Kayla ran down the alleyway. The two men darted past the entrance. She froze, praying they hadn't seen her. They had. She turned to see a chain-link fence reaching high above her. The men were in front of her.
"Give it up, girly," one of them said. She stood her ground. This hadn't been the first time people were after her. Weakness was not a virtue she needed. She willed her feet through the ground. Nothing happened. She was freaking out inside. Why weren't her powers working? She threw herself into the chain-link fence.
Her body took the blow. Pain shuttered up her arm. She tried again but to no avail. She was trapped. Tears pushed her ever-changing eyes. She wiped them away. No, not now. She looked above her. A clothesline sagged heavy with drying clothes. She jumped. She clung to a towel.
"Hey! It's over! Get down!" one of the men yelled. She felt her fingers melt away, blending with the yellow terrycloth. It worked! The men were standing under her. She kicked one in the forehead. He staggered backwards, stumbling into the brick wall. He tripped over garbage cans on his way. The other, distracted, received a kick in the nose. Blood spurted from his broken nose as if it were a fountain. Some splattered her leg.
He stumbled into the chain-link fence. Then he turned and stumbled out of the alley, looking for help. She swung from the towel until she was sure she could clear the fence. She willed her fingers back. Then, she jumped. The towel came with her. It caught on the rough, uneven metal on top of the fence. She jerked backwards. She felt her body melt into the fence. Now she was stuck. The towel tore until it hung over her face. Footsteps echoed up the alley. Fear shuttered through her. The towel covered her face.
"Get her down!" the person said. It was a man. Other footsteps filled the alley. A needle stuck her arm. Her back shuttered as her molecules let go of the fence. Her body was having convulsions. The people caught her just before she hit the pavement.
"You thought you'd get away, didn't you? I admire your courage Kayla. But it will get you into trouble. I promise you that." Kayla felt a burden being lifted from her shoulder. She had never felt this way before. It was uplifting yet in a sense, she needed it. It was missed.
Kayla dragged herself out of bed. Well, off the floor. Victor had left already. A greasy looking piece of paper was sitting on the grimy floor. She picked it up. It reeked of cigar smoke. The chicken scratch looked rushed and smeared. He wanted her to do a mission. She slipped her bar through the barred door.
"Moe!" she called. A rat of a man scurried into the hall. He rattled the keys in his grubby fingers. "I got to go."
"Of course you do!" the mousy man said. She rolled her eyes, knowing what was coming next. "Everybody wants to leave Moe. Everyone hates Moe."
"I love you Moe. Please, I need to go. I'll get in trouble, please," Kayla begged. Moe unlocked the door and led her down the hall, muttering to himself. He grabbed clothes out of a closet and tossed them at her. "Powers please."
Moe roughly pulled her down to his level. She hunched her back impatiently as he sharply pressed the metal tack. Power shuttered through her. Her hair grew and spiraled down her back. Her eyes electrified and intensified; a never-ending stream of color.
Her scrapes and bruises healed. Her skin tanned. She glowed. Moe peeled his eyes from her perfect form and waddled over to the door.
"Go, hurry. You'll be late," he muttered. She nodded and was gone. She hated going on missions. She never got caught but the person's mysterious death always seemed to end up on the news. Which was what Victor wanted. He loved the attention, even if he was the only who knew about it. Moe watched her disappear. "Everyone hates Moe and he hates everybody, except you."
Kayla breathed in the fresh air. It was a gorgeous day. It was too bad she had to work. And he would be looking for her if she ran. Despite herself, her legs began pumping faster. No! Her old life was over. She forced herself to be happy. She needed this memory. She didn't have many. And after this mission, she would lose even more.
"What the hell were you thinking?!" he screamed. Moe kicked her. He appreciated the little man. If anything ever happened to the company, Moe would be blamed for the abuse and he would escape without a scratch. Kayla wouldn't remember anything anyway. After each job, they drained her memories so she couldn't snitch. "You screwed up Kayla!"
"I didn't know it was a child! I freaked!" she said. Moe went for her face. A steady trickle of blood ran from her nose. He shook his head.
"After all these years, I expected more from you." The words hit her ears like lead weights. Years? She had been here for years? Moe swung to kick her again but she grabbed his foot. He slammed into the concrete wall with a moan. Kayla flew at Victor, her hands aiming for his throat.
He stayed calm although he was churning inside. She could kill him, break him like a toothpick. But she didn't know that. That was his only advantage. He had to use it.
