X3: Lost Souls

  
  
Summary: Rogue has finally settled in at the school, feeling better about her powers than she has in a long time. An unanticipated skirmish leaves her vulnerable and more afraid than she has been in a long time. A stranger comes to her rescue and leaves her more than confused about a few things. Remy intro attempt.  
  
Forgive my attempt at Remy's French accent...it's brutal I know. And Rogue's for that matter...

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Rogue sat silently while Professor Xavier addressed all of the students together. For a week now rumors had been flying about what had happened to those who had gone to Alkali Lake. Suddenly the students who had been captured and trapped there were now the most popular kids in the school, but Rogue had denied any knowledge. She had no desire to share in the gossip, she knew what had happened, and it had affected her deeply. She felt guilty inside, she knew that maybe if someone more experienced had flown the jet, Jean wouldn't have had to sacrifice herself. She knew that by flying, she had saved all of them, but inside she felt that she should have been able to do more, she didn't know why but it ate at her. Nothing reminded her more of it than seeing Logan's hulking form sulking around the mansion, being in a disturbingly quiet mood.  
  
Logan, the man she thought of more often than anyone, was clearly depressed. She knew he was capable of feeling things, but she had not realized how deeply his feelings had gone for Jean. It was made even worse by the fact that he was trying to be nice to Scott, or at least stopped heckling him. Nice just wasn't something Logan was good at, it was obvious. She knew she felt badly for Scott, but Logan was much closer to her, and to see him hurt like that crushed her as well. It was hard to move on after something like this had happened.  
  
Her only strength had been in Bobby, he had been as supportive as he could be. Always willing to talk her though things, and offer her advice. It felt good to have someone who could do that for her. She had caught herself laughing more than once in the past few days, and that felt good too. She only hoped that it would eventually rub off on both Scott and Logan, and the rest of the team for that matter; she could tell that they needed it.  
  
"Our own Jean Grey sacrificed herself in order to save us." Xavier's somber words brought Rogue's attention back around. She noticed more than a few people sniffling behind tissues. Xavier's face stayed unmoving, but she could see the sadness that lingered in his eyes. Jean had been like one of his own children, loosing her had been a tremendous strain on the usually sturdy man. "And I only hope, that we can honor her memory."  
  
The emotion in Xavier's voice was evident, but his face remained unchanged as he turned and wheeled back to his office. Ororo stepped forward from where she had been sitting on the couch. Her own eyes were puffy, but she had managed to dry her tears before facing the students. "We all feel, that it's probably a good idea, if we all took a week off, so we can...reschedule some classes. And take some time for ourselves." All the students murmured quietly, it had already been guessed that they were going to get time off. Jean had been one of the teachers, and Scott as well; it was unlikely that they would have been able to pick up so quickly. The past few days had been hectic, large classes succeeding only in a somewhat focused study hall. "So, you can all make arrangements with your parents to go home."  
  
Rogue bit her lip unhappily; Bobby was going home in an effort to patch things back up with his family, mostly his brother. Rogue knew she wasn't going any where; she was going to spend their time off alone in the mansion. She figured maybe it would give her some time to approach Logan alone, though from what she had seen recently she wasn't sure she wanted to.  
  
The room cleared out, leaving Ororo and Kurt sitting together on the couch, watching TV. Rogue smiled a little when she noticed that Ororo's hand was resting gently on Kurt's shoulder. The blue furred man had frightened her when she first met him, but as she had watched him, she found him to be quirky and likeable. She was glad that he seemed to be comforting Ororo, and he managed to lighten the mood in general. Rogue just hoped it would be enough to heal the whole team.  
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Rogue stood outside, the cool breeze refreshing her. Almost all of the students were gone already, arrangements had been made quickly. No one wanted to stick around the mansion when everyone was in such a mournful state. It was eerily quiet outside, the usual shouts and laughter of people were strangely absent, only a few bird calls and the rustle of dead leaves let her know that she could still hear.  
  
She heard the front door bang loudly, and heavy footsteps approach. A loud snort, and the strong smell of a cigar made her smile.  
  
