Chapter 2:
Kitty hurried down the hall, clutching her books to her chest. For some odd reason she had accidentally slept in and now she was late to the Professor's class. She was never late to class, and she wasn't about to start now.
With seconds to spare, she rushed through the doorway and plopped herself down into her seat. Ignoring Jubilee's giant smirk, she set about organizing her books and notebooks in a practical order.
"Took ya long enough, chica. Thought you were about to skip. Almost sent out a search party," her friend winked at her and Kitty rolled her eyes, grudgingly amused.
"I didn't sleep well last night, so I woke up late this morning. Trust me, it shocked me too."
"Just don't make a habit of it, girl. One day, if you aren't careful, you'll become-," she let out a dramatized gasp, "a normal teenager!" Jubilee framed her face in horror and Kitty laughed.
"Oh, please!" she started, but, before she could say any more, the Professor chose that moment to wheel himself into the classroom. Kitty quieted down along with the rest of her classmates and settled in for the lesson.
She didn't know if it was because of the lack of sleep or something else but for whatever reason she felt her mind wander throughout the lecture. The thoughts that had been keeping her up at night came back to her once again in the daylight and she bit her lip, trying to force them out.
She didn't want to think about him. She needed to stop.
It was easier said than done though, this she knew, but she had to keep trying. Maybe one day she'd actually succeed.
She fell back on default mode in the classroom, asking questions and listening with half an ear- being the good student she is and keeping up appearances. She did a pretty good job of this up until the Professor cut himself off and dismissed class out of nowhere.
Almost as out of nowhere as the darkening skies outside the window.
She and Jubes shared a look as they gathered up their books. The Professor had a serious glint in his eyes as he continued to sit still, waiting for all of the students to leave. Something must have been off and judging from the weird weather, Kitty assumed Storm was probably involved.
She nodded at the Professor as she and Jubilee left, mumbling a goodbye that she heard him echo.
Kitty hoped everything was alright. She didn't think this mansion could handle anything more.
-x-
Wind whipped her short hair around her face, but Storm was a statue as she stood at the balcony. Her gaze was far away, while her mind was on people who were closer than she liked.
Scott wasn't getting better. He only continued to deteriorate in his grief and she could understand his mourning, but this was getting to be too much. He was killing himself and it killed her that there was nothing she could do. She could only continue to try to be there, but he wouldn't let her in, he wouldn't let her help.
Her brow furrowed and the wind blew harder. The trees surrounding the school had branches falling off, leaves swirling in the harsh air. Dark clouds continued to surge above, like a monster ready to devour the world.
Storm scowled.
She hated being useless. She hated the feeling, hated that she wasn't good enough to help her friend.
"You know, the forecast called for sunny skies today."
She didn't flinch, but she did turn around, facing Charles. He was smiling at her, but his eyes held concern. She forced an apologetic smile for him.
"I'm sorry," she offered, tilting her head back as she guided the weather, pushing the dark clouds away and letting the sun come out again.
Charles rolled closer, his smile softening to match his gaze, "I don't have to be psychic to know something is bothering you, Ororo."
She didn't turn back to him just yet, letting her eyes linger on the brightening sky, letting the fresh air fill her lungs. She briefly closed her eyes before finally responding.
"It's Scott," she murmured.
Charles nodded, already guessing that this was the main issue.
"I can't keep this up. I can't keep watching as he destroys himself. I miss Jean too- God, I miss her every day. She was my best friend, but she would want us to keep living and he's-!" Storm caught her breath, clenched her jaw, and righted herself. She refused to lose her cool. "He's not letting himself come back. He wants to follow her into the grave and I'm starting to think that I can't stop him from doing so."
He nodded again, his brow creasing as he pondered on his response. He had been worried about Scott as well. His friend continued to drown in his sorrow and he refused to let anyone aid him. Charles still hoped for the best, but he was also starting to feel the same as Storm- that nothing was working.
"We have to keep trying," he finally replied, "Scott's in a bad place but he's strong and he'll find his way back. I have every confidence-"
"But that's just the thing, Professor, I'm starting to think he won't. I'm starting to think he won't come back and that he's going to hit bottom and he'll be lost to us forever."