"You won't kill me," he said. Her grip tightened. "I gave you a home, food, clothes. You don't want to lose that. You don't want to lose any of that," he hissed. A flicker of doubt passed over her face. He knew she was giving in. But her hands squeezed the air from his throat.
"I can live without you. It's you that can't live without me!" she hissed. His hands flew to his throat. No, the button! He needed to push the button. He reached behind her with one hand. He tapped the place where the button should be. But it wasn't there. "No more," she whispered. He finally let his fear show. That button was designed to lower the dose of power she received. She smashed his head into the wall until he went limp. She tossed him next to Moe. They were still alive, but barely.
She grabbed some clothes from the closet. The door. She smashed the keypad. Tiny metal fragments sliced her skin. The cuts healed quickly. She ran out into the warm sunlight. Clouds formed overhead as she willed the rain. Important businessmen in suits held leather briefcases above their heads, running. Kayla lifted her arms, enjoying the rain. It seemed to wash away the moment.
The burden she had lifted off her shoulders, so many years ago had returned. But it felt good. She needed it there. She walked down the street, not stopping until her clothes were soaked through and her hair was slicked to her forehead. The sky cleared. The sun seeped in, warming her. This is what she needed. She needed to use her power. Even if it meant risking her life.
"Professor?" Rogue tiptoed into the large, oval-shaped office. She had heard his voice.
"Yes, come in Rogue. It's alright."
"You wanted to see me?" she whispered. Professor was so intimidating. She waited patiently for the chair to turn.
"I will need your assistance. There is a level four mutant running around in Vermont. She hasn't taken the Cure. I want to find her before 'they do'.
Rogue felt her gloves slip over her fingers. She didn't need gloves anymore, so why was she wearing them?
"Rogue, the Cure is only temporary. You must listen to me. Storm is struggling with herself; I needed to talk to you. Tell everyone to stop mourning for me, Rogue. You must spread the news."
Rogue woke up with a start. That was the fifth time she had this dream. Maybe she would talk to Storm. She tiptoed out of bed and down the hall. Light poured out of Storm's room. She gently knocked on the door.
"Come in," was the reply. Rogue opened the door to a disheveled, messy room. Storm was sitting on her bed, head in her hands.
"I had a dream," Rogue said. She wanted to get right to the point. Otherwise, she would lose her nerve. "Professor was talking to me." Storm looked up. Her eyes were red and swollen. She had been crying.
"Rogue," she whispered. "We've all had dreams of the Professor. Please, go back to sleep. I've got work to do." Rogue didn't move.
"He said the Cure was a dud. It's temporary." She had Storm's attention now. "He said to stop mourning him. We need to tell people. He put my gloves on." She held up her hands. Black, velvet gloves stretched to her elbows.
"Touch me," Storm said, astonished. Rogue withdrew. "I need to know if it's true. Touch me," she said. Rogue saw hope flicker across her face. She slowly pulled a glove off her hand and reached for Storm. Their skin touched. Rogue pulled her hand away but Storm held on. Rogue felt a surge of energy. Veins bulged from Storm's neck. They crept up her cheeks. She gasped for air. Rogue pulled her hand away.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. Storm caught her breath.
"He's right. But if he knows, that must mean he's still alive!"
"But Logan saw him—," Rogue's throat closed. She swallowed tears.
"Professor was a powerful man. He must have found a way. . ." Rogue nodded.
"Oh! He also mentioned a mutant. He's in Vermont. He wants us to find him. Level four," Rogue said. Storm nodded. Rogue shuffled back to bed. This was crazy. She wanted desperately to believe that Professor was alive but the Cure was wearing off.
She slipped her glove back on and rounded a corner, heading in the wrong direction.
"Bobby," she said. Se opened the door to his room. "Bobby?" Kitty Pryde slipped through the floor. Rogue saw a look of shame on her face. She felt tears. Bobby rolled over in bed.
"It's not what it looks like," he tried. Rogue let a single tear slide down her cheek. She turned and closed the door, leaving Bobby alone.
The city faded into mountain. Kayla had commanded the snow to stop but she was still cold. Heat was hard to get without burning herself. She shivered. She wished she knew where she was going.
"Kayla," she heard the voice almost a whisper. She was positive no one was around for miles. And yet she heard it. "Kayla."
