Title: Birthright
Disclaimer: I don't own jack-alright? So don't bother me with patents or legalities.
Rating: R For possible to come sexual content (I say this in everything I do :) ) and
language, slight mention of drug usage and excessive violence.
Summary: Rogue always believed she was the freakiest freak among freaks among muties. Especially since she can't remember anything ever since her powers manifested: no past, no family, no life. Or at least, that's what she thinks until a black SUV with tainted black windows tries to take her for a joy ride.
Author's Note: The whole Mystique trying to recruit Rogue didn't happen in this AU. Xavier found Rogue when she was sixteen, wondering the streets and screaming about voices in her head. In this story it's only been a year since her recruitment.
CHAPTER IV
It's Fun to Be Mean
(also. The Many Facades)
"Not this time, you're going to face your fears this time, Rogue."
"This time? Pietro Maximoff you sure as hell are comin' up with a lot of assumptions lately."
"It's true and you know it. This isn't you, Rogue. Underneath that bitch of an attitude you're insecure, devoid of confidence in anything you do and as confused and empathetic as a mother hen."
"You're also beautiful, strong willed and more than willing to put your life on the line for your friends and what you believe in. You just…you just hide behind your insecurities, you just…you hide from who you are,"
"How the HELL do you know who I am-underneath it all, Maximoff?"
She had said no.
And the reason why had been plaguing her since she had arrived by way of Frost's limo. She loved it there with her mother, just the both of them-renting movies, chastising the leading actress for being so petty, goggling the male actors openly.
Going to dances, the opera, the movies, Six Flags on one occasion.
(Emma had said she'd never been and almost freaked out on Superman. She ended up being a roller coaster pro afterwards however. Yeah, they were related.)
It was fun.
And then she'd asked if she wanted to live with her, and the words came tumbling out before she could realize.
"No."
Emma Frost frowned and then covered it up with an analytical expression.
"Why not?"
"Ah don't know…Ah just, Xavier's has been my home, and while Ah remember some things….about us, Ah don't remember everything. And, Ah'm not ready…not yet. Ah just-Ah'm so use ta being lahke this…without anyone, and, Ah just need a little tahme."
She stared across at her mother's thoughtful expression and knowing, tight lipped nod. She had not noticed the similarities between them before; she had been too centered with the differences: blue eyes to Rogue's vibrant green, straight platinum blonde hair to naturally wavy (though she ironed it straight everyday) auburn with white streaks.
But the semblances were there: the high, firm cheekbones which were still girlishly round. The full lips, the small button nose, the exact same expression in some cases: the coldness that seemed to sweep over them both when faced with pain.
It had never occurred to her before, but they were indeed mother and daughter.
And she wasn't ready for that sort of realization yet it seemed.
Rogue sighed and closed her locker door with more than enough strength to rip off the hinges.
"Someone isn't happy today. All's not well on the X-men Fantasy Island?"
The cocky silver haired faced leaned presumptuously forward. Had it been anyone else she'd have ripped them a new one.
Instead she turned to him with a snicker and tilt of her head. The Speed Demon cocked an eyebrow at her look.
He was cute really. Though she'd never tell him that. A wiry, Bruce Lee sort of frame complemented him well, and the sharp features that could cut through iron were all centered around thin but stunningly blue eyes.
And there was always his silver-white hair, pressed backwards with enough gel to cover a mountain top. She remembered vaguely that he would wash the gel out whenever she visited the Brotherhood household, and it would droop over his shoulders neatly with slight curls.
It was cute and even cuter when it was messy.
"Earth to Rogue, over, please speak to your favorite Speedster," He blew into his right hand to mimic static and winked cheekily when she glared down at him.
"Pietro you over involved moron, get out of mah face!" She pushed him back a safe distance, smirking slightly despite her angered air.
"Roguey, I'm shocked you'd do that to me, after everything we've been through." He made a mocking dramatic pose with his hand over his eyes and his back curved downward.
"Shut up, Maximoff," She chuckled despite herself.
He chuckled and his eyes changed for a moment. The shrouded, self involved air became prudent and glittered with what she could only describe as perplexed concern.
His voice came out icily serious, and his spontaneous no shit attitude shocked her.
"Okay, Rogue, seriously, where have you been?"
"Where have Ah been? Ah'm surprised ya knew Ah was gone." The goth snorted and walked past him dispassionately.
He frowned and was in front of her in a second.
"What the hell does that mean, Rogue?"
She was surprised that the subject was actually working him up.
"Well, Ah'm just surprised. Ah wouldn' think many would care, aftah all, Ah am the Rogue," she smiled bitterly at her "confession", a pain swelled up within her remembering her fight with Scott, Xavier's surprised disappointment and the looks: the hateful glares, the pitied down cast eyes.