"Runnin' again." This time she said it with a smile. She always seemed to catch him just when he didn't want to be caught. She liked to think that they both looked after each other when they needed it most.  
  
He stepped forward and acknowledged her with a grunt. There was a hint of amusement in his eyes but he didn't outwardly smile, it had been a while since she had seen one of those. "Naw, just taking a break." He chewed on the cigar thoughtfully.  
  
"Wanna talk about it?" She shrugged offering her ears for service.  
  
He smirked, "I don't think so." She could see he was hurting deeply, and she doubted anyone in the world could understand how badly just then. "Do me a favor kid," He looked directly into her green eyes, his tone serious. "Take care of that Summers wouldja?" He didn't wait for her to respond before he walked off to the garage. Soon she heard the loud roar of the motorcycle, and in a blur of speed Logan was off the property.  
  
_ Ah knew you were a runner._ Rogue shook her head. She knew Logan wasn't going to be able to deal with this much emotion, surrounded by people. He'd be back eventually. She sighed, silently wishing she could run from her own thoughts, from this place. Just to be out of the mansion. _Can't blame ya, ah suppose._  
  
Rogue traipsed back inside, it was early in the morning and she had no plans for the day. She wandered into the kitchen to find Scott staring at the toaster. She had never been particularly close to Scott, but she felt compelled if nothing else, to help him out because of what Logan had said.  
  
"Ya gotta plug the toaster in." She slipped past him and replaced the plug into the socket. He had just barely noticed she was there.  
  
He smiled in an attempt to make her feel less uncomfortable. "Ah, hadn't noticed that...thanks." He leaned back against the counter, his eyes back on the toaster as if Rogue had never been there.  
  
"Ah don't suppose you wanna talk?" Rogue felt silly even offering, but she had to try. Maybe Logan didn't want to talk to a silly 'kid', but maybe Scott would.  
  
Scott shook his head like he didn't want to but opened his mouth anyway. "It hurts..." His voice was so faint Rogue barely heard him. "Ya know?" He looked at her, giving a thin smile. The pain in his face made Rogue suddenly very sympathetic to Scott, she hadn't realized how much of an effect Jean had had on these men.  
  
Rogue slipped her gloved hand over his. "Ah know." She mustered up as much sympathy as she thought was physically possible. She had come to respect Scott for his leadership qualities; he had always been a solid foundation in the tumultuousness of their lives at the school. She patted him reassuringly. "Jean was a fine lady." She let the silence draw out after her last statement. "But..." Rogue mustered up her courage. She had no real right to be giving advice to him. "Ah don' think Jean woulda' wanted you to be so sad."  
  
Scott didn't look at her as he dealt with his own emotion, but he didn't shout at her or shove her away, like Rogue had feared he would. Finally he nodded, taking a deep breath. "I know."  
  
Rogue felt a little relieved. But she didn't want to leave him moping around the house all day. She decided to take another stab with her luck. "Maybe, you and I could go into town. Maybe you could get a burger...it would save me the bus fare..." Rogue bit her lip nervously.  
  
Scott stood still for a moment, but eventually gave a few quick nods. "Yea. That would be good." He turned and gave her a genuine smile, "Xavier's been snapping at me to get out of here anyway." He popped the bread out and left it sitting in the toaster. Grabbing a jacket he led her out to where a number of keys hung on the wall near the front door. Rogue gulped, she hadn't expected him to agree so readily. "I'm sorry." He paused for a moment, almost laughing at himself. "Are you ready to go?"  
  
Rogue nodded quickly, she had no desire to cause a distraction that would change his mind. Ororo had just come in from one of the other halls and looked a little surprised to see both Rogue, and Scott rushing off somewhere. "We're headed into town. Need anything?" Scott explained as if it were something he normally did. Ororo just gawked a moment before she shook her head, and leaving the mansion; the two of them hopped into the car and drove off.  
  
Rogue sipped absently at her lemonade, it was a little cold for the weather but she drank it anyway. They had spent most of the morning wandering in and out of shops, Rogue silently watching to see if Scott showed any signs of distress. But her plan had worked out rather well it seemed, he almost appeared to be enjoying himself.  
  
