Over the next two weeks, training continued much as it had on Rogue’s first day back. The remainder of the X-Men kept a polite but distant attitude toward her. And Rogue didn’t know if that, or Logan’s reaction, or lack thereof, was worse.
The low growling filled her head before she could stop it.
His is worse. He’s bein’ an ass. Should shove his pride and grab ya and make sure ya never leave again.
While Rogue certainly couldn’t disagree with Wolverine, she also couldn’t blame Logan for his attitude. He didn’t speak to her, either in training, or otherwise, and he went out of his way to avoid her, which sent her a clear message. He wasn’t interested in pursuing anything else with her. He needed to protect himself. Protect the others. And that meant not getting too involved in something that was only temporary.
What she did know was that she’d come to her final decision. She would have to leave. She didn’t want to be the cause of anymore pain, and if Logan wasn’t going to risk something else with her, then she wasn’t going to force him into it. Her decision was based on a realization. If Logan didn’t want her, she couldn’t be around him. Now that she knew what being with Logan was like, how he made her feel, she didn’t want to face this world without it.
She’d been forming her plans, late at night when most of the other members of the team were sleeping. She knew she wasn’t the only one awake during those late nights, and while a part of her was dying to seek out Logan and make him say something, anything to her, the other part of her knew it was for the best.
Cut off contact. Leave before you hurt anyone else.
Rogue didn’t know if her decision was obvious or if Kitty and the others were merely waiting for her to make an announcement saying, “Sorry to screw you all over and bring back a load of painful memories, but I gotta go. It’s been real,” but that wasn’t her style. No. The sneaking out in the middle of the night. That was her. Taking the easy way out.
She sighed as she rolled over in her bed, unfolding the worn map she’d found in Charles office three days ago. She’d felt ridiculous. Sneaking into his office when he was sleeping for information on their whereabouts.
“So where are we, anyway?”
“Canada.”
She snorted at the unbidden memory of that first night on the balcony came flooding back. Canada was a big fucking place, and the knowledge that she was here didn’t exactly help her figure out how to get from Canada to New York.
It wasn’t until yesterday when Bobby and Kitty had come back from a grocery run that Rogue had been able to figure out exactly where they were. She was tired of walking around the house, having nothing to do between their daily training sessions and dinner, so she’d volunteered to put the food away. Bobby had looked relieved as he handed over the bags without question. She hadn’t been actively trying to look for her exact location just then, but as she emptied the last bag, there it was. The receipt from the store. Besides showing Rogue exactly how many dozens of eggs, packages of bacon, and six-packs of Molsons they’d come back with, it also provided her with the name of the store where they’d made their purchases, including an address.
Rogue had crumpled the receipt in her hand and shoved it in her back pocket before anyone spotted her. She wasn’t a prisoner. She wasn’t being forced to stay here. But she didn’t want to think about how someone would react if they knew she was actively planning on disappearing. She was guessing almost anyone on the team would try to dissuade her from being impulsive and leaving. Try to tell her that she didn’t know what she was doing, that she didn’t know enough about this world. But that wouldn’t work on her anymore. She wasn’t that same helpless person that had arrived here nearly four months ago.
On the other hand, she knew that if Logan discovered her plans, he’d react one of two ways. Either he’d blow up at her and force her to stay. Or worse; he wouldn’t say anything at all. Based on his behavior over the last week, Rogue had no trouble believing it would be the latter.
The receipt for the M&M Food Market told her that they were close to Hinton, Alberta. It took her ages to find it on the paper map. Her fingers had itched for the swift results from a computer, but this would have to do. Finally, she found it; a small town northwest of Calgary. Once she’d realized how far west she was, she’d thrown the map across the room in a fit of frustration. How the hell was she going to make it from Alberta to New York?
From what she knew about the current political state, Canada was much more tolerant and accepting of mutants than her home country. And if that was the case, she’d be better off driving as far east as she could manage until having to cross over into New York. Navigating the border would be dangerous. Kitty had mentioned the patrols at the border crossings so she’d have to cross over illegally. She didn’t have a passport, Canadian or otherwise, so she’d have to sneak across.
After she retrieved the map and smoothed it out across her bed, her finger traced the line of the Yellowhead Highway right across the map until she reached Winnipeg, after which she moved across to the Trans-Canada Highway. It wouldn’t be until she reached Ottawa that she thought she should cross over into the United States.
The motions of her hand reminded her briefly of the time spent in her bedroom with David as she planned out the route she’d take to Anchorage. She closed her eyes tightly against the sudden wave of homesickness. That was another life. A different world. One that she would hopefully make her way back to soon.
