Taunting Repartee
Chapter Forty-Four
Graydon Creed sat at his desk within the political office he was interning at. It was late and thankfully he was the only one left in the office. He could somewhat let his guard down.
'I hate this job,' he thought as he pulled a flyer off his desk. It gave the details to this month's meeting to discuss the 'mutant problem'. He fought the urge to crush the paper in his hands and throw it in the trash where it belonged. But he had an appearance to keep up – a façade; he pretended to agree with their ideas and philosophies and acted like he wanted to control the mutant population to protect humanity.
'Friends of humanity,' he thought mockingly in his mind. 'More like friends of bigots who have nothing better to do with their lives than try to hurt my family,' he thought, annoyed. He took a deep breath as he placed the flyer into his top drawer.
"Your repartees need serious work, Graydon" he heard Emma say. He glanced up to the light of his life sauntering towards him. A smile instantly came to his face as he stood up. "I come bearing dinner," Emma said with a smile.
"Chinese?" he asked as he cleared off space on his desk, stacking papers and folders he would have to deal with before he left the office tonight.
"Of course," she grinned as she came up behind him and placed the bag on the table while leaning over to kiss his cheek.
"Em, I love you," he said with a grin as he turned to face her.
"Who wouldn't?" she asked playfully with a grin. He laughed as she moved in for a kiss.
"I am starving," he said. "Let's eat!" he gave her a quick peck on the lips. Graydon practically dropped his body onto his chair, while Emma gracefully perched herself on the wooden chair beside the desk. "This one is yours, I believe," he said as he examined the Chinese food container.
"Definitely, I can smell the shrimp from here," she said as she reached out for it. He handed it to her with a smile.
"And this one must be mine," he said as took out the other container. He saw Emma open hers as he grabbed the chop-sticks from the bottom of the bag, handing one pair to her.
"We should be doing this at home," Emma said.
'Here we go again,' he thought with a smirk as he opened the little paper box..
"You've been working far too many hours this month. They treat you like a slave," she said in disgust before she took her first bite.
"I'm an intern. I am a slave," he said sadly. "Except, I have to buy my own food," he said before he took his first bite. She chuckled softly. "Not all of us get to find their dream job after one interview," he said with a smirk.
"What can I say? The principal loved me," she said.
"With a little help," he teased between bites.
"The things you accuse me of," she exclaimed, pretending to be offended. He laughed. "Those children are lucky to have teacher like me in the classroom," she said.
"Damn right they are," he smiled. "How'd the assembly go today?"
"Fabulous, my kids where most well behaved of all the seventh graders," she said.
"With a-"
"If you say 'with a little help again' I going to start to throwing shrimp at you," she warned. He laughed.
"Just try to get them in my mouth, kay, Em?" he asked before he opened his mouth as wide as he could. "Ahh," he sounded playfully as she laughed.
"I changed my mind. I'll keep my food, thanks very much," she said. He laughed softly. "And about this weekend, Graydon" her tone turned more serious.
"Yeah?" he asked.
"It turns out that Cordelia is going to visit Christian at the asylum this weekend," she told him.
"Can we go? Do you want to?" Graydon asked.
"We can," she answered, "and yes I want to go see my brother. You don't have to come with me," she said.
"Em, am I allowed to go?" he asked. 'Or is Magneto afraid the three of us might form some kind of resistance?' he asked mockingly.
"He hasn't said anything against it," she said. He made eye contact with her. "You going with me to see Christopher, not the the other thing," she clarified.
'Pretty sure, neither of us would have memories if we tried something like that,' he thought.
'I'd like to see someone try to break the metal defenses I've placed in both our minds. No one, not Blindspot, Mastermind, or either one of those whores he calls daughters, are going to erase a single memory from our minds,' she thought with conviction. He smiled at the thought, glad that she loved him strongly enough to protect him. His smile soon turned into a lamenting sigh. He wished he was able to protect himself against people like Magneto.
"Em, do you want me to go with you?" he asked.
"Yes, Graydon, I do," she said.
"Then I'll be there," he promised. "...I just wish it that easy from me to see my siblings," he said sadly.
