"Oh my god," Rogue said looking up and down at the spectacular albeit frightening energy conductor in the bellies of one of Hydra's top secret research facilities. Rogue saw intricately placed in the center, surrounded by metal casing, and connected with cables was a glowing blue cube.

"Tony. Scott. You better get your asses in here. ASAP!"
It only took seconds for Tony Stark and Scott Summers to join her. They too stared in marvel at the complex machinery before them.

"Soooo. Tony, you want to explain to the class what we are dealing with here?," Rogue said not being even remotely adept enough to understand what they were dealing with.
Tony slowly walked the entire circumference, looking up and down, touching cables.

"Well? And in layman terms please and thank you."Scott said clearly agitated not knowing what was going on.

"If I'm not mistaken this is a man made Einstein-Rosen bridge. Given its design and its substantial energy conductor its quite probable it would successfully breach other dimensions." Tony said exuberantly being impressed by the engineering.

"You told us this was an experimentation lab, did you know this was here, because if you did you unnecessarily put my team in danger?'" Scott said, his voice deepening doing very little to hide his disappointment in Tony.

"No i told you the truth, and if you don't recall I asked to join you believing they stole something of mine." Tony said this pointedly at Scott. Tony then pivoted his body toward the machine. "They have the tesseract, and I intend to take it back."

"Scott!"

Scott turned around to look at Rogue, hearing the worry and tension in her voice.

"What is it Rogue, everything alright?"

"I have a bad feeling about this." she replied as the sense of dread surge through the nerve endings in her spine.

"Rogue do you think' you can retrieve the tesseract while I get the case to hold it?"

"Tony something doesn't seem right here. Maybe we should wait." Rogue supplied unsure of Tony's plan.

"Light of my life, leaving the tesseract in the wrong hands would spell doom for millions. We are running out of precious time."

Rogue rolled her eyes at another one of Tony's innuendos and then turned to Scott. "Maybe you should check on the team to see how they're doing."

Scott agreed with a nod. Scott couldn't help noticing the lack of opposition they had down here. He knew the rest of the team fought off soldiers due to hearing gunfire in some of the comms feedback.

"Storm. Beast. Status update."

For a few moments there was nothing but the sound of static. Scott was about to repeat himself, when the comm opened with Hank speaking.

"Cyclops are you and Rogue returning to the jet, we've had to retreat. Wolverine, Storm and Shadowcat have been injured. Jean is tending to them on the jet."

"I'm sure she is." Scott responded with an indubitable amount of snark. He shared a look with Rogue and received a look of sympathy and shared pain. Clearing his throat Scott continued, "We should be up shortly, the jet is cloaked and well hidden it should avoid detection."

"Okay, please hurry my friend." Then the comm click ending the transmission.

Rogue then hovered toward the tesseract and grabbed ahold of it. When she starting grabbing it the machine started up, and all the doors closed locking them in. She tried yanking the cube toward her again, but it wouldn't budge.
'ROGUE, WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?" Scott screamed hearing gears clicking along with the machine powering up.

They then heard banging at the door, running towards it they saw Tony's face peering through the small glass opening.

"Whats going on' how did the machine start?" Tony asked
"It must have been boobied trapped, get in here and help us shut this thing off." Rogue yelled frightened seeing the electrical sparks, and what looked like a glimpse into the infinite starways of deep space."

Tony lowered the face plate on his Iron Man suit, and put his hands up to the door to use his repulsors to hopefully blast the door off its hinges.

It only took Scott and Rogue a few minutes to realize the door wasn't budging. Rogue turned back toward the machine saddened knowing they couldn't allow anything to enter that portal if it was in their power to stop it.

Apparently Scott was thinking along the same lines, because his face also had a solemn look upon it. Their shared look didn't escape Tony.

"Hey you guys aren't thinking about what I think you guys are thinking right?" Tony said somewhat scared. Tony knew that look all too well, having sacrificed himself for the greater good. He was mainly looking at Rogue. He developed quite a soft spot for the poisonous skinned mutant. When he along with the former team of the Avengers originally met the other vigilante superhero team he was instantly attracted to the green eyed, auburn haired mutant. She was by far one of the most beautiful woman he had ever met, but what solidified his respect, admiration' and ultimately unspoken love for her was her un-shaking support for anyone she encountered. She loved unconditionally. He saw it in the way she treated the formidable Wolverine. Her team cherished her, and the Avengers did as well before they broke up. Tony was tempted to express his true feelings being this may be his last chance, but he choose to remain silent.

