The stand-off seemed to last a lot longer than the time it took Xavier to move his chair around the desk. In reality, it lasted less than thirty seconds, but the blonde's staring battle with Logan never wavered, both as stubborn as each other.
"Glad you could come." He addressed the question to the oldest man at the back, who stepped between the younger group members and shook Xavier's hand. "You must be Mister Giles. Electra told me a great deal about you."
"In that case, you must be Professor Xavier." The man was apparently English, if his accent was anything to judge him by. "I tried to persuade the children that they didn't need to come with me, but..." He gave a shrug. "You know what teenagers are like."
Buffy cast a glare at the man. "You said they had Wills." She said, her tone bitter. "For all we knew, they were hurting her."
"I still don't get it." Logan looked from Giles, to Xavier, then back at Buffy. "Who's this Wills, they're talkin' about? And who gives a damn about Electra too? She double-crossed us, the traitorous little bitch."
"Logan." Xavier's tone was reprimanding. "Let 's stay calm, for the time being."
His lip curling in a half-snarl, half-sneer at the blonde girl, Logan stalked over to the window ledge and leaned against it, staring darkly at the group. The bleached blond man arched a dark eyebrow at the mutant, blew a plume of smoke at him and chuckled.
"This is just bloody rich." He remarked, his blue eyes glinting with mischief, a wide grin splitting his face. "We've finally found the male version of Slutty on a good day! And I bet he'd look better in a frock than she does."
One of the group sniggered, until the blonde span and flashed a glare at him. "I still have my weapons, Xander." She warned, her voice low, dangerous. Logan was tempted to flick his claws out too, just for the impact it would have.
"Would you mind behaving?" Giles suggested, clearly more than a little frayed on the nerves, his hand fitfully wiping the lenses of his glasses. "We-we-we are here for a rather important reason and I-I-I would prefer if you would listen."
"Sorry, G-Man." The dark-haired teen grinned insincerely.
Taking a slow, calming breath, Giles forced a smile. "I told you never to call me that, Alexander." He turned his attention back to Xavier, his smile still tight. "Perhaps you can tell us what happened. Willow would never join the other side without good reason, I'm certain."
"No, just because we know that no one ever changes sides because a little something like...oh, say sex?" The blonde man shot a venemous glare at the tallest of the group, who gazed back impassively.
"Shut up, Spike."
"Ooh, Slutty has a tender spot, all cos she can't shag old Sire o' mine...poor widdle baby! No humping for Buffy."
The blonde girl gave the dark man a reproving look. "Tell me again why you turned him."
"I wanted someone to talk smartmouth?" He suggested, still lurking in the shadows. "To tell the truth, he was a poet...or he was trying to be one." A malicious flicker of gold gleamed in the blonde man's eyes.
"Shut up, you pillock. The Watcher's tryin' to talk."
"Ye-yes, thank you, Spike." Giles was pinching the bridge of his nose between his finger and thumb, clearly frustrated. "Well, Professor, Willow h-herself called me. She said I ought to-to-to make my way here as soon as-as possible. She said you would know what it was a-about."
Xavier nodded, steepled his fingers beneath his chin, his expression thoughtful. "Yes, I know what it's all about." He smiled absently. "She thought it would benefit your group to receive training from my people."
"But Professor..." Cyclops interrupted hastily.
"Scott, these people want training. They may be able to help us in our hand-to-hand combat in return." Xavier waited for the question and reponses he knew were coming.
Logan arched an eyebrow and uttered. "Huh?"
Jean gave Scott's knee a cautioning squeeze, cearly aware something was different about the group. Storm looked from face to face, as if searching for what they were. While some were human, the others, she wasn't certain of.
"Why do I get the feeling they don't think I'm strong enough to beat the hell out of them?" Buffy pouted, jutting out her lower lip and batting her eyes. She looked down at herself. "Okay, I may be small, but I can fight."
