Chapter 45

At the Institute...

A short time after their talk with the adults Rogue walks into Clark's room dressed in her less than best clothes because punishment started today and involved helping Mr Kent tend to the patch of land he was growing crops on. She finds Clark doing the same as he pulls on one of his beloved plaid shirts. "Hey," she says softly.

Clark smiles at seeing her. "Hey yourself. How's the arm?" he asks.

Rogue rubs the spot where her stitches are. "Stitches itch," is her complaint.

"Wouldn't know," Clark tells her as any injury on him heals instantly whenever he is rarely hurt.

"So ya really knew what we were up ta?" she asks him.

Clark just gives her a look.

"Right. X-ray vision and superhearing," she realises. Rogue figures now it was daft to think that with Clark's senses he wouldn't know what was going on or at the very least have an inkling that she and the other girls were up to something. "Ah guess our reasons were pretty stupid," she admits.

"Rogue I'm not going to judge you," Clark points out. "I said what I needed to down the stairs."

"Ah kinda have a confession."

Clark looks at her curiously.

"Ya see ah wasn't doing it ta prove that girls were as good as boys. Ah was doing it ta try and prove that ah didn't need ya ta protect meh," she confesses her reasons.

"Rogue...what? You don't need to do that," he assures her then realises why she might think that. "This is because of what I said wasn't it," he means in relation to his agreeing with Scott that day. "I thought you forgave me for that."

"Ah did," Rogue assures him.

"But," Clark encourages her to continue her explanation because obviously there is a 'but' coming.

"But it irked meh."

"Irked you?"

"Clark ah am not a Damsel in Distress. Ah don't need ta be rescued."

Clark is strongly having deja-vu because they have had this conversation before. "Rogue you never have to prove anything to me. I know I have an overdeveloped protective streak and I don't want to start a fight with you but I told you before that it was something you would have to live with if we were going to date."

Rogue knows he did tell her that and she is pretty sure she can live with it yet it still irks her so she is just a mass of contradictions isn't she.

Clark is not so obtuse that he can't see that this comes from Rogue's insecurities...this need to prove herself. Everyone has them even him. In fact he has a lot of them if he was going to be truthful. Clark takes a breath and chances saying something hoping she won't get upset. "Rogue it is not a weakness to admit that sometimes you need help...that you can't do something on your own."

"Ah know that but..."

"But it irks you anyway," Clark finishes for her.

Rogue shrugs. Clark shakes his head a little, moves over to her and pulls her into his arms and holds her close. "You shouldn't try to carry everything on your shoulders Rogue. That's my job," he jokes.

Rogue's lips quirk up into a smile. "Ah'm just an irrational mess aren't ah?"

"Absolutely," Clark says in joky agreement. "But I find myself liking you anyway." Clark's voice then softens. "I really do care a lot for you Rogue," he says more seriously.

Rogue's heart throbs slightly at his words. "Ah care about ya too."

"Besides," Clark starts to say. "Considering my rather split personality that red kryptonite shows up I think compared to me your issues pale into comparison."

"Ya are just saying that ta make meh feel better."

"Is it working?"

Rogue pulls back a bit, stands on her tiptoes and kisses him. "What does that tell ya?"

Clark's response is to to dip his head and kiss her back more deeply and with more passion.


Claire has spent the time since breakfast familiarising herself with the layout of the mansion mentally noting ways of escape. She spent too many years living on the streets and squatting in various places so that it has become an ingrained habit of hers. The need to know how to make a quick escape from a whole number of threats that might arise. She turns a corner and finds herself face to face with the girl she fought from last night.

Amara screeches to a halt at who is in front of her suddenly. This is slightly odd. Last night she was fighting this girl. Today they are on the same side.

The two stand there in silence unsure what to say to each other. Amara ends the stalemate by stepping to the side so she can walk round Claire. She walks...almost right into Logan.

Logan had been watching Volcana. He had to make sure that she wasn't going to try a runner. Call him paranoid if you must but he had to make sure she didn't end up running back into Luthor's hands. That would end up definitely meaning Luthor finding out about them. He had seen her wandering around mentally checking the escape points. Reminds him of something he would do. "I'm glad I caught the two of ya," he says to the two girls.

