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Adaptation, Chapter Five
Title: Adaptation
Pairing: Bobby/Rogue, eventually Magneto/Rogue
Summary: When all she knows is destroyed, Rogue must learn to adapt or die trying.
Rating: T
Big thanks to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
sionnain for Beta-ing and helping me work out certain parts of the fic, and to omaetoy for being my sounding board.
Rogue stood motionless, staring at Magneto, watching for any sudden moves. After five minutes, when he hadn’t turned from the stack of papers he was perusing, she moved towards one of the upholstered chairs and took a seat. Her eyes never left him as she moved. The minutes continued to tick by as she watched him.
He never paid any attention to her, intent on the papers, jotting down notes and drawings in the margins. Eventually, she rose from the seat and walked over to the bookcases, casting worried glances over her shoulder every so often. She examined the first shelf, frowning at the numerous manuals in German. Her hand touched the spines of the large books, wondering if they contained information on how to create the machine. Would there be a crude drawing of it etched in the margins, her name scrawled in the middle of it? She dropped her hand quickly to her side and moved to the next shelf.
Historical novels filled up the next two shelves. A bittersweet smile formed on her lips as she remembered Ms. Monroe’s history class and the fireball John-No, Pyro- had made for her. She moved on to the next bookcase, seeing a number of texts the Professor had in his own collection. Looking lower, she froze, her eyes on one particular text.
Rogue quickly looked back at Magneto. When she was confident that he was focused on his work she removed the book from the shelf and sat down beside it. Her eyes were locked on the cover, taking in the snow covered railroad tracks and the building in the background. She bit her lip, remembering the sounds of dogs barking, of people crying, of a woman calling ‘Erik’. How many times had she awoken after the Statue of Liberty screaming in another language? The Professor had subtly cautioned her against reading any books related to the Holocaust. After the fifth time of listening to his lecture she had given up on checking out the books from the library.
She cast another look at him and opened the book, taking a deep breath as she began to read. Time passed quickly and her glances towards him became less frequent, her attention directed at the book. Her stomach twisted in knots, images she had long thought buried brought back up again, and she knew that she would be enduring his nightmares again at night. But she couldn’t put it down, was unable to stop turning each page, even as she felt tears slide down her face.
Eventually she looked up and saw that he was watching her. Quickly she closed the book, biting her lip, unsure what his reaction would be. She watched as he stood and her gaze moved to his left arm. She knew the numbers beneath the wool sweater by heart, remembered the pain of the forced tattoo. Looking back up at his face, she saw, for the briefest of moments, the anguish he felt as a boy shining through.
Dropping her gaze, she shook her head angrily at herself. He wasn’t a little boy anymore. Now he’s just a monster, she reminded herself, not quite able to believe her own words.
“It is time for your lesson, Rogue,” Magneto informed her, sitting down in one of the upholstered chairs.
She stood up and looked down at the book in her hands, unsure what to do with it. “I see you were able to occupy yourself,” he said, gesturing for her to sit. “What book caught your interest?”
Hesitantly, she took the seat across from him, pleased for the small circular table in between them. She held up the book for him to see, not quite able to meet his gaze. “Ah,” Magneto said softly. “Filip Muller’s account. This interests you?”
Rogue looked at him and shook her head, answering with a brusque no, and placed the book on the table between them. “What kind of lesson is this?” she asked, hoping to change the conversation.
Magneto waved his arm and a device floated from atop the bookshelves and landed on the table. “That’s a bomb,” Rogue stated, looking anxiously at it and him.
“Very observant,” he replied dryly and she blushed in embarrassment.
Slowly, he discussed how it was built, making sure she paid attention to each detail and was able to recall the information. She listened intently, afraid of what the consequence would be if she didn’t. After about an hour he sat back in his seat and smiled at her, pleased with her retention. “You’ve made excellent progress today,” he praised her.
She smiled at that before looking away from him and scowling at herself. “Rogue,” he stated and waited for her to look at him. “Despite all you have been told, and our previous…meetings, I am not a monster.”
She looked up at him, briefly seeing the boy that he had been once again, before seeing the man across from her. “I…can’t help it,” she told him.
“Oh?” Magneto asked, drumming his fingers along the arms of the chair.
“You scare me,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Why?” he asked, stopping his movement.
Rogue looked at him with wide eyes full of disbelief. “You tried to kill me,” she stated.
“I tried to save our kind,” he said.
She looked away from him and down at the book on the table. “I know,” she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. She looked at her hands, picturing them clasped to the machine, unable to let go. “I couldn’t let go.”
Rogue looked back up at him. “I wasn’t going to let go,” she said, angry at herself, at him, at Logan for releasing her. She looked back down. “I should have died that day.”
His hand lifted her chin, making her eyes meet his gaze. “Never regret your strength, Rogue,” Magneto told her and dropped his hand.
