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| - -Rogue… – Mystique suggested. –Rogue can go as a double spy. She can infiltrate into the X-Men, make them trust her and then backstab them. – -I like that idea. – Magneto nodded. –Until now, every time we tried a direct attack we failed. – -I could help Rogue attack the X-Men… -Pyro suggested, leaning against a wall and playing with fire. –I know them better than you all, because I know them personally. And that means more than dossiers. – -I agree with the flame dude. – Domino agreed, looking down at her nails. -Do you think you can do that, Rogue, dear? – Mystique asked looking at her foster daughter. -Of course I can. If I could make physical contact it would be better, I could get closer to them from the inside, and then break ’em forever. – Anna Marie replied, her legs resting on the table. -You’ve been trained by Raven, Rogue. – Erik said. –You know how to lie, how to get yourself infiltrated. Just make sure to have your hood on all the time. Its fabric will protect you from mind reading. – -I do. – Rogue raised an eyebrow cockily. –Y’all just need to trust me. – -Stuff is getting REAL boring around lately. – Bobby Drake said, resting on a pile of books. -Don’t ask for action, Robert. – Beast replied, looking at him from a library table. Toad followed Rogue all her way to the road that lead to the Mansion, and once she was there, he turned back and ran back to the Brotherhood. It had been two days since Storm was back from Wakanda as Queen, and wife to Black Panther and everything was too quiet in the X-Mansion. No attack attempts from the Brotherhood, no problem reports from the Utopia Division… Everything was strangely good. And Xavier didn’t like that. -X-Men, you need to be ready for any kind of attack from Magneto and his… - Professor X was interrupted with someone at the Mansion’s doors. When Iceman walked to the gates, he was surprised to find Rogue standing there. -May I come in, sugar? – She asked, slightly pouting at him. Ororo pushed Xavier’s wheelchair to the Mansion’s gardens, where Bobby and Rogue were standing. -Anna Marie. – Xavier said. -Professor… I know I am Mystique’s foster daughter, I know I have been part of the Brotherhood of Mutants… But I can’t take it anymore. My place is here with you… - Rogue lied looking in the Professor’s eyes. -I don’t need to read your mind, right? – Xavier looked at her kindly. –Despite being trained and raised by Mystique, you can’t look at someone in the eyes and lie. – -You’re right, Professor. As always. – Rogue smiled softly. -I am not right all the time, Anna Marie. – Xavier shook his head. –Now, come in. Jean, get her a room. Ororo, you can now take me in, thank you. – -Can we trust her, Professor? – Scott Summers asked the old man once Jean and Rogue had gone inside the Mansion. -I am giving her a chance to be true, to tell us the truth. If she breaks it, next time I’ll read her mind. Simple, Scott. I am giving her the benefit of doubt. – The Professor replied, looking at Cyclops who was walking next to Storm and his own wheelchair. -At what price? – Scott replied not convinced. -Our lives. Everyone is worth it. – He concluded before Ororo pushed his wheelchair inside the School. Near the school, Toad and Domino were observing the Mansion. -If we only hadn’t left Braddock in Worthington Industries like Magneto asked me to… A psychic would come in handy right now. A lot. – Domino whispered. -Y-y-y-you’re r-r-r-right, Domino. – -Just shut up Toad, you voice irritates me. – -I-I-I-I’m s-s-s-s-orry… - Mortimer looked down. -Professor… - Beast walked to Xavier’s office. –Pyro is in the news, wreaking havoc in the city. – -Okay… Help Scott gather the X-Men. – Charles nodded. -What about Rogue? – -Take Anna Marie too – -Are you sure, Professor? – -No. Not at all. – Once they arrived at the city, they found St. John Allerdyce near a townhouse. -X-Men… You’re here! – Pyro smirked evilly. –And the traitor! – He said, pointing at Rogue. -Shut up, John. – -He’s actually St. John… Which is ironic considering he’s a villain. – Bobby corrected her, smiling. Rogue let out an honest soft chuckle before looking at the Brotherhood member again. –Stop it and we won’t hurt you. – -Oh c’mon! Let’s hurt him anyway! – Iceman protested. -Bobby… - McCoy shook his head disapprovingly. -Y’all are no fun! – Anna Marie looked at the X-Men. –Bobby has a great sense of humor. – -Thank you! Finally someone who sees it! – Taking advantage of them being distracted, Pyro blasted fire at Rogue, but Iceman pushed her to the ground and was hit instead. -W-W-What? – Rogue looked surprised at Bobby, before giving Pyro a death glare. He wasn’t supposed to kill her, she was just acting. Pyro winked at her mischievously before using his fire blasts as a way to hover from the ground before shooting fire at Iceman again with a single hand. Anna Marie, who saw it coming absorbed Bobby’s powers and blasted ice back at Pyro, freezing him long enough to get him on the ground again. Pyro tried to burn the townhouse down, but Rogue absorbed Cyclops’ powers and fired a laser from