The X-men took in a mysterious one-armed teenager, whom they met on a mission against the brotherhood of mutants. Suffering a severe amnesia, the X-men nurtured, protected and tried to help the boy to remember his past. Little though did they know about the new menace in connection with the boy and that is crying for total annihilation for both mutants and humans.
Welcome back to Mutant High
"So Marie... I've heard that you have drawn a new guy into this school."
Marie felt like to kill Jubilation Lee. If there was something that was between Marie and a member of the different gender Jubilee was always the first to suspect something... if not anything. Jubes, Kitty and She were sitting on a bank outside the mansion, munching on snacks Jubilee snatched from the kitchen.
"Jubes, it was a rescue..."
"Oh, yes I also rescue everyone who looks cute during a way different mission..."
"How do you know what he looked like?"
Kitty was still chewing the rest of the chips. While Jubes and Kitty enjoyed the amusement, Marie was left thinking how she could convince her girls to stop thinking that she was the "Magneto" for boys.
"Dr. Grey told me. Anyways, why are you doing this Marie. Doesn't Bobby satisfy you?"
Kitty almost spilled the chips out of laughter.
"Jubes, stop thinking that!"
"Oh, yes. Now why do I think like that. Well, hasn't it been the fact that you are the center of attention of hmmm well John, Bobby of course and Logan? What the heck, and it has just been a year when you came."
"She's right, Marie."
"Kitty, not you too!"
Kitty and Jubilee both laughed. Marie felt the urge to hit Jubilee for annoying her, and Kitty for supporting her. But of course both girls won't stop asking about the new boy in school. Kitty continued the interrogation.
"So tell us what happened? Any details about him yet?"
Marie was reluctant to reveal anything about the new guy after both girls made fun of her. But she told them anyways cause then she might be relieved from their rain of questions. And maybe they would stop thinking that she was after boys again.
"Hello?"
His voice was weak and broken, hardly audible for a normal human being. Five days have past since he woke up from the short coma. Still though his physical condition was too far from good. He could hardly feel anything, not even needle stuck in his right arm with an I.V. running through. But that was the least of his problems. He was thirsty.
"Hey,... anyone there..."
Still no answer. Dr. Grey left minutes ago to grab some lunch with Scott. His sore and dry throat cried out for water. He decided to take the initiative. He rose up slowly, supporting himself with only his right remaining hand on the rim. Being crippled was a bit harder than he thought first. Luckily he was right-handed and the I.V. stand was fitted with wheels so that he could use it as a walking stick. His sense of touch and temperature were numb, hardly noticing how cold the floor really was under his bare feet. All that remained was his memory from the last five days. He remembered how a girl and a boy were asking for the elevator upstairs to a mansion, while he was in his semi-sleep. His memory were correct as he made his way through the corridors of the underground headquarters, and finding a circular door, like the doctor described. It had a button with an arrow-up sign. He pushed it, causing the door to slide to the side. It revealed another cylinder like room with a panel.
"At least something of me is working...", he thought as he entered the room, the doors closing behind him.
"Wow, well that was some story."
Kitty took a sip from her coke after having listened to Marie's report of the boy they rescued. Jubilee did not say a thing, which was quite unusual for someone like her.
"So, what if he was the mindless killing thing?"
Marie remembered what was said during the debriefing.
"Dr. Grey and the others are still looking into this matter because his arm is "proliferating" or something. I for my part think that it is impossible for him being our super killer."
All three girls went silent for a while, munching on the remaining snacks. Still a bit taken by the story, they stayed like that for a while when Jubilee noticed someone on the mansion's window.
"Speaking of super killer, isn't that the guy?"
She pointed on the window directly opposite from them. Marie and Kitty were following Jubilee's finger until they noticed something. A weak and lethargic man in hospital clothes slowly made his way through the corridors of the mansion, supporting himself on the long I.V. stand. Marie knew the person and nodded her head to confirm Jubilee's question.
