Fic: An Alternate Universe in 19 Scenes
Title: An Alternate Universe in 19 Scenes
Author: mayachain (ms_jvh_shuh)
Pairing: Bobby/Rogue, John
Rating: R for a certain scene
Word Count: 1900 (without titles)
Summary: One of Stryker's soldiers kidnaps St John during the raid in X2. Things play out differently accordingly.
Warning: I experimented with the writing style on two different levels, which means it a) is a drabble series and b) contains multiple second-person pov. Please pay attention to the scene titles to know who is who.
An Alternate Universe in 19 Scenes
Scene 01: St John
You bolt out of bed, Siryn's piercing scream in your ears. Lunging forward, you know it's already too late, a black-clad figure in your doorway's pulling a trigger and something hits you in the chest.
Gun, you think as your vision goes blurry fast, tranq gun as you go down and your reaching arm falls short, lands empty and numb at your side. Your last thought is Bobby's not - ; the world goes black before you get to here.
When the soldier carries your limp form out of the door, your shark lighter remains forlornly on the night stand.
Scene 02: Marie
"Rooogue!"
The voice stops you short, increases your panic because you can't find Logan and you don't think Bobby's ever sounded afraid before.
"Have you seen John?" he asks breathlessly, a brief touch on your arm shows his relief; he's found you, at least.
You try to recall the group of students rushing by you, feet skipping so fast making out their faces was near impossible. "He's with Pete," you say and take up running, don't wait for his response. It's not safe to stay here, and you need to find Logan.
John's with Pete. You're almost 100% sure.
Scene 03: Bobby
The silence in the car is stifling. No-one says a word, but you can hear the questions Rogue doesn't want to ask the man who saved her while you're sitting behind her, all the things Logan also doesn't want to say in your presence.
You're almost glad John isn't here to laugh at you. Still, it seems unfair that Rogue will be the first to meet your parents.
You morosely watch Logan's futile attempt to use the car's cigarette lighter. When he fumbles with the emerging piece of com tech, you wish Scott were driving this car so, so hard.
Scene 04: St John
"Where are we?" a very young voice asks and you scramble upright.
Some fucking soldiers drugged you, and five others too, looks like, and you don't know where you are and you've never been this scared.
If Bobby were here you'd tell him, but everyone in this cell is younger than you.
You don't know what they plan to do to you, but you have an idea, and you kind of wish the drugs had taken your imagination. You're lighterless, defenceless, and you're amazed that the midgets still believe you when you swallow hard and say
"I'll protect you."
Scene 05: Bobby
"This is all my fault," Mom says, and you wish you could say something, anything to make it better.
"No, it's not," you choke out and hate how weak it sounds, hate how the soldiers sprung this confrontation on you. You wish Professor Xavier could put the conversation on hold for you so you could run after Ronnie, wish Scott were here instead of Logan antagonizing your parents, wish Dr Grey were here to explain the intricacies of genetics. You shoot Dad a pleading look, helpless, desperate.
Rogue's warm leg next to yours is the only thing that grounds you.
Scene 06: Jubilee
It's not something you've ever done before. In fact, you're quite sure you've never even been in the Danger Room together.
Yet when Pyro asks very quietly for a piece of paper, you understand immediately what he wants to try. One of the kids - Artie, he says his name is - offers up a bent and beaten Pokemon card. Your hand shakes as you take it from him.
You never were a team. You've both been drugged.
It might not work.
"When the door opens," Pyro says and you nod, a teeny-tiny plasma spark running up your index finger.
Scene 07: Bobby
For a moment, there's only Rogue's shocked, ragged breathing beside you. Then the policeman shouts to lie down, a voice you've known all your life pitching in.
"Officers, please," your father says.
You try to slow down your pounding heart beat, thinking Dad will fix this.
It's the last thing you think before Rogue grabs your arm
and you can't move
and the world freezes.
