Chapter Sixty-Two
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Magneto stood within Cerebro's chambers with Charles, Ororo, and Scott. They had just reviewed everything they knew about Jean's disappearance so far.
'Charles said far too much in front of the cat,' Magneto lamented. But there was nothing to be done about that now. His attention turned towards the exit as he saw Hank rushing into the room.
"So?" Magneto asked.
"Amara is accounted for. She's safe at school. Kitty and Rogue, however, did not make it to class this morning," Hank explained.
"That makes three missing. Jean, Kitty, and Rogue," Charles commented.
"Yes, but then Logan checked in with a much-needed update," Hank said.
He and Charles shared a glance before his old friend turned back to Hank and said, "go on."
"Logan briefly fought Mystique," Hank said. "She was wounded but escaped and is regrouping with Rogue's other foster mother, Irene Adler in a penthouse located somewhere in Manhattan," he said.
"That's close," he commented.
"I'll attempt to locate them with Cerebro," Charles offered.
"Rogue might have the precise location. I believe we can assume she managed to use her abilities on her mother today," Magneto countered.
Charles fixed him with a curious glance before saying, "If you say so."
"There's more," Hank announced before all eyes turned back on him.
"Rogue stole funds from Mystique to rescue two individuals from an unknown location. One, I hypothesize, must be Jean and the other was Sage," he explained.
"Where on earth did Mystique take Jean that Rogue would encounter Sage as well?" he asked aloud. "And who did Sage require rescuing from?" he asked himself before he felt a slight throbbing on the left side of his mind. He quickly dropped his train of thought and the throbbing passed.
"Are you alright?" Hank asked.
"I'm fine," he said, shaking his head.
"Who's Sage?" Ororo asked.
"I have a single memory of her," Magneto explained. "I'd rather not focus on it. I'd prefer to stay conscious for Rogue's the other's return," he said.
"Understandable," Hank said. "I've only met her once myself. Charles, would you care to elaborate?" he asked, turning to look at him. He and the other followed suit.
"Excuse me?" Charles asked, clearly caught off guard by the question.
"Perhaps, I'm jumping to conclusions but with such a unique name," Hank said
"I highly doubt it," Magneto added, alleviating Hank's concerns. Hank gave him an appreciative nod before looking down at Charles again.
"But, Professor, I would imagine this must be the same Sage you introduced me to," Hank said, finishing his thought. Magneto watched Charles blink up at Hank in utter confusion, sweat was forming on his brow.
"I don't- I don't- I don't know any Sage," he muttered.
"Professor, are you alright?" Ororo asked though she received no answer as Charles's face went blank, sweating sliding down his forehead.
"What's wrong with him?" Scott asked.
"I don't know," Ororo said a slight panic in her tone. "Charles, Charles," she yelled, seeking his attention.
"Curious," Hank muttered under his breath. "This seems similar to how you remembered Lorna," Hank commented. Ororo looked up at him.
"You're not mistaken," he answered Hank while meeting Ororo's eyes.
"But the Professor doesn't have amnesia," Scott said.
"Or does he, perhaps?" Hank asked.
"No way anyone could mess with the Professor's mind," Scott disputed.
"Be that as it may, I can confirm that Charles introduced me to a woman named Sage. This was maybe fifteen years ago. He called her his first student," Hank said.
"He never mentioned her to me," Ororo said.
"How could he, if he doesn't remember her?" Hank asked. "He was also unaware of the effects his emotions were having on Jean's perception of her powers. Perhaps, the two are linked," he said.
"Speculation will do us little good. Charles will emerge from his memories and once he does, he'll be able to field these questions himself," Magneto said.
"But what about the girls? They're still missing. Are we just going to sit here and hope they're alright?" Scott asked annoyed.
"Rogue has my powers. Not to mention her own. Whatever situation they've found themselves in, I'm certain Rogue has it well in hand. They're most likely traveling home as we speak," he said.
"So, we wait," Ororo said.
"Unfortunately, we have no alternative course of action," he said before they heard a phone softly ring in the distance.
"I'll get it," Hank said.
"Thank you, Hank," he said. He gave a nod as he exited the room.
Kitty Pride stood within the grand entranceway of the Hellfire Club's mansion. Rogue stood with Shaw in front of a computer that Emma was holding up. For some reason, Shaw hadn't put his stupid shirt back on. She really didn't like him.
