SmallvilleX Evolution: Ascension

Summary: The X-Men's task was simple. Prevent Apocalypse's escape. They failed. Now they face having to stop a foe of near limitless power before he can enact his plans for both the world and a certain Last Son of Krypton.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 1

They had failed.

Magneto's words still ring true.

That singular notion had been ringing inside Professor Charles Xavier's head everyday for the last week since Apocalypse's escape.

It wasn't just their failure to prevent Apocalypse's escape that was obsessing his thoughts. It was also the ease with which Apocalypse had swatted them all aside when they attempted to stop him. When they met him next time what was to prevent them being defeated just as easily?

Of course that assumes that they can even find Apocalypse. One week on and there was no trace. Apocalypse had vanished from all known means of detection.

So to summarise, not only didn't they have a clue where the ancient mutant was or what he was planning to do, even if they did know it doesn't seem very likely they have even the slightest chance of stopping Apocalypse. How could they defeat someone that powerful?

Not even Clark had been a match.

Which isn't as contradictory as it might seem when a Kryptonian defeated Apocalypse those 50 centuries ago. They knew well enough Clark is not at his physical peak yet...and even that Kryptonian took years to finally defeat Apocalypse from the story they discovered beneath the Sphinx. And this was a man whose homeworld was alive and thriving and had access to advanced technology.

Technology.

That brings up what the Professor saw when he connected to that vessel.

It was from Earth. From the distant future. When precisely the Professor didn't know. He got the impression of it being many centuries but that was all it was; an impression.

It had taken some discussion during the last week but the conclusion they had come to was that the man who became the Pharaoh Rama Tut was a time traveller. As crazy as it might sound Charles knows what he saw was accurate. Though why this man chose to go back to Ancient Egypt and make himself Pharaoh eludes any sort of understanding. Surely his very act risked changing the entire future he came from...though that could just be their conclusion based on a very limited understanding of temporal mechanics.

Hank had been driving himself half-crazy trying to wrap his head around it.

And Clark's not so useful intervention was that time was not linear as they were assuming. He said, to quote him, 'People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint - it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly... time-y wimey... stuff.'

When someone had pointed out that was off Doctor Who, Clark has simply shrugged his shoulders and muttered about hating temporal mechanics so they probably weren't going to be getting much more aid from him in the immediate future.

But examining the facts tells you that they're partly in this situation because of that time traveller. Without him Apocalypse would never have had the chance to gain access to this future technology which, combined with his own immense mutant powers, made him insanely powerful...and who knows what the vessel showed Apocalypse. Charles had only a short time to explore it. Apocalypse likely had years but Charles knew enough to know there was vast amounts of stored information contained within stretching over several thousand years. Past, present and future history all in the possession of Apocalypse. With that knowledge who knows what he could decide to do.

They were far, far out of their depth on this occasion. Even more so than usual.

That should have meant that they continued their alliance with Magneto. If they stood any chance against Apocalypse it was together but alas no.

As they pulled themselves back to their feet after Apocalypse's escape it became quickly clear Magneto's pride had been wounded by their failure and the ease of their defeat. Magneto thinks himself superior so to be so humiliated had brought an anger that is never far from the surface to begin with.

Magneto and his Acolytes soon went their own way...once Charles stopped him gaining his revenge on Mesmero.

Yes, Charles doesn't have much love for the man either but he wouldn't just allow Magneto to get his violent revenge. As he tried to tell his old friend so many years ago, vengeance would not bring him peace.

Besides it also became quickly apparent that Apocalypse had abandoned Mesmero and therefore it was all pointless. Mesmero was of no use to them any more. In fact they just left him stranded up in Tibet. That should take him awhile to get back to civilisation. Give him time to think and reconsider his life choices. Forlorn hope perhaps but Charles is generally an optimist by nature.

There were many consequences for what had happened in the aftermath of Apocalypse's escape. Right now Charles is looking at one of them down in one of the labs of the lower levels.

The stone form of Mystique.

Flashback...

It was plainly clear to Charles now that they were at the end of the alliance. Magneto, in his hurt pride and dented ego, wasn't listening to him. In truth they needed to go home and think on their next course of action so as much as Charles thought it foolish to split their resources it was time to go their separate ways.

Just before they are about to gather themselves up and do that Domino comes up to Charles and whispers in his ear there was something he needed to see so he followed her through the 3rd door and his eyes blink at seeing the sight of Mystique turned to stone, her face frozen in fear and pain.

"I'm guessing she didn't see that coming," Domino wearily quips.

