Disclaimer: X-Men, X-Men: The Movie and all its components have not, do not and shall never belong to me.
Chapter Eight
"Wat da hell was dat?" Remy asked. The ground shook and he leaned against the wall to steady himself.
"Whatever it is, it can't be good," Logan grumbled.
"Ya think?" Rogue replied sarcastically. "There's no need to state the obvi- ah!" The strength of the next tremor threw her against the wall, banging her head. Rogue slumped in a heap on the floor.
"Rogue!" The two men rushed to her side.
"Rogue, are you all right? Wake up!" Logan patted her cheek to try and revive her. All of a sudden, his skin contorted. Rogue's eyes flew open and she pushed him away with her feet, making him fly across the wall.
"Logan!" She jumped and hurried to pick him up.
He groaned in pain. "I'm okay. I didn't hold on for it to really affect me. You okay?"
Rogue pursed her lips. It was all she could do to keep her from throwing her arms around him. "I'm fine, you dummy."
Remy gaped at her in awe. "THAT was your power?"
Rogue looked up at him. "Why do you sound so surprised?" she asked.
He shrugged. "Well, Ah didn't get to see it up close da last time, chere. It's kinda gross. But cool though," he added quickly, noticing the hurt look on her face when he said that. "Ya sure you're all right, man?" he asked Logan, changing the subject and effectively, too. Much to Wolverine's chagrin, Remy was already learning how to work her. That wasn't necessarily a good thing, and it was making him nervous. "Ah don't think da Hulk could have done better. She nearly made ya part of da wall!"
Rogue blushed sheepishly. "Sorry about that Logan." She put her arm around his shoulder. "Can you stand?"
"Of course I can," he replied, insulted. He heaved himself off the ground, appearing fine. A second later, the world began spinning around him and he fell again. "Well, I do have a nasty headache. I guess I'll have to wait for the old healing powers to kick in. I should be all right in a few minutes."
Rogue nodded. She knew of Logan's rapid regeneration, but she was nervous all the same. "Remy, take care of him, okay? I'm going to see what's going on here." Another tremor rocked the building at that moment. The floor above creaked from the stress.
"Are ya crazy, chere?" he protested. "Ah'll come wit ya!"
"No, stay with Logan. Ah'll be all right. Y'all don have to worry bout me, Sugah," she grinned at them with all the confidence that she could muster, putting the men only slightly at ease. The younger one mediated about it for a moment. "All right, if dat's what ya want. Be careful, chere."
"Ah will. Back in a flash." She pushed off the ground and hovered in the air a moment, than shot off like a rocket.
The two remaining mutants looked at each other. Remy whistled. "Damn, she got da hang of dat fast."
* * * * * *
Professor X shielded his face from the falling debris with his arms. "I understand you wish to destroy me, Cain, but please leave my house out of it," he said, pretty calmly for a man who had a 300 pound (give or take) lunatic throwing parts of his own office at him.
"Urgghh!" Juggernaut lifted the desk off the ground. Charles wheeled backwards, but was impeded from going any further by the wall behind him. Now he was trapped in a corner.
Oh, this day can't get much worse, can it? "Cain, don't you think it might be better to discuss this rationally. Over a cup of tea, perhaps," he said aloud. Juggernaut advanced at him. "You do realize you're going to have to pay for that desk?" he said, changing tactics. Apparently, the humorous approach wasn't working. Not that Cain was intelligent enough to really get any joke, not even "Why did the chicken cross the road?" which, if Charles had any time to think about it, really wasn't all that funny. But, being it was a life or death situation, he didn't. By no means was he afraid of dying himself, but, as for the students, any of whom may hear the racket and get injured trying to investigate, well, that was a different story.
Resigning himself to spare them of that, he sighed and said, "Very well, Cain, but do make it as quick as possible please and then leave."
"Be quiet!" he boomed. "I'm making the rules here, not you. Unless you're begging for mercy, I don't wanna hear it. Now I have the power. And nothing you do is going to stop me. Not you or your puny little X-Men." Little did he know, if you wanted to be really, really technical, he wasn't really wrong. Anatomically speaking.
* * * * * *
Rogue hovered outside the door to the professor's study. All the shaking had stopped for the moment, which she was glad of. It was making her nauseous.
"Professor?" she called. She banged on the door, but no one answered. "Professor!" Frustrated and worried, she banged again, hard. The door came off its hinges and fell into the room onto the head of a large man. The professor was sitting in a corner of the room. He was completely unharmed, but Rogue most likely didn't realize that chunks of the wall and his overturned desk were surrounding him. If she did notice, she probably attributed it to her entrance.
"Oops," she said meekly. The man listed the door over his head and turned to her. His eyes glared at her through his odd helmet. A glowing scarlet gem glittered in his chest.
Who the hell is this guy? Rogue wondered. The Incredible Hulk? Knowing the X-Men, anything was possible. But she didn't have time to consider that, if he were the Hulk, what was with the outfit. At any rate, he didn't look friendly.
The man grunted and flung the door at her as easily as if it were made out of cardboard. Rogue jumped out of the way just in time, missing it by mere inches. She did a somersault in the air and caught it. "Didn't your mama ever tell you not to throw things in the house?" she chided, feeling oddly confident for a change. I can handle this, easy. She sent it flying back to him. It hit him square in the chest, right above the jewel. The door broke in half from the impact. He took the pieces in his hands and smashed them together into tiny splinters.
"You're first, little girl," he roared, advancing on her.
Rogue didn't quite understand what he meant by being first, but replied, "Come and get it, big boy."
"Rogue! Be careful!" the professor warned. "His powers are magic. His strength is limitless."
"Stay out of this," Juggernaut shouted at him. "You'll get your turn later."
Now Rogue realized, a bit late, that he wasn't just there for friendly conversation. "Leave him alone!" she cried. She dove under the desk (which, quite remarkably, was still intact) and heaved it above her head. "Try this on for size." She broke it on his helmet with a resounding snap.
He glared at her, unharmed. "I'm going to crack you like an egg," he challenged.
"Don't count your chickens before they hatch," Rogue taunted, hovering above him. "You'll have to catch me first." He reached for her, but she dodged him with ease. "Missed me!"
"Why you…" He feinted for her again. She jumped over his head, but he pulled back and grabbed her ankle. Rogue kicked at him, but with no success. She was stuck.
Chapter Eight Teaser (currently in the works)
"Let go of me, Fatso!" Rogue crowed. Juggernaut only pulled her closer, grabbing her around the waist like he wanted a hug and squeezed. "Didn't you ever hear of the Subway diet?" She complained, gasping for air. He responded by squeezing her tighter. The world started getting darker and her ribs too close to her lungs.
Professor X watched in horror, his mind searching for something, anything, he could do. If only I could get out of this wheelchair, he thought wistfully. Wheelchair? Wait a moment! Without another thought, he rolled at full speed, ramming into his massive stepbrother. Juggernaut turned his head slightly, but didn't loosen his grip at all. Preparing for another go, the professor froze in his tracks when someone jumped onto Juggernaut's back and gripped his neck for dear life.
Coming soon to a Fanfiction.Net near you.