Kitty held onto Jean's wheelchair and had a gentle grip on Sage's arms, ready to phase them at any time. She knew that if Shaw decided to back out of the deal, she was going to be responsible for keeping them both safe. It was nerve-racking but Rogue trusted her and she knew she could handle it. She just hoped there weren't any more surprises.
"The transfer is complete and the limo will be here shortly," Emma said.
"Our business is complete, Mr. Shaw," Rogue said. "You've been paid the amount we've agreed upon and I appreciate you upgrading your offer so Jean has a place to lay down on the ride home," she said.
"My pleasure," he said through gritted teeth.
"In exchange for those funds, you will never contact Sage again," Rogue continued. "If you do, I will come back to this building and as promised remove it from the face of the earth. Then I'll go to your L.A. location and do the same. If you ever contact, threaten, harm, or employ anyone else to contact, threaten or harm Sage in any way I will take everything you have and leave you with nothing," she said as her eyes glowed with magnetic energy.
Kitty watched as Shaw took a step away from Rogue, his hands forming into fists. The sneer on his face was pronounced and she felt Sage shutter beside her. She placed her hand on her back again, rubbing slightly, in what she hoped Sage would find comforting. The small smile she gave her told her she did.
The energy dissipated from Rogue's eyes before she added, "As long as you abide by these terms I'll gladly leave you alone. Do we have an understanding, Mr. Shaw?"
"Certainly, Mrs. Einsenhardt," he said, clearly displeased.
"Thank you. We've imposed on your hospitality long enough. We'll wait outside," Rogue said before she turned to Kitty and gestured toward the door. Eager to leave, she turned to exit
"Emma," Shaw said. "Confirm they leave. Then take care of the mess in the library," he ordered.
"I'll call the cleaning crew, Sebastian," she offered as Kitty heard the laptop snap shut. "They'll be here within an hour," she said.
"No one else is stepping foot in this house today," Shaw said firmly. "Make yourself useful and do it yourself," he ordered. Kitty turned back to see Shaw gripping her arm again.
"I've never hung a curtain rod in my life," she retorted.
"Emma," he said as she let out a small cry of pain as he gripped her arm tightly. "Does it look like I'm in the mood to be contradicted? No?" he asked.
"No," Emma wined back, clearly in pain.
"No," he repeated sternly. "Then do as you're told, woman," he said firmly before he released her.
Kitty felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Sage gesturing with her head towards the door. She nodded before quickly exiting the Hellfire Club, pushing Jean's wheelchair as she left.
Once they were outside, Kitty took a deep breath. Something about the fresh air made her feel a little more at ease. Or maybe she was just happy to leave the house. She glanced over at Emma, who was rubbing her arm where Shaw had gripped her, the laptop no longer in her possession. Emma took notice of Kitty's attention and dropped her hand as if she was attempting to deny she was in pain.
"If you ever get tired of his misogynist bullshit, there's a place for you at the Xavier Institute," Rogue. Kitty blinked surprised at Rogue's offer.
"He's in a bad mood. Sebastian doesn't normally talk to me like that," Emma said defensively.
"Yeah, 'cause he's had Sage as his main source of venting and sexual depravity. He just lost both," she pointed out.
"That doesn't matter. I can take care of myself," she said.
"That's true. You're an adult, here of your volition. Despite how he treats you, Sebastian doesn't actually own you. The only power that man holds over you is what you allow for the sake of your title.
"I worked hard to become the White Queen. I earned this," she said strongly.
"Of course you have. My question is, is it worth it?" she asked as Emma's eyes narrowed with anger. "Look, what I'm trying to offer you is an alternative where you won't have to take some depraved man's bullshit just to get a seat at the damn table," Rogue said.
"There's always someone you have to grovel to when seeking power," Emma said under her breath.
"Not if you wanna be a teacher," Rogue said as she watched Emma's eyes light up with interest.
"I considered a career in teaching when I was younger," she said, thoughtfully.
"You're still young, Emma. You've got time," Rogue said. "And this doesn't have to be your life if you don't want it to be," she said. Their attention was drawn to the front gate as they opened.
"The limo's here," Kitty said, smiling at Sage, who looked relieved to be departing. Kitty watched eagerly as the limo pulled up in front of them and the driver exited the vehicle.
"Good afternoon," Rogue called pleasantly, getting the driver's attention. "Mr.?" she asked.
"It's just Kevin, ma'am," the driver, a man in his mid-twenties wearing a chauffeur's uniform, said.
