CHAPTER 3: Past Transgressions
The blood drained from her face. Her grip tightened around Cody's arm. Afraidd of whatshe wouldl meet inside. She promised herself she wouldn't return yet; desperate times call for desperate measures. Out of options, they're the only people she believes can help her find these missing mutants. Some of her ex-brotherhood friends among the missing.
"Anytime t'day mon chere."
Her lungs failed her as Remy's husky voice tickled the back of her neck.
Tonight's event, held by the Club and hosted by Emma Frost, brought out the rich acolytes. And the criminal empire. Which means a black suit and tie event. She hates it, but it's the rules she must play by to get what she wants. Unfortunately.
Rogue turned to face him. She wished she hadn't.
A cocky smile filled Remy's face.
His hair was brushed back much longer than when she saw him last. The ends swayed against the collar of his silk black shirt. A few buttons were undone, showing off his tattooed chest. When on earth does this man find the time?
His haunting black eyes danced with her rich emerald ones.
Cody stepped forward and cleared his throat.
Thank God for him.
"Gambit," Rogue mustered the courage to say.
Gambit's eyes slid from her to Cody. His jaw flexed. Cody matched his energy.
"Cody, Mon Ami, y' ain' dead." Gambit praised with no emotion behind his words.
"Non." Cody mocked.
Rogue wasn't sure what the issue was between them. Cody mentioned working with the Thieves Guild and the Assassin's Guild. The family Gambit married into. So, why the hate?
Before it grew, Rogue took Cody by the hand and ushered him inside.
Swells of string instruments filled the long royal gold and white hallway.
HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE-Kris Houston
Bringing her back to reality, a man no older than 30 stopped her with his voice, "Name."
She stopped herself from speaking when Emma appeared behind the desk. Her silk white dress curved around her body like a sculpted work of art. Emma's intense blue eyes looked Rogue over, "I thought you were out."
"Ah am," Rogue replied.
Emma hummed, glancing at Cody.
"Interesting company you keep."
She waved them inside, ignoring the protests of the man taking names.
Engulfed in wonderous beauty and sine from the central chandelier hanging from the perfectly sculpted and painted ballroom, Rogue glanced at Emma.
To the side, near the open bar, the White Queen ordered champagne, "How's Lyla coping at the mansion?"
A shot to hurt.
Nicely played, Emma.
"Fahne, Ah guess."
Emma pouted, "Awe. Are you two still fighting?" She didn't wait for Rogue to speak, "I'm guessing she isn't going to make an appearance tonight? We miss her. unlike…" Her eyes flicked over Cody. "I'm sure you want something. You can wait until the others show up, and then we can all talk. Until then." Emma removed herself from the conversation. Something tells her to walk away before she puts her hands on Cody.
Rogue glared up at him, "If Peter sees yah tonight, what's the likelihood of him killin' yah on the spot?"
Cody shrugged his shoulders, "High."
Fuck her.
"Try to stay out of sight. Ah will come and find yah when Ah'm done." Rogue mumbled.
"Yah got 30 minutes or Ah'm comin' in after yah."
She didn't answer, allowing the crowd to swallow her up.
"We meet again, mon chere." Gambit stood behind her. His hand trailed down her bare arm to grab her covered hands. He brought them to his lips, eyes never leaving hers.
"Yah alone, or is the wife gonna appear tonight?"
"Alone," He hummed. "Y' should know that garcon isn't someone to be trusted."
Rogue snorted, "Funny, my mama said the same 'bout yah, and it turned out to be true."
She removed her hands from his touch. Fighting the urge to run her hands over his tired face, Rogue glanced at Emma at the far end of the room, waving them over. Since Gambit didn't move, she looked over her shoulder, "Comin'?"
"Always."
Hidden in the crowd, Cody narrowed his eyes, watching them leave together.
Alone, for once this entire week, Lyla sat at the Gazebo. A beer in one hand, a cigarette in the other. Her knees pressed against her chest, allowing her chin to rest. Taking in the sound of the waterfall, her eyes shut, and a few minutes of serenity passed. But, of course, nothing at this mansion lasts forever, as the smell of sulfur popped into her nose.
