Saints and Sinners – By Darlin
Chapter Twenty-One – The Onslaught Begins
A/N – Thank you kind reviewers: Happosai, Lerie, lilWolvie, and Shadowface. Also, Shadowface thanks for reviewing my stories under Dreaming n Watercolors, I appreciate your thoughts but wonder how could I make Legolas seem older? Just curious. Also, next chapter should be up tomorrow and as I'm posting in the wee morning hours that should be on Monday morning rather than Sunday.
.
In Ororo's bedroom, completely unaware that the Professor and Jean were venturing down a path unthinkable, Logan and Ororo stared at one another, each glowering defiantly at the other.
"You think he's making me like you don't you?"
"I don't know, Logan but wouldn't it make sense? I mean I'm not your type, I'm nothing like Jean and . . ."
"I don't even wanna hear that any more. Why do you keep rubbing my nose in that? I made a freakin' mistake so did you with blue boy but so what? You don't hear me draggin' that crap up every other minute do you?"
His words stung. The truth of them and the untruths. She was fast losing patience. The lightning that flashed outside was a warning but neither heeded it.
"That sounds just like the old you, cold blooded and mean."
"Oh now here we go again! I can't believe I thought out of everybody you at least understood me! I'm just wasting my time with you here!"
"Well no one's keeping you here – you're free to leave anytime!"
"You'd like that wouldn't you? Whaddaya have planned? You goin' to have a little rendezvous with your ex boyfriend? Or maybe with the bird man, huh?"
She hit him then. He hadn't expected it and caught her by the wrist after the fact. Her lightning quick reflexes had surprised him but anger will do that to you sometimes. She wanted to hit him again but he pulled her to him and held her whispering in her ear things she didn't want to hear and couldn't believe in any more.
"I don't know why but I care for you more than I've ever cared for any other woman, Ororo even when you're crazy like this. Why can't that be enough for you? You gotta let this go. You gotta let me back in."
She sobbed to herself trying to fight back tears. It wasn't just the pain she felt from hitting his adamantium laced jaw, she felt torn. She so wanted to believe him. She needed to believe him but she had wanted to believe that she'd loved Hank on her own too without any mental coercion from the Professor. The problem was she didn't know how she could tell what was what and how she felt anymore. She couldn't live that way and she didn't understand how Logan could blow it off so causally. That wasn't him. He always questioned everything. If he wasn't acting like himself then something was wrong. Why couldn't he see that?
"I know how you feel, darlin' but you gotta believe me. I'd know if the Professor was messin' with me and I don't think you'd have all these doubts if he was."
She couldn't help the tears that fell now.
"Baby, don't cry. It's gonna be okay."
"You don't know that!"
"Yeah, I do."
"Since when did you become a telepath?"
"Since we made it outta the danger room together without gettin' killed. I knew then everything was gonna be okay."
"You did? Oh, Logan I'm sorry I hit you!"
"You got nothin' to be sorry about, darlin'. We had an argument; couples do it all the time. You're nothin' but what you are. All the good in you an' all the bad makes you you an' I wouldn't want it any other way just as long as you don't make it a habit. I've already forgotten it."
She looked up at him wondering did he really feel that way. It looked as if he believed it. Why had he fallen for her? She was lost in this thought when his lips crushed hers. It would be so easy for her to give into him. She was no virgin. She wished she was but life on her own hadn't been easy. She wasn't proud of her past but she'd made no excuses for the past either. For some reason she had never wanted to sleep with Hank but she wanted Logan. She wanted to be his, body and soul. She wanted to hold him, to keep him, to have him forever so he'd never leave her but she was scared.
How could she not be scared not knowing what was what anymore? And how could she ever know the truth of things? Unless they left. That was the only way but he couldn't see that. He'd come back and now meant to stay with the X-Men or at least until she could find proof against the strongest telepath in the world, but how was she supposed to accomplish that, especially if she stayed?
"Do you feel something?" Ororo asked uneasily as she pulled away from him, glancing around the room.
"Yeah, and Wolvie Junior's feelin' it too."
"Who?"