Charles studied her, "How long has this been worrying you, Ororo?"
She shook her head, "I've always been worried, Charles. It's only recently that I've been terrified for him."
They were silent for a while after that. Only the sounds of the birds chirping and the leaves blowing in the light wind filled the air. Students mulling around the grounds were chattering away, laughter and cries filtering to where they were. Storm took even, deep breaths, keeping her chin up and her shoulders straight. She wouldn't fall apart.
No matter what happened, she couldn't allow herself to fall apart.
"We'll continue to keep an eye on him and continue to try to help him. It's all we can do for now," Charles finally spoke.
Storm could only nod. There really was nothing else they could do, short of bringing Jean back to life.
And that wasn't happening anytime soon.
-x-
The day had started off pretty normal for Rogue. She got up at a decent time, ate breakfast with Logan, and then went to her first class for the day. History with Storm had been…interesting. Rogue could tell that something was on Storm's mind, just like it had been since Alkali Lake. She didn't say it out loud, but Rogue knew that what was happening with Scott was still wearing on the weather goddess's mind. But whatever it was, the older woman kept it locked up tight and didn't talk about it.
Storm let them out early and so Rogue decided to go ahead and get some lunch. She met up with Jubilee, who was on her way in the kitchen too, and both girls gathered their meals and made their way to the rec room to sit and watch TV. The couch was blessedly free and they flopped onto it and kicked their feet up. Jubilee tossed a chip in the air and caught it, grinning with her mouth full and Rogue couldn't help but giggle as she turned the television on, not looking at what the channel was.
However, as she glanced over, the smile died in her throat as the writing on the screen and the voice of the man penetrated her mind.
A cure?
Even Jubilee quieted down as they sat in rapt silence as Warren Worthington II, the head of the Worthington Labs, continued to speak about this new antibody for mutants to use, if they so chose. Other students wandered over as he continued to describe it, claiming it was an answer to mutation.
Rogue's mind went blank. She knew Logan and Erik, even the other boys, were trying to speak to her, but she couldn't listen to them right now.
There was a cure?
She could be cured? She could be normal?
She could vaguely hear Jubilee begin to talk beside her, but Rogue could only continue to sit in stunned silence.
-x-
"Whoa, a cure? That's so crazy, man. Do you think it's legit?" She glanced over at Rogue, but her friend wasn't paying attention. "Yo, Rogue! Girl, can ya hear me?" She waved her hand in front of the other girl's face. "Hellooo?"
Rogue seemed to snap out of whatever thought process she was in, finally looking over at Jubilee, "What?"
Jubilee jerked her chin at the TV set, where a commercial for shampoo was now playing, "The cure- do you think it's real? Or do you think it's a hoax? Wouldn't put it past the government to come up with some crazy conspiracy to round up the mutants like this or somethin'."
Rogue was quiet for a moment. "They could be tellin' the truth," she murmured.
"Yea, but how likely is that?" Jubes snorted.
"Hmm," Rogue bit her lip. "Maybe."
The TV continued on, a couple commercials came and went, and then suddenly Rogue was standing up from the couch.
"I need to check somethin' out," she threw over her shoulder as she left the room.
"Well that lit a fire under her ass," Jubilee mumbled under her breath. She exhaled loudly before reaching for the remote and turning it onto some trashy reality show.
"Now this is what I call good television."
-x-
Logan was really hankering for a cigar by this point. The idea of this fucking cure was giving him a migraine with all its meanings and repercussions for mutantkind. And it didn't help that Storm seemed to have found her high horse niche on this issue.
"Who would want this cure? I mean, what kind of coward would take it just to fit in?" she griped to the room. The occupants were very few, which Logan was thankful for, but emotions were still high. Fluffball was alright, but Logan could smell the tension coming off him. While he was sure this whole topic was all around awkward, the real McCoy seemed to have a look in his eye that suggested that maybe he'd want to take the cure.
So Storm was probably shoving her pretty foot into her pretty mouth at the moment.
But Furball gave it as good as he got, leaning forward on the couch to counter her with: "Is it cowardice to save oneself from prosecution? Not all of us can fit in so easily." He gestured towards her non-fur covered body. "You don't shed on the furniture," he joked, but his tone had a touch of darkness in it.
