Disclaimer: X-Men and X-Men the Movie do not belong to me.
Chapter Two
Rogue creeped down the dark hall. Students were forbidden to be out at this hour, which was about one in the morning, but she was willing to risk it. Ever since the incident with Magneto, she was plagued with horrible nightmares. Actually, she reasoned, I've had them since I discovered my powers. But back then, she had no one to turn too. Now, Logan was here and he would understand, judging from the horrible nightmares that she had when she took absorbed his memories last. And, even if he didn't, she would feel better around him.
She stumbled around a corner and gasped. There was a light shining at the end of the hall. She could make out a silhouette of a person standing there. She froze, worried that if she moved, whoever it was would find her. But they were already coming closer. Rouge turned to make a run for it, but it was too late. They saw her.
"Rogue?" the person said in surprise.
She let out a deep breath. "Remy? What are you doing up this late?"
He shrugged. "I could ask you the same question."
"Um, I was just…" She searched for an answer. "I couldn't sleep."
"Oh. Wanna go steal some food from the kitchens?" he asked.
She shook her head. "I'm not hungry."
"Okay." He winked at her. "If anyone asks, I didn't see you and you didn't see me."
She managed a weak grin. "Good night."
"Night." He walked off. She sighed and continued on.
* * * * * *
Logan rolled over in bed. He heard someone calling him. Their voice was getting louder and louder and more urgent. Logan. Logan. Lo---
"Logan!" He sat up in bed. Rogue was standing over him.
"Are you crazy?" he growled. "Remember the last time you did this? You nearly were killed."
"I couldn't sleep," she said somewhat defensively. "And I could always take your powers if necessary."
He frowned at her. "What do you want me to do about it?" She shrugged. Her eyes sagged and had somewhat of a panicked look in them. He softened but only a bit. "I have a class to teach in the morning."
She looked at him with disbelief. "You? A teacher?" She laughed, which relaxed her a little. She couldn't imagine Logan as a teacher. "What are you teaching?"
"Woodshop." This made her hysterical. The idea of Logan cutting the wood for a birdhouse with his anemantium claws was too funny to thing about.
"Shh!" He scowled at her. "Go back to bed. You need your sleep too."
"Yes, mom," she teased. He glared at her, although he was secretly glad that she was joking around. She backed out of the room, closing the door behind her.
His head hit the pillow long before he could no longer hear he small footsteps sneaking away.
* * * * * *
Rogue sat on a bench, watching her friends longingly through the glass. They were in the Danger Room. This was the first year they were allowed to go. Younger kids weren't allowed. The Danger Room, during school hours at least, was a training ground for soon-to-be X-Men to use their powers in high-pressure situations. As Rogue didn't have powers like theirs, it was dangerous for her to participate. She was permitted to take this time as a free period, but what was the use of that when she was all by herself? It had become a routine to sit and watch.
Her heart was filled with envy. All of her friends had powers that could prove useful. But hers only hurt people, and she herself only got in the way. And their practice was not only to test their personal strengths, but as a team too. That made her feel even more left out.
Rogue watched intently as Remy took something out of his jean pocket. She strained her eyes and realized it was a playing card. All of a sudden, the card lit up. He flung it at the robot he was fighting. With a loud BANG, it exploded. Pieces scattered around the floor. He grinned triumphantly and swaggered out the exit door, coming into the control room.
"What did you do?" Rogue asked, both startled and impressed.
"Well, according to that Beast-guy's analysis, I can turn potential energy into kinetic energy."
"What does that mean?" She looked at him with a puzzled expression.
He shrugged. "I haven't the faintest idea. What's your mutant power?"
"Umm…well…" Rogue remembered her silent resolution not to tell anyone else her powers, but what could she do? He waited patiently for an answer.
"I… um, I gotta go." Rogue fled from the room as fast as she could.
* * * * * *
Logan wiped the sweat off his forehead. His class was starting in a half-hour, and he still wasn't finished cutting the big pieces of wood he'd gotten from a lumberyard. He kept shredding it into pieces. He was just about to give up when Rogue showed up.
"Shouldn't you be in class?" He asked her.
She shook her head. "We're in the Danger Room this morning."
"Oh." He'd never been in there himself, but, from what Jean told him, he knew it lived up to its name. As far as he was concerned, Rogue was better off not going in there at all.
Rogue surveyed the pile of cut wood. "You might want to use just one," she said.
He merely grunted in reply, but took her advice and produced some nicely chopped blocks. He picked up another stack and looked up at her. "Is something the matter?"
Rogue was quiet for a moment. She didn't want to tell him about what just happened. He would just yell at her. But there was something else that was bothering her.
"Logan?" she began. "Do you ever feel like you're useless?"
He raised his eyebrow. "I guess, sometimes. Why do you ask?"
"Well… it's just that all of the others have these really great powers that can help them a lot when they become X-Men. But I don't. I can't really fight like they can. And I feel sort of…"
"Left out?" he supplied. She nodded.
He drew in his breath. "Well, I don't really know what you can do about it. I suppose you'll eventually find your strength and then you'll feel more like a part of the team."
Rogue giggled. "Very philosophical. That doesn't sound like you at all."
He shrugged. "I've been hanging around the professor too much, I guess."
She laughed and looked at her watch. "I'd better get to my next class. See you later." She ran inside. Logan turned his back and returned to his work. He didn't see the shadowy figure that slipped inside after her.