Those were the worst. The "Eyes of Pity" she hated them more than she hated her existence. She didn't need anyone pitying her. She didn't need anyone's fucking opinion or their fucking approval.
Or so she repetitiously told herself, but she didn't like being alone, being hated, she didn't like the image she represented, a combination of hatred and darkness all swirled into one Rogue of a package.
All jus' fo' a touch.
Pietro hissed and she looked up, she'd forgotten he was still there.
Pietro's frown became deeper if possible. He was obviously pissed, and his face was twisted with rage, the eyes were impossibly small pits of seeping fury.
"Hell, Rogue, don't ever think like that! I-we, the Brotherhood, we care!I…we…care more than you might think possible, if you weren't so blind all the time or fawning over, Summers, maybe-
"Fawning ovah Summers? Where the hell did that jus' come from?" She snapped.
The bell for class rang; she ignored it and the crowd that pushed forward. Several eyes drunk in the two: an outcast goth and a hot, overly popular jock.
Strange they were even talking with each other, even if they were arguing.
Pietro gritted his teeth. His hands shoved into his jeans and his head looked downcast as if there was something on the floor that was catching his attention.
"I-sorry, I didn't mean that. I really didn't. You just…you started hanging out with him, and then…you stopped hanging out with me. When you first came here we were like, your clique, and then you joined Xavier's X-men and you just…forgot about me."
His eyes were still on the ground, but the choked voice said enough.
Rogue ran her gloved hands through her short hair. She breathed steadily in, the cold breath rasping against her teeth.
She was such a bitch sometimes.
Even when she didn't mean to be, it just came like a second nature. Protect yourself first, screw everyone else.
The thought made her think of her mother Emma Frost, how she'd killed her father, how he had been planning to kill her.
Survival of the Fittest.
And then there was Mystique, her "Aunt". She was the epitome of rage, violence and cold facades.
It seemed her world just revolved around violence and fucking everyone else over.
"Hell, Pietro, Ah'm sorry. Ah…ya could've hung out wit' us whenevah, Ah just thought you didn't want to when Ah joined the X-men so…Ah hung out with Scott sometimes."
"I don't get why you joined anyway. Xavier accepted you as a student, but you didn't have to join his little crusade. And, I never really minded when you did, even if you were fighting against us now." He mumbled and his eyes swerved upwards, they glittered questioningly and she wondered why she never realized how perceptive he was despite his façade.
"It doesn't matter," He mused more to himself then her, "what does matter is where the hell you've been for the last…three weeks?"
She gritted her teeth. She was forming a habit at that.
"Ah really need ta get ta class, Pietro. As ya said, Ah kind of wasn' hea fo' a few days." She chuckled forcefully and moved backwards.
Her statement seemed to anger him because his face cracked and he moved forward, grabbing her wrist with an iron grip. She winced at the contact and he let go noticing her discomfort.
"Not this time, you're going to face your fears this time, Rogue."
She cocked an eyebrow at that.
"This time? Pietro Maximoff you sure as hell are comin' up with a lot of assumptions lately."
"It's true and you know it. This isn't you, Rogue. Underneath that bitch of an attitude you're insecure, devoid of confidence in anything you do and as confused and empathetic as a mother hen."
She frowned and her body tensed in fury, but before she could respond he continued:
"You're also beautiful, strong willed and more than willing to put your life on the line for your friends and what you believe in. You just…you just hide behind your insecurities, you just…you hide from who you are,"
She was stunned, and he could tell because her face softened without changing its expression of fury and her hands uncurled.
"How do you…" She cursed at how meek her voice sounded and breathed in defiantly, her brass cut into her speech like a knife, "How the HELL do you know who I am-underneath it all, Maximoff?"
"Because…when you were with me…when we were friends, we'd always let our hair down, remember? You laughed back then, you smiled, and I can remember your smile, Rogue. It's how I know you're still you under there, every time you let one slip, when no one's around, when you think no one will notice.
But I notice. And I remember, Rogue…"
She didn't speak; she vaguely realized when the tardy bell rung.
"You-Ah…well you're one ta talk, Maximoff! You've got the BIGGEST façade of all time. You pretend like you think you're god's gift, you strut around with your remarks, you flirt with every girl who passes and then humiliate them by turnin' 'em down, but that's not who ya are.
You're afraid. You're afraid you'll end up like your father. You think everything you do has to be perfect because you think you're imperfect, you think you're not enough to attain yo' father's approval.
You have more of a façade than Ah do, Maximoff if anything."
Pietro winced. He seemed to consider it behind his blue eyes, his obvious discomfort shifted from foot to foot.