"We're going to think of something," she said strongly. 'Magneto's threats won't deter us forever,' she thought.
"They have for a nearly a month," he said frustrated. "We never should have gone back into the restaurant," he said for the countless time.
'Graydon, do you know how many times we've had this conversation, now? The facts haven't changed and I love you too much to watch you continuously torture yourself like this,' she thought.
"Emma," he protested.
"No, I'm not having this conversation again. There is nothing we could have done differently. We are going to think of somethin-" Emma started to say before her cell phone rang. 'Speak of the devil,' she thought as she pulled her phone out.
"What could Magneto possibly want at this hour?" he asked as they both quickly put their food on the desk. "Does he want to fuck Kurt now?" he asked as Emma stood up.
"Shh," she hushed as she walked a few feet away from him.
"Just wanted to let us know so I could nothing about that too?" he asked enraged.
"Graydon, please, calm down," she said. 'And keep those comments where they belong,' she thought to him as she opened the phone. "Sir?" she asked into the phone. He couldn't believe they were still expected to follow his orders. 'That bastard dislocated my shoulder when I disagreed with him,' he thought in anger.
There was a long pause as Graydon watched Emma's eyes widened in shock. He fought the urge to get up and rip the phone out of her hands; throwing it against the wall. Instead he sat silently, fuming with anger at his ineffectualness.
"...Yes, I- I understand, sir," Emma said after a long moment and hung up the phone.
"What?" he asked.
"That sister of yours has some serious power over Magneto," she said shocked.
"Em, what the hell are you talking about?" he asked impatiently as she walked up to him.
"Graydon, he lifted our exile," she beamed.
"What?" he asked in disbelief as he stood up.
"We're allowed in Bayville again," she smiled as she looped her arms around his neck. "We can contact your sister! Do you still want to get on that plane?" she asked.
"Hell yes," he exclaimed before he kissed her. They let go of one another to pack up their food.
Graydon's mind was reeling. He needed to buy tickets. He was going to see his sister. He had to call his boss. He could finally have a conversation with his little brother and introduce himself. He was probably going to be fired for leaving mid-week, but at this point he couldn't care less. He could talk to the X-Men, to Professor Xavier. Emma had told him that he was just as powerful as she was - maybe more so. How much clothing should he pack? He could finally help his sister in some way. Maybe together they could fight Magneto.
'Why would Magneto let us go see her?' he asked confused. "I thought-" he started to say as he glanced up. Emma wasn't paying his concerns any attention at the moment. She was calling her boss, he realized.
"Yes, Barb another family emergency. This time it's Graydon's. His sister was in a car accident," she said. His eyes widened in fear. 'Graydon, relax, I'm lying,' she thought quickly as she put her hand on his arm reassuringly. "Graydon's parents are out of the country they need us to go to New York to look after Anna Marie until they arrive," she said as he grabbed a piece of paper and pen. Emma's lie was as good as any.
"...No, I don't know how long that's going to take," Emma said as he wrote out the note. "... Listen, Barb, my boyfriend needs me by his side as we deal with this emergency. So, yes I'm going. I'll find a sub and hire them myself for the day if you won't do it...," she said strongly. "...I'll call tomorrow night to give you an update," she said before she hung up the phone. "The nerve the women has," she commented under her breath as he hung the note on his boss' door. He walked back over to his desk and picked up the phone. He dialed his boss' number and quickly left a message saying the same thing.
He turned back to Emma once he was done. She had packed up their food and was now on the phone again arranging their tickets.
"Ready, Graydon?" she asked as they made eye contact. He'd ask her why Magneto had lifted their exile later. He nodded, picking up the bag before they rushed out of the room. "Yes, I need two tickets to New York..."
Rogue sat in the kitchen with her family finishing a late dinner and she felt fantastic. Kitty, Jean, and Ororo had helped her to get rid of the annoying byproducts of absorbing her father. Ororo had cut her hair back to shoulder length the first time she had absorbed Victor and had repeated the same process today as well. Once again Ororo had done an excellent done; she looked great.
