Chapter 3
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Rogue was aware of the dangers of smoking, but after circumstances forced her to leave her family she cared much less about her own life. The possibility of living long enough to die of lung cancer was now less likely. Ever since she came to Xavier's school Rogue tried to quit, but was finding that more difficult than expected. One day she was smoking outside, when she saw Kurt and his girlfriend Amanda coming. They had a baby with them, so Rogue put out her ciggarette.
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Amanda: Thank you.
Rogue: No problem. This your little sister?
Amanda: No, this is my daughter.
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This revelation confused Rogue. She had talked with Kurt and Amanda, they had both said how they were proud to be virgins, would remain so until they got married, whoever they ended up marrying.
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Amanda: You're confused?
Rogue: A little.
Amanda: About a year ago, I was raped.
Rogue: I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry.
Amanda: It's okay. And I soon found myself pregnant. Some encouraged me to abort her, but I couldn't. It wasn't her fault what that man did to me. She's my little Hope. Anyway since I never chose to have sex, I still identify as a virgin.
Rogue: That's your business.
Amanda: Thank you for understanding.
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Magneto was set to visit the "Brotherhood of Bayville boarding house." This house took in runaways and those who'd been rejected by their parents, even juvenile delinquints. In that respect it wasn't much different from Xavier's school. The difference was in how they were taught, different philosophy on human-mutant relations. Today Magneto was checking in to see how his son Pietro, also known as Quicksilver, was doing in training these kids for the coming battle. Before Magneto got to the door he felt a tremor, this wasn't a good sign. Pietro was having an argument with Lance. Fred and Mortimer were on the sidelines. All four young men stood up straight, out of fear and respect, upon seeing Magneto.
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Magneto: What is going on here?
Pietro: I'm afraid these three were being insubordinate. Refusing to obey orders.
Magneto: Really? Because the proper training can often mean the difference between life and death in a battle.
Lance: Except that this jerk doesn't train us very well. All he does is treat us like his servants.
Pietro: Ever hear the expression "Rank has it's priviledges?"
Lance: We haven't trained for over a week. Look, Magneto, I respect you, and I believe in the same cause as you. But I signed up to fight, not be this guy's butler.
Magneto: Really? Mortimer, Fred, do you agree with Lance here?
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The other two young men nodded.
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Magneto: Very well. Pietro, you are no longer in charge, Lance is.
Pietro: What?
Magneto: I placed you in charge because I thought you could whip them into shape for what's to come. Clearly I was wrong. These two follow Lance, perhaps he can help prepare others.
Pietro: Dad I can do better.
Magneto: Perhaps, but I don't have time to waste. You can either stay and follow Lance's orders, or leave.
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Pietro left so fast he almost tore a hole in the door.
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Lance: Thank you sir, I won't let you down.
Magneto: See that you don't. Pietro is my son and I just fired him. I'm not very forgiving of subordinates who let me down.
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Wolverine found himself working a new job. It wasn't entirely new, he had done it before. Wolverine was once again a cage fighter. It wasn't entirely legal, but the law didn't much care if mutants killed each other in the ring. Hell the owners broadcast this on the internet, even sold ad space on the broadcasts. There were no rules, but two unnofficial rules for Wolverine's fights. For Wolverine the rule was to not bring out his claws, he didn't want to actually kill the other fighters. If he could keep his temper in check he could keep his claws inside. If. For his opponents the rule was not to kick him in the shins, he took it personally. If that happenned, it could make him lose his temper, and it became harder for him to keep his temper in check. Constant violence, giving it and taking it, seemed to be what Wolverine was best at.
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One day Rogue was working on her homework with Kitty Pryde. These two were becoming friends, it seemed that Kitty had come here after an exciting teenage romance. Rogue didn't know all the details, she didn't want to pry. But it seemed that both Kitty's parents, and this boys parents, disowned them when they came out as mutants. Kitty and this boy lived together for awhile, but somehow it ended badly, Rogue suspected that this boy had gotten violent with Kitty, but that was just speculation. Now Kitty and Rogue, both still teenagers, were here at Xavier's school. While these two were studying John/Pyro knocked on her door. Rogue let him into her dorm room, and he had a strange grin on his face. He said "You just got a lot cooler", and showed her something on her smartphone. It was one of those political talk shows. One of the guests was that jackass senator Kelly, one of the biggest anti-mutant haters in Congress. The other was senator Frank Adler, one of the few supporters of mutant rights in Congress. The two senators seemed to be having an argument.
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Adler: How can you say mutants are all evil when there are clearly mutants who are risking their lives every day to protect us?
Kelly: I assume you refer to the insurgent group called the Xmen.
Adler: "insurgent" is your opinion senator. One of these Xmen, Ororo Munroe, has brought rain to impoversehed areas all over the world, helping to end world famine. At least that's the long term hope.
Kelly: She has also helped dictators, many of whom are anti-american, stay in power by making their positions more stable.
Adler: By helping to end famine it stabalizes certain areas. Temporarily it might help dictators stay in power. But over time it will make it harder for wannabe dictators to appeal to the masses.
