Slightly AU. Xavier is still alive. Jean and Scott are not. It's a zombie fic so of course it's going to involve some OOCness.

*Disclaimer: X-Men does not belong to me. At all. If any new character names are introduced, I will claim them, but the ones you already know, I cannot.

Prologue

"Bobby, it's something we should do," I pleaded, ignoring the other two people in the room as I scowled at Bobby two feet away from his face. "We can't just sit around and do nothing. The outside world is absolute chaos, and there are probably loads of people who could use our help."

"Marie, please listen and rethink this," Storm chimed in, crossing her arms across her chest as her white hair cascaded over her shoulders. Stepping forward, she lightly put her hand on my shoulder (which was covered, of course). "Professor Xavier already said he's working on something. Right now, we need to be patient and see how things go."

"Oh, right," I said, my southern twang making a brief appearance as I brushed my blonde-streaked hair over behind my ear. Sarcastically, I continued, "Because we have plenty of time to spare while the Professor possibly spends days in Cerebro? The news already said that people are dropping at almost three hundred an hour. That was four days ago. If the disease spreads, that just means that there's a hell of a lot more now than there was then."

"We know, Rogue," Logan finally chimed in, stepping forward with an unlit cigar sticking from his mouth. "That's why we need to stay here. We have to keep the students safe."

"It's not just the student's we should be worried about, though." The students were very important to me, though, even more-so after I had graduated from Xavier's school two years before and Professor Xavier asked me to stick around and help teach. I never thought of myself as a smart person, but I had become a very efficient member of the X-Men.

And I had experience with runaway kids.

The students all respected me, but I think it was mainly because of rumors of the things I had done, on accident and on purpose. I didn't want that type of fear be instilled in kids who were supposed to look up to me, so I made sure to take time and remind them that their powers were a blessing that could curse them if they used them to do bad things. I had almost killed Logan because of my "gift" and I wasn't even conscious.

About one month into the latest semester, we were suddenly hearing news from contacts all over the world, all basically saying the same thing. The dead were coming back to life, and they were doing the unthinkable. They were eating other people, just like in those old zombie movies that me and my family would watch on Halloween. At first we were all sure it was a massive joke, but then we started hearing about the strange happenings from our local media. Loved ones returning from the grave, trying to take bites out of anyone who was near. It didn't take long for anyone who was bitten or scratched by the undead things to become ill then within hours change into one of those creatures.

The saddest thing about the whole situation was that we were all almost positive it was the work of another mutant.

Of course, none of us had ever heard of a mutant that had the ability to create zombies, but it was almost impossible to find two of the same kind of mutants anyway. I mean, I'd never met another mutant who could control ice or fire, the weather, drain someone's life with a touch... It seemed the mutant gene was even more picky than it was rare.

Of course most of the mutants were at an advantage in the chaos. Most of us had enough helpful skills from having a mutation that we could easily take down the slow, gruesome creatures. My only advantage was enhanced physical hand-to-hand training, though. My ability to drain life wouldn't work on a technically "life"-less being.

Well, despite everything, we were just about stuck. While Professor Xavier used Cerebro to try and track down the mutant responsible for the outbreak, we had to set guards around the mansion. The only way we could allow any of the students outside was if they were in the courtyard, which was solid all the way around.

Sigh.

One problem at a time.

"It's also about the general public, the non-mutants," I corrected, putting a gloved hand to my chin as I tried to think of a way to convince the others to let me... What did I want to do?

I wanted to find the person who started this, first of all. But that was a problem being dealt with. The biggest issue was saving peoples' lives, so I guess that meant I needed to become... Well, I guess a zombie hunter. "I think we should have trained volunteers go throughout the country – even get contacts to go throughout the world – and hunt down and kill these creatures."

"I'm not sure that's such a great idea," Bobby said, standing a bit more closely than I cared for. "Sending out some of our best trained fighters would leave the school vulnerable."

