Hey all. Sorry for the delay. I had a hard few weeks at work: shit hit the fan and I was exhausted after work for a good three weeks. Super stressful knot in stomach and I thought I might be fired. Craziness that comes from management having you be training by someone who was hired a month after you start working and then acting so suprised when they find out your've been trained wrong and now a lot of work has to be redone. AHH! How was I suposed to know I wasn't doing it right? Ahhh! :Deep breath: But it's over finally, the dust is settled and I can breath again :) So, I'm back. Happy thoughts and lots of writing. :)

Glaring Decipher

Chapter Seventeen:

Later the next day Magneto watched as the students poured into the classroom: their usually chatter dominating the room. Magneto stood at the front of the classroom: a stack of the newly completed rubrics in his hands. His eye caught Rogue's as she entered the room: she was carrying a history textbook in her arm. She smiled at him as she made her way to the front of the classroom.

"Hey," she said with a smile as she put the textbook on the desk. "How are you?" she asked.

"Not bad at all," he smiled. "You?" he asked her.

"I'm good," she smiled. "I just finished meditating. I figured I would get some homework done while you and the class are going over the rubric. If you need me to speak up with any examples that might help then I'm right here," she said gesturing towards the chair behind the desk. "I'll help any way I can," she said.

"It's appreciated, thank you," he said with a smile as he noticed Charles enter the room.

"Good luck," Rogue said quietly. He fixed her with a disapproving look: which she returned with a smirk. He let out a sigh at that. He was not looking forward to teaching in front of Charles: both of them knew that. "You want help handing those out?"she asked.

"No, it's alright. You do your homework," he said.

"Yes, sir," she whispered with a smirk before she moved to take a seat behind the desk. He kept her gaze for a moment as she smirked at him. She made a gesture with her hands towards the class: her meaning was clear. He let out a sigh as he handed her a rubric before he turned to the class. Charles eye's met his: Charles' eyebrow raised in question as he heard Rogue let out a low laugh behind him. He tried his best to ignore both of his friends in that moment.

"Good evening, everyone," Magneto said as he started to hand out the rubric to the class: handing a small pile to the end of each row. "The handout you are all receiving," he started to say as he watched the rubric being handed down each row, "is the rubric that we will be using to grade the work you produce throughout the course," he said as he returned to the front of the room. 'Damn it,' he thought to himself. He had forgotten to account for Charles being in the classroom and did not have a copy of the rubric for him.

"Magnus," Charles started to say as Rogue stood up.

"Apologizes, Charles, I forgot to make you a copy," Magneto said as Rogue moved passed him.

"It's alright," Rogue started to say as she walked to the back of the classroom. "You can have mine, Prof," she said as handed Charles her own copy.

"Thank you," Charles said. "But you still need a copy," he pointed out.

"No, I don't. I already got it up here," she said as she held her figure to her temple. "Besides," she started to say as she made her way back to the front of the classroom. "I wrote most of it," Rogue said as she made her way back to her sit. Charles looked to him again: his expression asking for him to provide an explanation for Rogue's comment. A few of the students were having similar looks of confusion on their faces as well: but he only owed one person in the room an answer.

"Charles, we'll talk after class," he told him. "For now," he said as he broke eye contact with Charles and glanced around the room, "we will be spending the next two classes going over the rubric in great detail. Please do not hold back from asking any questions you may have. Miss Pride, would you please begin to read the first subheading and levels of understanding?" he said her.

"Sure," Kitty Pride said bubbly. "Goal setting, one: having no regard or understanding of the goal that should be adopted and instead setting a goal that may be counterproductive to the goal that should have been adopted. Two," she continued to read.

Magneto eyes were staring at the rubric in his hand as he let his thoughts wander from the student reading Rogue's words. His mind was on what he was going to say to Charles. His friend was already concerned with how much influence Rogue was having on him outside of this class and now it was going to become clear how much influence she was having on the course itself. The next three to four classes were her doing, her idea: a good idea that he could not help to go along with, but nevertheless highly influenced by the girl.

