Spun
By Liz Wyatt
Chapter Twelve: Mouthwash
This is my face
I've got a thousand opinions
And not the time to explain
And this is my body
And no matter how you try and disable it
Yes I'll still be here
And, this, is my mind
And although you try to infringe
You cannot confine
And, this, is my brain
And even if you try and hold me back
There's nothing that you can gain
-Kate Nash
After pacing her room, Rogue was still plagued with the events of the past few days and her newfound difficulty. She had eventually succumbed to the darkness outside her window that urged her eyelids to droop and sleep to overtake her.
Awaking to the sun streams across her bed she could not help, but stare at the shadow cast down her exposed arm. The ironic message that Mother Nature had supported with this moment was not lost on Rogue. She didn't belong to anything at the moment. Her loyalties appeared to be with the mutants, but she herself was neither mutant nor completely human anymore. If the events with Peter in the previous night had really happened then she would have to meet her fate head on this time.
Taking this new initiative to heart she quickly sprang to life and headed to the wooden box upon her dresser. As she reached to touch the lid she slowly drifted her fingertips over the burned indent that had once been caused by a friend in need of a quick fix birthday present. She traced the "R" all the way to her final "e".
She recalled how Logan had said that no matter who she was at the moment, she would never stop being Rogue. Somewhere inside she knew that she never was meant to be Marie. Maybe that's why she hadn't wanted people to call her Marie now. Maybe she always feared that the cure wouldn't work.
Flipping the lid open she looked inside the box at the black silky material folded within. She reached out with hesitation while lifting and unfolding the creases. She slipped her right arm slowly down in between the divided space. Her fingers brushed to the tips and as she lifted her hand to inspect it she immediately dropped her arm down and ripped the glove off. She didn't bother folding them back up as she shoved the gloves inside and slammed the box shut.
Rogue headed downstairs, still reeling from the jolt that had sent her rushing from her room and down the corridor. As she bounded down the stairs to the main foyer she slowed her pace. She walked into the dining room and looked at all the students chatting away, seemingly unaware of the fight that had taken place inside the mansion in the previous night.
She spotted Kitty sitting with her back to a wall in the corner where the large windows on the front of the school let the light invade the room. Next to Kitty against the same wall was Peter. She saw Jubilee sit in the chair at the head of the table next to Kitty. They immediately began talking low and to each other. Peter looked torn between confusion as he stared at the girls and frustration for not being able to hear what they were saying. Rogue laughed a little to herself. It was then that Peter was looking around and caught her eyes. He smiled his goofy grin and gestured for her join them.
Rogue sucked in a slow breath and made her way to the table. Although she wasn't sure that last night had been proof enough, she held her hands clasped together just the same. In the last few strides to the table she was nearly knocked over by an oblivious Bobby who cut in front of her to sit across from Kitty. He placed two plates on the table, one for her and one for him. Kitty smiled towards Bobby and then realized that Rogue was standing a few steps from their table. She smiled a bit bigger and Rogue was taken aback by her expression.
Peter kicked the chair nearest Rogue out with his foot. She sat down as Bobby finally became aware of her presence. He stiffened and ate his food slower. Jubilee raised her eyebrows in Bobby's direction.
" So I heard that Storm has been MIA since the professor came back. Wonder what's up with her." Jubilee gossiped.
"She probably couldn't take her power of authority being taken back. I don't know why she doubted that the professor was alive." Kitty stated.
"Yeah, I heard she wouldn't listen to that nurse lady when she called the school." Peter added, though with less enthusiasm than Jubilee.
"Control freak." Jubilee laughed.
There was a little bit of silence and Kitty was looking at Bobby strangely. He didn't appear to see her or he was ignoring her because he continued to act distant from the group.
"So Rogue, you busy after 3rd period?" Peter asked.
Jubilee cut in, "why Peter? You want to rock her human world? Think you might not only break her in, but break her in two."
Rogue normally would have flushed red with the suggestion; however, instead she couldn't help but wonder. Granted it wasn't Peter with her in her bedroom, but another. She had fantasized about Bobby for so long, but as the Bobby of her daydreams kissed her, his lips disappeared and a fire burned at her skin instead. She found herself placing her hands, palms down on the table to sturdy herself.
"Rogue…" Peter said as he waved his hand in front of her face.
"What? Oh, sorry I must have zoned out."
"Probably thinking about Peter." Jubilee laughed. Peter glared. Kitty furrowed her brow and waited for Bobby's reaction. He was still immersed in his Frosted Flakes cereal bowl.
"Sorry to disappoint Jubes, but I really did just tune you out." Rogue smiled mischievously as Jubilee's face hardened into a pout.
