Dear Momma,
I don't know how often you get a chance to check your mail drops, but I really need to get this down now. It gives me something to think about so I can keep myself together.
I'm guessing that Val told you something about what happened, but I doubt that you got the full story. She can give you some info about why we were there, so I'll start with what happened once we landed.
Will, Logan, and I went on ahead while the rest of the team set up a triage area and started evacuating the wounded. Will was barely holding himself together. Something about the way the psi-wave was structured had messed with his powers and made them harder to control.
When we found the guy, he was ranting on and on about how he was triggering the Rapture. I'm not as familiar with eschatological theology as I used to be (and yes, I learned the word from Beast), but I think that he wanted to be the leader of an army of the 'saved' so that he could just waltz into Heaven. The people in Holdredge were going to be the start of that 'army'.
I don't know if I've told you before, but Will has some serious issues with organized religion. He thinks that most Western faiths are coercive, since they say that the only alternative to their rules is damnation. So when Will saw what those poor people had been put through (some of the one who were closest to the center of the event, or who were older, died instantly), he lost it. He jumped in and started pounding on the guy so Logan and I could evac the wounded. We loaded them onto the Blackbird and got the hell out of there.
When we were about halfway towards the troops, something happened. I don't know exactly what it was, but it fried every system on the Blackbird, and it was a dead weight from that point on.
Not only did we have the wounded to deal with, but it took only a second to figure out that the 'Bird was going to land right on top of the National Guardsmen who were coming to assist us.
All I can say is that we're very lucky that I was outside the 'Bird. I was able to get under it and slow it down enough to level out our descent. I made one hell of a long hole in the ground, but she landed light enough that the civilians weren't bumped around too much.
Can Val get a message to those Guardsmen? Please tell them that if I could, I'd give each and every one of them a hug and kiss. They were absolutely superb. By the time I got out from underneath the 'Bird, they were already loading the wounded onto the transports they had brought. They wouldn't even let the team leave until they had checked us out to make sure that none of us was hurt! If I had been thanked one more time, I think my blush would have become permanent.
I'm sure that Forge is working on a replacement Blackbird by now. Tell him that I'm sorry, but I couldn't keep it from being damaged as we landed.
He probably would have had to replace all of the electronics anyway, since Val said that the disruption pulse was able to fry electronic systems up to eleven miles away. The Humvees and trucks the Guardsmen came in were all fried, too… they wound up hotwiring all of them.
We talked to the Guardsmen afterwards about what they had seen, since our backs were to it as it happened. They described a ripple that appeared in the air and washed over all of us, shorting out our systems as it passed by. It's a side effect of Will's powers, but we hadn't seen it that strong before.
Jean and Betsy were unconscious for about five minutes, but once they were up, they were able to check on the condition of the civilians. Ororo ordered Hank and Kitty to help the medics, and the rest of us hurried back to see what had happened to Will.
We ran like hell to where we had left him. The entire way, I kept hoping that we'd find him coming back to meet us.
We weren't that lucky. As we approached the area, the only thing that we could see was a shallow crater, about three meters wide. Will was lying in the center of it.
Sorry. I had to put this down for a while so I could pull myself together.
Most of the front of Will's uniform had been scorched. His arms, from his elbows to his fingertips, had been burned to the bone, and he had other burn marks all over him. (Hank told me later that they had been open wounds, but that the energy from the pulse must have cauterized them).
His face was completely blank, and his eyes were just staring into space. He had gone absolutely catatonic. His arms were stretched out in front of him… I had to force them down before I could pick him up.
We didn't see any sign of the other guy. Val told us later that they found pieces of him up to half a kilometer away. The blast had ripped him to shreds.
No, I'm not going to shed any tears for him.
Once we got back to the rest of the team, Kitty reminded us why she's the Goddess of Computing. She snagged a cellular off a Guardsman, patched it in to her laptop, and sent a signal to Muir Isle that bounced off so many satellites that it was virtually untraceable. Four minutes later, Amanda Sefton showed up (in a masked costume), and teleported us home. Jean and Betsy stayed behind to assist with the evacuation of the civilians. Please tell Val thank you for arranging their flight home.