"We won't need the wheelchair, Kevin. If you could help us get her into the limo please?" she asked, gesturing to Jean.
"Right away, ma'am," he said.
"Thank you, Kevin," Rogue said as the driver lifted Jean up, out of the wheelchair, and proceeded to follow Rogue's instructions. "Emma," she said, turning back to look at her. "I'm not trying to force you into a rash decision. Far from it. But you ain't blind, sugar. You saw how he was with Sage. Everything he subjected her to. Do you really think he's gonna turn that off just cause she's gone? He's gonna want a replacement and fast," she asked.
Kitty watched Emma take in Rogue's words. After a moment, she shook her head.
"Selene'll be back," Emma said. Kitty watched Rogue raise an eyebrow before she shared a glance with Sage. She nodded at Rogue before climbing into the Limo. Their driver exited shortly after, returning to the front of the vehicle.
"Selene would snap Sebastian in two for looking at her funny. And he has no interest in Jason. It's just you," Rogue cautioned before she turned to her and gestured with her head toward the limo.
Kitty nodded before she slid into the vehicle. The interior was larger than she thought it would be. There were three different black leather seats. The first was in the innermost part of the limo, parallel to the driver's seat. And there were two other, far longer seats, spanning each side of the limo. Kitty took a seat near Sage. The only gap between them was caused by an armrest. On the other seat across from them, laid Jean.
"It's an open offer,' Rogue continued. With the door open, Kitty could still hear the ongoing conversation. "You're welcome to come to the institute anytime. Even if you just wanna check out the mansion," she said.
"Mansion?" Emma asked.
"Charles comes from money and he'd used that wealth and his childhood home to build a safe place for mutants like us. All the creature comforts, I'm sure, you're accustomed to," she said. "Minus the debauchery," she said with a smile in her voice. Emma let out an appreciative huff. "Our student body grows bigger every year and we'll always need passionate teachers to help with that vision. If you decide to give the X-Men a shot, there'll be a place for you," she said.
"All that sounds lovely. But what's the catch?" she asked. "And don't say there isn't one," she added quickly.
"I have no intention of insulting your intelligence like that. The thing is, Charles can be frustratingly naive at times. He's a pacifist who likes to lead by example. Without his knowledge, I've had to step in, more than once, to deal with the aftermath of certain situations that his lack of foresight created," she answered.
"Huh?" Kitty asked herself confused as she sat forward. She felt a hand on her shoulder and saw Sage was holding her back.
'Don't interfere,' Sage said.
'But,' Kitty objected.
"You're looking at an example right now. He should never have sent Sage here and had I known sooner she wouldn't have been here as long," she said.
"Incompetent leadership? Wonderful," she said sarcastically. "Anything else I should know about?" she asked.
"There's a lot of teenagers. It gets loud," she added with a bit of levity.
"Hmm," Emma huffed with amusement.
"It ain't perfect. Nothing is. But I can promise you, it'll be better than this," Rogue finished.
There was a long pause. Kitty wondered if Emma was considering coming with them.
"I'm curious, Mrs. Einsenhardt, do you show such affection for every mutant you come across or just when you're trying to get your money's worth?" she sneered.
"That ain't what this is," Rogue sighed.
"It's a marvelous pitch. I was truly tempted to give up everything I've worked for because of a few pretty words. Bravo," Emma said as she clapped mockingly.
"Okay, then," Rogue said, sounding disappointed. She finally entered the limo, her facial expression matched the tone of her voice. Kitty watched her eyes dart back and forth like she was considering her next action. A sigh escaped her before she turned back and struck her out of the vehicle's door. "Since you ain't coming with us, I'll offer you one last piece of advice," she said.
"Spare me," she said. Kitty didn't need to see her face to know she must have rolled her eyes.
"Emma," Rogue persisted regardless. "Do not allow yourself to be summoned to Sebastian's bedroom unless you're fully prepared to fuck him," she said bluntly. Kitty felt her face blush with embarrassment as Sage shuttered beside her. "You'll leave that room, bedded, bloody, or both. Either way, you'll be fucked," she said.
"Pretty words wouldn't sway me," she said as she stepped forward, taking hold of the door frame as she came back into Kitty's line of sight. "Why not try to frighten me into submission?"
"It's an open offer," Rogue repeated. "If you need us, you know where to find us," she said.
