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They would not stop arguing, Emma and Rogue.

It took exactly 45 seconds before Storm realized she wasn't breathing.

It took another seven minutes to kill the rising hope in her.

'Be quiet.' She quietly said, not lookingeither one of them in the eye. She gripped the edge of her desk, trying to breathe. It had been six years since the death of the professor, Jean, and Cyclops. Six years was a long time, and anything she wanted to believe should have been dead and buried.

'Storm-'

'Be quiet!'

Rogue stood up, the green skirt swirling around her knees. 'Storm, please-'

Storm put her hand up, halting any talk.

She turned around to face the numerous books lining the shelves. Her eyes trying to focus on those in front of her, but instead her heart beat wildly and her mouth went dry.

Scott…Scott could be alive.

Storm turned back around. 'I've listened long enough Rogue. I can't do it. You can't do it either, not to these students, not to his friends.' Storm shook her head, 'I'm sorry Rogue, but being head of this institution means I can't go chasing dreams.' Storm's voice broke on the last word.

And Rogue knew that maybe deep down Storm wanted to believe in her. That there was still hope, afterall there was no but Storm could not allow herself to.

Storm sighed, 'I'm sorry Emma, but you've wasted a trip after all.'

Emma, however, refused to look her in the eye, and muttered, 'perhaps.'

Rogue tried to entreat her, 'Storm, please, just listen-'

'Stop, I'm sorry Rogue, I so hope you're right, I want you to be right, but Scott's dead, and I can't have you bringing up what happened six years ago around here. A lot of people lost friends, lovers, mentors, and it would be painful for us to find again that he's truly dead.'

Rogue refused to back down; if only she could just open the possibility to how Scott is alive then maybe Storm would allow them to search for him.

'You don't understand, his body was never found, and the phoenix-'

Suddenly the winds picked up, the clouds covering the moon outside, and the lights flickered in the room. Rogue stopped mid-sentence looking around. She wondered where it was coming from, and even wondered if Storm was doing it unconsciously.

Rogue continued, thinking it was just a shifty wire. 'Jean never-'

But Storm abruptly stood up and walked around the table to stand in front of Rogue.

And Rogue could only say one thing, 'trust me Storm, if ever in your life it was time to trust someone, that would be me.'

Storm just stood there silently, and after several seconds of searching Rogue's face for something false, she shook her head.

'I-I can't Rogue, it would not be fair.' And with that she moved past Rogue and out the door,

Storm missed Rogue's collapse into the big chair and her face buried in her hands.

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Hank's eyes widened as he stared at his computer, 'My word.'

Realizing the treasure he had stumbled upon, he quickly copied everything from his computer.

On his desk lay a hieroglyphs translation book.

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'My my, you handled that well.' Emma snorted.

Within seconds, Rogue was in Emma's face.

'You idiot' Rogue hissed, her skirt brushing Emma's white pants. Despite Emma's powers, she couldn't fight sheer strength.

'You were not supposed to go behind my back for Cerebro.'

Rogue couldn't figure out if she was more disgusted with herself or Emma in that moment. With a sneer she turned away. Seeing a paper weight on the desk, she hefted it up, 'AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH', and threw it just left of Emma, creating a nice size hole.

Emma croaked, 'how was I supposed to know you would be going after a dead guy.'

Rogue tilted her head at Emma, 'I invited you, you do what I say, or you don't even breathe within fifty feet of Cerebro.'

The corner of Emma's mouth lifted up slightly.

'So he's alive?'

Rogue muttered, 'yeah, he's alive'

Rogue put her hand to her bent head, thinking about what to do next. Rogue could try sneaking Emma into the danger room, but the codes would be hard to get, and she had no idea what safety measures were on the machine.

Rogue started pacing, and as she neared the door, she looked up to see Kitty and Marrow were still in the room.

They simply stared wide-eyed at the two of them.

Rogue cursed herself for acting rash. Yelling at Emma was not a smart move, and she knew Emma does not forget such acts.

Rogue tried to calm down, but she was furious, she finally tells Storm things she knows, and it all ends up blowing up in her face. DAMN IT!

She gritted her teeth.

