Blood dripped from my finger tips, leaving a trail of reddish purple ooze in my wake. Night has descended upon me faster than I had originally expected and that left me with only the faintest of light to guide me as I skulk through the alley way that I am currently lurking in.
I had been shot by a sniper right through my left shoulder blade and I have to stop and lean up against the side of some dirty brick wall in no-where-ville and try to take a sip out of my canteen. I take a few deep breaths before checking my Sig Sauger 229. It’s my favorite weapon of choice in any sticky situation particularly when I need to have a not so personal encounter with my pursuer or vise versa.
Damn.
I am out of bullets and I don’t have any extra clips.
I double check my other two holsters. My two Glock 37.45 calibers only have the one clip in them. I have to close my eyes at that. I just had to go gun crazy when those wonna-be soldiers showed up. But what can I say? Men with guns chasing me- of course I am going to use deadly force. What do they think I am? Stupid?
Don’t answer that.
I start to pat my pant legs just to make sure I still have my buck knife hidden there. It’s still hidden within the outer side of my leg as my fingers, still wet with my own blood, skim the hand carved handle. I press down on the toes of my thick leather boots watching with a grim satisfaction as blades swipe out from the tips of both, slicing the air with silent ease. I am silently glad that they hadn’t gotten stuck when I had been kicking those soldier’s teeth in.
Taking one more sip from my canteen I begin to move out. I press myself up against the side of the building I was just leaning against and peer around the corner. A few cars are parked out front of one the buildings, but besides that there isn’t anyone in sight. There’s no one in screaming distance if I fail at my objective. There’s no one out here who will witness the battle that is about to take place upon their very streets.
How very clichéd?
I slither around the corner, sticking to hiding in the shadows as I try to move towards a more occupied part of the city. But I have a feeling that I won’t make it that far. The boys I had hit just an hour before were nothing but a gage. They were there to see how much damage I could accomplish and to see if I could escape them at all.
I love being underestimated. It makes the game a lot more-interesting, especially when I have the upper hand in the situation. But then I have to give them credit for even thinking about making sure that they could even catch me with out artificial help.
I am half way down the street now. I can hear the rumble of cars passing by and the familiar smell of exhaust fumes just a click away. I just hope I can make it before being spotted.
I have to move out into the open to get to the main part of the city. A good straight non-stop run should get me there before anyone is the wiser. I don’t even second guess my decision on that one as I run, full out towards the sparkling city lights in the horizon.
“Mutant stop! You are under arrest by order of the MRD,” said a booming voice over the loud speaker. I didn’t even stop I just keep running, I didn’t even turn back to look at where they were. I didn’t turn back for anything.
I ran hard, fast and with breakneck speed across the dirt and few patches of plain field grass. Looking ahead I could see the faint outline of cars and a few small buildings leading towards the city. The city where the military wouldn’t even try to cause a big scene, the city where one could physically get lost with in a few minutes. I all but laughed in pleasure.
I was just reaching the true outskirts of the city limits when I felt another shot resonate through my body as I was shot again threw the upper part of my right leg. I stumbled forward and nearly fall to the ground. But I steadied myself and kept running. My body screamed in pain but the adrenaline coursing through my veins and my mind going into self preservation mode pushed it into the back of my brain like annoying child.
I reached the first of the small buildings in record time. I was overjoyed at my success. That is until a dusty red creature appeared from around one of the buildings, stopping me in my tracks.
“Mutant has been identified. Capture and destroy,” it said to me in a mechanical sort of way.
I started to feel the fright creep up the back of my neck. I know I can’t beat a sentinel. I hadn’t come prepared for one and I am pretty certain that my mutation wouldn’t even cause a dent in that behemoth.
But I felt the tingle. It’s the same sensation that Eric got when he was only twelve years old. It is the same tingle that started as he watched his parents as they were dragged behind a chain linked fence and never seen or heard from again.
“Mutant has been identified. Code name Rogue, absorption abilities through skin to skin contact,” the sentinel said aloud as his computer main frame pulled my file. I had forgotten how advanced the sentinels will become in the future. In about twenty years they will be able to create their own defenses against mutant abilities to the point where they actually almost become mutants themselves.
His large metal hand began to bend lower to me, ready to snatch me up and take me to where ever captured mutants go. I felt the psyches in my mind scream and try to fight for their own position within the forefront of my mind. Logan and Eric being the strongest quickly stomped out all of the other competition. Regrettably, Eric won this battle.
I felt as if I was experiencing some out of body experience and was watching a movie about my life. Eric was so strong and powerful when in the depths of battle. It was very impressive; I had to give the man credit even if he did try to kill me.
I could feel Magneto’s powers as they began to run wickedly throughout my body, creating a Magnetic field. He said nothing at first as he lifted the behemoth of a creature up off of the Earth’s surface and threw it at least forty yards into the distance.
