Title: The House of the Rising Sun, Chapter 9
Author: Goddess Evie
Date: August 26, 2003
Genre: Romance (Remy/Rogue, Scott/Jean, Lance/Kitty), Action, Drama, Angst, AU, heck, it's got it all. ^_^
Rating: G, and I really don't think this'll get above PG.
Disclaimer: I do NOT own X-men of any incarnation. I am but a poor, fanatical, poor, college student who much enjoys a show so that she writes extensive (and hopefully intriguing, enjoyable, and highly popular) fanfiction to feed her insatiable hunger for anything X-men. The title of this fic, a quote from a popular old song by the same name, does not belong to me (obviously) and I'd love to give credit where credit is due, but I have NO idea who sings it. Still, it's not mine. Also, the song lyric I use as the optional title for this prologue doesn't belong to me either. I'm quoting the song "Hello" by Evanesence. That concert was so awesome. I want the outfit she wore for the first half of the concert. I love Evanesence! STUPID THIEF BRING MY CDs BACK! But, sadly, I own nothing but the plot so don't sue me cause I can't even pay for college! WAAAAH!
Summary: Tragedy strikes in the Danger Room.
Author's Note: Yeah, I updated! I bet you thought I was dead. I apologize for taking so long! GOMEN! Real life decided to come along and make me very busy. But I finally found the time, energy, motivation and inspiration to finish this chapter. Don't ask me when the next one will come out. Once again, what I had planned for this chapter did not pan out. It never does. Oh, poo. But at least something happens and the story progresses. Still, the first title I picked for the story was chosen because of what I had planned, and now it doesn't fit and I had to pick something else. But Evanesence works just fine for me! And now onto the newest segment in the introductory section, REVIEW RESPONSES!! YEAH!
Review Responses:
Jen1703- Look! I updated! But later rather than sooner. And sorry, no Jean/Scott stuff. I am not a fan of them. Okay, to be honest, I hate them. So, it's hard for me to right them nice and/or mushy. But I am trying my hardest! And I promise, I do have something planned for them. It just won't happen for a while. But I'm doing the best I can! Sheesh, gimme some slack!
N- Wow! What a cool name. Just N! Very mysterious. Anyways, the Rogue and Remy meeting happens in Chapter 10, so you're just going to have to force yourself to get into and read it. I promise, I did my best to make it good and not boring or hard to get into. Maybe you can just skip to the Rogue and Remy part and read just that. Those are the best parts, anyway.
Ryoko Subaru- Remy and Rogue are ALWAYS too cute for words. Even when they're mad and fighting and not getting along. And, uh, hey, I updated! ^_^
Me- Man, I feel like I'm talking to myself! Teehee. I did promise Kitty and Lance and I'm working on it. It's just, when you love Remy and Rogue as much as I do, it's hard to not center around them. But I promise those two will have their moment. But man, I gotta go find my notes! I'm glad you're enjoying the Scott and Jean stuff. Like I told Jen1703 I'm doing my best to write those two, my most hated characters. Brad and Nathan are actually fun, though. I do have something planned for them. Oh, so muh to write, so little…I won't finish that.
Gaea- I must agree with that whole Remy and Rogue being the best couple in the universe. There is no other fictional pairing I root for more. Evanesence rocks. They're concert was kick@$$. I miss my CD. Stupid people breaking into my car and stealing my stuff. But at least I have them DLed for my WinAmp. Thank Providence for WinAmp.
Ishandahalf- Honey, I love you for your long, beautiful exciting reviews. I must hug you, now. *hugs* I really don't know what to say to you except, keep reading and keep reviewing. Now, how to respond to all you reviewed? ^_^ First of all, I love Rogue's outfit, too. Hot Topic is my inspiration. I love that store, but I'm not rich enough to buy things from it on a regular basis. I need to be a millionaire. Then I can walk in, say "Give me one of everything in size…" and be happy happy. I just bought awesome new boots there and I have three goth dresses from that store, and a few other things. There's a dress I've been eyeing for a while and when my money comes back for school, I think I'm going to get it for myself. ^_^ I'll shutup now. You can get to reading. GIT, now!