Logan looked down towards his pants and Ororo snickered. Who in their right mind named their body parts? Only a guy, she thought.
"Is that all you can think about?"
"You make me that way," he said with a wink.
"Do you even have protection?"
"Yeah, of course."
Somehow that annoyed her. Did he have left over condoms from his time with Jean? The thought sickened her even though she knew it was childish to feel that way.
"Surplus from your time with Jean?" she said before she could stop herself.
"Oh, brother, here we go again!"
"Look, I have things to do so can you just go?"
"You're still determined on finding proof of somethin' that isn't happening?"
"Yes."
He saw that she was determined and it both ticked him off and made him want to laugh. He'd fallen for her because of her spunk, her independence, and her resolve. Now suddenly he just wanted to rip away all of those things that made her her. He wanted her to submit to him, to do what ever he said– like Jean had.
"Man, this is getting crazy!" he groaned.
"Well get a grip or I'm leaving without you."
"What? You're serious?"
There was no need for Ororo to reply. She went to her closet and pulled out a military style duffle bag. Logan was silent for some time as he watched her yanking clothes haphazardly from her closet. He felt his temper raising and fought to keep it in check.
"Look, darlin' for the last time, I think I oughta know if he was messin' around in my head and I'm tellin' you he ain't! He can't even read my mind which is how I got in here in the first place, remember?"
"So you think, but your memories have been messed with before so why can't he have figured a way to mess with you too, huh?"
"Okay, now let me get this straight – he's got a hold of me, you, Kitty, Peter, Bob, Scott, Jean, Rogue, Kurt, the Beast, and who else all at the same time? Oh yeah, right, Magneto to boot."
"It may not be all of the time. We don't even have to tell anyone, we can leave a note then we can take a vacation together so we can think about what we should do and see if our heads clear up before we come back. Is that too much to ask for?"
"Darlin' if it were that easy I'd say sure but even goin' to Timbuktu wouldn't help us if he has figured a way of getting to us. And what's so bad about bein' here if you an' me are together? You startin' to rethink us, is that it?"
"Yes – well no! I mean maybe. Oh, I don't know! It's just that none of what happened makes any sense to me and I keep thinking about what Hank said."
"Can you just shut up about that blue idiot?" Logan growled as he angrily knocked her duffle bag and clothes off the bed.
"All right! I won't say another word about him but I want you to think about Magneto . . ."
"What about Magneto, huh? Xavier's got that nut case twisted around his little finger so bad he don't even know if it's day or night unless he tells 'im and so what? That creep deserves it!"
"There! See, you just nailed it on the head! If he can do that to Magneto why not us? We don't have any idea what he's doing or why, all we can see is the results.
"Me, I'm a criminal, you, and Peter too more or less. We do everything he tells us to even if he tells us to kill people so he wouldn't probably want to lose us, right? Now if he didn't control us where would we go, back to our lives of crime or living on the streets? None us want that any more so maybe he doesn't have to mess with us so much but think about it, what about Scott, and Bobby, and Jean? Scott and Bobby both came back and who's to say it wasn't because Xavier mind wiped them. And Forge he wasn't so keen on being a good guy from what I knew about him so why was he here? Was it of his own free will?
"So if we did go where would we go? You think about that? What're we gonna do for a livin'?"
"I don't know. I'm a pretty good thief if it came down to that but you're pretty strong and studly, you could work for a living."
"So yer sayin' you wanna live offa me, that it? You want me to support you?"
"Well, maybe at first until I got a job."
"Doing what? Twirlin' on a pole in front of a bunch of droolin' horn dogs?"
She laughed. "No. I could do something else."
"You got no education, you can't type . . ."
"I can too – Hank taught me."
Logan gave her an icy look.
"Sorry. Well maybe I could be a waitress. I could even work my way through school then I could pull my weight."
"You talk like we're gonna get married an' live in the burbs."
"I thought you wanted to get married!"
"You never said you wanted to. Anyway what makes you think the offer's still on the table?"
It was Ororo's turn to give him a chilling look. She turned away from him and looked out a window all the while fuming inside, her thoughts reflected in the sudden grumbling of thunder in the distance. Logan chuckled. He reached out and pulled her to him without much resistance despite her attitude.
