my powers in unique and different ways. You would be surprised what I am capable of."

Answering the question without actually answering it was not acceptable to Rogue, and she scowled, ready to complain. But she could hardly keep her eyes open, let alone mount a formal protest.

As her eyelids drooped, Magneto manipulated the iron in her bloodstream, a tricky and challenging task considering he had to avoid doing any further damage to her overtaxed system. However, she was young and strong, and she truly needed the rest. In a way, this was a gift more than a punishment. She could regain strength, and become even more of an asset in this operation.

"M'head hurts, but everything else still feels… strange, too." Rogue said, her eyes closed and her brow creased. She felt so confused.

"From what I have discovered, the cocktail they have created is particularly insidious. It can often last the entirety of a weekend. The few targets that got away were sometimes insensate for as much as 120 hours depending on the strength and frequency of doses."

Five days? Rogue wanted to ask questions, but she was swiftly losing the battle with consciousness and yawned, exposing her pale throat to him.

It was all he could do to restrain himself from nipping the delicate flesh again. No, not while he stimulated those deeper abrasions that still stained her skin with bruises. He figured it would help if the purples and blues faded to green and yellows, colors easier hidden in the darkened bars he planned to bring her into.

Yes, he would use her. This weekend would not be their only tryst. His mind was already planning future events, and how he would bind her further to his side. Together they would save the other poor souls who had succumbed to the fate she had almost shared. Together they would make their people safe.

He brushed one curling white lock behind the shell of her ear. Rogue was already asleep, and he found himself almost loath to pull away. Blaming it on the very vulnerable tableau she presented to him in this form, he managed to assert his steely self-control and rise from the bed.

He had work to do.

~X~

Rogue slept another two hours. She very well could have slept for twelve, but Erik had awoken her at 10 a.m. Saturday morning so he could brief her on the 'mission'. Sitting on the couch, she listened carefully as he used the t.v. to point out the locations of previous attacks, as well as potential targets.

This time, her vision and mind were clear. Erik had been absolutely right about how badly she needed the extra rest. Her headache had subsided almost completely, as if her body had been healing itself from the inside out. They spent the next two hours before lunch going over all his intel and coming up with a plan of action.

Well, there WAS a short intermezzo for their brief argument about her clothes. Rogue was of the mind that the purple blouse and black pants would suffice for wherever they were going, but Magneto insisted on the burgundy-black dress. When she protested, he reminded her that they were trying to draw in men of a particular sort, who would certainly be attracted to the way the low cut, skin tight dress accentuated her every perfect curve.

His flattery for her age and considerable beauty was enough to make her blush of indignation turn to one of startled pleasure. The compliments swirled inside of her, making her stomach flutter much like it did the night before. Was that a result of the drugs, or him? Why was it so hard to discern between any of these lines?

Erik withdrew a heart shaped silver pendant from a box and draped it around her neck, where it rested in the hollow dip of her clavicle. "A device of my own invention," he whispered, placing a kiss just under one ear, against the tender flesh where her jaw and neck met. The clasp snapped shut and melted into itself to create a seamless band that wouldn't be easily broken. The center of the pendant held a flawless ruby, cut to match the setting's shape. He explained how it contained equipment that would allow them to view the smoky recesses of the city's popular underground.

Finally, as the first locations began to open, they set out. Erik insisted she wear a blindfold until they arrived so as to not discover the location of his favorite hideout. And, rested as she felt, she found herself leaning heavily against the window. It was as if the black silk over her eyes, the soothing motion of the car, and her very blood were all conspiring to lull her back to sleep.

She didn't even know how long they'd been driving when the car pulled inside a dark parking garage across from the first pub and grill. A warm, heavy hand on her arm roused her from her light slumber.

"Rogue, my dear, we're here." Erik's voice was light, full of amusement and self-satisfaction as he gently removed the blindfold for her. He chuckled as she sat up and blinked owlishly, her green eyes bright with trepidation.

Now that she was here, mind clear as she stared across at the bright, blinking lights of the '21 and older' establishment, she was having second thoughts. Ignoring the feeling of Magneto's eyes boring into the back of her head, she nibbled her bottom lip.

Had she accepted this task too quickly? Had she been too willing to throw herself into the proverbial lion's den? Had she been too hasty to trust a man who had tried to kill her - and her friends - on multiple occasions?

What if he wasn't as sincere in his affections as he seemed to be? What if his list of missing or murdered victims was just a ploy? What if the chemical compound that those men had drugged her with was a simple date rape drug and not something more sinister? What if she was walking into a trap?

Rogue's pulse raced and she refused to meet Magneto's eyes. She should have called home. Should have brought the X-Men in as back up instead of trusting their enemy to keep her safe. Instead of trusting him with her…

Heat rushed to her cheeks, but this time it was fueled by shame and anguish rather than desire and excitement. She bit her lip hard, truly deliberating all of her decisions for the first time in over 24 hours.

"Are you sure you're up to this, girl?" Erik's tone was full of concern, but the emphasis on 'girl' had the desired effect. He could practically feel her demeanor shift from anxiousness to anger.

Her head whipped around to glare at him, arms crossed over the bodice of her low cut, scalloped dress and the fine, fishnet body stocking that nearly reached her chin. Along with the silver and ruby heart shaped pendant that acted as her hidden camera, she wore a simple black velvet choker that gave the black fishnet a polished, fashionable effect.

"Yes, ah'm up to it," she growled, quickly throwing on the long blonde wig and pinning it in place.

"If you're having second thoughts…" he added compassionately, intentionally giving her an 'out.'

"Ah'm…" she started to argue, then paused, truly considering.

"...then I can find someone more … capable," he finished, his gray eyes gleaming with both concern and a hint of irritation.

"Ah'm FINE," Rogue bit out. She narrowed her eyes at him, hackles raised at the assumption that she wasn't FIT for a mission such as this.

Erik took up her hand, rubbing his fingers over the back of her black silk glove. "If you insist. Do be careful, my sweet. There is no need for you to prove yourself." He kissed her knuckles lightly, setting her face aflame once more. "I cannot afford - or bear - for you to come to harm."

Leaning in, his thumb brushing her jaw as he pulled her closer and kissed her. Gently. Deeply. Hungrily. A promise of things to come.

"Good luck, Rogue. I will be nearby, watching and ready." Magneto gestured to a laptop laying closed on the dash. "You remember our safe words?"

She nodded once, emotion and desire painting her cheeks anew, and closed the door, heading to her first of many stakeouts that day. She projected confidence, security, and nothing more in her head than a good time. She'd be alright; she'd trained with the best and this time she wasn't going in alone. It would be fine.

After all, Magneto was the backup.

Rogue was the bait.

~X~X~X~

At the first pub and grill, she'd ordered a late lunch, stayed for two hours, had two light alcoholic drinks, and barely felt a buzz. As she'd left the bar, she'd PRETENDED to be intoxicated just for good measure. She'd hoped that she could entice someone into trying something, but she'd only managed to ensnare a horny drunk, who ran away screaming the second she told him she was a mutant.

All the while Magneto had watched her from his laptop, speaking to her through a pair of earpods. Her camera-necklace relayed the video feed to his device, as well as her 'decoy phone.'

Her phone really only served two purposes. Firstly, it helped discourage any 'regular guys' from distracting her. Secondly, and most importantly, it helped her "see" the rest of the patrons in the darkened bars, replaying the night vision video from her necklace. Not wanting to draw attention to herself by constantly staring at the other patrons, she toyed with the 'spy' jewelry instead, turning it this way and that so it appeared she was just idly fiddling with it while she watched videos on her phone.

The second bar hadn't been much better, but they'd recorded a few guys who had carefully watched her and whispered amongst themselves. Another two drinks at that bar and she was definitely feeling a bit tipsy from the alcohol. But as she left, casting a wink at the group of men as she 'stumbled' through the back door, she was surprised that none of them actually followed her despite their hungry gazes.

By the fourth bar, as it approached 11pm, she was well and truly drunk. No fewer than three men had bought her drinks, sitting at her table and flirting shamelessly. A few had made suggestions that had dusted her cheeks with color, and in response Erik had snarled dark insults into her earphones so loudly she'd had to remove one so her 'suitors' couldn't hear him. At some point all three men - at separate times, of course - had leaned in, whispering suggestions to take her to the bathroom, a hotel, or his place. Two of those had jumped away from her as if scalded when she'd mentioned she was a mutant, uttering curses and insults as they left hastily.

The third, a man with light brown hair and dark eyes, didn't so much as blanch at her admission. He simply watched intently while she sipped her drink and asked what her power was.

It was around that point, right after she reluctantly told him she could 'borrow' other mutant's powers (conveniently leaving out that it was in her skin), that she felt it.

That silly, giggly spike of dopamine in her brain.

And when he'd touched her knee - with her fine fishnet bodysuit covering her bare leg - she'd nearly moaned. Emboldened, he let his hand linger as he encouraged her to finish her drink.

"Oh gawd. Ah think Ah'm SUPER drunk," she slurred, as she pushed the cocktail glass away, her vision doubling. It was her 'code' with Erik - the phrase she was to utter the second she felt like she might have hit paydirt with an FoH member, or even be in trouble. It wasn't the 'red light' that she needed IMMEDIATE assistance, however. She'd selected a different code word for that - one she would likely NEVER forget, even drugged.