Charles reaches out and touches Mystique's arm, closes his eyes and tries to reach out for Mystique's mind. He sadly shakes his head. "I can't sense her but I can't be certain that's not just her enhanced abilities keeping me out. We would need to take her back to the mansion and perform tests to see if we can help her."

"We're doing that?" Domino questions.

Charles gives her a look.

"Of course we are," Dom concedes with a grim inevitability. She sighs. "It's better than she deserves you know."

"I know," Charles agrees with her.

"She deserves much, much worse." Domino and Charles turn to see they have been joined by Magneto, his cold gaze fallen upon Mystique's petrified form. "Is she dead?" Magneto asks.

"I don't know," Charles gives the honest answer.

"Take her if you wish, Charles but should you manage to free her tell her this. There are no more 2nd chances," Magneto states that he is done with her. Should he see her again, there is no more forgiveness from him. No chance for her to rejoin him. He will make her pay for her betrayal if he ever sees her again. "You should leave her as is. It is the very least she deserves," he gives his view.

Charles sighs sorrowful at his old friend's anger.

"Now...Domino. The Eye of Ages. Where is it?" Magneto wants to know.

"The what now?" Domino asks, having no clue what he's on about.

"The oval shaped device Apocalypse was in," Charles explains. "The Eye of Ages."

"Is that what it's called?"

Charles nods.

"It's gone," Domino informs them.

"Gone?" Magneto says in cold fury.

"When I woke up after Apocalypse knocked me and Logan down I looked back and it wasn't there any more. How did he do that?" she asks the Professor.

Charles shakes his head. "I have no idea...unless it was connected to the vessel in such a way that when it vanished it pulled the Eye away with it. I didn't have time to explore it fully."

Magneto is close to growling with rage. He turns on his heels and stomps off.

"Can you say childish huff anyone?" Domino calls that.

Charles chuckles very slightly before looking back very sadly at Mystique. Another old friend of his who has become very lost.

"Mozher?"

Charles closes his eyes. Kurt. He had not forgotten exactly about that but...he certainly wouldn't have chosen this method to have Kurt found out.

The Present...

Kurt had been at his mother's side as often as was practical every day since, speaking to her, praying for her.

Charles had just let him. Not having the heart to deny Kurt the right to be here. It was very sad. Despite everything Mystique had done Kurt would clearly still forgive her in a heartbeat.

Charles also didn't quite have the heart to tell Kurt that his hopes for aiding Mystique were fading. They were running out of ideas rapidly on how to reverse her condition. Nothing they had tried thus far had worked.

Sitting with Kurt was Amanda. They were very sweet together and it says a lot about Amanda that she makes the effort to sit with Kurt during this difficult time.

"Man. Kurt, I'm so sorry." All heads turn to find the bony armour covered Evan has joined them. He was here for his regular check-up and his aunt had filled him in on everything and he just had to see it with his own eyes.

"Zhanks," Kurt says softly.

Evan steps into the room and just has to take a moment to observe Mystique. The woman who caused them all so many headaches. "What happened to her?" he asks.

"A variation on what happened to you," the Professor replies.

"Huh?" Evan asks lost.

Charles explains what they have managed to figure out so far. "As your powers were hyper-stimulated so were Mystique's. They were turned against her and then locked into the single configuration you see before you. As you couldn't turn your powers off neither can she...and we haven't discovered a way to do so either. Sadly much like with you."

Evan has something in common with Mystique. He never thought he'd see the day. He feels bad for Kurt more than he feels bad for Mystique. "And this Apocalypse guy Auntie O mentioned?"

"Gone. We have no idea where but when you return home you should warn the Morlocks about him. A very dark period is coming," Charles says with foreboding.

"You'll stop him," Evan says assuredly with belief in his friends.

"I'm not so sure about that," Charles says with not very much confidence.

Evan is concerned. He's never heard the Professor sound so defeatist. Not even when they hiding out on the woods after mutants came out. "So did I hear right?"

"About?"

"That Rogue's back."

Flashback...

They were just barely pulling themselves together when Logan and Domino appeared through the doorway.

A Logan who was carrying an unconscious Rogue in his arms.

"Cher?" Gambit's voice queries but when he tries to take a step toward her a long harsh growl from Logan stops him.

"Just don't," Domino says, her tone cold as she points at him.

Logan places his daughter gently down on the ground. "Where's the furball?" he asks and spots Beast treating someone else. He goes to get the furry doctor which gives Gambit an opening to check on her.

Gambit kneels down next to Rogue and sighs, looking at her fondly. He does care by the way. More than just Rogue being another notch...though she is a hell of a notch. He reaches out and brushes her hair back, his hand skimming over her forehead...

