The next morning Beast allowed Star to move back into her room. The metal nodules protruding above the skin of her arm were noticeably smaller, and the skin had begun to close over them. Beast shook his head over a healing process which he had not even begun to understand. She was able to spend longer periods out of bed, but it was several weeks before she felt able to join Jubilee for her promised basketball lesson. Storm had provided her with a book on the rules for the game, so she understood the fundamentals. Once more Jubilee, Rogue, Gambit, and Wolverine gathered on the make shift basketball court. Storm had agreed to join them to make the teams even.
"All right, you guys," Jubilee said, bouncing the ball energetically. "No powers, now. We got a newbie." No one noticed the sudden look of apprehension that crossed Star's face. It was quickly replaced by an expression of stubborn determination. "Okay, Wolvie, you Rogue, an' Star are one team, Me, Storm, an' Gambit are the other. Everybody ready? Then let's go!" Jubilee passed the ball to Gambit, who whirled and fired it toward the goal. Rogue intercepted the ball before it could drop through the basket. She passed it to Wolverine, who turned to Star. She was standing motionless on the center of the concrete playing area. He hesitated, and Jubilee snatched the ball away from him. He didn't follow and she successfully sank it into the basket. Gambit snatched the ball and passed it to Storm. She bounced the ball several times, keeping her back to Rogue. She suddenly passed the ball to Jubilee, who started to dash past Star when, with a burst of speed, Star took the ball from her, whirled and threw it at the basket. She missed, but Wolverine recovered the rebound and sank the ball. Storm caught the ball as it dropped through. She started to pass it to Gambit, but Wolverine grabbed the ball and said,
"Wait a sec, Storm." Star was again motionless.
"What gives, Wolvie?" Jubilee demanded. Wolverine looked at Star,
"Ya said 'no powers', right."
"Well, yeah. I mean, if we used powers, the game could get messy."
"Take a look at the kid." The others noticed her posture, her expression of concentration.
"Omigosh! Without her powers..."
"She can't see or hear." Wolverine bounced the ball and Star turned her head toward him. "I wanna try something." He bounced the ball again, then bounced it toward Star. She caught the ball, whirled and launched it toward the goal. This time, the ball went through. She froze again, waiting, tracking the position of the ball with tiny motions of her head as it bounced, ignored by the others. Wolverine took her arm and she snapped her head toward him. He shook her gently and she focused on him abruptly.
"Did I do something wrong?" she asked as she realized they were all looking at her.
"Not a thing, darlin'." Wolverine told her. "When Jubilee said 'no powers', she didn't mean for ya to exclude yer sight and hearin'."
"Yeah, it just means stuff like no flying. Otherwise, it'd be a short game for us ground bound types."
"Ya wanna start again?"
"All right." They played for about an hour, with the score staying fairly even throughout. Finally, they agreed to a draw and put the ball away.
Late that evening, Wolverine found Star in the Library. He pulled a chair up next to her and sat down.
"Hey, kid."
"Hello, Wolverine."
"Wanted ta talk to ya 'bout that bit with the basketball." She looked up at him, waiting.
"Ya did real good, 'specially fer havin' yer powers shut off. D'ya have any idea how ya did it?"
"I could feel the vibrations the ball made when it bounced and when you and the others moved."
"Any problems with it?"
"I couldn't always tell who was moving where. And when I moved, it got more confusing."
"How'd ya know it was Jubilee when ya grabbed the ball."
"I could smell her perfume."
"That's about what I thought. Tell ya what, we'll set up a program in the danger room ta let ya practice. Might come in handy someday."
"All right."
"G'night, kid."
"Good night."
True to his word, Wolverine set up the danger room for Star. She practiced both with and without the use of her powers. Sometimes the other X-Men were her opponents, sometimes the robots. The live people, she quickly discovered, were harder to fight, but easier to sense, than the machines. She enjoyed every minute of it. She still could not control her power to drain others when she was asleep or unconscious, so the psi-dampener remained in operation. She hated it. When she was within the field the constant murmur of the others' minds was absent and she was alone. She started having nightmares and, although she could never remember them once she awakened, she began to dread going to sleep. One night she woke clutching her blanket and drenched with sweat, her heart beating wildly. She knew she would be unable to get back to sleep, so she slipped quietly out of her room and down to the library. She choose a book and tried to read, but she couldn't concentrate. Finally, she gave up and put the book away. Then it occurred to her that many of the others used the danger room to work off tension or anxiety, so she went downstairs and opened the door. She set up a fight sequence and triggered the computer. She'd been fighting furiously for about fifteen minutes when suddenly everything froze.
"What you doin', Chere?" Gambit asked angrily.
"What?" she replied, confused and frightened by his anger.
"You tryin' ta get you self killed?"
"No,... I just...I couldn't sleep. I thought..."
"You not supposed to be in here, petite. Fact, this stuff shouldn't even work for you."
"Why not?"
"Because, mon enfante, it too easy ta get hurt in here. De Professor, he respons'ble fo' you. You get hurt again, he get in trouble. Mebbe dey take you away from here, an' dat'd break de Professor's heart. He be real unhappy when I tell him you been in here."
"Please don't tell him."
"You promise ta stay outta here wit'out one o' us?"
"Yes." Gambit looked at her speculatively for a moment.
"Okay, petite. Gambit keep quiet dis time." He suddenly grinned at her. "Fo' a price."
"I will pay your price." Her reply startled him. He was used to sparring with Jubilee, who didn't trust anyone, except maybe Wolverine, as far as she could throw them.
"You should ask de price befo' agreein' ta pay, Chere," he told her seriously.
"I don't have any money, but I understand that sometimes a woman can offer her body instead."
Gambit was dumbfounded. He stared at her, his mouth open. For the first time in a long time, he couldn't think of anything to say. She stepped up to him, reached up and put her arms around his neck. Instinctively his arms closed around her, his hands on her back. Almost against his will he bent his head until their lips met. She was unskilled but willing, even eager. As the kiss progressed his arms tightened, pulling her against him. She caressed the back of his neck with one hand, pressing her body firmly against his. After an eternity their lips parted. She looked up at him expectantly. He knew he could have her, here and now.
"Chere," he whispered raggedly, "if you only a little older." Reluctantly, he loosened his hold on her. He looked down at her, "An' maybe a little bigger." He released her. "A man don' like havin' to worry 'bout breakin' his woman when he touch her."
"I don't understand. Don't you want me?"
"Gambit done a lot of t'ings in his life dat he ain't proud of, Chere, but I ain't never had a woman 'gainst her will, and I ain't never, never touch a chil'."
"But..."
"But nut'n, petite. I take you kiss fo' pay. Now, get outta here," he took her by the arm and herded her to the door. He opened it and pushed her through. The door closed between them. "Fo' I change my mind," he muttered to himself, leaning on the door.
