Disclaimer: PG-13 a little morbidity, but mostly a lot better about language and violence than the others.
Part 4: Top Ten Things That Shouldn't Happen on a Mission
Ah looked around, and ah knew ah was standin' in a place where bad things had happened. Ah coulda had mah eyes closed and sensed that. The whole feelin' of the room just set me on edge. It was like hearin' the last echo of a scream, like there was a monster hidden somewhere in that place. Medical supplies were everywhere. There was one large room in the middle, and several smaller compartments off to the side. The room ah was in was somethin' of a laboratory, but the instruments there were like nothing' ah'd ever seen.
-There are several doors in there leading to other areas, Rogue, so it's going to take me a minute to figure out which one you need. Gambit should be there shortly, and the others are on their way, but there's no guarantee they'll get there before the guards. So I'll try to be quick, but look around and see if you can't find something that might be useful.-
-All right…-
-Rogue, what are your injuries?- Cyclops asked.
-Got a bullet to the shoulder, and a pretty messy head wound, but ah'm still functional.- Actually, ah was startin' ta feel kinda sick. Not too much, but enough to know that ah wasn't operatin' on full strength. And that ah really didn' want ta go pokin' around in here.
Ah looked through the lab, and found what looked to be files on various "patients". There wasn't anything else out o' the ordinary in there, 'cept for those tools ah was talkin' about, but ah didn't have time ta worry about it. Ah needed to find out where ah was supposed to be. So ah wandered inta one o' the other compartments. Operatin' table, a bunch of health monitor stuff, latex gloves, some IV's and medicine bags. Ah found some bandages and tied mah shoulder up. There was a sink in the corner, an ah thought ah'd try ta clean up mah head real quick, but when ah got over there, ah noticed the inside was covered in runny, brown stains. Ah tried not ta gag on thinkin' what it was, and decided it'd have ta wait. Nothin' else.
There was a strange light shinin' through the doorway o' the next room. Ah pushed the door open, and went inside. Ah wasn't ready foah what was in there. There were pillars of green fluid set up all around, with tubes runnin' in and out. They were connected to little pink things inside, that looked like…
-Psylocke?…-
-Still working on it, Rogue. Find anything?-
-You could say that.-
She hesistated foah a minute. -What?-
-It looks like…..babies….little ones, that shouldn' be anywhere near born yet.-
Ah felt her push a little further inta mah head, ta see what was goin' on. Ah heard somethin' that sounded almost like static. Ah guess she was tryin' ta keep too many things runnin at once. She looked around foah a minute, and then ah felt her draw back out.
-Oh my god.-
-Ah gotta get outta here.-
-Wait a second, Rogue.-
-Ah'm not supposed to be doin' this, ah'm supposed ta find Kurt Wagner. This is makin' me sick.-
It wasn't really much of a lie, either. Ah walked outta that room an inta the next. Then ah wished ah'd stayed. Ah wished ah'd crawled inta one o' those tubes with them. The next room was lined with shelves, all around. And the shelves were crammed full of jars of formaldehyde, with pieces of what looked like meat inside, but ah knew better. Ah knew exactly what was in this room. A pair of glowing purple eyes stared out at me from one jar, floatin' in unendin' terror in their prison. Across the jar was a piece of masking tape, with words written indifferently: "Margaret Williams. O, 9/12/95. 15 years of age." And that's when ah couldn' take it anymore. Ah ran out o' that room and had an episode all over a very expensive lookin' microscope, just outta spite.
Ah felt hands pullin' mah hair back away from mah face.
"Come on now darlin'. No need fer that."
"Logan?" Ah turned around.
"Who else?"
"How in the blue blazes did you get here so fast?"
"I didn't need to wait fer directions. You left some bread crumbs fer me to follow, and a nice strong scent, too. That, and I'm just better than anyone else here. You should know that by now."
Then ah got a good look at his outfit. What had been a pristine leather suit was torn, tattered, and covered in blood. He watched me.
"Not all of this is mine, y'know. Don't worry, I'm fine. I can't really die, remember?"
"Just because you've got a regeneration factor doesn't mean it doesn't matter when you get hurt."