...which as it turns out is a big mistake as he cries out instantly as Rogue absorbs his life-force.

Domino knocks him away hard before grabbing him by his shirt and lifting him off the ground. "What did you do?!" she demands to know, her blue eyes alight with anger.

"Domino!" the Professor's stern voice calls out as he sees this. "Enough. Put him down," he orders. The Professor rolls over and has to give Dom a stern gaze to get her to release Gambit.

"What is happening?" Logan wants to know as he returns with Hank.

The Professor looks at Rogue. Despite his monumental headache he reaches out with his powers and scans her mind. "Apocalypse took everything. The phantom personalities are gone...apart from what she just took from Gambit," he reports on what he can see.

"How did she do that when she is unconscious?" Storm asks as she comes to stand next to her boyfriend.

"You don't think...?" Domino puts forward the unspoken speculation. In her head she finishes it. That Rogue has lost control of her powers...again.

"There's only one way to be sure," Logan says as he kneels down.

"Logan? What are you doing?" Storm asks in concern.

"What I have to," Logan states. "Besides my healing factor will help her recover."

"Logan, there are other ways," Beast cautions.

"Not right here and now there ain't," Logan argues as he gently reaches out and touches Rogue's cheek with his fingertips. Instantly he can feel the pull, the drain, as Rogue takes his mutant power. Logan can better cope with it than most other people. He jerks his hands back and puts it to his own head, feeling a little dizzy himself.

Storm bends down and cradles him so he doesn't topple over.

"Yeah, she's not controlling them," Logan can confirm.

Giving her his power has the desired effect though as Rogue's green eyes blink open. Domino couches down over her sister.

Rogue's brow furrows in confusion. "Dom?"

"Hey there," Dom greets her.

Rogue's eyes look around her. "Are we in a cave?" she asks.

"Yeah?" Dom says, with a puzzled questioning look.

"How are we in a cave?" Rogue asks, clueless.

"Rogue, what's the last thing you remember?" the Professor asks, having a sense of what might be happening.

Rogue rolls her head round to the other side and spots him...and a lot of other people. "Uh..." she says as she thinks. "London. Tha museum...we were fighting?" she queries her own memory.

"Wow, ok," Dom says, flush with awkwardness. "That was awhile ago."

"What do ya mean that was awhile ago?" Rogue asks bluntly as she sits herself up.

"Rogue," Storm says, her voice gentle and soothing, "London was close to 2 months ago."

Rogue's jaw drops. "What?" she asks, her voice barely a whisper. "Ah...what?"

"You don't remember?" Logan asks her.

"No. Ah...ah...what have ah been doin'?" she asks.

Logan rubs his face. Where do they even start?

The Present...

Where does she even start?

That's the question that has been running through Rogue's head for the last week. Where does she even start to make up for the things she has done.

And she's not just meaning the things she did under Apocalypse's control...though she can't remember any of it.

Apparently she slept with Gambit according to Domino.

Rogue took a long shower after hearing that.

She can remember when she said she wasn't leaving with Magneto the sad look in Gambit's eyes but to her there is no memory and no connection. Oh sure she remembers flirting with him up to London but that was just a bit of fun.

Except now it doesn't seem as fun as she recalls it to be at the time.

None of it does.

The moment she left the X-Men...betrayed them really. It made sense when she did it but now she can't figure out for the life of her why she did any of it.

And the things she did when working for Magneto...

Rogue's not one to dwell on guilt but this last week she's been doing her best Clark impression. Brooding, mostly in solitude, filled with guilt and regret.

Up in the cave it just seemed...natural for her to return...home.

To her room which they had kept exactly as she left it.

Her room which she has basically been hiding in all week.

Course that may be just because of the sheer depression of discovering that once again she has no control over her powers.

6 months. All she got was 6 months. How unfair is that when she can't remember a third of that time.

From what she knows Apocalypse used her, abused her and then threw her away once she had done what he required, for her to free him. He no longer needed her so abandoned her...with the added punishment, it seems, of taking her control over her powers away with him.

Rogue is so...pissed off.

That would be why her bed frame is now a twisted wreck. She needed something to smash and it was in her way.

Yes, she's still superstrong. That part she hasn't lost...which isn't a surprise really. That came from absorbing Clark which brought about permanent internal changes to her physiology. Those weird little extra organs like Clark has, only the copies within Rogue are inferior hence why she isn't as strong or fast or has any of his other abilities.

She looks down at her hands...hands that will need to have gloves covering them again. Her gaze drifts up her left arm.

