Disclaimer: Marvel's
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"Well," Beast began, "both ladies are as close to stable as I can get them."
Everyone in the waiting room tensed.
"How bad is it, Henri?" Gambit asked hesitantly.
Beast sighed and slumped his shoulders. "Andrea has serious cranial damage. There was some fluid build up that put pressure on her brain, but it has been relieved. If she survives, there is a strong probability of brain damage."
"If?" Scott inquired.
"Her injuries are substantial. I've done everything I can for her. The rest is up to her."
Beast watched as each person slowly absorbed this new information.
Gambit spoke again, "An' Rogue?"
Once again, Beast sighed, "She is currently comatose."
Gambit inhaled sharply and gripped the arms of his chair tightly.
"She may come out of it and she may not. Only time will tell. All I can do is make sure they're comfortable and care for them. The rest is out of my hands."
"You better hope that snake skinned bitch dies, Dr. McCoy," Donnie seethed, "or I will personally see to it that nature takes its course."
"Now, Donnie, we've been expecting an accident like this to happen, we just didn't know how or when. It could have been anyone of us."
Donnie had been staring at the floor, but now lifted her gaze to meet McCoy's eyes. Her stare was harsh and cruel. She shook her head and turned to leave the room. Logan caught her by the arm.
"Where ya goin' darlin'?"
"The Danger Room, to let off some steam."
"Then yer stayin'?"
"Yes," she paused, "I have a promise to keep."
Logan turned back to Dr. McCoy. "You said you'd been expecting this for a while? You knew this might happen an' you didn't tell any of us?"
"I did not want Rogue to be anymore estranged from the rest of you than she already was. I thought it was for the best. I was wrong, I'm sorry."
"No, those two never got along. It just would've provoked Andrea into attacking her sooner."
Beast nodded and turned back to the medbay.
"Henri..."
He stopped.
"I was wonderin' if I might be able to sit wit' her, in case she wake up, oui?"
Hank allowed himself a small smile. He knew it was hopeless, but he would let the Cajun have his hope. "Of course," he nodded.
Gambit followed Beast into the Medbay while the remaining X-men filtered out of the waiting room and off to other things to take their minds off of the two women hanging by a thread. Logan decided to visit Donnie in the Danger Room.
Logan entered the Danger Room and was almost blown away by the sound. Donnie was playing very loud and obnoxious music to her workout. All of her motions were in beat with the driving techno. It was a beautiful and fluid sword dance. Logan admired her for several moments.
She wore a pair of bike shorts and a sports bra to show off her fit form. The tiny scars that were on her body when she arrived had disappeared. There were still faint traces of the burn on her shoulder and the gunshot wound was a pale white mark on her abdomen. He walked towards her until he was right behind her.
"Who gave you that?"
She spun around abruptly, stopping milimeters away from slicing Logan up the middle. She looked at him blankly.
"Who gave you that burn scar?" he asked again, indicating the mark on her left shoulder.
She lifted her hand up to the old wound absently, anger flashed across her face. "I don't remember."
"You remember enough to be angry 'bout it."
She shrugged, "Habit."
At that moment, Jean and Scott walked in, obviously with the same intentions as Logan and Donnie: To lose their anxieties in the fast paces of training. Donnie had gone back to her sword dance and Logan went for a Katana to join her. Suddenly, Jean screamed and Donnie dropped her sword, rushing over to her. Instead of comforting her, Donnie grabbed Jean by the throat and slamed her against the wall.
"You went into my mind...Why?" Donnie demanded.
"I'm sorry!" Jean gasped, half in fear, the other half in desperation. "Your mind was open, I just glanced..." Her eyes were full of panic.
"Despite Xavier's warnings???"
"I'm sorry!!" she wailed.
"As you should be. You took something from my mind. What was it?"
"I...can't...I don't know."
"You do know! What was it?"
By this time, both Logan and Scott were trying to pull Donnie away from Jean.
"Donnie, that's enough," Logan ordered.
"Please, it was a slip up, let my wife go! Please!" Scott begged, but Donnie only tightened her grip. Scott gave up and called for help at the comm.
"This is an ememergency! Donnie is out of control!" Logan could hear scufflings from the higher levels of the mansion. Would they come fast enough.
"Jeannie! Use your telekinesis!" Logan commanded her.
This only seemed to provoke her fear, making her scream again.
"What did you take?" Donnie demanded again.
