Title: Matters of the Heart
Author: Viral
Author's Notes: Thanks for the reviews. I hope this chapter is as enjoyable as the others.
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Storm walked around the tree trunks of the sycamore trees that seemed to touch the clouds in the sky. Her ears were sensitive to the sounds of birds chirping, insects moving, and raccoons leaping. When leaves rustled her blue eyes quickly looked in that direction, but she didn't see her target. She felt the subtle changes in the wind, caused by a large moving object, but any large animal could cause them. No longer feeling secure, she snapped her fingers one time and instantly the forest floor became covered in fog. She began to hover in the air, taking the heels of her white feet out of the pine-covered ground. "Where are you?" she whispered.
The slight changes in the wind became more obvious and more frequent from one area. She turned around, her eyes now completely white and devoid of any visible iris or pupil, but he had already found the perfect position. He lunged out of a tree, his sharp fangs showing from the sides of his mouth. He pounced on her body, causing her to fall onto the ground with him on top. He looked down at her and held one hand firmly on her shoulder to keep her from moving. He retracted the other arm and extended his claws, but she showed no fear.
With a blink from her eyes a gust of wind blew his body into the air and against a firm tree. When she finally recovered from the shock of being pounced on, she stood up and noticed he had once again become absconded in the trees. Annoyance became present on her face. "I am not playing this hide-and-seek game any longer, Wolverine," she yelled, her alto-pitched voice showing no signs of weakness or fear. A whirlwind began to form around her body, completely clearing the ground of pinecones. The whirlwind quickly began to expand in circumference, knocking down trees, tossing small animals into the air, wreaking havoc to the entire environment.
When she finally calmed the forest floor was covered in splintered wood and animals cowering and looking for shelter. Storm caught sight of Wolverine's orange and black costume and hovered towards his fallen body, the sky turning extremely dark while she flew. He growled and tried to get up, but failed. Storm's glove hand went out towards him and a lightning bolt began to fall out of the sky, electricity jumping across excited electrons and making its way towards Wolverine's fallen body.
Storm closed her hand and the lightning bolt dissipated as well as the deforested landscape and the sky.
"Did you have to be so rough?" Wolverine growled. "It's supposed to be a demonstration, Ro."
"You will heal," Storm smiled. "If I did decide to be rough, you would not heal."
"We want realistic spars from you all today," Wolverine explained. The group of students who were apart of the training session were up in the viewing port. Wolverine and Storm were in the Danger Room, speaking to them through microphones that were attached to their uniforms. The vast, square-shaped room was made completely of a reflective, metal material. The technology that the X-Men had surmounted from the ancient ruins in Egypt had allowed them to make the Danger Room into more than a gymnasium. Now they had the capabilities to create realistic projections: buildings that you would be able to climb, facsimiles of enemies fought before who could actually deliver painful blows, and environments that seemed boundless as if they were really there.
"Most of the time we match you according to your abilities," Storm began. "For example, we would often match Iceman and Magma to fight because their abilities are opposites and it creates an even battle. However, there are times when you will be fighting someone who is much stronger or much weaker than you are. For these battles, you must be prepared."
"You gotta fight like your life depends on it," Wolverine started, but Storm cut him off.
"Although you can do that without drawing blood," she said, looking towards Wolverine who was finally standing up. "As you noticed Wolverine was at a disadvantage because he lacks long-range attacks. He had to try to use the environment to his benefit."
"Some of you will be asked to spar with your powers, because you need to learn how to use them effectively," Wolverine said. "The others will have to spar without. You need to learn how not to use your powers unless it's necessary."
"Multiple and Berzerker, come down," Storm said as she and Wolverine made their way out of the Danger Room and into the viewing port with the remaining students.
Rogue's eyes wandered over to the automatic doors that opened before Storm and Wolverine stepped in. She watched as the white-haired weather witch moved to the front-center of the viewing port and began giving Berzerker and Multiple their instructions.
"Logan," Rogue called haggardly, putting a loose strand of auburn hair behind her ear in a tired fashion. "Ah don't think Ah can do this today," she said in a whispered tone after Wolverine walked over to her.
"What's the problem?" he asked, taking his mask off of his face and wiping sweat from his forehead.
"This just ain't gonna work out in nobody's favor," she sighed and noticed Kitty nosily looking into her face from the other side of the port. She turned her face towards Logan, making sure no one would be able to read her lips. "Ah have a bad feeling that if you put me up against Jean--."
Wolverine cut her off, "Look Rogue, you and Jean are not gonna be fightin with powers. It should be a fair fight. Don't worry about it."
"But that's not what --," Rogue tried to explain, but she squirmed when she heard Jean's shrill soprano voice come across the room, calling Logan over to her.
"You'll be fine Rogue," he said, patted her on the shoulder, and then walked over to Jean.
