Rogue awoke with a jolt; water splashed over the edge of the tub as she flailed her arms for a grip on something, momentarily forgetting where she was. It all came back to her quickly enough though, as Rogue steadied herself on the side of the tub and blinked several times to get her bearings. She breathed in heavily as she realized that she was okay and she shook her head lightly, clearing her thoughts. How long have Ah been in here? Rogue wondered, looking around for a clock before remembering that that wouldn't help her.
Rogue sat up in the tub of now-cold water and shivered as she pulled the drain up. She grabbed a towel up off the floor and wrapped herself in it comfortingly, rubbing her legs and face to get them dry too.
Oh! Ah didn't meet up with Tess! Rogue realized. What if she's wondering where Ah am? Ah should go look fohr her. With that thought in mind, Rogue set off getting dressed and presentable to be outside. When she was finished with her chores and her hair was dry, Rogue stepped out the door and began walking down the halls. Ah don' even know where Tess's room is at. Rogue thought, frowning. She always jus' comes ta meh. Rogue decided to check the kitchen. She didn't know how much time had passed since she fell asleep in the bathroom, but Tess might still be there waiting for her. After all, the woman was a telepath, wouldn't she notice Rogue had just woken up or something?
Rogue made her way through the long, winding hallways until she found herself in the cafeteria room. It was a wide, very open space that was dotted with tables and had vending along the walls and a line of people waiting for food. It looked just like a normal school cafeteria, Rogue marveled. It's almost scary to think how normal this place looks. And to think, everyone in here is workin' fohr mutant liberation. Whether under the guise of 'the good guys' or not, everyone believes in the same thing here.
Mutant liberation. Is it really such a bad thing? Rogue didn't think so, but she knew that this—Shaw's set up entirely, a set up for control—was not the way to go about gaining their rights. Rogue marveled at how history repeated itself so often. First they persecuted blacks, now they persecute mutants—in Germany they framed Jews for their problems, it's lihke we always need a target. Mutants are just the new handy people ta frame it on. Rogue's eyes scanned all the tables methodically, but she didn't see Tess among them. She wasn't in the line either, or by the vending.
Ah wonder where she is. Ah wish Ah knew how much time went bah while Ah was sleepin'. Rogue glanced at the plates to see what kind of food everyone was eating. She was surprised to see breakfast foods on everyone's plate. Has yesterday already gone bah? Is it tomorrow already? That doesn't make any sense, why wouldn't Tess come get meh in the mornin' lihke she always does? We'd have ta go through more absorptions today, wouldn't we? The whole situation was confusing and Rogue didn't understand it. She turned and walked out of the cafeteria, instead randomly walking through the halls and wandering around somewhat aimlessly.
Should Ah just head off to the Practice Arena? Rogue wondered. She didn't have anything else to do. She didn't really know anybody here except for Tess and Tess, it seemed, was elsewhere busied. Ah suppose so. Rogue turned her route down another hallway as she tried to remember the way back to the Practice Arena. Why is it so quiet? She wondered vaguely, taking another turn down a long corridor.
Hey, Logan, Remy, ya up there? Cahn ya help meh out? Am Ah goin' the right way? Rogue ventured softly. She didn't like that it was so still. The quiet crept her out.
Surprisingly, no one answered her mental call. Rogue frowned. Before she could send out another mental call, she came across a huge doorway that looked like the one in front of the Practice Arena. Oh, guess Ah'm here anyway. Maybe they were silently directing meh. Still, it bothered her. Why didn't they answer her? Rogue stepped up to the keypad and flicked it on by inserting her palm into the scanner. A light bleeped after a moment and Rogue spoke into the microphone experimentally. "Marie." She recalled. "Verification code 58392, codename Rogue." She stepped away from the pad and waited half a moment more.
"Marie not recognized." An electronic voice responded softly. "Access denied."
Rogue blinked. Not recognized? The memory of her first experience with the electronics hit her. Oh! Tessa said Ah'd have ta say 'uhm' every time, didn't she? Mah bad.
