It had been so easy.

That was Rogue's first realization as she conveyed her and Logan's decision to Erik. All it had taken had been a conversation consisting of five small words -

'Well?'

_Yes. We'll do it._

- Five small words, but with them they had reached a point of no return.

It was actually kind of funny, in some strange, depraved way. Rogue had always thought that decisions like that would be followed of some grand sign - a crash of thunder, a tidal wave, an earthquake -something to warn people - the X-Men in this case - of the danger that had just entered their midst.

But there was nothing. Only a cold determination as Rogue finally knew beyond doubt what she was meant to do. She knew that at some level she should have been ashamed of herself - she was about to turn on the people who'd given her food and shelter when she needed it most - but found that she wasn't. The though of betrayal didn't even bother her. Yes, she had been raised as a good, southern girl and had heard her grandfather tell stories about war-heroes, but now as she found herself taking the path of death and betrayal, she realized just how much she'd been deceiving herself.

Life was so much more fun when you didn't have insignificant details like ethics and morality to worry about.

The thought would have horrified the Marie of two years ago, but now...now was a completely different matter. Marie had become the Rogue. She was just beginning to stretch her wings but had already found the taste of freedom so very addictive.

Like Logan, like Erik, Rogue had found that if she broke loose of the chains of society, only the sky was the limit.

Of course, there was still the small matter of her and Logan's part of the deal, but really...if their reward was to be able to touch each other...the price didn't matter.

"So? What's the plan?" Logan asked once they had retreated to the privacy of Rogue's room. "We walk to the front door an' blast the thing to hell, or what?"

Rogue shrugged.

"Let's find out."

_Well?_ she inquired.

Erik smiled slightly.

'Entertaining as it might be, a direct attack would accomplish nothing, child. In fact, if we play our cards right, neither of you will even have to be near the prison.'

Rogue nodded slightly.

_Go on._

'I am not altogether sure you will like this part, but you will need to coordinate your actions with Mystique.'

_What?!_

'I know Raven, my dear. She most likely has the perfect escape planned, but is waiting for the right time to strike. The X-Men are quite a hindrance to her - after all, they could be outside the prison within minutes because of their Blackbird.'

_An' that's what ya want us to do,_ Rogue guessed. _Sabotage the Blackbird an' keep the X-Men outta the equation._

'Yes.'

Rogue nodded. It sounded reasonable enough.

-An' how're we gonna find Mystique?_ she asked. _She don't know 'bout our deal an' I don't think she's very eager to trust us._

Erik paused.

'There is a nightclub in New York called 'Aphrodition' - it is a rather exclusive one. Raven...bought it some years ago. It is quite possible that she will be there - or at least someone in the club will know where she is.'

_She's not with Toad an' Sabretooth?_ Rogue asked surprised.

'Most likely not. She probably keeps in touch with them, though, and can call them in with a moment's notice if she decides to attack the prison.'

_An' how are we gonna convince her that she can trust us? Theoretically, we're on different sides, remember?_

'I'm afraid I'll have to borrow your body again, my dear,' Erik replied. 'If I can talk to her directly, there is a fair chance that she will believe us.'

Rogue considered his words, then nodded.

_I can accept that._

---

"'Aphrodition', huh?" Logan remarked after Rogue had told him about Erik's plan.

"Yeah," Rogue said. "Apparently, it's pretty exclusive."

"I've heard of it. We could get there in about half an hour if we use Cyke's bike," Logan replied.

"Then we'll go tomorrow. It's the weekly movie-night an' most of the students - an' the teachers - will be in the rec. room," Rogue told him.

Logan nodded. With most of the school gathered in one room, there wouldn't be anyone to ask them unpleasant questions...and hopefully, Scooter would never notice that they had borrowed his bike. Sure, Logan would have preferred to steal the bike right in front of its owner - it was a great chance to piss Cyke off - but in this case it would be better to do it silently. No need to make anyone suspicious, after all.

"Tomorrow," he agreed.

He leaned back in Rogue's bed and looked around the room. For someone Marie's age, it was strangely empty. No posters on the walls, no teddy bears on the bed, and only the most essential things in front of the mirror.

"Didn't ya say ya were sharing a room with two girl?" he asked.

Rogue chewed a little on her lower lip.

"I kinda...well, I was. The Professor thought it would be better for me to have my own room - ya know, 'cause of the whole 'poison-skin' an' all."

