Chapter Thirty-Eight:
Charles Xavier sat in his study, deep in thought, as he reviewed his conversations with Magneto and Rogue over the past week.
'Eventually, Prof,' he recalled Rogue saying to him. 'I will tell you what I've lied about, I promise. I just- I really wanted you to know that I've lied and that I don't want to anymore and that I won't. It's just going to take some time before I'm ready to come clean about the lies I've told.'
'Yet,' he thought to himself, 'she lied again just last night. Can I trust anything she says anymore?' he asked as he felt a swell of anger rising within him. 'Perhaps, I never should've trusted someone named Rogue, to begin with,' he thought perturbed.
"No, no, I'm overreacting," he said as he suppressed the undesirable thought. He took a deep breath as he cleared his mind. Negativity only clouded his thoughts: he had no room for it. 'She needed to protect herself from Magneto and Mystique. Both Rogue and Magneto have confirmed this. I wish she had come to me for assistance, however, I do recognize why she didn't.'
'Magneto's obsession, in particular, was a danger that lurked in the shadows for years. A menace only brought to light, by Rogue's own design, because she's glimpsed the same capacity for good in Magnus that I have,' he thought as he progressed to the window. In the distance, he could see the students gathering on the baseball field. He spotted Hank and Magneto walking across the field.
'There's a reason I asked him to teach here after everything he's done. Perhaps, striping his emotions caused the obsession to take route? A paranoia brought on by a complex set of circumstances?' he considered.
'And what of Rogue's willingness to look past it?' he asked as he let out a sigh. 'She must have a vast amount of empathy for him,' he realized. 'Bearing in mind, she's experienced his worst memories as though they were her own, perhaps I shouldn't be surprised,' he reflected. 'And yet, she's willingly playing games with his mind,' he sighed. 'I have no idea where, to begin with, that issue,' he thought as he turned from the window.
'Alright, concentrate on what is addressable,' he told himself as he moved back towards his desk. 'I need to better prepare for my next conversation with Magnus,' he thought before he picked up his list. "Mystique," he muttered. They needed to discuss her in-depth.
'Rogue's afraid of her mother. That much has always been clear to me. We've spoken of her so often since Rogue joined the institute,' he thought before he felt his eyes widened. 'Perhaps, those are the conversations I should revisit,' he realized.
"Yes, yes, I think so," he muttered as he dropped the list back onto the desk. 'Clearly, Rogue has absorbed Magneto before joining the X-Men. Given that, it stands to reason, that her fear of Mystique might also pre-date her coming to the institute,' he reasoned. 'Alright, I'll start at the beginning,' he thought before he placed his fingers on his temples. With a deep breath, he delved into the depths of his memory.
Charles sat in front of Cerebro, the silver helmet fitted upon his head, as an alert had called his attention to a new mutant. He reviewed the readout on the screen that Cerebro has provided, which was unusually vague.
'The girl's name is Rogue? Legally? That's can't be right.'
Dismissing the thought, he scanned Caldecott County, Mississippi with his mind, seeking to gain more details regarding the manifestation. Charles cocked his head in confusion. Even with Cerebro enhancing his powers, it was having a difficult time pinpointing her mind. He felt fear, a great deal of fear, but nothing else. Yet, he couldn't sense a single coherent thought.
He was, however, able to sense the trail of destruction left in her wake. The commotion at a school dance, a young boy in a coma, and a car accident along the main road.
'It's essential we hurry. This girl needs our assistance. Perhaps, I'll have better luck finding her once we've arrived,' he thought as he discarded his helmet, placing it back on upon its stand. 'Thankfully, it's Saturday. I believe we'll need the full team to locate this Rogue.'
Charles sat in the van with his students, with his fingers placed against his temples as he searched the area for the new mutant. He had sent Storm to surrey the area from above.
'Still nothing,' he said. 'Why can't I find a single trace of her mind?' he asked as he searched. "Logan," he called out. "Change of plans. Take us to Caldecott County Hospital," he instructed.