Rogue reached her hand in the scanner again. It scanned her hand for a second time before Rogue spoke into the speaker again, this time remembering to say 'uhm' before her first name. Rogue stepped back once more and waited for the doors to open. Instead, the same electronic voice answered her. "Uhm…Marie not recognized. Access denied."
Rogue frowned at the keypad. What do ya mean, 'not recognized'? What is this—Ah'm in the system, Ah swear!
"Rogue!" A desperate voice called out from behind her. Rogue turned to see Tessa. She blinked in surprise as Tessa raced up to Rogue's side and grabbed her gloved hand, tugging her back down the hall she'd just come from. "What are you doing down here?" Tessa hissed, and Rogue could hear the fear in her voice. How did she find out about here? Tessa wondered silently. She shouldn't be here! No!
"Whattya mean, what am Ah doin'? Ah'm goin' ta the Practice Arena." Rogue saw Tessa glance upwards at the ceiling briefly before tugging her more firmly. The cameras certainly caught her. I hope she didn't try to get in or anything.
"That's not the way to the Practice Arena." Tessa told her stiffly, still dragging her away from the doors. "That's a restricted area."
"Restricted?" Rogue asked, wondering what was behind those doors that Tessa was freaking out about so much. "Ah didn't know—what's it blocked off fohr?"
"I don't know." Tessa responded quickly, too quickly, Rogue thought. "But we're already late for your morning sessions, so we've gotta get going."
Rogue frowned. What's going on, Tess? Rogue sent the thought as a telepathic projection to Tessa."Ah was lookin' for ya." Rogue announced defensively. "Where were you?"
"I was sleeping." Tessa shook her head lightly. Don't worry about it, Rogue. It's not your concern. It certainly wasn't, but it was going to be on Tessa's worry list. Once Shaw saw that Rogue was in that corridor, he'd get suspicious. There was almost nil chance that Rogue simply wandered there by accident, considering what was behind the door. He'd be suspicious of her, she knew. Tessa was the one who spent the most time with Rogue and she was telepathic. It didn't look good that Rogue was nosing around areas she shouldn't know existed. "I overslept."
Rogue's frown deepened. "Not that Ah've known ya fohr all that long, but Tess, that doesn't sound lihke ya. You okay?" What aren't you telling meh, Tess? What's behind those doors?
Nothing you need to worry about. Tessa responded. "It's not like me. I can't believe I did it—I'm sorry I wasn't there this morning."
Rogue's jaw tightened. You're hiding somethin' from meh! "Strange, that you'd oversleep this morning…" Rogue trailed off.
"It's not your concern!" Tessa finally snapped, horrified at Rogue's words. She knew Rogue was suspicious of secrets Tessa might be hiding from her and that Rogue meant something entirely different by her spoken words, but that didn't change the fact that they were being watched right now. Rogue's suspicious questions made it look like Tessa was hiding something from Shaw; Rogue was painting her guilty picture.
Tessa wanted to cry when Shaw's voice echoed through her head. Tessa, we need to talk.
Tessa's heart was thumping rapidly. She tried not to be obvious about it as she struggled to calm her racing pulse.
Rogue was taken aback by Tessa's tone and the way her grip tightened on her wrist, squeezing at what would otherwise be a painful grip, if it weren't for Rogue's mutations. Rogue's eyes flitted over Tessa's face and observed the way that Tessa tried to keep a straight face, keep calm and cool, trying not to break down.
She's hiding something. Somethin' important. Rogue realized that she'd never be able to trust Tessa entirely. She may be on mah team right now fohr bringin' down the Mutant Champions, but this is a girl who's been scarred severely an' has a vengeance agenda. Ah obviously don' know everythin' an' Tessa's purposefully keepin' it from meh. Ah can't trust her. Not entirely, at least. Ya cahn be mah 'friend' Tessa and sometimes mah confidante, but Ah won't blindly follow you.
Rogue kept quiet as they made their way back through winding hallways and into a more familiar path that led to the steel doors. Shaw was waiting outside the doors. Rogue blanched for a second at his furious expression before Tessa pushed her towards the panel and told her to put in her code. "I'll be right there, Rogue." Tessa assured her. "Go on ahead."
