Chương 20: 20.
After a freak accident with her boyfriend, through which she nearly killed him and left him comatose with just a single kiss, Rogue's life had never been the same. She had been forced to flee her hometown, leaving behind everything she knew and loved. The power to absorb the life force and memories of anyone she touched had turned her life into a constant nightmare.
Everywhere she went, Rogue felt like an outcast, terrified of harming anyone who got too close. She wandered from place to place, avoiding human contact, always on the run from herself. The guilt and isolation were almost too much to bear.
If only that wasn't enough, she was being followed constantly for days end.
She didn't know who or why, but everywhere she went those men in suits followed her, until one day, they barged into the motel she was staying in.
After a bit of struggle with the assailants, she barely managed to gain an upper hand as she prepared for an escape when one of the men grabbed her wrist causing her to unintentionally drain their life and their memories.
The haunting moment left her traumatized as she gave up resisting in the hope that surrendering might bring an end to the relentless pursuit, but the other man terrified and angry, started hitting her mercilessly.
Rogue tried to shield herself, but the blows kept coming, each one driving home the despair and helplessness she felt. Just when she couldn't endure anymore, she overpowered the man grabbing his fist, as she killed him with her touch.
With two dead bodies in her motel, she was not only frightened but traumatized. Her body felt weightless in a moment of plight, as she slowly walked away from the motel only to be knocked unconscious by a force unknown to her.
When she did regain consciousness, she was locked in a dark room and left to deal with the memories of the two men constantly rewinding in her head over and over again, which made it feel as if they were living inside her head.
Rogue's breaths came in ragged gasps as the oppressive darkness closed in around her. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw their faces, felt their pain, and relived their final moments. It was as if their lives had been stitched into the fabric of her soul, and the weight of their memories threatened to crush her.
Days turned into nights with no way to distinguish between the two in the perpetual darkness. The silence was suffocating, interrupted only by the occasional drip of water somewhere in the room, a cruel reminder of her isolation. She had no idea where she was or who had taken her, but the sense of dread was overwhelming.
One day, the door creaked open, flooding the room with blinding light. Rogue squinted, trying to make out the silhouette standing in the doorway. It was a woman with a striking presence, her blue skin and yellow eyes marking her as different.
Mystique stepped into the room, her gaze assessing Rogue with a mixture of curiosity and disdain. "You're awake," she said, her voice cold and detached. "Good. We have much to discuss."
Rogue's throat was dry, and she could barely muster the strength to speak. "Who... who are you? What do you want with me?"
Mystique crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing. "My name is Mystique. You, Rogue, are a part of something much larger than yourself. Your powers make you valuable, and Magneto has plans for you."
Rogue's heart sank at the mention of Magneto. She had heard whispers of the mutant extremist and his actions causing the deaths of many in the horrific train crash months ago, and the thought of being used as a pawn in their schemes filled her with dread. "I don't want to hurt anyone," she said weakly. "I just want to be left alone."
Mystique's expression softened slightly, though her resolve remained firm. "I understand your fear, Rogue. But in our world, power is survival. Magneto believes he can help you control your abilities, and make you stronger. You won't have to run anymore. And people like us, people like you and me who are feared for our abilities won't have to live in hiding being feared or hated for just being ourselves."
Rogue's mind raced, torn between the promise of control and the fear of being manipulated. "And if I refuse?"
Mystique's gaze hardened once more. "That would be unwise. The people who were following you—those men—won't stop until they capture you again. Magneto's protection is your best chance at survival."
"So no matter where you go, how you hide, you'll be brought to us over and over again. So I hope you understand what's best for you and accept your role."
Mystique said what she had to and left, "I truly hope we could become allies and all this wouldn't be a bitter memory for you."
Rogue's eyes filled with tears, the weight of her situation pressing down on her. She felt trapped, with no clear path to safety. But she knew one thing for certain: she couldn't go on living in fear, hurting those who came too close.
As the door closed behind Mystique, Rogue was left alone in the dimly lit room, her thoughts racing. She tried to process everything that had happened, the weight of her choices pressing heavily on her shoulders. The promise of control over her powers was tempting, but the idea of being used by Magneto filled her with dread.
Hours passed, and Rogue could hear the faint sounds of activity beyond the room. She knew she had to make a decision soon. The thought of facing those men again, of living in constant fear and isolation, was unbearable. But aligning herself with Magneto's cause felt equally daunting.
As she stayed in the darkness, memories of one of those men flooded her, as she witnessed the person watching what looked to be a horror show on a tablet.
She saw a young man, tall and nonchalant, who casually flinging his hands around causing a complete massacre and obliterating everything in his path.
"That's Kai?" The man turned towards the other assailant who was smoking his cigarette, "Jesus! How do you defend against that?"
"That's not any of our concern, the boss wants us to find the girl but from what I know the girl is a freak just like him... not that powerful I assume but she did nearly kill her little boyfriend from merely a touch..."
The conversation played out with them explaining what and how they would catch her. Still in infancy with her powers, she barely managed to scratch the surface as she began surfing through the memories of the killer but she couldn't find anything. All she had was a name, "Kai..."
She muttered, wondering if she was as powerful as the figure she had seen in the memory of the man, would she have ended up in the same situation that she was in?
Time flew by further, the only thing keeping her distracted from the ultimatum the blue woman had given her was wondering about who Kai really was. Was he a mutant like her? Or was he something more?
The scene straight out of a movie stuck inside her head although she knew it was heartless murder the very men who were keeping her here worked for the same boss that he had killed.
Her time passed with moments of slight erratic insanity of her memories, the fact that she had killed someone, the looming threat of what these people wanted from her, and the man in the video.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the door to her room opened once more only for her to be held at gunpoint and shoved into a van to be transported else where. She remembered Mystique's threat wondering if it was finally time for her to be used as a tool.
All hope she had accumulated had long left her, leaving her nearly soulless, as the people brought her into the front of the two people she had begun hating. She immediately recognized the Kingpin and the infamous Magneto.
"Rogue, it's finally nice to see you in person. I've heard a lot about you..."
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