The Wolverine & Rogue Fanfiction Archive
Barely Legal Since 2000
Author's Chapter Notes:
Thanks go to CaffineYankee for the beta.
The sound of screaming echoed off the concrete walls, loud and primeval. Looking up he sees his reflection. His skin peeled back, organs laid bare for the world to see, metal clamps hold his arms open, his blood flowing freely from his open wounds, and voices surround him. Snippets of conversations penetrate his mind: “Weapon X”, “Adamantium”, “Virtually indestructible”, “Wolverine.” A shadowy figure falls over him. Looking up, he stares into the eyes of a man. His face is covered with a mask, wearing surgical garbs covered in blood; his blood. Logan struggles against his binds but is unable to break free. The man leans over him.
“Now, my pet, it’ll only hurt worse if you struggle,” he taunts. Looking over his shoulder, he asks, “Is it ready?”
Logan tries to turn his head to see who he’s talking to, but his eyes fix on a large cylinder. Transparent in appearance, inside a silvery liquid, long tubes snaked out of the cylinder, a syringe attached to the end of the tubes.
The man takes the syringe and inserts it into Logan’s open arm, scraping the bone, before piercing it. A burning pain sears through his body, pain like no one has ever felt before consumes his body.
Laughter, he hears laughter. The bastards are laughing at him, at his pain. He opens his mouth and screams; a rage descends over him. Letting out a howl, the Wolverine has taken over.
“Aaarrgh” Rogue screams as she bolts up and falls off her cot. Rising up to her knees, she lays her head on the cool floor of the cell.
Silent tears flow down her face as she tries to get her breathing under control. She shakily gets to her feet and stumbles to the small sink in her cell. She fills the plastic tumbler with water and brings it to her mouth taking a drink, she swirls it around her mouth before spitting it out. Steadying herself, she turns around and walks back to her cot, falling down on it. Pulling herself into a sitting position, she brings her knees up and wraps her arms around them. Lowering her head to the tops of her knees, she lets the tears fall.
The smell of sulphur assaults her senses. Lifting her head she sees Kurt standing on the other side of her cell.
Wiping her eyes, she smiled at him. “You don’t give up do ya?”
“Nien” Kurt answers, giving her a fanged smile. Holding up a bowl of stew he asks, “Hungry?”
Rogue laughs. “Starving.”
Kurt opens a little window in the plexiglass and slides the bowl of stew in with plastic cutlery. Rogue walks over and picks up the bowl.
“Thank you,” she says.
Kurt smiles at her, replying, “You’re welcome.”
Kurt watches while Rogue eats the stew. When she finished he asked, “Would you like anything else?”
“No, ah’m fine.” Rogue answered.
“Why were you crying?” Kurt asked, edging himself closer to the cell.
“It doesn’t matter,” Rogue answered.
“It does to me.” Kurt replied.
Rogue let out a sigh. “It’s nothing really. Ah just… ah just had a nightmare,” she answered, running a hand through her hair.
“Do you have a lot?”
“Not like this,” Rogue choked out. “It wasn’t one of mine.”
“You have other people’s nightmares?” Kurt asked, confused.
“The people ah’ve touched. Ah sometime get theirs.” Rogue explained to him.
“You got Logan’s nightmares,” Kurt said.
“Yes,” Rogue replied. “You know about them?”
“I know he has them, that’s it. He doesn’t talk about them, and I don’t ask.”
“Ah wouldn’t, they’re not very nice.” Rogue told him.
Kurt smiled at her. “See, you do care, little sister,” he said, causing Rogue to laugh.
“Just don’t tell anyone, it’ll ruin mah reputation.” Rogue joked.
“Deal.”
“How did you end up here Kurt?” Rogue asked. “At Xavier’s”
“I was working at a circus. I was the incredible Nightcrawler; I travelled all over Europe, Paris, Florence, Barcelona, Munich, and Prague to name a few.” He told her while remembering his past with a smile.
“It sounds like ya were happy.” Rogue said.
“I was. I was very happy.”
“So what happened?” Rogue asked.
“The Friends of Humanity. Most people assumed that I wore a costume- that this was all make up. But the Friends of Humanity discovered the truth and attacked the circus. The X-Men turned up and stopped them from doing too much damage, but I couldn’t stay there. The Professor offered me a place here, and I accepted. I thought it was the right thing to do.” Kurt told her.
