What kind of name is Rogue?
That damn eyebrow. She could see why Marie found it annoying.
What kind of name is Wolverine?
Marie’s response had surprised him. He hadn’t expected attitude from a kid he could still leave on the side of the road. Rogue smiled, hugging the pillow closer to her. Marie wasn’t so different from her after all.
Logan.
He wanted her to see him as a man, not as the raging animal she had seen fighting in a cage. Rogue frowned. No wonder he didn’t want her calling him Wolverine. Looking at the image of Marie eating beef jerky, she was hit with how protective he already felt towards her. God, had she ever been so young? So innocent?
Marie.
Her sass was still there, but he had seen her vulnerability. Rogue’s eyes filled with tears, feeling his love wrap around her.
Unlike Remy, the Wolverine in her mind stayed quiet as she accessed his memories, only allowing his emotions to break through to help her understand what she was seeing. His fear, his insecurities, his jealousy and self-hate, Rogue felt them all and his silence spoke volumes. He wanted her to take ownership of his memories, wanted her to attach her own emotions to them to make them hers and as she shifted through them, Rogue realized it was working.
A determination took hold and she got out of bed, snapping the sheet away from her. It was time she took back control of her life.
Rogue was standing by the window of Colonel Fury’s office, looking over top the smaller buildings of the Manhattan skyline below her. Her eyes rested on the Statue of Liberty in the distance and she felt a cold chill run down her spine, Wolverine’s memory of how she almost died flashing across her mind. Lost in the memory, she heard her screams, begging for someone to help her and his berserker rage washed over her, making her hands shake from the effort to keep her claws sheathed. The Wolverine’s roar in her mind obliterated the image, his anguish harsh and she reached out to him in comfort.
Logan.
Even thinking the name felt strange. A big part of Rogue rebelled, reminding her that it was Marie’s name for him, not hers, but she shut it away angrily. He told her last night his name was Logan and that’s who she would think of him as.
Logan.
She could feel him calm down and warmth spread through her, hearing him growl approvingly at her use of the name.
“What did you want to see me about, Rogue?”
Rogue turned away from the window startled, having completely forgotten where she was. She blinked several times before she was able to focus on the impatient man sitting behind the desk in front of her, tamping down her own annoyance at the glare he was sending her. People relations are not this man’s forte, she realized.
Rogue pulled off her gloves and rotated her wrists, stretching out and wiggling the fingers of her bared hands deliberately. “My control. It’s come back.”
The S.H.I.E.L.D. director got up from his chair and hesitated for a moment, making her laugh softly when she caught a whiff of his fear. Scowling, he bravely reached for her hands and sure enough, there was no pull. Releasing them, Nick Fury pushed down his excitement and forced himself to remain calm.
“How much control do you have?”
Rogue reached for a sheet of paper on his desk and tore off a tiny piece from its corner, keeping her eyes on his. Placing it between her hands, a purple glow seeped through her fingers and she dropped the charged bit into a trash can before a sound very much like a fire cracker burst across the large room. Nick Fury jumped back as smoke wafted up from the now mutilated metal container between them and within moments, soldiers poured into the office, their weapons aimed at the amused woman standing in the center of the room.
Rogue looked at them and then to him, her eyes shining bright red. She arched an eyebrow and her mouth curved into a small smile.
“Does that answer your question, Colonel?”
Tony Stark ran tests on Rogue all day.
Nick Fury’s eyes were locked onto the woman on the other side of the glass wall that ran along S.H.I.E.L.D.’s extensive training room. He noted with amazement how easily Rogue completed various complicated maneuvers in the obstacle course Iron Man had set up for her, and smirked when she cheekily took the pencil Tony had tucked above his ear before returning it surreptitiously into his lab coat pocket without the Avenger noticing. Rogue’s ability to access Gambit’s mutation was absolute, his super agility complimenting the already extraordinary physical abilities she retained from the Wolverine. The scarlet irises flashing against her blackened eyes were disconcerting as she effortlessly accomplished each task, clearly enjoying and enthusiastically showcasing her new ability.
It was so unlike the Rogue he knew. The colonel remembered how upset she had been when both he and Tony had become aware of her ability to permanently access previously absorbed mutations. At the time, Rogue absolutely refused to demonstrate her power, absolutely refused to discuss it.
Now, she absolutely reveled in it.
“What does this mean, Colonel? Is Rogue able to hang on to Gambit’s mutation permanently?”
Nick watched as Rogue blew apart three combat robots simultaneously with accurate throws of energy charged cards, sending Tony for cover on purpose with a barely disguised smile on her face. “It would appear so, Carol.”
“Was Rogue able to access other mutations before?” Logan was in the far corner, the simmering anger coming from him contrasting sharply with the calmness heard in his voice.
There was a slight pause before the colonel answered. “Yes.” Lying to the Wolverine never ended well. It was time for full disclosure.