Chapter 9: "Has no one told you she's not breathing?"
Rogue mused about her trip to the mall as she changed into more comfortable clothing to wear for her Danger Room session. She had already tried to put on a uniform to find that, like everything else in her closet, it didn't fit. So, she was forced to scrounge around for something else that would be suitable for her endeavors. She settled on a pair of gray sweatpants, rolled at the waist (they had been way too big for her before her growth spurt), a black tank top with a t-back, and a green hoodie that zipped up the front. She zipped it half way, then sat down on her bed to pull on her socks and shoes.
The first ten minutes after she and Remy had agreed on a truce had been awkward. She hadn't been sure what to say or how to act. It had been weird to worry about how she presented herself to someone. The talk had been reduced to idle chitchat until finally Remy had said something that struck Rogue as absolutely hilarious, and she responded with a comment that made him laugh. And from there it had been so easy.
Dressed and as ready as any Mutant could be for a Danger Room session, Rogue stood and left her room. She closed her door behind her and headed down the hall to the main stairway. Remy was waiting for her at the top, leaning against one post, with his back facing towards her. She smiled, thinking maybe she could sneak up on him, but just as she was going to place her gloved hands over his eyes he grabbed her wrists, holding onto them as he turned to face her with a grin of his own.
"Essai de nice, chère," he told her.
"Can ya blame me?" she replied, raising a cocky eyebrow at him. "You set yourself up."
"Mais, I still heard y'from halfway down de hall," he informed her.
Rogue narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously, but didn't call his bluff. Instead, she reminded him, "Well, we still need t'get t'the Dangah Room for our session."
She pulled herself from his grip, then winced when she saw him shake out his hands. She'd gotten a little too careless and had forgotten her new powers.
"Sorry," she told him sheepishly.
"Don' be," he assured her, smiling away the pain. "Now, le's go b'fo dat Logan guy has a fit."
Rogue smiled back then started down the stairs, taking them at a fast jog. She stepped off the last one and kept her pace, striding toward the inconspicuous elevator that led down to the sub-floors. Remy was right beside her immediately, and she was amazed at how he could be so fast and yet not give off a single sound. She'd have to ask him about that later.
Through a few open doors, Rogue saw her peers in their daily activities. Amara, Jubilee and Rahne were giggling at a movie in one room while Ray, Sam, Roberto and Bobby played foos ball at one of the tables in the same room. Jean, Kitty, Evan and Kurt were relaxing in another, talking and laughing. A part of Rogue wanted to join them. The part of her that was glad to be back, despite the fact that she'd sit outside their circle, as usual and not offer more than the occasional sarcastic and sometimes rude comment.
The rest of her was more than happy to stay with Remy and spend time with him, as much as she hated to admit it. He was charming, and southern, and funny, and sincere. She could go on and on, but she wouldn't let herself do that. She couldn't let herself start thinking that way because thoughts led to actions and those kinds of actions couldn't happen for her. Friends. That's all they could be and she would live with that.
And her heart broke telling herself that. It usually did when she had reminded herself that she couldn't get close to a guy she was crushing on. Like Scott. Yet, somehow the pain of this heartbreak paled any other heartbreaks she'd ever experienced. It was like she was trying to tell herself to throw away a piece of her own soul.
"Fortune fo' yo' t'oughts?" Remy's voice cut to her very soul.
"Jus' thinkin' 'bout how nahce it is t'be back," she gave him a half-truth.
She wasn't about to reveal to him the whole of her thoughts. Especially since they would only help to puff up his already oversized ego. There were enough people who thought they were Xavier's gift to the Institute without adding Remy's name to that list. Half the guys here probably thought that of themselves at least once while they were staying here. Remy just tended to think it of himself on a more permanent basis.
