'Rogue, may I see you in the back?' Rogue jolted at the sound of a voice in her head. She may not be telepathic but she had several mental shields, thanks to her "gifts". The Professor could project his thoughts into her head, but even he couldn't get much farther than that.

'Sure,' she thought back, letting her shields down for a second to let him hear that. She rose to go meet him, garnering the gazes of Angel and Jean who were sitting behind her, flirting more than likely but she had refused to eavesdrop. She walked swiftly past them and to the 'pit' as the X-Men liked to call the back room of the X-Jet where they most often stored things. It was now empty though, because of the needed space, they were carrying two extra members, Angel and Bobby, who had refused to be left behind and had stow-awayed.

"Yes, professor?" Rogue called out. She walked in but stopped when she saw the professor talking to Bobby. He was lecturing him on controlling his impulses and responsibilities. Rogue could remember when she had gotten a similar lecture.

"That will be all, Mr. Drake, you may have Rogue's seat up front."

"Ah take it we'll be back here awhile?" Rogue asked as Bobby went up front.

"Rogue, I need to ask a favor of you." Professor Xavier continued when Rogue just shrugged. "With Wolverine and Storm out on another mission, we are two strong players short, and I'm not sure we have the man power to defeat Magneto. That's where you come in. I know it's a lot, but the incident a week ago has demonstrated that you have a lot of power that you can tap into. The summoning of past-absorbed powers for one. Not to mention that you can use them in conjunction with others.

"I know it's a lot to ask but we need you to become the mutant you were destined to be. The world needs that mutant. Now I can help you find the strength to call up the powers but it will take a lot out of you, as evident by the fact that you slept for several days after it first happened. I truly believe that you can do it, Rogue. I believe in you."

Rogue stood there silently for a minute; after all, it was a lot to take in. When the psyches had taken over, she had barely been aware of what was happening. After Mystique's betrayal she had wanted comfort and she had found it within herself. The professor had helped her to come back, and that had helped too. Now she was ready to try something different.

"Yes."

"Okay, Rogue, I want you to come sit here, this will take time." Rogue took the seat across from the professor and did everything he asked. She concentrated as hard as she could. Several minutes passed as Rogue dropped her mental shields and felt the Professor's presence in her head.

"Something is not right."

"Ah know what ya mean, this isn't the same."

"What was different last time, Rogue?"

"Well, the powers weren't coming from me awake; they were more of a subconscious thing."

"Then you will need to be unconscious." Suddenly Rogue felt a psychic blast knock her unconscious, but as she fell into the darkness she remembered the Professor and the mission, and held back the instincts that had her clenching her hands and reaching for the small pocket knife she kept hidden in her jacket.


When Rogue became aware, she was in a dark place and she was alone. Rogue knew instantly that she was in her subconscious. She needed to find the psyches, the ones who had comforted her on that fateful day.

"Please, come to me, I need your help." Rogue felt a small inkling from her right and turned to it. Standing before her was a shadowy form of Scott.

"They are afraid."

"Why?"

"Because you locked us away, kept us in the dark, they don't like the dark, we don't like the dark."

"Ah'm sorry, it will never happen again, but Ah need ya."

"We will help, but you must also help us."

"How?"

"Give us love and attention, we are part of you." At that Scott opened his arms and out of the shadows came dozens of psyches, all keeping their distance. "We are one and we are all, we are the fear, the hate, the love, we are everything and everyone you think of. We are you."

Rogue looked at the psyches and whispered tearfully, "I'm sorry." She knelt and looked around, but became aware very suddenly of a voice from above.

"Rogue, come back." The professor was calling her.

"Please, I need your help now." The psyches said nothing but Rogue felt their agreement. But Rogue was unsure of whom to use, she didn't trust herself to use more than one at a time, she was new at this and she didn't want to overload again.

At that thought a shadowy figure emerged from the vapor. It was Magneto, the result of the one time she had absorbed him, in New York when she had been helping Angel. "I will help most."

Rogue nodded her agreement and felt herself begin to wake. When she opened her eyes she saw the Professor's anxiety immediately. As she stood, she felt Magneto's powers begin to fill her, and knew that her eyes had begun to glow with the fiery light that was pure magnetism.

"Let's do this."