"Ahh, good, you're here," said Mick. "I was beginning to think you wouldn't show up."
"I nearly didn't," Rogue replied.
Ever since she got Mick's message, Rogue had debating it over and over with herself. The green mutant told her to beware the Caretakers. Mick worked for the Caretakers. Mick saved her life. Or did he? Maybe the whole thing was a setup to lure her in... into what though? The agony of not knowing was terrible.
At finally deciding not to go, she found herself going anyway, although late.
"After all," Rogue told herself, "if I go I have an opportunity to learn some stuff. And if I don't Mick may well track me down again anyway.".
Mick gave Rogue an apprasing look and nodded.
"Come," he said. "Let me show you around."
He lead her into the building.
"Just what is this all about?" Rogue asked.
"As I mentioned when we first met, the Caretakers are an international mutant rights protection agency. It's completely under the radar - some of the countries we work in don't even know we exist," Mick paused. "Most of them, actually. It's better that way. Especially those who technically don't have mutant rights. We believe that mutants have the same rights as any humans. It's good that there are now countries that are introducing them, though. These countries we make ourselves known to, of course - but only at the highest level."
Rogue seemed to mull this over.
"It is not our interest to be vilgilanties," Mick went on, "we're more interested in providing mutants with the opportunity they need to make a better life for themselves in a world that hates and despises them - despite what laws may be written on paper."
"So... what do you want with me?"
Mick was about to respond when he was interupted:
"Sir!" said the young man, panting. "You're needed at the infirmary right away, sir."
"Why?" Mick asked, frowning but alarmed, "what's the matter?"
"It's Ms Marvel, sir."
"I see. We'll be right there."
The young man nodded and left. Mick turned to Rogue.
"Come with me," he instructed.
Mick then set off at a pace that Rogue briefly struggled to keep up with. They went up a couple of floors in the elevator and Rogue wondered that Mick could find his way with all the twists and turns they made.
Still, they soon arrived in the infirmary, and a nurse directed them to Ms Marvel's room. A doctor was sitting next to her prone body in the hospital bed, watching the equipment.
"What happened?" Mick asked.
The doctor twisted his head around to see Mick and Rogue, stood and turned to face them.
"She was found two hours ago in the street," he replied.
"Why wasn't I notified sooner?"
"I don't know. I was too busy trying to do what I could for her. She was badly beaten, and not just with fists either. There are stab wounds and some injuries clearly came from blunt instruments. Piping I think. Mick... there's nothing else I can do. Even if she does survive some of the more serious injuries, she'll be destined to spend the rest of her life as a vegetable."
"Are you sure?"
"Quite sure."
"We need to get a telepath then. The information that she has is -"
The doctor silenced Mick with a raise of his hand.
"You'll not get one here in time," he said, pointing to one of the displays. "And even if you did, it appears that the telepathic entrance to her mind has collapsed. They won't get anything."
Mick studied the displayed, then whirled around to look at Rogue.
"Does your power work telepathically?"
Rogue frowned.
"Umm," she said, "I have to touch them."
"Yes, I know that. But does it... oh nevermind," Mick frowned.
"I'm not really sure how it works," Rogue said. "It could be telepathic I suppose, but I don't believe it's just that, given that I can borrow people's powers too."
"You might be able to help us then," Mick said. "Ms Marvel is one of our best operatives. She was on a very important mission, and any information she may have could be vitally important. We need that information."
Rogue shook her head.
"You don't know what you're asking. If I absorb her, I'll take all of her. My power absorbs people's lifeforce. I won't just have her memories, I'll have her in my head for the rest of my life. If I touch her now, she'll die. She'll have no life force left."
"You hear the good doctor," Mick said, frowning. "Even if she does survive, she'll be a vegetable. That's no way to live. You'll be doing her a favour. Don't let her death - or her life - be in vain."
Rogue eyes flickered between Ms Marvel and Mick. There was a certain harshness about Mick, Rogue felt, an insensitivity. And yet he was also right.
"Excuse me, miss," the doctor spoke up, "I don't know exactly what this is all about, but there is nothing else I can do for Ms Marvel, as I said. If you do have a way of retriving the information she holds, it would be greatly appreciated by everyone here - especially Ms Marvel herself. You said that you'll have her in your head - well, then you would know how she feels about the situation."
"That would be after the fact though."
"Well, then if Ms Marvel feel violated by the experience, you can always refuse to pass on what you learn."
Mick frowned even more at this.
"I... I suppose..."
There was silence for a moment.
"Okay," Rogue finally agreed. "But if either of you have deceived me..."
The two men nodded. Rogue took the glove from her hand - she didn't really need them anymore, now that she had learnt power control from using her atom manipulation, but she still like to wear them.
Rogue swallowed and her hand touched Ms Marvel's bare arm. In a moment her power kicked in and she started absobring her life force. Absently, as her mind started filling with Ms Marvel's life story, she noticed that there was an awful lot of life force for a dying woman. But Rogue supposed it made sense - Ms Marvel wasn't especially old and were it not for the injuries she would have lived for many years. She also noticed that the injuries were eating away at Ms Marvel life force even as she was absorbing it.
The machines were going crazy, and then finally relaxed into one long beep as Rogue pulled her hand away. The doctor checked the clock and announced the time of death as Rogue turned to face the two men.
"Rogue?" Mick asked.
Rogue frowned.
"Call me Ms Marvel," she said.