Things here have stayed pretty much the same since we got back. Kitty is staying until she and Forge can get the operating system for the new Blackbird up and running. Jean and Betsy have been sleeping a lot.
And Will… hasn't changed. It's been nearly two weeks, and he's still completely unresponsive. His arms are healing, but slowly, not much faster than an ordinary person's would. All that we've been able to do for him is change the dressings on his arms and give him a glucose drip.
The Professor, Jean, and Betsy have been keeping a telepathic 'eye' on him, trading off every couple of hours. They think, from what they can sense through all the static, that his mind is slowly piecing itself back together, but since Will's thought patterns have always been chaotic, they say that they can't be sure.
Both Hank and the Professor agreed that having some mental stimulation might help bring him around, so I've been planting him in a wheelchair and taking him outside. I play the radio, read the newspaper to him, and take care of his physiotherapy so his muscles don't atrophy. I even made Hank set up a bed next to Will's. I'm hoping that since Will and I have so many shared dreams together, he'll sense me somehow, and find a way back to us.
I'm looking at him right now. His eyes seem so… lost. He's in there somewhere, Momma, trying to claw his way back to us. I know it. We just have to show him the way.
Logan is here to help me change Will's clothes and put him to bed, so I have to cut this short. Wish both Will and me luck.
Love,
'R.'
Jean stepped quietly into the infirmary, trying not to disturb Henry as he studied a pile of EEG sheets. She went to the back of the room, where a single, dim light illuminated a bed.
"Rogue," she said in a soft voice, "I brought you some dinner."
Rogue glanced up from her chair next to the bed. "Thanks, Jean," she replied wearily. "What was it tonight?"
"Lasagna. Here you go."
Rogue placed the tray on a small table next to her chair, then removed the Aran cardigan that she wore. "I don't want to get this dirty," she explained.
Jean nodded, then wheeled another chair over and sat down beside Rogue. "Any change?"
Rogue sighed, then shook her head. "No," she said as she started eating. "Hank's been driving himself crazy trying to find an organic cause."
"I know. He didn't even notice me as I came in." Her head turned towards the sweater. "Do you want me to turn the heat up a bit?"
"No. The cold helps me stay awake. Besides, wearing it makes me feel a little better."
"Why?"
The younger woman was silent for a moment. "The first time I wore it, I was with him. I felt warm… protected… safe… and I knew it was because of him." She reached out, touching a gloved hand to Will's cheek. "It's when I started to fall in love with him."
Jean gently touched Rogue's shoulder. "I could take over for you for a little while, if you want. You could go wash up, change your clothes?"
Rogue nodded. "That's a good idea," she said as she stood up. "I don't want him to see me looking like Hell when he wakes up…" her voice broke near the end, and she suddenly started sobbing. "But what do I do if he doesn't wake up?"
Jean, who had had the foresight to prepare for such a breakdown, slipped on a pair of her uniform gloves and hugged Rogue tightly. She sent a mental signal to Henry, who came in a moment later.
"Hank, could you keep an eye on Will for a few minutes? I'm going to help her freshen up a bit."
"Of course," Henry said in a gentle voice. He waited until the two women left, then sat down next to Will.
"I truly hope you come out of this soon," he said. "If you don't recover, I honestly believe that it will destroy her. She has become so much stronger since you entered her life. Please do not take that away from her."
In an ideal world, Will would have awoken at that moment, validating Henry's hopes and lifting Rogue out of her despair.
This, however, was not an ideal world, and silence hung over the room, mocking them all.
The next day proved to be fairly warm, and Kitty announced to Forge that they were both going to take the day off. Forge had been so brain-fried the previous day that he had found himself patching his own leg into the Blackbird's ECM display, so he was inclined to agree with her.
Scott decided that an afternoon off would be good for everybody, so he organized a barbecue lunch by the pool. Logan handled the grill, while Bobby and Ororo took care of the cold dishes. This allowed Jean and Betsy, who were somewhat frazzled from what they had come to call 'Will watch', to relax in lounge chairs as Scott and Warren administered much-needed backrubs.
