Author's Notes: I promised Plot Development and hopefully I have delivered!

Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel, I do own a copy of all the X-men movies though.

Chapter 9:

"We found his cell phone" Kitty smirks triumphantly.

"He had his cell phone with him" I flop my head back against the bed.

Kurt tosses a dinosaur like Nokia at me and I read the texts. There are quite a few and they are all from someone called "Cranky Den Mother".

"So he is workin' with the brotherhood then"

Kurt and Kitty frown in confusion.

"Why would you think that?" Kitty asks.

"Cranky Den Mother was one of the nicer things we called Mystique when ah was living there" I watch both of them suddenly remember that I used to be brotherhood "Anyway, this is the proof we needed right?"

"Da" Piotr is standing in our doorway as stoic as ever.

"Piotr-"

"We need to tell Mr. Logan" he cuts me off.

A siren starts screaming and red lights start flashing.

Jean runs past our room and skids to a stop when she sees us.

"Everyone to the lower level, the institute is under attack!"

We don't waste any time. Kitty grabs my hand phases us straight to the danger room.

"What about-"

"BAMF"

The room smells like Sulphur and the smoke clears to reveal Kurt and three younger students.

"Where is Piotr?" I demand.

"He stayed to help"

I push past them and bolt down the hall. I push through the swarm of kids getting off and force my way onto the elevator. Jean is manning the elevator and she gives me a strange look before pressing the button without argument.

"He is ok" she says suddenly.

I glare at her in confusion.

"What?"

"Peter, he is ok"

"Thanks"

The doors open and I shove through the waiting students. They let me pass easily, they probably figure I'm up here to help with the fighting.

He could be anywhere-

"Rogue!"

A giant metallic man tackles me to the ground just as bullets start flying. Piotr shields me with his body, the bullets bouncing off like it's nothing. I try to look around and make sure the kids where all on the elevator but Piotr forces me to keep my head down.

"Stay down" he demands.

"What's happen'?"

The bullets stop and Piotr drags me into one of the halls where about ten younger students are cowering.

"This isn't the brotherhood, we aren't sure who it is" he admits "each of these men think that they are working for someone different than the rest"

"How do we get these kids down stairs?"

Piotr's eyes light up and he sweeps me into a hug. I feel joy and relief shoot through me, its Piotr, our skin is touching somewhere and I am getting his emotions.

"Rogue the stairs!"

I didn't know there were stairs to the basement. Piotr and I herd the children down the hall, away from the gun fire. Piotr leads and I follow in the back keeping the students together. We reach my favorite window seat and Piotr starts kicking at the wall.

"Uh Piotr…"

The panel slides from view and reveals a set of dark and creepy stairs. The students look torn between fear of the men with guns and fear of the unknown.

"It's dark" cries Lizzy, our youngest student at 7 years old.

I notice Ryan, a 15 year old pyrotechnic who hasn't quite gotten his powers under control yet.

"Ryan, light the way" I command.

He pales.

"But… but-"

I crouch down to his level, which to be honest is almost as tall as me.

"Ryan we are counting on you, they are counting on you" I nod toward the frightened students "I am putting you in charge of them"

Ryan straightens his shoulders and nods.

"Very good" I smile.

"Now go" Piotr encourages "and no matter what, stay down there"

The kids follow Ryan down the dark stairs with his hand providing the only light and Piotr grabs my hand.

"Rogue go with them" he pleads.

"No way"

"Marie…" he uses my real name in a desperate attempt to get me to obey "please go down to the basement"

"Piotr, you are an X men and ah am an X men we are both trained to do this and it is our job" I take his face between my gloved hands "Trust me"

He places his hand on top of my own and sighs in defeat.

"I trust you"

He closes the panel to hide the escape route and we race back toward the fighting and gun fire.

…..

Piotr stays close to me as we fight our way through the army of armed soldiers. At some point he places a bare hand on my bare neck and I feel as his metal ability covers my skin, he is weakened for a few moments but sharing his powers saves me from a man with a knife that I didn't see coming.

I hear a blood curdling scream and suddenly Logan is also at my side.

"You ok Stripes?" he growls.

"Neve bette" I call as I kick out a man's legs "did we get all the kids?"

"Fuzz ball and half-pint did a count and we are short four kids… Shades thinks it's the invisible girl, her pal the animal shape-shifter and the twins that can merge into one person"

Beth is the name of the invisible girl and her shape-shifting friend is Derek, they will be semi-difficult to find but they will be together.

"I've got the twins scent" Logan shouts as he sprints down the hall "You two find the others"

Piotr knocks out the final guy and catches up with me.

"We need to split up" I decide.

"No" Piotr doesn't even consider it.

"We have to search the entire institute fast" I explain "we need to split up"

Piotr grabs my bare arm causing him to wince and jerks me to a standstill.

"Rogue I am not letting you out of my sight" his voice tells me it's his final answer.

"Fine"

End notes: So they now know who he works for but now there is a new enemy causing quite a stir J. I hope I delivered with the plot promise, I haven't written in a while and I took me a while to get back into the swing of the story. Heads up the story hope I delivered with the plot promise, I haven't written in a while and I took me a while to get back into the swing of the story. Heads up the story is going to take an interesting turn.