Chapter 5: Changes

Thought it was about time I do this.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the X-Men franchises and I make no money off of this.

As the X-Jet landed Muir Island the weather was turning dark and stormy, reflecting the serious mood of the situation. Storm and Logan walked out of the Blackbird to see Dr. McTaggert's smiling face.

"Storm!" she cried, rushing to embrace the woman. Storm returned the embrace, happy equally happy to see Dr. McTaggert. Once she had finished hugging Storm she turned to face Logan.

"And you must be Logan," she said, making it more of a statement then a question. She extended her hand for him to shake.

"I'm sorry," he said after shaking her hand, slightly unnerved by her cheerfulness, "but do I know you?"

"No, no. The Professor has just talked so much about the students and teachers at his school," she replied, toning the energy down. She gestured for them to follow her into the hospital.

"So, you're that sure that the man is actually Xavier?" Storm asked, taken aback.

"Oh yes, I'm very sure," Dr. McTaggert replied cryptically, leading them into the stark whiteness of the hospital.

xXx

"Magneto," Pyro said, desperately trying to get his attention, "what are we going to do now? You're back, and you've got a few new tricks," he added, remembering the bolts of lightning Magneto had conjured in the prison.

Stories like that had been popping up ever since the Cure had worn off. It had happened so quickly, ninety-nine percent of mutants received their powers back at the same time. Some had received their powers a few earlier than the others.

He suspected that Magneto wasn't the only one returned, changed. Magneto's new ability was an outgrowth of his old, the ability to now control the electricity to go with his control of magnetism. Pyro was sure that some had entirely new powers, or their powers had evolved to a much more powerful and advanced stage.

Pyro shook himself from his thoughts, focusing on what he was trying to tell Magneto about. "But the Brotherhood was decimated. The fucking Phoenix killed practically two-thirds of the mutants at Alcatraz, and we haven't used our powers in weeks. We're all totally out of practice. We need to get some more mutants or something before we even think of doing anything."

As much as he hated to admit it Pyro knew that he would get pulverized by a human, let alone a member of the X-Men, if they went up against them now. He hadn't used his power in weeks and knew the others were in the same, if not worse, condition. Even Magneto was still learning to control his new abilities.

"As much as I hate to agree with the little freak," Mystique sneered, enjoying the look of anger that crossed Pyro's face, "we aren't in any condition to do anything. Even if were in control of our powers, we still don't have many members. As much as I want revenge on the humans, there's no way five or six mutants could possibly stand up to all of humanity."

"I couldn't agree more," Magneto said, smiling over the newspaper he had picked up, "and I'm working on a way to get more recruits."

"Magneto, you'll never believe what just happened!" Sabertooth yelled, his tires screeching as he braked. "Those freakin' X-teachers left the school."

"What happened?" Magneto said, looking up from his newspaper. As soon as he had broken them out of prison he had sent one of them to watch over Xavier's at all times, just in case.

"I don't know. But the X-Jet took off and the only people I saw in it were Storm and Wolverine," he said, breathless from the speed with which he had raced back to the Brotherhood's lair.

"This, my dear," Magneto said, smiling a sinister smile at Mystique, "is exactly the opportunity we've been waiting for."

xXx

Kitty and Colossus were sleeping against each other in the medical bay, tired from school and bored by having nothing to do but wait for Storm. Alice was still asleep in the middle of the room, exhausted by her attempts at temporarily binding their powers. Rogue was sleeping lightly on one of the examination tables, still in shock by what she had done to Bobby. Bobby himself was still unconscious, though looking better than he had initially after Rogue had drained him.

Corey levitated in the center of the room, meditating. He had found it necessary to do so, even after Storm had taught him the basics of how to control his emotions. He had to meditate for an hour, sometimes even longer, to maintain a tight control on his emotions. He didn't want to risk what could happen to other people if they ever truly broke through his carefully constructed and maintain barriers.

"Where am I?" Rogue asked groggily, her southern accent more noticeable than it usually was when she was awake.

Corey opened an eye and settled down on the ground, walking quietly and carefully over to her to avoid waking the still slumbering Alice.

"You're in the medical bay Rogue," Corey said gently, helping her to sit up. He was, however, careful to erect a skintight barrier before touching her bare skin.

"What happened?" she asked, glancing around as if the room held some clue to how she had gotten there. When she spotted Bobby's unconscious body she sobbed softly, burying her face in her hands as it all came rushing back. "No, it just can't be true," she sobbed.

