Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men or any other marvel character in this story. I also don't own the newscaster. He's a real dude.

Chapter 10

"Five hours…" Deadpool muttered as he, Domino, and Pyro stood in the middle of the workshop, staring at Forge's work. "He built those in five hours..."

Pyro had to agree that it was impressive. Who besides Magneto could've thought that a sixteen-year-old mutant kid could build those in five hours? "How tall are they?"was all that he could think to say.

Domino folded her arms over her chest, shifting her weight to one leg, and looked up at the machine, bored. "I'd say about ten feet," she said unimpressed. "They're only okay…"

The two men looked at her with raised eyebrows and she just shrugged. "I'm just saying…"

"What the hell are you talking about, Domino?" Deadpool shouted, gesturing wildly toward the machines. "They're ten-foot tall robots that he built within hours! I'd like to see you do better!"

She just rolled her eyes and turned to walk out of the room. "Whatever. Have fun playing with the toys, kiddies," she replied, swaggering out of the room.

"They're not toys!" Deadpool growled as he stomped after her. "They're robots! Really cool robots!"

Pyro chuckled at them as they left. According to the blueprints from Trask, the robots were called Sentinels. Normally, they were supposed to stand over 50 feet tall, but Forge had decided to make two small scale versions to see how they'd work before attempting to make big ones. The internal workings were remarkable and the Ai was like something he'd never seen before. It had a strange targeting mechanism that could find a person with their genes. So, if someone wanted to, the robots could be programmed to attack a single person or a family, only straying to destroy obstacles and for self preservation. Whatever Magneto was programming them to target was a mystery to everyone, however, since their employer had outsourced the chips that held their exact targets to another scientist. It was all very curious.

After adding the finishing touches to the second robot's head, Forge slid back down the ladder and beamed proudly at Pyro. "So what do you think?"

In truth, as cool as the robots were, Pyro wasn't thinking about them. He just kept replaying Magneto's phone conversation over and over again in his mind. Would Magneto really get rid of him because their employer said so? And what did "get rid of" entail? Was Magneto gonna kill him? He knew too much to just be let go, and he really knew nothing!

"They're outstanding," Magneto answered the boy's question as he entered the room just behind Pyro. "You've done a wonderful job." The older man approached the proud teenager and clapped him on the shoulder. "Now, I need your help on something else…"

Pyro could see the boy's eyes glitter in excitement as he asked, "What do you need?"

The leader lowered his voice so the fire starter couldn't hear, and when Forge was given all of the instructions, he cheered, "Okay!" before running back over to his workbench.

"So quick to please," Pyro muttered as he stared dimly at the giddy boy. In truth, he felt a little bad for Forge. The kid was a tool for Magneto at best and, at worst the fall guy if this, whatever this was, went down badly. Not that he was in a much better position.

Magneto looked unbelievably pleased with himself as he looked back at Pyro. "Are you alright, John?"

Pyro nodded, quietly hoping he wasn't overheard. He hadn't realized how easily his worry showed on his face. "Yeah, I'm fine." He ran a hand through his hair before pointing at the sentinels. "So what're we doing with these?" he said, trying to deflect Magneto's attention from his own insecurities about his place with him. "I mean, do they even work?"

The aging mutant wasn't listening though, he just smiled devilishly. "I think it's time we sent them on a little test run."

As though prompted by Magneto, the walkie-talkie on his belt crackled into life and Deadpool started rambling, "Uh, Sir, there are some guys in uniforms poking around topside. Looks like a lot of kids... ooh and Spiderman!"

Magneto never broke his staring contest with the sentinel as he asked, "What kind of uniforms?"

There was a long pause, or rather, a long moment of Deadpool dragging out an "Uuuuuuhhhh" before adding, "Nothing I recognize, yellow and blue with some X's all over them. They look like a pep squad."

And coldly Magneto just said, "Perfect." There was joy in his voice, but that was what scared Pyro the most. Magneto was only happy when someone else was going to be very, very upset.

Rogue could barely support herself when they stepped into the elevator so she leaned heavily on Wolverine. The dizziness was getting worse and the added sensation of the plummeting elevator didn't help. She settled against Logan, her hands clutching his shirt, and he tightened his arm around her waist.

When the elevator stopped, Logan could feel her sway uneasily. He knew that whatever Hank had found was now coming down on them with a vengeance. Her use of the foreign powers had set it in motion, and it was attacking her without mercy.

Knowing she wouldn't be able to walk, he scooped her up into his arms and stepped into the hallway. She didn't protest, just laid her head against his chest and still held onto his plaid shirt tightly. It was unlike Wolverine to move slowly, especially in such a panicky situation, but he didn't want to jostle her too much.

"Logan…" she mumbled, looking at him sleepily. "What's going on?"

Without glancing down at her, he replied, "Nothing, Kid, just taking you down to the medical wing."

"But…" she said in groggy confusion, "why?"

He slid one arm to better support her upper back and pulled her closer to his chest. "Just more tests, Marie," he insisted. A large lump was starting to form in his throat as her temperature continued to rise.

"Logan…" she slurred as her blinking got heavier. "My head hurts…"

Finally arriving at the medical wing, the door whooshed open and Wolverine slid in sideways so Rogue didn't hit her already pounding head. As they came in, Emma and Hank looked up from the machinery they were setting up. The second they saw Rogue, her face pale and sweat running down her reddening cheeks, they knew they had to change their approach.

As Logan laid her down on the cold examination table, Hank started pulling ice packs from the freezer and tossing them to the other mutant. "Before you even attempt anything, Emma," the doctor said as he rushed over to the girl with more ice packs, "we need to get her temperature down."

