Logan finished his coffee and picked up a newspaper. The police were giving the starving media dogs a story about the mall's collapse. Weakened structure, water damage, it went on. Storm glided silently into the kitchen.
"The professor would like you to go and search for evidence." She said calmly. Logan grunted a reply. He set down the paper and put on his jacket.
Where the mall once stood trucks were now carrying away the rubble. Logan slipped in and out of the remains, searching for a clue. He ignored the scraps and went straight to the base of the building. His hands ran along the supports and he examined everything he could find. Logan found something odd, there were no cracks from water or weakened structure. In fact, it looked as if the entire building had fallen from being hit from the outside. Logan hit his communicator.
"Chuck, we got a problem."
Danny sat in class. In front of him Pietro was mimicking the teacher who was becoming very frustrated.
"Mr. Maximoff!" he snapped. "For the sake of your classmates shut your mouth and sit down!" Danny laughed, as well as the rest of the class.
"What's so funny yo?" Todd asked, waking up from his nap. The teacher threw his hands up in the air. "Shut up and stay in your seats! I am going to the office to make copies of your pop quiz!" he stormed out of the room. Todd laughed and leapt into the air, he landed with a crash on the teacher's desk. Danny pulled out a piece of paper and began to write. Todd was still leaping around the classroom when he thumped onto the desk behind Danny. He snatched the piece of paper with his tongue.
"Give that back!" Danny shouted standing up. Todd hopped away.
"Ooh, a love note yo!" he said gleefully. "Hey Pietro, look at this, he's writing to Rogue!" Pietro zipped by and stole the note from his comrade.
"You guys know Rogue?" Danny asked stopping his mad chase after Toad.
"Know her?" Todd said. "She lived with us, but she spent every night in my room." He grinned. Pietro slapped him on the head.
"You wish." He said.
"Rogue used to live with you?" Danny asked. "Why?"
"Cause she's a mut-" Todd began to say but Pietro clamped a hand over his mouth.
"We have some things in common." He said.
"Like what?" Danny asked stepping closer to the speed demon. "You guys are mutants." He said plainly.
"You got a problem with that?" Toad asked indignantly. Danny stepped back as Todd shoved his face into Danny's.
"No, I think it's kinda cool actually." He said.
"Good." Pietro said. "Cause Rogue's a mutie too." Danny sat down silently.
"Forget her yo, you wont be able to score." Todd said cheerfully.
"I don't care about that." Danny said, Pietro shook his head.
"No man, you wont even be able to kiss her." He said. "Cause if ya do you aint waking up."
"What do you mean?" Danny asked, his disappointment showing through.
"That's her mutation yo, she can never touch anyone without hurtin' em."
Danny looked up at Pietro. The silver haired boy nodded his head.
"Don't worry man, hang with me, I always got girls on me." He said smoothing down his hair. "Come to lunch with us today and I'll show you how its done." He handed Danny back the note. When class let out Danny crumpled up the letter and threw it away.
Rogue sat alone at the table. Danny was supposed to meet her here. About ten minutes ago…. She got up and shoved her lunch tray into the trash. Jackass. She was about to walk out of the courtyard when she heard a familiar voice.
"Rogue!" Danny was running up behind her. "I'm so sorry I'm late, I had to stay after class to talk to a teacher." He panted. Rogue looked at him, and for a moment he thought she would see through his lie that he had actually been hanging out with Pietro. But apparently she missed it. Danny tried to put his arm around her shoulder but she shrugged it off.
"Its okay Rogue, I know about you." He said quietly. She spun around.
"Who told you?" she asked angrily.
"Calm down its okay, I heard someone in class talking about you." Danny said putting his arm back on her shoulder.
"Was it Matt?" she asked, almost hoping that Matt had tried to scare him off, it made her feel cared about, something strange to her. Danny lifted an eyebrow.
"No, it wasn't Matt." Danny sighed. "You know I don't think he likes me." He said.
"He's just a little over protective, nothing to worry about." She mumbled.
"Well at least you don't have to see him all day or live with him or anything like that." He laughed, easing away the tension.