"I'm sorry," Corey said, sitting next her. She shied away, fearful of what would happen if she accidentally touched him. "Don't worry," he said, smiling softly. "I made a shield so that you didn't have to worry about touching me."

"Thanks," she said, tightly gripping the edge of the table. "I can't believe their back," she continued as tears rolled down her eyes. Unnoticed by both of them swirling patterns of ice began to spread outward from Rogue's clenched hands until the area surrounding her hands was covered in a quarter of an inch of ice.

"I spent so much time wishing that my powers were gone, that I was normal. And then when I took the cure it was a dream come true. I could touch people, kiss my boyfriend. It was everything I wanted," she continued, no longer crying.

"I'm really sorry Rogue. You're not alone though, not by a long-shot. What I felt earlier this afternoon, that emotion, there are millions of mutants who just got their powers back," Corey comforted her. He looked at her and then down, sensing that what she really wanted at the moment was just to get everything off her chest. When he saw the frost creeping outward from her hands he jumped off the rapidly freezing table.

"Rogue!" he cried alarmed, accidentally waking Kitty, Peter and Alice.

"I'm sorry Corey, I know I shouldn't be unloading all this on you, I hardly know you, but..."she began, upset that she had caused yet another person pain today.

"It's not that," Corey said quickly, doubting that Rogue needed something else to blame herself for, "it's your hands."

"What's wrong with my hands?" Rogue asked, looking at them. She jumped off the table as soon as she saw the frost spreading outward from them.

"Rogue, what's wrong?" Kitty asked, running through the table and Bobby in her haste to get to her friend. "What happened?"

"I still have Bobby's powers," Rogue replied evenly, sounding slightly removed from the situation. She sounded slightly removed from what was happening in the lab but if Kitty had to guess it sounded as though Rogue was in shock again.

"You can't Rogue, it's been hours. You normally only absorb powers for a few seconds…maybe minutes at the longest," Kitty said soothingly, trying to calm her friend before she had another panic attack.

"I know, but look at the examination table," Rogue commanded, pointing at the icy patch on the table. It was shiny and slick as the top of it melted in the warm room.

"There is no way this is happening without one of the adults here," Kitty said, stepping back. She stumbled on Alice who was still seated on the floor and fell flat on her but. "Oh why didn't this happen when Storm was here, I am so not equipped to deal with this," Kitty moaned, sounding much more like the teenager she was and less like a mutant who had fought (and lived) through the battle of Alcatraz.

Just then the phone started ringing, startling them all. Peter picked it up and listened intently. The frown he had before deepened as he listened, and after about five minutes he hung up.

"That was Hank McCoy," he said gravely, looking at each of them in turn. "He called to tell us that the Cure had worn off, not that it was news to us," he continued, glancing at Rogue. "But he also said that some got their powers back earlier, as much as a week ago, and that from the data from those who received their powers were changed they had new powers, or enhanced powers."

He paused allowing them to digest this news. It seemed to fit, considering Rogue still had the powers that she had drained from Bobby hours ago when she should have lost them after the first few minutes. When they had digested the news he continued.

"Hank McCoy said Magneto and Mystique were among those who got their powers back," he said solemnly, knowing that was by far the worst news he had delivered so far. "It gets worse. Magneto busted his Brotherhood out almost five days ago. Juggernaut, Pyro, Multiple Man and his men are on the loose again," he concluded solemnly, glancing around the room.

"This is bad, really bad," Kitty cried, rushing through the table and Bobby again in a beeline for the phone. "We really need Storm and Logan, now!"

"Why?" Colossus asked. Alice looked confused as to why a bunch of mutant criminals was such a big deal. She hadn't been at the school for more than three days and had yet to receive the full details about Alcatraz and Magneto yet and therefore didn't realize the threat he posed.

"Because," Corey cut in while Kitty frantically dialed, fearful of whatever Magneto would almost certainly try to do in Storm and Logan's absence, "Magneto may attack the school, to try and shut down the X-Men while he attacks the humans. Or worse, he may come to the school and try and recruit the mutants here. His Brotherhood was decimated by the Phoenix. I'm sure he wants revenge on the humans, and he'll need more mutants to do that."

"Hi, Storm, its Kitty," Kitty cried desperately, almost weeping with joy at getting through to her, "listen, you need to get down here right now. Rogue's powers are…," she stopped suddenly, staring at the phone in horror.

"What's wrong?" Colossus asked, making his way to Kitty.