Star returned to her room, confused. Gambit had wanted her. She'd felt his surprise when she moved into his arms, felt his desire flare as he'd held her, kissed her. Then he'd pushed her away and she didn't understand why. Mostly because neither did he. After a long time she dozed off and slept the rest of the night without dreaming.
For the next several days Gambit had a tendency to avoid her, which further confused her. She'd made an offer which he had refused. Did that mean they could no longer be friends? She wanted to ask someone, but she realized that no one seemed willing to discuss the subject of sex, so she kept quiet. The nightmares grew worse. She was hardly sleeping at all and it was beginning to be reflected in her performance both in her technical schooling and in the danger room.
"Look out, kid!" Wolverine shouted, as the danger room Sentinel smashed its hand downward toward Star. She turned and tried to deflect the robot's attack. She was only partially successful and the huge hand slapped her, knocking her into a nearby wall. In the control room, Rogue slapped the cancel switch.
"You all right, gal?" she asked as Wolverine helped Star to her feet. Star looked up at the control room and nodded.
"What happened, kid? You've never let anything get that close."
"I don't know, Wolverine. I just didn't see it."
"How can you not see somethin' the size of building?"
"I don't know."
"Darlin', you gotta be aware of ever'thin' around ya, not just the stuff out 'n front."
"I know. I'm sorry."
"Sorry don't make ya any less dead, kid." He turned and looked up at Rogue and Gambit in the control room. "Let's try it again, folks."
"You got it, Wolverine. Ready, Star?" Star nodded and Rogue restarted the program. The Sentinel stirred to life. Star stood motionless, making no move either to attack or defend herself. Wolverine slashed at the leg closest to his position, ripping through the armor. The Sentinel moved as if to crush him but suddenly froze. Star still hadn't moved. Wolverine broke off his attack and looked up at the control booth. Rogue shrugged.
"Dis t'ing workin', Chere?" Gambit asked from beside her.
"Yeah. Take a look at the power demand. Its almost off the scale."
"An' goin' up," he flipped the microphone switch. "Take cover, mes amies! De Sentinel gonna blow!" The warning barely spoken, the Sentinel exploded. The concussion smashed the supposedly shatterproof glass of the control room, throwing Gambit and Rogue away from the control panel. Wolverine was hurled away from the Sentinel. All three landed gently, the shower of falling debris deflected away from them. They picked themselves up, to find Star, still motionless, in the center of the devastated danger room, bits of Sentinel still raining down around her. Rogue shut the program down shakily. Wolverine cautiously approached Star. She didn't respond until he touched her arm, then she jerked her head toward him as if startled. Her shoulders slumped.
"I screwed up again, didn't I?"
"Not exactly," Wolverine told her. "What happened?"
"I was trying to pay attention to everything and I got overloaded. I think I started a feed back loop in the Sentinel. It blew up, didn't it?"
"You could say dat, Chere," Gambit said from the control booth, not needing the microphone now that the glass was missing.
"Oh! Are you all right? Did I hurt anyone?"
"We all fine, petite."
"You cushioned us, darlin'. Kept most o' the blast off us." She nodded then closed her eyes for a moment. She swayed and Wolverine put an arm around her to steady her. She leaned into his embrace, both hands on his chest, her forehead resting against the hollow of his throat. He held her, gently, then released her when she moved away from him. She made her way carefully through the remains of the Sentinel to the door. She opened it and went out, without a word or backwards glance. Wolverine watched her thoughtfully.
"Wolverine?"
"Yeah, Rogue?"
"If you'll clear outta there, I'll put the reconstruction on auto."
"Right." He followed Star out the door. She was no where in sight.
"Ya know, Remy, if I didn't know better, I'd say Wolverine just noticed that Star's a gal."
"I t'ink you right, Chere."
"I wonder if she's noticed?"
"Oh, she notice, all right. She notice."
Star slept very little that night. The nightmares were worse than ever, mixing the terror of being alone with the fear of killing her friends. She woke suddenly, a scream barely suppressed, with an image of the shattered danger room, Wolverine, Gambit, and Rogue's motionless bodies lying like broken toys, vivid in her mind. She sat on the bed, her knees drawn up, staring at the silver walls of the psi dampening field. She dared not turn it off lest she wake Jean or the Professor. She had not learned to control her abilities, but her room had begun to resemble the cage where she had spent most of her life.
The next morning Star was groggy with exhaustion. The destruction of the Sentinel had taken a large toll on her remaining strength and she had been unable to restore herself through sleep. She stumbled over her own feet and nearly fell headlong down the stairs. Jubilee caught her arm.
"Hey! You all right?" Star nodded.
"Yes. Thanks, Jubilee."
"No problemo." Jubilee looked at her sharply, "You sure you're okay?"
"Yes. I'm just tired."
"Well, hey, everybody needs a day off. I'll tell the Prof you need a break an' you go back to bed. Catch a few Z's. Sound good?"
"I'll give it a try. Thanks." Star stumbled back to her room, closing the door behind her. Jubilee watched her for a moment, worried about her friend, then went down the stairs.
Star switched the psi-dampening field back on and lay down on top of her blankets, sure that she would be unable to sleep, but trying desperately to rest none the less. Before she knew it, sleep had overtaken her, bringing with it the nightmares.
Jubilee found she had the kitchen to herself, so she switched on the coffee maker, got a bowl and a box of cereal out of the cabinet, and fixed herself a cold breakfast. The coffee was just finishing when Wolverine came in.
"How 'bout some B-ball later?" she asked him.
"You got entirely too much energy for this early in the mornin'," he answered, pouring himself a cup of coffee.
"Its all the sugar in this cereal."
"Right."
"Ya want some?"
"I'll pass." He took a swallow of his coffee. "Where's yer partner?"
"Star? She's sleepin' in. Nearly took a header down the stairs and really looked beat. I told her I'd square it with the Prof, so she went back to bed." Jubilee grinned at him, "After the way you guys trashed the danger room yesterday, it probably won't be ready today, so how about that B-ball game?" Before Wolverine could answer, they were startled by a scream from upstairs.
"That's Star!" Jubilee knocked her chair over getting to her feet. Wolverine took the stairs two at a time, Jubilee running behind him.
Star was sitting huddled on her bed when Wolverine burst into the room, her face was streaked with tears. She looked up at him, startled.
"You all right?" She nodded, then buried her face in her arms, sobbing. He moved quickly to the bed and took her in his arms, holding her tightly.
"Its okay, darlin'. Ever'thin's gonna be fine." He spoke softly to her. Jubilee hovered nearby. When her sobs had eased, he relaxed his hold, but she continued to cling to him.
