The floor was cold and rutted. A steady humming rang through her ears. She fought to open her eyes, but they were so heavy. They burned. There was someone with her, sitting a few feet away. She could sense that she was being watched. There was a dull ache in her bones, and her wrists were bound with heavy wires. Her throat was parched, and her stomach angrily demanded sustenance. Hazily she asked, “Where am I?”
Fabric rustled and a musky scent of Bourbon singed her nose. “Hush… sleep, now. We gotta long way to go.”
“Remy?” she whispered.
He leaned closer. “You still in there, Rogue?”
“Help me,” she whimpered. “Please.”
“Sleep. Don’t worry, I won’t let nothing bad happen to you.”
She closed her eyes and a tear slipped across the bridge of her nose and tapped the metal floor. “Logan…”
***************************************
Wolverine roared and drilled his claws into the wall. The X-Men were standing in Alison Blaire’s disheveled apartment. Cyclops was examining the melted locks on the door, while Storm conducted the interrogation.
“How could you leave her here? You knew she was in danger!”
“I’m sorry!” Alison sat on the couch holding Brando. “How was I supposed to know that this would happen?”
“Charles is very disappointed in you. He told you to protect her. He trusted you, Alison,” Storm’s angry eyes were a vibrant blue.
“Look, I know I fucked up, okay? I don’t need a lecture! This isn’t going to help you find her! Besides, she called you this morning. What the hell took you so long?”
Logan towered over Alison, tightening his fists. “If you make up one more excuse, I’m gonna rip that ring out of your nose.”
“Logan, that’s enough. Alison, I need to know if anybody saw you bring Rogue here. Do you remember seeing anyone unusual?” Storm urged.
“I don’t know… I walked her here. She was walking like a drunk and mumbling a lot of weird shit, so I wasn’t exactly paying attention.”
There was a high-pitched ringing, and Scott fished a small cell phone from his pocket. “Yeah? … Where? … How did he find her? … Who’s he with? What are we looking at? … Only two? Why? … I’ll contact you once we get to the jet.” He placed the phone back in his pocket. “That was Hank. He said that a half-hour ago, an unidentified and unauthorized jet aircraft was seen taking off in the middle of Golden Gate Park. Witnesses reported seeing lampposts bending and their electronic devices went haywire.”
“Magneto,” Logan confirmed. “How the hell did he find her?”
“I dunno. But we have to get going. Hank’s working on tracking Magneto’s jet. We can catch up to him and follow.”
“Alison, you need to come with us.” Storm snooped around the apartment. “Do you have a suitcase or anything?”
“What? I can’t leave! This is my home!” Alison clutched Brando protectively.
“You are no longer safe here. We can’t take any chances. Pack your things, quickly. We have to leave, now.”
Alison sighed and gathered up her clothes, grumbling the entire time. She managed to fit her possessions into a large duffel bag. Logan grabbed a beer out of her fridge and knocked it back in one toss. Scott made a quip about drinking on the job, and Logan insulted his manhood. The team waited impatiently for Alison to finish. “Can I bring Brando with me? I’m not going if I can’t.”
“We don’t do cats, darlin’,” Logan grimaced.
Storm glanced at Scott and he shrugged. “As long as it stays out of the cockpit.”
******************************
Voices. Men. I’m being carried. Who? I can’t move. My hands, they’re tied. Dark. Blue light. Heavy boots. Latticed floor. Shadows. Red eyes. Remy! Red eyes. Dirty thug. Put me down. I don’t need to be carried. I’m not some damsel in distress. Remy, where are you taking me? Remy, help me. Let go of me, you monster! Where is my strength? He’s putting me down. Where am I? It’s cold. Why can’t I break these cables? I’m Carol Danvers.
“I’m Carol Danvers! You won’t get away with this!” He’s laughing at me. Who does he think he is? “Who are you? What is this place?”
“Remy is the greatest lover that you’ll ever know.” When I get out of here, I’m going to strangle that smirk from his face. Remy?
“Remy! Remy, where am I? Where are we? What’s going on? I can’t…I can’t remember…” He’s holding me. He’s touching me! “Get your filthy hands off of me!”
“Okay, Gambit's not gonna play this game.” He’s gone. The door is sealed shut. This room is large and empty. I can hear my voice and footsteps echo. Is this some kind of prison? No, I don’t remember seeing a guard. Logan? Where are you? What was that? Who’s there? I heard you; now, show yourself.
“I said, show yourself!”
“Who are you?”
“Who are you?”
“My name is Rogue.”
“You’re the one who was with Mystique.”
“What happened?”
“I warned you to give up. I warned you!”
“You were tryin’ to kill me!”
“You nearly killed me!”
“You touched me… My mutation. It must’ve come back. You touched me and I… I…”
“You stole my powers! You left me for dead!”
“No, no… I didn’t mean to! It was an accident! I told you to stop!”