She’d need food too, or money to buy it. It was likely a three or four day drive to the border, depending on how often she had to stop. She’d have to eat and rest as she went. It wasn’t going to be an easy trip, and she had to prepare for it, all without arousing any suspicion. She wondered what would cause less notice; stealing food or trying to get her hands on some money.
As she folded up the map, she started thinking about the next obstacle in her path; getting a car. She didn’t think she’d have too much difficulty in taking one of the cars in the small garage adjacent to the house, but she’d have to ditch it and hotwire another as soon as she could. She had a feeling that both Scott and Logan would want to be able to track any of their vehicles at any time. Which also meant she was going to look at leaving in the middle of the night. She’d give herself as much of a head start as possible. Not that they’d come looking for her. She’d leave a note, and that would be that.
______________
The next morning Rogue ate her breakfast in silence with the rest of the team and made sure she was the last one downstairs. Logan was already there, looking at the watch strapped to his wrist. Rogue knew they weren’t late, but he seemed upset with them all the same, if the ever present scowl on his face was any indication. She followed her normal routine and avoided looking at him any longer than was strictly necessary, and she’d stopped trying to make eye contact. Her insides ached whenever she was around him, she missed his touch and his company, and looking at him only made it worse.
Today was no different. She stood behind the others, letting their bodies shield her for the most part while Logan briefed them on their training instructions for the day. But before Logan could bark out exactly how many miles they would be running, the Professor had shown up and all talk of their morning drills vanished.
“Training is going to have to wait, I’m afraid.”
Rogue’s stomach dropped out from under her as Charles began to speak.
“After months of searching, I regret that I must confirm the rumor regarding the bioweapon the Friends of Humanity have been developing.”
A low rumble came from the direction of Logan’s chest, and Rogue felt herself shivering as she remembered the last time Charles had sent them in pursuit of information about this weapon.
But she didn’t have to verbalize anything regarding her skepticism about Charles’ announcement. Logan said it for her.
“You sure about this, Chuck?”
Charles nodded. “Yes, Logan. I have multiple confirmed, trusted,” Rogue didn’t miss the minor emphasis he put on the word trusted as Charles raised one eyebrow in Logan’s direction, “reports that the weapon is nearing completion. My sources also indicate the current United States government has plans to execute a strategy which involves widespread dispersement. I fully admit that the last mission I sent you on I did not take the time to confirm the rumors that had reached me.”
It seemed as though Charles was offering an apology for what had happened to Rogue. And in a roundabout way, she wasn’t upset at this revelation. He hadn’t taken the time to confirm whisperings of a weapon that had the potential to wipe out mutant kind, and after what the Friends of Humanity had managed to accomplish here, she couldn’t blame him for his impulsive decision. He’d done what he thought was best to protect the rest of mutants, and her being taken had been an unfortunate consequence of a failed mission. Yes, she’d endured pain. She’d suffered. But it had also led to a few of the most fulfilling days of her life with Logan. She’d felt comfortable in her own skin. She’d felt wanted and whole. And she would never blame Charles for that, no matter what her relationship with Logan was like now.
As Charles continued, Rogue’s thoughts couldn’t help but stray to her own plans for escape. She couldn’t help but think what an opportunity this would be for her. The X-Men would be planning a covert breach of the Friends of Humanity’s lab in Washington. Rogue would be in the enemy’s territory, searching for the weapon, and would potentially be able to search for Rift at the same time. And if she didn’t find him in D.C., she would at least be close enough to where he was likely to be, that she could just sneak off, leave the rest of the team -
Her thoughts were cut off by the sudden awareness that Rift wasn’t just a topic for discussion in her head.
“…planning on using Rift to open a portal. And disperse the weapon.”
“Jesus,” Scott said under his breath. “A portal to which world?”
Rogue felt her face heat as the attention shifted toward her. This was the last thing she wanted. For her to be front and center of attention while she’d been thinking of abandoning them. She couldn’t help but shift her balance so that she could see past the shoulders of Piotr and Scott to catch a glance at Logan. His eyes were locked with hers, a flare of gold in his normally hazel eyes, and she knew that he was using all of his strength to leash the emotions of Wolverine. She could see it. He was furious. Pissed. The one thing he’d never wanted to happen, was unfolding right in front of him. His fists were clenching reflexively while his arms were crossed at his chest. She looked away, ashamed. She’d done this to him. She was the cause of his anger, his grief.
“A portal to as many worlds as they make him open,” Charles said. “Their intent is to wipe out mutants. All mutants. Everywhere.”
A stunned silence rang out as the realization of the Friends of Humanity plans hit home. They were planning a mass genocide. They had Rift. They knew what he was capable of. And the hypocrites were planning on using his powers to achieve their goal.
“However,” Charles continued after a moment. “There is one final piece of this puzzle which I have not been able to confirm.”