"You wanna do it then?"
"Don't you think we should wait before making a decision like that?"
"Just give me a yes or a no."
"I – well, if you really mean it and it isn't some thought put there by Xavier then I think I'd like that," she said quietly.
"Is that a yes?"
"Yes, it's a yes as long as we're not being controlled."
She was silent and again turned to look out the window. He ran his fingers through her hair tenderly. He wished they could run off and never come back to be honest but he didn't really know what he could do to take care of them. All he knew was how to be a killer. How was he going to support her – be an assassin for hire? He knew she wouldn't be able to deal with that. He knew she wouldn't want to be with him any more if he went back to the way he used to be and he wouldn't blame her. What woman wanted a cold blooded killer sleeping in their bed every night?
Even if he didn't tell her what he was doing to bring home the bacon he was pretty sure she wasn't going to buy any lies he might be able to think of. He had to face it; he was as unskilled as she was unless they were going to be living on a dude ranch or something outdoorsy like that. He could do that and enjoy it he figured, except for the people; he knew he wouldn't like the tourist. He'd probably slip up and snap someone's neck in two when they got on his nerves and then she'd leave him. He could see it now. Nope, that wouldn't work either. So it left only one choice– to stay and trust Xavier. That wasn't so bad. Kill a rogue kid here or there, take out super villains every once in awhile and get paid a pretty good salary. Easy living if you asked him. Why couldn't she see that?
"To be honest with you, darlin' I wish we could but this isn't something we can do on the spur of the moment. I got a good chunk of cash saved up but we need to find out exactly what the deal is. Xavier could find us anywhere we went so we'd have to plan things out first if we did go."
"Plans have a way of never working out."
"I told you, as long as we're together everything'll be fine."
"My woman's intuition says we're screwed if we stay."
"Well, you need to start trying to trust me if you wanna be with me. My instincts say we got nothin' to worry about."
"You should try to trust me if you want to be with me! I'm sick to death of this, the not knowing and you not even trying to help! I've got to go," Ororo said then climbed through the window leaving Logan to watch her fly off.
.
Just before their danger room session several of the students were relaxing and watching T.V. When Rogue came into the room she made a beeline towards Kurt ignoring Warren, Peter, and Kitty. She pulled up a chair and tugged at his arm as she sat down.
"Ah need to talk to you, Kurt," she whispered urgently.
"I am listening," Kurt replied with one eye still on the television.
"The Professor isn't the man ah remember. He gives me the eebie jeebies!" she said.
"I have to admit that it is peculiar everything that has been going on."
"What's so odd about it?" Warren asked from his seat nearby.
"Nothin'," Rogue quickly said.
Warren gave her a look of disgust. "Maybe the Professor was right about you not belonging."
"He – he told you that?"
"Well . . . I overheard him and Scott talking."
"Ah gotta get outta this place! Kurt what about you? You said give it some time an' ah did but it just ain't workin' for me. Will you come with me?"
Kurt frowned. He actually liked not having to worry about where his next meal was going to come from and having a place to rest his weary body at night. He hadn't really cared for the physical aspects at first, but the fighting, training rather, had really started to feel good. There was something about it that was reminiscent of the bold swashbuckling heroes of old that he so enjoyed in books and classic movies. He could imagine he was the hero when he soared through the air with a fair damsel in distress (usually Rogue) in his arms. He liked that so no, he didn't want to leave.
"Why isn't it working for you?" Kitty asked.
"Ah wasn't talking to everyone!" Rogue snapped.
"You should watch your tone when speaking to Kitty!" Peter shouted.
Everyone stared at him quite surprised but he stared them all down.
Kitty couldn't help but smile. It was exhilarating to have this gorgeous, sexy, and super strong man stand up for her.
"It's okay, Peter," she whispered.
"No, it is not. I think if you feel uncomfortable among us then you should leave," Peter said flatly. "It is not as if we need you. We were doing fine on our own."
"That's a matter of opinion," Warren laughed.
"Y'all are crazy an' ah don't care what any of you think!"