At her warning phrase, she heard Magneto growl, "Understood," in her one remaining earbud. Then their connection went dead, and Rogue turned her fuzzy attention back to the man before her.

The man - was Trent, or Trevor? - said something else she couldn't quite comprehend, although she knew it was definitely sexual in nature, and her face flushed. Anticipating victory, his fingers wandered higher along her thigh. She JUST managed to swat his hand away before he reached her wet, trembling apex, but he put an arm around her waist and dragged her up from the table immediately thereafter, throwing a wad of cash on the table.

He drew her close, and she tripped over the black heeled boots Magneto had purchased to complete her ensemble. A small part of her mind tried to reconcile that her lack of coordination was part of the 'act'; that she had MEANT to stumble. The other part of her brain couldn't focus on anything but trying to remember his damn name.

Tyler … Tanner, maybe? … pulled her out the front door of the bar almost roughly, his hands around her waist. She made a show of struggling, just in case he had buddies who would come "help" him, but she didn't scream. No one seemed to notice her plight, however, which both relieved and disappointed her.

The air outside was chilly for June, and she trembled violently as he pulled her along the street. The lamps and headlights of passing cars swirled with color as she felt that hysterical euphoria bubble up in her chest and brain, and she couldn't tell if she wanted to cry, giggle, or hit the man. When she finally DID settle on an approach, ultimately deciding on the wisest course of action, she threw all her weight into a right hook.

She missed spectacularly.

His real face was indiscernible between the other copies of it, and …Todd…? No. Tucker… - whatever the douchebag's name was - caught her covered arm with ease. He used her preoccupation to his advantage, tugging her along the sidewalk. She was so focused on keeping her balance as the world swayed under her feet, that she momentarily forgot to fight back.

That changed, however, when the man jammed his thumb against a keyfob and the lights of a dark, nondescript vehicle flashed from where it was parked in a darkened corner down the block. Rogue's panic started to spike as she realized for the fourth time in ten seconds - it was hard to keep track of everything - that he was headed towards it.

It was the perfect 'bad guy' car; practically designed to melt swiftly in the traffic of late night downtown city life. Surely Magneto would lose them if she didn't try to slow this what's his name down. Where WAS the supposed 'Master of Magnetism,' anyway?

"Get in the car, mutie girl," the assailant hissed in her ear as he shoved the door open, his arm encircling her waist as she grabbed the frame of the car.

"I got a huge surprise for you, baby. Some friends of mine'll pay big bucks for powers like yours."

Trey - Was it Trey? - cursed, and yanked one of her hands free at the cost of the rubber moldings surrounding the door frame. "Fucking bitch, that-"

"SNAKES!" Rogue hollered loudly as the muscular brunette tried to wrench her other hand away from its death grip on the car. It took her brain a second to process what he'd said about payment, but she'd heard all she needed to assume this overzealous dirtbag was in league with the Friends of Humanity. And, to top it off, she was far too close to being dragged away or completely losing consciousness to wait any longer.

Instantly Magneto was there, hovering above the vehicle like a harbinger of divine judgment. His piercing blue eyes speared bigot and ally alike. In that gaze was a sworn oath of destruction for anyone who stood to defy his will.

Her assailant's hands stilled on her body, and he looked to the sky in pure dread when all the doors on the car ripped free and twisted in the air around them. Even Rogue, who knew the ominous figure was there to RESCUE her, trembled at the aura of inhuman rage that surrounded him.

The stranger - TRASK! No, that was the other douchebag - finally yelled out, trying to reach for a gun in his back pocket. Rogue attempted to intercept him, but unfortunately she was too uncoordinated from the drugs and unfamiliar heeled boots, and she tripped over the gutter. She stumbled and fell to the ground, her hip bone thudding painfully against the concrete sidewalk. Miraculously, she managed to keep from banging her head against the ground, but she was barely able to push herself up on her elbows while the gun and the car doors contorted to immobilize her attacker.

Magneto alighted on the ground as their target hung in the air, gagged and trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey. He reached down, offering a gloved hand to Rogue, who gingerly took it with her own.

As he hauled her to her feet, however, she immediately swooned, her wobbly, unstable legs unable to hold her upright as the ground pitched and twisted. In one fluid motion, he bent forward and pulled her over his shoulder. Her arms and head hung limply against his back as she struggled and failed to maintain consciousness. Without a word, Magneto lifted all three figures into the air, taking to the skies as police sirens wailed nearby and Rogue finally passed out.

~X~X~X~

Rogue had no idea how long she'd been unconscious this time. She only knew that when she awoke she was back in Magneto's luxuriously soft bed with her ankle shackled to the footboard for the second time, and the entire bed had been moved to the other side of the studio apartment. The right side on which she lay was pressed up against the open bathroom door. A soft yellow glow shone from the toilet closet in the bathroom, providing her with a bizarre type of nightlight. A yellow sticky note was attached to the bathroom door at eye level with short, sharp words penned in haste.

'Gone until morning. Food and water under bed. Do not try to leave.'

Despite her inebriated state, the X-Man growled viciously and tried to stand. The chain on her ankle was attached to the bottom right corner of the footboard, closest to the bathroom. It was gratefully long enough to allow her access to the toilet - if only JUST - but she could not reach the shower, the tub, or the tiny window between them.

After relieving herself, she found a toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, and other toiletries waiting in a tidy line on the counter. She was again struck by his practicality. The entire weekend had melted into a melange of fogged memories and a spectrum of emotions.

Actually…she wasn't exactly certain how many days it had been. Where was her phone? Brushing her teeth, she counted the days with her free hand. It took a few tries, but she realized it was only Saturday night, MAYBE early Sunday morning, although it felt more like a week. However, she was starting to feel better now that she had taken care of her most urgent needs, and she felt stable enough to try some food.

Once finished, and with a new plan of action, she tottered back to the bed to peek at the 'food and water' Magneto had left under the bed for her. She needed to get her head back together, and maybe a full stomach would help.

She dragged the contents out from under the metal frame with more effort than it should have taken. A small metal bowl was filled with ice and a clear Gatorade, which was already cracked open for her. Clearly, Erik had anticipated her lack of coordination and strength after being drugged again.

A second container was also filled with ice, but held another plastic dish with a couple of yogurts and a turkey sandwich, complete with fixings on the side. There was a cardboard box as well, with a few granola bars, chips, and freeze dried fruit slices tucked into it. More than enough food for one person's overnight meal. The reason for the excess was made clear as she shifted her wobbly head to view the other item he had provided - a lined waste bin near the head of the bed. He had ALSO clearly anticipated a recurrence of her drugged-induced digestive pyrotechnics.

Rogue bit her lip and quickly downed the entire bottle of Gatorade, knowing she needed to hydrate and could always refill the empty bottle with tap water from the bathroom sink. Next was the sandwich. She was still unsteady, and the room pitched at random, but after a few attempts she finally made it onto the bed with the empty Gatorade and the container of chilled foods. She had no idea of the time, aside from the fact it was dark outside, and she had definitely missed dinner.

The young woman teetered a few times as she ate, her eyes closing and head lolling of their own accord, so she put the last half of the sandwich back in the plastic container and sat staring at the wall for a few minutes.

Her lids were heavy as her stomach twisted, but she felt that giddy excitement swirling in her brain, and she snorted loudly in the empty apartment. The sound echoed off the stark walls, startling her so badly she actually jumped. She laughed at her own ridiculousness, which set her to a fit of giggles that left tears running down her face.

Rogue had to take a few deep breaths to calm herself, and she laid on her back, staring at the ceiling between the bathroom and the rest of the apartment. Amusement quickly gave way to irritation, and she growled at Magneto's audacity.

How DARE he imprison her after promising to take her to a hotel! The plan had been to entrap a Friends of Humanity agent, at which point Magneto would take her to a hotel and leave her there, or, if they didn't catch any of the FoH scum, he had promised to take her to a hotel and leave her, regardless.

Rogue ran her hands through her chestnut and white hair, pulling harshly at the roots while she lay there. The blonde wig was nowhere to be found and she realized he must have had time to remove that, too.

She gave a shriek of anger and frustration and pulled hard on the metal chain imprisoning her. The 'snake' around her foot lay limp, dead and dormant, awaiting the return of its master before it came to life again and released her. She bent her leg and examined the silver serpent. It was definitely too thick to try and break, as was the rest of the tail that was wrapped around the end of the bed.

There were no locks to pick, no weak links to exploit, and no obvious means of escape.

Still, she yanked and tugged on the metallic rope insistently, trying to free herself. She finally gave up a few minutes later and lay face down on the bed, muffling her incensed screams with Magneto's pillow. After a few minutes of shrieking, Rogue turned over on her back, paling slightly as her stomach churned, and screeched again out of principle.

The sound bounced around the room, however, turning her attempt at rage into something that resembled more of a barn owl's cry. She giggled again as the chemical cocktail she'd been drugged with saturated her brain. She squealed and squawked and bellowed and hooted for a few more minutes before erupting into a cacophony of giggles that left her grabbing her sides in pain.

She managed to wonder why just how long those drugs lasted while she writhed from the muscle spasms in her stomach. Rogue knew she would never act this ridiculous under normal circumstances, but the giddy, carefree feeling was liberating nonetheless. A second snort of laughter inevitably led to another five minute giggle fit, and by the end she was moaning in pain. The pulsing in her sides activated another part of her drugged body, however, and she was suddenly groaning not in agony, but in want.