Dread was settling in Rogue’s stomach as she waited for his next words. She shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot, unable to stay still.
“I have not been able to discern if the Friends of Humanity actually have Rift, or if they are actively looking for him. At this point, the state of the weapon as I understand it, is that all research and testing has been completed, and production has begun. It may only be a matter of days before they execute their plans. With or without Rift.”
Rogue shuddered at the thought of the F.O.H testing the weapon. If testing was over, that meant they’d been able to confirm what it would do; target the X-gene and cause a slow and excruciating death for any being unlucky enough to have been born a mutant.
“We must stop them. Our lives, and our world, are not the only ones at stake.”
_______________
The next several hours passed in a blur of planning and preparation. Scott had immediately formed the teams that would infiltrate the lab late tonight. When Rogue had been told she was to be paired up with Kitty, and that Logan would be moving through the lab solo, she felt both disappointment and relief. She knew that it wouldn’t be smart for her to be paired up with Logan. Not when he could barely stand to look at her. No. She would just be a distraction. It was better that she would be teaming up with Kitty. Easier. Shaking Kitty would be a hell of a lot easier than getting Logan off her tail.
Though she felt conflicted about the circumstances that were leading her here, she’d be stupid if she didn’t recognize the opportunity in front of her. This was going to be her moment, her chance to make a break for it. Back to her life, her friends, her world. Even if the Friends of Humanity didn’t have possession of Rift, she’d still be close enough to branch out on her own and search for him.
Rogue finished zipping her her uniform and stepped into her combat boots. Kitty had insisted that Rogue get her own uniform and pair of boots a few weeks ago, just days after she’d pulled her aside and explained to Rogue about Logan. Though Kitty stated her reasons were strictly, “So that your boobs actually fit inside the damn thing and Logan will stop growling whenever he catches sight of you while we do drills in our uniforms.” Kitty had also murmured a quiet, “You know, just in case,” when Rogue had finally conceded.
Shoving down the small fluttering in her stomach as she thought of the last mission she’d gone on, she headed out to join the rest of the team who were already assembled on the jet. As she strode onto the jetway, her boots clanging loudly on the cold metal, Scott started the take-off sequence and the ramp closed behind her as the engines of the Blackbird started its familiar whine. Rogue caught sight of Charles through the front window as they rose into the air, his right hand raised in farewell.
Rogue made her way to the open seat at the back then, as far away from Logan as she could get. She found herself next to Ellie, who was appraising Rogue out of the corner of her eye.
“You ready for this?” She said, her voice charged with excitement.
Rogue swallowed hard as her head jerked in a nervous nod. Was she? She hadn’t been able to take anything obvious with her. The map she’d taken from Charles’ office was carefully folded on top of a pile of non-perishable food items she’d been carefully hiding in the back of her closet. But now she wouldn’t need them. Not if the jet would be crossing over the border into the United States.
Charles had said the lab was located in the former Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, not at Georgetown like they’d previously been led to believe. The museum, closed to the public since the Friends of Humanity-led coup d’etat, not only had the tools they needed to develop and test the weapon, but also secure vaults in which they could house their research. Secure vaults in which, Rogue thought with a shudder, they could imprison mutants for the purposes of testing their weapons.
The already violet sky continued to darken as they headed southeast. Rogue felt her apprehension rising as Scott went over the plan again They would move in on the lab late tonight, when security personnel patrolling the lab was at its thinnest. Kitty would take care of security, both the external and the individual vaults on the ground and second floor. Storm, Colossus, Iceman and Ellie would be maintaining the secure perimeter. Cyclops, Phoenix, and Wolverine would be covering the east and west labs on the ground floor, while Shadowcat and Rogue would be heading to the second floor research areas. Security would be lighter at night, but they still expected armed guards on every floor.
Rogue forced herself to keep her eyes focused on the seat in front of her, rather than the forbidding sight of Wolverine in his black leather uniform. His face had been frozen in a scowl, ever since Charles had informed them of the news. No, she thought suddenly. Strike that. It had been frozen in a scowl ever since their fight a few weeks ago. She remembered admiring the bunched muscles of his thighs when they drilled in their uniforms, and the clenching of his jaw when he’d caught her looking at him. She closed her eyes in resignation. She’d made her choice, and it wouldn’t be long before he didn’t have to deal with her presence anymore.
The jet began its descent, and Rogue was startled to realize they had arrived. The front window of the Blackbird showed a clear dark sky, with no clouds in sight. The Washington of this world wasn’t illuminated by nearly as many streetlights or traffic lights, resulting in a brilliant display of stars. But even as she stared upward at the unusual sight, Storm had begun to provide a bit of ground cover.
