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Chapter Thirteen of

Taunting Repartee- RM'd

Track 13

As Rogue entered the Professor's office she couldn't help but smile. Emma and Graydon were both there waiting for her. Graydon, she noticed with pleasure, had his reddish brown hair neatly cut and brushed. He was so often preoccupied with other matters that he'd forget to run a comb through it in the morning.

'Emma's a good influence on him,' she thought fondly. The russet finish to his hair was complimented in the red hues of his flannel shirt, and made his brown eyes pop. He had on a simple pair of blue jeans and black gloves, considerate of him to be the one to prepare for her. She couldn't help but notice that the older he got, the more he looked like their father.

Emma was as elegant as ever, even in casual clothes. She wore a blue long-sleeve shirt, white slacks, and a pair of white gloves. Her blonde hair was far longer than the last time Rogue saw her...how long had it been? They had come to Irene's for Christmas, two years ago? Had it really been two and half years since she'd seen them?

"Anna-Marie," Emma greeted her warmly as she and Graydon walked over to her. She was grateful they were both wearing gloves, she didn't feel self-conscious about hugging either of them. Emma got to her first and embraced her fully, giving her an extra long hug, almost like she was trying to make up for lost time. "You've gotten so tall," she commented as they pulled apart. "Graydon, look at how tall your sister's gotten," she said and Rogue couldn't help but roll her eyes, even as she was smiling.

"Yeah, guess it's been a while," Rogue said sadly.

"Too long," Graydon said, as he pulled her into one of their dad's patented bear hugs. She wrapped her arms around him in response, and did her best to breathe through it. Graydon didn't have super strength, but he was plenty strong enough. "I know I get caught up with work and time just seems to disappear. But we're not letting this happen again, okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, definitely," Rogue agreed as they squeezed each other tightly. It felt good to be with family that wasn't afraid.

"So, you've been busy," Graydon commented as he pulled back.

"Yeah, like you wouldn't believe," she said.

"Tell us about it," Emma said, gesturing toward the small couch the Professor kept in his office.

"Where do I start?" she asked as they walked over to the couch, she sat in the middle and the two of them on either side of her. It felt- not suffocating, but a part of her knew it was intentional. They had been sent to bring her home, to re-recruit her for their boss. She was glad to see them and knew the feeling was mutual but it was tapered slightly knowing there was an agenda at play. She blinked as a thought came to mind. "How was dinner with Magneto last night?" she asked.

"It was…fine," Graydon said before he could catch himself. He blinked, surprised as he and Emma shared a look. So, she had predicted that too? Was she right about everything then?

"Y'all discussed strategy, right?" she asked next as she looked back and forth between them. She found her brother was easier to read and focused on him. "The best way to get me to come home. What'd'ja y'all decide on?" she asked, wanting to get this out of the way. If it was out in the open then she wouldn't have to worry about dissecting everything they said, searching for the subtext hidden within every gesture and comment.

She watched her brother scratch the back of his neck as he shared another look with Emma. There was a pause and she realized they were most likely speaking telepathically.

"Anna-Marie, darling," Emma said as she felt a hand on hers. She looked over at her, waiting for an explanation. "We talked less about you, and more about Xavier," she said.

"What about Prof?" she asked warily.

"What steps we may have to take if Charles Xavier attempted to deny us access to either of you," she answered.

"What do ya mean?" she asked the blonde woman.

"I wanna meet Kurt," Graydon said as Rogue sat back more fully on the couch so she could see them both at once. Emma seemed to recognize what she was trying to do and scooted forward on the couch ensuring she could, rather than having to turn her head every few seconds.

"However," Emma continued, "the Wangers signed custody of Kurt over to Xavier when he came to the States."

"I'm sure it made getting his student visa much easier," Graydon added. "But no one signed your custody over to Xavier. Mom would never agree to that," he said and Rogue found herself nodding along. It made sense. The Professor had called himself her guardian, more than once. But was that in name only? Wait, did that count as a lie? Had he lied to her?