"Yer gonna turn me into a softie, talkin' like that. Come on, we've got some stuff to do, I've been told. I'm about ready to blow this joint."
-Psylocke, I'm with Rogue. You got the directions yet er what?-
-How in the hell did you?!- Cyclops responded.
-The tooth fairy owed me a favor. Does it matter right now, one-eye?-
-Oh shove it, please. I haven't given myself a migraine just so you guys can use my brain waves to continue the age old battle. Rogue, Wolverine, you've got a security clearance in the room to your left. The problem I've having is that the sub-level security clearances aren't accessible from this control room. Which probably means you guys are right in the money, but I don't know how to get you in.-
-I've got an idea.-
-Wolverine, I really doubt--
SNIKT. He thrust his claws into the door. Then withdrew quickly, clutching his hand. Barely even made a scratch.
-You done?-
-Well, I'm open to suggestions, if that's what ya mean.-
"Permittez-moi, mon ami."
Logan and ah turned around and there was Remy. Ah know the thought ah shoulda had at that moment. Somethin' like, "Gee, ah sure am glad he showed up just now," or "hope he knows how ta get through this door," but mah main concern just then was what in the hell mah hair was doin', and hopin' it didn't look too terrible.
"Y'know, Gambit, not everyone in the world has a French background."
"S'true enough, but den, not everyone has such polite upbringin' as you. Not even a 'bonjour'. I mus' admit, my feelings……dey hurt."
"Ce n'est pas le temps, mon ami, mais est-ce que tu sais comment ouvre le port?" (This is not the time, my friend, but do you know how to open the door?)
Logan looked at me and raised an eyebrow. Remy grinned from ear ta ear.
"You an' I, chere, we gonna have a talk later. But fo' now, de answer to yo' question is: Non, mais j'ai une bonne idée." He walked over to the door. (No, but I have a good idea.)
He knelt down, and felt along the seam between the wall and floor. Finally, his fingers slipped into a small crevice, and he smiled. He took out a long piece of wire, and what seemed ta me ta be several other odds and ends. He sat there a few minutes, a look of consternation on his face. One thing about Gambit, it's very rare that he ever looks truly serious. Even when we're on missions, or someone's had a break down, he's always got some turn o' phrase on the tip o' his tongue ta smooth things over. So it's very rare that he actually has ta concentrate on somethin'. Sadly enough, it kinda suits him.
At that moment, a question occurred ta me, and a good one too.
-Psylocke, if there's another monitoring facility somewhere, then is someone else monitoring us right now?-
Gambit and Wolverine paused ta ponder that one. They watched, and waited foah an answer.
-Psylocke?-
-I have absolutely no idea.-
"Gambit, hurry the hell up please."
"Yo' wish is my command, petit."
"Yer wish is about to be 'Get that adamantium outta my lung' if you don't get down to business and stop that sweet talkin', Gumbo." (Dis is de first time Wolvie ever called me "Gumbo". Yet anudder lovin'nickname. Some people.) (Remy, if ya don't start buttin' out of mah chapters, then I'm gonna give you a flyin lesson to remember.) (Sure t'ing, mon amour.)
"As temptin' as dat may be, you'll notice de chere had no complaints."
"Swamp rat!"
Just then, the door Remy was tryin' ta pick at opened up.
"Nice going, bub." Wolverine accorded grudgingly.
"Don' t'ank me. I didn' do it."
-In that case, nice timing Psylocke.-
-Um…….-
-You didn't open the door?-
-Nope.-
-So why is the door open?-
-I don't know.-
-You have suddenly become just a well of information, haventcha?-
-Dammit Wolverine, you don't know what I'm dealing with up here, ok?-
-No, I don't. I also don't know what I'm dealing with down here.-
-One of these days, Logan…-
-Field names, darlin'.-
Finally, ah chimed in. Ah know what these conversations turn into.
-Well, if you didn't let us in, Psylocke, and Gambit didn't pick the lock…-
-Den somebody else let us in. Probably in de uddah control room.-
-Why would they do that?-
-Beats me, but I don't like it one bit-… SNIKT.