“Was that why you and Stark had her workin’ for you?” His voice became even more calm, making the hairs on the back of the S.H.I.E.L.D. director's neck stand on end.
Nick shook his head. “No. We had no idea of Rogue’s evolved mutation when she began working for S.H.I.E.L.D. We learned of it a few years ago and only by accident. We had received reports of a mutant exhibiting powers similar to Storm’s who offset a typhoon that landed down on a community of houseboats in Thailand. Based on the description given by eyewitness, we were able to determine it was, in fact, Rogue. She had been in the area, scoping out a suspected new HYDRA base for S.H.I.E.L.D.”
Suddenly, the attention of all four occupants of the room turned to the explosions on the other side of the glass and they watched Tony step out of a cloud of smoke disoriented, but otherwise unscathed. Rogue was openly smiling now.
Seeing that his deputy director was fine, the colonel added, “Rogue was the one who chose to step out of the perimeters of that mission to assist those people, S.H.I.E.L.D. in no way authorized her to do so. Since then, she repeatedly tapped into her powers time and time again, choosing to go ‘rogue’, so to speak.” No one seemed to appreciate his attempt at brevity and Fury sighed in annoyance before continuing.
“Both Professor Xavier and Rogue insisted that we keep her enhanced mutation secret. Rogue refused to divulge the full extent of her abilities but we have documentation showing that in addition to demonstrating Ms. Marvel’s and the Wolverine’s powers, she can manipulate metal, transform water into ice, teleport, and control fire. We are sure she has more mutations at her disposal, but we are unaware of what those are. Despite offering her a spot with the Avengers in an official capacity, she refused, choosing to focus on the Mississippi school she founded with the X-Men. The professor in particular was against her joining our team which could explain some of his behavior yesterday, but I never understood why. Rogue joining the Avengers wouldn’t have affected her status as an X-Man, just like it doesn’t affect yours, Wolverine. If anything, it would have given her greater protection since our group is sanctioned by the United States government.”
Captain America finally broke his silence and directed his comment to the Colonel, but it was for the benefit of everyone around him. “An Omega level mutant with this kind of power would be a highly dangerous weapon in the wrong hands, so I can see how they felt secrecy was needed. However Colonel, I am disappointed that both you and Stark failed to respect Professor Xavier’s and Rogue’s wishes.”
“We kept their secret, Captain.” Nick Fury's frame straightened and his shoulders stiffened in anger.
“Officially, yes,” the famous hero replied to the affronted S.H.I.E.L.D. director. “But according to the files I accessed this morning, you sent Rogue on increasingly dangerous missions once you became aware of what she was capable of. These missions forced her to demonstrate her evolved power - you took advantage of her, knowing she would continually take on these missions in return for the information S.H.I.E.L.D. had on potential mutant manifestations in young children. You, in essence, extorted from her.”
Nick Fury glared at the Avenger leader, but remained silent. Everything he said was true and there was no point denying it, especially with Logan nearby. The Wolverine was upset enough as it was.
“As of right now, Rogue only has access to Gambit’s mutation outside of the Wolverine’s,” he told the group, leaving Captain America’s words unchallenged. “Without her memories, she isn’t able to access any of the mutations she retained before. However, we need to assume that any mutation she does comes in contact from now on will be at her disposal.” Everyone became silent, the potential of Rogue’s power stunning them.
“Did Blindspot and Mystique know? Is that why they took her?”
Carol’s question hung in the air as they all watched Rogue leap effortlessly towards the ceiling before landing on top of Iron Man. By this time, Tony had transformed into his Avenger alter-ego and was actively taking part of the obstacle course for his own protection. Rogue’s laughter could be heard as she curled her body around him and slipped between his legs to reach up and yank down his helmet, leaving a charged card behind his neck. When Rogue jumped out of his range before the explosive went off, his yelps could be heard on their end and Ms. Marvel put a hand over her mouth to stifle her own laughter, catching Captain America’s amused look as Tony tore off his now mutilated head gear.
Logan growled. These tests were a waste of time. Despite Iron Man’s discomfort, it was obvious he enjoyed being close to Rogue, unnecessarily holding her tighter than needed when he managed to catch her in his arms. Logan pushed himself off the wall he had been leaning on and slammed a fist onto the button of the intercom, snarling, “Cut it out, Stark.”
Both of them were surprised at the sound of his voice. Rogue’s shocked face turned to the speakers, unaware that they were being watched, but Iron Man held onto her for a few moments longer before saluting mockingly in Logan’s general direction. Releasing her, he bent over Rogue’s hand and kissed it gallantly, sending a cocky grin over her shoulder at the mirror that separated them from the observing group.
Logan’s growl deepened.
“Maybe. I’m not sure,” Nick Fury answered Ms. Marvel’s question in an attempt to distract Logan. “Rogue was abducted with the intention of having information extracted from her; that much we can determine based on Xavier’s readings of the two women before Spiral teleported them all away. Personally, I think Mystique had hoped to keep Rogue with her and as for Blindspot, it would stand to reason that her intense feelings for Rogue would have made her want the same thing.”