Xavier, who was wearing a khaki shirt and straw hat for the informal occasion, guided his chair over to a table near the corner of the pool, where Rogue sat with Will. Rogue was dressed in a neon green neoprene wetsuit, while Will wore an outfit similar to his own. "Why don't you go swimming?" he suggested to Rogue. "I can take over for a while."
"You don't mind?" she asked uncertainly.
"Not at all. Besides, you could use a break."
She thought about it for a few moments. "All right," she decided, "but let me know if there's any change."
"I promise."
Rogue stood up and glanced over to the pool, where Bishop was lying in a floating lounge chair. "Heads up, Bish!" she yelled, leaping into the air.
Bishop, who was taking a rare moment to relax and take a quick nap, was awakened from his doze. "Whu?"
Splash!
Bishop sputtered as he spit the water out of his mouth, while ignoring the laughter of his teammates.
Logan chuckled and turned his attention back to the grill. "You want burgers or dogs, Chuck?"
"One cheeseburger, please."
"Comin' right up," Logan said as he placed a patty on the grill. He flipped another one over, causing some grease to fall on the coals. A moment later, a large flame sprouted up, dimming quickly. Logan stepped back a moment, then flipped another burger.
Xavier's head snapped to his side, and Jean and Betsy shot out of their lounge chairs, standing up. Warren was not as disturbed by this as much as the fact that Betsy's bikini top had been untied, and was now lying on the ground. "Um, Betsy…"
"Look, Warren."
"I'd love to look at you, but…"
"Not me. Look."
Warren followed her eyes (although his eyes did take a brief detour).
Will, who had been slumped in the wheelchair, was now sitting ramrod straight. His eyes stared in Logan's direction.
Bishop looked for Rogue, and found that she was underneath the water, swimming a lap. He rolled off the float and sank into the water, gaining her attention, then pointed up. Rogue nodded, then flew straight up, breaking the surface of the water. She looked around wildly, then landed directly in front of Will.
"Will? Will, can you hear me?" she whispered, staring desperately into his eyes.
Will continued looking forward for a moment, then slowly lowered his head.
Rogue looked at Xavier. "What triggered it?" she demanded. "What brought him back?"
"I don't know," Xavier confessed. "I really don't, Rogue. He just started looking at Logan."
Logan looked at where he had been standing. "No, not at me. At the fire."
Scott made some quick decisions. "Logan, go light a fire in the parlor. Warren, toss some lighter fluid on the grill, and keep doing it until Logan's ready. Rogue, wheel him closer to the grill. Everybody else, keep out of his line of sight."
The X-Men scrambled to comply. Scott glanced over to Xavier and Jean. "What are you sensing from him?"
"Recognition," Xavier said. "A need for companionship."
"A sense that… it's safe near here," Jean added.
"Warmth," Betsy agreed. "Comfort."
"Keep at it," Scott ordered. "And Betsy, put your top on."
"How do we keep a flame in front of him while we wheel him in?" Rogue asked.
"I'll take care of that," Bishop said. He ran over to the tool shed and picked up a piece of scrap wood that Ororo had used as a tomato stake. Moving around the others to get to the grill, he opened the spare can of lighter fluid and applied it liberally to one and of the stake.
"Fire's lit!" Logan yelled from inside the mansion.
Bishop nodded then thrust the end of the stake into the glowing coals, where it instantly caught fire. He held the makeshift torch in front of Will, who followed it with his eyes.
"Let me take it," Jean advised Bishop. "If you fall, you could burn yourself."
Bishop nodded, letting go of the torch as Jean took hold of it with her mind. Jean started moving towards the patio door, carrying the torch alongside her. Rogue followed, pushing Will in front of her. The others trailed behind.
They steadily made their way to the parlor, where Logan was adding wood to what was rapidly becoming a roaring fire. He moved aside so that Jean could place the torch inside and add it to the blaze. Rogue wheeled Will to a spot in front of the fire.
