Inspired by the song Little Talks by Of Monsters and Men. I took the episode Self-Possessed from X-Men: Evolution (S3, E38) and tweaked it a bit to make it fit what I would imagine the story behind this song would be. For anyone who has seen that music video, what I choose to believe about it has nothing to do with that video because I think it makes no sense. I do not own any of the characters in this story they are the property of Marvel's X-Men franchise.

Please comment if you hated it or if you liked it or if you have any suggestions whatsoever, I appreciate all feedback! Thanks! Enjoy!

Screams Sound the Same:

Run! Every cell of her being is screaming run! Just get out! She tears through the forest trees flying by in blurs of brown and green, rocks tearing at the skin on her bare feet, water dripping into her eyes from crawling out of a lake. Footfalls sound behind her – Rogue bolts up in bed. Her breathing comes fast and shallow, her heart hammering against her chest, sweat sticking her clothes to her skin. Light flashes on blinding Rouge for a moment before she looks around and remembers she is in her room at the Institute; bed, dresser, posters on the wall all familiar and comforting.

"Rouge! Are you okay?" Through the curtain of her red hair falling over her eyes Rouge can make out the look of concern on her roommates face. She swallows trying to slow her breathing and pulls the blankets off her legs feeling too hot and too cold at the same time. "Rouge? C'mon, like, talk to me…" Kitty leans forward her blue-gray eyes wide with concern. Finally feeling her breathing begin to slow down Rouge nods steadying her shaking hands.

"I'm alright…" Slowly feeling the adrenaline and fear being to subside Rouge tucks her hair back behind her ears and takes several deep breaths conscious of Kitty's eyes on her the whole time. "Really, it was just a bad dream."

"About what? It sounded awful." Kitty hugs herself and rubs her arms as if to warm up, a sudden chill runs through Rogue and she pulls the blankets back up to her chest. She recognized the dream, but it wasn't hers, it was Logan's. She had seen it when she had absorbed his powers, felt that primal terror all the way in her core. Why was it coming up now? Unprovoked. She looks up at Kitty waiting patiently for her response.

"I… I don't remember."

The whole day after that felt off. Rogue couldn't fall back asleep after she had convinced Kitty not to go get the Professor and that it really was nothing. Instead she lay awake in bed staring at the ceiling trying to figure out what could have possibly made her access Logan's memories. By breakfast she still couldn't explain it and decided it had to have been a fluke; just a part of being unable to control her powers. School had gone by as it usually did; stares from the normal students and nothing all that exciting which she was grateful for because she didn't feel right. That nightmare had stuck with her all day making her jumpy and uneasy. When the final bell rang Rogue was glad to be heading home for some quiet time.

"Hey! Rogue!" Walking off campus she hears the unmistakable voice of Kurt, his German accent thick with each word. "Wait up!" She turns, her hair swinging around just above her shoulders, as he jogs up next to her.

"Need something Kurt?"

"You aren't going to the basketball game?" He waves his hand in the direction of the gym and moves to head in that direction.

"No I'm just walking home, not really in the -" Kurt cuts her off and moves to usher her in the direction of the gym.

"C'mon Rogue! Everyone is going, and if you go Scott can drive you home. You won't have to walk." He grabs her shoulder and suddenly it feels as though someone has yanked her backwards into a dark room and then just as suddenly her world again fills with light and she finds herself starring at the gyms entrance. She gives Kurt an incredulous look silently asking him if teleporting her across the quad was really necessary. "Now you have less of an excuse to leave, you are already here." He smiles and walks toward the door. Rogue gives one last glance in the direction of home and then suddenly hit with an uncharacteristic bout of excitement follows Kurt smiling into the gym.

The game had already started forcing them to make their way to their friends via the small walkway between the cheerleaders and the rest of the people sitting in the front row. Kurt watches the game as he walks and consistently manages to kick people in the shins as he stumbles by mumbling quick apologies while trying to follow the ball up and down the court. Rogue can't help herself, she gets caught up in the excitement of the atmosphere. All of the cheering and shouting is contagious and she finds herself screaming along with the crowd as Bayville almost scores the excitement bubbling up inside her uncontrollably. Kurt turns quickly raising an eyebrow at her and shaking his head at her random burst of normally nonexistent school spirit. The roaring cheers are choked off in Rogue's throat as she realizes there is something off; those feelings are not hers. What is going on? Her heart rate picks up, someone else's feelings are inside her and forcing their way out. There is a scream and a blonde cheerleader trips and falls into Rogue sending her tumbling into the first row of people in the stands. A guy with messy brown hair and freckled cheeks tries to put his arm out to catch her but instead he only manages to snatch the fabric on her shoulder ripping it just before she collides with him.