"Tony would you mind recording a message for us please?"
Tony took his face plate off and pressed it close to the glass, he turned his head to hide his falling tears.

"Hey Guys, I guess we all knew this day would come. This is the work that we do, and the ugly truth is sometimes heroes don't come home. I love you all. I will always always always love you. You guys have to take care of each other now. You have to remain strong and continue the good fight." Tony heard Scott begin to leave his own message. "It has been my prestige to fight alongside you guys, and have you as my family. I will always love and cherish you all. However the good of the many outweigh the good of the few.Goodby and be strong X-men."

Once they were done Tony turned backed his vision blurred to see Scott walking towards the machine, but Rogue was looking at him.

"Tony I know we haven't spent the most time together but it has been an privilege to be your friend." She placed her hand glass and he followed suit. "Goodbye."

She then picked Scott up and they flew into the wormhole, Tony seeing what they were planning to do, put his face plate back on and flew toward the upper level. It took about 6 minutes he barely escaped before the facility exploded. Tony being close to the blast, was propelled into the nearby woods. It took him a few moments to regain his equilibrium. Getting back on his feet Tony launched back into the air towards the X-Jet to share the devastating news.

Rogue lifted Scott into the air.

"Scott I wanted to tell you it's an honor to die at your side," Rogue said heading toward the dimensional rift.
"And it's been an honor to have fought by yours. You're the sister I never knew I needed."

Rogue gave a tight smile as they hovered a few minutes to give Tony time to escape. Feeling that enough time had passed they flew into what look like the vacuity of space. Scott lifted a hand to his visor and with skillful aim shot a continuous beam of energy at the tesseract, the lines between dimensions started to fade, before an explosion ruptured the portal machinery, and blasting Scott, Rogue, and the tesseract into space.

Rogue and Scott saw the portal close rapidly once the explosion thrust them into space. Using remnants of Jeans mutation she created a cocoon of telekinetic energy around Scott and herself, however she was tiring out quickly due to not only the frigid vacuity of space, but also not having Earth's gravitational pull. She looked over at Scott and could tell his body was having an even harder time adjusting to the new atmosphere.

"Where did you learn that trick?" Scott asked dyspneic.

She could feel her muscles begin to shiver due to the ever increasing wintry chill. As she began to respond she could feel her teeth clatter and her body convulse more violently. She knew she would be lucky to maintain this little air pocket for the next 30 minutes if that.

"Hank and I discovered everytime I touch someone whether human or mutant a portion of their genetic blueprint grafts onto my DNA. If I touch the same mutant repeatedly the graft becomes distinctly more palpable." she replied back through her teeth clattering. Scott nodded though she wasn't sure he understood her chill induced stuttering.

She figured with her albeit brief but copious absorptions of Bobby she might be able to withstand the frost a bit better than Scott, but she didn't want to watch the man she grew to love as a brother die in front of her. They were in this together.

Both trying not to expel more energy than was necessary both Scott and herself became deathly silent. She began to think of Logan, and of how she never got to love him the way she would of liked too. Granted he didn't feel the same way. She was always just "kid." She hoped Jean and Logan could find some sense of peace with each other though. She looked back at Scott and really felt for him knowing his unfaithful wife might not grieve him the way he would crave.

Her head lolled to the side due to her become drowsier and drowsier by the second, and thats when she saw it. She couldn't be sure if she was hallucinating due to hypothermia or if that was a real spaceship. It was pitch black, which made it increasingly hard to see in a portion of space with no discernable light source. The overlay looked skeletal in structure, with weird bone like protrusions. It also had orange fiery like ripples that scaled the ship like waves, which added to monstrous visage.

The shivering had blossomed into full blown convulsions and paroxysm, she was surprised she was able to maintain a normal hold on Scott's hand without crushing it. She looked over at Scott, and followed his line of sight toward the incoming spacecraft. She felt her seventh sense tingle before they along with the tesseract which had managed to stay close them was swallowed by the ship. Her last thought before unconsciousness took hold was Scott and herself would of better off dying if her precognitive instinct was anything to go by.

