Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine, except for Aurora, Granite and Serpentine, and the weapons I gave to Orion, plus her name. But the character itself remains Marvel's. Plot is mine though.

Throughout story: " " = Speech ' ' = Thoughts ^ ^ = Telepath

Blix Howlett: Thanks for reviewing; it's a pleasure to read the reviews I get. It appears you are my last one, all the others have left me alone! 0: Come back!

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Chapter 22

Downstairs the party was in full swing, and the music and laughter could be heard so clearly by Logan as he stood alone on the balcony from his room. The balcony was scattered in soft snow and still some fell gently from the midnight blue heavens. He leant upon the snow covered railing, his only company was a specially delivered bottle of beer to celebrate Christmas and a cigar.

Light spilled out over the snow covered grounds from the large windows of the Main Hall, shadows glided across the canvas as students danced to the Christmas songs that poured out of the speakers that lined the room.

Logan idly lifted the beer to his lips, drinking the cool beer that flowed to his mouth. He couldn't complain, it was quite pleasant to spend some time alone, and the view was ever stunning, for the naked moon shone heavily across the landscape and rolling hills of snow.

His thoughts gently strolled across to those that had been bothering him earlier. Aurora. He was still going over her face and how odd she looked. But also how familiar she was to him, how every bit of her strangled his temples to remember, to recognise. Then it hit him, causing him to freeze mid-swallow and hastily choke on the beer. He straightened swallowing the liquid and clearing his throat, "Of course.." He muttered aloud, "The shape shifting." He had no idea why it didn't hit him before, that's why she looked different; she must have been shifting back. One after another these thoughts hit his brain and jogged his memory on, "That's why I didn't know who it was! She was in a human form!" He took a hearty swig of beer in celebration, now grinning to himself. "Better see her... She looked pretty hurt when I walked off." He said quietly, leaning back down upon the railings, continued his swigging of beer.

His eyes lowered across the school's land and scanned the unscarred snow. that was until he reached footprints leading off from the Main Entrance. Any other mutant would have been unlikely to notice these footprints, for Logan was three floors up and the ground was extremely far away. But his enhanced senses captured the trail and narrowed eyes focused open them. He was just about to return to contemplation when a giggle alerted him and his eyes threw themselves to below his balcony where Rogue had just exited the Main Hall, followed by Bobby. His eyes watched them suspiciously as they ran across the carpet of snow, both in happy spirits. He had now begun to doubt Xavier's technique for locking up the staff's Christmas alcohol.

Logan dragged his eyes away from the students and looked back to the footprint tracks through the snow, his eyes searched for their owners but they had disappeared into far trees. He began thinking along the lines of Aurora, but he also doubted that she'd be out so late when it was rather cold. His eyes snapped back to the students as he heard Rogue give a giggly scream as she sprinted off towards the dark trees that lingered to the south of the lawn. Bobby was following her, both laughing. Logan couldn't help from smirking, as he watched Rogue struggle across the slippery snow, he inhaled on his cigar, watching over them in silence.

Rogue had now disappeared behind a bush in the orchard; he could still hear her giggles before it shifted abruptly to a scream, a terrified one. One that meant danger. She screamed again, her words screaming for Bobby who now sprinted towards the spot, before he even managed to reach the orchard a helicopter suddenly began whirring and lifted from it's hidden bush shelter in the orchard. Rogue was being dragged into the helicopter by forms that were hidden in the shadows of the helicopter. Logan almost fell off the railings, his beer bottle falling from his hands and smashing to the snowy ground a few floors down, in a mad mix of emotion and anguish he yelled for her from his spot, his replies were terrified screaming as she was flown away in the helicopter, a military helicopter. His head threw back and nostrils inhaled the wind, it wasn't the Brotherhood, it was humans.

Logan sprinted down the stairs, cigar still being held in his hand. The Main doors opened to reveal a panic stricken Bobby who could only mouth wordlessly as Logan ran past him, heading for the main hall. Bobby gathered his breath and ran after Logan, still in a state of shock.

The music grew louder as Logan neared the Main Hall doors, he threw them open, the music escalated madly and the hubbub of chatter and laughter hit his ears. He squinted as the light blinded his eyes, blinking he looked round the room, that hadn't noticed his entry quite for obvious reasons. The students were stood round the stage at the far side of the room, were Scott was stood, donned in large amounts of tinsel, warbling away to his poor rendition of "Merry Christmas Everyone"

Logan growled and shoved himself through the crowd who parted in some places, but many didn't hear him coming and got an elbow to the chest as Logan forced his way through the sea of happy students.

He reached the stage and climbed upon it, the students now began an uproar of cheering as Logan joined, many crying for a duet. Scott looked furiously to Logan, who had ruined the chorus of his song.

"Logan! What the hell are - "

The music still played on in the background and the microphone amplified Scott's words. Logan reached forward and grabbed the microphone, cutting Scott off from his speech, holding it up he roared into the microphone, his words reaching the X-Men team and the students in a smash, "ROGUE'S GONE!!"