"No one wants to get lawyers involved," Emma said, pulling her out of her thoughts.

"Ahem," he said, and she noted the grin on his face.

"No one wants to get more lawyers involved," she revised, giving Graydon an amused yet incredulous look. And Rogue couldn't help but laugh along with her brother at the correction. "But if he tries to deny us something as simple as taking you out to lunch, we're going to protest," she said.

"Legally," he said. "We want to take Kurt out too, obviously, but if Xavier doesn't allow it, we don't have the same legal argument for him as we do for you," he said.

"Okay," Rogue said as she crossed her arms over her chest. There was a lot to think about there. She didn't want this to get ugly.

"We're hoping it doesn't come to that," she said.

"But we're prepared if it does," he added.

"And that's all y'all talked about with Magneto last night?" she asked.

"He explained a few things to us, things we didn't know," Emma answered.

"Like what?" she asked.

"What's going on with your powers, why you switched sides, and how Xavier took advantage of you," Graydon said.

"He didn't know," Rogue defended yet again.

"Conveniently," Emma said, clearly unconvinced. Rogue let out a sigh at that, but didn't say anything else further. "Magneto and Xavier aside, we want you home with us," she said, bringing the focus back to her and them.

"Like we said last time, we've already got a room with your name on it. It's up to you if you wanna live in it," Graydon said. Rogue blinked.

"What do ya mean, like last time?" she asked, confused.

"When you were twelve," he said, hesitantly with surprise. "Emma and I got our apartment and we offered you a place to stay," he said with an arched eyebrow.

"My sister Cordelia has been living with us since then. She needed to get away from our father, so we did offer it to her first, but we also thought you two would get along and of course, we wanted you with us," Emma said, her tone half apologetic but utterly sincere.

"I thought it would be better than living with the nanny, but you said you wanted to stay with Irene and that you didn't want to leave your school," Graydon finished.

She blinked before she felt her eyes narrow. Someone had lied to her, the question was who.

"When exactly was this?" Rogue asked.

"You don't remember?" Emma asked.

"No, I don't and I don't forget things," she said firmly as she watched the two of them share another glance.

"Your mother?" Emma asked him, and he nodded grimly.

"Yeah, it's possible," Graydon agreed as Emma's eyes narrowed.

"Is that why they told us not to bring it up at Christmas?" Emma asked, disgusted. Graydon made a disgusted noise as he caught her train of thought.

"Oh, you gotta be kidding me," he exclaimed, livid as he stood.

"Anna-Marie," Emma said as she looked at her again. "Irene and Raven told us not to reiterate our offer because of how much it upset you," Emma explained.

"Seriously?" Rogue asked irate. "God, I-," she thought as she ran a hand through her hair.

So, it wasn't just since she left Mississippi. This had all started so much earlier than she knew. But why not let her live with her brother? They had all been on the same side, right? Magneto's?

She blinked- well, her mother didn't work for him anymore. Did Irene know that was going to happen? Was she aware it was going to be three factions, rather than two, and kept Rogue with her in Mississippi to give her and Mystique the best chance for Rogue to join theirs?

But- that didn't make sense either. Then why would Mystique help her prepare for the interview with Magneto? She was so supportive. What was her mother's angle in all of this? What did she want from her? Aside from the interview, she hadn't seen her in months. At least, that she knew of. Maybe her mother had been closer than she knew? But who-

"Hey, you okay?" Graydon asked, pulling her out of her thoughts and she realized he was sitting next to her again. She hadn't even noticed him come over- she had been too caught up in her mind. Rogue shook her head, focusing on the two members of her family in front of her.

"I felt so alone in Mississippi after you and Dad left and mom went to Bayville," she said looking at her brother. "I would've jumped at the chance to live with y'all," she realized.

"And we wanted you with us. We still do," Graydon said, his hand on her shoulder.

"Okay," she said.