"Bish, you and Wings bring in more wood," Logan ordered. "This won't last long."
"Jean, Elizabeth, you and I will continue our four-hour shifts," Xavier said. "I want two or three people near him at all times."
"What do we do now?" Bobby asked.
"We wait."
By three that evening, the watch had fallen to Jean, Kitty, and Logan. Kitty and Jean were each reading a book, while Logan had pulled out a small knife, and was busy carving piece of the firewood. "What are you making?" Kitty asked him as she looked at him over her glasses.
"A little model of the Blackbird. I'll send it to Jubilee. Whatcha readin'?"
"A History of Space and Time."
"Some nice, Light readin', huh?"
"Behave, children," Jean said with a smile, "or I'll have Scott give you a lecture."
"Yes, Mom," Logan muttered.
Kitty laughed. "I've been away too long. I've kinda missed this."
"You're welcome back anytime, punkin'."
"I couldn't ask Pete to leave London," Kitty confessed. "Besides, there's just too much time and distance between the two teams. Excalibur is my home now."
"Yeah, I know. I had to ask, though." He stood up and walked over to the fireplace, tossing another log onto the flames.
The fire grew in intensity as the log shifted the coals, brightening the room for a few moments. Logan turned back to Kitty, then stopped short.
"What's wrong?" Jean asked him.
"Look behind you," he said slowly.
Kitty and Jean turned around, their eyes moving up towards the ceiling, where shadows danced in the firelight.
Shadows which were moving.
The three watched, mesmerized, as a shade lumbered across the room, carrying a club in one hand. The shape was clear and distinct, as if it were backlit against a movie screen. It stalked some unseen prey, then beat it with its club, howling in triumph as it did so. A few moments later, it was joined by other silhouettes, gesturing and dancing in a circle.
"What is this?" Jean whispered.
"It's the dawn of Man," Kitty whispered back. "The beginning of human history."
"Jeannie," Logan said, "get Chuck and Hank. They'll kill us if they miss this."
A few minutes later, almost all of the X-Men were in the parlor, staring at the shadows that danced across the wall, shifting to another image every few seconds.
"Egypt," Henry whispered as one scene showed groups of figures pulling a massive block across the wall.
Soon, the 'scene' changed again, showing a bull running, then being leapt over by dancing figures. "Crete," Betsy said.
The shadows continued to shift and reform into new images, showing portrayals of cultures that Xavier and Henry identified as Babylonian, Assyrian, Phoenician, and Hittite. "What time periods are we seeing, Professor?" Bobby asked in a whisper.
Twenty-one Hundred to Eighteen Hundred BCE, I think," Xavier replied, Wincing with the others as a particularly gruesome human sacrifice took place. "And I think we just shifted to India. That was Kali who just flashed by."
"And there's Shiva," Logan added.
"Chinese now," Henry pointed out as a dragon writhed across the walls. "The images are bouncing all over the place."
"That doesn't surprise me, Hank" Rogue said, speaking for the first time that night. "If he was just getting one view of history, then he wouldn't be balanced. He's getting a little bit of everything, so he knows where to start if he wants to learn more."
"Like the index to a history book," Kitty whispered. "Are we seeing everything he is?"
"I doubt it," Jean decided. "This is probably just glimpses. He's getting a lot more." She concentrated a moment, then blinked. "I can't even begin to keep up with how fast his mind's working right now."
"I wouldn't try, Jean," Xavier advised. "If this is his mind's way of repairing itself, then it's a completely subjective process. It wouldn't make much sense to an observer."
"How long do you think this will take?"
"Hard to say. If we keep observing, we should get an idea."
By the time the sun began to rise, they were fairly certain that they had witnessed an abbreviated history of mankind that had extended to the founding of Rome. "I wonder if he's learning the languages as he sees things," Henry pondered.
"I doubt it, Hank," Rogue answered. "In every dream I've shared with him, everything's been in English. Since I've had dreams that were in French, I'd guess that it's due to his influence."
"He's said that he's not good with foreign languages," Bobby reminded them. "Besides, he may not be getting any words with this at all. He may be living the experiences."