"So he just kicked ya outta ya old room?" Logan demanded. When he left six months ago, he'd thought that the geeks would have been able to take care of his girl. Now he was wondering just how he'd been able to misread them that much.

Rogue shrugged.

"I don't mind. Like this room better," she said. Then she ran a delicate finger up and down his arms and sent him a suggestive look. "An' ya know...the door to this room even has a lock..."

Logan caught her gloved hand and smirked slightly.

"Then why don't we use it?"

---

One of the first things Rogue had learned at the mansion was that movie-nights at Mutant High were quite an experience. And not one she'd care to repeat too often - one of the main reasons being that she still had a bit of Logan's heightened senses left.

There was always so much noise! Before the movie began, people were running back and forth, carrying candy and popcorn and Cokes. The whole room was buzzing with activity - tables and couches being moved around, people talking and laughing - and when the movie finally began, it was way too loud for her ears.

It was driving her crazy.

Already during one of the very first days, she'd decided to stay far away during that Wednesday movie-night - being in the rec. room with the rest of the students made her feel trapped and afraid that someone might accidentally touch her and quite frankly her ears felt like someone was hammering five-inch nails into them.

So Rogue had long ago decided to explore the mansion instead and she'd found that Wednesday night was the perfect time to do things she didn't want others to know about.

Now, she used that knowledge to get her and Logan out of the mansion undetected.

Little more than twenty-four hours after Logan had returned, they found themselves sneaking out of the mansion. Or actually...not really sneaking. The noise from the rec. room was so loud that they could probably have raced around on the bike inside, and no one would have noticed.

Logan winced as they got outside and shook his head.

"Damn! They do that every week?" he asked and rubbed his temples. His healing factor had already taken care of the headache, but it still hurt like hell.

"Yeah," Rogue replied. "I used to spend most of the Wednesday nights outside the mansion or in my room."

Logan nodded understanding, then motioned towards the garage.

"Come on," he said. "I think I heard Scooter park the bike in here."

Rogue followed Logan into the empty garage.

"There it is," she said and pointed at Scott's bike.

Logan quickly inspected it. It was polished - no surprise, considering just how much Scott seemed to love that bike - and it looked in considerably better shape than when Logan had returned. He smiled and let a hand rest on the smooth metal, barely noticing Rogue's frantic search of the tables around them.

"Fuck!"

Logan looked up.

"What's wrong, darlin'?" he asked.

"Cyke has the key," was Rogue's angry reply.

Logan just smirked.

"So? I knew Scooter would be paranoid enough to take the key with 'im this time, so I got an extra made in Canada," he said and held up a shiny, new key.

Rogue grinned as they got on the bike.

"Have I ever mentioned that I love the way ya think?"

Unnoticed by anyone, the two of them raced out of the garage, towards the myriad of lights of New York City.

---

If one should describe 'Aphrodition' with one word, it was Blue. Capital 'B'. To those who had seen Mystique's real shape, it was obvious that the club reflected its owner - or at least the way she looked. The neon-sign was a warm bluish-purple. The doors were indigo. When someone walked in or out of the crowded club, Rogue and Logan caught a glint of furniture or decorations in every imaginable shade of blue. Even the lights had a tingle of turquoise.

"Well, it's certainly...blue," Rogue finally said.

Logan just snorted, no doubt remembering his fight against Mystique some six months ago.

'There's a backdoor, child. Use it.'

Rogue nodded.

"Erik says there's a backdoor," she relayed. "Might as well use it. I don't think we'd get in otherwise."

Logan looked at the crowd outside the club and nodded in agreement.

"Sounds like a plan to me."

They waited until no one looked in their direction, then disappeared into a dark alley. Logan waited a moment until his eyes got used to the darkness, then looked around.

"There," he said and nodded towards a metal-door, partially hidden in the shadows.

He quickly examined it.

"Steel, I think. Some hard metal, anyway. Electronic lock...we'll need a code," he decided, then smirked. "Or these," he said and popped his claws on one hand.

Erik sighed mentally.

'Tell Wolverine to put those away. I have a better way to do this. Oh, and do warn him that I will take over now. Let's try to prevent any...unfortunate incidents.'

_Okay._

"Logan," Rogue said. "I'm gonna let Erik take over now, okay? He knows an easier way in."

Logan looked at bit doubtful, still not comfortable with the thought of Magneto in control of Marie's body, but finally he gave in and moved away from the door.

