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Chapter 10: Day of Awakening: Part One
This story is dedicated to Mischief, Nightwatcher'sunknowngirl, Miles333, and Kobez2.0 for your reviews from last chapter. Thank you for your support thus far!
"...Me, Xavier. I will not let this happen," someone with a harsh voice was saying.
"Please, calm down, Raven," Xavier said, sounding concerned. "Slow down and tell me again."
"For the last time, Xavier," the harsh voice said, "my name is Mystique."
Rogue paused in her tracks, the presence of her adoptive mother inside the Xavier Institute walls shocking her. Rogue crept to the nearly closed door that almost concealed the Professor and Mystique, listening to what the woman wanted.
"You know as well as I do how accurate Destiny's vision of the future are," Mystique said. "You know that there is no mistake about what her intentions are."
"Irene's gift is to show her probabilities, potential futures," Xavier said. "Isn't that right, Irene?"
"Charles," a new voice, Irene, said. "Never have any of my previous visions been so blinding. I can't help but believe that what I have seen was anything less than certain if we don't act."
"And what was it you saw, exactly?" Xavier asked. Rogue could envision the Professor leaning forward with his fingers interlaced.
"I saw the return of a powerful mutant. One that ranks higher than you or Magneto, Professor." There was a short pause. "Her name is Carol Danvers."
There was another pause, and the sound of what must have been the Professor sitting back in his wheel chair abruptly. Rogue frowned, not following what was going on here. Who was Carol Danvers and why would Mystique be here talking to Xavier this way?
"I see," Xavier said after a moment. "So she is indeed returning."
"Don't tell me your Cerebro system didn't detect her approaching," Mystique said acidly.
"I hoped that she was merely passing through," Charles said softly.
"So now will you help us?" Mystique asked.
"What exactly did your vision foretell, Irene?" Xavier asked instead.
"It didn't show any clear details, but Rogue's future simply ends." There was another silence even as Rogue's gloved hands covered her own mouth. What?
"I see," Xavier said. "I cannot believe that there is no other way."
"Believe it," Mystique snapped. "You heard Destiny. Rogue will die if Ms. Marvel returns. Does that mean anything to you?"
"Of course it does," Charles replied. "But I am not convinced that deliberately starting a war with her will protect Rogue from harm. I'm sorry, Mystique, but I will not put my students in jeopardy this way. Not when Rogue can be protected best here at the Institute."
"Fine," Mystique said bitterly. "Than I will protect Rogue all on my own. I will send my own men alone if I have to..."
Rogue left silently, Xavier obviously not noticing that she had been listening in on what was supposed to have been a private conversation. Who was this Carol Danvers, Ms. Marvel? And why was she, Rogue, going to die when she returned?
Rogue finished her trip to the bathroom, towel and new clothes in hand. Once there, she stripped and wrapped the towel around her and started up the shower. As the water heated up and steam began fill the bathroom, Rogue sat down on the toilet seat and put her face in her hands. So she was going to die. Okay. She had been in tough situations before. The thing with Apocalypse had been extremely dangerous, but she had survived it. The difference here was before, she had known exactly who and why something was happening. Here she knew neither.
With a yawn, Kitty walked through the locked bathroom door. "Kitty!" Rogue yelled, grabbing her towel to make sure it didn't fall off as she flew to her feet.
Kitty, still inside the twenty-minute stupid stage you usually get when you first wake up in the morning, blinked for a second with her toothbrush in her mouth before realizing what had happened. She phased back out of the room before Rogue could reach her. Rogue threw open the door. "Hey, why don't you try knockin' first?" Rogue growled. "Some of us here have something called decency."
"Well excuse me!" Kitty snarled back. "How about you save some of that hot water for the rest of the Institute."
Rogue ducked back inside the bathroom and slammed the door. Dropping her towel, she stepped into the shower. The hot water felt good on her skin, the steam shrouding her in the manifest of her inner foggy confusion. She could feel the tight muscles in her shoulders loosening as the warmth hit them, relieving the tension that had suddenly appeared after the discussion she had overheard.
Her body shook once as a cold shiver ran down her spine. If Mystique was here asking for the Professor's help, it must really be true. Who was she to stop destiny? Could she change her own fate?
