Just a Girl – Passing time
Months went by, and somehow, the population of the Institute managed to return ever so slightly to normal. Which included a prank war between Kurt and Bobby, and Scott being the common victim.
The rumors about Marianne's death at school had been horrendous. From car crash to suicide. Although all of them had quickly and efficiently whiped that particular rumor out of existence. Kurt, Kitty and Rogue had been furious. The students should know that Marianne would never do that, she had loved life.
Had loved life. That was it. She wasn't alive anymore, and over the months they began to realise that. It was harder then anything. For the younger mutants to not have Marianne to patch up their cuts, scrapes or twisted ankles with a smile and a joke. For the X-men for not having Marianne to joke around with, or hear her mouthing the Brotherhood off, again. For Xavier for not having Marianne around to discuss mutant rights with. For Hank for not having Marianne around in his med-lab. For Ororo for not being able to try and get her to join her in gardening and always succeeding. Even for Logan, she had been a real challenge trying to teach how to fight. Fighting just did not agree with the girl. No matter what.
Forge had been given the schematics and one of the collars the Genoshians had been using and the genius was confident that he could get it to work as Marianne had thought it could work. He just needed some time to put it all together.
Training had become more rigorous, and complaints weren't made. If it had happened once, losing a team member, it could happen again. Not one of them thought they handle such a thing again. It was to be avoided at all costs.
Rogue was bitter at graduation. The same day Marianne had died, they had made the plan for a roadtrip for after the idiotic ceremony, well, it was idiotic in her point of view. The only good thing about it was that it meant that she had finished High School. Marianne had looked forward towards it, even though she had only been able to look forward towards it for half a day. She wouldn't go now, it wasn't any use. It had been for Marianne to find a place where she could help, Marianne was gone, Rogue told herself.
Shadow dropped by occasionally, bringing news, trouble, annoying things, what ever he could. He never staid long, basically because he knew that if he staid longer then a week, the X-men would start bashing his skull. He fully well knew how annoying he could be, and how little Scott could stand his presence.
His information had often proven valuable, since he just had that kind of luck of just being at the right place at the right time. Dumb luck, but, as he claimed, he was due for his bit of luck, since he had bad luck almost completely straight for four years.
Time went by, slowly. But a year passed, a year since Marianne's death. Rogue was now in college, taking engenering classes, so that by the time she was through, and with some extra study, she could put together her own blackbird.
The device they had taken from the lab was now in full working order. Forge even managed to make it into a pendant, it was a small metal plate with a black stone in the middle. When she pushed it once, it would turn her power off, and the stone would turn purple, again a push, and it would return to black and her power would be on again. It was actually quite nice to see.
As it appeared, there were human groups forming in order to keep mutants save from their haters. One of the larger groups was also known as Mutant Underground. Their main goal was getting exposed mutants out of tight spots, giving them a new identity or even going as far as to get them out of the country to one of the mutant friendly countries. The 'Friends of Humanity' were going nuts trying to keep up with the Mutant Underground.
Basically there now was a group opposing the mutant haters, and they seemed to be doing so with a passion. Xavier had caught track of several 'safehouses' with help of Cerebro, those were the places mutants staid while waiting for a new identity or a flight out of the country. Xavier was honestly surprised how they organized everything. The Mutant Underground seemed to have ties everywhere or make ties everywhere. They seemed to be recruiting kids off of the streets, providing them with education and in return, those kids would help out in getting mutants out of trouble they were in without them being able to help it.
Even so, the X-men were far from useless, mutants were still in danger no matter how many humans were trying their best. Most of the humans still feared them, or ignored how they were treated. Ofcourse, neither the Brotherhood nor the Acolytes helped in that department, since none of them believed in the co-existance of humans and mutants.
It surprised a fair share of the inhabitants of the mansion that both Rahne and Jubilee returned, but it was much to the delight of both Robert and Bobby.
The two girls hadn't ever met Marianne, or heard of her. When they heard, however, that there had been a member of the X-men and how they had lost her, they were shocked. Sure, they knew going on missions was dangerous, but somehow, having someone die made it all far too real. And even though they had never met Marianne, Jubilee and Rahne bothe realised that Marianne had been a very good friend to everyone.