Logan snorted. "What kind of hand-to-hand combat can a bunch of kids teach a buncha mutants? We can do stuff that you'd never even imagine."
"Well, I can imagine quite a lot." Buffy stiffened her back, narrowed her eyes at him. "And I've fought a lot of it too."
The power contest that was going on and the tense atmosphere was broken when the blonde man, Spike, chortled loudly. "Bloody hell...tell me when it gets to the naked mud-wrestling, mates, I want front row seats!"
"You always did like big and scary-looking men." The tall, dark-haired man put in.
"Yeah, mate," The blonde retorted. "Look at what I had as a Sire, then think carefully about what you just said." He thought over his own words, frowned as a smug smirk crept onto the dark man's lips. "Bugger! I think I confused meself..."
The dark-haired girl patronisingly patted him on the head. "It's easily done, Spike."
"You expect these kids to be able to teach us anything about fighting?" Cyclops gave the group a skeptical-looking over. "I mean, aside from bickering and name-calling, what kind of special skills do they have?"
Buffy glanced at Giles. "I tell them now, right?" He nodded. "I'm the Chosen One, saviour of the world several times over and fighter of demons and vampires and all the other nasty things that go bump in the night."
"And owner of the wildest imagination in the world?" Logan suggested. The blonde man sniggered, hid his mouth behind his hand.
Buffy's hands settled on her hips, her mouth set in a tight, thin line, eyes icy. She took two slow steps towards the mutant, arched an eyebrow. "You think I couldn't kick your ass from here to Hell? I did it to my boyfriend. I could do it to you."
"Uh-oh, mate." Spike grinned at Logan. "You've made her mad."
"Buffy," Giles intervened, stepping between the mutant and the blonde girl. "Perhaps we should explain who we are and where we are from."
The blonde shrugged, stepped back, folded her arms over her chest. "Go ahead." She glanced at the tallest man, the bleached blonde and the stripe-haired young man. "Spike, Angel, Oz care to show yourselves, boys? Maybe then, Mister Skeptical here would believe us."
Immediately, three remarkable changes took place. The tallest of the triad and the blonde's faces seemed to shift shape, deep ridges of flesh rising above their eyes which had turned an eerie shade of gold, their teeth changing into ragged fangs.
The green and black-haired young man's appearance changed too, eyes darkening, thick fur springing up from his face, his eyes darkening to gleaming black orbs, his teeth also developing into fearsome-looking fangs.
Instinctively, the X-Men – except Xavier – recoiled, staring at things they had only believed to be fictional horror legends: vampires and werewolves. Almost immediately, they shifted back to their normal features.
"Believe us now?" Buffy asked sweetly. "We have two centennial vampires who know every style of fighting, including down and dirty street fighting." Spike grinned at that. "Seems that all vampires are born with a martial arts gene inside them." She allowed herself a small smile. "But mine is better."
"Cocky bitch." Spike muttered. "You're the bloody Slayer...if you were normal, you wouldn't have a chance in hell."
Buffy flashed a smile at him. "Wrong, Spike, dear. I lost my powers once and I still managed to kill an insane vampire." She risked a look at Logan. "You want to know my abilities? I've fought and killed hundreds of demons in the last three years. I've got superstrength and healing abilities that normal humans don't have, but I'm not a mutant. What do you have?"
Logan raised the back of his hand to her, balled a fist and smiled. "Just these." He replied pleasantly and popped his claws. Considering three blades of razor-sharp metal had sprung from his knuckles less than half an inch from her face, she reacted very well.
Tilting her head, she nodded. "Impressive. Still, nothing beats a good old-fashioned stake through the heart." She ran her finger up the blade, examining the quality of the metal. "I wouldn't mind a couple of knives made of that though – it would be useful for the demons with thick hides." She paused, threw a sweet look back at Spike. "Or vampires with thick skulls."
"So let me get this straight," Jean Grey rose, looking over the little group warily. "You're some kind of evil fighter, but you have vampires and werewolves on your team?"
