Disclaimer: Several new characters are mine, including the plot. X-Men belongs to Marvel and Fox.

Missy: Thank you! And welcome to the saga! I hoped you liked the other two stories before this! I'm glad you like them, there's a lot more coming! We're not even halfway through this saga! ;)

Blix: Of course you're not dumb, you take what you read. It's my fault for never going into detail. I'll try and find a way to describe the library one chapter. I'll try and wheedle it into a discussion maybe.

Angelica: Well, it's not necessarily her mind. It's the drug that's making her powerful. We'll find out if she's been freed or not.. but there's still fluid in the bracelet. "It doesn't matter how short it is, just as long as it is exciting, captures everyone's interests and has great writers like you writing it!" Aw, thank you! I don't feel so worried now. Thanks. :)

Chapter 18

The scene was watched in utmost horror from the surroundings mutants, even Gambit had paused his shuffling to study the pair with a raised brow. When Charles slumped gasps travelled from the group. Storm was the first forth, running to his side. Scott had remained silent, and turned his face slowly to stare stonily at Roxanne.

"She's done this," he snarled, hidden eyes glaring at the silent Roxanne, "She's done this!" his voice had risen to a shout, a hand gesturing violently at her before he stormed towards her. He only managed a few steps when Siren, the closest, took hold of him around the middle to stop him moving to the woman. The anger was pulsating off him, his breaths shaky. Logan however was frozen to the spot, lips parted in disbelief, eyes travelling from Charles to Roxanne. Had she done that purposely?

Scott shook himself from Siren, a heavy breath storming through his clenched teeth before he turned to Charles, lowering beside Storm, "What's wrong with him?" he asked softly.

Storm lifted her gaze slowly from Charles, eyes moving upon Scott, "I'm sure not.. it seems she made a powerful mental block against his mind."

"She managed that?" whispered Scott, a faint sense of awe in his tone.

Storm shrugged her shoulders, "It's possible.. it was certainly mental, a charge of electricity must have developed in her mind."

Scott was now frowning, his head turning upon Roxanne. One slim hand was limp off the chair; her relaxed index finger flinched gently. Almost all missed it, even Scott. But Logan's eyes trained upon it instantly, and he quickly lowered himself before her drooped head, "Roxanne?" he murmured softly. Her hand moved some more, unmissable this time. Slowly her eyes peered open, looking around unsurely before a hand lifted to push her fallen hair from her eyes. The bracelet slipped down her arm a little, the once full cylinder now only half full. She pushed herself upright, looking around at all the eyes upon her. For a moment, she looked confused, that expression of confidence and arrogance gone and a bewildered gaze viewed them all. Her eyes dropped upon Charles, a hand moved to her temples with a gasp as a memory flashed through her mind.

A single mutter managed to escape her lips, calm exterior gone, "Oh no.." Her eyes fell upon Logan, lids widened with a terrified look when she saw him. She made a yelp of fright, flinging herself from the stool and staggering around the coffee table and running out of the Library, the doors shutting quietly behind her retreating run of footsteps. Logan turned his eyes upon the others, looking unsure of what to do.

"This is a very fun place, Adrienne," commented Gambit dryly as he watched the woman leave, "Much happens."

Storm scowled softly at Gambit, looking back to Scott, "Help me take him to the infirmary.."

Scott made a nod, lifting to his feet. He then turned to Logan, "Go and find Roxanne before she leaves the building. I need to know what she's done to him"

Logan was half dazed, a small look of shock on his face. It was the way she looked at him. That was the first time he had recognised her gaze. Not her eye colour or shape, but inside her eyes, the personality. He looked up to him, a small frown, "No.." He would be the last person she would want to see.. she looked so frightened when she saw him.

"Logan, that's an order. Go and find her."

"But – "

"You're the one she trusts."

"Trusts? I supposedly left her with her knowing!"

"Just find her, Logan!" Scott shouted, his voice rising with his frustration, "Just do it!"

Logan made a growl vocal before he turned, exiting the Library with silent footsteps. He lifted his gaze as he returned to the corridor, nose sniffed gently. There was no scent of Magneto around.. he found Roxanne's. She was to the east. Logan turned from the doorway, taking long strides as he tracked the woman.

Frightened and distressed was how Roxanne had ran. This run of desperation reminded her of something from before.. she had run down endless corridors before. But they had been cold and uninviting.. where as this felt warm and homely albeit strange and unfamiliar. She ran as if she were blind, though her eyes functioned and her mind lived, she turned corners randomly. As if she were merely a spectator viewing what her body was doing, as if she couldn't control her direction. But on the contrary, Roxanne felt a joyous leap inside her, as for once she felt her muscles working and her energy being used. She was making herself run, this was her choice, no matter how much desperation made it almost uncontrollable, she would be able to choose her stopping point.

And here it was. She suddenly felt a pang of tiredness flow through her. Pain in her muscles. She was feeling pain. She couldn't remember this feeling, but it excited her. Why did she suddenly feel alive? With heavy breaths she slowed herself, eyes turning to look around. She dropped back to lean on the cool wall of wood behind her, the groove of panels digging slightly into her clothed back. Her ears were ringing with the buzz of the run, adrenaline bursting every vein alive with blood. A hand lifted to her cheek, feeling the heat emanate, her fingertips trailed gently to her throat, where she felt the speeded pounding of her heart drum into her throat with each heave of breath. Her hand continued to her forehead, to push away the beads of sweat, but it came to a terrified halt in front of her gaze when her eyes caught the shimmering bracelet. The liquid that had once been motionless was bubbling violently, bubbles popping in a frenzy against the modified glass of the cylinder. With a gasp Roxanne lifted her other hand to it, wrapping shaking fingers around the curved metal. She noticed the liquid become more active as her skin enclosed it. She had no idea what this equipment was, but all her senses screamed danger. The sensible thing to do was to get rid of it. Her grip tightened and she dragged at it, twisting her knuckle around it, trying to rip it from her skin. She made faint winces as the adamantium pressed against her skin, unaffected by her strains and pulls.

