A/N: yeah, new chappie and all that... enjoy.

Chapter fourteen: We Never Asked For This

"Why do you care so much?" Toad asked Tabitha.

"I don't," she replied through clenched teeth.

I took the opportunity to run. But I wasn't fast enough. The ground shook under me and I fell to the ground and they were around me again.

"I could blow your brains out right now," Tabitha said. "I could end your life like you ended John's. But I won't. But when I'm done with you, you're gonna wish you were dead."

I could have fought back. It was raining. Power was on my side. But I couldn't focus enough to make the water do anything but fall. It was dark. The sun had gone down hours before. I shook in the cold air.

"Ah don't think that's a good idea," a familiar voice said from behind us.

"And why not?" Tabitha asked.

"'Cause Ah got ten bucks sayin' you're gonna regret it." Rogue was leaning against an adjacent wall, arms folded against her chest. She pushed herself from the wall and walked over.

"You gonna try to stop me?" Tabitha asked.

"Oh, no," Rogue replied. "Ah'm most definitely gonna stop you. There ain't no try about it."

"I don't know who you think you are," Tabitha said. "But you're outnumbered five to one."

"The odds are a little unfair. You want me to wait while you get reinforcements?"

"Your sarcasm is infuriating," Tabitha said, getting a bomb ready. She didn't get very far though. In a moment, Rogue grabbed her arm and Tabitha passed out on the ground at her feet.

"What'd you do to her?" Toad screamed. Rogue had made her own bomb and thrown it at them.

"Come with me," she said, putting her glove back on and holding out her hand. Naturally, I hesitated.

"Ah can't hurt you if Ah can't touch your skin," she said.

I reached up and grabbed her hand. We ran, all the while, she threw bombs back at our pursuers.

"The professor wants to teach you to control your powers." She said once we were in the safety of the mansion kitchen.

"Why?" I asked. "This isn't a gift. This is a curse. It kills people. Water kills people."

"And what do you think Ah said when Ah first found out about mine? When Ah touch people, Ah zap the life out of them. You know what happened to the first boy Ah ever kissed?"

I shook my head.

"He was in a coma for three weeks." She shook her head in despair. "That was the night Ah left. Ah was alone and scared. Ah thought people would come to kill me like they had so many other mutants. And then I met the professor. He's been showin' me that Ah can be normal."

"The professor's a telepath, right?" I asked.

This took her by surprise.

"Yeah. Why?"

"How do you know he's not brainwashing you all?"

This leaves her speechless.

"See," I said. "I don't want to be a mutant. I don't want to live here with other mutants. I just wanna go home and live a normal life."

"None of us asked for this," Rogue said. "None of us wanted this."