"What happened?" Jubilee finally asked, unable to contain her curiosity, or her concern, any longer.
"Bad d d dreams," Star answered shakily.
"Major bummer," Jubilee said. "I've had my share of nightmares, too." She sat down on the other side of Star, who had finally released her desperate grasp on Wolverine. "Sometimes it helps to talk about it." Star looked at her uncertainly for a moment, then nodded.
"Its dark, and I'm all alone," she began. "Just like the first time I lost control."
"In the courthouse?"
"No. In the lab. I ... I killed all the technicians and guards. Everyone in range. I couldn't stop it. When the others found out, they came in and took all the ... the bodies away, then the Doctor locked the door and left me there. All alone." She shuddered.
"Oh, wow," was all Jubilee could say.
"I'd never been alone. Not ever. There was always somebody close enough for me to hear them, at least enough to know that somebody was there. They stayed away for a long, long time. Then they put something different in my food and my body stopped ... changing. Henry said I was on some sort of artificial hormones, or something. Any way, they came back, and I didn't kill anybody else. But in my dreams, I'm alone again. I can't hear anyone, because everybody's dead. Because I killed you. All of you!"
"Easy, darlin'," Wolverine said, pulling her close once more, her tears soaking into the fabric of his shirt. "How long ya been havin' this dream, kid?"
"I don't know. It seems like forever."
"Well, fer ..." Jubilee exclaimed. "Why didn't ya say something?" Star didn't answer. "Star, that's what bein' friends is all about. Helpin' each other."
"You've had the same dream every night?"
"N..no," Star said slowly. "Only when I sleep."
"Haven't been sleepin' much, have ya?" Star shook her head.
Jean knocked on the open door.
"Can I come in?" Star nodded. "I thought I heard someone cry out, but I couldn't sense anyone in distress. I finally realized it must be you, Star. Are you all right?"
"Just a bad dream." Jubilee stared at her.
"'Just a bad dream'? The same major bad dream for a long time, and you call it 'just a bad dream'?"
"Jubilee..." Jean said softly.
"I didn't want to be any more trouble."
"We're kids. We're supposed to be trouble."
"I don't feel much like a kid." Jubilee didn't answer.
"Star, we've deliberately put off testing your control of your abilities because we thought you were doing so well with the dampening field at night," Jean told her gently. "Honey, we can't help you if don't tell us you're having problems. Your shields are so strong now, that half the time I can't even tell you're in the room." She took Star's hand and the girl flinched. "You are exhausted, Star. How long can you continue without sleep?"
"But...the only way to tell is...I mean...who? Whose life do I risk just so I can sleep?" she said miserably.
"There won't be any risk. We will take precautions so no one can be injured." Star looked up at Jean, then turned to Wolverine as if for reassurance.
"We gotta try somethin', kid." Reluctantly, Star nodded.
At the entrance to the med lab Star paused for a moment, then, straightening her shoulders, she stepped inside. Jean smiled at her, then walked over to where Beast and the Professor were bent over the test results from some experiment or other. She explained the situation to them quickly. Star waited quietly while Wolverine watched her, his concern plain.
"What do you propose, Jean?" Beast asked. Jean turned to Star and took her hand.
"Star, I want you to lie down on the bed. Henry will erect the field around us. Then I want you to go to sleep. I'll stay beside you and..."
"No, Jeanne." Jean and Star both looked at Wolverine, surprised.
"Logan, I can protect myself."
"Yer sure about that, are ya?"
"Perhaps Wolverine is right, Jean." Professor Xavier put in. "In spite of the progress you have made through the years, I am still stronger than you. I will..."
"Not you either, Chuck," Wolverine interrupted. "Not after what happened last time."
"I underestimated Star's strength then, Logan. I will not make the same mistake again."
"Yeah? And how much stronger is she now than she was then? Star, darlin', do ya trust me?" She looked at him, wide eyed, for a moment, then nodded. "Ya already know that if ya slip I can handle it, prob'ly better 'n anybody else. So I'm yer guinea pig, all right kid?" Star nodded again, reluctantly.
"Assuming you don't have any, um, difficulties with Logan's presence, Henry can slowly expand the field to include myself and then the Professor. If all goes well, Henry will shut the field down." Star cringed.
"Fear not, dear child. I will prepare a timer to switch it back on after a few moments." Beast said, trying to reassure Star. Her expression didn't change. "Well, let's connect a couple of sensors, then we can get started." Star sat on the edge of the bed while Beast placed sensors on her temples and chest.
"These monitor your brain waves, so we can tell which level of sleep you are entering, while these show your heart and respiration rates." He glanced at the monitor, "Both of which are high right now. Just relax. We'll take care of everything." She plainly doubted his ability to do so.
"All right, let us begin." Beast switched the field on, adjusting it until it surrounded the bed. Star looked up at Wolverine, her eyes filled with tears.
"I don't want to do this. Please don't make me." He gathered her in his arms and held her close.
"Nobody's gonna make ya do nothin', kid," he told her softly, "But we gotta know if we can leave the field off. Ya can't keep goin' without sleep."
"I read of different medications that..." Henry shook his head.
"I can't authorize any chemical treatment except as a last resort. Its too dangerous."
"Hank says no, darlin'."
"But..."
"Its up ta you, Star. What ever you decide, I'll back ya up."
"What if I can't..."
"Jean'll wake ya up, an' I'll be fine after a short snooze."
"I'm so afraid. You've all been so good to me."
"We'll get through this, babe, just like the X-Men do ever'thin' else. Together." She looked up at him for a long moment.
"All right," she said at last.
"Just relax, now. Ol' Wolverine's got ya, darlin'. I ain't gonna let nothin' happen to ya." He continued to hold her until, finally, exhaustion overcame her fear and she fell asleep in his arms.
"Her Alpha waves indicate she is asleep, Wolverine. Any adverse affects?" Beast asked quietly. Wolverine shook his head, then gently lowered the sleeping girl to the bed.
"Ready, Jean? Are your shields in place?"
"Yes, Henry. Don't worry." Beast expanded the field until Jean was included in the circle. Star didn't react to her presence at all.
"All right, Jean. Slowly lower your shields, let her feel you, but at the first sign of trouble, I want your shields up." They tensed when Star murmured in her sleep.
"You two all right?" Jean and Wolverine nodded.
"Her shields are still very strong, but I can at least sense her presence now." Jean said quietly.
"Charles?"
"Go ahead, Henry." Beast again expanded the field, this time including the Professor inside the circle. Star did not react.
"Ready to lower your shields, Charles?" Xavier nodded. Star shifted on the bed, a faint frown forming. Beast glanced down at the readout.