Kelly: That is your opinion senator. And your other opinion seems to be that the Xmen are the good mutants fighting against the evil mutants like Magneto. But you cannot deny that Charles Xavier welcomes criminals into his team of so called heroes.
Adler: Many of these mutants were thrown out of their own homes when they came out as mutants, it is true that some had to commit theft just to survive.
Kelly: I am not talking about petty theft or prostitution. I am talking about Tyrone Johnson and Tandy Bowen, two mutants who nearly destroyed New Orleans, and whom Charles Xavier tried to offer sanctuary.
Adler: There are those of us who believe that those two saved New Orleans, and were unfairly imprisoned because they are mutants.
Kelly: And Lance Alvers, who lost his temper and nearly destroyed his highschool. All because some girl rejected him.
Adler: My understanding is that Xavier tried to help Lance Alvers control his abilities. Sadly he ignored Xavier's advice and sided with the terrorist Magneto, who is an enemy of the Xmen.
Kelly: And let us not forget Xavier's recent student, a young woman named Marie, who prefers to be called Rogue. A woman who deliberately murdered her own father, and to whom Charles Xavier has let into his school, around children.
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Rogue couldn't believe it, how had that jackass senator Kelly even learned of Rogue's history. Then she saw the smug look on Pyro's face, and she believed he had been the one to give Kelly this information. She had no proof, but she had a method. Rogue grabbed Pyro's arm, and it hurt him. This caused Rogue to see Pyro's memory. It seemed that Pyro was already working for Magneto, he told Pyro not to leak what they had on Rogue but he did it anyway. This experience also caused Rogue to take Pyro's powers powers, and do some real damage to the girl's dormitory. Professor Xavier was not happy about any of this. He spoke to Rogue first.
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Rogue: John is working for Magneto.
Xavier: I was afraid of this. Some of my students do have doubts, they wonder of Eric is right.
Rogue: You're the psychic, why don't you read their minds?
Xavier: I wish to build trust, not violate people's minds. I knew of the charges against you, but I haven't violated your mind either.
Rogue: Well the charges are true. But despite what senator Kelly says my father wasn't just giving me a hug, he tried to molest me. He survived, but he suffered a stroke. When he touched me, I got his memories. I knew that if he recovered, he wouldn't attack me again, but he would attack my little sister. So, while he was still recovering, I did what I had to do. By this point, I was already outed as a mutant. So while there was no proof that I murdered him, I was still arrested. The DA was seeking the death penalty for me, never mind that I was 14, so I escaped. The rest, well I did what was neccessary to survive, that was when I met Wolverine.
Xavier: I can speak to some lawyers on your behalf.
Rogue: Don't bother, I'll leave.
Xavier: You don't have to.
Rogue: Yes I do. It's better this way, for everyone.
Xavier: Are you going to Eric?
Rogue: I don't know. Maybe.
Xavier: Has it occured to you that he manipulated this thing to bring you to his side?
Rogue: I saw Pyro's memories. Magneto told him not to leak this to senator Kelly, he did it anyway.
Xavier: The first time I played chess against Eric, he lost nearly all of his pieces. By the end all he had left were his king and his queen. All I had to do was move my king one piece to take his queen. But then his king would take my king. He lost almost everything, but he had me in checkmate. Eric is a brilliant tactician, but he is also completely ruthless when he has to be.
Rogue: The other part of that story is that he won.
Xavier: Yes. But if you're going to him you should at least go into this with your eyes wide open.
Rogue: I am.
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Pyro's cover was exposed, he wasn't useful to Magneto as an undercover agent anymore. He brought Rogue to him. She still hadn't forgiven him for exposing her to Kelly's people, but she did think his boss might be right. She spoke to Magneto, and saw the number on his arm. Magneto saw her surprise.
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Magneto: Yes, I am a holocaust survivor. People forget that the nazis only gave numbers to those who were fit enough to work, or in my case to be a human lab rat. Sometimes in the middle of the night, I don't see the number and I desperately look for it. As much as I hated those days, perhaps I still fear the gas chambers even more.
Rogue: Yet you do things that could conceivably get you the death penalty.
Magneto: It's not just about me or my survival. It's about the survival of our people.
Rogue: You sent your guy Sabertooth to abduct me.
Magneto: No, I sent him to extend an invitation to you to join my side. But then he and Wolverine sensed each other, and both men's tempers got the better of them.
Rogue: They say you're a terrorist.
Magneto: One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter. Was John Brown a terrorist? Was Menachem Begin a terrorist? Or were they merely ordinary people who used extreme measures to destroy or prevent a much greater evil? I do not deny I use extreme methods to protect our people from genocide, but only when absolutely neccessary. Perhaps history will judge me, but if it saves our people, I am okay with that.
Rogue: Why do you want me?
Magneto: I believe you can be a powerful ally in the coming war.
Rogue: Does the offer still stand?
Magneto: Yes.
Rogue: Okay, I'm in.