"What? Hello?" she shouted to the mountaintop. Her voice echoed, bouncing around her. Emptiness consumed her. She suddenly wished she could remember who her family was, who she really was.
"Kayla," it whispered. She ignored it, trudging through the snow. Tears froze to her cheeks. She dropped to her knees. She wanted so badly to remember. . .
Kayla stirred. Snow had soaked her clothes, creating a false skin. Her joints were stiff and painful. She was too tired to move. She shook the snow from her back. She pulled herself up. She fell right back down. She couldn't feel her toes.
Instinct was telling her she was in danger. She looked around frantically seeing nothing but white. Think, she told herself. Rescue seemed impossible. No one knew she was missing. Just in case, she ripped a shred of cloth from her sweater. She placed it on the snow. Then, she let go. She knew she would die out here. She slept, waiting.
"Storm, do you think Rogue was telling the truth? I've heard no reports of a level four mutant in the middle of the Appalachian Mountains," Dr. Henry McCoy or Beast said. Storm sat stiff at the cockpit, concentrating.
"Yes. She touched me, Hank." He glanced behind him at Logan. He was whispering in Rogue's ear. He hugged her, careful not to touch her skin.
"But do you think Charles is. . ." he couldn't finish the sentence. He didn't have to. Storm did not answer. Logan appeared next to Hank.
"Look," he said. He pointed to a bright flash of color against the white snow. Storm found a clearing and landed the jet. Rogue wrung her hands nervously. Professor told her last night the girl was dying. If they were too late it would be all her fault. "Hey, relax. She'll be okay," Logan said, sitting down next to her again. Rogue nodded but fear churned her insides.
Kayla woke up, unsure if she was dead or alive. White lights came into focus. Her bones were stiff. It felt like she was being thawed out; cold and hot at the same time. Someone was in the room. She could feel it. She struggled to sit up.
"Take it easy," the person said. It was a tough looking man with rough sideburns. He was tall; she could tell even when he was sitting. She tried to answer back but her mouth was dry.
"Do you remember anything?" he asked sternly. Kayla threw her mind into over gear. She remembered walking in the cold, begging the snow to stop. And a voice. "Do you remember?"
"Who are you?" she said harshly. At least she meant to. Her throat was scratchy so it came out as a squeak. "Where am I?"
"Logan. Hold on," he said. He left the room for a moment and returned with a white-haired woman. She looked tired and overworked, almost frail. Logan stood behind her staring intensely at Kayla. She wanted to slip out of his gaze and go back to sleep.
"Where am I?" she repeated. The question hung lifelessly in the air. The white-haired woman seemed to be deep inside her self, distant from the rest of the world. Kayla felt scared and uncertain. She knew she couldn't let it show though. "Where am I?" she shouted. Her molecules buzzed with anticipation. Her hair grew and her eyes danced colors. Logan seemed bored. The white-haired woman was shocked.
Kayla was losing patient fast. All these freak shows could do was stare at her. She let go a wave of energy. The white-haired woman jumped out of the way. Logan leaned against the wall. The raw energy peeled his skin from his body. He seemed uninterested. Kayla watched it grow back.
"Kayla," she looked around wildly. No one had said anything. There was no new stranger in the room. She panicked. There had to be, she heard the voice . . . the voice that was on the mountain.
"Hey kid! What are you?" Logan asked. Kayla pulled herself away from the voice.
"A person," she said defensively. Logan chuckled.
"Yea, a person with an attitude," he said. The white-haired woman moved to a corner of the room.
"Logan, don't," she whispered.
"A person with a mutated chromosome. A person with an ability," he said. His voice grew louder with every word. Suddenly, he flew at her. Three metal claws slid out of his knuckles. One was pressed dangerously close to her throat. "We're all people," he whispered harshly in her ear. "But what are you?" Kayla shook away her fear and decided to show him. She leapt off the table she had been sitting on and landed behind him. She forced three metal claws from her knuckles and lowered her voice.
"The same as you," she said in his voice. He withdrew his claws and spun to face her. Her legs gave way. The white-haired woman raised her hands. A wind current caught her. Logan pulled her up and took her to the table.
"Logan, go get Hank," the woman whispered. He let go of Kayla and left. "I'm Ororo Munroe, or Storm. That's Logan. I'm sorry, he gets like that. How are you feeling?" A smile hiding secrets stretched painfully across her face.
"Where am I?" Kayla asked for about the millionth time.
"Professor Charles Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, Mutant High is what the kids call it."