"I agree with Bobby," Storm said, shifting her stance.

I could feel myself become irritated with everyone. I understood worrying about our own, but when our own was more than well-protected, why shouldn't we help others? "Look, I'm not sayin' we send out everyone from the team. Maybe just two or three. We'll take one of the S.U.V.s, kill any of those things we may come across, and any survivors we encounter we'll call y'all to come pick up in the jet."

"And there's a couple of snags in your plan right there, kid," Logan said with a huff, removing his unlit cigar from his mouth. "First of all, you're implying that you'll be part of whatever team that does this. That's not happening. Your mutation is useless for that kind of venture. If anything, we'd need to send someone like Colossus or Storm or – "

"You?" I asked, my aggravation apparent in my voice. "Look, I know I can't exactly kill those things with my mutation but I'm still an elite trained fighter. And we can't afford to have Colossus anywhere but here. The school is our first priority. But I just think that I should be allowed to go and at least try and do some good in the world. Whether anyone comes with me or not doesn't matter. I want to go."

Storm and Logan both looked at each other with trepidation as Bobby glared daggers at me. Even though we had only dated for a little while, back when we were still teenagers, he still seemed to hold a candle for me and it was evident with his over-protectiveness and sometimes-sweet gestures. I no longer cared for him the way I used to, but I tried to get past it and be his friend. He wasn't as happy with the arrangement.

"Listen, Marie," Storm said softly. "When Charles takes a break from Cerebro, we'll talk to him about it. He may think it's a good idea. Good for you or good for the world, I'm not sure, but as long as he clears it there's nothing we can do to stop you." Pausing for a moment and narrowing her eyes in thought, she said, "I'll even accompany you so you won't be alone."

Making a grunt of disapproval, Logan said through clenched teeth. "We'll see what needs to be done when Xavier comes out of Cerebro. Until then, no more talk of goin' out on your own kid, you got me? It's too dangerous."

Rolling my eyes childishly, I stomped towards the door. "Logan, you're not my keeper, and neither is anyone else here. I'll wait to see what the professor says, but I'm probably gonna go whether he thinks it's a good idea or not."

With that, I opened the door and stepped from the room quickly, trying not to slam the door behind me. I didn't want to seem even more childish than I already did.

Looking out the windows of the mansion, the daylight told me it was too early for bed. I probably couldn't have slept if I wanted to anyways, so I instead made my way down to the Danger Room, looking to blow off some steam.

After changing into my uniform quickly in the locker room, I set the requirements into the database and put a thirty second hold onto the hologram. Walking into the Room, I situated myself in the center, locking my core into a defensive stance.

The computer's voice resounded through the room. "Simulation will begin in 3... 2... 1..."

With no further fanfare, I suddenly found myself in the middle of a decimated street, with fire burning in different directions and broken glass everywhere. I was in the center of about a twenty yard wide circle, enclosed with wrecked and blazing cars and large chunks of concrete jutting out from the ground.

Ever since I first heard of the zombies, I immediately input a simulation to incorporate them so we could hone our skills with the new threat. It took a bit of creativity and a couple of trips into an infected town to understand how to get their mannerisms right. I made sure to be on both trips into the outside world after the school went into lock-down, almost too excited for some action. There, we encountered multiple of the undead, but the curved dual blades that draped perfectly on each hip I had taken a liking to in the recent years were more than efficient at killing those disgusting creatures. It was bloody, but it was invigorating.

That was the point that I immediately resented myself. How could I take joy in killing something that used to be an actual person? I pondered it for a while before I came to the relieving conclusion that being back in action period was what had been so invigorating. I had become complacent in the past couple of years, teaching while not really doing much in my spare time. I knew I should have used the Danger Room more, but I was too busy hating myself on and off for thinking about him...

No! I needed to focus. I needed to run the simulation. I needed to practice.

