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Say My Name- Chapter Four:
'Fuck,' Marian thought as she opened her eyes to find herself still in a S.H.I.E.L.D. holding facility, in a windowless, isolated cell. Couldn't let her have a cellmate whose powers she could steal. 'I shoulda went with Magneto,' she thought for what seemed like the latest in a long time of countless times since entering the cell.
Actually, she regretted her decision the moment he turned to leave her in that little apartment in Brooklyn. The pit in her stomach wasn't just the want to be back between his sheets, but also a premonition of what was to come. And needless to say that it was certainly the way she felt now that the Brooklyn Bridge Bombing had failed.
It had been a little over a week of imprisonment, since they had put a black bag over her head while they transported from New York to wherever she was now. The plane ride had been about three hours. And as they loaded her off the plane, she recalled smelling ocean air, crisp, clean. She wanted to say, subtropical even. She guessed they'd gone south. Georgia? Maybe Florida? But this was S.H.I.E.L.D., wouldn't they have a more remote location?
Not that it mattered. She wasn't getting out of this anytime soon.
Her only consolation was it wasn't Weapon X. No one was asking her to kill anyone, go on missions or collect intel. No one was asking her to do anything. Except Xavier, who asked for their attention as he preached, on and on and on and on and on.
It was giving her a headache and there was nothing she could do about it. She wished she had a book to read or something, anything.
"Carlyle," one of the male S.H.I.E.L.D. guards said, as her food slot opened. That was strange, it wasn't meal time yet. "Letter from your father," he said as a letter was slipping into her cell.
"Thank you," she said, getting off her bunk to go and grab the letter. It wasn't like the man ever responded to her, it was part of the isolation tactics. But it allowed her the illusion of a daily conversation. She wasn't sure this was going to be much better, as she saw the open envelope, clearly the letter had been reviewed before it got to her cell. Big surprise.
She sat back on her bunk as she looked at the front of the letter, where her name was written in a clean, crisp hand.
'Wait, this ain't daddy's handwritin',' she realized as she stared at it, turning it over front, back, and looking at it more than sideways. But had she seen this before, or- Her breathing increased as her mind flashed to a certain notepad she'd seen months prior. 'Oh lordie, it is from my Daddy,' she thought as she eagerly pulled the letter out, opening it with shaking hands.
The letter read:
Dear Marian,
I'm deeply troubled by the precarious situation you've found yourself in. I'm unaware of the details and I imagine it will be some time before I do. All I know is what played on the five o'clock news. There was a bombing attempt and it went poorly.
I truly regret the crowd you'd fallen in with, I wish you'd kept more competent company and I wish I had been there to see that vision come to volition. Know that you are in my prayers and thoughts, my darling little girl.
I miss you terribly. Every day you're away from me, your doting father, is another day I grow more and more certain you never should have left my side, where you were safe and content.
And while I am not naïve enough to think you'll actually receive this letter (I addressed this to you, Marian Carlyle; prisoner of the United States' Justice System and sent it to the Pentagon) should I be mistaken, please take what I say next to heart.
For the love of heaven, Marian, please, be a good girl. If you have the option to cooperate with the U.S. Government, do so. There is no honor to be gained by languishing in a cell. Come home, Marian, however you can. We'll pick up the pieces from there and choose the next course of action together.
Always,
Your Daddy.
Marian read the letter and then she read it again.
And again.
And again.
And again.
And again.
She turned over to the front of the letter and realized there was a return address. A P.O. Box in Mississippi. S.H.I.E.L.D. would've checked, the Brotherhood would have registered it in her father's name. It was all so plausible.
And the message at the end about cooperation? She wasn't sure Magneto meant that part. He may have only added it to give the letter its best chance to be received.
But the real question was, would they allow her to reply?
Magneto stood in a hallway of The Citadel. They were so close. Forge's amplifier was almost complete. It would be a week, maybe two at most, until those 500 mutant souls and the animals he had persevered aboard the Citadel would be all that remained of Earth's population. The machine Forge had crafted him was a thing of beauty, it would increase his powers, his strength by a factor of 5000 percent. With it he would reverse the earth's magnetic poles. And from the ashes of human civilization would rise Earth's new masters; Homo-Superior.
And then finally, he would grant his Mutant brothers and sisters what he'd promised them; peace.
