Work Text:
“Is that it?”
The words spilled from Rogue’s mouth drenched in indifference. It wasn’t exactly the response Mystique and Destiny were expecting. Rogue was completely apathetic. She wasn’t alone. Gambit and even Mystique’s bleeding-heart son, Nightcrawler, didn’t appear to be concerned at all. The only one outside herself and Destiny who seemed to be moved was Weaponless Zsen – however, she appeared to be somewhat excited at the prospect.
“Is that it? I inform you that this entire island, home to millions, is about to be razed, and this is your response?” Mystique exclaimed in frustration.
“So… Tuesday, then?” Nightcrawler shrugged with a frown.
“What?” Mystique growled through clenched teeth.
“Sorry, momma… You’re around the X-Men so much – often tryin’ to kill us – but I forget you’re still new to all this,” Rogue pinched the bridge of her nose. “I don’t want you to think us as callous, but me, Kurt, and Remy… we’re just kinda numb to this stuff by now. We’re used to our home getting leveled. I’m actually flabbergasted it’s lasted this long.”
“Impending doom has become fairly ordinary for us, sadly, mother. In the short time we’ve been here, the island has been attacked by genetically modified commandos, at least two murderous psionic entities, a couple of kaiju…” Kurt stepped towards the table, flanking Rogue’s right. “Ve lost the mansion on several occasions, Utopia… vell’ ve know how that ended for me. Of course, there was Genosha.”
“It’s why I kept a place in d’city. Rather battle Manhattan traffic than constantly replace my stuff,” Still unbothered, Gambit was more concerned with his cuticles than the conversation at that point. “But I suppose a heads-up don’ hurt. Normally, it’s just death from the sky.”
Rogue nodded in agreement with her husband. “I reckon this is from a vision of yours, Irene?”
Destiny turned towards Mystique. The shapeshifting matriarch of was still glaring daggers and grinding her teeth at her various children. She was unsure how to proceed. The news she assumed would be earth-shattering held no more impact on her makeshift family than a rainy weather report.
“Yes. Obviously.”
“So why ya tellin’ us ‘stead of convening the Quiet Council?” Gambit asked as he joined his wife and Kurt at the table.
“Because I’ve seen how far that action gets us... Death. Destruction. Ashes.”
Kurt sighed and looked over his shoulder toward Zsen. With a welcoming smile, he pulled out a chair and motioned for her to sit. She winced and hesitated to take him up on his offer, but eventually relented when he sat in the neighboring one.
“Vhat is it this time, Irene,” Kurt asked leaning into the left arm of his chair and resting his chin between his thumb and first finger. “Vhat threatens our sacred land?”
Finally, everyone else followed suit. Each took up space in one of the four chairs on the opposite side of the table from Destiny and Mystique.
“O.R.C.H.I.S., the Eternals, Sentinels, the humans alongside the Avengers, Wakanda,” she began. “Even Atlantis and the Inhumans raise arms against us. Over and over again our nation will… has come under siege and each time – we’ve lost. We lose everything.”
Gambit looked about the table attempting to read the proverbial room. The disinterested look he, Rogue, and Kurt shared had turned into confusion and disbelief. “Dat can’t be all one vision, can it…? An’ ya talkin’ in the past tense, by the way.”
“No, Gambit,” Mystique responded for Destiny. “it’s not one vision. Irene has been having them since the moment she was revived. It’s the reason why Xavier and Magneto wouldn’t allow precogs to be resurrected.”
“Mother-” Nightcrawler warned Mystique.
“No, Kurt, it’s far past time the Council stopped keeping this ridiculous secret.”
Rogue looked from her mother to her brother, and finally her husband. “Secret? What Secret? What’s going on?”
Mystique locked eyes with Nightcrawler as she began to speak. “Krakoa wasn’t created by chance. It’s the result of a mutant using their ability to reset our timeline by repeatedly reliving their life, altering our timeline each time in the process.”
Destiny put her hand to her left temple. “This may be the eighth or perhaps the tenth attempt by them – not always in hopes of helping our kind, but nonetheless this is not the first iteration of this timeline. Far from it.”