Rather than land directly on the National Mall, Scott was putting them down on the southern tip of East Potomac Park. They’d make their way to the museum on foot, less likely to draw attention to themselves than if a huge black military jet landed just outside the White House lawn.
The entire team disembarked and silently trekked toward the museum, Rogue’s breath coming slow and deep as she tried to keep her nerves under control. She and Kitty hung toward the back of the group, the others leading the way toward the museum. The fog provided by Storm was heavy enough to hide Logan from her sight, since he was leading the team forward, ensuring the way ahead was clear. A few minutes later she heard someone just beyond their group, the sound of a gun being cocked, and then the quiet song of metal being unsheathed. As she continued forward, she stepped over the armed guard, three neat dark, wet holes in his chest. She swallowed hard and hurried to catch up.
Rather than head up the steps to the main entrance to the museum, the entire team moved up the west side of the building. The first of two labs on the ground floor could be accessed from the outside. Rather, it could be accessed from the outside by someone with the appropriate credentials, or Kitty.
Rogue, Scott, Jean, and Logan all waited against the side of the cold stone wall while the others moved to establish the perimeter around the building. Kitty was working at the black keypad, having lifted the regular panel up and connecting some sort of contraption to the now exposed wires.
Several minutes passed in tense silence. Not a single word was spoken as they waited for the steady red light of the keypad to turn green. Rogue glanced at Logan who was keeping watch at the corner of the building. He hadn’t so much as looked at her since Charles had informed them of the news. That was hours ago. Even though his constant rejection of her was like a dull blade in her side, she clung to the idea that she was making the right decision. She didn’t belong here, and soon, she’d be gone.
“Shadowcat,” Cyclops said in a low voice. “Where are we at with this door? We’re going to get noticed soon, fog or no fog.”
“I know, I know. It’s being -” she grunted as she ripped off the back cover which revealed a second set of complicating wires. “-Difficult.” She sighed as she examined the configuration. “Just need a few more minutes.”
“We ain’t got minutes,” Wolverine growled out as he closed in on their position. “I can hear someone comin’. Need ta get inside. Now.”
“Kitty,” Rogue urged in a harsh whisper. She noted the beads of sweat beginning to form on her friend’s forehead and knew that if this were her Kitty, she’d need a little encouragement right about now. “You can do this.”
Kitty’s face was screwed up as she continued working on the key pad, until finally, she let out a sigh of relief when the light blinked green and the door lock clicked loudly.
“Inside,” Scott said unnecessarily as Kitty pushed the door open.
Rogue managed to avoid brushing up against Logan as she slid inside the room behind Jean.
“Keep alert. Keep quiet. Keep your comms on, but maintain radio silence unless you find the weapon, or you’re in trouble,” Scott added as almost an afterthought.
Kitty eased the door shut behind them and Rogue took in the vast room they’d entered. This was more like it, she thought. White walls, stainless steel tables, sets of microscopes, spectrometers, vials and other lab equipment littered the surfaces, with several computer monitors scattered about on the far north wall.
“You two,” Scott said as he motioned toward her and Kitty, “You’ve got the labs on the second floor. Stairwell is outside this lab and northwest of here, at the top center of the building. The security system disabled, Shadowcat?”
Kitty nodded, “Yeah. It’s disabled, but each individual vault and lab will have additional access panels. Here,” she said as she handed Scott a second set of the equipment she’d used to disable the exterior access. “This should override the access for the doors. Just pull back the key pad and connect this to the wire port on top.”
“Should?” The one word grunt from Logan came too close to Rogue’s ear for her comfort and she shivered.
“Yeah,” Kitty replied tightly. “Should.”
“You two,” Scott jerked his head toward her and Kitty, “Get going. But stay alert, there will still be guards patrolling,” he said tightly.
Kitty grabbed Rogue’s arm as she led her toward the lab exit and the stairwell that would take them up to the second floor. Rogue couldn’t help but take one last look at her friends, knowing that she likely wouldn’t see them again. Not in this world anyway. Scott and Jean were already searching the lab tables pouring through files and storage lockers.
But Logan. Logan had immediately stalked to the far side of the room and announced, “I’m takin’ the west lab,” before walking through the door marked with the exit sign. She let out a huff of air as he disappeared. That was that. Hardly the goodbye she wanted. But maybe it was the goodbye she needed.
She and Kitty listened for the shuffling of guards’ footsteps as they exited the lab, but hearing nothing, slowly and quietly made their way across the ground level of the former museum. The enormous African elephant who had stood sentinel in the museum’s rotunda was gone, replaced with an image that forced a chill down Rogue’s back.