Rogue had spent a good three hours relaxing with Jean, Kitty, Amara, and Tabitha. Kitty had painted her finger and toe nails as the five of them had just talked about mindless, pointless things. It was exactly what she needed. Dinner with her family had only added to her healing process.
Again, everyone had avoided any mention of Juggernaut and Magneto. There was tension in the air, of course, but she wasn't the only one feeling it. They all knew that tomorrow night she and the Professor would be meeting with Magneto. If she was being honest with herself, she was looking forward to talking to Max. Not only were they declaring a truce but she still had a coupon for a punch to his face to cash in.
'I am really looking forward to that,' she thought with a smirk. She allowed herself to indulge the thought for a second before pushing it back. With Juggernaut's powers still active the slight influence his psyche had on her active emotions was still present. She had to shy away from violent thoughts, at least until the mind residue faded.
'Not to mention, freedom,' she thought to herself blissfully as she took her last bite of food. Currently, Magneto wasn't blackmailing or holding her captive. He had said as much before he left. That fact alone was lifting her spirit higher than she had felt in weeks. The relief and joy she had felt to have an honest conversation with the Professor was omnipresent for her now. It was as though a huge burden had been lifted from her shoulders. She hadn't told a lie in hours.
She felt free, loved, relaxed, recharged, and optimistic: ready to face whatever she needed to. She hadn't felt this good in over a year.
And to top it all off it was only nine in the evening, Rogue noted.
'I have a loophole to exploit,' she thought happily as he brother reached for the plate in front of her. "Kurt, I can do that," she insisted.
"You just sit, sis" Kurt said.
"Yeah, we'll take care of this," Kitty said with a smile.
"Rogue," the Professor started to say as Rogue glanced up at him, "Sabertooth's powers might have kept you from obtaining any visible scars but today's ordeal has still taken a heavy toll on you. This whole week has been extremely stressful. Please, just relax," he ordered gently.
"Prof, I just relaxed for three hours. I feel much better now, really. Besides, we don't have a lot of time. You've never negotiated with Magneto before. I have a bunch of times now. I'd like to give ya some pointers. If we could talk privately?" she asked. He looked uncertain. "Unless, you're not up for talking tonight, I'd get it. We could do this tomorrow morning. Like you said today's been really stressful," she said.
"Thank you for your concern," he said with a small smile. "But no, it's not that," the Professor said.
"Okay, then what?" Rogue asked.
"Charles, is something wrong?" Ororo asked.
"I am asking everyone to be please remain claim despite what I am about to say, Rogue, you especially," he said.
"Okay," Rogue said uneasy.
"There's another telepath on the grounds," the Professor said as he closed his eyes.
'Oh, fuck,' she thought to herself.
"Who are they?" Scott asked.
"I'm not certain yet. This woman has very powerful metal defenses," the Professor said.
'She? Could be Blindspot, or either of Mastermind's daughters. Fuck! What if Max changed his mind? Decided ta fuck the truce and just have everyone's memories erased instead,' she thought panicked. She had had three hours to talk and she wasted every minute of it. "Fuck," she muttered as the Professor opened his eyes, making contact with hers. "Prof, I-" she started to say.
"Hey, is that them?" Kurt asked.
"I believe so," the Professor started to say as Rogue quickly glanced up at the monitors displaying the grounds and saw two people standing in front of the elevator, "yes."
"Graydon, Emma?" Rogue asked out loud in disbelief.
"Rogue, you know these people?" Ororo asked.
"Yeah, that's my brother and his girlfriend," she said. "Prof, give me a minute? I'm gonna try to find out why they're here," she told him.
"Go ahead," the Professor told her.
'Emma?' Rogue called closing her eyes.
'Rogue, are you alright?' Emma asked concerned.
'Yeah, I'm okay, I guess. Unless y'all are here to erase memories…'
'What?' Emma exclaimed confused. 'No, no, we're here to see you, Rogue,' she said. 'Graydon's been worried sick. I'd explain but Graydon's wishes to tell you. May we come in?' she asked. Rogue let out a sigh.
'Hold on,' Rogue thought to Emma. 'God, please, let her be telling the truth,' she thought desperately.