“I… I don’t understand,” Rogue swallowed and leaned back into her chair. A wave of panic washed over her but that quickly gave way to a bout of nausea. “Who is this mutant?”
“Moira… Moira MacTaggart,” Destiny said flatly. “We encountered her at the end of one of her lives. She and I are the only ones with memories of the incident – I made certain that it left an impression. It is as if her mind is untethered from her body. Upon death, she retains the knowledge of her past life. It allows her to play out multiple versions of this timeline until she inevitably dies – starting the cycle all over again.”
“Like some kind of temporal cloud server?” Rogue rattled on as her mind tried to make sense of the info dump. “Her powers take an image of her mind and then uploads it into her body in the past? How far back?”
“Birth.” Destiny answered.
Rogue was visibly shaken. As an X-Men, she’d been involved in her fair share of time-traveling hijinks. She was quite aware of how much damage could be wrought with just small changes to the past. “That long ago?! She’d be able to just about change anything with that much time and knowledge of the future.”
“Dat can’t be right… Moira died on Muir Island. We all know dat,” Gambit turned his attention to Mystique. “If I’m not mistaken, you had something to do with it. If the timeline reset every time she bites it – then how I clearly remember her dying in dis one?”
Mystique cut her eyes at her son-in-law. “Because she faked her death, you fool.”
Nightcrawler finally chimed in. “She used Shi’ar technology, eh, a Golem, I believe it was called...”
“So, Moira is still alive? All this time? And a mutant? The Quiet Council knew about this?” Rogue was in utter disbelief. There are people on the Council she loved like family, including her brother. As much as she wanted to ignore it – she felt betrayed. “Why are you telling us this now?”
“Because, deary, this isn’t going to turn out any better than it has for us before. It is time we made our own way.” Mystique reached over to Destiny and gently took her hand into her own. “This family, our clan has a chance to thrive – but not if we stay here in what will eventually be another mutant mass grave. In this climate, there’s no home for mutant kind here.”
Throughout all of this, Gambit was splitting his attention between his mother-in-law and Weaponless Zsen’s. He didn’t know Zsen well enough to gauge response – but if there was something she objected to, he hoped her ability to spot deception would at least show a tell. “What you sayin’ Mystique – we just up an’ leave d’planet? We don’ do too well out there either. We have a pension for mucking things up with our galactic friends.”
Destiny’s voice rang with annoyance from behind her mask. “Nothing so dramatic, LeBeau...”
She stood to her feet and began to walk around the table – all eyes followed her as she did. She stopped in between Rogue and Nightcrawler’s seats and placed a single hand on each of theirs.
“I believe if we take steps to leave Krakoa now – there is a life for us outside of it. I see our family growing not just in power, but size. A green-eyed boy, unfortunately, the spitting image of his father, with hair like his mother. A titan of a girl with the gaze of a demon that sores through the skies. A clutch of three or… four colorful, devilish, but jubilant siblings. All occupying seats of power within an influential organization. The pedigrees of two of those children were… obvious. But now, with our guest, I believe I know where Kurt’s brood originates.”
The last bit left Nightcrawler’s jaw ajar. If he could blush – he would have been beet-red. Seeing Rogue warmly smile at him helped, but not much. He could swear holes were being burned into the back of his head. When he finally dared to glance at Zsen he wasn’t certain what he’d find. He feared disgust but equally expected confusion. However, she wasn’t phased in the least. Much to his surprise, Zsen wasn’t even looking at him. Her eyes were set on Destiny. It all either went over her head or openly talking about procreating with Nightcrawler wasn’t as embarrassing for her as it was for him.
“Did they appear to be formidable?” she asked. “The offspring of Nightcrawler and I? Did they look… strong? Possess suitable weapons?”
Destiny acknowledged Zsen’s question with a slight nod. She began to speak while she made her way back to her seat. “My knowledge of the visions is not so comprehensive… Nevertheless, they seemed sturdy enough. If you are indeed responsible for half of their breeding stock – I have no doubt they’d be more than… impressive, my dear.”
