Creeping along the ground like silent predators, the shadows lengthened, grew as night fell. Lights began to glow behind glass, figures began dancing within the lights as he watched, waited patiently. Here was the place, here marked the need. It was here that the monster retreated to, and here where the father and his chosen lived.
He tensed as the back doors opened and a slim, dark haired woman stepped out into the cool evening air. Smirking slightly he watched as the woman strolled down the stairs, her gloved fingers tracing over pale streaks in her mane.
“Chosen.” He muttered softly as he watched her.
Rogue sighed and glanced up at the trees that marked Xavier’s property. She missed being able to walk through them and know that someone above her watched to keep her safe. Ducking her head at the thought of Weapon, she swore softly.
“Where are you? This not knowing is killing Logan.” Kicking at an errant stone she watched it skip across the pavement of the basketball court and roll into the lush grass. With a shake of her head, Rogue stared for the tree line. Even without her silent guardian, Rogue felt no fear as she slid into the darker shadows. Fingers always covered by fabric trailed over the rough bark of trees.
In a moment of anger she ripped them from her hands, and tossed them aside. Tensing at the sound of leaves and branches rustling she glanced upward and scanned the trees. “You won’t see her.” She admonished herself. “Let her come to you, let whatever needs to be come and you’ll be fine.”
A low, gentle purr filled her mind a moment before the air seemed to grow oppressive and then nothing. Shaking her head at her own foolishness, Rogue resumed her walk. She longed to have Logan home, longed to know what he was doing but knew he wouldn’t call until he had something to say.
From his perch in the huge spruce tree he watched her, his eyes glowing in the night. Lifting his head he sniffed, soon the father would be back and then he would awaken what his sister had given away. Now though he had other things to think of, now he would hunt.
“Rogue!” Logan’s voice drew her from the silence of the night. Turning she hurried toward the back patio, smiling as she caught sight of Logan, cigar in hand, cradling a beer.
“Hey sugah!” Rogue waved at him and hurried toward the man who grinned quickly before falling back on the usual gruff expression. “Did you find anything?”
“Nothing that we can use. Apparently the army had a line on her and the last I heard they were close.” Logan explained as he led her away from the mansion, back toward the tree line. “From the rumblings I heard, we may have a bigger problem though.”
“Yeah? What?” Rogue asked softly.
“Her brother’s out for blood.” Logan whispered, trailing a gentle finger through her streak. “If he gets to whoever betrayed Weapon, he’ll do more than just kill ‘em.”
“Where’d you go?”
“North, up by Alkali Lake. Figured if they were gonna go somewhere familiar, that’s where they’d head. Found nothing but whispers of wild men, and dangerous phantoms.”
“I’m just glad to have you home.”
“Jean around?”
“Yeah, been sticking pretty close. Her and Scott have been avoiding me so whatever’s going on I think he’s involved.”
“Its on the wind, Marie.” Logan whispered softly. “There’s blood in the air, I can smell it.”
Leaning against him, Rogue sighed. “Don’t let them destroy what you’ve managed to build. We’ll find Weapon and her brother, we’ll find your family. We can protect them, protect ourselves.”
“I’m gonna do whatever I have to, darlin’. Come on, I need a stiff drink, something to eat, and a shower. After that we’ll talk more.”
Rogue smiled at him and nodded as they slowly made their way back to the mansion. Stepping inside she glanced over her shoulder for a moment before focusing on Logan again.
Sitting on their bed she stared at Logan as he paced. Reaching over she unrolled the map on the bedside table and stared down at it. “If there are tales of dangerous, wild creatures in that area maybe we need to take a broader look. Maybe we should look further north, west even.”
“I was thinking Toronto. From what I’ve dug up, there’s a lab not too far north of there. A lab hiding under the title of a chemical plant.”
“What do you think?”
“Hell, the army’ll hide what it can under whatever they have to. Saying it’s a chemical plant is an easy out. I think it’s a good chance that we’ll be able to get a lead or two from there.” Logan took a long swig of his beer and stared at Rogue. “I’ll take care of you, Marie. I promise. You don’t have to be scared.”
“I’m not scared, Logan. I’m not going to live in fear. I know she’s worth the risk, after all she would do no less…”
“Darlin’ I’m not abandoning her. We’ll go back out. We just have to be careful, make sure that the army doesn’t get wind of our diggin’. That’s why we have to be slow and cautious.”
“They may have killed her by now.”
“No. I don’t think so. They want their bio-weapon alive to kill for ‘em.”
Rogue nodded and shifted, reaching for another map. Unfolding them she read over them, plotting a course, planning their next move. Glancing up she met his eyes, “Do you really believe Jean would sell her out?”
“If it meant the difference between saving the kids and her ideals and letting Weapon loose, yes. Jean doesn’t see her as a mutant, sees her as a weapon, a tool the army can use.”
“Weapon’s like a child. She’s got no ulterior motives, no darkness within her. She does what she has to survive. She’s the best protection these kids could have. You and I both know she’d die to save ‘em, because of us.”
Logan nodded and sat on the edge of the bed, a pensive look on his face. “We both know that she’d rather die than let a monster hurt an innocent. I wish I knew where my daughter is, Marie. I want to know she’s safe, that she’s healthy, and that she’s okay.”