Buffy grinned. "Maybe I should do the spiel. In every generation, there a Chosen One. She alone will stand against the demons, the vampires and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer. Lucky for me, Oz is house-trained and these vampires here aren't normal vampires."
"Hey!" Both Spike and Angel exclaimed indignantly.
Ignoring them, she explained. "Angel is the World's only vampire with a soul and Spike was stupid enough to get himself neutered by electricution." She frowned. "Don't quite known how that works, but it does."
"Watch it, luv. Just because I don't bite, it doesn't mean I'm bloody impotent."
"Touchy much?"
The brunette girl received an icy glare from the blonde. "Keep your soddin' mouth shut, or I'll do it for you."
"Cordelia, don't taunt the biteless wonder." The teen, Xander, admonished. His features carried a touch of the faithful puppy look: a dopey grin, big, soulful eyes and a mass of unruly dark hair. "It's just no fun when he can't fight back."
Giles cast a helpless glance in Xavier's direction. The mutant smothered a small smile. "I think," He said, leaning forward on the arms of his chair. "That perhaps we should discuss this in the morning. Mister Giles?"
"I agree." The other Englishman nodded, a look of relief flooding his face. Clearly the trip from California hadn't been full of fun. The bickering among the group of 'children' would have tried the patience of any parent. "Buffy, don't even think about touching that stake."
The blonde's hand fell away from the base of her back, her lip jutting out in a pout. "But he's being annoying." She gestured at the peroxide vampire, who stuck out his tongue and spun round to wiggle his rear at her in a most mature fashion.
"Yes." Giles blew out a sigh of frustration. "He's also harmless. You can't kill him." The vampire grinned widely, until Giles pointedly added. "Yet."
Chuckling softly, Xavier gestured Storm and Jean forward. "Can you find rooms for Miss Chase and Miss Summers?" He asked quietly. "Preferably somewhere near one another, if at all possible."
The two female mutants nodded. The Slayer and her brunette companion glanced at Giles, who nodded, inclined his head. They rolled their eyes, followed the two women out into the hallway, their heels clacking on the floor.
Scott was given similar orders, regarding the two vampires, the young werewolf and the teenager with them. Logan silently prowled out of the room after them, leaving Giles and Xavier in the massive room.
"Thank the Lord for that." The Watcher sank down in a seat, running his hands over his head tiredly. "I thought they would never shut up."
The eldest mutant nodded. "I can admit to knowing the same feeling." He smiled. "How would you like a cup of tea? Then we can discuss what we both know about the situation regarding Willow...or Electra, as she calls herself now."
"That sounds bloody marvellous." Wearily rubbing his eyes, Giles returned the smile.
*
Glancing at the three others sprawled around the room on cots and sofas, Spike grimaced. It was bad enough seeing them every day, but sharing a room wasn't his idea of fun at all. The wolf, he could bear, but the brunettes? Not a snowball's chance in Hell.
Having spent much of the journey from Sunnydale napping, he wasn't exactly the sleepiest member of the group. And after spending the night with Xander snoring next to him, he just wanted to have a break.
Carefully twisting the doorknob, he cautiously pulled the door open, slipped out into the deserted hall, leaving his three companions still safely tucked away in the land of nod. Shutting the door quietly, he exhaled a sigh. "I need a bloody fag."
The wood floors smooth against his bare feet, he stuck one hand in the pocket of his jeans, the other rubbing at his sleep-misted eyes. Muffling a yawn, he padded down the hall, glancing around for the stairs.
Footfalls reached his ears. Light. Feminine. A girl running lightly along the floor, as quietly as she could. He shook his head, yawned, rubbing his eyes with the heel of his hand as he turned a corner and abruptly collided with someone.
Caught off-balance, he managed to yelp before plummeting backwards, landing flat on his back with a warm, soft body on top of his. An abundance of dark brown and white hair fell over his face, two small hands spread on his chest.