As Destiny took her seat, Zsen finally stopped tracking her long enough to acknowledge Kurt. She didn’t see remorse, or a need to apologize in his eyes – aspects of his personality that were beginning to annoy her. At that moment she sensed that he was seeking approval. Her approval. She offered a nervous tick of a smirk and then abruptly stood to address the table.
“Knowing the outcome of one’s blending with another is rare. To even come close would take the intervention of a powerful seer, one such as yourself, or copulate in the presence of Tarn the Uncaring and his minions. Prospective weaponless mates, such as I, often would spend several weeks in his breeding pits ingesting concoctions brewed from the sinew of fallen Arrakii warriors and powerful demons alike. Sires would return half the size they left, forever scarred by the experience. As the lifespan of a seer was brief on Arrako – Tarn was often the most accessible option to ensure battle-ready progeny, though he’d keep the more impressive subjects for himself,” Zsen placed her hand on Kurt’s shoulder.
“I am glad.”
Everyone in attendance was left silent after Zsen’s attempt to assuage Kurt. If it weren’t for the crashing waves and cawing seagulls, a pin drop would have been akin to a train horn. In her way, it was the best avenue to both honor Kurt and communicate her endorsement to her potential extended family.
Mystique was the first to break the silence.
“Right. Thank you, for… that,” she said, faking a smile. She waited for Zsen to retake her seat before she stood to continue. “Getting back to the subject at hand… Irene and I are not suggesting that we all up and leave – it’d raise too much suspicion. Worst-case scenario, they may even try to prevent us from doing so –”
“Hold up a minute, ol’girl,” Gambit interrupted, holding back a laugh. “I know you don’ think you’ve convinced us of anything, right? I mean, pulling on Rogue and Kurt’s heartstrings of building a family – dat was masterful…”
At first, Mystique’s arms were crossed firmly across her breasts. But as Gambit spoke, they fell to her sides with her hands rolling into two fists. “Are you accusing us of something, thief?”
“You know how much Rogue wants a family – with Kurt’s upbringing, I’d wager that it be pretty high up on his list too. You just happen to luck out with Zsen here – but I know when I’m getting played Raven, or at least when someone is tryin’ to.” Gambit shot to his feet. The laughter he was holding back had all but vanished.
“I don’ doubt that this island is on half this galaxy’s hit list – but I’ll be damned if I’ll let you play with my wife’s head like dis.”
Rogue stood with her husband and took his closest hand into her own. She’d been staring at him while he spoke. It wasn’t until she turned toward Mystique did everyone notice the tears welling up in her eyes.
“Gambit’s right momma…” Rogue confessed wiping her tears with her free hand. “You don’t get to just spring this on us and expect us to fall in line – not after everything we’ve been through.”
“If it at all benefits your recourse…” Zsen’s near-monotone voice sang. “I see no specific deception in their words.”
“Ah’ appreciate that, Zsen. But even if it is true – this ain’t something we’re going to decide on here an’ now. And if I understand how Irene’s powers work…” Rogue turned towards her other foster mother. “Chances of any of this coming to pass soon, are nil. You’re more of a distant forecaster. I can’t speak for Kurt – but Remy and I need time and space to talk about this – alone.”
“Rogue…” Destiny rose to her feet. “We didn’t expect an answer from you – or any of you today. However – it was important that you be made aware. You are correct. My visions on this subject are still far out. But some steps need to be taken to ensure that this family comes out intact on the other side. Take the time you need – nonetheless know we are not long for this land.”
With that, Rogue nodded at her brother and Zsen, gave Mystique a sparing glance, and then finally took to the skies with Gambit in tow. He flashed a peace sign at Mystique, but it quickly turned into something a bit more vulgar as they gained altitude.
“Should have shot the scrawny punk when I had the chance.”
“Mother…”
“Save it, Kurt.”
****
Wrapped in a cream-colored silk sheet, Rogue stared out of the living room window of the Manhattan apartment she shared with her husband. Studying the nonstop hustle and bustle of the busy evening New York City streets sometimes helped her put things into perspective. As crazy as their lives were – the world always kept moving. Not even a giant Celestial foot descending from the clouds was enough to slow down traffic here.