"That's uncalled for!" Kitty said.
"One more word out of you and I will shut your mouth for you," Peter said as he stood up.
Kitty stood up also and grabbed Peter's hand trying to make him sit back down.
"That is enough!" Kurt yelled. "Have you all lost your minds? Rogue is feeling uncomfortable and you are not helping at all. Can she not speak her mind here? Is this not America, a free country where . . .?"
"Give it a break," Warren said. "It's a free enough country if you're not a mutant but since we're all mutants here then no, it isn't a free country but we can still say what we think about her not wanting to be here. It wasn't my choice to come here and hang out with a bunch of crybabies and freaks and maybe give my life trying to save some human racist but it's all I have right now. I might not like it but you don't hear me complaining."
"For someone who claims he never complains you were pretty vocal about Ororo's taste in men," Kitty muttered.
"So? I like the girl, so what? Suit me fine if that runt just up and disappeared just like Forge."
"That's is so wrong," Kitty observed.
Warren shrugged. "It's the truth, why deny it? She should be with someone like me."
"Well she's in love with Logan," Kitty retorted.
"Right. From what Hank says she just thinks she is."
"You're aware that Hank's her ex boyfriend, her very jealous ex boyfriend, right?"
"No, duh."
"Can we all calm down?" Kurt asked.
"Don't know what she sees in him. Didn't he kill someone?" Warren asked, ignoring Kurt.
"We have all done our share of wrong things in the past," Peter said quietly. "I may be an atheist but even I know in the Bible it states that he who has no sin throw the first stone or something to that nature. Are you sinless, Warren?"
Warren chose not to answer. Instead he got up and started for the door. Peter gave him a look of disdain before he spoke again.
"Logan is many things but he has proven himself whereas you have not. He saved Kitty's life and I have it from Scott that he has apologized to him for things that happened that should not have. He probably saved Ororo's life as well. One day he may save my life or I his life. It is what we do and we do it because we believe in each other and what the Professor believes in."
"He believes in sending you guys out to kill kids?" Warren asked from the doorway.
"What are you talking about? We have killed no children," Kurt said.
"That's not what I heard."
"Oh no!" Rogue moaned, moving closer to Kurt.
"Whatever he did he had a reason for it!" Kitty snapped. "Did you ask him?"
"Well, no but . . ."
"Then there is no reason to discuss it," Peter said decisively.
Warren wisely decided not to go against Peters wishes. It was obvious that whatever Kitty said and did was perfect in Peter's eyes and Warren didn't have a death wish so he left it alone.
"I believe as you do," Kurt said to Peter. "We are not to judge each other for none of us are innocent. Rogue, can you not speak to the Professor and resolve your differences?"
"Yeah, Rogue," Kitty chimed in. "He's not so scary after you get to know him. Make nice with his cat and you can get in good with him – that's what I did. Why do you think he lets me go on missions when I'm not really supposed to?"
Rogue pushed past Warren and left without answering. Warren chose that moment to make a quick escape himself.
"Should we go after her?" Kitty asked.
"Why? She is rude and obviously not happy here. I say let her go if that is what she wishes," he said.
"Maybe you're right," Kitty said more to herself than to Peter.
"Come let us take a walk and relax before we have to report for training, no?"
She nodded absently, Rogue still on her mind, but soon she was walking hand in hand with Peter and thoughts of Rogue slipped away as if they'd never been there.
.
To Ororo it was a relief to feel her full power swelling within her as she soared through the sky high above the school. Logan could only admire her as he watched. Everything about her was intoxicating to him. She was so wild and independent all while being the nicest and meanest, almost, girl he'd ever known. He'd known from day one that she was hot tempered and stubborn and at times like this it really irritated him but he also understood, she was a lot like him.
All he wanted to do now was to make her understand why they couldn't just up and go only he couldn't quite articulate it. It was easy enough to think out the reasons to himself and admit he couldn't take care of them without reverting back to what he used to be, which was exactly what she hated, but to explain that without making him look like a complete idiot was beyond him.
"Hey, what's up?" Warren called out as he flew up to meet Ororo.
"Not much," she said, looking him up and down.