Peter laughed and went to reach his hands across the table for Rogue's own. She knew that he was probably only going to pat her hand as reassurance to ignore Jubilee or some other friendly gesture; however she immediately pulled her hands back and under the table.
She realized that Bobby was staring at her now. In fact they all were looking at her strangely.
"I'm sorry. I have to go." Rogue apologized and hustled out of the room.
Rogue walked out of the mansion into the blazing sunshine where she immediately saw a single form walking away from the kids who were distracted by their own basketball game. Rogue realized that it was Storm who was heading away from the school. She was dressed in her normal black pantsuit; however her hair had been growing at a rapid rate.
Walking swiftly towards the older mutant, Rogue was unsure why she felt the impulse to follow her former teacher.
Storm eventually stopped as she was standing at Scott's gravesite. There was a headstone with a matching one next to it that read "Jean Grey". The professor's headstone had been moved; however the grass that had once lived underneath the stone was now an orangish brown color.
"Why are you following me?" Storm said without even turning around. The words weren't harsh, but Storm seemed annoyed.
Rogue didn't know what to say and in her hesitation Storm turned around to face her stalker. Her hardened face softened and she sighed. Rogue looked at her with confusion burrowing her eyebrows.
"I thought you might be Logan." Storm said simply.
"Yeah…can't say I've heard that one before." Rogue said with a small and wary voice.
"He's been a bit busy, but he still manages to track me down when I don't want to be found." Storm smiled. Rogue was once again confused, but with a whole set of new questions about how much storm actually wanted Logan to be the one checking up on her. Rogue knew it wasn't her place so she never asked, but she knew. She knew that Storm had always been a little fascinated by Rogue's watchman. Rogue wondered when fascination had become something more for Storm.
"He's a good guy like that. Just can't seem to let us deal with everything on our own." Rogue stated.
"Yeah…speaking of, how you doing? I heard you had come back, but I've just been so…"
"Distracted?" Rogue offered.
"A bit." Storm said.
"Well I'd like to tell you I'm fine, but I'm not." Rogue wasn't sure why she felt chatty now especially with the last person she would normally confide in.
Storm eyed her curiously. "Is this about John?"
"Somewhat. I think it started with him, but…things seem to have a way of getting even more complicated. I thought everything would be simple after I took the cure."
Storm nodded. Rogue knew that Storm was always against anyone taking the cure. Storm had made her feelings about Rogue's choice perfectly clear when she had come home; however Rogue had to excuse some of Storm's behavior because they had just loss 3 teachers and X-men in a short time.
"I can't seem to escape it though. John finds me. Magneto finds me. It's like I'll never be able to have any sort of normal life." Rogue sighed.
"If it's normal you want then you can't go looking for it here."
"You kicking me out?" Rogue asked.
"No. I didn't mean it like that. You have to know that while you stay here things will never be 'normal' because none of us is ordinary. You may feel like a human now Rogue, but even you aren't ordinary. Besides, even if I wanted to, I'd never turn someone away from the school."
Rogue tried to absorb what Storm was saying. This was not their usual thing. The whole opening up about their feelings didn't come naturally for either woman and so Rogue could appreciate Storm's attempt.
"The cure might be temporary." Rogue said after a long pause. She was surprised when Storm's face dropped.
"I'm sorry Rogue."
"No…you're not, but it's okay I guess." Rogue said with a sad smile.
"I am sorry for you Rogue. I know how much you wanted it to work. However, I can't deny that I'm grateful in a way because I truly believe that we were all given these gifts for a reason. Even yours."
"Just not sure what the higher power had in mind when he cooked up my powers. A girl who can look, but never touch."
There was another long pause and Rogue looked overhead as Storm clouds began to billow in. Rogue looked at Storm to see if she was controlling the weather, but the mutant looked neither interested nor in the mood to play with the winds.
As the rain started to pour Storm began to raise her hands, but Rogue interrupted, "wait." Storm looked back at the younger girl quizzically.
"Let it go." Rogue smiled.
Storm dropped her hands and the rain began falling with more force. They both simply stood there getting drenched until Storm began to walk in the direction of the mansion. She mumbled something about finding the professor and Rogue knew that it was time to leave. With one last glance at the headstones, Rogue saw the dead grass begin to rise and be reborn.
As she realized how cold she was getting, Rogue went back inside the mansion through the side doors. Stepping into warm hallway she was hit first by the rush of loud voices as the kids scrambled in between classes. Then the bell rang and silence took over. The squeak of Rogue's shoes was the only noise vibrating through the wooden school. She looked at her watch and decided to head down to train with Peter.