Hank looked at his watch it was going on 20 minutes since he and Scott communicated. He was fearing the worst. Jean came to his side also with a look of worry etched on her face.

"Have you heard from Scott?" Jean said.

"Not since 20 minutes ago."

Nothing but worry, guilt, and bone chilling dread inundated Jean. Scott never did radio silence, she felt like something terrible was happening. It wasn't all that different than the feeling she got before Stryker's goons attacked the school and she nearly sacrificed herself for the team. She allowed Kurt to teleport her to safety before the treacherous waters crashed down on her. That's when she heard grunting.

"Logan!" Jean exclaimed. "You need to relax, your healing factor took quite a bit of damage."

"I'll be fine red, stop fussing over me." Logan said with more irritation than was necessary. Jean gave him a shocked look, but backed away from him. He didn't mean to be so harsh, however if he was ever going to have a future with Marie then he needed to show her that Jean was no longer a contender for his heart.

Looking around Logan noticed Marie was missing. "Where's Rogue?" Logan asked.

"Scott, Rogue, and Stark haven't made it back yet," Jean said, and the hint of distress and worry in her voice didn't go unnoticed by Logan.

"How long have they been gone," Logan practically growled not liking what he was being told.

"Going on 25 minutes now," Beast said interjecting himself into the tense exchange.

That's when they felt the jet's foundation begin to shake, before mere moments later a catastrophic explosion was seen from where the facility had been. The abled bodied X-men ran down the ramp of the jet, and toward the explosion. Logan could smell the surronding woodland burning and creating the smell of ash, and a more acrid smell of burning flesh.

Running ahead of the others, he started to scour the woods trying to pick up Marie's scent.

Jean picked up Logan's panicked thoughts Come on darlin', where are you? Please be alright. Please for the love of god be alright Marie

Then Jean picked up another mental signature. She's gone, god they're really gone. Come on Tony they deserve to know.

"Oh god no," Jean cried out falling to her knees. Tears starting to prickle her eyes.

"Jean, what's wrong?" Beast inquired concerned over her emotional outburst.

Jean look over to her left seeing Tony stumbling before them. His face plate was lifted up so it wasn't hard to see the grave look on his face. Tony looked toward her and silently voiced his condolences.

"What the hell..." Logan said looking between Jeans grief stricken position and Tony sans Marie and Scott.

"Where is she? Where the hell is she? Logan screamed not willing to acknowledge what was staring him in the face.

"I'm so sorry my friends. They gave me a message that they wanted me to show you. It would be easier if we did this on the jet."

The X-men walked solemnly beck onto the jet, and Tony placed his face plate on one the seats. A projection popped up with Marie's face.

Hey Guys, I guess we all knew this day would come. This is the work that we do, and the ugly truth is sometimes heroes don't come home. I love you all. I will always always always love you. You guys have to take care of each other now. You have to remain strong and continue the good fight." Then Scott's face emerged in the projection. "It has been my prestige to fight alongside you guys, and have you as my family. I will always love and cherish you all. However the good of the many outweigh the good of the few. Goodbye and be strong X-men."

The majority of the X-mens heads were hanging low in grief. Some openly crying at their fallen teammates. Logan was about to ask Tony what happened, when he heard in the distance sirens and footsteps.

"Beast we have to go," it took a great deal of effort for him to leave Marie behind.

Beast readied the jet, while Storm still in pain due to her sprained ankle manned the co-pilot seat. Storm can you give us some cover please. Storm's eyes turned milky white and the atmosphere outside became grey and foggy. Lifting the jet in the air they flew off without being noticed, saddened that they had to leave two of their loved ones behind.

As the flight back to the mansion progressed Jean couldn't help noticing the quieter and more sullen Logan got.

She's gone! She's gone! She's gone!

Jean heard him repeat the mantra over and over in his head. She assumed she would be the quiet grieving widow, but she wanted answers. She didn't want to believe Scott was really dead, and they couldn't repair their relationship. When her alter ego surfaced it had done quite the number on her relationship with Scott. She had to know all the details, so she proceeded to question Tony Stark on what happened to their teammates.