"Good point," Betsy noted. "There's the Wheel of Time. We've moved to Buddhism."
For several minutes, they observed various aspects of Chinese and Indian mythology, then found that they had shifted back to Western civilization, witnessing the Pax Romana and the rise of Christianity.
A few minutes later, the images suddenly became less distinct, leaning towards the abstract. "What's going on?" Bobby asked.
"Best guess?" Henry answered. "We've reached the advent of Islam. The taboo against portraying objects must be so strong that it permeates the collective consciousness."
"Well, we're back in Europe now," Warren said. "That was a Viking ship."
Several minutes of combat followed. "The medieval period," Xavier concluded. Moments later, when images of bodies began to pile upon one another, he winced. "I think that was the Black Death."
"And this would be the Inquisition," Henry guessed, as shadows were tied to stakes and consigned to flames. "Either that or the start of the Reformation."
"Which means that we'll be seeing the Enlightenment soon," Kitty guessed.
If they did, it went by very quickly, because the next few scenes depicted war and bloodshed. "What is this?" Forge asked.
"I'd say it's the conquest of the Americas," Logan concluded, "The fights seem pretty one-sided, and only one side has guns."
"It could be Africa," Bishop pointed out.
"True."
The images began to go by faster, depicting the conquest of the American West and Africa within a few seconds of one another. "We're hitting the twentieth century," Jean observed. "I wonder what will be important."
The answer appeared to be war.
"World War One," Rogue said as images of trench fighting appeared.
"The Bolshevik Revolution," Kitty said a moment later, as an Orthodox Cross was overturned and replaced with an entwined hammer and sickle.
"The Shoah," she continued in a quiet voice, as shadowy boxcars passed underneath a swastika.
"Nukes," Logan said as a mushroom cloud blossomed on the wall.
At that point, images went by too quickly to be distinct. A few seconds later, however, a single, massive shadow dominated the room. Warren frowned. "What's that?"
Logan glanced backward. "Him."
The X-Men turned around to find that Will was now standing, still staring straight ahead. Rogue stepped in front of him and looked him in the eyes. "Will," she asked quietly, "can you hear me?"
Slowly, Will's gaze came to rest on her. His face displayed acknowledgement, but not recognition or understanding. He simply stared at her, curious.
Rogue looked at Jean. "What are you getting from him?"
Jean concentrated for a moment, then shook her head. "His mind is absolute chaos. He's aware, but only at the most basic level. Everything else is static. One thing I can tell you is that he's very hungry."
Rogue looked down at Will's hands, which were still wrapped in bandages. "When did we change his dressings last, Hank?"
Henry glanced at his watch. "About twenty-five hours ago."
"Get the scissors and some more gauze, just to be safe. If I'm right, though, he's already healed. Bobby, go to the kitchen, and start pulling out food."
"Make it things that are easy to digest," Henry added. "He's breaking a fast, so his body may have trouble adjusting."
"Right." Bobby hurried out of the room.
Rogue took hold of the front of Will's shirt, tugging lightly. "Come on," she told him in a gentle voice. "It's all right."
Will looked confused for a moment, then took an unsteady step forward. Slowly, as if he was remembering the motions, he began to walk, guided by Rogue's hands.
"Keep your distance," Logan advised the others. "This is Rogue's show. Don't distract her."
"Better yet," Xavier added, Everyone except Henry, Betsy, Rogue, and Jean should go back to bed. We've been up for most of the night."
"I've done my shift," Jean informed him. "It's your turn now."
"Actually, it's mine," Betsy said, correcting her.
"I'll meet you in the kitchen," Henry told Betsy as he headed for the elevator.
"You sure you don't want somebody else around?" Scott asked.
Betsy shook her head. "Logan's right. Having too many people around could cause a problem."
"Besides," Jean added, "I'm looking forward to sleeping in my own bed again, and I could use some company."
"Good night, everybody," Scott said instantly.
