Steve sat in his apartment several hours later after having finished a long debrief with Fury and Hill. He didn't tell them about Marie having been there, and that he'd lost her again. Clint loyally followed his steps and kept his mouth quiet about her too. He stared at pink bag on his coffee table. "Stop it Rogers. You can't go through a woman's personal belongings." he chastised himself, before a darker voice said "But she left you. Maybe there's something in there that can point you too her. To where she is."
He ignored the voice and the bag on his table before getting up to get a cup of coffee. He stood at his coffee maker "Just one little peek… No one would know." he thought, justifying the action to himself.
He shook his head no, and yet he found himself sitting in front of the bag again. He hesitated, one hand hovering before picking it up. He dumped the contents on the table in front of him. What's? "Steve blushed heavily at the different pieces of clothing. He picked up one thin, green, t-like fashioned piece "What's this supposed… Oh!" his imaginations finished his thoughts and he felt like his face couldn't get any redder than it was now. He placed the piece back on the table with everything else. He shook his head to clear it and picked up one of several receipts that had landed on the table with the clothing's.
"Food…" he crumpled the receipt and threw it on the floor. "Clothes…" he repeated his actions. "Clothes… Clothes… Clothes… Lord! How much clothing does this woman need?" he questioned as he threw yet another receipt on the floor. He picked up the last one, about to look it through, when a knock on his door interrupted him. He pocketed the receipt and went to answer the door.
"Hi." Steve looked at the woman at his front door. "Hi Carol." He replied feeling uncomfortable. The blonde haired, blue-eyed S.H.I.E.L.D pilot in question didn't notice his discomfort. "Can I come in?" she asked trying to push her way into his apartment. Steve blocked her entrance with his body. "It's not really a good time…" He said blushing, thinking about the massive amounts of women's clothing on his coffee table that he wouldn't be able to explain.
"Why?" she asked suddenly angry him, noticing his blush. "It just isn't okay, let's leave it at that. Look Carol," he said dreading her reaction and dreading having to hurt her. "What we did, it didn't mean anything…" He faltered seeing her pained expression. "No! I mean it meant something, just not a lot…" now she looked angry and Steve sighed palming his face defeated. "What I mean to say is, that what happened between us shouldn't have. I was hurting and sad, in a bad place, and I'm sorry. I just can't be with you the way you want me to." He finished while looking at her hopelessly.
"Steve you can't be serious!" Carol replied back angrily. "We have something! I know you feel it too!" She gestured between them. Steve shook his head no. "No we don't. I'm sure we could have had something, but my heart just isn't with you Carol." The "My heart is with Marie…" was left unsaid. "Is this about Peggy?" Carol asked him in disbelief and continued. "You need to move on Steve! It was seventy years ago! She's old and almost dead!" Carol nearly screamed at him. Steve felt his heart clench and fury burned in his eyes. Carol noticing her mistake started to hurriedly apologize.
Steve, usually mild-mannered and a gentleman slammed the door in her face angrily. Carol tried knocking on his door a couple of times before finally giving up. Steve sighed and shook his head. He cursed himself for his weakness, having fallen for the woman's charms and comfortable touches, until he finally three days ago, had succumbed to her… The guilt he felt was overwhelming. He was afraid that if "When!" he found Marie again, that she wouldn't forgive him. He couldn't forgive himself. He slumped down on the couch, having forgotten about the receipt in his pocket, while wondering how this mess had become his life.
Marie looked around the harbour. Her powers had finally calmed down, and left her with the familiar feeling of humming throughout her body, as the metal constructions around her sang to her.
"The first piece of paper said Operation Rogue with bold letters. "Let me know if you need anything." Fury offered him and Steve started reading through the file. "In the meantime," Fury said and Steve looked up at him "bring back the Rogue.""
She sat with her feet over the edge staring down the water, as her bags lay behind her. Are you all right doll? Steve asked her concerned. Marie sighed. "No, not really. In the four months I've had this power, it's never done anything like this!" She replied worried and a bit scared. Ignoring the small memory she had absorbed from Steve during the panic. Around the harbour the buildings started to rattle and Marie took a deep breath trying to calm herself.