"I'm not pathetic, like some," she said, glazing at Sage for a brief moment, before looking back at Rogue. "I don't want or need your protection," she yelled before she slammed the door shut. Rogue quickly pulled her head back to avoid being hit. "You can go now," she heard Emma yell, most likely at the driver.
"He's gonna eat her alive," Rogue sighed as the limo started to move.
"You tried," Sage said.
"I did," Rogue said as she moved to toward the front of the limo and sat on the smaller seat at the front.
"It's not your fault she didn't want to come with us," Kitty added.
"If I had let her read my mind, she might've," Rogue said.
"You let me read your mind," Sage said.
"You're already an X-Men, sugar. That was an easy call to make. Emma could go either way. And I couldn't justify the risk. But she's the one who's gonna pay for it," she lamented.
"She made her choice," Sage reiterated.
"I know... Good lord, I'm tired," Rogue said before sighing again.
"Do you want to try and rest on the ride home?" Kitty asked as she watched Rogue take a deep breath.
"Can't. Too much work to do," she said before her eye snapped open. "I ain't the only one who's exhausted," she said as stripped her gloves off. Kitty watched her place her fingers on Jean's forehead and take a dose of her powers. "Sage, sugar, you can stop now. I'll take over Jean's vitals from here," she said.
"Are you certain?" Sage asked.
"Yup. And could you lower your firewall? I'm gonna need full access to fix this," she said.
Kitty watched Sage place her fingers on her temple for a brief moment, before she said, "done. What about Kitty?" she asked.
"It's probably unnecessary, but could ya please keep up the defenses until we get back to the institute?" she asked.
"I don't mind," she said.
"Thanks, Sage. Kitty, ya mind moving your arm for a sec?" she asked.
"Oh, sure," she said as she lifted her arm off of the armrest. With a wave of Rogue's hand, the armrest popped open revealing a phone.
"Call the institute, and explain everything that's happened," she ordered.
"On it," she said as she grabbed the phone from between her and Sage. "What are you going to do?" she asked as she dialed the institute's number.
"Healing Jean," she answered as Kitty watched as Rogue ran a hand across Jean's face. The swelling decreased in front of her eyes.
"Wow," she said surprised. "How?" she asked.
"First her body, then her mind," Rogue answered as the line rang in her ear.
That didn't really answer her question, but Kitty had no time to reflect on that as she heard Mr. McCoy pick up the line and say, "Xavier Institute."
"Hey, Mr. McCoy," she said.
"Kitty, it's good to hear your voice," he said, sounding relieved. "It's Kitty," he said louder, she assumed for someone's else benefit. "Are you alright?" he asked. "Are Rogue, Jean, and Sage with you?" he said.
"Yeah, yeah," she said, surprised he knew about Sage. Kitty looked up, making eye contact with Rogue. "All four of us are okay. We're driving back to the institute now," she said. She saw a curious expression cross Rogue's face before a soft sigh escaped her.
"Logan must've checked in. Is he okay?" Rogue asked.
"Is Logan okay?" Kitty asked into the phone.
"Yes, he's on his way home," Mr. McCoy answered before Kitty nodded at Rogue. She gave her a nod back before returning her attention back to healing Jean. "Who did you rescue Jean and Sage from?" he asked.
Kitty felt a shudder go down her spine at the thought of Shaw. And then anger at the Professor for allowing any of it to happen. She shook her head, then took a deep breath. She had a lot to explain.
On Sunday, May fourth, two-thousand and three, Jean Grey sat outside on the baseball field with her team. Even in defeat she couldn't help but feel that today was an important milestone for the X-Men and the brotherhood alike.
Yes, they had been attending Magneto's class together and even had a tranquil movie night the evening before. But this was one of the few times they had worked together as a team. Really engaging in a collaborative activity without anyone breaking into a fight. They had just played ball.
She felt calm like this is how things should be all the time. She hoped it could last.
"Hey," Rogue said.
Jean turned to her left to see Rogue waking up and onto the bleachers.
"Hey," she replied happily.
"Am I interrupting anything?" she asked.
"No, no," she said as Rogue sat beside her. "I'm just enjoying the peace," she smiled.
"It is nice, isn't it? No one at each other's throats. No bickering or name-calling," Rogue said as they watched Pietro running around rubbing Kitty's team's victory in everyone's faces. "Pietro doesn't count," she added with a smirk.
She and Rogue shared a glance before they laughed again.