“I…I don’t,” she stammered and looked away from him.
“Why didn’t you use your powers when Mystique was attacking you?” Magneto asked and she looked up, grateful for the change in topic.
“I…,” she said, unsure how to voice her thoughts. She had been attempting to avoid his ire but she doubted he would appreciate that.
“How will you learn appropriate ways to harness your power in battle situations if you don’t practice?” he asked.
“I…” Rogue began, unable to finish.
“The next time you are training with anyone here, use it,” Magneto stated.
“But,” she began and closed her mouth.
“But?” he asked, waving at her to continue.
“I don’t want to deal with them in my head,” she replied, shuddering at the thought.
He raised an eyebrow at that. “They do not go away?” he asked.
She shook her head. “The Professor was able to lock all of you away but I still get glimpses of everyone,” she replied.
“Ah,” Magneto said and picked up the book. “Is that why you chose this?”
“The Professor didn’t like me reading anything on the Holocaust,” Rogue replied and touched her head. “You were always stronger up here when I did.”
“I see,” he said.
“No, you don’t,” Rogue stated, a bitterness in her voice that alarmed her. “No one does.”
“Oh?” Magneto said, placing the book back down.
She looked back down at the book, shivering because of the images in her mind, his memories once again surfacing. I never should have chosen this book. “I…you were scared,” she said, touching the cover of the book, tracing the railroad tracks over and over again with her fingers. “The doors to the train opened and you were so happy to be free of the overwhelming stench, to be out in the open again. But then you were herded into lines, forced to drop your suitcase.”
She looked up at him, tilting her head as she continued, lost in thought. “It was the one with the broken handle that only you knew how to hold correctly,” she told him. “You’re school books were in it. You walked under the sign, Arbeit Macht Frei, work brings freedom. There were dogs and guns and you were pulled away from your family.”
“I can see your mother screaming for you,” she whispered and looked away from him. “Your own cries for her escape my throat in the nightmares. I feel the metal of the gate bend to your will, hear it sing.”
Rogue looked back up at him and smiled warily at the look in his eye. “I could tell you more,” she told him. “Things I shouldn’t know. So, I’d really rather not have any more memories in my head that aren’t mine than is absolutely necessary, if it’s alright with you.”
The chime of the clock on his desk caused her to jump and she looked at it and then back at him. He had risen from the chair and was looking intently at her. “I don’t want to know all that I do,” she told him.
“I doubt you do,” Magneto replied and motioned for her to stand.
“Can…can I borrow this?” she asked, looking at the book.
“Of course,” he said and she picked it up.
Looking back up at him, she shivered under his gaze, not quite able to discern the look he was directing at her. He turned and she followed him from the room, clutching the book to her chest, bewildered at the sense of relief that was permeating her. She shook her head concerned at the absence of her earlier fear.
***
Rogue looked down at the food on her plate and pursed her lips in a mixture of amusement and terror. The substances on her plate were masquerading as macaroni and cheese and some charred piece of meat. She poked it with her fork, trying to discern what it was and failing.
“Place it here," Magneto instructed, causing her to look up.
She watched as the younger mutants carried in two bowls of salad and bottles of dressing. Paige and one of the other girls placed their bowl and dressing on the table beside Magneto. The bowl teetered precariously on the edge before sliding further onto the table. “We made dinner!” Paige whispered excitedly to Rogue, smiling eagerly at the older mutant’s plate.
“It looks great,” Rogue said, smiling at the younger girl’s enthusiasm.
Paige’s smile widened and she skipped off to the other table, sitting down with the younger mutants who were already busy talking amongst one another. Rogue watched her sit down before turning back. She looked across the table at Bobby and offered him a smile, trying to assuage the dark look in his eyes. He looked at her and returned the expression before scowling down at his food.
Looking behind her again, she watched as the children happily ate their creation, though the salad on their table was untouched. The younger children looked towards the adults, looking expectantly at their faces and then the plates. Forcing a smile, Rogue turned away and scooped up some macaroni using her fork. She placed it in her mouth and swallowed it, restraining every impulse to grab the glass of water. “Mmmmm,” she said exaggeratedly, looking back at Bobby.
He was still scowling at the plate and she kicked him under the table. His head whipped up. “Ow,” he said, looking at her incredulously.
“Eat,” she said, cocking her head towards the children.
Bobby got the hint and started eating the concoction. Rogue looked at the other occupants at the table, watching as they looked at their own plates, unsure what to do. She watched the Brotherhood’s attention turn to Magneto, looking to him for direction. He ignored all of them, his focus on the printouts that lay on the table beside him.
Rogue scowled. She couldn’t kick him. Well I could, she thought, snickering to herself at the image of him yelping in pain like Bobby.
She stopped as Magneto looked at her, raising an inquiring eyebrow in her direction. “Errr….aren’t you going to eat?” she asked, gesturing towards his plate.
