Disclaimer: The X-Men and Brotherhood aren't mine, they're Marvel's. See my profile for OC credit.
Author's note: Wazzzup?
Gee Stormplains, you said you'd be updating more this summer, what happened? Well my curious readers, I had a job that sucked out my soul, leaving me limp and bland when I got home. Also my apartment was gross. And I didn't sleep much. Oh, and there was lots of spiders. So yeah.
If you follow my other stories, you know I finally updated Not How It Works and I urge you to check it out. You can probably catch up in an hour or two. And then wait another few months for another update (I'm terrible, I'm sorry).
This chapter used to be called "Just More Problems", but that was a weak title. Additionally, I was suffering through the beginning of this and got a little carried away initially with the pancake theme, so now we're here. I don't even know if "Faith, Trust, and Pancake Mix" will fit in the chapter title up above ^. I guess we'll see.
College is back in full swing. Fortunately for ya'll, I am taking a fiction writing class, so we can only get better from here. Unfortunately, it also requires me to read a ton of short stories by my classmates and make copious notes on their stories. Good for them, time consuming for me. I also just wrote a short story using ze/zir/zirs pronouns with supernatural characters because I freakin' could. Like, what? Ya'll, get good at what you're good at so you can pull stunts like that. I have no idea how my classmates will react to it, but I hope I make a few of them squirm. :D
I am motivated by reviews sooooo:
Enjoy. Read. Review my pretties, AND YOUR LITTLE DOGS TOO!
Faith, Trust, and Pancake Mix
"Benj! Ya've avoided me enough already!" Rogue shouted into the wood of Leo and Benj's door. She pounded her fist against the door again. Taking a deep breath, she took another tactic. "Benjamin Wilson Dents!"
"Benj's middle name is Wilson?" A voice sounded to her left.
Startled, Rogue turned quickly towards the sound, leaving her fist hovering in the air. She found herself facing Kurt, Leo, and Amara as they strode down the hall towards her. It had been Amara who had spoken.
The three were well dressed, Kurt and Leo wore button-down shirts and slacks and Amara wore a light purple and pink patterned tank top and a white skirt, her signature white jacket layered on top. Leo was even wearing a skinny, black tie.
Rogue blinked, surprised to see Leo out of all of them looking so nice.
As he came closer and stopped a short distance from her, he smirked. "What?"
"Ah didn't think ya owned a shirt with sleeves…" She said, lowering her fist and shifting her feet. "Or... pants."
Leo laughed. "It's eight a.m. on a Sunday. I'm going to church." He leaned forward and wiggled his eyebrows. "I have to look nice for that."
Amara giggled at his side, and Kurt shook his head, hitting Leo's arm with the back of his hand. Kurt looked up at Rogue. "Vhat, no teasing for me? You aren't going to compliment my attire?"
Rogue rolled her eyes. "Ah know you can clean-up, though Ah'm surprised yahr pants ain't baggy."
"Hey!"
With a shrug, Rogue laughed. "Ya asked for it." She paused. It seemed there would be a momentary truce between her and Kurt this morning. "Ah kinda forgot what day it was. Aftah everything yestahday…" Her voice trailed off as her mind wandered. Yesterday morning, the worst thing she thought was going to happen was getting paired with Jean for the Danger Room session. Of course, things went swiftly downhill from there. Jamie had his head smashed. Benj got kidnapped. They rescued Benj, but only after the Haven mutants made a bigger mess of things. Back at the mansion Kitty was verbally attacked by various X-Men and Benj had a panic attack that resulted in him isolating himself for hours. When Kitty followed suit and hid, Rogue had become the target of the others' scolding… it hadn't taken them long to figure out that Rogue had to have known. And when she decided to avoid them in her room, Kitty, upset by Kurt an Scott's relentless pestering, phased through her wall. The two of them stayed up long into the night, which only increased Rogue's exhaustion.
But it hadn't kept her from worrying about Benj. She waited for him to talk to her again, but at 2 a.m. she gave up. And now she was bothering him at 8 a.m. on a Sunday morning.
Leo nodded. "You know, you're welcome to come with us. We just finished breakfast, but we'd wait for you to snag something to eat and get dressed."
Rogue glanced down at her pajamas, suddenly feeling very underdressed in their presence. "Uh, thanks, but Ah think Ah'll pass today. Who's church are ya goin' to anyway?" Although several of the Institute students would go to churches together on Sundays, they usually shuffled which church they were attending since they all came from different faith backgrounds.
Leo grinned. "It's my turn today. We're going to Iglesia del Mundo, it's a larger church in the Pueblo." The Pueblo was a section of town that had the largest Hispanic community. "Half the service is in Spanish!"
Rogue chuckled, shaking her head as Kurt pulled a face.
"You didn't tell me that part!" Kurt protested.
Amara laughed as well. "You like services that are all Latin!"
Kurt huffed, struggling for words. "Yeah, but-"
"Maybe you'll start interpreting tongues." Leo laughed. "Besides, if Benj comes he'll want me to translate some stuff anyways…" his eyes shifted to the bedroom door Rogue stood in front of, "…speaking of which, Rogue, you probably want Benj."
Rogue nodded.
Leo stepped in front of her and cracked the door open far enough for him to stick his head inside. "Ey, hermano. ¿Vas a la iglesia? Rogue está aquí y quiera verte." There was some muffled movement behind the door. Leo turned back to Rogue. "He's not really a morning person."
"Ah know." Rogue said, awkwardly shuffling her feet.
Stepping back, Leo shut the door once more and squeezed back into the hallway beside Rogue. His smile faded, and he waved at the other two he arrived with. "Why don't you two go ahead and grab Tyler. I'll catch up in a little bit."
"Benj isn't coming?" Kurt asked, worry creeping over his face.
Leo shook his head.
Kurt and Amara exchanged a glance before walking off.
Leo watched Kurt and Amara wander off, his eyes blank… chillingly similar to when the lion started surfacing.
"Leo?" Rogue said, calling him back.
He rubbed the back of his neck, a half-hearted smile on his face. "He won't talk about… about what happened. What Magneto did… but he said you two were going to see the professor, right?" He paused to acknowledge Rogue's nod, sighing. "Good."
She narrowed her eyes, slightly put off by Leo's statement. He seemed wary, his eyes shifting nervously to the side when he asked about Benj's plans to see the professor. He didn't seem relieved when Rogue affirmed that Benj would talk with the professor, but more worried instead.
Before she could open her mouth to press him for more details, a soft cough behind her grabbed her attention. She turned around to see Benj standing in the open doorway of his room.
His hair was whisked back off his forehead, clearly bedhead, and his jawline and cheeks were uncharacteristically covered in stubble. Both of these differences in his appearance gave him a more mature appearance, but it didn't fit. As she searched his face for reassurance he was okay, she saw the dark rings under his eyes, and worry panged her heart. She tried not to let it show.
Benj gave her a smile, kissing the fingertips of his gloves and pressing them against her cheek. She felt her face grow warm at his touch.
"Good morning." Benj muttered, lowering his hand. His tone was bright… calm.
Rogue frowned, unable to shake her unease. "Are ya… okay? Ah mean, are ya ready to go see the professah?"
Benj nodded.
"Do ya want anythin' ta eat first?" Rogue asked, her voice uncertain and shaky in her throat. "It could be awhile…"
"Sure. How 'bout I make us pancakes?" Benj suggested, a smile spreading across his face.
"Pancakes?" Rogue raised an eyebrow, shooting a look at Leo. The boy stared at the carpet in front of his brother's feet, a frown folding his eyebrows together. He tore his gaze from the floor slowly and met her eyes. The crease remained in his brow, but his lips turned up a fraction into a thin line.
Why did Benj have to be the one with telepathy?
"Pancakes." Rogue repeated, rolling the word in her mouth. It felt weird, an idea almost too normal for them.
"Yeah…" Benj looked confused now, his smile fading as incomprehension spread across his expression. "Pancakes… is… is something wrong?"
Rogue folded her arms over her chest. "That's what Ah'm wondahin'. Benj… ya weren't like this yestahday… Ah mean there's nothin' wrong with ya feeling bettah but—" she took a deep breath, "Benj, yestahday ya had a panic attack because Magneto did who-the-hell-knows-what and now ya're talkin' about pancakes!"
Benj blinked. "But I like pancakes." He crossed his arms to match her stance, and Rogue could hear the exhaustion in his voice. This time when he spoke, his voice came out weak. "I just want… I just want some pancakes, Rogue."
In that instant, he seemed so small. Rogue regretted the tone she'd taken earlier, realizing now how exhausted she was too. All Benj wanted was a little bit of comfort food, was that so bad? Yesterday had been hell for him. She mentally scolded herself for yelling at him.