Rogue felt Erik's presence move to the front of her mind with much more ease than the first time. This time there was no uncertainty in his movements, no hesitation as he seized control. This time, Rogue doubted that she would even be able to fight him back if it came to that.

Erik took a step forward and put his hand on the lock. In the outer reaches of her mind, Rogue felt a surge of power as Erik twisted and turned the wires behind the steel plate. The smell of burned plastic and overheated wires reached her nose and settled as an unpleasant taste in her mouth.

Then the door swung open and they stepped inside a small hallway.

"This way," Erik said and headed down the hallway, followed by a reluctant Logan.

Erik stopped in front of a thick wooden door and walked inside without bothering to knock.

In the middle of the room stood a large desk, partially covered in papers. Behind it sat a beautiful redhead in her late twenties.

'Mystique,' Erik told Rogue.

Rogue saw a brief flicker of surprise in Mystique's eyes, then the shape-shifter's confident facade was back up.

"Ahh...Wolverine and Rogue. So good to see you again. Tell me, where are the rest of Xavier's little pets?"

Logan growled, but Erik held out a hand.

"No. I'll take care of this."

He looked at Mystique.

"Raven, my dear. Beautiful as always. Tell me, do you still have that irrational distaste of clothing?" he asked.

Raven stood up.

"What are you talking about?" she demanded.

Erik sighed.

"Listen closely, my dear, because we haven't got all night. For the time being, this body does not belong to Rogue, but to me, Erik Magnus Lehnsherr. I came here to make a deal on behalf of these two," he explained and indicated Wolverine and the body he was currently controlling.

Mystique's eyes narrowed.

"Prove it. I have a scar on my right arm - how did I get it?"

Personally, Rogue was amazed at how easily the shape-shifter seemed to accept their crazy explanation.

'She knows how your mutation works, Rogue. She know that my presence would remain in your mind for a long time,' Erik explained, the focused on Mystique.

"A member of FOH shot you while you were working undercover - and the scar is on your right leg," Erik replied. "Do you want further evidence? Perhaps the name of the man who shot you?"

"How?" Mystique demanded.

"Rogue here graciously allowed me to borrow her body for a while," Erik explained and smiled slightly. "In return, I offered her something not even the X-Men could give her: Control."

Mystique seemed to consider that for a moment, then nodded slowly.

"Very well. You said they wanted to make a deal with me...what kind of a deal are we talking about?"

"It's rather simple, actually. I - the presence in her mind, that is -will teach her how to touch and in return, they will make sure the X-Men won't show up when you attack the prison."

Mystique looked at them with renewed interest.

"The X-Men brought down...not by the Brotherhood, but by two of their own. How very appropriate," she said and smiled slightly.

"Indeed," Erik agreed. "All you will have to do is name the date you intend to attack - these two here will ensure that the Blackbird will not take off. And without their little toy-plane, the X-Men will never arrive in time."

Mystique nodded.

"Good."

She then turned to Logan.

"And what about you, Wolverine? I understand Rogue - her reward is touch. But how about you? What's the price for your loyalty?"

Logan glared at her.

"Does it matter?"

"Yes," Mystique replied with unusual honesty. "People who has something to gain are usually far more loyal than those who hasn't."

Logan growled.

"My 'price' is the fact that I'll be able to touch Marie. I'll be able to touch her an' I won't have to justify our relationship to the X-geeks. Happy now?"

"Yes," Mystique said. "Now I am."

Apparently, so was Erik, as he let Rogue take control of her body again. Rogue cleared her head just in time to see Mystique turn around and pace up and down the floor. Finally, after several long, silent minutes, the shape-shifter made up her mind.

"The day after tomorrow. One-fifteen a.m. At that time most of the guards have gone home and only the night-shift is left."

"We'll make sure ya won't be interrupted," Rogue promised.

Mystique just nodded, and Rogue and Logan headed for the door. They were only a few feet away from it when Mystique addressed them again.

"If you ever need someplace to go..." she said and let the rest hang unspoken in the air.

Rogue smile slightly.

"Thanks. We'll keep that option in mind."

Without looking back, the two of them disappeared into the night.

---

They drove back in silence, both of them absorbed in thoughts. Up until the meeting with Mystique, this whole thing had seemed almost...unreal. It wasn't that they were particular sorry to turn on the X-Men, it was just that they found it strange to suddenly work with the Brotherhood, instead of against it.

They reached the mansion shortly before the movie ended, and noticed with a certain satisfaction that no one had even discovered their sudden disappearance.