"How did you find me?"
"We have our techniques. We saved you. What were you doing out there anyway?"
"Running….from everything," she said. She hadn't meant to say it. But this Storm seemed like someone she could trust. At least that's what she hoped was the case.
"You and the rest of the school," Storm sighed. "What's your name?"
"Kayla," she replied. Just then, Logan returned followed by two men. At least, that's what she thought they were. One was dressed in an Armani suit, which seemed pretty normal. The only thing that wasn't was the fact that his and hair and skin were blue. The other was almost other-worldly. He hand blonde hair, chiseled features, and large, white feathery wings.
"Hank, Warren," Storm greeted them. An ominous cloud seemed to fill the room. It rained guilt, sorrow and longing. Kayla didn't know what was in their past but she couldn't help but feel she was the key to unlocking it.
"She shifts," Logan muttered. Hank and Warren glanced at Storm, then at Kayla. She felt antsy under their stare.
"Kayla, do you know what your power is?" Hank asked. She couldn't quite describe it. Hank seemed to understand. "How about a demonstration?" Kayla climbed off the table, hoping she had the energy. What to show them? Weather had always been especially easy for her. Maybe that would work. She raised her arms and let her head fall back. A dark storm cloud gathered above their heads. Lightening struck her. She let it rain. It felt good to be this free.
She stopped the rain. A dust devil swirled around them, growing in size and strength. She let it spin until she felt dizzy. She lowered herself back onto the table and waited.
"Weather," Storm said. Kayla felt good.
"Shape shifting too," Logan said. Kayla jumped off the table and with every step, slipped into Logan's form. Her voice deepened as she spoke.
"I have more power than you in your best, could ever dream of," she said. "You want to see what I could do?" Liberty Island was nothing, Alcatraz? Easy," she said. She slid into Magneto's skin. She had seen pictures of him on the news while she was on her missions.
"And I don't appreciate your tone," she said. She felt something in his system, pulsing almost. She picked him up. It was metal running through his body. She set him down and turned back into herself. She walked out of the room
"Her power is extraordinary. I want all of you to respect her. Show her around, help her with her studies. Welcome her," Storm said. Kayla listened from the kitchen. Warren dropped a plate piled with food in front of her.
"Thanks," she muttered. She shoveled food into her mouth. She hadn't realized how hungry she was. Warren watched her eat with an amazed look on his face. "What?" she asked through a mouthful.
"Nothing," he said. She ate. "It's just, what's your power?"
"I'm not sure," she said. "I can do all kinds of stuff." She watched him, waiting for a reaction. "Once though, my…uh, dad tried to make it stop. You know turn it off. It worked."
"What did he do?" Kayla looked down. Warren seemed to understand but Kayla needed to tell him. She needed to tell someone. "You don't have to tell me."
"No, it's okay. He gave me some kind of shot. I had to fight him off," she muttered. Warren nodded.
"Well, finish up. You got to get a room," Warren said. Kayla shook her head.
"I'm staying with Logan. They think it'll be safer. From what?"
"How do you know?" Warren left the room. She heard him whisper to Storm. He returned, amazed. "How did you do that?"
"Experience," she said. She followed him out of the kitchen, to Logan's room.
Kayla couldn't sleep. Logan was groaning in his sleep; a nightmare. She didn't want to risk waking him up. Those claws seemed pretty dangerous. She silently climbed from bed.
"Where are you going?" Logan asked gruffly. She froze. "Can't sleep?" She shook her head, hoping he couldn't see her. "Hey….Kayla," he muttered. She almost didn't hear him. "I'm sorry," he said. She relaxed. They both walked to the kitchen.
"What else can you do?" Kayla dared. Logan raised an eyebrow. He pulled a claw out and sliced a deep cut into his hand. He winced and flexed his fingers as it healed. Kayla grabbed his hand and forced a claw out. He fought but gave in. She cut herself. She copied him; wincing and flexing her fingers until it healed.
"Do you just copy people?" he asked. She shook her head. "What do you do then?"
"I'm not sure," she said. A voice whispered in her ear. "I mimic the carbon atom patterns in substances," she whispered. He raised another eyebrow. Rogue raced into the kitchen, disoriented and disheveled.
"Professor….he said…" Rogue held up a hand. She caught her breath. Kayla knew it had to do with her and her power.
"He said he wants Kayla in his office."