"Three," Kitty Pride started to say as Magneto turned up to pay attention again. He didn't want anyone to know that he had allowed himself to think of others things while Miss Pride was reciting Rogue's words. "Having a weak understanding of what goal should be adopted," she said before Magneto allowed himself to focus on his thoughts once more.

But why had the girl even offered that information to begin with? Rogue knew that Charles was concerned: why did she give him reason to be even more so?

'Because she's been hiding her capabilities,' he realized. 'Charles has no idea what she can do, because she had to hide it from me. Now, that I know, she is free to tell Charles and she is using me as her messenger. She knows that Charles respects my opinion. If I say she is capable strategist, than he will take my word for it,' he realized. It made sense: after a year of hiding her capabilities it would just a long for her to prove herself to Charles and who knows when she would even have the chance to take command and show her skills. Using him to correct Charles' opinion of her was much more elegant of a plan. 'Of course, that's her aim,' he thought to himself.

The question was, was he going to go along with this plan of hers? Was he going to allow Rogue to manipulate him, yet again? Could it really be considered manipulation if he willingly went along with it?

He quickly glanced up at Miss. Pride from the rubric in his hands.

"Six," Kitty Pride continued to read, "having a clear, slash, perfect understanding of what goal should be adopted and adopting the goal," she finished.

"Thank you, Miss. Pride," Magneto said. "No matter how large or small the strategy or tactic you may be planning it is imperative that you have clear goals. Without that you have nothing. But the question becomes, what makes an understanding of a goal non-existence, weak, good or perfect? Where do those distinctions lay? Let's start with an example," he started to say.

He would have to contemplate this choice after class was over.


"Please read," Magneto started to say, "the rest of the rubric before the start of our next class and bring any questions you may have. Class dismissed," Magneto said before the students started to get up. Charles who was seated in the back of the classroom would have to wait for the room to clear out before he could join him and Rogue at the front. Rogue stood up as she closed her text book. She moved from the seat to stand in front of him.

"The other day," she said very quietly as she glanced up at him: only he could hear her words, "you agreed that there was only one lie, one manipulation that you would attempt to get away with while living here. It's your choice to keep your word or not," she told him before she grabbed her text book from the table. He stared at her for a long moment as she considered her words. "Are you sure you don't need any help grading the tests?" she asked at her normal speaking volume as Charles made way up to them.

"Thank you again for the offer. But I'll manage. Helping me finish the rubric was more than enough help for one week," he said pleasantly enough.

"How much help did you provide?" Charles said: inserting himself into the conversation. He held Rogue's gaze for a moment, she gave him a nod and he had to keep himself from sighing. Yes, he would do as she wanted. He owed her that.

"I wrote out," Magneto started to say, "the subheadings but I was having difficulties defining the different levels of understanding. I was going to use the first tests to help with the development of the rubric but Rogue was able to complete it without such assistance," Magneto said.

"So, more or less, the whole thing?" Charles asked in disbelief.

"Yes," Magneto answered.

"I see," Charles said with amazement In his voice. "Rogue, I had no idea you were so schooled in the arts of strategy," Charles said.

"There's a lot of things I'm schooled in that no one knows about," Rogue said. "I gain a lot of knowledge from the people I absorb. Usually, I try not to rub it in people's faces, you know, all the personal stuff I know. Especially, all the things I know about people the x-men call enemies. That could get dangerous really fast," she said as Charles eyes widen with understanding.

Magneto stood there and calmly allowed the girl to talk. It was in her right to reveal whatever she chose to Charles. Honestly, he was curious himself about what she was planning to divulge.

"Honestly, I've always felt safer keeping people in the dark about my capabilities," Rogue said.

"I'm sorry you've felt that way to begin with. You shouldn't have to hide a part of who you are of what you can do: not in a house full of friends and family," Charles said.