Jean finally caved, "One word..." she gasped, "father..."
Donnie dropped Jean into a heap on the floor and stepped back, a look of horror on her face. Jean had begun to shake uncontrollably, muttering to herself. Donnie clutched at her chest and fell to her knees, rocking back and forth, "he's dead, he's dead!" she began saying, over and over again. The mantra became louder and louder until it built to a banshee wail. Her back arched and a tiny black ball of energy formed over her abdomen and grew gradually until it enveloped her completely. By now, most of the X-men had come to the Danger Room. They all stared in awe, unsure of who to help first. Several minutes passed and black ball remained. Donnie could no longer be see through its field. Jean was now huddled up against Scott, crying and shaking, every now and then letting out a loud sob, breaking the silence. Two minutes passed, still nothing, five minutes, Nightcrawler approached the sphere that contained Donnie's form.
"No Kurt!" Xavier warned, "we have no idea what that is. That could kill her or you or both!" Kurt backed away.
Ten minutes passed and finally the field began to break and Donnie dropped onto the floor. She was covered in tiny bruises and lacerations. They were all across her face and limbs and body. Her eyes and nose were bleeding. She was also a light shade of blue, as if partially frozen. Logan took his jacket and placed it over her shoulders.
"Can you stand?"
She looked at him strangely, as if seeing his face for the first time, then nodded. Shakily, she got to her feet and took a few unsteady steps, but her feet soon gave out and she was on the floor again. She tried again to stand and passed out. Logan lifted her into his arms and looked over at Scott. There was a mixture of fear and rage on his face. Jean was still crying uncontrollably with no end in sight. Finally, Scott picked her up and moved to follow Logan out of the Danger Room.
Beast was completely exhasperated when they brought the two women in.
"What happened?" Both Logan and Scott shook their heads.
"Everythin' was fine one minute and the next Donnie was about ready to rip Jeannie's head off," Logan explained. "She kept sayin' sumthin' 'bout Jean goin' in her head." Scott nodded in agreement.
"Set them down over here. Really, I do not understand what's going on with the women in this house!" he exclaimed.
"I did warn them," a voice said from behind.
"Ah Professor," Beast said, relieved, "can you explain what happened?"
"Yes," Xavier began, "against all previous warnings, Jean read Donnie's mind."
"An' that's bad?" Logan asked.
"Extremely. The other night, Donnie explained to me that she had set up defenses in her mind against telepathy, that any attempt to breach those defenses could result in complete madness."
The color drained from Scott's face. "But Jean got a word from her...'father' I think it was," Logan explained, "Jean said sumthin' about D's mind bein' open."
"Then her defenses were down, but Jean is still in danger. I truly believe that Donnie's mind is dangerous to anyone who goes in uninvited. I will do what I can, but I think that Donnie is the only one who can help her."
Xavier spent the rest of the day and most of the night trying to calm Jean's mind, taking breaks as he needed them. He left the medbay around 2am, having only made minor progress. Dr. McCoy gave Jean a sedative and went to get some rest. Gambit had fallen asleep by Rogue's bedside, his hand around hers. Logan had offered to do night duty in case there was an emergency and was pacing outside the medbay doors, listening intently for any sign of distress. True, he didn't have much medical experience, but he cared about the women in that room. He wanted to see to it that nothing happened to them.
The boy waited in the shadows for the little man to turn the corner. He would have to be quick. He knew the man was quick and alert so he wouldn't have much time. The man turned and he ran across the medbay soundlessly to the bed with the black haired woman. He reached in his pocket and produced a small syringe. He injected something at the base of her neck and then quietly removed the medical equipment, careful not to make a sound. The man came back around the corner and the boy froze. He slowed his breathing to nothing and waited. Good, he wasn't seen. The man turned again and he lifted the woman out of the bed and carried her out of medbay. How long before the brute realized she was gone? Not long enough, the boy knew, but better to face him after he had gotten her than while he was trying to rescue her. He just hoped he wasn't too late.
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Yes, another cliff hanger, and I'm sorry, it's just the way I write. I'm glad everyone's enjoying the story so far. Now that I'm back, the chapters will be up as regularly. Every Wednesday and Saturday. And don't worry, I'll keep writing. I love this story as much as you guys. And besides, if I don't finish it, I'll go batty. Go review now and wait for Wednesday's chapter and an answer to who the boy is and why he's kidnapping...er...rescuing Donnie.