-Wolverine….this is the part where we die, isn't it?-
-Usually. But don't get yer hopes up just yet.-
Wolverine walked in briskly, fists up and ready for anythin'. Gambit grabbed a few cards outta his pocket, and they started glowin' in his hand. Ah knew his power by then, ah just hadn't really seen him use it. Really it's kinda pretty before things start explodin' an' all. He held the cards up ta mah face, and ah backed away. Ah knew damned well ah didn' look anythin' like a million bucks just then. More like five dollars in quarters. But ah didn' move quick enough, really.
"You don' look so good, chere."
"Thanks for the chivalrous observation, Cajun. Ah'm aware."
"You sho' yo' up fo' dis?"
No. No ah wasn't.
"Course. Ah'm fine." As proof, ah lifted myself inta the air, and flew in ahead o' him. Turns out the next room was kinda small. Just a lil ol' room with no doors, or windows. Almost like we'd wandered into a security clearance closet with nothin' in it. Logan was sniffin' around, but ah didn't think it was doin' him much good. Remy followed in behind us, and walked around, holdin' his cards into corners ta try an figure somethin' out. But then, the security clearance door shut. Logan lunged at it and tried ta pry it open, but it was no good. Those doors closed without a seam. Then the room shook. The boys clung ta the walls, tryin' ta keep their balance. Ah was flyin' close ta the ceilin', and so ah got slammed into it, and then fell. Ah have all the luck.
"Ouch." They had the courtesy not ta comment. Ah stood back up, and a few seconds later, it stopped. The doors opened back up. But the room on the other side wasn't the one we had come out of. It was one long hallway, lined with what appeared to be green glass.
"We're being led." Wolverine stated.
"Ah know. Ah'm bettin' on a trap."
"How much?" Gambit grinned at me.
"Sugah, ah swear you just don't know when ta quit."
"Quiet, I smell somethin." Wolverine drew in quick, sharp breaths, and looked around. Sometimes ah wish ah could see the world like he does. Now wasn't one o' them times. The things ah had seen, the darkness all around me, and the fact that ah knew someone was toyin' with us and we were just walkin' straight in and hopin' foah the best had my skin crawlin'. Ah felt like ah was in a cheap horror movie.
-Cyclops, we need backup, you guys have gotta start movin'.-
-We're going as fast as we can, Wolverine, most of us are injured.-
-So are we. The kid's been hit pretty hard, slowing up now but she was bleeding pretty badly.-
-Ah can hear you, Logan, and ah ain't--
-Save it, there's no use trying to fool me, darlin'.-
-We're on our way, moving as fast as we can. Bishop, Storm, and Iceman are still outside, drawing most of the crowds so this shouldn't be too difficult. Jean's with us. Just keep it up a little longer. Out.-
"Keep yer eyes open, kiddos. There's someone else here." Wolverine finally addressed us verbally. Ah glared at him foah tellin' Cyclops. He ignored me.
"You got any idea who dis is, homme?"
"Not yet. Let's just focus on finding them before they find us."
"I am not hiding." We all froze as a silhouette rounded the corner. Wolverine's eyes narrowed and he looked right at me with the strangest expression ah'd ever seen. It kinda scared me actually, but ah didn't know what was goin' on.
"Well den, come on over here so we can see ya, mon ami. Real nice an' slow like." Gambit raised the cards above his head dangerously. A strangely familiar laugh resounded towards us down the hall.
"Dear boy, you obviously have no idea who you are dealing with. Fortunately, I have no business with you today, so you can remain in your ignorant bliss. But if you continue your present company you will learn the proper respect soon enough. At this moment, I am as curious as you must be."
That voice. Ah knew that voice. But it couldn't be! Wolverine growled beside me.
"I'm not buying that."
"I wouldn't expect you to, Wolverine. Your bloodlust overwhelms all rational thought. However…" SNIKT. "We've danced before, haven't we bub?" A perfect likeness of Logan's voice.
"Momma?"
"Daughter." There was a big awkward moment just here, where ah was beyond shock, Remy was utterly confused, and as much as I hated it, Logan was questioning whether or not ah had a hand in all this.