"Okay?" Emma asked, her voice with a tinge of hope.

"No, I mean," she said before she sighed again. "Thank you. I didn't know any of that," she said. "I've got a lot to think about," she said yet again. Another offer, another angle, another aspect to factor into her decision. Assuming they were telling her the truth. God, she didn't want to go there- but at the same time- she really needed to see this memory for herself.

She doubted either of them would be comfortable with her absorbing them- given how much of a liability she already was to Magneto, she felt it was a safe assumption that he had cautioned them against it. Emma was telepathic, she could just show her the memory- but on the other hand, Rogue, as an X-Men, couldn't let Emma into her mind for the same reason. There was Graydon's mind …okay that gave her an idea- a compromise they would probably agree to.

"I'll be right back," Rogue said as she stood.

"Everything okay?" her brother asked as he stood with her.

"Yeah, I just need a minute," she said as she rushed to the door. "Wait for me here, okay?" she asked.

"Alright, darling," Emma agreed easily, though she saw her shrug at Graydon.

"Thanks," Rogue said before she left the room.

About ten minutes later, Rogue arrived at the Danger Room's control center. Mr. McCoy and Storm were coordinating the session, a rather large one with all students' save her involvement. Which was unusual but made sense given the Professor's scan of their minds. It was probably a lot easier to check for mental tampering with everyone altogether.

"Ah, Rogue," Mr. McCoy said, surprised. "Are you joining us after all?" he asked.

"Sorry, no," she said, a little uneasy, given the stern look Storm was giving her.

"Where's Logan?" Storm asked.

"Talking to the Professor," she answered. "I just need to ask Jean for a favor," she explained.

"Give us a moment," Mr. McCoy said as he shared a look with Storm. "Danger Room, pause session," he ordered and the room obliged. She watched some of the students let out a sigh of relief. It had been a few hours, she guessed they could use a break.

Next, Storm reached over and pushed a button on the consul and spoke into a mic, "Nightcrawler please teleport Jean up to the control room," she said. A brief moment later, in a puff of smoke, they both appeared.

"Please tell me it's lunchtime," Kurt said before both he and Jean caught sight of her.

"Not quite yet," Mr. McCoy said kindly.

"Sorry I interrupted y'all," Rogue said.

"No, interrupt us, please," Kurt said as Jean let out a giggle.

"It's been a long morning," Jean said with a tired smile. "What's up?"

"Could I borrow a dose of your powers?" Rogue asked.

"Ah, sure," the other girl said as she walked closer to her and outstretched her hand. Rogue removed a glove and gently pressed her bare fingers to Jean's. She only kept contact for a few seconds, not wanting to knock her out, and pulled back as soon as she knew she had taken only a small measure. She was relieved to see that Jean was still conscious, though seemed a bit unsteady.

"Thank you," Rogue said as she put her glove back on, she could see a question forming on Storm's lips and really needed to avoid having to talk about Graydon until she was ready to introduce her brothers to each other. "Ah, Kurt, not as important, but could I borrow yours too?" she asked before anyone else could say anything.

"Ja, I don't mind," he said and she smiled as she walked forward and gave her brother a kiss on the cheek, taking a small dose of his powers.

"Aww," she heard from Jean as she saw the smile on her little brother's face.

"Thanks," she said again before she quickly teleported back to the Professor's office, not giving anyone in the Danger Room control room a chance to ask her why she needed Jean's powers. "Thanks for waiting," she said once she stood in front of Emma and Graydon again.

"All good, little sis," Graydon said warmly.

"I have access to telepathy," she explained. "Gray, would you let me read your mind to see that memory? And Emma could ya monitor me so y'all know that's the only thing I'm looking at?" she asked.

Emma and Graydon looked at one another as they took in her request before the door to the office opened, the Professor and Logan joining them.