"I wonder what he is doing there. Must be really desperate for something. Marie, why don't you go and ask him?"
Marie was shocked.
"WHAT? Why don't you go? I have class soon..."
Kitty shook her head.
"No sweetie liar, you have this period free."
She triumphantly held the timetable up on her face with a finger on an empty cell. Marie let out a deep breath. She could not believe what was happening.
"Do you want to make me a complete idiot? What would he think of me? He probably won't remember me anyways."
Jubilee laughed.
"Ms. Rogue what are you talking about? You saved his life, of course he will remember you. Now go before I have to spank you to him!"
Marie stared angrily at her friends but stood up and walked to the mansion. Escaping them was a relief but she had serious thoughts on how to talk to him. Behind her the girls were giggling endlessly, until they heard the professor calling out for them.
The mansion was huge. It was nothing like other things he had ever seen. Well, actually there was nothing left in his memory, so he could not compare this mansion to something else. In any case, it was a big mansion. But where was the kitchen? As he continued down the long hallways, a voice was calling out to him.
"Looking for something?"
He turned around to the origin of the voice. A girl was standing there. She wore a black top along with a scarf and blue jeans. Her gloves covered almost her entire arms. Else noticeable was her hair, tied up in a ponytail with a white strand covering the front. She seemed a bit nervous.
"...Water?..."
She could barely hear him but looking at his face, his stance and eyes she knew what he was asking.
"Oh.. yeah sure. I'll show you."
Marie took the lead. She noticed then that he could not keep up with her pace and that he was barefooted. She went back to him and took her feet out of her slippers.
"Here take this or else you'll freeze up before we get to the kitchen."
He took the slippers without any reply. As he tried to slip into the borrowed shoes, he unintentionally pushed the I.V. stand foreword causing him to slip. Marie was fast enough to notice it and stopped the stand with her feet while catching him with her arms. His face fell and rested on her shoulder. Marie's pulse rate was increasing exponentially. She pulled away a bit to prevent anything to touch her skin. It was a weird moment. Luckily though she did not left go of him. After a while she helped him regaining his stand again. He still kept the crippled left arm on her shoulder, while she supported his body with a hand on his abdomen and the other on his back.
"You should be careful not to touch me."
He made a confused look but was unable to answer. Marie gave him a quick explanation.
"Long story. I'll tell ya later why. But lets get you some water first."
He nodded and they both continue their trek towards the kitchen.
Dr. Grey was looking through the lab papers while walking through the underground corridors to the med station. The papers show elevated infection parameters but also highly elevated Calcium, Phosphate, Protein metabolism and so on. Her thesis was correct. His body was regenerating quick, including the remaining left arm. It would be highly unusual though if the left arm would grow again into a new one. Even in the mutant world, this would be almost impossible. Or not? As the doors slide away to reveal the med station, Dr. Jean Grey immediately noticed the empty bed and the I.V. stand gone.
"Oh, damn..."
She dropped the paper on the desk and picked up the phone.
"...Thank you..."
Marie smiled when she heard that. It was the usual thanks for the help but she took it more seriously. He had drunken more than two bottles already and now was on this third. Marie kept watching him how he slowly poured the clear liquid in this throat.
"So do you remember anything yet?"
He shook his head.
"Not even your name?"
Again he shook his head while looking down the table. Marie felt a bit bad that she hacked around him to get some info, but she wanted to help him.
"Well, I can't let you go on nameless so I will call you...uhmm..."
She tried to think of something that would fit him apart from the fact that he was without a left arm.
"Well, I just recently caught a show on TV with a hero who is trying to find something in his past, so you will be known as Caine to us for now OK?"
He smiled and nodded, meaning that he knew now of his temporary name, before again stuck his mouth into a bottle. Marie smiled, happily that she could help him with something to start, although it was like she just named a pet.
"Ah, there you are..."