"Irene and I have been worried sick about you, terrified as to what might have happened, ever since you disappeared. We searched everywhere for you, and had all but given up hope, as I unexpectedly find you tonight, when it was furthest from my mind. I would never have believed it had I not seen it with my own eyes. My daughter, fighting on the right hand of the enemy. I would not have expected treason of you. In fact, I thought surely Xavier must have abused your mind, but it seems this is not so, as you have addressed me tonight with full recognition of who I am. Why, my daughter? Where did I fail you?"
"You didn't Momma, ah didn't mean to worry you so much. You were a wonderful momma, much more so than the one ah was born to. And ah am still grateful for all you've done foah me."
"Then why?"
"This really isn't the time fer this."
"It is not under your judgment to deem so! I will hear her! Confess!"
Ah hadn't expected this. Ah knew ah was tryin' ta be loyal to the X-men, and that's where ah wanted to stay, but she was still the only mother ah had ever known, and mah political standpoint was in total disarray. Now here ah was, in the bowels of some terrible compound, bleedin' from the head, and ah was gonna have to make up mah mind, one way or the other. Not only this, but ah really didn't want ta cry in front of Remy and Logan. Ah mean really. But it looked like that was exactly what was going ta happen. Why couldn't ah have gotten air patrol with Bobby and 'Ro? Ah didn't mind cryin' in front of them so much.
"Ah needed help that you couldn't give me. Ah had ta go. Ah woulda died!"
"You can't get something for nothing, my child. And what have you given in return for this help?"
"Ah agreed to fight with the X-men."
"So you gave him your loyalty, and compromised your ties to us, to your cause!? What is being alive if you have no soul? Do you not remember the suffering you went through at the hands of the humans? And the protection that came from the Brotherhood? And now you have endorsed the murder and suffering of thousands of others by joining that miscreant, determined to protect them! Not only this, but will you now fight against me, your mother? I loved you, Rogue! There may never be another who can understand you, who can love you as I did! Was it worth your life to throw that away? Do you believe they can ever care for you as we did? Even now my very presence casts their suspicions on you!! You are a slave to them now!"
"Ah'm sorry Momma. Ah-ah never meant ta disappoint you." Ah was chokin' up, and you could hear it plain as day. Ah wasn't quite ready ta let it go yet. But fortunately, she softened on me.
"My dear child, I know your pain. I understand how you have suffered. You have always had a good and noble heart, but even the strongest must falter when their burdens become too difficult to bear. I will forgive you. You need only to ask. I will not let them bring further pain upon you."
"THEM? Momma, you don't even realize, do ya?"
-What in the sam hell is going on down there? Have you found Kurt yet?-
-We're having kind of a situation.-
-You don't have time for a situation.-
"Rogue, we really don't have time fer this. We can't stay here. We need to find Kurt and get out of here."
"What is your business with Kurt?"
"You know him?"
"I have come to free him."
"So have we, incidentally."
"You all stay out of this! This is not your business!"
"Momma? Who is Kurt? You never told me about him."
"That is because he is remnant of a life that no longer exists. There was no need for you to know."
"Well, why can't we help you?"
"Because I am not in the habit of consorting with my enemies for aid. And I do not need your help. I had already seized control of the auxiliary control room and was searching for the cell release files when I noticed on the camera you three following my path with far less grace and much more noise."
"So you were the one controlling the doors."
"Of course. Now if you will excuse me."
"Momma, please. We can help you."
"I would have expected you to volunteer, but I think it would be wise that you consult with the rest of your….team….before volunteering their services as well. Now that you all have made such a mess of things, I just may need extra man power to get back out."
Ah was afraid ta even look at them. This is just what they had been waiting foah. Their eyes were burnin' inta mah back, but ah just couldn't ask them.
"We're doin' the mission we were sent to do regardless of what Mystique here has to say about it. As long as she ain't trying to stand in the way, then we can just carry on. But let's set this straight, we ain't helping ya. We woulda done this with or without yer say so. It just so happens that this once, we're all trying to accomplish the same thing."
"I would much prefer that to be the case."