After leaving their impromptu family meeting, Gambit and Rogue decided it was best to get off of the island – even if just for the night. For Rogue, it was an easy choice. She found the city lights comforting – and that’s exactly what she needed. Much to Gambit’s delight a change of scenery wasn’t the only thing Rogue wanted. He got the redux of the morning he missed out on earlier, and then some.
Minutes past midnight, Gambit woke up to discover his wife missing from his side. His red-on-black eyes were quick to adjust to the room’s darkness. She was nowhere to be seen. After pulling on a pair of shorts he had shed earlier he quietly ventured out of their bedroom. It didn’t take long to find her. She was so still in front of the window, for a split second he feared she was in some kind of telepathically induced trance. Not wanting to startle her he deliberately cut the room’s silence. Gambit stretched and yawned – his body producing several cracks and pops.
It got her attention.
“Hey, you…” Rogue said, briefly looking over her shoulder. Her sultry voice was a little more than a whisper.
“Hey, yourself,” Gambit walked over to her and immediately wrapped his arms around her. He kissed the side of her head as she relaxed her body into his. “Whatcha thinkin’ bout, girl?”
“Ah thought that’d be obvious, boy…”
It was. He just wanted her to bring it up willingly. They didn’t talk much about what was revealed to them. The flight back to their home was silent and the only conversation they had after touching down was deciding on whether they’d take a portal to New York or Paris. They settled on the former. Once they got in, they spoke even less – instead choosing a more carnal form of communication. The kind that made one of their neighbors test the integrity of a shared wall with their fist.
“You wan’ talk about it, chere?”
“Talk?” Rogue squeezed Gambit’s arms with hers. “I want to scream, cry… I don’t know what I wanna do, Remy.”
“I feel you…” Gambit sighed and nuzzled the side of her frizzy hair. “It wasn’t all bad, though, right?”
“Only if you can trust that Irene wasn’t trying to manipulate us. Screwing with my head was something of a pastime for her back in the day. Not just me. Poor Pyro was like a lost child around her. It’s second nature to her – both of them.”
“Prolly why they get on how they do. Peas in a pod.”
“Yeah… but kids. If you would have told me that that was a possibility for me just a couple of years ago – I’d have laughed in your face… then I’d probably cry, but definitely laugh.” Rogue joked with a big smile, her eyes still taking in the city lights.
“Not me – I always knew you’d make a great mom. I never gave up hope that you an’ me would have a couple of pups underfoot someday.”
“You know what? As crazy as you are – I believe you,” she Gambit’s arms another squeeze. “You ever thought of names…?”
“Actually… yeah. Well, one in particular.”
“Tell me.”
“Oliver.”
“Oliver…” Rogue repeated aloud as if to see how it sounded coming out of her mouth. “Ollie, I like that.”
“What about you?” He placed a gentle kiss on her bare shoulder.
“I don’t know,” She took in a sharp breath. “I suppose I’ve always been partial to Rebecca.”
“I knew a Becca…”
“Nevermind.”
“Nah, calm down, chere, it’s not like dat,” Gambit laughed. He loosened his hold and turned her to face him. “She was kin, a cousin. The daughter of Jean Luc’s sister.”
“Uh-huh. I swear, Remy, I find out you named our daughter after one of your-” Rogue’s threat was cut short as Gambit initiated a slow, sensuous, soul-stirring kiss. Her body going into auto-pilot, she wrapped her arms around his neck forgetting she was dressed in a sheet. It unraveled in the back and was only being held up by being pinned in between their bodies. After a couple of long minutes, she let her head rest on his chest while they both tried to catch their breath.
“What about the rest, Remy?” Rogue muttered against his skin, briefly closing her eyes as she listened to his heartbeat. “ORCHIS, the Sentinels, the Eternals… can’t imagine bringing children into this world with all that over their heads.”
“We ain’t gon’ let your foster mom’s nightmares scare us away from livin’ out our lives. We ain’t runnin’ and we ain’t abandoning our friends. We’re X-Men, babe. We’ll deal with dem’ as they come. We always do. Always will.
“Together.”
“Together.”
“Promise, Cajun?”
“You betcha, chere.”
End