"Ah know, Ah'm sorry." Rogue said softly, taking one of his hands. He looked close to crying, his eyes were shining and Rogue could tell he was biting the inside of his cheek from the way his cheek dipped inward. She hastily hugged him, pulling him close and muttering another apology.
Rogue pulled away slowly, watching his face as she did so. His expression was impossible to read, a mix of pain and anger flashing in his eyes.
"Rogue," Leo spoke up. She nearly jumped, having forgotten the other teen was there. "Why don't you go get the professor? I have to talk to my brother real quick."
With a quick glance at Benj, she nodded. "Sure. Meet ya down in the kitchen, Benj."
He nodded, before turning his back on her and facing his brother. As she strode down the hall, she strained to hear segments of their whispered conversation.
Leo's voice was easiest to hear, its gruff texture hard to ignore. "Shouldn't… he can't… Clay…"
Clay? Rogue frowned, walking slower. Why would he mention her?
"…tired… have to know!" Benj's voice cut down the hall, his volume rising.
As she turned the corner to head toward the stairs, she glanced back. Leo wasn't moving his lips, but gestured animatedly like he was speaking. It seemed like there wouldn't be anything more to eavesdrop.
Rogue knocked softly on the door to the professor's study. Even though it was early, she was confident he'd already be in there.
"Come in, Rogue." His voice called.
"Ya've got to stop doin' that." Rogue complained as she opened the door. Her eyes swept the room to locate the professor, and she was surprised to see Storm leaning against the large desk by the window. The woman seemed somber, her eyes focused dully on a mug of coffee cradled in her hands. Xavier himself was facing away from her, his gaze focused on something outside the window. "Mornin' Storm." She said quickly, giving the woman a small smile to hide her surprise of seeing her in there.
"Good morning, Rogue. What are you up to?" Storm asked sleepily, setting her mug of coffee down on the edge of the desk.
Rogue glanced at the professor. "Benj needs some help."
The professor didn't move, his reflection still in the window. Storm raised an eyebrow and stood upright. "Help? What is wrong?" The woman asked, suddenly alert. Her tone was very motherly. As Benj's mentor, the two of them spent a lot of time together.
Rogue opened her mouth to answer, but the professor spoke up. His voice was soft, distracted. "I sensed it when he came back."
"Sensed what? What are you talking about, Charles?" Storm asked, turning to look at the professor.
Rogue frowned, crossing her arms. "Ya knew." She hissed.
The professor spun his chair around slowly. The look on his face confirmed Rogue's suspicions. "Magneto altered his mind. Or rather, he had someone alter Benj's memories."
"His memories?" Storm whispered, shocked.
"Ya knew." Rogue repeated, her voice rising. "Benj had a panic attack yestahday. Did you sense that?"
Storm attempted to calm her. "Rogue, please—"
Ignoring her, Rogue vented her stress at the professor, allowing her emotions to leak into her words. "One of our own was brainwashed, and ya dinnit think ta do anything? Where even were ya yestahday, professsah? Kitty and Kurt got hit pretty hard durin' that fight. Ah dinnit see ya at all aftahwards. And ta top it off, Benj has been rambling about pancakes half the mornin'! And ya knew and didn't do anything."
The man blinked. "Pancakes?"
"Pancakes!" Rogue affirmed. She took a deep, shuddering breath, but didn't say more. Her own exhaustion fell heavily on her shoulders.
Professor Xavier sighed. "I understand your anger, Rogue. I should have done more yesterday. I did not fully realize the state the Institute was in. However, you must understand that sometimes I have to look into other matters." He paused. "Jamie's injuries were quite serious yesterday, and I had to contact his parents. We all know this is where he belongs but this incident brought up fresh concerns from his parents. Benj's predicament in comparison was not life-threatening. Once he was safely home, I did notice the change in his mental state, but I did not feel as though it would pose a threat to his well-being. I had hoped he would come to me sooner, however."
The professor turned his head to look at his desk. Storm picked the newspaper up from its surface and crossed the room to hand it to Rogue. "In addition, there was that."
Rogue took the paper in her hands and searching the headlines. On the left, occupying a full column, was an article titled: "3 DEAD IN WAREHOUSE DISTRICT SHOOTING. SUSPECT UNKNOWN AND AT LARGE" She scanned the article.
Police found three bodies in the Warehouse District behind Cody's Crab Shack yesterday. All were reported to have fatal gunshot wounds, though the shots were not uniform. Two of the victims, Tracey "Basilisk" Treten, and Jamal "Bounder" Harrison, were mutants. The third victim has been identified as Jamal Harrison's 11-year-old brother, though it is not known if he was a mutant too.
The victims were most likely targeted for their mutant status. Treten, a strong-voiced advocate for mutant rights in the city, had a pronounced physical mutation: scales covered her skin, giving her the appearance of a lizard. Harrison is another well-known mutant in the area, before his death he worked at the Little Monsters bookstore on the corner of 49th and Ames. Both are a great loss to the mutant community.
"Ah… Ah remembah seein' these two on T.V." Rogue muttered. She glanced up at the two adults. Xavier had his eyes squeezed shut, his expression pained. Storm, however had her eyes trained on the newspaper in Rogue's hands.
"I remember them, too. Basilisk was a great speaker." Storm took a deep breath. "You should finish it."
Preparing herself for the worst, though a numb feeling had already started to creep into her hands and a nervous pain pricked at her heart, Rogue turned to the article once more.
The older Harrison was found with-
"Oh mah gawd…" Rogue glanced up at the professor. He nodded at her to finish it. Steeling herself, Rogue continued, her tongue dry in her mouth.
-with symbols carved into his back and stomach. The younger Harrison had the same symbols cut into his cheeks, Treten similarly scarred where her flesh was softest. Investigators reported that the symbols 'depicted split diamonds', but were not able to confirm if they were known gang-related symbols…
Rogue shook her head, her knees feeling weak. Her breath felt caught in her throat. The prick in her heart had transformed into a vice, squeezing feeling out of her extremities. "Ah can't." She closed her eyes and the world began to spin.
Storm swiftly put a hand on her shoulder and guided her to one of the chairs opposite Xavier's desk. Rogue nodded gratefully as she sat, horrified and disgusted by the article she clutched in her hands. Her stomach clenched unhappily as her eyes fell over the words again. Sitting next to her, Storm gently pried the newspaper out of Rogue's hands and folded it back up, placing it on the desk once more.
"They killed a kid. Cut up the bodies with freakin' symbols. Who would do that?" Rogue whispered, taking her head in her hands. Suddenly the world made a lot less sense.
"Who indeed." Xavier agreed, wheeling up to face her. His voice remained level, though there was a sharp edge to the back of his words. "This is the first mutant killing to make headlines in Bayville. I contacted the police yesterday and offered the X-Men's assistance. I did not intend to get the students involved, but the faculties' powers could prove useful in their investigation."
"They brushed us off like we were selling vacuum cleaners." Storm finished, her tone sour.
The professor leaned forward and spoke softly to Rogue, an apologetic smile on his face. She turned away, unable to meet his eyes. "So you see, Rogue, there was a lot occupying my time yesterday. I am sorry I was not there to help Benj… I am sorry I did not see the chaos here." He took one of her hands and she looked up at him. "Sometimes you just have to trust my actions, even if they don't make sense."
Rogue had never eaten a more awkward breakfast. She even considered the strange times at the Brotherhood Boarding House, where one breakfast took place with Blob in the bathtub that had crashed down from the second floor, the kitchen flooding around them, and Lance studying for a Biology exam like nothing strange was occurring.
This morning's awkward breakfast, however, featured a jittery Benj, a cranky Jean, a Scott who eyed Benj suspiciously, an oblivious Bobby, and a solemn professor with Storm moderating an unpleasantly average conversation.
Benj sat next to Rogue, bouncing his leg uncontrollably while he picked at the remnants of his fourth pancake. His appetite had slowed with every bite he'd taken; usually he could consume seven pancakes before curbing. Rogue tried to remain focused on Benj, but her mind kept drifting to the murdered mutants. The words of the article swam at the front of her vision; the imagined image of Jamal Harrison's dark skin marred and bloodied by diamond shapes meeting her with every blink. Benj had picked up on her preoccupation the moment she'd walked in the room, his eyes narrowing in his own worry. Now she had to worry about worrying Benj while she was supposed to be worrying about him in the first place.
Jean and Scott sat across the table from them. The professor had practically dragged Jean out of bed, the older girl had been sound asleep when he went to retrieve her. Though she had genuinely expressed her desire to help Benj in any way she could, she couldn't hide her disdain for the morning. Rogue knew she'd been up late as well, Kitty had come from a talk with Jean when she came into Rogue's room around midnight. Add onto that her schoolwork which was keeping her stressed and busy, an anti-mutant demonstration approaching the coming Thursday on her campus, and the general wear-and-tear of college, it was no wonder Jean wished to sleep as long as possible.