Once she opened her eyes, she jolted back. She met with Kurt's blue body, bright golden eyes, and grand white smile. He crouched on the rail, "I finally get to meet you. I'm—"
"Ah know who yah are." She sipped her beer, needing the liquid courage to deal with him. "What do yah want?"
He lowered himself beside her, "To mein schwester." Biting his lower lip, forgetting they're meeting for the first time, he tried to rephrase, "Uhm my—"
Again, Lyla interrupted him, "Ah understood yah just fine. Ah speak French, German, and Spanish."
His smile returned.
She didn't reciprocate his feelings.
"You didn't come to Irene's funeral. I was hoping to meet you then."
"Kurt." Lyla ran a hand over her face, "Yer a great guy. A man of God from what Rogue tells me. But Ah am gonna be honest with yah. Ah don't want another relationship with another sibling. The last two didn't go so well. Trust me. Ah ain' the sister yah want."
She patted him on the shoulder and then began to head inside.
Unable to take no for an answer, Kurt, once more, ported in front of her. This time, it caught her off guard, and she reacted. He dropped to the ground, yelping harshly. His nos ise gushing blood.
Damn. She didn't mean to hit him, let alone that hard.
The commotion caused the X-Men to rush to his defense. They all surrounded her. Kitty dropped beside Kurt, examining his broken nose.
If only he left her be, she wouldn't have to deal with the bullshit.
"What did you do?" Scott, the ever-fearless leader of the X-Men, stepped forward. His chest puffed like a damned pigeon,n ready for a fight.
In through the nose and out through the mouth, Lyla controlled her breathing and her anger. One person in this house she'd like to punch, Scott Summers. But she promised Storm and Rogue she'd be on her best behavior.
"I asked you a question."
"Scott," Kurt breathed through his mouth. Kitty finds the best way to reset his nose, "it's alright. It's my fault."
He ignored Kurt, "Well?"
"Tell buddy boy to stop teleportin' in front of people, and he won't get popped in the face."
Lyla tried walking past Scott when he grabbed onto her shoulder. Something took over her, and she grabbed his hand, wringing his wrist awkwardly. He yelped, trying to push her off. How she has positioned, she could use her foot to keep him in the hold to make sure he doesn't hit her. The others jumped into action, but she moved Soctt around, yelping like a banshee, to keep them from attacking her.
Logan rounded the corner, his claws out, ready for a fight. "Half-Pint, go get the shackles."
Kitty did what was asked of her.
Lyla let go of Scott without hesitation, shoving him toward the others. She grabbed her busted beer and went up the stairs to her lavish cell. The others watched, shouting after her. Unbothered, she entered the room to see Storm sitting there, legs crossed, on the bed.
"You keep failing at your first impressions."
Lyla snorted and slammed the door behind her. All she wanted to do was pay off this stupid debt and move on with her life.
"Not my fault they are aggressive for no reason."
"You're making them look like fools."
"They don't need my help with that." She slid down the door and looked over Storm.
"What happened?"
"Kurt ported in front of me. Ah broke his nose."
Ororo nodded, "He should quit doing that. It's annoying."
"What are yah doin' in here?" Lyla jumped to the chase.
Ororo threw the contents of Lyla's duffle bag on the bed. "Two bras, two pairs of underwear. Two pairs of socks. Destroyed pair of Jordans, with holes in them, no jacket. No jewelry. A toothbrush. Nearly used toothpaste. Deodorant and no bottle of shampoo and or conditioner. That's a rough way to travel."
Lyla shrugged, "It works for me."
Ororo tilted her head to the side, "What happened to you?"
"Ah lost everythin' in a matter of days. That's what happened."
Ororo stood up from the bed and opened the closet; clothes and shoes filled the space, "You're welcome. Now you can throw away those ratty sneakers." Ororo glanced at Lyla's feet.
Following her gaze, Lyla's shoulders slumped, "huh." A ghost of a smile curved her lips, "Malakai was going to give these to me for my birthday. Ah found them in her closet. Note and all."
"Whatever happened to the White Princess?"
The smile disappeared, "Thanks for the clothes."