Amara's expression instantly reflects the horror of the possibilities that come to mind whenever Logan says something along those lines. Something potentially very bad was about to happen.

Logan continues. "I've decided to give Firefly there a run through with the New Mutants so get suited up princess and show her to the Danger Room. I've already had Storm get her a uniform."

Amara was so right there. Something very bad is about to happen.

"What's the Danger Room?" Claire asks either person.

Amara takes a deep breath and describes what it is in her opinion. "Hell on Earth."


Out in the vast grounds of the mansion Clark is enjoying the spring sunshine as he helps his father. Being the source of his powers means any time spent out in direct sunlight gives Clark a sort of buzz. He thinks perhaps like caffeine does in humans.

In a way Clark doesn't really see this as the punishment it is meant to be. He grew up helping his father like this. He likes doing this. He finds it relaxing and it allows him to connect with the earth.

Of course the others joining him may not think so as they attempt to clear the area of weeds the old fashioned way as his father tries to be as organic as possible and that means generally pulling the weeds out by hand and not to use chemicals to kill them.

Someone who was not enjoying this as much as Clark would be his girlfriend although he can't help but think that she looks beautiful under the sun with a little dirt smudge on her left cheek. Clark remembers during a conversation with Pete how his friend said that he couldn't quite see what it was Clark saw in Rogue. Something about her not being Clark's type whatever that means. Seriously Clark has never understood that type thing. Surely what matters is that you connect with the person you are dating and that they make you happy and you make them happy. Clark would go certainly go with Rogue makes him happy and he likes to believe he makes her happy.

In one way Clark can understand where Pete was coming from. Rogue can seem distant and cold and indifferent at first. Not to mention that temper of hers but if you are willing to spend the time working your way through Rogue's tough exterior what you find is a person who is as passionate as anyone else but afraid to let anyone too close due to the nature of her powers. Rogue is smart, funny and despite appearances cares as much as anyone else about the world around her. After all if she didn't she wouldn't be here at the institute.

As Clark thinks on it they both have something in common. They were isolated from the world around them. Her because of her powers. Him because of what he is simply. He is not like any being on this planet. He is not from this planet at all. Maybe that is why he hanged around with her when he first arrived here at the institute because he saw something in her he recognised from himself. Something he hates and doesn't want anyone else to have to go through when they don't need to.

Passionate. Did he mention that about her because she is. There is a fire there, her temper is a big give away of that. Lately as they grow closer Clark finds his thoughts drifting more and more often in the direction of wanting to know what it would feel if Rogue ever let herself unleash that fire on him. Thoughts like that have led to a few...interesting dreams Clark will phrase it as.

A cough from behind catches Clark's attention. He knows it is his father and he knows he has just got caught staring at Rogue and not working. He quickly goes back to work while shifting his gaze to the ground hoping that his face is not giving any inkling about the interesting thoughts his mind was about to stray into.

Jonathan eyes Clark for a minute. He is not trying to be a tyrant but Clark is here because this is his punishment. Clark is not here to gaze at Rogue although Jonathan can understand it. He was young once but when he was Clark's age Jonathan doesn't think he could have handled someone as strong willed as Rogue is. That came later...probably on the day he met Martha.

Rogue knows she is probably going to feel this almost as much as a DR session come the morning. Farm work was hard for everyone except Clark of course. In fact Rogue doesn't think she has ever seen Clark look more in place than he does here. He really is a farm boy and the smile on Clark's face only confirms it.

Oh that smile. That smile can make Rogue's heart do cartwheels when he flashes it at her. Some days she has to fight the urge to pinch herself to make sure it is not a dream that she is dating this great funny, warm, kind, gentle and smart guy.

She has a few more words she could use to describe him. Those are the ones off the top of her head. She wonders from time to time how he ended up like he did and she ended up trying to shut herself off from the world because it has occurred to her that if anyone is more isolated from the world than her than it must be Clark.