He looked back down at his reports without touching his plate. “Uh, cause, they worked really hard on this meal,” she continued, mentally shouting at herself to shut up.
Magneto didn’t look up from his reports and her voice trailed off. Rogue looked back down at her own plate and forced more of the food into her mouth, determined to eat all of it. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as Magneto cut into the piece of meat and ate it silently. The members of the Brotherhood followed his lead and started eating as well.
She smiled as she took another bite, grateful to hear the children’s conversation start up again. Looking up at Bobby, she was taken back by the grimace he directed towards her. What? She mouthed at him.
Bobby shook his head and looked down once again. She stared at him for a few seconds trying to discern the reason behind his mood. Eventually, she gave up and went back to eating. She hoped that the two of them would have time to talk soon to discuss all had happened.
She highly doubted time was something they would have at their disposal. Something told her Magneto liked to keep all of the Brotherhood busy with trainings and lessons. Though they would be nothing like the lessons she and the others were used to, if her lesson with Magneto earlier was any indication.
She looked around. Avalanche looked lost in thought as he chewed and Pyro and Bobby were both looking at their plates, identical angry expressions plastered on their faces. Even the younger mutants were not as loud and rambunctious as they usually were. She moved the macaroni around with her fork, trying to force back the melancholy that she felt.
“When you are finished here, Iceman and Rogue, I would like to see you in my office,” Magneto stated interrupting her thoughts and gathering up his papers. “Rogue, I’m sure you remember where that is.”
She nodded, grateful that she had memorized the way, and watched as he exited the room. “Why were you in his study?” Bobby asked his voice low.
“He made me stay in there while he worked,” Rogue replied with a shrug.
“That was your punishment?” Avalanche asked incredulously. He shook his head. “How is that a punishment?”
“He scares me,” Rogue murmured.
“The last time I did something he didn’t like, I was suspended from the ceiling of the gym by metal cuffs,” Avalanche said. “I think I was up there for at least an hour.”
“It was an hour and twelve minutes,” Pyro commented with a shrug. “Mystique and I timed it.” A smile spread over his face as he continued, “You were crying uncontrollably towards the end.”
“Yeah, well at least I didn’t piss myself,” Avalanche retorted.
“You would have too if he’d dropped you from the roof and changed his mind at the last minute,” Pyro replied with a scowl.
“He’s insane,” Bobby concluded his eyes narrowed in disgust.
Avalanche shrugged. “He is mutant-kinds only hope,” he said and began clearing the table. “Dinner’s over!” he shouted, looking at the other table. “Make yourself scarce.”
Pyro rose from the table. “I’ll take them to the TV room,” he said with a shrug. “Keep them out of trouble.”
“Thanks, Joh—Pyro,” Rogue said, smiling at him.
“I’m not doing it for you,” Pyro snapped. “If they’re running around the halls, I’ve no doubt that I’ll get blamed since Avalanche is in charge of the dishes and you two are with Magneto.”
He quickly passed Rogue and motioned for the younger mutants to follow him. “Come on, kiddos,” he yelled. “Let’s go put in a movie.”
The children smiled broadly and they followed him out of the room. Rogue shrugged and looked at Bobby. “Ready?” she asked.
Bobby nodded and the two of them walked out of the kitchen, his hand reaching out for one of hers and gently squeezing it. Rogue took a deep breath, wondering what Magneto wished to speak with them about and already dreading whatever it was he wanted them to do.
***
“There’s no handle,” Bobby stated, looking perplexed. “How are we supposed to go in?”
“Uh…knock?” Rogue asked and stepped forward, hesitantly bringing her hand up to do so.
The door slid open before she made contact and she jumped back. “Enter,” Magneto said and they walked in, tensing as the door closed behind them. He was sitting in the same chair as he had on her previous stay in the room and gestured towards the remaining chairs, waiting for them to comply.
“Mystique has located where Charles is being held,” Magneto informed them.
“Tell us. Where is it? When are we going on? What do we do?” Bobby demanded, unable to contain his impatience. “
Magneto directed a look of contempt towards the younger mutant. “I suggest, Iceman, that you control yourself,” he stated before continuing, “Mystique is still gathering information about the facility and as soon as we know more, I assure you that action will be taken.”
“But where is he being held?” Bobby insisted, ignoring the hard squeeze Rogue gave his hand. “You said you’d let us know details.”
Can’t he see that he’s irritating Magneto? Images of Pyro’s punishment flickered in her mind, only instead of Pyro it was Bobby, and Magneto didn’t change his mind. She shuddered at the thought and looked up to see both of them watching her.
Magneto redirected his attention to Bobby. “I never said what I would let you know,” he said, a sardonic smile on his face. “You assumed that I would allow you access to all information. However, I do not see his location as a vital piece of information to you at this moment, Iceman.”