"Professor?" Jean asked.
"The Rogue's mind is eluding me but I believe, the boy, Cody can help us locate her. I'll need your assistance," he explained.
"Of course, Professor," she replied.
Sometime later, Charles progressed with Wolverine and Kitty through the soaked and damaged graveyard. There were broken gravestones and smashed mausoleums scattered across the area. Various trees of pine, elm, and magnolia had been upheaved from the ground and displaced. A downed power line still crackled with electricity.
'All of this destruction,' he thought glanced up at Wolverine, his eyes lingered over Nightcrawler's unconscious body in his arms. With a sigh, he peered out in the distance to see Scott holding Storm, who was also unconscious.
'We're lucky no one was seriously injured,' he thought as he looked over at Jean. She seemed pale, even from this distance. 'Are you alright?' he projected into her mind. 'The Rogue didn't-' he started to ask.
'No, no, I'm fine,' she replied quickly, though her thoughts sounded exhausted. 'I'm worried about the new mutant. I was getting through to her and then she saw Storm and…' her thoughts trailed off. She didn't need to finish her account; it was apparent what had occurred.
'I'll try again,' he said as before he cut off his connection to Jean and scanned the area once more with his abilities.
His eyes snapped open as he felt a familiar presence.
'Magneto,' he thought, alarmed. 'Why would he be here?' he asked confused. He quickly closed his eyes and reached out again. This time he felt nothing, no trace of his old friend. 'Gone, just like the girl,' he lamented, opening his eyes. He, Logan, and Kitty caught up with Scott, Jean, and Ororo a mere moment later.
"What do you think happened to the Rogue?" Scott asked.
"She's gone- somewhere," he answered. "Her mind is a jumble. I can't trace it. But I strongly suspect the hand of another at work here," he said, his eyes narrowing.
"Hmm," Wolverine said before sniffing. "Mystique."
'Mystique and Magneto,' he thought, shaken. 'The students aren't prepared for an encounter that dangerous,' he thought alarmed before taking a breath. 'If Magnus intended to confront our team, I believe he would have shown himself by now. Still- better to err on the side of caution.'
"Then we need to go after her," Kitty declared.
"There's been enough damage done today," he said strongly. "And the girl must come of her own free will, or not at all. And we must first tend to our own," he said.
Charles sat in his study, reading. It was late, and all was well in his home. Kitty and Kurt were fast asleep after an entertaining evening at the movie theater. He found himself able to manage his two students in the public setting, despite Kurt's proclivity for antics, which had comprised one ill-conceived teleportation. A stern look from him, followed by a sheepish apology from the boy, and the evening had been set right. Perhaps it could become a regular activity, as Kitty had suggested.
Ororo, Scott, and Jean were all in New York City, helping Ororo's nephew come to terms with his mutant abilities.
'I may have to exclude Jean on these weekday recruitment missions. Despite, my approval, it took two phone calls to secure Jean's premature departure from the high school this afternoon,' he thought as he closed his book. "Perhaps, I should have delayed their conversation with Mr. Daniels," he considered. 'On the other hand, Ororo stressed the urgency in helping her nephew. If left on his own too long, an accident was bound to happen. He may very well have exposed us all. The world simply isn't ready to know that mutants exist.'
Charles found his thoughts interrupted as his study's door opened.
"Logan, welcome back," he said jubilantly as he placed his book on the desk. His joyful expression dropped as he looked up and took in the other man's demeanor. "What's wrong?" he asked.
"Did Rogue jump ship?" he asked.
"No," he answered. "Though, considering she helped rescue Jean from Mr. Dukes, I do hope it's only a matter of time before she joins us," he said as he moved out from behind his desk.
"She didn't come here to talk to you or any of the others?" he asked.
"No, we weren't even home," he answered as he watched Logan sniff the air. "What is it?" he asked.
"She's been here," he said.
"Rogue?" he asked. "Are you certain?" he asked.
