Chapter VIII: Deception Made Easy
The metal was cold and hard beneath my back; sending shivers running up and down my body. The thin paper gown I was wearing did nothing to impede my condition as I lay there silently. My eyes still closed as if I were still dreaming of sugar plumbs and fairies as I took in the sounds around me.
The steady beep, beep of a machine, the slow drip, drip of a something to my right and the raspy blowing of hot air against my left hand. Sounds and feels that left me slightly confused and disoriented. Cautiously I opened my sleep leaden eyes, momentarily blinded by the harsh white light above me. It didn’t take long however for me to fully realize where I was.
Cords stuck in my arm and some placed upon my chest had terror filling inside of my life a hot air balloon. Fear flooded my sense as I gripped the sides of my metal bed; panic grabbing me and taking me gradually down into its black abyss. Just like the mutant Abyss I had encountered at the Brotherhood mansion a few months back. His mutant ability takes you in sucking out all of the hope you have. Allowing only the panic, fear and turmoil to rule your body.
Thinking of that terrible monstrosity I pushed my self up onto the bed. Knocking whatever had been blowing that hot air onto the floor with a loud clang and groan. It wasn’t until then that I realized I wasn’t alone.
“Please, please, not me, not me too,” I begged closing my eyes tightly praying that my childhood nightmare hadn’t come true.
“Rogue?” the groggy, slightly familiar voice of the ‘object that blew hot air’ called out to me. Peeking open one eye I was relieved at what I saw.
“Slim?” I asked as the man stood up from his fallen position on the floor.
“What are you doing?” he asked me as I slowly allowed my fear to subside and come back to myself.
“Oh…I was…I am sorry Slim, I think I forgot myself for a moment,” I apologized to him as I lowered legs over the side of the metal bed.
Slim just looked at me for a long moment as I did so, his eyebrows knitting together in the usual fashion as he did when he was just a boy. He didn’t say anything for a while just watched as I calmed my racing heart down and allowed my new reality to sink in and take hold of my senses.
“It’s been a long time Rogue,” he stated apparently leaving my outlandish act for another time.
“Yes Slim, to long,” I replied grateful for the change in topic.
“I thought you were dead,” he resumed. His covered eyes masked his true feelings from me but still giving the impression that he was here for answers and not childish hugs and kisses.
“It takes a lot more than a few self-obsessed men to take me out Slim,” said I with a smirk.
“Where have you been? It’s been fifteen years and not a word from you,” he said to me. Sounding all the years he lived and more, so exhausted from his fights with humanity and for the tiresome act of hoping for my survival.
“I’ve been in the same place for the last fifteen years. Deep inside the fortress of metal and chrome, locked away as Magneto’s private fairy tale. Only in this story the princess doesn’t get saved by a white knight,” I told him with a sarcasm laced with bewilderment. He just stared at me like it wasn’t enough; as if my little tale couldn’t-wouldn’t fulfill the questions he had for so long.
“What do you want me to say? Umm? It was either my life or yours Slim. I had no choice, I didn’t want to go, and I tried to escape. Don’t you remember? I tried to get away, tried to get back to you. I just…I just wasn’t strong enough then,” I desperately tried to explain. Tears started to form at the corners of my eyes as the memories filled my mind.
“I just don’t understand Rogue. What happened? The Professor never gave me the full story,” He pleaded with me and all I could do was look away as I closed and re-closed my eyes.
“He…I…I don’t know were to begin. I guess it really all started out when I finally realized daddy dearest was really doing. He wasn’t out to help you or others like us it was torture. Plain and simple and I couldn’t stand the screams and all the blood, sweat and tears anymore. I just couldn’t, not after…I had Remy help me. Know one knows that, not even the good Professor. He was actually a nice guy after all, well after I scared him a bit that is. He was more than willing to help. I had him contact Xavier for me in the beginning, apparently he helped bring a girl here once from Africa. Anyways, he got me the phone card and the phone and Xavier and I started to plot our escape,” I paused to check his emotions. He looked completely out of sorts.