“We could get him out,” Iceman snapped, letting go of Rogue’s hand and crossing his arms in indignation.
“How?” Magneto asked. “I don’t think you could take out all the guards.”
Rogue watched in horror as Bobby’s hands flew open, sending a spray of ice towards Magneto, who deflected it with some type of electromagnetic shield. The older mutant raised his own hands and a set of handcuffs flew towards her boyfriend, snapping shut around his wrists. A second later, Bobby was suspended from the ceiling, swearing loudly.
She didn’t even think, her hands moving to remove her gloves. “Stop!” Magneto commanded, his voice leaving no room for disobedience, and she dropped her hands to her sides.
He looked back up at Bobby. “I told you to control yourself,” he said, tightening the cuffs.
The young man yelped in pain. “Stop it!” Rogue shouted and Magneto whipped around quickly, glowering at her.
“Leave us,” he demanded, the door sliding open behind them.
“No,” she said, standing her ground. “I’m not leaving him.”
Magneto was faster and stronger than she expected and he caught her arms, dragging her out of the room. He released his grip on her and the doors shut in her face. “Bobby!” she screamed, pounding on the door, cursing it for having no handle.
The minutes ticked by slowly and she continued to hit at the door, her voice growing hoarse. The door slid open to reveal an irate Magneto staring at her.
“You’re nothing but a monster,” she told him.
“I suggest, Rogue, that you desist this childlike behavior before I am forced to enact another punishment,” he warned.
Rogue looked at Bobby, his face contorted in pain. “I’m not leaving,” she challenged, scowling at Magneto.
“Very well,” Magneto stated and grabbed her forearm, pulling her away from the room and down the hallway.
She heard Bobby’s cries for her before the door shut. “You like doing this, don’t you?” Rogue said, trying to provoke him. “Toying with people, forcing them to bend to your will.”
He didn’t speak, his grip tightening on her arm. They stopped at another door and he pulled her into the room and towards a single chair. “What? I don’t warrant suspension from a ceiling?” she asked as he pushed her onto the chair, handcuffing her wrists to the arms of it.
His glare was her only answer before he walked away from her and towards the television across from her. “Watching television is a punishment?” she asked her voice full of sarcasm. “You really need to work on this.”
Magneto was in front of her in a few quick strides, anger radiating off of him. “Watch the screen, little girl,” he snarled, turning on the TV.
Rogue scowled at him and looked towards the screen. It was a news channel and the reporter was droning on about special footage they had received. Is boredom my punishment? she wondered. The images became grainy, like that of a home video, and were showing the inside of someone’s house. Her mouth opened in surprise as her brain processed what it was seeing. It was the mansion.
She watched as Siryn walked into the hallway and froze, looking in shock at the camera and whoever was behind it. Rogue screamed as bullets ripped through the girl’s body, clenching the arms of the chair. She closed her eyes as she heard men’s laughter, mixed with screams coming from the television.
“Watch!” Magneto demanded and she opened her eyes, tears running down her face.
She watched as those she loved were gunned down, hearing their screams and cries for help. “Please, make it stop,” she pleaded with Magneto, looking over at him.
There was no emotion in his eyes as he turned to look at her. “Please,” she begged him, tears spilling down her face.
He ignored her and turned back to the screen. “Why are you doing this?” she asked, hiccupping as she spoke.
“I’m nothing but a monster,” Magneto reminded her and left the room, leaving her alone with the images.
She closed her eyes, the screams and gunfire resonating loudly in the room. She heard Kitty’s voice on the screen and opened her eyes, instantly wishing she hadn’t. Her friend’s body fell to the floor, staring unblinkingly at the camera lens, and Rogue closed her eyes again, crying harder than before.
Minutes passed and the news report started again, showing the same carnage over and over for her. The doors opened and she looked towards them. She watched as Magneto walked towards her, the television shutting off. He waved his hand and the cuffs released her. Rogue crumpled to the floor.
He knelt beside her, laying a hand on her back. She whimpered at his touch, trying to get the images of her friends dying out of her head.
“I do not tolerate insubordinate behavior, Rogue,” Magneto said. “Up.”
She tried to stand but wasn’t able to control her body’s actions. He helped her rise, narrowing his eyes when she flinched. “I’m sorry,” she told him, cowering under his gaze.
He led her from the room and she looked back over her shoulder, shivering at the television screen. “Go to bed,” he instructed her, releasing his grip.
She stumbled, latching onto his arm to keep from falling. “I’m sorry,” she reiterated, dropping her hands, and walking away from him.
Rogue looked around the hallway, eyes blinking as she tried to determine how to get back. “Is there a problem?” Magneto asked.
She looked back at the room and then at him. “I don’t--”
He gripped her arm. “Come,” he instructed, guiding her down the hallway and to her room.
“Sleep,” he told her as the door slid open.
She nodded and went into the room, collapsing on the bed and crying herself to sleep.