"Ooohhh," she whined, her body twisting on top of the sheets. "Oh god. Erik, where are you?" Her body was overheating with need. The room was suddenly unbearably hot, and she quickly pulled off her dress in much the same fashion as Magneto had earlier. Her body stocking and underwear followed soon after, albeit with great difficulty, and they got stuck on the metal chain around her ankle. Still, she was too warm in the room as her hormones crashed against her lower extremities.

Fanning herself with her hand did nothing, so Rogue grabbed a handful of the quickly melting ice that had surrounded her sandwich. She rubbed the dripping substance up across her neck, chest, and stomach. The slick cubes made her skin feel superheated, and she could easily imagine steam erupting wherever the ice touched her. It trailed up and down her arms and legs, swirling into her bellybutton, and over her breasts and nipples.

That overwhelming hunger was back, but this time no one was around to help slake her need. She flushed and closed her eyes, thinking of how Magneto's hands - and her own - had traveled her body, rubbing over her slit, circling and pinching her nipples. The intense pressure combined with their unrelenting rhythm had…had…

When her eyelids finally fluttered open, Rogue was startled to find she was actually touching herself.

The imprisoned X-Man licked her lip and swallowed nervously, but that euphoric giddiness and intense wrenching of her insides goaded her along. She pinched and pulled at her nipples with one hand, trying to mimic what Erik had done to her the night before. The other hand rubbed carefully over the lips of her outer labia, her thumb trying to find the right rhythm and pressure against her clit.

She couldn't QUITE get the hang of it though, and she inserted a finger into her vagina when the frustration felt overwhelming. She pumped and twisted and rubbed, gradually building up steam before she inserted a second finger. Finally the pressure was starting to build in a delicious, skin-tingling way, and she pumped furiously. The roller coaster ascended, gradually climbing, her body constricting and tensing in anticipation until she reached a climax and exploded over the edge, shouting out so loudly that her ears rang from the deafening echo.

Rogue lay, gasping and panting in the dark with a small smile on her face. She was suddenly exhausted, and she pulled her favorite, extra plush, blue blanket out from under her own body, wrapping herself up and hugging Erik's pillow to her chest and stomach as she fell asleep once more.

~X~X~X~

"Lord Magneto," a young, crisp voice called from the corner of the meeting room where Erik Lensherr had gathered some of his newest Acolytes. "Are you alright?"

Magneto was staring down at his phone and realized his cheeks had colored lightly under his helmet. His dark eyes were dilated and wide, and he hadn't heard a WORD that had been spoken in the last few minutes.

He looked up for a moment, narrowing his eyes dangerously as he stood and addressed the room. "I've just received distressing news that needs my immediate attention," he growled low as he walked toward the door. "I will return shortly. Cortez, carry on in my absence."

Phone clenched in his hand, he stalked away to his private office, barricading the door behind him before moving to the bathroom and turning on the faucet to wash his face. He put the phone down on the counter, propped up so he could see the image playing on the screen.

There, in grainy black and white, was a video of Rogue desperately masturbating. He could see the serpentine glint of silver against her pale ankle, and the reminder that she was his prisoner, even as she pleasured herself, thrilled him. The power he had over her was an aphrodisiac; memories of her head turned away as he guided her to finger herself in the tub, that modesty which fell to his - their - mutual need was enough to make him lose control here and now.

But not yet. He dared turn the volume up on the device, just enough to hear her soft moans and frantic mewls. Erik was nearly there with just a few images and memories, and a part of him marked that thought to revisit later as he hastily unzipped his pants with his powers, pulling his raging erection free and stroking himself in time with her quivering fingers.

The fact that she was touching herself without him made his blood race with ire and excitement. He could only imagine what was going through her drug-addled brain. Her desperate, incoherent cries thrilled him, yet he was perturbed that she was pleasuring herself without him. He would have to have a talk with his girl when he got home in the morning, and he briefly debated on whether or not he would punish her for such behavior.

But dawn was still several hours away, and he had a new Friends of Humanity lackey to 'interrogate' thanks to Rogue's assistance. All his surveillance and plotting had not accomplished in a few months what she had managed in a few hours. Now Mastermind was learning all the man knew of the organization, its plans, and the drug that was currently ravaging her system.

Then it would be HIS turn.

With his hand still wrapped around his cock and slowly increasing the pace, Magneto thought of the men who had flirted with her at the bar; how they had suggested bending her over various objects, taking her places, making her scream. He thought of how the Friends of Humanity member had put his hands around Rogue's waist, hauling her out to his car as she struggled against him in her drugged state. He thought of how the man had tried to force her into his car and how she had finally yelled out 'Snakes' - the safe word SHE had suggested during their planning session.

The thought of the man frightening his girl in such a way, of how he had manhandled her, causing her to fall against the pavement and hurt herself, made him want to squeeze the man's neck until his head popped like a grape. Magento nearly HAD killed him before remembering they still needed one of these motherless dogs alive long enough to spill everything he knew. But it didn't matter, now. That scum wouldn't live to see the light of day.

The master of magnetism watched the screen intensely, feeling his own orgasm mount and spill over as Rogue's cries of release echoed through his bathroom from his phone. He sighed, looking around at the mess he had made - because of her.

Oh yes, she would DEFINITELY need to be punished.

~X~X~X~

Rogue wasn't sure what roused her first - the bite of something hard against her wrists and ankles, the sensation of a presence hovering over her, or the sting of something cold and wet sliding over her exposed skin. But, when she finally opened her eyes, she knew two things:

One, she was still HEAVILY drugged

Two, she was chained, spread eagle, across the bed with Magneto sitting next to her in his full battle suit.

"Huh…?"

"Good morning, my dear," the silver haired man purred. She could see the faintest edge of a smirk from behind his helmet as he held a piece of ice between his fingers, trailing it lazily over her stomach and up to her nipples, letting the frozen cube linger long enough to make her squirm uncomfortably.

"Erik…?" she moaned, pulling in confusion at the silver serpents winding around her wrists and ankles. "What're you…?" The room was out of focus, every nerve ending tingled, and the heat radiating from her insides was creating beads of sweat along her skin.

"I realize I did not warn you about my cameras," he grinned, moving the ice to her other nipple and allowing it to melt completely. "But, they did catch your little…show…nonetheless."

The heat from her body rose to her cheeks as she squirmed from both the cold and being 'caught'. She heard the clinking of frozen blocks against glass as Magneto fished another out of a glass and metal tumbler that floated in the air nearby. He paused to consider the cube idly as Rogue shivered on the bed.

"I always install such devices, erring on the side of caution. I have often believed one should hope for the best, and prepare for the worst." He tucked the cube into his mouth for a brief moment, before removing it.

"Imagine my surprise," he chuckled. "Despite all my planning, all my conjecture of possibilities, I had never factored catching… THAT sort of activity."

"I…uh," she stammered, delirium making it hard to focus. "I just… Oh GAWD!"

Rogue's back arched, pulling against the metallic bindings as he pressed the cube which had been in his mouth against her clitoris, letting it roll around the outside of the bundle of nerves before pressing on it directly. Her hips thrust into his hand, giving him more pressure.

"You managed to distract me during an important meeting, Rogue." His voice deepened, growling with amusement and intrigue. That same deep, hungry, promise from their earlier kiss. "That is generally VERY hard to do." The melting water dribbled down to her labia, and he followed its path with the ice, toying with her opening a moment before sliding it inside.

"AHHH!" She bucked wildly, nearly levitating off the bed as the painful cold sunk its teeth into her most tender area. "N-n-no, oh gawd, p-please…"

He held his hand over her slit, deliberately keeping her outer folds closed so she wouldn't be able to expel the block of frozen water with her desperate thrashing. "Now, now," he clucked, voice a melding of lust and vexation, "I thought you LIKED the ice, Rogue."

She moaned in response, hips bucking relentlessly until he released her and the half melted cube was ejected by her internal muscles. The drugs in her blood made it hard to process his words, but her legs quivered, instinctively trying to cover her apex despite being bound to opposite bed posts.

He caught the ice easily and slipped it between his lips once more, his eyes drifting closed momentarily to savor it. He opened his eyes and smiled as hers widened in shock, and he leaned over her, taking her face in one hand. Kissing her, he transferred the sliver of remaining ice to her mouth, letting them share the taste of her.

While she lay still, stunned and panting rapidly, Magneto climbed fully onto the bed and straddled her splayed thighs to keep her wild movements to a minimum. He loomed over her now; no longer her benevolent caretaker, but her captor, lover, tormentor, teacher, and master. The hard glint in his eye nearly matched that of the insidious silver bindings that coiled around her extremities.

"I'm afraid such behavior is unacceptable, my dear," the fully armored mutant spoke again as he pulled two more ice cubes from the glass. "I cannot abide by you distracting me during such crucial endeavors. Nor can I permit such … self-indulgent … activities outside of my presence - regardless of how ENRAPTURING they may be.."

Both pieces of ice dripped down his gloved hands as he held them just above her nipples, making sure he had her undivided attention before swirling them around her puckered pink areolas. The circles expanded and contracted as he traced them over her breasts, creating delicious stinging patterns across her sensitive flesh.

When the cubes were half melted, Magneto dragged them down her taut stomach, ghosting them over her clitoris again before plunging them both inside her vagina. Again, he held her labia closed tightly with one hand, preventing another expulsion, while he reached into the floating glass with the other and grasped a third piece of ice. She was panting as if running a marathon with miles with more to go, and her body was flashing hot and cold in turns.

