1. Chapter 1

Hi. I started this as just a fun exercise to get back into writing, but I suspect I may have got a little carried away... :) This is going to be bit dark I expect; I've got a vague idea of where it's going but I'd really appreciate any feedback or thoughts. Anyway, I always thought that for Remy to have survived as well as he did he had to have a bit of a cruel streak, so this is my attempt to have a look at it. I'm not an amazing writer so any reviews are most welcome. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1

There was pain. Rogue groaned and tried to open her eyes. Her head was pounding and she was in complete, stifling darkness. She was lying on her side on something hard and her breathing filled her ears. Everything hurt.

She tried to move but couldn't pull her arms from behind her back. She tried to struggle, not understanding. _Tied up _something in her head whispered.

"Wakey wakey", a voice grated near her ear and the blackness disappeared as a cloth was ripped from her face. She blinked frantically at the sudden brightness and instinctively jerked away from the snarling face bent over her, making her ribs and shoulder flare with pain. She stifled a groan and tried to glare up into the narrowed yellow eyes. There was something heavy and cold around her neck.

"That will be all, Victor," said a calm, far away voice, and the face vanished as the figure stood up abruptly.

"What?" he snarled from above her.

"I said, that will be all," the voice repeated coldly, "you will continue your task." Rogue managed to focus long enough to see 'Victor' looking down lecherously at her. _Creed,_ something in her muzzy head whispered.

"Sure you don't need a hand with her?" he asked slyly, grinning down at her with pointed yellow teeth. Rogue began to move again and had to bite down on her tongue as her ribs flared with pain, but managed to roll herself onto her stomach swallowing down a wave of nausea.

"I believe I can manage," the voice replied sardonically. _Magneto, _something in Rogue's brain murmured as her head began to clear. Victor hovered reluctantly over her for a few seconds, then retreated with a snarl, stalking away angrily. A door slid shut, then there was silence.

Rogue lay still for a moment, her cheek pressed against the cold floor and her breathing all she could hear. She wasn't sure how she'd got there, but if Sabretooth and Magneto were involved then she was in very serious trouble. Well, she told her aching body grimly, she could lie here and wait for it to happen to her, or she could get up and do something about it.

Slowly but surely she began to work her knees up under her chest. Looking around wearily she realised she was next to a wall, having been dumped into the corner of the room while she was unconscious. Agonisingly slowly she began to lever herself up into a kneeling position, leaning against the wall for support. Her hands were still bound behind her back and by the time she'd managed it she was exhausted from the effort. She stayed there, breathing hard as her head pounded and the world lurched sickeningly until the nausea passed enough for her to raise head gingerly.

"Good evening, Rogue." Rogue's head spun round with a jolt of panic towards the voice behind her, heart almost bursting out of her chest. Magneto was sitting behind an enormous desk writing calmly. He didn't look up as Rogue tried to stand, then wavered and slumped back down the wall.

"Whe..." Rogue coughed at her dry throat, "where... am Ah?"

"You are at my base of operations," Magneto replied still writing, then raised his head and gave her a small, hard smile, "you will of course forgive me if I do not give you address." Rogue stared at him.

"Wha... am Ah...?"

"You are here because your knowledge of us has become too much of a liability." Magneto interrupted looking solemnly at her. Rogue tried with difficulty to fit the words into her aching brain, then shook her head weakly. Things she knew? Was he talking about her absorption? But she didn't have any have any important information from either him or Creed, and in any case Apocalypse had wiped all the psyches from her head.

"Ah...haven't told...them anything," she said thickly, trying to make her tongue work, "Ah don't have anything...to tell..."

"On the contrary," Magneto pinned her with his penetrating gaze, "you possess an undetermined amount of information regarding our operation and the most telepath on the planet to allow you to access it." He steepled his hands on the desk in front of him and Rogue was reminded bizarrely of the the Professor.

"So what... ya just kidnap me?" Rogue asked as angrily as she could. Magneto regarded her impassively.

"The danger you pose has to be removed from the situation," he said, as calmly as if he were telling her that the sun would rise tomorrow, "there are events on the horizon which I cannot allow you to interfere with."

"Fuck that!" Rogue spat croakily. Magneto's face hardened fractionally and the cuffs on her wrists suddenly tightened. Rogue cried out despite herself as they cut painfully into her skin.

"Do not underestimate me," he said coldly, watching Rogue struggle against the writhing metal, then relaxed his hold on the cuffs. Rogue recovered herself slowly, breathing hard.

"So, what are ya gonna do with me?" she asked finally, meeting his gaze. Magneto stared back steadily and Rogue felt a sense of deep foreboding begin to crawl over her. Magneto wasn't needlessly cruel, but he was capable of doing just about anything if he believed it would further his cause. He wouldn't hesitate to kill her if he thought it was right. But, she thought desperately, she was still alive, and he'd sent Sabretooth away. Surely if he was going to kill her he would have done it already and saved himself the bother of confronting her first.