Ororo stepped toward Lyla. She pushed off the ground.
"Lyla." Ororo started.
"It's okay. No need to worry about me. Ah know grumpy pants wants to talk to yah."
Ororo looked over her shoulder and then let her be.
Once she was out of the room, Lyla shut the door once more and slid to the floor in a fetal position. If only she knew where she had been the last year or so, but memory will come with time.
Unlike the main dance hall, the vast room Emma walked them to had white marble floors while the walls were black. The long couch is deep gray. As she stepped into the center of the room, meeting Peter's haunting black eyes, the rooks blocked the door.
Peter sat up and clapped as it echoed throughout space, grabbing the attention of the others. "The prodigal daughter returns!" his smile disappeared, "You want something."
She took a deep breath and stepped in front of the couch.
"Came to see if y'all know nothin' 'bout the missin' mutants in Mutant Towne."
Peter leaned into the couch's cushions, "Can't say I have. Donald?" He peered over to his counterpart, Donald Pierce. He, Donald, unbuttoned his blazer to his all-white suit. His gentle blue eyes creased with his smile.
Don't get it twisted, Reader. Donald appears kind and gentle, but he's as malicious as Peter. Money hungers him like the rest of the Circle.
"Missing mutants?" He hummed.
As they playfully talked, Rogue noticed the White Princess follow Emma to the bar, a hand on her hip. If a fight broke out, she would have to dodge the princess first. Guns trump powers.
"I hear," Donald brought her back to the conversation, "It's rougher than Morlock Tunnels."
"It wouldn't be if y'all used yer money and status to help them." Rogue rolled her eyes."
Sebastian, Peter's younger brother, snorted an insulted laugh. "Where's the profit in that?"
"Money is power, Sebastian." Rogue snapped. "Feed the poor money, and they become loyal subjects, and now we have a nation able to go toe to toe with the American Government."
Warren, legs crossed, moved beside the White King, Donald.
"Now it's we, and us?"
Rogue blinked, "Ah'm sorry, when did yah become the White Bishop?"
The room fell silent.
"Odd company you keep nowadays, Rogue, dearest." Peter's humor and playfulness left his voice. His demeanor darkened, "Did he not tell you?"
She didn't need to know to whom he was referring, "Obviously not."
"Your 'friend' took a payday out on my brother. He fulfilled a contract. He was a member of the Circle. My brother was a piece, and he died at the hands of a pawn!" Peter breathed and ran his hands through his black hair, "You wouldn't understand the pain I feel. You let your sister kill Graydon."
Rogue stood still.
Her heart clutched in her throat.
The room tilted on its axis as her world collapsed again, thanks to Lyla.
"W-What?"
"You didn't know?" Toying with her, Peter smirked, "Not only did Lyla kill her lover, harshly, I should add, she removed Graydon's head from his shoulders."
Based on the smirk written on Peter's face, Rogue can tell he's trying to get a rise out of her. Make her feel the pain he felt when she left. Then she turned her back on the Circle. They all knew if she stayed in, Rogue would answer the call and kill Cody, even if they were friends. Her loyalty to the Circle outweighed her loyalty to a boy she barely knew. Now, she's out, and she doesn't have the strength to kill him.
But this is low, even for Peter. Lyla wouldn't kill Graydon, even as harshly as Peter stated. Lyla promised to wait. One thing Rogue knows about her little sister is that she stays true to her word.
Emma huffed, "She came for information. Not a trip down memory lane."
Peter rolled his eyes, mumbling something about Emma being no fun.
"Your friend Lance Alvers picked up a security job at Trask Industries in D.C. He may know something we don't."
Rogue forced a smile and then made her way to the door. Both the white and Red Rook blocked her so Peter can finish his thought, "If I see your friend again, I'm going to string him up like a fucking fish! You hear me?!"
Loud and clear.
She rolled her shoulders and ignored his childish screams. Out of the room, her body shook, nausea overtaking her. She can't remember how she and Cody ended up outside. She grabbed him by the collar and brought him to eye level, "We're gonna chat about horrible decisions. First, please take me home, Ah gotta talk with my beloved little sister."