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Warren watched the red beams die down as Scott moved his fingers away from his visor. The screen hung over their heads, completely still. Waiting.
Glancing to his left, Warren saw Rogue nearing, her still golden eyes set against a grim expression.
"Rogue?" Scott asked.
She didn't answer, but stopped a few yards away, gesturing with a small hand. The screen moved down again, slowly, controlled.
Warren, Scott, there's a balcony below you. Xavier's voice was distant, almost weak. Try to wait there.
Glancing quickly back at Rogue's flat stare, Warren gave Scott a nervous look. I don't know if we'll get a chance do that.
I'm going to try to probe her mind again. But I'll scan lightly this time. If there's still a backlash, she might pass out from the mental shock. I need you to be free to catch her, Warren.
Are you sure about this, Professor? Scott asked. What if the shock causes permanent damage to Rogue's mind?
There was a long silence on the other end. I'm not sure about this at all. But we have to do something to keep Magneto from gaining permanent control in Rogue's mind.
Permanent control? Warren shook his head in disbelief. How can that happen? It's Rogue's brain.
Magneto has mental defenses far stronger than what Rogue has learned so far. I'm not certain myself what some of those defenses are, where he's learned them, how he maintains them. Xavier's voice was quiet and strained. But a majority of Magneto's power has drained from her body. His mental influence should have likewise diminished, so it should be easier to probe her this time. Another pause. I'll be scanning lightly. Just skipping gently across the surface of her mind to find an entrance somewhere, a crack in Magneto's shield that could gain me access into Rogue's psyche. If I probe softly, it shouldn't provoke a strong backlash the way my first scan did. Magneto shouldn't even be able to notice this one.
The technical terms still evaded him, but Warren could clearly make out the doubt seeping through Xavier's mental voice. Fighting a surge of panic at the realization that even Xavier didn't quite know what the hell he was doing, Warren looked at Scott again, but the younger boy had turned his gaze back to the descending screen.
"Wait, something—" Scott stopped, frowning as he looked at Rogue. Her attention was completely on the screen now.
Scott, Warren, be ready.
"No! Wait!" Scott cried. "Take us nearer."
His eyes widening, Warren opened his mouth to protest, but Scott cut him off.
"Just do it."
Scott, what—
Remember when Jean's power went out of control, Professor? You said she needed something to focus on. Maybe I can try with Rogue what I did with Jean.
But this is not about Rogue's powers spiraling out of control. This is about her being under control.
Warren saw the boy's jaw clench.
"I know," Scott said. "But I have to try."
Scott—
"Just let me try."
Warren heard something like a tired, defeated sigh flow through the link.
Be careful.
Scott looked at Warren expectantly. Warren wanted to ask about Jean, and focus, and whatever it was that Scott had done there that made him think he could try it now with Rogue. He wanted to ask if Scott knew what the hell he was doing any more than Xavier did.
But since Warren could think of no better solution himself, he kept his mouth shut and slowly flew them higher.
Rogue's face turned to them, staring out with Magneto's eyes.
Warren looked at Scott.
"Rogue." Scott's voice was low with pleading. "Rogue, if you can hear me, focus on my voice."
Magneto's eyes blinked at them. The screen started to waver.
"Rogue, listen, fight him. You can do it. I know you can. You did it last week, remember? You chased him off."
Warren kept his eyes doubtfully on the now shaking screen.
"You're a fighter, Rogue, and you know it. You've kicked everyone's ass on the team in hand to hand. You lived with the Brotherhood, you took out Sabertooth, you have nightmares about Mystique that you keep all to yourself. You're the strongest person I know, Rogue. With or without powers. You can beat Magneto."
The gold eyes gazed at him blankly.
Warren saw desperation and panic cross the younger boy's face.
"Please, Rogue, don't give up," Scott was begging now. "You can't give up. I—We can't lose you."
The screen shook in the air, dropped. Warren cursed and moved away, but the screen slowed a second later, moving to the side a little, descending steadily until it rested gently on the rooftop of a building nearby.
He heard someone exhale deeply. Looking up, he found the gold eyes regarding Scott again, but now Warren saw reflected in those glowing orbs exhaustion, exasperation, and something else he couldn't quite place.
"You sure know how to distract a girl, Summers," came the tired, familiar voice.
