Chapter Text
The sun was beginning to set, casting a warm orange glow across the grounds of the X-Mansion. Above, the wind howled, carrying with it a familiar, yet unsettling sound. Rogue hovered high in the air—200 feet up, her body steady, but her mind anything but. She had always loved the freedom of flight, the sensation of weightlessness, but today it felt different. Today, the air felt heavier. The dizziness was back again, stronger this time.
Her stomach twisted in discomfort, the nausea hitting her like a wave, relentless and dizzying. She clenched her jaw, trying to ignore the gnawing feeling in her gut. Maybe it’s nothing, she thought, pushing through it. Just a bad day. But every time she tried to push it aside, the sickness intensified, her powers seemed to act up in strange ways, flaring briefly before going dormant again.
Rogue tried to focus, pulling herself back into the air, but it was becoming harder to keep her bearings. The world around her felt like it was spinning faster than she could catch up with. The air felt thick and suffocating. She could hear the pounding of her heart in her ears, louder than anything else.
And then, it happened. Her focus snapped. The nausea surged and her body lost control. Without warning, she plummeted.
“Rogue!” Remy’s voice rang out as he ran out the door of the mansion. His heart lurched when he saw her falling, her body twisting in the air as though she had no control over it. He had no time to think. The fear that gripped him left him no room for hesitation.
Rogue hit the ground with a sickening thud, the impact reverberating through the earth, leaving behind a terrible silence.
“Chère!” Remy shouted, his pulse pounding in his ears as he rushed to her side. His mind was a blur, but every step was driven by terror. She couldn’t be hurt. She was invulnerable.
But as he knelt beside her, his heart sank.
Blood. It was everywhere. His eyes widened, his breath catching as he saw the deep gash on her side and the pool of blood spreading beneath her.
“Non… non, non…” Remy whispered, his hands shaking as he gently turned her over. Her face was pale, her eyes fluttering weakly.
"Rogue, wake up. Please…" He shook her gently, the urgency in his voice clear.
Her eyelids fluttered open, her breath shallow, and her voice barely a whisper. "Remy…" she gasped, the pain in her voice barely audible. She tried to move, but her body ached, and she winced, clutching her side where the blood flowed. "Ah... what happened?" Her words were soft, confused, and full of fear.
Remy’s chest tightened. "You fell, chère. You fell from high up… over 200 feet."
Her eyes widened in shock as she tried to sit up, but Remy gently pushed her back down. “Don’t move, you’ve been hurt. You’ve been bleeding.”
“Bleeding?” she repeated weakly, trying to make sense of the words. "Ah... that ain’t possible," Rogue murmured, looking down at the blood, then back up at him. "I… I don’t bleed."
He shook his head, his heart racing. "Chère, your body—something’s wrong. You shouldn’t be bleeding. You’re invulnerable. This… this ain’t normal."
Her head spun, the pain in her side overwhelming her thoughts. She felt a wave of panic rise in her chest, but she couldn’t quite make sense of it. "Ah don’t understand," she whispered. "Ah’m supposed to be—Ah’m supposed to be invincible."
Remy’s voice was low, his fear creeping through. "We need to get you inside, get you to the med bay, Rogue. We need to figure out what’s goin’ on."
Rogue’s eyes met his, her body shivering slightly from the cold sweat forming on her skin. "Remy, I’m scared. I feel like… like I can’t control anything anymore."
"Shh," Remy murmured softly, his voice reassuring. "You’re not alone, Rogue. We’ll figure this out. Together."
He gently scooped her up in his arms, ignoring the panic that clawed at him as he carried her inside the mansion. Her breathing was shallow, her body trembling, but with each step, he could feel the weight of their situation bearing down on him.
The woman he loved—invulnerable, strong, indestructible—was breaking down in ways he couldn’t understand.
But he wouldn’t let her fall. Not now. Not ever.