Glancing back at the two doubtfully, Rogue put in her information as Shaw grabbed Tessa's forearm tightly and they disappeared around the corner.
-----
Shaw threw open a door along the side and pushed Tessa in roughly. Tessa tripped and nearly collided headfirst into the wall before catching herself and turning around abruptly.
The door slammed behind Shaw as he turned on her and backhanded her across the face. Tessa stumbled into the opposite wall as Shaw gripped her hair tightly and pulled back her head, raising it from the ground to look at him. "You told her!" Shaw roared in fury. "Damnit Tess, you told her!" He hauled back and smacked her against the face again.
Tears sprung to Tessa's eyes as her head whipped in the other direction from the force of his blow. "I didn't!" She cried out desperately, already feeling her face start to bruise and swell up. "I didn't tell her!"
Shaw's grip in her hair tightened as he pulled at her roots, keeping her face up straight and looking at him. He looked livid. "Then why was she at the blast doors, trying to get passed! He yelled in her face, glowering as she flinched away. "She was right there! With all the powers she has, she could get past the door in a heartbeat! And then where would we be? She's only helping us because we have leverage against her!"
"I didn't tell her!" Tessa cried out, trying to prevent the tears from falling from her watery eyes and ignore the throbbing pain in her face. "She doesn't know what was behind those doors!"
"Arrgh!" Shaw growled menacingly and flung Tessa from his grasp, pushing her away violently. Tessa hit the ground harshly and rolled until her head struck against the bottom of a dresser. "Tessa, I know you." Shaw stood above her, glaring downwards. "I know you feel bad for the silly girl, but this is our salvation! She's our only hope and she's going to bring us to our rightful status! But she's not gunna do that of her own volition—she doesn't care herself! You told her that we had her friend here to help her, get her to trust you and feel better, didn't you?"
"I didn't tell her!" Tessa protested. "On our marriage bed, I swear it to you Shaw!"
Shaw looked up at her sharply, still glaring. "Perhaps this job is becoming too much for you. I should find someone else to help her."
"It's not too much!" Tessa shook her head, gathering herself on the floor as she picked herself up. She wavered for a minute, unsteady. "You know there's no one else with the power to boost other powers, Shaw. I can do this—I promise."
Shaw was shaking his head, still glaring harshly, but his anger had calmed slightly after knocking her around a bit. "Regardless of what she knows, Tessa, we're going to fix this. You're going to erase this morning's encounter from her mind entirely, understand?"
Tessa nodded mutely, swiping the side of her hand across her mouth. It came away smeared with blood.
Shaw narrowed his eyes. He turned to go. "Stay here, I'll send Energizer in to heal you before you go back in to train her. We obviously can't have you going back in looking like that." He paused at the door. "Don't fail me again, Tessa." He left, leaving Tessa alone, bruised, and bleeding. Only when the door had shut behind him did Tessa collapse on weak knees and let the tears fall.
-----
Rogue frowned when Tessa reappeared at the door to the Practice Arena. She strode up to Rogue quickly, where Rogue stood next to the first of the mutants who would be absorbed today. Not bothering to say anything or give Rogue any kind of explanation, she gestured towards the first mutant in the chair. "Let's get started." She mumbled softly, seating herself on the floor next to the mutant.
What is going on with her? Rogue wondered, eyeing Tessa suspiciously on the ground. Even her actions are weird—she's never sat during lessons before.
Tess? Rogue ventured, wondering where the angry, frantic, panicking woman from just ten minutes ago had gone.
Tessa cleared her throat awkwardly. "Rogue?" She gestured towards the mutant sitting down.
Okay, so she doesn't want ta talk. Rogue thought, stepping up to the mutant and reaching out a hand. She noticed Tessa's closed eyes before she touched the mutant and was washed over in the enticing feeling of foreign energy coursing through her veins again. Rogue sighed deeply. God, this feels so good. Ah really shouldn't feel this relieved when Ah touch someone an' feel this—it's jus' wrong. Regardless her thoughts on it, Rogue let the sensation roll over her without protesting it too badly this time. Ah need ta feel good sometimes. She reasoned.