"Not a bad place t'live," he mused idly, looking around. "Anyt'ing a teen could want's been pr'vided. Fun an' games, food, bed t'sleep in, even belles femmes t'flirt wit' an' git t'know."
Rogue rolled her eyes. Case in point, she thought to herself.
{And yet you like him anyways. What's wrong with you?} Carol asked in her head.
Nothin'. Ah've already tol' myself it ain't gonna happen," she assured back.
{Good. Wouldn't want happening to him what happened to me,} Carol's voice took on its usual snide tone.
Neither would Ah, "Rogue assured rudely, It's bad enough having you in there without him, too. Not to mention Ah get enough of him when he's not in mah head.
Rogue could sense that Carol was going to reply in a none too kind fashion, so slammed her mental blocks into place. There was no point getting agitated at a woman who was rightfully hateful of her. Besides, she needed to get herself psyched up for the Danger Room. Knowing that Logan would be in charge, Rogue didn't hesitate to expect to put all her skills, training and newly gained Mutant powers to the test and have them taxed to their limit. From what she had learned, Logan wanted both to get Remy used to working in the Danger Room, and see what Rogue's borrowed powers could really do.
She didn't blame him. She was getting sick already of not being able to control her own strength. This morning she hadn't even been able to peel a banana without squishing it before she'd even had a chance to get the skin off. And she knew she had loosened more than one door from its hinges, not to mention jerking Remy's hands a bit too hard when she'd attempted to free herself. Sighing, she wondered if she would ever get herself under control. It had been hard enough with just one mutation, but now she had more to think about, and sometimes it just got to feeling like she would never find the control she so greatly desired.
"Yo' doin' it again, chère," Remy interrupted as he pushed the down button for the elevator.
Rogue blushed. "Sorry," she apologized.
She knew he didn't quite understand everything about her powers. She had yet to tell him that she had a very angry persona in her head that she tended to have arguments with. She hadn't found the courage to tell him that. Wasn't it bad enough that she couldn't endure any physical touch without adding to the fact that she suffered from a corrupted form of multiple personality syndrome? God, when had her life become so messed up?
The day I found out about my mutation," she answered herself.
"Ya look so sad, chère. What's wrong?" Remy's voice was soft and full of caring. It caressed her woes like satin against the skin.
"Ah gotta lotta things on mah mind," was all she told him.
She was thankful that their arrival at the entry to the Danger Room, complete with a waiting Logan, put off any further inquiries he might make. Logan looked like his usual gruff, pissed-off self, and Rogue sensed that Remy and Logan rubbed each other the wrong way by the way both of them stood up straighter, waiting for the chance to square off.
"Yer late," was all Logan said, "And not even in uniform."
"They don' fit," Rogue replied boldly, never one to back down from a challenge.
Logan answered with a growl then thumbed in the direction of the Danger Room. "Go on in. I'll be up in the control tower. I'll let you know what you'll be up against once we're all in place."
With that he walked off, punching the button to open the large Danger Room doors as he passed. Remy and Rogue exchanged a daunted look before both of them slipped into what they felt was their doom.
To be truthful, everything was going just fine. Rogue had never felt so empowered in the Danger Room. Usually, she couldn't do much more than dodge the obstacles, trying to stay out of the way of danger while also keeping a sharp look out for the unexpected. Her power was not exactly an offensive attack like Evan's or Scott's and in the Danger Room, she never got to put it to the test since it was impossible to absorb holograms and machinery. But now…now she was bashing and smashing and taking on the offensive.
And absolutely loving it. She felt unstoppable. She felt useful. For once she wasn't there just to bond with the team. She could actually do something. She couldn't wait to show the rest of the X-Men what she could do.
She also liked working with Remy, or Gambit as he had chosen for his team name. He was no amateur, but then she had already found that out back in New Orleans. Still, it was nice to know she wasn't working with a rookie who might decide they could handle the Danger Room by themselves. Gambit communicated easily, simply, without taking too much time to explain everything out in detail, like Scott had a tendency to do and he listened to everything Rogue had to say and took it into consideration.