"I wish it could be like this all the time," she said.
"Me too," she said earnestly. "If we keep fighting the good fight, that might just be possible," she said.
"I hope so," Jean said.
"Hey, I was talking to Wanda and there's something I wanted to run by you," she said, changing the subject.
"Yeah?" Jean asked.
"So, with things finally settling down between me and Max, I have more freedom than I've had in a while. Between everything I've lived through and the minds I've absorbed over the years, I have all this knowledge and it'd be kinda nice ta share it with everyone. So, I was thinking about teaching a class," she said.
"Like how time-loops work?" Jean asked with a coy smile. Rogue responded with a hearty laugh. "I've never seen anything like that before," she said.
"There a lot I can do with access to the mystic arts," she said. "And yeah, I'll explain exactly how time loops work," she said, still amused. "Eventually," she added. "For now, I wanna start with some history," she said before turning to look at her. "Would you be up for that?" she asked. "I know it might be a little weird since you're an instructor and I'm a student," she added.
"I don't think it's weird at all. We should be able to learn from each other, regardless of titles. I'm in," she said.
"Could you get Scott to attend?" she asked.
Jean took a moment to rake a hand through her hair, before commenting, "Because he's the one who would actually think it's weird."
"Yup," Rogue confirmed. She let out a soft huff before nodding at Rogue.
"I'll handle it," she said with a smile.
"Thanks, Jean," she said.
"And you need to borrow my powers again, don't you?" she asked. A soft laugh escaped her.
"If you don't mind?" she asked.
"I never mind," she said, earnestly.
"You're a good friend, ya know that?" she asked.
"You are too," she said.
"I'm trying to be," she said, looking away from her. "I just feel like there were so many things that got in the way of that," she said.
"Like your feelings for Scott?" she asked.
"Yeah, I guess, to an extent," she shrugged. "I mean, I'm always gonna have some feelings for him. Even if it's just based on nostalgia," she huffed, rolling her eyes at herself.
"Huh?" she asked.
"Don't worry about it," she said, shaking her head at herself.
Jean wanted to comment more but their attention was drawn toward the mansion and the Professor's office.
"Still none of your fucking business," she heard Magneto scream.
"Shit," Rogue exclaimed as she quickly stripped off a glove. "So much for mediating. Sorry for the rush, Jean. I gotta go make sure we still have a truce," she said.
"It's okay, I get it," she said, as she held out her hand.
"Thanks," Rogue said before her fingertips touched hers.
With a gasp, Jean Grey's eyes snapped open and she sat up with a start.
"You're okay," Rogue said as Jean's eyes darted around her surroundings, trying to make sense of it all. Kitty and a blacked haired woman, who was wearing very little, were sitting on a long black bench. She found she was also, sitting up on a long black bench, parallel to Kitty and the older woman. "You're safe. Just breathe," Rogue said.
Jean had so many questions. But she only managed to voice one of them aloud. "Why are we in a limo?"
"It's a long story, sugar, and I'm gonna explain. But first, I need you to tell me the last thing you remember," she said.
"We were talking after the baseball game," she said.
"Oh my god," Kitty exclaimed.
"What's wrong?" Jean asked confused.
"That's okay. Everything's okay. That's about what I was expecting," Rogue said gently, attempting to put her and Kitty at ease.
"You were?" Kitty asked.
"Yes," she answered.
"What happened?" Jean asked.
"Last night, you were abducted by Mystique," Rogue answered as she felt her eyes widen.
"Where's Scott?" she asked, instantly concerned for her boyfriend.
"He's fine. She only took you. I found out this morning when she was pretending to be you," she said.
"Oh," she said. "Was she- she was spying on the X-Men again?" she asked, as out of the corner of her she couldn't help but take notice of the strangely dressed woman.
"Something like that," Rogue said. "Jean, this is Sage," she said, noticing her attention was distracted.
"Hmm, hi," Jean said, awkwardly, trying not to look at her lack of clothing.
"I wish it was under better circumstances, but it's nice to meet you, Jean," Sage said.
"You too," she said with a small smile.
"Rogue rescued both of us," Sage said.
"From where?" she asked. "Did Mystique kidnap you too?" she asked.
"No," Kitty huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "It was the Professor who put Sage in danger," she said. "It is so not okay what he did," she said. Jean blinked a few times, she was missing something.
"Charles Xaiver was my teacher years ago. He asked me to infiltrate the Hellfire Club," Sage explained.
