Futures Remembered - REVIEW THIS STORY

Written by Leigh
Last updated: 01/02/2007 02:01:11 AM

Chapter 1

She softly wove her way between the trees, the grass a padding beneath her bare feet, individual blades worming their way between her toes with every step. A gentle breeze wrapped itself around her, cocooning her in its warm embrace, then continued on it way, rustling the leaves as it went past. Distantly she heard a dog bark, a flurry of wings as some night raptor went in search of prey and the gentle lapping of the water against the lakeshore. The musky smell of moss mingled with a hint of pine and the faint fragrance of the wild flowers that were strewn across the forest floor. The odd moonbeam that had penetrated the thickly woven canopy of branches captured the white of her hair and flowing robes, lending her a transparent almost surreal appearance. Nature seemed to give testimony to a belief held many years ago. Ororo Munroe was a Goddess.

In the depths of the woods a shadow moved. Storm tensed.

“Hello! Is there anyone there?” She cleared her mind and felt her powers. The mansion’s security was state-of-the-art, but it was not infallible. In fact, she knew a certain thief that delighted in slipping past it at every chance, just to prove he could.

“Who’s out there? I can sense you. Show yourself.” Storm commanded.

The shadow moved again. Two red orbs glowed from a lower branch of a nearby tree.

“Remy! You startled me. What are you doing out here? I thought you were going into town.”

“Sorry, Stormy,” a silky southern drawl answered. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I was just thinking.”

“Rogue!”

Storm peered through the dark veil of night at the thin figure huddled in the crook of the tree limb. Rogues shoulders were hunched over. Her right knee was drawn to her chest. The streak of white hair hung athwart her face, obscuring her features.

Rogue parted her lips and softly spoke, “Sorry, Ro, didn’t mean to startle you. I was just sitting here thinking.”

“My apologies, Rogue. It was not my intention to disturb you. I was unaware that anyone else was out here. Is something amiss” Storm hesitated and cast a worried glance over the dejected woman in front of her. “Is Remy alright?”

“Remy?” Rogues head snapped up. Her eyes, churning pits of larva against black, burned with anger. Storm unwittingly took a step back. Rogue was well known for her irrational fits of temper. Not many dared to court its whip, but Storm was not one to fear such outbursts. Yet even she was momentarily taken back by the intensity of the fury that radiated from the southerner. “What do I care how that no-good, unfeeling, traitorous….” As quickly are the rage had appeared it dissolved into a deluge of tears. “Oh Stormy, I messed up again. He was just trying to be nice and I started shrieking at him louder than Banshee and Syren put together. And then he left, and he’ll never forgiven me and doesn’t want me anymore, after all who would want a screw up like me, no one, not even my own parents, I wouldn’t even want me. God, he must hate me. How could he - "

“ROGUE! Calm down!” Ororo called the gentle breeze back. It again wrapped itself around her, but this time gently lifted her up to the gnarled tree limb. She gracefully perched next to Rogue and extended her hand to stroke Rogue’s gloved one.

“Remy could not hate you, Rogue. He may not be particularly charmed with you but the man truly loves you, and you know that, don’t you?” Ororo looked reproachfully at the women sitting next to her.

Rogue hung her head, the rich auburn streaked brown hair, with its distinctive white stripe framing her heart shaped face. She slowly nodded.

“Now, from what I have heard so far, all you have done is scream at him, which is, to be quite frank, child, nothing that the poor man is unaccustomed to.”

The corners of Rogue’s mouth twitched in response.

“He may not be particularly charmed with you at the moment, but he does not hate you. And he will forgive you.Remy is very quick to forgive those he loves, as you well should know” Often to his own detriment. Storm silently said to herself.

“I know, Ro. I didn’t mean to run him down. Its just that I was so horrible to him I don’t know how he’ll possibly excuse what I said to him. Sorry.”

Storm nodded her head in acquisition. She again stole a glance at Rogue’s unnatural eyes. “You said Remy left, he is alright then.”

“Yes, he’ fine. Got on his Harley and raced off somewhere. Why? You don’t think I hurt him do you?” Rogue responded defensively. She dropped her knee, and pulled her hand from under Ororo’s gently grasp, clenching it into a fist.

A feeling of shame washed over Storm. “Again I must apologise. It was not my intention to accuse you of in anyway harming him, I was just worried.”

Rogue’s body relaxed.

“No, Ro. It is I who should be apologising. I’m just a little defensive about that – considering.” A tear formed in the corner of her eye, and pooled itself on her lower lashes. The saline water glinted pink.