"Right now?" she couldn't help but ask. Rogue nodded. Kayla got up slowly and followed Rogue down the hall. Apprehension twisted her stomach. She couldn't help but feel Professor would harm her. Rogue opened the door, moving so Kayla could step in. She gave her a shaky smile. Kayla stepped into the office.
"Kayla, I've waited so long to talk to you," a deep voice said. It was the voice from the mountains. She shuttered.
"Who are you?"
"I used to be Professor Charles Xavier. I built this school," he said. Her mind was racing. Was he a ghost? No, he must be some kind of mutant.
"Yes, that's right. You're smart. You've built your power on your experiences, whether they are good or bad." The chair spun; no one was in it. She stumbled back, her body tensed. Energy flowed through her. She braced herself.
"Do not be afraid. There are no tricks, no weapons, no games. I simply want to talk. Kayla stayed. "You have a broken past, Kayla. Lost memories and forgotten lives. I can help you get that back but first I need you to trust me."
Kayla's throat closed. She had issues with trust. Everyone she had ever trusted had turned against her, betrayed her. She felt her legs pulling her towards the door.
"Kayla, I cannot ask you to stay. I cannot ask you to leave either. But I want you to know one thing: you have a home here, a family." She ran from the room, pushing Rogue on the way. It was dark outside but she needed air.
She sipped air, swirling it around her finger. Power. It felt so nice to have power. She didn't need them to have power. Who could she find with power? Magneto, she thought. She could find Magneto and get him to help her. No, that wouldn't work. She paced in front of a large oak tree.
"Need air?" She whirled around to see a boy with spiky blond hair sitting on a stone bench. She nodded and sat down next to him. "Bobby."
"Kayla," she whispered. They sat in silence for a moment. "Did you know Professor Xavier?" He chuckled.
"Yea, we all did. He taught most of us," he said. He seemed distant, almost lost in a memory. She could practically feel his confusion, pulsing through his molecules.
"Don't worry, she'll forgive you," she whispered.
"No, she won't. I can't touch her but she wants our relationship to continue," he said. Kayla thought. He must be talking about Rogue. She always wore those gloves.
"Well then, why'd you do it?"
"I want someone I can hold."
"You can't hold love," Kayla whispered. "Only the vessels that carry it." Bobby smiled. Kayla felt sick. She couldn't stay here. This life wasn't hers. She spoke of things she didn't know anything about. She jumped off the bench and sprinted towards the gates to the grounds. Bobby yelled for her but she kept going. She needed to run.
Kayla watched from the treetops as a dark figure scanned the floor below. They were looking for her. They had to be. She dispersed her molecules, fading into the night. She rustled some leaves, causing the person to look up. It was a woman with strange markings on her face and arms.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are," she called. Kayla gathered herself back on the tree. How would she get rid of her? She shifted her face to Logan's and dropped in front of the woman. "There you are," she said cheerfully.
"What do you want?" she asked gruffly.
"You, Kayla," she said. Kayla froze. How did she know? "We've been watching you for some time. I'm delivering an invitation," she said in an eerie manner. "If you accept, I will take you back to headquarters. If you decline, I will be forced to take you."
"What do you want?"
"For you to join the Brotherhood of Mutants," she said. A smile spread across her face, wrinkling the tattoos. Kayla weighed her options quickly. Either way, they were going to have her. "Kayla, I will not ask you to join us, but realize that violence is not the answer." It was Professor. Kayla shook her head.
"I'll go," she said. Suddenly, leaves rustling filled the woods. The tattoo girl stepped back, smiling. Kayla shifted back into herself and tensed. People surrounded them, grabbing Kayla's arms. She panicked and slipped from their grasp.
"Kayla, do not panic. We won't hurt you. Your power is greater than you think. This is for our protection," the girl said. With that, a large metal collar slapped around her neck. She shuttered. Her body began having convulsions. Tiny needles pricked her neck. This was the same drug she had felt when Victor found her. Her legs gave way and the girl rushed to catch her. She carried Kayla off into the forest, followed by the army of mutants.
"She's here." Pyro nodded. Kayla was shoved to the floor. Her hands were cuffed behind her back. The collar was still on.
"This is Kayla," he said. Kayla looked up at the shaggy blond in disgust. "I was expecting a little more," he said. Kayla held her head down. She felt so stupid. She should have struggled, resisted. But her defiance to Professor was so strong. "Don't worry Kayla, I won't hurt you. I just want you to understand. You are a level-seven mutant with more potential than you could dream. The collar we stole from Worthington Labs. It was a prototype to suppress the mutant gene. You could escape if you tried. And I think you need a real name. How about Element?
