Disclaimer: Not mine, Marvel's
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Rogue had abandoned her usual perch on the roof for a quiet field. She settled herself into a lotus position, straightened her shoulders and took a deep breath. She tried to focus her mind as Wolverine had taught her, but the voices kept coming through. Hundreds of voices. The voices of everyone she had ever touched. It was becoming increasingly difficult to bottle them up lately. She was afraid that her powers were changing. Evolving, as Hank's had done. But evolving into what? She didn't know, she didn't want to know. Deep down she wished she could be rid of them and call it a day. No more gloves, no more long sleeves in the middle of summer, no more fear. Just freedom...
"Hey darlin'."
"Hi, Logan."
"Interesting new mutant we got."
"You noticed too..."
"Don't let her get under yer skin. If the Cajun wants to play with fire, let 'em get burned."
"It's not just that. We don't know anything about her. She jus' showed up one day, 'Here Ah am' and now she's part o' the team. Why would the Professor do that?"
"I can remember a young mutant who showed up unannounced on our doorstep a few years ago. We weren't too happy then, but look at things now."
Rogue looked up at Logan, a very funny thing for her to have to do considering she was a good head taller than him when she stood.
"All I'm sayin' is give the girl a chance. You never know an' I got a feelin' this ain't what's really botherin' you, is it?"
She shook her head. "No, sumthin's happenin' to me Wolverine. Ah'm not real sure what, but it scares the hell outta me."
Logan placed a hand on her shoulder and Rogue gave a slight grimmace. He frowned. "Come on girl, let's go talk to the Prof. Maybe he can shed some light on this."
Rogue nodded and brushed Logan's hand off her. She stared at where it had been for a moment, remembering the slight sting it had caused when he put it there. She shrugged it off as static electricity and got up to her feet and together, they walked back to the mansion.
Professor Charles Xavier listened intently as one of his most troubled students recounted the dreams she had been having and the nagging feeling that her powers would soon be more than she could handle. His office was empty of other students. It was just the two of them. Outside the door, he could hear his younger students talking in the hallways about class and plans for the evening. With is mind, he could hear the thoughts of every student. He was a telepath. Arguable, the most powerful telepath on the plane, but for all his power, he feared that he couldn't help this one student in a desperate time of need.
Rogue had been struggling with her powers for years and to no avail. She could bottle up the voices of those she absorbed, but she couldn't touch someone with her bare skin without the risk of putting them inot a coma, or worse, killing them. Now she feared her powers were changing for the worse. Of course he would try to help her in any way that he could. But how? He couldn't help her control her powers now. He could only help her keep the voices from becoming so loud that she lost all sanity. Now, more than ever, he had to find a way to help her.
"Well, professor?" she asked.
He paused in thought for several moments. "First we need to determine if your powers are indeed mutating. I would like Dr. McCoy to have a look at you, run some tests."
Rogue nodded and dropped her head, letting out a long sigh.
"I know you and the others are wary of me, Rogue."
Her head popped up with a startled expression on her face.
"It's understandable with everything that has happened. From Psylocke's death to Casondra Nova. I'm sure you all have your reasons for secrecy and I will respect that. But I want you to understand that I will do everything possible to help you now. If your powers are truly growing, then we must determine the cause and stunt it if at all possible."
She stared at him for a few moments and nodded again. As she turned to leave, she could feel Xavier's eyes boring into the back of her skull. She glanced back briefly and saw a genuine look of concern on his face. Yes, he did want to help, but she still couldn't let him know about their search for the diaries. They had no idea what his motives were there, which stabbed at her heart because he had done so much for her and many others. Maybe, someday...but that was another day. Now she had to straighten herself out.
"And there you have it Andrea, these are the medical facilities for the school. If you have any questions about anything, don't hesitate to ask."
"No problem, 'Enry, I appreciate it." Andrea Norwood turned to leave, but was met on the way by a very digruntled brunette with a white streak down one side of her face. "Rogue, right?"
Rogue stared at her.
"Umm, right, I was just leaving." Andrea edged nervously around Rogue and all but sprinted to the elevator that would take her to the living areas upstairs.
"You don't like her?"
"Not really doc," she replied, "but Ah'm not here to discuss mah social life."
He nodded. "Very true my dear. Well, let's have a look at you." he said as he gestured to one of the tables.
Doctor Henry McCoy could have been any doctor you met when you went for your yearly checkup except for the fact that he was a giant, bipedal, 600lb, furry blue feline. This seemed not to bother Rogue in the least as she heaved herself ontop of the indicated table and idly kicked her legs.
"I'd like to run some blood tests and take a look at your DNA," he began, "but first, let's see if you check out physically."
"Ahlright, poke an' prod away, Doc."
"I would hardly call it poking and proding, Rogue. More like, examining the social life of you anatomy."
Rogue smiled at Beast's bio-humor. He did try.
