If there was one thing Bobby prided himself on above everything else in school, it was his math. And even though he was only a freshman he was put in a sophomore math class, better yet, Evan and Rogue's math class. He sat in the fourth out of five rows and proudly answered a question from last night's homework. He got it right of course, and turned to look at the others in the room, some scowled at him while others smiled, like Evan up front, who also flashed him a thumbs up. The human ice-cube turned himself to look at the back row toward Rogue, who looked at him with a fake glare, then smiled one of her rare, real smiles. This sent a low scarlet blush to cross his cheeks.
When he looked at her, again he noticed, with horrified fascination, she sat stock-still. And as his conversation with Kitty, Evan, and Kurt came to mind he grew very scared. He then found himself paralyzed to the spot as he watched a single large red mark cover her throat and four small dots of red grow rapidly on the left side of her neck and one on the right. The wounds seem to come out of no where. A small river of blood pour smoothly out of the corner of her lips, and her eyes hazed over as if she was being strangled. She seemed to finally come to her senses as her head lolled foreword and she began sucking in large quantities of air.
The class was in an uproar, and just before she passed out, Bobby found his legs and rushed to catch her. However, before he could take a step out of his seat, Pietro knelt beside her desk, Rogue clutched gently in his arms.
And even before the teacher had a chance to give a command Pietro had left, running normal speed, toward the door. Bobby leapt to follow, but soon found Evan's arm blocking his way.
"Chill man. He'll get her to safety faster than any of us," he himself seemed reluctant to allow the speed demon go off with such precious cargo as he seethed out the door, but Bobby found wisdom in his words. He sent a fleeting glance out the door, the only thing he saw were a few flying papers left in Pietro's wake.
Needless to say, the rest of Bobby's morning classes didn't go very smoothly.
When the lunch bell had rung, half of the school's population had heard of Rogue's `attack'. Even though fewer than a fourth of them even knew who Rogue was. But the few who did know, and care, included the members of the X-men and Brotherhood.
Scott and Jean immediately sought out the disgruntled Bobby and overly agitated Evan in the hall.
"What exactly happened?" he asked, worry seeping into `commander tone.'
"Dude, I don't know. First, she's fine, then it looked like she was bein' choked," Evan answered.
"Where is she now?" voiced Jean, "I already checked the nurses office, and she isn't there."
"I don't know," confessed Evan.
"What do mean you don't know?"
"Pietro took her."
"WHAT!?" screamed Scott, receiving strange looks from the crowd around.
"Look Scott," Bobby started, joining the conversation for the first time, "we knew Pietro would take care of her. And he'd get her to safety the fastest," he stated coming to Evan's help.
"Besides, do you think I'd let that jerk touch her any other way?" demanded Evan.
Just before they could reach the cafeteria doors Jean spotted Duncan and left, while Lance found Scott.
"What the hell do you geeks do to her?" her growled, roughly pinning Scott to the lockers behind him.
Scott, who was momentarily stunned by the sudden attack, was too startled to answer.
Bobby was about to come to his rescue when he found himself defying gravity and flowing several feet of the ground. The source, he found, was the Blob who had lifted, not only him but Evan as well, forcefully off the ground by the back of their shirts.
Toad stood, or hunched rather, next to Lance glaring dangerously toward Scott though unholy yellow eyes. Tabby leaned casually against the lockers, carelessly tossing a small `cherrybomb' up and down. She flung it up toward Cyclops and watched it explode hazardously close to his face. Then created another one and began the small ritual over again.
Normally he would have scolded her about being so careless. But hell, this wasn't really his definition of normal by far, and she wasn't his responsibility anymore. Rogue, however, was, and so was his own body.
"Answer me, God Dammit! Where is she?" Lance hissed angrily, picking Scott up and slammed him into the lockers again, leaving a small dent. Ordinarily Scott could over-power Lance, but he seemed fueled by some untapped anger.
Evan seemed to find his voice the earliest, "Lo-look man, we don't know, Pietro took off with her."