Escaping the elevator, Rogue walked towards the uniform room to steal a pair of sweats. As she passed the labs she realized that Beast must have cleaned up a bit because the glass had been repaired nicely. Turning into the uniform room she quickly changed into her sweatpants and tank top.
Rogue must have been distracted because she didn't hear the giant colossus come up behind her and put a hand on her bare shoulder. She felt the tingle and quickly spun to face him. She was horrified, but he once again was oblivious.
"Jumpy?"
"You didn't feel that?" Rogue asked quickly.
"Feel what?" Peter asked concerned.
"When you put your hand…on my shoulder…didn't you…" Rogue was rambling off more to herself.
Peter moved towards her as she backed away quickly before being stopped by a set of shelves.
"Rogue, what is your problem? You've been like this all morning."
"I know. I'm sorry. I could have sworn that when you touched my skin that…that my powers kicked in." Peter's face hardened, but he looked to be thinking back.
"I didn't feel it Rogue, but if you need to be sure…"
"What?" Rogue was shocked. Was he offering to be her guinea pig even AFTER she had explained that her deadly power might be returning?
"You know what I mean Rogue." Peter said quickly.
"Are you sure?" Rogue asked as her eyes widened.
He simple nodded and stepped toward her again. She eased away from the shelves and walked slowly to meet him. He held up his hand as if he were going for a high five. Rogue realized that this might seem a little too much like a scene from a romantic movie; however as her hand reached to meet his she knew there was nothing romantic about the prospect of killing your friend.
As their hands touch she was hesitant at first, but he molded his hand closer to feel the full force, should it happen.
There was no tingle. There was no pull.
Rogue let out the breath she was holding as her face broke into a small smile of relief. His face broke into a smile as well and he laughed slightly.
Just then Bobby and Kitty rounded the corner into the room. They saw the two holding one hand awkwardly in the air and laughing. Kitty looked confused. Bobby looked indifferent.
Rogue broke her hand away from Peter's and said thank you quietly.
Bobby rushed to throw some sweats into the washing bucket. Kitty eyed Rogue curiously and smiled; however Rogue rolled her eyes at the girl.
"Nope." Rogue said to Kitty.
Kitty smiled, "didn't think so, but I had to ask."
Peter broke in, "what ARE you two going on about?"
"Nothing," Rogue laughed. "Nothing at all."
Peter had set up the danger room for more physical tests for Rogue. They trained for a while together, but then Kitty wanted to join in. Bobby had gone back upstairs and left her to her own devices. Peter was happy to help out the Shadow cat while Rogue ran through the obstacle course. When she came back she could tell that they weren't making too much process as they were both laughing.
Rogue excused herself with a smile and headed out into the hallway. She saw the professor and Beast coming out of a lab.
"Hello professor. Beast." Rogue said.
"How are you feeling today Rogue?" Beast asked.
"Better." Rogue admitted.
"That's good." The professor said as he put a hand on her shoulder. She smiled up at him, still adjusting to his new appearance, let alone height. Then she felt the tingle on her shoulder. She assumed it was another ghost sensation from her past. That it was all in her head.
However when she saw the professor begin to slump and Beast catch him for support, Rogue's eyes widened in horror. The world around her slowed and the noise of the danger room door opening and footsteps muffled out as all her heard was the low sound of voices in her head once again.
"What happened" Rogue heard Kitty say, but she realized that Kitty's mouth wasn't moving.
"Did the professor have an episode or something?" Peter thought.
"Rogue." The professor called in his thoughts.
"Rogue, calm down." The professor soothed again. It was then that Rogue realized that her heart was pounding too fast and sweat was building up on her forehead. She was about to faint. She could feel her legs giving out.
"Someone catch her." The professor said out loud.
Rogue felt Peter's hands snake around her waste.
"Careful of her skin." The professor warned and Peter's hands shifted to lie on her top as he supported her to stand.
"What's going on?" Kitty spoke.
"Rogue?" The professor was standing again. "Rogue?"
She couldn't find the words to say or the strength to open her mouth.
An hour later she awoke on one of the lab examining beds. The voices remained low enough that she could block most of them out; however the professor stood by her side trying to reassure her that it was going to be okay. A million questions were running through Rogue's mind at that moment. She heard Logan's voice break through her mind.
"Look at her. What have they done to you kid?" He thought.
"Is she alright?" Storm asked out loud.
"She's fine." The professor stated before continuing, "I think her powers are returning."
"Who'd she absorb?" Storm assumed that Rogue had to have touched someone in order to be hazy and laying on a lab table.
"Me." The professor said.
"You? Don't you think you should have known better Chuck? She's probably got a thousands voices back in her head now." Logan said harshly.
The tone was not lost on the professor. "I didn't think her powers would return this quickly."