'Did you really think they would welcome you with open arms?' Emma gestured to Kitty and Marrow, 'trust you?'

Rogue snapped, 'leave it alone Emma'

'I believe you no longer have a say in what I can or cannot do. Remember '

Emma stood wagging her finger at Rogue.

Both braced themselves. Rogue bristled, 'It's not like you would let me forget.'.

Rogue heard some noise, and turned to see Logan in the doorway, a look of discontent on his face.

He looked around, frowning at all the girls gathered.

'What the hell is going on here?' Looking suspiciously at Rogue and Rogue flushed red, slightly embarrassed to be fighting Emma as if they were fighting over a doll. And Rogue figured he had been there fo awhile, or at least heard most of it.

'Rogue here has been quite the naughty girl'

'Emma...'

Emma's eye simply twinkled as she looked between Logan and Rogue.

'Cerebro' she simply said. 'It's all I demanded Rogue. You needed my help and in return I was able to use cerebro, it was part of our deal.'

Logan's eyes narrowed suspiciously, he remembered the deal they offered in the office, but something told him that wasn't the deal they were talking about.

'What is she talking about?' Logan demanded to Rogue.

Emma tilted her head, 'yes Rogue, what are you talking about?'

'Shut up Emma'

Emma's eyes turned a frosty white, 'all I asked for was so very simple. I thought even you couldn't possibly screw up.' She walked closer to Rogue.

Rogue spoke through clenched teeth, 'I remember Emma, and apparently it will take me a bit longer to gain access.'

Emma shook her head, 'no time, I gave you control, you were supposed to give me Cerebro.' Emma braced herself, closing her eyes and concentrating.

Rogue gasped, 'Emma!' she grabbed her head, it hurt too much, it hurt too much to do anything.

Kitty even stood up, 'Rogue!'

Logan growled as he rushed towards Emma, 'Let her go!'

Emma whipped her head around, putting her hand up and emanating a mild telepathic force field.

'Stop right there you pathetic beast', the blue and white electric field crackling in the silent room. 'Your Rogue has been keeping quite a few secrets from you people.'

'Stop it Emma' Rogue gasped as she knelt there, her green skirt fanning around her.

'Are you kidding? Honey, I'm just getting started. You didn't tell them about how we actually met, did you. How Mystique of all people introduced us. She was Irene's best friend wasn't she?'

Rogue clutched her head, panic rising in her, 'No...Stop it Emma'

'Oh but then there's Carol Danvers right Rogue?'

'She was a good friend and you murdered her. She was only one person in a million. So what if you take a person's life here or there. Isn't that how you justified it?'

Emma smirked at the horror on everyone's face.

Wolverine struggled against the force field, trying to push past it. With Emma's attention diverted for the moment, he could feel the force weakening.

'You held onto her. Sucked her very life. You never actually learned how to control your powers. You aren't in control now are you?'

Emma turned to the rest, preening in front of the audience, 'you see Carol Danvers had amazing powers. Flight, super strength, speed, and oddly enough she can control Rogue's powers. She was such a weak human.'

Emma turned and came closer, within a hair's breath, to Rogue.

'You kill one person and hate yourself because it wasn't some psychotic alter you, you are not Magneto or Stryker or the thousand other bad humans or mutants out there, you're just poor pathetic little Rogue. It was all you baby, when you put your hands on her and reveled in her screams.'

'STOP It' Rogue shouted.

Suddenly Emma flew against the opposite wall, sending the entire room into chaos.

It's not happening again. Rogue couldn't bear to look at the others.

Emma moaned as she came to, suddenly jerking up. 'You bitch!' she screeched.

Emma scrambled to her feet, 'C'mon.'

Rogue was on her feet, pissed off. 'Just try me, You know the power I possess.'

Emma smiled slyly, 'Oh honey, you may have sheer power, but I have skill-'

KABOOM!

The window glass suddenly shattered sending shards across the room.

Logan pushed Rogue behind the chair covering her body with his, which was absurd since she was invulnerable to almost everything. But as the shards of glass surrounded them, she realized they were all sharp edges.