"Calypso has studied your power and figured out that you manipulate the basic elements to your specific needs. Anyway, we need you. We've heard plans to arrest those who participated in Alcatraz Island. The island itself has been turned into a jail. Some have already been captured but those who haven't, need to rejoin the Brotherhood."
"What to you need me for?" Kayla asked. She had a feeling it was for protection. That's what Victor wanted her for. Suddenly, Victor stepped from the shadows. A satisfied grin stretched from ear to ear. She felt sick to her stomach.
"You helped my friend Victor get revenge on those who have tried to suppress mutants. Now you will help us finish them off. And free our brothers," Pyro explained. Kayla was yanked from her knees by a huge man with a square metal helmet. She dangled a few feet in the air.
"I warned you that courage would be your downfall," Victor whispered as he walked by. Kayla spat at him. Pyro singed her.
"Respect us and we will respect you," he warned. "If not, you will suffer." Kayla felt tears. She was weak without her power. She would never find a way out.
"Are you sure these will do the trick?" Victor asked. He held up a vile filled with blue liquid to the light. Pyro nodded.
"One of our allies sent them to us. Mind control," he said. Kayla sat handcuffed in a metal chair. She was bound at her feet and stomach. Pyro placed a needle on the vile and squirted a little into the air. Then he went for Kayla. She struggled against the restraints but to no avail.
"Easy girl," he whispered. Kayla felt low, worthless. Then, her mind clouded and she could only hear his voice. "I want you to free the captive mutants. Let no one stop you," he whispered into her ear. She felt the collar and handcuffs come off. She was unstrapped from the chair. She watched herself disappear into the darkness of the hallway. She had a job to do.
"She's going to Alcatraz," Rogue whispered. Logan dropped his beer can with a plunk! He wasn't sure he had heard right.
"Professor?" he asked. Rogue turned. She wasn't in her eyes. It was Professor.
"Yes, Logan. Listen, Kayla is headed for Alcatraz Island. Pyro, now Apocalypto, is controlling her. She's dangerous. You must stop her." Before Logan could respond, Rogue blinked and looked around, bewildered.
"What happened?" she asked. Logan shook his head.
"We've got to go," he said. They ran from the kitchen, calling for Storm. She was in Professor's office. "Storm, Kayla's at Alcatraz, we have to stop her."
"How Logan?" She's a level four. We can't stop her!" she exclaimed. Her eyes were red and puffy. She had been crying. Logan clenched his jaw.
"We have to try," he said. Storm looked up. Sparks of anger, hatred, and loss flashed in her eyes. She nodded.
"We can do this."
Kayla approached a guard. He had tazers and tranquilizers on his belt. She didn't care.
"You need authorized access. . ." the guard's voice disappeared. Kayla's eyes flashed. She grabbed him by the neck and lifted him up. He shook in fear. Kayla shook him until his brain rattled inside his skull. She dropped his lifeless body to the ground. She broke open the door. Victor and Pyro watched from the shadows, waiting. A few minutes later, a stream of mutants burst from the complex.
"She did it," Victor said.
"We're not free yet," Pyro said. He pointed to the sky. A jet, barely visible, hovered over their heads. It landed easily on the island. They could feel Kayla's energy from their position. Logan, Storm, Rogue, and Warren stepped from the plane.
"Kayla, you must stop!" Storm shouted. A mutant with spiky black hair launched metal pegs at her. She blew up a breeze, stopping them. Storm fought against the tears, pushing her eyes. This was almost a repeat of Alcatraz. She felt Logan's hand on her arm.
"We have to stop her," he whispered. She could see the memory in his eyes. She nodded. Storm created a wind current. The mutants who were free began to advance.
"It's a lost cause from the beginning," Victor said. But Pyro was headed for the gathering. Magneto was no longer there to keep them together. This was his chance.
"Hold off! Hold off!" he shouted. The mutants were reluctant but agreed. "This is her battle."
"Kayla, Element, they are trying to stop you. Follow orders," he said. Kayla began to build up energy. She launched a raw attack on Storm. She flipped backwards.
"Kayla, stop it! We're here to help you!" Rogue shouted. She helped Storm up. Logan stood to the side, his mind racing. This wasn't like Jean at all. He couldn't stop her.