'I am,' Emma told Rogue as she took a deep breath as she opened her eyes. Everyone was staring at her.
"Okay," she said as she made eye contact with the Professor. "Here's what going on. That's my brother Graydon Creed and his girlfriend Emma Frost. I've known them both for years. There here 'cause they know about my situation with Magneto and they're worried about me. I know it's late but would it be alright if they came inside and we talked to them?" Rogue asked.
"There's more, isn't there?" the Professor asked.
"Yeah, there's more," Rogue told him with a sigh. The Professor was looking at her curiosity; waiting for her to continue. "That I'd be happy to discuss privately," she said. 'Prof, everyone is gonna freak out if I start talking about how Magneto's been blackmailing me.'
"Very well," he said. "Hank, Ororo could you both please escort our guests down to sub-level seven?" he asked.
"Of course, Charles," Ororo said as Mr. McCoy nodded.
"Rogue, Logan and I will meet you there in a moment," he said before Ororo and Mr. McCoy left the room. "Scott, Jean, I'm leaving you two in charge of the students," he said.
"Yes, Professor," they said in unison.
"Is everything okay, Professor?" Bobby Drake asked.
"Everything is fine, Bobby. This is just quite an unexpected visit, especially given this afternoon's events. I assure you that there is nothing to worry about. Now, Scott and Jean will help you all clean up the dishes and then it'll be time to head to bed. You have school in the morning," the Professor said.
"Who can sleep?" Evan asked sarcastically. "When people are getting kidnapped, and going missing all the time," he said annoyed.
"Hey," Rogue said as she stood up and all eyes turned back to her. "I know that everything that's been going on with me and Magneto has affected a lot of people here. And I know I haven't said this yet so I'm saying it now. I'm sorry about all the stress and all the fear ya all have been feeling cause of me. I am so sorry," she said again. She could feel tears forming in her eyes. "I know that it doesn't change anything that's happened. I wish it could but it doesn't. But I am hoping that this truce between me and Magneto-"
"Between the x-men and Magneto," the Professor said strongly. "This burden is no longer on your shoulders alone, Rogue. It never should have been," he said. She nodded with a smile as tears slid down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry," she said tearfully as Kitty pulled her into a hug. Rogue loosely wrapped her arms around her roommate. She still had Juggernaut's powers and didn't want to hurt Kitty.
"It's okay, Rogue," Kitty said softly as she squeezed her tightly.
"Yeah, you didn't ask for some psycho to start kidnapping you, right girl?" Tabitha asked.
"No, I didn't," Rogue said with a small smile as she and Kitty stopped hugging. They smiled at each other as Kitty moved a few inches away from her.
"Did ya ask Juggernaut to beat ya up?" Sam asked.
"No- … Well, I did hit him with one of the van going eight miles per hour before he even knew I was out there. That only pissed him off. So, kinda... a little," Rogue said softly.
"You did what?" Bobby asked in disbelief although with a chorus of gasps.
"You are insane," Evan said.
"Yeah, and lucky to be alive," Rogue exclaimed. "So, don't ya all be getting any ideas from my bad example. If y'all see an incredibly dangerous mutant on the grounds- hell anywhere, you call for help. You do not do what I did," Rogue warned strongly.
"...Why didn't you call for help?" Evan asked.
"Evan," Kitty exclaimed.
"No, Kitty, it's alright. It's a good question. That I have an answer too... for the Professor and everyone else once we get ta sub-level seven," Rogue said looking at the Professor again.
"Was Magneto somehow responsible?" the Professor asked.
"Yeah, but not in the way ya think. He didn't mean ta almost get me killed. Actually, that's why we're getting this truce. It's part of his apology to me," Rogue told him. The Professor nodded thoughtfully.
"If everyone would please excuse us," the Professor said after a moment.
"You kids heard the Professor finish cleaning up this mess up," Logan said taking charge and effectively ending the conversation. There was an echo of 'Yes, Mr. Logan,' the three of them walked towards the exit.
'Wait, Kurt,' she thought to herself as she turned back to see her brother and Kitty laughing with one another. 'I guess I should make sure that he's gonna remember the conversation first before I introduce them to each other,' Rogue thought sadly as they exited the room. They walked in silence down the hall and into the elevator. The Professor pressed a button on the lift's controls and they all watched the lift's doors close.