…Later, there's the sound of the X-Jet landing and Rogue's frantic "Bobby, Bobby get up" and Logan's "c'mon, bub, run," and a whole new bunch of sirens screaming and a lady cop who is dead.
Scene 08: St John
You've tried to ignore the subject of food, of six people thrown into a room together with not even a latrine, and nothing to drink.
It's been maybe ten hours and no-one's come to see you. You can't quite decide if that's a good or a bad thing.
The youngest girl is the first to break. She tries to pee as far into a corner as she can; staring at your hands, you pretend no hidden cameras exist, wish someone would come so you could burn them to a crisp. You pull her onto your lap as she starts to cry.
Scene 09: Rogue
"Think they're doin' this as well?" Bobby asks as you try to start a campfire.
"Who?" you mumble wearily.
"John, Pete and the others." His voice is soft, shaky.
"Sure," you say, trying for confident, breaking yet another match stick as his emotions and thoughts ricochet inside your head.
They're friends, you know, but you never thought about how much it must mean to them to have known each other this long.
You know you saw a figure with caramel brown hair running after Piotr.
It was John, you are certain of it. It was. It has to have been.
Scene 10: St John
"At least the others are safe," Jubilee whispers into the anxious quiet of your first class hotel room, her fingers cramping around the Pokemon card in her hand.
The little girl on your lap relaxes considerably at the imagined freedom of a best friend.
"Yeah," your voice says, encouragingly.
You don't have the heart to tell the kids that there's no guarantee there's only one cell, that the six of you are the only ones that got captured.
That you're all still alive doesn't mean the soldiers didn't kill anyone, either, and you really really wish you could forget that.
Scene 11: Bobby
You resent the way your eyes seem to track her now, your every move cautious in a way you were sure you would never feel towards her.
But you cannot forget the emptiness you felt when your powers were drawn out of you, into her, with a speed and a strength she had no chance to gain control over.
You watch her tense as your rescuers laugh at her, and you hate the man with the intimidating helmet for ever giving her nightmares. Still, you wonder whether Magneto or Mystique comprehends just how dangerous it has become to taunt her.
Scene 12: Marie
It's too quiet inside the jet, too quiet ever since the adults left. A part of you wants to run after Logan, but you don't really want to leave Bobby who'd want to guard the jet alone. Besides, the outside reminds you of a woman who died, and in the middle of a fight you'd be nothing but a liability.
It just kills you to wait, kills you not to know, kills you to have so much quiet time with your boyfriend sitting beside you, thinking of his family, and his voice alternating with Logan's and Magneto's in your head.
Scene 13: St John
It doesn't quite work, but maybe it's a good thing that it doesn't.
A sudden *bampf* sound scares the crap out of you,
startles Jubilee
and there's a sizzle, something happens to the piece of paper but when you try to do something with it it's not quite enough, maybe it's the drugs or it's the wrong kind of spark but there's only smoke, only smoke but no fire and five kids gasping for air and you're failing them, you're failing them but then
there's a hand on your shoulder
and a voice you know,
Storm's voice,
"Easy. Easy, John."
Scene 14: Storm
You fall to your knees as the pain brings you down,
have to get to Charles,
have to find Jean,
have to fight the scream in your mind and the hurricanes wanting to escape straight out of your brain
to protect the children.
You hope to God there are no soldiers approaching, pray to the God only Kurt believes in that someone will do something.
Then somewhere, someone does and you sob your relief, once, and have to fight back tears for real once you see the heap your students lie in, hugging; Funk, Sid, Artie, Jubilee, Pyro and Syrin.
Scene 15: Marie
Suddenly, the pain is gone, and you feel Bobby let go of your hand the very same second. He's not looking at you, and the danger may be over but you still feel your world crumble beneath you, sitting up on the cold metal floor, breathing hard, trying to get your bearings.
You still hear him think how much he loves you inside your head, but he's not looking at you and it hurts, it hurts and you have to do something, so you stumble forward and try to figure out how to make the jet move for you.
