New Alliances (Bobby)

[mero]

A week had passed since Merfonde had helped the X-men and Brotherhood rescue their people from the Nightmares. Since the events, everything had been unnervingly quiet, as if the world knew something had happened, but no one knew exactly what it was. No one had seen Cain since she'd near killed him, and some people were beginning to think Cain had been killed, that someone had taken him down out of sight of the public. For the moment, very few villainous mutants were pulling any stunts, if only because everyone was so paranoid about what was going on. And when things weren't busy to capacity, Merfonde found herself irritatedly bored.

She'd decided to keep an ear in the happenings of the X-men since the Island, if only because she'd noticed something odd about Rose, and wanted to make sure she didn't do anything unusually stupid. What she heard wasn't good news. They'd let the mentally unstable Ian escape when he found out Rose wanted his memories of her erased. If that weren't bad enough, there had been little news of the teenager since he vanished. Rose had turned her back to the school, leaving them behind with no intention of returning. To say Merfonde was worried was an understatement. When you had a knowledge network like the Order's, you were able to do as much digging as you wanted, and Merfonde had been doing a lot of digging. What she found... Well she had contacted Bobby Drake and near ordered him to meet her in Central Park.

Merfonde sat on a park bench, her bag next to her as she stared out into space, just waiting impatiently. The longer he took, the less time they would have.

[bobby]

Bobby couldn't believe all that had happened. Ian was gone, Rose had left suddenly, and things had gotten quiet around town. Which didn't sit well with him at all, and even Apocalypse was on edge from what Crystal had reported. Xavier still hadn't woken up from his injuries, which were healing slowly, and Bobby still hadn't seen any sign of Rogue, Tim or David anywhere.

He sitting in his room when he heard the phone rang, and when he picked up he almost dropped it. Merfonde was on the other end, wanting to meet with him, but she wouldn't say why, only that there wasn't much time left. He had built up enough trust and respect towards the bounty hunter to nod and tell her that he would be there. It took him a while, but he was soon in central park walking towards the spot where she said to meet. It didn't take him long to spot her either, her tattoo still shown on her skin, her bag sitting neatly next to her like it did in the helicopter. He walked around to the other side of the bench to greet her.

"Hey, what's going on? You said it was important."

[mero]

Merfonde's arms were folded as she leaned back, still seeming to be in deep thought. Only when she heard Bobby's voice did she even move, her eyes slowly blinking and glancing up to gaze at him steadily. A few moments passed, and she sighed, sitting up and reaching into her bag to pull out a yellow folder. "I did some digging at our archive, after I left." Our meaning the Order, where it was, she didn't bother telling him, and even if he asked she wouldn't tell. The location of the Order was a secret, only full fledged Hunters were allowed to know. "It's not good news, either."

She waited only a few moments before flipping the folder open. There were plenty of papers scattered inside, a few pictures, and other things, but so far she didn't do anything with them. She'd get to that in a minute. "You should sit down. This isn't a light subject, nor will it be short." She ran her fingers through her hair, brushing it over her shoulders. "Something had been bothering me. Rose's out of character behavior, turning on everyone, even those she trusted with her life." It shouldn't surprise Bobby that Merfonde knew what had happened between Ian, Bobby, Parker, and Rose. "I don't want my suspicions to be right, so I need your help. Did she tell you anything that she never would have said before? Something that you might have just overlooked as passionate speaking?"

If Bobby thought, he might recall one thing. One thing that Rose had said that would shock anyone, but had been overlooked in the heat of the moment. "I’ll damn my soul to Hell if that’s the cost"

[bobby]

"Just my luck, more bad news."

He rolled his eyes when she said that what she had wasn't good. He moved to sit next to her, but giving a little space when she told him to sit down. He looked into the folder as she opened it, and as she suspected, there was no surprise that she knew what had gone on at the mansion. She told him the day they met that the bounty hunters were everywhere, so it wouldn't surprise him in the least if there had been one walking around the school.

"Yeah, ever since we got to that island she's been acting weird, almost crazy if I can put it to a word."

When she asked him if Rose had said anything that might have been out of her character. Bobby tried to forget that conversation, but the more he thought, the clearer it seemed to be. He looked to Merfond and nodded.

"Yeah, she said something about damming her soul to hell for the cost."

He knew he may have confused her with that, so he started from the beginning. He told her about Rose's cold reaction when Ian didn't move off the ground, to her and Parker's confrontation in the infirmary, and finally to where he had turned and left them, telling her that her search for Ian would be done without him.

"I knew it was a hard thing for me to do, but I couldn't help her with that. I couldn't let her do that to Ian."

