Summary: Logan has gone missing after being sent on a mission back to Alkali Lake, later to be found at a Psychiatric Institution. Rogue is determined to get him back, no matter what it takes.
Note: This is post X2, but Jean didn't die, she only broke her ankle and was blind for a little while.
2nd Note: The lyrics in this chapter are from 'Break Myself' by Something Corporate.
Institutionalized: Chapter 1-Break Myself
*****
I'm on fire
And the day is feeling hopeless
You'd see me burning
But the burning's turning smokeless
Soon I won't feel at all -no
It's electric
The neon hurt inside your phone call
The layered sadness and the madness it revolves
Breaking down the walls where you found love -no
xxx
I'm willing to break myself
To shake this hell from everything I touch
I'm willing to bleed for days, my reds and greys
So you don't hurt so much
*****
The ice crystals from the blistering cold outside sparkled on the window from the inside of the mansion. Rogue sat on a couch in the rec room, leaning against the armrest as she stared off out the window, watching the trees outside shake from the freezing wind.
Bobby walked in the room when he saw her staring, looking awfully lonely like she was waiting for something to happen, or as if she was waiting for a certain someone. He knew who that someone was, it was always the same person Rogue seemed to be waiting for. The only person Bobby knew of that could make her eyes gleam with so much happiness, the only person that seemed to make her truly feel alive, feel needed. It was Logan. Bobby had to frown a bit at the thought. He had always liked Rogue, and now they were dating, but it wasn't always enough. He always knew that Logan would still have a very special place in her heart, and she would hold onto that no matter how long she was with Bobby. This made him jealous, but he knew that she only cared for Logan as a father-figure, or an older brother. It wasn't what Bobby and Rogue had, it was something less, and something more at the same time. But he cared too, and Bobby wanted Rogue to know that. He needed her too.
"Rogue?" he called out gently, walking over to stand behind the couch.
She turned slowly as if just realizing that everything existed outside her daydream. "Oh, Bobby." smiling faintly, she shifted on the couch so that she was facing the tv.
Bobby had a solemn look on his face as he walked around the couch and sat beside her, gingerly resting his hand on her jeans clad knee. "Waiting for Logan again?"
Rogue gave him a look, noticing the light cinisism in his tone.
"Sorry." Bobby apologized, not meaning to sound so cruel, he just didn't like seeing her looking so lost.
She appeared desperate, as if she needed Logan right at that moment because there was something wrong. Rogue could almost feel as if something just wasn't right. "It's okay." she smiled faintly, though she knew Bobby could tell she looked worried. "I am waiting for him actually." pausing for a moment, Rogue glanced back toward the window with sad eyes before turning to face her boyfriend again. "He shoulda been back last night. The Professor only sent 'im on a simple mission. All he had ta do was go back ta Alkali Lake an' make sure there wasn't anythin' left from the old underground base that got destroyed last year."
Bobby looked down, staring at Rogue's hands as she fiddled with her gloves. "Well, how long ago did he leave?"
"About a week ago." she replied sadly, then suddenly looked up as a voice entered her mind. ~Rogue, I need to see you in my study immediately please.~
Noticing the change in Rogue's expression, Bobby looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "What is it?"
"The Professor." she answered, a bit of hope in her voice. "He wants ta see me right now. Maybe he's heard from Logan."
Before Bobby could say anything, Rogue was off the couch and on her way out of the room.
*****
Now I'm static
As your sky is turning purple and grey
I'm learning that the further that I crawl
The farther that I fall -is that ok- no
And you're in pieces
As your world becomes a rainstorm
You've got no shelter -I'm a thousand miles away
If you survive the day you say you're leaving
Say you're leaving
xxx
I'm willing to break myself
To shake this hell from everything I touch
I'm willing to bleed for days, my reds and greys
So you don't hurt so much
So you don't hurt so much
*****
The building was large, even larger than most buildings like it. There were many mutants inside it's thick walls and barbed-wire electric fences. This place was an institution; the Mutant Psychiatric Hospital to be precise. The patients housed in this Godforsaken place were kept in cells specifically designed, keeping each mutant's unique abilities in mind. Even the medication and forms of punishment were specifically designed for different patients. Some of the mutants were treated fairly well, according to the human guards, orderlies, and teams of doctors working there, and some weren't treated well at all. That all depended on the patient, and how dangerous or uncooperative they were. Not many people knew of this specific institution, or cared for that matter, and that was how it was to be kept. It was a secret, and visitor's that bothered to come only came seldomly.
A particular patient hung upside-down by chains, in a 12x12 room with thick cement walls, strapped in what could only be described as a metal straightjacket. His eyes were rolled back slightly as he was almost passed out from all the blood rushing to his head. He struggled in vain, but it was no use, he was stuck. The mutant growled lowly and sniffed, taking in the scent of one of the orderlies, a man called Lenny. Surprisingly, this was actually one of the nicer ones.
"Ok pal, you gonna behave now or do we gotta keep you strapped upside-down all night?" Lenny asked with a smirk, running a hand through his neatly cut light brown hair. He tilted his head to the side, approaching the patient slowly and carefully so that he was looking him in the eye. "Well? What do you say...Logan? That's your name isn't it? It's what you told us. Don't you remember?"
"RAAAAAAAGH!!!" Logan snarled, screaming in the orderly's face and struggling so that he shook in the metal straightjacket and swung from the chains.
"Hmm, guess that's a no." Lenny said smugly with a smirk. "Eh, since I'm such a nice guy, I'll let'cha down anyways." he glanced back to the opening of the room, motioning for the orderlies that were out there to come in. "We'll need some sedatives for this one. Atleast five. Got a healin' factor my boy does!" he shouted.
"NOOOOOO!!!" Logan shouted, twisting around as they began lowering his chain and approaching with their needles.
Four big orderlies were forced to tackle Logan to stop him from moving once he was on the ground, so they could administer the sedatives.
"Aw, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Lenny smirked, patting Logan's chest after he was given the drugs.
Drowsy from the sedatives, Logan wasn't able to make a sound, barely moving as the big guys that took him down began dragging him out of the room.
"Make sure ya take him to his room with the special restraints an' strap 'im down good!"
*****