There was a knock at the door and Rogue flinched involuntarily.

"Enter," Magneto said gravely and sat back in his chair levelling his gaze at the young man who walked it, his face hard and business-like. Rogue's heart sank as she looked up to see a long brown trench coat and attractively messy hair. Of all the Acolytes bar Sabertooth, Gambit was the least understood and the most troubling. Although they had encountered him once or twice in the run-up to Apocalypse he had always remained in the background; Rogue had never even seen him use his powers. The few times he had been forced to fight the X-Men hand-to-hand he had proved himself to be lightning fast with a vicious streak that left them with a wary respect for his combat skills.

"Gambit," Magneto acknowledged calmly. Gambit glanced down as he walked in, and Rogue felt an unpleasant jolt as his red-on-black eyes gave her a cursory once-over before he turned his attention back to Magneto. He was tall, good looking in a dangerous kind of a way and moved with the easy grace of someone totally at home on their own skin. Rogue watched apprehensively as he approached the desk.

"Y' wan'ed t' see me?" His voice was deep and some distant part of Rogue's brain was surprised to hear the drawling Southern accent.

Magneto was looking hard at Gambit. "It has come to my attention that a liability must be controlled," he stated without preamble. Gambit raised an eyebrow and looked back at Rogue his eyes suddenly alight with interest. Rogue glared back at him.

"Dat so?" he asked curiously.

"I cannot afford for Charles to become involved too early," Magneto said quietly, "events must run their course." He paused his eyes not leaving Gambit, "I do not condone killing where it is not necessary, but I cannot risk the girl at this time." Rogue stared at him, fear climbing; he couldn't risk her? Magneto continued to watch Gambit for a some time then, finally, seemed to reach a decision. "She is yours," he said evenly, "take her away."

Gambit blinked; "mine?" he asked in mild surprise as Rogue's heart jumped horribly, "what y' wan' me t' do wit' her?"

"Whatever you like," Magneto replied dismissively, "keep her out of the way." Gambit turned to look at her again, then a slow grin began to spread across his face. He walked over to Rogue and lowered himself into a crouch in front of her, examining her steadily. Rogue's lip curled at the look in his eyes.

"Anythin' I like?" he asked slyly.

"That is what I said," Magneto replied calmly.

Rogue gritted her teeth and her hands clenched into fists behind her back; "Ah wouldn't get any ideas," she snarled roughly, "touchin' me ain't good for yah health."

Gambit completely ignored her; "What's y' policy on sharin'?" he asked casually, glancing back up at the desk.

"Whatever you wish," Magneto sounded impatient.

"Creed?" Gambit asked idly, his gaze on Rogue as her eyes widened in alarm.

"Creed," Magneto said sharply, "is a degenerate animal."

"Ah," Gambit nodded agreeably, "jus' checkin' 's all." He grinned at Rogue's shaken expression, "y' de fille who absorbs people, oui?" Rogue glared on him.

"Come any closer an' Ah'll give yah a demonstration," she bit out fiercely.

Gambit laughed delightedly then leaned toward her, his strange eyes sparkling. "Dat collar roun' y' neck tellin' me different cherie." Rogue froze as he grinned at her, suddenly unsure; the collar? Gambit straightened abruptly and and Rogue looked up at him in alarm. "Get up," he said evenly.

"Fuck yah," Rogue spat out, knowing full well she couldn't stand if she wanted to. Gambit sighed then bent, grabbed her roughly by the shoulders and pulled her forcibly to her feet. Rogue cried out as her wrenched her shoulder then fell back against the wall as her head spun sickeningly.

Gambit shook his head; "an' here I was thinkin' y' were gonna be fun," he looked at her appraisingly, then something in his face hardened and his voice lost its easy drawl. "C'mon," he said curtly, grabbed her by the shoulder and pushed her towards the door. Rogue stumbled but managed to stay on her feet, trying to control her mounting panic. This was happening too fast; this morning she'd woken up worrying about a math test and now... She glanced once over her shoulder and caught a glimpse of Magneto still sitting at his desk, his face cast in harsh shadow from the light of the desk lamp, looking old and majestic. There was no point appealing to him, she knew; he was the most powerful mutant in this base, it was to her advantage to get away from him for now.


	2. Chapter 2

Hi, thanks to everyone who read and reviewed this fic, hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 2

Gambit pushed her forwards sharply and she stumbled again. "Left," he ordered, and Rogue hesitated, then followed his instruction, not knowing what else to do. She walked shakily along a long, featureless metal hallway trying desperately to think. _Wait until you're away from the office_, something in her head whispered; _wait until you're near a corner._ Rogue deliberately stumbled and weaved as Gambit's voice directed her through the maze of empty halls, trying to exaggerate her weakness, her heart beating fast. If he got her into a room alone there would be nothing she could to defend herself, even if this collar thing didn't work... she tried not to think about what would happen if it did.