His primary regret was for his mutant brethren held prisoner by the United States Government. Try as they might, they hadn't been able to locate them. Though Blob had assured him he was narrowing down the location. There were only a few bases it could be. But with their limited numbers, he had to be certain. He couldn't launch an assault that could dwindle their number even further than they already were.
"Magneto," Sabertooth called out from down the hall. Magneto turned to see him, walking toward him, holding a white envelope between his fingers. "You ain't gonna believe this shit," he said. Magneto felt his eyes flare as walked toward the other man, meeting him halfway through the corridor. Magneto glanced down at the letter as Sabertooth handed it to him.
He saw the return addressee's name first, and it pleasantly disturbed him that his pulse pounded for a few heartbeats before he forced himself to calm.. With a steady hand, Magneto summoned bits of metal from the air. It formed a scalpel-slick blade and he used it to slice the envelope open and pulled out the letter.
The letter read:
Dear Daddy,
Thank you so much for your letter and for thinking about your little girl.
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Magneto felt his concentration wane as Sabertooth chuckled beside him. He glanced up at the man with narrowed eyes, the blade still between his fingers, and watched the mirth leave Sabertooth's face.
"Magneto," he mumbled, bowing his head slightly, before taking a couple of steps backward, respectfully giving him some space.
Magneto turned back to the letter.
The letter read:
Dear Daddy,
Thank you so much for your letter and for thinking about your little girl. I'm so sorry for the trouble I've caused. I never wanted to cause you any kind of trouble. I wanted to be your good girl. I miss you something awful, daddy. I wish I was home with you too.
I don't know what I was thinking when I decided to stay with the Brotherhood in New York. It feels like such a dumb mistake now after everything that happened. I'd take it back if I could. But that ain't how life works. You have to live with your mistakes, as bad as they are. But I wanna learn from them too.
There's another prisoner here. The preacher type. He's been talking nonstop the whole time I've been here. He's the kind of man who would sell out Madison Square Garden just to listen to the sound of his own voice. But I don't know, Daddy, he's been talking about rehabilitation a lot and I guess I want that. The chance to make better choices.
I don't want to languish in a cell my whole life. First Weapon X and now this place? I feel like I've spent more time in a cell than I ever did with you and momma back home. But I don't know the first thing about how I could get out of here. I'm trying to do what you said, Daddy. I'm trying to be a good girl.
What I wouldn't give to be home with y'all. I miss the holidays, I miss seeing y'all. I even miss talking about vacations we never had enough money to take. What I wouldn't give to walk along a beach. Honestly, anywhere outside of this cell would do. I'd even take that three hour ride you were always going on about. Heading further down south. Where was it you wanted to go again? Florida?
Lordie, I have been thinking and thinking and thinking. I've got all the time in the world to think and I can't remember. But I promise you, Daddy, if I ever get out of this cell, we're going. Wherever you want. I'd get a job. Something normal but away from people so I couldn't hurt anyone by accident. I'd save up and we'd go. It'll be great, Daddy. Just you wait. I'll make it happen.
Oh, lordie, I'm sorry. I'm crying and I hope you can read all this. I hope the paper doesn't get smudged. I just miss you so much and I'm so sorry. I hope they let me send this to you. I really hope they do. If I ever get another chance, I swear I'll do better. I won't let you down again. I won't let myself down. I swear, I'll be a good girl. I swear it, Daddy.
Thank you again for your letter. It means the world to me. It's the only thing keeping me going. Knowing you haven't forgotten about me. Knowing you haven't given up on me for all the trouble I caused. I read it every day, over and over again. Hoping, praying, I'll get to see you again. I miss you so much.
Yours always,
Marian
Magneto took a breath as he finished reading the letter.
"Sabertooth," he said, turning to look at the other man. "From the locations left on Blob's list, which is roughly a three hour plane ride south of New York?" he asked before he watched the man pull his tablet from his back pocket, turn it on and review his list.
"Camp X-Factor, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba," he answered promptly. He had learned his lesson since Canada.
"That is where our brethren are," he said before he felt his eyes dart back and forth. "Charles Xaiver is among them," he said, extracting what information he could from the letter. He glanced over it again, rereading it to ensure he hadn't missed any other crucial details the girl was trying to impart. "I can't believe the fools actually allowed her to reply," he laughed. "She told us what we needed to know, right under their noses," he said.