"The phone just went dead. This is not good," she cried. If it had been another day, or if Storm had been there to take charge of the situation, she could have handled it. But she was exhausted, and worried about Bobby, and the thought of Magneto attacking when there was no adult around to guide them she was dangerously close to hyperventilating. Leadership was not her strong suit.

As she put the phone back on the cradle she looked at between Corey, Colossus, Alice and Rogue. They all shared the same thought, Magneto's already here. And then the lights went out.

xXx

"Is everything okay Storm?" Logan asked as they walked through the white hallways. They had barely been on the island for ten minutes when a call came from Xavier's.

"I don't know. It was Kitty, and she sounded pretty panicked," Storm said, sticking the cell back into her pocket. She was slightly disturbed by the fear in Kitty's voice but was far more concerned about this man who claimed to be the Professor. "What could have happened though? We've only been away for two hours."

"Well, Corey said that he felt the Cure wearing off on thousands, maybe even millions, of mutants," he said, not entirely sure what could possibly happen, or was happening. Magneto had been given four doses of the Cure so it should have lasted longer for him, and even if it had worn off is entire team was in jail. He was hardly a threat.

"Here we are," Moira said. She had not been paying attention to their conversation or irritation, in a world of her own. She was thinking of the past, and of how much she had cared for Charles.

"Hello Moira, Ororo and Logan," said the man sitting in the bed. He put the large book he had been reading aside as they entered. Logan stopped, amazed. He could not be hearing what he thought he had heard. It was a complete and utter impossibility. He had seen the Phoenix…

"Destroy me less than a month ago," the man who Logan had already decided was Charles finished for him, flashing him a smile filled with pain. "And Ororo, I know you do not believe it is me, but if you would like I can tell everyone about the time I caught you and Hank down in the med lab while everyone was asleep," he said jokingly, his eyes twinkling.

"Oh Charles," Storm cried, rushing to his bedside. She hugged him deeply, overwhelmed with joy that her mentor and savior was alive and well. "But how?" she asked, pulling away from him slightly.

"Ah," Charles said, sitting back slightly. "Well, I'm sure that you recognize this man Storm," he said, looking at her meaningfully. She looked closer at the face, trying to remember were she had seen it before. Suddenly comprehension dawned.

"Yes, it is the man who has been in the coma since birth. The man I used in my ethics lessons. In my last moment of life, before the Phoenix completely consumed me, my mind went outward, unconsciously, or maybe consciously, I am not sure, looking for another place to reside. It found this body, perhaps the only body that has never been the vessel of a mind. In the instant before the Phoenix, my entire consciousness transferred to this body."

"Ain't that against your rules Chuck?" Logan asked, trying to hide the joy he felt at knowing that Charles was still alive. As much as he was loath to admit it, Logan cared deeply for the man who had done so much for not only himself, but also for Rogue, who was the closest thing he had to family.

"I don't know if I had a choice in it," Charles replied, realizing that it was meant to be a joke while at the same time feeling the need to explain. "At the last instant, before I died, it was reflex, or instinct, that drove me. I had no control of what happened."

"And I don't care what happened Chuck," Logan said, sensing that the man was more than a little disgusted and disturbed by what he had done, even if he hadn't been in control of it. "I'm just happy to have you back."

"We're both happy that your back Charles," Storm said, sitting on the edge of his bed. "I think we're going to need just about all the help we can get right now."

"Why?" Charles asked, his new face twisted in confusion. As he looked at Storm he realized how drawn she looked, how incredibly and utterly exhausted she appeared. On closer examination even Logan looked like he had not been sleeping well. Clearly the past few weeks had been difficult for both of them. He sensed there was something they were not telling him that was the source of their misery.

"There is a new student at the school, possibly a class five," Storm began, uncertain of how to begin explaining all that had happened in Charles' absence, "Actually, several potential class fives. But this one has telepathic abilities. They're potent, undeveloped, but potent nonetheless. And this afternoon, Rogue received her powers back."

"She took the Cure," Logan interjected, feeling the need to defend her. The mutants had made Rogue's life a nightmare when they discovered she had taken the Cure. Almost no one, except for maybe himself, had understood. They didn't know what it was like to never be able to touch someone you loved, to be completely and utterly alone no matter how many people were around you.

"Understandable," the Professor said, nodding. "Her power would always be uncontrollable; there was nothing to be done about that. Taking the Cure would give her all the things back that her mutation had taken away. It must have taken great courage for her to take it."

