Rogue,

You know, we were going to write you a letter telling you how much worse things are going to get.

But we're pretty sure you already know that.

Just for good measure though...

You know all of this is your fault. Right?

Cheers,

THE COLD HARD TRUTH ASSOCIATION

JOHN! LOOK AT THIS NOTE! BOUNCING OFF YOUR HEAD!

Oh, and also:

WAKE UP!

Jesus Christ, WHAT?

Don't say that.

What? JESUS CHRIST?

You know it bugs me.

It bugs you when I say JESUS CHRIST? Even if I'm actually referring to JESUS CHRIST, your (supposed) Lord and Saviour?

Yes.

That's rich, coming from a woman whose best friends say "Omigod!" More than anyone else on the planet.

Do you want me to hit you?

Not really, but only because I'm a good friend. If Ororo hears you you'll be dead meat.

I don't give a damn about Ororo.

So you'll say damn but I can't-you know what? Never mind. Did you wake me up from my peaceful slumber for a reason?

Peaceful my ass. You were snoring. Ash was coming out of your nose.

Yeah, you know, anytime you want to do my laundry to get your snot out of my shirt, you're welcome to...

I was just thinking. Logan's healing cured me from the virus, right? The virus was attached to my x-gene, but since technically his mutation isn't in my genes, the virus couldn't attack it. That's why I'm better...

Okay...

So, I'm just thinking about that lecture Jean gave about how no two mutations are exactly alike, and even mutants that have similar powers have a different X-gene composition.

You pay way too much attention in class.

John. Think about it. There have to be other mutants who can heal themselves.

Yes. I believe your furry friend Sabertooth was one of them.

So what if scientists could find a way to isolate that gene, and use it to cure other mutants?

John?

I'm thinking.

That's what I smell burning.

Okay, even if it was possible, which I highly doubt, it would still take years and years before something like that could be approved for widespread use. Half the mutant population will be dead by then.

Rogue? What's wrong?

Are you crying?

Shit, I'm sorry.

He's NOT going to die, okay? I won't let it happen.

What are you proposing?

I don't know yet. We need to speak to someone who actually knows what they're talking about.

To: Moira MacTaggert (MIGRC)

From: Rogue (Xaviers School)

Hi, Dr. MacTaggert, it's us. Rogue and John. From Xavier's School? We're the ones who were dying from that horrible disease you happen to be researching.

Yeah, that one!

How are you?

The reason we are sending you this e-mail was because, well, we don't know if you've heard, but Rogue is no longer sick and it's because she absorbed another mutant's powers. A mutant who has healing powers. Unfortunately, now that mutant is sick (you might remember Logan? Big, scary looking guy? Piercing hazel eyes? Abs to die for?). And John is still sick.

ANYWAY. We were just wondering if there was some way to isolate mutations and somehow...we don't know...replicate them? So that another mutant could use them temporarily?

We don't know if this helps you at ALL, but we actually know of one such mutant that could serve this purpose. Perhaps you've heard of Victor Creed? He's currently enjoying a leisurely holiday at Rikers Island Correctional Facility, but we happen to think he would make the PERFECT candidate for radical experimentation. The more painful, the better!

Please get back to us as soon as possible. Time is of the essence.

Whatever that means.

Sincerely,

Rogue D'Ancanto and John Allardyce

To: Rogue (Xaviers School)

From: (Moira MacTaggert (MIGRC)

Hello, Rogue and John,

Of course I remember you two. In fact, when I returned to work, I asked my research staff if they wouldn't mind referring to me as "MacTwizzle". They're having some difficulty adjusting to it!

Just a question: How are you two getting access to the internet?

You know what…Don't tell me.

I'm not supposed to be telling you any of this. Professor Xavier believes it would be better if you didn't know, but I'm afraid I disagree. I've never felt that dishonesty was a good policy when it came to treating patients.

The truth is that we are working on a cure in our labs right now. Unfortunately we have hit some setbacks.

You are not the first to suggest the idea of using another mutant's genes to attack the virus. The problem we found was that any time we did this, the effect was only temporary. In your case, Rogue, the healing power is adopted as a function of your mutation-as a defence mechanism. For most mutants, however, this was not the case. In most of our test subjects, this antidote only prolonged life-it did not save it.