"Like ten years ago," Kitty added, clearly upset.
"That's where Mystique brought you," Sage continued. "She hired my former employers to remove a memory but they were unable to. I put up a firewall in your mind," she said.
"Thank you," she said. "And I'm sorry," she said, knowing she was still missing something. "Wait, I don't understand. If no one erased my memories then why's there a gap? Shouldn't I remember being kidnapped?" she asked.
"You're right. You should," Rogue said. "But, when Mystique took you she beat you up. You blacked out and then you went into shock," Rogue explained. Jean quickly scanned her body. She didn't have a scratch on her. Not a bruise in sight. Mystique couldn't have done that much harm.
"But I feel fine," she said, confused.
"You are fine. Aside from a little memory loss," she said.
"Oh, okay," she said with a nod. It's not like this was the first time her memories were a blur. She just need to find out what she was missing. "How much time did I lose?" she asked.
"It's Wednesday, May seventh," Rogue answered.
"Three days," she exclaimed.
"I know, I'm sorry," Rogue said. She felt so much guilt radiating off of her.
"No, Rogue, I wasn't blaming you," she said. "It's not your fault," she said.
"It is, actually," she said with a resigned tone to her voice. "But I'm gonna fix it," she said.
"I'm fine," Jean said, trying to sway the other girl's unfounded guilt. "Besides, did you know Sage needed to be rescued before today?" she asked.
"No, I had no idea," she answered.
"Okay. Not that I wanted to be kidnapped. But I'm okay. So, maybe everything worked out the way it was supposed to?" she asked.
Jean watched as Rogue sat back against her seat and let out a sigh of relief.
"Scott's right. You're too damn nice for your own good," she said a tired sigh escaping her. "I gonna get your missing memories back, I promise," she said.
"I believe you," she said with a smile. Rogue smiled back before she closed her eyes, leaning her head against the back of her seat, and cross her arms over her chest.
"I'm taking a power nap. Wake me up when we get back to the institute," she said.
"Got it, Rogue," Kitty said before Jean felt her stomach grumble.
"Is there anything to eat?" she asked, realizing she was famished.
"There should be some snacks in one of the compartments," Sage said. "Try the armrest, near Rogue," she said pointing.
Jean slid over to the frontmost seat in the limo. Feeling, she found a small button which when pressed opened a compartment hidden in the armrest. Deeper than she expected, inside she found bags of chips, nuts, and a number of chilled water bottles.
"Yes," she exclaimed under her breath. She took out two of the water bottles and held them up for Sage and Kitty to see. With a slight gesture of her head, she asked them both if they wanted one. Two nods were her response and she levitated them over to them. She then used her powers to lift up all of the snacks from the compartment. "Wait, is this like a mini-bar in a hotel? Is someone going to get charged for this?" she asked.
"Oh my god, I hope so," Kitty giggled. Jean didn't quite understand that reaction and from Sage she sensed trepidation.
"Usually, there's an extra charge for the snacks," Sage confirmed.
"I can wait," Jean offered.
"No way. Whatever we don't eat or drink now is coming with us," she declared. Sage, glancing at Kitty, let out a soft laugh in response. "It'll serve those jerks," she added.
"Shaw should pay for something," Sage said.
"Exactly. Jean, bring everything over here," Kitty said. Rogue let out an entertained snort at the exchange.
"You want some?" she asked.
"In a few minutes, maybe," she answered before yawning. "Sleep's a higher priority," she said.
"Okay, we'll save you some," Jean said before she slid over to sit next to Sage. The three of them grabbed at whichever snack suited them best and with the crinkling of plastic bags opening they began to nosh. Jean allowed the unopened snacks to form a pile on the floor in front of them.
She glanced up at Sage for a moment. She was missing context, she knew that much. But also she didn't know if she should pry. As she chewed on a potato chip, she decided where she could start.
"So, Sage, when did you meet the Professor?' she asked. Sage met her gaze and she saw a sad look in her eyes. Maybe she shouldn't have started with this.
"I was nineteen when I met Charles," she began, despite her discomfort. "This was about fifteen years ago," she said.
Charles Xavier, unknowingly trapped within his own mind, opened his eyes. He found he was laying on the cold hard ground, he felt rocks and dirt beneath and above him. He was in a cave, he knew that much. Without a source of light, it was pitch black and he felt blind.
