Rolling onto her back, Rogue slowly began to regain consciousness. She opened her eyes slightly, trying to adjust to the harsh florescent lights. Standing up, Rogue surveyed her surroundings only to find that she’d been locked in a cell. She tried to concentrate and call upon the powers she had absorbed within the past few days, but they’d already faded.
~ Whatever was in those tranqs musta’ been some strong shit. ~ She thought, shaking her head to clear the cobwebs.
Along the walls of the cell was a sink, a toilet and a cot; nothing Rogue could use to her advantage. Going to the sink, she ran the water; cupping her hands to take a drink. Glancing around the cell again after her thirst was quenched, Rogue spied a security camera outside of the Plexiglas cell; she smiled at it, waving as well.
A few minutes later, she heard footsteps and the faint sound of an electric wheelchair. Coming up to the front of the cell, The Professor regarded Rogue silently.
~ Here comes the ‘we are not the enemy’ speech… might as well get comfy. ~ She thought.
“Hello my name is Professor Charles Xavier-”
“Ah know who ya’ are.” Rogue interrupted.
Sensing her hostility, Scott stepped forward, instinctively putting himself between The Professor and Rogue.
She rolled her eyes at him, “Down boy, Ah just meant that no introductions were needed. Ah know who ya’ll are.”
Stepping back slightly, Scott watched Rogue as she searched her pockets.
“Fuck, ya’ know, it’s bad enough that ya’ locked meh up in this shit hole, but did ya’ really hafta’ nick mah cigarettes too? Ah mean, what did ya’ think Ah was gonna try and do, smoke mah way out of here?”
Suppressing a smile at her words, The Professor responded, “My apologies for the accommodations, but you were quite volatile before and tried to kill some members of my team.”
Running a hand through her hair, Rogue smiled sweetly at him, “Well Ah’m all better now, nice and calm. So if ya’ would be so kind as to open the door, Ah’ll be on mah way.”
Thinking the statement over, Rogue paused briefly before correcting The Professor, “And for the record, Ah only tried to kill *one* member of ya’ team.”
“Only one?” Scott butted in disbelief.
“Yeah, just one.” Came to answer.
“You tried to kill Logan and Kitty, and you would have killed the rest of us had you been given the chance!” Scott raged.
“No sugah, Ah tried to kill *Logan* and Ah plead guilty as charged to that, but Ah never tried to kill Kitty; just wounded her… that’s a lesser charge. In addition, as for the rest of ya’, ya’ hafta’ prove intent. You struck meh first, so Ah could argue self defence…” Trailing off, Rogue realised that she had just used the memories of one of her previous jobs.
Shaking her head, she pushed that personality back into her subconscious, “But it don’t mean shit, cause you ain’t ever gonna turn meh over to the authorities, and Ah ain’t ever gonna face trial for it.”
“What makes you think that?” Asked The Professor, clearly intrigued.
“Cos’ it’ll be like signing a death warrant.”
“Maybe you deserve to die.” Said Scott, anger still clouding his mind.
Laughing at his words, Rogue looked the fearless leader over, “Ah wasn’t talking about mah death warrant sugah.”
“What?”
“Whaddaya’ think the authorities are gonna do if you hand meh over to em’?”
“Lock you up and throw away the key.”
“Fuck, ya’ even stupider than ya’ look…”
Smiling at The Professor, she asked him instead, “What do you think they would do to meh, good Professor? A trained assassin, someone who could kill with a touch? Yeah Ah’m sure they’d just lock meh up. So go on, call the cops… Ah‘ll wait here.”
“We haven’t decided what to do with you yet,” The Professor told Rogue, “But letting you go is not an option. As Scott said, you did try to kill one of my team.”
“And you want to know why?” She guessed.
“Yes, but also, who you hired you?”
“You’re the psychic, ya’ tell meh.” Rogue teased.
“As you’ve probably already guessed, I am unable to read your mind.”
“But you’ve tried, naughty Professor, and Ah heard you were an ethical man, but trying to read someone’s mind without their permission isn‘t very ethical, now is it?” She asked.
“Neither is trying to kill someone.” Scott answered.
“True, but then Ah knew Wolverine wouldn’t have agreed if Ah just asked nicely, so…” She laughed, “But then again, Ah never said that Ah had ethics. No ethics, no morals… no shame.”
“So you’ll kill anyone for the right amount of money?” Scott asked, incredulous.
“Now who‘s a bright penny?”
“Who hired you to kill Wolverine?” The Professor asked, tired of the banter.
“Some guys outside of a bar.” Rogue answered.
“Why did they want to get rid of him?”
“Don’t know.”
“You’re lying.” Affirmed The Professor.
“Well duh… a girl’s gotta have *some* secrets.”
“Sir, this is ridiculous!” Scott huffed.
“Ah’ll have ya’ know that Ah take mah work very seriously.”
“‘Your work’?” Scott spat, “You‘re nothing but a killer.”
“Well Ah get paid for it, so it’s work.”
“You’re a criminal.” He told her righteously.
Staring directly at Scott, Rogue placed her hands on the glass, “Yeah, cos what *you* do is all above board and legal. Ah mean, how many schools have their own underground holding cells, private jets and danger rooms. Not to mention a teaching staff that dresses up in S+M costumes a couple days out of the week to play superhero.”
The Professor stepped in, speaking with conviction, “We are trying to bridge the gap between mutants. In doing so, it is sometimes necessary to take measures of a questionable nature, but it is for the greater good and I will not apologise for that.”
“Can you say… vigilante?” Rogue mocked, “‘The greater good’… God you sound like a cult.”
Seeing Scott and The Professor’s disbelief at her blatant disrespect, Rogue continued to needle them, “Ah mean, Ah might be a criminal, but at least I own up to it.”
“You kill people for money and you ‘may’ be a criminal?”
“Well Ah ain’t gonna do it for free, that’d be stupid.”
“This is unbelievable.” Scott muttered, staring at Rogue, “She doesn’t see anything wrong with what she does; she lies, she cheats, steals and kills… without a second thought. I mean, she’s… she’s…”
The Professor tried to calm him down, “It might be best if we took a short break, Scott. Perhaps get a drink to cool us off.”
“Yes sir, I think that would be for the best.” He replied.
“‘Sir’? Shit, you’ve got him trained well, don‘t ya’?” Rogue taunted.
Leaving her in the holding cell, The Professor and Scott made their way toward the metal doors.
“Ya’ll come back now, ya’ here?”
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Thanks go to Fage for the beta, once again. The title of this chapter is a play on a certain Harry Potter book/film. Couldn't help myself I love the film.