Despite her old dislike for the girl, Rogue felt sympathy for Jean. Though she enjoyed seeing the human cracks in Jean's perfect shell.
Scott, unfortunately, was wide awake. With his alertness came his typical paranoia. Whatever was running through his mind about Benj's situation, it wasn't optimistic.
Whatever happened to the old Scott? Rogue wondered as she gnawed on another bite of pancake. Nowadays it seemed like the Scott she'd started crushing on two years before had vanished. He'd become so brooding. When had that happened? After Mystique tried to kill him? After Apocalypse? Or was it just when the Dyson-Dents brothers had arrived?
Like Scott, the professor was visibly deep in thought at the end of the table. Though Rogue didn't have to guess what he was pondering, now knowing first hand.
"So… how is school everyone?" Storm asked, her eyes sweeping the table.
Bobby answered through a mouth stuffed full of pancakes, his answers barely comprehendible. Somehow Storm understood and carried on the conversation with him.
As she scooped another bite of pancake into her mouth, Rogue reached under the table and stilled Benj's bouncing leg with her other hand. Tense energy spiraled off of him, and she knew once she lifted her hand off his thigh he would start bouncing again. She leaned up to whisper a reassurance into his ear.
"Ah know yah're nahvous, but Ah need ya ta take a deep breath, okay? The professah and Jean will figure it out."
He nodded stiffly, and closed his hand around the one of Rogue's on his leg. His fingers quickly curved under her palm, breaking her contact with his leg. With a small smile and a squeeze of her hand, he muttered back a thank you. 'I know.'
Returning his smile, she left her hand in his and returned to her pancake-eating. She reached for her glass of orange juice.
"Rogue, has Claire Darth said anything about her father's willingness to let her check out the Institute?" Storm asked.
Surprised by the question, Rogue sputtered for a moment, spitting out some of the orange juice in her mouth and quickly swallowing the rest. She set down her glass slowly, feeling everyone's eyes on her.
"Uh, no." Rogue said quietly. She hasn't really been talking to me. "She doesn't like ta talk about it."
Storm frowned. "Oh… Really?"
Rogue shrugged, talking another bite of pancake. She hoped Storm would take the hint and drop the conversation. She didn't really want to explain that she and Claire weren't taking for no apparent reason. Perhaps the subconscious pressure Rogue was putting on Claire to think about coming to the Xavier Institute was what was distancing the two of them. Who knew?
Not having a non-X-Man friend at school made it a bit more difficult. She didn't see many of the others during the day except for at lunch. Although Kitty was in her math class, no other X-Man was in a class of hers. She shared a history class with the Maximoff twins, but hardly interacted with them, especially since the X-Men and Brotherhood had been clashing more frequently as of late.
Seeing Rogue was not going to add anything more, Storm nodded. "I see."
"How crazy is that that her dad just outed her like that at the beginning of the year?" Bobby grumbled through his pancakes. "I mean if that was me, I wouldn't want to do anything to draw more attention to myself."
"Wow, Bobby. That was actually profound." Scott said, smirking.
"Hey! I have my moments." Bobby said. His phone, which sat on the table in front of him buzzed. Scooping it up, he read whatever was on the screen. "It's been real. See you guys later." He jumped up and, taking his dishes to the sink, left.
'I guess this is our cue.' Benj announced telepathically. He stood as well, taking the dishes within reach to the sink.
The professor spoke first. "Let's move to my office so everyone's more comfortable." Xavier turned to Rogue and Scott. "When we get started, it may be best for you two to wait outside."
"Are ya okay with that, Benj?" Rogue asked, looking up to him where he stood halfway across the kitchen. He seemed tense, his hands gripping the edge of the counter so hard that his knuckles turned white. Despite this, he nodded.
As they all began to move out of the room, Scott caught her eye. He raised an eyebrow, and she shrugged in response. She didn't really know what was going on with Benj either.
When they reached the professor's office, Storm and Scott maneuvered two armchairs for Jean and Benj to sit in. Benj sat down, shaking once more. He placed both hands in his lap, but his leg bounced uncontrollably. As Jean sat down and the professor rolled up to complete their triangle, Benj leaned forward, pressing his elbows on his knees. The shaking lessened considerably. He brought his hands up, still folded together, and gnawed on leather covering his thumb. His eyes darted between the professor and Jean as Professor Xavier explained how the memory mending process worked.
Rogue put a hand on his shoulder. Half of what Xavier said made sense to her. Although she'd used telepathic powers before, she was by no means an expert.
When Xavier had finished, he looked up at Rogue and glanced at Scott, who stood at the back of the room. "If you two would step out now… Be sure to stop any students from interrupting us."
"Right." Rogue nodded. She squeezed Benj's shoulder and ruffled his hair. "See ya in a little bit."
"See ya." He echoed.
With one last glance back, Rogue left the room.
She and Scott stood in awkward silence for a moment, Rogue shifting her weight and studying her shoes. She cleared her throat and looked up at Scott. "Ah think Ah'm supposed ta tell ya ta go ta hell."
He blinked in confusion for a second, before chuckling. "Kitty?"
Rogue crossed her arms and glared at him. "Yeah, Kitty."
Scott rubbed the back of his neck. "I really messed up with her, didn't I?"
"Oh, big time."
He sighed. "But Lance? She couldn't have dated someone else?"
"Who else do we intahact with?" Rogue asked pointedly. "It's either X-Men or Brotherhood."
"I'd prefer X-Men."
"Ah'm pretty sure ya'd find a way to yell at her about that, too." Rogue said. She jabbed a finger at him before he could speak. "Ya haven't given me a hard time yet for datin' Benj 'cuz it's me and Ah won't let ya get away with it. But ya give Kitty a hard time for everything. She's not the youngest anymore… she hasn't been for a long time."
"You're right."
"Ya're gonna hafta apologize."
He winced. "I know." Scott gave her a hopeful look. "Do you think it's too late to convince her to ditch him?"
Rogue rolled her eyes. "Ah think that ship has long sailed."
Nodding, he fell silent. The gears were still turning in his head, but he didn't say anything more to Rogue about Kitty and Lance. Scott leaned against the wall and stared at the door to Xavier's office for a while. A minute or so of silence stretched between them until he spoke. "The professor said he told you about the murders."
Rogue let out a long breath. "Yeah, yeah he did."
Scott turned his head to give her a small smile. "How are you holding up?"
Shrugging, she answered. "Alright. There's not really a ton Ah can do. Ah dinnit know 'em personally." She rubbed her eyes. "But, Ah keep seein' Jamal's face. Scarred. Seein' him talk at that rally… he just seemed… invincible? Ah dunno."
Scott looked ahead again. "I know what you mean. I guess I knew him better, but he always seemed so brave… invincible, like you said, because he put himself out there without a team to back him up."
"Ya knew him?" Rogue asked, puzzled.
He paused, before shifting his weight and facing her. "Do you know what I do when I'm not here, Rogue?" Scott asked seriously.
Rogue shrugged. "Go ta some sorta classes."
He smirked. "Do you even know my major?"
"Well, no." It wasn't like he advertised it, and Rogue had hardly seen him since classes started. Scott hadn't even known his major during the summer. How am I supposed to know?
"It's political science." Scott offered.
"Looking to become a politician?" Rogue teased, folding her arms.
He laughed. "Someone has to." Scott paused for a moment. "I've also gotten pretty involved with the mutant rights activists so I knew Jamal and Basilisk personally."
"Scott… Ah dinnit know."
He shrugged. "The mutants out there… they don't have walls like this to protect them. Although some of their powers make them stronger, their powers also make them bigger targets… more justifiable in killing. A lot of them don't really like the X-Men because we're so selective. Like we're abandoning them."
"So the professah asked ya ta get involved?"
Scott shook his head. "No. I got involved because I wanted to. We have to start looking out for our people now, before it's too late. If we don't start talking, they'll never hear us."
Rogue smiled. "Ah dinnit realize ya were so passionate about this."
He frowned. "You should be too. Tell you what, come with me to the next rally. You'll love it."
Caught off-guard, Rogue stammered a reply. "Uh, okay."
"Maybe you'll see Claire Darth there and you two can make-up." He suggested, leaning against the wall again.
Rogue whirled around to face him. "Who said that we were havin' issues? Ah don't know-"
He held up a hand and chuckled. "Relax, Rogue. It's just obvious is all. You used to talk about her more at the start of the year." He stated.
"Fine, whatevah." Rogue grumbled, crossing her arms and glaring at him.
Scott laughed. "That's the Rogue I've missed!" He sighed. "I feel like I never see you."