Scott sat across from her at the small café table outside, thumbing through one of the books he had bought. A sudden beep at his coat pocket distracted him as he pulled out a phone. Rogue ignored the conversation, attempting to be polite.  
  
"Alright. I'll be right there." There was a seriousness in his voice that worried Rogue some. "Rogue, I need to head back to the school, are you...?"  
  
Rogue cut him off. "That's fine. Ah'll take the shuttle back." She smiled reassuringly as Scott stood up.  
  
He looked for a moment like he was going to protest, but thought better of it. Perhaps Rogue was finally earning her place in the eyes of the X-men. "Alright, but if you're not back by 7, I'm coming back." He warned jokingly. He was only half serious, but Rogue had no doubt that he expected her to be back in the mansion before dark. Scott took it upon himself to watch out for the students of Xavier's school.  
  
She smiled, "Thanks fo' taking me out Scott." She paused, unsure if she was supposed to be so informal with a teacher. "Mr. Summah's" She corrected herself.  
  
Scott grinned before he took off. "Scott's fine. Thanks for making me come." He gave her a sincere nod that made Rogue hopeful that she had done some good. He quickly crossed to the parking lot and sped away, leaving Rogue with free reign of the town.  
  
She spent the rest of her afternoon wandering the cities park, glad that she was outside, despite the cold temperature. It felt good, almost healing, to have the sun on her face again. The browning leaves of the Autumn letting the low light from the sun pass through them, causing the trees to look as though they were on fire. She suddenly realized she could hear someone crying in the park, looking around she could only see a little boy, his face red and his eyes puffy, rubbing his nose with his sleeve. She thought it was a little strange for someone so young to be out in the park alone; she decided to extend her 'good deed for the day' quota and approached the boy.  
  
"Aw, what's wrong sugah?" She crouched down so that she was at the little boy's level. His big blue eyes looked up at her uncertainly, but she smiled warmly and ruffled his strawberry blonde hair. "It's alright. Tell me an ah'll see if ah can't help." She held out her hand, the boy didn't seem too concerned that her arms were concealed under long black gloves, or that the only part of her skin that was exposed was her face. He, after careful deliberation, eagerly grabbed her hand. She laughed. "Ah'm Rogue. What's yo' name cutie?" She pinched his freckled cheek playfully.  
  
"I...I'm Malcolm." He said his name with a big grin, as though proud he had remembered it and eager to make a new friend.  
  
"It's sho' nice to meet you Malcolm. Where yo' folks at?"  
  
At the mention of his parents his eyes filled with tears again. "My...my mommy...she went to the store...and and now I can't find her." He sobbed, having a hard time catching his breath. Rogue rubbed his back and shushed him, looking around she didn't see anyone else in the park.  
  
"Do you think you could be a big boy fo' me, and show me where you live?" She hoped maybe she could get the home, where someone might know where his mom was.  
  
The little boy nodded slowly and tugged her in the direction away from the town. A general suburbia sprawled out past the park, some of the parts looked wealthier than others. She kept him from worrying too much by talking with him about small things, what he was going to be when he grew up, if he liked school, and what kind of things he did for fun. She found that she was less concerned with the reality of the world right then, and that suited her just fine. They had probably walked a mile or so when he finally turned into a cul-de-sac that he recognized as his own. It was a less wealthy part, beach chairs scattered over the unkempt lawns, old rusted cars sitting unmoved for ages. Rogue hadn't realized that there were people living in Westchester who didn't own their own company and a large condo in another state.  
  
"Here!" He shouted excitedly, tugging her forward to a small white house, the paint peeling in parts. He banged on the door and opened it wide, not waiting for a response. Rogue felt a little awkward bursting into someone's house, but the kid had a firm grip on her arm. "Mommy mommy!" He shouted gleefully, finally releasing Rogue to jump into an older looking woman's arms. She looked a little surprised to see the little boy, but more surprised to see Rogue.  
  
"Malcolm, where did you come from?" Her voice was of concern, but she eyed Rogue suspiciously. Rogue figured a teenage girl dressed in all black randomly bursting into her house wasn't on her list of most welcome of visitors.  
  