Her gaze drifts to Mr Kent and she thinks that that must be the answer. Their different upbringings. Irene, as much as Rogue loved her, always insisted on keeping her isolated and cut off from people. Only after absorbing Mystique did Rogue find out why. It was because Irene knew about Rogue's powers and what they would be so Irene was trying to prepare Rogue for the day her powers manifested.

Since Clark arrived Rogue thinks she has changed. She is more...slightly more outgoing. Clark seems to have this way of drawing her out of herself without Rogue being quite able to work out how he does it.

He can seem so laid back yet in total control. She knows because he told her that he must be in total control because of just how strong he is. Still when they are together alone making out she can feel this deep passion bubbling beneath his surface and she wonders just what it would feel like if he was ever willing to unleash it on her. After all the way he can make her feel already is just wonderful...

Rogue finds her mind drifting off into a nice daydream as she thinks back on her and Clark until a similar cough to the one Clark received gets her back to the here and now. A slight red tint adorns her cheeks as she rapidly gets back to work.


Down in the Danger Room Volcana finds herself being 'put through her paces' as Logan described it. First she would go solo so as to let everyone see what she could do and then there would be a team drill. She had been told about the training here. Volcana simply didn't expect it on her first full day here nor the rather insipid uniform she is forced to wear. The standard black and yellow New Mutant one although she had tested it by lighting up her fire and it didn't melt or seem to be affected in any way. It was curious and made her wonder just what kind of material the uniform was made from.

Volcana wonders how different this training was going to be from what she got when working for Luthor. Her answer comes when sections of the wall open up to reveal 5 turrets spread out across the room. They open up and fire at her without warning. One tags her which stings royally and she can feel her temper rising already. She summons up her fire which surrounds her hands as she runs and dodges the incoming fire until she is in a good position to throw a fireball at the closest turret which explodes much to her satisfaction. She soon manages to do the same to the other 4.

Up in the control room Storm remarks, "She's not bad."

Logan makes a grunting sound. "We'll see. Early days," he says as he flips a switch and a large turret rises from the floor.

Volcana turns her attention to it and throws a ball which has no effect. The turret's armour is too thick for her to cause enough damage. It fires at her forcing her to roll out of the way but the shot grazes her shoulder. She gives a little cry of pain and seethes. Fire literally glows in her eyes as her temper threatens to explode. She unleashes a continuous stream of fire at the turret which starts to glow red. Volcana pours it on until she melts the barrel. The turret tries to fire at her but with the barrel blocked it explodes.

Volcana bends over, her hands on her knees, and takes deep breaths. That was tiring.

Up in the control room Storm shakes her head slightly. Volcana losing her temper like that has caused the girl to overexert herself. Logan activates the next part as flying drones enter the room. Volcana tries to blast them out of the air but as Storm recognised she had overexerted herself. Volcana misses and the drones don't. They hit Volcana repeatedly until her short temper finally breaks loose and with a cry of rage she unleashes what can only be called a tsunami wave of fire in all directions. The drones incinerate.

When the fire clears Volcana is gasping for air, sweating profusely. She wobbles on the spot and then collapses. Quickly Logan and Storm have run down to the Danger Room. Upon entering they find the atmosphere still hot and oppressive. Without the need to say words Logan moves over to the girl, picks her up and hurries her off to the infirmary.


"How is she?" Logan asks Hank after the blue-furred mutant has performed his tests. He had left Storm to oversee the rest of the training session with the New Mutants.

"On it's simple exhaustion. She overdid it," Hank tells Logan.

"She lost her temper," Logan remarks.

"I see," Hank says as he can imagine how Claire ended up like she is.

"Not really. She lost her temper over something I don't even lose my temper over." Logan then describes what happened to Hank in as much detail as Logan ever goes into anything.

"If you are asking whether it is a side-effect of her powers I can't give you an answer," Hank comments at what he believes Logan is asking. He goes onto explain, "She is the first meteor mutant I've had a chance to observe. However I will note that from what Charles said your temper was once a lot worse than it is now. You learned control. In time so will she."

