"Mutie...Freak...I hope the sentinels get you!"
The X kids seemed to be getting insults left and right throughout the day. "Man I am so ready to run away from this place and never come back." Kitty said with a sigh.
"Yeah, it's even worse than last year." Rogue agreed. "But hey, at least I get to look forward to driving us back to the institute!" Kitty exclaimed happily. Rogue stopped for a moment to stare at her best friend.
'I hope Kurt gets to the car before we do.' Rogue thought as she continued to walk with Kitty. "I suppose we should count ourselves lucky there wasn't a whole lot of mutant bashing at Principal Kelly's little welcome back assembly."
"Defiantly, for a minute there I- KURT!" Kitty abruptly stopped talking with Rogue to glare fiercely at her friend, who happened to be sitting in her favorite seat.
"I was going to drive us home!" Kitty wined loudly. "Whew, thank the lord for Kurt." Bobby mumbled as he walked past the two girls and climbed into the van.
Kitty stopped glaring at Kurt to start sending death glares to Bobby. "I hate Bobby Drake!" Kitty said loudly, causing Rogue to grin. "You and the rest of the world." Rogue said while shaking her head. "Com'on lets just get back to the institute."
Kitty sighed but followed Rogue's example and climbed into the van. "Out of the front seat Drake!" Rogue told him with her best stern look. "If Kitty can't drive, she's going to have shot-gun."
"What?" Bobby asked surprised. "I'm afraid she's right my friend, sorry." Kurt backed Rogue up while giving Bobby a pat on the back.
Bobby sighed in defeat before wisely getting into the back seat, because like the rest of the X-Kids nobody wants a ticked off Kitty. Not that Kitty was devious or anything, but last time they'd got Kitty mad she'd suddenly wound up with dinner duty the next day...which had probably been the work of one very devious Tabitha, who had recently re-joined the X men.
Needless to say after that incident Kitty never got dinner duty again, and the Xavier Institute was now stocked up on stomach related medicine.
The drive back was about as pleasant as could be, with a bunch of students whining about school. By the time they finally reached the institute most kids didn't even wait for Kurt to put the van in before hopping out and joining the other students using their mutations in the yard.
'Well at least they waited until they got back.' Rogue thought before moving to sit under an oak tree, away from the others. 'That should be you.' The dark voice whispered.
Rogue sighed as she took out her homework. 'Don't focus on that.'Rogue reminded herself. 'Just focus on that French essay.' She thought calmly. The french essay that had only been handed to mutant students.
PANG!
Rogue sighed loudly as she looked up from her work to see a ball of ice hit the angel statue fountain at the front of the institute. Rolling her eyes she picked up her things, deciding she'd done enough for one day.
She been very glad she wasn't hit with anything on her way to the institute doors. "Rogue could you join us in my office please?" The professor asked her telepathically.
"Sure thing professor." Rogue answered as she altered her course and headed toward his office. The door was open and inside was Professor X behind his desk, Magneto, Storm, Wolverine, Scott, and Jean in front of him.
"You wanted to see me professor?" Rogue asked. The professor gave her a warm smile. "Yes, Rogue. The way I heard it you had quite an impact on the students today." The others stared at her.
"Ummm, well I guess so." Rogue replied feeling slightly nervous.
Professor X continued to smile. "There's no need to be hesitant to claim responsibility. The way I understand it, there wasn't any...use of mutant powers due to your talk with the students."
Rouge fiddled with her hair. "Oh, you heard about that." She met his eyes. "Professor, I honestly didn't mean to scare anyone, the kids just wen't taking it seriously, and it doesn't help that Principal Kelly's been in a sour mood since the election."
"Scare anyone?" Scott asked with an eyebrow raised. "I.. mentioned that there had been some talk about sentinels coming to the school."
"Well done, Rogue." Magneto praised. Rogue looked up surprised she was getting praise from Magneto of all the people. "Someone had to warn those children what is going to happen."
"Yes, well, Rogue's talk with the students seemed to do the trick, there were no pranks use of mutation of any kind, thankfully." Professor X added.
"Honestly Professor, I'm surprised there were no outbursts. The prejudiced is even worse than last year, and Principal Kelly isn't exactly keeping it a secret that he hates us." Rogue turned to Scott and Jean. "You should have heard the...jerk, he even brought you two into it."
"Rogue that jerk, is your principal." Scott reminded her. "Yeah I know Scott, it's just hard to respect someone who doesn't respect you back."
Jean gave Rogue a sympathetic look. "We know Rogue, just do your best."
"Wait, you said their'd been talk about sentinels coming to the school, Chuck you think I should install some new sentinel simulations in the danger room?"