"I agree, but before I felt like that's what I needed to do to keep myself safe. I'm sorry that I've lied to you in the past and kept things from you," Rogue said. "I know how frustrated you've gotten asking me the same questions about my powers over and over again and me always being so vague," Rogue said.

"Well, I'm glad you feel safe enough now to start opening up about them," Charles said thoughtfully. "But Rogue, what dangers are you talking about?" he asked. "I can't possibly help if I'm unaware of them," he added.

"Charles, that's her whole point. Our collective ignorance has been her advantage. She's been controlling the competitive environment by keeping those conversations from coming into existence. The danger hasn't been realized because the issue of her knowledge has not become public knowledge," Magneto explained. "There of some who guard their secrets very carefully: who would take measures to ensure that those secrets, those details never become spoken or public knowledge. It's been far safer to pretend that she does not possess such knowledge to keep herself safe," Magneto explained.

"But I not wanna hold back anymore," Rogue said taking over. "I'm kind of sick of hiding what I can do, of hiding all of my intelligence for the sake of keeping myself safe. So, there might be times where you ask me a question and I won't feel secure enough to answer it. I don't wanna lie anymore. I'm just gonna tell you I can't answer it, okay? But in everything else I'm gonna use my intellect as much as I can, okay? she asked.

"Rogue, of course, I don't want you to answer any questions that may put you in danger," Charles said at once. "What have you lied about in the past?" Charles asked. He watched Rogue take a deep breath. "But please only answer if you feel as though it is safe enough for you to do so, of course," he added quickly.

"I'm not really to have that conversation yet," Rogue said. "I want to, a lot, but not yet. Eventually, Prof, I will tell you what I've lied about, I promise. I just- I really wanted you to know that I've lied and that I don't want to anymore and that I won't. It's just gonna take me some time before I'm really to come clean about the lies I've told. I know that that's only half an answer. But I hope you can understand where I'm coming from and not hate me for lying to you," she said with a nervous laugh.

"Rogue, of course, not," Charles said gently. "Please come to me the moment you are really to talk. And please, if you feel you are in danger do not keep it to yourself, come to me. Even if you can't go into detail or can't tell me what's it about, talk to me. There is no reason for you to feel alone or afraid. I am here to help you, please let me," Charles said earnestly.

"I will," Rogue said with a nod. "I promise," she said. Magneto watched her take a deep breath. "I'm gonna go get some sleep. See ya both in the morning?" Rogue asked.

"Of course," Charles said with a smile. "Good night, Rogue," he said.

"Good night," Magneto said as he watched her walked toward the door.

"Good night," Rogue said as she left the room and closed the door behind her. Charles eyes were turns towards the door: as though he was waiting for someone. After a long moment Charles turned to glance up at him.

"What did you do?" Charles asked his eyes narrowed in anger.

"Charles," he started to say: his tone innocent.

"Magnus, I'm not a fool. The list of my enemies she's absorbed is a short one. It's not the brotherhood boys she afraid of and although they have their share of differences I highly doubt she's taking about her parents. Which leaves my brother, who Rogue has personally helped capture twice and you," Charles said his eyes narrowed in anger. "The question is, was she overacting and keeping a hypothetical situation from coming into existence or did you do something to warrant her fear?" Charles asked irate. Magneto held his friend gaze for a long moment.

"I did something to warrant it," Magneto admitted: Charles was going to find out eventually, there was little point in lying.

"What did you do?" Charles asked again firmly.

"It hardly matters now," Magneto argued. "The girl, called me out on it and there will be no repeat of the transgression," Magneto said.

"Because she's got you on a leash," Charles exclaimed.

"That is not true," Magneto said angered.

"Isn't it?" Charles asked. "During your class, you and she made kept exchanging glances as though you were looking for her approval for the examples you chose. I'm doubt I'm the only one who noticed the nods she kept giving you: telling you to go on. Rogue commanded this classroom today and you allowed her too. Now, at least, I know why," Charles said. "You feel you owe it to her as an apology for whatever you did or attempted to do to her in the past," he thought out loud. Magneto let out a long sigh as he used his powers to pull out the chair from under his desk: he wanted to sit down.