Pairing: Bobby/Rogue, eventually Magneto/Rogue
Summary: When all she knows is destroyed, Rogue must learn to adapt or die trying.
Rating: T
Big thanks to
sionnain for Beta-ing and helping me work out certain parts of the fic, and to omaetoy for being my sounding board.Rogue stood motionless, staring at Magneto, watching for any sudden moves. After five minutes, when he hadn’t turned from the stack of papers he was perusing, she moved towards one of the upholstered chairs and took a seat. Her eyes never left him as she moved. The minutes continued to tick by as she watched him.
He never paid any attention to her, intent on the papers, jotting down notes and drawings in the margins. Eventually, she rose from the seat and walked over to the bookcases, casting worried glances over her shoulder every so often. She examined the first shelf, frowning at the numerous manuals in German. Her hand touched the spines of the large books, wondering if they contained information on how to create the machine. Would there be a crude drawing of it etched in the margins, her name scrawled in the middle of it? She dropped her hand quickly to her side and moved to the next shelf.
Historical novels filled up the next two shelves. A bittersweet smile formed on her lips as she remembered Ms. Monroe’s history class and the fireball John-No, Pyro- had made for her. She moved on to the next bookcase, seeing a number of texts the Professor had in his own collection. Looking lower, she froze, her eyes on one particular text.
Rogue quickly looked back at Magneto. When she was confident that he was focused on his work she removed the book from the shelf and sat down beside it. Her eyes were locked on the cover, taking in the snow covered railroad tracks and the building in the background. She bit her lip, remembering the sounds of dogs barking, of people crying, of a woman calling ‘Erik’. How many times had she awoken after the Statue of Liberty screaming in another language? The Professor had subtly cautioned her against reading any books related to the Holocaust. After the fifth time of listening to his lecture she had given up on checking out the books from the library.
She cast another look at him and opened the book, taking a deep breath as she began to read. Time passed quickly and her glances towards him became less frequent, her attention directed at the book. Her stomach twisted in knots, images she had long thought buried brought back up again, and she knew that she would be enduring his nightmares again at night. But she couldn’t put it down, was unable to stop turning each page, even as she felt tears slide down her face.
Eventually she looked up and saw that he was watching her. Quickly she closed the book, biting her lip, unsure what his reaction would be. She watched as he stood and her gaze moved to his left arm. She knew the numbers beneath the wool sweater by heart, remembered the pain of the forced tattoo. Looking back up at his face, she saw, for the briefest of moments, the anguish he felt as a boy shining through.
Dropping her gaze, she shook her head angrily at herself. He wasn’t a little boy anymore. Now he’s just a monster, she reminded herself, not quite able to believe her own words.
“It is time for your lesson, Rogue,” Magneto informed her, sitting down in one of the upholstered chairs.
She stood up and looked down at the book in her hands, unsure what to do with it. “I see you were able to occupy yourself,” he said, gesturing for her to sit. “What book caught your interest?”
Hesitantly, she took the seat across from him, pleased for the small circular table in between them. She held up the book for him to see, not quite able to meet his gaze. “Ah,” Magneto said softly. “Filip Muller’s account. This interests you?”
Rogue looked at him and shook her head, answering with a brusque no, and placed the book on the table between them. “What kind of lesson is this?” she asked, hoping to change the conversation.
Magneto waved his arm and a device floated from atop the bookshelves and landed on the table. “That’s a bomb,” Rogue stated, looking anxiously at it and him.
“Very observant,” he replied dryly and she blushed in embarrassment.
Slowly, he discussed how it was built, making sure she paid attention to each detail and was able to recall the information. She listened intently, afraid of what the consequence would be if she didn’t. After about an hour he sat back in his seat and smiled at her, pleased with her retention. “You’ve made excellent progress today,” he praised her.
She smiled at that before looking away from him and scowling at herself. “Rogue,” he stated and waited for her to look at him. “Despite all you have been told, and our previous…meetings, I am not a monster.”
She looked up at him, briefly seeing the boy that he had been once again, before seeing the man across from her. “I…can’t help it,” she told him.
“Oh?” Magneto asked, drumming his fingers along the arms of the chair.
“You scare me,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Why?” he asked, stopping his movement.
Rogue looked at him with wide eyes full of disbelief. “You tried to kill me,” she stated.
“I tried to save our kind,” he said.
She looked away from him and down at the book on the table. “I know,” she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. She looked at her hands, picturing them clasped to the machine, unable to let go. “I couldn’t let go.”
Rogue looked back up at him. “I wasn’t going to let go,” she said, angry at herself, at him, at Logan for releasing her. She looked back down. “I should have died that day.”
His hand lifted her chin, making her eyes meet his gaze. “Never regret your strength, Rogue,” Magneto told her and dropped his hand.
“I…I don’t,” she stammered and looked away from him.