“Kitty,” she whispered, trying to prevent herself from panicking. “What is that?” She asked pointing to the display that caused her knees to want to buckle.
Kitty frowned as she looked back at Rogue. “It’s their sign. The F.O.H. It’s been put up in all government-run buildings and schools since they adopted the Church of Humanity as their official religion. Creepy, right?”
Rogue could only nod as they passed the huge wooden cross with the words, “In God’s Image” carved out at the bottom. Also at the base of the cross were the mutilated bodies of what could only be mutants, agony and pain etched into their features.
“Hell,” Rogue muttered as they hurried past.
A growl of disgust echoed in her mind as she looked back at the cross. You don’t like it either? She asked Wolverine.
Fuck no.
Then that makes two of us.
They made their way toward the north end of the building, only hiding once while an armed guard patrolled past the T-Rex skull. Once the guard had disappeared back toward the rotunda, they entered the stairwell and headed up the two flights of stairs. The building’s second floor labs were also on the northwest side of the building, meaning they were unlikely to encounter any additional security. But to be safe, Kitty partially phased through the stairwell door, checking that the way through was unencumbered.
“We’re clear,” Kitty whispered as she phased back inside and pressed the bar opening the door to the upper floor. “The door to the lab should be up on the left.”
Rogue moved quietly toward the red glowing light of a keypad she could make out in the darkness. The museum lights were dimmed for the night, but weren’t so dark as to inhibit their eyesight.
“How are we on time?” Kitty asked as she began to remove the keypad panel.
Rogue checked the watch on her left wrist. “We’re twelve minutes in.”
“Crap,” Kitty said muttered. “We’re a little behind.”
“I know,” Rogue answered. “But we’ll make up the time just as soon as you get us into this lab.”
Kitty snorted under her breath as she continued to work at the key panel. Rogue checked the hallway behind them, making sure they were still undetected and after another few seconds she heard the click of the lock disengaging.
“Yes! Got you, you tricky bastard.”
Rogue smiled as she followed Kitty into the lab area, but felt that moment fade quickly as she took in the size of the room. It was much larger than the ground floor lab, taking up more than twice the amount of space. The stainless steel tables here were lined up in neat rows, with vials and petri dishes littering the surfaces in tidy stacks. Rolling chairs were lined up on either side of the tables, and Rogue let out a slow breath.
“Shit,” she muttered. “This looks like production.”
Kitty nodded and started toward the end of the line closest to the door. “Yeah. Not good. I’m gonna check for any samples on this line. You check those lines over there, yeah?”
Rogue stalked toward the far end of the room where an additional three sets of production lines were set up. She found what looked like a partially finished product in one vial holder, but unlucky for them, the lab techs hadn’t had the courtesy to label the containers with anything resembling a “X-Men Look No Further, Killer Mutant Weapon Inside,” label. Still, she capped the sample carefully and added it to the pouch in her belt. If nothing else, they should take something back with them to analyze.
Back with who? Thought you were leavin’.
The sudden thought from Wolverine made Rogue jerk, and she nearly dropped the vial. He had a point. She wouldn’t be going back with them. And she sure as hell didn’t want to take anything like this back with her if she were to eventually find Rift. Fingers frozen on the clasp of the pouch, she let out a deep breath as she removed her hand. She could always ditch it later. Tucking back a loose strand of hair behind her ear, she continued to look over the tables for any further evidence of a finished product.
When she reached the end of the three lines, no further useful items identified, she froze as she caught sight of a door on the west wall marked by a red sign that read “Staff Access Only.” She frowned as she poured over the image of the museum’s map in her mind’s eye. She didn’t remember seeing anything like this on the map. Maybe there were more production lines, or storage, behind the door.
“I got nothin’,” Kitty’s voice echoed in the large room.
“Kitty,” Rogue called out. “I think I might have something here.”
Kitty hustled over to join her by the door and let out a slow whistle. “Shit. This wasn’t on the maps. Want to take a look inside?”
“Absolutely,” Rogue grinned in response.
Kitty flipped open the key panel and got to work on unlocking the door. Before long, the now familiar click of the lock sounded in the room and they were heading inside. The air behind this door was stale and still. Like nobody had been back there for a few days. The hallway revealed another set of stairs that twisted around back up and to the east side of the building. Rogue felt her stomach clench suddenly. Something wasn’t right here. This wasn’t supposed to be here.
“You still want to keep going?” Kitty asked as she looked at her. “We could always call Cyke or Log-”
“No,” she interrupted. “Let’s go.” And she stormed ahead past Kitty and up the stairs.