Logan snorts. Control? Barely did he have control of that aggressive side of him. He learned with Charles' help to channel it better. That is all.

At this point Martha enters with concern evident on her face. The first day here and the poor girl is in the infirmary already. From Hank she gets the story and an assurance that Claire will be alright. Her attention then shifts to Logan. His presence confirms what Martha has known for awhile. That under all that gruffness and tough exterior Logan is actually a caring man. "You see something of yourself in her don't you," Martha astutely comments to Logan.

Logan lets out a small growl. He hates it when anyone can read him so easily. "Luthor was trying to turn her into a weapon. I've been there and trust me it ain't pretty."

Martha had gotten the basic story of Logan about how some shady organisation grafted metal onto his bones and stole his memories so that essentially he remembers nothing from before about 15 years ago. She guesses it was what drives him so hard to protect the children so that they would never suffer like he had.

Claire's eyes flutter open and a groan escapes her lips. "What happened?" she queries and then her eyes widen as she remembers. She lost her temper again and worse everyone must have seen her lose it. She swallows a sudden lump in her throat. They probably all are afraid of her now. She sits up. "I guess I'll be going."

"Whatever do you mean Claire?" Martha asks her.

"I can't stay now can I. I mean you saw me. My temper...I can't control it. I'm dangerous."

Logan does something neither Martha or Hank have ever seen him do. He laughs. He actually laughs. "Thanks Kid. I needed a good laugh."

Claire looks at him utterly confused. "What? You find this funny?" she asks, her temper starting to rise again.

Logan shakes his head. "Firefly I had this exact conversation with Storm awhile back and she pointed out we are all dangerous and that is exactly why we are here. So you lost your temper. Kid last time I lost my temper the damages was measured by a large number with 7 digits preceded by a dollar sign."

Martha moves forward and without any show of fear places her hands on Claire's shoulders. "Claire what Logan is trying to say is that we all lose our temper from time to time."

"Yeah but when I do everything within 10 feet gets incinerated," Claire points out, with this rather sad look of resignation in her orange eyes. "You should be afraid of me."

Martha smiles kindly at her. "But I'm not Claire. I've looked people who were truly dangerous in the eye," she says in reference to the several people who tried to kill her back in Smallville. "When I look into yours I don't see that. I see a young woman looking for her place in this world like everyone else her age. Now only you can decide where that place is but no-one here wants you to leave or wants to be rid of you."

"Lionel thought my place was locked up in a glass bubble."

"Yes well Lionel Luthor is one man who pushes even my hospitality to the breaking point."

Claire runs her hand through her long red hair. "I have never had a home you know. I can't remember anything but living on the streets," she says, her sadness and loneliness all too evident in her voice.

Martha sits down on the bed next to Claire and places her arm around the girl's shoulders. "I know you haven't been here long enough to know this but many of the other students here are the same. They are orphans and runaways or have been kicked out by their parents when their powers manifested." On that point Martha just cannot understand any parent who would do that to their child. She can understand their fear and confusion but in the end her view is that a parent loves their child regardless.

Martha continues. "As I said Claire no-one will make you stay but don't make a hasty decision. Give it some time, think it over and you'll see you can find your place here."

Claire leans into the similar but slightly different coloured red-haired woman and rests her head. It has been so long since her own mother died and she had anyone who showed her this type of kindness. So long in fact Claire is almost confused as to why this woman is being so nice to her and not afraid of her. Almost everyone else who had seen her use her powers had been afraid of her and out of that fear had forced her to leave wherever she happened to be at the time.

Martha starts to gently stoke Claire's long hair. "It's alright," she tells the girl in her most soothing voice.

"Everyone else always wanted rid of me," Claire says in a tiny voice.

"Not here. No-one wants that. Almost everyone here has had accidents with their powers Claire but no-one ever thinks any less of them."

"Although expect a few ill-conceived jokes at your expense," Logan not so helpfully adds at this juncture.

Martha shoots him a look for that before turning her attention back to Claire. "Yes well apart from the jokes which are all in good humour you'll see Claire that no-one will think anything less of you. So if you can live with the jokes will you stay?"