But Emma didn't listen. She stepped up to the table, smiling down at the barely conscious Rogue. "Hi, Sweetie," she said softly. "I'm Emma. I'm gonna help you, but I need to touch you first, okay?"

"No can do," Logan growled at the psychic as he and Hank placed ice packs along Rogue's body. "Didn't you explain anything to her, Hank?"

Beast rolled his eyes, sick of Logan's attitude. "Of course I explained, but in order for her to get into Rogue's head, she needs to touch her. One quick touch should neutralize the effects of Rogue's powers and then she should be able to get to work." He cast a quick but serious glance at the blonde and emphasized, "But not now."

Of course, Emma wasn't one to follow directions. Quickly, she reached out and laid a few fingers on the girl's exposed cheek, feeling the rising heat. She gasped as the powers began to take hold and, after a moment, she let go, clutching her head with a goofy smile. "Whoa… And I thought Cerebro was a head rush…"

"Emma," Hank said in a warning tone as he placed a few more ice packs over Rogue's stomach, careful not to make contact, "I'm telling you, if you delve into her mind before we lower her temperature, there's no telling what irreparable damage you could do to her brain."

Again, the psychic didn't listen. She placed two fingers on each of Rogue's temples, and as her eyes shut, she mentally threw herself forward into the younger woman's head.

The franticness and chaos of the medical wing melted away and Emma stood in an empty, echoing room. The walls were stark white but the ground was a deep black, making it look like she was standing on a field of nothing that extended in every direction around her, and there was a light fog rolling in and hanging in the air. "Hello?" she called into the emptiness, only to have it echoed back at her.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the thickening fog. It had become so dense that Emma could only see a few inches in front of her. She called out again, her voice distorting as it echoed back.

She struggled in the fog for a few minutes until, suddenly, she stumbled out of it and found a free standing door. Opening it, she found herself in another room, assuming that it had been a room behind her. This one was more welcoming and comfy. The walls were a moss green color, and it was furnished like one of the bedrooms at the mansion, but all of the furniture was clustered in the middle of the room. All around the room were doors. Each one was different. One looked like the door to her dorm at the mansion, one looked like the front door of a house, one looked like the door to a car or truck, and so on.

But there was one that was very, very different from all the others. It was boarded off excessively, chains lacing over it with heavy padlocks securing it. The door behind the boards was worn down as if someone or something had been beating on it for a long time. Emma knew she had to go through that door.

As she approached it, however, she swore she could hear voices whispering. When she stopped moving, the whispering stopped. The closer she got, the louder the voice became. She was starting to make out some of what was being said. Conversations between people that she knew Rogue had never heard before. "The warden tells me that your sentence was carried out by a firing squad at ten hundred hours. How'd that go?" a voice Emma recognized from when she was young asked. And it was Wolverine's voice that replied, "It tickled."

A new voice broke through, shouting, "We can't just let you walk away! Jimmy!"

Emma made for the door, but it seemed to draw back from her, and she was walking toward it for what felt like an hour.

"I'm gonna cut your goddamned head off," Logan's voice growled. "See if that works."

Emma felt near the door, moving slowly in fear but never sure what she was scared of. Then, the voices got louder.

A calm voice replaced the growled threats of the others. "Are you a God-fearing man, Senator? That is such a strange phrase. I've always thought of God as a teacher, a bringer of light, wisdom, and understanding."

"Storm, fry him!" an angry Scott instructed, only to be shot down by the same cold voice that said, "Oh, yes, a bolt of lightning into a huge copper conductor. I thought you lived at a school?"

Emma could almost touch the knob now but felt her arms strain as she fought for it.

The next voice was young and had a laugh to it as he said, "This is a school. No beer."

"Just shoot!" Logan demanded. Of course, Scott rebutted, "I'll kill her!"

Emma moved closer but felt farther away with each surge of strength, only inches away now but no closer than she was before, listening to Logan's voice shout, "You're so full of shit! If you're really so righteous, it'd be you in that thing."

She reached for the doorknob with all her might and the voices blurred together, only able to make out bits and pieces. She could've sworn she heard a younger version of herself talking to a young Scott Summers… And when her shaky hand touched the knob, everything stopped and there was silence. Then, all hell broke loose. The door burst open and she was pushed backwards with the force. Images and voices swirled around her like a tornado, bombarding her. There was a blinding light that seemed to eat at the room.

But somewhere beyond the whirlwind, she thought she could see someone. Not just another image, but a person like her, walking around inside of Rogue's head as if he belonged there. He was tall… scruffy…

Then… he wasn't alone.

Back in the real world, Rogue began convulsing on the table as she let out a scream that could curdle anyone's blood. The intensity of the noise could've rivaled Siryn on a good day.

The scream must've disrupted Emma inside of her head as well. Not only did Emma gasp as she came back out, but she was physically thrown away from Rogue and against the nearest wall.

Marie's scream had faded as she fell into unconsciousness. Logan put a hand to her exposed cheek and said to Hank, "I think her temperature's dropping."

As the doctor began taking away a few of the ice packs, Logan shot a frustrated glare at the psychic. "What the hell happened in there?" he growled.

Still shaking, Emma got to her feet, shaking her head as she dusted herself off. Her eyes were wide as she replied, "I have no idea."

AN: Oh, Emma, what have you done? Wouldn't it be nice if she didn't put Rogue in mortal danger? Then again, what would be the fun in that? Anyways, you have the epilogue next week before a three week break and the new volume. See you next week!