Laboratory in Xavier Mansion

"Any luck Hank?" Cyclops asked.

Beast looked up from Rashelle's body and towards Scott. "It seems as though the young woman's death was caused by a poison administered to her through the upper right appendage. The drug caused her to go into cardiac arrest," he said.

"How long would it be before the poison would take affect," Cyclops said.

"No more than five minutes," Beast said. "Which means she was poisoned here."

"Does the professor know?" Cyclops asked.

Beast nodded. "The professor believes that if she is in league with Sinister that perhaps he wouldn't want her to reveal his location," Beast said.

"Which means somehow someone got into the house without setting off the alarms," Cyclops said.

Sinister's Base

Rogue woke up in bed. Her head was pounding. Sarah, Rogue thought as she sat up. Oh god Sarah. . . She looked around the room. Remy was gone and she didn't know where he was or when he left. She was alone . . .again. At least yoah not in that 'cage' again girl. Be happy 'bout that, Rogue told herself.

Rogue heard the SWOOSH of the door and looked up. It was Sinister, smiling evilly. "Whad'a'ya want?" she asked trying to ignore the pounding.

"When I brought you here-" Sinister began.

"Ya mean kidnapped me," Rogue interrupted.

" . . . I said that I could help you with your power," Sinister continued. "I'm here to see if you still want help controlling your power."

Rogue looked down. If she wanted it. Of course she wanted to control her power. But to agree to let him help her. This man who she knew had killed so many people and hurt Remy. She didn't know if she could agree to that. "What's the catch?" she asked.

"You have to tell me everything Sarah told you," Sinister said.

"Ah don't know what you're talking about," Rogue said.

"You woke up last night screaming her name," Sinister said.

Rogue looked at her hands. She wouldn't have to tell him everything. Maybe he could help her. No one else had. Mystique had tried but didn't get far and the professor was always to busy . . . "Whatcha gonna do?" she asked looking at him.

"Your lack of control over your power isn't physical Rogue. It's a mental problem," Sinister said.

"Ah am not insane," she said.

"I am not saying you are child but the problem is physiological, probably due to an early childhood trauma you are repressing," Sinister said.

"And how can ya make me remember it if'n ah don't wanna?" Rogue asked.

Charley walked in. Sinister pointed to him. "He can make you remember by using his power," Sinister said.

"An' how's rememberin' gonna help me control mah power?" Rogue asked.

"Most likely once you know what the childhood trauma is you can deal with it and then learn to control your powers," Sinister said.

Rogue looked away. It all sounded so easy. Just remember the past. The problem is she didn't know if she truly wanted to remember. What ah do remember wasn't very nice . . . but if it means ah'll be able to touch another person without the fear of hurtin' 'em . . . she thought.

"When can we begin?" she asked.

Ororo Monroe wiped the sweat from the top of her forehead and sighed. She'd been watching the MRC building for hours and still no sign of Gambit. Anything 'Ro? came over the commlink.

"Nothing to report as of yet Robert," Storm said into the link.

Nothing over here either, said Bobby.

Storm sighed and picked the binoculars up again and resumed her watch.

Sarah awoke on the astral plane cold and shivering. She hated being here but ever since Jon had killed her; her mind had been trapped here. She searched for Rashelle's mind with her's to see if she was all right. Nothing, she thought. She's dead. I didn't save her. She looked into the real world using her power and saw Sinister. He was leading Rogue down the hallway and towards a laboratory. No. Mr. Le Boo'll die if he looses her too. Need to get her some help.

Sarah popped back onto the astral plane and searched for the mind of the one man she knew could help her new friend.

"Now Ms. Rogue-" Charley said.

"It's just Rogue sugah," Rogue said.

"Um, okay, Rogue just relax and let the memories come to you," Charley said.

Rogue nodded and closed her eyes. How are the memories suppose to come to me when ah don't remember 'em? she thought.

"Think back to the earliest memory you can remember," Charley said.

Rogue concentrated and suddenly she wasn't in the room anymore. She was in a small room with pictures from Winnie the Pooh everywhere. " . . .and Snow White and the Prince lived happily evah aftah," she heard from behind her.

Rogue turned around to see a woman with red hair and green eyes holding a little girl with the same green eyes and red hair; except the little girl's red hair had a white stripe down the middle. Mommy Rogue thought as she looked at the woman.

"Do ya think ah'll marry a handsome prince too mommy," the little girl asked.

"Ah'm sure you will sweetheart," the woman said.

Rogue heard laughing behind her. She turned and saw a big man at the door. He was tall and held a bottle of beer in his hand. "Marry a prince," the man said laughing. "The child won't even wear a dress."

"Ah think maybe you should go lie down Robert," the woman said.

"No wife of mine is going to tell me what to do," the man said and struck the woman in the face.

"No daddy no," the little Rogue and Rogue said at the same time.

Rogue watched as her father pulled her mother out of the room and kick her hard in the stomach. "Stop it daddy. Stop it," the little Rogue said.

"Go back to bed Sabine," her mother yelled. "Go back to bed."

The little Rogue ran to her bed and pulled the covers over her. "Stop it daddy, stop it," she kept telling herself.

Rogue slid to the ground crying. She remembered everything. All the parties ruined by her father's drinking, all the times her mother came downstairs with bruises, and the . . . Oh god no she thought as the scenery changed around her.

Her house was on fire and her mother was in it. Rogue watched herself as an eight-year-old run towards the burning house screaming for her mother. The policeman stopped her and dragged her away from the house and to the police car. Ah went to the fair, momma told me ta go on without her. She was suppose ta meet me. Daddy most have hit her again while ah was gone. She didn't come so ah went home. When ah got there the place was in flames . . . daddy wasn't inside but momma was. If ah'd stayed she wouldn't be . . . oh god why'd ah go to the stupid old fair, Rogue thought and closed her eyes. The tears fell and when she finally opened them again she was back in the room with Charley and Sinister.

Professor Xavier sat at his desk looking at some reports on the computer. Mister. I need your help, he heard. Xavier stopped what he was doing and concentrated. He let himself go to the astral plane.

A little brown haired girl was there. Did you call me? He asked.

Rogue needs your help. Sinister has her and Mr. Le Boo's going to do something for him and he just can't help him again . . .

Has Rogue where?

The little girl told him some coordinates and left. Xavier watched her leave. All X-men report to the war room immediately. I know where Rogue is.

Storm gazed through the binoculars at the building again. Storm, we know where Rogue's at. Scott, Beast, Bishop, Psylocke, and Warren are going to get her now, she heard over the commlink.

"Thank the goddess," she said.

Logan, Bobby, and you need to stop Gambit tell him we have Rogue. He can't steel the information for Sinister.

"As soon as we find him we will," Storm said.

Gambit crouched on one of the branches on one of the trees beside the gate of the MRC building. He looked over to his right and saw Storm. He smiled. If he hadn't been a trained thief he wouldn't have seen her in the bushes. He glanced back at his watch. Almost time to begin. Hold on Rogue, he thought. Hold on.

Onto Part eight | Back to my Archive | Main Page