"He-he's telling the truth, Lance," spoke Bobby shakily, "You know sure as hel-hell we wouldn't hurt her."
Tabby took this moment to enter the conversation, "He right, Bobby's head-over-heels for her. He wouldn't lie `bout this."
Bobby's blush revealed his secret, and Lance took a moment to study him. He then shoved Scott back into the lockers and let him go, not looking very happy about it either. He snapped his fingers and pointed to the ground. Freddy, looking disappointed, dropped both Evan and Bobby.
Lance seethed silently for a moment, while Scott regained his breath from his crouched position Lance's attacked had left him in.
When Scott finally regained use of his legs he stood shakily, when Lance poked him, non too gently, in the chest, "If she's not back before the days up. And Pietro has no fucking clue as to what you're talking about, I'll kill you."
"Ya know mah life would be perfect, if y'all would just stop talkin' behind mah back."
The seven in the hall, because by now every one had gone into the cafeteria, turned to see an annoyed Rogue being supported by a very cautious looking Pietro.
She turned to face he current crutch, "Thank ya, Petey. But Ah'm fine now."
He slowly let go of her, while she did a small turn to prove her health. Pietro reluctantly moved away muttering, "Some-girls-think-that-they're-lucky-when-they're-in-my-arms."'
It took Bobby a second to register the fact that she was no longer wearing the same outfit that she was before. Now she wore a pair of tight black jeans and a tight, light blue long-sleeved shirt, and of course, the black leather gloves.
It took him and Evan another minute to release that both of their mouths were hanging open at the fact that she no longer wore gothic make-up and looked, to say the least, extremely hot.
"Wha-what happened?" questioned Evan.
"Well, Ah passed out, Pietro freaked and in some desperate need ta wake me, felt the need to douse me in water."
"I have my own reasons," he smiled sending her a wink.
"Where'd you get the clothes?"
"They're some of the one's Ah left at tha Brotherhood house. What?" she questioned looked down at herself, "Do Ah look bad?"
"Not at all, your damn fi-" he didn't get a chance to finish, Toad cut him off.
"Yo, you sure you're ok?" questioned Todd.
"Ah'm fine Toddy," she sighed. She really did hate all the attention this was getting her.
"Well, good, `cause I'm missin' lunch," Fred stated turning toward the cafeteria followed by Todd. Tabby sent Rogue a small smile, while Pietro looked her over with a mixture of concern and desire in his eyes, then they turned to follow their other two teammates.
Scott moved to check Rogue himself, but before he could take two steps Lance roughly grabbed his arm, "I need to speak with her, you can wait."
Scott was about to say something, but Rogue quickly stopped any argument, "Don't worry Scott. Ah need ta speak with him anyway."
Scott looked back and forth between the two, his gaze unable to be seen, he finally nodded his head and turned to leave, pausing only to call Bobby and Evan to follow. They paused for a moment, when a thought hit Bobby. The marks were no longer on Rogue's neck, and Lance had gently grabbed her forearm to lead her away, the one she'd previously had the scratches on. And she didn't even flinch.
He turned, so deep in thought, he'd barely noticed entering thr cafeteria and the other teenage X-men as the barraged the three in questions.
Lance had led her through the school hall out to the open air of the parking lot, the entire walk in silence.
He paused by his jeep and pulled out a cigarette, he was about to lit it when he remembered something. Rogue hated when he smoked, something about her past, the smell made he sick. He threw the unlit ciggy into the interior of his car; he'd smoke it later.
He looked at his former-teammate, and a gracious look crossed her face. "So," he started, a conversation evaded him for a moment.
"Ya know ya didn't havta attack Scott like that," her gaze suddenly turned disapproving, and he desperately wished it would change back.
"I had my reasons," he now wished he'd not thrown the cigarette in the car, `he took you from me-us. Not me, us, the Brotherhood,' he mentally corrected himself.
An uncomfortable silence followed.
"Rogue," she looked at him, "What happened?"
"Ah-ah don't know," she confessed.
"If it's something that the geeks are..."