Scene 16: Bobby
The landing is so much worse than you'd expected, so much worse than any of Scott's. When this is over, you are never going to board a plane again. There's a surge of pride that Rogue's managed to do this, and you ignore the voice that says your girlfriend almost got you killed.
You freeze at the terrible/welcome sight of the group running toward the Blackbird. God, you were right, the soldiers really did take children
and you
did nothing to stop them.
You did nothing, but you can do this: You can open the hatch and find blankets.
Scene 17: Logan
You turn away from Stryker and look at the punk kid that trailed after you with waves of distrust and protectiveness in his scent.
"You got a problem?" you ask, a valid question since the kid was raised by Xavier and, like the barefoot kid in your arms, just saw you condemn a man to death.
The kid meets your eyes, level in a way few men dare to, stares hard at you for a solid minute, then spares half a glance at Stryker before winking at the barefoot kid with a tiny shake of his head.
"Nah," he says.
Scene 18: Rogue
Bobby turns sheet white next to you, and you feel all the blood leave your face as Jubilee mentions two still-missing boys.
You avoid Jubilee's curious look and don't try to fight your boyfriend when he turns to you and hisses
"You lied to me!"
Any chance you had of finding the right words is gone now.
Instead, you watch him rush forward as John climbs into the jet behind Artie and Logan, watch John's surprise at being met here by Bobby and two blankets, watch the matching open displays of relief and know things will never be the same.
Scene 19: Scott
You cannot think. Professor Xavier is talking to the President, but you cannot concentrate on the words, can hear nothing above the menacing rush of water. You're glad none of the students are watching you, your students who have been through hell and who were so brave and of whom Jean was so proud. This is important, this conversation will determine their future, you try to listen but all you hear is the waves and
a snap-click sound
the familiar, hypnotizing snap-click that disrupts your classes and doesn't care about integrals at all.
Concentrating on it, you feel calm.
The End
ETA: Feel free to discuss what you would have done differently. Now followed by What you make of it, This Thanksgiving drabble and An Alternate Universe in 19 Scenes, "The Last Stand" Edition.
Author: mayachain (ms_jvh_shuh)
Pairing: Bobby/Rogue, John
Rating: R for a certain scene
Word Count: 1900 (without titles)
Summary: One of Stryker's soldiers kidnaps St John during the raid in X2. Things play out differently accordingly.
Warning: I experimented with the writing style on two different levels, which means it a) is a drabble series and b) contains multiple second-person pov. Please pay attention to the scene titles to know who is who.
An Alternate Universe in 19 Scenes
Scene 01: St John
You bolt out of bed, Siryn's piercing scream in your ears. Lunging forward, you know it's already too late, a black-clad figure in your doorway's pulling a trigger and something hits you in the chest.
Gun, you think as your vision goes blurry fast, tranq gun as you go down and your reaching arm falls short, lands empty and numb at your side. Your last thought is Bobby's not - ; the world goes black before you get to here.
When the soldier carries your limp form out of the door, your shark lighter remains forlornly on the night stand.
Scene 02: Marie
"Rooogue!"
The voice stops you short, increases your panic because you can't find Logan and you don't think Bobby's ever sounded afraid before.
"Have you seen John?" he asks breathlessly, a brief touch on your arm shows his relief; he's found you, at least.
You try to recall the group of students rushing by you, feet skipping so fast making out their faces was near impossible. "He's with Pete," you say and take up running, don't wait for his response. It's not safe to stay here, and you need to find Logan.
John's with Pete. You're almost 100% sure.
Scene 03: Bobby
The silence in the car is stifling. No-one says a word, but you can hear the questions Rogue doesn't want to ask the man who saved her while you're sitting behind her, all the things Logan also doesn't want to say in your presence.
You're almost glad John isn't here to laugh at you. Still, it seems unfair that Rogue will be the first to meet your parents.
You morosely watch Logan's futile attempt to use the car's cigarette lighter. When he fumbles with the emerging piece of com tech, you wish Scott were driving this car so, so hard.