The rattling ceased.
"It's always exceptionally hard to control one's power when they are bound so completely to one's emotions." A female voice said behind her. Marie turned around warily. An African American woman with shockingly white hair smiled at her kindly. Beside her a bald man in a wheelchair sat looking contemplatively at her. "Charles Xavier." her mind recognized.
Marie got to her feet and picked up her shopping bags. "It's not usually a problem." she said looking at the two. "Hello, my name is professor Charles Xavier, and the woman next to me is a member of my staff Ororo M..." "I know who you are." Marie interrupted him. The two looked at her surprised "Oh you do? Then do you know why I am here?" He countered. Marie nodded. "You're here to offer me a place at your mutant school to teach me control of my powers, while trying to convince me to believe in your dream about peaceful mutant human coexistence." The last part came out a bit bitter, a side effect from having drained so much of Magneto.
Xavier folded his hands in his lap while his forehead wrinkled. "May I ask how you know about my school? I try to keep it as quiet as possible." He and the African American woman shared a look.
"I actually came to New York looking for you, hoping you could help me. The information was given to me by an old friend of yours; Eric Lensherr." Marie lied "More like it was forced into my brain…" and watched, as both Xavier and Monroe were surprised and shocked at her revelation.
"I'm sorry. You say Eric sent you to me? I'm surprised he didn't try to recruit you." Xavier said not letting the disbelief colour his words. Marie nodded. "He did try and it led me to you in the end… I don't believe in either one of your causes, and I'm not going to pick a side in your fights as he tried forcing me to. I just need to learn to control this and then get a move on." Marie continued to lie.
"The less they know, the safer I am. I'm not going to stick around, I'm just gonna find out what caused this curse, control the powers and get back to Malibu." she thought.
Maybe you should be honest with them Marie. They could protect you! Steve argued
"Or they could lock me up! Worse, they could send me back to S.H.I.E.L.D." she countered. That wouldn't be a bad thing; you'd be back with me! Nobody is going to force you to work for S.H.I.E.L.D. if you don't want to! Marie ignored him and his naivetés.
Xavier wheeled closer to her, with Monroe following his lead. "I wouldn't expect you to fight for me or any cause. Those who do so, choose to do it. I would like to offer you to come with us to my school. It would be a great chance for you see the environment that our children are surrounded by and to meet others like yourself." He finished. "No offence," Marie said "but I'm not really interested in the school. I already finished college." she said and could see the surprise in the two of them. "I'm interested in what caused this curse. What we are. All my life I've been looking for an answer to this." Marie said honestly "And I don't believe in Magneto's Homo Superior theory. He isn't a credible source but a demented old man." She finished without an ounce of kindness for the man that had tried to murder her.
Xavier winced slightly at her harsh words of his old friend. "I understand your need for answers, and I would very much like to give them to you. Would you like to join us back at my school?" He asked her. Marie nodded. "Yes please."
"I'm sorry, I didn't get your name." Xavier said to her as they made their way to his ride.
"Steve looked up at him "bring back the Rogue.""
"Rogue." Marie said shortly.
The normally one hour ride took less than ten minutes in the Black Hawk jet. "Normally I would question why a school has military issued toys, but considering Magneto's run ins with the x-men I'm not really surprised." Marie thought to Steve as she was led into an office.
Isn't it a bit, how would Clint say it, a bit overkill? I mean they couldn't possibly be at such a high risk that they need several jets for evacuation. Nobody knows about the school. Steve answered in response to the many jets they had seen on their way inside. "Maybe they're just being careful. I mean they are a real school filled with children, albeit super powered and mutated children. That could gather the wrong kind of attention." She thought back at him. Marie could feel Steve agree with her.
Ororo as she'd told Marie to call her, had been giving her the complete story and tour behind the school. Marie was now seated in front of Xavier's desk as the man rolled behind it. "I'm glad you decided to join us." He said as Ororo sat down in a chair next to her.
"Now I know you have a lot of questions and I'll answer all I can." He told her folding his hands on the table. "What are we?" she asked him simply, and Xavier smiled at her. "You said you didn't believe in Eric's explanation about us being Homo superior, and I usually don't agree with him, but he is partially correct." He said and Marie was surprised.