"Yeah, she was in the institute," he said before sniffing again. "It's fresh. She was here today," he said.
"Logan, follow the trail and tell me where she's been. I'll check on Kitty and Kurt."
"Sorry to have woken you, Kitty," Charles said as he held onto the doorknob to her bedroom.
"Is everything, like, okay, Professor?" his young charge asked, half awake.
"Everything's fine. Go back to sleep," he said, before closing the door. Thankfully, Kurt hadn't stirred when he checked on the boy. Both of his students were unharmed. 'She must have been here while we were at the movies,' he concluded. 'Logan,' he projected as he progressed towards the elevator.
'Chuck, you need to get down here,' he said. He used his mind to scan Wolverine's location. His eyes widened as he saw where 'here' was.
Charles entered Cerebro's chamber, where Wolverine, arms crossed over his chest, was waiting for him.
"How did she make it all the way into Cerebro without the security system stopping her?" he asked aloud. "Mystique?" he asked, alarmed.
"No sign of her. She came here alone. Walked right through the front door," Logan said.
"Her powers do allow her to collect information, which could, in theory, include security codes," he reasoned.
"Yeah, we're gonna need to change those more often. I'm thinking weekly," he said.
"I believe you're right," he said. "Where did she go after leaving the main foyer? Straight to Cerebro?" he asked.
"No," he answered, shaking his head. "She went to the kitchen, got some water, and washed the glass," he said.
"What?" he asked perplexed.
"Then she went upstairs and checked out the bedrooms, tested out a bed. After that, she found the elevator and the lower levels. She used the punching bags in the gym," he answered.
"She was exploring?" he asked.
"Yeah, looks like it." He considered that a moment.
"Rogue must have conflicting accounts from what she learned from Kurt and Ororo's memories as opposed to the lies Mystique has been feeding her," he said.
"So, she came here to-"
"Yes, in an attempt, to reconcile the two," he finished as he saw Cerebros' alert system had a new notification for him. Strange- only the light was active, not the sound that usually accompanied the alerts. Perhaps he left it idle too long? The last few days had multiple instances of Mr. Daniels using his abilities. He may as well dismiss it now. "Based on her actions tonight, I hope she'll soon realize she's misplaced her trust in Mystique and the Brotherhood," he said as he moved directly in front of Cerebro.
"Is Scott still trying?" he asked.
"He's had a few conversations with her since they were assigned as partners in their English class. Perhaps, he's making more progress than we thought," as he pulled the silver helmet onto his head. He opened the display and pages upon pages of notifications swarmed in front of them. Countless names, locations, and abilities. His mind couldn't keep up.
"New mutant manifestation?" Logan asked.
"Yes, and more in a single day, than I have ever seen," he replied.
"How many we talking about here?" he asked.
"Well over a thousand," he answered in astonishment. "This has never happened before," he said before his eyes widened in fear. "Logan, I need you to go to the war room, and check the news," he said.
"Where?" he asked.
"Everywhere," he replied. "This many new manifestations happening at once- We can't possibly help them all. However, any one of these new mutants could have exposed us. I'll monitor them from here, while you check for anything apparent in the news," he said.
"What about Rogue?" he asked.
"No harm has come from her exploration. However, considering the ease with which she entered the institute, we might have to reconsider adding her into the battle simulations. We'll revisit that issue next week. For now, Scott will continue his attempts. We'll have to hope she joins us before Mystique finds out what she's capable of. Tonight, I'm afraid, we have more pressing concerns," he answered.
Charles sat in the common room with; Rogue, seated on the small couch in front of him, Logan, who was standing by the fireplace, and Ororo, who had taken a seat next to Rogue. He had just dismissed the rest of his students for the night.
"Rogue," he said pleasantly. "Thank you for staying behind. I'll try to keep this brief as I know you've had a very exhausting day," he said.
"Yeah, tell me about it," she huffed as she brushed her hair behind her ear.