Charles Xavier placed the Cerebro interface over his bald head. He needed to be certain that the famed Ms. Marvel was indeed returning before he could make any moves to protect Rogue and risk scaring her into more...drastic...actions.
"What is this place?"
Charles' concentration did not break as he said very calmly, "Caliwone, do not move."
The footsteps stopped even as the entire spherical room seemed to expand. Two different colors of light seemed to be represented around them, concentrated enough to make out continents. Violet and gold intermixed in a dazzling display of art.
"What is this place?" Caliwone asked again, his eyes coolly scanning the area around him.
"This is Cerebro," Charles explained. "Each one of those lights represents a human or mutant. This is how I am able to find most of our new students."
"Is that what you are doing now?" asked Caliwone. "Looking for more students?"
"No," Xavier said. "I am looking for something a little more...prominent. Like that," he added solemnly and slowly gestured to the side as a burst of green light seemed to flare suddenly into existence above them. Compared to the pinpricks that represented everyone else, this light source seemed catastrophic.
"What is it?"
"Who," Xavier clarified. "That is an Omega Level mutant, about as strong as they come in our world. She goes by the name Ms. Marvel. At one time, she was considered a hero on Earth and I suppose she still is." Xavier sighed. "She left Earth a long time ago, before you arrived on Earth, and no one has seen her since, some believing she has joined up with space pirates or some such.
"There has been an accusation made that Ms. Marvel's return will result in the death of one of my students. I am just confirming that she is, indeed, returning and to make the necessary preparations."
"And which of your cub scouts is it going to be?" Caliwone asked.
"None, if I have anything to say about it." Xavier removed the interface and set it back on its cradle. The room snapped back to its normal simplistic dome shape, complete with lights. "You'll understand if I keep the person in potential danger to myself for now. At least until I hear how Mystique's plan works out. No need to cause a panic."
Caliwone snorted and walked out of the room. He didn't really care who it was. No mutant could challenge his might so he had no interest. But it might be amusing to watch.
Rogue walked down the hall to her bedroom with her towel wrapped around her again. Having gotten out of the shower to find her clothes had "mysteriously" been taken through a locked door, she had been forced to this. She would get her revenge soon enough.
As she walked, she passed Caliwone, wearing his new leather outfit in the hall heading in the opposite direction. She pulled the towel tighter around herself and brushed one soaked white-stripped bang off her face and behind one ear as he glanced at her. If the timing had been different, if her mind was not so focused on the conversation she had overheard, she might have blushed or even smiled at him.
She entered her room and quickly changed into long dark sweats and long sleeved hoodie sweatshirt over her normal black tank top, and dried her hair. Half an hour later, she made her way down to the kitchen area where, as usual, most of the other students were already tearing the place apart. As she entered, she saw Kitty leaning against one wall drinking orange juice out of a previously emptied water bottle. Walking past her to the refrigerator, Rogue reached over and squeezed the bottle as she lifted it to her mouth.
Kitty spluttered as orange juice gushed out of the bottle all over her face and shirt front. "What the heck, Rogue? That was totally uncalled for."
Rogue ignored this and five or ten other threats and nasty's from her, and snagged an apple from the middle of the table. Scott and Jean were having a moment together, and Xi'an, Bobby, and Sam were having an enthusiastic discussion over by the window. Rogue sighed and walked out, being careful not to get too close to Kitty as she did her best to clean out the orange juice stain with a paper towel by the sink.
Like she always did when she was either depressed or needing to think, she went to the gym. As usual at this time of morning, she was the only one there. Unlike Kitty, who liked to shop her frustrations out, Rogue liked to sweat them out. What did Caliwone see in her, anyway?
"I don't like this, Mystique," Lance Alvers said as he kicked his feet up onto the table. Or rather, tried to. Pizza boxes and soda cans were merely the first layer of the mess that covered it. "I mean, isn't Ms. Marvel one of the good guys?"
"Why don't you just shut up and do as I tell you," Mystique said, looking around in disgust at her house. "Don't worry, Avalanche, I am not sending you alone."
"Hey, yo, don't look at me," Toad said from across the room. "I know what he's capable of. No, thank you."