"Gotta admit, the kid's smarter than she looks," Sabertooth said. "She knows when to keep her mouth shut," he said.
"I never should have sent her to Brooklyn," Magneto realized as he spoke the words aloud. "Rogue isn't a blunt instrument. She's patient, observant and cunning. I won't make that mistake again. Her true talents will be utilized," he muttered, mostly to himself. "Sabertooth," he said, looking up at the other man. "Tell Blob to focus his attention on Guantanamo Bay. Reconfirm Rogue's intel," he ordered.
"And if he does, are we ordering an attack?" he asked.
"Soon, my friend, soon," Magneto promised, placing his hand on his shoulder. "We are still too few. But once I take to the machine, I can observe the attack in real time, ensure our soldiers are protected and that they can rescue those the sapiens would lock away. Following Rogue's example, we have to have patience," he finished.
Sabertooth didn't look entirely pleased with his decision, but he would relay his orders.
"So, are you going to write back?" he asked instead.
"I think I just might," Magneto said, a devilish grin spreading over his lips.
Marian sat in her cell, rereading the letter her Daddy had sent her nearly three weeks ago when the prison guard came up to her food slot earlier than they should have. She felt hope building up in her. Had Magento-
"Carlyle, letter," they announced as the letter slid into her cell.
"Thank you, sir," she said, scrambling to her feet. She eagerly ran over and picked up the precious envelope and the words of comfort it would obtain.
The letter read:
Dearest Marian,
Of course, I haven't forgotten about you. Of course, I will never give up on you. Your worth is beyond question, beyond reproach, my darling girl. You are never far from my thoughts. I revisit your letter with the same vigor a preacher would recite his gospel. As I, your Daddy, have as much to learn from you, as you from me.
Stay strong.
And as a preacher would state, salvation through the Lord is inevitable. Through Him, you will be saved, Marian. Though you suffer in confinement, keep Him in your prayers, and think of the next life, beyond humanity's earth. A promised land of milk and honey, where all His children will be free of strife and worriment. That day will come.
Until then, my darling Marian, be a good girl.
Lots of hugs and kisses,
Your Daddy
As Rogue finished reading the letter, she felt herself falling into a sense of giddy excitement. It worked! Magneto knew where she was and he was coming to rescue her.
She reread the letter, before clinging it to her chest, happy tears streaming down her face. She wondered how long it would be before-
Rogue grinned as she heard an explosion in the distance.
It was happening? It was happening now!?
With bated breath she waited, as explosion after explosion went off, until the power went out and with it the powered S.H.I.E.L.D. that kept her locked in her room. She stood, ready to meet her fellow Brotherhood members, ready to go home.
As she ran out of her cell, she nearly ran into a bald man, being carried bridal style by a blue boy with pointed ears and a tail.
"So, you're who we have to thank for the Brotherhood's timeliness," the bald man stated, a slight bewilderment in his tone and a curious look on his face, as he placed his fingers on his temples. She felt a small itch below her left temple, and her eyes widened. Weapon X didn't have much in the way of teaching psychic defenses, so she was helpless against a-
A telepath?
'Oh lordie, no,' Rogue thought, recognizing his voice, putting two and two together "Stay outta my head," she demanded, as she willed her feet to move, to go and find better company. But she wasn't moving, she was almost frozen, paralyzed as her demand was ignored. She felt something in her mind; not an itch, but more of the feeling of a pressure, as if she had imprinted someone in her without even touching them. Her worst nightmare.
That pressure moved from her current surface thoughts, deeper, inward. Rogue watched as Charles Xavier's curious expression gave way to a horrified, and finally a disappointed look cast crossed his face. He knew, and she realized that he was making a decision for her. There was a sick, sudden sense of deja vu as delight at freedom turned back to despair.
"Oh, Erik," he said, and his blue eyes took on a piercing electric hue. Rogue's eyes widened as she felt like she was falling into a sea made out of lightning fast thoughts. "This won't do at all," he said, and Rogue felt her thoughts become torrid and murky. Now adrift in her own mind, she was lost in that ocean.
Why was she suddenly having such a hard time thinking? Why did her thoughts feel so heavy?
"It will be alright, my dear. It's going to be alright."
Chapter Notes:
Hey Folks, with the end of this chapter we're past the events of Ultimate X-Men # 39