Scene 04: St John
"Where are we?" a very young voice asks and you scramble upright.
Some fucking soldiers drugged you, and five others too, looks like, and you don't know where you are and you've never been this scared.
If Bobby were here you'd tell him, but everyone in this cell is younger than you.
You don't know what they plan to do to you, but you have an idea, and you kind of wish the drugs had taken your imagination. You're lighterless, defenceless, and you're amazed that the midgets still believe you when you swallow hard and say
"I'll protect you."
Scene 05: Bobby
"This is all my fault," Mom says, and you wish you could say something, anything to make it better.
"No, it's not," you choke out and hate how weak it sounds, hate how the soldiers sprung this confrontation on you. You wish Professor Xavier could put the conversation on hold for you so you could run after Ronnie, wish Scott were here instead of Logan antagonizing your parents, wish Dr Grey were here to explain the intricacies of genetics. You shoot Dad a pleading look, helpless, desperate.
Rogue's warm leg next to yours is the only thing that grounds you.
Scene 06: Jubilee
It's not something you've ever done before. In fact, you're quite sure you've never even been in the Danger Room together.
Yet when Pyro asks very quietly for a piece of paper, you understand immediately what he wants to try. One of the kids - Artie, he says his name is - offers up a bent and beaten Pokemon card. Your hand shakes as you take it from him.
You never were a team. You've both been drugged.
It might not work.
"When the door opens," Pyro says and you nod, a teeny-tiny plasma spark running up your index finger.
Scene 07: Bobby
For a moment, there's only Rogue's shocked, ragged breathing beside you. Then the policeman shouts to lie down, a voice you've known all your life pitching in.
"Officers, please," your father says.
You try to slow down your pounding heart beat, thinking Dad will fix this.
It's the last thing you think before Rogue grabs your arm
and you can't move
and the world freezes.
…Later, there's the sound of the X-Jet landing and Rogue's frantic "Bobby, Bobby get up" and Logan's "c'mon, bub, run," and a whole new bunch of sirens screaming and a lady cop who is dead.
Scene 08: St John
You've tried to ignore the subject of food, of six people thrown into a room together with not even a latrine, and nothing to drink.
It's been maybe ten hours and no-one's come to see you. You can't quite decide if that's a good or a bad thing.
The youngest girl is the first to break. She tries to pee as far into a corner as she can; staring at your hands, you pretend no hidden cameras exist, wish someone would come so you could burn them to a crisp. You pull her onto your lap as she starts to cry.
Scene 09: Rogue
"Think they're doin' this as well?" Bobby asks as you try to start a campfire.
"Who?" you mumble wearily.
"John, Pete and the others." His voice is soft, shaky.
"Sure," you say, trying for confident, breaking yet another match stick as his emotions and thoughts ricochet inside your head.
They're friends, you know, but you never thought about how much it must mean to them to have known each other this long.
You know you saw a figure with caramel brown hair running after Piotr.
It was John, you are certain of it. It was. It has to have been.
Scene 10: St John
"At least the others are safe," Jubilee whispers into the anxious quiet of your first class hotel room, her fingers cramping around the Pokemon card in her hand.
The little girl on your lap relaxes considerably at the imagined freedom of a best friend.
"Yeah," your voice says, encouragingly.
You don't have the heart to tell the kids that there's no guarantee there's only one cell, that the six of you are the only ones that got captured.
That you're all still alive doesn't mean the soldiers didn't kill anyone, either, and you really really wish you could forget that.
Scene 11: Bobby
You resent the way your eyes seem to track her now, your every move cautious in a way you were sure you would never feel towards her.
But you cannot forget the emptiness you felt when your powers were drawn out of you, into her, with a speed and a strength she had no chance to gain control over.
You watch her tense as your rescuers laugh at her, and you hate the man with the intimidating helmet for ever giving her nightmares. Still, you wonder whether Magneto or Mystique comprehends just how dangerous it has become to taunt her.