“It was after…after I found out Sinister and Striker knew about the plans that I had Xavier come get you. At that time I also found out their deal with Magneto. Striker made a deal with him, safe passage from Xavier, which included all mutant specimens and research. All of this for the cheap, cheap price of me. Ha! I don’t think Magneto really knew what he had done to get me. But as Magneto use to say: They were too human to truly see my potential. Or some crack like that.”
“Luckily for you Sinister didn’t really agree with that idea and decided to stay behind with you and his precious research. I am oblivious as to what happened after that point. But you’re here and safe so I guess it all worked out in the end anyways,” I concluded.
“I was unaware that all of that had occurred,” he said through clenched teeth. I just shrugged and started to absently swing my feet.
“You shouldn’t have done it,” I stopped my motions and turned to look at him in disbelief.
“What did you expect me to do? Not allow you this life, the life you deserve? The life I worked damn hard to make sure you had. Not grant you the family and friends you have now? Or did you really want me to leave you there in your five by five cell and let you rot? Sorry but not even I am that selfish,” I nearly yelled at him as I stood from my metal bed.
“You shouldn’t have had to do it.”
“Well this isn’t Neverland Slim! This is our reality, our lives. And if I died tomorrow I would be so glad to know that the life I sacrificed to save yours was worth it! I don’t regret it and neither should you, you ungrateful self centered bastard! It was my choice, my decision to make. So please just shut up and tell your friends it is rude to eavesdrop on a visibly private conversation,” I yelled at my brother.
He turned then as two boys and two girls appeared from behind one of the pillars.
“Alright tell me how much did you hear?” He asked them in a very angry serious tone.
“Not much,” the Asian girl in yellow said. Slim just looked at her for a moment before turning to the shy looking brunette.
“Katherine?” He questioned her, I watched as she looked from Slim to the others and then back at Slim.
“I…well we…okay everything.”
“KITTY!” They all yelled at her as she looked at them in her innocent way and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Guess that means the cat’s out of the bag Slim. Might as well just let it go, doesn’t matter what ya do to them now cause by the time that’s over with the whole school will know,” I said with a sarcastic laugh.
“Rogue if I wanted your opinion I would have asked,” Slim said to me through clenched teeth.
“Now Slim-Jim your just mad cause once again I was right and you were wrong. You’re just mad cause I saved your sorry ass and now the whole school will know that even the fearless leader is human,” I said almost sympathetically. The kids looked from me to Slim and then at themselves.
“Rogue this is St. John, Robert, Jubilation and Katherine. They will be your new teammates. Junior X-Men this is my sister Rogue,” Slim said to us as we all looked uncomfortably from one person to the next. However it was the boy-next-door, Robert, who stepped forward.
“Hi I am Bobby, welcome to mutant high,” he says with that boyish smile holding out his hand in friendship. I look from him to his hand and then to Scott allowing him to tell the story.
“Uh Bobby Rogue’s mutation doesn’t allow her to touch anyone skin to skin. Sorry Rogue I was more relieved to have you back that I completely forgot. We’ll get you some gloves and other necessities as soon as possible,” Slim explained and I just smiled and thanked him for his consideration.
“Girls will you please show Rogue to her new room and please find her something more comfortable to wear for now. Also Rogue I’ll tell the Professor that you’re awake, he’ll want to speak to you,” Slim delegated out to us and I just simply smiled and followed the two girls out of the hospital, the boys close behind.
--MAGNETO--
“Explain to me again why you do not know where she is Raven. Because I for one can’t fathom that you, my most trusted and faithful member could lose our most valuable asset,” Magneto’s furious voice echoed across the great expansion of his metal covered headquarters. Raven Darkholme stood as always, disinterested, uncaring and silent as her long time employer and partner in crime berated her.
“It is not my responsibility to baby-sit your pets Eric,” she replied coolly raising a perfectly arched red eyebrow. It was Magneto’s haughty laughter however that brought forth a questioning glare upon the features of the deadly Raven Darkholme.