"It's not," she cut him off hastily. "Believe me it has nuthin' ta do with them."
"I know, but if they ever," she sent him a look, but he continued anyway, "If, if they do, you our doors always open."
"Ah know," the gracious smile returned and Lance chalked himself up one mental point. "Ah gotta get back ta tha lunchroom, or Scott gunna spasm." They shared a short-lived laugh, and Rogue placed her hand gently on his crossed arms, "Thanks Lance, fa tha concern."
She turned to leave, but Lance hadn't even began torturing her, "You know he like you," he called.
She spun around, but did not come closer, "Who?"
"Summers," he stated sarcastically, though he knew it wasn't a complete lie, "Bobby, you know, Drake?" but then again Lance couldn't name one guy out of all the teenage X-men, or Brotherhood for that matter, that didn't have a crush on her, or at least once did.
"Why does evary body tell me that?" she questioned smiling.
" `Cause it's so obvious," he replied, returning her smile.
"Ya know, Ah lost me since of touch, not sight," she joked back, "Ah can tell when a guy likes me."
She turned and walked away again, just as he whispered, "Then why couldn't you tell that I did." He shook his head, and climbed into his jeep. His afternoon classed forgotten as Rogue entered the doors to the school. He picked up the cigarette he'd previously despised of. He glared down at it, as if it were the reason he wasn't with Rogue. Grumbling he crushed it in his hand and threw it over his shoulder as he started the jeep.
He just missed Rogue return to the doors, and peer through glossy eyes at the back of the dust billows, "Don't ya see, Lance. Ah did know." She again turned and walked down the hall. An overly distressed Kitty and Bobby met her half way, finally getting permission from Scott to go see what was taking so long.
Wow, that's probably the longest chapter I've ever written.
Ok, one thing, it will be a looong while before I update again. One of my grandmothers is in the hospital and I have to go visit her, I won the Science Fair at my school (God kill me I'm a geek!), second place, just behind my rival (Damn you Chris), and I have to get ready for districts, sooooooo annoying.
PS: I still need help with couples, so far it's pretty much a three-way tie.
Next Chap: find out what's up with Rogue.
THANK YOU: to Phoenix Angel Suyari for introducing me to my muse, I took your first suggestion instead of Lance, cause I'm pretty sure someone else has already picked him.
When he looked at her, again he noticed, with horrified fascination, she sat stock-still. And as his conversation with Kitty, Evan, and Kurt came to mind he grew very scared. He then found himself paralyzed to the spot as he watched a single large red mark cover her throat and four small dots of red grow rapidly on the left side of her neck and one on the right. The wounds seem to come out of no where. A small river of blood pour smoothly out of the corner of her lips, and her eyes hazed over as if she was being strangled. She seemed to finally come to her senses as her head lolled foreword and she began sucking in large quantities of air.
The class was in an uproar, and just before she passed out, Bobby found his legs and rushed to catch her. However, before he could take a step out of his seat, Pietro knelt beside her desk, Rogue clutched gently in his arms.
And even before the teacher had a chance to give a command Pietro had left, running normal speed, toward the door. Bobby leapt to follow, but soon found Evan's arm blocking his way.
"Chill man. He'll get her to safety faster than any of us," he himself seemed reluctant to allow the speed demon go off with such precious cargo as he seethed out the door, but Bobby found wisdom in his words. He sent a fleeting glance out the door, the only thing he saw were a few flying papers left in Pietro's wake.
Needless to say, the rest of Bobby's morning classes didn't go very smoothly.
When the lunch bell had rung, half of the school's population had heard of Rogue's `attack'. Even though fewer than a fourth of them even knew who Rogue was. But the few who did know, and care, included the members of the X-men and Brotherhood.
Scott and Jean immediately sought out the disgruntled Bobby and overly agitated Evan in the hall.
"What exactly happened?" he asked, worry seeping into `commander tone.'
"Dude, I don't know. First, she's fine, then it looked like she was bein' choked," Evan answered.
"Where is she now?" voiced Jean, "I already checked the nurses office, and she isn't there."
"I don't know," confessed Evan.
"What do mean you don't know?"
"Pietro took her."
"WHAT!?" screamed Scott, receiving strange looks from the crowd around.
"Look Scott," Bobby started, joining the conversation for the first time, "we knew Pietro would take care of her. And he'd get her to safety the fastest," he stated coming to Evan's help.
"Besides, do you think I'd let that jerk touch her any other way?" demanded Evan.
Just before they could reach the cafeteria doors Jean spotted Duncan and left, while Lance found Scott.
"What the hell do you geeks do to her?" her growled, roughly pinning Scott to the lockers behind him.
Scott, who was momentarily stunned by the sudden attack, was too startled to answer.
Bobby was about to come to his rescue when he found himself defying gravity and flowing several feet of the ground. The source, he found, was the Blob who had lifted, not only him but Evan as well, forcefully off the ground by the back of their shirts.
Toad stood, or hunched rather, next to Lance glaring dangerously toward Scott though unholy yellow eyes. Tabby leaned casually against the lockers, carelessly tossing a small `cherrybomb' up and down. She flung it up toward Cyclops and watched it explode hazardously close to his face. Then created another one and began the small ritual over again.
Normally he would have scolded her about being so careless. But hell, this wasn't really his definition of normal by far, and she wasn't his responsibility anymore. Rogue, however, was, and so was his own body.
"Answer me, God Dammit! Where is she?" Lance hissed angrily, picking Scott up and slammed him into the lockers again, leaving a small dent. Ordinarily Scott could over-power Lance, but he seemed fueled by some untapped anger.
Evan seemed to find his voice the earliest, "Lo-look man, we don't know, Pietro took off with her."
"He-he's telling the truth, Lance," spoke Bobby shakily, "You know sure as hel-hell we wouldn't hurt her."
Tabby took this moment to enter the conversation, "He right, Bobby's head-over-heels for her. He wouldn't lie `bout this."
Bobby's blush revealed his secret, and Lance took a moment to study him. He then shoved Scott back into the lockers and let him go, not looking very happy about it either. He snapped his fingers and pointed to the ground. Freddy, looking disappointed, dropped both Evan and Bobby.
Lance seethed silently for a moment, while Scott regained his breath from his crouched position Lance's attacked had left him in.
When Scott finally regained use of his legs he stood shakily, when Lance poked him, non too gently, in the chest, "If she's not back before the days up. And Pietro has no fucking clue as to what you're talking about, I'll kill you."
"Ya know mah life would be perfect, if y'all would just stop talkin' behind mah back."
The seven in the hall, because by now every one had gone into the cafeteria, turned to see an annoyed Rogue being supported by a very cautious looking Pietro.
She turned to face he current crutch, "Thank ya, Petey. But Ah'm fine now."
He slowly let go of her, while she did a small turn to prove her health. Pietro reluctantly moved away muttering, "Some-girls-think-that-they're-lucky-when-they're-in-my-arms."'
It took Bobby a second to register the fact that she was no longer wearing the same outfit that she was before. Now she wore a pair of tight black jeans and a tight, light blue long-sleeved shirt, and of course, the black leather gloves.
It took him and Evan another minute to release that both of their mouths were hanging open at the fact that she no longer wore gothic make-up and looked, to say the least, extremely hot.
"Wha-what happened?" questioned Evan.
"Well, Ah passed out, Pietro freaked and in some desperate need ta wake me, felt the need to douse me in water."
"I have my own reasons," he smiled sending her a wink.
"Where'd you get the clothes?"
"They're some of the one's Ah left at tha Brotherhood house. What?" she questioned looked down at herself, "Do Ah look bad?"
"Not at all, your damn fi-" he didn't get a chance to finish, Toad cut him off.
"Yo, you sure you're ok?" questioned Todd.
"Ah'm fine Toddy," she sighed. She really did hate all the attention this was getting her.
