Chapter 4: Friction
"Rogue, wake up…"
Rogue felt someone pressing a hand on her shoulder, she flinched away from it and tried to go back to sleep.
"Rogue, c'mon, wake up, darlin'."
Logan's voice eventually awoke Rogue fully, she opened her eyes finding herself with her arms folded on a desk and her cheek propped up against them, she leaned up and yawned, she was still in the war room.
"I…I musta fallen asleep…I'm sorry," she stretched, feeling the aches of having been sleeping in an awkward and uncomfortable position for so long.
"What were you doing in here?" Logan asked, he turned on a nearby printer and used his foot to push her chair away from the desk so he had access to the keyboard.
Rogue stopped the chair from toppling over, "Gambit was up last night, I caught him sneakin' around. So I decided I'd keep an eye on him…"
"Gotta admit, he's recovered a hell of a fast from being stabbed, still, wound isn't that deep, he bled a lot, had a bit of a knock on the head too apparently…he's awake now, me and Hank spoke to him."
"What happened to him?" Rogue stood up, and stretched a little more.
"Didn't say," Logan said.
"Didn't, or wouldn't?" Rogue asked carefully.
"Both," Logan began to print out the security reports from the night before, "and you don't need to worry about keeping an eye on him, me and Beast are doing a good job of that."
"Yeah, well last night you weren't," Rogue muttered, "did
he tell you he claims to have switched sides?"
"He mentioned wanting to join
us," Logan grumbled while he busily began gathering the reports printing out,
he overlooked them.
"What did you tell him?" Rogue asked, looking at him expectant of an answer.
"I told him we need to wait 'til Chuck gets back," Logan threw a steely look to Rogue, "why are you so interested, you sweet on the Cajun?" he asked.
"No, I'm just…I don't trust him. That guy is bad news, Logan," Rogue chewed her lip.
"You don't have to tell me that," Logan stated, "But in the meantime he's gonna be staying here, you might as well try to get over the grudge you have against him."
"I don't think I'll ever get over it, I think I have a reason to hold a grudge, don't you?" Rogue asked.
"Of course I do," Logan put the reports down on the desk and turned to look at her, "fact is, though, it'll be really unpleasant if you can't get over the grudge, because you'll probably see a lot of each other over the next few days."
"I doubt it," Rogue looked at Logan as if the suggestion were absurd. "I'll be keeping as far away from that asshole as possible," she stated and with that, left to go to her room, as she walked, she pondered the situation some more, but the only solution she could come up with for the whole thing was that she needed to talk with the Professor when he got back and try to convince him not to let Gambit join the X-Men. She somehow convinced herself that if Gambit joined the X-Men, she would walk out and leave the X-Men.
When she arrived in her room, Kitty was up, and dressed in her uniform, sprawled over her all-ready-made bed, flicking through Seventeen magazine.
"Where were you?" Kitty asked, she leaned up, "I woke up this morning and you weren't there, I went all over looking for you," She stated.
"Did you check the war room?" Rogue asked with a yawn, she flung herself on her bed – which was definitely still unmade.
"No…" Kitty made a face, "why would you be in there?"
"Well, that's where I was, I was watching Gambit."
"Watching him?" Kitty frowned a little and her expression turned to one of disgust, "that sounds, like, so freakishly stalkerish."
"He was sneaking around last night, so when he went back to the hospital wing, I made sure to watch him just to make sure he didn't do it again – but I fell asleep…"
"So you caught him?" Kitty sat up fully.
"Yeah, had this whole confrontation with him," Rogue rested her head down on the mattress, and closed her eyes. "He says he's on our side now…and I'm still mad at you for agreeing with the others that we should help him. Prick could have been dead by now, but no, you guys had to save his worthless Cajun ass."
"We have a training exercise this morning, by the way, in twenty minutes," Kitty changed the subject, she got up and pulled her long hair into a ponytail, as she walked Rogue could see that Kitty's uniform, which had once been snug and flattering, was now loose at the waist, hips and backside.
"Are you STILL dieting?" Rogue demanded.
"My ass still has some flab in it," Kitty remarked, she slapped her own backside.
"Is this because of what those guys at school said?"
"Kinda," Kitty shrugged.
"Kitty, you don't even NEED to worry about what those guys at school think of you, we don't even GO to Bayville High anymore, why should you care?"