Shifting her weight, she agreed. "Ah feel the same. Ya're always off doin' somethin' and Ah'm…"
"You're always with Benj… or Kitty or Kurt." Scott suggested. He shrugged. "It's not that surprising when you think about it. I'm hardly here."
"Or when ya are, ya're always devisin' new ways ta torture us."
"I think you've got me confused with Logan."
They laughed.
Suddenly the door to the professor's office burst open. Benj stormed through, sending the door flying into the wall. Rogue jumped, and Scott cried out, "Hey watch it!" Benj gave him a very Leo-like growl in response and continued down the hall, the air stirring around him. Artwork flew off the walls and the drapes were ripped from their windows.
Rogue took a hesitant step after him, but just as suddenly as he'd burst out of the office, he propelled himself down the hallway and around the corner… his feet off the ground.
"Did he just fly?" Rogue asked, bewildered. She turned to see Storm, Jean, and the professor hurrying out the doors of Xavier's office.
"Oh my…" Xavier said softly.
Storm stood wide-eyed, watching where Benj had disappeared around the corner. "He normally cannot maintain that much concentration when he is upset."
"Ah gotta go find him." Rogue said, pivoting. She only made it a few steps before someone pulled on her arm.
It was Jean.
"Get off." Rogue growled, ripping her arm from the other girl's grasp.
A concerned look fell over Jean's face, and her voice was soft. "I wouldn't right now."
"What do you mean?" Rogue demanded. She looked from one telepath to the other. "What the hell did you do?"
Neither spoke.
Rogue looked past them to Storm. "Storm, what happened?"
The woman's mouth opened halfway, but no words came out. She simply shook her head, closing her eyes.
"Fine." Rogue balled her fists and turned around. She started forward again.
"Wait, Rogue!" Scott called out.
Already halfway down the hall, Rogue yelled back, not bothering to turn around. "If no one's gonna tell me what happened, Ah'm findin' him."
X*X*X
Scott rounded on the professor. "What happened?" He demanded as soon as Rogue was out of ear-shot.
Xavier folded his hands under his chin. "Something went wrong."
Flinging his hands up, Scott scoffed. "'Something went wrong', no really?"
"Scott…" Jean said softly. He glared at her for a moment, but his expression softened quickly.
The professor sighed. "Benj is hiding something. He stopped us when we tried addressing the actual moment his memories were altered, so whatever it is… it was important enough for him to prevent us from mending his memories."
"What does that mean?" Scott asked quickly.
Xavier looked up at him. "It means I have no idea what manipulation is left in his mind."
Benj sat, arms folded on his knees, watching the sun set over the Xavier Institute. Orange light washed over the trees in the yard, the windows below shimmering like flame. A breeze lifted his hair off his forehead, and he closed his eyes, trying to remember where the day had gone.
After breakfast it all seemed to blur together. And because of the way he'd ditched the professor, he had to find a hiding spot they wouldn't immediately think to look for him. Mostly he had to out-smart Rogue, and to do so, he had to think like a different X-Man. He decided to think like Kurt: choosing to find somewhere to perch and simply watch the skyline. Finding a way up to the roof had been easy enough, but now he wasn't sure he wanted to go back down. He'd been sitting there for a long time, watching the slow dance of the sun and the moon. The moon dipped her partner lower and lower and soon she would rise for her solo ballet.
Shingles crunched behind him. He didn't turn, but buried his chin in his arms and stared ahead.
"Ah was wonderin' if ya were up here." Rogue's voice sounded behind him.
"You made her get us." Tyler added, his voice missing its usual bite.
Benj turned his head, surprised to hear Tyler's voice. Tyler, Rogue, and Leo stood behind him.
Leo shook his head. The orange of the sunset glowed in his irises and cast jagged shadows from his eyebrows, making him look too much like the lion within. "I, personally, am flattered, because at least she came to us."
"Leo…" Benj started.
Leo threw up his hands, silencing him. "Look, I get it. You put up with enough of my shit." He took a deep breath and sat down next to Benj, the angular shadows softened to blanket half of his face. "But I'm your brother… Benj…" His voice cracked.
'I didn't mean to drag you into all of this. You don't have to hide Clay's offer. It's not about you.' Leo thought desperately to Benj.
'It's not about me?' Benj ran his fingers through his hair. He glared at his brother. 'Clay talked to us too! If the others even found out-'
'Nothing would happen!' Leo clapped Benj on the shoulder, his eyes darting back and forth, searching in Benj's eyes for some sort of validation.
'No one will trust us!' Benj shoved Leo's hand off his shoulder, jabbing his brother in the chest with his other hand. 'Hardly anyone trusts you now, you said that yourself!'
Leo snarled, flinging an arm back to point at Rogue. 'Both Rogue and Tabitha were a part of the Brotherhood.'
"Ah hate it when they do this." Rogue grumbled behind them.
"Tell me about it." Tyler said.
Ignoring them, Leo continued. 'Colossus was an Acolyte. I think they can learn to trust a set of brothers who were offered a place at the Haven but didn't take it!'
'But you did take it, Leo. You said you were ready to go… to leave all of us! As much as I want to, as much as I should tell them, I'm not saying anything. It would only make you miserable to the point where you will leave.' Benj argued definitively. 'I ain't gonna make this choice easier for you. You don't just get to leave.'
Leo shook his head. 'You don't get it, do you? There isn't anything to choose anymore.'
'If you leave, I won't-'
'Won't what?' Leo challenged, his face twisting in anger. 'Won't leave with me?'
'I won't talk to you if you make me.' Benj shot back. 'This is my home. I'm not coming with you.' Leo stared at him, scowling, his eyebrows nearly touching. Benj copied his look, ready to give Leo the honesty he was refusing to hear. 'You can't run away from your problems, Leo. Not forever.'
"Then tell them. Cuz you ain't goin' to convince me on your own.' A growl rumbled from Leo's throat.
'I ain't gonna-'
'It doesn't matter! You need to get your head straight. It doesn't matter if they find out.' He paused. 'Benj, you need to worry about yourself. I'm sorry I've made this harder for you.'
Benj rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. 'When did our lives get so dang complicated?'
'Probably the day we were born.' Leo answered. Benj looked over at him, to see Leo's lunatic grin spreading over his face. Benj's anger ebbed, no matter what Leo did or said he couldn't stay mad. 'You know I love you, right? I want you mentally sound again.'
'D'aww. Thanks, Leo.' Benj thought back. 'This conversation isn't over though.'
Leo shrugged. 'I know. But another day. Today we worry about you. Besides, with my luck, they'll find out anyway.'
Benj let out a single laugh. "That is how it goes, typically."
Leo's grin widened, and he gave Benj a playful shove.
"Ah, finally!" Tyler cheered, plopping down next to Benj. He threw an arm around Benj and drew him in, Benj laid his head on Tyler's shoulder like he used to do as a kid. Tyler's feverish skin created a cushion of heat that warmed Benj's entire body. He began remembering how exhausted he was. "I love it when you two talk."
"Me too." Rogue grumbled. Benj turned his head upward to see her standing over him; he smiled. Rolling her eyes, she sat behind him and wrapped her arms around his midsection. "Ah don't know how ya stand it, Ty."
Tyler shrugged, leaning forward to give Leo a look. "Well these two monkeys bonded when they were little, I guess it's just been our normal."
"Monkeys?" Leo asked. "I am a lion." He muttered.
Tyler ignored him, turning to Benj. "We gonna be okay?"
Nodding, Benj looked out over the Institute's grounds. It felt good, being up here. Away from all his problems. Surrounded by the people who loved him. If I could just stay here, I would. With a sigh, he voiced his thoughts. "I guess I freaked out back there."
"Only a little." Rogue murmured, resting her chin on his shoulder.
"I just didn't want…" He looked at Leo, who nodded. "I was afraid of what the professor would think… I mean Clay rescuing me? How does that look?" Benj paused. "And… I don't completely remember what happened in the Brotherhood House. I'm afraid of what… what I might have said. What I thought."
"None of that mattahs." Rogue assured him.
"We just want you well, bro." Leo chimed in. "Magneto messed with your head."
"And he's going to regret that." Tyler growled. "Next time I see him…" he raised a hand, conjuring flames that danced across his fingers, "…fireball to the chest."
Benj smiled, content.
Bayville High, Monday
Clay shifted the books in her bag as she dug out her math textbook. She hefted the book into her locker with ease, though she made a bit of a show for anyone watching. The textbook slammed down onto the first shelf with a loud thud. She cringed at the sound, and sighed.
Her father would be pleased she was actually putting an effort into hiding her powers, trying to blend in. Not that it really mattered, the only students that spoke to her were either X-Men or Haven. Unsurprisingly, the Brotherhood mutants wanted nothing to do with her, they didn't want any trouble with the principal's daughter. The unaffiliated mutants at school kept to themselves, as forming groups made them bigger targets.
