A Rogue's Tale

Escape Clause: Part 4

Remy had been working all morning planning their discreet departure from the city, but he still hated the fact that he had to leave Rogue alone in the apartment. He thought she would be safe enough until he could take care of some loose ends. It would have been so much more difficult if he had her with him, since The Assassins, and he guessed The Thieves' guild would be looking for her to. It was easier to hide alone them with someone else, but he made that promise to her that he would protect her when they were kids and forces had conspired to keep them apart. Now, that they found each other again he wasn't going to let anything separate them.

He came back to the apartment a few hours later. When he approached the door, he saw that it was ajar and his heart raced. Rogue knew to keep the door locked and not let anyone in. He opened it and stepped in to the see that the place was a mess. He was really worried now.

"Anna!" he called out but she didn't answer him. He screamed her name as he raced through the place but there was no sign of her, but he did find something curious. It was a ring sitting on the pillow on his bed that had been ransacked. He knew that ring. There was a J carved into the metal. "Julien," he said, squeezing the ring in his fist. "Damn you."

The next thing he did was get a few things together, but he found that Rogue had already packed some items for their trip. He looked through the bag and found the necklace he gave her so long ago. He vowed he was going to find her and return this precious keepsake to her. There was also her sketch book and clothes for both of them. He walked over to his safe and opened it, taking out some money. He had plenty even for an extended road trip, but also hidden in the back was the iron box. He opened and released the catch and there sat that damn gem.

If it really was Julien that broke into his place and took her, he was going to pay him back. He felt that she was still alive, but he needed to find her soon before they did anything to her, even if it meant giving back this rock. He bolted out of the apartment not even thinking to lock it. One thing was on his mind, and that was finding his Rogue.

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Rogue woke to find herself chained to a wall in a dark damp place. She was in a sitting position with her arms chained above her head and her legs spread apart and clamped to the floor so she couldn't move. There was also a gag around her mouth and glowing yellow collar around her neck, and for some weird reason she wasn't in the same clothes she was wearing that she changed into that morning. She had on a green skirt and dark red tank top.

She was scared out of her mind as she looked around the room and realized that she was in the dungeon room in the old Assassins' mansion. She tried to think back on how she got here in the first place, remembering her and Remy having breakfast together and that he needed to go out for a while. They were leaving town that night, and he was adamant about her not answering the door to anyone. She had just gotten off the phone with Tara when she heard someone at the door. It was a relief to know it was Remy, but then it wasn't.

They had tricked her. It was really a shape shifter pretending to be Remy. How could she have fallen for such an obvious trick? She then heard a noise. It was footsteps, and they were getting louder telling her that whoever was making that sound was coming closer. She was struggling but it was doing no good because she was trapped.

A shadowy figure entered the room and came towards her. No one had to tell her who it was. She could smell his cologne, the same cologne she smelled in the alley where she was attacked before. Still, the shadow came closer until she could finally make out his face. Julien.

He knelt down and grabbed her face, his rough callused skin touching her soft skin. The touch hurt but for some reason she wasn't adsorbing him. "You look surprised," he said with a laugh. "That pretty little collar takes away mutant powers." She was even more frightened now. What was he going to do to her now that she didn't have her power to protect her? "Gambit's little whore is all mine now."

He took his rough hand and felt up and down her body. She tried to scream for help, but her resistance only seemed to excite him more. His hands wouldn't leave her body and traveled down to her legs and went up under her skirt until they reached her panty line. She gave him a look of disgust, but before he could reach inside, she heard a woman's voice.

"Stop, right there," she said and ran up to him giving him a kick in the head. "Don't you ever touch my daughter again!"

Rogue looked up to see a blue woman in a white dress with skulls for a belt. She had yellow eyes and blue skin. She remembered that this was the woman who impersonated Remy. She was her enemy, the one who kidnapped her. So why did she stop Julien from raping her?

Julien stumbled back holding his head that was now bleeding. "That wasn't our deal, Mystique."

"It is now," she said and pulled out a gun.

"You were supposed to get dat gem back," he said and rose to his feet. His head was still bleeding.

"That lowlife thief has it, and that's your problem," she said and had the gun pointed straight at his head. "Try to touch my daughter again, and I'll kill you. Got it."

Daughter? What did she mean by that?

"Have it your way, for now," he said and staggered off. Rogue guessed he was going to get treatment for his head.

The blue woman came closer to her and squatted down and took off the gag around her mouth. "Who are you?" Rogue asked, still shaking from what Julien almost did to her.

"I'm your mother," she said and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "You had me and your Aunt Irene so worried."

"No, ah don't believe you, mah mother..."

"Looked like this...." she finished for her and transformed herself from the blue-skinned yellow-eyed woman to a soft peach tone and short blonde hair and light blue eyes. It was how her mother looked when she was five years old. "It's a trick, you're just pretendin' to be my mother, she never would..."

"What? Come after you after you ran away," she said, trying to use logic against her. Rogue did run away but only because she was scared. "Of course, I would, but never again. You're never going to run away from me ever again."

"Don't threaten me," Rogue said defiantly. "Remy will find me, and when he does..."

"You won't remember a thing," she said in a calm voice as another figure came out of the shadows.

Mystique grabbed her face, and she was made to look in the man's eyes and they suddenly went blank and dead. After a few moments, she looked over at her captor still in her disguise. Emotion came flooding out of her. "Momma?"

"Yes, Anna, I'm here," she said and released her arms from the chains.

"Oh, Momma, ah'm so scared," she said and the woman embraced her. "There were those strange people chasin' me an..."

"It's alright now," she said in the attempt to comfort the girl. "I'm going to take you some place where they can't hurt you."

"Where?" Rogue asked as she released her legs from the chains. "A place in New York where you'll be safe. I have to leave you there for a while, but I will be back for you. I promise."

She helped Rogue to her feet and took off the collar. She handed her a pair of gloves to wear. "Remember, never let anyone touch you. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Momma," she said as Mystique who was still in disguise led her out of the dungeon, but neither Mystique or Rogue had any idea that someone else was watching... someone with glowing red eyes.

To Be Continued...

There still more to come as Remy still plans to get Rogue out of Mystique's clutches and he is about to meet a new ally who may help him to do that.