The two of them hurried past the rec. room, then made their way to Rogue's room.

Rogue locked the door and collapsed on the bed.

"Two days," she mumbled.

Logan smiled and sat down next to her.

"That's plenty of time. Won't take long to pack our stuff. Friday night, we'll wait until the geeks are asleep an' then we'll do a little creative surgery on the flying tin-can."

Rogue giggled.

"Cyke would be pissed if he heard ya say that."

Logan smirked.

"Well, that's just too fuckin' bad."

He stood up and kissed Rogue briefly, just a moment too fast for her mutation to react.

"Better leave before Scooter gets suspicious," he mumbled. "'Night, darlin'."

Rogue smiled.

"'Night, sugar."

---

Between packing their things and planning where to go - all the while doing their best to keep up their masquerade - the two days passed quickly for Rogue and Logan.

It was much like a game, Rogue concluded. Each move carefully planned, every option considered. It was a game, and one of the few she and Logan enjoyed. And with a little luck, they would win it.

As Friday arrived, Rogue felt a surge of anticipation - in a way, this was the culmination of half a year of planning. This was the fruit of her and Erik's agreement.

Freedom.

And as darkness fell over the mansion and silence reigned, she quickly dressed, then grabbed her bag and headed for the garage.

---

She found Logan outside the door, almost invisible in the darkness. He looked up as he heard her approach.

"Ya ready, darlin?" he asked.

Rogue nodded and Logan drove a claw through the lock and forced the door open. Rogue reached out and turned on the light, then quickly closed her eyes as the sudden brightness sent a stab of pain through her head.

They waited a few moments until their eyes had grown accustomed to the light, then crossed the room.

'Over there, in the corner. There is a service shaft that leads to the lower levels.' Erik reported. They had decided not to use the elevator - first of all, the lower levels would be locked off at this time and if they tried to force their way in, they might trigger an alarm. Secondly, the backup-system to the gates was located in the garage. This way, everything they needed to escape was within reach and they wouldn't have to run through the entire building to get out.

Logan and Rogue reached the shaft and with the swipe of a claw, Logan got rid of the plate that covered the entrance.

They exchanged a look, and then Logan climbed down the small metal latter, followed by Rogue. They continued their descend in the dark until Logan spotted a plate similar to the one in the garage. With a few swipes with a claw, it fell to the floor and Logan made his way into the underground garage.

He blinked and looked around. Hopefully, his night-sight would enable him to find out where the hell the switch to the lights was. The thought of sabotaging the Blackbird in complete darkness did not appeal to him.

"Got it!" he whispered to Rogue and walked to the door. He frowned at the sight of the many switches, then shrugged and pushed a few at random. Around him, various lamps came to life and covered the room in a clinical, white glow.

Logan heard a noise and saw Rogue climb out of the shaft. She looked around, then grabbed a hammer.

"Well...let's get to work," she said and winced at the way her voice echoed in the room.

Logan nodded and unsheathed his claws. Together, they made their way to the black plane in the center of the room. Rogue raised an eyebrow. They X-Men had actually left the door to the plane open. Idiots.

Oh, well. Their loss...her gain.

"I'll take the controls," she whispered. She was fairly sure that no one would hear them, but she couldn't help it. Those echoes were just unnerving.

Logan nodded and watched her climb inside the plane. Then he drove his claws into the side of the plane, pleased to find that it offered no more resistance than a sardine-can. He cut a deep hole down the side of the plane, then forced the engine open and tore the wires out.

Meanwhile, Rogue had stopped to consider the control-panel. She weighed the hammer in her hand, then decided that it was heavy enough, seeing as the controls looked pretty fragile.

---

Five minutes later, the place looked like a war-zone.

Only glass-splinters and small wires were left of the sophisticated instruments in the plane. The windows were broken. The plane itself had deep claw-marks along its side. From the engine hung dozens of loose wires and cables.

Rogue and Logan stepped back to consider their work.

"I don't think it'll take off in the next couple of months," Logan finally said.

Rogue grinned.

"That's the idea," she said and tossed the hammer on the floor.

They made their way to the shaft and Rogue was already halfway up when Logan suddenly climbed back down.

"What're ya doin'?" Rogue asked.

Logan grinned.

"Trust me," he replied. "Just keep climbin', I'll be there in a few moments."

Rogue shrugged and continued up. She reached the garage and sat down on the floor with a relieved sigh. A few minutes later, Logan joined her.