[mero]

Hearing Bobby's explanation on the events, Merfonde didn't move an inch. No emotion registered on her face even her eyes, until he finished. When he finished, she shook her head almost in dismay, letting out a sigh. "Great. Well that's exactly what I'd been hoping wouldn't happen. Things are worse then I thought." Bobby didn't know what was happening, all he knew was that he didn't like the way she was acting. If he realized just what was going on...

"Rose is trying to erase everything of her former life, even people's memories. Her motives... I'm not sure. She could be ashamed of the things she's planning on doing. Maybe she doesn't want anyone close to her trying to follow her, or save her from her choices." She paused for a moment, before shifting through the papers, pulling one out and staring down at it with an intent look. Finally she turned it for Bobby to see. Attached to it was a picture of a girl who looked remarkably like Rose's original body, only about seventeen years old. "Do you know who this is?" She covered the name attached to it with her fingers, so he would have to guess. It was a little bizzare, the girl in the picture looked like she could be Rose's twin, with the same soft but willing to do anything look in her eyes.

[bobby]

"But why? I don't see what she has to be ashamed of, though she blames herself for everything that's happened to Ian, and her family wants her except for Sky and Parker."

Though he didn't say much about Sky, knowing that as soon as Cain was back on his feet and with his wife and child, he would tell her everything that happened and that would put a bullseye on both Rose, Ian and both the mansion and the brotherhood. The entire world would be a battle ground and the Nightmares would be the primary cause, no doubt with Cain and Shadow leading the assault. That thought sent chills down the iceman's back.

When she held the picture for him to see, asking him to guess who it belonged to, he thought for a moment. It couldn't be Rose, otherwise her name would be uncovered. He thought for moment, but the idea he had wasn't exactly right, it couldn't be could it? There's no way that cheerful could be either Sky or Shadow.

"Um...I know it couldn't be right, but that looks alot like either Sky or Shadow. But it couldn't be either of them, they're both insane."

[mero]

Merfonde just shrugged, as if the answer were already obvious. "On the Island, Ian saw her as a demon. He saw her in the one form she never wished him to see." A short pause. "Everyone has things in their past that they regret, but otherwise wouldn't change, because they wouldn't be where they are today. The best we can do is never tell anyone those dark secrets. And Rose believes she's going to have to do some terrible, maybe even evil, things to stop Cain. It sounds like she wants Ian to forget her, so she doesn't have to live with him knowing exactly what she's had to do. That he might feel betrayed if he knows."

Bobby obviously didn't trust his instinct as much as she'd first thought. "It's Shadow." The way she spoke was as if it were completely obvious. "Haven't you heard anyone who knows the two saying Rose was near identical to Shadow?" Merfonde sighed, turning the page back to her and staring down at it. "No one is born evil. Not even Shadow. She was passionate for her believes, and would do anything, and I mean anything, to reach her goal. Soon... She turned against the whole world. Rose is unknowingly going down that exact same path."

[bobby]

"But Ian would never do that, she should know him well enough by now."

He looked at the picture as she removed her thumb from the name. He didn't believe it, but when she spoke of how some said that her and Shadow looked alike, he couldn't believe he had forgotten. He looked to her as she explained about how Shadow wasn't evil, though it was hard to believe. He couldn't imagine that someone so evil would've once been willing to help those in need.

"Wait, you mean that Shadow wasn't all bad, that she actually helped people?" he looked from the picture up to Merfonde, "And now Rose is becoming just like her?"

He had to admit that thought scared him. Rose was trained by Shadow to be ruthless and unfeeling, and Rose had the power to resist and escape. To hear that Rose was now willingly and unknowingly going down the same bath Shadow did was making him more nervous about the whole deal. What did this mean for the rest of them?

"The only one that can talk any sense into her is Ian, and he's afraid of her. If anyone even mentioned bringing him to see her he'd run."

[mero]

"People do some stupid things, expecting others to act a certain way with out even talking to them before. But, like I said, it could just be the fact that she doesn't want him knowing. Sometimes, when you do something terrible, you can't face those you care for because you feel dirty. I'm sure someone like you would understand that."

The helping people remark made Merfonde smirk a little. "Not exactly. She wasn't 'good', but she fought for her believes, like any person." Shadow hadn't ever really 'helped' people, but if her believes and theirs had been the same she would have stood by their side, much like just about everyone among the X-men. In the end, her goals had been twisted and warped, until finally the whole world was the enemy to her. "Exactly. Slowly but surely Rose has fallen onto that same destructive path."

Of course Rose hadn't done it intentionally! She thought that this was the only way to make things right, and in a sense, it just might. Rose wasn't all bad, she'd made it quite clear that she was putting everyone before herself, and would carry the bloodshed and murder on her own shoulders so no one else had to bear the burden. "Rose believes she's the sacrificial lamb, in a sense. The scape goat. She is willing to take all the sins of what's to come on her own shoulders so no one else will have to carry them. Like she said, she's going to damn herself so Ian, and everyone else, can stay innocent."