He was bare-chested and she unabashedly admired his pecs and abs. After a few minutes of flying quietly together she let herself float down back to the house. Warren followed.
"It's pretty weird what happened an' all you know?" he said.
"Yep."
"So you find anything out like where Forge's body is?"
"Nope."
"You think he did it?"
"Who?" Ororo asked as she turned to face him just before settling down on the doorstep. "You mean Hank?"
"Beast? Why would he kill the guy? Weren't they pretty tight?"
"So, you think Logan killed him."
"Well, don't you?"
"I think if you keep messing with me you're probably going to be next," Ororo said angrily before she went inside.
Warren ran a hand through his hair as he watched her run upstairs. He grinned when he heard her door slam shut. She was starting to like him – he could tell. Yeah, after a few more days she'd be dumping that crazy animal guy and be ready to give him a try. His grin grew as he turned to go back outside and then it fell.
"Uh . . . uh . . . er . . . I . . ." Warren stuttered searching for words when he saw Logan standing in front of him looking just like the killer that Warren imagined he was.
"A piece of advice: you wanna live a little longer kid take Ro's advice," Logan said, his voice a low snarl.
"Oh . . . like what, you're going to try to kill me next? I'm not as stupid as Forge."
"News flash, bird man, you sound, act, and look pretty stupid to me an' you thinkin' I killed Forge don't make me think any different. Not to mention you gotta be practically brain dead to be getting Ro mad at you. She's about as crazy as I am."
"The Professor – well he wouldn't let anything happen!"
"Bet that's what Forge thought. Maybe he's even thinkin' that now where ever he is."
No comeback came to Warren's mind and Logan shook his head. If he did leave he sure wouldn't miss this punk. A bird man was pretty much useless in a real fight. What was he gonna do, use his missile like bird droppings to take out the bad guys? Imagining that almost made Logan grin, but seeing Warren sputtering still, trying to find something to say was pretty pathetic and it sobered him up. He imagined the boy was close to wetting his pants. Well, the weapon of choice for a bird – gotta use it or lose it he supposed as he stepped past the clearly frightened Angel and went upstairs.
However, instead of going to his room he went directly to Ororo's. Glancing back he saw Warren watching him as if his confidence had returned. Logan grinned and winked at the kid as he opened the door or rather as he tried to open it. The door was locked. A deep feral growl left his throat that startled Warren clear down below causing him to step back a pace but when Logan glared down at him Warren turned and ran out as fast as he could, survival the only thing on his mind.
"Let me in," Logan growled after Warren had left.
"No."
"Ro . . ."
"Go away."
"Ro, you're acting like a flamin' baby."
"Go screw yourself!"
"Screw this!" he yelled, turned and went downstairs and out the front door.
He got into the SUV, angrily slammed the door, found the keys tucked under the visor then drove off, burning rubber as he did so. A hovering Angel watched with a sense of satisfaction, his ego getting the better of him and he grinned like a Cheshire cat. To him it looked like Ororo was getting tired of the little runt. He figured she was finally wising up that is until a sudden strong wind and a bolt of lightning in the sky sent him scurrying back to the house. Logan, with is sharp eyesight saw Ororo move away from the window, the sheer curtains blowing in the sudden gale and he laughed. He knew he wasn't going far or staying away for long. He'd give her some time to cool off then they would talk after the danger room session.
The nerve of those men, Ororo thought indignantly as she looked around her room uneasily. There was something in the air that she didn't like. It felt funny. She imagined it was how it felt when someone was manipulating someone's thoughts but of course she didn't have any way of knowing that. She felt silly and confused and angry because she couldn't figure anything out. She was mad at Logan and yet she wanted to go to his room and wait for him to come back. Worse, she wanted to throw herself into his arms and apologize and go to sleep in his arms. Well she knew she couldn't do that or at least until he apologized or they came to some kind of understanding. If he wouldn't at least try to see her point of view then she didn't think she should see him any more.