They worked well as a team. Rogue felt more secure with just Gambit then she had at times with the teammates she had been training with for the past year. She wasn't sure how to explain it, and it made her feel uncomfortable because she wasn't used to being so trusting of someone so soon. But there was no time to think of that right now. She needed to focus on getting into the secret government lab, rescuing the mutants and seeing about erasing the data on the computers. At least, that was her and Gambit's current simulation.
Gambit had taken lead and Rogue hadn't objected. He seemed to know what he was doing sneaking into and around the high security building. He easily picked locks, bypassed codes and took out cameras. Rogue had a feeling he was very experienced in this area, but it made her question why. What had Gambit done before he had joined the X-Men? Rogue made a mental note to ask him about it.
They ran into their share of security personnel, but between the two, the guards turned out to be no problem. So far they had managed to take out a good twenty of them without alerting anyone to their presence or having an alarm pulled. Gambit was even careful enough to stow the bodies so that nobody would happen upon them so easily and figure out something was amiss. Rogue wished she knew how far into the mission they were. It seemed like they had been sneaking around forever, but she had no way of knowing if they'd even made it halfway to their goal.
Gambit looked at her then pointed his gaze to a sign at the end of the hall. It pointed the way out both to the testing and holding areas and the rooms in which the data and information were stored. Rogue smiled, then debated over splitting up, one of them going to take care of the records that needed to be erased and the other freeing the mutants that had been captured. They could both take care of themselves, easily and the job would get done faster. But there were still many dangers ahead, not to mention they had no communication devices to stay in contact with. Plus, there was always safety in numbers.
"We stay t'gedder," Gambit whispered close to her ear and she nodded her agreement.
Rogue was mildly pleased that he had made the same decision as herself. She had seen the calculating look in his eyes as he had weighed and measured their options. He had probably had a similar thought process to her own.
"Which way fuhst?" she asked back, keeping her own voice low.
"What d'you t'ink?" he returned as his eyes wavered between their two options.
Rogue didn't answer immediately, but took the time again to weigh the pros and cons. Time may have been precious, but that didn't excuse making rash decisions and failing. Trying to think as fast as she could she finally answered, "Let's go erase th'data. Hopefully, we can do that without settin' off any alarms an' then go aftah our fallen comrades. We won't know what condition they'll be in until we actu'lly save'em."
Gambit nodded his agreement and then motioned for her to follow as they crept down the hall to the intersection. Rogue felt a sense of pride. Remy's leadership style was so much different from Scott's. The now college bound young man had always relied on giving orders and expecting them to be followed, rarely asking for anybody else's input. Nobody had ever complained, but then that had always been the way things had been. Nobody had known better.
Well, now Rogue did. She preferred this being asked opinions and having them valued. It really made her feel like she was doing her part, new mutant powers or not. Even prior to her encounter with Carol Danvers, Rogue would have felt like the valued member of the team she was supposed to be if Scott had asked for his teammates points of view more often.
They had made it to the room containing the data. It was all in a huge computer that took up most the area of a very spacious room including ceiling to floor. Rogue wasn't sure how Gambit had gotten the both of them in without being spotted, or how they had continued to go unspotted with all the scientists and guards trolling around, but she didn't think she wanted to know, either. All that really mattered was finishing the mission successfully.
"What's th'plan now, Gambit?" Rogue asked only to get immediately waved into silence, which quite irked her.
She huffed, but otherwise kept quiet, watching as Gambit watched the population of the room. Guards patrolled the room, keeping a sharp lookout, though not sharp enough, and Scientists came and went, inputting date, recalling files and studying information. Rogue began to doubt this decision. Perhaps it would have been better to get the Mutant captives out and then storming the control room, destroying everything before making their final escape. But it was too late, now, to change their minds. They would just have to make this plan of action work.
Rogue felt Gambit by her ear again and perked to his voice, paying close attention to what he told her: "We gonna make ourselves a distraction. Blow up de computers and den go get de Mutants out."