"Storm, I can't stop her! Neither can you!" he said. Storm spat blood and looked up.
"What do you mean?"
"She can head. Even if I did—we've got to take her energy," he said. Everyone turned to Rogue. Rogue felt tears. She wished she didn't have this power. It was a curse. She had worked to get rid of it and now, it was back to haunt her. Logan saw the doubt. "Rogue, you can stop this, you can save us and the world," he whispered. He took her head in his hands. "You're strong, you can do this," he said. They turned.
Kayla was raising in the air, sparks coming from her fingers. Her hair was billowed around her. Dark storm clouds built up in the sky. The moon was blotted out. Logan felt her tugging him. She suddenly pointed to the plane. The metal peeled backwards.
"Storm, create a current," Warren shouted suddenly. Storm shook her head.
"It'll make a tornado!"
"Then clear the storm!" Her eyes went white. She held her hands up, competing with the weather. The clouds lightened. Kayla's eyes crackled. She glared at Storm.
"Warren, take me up there," Rogue said. Warren nodded. He stretched his wings and circled. He swooped and grabbed Rogue. She shook with fear. Kayla was dangerous, she could kill. But so could she.
"Kayla!" Logan shouted. Kayla turned. "Kayla, they're trying to help you. There's a home for you at this school. I will help you!" he yelled over the wind. Professor's voice echoed in his head.
"Professor wants to help you! Please," he said. Logan felt torn. Professor wasn't dead. He owed Logan that news. And yet he was telling it to Kayla.
"Logan, I understand your struggle. Kayla has lost memories and her past just as you have. Help her," he said. Logan shouted at Kayla. He saw the tip of a feather. They were almost there.
Rogue was losing her grip. Warren held onto one hand as she slipped a glove off. She didn't risk grabbing his hand again.
"I can't hold on much longer!" he yelled. Rogue felt him losing her.
He beat his wings furiously as they tried to get lower. Rogue reached out and grabbed Kayla's hand. Kayla tried to pull away but couldn't. Rogue's power had a hold on her. Rogue looked around. Logan's face had partially peeled away from the attack from Kayla. It was rapidly growing back. Storm's nose was bleeding from the effort but she was finally winning back the sky.
Warren lowered Rogue as Kayla lost control. Rogue was hit with a sudden burst of energy. She felt it flow through her veins. It was overwhelming. Kayla gasped for air as the veins in her neck poked out. Rogue repaired the plane. Pyro watched in disgust. He had freed the mutants; they were running from the scene, but he had failed to stop the X-Men.
"Rogue," Logan ran over to them as Warren gently placed her on the ground. She peeled her hand from Kayla and stumbled forward and collapsed. Logan grabbed her and felt for a pulse. She was still alive. Warren knelt over Kayla. Her pulse beat weakly under his finger. Storm walked over to them.
"They're still alive," Logan said. Storm nodded. She handed him Rogue's glove. Logan felt tears pushing his eyes. It had worked. He wasn't going to lose her. Not like Jean.
"She's in a coma," Storm said without turning around. "They both are."
"I know," the person said. Storm whirled around. An older man in a suit ad tie stood before her. She leaped, crying into his arms.
"But how? Logan saw you—," she asked astonished. He smiled.
"The mind can live without the body. Now I am—," Logan burst into the room.
"How is she?" he asked. Before Storm could answer he pushed past her. His heart sank when he saw Rogue.
"She's in a coma," Storm said. Logan bent over her bed, wishing his power worked on the mind.
"She will wake up soon. They both will." Logan looked up. The man smiled.
"Professor?" he asked. The man nodded. Logan felt sick. "But how?"
"Later. Right now we need to let them rest. Let's go to my office." The all walked out of the room.
"Old friend," Dr. Hank McCoy hugged him. "Do the children know?"
"No and they don't need to. Their minds are still fragile. To reintroduce me could be devastating. The only reason I revealed myself to Rogue because she was the one who seemed most at peace with herself and the world. The Cure doesn't work. And the world needs to know that." They all nodded. Logan was quiet. "What's wrong Logan?" He leapt at the man, claws out. He pinned him to the heavy oak desk.
"You were dead. Why should we believe you're alive?" he hissed. He retracted his claws and left.
"I've failed you," Pyro said. He bowed low in front of Magneto.
"No, you've helped the Brotherhood. Now we are stronger than ever. We must prepare ourselves. My old friend is still alive."