Alright this is for everyone who wanted an update these last few years. I had no intention of coming back to this but I thought I'd re read and give it a try. I will try and give it the same justice I did all those years ago when I first published. Without further ado…

3 days later

Logan stared down at Rogue's pale unconscious face, eyes closed, breathing even. He was helpless. There was nothing he could do. Only the professor and Jean had been able to go into her mind and work to sort out the mess that Stryker had unleashed in there. And they had failed.

Both telepaths had withdrawn only the day before, pale and shaky and exhausted and announced that it was up to Rogue now. There was nothing more they could do without killing her.

Logan's fists clenched. One relaxed and jerked forward, toward Rogue's face. His healing factor could save her. It had to.

"Logan, don't."

He jerked back and turned toward Jean. Her eyes were sympathetic but pleaded with him not to do it.

"You could kill her. Or worse."

He snarled. "What worse than this?"

She quietly moved toward him until they were shoulder to shoulder. "Losing herself so completely she never returns."

He didn't have an answer for that.

"The more of yourself you put into her, the less she remains."

"There has to be something we can do."

"We have. The professor and I managed to lock away some of the psyches-Airborne, Cody-but the others were too strong."

"I'm-" he swallowed thickly, "My psyche or whatever is in there too right? Why wouldn't I go willingly? If I was hurting Rogue?"
She sighed. "Because your psyche is the only thing protecting her right now. The professor is convinced that if we were to lock you away, the others would harm her. Or kill her. Magneto…" She paused. "He's grown very strong. God, I didn't even think this was possible."

Logan snorted. "Anything's possible." He gave Rogue one last look and then stalked away from the room.

XXXXXXXXXX

Rogue sat huddled in a dark corner of a room. The professor and Jean had left. They might never come back.

She was so lost.

Suddenly, boots sounded outside the room. Someone was coming. Magneto or Sabretooth?

She buried her head in her arms and squeezed her eyes shut, as she had as a little girl during a thunderstorm. The heavy footfalls stopped.

"There you are."

Her head snapped up. Her eyes narrowed in confusion. A stranger was in here? "Who are you?"

The man knelt down and reached out to her, as if she were a frightened animal. "A friend. I'm here to help you but we must go." He looked over his shoulder. "The other one, the one they call Sabretooth, is coming. He'll be here soon and he wants to kill you."

Her heart raced. "If he kills me, he'll die too."
"He's an animal, Rogue. He doesn't care."

The man stood up and then reached a hand to help her to her feet.

"I don't understand. Who are you?"

He looked quietly at her for a moment. "My name is Erik. I believe you know me as Magneto."

XXXXXXXXXX

A young girl crept down and through the halls quietly. She stopped and saw the red haired woman, Jean Grey, leave the room and she waited. To everyone else who might see her, she was nothing. Invisible. But Jean was a powerful telepath. The most powerful she'd ever encountered.

Did she even know how powerful she was? Katrina wondered. She thought not.

For whatever reason, Jean didn't notice her psychic presence and walked right past her without seeing. Katrina smiled and waited some more.

Then she crept into the room where Rogue lay unconscious and peered down at her. If she was caught, she'd be in trouble. Slowly, eyes closing, she delved into Rogue's mind.

Victor would be pleased with what she found out. She wasn't as concerned with the other girls' safety as the professor and Jean were.

XXXXXXXXXX

Rogue shook. "Magneto? But how? You're…" She wanted to say the Magneto she knew was an old man. This guy in front of her was far younger and sort of attractive, not weathered and cold from years of hate and violence.

Although, there was a violence to him. And those eyes. They were the same ones that almost sucked the life out of her just a few weeks ago.

Erik smiled briefly. Then turned serious. "I know you have no reason to trust me, but I wasn't always the man you know. There was a time in my youth that I had a sense of justice. Of purpose. Charles gave that to me."

"You're right. I don't trust you. What do you want?"

He looked at her solemnly. "I know his plans. Since he is me, I know what he's planning and … once upon a time, the people you live with were my friends. My family. The other me wants to take over your body to free himself from prison. He'll kill everyone in his way, using you to wreak the carnage. I can't let that happen."

"But how are you even here? Why-"

He interrupted her. "What you see before you is just a manifestation of my younger self. We aren't in the real world right now. I can temporarily hold my other self at bay, but we must hurry."