There is a few moments of silence before Claire says in quietly, "I'll stay."

"In that case," Hank says to Claire. "May I make a suggestion that you talk to Professor Xavier. He knows many techniques that can help with your temper."

"The fur-ball's right," Logan says in agreement as Hank gives him a small glare for the 'fur-ball' crack. "You see Firefly my temper was once worse than yours and Chuck...well he helped," Logan tells her in a rare moment of him opening up.

Claire nods as her signal she agrees.

Martha gives the girl a squeeze. "There. Now that that's settled and assuming Mr McCoy has no objection why don't we see about getting you some new clothes," Martha suggests since Claire has had to borrow clothes from one of the other girls.

"How? I mean with Lionel looking for me how do I do that?"

"With this," Charles says announcing his arrival upon the scene and holding up what looks like a watch. He hands it to Martha who puts it on Claire's wrist and turns it on.

"Look," Martha says and points at the mirror on the wall.

Claire looks up and looking back at her is almost a stranger with dark hair and brown eyes. The face too is different. Slightly different nose and chin. Just enough so she doesn't look like Claire Selton any more. "H-How?"

"The device is a holowatch," Charles explains. "It projects a holographic image over your body."

"T-Thank you," Claire says what is a very rare thing for her to say. There have been so few people in her life that she has ever had to be thankful to.

"Well as you know we can't let you go out alone," Charles reminds her of the few conditions they felt were necessary to lay down.

"I'll take her," Martha volunteers herself. "I was taking Jubilee and Rahne to the Mall anyway after they finish their training session." Those two were wanting to rub their freedom into the other girls who were grounded.

Charles nods in agreement. "When you return Claire we will discuss a schedule about anger management techniques."

Claire's face frowns up in puzzlement at how the Professor knows about that.

"Telepathy," Charles answers having picked up her puzzlement.

"Oh. That's weird," Claire comments.

"Yes and you never get use to it," Martha says with a teasing overtone. She and Claire get to their feet. "So Logan. Do you wish to come along?"

Logan snorts. "Yeah right. Do I look like a masochist to you?" He then turns round and leaves shaking his head. Sure he can relate to the girl. That doesn't mean he is ever ever going to take her shopping. Behind him he can hear Martha giggling and Claire joining in.


In the kitchen Scott is looking through the cupboards for where the cookie jar has been stashed this time. He has this mean craving for a cookie after finishing his punishment with Mr Kent. He finds it just as Jean enters the kitchen as she has the same craving Scott does. He places it down on the worktop and opens the jar to find only one cookie left.

Seeing Jean look at him and the jar forlornly he does the only fair thing and breaks it in half and gives one half to Jean.

"Thanks," she says with a rosy smile.

Scott goes to the fridge and gets the milk out while Jean gets a couple of glasses. Scott pours them a glass each and they sit down at the table.

"Interesting night last night huh," Scott says.

"Yeah although a slightly painful one," Jean says back as she has a few bruises and scrapes.

"Yeah. I guess Clark was right about Lionel Luthor. He is dangerous," Scott says since by now it had gotten around the mansion that Lionel was behind that group of mutants they fought.

"Definitely," Jean says in agreement. She then sighs. "Although I guess we have ourselves to blame. We took that girl power thing a little too far and our reasons were pretty lame," she is willing to admit her mistakes. As she thinks back on everything she did as a Siren she does laugh a little. "It was a blast though," she says admitting while her reasons were bad she did enjoy it.

"A literal one," Scott says making a joke about the blast the Jeep caused. Secretly Scott just wishes he could see Lance's face when he finds out his precious Jeep is in pieces. "Look Jean I know we haven't been talking much this last week so I'll just say I am sorry for what happened down in the basement with you and Amara."

"I know you are Scott and I'm sorry too for the way I overreacted." Truth was Jean had come to realise the way she reacted had been way overboard and possibly even slightly immature. In a way she was disappointed at herself. She thought she was more mature than that. Also another thing she had realised this last week was that she simply missed doing this. Sitting and talking to Scott.

