Kitsune Jagan – Othello really isn't that romantic. In fact the more romantic stuff you'll see in it, if you see a non stage rendition, is done with artistic license.

Lady Farevay – Alright. I'll let it go. But you owe me a big review for this one.

Ishandahalf – This drama teacher is actually based off a guy I knew. And boy was he eccentric. But he was always fun to be around. I don't think the question is going to be if the building will blow up with the trio on stage crew, but when.

Muchas gracias to Spiffythefaery for the beta reading work.

The disclaimer was taken away by Kurt and burned to a crisp by John.

"The world forgot him,
but I never can . . .
For in this darkness
I have seen him again . . ."

- Madame Giry

Rogue sighed loudly as a long day came to an end.

Rehearsals were more tiring that she had ever imagined they would be leaving her without energy for any other activities, be it homework or the Danger Room.

She wasn't the only one who was left completely drained by the rehearsals. Everyone involved with the play was exhausted. Four hours of working on the play every weekday, and spending all day on the weekends, left everyone in a zombie-like state.

It wasn't surprising that they were falling behind on their school work and starting to make foolish mistakes in the Danger Room. What was surprising was that neither Logan nor Professor Xavier made any move to adjust the faults in those areas. Perhaps the reason for the lack of action on their behalf came from the odd fact that there had yet to be a complaint from the Phantom.

While these occurrences normally would have warranted more thought, Rogue was in no state to do so. Gathering her things in the vast auditorium, she was ready to go home for the weekend and sleep. But there would be none that weekend. With the play opening up in a scant few weeks, she had to make sure she got her lines down pat.

"Rogue, if you could stay for a moment, I'd like to have a word with you," Boles called out. Rogue straightened and shot a pleading look at Scott.

"Don't worry. I'll wait," he replied as he threw his arm around Jean and walked out the door. Waiting until everyone had left the vast room, Rogue approached the director with slight apprehension.

"Ah'm sorry Ah messed up today Mr. Boles, but Ah've been really tired lately," Rogue said, hoping to preempt whatever it was her teacher wanted to discuss.

"No, no, no. That's perfectly understandable," he returned with a dismissive wave of his hand. "What I wanted to talk to you about was your portrayal of Desdemona."

"Excuse me?"

"Your acting. The first couple of weeks you were portraying Desdemona one way. In the last couple of weeks you've completely changed the character. What's up with that?"

"Ah don't know what you're talking about."

"I think you do, Rogue. Initially you had Desdemona as a strong woman. Recently you've had her being pleading and whining. Why did you change the way you were acting?"

"Ah didn't change anything." Boles sighed loudly and motioned for Rogue to sit down.

"You've been listening to Jean, haven't you?"

"Ah did no such thing!"

"It's alright. She has experience in this kind of stuff, you don't. It's perfectly understandable. But Rogue, there was a reason that I cast you as the lead, not Jean. Do you know what that reason was?" All Rogue could do in response was shake her head.

"When Jean auditioned, she made Desdemona a whiney, sniveling brat. Someone who was completely dependent on others. You gave a far different portrayal. You made her a character that was not weak, not dependent. You made her strong, vivacious. She is a character who is willing to do anything for her love, even sacrifice her own life.

"That's not something I saw in Jean's acting. It's something I saw in yours. That's why you are the lead. That's what I want you to show. Do you understand what I'm talking about now?"

"Ah think so," Rogue replied skeptically. She didn't really understand what she was being told, but the sooner she agreed the sooner she'd get out.

Boles seemed to hear that undertone in her voice. "I don't think you do."

He paused for a moment, trying to figure out how to word his next statement, so that Rogue would be able to grasp his meaning.

"Rogue you are very much like Desdemona. And you are very much like what Jean used to be. Surprising isn't it? Once upon a time Jean was not the mean, spiteful person she is now. She was once someone who actually cared about people, and they about her.

"Once Jean became so enamored with having people like her, she was afraid to loose those friends she had. She became so absorbed with her status that she forgot what got her there in the first place.

"She became whiny and dependent. That's why she makes Desdemona be like that. That's all she knows how to do anymore. But you are different. You say what you think. You are devoted to your friends, to your boyfriend, yet you never compromise who you are for them. That's what you brought to this show. That's what Desdemona needs to be. Someone who loves those who are close, someone who is willing to sacrifice anything for those she loves.