"Now open up and say 'ahh'," he said as he placed a tongue depressor in her mouth. "Well, as I expected, dark and cavernous." He did a few other tests and smiled. "As far as I can tell, there's nothing wrong with you physically, but there are a few other thests I need to run."
She nodded.
"Now, just role up your sleeves and I'll get a blood sample."
Rogue did as he asked, but when he reached to touch the needle to her skin, she pulled back with a yelp. Beast was, needless to say, perplexed.
"I have..." he began.
"You dip those gloves in acid or sumthin' Blue Boy?"
Hank stared back incredibly. "I have no idea what you're talking about Rogue."
"That stung the devil outta me!"
"Hmm," he replied. "This is more complicated than I had imagined."
"Ya think?"
"Have you experienced this before?"
"No," she began, "wait, that's wrong. I have. Earlier today, Logan put his hand on mah shoulder, but then it was just a pinprick."
"I see, I'm going to give you some pain killers to ease the sensation. We'll try to get a sample in about an hour. Agreed?"
Rogue nodded solemnly. This was turning out to be worse than she imagined. If indeed her powers were growing, she didn't want to think into what.
An hour came and went and the sample was taken, but it would be a while before McCoy had anything. As long as a couple of days he had told her. A couple of days, she thought. What would her powers be by then? Once again, she didn't want to entertain the idea. Until Beast found an answer, she vowed to keep to herself. She didn't like the thought of being in pain everytime she touched another person. It was bad enough she risked killing them everytime she touched them. She really didn't need this.
Later, that same day, at a nearby shelter, a group of armed men crept through the shadows outside the ground floor entrance. This was no normal shelter, no. Not any shelter for animals, or the homeless, or even battered women. It was a shelter for mutants. Mutants who had no where to go. They had run away, were kicked out or driven away. It didn't matter, to these men. A mutant was a mutant, and the only good mutant, was a dead one. This, however, was not to be just any wholesale mutant slaughter. It was to be a message to all who were or supported mutants. This peaceful coexistance crap started by Charles Xavier was enough. A statement had to be made. A statement that said that humans weren't going to stand aside while filthy mutant freaks took control. There was only way to do that. The only way to see their message was heard. That way was television. Yes, they would hold these children hostage to gather news crews under the pretense of making demands and then slaughter them all in front of the cameras for the whole world to see. It would be beautiful....
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Okay, don't get used to stuff this long. I just had a real spurt in me for this chapter. It needed to be long. So, go review now.
A few facts from the actual books. Psylocke fought and was killed by the assasin Vargas in X-treme X-men 2 and 3.
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Rogue had abandoned her usual perch on the roof for a quiet field. She settled herself into a lotus position, straightened her shoulders and took a deep breath. She tried to focus her mind as Wolverine had taught her, but the voices kept coming through. Hundreds of voices. The voices of everyone she had ever touched. It was becoming increasingly difficult to bottle them up lately. She was afraid that her powers were changing. Evolving, as Hank's had done. But evolving into what? She didn't know, she didn't want to know. Deep down she wished she could be rid of them and call it a day. No more gloves, no more long sleeves in the middle of summer, no more fear. Just freedom...
"Hey darlin'."
"Hi, Logan."
"Interesting new mutant we got."
"You noticed too..."
"Don't let her get under yer skin. If the Cajun wants to play with fire, let 'em get burned."
"It's not just that. We don't know anything about her. She jus' showed up one day, 'Here Ah am' and now she's part o' the team. Why would the Professor do that?"
"I can remember a young mutant who showed up unannounced on our doorstep a few years ago. We weren't too happy then, but look at things now."
Rogue looked up at Logan, a very funny thing for her to have to do considering she was a good head taller than him when she stood.
"All I'm sayin' is give the girl a chance. You never know an' I got a feelin' this ain't what's really botherin' you, is it?"
She shook her head. "No, sumthin's happenin' to me Wolverine. Ah'm not real sure what, but it scares the hell outta me."
Logan placed a hand on her shoulder and Rogue gave a slight grimmace. He frowned. "Come on girl, let's go talk to the Prof. Maybe he can shed some light on this."
Rogue nodded and brushed Logan's hand off her. She stared at where it had been for a moment, remembering the slight sting it had caused when he put it there. She shrugged it off as static electricity and got up to her feet and together, they walked back to the mansion.
Professor Charles Xavier listened intently as one of his most troubled students recounted the dreams she had been having and the nagging feeling that her powers would soon be more than she could handle. His office was empty of other students. It was just the two of them. Outside the door, he could hear his younger students talking in the hallways about class and plans for the evening. With is mind, he could hear the thoughts of every student. He was a telepath. Arguable, the most powerful telepath on the plane, but for all his power, he feared that he couldn't help this one student in a desperate time of need.
Rogue had been struggling with her powers for years and to no avail. She could bottle up the voices of those she absorbed, but she couldn't touch someone with her bare skin without the risk of putting them inot a coma, or worse, killing them. Now she feared her powers were changing for the worse. Of course he would try to help her in any way that he could. But how? He couldn't help her control her powers now. He could only help her keep the voices from becoming so loud that she lost all sanity. Now, more than ever, he had to find a way to help her.