her eyes at the pyrokinetic mutant. Before Allerdyce could recover, Rogue grabbed Storm’s hand and, absorbing her weather control powers made it rain, leaving Pyro completely powerless. -Get him, X-Men! – Rogue shouted but suddenly, Domino and Toad stood right before Pyro. -Anna Marie! What the f**k are you doing?! You weren’t supposed to let them win! – Neena protested. -What? – Bobby asked, not understanding. -Rogue was never on your side, she was just a double spy, who was supposed to kill you all using each other’s powers! – -But instead of that she tried to get me killed!!! – St. John screamed. -Anna Marie… Is that true? – Iceman asked, looking into Rogue’s eyes, which were filled with tears. -Bobby… It… It was at first but… - -No buts. – Scott said firmly. –We shouldn’t have trusted her. She was an infiltrator. It was all a performance. Just like Mystique’s daughter would do. – He turned around. –Rogue now has Robert’s, Ororo’s and my memories, she would use them against us. Let them escape now. But next time, I won’t be this forgiving. – Cyclops said, turning around as the other X-Men followed him. -Do you really find me funny like you said? – Bobby asked Rogue. Before she could answer, Domino stood in front of her. -Of course not. She doesn’t like you, or any of your friends. She is one of us. She believes in what we believe. – Thurman said firmly. –Now go, unless you want Rogue to be the one who kills you. – Robert looked up at Anna Marie once more, before walking into the Blackbird and taking off with the rest of the X-Men. -Neena, why did you even say that?! – Rogue yelled. -It’s the truth. You know it. We know it. – Domino looked firmly into her eyes. –Now let’s go back to Magneto. Let’s tell him the X-Men gave up. – Robert was wondering through the halls in the X-Mansion, late at night when he was surprised by Professor Xavier. -Professor, what are you doing here? – -You cannot sleep. You are my student and team partner. I care about my students and my team, Robert. – -I know, Professor. – -Anna Marie is bothering you. Am I wrong? – -You’re reading my mind, of course you aren’t. – -I am not reading your mind, Robert. – Charles laughed softly. -Am I that predictable? – -Love hits everyone. Some in the good way, like Jean and Scott, or Ororo and her husband. Some others are just heartbroken. – -Have you ever been in love, Professor? – -Yes, I have. – Xavier looked up slightly, before looking down again. -As I said, love hits everyone, mutants included. And I’m included too. When I was your age I had already graduated, and about to go into Oxford University with Raven. Of course I liked girls. – -I’m sorry but I can’t imagine you being seventeen. – -Well, I was seventeen once. I could walk once. I could do all the things normal teenagers do, and more, I might add. – He laughed softly. –And I have also been heartbroken. Not only by girls, but also by Erik, during the Cold War and the rise of the Brotherhood. – -Do you miss him? – -I always will miss him. I considered him my brother. – -Do you think he’ll ever redeem himself? – -Redemption is like love. Anyone can get it. – -Even Anna Marie? – -Specially her. Because she got both love and redemption. And love is a powerful ally of redemption. – -Love? – -You will learn how to notice when someone’s in love when you’re old like me. – Charles nodded slightly. –And not even trying to read their minds. – He smiled softly and went back to his office. Back at the Brotherhood Base, Rogue was greeted by the other members of the Brotherhood. -Congratulations, Rogue, dear! – Mystique exclaimed hugging her foster daughter. -No… - Anna Marie whispered softly. -What are you talking about? – Raven looked at her worried. -This isn’t the right thing. I was forced to think like this by you Raven! – Rogue pointed at her. -I am your mother! – Mystique shouted. -No you’re not! You don’t let me think freely! You trained me to be a terrorist! To have no heart just like you! – She shook her head. –The X-Men helped me! They saved my life when Allerdyce was about to fry me! And he wouldn’t have even cared because that’s all the Brotherhood is about! Killing people recklessly just to prove superiority. But you aren’t superior! If there is a mutant group who is really superior is the X-Men, who are humble, loyal and act like a team! Who protect those who hate them and don’t ask for anything back! Those who don’t try to rule another species because they feel just like them, despite having abilities the rest doesn’t. We are still human! We all are! Even Creed! You are animals because that’s what you want to be. You choose to be animals, and you choose to be inferior to average humans. I am tired of being part of this Brotherhood, because all you really are is Evil. – Rogue said and turned his back to the members of the Brotherhood. -I love you… Rogue, don’t you love me? – Mystique said holding out a hand at her foster daughter. -You don’t know what love is, Raven. You’re as much an animal as Sabretooth. – She replied bitterly, not looking back before flying away.
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