Xavier continued "Mutation; it is the key to our evolution. It has enabled us to evolve from a single-celled organism into the dominant species on the planet. This process is slow, and normally taking thousands and thousands of years. But every few hundred millennia, evolution leaps forward. We are the next step in human evolution, thanks to a mutation called the X-gene, an extra gene found in some humans." he explained and Marie didn't know what to think.
"So everything we are able to do, is because of an extra gene coded into our DNA?" she said disbelievingly. "That's insane!" she thought shocked. Steve stayed quiet in her mind. "You're honestly telling me that all the powers and physical mutations those kids outside are displaying is because of an extra gene? That what I can do is simply because of an extra gene?" Marie continued still shocked.
Xavier nodded. "I know it's a bit much to take in at first, but it is the truth." He told her softly. "Is there any way to take it away? To remove it or to suppress it?" she asked curious, honestly wanting to know. You don't need to get it removed Marie. Steve said angrily. "You might say that, but my powers turned me into a killer Steve. None of this would have happened if my power had never seen the light of day." she replied back.
Both Xavier and Ororo looked a bit disappointed at her. Xavier shook his head no. "No there is not, which is why we try to teach the children here to accept and control their mutations." He explained and Marie nodded her head in understanding. "May I ask what your mutation is?" Xavier asked her. "I can control metal." she said not wanting to be feared for her true mutation. They wouldn't fear you Marie. Steve said. "Yes they would, did you see the children outside - none of them - not one of them had a mutation like mine! They would be scared of the big bad vampire mutant, and I don't want that." she replied and left it at that.
Xavier and Ororo looked at her curiously. "That's quite interesting." Ororo said looking at her with an eyebrow lifted.
"That's why Magneto wanted me. He told me he could teach me to control it," Marie lied "and then he wanted me to kill off a bunch of people. Not really an offer I wanted to take." She replied to the two. "You were the one in Times Square today." Ororo concluded and Marie felt guilty and nodded her head. "I saw someone I used to know and my emotions got the better of me."
They really like looking at each other. Steve noticed and Marie almost snorted. "They're having a telepathic discussion. Xavier is a mind reader." She told Steve. Do you think he read your mind? Steve asked her. "No," Marie said certainly. "He can't. I know because Magneto knew that my powers wouldn't allow it. Apparently some woman he called Destiny could see the future. She was the one who told him about me… Remind me to give her a visit soon." Marie finished angrily, knowing that wherever and however Magneto had contacted the woman wouldn't work anymore, and that it would be a lost cause.
Around them the office shook lightly and they looked at her pointedly. Marie shrugged. "Not me." She replied honestly and the doors to the office burst open. "Ms Monroe! Ms Monroe!" a small boy yelled out "Mr Summers and Mr Logan are fighting again in the gardens!" He continued and ran out of the office. Ororo rose quickly, followed by Xavier who let out a sigh. Marie followed the two to the garden where a group of children had encircled two men who were going at it. Marie looked at the shorter man. "He looks familiar." she thought.
"Her attention was brought back to the cage when the whole room suddenly started cheering. Apparently the shorter guy had managed to knock out the big burly guy. She shook her head wondering why anybody would spend their time beating and getting the shit beaten out of them. "Must be a guy thing." "
She realised from where she had recognized him. "He won the cage fight against the big brute!"
Ororo tried yelling at the two men but they either didn't notice her or chose to ignore her.
The tall man nearly fell on one of the smaller children and Marie had enough. She used Magneto's power. She felt the metal inside the short man and called a piece of metal to her. "THAT'S ENOUGH!" She yelled out as she separated the men by force. She lifted the shorter man into the air, while bending the piece of metal she had summoned around the taller man's hands. He too went flying into the air. "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU TWO! YOU NEARLY HURT ONE OF THE CHILDREN!" Marie yelled at them and the taller man looked ashamed while the shorter man growled at her. "You lookin' for fight kid!" he growled angrily at her.