"I got lost at the park. But this nice lady took me home." Malcolm burrowed his face into his mother's chest and sucked his thumb contentedly. His earlier tears were forgotten for the time being.  
  
The woman smiled, "Oh, thank you miss. Would you care to join us for dinner?" She seemed much more accommodating now that she realized what had happened.  
  
Rogue suddenly noticed how late it had gotten without her realizing it. The sun was just setting behind the trees outside, and dusk had settled over the neighborhood. "Oh, shoot. No, thank you ma'am, but ah best be getting home mah self." She nodded quickly and exited back out to the front door.  
  
She hadn't been entirely worried about the neighborhood before, but now, as the light faded around her, she didn't feel altogether safe. A group of shady looking characters stood at the end of the street, Rogue quickened her pace, now wishing she had gone back with Scott. She thought she heard a few cat calls, but she ignored them, pulling the hood of her sweater over her head so as to be less noticeable.  
  
"Hey baby, where ya headed so fast?" She heard a voice much closer than she wanted. Not focused enough on what direction she was headed, she turned down a different road, hoping he would lose interest. She continued walking, risking the occasional glance backwards until she realized she had walked herself into a dead end. She stopped, appalled at how stupid she had been, looking at the abandoned junkyard that ended her progress. Junk was scattered, and weeds had claimed most of the garbage that had been left behind.  
  
The loud laughter slowly flooded her ears. She soon realized that the single 'he' was now a 'them'. "Aw, come on honey, we just want to talk with you." She could hear the laughter in his voice; it was not a kind laughter. She turned around and faced them, unsure of what to do. She could try stunning them with her powers, but as soon as one of them found out what she was, there would be a whole crowd of angry people; and she wasn't really sure she wanted to absorb these people's minds anyway.  
  
"Just a little fun and games sweetheart." Rogue trembled as the main man stepped forward and grabbed her arm roughly. He wore his long greasy hair tied back under a bandana. He smelled like he hadn't bathed in days, his toothy grin made her cringe. She tried to pull away but he held her fast, his grip causing her arm to bruise.  
  
"Don' touch me." She warned him, not as much as a threat then a plea. There was little she could do except hope they lost interest. Her training with Professor Xavier, she doubted, would be sufficient enough to help her now.  
  
"Honey, why you covering up that body of yours?" He tugged on the cloth that clung to her form. Rogue turned away, angry and embarrassed that she could do nothing without enfuriating the whole group that watched her menacingly only a few paces away. He pulled her in closer, Rogue tried to shove him away but he was easily stronger than her. "Just a little kiss." He sneered. She could smell the alcohol and smoke on his breath. His hand reached up and brushed against her face, Rogue squirmed in his grip. He suddenly began to choke, gasping for air. He managed to throw himself away from Rogue, and fell to the ground.  
  
Rogue cringed as his memories flooded through her, thoughts of beatings and rapes. She cried out as he burned through her mind. He was a shallow and selfish man, and now some of him was in her, shouting at her and laughing at her. Those around them looked confused as Rogue held the sides of her head, screaming, while the man collapsed on the ground.  
  
His ragged breath came slowly but he looked up at her with hate filled eyes. "Mutant..." He accused her before he passed out. His voice was quiet, but everyone heard him clearly, even over Rogue's screaming.  
  
The other men looked enraged as they heard their comrade speak. "Get the freak!" one of them shouted before they all jumped at her. A few held back, as though afraid to approach, but they aided the others by picking up remnants of the garbage left in the field and hurling it at her.  
  
Rogue did her best to dodge them, running back into the junkyard, but she was still struggling with the man's thoughts in her mind. "Git...outa'...mah head!" She shouted over the noise of her pursuers. A large rock connected with the back of her head, blurring her vision momentarily. She could feel wetness seeping through her hood, but ignored it to try and find something that she could use to swing at the others.  
  
One of them tackled her from behind, throwing her to the ground. He began to pummel her with his fists, trying to beat in the fear that he himself was feeling. Rogue curled up, now crying a solid punch to her nose made her eyes sting severely. The contact had only lasted long enough for the man to looked shocked and back away, but someone else replace him.  
  