"Rogue, its easier to use my powers if I'm lighter, okay? Already I've seen an improvement when I'm airwalking."
"Kitty, you're gonna get sick," Rogue said, matter-of-factly.
"I'm fine, I'm healthy," Kitty smiled.
"If you say so…" Rogue got up and grabbed her robe from the bottom of the bed, "I'm gonna go take a shower…" she said.
"Be quick, Storm is in charge of training today, and you know she'll flip if you're late," Kitty warned.
"I'll be fast," Rogue rolled her eyes.
"Everyone is to meet at the front of the Mansion at precisely 6am," Kitty remarked.
Rogue sighed, "I can't BELIEVE we get up this early…it's just sad," she muttered, and headed towards the Bathroom on the floor of the girls dorm area. She tried the handle, it was locked.
"Occupied!" Jean's voice came from inside.
Rogue grumbled, "yeah, you have Scott, you have the bathroom…" she kept her voice low, and headed down the hall and down the staircase to the first floor where there was another bathroom, she got to the first floor, turned the corner and opened the door to the bathroom, surprised to see Remy standing with his back to her, relieving himself in the toilet.
He glanced over his shoulder in a manner that spoke little of his surprise.
"What the hell…" Rogue gaped, "haven't you ever heard of locks?!" she demanded, she slammed the door shut, already beginning to feel more frustration than she could handle with the guy, she waited, hearing the toilet flush and the water in the sink running, and she stood impatient. She banged her fist on the door, "will you hurry up, already?! I need to take a shower! I have a training session in like ten minutes!" she screeched.
The door opened slowly, and he peered out around the corner with a smirk, "you oughta be up a little earlier, Chere, you could have been showered and ready ages ago."
"What business is it of yours," she shoved the door open roughly and pushed him aside using her robe so she didn't have touch him with her bare hands.
"Ow, take it easy, Chere, I'm an injured man," he feigned a hurt expression and stepped out of the bathroom, "enjoy your ablutions," he waved a hand behind him as he walked away.
Rogue stomped her foot, and swore under her breath, "I'm gonna KILL You, Cajun, you just watch yourself," she yelled after him, and slammed the bathroom door behind herself.
The training session for the six teenagers, Scott, Jean, Rogue, Kitty, Evan and Kurt, was to complete a rather difficult obstacle course about forty miles west of Bayville. So they all piled into the van, and Ororo started up the van and they were off for the day.
Rogue dropped off to sleep in the van, her head against the window, exhaustion had settled itself over her like a huge weight.
"So, what's this obstacle course going to be like, Ororo?" Jean asked from the back of the van, where she sat with Scott beside her.
"You'll see when you get there…" Ororo admitted, "One thing though, be prepared to get dirty," She smiled a little.
"Oh nooooo," Kitty made a face, "Not like…mud…it takes forever to get it out of my hair."
"I'm afraid there will be some mud, yes, Kitty," Ororo admitted.
"Man, it's warm out today," Evan sighed, he rolled a window down and tried to fan some air in with a road atlas book.
"Are we nearly there, yet?" Scott asked, noticing they'd been in the van for quite a while.
"In about ten minutes, will someone please wake Rogue?" Ororo asked, "I don't want her all sleepy when she gets there, it won't do her much good against the obstacle course."
Kurt shook Rogue, as he was sitting beside her, "Rogue…"
"Not now, I wanna sleep," she mumbled tiredly.
"Rogue, we're almost there," Kitty called from the seat behind, she was stuck beside Jean and Scott.
Rogue yawned and dabbed at the corner of her eyes with her finger to remove any sleep crust or smudged eyeliner, "sorry…god I'm so tired."
"First you were late meeting us at the front, and now you fall asleep, did you not sleep last night?" Kurt asked of Rogue, he turned slightly towards her.
"Kinda, but kinda not," Rogue yawned again, "That Cajun creep woke up and started prowling around – and I caught him, so I made it my duty to watch over him and make sure he didn't do any more slinking around when we were asleep…"
"And she fell asleep in the process," Kitty giggled.
"I was tired," Rogue retorted. "God, that Cajun is SO on my last nerve already."
"Oooh, some friction going on," Evan laughed. "This should make for some good entertainment."