But Logan didn't buy this cure bullshit.
So why not blame it on the government? Blue Man Group seemed adamant it wasn't, but Logan's never had a good history with the government's actions, so he's still not convinced.
But did he really just call him 'boy'?
At that moment though, his nose caught the scent that was much more worthy of his attention, and Logan turned to the door in time to see Rogue striding through like a one woman hurricane, her long dark hair a whirlwind behind her.
"Is it true? They can cure us?" she demanded. Her eyes were wide and the wild glint in them worried him. She looked desperate and that was dangerous- very dangerous.
Wheels looked like he didn't know how to respond at first but eventually answered that yes, it seemed so.
Rogue glanced over at Logan, trying to garner his reaction, but he could only stare back at her. He didn't know what to say. He didn't want her to gain false hope and he had a feeling that this would probably end badly. Also, while he just wanted her to be safe and happy, a tiny part of him didn't want her taking this 'cure', even if it did work. He didn't think she needed to change.
But that didn't alter the fact that if she decided to do it then he'd support her no matter what. He wouldn't judge her or turn his back on her. She meant too much to him and ,even if she didn't, that it'd be a shitty thing to do.
But Storm, once again, inched her foot towards her mouth.
"No, Professor. They can't cure us." She looked over at Rogue, who continued to stand indecisively in the doorway, and got up to walk over to the younger girl. "You wanna know why? Because there's nothing to cure, nothing is wrong with you, or any of us for that matter." Her expression was fierce and Logan dimly wondered if there was something else behind her determination. He knew she'd been having a tough time recently with other one-eyed related things, maybe this was her trying to gain control over something in her life?
Regardless, he wished she'd back the fuck up on this issue.
He couldn't help but focus as Rogue bit her lip, her emotions blatantly warring on her face. He could tell she was confused, could smell it coming off her in waves, but he didn't know what to say.
Her eyes searched him out again, but he could only stare back. Even if he did have the words, he didn't think he could say them in front of company. He just couldn't.
-x-
It was dark.
It seemed like it always was recently. There was no more light, not for him. And even if there was a glimmer somewhere, Scott didn't think he had the strength to reach for it anymore.
God, he felt so weak. He felt so lost.
He missed Jean.
She had been everything to him- she was his other half. He had felt so complete with her and without her here, without her alive, it was like a piece of him was constantly missing. The hole in his heart ached and he longed for it to heal but it refused to.
And he refused to let it. Somewhere in the dark recesses of his mind, he recognized that he refused to let it heal. It wasn't that he couldn't move on, he just didn't want to move on. And it was driving him crazy. It was pushing him to the brink.
So far to the brink, that when he heard it at first, he thought he was crazy.
"Scott!"
He just about fell off the bed and jumped out of his skin.
Jean?
He stood up in the middle of his- their- room, his body creaking from the misuse over the last couple of weeks, and he turned in circles. Was he finally losing it? Had he truly gone insane?
But there it was again: "Scott! Help me!"
"Jean!" he breathed out, tears leaking from behind his visor. It was her. It had to be her.
"Help me, Scott! Please!"
He was gasping for air, but his thoughts were clear- she needed him. He had to go to her. He didn't know what, but there was something in him that knew the way, that would lead him, guide him. If he was in his right mind, he wouldn't have trusted it, but, as it was, only one thought looped in his brain:
He had to go to her.
-x-
I AM SO SOSOSO SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT, MY WRITERS BLOCK IS RIDICULOUS AND I'VE LACKED INSPIRATION FOR EVERYTHING RECENTLY SO I AM SO SORRY
I hope this is alright. There are obvious bits that are exactly like canon, which, again, my story will kinda run parallel with the canon series (and other mcu films as well) but there will be some huge divergences, especially where Rogue is concerned. I've already got my version of AOU kinda planned out (and fyi, Clintasha is endgame in my fics okie dokey).
Also I have this thing for Logan where he can only call Hank nicknames instead of his actual name idk I think im gonna keep it what, what do you guys think?
Anyway, hope ya'll liked this chapter. I will begin working on the next chapter soon, hopefully it won't take almost a year, and again I am soooo sorry D:
