"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
She screeched. Rogue tossed like a mad woman. It was nothing new to Ororo who had seen her friend like this day in and out. Suddenly Rogue took to the air; still in her nightmare. Ororo knew not to wake her, but this is too much! She called upon a small relaxing wind and guided it toward her friend's face. Rogue's eyes widened.
"Storm? Ah.."
She fell violently to the ground rumbling the room.
"Ah'm sawrie. Ah don't know."
Ororo smiled.
"I am the one who is at fault. I woke you to ask for a favor."
Rogue looked up. She stood immediately to her feet. Ororo had never asked for a favor before; she was always the distributor of advice, favors and counseling throughout the X house, which is why hesitation never crossed Rogue's crowded little mind.
"What is it sugah?"
Ororo snatched the words from her mouth before they could come out. She had never felt this way before; ashamed. Her shame made her want to lock herself up in that attic and rain her sorrows into her plants. She gazed down at the floor. Ororo felt reduced to what she had been so long ago. She could have easily taken the keys to Rogue's car and been gone before anyone knew anything. She refused to entertain the thought.
"Can I borrow your convertible?"
Rogue's face lit up.
"Sure thing sugah!"
She screamed with a wink. She practically threw the keys at Ororo. That was easy. No questions asked. I could get used to this asking people for things. Ororo joked with herself. She thanked Rogue and exited her room. On her way she had another thought. Monet! She rushed to the girl's room and violently opened the door in hopes that the others would be around. She was in luck; Jubilee, Paige and Marrow were all crowded around her bed gossiping about Cannonball. Paige told them how he acted back home before he left to train for X-Force while Jubilee and Marrow gawked in awe. Monet sat on the bed pretending to be interested. Her mind was elsewhere.
"Monet St. Croix come with me."
Ororo shouted in a stern tone. Monet's eyes grew at the sound of freedom. She knew what her teacher was doing and she had no objections.
"But.."
Ororo shouted above her before she could say anything. Thunder filled the sky backing her voice.
"No buts young lady!"
Monet got up and threw on a small jacket. She didn't care what she wore as long as she got out of this room filled with sugary pop loving, boy gossiping little brats! Monet threw her head down as if to look ashamed and exited the room. Ororo looked down at the girls all staring at her with fear in their eyes. She raised her right eyebrow at them and quickly slammed the door.
"'Bout time somebody did something with that girl!"
Jubilee exclaimed as they all began to laugh at Monet's misfortune. In the hallway Ororo walked with attitude as if she were planning a severe punishment for Monet. Monet played along with her head down until they got up to the attic. A few students had gathered at the bottom of the stairway to the attic gossiping about what was happening to Monet up there. Suddenly a lightning bolt flew down the hallway scattering them all to their rooms like roaches.
"Storm's gone mad!"
Jubilee shouted as she ran to her room. In the attic Monet and Ororo split their sides in laughter. Chris suddenly came around the corner.
"What's so funny?"
Ororo and Monet looked at one another and began laughing hysterically again.
"Well since no one will tell me what's going on I'll just see for myself."
Chris said as he reached for the door. Ororo stood in front of it.
"Just Monet and I being silly. Let me introduce you. Chris this is a pupil of mine her name is Monet St Croix."
He and Monet's hands met and suddenly he blacked out again.
"Monet!?"
Ororo squealed with a whine.
"Well did you really think you could get him through that circus downstairs while he was conscious?"
Ororo thought for a moment. She could have Monet use her empathic powers to trick the other students, but the very little gossip queen she was trying to pass up was a psych blocker like herself.
"Jubilee!"
Ororo said her name as if to curse it.
"What? Jubilee's just as simple minded as the rest of them."
"She can see straight through your image inducing abilities. Goddess! This is harder than I thought."
"I have an idea."
Monet said with a smile.
*
Eddie stuck his finger out to ring the doorbell. Ding! A short blonde haired boy answered the door.
"Hi is Christopher Negron around?"
"Sorry dude we haven't seen him in the passed day or so."
Eddie smiled as his villainous counterpart covered his face.