"Tomorrow after breakfast, Logan, Ororo, and I will take you to the Brotherhood Manor to collect your things," he said. He watched her eyes widen with fear.
"Mystique might be there. What if she tries something?" she asked, noticeably afraid.
"It is alright, child. We shall be there to prevent anything from-" Ororo said.
"Can it wait till Monday? Please?" she asked quickly, looking at him.
"I don't-"
"My pack from the geology trip," Rogue interrupted. "I've got enough clothes to last a couple of days," she explained. "And if I don't have to talk to Mystique, while- It's her house, Professor- I'm just-" she ranted before cutting herself off.
"You will see her at the school," Ororo pointed out.
"That's different," Rogue claimed. "I'm ain't walking into her house where she can do whatever she wants. There are rules, pretenses, she has to follow while acting as the principal," she said. He, Ororo, and Logan all shared glances of surprise at her analysis.
"Yes, that is true," Charles agreed.
"I'd feel better if we waited. Monday morning, we can confirm she's at the school and then we go. No confrontation. I can just get my stuff and leave," she said. "Please," she said before hanging her low.
"Chuck," Logan said. He looked over to the fireplace. "If the kid wants to wait, let's wait," he said. Ororo quickly rose and dashed to the other side of the room. As she doubled-back with a box of tissues in her hand, he attempted to make eye contact.
"She almost killed me and Scott today," Rogue whispered, calling his attention back to her. "She tried to," she said as he glimpsed tears running down her face. "It was so cold and Mystique was gonna maul us. If you haven't of found us when you did," she muttered.
"Rogue, Rogue, it's alright," he said swiftly. "If that is how you would like to proceed," he said.
"Thank you," Rogue said softly as she took a tissue.
"Than that is what we shall do," he finished as she looked up at him again. He watched her let out a sigh in relief. In fact, her entire body relaxed. He hadn't realized she had been holding so much tension in her body.
"Thank you, Professor," she said before she wiped tears off of her face.
"Of course," he said. "There is another matter we need to discuss. However, it's can wait till tomorrow," he said.
"Yeah, okay," she said as she stood.
"Do you need any help to find your room?" Ororo asked.
"No, thank you," she said as she headed towards the exit. "Kitty showed me earlier," she said before leaving.
The next day, Charles sat with Logan, Ororo, and Rogue, in one of the spare common rooms. He had decided that for this conversation, they should all be sitting. Given what they need to discuss, he hoped the informal setting might make her more comfortable. They had spread out between the two couches, which were facing each other. Storm sat next to Rogue again as Charles sat just adjacent, in an empty spot, he kept for his chair.
"Typically," Charles started with the next issue, "when we recruit a new member, we have parental consent." Immediately, Rogue tensed up. Precisely, what he wanted to prevent.
"You ain't gonna get that from Mystique," Rogue said.
"What about your guardian in Mississippi?" Ororo asked.
"Irene?" Rogue asked. "She and Mystique are- Well, they ain't together anymore," she said. Charles and his staff shared a glance between the three of them. Ororo was the first to turn back toward Rogue.
"Did you live with Mystique before moving to Bayville?" she asked.
"Years ago, yeah. The three of us used ta move around a lot. They had to travel for work to meet their clients," she answered. "They homeschooled me. I use ta complain about it all the time. After a while, Mystique just got fed up with me. So, she sent me and Irene back to Mississippi," she said.
"How long were you there?" Charles asked.
"About five years," she answered. "Irene'll do whatever Mystique asks her to. She went along with the whole mutant hunter's lie, even though she thought it was a bad idea," she said.
"Do you Irene discuss it before you moved to Bayville?" Charles asked curiously.
"No. I got that from the dose of memories I got from Mystique yesterday. I saw their conversation about it. Live with someone long enough and they don't need ta use words ta see their disapproval," she said.
"I see," Charles said as he shared a look of concern with Ororo.
"I don't think you gotta worry about Mystique trying to regain custody of me," she said.
"How can you be certain?" Ororo asked.
"Unless Victor actually is my father, I'm pretty sure my birth certificate's fake," Rogue said, anger in her tone.
"Victor Creed?" Charles asked as he heard Wolverine let out a low growl.
"Yeah," she said, her eyes flashing to Logan for a moment, "but I- I know that ain't true," she exclaimed. "'Cause they don't have any pictures of me when I was a baby and- And Irene's told me she adopted me. So- I don't know why they're listed as my parents," she ranted, frustrated. "The more I think about it, the more I realize the things they've told me don't add up," she cried out.
"If this is something you would like us to look into?" he asked. Her eyes flashed to his as she shook her head.
"I don't- I don't wanna-. Maybe, when I'm eighteen and-"
"When your custody is no longer in dispute?" Charles asked.
"Yeah," she sighed. "I don't wanna end up in the foster care system 'cause no one can prove what my name is," she said.
"That's understandable," he said. "If Mystique doesn't force the issue, then neither shall we," he said.
"I don't think she or Magneto will. Thank you," she said.
"You've met Magento?" he asked.
"A few times. He's stopped by the school. We've talked a few times," she said.
"What about?" Charles asked.
"Hmm... You," she said hesitantly, averting his gaze. Logan and he shared a glance. "He said you two were old friends," she added, her eyes firmly fixed on the wall behind him.
"Yes, we were a long time ago. Although, we've had our share of differences at late," Charles confirmed. He paused, uncertain where to take the conversation from there.
"I understand why your enrollment has not been an issue in Bayville," Ororo said, shifting the subject.
"Mystique took care of it," Logan said.
"Ah-huh," Rogue confirmed with a nod.
"But, what about your schools in Mississippi? No one questioned your documentation?" she asked.
"Only one school actually, and only for a couple of months before I transferred to Bayville. I only started at public school my sophomore year. That night I knocked Cody out, that was my first school dance," she said.
"I thought you moved to Caldecott County so you could attend school?" Ororo asked.
"That's what I wanted but it ain't what I got," she said annoyed. "I begged to go ta school and for her to let me leave the house by myself," she explained, her tone pained. "Irene was real strict like that," she finished gently.
"I see," he said, his eyes flashing to Logan's, who gave him a hard look in return.
"Could we leave this alone? At least for a little while?" she asked.
"Of course, we can," he said as pleasantly. "How are you settling in otherwise?" he asked.
"Everyone's been great. Real welcoming," she smiled. "Having a roommate's new. Is it really necessary?" she asked, hopeful.
"Considering, what you've told us, you have had little experience interacting with people your own age. I think it would do you a great service. If you would prefer Jean?" he asked.
"No, no, no," she blurted. "Kitty's fine. Even though she's real happy all the time and kinda loud," she said, rolling her eyes. "I'm sure, I'll get used to it," she sighed.
"I don't believe she's ever had a roommate either. It will a learning experience for you both," he smiled.
"I'm sure it will be," she said dryly, obviously not convinced. "If it's' okay, I wanna get a work-out in? Think I'll head ta the gym," she said.
"Go ahead, Rogue," Charles said.
"Do you need directions?" she asked.
"No, she doesn't, thank you, Ororo," Charles answered for Rogue, his tone sterner than he intended. He watched his newest student's eyes widen in fear.
"I- I'm sorry, Professor. I just- I was trying to make sense of everything," she said.
"It alright," Charles said. "We don't have to make a mountain out of a molehill. I do, however, I have one question."
"Okay?" she said, uneasy.
"How did you get into Cerebro?" he asked.
"That's the big computer in the lower levels, right?" she asked.
"It is yes," he confirmed.
"Professor, why wouldn't I have been able to get in? The door was wide open," she said.
"It was?" Ororo asked.
"Ah-huh," she replied.
"That's unusual," Charles said.
"It is?" she asked.
"Yes," he said.
"I was in the gym and I heard this loud beeping coming from the end of the hall. The door was open, and I saw what it was. I touched something on the consul and the noise stopped. I was, kinda afraid, I broke something, so I left," she explained.