"Hmmm..." The professor tapped his chin. "I think we need more information on the sentinels." Rogue spoke up. Though she immedietly regretted it, now everyone's eyes were on her again.
"I mean, you know, weak points, easiest way to take fool them, stuff like that. If we train the kids to do nothing but destroy the sentinels they might get the wrong idea when the sentinels show up at school. And we wouldn't want to give Principal Kelly a field day if you know what I mean."
"Rogue is right Logan, we don't need the students attacking non aggressive sentinels, and then getting kicked out of school. However we do need more information on the sentinels." The professor nodded in Logan's direction.
"I doubt the government it just going to hand that over, especially since it was made public the Xavier Institute was a school for mutants." Rogue said.'Damn I just can not keep my mouth shut today.' Rogue thought to herself angrily.
The professor in-haled. "Yes, that is true. I'll have to spend more time thinking about this one."
"In the meantime, Rogue I know your not one to crave the spotlight, but with Jean and Scott busy with college, they can't always have time for the X-Men, so I find myself in need for a new student authority figure."
Rogue looked into his eyes disbelievingly. He wasn't getting at...
"With the display of reason you managed to talk into the students this morning I have finally come to a decision. I am offering you an official position of authority over the younger X men. Should you accept, you would share leadership of the X men with Jean and Scott."
Rogue stared stunned. "Are-are you sure professor?" Rogue asked hesitantly. "Yes, Rogue, I have thought long and hard about this."
'My god, he's serious about this! Me, a leader of the X-men!' Rogue wasn't sure she wanted to do this, being a leader isn't always what it's cracked up to be.
(Flashback)
Rogue and the others were standing on the steps of a trashed mansion after the party they had been busted for having. Scott stepped forward. "Professor I accept the blame."
Rogue knew what being a leader meant. Scott accepted the blame thought it had not been his fault, he had been tricked into leaving the mansion with Jean. He didn't know anything about the party.
Rogue was tempted to say no...besides like the professor had pointed out she wasn't one for the spotlight.
But that's when another thought occurred to her...this morning she realized she was the oldest, the most mature, the one that could talk reason into the students.
"I-I know being a leader and in a position of authority isn't all it's cracked up to be professor...but I feel like I'm up for the challenge."
The professor beamed. "Glad to hear it Rogue. I'll inform the other students at dinner, so please be there."
Rogue returned the professor's smile as she nodded and left his office. 'Looks like some people have caught onto me not attending dinner, well I knew someone was going to notice something sooner or later.'
By the time she got to her room Rogue was cursing herself. 'Why would you accept a position that would only cause you harm?' She asked herself. 'Now it's going to be ten times harder to hide my crazy impulses to touch people!'
Angrily she pounded her fists on her bed. 'Damn! Damn! Damn! I'm not only putting my sanity on the line, but my friends lives as well!' Rogue finally relaxed her body after several minutes before heading to the shower.
Before she stepped in she took a look at the clock. 5:28, still thirty minutes until dinner, plenty of time to get numb.
'Five minutes until I have to attend the worst meal of the day.' Rogue thought angrily as she continued to brush her hair. She was interrupted by a knock on the door.
'What now?'
She was expecting Kitty or maybe even Storm, but she certainly wasn't expecting...
"Magneto." She said surprised.
He was wearing black slacks and a black button up shirt, which made his eyes and hair light up. Strange now his eyes were light green, but then again maybe Rogue had imagined them to be dark green. He was no doubt...kinda sorta...attractive, Rogue decided.
"Did the professor send you to make sure I came to dinner?" She asked.
"He asked me to remind you to attend." He stared her down for a minute. "Ah, right, because I can't make it there on my own." She snapped angrily at him.
Apparently the shower had not improved her mood any. Magneto sighed. "Rogue if you only attended dinners regularly, I wouldn't be here."
She lowered her eyes at him in anger, she knew he was telling the truth, but hey that's hat made her angry. Rogue didn't respond as she shut off the lights and closed her door.
With one last defiant look at him she stalked off down the hall. She didn't notice him following her until he spoke up. "Out of curiosity why don't you attend dinner?"
"Maybe I'm just not in the mood to deal with people." People being telepaths, two in particular.
He should be one of the few people to understand that. And it seemed as though he did understand, as the rest of the way was walked in silence.
I wasn't really planning to make Rogue a leader of the X-men but I'm pretty sure I can find a way to make it work.
RR:
Saay: Thanks for the review! I hope this chapter is as good as the first.
Marigab: ppst..you wanna know a secret? I like Rogneto too! That's probably going to be where the romance in this story is.
Introverted-Verses: Thanks for your review!
tx peppa: Yeah I've been thinking about Rogue's thoughts too, I'll probably go deeper into that in the next chapter.