Whispers and stares followed her around, even at the institute.
"Where did she come from?"
"I heard she's an experiment."
She was used to the whispers and the stares. Those followed her everywhere. Logan was gone on one of his soul searching trips (that lined up suspiciously with the start of the school year at the institute). He had pulled Rogue aside that evening. She had graduated months before and was thinking about training to become an instructor.
"Maybe," She'd said with a shy smile then. "Those kids aren't that bad." She said, sending Logan a look that said "I'll kill you if you tell them I said that." He smirked to himself but his stare grew darker.
"Listen, I got some business to take care of..." He started. Rogue faced forward. She was used to this. She hated when he left, almost more than anything. But after dealing with institute he deserved time to himself.
"Ya still haven't taken me along." She reminded quietly. He snorted.
"This is work, not play. I'll bring you along on your own bike soon. But listen," He looked to her with anxious, gray eyes. "I got a favor to ask..." Rogue was standing at attention now, the dark purple shirt showing the slightly less pale skin of her shoulders. Logan almost never asked for anything. He ordered, but he didn't ask. She looked at him wearily.
"Anything." She said, her voice quiet.
"It's Laura," She looked up at him quizzically. She was the child experiment version of Logan. Truth be told Rogue hated the time and attention she took from Logan. When Rogue showed up at the institute it had been her. She pulled him away even from Kitty and Jean. But it wasn't about favorites, Rogue needed him. They all knew no matter what, Jean had Scott. And that was who she needed more than the older feral mutant.
And Kitty liked to be protected, but the neurotypical teenager didn't need as much coaxing and support as Rogue did. After getting to know the goth mutant everyone at the institute understood. They were so like Logan couldn't help but fall into the role of her mentor.
But then X-23 showed up. Not only did she incapacitate Rogue (as well as most of the rest of the institute), she stole Logan's separate, undivided attention on several occasions. Rogue complained about high school. She complained about not being able to touch. She complained about Danger Room sessions. But she would not complain about who Logan gave his time to. Not outwardly, anyways.
She was just like Logan. Genetically. How could Rogue compete with that? It burned the fires of jealousy hotter in her chest than Jean and Scott had. Still, she was a fucked up kid. Rogue was proof enough that Logan couldn't resist being a father figure to one of those. She kept a lot of thoughts to herself.
"What about her?"
His face screwed up in anguish. "She's... Been living off the grid for a while now after they tested on her." He bit out. "She's comfortable around me because I understand the mental torture they put her through." His stare became distant. "It took me a long time to be able to emulate close to normal. She has a hard time with the other kids, she's just starting high school..." Logan was glad his brain had no memories of high school, he knew it had to be a nightmare.
Rogue's face sobered slightly. Here she was picking at the girl when her whole life was hell. Rogue could identify with that. "Will you just... Look out for her? Make sure nobody gives her a hard time?" He hoped Rogue remembered how hard of a time she'd had adjusting and how him looking out for her made it so much easier.
"Of course. I do a pretty good impression of you." Rogue said, trying to sound excited. She elbowed the old man with a smirk.
"Where did she come from?"
"I heard she's an experiment." Whispers floated around her as she stalked through the halls. She wasn't sure how she let Logan convince her to come to the school.
"You can fool everyone else," He'd said. "But you can't fool me. You're a pack animal. You need a tribe. Come home to one." She was feeling weepy and especially lonely that day. And if anyone could sell her a pipe dream it was Logan. Crying, she'd thrown herself around him again.
"Okay."
Rogue watched as she saw the younger mutants getting together to play a game. Laura was off to the side, not looking super involved. She knocked back one of Logan's left behind beers before she approached the game outside.
"Hey," she snapped. Her slightly longer auburn and white hair in a half pony, the tips grazing her shoulders. She had on a plain black shirt with 3/4 sleeves and long brown gloves, and black jeans. She went outside, her hands cocked on her hips. "Y'all were fixin to let Laura play, right?" Laura watched the two-tone haired mutant carefully, as the young mutants began to cower. 'She scares them just as much as Logan... How?' She wondered secretly.
"Y-Yes, R-Rogue!" Said one young girl who could scream louder than you could imagine. She crossed her arms as Laura scooted closer to the group.
"O-Of course. Come play, Laura." Laura smiled a little as she grabbed the ball from one of the kids. Rogue turned back and went inside without another word.
Laura looked around the high school campus wearily. She hadn't made any friends yet. It'd only been three or four days but it felt like an eternity. Laura loved school, actually. All she ever did at the lab was fight. But she hated the socialization aspect that Charles insisted would come from school. She could answer questions but she couldn't think of a single thing to talk about with kids her age. It was just blank.
She sniffed in surprised and looked up to find Rogue in a leather jacket and a green t-shirt on one of Logan's bikes. Kurt and Kitty watched in disbelief from the parking lot.
"C'mon, Laura." She drawled with a smirk. "Let's go." The whole school was watching as Laura hesitantly climbed on the back with Rogue, a grin on her face. Everyone murmured as they drove off, leaving exhaust behind.
Rogue hesitantly took her glove off and looked at Laura, both of them standing in the Danger Room. It was past two in the morning. Rogue hoped nobody caught them, Scott would have an aneurysm.
"Are you sure?" Rogue asked the young girl. She had a determined look on her face.
"I'm not so good at teaching. Or talking. Or explaining," She responded. "But if you zap me a little bit, you'll know and we'll be able to spar. At least that's what it sounds like." Laura suggested. Rogue nodded.
"You're the best technical fighter in this institute." She grinned. "That used t'be me." Laura held her finger out.
"You gonna be alright with my memories?" Laura asked suddenly, her face grim. Rogue nodded.
"Yeah. Don't worry about none of that." They touched fingers very briefly. Rogue slowly slit down into a split. "Oh." She said. Laura nodded.
"Yep." Rogue grinned.
"May the best mutant win."