Logan stared at me, long and hard. Ah swallowed, and tried to imagine what it would be like to be on the receivin' end o' those claws, instead of havin' them on yoah side. Then ah realized that this was mah friend, lookin' at me like that. One o' mah only friends. Maybe not anymore. If they really believed ah had brought Mystique here….
"Logan, ah….ah know what this looks like….b-but…." Ah hate it when yoah tryin' ta say somethin' when yoah upset. Ah had ta tell him that ah didn't do this. Ah had ta make him believe me. But if ah tried to say even one more word ah was gonna lose it. So ah just sat there, lookin' at him like the most pitiful creature you've ever seen, and he just kept watchin' me, thinkin'. Finally, Remy came over, and put an arm around me.
"Come on, petit. Dere will be time fo' dis later. Fo' now, you jus' stay wit' me and we gonna get through dis mission. 'S almos' over. Jus' gotta keep goin'."
We started down the hall, while Momma and Logan watched Remy, and then followed behind. Ah concentrated on collectin' mahself, and stayin' focused on what ah needed ta do. When we had gone a little ways, and he thought no one else was listenin', Remy leaned over and breathed inta mah ear,
"I don' believe you had anyt'ing ta do wit' dis, Rogue." Ah had two distinct reactions. One, ah felt comforted, knowin' at least somebody here was on mah side, and ah was able to pull it together after that. The other was chills all the way up and down mah spine, him whisperin' in mah ear like that when ah least expected it. Ah was really startin' ta hate the effect he had on me.
Finally, we reached the auxiliary control room, where "Operation Failed" and "Password Invalid" messages were blinkin' violently on every screen.
"The programming on this system is much more complicated than the other. The security systems are highly advanced. It has taken me hours to reach even this point, and it will still take me quite some time to complete. I tell you this because I am perfectly aware of Scott's incapacity for patience. You'll just have to ignore him."
"Or, we could do it de quick way an' not have to worry 'bout dat."
"Do you truly believe that you are more competent to…"
"Oui." He plopped down into the chair, and ignored Mystique completely. She would've turned red, probably, if she wasn't blue. He tuned the rest of us out, and set to work. One by one, the warnings started to disappear. Mystique raised an eyebrow.
"It seems that insolence becomes you."
"Does indeed." Gambit grinned at her, and the faintest hint of a smile played on her lips.
"Momma?"
"What is it, child?"
"Who is Kurt?"
"We had discussed this."
"Yes, and you said you never told me because ah didn't need ta know. Well, ah think that considerin' ah'm here to rescue him, that maybe it's time that ah knew."
"Why does it matter so much to you?"
"Because it matters ta you. You said he was part of a life you'd left behind. Was he your boyfriend, or somethin' like that?"
She drew a deep breath. Logan watched the exchange sharply.
"Kurt is the son of my husband. The son that I gave birth to."
"HE'S YOUR SON?!" This day was determined ta drive me insane. She answered me with venom.
"NO! He is not my son! I will not be tied to him as such!"
"But you said…"
"Yes, I gave him life. And the day he was brought into the world is the day that life died! That was the day his father realized the nature of the woman he had married, by the nature of his son."
"But he is still yours as well!"
"No! You do not understand! You cannot!"
"Well ah think it's high time you explained it ta me!"
"Understand this. I believed that I…" she spat the next words out like poison. "..loved Kurt's father. And no matter what he did to me, I loved him. And he knew that. It was not until after I had left that I realized the futility and waste of all those years, loving a man like that. A man who must abuse and control all those around him, the naivety of believing in the destiny of romance. One kind word from him could make me forget all the cuts and bruises. Then I gave birth to Kurt, an act which nearly killed me. The weakness disallowed me to maintain the beautiful form I had kept. And Kurt's mutation was evident from the first. His father then took a course of action that at last made it impossible to believe in the depth of the love he professed…."
"I found it! I got de file!"
"All right, give us a minute to get out there, and then turn 'em loose. Rogue, with me."
