11/5 Instance: Hopeful Cure

[Esynthia]

Timeline: Before Game: Bum-Fuck Egypt

<@Rogue> Rogue spun in the chair, bored out of her mind still. Even though Hank's let her come out of the quarantine room, she was still confined to the medlab. At least she could help with paperwork again. She stopped the chair and went rooting around for one of Hank's twinkies.

<Hope> Hope stood at the medlab doorway, eyeing Rogue a bit. "Well well. They let you out I see."

<@Rogue> Rogue stood up and arched an eyebrow at the girl in the doorway, "Well well. They let y'all walk around without a leash, Ah see." She was so not in the mood for her students to be bitchy.

<Hope> "I'm not the bitch with a collar on, now am I?" Hope smirked a bit.

<@Rogue> "Gal, Ah can still give ya detention. Lose ya attitude. An' fast."

<Hope> "I don't have to listen to you." Hope reminded her. "And technically, one call to Daddy and I'm sure you can be relocated. So maybe you should watch it."

<@Rogue> "Oh, Ah'm so scared." Rogue rolled her eyes at Hope's 'daddy card'. "Have ya met tha headmaster? He don't let anybody bully him. An' neither do Ah. Whaddya want?"

<Hope> "Except that the headmaster is still subject to US law. And my Daddy kind of makes those laws, but you keep believing what you want... Sugar. And I came to see if you were as batshit as everyone says you are."

<@Rogue> "Oh yeah? An' what law is it that Ah've broken then? Or what would Daddy-dearest make a law so that Ah'd get 'relocated'? Try it. Ah dare ya. Ya need some damned discipline in ya life, gal." She tossed a twinkie at Hope, "An' maybe some sugah, sugah. Lighten up."

<Hope> "Oh I suppose you're locked up here for some peace and quiet? Please. You are as batshit as they say. Clearly." Hope laughed a bit.

<@Rogue> "Ah ain't batshit crazy, darlin'. If Ah were, Ah'd still be in quarantine. We're just workin' on how ta get tha 'actual' batshit psyche outta mah head b'fore Ah take tha collar off." Rogue poured herself some coffee and looked back at Hope, "Want some? Or ya gonna actually be productive 'steada bitchy?"

<Hope> "Now where is the fun in that? If you aren't batshit, you are just naturally this bitchy? Because really, you make me look like a sugar cookie." Hope picked up the twinkie and opened it, taking a bit.

<@Rogue> Rogue laughed at that. "No, Ah ain't. Only when somebody's a bitch ta me first. Ah'm normally real sweet an' carin'." She finished pouring her cup and held up the carafe towards Hope, "Yes 'r no?"

<Hope> "No thanks. By the way, you totally just admitted to still being crazy."

<@Rogue> Rogue frowned, "What?" She took a sip of the coffee and hissed at the heat of the drink, not used to being able to feel the pain of it. "How did Ah do that by sayin' Ah'm bein' a bitch 'cause y'all're bein' a bitch?"

<Hope> "Oh no. The part by you still have a psyche in your head. Still makes you crazy. Been there. And I'm singular. Not plural. Not a ya'll." Hope took another bite of twinkie.

<@Rogue> "Oh, Ah have several in mah head. It's part o' mah powers. Doesn't make me crazy. Makes tha psyche in mah head crazy. At tha moment, Remy, Scott, Lorna, Bobby, an' Essex are all front an' center thanks ta Fabian."

<Hope> "That would totally suck. Having them stuck in there and not able to get out? And I fucking knew Essex would come back." Hope rolled her eyes. She had so told Johnny.

<@Rogue> "Yeah. It does suck. It could drive me crazy if Ah let it. It has b'fore. But Ah've gotten ta a point where it's easier ta distinguish me from them." She went to sit back in the chair, facing Hope. "Sometimes it's still a bit hard. 'Specially if it's a really powerful psyche an' Ah touch 'em f'r a long time. Like Essex. Ah've never touched a person ta death b'fore."

<Hope> "Well I'd hope that you learned your lesson from that then." Hope could feel herself getting angry again. Yeah Essex probably deserved to die, but crap!

<@Rogue> "Ah didn't do it on purpose. He had some sorta misty gun thing..." Rogue gestured to the 'patient' chair at the side of the desk. "It took away mah strength an' he was a stronger guy than Ah am without mah strength. He held me to him. Ah couldn't let go."

