He didn’t knock, instead almost disconnecting the door from its hinges as he threw it open. His nostrils flaring in anger, he caught her scent right away. A tall blonde stood from where she was sitting next to an older, blind woman. He had no need to check her scent though, he already knew who it was. She had been wearing the same false face the last time he was here.
“Where is she?” he demanded, his claws sliding out slowly, glinting in the rays of the early morning sun.
Mystique couldn’t help but roll her eyes at his display of male dominance. “Not here. I’ll tell her you dropped by, though.”
Logan growled deeply, his animal instinct kicking in. He could hear people whispering, although he couldn’t make out what they were saying. Growling again, he stalked past the blue bitch in disguise, following the sound to the kitchen. He felt his anger rise even more when he found almost all of her team sitting around a table, all looking at him curiously.
“Where is she?” Logan asked again, his attention focusing on the youngest of the group.
Havok shrugged his shoulders, looking to the others for any suggestions. When none were offered, he too found himself a little worried. “I don’t know. She was gone when we all got up this morning. What’s your problem? Are those really necessary?”
“Remy be thinking de chère done ran out on mon ami, no?” Remy queried with a chuckle as he picked up his cup of coffee. “Why not take a seat with us, and tell Remy all about it, n’est-ce pas?”
“Logan, Rogue is on assignment,” Mystique interrupted angrily. She really didn’t want to have to clean up the Cajun’s blood if she could help it. “We’re expecting her back soon.”
Logan smelled the lie the second she uttered the first syllable. Turning around slowly, he held his claws out, ready to impale anyone in the room to get the information he needed. “Who did she take with her?”
Mystique didn’t answer, only narrowing her eyes.
“No one,” Pyro answered nonchalantly as he stood from the table to get a drink of water. “We only just now found out she wasn’t here. So why don’t you get a bite to eat, and do what the rest of us have to do and wait.”
“Because I’m not stuck taking orders from her,” Logan replied quickly, his anger rising. “Where the hell is she?”
“I know where she is. We’ll both go.” No one had noticed Victor stalk into the kitchen through the back door. Mystique’s eyes narrowed at the file he held in his hands. That was information that only Mystique and Rogue were supposed to know.
“The hell you will! She’s doing her job right now. What are you so damn afraid of?” Mystique demanded. “She’s the best damn fighter on this team. She’s the one who would have the least problem taking someone out quietly.”
“What kind of fucking mission is she on?” Logan growled, spittle foaming at the corner of his mouth. He wasn’t sure what was going on, but he had a feeling that whatever Mystique wanted done couldn’t be good.
The others all looked at each other, none of them sure what to say. The boy with white hair, Quicksilver, had the audacity to scratch his head as he turned his attention away from the question.
Victor cleared his throat, wanting to get the smaller man’s attention. “It’s an assassination, Jimmy.”
“Let’s go,” Logan growled as he stalked toward the door Victor had entered through.
~*~*~*~*~*~
She was squatting in the bushes just outside of the front door when they found her. There were only three of them, and she could have taken them easily if she had wanted to, but that wouldn’t have gotten her anywhere and may have alerted Creed to her new abilities, something she wanted to avoid until the end. He knew about her skin and that she had the ability to copy another’s mutation for a brief moment, but he still didn’t know what would happen with prolonged or multiple touches. It was going to be her element of surprise once she was able to get close enough to the big boss.
“Let’s get her in the house and chained up. I’ll have Vasquez give Creed a call. He’ll probably be on the next flight back,” the guard said with a light chuckle. “And remember Creed’s orders, don’t touch her skin. Keep an eye out for the others; they shouldn’t be too far behind. If you see them, aim to kill.”
She put up a small struggle as they pulled her into the house and down into the basement. She had hoped that Creed would be there, but obviously he was gone on some trip for whatever reason. He had anticipated her attacking the house, but had thought she would bring her team with her. The majority of his security would be watching out for the others, so they wouldn’t be paying as much attention to her as they should be. Hopefully, her two shadows would stay hidden for now. Obviously, she would have to revise her plan to include their presence now.
~*~*~*~*~*~
He couldn’t help the growl that escaped his throat as they watched her being dragged into the house. It took every ounce of willpower to keep himself from going in after her, and he wondered if the man at his side was experiencing the same turmoil.
“Calm down, Jimmy,” Victor said quickly, his own voice a little shaky with worry. “We’ll get her out of there, but she wanted to get caught, remember? She’s got something planned that don’t include us right now.”
“You think she knows we’re here?” Logan returned, a little irritated that the other feral continued to call him by that other name. He hated to admit - even to himself - that it pulled at his memory, almost like a tease.
“I don’t know. She’s been getting used to using her feral mutations and focusing on the area around her,” Victor mused. “But if she was too focused on the guards and not her entire surroundings, she could have easily missed us. Remember, she was trying to get caught without looking too suspicious.”
“So what do we do now?” Logan asked impatiently, feeling the familiar itch between his knuckles.
“We wait,” Victor replied with a shrug, knowing that the idea grated as much on his counterpart’s nerves as it did on his own.