Her heart beat rapidly as she curled up a little more into Logan for a moment. She could feel his chin on the top of her head. Before drawing away.

'What the hell was that?' She cried out.

Emma slowly rose and brushed herself off, 'it wasn't me'

Kitty turned back to solid, coughing slightly. 'Damn it, and didn't we just clean those too.'

Logan stood up, shaking the glass off him, leaning over; he pulled Rogue up by her waist. 'Are you alright?' he murmured.

Staring at the scene around her, it took her a moment to comprehend what he was saying. 'Yeah, yeah' she said shaking her head and smiling slightly, 'I'm fine.'

Marrow brushed her hair in disgust, moaning about how long it would take her to get the glass out of hair.

Kitty and Emma scanned the grounds beyond the window, 'I see nothing' Emma reported.

Shards showered the floor as she followed Logan. The entire room was in shambles, and as she stepped closer to the window, the glass crunched under her feet.

The room chilled considerably as the night leaked into the office. Shivering Logan, Rogue, Kitty, and Emma all stepped up to the window frame and cautiously looked out.

Rogue was the first to calmly step over the ledge of the bay window and walk a few feet forward. She looked out and her eyes widened in recognition of the cause.

There on the front lawn of the school stood one of its more considerable failures. Pyro smiled as a woman and man stepped up behind him.

Rogue slowly turned, taking in the state of the mansion. Every window was shattered and not a single light shined. It was menacing to see, and Rogue suppressed the urge to shiver.

'Marrow' Rogue murmured as she turned back around 'go check on all the students. Find Bobby and Peter, bring them here.'

'And you guys?' Marrow motioned to the mutants waiting with smiles.

Rogue tilted her head sharply, her pupils turning red, 'Let us take care of that'

Pyro lit up his hand, the glow lending a menacing look to him. The years had hardened him and he did turn out to be pretty. He was handsome, as he was when he was seventeen, but the cold look in his eyes made him inhuman. 'Where are my journals, Rogue?'

Rogue snarled, 'my journals you idiot.'

Storm ran up to them, 'what are you-'Stopping short, she stared at Pyro and his companions, 'oh my Goddess.'

'Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch.' She murmured.

Kitty and Rogue glanced at Storm, simultaneously asking, 'Who?'

Bobby, Beast, and Piotr ran up to them. Storm started barking orders.

But instead of having them all stand there and fight, Storm yelled to Bobby and Kitty, 'get the kids out of the mansion now!'

Turning to Logan and Rogue, 'stall them'

Rogue gasped, 'what? Why?'

'The Jet' Storm clipped, 'Hank, you're coming with me' before leaving them. Piotr, Rogue, and Logan were forced to face the three by themselves.

Pyro smiled at Rogue, 'Well Well, I might have stayed with the X-geeks if I knew you would turn out like this.' Pyro said looking her up and down with a leer.

'In the words of Kitty…ew' Rogue said as they stood not more then ten feet from each other.

'I heard you don't have your leeching powers anymore. So now what do you have?'

Rogue narrowed her eyes. She could sense something; she could feel it with her entire body. Her skin was getting hotter.

'Let me show you.'

John suddenly threw the ball rolling in her hand at an astonishing speed, burning the oxygen in its path.

Rogue could feel her hair singing, her skin heating and burning.

Rogue suddenly felt her hand rising and grabbing the ball of fire like a baseball.

Her eyes followed the fireball in her hand and stared at it open mouthed. It burned. Clenching her left hand she felt pure heat. She looked down to see the ball glowing in her hand. She could feel the heat in her hand and without thought whipped it back at him.

Rogue couldn't believe it. Instead of moving out of the way like she should have, she could feel the ball coming straight for her, the heat scorching the air around her.

Astonished, John didn't move as he absorbed the fire.

Rogue stared at the burn on the palm of her hand, trying to clenching it. She gritted her teeth against the pain.

Pyro simply stared at her, 'who-what are you?'

Rogue grimaced for a moment, before the woman behind him stepped forward. 'Enough already.' She snapped.

'Get the damn journal and let's go.'

Rogue assumed she was talking to Pyro, but she could feel the fury in her growing.