She closed the locker carefully, resisting the urge to slam it shut… or to rip the door off its hinges in an expression of catharsis. She hated hiding, hated wearing this false skin. Feeling the anger building beneath her heart like captured steam, she whirled around quickly and strode toward her classroom.
As she turned the corner, a body slammed into her. They both went down in a heap.
Clay found herself uncomfortably squashed between her backpack and the idiot who'd crashed into her, his body surprisingly heavy for its small size. She blinked away confusion and a growing pain on the crown of her head, trying to determine who smashed into her.
The other recovered first, and apologized, shaking his head, "Hey, look I'm so sorry I—"
"Shut up, moron." Clay snapped, her anger getting the better of her. The boy lifted his head, and Clay recognized him instantly. She wondered how she hadn't recognized his bright red hair earlier.
Leo Dyson.
The two started to untangled themselves, Leo carefully picking himself up without touching her again. When he was standing she was still stuck on the floor, her backpack pinning her down like an awkward turtle. Leo looked down at her, his face suddenly going pale. He swallowed visibly and extended a hand down to assist her.
Realizing she was glaring at him, Clay took a moment to soften her expression before accepting the hand. Leo pulled her up quickly.
He opened his mouth and began apologizing again, "Look, I'm so sorry I—"
"You already said that." Clay cut him off in a drone.
Leo grinned. "Yeah, but you never let me finish." He leaned in closer to her, a devious grin on his face, his charm obvious. Clay was conflicted whether to feel flattered or to hit him, hard. "I'll start again: Look, I'm so sorry I—"
Clay held up her hand. "Seriously? Stop." Crossing her arms, she looked him up and down, recalling the last time he'd crashed into her. "I see your bones are in fine shape."
A momentary flash of confusion crossed Leo's face. "Wh- oh! I completely forgot! I took out your trashcans a couple of weeks ago. Claire Darth, right?"
Clay nodded. On one of the rare occasions she actually stayed at her father's home in Bayville, she had the luck to have Leo crash into her trashcans… at four in the morning. The timing was pure serendipitous, she hadn't been able to sleep so she got up at 3 a.m. to do a couple of chores around the house. Any earlier or later, and she would have completely missed the exhausted motorcycle rider. Any earlier or later, and they wouldn't be racing down this course of destiny.
Leo had run from the Xavier Institute that night, and she still saw that wild look in his eyes, like he could bolt at any moment.
But at that moment, a peculiar grin crossed his face. "Sorry about that."
Clay rolled her eyes and turned to walk away.
"Hey… hey wait!" Leo called after her when she was a few paces away. His hand landed gently on her shoulder, she turned to him. "May I walk you to class?" He bowed deeply and gave his crazy grin again.
Despite herself, Clay laughed. "Yeah, sure, whatever. Get up, you loon."
He straightened up and smiled like a normal person. "Thank you, my liege."
With a scoff and an eye roll, she turned again. Leo followed at her side. "So why were you in such a big hurry?" She asked.
The question must have gotten him excited as his hand gestures grew more and more animated. "I snagged a solo for jazz band that I'll get to perform at our next concert. I haven't had as much time to practice as I'd like, so I was thrilled." He smirked at her. "Though not as thrilled as I was to run into you."
She laughed, shaking her head and giving him a playful shove. "Yeah, whatever." She paused, racking her brain for another subject. Soccer. "I heard you were trying out for the soccer team, did you make it? The lists came out today."
Leo nodded vigorously. "I mean I've gotten to show the coaches a bit, but today's the final round of cuts. Enrique, you know Enrique Oculto, right?" She nodded slowly. In the middle of conversation, she couldn't quite remember if she was supposed to know who Enrique was as Claire Darth. "…well Enrique's already made the team, first round even. I missed out cuz…" his voice trailed off, a frown forming on his face.
She didn't need him to remind her. A couple Fridays ago Leo had the stuffing kicked out of him by the ex-football player Keith Lerry. "Heard 'bout that. I'm glad you're okay." Clay offered, somewhat pathetically as they passed humans who cast sideways glances at them, marking them as outsiders.
He shrugged. "Ah well, you know…"
"Hey, how are things at the Institute?" Clay asked quickly, a question that surprised herself a little. But she might as well ask it when he was already talking to her. In school. Not during a fight. They hadn't talked much as fellow students, though she felt like they had that strange moment with trashcans in the dark connecting them. The question was odd, true, but it seemed less suspicious in the hallways of school.
Clay studied the X-Man after posing her question. Leo rolled his tongue around in his cheek. She couldn't help but notice how he still strode forward calmly, ignoring the looks of hatred and disgust he got from a crowd of jocks in letterman jackets. The muscles in his arms tensed, and for a moment Clay could see just how powerful his arms were. It was surprising, Leo was kind of a scrawny guy, especially compared to his brothers. He stood a few inches shorter than Clay, but his confidence made him seem taller. He held his head up high. His eyes glittered; though on first glance they appeared to be solid amber, Clay noted the flecks of gold in his irises that reflected the light.
It was a good couple seconds before he answered. "It's… fine." He said, his voice gruff.
"If you want to talk about it… I—" She cut herself off. Was that too nosy? Would that be putting herself too close to him? Would that put her at risk of Leo figuring out her connection to the Haven? She shrugged and rubbed her forearms. "Sorry," she muttered under her breath.
Leo gave her a smile. "I'd… I'd like to. Believe it or not, I don't have many friends outside the X-Men."
"What you? But you're so charming, Leo." Clay teased.
"Say, do you have a mutant name?" Leo asked.
Clay tensed, but glossed over his question. She tried to keep her voice as flat as possible, the last thing she needed was for Leo to recognize her as Clay Dune. "A mutant name? No. How ridiculous."
Leo seemed taken aback. "Sorry, I just thought… it seems most mutants choose one."
She shrugged. "I never saw the need. I'm just a principal's daughter. How 'bout you, Leo? Do you have one?"
He chuckled. "Nah, my name seems too ironic for one. I shapeshift into a lion." He flicked his tail out of his waistband, and Clay tried to look mildly surprised. "Though I did think about going by 'Liontail' for a bit."
"Really? Can't imagine why."
Leo grinned. "Oh I like you, miss sassy-pants."
They neared her AP Chemistry classroom and she felt her heart dip for a moment. It looked like her conversation with Leo had come to an end. Things might always be weird between them, but she was finding she enjoyed his company.
Rogue and Benj stood to the side of the classroom door. The couple had their arms around each other, and pressed together as they were, Benj was easily a head taller than Rogue. Benj took a step back, keeping his fingers intertwined with Rogue's, and leaned forward. Rogue untangled a hand and placed it between their faces. He gave her a knowing smile.
"Bein' passed out on the floor wouldn't do ya any good." She muttered. His grin only grew, and he used his free hand to cradle her hand in the air. In a swift motion, he kissed the back of her hand and turned to see Leo and Clay approaching. He gave them a nod, and Rogue turned to follow his gaze.
What little color Rogue had drained from her face. Clay felt herself scowling, recalling her father's words.
Don't get close.
She and Rogue weren't speaking. This tactic kept Rogue at bay, but it made their shared class excruciating. And, like Leo, Clay didn't have too many friends either. In this instance, it might be better to break a few of Nick's rules if it meant she wouldn't feel so alone at Bayville High.
"What brings you this way, bro?" Benj asked.
Leo pointed at Clay. "I crashed into Claire and offered to walk her to class. Poor dame."
Dame?
Clay whirled around and punched Leo in the shoulder. He buckled slightly, quickly hopping away from her. A look of pain flashed across his features as he rubbed his shoulder. Part of her regretted using so much of her strength, but the other part of her felt much better. Leo was a little too much to handle at times.
A blue glow flashed from beneath Leo's shirt, the light peeking out through the fibers. His eyes widened as he glanced down at the receding light.
How curious. That's a power I didn't know he had. Clay mused, while hiding her surprise by growling, "You call me a dame again, and I'll aim for somewhere else."
Leo's look of shock grew for a moment before he burst out laughing. "No, please… have mercy! Hahaha, I'll keep that in mind chica."
"Mind that you do."
Rogue glanced between the two of them and smirked. "Ya're gonna have a hard time havin' kids if ya keep messin' with her, Leo."
The X-Men started laughing. Clay almost joined in, but then she remembered: she and Rogue weren't speaking. With a sigh and a sideways glance at Rogue, she skulked inside the classroom.
Pausing just to the side of the door to unpack her homework and lay it in the neatly labeled "Homework" tray, she picked up the remainder of the X-Men's conversation.
"Damn, she's still mad at me." Rogue said, her voice stopping the boys' laughter.
"Just what did you do?" Benj asked, his voice still light.