"Begin spawning enemies!" I yelled out. A soft beep resounded through the room, and suddenly I could hear those creatures. Their wet snarls were an unmistakable sound. I turned around quickly, not letting my back face a certain spot for too long.

This tactic was actually taught to me by a student who was into playing video games like Call of Duty and Gears of War, so I asked him to help me incorporate his game into the Danger Room system. He was a techno-path, so it wasn't any problem for him. He was honestly slightly upset that we hadn't already done that. According to him, he would have started the Danger Room sessions much sooner if he had known he could play his favorite games in a simulator.

Hearing a much louder groan, I turned to my right and faced my first enemy. He was tall and lean, with half of his scalp missing as he shined his lip-less teeth. The flannel shirt he was wearing was ragged, covered in stuff I didn't even want to think about.

Crossing my arms over each hip, I pulled out my blades, setting a new defensive stance. The creature came at me at a bit faster pace than most would but I easily bounced around out of its grasp and used both my blades to slice through its neck from behind. It's head rolled to the ground, and I grinned as the real action began.

I spent around four hours in the Danger Room, varying my simulation every hour to keep myself balanced with different situations. I was pouring sweat and my hair was a tangled mess about my face as I exited the room, slightly limping. I had misjudged a roll and landed harshly on my right hip, knocking the breath from me as I gritted my teeth through the pain. Other than that one minor injury, I had done very well for a one-person simulation set on one of the much more difficult settings. I was confident enough in my abilities to know that I was skilled, but Logan was the only one of us who could go in for a multi-person simulation by himself on the highest Danger level and come out lighting a cigar.

I went straight up the stairs and to my room to grab my toiletries, itching for a cold shower to cool me down. After running to the empty girl's lavatory, I made quick work of removing my soaking wet uniform and stepping into the cool stream of the shower. I languished in the sensation of the waterfall shower for a good twenty minutes before turning the water over to hot so I could clean myself.

Once I was finished and wrapped in a robe, I was walking out the door. I looked behind me to turn out the bathroom light before I felt my body crash into someone. By the absolute solidness of the hit, I immediately knew it was Logan, who caught me around the waist of my robe before I fell but not before my caddy spilled out all over the floor.

Logan let go of me quickly and immediately went to pick up my fallen objects.

"Oh, damn, don't worry about it," I said, leaning down and throwing all of my creams and soaps into the caddy. As he handed me a bottle of lotion almost awkwardly, his hand came within centimeters of touching my bare skin, so I immediately jerked away, almost spilling my caddy again.

"Sorry," he mumbled, standing straight as I gathered myself and stood as well. Looking at my now paranoid facial expression, he quirked an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "Ya know, it's not like it'll kill me if you accidentally touch me like that. A quick brush is nothing against my healing."

"Well, never can be too careful, huh?" I said quickly, embarrassed and feeling very inadequately clothed as I made sure my robe covered me sufficiently. "I've already almost killed you twice when you're pretty much unkillable. Don't blame a lady for keepin' her friends safe." I tried for a smile, which may have seemed a little forced but mostly concerned.

"Marie..." Logan tapered off, looking like he wanted to reach out to me but stopping himself at the sight of my bare arms and legs. It wasn't very smart for me to have a robe like the one I was wearing, because it left a lot of my skin exposed to possibly easily hurt people.

But then again, I was literally just trying to wear it back to my room.

"What are you doing in this wing of the mansion?" I asked, suddenly remembering that his room was in the west wing with the boys.

Seeming to snap himself out of some sort or trance, Logan shook his head quickly before saying, "Uh, Charles is out of Cerebro. He wants a meeting with all of us."

"Now?" I asked, my cheeks suddenly a flaming red from my state of dress, or lack thereof.

"Yeah, well," Logan stumbled, taking in my wet hair and barely held together robe. "I mean, as soon as possible, so I guess you have time to... Um."

"Get dressed?" I finished his sentence, looking at him with raised eyebrows.

