This is a slightly different take on the X-Men Evolution episode Rogue Recruit. Something I wrote a while back. This story has around 40 chapters, but no real end to it. It asks the question, "What if if Rogue never joined the X-Men?" So this story is all twisted around from the original cartoon, many shocking surprises and a few original characters in the mix. Hope you enjoy.
The song I used for this part is Push It by Garbage.
"I don't think it's a good idea for you to go out tonight," Irene said, as Rogue grabbed her black leather jacket ready to leave the house. "What if something happens?"
"Aunt Irene, stop worryin'," Rogue said as she heard a honk outside in the driveway. "Ah'll be careful, and besides it's just a party. What could happen?"
"Alright, honey, but be back by curfew," Irene said, giving the girl a hug.
"See ya later," she said as she left the house.
"Hey, Rogue!" a dark-haired girl in a dark blue mini skirt and metallic silver top called from the car.
"Hey, Tara," Rogue called back, walking swiftly to the car. Tara opened the backseat door for her.
"Nice outfit," she said, eying Rogue's black leather mini skirt and black cotton top with string straps. "Who says Goths aren't hot."
"Cut it out, Tara," Rogue said rolling her eyes. Tara's boyfriend Bruno was driving. His long black hair, obviously dyed was tied back in the ponytail. "Are we gonna sit here all day admirin' Aunt Irene's daisies?"
"Hell, no," Bruno said as he slammed on the gas. Tara cranked up the volume, the song Push It by Garbage was blasting through the speakers.
"Time to party," Tara yelled out the window as they sped off in the car. Rogue looked back at the house to see Irene standing on the porch, a concerned look on her face.
Note: Here's a picture of Tara and Bruno, my own original characters.
Rogue's expression took a more serious note, remembering all the things she and Irene had discussed over the last few years. She knew she was born different, special. That's what her mother had always told her, and that one day she would have great power. To her, it seemed like a mere fairytale, some story that her mother and Aunt Irene made up.
Then seeing Irene's face as she took off with her friends led her to wonder. "Earth to Rogue!" Tara practically shouted in her ear.
"What?" Rogue asked startled. There she was again retreating into her own little world only to be lured out by Tara's shrieks.
"What's with you lately?" Tara asked. "It's like you're a million miles away."
"It's nothin'," Rogue said but turned away from her friend. "Ah'm fine." In truth, she wasn't. All she could think of was the look on Irene's face, like she knew something. Rogue put it out of her mind. Her only thought tonight was about having a good time.
"We're here," Bruno said as he parked the car. There were several teenagers outside, some drinking, some just hanging around not doing much of anything. Rogue noticed a couple leaning up against a tree making out. She shook her head thinking they should get a room and exited the car as Tara approached her.
"God, ah feel like a third wheel," she said, looking over at her friend.
"Not tonight," Tara said excitedly, grabbing hold of her arm. She leaned in close to Rogue's ear. "I heard through the grapevine that Cody Banks has a thing for you, and he only came to this party because I let it slip that you were coming."
"What?" Rogue shouted at her, while stopping dead in her tracks and turning to look at her friend. Her face had gone white as the sheet, and there was a look of terror in her eyes. She looked around to see some kids eying the scene she made. That's when Rogue realized how loud she was speaking, so she lowered her tone, hoping that the group of gawkers would lose interest. "Are ya tryin' t'make me look desperate or somethin'?"
"No," Tara said, playing innocent. "Just giving you a push in the right direction, besides it's time you get a boyfriend that's outside of those crazy fantasies of yours."
Rogue just let out a grunted sigh as they reached the house. She almost wanted to turn tail and run in the other direction if it wasn't for Tara holding onto her arm. As they entered the house, Rogue's ears were buzzing from the elevated music. It was loud from the outside, but inside it was absolutely screaming.
"Hey, Bruno!" another boy shouted. He was wearing a letterman's jacket. He must have been one of Cody's teammates on the football team.
"Hey, Kalvin," Bruno said, while approaching him. "You here with Sandy?"
"Yeah, well, ah'm supposed to be," Kalvin said as he scanned the room for his elusive girlfriend. "She's probably in the bathroom primping again."
"Girlfriends," Bruno said, punching his friend playfully on the shoulder and laughing.
"Hey!" Bruno turned to see the sour look on Tara's face. Bruno jumped back seeing how angry she really was. "Can I talk to you?!" It was more of a demand I rather than a request.
Rogue just laughed, thinking about Bruno and Tara going off to have another pointless argument.
"Hey, you're Rogue, right?" Kalvin asked.
"Yeah, so," she said casually.
"Wanna dance?" he asked with confidence, but Rogue was not impressed.
"Not with you," she said, starting to walk away.
"Why not?" he asked as he grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him.
"Because your girlfriend is standin' right over there starin' at us," Rogue said as she snatched her arm back and stumped away. "The nerve," she said under her breath.
She made her way into the kitchen where she poured herself a glass of punch that was sitting on the table. She saw a turned over empty liquor bottle about a foot away from the punch bowl and sniffed the glass getting a faint whiff of alcohol. She didn't care, just figuring that she could use a drink. Taking a sip, she thought that it didn't taste bad. It's not like she had never tasted alcohol before. She would often raid Irene's liquor cabinet, but the hardest thing Irene drank was a simple bottle of port wine.
She took her drink and walked out onto the back deck. Thankfully no one was out there. She stood out by the railing and breathed in the night air. All she wanted right now was to be alone, a wish that was not to be granted. After a minute or so of silence, she heard whispers coming from behind her. She dared not look to see who it was. She figured it was that jerk Kalvin again who attempted to hit on her.
She kept her spot pretending that the male voices were not in her earshot. That was until she realized one voice was coming from right behind her. "Hey," she heard him say. She recognized that voice. It was Cody Banks, the boy she secretly had a crush on.
"Hey, what?" she said, trying to act disinterested.
"How's it goin'?" he said nervously. "Nice night, isn't it?"
She would have laughed at his pathetic attempts at a pick-up line if she hadn't turned around and looked at him. God, he was adorable. With his blonde hair and bright blue eyes shining in the moonlight, she felt her legs turned to Jello and cursed herself for getting hung over a guy. She was Rogue after all. Why would she care if some dumb jock paid her any attention? Then again, it could have been the alcohol playing tricks with her head.
"Yeah, it's a nice night," was all she could think of to say.
"Would ya like t'dance?" he asked.
"Well, ah'm just kinda hangin' out here is all," she said. Then she saw a hurt look come to his face. "Okay, what's the harm in one dance?" He took her hand and led her back into the house. There was a fast song playing, but it was hard to make it out since the other kids were making so much noise. They danced through two songs, until Rogue suggested that they go somewhere and talk.
They went back outside to the porch after getting fresh drinks. "Some party, huh?" Cody asked not knowing what to say.
"Yeah, ah wasn't even gonna come tonight," she said, taking a sip of her drink. "Ah'm glad ah did."
"Me too," he said, coming closer to her. "Ah'd like t'kiss ya right now," he said nervously.
"Then stop askin' an' do it," she said.
He leaned towards her slightly touching her lips. Rogue liked the soft feel of his lips on hers and craved more, so she put her arms around his neck deepening the kiss. Then something strange happened. She felt a slight pull, and suddenly her mind flooded with images, memories not her own. Before she knew what was happening, Cody lay unconscious on the ground.
To be continued...
So this scene comes right from the original story and also how it was told in the cartoon series with a few minor changes. There more to come in the next part, so I hope you'll stop by.