"You are of no use, anyway," Mystique said dismissively.
"I am, too," Toad said defensively. "I could probably take her on all by myself, yo."
"You?" the large man named Blob said with a laugh. "You couldn't lick flies off a windshield."
"If you're so confident in your abilities, why not join Avalanche?" Mystique asked, more out of impatience than actually trying to convince him.
"Hey, I never said I was doing it," Lance said, irritated.
"I never said it was an option," Mystique retorted. "All that's left to be decided is who will be joining you."
"What about the X-Men?" Lance asked grudgingly.
"The X-Men have declined our offer," Mystique said bitterly.
"Perhaps one of my men could assist." Mystique turned, her eyes wide, at the voice. Magneto hovered in through the door. His cape bellowed out behind him as Pyro walked in behind his master. "Perhaps I can loan you Pyro's considerable abilities for your effort against Ms. Marvel."
"I'll take him, but I have to ask why you are being so generous," Mystique said suspiciously, placing her hands on her hips.
"Let us just say I have my reasons," Magneto said mysteriously. "Pyro has volunteered because of certain actions he has performed of late."
"Fine," Mystique said. "Avalanche, Pyro, she will be arriving soon. I will have transportation ready soon for that moment."
"Allow me," Magneto said. With his power of magnetism, he moved the trash dumpster that rested on one side of the house and melded it together with more metal that was lying around from a rebuilding project to form a sphere. "She will be here soon."
After her long journey through space, Ms. Marvel had finally made it home. Of course, being greeted by two hostile mutants did put a slight damper on things. They came inside of a sphere of metal, two of them. One climbed out wearing what looked like a fruit bowl on his head and a bored, even angry, expression on his face.
The other wore all red with propane tanks on his back and tubes that linked the tanks to his wrists with small flames flickering at the ends. This one had a not-quite-insane-but-approaching-rapidly look about him and on his features. If she remembered correctly, Avalanche and Pyro were the suggestive names to go with their powers.
"Hello, boys," Ms. Marvel said, her English a little out of practice to her ears. While she had been out flying through space, she had been forced to learn a whole new language, English not being very common language on many other worlds. It had been close to six years now since she had used the language frequently. "Can I do anything for you?"
The one called Avalanche looked her over, taking in her suggestive black outfit with the yellow stylized lightning bolt that matched her hair, and a long red sash wrapped around her waist and hung down to about shin height separating the blackness. She was still wearing her black thigh-high black boots and matching arm length gloves. "Yeah, there is," he said and knelt down to the ground.
With a shudder, the ground broke apart around her. She looked down around her casually, not concerned with what these average mutants could do. All around her, the Earth rose like a wave and crashed down on her, burying her. Pyro cackled hysterically and blasted out his flames. Like a dragon in the sky, the flames engulfed the tortured ground that covered Ms. Marvel.
The ground melted down on itself like lava, crusting over her. Buried, Ms. Marvel snorted. What, did they plan to suffocate her? She just traveled back to Earth through space under her own power. These two must obviously not know who she was. In the space that remained to her under the ground, she crouched then rocketed upward, blowing the ground apart with her passage.
The two mutants scattered out of the way. Pyro relit his fiery dragon, trying to catch Ms. Marvel in the intense heat. Ms. Marvel simply lifted a hand and simply absorbed the fire tempest. Pyro's insane laughter broke off in astonishment as his flames disappeared. "What the...?" he stuttered.
Ms. Marvel smiled slightly and lifted her right hand. Energy surrounded it, as red as Pyro's fiery dragon, only with something added. Ms. Marvel made a sweeping motion with her hand and the ground below her erupted in violent thunderclap of destruction.
Mystique landed on Xavier's balcony outside of his private study, transforming herself back into her normal form. Xavier was apparently waiting for her, opening the study's glass doors before she had even fully transformed back. Catching the expression on her face, Xavier must have already guessed what had happened.
"Come, Mystique," he said, and rolled his way to the door.
Mystique followed, and they made their way down to Xavier's planning room. "I suppose there is no need for me to tell you how foolish that was," Xavier said, just this side of severely.