"Um, yeah, that. So, we'll be in his office waiting for you." He looked just as uncomfortable as I felt, which was saying a lot.

"O-okay," I managed. "I'll go get dressed and be there in a minute."

With a jerky movement, Logan nodded his head and walked away swiftly. I don't think my face could have been any redder than if I had just spent an hour in a tanning bed. Shaking my head of that horribly humiliating encounter, I quickly made my way back to my room and changed, ready to see what Professor Xavier had to say.

When I entered the crowded office wearing my full don't-touch-me clothes, it seemed like everyone had already taken their stances around the room, with only Storm and Kitty sitting.

Professor Xavier sat behind his desk as usual, looking tired and weary. Once he saw me, he said, "Good, Rogue, you're here. Now we can get started."

"Sorry," I said meekly, winding between Bobby and Jubilee and finding a place to stand against the wall next to Hank.

"Quite alright," he said before clearing his throat for attention. Addressing everyone in the room, he said, "Now, I spent a great deal of time using Cerebro today as you all know. Unfortunately, I have been unable to locate whoever is responsible for this disaster. It will take some more time searching, but until then, Storm has informed me that Rogue has an idea of what we can do. Rogue?"

"What?" I said aloud stupidly, not thinking he would put me on the spot in front of everyone on the team. "Oh, yeah, uhm..."

After clearing my throat, I gave everyone in the room the same pitch I gave earlier about helping others. While some members looked unhappy with my plan, a few others seemed mildly interested.

Finishing up, I said, "So, Professor, with all due respect, I really want to take on this venture, whether anyone else wants to or not." I didn't blatantly say I would defy him if he said no, but I made it clear that it was what I wanted to do.

The other members of the team were whispering to each other, all except Logan, who had had his eyes on me the whole time. The professor cleared his throat, immediately making everyone stop talking. "I find it very noble that you wish to put yourself in danger for strangers, but are you sure? Those creatures are slow and you're more than capable, but accidents happen. Are you willing risk your life for people you don't even know?"

Looking around at everyone in the room staring at me, I felt a flush creep up my neck as I crossed my arms. "I'm sure. The only issue I have is what I'm gonna do with survivors, if I manage to collect any."

"I'll make a couple of calls," Xavier said, smiling lightly at me. "If you insist on doing this, I grant you use of one of the school's vehicles and any supplies you may need." Addressing the rest of the room, he said, "Anyone else wish to join her?"

Before Storm could even stand and say anything, Logan stepped forward and said harshly, "I'll be going with her."

The rough edge to his voice made me feel his anger, and I almost wanted to cower if I wasn't so stubborn.

"And me," came another voice. Looking around, I realized Bobby had stepped forward. Groaning inwardly, I almost couldn't take the testosterone of the place. Logan had promised to protect me many years before so I could understand his protectiveness, but Bobby was trying to not seem weak next to Logan, possibly trying to get me to notice him. Well, of course I noticed him. I noticed him being a jackass.

"I think a two-person team is good enough," I tried to say without sounding rude.

"I think you'll need all the help you can get," Bobby said quickly. I really didn't want to cause an "ex" scene, so I just looked at Professor Xavier, grumbling under my breath.

"Alright, it's settled, then," he said, his weariness apparent in his voice. I instantly felt guilty for making things harder than they had to be. "Marie – you, Bobby and Logan will head out at dawn and begin taking as many of those creatures out as possible. The others will stay back here to protect the school. If you find any survivors, call us and we'll send a jet to deliver them somewhere safe. When and if I find who is responsible for this, we will inform you immediately so we can regroup and take care of the situation. Everything sound good?"

Everyone mumbled their understanding, to which the professor spoke. "Alright. Thank you all. Logan, Bobby, Marie..." he addressed us. "You're doing a noble service to the people of this earth, but please be careful, and call if you need anything. Things are only getting worse outside these walls."

The three of us nodded in understanding before turning and exiting the office with everyone else.

I doubted that I would get much sleep that night.