"That's what I'm looking for. That's what you used to bring to the table. That's what I want to see again. Do you understand?"

"Yes." Boles grinned at Rogue.

"Alright. Go home, I'll see you tomorrow."

While the students were still at school practicing for the play, the teachers of the Xavier Institute met in the garden outside the mansion to discuss what to do with the ever present threat of the Phantom.

"Hopefully we'll be able to freely discuss our problem out here, without being overheard," Professor Xavier said. The staff nodded in agreement.

"Remy, since you precipitated this meeting, perhaps you'd like to begin," Xavier offered.

"Dis Phantom is a thorn in our sides, mon amis. As long as he's around, we can't teach the students what we want. So if we ever want to be free again den we got to get rid of dis Phantom."

"Thanks for stating the obvious Cajun," Logan growled.

"I believe what Logan is attempting to say, is how we can we rid ourselves of this menace when he has been able to avoid our detection for so long?" Hank asked, receiving a glare from Logan.

"De answer is simple," Remy returned with a warm grin. "It's been in our face since de very beginning, but we were too stupid to see it."

"See what LeBeau?" Raven snapped irritably.

"De Phantom told us dat we always supposed to keep Cerebro open during de Danger Room sessions. Why would he possibly want us to do dat?" Remy questioned the rest of the staff. Seeing only blank stares as responses, he continued with his reasoning.

"Cerebro is hooked up to the entire mansion, non? Including the Danger Room. From dere he can watch what's happening and even control the Danger Room should he want to. And no doubt he's interesting in seeing how the team does with his new changes. So…"

"So he'll be in Cerebro during the next session," Xavier finished the thought.

"And we know that he'll be there, so long as we continue to do what he says. We can set a trap for him," Hank added.

"But wouldn't he foresee that possibility?" Forge asked.

"Potentially. But we could rig Cerebro so that he would be blind to the trap. And we could set up the trap through a telepathic link that would enable us to act without setting up before hand or verbally communicating to spring it," Xavier answered. The air was electric with the possibility of escaping from under the Phantom's heel.

"So long as Rogue is in the Danger Room, he'll show up and we'll be ready for him when he does," Logan said, rubbing a hand across his stubble.

"We'll be free at last," Ororo chipped in. The teachers seemed to be in agreement, that the opportunity they had been waiting for had finally come. All the teachers minus one.

"This is madness!" Raven snapped. "Your half-assed scheme won't work! Don't you think that he would have already thought of something like this? This is no fool who we are dealing with. He has made calculated moves so far, and do you really believe he'll lose everything on something so stupid, so obvious?"

"You got any better ideas?" Remy challenged.

"Instead of shooting down what we've come up with Raven, why don't you try to help us? Tell us something that would work," Xavier pleaded.

"You really don't get it, do you Charles? You saw what he did to Cerebro. You saw what he did to Logan. You know he's been able to get around us for years. He knows us. He knows what we'll do."

"What are you suggesting Raven?"

"There is no way of turning this tide. We can't win!"

"We can't accept that Raven. We must do something!"

"Do you want to see us all under his control?" Logan added quietly. Raven turned to face the gruff instructor.

"Just what are you insinuating?"

"I'm insinuating nothing. I'm saying that maybe you're on his side!"

"How dare you! You think I like having to train my son to be a terrorist? You think I want to put him in jeopardy?"

"I don't know what you want anymore. All I know is that you've been resistant to any attempt we make to remove ourselves from his control!"

"All I suggest is caution, nothing more. Or have you forgotten what this man is capable of? The destruction of Cerebro was not the full extent of his power, nor his determination. Recall what happened to Creed. He has shown that he is ready, and willing to kill, if need be. Let us not give him cause to do so again."

"Any attempt we make to throw off the yoke of his oppression will always lead to that circumstance Raven. Is that not the chance we take to obtain freedom?"

"Eloquent as always, Hank. While you make a fair point I still feel that at this time, with this plan, we have no chance of succeeding. I'm not saying to give up hope. I'm not saying that we must stop figuring out ways to free ourselves. All I am saying is that we shouldn't make our attempt with this idea. It is doomed to failure. And we will suffer the consequences of such an action."

