Chapter 7: Learning

(Rogue)

She regained her ability only a month after receiving the cure. She didn't harm anyone; she could just feel a change occur throughout her body. The day it happened, she immediately recognized the feeling and pulled away from Bobby, who was leaning in for a kiss.

"Come on, Rogue. Are we trying some new kind of fore-" his mouth stopped working once he saw her put on her gloves and slip a long sleeved shirt over her tank top.

"I don't know how to explain it, Bobby. It's back…the cure wore off." she said, close to tears. Bobby got up and placed one of her gloved hands in his.

"This doesn't change anything." He said.

"Yes it does-"

"No. No, it doesn't. I love you, Rogue, and nothing can make me stop loving you." he said, wiping a tear off her cheek without feeling the harmful effects.

That was about two months ago. Since then, Rogue had gone through a minor bout of depression, but some therapeutic sessions with Bobby, Wolverine, Storm, and Mr. McCoy cleared that up. Rogue seemed to glow throughout the first week of her being able to control her ability to some degree. Her rekindled relationship with Bobby flourished since she no longer feared she would put him in a coma. Their relationship continued the way it used to without fear.

Life seemed to be back to normal for her. Almost. She still couldn't get anything out of Bobby about what happened between him and John on Alcatraz. Wolverine claimed he didn't see the show down when she asked him, as did Storm. No one had heard from the pyromaniac since that night several months ago, and all Rogue wanted was to know that her friend was still alive.

The day Mr. Summers was found, she immediately went to the medical center, along with Bobby, Kitty, and the other members of the X-Men. She could see Mr. McCoy tending to Cyclops in an isolated area reserved for intensive care. As soon as she spotted this, the younger members, herself, Bobby, Kiyty, Pete, started rambling questions and comments.

"What happened?"

"Is he alive?"

"What's wrong with him?"

"I thought he was dead!"

"…What if it was John?"

Rogue had asked the last question, and she felt very uneasy as the others turned to stare at her, falling silent.

"Why would John do that to Professor Summers?" Kitty asked.

"He wouldn't. It wasn't Pyro." Wolverine said.

"How could you know that?" Bobby asked.

"Because he's been with Scott all this time, and was an eye witness to this whole burning incident." Wolverine replied, a little harshly, and thumbed behind him. A boy of maybe 16 years was standing near a table, away from the commotion.

"Craig…" Storm said, nodding approvingly.

"Okay. Uh, well, as you all know, this John guy didn't do…that…to Scott. It was a, um…" Craig awkwardly shuffled from left foot to right, right foot to left.

"They're called the Monitors," Craig continued, staring at his feet. "They're these experiments. Mutant-robot hybrids created by the jerk-wads that captured us." He said, blushing slightly from all the attention aimed at him.

Everyone took the news in at their own pace.

"Experimental mutant-killing machines?" Bobby repeated for like the fifth time.

"Yes!" Craig repeated loudly, and then looked away, as if ashamed for his outburst.

"So, these Monitors, do they have any weaknesses?" Wolverine asked.

"I don't know, but Scott was able to take a lot of them down." Craig replied. Rogue watched Storm as she entered the intensive care room, since McCoy cleared Scott to be lucid and coherent enough for questioning. Everyone sat in silence, letting the cold, hard reality sink in until Storm returned, saying that Scott knew just as much as Craig had already revealed.

"Listen, we've learned as much as we could tonight. We're all exhausted, so let's call it a night and get some sleep. I'll show Craig his room." Storm said. The suddenly drowsy students trudged back to their rooms. Rogue kissed her boyfriend goodnight, and after changing into her pajamas, she fell asleep, completely oblivious to the perilous, haphazard days to come.