Categories > Cartoons > X-Men: Evolution > A Rogue's Journey
Chapter Eight
The ride wasn't as long as it should have been since Remy broke most of the set traffic laws on the way. He arrived around noon and having been able to cool his head a bit on the ride, figured he would need a base of operations before he ran around the Bronx looking for a girl who didn't want to be found.
He came upon a conveniently placed Motel 6 and pulled into the parking lot. This particular motel happened to hold a certain amount of significance to a teenage mutant with white striped hair. Remy sauntered into the office and put down cash for a weeks rental. He wasn't sure how long the search would take but he would find her. He had to. His room was on the second floor. It was modestly furnished with a lumpy bed, a small table and a chair, and a TV that looked like it was from the 70's.
Remy's search for his elusive love started with the search for the informants he used to have when he still worked for his father as a thief. It took a while to track a few of them and none of them admitted to having seeing the girl in the picture Remy showed them.
So he took his search to the local diners and convenience stores. A few of the people he questioned pointed him in various directions but all of the leads ended in dead ends and brick walls. He sauntered into one diner where the tall hispanic girl behind the counter informed Remy that she had worked there a few months ago and had had an apartment a few blocks away but she wasn't sure exactly where. It was way after midnight when Remy finally admitted defeat for the day and went back to his room for a few hours of shuteye before he got back on the horse and went on the offensive again.
Meanwhile...
The evening was uneventful. She took some of her spare cash and decided to splurge and went to go see a movie that was playing downtown. That took up a few hours of her time and got her mind off of everything that had happened.
She knew she needed to go back. She wasn't being fair to her friends. Wanda and Remy must be worrying about her. She hadn't left a note or anything, after all.
But she did enjoy being here. It was a little slice of freedom, a place where she didn't need to worry about danger room sessions, feuding housemates, lines for the bathroom, and late night encounters.
Although the mansion gave her that sense of family she missed after she had run away the first time. She had been so lonely, so secretive, so not herself when she had been here. When she was home, it was like there was a veil lifted. Sure she appeared hostile and even unstable at times, she was always herself around her friends. Wanda, Remy and John had seen more of her then even her family back in Mississippi. She had always been careful what she said when she was there, always afraid that something would go wrong or she would screw up and things would go downhill even more. Her life there was so unstable, even more so then at the mansion.
At least there she had parental figures, Professor X, Logan, Ms. Munroe, and Dr. McCoy. They were all more parents to her then her mother and the guys she brought home ever had been. Deep down she knew they never really cared for her. She was just another mouth, another waster of water and electricity, and another waste of money.
But that wasn't an issue at Xavier's. He genuinely cared for the people that ended up on his doorstep. He always had an extra bed and an additional place at the dinner table, and an unwavering feeling that even the worst of people could be reformed to be good eventually.
She needed to go back. That much was certain. The only question was when?
She couldn't go back tonight. She had missed the last bus and the trains had stopped running for the night. She'd have to wait till tomorrow morning at the earliest.
It was after midnight when she finally returned home from the theater. She collapsed onto her mattress and pulled out her book. She wasn't exactly tired but she wasn't awake either, more like a stupor or a daze. She eventually fell asleep with her nose in her book and woke up the next afternoon to the sound of cars honking and people on the streets cursing.
She was ravenous. While munching on some Cap't Crunch (her favorite) she figured out what she would do today. She had decided last night before she fell asleep to keep paying the rent on the apartment. It was nice place to get away from it all and could come in handy again in the future. After she finished eating and putting her stuff away, she slipped a few months rent into a random envelope she had lying around and slipped it under the door of the landlady's apartment marked as rent for her apartment. She went and did a little shopping; she had some money to burn. She seemed to have a knack for picking rich targets. She spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around the little boutiques and examining the wares of the street venders.
It was a little before eight by the time she had repacked her rucksack (it was a bit of a squeeze to get everything to fit) and headed for the train station. She was kinda sick of taking buses; she wanted a change. She caught the car as it was about to pull out and found a seat in the back. It was Saturday night so it was really crowded everyone going home from whatever they had been doing in the city.
The train pulled into the Bayville station a little after one in the morning. The train station was closer to the mansion then the bus was so it wasn't as far a walk back. She was in the gates when the grandfather clock in the rec room chimed two AM. As she walked up the lawn towards the side of the mansion that housed her balcony she was greeted by a kindly voice in her mind. "Welcome back Rogue it is good to see you unharmed and in a better state of mind."