"I see," Charles said. "I hope you enjoy your workout," he said with a smile.
"Hm, okay," she said, her demeanor showing surprise at the sudden dismissal. She stood up and ended at the door before stopping herself and turning back to look at him. "You're not mad, right?" she asked.
"No, no," he said.
"I didn't mean to cause any trouble. I'm sorry if I broke anything," she said.
"You broke nothing. It's alright," he said, gently.
"I am sorry that I-"
"It alright, Rogue, you did nothing wrong. I wish I had been home that night and we could have had this conversation before the field trip," he said.
"How were you supposed ta know, I was just gonna show up?" she asked with a shrug. "I should've... I don't know. If I could go back and do it again, I'd make different choices," she said.
"As would I," he said. "If you need anything, please let us know," he added.
"I will, thank you," she said before leaving.
Charles and his staff waited a long moment as Rogue made her way down the hall and out of earshot.
"So, we all agree there's something fishy going on here, right?" Logan asked.
"Yes," Ororo said strongly.
"We need to consider this carefully. On the one hand, Rogue has just learned that Mystique lied to her about the X-Men. Given that, it perfectly reasonable that she would start questioning her past. On the other hand, she may very well be their biological daughter. Quicksilver is certainly Magneto's son, and he's spent the last seven years in foster care himself," he pointed out.
"Why kept her in isolation?" Ororo asked.
"To protect her, maybe?" Logan asked.
"Until her powers manifested," he said.
"What about Sabretooth?" she asked.
"Perhaps, he decided not to be involved," he considered.
"Or maybe Mystique never told him," Logan suggested.
"That's also a possibility," he said.
"But why lie to her about it?" Logan asked.
"Why do they do anything? Magneto could have offered Pietro a place in the brotherhood from the start, but he waited until he had leverage over the boy to do so. Mystique manipulated Rogue from the night her powers manifested to see us as her enemy," he said.
"Charles, what if Rogue is correct and her documents are forgeries?" Ororo asked.
"I'll request copies from the school so we have them on file. However, Rogue's concerns are valid. If fraud has occurred, and we bring the issue to light, she could very well end up in the foster care system with guardians who aren't equipped to care for her," he said.
"She's better off here with us," Logan added.
"I agree," Charles said. "If Rogue wishes to pursue the matter, we will, of course, do what must be done. We've offered her home and safety. I wouldn't rescind either due to of a matter of legality. Magneto singling her out is also concerning," he said.
"What do you think he's told her?" Logan asked.
"Nothing good," Charles said darkly. "We'll take this one day at a time and deal with the next hurdle when we come to it," he finished.
Okay! Charles Xavier Flashback Chapter one complete! I thought this was going to be one chapter, but 8000 words later and I realized I needed to split it into two. So, I'm already halfway through writing the next chapter. ^.^ I'm hoping to keep this one post-per-week thing going, at least for one more week ^.^ Also, I found a new site- ProWritingAid and it's with the editing stage. So, I'm there should be fewer grammatical issues going forward :) Please let me know your thoughts!
Gared1277: Thank you! ^.^
Guest: I'm happy to keep the ship alive! Thank you for your support! ^.^ I hope you liked this chapter too!
Little Red Dove: Hi! Thank you for your lovely review! It's great being wrong sometimes ;) I'm glad the ship is still alive ^.^
For the record, I am going in on the foreshadowing and placing clues in the story. You asked some questions in your review, but I'm going to let the story answer them! Please keep asking them! It's letting me know if my foreshadowing is working.
Speaking of which, I have completed so much prep, so much brainstorming, for the plot. So, that meme you mentioned, it's exactly what I'm going for! I want this story (Once I finish it, which will be a long time from now because OMG do I have plot- so much plot. Probably too much plot. I need multiple flashback chapters to properly set up- all of this plot) to be just as satisfying (If not more satisfying) on a reread. So yeah- buckle up. We're just getting started ^.^