A Little Hallucination

[Pietro Maximoff]

::This would wear Pietro's patience quickly, but he bit his tongue and continued slowly, albeit with some insistence.:: "Nobody will get you; nobody is after you."

[Rogue]

"Ah know, Ah..." Her eyes were suddenly lucid, but lost, and she was still crying. "Ah can't stop it, Pietro, and Ah know that you're the last person who probably gives a good goddamn anyways but Ah just need someone to...help..." The last word dissolved into tears.

[Pietro Maximoff]

::This was, without a doubt, the most pathetic scene to which Pietro had borne witness. It was also unfortunately, eerily, reminiscent of his childhood, and he couldn't in good conscience leave her here alone. Even if she was the Rogue-girl, and she was right when she said he didn't like her or particularly care. He came to a decision, and said,:: "We'll go somewhere quiet."

[Rogue]

Quiet sounded good, away from the voices she could hear. She was still hiccuping sobs, but she did get up. The ring she'd dropped floated about her- Magneto's memories and powers making their presence known, as they often did when she was agitated.

[Pietro Maximoff]

::Pietro worked to ignore the fact that her ring was floating, because he did not need to think about those implications in the situation. Truly, all remnants of Magneto only served to worsen any situation. Years later, a decade later. He walked with her in the direction of a secluded corner of the grounds; he used to spend long blocks of time there when he needed to escape from everything else.::

[Rogue]

She walked as he walked; she still saw eyes, and so tended to glance everywhere. A part of her said that people were watching them, the other part said they were not.

[Pietro Maximoff]

::She was furtive, which given the circumstances, Pietro could understand if not sympathize. He kept his hands at his sides as they walked, crossing the grounds particularly, agonizingly slowly.:: "It will pass."

[Rogue]

The ring in orbit finally caught her attention; she caught it and put it back on her finger. "Wish it passed faster," she said, flinching and shying as both eyes and voices assaulted her again, telling her this time that a particular tree was trying to killl her. She echoed her own statement, muttering. "Faster...faster...faster..."

[Pietro Maximoff]

::Pietro shook his head to himself, realizing that he actually felt pity for the girl. He also felt a surge of anger at Samson, for thinking that *he* could possibly have the same symptoms or illness that the Rogue-girl was displaying, and whomever she had touched suffered.:: "We will be there soon."

[Rogue]

"Ah don't..." She made a disgusted sound suddenly, and some of her lucidity returned. "Ah thought Ah was crazy. This guy's a loon."

[Pietro Maximoff]

::Pietro remembered how despondent he had become with his diagnosis. Then again, he did not know this man and it was not his job to defend strangers from commentary.:: "Schizophrenia is like that."

[Rogue]

"How would you know?" she asked, and then yelped, jumped back from something apparently invisible. To her it was very obviously a person- in this case, Magneto.

[Pietro Maximoff]

::This was not a topic Pietro wished to discuss with anyone, ever, let alone the Rogue-girl. As such, he replied with a shrug,:: "I read."

::Then he noticed she jumped, and he ventured an educated guess - based on what he knew of the illness, of her powers, and of the fact that metal was floating. He would have to be blind not to notice.:: "Magneto is not here."

[Rogue]

They're coming to get you, Rogue. Rogue, her mutant name, because he'd never use her human name.

When Pietro spoke she almost didn't respond, but his comment made her turn a little away from the figure before her. "Then how can you tell I can see him? You're working with him, aren't you?!" A ridiculous claim, but to her mind it made perverse sense.

[Pietro Maximoff]

::Pietro had a decision to make in this instant. He could either ignore the question or give a flat denial or vague answer, which would doubtlessly set her off and cause her to flee. Catching up with her would be no trouble at all, but actually capturing her would be more so. He couldn't allow for skin-to-skin contact, and she was unstable enough to struggle fiercely. Or, he could share something personal - although anyone who paid enough attention could likely make a guess to its truth - and hope that she didn't remember. And he could always give a flat denial later, which was not a lie per se so much as it was trying to maintain an image. He made his decision and said flatly,:: "I know what it is to have nightmares of him."