“It doesn’t matter what or who she is to me my dear, it matters to you. You have for a better part of two decades built your life around this Brotherhood and me. Everything you have ever worked for, dedicated your life too is within these strong walls. What do you think will happen, my dear, if the government gets a hold of her or worse the X-Men? We both know our dear Rogue was never dedicated to our cause, she was as you have said, just my pet. However, like every good pet she pays close attention to the hand that feeds her. She knows every detail about you and this operation. It would be a shame to have all those deep dark secrets of ours revealed. And I wonder Mystique how long you will last before Rogue becomes your undoing?” He stated with a cold revere and his usual calculated expression.
“You’ve forgotten my old friend, I am very good at what I do,” She countered changing her blue form into that of handsome young blonde. Magneto chuckled at her display, leaning back in his chair as he replied to her obvious confidence.
“Yes Mystique you are very good at what you do. Unfortunately Rogue is better.”
“As of this moment you are being reassigned. You will find my precious pet, as you so lovingly call her, and you will bring her back to me. You will leave immediately and you will not return until you have her in your custody,” he ordered her with such authority that she didn’t even respond as she turned to leave. Her body rigid with jealousy at the idea that the man she has served faithfully for years would easily choose that slip of a girl over her.
“Oh and Raven, if you can not bring her back to me, then don’t bother coming back at all,” Eric said to her as she had just made it to the door. She stopped at what he had just said to her, she didn’t even respond, just stood their for a moment and with whatever pride she had left in her left the Brotherhood Mansion in search of the Rogue.
--XAVIER--
“So you’re the mighty fearless leaders sister?” the boy John questioned me again as we sat on the three beds in Jubilee, Kitty and mine’s room.
“Yes” I replied simply feeling all the twelve year old as I sat cross-legged on my new full-bed.
“So like is it true that you used to work for old bucket-head?” Jubilee asked with a loud pop of her bright pink bubble gum. I couldn’t help but snort at the idea of someone such as this yellow clad wonder calling the menacing Magneto Bucket-Head.
“I would have to say Jubilee, ‘work,’ wouldn’t be the right word for it. I was bought and paid for by him when I was fifteen, I had no choice. All I have done in these years was because I was told to do so, never because I wanted to,” I told them with a shrug.
“So you have got to tell us. Has Scott always been a stick in the mud?” John asked with an almost evil grin and a strident snap of his lighter.
“Slim? Never, he used to get us in so much trouble when we were little. Once he put bright green hair dye in Belladonna’s shampoo, you could hear her screaming for miles. Had to be the funniest thing I had ever seen! Oh well she deserved it. But he was a blast when he was younger, my best friend,” I laughed and said with a smile at the remembrance of some of the fun we use to have. “You know though, I never did find out where he got that green hair dye.”
“And you’ll never find that out either. It’s what keeps me mysterious,” Slim said from the doorway of my room and I just smiled for all I was worth. The other occupants not truly believing the story baulked at his answer.
“Scott Summers your about as mysterious as a bed post,” said I.
“Hardy har-har and your about as funny as Bella’s hair,” he replied with a playful grin.
“Why Mister Summers was that an attempt at a joke?” I asked him with my thick southern accent that had faded away years ago.
“Alright Rogue come on the Professor wants to speak with you now,” he said with a wave of his hand as he moved out of the door way and into the hallway. I eased myself off my bed saying goodbye to the group around me. Knowing well that they would all end up becoming some of my closest friends and teammates.
“I’ve missed you Rogue,” Slim said as we made our way down various hallways. His hands stuffed deep in his pockets. Making him look years younger and I couldn’t help but wonder if what all the others were saying were true. That the once funny, outgoing, charismatic boy I once knew grew up to be an uptight, indomitable workaholic.
“I know Slim, I’ve missed you too. You know that,” I said to him as I let the silence fill between us. He sighed as we started our way down the beautifully handcrafted staircase.
“You’ve changed,” I finally said as we moved closer towards what I supposed was Xavier’s office.
“That’s what we do Rogue. We change, sometimes for the better and sometimes—for the worse. But in the end we all change at some point,” he solemnly said to me.
“Yes I guess your right on that. I just wish you hadn’t changed so much,” I admitted.