"Didn't think! You're damn right you didn't think." Logan said as he moved to stand on the other side of Rogue.
"Logan!" Storm raised her voice and motioned her hand to point towards Rogue in order to refocus his energy. "She doesn't need to hear you yelling all around the room. It's not exactly going to help her."
He sighed heavily to show Storm that he was not happy that she'd broken his tirade; however as he peered down into Rogue's now wide-open eyes his face softened a bit.
"You alright kid?" he asked.
She didn't respond. Rogue simply shut her eyes and swallowed hard. She wasn't sure if she was okay.
"She's fine." Beast reiterated. "Peter tells me that Rogue touched him and nothing happened."
"How's that possible if you're telling me she absorbed the professor's abilities?" Logan questioned.
"It's possible that Rogue's powers are returning slowly and that it may appear in bursts." Beast informed them.
"Is it possible she's learning how to control her powers now?" Storm asked.
Beast's eyebrows knit together, contemplating the idea.
"We won't know for a while if that is the case." The professor offered.
"For now it's probably best that we let Rogue relax until the Professor's powers pass through her system." Beast said as he motioned for all of them to leave the room.
"I'm not leaving her." Logan said with determination.
"Yes, you are. We all are going to let her ride this out." Storm moved to hold Logan's shoulders. She turned him towards the door and began to push him out.
"I'm not happy about this."
"I know." Storm smiled.
Even with them out of the room Rogue could feel their presences running through her mind. She sat up and swung her legs off the bed. She pushed open the glass door and peered into the hallway. There was no trace of them. She guessed that they had gone upstairs. Just then she saw Bobby walk out of the Danger Room. He spotted her and walked swiftly to meet her.
"I heard what happened. You okay?" He asked out of breath.
She nodded and looked around to see if anyone else was going to come out of the Danger Room. He followed her gaze and shook his head.
"Just me."
She smiled, but it was neither happy nor sad.
"You and Peter…a thing?" He asked quietly. Her face hardened as she shook her head no.
"Oh, I just thought…" He didn't finish his thought, but Rogue could clearly hear what he was thinking. He thought that she had been spending her nights romp rousing with Peter in his dorm room.
Rogue couldn't take it so she swallowed and said harshly, "When would I have had enough time to do that? In between you breaking up with me to be with Kitty or fighting to save John at that fire or maybe when I was tricked by Mystique to lead her into the mansion so she could hurt Kitty and get what she came for?"
Abruptly his expression changed into a defensive one.
"Guess his powers haven't worn off. I thought you were supposed to absorb their personalities for a while too. You're definitely not acting like the professor. In fact, you're acting more like the time you absorbed Pyro. Distant and deceptive." With that he walked away to the uniform room to change.
Rogue hadn't been surprised that Bobby was angry with her. His words, "distant and deceptive" seemed more accurate for his behavior than hers at the moment. He was acting strange and pushing everyone away. Maybe when she had told him off in the alley he had been truly thrown off his high horse. Whatever the reason she still didn't appreciate being yelled at by him.
She had managed to ignore her drama with John for a while in the day, but here it was rearing its ugly head again. Her mind was swirling with Bobby's leftover thoughts and anger. Rogue wanted to block it all out and let the professor's power fade away quickly. She remembered Jean talking about how it was hard to be able to hear everyone in the mansion, but the professor could hear more than that if he hooked himself up to Cerebro.
Then something clicked. Rogue walked slowly to the doors that had not been opened since Jean killed the professor. Without thinking it through Rogue yanked open the panel on the side of the door and fumbled with a few wires. Soon the doors creaked open and Rogue hoped Bobby wouldn't hear her.
She walked down the dusty metal walkway and kneeled at the consol. She pressed a few buttons to turn the machine on. The doors behind her still stood open and she knew she didn't have much time.
Quickly putting on the professor's helmet she was immediately swung into a mass of noise and bodies. She tried to focus on one in particular, but her head began to ache. When her head was near bursting she found him.
She saw him sitting in a room underground. He was talking to Mystique and he was upset. Then the door in that room opened and the Scarlet Witch motioned for them. By this time Rogue could barely hold on, she yelled out in pain. For a second John paused at the door as if he'd heard her call, but she knew it wasn't possible. The professor never had that ability. Cold hands touched her shoulders as it all faded to black.
A/N: another chapter. Hope you guys like it and still love my writing. This chapter took a bit of a different turn than I thought it would, but I liked it when I was writing it. Hopefully you did too.
Look for more in the future when the X-men are reunited with the Brotherhood. Oooo ahhh.
Thanks to all my beautiful reviewers!! I appreciate all the feedback and especially the encouragement! You have no idea what positive stuff does to help me, so thanks.