"Well, professor?" she asked.
He paused in thought for several moments. "First we need to determine if your powers are indeed mutating. I would like Dr. McCoy to have a look at you, run some tests."
Rogue nodded and dropped her head, letting out a long sigh.
"I know you and the others are wary of me, Rogue."
Her head popped up with a startled expression on her face.
"It's understandable with everything that has happened. From Psylocke's death to Casondra Nova. I'm sure you all have your reasons for secrecy and I will respect that. But I want you to understand that I will do everything possible to help you now. If your powers are truly growing, then we must determine the cause and stunt it if at all possible."
She stared at him for a few moments and nodded again. As she turned to leave, she could feel Xavier's eyes boring into the back of her skull. She glanced back briefly and saw a genuine look of concern on his face. Yes, he did want to help, but she still couldn't let him know about their search for the diaries. They had no idea what his motives were there, which stabbed at her heart because he had done so much for her and many others. Maybe, someday...but that was another day. Now she had to straighten herself out.
"And there you have it Andrea, these are the medical facilities for the school. If you have any questions about anything, don't hesitate to ask."
"No problem, 'Enry, I appreciate it." Andrea Norwood turned to leave, but was met on the way by a very digruntled brunette with a white streak down one side of her face. "Rogue, right?"
Rogue stared at her.
"Umm, right, I was just leaving." Andrea edged nervously around Rogue and all but sprinted to the elevator that would take her to the living areas upstairs.
"You don't like her?"
"Not really doc," she replied, "but Ah'm not here to discuss mah social life."
He nodded. "Very true my dear. Well, let's have a look at you." he said as he gestured to one of the tables.
Doctor Henry McCoy could have been any doctor you met when you went for your yearly checkup except for the fact that he was a giant, bipedal, 600lb, furry blue feline. This seemed not to bother Rogue in the least as she heaved herself ontop of the indicated table and idly kicked her legs.
"I'd like to run some blood tests and take a look at your DNA," he began, "but first, let's see if you check out physically."
"Ahlright, poke an' prod away, Doc."
"I would hardly call it poking and proding, Rogue. More like, examining the social life of you anatomy."
Rogue smiled at Beast's bio-humor. He did try.
"Now open up and say 'ahh'," he said as he placed a tongue depressor in her mouth. "Well, as I expected, dark and cavernous." He did a few other tests and smiled. "As far as I can tell, there's nothing wrong with you physically, but there are a few other thests I need to run."
She nodded.
"Now, just role up your sleeves and I'll get a blood sample."
Rogue did as he asked, but when he reached to touch the needle to her skin, she pulled back with a yelp. Beast was, needless to say, perplexed.
"I have..." he began.
"You dip those gloves in acid or sumthin' Blue Boy?"
Hank stared back incredibly. "I have no idea what you're talking about Rogue."
"That stung the devil outta me!"
"Hmm," he replied. "This is more complicated than I had imagined."
"Ya think?"
"Have you experienced this before?"
"No," she began, "wait, that's wrong. I have. Earlier today, Logan put his hand on mah shoulder, but then it was just a pinprick."
"I see, I'm going to give you some pain killers to ease the sensation. We'll try to get a sample in about an hour. Agreed?"
Rogue nodded solemnly. This was turning out to be worse than she imagined. If indeed her powers were growing, she didn't want to think into what.
An hour came and went and the sample was taken, but it would be a while before McCoy had anything. As long as a couple of days he had told her. A couple of days, she thought. What would her powers be by then? Once again, she didn't want to entertain the idea. Until Beast found an answer, she vowed to keep to herself. She didn't like the thought of being in pain everytime she touched another person. It was bad enough she risked killing them everytime she touched them. She really didn't need this.
Later, that same day, at a nearby shelter, a group of armed men crept through the shadows outside the ground floor entrance. This was no normal shelter, no. Not any shelter for animals, or the homeless, or even battered women. It was a shelter for mutants. Mutants who had no where to go. They had run away, were kicked out or driven away. It didn't matter, to these men. A mutant was a mutant, and the only good mutant, was a dead one. This, however, was not to be just any wholesale mutant slaughter. It was to be a message to all who were or supported mutants. This peaceful coexistance crap started by Charles Xavier was enough. A statement had to be made. A statement that said that humans weren't going to stand aside while filthy mutant freaks took control. There was only way to do that. The only way to see their message was heard. That way was television. Yes, they would hold these children hostage to gather news crews under the pretense of making demands and then slaughter them all in front of the cameras for the whole world to see. It would be beautiful....
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Okay, don't get used to stuff this long. I just had a real spurt in me for this chapter. It needed to be long. So, go review now.
A few facts from the actual books. Psylocke fought and was killed by the assasin Vargas in X-treme X-men 2 and 3.