That got Logan’s attention. His eyes narrowed. “Explain intense.”
The colonel frowned. “Didn’t the professor tell you?” Seeing the blank look on Logan’s face, he explained, “Blindspot is in love with Rogue. According to Xavier, she always was, ever since both of them had been wards of Mystique and Destiny.”
“If this Blindspot cared so much for Rogue then why did she steal all her memories away? How could someone in love do such a thing?” Ms. Marvel looked to Logan. They both knew it was a special kind of hell to lose your past.
Nick shrugged, genuinely confused as well. “Blindpot returned all of Rogue’s memories the instant she touched her at the Senate hearing so it defies logic as to why she would remove them again. Could be that Mystique wanted Rogue to forget her time with the X-Men to get her to stay with the Brotherhood, but that’s pure speculation at this point. What I am certain of, is that they would not have discovered Rogue’s evolved mutation by removing her memories. The safeguards Professor Xavier placed in Rogue’s mind held throughout her ordeal.”
“Safeguards?” Logan’s voice cut across the room sharply. “Just how many of these ‘safeguards’ did Chuck put in her?”
Nick’s frown deepened, realizing that Charles Xavier had hid more from his X-Men than he had originally thought. “In addition to the one I just told you Logan, he had another one installed to prevent knowledge of her involvement with S.H.I.E.L.D. As for any others, I have no idea.”
Logan’s face darkened. It was time to call in some favors.
“You can’t be serious!”
Logan lit the cigar he had clenched in between his teeth, wrapping his lips around it and quickly inhaling to maintain its burn. He eyed the incredulous man in front of him through the resulting smoke between them before replying, “Dead serious, Slim.”
Scott folded his arms across his chest, his jaw set in a hard line. “She’s our enemy. Inviting her here is the equivalent of placing a bomb in Cerebro. I won’t allow it.”
“You have no choice.” Taking the smoke deep into his lungs, Logan pulled the cigar away to look at it appreciatively before expelling it slowly. He had expected Scott’s reaction. “Angel’s been tryin’ to get in contact with Psylocke ever since Chuck fell into his coma and so far, he’s had no luck. We need the professor up and at’em and the second most powerful telepath in the world is our best bet to do that. Sometimes, you just gotta take a chance.”
“No.” The X-Men leader shook his head. “I won’t allow Sebastian Shaw’s mistress to have access to Charles. It’s a perfect opportunity for the Hellfire Club to attack us. We’ll wait for Psylocke.”
Logan got in Scott’s face, his patience worn thin. “Listen here, Cyke. The longer Chuck stays in a coma, the more likely his enemies are going to find out and come running. Emma owes the professor. He saved her life recently, no thanks to Shaw, and she is more than willin’ to take this on without gettin’ the Hellfire Club involved.”
Unaffected by the Logan’s aggressiveness, Scott shot back, “You already told her that Charles is in a coma. If anyone comes here looking for a fight, it’s on your head.”
Logan swore in frustration. “She already knew, you dickhead. The most powerful telepath gets knocked out for no apparent reason and you think the loss of his presence wouldn’t be felt by other telepaths? Word’s already gettin’ around that Chuck’s been laid low. We gotta do something before someone gets the bright idea to take him out completely. The sooner the better.”
The two men glared at each other until finally the X-Men leader looked away, agitated. He knew Logan was right. “Emma agreed to keep quiet?”
Bringing the cigar back to his mouth, Logan nodded, hiding his surprise at Scott’s use of the telepath’s first name. Scott walked to the end of the terrace, bracing his arms against its stone half-wall. He could hear the students playing in the pool, their innocent shrieks of laughter adding to the already heavy weight he felt on his shoulders. The chance that the school could come under attack was very real.
“Fine.” He took a deep breath and turned to face Logan. “Tell her she can come.”
“I already did.”
Logan grunted at the look of outrage that Cyclops sent him. “Give me some credit for knowin’ ya well enough that you’d make the right decision, One-Eye.” Scott watched Logan stride away and a bemused expression came over his face.
It had been a long time since he had last seen Emma. After they were rescued from Stryker’s island, she disappeared, intent on getting revenge for her sister Kayla’s death instead of joining him at Xavier’s school. Her choosing to ultimately side with the Hellfire Club had deeply disappointed him, especially since they developed a close friendship during the year they were kept prisoner. Throughout the years, they managed to avoid each other but now, their paths were being forced to cross and Scott was unprepared for how conflicted he felt.
Scott made his way back in to the mansion, reminding himself that the Emma Frost he had known was gone. The sweet young girl he protected while they were held against their will on Stryker’s island had been replaced with a cold-hearted, manipulative and evil woman. Emma was the White Queen now. And regardless if she was able to help Charles or not, she would always be his enemy.