InsaneJournal

The bar was dark. It was tiny. It was seedy. And it was Rogue’s favorite kind of place. She got wind of the place and decided to go poke around. They were playing a weird mix of music - from rock to country - but they were all good songs she could listen to and enjoy. She slid to the bar and ordered a whiskey straight, and bobbed her head to the music. She tried to pull on any of those people in her head who had powers, snagging the memory of Logan’s good senses and forced it to the front. She wanted to be able to hear.

She downed the whiskey quick. That effort left her feeling weak. She really had to work on all this mess. She couldn’t handle being weak after pulling on something in her own HEAD for fucks sake. She sighed and ordered a second one, lashes lowered as a man sidled up close and started hitting on her. He wasn’t her type did she even have one? and was no eye candy, but he’d do for someone to buy her drinks.

He looked rough. Maybe he would be more useful than she thought originally. Slender fingers rested gently on his arm, making small talk, pulling all the while. She let his hand go to take a sip of the whiskey. So, people were whispering about cash being waved around. He’d been curious about that until he saw her. She effortless disengaged from him as she stepped into the crowd, red curls bouncing as she wove her way through. She hit the floor to dance a little and see what should could hear.

It was often hard to imagine her letting loose and enjoying the music. She was always wound tighter than a spring, She didn’t let people in much - Cindy had worked her way inside her walls, Lina always occupied a special place, Logan, Neena, Laura - they’d all gotten past her walls. Often to find other walls, but they were further than most. But it was that that gave her the ability to let go for a little bit and relax. She knew they worried about her (just as she worried about them) and she knew to make herself happy, and everyone else in the process, she had to finally relax.

Of course her idea of relaxing was starting a bar fight. But that was *details*. So while she danced lazily, she listened to those around her, catching whispers of backroom deals going on. Every now and then she’d see groups disappear into another room, it looked like a pool table room, and there was a guy at the door asking questions. She made her way over, having heard enough she could answer the question without issue. Rogue fluttered her lashes as she made her way into the crowded room. The doors were closed after a few more people came in.

Then people circulated handing out photos of people. Slender fingers took them as she cocked her head to the side. She was getting funny looks, she was the only woman in the group. Oh well. She looked at the photos and tried to keep any expression off her face. Garrus. Cindy. Neal. Pete. Laura. Someone she didn’t know. Her lips pursed as she listened to the people talking.

Cash money prizes for killing her friends. Cash money for those close to Garrus. A higher pot for whoever got Garrus. It was enough to make Rogue twitch. She slipped towards the doors, where no one was looking and shoved a pool cue through the handles, and tucked a chair underneath. Then she started. Fingers brushing those who looked like they just came for the money, gripping as they turned in annoyance. “Sugah, this ain’t your best decision in life” she muttered as the first dropped under her touch. She made it through a handful of regular joes. Names stored in her head as she let them sleep it off.

Then the guys passing out the photos and information caught wind. They crashed her nice party of quietly knocking people out. A sweet smile curled her lips. “Hello boys.” And it was on. Rogue liked nothing better than a good bar brawl, she managed to keep her phone in one hand (she had promised Cindy photos of course) getting pics of the mess - the people handing out the photos were captured on camera.

The fight was classic - it was a free for all to try to take down the little southern girl in their midst. She had the advantage. She could slide under pool tables and take out someone by yanking their leg then curling her fingers around the skin of their ankle. Rogue was grinning the whole time, too, happy enough to knock people out with her fist or a cue stick or the end of a pool table (they were going to have one hell of a cleaning bill here…). She slid in and out of trouble, catching people off guard.

Until a big guy grabbed her and threw her onto a table. She actually laughed - Logan had thrown her into the floor this month already she could handle the slightly softer table - but he pinned her down. Her lips curled downwards in a sneer as he pinned her arms down. The last thing she wanted was to knock his ass out and have him crush her. That would be incredibly embarrassing. Fingers flexed as she rocked her weight onto her shoulders, drew a knee up to her chest and pushed outwards, the man wasn’t expecting a knee to the chest and lost one hand on her wrist. Enough was enough. She rocked him with a hook and wiggled free, rolling and laying her palm on the back of his neck.

She was bleeding from cuts. She had a black eye coming in and she thought maybe she’d broken her nose. It felt weird. She was going to have bruises on bruises. But she felt alive. She must be a weird one, because she launched through the last couple of guys, humming as she did, only stopping when she got knocked into a table. She groaned as she pulled herself up, blood dripping in her eye as she she exchanged blows with the man, her head crowded feeling as she dropped the last guy.

Rogue leaned on the wall, fingers pulling her phone up to take a few more photos. Then she texted Cindy.


Then she pushed off the wall and ducked out the back door. She didn’t feel like walking through the bar dripping blood everywhere. Although she was satisfied when she heard some chick scream. Apparently she wanted to play pool. Guess she didn’t like the pile of mostly unconscious people. She circled around and picked up her bike, hopping on and taking off.


She only made it a few blocks away before the voices in her head where overwhelming. She pulled over by a bench and went to sit down. She typed furiously on her phone, writing down everything she’d seen and heard names wise and about the prize money. Mental details on what people looked like and how many she’d seen. Once it was out and on ‘paper’ as it were, she was able to close her eyes and try to shuffle everyone into a box. Her head was throbbing and she was irritable, there were too many people in her head right now. Most would fade to next to nothing soon but for now it was a party .



She laid her head back on the bench for a moment before pushing up and hopping back on the bike. If nothing else she had to get to either the cafe or home. She headed for the cafe, there was a tiny apartment above it, and she was going to crash there for now. She didn’t want to explain to Lina why her face looked like road kill.

Rogue stowed the bike and headed to the tiny apartment. She locked the door behind her and zombie walked into the bathroom. She stripped and tossed her clothes into the trash. She’d burn them later. Then took stock.

Her face looked like she went four rounds with Tyson - a black eye, her nose was broken, a bruise was forming along her cheek, a cut above her eyes. She swept her gaze over the rest of her. Bruises. Aching ribs. Did she crack that one? She wasn’t sure. Pool table corners were sharp. Her knuckles were angrily, bruising and streaked with red. Her white hair had streaks of blood in it. The bruises were nothing. She didn’t mind them.

She looked like she’d gone a few rounds with some heavy hitters. There wasn’t a limb that didn’t have some sort of bruise on it. Her arm had one from the guy who pinned her. From where his fingers were. She groaned a bit and turned on the hot water. It was going to hurt but she was okay with this. She stepped in and leaned on the wall, letting the water wash off the blood. It stung on some parts of her body. Others it soothed.

Her phone went off. She reached out, dried a hand, and checked it one handed. Then sent another text off.