"Heart rate and respiration rising. Alpha rhythms disturbed. I think you're overloading..." Star screamed and Jean echoed her. Wolverine collapsed. Jean stumbled backwards through the edge of the field, then fell. Xavier tried to reach Wolverine, then he, too, cried out. Beast quickly adjusted the dampening field so that only the bed was surrounded. Star sat up, both hands to her head, her eyes wide and frightened.
"You told me it would be all right, that you were ready," Star sobbed. "You were wrong, and I've hurt people again." She slipped off the bed as Beast bent over Jean. She was unconscious, but breathing. Star backed away from the bed as Beast moved to check the others. Xavier was conscious, but just barely. Wolverine wasn't breathing.
"Star, call Storm. I need her help." Star froze. "Star! Do it now!" Instead of moving for the intercom or the door, Star approached Wolverine's motionless figure. She knelt beside him and placed one delicate hand on his chest. He shuddered, then drew a gasping breath. He opened his eyes. Beast stared at Star. A single tear ran down her cheek.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, then she stood and turned for the door. Wolverine grabbed Beast's arm.
"Hank, stop her!" he said urgently, too weak to rise. "Stop her!" Beast moved after her, but she was running. The med lab door opened before she reached it and slammed shut behind her. Beast couldn't get it to open again. Wolverine had gotten to his knees and was trying to stand, using the bed for support.
"Gotta stop her, Hank. Gotta ... stop ... her." He collapsed again. Beast struggled with the door.
Gambit was startled when Star ran past him toward the stairs.
"What de hurry, petite?" he called after her. She didn't answer him as she ran up the stairs and disappeared around the corner into the hallway above. He heard a door slam upstairs, then, a moment later, the med lab door banged open.
"Have you seen Star?" Beast demanded. Gambit, once again speechless, pointed to the distant stairs. Beast bounded after the girl. Gambit followed him.
"What in the Sam Hill is going on?" Rogue asked as he passed the kitchen door.
"Don' know, Chere. But it don' look good." Rogue joined him as he followed Beast up the stairs.
Star slammed the door of her room behind her and, for the first time since coming to the mansion, locked it. She flipped on the portable psi dampener Beast had built for her and adjusted it to include part of the hallway outside the door. She heard him as he reached the top of the stairs and she psionically blocked the hallway, preventing him from reaching the door. Abruptly she heard Gambit, then Rogue, join him. She had to hurry.
"Mon amie, what de trouble?"
"I don't know exactly, but we have to stop Star. She's built a barrier across the hall. I'll go adjust the psi dampener in the lab so she can't reach it. You two get her door open, but be careful."
"You bet, sugah." Beast bounded back down the stairs. Gambit explored the invisible barrier with his hands.
"Nothin' here to charge, Chere, or I'd just blow it."
Beast reached the psi dampener in the lab, adjusting the controls so the field would be just inside the walls of Star's room. He turned it on. Wolverine and Jean lay where he had last seen them, but Xavier seemed to be more aware of his surroundings.
"Storm, I need you in the med lab as quickly as possible."
"On my way, Henry." Storm answered immediately.
Star felt a shock as the second field overlapped the first, cutting off her awareness of the hallway. She was out of time. She turned on the auto centering function of the psi dampening field, then, hesitating only a moment, she turned the locus of the field all the way down in a single motion.
The barrier in the hallway abruptly disappeared, allowing Gambit and Rogue to reach the door of Star's room. They heard a cry, followed by a thud. Gambit kicked the door at the lock and it flew open. Star lay on the floor beside the bed, one hand to her head. Gambit quickly scanned the room while Rogue moved to check on Star.
"The kid ain't breathin', Remy, an' I cain't find a pulse!" Rogue turned Star to her back. Star's hand fell against Rogue's bare arm, above the glove she wore to protect others from her powers. She flinched away from the contact. Gambit helped her shift Star's body to ensure a clear airway. He glanced up at Rogue and was puzzled by the odd expression she wore.
"What is it, Chere?"
"I touched her, Remy. An' I didn't get nothing." Gambit looked down at the motionless body with a sinking feeling. The girl's skin was turning blue.
"We gotta try, Chere." He bent and blew into her mouth, her chest rising, then falling again. The memory of the kiss they had shared came to him unbidden, and he felt a surge of grief and helplessness overcome him. He suppressed it as Rogue counted while giving Star CPR. He gave the girl another breath, then Rogue counted again. Star's color was better, but she showed no sign of responding. Gambit hoped Beast would return soon.
"Hank," Wolverine lifted his head, "where's the kid?"
"In her room. Gambit and Rogue should be able to get the door open now."
"Tell 'em ta hurry. She's gonna kill herself."
"What?"
"She let it slip when she linked with me. She thinks its her only way out." Beast grabbed his emergency bag and dashed out of the med lab and up the stairs to Star's room. He took in the scene at a glance, opened his bag and removed a mask with a pressure bulb on it. While Rogue counted once again, he put the mask over Star's mouth and nose, at 'five' he squeezed the bulb, forcing air into her lungs.
"What happened?"
"Don' know, mon amie. Der not a mark on her."
"Go get a litter, Gambit. We've got to get her to the med lab. She's not responding and I may have to put her on life support." Gambit hurried out of the room.
"May not ... do any ... good, ... Beast."
"What do you mean, Rogue?"
"I touched her ... an' I didn't ... absorb ... nothin'." Beast leaned back on his heels.
"Oh my stars and garters. Child, what have you done? And can I figure it out in time to do you any good." He squeezed the air bulb.
Gambit entered the med lab and skidded to a halt. It resembled a war zone. Cyclops lifted Jean and lay her on the bed Star had so recently occupied. She was still unconscious. Jubilee hovered near Wolverine. Storm was checking on the Professor.
"Star?" Wolverine demanded gruffly.
"Not good, mon amie. Beast send me fo' de litter. Say he might haf ta put her on life support."
"I'll get the equipment ready." Storm told him as he got the litter. He nodded and left the med lab.
"Any t'ing?" Gambit asked as he returned to Star's room. Beast shook his head.
"No response. You all right, Rogue?"
"Doin' ... fine ... so far."
"Good. Don't stop. Gambit, set the litter up here. All right. Help me move her, on three." Beast counted as Rogue continued with the CPR, his 'three' followed her 'five'. They moved Star smoothly to the litter, he squeezed the air bulb, and Rogue resumed the CPR without missing a beat. Beast turned the litter on and it rose from the floor.
"There's a platform about ankle high, Rogue. If you stand on that, you'll be able to continue as we move Star."
"Okay. I'm ready." Beast guided the litter out of the room, the 'on' light of the psi dampener catching his eye as he went through the door. He squeezed the air bulb, intent on keeping the girl alive. Gambit guided the back of the litter through the door. The hover technology built into the litter made negotiating the stairs a simple matter. Soon, they entered the med lab. Storm took over the CPR from Rogue and Gambit took the air bulb from Beast. Beast quickly reconnected the sensors to the monitoring equipment. He was dismayed by what he saw. All the readings were completely flat, including Star's brain waves. But he couldn't give up.