“Tell me what happened child. Maybe I can help figure out how you could make amends”

Rogue ran her fingers over the gnarled bark beneath he hands. She abstractly considered taking off her gloves, so she could feel the texture without the cloth barrier, but forced the urge down. Storm was far to close. It was far too risky. Too irresponsible.

Ororo sat patiently waiting for Rogue to speak. She stared out into the night, again marvelling at the harmony that was permeating through the woods. The looming trees a silhouette theatre. The ambient orchestra of night sounds was suddenly broken by the sicken sound of flesh tearing. She felt a few spatters of thick sticky liquid on her hand and looked down in horror. Three sharp bone claws protruded from Rogue’s hands. She watched in mute fascination as Rogue slow retracted them. The ripped holes, visible through the shredded tops of the blood soaked gloves, began to close over.

“I don’t think I can explain what happened. I’ve been having a problem of late.” Rogue too looked down at her now fully mended hands.

“You know that ever since I absorbed Z'Cann I’ve been having problem with my powers.”

Storm nodded.

“Well, its gotten worse. I mean the power part have gotten better, after all I’ve been able to control Scott’s optic blasts. But now I’m having some other … side affects.” Rogue continued to stare at her hands, marveling at the way the red of her blood had turned her dark green gloves brown.

“ I’ve been seeing images – memories – and having these feelings. And they’re not mine, Ro. They are not mine. They’re theirs, the scars, the shadows of the people I’ve absorbed. They are always there, but they fade and normally don’t bother me much, ‘cept when my guard down or someone aggregates them, like Carol use to. But they’ve been getting stronger of late, almost like when I first absorbed them.”

“ Remy…. Remy’s been getting strong, very strong. He’s personality has always been strong. I’ve never been much good at fighting it. And his memories, Ro, they are so…. I wish I could tell you. I need to tell someone. They are too much for me to hold alone. I can’t though. They’re not mine to tell.”

“ So you see, when he sauntered in to my room tonight, wondering if I wanted to join him in town. I just snapped. He was the last person I wished to see, tonight. And there he was, reminding me of all the stuff that was going on in my head. I said such awful things to him, hurtful things. Things I knew would hurt him, ‘cause I just wanted him to go away. Not Remy, but the Remy here.” Rogue brought her hand up to tap the side of her head.

She let out a low chuckle.

“I guess it worked in reverse.”

Storm stared pensively at Rogue. The tears had streaked down her cheeks, silver trails in the pale moonlight. She looked frail - a word that contrasted with all knowledge of the young mutant, her strength, both of spirit and body, a defining characteristic. Yet she appeared weak and broken. Ororo felt honoured. She had been allowed to glimpse past Rogue armour, and observe a moment of vulnerability.

“Rogue,” Storm began soothingly, “ Your reaction was understandable. I’m certain that if Remy was aware of the circumstances, he would understand. Have you two ever discussed what you have seen of his mind?”

“Not unless you count me playing judge, jury and executioner, then leaving him to freeze to death.”

“Well, I don’t.” stated Storm, a hint of annoyance and venom escaping in to her voice. Although she had forgive Rogue for her actions, the near death of the man she considered a brother and her dearest friend still aggrieved her.

She let out a breath, calming herself, “Rogue, I think your only recourse is to go to Remy, explain what happened, apologise.” She sense Rogue tense next to her.

“I am aware that you do not like to apologise, but Rogue YOU were in the wrong. Please, Rogue, go to Remy. Talk to him. You said you needed to talk to someone. Remy is your only choice.”

“He won’t want to discuss it. He never wants to discuss his past”

“That was before. Ask him, tell him what is happening. Just try!”

Rogue slipped off the branch and hovered in front of Ororo.

“Thanks Stormy.”

Storm smiled “Rogue.”

“Yes”

“Don’t call me Stormy.”

A grin crept onto Rogue’s face and she broke out into giggles. She turned a sped towards the mansion.

“Rogue!” Storm called to the rapidly diminishing figure. “Your eyes… they’re red on black” Rogue, was however already gone.

1 - Z’Cann was a young mutant Skull, sent to deliver a message to the X-Men from Professor Xavier, but was attacked by the Blood Brothers before she was able to deliver the message. Rogue rescued her, but Z’Cann did not believe she would survive. She touched Rogue, forcing Rogue to absorb her memories and powers. As a result, Rogue is manifesting the powers and sometimes physical traits of those she has absorbed in the past.