Logan could hear Tony relay the events of what happened, but it was like listening to someone speak while underwater. He was consumed with feelings of guilt, regret, and grief. And he couldn't help thinking of the events that led him on this path. Would his Marie still be alive if he had made different choices.

Six Months Ago

Jean and himself had been holding on an affair for the past year. She survived Alkali lake, but not without some noticeable changes. Changes that led to her embracing the darker aspects of her personality. She started becoming more sexually aggressive with Logan, and he wasn't doing much to fight her advances. Their first time was in the med-lab.

Come to me! I'm in the med-lab

If he thought harder on it, he would of sworn he was compelled to go down. There wasn't much that could interrupt his weekend routine of watching hockey with Marie. But he had wanted Jean for a long time and his gut told him, if he went down to the med-lab he would get lucky.

"Marie, I'm gonna have to end this earlier then usual. See you later." he said rather harshly.

He could immediately smell the rejection and hurt emanating from her, but she didn't rebuke him. She took a deep breath, nodded her head and walk out the room while whispering good night. He waited till he heard her own bedroom door close, and exited his to take the elevator down to the med-lab.

And... there she was a beautiful sultry redheaded seductress.

She kissed him, and he stopped her.

"One thing Jeannie, if this happens stay out of my head. Got it!", he said sternly no room for argument.

She gave him a predatory smile. He took that as her assent and they fucked. There was a time he would of called it making love, but he realized that what he felt for Jean was never love it was lust.

For a year their affair endured, and the more he slept with Jean the more he pictured a brunette bombshell with a white streak in her hair.

He remembered when it all came to a head. He could hear the professor's wheelchair arriving at the garage door entrance, before he got there. Logan will you come to my office we need to talk. Putting down his tools, and getting up, Logan followed the professor to his study.

"Logan, forgive me for my lack of tack, but what is going on between you and Jean."

Shocked by the revelation that he had been caught, he was about to be confrontational. He was planning to end the affair, finally knowing his heart belonged to Marie. The last thing he needed was it becoming public.

"I only say this, because if you are planning to end whatever might or might not be happening you need to govern that decision with some degree of caution."

Logan not understanding where the old man was telling him, raised his eyebrow and tilted his head conveying his confusion.

"Jean Grey is only one of a few class five mutants I've ever encountered, her potential nigh limitless. Her mutation is seated in the unconscious part of her mind and therein lay the danger. When she was a young girl, I created a series of psychic barriers to isolate her powers from her conscious mind. And as a result Jean developed a dual personality."

"You did what," Logan said shocked at the unethical breach the professor made in regards to one of his students minds, a child's mind.

"There was the conscious Jean, whose powers were always in her control, and the dormant side. A personality that, in our sessions, came to call itself the Phoenix. Due to this personality residing in her ID it became a purely instinctual creature, all desire, passion, joy and rage."

"Did she know of this or Scott?" Logan asked.

"Scott. No he didn't know, but he has been informed. It's unclear how much she knew. What is far more critical is whether the woman we are dealing with is the Jean Grey we know or the Phoenix furiously struggling to break free."

"You did this to a child Chuck."

"I choose the lesser of two evils, she had to be controlled"

"Controlled? How many other students have you controlled?"

Xavier got deathly quiet, and Logan knew Jean wasn't the last.

"So how would you like to handle this Xavier," Logan said drawing out his name not hiding his disappointment in his tone.

"It would be best to approach Jean as a team. Lets do outside as I fear the worst. I've been having Hank work on a power suppression chaplet, hopefully it will work "

Telepathically Xavier called the team to meet outside. Including Jean.

The X-men gathered around the garden and lake area.
Logan stood next to Xavier and watched the X-men walk out to join them outside, and when Marie came out he noticed the tense distance between Bobby and herself. It also didn't escape his scrutiny last week in the Danger Room that Bobby was awarding Kitty an inordinate amount of his attention. A small smile graced his face realizing cementing a relationship with Marie would be fairly easy.

"This is an odd place to go over a mission report."

"That's because this isn't about a mission, this is about an intervention. I feel one of our team members is losing her reign of control over her powers."

Surprisingly Jean didn't ry to keep up pretenses.

"Its about time, you're slipping professor."

"Phoenix you need to stop this, bring Jean back or suffer the consequences."

"None of your precious X-men can stop me old man," Phoenix said.