The bare skin of her shoulder collides with his chin when she tries to push herself up and she is shocked with his memories and thoughts. She loses herself for a moment and becomes him entirely; as if his was the only life she knew or had ever known. Somewhere in the distance a boy screams and the sound brings her back slowly as she realizes who she really is and that he is screaming from her touch. Before Rogue has the chance to really act someone behind her yanks her up, their hand replacing his chin on her shoulder and there is a new life in her mind. Her body tingles and aches taking on their life force. No! A childhood passes in front of her eyes, one that isn't hers but feels as familiar to her now as her own. Then it is gone. The hand is no longer gripping her skin. But the images keep coming. She sees everyone, so many memories, and none of them her own. They scroll across her vision obscuring her view of reality. Through blurred eyes she sees people standing above her, some she recognizes as they come closer – Kurt, Scott, Jean. Scott is trying to say something to her but she can't hear him over all the memories, there are too many shouting at her. Desperate to make it stop Rogue clamps her hands over her ears and forces her eyes to close willing the memories to stop wishing to be away from so many people.

Sucking in a breath Rogue feels a sharp pain at her back and opens her eyes afraid of what could possibly be happening. Blinking upward she finds she is starring at an orange sky smudged with pink clouds. I teleported? Her body shaking Rogue sits up finding herself outside on the deserted football field, damp grass wetting her jeans. Voices play in her mind; long forgotten thoughts of life forces she had taken in over the years. She fights to her knees; arms shaking, breath ragged and sharp, barely holding onto her own presence.

Somewhere she hears her name; a high concerned somewhat raspy voice that can only be Kitty. It's too much. Thinking on Kitty brings forth her life force and Rogue feels her whole being succumb to it. Every feeling and experience; the terror of wondering what had happened when she first fell through the ceiling into her basement the first time she had discovered her powers. Her powers. Rogue opens her eyes to find she has sunk to her elbows into the damp Earth without even noticing it. A high piercing scream tears itself from Rogue's throat and she tears herself free of the ground praying she remain solid and not fall back through it. She crumples onto her knees mercifully staying above ground and desperately trying to breathe. Again she hears her name, this time closer and with more than one voice.

Huddled on the ground Rouge feels as though she is coming undone, her body writhing in agony, every nerve screaming, she hugs herself and clutches her sides frantically afraid she will fall to pieces. Every person she had every touched, even for a second, was fighting to smother her soul and be free. Stop! Please! Rogue wants to cover her ears and muffle all the screaming voices in her head but the pain is too much bear, she can't move, only whimper and wait for defeat.

"Rogue!" Scott? The sound of his voice should have been comforting, it meant help was there, but instead it brings Scott's persona to the forefront of her mind. "Rogue! What's wrong? What's happening?" Pressure builds behind her eyes and they burn with the strength of his powers. Too many! Make it stop! More voices fill her head; Scott, Jean, Evan, Kitty, Logan, Risty – everyone screaming inside of her skull. Some force yanks her arms from her sides and grips her upper arms, It hurts. She whimpers, her bones feeling as though they may shatter under the pressure.

"The Professor is coming Rogue just hold on." She doesn't know who says it or if she truly heard it. Everything in her head is chaos; all bright changing colors, deafening noise, and uncontrollable emotion. She losses track of time and location; of who she is. She goes limp against the pain letting it take her over and with it the people in her head surge with more fervor. Stop! Please! There are too many!

Too many what Rogue? Her mind sparks for a moment hearing the Professor but it can't be, there are too many people yelling in her head. It was just her imagination, what she wants to hear. She clutches at her hair trying to make the throbbing stop suddenly conscious that she is lying on something spongy. Rogue. It isn't real. It can't be. She turns on her side curling into a ball. Rogue, listen to me. Someone pulls her back onto her back. Calm your mind, Rogue. Let me help you. She tosses her head trying to shake out all the extra sensations and hold onto only the Professor's comforting thoughts. The voices won't go away.

"Professor?" She asks out loud, how could he possibly hear her inside her own head? "Professor… please…" Her voice cracks and tapers off in a whisper as she loses her voice trying to force out those in her head.