As it turned out, there was only a half-set of stairs which led to another hallway, with yet another door and keypad illuminated with a red light. Rogue was about to stride forward when Kitty grabbed her arm and wrenched her back, silently gesturing to the guard who had just rounded the corner ahead of them. Adrenaline surged through Rogue as she and Kitty froze, their backs against the hallway of the curved stairs, unable to move as the guard stalked closer and closer to their position. The only sound was the click of his boots as they echoed in the empty hallway. After several minutes, the sound of his footsteps faded Kitty phased her face through the wall to check that he was gone and she let out a sigh of relief.
“Alright,” Kitty whispered. “We’d better hurry if we’re going to make inside before he circles back.”
Rogue nodded and moved silently forward until she had her back to the wall by the next doorway. She clenched her fists at her sides as she strained her ears for any hint of the returning guard and jumped as the sound of a shrill beep issued from the keypad.
“Fuck!” Kitty exclaimed under her breath.
“Come on, Kitty,” Rogue urged in a harsh whisper. The guard they had spotted was due back any second, and maybe sooner if he’d heard the beeping down the hallway.
“I’m trying, Rogue. This one is a bitch.” Kitty said in a hushed reply. The edge of her voice held a note of frustration. The security throughout the building had been tougher to crack than Kitty had anticipated, and they were now significantly behind the mission timetable for searching their floor.
“Finally!” Kitty exclaimed as the light turned green and they burst through the door as quickly and quietly as they could.
The door closed behind them with a quiet hiss and Rogue let out a sigh of frustration. Two more doors. Each one with their own keypad. “We’re running late,” she said as she turned away from the panel. “Want to split up? You take one, I’ll take the other?”
Kitty nodded and moved to unlock each of the doors. “Sounds like a good plan. Just be careful, okay? Let’s meet back here,” Kitty glanced at her own watch and frowned, “No later than five minutes.”
Rogue suppressed the surge of adrenaline she felt even as she nodded to Kitty. This was it. This was her chance. She’d head inside the vault and double back, sneaking away before Kitty could finish her own search. She’d paid careful attention on the way in, memorizing the layout of the hallways behind the former museum, noting the exits. She wouldn’t get another opportunity like this. She could feel it.
After giving Rogue’s arm an encouraging squeeze, Kitty entered the room on the left, the door closing quietly behind her, while Rogue headed into the one on the right.
But suddenly. All the planning she’d done didn’t matter. She felt the air in her lungs seize up as she turned into the unlocked chamber in front of her.
“Who are you?”
A hoarse voice, unused to speech, reached her ears and Rogue froze where she stood. She knew that voice. She knew it from…Shit, shit, shit.
She turned to her right and saw him. Michael McMahon’s pale hands were gripping the bars of the floor to ceiling cage he was held in, his face screwed up in a frown as he looked her up and down.
Rogue swallowed several times to try and clear the sudden dryness in her throat. Was this another trick? Another ruse? Had The Brotherhood somehow managed to infiltrate the lab and plant Mystique posing as Rift? But what purpose would that have served? Rogue didn’t know if Mystique’s abilities included mimicking other mutant’s powers, as well as their appearance.
“I’m…Rogue,” she answered, hesitatingly. She didn’t see a reason to withhold that from him. If he was Rift, telling him certainly couldn’t do any harm. And if it wasn’t Rift, Mystique would know it was her anyway.
“You don’t belong here.” His voice was more steady now, less uncertain.
A shot of adrenaline surged through her at the implication in his words. “Neither do you,” she countered.
“No,” he shook his head. “Not here,” he motioned to the vault. “Here.”
Rogue strode over to the cage, and placed her hands on the bars. “What do you mean?” She noticed an intricate collar circling his neck, a small blinking green light where the ends met.
“Just what I said. You shouldn’t be here. In this world.”
She was taken aback at his words. How did he know that?
“How long have you been in here?” She asked as she examined the cage behind him. There was a cot in the corner with a thin wadded up blanket, and the smell that reached her nose indicated there was a bed pan in there somewhere. A small table that hugged the bars of the cage held a plastic tray with a dried out chunk of bread and partially eaten mealy looking apple.
Rift moved away from the bars and looked back at his cell, trying to straighten the messy blanket over the cot and shoved a metal pot further beneath his bed with his foot. “A few months,” he mumbled as he turned back to face her.
Wolverine didn’t like what he saw or smelled and growled out a few hoarse words. Anger lacing every syllable. Got ‘im caged up like an animal. Ain’t right. Just a kid.
“Jesus, kid. I’m sorry,” Rogue said as she looked for an entry point for the cage door.
He lifted one shoulder, seemingly unconcerned. “They haven’t hurt me. Just made me open a bunch of portals.”
Rogue’s stomach clenched uncomfortably at his words. “Did they…” she cleared her throat and gripped the bars more tightly as she searched his face for an answer she hoped he wouldn’t give. “Did they send anyone through?”