Rogue simply smiled and climbed up the lattes that was next to her balcony thanks to the gardening lover Ororo. She was as quiet as a mouse and tried the door but wasn't surprised to find it locked. Wanda always locked the door before she went to bed, a kind of nighttime ritual. But she had left the window next to them unlocked, it was strange but that was how Wanda worked. She quietly lifted the pane of glass and stuck her head in to check for people laying in wait and all that. There was no one in the room except Wanda who was sleeping somewhat peacefully, she was mumbling unintelligibly. The bag was the first thing to enter the room, she dropped it soundlessly to the side so she wouldn't step on it or trip. Next was the rest of her body.
She was almost through when her foot caught the edge of the window and she lost her balance. She stumbled back and hit the dresser knocking things askew and waking Wanda. She in fact shot up in bed when the scattered projectiles hit the floor. Rogue is flat on her back, laughing hard. She would always be clumsy when it was imperative that she not be.
Wanda recognized her thanks to the beam of moonlight that was shining on her.
"Rogue thank God! Where the hell have you been?"
"Where do ya think? New York," Rogue said accepting the hand that Wanda offered her and stood up.
"That's what I thought. My God girl you look exhausted. Go to bed this instance and we'll talk when you wake up." Rogue let out a massive yawn and did as she was told.
Rogue woke up around noon due to the fact that there seemed to be a large loud crowd around her door that Wanda was trying to disperse, loudly. Grumbling she pulled herself out of the warmth of her bed and threw open the door.
"What the Hell is goin' on out here?" She yelled getting the attention of the mob.
"We just wanted to see if it was true that you were back." Bobby whined.
"Well obviously Ah am now scat,"
"Did Remy find you?" It was Jamie who asked.
From the blank look on Rogue's face it was apparent he hadn't.
"What're ya talkin about?"
Wanda grabbed Rogue's arm and dragged her into the room slamming the door behind her. There was a crunch and a thud and a whine from Bobby of, "I think she broke my nose,"
"Remy went to New York the morning after you left to look for you. I guess he didn't find you," Wanda explained.
"Obviously," Rogue sighed rolling her eyes. "He really is an idiot,"
She stood up and looked around, she hadn't had time to unpack last night. She walked to her bag and pulled out some of the new things she had bought and changed into a dark green v-neck sweater and a pair of jeans and exited the room.
Her audience was gone, probably went to the infirmary to see about Bobby. She shook her head and started for the Professors office. She needed him to help her with something.
She knocked lightly on the door and was given admittance immediately.
"Good morning Sir. Ah was wonderin' if ya could do meh a favor," she asked politely sitting down in one of the chintz armchairs that were positioned in front of his desk.
"Anything my dear," he said smiling kindly, his hands folded on the desk.
"Do ya think ya could do a mahnd sweep or somethin ta look fer Remy? He went lookin fer me apparently and still thinks Ah'm in New York."
"I'll try surely."
And he did. He steepled his fingers the way he does when he concentrates and closed his eyes, searching the surroundings for a sign of Remy's brain waves but he didn't find them. His brow furrowed and the lines around his mouth tautened and deepened.
After several more seconds the Professor opened his eyes and looked concerned.
"I can't seem to pick up any signal from him but don't fret my dear," for it looked like she was about to, "we'll locate him with Cerebro."
Rogue stood up, her fists clenched in anguished and gritted her teeth. The only thought that was flowing through her head was, 'He's dead. He has to be dead. Oh God I killed him!'
'Im sure he's fine. We'll find him.' Was projected into her head as Professor X passed through the door she held open for him.
Rogue's brain didn't calm down, not even when they were inside the chamber that housed Cerebro. Even as the helmet was sitting on the Professors head she was convinced that he was dead and it was her fault. Not until X said,
"He's in the Bronx at a Motel 6. He's alive and well if only a tad bit anxious for your safety."
Rogue sighed in relief and dashed from the chamber yelling, "Thank ya!" over her shoulder.
She ran right to the garage. Thanks to Remy and Logan she had learned how to hotwire a bike and proceeded to demonstrate her skill on Scott's precious Harley Davidson.
Scott heard the roar of its engine to late to stop her and watched sorrowfully as she speed down the driveway and out of sight.
