Chapter 3

-by Michiru

Rogue sat on the roof, looking thoughtful. The fluffy clouds were floating by, the breeze gentle and warm. However, her mind was far away.
Last night, she and Remy had gone All The Way. For the first time. It bothered her that it had been the first time. Shouldn't something like that, with the relationship that they had, have been more... often?
She laid back on the warm shingles, and sighed. Something was certainly rotten. Everyone tiptoed around the subject of her mutant powers. She didn't understand that, either. They all agreed that everything was normal. Any training she had had in the past stuck. She went to Danger Room sessions and had even gone into battle more than once. She was back to leading her team, none the worse for wear. All her instincts were sharp and she was in control.
But they all still hmmed and haaed when she asked questions about her past.
They would say she was a good fighter. She joined the X-Men awhile back, and was a member in long and good standing.
Etcetera etcetera etcetera.
Big Deal.
She was getting anxious, and frustrated. She wanted some answers.

Landing lightly on the ground, she noticed a strange thing. A woman was getting out of a posh car. The car was a beaut. Jaguar XK8 convertible, in white. A car to drool over. Remy would die. Or steal it...
The strange thing was the woman herself. Clad in tight white jeans, a navy silk blouse, and a short, white leather jacket. Her boots were white leather, as well, 3 inch spike heels.
She was blue. Her skin was blue. Her hair was red. She was the strangest person she had ever seen, not including Beastie.
"Rogue!" She called, her walk becoming hurried. "Rogue!" She repeated, as she hugged her.
"Hi," Rogue said eloquently.
"When you didn't show up today, I decided to come and see you. I figured you had either forgotten or were in battle," she smiled, pushing Rogue back. "You look good. I like the new costume. A bit... revealing, though."
Rogue looked down at her newest costume. The green pants were a bit tight, but who wanted extra fabric for the enemy to grab? The tight, sleeveless midriff shirt with the featured 'X' showed her flat belly to perfection. Flat boots were ankle high, and with the short pants, showed about half her calves. And NO gloves.
Remy certainly had liked it.
"Ah didn' think it was that bad," she shrugged.
"Well, of course it isn't. You're a beautiful girl, and all. Are you... and HIM...?"
"Remy?"
"Oh, sigh, Rogue. Why him? He's a thief. He's a jerk. He's hurt you before, and you know he'll do it again."
"Ah love 'im. Ah dunno why." Who was this woman?
She shook her head. "It's not the first time we've had this talk."
"Um, Ah don' wanna alarm ya or nothin', but who are ya?"
Disconcerting, yellow eyes stared at her. "It's Mystique. Your mother?"
"Yer ma mom?" Rogue stared. She felt a bud of excitement in the pit of her stomach. Someone who might give her answers!
She grabbed Mystique's hands in her own. "Ah'm sorry Ah missed an outin', but Ah have this li'l problem, ya see. An maybe ya can answer some questions fer me?"
Mystique looked down at Rogue's hands. "Oh my... Your powers. They aren't working? What happened?"
"Ma powers work fine," Rogue shrugged. "As far as Ah know. But that's the thing. Ah don't know. No one'll tell me much of anythin'."
"What are your powers, Rogue?"
"Well, Ah can fly. Ah like flyin'," she smiled. "It's freedom. Ma strength, and invulnerability, o' course."
"That's all?"
"Is there more?"
"Is there somewhere we can sit down, and not be interrupted?" Mystique was looking a little angry.
"Sure. Uh, by the way, what do Ah call ya? Ya jus' don' seem like a 'mom' ta me," Rogue looked sheepish, scratching her cheek.
"No, I've always been Mystique to you," she said, shaking her head with a bit of a smile.
"Well, allez oop!" Rogue grinned, grabbing her by the waist, and flying her to the roof.