“Why didn’t you use your powers when Mystique was attacking you?” Magneto asked and she looked up, grateful for the change in topic.
“I…,” she said, unsure how to voice her thoughts. She had been attempting to avoid his ire but she doubted he would appreciate that.
“How will you learn appropriate ways to harness your power in battle situations if you don’t practice?” he asked.
“I…” Rogue began, unable to finish.
“The next time you are training with anyone here, use it,” Magneto stated.
“But,” she began and closed her mouth.
“But?” he asked, waving at her to continue.
“I don’t want to deal with them in my head,” she replied, shuddering at the thought.
He raised an eyebrow at that. “They do not go away?” he asked.
She shook her head. “The Professor was able to lock all of you away but I still get glimpses of everyone,” she replied.
“Ah,” Magneto said and picked up the book. “Is that why you chose this?”
“The Professor didn’t like me reading anything on the Holocaust,” Rogue replied and touched her head. “You were always stronger up here when I did.”
“I see,” he said.
“No, you don’t,” Rogue stated, a bitterness in her voice that alarmed her. “No one does.”
“Oh?” Magneto said, placing the book back down.
She looked back down at the book, shivering because of the images in her mind, his memories once again surfacing. I never should have chosen this book. “I…you were scared,” she said, touching the cover of the book, tracing the railroad tracks over and over again with her fingers. “The doors to the train opened and you were so happy to be free of the overwhelming stench, to be out in the open again. But then you were herded into lines, forced to drop your suitcase.”
She looked up at him, tilting her head as she continued, lost in thought. “It was the one with the broken handle that only you knew how to hold correctly,” she told him. “You’re school books were in it. You walked under the sign, Arbeit Macht Frei, work brings freedom. There were dogs and guns and you were pulled away from your family.”
“I can see your mother screaming for you,” she whispered and looked away from him. “Your own cries for her escape my throat in the nightmares. I feel the metal of the gate bend to your will, hear it sing.”
Rogue looked back up at him and smiled warily at the look in his eye. “I could tell you more,” she told him. “Things I shouldn’t know. So, I’d really rather not have any more memories in my head that aren’t mine than is absolutely necessary, if it’s alright with you.”
The chime of the clock on his desk caused her to jump and she looked at it and then back at him. He had risen from the chair and was looking intently at her. “I don’t want to know all that I do,” she told him.
“I doubt you do,” Magneto replied and motioned for her to stand.
“Can…can I borrow this?” she asked, looking at the book.
“Of course,” he said and she picked it up.
Looking back up at him, she shivered under his gaze, not quite able to discern the look he was directing at her. He turned and she followed him from the room, clutching the book to her chest, bewildered at the sense of relief that was permeating her. She shook her head concerned at the absence of her earlier fear.
***
Rogue looked down at the food on her plate and pursed her lips in a mixture of amusement and terror. The substances on her plate were masquerading as macaroni and cheese and some charred piece of meat. She poked it with her fork, trying to discern what it was and failing.
“Place it here," Magneto instructed, causing her to look up.
She watched as the younger mutants carried in two bowls of salad and bottles of dressing. Paige and one of the other girls placed their bowl and dressing on the table beside Magneto. The bowl teetered precariously on the edge before sliding further onto the table. “We made dinner!” Paige whispered excitedly to Rogue, smiling eagerly at the older mutant’s plate.
“It looks great,” Rogue said, smiling at the younger girl’s enthusiasm.
Paige’s smile widened and she skipped off to the other table, sitting down with the younger mutants who were already busy talking amongst one another. Rogue watched her sit down before turning back. She looked across the table at Bobby and offered him a smile, trying to assuage the dark look in his eyes. He looked at her and returned the expression before scowling down at his food.
Looking behind her again, she watched as the children happily ate their creation, though the salad on their table was untouched. The younger children looked towards the adults, looking expectantly at their faces and then the plates. Forcing a smile, Rogue turned away and scooped up some macaroni using her fork. She placed it in her mouth and swallowed it, restraining every impulse to grab the glass of water. “Mmmmm,” she said exaggeratedly, looking back at Bobby.
He was still scowling at the plate and she kicked him under the table. His head whipped up. “Ow,” he said, looking at her incredulously.
“Eat,” she said, cocking her head towards the children.
Bobby got the hint and started eating the concoction. Rogue looked at the other occupants at the table, watching as they looked at their own plates, unsure what to do. She watched the Brotherhood’s attention turn to Magneto, looking to him for direction. He ignored all of them, his focus on the printouts that lay on the table beside him.
Rogue scowled. She couldn’t kick him. Well I could, she thought, snickering to herself at the image of him yelping in pain like Bobby.
She stopped as Magneto looked at her, raising an inquiring eyebrow in her direction. “Errr….aren’t you going to eat?” she asked, gesturing towards his plate.
