what we choose to become

chapter 26

Lahar wants to take Rogue away, and Sting remembers the shadow.

TW for past child/sexual abuse, self-harm and suicidal ideation

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"We are here to take Rogue Cheney into custody."

Gasps and murmurs immediately broke out throughout the guild hall. Gray shouted something at Sting, but he was already ducking around groups of people and weaving through tables, making his way over to where Rogue sat in the back of the hall with Wendy and Levy. Rogue was looking around, puzzlement clear on his face.

"What proof do you have that Rogue is involved with these incidents?" Makarov demanded, sensing the tension in the air.

"I don't need to explain myself to you," Lahar replied, then motioned to two of his knights. "I have the authority to apprehend anyone we suspect is involved in a serious crime."

Rogue looked around him, confused. Everyone was staring at this group that had come in the door, and the guild was now tense and angry. What had happened? What was going on?

Suddenly, two of the robed figures began making their way toward his table, pushing other guild members none-too-gently out of the way. Levy began to say something to them, but she was sitting to Rogue's right and he couldn't hear her. He tugged on Wendy's sleeve, but she was gazing past them at Master Makarov.

Suddenly, one figure reached out and grabbed Rogue's shoulder across the table. He instinctively jerked backwards, then realized that the man was speaking to him.

"----nee---me---thu---" Rogue's heart pounded in his ears. The only thing he could hear was his own shaky breathing.

"No," he said, shaking his head. He could see Sting out of the corner of his eye, moving towards him, signing something that he couldn't quite catch. Wendy was trying to speak to him now, touching his sleeve, but he panicked and tugged his arm away from her. What was going on?

"---s-res----c---ff-c------mag----" The man was speaking again, and he moved around the table and reached for Rogue's arm. Rogue flinched backwards again, knocking his chair over and tumbling to the ground. He could feel himself trembling, his breathing shaky and shallow.

"Don't," he cried as the hand reached for him again, and he saw Wendy try to step in between them, only to be shoved roughly out of the way.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Sting shouted, breaking into a run and sliding over a table to make his way to the Rune Knights. "You're scaring him!" The knight who wasn't reaching for Rogue turned and blocked Sting with her arm.

"He's being taken into custody, Elfram is explaining that to him." Her voice was sharp and unpleasant, as was her face.

"He can't hear you," Sting begged, trying to duck around the arm. Instead, his own arms were jerked behind his back by another knight, and Sting snarled at him. "He can't hear you, he's deaf." His voice was pleading, and he could hear other shouts of indignation from the rest of the guild. Makarov was arguing hotly with Lahar, but all Sting could see was Rogue, lying on the floor with his arm raised to defend himself against Elfram.

Elfram had taken out a set of magic cuffs and was waving them at Rogue, explaining slowly what was going on, but Sting could see that Rogue was too worked up to understand. The man was large and intimidating, and Sting felt a hot flash of fear. This was Jiemma all over again, except instead of him on the floor, it was Rogue.

"He doesn't understand you!" Sting screamed, struggling against the knight behind him. "He can't understand when he gets scared! Can't you see he's terrified of you?"