Merfonde stared off into space, before sighing. "I can find him. I'll make him see reason, and make him understand what is going on. Maybe he won't fear her when he knows why she treated him the way she did."

[bobby]

Bobby sat there in silence as she explained about Shadow and Rose. He didn't really know what to make of all of it, only that he knew that Rose's connection to Ian would probably be the only way that she would be able to see reason and hopefully come around.

"I tried to tell her everything, but it just didn't seem like it was getting through. I don't even know if Ian can help her."

When she said she would find Ian and make him see reason, Bobby suddenly had a thought. Rose had pretty much insulted Ian to the point where it seemed like she was talking about a five year old. He looked at her for a moment, thinking of something that he didn't even know would be a good idea. Merfonde had talked about bounty hunters learning the ways of battle from getting involved, but would they be able to take on a mutant who's only power was speed?

"Merfonde, I need to ask you something. I don't mind if you want to find Ian, I'd be greatful, but I want you to help him before bringing him back. Rose was right about one thing, Ian tends to think this is a game to have fun with, and the bounty hunters know how to take things more seriously. I was wondering if the hunters can take him in and help him grow before letting Rose see him again."

[mero]

Merfonde raised an eyebrow at him in a 'You seriously don't know the answer?' sort of way, a look that almost called him a complete and total idiot. A moment passed and she sighed, closing the folder in her hands. "If you were hell bent on seeing something threw to the end, would you listen to the people trying to change your mind? Doubtful. No one when they are that determined can be reasoned with, at least not easily." She paused for a moment as she returned the orange folder to her bag. "I'm not even sure if Ian would be able to get through to her, but he'd have the greatest chance. The only reason why she's doing this is because of him after all, if he tries to stop her, I don't think she's just going to throw him out like everyone else... She may try though. And it definitely won't be easy on Ian's part. He'll have to keep pushing until he can get through this wall she's put around her."

The more time passed, the farther Rose would fall. The harder it would be to bring her back. If Ian didn't do what needed to be done quickly, soon even he wouldn't be able to stop her. "As much as I hate to say it, if Ian can't stop her, I'll stop her myself." She looked at him with a cold, heartless stare. "That's what we do after all. We stop those who would otherwise destroy the world before they get that chance. It doesn't matter who they are or used to be, or your relationship with them. Would Ian be prepared to face her death a second time?" In other words, if Ian couldn't stop Rose, his memories of her just might have to be erased, if only so he didn't have to bear the guilt of her death a second time.

This time, Merfonde really did fix him with a 'You are an idiot' look. "You're joking." No, he wasn't. He was being dead serious, she knew that! Where in his right mind did he get the idea that the Order would take in a grown man? Or.. well teenager? Not only a teenager, but a mutant?! "There are a few flaws in your plan, boy-o. First." She held up one finger. "The Order doesn't take newcomers over the age of three. If you didn't know before, I'll tell you now. You don't go to the Order because you fancy it. You go because you were either born into it, or no one was there to take you at birth." Merfonde happened to fall under the 'abandoned at birth' category, but she didn't have any remorse about it whatsoever. "Second." Another finger went up. "The Order doesn't train mutants, even if he was the right age. Sure, there are some mutants in the ranks, but they aren't bounty hunters, they are an entirely different division."

Merfonde scowled a bit, staring away from him and watching the park that lay around them. The snow was only lightly covered in snow, maybe only an inch at most. But even that small amount made the world look different. Staring at the scenery for a few minutes, she sighed, shaking her head as if giving in. Why she even put up with these X-men she'd never know... "If he really is that pitiful and just... ridiculous in a fight, I supposed I could teach him a few things..." She paused for only a moment, making sure to cut off Bobby's hopes right at the root. "You have to realize what you're asking me to do though. You couldn't possible have the money to pay me for this, so I wouldn't be able to stop my own work just to teach some hopeless case. And don't go offering to pay me either, because someone like you? You don't have 500 k just laying around for this sort of occasion." She raised an eyebrow. 500 thousand was actually a cheap price, seeing as she'd have to cover both her, and her 'somewhat' student's needs with no other source of income for a long time. And when you were preparing someone for 'war' there were some costs you couldn't just go cheap on. In a fight among similar people, the one with better training and better equipment would always win.

"Not to mention it's not an easy path, and I won't be going easy on him just because he's a mutant. If anything I'd be even harsher because of the fact. And his mental state wouldn't get him any special treatment either." She fixed him with a do or die look. "You have to be absolutely sure you are prepared to ask this of me before you do. Because there's no take backs. If I do this, and he starts to crack under the pressure you can't just tell me to stop and leave him be. If he can't stand the pressure, I will destroy him, because this path isn't for the weak at heart. Are you prepared to have that weight on your shoulders?"