"So, how's it Magneto's fault?" Logan asked annoyed his arms crossed over his chest.
"I'm afraid that question must wait a moment," the Professor said, only adding to Logan's irritated mood. "Rogue, you're frightened, I can tell, and that fear did not dissipate once you learned who was at our door. What exactly do you fear from your brother?" he asked.
"It ain't Gray I'm afraid of, Prof. It's Emma. They both work for Magneto," Rogue told him as she glanced down at him. He raised an eyebrow.
"Then what are they doing here?" Logan asked.
"Emma said they've been worried about me. That they wanna talk. But the last time I saw them they left me alone with Magneto and they both knew he was holding me captive. So, I don't fucking know," she exclaimed.
"When the hell wa-" Logan started to yell.
"Logan, please," The Professor said, "Shouting is not going to help matters any," he told him.
"Then just explain what's going on already," Logan said frustrated with a low growl.
"I am still learning myself. I cannot explain what I do not know," the Professor said.
"Logan, I'm sorr-" Rogue started to say as the lift's doors opened up to sub-level seven.
"Rogue," Graydon exclaimed happily before he ran up to her and pulled her into a hug. "I am so sorry. You have no idea. I'm sorry. I never should have gone back into the restaurant-" Graydon started to say as Rogue gently pulled away from him. She stared up at him studying his face.
'Is this an act?' she asked herself as they walked out of the elevator.
"What choice did we have?" Emma asked skeptically as Rogue glanced at her. "The three of us against Magneto? Rogue, you were already trapped in a car, terrified out of your mind-"
"What? When was this?" Logan asked enraged.
"February twenty six," Rogue answered softly as she walked over to a chair and sat down. All of a sudden she was tired again – no, make that exhausted. She indulged her urge to close her eyes as she leaned her head back against the chair's head rest.
"Rogue, are you alright?" Ororo asked.
"No, not even a little bit..." she said with a sigh. 'Max, you were ordered to tell me the truth and now we both know why... So?' she asked him.
'It is as Ms. Frost reported,' the fragment of Magneto said softly. 'I threatened your brother into submission after he disapproved of my treatment of you,' he told her calmly. Her fists balled at her sides; shaking in anger.
'Would you like to see for yourself?' the fragment asked. She paused for a moment. She knew he had said something but what it was hadn't fully heard him. She took a moment to replay what he asked. She let out a short laugh.
"...Did you really just ask me that? Seriously?" she asked annoyed. "Do I want to watch, from your point of view, you enjoying threatening my brother for giving a shit about me?" she asked incredulously. "Not right now, no. Maybe later," she yelled at him annoyed as her hand clenched onto the arm of the chair; crushing it in her grasp.
"Whoa," she heard Graydon exclaim.
"Rogue?" the Professor asked concerned.
"Give me a minute, Prof," she growled as she closed her eyes. Taking deep breaths she tried to calm the rage she was feeling. In the background she could hear that the others were talking to one another. She chose to block out whatever they were saying, feeling like she could lose control at the slightest comment about her behavior.
'...This isn't working, Fucking Juggernaut,' she thought to herself. 'Fucking Magneto, god, I just wanna hurt him... I can settle for yelling,' she thought to herself before her eyes snapped open. She reached out and grabbed the phone on the table.
"Rogue, who are you calling?" the Professor asked as she brought the phone to her ear. Her eyes widened for a moment as she saw the elevator doors open.
'Who the hell would be coming-' she started to ask as she watched the inside of the elevator blankly. Her eyes narrowed in anger as she saw no one was in it.
'So, stalking's still fucking okay, by his standards?' she thought enraged as she put the phone back down. "Relax," she yelled. "I changed my mind. I ain't calling anyone," she said as she stood up and quickly shed her gloves making eye contact with the Professor. His eyes widened in fear as she put her hand in her pockets. "But I'm too angry to talk right now. I'm gonna go get some water..." she said and turned. 'And punch someone,' she thought to both the Professor as she started to walk towards the elevator.