Ah was reluctant ta leave without hearin' the end of this story. Ah don't know why it was so important all the sudden, but ah begin ta understand later. We walked back into the hallway lined with green glass. Ah was struck by the length of the place. After about a minute, a portion of it slid open. Wolverine's claws came out, and he approached cautiously. Ah flew up, and followed him overhead. As ah rounded the corner, ah heard whispers rising softly from the corner.
"Blessed are za peacemakers, for zey shall be called "son's of Gott". Blessed are zose who are persecuted in my name, for zere's is ze kingdom of heaven…."
Ah knew the verse. Wolverine just stared in, contemplatin' whether ta make our presence known or charge in. Ah was filled with a deep sense of pity, listenin' ta him pray. Wonderin' if there was anybody listenin'. Ah landed back down beside Logan, and started walkin' in.
"Kurt? Is that you sugah?" Yellow eyes opened wide and looked at me. Ah must admit, from the shadows in the corner yellow eyes have quite an eerie effect. Ah was afraid foah a second, but then he closed them again.
"I vill never leave, nor forsake you." Those are powerful words.
"Ah'm not gonna hurt you. Can ah come over there?" The eyes opened again.
"I have not ze power to deny you anyzing." Ah walked over to him, and wished ah could see him better. The cells were velvety black, much darker than the rest of the place. Ah walked over and knelt beside him on the floor. Logan was, as always, keepin' an eye on everything. His guard was goin' down just a little, but the claws were still out. Kurt wouldn't look at me.
"Hello, Kurt. Mah name is Rogue." He said nothin', and still wouldn't bring his eyes ta mine.
"We've come to get you outta here."
"And to take me where?"
"Well, New York first, ta have you seen to, and then wherever you'd like ta go, ah reckon."
"I know ze meaning of 'being seen to'."
"It's not like that. Sugah, we're not here ta hurt you. We're not with these people."
"Zen who are you? No one has ze power to save us from zis place. We know zat now."
"Well then you obviously have never heard of us." Wolverine walked in, and put his claws in front of Kurt's face. Ah heard his breath draw in sharply, and then with a SNIKT, he retracted them into his fists.
"My Gott…."
"We don't really have time for a whole lot of questions, bub. You comin' or ain'tcha?"
Finally, he looked at me. Probably just so that he wouldn't have ta look at Wolverine, who rarely makes a valid first impression, if y'all notice. And ah wasn't scared of those eyes this time. As a matter of fact, he was the one who looked scared.
"Don't be afraid, all right? Yoah safe now, with us. Yoah gonna be just fine. Whatever they've done to ya here…..it's all over now. Ya just gotta trust me."
He just kept lookin' at me all pitiful like. Ah put one hand gently on his shoulder, an tried to smile reassuringly at him.
"I have prayed, all zese years, zat Gott would see fit to send an angel to vatch over me."
"Well sugah, they're on vacation. Yoah just gonna have ta settle foah me." Ah offered him a gloved hand, he extended his, but then withdrew it.
"Rogue, just grab the guy."
"Vait."
"What is it?"
"Ze others. Ze children. Can you save zem?"
"We really don't…"
"I vill not go until all that can be are saved."
"Just grab him, Rogue, I'm tellin' ya."
"Where are they?"
"In ze other cells. If you can get mine open, can you not open ze others?"
"Fine, I'll grab him."
"Logan, we can't just leave them here. What makes him worth all this trouble but not the others? We can't let them suffer here. Ah can't even imagine what they go through."
He looked from one ta the other of us.
"Kid, if we live through this, you owe me a month's supply of beef jerky."
"Done deal."
-Gambit, can you open the other cells?-
-Easy as dat, but I don' know what's gonna come out of dem. We gonna take dem all?-
-Looks like it.-
-Are dey gonna fit in de jet?-
-They'll have to.-
-You do know dat dere's at least fifty cells along de…-
-Yeah, I know. Just open them up.-
-Alors, it's a sad sad day when de t'ief is de voice o' reason.-
-Cyclops, get ready to get agitated.-
-What's going on now, Wolverine?-
-I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise. Just wait till we get up there.-
-Wolverine I swear--
-Not as often as I do, but I'll have you know that for once this wasn't my fault.-