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"Well," Beast began, "both ladies are as close to stable as I can get them."
Everyone in the waiting room tensed.
"How bad is it, Henri?" Gambit asked hesitantly.
Beast sighed and slumped his shoulders. "Andrea has serious cranial damage. There was some fluid build up that put pressure on her brain, but it has been relieved. If she survives, there is a strong probability of brain damage."
"If?" Scott inquired.
"Her injuries are substantial. I've done everything I can for her. The rest is up to her."
Beast watched as each person slowly absorbed this new information.
Gambit spoke again, "An' Rogue?"
Once again, Beast sighed, "She is currently comatose."
Gambit inhaled sharply and gripped the arms of his chair tightly.
"She may come out of it and she may not. Only time will tell. All I can do is make sure they're comfortable and care for them. The rest is out of my hands."
"You better hope that snake skinned bitch dies, Dr. McCoy," Donnie seethed, "or I will personally see to it that nature takes its course."
"Now, Donnie, we've been expecting an accident like this to happen, we just didn't know how or when. It could have been anyone of us."
Donnie had been staring at the floor, but now lifted her gaze to meet McCoy's eyes. Her stare was harsh and cruel. She shook her head and turned to leave the room. Logan caught her by the arm.
"Where ya goin' darlin'?"
"The Danger Room, to let off some steam."
"Then yer stayin'?"
"Yes," she paused, "I have a promise to keep."
Logan turned back to Dr. McCoy. "You said you'd been expecting this for a while? You knew this might happen an' you didn't tell any of us?"
"I did not want Rogue to be anymore estranged from the rest of you than she already was. I thought it was for the best. I was wrong, I'm sorry."
"No, those two never got along. It just would've provoked Andrea into attacking her sooner."
Beast nodded and turned back to the medbay.
"Henri..."
He stopped.
"I was wonderin' if I might be able to sit wit' her, in case she wake up, oui?"
Hank allowed himself a small smile. He knew it was hopeless, but he would let the Cajun have his hope. "Of course," he nodded.
Gambit followed Beast into the Medbay while the remaining X-men filtered out of the waiting room and off to other things to take their minds off of the two women hanging by a thread. Logan decided to visit Donnie in the Danger Room.
Logan entered the Danger Room and was almost blown away by the sound. Donnie was playing very loud and obnoxious music to her workout. All of her motions were in beat with the driving techno. It was a beautiful and fluid sword dance. Logan admired her for several moments.
She wore a pair of bike shorts and a sports bra to show off her fit form. The tiny scars that were on her body when she arrived had disappeared. There were still faint traces of the burn on her shoulder and the gunshot wound was a pale white mark on her abdomen. He walked towards her until he was right behind her.
"Who gave you that?"
She spun around abruptly, stopping milimeters away from slicing Logan up the middle. She looked at him blankly.
"Who gave you that burn scar?" he asked again, indicating the mark on her left shoulder.
She lifted her hand up to the old wound absently, anger flashed across her face. "I don't remember."
"You remember enough to be angry 'bout it."
She shrugged, "Habit."
At that moment, Jean and Scott walked in, obviously with the same intentions as Logan and Donnie: To lose their anxieties in the fast paces of training. Donnie had gone back to her sword dance and Logan went for a Katana to join her. Suddenly, Jean screamed and Donnie dropped her sword, rushing over to her. Instead of comforting her, Donnie grabbed Jean by the throat and slamed her against the wall.
"You went into my mind...Why?" Donnie demanded.
"I'm sorry!" Jean gasped, half in fear, the other half in desperation. "Your mind was open, I just glanced..." Her eyes were full of panic.
"Despite Xavier's warnings???"
"I'm sorry!!" she wailed.
"As you should be. You took something from my mind. What was it?"
"I...can't...I don't know."
"You do know! What was it?"
By this time, both Logan and Scott were trying to pull Donnie away from Jean.
"Donnie, that's enough," Logan ordered.
"Please, it was a slip up, let my wife go! Please!" Scott begged, but Donnie only tightened her grip. Scott gave up and called for help at the comm.
"This is an ememergency! Donnie is out of control!" Logan could hear scufflings from the higher levels of the mansion. Would they come fast enough.
"Jeannie! Use your telekinesis!" Logan commanded her.
This only seemed to provoke her fear, making her scream again.
"What did you take?" Donnie demanded again.