"While Gambit is staying with us, we will treat him as one of us," Ororo remarked, "give him a chance," she added, "need I remind you Gambit is not the only one who was once on the enemies side…" she looked over her shoulder quickly and glanced at Rogue. Rogue shrugged down into her seat, and was quiet for the rest of the journey.
When they arrived they were impressed by what they would have to deal with. The obstacle course was huge, including having to run over a wooden slat bridge with no sides whilst being shot at by large cannons, having to run up a quick escalator that headed in a downwards direction, having to swing across massive distances with a rope – without falling into a pool of mud down below.
"Wow…" Kitty said in awe.
"This, I thought, would be a challenging – but fun – training session for you all," Ororo stated. "Some of the obstacles will need speed, others, problem solving, some strength, some, team work…"
"Let me guess…" Scott trailed off, "Not allowed to use powers?"
"Not once," Ororo smiled a little, "But I know you can do it," She put her hand on Scott's shoulder, "You ALL can…"
"Isn't it a little bit unfair on the ones of us who are less than agile?" Jean asked.
"Not unfair, just some may find it easier," Ororo stated, "don't worry, you're all athletic, most of this should pose as no problem for you, but those of you who find it hard, your team mates will be able to back you up and help you along the way," Ororo stated. "And admitting you need help from one of your team mates does not make you weak, always remember that," she added, looking at them all.
Rogue leaned her back against the van, and listened closely as Ororo began to explain what she wanted them to do.
"Now I want you to all work in teams, preferably with someone close to your own bodyweight and height – for specific reasons which you will discover later during the course—" Ororo stopped suddenly, when Kitty, who was standing halfway in front of Rogue, suddenly collapsed without warning.
Rogue gasped and caught Kitty by the arm before she could land on the hard ground, "Kitty?" She asked.
"Let her down gently…" Ororo stated.
Rogue lay Kitty down slowly and carefully on the ground, Kitty seemed to have fainted. "She looks a little pale…" Rogue admitted.
"Probably exhaustion – or the heat, it is quite warm today," Ororo admitted. "Someone get some water?" she asked of the others, Ororo raised her hands up to the air, and as she moved her hands slowly and gracefully towards the sky, clouds formed out of nowhere, and began to block the sun that had been beaming down upon the X-Men.
Scott climbed into the van, and then returned back out with a water bottle, "Here…it's probably not cold anymore though…"
"It will do," Ororo ensured, she knelt down, "Rogue, raise her head a little, please…"
Rogue raised Kitty's head, Kitty was starting to come to, Ororo opened the cap of the water bottle and pressed the open nozzle to Kitty's lips.
"Drink…" Ororo instructed.
Kitty took a sip, and leaned up, "what…what happened?" She looked up, seeing the clouds overhead, and felt the rough cement of the parking area underneath her.
"You fainted," Scott stated.
Rogue slowly helped Kitty up, "you okay?"
"I feel kinda weird," Kitty rubbed her head, "Kinda light headed."
Ororo sighed, "maybe we should not continue the obstacle course…this is a bad sign…we should get you back to the Mansion so you can rest…"
"No…we're here now…I can still do it," Kitty tried to assure.
"Ororo, I can drive her back, and then come back?" Jean suggested. "That way everyone else can still do the course/"
"Good idea…" Ororo nodded.
Rogue, whilst worrying that Kitty might not be well, began to perk up at the thought she could team up with Scott whilst Jean was absent, things certainly seemed to be looking up already. However, back to the fact Kitty had fainted did worry Rogue. Rogue wanted to scream out to Ororo that Kitty wasn't eating much and had been dieting for months and was like a stick and that was probably why she had fainted, not because of any heat.
When Jean and Kitty got into the van and were long gone, Rogue turned to Kurt. "You know why she fainted, right?"
"Not eating enough, weakness…" Kurt shrugged.
"Thank GOD I'm not the only one who knows about that," Rogue made sure she and Kurt were out of earshot of Scott and Evan. "I've tried to talk sense into her but she just…she doesn't wanna listen," Rogue shrugged.
"Yeah, wonder where she gets THAT from…" Kurt smirked a little, looking at Rogue.
"Are you implying I'm a bad influence on Kitty?"
"No, I'm not implying you're a BAD influence," Kurt smirked, "I'm implying you're a TERRIBLE influence on her," He laughed.
Rogue laughed, and smirked, "If I was she'd have a better sense of style."
Kurt laughed, "Totally"