"We will not suffer Raven because we will not fail. We cannot. Whatever the cost, we will find a way to succeed. That is final," Xavier said, his tone leaving no room for Raven to argue. She nodded her head firmly and turned on her heel, leaving the rest of the staff befuddled in her wake.

Raven marched through the vast corridors of the mansion, her stride quick, her face determined. Her solitude was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Remy.

"Something's bothering you, care to share?" Remy asked. She sneered at the Cajun.

"Only the fact that your harebrained scheme is going to create an even bigger mess than we're in right now."

"Why you so against dis plan?"

"Because it won't work! Don't you get that?"

"Why won't it?"

"If I knew that then I could tell you how to fix it. All I do know is how it will end. With us standing in an empty Cerebro, waiting for the next letter to appear."

"You so pessimistic."

"I'm a realist."

"So you've claimed on several occasions. But Remy thinks dat dere is something else to de story."

"Oh?" Raven replied with a raised eyebrow. Remy nodded while lighting a cigarette.

"Remy thinks dat you know something about our Phantom."

"I don't know what you're talking about Remy."

"You do. Dat act of yours is pretty good, but it don't fool Remy non. You know something."

"I know nothing more than the rest of the staff."

Remy's eyebrow rose as he took a drag on the cigarette. "Really? Cause Remy remembers you knowing more about de ghost dan anyone. Remy remembers you being de first to say we should give in to his demands, before he did anything."

"Your memory must be slipping, Cajun."

"Non. Remy checked with Logan and de Professor and dey agreed. Care to try another excuse?"

Raven took a step towards Remy, and brought her face to his, separated only by the length of the burning cigarette.

"Listen to me, Remy. You have no idea what you're about to do, of the rage you're about to unleash. If you care for the students, if you truly care about Rogue, you won't go through with this."

"Dat ain't your concern."

"It is my concern. You think I don't know about you wanting to leave with her? If you take her away then everyone else will feel the wrath. Or are you so blinded by your feelings that you don't see that?"

Remy's eyes narrowed in anger. "Dis ain't about me and Rogue. Dis is about you and de Phantom. What do you know dat we don't?"

"Only that he'll kill you for meddling." That said, Raven turned to walk off, but was stopped by Remy grabbing her arm.

"Something's going on. Whatever it is, it won't stay secret forever. Remy'll find out, dat's a promise."

"Didn't your mother ever tell you not to make promises you can't keep?" Raven hissed in return as she wrenched her arm from Remy's grasp. The Cajun watched her slither away with his burning gaze.

"So we were thinking that during the climactic scene we'd cut off all the lights and put a spotlight on Rogue. Scott could stand at the edge of the light," Bobby told Boles when everyone had gathered for the play the next day.

"Right, he's consumed by the darkness," Kurt added.

"Then we were thinking we'd cut off all light when Scott's supposed to kill Rogue. That way he doesn't have to risk touching her," Bobby finished telling the director the ideas the Trio had come up with.

"And we have these nifty packages that are all set to explode at the end, right when the curtain falls," John added jubilantly. Despite everyone warning to do else wise, Boles had allowed the Trio to add some explosives to the end of the play to spice it up.

"Sounds like you have everything planned out. I like it boys!"

"We'll start setting everything up," Bobby said as he began to walk off, pausing when John tapped him on the shoulder.

"Oh, Mr. Boles could we get another copy of the script?"

"Another copy?"

"Yeah, John is pretty sure he burned his."

"Burned? Pretty sure?"

"Well, he couldn't find it this morning and we couldn't exactly identify any of the fuel he used for the bonfire last night."

"Sounds reasonable enough. I'll get you another copy today." Boles shrugged.

"Thanks Mr. Boles. I promise that I'll try to keep this one away from the fire. It won't end up like the other sixteen."

"Better you burn it then misplace it. This way I can write it off on my expenses." John grinned like he always did and took off to join his partners in crime.

"All right everyone, from the top. We start in ten days and there are too many mistakes!" Boles called out as the practice resumed.

Well I finally got the chapter up.

Only two left to go.

I should get those up fairly soon. And I promise they'll be longer than the last couple. With Romyness for all those who want to strangle me for ignoring it lately.