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Title: Eighteen
Flashbacks
Author: Terri
Rating: NC-17,
mostly for violence
Archive:
Ask ye shall receive
Dislcaimer:
Not mine. Still. Bummer.
Feedback:
Please? Pretty please?
Summary:
Sequel to Eighteen Days of Relative Peace and Quiet. Logan and Rogue have
a little talk in the medlab while Jubilee recovers. Rogue flashes back to
what happened.
Series: Eighteen #34 Comments:
This is the last big one in the series - whoo-hoo! It took a long time to
write, and kept coming out really, really dark and really, really bad. Thanks
to my brbf, who made sure it didn't stay that way.
------------------------------------------------------------------- "Hank? She's
going to be OK, isn't she?"
"Yes, I think
so Rogue. It-it will be touch and go for the next hour or so, while we wait
for the fluids and antibiotics to take effect, but I believe it will work."
"Don't worry,
darlin'. She'll be OK."
"I hope you're
right, Logan, I hope you're right."
<<
Coming into the Professor's office, following behind Logan. The Professor
looks so tired, so serious.
"We tracked
her to an abandoned warehouse. She had hidden Jubilee. The team was unsuccessful
in locating her."
His voice-so
distant, so clinical.
"We have
reason to believe that Mystique-that she may be experiencing some kind of
mental disturbance."
"What the
hell are ya talkin' about? She's always been fuckin' mentally unbalanced."
"Logan,
I mean a clinical condition. She may have been-Jean sent some thoughts to
me that indicated that Sabretooth may have led the government faction holding
him captive to Mystique. She-she was injured and Jean noted severely erratic
behavior. Talking to herself, tics, violent outbursts seemingly unprompted
by any external actions."
"So you're
saying that not only is my mother homicidal, now she's crazy, too."
"To put it
succinctly, Rogue, yes."
"Great, just
great." >>
"Are you
sure you're all right, darlin'?"
"Yeah. I
mean, the broken fingers are all healed already. The cuts and scrapes too."
"Scared the
hell outta me. I wish you woulda stayed here."
"I know.
Me too."
<<
"I know you wanna kill that bitch. I do too. But it's just too fuckin' dangerous,
especially with her goin' nuts. You should stay here." I can tell he's trying
not to be too angry, not to yell too loud. But he's pulling his uniform
on roughly enough to make little tears in the leather.
"It is dangerous,
but we'll have a better shot at taking her out and bringing Jubilee back safely
if we go together. Logan, I'll be careful."
The way he
looks at me, so full of love and fear. Not for himself, though. Fear of losing
me. I know I can't hurt him like that, I know I can't take any chances even
if it means a chance to kill her. If he loses me now.....
"Stay close
to me. Fuckin' stay in my sight. Understand?">>
"You don't
have to stay down here. I'm OK. You could probably use some rest. You took
a beating."
"I'm just
fine. Everything healed up fine."
"Are you
sure you don't want some rest, though? Because-"
"I'm fine.
I'm not lettin' ya outta my sight, darlin'."
<<
The warehouse is remote, at the end of an underdeveloped industrial park.
It's dark and I can't see as well as Logan, so I'm depending on him to lead.
He stops
suddenly, just inside the warehouse grounds. "What?"
"I smell
her."
"Mystique?"
"No, the
kid."
"Where?"
"In there."
He nods to the small guard house in front of the warehouse.
"Doesn't
make sense. Why would Mystique leave her there, unguarded? It's a trick of
some kind, I know it."
"Yeah. But
what kinda trick is it?" He's all business now, focused on the mission.
"Do you smell
Mystique?"
"No, but
that don't necessarily mean nothin'. She'd know I could find her that way,
she could take precautions to mask it. Maybe I should just go over-see if
the kid's really in there and OK." He's primed for action, ready for a fight.
I can even smell it coming off of him.
"No. No.
Let me think a minute. She's-she's sneaky, she's got something planned. Let
me think a minute. No, Logan, wait!">>
"I'm sorry
about what happened, Logan. I am. But I had to do it."
"But you
promised me, Marie. You promised not to take any chances."
"I know,
sugar, I know. And I'm so sorry I broke that promise. But you were down, she
had you. Jubilee needed help right away. I felt like I had to take a chance,
and I felt like I had a good shot at taking her out."