“Yeah,” he nodded. “But they had me go with them. So they could get back.”
“Did they do anything in those other worlds? Did they hurt anyone?” She asked, knowing she had to know the answer. It may be too late for her to return home if the F.O.H. had already been there.
Good, came the low growling in her mind. Then ya can stay here.
God. Maybe I should stay. Maybe my world is gonna end up just like this one and there’s no point -
“Nah,” Rift said as he shook his head, bringing her back to the present. “They just looked around for awhile, took some notes, and then had me take them back.”
A small sliver of relief worked its way through her body. “Let’s try and get you out of here.”
Rift frowned at her, his face scrunched up as he folded his arms and backed away from her. “How do I know if you’re one of the good guys?”
She smiled. The Rift of her world had asked her exactly the same question when she and Remy had gone to his house to speak to his parents about Xavier’s school. She decided to give him the same answer now, that she had then.
“The X-Men are the good guys. And I’m one of them.”
The smile he gave her in response somehow made the feeling of guilt in her stomach grow. She was one of the good guys, sure, but she was leaving the good guys. What did that make her?
“How do you know that?” She asked as she took a closer look at the bars, her mind shifting back to what Rift had said about her not belonging here.
“Know what?” he asked her as he moved to face her on the opposite side of the entrance. “There’s a key pad thing over there,” he pointed one hand through the cage bars to the opposite wall. “When they come in they punch in some numbers to unlock my cell.
“Thanks,” she muttered as she strode over to the familiar black panel. “How do you know,” she continued as she fiddled with removing the panel as she’d seen Kitty do. “That I don’t belong here?”
“I dunno,” he said in a bored tone. “You just look different. Like, an aura or something.”
“Rift?” She asked, uncertain. “Can you send me back? Back to my world?” She stopped pretending to know what she was doing with the panel and turned back to face him.
“I can open a portal,” he responded easily. “But you’d have to find your own way back.”
“What does that mean?” she asked, puzzled by his words. Wasn’t the portal he could open just a doorway back to her world?
“I tried my own portals,” Rift continued. “Before all this. Before I was taken. You’ve gotta think of the portal like a doorway to a hall, a hall with an infinite number of doors. Each of those doors leads to a different reality, a different world. But it’s up to you to pick the one you want.”
“But then how did I end up here? How did I pick this door?”
“I’m not sure.” He paused then, a puzzled look on his face. “Were you thinking of anything when you went through before?”
Rogue struggled to think back to that first painful trip into this world. “I might’ve been thinking how I wanted to go home.”
He nodded as if she’d confirmed something. “You probably ended up here because it’s so close to your home. Things here similar?”
“Yeah. Really close. Just -” She glanced down at her watch, suddenly realizing how long she’d been in here talking to Rift. “Shit. I - I gotta hurry up. Rift. I can’t open the cage without this thing that my teammate has. Can you open a doorway? Here? Kitty, my teammate, will come looking for me any minute, and she’ll be able to get you out.”
“I can’t,” he said sadly as he fingered the metal encircling his neck. “This collar stops me from being able to do it.”
“Come here,” Rogue said as she moved closer to the cage again. “Let me see if I can get it off.”
He moved closer to the bars and craned his neck upward allowing her to examine the connection point.
“Anything I should know about this? Does it go boom when you try to take it off?” she asked as she twisted the collar around.
Rift shrugged again. “Dunno. I’ve been too scared to try. And there’s not exactly anybody else around that I can ask.”
Rogue considered the collar carefully. It might be rigged to explode if anyone attempted to mess with the connection. She couldn’t risk hurting Rift. Not when she was this close to home.
The hushed sound of a gasp had Rogue jerking around to face the entrance of the vault. Kitty stood there, eyes wide as she took in the sight in front of her.
“It was more than five minutes,” Kitty offered lamely after nobody spoke for several tense seconds.
Rogue felt inexplicably guilty as her hands fell from Rift’s collar back to her sides. She didn’t know what to do as Kitty looked from Rift back to her.
“I-” Rogue began unsure of what she was going to say, but Kitty cut her off as she moved forward toward the bars of the cage.
“You Rift?”
“Uh, yeah?” He didn’t sound so sure as he looked quickly back at Rogue for confirmation that this newcomer was indeed one of the good guys. She smiled reassuringly at him and he seemed to relax slightly.
“Rift, I’m Kitty. Let’s see about getting this collar off of you. Sound good?” She asked winking at him.
He blushed and nodded. “Um. Yeah.”
“Kitty, I’m sorry -” Rogue started feeling the guilt creep up out of her insides again.
