Helicopters passed overhead through the blackness of the night time sky. There were no doubts about their destination, or what they contained - more armed soldiers to breach the mansion and attack those who hadn’t been so lucky to escape. The vehicle Logan had stolen raced along through the darkness, across the winding country lanes, the wheels gripping to the tarmac smoothly as they wound the narrow roads. Logan was speedily putting as much distance between them and the mansion as possible, and had no qualms about his reckless driving. The pair had sat in silence for a good fifteen minutes before Rogue found her voice and quietly spoke up. “Aren’t you gonna go back?”
“Go back?” repeated Logan sharply; giving her a sidelong look of mingled disbelief and irritation. “Go back? And why the hell should we go back?”
“Logan, you might have just left them to their deaths! You gave them no tip-off or anythin’!” exclaimed Rogue as she turned in her seat to glare at him.
Logan took his eyes from her, jamming the gear stick into fifth violently as if it had done him a personal wrong. “Oh, they got their tip-off,” he muttered under his breath, harshly flying them around a corner so swiftly Rogue felt her stomach protest in a tight somersault. “I’m sick of them,” he continue to murmur vehemently, voice almost lost amongst the smooth yowling of the engine.
“What?” cried Rogue, affronted, “Sick of them? After everything they’ve done for you? For me!”
At this, Logan slammed the brakes on so harshly; Rogue was flung against her tightening seatbelt with an unexpected yelp. Having screeched to a halt at the roadside, thick dust flew up from the tyres, spiralling up in clouds. Rogue flopped back against her seat with a strained gasp. Logan turned in his seat, resting his bent upper arm besides his headrest as he fixated a glare on her. “For the danger they’re constantly puttin’ you in.”
“Oh, so you quickly forgave yourself for all the danger you put me in?” retorted Rogue before she realised what she had said and quickly averted her eyes.
Logan’s eyes remain locked upon her head as it bowed shyly from him, her hands anxiously fingering each other. “I’ve never forgiven myself for that,” he muttered quietly into the tense air about them. “I never will.”
“Yeah, well, you forget it quick enough,” murmured Rogue softly, refusing to lift her eyes from her hands.
“So is this how it’s gonna be, is it?” Logan said with a small snarl on his tone. “Guilt trip me every time somethin’ doesn’t go your way?”
Abandoning aversion, Rogue threw a fierce glare upon him, “We’ve just fled the mansion at the time they need us most. To me, that’s cowardly!”
“Oh, yeah?” growled Logan, “Well, go back then!” He threw open his car door, stalking round the front of the bonnet before he reached her side of the vehicle. The door was roughly yanked open, revealing Rogue staring up at him. “Go back,” he muttered again, “go back and be the hero.”
Feeling furious beyond comprehension, Rogue ripped her seatbelt free and rose out of the car with a challenging glare. “You’re supposed to be the hero, Logan. You’re supposed to be one the one who can make everything better, what happened to that, huh?” Rogue may have stood a foot below Logan, but it didn’t diminish the lack of fear in her sparkling eyes.
“Who told you I was a hero?” he retorted quietly, moving closer, uncomfortably closer. “Whoever told you that lied. I ain’t no hero.”
Rogue assertively kept her chin tilted up, her blazing eyes remaining on his as she spoke. “You are to me.”
“No I’m not. I’m the guy that puts you in danger, remember?” He was now so close she could feel his warm breath against her face amongst the cold night time air.
Rogue swallowed slowly, refusing to be cowed by his fierce expression and unnervingly close proximity. “I think that’s for me to decide.”
“Make a choice, kid,” he muttered, the condensation of his breath spiralling out to caress her face. “You’re either comin’ with me, or you’re stayin’ with them.”
“How dare you give me the ultimatum,” Rogue whispered, her voice now shaky, but with cold or anger, she didn’t know. She stood stock still as she glared up at Logan, inside torn, hurt and confused by his behaviour. Was this Wolverine still prowling behind his harsh eyes since the bloodbath at the mansion? “What happened to us? To me and you stickin’ together no matter what?”
“I think you lost sight of that the moment you started takin’ me for granted,” came the growl. Rogue’s eyes flared in rage, the accumulating tears there hot and fierce. Unable to respond beyond erratic splutters of fury, Rogue turned to stride from him, but Logan’s arm abruptly darted out before her path, his palm latching onto the roof of the car and fencing her in with his torso, the car and the opened door.
Rogue slowly moved her eyes back onto him, the flicker of amusement in his eyes both infuriating and disgusting her. A predatory smirk flickered across his lips, only driving Rogue’s increasing anger. “Don’t push me, Logan,” she whispered, her voice trembling and this time she knew it was her boiling fury. The chuckle he dared to let forth threw her into an explosion of fiery rage, her gloved hand launched out to grab the offending arm that blocked her. Surprising Logan, she abruptly jolted it, twisting it till she heard his strangled noise of pain. Her knee sharply flew up into his gut; foot racing out to meet his unprotected abdomen once more and propelling him away from her.
Panting heavily, Rogue spun to face him as he stumbled to a halt a few feet away from her. Her eyes burned through her untidy strands of hair, glare fixated on him so fiercely. Logan slowly straightened, gasping a little from the attack. He appeared shocked, almost confused at what had just happened. “Marie.. what - ?”
“That’s what several Danger Room sessions with Storm can do,” Rogue replied sharply, her anger bringing forth her confidence as she glowered at Logan. “I’m goin’ back to the mansion. Goodbye, Logan.” With that, she turned on her heel, speedily walking down the dark road with fierce strides of her legs.
“Marie!” Logan cried again, taking a few steps forth before she picked up her speed and he lost her sprinting form into the darkness of the night.
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