"Is everything alright in here?" the Professor asked, his voice was calm but his demeanor was not. He seemed a little panicky as Logan closed the door behind him. A low growl escaped him as he looked at the pair. Emma and Graydon seemed to stand up straighter as well, as they eyed Logan, the obvious threat in the room, at least to them. Though the look on Gray's face was more curious than anything, though he moved to stand between Logan and Emma.

"Yeah, everything's fine," Rogue answered, trying to defuse the hostility. Hank or Ororo must have informed the Professor about her borrowing Jean's powers. "I just need ta see a memory in Gray's head," she explained, so they knew there was nothing malicious happening regarding her borrowed skills.

"Wolverine, right?" her brother asked as he stepped forward. "I'm Graydon Creed," he said, offering the man his hand. Logan scoffed. "I've heard a lot about you," he added

"'Course ya have," Logan grunted and took his hand. Rogue watched as he gripped it tighter than really necessary.

"Come on," Graydon said, seemingly unfazed. "My dad shook my hand harder than that when I was ten. Put some muscle inta it," he ordered playfully. Logan's lip curved upward as he tightened his grip. "That's more like it," he said as they shook, Graydon used his free hand to pat Logan's shoulder. "Nice ta meet ya," he said before they pulled apart.

"Nice ta meet ya too, kid," Logan said almost reluctantly, though the sentiment seemed to be genuine.

"Rogue," Graydon said, turning back to her. "I don't have a problem with you reading my mind. But I'm staving, so how about we do that on the way to lunch?" he suggested.

"Yeah, I'm okay with that," Rogue answered, looking back and forth between him and Logan. "But what about Kurt?" she asked.

"I wanna meet him. I do. But the three of us need to talk about some stuff. More than any of us knew, right?" he asked while Rogue nodded. "So, I can meet him when we get back," he said.

"We have a very generous pantry, Mr. Creed. We're happy to offer you both lunch. Dinner as well, should you need ample time to talk. And you're more than welcome to keep using my office for privacy," the Professor offered. Graydon and Emma looked at one another and Rogue instantly knew where the conversation was heading-

"Charles Xavier," Emma said firmly.

"Wait," Rogue interrupted; before things got ugly, before any threats could be issued. "Just give me a second ta think, okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, no problem," Graydon said, as he held his hands in the air in a placating gesture. "What you suggested before, it was a good compromise," he said, gesturing to Emma with his head towards the couch. "You got another one of those up your sleeve, I'm all ears," he said before looking at Emma again.

"We both are," Emma agreed as Graydon's hand dropped before they both sat down on the couch.

"You think. We'll wait," he said, making himself comfortable on the couch.

"Thanks," Rogue said with a smile before she looked over at the Professor. She could tell he didn't fully understand what was happening, but he nodded at her regardless, trusting her. She nodded at him before she took a breath and turned back to her train of thought.

They clearly wanted to take Rogue out of the mansion. It wasn't about eating lunch, it was about testing the Professor to see if he would allow it and if not, employ their threat. Emma came from money, Graydon was a lawyer and Magneto clearly supported the tactic since they had discussed it at dinner the night prior. Resources wouldn't be a problem. How hard could the Professor afford to fight if the situation landed them in a family case courtroom? Would it even come down to resources or which telepath had less scruples about utilizing their abilities to sway the Judge's mind?

God, no, she couldn't let any of that happen. This was her decision. No one else's.

But she also understood the Professor's reluctance to let her leave with them; fearing this was another tactic to isolate her and that Magneto would join them for lunch. So, how did she deal with that? How could she-

She blinked before turning to look at Emma.

"Hey, can you get Magneto on the phone, please?" she asked.

"Assuming he's not busy," Emma said as she reached into her back pocket and took out her cell phone.

"He knows y'all are here. He'll pick up on the first ring," Rogue retorted, utterly certain of her statement.

"Rather presumptuous, but I'll try," Emma said as flipped open her cell phone and dialed a number. No sooner had Emma placed the phone by her ear, was it apparent, by the look on her face, that he had picked up. "Yes, sir," she said before handing her the phone.