"Yes," Magneto sighed as he took a seat in front of the other man.

"And you won't tell me what you did?" Charles asked.

"No," Magneto said, "I can't."

"You mean, you won't," Charles said dismissively.

"No, I mean, I can't," Magneto said annoyed.

"Why?" Charles asked dryly.

"Because I promised Rogue I wouldn't without her approval," Magneto answered: realizing exactly how it sounded the moment it left his mouth. There was pity in his friend's eye.

"Magnus," Charles sighed. Magneto leaned forward: his elbows resting on his knees, he rested his face in his hands. "What is going on between you two?" he asked.

"I'm obsessed with her, Charles," he admitted in a whispered before he could stop himself. He needed to talk about this.

"In what way?" Charles asked.

"In every way possible," he said. "I don't know why but there is something about that girl that just fascinates me, to no end. I can't put my finger on it, Rogue claims to know why: the girl claims to everything. Everything about me when I want to know everything about her and she won't tell me," he exclaimed as he moved his face off of his hands. He made eye contact with Charles again. "She keeps giving me these hints, these clues. A comment here, a comment there. Every word that comes out of her mouth leaves me with more questions than when I started. And that includes when she actually answered a question I've asked her," he ranted. "And god knows, all I do is ask her questions," he finished. It felt better than he thought it might to say all of that out loud.

"Perhaps, you should stop asking," Charles suggested.

"But I won't," Magneto said as he made eye contact with his friend. "I've told myself to stop asking so many times now but I need to know," he said. "And she's promised me that I will know, but it's clear that will only happen if I do abide by her wishes and endure this long agonizingly frustrating wait," he said annoyed.

"This isn't healthy, you know," Charles pointed out.

"I know," Magneto agreed. "But I can't help myself," he said.

"So, I'll need to stop you then," Charles said.

"No, no," Magneto said quickly: shaking his head.

"I should ask you to leave, to get some distance from her," Charles thought out loud.

"I've already tried that, it didn't work," Magneto exclaimed. "I kept myself out of Bayville for over a month and still I couldn't keep from thinking of her," he said. "It wouldn't work," he said.

"I don't want her alone in your bedroom anymore," Charles said sternly. "As a teacher helping your student learning to control her powers, it was inappropriate, but I was able to overlook that. As a man obsessed with one of my teenaged students, I can't have you two behind a closed door. What if she refused to answer one too many of your questions and you lose control over yourself? What if you're obsession takes a different, darker, direction?" Charles asked.

"It won't," Magneto insisted.

"You can't know that," Charles said.

"Yes, I can, because I've already had those darker thoughts and Rogue talked me out of them," Magneto ranted before he could stop himself. Charles' eye widened before he took a deep breath. Charles moved his fingers to the bridge of his noise: closing his eyes for a moment as he took another deep breath.

"I'm going to go talk to Rogue alone." Charles said after a moment. "I don't want you saying another word to her until she and I have talked," he said as he turned his chair. "We'll talk in the morning," Charles said as he headed towards the door.

"Charles," he called out in protest.

"Good night, Magnus," Charles said firmly.

"Good night, Charles," Magneto said slightly defeated as Charles exited the room. Rogue was going to be so mad at him. 'And now, I can't even talk to her. Charles, won't allow it,' he thought annoyed with himself. 'Take a deep breath,' he told himself. 'Take a deep breath now,' he told himself as he did as just that. 'Damage is done. Sleep on this and you and Rogue will talk tomorrow. We've already agreed that we would keep seeing each other if he kicks me out. We already agreed on that,' he reminded himself. He had to admit that thought was a great comfort. 'Go get some sleep,' he ordered to himself. He found himself to be obedient.