"So, Rogue, where would you like me to begin?" Mystique said, settling in.
"Well, ma real name ain't Rogue, is it?"
"No. But I don't know what it is. You see, you're my foster daughter. I found you when you were very young. You were on the streets, and not doing to well. I took you in. You never told me anything about your past. I assumed you blocked it out. You told me you named yourself Rogue, and that's what I always called you."
"Oh. So yer not my real mom?"
"In the ways that count, you are. You're as much my child as my natural children are," she gently hugged Rogue.
"Thanks."
"What happened?"
"Ah guess Ah was inna trainin' accident. Bobby was about'a get hurt, so Ah tried to save 'im, countin' on my invulnerability ta keep me from gettin' hurt. Got belted 'cross the head, an' hit a wall head first. Beastie says that if Ah wasn' invulnerable, Ah'd've been killed. Instead, Ah had a nasty lump on ma noggin that hurt fer a week. Ah woke up with Remy hoverin' over me, an' no mem'ries of anythin' or anyone. Funny. Knew what a mutant was, didn' remember ah was one. Though, Ah caught on fast," she laughed gaily. "Ah love flyin'. Quiet and calm."
"What about your natural power?" Mystique had a very suspicious tone to her voice.
"Whaddaya mean?"
"Flight, invulnerability and strength aren't the powers you were born with."
"But how can Ah have anythin' other than that?" Rogue's expression was confused.
"Your natural power is absorption, Rogue. Nobody told you this? I can understand why, but still, they could have found a way."
"What... Absorption? How?"
"When you touch someone, you absorb their psyche, Rogue. If they're a mutant, you also have their power. It's only a short while, but it's dangerous for you and the other person. You didn't like to use it," Mystique began.
"You have never had control of it. It came to you fairly young, and it's hindered your life quite royally. If the hit to the head destroyed it, good riddance. It's the reason you left me.
"I couldn't help you when you needed me. I'll always feel like I've failed you because of that. You came here, to your then enemy, hoping they might help you.
"They never could."
"Why?" Rogue felt sick. They hid a power from her? Albeit, not a great power, but something that was part of her.
"Nobody knows. You just couldn't control it. It was painful for you. It would leave psychic residue that bogged you down. For a little while, you thought you were going crazy. You may have. But, these people did help that. The insanity wasn't as much of an issue."
"Where did Ah get ma other powers?"
Mystique drew her knees to her chest, looking pensive. "I don't know if I should tell you."
"You have ta! An', what did ya mean? 'Then enemy'? Ah don' understand."
"We were bad guys, Rogue. It's not your fault. You were brought into it young. You didn't know better. And what I did, it's just who I am. But, you turned to the X-Men in your hour of need, and they brought you in, despite your past."
"What did Ah do, Mystique?"
Mystique told her an edited version of her encounter with Carol Danvers, and her absorbing the woman's psyche and Ms. Marvel's powers.
Rogue looked increasingly horrified as the tale went on. "Ah killed her," she breathed.
"No. She didn't die. She lived on, and became Binary. She went with the Star Jammers. I don't know that much about them. Ask Scott. His father is one."
"Ah will," Rogue nodded. "An this drove me nutso?"
"That sums it up," Mystique nodded. "She isn't part of your psyche anymore, but you retain her powers. I don't understand why you don't absorb people when touching them anymore, but I said it before, and I'll say it again, good riddance to bad rubbish. Your powers hurt you physically, mentally and emotionally. And if they aren't gone, I suggest you never use them.
"Rogue, don't let this upset you too much. You've more than atoned for all your sins in this life and in the last 5, I'd say," Mystique laughed lightly. "You've saved the world more than I know, and saved thousands of lives, not including that. You died to save the world, once. Your teammates no longer hold you for your past transgressions, why should you?"
"They never told me Ah had that power," Rogue stared into space.
"I'm sure they were trying to protect you. You can touch now. It's been so many years, Rogue."
"So that's why Remy an' I never had sex before. Ah couldn't touch 'im before. Ah'm surprised he waited so long to get me inta the sack," Rogue's expression was turning furious.
"What can I say," Mystique shrugged, not feeling one iota of shame in sabotaging Remy in Rogue's eyes. "He's an immature, insufferable little swamp-rat. He's lied to you, and hurt you innumerable times. It doesn't surprise me in the least.
"The jerk!" Rogue growled, standing up.
"Yes!" Mystique pumped her fist in the air.
"Ah'll show 'im a thing'r two a'out crossin' me!" Rogue yelled.
"Alright!" Mystique cried.
Rogue flew off the roof, and out of Mystique's view.
"Um... Rogue? I can't fly, you know? I guess you don't know. Drat." She looked off the roof. "Nope, can't see my way clear. Ok, I can. Mystique jump off roof, Mystique go splat, flat like pancake."
She sighed, and settled back on the roof, for what she hoped wouldn't be a long time.

end of Chapter 3