"All right, you guys," Jubilee said, bouncing the ball energetically. "No powers, now. We got a newbie." No one noticed the sudden look of apprehension that crossed Star's face. It was quickly replaced by an expression of stubborn determination. "Okay, Wolvie, you Rogue, an' Star are one team, Me, Storm, an' Gambit are the other. Everybody ready? Then let's go!" Jubilee passed the ball to Gambit, who whirled and fired it toward the goal. Rogue intercepted the ball before it could drop through the basket. She passed it to Wolverine, who turned to Star. She was standing motionless on the center of the concrete playing area. He hesitated, and Jubilee snatched the ball away from him. He didn't follow and she successfully sank it into the basket. Gambit snatched the ball and passed it to Storm. She bounced the ball several times, keeping her back to Rogue. She suddenly passed the ball to Jubilee, who started to dash past Star when, with a burst of speed, Star took the ball from her, whirled and threw it at the basket. She missed, but Wolverine recovered the rebound and sank the ball. Storm caught the ball as it dropped through. She started to pass it to Gambit, but Wolverine grabbed the ball and said,
"Wait a sec, Storm." Star was again motionless.
"What gives, Wolvie?" Jubilee demanded. Wolverine looked at Star,
"Ya said 'no powers', right."
"Well, yeah. I mean, if we used powers, the game could get messy."
"Take a look at the kid." The others noticed her posture, her expression of concentration.
"Omigosh! Without her powers..."
"She can't see or hear." Wolverine bounced the ball and Star turned her head toward him. "I wanna try something." He bounced the ball again, then bounced it toward Star. She caught the ball, whirled and launched it toward the goal. This time, the ball went through. She froze again, waiting, tracking the position of the ball with tiny motions of her head as it bounced, ignored by the others. Wolverine took her arm and she snapped her head toward him. He shook her gently and she focused on him abruptly.
"Did I do something wrong?" she asked as she realized they were all looking at her.
"Not a thing, darlin'." Wolverine told her. "When Jubilee said 'no powers', she didn't mean for ya to exclude yer sight and hearin'."
"Yeah, it just means stuff like no flying. Otherwise, it'd be a short game for us ground bound types."
"Ya wanna start again?"
"All right." They played for about an hour, with the score staying fairly even throughout. Finally, they agreed to a draw and put the ball away.
Late that evening, Wolverine found Star in the Library. He pulled a chair up next to her and sat down.
"Hey, kid."
"Hello, Wolverine."
"Wanted ta talk to ya 'bout that bit with the basketball." She looked up at him, waiting.
"Ya did real good, 'specially fer havin' yer powers shut off. D'ya have any idea how ya did it?"
"I could feel the vibrations the ball made when it bounced and when you and the others moved."
"Any problems with it?"
"I couldn't always tell who was moving where. And when I moved, it got more confusing."
"How'd ya know it was Jubilee when ya grabbed the ball."
"I could smell her perfume."
"That's about what I thought. Tell ya what, we'll set up a program in the danger room ta let ya practice. Might come in handy someday."
"All right."
"G'night, kid."
"Good night."
True to his word, Wolverine set up the danger room for Star. She practiced both with and without the use of her powers. Sometimes the other X-Men were her opponents, sometimes the robots. The live people, she quickly discovered, were harder to fight, but easier to sense, than the machines. She enjoyed every minute of it. She still could not control her power to drain others when she was asleep or unconscious, so the psi-dampener remained in operation. She hated it. When she was within the field the constant murmur of the others' minds was absent and she was alone. She started having nightmares and, although she could never remember them once she awakened, she began to dread going to sleep. One night she woke clutching her blanket and drenched with sweat, her heart beating wildly. She knew she would be unable to get back to sleep, so she slipped quietly out of her room and down to the library. She choose a book and tried to read, but she couldn't concentrate. Finally, she gave up and put the book away. Then it occurred to her that many of the others used the danger room to work off tension or anxiety, so she went downstairs and opened the door. She set up a fight sequence and triggered the computer. She'd been fighting furiously for about fifteen minutes when suddenly everything froze.
"What you doin', Chere?" Gambit asked angrily.
"What?" she replied, confused and frightened by his anger.
"You tryin' ta get you self killed?"
"No,... I just...I couldn't sleep. I thought..."
"You not supposed to be in here, petite. Fact, this stuff shouldn't even work for you."
"Why not?"
"Because, mon enfante, it too easy ta get hurt in here. De Professor, he respons'ble fo' you. You get hurt again, he get in trouble. Mebbe dey take you away from here, an' dat'd break de Professor's heart. He be real unhappy when I tell him you been in here."
"Please don't tell him."
"You promise ta stay outta here wit'out one o' us?"
"Yes." Gambit looked at her speculatively for a moment.
"Okay, petite. Gambit keep quiet dis time." He suddenly grinned at her. "Fo' a price."
"I will pay your price." Her reply startled him. He was used to sparring with Jubilee, who didn't trust anyone, except maybe Wolverine, as far as she could throw them.
"You should ask de price befo' agreein' ta pay, Chere," he told her seriously.
"I don't have any money, but I understand that sometimes a woman can offer her body instead."
Gambit was dumbfounded. He stared at her, his mouth open. For the first time in a long time, he couldn't think of anything to say. She stepped up to him, reached up and put her arms around his neck. Instinctively his arms closed around her, his hands on her back. Almost against his will he bent his head until their lips met. She was unskilled but willing, even eager. As the kiss progressed his arms tightened, pulling her against him. She caressed the back of his neck with one hand, pressing her body firmly against his. After an eternity their lips parted. She looked up at him expectantly. He knew he could have her, here and now.
"Chere," he whispered raggedly, "if you only a little older." Reluctantly, he loosened his hold on her. He looked down at her, "An' maybe a little bigger." He released her. "A man don' like havin' to worry 'bout breakin' his woman when he touch her."
"I don't understand. Don't you want me?"
"Gambit done a lot of t'ings in his life dat he ain't proud of, Chere, but I ain't never had a woman 'gainst her will, and I ain't never, never touch a chil'."
"But..."
"But nut'n, petite. I take you kiss fo' pay. Now, get outta here," he took her by the arm and herded her to the door. He opened it and pushed her through. The door closed between them. "Fo' I change my mind," he muttered to himself, leaning on the door.
Star returned to her room, confused. Gambit had wanted her. She'd felt his surprise when she moved into his arms, felt his desire flare as he'd held her, kissed her. Then he'd pushed her away and she didn't understand why. Mostly because neither did he. After a long time she dozed off and slept the rest of the night without dreaming.