The ground beneath them began to quake and particles of the earth rose into the atmosphere. The garden bench disintegrated before their eyes.

Turning to look at Logan, Phoenix addressed him "I thought we were kindred spirits Wolverine. Two animalistic and passionate creatures finding pleasure in each others bodies. You've become weak, he's tamed you." she hissed at him.

He simultaneously heard the surprised gasps from his teammates. He looked from Scott, Storm and then toward Marie. He saw unbridled fury building within Scott, extreme disappointment within Storm, and his Marie who always wore her heart on her sleeve looked heartbroken.

"Look at me Jean. We can help you. We can fix it. We can make it like it was. Stay with me," Scott said to his wife.

Seemingly having a moment of clarity, the Jean they all knew came to the surface. "Scott' she's too strong you have to kill me. Please!"

"No Jean, the professor can help. He can fix it."

"I don't want to fix it," Jean said her voice becoming raspier and somewhat demonic. Her eyes darkened to black pools. Using her telekinesis she blasted the team towards the woods, knocking them out. Coming to Jean was gone, and the garden area was destroyed.

"JEAN," Scott yelled when he came to.

"PROFESSOR," Storm and Rogue yelled seeing him without his wheelchair splayed on the ground.

"I'm fine," he said a bit winded, "I just need my wheelchair." They found it not that far from where he was laying.

"Professor, do you know where she has gone?" Storm asked while holding his hand worried about her mentor.

"I'm try to reach her but she is blocking me. She is so strong." Holding up his hand he ask for silence non-verbally. "She's gone back home."

Logan....

Logan....

Startled out of his reverie, Logan unintentionally growled at the person who interrupted his masochistic trip down memory lane. It was Storm, and she was leaning on Hank to keep the weight off her ankle.

"We're back home, thought you should know. Let me know if you need anything my friend we are here for you," she said sympathetically. Hank nodded showing his support as well.
They walk off the Blackbird leaving Logan alone to grieve.

Two Years Later

"Wake up, wake up, wake up"

Logan bolted up in bed, surrounded by a plush, homey cabin. Turning toward the voice he saw Marie in a lace, white nightgown. Her long auburn and ivory hair cascading down her shoulders, and ample bosom. His eyes widened with both dread and elated surprise at seeing the woman he loves sharing his bed.

"Where were ya?" Marie asked her sultry accent heavier than usual.

"Alcatraz" Logan responded monosyllabically.

Marie looked back at him her eyes and face daunted, not hiding the pity she was feeling for him at the moment. Not wanting to continue to see the pity in her eyes, Logan sat up. Marie started kissing his shoulder. Turning toward her again, still disbeliving she was there next to him he asked, "You're here?"

Still kissing his shoulder and moving up his neck she responded, "Of course!"

He gently grabbed her shoulders. "Can you stay," he begged fearful not wanting to lose her again.

That sense of pity entered her eyes again. "You know I can't," she responded somberly

Desperate now Logan started to apologize to her.

"Marie I'm so sorry."

"I know," she responded her tone flat and emotionless.

"I'll never hurt you or anyone ever again, this time I'll protect you and others. I made a vow."

Grazing her lips against his she humorlessly chuckled, and mockingly asked, " A solemn vow?"

"Are you mocking me?" Logan asked saddened she didn't believe him.

Whispering in his ear, "Its too late!"

She looked down and he followed her eyes, first noticing her hands he saw them start to ice over, and the ice rapidly moved up her arms.

"Marie," he screamed

"You can't hide" she kept repeating

"No Marie, please no. Marie. MARIE.," Logan screamed tearfully before she froze in his arms.

He bolted up again this time in the woods, and started to pat out the growing fire next to his sleeping bag. He grabbed the photos of Marie he layed next to him every night as he slept. His favorite photo of her on top. She was in a purple bridesmaid dress, staring outside with a wistful look upon her face. He skimmed his thumb over her face looking at the photo wistfully, before placing the photos next to some of her folded up scarves and other memorabilia he took from the mansion into a cigar box. Next he turned off his shortwave radio and begun to put all his belongings in his dufflebag along with his other toiletries.

Logan sat on a log next to his camp. Getting a can of beans and some utensils from his bag, he used his claws to cut the top of the can off, and he ate in silent misery as he reflected over the last two miserable years.