Rogue raised an eyebrow.

"Well? Out with it, sugar."

Logan smirked.

"I turned the light off. They won't notice anything is wrong until they turn the light back on."

Rogue grinned.

"That's evil, Logan!"

Logan shrugged and grinned smugly.

"Gotta live up to my reputation, darlin'."

He looked around.

"Where've they hidden the keys?" he asked.

Rogue stood up and walked to a heavy metal box that hung on a wall.

"Here. Apparently, Cyke thinks it's a safe place to keep 'em."

Logan snorted and cut the box open.

"Idiots," he mumbled.

Rogue nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, but that's their problem."

She spotted the backup-system to the gates and opened it. She paused for a moment, then forced down the handle that was marked 'power'. Small lamps lit up inside the box and Rogue pushed the button that said 'garage doors'.

Behind them, the heavy doors swung open and revealed a dark, cloudy sky. Rogue smiled and pushed the button marked 'gates' and hoped it would work just as fine as the first one had.

Logan grinned and held up a key.

"The jeep," he said and nodded towards a dark gray shape near the doors. Rogue threw their luggage on the backseat and was about to get in when something caught her attention.

"Logan, did ya-?"

"Yeah, I heard it, too," he replied grimly. "Somebody's coming."

He sniffed.

"Smells like Jean."

Rogue swore.

"Fuck!"

"Easy, darlin'," Logan said. "She doesn't read people's minds unless Chuck orders her to do it, does she?"

"No, but..."

"Good. Stay in the corner where she can't see ya. When she's completely focused on me, then distract her. Make her look at ya, or the door, or anywhere else but me, got it? I'll take care of her."

Rogue nodded and hi in the shadows. Mere moments later, Jean entered the garage.

"Logan? What are you doing here?" she asked surprised.

"Wanted to go for a ride," Logan replied. "What are you doin' here?"

"I couldn't sleep, but-" she stopped and stared at the bags in the jeep. "Logan? What's going on?"

Rogue stepped forward.

"Hey, Dr. Grey."

Jean spun around.

"Rogue? What is the meaning of this? You're not-"

Whatever she might have said was cut short as Logan crept up behind her and knocked her unconscious.

"Sorry, Jeannie," he mumbled, then looked at Rogue.

"Let's go."

Rogue blinked, but didn't waste the time with pointless questions. Logan had done what needed to be done, end of story.

They got in the jeep and raced through the gates and into the safety of the darkness, ignoring the alarms that tore through the silence of the mansion. Rogue turned her head and watched the lights go off in the old building. By now, Cyclops and Storm would probably be up. Cyclops would be wondering were Jean was. The students would wonder what had happened. The Professor would scan the mansion and find Jean unconscious and their two newest recruits missing. And in about two minutes, Cyclops or Storm would hurry to the garage to prepare the Blackbird for take-off and find the plane in a very bad shape.

Rogue laughed.

This was ultimate freedom. And she loved it.

---

Epilogue: A motel somewhere in Canada

"...According to police, Erik Magnus Lehnsherr, also known as Magneto, is still on the loose after his escape from a high-security prison last Friday. If you have any information about the escape or the whereabouts of this mutant, please call the number shown on the screen. Do not try to approach him on your own as he is armed and dangerous. The escape was-"

The reporter was cut off mid-sentence when Logan turned off the TV and tossed the remote control on the table.

So bucket-head was still free.

Logan briefly wondered what the X-Men were planning to do about that, but decided that it didn't matter. Sure, there was a war coming, but the issue of sides didn't concern him anymore. He and Marie had made their decision and they'd just have to live with the consequences.

Logan sat down on the bed and stroked Marie's hair. She was beautiful woman when she was awake, but sleep gave her a soft, vulnerable expression that never failed to amaze him. That, and the fact that she'd taken to sleeping nude.

When the mind-Erik, or whatever she'd called it, gave her access to the memories she needed, it had taken her less than two days before she was able to keep up her shield without any conscious effort. After four days she was able to keep it up around the clock, even while sleeping.

Logan caressed her cheek and smiled as she leaned into his touch. That alone made their betrayal worth it...if it even was betrayal. Logan frowned. Was it really betrayal if they had never believed in the X-Men's grand cause to begin with?

It didn't matter. They were together and they could touch. Screw the rest.

Logan kissed Marie on the top of her head, then lay down next to her and went back to sleep.


The End