"Don't touch her skin!" He shouted, clutching his hand to his chest. Hopelessness overwhelmed her, but she felt around with her hands to find an old bottle and swung wildly with it. She heard it shatter as it connected with someone's shoulder, but it only slowed him temporarily. There was nothing she could do but take it, as she fought back, kicking and biting, she felt the other men close in around her and began to kick and beat her. They seemed to have no fear of a defenseless mutant.  
  
"Dis is no way to treat de lady." A smooth French voice cut through the animal noises. A few of the men stopped, looking to see where the voice had come from. Rogue could barely see through her now swelling black eyes. Two red eyes glowed, standing in the shadows. The man stepped forward, the glow of his cigarette suddenly thrown to the ground. The wind whipped his long trench coat out away from his body, revealing some sort of under suit. "Ah will only ask you dis once..." His red eyes narrowed. "Git off de lady."  
  
The man who was on top of her sneered at the man, "What you gonna do about it garbage boy?" He laughed, pulling Rogue's head up and pushing her back into the dirt. Blood and dirt smearing across her face, her face already throbbed so much that she barely noticed the new pain.  
  
A glowing emitted from his hands. Rouge could have sworn it was a playing card, but it began to glow brighter. "Ah'm goin' t' hurt you." He said quietly before throwing the card directly at the men. It connected with the man's chest, a huge boom deafened Rogue, the forced pressed her against the ground, but she barely felt the explosion. It threw the man across the street. He groaned slightly, smoke rising from his stomach and he didn't move. The other men were stunned for a moment, but the man in the trench coat jumped forward, knocking them down in a flurry of kicks, and severe blows from a stick that he wielded dangerously.  
  
Rogue crouched lower to the ground as they all fought, only risking quick glances at what was going on. This new man seemed to be moving the fight away from her, attacking all of them at once so they were distracted. Fortunately none of them had brought any sort of weapon, but this man didn't seem too concerned. He arced in the air, using his staff as a pivot point and she heard someone's ribs crack loudly as he was kicked full force by the new comer. Waiting for the humans to gather again he pulled out a few more cards from his pocket. She watched, amazed as they began to glow and flicker brighter in his hands, when he finally threw them they all exploded simultaneously as they reached their targets, making the ground beneath her shake.  
  
She took the opportunity to crawl further away, looking desperately for a stick or old beam that she could defend herself with. A sudden sharp pain in her ankle made her cry out; she looked down to see a shard of broken glass stuck firmly in her calf. The man that had touched her skin the first time grinned at his work. She crawled much slower now as she dragged her leg behind her, struggling to get away from him. He had apparently recovered; he grabbed her leg and pulled forward, stopping her progress. She shrieked in pain as the glass cut deeper into her flesh. He made struggled rasping noises as he worked; perhaps he was not as well as she thought. He turned her over and pressed down on her throat with all of his weight. His grimy finger nails scraping across her delicate neck. She could see the life fading from his eyes as he touched her skin, but more so she could feel him, invading her mind and body. She gasped desperately, clawing at his face, her mouth open in a silent scream.  
  
"Die..." His whisper was weak, but his hands gripped her neck firmly as she struggled for air. She could feel his determination as well as see it in his eyes. She felt the last of his strength fade, a small snap inside of her. His eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed on top of her, a small gurgle emitted from his throat. Rogue whimpered, trying to push his dead hands away from her throat but she was unable to manage. The mans ghost haunted her, willing her to die, she closed her eyes trying to block him from her thoughts.  
  
"Chere?" She heard the man's voice from above her, and felt the weight of the man being lifted off. She rolled to the side and sobbed silently, her mind still raw. He knelt down next to her, brushing back her hood inspecting her further. "Chere, dey're gone." He brushed her cheek gently with his fingers trying to reassure the frightened woman.  
  