When Rogue pulled away, she was experiencing the appealing lure and rush of bubbling energy inside her again. She glanced over at Tessa briefly—and blanched as she saw Tessa move back a strand of hair from her face. Right there, along the side of Tessa's palm, was a long, straight smear of blood that stretched from the bottom of Tessa's pinky to the edge of her wrist. Is that Tessa's blood or…someone else's? Rogue wondered cautiously.
Before she could think any more on it, Tessa started mastering the power she'd just absorbed for her—Invisibility from Zaack'ar—and showing her all the finer points of the power. Rogue quickly turned on Sor's pain-blocking ability before another otherwise-painful wave passed through her.
By the time Tessa had finished 'escalating' that ability, two of the mutants with the passed out one were already halfway out the door, dragging Zaack'ar with them. Rogue looked over again at Tessa's hand. "You've got some blood on you." Rogue pointed out experimentally, eyes locked on Tessa's face to judge her reaction.
"I am?" Tessa asked, shaking her head as if in a daze. "Where?"
"Ya hand." Rogue nodded as Tessa picked up her hand and flinched at the smear of blood along her palm.
"Oh-heh." Tessa gave a very unconvincing hollow laugh. "That-I cut my hand this morning in the shower."
This morning? Rogue thought silently. When ya woke up late an' rushed ta find meh somewhere where Ah shouldn't have been? Interesting that ya managed to get in the shower on such a rushed schedule…
Tessa must have heard the thought, Rogue had directly aimed it at her, but she didn't respond, other than to rub her palm against the side of her jeans. Blood doesn't come out that easy.
Tessa, Ah understand that there are some things that ya can't tell meh, but-
This is one of those things. Tessa interrupted. Stop thinking about that door, Rogue. Tessa commanded. It doesn't matter what's there, okay? Just leave it alone.
And ya hand? Is that 'none of mah business' too? Rogue shot back suspiciously.
Tessa winced, looking away. It doesn't matter.
How am Ah supposed to put mah trust in you when ya hide all these things from meh?
It's for your own good. And my hand is just…private. Tessa responded tersely. Don't pry.
Rogue shook her head as the mutants lined up for her again. Rogue and Tessa went through the same cycle again, going through six more mutants: Ellen the Fire Breather, Adam, aka Pipedream, Charade the Convincer, Jason the Slapshot, Rewind who could take back the moment, and Leskley, who was human silly puddy.
By the time Rogue shook off the six one, she glanced up once again at Tessa as she always did between every touch. She blanched first, then rushed to Tessa's side.
"Tess! You're bleedin'!"
Tessa was lying on her back with a hand on her head, looking slightly dazed with a hand resting against her head as she winced. Lifting her other hand to her face, she wiped her hand under her nose where it came away bloody. She held up the hand as Rogue prepared to bring Energizer's powers to the forefront. "It's okay." She said, wiping her other hand under her nose too. "Just a nosebleed."
"Just a nosebleed? Tess, you look like death warmed!"
It was true too, Tessa was unnaturally paler than usual and she kept closing her eyes softly, cradling her head in her palm. "No—I'm fine." Tessa insisted. "See? It already stopped bleeding. It's just a headache—I'm fine. Let's continue." She tried to sit up.
Rogue pushed her back down—gently. "Continue?" Rogue shook her head. "No, no we're not going on today, Tess, you need a doctor."
Tessa suppressed a moan as Rogue knelt beside her. "No, no doctor. I'm fine, Rogue, really." She tried sitting up again and her vision swam dangerously. Hiding it as much as she could, Tessa braced herself on her arms in a sitting position. After a moment, the world returned to normal, if a bit blurred. "See?" Tessa persisted. "I'm okay."
Rogue was looking at her doubtfully. "Ah think we should get ya in a bed."
Tessa shook her head. "We've only got three more today—I'm fine, don't worry."
"Tess—" Rogue started.