The ride wasn't as long as it should have been since Remy broke most of the set traffic laws on the way. He arrived around noon and having been able to cool his head a bit on the ride, figured he would need a base of operations before he ran around the Bronx looking for a girl who didn't want to be found.
He came upon a conveniently placed Motel 6 and pulled into the parking lot. This particular motel happened to hold a certain amount of significance to a teenage mutant with white striped hair. Remy sauntered into the office and put down cash for a weeks rental. He wasn't sure how long the search would take but he would find her. He had to. His room was on the second floor. It was modestly furnished with a lumpy bed, a small table and a chair, and a TV that looked like it was from the 70's.
Remy's search for his elusive love started with the search for the informants he used to have when he still worked for his father as a thief. It took a while to track a few of them and none of them admitted to having seeing the girl in the picture Remy showed them.
So he took his search to the local diners and convenience stores. A few of the people he questioned pointed him in various directions but all of the leads ended in dead ends and brick walls. He sauntered into one diner where the tall hispanic girl behind the counter informed Remy that she had worked there a few months ago and had had an apartment a few blocks away but she wasn't sure exactly where. It was way after midnight when Remy finally admitted defeat for the day and went back to his room for a few hours of shuteye before he got back on the horse and went on the offensive again.
Meanwhile...
The evening was uneventful. She took some of her spare cash and decided to splurge and went to go see a movie that was playing downtown. That took up a few hours of her time and got her mind off of everything that had happened.
She knew she needed to go back. She wasn't being fair to her friends. Wanda and Remy must be worrying about her. She hadn't left a note or anything, after all.
But she did enjoy being here. It was a little slice of freedom, a place where she didn't need to worry about danger room sessions, feuding housemates, lines for the bathroom, and late night encounters.
Although the mansion gave her that sense of family she missed after she had run away the first time. She had been so lonely, so secretive, so not herself when she had been here. When she was home, it was like there was a veil lifted. Sure she appeared hostile and even unstable at times, she was always herself around her friends. Wanda, Remy and John had seen more of her then even her family back in Mississippi. She had always been careful what she said when she was there, always afraid that something would go wrong or she would screw up and things would go downhill even more. Her life there was so unstable, even more so then at the mansion.
At least there she had parental figures, Professor X, Logan, Ms. Munroe, and Dr. McCoy. They were all more parents to her then her mother and the guys she brought home ever had been. Deep down she knew they never really cared for her. She was just another mouth, another waster of water and electricity, and another waste of money.
But that wasn't an issue at Xavier's. He genuinely cared for the people that ended up on his doorstep. He always had an extra bed and an additional place at the dinner table, and an unwavering feeling that even the worst of people could be reformed to be good eventually.
She needed to go back. That much was certain. The only question was when?
She couldn't go back tonight. She had missed the last bus and the trains had stopped running for the night. She'd have to wait till tomorrow morning at the earliest.
It was after midnight when she finally returned home from the theater. She collapsed onto her mattress and pulled out her book. She wasn't exactly tired but she wasn't awake either, more like a stupor or a daze. She eventually fell asleep with her nose in her book and woke up the next afternoon to the sound of cars honking and people on the streets cursing.
She was ravenous. While munching on some Cap't Crunch (her favorite) she figured out what she would do today. She had decided last night before she fell asleep to keep paying the rent on the apartment. It was nice place to get away from it all and could come in handy again in the future. After she finished eating and putting her stuff away, she slipped a few months rent into a random envelope she had lying around and slipped it under the door of the landlady's apartment marked as rent for her apartment. She went and did a little shopping; she had some money to burn. She seemed to have a knack for picking rich targets. She spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around the little boutiques and examining the wares of the street venders.
It was a little before eight by the time she had repacked her rucksack (it was a bit of a squeeze to get everything to fit) and headed for the train station. She was kinda sick of taking buses; she wanted a change. She caught the car as it was about to pull out and found a seat in the back. It was Saturday night so it was really crowded everyone going home from whatever they had been doing in the city.
The train pulled into the Bayville station a little after one in the morning. The train station was closer to the mansion then the bus was so it wasn't as far a walk back. She was in the gates when the grandfather clock in the rec room chimed two AM. As she walked up the lawn towards the side of the mansion that housed her balcony she was greeted by a kindly voice in her mind. "Welcome back Rogue it is good to see you unharmed and in a better state of mind."