"Hurry for what?"

"To lock me up inside your mind forever. Before it's too late."

She stared at him shocked. "Why should I believe you?"

"What choice do you have?"

It seemed to take forever to make up her mind. Erik kept glancing impatiently over his shoulder, worried about Sabretooth. Finally, helpless, she decided to go with him. He was right. What choice did she have? In here, she was helpless. She didn't have any powers at all, not ever her original one.

"Okay," she whispered. "What do we do?"

"There's a place deep inside your mind. Charles and Jean Grey were working on it to put me and Sabretooth and Logan away. I will take you there and put myself in it. You have to come with me to lock me inside."

"You do that?"

"To keep the people I care about safe, yes. Now come."

He led her by the hand outside the room and down one hallway after another. They were in some kind of manifestation of the school only it was dark and dirty and lifeless. Except the psyches.

"Where's Logan? He never came back for me," she asked.

He answered without turning. "I don't know. Perhaps you will find him later." He stopped in front of a large brown door and looked back at her. When it opened, they were in another place altogether.

Stryker's lab. Lights flickered above and she felt sick. Her hand tightened in Erik's.

"It will be alright," he promised. "I'll protect you as long as I can."

Absurdly, she was comforted. By Magneto of all people.

Suddenly, a shadow lunged at them, knocking her over and taking Erik down. He sprawled several feet away and the shadow straightened up and turned to her.

"Sabretooth," she whispered, shrinking back in fear.

He smiled and toothy grin and loomed over her. "In the flesh. So to speak."

Then he did something that shocked her. He reached out a hand to help her up. She stared at it like a venemous snake.

"What, do you want to lay there all day and wait for him to wake up?"

"He was helping me," she shot back, temper rising.

He actually chuckled. "Yeah, right. He may've changed his face but can still smell him."

"It's not really him. I mean it's Magneto but his younger self. He wants to help control the other him." It sounded all really lame and confusing when she explained it.

He actually laughed at her. Then without her permission he bent down and buried a hand in her hair, jerking her up to her feet not gently at all. "Are you stupid or something?"

"Let me go," she hissed, struggling in his grip. She grabbed his hands but he just laughed some more.

"You can't hurt me remember? Not in here anyway. That reminds me. We have a little unfinished business, frail." He leaned close to her face and inhaled her scent. Whatever he smelled, he liked it. His other hand reached up to clamp around her throat. "Mmmm, fear."

Wake up, wake up, wake up, she chanted. Why couldn't she just wake up?

His nose barely touched her cheek, tracing line over her skin with just the tip. He was uncharacteristically gentle and she stopped struggling.

"What are you doing?" she asked, heart pounding.

"Taking my time. After all, I've got it."

Suddenly, he dropped her on the floor and hissed in pain, doubling over. A metal rod protruded from his chest. She scurried to her feet and looked around in confusion.

Erik sat upright, clutching his head, and lowered his arm. "Come on. Let's go while he's otherwise occupied."

Rogue glanced once more at Sabretooth and then left with Erik.

"Frail," he hissed, but she didn't stop.

They ran until she didn't know where she was anymore.

"It's just through here," Erik panted, doubling over.

Rogue pushed open the door and went through. Suddenly everything went brilliantly bright for just a moment.

XXXXXXXXXX

Rogue bolted upright on the hospital bed, gasping for breath. A sudden wave of disorientation caused her head to loll in her hands.

"Rogue! Oh my God, you're awake. Lay back." Jean rushed over to the girl but at the last moment refrained from touching her. "I need to check your vitals."

Rogue looked up at her and saw Jean pause and her eyes grow distant for one moment. She's communicating telepathically.

"Don't let anyone else in," Rogue begged, clutching at the sheets. "I need to be alone right now. Please!"

Jean hesitated and then nodded, presumably relaying Rogue's message.

Quieting down, Rogue laid back and settled against the pillow. A slight smile curved her lips as the doctor worked around her.

Brown eyes shuttered and in the darkness a small desperate scream echoed deep inside from a cage.

Sorry for any mistakes! I only edited once. Just a short chapter to get me back in the mood, hopefully. I started this so long ago that there might be a writing style difference but hopefully not too bad.