Finding You

[theycalledmeacurse]

I know forever don't exist
But after this life, I'll find you in the next
So when I say "forever," it's the goddamn truth
I'll keep finding you...

Aliens. Of all the things that could have gone wrong on her first solo business trip for the school, somehow aliens hadn't really made the list of possibilities. Breaking a shoe on the way to the donor's office, her car breaking down on the way into the city, getting food poisoning from bad sushi — the list went on and on, but aliens had never really occurred to her. Staring up at the giant armored worm thing flying above the street a few blocks down, she realizes that apparently it should have.

It takes time for her to fight the crowds fleeing the epicenter of the attack, each second feeling like an hour, and then she's faced with one of those creatures, its weapon pointing straight at her—

Reflexes honed by years of training sessions in the Danger Room have her dropping just in time, the car behind her taking the brunt of the impact with a metallic screech, and then she's back on her feet, a short metal stick in her hand expanding to a full-length staff. She wastes no time in swinging it at her enemy with practiced force, focused on damaging that armor enough to get hold of its weapon. Once she has it, she should be able to take them out much more efficiently.

It's a good thing everyone is more focused on the alien invasion than the woman with the weird hair trying to play ninja in a business suit.

Comments

[theycalledmeacurse]

...what.

How can he not know. The idea can't even process properly in her mind, it's so incomprehensible that someone could not know about them. But he's not lying, she can see that clearly.

Opening her mouth to respond, she jumps instead as her pocket buzzes suddenly. The phone she extracts from the inside jacket pocket has a cracked screen thanks to one punch or another, but the display is still readable, a line of text that she reads quickly before tapping it away.

"I have to go," she explains, an air of apology in the words. "My team will be here soon."

Reaching back into the pocket, she pulls out a business card with a bent corner and holds it out to him. "Do some research. If, after that, you still wanna talk - this is how to reach me." Her name is written there on one side, Rogue with a phone number below it, and on the other side a stylized X. "But I won't blame you if you don't."

[on_ur_left]

Team. She's got a team?

...shit, his team! They're probably still waiting for him in the Tower. Steve takes the card, eyes a little wide as he internally panics a little, wondering just how long he's been sitting here wallowing in his own problems, ignoring his teammates. Tony's probably throwing a bitch-fit by now.

Looking at the card, his eyes soften a little, his thumb brushing lightly over the word Rogue. His gaze flicks back to her face, her hair. She may be Marie - different life experiences, different person, but essentially Marie all over again - but Rogue fits her perfectly.

There are a hundred, a thousand things he wants to say to her. None of them seem right, so he just gives a nod of his head, and settles on, "Thank you."

[theycalledmeacurse]

"See ya around, sugar."

She gives him a smile, perhaps the first since they've met (certainly the first real one), then hauls herself up off the ground. Her wounded leg is favored with practice and she doesn't give him the chance to even think about offering her help before she's upright and heading off down the street.

Halfway down the block her phone is out again as she gives a damage report and suggestions of where to begin helping with search and rescue operations. Hopefully the police don't fight them this time; they just want to help.