Marie jumped in surprise. It was kinda odd that the professor would have sneaked into the room just to scare her. Dr. Jean Grey was with him. She immediately went to her patient to check on the remaining I.V. fluid.
"It was a bit difficult to find you in my mansion. How are you feeling?"
"...OK... I guess..."
The professor returned the answer with a smile. Dr. Grey meanwhile used her stethoscope to check around.
"I'm glad to hear that. But for the sake of your health, you should have patience and wait next time for Dr. Grey before you try to solve the problem on your own."
"...OK..."
The professor nodded. He then turned to Marie. Marie gulped. Right now she was expecting some bad and educational comment from the professor, the usual thing he did when some of his kids made a mistake.
"Rogue, you know that you should have informed me."
"I know professor, it won't happen again."
The professor smiled.
"Oh yes, I think it will..."
Marie let out a deep breath first thinking that it was over. She only discovered too late that the professor had read her mind. As she continued to stare at the professor's back angrily, Jean marked the end of her examination by hanging the stethoscope around her neck.
"He is all right. By the way, I was going to move him upstairs anyways so that he would be more comfortable around here."
The professor turned to face both Marie and Jean.
"Excellent, I think Rogue here would show our guest, Caine, a suitable room, and while we are at it, the whole mansion."
Marie was still petrified as the professor, still smiling, exited the kitchen followed by Jean. The boy, now named Caine, meanwhile was wondering how the old man on the wheel chair could know his new name. On their way out, the professor and Jean surprised Kitty and Jubilee, who were hiding behind the door.
"You girls, this applies for you too!"
Both girls nodded, though they had a hard time to stop grinning.
"I think you will be comfortable here."
Marie, still angry on the professor for violating her privacy, turned on the lights to reveal the guestroom, complete with bathroom, stylish furniture and a double bed. The extra I.V.'s, and a plate with medicine from downstairs were already in the room, brought up by Jean Grey. Caine was still amazed by the richness of this mansion. It had almost everything. Big garden, play room, TV room, huge kitchen, horse stable, swimming pool, and so on. The professor must have been very grateful with spending this much money just for the kids. It was already night outside. Marie made a tour with him around the mansion the whole evening. She even had to cancel her date with Bobby cause of this "punishment". Now both of them were tired. Caine was already lying on the bed while Marie sat on the side.
"Tiring, huh? I told you this house is way beyond imagination."
Caine nodded in agreement. He almost went to sleep immediately, when Marie noticed something on the medication plate. It was a note from Jean Grey.
"Rogue, please tell Caine to take this before going to sleep. Thanks, Jean."
Marie went back to the bed, shaking Caine awake.
"Hey, not yet, You'll have to take something first."
She sat beside him, handing him the pills and waiting with a cup of water on the other hand. Caine swallowed them down quickly followed by the liquid. Marie was a bit surprised that he regained his strength so quickly. It was almost like that he was healthy as every other person around. But she trusted Jean, and that her ordered medication wasn't without reason. After he finished taking the medicine, he laid back, resting his head on the pillow. Marie pulled the blankets over him, tucking him in like a mom with her child.
"So, rest now, we will try handle your case during the next few days. I will go back now to my room. If you need anything, the beeper is on the nightstand, otherwise walk to the right and knock on the next door and hope that I'm not fast-asleep."
Before she could leave the room, Caine was calling out for her. Marie just hoped that he did not want something she thought right now.
"Rouge... Thank you..."
Marie smiled.
"Sweet dreams..."
Then she shut the lights and closed the door. While she walked back to her room, she was asking herself what the hell she was doing. She was totally neglecting Bobby, flirting with a complete alien, telling him that she will be there for him and practically told him how to find her. It was nightmare that, at least, was over. But another nightmare was awaiting her when she opened the door to her room. Her roommates, Kitty and Jubilee, were already in their PJ's still grinning heavily.
"So, Marie. How was it?"
"Don't start!"