It didn't take a genius like Hank to see the truth staring them in the face. They'd been trying to locate the Professor's crazy as a loon son when she'd fleetingly wondered what she was doing involved in that mess. Hank had jogged her memory. Why hadn't she remembered before? And why hadn't she done something if she'd felt that way? Maybe the Professor or his son had done something to her mind then. She didn't know. Bobby had been hurt pretty bad and Peter as Colossus had killed Betsy in order to kill the Professor's son. Maybe all that confusion had made her forget?
That had been a hard time for all of them – Betsy's funeral, not knowing if Bobby was going to make it, then Bobby's parents wanting to sue the Professor. She didn't blame them really. She hadn't known Betsy well but the reality of what they were doing had sunk in full force after Betsy's death. But there had been no remorse or even guilt over the Professor's son's death and neither had she thought any differently about Peter after he'd killed Betsy. It was just what had to be done.
Maybe that's what the Professor specialized in – hardening them while they killed kids and died themselves. Betsy, Bobby almost, Hank almost, that boy in the cave, that was sad, and maybe tons more. Who knew? What kind of man could just go around doing that and acting as if everything was okay like there wasn't anything wrong with it? Only a man with no morals was what Ororo figured. And a man without morals was a man she couldn't trust.
That left no other alternative for her; she had to get away maybe for just a little while maybe forever, she didn't know. She didn't want to think any more either so she fell to her knees, scooped up the duffle bag then started to stuff her scattered clothes into it. Still her mind raced with questions. If she could leave like others had would that prove anything? Would leaving make things worse for those that she was so attached to? She'd have to warn Kitty and the others though she suspected only Rogue would listen. Jean would do what Scott wanted and he'd never leave the Professor again. Xavier had those two right where he wanted them.
It made her wonder if Jean would know if he was messing with her min or not. She'd said something about things being strange around the place but she hadn't elaborated. Did she suspect something too? But even if she did could Ororo trust Jean's instincts? After all Jean had been in a mental hospital. Even though the reason she was there was supposed to be because of her powers Ororo could see that Jean wasn't always the most rational person in the world.
What really bothered Ororo was that sometimes she could see a flame licking in the corners of Jean's eyes as if her power was trying to break free. She wondered what devastation she could wreak if she were free to use that power. It had to be a pretty heavy duty power too because she'd seen how badly it effected Jean even now. Like she was going to spaz out if she couldn't get to the Professor who seemed to be the only one who could help her. He was the only thing keeping Jean from breaking down again. But that was a good thing probably or at least Ororo hoped it was. Good, bad, she couldn't figure it out. She couldn't figure anything out and that just wasn't how she wanted to live any more.
.
"Why will you not give me a little kiss, Kayta?" Peter whispered in Kitty's ear.
The poor girl looked as if she were ready to give him that and a whole lot more even though she tried to push him away.
"We shouldn't be doing this," Kitty said even as Peter pulled her back to him. "I-I mean I want to but . . . but I'm afraid," Kitty admitted.
"Why? I will be gentle," he teased.
"No. I mean I'm not ready for this! I'm too young. I don't even know what I'm doing half the time when we're kissing!"
Peter laughed.
"Then I will not bother you any more. Perhaps when you are much older."
"Oh, no! I didn't mean it like that."
"What did you mean then?"
Kitty looked at Peter with large eyes bright with tears. She didn't know what she meant. All she knew was that she was a kid and Peter was a lot older and she didn't want to lose her virginity just yet even if she loved Peter. She was afraid that might be the only thing he wanted from her.
"I want to wait. Will . . . will you still like me?"
"Or course."
"Really?"
"Nothing has changed. I still care for you. How can that change because we are not intimate?"
"Wow! You don't know how much that means to me! I was so worried you'd want to stop seeing me! But it's really important to me to wait. I mean the first time I do it should be wonderful and almost sacred with the man I'm going to spend the rest of my life with."
"Really?"
"Well, yes. It's the way I was brought up. Besides my mother would kill me!"
Peter chuckled then said, "I would not force myself on you, Kayta despite how much I care for you and you are very young."
"I'm not all that young!"
Now he laughed.
"I know it sounds lame probably to you like I've been reading too many Harlequin romances but that's what I want."