It wasn't the best plan. Not the worst either, and it would do. They would have to be careful when they made their exit from this room not to be spotted, but they had gotten in undetected, hadn't they? Keeping her eyes trained on Gambit for signals, she watched as he placed both hands on the computer (which was one large unit) and concentrated. A faint, glowing red began to spread from the spot where he'd made contact and he continued to make use of his Mutant powers for a few moments longer until the charge had spread enough to take up a good portion of the computer.
And then he was pushing her hastily away. Rogue moved quickly, making use of her flight ability to travel along as smoothly and quietly as possible. She knew Gambit was right behind her, could sense him even though she couldn't hear him. They had to get out before the computer turned ticking time bomb exploded.
They were almost to the door, the only entrance or exit the room had, when a guard shouted, pointing right in their direction. Rogue froze, but only for a moment, and then she was on the move again, this time with Gambit in tow. Having grabbed him by the sleeve, she now trailed him behind her as she sped for the exit, feet not even touching the ground.
They burst out the door with shouts of "intruders", "Mutants", and "Stop them" trailing them, immediately followed by the explosion. Rogue stopped for none of it. They're objective was only halfway complete.
"Don' slow down, chère. Keep goin'," Gambit called to her when he sensed that she was going to slow down.
With the urgency of his words to fuel her, along with the blaring claxon alarms that added to the chaos, Rogue continued along the hall towards the holding area where all the Mutants were being held. This hallway stretched on longer than the one to the Computer Room, and was littered with plenty of armed guards. But with her invincibility and strength, Rogue rushed through them like they were plastic green army men, remembering to keep Gambit protected, also.
Finally, Rogue saw huge metal doors at the end of the hall that could only be what they were looking for. "Hold on, Cajun. Ah'm bustin' through," she yelled the hasty warning.
Still in mid-air, Rogue twisted so that she was facing the door with her back and cradled her teammate to her in front. She just hoped she could supply the protection to Gambit that he needed as they blasted through the metal. With her new powers, she would be able to handle it, but he would not.
She felt the impact, marveled still that she felt no pain, then continued to hurtle into the room, Gambit clutched to herself. Ya gotta stop ya'self, she reminded herself.
She concentrated on shutting off whatever part of her body made her fly-
[Take this, bitch!]
-and found herself hurtled into a mental hell.
Remy wasn't sure why Rogue was screaming. She was supposed to be invincible, so he'd figured busting through that metal door would be painless for her. He could feel her thrashing beneath him and quickly rolled off to inspect any damage. His first relief came when he saw there was no blood or broken bones. But the relief was short lived as Rogue continued to scream, her head held between her hands as if in a vice.
"Chère, wha's wrong? Rogue!" he yelled at her, hoping to snap her to attention, but his yells went unheard.
Catching a glimpse of her face, he saw nothing short of pure terror marring her beautiful features. It was more than enough for him to wrap his arms around her and try to hold her still. She struggled against him at first, thrashing about as if being attacked, but eventually allowed him to hold her. Her cries and screams of pain and agony continued no matter the method Remy tried to get her to calm down and he couldn't figure out who she was screaming at.
He hadn't even noticed that the simulation had been shut down until Logan squatted beside them, a mean but concerned expression running through his eyes. Remy wasn't sure, but he had the feeling Logan knew what was happening. He wanted to ask questions, the words were on the tip of his tongue, but before he could make a sound Logan had scooped Rogue from his arms and was stalking off with her.
Stunned for a moment, feeling suddenly empty and useless and not liking it, Remy stared after Logan's retreating form until he came to his senses and went after them. At a fast run down the hall Remy just barely made it into the elevator before the doors closed. Logan growled at him angrily, though what about Remy couldn't say. Nor did he care. His attention and concern were all for Rogue.
The elevator doors opened on the paneled halls of the ground level of the mansion and Remy followed Rogue and Logan like a zombie. His gaze never left the pale face of the girl who had somehow captured his heart so quickly. The twisted features of her visage caused the Cajun even more pain and worry, wondering what could cause so much pain to one who didn't deserve it.