“It was,” Rogue said. “Oh, don’t get meh wrong, ah still think that Xavier’s a manipulative bastard, but you are safer here than ya would be out there. The world ain’t mutant friendly.”
“You live in it, out there among normal people,” Kurt remarked.
“We are normal, Kurt. Mutants are just the discriminated flavour of the twenty-first century. The nineteen-thirties were Jews, the Sixties were blacks, and Mutants are the ones now. Who knows what the future will bring. And as for me living out there in the world, yeah ah do, but ah don’t belong to it. There’s this whole big divide out there - Mutant and Humans. Ah can walk in both worlds, but ah belong to neither. Most mutants fear meh, or what ah can do.”
“I don’t,” Kurt told her truthfully.
“Only cos ah’m ya sister.”
Before Kurt could reply Xavier, wheeling himself into the holding cell area, interrupted him.
“Kurt, what are you doing here?” he asked, looking at him.
“Talking to my sister,” Kurt answered.
Xavier took a deep breath, “Kurt, this woman is a killer. She...”
“Is meine sister,” Kurt interrupted, refusing to listen to any of Xavier words.
“Have fun with Logan?” Rogue taunted Xavier.
Xavier stared at Rogue. “Kurt I would like to talk to Rogue alone, if you don’t mind.”
Kurt looked at Rogue, asking her in a silent question. Rogue smiled and nodded her head at Kurt. “It’s ok Kurt,” she told him. “The good Professor probably doesn’t want an audience. Ah mean, who knows what trouble ah’d cause with that.”
“Ok,” Kurt reluctantly agreed. “I’ll come and see you later Rogue.”
“Fine, ah apparently ain’t going anywhere.” Rogue said waving goodbye as Kurt left the holding cell area. Turning to the Professor, she smiled. “And what can ah do for you on this fine day, Professor?”
Xavier regarded Rogue carefully. “You and Kurt seem to be getting on well,” he remarked.
“We’re family,” Rogue replied. “Ah’ve tried telling him that ah’m a killer and not worth his time, but he wont listen. Ah sure you’ll do your best to make him see sense.”
“I will not interfere in Kurt’s affairs.” Xavier said.
“That’ll be a first.” Rogue stared at Xavier. Taking in his appearance, she realised with a smile that he looked like he had aged years in the past few days. Running a hand through her hair she asked, “Are we just gonna stare at each other all night or are you gonna tell me what you actually want?”
“I had an interesting conversation with Logan...”
“Ah thought ya might,” Rogue cut in. “Did ya have fun?”
Xavier ignored her interruption. “He mentioned that you knew the people who took down the labs.”
“Did he?” Rogue mocked. “Ya can’t trust anybody these days.”
“Quite. After a bit of research on my part, I uncovered a great deal of information.”
“Took you long enough,” Rogue smiled.
“One piece of information stuck out though from everything I gathered.”
“What would that be?” Rogue played along.
“A woman.” Xavier said.
“It ain’t meh.”
“I know. She is spoken about as a myth. Eyes the colour of the blackest night sky, the balance of a cat and claws to match, and the ability to kill without conscience.” Xavier explained.
“She sounds too good to be true,” Rogue sighed.
Xavier smiled at Rogue. “She sounds a lot like Shadow,” he said.
“Who?” Rogue asked confessed.
“Shadow, of the Dragon Samurais.” Xavier clarified.
“Oh right, sorry. She’s got so many names it’s hard to keep track of them all.”
“So you admit that you know her.”
“Yep, ah know her, we go back. Gotta say ah’m disappointed. It took ya long enough to figure it out. But hey, ya got there in the end.”
“You’re a member of the Dragon Samurais?” Xavier asked.
“Spoke too soon,” Rogue sighed. “No ah’m not a member of The Dragon Samurais, ah just know some of them.”
“How do you know them?” Xavier asked.
Rogue stared at Xavier, “You really expect meh to answer that?” she said, “Have you learnt nothing so far? Ah don’t answer your questions.”
“I tire of your games,” Xavier said, rubbing his forehead.
“I tire of looking at your face,” Rogue retorted.