His gloves pressed the third piece against her clitoris, even as she tried desperately to throw it off. Her wrists and ankles stung from being rubbed raw by the metal restraints, her efforts to break free futile. Still holding both hands over her apex, Magneto's weight shifted as he leaned forward to kiss her. His tongue forced entry into her mouth, stroking and teasing before his teeth nipped at her pouty bottom lip.

"Gawd, Erik, please…" she whined, her hips gyrating jerkily against the icy sting he held against her.

"Please WHAT, my dear?"

"S-stop. Please! Ah don't…" she moaned again, bucking hard against his hips. "It - it's too cold. T-too much. It HURTS." Her chest shuddered with shivering, unreleased sobs, and Magneto removed his hands, allowing what little was left of the ice cubes to dribble out before leaning forward to kiss the unshed tears from her eyes.

"I suppose I cannot punish you too harshly for your transgression - after all, the distraction did prove to be… exquisite." With a wave of his hand, his armor practically melted off his body, contorting and sliding off his skin to clatter to the floor. His helmet followed with more grace, carefully floating over to the nightstand to watch her with hollow, empty eyes. Finally, Erik crawled down her prone form, settling his fully naked body between her fanned legs as he picked up the ice again.

"But perhaps I can make this punishment more… comfortable for you."

Using his teeth, Erik rubbed the melting ice over her clitoris for a mere moment before placing his mouth on her apex and pushing the cube back inside of her. Large, strong hands stilled her hips, pressing her down hard enough to leave bruises on the pale skin.

Rogue winced as his fingers dug into the purpled area on her left pelvis where she had collided with the sidewalk last night. She tried not to squirm as his tongue joined the ice, swirling around her channel in a wondrous combination of heat and frigidity.

"Oh… Oh GAWD," she threw her head back, spine arching in a new, delicious kind of sensation. The fieriness of her body, pulsing in unison with Magneto's slithering tongue, quickly melted the first cube. Without skipping a beat, he dug the last three pieces out of the hovering tumbler and put them in his mouth as well, rolling them around on his tongue before returning his mouth to her labia.

Erik's lips, teeth, and tongue worked in tandem to force her body into a frenzy. The cold of the ice cubes contrasted sharply with the warmth of his tongue and her inner recesses, creating a juxtaposing sensation that was neither fully pleasurable nor completely painful.

Rogue moaned wildly, hips rolling under his hands in time with his swirling tongue, and she ground herself into his mouth, hoping for release. Without warning he stopped, and she groaned in frustration.

"You promised to be obedient, didn't you, my dear?" he asked, barely raising his head as he kept the last three half-melted cubes inside her.

The frigid sting nipped at the sensitive tissue, making her squirm, and Magneto gripped her hips in a bruising squeeze. "Didn't you, Rogue?" irritation replaced amusement as he narrowed his eyes at her.

"Ye-yes. Fu - yes." She barely caught herself from cursing again as she stared down at him.

"Then I FORBID you to touch yourself again without my permission. Whether you are here, or at home, or on a mission, you shall NOT give yourself pleasure without my say so." His eyes were dark as he raised himself up to hold her gaze. There was no softness in his steely gray-blue eyes, only a demand for unwavering submission.

"I -" she started to say something, but couldn't form the words. She knew from his haunted look that he was serious, but the part of her brain that wasn't saturated with drugs rebelled against the idea of him trying to control her. But then the bite of the ice became too much, and he was swirling his tongue around her clitoris again, and oh GOD.

"Ah promise," she whined, hips still trying to loosen his hands and the ice.

"That's my good girl," he purred, securing his mouth over her entire womanhood again - tongue swirling, teeth nipping, lips sucking all at once - and she crashed upon a glacial orgasm that had her pulling hard on all her bindings and screaming his name.

Rogue shivered, her entire body freezing and on fire all at once, as Magneto slowly kissed his way back up her navel. "I want to be the ONLY one to ever give you pleasure, Rogue."

"Today." He kissed the mound of dark curls just above her clitoris.

"Tomorrow." His chilled tongue swirled inside her belly button.

"Next Week." A kiss and a light nip against her right nipple.

"Next Month." Another on the left nipple.

Finally, he was level with her face as he stared down at her, his penis quivering in anticipation as it rubbed against her dripping labia. Another shudder raced down her body as the silver serpents at her wrists and ankles tightened painfully.

"From now, until the day we part," he vowed as he finished, kissing her gently. His tongue - still saturated with the taste of her - thrust into her mouth at the same moment he buried himself deep inside her vagina.

Rogue arched off the bed again as he plunged inside, and after two or three thrusts the metal bindings released her. She drew her legs up, wrapping her raw, slightly bleeding ankles up around his hips to allow him better access. Her fingers were numb from cold and lack of circulation as she clumsily grasped his shoulders, nails digging into the skin.

Slowly, Magneto's wild, forceful thrusting turned gentle, swaying their bodies in a soothing, calm rhythm, and Rogue felt the heat of another climax crash over her. Her pelvic muscles clenched tightly around his engorged member and he groaned into her hair, tumbling over the waves right behind her.

Panting, Erik laid his head against her pale, slightly reddened neck before his lips seared frantic kisses all along the silky flesh.

Rogue couldn't help the groan, and giggle, from his ticklish, stubbly kisses, but she was still trembling nonetheless.

"I think I may be becoming addicted to you," he confessed, lips slowing into soft, sensual caresses along her jaw. His lips found hers, supple and sweet, yet hesitant.

Still joined, he raised himself up only slightly, keeping the weight of his upper half off her so he could look her in the eyes. He reached a thumb up to trace the high cheekbone; brush her tantalizing curls from her face.

"I've frightened you, haven't I?" Erik sighed, his words a whisper of regret against her lips as he kissed her again.

The southerner sucked in her bottom lip and averted her eyes, unable to articulate how - or what - she was feeling. She tried not to gasp as Magneto suddenly rolled them together, coming apart in the process, so she lay mostly on top of him with one leg and arm barely resting on the bed.

His hands ran along her back and arms gently, soothing her strained muscles. "My sincerest apologies, Rogue. I did not mean to push you so far, so quickly. While I do demand honesty and compliance, I understand that perhaps your tastes and desires will not always reflect my own."

Still she said nothing as he coaxed her cheek to lie against his sweat-speckled chest. There was a duality of thrill and fear within her.

'So far, so quickly,' he'd said. 'Will not always…'

Did it mean … he wanted to see her again? Her heart skipped. This WASN'T a one time thing, then? He wasn't going to just let her go. That much was clear. But then… what WAS his plan? He couldn't possibly be planning to keep her chained up here as a sex slave for the rest of her life. What if he…?

Rogue took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing thoughts and heart rate. Rather than obsessing about 'what if's', she let the rhythm of his hands soothe her. In the aftermath of his ministrations, she wavered.

"Ah mean, it wasn't ALL bad. Ah just…" she bit her lip, suddenly nervous for an entirely different reason. "Could - could there be…assurances?"

"Assurances." A statement, not a question. He paused as if considering, but secretly he was rejoicing. She was so mercurial, he couldn't help but be attracted to her. BY her. Weakened, and at - perhaps beyond - her limits, yet still able to keep her wits about her.

"Very well," he conceded. "Tell me, then. What assurances would you like? What do you suggest?"

Ultimately, they discussed a need for a safe word. A word they could use that would demand everything must stop - for either of them. That it was time to be truthful to one another, and drop all artifice. Rogue couldn't help but posit this. Little did she realize that perhaps it could be used against her as well. But for Erik, part of this was the thrill of discovery.

They settled on a word. The same used when the dangers of a mission became too much. Because, yes, there would be another chance; another time. Rogue couldn't imagine letting others become unwitting prey. It turned her stomach to even consider what some had already endured - what SHE would have endured if Magneto hadn't…

She sat up, gathering the sheet around herself and carefully swung her legs off the bed. She needed a physical reprieve from her fuzzy, terror filled memories of two nights ago. The glint of silver where the snakes lay dormant caught Rogue's eye and made her shiver for an entirely different reason. She still felt a bit dizzy. Sore. Relaxed. Raw. Fulfilled. Slightly unfocused.

She forced her brain to concentrate, look around the room, take stock of her surroundings.

Breathe.

Erik watched her from the bed, turning onto his side and propping his head up with his hand. He contemplated her shifting gaze, her nervous fidgeting, her straightening spine. She was uneasy about something, but he wasn't certain if it was his … proposition, or if her far away look was focused on a less pleasant memory,

"The bed's…back where it was?" Rogue turned with a start, looking around as if he'd just pulled a rabbit out of thin air. He chuckled at her confusion.

"Yes," he affirmed, grinning. "For quite some time now, in fact."

A deep frown settled across her face and she scrubbed at her furrowed brow with the hand that wasn't holding up the white sheet.

"God, Ah still feel so fuzzy. Ah can't go back home like THIS," she lamented. White hot tears pricked her eyes and she quickly wiped them away. "Lord, now Ah'm CRYIN'? What next?" she laughed at herself even as her shoulders shook with silent sobs.

Rogue felt Erik leave the bed, and his absence made her shudder with cold and loss. The thought that he had abandoned her because of her sudden, inexplicable weakness made her want to melt into a puddle of tears.