Henry walked into the kitchen a few minutes later, his hands full of gauze and surgical tape. Will was seated at the table, with Rogue beside him. Their chairs were turned so that they faced one another. Bobby was looking in the refrigerator. "That's all I can find, Rogue," he said.
Henry looked at the items on the table: apple juice, chocolate pudding, applesauce, and cold pasta salad. "Not the most balanced of meals," he conceded, "but all easily digestible."
"I wish we had something with more protein, though," Rogue fretted.
Bobby thought about that for a moment, then dug deep into the back on one cabinet. "Found it!" he exclaimed.
"Found what?"
Bobby pulled out a large plastic jar. "Protein powder. Peter used to use it when he was power lifting." Looking at the directions, he added a few spoonfuls of powder to a glass of milk. "That's a daily serving," he told Rogue as he handed the glass to her.
"We may need a few of them," she said. "You've seen how he burns calories when he's healing." She lifted the glass to Will's lips, cradling the back of his head with her other hand.
Will hesitated for a moment, seemingly unfamiliar with the concept, then started to slowly drink. Rogue waited until he had emptied the glass. "Spoon," she requested.
Bobby grabbed a teaspoon from the silverware drawer and handed it to her as she opened up the container of chocolate pudding. "It's probably best to start with something I know he'll eat," she explained.
"Makes sense to me," Bobby agreed.
Rogue nudged Will's mouth open with the spoon, then slid it in. Closing his jaw again, she pulled out the spoon, leaving (most of) the pudding on his tongue. Henry instructed her on how to massage Will's throat and encourage him to swallow. After a moment, he got the idea. His eyes widened just a bit.
"Yeah, you liked that, didn't you?" Rogue asked in a soft, encouraging voice. She glanced at Henry, nodding her head down to Will's bandaged arms.
Henry nodded, taking his surgical scissors and cutting through the layers of gauze and tape. He peeled them off, revealing smooth, unblemished skin. "You were right," he told Rogue.
"Free up his right arm. I want to see if he can feed himself." Once the bandages were stripped away, she took Will's hand and wrapped his fingers around the spoon. She guided him through the motions of dipping the spoon into the bowl, then lifting it to his mouth. He opened his mouth on his own.
"That's encouraging," Bobby noted. "He's learning quickly."
Slowly but steadily, Will ate everything that was on the table. "What now?" Rogue asked Henry. "Should we put him to bed?"
"Well," Bobby suggested, "as crass as it sounds, we might want to bring him to the bathroom first. I mean, I seriously doubt if he's toilet trained right now."
Henry grimaced. "You're right. Come on, we'll take him there." They helped Will sit up, then led him down the floor to the first floor bathroom. Like all the 'public' bathrooms at Xavier's, it was designed to be wheelchair-accessible, so they had no problem fitting three people through the door.
Bobby looked back at Rogue as she tried to enter the room. "I really think that Will would want to preserve his dignity."
Rogue nodded. "You're right. I'll wait out here."
After about twenty minutes, the bathroom door opened, and the three men came out. "I just earned a pass from lab duty for the next week, Hank," Bobby announced
"I think I can agree with that."
They carried Will down the hall to his room, then deposited him in his bead. Rogue pulled the chair from Will's desk and wheeled it alongside the bed.
"You need to rest, too," Bobby pointed out.
"I can sleep here," she said. "I want to make sure he doesn't go wandering anywhere."
"Not a bad idea," Henry admitted. "I'll come by later to check up on him."
Bobby took the comforter from the foot of Will's bed and draped it over Rogue's shoulders. "He'll be all right, Rogue. Try to get some sleep. You're pretty fried right now yourself."
"I will. Could you get the light?"
"Sure." Bobby shut the door behind him as he left.
By this point, the morning sun was making its way past the shutters of Will's windows, reflecting against the furniture and casting random splashes of gold, red, and green over the walls. Rogue stared at the colors until her weariness caught up with her.
"You're almost there," she whispered as she closed her eyes. "Just a little bit farther. I'm here to help you, if you need me."
"Rogue? Rogue, wake up. We have to get moving."
She groaned and buried her head underneath the pillows. "Five more minutes, Momma."