'Stop, please,' the Professor thought as Graydon called out
"Rogue?"
"Let her go, Graydon," Emma started to say as the Professor projected at her.
'This is too dangerous,' he warned as the doors to the elevator started to close much faster than they should.
"God damn it," Rogue yelled out as she ran up to the elevator and struck her arm in the door's path. It stopped where it was, before touching her arm. "Is this what you call an apology? Stalking me again, you fucking jackass," she screamed as forced the door open; the sound of the metal slamming in its frame echoed throughout the hallway.
"Rogue," Beast called out as both he, Ororo and Logan ran up behind her. She heard Logan sniffing behind her as she got into the elevator. Kicking at the air, she didn't hit anything.
"I smell him," Logan reported, "but it could be from before," he added.
"Rogue, are you certain-" the Professor started to ask as she marched back to the table and grabbed the phone.
"I know what I saw," Rogue declared strongly as she dialed his cell phone number.
"Ann-" Magneto started to say, his voice coming from above her.
"Magneto, where are you?" the Professor asked in anger as Rogue jumped up onto the table and then in to the air, aiming a kick where she had heard his voice. She hit thin air again. As her body started to fall towards the floor she felt a hand take hold of hers.
"Right, here Charles," Magneto answered as his body became visible to her. The gasps she heard told her that everyone else could see him as well. She ripped her hand out of his the second she felt her feet touch the ground.
"Don't you have better things to do?" Rogue screamed into his face. Her hand formed into fists once again.
"Anna, please try to calm down. This is Juggernaut's reaction to rage, not yours," Magneto said.
"You think I don't know that! I figured that out months before you started helping me with my powers," she shouted at him as he lifted his hands. She was more than familiar with his mannerism by now. "Don't you dare fucking touch me," Rogue screamed.
"My apologies, Anna, it's a reflex," he explained as he lowered his hands. "I see you in pain and I can't help but wish to comfort you," he said calmly.
"I know," Rogue said softly as she turned away from him. "You need to leave, now," Rogue told him. "I meant what I said before. I'm tired of fighting. I want this truce but all I'm seeing is red right now. So, you need to go. If I manage to absorb you right now I might-" she started to say.
"Kill me?" Magneto asked. "I'm touched you care enough to give a warning," he said with a small smile as he used his powers to move two of the chairs out from under the table.
"Yeah, to you and anyone else who gets in my way," she said as the chairs moved to face one another. "You know how fucking homicidal you get when you're angry," she said.
"Anna, you have far more control than you give yourself credit for," he said as she rolled her eyes "Honestly," Magneto added as he took a seat in one of the chairs.
"Magneto, you can't just come in here and-" Logan started to say enraged. His voice was muted to her as a magnetic shield enclosed over Rogue, Magneto and the two chairs. Her eyes narrowed in anger.
"Holding me captive again, Max?" she asked, beyond annoyed.
"Hardly, ask me to lower the shield and I will do so immediately. Giv-"
"One minute-" she told him. 'Prof,' she called out.
'Yes?' he asked; his voice laced with concern.
'I'm fine. I will handle this. Just try to keep everyone calm,' she said before she turned her attention back to Magneto. "You were saying?" she asked dryly.
"That, given your rage I thought it best-" he started to say.
"Cut the bullshit, Max. It's me. You wanna talk ta me alone without them making comments or asking questions," she said. He smirked.
"I personally love it, those moments, when you and I both want the exact same thing," he said. She sighed as she closed her eyes, wishing for another moment to calm herself. That wasn't what she wanted. She was prepared to talk to the Professor.
'Although you truly didn't wish too. You would have asked Emma and Graydon to inform your guardian of the events of t-' the fragment started to say.
'Hell, fucking, no,' she thought annoyed. "Max, order your counterpart to shut the fuck up," she commanded.
"You heard her, my friend. You have my apologies, but in our current state of ceasefire, I'm afraid, you may only speak when spoken to," Magneto said. She let out a sigh of relief as she felt the fragment slip into the back of her mind. Although the slight sting of envy and anger the fragment felt did not go unnoticed by her. "Please have a seat?" he asked.