But then he was there, sitting beside her and handing her a cold, unopened bottle of water. He rubbed a hand over her back and shoulders, pulling her into his warmth, and she turned her head into the sprinkling of hair on his chest. Tears and sweat mixed, becoming a balm over his heart even as he comforted her. Her choked sobs morphed into snorts of laughter as she struggled - and failed - to open the water bottle.

"Oh for fuck's sake," she announced, half crying, half laughing.

Erik chuckled, choosing to ignore her colorful language. Instead, he kissed the top of her head and took the bottle from her, easily cracking it open before handing it back. "Do you need help drinking it too?" he teased lightly.

Rogue tried to look indignant, but just shrugged sheepishly. "Guess we'll see, Ah suppose."

"Drink it all if you can," he instructed. "You absolutely MUST stay hydrated, my dear. There's no telling yet what that drug may do to your system, especially since you've had so much of it this weekend."

She gave him a small smile, still struggling to form proper words as she came down from the double high of drugs and sex. He stood again, squeezing her shoulder before heading for the bathroom. He returned a few moments later with the special cream. The cream that cost $5,000 a TUBE. Sipping the water, Rogue's eyes widened as he put a large glob on his finger and knelt on the floor.

"Erik, Ah'm - Ah'm fine, really." She protested, trying to scuttle back across the bed without spilling what was left of the water. She sucked on her bottom lip again as he caught one leg in his free hand and pulled her closer. The sudden roughness, coupled with the care and concern on his face made her insides quiver again.

She felt him massage the blue goo into the torn flesh around her ankle and couldn't help sighing. It was heavenly against the throbbing wound, but regardless of how much better it made her body feel, she couldn't escape the feeling of guilt for using so much of his pricey cream. "You don't need t' use that stuff on me, you know. It's too expensive."

"Nonsense," he insisted, rubbing another generous glob into her other ankle. "My pleasure has caused you pain. The least I can do is soothe it." He finished with her feet quickly and took her free hand, kissing the knuckles before examining the biting wounds on her wrists.

"This won't heal instantaneously, but it will speed up the process. You MAY want to wear long sleeves in the meantime, however, so your teammates don't become suspicious." He winked salaciously, and Rogue flushed crimson at the thought of someone like Wolverine or the Professor finding out that she'd been participating in some light BDSM with Magneto.

Once he was finished 'doctoring' her, Erik returned the half empty tube to the bathroom cabinet. She heard the water running as he washed his hands, and she reluctantly got up as well, waddling over to use the restroom while he brushed his teeth. He finished first, then waited patiently while she washed her hands and struggled to keep the sheet around her.

No sooner had she turned off the water than she found herself lifted off the ground again, bridal style and carried back to the bed.

"Oh lord, not again! Please, Erik, Ah'm sore enough as it is."

The silver haired man chuckled vivaciously. "Do not fear, my sweet. You needn't cry 'snakes' already. Even I cannot recuperate so quickly."

Another tinge of pink in her cheeks at the mention of her 'safe word' that she would now be using both for missions AND sex, and she squealed as he tossed her a few feet into the air and onto the bed. She landed with a slight bounce, giggling at his playful grin. He quickly pulled on clean pajamas from his under-the-bed drawers and climbed under the covers with her, taking care to wrap her in the soft blue blanket she had practically claimed as her own.

"For now, my dear, we will rest. It's very early yet, and you needn't be home until later tonight." Spooning her against his chest, with his arms wrapped around her, he kissed the back of her hair gently, breathing in her scent. Rogue sighed and, as she started to drift off, realized with a mental start that she was actually disappointed their time was nearly over.

~X~

A few hours later, Rogue and Magneto sat together on his overstuffed sectional sofa, eating brunch. While she had showered, Erik had prepared lunch - a bacon, lettuce, and tomato BLT sandwich for her and a tuna melt for him. She'd blushed with embarrassed delight when he'd confessed that he'd ordered the bacon yesterday especially for her since he was Jewish and did not eat pork products.

Erik still wore his long shirt and pants, and Rogue had adopted his favorite 'sheet look' while they ate and watched T.V. To get dressed was, in a way, to admit that their tryst was at an end. Instead, they lounged the afternoon away together as they discussed logistics for potential meeting places and targets. They paid no mind to the television, the volume was barely even high enough to hear, as they discussed the results of last night's 'mission'. Instead they'd discussed what Magneto had learned from Mastermind and their interrogations.

Apparently, "Swing" as it had been termed, had several names on the streets, such as XDM or XD (seX Drug for Mutants), as well as DMV (Drugs for Mutant Victims). It was also rumored to have started with a mutant. Whether that was true or not was still being determined - Magneto had a few scientists that were currently working on decomposing the drug to determine its origins.

The Acolytes had learned that dealers were also handing out 'free samples' on the streets with the promise of big bounties for bringing in mutants with unique powers - particularly the 'pretty ones'. Additionally, there were whispers on the streets that the Friends of Humanity were planning to make Swing injectable, with nearly instantaneous effects.

"Ugh! What was his NAME?!" Rogue chirped suddenly, derailing the conversation as she paused mid-bite.

"I'm sorry?" Magneto asked, one eyebrow raised along with his tuna melt.

"The guy? From last night? What the sam hill was his name? T-something. Was probably the drugs, but Ah could barely focus on anything else at the time. It's still drivin' me nuts. Wish Ah could remember it." Rogue's head was leaned back against the couch cushions while she stared at the ceiling as if it might hold all the answers.

Magneto's eyes narrowed as he considered the question. He hadn't really paid attention to the man's NAME. He was more interested in what he KNEW. After a few moments of careful consideration, a light bulb went off in his gray-blue eyes.

"Ah, yes. THAD."

Rogue snorted, raising her head to stare at Erik, dumbfounded. "THAD? Really? What the hel-HECK - kinda douchebag name is THAD?"

"Indeed," Erik agreed, an eyebrow raised at her 'save,' but was glad she was taking care to watch her language again.

The X-Man harrumphed, slumping in on herself to 'pout.' "He IS a douchebag, too."

"Indeed," the master of magnetism repeated. "He was."

Rogue straightened slightly, turning to look at Magneto. "Was?"

"WAS." A nod and a cold, harder stare. "Does that bother you?"

Her long, lithe neck quivered, snake-like, as she swallowed hard. "Ah guess. A little."

"Why?" His steely gaze did not falter from hers as he tried to sway her sense of reason.

"Because, it ain't right t' kill someone just because they done wrong. Look at you an' me. You done plenty of things that caused hurt t' someone else. Doesn't give me, or the X-Men, or anyone, the right t' end YOUR life."

"Any hurt I cause, ROGUE, I do to prevent others from feeling the pain *I* have endured at the hands of bigots such as THAD."

"Ah understand that, Erik. Please don't take it the wrong way." The X-Man put her empty plate down on the coffee table and turned fully toward Magneto. "Ah KNOW why y'r doin' what y'r doin'. Ah've had you in mah head, remember? Ah don't disagree with the sentiment, just the method. Violence only begets violence. Causin' pain t' others only makes 'em want t' do the same right back. It's a cycle that -"

"SHH!" Erik hissed, turning his head away from her to gaze at the T.V.

"Excuse me? Ah'm just sayin'…"

"Be QUIET and listen," he commanded again, dismissing her as he turned up the volume on the television.

On the screen, a blonde woman with short, cropped hair and a black suit jacket held a microphone as she stood in front of an alley that had been strung with so much police tape it looked like a Halloween decoration. "That's right Paul…" the woman spoke, turning her body to one side, directing the camera's gaze, and thus the audience's, to show multiple police vehicles and CSI officers in the background.

"We're hearing live from the Chief of Police in regards to Saturday's gruesome discovery of four mutilated bodies in the alley behind this Bronx pub. Police have been silent on the murders until now, only disclosing that the victims were found sometime Saturday afternoon when staff came to open the bar."

Rogue shifted uneasily on the couch as a short, portly man with receding gray hair stood directly in front of the police tape, surrounded by reporters. Behind him, about 100 feet back in the alley, the cameras briefly zoomed in on half a dozen crime scene investigators wearing white booties and matching suits as they snapped photographs and collected evidence.

"On Saturday afternoon, at approximately 11 a.m., staff at a local bar on First Street discovered the mutilated bodies of four unknown individuals. Our officers are still working on identifying these victims as they had no I.D. on them, and their faces…" the portly man paused, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Well, let's just say they are not recognizable."

Meanwhile, the X-Man, currently wrapped in only a sheet, sat as though someone had poured ice water down her back. With her legs tucked under her, and back ramrod straight, Erik could tell without even looking that she was likely reliving the fuzzy details of Friday night. He glanced at her, noting her sickly complexion, and silently used his powers to move the garbage can closer to her.

The blonde reporter spoke from behind the camera as the chief paused again. "Do you have any suspects?"

"At this point we do not have any viable suspects. The bar's staff are working closely with us, but we have been unable to locate the man who worked the bar last night. We don't believe he is a suspect, however."

"Why not, chief?" a male voice - likely another reporter - asked from off camera. Rogue's eyes flicked briefly toward Magneto, whose cold, steely gaze had not wavered in intensity as he, too, watched the news.

"We found a great deal of warped metal near the victims. At this point we believe the suspect has to be a mutant. Furthermore, we found a woman's scarf in the middle of the … mess. Our officers believe there was a woman involved, particularly based on the position and … CONDITION… of the bodies. Whether this woman is a victim or suspect is unclear at this time, however."