He attempted to move. His arms listened to his commands, throwing some rocks from his upper half. However, the trouble in his lower half was immediate as pain shot through his legs. It took him a moment to realize the high-pitched scream he heard was being produced by him.
He lowered his upper half back to the ground as he reached down with his hands to feel his legs. All his fingers could grasp was stone.
Out of breath, he ceased his efforts. He needed help and he needed it now.
Reaching out with his mind, he searched for a fellow mutant. He soon felt the presence of a young woman, who was in a village only a few short miles away from his location. Her mind was very organized. He sensed latent telepathy. With the proper training, there was much she could learn. Now, however, he just needed a helping hand.
'Help me,' he projected into her mind. 'Sage, please, help me,' he instructed.
In his distressed state, he was only mildly aware of the force he used to issue his plea. He sensed fear and confusion but she was en route to his location.
Next, he needed to deal with his pain itself. It was only getting the way and he regretted not dealing with it first before calling for aid. He didn't wish to frighten his rescuer any more than necessary. He made a mental note to apologize to her after he was out of this cave.
The pain was mind-numbing. Thankfully, he, as a telepath, was quite capable of numbing the mind. He squeezed his eyes shut as he cut off the connection between his nerves and his pain receptors. A temporary measure to relieve him of the pain of his newly broken legs.
Now, he would wait.
He reached out to sense the girl's presence. Yes, she was still heading toward him.
'Good, good,' he thought as he allowed himself to close his eyes and rest a moment.
Charles opened his eyes again to find he was still in the dark cave. He had been dragged out from under the rock and was now laying beside a fire, lit but his new friend, Sage. She sat beside him as she attached her makeshift splints to his legs. He was quite grateful he had cut off all feeling down there before she had started tying the knots. She wasn't exactly being gentle about it.
"What were you doing here, stranger?" Sage asked with apprehension. "These lands are forbidden to outsiders," the black-haired woman said as she continued to tie his legs to the splints she was fashioned.
"I had business," he replied vaguely.
"Are you a heroin smuggler? Or an American spy?" she asked.
"Neither, actually," he said.
"A fool then," she said. "Don't you know these caves are haunted?" she asked. Yes, with ghosts from his own troubled past.
"So, I learned the hard way," he chose to say aloud.
"What business?" she asked again as she crafted knot after knot. She stared down at him, giving him a look as if to say she was entitled to this knowledge. She had been beckoned to this cave by his telepathic command alone, perhaps she was right.
"My brother has been causing trouble for the local government. I was asked to assist in bringing him into custody," he explained, at last.
"Where is he now?" she asked.
"Gone," he lamented. "My mistake was coming alone. If I'd had help, a team perhaps, I could have-" he thought to himself before shaking his head. "He won the last round, I'm afraid," he said.
"So, what will you do now?" she asked.
"Return home, recover, regroup and try again, I suppose," he said as he looked up at his new friend. A brief scan of her mind told him all he needed to know. The village she was left to offer him aid wasn't her permanent home. She was a refuge. A victim in the needless civil war his brother was aiding in. "You're welcome to come with me, should you like," he said. The least he could do was offer her some security. She had saved him. He would be happy to return the favor.
"I've known you for less than an hour," she said dismissively, shaking her head. Understandably, she was wary of him. She had not received much kindness in her short life. How could he convince her of his good intentions?
"Yes, but you and I, Sage, have quite a bit in common. I believe there's much I could teach you about your powers. Telepathy in particular," he said. He heard her let out a huff in disbelief. But her thoughts told him she was a bit intrigued. "Tell me, have you ever heard the word Mutant before?" he asked.
Okay, calling it here for now! Hope you all enjoyed it! Please let me know your thoughts!
Speaking of which:
Kirogue: Yes, Charles is an asshole in every universe. The X-Men Evolution show made him this really benevolent figure that doesn't actually line up with nearly every single one of his other counterparts from the larger multiverse. So, this doesn't really feel out of character for him. Scott either, he always has a stick up his ass, but he was raised by Charles, so what do you expect? Lol. More to come on Charles' amnesia!
Rogue defiantly needs Kitty in her corner. Thankfully, she has Jean too! Rogue leading Mystique to Logan is in there, but it's pretty subtle. It would have to be to fool Mystique. Thank you for appreciating the details and the compliments! As soon as I get your reviews, I start working on the next chapter! All your kind words and analysis are so appreciated! Can't wait to hear your thoughts on this chapter too! :)