"Save it, Xavier," Mystique said, in no mood for the 'I told you so' lecture from Xavier. "Both Pyro and Avalanche are being treated at nearby hospitals, but I don't know the extent of their injuries."
"They could have been killed," Xavier said. "Let us at least be thankful that they weren't."
"Indeed," Mystique said. "Things may have gone differently if you had decided to help Pyro and Avalanche. Do you regret anything for this incident?"
"I warned you not to attempt such a foolish act," Xavier said. "Yet you insisted on doing so none-the-less. Their fate rests with you, I'm afraid."
"What happened to Pyro and Avalanche?" Kurt asked from around the corner to Xavier's right. Kurt walked over to the Professor and Mystique. He glared at Mystique as he saw who was accompanying him. "What are you doing here, Mother?" he asked, sounding irritated on that last word.
"Never you mind, Kurt," Mystique said, taking a step toward him in a motherly way.
Kurt took an equal step away, not wanting to have anything to do with her. "Are they going to be alright?"
Xavier glanced at Mystique. "We aren't sure, Kurt," Xavier said after a moment. "There was an incident in California. Nothing for you to worry about." Kurt didn't look fully convinced, but nodded and turned away.
"And Kurt," Xavier added. "Try to keep this information to yourself. We don't need anyone panicking unnecessarily."
Kurt glanced back and nodded reluctantly, before disappearing in a puff of smoke.
"He is going to talk to someone," Mystique said. "He will go to Rogue."
Xavier lowered his head. "We can only hope that Rogue doesn't do anything rash."
"Xavier," Mystique said sharply. "How well do you know my daughter?"
"Rogue," Kurt whispered through the curtain to Rogue's room. "Rogue, are you there?"
Rogue sighed, not really in the mood or the proper attire for a visit from her stepbrother. She was still sweaty from her stress-relieving session in the gym, and smellier than a Louisiana swamp. "Not now, Fuzz ball," she said as she pulled out a towel.
"Rogue, I think it's important," he whined. "Mystique's here with the Professor."
Thud. The bottle of shaving cream hit the floor as Rogue whipped around. She hurried over to the curtains and flung them aside. "What?"
Kurt wrinkled his nose reflexively at her stench, doing his best to waddle his way away from her on her balcony that all the rooms had. "She and the Professor were talking about Pyro and Avalanche in a hospital or something in California," Kurt said. "The Professor said that he warned her about something."
Rogue thought for a moment. That must mean that Mystique's plan to kill Ms. Marvel had failed and Destiny's prediction was coming true. "Get out, Kurt," Rogue said, almost instantly regretting the tone that came out.
Kurt looked a little startled. "What's gotten into you?" he asked defensively.
"OUT!" she yelled, losing all patience.
"Sheesh," Kurt said. "See if I ever tell you anything again." With a pop, he vanished.
Rogue headed to the showers, deciding not to shave her legs at this moment. She needed to see someone.
She walked down the hall to the upper level rooms where she knew Caliwone's room was. She knocked softly, knowing that these days, Kitty might be lurking there. She was right. The door opened and Kitty stood there, her initial expression of surprise quickly changing to one of anger. "I need to talk to Caliwone for a minute," Rogue said before Kitty could blow up.
"You've got a lot of nerve coming here right now," Kitty started to say.
"Please, Kitty," Rogue said. "I need his advice."
The word 'please' was not a word normally leaving Rogue's lips without the company of strong sarcasm, and gave Kitty a cause to pause for thought. Whatever was going on here, love interest wasn't the culprit. Kitty eyed her for a second more before looking over her shoulder at Caliwone standing in one corner. "Fine," Kitty relented reluctantly, walking out of the room. "Make it fast." Rogue walked through the door and closed it behind her.
Caliwone was eyeing her with a penetrating stare, similar to the one Xavier gave when reaching into someone's mind. "What do you need my advice for?" he asked, unmoving.
"You're more experienced in tough situations than I am," Rogue said, sitting down on his bed. "Someone out there is trying to kill me and I don't know what to do."
Caliwone walked slowly over to the window and looked outside. "Go on."
"This person is really strong, I guess. She put two mutants in the hospital already and now she's comin' for me. I don't wanna die, Caliwone."