Two Years Ago

Logan stood away from all the others on the Veranda facing the garden, and recent funerary grounds. The Professor and Storm provided eulogies for both Scott and Marie, since Jean was barely holding it together and Bobby indiscreations with Kitty made him an inappropiate champion for Marie's memory.

After the funeral ended everyone besides himself headed inside. He didn't dare go to the graves, somehow feeling seeing her tombstone would make her absence more evident, but he didn't go back inside either. He wasn't ready for the umcomfortable sympathy and pity from his friends. So he decided to walk toward the wooded expanse surrounding the mansion. He walked for some time lost in thought, it wasn't until he reached a lake that he stopped.
Logan fell to his knees, as he was gasping for air. He was suffocating on regret and guilt. His memories becoming a chronic disease in his mind. They played in his mind like a constant loop.

I'm the only one who can stop her, get everyone to safety. Go!" He said to Storm, and he desperately looked around to make sure Marie got to safety. Not seeing her he hoped she wasn't amoung the mutants and soldiers being disintegrated before his eyes. He worried for Marie during the entire battle, she had absorbed so many of Magneto's minions. Looking back at Jean, he tried to pull at her humanity.

"Jean! I know you're still there."

It was then he felt his nerve endings explode, as the massive energy she directed his way was akin to a vat of acid being thrown onto his skin, and muscle. Her eyes black, and face impassive and she tried to erase him from existence. The closer her got the more determined she would become. He was halfway there, when he saw alabaster smooth hands grab onto Jean's hands.

"I'm sorry Jean, but I can't let you hurt anymore people," Rogue said as Jean turned her dark gaze on her. Rogue's mutation began to take effect, the telltale veins on Jean's face. Logan was having a difficult time seeing from this angle, but he felt Jean's telekinesis ease up making it easier to move toward the top of the mound where the two women stood. However he still didn't make it up in time before they shot into the sky. Time seemed to slow down as he stared up into the night sky where they rose, but all too quickly Rogue carrying Jean gracefully landed back to Earth.

"Marie? You allright?"

Not responding to him, she continued to look at Jean in her arms. Both of their breaths were somewhat shallow and ragged, worrying him as to what Marie's state was both physically and mentally.

"Kid, you allright?" he said the sobriquet on purpose, knowing how much it got under her skin.

"Yeah," she breathed out exasperated, "she's alive by the way."

"What about you, Marie?"

"I'm fine Logan," she answered back her tone holding a note of steel.

"Would you mind holding her, while I try to contact the others?" she inquired but her eyes showed she was demanding not asking.

"Scott? Hank? Ro'? Anyone there?"

Logan could hear the crackling of the comm from where he stood Jean in his arms.

"Rogue, we're here. Is it over?"

"Yes Hank it's over, Jean is out-of-action but alive. Do you know of any mutant friendly hospitals here?
"Yes a few, we are still on the bridge can you and Logan bring her up so we can get her medical attention as soon as possible."

"Yes"

"Okay Rogue! See you in a few moments."

Rogue turned back towards Logan, before asking if he had Jean secured in his arms.

"Okay sugah, I know how much you hate flying but we're kinda in a rush."

Marie then grabbed him by his waist, and lifted him in the air. Logan begun to feel queasy but it was shortlived because moments later they we're back on the ground.

Jolting back from memory lane, somehow Logan had ended up in the lake. His head and torso were still above the water. Looking back toward the direction he assumed the mansion was, he thought about Marie's gravestone and that he would never see her radiant beauty again. Making a decision Logan swam toward the middle of lake, and let his heavy adamantium skeleton do the rest of the work of dragging him down to the murky depths below.

Two Years Later
Planet Xandar

Rogue woke up to screaming, and explosions. Nine months both Scott and herself were on Xandar. Both being rescued off Ronan's ship.

"Scott wake up...SCOTT!"

Scott bolted up in the same manner she did. He looked around for a moment to gather his bearings.

"What's going on?"

"We are under attack, we have to go."

"Go where?"

Rogue looked at Scott and tilted her head, a pointed look directed his way.

"No. No no no no no. We have nothing to go back to there. We didn't escape physical torture, just to self-inflict ourselves with emotional torture."