"It's okay. I'm expecting him!"
The blonde boy yelped in surprise with a slight hint of disgust. He tried to slam the door, but Venom sent a black sickle stabbing through his chest. The boy hollered in pain as Eddie tossed him into the living room. He slammed the door behind him.
"John! John don't slam the door man we can't afford…"
Another boy was shouting from the catwalk directly in front of Venom. When he noticed the black liquid like creature standing in his entryway his mouth dropped open. He ran for his room, but Brock was already on the catwalk blocking it.
"You boys have a nice place here! Say.."
Venom started with a smile as he pulled the boy close.
"Since you seem to be short one can I be your new room mate?"
The boy's eyes filled with fear. He began to stutter, but Venom covered up his mouth.
"Not my kinda pad anyway. Too classy."
Venom said comically as he tossed the boy over the catwalk on top of his friend. He proceeded to search the other rooms. Once he got back down to the first floor and into the kitchen he noticed an excessive amount of breath coming from a cabinet. He quickly swung it open and out came a screaming brunette female. She scurried under his legs and out into the open kitchen. Venom turned around slowly. Wow these guys get play. She cried as she crawled until Venom leaped into the air and blocked her path. He lifted her into the air by her throat.
"What's a pretty little girl like you doing in a place like this? Mom wouldn't be too happy."
The girl gasped for air. Before her last breath she was able to spit out a sarcastic remark.
"Oh really?"
She kicked him in the groining as hard as she could. He dropped her and fell to his knees. Whether a morphological being or not, Venom was still a man and every man had a weakness. She ran to a nearby countertop and grabbed a large craving knife. She turned around to find Venom directly in her face. His long, razor sharp teeth dripped with drool. She lunged at him with the knife, but he caught her wrist and was now holding her from behind; her arms pinned behind her back and his tongue caressing her neck.
"I love a woman who can defend herself. Then again, no I don't!"
He said as he sent the knife splitting through her back. He let her go as she coughed up a few spats of blood. She turned around toward him and with her last ounce of strength laid a fist across his face twisting his neck. He turned his head back around.
"Awwww that was cute."
With all his might Venom back handed the girl and sent her flying through a glass window in the kitchen.
"Time to clean this mess up. Chris'll be mad if he comes home to a messy house."
*
"Hang a left right here."
Chris instructed Monet as she handled Rogue's convertible as reckless as any teenaged driver. They pulled up in front of the house. Only Chris and Ororo got out.
"Thanks for everything Ororo."
Chris said as he grabbed the bandages on his head. Ororo blushed. She was even cuter now than she was the night he met her. He wanted so badly to ask, but what would someone this beautiful with a mansion the size of NYU want with me?
"Your welcome Christopher. I…"
He lifted his pointer finger to her lips and looked directly into her blue bulb eyes.
"It's just Chris."
He said as he planted the softest kiss on her lips that she had ever felt. She didn't bother to pull away; instead she embraced it. Before long they were both in a moment of pure ecstasy. Their tongues touched and almost instantaneously ripples of pleasure shot through Ororo's body. Goddess I can't let him go. They both pulled away slowly.
"I'm sorry about that. I shouldn't have…"
Chris began, but Ororo cut him off with another small peck.
"Can I call you sometime?"
Ororo nodded. Chris unlocked the door and Monet watched them both disappear into the darkness of the house. This is so awesome. He is major league cute. I'm so happy for her. Oh no! I'm starting to sound like a certain little psych blocker. What a brat? Monet suddenly picked up on a stray thought. It wasn't a good thought, but it didn't involve pleasure of any kind or at least, not the kind of pleasure she could understand. She took the keys out of the ignition and headed up the walkway toward the house slowly. Storm! Ororo are you okay? No answer. Her first instinct was to contact Jean because she was the only one that would keep this secret a secret, but she thought she had spent enough time studying with the most desired woman in the X house to face a psychopathic killer. Maybe. She opened the door and reached for a light switch. Blood covered the lobby of the house. A head here, an arm there and directly in front of her, yet deeper into the house stood Ororo at the mercy of Venom!