Caliwone held still, keeping his gaze out the window. "Go on."
Rogue stared at his back for a second. This wasn't going the direction she was hoping for. "What would you do?" she asked.
"I would seek this person out who wanted to challenge me," he said. "But the difference between you and I is that I am a true warrior. You are a human."
Rogue glared at his back for a moment more before standing and walking to the door. "Thanks for nothin', jerk," she said. "I thought that maybe just once you would be actually useful as an experienced fighter."
"Than ask me a direct question," Caliwone snapped, finally looking at her with cold black, inhuman eyes. "If it is advice you want, than give me what you think your options are. I will not tell you how to live your own life. Warriors learn early on that the only person they can rely on to make the final decision is themselves." He snorted. "You don't even know the questions yet. How do you expect me, expect anyone, to guide you?"
"Maybe I thought you could help me straighten my situation out to a point where I could see my options," Rogue retorted. "Maybe I am just too confused to see straight."
Caliwone ground his teeth. Humans. "Fine," he said, straightening and facing her. "You can either run from your fight and die in fear, or you can face your opponent not with fear but courage."
"What about strategy?" Rogue asked, stepping away from the door. "What about planning to give yourself the best possible chance?"
"Those are things you do before the fight begins," Caliwone said. "If you have tricks or surprises, you set them before the battle begins. If you plan on running, make sure that your route has been cleared."
Rogue thought about that for a moment. What did he mean by tricks? "By tricks you mean, like, weapons? Explosives?"
Caliwone actually rolled his eyes. "Simple toys for those too weak to defend themselves."
"What then?" Rogue asked desperately.
Caliwone sighed. It was so painfully obvious to him. "Do you remember when we first met? We were outside in a big circle with the other students demonstrating their weak powers."
Rogue nodded, remembering vaguely. "Yeah."
"Do you remember how distracted I was with you after you demonstrated your powers?"
Rogue thought back. Yes, she did remember. Jean had lifted him off the ground and she and Scott had tried their best to embarrass Caliwone for staring at Rogue. "Yeah," she said again.
"Do you know what I was thinking at the time?" Caliwone asked. Rogue shook her head. "I was thinking that you had one of the greatest potentials I had seen on this planet. You have the potential to be one of the strongest Earth had to offer." Caliwone shook his head. "Not only can you copy powers, but the greatest threat is that you can copy memories, talent, and experience, too."
The light in Rogue's mind clicked. He was right. "I understand," Rogue said. "So you think I should fight?"
Caliwone snorted. "I believe each person, human or Saiyan, needs to balance their own accounts. Never leave someone else to do it. If you die, you die under your own terms. Not someone else's."
Rogue nodded and opened the door. "Thanks," she said, and gave him the best smile she could under the circumstances. She was scared, almost more scared than when she had been when she had been when she faced Apocalypse by herself at the end of that whole ordeal. But she knew what she had to do now.
Kitty was in the kitchen as Rogue walked past. She was subconsciously squeezing an orange out of shape with her hands and staring at the opposite wall, before seeing Rogue and glaring at her. Rogue went around the corner to the disguised elevator that would bring her down to the X-Men's underground facility where her suit was kept.
She reached the ladies' locker rooms, and went over to the case that held it. She, like many of the official X-Men, had been allowed to have a hand in designing their new suits. Rogue's was a pretty simple design. The majority of the suit was Hunters' Green with a single thick white stripe going from neck to waist on the long sleeved top. It helped conceal the zipper with a similar stripe wrapping around the bottom of the sweater. The top had a matching set of green pants, gloves, and boots, as well as an attached green cloak for colder weather that could be removed if necessary.
Rogue looked fondly at the suit for a moment before dawning the outfit. It fit well, her long brown hair flowing down the back of the cape-like cloak. She would miss it if something were to happen to it. She adjusted the neckline once more before turning and heading out. Ms. Marvel was last known to be in California so that would be where she started her search. But before she could go, she had to prepare herself.
To be continued...
Alright, guys. From this point on, we are getting back on track with the intense battles and drastic situations that Dragon Sagas is known for.
I hope everyone REVIEWS as I try to get things back on track and save this series from being tossed out.