In Our Lady's Shadow
A Tale of Confusion, Guilt, Love, and Mutants
by Fille de Soleil, aka Sunshinegirl
(In Honor of Hugh Jackman, the talent that made X-Men appealing even to romantic sops like me)
Summary: The X-Men were too late to stop Magneto, and the mutator he had created was put to use. Rogue's power turned out to be far more formidable than Xavier had guessed, and she was not destroyed in the process. In a strange turn of events, the humans of New York who underwent mutations were not killed, and suddenly the whole city is full of nothing but mutants. Can they protect themselves and the other mutants of the world? Will the rest of the humans on Earth come to accept them, now that such a huge, concentrated population exists? Or will the humans even notice? You'd think this would be enough to fill anyone's head, especially those who are organizing the democracy and civility of all the new mutants, but Logan has one more problem. What on Earth is he going to do about himself and Marie?
The funny thing about plans for world domination is that they rarely go through as predicted.
The X-Men were too late to stop Magneto, and the mutator he had created was put to use. Rogue's power turned out to be far more formidable than Xavier had guessed, and she was not destroyed in the process. Infact, her mutation passed on a protection to all the humans in New York City, and the mutator didn't destroy them either.
(168 hours after the force field.)
I was only concerned about Rogue's safety. Later I felt horrible for not caring about all the people in New York, but when we realized we were too late to stop Magnito, I could only think of her. We couldn't get past the initial defense Magneto had put up, and I was standing at the bottom of the Statue of Liberty when we saw the field of energy swoop out of the Lady's Torch, quickly engulfing us and the entire skyline of the city. I dropped to my knees, as though an enormous burden had been dropped on my back, and felt a strange heaving in my lungs. I realized that I was trying to cry, and stuffed my fist into my mouth to muffle the horrible sound. As quickly as the energy had been expended, it sucked right back in to the torch, and we could hear the panicked screams and shouts across the harbor on Ellis Island. I've been told that I seemed possesed as I stood and knocked down the door that we had reached too late and hurtled up the winding flight of stairs. Frankly, I probably was a litle possesed. Marie was the first person, human or mutant, I had met who wasn't afraid of me, and I felt responsible for her. Moreover, I had grown to really like the little slip-of-a-thing, and sensed a closeness between us.
When I burst into the room inside the torch, I didn't know what to expect, but I was ready (as always) for a fight. Instead, I was met with a frightening sight. Magnito was stooped over Rogue on the large metal device I assumed was the mutator, heaving and pale. His minions were standing around, looking wary, and hardly noticing me. But I had eyes only for the crumpled form on the dias, the jacket and scarf she had been wearing on the train when I last saw her concealing everything but her small boots sticking out one end.
"Marie!" I lunged towards her, taking the steps in one leap and flinging the old, limp body of Magnito away (I think his minions rushed forward and caught him, because I suffered no consequenses for harming him).
"Marie," My voice came out in a harsh whisper, and my eyes stung and felt wet. I rolled her over and cradeled her protectively in my arms, using my jacke sleeve to protect my hand as I brushed her hair off her face; The once dark hair, which now had a brilliant streak of white above her forehead. I pulled her tight into my chest, feeling the weight of her, the mass and density of who she was, and the wetness poured over my lids in hot streams, rolling down my cheeks, nose, and chin. The heaving once again took over my lungs, and this time I couldn't control it. Harsh sobs errupted from my throat and echoed off the bronze walls of the room. I grabbed her hand, and cupped it to my face, wishing with all my heart that the veins were still pumping, that miraculously she would be alive.
Suddenly, I felt a terrible sucking from the pit of my soul. My cheek grew hot while the rest of me went as cold as ice, and I knew the sensation well. It had, after all happened before, a mere twenty-four hours prior. Excitement mixed with horror as I was suddenly fighting for my life, fighting to remain concious. I wrenched her hand off my face, and fell back against the side of teh mutator panting, a cold sheen of sweat on my forehead. Three forms ran up and attempted to pull the girl in my lap away, but I hunched over her, careful not to touch her hands or face. If there was any chance of Rogue being alive, no one was going to get past me to her.
"Logan! Logan, you have got to let her go!" I heard a familiar voice exclaim.
"She can't have survived the experience-" I heard the professor's voice get cut off.
"Charles, the girl's powers still work. She was just now drawing out Wolverine's power."
This man's words gave me even more hope, and I pressed my ear to her jacket front, searching for a pulse.
Tha-thump. Tha-thump
She wasn't dead.
"Oh God," I breathed, and then said louder, "Her heart's still pumping, someone help!"
I lurched up and my gaze raked the faces of the people standing around the dias. Storm and Jean stumbled forward, and I moved so that they could see her fully. The Professor rolled closer, his eyes shut in concentration, and Cyclops came to stand behind Jean.
"Her mental state is perfect, and she is very alert." Xavier's warm voice reached my overjoyed ears.
"Is she in any pain? Is she hurting?" I asked.