She cringes at the tattoos. She doesn't like about 90% of them. A couple are alright but she's stuck with them. Her skin is so durable there is no way to remove them. Well except subjecting herself to a power inhibitor she supposes. She'll think on it. She only managed to get them in the 1st place because there was this mutant amongst Magneto's followers who could, in a sense, transfer images onto any surface. Even her thick skin.

Rogue did think it was only natural for her to come home. The problem now is she isn't sure how to fit back in. It was clear quite soon after her returning to the mansion that things would not just go back to the way they were before. Too much had changed. Too much had transpired. Rogue, herself, had done too much to hurt her friends and she wasn't sure how to make it up to them.

And dear God, Jean and Scott broke up. That's how messed up things have become.

Rogue couldn't believe it.

Scott and Jean. They were like the perfect couple plus she heard from Kitty(who for some reason felt an innate need to fill Rogue in on all the gossip) that Scott's been seen getting 'cosy' with Emma Frost.

The world's gone mad.

Then there's all the changes around the mansion. New students. New team structures where Betsy is on the X-Men and Jean's hanging around with Generation X...along with Wanda. Magma's joined the Academy of Tomorrow. Penance is actually M under a mystical curse. She and Dust defected from the Hellions who are apparently thought of as heroes now thanks to careful media manipulation on their part.

And oh yes she has another sister who happens to be her dad's reverse gender clone. Dom caught her up on that after she forgot the last 2 months and forgot she had been told that already.

And really, really crazy they actually let Bobby join the X-Men. Rogue thought that one was them pulling her leg for 3 days before she realised they were serious.

So the question is what is Rogue's place now?

Dom and Logan have been fine in helping her settle back in but Rogue can tell even that family relationship isn't what it use to be. And Kurt's been too caught up in the Mystique issue to have really allowed the two siblings a moment to talk and catch up.

And even if there had been how does Rogue fix any of it?

There's no trust any more. Rogue's destroyed it.

Oh she's been told her behaviour was because she had absorbed Clark's rebellious side Kal...but you can see it in their eyes. Not just Dom's and Logan's. All of them. It's not a good enough excuse...and you know what they're right. It isn't.

And maybe that's right. Maybe that is what she deserves...or that could be the depression talking.

What does she do?

Just pick it back up being part of the team?

That's not gonna happen.

She's already been told...or Dom or Logan mentioned it that she would have to start at the bottom all over as a New Mutant.

If that was suppose to cheer her up it failed...which pushes Rogue to thinking Logan must have mentioned it.

And is that what Rogue wants?

What does she want?

Back to school?

She'd have to take make-up tests over the summer or risk having to repeat a year wouldn't she.

A week on and Rogue feels like a stranger in the one place she ever considered her home.

And what does that mean for her?

Where does she go from here...with her life she is meaning.

A week on and she still has no answers.

Rogue doesn't have a dang clue.

As the Professor was thinking earlier there had been many consequences of the failure to stop Apocalypse's escape. Another one was bringing stress and hardship to the Kent family in this regard.

People their children cared about had been badly affected.

Namely Wanda and Marie who had both been in comas since their vision episode last week. Not that Hank could explain why there were in comas. Every test he had done showed nothing wrong with them. They should be awake but they just weren't.

Claire was a wreck. Despite her fiery tough exterior inside she had been repeatedly emotionally battered and bruised and was more emotionally fragile than she might first appear. Now for the last week she had been by her girlfriend's bedside, crying intermittently, trying not to completely fall apart.

Claire's never been in love before...not like she loves Marie and to see her girlfriend lying there and be so utterly helpless...

Yeah, there is a room they're going to have to redecorate now because Claire flash-fried it in an emotional outburst.

As for Clark...

Oh boy. Where to start?

Well how about with the immediate aftermath of his encounter with Apocalypse...

Flashback...

They lie on the floor of that cave beaten, battered and sore...and that was a fight that barely lasted a second.

They are so far out of their league it's not even funny.

"Is...is everyone alright?" Cyclops asks, trying to hide how sore he is and failing to do so as the pain can be heard in his voice, as he tries to lever himself back to his feet, using the cave wall he landed near to prop himself up. His entire body aches all over.

"Mein Gott, even my tail hurts," Nightcrawler whines as he lies flat out on his back.

"Tell me about it," Shadowcat agrees with her friend as she groans rather pathetically, her eyes closed and head pressed into the floor. Kitty doesn't know if she's ever felt this sore...or this humiliated at the ease of their defeat.

Jean crawls over to the cave wall and pulls herself up and peers in the hole blasted by Clark's flying body. Jean had seen him fly over her head. She tries to peer into the dark cavity but can't see any sign of him. How deep did Apocalypse blast him?