For the next several days Gambit had a tendency to avoid her, which further confused her. She'd made an offer which he had refused. Did that mean they could no longer be friends? She wanted to ask someone, but she realized that no one seemed willing to discuss the subject of sex, so she kept quiet. The nightmares grew worse. She was hardly sleeping at all and it was beginning to be reflected in her performance both in her technical schooling and in the danger room.
"Look out, kid!" Wolverine shouted, as the danger room Sentinel smashed its hand downward toward Star. She turned and tried to deflect the robot's attack. She was only partially successful and the huge hand slapped her, knocking her into a nearby wall. In the control room, Rogue slapped the cancel switch.
"You all right, gal?" she asked as Wolverine helped Star to her feet. Star looked up at the control room and nodded.
"What happened, kid? You've never let anything get that close."
"I don't know, Wolverine. I just didn't see it."
"How can you not see somethin' the size of building?"
"I don't know."
"Darlin', you gotta be aware of ever'thin' around ya, not just the stuff out 'n front."
"I know. I'm sorry."
"Sorry don't make ya any less dead, kid." He turned and looked up at Rogue and Gambit in the control room. "Let's try it again, folks."
"You got it, Wolverine. Ready, Star?" Star nodded and Rogue restarted the program. The Sentinel stirred to life. Star stood motionless, making no move either to attack or defend herself. Wolverine slashed at the leg closest to his position, ripping through the armor. The Sentinel moved as if to crush him but suddenly froze. Star still hadn't moved. Wolverine broke off his attack and looked up at the control booth. Rogue shrugged.
"Dis t'ing workin', Chere?" Gambit asked from beside her.
"Yeah. Take a look at the power demand. Its almost off the scale."
"An' goin' up," he flipped the microphone switch. "Take cover, mes amies! De Sentinel gonna blow!" The warning barely spoken, the Sentinel exploded. The concussion smashed the supposedly shatterproof glass of the control room, throwing Gambit and Rogue away from the control panel. Wolverine was hurled away from the Sentinel. All three landed gently, the shower of falling debris deflected away from them. They picked themselves up, to find Star, still motionless, in the center of the devastated danger room, bits of Sentinel still raining down around her. Rogue shut the program down shakily. Wolverine cautiously approached Star. She didn't respond until he touched her arm, then she jerked her head toward him as if startled. Her shoulders slumped.
"I screwed up again, didn't I?"
"Not exactly," Wolverine told her. "What happened?"
"I was trying to pay attention to everything and I got overloaded. I think I started a feed back loop in the Sentinel. It blew up, didn't it?"
"You could say dat, Chere," Gambit said from the control booth, not needing the microphone now that the glass was missing.
"Oh! Are you all right? Did I hurt anyone?"
"We all fine, petite."
"You cushioned us, darlin'. Kept most o' the blast off us." She nodded then closed her eyes for a moment. She swayed and Wolverine put an arm around her to steady her. She leaned into his embrace, both hands on his chest, her forehead resting against the hollow of his throat. He held her, gently, then released her when she moved away from him. She made her way carefully through the remains of the Sentinel to the door. She opened it and went out, without a word or backwards glance. Wolverine watched her thoughtfully.
"Wolverine?"
"Yeah, Rogue?"
"If you'll clear outta there, I'll put the reconstruction on auto."
"Right." He followed Star out the door. She was no where in sight.
"Ya know, Remy, if I didn't know better, I'd say Wolverine just noticed that Star's a gal."
"I t'ink you right, Chere."
"I wonder if she's noticed?"
"Oh, she notice, all right. She notice."
Star slept very little that night. The nightmares were worse than ever, mixing the terror of being alone with the fear of killing her friends. She woke suddenly, a scream barely suppressed, with an image of the shattered danger room, Wolverine, Gambit, and Rogue's motionless bodies lying like broken toys, vivid in her mind. She sat on the bed, her knees drawn up, staring at the silver walls of the psi dampening field. She dared not turn it off lest she wake Jean or the Professor. She had not learned to control her abilities, but her room had begun to resemble the cage where she had spent most of her life.
The next morning Star was groggy with exhaustion. The destruction of the Sentinel had taken a large toll on her remaining strength and she had been unable to restore herself through sleep. She stumbled over her own feet and nearly fell headlong down the stairs. Jubilee caught her arm.
"Hey! You all right?" Star nodded.
"Yes. Thanks, Jubilee."
"No problemo." Jubilee looked at her sharply, "You sure you're okay?"
"Yes. I'm just tired."
"Well, hey, everybody needs a day off. I'll tell the Prof you need a break an' you go back to bed. Catch a few Z's. Sound good?"
"I'll give it a try. Thanks." Star stumbled back to her room, closing the door behind her. Jubilee watched her for a moment, worried about her friend, then went down the stairs.
Star switched the psi-dampening field back on and lay down on top of her blankets, sure that she would be unable to sleep, but trying desperately to rest none the less. Before she knew it, sleep had overtaken her, bringing with it the nightmares.
Jubilee found she had the kitchen to herself, so she switched on the coffee maker, got a bowl and a box of cereal out of the cabinet, and fixed herself a cold breakfast. The coffee was just finishing when Wolverine came in.
"How 'bout some B-ball later?" she asked him.
"You got entirely too much energy for this early in the mornin'," he answered, pouring himself a cup of coffee.
"Its all the sugar in this cereal."
"Right."
"Ya want some?"
"I'll pass." He took a swallow of his coffee. "Where's yer partner?"
"Star? She's sleepin' in. Nearly took a header down the stairs and really looked beat. I told her I'd square it with the Prof, so she went back to bed." Jubilee grinned at him, "After the way you guys trashed the danger room yesterday, it probably won't be ready today, so how about that B-ball game?" Before Wolverine could answer, they were startled by a scream from upstairs.
"That's Star!" Jubilee knocked her chair over getting to her feet. Wolverine took the stairs two at a time, Jubilee running behind him.
Star was sitting huddled on her bed when Wolverine burst into the room, her face was streaked with tears. She looked up at him, startled.
"You all right?" She nodded, then buried her face in her arms, sobbing. He moved quickly to the bed and took her in his arms, holding her tightly.
"Its okay, darlin'. Ever'thin's gonna be fine." He spoke softly to her. Jubilee hovered nearby. When her sobs had eased, he relaxed his hold, but she continued to cling to him.
"What happened?" Jubilee finally asked, unable to contain her curiosity, or her concern, any longer.
"Bad d d dreams," Star answered shakily.
"Major bummer," Jubilee said. "I've had my share of nightmares, too." She sat down on the other side of Star, who had finally released her desperate grasp on Wolverine. "Sometimes it helps to talk about it." Star looked at her uncertainly for a moment, then nodded.