<<Logan
creeping up to the guardhouse while I watch from my hiding place. Dammit,
I know she'll try to ambush him. Or maybe she's already set a trap of some
sort inside. I have to be faster though, faster than whatever's going to
happen. I have a shot at it. I know something she doesn't think I know. I
know where she is, where she's hiding. I caught a flash of her eyes when
Logan started for the guard house. I've got her.>>
"You did
exactly what I told ya not to. You risked your life for mine, and that's-"
"For yours
and Jubilee's. Logan, I had to try. I had to try to help you."
<<Logan
in the guardhouse, leaning down toward what must be Jubes on the floor.
God, let her be all right. Don't let her have gotten hurt or killed. Not
because of me. Please, God, let us be in time to save her.
Blinding
flash of electrical light from the guardhouse. Shit! That was the trap.
And even though I know where she is, I can't move faster than electricity.
She must have set that off by remote. Damn. Damn, damn, damn.>>
"When things
went south, when she electrocuted me, you shoulda high-tailed it outta there,
goddammit."
"I couldn't
do that. Logan, don't ask me to-don't ask me to do what you wouldn't have
done yourself. Don't you think-don't you *know* that it would hurt me just
as bad to lose you as it would hurt you to lose me? I couldn't do that. Besides,
I wanted to confront her. It was time to pay her back. And the way it turned
out - just me and her - maybe it was better that way."
<<
Waiting for her to come out of the shadows. I can smell burning flesh. If
it's Logan, he'll heal eventually. But if it was Jubes too.....No, don't
think that. If it was Jubes too, then there's nothing you can do for her
now anyway. Just focus, Rogue. Focus on the mission.
"Aren't you
going to come out and give mother a kiss?"
Blue bitch
from hell, coming out of the warehouse, showing herself. She must be completely
unconcerned about fighting me to show herself like that. She still doesn't
know where I am. Well, good. I can use that. I can use that against her. Hmmm.
"I said come
give mother a kiss!"
Shit. She
is going nuts. That wasn't like her. She's not cool and collected anymore,
she's out of control. And she's- she's tipsy and staggering, twitching her
head back and forth. The Professor was right, something is wrong with her.
Good. Good. Maybe I can use that too.>>
"She's fucked
up, Marie. I know she said some shit to you when I was still out from bein'
electrocuted. I can tell. What'd she say?"
"I can't
talk about it right now, Logan, OK? I just can't talk about it until I know
Jubes will be all right."
"But you'll
talk to me about it after that, once she's outta the woods?"
"I-I don't
know."
<<
Patience, Rogue, patience.
"You're a
bad, bad girl, Marie."
She doesn't
know where you are, but she's trying to find you. Just stay put. She'll come
to you, and then you'll have the drop on her. Patience.
"Very naughty.
That's why I gave you up, you know? Because I could tell as soon as I expelled
you from my body what an awful, nasty girl you were. I was never so relieved
to have my body purged of garbage as I was when I gave birth to you. Much
more satisfying than taking a shit or vomiting."
Don't listen
to the words, she's trying to force your hand. She's-she isn't herself. She
didn't used to use vulgarity. Think, Rogue, think. The twitches, the personality
change. They must've done something to her brain. How can you use that now?
"You were
a mistake, do you know that? I didn't want to have you. I tried to abort
you but back then..well, let's just say it didn't take. If you've got a very,
very early memory of being poked at by a coat hanger, now you know where
it came from, dear."
Bitch. That
fucking bitch. Trying to kill me before I was even born.
"I hope you're
not thinking of having children with that unspeakable cretin that I just
cooked for you. I wouldn't want to perpetuate the rancid gene pool of either
one of you."
Her voice
is getting closer. She's still staggering, twitching. She's looking for me
blindly, and she just needs to come a little closer.
"Marie! Mother
says to come out now!"
Just a little
closer.I'll show you just how bad I am, mommy dearest.>>
"Whatever
she said, don't fuckin' believe it. Until we talk about it, don't think
about it anymore and don't buy into it. She's a piece of shit, Marie. And
a fuckin' liar."
"I just don't
know how."
"How what?"