The pillow was pulled off her. "We're already running late," Raven told her. "You can take a quick shower once Irene is done."
"What about breakfast?"
"We'll grab something at the next town. I don't want to stay here any longer than necessary. Dominic and I finished the job last night."
"Oh. 'Kay, then." She slipped out of the bed. "Should I wake the others, Momma?"
"Already done. If you hurry, you can be packed before Irene is finished."
Nodding, she knelt down and rummaged through her travel bag. "Where are we going next?"
"Austin. Our 'client' wants us to talk with a certain state representative about an upcoming vote."
"Can I go see the while we're there?"
"We'll see."
The bathroom door opened, and Irene stepped out, wrapped in a towel. "Good morning, Rogue," she said in her gentle voice.
"Morning, Nana. Did you save me some hot water?"
"You'll have enough for your shower."
"Good." Ten minutes later, she stepped out of the bathroom, dressed in a blue T-shirt and overalls. "All set, Momma."
"Good. Why don't you wait by the van until Irene and I finish checking out?" As she spoke, Raven shifted her form to that of a white-haired, grandfatherly man close in age to Irene.
"'Kay." She grabbed her bag and went outside.
The sun had not yet burned off the morning for, and she could barely see the interstate a few yards away. She put her bag down next to the Mustang that Raven was using for now, then sat down on it and waited. Despite her energy, her mothers had taught her the value of keeping still and listening.
After a little while, she heard something moving by the road. Listening closely, she decided that it was the sound of someone crying. Since she could still hear Fred snoring, she knew that she had a while before they would be leaving, so she decided to investigate.
Standing up, she walked in the direction of the sound. Deciding to play it safe, she slipped her hand into the right pocket of her overalls, where she kept the small switchblade that Raven had given her. After a few seconds of walking, the motel faded into the mist behind her.
When she reached the shoulder of the road, she listened again. Finding that the sound was coming from her left, she started off in that direction. Very soon, an outline was visible in the mist. As she came closer to it, she found that it was a small boy. He was about five years old, she estimated, with brown hair. He was also quite naked, and rubbing his eyes as he cried.
"Hi," she said to him.
The boy let out a brief scream as he uncovered his eyes, taking a few steps backward.
"Don't run!" she said quickly. "I'm not gonna hurt you. Are you lost?"
He didn't talk, but did nod to her. His lower lip trembled as he tried to keep from crying. "I wanna go home," he said in a quiet voice.
"Okay. Do you know where home is?"
He pointed straight ahead, to where the road vanished into the fog. "That way."
She thought about it for a moment. Freddy took forever to get ready in the morning, and the boy couldn't be from too far away if he was running around naked. They were in a good-sized town, and somebody would have noticed him. "Do you want me to go with you?" she asked him. "I'll make sure nobody hurts you."
He sniffled and looked at her with hopeful eyes. "Promise?"
She traced an 'X' over the center of her chest. "Cross my heart. Here." Tucking her arms inside her T-shirt, she pulled it over her head, leaving her overalls undisturbed. "Why don't you put this on?" she said as she handed it to him.
"'Kay." She slid the shirt on. It proved to be large enough to serve as a smock.
"Now," she said, holding her hand out to the boy, "let's get you home."
He took her hand and they started off. After only a few steps, however, a voice echoed through the fog.
"Rogue!" Mystique's voice yelled. "Where do you think you're going?"
"I'm helping him get home, Momma. Don't worry, I'll be back soon."
"You take care of yourself, young lady!" the voice said as it faded away.
They walked along the road, careful to stay near the shoulder. After a few minutes, they developed a comfortable pace, and started walking side-by-side. They were startled by the sound of a gunshot ahead of them. A moment later, A huge, beast-like man with blond hair raced by them, vanishing back into the fog. A few seconds later, a short, muscular man wearing hunting gear and carrying a rifle stepped into their view.
"Almost had him that time," he grumbled.
"Aren't you scared of him?" she asked.
"Sometimes," he admitted, "but fear is a part of life. You gotta accept it, then move past it, or you'll never get anywhere." He looked at the boy. "Remember that, kid."