Marie, pissed of, bent the metal inside him slightly making him howl out in pain. "A lady doesn't start a fight, sugar, but she sure can finish them!" She told him as she let her grip of the two of them go. Did you just quote aristocats? Steve asked her having seen the movie with her a couple of weeks ago. Marie ignored him, but blushed a bit.
The men fell harshly to the ground. Xavier chose to speak up. "I want you both in my office. NOW!" He yelled out angrily. The children quickly disbanded, never having seen the professor so angry before. The two men, dirtied and bloodied, followed the wheelchair bound man. Ororo placed a hand on Marie's shoulder. "Thank you." She said and Marie could feel the woman's relief. "I probably would have ended up electrocuting them if they didn't stop fighting." Ororo joked.
Marie shook her head. "No problem, I did what anybody else should have done." She told Ororo and the woman nodded. "They're not usually like this... Logan…" she sighed, "Logan loved Scott's wife. She passed away some time ago. They blame each other when neither one of them carry any blame." Ororo explained to her. "Wow... My condolences." Marie told her seeing the pain in the older woman's eyes. "Thank you."
The two women made their way back to the office. "I hope you stay here, at least for a little while. We could use the extra help, both with the children and with Logan and Scott." Ororo confided to her. "You said you already finished college. What did you study?" She asked her curiously.
"I have a PhD in engineering." Marie explained not knowing how to answer the woman on the first part. "I finished last year, worked a bit, then quit. My whole life has been about engineering and when I finally got to work with it, it didn't end up being what I expected… or wanted. So I've been staying in Malibu for a while, before I decided that I could use Professor Xavier's help with my powers."
Ororo nodded. "You're quite gifted, not only with your powers but with your mind." She smiled. "If you don't want to work as an engineer, then what do you want to do?" Ororo asked her.
Marie stopped and looked at her surprised. "What?" Ororo asked her worried. "Nothin'. Just… You're the first person to ask me what I want to do, and not just expect me to be some successful and brilliant scientist. To be honest I have no idea." Marie replied to the woman. "Ah... " The white haired woman nodded knowingly. "Pressure and expectations from family and friends are the worst." Marie snorted. "You have no idea."
They made it back to the office and could hear the professor still yelling at the two men. Three teenagers, a bit younger looking than Marie, stood listening in at the door. Ororo cleared her throat. "Bobby, Jubilee, and Kitty ... Is there a reason you are hovering by the door? Are you waiting to speak with the professor perhaps?" She asked them with a knowing and annoyed glint in her eyes. The four looked at her with an expression that clearly said they had been caught snooping. "Busted…" The Asian girl muttered and the two others shushed her. The blonde haired boy looked at Ororo though sparring a look at Marie. He better keep his eyes to himself. Steve said and Marie nearly laughed.
"Sorry Storm, but we were actually waiting to speak with the prof." Bobby said smoothly. Ororo lifted an eyebrow at him. "Really? About what?" she questioned him. Bobby looked back at the other two girls before realizing he couldn't find any help there. "Uhm…." "Beat it." Ororo said and the four of them took off in a hurry. Ororo shook her head. "Gossip flies around here faster than the flu during the winter." She said and Marie smiled at her. "You look like you're used to finding them at the door."
"I am. They're young and part of the junior x-men team. They keep getting in more trouble than they should, thinking they're helping us." She explained fondly to Marie. The yelling behind the doors ceased and the Ororo walked in while Marie followed her. The tall guy was sitting down in the chair Ororo had occupied earlier, looking ashamed and miserable.
The shorter man leaned against the wall. His eyes were hard, but Marie could tell he too felt ashamed, but wouldn't admit it nor let it show. The three men looked up at them. "Rogue," Xavier began looking at Marie. "Thank you for handling the situation outside." Marie nodded not commenting that situations like that shouldn't happen on school ground.
"No problem Mr Xavier." he smiled at her a bit strained because of the anger he still felt. "Please call me Charles or professor." he offered her. Marie nodded. "I'd like to go back," Marie began, noticing how both the professor's and Ororo's face fell. "But I'd like to come tomorrow and finish our talk about my power and control." She finished. The professor nodded at her. "Yes, of course. Ororo will get you a cab. On us of course." He replied and Marie graciously accepted and picked up her shopping bags.
..