Despite the slightly lucid aftereffects of the drugs, Rogue felt the tendrils of panic grip her heart and lungs like icy fingers as intoxicating bliss was replaced by intense anxiety. She stood suddenly, completely dropping the sheet, yet barely noticing that she was fully naked.

"Oh lord," she muttered, pacing the apartment. "Erik, what if -"

"Shh," he soothed, swiftly moving forward to wrap her in a hug, his hands lightly caressing her shivering spine. He flicked off the television with his powers as she trembled. "It's alright. It's alright. Do not concern yourself, my dear. That scarf isn't enough for those simple homosapiens to link you to those men. Aside from which, I have someone working on the inside of the police department. SHOULD those fools find any incriminating evidence, it will be quickly forgotten and …misplaced."

Her eyes were still heavy with worry, however, so Magneto guided her to the kitchen barstool, pausing only a moment to grab her favorite blue blanket off the bed. Draping it over her, he went to the fridge and shifted through the contents within for a moment, before returning with a small bottle of pre-opened Gatorade. "Here," he said, handing her the bottle, "drink some of this and calm yourself."

Rogue narrowed her eyes, but took a few swallows nonetheless, tensing as Erik came around behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. From behind, he watched as she drank about half the liquid, then took it from her without a word, placing it on the counter just out of her reach.

"Hey!" she protested, licking her lips. "Ah wasn't done with that!"

"Hush," he admonished sharply, "yes you are. Now, I believe I told you to RELAX."

"Yeah, well, that's easy for YOU t' say, you're already ON America's Most Want- OH!"

Magneto's thumbs pressed in on the back of her shoulders, fingers squeezing the muscles just above her collarbones. He smirked at the gasp of pleasured surprise she emitted as she cut herself off mid-sentence. Continuing his ministrations as he rubbed and massaged her taut, strained muscles, his grin grew as she moaned in relief.

"Oh mah word, that feels AMAZING," she mumbled as his thumbs worked the muscles all along her scapulas. She had layers upon layers of knots in her shoulders and he realized she had likely never experienced this before.

"I suppose massage therapy isn't something Xavier covers at his school?" Erik joked as Rogue's head lolled forward.

She groaned in response as his thumbs trailed up to the base of her neck and back down again, pressing against the long muscles. "Not f'r ME, obviously. The other gals go to the spa here and there, and … Oh sweet baby Jesus…"

He'd found a knot where neck and shoulder meet and pressed his knuckles into the twin spots on either side, working the bundle of tightened nerves with just enough pressure to be equally painful and pleasurable.

He couldn't help the wide, lusty grin that spread across his face as Rogue squirmed and panted on the barstool while he massaged her back and neck. Her long, pale fingers splayed across the black granite counter as she tried to keep from falling off her chair. She had tied the blanket around her breasts, but her constant shifting was incrementally loosening the fabric.

After about 15 minutes of working her neck, shoulders, and upper spine, the silver haired man carefully kissed the nape of her neck and the top of each shoulder before abruptly turning her around on the barstool.

"Whoa!" Rogue tipped, nearly falling off the stool as it turned unexpectedly, and Magneto's hands grabbed her hips to help steady her.

Her equilibrium was off, inhibited as it was by the mind-numbing massage she'd just received. And probably the after effects of those damn drugs, which felt sharper now that she had finally relaxed a little.

"Now Ah know why Kitty and Jean go to the spa so much," she mused, her cheeks tinged with pink.

Erik chuckled. "Some go purely for the stress relief, others for the health benefits. Some fall asleep; some find it simply relaxing, and others - such as yourself it seems - find it more… INTIMATE."

Rogue swallowed hard as she met his eyes. There was a hunger in his blue-gray gaze that she was certain reflected her own. She leaned up and kissed him suddenly, giddy excitement and lust forcing her forward on the stool. She snaked one hand around the back of his neck, pulling him down to meet her lips while her other hand found the hem of his pants and tugged on the elastic.

He kissed her back, grinning against her mouth. Without explanation, he removed her hands and held them in her lap, eyes flicking to where the blanket had fallen, revealing her bare, slightly bruised breasts.

"Perhaps I can give you a FULL body massage next time," he suggested, a devious grin on his face. "But for now, we still have other matters to discuss." He laughed aloud as she pouted, her full, red, bottom lip protruding out like a petulant child. The invitation to bite that lip proved too tempting, and kissed her again, nipping at the soft flesh.

With a deep breath, he pulled away, happy to see a slight smile on her face this time. "Now then. It won't be long before the X-Men come snooping around that alley and discover my scent - and possibly yours. I believe it would be prudent to go over what you plan to tell them."

Rogue swallowed hard, the flush of desire replaced by the sallowness of worry as she watched him walk back to his wardrobe and pull out a suit and his armor. She was suddenly feeling off-kilter and loopy again, probably from the massage and her carnal reaction to him.

"Ah hadn't really thought about it," she finally confessed. "The TRUTH, Ah guess? Ah didn't even think Ah'd need t' say anything."

"Truly?" Magneto scoffed as if speaking to a simpleton. He knew it would stir her pride and ire, even in her arousal. And, he rather enjoyed keeping her off-balance, too. "You know they will investigate. My name is synonymous with metal. Wolverine will arrive, sniff around, and immediately recognize my scent. And likely yours. They will demand to know why."

Rogue sighed from the barstool, a deep, shaky breath full of trepidation and anxiety. "Guess ah'll HAVE t' tell 'em the truth, then."

Erik turned on his heel, tossing his clothes onto the bed and shaking his head. He returned to the kitchen and emphatically poured out the rest of her Gatorade. She bristled, but had apparently learned not to protest such trivial things. Good. It allowed him to continue playing the part necessary to guide her where he wanted, where he needed her to be.

"And what will you say? That you allowed yourself to nearly be captured and raped? That I killed those men on your behalf for what they tried to do? Will you tell your X-Men how you threw yourself at me in your drugged state? Perhaps how you agreed to play by my rules and all the things you wanted me to do to you?"

He returned to her as he pointed out every hole in her hastily cobbled plans. One finger traced her clavicle until it rested where her pulse fluttered madly at the hollow of her throat. Her eyes were wide, almost terrified as she bit her lip and considered the implications.

"My darling girl, they wouldn't understand the circumstances; the realities of how you were caught up in designs of which you weren't even aware. Those fools can't comprehend this world of gray shadows as easily as you can."

Brow furrowed angrily, she stiffened, her emotions bouncing between resentment and horror as she tried to deliberate with herself. She wanted to deny it, wanted to tell him they wouldn't see it that way, but the words were a jumbled heap in her mind and she couldn't sort them out. She only knew she couldn't THINK STRAIGHT, and it was too much for her to do alone. "What… What do you think ah should say?"

"The best lies are often the ones lined in truth. You will admit that you went to drown your sorrows after Gambit abandoned you," his voice hissed menacingly at his mention of the Cajun. "That, as you left, you tried to stop me from murdering those men and they turned on you instead. You lost consciousness after I stopped them from further hurting you, and you woke in an unfamiliar room."

His tone rose as he moved back from her, gesturing to the T.V. he had flicked off earlier as a reminder of what they had witnessed prior to this discussion. Every stride was infused with purpose and magnanimity.

"After I ascertained you didn't need a hospital or further medical attention, I intended to leave. You learned that I planned to stop others, as the ones who assaulted you were only a small cog in this dastardly scheme." His hands were folded behind his back, the dark blue pajama top creating a juxtaposing image of casualness against his aura of commanding authority.

"Then, in a moment of valorous stupidity endemic to those you choose to spend your time with -"

She let that pass with barely a narrowed eye, and he continued, pleased to see she was learning her lessons well.

"-You offered to help me find further information. However, it nearly went awry, which is why you never contacted them Saturday, having been preoccupied. It will also explain your current…physiological state," he said delicately, brushing one lock away from her eyes. "You needn't mention the details of our… affair. I doubt the X-Men would take kindly to such traitorous behaviors."

This time she did object. "Ah'm an ADULT, like ya said. Who I spend mah time with shouldn't matter." Her words were stout, full of conviction, but he paused her with a robust round of laughter.

"Except that I am your enemy," he continued, moving away to rummage through a drawer in his desk. "They would expect you to gather intel, subvert my plans, and give up my location; NOT partake in X-rated relations with me." He had to suppress a smile as she turned her eyes to the floor under the barstool and flushed crimson from the tips of her ears to the tops of her breasts.

"If you doubt that, tell them that you didn't try to absorb or stop me on Friday while I cared for you in your drugged and concussed state. Refer to me by my first name instead of my moniker. If they are anything less than empathetic and grateful, you will have your answer."

Rogue swallowed hard, the idea of her friends becoming enraged at her choice of activities - or partners - was a hard pill to swallow, but it was not outside the realm of possibility. "What if they ask about what happened to my communicator, or why Ah didn't call?"

"You simply were in and out of consciousness," Magneto shrugged, finally retrieving a piece of paper from the drawer. "You lost your communicator and I destroyed your phone - both of which are factual." He paused as she crossed her arms, angry at the realization he had, in fact, stolen her phone.

"If you wish, you can explain waking up in your hotel again, alone, with my note." He returned to her, arms enveloping her from behind, the note appearing in one hand as the other drew her against him.