Gambit stood up and out of the trees surrounding them. His eyes the only thing she could really see of him. She could hear the flipping of cardboard, and knew they were a deck of cards.

'Sorry Rogue.' He said as the card in his hand starting glowing.

Rogue turned back to the mansion, realizing the journals were still in the office. Gambit also realized where she was looking, and both made a run for it. Cursing herself for still being in a skirt, she grabbed the window frame.

Rogue got to the window first, but saw the card thrown her way forcing her to throw herself to the side. She felt the heated card barely miss her, and forcing her turn her face the other way.

KABOOM!

Rogue felt bits of dirt and grass fly around her.

She didn't know what kind of power he was putting into those cards, and she wasn't willing to risk herself just yet.

Straightening up quickly, she cursed as she brushed off the dirt and grass. It was a new skirt!

She lifted herself quickly, flying as fast as she could to the desk. Her shoes touched ground softly, but she was more occupied with finding the journals.

Looking around, she searched the top of the desk, but found nothing. Shifting papers, and looking under the desk and around it, there was still nothing.

KABOOM!

Rogue turned to see the school grounds lit in an orange glow.

Searching as fast as she could, there was still nothing. But as she was about to turn to help her friends out there, she felt Gambit behind her.

'Lookin' for dis' He softly whispered into her ear.

She turned slowly to find Gambit inches from her and holding the two journals in his hand. 'Give them to me' she demanded, but Gambit shook his head.

'I don think so. You're not payin' me' Rogue looked at him in desperation, 'but you're going to kill thousands if you give this to your Boss. Just give me the journals.'

Gambit paused for a moment, thinking about it.

Suddenly the floor started rumbling.

Rogue threw herself into Gambit sending them rolling on the ground until she flipped over and crouched on the floor.

The two crouched and stared at each other. Gambit pulled out one of the journals. 'Not bad, but you can't beat a thief.'

Rogue raised an eyebrow, 'oh, you must not be very good then.' She said as she held up the other journal. She suddenly stood up and made a run for the front school grounds.

Storm and Hank held the jet several feet above the ground. Logan, Bobby, Piotr, Emma and Kitty were already in the Jet, as were some of the students.

Gambit shouted after her, 'You can't do anything, I have two of them.'

Rogue turned for a moment, hair whipping. 'Then come with us. We can help you!'

'I'm not one of the good guys!'

'None of us are!'

Gambit shook his head and smiled bitterly. Rogue felt his reluctance. 'Where's my journal Gambit?!'

'It will be waiting for you when you need it.' Gambit gave a small salute, 'Au revoir', before running towards the forest surrounding the burning mansion. Pyro, Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver gave chase to him, but stopped as they realized the Jet was leaving.

Pyro was about to throw flames, but Scarlet Witch put her hand on his shoulder, saying something Rogue could not hear. Pyro killed the flames and looked up with a wicked grin.

Rogue felt a shiver run through her. She looked up at the Jet and lifted off. When she reached the opening, she was grabbed by Logan and hauled in.

Rogue crouched on the edge of the jet watching the last of the mansion go up in flames. Her last image and something she would never forget was the dark eerie grave yard behind the mansion. She could see Scott, Jean, and Xavier's marker clearly lit up by the flames.

'Where are the students?' she shouted while still staring at the graves.

Bobby shouted from his seat, 'they're safe, we have several safe schools around New York.'

Rogue shook her head, 'doesn't matter, they aren't after the students.'

Storm turned in the pilot seat, 'Where to now Rogue?' Something in her tone told Rogue that she would help her see this through.

Rogue looked out feeling the stinging of the air as she breathed deeply, 'Alkali Lake'

Silence descended over everyone.

Bobby ventured to ask, 'what's there?'

Logan put his hand on her shoulder, 'Rogue?'

Rogue looked up to see Logan's concern. 'Cerebro.' She simply said while brathing hard.

The only noise came from the jet engines as they flew across the country.

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I so hope that was exciting for you guys. It was fun writing it at least. And now we are off and running.

Thank you to the three reviews. Leash, Cassandra581, DarkAngelmi818.

Please, Please, Review!