He then turned to face the onslaught of human soldiers that dared to face off with us. Men and women dressed in the usual cameo uniforms formed a defensive line across the grassy plain, each holding their assigned weapon pointed straight at us. Inside my mind I looked up at Eric as the leader of this venture waiting to see what would happen next.
“Mutant, you are under arrest. Please place your hands above your head and allow one of the MRD officers to place the government issued mutant restraining collar upon you. If you do not cooperate we will be forced to take extreme action,” the same booming voice from before said to me from behind the defensive line.
I looked back up at Eric again trying to figure out what we were going to do next. He just smiled at them, a wicked smile that I had only seen a handful of times. He lifted his hands up into the air and with them also raised two of the military vehicles. He levitated them high above the people below before he released them. They dropped hard and fast, both being completely destroyed. People scattered and ducked out of the way fast. Magneto causing just a moment of mayhem within the front lines.
I guess we gave them our answer.
“Open fire!” the booming voice screamed out.
“Homo sapiens and their guns,” Eric mumbled out as he waved the assault of bullets away like flies.
The next few minutes were a muddle of guns blaring and Magneto standing between a sentinel and the MRD. Neither could touch the man of magnetism.
“Simulation terminated,” the main computer for Xavier’s Danger Room spoke out. I looked up to the tower to see who had ended my simulation. I should have known who it was.
Shaking Eric’s consciousness to the back of my mind where he belonged I started towards the lift that would take me up to the tower.
I didn’t even make it half way before he came storming towards me. He walked right up to me with a pointed finger and began to berate me like an eight year old child.
“You have to be the most brainless person I have ever met in my entire life. And let me tell you kid I’ve had a pretty damn long life,” Logan said to me causing my face to flush brilliant red, hiding the slight embarrassment I felt at my moment of foolishness.
“I have no idea what you are talking,” I tell him taking a step back.
“I am beginning to believe you have a death wish kid,” he all but growled out to me and I couldn’t help but smirk at the irony of this discussion.
“I am still confused because last time I checked I wasn’t the one who decided that putting themselves into a coma for a few days was the most awesome way of spending their weekend,” I replied back. I hadn’t even registered that I was still injured and bleeding quite nicely onto the DR floor.
“So, what? You saying you wanted to die?” He asked me with that quirked eyebrow thing. I swear we could have made a documentary on that, probably could have made a fortune.
“I died along time ago Logan,” I tell him somberly as I start to move away from him. I was starting to loose focus and arguing with him right now was not helping me in the slightest.
“You knew me once,” he says to me as I am about to reach the lift. The man must be oblivious because I can feel the blood from my shoulder wound dripping down my fingers onto the floor.
“Are you sure about that?” I question him. I figure that if I can make him believe that everything he dreamed was just that, a dream, I would be home free.
“Are you questioning my sanity?” He asks. I couldn’t help it; I rolled my eyes on that one.
“Can’t question something I don’t have myself,” I reply with an impatient, uncaring sigh.
“You’re a smartass you know that?” he tells me more like a statement than a question.
“Never denied that, but I wouldn’t be callin’ the kettle back if I were you. If you catch my drift that is,” I respond. I had moved to lean up against the metal wall as I waited for the lift to come back down to get me.
“So you going to tell me the truth or am I just going to have to hold you here?” he asks me. I keep trying to keep my eyes open as I start to lose consciousness.
“Is that a promise?” I ask a little on the loopy side even though I know that Logan keeping me here with him would most likely be on my top ten things to do before I die list.
“Why won’t you just tell me?” He asks me with this whole James Dean ‘Rebel without a Cause’ look. I am just waiting for him to say ‘you’re tearing me apart!’ in that way only bad boys can duplicate.
“Logan if you haven’t noticed I am about to bleed to death from two gun shot wounds. Answering your mundane questions are not on the top of my to-do list today. So why don’t you be a gentleman and carry me up to the damn med lab. Especially since you seem so enthralled with saving my life,” I say to him in a deeming kind of way. I know it’s mean and uncalled for. But I am wounded her people.
Logan grunted and walked over and swung me up into his arms. If I hadn’t been about to bleed to death I might have actually enjoyed my little trip in those muscular arms of his. Especially with the view I had of his back side.
“Did you try to kill me along time ago or something?” He asked me as we exited the lift to main foyer of the school.
“First off who even said I knew you, second off why would I kill you? I mean if I really wanted to kill you don’t you think I would have done so by now?” I asked him as we rounded another corner.
“Point but you still won’t answer my questions,” he reminded as we past Jubilee and Kitty on our way to the med lab. They both just looked at us with astonishment.
“Look if you’re so determined to find out about your past I might be able to help you. But that’s all I am doing. Searching for your past Logan will only dreg up bad memories and even more questions for everyone involved, okay?” I say hoping that will please him.
“Fine,” is all he said to me as we entered the med lab. Jean was already there over looking some charts when we came barging in.
She looked from me and then to Logan and sighed.
“Do I really want to know what happened?” she asked.
“Probably not,” I grumble out before answering her, “I was running a sim, that’s all,” I say as Logan placed me on one of the medical tables.