"Well, good, `cause I'm missin' lunch," Fred stated turning toward the cafeteria followed by Todd. Tabby sent Rogue a small smile, while Pietro looked her over with a mixture of concern and desire in his eyes, then they turned to follow their other two teammates.
Scott moved to check Rogue himself, but before he could take two steps Lance roughly grabbed his arm, "I need to speak with her, you can wait."
Scott was about to say something, but Rogue quickly stopped any argument, "Don't worry Scott. Ah need ta speak with him anyway."
Scott looked back and forth between the two, his gaze unable to be seen, he finally nodded his head and turned to leave, pausing only to call Bobby and Evan to follow. They paused for a moment, when a thought hit Bobby. The marks were no longer on Rogue's neck, and Lance had gently grabbed her forearm to lead her away, the one she'd previously had the scratches on. And she didn't even flinch.
He turned, so deep in thought, he'd barely noticed entering thr cafeteria and the other teenage X-men as the barraged the three in questions.
Lance had led her through the school hall out to the open air of the parking lot, the entire walk in silence.
He paused by his jeep and pulled out a cigarette, he was about to lit it when he remembered something. Rogue hated when he smoked, something about her past, the smell made he sick. He threw the unlit ciggy into the interior of his car; he'd smoke it later.
He looked at his former-teammate, and a gracious look crossed her face. "So," he started, a conversation evaded him for a moment.
"Ya know ya didn't havta attack Scott like that," her gaze suddenly turned disapproving, and he desperately wished it would change back.
"I had my reasons," he now wished he'd not thrown the cigarette in the car, `he took you from me-us. Not me, us, the Brotherhood,' he mentally corrected himself.
An uncomfortable silence followed.
"Rogue," she looked at him, "What happened?"
"Ah-ah don't know," she confessed.
"If it's something that the geeks are..."
"It's not," she cut him off hastily. "Believe me it has nuthin' ta do with them."
"I know, but if they ever," she sent him a look, but he continued anyway, "If, if they do, you our doors always open."
"Ah know," the gracious smile returned and Lance chalked himself up one mental point. "Ah gotta get back ta tha lunchroom, or Scott gunna spasm." They shared a short-lived laugh, and Rogue placed her hand gently on his crossed arms, "Thanks Lance, fa tha concern."
She turned to leave, but Lance hadn't even began torturing her, "You know he like you," he called.
She spun around, but did not come closer, "Who?"
"Summers," he stated sarcastically, though he knew it wasn't a complete lie, "Bobby, you know, Drake?" but then again Lance couldn't name one guy out of all the teenage X-men, or Brotherhood for that matter, that didn't have a crush on her, or at least once did.
"Why does evary body tell me that?" she questioned smiling.
" `Cause it's so obvious," he replied, returning her smile.
"Ya know, Ah lost me since of touch, not sight," she joked back, "Ah can tell when a guy likes me."
She turned and walked away again, just as he whispered, "Then why couldn't you tell that I did." He shook his head, and climbed into his jeep. His afternoon classed forgotten as Rogue entered the doors to the school. He picked up the cigarette he'd previously despised of. He glared down at it, as if it were the reason he wasn't with Rogue. Grumbling he crushed it in his hand and threw it over his shoulder as he started the jeep.
He just missed Rogue return to the doors, and peer through glossy eyes at the back of the dust billows, "Don't ya see, Lance. Ah did know." She again turned and walked down the hall. An overly distressed Kitty and Bobby met her half way, finally getting permission from Scott to go see what was taking so long.
Wow, that's probably the longest chapter I've ever written.
Ok, one thing, it will be a looong while before I update again. One of my grandmothers is in the hospital and I have to go visit her, I won the Science Fair at my school (God kill me I'm a geek!), second place, just behind my rival (Damn you Chris), and I have to get ready for districts, sooooooo annoying.
PS: I still need help with couples, so far it's pretty much a three-way tie.
Next Chap: find out what's up with Rogue.
THANK YOU: to Phoenix Angel Suyari for introducing me to my muse, I took your first suggestion instead of Lance, cause I'm pretty sure someone else has already picked him.