Jean finally caved, "One word..." she gasped, "father..."
Donnie dropped Jean into a heap on the floor and stepped back, a look of horror on her face. Jean had begun to shake uncontrollably, muttering to herself. Donnie clutched at her chest and fell to her knees, rocking back and forth, "he's dead, he's dead!" she began saying, over and over again. The mantra became louder and louder until it built to a banshee wail. Her back arched and a tiny black ball of energy formed over her abdomen and grew gradually until it enveloped her completely. By now, most of the X-men had come to the Danger Room. They all stared in awe, unsure of who to help first. Several minutes passed and black ball remained. Donnie could no longer be see through its field. Jean was now huddled up against Scott, crying and shaking, every now and then letting out a loud sob, breaking the silence. Two minutes passed, still nothing, five minutes, Nightcrawler approached the sphere that contained Donnie's form.
"No Kurt!" Xavier warned, "we have no idea what that is. That could kill her or you or both!" Kurt backed away.
Ten minutes passed and finally the field began to break and Donnie dropped onto the floor. She was covered in tiny bruises and lacerations. They were all across her face and limbs and body. Her eyes and nose were bleeding. She was also a light shade of blue, as if partially frozen. Logan took his jacket and placed it over her shoulders.
"Can you stand?"
She looked at him strangely, as if seeing his face for the first time, then nodded. Shakily, she got to her feet and took a few unsteady steps, but her feet soon gave out and she was on the floor again. She tried again to stand and passed out. Logan lifted her into his arms and looked over at Scott. There was a mixture of fear and rage on his face. Jean was still crying uncontrollably with no end in sight. Finally, Scott picked her up and moved to follow Logan out of the Danger Room.
Beast was completely exhasperated when they brought the two women in.
"What happened?" Both Logan and Scott shook their heads.
"Everythin' was fine one minute and the next Donnie was about ready to rip Jeannie's head off," Logan explained. "She kept sayin' sumthin' 'bout Jean goin' in her head." Scott nodded in agreement.
"Set them down over here. Really, I do not understand what's going on with the women in this house!" he exclaimed.
"I did warn them," a voice said from behind.
"Ah Professor," Beast said, relieved, "can you explain what happened?"
"Yes," Xavier began, "against all previous warnings, Jean read Donnie's mind."
"An' that's bad?" Logan asked.
"Extremely. The other night, Donnie explained to me that she had set up defenses in her mind against telepathy, that any attempt to breach those defenses could result in complete madness."
The color drained from Scott's face. "But Jean got a word from her...'father' I think it was," Logan explained, "Jean said sumthin' about D's mind bein' open."
"Then her defenses were down, but Jean is still in danger. I truly believe that Donnie's mind is dangerous to anyone who goes in uninvited. I will do what I can, but I think that Donnie is the only one who can help her."
Xavier spent the rest of the day and most of the night trying to calm Jean's mind, taking breaks as he needed them. He left the medbay around 2am, having only made minor progress. Dr. McCoy gave Jean a sedative and went to get some rest. Gambit had fallen asleep by Rogue's bedside, his hand around hers. Logan had offered to do night duty in case there was an emergency and was pacing outside the medbay doors, listening intently for any sign of distress. True, he didn't have much medical experience, but he cared about the women in that room. He wanted to see to it that nothing happened to them.
The boy waited in the shadows for the little man to turn the corner. He would have to be quick. He knew the man was quick and alert so he wouldn't have much time. The man turned and he ran across the medbay soundlessly to the bed with the black haired woman. He reached in his pocket and produced a small syringe. He injected something at the base of her neck and then quietly removed the medical equipment, careful not to make a sound. The man came back around the corner and the boy froze. He slowed his breathing to nothing and waited. Good, he wasn't seen. The man turned again and he lifted the woman out of the bed and carried her out of medbay. How long before the brute realized she was gone? Not long enough, the boy knew, but better to face him after he had gotten her than while he was trying to rescue her. He just hoped he wasn't too late.
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Yes, another cliff hanger, and I'm sorry, it's just the way I write. I'm glad everyone's enjoying the story so far. Now that I'm back, the chapters will be up as regularly. Every Wednesday and Saturday. And don't worry, I'll keep writing. I love this story as much as you guys. And besides, if I don't finish it, I'll go batty. Go review now and wait for Wednesday's chapter and an answer to who the boy is and why he's kidnapping...er...rescuing Donnie.