Peter nodded then turned when he heard someone clearing her throat. Ororo tapped at the half open door. She felt really proud of Kitty for standing up for what she believed in and she was glad she'd overheard the tail end of their conversation. She hadn't meant to listen but she couldn't leave before warning Kitty and Peter, besides she needed Kitty to do something for her.
.
Fifteen minutes later after having warned her friends Ororo had convinced Kitty to phase them through the school and down into the basement.
"What is it we're looking for?" Kitty whispered.
"Anything suspicious. Check the computer and see what you can find."
After a few minutes Kitty shook her head. "Everything looks okay so far."
"We've got company," Ororo whispered as she backed as far to the edge of the window as she could so she couldn't be seen and yet could still see what was happening below.
Kitty stopped what she was doing and joined Ororo on the other side of the window. Down below Hank was striding across the room. When he reached the other side he leaned against the wall and it looked as if he were putting his eye to some type of scanner that they couldn't detect. A panel in the wall slid open and Hank disappeared inside. The girls looked at each other briefly then turned their attention back to the open panel.
After a short time inside Hank finally came out. He was pushing a wheel chair. It was in fact the Professor's good wheel chair and in the chair was a very pale looking Forge. Both girls gasped. Hank sealed the panel then wheeled Forge out of the danger room. They could hear Forge laughing weakly at something Hank said and then the room was silent again.
"He's alive!" Kitty exclaimed.
"I can't believe that SOB did that!" Ororo hissed.
"So the mysteries solved," Kitty said.
Ororo felt a storm brewing within her and she tried her best to quell it but the anger she felt inside was worse than she'd felt in a long time. To her this was the very last straw. She was so mad she could hardly think straight and she stomped over to the exit without a word to Kitty.
"I was wondering why the Professor was in that old beat up wheel chair," Kitty murmured.
"He was probably in on this!" Ororo shrieked as she turned around.
"I-I really don't think that's true, Ororo," Kitty stammered.
"Whatever! Hank should be kicked off the team and sent packing like the jackass he is!"
"I know but what're we going to do? We took Logan in after what he did so how can we not do the same for Hank?"
Ororo couldn't dispute that but she knew Logan was going to have a hard time with this turn of events.
"Logan's going to be so mad when he finds out but he'll have to find out on his own. I'm not telling him. He should've listened to me. It serves him right!" Ororo muttered before she turned and left.
.
"Rogue is gone," Kurt reported when he entered the danger room fifteen minutes later.
"Where'd she go?" Scott asked.
"I do not know. Her clothes are all gone."
"She left for good then?"
"I am only reporting what I discovered, Cyclops."
Scott seemed to be running this information through his head as he looked up at the observation room. He was actually counting silently. Hank appeared to be on the breaking point. That was another possible desertion there. Forge hadn't really been a part of the team but his absence had been really felt or maybe it was just the way he'd gone – murdered there in the house by someone they knew. He ticked off Logan in his mind as the next possible deserter. Whether Logan killed Forge or not Scott was pretty sure he was going to be carted off either by the local police or S.H.I.E.L.D. but if that happened then maybe Hank would stay. So two down either way you looked at it. Two gone would make them all the weaker. Truthfully he didn't care if Logan stayed or went but he'd miss Hank even if he had become a little vindictive and off balanced lately.
.
Rogue was feeling happier than she'd felt in a long time. She'd taken the liberty of borrowing a car from the Professor's extensive collection and having had the good foresight to keep her money in cash and hidden in her room she didn't have to worry about being tracked through the use of the emergency credit card she'd been given when she'd joined. She'd even gotten rid of the standard issue cell that all X-Men were required to carry at all times. A simple toss out the window and she was free from ever having to deal with them ever again.
Now she threw her head back and laughed. She shook her brown and white hair so that it flew in every direction to the wild beat of a song blasting on the CD player. Life was better than she'd ever imagined it to be before. Freedom had a way of making you feel like that and the fact that she was headed to New Orleans. When she got there she was going to party till she dropped or died trying.
.
It wasn't hard to find Bobby. He was in his room playing video games, his second favorite occupation after watching TV. Again Ororo knocked on an already open door, this time entering without apology.