"Its dark, and I'm all alone," she began. "Just like the first time I lost control."
"In the courthouse?"
"No. In the lab. I ... I killed all the technicians and guards. Everyone in range. I couldn't stop it. When the others found out, they came in and took all the ... the bodies away, then the Doctor locked the door and left me there. All alone." She shuddered.
"Oh, wow," was all Jubilee could say.
"I'd never been alone. Not ever. There was always somebody close enough for me to hear them, at least enough to know that somebody was there. They stayed away for a long, long time. Then they put something different in my food and my body stopped ... changing. Henry said I was on some sort of artificial hormones, or something. Any way, they came back, and I didn't kill anybody else. But in my dreams, I'm alone again. I can't hear anyone, because everybody's dead. Because I killed you. All of you!"
"Easy, darlin'," Wolverine said, pulling her close once more, her tears soaking into the fabric of his shirt. "How long ya been havin' this dream, kid?"
"I don't know. It seems like forever."
"Well, fer ..." Jubilee exclaimed. "Why didn't ya say something?" Star didn't answer. "Star, that's what bein' friends is all about. Helpin' each other."
"You've had the same dream every night?"
"N..no," Star said slowly. "Only when I sleep."
"Haven't been sleepin' much, have ya?" Star shook her head.
Jean knocked on the open door.
"Can I come in?" Star nodded. "I thought I heard someone cry out, but I couldn't sense anyone in distress. I finally realized it must be you, Star. Are you all right?"
"Just a bad dream." Jubilee stared at her.
"'Just a bad dream'? The same major bad dream for a long time, and you call it 'just a bad dream'?"
"Jubilee..." Jean said softly.
"I didn't want to be any more trouble."
"We're kids. We're supposed to be trouble."
"I don't feel much like a kid." Jubilee didn't answer.
"Star, we've deliberately put off testing your control of your abilities because we thought you were doing so well with the dampening field at night," Jean told her gently. "Honey, we can't help you if don't tell us you're having problems. Your shields are so strong now, that half the time I can't even tell you're in the room." She took Star's hand and the girl flinched. "You are exhausted, Star. How long can you continue without sleep?"
"But...the only way to tell is...I mean...who? Whose life do I risk just so I can sleep?" she said miserably.
"There won't be any risk. We will take precautions so no one can be injured." Star looked up at Jean, then turned to Wolverine as if for reassurance.
"We gotta try somethin', kid." Reluctantly, Star nodded.
At the entrance to the med lab Star paused for a moment, then, straightening her shoulders, she stepped inside. Jean smiled at her, then walked over to where Beast and the Professor were bent over the test results from some experiment or other. She explained the situation to them quickly. Star waited quietly while Wolverine watched her, his concern plain.
"What do you propose, Jean?" Beast asked. Jean turned to Star and took her hand.
"Star, I want you to lie down on the bed. Henry will erect the field around us. Then I want you to go to sleep. I'll stay beside you and..."
"No, Jeanne." Jean and Star both looked at Wolverine, surprised.
"Logan, I can protect myself."
"Yer sure about that, are ya?"
"Perhaps Wolverine is right, Jean." Professor Xavier put in. "In spite of the progress you have made through the years, I am still stronger than you. I will..."
"Not you either, Chuck," Wolverine interrupted. "Not after what happened last time."
"I underestimated Star's strength then, Logan. I will not make the same mistake again."
"Yeah? And how much stronger is she now than she was then? Star, darlin', do ya trust me?" She looked at him, wide eyed, for a moment, then nodded. "Ya already know that if ya slip I can handle it, prob'ly better 'n anybody else. So I'm yer guinea pig, all right kid?" Star nodded again, reluctantly.
"Assuming you don't have any, um, difficulties with Logan's presence, Henry can slowly expand the field to include myself and then the Professor. If all goes well, Henry will shut the field down." Star cringed.
"Fear not, dear child. I will prepare a timer to switch it back on after a few moments." Beast said, trying to reassure Star. Her expression didn't change. "Well, let's connect a couple of sensors, then we can get started." Star sat on the edge of the bed while Beast placed sensors on her temples and chest.
"These monitor your brain waves, so we can tell which level of sleep you are entering, while these show your heart and respiration rates." He glanced at the monitor, "Both of which are high right now. Just relax. We'll take care of everything." She plainly doubted his ability to do so.
"All right, let us begin." Beast switched the field on, adjusting it until it surrounded the bed. Star looked up at Wolverine, her eyes filled with tears.
"I don't want to do this. Please don't make me." He gathered her in his arms and held her close.
"Nobody's gonna make ya do nothin', kid," he told her softly, "But we gotta know if we can leave the field off. Ya can't keep goin' without sleep."
"I read of different medications that..." Henry shook his head.
"I can't authorize any chemical treatment except as a last resort. Its too dangerous."
"Hank says no, darlin'."
"But..."
"Its up ta you, Star. What ever you decide, I'll back ya up."
"What if I can't..."
"Jean'll wake ya up, an' I'll be fine after a short snooze."
"I'm so afraid. You've all been so good to me."
"We'll get through this, babe, just like the X-Men do ever'thin' else. Together." She looked up at him for a long moment.
"All right," she said at last.
"Just relax, now. Ol' Wolverine's got ya, darlin'. I ain't gonna let nothin' happen to ya." He continued to hold her until, finally, exhaustion overcame her fear and she fell asleep in his arms.
"Her Alpha waves indicate she is asleep, Wolverine. Any adverse affects?" Beast asked quietly. Wolverine shook his head, then gently lowered the sleeping girl to the bed.
"Ready, Jean? Are your shields in place?"
"Yes, Henry. Don't worry." Beast expanded the field until Jean was included in the circle. Star didn't react to her presence at all.
"All right, Jean. Slowly lower your shields, let her feel you, but at the first sign of trouble, I want your shields up." They tensed when Star murmured in her sleep.
"You two all right?" Jean and Wolverine nodded.
"Her shields are still very strong, but I can at least sense her presence now." Jean said quietly.
"Charles?"
"Go ahead, Henry." Beast again expanded the field, this time including the Professor inside the circle. Star did not react.
"Ready to lower your shields, Charles?" Xavier nodded. Star shifted on the bed, a faint frown forming. Beast glanced down at the readout.
"Heart rate and respiration rising. Alpha rhythms disturbed. I think you're overloading..." Star screamed and Jean echoed her. Wolverine collapsed. Jean stumbled backwards through the edge of the field, then fell. Xavier tried to reach Wolverine, then he, too, cried out. Beast quickly adjusted the dampening field so that only the bed was surrounded. Star sat up, both hands to her head, her eyes wide and frightened.