"No. Actually, she is very, very, comfortable right now." There was a subtle amusment in his tone, and a smile tugged at his lips. "I'm afraid that she will probaly suffer from a head ache tomorrow morning."
"Yeah, and that'll be the least of our worries," Scott muttered. I guess he thought I wouldn't nootice, but boy was he wrong.
"What the hell are you talking about?" I exploded, six months of pent up rivalry finally letting loose. "Rogue is-" But I was cut off by a cool hand on my shoulder.
"The city of New York is now completely inhabited by mutants Logan," Storm said softly, her tone heavy with sorrow. "Everyone who was a normal human forty-five mintues ago is now very likely to die. Remember the Senator? His cellular structure couldn't handle the raw energy involved, and he hydrolyzed."
I stared at her mutely. I knew he was dead, but hydro-what? Reading my expression, Storm clarified.
"Basically, his cells turned to water."
God, I thought, So good ole' NYC 'll be flooding not too long from now.
But I instantly regretted the thought, at the look on the Professor's face.
I glanced down at Marie's delicate features, and was surprised to see her eyes fluttering open.
"Marie, thank God you're still with m- I mean, with us." I felt the akward sentence hang on the air, but then she smiled weakly and I was able to pull her into a close hug and forget the stupidity of my words.
"Logan," She blushed and glanced away. I followed her gaze, jealous of her attention, and was surprised to see Xavier twinkling his eyes at her. Rogue's eyes snapped back to mine.
"I tried to save the them," Her voice rose in distress. "The humans, I mean. Magneto's powers seemed to get stronger in me, and I tried to soften the energy shock..." Tears welled in her eyes, and I remembered the last time I had seen them spill over. I wiped them away with the hem of my tee shirt.
"You're a good kid, Rogue. Not everyone would have continued fighting for them. So no matter what happens to all of 'em, I don't want you to feel guilty, not even a bit." My voice was still a harsh whisper, but at least no one else could hear this emotional jag of mine. All this feminine crap was probably just a result of me feeling like a mother hen for Rogue. That would explain it.
Her lower lip trembled, and I smoothed her hair, avoiding contact with her forehead. She heaved a sigh, and her eyes drooped.
"Go to sleep now, my Marie," I said lowly. "You don't need to worry 'bout anything."
I wouldn't let anyone else touch her, after Storm had assured herself and Xavier that Rogue was physically sound. In the jet on the way back to X-Academy, I continued to cradle her in my arms. I myself was confused by this over-protective side I was showing, and not a little embarrassed by it, so I sat in the back, out of everyone else's sight. But not wholly out of earshot.
"Dumb dog," Scott growled to Jean. "All he could do was stare at the girl and coo sweet nothings in her ear."
"Scott," Jean sighed, running a hand through his hair and softly kissing him. "You know he was just worried about her."
"Yeah, but maybe a little too worried, don't'cha think? Not to mention he didn't raise a finger to help us confine Magneto and his people." Scott kissed her back, and I looked away as it grew more passionate, more longing.
I wasn't really lusting after Jean anymore. Of course, I wasn't about to let Scotty-boy know that, because what fun is there without a little rivalry? Now I looked away because I didn't know how to be like that with someone. Scott and Jean were so in love, it hurt me just to watch them kiss. I had never had that. Women were attracted to me like flies, always trying to get on my "good side" while I was on the road, but I could never get past my own disgruntled feeling of self-loathe and the pain - real, physical pain, all the time from the damn-unnatural alloy fused to my being. I had never told anyone about it; I had been so long in living with it that I paid it no mind now, but it was ever-present, and marred certain feelings of would-be pleasure.
I brought my attention back to the seats ahead of me as the snogging session came to an end (it was, of course, painfully romantic).
"No, but I'm being serious Jean." Scott's purred, though he was clearly still agitated. "The way he was looking at her, I'd bet a lot on it not being paternal. There was some serious sex in his eyes, once he realized she was okay."
"Well, maybe you're right, but he could have just been relieved. Logan is very attached to her. I think they're more like siblings."
"Yeah, well no brother looks at his sister like that either." Scott replied, but he nuzzled her neck, and the worried expression on the psychic's face vanished; the conversation was clearly over.
Well, that selfish, gossiping one-eye. I fail to help round up a bunch of worn-out, passive mutants, and he starts spreading tales of me looking funny at girls half my age. Or probably way less than half my age, considering that I don't remember how old I am and my power slows down my aging process in the first place. What a creep. Maybe I should give in and tell him I'm not interested in his girl, just to shut him up. Ha! Me? In love with Marie? Desiring her? It's a joke. Wishing that her powers wouldn't destroy me if I closed the short distance between our lips and breathed her in, tasted her surely-sweet mouth?
Oh God, where had that come from?!
Okay, that's all I have right now. I'll be writing more, probably, because I need to get this story out and I actually like where it's going so far. And even if I don't get a bunch of reviews I'll still upload them, because I really hate it when people work their readers like that. Hope you like!
-Sunshinegirl