Scene 12: Marie
It's too quiet inside the jet, too quiet ever since the adults left. A part of you wants to run after Logan, but you don't really want to leave Bobby who'd want to guard the jet alone. Besides, the outside reminds you of a woman who died, and in the middle of a fight you'd be nothing but a liability.
It just kills you to wait, kills you not to know, kills you to have so much quiet time with your boyfriend sitting beside you, thinking of his family, and his voice alternating with Logan's and Magneto's in your head.
Scene 13: St John
It doesn't quite work, but maybe it's a good thing that it doesn't.
A sudden *bampf* sound scares the crap out of you,
startles Jubilee
and there's a sizzle, something happens to the piece of paper but when you try to do something with it it's not quite enough, maybe it's the drugs or it's the wrong kind of spark but there's only smoke, only smoke but no fire and five kids gasping for air and you're failing them, you're failing them but then
there's a hand on your shoulder
and a voice you know,
Storm's voice,
"Easy. Easy, John."
Scene 14: Storm
You fall to your knees as the pain brings you down,
have to get to Charles,
have to find Jean,
have to fight the scream in your mind and the hurricanes wanting to escape straight out of your brain
to protect the children.
You hope to God there are no soldiers approaching, pray to the God only Kurt believes in that someone will do something.
Then somewhere, someone does and you sob your relief, once, and have to fight back tears for real once you see the heap your students lie in, hugging; Funk, Sid, Artie, Jubilee, Pyro and Syrin.
Scene 15: Marie
Suddenly, the pain is gone, and you feel Bobby let go of your hand the very same second. He's not looking at you, and the danger may be over but you still feel your world crumble beneath you, sitting up on the cold metal floor, breathing hard, trying to get your bearings.
You still hear him think how much he loves you inside your head, but he's not looking at you and it hurts, it hurts and you have to do something, so you stumble forward and try to figure out how to make the jet move for you.
Scene 16: Bobby
The landing is so much worse than you'd expected, so much worse than any of Scott's. When this is over, you are never going to board a plane again. There's a surge of pride that Rogue's managed to do this, and you ignore the voice that says your girlfriend almost got you killed.
You freeze at the terrible/welcome sight of the group running toward the Blackbird. God, you were right, the soldiers really did take children
and you
did nothing to stop them.
You did nothing, but you can do this: You can open the hatch and find blankets.
Scene 17: Logan
You turn away from Stryker and look at the punk kid that trailed after you with waves of distrust and protectiveness in his scent.
"You got a problem?" you ask, a valid question since the kid was raised by Xavier and, like the barefoot kid in your arms, just saw you condemn a man to death.
The kid meets your eyes, level in a way few men dare to, stares hard at you for a solid minute, then spares half a glance at Stryker before winking at the barefoot kid with a tiny shake of his head.
"Nah," he says.
Scene 18: Rogue
Bobby turns sheet white next to you, and you feel all the blood leave your face as Jubilee mentions two still-missing boys.
You avoid Jubilee's curious look and don't try to fight your boyfriend when he turns to you and hisses
"You lied to me!"
Any chance you had of finding the right words is gone now.
Instead, you watch him rush forward as John climbs into the jet behind Artie and Logan, watch John's surprise at being met here by Bobby and two blankets, watch the matching open displays of relief and know things will never be the same.
Scene 19: Scott
You cannot think. Professor Xavier is talking to the President, but you cannot concentrate on the words, can hear nothing above the menacing rush of water. You're glad none of the students are watching you, your students who have been through hell and who were so brave and of whom Jean was so proud. This is important, this conversation will determine their future, you try to listen but all you hear is the waves and
a snap-click sound
the familiar, hypnotizing snap-click that disrupts your classes and doesn't care about integrals at all.
Concentrating on it, you feel calm.
The End
ETA: Feel free to discuss what you would have done differently. Now followed by What you make of it, This Thanksgiving drabble and An Alternate Universe in 19 Scenes, "The Last Stand" Edition.