“Yea me too sometimes. But then I remember what life use to be like and I can only think that maybe if I were just stronger, faster and braver that would have never happened. For nearly two decades I have tried to be this person that you have always been to me. I think I’ve put you up on this pedestal, made you my matriarch just so that I would have something to work towards,” he confessed to me and I could only nod.
“Sometimes Scott it’s okay to work towards something, but at some point you have to realize being who you are is more important than trying to be someone who your not. I know that everyone in this school looks up to, needs you. You have done everything I thought you could ever do. You’ve gained friends, family and have become the leader I knew you always could be. I could never be prouder of you than I am right now. It fills my heart to know that what little good I tried to do helped make so many people, especially you happy,” said I.
“You have always been so selfless,” he said to me and I couldn’t help but chuckle at him.
“So tell me Slim, how long have you’ve been a stick in the mud?” I asked looking at him from the corner of my eye. He stopped in his place and just stared at me.
“I am not a stick in the mud?” he protested in shock.
“Yes well that’s not what rumor has said. As many have put it, you are ‘the mighty fearless Cyclops, leader of the infamous X-Men and a royal stick in the mud.’ Personally as a supposed evil-mutant-slash-terrorist-slash-enemy of the said X-Men and newly appointed POW, I myself wouldn’t want a title like that to save my life,” I told him almost doubling over with laughter at his expression.
“Who said that? I want names Rogue! And how come you know that and I don’t? I have never heard that before!”
“That’s because you’ve lived in the dark way too long and because I know everything,” I smirked at him.
“HA! If you know everything then I’m Victor Creed’s twin brother,” he said to me and I shoved him for mocking me as we resumed our quest for Xavier’s office. Once their Slim didn’t even bother knocking as he entered the spacious office of Charles Xavier.
“Ah Rogue, it is so good to see you up and about. I do hope you are comfortable with your new accommodations. I am sorry to say that we could not place you in your own room. We are at the moment a little over crowded. However the moment an available room becomes available it is yours if you wish,” Xavier apologized and I explained that it was quite fine and I wouldn’t need to move at any point unless otherwise instructed. He smiled at my reply thinking it reasonable as he continued on with our discussion.
“Obviously you have already guessed that I am hoping you will stay with us for as long as you prefer. Also I would like to offer you a position as one of our junior team members of the X-Men. Just for now of course, we all know you are advanced in your skill level, but I am hoping to get the younger recruits acquainted with your technique first before allowing you full membership with the X-Men,” Xavier explained and I nodded telling him that was understandable and accepted his offer.
“Excellent, now Scott is the main leader of the X-Men. He oversees all training sessions for both X-Men and Junior Members as well as teaches all levels of Math. However Ororo or Storm is our co-leader and she trains all the Junior Members and teaches all levels of History as well as teaches Piloting. Our on-call doctor is Jean Grey who teaches the Sciences. I of course teach Philosophy and English. And Dr. Hank McCoy or Beast comes in twice a week and teaches Political Science and the Advanced Science and Math courses. All Members of the X-Men must learn how to fly the SR-17 Black Bird and our helicopter. We will start you off with team training and have Storm do private lessons with you for piloting. Scott please take her down to the danger room and have a suite made for her,” Xavier concluded and we were dismissed.
“So ya’ll five do everything?” I asked as we made our way towards a large silver elevator at the end of the hall.
“Yes, its hard work but it pays off in the end,” he said as we entered the lift.
“I bet. Will I be allowed to teach something once I’ve been inducted to the X-Men?” I asked.
“Depends,” he said.
“Depends on what?”
“If you’re good enough and what you’re qualified for,” he said and I just looked at him in disbelief.
“You’d be surprised Slim-Jim at what I am qualified for,” I said to him with an air of confidence.
“What do you mean?” He asked.
“I worked for Magneto remembered? He likes only the best of the best. So I had the best teachers in the world. There’s only two people in this world that can compete with me,” I said with a huff and raised head.
“Yea and whose that?” he asked and that’s when it hit me.
WHERE’S LOGAN?
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Author's Chapter Notes:
and we struggle forward on to see what happens next!!!