Xavier lifted his head. “You have links to The Dragon Samurais and The Brotherhood, you used to be a member of The Thieves Guild, you have links to my X-Men, and yet for all extensive purposes you don’t exist. Who are you Rogue?”
Rogue smiled, “A fucked up soul.” She answered, as the lights flickered.
Xavier looked around as the lights flickered. Then, to his horror, the power went out, descending the room into darkness. The electric mechanism on the doors fused and opened.
With lightening quick speed Rogue was on her feet and out the cell door. Reaching Xavier, she flicked on her skin and placed her hand on his cheek. Draining enough to knock him out, she pushed his unconscious body into her cell. Using Xavier’s powers, she scanned her surrounding area for people. Sensing none she exited the holding cell area. Reaching the school levels, she noticed that all the power was off there to. Closing her eyes she concentrated on finding the X-Men. Sensing them spread all out over the mansion she made her way to one of the secret passages. Pushing the fake wooden panel out of the way, she walked along the concrete corridor until she reached a grill on the ceiling. Pushing on, she lifted herself up and found herself in the garage.
Spotting a jazzed up Harley in the corner, Rogue smiled. Walking towards it she ran her hand over the gleaming metal. “Hello baby,” she cooed, as she threw her leg over the bike straddling it. The keys already in the ignition, she turned the key and sped off, all the usual security measures disabled by the power cut.
*~*~*
Rogue had driven a few miles when she saw someone leaning on a bike on the side of the road ahead of her. Slowing down, she smiled when she recognised who it was. Pulling up beside him, she jumped of the bike.
“Shockwave,” she greeted.
“Hey girl,” he replied, throwing his arms around her and lifting her up in the air.
“It’s good to see you,” Rogue said. “Ah take it that was your work back at Xavier’s,” she added, raising an eyebrow.
“Yeah, Jessie asked me to keep an eye of you, make sure you were okay. And you know no one says no to Jessie,” he admitted.
“Ah know. Damn woman can be scary,” she laughed. “Thanks Shocks, ah was loosing mah mind back there. Ah needed to get out.”
“Anytime Rogue, I got Jessie’s bike. I won’t tell her you almost lost it.”
“Shit, she’d kill meh. How are Jessie and Chris?” Rogue asked.
“Tearing apart Tokyo, last I heard.”
“So they’re having fun then.” Rogue joked.
“Yeah.”
“Look, ya wanna swap bikes? Ah just stole this one from the X-Men and chances are there’s a tracking device on it.” Rogue told him.
“Sure, I’ll take it; I’ll strip it down and rebuild it. What about you? Where are you going?” Shockwave asked.
“I’m gonna get my stuff and get the hell out of here, before hell rains down on meh.” Rogue told him.
“Ok, you take care of yaself girl.” He said, swapping bikes and hugging her one more time.
“You too,” Rogue replied before speeding away.
*~*~*
Logan returned to the mansion to find it in chaos. All the power was off and the X-Men were running around like headless chickens.
After restoring the power Logan asked, “Is everyone okay?” Everyone nodded their heads in affirmation.
“Where is the Professor?” Ro asked.
“He was talking to Rogue earlier.” Kurt answered.
“Ain’t the doors on the cells electronically operated?” Bobby asked.
Everyone looked at each other briefly before running towards the lower levels and the holding cell area.
Bursting through the door, the X-Men were shocked by the scene that greeted them. Professor Xavier was unconscious in Rogue’s cell, with Rogue nowhere to be seen.
“Rogue has escaped.” Scott announced.
“Ya good at stating the obvious, ain’t ya Scooter?” Logan growled as Jean went to attend to the Professor. “He gonna be okay Jeannie?”
“Yes I think so,” Jean answered. “He’s just unconscious.”
“Right,” Logan replied as he made his way to the door.
“Where do you think you are you going?” Scott demanded, turning to Logan.
“To find Rogue,” Logan growled, “it’s time to end this thing.”
“Nien,” Kurt shouted. “Please don’t hurt her,” he begged.
“Kurt,” Jean said, scandalized. “She is a killer.”
“She is meine sister,” Kurt replied, shocking a few of them.
Logan looked at Kurt. “I’ll make you no promise Kurt. I’ll do what I can but it ends tonight,” he told him before walking out of the holding cell area.