Rogue simply smiled and climbed up the lattes that was next to her balcony thanks to the gardening lover Ororo. She was as quiet as a mouse and tried the door but wasn't surprised to find it locked. Wanda always locked the door before she went to bed, a kind of nighttime ritual. But she had left the window next to them unlocked, it was strange but that was how Wanda worked. She quietly lifted the pane of glass and stuck her head in to check for people laying in wait and all that. There was no one in the room except Wanda who was sleeping somewhat peacefully, she was mumbling unintelligibly. The bag was the first thing to enter the room, she dropped it soundlessly to the side so she wouldn't step on it or trip. Next was the rest of her body.
She was almost through when her foot caught the edge of the window and she lost her balance. She stumbled back and hit the dresser knocking things askew and waking Wanda. She in fact shot up in bed when the scattered projectiles hit the floor. Rogue is flat on her back, laughing hard. She would always be clumsy when it was imperative that she not be.
Wanda recognized her thanks to the beam of moonlight that was shining on her.
"Rogue thank God! Where the hell have you been?"
"Where do ya think? New York," Rogue said accepting the hand that Wanda offered her and stood up.
"That's what I thought. My God girl you look exhausted. Go to bed this instance and we'll talk when you wake up." Rogue let out a massive yawn and did as she was told.
Rogue woke up around noon due to the fact that there seemed to be a large loud crowd around her door that Wanda was trying to disperse, loudly. Grumbling she pulled herself out of the warmth of her bed and threw open the door.
"What the Hell is goin' on out here?" She yelled getting the attention of the mob.
"We just wanted to see if it was true that you were back." Bobby whined.
"Well obviously Ah am now scat,"
"Did Remy find you?" It was Jamie who asked.
From the blank look on Rogue's face it was apparent he hadn't.
"What're ya talkin about?"
Wanda grabbed Rogue's arm and dragged her into the room slamming the door behind her. There was a crunch and a thud and a whine from Bobby of, "I think she broke my nose,"
"Remy went to New York the morning after you left to look for you. I guess he didn't find you," Wanda explained.
"Obviously," Rogue sighed rolling her eyes. "He really is an idiot,"
She stood up and looked around, she hadn't had time to unpack last night. She walked to her bag and pulled out some of the new things she had bought and changed into a dark green v-neck sweater and a pair of jeans and exited the room.
Her audience was gone, probably went to the infirmary to see about Bobby. She shook her head and started for the Professors office. She needed him to help her with something.
She knocked lightly on the door and was given admittance immediately.
"Good morning Sir. Ah was wonderin' if ya could do meh a favor," she asked politely sitting down in one of the chintz armchairs that were positioned in front of his desk.
"Anything my dear," he said smiling kindly, his hands folded on the desk.
"Do ya think ya could do a mahnd sweep or somethin ta look fer Remy? He went lookin fer me apparently and still thinks Ah'm in New York."
"I'll try surely."
And he did. He steepled his fingers the way he does when he concentrates and closed his eyes, searching the surroundings for a sign of Remy's brain waves but he didn't find them. His brow furrowed and the lines around his mouth tautened and deepened.
After several more seconds the Professor opened his eyes and looked concerned.
"I can't seem to pick up any signal from him but don't fret my dear," for it looked like she was about to, "we'll locate him with Cerebro."
Rogue stood up, her fists clenched in anguished and gritted her teeth. The only thought that was flowing through her head was, 'He's dead. He has to be dead. Oh God I killed him!'
'Im sure he's fine. We'll find him.' Was projected into her head as Professor X passed through the door she held open for him.
Rogue's brain didn't calm down, not even when they were inside the chamber that housed Cerebro. Even as the helmet was sitting on the Professors head she was convinced that he was dead and it was her fault. Not until X said,
"He's in the Bronx at a Motel 6. He's alive and well if only a tad bit anxious for your safety."
Rogue sighed in relief and dashed from the chamber yelling, "Thank ya!" over her shoulder.
She ran right to the garage. Thanks to Remy and Logan she had learned how to hotwire a bike and proceeded to demonstrate her skill on Scott's precious Harley Davidson.
Scott heard the roar of its engine to late to stop her and watched sorrowfully as she speed down the driveway and out of sight.
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