"You told me it would be all right, that you were ready," Star sobbed. "You were wrong, and I've hurt people again." She slipped off the bed as Beast bent over Jean. She was unconscious, but breathing. Star backed away from the bed as Beast moved to check the others. Xavier was conscious, but just barely. Wolverine wasn't breathing.
"Star, call Storm. I need her help." Star froze. "Star! Do it now!" Instead of moving for the intercom or the door, Star approached Wolverine's motionless figure. She knelt beside him and placed one delicate hand on his chest. He shuddered, then drew a gasping breath. He opened his eyes. Beast stared at Star. A single tear ran down her cheek.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, then she stood and turned for the door. Wolverine grabbed Beast's arm.
"Hank, stop her!" he said urgently, too weak to rise. "Stop her!" Beast moved after her, but she was running. The med lab door opened before she reached it and slammed shut behind her. Beast couldn't get it to open again. Wolverine had gotten to his knees and was trying to stand, using the bed for support.
"Gotta stop her, Hank. Gotta ... stop ... her." He collapsed again. Beast struggled with the door.
Gambit was startled when Star ran past him toward the stairs.
"What de hurry, petite?" he called after her. She didn't answer him as she ran up the stairs and disappeared around the corner into the hallway above. He heard a door slam upstairs, then, a moment later, the med lab door banged open.
"Have you seen Star?" Beast demanded. Gambit, once again speechless, pointed to the distant stairs. Beast bounded after the girl. Gambit followed him.
"What in the Sam Hill is going on?" Rogue asked as he passed the kitchen door.
"Don' know, Chere. But it don' look good." Rogue joined him as he followed Beast up the stairs.
Star slammed the door of her room behind her and, for the first time since coming to the mansion, locked it. She flipped on the portable psi dampener Beast had built for her and adjusted it to include part of the hallway outside the door. She heard him as he reached the top of the stairs and she psionically blocked the hallway, preventing him from reaching the door. Abruptly she heard Gambit, then Rogue, join him. She had to hurry.
"Mon amie, what de trouble?"
"I don't know exactly, but we have to stop Star. She's built a barrier across the hall. I'll go adjust the psi dampener in the lab so she can't reach it. You two get her door open, but be careful."
"You bet, sugah." Beast bounded back down the stairs. Gambit explored the invisible barrier with his hands.
"Nothin' here to charge, Chere, or I'd just blow it."
Beast reached the psi dampener in the lab, adjusting the controls so the field would be just inside the walls of Star's room. He turned it on. Wolverine and Jean lay where he had last seen them, but Xavier seemed to be more aware of his surroundings.
"Storm, I need you in the med lab as quickly as possible."
"On my way, Henry." Storm answered immediately.
Star felt a shock as the second field overlapped the first, cutting off her awareness of the hallway. She was out of time. She turned on the auto centering function of the psi dampening field, then, hesitating only a moment, she turned the locus of the field all the way down in a single motion.
The barrier in the hallway abruptly disappeared, allowing Gambit and Rogue to reach the door of Star's room. They heard a cry, followed by a thud. Gambit kicked the door at the lock and it flew open. Star lay on the floor beside the bed, one hand to her head. Gambit quickly scanned the room while Rogue moved to check on Star.
"The kid ain't breathin', Remy, an' I cain't find a pulse!" Rogue turned Star to her back. Star's hand fell against Rogue's bare arm, above the glove she wore to protect others from her powers. She flinched away from the contact. Gambit helped her shift Star's body to ensure a clear airway. He glanced up at Rogue and was puzzled by the odd expression she wore.
"What is it, Chere?"
"I touched her, Remy. An' I didn't get nothing." Gambit looked down at the motionless body with a sinking feeling. The girl's skin was turning blue.
"We gotta try, Chere." He bent and blew into her mouth, her chest rising, then falling again. The memory of the kiss they had shared came to him unbidden, and he felt a surge of grief and helplessness overcome him. He suppressed it as Rogue counted while giving Star CPR. He gave the girl another breath, then Rogue counted again. Star's color was better, but she showed no sign of responding. Gambit hoped Beast would return soon.
"Hank," Wolverine lifted his head, "where's the kid?"
"In her room. Gambit and Rogue should be able to get the door open now."
"Tell 'em ta hurry. She's gonna kill herself."
"What?"
"She let it slip when she linked with me. She thinks its her only way out." Beast grabbed his emergency bag and dashed out of the med lab and up the stairs to Star's room. He took in the scene at a glance, opened his bag and removed a mask with a pressure bulb on it. While Rogue counted once again, he put the mask over Star's mouth and nose, at 'five' he squeezed the bulb, forcing air into her lungs.
"What happened?"
"Don' know, mon amie. Der not a mark on her."
"Go get a litter, Gambit. We've got to get her to the med lab. She's not responding and I may have to put her on life support." Gambit hurried out of the room.
"May not ... do any ... good, ... Beast."
"What do you mean, Rogue?"
"I touched her ... an' I didn't ... absorb ... nothin'." Beast leaned back on his heels.
"Oh my stars and garters. Child, what have you done? And can I figure it out in time to do you any good." He squeezed the air bulb.
Gambit entered the med lab and skidded to a halt. It resembled a war zone. Cyclops lifted Jean and lay her on the bed Star had so recently occupied. She was still unconscious. Jubilee hovered near Wolverine. Storm was checking on the Professor.
"Star?" Wolverine demanded gruffly.
"Not good, mon amie. Beast send me fo' de litter. Say he might haf ta put her on life support."
"I'll get the equipment ready." Storm told him as he got the litter. He nodded and left the med lab.
"Any t'ing?" Gambit asked as he returned to Star's room. Beast shook his head.
"No response. You all right, Rogue?"
"Doin' ... fine ... so far."
"Good. Don't stop. Gambit, set the litter up here. All right. Help me move her, on three." Beast counted as Rogue continued with the CPR, his 'three' followed her 'five'. They moved Star smoothly to the litter, he squeezed the air bulb, and Rogue resumed the CPR without missing a beat. Beast turned the litter on and it rose from the floor.
"There's a platform about ankle high, Rogue. If you stand on that, you'll be able to continue as we move Star."
"Okay. I'm ready." Beast guided the litter out of the room, the 'on' light of the psi dampener catching his eye as he went through the door. He squeezed the air bulb, intent on keeping the girl alive. Gambit guided the back of the litter through the door. The hover technology built into the litter made negotiating the stairs a simple matter. Soon, they entered the med lab. Storm took over the CPR from Rogue and Gambit took the air bulb from Beast. Beast quickly reconnected the sensors to the monitoring equipment. He was dismayed by what he saw. All the readings were completely flat, including Star's brain waves. But he couldn't give up.