“I know.” Rogue pulled him close, ignoring the maps and other debris on the bed. “Come on, just lay back with me and we’ll deal with this in the morning.”
Rogue glanced at the empty bed as she stretched out the kinks from sleeping half on, half off the bed. Logan had been up and gone when she’d awakened and for that she was glad. It gave her a few moments to compose her emotions, to hide her fear from everyone. In all likelihood Weapon was at the mercy of a lab, being tortured and hurt because of another’s fear.
Her clothes in hand Rogue slipped on her jeans, her mind a tangled mess. Even if Jean hadn’t sold her out, it was possible that the army was getting too close to Rogue for Weapon’s taste and she’d have allowed them to seize her to save Father’s Chosen.
Pulling her hair back she smiled at the sunshine that danced across the floor. She slid into a pair of runners, a quick walk outside would do her good before trying to find Logan. Tugging her gloves on, she hurried down the stairs and out into the warm, sun filled morning.
“Mornin’ Jubes.” Rogue waved at her friend as she stepped quickly onto the soft, cool grass. She walked quickly, her steps sure as she circled the lawn, her hands laced behind her back, a relaxed look upon her face.
Grunting as he recognized the Chosen one approaching, he slid deeper into the shadows. He could smell the father on her, the scent rich, familiar, soothing. The smoky scent of tobacco, the bite of bourbon and the yeasty smell of beer, but deeper was the scent of danger, of risk, of death and it drew a smile.
With an agile leap he landed on the sturdy branch he’d spent most of the night upon and watched her pass him by. He could hear her soft purr as she moved past him, hear the steady beating of her heart, and felt at ease, at peace for a moment. The sound of a door opening drew his attention and he growled low, fury in every note.
He narrowed his eyes and watched as the red-headed monster stepped off the bottom step and started for Chosen. With each step his unease and disgust grew until he could no longer contain his rage. Jumping from the tree to the ground he barely felt the jolt of jumping thirty feet.
“Wake now!” He grunted low in his throat. “Sister, wake whatever you placed within the Chosen, keep her safe, keep her from harm.”
Scratching at her throat Rogue eyed Jean who looked positively cheerful as she walked toard her. “What’s got you in such a good mood?”
“Do I need a reason to be happy?” Jean shot back.
“I guess not. Sell anyone out lately?”
“Rogue, try to understand this is for the best. There are students that need to be protected; one life is hardly comparable to hundreds.”
Rogue glared at her, the words as close to an admission as she was likely to get and yet she knew it wasn’t enough to beat her for. No they needed more, needed something concrete, something that even Professor Xavier would have to accept.
Frowning, Rogue reached up to her temple at the beginning swell of pain. It wasn’t so bad that she was uncomfortable, it was more a nagging sensation and it irked her. From the startled expression on Jean’s face, whatever was happening on the inside was happening on the outside.
“What the fuck’s your problem?” Rogue ground out.
“Your face.” Jean whispered stepping back slowly. “It’s all metallic, the metal’s coming through your skin.”
With a sharp movement, Rogue jerked the gloves off and stared at her hands. They were indeed wrapped in metal, the pale flesh still visible in places, almost like she were wearing a loose knit lace.
Shaking her head she stared at the familiar glimmer of silver even as her head seemed to swell, the pain increase exponentially until she was nearly sick with it. Screaming as it seemed to settle upon her chest she hit her knees, her hands cradling her head.
“Rogue. Rogue it’s okay. Just try to relax.” Jean’s voice seemed to come from a distance. As she moved closer, the pain increased, the metal seemed to press outward, along with the irrational, yet familiar need to hurt the monster. “NO! DON’T TOUCH ME!” Rogue screamed even as she became aware of Logan, PIotr, Scott, and Hank racing toward her. Great, a whole pack of men, she laughed coldly as she eyed Jean.
Leaning toward the doctor she whispered just loud enough for the other woman to hear, “She’s coming for you!”
Jean barely had time to react as Logan all but threw her aside in his need to get to Rogue. “Darlin’ what’s happening?” He demanded pulling her close to him and watching as the metal seemed to thin out until it was barely visible. Almost like glass upon the pale skin.
“I don’t know.” Rogue whispered softly, the pain hadn’t eased totally and she still couldn’t see clearly. “Jean was coming to talk to me and the next thing I knew I was swimming in agony. Dear God, Logan it hurts. Make the pain go away!”
“Shh.” Logan lifted her into his arms, getting to his feet easily, comfortably. “MOVE!” He grunted at Hank and Scott who stood in his way. He carried her inside and headed for the stairs, they needed to get somewhere safe, somewhere that Rogue’s body could relax and the only place he knew as their shared room.
Logan put her down on the soft, rumpled bedcovers and satred at her. Why had the metal come out now? Everyone had anticipated that it was gone, that she had lost any hint of Weapon she may have held at one time. “Baby, you think you can eat something? I’ll get you some toast or something.”
Rogue shook her head. “She’s coming Logan. They’re coming.”
“Are you sure?”
Rogue cried softly as she curled onto her side. “I don’t know. The metal is a protection from Weapon, it only comes to the surface when I’m threatened. What are we going to do?”
Logan stared at her for a moment before exhaling and sinking to the mattress next to her. “We wait to see. Motherfucker, we wait.”
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