It was dehumanizing. It burned anger inside of him. They were being treated like cattle. He tried to calm the students; he didn't want any troubles or have any incidents that could lead to any violent outbursts at this point. He only hoped this mutant registration crap would be ended by the pro-mutant lobby's activities very soon. He had a hard enough time controlling his own emotions and anger, let alone trying to convince the older students especially to comply.
Rogue felt angry as well. She stood in an all-too-familiar line, being prodded into a processing room. She had Magneto's memories burned into her own. She couldn't tell at this point where he ended and her own feelings began. She grew scared as her turn approached. She could only see Scott and Storm down the hall. She wished they would be closer. Needed someone to control her shaking right now. Why weren't they stopping them? Magneto's emotions flowed through her no matter how much she tried to repress them and maintain control. She panicked and got claustrophobic. She couldn't be here. Her arm started to burn from the last time she was branded -- well, Magneto, but it felt like it was in her arm too.
Finally they came for her. Persecution, hate, fear, terror...she remembered it all. A man grabbed her arm to escort her forward and she resisted. He forced her along, dragging her into another room. She refused to be moved and pulled back every step of the way. The guard was not happy. She yelled out loud for someone to help her, begging for it as pure terror shone through her voice.
Scott heard in the other room but a police office drew his gun and told him to remain where he was. Scott didn't want anyone hurt so he complied listening to Rogue's screams. He tried again to reason with the man but the guard shoved Scott back and pointed a gun at him to remain there.
"Let go of me!" was screeched down the hall.
Bobby, St. John and rest were forced to remain still with guns drawn on them. St. John tried to break through anyway but received a punch across the jaw, landing him to the floor. "Now stay back and don't move!" the officer ordered.
Scott needed to go to her, calm her down before she hurt herself or someone else. He knew Magneto's memories must be controlling her to some degree; she was calm up till then. He didn't want things to get out of hand. No one would listen to him.
"No, please! Don't do this again, you won't do this to me again!" She was crying terribly. Finally one of the men grabbed her, forcing her into the chair for the doctor's examination of her mutant powers. She kept raging about and the man secured her face to hold her still. Bare hand to bare flesh, and both screamed. The man because his life was being taken from him and Rogue for the flood of pain, memories, emotions into her body.
The rest of the doctors fell back as the guard collapsed on the floor, none of them knowing what to do or what had happened. Rogue was stunned for just a second -- then she sprang up and out of the chair.
She ran.
"Freeze!" was shouted behind her.
Scott saw her run. "Rogue stop!"
His cries were useless. Finally a guard snatched her up and she elbowed him. Another officer, in confusion, drew his gun and fired.
"NO!"
BANG!
Rogue stopped...stunned...and she collapsed as pain, hot and burning, soared through her abdomen and chest.
Scott didn't care about the guards and ran to her. Blood flowed from her wound as he cradled her in his arms.
"Call an ambulance!" he shouted. Every effort to move was stopped by the guards with guns.
"It hurts," was all she said.
He tried to stop the bleeding by pressing down. She cried out in pain. "Sorry...I'm so sorry." Where was Jean or Logan? They could help her. He could do nothing.
"You're gonna be fine, just hold on." He turned back to the guards who were just staring at him. "Call an ambulance!"
Finally Storm tried again and was faced with resistance. "Don't move!"
"Then shoot me," she stated defiantly and went to call for a doctor. The guard didn't stop her.
The blood was getting darker, not a good sign. Her breath was filled with blood and it trickled out the side of her mouth. "I don't want another number...no more numbers on my arm." Her voice was trembling.
He brushed her hair back and he started to cry. He was losing her. It wasn't right. The fearless, non-emotional Scott couldn't hold back his anger, love and fear any more. He cried for the woman he held in his arms. She was dying and he could do nothing but watch her, her eyes, her face, just watch.
"Please hang on, Rogue, please, for me..." he was begging.
Her breath gurgled with blood. She couldn't breathe, drowning in her own blood as the bullet had hit her lung. She was crying and was in so much pain. "I'm scared. Promise me, no more numbers on my arm, please don't let them put one on me."
"I promise you they won't." His one voice failing him when he wanted to say the right thing to take all the pain and fear away. Her eyes grew distant and heavy. Finally, she closed them and a few moments later her body went limp in his arms.
"ROGUE!" He hugged her lifeless body so close to his chest, placing his lips to her forehead, her touch no longer deadly. How could this have gone so wrong. He tried so had to stop anything from happening, what did he do wrong?!
Scott began to curse the world and the people who took her away from him, from the X-Men, her friends, family. She was young, had so much to offer the world. She cared so much, gave so much love. How could anyone think she'd hurt another living soul? She was just scared, scared and so afraid. It wasn't even her so much as the people inside of her too that caused her panic.
He hadn't protected her. He failed as a leader. Guilt swelled within his heart. He was the leader. It was his job to look out the team, his friends and family. He'd let her down. She was no threat to anyone, why did they shoot her, why did they have to kill her?
He was overpowered with grief and rage. The guard who'd shot her took it as nothing to care about and continued the ID process. The halls were silent. Scott remained on the floor with Rogue's body nestled in his arms. He wouldn't let go.
When his eyes rose to meet Storm's, all logic and care was gone. Scott was gone from those eyes. She got the signal from him that the war had now just begun. Then her eyes went white...