Baffled, she slid the paper from the unsealed envelope. It was folded over at its halfway point and she flicked it open, reading the carefully chosen words.

"Rogue,

You have my gratitude for your assistance with providing reconnaissance for those potential targets last night, despite our differences in ideology. In light of your close call, and my unwillingness to break what appears to be a very tenuous ceasefire between our respective parties, I can no longer in good conscience ask for your assistance. I apologize for any harm that may have come to you. It was not my wish to put you in danger.

Sincerely, Erik"

Rogue swallowed hard as the man in question hugged her close and kissed the top of her head. She turned in his arms to look up at him. "Is - is this TRUE, or just some kind of decoy?"

"Every word of it," he replied easily, turning her on the stool to face him so he could kiss her again. His embrace was sweet yet passionate, his body saying all the things the man could not. He pulled away slightly after dropping another tiny peck on the tip of her nose.

"However, I do believe telling them you WILLINGLY put yourself in harm's way would be foolish. Especially if you do not wish to raise questions about why. I believe the X-Men - and Charles in particular - would not allow our … arrangement… to continue. They would likely condemn us both outright if they had any inclination of what has transpired between us this weekend. After all, I AM over three times your age, my dear." His hands dropped to the swell of her ass and her cheeks that hung slightly over the back of the barstool. He gave the mounds a sharp squeeze as if to drive his point home.

"And our ENEMY t' boot, SUGAR," Rogue giggled as her hands splayed across his muscular chest.

Her head was still fuzzy and loopy as she tried to memorize everything he had told her. It shouldn't be TOO hard. It was basically just the truth with a few pieces left out. She licked her lips as her bare fingers marveled at the feeling of the soft, firm flesh and sparse, curly hair on his chest. Her pulse increased as she stared into his eyes, the feel of his own heart racing under her fingertips.

"The hour grows late and it won't be long before Wolverine scents me out and they begin searching for you. If they haven't already," Erik warned, but his own hands covered hers, preventing her retreat.

Her mouth was dry as she leaned up to kiss him. "Well, since it'll likely be a while before we see each other again, how about one more time for the road?" Her smile was shy, yet suggestive, honey sweet and dripping with sudden lust.

Magneto chuckled warmly at her exuberance. "I thought you were sore?"

Rogue bit the corner of her lip, looking up at him seductively. "I am. So, maybe you should use that magic cream of yours… elsewhere, then."

Her flirtatious suggestion, coupled with an impetuous wink, made the master of magnetism quiver with anticipation. "Little Minx," he chided, then reached down, grasping her bottom and pulling her up onto his hips to carry her back to the bed for one final tryst.

~X~

Two hours, a handful of orgasms, and one sudsy, sensuous shower later, and the two mutants were finally getting ready to leave Erik's apartment. The sun was slowly approaching the horizon and Rogue was anxious to call home, but the sex had been so sweet, so earnest, so passionate, that she didn't mind the late hour. Instead she had happily resigned herself to his attention, reassured that she had an ultimate out with her 'safe word.'

She felt that having the same word for both their missions AND their … intimate endeavors… was ultimately the right decision. It gave her the ability to stop everything if she was feeling overwhelmed or in immediate danger. No matter the situation - whether drugged and accosted by a Friends of Humanity agent, or pushed to her limits by the combination of pleasure and pain in the bedroom with Erik - she had an out.

The knots that had formed in her stomach over the last 48 hours were finally starting to unravel as the satisfaction of their activities melded with the stinging in her loins, her legs, and elsewhere. All together they formed a lasting, dream-like memory tainted only by that first, terrifying evening before Magneto had rescued her. And, although the rest of the weekend had proved to be deliciously pleasant (if a bit unsettling at times), she knew that the memory of being held down and nearly raped by the FOH men would stay with her for a long time yet.

She had to admit, though, Erik had done his very best to put as much laughter and sweetness into their weekend, too. He had shown Rogue his softer side, giving her insight into what drove him and his own…how had he put it? Ideologies.

In addition to discovering some of Magneto's particular … interests, the X-Man was also discovering more about herself and her own desires. It was amazing to so boldly touch someone, to be allowed to wear what she wanted, whenever she wanted, and however much or LITTLE she wanted, that it suddenly made her feel like the clothing she was putting on was the cause of confinement rather than her powers.

Standing in the studio apartment, Rogue slid on the new black pants. They fit so close to her body it was almost uncomfortable, and her newly abused body made her very aware of that fact. She strapped on her old, lacy white brassiere and winced as she tried to contort her arms backward to attach the clasp.

Without warning, Magneto's power came to life and hooked it for her. He approached with the blouse he'd bought her, holding it out for her to slide into easily. It was a deep, merlot purple made with the softest silk, and although it was long sleeved, was cool and breathable. She slid the delicate prison on, grateful for his assistance.

"Thank you," she murmured, and he leaned down enough to ghost his lips over hers as he simultaneously secured the buttons for her.

Rogue's breath caught as his fingers, so strong and dominating yet so gentle and affectionate, sensually manipulated each button into place. She had to bite her lip to keep from moaning again as he deliberately traced his fingers over the flesh below the shirt. Then he suddenly seemed to remember himself, and the time, and took a step back.

"Come," was all he said as he motioned to the door, her purse tucked under the arm of his dark blue button down shirt. "But before we go…" he pulled the black padded blindfold from his gray dress pants, letting it dangle off two fingers as he smirked suggestively. With a matching grin, she slowly, dutifully, pulled it over her eyes so it would obscure their location and grant her plausible deniability.

For once she was grateful for how difficult it was for Charles Xavier to use his powers on her. Both he and Jean Grey (his darling protege) were finding that even after all these years of working with her they were no more successful in penetrating her psyche - especially without her express consent.

Perhaps it was due to the nature of her gifts, perhaps it was something else all together. As of late, it had ended up sidelining her from a fair number of their missions - a fact that made Rogue more than a little annoyed. They were hoping to give her a chance to have the other minds inside of hers fade further, perhaps allowing them a better way of seeing within, and helping her control her powers.

As it was, Magneto already had some surveillance on these facts, but what Rogue had said - first while in and out of delirium, then later when she admitted to a few carefully placed questions - told him enough to infer the rest. She was an untapped, unused asset.

At worst, they had purposely sidelined her out of fear for a little additional safety to her allies. And, at best, they simply didn't know how to best utilize her innumerable gifts.

He did.

Erik couldn't help these intrusive thoughts as he plotted while they drove across town. The girl was worn out, looking pale and sickly behind the eye mask, and he knew she was likely coming down from her most recent consumption of the XDM, or "Swing." He was glad she took the opportunity to nap in the passenger seat while he pondered future possibilities in the late afternoon glow.

The traffic was as thick as ever, but he didn't mind; they weren't on too tight of a schedule, after all. So long as he got there before the sun set, his own personal benchmark for control. He wanted to prove to himself he could have a modicum of restraint when it came to the sleeping vixen in the seat next to him.

Yet, almost an hour later, he still felt part of his resolve rail against leaving her as he pulled the car into a spot in the garage of the hotel he had reserved. He reminded himself that patience always yielded the best results, and that he would be even more satisfied when he saw her again. It was with that resolution he was able to innocently lean over and brush his hand over her cheek.

"Rogue? Wake up, my dear; we have arrived." The girl gave a start and pulled the blindfold off before looking around.

"Oh…we are?" she asked, a tinge of disappointment in her voice as she undid her seatbelt and picked up her purse from the floor of the car. A few minutes later they entered the building together, Erik's hand on her lower back as he guided her. She was surprised when they completely bypassed the front desk and Erik produced a keycard from his pocket.

"I had two of my Acolytes book the room and check in on Friday night," he grinned down at her, authoritative and almost condescending. "I DID say I had no intentions of keeping you prisoner, did I not?"

Rogue pursed her lips and nodded as he led her to the elevator, which took them to one of the top floors without so much as the press of a button. She was still feeling light headed, and she hardly noticed when they stopped and Erik opened one of the rooms to usher her inside.

Once inside the room, the X-Man hugged herself nervously. Her head was a bit more clear, but anxiety and cold were quickly replacing the warmth and contentment she had felt throughout most of the day at Erik's apartment. Now, instead of feeling like his equal, a willing partner, and a WOMAN, she suddenly felt inferior and unsure of herself. Like a child playing a grown up game.

As she looked around the spacious, comfortable hotel room, Magneto effortlessly closed the door with his powers, standing in front of it like a prison guard, and her anxiousness spiked.

"One more thing, my dear." He handed her a thin, white, rectangular box from the inside breast pocket of his sport coat. "A new phone, with a pre-programed number where you can contact me. If it is anything less than life-threatening, text me, then delete the messages and call logs - just in case any of your nosy teammates get suspicious. I cannot guarantee an immediate answer, but if it is truly important you can call."

She opened the box and pulled out the sleek black device. It was the newest model of some kind of iPhone. Rogue folded her arms with the phone in one hand, and rolled her eyes. "Mah other one was just FINE, yah know."

With two steps he was in front of her, eyes blazing, and she gasped, tripping over the bed and falling onto it.

"What was that?" he hissed, danger replacing all hints of affection as he loomed over her, both hands resting on the bed on either side of her hips.

"Th-thank you. Ah meant, thank you," she stammered. The chill of fear wormed through her blood and brain as she trembled anew.