Abruptly, a door was slammed in his face and Remy found himself staring at wood paneling that matched the walls of the hall. The jarring slam shook him back to his senses and he realized that he was now staring at the closed-and most likely locked-door of Xavier's office. He could pick the lock, even debated it, getting himself inside and demanding what the hell was going on. But he knew what the ramifications of those actions would be and knew it just wasn't worth it. No, that wasn't the truth. It was worth it, but Remy also had other responsibilities to see to, and he couldn't blow his cover, no matter what.
Running a hand through his hair, Remy turned from the door and began to trudge toward the stairs that led to the second floor and the dormitories. Not feeling in the mood, now, to be sociable, he figured his best bet would be to hide in his room until news of Rogue's condition was available.
"Just like I told ya, Chuck," came Logan's growled greeting, heralded by the slam of Xavier's office door.
But Charles had known they were coming and even why, perks of being a Telepath. The mental attack on Rogue had also hit himself, and he assumed Jean also, with unexpected fury, while he and Ororo had been discussing the events of her outing with Rogue and Remy. Xavier had been able to gain control of himself and put up shields to keep the attack out, but also knew that Rogue had faltered from the beginning. He hadn't had time, since she'd returned to the Mansion, to work with her, and upon seeing her now, he wished he had made the time.
Immediately, Charles had sent Ororo down to the infirmary to warn Hank. Xavier wasn't sure, at this point, it Hank and the infirmary would be needed, but it wouldn't hurt to be prepared. He also wanted to rid the room of as many distractions as he could. He knew Logan would insist on staying, and Charles could handle that. But sometimes, even for himself, too many extra minds in the room could cause problems, and with Rogue's situation being so delicate, he was going to try and avoid that.
Although Xavier was still sketchy on all the details of what had happened to Rogue, he could tell without even having entered her mind, that Rogue's new mind mate was a strong willed person. Charles wouldn't be surprised if the mutant had been a telepath, although Rogue hadn't exhibited any problems most newly developed telepaths usually had to deal with. Still, there was only one way to find out.
"I'm going to enter her mind, Logan. Make yourself comfortable, this might take a while," the Professor warned.
Logan grunted and took a seat, still cradling Rogue in his arms. Xavier nodded, then closed his eyes and dove into Rogue's mind.
Jean Grey had been in Kitty and Rogue's room, helping the bubbly brunette pick out an outfit for the first day of school, when she got hit with a mental blast that raged an angry red in her head and sent her to her knees with a pained yelp. It lasted only a few moments and Jean was able to put up mental blocks to block out the majority of the attack before it subsided on it's own.
"Jean, are you alright? What happened?" a very frightened Kitty asked, kneeling in front of the closet next to the red head with her hand gently placed on the telepath's shoulder.
Jean forced a smile for Kitty to help ease the girl's worries and assured, "I'm fine."
"But what happened?" Kitty's nerves did ease, Jean could sense, but there was still worry clouding her voice and her eyes.
"I'm not sure. A mental attack," Jean replied, shaking her head as Kitty helped her to stand.
"Mesmero? Mastermind?" Kitty asked immediately, her analytical mind immediately throwing out possibilities.
"No, and it wasn't directed at me. I just got the backlash. I think it came from the Danger Room," Jean verified.
Kitty was silent in thought for a few moments before offering, "I think Rogue and Remy were training this afternoon with Logan."
The girls' eyes met for a moment before they were both moving automatically, in sync, out the door and down the hall. They didn't know if there was any way they would be able to help, but the least they could do is offer their services. Of course, that gave them the dual opportunity to find out exactly what had happened and who had been hurt. They both worried over the safety of Rogue, who had just returned back to the fold and who both had come to care for greatly.