"No!" Tessa finally barked out. "We only have three more! Let's just get 'em done with, Rogue—this is what I want."
Feeling like this was not the best idea at all; Rogue stood up and gritted her teeth. "Are you sure? Tess, Ah just—Ah don't think it's good fohr ya." Rogue hadn't ever thought of it before, but all the work that Tessa was doing with her, all the help she was giving her—it was using Tessa's powers to the extreme every time they 'helped' one of Rogue's abilities along. It must be exhausting! She was constantly using her powers to try to help Rogue master hers—and she didn't have any excess, foreign energy to draw upon.
"It's only three." Tessa insisted, sounding like she was trying to convince herself just as much as she was convincing Rogue.
Unable to dissuade her, Rogue readied for the next absorption. She went through Slick the Vampire first. When Tessa had finished with him, Rogue asked her again to quit, but she refused. Next was Razor, the Sharp Edge. Tessa winced horribly with this one and clutched her head in pain. Before she had even finished mastering the ability for Rogue, Rogue had enough. Stepping forward in the middle of the procedure and grabbing Tessa by the shoulders, Tessa cried out and spasmically thrashed for a second before opening her eyes and realizing that Rogue had cut off the connection.
Rogue didn't like what she saw. Tessa's eyes were bloodshot and skin was deathly pale, paler than Rogue's own, which was pretty damn pale in Rogue's book. Rogue shook her head. "Ah don' know how to heal ya." Rogue told Tess. "Energizer's gotta know a specific problem ta help a person—do y'all have a medical lab here?" Rogue hefted Tessa up in her arms and started carrying her out of the arena.
Tessa winced, curled up and still cradling her skull. "I don't need a doctor."
"Lihke hell, ya don't." Rogue snorted. "You're almost as stubborn as meh."
Tessa smiled briefly at that before wincing and grabbing her skull again. "It's just a migraine, Rogue, I'm okay."
"We'll let the doctor be the judge'a that. Now, which way to the medical lab?"
Rogue carried her as Tessa reluctantly gave her directions to their 'hospital'. When Rogue got there, she snagged away one of the doctors and showed them Tessa, explaining what had happened and what her symptoms were. Tessa dozed, zoning out as Rogue spoke to the doctor. The guy nodded and recorded Rogue's comments down on a chart before excusing himself and taking Tessa with him to go take some tests. He said it would be awhile.
Rogue wanted to sit down and wait to hear what was wrong, but the medical wing obviously wasn't built with a waiting room and she kept getting in the way of other doctors milling around. Not only that, but Rogue had absorbed a total of nine people that morning and she couldn't seem to keep still. Without their usual exercise directly following the absorptions, it was amazing she had managed to stay still this long.
Rogue made her way back through the halls and into the Practice Arena. She had to work off some steam from all her absorptions. It was there that Rogue spent the rest of her morning, working off some of the excess energy she had taken in.
Afterwards, Rogue thought about going to the cafeteria to get something to eat—she hadn't eaten since yesterday morning—but she found that she wasn't hungry. Knowing how long it'd been since her last meal, she grabbed a banana anyway and tried not to focus on how she couldn't be hungry after nearly a whole day of not eating.
Rogue tried checking in on Tessa then, but the doctor said that they were still testing and to come back later. Rogue left without answers and returned to her room. Bored beyond all belief, Rogue lay on the bed and sighed deeply, wondering what she could do to pass the time.
Ah could go to that locked room an' see what's there. A tiny voice hinted to her, one that Rogue knew inside herself. No… Rogue thought. Ah can't. Tessa was so upset this mornin' when Ah was found there. If she says it's none of mah business, then it's not.
Rogue found herself arguing with herself. But Tessa was hiding something from meh…
Still. There's probably some things Ah shouldn't know about this place. Tessa was probably jus' tryin' ta protect meh.
Probably, right?
Despite herself, Rogue found that she was rising from the bed and going to the door. She hesitated. Ah shouldn't do this. Tessa's on mah side in this an' she told meh not to…
But what's behind that door?