~*~*~*~*~*~
“How long ‘til Creed gets here?” Two guards had been placed inside the large basement and told to watch over her with direct orders not to touch. She had let herself have some hope that they would maybe only leave one with her. If she took him out, she could easily wander the large, three-storey home. She wanted to get a layout of the house in case things became too sticky. As her luck was running though, not only was she given two guards, but a third would also check in periodically. There was really no telling when he was going to come in through that door.
“We still have another hour, maybe more,” the shorter of the two guards replied with a shrug. He was of obvious Hispanic descent, his accent reminiscent of East LA’s Mexican barrios. While both had military haircuts, his was a deep black. Standing at around 5’9”, his skin had an olive tone, and he had brown eyes that appeared a little sad. Every now and then, he would turn and ask her some minor detail about her life, trying to establish some kind of conversation. She wasn’t interested.
The other guard would just laugh at him, asking him why he even thought she would answer. She was nothing but an animal trapped in a human body. This one probably reached about 6’4”, towering over both herself and the other guard, with black hair in the same military haircut, clear blue eyes and lily-white skin. He would be handsome if not for the fact that he sent chills up and down her spine. Still, it was the glint she saw in his eyes whenever he looked her way that made her cringe. She knew that both would kill her under orders, but while she believed the young Hispanic guard might do what he could to make it quick, this one would drag it out and enjoy it.
The taller guard suddenly became very quiet, a grotesque smirk twisting his lips. “Hey, Vasquez, what do you say we have a little fun with her while we wait?”
“I say we were given a direct order not to touch her in any way,” Vasquez replied briskly, his voice full of authority. “And if you touch her, I will take you out myself, O’Malley.”
“Come on, Vasquez. When was the last time you got laid, anyway?” O’Malley parried with a soft chuckle. He walked toward her then, the glint in his eye getting brighter. Her skin began to crawl as he reached for her. “I got a couple interesting ideas about how to get around that skin of hers. And I fucking doubt Grady would say anything if he caught us.”
It took every ounce of willpower not to break the shackles around her wrists, or the beam she was chained to. She felt the familiar buzz of currents flow through her body as she focused on utilizing her own mutation. If they tried to touch her, she would make sure she sucked them dry. Of course, she didn’t like the idea of having more people trapped in her head, but if it came down to it, she wasn’t going to hold back.
“Stand down, soldier,” Vasquez barked, making strides to catch up with the bigger man. “This isn’t what we are here for. If you touch her, I will have to take you out.”
It was clear the threat wasn’t empty, but that didn’t phase O’Malley at all. He was too determined to get what he wanted. “Just because you don’t want a piece doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t have some. She’s a pretty little thing, isn’t she?”
He reached out to brush her hair away from her face, but before she could so much as move an inch, the bastard was tossed to the ground.
“I told you to stand down, soldier,” Vasquez grunted harshly. Rogue watched with shock as his brown eyes began to glow blue, his muscles expanding right before her eyes.
O’Malley froze mid-stance as he watched his comrade grow before him, fear rippling down his spine. Vasquez swung once, hitting the other man squarely in the jaw and sending him back to the floor. Rogue watched with open curiosity as two teeth rolled from his open mouth. He wasn’t going to be getting back up again anytime soon.
“Let me help you out of those,” Vasquez said quickly, closing the distance between them as he reached for the shackles around her wrists.
Rogue glared at him, anger at her would-be protector seeping in even as she pulled back from him. “You’re a mutant? What the fuck are you doing here!?”
“My group is looking into this project,” Vasquez explained, still trying to reach for the shackles that she continued to keep out of his reach. “Why don’t you let me break those for you?”
“Because if I really wanted to, I would have broken them a long time ago and taken you both out. As it is, I have a fucking job to do, and you’ve just compromised everything. What project are you talking about?” As far as Rogue knew, Graydon Creed was just another fanatic trying to eradicate the mutant problem. The reason she was called in to take him out was the fact that he was quickly gaining more power and could easily become the next mayor of Las Vegas. From there, it was only a few more steps to the presidency. Or, he could even just skip the mayor bit; with his rapidly growing popularity, that wasn’t out of the realm of possibility.
Vasquez sighed as his body returned to normal. “I work with a small group of mutants known as X-Factor. We based our group on the X-Men out east. We generally work within the borders of California, trying to contain some of the problems surrounding mutant-human relations, especially in the Los Angeles area, but a few days ago, we received word that there was a connection between Creed and a string of mutant disappearances. From what we know, a mutant fighting circuit is making the rounds all along the west coast. These mutants are generally young, with uncontrollable mutations. They are usually children who have been forced from their homes by families who do not want anything to do with them after they manifest. They are already vulnerable by the time they are thrown into the circuit, and are easily manipulated into believing they don’t have any chance of escape. That’s really all we know. We’re not even really sure how these mutants are being found in the first place.”
“I bet I know how,” Rogue whispered to herself. “I take it there are more of you here?”
“Yeah, three on the outside, doing surveillance, two more mixed in with the fifteen guards on duty now, excluding me, and two more for the night shift. The three on surveillance wouldn’t fit in with this group, so they stayed on the outside,” he explained, scratching his chin.