There was a turning coming up and Rogue kept her head down, trying to listen to the quiet footsteps behind her. Her heartbeat was climbing frantically but she forced herself to wait until the last possible second… She took off at a sprint down the side passage and was momentarily elated when, instead of a shout or footsteps, there was only silence behind her. There was another turning ahead and she was nearly around the corner, running as fast as she could with her hands bound behind her trying to ignore the pain in her body, when something hit her legs hard. Helpless, she fell hard on her damaged shoulder which exploded with pain and cried out as her head hit the ground. Black spots winked in front of her eyes and her ribs creaked as she gasped for air as leisurely footsteps approached.

"Didn' know y' knew de way cherie," the hard metal pole that had hit her lay under one of her legs and she felt him pick it up, "O' dat y'd be in such a hurry t' get dere," there was a deep chuckle and Rogue shivered and coughed, twisting her hands against the handcuffs. "Up," Gambit said sharply and Rogue's boots scrambled on the metal floor as her grabbed her upper arm and hauled her to her feet. "C'mon!" he shoved her forwards and she stumbled towards a door set almost invisibly into the metal wall. She slumped against the wall trying to clear her blurred vision. Gambit steadied her roughly with one hand while punching a code into a keypad with the other, then pushed her again as the door slid open.

She got a glimpse of a sparsely furnished bedroom, the metal walls painted white, before she was shoved unceremoniously into the corner of the room. Rogue slumped against the wall, drawing her knees up to her chest as her head swam, trying to keep a lid on her rising panic. Gambit disappeared into an adjoining room, and she could here him moving things around and cupboards opening and closing. Rogue closed her eyes, and she must have passed out for a few moments because the next thing she knew she was being hauled to her feet again. She gritted her teeth against the pain and raised her head to stare defiantly into Gambit's eyes as he pinned her bodily against the wall. She tried to ignore the feeling of his body pressing against hers as he leaned against her, eyes glinting.

"So," he said softly, "m' sure y'r wonderin' what I'm wonderin'." The corner of Gambit's mouth quirked up and Rogue realised he was looking at the collar around her neck. The possibility that her last defence might really have disappeared hit Rogue like a freight train and the panic that had been bubbling below the surface finally broke free. She squirmed desperately kicking out at him, but he overpowered her easily and threw her back against the wall. "Ah ah ah," he laughed as she cried out in anger and fear, twisting her head away, but he caught her jaw in his gloved fingers forcing her to look at him again. Rogue froze as she realised that only some of his fingers were covered by his gloves and he held a bare fingertip just over the skin of her cheek. His expression was strangely intense as his skin hovered a hair's breadth from her own and Rogue felt like a hand had clamped over her mouth and she couldn't breathe. Her heart beat frantically against her ribs as she stared up at Gambit who, achingly slowly, pressed his fingertip against her skin.

There was a beat of silence.

Nothing happened.

Dread flooded through Rogue, and she just had time to see Gambit's face break into a wide grin when she was yanked forward and shoved face-down over a table. Adrenaline surged through her and she struggled desperately but Gambit was already behind her pinning her hips with his own and leaning over so that his chest pressed against her back and his mouth was by her ear.

"Now now cherie," he murmured intimately as Rogue was crushed under him, "all dat wriggling might not the best idea just now." Rogue froze again and this time real terror gripped her lungs, squeezing her chest like an iron belt. "S' better," Gambit continued softly. "Now, we gon' be spending a lot a' time together, so we bes' get a few ground rules down, oui?"

"Fuck you," Rogue managed to gasp out, then she flinched as Gambit's deep chuckle rumbled through her.

"Interesting choice o' words, cherie," he shifted his weight slightly and Rogue struggled against him in panic but he grabbed her hair and shoved her down hard against the table. Rogue fought down her panic as her face was pressed into the metal surface and bit her tongue to control herself; she wouldn't let him see her give in.

"There's only one thing y' gonna have t' remember," he continued from above her, his voice still quiet but with a hard edge to it. "Y' do what I tell y', when I tell y'. Think y' can manage that?" Rogue didn't answer as she lay helplessly under him, but her mind was racing, scrabbling for a way out. But all she could think, over and over was _he can touch you; he can touch you and there's nothing you can do... _

Rogue's eyes darted frantically around the room and fell on an alarm clock on Gambit's bedside table. It read 3:07am and some detached part of her exhausted brain thought, _it's late, Ah should be in bed._ She nearly laughed hysterically at the surreality of it all.

"Hey!" Gambit's voice was like a whip-crack and Rogue jumped involuntarily, "y' keepin' up here?"