They met Remy on the stairs, looking exhausted and worn with worry, giving them the answer they sought before they had a chance to get to the real action. Remy looked up and saw them, though he didn't really seem to see them, and gave them a smile, probably more from habit then anything else. Jean tried briefly to read his emotions, but he was a non-entity to her in that aspect. He had been from the day he'd entered the house, and to Jean that was slightly frustrating, but, she knew, none of her business.
He tried to slip past the two girls, but they weren't about to have this source of information get away. Stepping together to block off his exit, they both trained their eyes on him until they had his attention, and then began their tirade. They each had a million questions, which they wanted answered immediately without giving him room to answer, and trying to talk over each other confused his tired mind.
"Woah, woah, woah," he called over them, waving his arms as he tried to shush them.
They both blinked at him owlishly, but were mercifully quiet.
"Look, I'll tell ya ev'ry't'ing I know. Je promets, " he assured them. "But can we at leas' fin' a place t'sit?"
Jean and Kitty looked at him for a moment as if what he was asking was simply outrageous, but then somehow managed to turn him around and link their arms with him escort style, all very fluently. Remy felt very off guard, and being exhausted didn't help. He didn't like to feel like he was being controlled instead of being the one in control. But at the moment he didn't have a choice. He just hoped he could get through this as quickly and painlessly as possible so he could go crash.
It was very late into the night before Xavier receded from Rogue's mind, satisfied enough that what he had put into place would hold until he had a chance to work with Rogue on building her defenses stronger, along with a few other tricks he'd had in mind. He did manage to find out that she had used some of the mental blocking techniques on her intruder, but they weren't strong enough when the psyche decided to attack full out.
There were a few other things he had discovered as well, but first he needed to take care of Logan and Rogue. Logan was still awake and looking calm, just barely. Xavier was slightly surprised that the man had stayed so long, holding Rogue pretty much in the same position for so many hours. Xavier would not have blamed him had he decided to leave Rogue resting in a chair or some makeshift bed. His presence really wasn't needed, but Charles knew he cared for the kids much more than he ever showed them.
Rogue, for her part, was still unconscious, but at least it was the unconsciousness of sleep, now. She looked more peaceful and at ease, and not like she was in constant pain. That was a clear and definite improvement and Charles was sure Logan had picked up on it.
"Thank you, Logan. I think things are under control, now. I suggest you put Rogue to bed and then head there yourself," Charles smiled graciously at the man with the gruff exterior.
"What about yourself?" Logan asked as he rose, shifting the young woman in his arms.
"I'll be fine. I want to take some time to process what I found within Rogue's mind," Charles answered truthfully.
"Don't stay up too late," Logan admonished before the door closed behind him.
Xavier smiled even as his fingers steepled in the gesture that meant he was in deep thought or consideration. Immediately, his mind was upon the matter of Rogue's latest psyche and the strength this new persona possessed. Of course, the attributes of the person stayed with Rogue the longer they kept skin contact, but just how long did Rogue have a hold on the person. Charles longed to know the specifics of the incident. All Logan had been able to tell him was what Rogue had revealed on their trip back to Bayville.
The condition of the victim was also something Xavier was curious about. The effects of being touched by Rogue usually meant the person blacked out briefly. But to have so much stolen, mutant powers, memory, personality, what effect would that have on the person?
But what really bothered Charles was the feeling he'd had when he'd been in Rogue's mind battling for control with this new psyche. It was a feeling of familiarity and recognition. But he hadn't had the chance to see who it actually was. The psyche's blind rage and pure emotion had blocked him. It had taken all his resources to gain control and raise the blocks to keep any more attacks from happening, and even then the psyche had worked at the walls, weakening them even as he built them up. He would need to have daily sessions with Rogue to make sure those walls weren't torn down and Rogue attacked again.
Now, Charles tried to recall anyone he had met who had those same mutant attributes. Unfortunately for him, he had met a lot of people in his life, mutant and non, but fortunately, his telepathic mind was better than normal human minds in more ways then one. He had the ability of consciously storing and rearranging memories in his own brain. Now he just had to go through all those memories to find the right one.