"'Sup, O?" Bobby asked without looking up from his game.
"How'd you know it was me?" Ororo asked as she sat beside him on his unmade bed.
"You smell like dirt," he laughed, making fun of her perfume, which he actually liked.
"You smell like dirty socks and sweaty underwear."
"Gotta keep up the image. You know how it is."
"Oh, yeah right, forgot. Xavier's most wanted, huh?"
"Yo, yo you know the drill," he laughed, still working the controls to his game.
"New game?"
"Yeah. It's cool, wanna try it? I'm almost finished."
"Can't."
"Don't tell me it's time for that stupid practice session already?" he asked, clearly disappointed.
"You still have time but that's what I came to talk to you about."
"Give me a minute, I'm almost finished. This game's harder than I thought."
Ororo got up and looked around his room finally settling beside the window. She poked at the screen and wondered why he would want to be separated from the outdoors that way. She preferred having the breeze stream in through open windows without screens not to mention that it was a lot easier to escape through should the need or feeling arise. She smiled as she realized Logan felt much as she did. Finally the loud blasting and shouting from the game ended and she looked up to see Bobby staring at her.
"I'm not going to the danger room," she said.
"Why not?"
"I'm playing hooky."
"Scott's gonna chew you out good, you know that."
"I've got things to do."
"Suit yourself but you're gonna get it for sure."
"Bobby?"
He moved over so she could join him on the bed. He was surprised to see how serious she looked and even more surprised when she suddenly hugged him.
"What's up with you?" he asked just before she kissed him very gently on the lips.
Bobby, not being one to pass up an opportunity, wrapped his arms around her and held her tighter than he ever would have dared before – as tight as he had fantasized about, and when she didn't resist he felt he'd died and gone to heaven.
"Bob . . ." she whispered when she pulled back a bit to look at his elated face.
Feeling a deep sadness she kissed him again and she too held onto him as if this was the last time she would ever see him again. It seemed like a long time that they were locked in an embrace but it was really only a few minutes then Ororo got up and looked at Bobby with tear filled eyes.
"Whoa, what did I do to deserve that?"
"I just wanted to thank you."
"For what?"
"For being my friend, for risking your life to save mine that time, and because I love you."
"Wow! I love you too, O!"
Ororo smiled. "You're the best friend a girl could have."
Bobby wasn't pleased with that but he tried to pretend that he'd known that was what she'd meant all along and he bobbed his head up and down a few times.
"That's cool," he said as casually as he could manage.
"You have to be really careful and watch your back when you're in the danger room, okay? Maybe you should stay near Hank."
"Why?"
"Hank warned me about the danger room and, well, Hank's been acting really crazy lately but he sounded like I should really watch my back. I know Scott and Logan think I'm reading too much into what he said but . . ."
"That's why you're not going, because of Hank?"
"One reason," Ororo said. She reached into her back pocket and pulled out a letter. "Will you give this to Logan for me?"
"Um, you and Logan are still tight, right?"
"Yeah."
"Oh. Well, okay," Bobby muttered and took the letter.
"Thanks and you take care of yourself, all right?"
"Yeah. Sure. See ya later."
"Bye, Bobby."
.
Outside a titanic storm raged even as a storm seethed within the hallowed walls of Xavier's school. It was as if a hideous nightmare had claimed her somehow. She could feel it creeping through her mind, dark and evil though too vague to see in full, demanding, clawing, clinging, and all she wanted to do was scream only she couldn't.
In her mind a silent desperate scream rang out but no sound left her lips. Her brain felt as if it were aflame. She was burning inside. She felt his lips on hers, felt his arms around her and there was nothing she could do. His lips worked at hers greedily. She moaned as if in pain but Charles merely smiled, his lips moving over her eagerly. Her body was limp in his arms. There was nothing she could do.
Tears spilled down her face, her only release. He kissed her tears away begging her to see his viewpoint, to choose her rightful destiny alongside him. They would rule worlds together– all would bow before their might. Jean wished for nothing but death and the flame within her grew.
The time had come. There were no regrets, no tweaking of his conscious. None was more powerful than he. Who could resist him?