"Hey!" Jean calls out. "Need some help!"

"What?" Cyclops asks, trying to get over to where Jean is but stumbling and falling down to one knee.

"Superman's in there!" Jean says with urgency as she points into the hole.

"Stand back," comes the stern reply of Colossus. His durable form allowing him to recover a bit quicker.

Jean moves back and Colossus slams his fist into the wall with a roar. The wall cracks and Colossus slams more fists into it as the rock breaks and shatters.

Jean helps by using her telekinesis to move the rubble out of the way while most of the others are still trying to get back to their feet, let alone be able to help.

Colossus soon smashes his way in, enlarging the hole Clark was shot through. Eventually the form of Superman slumps forward, clearly out like a light.

Jean reaches for his neck and feels a strong, steady pulse. She relaxes and smiles. She'd been worried there for a second. "Superman," she says, gently shaking him.

Superman begins to stir. "Ow, did anyone get the number of that bus?" he asks in a whiny voice.

Jean giggles while Colossus looks on stoically.

"Are you alright?" Jean asks.

Superman begins to try and extricate himself from the wall. Colossus helps. Superman finds himself leaning up against the wall. "Yeah. I went in head first so I'm fine," he dead-pans.

"No brain injury? You know who you are?" Jean asks, keeping it lightly humoured.

"Of course I know who I am."

"Oh really? Prove it. What's your name?" she asks, knowing he'll answer either with Superman or Kal-El.

"Very well," Superman agrees. He clears his throat. "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."

Jean stares at him as his lips curl up in jest. She rolls her eyes. "Yep. That's you. You're fine," she accepts.

Superman sobers. "No. I'm not. Not really. He spoke to me."

"What?" Jean asks, puzzled.

"In my mind. Apocalypse spoke to me."

Jean's eyes widen slightly. Speaking to Clark like that...well she can't do it.

"He knew my name...my birth name," Superman mutters in disbelief. "How can he know my name? He's been locked up for 5,000years," he carries on, showing how little sense this makes.

"Rogue?" Jean suggests. It's the only thing she can think of. With Rogue under Mesmero's power she may have blabbed.

Jean may be right but Clark's mind is still focussed back on what Apocalypse said. "He said 2nd day of destiny...Rogue couldn't know about that. How did he know? And he said we'll meet again on that day? We can't wait for him. I won't wait. I'll find him first."

"We'll find him," Jean assures him, making the point of the plural.

Clark's face grows determined. Alone...together...doesn't matter which. Either case he won't allow a repeat of this day. He'll find Apocalypse and he'll stop the threat.

The Present...

From that moment Clark's...well he's become obsessed with finding Apocalypse. It got even worse when they returned from Tibet and he found out what happened to Wanda. He hasn't slept in a week. He hasn't eaten. Hasn't changed his clothes. His chin even has some stubble because his parents don't think he's even stopped to bathe or shave at all.

It also makes no sense. His behaviour. It's just another episode of his weird bursts and personality shifts.

Martha and Jonathan aren't even certain where he goes. Whenever he pops back and when he does his visits are brief, mainly to check up and see if Wanda is awake, all he says about where he's been is he's been looking for Apocalypse. That's it. No details. No nothing.

And mentioning nothing may be related to what is driving Clark's behaviour.

When they arrived back from Tibet, Clark was muttering to himself, clearly in shock, at how easy they had been beaten. How Apocalypse had swept them aside as if they were nothing.

For Clark, who's always been so incredibly powerful from the moment he arrived on Earth, it must be hard to wrap his head round...and worrying. Clark always feels a need to protect those he cares about. That, in essence, that is what his power is for but if Apocalypse can defeat even him this easily then for once he's helpless in being able to offer that protection.

Then, as someone once said, the best defence is a good offence. Clark's on the offensive...or trying to be.

The question Jonathan and Martha are trying to answer is how to get him to stop before he runs himself ragged...or worse actually succeeds in finding Apocalypse when he's alone and by himself.

The answer to their question and their prayers happens very sudden when Marie and Wanda just wake up.

Author's Note: Yes, Rogue's back but not necessarily in a good, happy place right now. I saw no reason that, like Mesmero, Apocalypse just wouldn't throw her aside once he had gotten what he wanted. Then it was a question of where she chooses to go. For me back home to the Institute. Poor Kurt. I did always feel sorry for him in regards to Mystique. Despite everything he so badly wants to forgive and connect to his mother. And Clark's obsession with finding Apocalypse will be a theme for awhile. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up; the staff and students decide they need a break from everything, a day off essentially.