We have come up with another version of this antidote that is more promising, however, it's ethical implications are more complicated. Essentially, in order for it to work, the antidote neutralizes the effects of the virus. For this to work, a human needs to serve as a host for the virus and the antidote. In our early experience, this results in an almost 100% death rate for the host. I'm sure you can see how we might have some trouble getting such a process approved by the WHO and the FDA.

I'm sorry to have to be the one to tell you this. I hope I've made the right decision, and that I can trust you both not to do something impetuous. Of course, you understand that this information must remain confidential.

Best Regards,

Moira

"Evolution is not a force but a process. Not a cause but a law." -John Morely

This email originates from the Muir Island Genetic Research Centre Email System. Any distribution, use or copying of this e-mail or the information it contains by other than the intended recipient(s) is unauthorized. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify me at the telephone number shown above or by return e-mail and delete this communication and any copy immediately. Thank you.

Dear Rogue,

We don't think we need to tell you this.

You already know what to do.

Godspeed, little striped one.

The Society of Mutants Who Can't Be Superheroes (but could if they just tried)

To: (Moira MacTaggert (MIGRC)

From: Rogue (Xaviers School)

MacTwizzle! We're so touched you remember.

Thanks for the info. We just wanted to be absolutely positive that there was nothing more we can do. We haven't given up hope or resigned ourselves to our fates, but we acknowledge at this point that it would be best for us to leave it to the professionals. We'll keep quiet, make no fuss, and wait patiently for news. Just to reiterate: Absolutely no death defying rescue missions for us! And of course...no reason to tell The Professor we sent you this e-mail!

Hypothetically, though...

Does the person who hosts the antidote have to have the virus as well?

Thanks!

Rogue and John.

Rogue,

Remember a week ago when you and John were enemies, and then you kinda weren't any more?

Remember three days ago when John was the one who kept talking to you even though Logan was furious? And gave you water and aspirin because you were hungover, even when Logan stomped around extra loudly to punish you?

Remember two days ago when you and John realized you both could sing the entirety of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme song, much to Logan's chagrin and the delight of the overnight staff?

Remember one day ago when John almost died trying to save your life in the pool?

Are you really going to let him risk his life for you?

Sincerely,

The Best Friend's Club

Rogue,

May we dare to inquire what you are doing? We are somewhat concerned that you have lost your mind.

We observe you standing in the middle of the Airport Gap, purusing their underwear table.

Look over at John, your former nemesis. See him standing in the clearance section, staring at those jeans like he's in a trance, Rogue? See how he's having trouble standing up straight? Do you really think having him along is going to help you at all? What happens if he gets worse? What happens if his powers go out of control? How do you know he's not going to turn on you like he did before?

While we're at it, let's discuss your plan of action.

What that, Rogue? You don't have one?

We're unsure how much longer we can continue correspondence with you before we self-combust ourselves.

Reality Check, inc.

Rogue,

At the start of our correspondence, we told you to be a little more rebellious. A little less high strung. We were imagining spontaneous road trips, trysts in the words, or perhaps a drunken party or two.

Skipping out of the hospital to fly half-way across the world with the intention to serve as a neutralizing agent for what basically amounts to the world's most discriminatory bioweapon? Not exactly what we had in mind.

Admittedly, it was pretty cool how John managed to get a hold of those black market passports. And the way you flirted with that airline agent to get a free upgrade to first class, after economy was sold out? That was impressive, and if we may say so, a little frightening.

But Rogue, you can stop now. You've skipped right through teenage delinquency and are hurtling into "adult felony" territory. It is no longer in the best interests of our Association to be identified, associated, or affiliated with you.

Please destroy any previous records of correspondence. When the Feds haul you in, no trace of our existence should be found on your person.

Disconcertedly yours,

The Association of Teenagers

To: Keltie Matthews (Westchester High)

From: Rogue (Xaviers School)

Keltie,

This is it. This is what I've been training for the last year and a half. The mission that's going to determine the fate of my friends, and possibly mutant or mankind.

John and I are going to find the cure for the Legacy Virus. One of us is going to take the antidote so that no other mutants can be subjected to it.

I know it sounds crazy. Believe me, I know. And I can't even say that I've fully thought this through. I just know that I can't sit around and watch my friends die. I have to do something.

I'm writing this to you on Logan's Blackberry. I stole it before I left, but it has a GPS tracking chip in it. I'm turning it off so that no one can follow us. You won't be able to e-mail me.