As Logan walked away Scott came over to Rogue, his eyebrows pointing downward – showing concern. "Are you okay?" he asked. Rogue put her head against the wall she was leaning on and slowing began to slide down until she was sitting on the floor. Scott sat down beside her. "Rogue?"
"Ah don't know," she said. "Ah mean, Ah guess Ah'm okay."
"Is there anything you want to talk about?" he asked, placing his gloved hand on her knee. She looked over to him and sighed.
"Have you ever wondered why you were made the way you are and not somebody else?" she asked.
"All the time," he began. "I wonder why I had to end up losing my parents instead of somebody else. I see kids all the time taking their parents for granted and I get upset and want them to live just one day in my shoes." He took his leg off of her knee and put his arm around her shoulder. She looked away from him, feeling a bit uncomfortable being touched by someone else but welcoming the sentiment. "And like you, I wonder why I had to be the ones to get my powers. Of all the possible things in the world, I shoot beams out of my eyes and worst of all, I can't control it. I mean, when I look at Logan's healing ability, Magneto's ability to control metal, Storm's weather manipulating, and the Professor… I just get upset sometimes, knowing that I'll never be able to see anything without a red shade over it."
Rogue sighed, ready to tell him how much she felt his pain; how she wished she could touch another person just as much as he wished he could see without a red tint; how she cried just as long as he did when she had to think about her parents, but before she could utter a word she saw a slender hand reach down to Scott.
"I need to talk to you," Jean said, a worried look on her face, her other hand playing with the French braid that rested on her shoulder.
"Excuse me for a second, Rogue?" he asked, but was standing up before she even nodded. As Jean led Scott outside of the viewing port for a private conversation Rogue watched the imperious way she walked and her salacious way of touching Scott to keep his attention on her. What Rogue felt at that very moment: absolute contempt.
She sighed, knowing that if her life were somehow the central plot of a movie, a sad rhythm and blues song would come on, playing smooth beats that were a perfect audible expression of her downcast countenance. Then the screen would fade into darkness and the music would grow faint. Afterwards the next scene of the movie would brightly appear on the screen and somehow everything would work out. But Rogue's life wasn't a movie. There was no background music. There was no way to dismiss the rest of the day – she would just have to live through it. And there was no promise that the ending to her story would be happy.
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Rogue was uncontrollably livid while Logan explained the rules. Her emerald green eyes were blazing red as a result of un-cried tears. Her fists were in tight balls, her muscles were tense, and her mind had one thing on it: take Jean down! The only words Rogue heard were "No powers," before she saw Jean moving in her familiar fighting stance.
Immediately Rogue went into an defensive karate stance, one she had learned from Mystique's memories out of the many times she had touched the blue mutant. She rushed at Jean, not willing to stand around and walk in circles all day. About a foot away from where Jean was standing, Rogue leaped into the air and kicked out her right leg. Exhibiting torque from the initial turn she started just before she jumped, Rogue's body spun about one hundred seventy degrees before her heavy boot collided with Jean's rib. The red head gasped for air as she stumbled to the floor; she hadn't been expecting Rogue to attack so soon and she hadn't been expecting Rogue to take the training to seriously and hit her with such impact.
It didn't take Jean long to realize that Rogue was in killer mode. Quickly rolling up off the floor, Jean thought to herself, time to knock her down a few pegs, as usual. Rogue came rushing towards Jean, this time obviously attempting an attack with her elbow. When Rogue was close enough, Jean stretched out her long arm and rammed the lower palm of her hand into Rogue's nose. The nerve-wrecking pain of feeling her the cartilage in her nose falter caused her to stop thinking for a second, but anger didn't allow her to worry about her nose. Rogue quickly forced her right fist towards Jean's face, but Jean grabbed her wrist. Rogue tried kicking her in the shin with her left leg, but Jean grabbed it before it even reached her. The next thing Rogue knew was that she was on the floor with Jean's knee on her chest.
"Good job, Jean," Logan said on the microphone. "Rogue, think before you act. Your opponent has longer arms and legs than you do so she has a greater reach. You have to find a way to negate that obstacle." Rogue frowned and stood up quickly as Jean stood up and backed away. "We're going to change the scenery. Start the spar whenever you're ready."
As Logan chose the environment for the next phase of Jean and Rogue's training, a bayou-type environment began to appear simultaneously in the Danger Room. Decent sized trees allowed no real clearing in the landscapes except for a marshy river that ran down the middle of the tropical swamp. Fog was a blanket on the ground and dark clouds were the shades for the night sky. Lightning bugs blinked on and off and hidden bullfrogs croaked. Somewhere within the dense atmosphere Rogue was sitting in a tree, waiting for Jean to walk her way.
