eclecticmuses September: Dangerous
OOC: Based on the deleted scene from X2: "Rogue helps the children escape".
It had been a nice dream, whatever it was. When the ear-splitting shriek reverberated through the mansion, whatever Rogue had been dreaming about quickly shattered as she jolted awake. No one could possibly sleep through the sound. Even with her hands pressed tightly over her ears the scream pierced through her body, putting every nerve ending on alert. She didn't need Logan or Magneto's lingering presence in her mind telling her something was wrong. It was obvious from the use of little Terry's powers -- and then the gasping end of her voice as she suddenly stopped.
The end of her screams was followed by others, not as loud but the terror in those cries caused Rogue to stumble from bed and move towards the door without any regard to her lack of dress. Accidental power transfers be damned, this was what they had practiced for. And from the frantic steps above and below her she was beginning to think they hadn't practiced enough.
Her task was simple; help the younger students to the passageways. She checked the hallway before exiting the room, all of her senses on high alert as she looked in the rooms on her corridor. She moved quickly and quietly. There were no unusual footsteps nearby, only above and below. In the second room she found what she was looking for. Not all of the kids had the sense to run from danger. A few always hid.
"Melody. Noriko. Let's go," Rogue ordered, trying to be quiet.
The two girls crept out from their hiding place behind the dresser. The Guthrie girl clutched a raggedy bunny rabbit and looked near tears. Noriko seemed to be alternating between shame and fear. Rogue turned, ushering them to follow as she ran from the room. All that mattered now was getting to the passageway. Twenty steps away if they were walking, eleven at a dead sprint. Rogue had practiced a variety of ways, memorizing the length and speed needed to get to it from each room. She knew the distance to all the passageways. She wasn't sure if that was Magneto or Logan rubbing off on her or just her own survival instinct.
She stopped a few feet from the window and pushed at the wall. It rose in front of her. Rogue was thankful she got it right away; now was not the time to be frantically pressing for the unseen lever.
When the girls were inside she exhaled a deep breath, even more thankful they were nearly safe. The two girls stopped at her noise and turned around. Rogue wanted to scream at them. Didn't they understand that they needed to get away from here as fast as they could? Didn't they hear the gunfire and others' screams? She didn't yell, she didn't snap. She knew they were terrified and clueless as to what to do.
"Aren't you coming?" Noriko asked, her voice cracking.
Melody simply stared, eyes widening with unspilled tears. Rogue nearly stepped inside at that moment but there were others she needed to find. Logan. Bobby. John. She had to make sure they were alright. She also knew if she went with the girls there was no possibility of hiding the fact they were mutants. Deadly skin was kind of a marker. They were safer on their own.
"No. I have to find someone first," Rogue replied, her voice as calm as she could make it. Noriko started to shake a little. "When you get to the end of the tunnel head straight through the woods til you get to Graymalkin lane." Melody wiped at her eyes, sniffling quietly. Noriko nodded and took a shaky breath. Rogue nodded back and continued talking. It was important they knew what to do. "Then go to the first house you see and tell them you ran away from your boarding school."
She looked between the two of them. This next part, this was what they needed to understand above everything else. "No matter what you do don't tell them you're mutants." Rogue tried to smile, tried to look a little reassuring but she couldn't pull it off. Instead she gave an imploring look. "Do you understand?"
"Yes," Noriko stated, while the younger girl nodded.
Rogue hesitated for a moment and then reached up. "Okay. Go!" she told them, and watched them turn and run before pulling the wall back into place.
There was another volley of gunfire and more screams. Rogue turned and headed towards the noise. It went against every instinct she had. She needed all her control to stop Magneto or Logan's minds in her mind from forcing her to turn around and follow the girls.
She had to find them.
Rogue looked down at the dogtags secured to her wrist and sucked in a hurried breath.
It would all be okay if she found Logan. After all, he said he'd protect her.
It had been a nice dream, whatever it was. When the ear-splitting shriek reverberated through the mansion, whatever Rogue had been dreaming about quickly shattered as she jolted awake. No one could possibly sleep through the sound. Even with her hands pressed tightly over her ears the scream pierced through her body, putting every nerve ending on alert. She didn't need Logan or Magneto's lingering presence in her mind telling her something was wrong. It was obvious from the use of little Terry's powers -- and then the gasping end of her voice as she suddenly stopped.
The end of her screams was followed by others, not as loud but the terror in those cries caused Rogue to stumble from bed and move towards the door without any regard to her lack of dress. Accidental power transfers be damned, this was what they had practiced for. And from the frantic steps above and below her she was beginning to think they hadn't practiced enough.
Her task was simple; help the younger students to the passageways. She checked the hallway before exiting the room, all of her senses on high alert as she looked in the rooms on her corridor. She moved quickly and quietly. There were no unusual footsteps nearby, only above and below. In the second room she found what she was looking for. Not all of the kids had the sense to run from danger. A few always hid.
"Melody. Noriko. Let's go," Rogue ordered, trying to be quiet.
The two girls crept out from their hiding place behind the dresser. The Guthrie girl clutched a raggedy bunny rabbit and looked near tears. Noriko seemed to be alternating between shame and fear. Rogue turned, ushering them to follow as she ran from the room. All that mattered now was getting to the passageway. Twenty steps away if they were walking, eleven at a dead sprint. Rogue had practiced a variety of ways, memorizing the length and speed needed to get to it from each room. She knew the distance to all the passageways. She wasn't sure if that was Magneto or Logan rubbing off on her or just her own survival instinct.
She stopped a few feet from the window and pushed at the wall. It rose in front of her. Rogue was thankful she got it right away; now was not the time to be frantically pressing for the unseen lever.
When the girls were inside she exhaled a deep breath, even more thankful they were nearly safe. The two girls stopped at her noise and turned around. Rogue wanted to scream at them. Didn't they understand that they needed to get away from here as fast as they could? Didn't they hear the gunfire and others' screams? She didn't yell, she didn't snap. She knew they were terrified and clueless as to what to do.
"Aren't you coming?" Noriko asked, her voice cracking.
Melody simply stared, eyes widening with unspilled tears. Rogue nearly stepped inside at that moment but there were others she needed to find. Logan. Bobby. John. She had to make sure they were alright. She also knew if she went with the girls there was no possibility of hiding the fact they were mutants. Deadly skin was kind of a marker. They were safer on their own.
"No. I have to find someone first," Rogue replied, her voice as calm as she could make it. Noriko started to shake a little. "When you get to the end of the tunnel head straight through the woods til you get to Graymalkin lane." Melody wiped at her eyes, sniffling quietly. Noriko nodded and took a shaky breath. Rogue nodded back and continued talking. It was important they knew what to do. "Then go to the first house you see and tell them you ran away from your boarding school."
She looked between the two of them. This next part, this was what they needed to understand above everything else. "No matter what you do don't tell them you're mutants." Rogue tried to smile, tried to look a little reassuring but she couldn't pull it off. Instead she gave an imploring look. "Do you understand?"
"Yes," Noriko stated, while the younger girl nodded.
Rogue hesitated for a moment and then reached up. "Okay. Go!" she told them, and watched them turn and run before pulling the wall back into place.
There was another volley of gunfire and more screams. Rogue turned and headed towards the noise. It went against every instinct she had. She needed all her control to stop Magneto or Logan's minds in her mind from forcing her to turn around and follow the girls.
She had to find them.
Rogue looked down at the dogtags secured to her wrist and sucked in a hurried breath.
It would all be okay if she found Logan. After all, he said he'd protect her.