Chapter 12

Storm paced up and down the wide veranda, watching the clouds drift slowly across the sky. She still couldn't understand what was happening inside her school. Only a few of the children and teens were showing signs of violence, but there didn't seem to be a reason for it.

And then, there was Bobby.

He was normally so quiet and kind-hearted, Storm was baffled and hurt by his recent change. At the moment, he was locked in the sauna and guarded by Peter, but Storm could hear him shouting from where she stood, clear across the mansion. She could also hear him banging on the walls of his prison – each slam she heard felt like a punch to her stomach. But it had to be done, she mused, rubbing the bruise on her cheek. He was getting too out of control; even Peter had had trouble subduing him.

The roar of a jet engine suddenly filled the quiet countryside, and Storm felt relief slowly wash over her. Logan and Raven didn't bother to hide the jet under the basketball court; they chose instead to land the plane in the large field beside the mansion. Though she felt a sudden urge to rush forward to meet them, Storm resisted it and patiently waited for them on the porch.

As soon as Logan had climbed down the stairs from the plane, he sprinted to where Storm stood, his face twisted into an angry scowl.

"Where is he? If he hurt her –" he growled, but Storm stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"Rogue is fine, Logan," she assured him.

"Yeah?" He asked, still skeptical. Then, he noticed the purple mark on her cheek. "He do that?"

Storm nodded. "It's so strange. He doesn't seem to be inside himself when he acts out. It's like he's on auto-pilot, or something. He was so strong!" She took a breath, steadying herself, and Logan drew her into a hug. "He didn't mean it, Logan. He doesn't mean any of it."

"I know. We'll figure this out."

Raven stepped up onto the porch then, and Storm pulled out of Logan's grasp.

"Is that him yelling?" Raven asked, her head tilted slightly to the side.

"Yes. We had to restrain him somehow. Rogue suggested turning the sauna all the way up and barricading the door. It shouldn't have worked, but his mutant abilities seem to have weakened since this began."

"Storm," Logan asked suddenly, "what were she and Bobby fighting about when he attacked her?"

Storm frowned. "I'm not sure. She wouldn't really say. Why?"

"Where is she?"

"Upstairs. Logan, what is going on?"

Logan rushed into the house, without giving her a reply. Raven shrugged her shoulders at Storm and explained. "He has a hunch."

Storm simply shook her head and followed Raven up the steep wooden staircase inside the mansion.

"Rogue? Rogue, you in here?"

Logan peeked around the door frame and saw Rogue on her bed, a pair of ear buds in her ears. Though the music was still on – and at full blast, it seemed to him – she was fast asleep, curled up on her side, her arms wrapped around her stomach.

Whatever protective instincts he had suddenly welled up in him, and he had to mentally calm himself at the thought of anyone harming her. Quietly, he stepped over to the bed and glanced down, trying to find her mp3 player so he could shut it off. He followed the earphone cord with his eyes, until it disappeared under her hip.

"Too awkward," he murmured to himself. He decided to wake her up instead, so he bent down and gently shook her shoulder. Her eyes fluttered open, but when she saw a shadow looming over her, she struggled to jump out of bed. Logan grabbed her arms and held her down.

"Hey, it's okay," he said, hoping she didn't decide to scream and bring everyone running.

At the sound of his voice, Rogue stopped fighting, and she finally saw him sitting there, on the edge of her bed.

"Logan?" she asked, as if she didn't trust her own eyes.

"Yeah. Can you turn that thing off?" he asked, nodding toward her mp3 player. To his sensitive ears, it seemed as if her music was filling the room, and it was difficult to resist the urge to shout over it.

Rogue switched off the music, and Logan sighed in relief. She tugged the earphones out and set the player on her bedside table, as Logan asked, "Rogue, what were you and Bobby arguing about before…well, you know," he finished lamely.

She blushed and ducked her head, clearly embarrassed. "Um, just stuff. You know, girlfriend/boyfriend stuff."

"Marie."

Rogue's gaze snapped to Logan's face, and saw the stern-yet-concerned look plainly shown there. He only used her "real" name, if there was such a thing, when he was very upset. Logan cocked his eyebrow at her, and she knew it was his way of pleading with her.

"I know this is hard for you, but you need to tell me. It's kinda important."

She nodded and almost reached for his hand, but then stopped when she realized that her gloves were laying under her mp3 player. She toyed with the silky edge of her blanket instead.

"He'd been acting really weird all day, so I tried to distract him by taking him on a walk. When we were a little way down the bridle path, he kissed me, which was okay. I mean, we'd done that before." Logan nodded. "But then he tried to…well, he kept saying how much he wanted me and stuff. He even pushed me against this one tree. I told him that he was scaring me, but it was like he didn't hear me."

She took a deep breath, then continued at Logan sat completely still, though his anger seethed inside him like red-hot lava. "He started getting rough with me again, so I shoved him as hard as I could. He let me go, and we shouted back and forth for a few minutes. I finally told him that if he didn't stop, I wouldn't see him anymore. That's when he back-handed me. I was so scared, I just ran back to the house and found Storm."

Logan started to stand up, but Rogue grabbed hold of his jacket sleeve. "Please," she begged, "don't hurt him. He didn't…he wasn't…himself."

"I'm not gonna hurt him, Rogue. I think I have an idea of what's going on here."

He leaned his head out into the hall and called, "Raven, Storm, come in here!"

Both women quickly appeared, and he stepped out into the hall to speak with them.

"What is it, Logan?" Raven asked.

"You said you're keeping him in the sauna?" He questioned Storm, who nodded.

"Good," he said. "I'm gonna need something to knock him out. A tranquilizer or something."

Rogue had come into the hall behind him, and now she offered, "There's some bottles of horse tranquilizer in the stables."

Logan eyed her, then muttered, "Bobby must've rubbed off on you."

"What?"

He sighed. "Never mind." Turning back to Storm, he asked, "What about the Lab? There are drugs in there, aren't there?"

"Of course," she replied with a shrug.

"Okay. Could you fill up a syringe or two and bring 'em to me?"

"Why two?" Raven interjected.

"The way he is, we don't know how much adrenaline – and certain other hormones – are pumping through him right now. I'm not sure one needleful is gonna put him out."

Raven raised her eyebrows. "Good point. But won't too much kill him?"

"Dunno. No time to second-guess, though."

"What're you gonna do to him, Logan?" Rogue asked, her voice full of worry.

"Don't worry, kid. If this works, he'll be back to normal in no time."