"Who says I wanna talk to you?" she asked as she crossed her arms over her chest. He stared at her for a moment.
"You could sit and talk with me about your emotional grievances. I will listen intently as I always do. Or you can return to them and deal with their insecurities," he said dryly as both of them glanced outside the magnetic dome separating them from the others. They all looked panicked, worried. And if she was being honest with herself she really didn't feel like reliving the past three months just yet.
She could always just go to bed, explain that she would tell them everything tomorrow. But still she would have to work with the Professor to reassure the others that everything was actually okay. An exhausting task considering they were both lying. This was also assuming she could get Magneto to leave the institute. He had only promised to remove the shield, not depart.
"You're an asshole," Rogue huffed as she sat down.
"Everyone, please," Charles Xavier said again as he attempted to keep the others in the room calm. He wasn't doing a very good job, he noticed as Storm created a lighten bolt. "Ororo, don't," he exclaimed. "Lightning and electrically are too similar in nature. Magneto is capable of turning that ability against you," he said as she stopped short.
"Then what do we do Charles?" Beast asked.
"For the moment, nothing," Charles said.
"What?" Wolverine exclaimed. Charles took a deep breath as he glanced at the others in the room. Emma Frost was standing between Graydon Creed and the Magnetic dome. The way they looked at each other indicated that they were holding a telepathic conversation. Storm had withdrawn the lightning bolt. Beast was standing, waiting for orders. Wolverine looked like an angry animal in a cage, waiting for the door to open allowing him to maim the poor sucker on the other side.
"I understand you are all worried about Rogue and disturbed by Magneto's presence here within these walls. I can assure you all, I am as well. However, Rogue has informed me, not a moment ago, that she is fine," he said.
"Magneto's got her trapped, 'course she's gonna say that," Wolverine seethed.
"You know that when I am reading an individual's mind I can tell the emotional state they are in. Rogue was angry, not frightened. She doesn't believe she is in any danger, and I believe her. From the looks of things it appears the two of them are simply going to talk," he said as he saw Rogue sit down.
"And we're just gonna let them?" Wolverine raged. "Magneto spies on us, then comes in here, like he owns the place, and we're just going to sit back and let him have the run our home!"
"No, of course, not," Charles stated. "Logan don't-" Charles tried to warn as Wolverine ran up to the shield his claws out, fully intent on hitting it. Thankfully, the shield fell down before he was able to make contact. His claws swung at thin air as Magneto used his powers to move Rogue's and his seat out of range of the attack.
"He would have healed," Magneto said dryly to Rogue as Wolverine stumbled towards the wall.
"Stop saying shit that makes me wanna punch you," Rogue ordered with narrowed eyes as she stood up. "Logan, I'm fine, really," Rogue insisted as she stood up. Charles watched her face Wolverine. "Magneto I am are talking about some stuff that I don't want to say in front of y'all. He is not holding me captive- not now, not ever again," she said strongly. Charles watched Rogue and Magneto's eyes meet as she said it. Magneto gave Rogue a small nod before she turned back to Wolverine.
"I'm fine," Rogue stressed again. "Look, I know that seeing me in a shield like that with him is scary as all hell and I'm sorry about that. Magneto and I can go outside if that would make y'all feel any better," she offered.
"It wouldn't," Charles said at once.
"Okay, then," Rogue said with a nod. "We'll just be over here, talking. Prof, if you could tell them everything you learned today?"
"Of course," Charles said with a nod.
"Emma, Graydon, if you two could full them in about the emergence?" she asked. Charles saw fear in Emma Frost's expression.
"Rogue we can't-" Emma started to say. Rogue let out annoyed sigh as she turned to look at Magneto again..
"Give them permission," Rogue commanded. Charles' eyes widened in fear. Did she honestly expect to follow an order like that?
"Anna-" he started to protest.
"I know more about what went on that week than both of them put together and I slept through it!" she yelled causing Charles eyes to widen in fear.
'What did that mean, she slept through it?'
"Now, either they can tell them what they know tonight. Or I will tell Prof, everything tomorrow. Your choice," Rogue finished bitterly. Charles watched Rogue and Magneto hold the others gaze for a long moment.