He looked back down at his reports without touching his plate. “Uh, cause, they worked really hard on this meal,” she continued, mentally shouting at herself to shut up.
Magneto didn’t look up from his reports and her voice trailed off. Rogue looked back down at her own plate and forced more of the food into her mouth, determined to eat all of it. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as Magneto cut into the piece of meat and ate it silently. The members of the Brotherhood followed his lead and started eating as well.
She smiled as she took another bite, grateful to hear the children’s conversation start up again. Looking up at Bobby, she was taken back by the grimace he directed towards her. What? She mouthed at him.
Bobby shook his head and looked down once again. She stared at him for a few seconds trying to discern the reason behind his mood. Eventually, she gave up and went back to eating. She hoped that the two of them would have time to talk soon to discuss all had happened.
She highly doubted time was something they would have at their disposal. Something told her Magneto liked to keep all of the Brotherhood busy with trainings and lessons. Though they would be nothing like the lessons she and the others were used to, if her lesson with Magneto earlier was any indication.
She looked around. Avalanche looked lost in thought as he chewed and Pyro and Bobby were both looking at their plates, identical angry expressions plastered on their faces. Even the younger mutants were not as loud and rambunctious as they usually were. She moved the macaroni around with her fork, trying to force back the melancholy that she felt.
“When you are finished here, Iceman and Rogue, I would like to see you in my office,” Magneto stated interrupting her thoughts and gathering up his papers. “Rogue, I’m sure you remember where that is.”
She nodded, grateful that she had memorized the way, and watched as he exited the room. “Why were you in his study?” Bobby asked his voice low.
“He made me stay in there while he worked,” Rogue replied with a shrug.
“That was your punishment?” Avalanche asked incredulously. He shook his head. “How is that a punishment?”
“He scares me,” Rogue murmured.
“The last time I did something he didn’t like, I was suspended from the ceiling of the gym by metal cuffs,” Avalanche said. “I think I was up there for at least an hour.”
“It was an hour and twelve minutes,” Pyro commented with a shrug. “Mystique and I timed it.” A smile spread over his face as he continued, “You were crying uncontrollably towards the end.”
“Yeah, well at least I didn’t piss myself,” Avalanche retorted.
“You would have too if he’d dropped you from the roof and changed his mind at the last minute,” Pyro replied with a scowl.
“He’s insane,” Bobby concluded his eyes narrowed in disgust.
Avalanche shrugged. “He is mutant-kinds only hope,” he said and began clearing the table. “Dinner’s over!” he shouted, looking at the other table. “Make yourself scarce.”
Pyro rose from the table. “I’ll take them to the TV room,” he said with a shrug. “Keep them out of trouble.”
“Thanks, Joh—Pyro,” Rogue said, smiling at him.
“I’m not doing it for you,” Pyro snapped. “If they’re running around the halls, I’ve no doubt that I’ll get blamed since Avalanche is in charge of the dishes and you two are with Magneto.”
He quickly passed Rogue and motioned for the younger mutants to follow him. “Come on, kiddos,” he yelled. “Let’s go put in a movie.”
The children smiled broadly and they followed him out of the room. Rogue shrugged and looked at Bobby. “Ready?” she asked.
Bobby nodded and the two of them walked out of the kitchen, his hand reaching out for one of hers and gently squeezing it. Rogue took a deep breath, wondering what Magneto wished to speak with them about and already dreading whatever it was he wanted them to do.
***
“There’s no handle,” Bobby stated, looking perplexed. “How are we supposed to go in?”
“Uh…knock?” Rogue asked and stepped forward, hesitantly bringing her hand up to do so.
The door slid open before she made contact and she jumped back. “Enter,” Magneto said and they walked in, tensing as the door closed behind them. He was sitting in the same chair as he had on her previous stay in the room and gestured towards the remaining chairs, waiting for them to comply.
“Mystique has located where Charles is being held,” Magneto informed them.
“Tell us. Where is it? When are we going on? What do we do?” Bobby demanded, unable to contain his impatience. “
Magneto directed a look of contempt towards the younger mutant. “I suggest, Iceman, that you control yourself,” he stated before continuing, “Mystique is still gathering information about the facility and as soon as we know more, I assure you that action will be taken.”
“But where is he being held?” Bobby insisted, ignoring the hard squeeze Rogue gave his hand. “You said you’d let us know details.”
Can’t he see that he’s irritating Magneto? Images of Pyro’s punishment flickered in her mind, only instead of Pyro it was Bobby, and Magneto didn’t change his mind. She shuddered at the thought and looked up to see both of them watching her.
Magneto redirected his attention to Bobby. “I never said what I would let you know,” he said, a sardonic smile on his face. “You assumed that I would allow you access to all information. However, I do not see his location as a vital piece of information to you at this moment, Iceman.”
“We could get him out,” Iceman snapped, letting go of Rogue’s hand and crossing his arms in indignation.