[bobby]

"If anyone can do it, Ian can. If not, then I'm sure he would be able to stop her in other means. He cares about her, but I know Ian, he would choose the world over one person. That's just how his heart works."

He smiled a bit, remembering his old friend. He knew Ian loved Rose, but he also knew that Ian loved life more, and if anybody tried to endanger that life, he'd fight for it. Even if it meant fighting and defeating Rose himself, and he knew how much it would kill Ian to do it, but he agreed that erasing Ian's memories of her would be best if was the option.

"At least erase everything after her first that involves her. Let him just believe she died once."

He looked to her when she said that there was no way the order would take on a mutant at his age. He sighed and looked down, feeling defeated, but looked to her again with a hopeful smile as she said she could help. When she explained how things would be with Ian, Bobby did worry a bit, but he knew his friend. He was good hearted, but stubborn, and if somebody told him to just give up, he would keep going just to spite them.

"Don't get me wrong, he can fight. His speed gives him the advantage to attack and retreat before anybody knew there was a hit. It's just...I guess he needs to prove himself to Rose, and just being fast won't cut it with her."

[mero]

"You never know until you are faced with that problem. Many people convince themselves that they would do anything for the world's safety, even stop their own loved ones. And they are believable, but when that moment is there, most can't even move. It's their nature. Unless sentimental feelings are beat out of them, they'll always hesitate." She didn't doubt this Ian might be able to do it, what worried her was the hesitation he'd have before.

Bobby's hopeful look almost made Merfonde's stomach churn, the look annoying her enough that she wanted to hit him. "That's exactly my point. Rose and I think alike in the sense of just being fast isn't going to keep you alive." She paused, smirking a little. "You want to know one way of stopping Ian for good? Put a bunch of thin wiring over a door like a spiderweb. There's absolutely no way in hell he'd be able to see it moving at his speeds, let alone stop in time. He'd be diced to bits with no effort. There are many ways to stop an annoying foe like that. I know where Rose is coming from, wanting him out of trouble. The way you guys make him sound, he probably doesn't even think there's a way to stop him at top speed. He's going to get knocked off of his high horse soon enough, and when that fails, what chance does he have?" She raised an eyebrow, fixing him with a serious look.

"If I train him, I'm going to work him until he can't move anymore." She was completely serious. "Tell me here and now, do you want me to train him even if he refuses my help? Do you want me to force him to be obedient?" Seeing as how he'd run away from the school, the chance of him refusing her help were mighty high, Merfonde wouldn't take no for an answer if this was what Bobby wanted her to do.

[bobby]

"Yeah, he's a bit stubborn when he's confident he can outrun anything. I guess constantly getting away with messing around someone like Cain can do that to you."

Bobby thought long and hard about the things Merfonde said, which were similar if not exactly what Rose had said back a the mansion. What added to his thinking was Merfonde coming up with a way that Ian could be stopped as if she'd done it before. He looked at her a lititle worriedly, wondering how many mutants with speed powers were out there.

"Ian needs to learn power isn't everything. He has power, but what he doesn't have is responsibility."

Bobby couldn't help what was coming out of his mouth, nor could he stop it. Ian always had fun with his powers, but that's all it was to him, just fun. He knew that what Merfonde had planned wouldn't be fun, but he also knew that Ian needed to understand the consequences of being foolish. He didn't really like it, but handing Ian over to Merfonde and the bounty hunters could be his only chance at learning, and god forbid fighting Rose.

"Yeah...it's what I want."

[mero]

Merfonde sighed softly, slowly rolling to her feet and taking a few steps away from the bench. “He’s an idiot.” She hadn’t gone after many other speed mutants before, but she’d obviously learned several ways to stop them. If you wanted to kill them, wiring a doorway was one way of killing them. If you only meant to catch them, the first and only thing you had to do was stop their feet.

“In that way, Ian is no better then Cain.” If Ian heard that and argued, it’d only prove her point. “He thinks his powers are just for fun and games, that makes him the exact same. “ She was scowling. That would be the first lesson she taught him. He’d beat it into his very bones that you should never goof off in a fight. And that you shouldn’t use your powers for anything other then as a last resort. She’d teach him that he should only use his powers unless absolutely necessary. If you could save the energy, you should.

His answer set everything in motion. Merfonde turned back to Bobby, scooping up her backpack and zipping it shut. “Off I go then. He won’t be easy to find with that annoying speed of his. I’ll contact the school when I find him, so wait for my message. No matter what you are doing, you must be the one to answer. I won’t respond to anyone else. Don’t tell anyone else at the school what I’m doing. Even your Professor when he wakes up.” She took a few steps away, but paused to look back at him. “Oh, and when Professor Xavier wakes up, tell him I’m sorry I missed him. I’ve wanted to meet the man since I was told about him as a child.” She smiled a little, before taking off.