"Thanks, Emma," she said as she stood. She saw the looks of bewilderment on Emma's and Graydon's face and the expressions of concern from the Professor and Logan. She took a deep breath as she walked toward the window, turning her back on them all. She'd need to focus her attention on Magneto and that would be difficult with everyone staring at her. At least with her back turned she could ignore them.

Okay, how best to broach the subject? She knew what she wanted; his word, a clear concise promise, and the peace of mind that would give the Professor given the tactical significance of Magneto's need for her trust. So, how should she-

Wait, he hadn't said anything yet, right? No, he hadn't. He was waiting? He was giving her time to think, to consider her words? Emma and Grey had done the same. They had to have talked about this last night at dinner, right? They all seemed to understand how important taking time to think was to her. Okay, yes, the real Magneto knew that. But not why. At least he wasn't supposed to since she hadn't told him what the Professor had done. She had barely been conscious of it before Friday night. That was only two days ago and she hadn't spoken to Magneto since- Well, she had in her dream, which was starting to seem more and more real, the more details lined up with what she had seen yesterday morning.

'Girl, slow down. Go over it again,' she thought, her mind was racing and she needed to ensure she was making any leaps in logic. 'The only way Gray and Emma could know about what Prof did is if Erik told 'em. … They definitely know so he did. … which has gotta mean,' she thought before a calming huff left her. "Hey," she said into the phone.

"Good afternoon, Anna-Marie," he said pleasantly. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked.

"Erik …you know exactly why I'm calling," she said, his response was an immediate chuckle, all but confirming she was right.

"Presumptuous," she heard Emma whisper behind her, she didn't have to turn her head to see Emma was probably shaking her head.

Okay, this wasn't going to work. She needed privacy to speak with him, she needed to focus.

"Excuse me," Rogue said, to everyone, Magneto on the phone and those in the room, as she made her way toward the door.

"Rogue," the Professor called, though she forced herself to ignore him and the concerned look he gave her as she rushed to the door. "I would prefer for you to stay here. Perhaps, we could speak to him together," he said, stressing his desire to help.

"Need a moment?" Magneto asked.

"Yeah," she answered.

"Take your time, my dear," Erik said as she heard the sound of a chair reclining, a distinct metal click of an office chair leaning back fully. She could almost see the smirk on his face as he relaxed, preparing himself to enjoy their conversation.

"I'm sorry," Rogue said as she opened the door. "Please trust me," she said, looking at the Professor again.

"I do, Rogue, it's Magneto I worry about," he said.

"It's easier this way," she said.

"Easier for him, perhaps," he said.

"No, for me," she said strongly as she turned to face him. "I know so much about him and it's hard to focus on what I can and can't talk about in front of others," she said. An excuse perhaps but still true.

"Those concerns are precisely why you shouldn't speak with him alone," the Professor argued.

"But," she protested.

"Yeah, gonna have to agree with cue-ball on that one," Graydon said as he stood and joined her by the door. The Professor looked conflicted; he was pleased she wouldn't be alone, but obviously wished she would allow him to take control of the conversation. "We'll come back after they're done talking," he announced to the room.

"Hmm," she said uneasily, looking at the Professor. He seemed at a loss as well.

"Rogue, you don't need his permission to have a conversation," Graydon pointed out. "You wanna talk to Magneto?" he asked.

"Well, yeah," she said.

"Then that's what we're doing," he said as he opened the door further, and he ushered her out of the room

"Sorry," Rogue said to the Professor as he closed the door behind them.

"So, where're we going?" he asked. Her immediate instinct was to take solace in her adopted bedroom. So, she put her hand on her older brother's shoulder and teleported. "Not bad," her brother commented as he looked around the room. "Ohh, it's got its own bathroom, fancy," he said, a hint of mocking in his tone. She rolled her eyes as she placed the phone back against her ear. Graydon was walking around the room, taking in the space as she realized the call had dropped. She opened up the caller ID and redialed the number. It wasn't his number in Jericho. Maybe he had a cell phone afterall? Once he had gotten after Christmas last year?