"Fine. Why don't we drop them then?"
Rogue blinked dubiously.
"What?"
He took his hands from his pockets, rubbing the back of his neck with one and obscuring the other behind his back.
"Let's drop them. Let's just…forget the world and be who we really want to be."
Rogue looked at him furiously.
"You think it's just that easy?"
"If we make it that easy."
She shook her head again.
"This is who Ah am, damn it! Why doesn't anyone get that?"
"It's apart of who you are, Rogue, but…it's not all of you. It's not the part of you that I…let's just, throw them away, okay? Just be who you want for a week. Let your hair down like we use to when you weren't an X-men."
"And what exactly am Ah supposed ta do, Pietro?"
"You can start," He said mischievously, "by removing that stupid make up of yours."
"Hell if Ah will. AH happen ta lahke this makeup, it ain't like it's attached to my forehead o' somethin'."
"But it's a comfort zone, you got to let go of that remember?" He was smiling now, becoming more like the Pietro she knew.
"Okay then," She said sounding defeated, he beamed triumphantly.
"But if Ah do that yo' gone have to get rid o' somethin' too."
"Rogue, you dirty minded vixen. I'd love to release you of all your kinks."
"Ugh! Shut up! I mean yo' hair, take all that damn grease out and let it flow."
"You want me to look like a damn fag don't you?"
"What's wrong with fags exactly?" She cocked an eyebrow.
"Nothing, I just have a REPUTATION to adhere to."
"Ya gotta get out of yo' comfort zone, 'membah?"
"You're evil."
"As hell, hon."
He smiled at that.
"Fine, I'll let it down and look like I want half the male population of Bayville to hit on me and my inhibitions, if you take off your stupid make up and inhibitions. Deal?"
He knew better than shake on it.
She nodded and a smug smile made itself known.
"You just made me late for class, Maximoff. You know that right?"
He rolled his eyes.
"Whatever, like I'm going to even let you go to class. You still have to tell me where you've been for THREE WEEKS."
"Later, I promise. After school…maybe?"
He looked up with wonder. The last line was uttered with sincere meekness.
"Oh, s-sure. If you want I mean…of course you do! This being me and all."
"It's…a date then."
He looked her firmly in the eye at that, trying to search the words meaning. But she'd avoided her gaze before he could scrutinize further.
"Ah gotta get goin'. School and all."
"Yeah, school."
"Don' ya have to go ta class to?"
"Pietro Maximoff doesn't need to go to class to pass."
He winked and was gone down the hallway.
She smirked at his absence.
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
"It's wonderful you decide to join us, Rogue." The teacher said with pursed lips as she sat down.
"Oh, it's wonderful to be here…in history. The place where the dead are alive." She swooned for dramatic effect and he pointed to her usual seat by the window.
She was surprised to see a certain familiar Cajun right next to her.
She had picked the seat specifically for its deviance from the jocks, cheerleaders and meatheads. It was also a quiet little spot no one cared to look at.
And he had ruined it.
She sat down staring at him with bitter hatred as if he'd just stabbed her puppy and dumped it casually on her doorstep before her.
He noticed her glare and turned to leer charismatically at her with a wink.
"Chere, yo' one o' the cutest little things I ever seen, but ya ain't my type."
"One of the cutest?" She asked flippantly, still staring at him as if he was still holding the puppy.
He chuckled.
I guess she's not so bad once ya get past that damn glare and attitude. She's got a sense of humor if anything.
"Did Remy say that? He sorry, I meant ta say you are the newest most cutest thing he done ever seen."
She snorted.
"Tell Remy LeBeau his updates are slow."
Another chuckle from LeBeau.
"We started off on the wrong foot from the beginnin' chere, why don' we both start over?"
"Ah'm sorry, but Ah don' believe in redemption."
"Remy don' get it, he never done anything to you."
"Ah nevah said ya did, swamp rat."
He raised a brow at that.
"Mississippi rat." He retorted.
"Takes a rat to know a rat, at least where Ah come from the water's clean."
He snorted.
"Whatever ya say, chere."
"That's right, that's exactly what I wanted to hear."
He smirked. Yeah, she wasn't so bad. Enjoyable really, and cute.
He just need her to get past her dislike.
"So…are you and Scott…?"
"Why is everybody insinuating that something was goin' on?"
"Well, when you disappeared he got all…weird. Which was fine fo' Remy 'cause Remy didn' like him in the first place."
Rogue didn't say anything.
"It's gone be Valentine Day t'morrow." He said slyly.
She ignored him.
"Quite the talker, non? If you won' talk guess, Remy's gone have ta talk ta himself all weird like to keep 'imself comp'ny."