“How?” Magneto asked. “I don’t think you could take out all the guards.”
Rogue watched in horror as Bobby’s hands flew open, sending a spray of ice towards Magneto, who deflected it with some type of electromagnetic shield. The older mutant raised his own hands and a set of handcuffs flew towards her boyfriend, snapping shut around his wrists. A second later, Bobby was suspended from the ceiling, swearing loudly.
She didn’t even think, her hands moving to remove her gloves. “Stop!” Magneto commanded, his voice leaving no room for disobedience, and she dropped her hands to her sides.
He looked back up at Bobby. “I told you to control yourself,” he said, tightening the cuffs.
The young man yelped in pain. “Stop it!” Rogue shouted and Magneto whipped around quickly, glowering at her.
“Leave us,” he demanded, the door sliding open behind them.
“No,” she said, standing her ground. “I’m not leaving him.”
Magneto was faster and stronger than she expected and he caught her arms, dragging her out of the room. He released his grip on her and the doors shut in her face. “Bobby!” she screamed, pounding on the door, cursing it for having no handle.
The minutes ticked by slowly and she continued to hit at the door, her voice growing hoarse. The door slid open to reveal an irate Magneto staring at her.
“You’re nothing but a monster,” she told him.
“I suggest, Rogue, that you desist this childlike behavior before I am forced to enact another punishment,” he warned.
Rogue looked at Bobby, his face contorted in pain. “I’m not leaving,” she challenged, scowling at Magneto.
“Very well,” Magneto stated and grabbed her forearm, pulling her away from the room and down the hallway.
She heard Bobby’s cries for her before the door shut. “You like doing this, don’t you?” Rogue said, trying to provoke him. “Toying with people, forcing them to bend to your will.”
He didn’t speak, his grip tightening on her arm. They stopped at another door and he pulled her into the room and towards a single chair. “What? I don’t warrant suspension from a ceiling?” she asked as he pushed her onto the chair, handcuffing her wrists to the arms of it.
His glare was her only answer before he walked away from her and towards the television across from her. “Watching television is a punishment?” she asked her voice full of sarcasm. “You really need to work on this.”
Magneto was in front of her in a few quick strides, anger radiating off of him. “Watch the screen, little girl,” he snarled, turning on the TV.
Rogue scowled at him and looked towards the screen. It was a news channel and the reporter was droning on about special footage they had received. Is boredom my punishment? she wondered. The images became grainy, like that of a home video, and were showing the inside of someone’s house. Her mouth opened in surprise as her brain processed what it was seeing. It was the mansion.
She watched as Siryn walked into the hallway and froze, looking in shock at the camera and whoever was behind it. Rogue screamed as bullets ripped through the girl’s body, clenching the arms of the chair. She closed her eyes as she heard men’s laughter, mixed with screams coming from the television.
“Watch!” Magneto demanded and she opened her eyes, tears running down her face.
She watched as those she loved were gunned down, hearing their screams and cries for help. “Please, make it stop,” she pleaded with Magneto, looking over at him.
There was no emotion in his eyes as he turned to look at her. “Please,” she begged him, tears spilling down her face.
He ignored her and turned back to the screen. “Why are you doing this?” she asked, hiccupping as she spoke.
“I’m nothing but a monster,” Magneto reminded her and left the room, leaving her alone with the images.
She closed her eyes, the screams and gunfire resonating loudly in the room. She heard Kitty’s voice on the screen and opened her eyes, instantly wishing she hadn’t. Her friend’s body fell to the floor, staring unblinkingly at the camera lens, and Rogue closed her eyes again, crying harder than before.
Minutes passed and the news report started again, showing the same carnage over and over for her. The doors opened and she looked towards them. She watched as Magneto walked towards her, the television shutting off. He waved his hand and the cuffs released her. Rogue crumpled to the floor.
He knelt beside her, laying a hand on her back. She whimpered at his touch, trying to get the images of her friends dying out of her head.
“I do not tolerate insubordinate behavior, Rogue,” Magneto said. “Up.”
She tried to stand but wasn’t able to control her body’s actions. He helped her rise, narrowing his eyes when she flinched. “I’m sorry,” she told him, cowering under his gaze.
He led her from the room and she looked back over her shoulder, shivering at the television screen. “Go to bed,” he instructed her, releasing his grip.
She stumbled, latching onto his arm to keep from falling. “I’m sorry,” she reiterated, dropping her hands, and walking away from him.
Rogue looked around the hallway, eyes blinking as she tried to determine how to get back. “Is there a problem?” Magneto asked.
She looked back at the room and then at him. “I don’t--”
He gripped her arm. “Come,” he instructed, guiding her down the hallway and to her room.
“Sleep,” he told her as the door slid open.
She nodded and went into the room, collapsing on the bed and crying herself to sleep.
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