But Kitty shook her head. “Rogue, you don’t need to apologize for anything. You found your way home. Let me help you get the rest of the way, yeah?” Her voice was kind and soft and full of understanding, and Rogue felt the sting of tears at the corners of her eyes. She squeezed them shut, wiping away the moisture with impatience.
Never cry on a mission. She wasn’t entirely sure if it was Logan or Wolverine who said that, but she wholeheartedly agreed.
Rift frowned as he tried to look down at what Kitty was doing to the collar at his neck. “Shouldn’t we get me out of here first?”
“In just a few minutes, I promise. We’re just in a bit of a time crunch, buddy. We’ll get her gone, then we’ll get us gone.”
Kitty reached back into the pouch at her belt for a small set of tools, and after a moment of debate chose a small pick.
“It’s not going to blow up, is it?” Rift asked, a note a panic in his voice.
“Nah,” Kitty replied smoothly as she inserted the pick into the connection point. “It would just zap you if you tried to break free.”
Rift’s eyes widened as he bent his head down trying to see Kitty’s hands.
“Relax, kid. I’m not going to let that happen,” she said confidently as a small beep issued from the collar. The green light was extinguished as the metal ring popped open. Kitty helped Rift remove the ends of the collar and she closed it again before looping it through a clasp on her belt. At Rift’s puzzled expression, she said, “We might need it. Besides. Better that we have it rather than the other guys, right?”
He smiled and nodded before turning to Rogue. Butterflies lit through her stomach as she realized what was about to happen. After everything that she’d done, everything she’d experienced over the last several months, she was finally going home.
To what? To that Cajun? To the team that’s scared of ya?
It’s home. She responded shortly. It’s where I belong.
He didn’t answer her, but Rogue could tell exactly what he thought about her belonging somewhere. And it wasn’t her own world.
Rift spoke up as he looked at her. “You ready to go?” And he lifted his hands in front of him where a brilliant blue beam began to emanate forward, forming a large spinning circle of light. It wasn’t like the sudden wall of energy that had exploded around her last time. This Rift had more control and had clearly done this several times.
She jerked her head in a nod before she could change her mind and turned to say goodbye to Kitty, but was surprised when the breath was nearly knocked out of her by the force of the hug she found herself encased in.
“Say hi to Jubes for me, wouldja?” Kitty whispered into her hair. “God, I miss that firecracker.”
There was no helping it now. Tears streamed freely from her eyes as she hugged Kitty back just as hard. “Of course,” she answered thickly. “Jesus, Kitty. I’m going to miss you. You helped me, you know? Helped me find myself here.”
“Shit,” Kitty said, her own voice thick with tears as she released Rogue from her embrace. “You gotta go, and we’ve got to get out of here.”
Rogue could only nod as she stepped back from her and turned to face the swirling blue portal in front of her. Her heart was beating fast, her hands shaking slightly as she remembered the pain from the past trip.
“Rift,” she called out suddenly. “Any tips to make it hurt less?”
“Yeah,” he answered with a smile. “Don’t fight it so much.”
She let out a huff of air and took another step closer before she remembered the sample in her pouch.
“Oh!” she exclaimed, fingers reaching for the clasp. “Kitty, I forgot. I found this. Might be part of the weapon. I thought you might want to take it back. Maybe Jean can analyze it and find a way to stop it.”
Kitty stepped carefully forward, eyes locked on the portal. She took the sealed vial from Rogue and smiled at her, encouragingly. “We’ve got this, Rogue. It’s okay to go now.”
“Remember,” Rift called out as she moved closer to the light. “Choose the right door!”
Rogue reached forward with one hand, willing herself to breath deeply and calm herself. Her fingers outstretched, she started to take the last step that would propel her forward into the portal, when the door to the vault flew open, banging loudly against the wall behind it. She jerked her hand back from and twisted around to face the entryway. The armed guard they’d seen patrolling earlier had burst through, gun raised, and before she could act, fired two quick rounds aimed toward the cage.
“NO!” she screamed as she saw Rift and Kitty fall to the floor and the portal closed instantly behind her. Rage and grief were ripping through her as she turned to lunge at the guard, heedless of what might happen to her. He’d killed them. Killed them both.
With a roar, she shot forward, not caring if anyone heard her, intent on ripping the gun from his hands and turning it on him. But she wasn’t fast enough. She felt the tear of something sharp at her neck, causing her to collapse immediately to the floor and the room went black.
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Chapter End Notes:
I’ve got to thank my beta englishmajor226 for her comments and feedback on this lengthy sucker. It was a beast to write and she went through it several times for me. Also, I won’t leave you guys hanging for long, the next chapter is progressing nicely! Until then, thank you all so much for the continued love on this story. I am so thankful for the little community we’ve got going on. Cheers!