_Play along, _part of her mind whispered, _wait for a good opportunity to get the jump on him. He can touch you, _another part cried forcefully. She closed her eyes, afraid but hating herself, and nodded slowly. Gambit gave a satisfied grunt then purred in her ear; "y'll do what I tell y' when I tell y'. Say it."

Rogue gritted her teeth against the submissiveness of the words but gasped out bitterly, "Ah'll do what ya say." His hand tightened in her hair and she winced.

"When I say it," Gambit repeated coldly.

Rogue swallowed her biting comeback and forced herself to grind out; "...when ya say."

"Bien," Gambit said softly and slowly straightened up, releasing her hair but keeping his hips pressed against hers and pinning her to the table. "So, lets see what we got here, neh?" There was the quiet sound of metal against metal and for one, heart-stopping, terror-filled moment Rogue thought it was a belt buckle. The world dropped out from under her and she had never been more afraid in her life. Then she felt the bonds around her wrists loosen and realised with a rush of hysterical relief it was the key slotting into her handcuffs. _He's freeing you,_ she tried to tell her paralysed brain as Gambit pulled her upright and pinned her against the wall again. He held her hands were above her head and she vaguely registered her ribs and shoulder protesting at the strain. He gripped her jaw again and forced her to turn her head first one way, then the other, examining her with an appraising expression.

"Y' know there might be some potential under all this," he waved a hand casually, grinning down at her, "misplaced aggression.". Two of his un-gloved fingers were pressing against her throat and the feel of them seemed to fill Rogue's mind leaving no room for any rational thought. The mantra _hecantouchyouhe cantouchyouheca ntouchyou _swirled around and around her head.

Gambit suddenly stepped back and Rogue weaved at the sudden lack of support staring dazedly up at him. He jerked his head at the doorway he'd disappeared through earlier. "Take a shower," he ordered calmly. Rogue blinked at him startled. She couldn't keep up with the sudden change of pace, her mind still full of the feeling of being pinned against the table, but her body finally seemed to be responding to her.

She snarled inarticulately at him and stumbled forward, clumsily swinging a fist at his face. He moved so fast she barely followed him as he laughed, knocking her swing away and catching her across the mouth with a vicious backhand. The force of the blow spun her around and she coughed, tasting blood as he grabbed her and hissed in her ear.

"Don' think I won' hurt you cherie, if you give me a reason." She struggled feebly but he tightened his grip, "do as I say and we gon' get of fine," he squeezed her shoulder and she stifled a cry of pain, "but don' push me." His mouth was almost touching her ear and his breath brushing over her skin made her feel sick. _Hecantouchyouhe cantouchyouheca ntouchyou,_ her mind chanted frantically. She bore the pain as long as she could, then nodded quickly. Gambit released her, his face hard and his strange eyes boring into her and she looked away shakily. "Shower," he said flatly and Rogue hesitated, then knowing she had no choice, drew herself up as best she could and made her way unsteadily across the room.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Sabretooth stalked angrily through the metal hallways of the base to the underground garage, grinding his sharp teeth and flexing his claws angrily. That Gambit got the reward was typical he thought visciously.. He approached an un-remarkable black sedan with tinted windows and threw open the door violently, snarling to himself and running his tongue along his sharp teeth, relishing the taste of his own blood. He'd taste hers before long he promised himself darkly, getting into the car, retrieving the keys from under the dash.

His lip curled as he started the engine. He detested these cars; his huge frame was ludicrously cramped in the seat of the car, but it was the last thing anyone would expect the followers of the great Magneto to drive. Although he'd never admit he was forced to agree it was worth while; no-one had ever given him a second glance.

He gunned the car up a ramp and the wide metal doors at the top slid open smoothly. The car slid into a wide bay and the doors closed behind it and Sabretooth winced at the hissing of high-powered jets as disinfectant was sprayed evenly over and under the car. He waited until the air had cleared and a second set of doors had opened, then accelerated out into the night. He'd also go through a car wash before he picked up his bike; much as he'd love an excuse to confront Wolverine the weak-hearted little shit had a habit of sticking his over-sensitive nose in, and tonight he needed to stay quiet. He gave a raw chuckle at the irony; the great Wolverine, Weapon X, bested by the vanity of these baseline scum. There was some justice in the world.

He paused at the thought of what Wolverine would do if he could see his little Rogue now, the smell of her still in his nostrils. He narrowed his yellow eyes and a smirk began to creep across his face. If he wasn't given what he wanted he then he would take it. It was more fun like that anyway.

In the meantime he'd follow orders like the good soldier he was. He laughed again at Magneto's arrogance; 'go about your task' he'd said, as though he was in charge, as if he were in control. The car engine roared as Sabertooth crushed the pedal to the floor, his eyes alight with malice. Playing him had almost been too easy, and if Creed were any judge, Eric was soon going to find out what control really meant.


End file.