"Bloody hell." He grunted, the back of his head connecting with the floor. The girl gasped, leapt off his swiftly, on her knees beside him, hands clutched to her chest. He shook his head, sat up, running his fingers through his sleep-tousled hair.
"I'm sorry." The girl whispered urgently. "Are you okay? I didn't hurt you, did I?"
Cocking a brow, he eyed her. Pretty little thing. Worry lines already starting to form around blue-grey eyes. Dark hair hung loose around her face, white streaks marring the almost-Dru-esque colouring. "I've got a bump the size of Texas on the back of me bloody skull." He pointed to it. "But apart from that, I'm just peachy."
"So I didn't...hurt you?" Looking him over - or checking him out, Spike grinned - she frowned, glancing down at her hands. "I don't get it. I *touched* you...and it didn't do anything? That's never happened before..."
"Oh, right!" A lightbulb went on in the vampire's head. "You're one of those mutant people, right, luv?"
She nodded suspiciously. "Why? Aren't you one?" He muffled a snort of laughter. "Who are you? Why are you here?"
Leaning forward on his knees, he gazed at her, one hand rising to cup her chin. "So many questions, little girl." He ran his thumb over her cheek. Large eyes seemed to grow larger, blinking at him mutely. "So many."
"I must know who you are." She managed to say, staring at him.
Leaning even closer, he smiled, tapped her on the tip of her nose. "Learn to live with disappointment." He advised her, rolling to his feet like a cat and continuing on his way down the hall, not even glancing back at the girl.
It seemed like forever until he found a flight of stairs, sliding down the bannister easily and dropping to his feet on the carpet at the bottom, but not before accidentally knocking a vase of a plinth at the end of the bannister.
"Whoops." He smirked, pulling open the door and stepping out into the open air, inhaling the scent of the night, his hands groping for his lighter and cigarettes. Walking out to the lawn, he lay back on the grass, inhaled a smoky drag from his cigarette and watched the clouds skimming across in front of the stars.
He never saw the small face watching him from one of the windows on the second floor of the mansion, blue-grey eyes filled with fascination and complete and utter bewilderment.
*
"Puh-lease! I'm so not flirting!"
"Uh-huh." Buffy smirked. "That's why your skirt length has suddenly gone from knee-length to thigh-length, huh?"
Hands on her hips, the brunette pursed her lips. "Just because I choose not to look skanky, like a certain Slayer around here I could mention, doesn't mean I like the guy in the shades." She paused, smirked. "Even if he is a hottie."
"Whatever." Buffy snorted, unrolling a small knapsack she had brought with her. The array of blades, stakes and other such sharp and pointy impliments looked suitably impressive and silence the brunette quickly.
Ever since Willow had disappeared from Sunnydale, Cordelia and Buffy had grown closer, in spite of the daily bitch-fests, Although Cordy would never take Willow's place for the Slayer, Buffy found that she had a reliable friend in the brunette and Cordelia, as much as it surprised her, could say the same of the blonde.
"What about that Logan guy, though?" Turning a knife over in her hands, hazel eyes met brown.
Sitting down on the bed beside the weapons, Cordelia crossed her legs delicately and pulled a face. "Gross! Too hairy. And those knife things in his hands? Ew! And that whole macho act? Puh-lease! He's probably gay but doesn't want to admit it."
"That's not what I meant." Buffy gave her companion a wry grin.
"Ooh!" The brunette's eyes widened. "You like him. You *like* like him!"
Blushing scarlet, Buffy shook her head. "No I don't!" She protested. "He's a jerk! A big, hairy jerk with really…neat claws."
"Don't tell me you didn't check him out." Cordelia eyed the blonde shrewdly. "He's all muscley and stuff...even though I do still say he's gay. All the best-looking ones are and I..." Trailing off, her blush matched the Slayers. "I didn't check him out!" She argued at the blonde's raised eyebrow. "I didn't!" She paused. "Okay, fine, I did, but that's not the point! The point is that *you* like *him*. Like-like, not let-kick-the-crap-out-of-each-other-like."
