House of M - Shield HQ (open)

[erin]

(We were getting so many plots and characters in House of M that I decided to move my characters back to HQ. So if you're a part of Shield or have some reason to be at Shield HQ, post here)

Rogue sat down at the mission briefing. Wolverine wasn't available, some mission had come up, so his trusty right-hand, Mystique was administering the lecture.

She listened for a second. Then disappeared into her mind, stuggling to contain Toynbee's anger and fighting to keep her own ego in check. It might be easy for her mother to never show mercy or compassion and keep her victims as objects and not as humans, but Rogue wasn't her. And it was one mistake. A mistake she'd never make again.

Toynbee snickered. He'd been in her head only for a little while but he knew her better than that. A poor abandoned kid...an orphan...that was her weakness.

Rogue gripped the sides of her chair, keeping a plastic smile on her lips. "Well, Toynbee's gone now. No use a-cryin' over spilled milk."

[mystique]

"And why is he gone, daughter?" Mystique said, placing her hands on the desk and leaning forward. "Why is he off to create more havoc for mutants...the traitor is able to continue his reign of terror on innocent mutants because you let him escape!"

She straightened, tightening the clasps on her uniform. "Never, ever forget that this is war. We have no mercy because we are given none. If you fail me again, you will regret it. Are we clear?"

[erin]

Rogue stood up. She knew she shouldn't. But she wasn't acting irrationally and she couldn't help herself. She ripped her shield insignia off her uniform and dropped it on the table.

"If showing mercy is wrong..." Rogue spat, "Then Ah don't want to be right. Ah'm done."

Toynbee snickered inside at Raven's face.

"So find yourself another assassin." Rogue turned on her heels, closing the door behind her with a sharp bang.

She wasn't going to hurt people anymore. It was wrong. And for the first time in her life, she wanted to do the right thing.