Storm looked at her feet, feeling guilty. Although she had displayed no outward sign of a change in her relationship with Rogue she had resented the girl for taking the Cure. It had felt like a betrayal. But she also knew that it she had been cruel to expect Rogue to give up the chance at any sort of relationship, any sort of happiness, with another person just because she was opposed to the Cure. There were some whose lives were made unbearable by the mutation, and those were the ones who took the Cure because they wanted a better life, not to fit in.

"Do not be so hard on yourself Ororo," the Professor said, obviously reading her mind. He gently took her hand and said, "You are only human, and such feelings are natural."

"Thank you Professor," Storm whispered, tears in her eyes. Nothing the Professor said could make her feel better about herself for resenting Rogue in the past, but she vowed she would make it up to the girl.

"Anyway," Storm said, wiping her eyes and hoping that no one had seen the tears, "A few minutes later the new mutant was overwhelmed by a wave of pain and anger. Apparently the Cure wore off of the majority of the mutants at roughly the same time."

"That is bad," the Professor said, looking concerned. He ran his fingers through his hair, something that took Storm and Logan by surprise. They were both so used to the old Professor that they were not at all prepared for his new face, even though his voice was the same.

Then, shocking Storm and Logan once again, he swung his legs over the bed and stood up. Logan rushed to catch the man before he collapsed but stopped when he realized that the Professor was standing fine all by himself. Despite the fact that they had the Professor back in spirit did not mean they had him exactly as he was before, and they were going to have to adjust to his new body.

"Is it okay if I leave with them, Moira?" Charles asked, nodding to the beautiful Doctor who had apparently been standing in the doorway, observing the whole scene.

"Of course Charles," she replied, smiling. "But I'm going with you. Before you protest, you just transferred your entire consciousness from one body to another and have not yet recovered all of your telepathic abilities. If you think I'm going to let you go somewhere that a doctor cannot take care of you if something happens then you may have left a few points of your IQ behind," she said, giving no indication that she was joking.

"And besides," she barreled on, even though it was obvious to Storm and Logan that Charles was already prepared to let her come, "I would like to study Rogue's DNA. We have received reports for the past week about mutants receiving their powers back after taking the Cure, and that all of these had new or stronger abilities."

"What?" Storm cried, wheeling to face the older woman. "Who received their powers back earlier this week?"

"Just a few mutants, less than one percent of those who took the Cure," she replied, taken aback by the woman's intensity. "There has been no pattern determined for those who received their powers back early but there is some debate that it is possibly related to the dosage of the Cure given or the power of the individual mutant," she continued as Storm's cell phone.

Her expression morphed to one of nervousness to one of downright horror as she listened to the person on the other end of the phone. When the call was over she closed the phone and put it back in her pocket, her hand shaking with a combination of fear and rage.

"What's the matter?" Charles asked, unable to sense one coherent thought in the jumble of images running through her mind.

He saw Bobby, slumped against Rogue, apparently having been drained by her after she received her powers back. A boy and a girl he did not recognize holding hands after destroying a giant robot in the Danger Room. Then there was the flight to the island and the phone call she had just received. All were tainted by a fear that he could not pinpoint with his still weakened powers.

"That was Hank," Storm replied, her voice shaking nearly as badly as her hands. "He said that Mystique and Magneto broke the rest of the Brotherhood out of prison five days ago."

"Oh no," Charles said. Storm and Logan began to run out the door. Charles flew after them a little awkwardly, still unused to walking after so many years in a wheelchair. Moira followed him, not bothering to try and grab any of her clothing or supplies. If she needed anything Charles could get her back here or she could buy new things, this situation seemed more pressing than her packing her favorite stethoscope.

"What's the matter?" Moira asked as they boarded the X-Jet, concerned by the others fear and anxiety.

"Magneto is going to want revenge on the humans for the Cure," Logan replied, answering half of her question.

"But to get his revenge he'll need more mutants," Charles continued, helping to strap Moira in.

"And we just left a group of three-hundred plus confused and scared preteen and teenage mutants without any adults to take care of or protect them," Storm finished, starting the X-Jet.

"Oh God," Moira whispered, realizing what Magneto would try and do without Logan or Storm at the school to stop him, and it was her fault.

Thanks for the reviews DancingElf1986, Roguepixie04, La Noir Rose, and Scarlett Ivy. Hope I got everyone!

Sorry to leave you hanging, but I thought it was a good way to end the chapter. Nothing like suspicion to keep you hanging. Just kidding, it just seemed like an appropriate way to end the chapter, and I promise, you won't be disappointed to be kept waiting.

Keep those reviews coming. I love reading your comments, and I'll try to review your stories if I can.