"I might wanna kick the crap out of him." Buffy mumbled, rolling her weapons pack back up.
"Or you might just want to wrestle with him." The gleeful brunette put in with a wide grin, her eyes dancing. "Minus clothing preferably."
"Cordy!"
"Deny it, then."
"Um..."
Cordelia smirked triumphantly. "You have the big, wrong lusty feelings for hairy guy. You saw him for what? Ten minutes last night and now you're all ooshy over him? Even when your ex-hunnie is with us?"
"Operative word being 'ex-hunnie'." The blonde noted dryly. "And I'm allowed to have lusty wrong feelings for whoever I like. Angel and I are just friends, which is why he lives in L.A. and I still hang around SunnyHell."
"Like he'd be interested in you anyway." The brunette pulled another face. "Sure, he's got that whole macho thing, but I bet he grunts and eats with his hands. He's all big and growly and drooly and ew."
"Not unlike Xander, then?" Buffy reminded the brunette with a sickeningly sweet smile.
A pillow sailed from the bed and smacked Buffy firmly across the face. The Slayer shrieked between giggles, retrieving the pillow from the floor and launching herself at the brunette, pummeling her mercilessly.
"Stoppit! Cordelia shrieked, slapping at the blonde's hands, wriggling furiously. "Let me change into something more Charlie's Angels!"
"You chose the slut-look." Buffy grinned evilly, whapping the other girl around the head with the pillow. "Live and learn, Cordy." The brunette released another shriek that faded off into hysterical giggles. "Live and learn!"
*
"Cordy! Stop!"
Angel tapped Xander on the shoulder. The brunette yelped, swung round, a guilty look on his face. "I wasn't listening to Buffy and Cordelia doing something that sounds naughty through the door, honest! You won't tell them will you?"
A guttural grunt from within the room seemed to distract the vampire. "I won't tell them if you won't." He flashed a wicked grin at the teen.
"Oh...aah! Dont touch that!" There was a low wail. "Buffy!"
"You touched mine first." Buffy's voice chastised her companion. What sounded like a bed frame started squeaking, the yelps, squeals and grunts from the room getting louder and louder by the minute. "Cor...c'mon!"
There was a chuckle "Can't make me."
A silence fell, both men glancing at each other, then the door swung inwards revealing Cordelia and Buffy standing there, stopping short and glancing at each other. "Uh...guys? What were you doing standing that close to the door?"
"It's...uh..." Xander shot a hopeful look at Angel.
"Nice wood." The vampire leaned in, tapped firmly on the panel, grinning feebly. "Smooth, full of...woody goodness."
"Yeah," Buffy nodded, grabbed Angel with one hand, ander with the other and slammed them back against the door. "You listen at our door again, and I'll show you how good the stakes are that I made from it."
Releasing both, she glanced at Cordelia. The other girl nodded, looped her arm through the Slayer's and they walked off down the hall.
"We are almost SO dead." Xander rubbed the back of his head with a wince.
"Nah." Angel grinned.
"Why? Cos Buffy would never kill her two bestest buds?" The vampire lifted his brow. "Apart from to send us to Hell? Oh God, we're going to die, aren't we?"
"Not if she uses that particular door." Angel ran his hand lovingly over the wood. "I don't think she could afford to pay ten thousand dollars for a replacement. We're safe as long as she doesn't have an off-shore bank account we don't know about."
There was a long silence. "Oh God, we're going to die!"
Oz emerged from the room across the hall, crooked a brow. "Relax, Xander. I'm thinking you might have been living too long on a Hellmouth."
"Buffy's going to kill us." Xander whimpered, grabbing the werewolf by the shoulders. "She gonna kill us with the door."