<Hope> "You shouldn't have been there anyway, but I guess you choose to ignore the fact that you took your codename literally." Hope stayed where she was, arms crossed across her chest.

<@Rogue> Rogue shrugged, "Ah had ta take care o' mah family. Had ta do what Ah felt was right. Hindsight, shoulda gone in a bit more planned. But Ah don't regret it 'cause Ah feel like Ah did what Ah had ta do."

<Hope> "Which means that you will always feel that killing is ok, so long as the motive is ok in your book."

<@Rogue> "Actually? Yeah. If someone attacks a friend'r family member an' tha only way out is ta kill 'em. Yep. Self defense. Ah will never regret savin' a life. Will Ah regret takin' one ta save one? Yeah. Ah'd rather use non-lethal force. But ya know, thankfully, with mah powers, Ah can always use non-lethal force." She tilted her head and gave a cocky smile, "Next question?"

<Hope> "Who the hell are you to judge who has the right to live or die? You aren't a judge or a jury. And it's people like you who are the reason why we have wars. It's people like you who started the FOH. We stand against people like you."

<@Rogue> "Did ya completely miss tha last part o' what Ah said? An' Ah wouldn't randomly attack people. That's what makes me different."

<Hope> "They don't randomly attack people either. They attack those they feel are a threat to their families too."

<@Rogue> "They attack any mutant an' every mutant."

<Hope> "Because they feel we are a threat. You're no different, stop pretending to be." Hope edged closer. "And I'm glad they fired you. You don't deserve to call yourself an x-man anymore."

<@Rogue> "Ah'm not pretendin' anythin'. Ah only attack if Ah get attacked. Ah don't attack just 'cause." She arched an eyebrow, "Okay." Nothing this little girl could say would upset her right now. She was too focused on fixing herself and finding Rachel and trying to fix her.

<Hope> "That's what the FOH claim too, or haven't you noticed?"

<@Rogue> Good grief, this girl was more thick-headed than she was. "Y'all aren't gettin' it. An' Ah ain't a freak at a sideshow. Get lost."

<Hope> "You aren't getting it. You're sick in the head and you should be locked back up for everyone's safety."

<@Rogue> "Nope. Ah ain't. Essex was. Sorry ta disappoint, sugah."

<Hope> "No he was a loony tune. You are a twisted individual who justifies killing with self-defense."

<@Rogue> "Ah told ya that he forced me to. Did ya miss that part?"

<Hope> "I think it's a convenient excuse."

<@Rogue> "Oh if only Ah could share memories. Or... Ya could go ask Bobby. Or Adam."

<Hope> "Had plenty of talks with Bobby. And I'm talking to you now. You're cocky and arrogant and you wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone who you deemed a threat. That makes you a huge threat. Maybe someone should take you out. How would that make you feel? You're just a terrorist." Hope rolled her eyes at her. "And I hope Xavier never rehires you."

<@Rogue> "Not true, actually. Has nothin' ta do with 'who Ah deem a threat'. An' everythin' ta do with 'are they actually physically harmin' me'r mah loved ones right this second'. Good Gawd, gal. Listen, will ya? How many times do Ah gotta say that?" She sighed and turned in her chair to face the computer, starting to put in some paperwork, "If y'all're done bitchin' f'r no reason, Ah actually do have work ta do f'r Hank. Buh bye now."

<Hope> Hope grabbed the chair and spun her around. "I was one of those people taken so don't act like I don't have a say or a stake in that situation. And you being a murderous bitch made that 10 times worse. Thanks to your stupidity, Essex isn't really dead!"

<@Rogue> Rogue was a little startled at the chair spinning, not used to not being able to sense movement. "Ah know ya were, honey. He wanted ta come after y'all. Ah fought him tooth an' nail." She gave Hope a sad smile, "An' Ah know he ain't. An' Ah am truly sorry 'bout that."

<Hope> "Are you? Are you really sorry? You seem so fucking proud of yourself and what you didn't doesn't deserve pride. You could have gotten us all killed! Or taken again!"

<@Rogue> "Ah really am. Ah hate what he did ta all o' y'all. Ah hate that he wanted y'all back most o' all. An' Ah ain't proud that it went down in a way we didn't want it to. Ah was gonna drain 'im just enough ta get info, then snap his neck. But he surprised us all with tha misty-gun thing."