"How I could
have come from her. How she could have been my mother."
<<Kick
to the ribs. That should hurt. Wonder why she's fighting as herself, not
Sabretooth or even Logan. She changed when the team came. I wonder if she's
too hurt, or losing too much of her sanity to do it now. Doesn't matter.
Easier to fight her this way and that's fine by me.
"Ooof! Stop
it! I said stop it little girl!"
"Fuck off,
bitch!" Punch to the face. Damn, I probably broke a finger or two there, but
that felt good.
"Mmph! You
little cunt!" She's-she's trying to change now. Fine. Come on, bring it on.
I'm ready. I can take you.
Wait. She's-she's
changing into me. Shit, I hadn't thought about that. That's so disturbing
that she can do that.
"Ha, ha.
Like what you see? Look at me, I'm Rogue, I'm the big bad X-man. I play fair
and I always eat all my vegetables and I hate my mother and I change the oil
every three thousand miles and I make my bed first thing in the morning.
And I HATE MY FUCKING MOTHER!!!"
"I'm not
an X-man." Time to end this.>>
"Darlin',
I don't know how it is that you came from her. All I can think is-maybe
everythin' that was good in her, however little of it there was, maybe all
of that went right into you. Maybe-maybe your dad was a good guy who just
got mixed up with her or-Marie? What? What's wrong?"
<<
My hands on her blue throat, crushing her windpipe and forcing the life out
of her.
"Uh.....d-don't....I....."
"Too late.
It's over." Squeeze harder. Come on, Rogue, put your shoulder strength into
it. End it.
"Y-you....don't
kn-knowwwd-daddy...."
Fuck. "What
are you talking about?" I've still got her, just going to loosen the grip
enough to let her get a word out. Then I'm going to finish strangling her.
I don't have time for this shit. Jubilee needs help. It's time to end this.
"Don't you
want to know who your daddy is?"
Fuck, oh
fuck. I shouldn't ask. I shouldn't ask. I shouldn't ask.
"Tell me.">>
"It's nothing,
Logan."
"You're cryin'
and you went about as white as a sheet. What is it?"
<<
Ugliest smile I've ever seen in my life on her face. "It's Vic."
Oh, God,
no. No, it can't be. It can't be.
"He doesn't
remember. The government took that memory and I never told him. He'd raped
me just before they caught him."
"NO!"
Laughing,
she's laughing. "Be careful what you ask for, daughter dearest."
Ooomph.
Shit, she rolled me off of her. Lost concentration for a second there. Fuck!
I'm going to kill her. I'm going to kill her now.>>
"I-I can't
tell you. I can't."
"Marie.....look
at me. There's nothin' you can't tell me, darlin', nothin'."
"Not this,
I-I can't."
<<
Kick to the knee-that will get her off balance again.
"Ooff!" Good,
dropped her. Now, I've got her. Now, I can finish her. Bitch.
"Goodbye,
Mystique." Quick bang of her skull to the concrete. If they've done surgery
on her brain, maybe there's a weak point in her skull. If so, that should
put her down and keep her down.
"Unnh.can't.kill....x-men....don't....kill."
Blood underneath
her head, thick and red. There was a weak point, I was right. Another one,
sharp and hard on the same spot on her head.
"Aaah! X-men.don't....."
"Uhhh...."
Was that-that was Logan. Can't turn my back on her to go help him. Not while
she's still alive. Have to finish her now.
"I'm not
an X-man. I'm Rogue." One more ought to do it.>>
"Listen to
me. There's nothin' that's gonna make me see you any different."
"This will.
I know it will."
<<Have
to get to Logan, have to help-oh, God. Oh, God, can't-have to-have to throw
up. Have to throw up right now. God. >>
"It won't.
Whatever it is, it won't change us, you and me. Nothin' changed when you told
me about Mystique. I know you don't remember that, but it didn't. It didn't
change, not at all. Tell me. Just tell me, baby."
"Logan...."
<<Logan,
still burned a little. His healing factor's working fast, though. Jubilee-she
looks out, unconscious and definitely in bad shape, but not burned. Thank
God. Thank God.
"Logan?"
"Unnnhh....."
"Don't try
to move. It's OK. We're OK. Mystique's dead. I made sure. It's OK."