“Which one?” She asked as I shrugged off my uniform.
“One of Scooters,” Logan answered for me.
“I can answer my own damn questions Wolverine,” I say to him. I mean really I am beginning to think that I preferred Logan in prison more than I do now-a-days. I swear the man is so- I don’t know, annoying.
“Rogue, you are not authorized to use Danger Room levels beyond what your security pass allow you too. How did you over ride the system?” Jean asked me and I could help but smile up at her.
“Storm really needs to find a password that isn’t nearly as obvious as it is,” I say to her with a toothy smile. I mean come on Africa? That has to be the easy guess in the whole world.
Jean sighs at me again as she begins to bandage up my injured shoulder. Logan hovered over me like a mother hawk as he watched me with a calculating gaze.
“Staring at me like that isn’t going to make Jean go any faster,” I respond to him as I watch him watch me.
“Shut up Rogue,” he says to me and I let my mouth hang open.
“You can not talk to me like that,” I tell him almost getting up to stand but Jean pushes me back down.
“Like hell I can, I saved your life remember?”
“No you did not. If it wasn’t for you I wouldn’t even have left the mansion in the first place,” I remind him in turn.
“Yeah, about that. What in the hell were you doing in my bed room that late at night anyways?” He asks me.
“Sorry if I couldn’t sleep because someone, I am not saying any names here, couldn’t keep quite in there sleep. I went to your room to try and wake you up because you were having a nightmare,” I counter with folded arms.
“Well you shouldn’t have snuck up on me like that,” he says simple.
Now that deserved a dramatic roll of the eyes.
“You are so unbelievable!” I yell at him throwing my hands up into the air with even more dramatic flare.
“Me? You’re the one saying that I didn’t help save your smart ass!” He grounds out.
“If you will excuse me, The Professor is waking” Jean said but wasn’t heard as she left us to bicker back and forth between one another. If I had been paying more attention I would have known that the Professor had finally woken up.
“I didn’t ask you to save me in the first place,” I yell back hoping off the medical table.
“And I didn’t ask you to come into my room to help!”
“So!” I say as if I am totally in the right and he is in the wrong. I love being a woman sometimes. Being right is just in our nature. We are never wrong. Or so we think anyways.
“What is going on in here?” Slim asked us as he came into the med lab. Like I said if I had been paying any attention I would have known Charles was awake. But well Logan is such a good distraction.
“None of your damn business one-eye,” Logan grounded out as we both looked at each other like Vipers ready to attack.
“It’s nothin’ Slim just having a chat is all,” I tell him as I pull my eyes from Logan to look at my brother.
“Well The Professor is awake,” Slim told us without furthering his questioning on why two of the most destructive mutants at Xavier’s Institute for Gifted Youngsters are bickering like two year olds.
I look back at Logan as we beginning to go greet the Professor and I know from his look that this conversation is far from over.
Xavier’s Office Two Day’s Later:
“There is an abandon military base near Alkali Lake in Canada. I believe you should find what you are looking for there. If not at least some part of it,” Xavier explained to Logan as they both sat in Xavier’s office discussing the information that was inside the manila envelope that Logan now carried with him.
“Thanks Chuck,” Logan said as he began to stand up from his maroon chair.
“Do not thank me Logan, I was not the one who found the information for you,” Xavier told him as Logan exited the room.
Slinging his bag over his shoulder he walked down the main foyer towards the large double doors that would lead to the start of finding his past. He began to think about what he had said and knew it was Rogue that had found the information for him. She had kept her promise. She had found out some information about him.
“You running again?” The sultry southern voice said from behind him stopping him in his tracks.
He turned to face her. He hadn’t even taken notice of her hair in the past two days and was slightly shocked on how well it molded with her skin and dark chocolate locks.
“Naw, just going to check some stuff out,” he replied to her showing her the folder.
She smiled at that, knowing she had been the one to give Charles the information he would need. But deep down her stomach was in knots. All she wanted to do was spill her guts out to him. Tell him everything she knew about him and their past together. But she knew better. If Logan truly loved her he needed to find that out for himself. Telling him about their past relationship would most likely push Logan away not only from her, but from him self as well.
“You coming back?” she asked him as she pushed back a lock of her snow white hair. He didn’t respond at first. Just looked at her and reached out to touch her white stripes of hair.
“I kind of like them,” she said to him still waiting for his answer. He reached up to his neck and removed his military issued ID tags and placed them within her green gloved hand.
“I’ll be back for those,” he told her with a small grin.
“Don’t forget Logan. Digging up your past will leave you with more unanswered questions and will hurt a lot of the people that are involved in it,” she reminded him. He didn’t reply to that, just nodded in understanding.
“See you around kid,” he said to her as he left Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters and began his new journey of finding his past.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Another stupid chapter. But only one or two more before we really start to get into the whole Logan knows everything bit.
Chapter End Notes:
I pulled the sim out of the new cartoon Wolverine and The X-Men. Anyone catch that lol