"Who knows? Maybe Ah'll get things smoothed ovah in class."
"Good luck!" Benj called as Rogue walked through the doorway.
Clay and Rogue's eyes met for an awkward moment, then Rogue continued through the entryway into the classroom.
Ding-dong. Ding-dong. The warning bell sounded.
Clay heard the two Dyson brothers curse.
"English."
"Bio."
"We're never goin' to make it." Benj groaned.
Leo laughed. "You don't know if you don't try!"
The sound of sneakers slapping against the floor was the only thing she heard then. Clay chuckled to herself, imagining the two brothers racing down the halls to classrooms on the other side of the building. As she turned back to the classroom, she caught Rogue looking at her. With a sigh, Clay slung her backpack over her shoulder and sat down next to Rogue, not saying a word.
After a few moments, Rogue turned away.
"English."
"Bio."
Benj groaned and tilted his head back, complaining to the ceiling, "We're never goin' to make it."
Leo laughed, giving his head a shake. "You don't know if you don't try!"
Benj groaned again, with good reason. His classroom was a floor up and in the 'C' wing, which was cattycorner to their current location. Leo had it easier, he only had to sprint to the opposite side of the building.
Giving his brother a thumbs up, Leo bounced a few times then sped off. Unlike earlier, his path was clear. With the start of class so near, there wasn't anyone to vault over (or crash into). As his feet slammed against the linoleum, his mind raced back to his fateful encounter with Claire Darth.
He still couldn't believe his misfortune; not only did he slam into a pretty girl, but also the principal's daughter. Who he'd already tried to kill on a motorcycle. In the middle of the night. He doubted anyone could have worse luck.
But she seemed peaceful enough. And she laughed at me. Leo grinned. At least he knew his winning charm still worked. Better to woo a girl than to make enemies. He thought as he sped around the last corner. Then again, I can always run.
He slammed into the classroom door just as the tardy bell sounded. Slipping in, Leo gave his teacher an apologetic smile. Turning to his seat in the back, he frowned. Enrique was not there. He must have caught the Flu Roberto's got.
Leo made his way to the back table, feeling awkward. As he sat down, he glanced around the room. The classroom felt oddly empty. Of the freshmen in his class, he only knew Jamie, who was also absent. The rest kept their distance from Leo after he snapped at a pair of them who thought it'd be funny to yank his tail during a lab. He'd shown his fangs for a few moments for emphasis and they'd left him alone since.
Enrique and Jamie had thought the whole thing was hilarious.
Leo glanced sadly at Jamie's empty seat. Apart from church and his short Danger Room session with Logan, he'd spent the entirety of Sunday at Jamie's side. There didn't seem to be any further bleeding, which was a blessing. The initial bleeding had been from the surface wound, not from Jamie's brain. The younger teen was improving, the doctor that came in said Jamie would be fine, though the doctor wanted X-Rays and scans "just to be safe". He was being moved to a hospital today, and his parents were coming into town to visit him. In a day or two he would be back at the mansion, though he'd be out of commission for a while. Jamie's cracked skull would take a couple months to heal fully.
Leo still felt incredibly guilty about what had happened during the DR session Saturday. If he had been paying more attention… if he hadn't left Jamie's side… if he—
"Mr. Dyson."
Leo shook his thoughts from his head and looked up. The teacher was looking straight at him, and several freshmen were turned around in their seats with expectant looks. He rubbed his head. "Uh… sorry, sir. I kinda zoned out. What was that?"
His teacher let out an exasperated sigh, receiving several snickers from Leo's classmates. "I asked if you could name the classification system used in naming animals."
"Uh… I don't know the name of it, but I know how it works. King Phillip Came Over For Good Spaghetti." Leo said to glassy-eyed stares from his classmates. His teacher raised an eyebrow for Leo to explain himself. Sighing, he continued. "Animals are classified by Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, and Species. That's just a little trick I learned to remember the order." He paused. "The scientific name is the Latin genus and species name combined."
The teacher cracked a smile and nodded. "Very good, Leo. Thank you. As for what that's called, it's taxonomy." The man turned around and scrawled the word on the board in chalk. "I will write the naming trick Leo just gave us for everyone to remember… it seems to work."
Leo exhaled. That was close. Apparently, he still needed to pay attention in class.
"Today is a lab day." Rogue's Chemistry teacher announced as everyone took their seats. "You'll be working with your usual partners."
Rogue glanced at Claire. The girl stared purposefully ahead, avoiding her gaze. Turning back to her teacher, Rogue listened half-heartedly to the lab description. Working with a partner she wasn't on speaking terms with would be difficult at the least, maybe even impossible. With some luck, they might be able to patch their relationship up before they started playing with chemicals.
Their teacher turned on the projector in the room, displaying the procedures on the board up front. "Full lab reports are due in two days. If you don't finish the lab portion today, you'll have to come in during lunch to finish. Any questions?" Met with silence, their teacher nodded. "Alright, begin!"
Rogue turned to Claire, who was writing down the procedures in a fast scrawl in her notebook. She looked up slightly to acknowledge Rogue. "You wanna get the beakers out? I'll get the acid when I'm done here. You can copy the procedures from me later."
"Yeah… sure." Rogue muttered, hastily standing up. The front half of their classroom was filled with traditional desks, and the back half contained their lab stations: black slate tables with Bunsen burners and sinks at the ends. Stools lined the tables, mostly ignored. Rogue made her way to the back, grabbing a pair of goggles as she went.
Opening their drawer, she took out the beakers the lab called for and rinsed them out with their bottle of distilled water. She looked up to see Claire making her way over, deftly dodging the other scurrying students. Claire placed her scrawled procedures by Rogue and set down the chemicals she carried. Before Rogue could say anything, Claire had walked off again, grabbing the rest of their materials.
Rogue frowned, turning to the procedures and reading them over. The lab partners at the other end of the lab station glanced at her and snickered.
"Looks like the mutie power team broke-up." She heard one say.
Ignoring them, Rogue set to work the moment Claire returned. Half the class period passed by with short, quick statements from both girls. With every short reply, Rogue grew more anxious and uncomfortable until she could no longer stand it.
Rogue placed a hand on Claire's shoulder, stopping her halfway through opening one of the chemical containers. "Okay, what did Ah do ta piss ya off?"
Claire kept a steady gaze on the container in her hand, slowly closing the container fully. She set it down with a sigh. "Nothing, it-it's not your fault. I… I just have some things going on at home I just don't wanna deal with right now."
Rogue frowned. She didn't know much about Principal Darth aside from the weird feeling she'd gotten from first seeing him. But he'd also let Tabitha off the hook rather easily after her fight with Keith Lerry. After Keith officially left Bayville High, Tabitha returned from her suspension with no problems. Darth handled her detentions personally, and spent that week making sure she was catching up on her schoolwork. Rogue hadn't seen Tabitha that enthusiastic about school before, but Darth's commitment to her seemed to be making a difference.
Now Darth seems like a pretty alright guy. What could be going on at home?
She scanned Claire, looking for anything that might hint at it. She didn't see any bumps or bruises, which was a relief, but she did notice the bags under her eyes and how jittery she moved.
Claire seemed to sense Rogue's apprehension, quickly spitting out: "I brought up the Xavier Institute thing."
"Oh." Rogue said, caught off-guard. She hadn't expected Claire bringing the topic up. At least Storm would be pleased.
"Yeah, but… well…" Claire muttered, her eyes still trained on the table in front of them. "My father doesn't want me hangin' around you guys that much."
Rogue frowned. "Ah'm sorry Ah got ya in trouble then."
"Nah, it ain't your fault." Claire muttered, yanking the cap off the container of chemicals. Bending down slightly, she added the hydrochloric acid to their solution. Rogue opened her mouth to stop her, Claire hadn't even bothered to measure the chemical. But Claire continued speaking as she hazardously added the acid. "My father's just…" She swore. The solution started bubbling, foam quickly rising to the top of the beaker. It overflowed a second later.
Rogue stepped back and called the teacher over, making a bee-line for the paper towels.
By the time they'd cleaned everything up, class had ended.
"I'll see you two tomorrow at lunch." Their teacher said as he followed the rest of the class out the door.
Claire threw her goggles into the goggle cabinet and tossed her notebook into her backpack. She froze halfway through zipping her backpack. Rogue raised an eyebrow as Claire looked at her.
"My father mentioned the partnership with Xavier."
Rogue frowned. "Ah… Ah dinnit know we were doin' that."
"Really?" Claire asked. "Mr. Summers knew about it."
Rogue's brain froze. "Did ya just say Mr. Summers?"
Claire blushed. "Uh, yeah. Scott. You know…"
"How do ya…" Rogue stopped, hitting her forehead. "The rallies."