“When they find out you did this, they will lock you away.”
“Stop it! It was an accident! Mystique was the one who wanted to hurt you!”
“This is your fault! You’re a wretched excuse for a mutant!”
“STOP!”
Rogue screamed and threw herself against the wall. It fractured and then collapsed, revealing the night sky above and sapphire waters down below. Startled, she lost her footing on the rubble and fell forward. With an unfamiliar instinct, she pushed her arms upward and soared toward the stars. Catching sight of the ground disappearing quickly beneath her, she lost control, and gravity engulfed her. She closed her eyes, and Carol took over, guiding her back to the obliterated stone wall and into the safety of the holding cell.
Rogue’s knees buckled, and dry heaves requisitioned her diaphragm and chest. She crawled toward the door and pulled herself to her feet. She placed her hands firmly against the cool metal and pushed with agonizing determination. It didn’t budge. She tried again and failed. Frustrated, she chucked her fist against the door, and with a thunderous howl, it collapsed. Stunned by her own strength, Rogue took a moment to examine her trembling fingers. Onerous footsteps ricocheted down the long corridor, and Gambit appeared, followed by a man of the same height with shoulder-length silver hair. The fear that initially struck her subsided, and a hunger flashed through her verdant eyes. She allowed Carol to surface.
“Out of my way, boys.”
“Rogue, how did you-…?” Gambit guardedly walked toward her.
“Don’t come any closer!”
“Byron, don’t!” Gambit advised, but he didn’t listen. He ran toward Rogue, and with a lightning quick reflex, she plastered her fist into his abdomen. He was flung backward and slammed into the wall. Gambit watched in horror. “Rogue…”
“Ms. Marvel,” she hissed. She grasped his throat and squeezed. He struggled to breathe as her powerful grip immediately constricted all airways. He clutched her wrists and used every ounce of muscle to fend her off. She was too resilient, and he decided to use one of the tricks up his sleeve. He snatched a card from the deck in his coat pocket, charged it, and threw it, causing a loud explosion a few feet away. The diversion was successful, and Ms. Marvel loosened her hold enough for Gambit to catch her off guard. He slipped a baton from a holster around his waste and snapped it. It tripled in length, blazing a brilliant, neon red. He swung at her torso, and she dodged it narrowly.
“Remy, please stop!” Her voice was frail and poignant.
“Rogue, is it you?” He lowered the staff, wary of what the woman in front of him was capable of.
“Remy, help me! You have to stop her!” She sank into his arms and he stroked her auburn hair.
“Ol’ Gambit is gonna keep you safe. Don’t you worry…”
“But can you keep me safe from her?” She looked up at him, seeking shelter. Her eyes flickered between a deep emerald and a pastel blue. Her lips curled into a wicked smile, and she whispered, “Fool.”
She kissed him severely, throttling any resistance. His hands searched desperately for an end to the thrashing pain. He felt as if his skin was boiling and his mind was imploding. It seemed an eternity until the misery abated. She freed him, and he dropped to the grating. She rose to her feet and stepped over Gambit’s convulsing body.
*******************************************
“What the hell is that?” Logan rested his hands on the two pilot seats in the cockpit of the X-jet, nodding toward the ominous dark fortress protruding in the distance.
“It looks like Magneto has a hide-out.” Storm flicked some switches and fastened her seatbelt. “Take a seat, Logan.”
The jet glided toward a small patch of sand at the base of the rocks. It was a jarred landing, and Logan ended up with cat claws sunk into his arm. He growled, and Alison severed Brando before Logan could shred him into catnip. The hatch opened, and Storm stepped out first. She shielded the jet with a thick layer of fog.
“Alison, you stay here.” Scott disappeared down the ramp.
“Can you handle those instructions?” Logan sneered. “If we come back, and you’re not here…don’t expect us to come looking for ya.”
“You’re a real jerk, you know that?”
“And you’re a real pain in my ass.” The door ascended behind Logan, and Alison rolled her eyes.
The sand crunched under their boots as they explored the beach. They climbed over boulders and up onto a shallow rock ledge. There was no visible way to get inside. Cyclops spotted a crude overhang several yards above. Storm flew them up, one at a time, and they stood before a large steel door. Logan punctured the control panel with his claws, and the door retracted. They stepped onto a narrow platform that created a circle around a vast, cavernous room.
“Ah, shit!” Logan cursed.
“What is it?” Storm led the team along the path.
Before he could answer, Logan was tossed across the ravine to the other side, skimming the dicey metal floors with his adamantium blades. Orange sparks followed him into the murky obscurity to which he was dragged.
“Magneto!” Storm and Scott raced after Logan.
The Wolverine & Rogue Fanfiction Archive
Barely Legal Since 2000
Author's Chapter Notes:
Disclaimer: The X-Men and their likenesses belong to Marvel and Fox, not me.