"We don't have a choice Scott!" Rogue bellowed out her voice holding real conviction and steel.

The ground shook violently when an explosion went off near their lodgings. Weakening the foundation, the ceiling started to fall. They went outside and the air smelt like death and it was mayhem.

"Hear me and rejoice, you have had the privledge of being saved by the Great Titan."

"Thanos!" Rogue breathily exclaimed

"Who?" Scott asked confused.

"It's a long story. You have got to go back, and you have to warn them Scott, and I'll try my best to buy you some time. I'm sorry Scott." Briefly closing her eyes, she tamped down the torrent of emotions threatening to overwhelm her, at sending the closest thing she had to family away. Using the powers imbued to her by the tesseract she created a portal to New York, and sent Scott through.

There were explosions everywhere, and the earth was littered with the bodies of dead men, women and children and she could smell the stench of death in the air. Using her anger as fuel, Rogue snuck through the rubble to smuggle herself aboard Thanos ship. She saw the black order and the Chitauri conducting mass genocide. The guilt set in, she wished she could stop it, but Thanos had the Power stone, and her stolen memories from Gamora, and Ronan's second in command told her what Thanos grand plan was. She could not stop Thanos by herself, even if she had absorbed gargantuan amounts of energy from both the Tesseract and the Power Stone.

Earth, New York, New York Sactum

Scott was seemingly drifting through time and space for hours. He processed the telepathic images Rogue ingrained in his head. Thanos was a scourge to planets. He takes what he wants and wipes out half the population. Rogue knew due to her absortion of the Kree Sarcos and brief absorption of Gamora the whereabouts of both the stones on Earth. He just hoped they could figure out a plan before Thanos arrived.

Crashing into something, Scott growned in pain. He looked up and as the plume of dirt cleared, he could see two men, one with weird shapes in his hands and one with a flowing red cloak.

"Thanos is coming. He's coming."

"Who?" said the man with the red cloak

Space

Rogue used the stealth techniques she got from Logan's memories. The irony of that was not lost on her, he was the one person she didn't want to think about, but at the moment needed. Calling on Mystique's borrowed abilities, Rogue shapeshifted into one of the Chitauri scum drones. Trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, Rogue made it into the control center without detection.

"Have you tracked down the ship?"

"Yes father, the Asgardians should have the tesseract aboard the ship."

"And the Reality stone, is it still on Knowhere?"

"Yes father."

"The reality stone," Rogue whispered under her breath. She could beat Thanos to it.

Rogue left the control room quickly and scoured the ship for a secluded spot where she could teleport herself. Feeling the ship jostle, she knew that they had found the Asgarians. She was running out of time. Finally...finally she found a isolated room, pulling once again from borrowed memories she teleported to Knowhere.

Earth, New York, Central Park

Hey Mr. Stark! It's Peter! Parker! Not that you don't know it's Peter. I'm still the friendly neighborhood spiderman. Patrols have been a bit slow, but I helped this older couple with directions, they were really grateful and bought me cookies. I think the police are starting to like me! Tell Happy I said hi.

Tony smiled at the voicemail. After the team broke up over the Sokovia Accords, his fight with Rogers and Barnes, and Rogue's sacrifice, Tony felt like the darkness was sucking him in. His relationship with Peter really was a brightspot in his life, mentorship turned into surrogate fatherhood.

Wiping the sweat off his forehead, he was about to continue his jog in Central Park when someone called his name.

"Tony Stark, I'm Doctor Steven Strange, I need you to come with me."

"I'm sorry, you giving out tickets or somethin'?" Tony responed startled by the stranger asking for him, with a gyre of luminous gold bronze light spinning behind him.

"We need your help, it's not overselling it to say the fate of the universe is at stake."

"And who's we?" Tony asked still defensive.

Tony looked on in shock as Scott aka Cyclops walked out from behind Dr. Strange.

"Hey Tony!"

"Scott"

Scott felt relief at seeing an old friend, albeit his reluctance to return. He walked over to hug Tony.

"Where's Rogue?" Tony asked not hiding the desperation in his voice

Please say she's with you. Please say she's alive

Scott looked down, "she stayed behind to buy us sometime, but I'm sure she's okay."

Tony could see the hope in his eyes and couldn't help but believe him.