Rogue began to replay the things that had happened in the viewing port and the words she had hear: "She's a whore for attention. Is the whole world supposed to sit and mourn over the sad Rogue? Scott, I mean, everybody knows she had a sad past, but she needs to get over it." Scott had tried to say something, but Jean just kept prattling on. "Kurt went through worst things than she did. I am not going to force myself to sit here and be nice to her anymore. If she wants to sulk for the rest of her life, let her do it. Logan told me that I'm supposed to spar against her today but we're not supposed to use powers. All I have to say is she better be glad for the "no powers" rule. It's time that she be put back in her place." Rogue frowned, removing the bulky gloves she had become accustomed to from her slender hand.
"Oh Scott, Ah broke a nail. Come to my hospital bed until Ah feel better," Rogue mocked Jean, out loud. She stealthily moved from one tree to another. They were so close that it was easy to act like Tarzan and leap without feeling worried about falling. Rogue caught sight of a shadow moving slowly near the edge of the water. When she was absolutely sure it was Jean she jumped out of the tree, naked hands aimed for Jean's face.
The redhead gasped as she noticed Rogue's body coming towards her. She tried to duck and dodge, but slipped on the muddy bank of the river. Rogue fell on top of her. Jean grabbed Rogue's forearm and struggled to keep it away from her face. Her original worry was that Rogue was seeking to punch her there, but when she noticed outstretched fingers and the lack of bulk around those fingers she realized Rogue was attempting to absorb her abilities. Her green eyes widened as her thoughts changed from shock, to fear, to anger, and finally to disgust.
Jean motioned her head towards her right and Rogue's body flew in that direction, banging the southern shadow into the bark of thick tree. Jean pointed her hand towards Rogue and then made a motion so that Rogue flew into the river. Another flick of the wrist and Rogue was up against another tree. By now her uniform was torn in the back, her hair was splattered with mud, and absolute contempt was living in her eyes and heart. When Rogue felt Jean's telekinetic grasp let go of her she got up and yelled with her raspy voice and charged towards her enemy. However, she was stopped in her tracks and the next thing she knew her back was against another tree.
Then the smell of brimstone began to permeate the area and a lightning bolt landed in front of Jean's body. Kitty had phased Ororo through the floor of the viewing port and Kurt had transported Logan down onto the floor. "Jean, get out of the Danger Room, now!" Ororo commanded, fury and disappointment etched in her actions.
Jean stubbornly stood there, daring Ororo to make her leave. The white-haired teacher landed on the ground, so close to Jean's face that the breath coming from her mouth was creating condensation on Jean's face. "You may be right in this situation, but I gave you an order," Ororo said. "And could not care less how strong you think you are, but you do not want to challenge me!" Ororo's frowning face turned to an annoyed smile, showing she was trying her best to conceal her rage. "Now, get out!" Jean turned around and walked towards the huge doors that were considered the entrance and exit to the room.
-=-=-=- Later that night… -=-=-=-
"Ah heard everything you said to Scott outside the viewing port!" Rogue screamed at Jean. The huge ace bandage that was tied around her torso and back were visible through Rogue's white t-shirt. The foyer of the mansion was housing all the students and staff of the Institute. After the events in the Danger Room, Professor Xavier believed that a public intervention was necessary. He encouraged Jean and Rogue to say anything and everything they ever wanted to say to each other, but admonished that the other students to just be quiet.
"So not only are you utterly obsessed with being the center of attention, negative or positive doesn't really matter to you, but you're also nosey. You weren't invited into my conversation with Scott, at all!" Jean screamed back.
"You are so…" Rogue stopped herself from using profanity in front of the adults, "…Hypocritical! How can you accuse me of wanting to be the center of attention when it's your only goal in life?"
"See, you've got it all wrong. I'm at the center your attention. What in the world could I possibly have that you want so much?"
"Professor!" Rogue shouted. "This ain't working. Ah'm through for tonight," she said, getting out of her seat. Jean had touched a very delicate subject; one that Rogue even considered was on-point. Scott.
-=-=-=- Later… -=-=-=-
"Jean, you seemed very out of character today," the Professor said, drinking a mug of Sleepytime tea. "What is happening?"
"I'm not out of character, Professor," Jean explained. "I've felt this way about Rogue for a long time. You know, sometimes you can try your hardest to make people like you or do good things for the people who don't like you… and after it doesn't work for as long as Rogue's been living here, you can't take it anymore. Whenever she's around me her angry thoughts force their way inside my head! How do you expect me to deal with it?"
"Deal with it like a responsible woman," the Professor said, almost annoyed.
"I've been doing that the entire time!" Jean yelled and then softened her tone. "And I'm sick of playing nice with her. Rogue hates me and I hate her back."
Author's Notes: I know some of you were rooting for Rogue… but I am unbiased when it comes down to Ms. Grey and our southern Goth. Even if you did want Rogue to wig-out on Jean, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. There's a lot I wanted to say, and I hope I got some type of message across in this chapter.