"Ya already talk to yaself all "weird like" ya freak."
"Remy thought ya were ignorin' him o' something. 'M glad yo' not, chere."
Rogue smiled at his persistence but then wiped it away. The Cajun noticed it before she could cover it up however.
"Was dat a smile, chere? It was wonderful."
"Ya a charmer, LeBeau, but it's not good ta charm a snake."
She seemed to be serious, but then again, she always seemed to be serious.
"Yo' not a snake, chere, look more like a raccoon wit' all dat makeup on."
The goth slammed her fists against the table.
"Exactly why is everyone suddenly talkin' 'bout my makeup too? Did ya'll share cue cards b'fore we met? Do you know Pietro?"
"Who?"
"Forget it."
"Yer weird, chere. J'aime cela dans une femme(1)."
"Don' speak ta me in French, rat. Ah lahke ta hear what's bein' said."
She glared.
"Yo' cute when ya angry, chere."
"You're an idiot."
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
Of all the girls he'd ever met, she was the one that surprised him the most.
He was "blessed" with empathy, though he'd never tell them that of course.
Anyway, he was gifted with empathy, and he could feel feelings, sometimes influence them. Her mind was practically impossible to influence however (he'd tried already) it was hard to even press a subliminal thought against her mental walls without being sucked dangerously into the chaos that seemed to occur within her mind, and then the whiplash from pulling back was horrifying.
He didn't know how anyone could survive and act normally with such a chaotic mind. He supposed it was because of her abilities, which she wasn't telling him. He was still curious though…
She was cute. Probably a gorgeous vixen underneath all that makeup, though he wouldn't tell her that, she'd probably knee him in the goods or something, and he liked her. He truly did.
There was something about her that was just…captivating like water over hot flesh, something that brimmed from her and made everything within him just…calm. Perfectly tranquil.
She could be well enough of a bitch, yeah, but there was a warmth in the way that she did things, a forlorn compassion in the way she spoke, a certain determination that flowed throughout her, and there was something else he wasn't expecting…
She was miserable. He could feel her misery faintly but it was powerful enough to escape her mental boundaries. She truly was the cutest thing and she was amusing when she wasn't busy trying to put up her walls of ice, so, for some reason, her pain was utterly…heartbreaking.
"You can't add can you?" The goth asked amused.
They were in Algebra 2, another of the three classes they had together.
He shrugged with a smirk.
"Remy don' need to learn arithmetic when he got these swift hands to take all he needs ta survive."
She frowned when he said 'survive' and he cocked a brow.
"Somethin' wrong?"
"Nothin'…nothing." She moved away from him, her face now centered on her paper, her Ice Queen face was steadily latched on.
Damn, she's the most magnificent woman I've ever met and her attitude changes more than the weather.
"Chere…" he whispered, she looked up but then looked back down, as if she'd misinterpreted the sound.
"De femme étrange(2)," He murmured.
"What was that?" She snapped her head up.
He smiled at her face which was scrunched up to portray anger. She was definitely weird.
"J'ai dit que vous êtes la chose la plus belle que j'ai jamais vue. Je vous veux tellement mais je ne sais pas pourquoi. Elle m'effraye mon amour.(3)"
She looked at him as if he'd grown a second head.
"Remy, it's Algebra 2, not French class. Stop talkin' in another language, we're in America for god sakes." She mused.
He smiled.
Yeah, she was cute, but she wasn't drop dead gorgeous and she wasn't the perfect woman. So why'd he feel like…
"Wake up, Cajun, fo' Ah have ta hurt ya."
Remy LeBeau looked up into green eyes.
"Come on, the bell rung ya retard."
Remy got up and slung his backpack over his left shoulder.
"'M
a retard now, chere?"
"You always was a retard, hon."
"Ya jus' break mon heart."
"You know it."
TRANSLATIONS:
J'aime cela dans une femme.(1): I like that in a woman.
De femme étrange(2): Strange woman
J'ai dit que vous êtes la chose la plus belle que j'ai jamais vue. Je vous veux tellement mais je ne sais pas pourquoi. Elle m'effraye mon amour (3):
I said you are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I want you so much but I don't know why. It scares me my love.(3)
Alrighty then. I hope this chappie didn't suck or make with the suckage and the likes...
Anyway, I like Rogue's brassy attitude, I hate it when fics make her all meek and submissive. Really pisses me off, it's Rogue for god sakes. So I thought to myself: I could make a fic where she's actually a nice person without makeup without making her emotionally retarded or cry every six seconds. I could do this.
And don't get me wrong, I luv the gothic Rogue, and 'm gonna keep her. Just without that damn makeup.
Next chappie comin' up, hope ya luv it.