Rogue was busy thinking about her own plan, and how these newcomers would fit in. Eventually, she would have her own team here and any help before then would be gladly accepted. “Tell me what their powers are, I need to know what I am working with. Start with the group on surveillance. I’ve got two ferals out there, both very powerful, both looking for a fight, and both only barely tolerating each other. Your team may not stand a chance.”
“My team can take care of themselves,” Vasquez countered somewhat heatedly. He was very devoted to the people he worked with. Rogue took this as a good sign, but his inability to admit any potential weaknesses would cost him in the near future. “They’ve been doing this for about three years now. I have faith in them.”
“That faith is going to get them killed if you don’t consider what they may be up against before opening your damn mouth,” Rogue returned nonchalantly. Her voice was casual, but there was no mistaking the fire in her eyes. They weren’t speaking as mutants any longer, but as leaders of two individual groups, both passionate about their cause. “You have no idea what these two are capable of. They’re both healers, both feral with heightened senses, so it is close to impossible to hide from them, bad tempers, and claws unlike any you would believe. Both are extensively trained in various martial arts. They are animals when their tempers take over. Your team isn’t going to know what happened until they get to the afterlife.”
“My team can handle it,” Vasquez assured her, but she couldn’t ignore the tremor in his voice. He was beginning to have his own doubts. “There is Rusty, a pyrokinetic and Rictor causes earthquakes. Strong Guy and Warpath both have super-strength, Wolfsbane can turn into a wolf at will, Artie can project images of what he is saying and Forge is a technokinetic. Wolfsbane, Forge and Artie are out on surveillance. I doubt that even a feral would attack them. Especially this group.”
“Why is that?” Rogue inquired, not understanding his slight chuckle.
Vasquez shook his head, looking away from her. “Well, Forge might be in some danger, but Wolfsbane is a woman, and Artie is twelve.”
“And you honestly think that would stop them?” Rogue demanded, incredulous. She allowed herself a small chuckle of her own then, bringing his gaze back to her. “Maybe it might stop Wolverine, but I doubt it would stop Sabretooth. He won’t care if it’s just a little boy. If he feels threatened by Artie at all, he’ll go for the kill.”
~*~*~*~*~*~
“You smell them too, don’t ya, Runt…” Victor remarked, his eyes focusing in on a spot deep in the mountain the house was built next to. They could hear small conversations that any normal person wouldn’t have been able to pick up unless they got within throwing distance of the group.
“There’s a kid, Victor,” Logan observed, testing the scents around them even as he ignored the nickname. “And a woman. They aren’t part of this. At least, not in the way you think.”
“It doesn’t matter what they’re here for. They’re going to get themselves killed if they don’t shut up,” Victor said slowly, stalking towards the campsite.
~*~*~*~*~*~
“Get her ready,” a guard with short blond hair snapped, barely glancing through the entrance. “Creed’s on his way.”
Rogue found it odd that he hadn’t mentioned anything about the body lying in the middle of the floor. She looked at Vasquez curiously.
Vasquez shrugged. “Rusty. He knows not to ask too many questions. If he had been in here any longer, he would have drawn attention.”
“And what happens when you’re supposed to take me to the big boss?” Rogue asked wryly, her eyes growing wide.
“Rusty will come back and help me escort you. We’ll tell them that O’Malley got a bit antsy and tried to get a little physical,” Vasquez replied slowly, the idea forming in his mind. “Rusty and I had to take him down. By the time the asshole comes to, the mission will be complete and we will be on our way home.”
“He’s not going to come to,” Rogue told him slowly, her eyes narrowing. “Wolverine or Sabretooth will find him and kill him and be upset about how easy it was. I’ll hear about it for weeks.”
“They’re going to kill him?” Vasquez looked shocked now, trying to shake off visions of what those two men were apparently capable of.
Rogue nodded as she looked around the room. “Yes. They are going to kill everyone here. Unless they get some word that you and your buddies are here trying to do some good too.”
The door opened again, and the man Vasquez had identified as Rusty entered slowly, his eyes darting around. “You ready for this?”
“Do we have a choice?” Vasquez asked, taking slow, deep breaths to regain his composure. “Where are the others?”
“Waiting for some kind of signal. Warpath and Strong Guy are still in their bunk. They slept earlier, and I think Strong Guy is itching for a fight,” Rusty replied as he hurried down the stairs. “I take it she knows what’s going on?”
“Not only does she know, but she’s got a couple of ferals stalking the grounds,” Vasquez commented, grabbing the chain that shackled her wrists. “You ever heard of Wolverine or Sabretooth?”
Rusty turned pale at the mention of those names. “Yeah, I’ve heard of them. And what I’ve heard isn’t worth the risk of repeating. Wolverine is supposed to be up north at some school, and nobody has seen Sabretooth in years. You’re running with them?” he demanded.
Rogue shrugged her shoulders, brushing off Rusty’s shock with a roll of her eyes. “Yeah, I run with them. Actually, they followed me here. Now, I do have a job to do, so can we please go?”
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Sorry about the long wait. Real life has been Real hard lately. I am hoping that things will get easier now, and that I will have more time to write!