"Yeah. Its not like I have to live with him." She echoed. Danny slid an arm around her waist. He spoke into her ear and she laughed. Matt glared at Danny from around the corner. His hand went out and a rock hit Danny under the foot as he was walking. Matt smiled as the black haired boy tripped but quickly regained his composure.
Matt and Tabby sat in the T.V. room as Evan and Ray flipped channels. Rahne lay on the floor sniffing the smells on the carpet. Occasionally her tail would wag when they flipped past Animal Planet. Tabby was laying on the couch, her head resting on Matt, he ran his hands through her hair but all he could think about was how much he wanted to hurt Danny.
I should be happy for her, if he makes her happy it should be okay. He thought to himself. But he kept seeing Danny put his arm around Rogue, and he saw him hurting her. Although Danny had done nothing to harm Rogue Matt's subconscious wanted to believe that he would, so Matt could rush in and save her. Matt shook his head.
If he makes her happy…. He thought, trying to get the thoughts from his mind. He looked down at Tabby and kissed her, trying to keep her in his head, and to push Rogue away. She leaned upward and kissed him back, pleased with all the attention they were getting from the other people in the room. Rahne made a whine of annoyance.
"Get a room guys." Evan said.
"If you insist." Tabby said bouncing off the couch and dragging Matt behind her. Boom Boom dragged him all the way up to her bedroom and pushed him onto the bed.
"Come on Teke." She said wrestling around. He calmly held her back with no hands and kissed her forehead.
"Are you this much trouble all the time?" he asked. She nodded.
Logan sat with Xavier in his office. Ororo was there as well sitting placidly on the couch.
"So there was no internal structural damage?" Xavier asked. Logan nodded.
"It was as if it had been hit from the outside, but there were no reports about anything. The damn thing just collapsed out of nowhere."
"Are you sure Avalanche wasn't a possibility?" Storm asked. Xavier nodded.
"Kurt saw him at a fast food restaurant with the rest of the Brotherhood." Xavier said, rubbing his temples. Logan spoke up.
"Can you run a scan to pick up mutant brainwaves that were near the hall that day?" he asked.
"I suppose I could." The professor said. "Why?"
"Just a hunch." Logan said leaving the room.
Rogue sat with Danny in the park. She could feel the sun warming her. Danny was strangely silent.
"If Ah bother you go ahead and leave." Rogue said quietly. Danny turned to her.
"Why would I want to do that?" he asked. Rogue pulled a strand of ashen hair from her face.
"You can go find friends that you can touch." She said. "Ah can't even shake your hand." Danny exhaled.
"Rogue, will you go out with me?"
Matt stalked angrily out of his room. Kitty had just spread the word of Rogue's new relationship. The Rage in Matt's body burned through his blood and tore through his mind. If Danny so much as harmed a hair on her head……
Matt, the peaceful, laid back, easy going guy was now fuming. As he walked down the halls things began to jump in the air. Jean cam out of her room and stopped in front of him. She put her hands on his shoulders.
"Matt, calm down." She said soothingly. Matt tried to ignore her but she kept on.
"Matt listen to me, let this go." Matt kissed her on the head.
"Thanks Red." He said. But his anger still ran strong.
As Matt pulled into the parking lot he nearly ripped the emergency brake from the X-Jeep. He stalked into the building and waited by Danny's locker. As the other man approached Matt glared at him and unknowingly flexed his arm muscles. Danny frowned when he saw him.
"You hurt her and I will hunt you down." He growled. Danny showed his temper for the first time.
"Its none of your goddamned business." He said. Matt turned to walk away. "And if you're interested, hurting Rogue isn't on my agenda."
Matt strode down the hallway. He slowly regained his composure. Damnit! How could I let myself lose control like that! He cursed himself. He sat down in his desk and hit his head on its surface. Now she will never talk to me.
Danny was pissed now, how was he supposed to be with Rogue if Matt kept getting in the way. The metal on his locker began to screech in protest as it crumpled in on itself.
Rogue walked to class, depression was eating at her consciousness. She was happy that she had Danny, of course she should be, right? She pushed the thoughts to he side of her head and continued down the hall.
In another wing on the school Tabby sat in her desk. Pietro was next to her. They wasted no time with class but used the time to flirt until the bell rang. Tabby teasingly ran a hand over Pietro's leg. He smoothed down his white hair and smiled.