<Hope> "Why couldn't you have just followed procedure and locked him up like normal people?"

<@Rogue> "You know why."

<Hope> "From what I gather, most of X-Force didn't get the memo of lethal force only if absolutely necessary."

<@Rogue> "Ah know that." She shrugged, "Ah did what Ah did. Ah don't apologize f'r tha action 'cause Ah cain't change it. But Ah can say that Ah'm sorry it hurt y'all."

<@Hope> "Well... that's all I can ask for then." Hope smiled a bit and patted Rogue awkwardly.

<Rogue> Rogue gave a half-laugh and tossed another twinkie at Hope, "Good, 'cause that's all ya gettin'." She frowned at the touch and just stared at Hope for a long moment. "They're gone..." She looked around for Hank automatically, but he was gone. Damnit.

<@Hope> "Who is gone?" Hope gave her a puzzled look.

<Rogue> "Them!" Rogue was slightly alarmed and looked back at Hope, "When ya touched me... They disappeared." She reached up and fumbled at the collar, not able to get it off because her hands were shaking. "Help me out. Ya have mah permission ta knock mah ass flat if it ain't what Ah think."

<@Hope> "Uhhhhh..." Hope was so not sure about this. "I think that is a really bad idea." She looked around for medical people. Where oh where were they!? "And what if I'm not fast enough to knock you out?"

<Rogue> "Gal. Be smart. Ya can borrow mah powers an' be just as fast as me. Suffocatin' me is prob'ly tha best way ta knock me out, by tha way."

<@Hope> "Well... ok..." Hope reluctantly took the collar off, tapping into Sue's power to trap Rogue in a bubble if she had to.

<Rogue> Rogue stood stock still after Hope took the collar off, listening to the silence inside her head. She closed her eyes and searched her psyche for any trace of anybody. No one was there. She opened her eyes and beamed at Hope. "They're all gone! Ah ain't been alone in mah head since Ah was twelve!" She frowned, "How did that happen?"

<@Hope> Hope blinked at her again. "Uhhhhh maybe they are all hiding?" She offered. She really should get McCoy.

<Rogue> "No. They're gone. Ah searched every nook'n cranny o' mah psychic plane. Nothin'." Rogue saw how uncomfortable Hope was, "Want me ta put tha collar back on f'r ya nerves?"

<@Hope> "I think it would be better if McCoy checked you out... or Xavier. Somebody that could get in your head to make sure. Just to be safe." This could still be a trick.

<Rogue> Rogue shrugged, "If it'd make ya feel better." She went ahead and clicked the collar back on herself for Hope anyway. "...Maybe ya power cancelled out mine?"

<@Hope> "I don't know... that does kind of make sense. My power and Ruth's cancel out. Neither of us can use it if I am tapped into her powers and close to her."

<Rogue> Rogue frowned in thought, "We have tha exact same power on ground level. Mine has more consequences than y'alls. But maybe..." She sighed, "Yeah, Ah'm gonna need Hank ta work this one out. Ah get confused by mah powers a lot."

<@Hope> "Well uh... maybe it was a fluke anyway. But I guess if you ever need a mental eraser, you know where to find me. Yeah?"

<Rogue> Rogue laughed, "Ah guess so." She gave Hope a big grin, "Any chance Ah can hug ya f'r a thanks?"

<@Hope> "Uhhhh.... sure?" Hope reluctantly gave Rogue a hug.

<Rogue> Rogue gave Hope a big squeeze, "Even though ya didn't do it on purpose, or even accident... Thanks, sugah."

<@Hope> "Yeah sure. No problem." Hope smiled a bit, relaxing just a bit. Maybe it wasn't a trap after all.

<Rogue> She pulled back from the hug and tapped the twinkie in Hope's hand, "Now get that outta here 'fore Hank knows Ah snuck some o' his twinkies. He still thinks his stash is hidden."

<@Hope> Hope laughed at her and nodded. "Alright. Thanks for the hook up." Hope eyed the twinkie as she headed to the door. So weird.

[Chaos]

Who'd have thought patronizing would save the day? Not THIS guy!

[Ferguson]

<@Rogue> "Gal, Ah can still give ya detention. Lose ya attitude. An' fast."

d'awww, the things Rogue thinks she can do <<

Good times!