"Um, yeah." Claire muttered. "We met at one a few weeks ago." She paused. "I'm… I'm sure Mr. Xavier was about to tell you all. Um… you should… you should let him know that… that I know some mutants that would be interested in learning from him."
Xavier Institute
After a long day of school, most of the Xavier students were ignoring homework obligations in the Rec Room. Or simply enjoying themselves in the Rec Room, like Tyler. The man and the New Mutant boys huddles around the television, playing Bobby's new first-person-shooter game: Battle Cry. The group had quickly tired of campaign and just switched over to head-to-head versus.
Tyler couldn't help but smile; he was winning horribly. He had no idea the teens he played with could wail and shout at such high pitches. It was more entertaining than he'd expected.
"Aw, come on Ty! Give us a break!" Bobby whined, practically throwing down his controller as the round ended.
"Player Three victorious!" The game shouted, announcing Tyler's win.
Tyler laughed. "Fine, everyone gets a ten second head start…" he grinned, baring his shark-teeth for effect, "then I kill you."
"You may have to hold off on that." Logan growled from the back of the room. Tyler and the others spun around, pausing their game. The teens groaned, fearing a surprise DR session.
Logan marched into the room, trailed by Professor X, Storm, and Benj. Tyler was happy to see Benj with them. After Sunday, he'd returned to Xavier a few more times to get help with his altered memories. Xavier still wasn't sure if he and Jean had found all of the alterations, but they were confident they had fixed enough, or at least were able to alter Benj to which memories were false. Since then, Xavier and also been working with Benj on a specific project that Benj had kept quiet so far.
Maybe now we get to know what it is.
Logan pointed to the boys on the couch. "Turn to Channel 8."
As they fumbled with the remotes, Logan tapped his foot impatiently. Tabitha looked up from her lounging position in the new armchair. It was weird to see her alone, Tyler thought. She and Amara have been inseparable these last few days.
"Hey, what's goin' on prof?" She asked, sitting up straighter.
"You'll see." Logan answered gruffly.
Tyler tried making eye contact with Benj, to see if he'd let on anything. Instead, his brother merely bounced on the balls of his feet, clearly excited about something.
Finally, the boys were able to switch to cable and to the request channel. Unsure of what was happening, they all sat holding their breath.
A male news anchor appeared briefly, before cutting to footage Sionnach Fae. Once again, the footage of the young mutant losing control of his powers played in endless loop. The news anchor's voice narrated.
"A young mutant, now identified as Sionnach Fae, was found dead in Roosevelt Lake, which is about a hundred miles outside of Phoenix, Arizona. While authorities are not certain how Fae arrived in the Roosevelt Lake area, they have determined suicide was the cause of death. A suicide note was found on the beautiful bridge that stretches over Roosevelt Lake, along with several of Fae's personal belongings.
"Fae was arrested for killing his younger brother and two other boys on Friday, September 13. The spokesperson of the sole surviving member of the family, Alan Fae, has requested that the investigation is completed swiftly." The news anchor paused. "The footage shown is of the mutant's initial attack on his three young victims. Thank you to our sister station –" click.
Logan tossed the remote back to Bobby.
Tyler blinked at the blank screen. "He's… dead?"
"I don't know about that, kid." Logan said gruffly.
"Wha— how do you—" Tyler started.
"Benj and I have been working on a way for Cerebro to recognize and alert us when certain mutant power signatures flare up." The professor said, smiling up at Benj. "With Jean at college, it would be nice to have an additional telepath who can use Cerebro, so we started with this project. Today we were practicing doing simple mental scans of power usage in Bayville. Storm, as our test subject, used her powers just outside. We were comparing the different energy levels put out when—"
"When I got the idea that we could compare the energy signatures of the fight with the Haven to energy being put out in the city, you know, to try and figure out who some of them are!" Benj interrupted, swiping his blonde hair from his eyes. He looked down at Xavier. "Sorry to interrupt, professor."
Xavier chuckled, smiling in pride. "It is quite alright." He turned back to Tyler and the others. "Luckily, we had actually updated Cerebro to store power signatures last month, in preparation for this stage of the project. Cerebro now stores mutant power levels in a database for future reference. This change was made before our recruitment mission of Sionnach Fae."
Tyler blinked again, validated by the similarly confused looks on the others. "So…?"
Benj answered. "One of the power signatures from the Brotherhood House fight matched Sionnach Fae!"
Tyler rubbed his head. "Didn't we already know that? I mean it was pretty obvious it was him. What does—"
"I highly doubt the Haven mutants killed him since then." Benj interrupted, still bouncing.
Logan laid a heavy hand on the blonde mutant's shoulder. "Will ya stop jumpin'? You're makin' me nervous." He growled.
Unconvinced of Benj's theory, Tyler frowned. "The news said suicide." He argued.
"Yeah, but he seemed fine—"
"A lot can happen in four days, Benj." Tyler said darkly.
Bobby raised his hand and interjected. "Okay, so we won't know about the Fae kid until we get another reading… or we run into the Haven again. What about that mutant that makes those portals? Why don't we check for her?"
The New Mutants murmured in agreement.
Benj, considerably deflated, nodded. "We did."
"It would appear that she attends Bayville High." The professor said.
"I knew it." Bobby muttered.
Xavier finished, "Portals were opened several times on school grounds."
"Did you get an ID?" Bobby asked.
"No, all of the Haven mutants had the same fuzzy signal, like there was something cloaking them." Xavier sighed.
Before anyone could ask another question, Ray sneezed. Everyone turned to look at him. He swiped at his nose and apologized. "Uh, sorry. Man, I hope I'm not comin' down with what Roberto has."
"Is there anything else, Professor Xavier?" Tyler asked, anxiously fingering the game controller in his hand.
"I have an announcement to make once all the students arrive for dinner. Please make sure you are there." Xavier said bluntly. He smirked. "And I hope all your homework is done."
The teens nervously glanced at each other and nodded, several letting out high-pitched, fake laughs.
"Of course professor!"
Jamie groaned and rolled over onto his back. He had turned onto his injured arm in his sleep, the jolt of pain waking him up. He technically wasn't supposed to be sleeping so much with his head injury (it made Beast nervous), but with little to nothing to do in the infirmary, it was the only way to pass the time.
His eyes fluttered open as they adjusted to the harsh white light in the room. He looked to his right, not surprised to see Leo in his usual spot.
"Hi." Jamie muttered, rubbing his eyes and trying to shake off the sleep.
The worried look he'd gotten used to seeing in Leo's eyes melted away, and the older teen smiled. "Hey there, Jamie! How you feelin'?"
"Better… I'm bored out of my mind, though." Jamie said, trying to sit up. His arm was bound and it refused to move the way that he wanted. Leo leaned over and pulled him into a sitting position.
"Good thing I brought this then…" Reaching into his pocket, Leo pulled out a hand-held gaming device. He tossed it to Jamie, who caught it one-handed.
"Thanks!" Jamie smiled, placing the device on the table next to him. He looked at Leo. "What about you, what are you up to?"
Leo leaned back. "Nothing much."
Jamie laughed. "You're covered in sweat! Either Wolverine whooped your butt or—"
"It was soccer practice." Leo stopped him, running a hand through his damp hair.
A grin spread over Jamie's face. Leo had said practice, not try-outs. "Practice?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows.
Leo laughed. "Yes, practice." He said with mock-seriousness. "I made the cut! Though, I don't know how much I'll get to play, the rest of the team has been working together for a couple weeks now."
"JV, maybe?"
Leo shrugged. "Hey, it's better than nothing."
"Could be worse." Jamie affirmed, examining the hand-held. "Could be the freshman team."
Leo gave him a little smile, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, that would be dreadful."
They both laughed for a few seconds. Then Jamie set down the GameBoy and turned to Leo. He worked up the courage to ask him what had been on his mind for a while. "You're thinking of running, aren't you?"
Looking shocked, Leo leaned forward in his chair. "Where would you get that idea?"
"You are, aren't you?" Jamie demanded.
Leo didn't answer.
Jamie studied his friend's face, trying to read his reaction. But Leo's face was blank, distant. "You have that same look Rogue got before she ran off, and you aren't talking to most of us here…"
Leo picked at his fingernails, suddenly very occupied by the dirt under them. He shrugged. "I… uh, I guess I've thought about it."
"Are you going to?" Jamie asked, his voice catching in his throat.
The older mutant met his eyes. "I'm not going anywhere Jamie, not as long as you need me here."
"And when I don't?" Jamie questioned, not turning from Leo's amber-colored eyes, and not allowing Leo to look away either.
"I make no promises." Leo answered in a low, gruff voice. "I don't exactly fit in here, Jamie… if you haven't noticed."
"But it was fine until—"
Leo scoffed. "Until I told everyone I killed three of my classmates. I knew I was damn stupid when I did, but I didn't want it to come between me and the team." He growled, sitting back in his chair and folding his arms. "And look where that's gotten me."