Is it worth it? Ah can't very well walk right in anyway, Ah don't have clearance ta that room. Unless…
Unless Ah don't have to open the door. Rogue thought sneakily. Ah did jus' absorb invisibility today, didn't Ah? Torn with indecision, Rogue bit her lip. What ta do, what ta do? She sighed deeply. Who am Ah kiddin'? Let's go check it out.
Curiosity killed the cat! Rogue thought ironically, turning on Zaack'ar's invisibility and leaving the room. Rogue began retracing her steps to the locked room.
-----
"I never even knew they had Rent-A-Buses!" Jubilee called out jubilantly, clambering up the steps noisily. "Road trip, everyone!"
"This is so cool!" Bethany agreed, following Jubilee up the bus stairs.
"It is convenient." Sam pointed out reasonably, slipping into a seat with his sister, holding her hand reassuringly. "We never would have fit into a mini-van or anything. Who would have guessed they had places where you could rent these things?"
"Good thing Philip heard about them!" Siren pointed out.
"God, I'm so hungry." Philip complained. "Aren't you guys hungry?"
"You just ate." Sparks snapped nastily. "How much food can you consume at a time?"
"He's got an advanced metabolism." Zack defended him. "Leave him alone."
Kurt crawled into the driver's seat. "Settle down, everybody, settle down."
"Where are we going?" Magenta asked softly, settling into a seat next to Bethany.
"We're going to the White House!" Siren announced before looking back at Kurt. "I mean, we are, aren't we?"
"Ves." Kurt agreed, nodding. "Zat is where we are going. We need to speak to Hank."
"I still feel bad about tricking that lady." Paige said quietly. "What if she gets in trouble?"
Jubilee brushed her off. "She's not going to get in trouble. Don't worry about it, Husky. That woman had it coming to her. I'm tellin' ya, Karma, my friend."
Sparks rolled his eyes. "If Karma were real, we'd all be rich for being thrown into this situation in the first place. That's a buncha hogwash."
"Hey!" Jubilee turned to him. "No one asked for your opinion, short-circuit."
"I am not going to listen to your racket for the rest of this trip, either." Sparks sneered. "Go blind a fly, won't you?"
Philip whined loudly again before the two could go at each other's throats. "Can we stop to get something to eat?"
Paige held up her McDonald's burger to him. "I already had my first and I'm not hungry enough for this one."
Philip jumped up happily. "Really?!" Paige nodded and he took it from her hands. "Thanks!"
"You'd be fat as a hippo if you didn't have that metabolism of yours." Sparks shot out nastily, just looking for a fight.
Philip shrugged. "You're probably right."
"Yeah, I know I am." Sparks snapped, angry that he wasn't getting a rise out of him. He turned to Paige instead, a favorite target of his. "You know, you're going to hell for tricking that lady. What you did? It was thievery."
Paige looked away and down at the ground, her guilt rising.
"Enough of you." Jubilee stood on her seat and jabbed a flat hand at Sparks neck.
Sparks started choking and clutched his throat desperately. "Bitch!" He managed to get out, before choking again, his eyes tearing.
"Look who's talking." Jubilee gloated at him arrogantly.
Rahne shook her head, watching the scene play out. "The maturity level in this bus, I'm telling ya."
Zack smiled at her briefly before speaking. "How're you doing, Rahne? You haven't spoken much since…you know."
"I've been thinking about it." Rahne admitted, glancing out the window beside her. "I don't like wolfing out. It scares me."
"Hey." Zack gripped her hand lightly in her lap. "It's okay."
"I'll show you, firework!" Sparks shouted as sparks flew from his fingers wildly.
From behind him, Paige slammed down a diamond fist on top of his head. Sparks crumpled into his seat, unconscious. Jubilee lifted an eyebrow at the otherwise timid girl before her. "He was being mean…" Paige explained.
Jubilee smiled widely and clapped once before holding up her hand for a high five. "Whoohoo! You go girl!" Paige hesitantly smiled too and stood up in the seat to clap Jubilee a high five.
At the front of the bus, Kurt shook his head dismissively. "Vis is gunna be one long ride." He muttered silently.