"No!" She suddenly shouted, throwing his hand back, unwilling to have her mind invaded once again. She managed to sit herself up and face the man, her eyes were wildly searching, hoping to find something substantial to focus on while the man in her head echoed on. His long brown hair drifted in front of his red eyes, he looked unshaven, but concern marked his features, he was set back on his haunches, unaware of what he had done. "Ah'm...ah'm sorry. It's mah skin." She felt her face tenderly, there had been no shock feeling that she was used to, but she could tell her skin was swollen and bruised, she could poke herself and not feel it.  
  
The man held up his hand, a few fingertips were gloved, he had apparently been protected. He grinned, "Ah suspected as much. Mah name es Remy." He offered his hand in an effort to pick her off of the ground.  
  
Rogue tried to accept his help, "Ah'm Rogue. Thank you..." She managed to stammer, but then fell back to the ground, clutching her leg. "Glass..." She managed to gasp, the pain fresh and sharp.  
  
Remy quickly stooped to help her and shooed away her hands as she tried to probe at it. He pulled the glass out gently, careful to not shift it in anyway that would cause more cutting. He quickly tossed it aside and wrapped a handkerchief around her leg. Rogue winced at the pressure, but was glad the glass was gone. She mumbled her thanks again.  
  
"For you? Was no problem." He grinned. "Now, where may I be takin' you home, chere?"  
  
"oh, ah...ah'm a long ways off..." She didn't have a phone, and wasn't sure if anyone in this neighborhood would offer help after the ruckus they had caused.  
  
Remy cut her off. "Shh...petit', is no trouble. Let's walk, eh?" Rogue finally smiled back at him. "Ah, dat is what I wanted to see."  
  
Rogue giggled a little. She lifted herself unsteadily on the one leg and experimentally put pressure on the other, she stumbled and managed to catch herself by grabbing his shoulder. She frowned now, shaking her head. "Ah can't walk."  
  
"Oh?" Remy seemed somewhat interested. "Den I will, how they say? Sweep you off your feet?." Rogue didn't have time to protest as he scooped under her and lifted her suddenly into the air. She found she didn't have the strength to fight him either, she blushed furiously. "So, where are we headed?" he smiled mischievously.  
  
Rogue sat silent for a moment, but the aching in her body told her that she wouldn't be able to move without his help. She finally sighed in defeat, "D' ya know where Xavier's school is?"  
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Wrath raised his snout to the sky and sniffed the air carefully in his wolf shape.  
  
_ Blood. Sweat. Dirt._ There had been a fight; he sent these images up to Ms. Marvel as she soared above him. She had been the first to sense a disturbance, so she had sent him to investigate.  
  
He launched himself forward, running to where the scent was the strongest. It felt good to let the beast inside him run wild as he was now, the cool wind blowing against his furred face. A few dogs growled as they sensed him approaching but grew silent and whimpered as he past, he was by no means ordinary sized. He finally found the abandoned dead end, smoke curled up from remains.  
  
_Death._ He sent up to her, flashing the image of charred bodies in his mind. While in animal form he found it easier to communicate in images rather than words. He sniffed the bodies, they had died long ago, hours earlier he guessed. A few of the men were not yet dead, they gurgled as they struggled for each breath of air. Wrath slowly let his skin melt back into its human form, still crouched low to the ground.  
  
One of the men on the ground reached out to him, grabbing feebly onto his arm. "Help..." His eyes pleaded with him.  
  
Wrath pulled back in disgust and spat on the man's face. "Homo Sapiens." He sneered, kicking him as he walked by. Wrath's nose still picked up faint scents, his canine sense of smell not having left him yet. He shuffled over to the yard, and picked up a piece of glass that sparkled red with blood, he eyed it suspiciously and licked it. He nodded his suspicions. "Mutant blood." He held the glass up behind him, already feeling the presence of Ms. Marvel behind him. She had come down to survey the scene herself. Her long blonde hair swept around her face, her eyes an unnatural ice blue.  
  
"Good." Her voice was thick. "We'll need to pay them a visit." Her smile was thin and wicked.  
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Gah, if you made it through that I'm sorry...that was a lot of nothing happening, and then only a little fighting...double gah, lemme know if you fell asleep, and please, how to fix that...pleeeeeeze. I'm appreciate it. Thankee much.


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