Keltie, I'm hoping that by the time we get there, we'll be able to figure out a way to activate the antidote without using one of us as the host, but if we don't, and I never see you again, there are a couple things you should know.

1) You are AMAZING. Seriously. I could not have gotten through these last few months without you, and I think you are one of the funniest, clever, and brave people I've ever met.

2) You are too hard on yourself. I know better than anybody what that's like, so take it from me that you should go easy on yourself.

3) Leah is an idiot, and doesn't deserve a tenth of you as her friend.

4) If this somehow works, and John makes it back alive, I think you should go out with him. He's a good guy, it turns out. Confused and lost, but then, who isn't?

5) That is, only if things don't work out with Jack.

Would you be able to also do me a favour and tell Logan some of what I told you? About how I felt? I'm writing him a letter right now, but if for some reason he never gets it, I want him to know how much he meant to me. You can show him my letters if you want.

I'm really scared Keltie. But I think I'm doing the right thing.

Thanks for being my friend.

Love,

Rogue

Dear Logan,

You're going to kill me.

I know you're going to kill me. If I make it out of this alive, I mean.

Strangely, I'm not scared of dying. I feel like I've had enough time in the last two weeks to contemplate my own mortality, and I've come to terms with it. Mutants tend to have a shorter shelf life than humans, and X-Men even less, so it's not like I expected to live to a ripe old age.

Still, I can't lie. I didn't expect to die before telling you how I felt. I mean, really telling you, not attempting to drunkenly jump you.

Sorry, again, about that.

I love you. God, it's weird to write those words. Look at them, just sitting there, plain as day. They look so…free. Rather than tramped down and buried underneath my dirty socks, which is usually where I try to keep those kinds of feelings.

You're totally going to kill me, aren't you? When you find out what I've done. What we've done.

Do you remember that day on the train? I asked you what to do, and you said "I think you should follow your instincts."

I've always been one to second guess myself. When I look back to the day we met, my stomach twists when I think about how easily I trusted such a perfect stranger-especially one as openly dangerous and unpredictable as you seemed. How naive was I, to climb into the back of your truck, just because I had some harebrained idea that we were kindred spirits? You could have killed me in an instant, and I seriously doubt that seventeen year old me would have been able to defend myself if you'd really wanted to, deadly skin or not.

But if I hadn't gotten in, I could be dead. A lot of other people could be dead. My decision making process was based on flimsy information, but it was backed up by instinct.

My instincts have been screaming at me all day. It's fight or flight, and…I just keep asking myself what you would do, if you were me.

The thing is, Logan, that part of my infactuation with you (if you want to call it that) has always been at least one part admiration. Not just because you're the kind of person who would save a girl's life (although that's part of it), but because you're the kind of guy that couldn't leave a seventeen year old on the side of the road. And you're the kind of guy that wouldn't take advantage of said seventeen year old, even when it would have been very easy for you to.

Even when she may have wanted you to.

And I've been inside your head. I know that you wanted to, too. Not the animal side of you. The good, noble side of you. You love me—that part wasn't a surprise. I've always known you loved me. I guess I just didn't know that you could love me like THAT, is all.

I'm not doing this to prove myself to you. I swear it, Logan, I'm not. I'm doing this because I love you. You're my family, my best friend, and my lifesaver. You're the person I look up to more than anyone else in the world. If you knew about this antidote, you would have been in Scotland two weeks ago yesterday. I know that without a doubt.

I may never get the chance to be with you the way I want to be. I'll settle for knowing that we are friends, true friends, and that by doing this, I'm not only saving you, but other mutants as well. And maybe somewhere out there, there's another damaged girl, one as trusting and naive as I was. Maybe she needs you to come along and save her life. And maybe she'll save yours, too. Either way, you're no good to anyone if you're dead.

Anyway, what I really want to say is: Don't be mad. I know what I'm doing. (That's a blatant lie, but you know what I mean). Truly, after everything you've done for me, it's the least I can do.

Well, it looks like we're about to land. I'm surprisingly calm. Maybe because John managed to pilfer some tiny liquor bottles and has been spiking our soda with them, but mostly because my instincts are telling me that we're doing the right thing.

I hope I'm doing the right thing.

I hope I get to see you again.

I love you,

Rogue