"Leo, no one's been in that kind of situation, though. They don't know what it's like to be pushed to the edge when you don't have control over your powers. It was an accident." Jamie offered, meekly. "I think the others are more afraid that they could become you than they are afraid of you."
The feline mutant nodded, staying silent for several moments. He rubbed the heel of his hand into his forehead. "Listen, d-don't mention anything I said here to anyone. Okay?"
Jamie nodded. "Your secret's safe with me."
"Ve're partnering with Darth?" Kurt asked, sounding puzzled.
"Technically, I think we're partnering with the school." Kitty corrected without looking at the blue boy.
All of the students were assembled in the dining hall, food spread out across the table.
"Correct." Xavier stated. "Hopefully, we can help more mutants this way, and possibly even find more potential X-Men. I think it is time to start recruiting once more in earnest. Focusing on those closest to us is a good start, for now. If you had not noticed already, many new students transferred to Bayville High this year, and they are continuing to pour in: many of them are mutants. Principal Darth's willingness to be fair and to push the inclusion of mutant status in the school's anti-bullying policies has attracted a lot of attention for young mutants and their parents."
He scanned everyone's faces. "The meetings will be every Friday after school, and if you are able, I would like all of you to be there. Principal Darth will make an announcement tomorrow about it."
Tyler picked at his food for the rest of dinner, not really sure where he fit into all of this. He waited until Xavier had left to follow.
"Professor X!" He called after him.
The man came to a halt and turned to face Tyler. "Yes, Tyler? What is it?"
"I know I'm not currently in school… or on staff," he added, "…but could I help in some way? ¡Voy a estar loco!" (I am going crazy!) I need something to do here."
Xavier chuckled. "Of course, Tyler. You are welcome to help." He paused. "As for what you can do here at the mansion… Forge is returning soon to work on another project, and Beast always loves your company. I know you have a rather… heated… relationship with plants, but Storm appreciates a hand in her greenhouse."
"Is there…" He paused, unsure if he could ask about learning about the super computer Cerebro.
"We would be honored to show you how Cerebro works." Charles said, clearly reading his mind. "And maybe you can help Logan add programs to the Danger Room." He smiled. "We have been waiting for you to come to us. I know you have had a hard time since losing your job, but we did not want to push you."
"I am feeling much better, thank you." Tyler stated.
"Good. I believe you have been adopted by the New Mutants, too?"
Tyler shrugged. "I'm not exactly sure what those kids expect me to do. I'm ten years, at least, older than them."
"Perhaps it's time to become a kid again."
The Haven, Friday
"Come on everyone! We gotta leave…" Portia yelled in the common room, glancing down at her watch, "now!" She sighed, adjusting her thick-rimmed black glasses. She watched the other mutants scurry around, muttering to herself. "We're going to be so late."
She tugged on her purple tank-top, trying to get it to fall how she wanted under her black leather jacket. Sionnach was ready and sitting on the couch, absent-mindedly watching the television. His eyes kept drifting to the entrance to the boys' hallway. Portia scoffed, rolling her eyes. He could be so pathetic, waiting around for Enrique like that.
The first boy to emerge from the hall, however, was Xander, who looked positively miserable. He sniffed, and then started hacking.
"All dan, mayde I shouldn't go da school doday." He grumbled, weakly walking into the common room.
Zendi jumped down from where she had been crawling along the wall. "Woah there germy, go back to your room and lock the door. I am not getting sick."
Portia rolled her eyes. "I don't think locking the door will keep the germ from getting' out. He's got the Flu!" She pointed back at the hallway. "Though, Zendi's right. Get the hell away. No need for all of us to get sick."
"Actually, sneeze on me, will ya?" Sionnach called from his seat. "I do not want to go to school."
"That will just make you sick for the weekend." Enrique's calm voice said from behind the sick mutant. He placed a hand on Xander's shoulder. "You do not look well."
Xander rolled his eyes. "Danks…" He grumbled, heading back to his room.
Rena walked in, trailed by Ash, in her human form. Portia could tell she was uncomfortable, but Darth insisted she shadow someone for a day at Bayville High. He still wanted to get her enrolled there, though Rena had never been to an actual school in her life. Instead, she'd only attended the classes offered at the Haven.
"Where's Clay?" Rena asked, looking around. Her ears perked up as if she was trying to detect some sound. "Wouldn't she be up by now?"
Enrique and Zendi exchanged glances: the same slightly concerned countenances.
"We will check on her." The white-haired mutant stated, motioning for Zendi and Portia to follow. "Just in case she locked the door."
The trio walked down the hall and stopped in front of Clay's door. Enrique raised his fist to knock, but Zendi stayed his hand.
"Wait… Clay didn't have Digger over last night, did she?"
Enrique shook his head. "No, I saw him leave earlier in the night." He proceeded to knock on the metal door, the clang echoing down the hall.
No one answered. Enrique shrugged and tried the door knob. It was unlocked. The door swung open with a creak, and Enrique and Zendi took a few steps in. They scanned the room quickly.
Clay lay on her mat on the floor, still asleep. She was obviously not well; her face was covered in sweat, though she had no blankets on. Twitching a little, she awoke with a start.
"W-what the hell are you doing in here?" She asked groggily, struggling to sit up. "It's not my turn for sentry duty." Her actions caused her to start coughing violently, and with a groan, she laid back down.
Zendi glanced back at the others, sliding her shirt over her nose. "It's time to leave for school, we were wondering why you weren't up." Zendi stated.
"What?" Clay tried to spring up this time, but she stopped quickly, clutching her head in both hands. She leaned back against the wall. "G-give me a minute, I'll be up."
"No." Enrique said firmly. "You are going to stay here. You are ill."
"No, my father wants me there at the Xavier mutant… thingy…" She mumbled, not very convincingly. Clay was sliding back down into her bed already.
"Well that's too bad." Zendi said.
Clay narrowed her eyes and glared at her friend. "Why do you have that over your mouth?"
"I happen to refuse to get sick. Now, you will stay here or I will drag your ass straight back here at any given time in the day."
Clay groaned, pulling her blankets up to cover her. She glared at the others in her room, but made no attempt to get up. Her eyes were dulled way below their normal glow. "Fine." She sneezed, then moaned. "Ugh… this is a terrible day." Clay closed her eyes.
Zendi chuckled and moved Clay's Kleenex box a little closer to her bed. "Good night." They backed out of the room and closed the door softly. The mutants there looked at them expectantly.
"Clay's sick too, so she's staying behind." Zendi declared. "Let's jet."
Sionnach groaned, but stood. Enrique flashed him a smile, and he suddenly became a lot more complacent.
"Shouldn't someone stay with Clay and Xander?" Portia asked. "You know, besides poor Nico?"
"I volunteer as tribute!" Rena yelled.
The others stared at her a moment before they burst out laughing.
Zendi shrugged. "Go ahead; I'll let Darth know when we get there."
Fun Fact #73: This was the first chapter I've really ever cut an entire scene. Sure, I've changed a lot, but in this one I entirely dropped one. We don't get to see any Kitty and Kurt interactions this time (I think that'll fit better in the next chapter). So I guess I falsely advertised on my profile :P
Fun Fact #74: Beta stole my X-Men Destiny game. Not really, I lent it to him last year and never collected it. Then he moved and now he's moving back... it's all very complicated.
Fun Fact #75: I am terrible at research, but this was the first chapter in a long time I've done some real research (and not even on comic things!). I had to check into head injuries for Jamie, which also came around the time a friend of mine had bleeding on the brain and emergency brain surgery. While reading some of it hit close to home, I also learned a lot. I'll be incorporating my research into the story. It will be months before Jamie will be re-joining any teams.
I just think it's funny my characters are starting to notice Tabitha/Amara more than either girl. Ahahaha. I always wanted to have them in the original but I was a wuss. Now I don't care (if the story I just wrote for class is any indication). I throw random ships everywhere. It's the X-Men, I can do that.
But wow, we're really underway now. Three more chapters until "Supersonic" (a favorite of mine, and one that will be awesome after major editing), and six more chapters until D-Factor's turning point. I'll be adding more MRD and Kelley stuff along the way (next chapter?). "Promises Made", which comes next, is guaranteed to be very long. There's a lot of work to be done to get it "up to snuff" and ready to go. And a lot of additional details that are now crucial to this story, so be patient ya'll. I'll try to get it out by November.
Once again, thanks for reading. I'm serious about being motivated/guilt tripped by reviews. All I ask is that they have a little bit of substance. Tell me what you liked (or didn't). Typos? What-the-heck-did-you-do-to-a-character moments? It's a really long chapter, so I might have missed something.
Until next time!
~Keep writing strong.