Rogue, focus on my voice. Her mind can barely grasp his thought skimming across the edge of her consciousness. It still doesn't seem real. Tentatively she opens her eyes trying to find something real to latch onto. The light burns into her retinas at first forcing her to squint as blurry dark shapes loom over her. Moments later the dark shapes solidify into people; Logan, Ororo, Scott, Professor X, and Jean all leaning over her concern etched into the lines of their faces. Focus on me.

"I can't!" She screams and closes her eyes again. Looking was a mistake, each of their personas finds new strength and claws at her mind fighting to pull her out of her own mind and replace her. "There's too many… please… I can't…" Her chest heaves while she talks unable to suck in a decent breath and tears slip from beneath her eyelids. "Make it stop! Make it stop!"

You have to calm your mind. The Professor's voice thrums through her brain forcing its way through the chaos. The more you panic the worse it will get Rogue. Let me help you. Rogue doesn't respond afraid that if she opens her mouth someone else's voice and thoughts will pour from her lips, instead she bites her lip trying to find something to anchor her. Focus on my voice, Rogue. The metallic tang of blood fills her mouth. Breathe. Focus on my voice. She tries desperately but the spirits in her mind are unrelenting and she panics. No! Rogue, stop.

"There's too many!" Sweat pastes her hair to her forehead and neck and she squeezes her eyes shut hoping to force out the world. The Professor begins to speak again in her mind but he's cut off by the uproar. "I can hear them. All of them. Screaming at me!" Her skin tingles and burns from the stress and tension in her muscles. "There's too many! I can't hold them back!" Unaware of who she is anymore Rogue starts groping through her memories searching for something that is hers but it is all too confusing only making her more lost.

Rogue you have to stop.

"No! I can't! The screaming… stop it!" She claws at her ears as the voices all blend together into an ear-splitting howl. "They all sound the same. It's too much!" She chokes on sobs feeling exhausted, tired of running lost through her own mind, forced out by alien dispositions.

Listen to my voice Rogue. It's me, Professor Xavier, focus on me. His voice is strong over the din, a single patch of clarity in her hectic brain. Let me help you. We can push them out together but you have to let me help you. Calm your mind. Rogue remains tense on her back fighting to hold onto his voice. Some small part of her true self realizing knowing she should trust him. Are you ready? She takes a shallow, shaky breath.

"Make it stop." Then it is as if she has no control over her own mind anymore and she begins to panic more calling out for the Professor and begging for it to end.

Stay with me Rogue, you have to trust me. She loses herself entirely into one person, then another, and another all of them washing over and through her like water and then flowing away. The din begins to calm and the people vanish from her mind. Each person she becomes and discards is gone and slowly the onslaught of sounds and visions ends. Finally she is left with nothing just a black abyss and a silent expanse.

When she opens her eyes she finds she is staring up at the off white ceiling of the Institute infirmary without any memory of having gone there. Her lids are heavy with exhaustion, bottom lip aching and swollen, and a light emptiness in the back of her mind. Slowly the events of before come back to her in a horrible flash of memories that bring a headache to her temples and eyes.

"Oh good, you are awake." She turns her head to find the Professor and Logan at the side of her bed, the Professor smiling reassuringly down at her and Logan standing with his arms folded a typical scowl set into his face. "We were quite concerned. How are you feeling?" Rogue is taken aback by his kindness after feeling so attacked.

"I…" She looks from The Professor resting his hand on the railing of her bed to Logan watching her back intently and then back to the Professor her eyes widening with uncertainty. "I don't understand what happened. What's wrong with me?" Logan grunts in response and she darts a quick glance in his direction.

"Nothing." Professor X says very seriously but very clearly. Rogue begins to protest but he lifts his hand from the railing to silence her. "There is nothing wrong with you. It is the nature of your powers to take in others life forces and it seems that you have a capacity for how many your body, and mind, could carry. It is obvious that you require training with your powers to prevent something like this from happening again but no Rogue, there is nothing wrong with you. Do you understand?" Rogue looks down at her feet uncomfortable with the knowledge that her powers are even more out of control than she had grown accustomed to.

"And if I can't keep myself from doing this again?" Rogue swallows hard cracking the scab on her lip. "I can't do that again. I didn't know who I was or who I wasn't. I couldn't tell what I was thinking and what the people in my head were screaming…" She feels panic flutter in her chest and has to take a deep breath to keep it at bay. "I can't do that again."

"I promise you I will do everything I possibly can to keep this from happening again and to teach you how to control your powers but should this ever happen again," He pauses and waits until she meets his gaze, "I will be here to lead you to safety."