What was it? Why wouldn't it come off?!

"Found you.." came a soft tone from her right. Roxanne spun her head to see a shadowed figure now walking up to her. From the voice she recognised him.

"Logan.." she murmured unsurely, turning to him, but something nagged her to turn away.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his face now lightened as he stepped beside the window, the sunlight pouring in upon him to veil him with heavenly gold. His eyes sparkled warmly at her and she felt her insides give a comfortable shiver. She could feel an old déjà vu.. He'd done that to her before.. once.. somewhere.

"I.." she began, "I don't know," confirmed Roxanne. There was no other way to answer. She wasn't quite sure how she was. For starters she didn't even know why she was here. She knew she was at Xavier's School, and knew she had journeyed here; her mind accepted that as though it were logical to have happened. But she remained puzzled. She wasn't even surprised to see the people she had just saw, she knew them, and she'd spoken to them. She just felt that it had been wiped from her playable memory. But it was there; recognition was there at the back of her mind.

Eyes of worry looked down upon her from Logan, "What do you mean?"

"I don't know.." she repeated, feeling her cheeks flush a little at how stupid she must be sounding.

Logan now lifted his hands to gently take her by the shoulders. It was a comforting notion, she suddenly felt as though nothing could go wrong whilst Logan was there. His strong grip felt so supportive, psychically and mentally, "Roxanne.." he began, "What did you do in there? What did you do to Charles?"

As though the wire had been cut to the power of her joy, she felt all relief and security suddenly flood to settle like a dead weight in her gut. And then for the third time, Roxanne had the same response, but this time her voice had took a tearful tone, "I don't know." Her lips quivered gently, "I didn't do anything. Whatever happened, it wasn't me." Tears probed around her eyelids, stinging at her eyes like hot water – burning, "It wasn't me," she continued, a few tears now trailing over her cheekbones. Roxanne shook her head at him in determination, and then taking in a great and unstable breath, "I didn't mean to hurt him."

Logan stared at her, feeling her shoulders heave beneath his hands. There was something that was emanating from her so powerfully. He felt, for the first time ever, like he was recognizing her. He felt comfortable stood with her, whereas all the other times, he felt awkward, even reluctant. Now, for the first time ever, Logan had the confirmation inside him, he had unconsciously accepted that Roxanne was who she said she was. A member of his past, a figure of his memories, and once a solid part of his heart that could never be removed. No matter what William Stryker had done to his mind, "You must know.." he murmured softly, suddenly feeling pity for the woman before him, "Roxanne.. come on.. you must,"

Roxanne now straightened, taking hold of his hands that sat on her shoulders, "Logan, listen to me. This is not me. Everything that's been happening.." she took a great shaky breath tearfully as her mind began to unveil what she had witnessed herself doing the past weeks, "I'm not meant to be here, there's – "suddenly an horrible gasp struck her throat, as though her air supply had been lost. Her eyes widened hinting her experience of sudden pain. The liquid within the bracelet had simmered gently, quantity inside now much lower. She cried out as she felt her consciousness slipping, the mind that made her who she was fading into the background as the drug once more seeped into her bloodstream, running up to her brain and beginning it take over in a matter of seconds.

"Roxanne!" Logan cried, his hands taking her shoulders again as she staggered. His eyes widened as he saw her cry out, her hands shifting either side of her temples to clutch their in a clawed manner, fingernails driving to press at her skin in desperation, trying to throw out the controlling sensation that began to dominate her brain. Logan understandably viewed this with extreme worry as panic ensued over his mind. What was wrong with her? She looked in pain, agony! "Roxanne!" he shouted, as though trying to get through the tightened expression her face held. Eyes firmly shut, features consorted by torture and frustration.

All of a sudden, she screamed at him, still holding her head in pain, still cringing, "Get off me!" came the words, which struck Logan painfully; as the knife did last night, "Get away from me!"

"Rox –"

Logan was cut off as Roxanne continued to scream her words to him, "Don't come near me.. I've.. hurt.. I'll do it.. I know. I can't – " It was seeming to be a struggle to voice what to her was the truth.

"Roxanne!" Hands outstretched as he tried to take hold of her, comfort her, nurture her, heal her, anything!

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" she bellowed with a mix of fear and rage. Her scream had alarmed him. The power of desperation burned at his animal senses. Logan moved his hands back, not wanting to go against her wishes. She needed help, but did she need comforting or did she need medical assistance? No matter how much strength and power Logan held within his body, he couldn't help her with his fists. He needed someone who understood people, who could care and develop a solution. With the ultimate power of Charles gone. There was only one other person who owned a common sense and a strict, rule- abiding behaviour of a leader.

Never before would he have admitted it. But as Logan began to run from her, with the only words of consolation he could find, "I'll be back with help!" he knew who could take Charles' place with diplomacy to correct and heal the situation.

The leader of the X-Men; Scott Summers.

Did you like that? I did, quite proud of myself actually :P Did it all make sense? Please explain everything in a review!

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