Oz nodded politely. "I'm sure she is." He agreed pleasantly. "But now, its time for eating, so if you want a last meal, I'm thinking that going to the dining room would be an idea of the good and stomach-filling kind."
Whimpering, Xander reluctantly followed vampire and werewolf down the hallway, forgetting about his impending death situation as the scent of cooked food wafted up the stairwell. "God, I'm hungry!"
"Kinda thought you'd say that."
Entering the dining room, the sunlight effeciently kept to a minimum, the triad received curious looks from some of the young mutants, immediately spotting Buffy and Cordelia in conversation with several of the girls at one table.
Giles was standing alongside Xavier, apparently talking with the head mutant. Spike, though, was sitting on his own near a window, sipping from a mug. He seemed to be the safest bet for a breakfast companion.
"Hey, blondie, where'd you disappear to?"
Blue eyes rose to the trio. "Went out for a fag to escape your snoring."
"I don't snore!" Xander protested.
Spike smirked, drained the contents of the mug and laid it down on the table. Leaning on his forearms, he batted his eyes up at the teen. "Well, it wasn't wolfboy. He growls. It wasn't poofter, cos he doesn't breath and it wasn't me." Checking on his fingers, he spread his hands in a shrug. "If it wasn't you, we have ourselves a ghost that snores."
"He has a point." Oz agreed.
"I'm going to get something to eat." Xander huffed petulantly, stomping away to the food carts and grabbing a plate. Oz followed, leaving the two vampires sitting in silence at the table, until Spike shot a glance across the room distractedly.
"Hey, poofwad, what do you think of humans?"
"What do you mean?" The blonde shrugged, his gaze wandering.The elder vampire followed, found the figure Spike was focussing on. She was sitting at the same table as the two girls and was sending equally furtive glances back in the peroxide vampire's direction. "Whose that?"
Another shrug was offered, Spike's finger running around the rim of the mug. "I bumped into her this morning." He said. "She's a nutty little thing."
"Mutant?"
"So she said." The blonde's nose wrinkled. "She said she shouldn't be able to touch me. She was bloody freaked that I didn't turn into a monkey, or go green or whatever happens when she touches humans."
He watched as the slender brunette got to her feet, made her way over to the Professor, bending to talk to him, pointing in Spike's direction. The blonde shifted uncomfortably as Xavier's calm gaze fell on him. He said something to the girl, then turned and wheeled out of the room, Giles leaving with him.
"And if that doesn't make you paranoid." The younger vampire drawled, getting to his feet slowly. "Nothing will." Turning, he thrust one hand into his pocket and stalked out of the dining room, pulling the door shut behind him.
*
Watching the strange, blonde man disappear out of the room, Rogue frowned. The blonde girl at the table seemed to catch the look. "So you've met Spike, huh?"
"Wh-what?"
"Blonde guy." The girl waved her fork in the direction of the door. "Would-be hottie with cheekbones to die for, blue eyes, black jeans, black t-shirt."
Forcing a smile, Rogue said. "I didn't know that was his name. I saw him this morning. I didn't get a chance to ask his name."
"Well," The girl speared a chunk of pancake, swirling it in the puddle of syrup at the side of her plate. "That's our Spike..." She paused, frowned. "Well, not *our* Spike, but we look after him for some reason." She chewed thoughtfully on the pancake. "But not by choice." She finally added, sipping some milk from her glass.
"He's a cutie." Kitty grinned. "How old is he?"
The blonde and brunette exchanged glances. "Uh...we're not sure." The brunette replied for the blonde. "I'm guessing way old, though. All the guys I've met in Sunnydale turn out to be way older than they look."
"Good answer." The blonde muttered, stabbing at her pancakes.
"You're here from Sunnydale?" Jubilee tilted her head curiously. "That's where Electra came from. Did you know her?"
"Electra?" The brunette glanced at the blonde. "Electra?" The blonde mouthed the word 'Willow', the brunette's eyes widening in understanding. "Oh, yeah! We knew Electra before she went all...mutanty." Propping her elbows on the table, she leaned forward. "There's something I've wanted to ask...does it hurt?"