"So we are ok?" he inquiries.

"Yeah. We're ok. By the way thanks."

"For...?"

"At the warehouse Scott. I know you were following us. Thanks for letting us handle it by ourselves."

"I saw that you had it under control. Consider my lesson learned."

Jean smiles at that and in return Scott smiles back. God has he ever come to love that smile.

"So do you want to go?" Jean asks him.

"What?" Scott asks completely lost at her question.

"To the dance?" Jean clarifies since she hadn't actually asked him to go yet.

"Ok. I mean yeah. Sure. Absolutely. Wouldn't miss it for the world."

Jean nibbles on her cookie beaming happily with the thought of her and Scott at the dance and in return Scott is beaming in the same way.

"It did feel good though helping all those people," Jean admits. "Maybe one day we can all do what Clark does in public and be appreciated for it," Jean expresses her wish.

"Yeah," Scott says liking that idea. He raises his glass. "To someday."

Jean raises hers back. "To someday."


At Luthorcorp's Bayville Headquarters...

That night Lionel is working late again. His mood was lousy and that is because months of work and not inconsiderable expense have been wrecked. His mutant team is gone. Essex's device, he was going with calling it a Genetic Manipulator, is gone and even though Essex can build another the question is can he do it and get it to work before the disease that is killing Lionel's liver and him along with it finishes the job.

Lionel's thoughts are interrupted by a knock on his door. "Come in!" he orders whoever it is.

The doors open and in walks Colonel Stryker.

Lionel stops his work and looks up at the Colonel. "So Colonel. Anything to report?"

Stryker shakes his head. "No sign of Alpha Squad if that is what you are asking. The police were called to the scene of an explosion but all they found were some remains of a Jeep and not enough was left of that to trace the owner."

"You think that they were there?"

"Hard to say until we can do our own investigation of the scene."

"And the search for the leak?" Lionel inquires after whoever it was that must be in some way involved in the theft of the Genetic Manipulator.

"We're questioning everyone who knew of the device and looking into their e-mails, telephone records, bank accounts and such but that takes time."

"Any good news?" Lionel wonders.

"One. I was able to locate the former colleague I mentioned."

"That was quick," Lionel notes with a little suspicion.

"While I have had no direct contact with him for a few years I did maintain a few indirect contacts," Stryker explains the speed of this.

Lionel leans back in his chair. "When can I meet him?"

"Right now."

Lionel looks at Stryker with understandable confusion.

"He's outside."

"Show him in," Lionel permits.

Stryker heads out of the office and returns with a man with brown hair which is greying at the sides and a moustache. He too is dressed in a semi-military brown uniform. Stryker makes the introductions. "Lionel Luthor may I introduce Bolivar Trask."

Trask gives Lionel a nod of recognition as his eyes gaze around the room making sure there is no nasty surprises. He can't be too careful considering that SHIELD would love to get its hands on him. He only agreed to this meeting at all because William assured him that Luthor was on their side and could provide him much needed resources to finish his life's work.

Lionel chooses to be the one to start the conversation. "So Mr Trask. Colonel Stryker said I should meet you because you can offer me another option."

Trask gives his once upon a time colleague a rueful look. "Yes. He explained the situation and that you buy into William's belief that you must fight fire with fire."

From Trask's tone Lionel can assume the following. "Not a phrase you agree with then."

"Not when dealing with mutants," Trask says with particular loathing on the word 'mutants'.

"And what is your philosophy when it comes to dealing with mutants?" Lionel inquires.

Trask takes the bag he has held in his hand this whole time and places it on a chair. He opens it up and pulls out a laptop and places it down on the desk. He fires the laptop up and then spins it around so the screen is facing Lionel.

Lionel leans forward and tries to take in what is on the screen in front of him. "What is this?"

"This Mr Luthor is the ultimate defence for the human race. This is Project SENTINEL."


Author's Note: I thought this the appropriate moment to throw Trask in and the looming menace of his Sentinels. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up; Shadow Dance.