"I will," the boy promised.
The hunter nodded, then slipped back into the mist.
The two children looked at one another for a moment, then started walking again. After a little while, they heard a deep, sonorous chanting coming towards them. They waited, and soon a bent, twisted figure stumbled out of the mist. He was dressed only in a filthy, ragged pair of grey pants. He held a scourge in his hands, which he whipped across his back.
The girl was somewhat frightened by the strange figure, but did her best to be polite. "Why are you doing that?"
"Payment for my crime," the man groaned.
"What did you do?" the boy asked.
"I survived. I lived to remember the horror. Now I must keep it from ever happening again, and make sure that the world does not forget." He turned his icy blue eyes towards the boy. "Never forget the sacrifices of those who came before you."
"I won't," the boy replied solemnly.
The figure nodded, then walked off into the mist.
The two continued walking. After a while, the sound of carnival music could be heard, and they moved towards it. A quartet of people, all circus performers, stepped out of the mists to greet them.
A tuxedoed magician approached them, holding the hand of his assistant, a lithe, slender brunette. "Greetings, my diminutive guests!" he told them, bowing extravagantly. He waved his hands, and a tall box appeared beside him. He opened a door in the front, and the young woman stepped inside with a smile.
The magician closed the door, then plucked several swords out of the air. Walking around the box, he thrust the swords into it, leaving them in place.
"We just wanted to remind you," he said between thrusts, "to always try to learn whatever you can." He opened the door.
The young woman stepped out of the box, untouched by the blades. "Yeah, you never know when you'll be stuck and need a way out."
"And you should keep your sense of humor," a jester told them as he juggled several clear plastic balls. "Sometimes it'll be the only thing that gets you through the day." He tossed the balls high into the air, and they immediately fell back down, shattering as they hit him on the head and knocked him out.
A dark-skinned woman wearing a peasant's blouse and a long, flowing skirt walked up to them. Her hair was covered with a kerchief, and her eyes shone with both serenity and amusement.
"Hello," she said in a refined, dignified voice, "I can tell you your fortune. Let me see your palm."
The girl held out her right hand, and the woman studied it for a moment. "Oh, the adventures you're going to have, little one!" she breathed. "You're going to touch the sky, my dear, I promise you that."
"What about me?" the boy asked, holding out his hand.
The woman took the boy's hand in hers and looked at it. Her face became grave. "You have a long, difficult journey ahead of you, my dear. It will be hard, but you must be strong. There is so much depending on your actions."
"I'll do my best," the boy promised.
"I know you will," she told him with a smile. "Both of you will. If you both hold on tight to yourselves, and to each other, you'll come through it stronger than ever before. If you stay true, and endure it unbowed, nothing will be able to stand against you. Do you understand?"
The boy thought for a moment. "I don't understand… but I'll try to do what you're asking."
"So will I," the girl added.
"You'll be all right, then." The woman stood up, ruffled their heads fondly, then stepped back. "You should both get home. The path is that way. Remember what you've learned here. It may help you one day."
The pair nodded and walked in the direction that the woman had indicated. Soon, they were surrounded by mist again, but they stayed on the path, and saw a large stone building ahead of them.
The boy smiled. "There's the library. I remember how to get home now." He looked at the girl. "Thanks for coming with me."
"That's okay. We all need some help sometimes."
"Will you be in trouble with your mom?"
"I'm always in trouble." Don't worry about me."
"I'll go home, then." He started walking towards the library, then ran back and quickly gave her a kiss on the cheek before running off again. "'Bye!"
"'Bye."
As the girl started making her way back to the motel, she saw an old friend on the road ahead of her, and ran up to meet him.
"Hi, sugar," he said.
The girl smiled. "Hi, Cody."
Rogue blinked and lifted her head, sitting up in her chair.
Will sat up in his bed, looking around the room, then focusing on her. His face was alert and responsive.
Rogue felt a lump rise up in her throat. "You made it back."
He smiled at her affectionately. "I had a wonderful guide."