"You?"
"I'm-I'm-we
have to help Jubilee.">>
"Marie, I
love you. Tell me."
"I.I don't
know how to....I don't know how to tell you this, I-oh, God.."
<<Carrying
Jubes to the truck, giving her first aid and helping Logan come the rest of
the way.
"You sure
you're all right, darlin'?"
Darlin'-he'll
never think of me that way again after.....no, no, don't think about it
now. You have to get Jubes to the mansion, to the medlab.
"Let's go.">>
"Just say
it. Just tell me what it is. 'Cause you're scarin' the shit outta me right
now, baby. Just tell me. Trust me."
"It's-it's
about my father."
"Mystique
told you somethin' about that?"
"Yes."
<<Driving
fast, back to the mansion. Just drive. Just drive. Can't think. Can't think
about it. I'm-I'm-oh, no, have to throw up again.
"Marie!"
At least
I got it out the window. Didn't even slow down or miss the turn. Good. Good,
Rogue. Just get Jubes back, just get her to help.
"Marie! What's
wrong?"
"Nothing.
It's OK, I'm not hurt."
Close now,
just another mile or so. Hang on, Jubes, hang on.
"Like hell,
you're throwin' up!"
"It's just
from the stress, not an injury. I'm fine. I'm healing."
"Fuck-"
"We're here.">>
"What'd she
say?"
"She...."
"It's all
right, darlin'. Just tell me. Just tell me and we'll deal with it."
<<The
Professor, meeting us at the lobby with Hank. Hank. Thank God for Hank.
Jubes is in good hands. If anyone can figure out what's wrong with her,
he can.
"She's hurt,
but I don't know what Mystique did to her."
"We will
take Jubilee to the medlab immediately. We will find out."
"I'm coming.
Logan?"
"Right behind
you."
How can he
look at me like that? So happy, so loving, so grateful that I'm-oh, right.
He doesn't know yet. He doesn't know yet.>>
"She said
that my father was Sabretooth. That he didn't remember because of the experiments.that.....that
he'd raped her just before the government got him, that - "
"Shit!"
"I-I- "
"Shh. It's
- it's OK, darlin'. Come here. Come here."
<<Why
does the elevator down take so long? Jubes could be dying right now, right
in front of me. It's all my fault. All my fault. And how am I going to tell
them about me? Oh, God - Logan-how am I going to deal with Logan?>>
"I just can't,
Logan-I c-can't deal w-with it, I can't. H-he-what he d-did to me and y-you
had to w-watch that and he's my f-father and...."
"Darlin',
just let it out. Cry it out a little."
"How can
you st-stand to even l-look at me?"
"I love you,
that's how. This-nothin' like this could ever change that. Nothin' at all
could ever change that."
"B-but-"
"Baby, I'm
gonna tell you what I told you when you found out about Mystique. It don't
mean nothin' bad on you. It don't. Not at all. You ain't like either one of
them. Not a bit. And it don't change anythin' I feel for you. Baby, I love
you. I love you."
"Oh, Logan....."
<<
"I've got it. It's a bacterial infection in Jubilee's bloodstream. Mystique,
in all probability, used it to keep Jubilee docile, but as the infection
progressed, it rendered her so weak that she fell unconscious."
At least
we know what it is. At least we know. "Can you fix it, Hank?"
"I believe
so. The bacterium is a genetic hybrid, laboratory-engineered, no doubt. I
can concoct an anti-biotic that should be effective relatively easily."
"Whew. Thank
God."
"Oh-oh."
"Hank? What's
wrong? Can't you-"
"No, no.
I received a telepathic message from the Professor. Rogue, I'm sorry, but,
Mystique's remains were not recovered by law enforcement."
"No! She
was dead! I checked her pulse, I made sure she wasn't breathing!"
"I'm sorry.
That's all the Professor knows. I'm so sorry, Rogue.">>
"Shh. Just
cry it out. Just let it out. We'll-we'll just deal with it. We're gonna get
her. We're gonna get both of those fuckers, I swear."
"Hold me."
"I gotcha.
I gotcha, darlin'."
"I love you
so much. I don't-I don't want to lose you."
"You're not.
Not ever. Not ever."
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