Jubilee raised an eyebrow. "Does it hurt to be a mutant?" The girl nodded. "Not really. We're just the same as normal people, but with kinda special powers."
"Like fast healing and super strength?" Kitty nodded. The brunette turned to the blonde. "See! What did I tell you. You are a mutant! Its the only explanation...well, that and the Slayer stuff, but does that mean Slayers are mutant...ow!"
The blonde smiled sweetly at the brunette. "I think You talk too much, Cor." She said, her tone softly threatening. She looked up as the older Englishman approached the table. "Giles! Come, meet people! Stop Cor from making a fool of herself."
"The Professor actually asked me to come and get the girl called Rogue." He turned gentle green eyes to the young mutant. "He wants to see you in his office." She nodded, got to her feet hastily. "And Buffy, tell Angel that the Professor wants to see him there too."
"Yes, sir, Boss sir." The blonde pouted, got to her feet and stomped off across the dining room to the tall, dark, broody-looking man at the same table as the green- and black-stripe haired young man.
Taking advantage of the blonde's absense, Jubilee leaned forward. "So, Cor," She murmured conspiratorially. "What's a Slayer?"
*
"I don't see what the bloody fuss is about." Pacing back and forth across the floor, the blonde vampire shot a glare in Giles' direction. "You drag me along on a wild goose chase to find the witch and she isn't even here."
Green eyes met blue coolly. "Bear in mind who keeps you supplied with food, shelter and protection from the rest of your kind."
"Oh yeah, you're just so bloody wonderful!" Shooting a glare at the Professor, the blonde snorted. "And would you stop bloody staring at me. I know I'm nummy eye-candy, but you're not my type, mate." He prowled towards the door.
"What about Cecilly?"
The vampire froze. "What?"
"Cecilly."
Blue eyes swivelled to the Professor. He lifted a finger to his temple, shook his head. "You can't be readin' my mind. The poofball says its impossible, that the thoughts are like the reflection. They don't show up, or some crap like that."
"It all depends on the abilities of the telepath." He heard the voice in his mind, the Professor's lips motionless.
"Stop that!" Clamping his hands over his ears, the vampire shook his head again. "S'bloody weird as hell when you do that." He turned, stalked back to the seat. "Right, so you got my attention, mate. What do you want with me?"
He gestured to the girl sitting quietly alongside the vampire, as the door opened, the tall figure of Angel entering. "I want to test a theory."
"So I'm a soddin' guinea pig again? Bloody brilliant."
"Spike, shut up."
The Professor chuckled. "Let me explains, Spike. Rogue, here, has a unique power. Any time she touches her skin to the flesh of another living being, she draws from their life force, their powers, their memories. She touched you this morning and yet, nothing happened."
"S'obvious, innit?" The vampire glanced at the girl with renewed interest. "She can't suck the lifeforce from me cos I'm already dead."
"That's what I originally thought." The Professor agreed. "But I wanted to check. Could you remove your gloves, Rogue?" The girl complied. "Would you mind taking her hands in yours, William?"
The vampire shot a glare at the eldest of the mutants. "Well, why don't I just snog the bloody chit while I'm at it?" Still, he took her hands in his, held them for a moment, meeting her eyes with a wry grin. "There. Touched her. Not dead. Am I done?"
"One moment." Gesturing the elder vampire forward, Xavier smiled. "Rogue, try this one."
The girl got to her feet, nervously extended her hands. Angel's fingers wrapped around hers and they stood, motionless, for less than a heartbeat, then Angel's head snapped back. He inhaled a sharp breath, stumbling back a step.
Rogue dropped his hands, backstepped. The dark vampire collided with the wall, gasping. He body jerked, his true features surfacing, eyes burning as he sank into unconsciousness.
Only then, did the girl start to scream.