"...You have permission," Magneto said dryly. "But keep the details to the minimum," he added as Charles watch him move the chair Rogue had been sitting.
"Yes, sir," Emma Frost said. Charles watched Emma lightly elbow Graydon Creed in the stomach.
"Yes, sir," Graydon mumbled under his breath angry.
"This apology is getting more irritating by the moment," Magneto uttered.
"Eric over the past few months you have put me through hell. You have kidnapped, threaten, blackmailed, lied, manipulated me into whatever position worked best for you any fucking day of the week. You know what was easy, nonirritating? All the times you said 'I'm so sorry, Anna. I never meant to cause you such harm," Rogue said as Magneto's eyes narrowed dangerously. Charles was tempted to ask Rogue to stop, fearing she was pushing his patience too far. "And then you continued doing whatever the fuck you wanted with me anyway."
"Is there a point to this rant?" Magneto asked dryly.
"You love me," Rogue said strongly much to Charles' surprise. Charles heard gasps behind him. "I looked. I saw when you first realized it and I felt it from your point of view and still you've been able to put me through what ya have," she said disgusted.
"What happened today with Juggernaut and the van was an accident," Magneto stressed.
"Wait, Rogue really was in a car accident?" Graydon Creed asked quietly confused.
"I know that," Rogue said seeming to not have heard her brother's question. "I get that now you're atoning for all of it, and I appreciate that-"
"But?" Magneto asked interrupting her. "There's always some stipulation you expect me to play along with after you appreciate something I've done for you," he said as Rogue's eyes narrowed in anger.
"That's 'cause every time you do one decent thing there are five more lies to uncover, Er-"
"Anna, just call me Max," he sighed. "I don't care if they know my real name," Magneto said.
'The first sentence he ever said to me was a lie,' Charles realized in shock and anger.
"So?" Magneto asked Rogue calling Charles attention back to the conversation.
"Fine, I won't start listing stipulations until we met for the truce-" Rogue said her arms crossed over her chest.
"That is not what I meant. I merely wanted you to be aware I've noticed a pattern in arguing style," he said.
"I also say, fuck, a lot and I use verbs," Rogue said condescendingly. Magneto stared at her blankly. "Ya wanna point out those details too, captain obvious?" she asked annoyed. Magneto placed his hand over his mouth for a moment.
"Would you, please, sit down so I can put the shield up already?" Magneto said gesturing towards the seat.
"Fine, but if ya stopped being a lying, manipulative, jackass ya wouldn't have anything to apologize for," Rogue told him with a smirk. "And-" Rogue started to say before she stated something in German. Charles was shocked as he heard Magneto chuckle and replied in German. Rogue laughed in response as she sat down.
"But, seriously, Max, if this apology was convenient for you, it wouldn't mean a god damn thing," Rogue told him.
"I know," Magneto said gazing into Rogue's eyes a moment before the magnetic shield reformed around them. Leaving Charles baffled to discuss the past few weeks with two of Magneto's subordinates.
Okay, it's voting time! Now, remember way back in chapter 26-28 when I had trouble figuring out how to explain what was going to happen during the emergence? I brushed over a lot of details, not explaining who did what, etc. However, I do have it all typed out. Now, here's the thing, if I was ever going to explain within the fic who did what NOW would be that time.
So, here's the vote:
Yay: have Emma and Graydon explain to the Professor and the others who was responsible for what during the emergence. Yay, you get to find out the details of Rogue's and Magneto's plan! Or,
Nay: Just get back to Rogue and Magneto's talk and forget the details of the emergence!
Once again, I don't want to spend a lot of time writing up something people may not want to read and might not enjoy. That would be a waste of everyone's time so... It's all up to you! Please vote! You guys have six days to response! Thank you in advance to those for you who take the time to give me some feedback! It's always appreciated! ^.^
Oh, here's a fun question; does anyone have any thoughts on what Rogue said in German to make Magneto laugh and his response? I've already got an answer in my head but if anyone comes up with something funnier than mine I will SO use it instead!
Thank you for reading! Please vote! :)
…...