Months went by, and somehow, the population of the Institute managed to return ever so slightly to normal. Which included a prank war between Kurt and Bobby, and Scott being the common victim.
The rumors about Marianne's death at school had been horrendous. From car crash to suicide. Although all of them had quickly and efficiently whiped that particular rumor out of existence. Kurt, Kitty and Rogue had been furious. The students should know that Marianne would never do that, she had loved life.
Had loved life. That was it. She wasn't alive anymore, and over the months they began to realise that. It was harder then anything. For the younger mutants to not have Marianne to patch up their cuts, scrapes or twisted ankles with a smile and a joke. For the X-men for not having Marianne to joke around with, or hear her mouthing the Brotherhood off, again. For Xavier for not having Marianne around to discuss mutant rights with. For Hank for not having Marianne around in his med-lab. For Ororo for not being able to try and get her to join her in gardening and always succeeding. Even for Logan, she had been a real challenge trying to teach how to fight. Fighting just did not agree with the girl. No matter what.
Forge had been given the schematics and one of the collars the Genoshians had been using and the genius was confident that he could get it to work as Marianne had thought it could work. He just needed some time to put it all together.
Training had become more rigorous, and complaints weren't made. If it had happened once, losing a team member, it could happen again. Not one of them thought they handle such a thing again. It was to be avoided at all costs.
Rogue was bitter at graduation. The same day Marianne had died, they had made the plan for a roadtrip for after the idiotic ceremony, well, it was idiotic in her point of view. The only good thing about it was that it meant that she had finished High School. Marianne had looked forward towards it, even though she had only been able to look forward towards it for half a day. She wouldn't go now, it wasn't any use. It had been for Marianne to find a place where she could help, Marianne was gone, Rogue told herself.
Shadow dropped by occasionally, bringing news, trouble, annoying things, what ever he could. He never staid long, basically because he knew that if he staid longer then a week, the X-men would start bashing his skull. He fully well knew how annoying he could be, and how little Scott could stand his presence.
His information had often proven valuable, since he just had that kind of luck of just being at the right place at the right time. Dumb luck, but, as he claimed, he was due for his bit of luck, since he had bad luck almost completely straight for four years.
Time went by, slowly. But a year passed, a year since Marianne's death. Rogue was now in college, taking engenering classes, so that by the time she was through, and with some extra study, she could put together her own blackbird.
The device they had taken from the lab was now in full working order. Forge even managed to make it into a pendant, it was a small metal plate with a black stone in the middle. When she pushed it once, it would turn her power off, and the stone would turn purple, again a push, and it would return to black and her power would be on again. It was actually quite nice to see.
As it appeared, there were human groups forming in order to keep mutants save from their haters. One of the larger groups was also known as Mutant Underground. Their main goal was getting exposed mutants out of tight spots, giving them a new identity or even going as far as to get them out of the country to one of the mutant friendly countries. The 'Friends of Humanity' were going nuts trying to keep up with the Mutant Underground.
Basically there now was a group opposing the mutant haters, and they seemed to be doing so with a passion. Xavier had caught track of several 'safehouses' with help of Cerebro, those were the places mutants staid while waiting for a new identity or a flight out of the country. Xavier was honestly surprised how they organized everything. The Mutant Underground seemed to have ties everywhere or make ties everywhere. They seemed to be recruiting kids off of the streets, providing them with education and in return, those kids would help out in getting mutants out of trouble they were in without them being able to help it.
Even so, the X-men were far from useless, mutants were still in danger no matter how many humans were trying their best. Most of the humans still feared them, or ignored how they were treated. Ofcourse, neither the Brotherhood nor the Acolytes helped in that department, since none of them believed in the co-existance of humans and mutants.
It surprised a fair share of the inhabitants of the mansion that both Rahne and Jubilee returned, but it was much to the delight of both Robert and Bobby.
The two girls hadn't ever met Marianne, or heard of her. When they heard, however, that there had been a member of the X-men and how they had lost her, they were shocked. Sure, they knew going on missions was dangerous, but somehow, having someone die made it all far too real. And even though they had never met Marianne, Jubilee and Rahne bothe realised that Marianne had been a very good friend to everyone.