"That's better," his face and tone softened, but he reached up with one hand and grabbed her hair roughly, yanking her head back as he kissed her, harsh and fast. She whimpered, but returned the kiss with the same fervor. Releasing her abruptly, he returned to his full height and motioned to the phone that was still clutched in her hand. "You're to keep that on you at all times, do you understand? I will call you with any rendezvous information, or if I require your … talents… for another mission."

Rogue licked her bruised lips and nodded as her body thrilled and spiked with the erotic blend of danger and lust. She nearly asked him if he really had to go already, but managed to hold her tongue as he took a few steps back.

Magneto's arms were crossed as he stared down at her, and she felt even more child-like than before. "And another thing; I presume you are not on any type of birth control?"

The X-Man paled suddenly, anxiety transmuting into overwhelming nausea. She hadn't even CONSIDERED that particular possibility despite all the stupid health classes she'd had to endure over the years. "Oh mah god, Ah'm… How could Ah be so stupid!" She buried her head in her hands in an attempt to hide her tears and shame.

"I thought not," Magneto scoffed. "When you return home, you will ask to use some of Wolverine's healing powers, which I believe would be prudent considering your likely concussion and bruised ribs."

He paused, reaching out to brush a lock of wavy white hair from Rogue's covered face. "Despite the fact that your powers make conception a near impossibility, I want you to take this immediately after absorbing Wolverine." He produced another small box from his pocket, about 2 inches wide and 3 inches long. "It's designed to prevent implantation and force a menstrual cycle."

He sniggered even as he petted her head softly. "Or, is it too bold of me to assume that neither of us would care to explain a pregnancy to Charles?"

Rogue finally looked up, timidly meeting his gray-blue eyes with red-rimmed green. She shook her head vigorously to indicate he was not wrong, and he chuckled, dropping a kiss on her forehead as he handed her the box.

"Then it is very important that you take this first dose within the next few hours. Additionally, there is a bottle of birth control pills in your purse. You are to begin taking those starting tomorrow, at least 24 hours after the emergency contraceptive. Providing you would LIKE to see me again, I do not want us to be caught unprepared again."

Rogue sighed deeply, once again grateful for his foresight and careful planning. Plans weren't really her thing. She usually just relied on instinct and quick, concise decisions. And, when it came to battles and missions, her good instincts had served her well. At least until recently.

"Once you begin taking the birth control," Erik continued, still playing with her hair, "you should probably avoid touching Wolverine as much as humanly possible. There's no telling if his healing powers will purge your body of the hormones or not, and we would likely have to wait another month for them to restart in your system."

His hands were on either side of her hips again as he pressed himself against her, forcing her to lay back on the bed. "And I am NOT a patient man," he whispered, his voice sultry, deep, and full of desire.

He kissed her again, forcing her lips open and legs apart as he ground into her mouth and apex simultaneously. When she moaned with a matching tone of lust, he pulled back abruptly, walking toward the door. Rogue watched him go, her head spinning, but from which activity, she couldn't say. She dully wondered if he liked her like that - off kilter and confused. The thought disappeared, like a soap bubble bursting in the air, and she was pulled back to the present as Magneto continued.

"I suggest you take a bath before you call your friends. There is peppermint oil in the ensuite. Pour it into the water and soak your body and hair for at least 30 minutes if you don't want Wolverine to smell me on you. I would hate for this to be our last time because your teammates don't approve of our… relationship."

Rogue's heart skipped at the insinuation of their 'fling' becoming something more, and he turned his face toward her with a sweet, affectionate smile.

"Until next time, my dear."

With that he was gone, the hotel door and the deadbolt clicking shut behind him as he used his powers to secure her in the room. Simultaneously she heard the water in the bathtub turn on and she bit her lip as she tried to reign in her emotions once more.

~X~

At 6:00 she finally called home. The mansion's main line was the only one she knew by heart, and that was only because Scott and Jean were constantly dropping it to potential students. Of course, she also knew Remy's number, but there was no way she was calling HIM.

She was surprised when Beast answered the phone. The man barely ever came out of his lab as it was, and usually Kitty or Kurt (or one of the new recruits) were the first to answer the main line.

"Xavier's School," she heard the furry blue mutant's frazzled voice on the other end as she sat on the luxurious king size bed with the hotel phone cradled to her ear like a lifeline.

"Hey Hank. It's me." She tried to force her voice into a neutral, casual tone, but couldn't keep a hint of trepidation and sadness out of it.

"Rogue!? Oh thank the stars!" Hank gasped. "It's Rogue!" he bellowed unexpectedly, and the girl in question had to pull the phone away from her ear before she went deaf.

"Uh yeah, hi," she affirmed, nervously bringing the device close again.

"Are you alright? Where in heaven's name are you?!" The resident medic sounded equal parts frantic and fuming now, and Rogue winced. She quickly looked down at the hotel's "Welcome" packet and found the name.

"Uh, the Crowne Plaza, Ah think?"

"You THINK?" he was definitely sounding more irritated now.

"Yeah, it's - it's a long story. Look Ah was just checkin' in, lettin' y'all know ah'm gonna catch a cab or somethin' and -"

"You'll do no such thing!" Beast practically growled and Rogue winced again. "The others have been out looking for you all day! The younger students and I have called every hotel and hospital in the boroughs, and the Professor has been on Cerebro for hours trying to find any sign of you."

The southerner bit her lip. Oh yeah, she was in BIG trouble. She was actually kind of glad she'd taken that bath now. At least she'd smell nice for her funeral.

"W-Why? I told Kitty Ah was takin' the weekend off. Didn't she…" Rogue tried to deflect and gather intel at the same time. Maybe if she could figure out what the others knew, then she could be prepared with what she needed to divulge. With as pissed as BEAST sounded, she doubted the others would take kindly to the knowledge that she'd been purposefully galavanting around with Magneto all weekend.

"Yes, she did," Beast growled again, "but that was BEFORE your communicator was found at the scene of a major crime."

"Oh," her stomach dropped as she looked around for the garbage can. She was pretty certain she was going to puke.

"'Oh,' indeed," Beast's tone dropped dangerously and Rogue felt those stupid tears sting her eyes again.

"Look, it's - like Ah said, it's a long story, Hank," she muttered, indignantly swiping at her eyes. "And Ah don't much feel like retellin' it a dozen times, so Ah'll just catch a cab and…"

"You will stay exactly where you are! By my calculations, Logan and Storm are within 10 minutes of your location. What's your room number?" In the background, she could hear the blue furred mutant rummaging around for a paper and pen.

"Ah, uh, Ah don't know." It was the truth. She hadn't actually paid attention to anything from the name of the hotel, to the floor, to the room number.

Back in Bayville, the erudite man stilled his shuffling. "Rogue…" Hank's voice softened, concern overlaying the irritation from a moment ago. "Are you ALRIGHT?"

The girl swallowed hard and was surprisingly UNsurprised by the damn tears that had pooled in her eyes again.

"Ah think so," she confessed quietly. "Ah um, Ah think Ah've got a … a concussion. And someone d-drugged me." She bit her lip hard as her voice cracked traitorously. "But Ah'm okay." She managed to keep her voice from quavering again, but only just.

Beast was silent for a moment. "Just stay where you are, alright?" he requested calmly. "The others will be there soon to pick you up. Unless you need me to come get you in the X-Jet?"

She shook her head even though he couldn't see it. "No; no Ah'm fine. Ah'm sure Logan'll let me borrow his healing factor, but uh, you should probably get a blood sample first. See what the hell it was they dosed me with. Ah'll see y'all soon, Hank."

The two said their goodbyes as Rogue swallowed a lump in her throat. She sat on the bed, feeling suddenly at a loss of things to do while she waited for the others. She shifted a bit, her bruises, lacerations, and contusions were starting to make themselves known, overriding any pleasure she felt a mere hour ago. She blamed the phone call for squelching those previously pleasurable emotions.

But then again, she considered as she lay back on the soft bed, she needed to be focused; to get her mind back where it needed to be so she could help her teammates find these disgusting culprits who preyed on mutants. Rogue stared up at the plastered white ceiling, using the painted whiteness to act as a display board for her imagination.

Soon the X-Men would come, and she was certain she still looked like a wreck, but she had to insist to Logan that she'd be fine, or else he might try to give her his powers despite the fact that they needed what was in her bloodstream right now. They needed to know what it was doing to those unsuspecting victims.

Of course, she already KNEW what the drug was - to an extent. She knew it was called Swing, or XDM, or DMV on the streets. But she didn't know what was in it, or how long it was really going to last in her system without Wolverine's healing powers. And, she figured if both the X-Men AND Magneto were working on discovering the chemical makeup of the drug, then maybe they could get to the bottom of who - or what - was responsible for all the other victims who hadn't been as lucky as her.

And she'd be damned if she didn't find a way to bring them justice.

~X~X~X~X~X~

Many, many, many thanks to Maedelin who made this possible. Seriously. She's working on like, 3+ fics right now, so I'm amazed she was able to make so much time for this monster of a story. It's going to be a LONG ride, so maybe just click the "Follow Story" if you're so inclined and you can get those updates one at a time until we finally make it to the end. (Which might be Christmas next YEAR by the way we keep finding so many good things to add to this).

Please please review, even if it's the 'favorite/worst' moments, or just a "liking it" or a 'thumbs up'. I HATE that the traffic graph is broken on this site! I wasn't even going to add it to FFN for that reason.