Her thought was interrupted as he picked up during the first ring.

She took a deep breath before she said into the phone, "okay."

"You have my word, Anna-Marie, I will not interrupt your lunch with your siblings. I know this is important to you and will do nothing to spoil the occasion," he promised as she could now hear the smile in his voice.

"Or the ride home after lunch," she added pointedly and he immediately chuckled in response.

"Understood," he said amicably. Despite herself, she felt a smile creep across her lips.

"Thank you," she said, before she winced at herself. She shouldn't need to thank him for not ambushing her. That was stupid, she wished she could take it back.

"You're very welcome," he said, his demurred tone somehow suggesting he understood her immediate regret. She blinked at his empathy, at his- Regardless of his claim, he shouldn't know her that well. It was practically a rehash of the start of their conversation yesterday morning, in her dream. But not as well handled on her part. But that hadn't been real? Right?

"Erik, we've," she paused, choosing her next words with care. "We've talked like every day this week," she said, adding an air of frivolity to her tone. He could point out that it had only been since Thursday. Or that they hadn't talked on Saturday, dismissing her claim.

A beat passed before he asked instead, "what of it?"

She felt her eyes darting back and further as implications flooded her mind. Was she overthinking it? He didn't have to dismiss her claim. Even three out of four days could be considered excessive. Though this afternoon was her doing, not his. He had sent her older brother, as she had expected. A day later than she thought, but still, this was the next move she anticipated from him and he had played it. Besides, if Magneto was certain he wanted her by his side then maybe he hadn't even thought that-

No, he had said he enjoyed reading her mind, the implication was there. He knew more about her than he should. He had stalked her, definitely. The questions were; when, how much, and how often?

"Magneto, don't you have anything better to do?" she asked, mirroring what she had asked him in her dream the day prior. Curious what his response would be.

"Securing a second master of magnetism?" he laughed. "Frankly, my dear, no," he said, his tone turning serious, "little else trumps that endeavor," he responded.

'Then why'd ja wait a month to contact me?' she thought.

He could've been performing reconnaissance, sure. Well, yes, the Fragment had told her she was worth the effort because of how important she was and Magneto had just reinforced that notion. He would gain a second version of himself, given what he could do, the practical applications of having that were endless.

But if that was the case, why did he spend so long observing her from afar?

'He can astral-project. If I'm that important, why didn't he just enter my mind himself and overlap the fragment-' she thought before she felt her breath catch in her throat.

"You okay?" Graydon asked, taking in the sudden change in her demeanor.

"Oh my god," she gasped before she covered her hand over her mouth.

"Are you alright?" Magneto asked, concern in his tone, a concern she recognized from her many conversations with the Fragment- with him?

"Tell me I'm wrong," she muttered. She listened to Magneto suck in a breath as she heard him stand.

"Of all the times for you to finally put two and two together," he muttered under his breath, a slight annoyance in his tone, as she heard him waking and a door open. A surge of anger overtook her.

"How is this my fault?" she exclaimed.

"I never said it was, Anna-Marie," he said.

"Ah-huh," she huffed, her eyes narrowing.

"The timing could be better, is all I meant," Erik added.

"Ah-huh," she said again, placing her hand on her hip, though her breaths were starting to come fast and her legs felt uneasy. No, anger was good. It would keep her going. But fear was creeping up on her fast. A world of implications was threatening to flood her mind and cripple her reasoning.

It was him, it had all been him. Every comment, every tactic, every touch-

"Oh my god," she gasped again. She had- it was real? All of it had been real. The things she had done with him, in this room, on this bed. All of the things she had allowed him to do to her, every moment of it had been real. All of it mattered. Thursday wasn't the first time he had kissed her. Friday wasn't the first time he had made her come, not even close. "Oh my god," she repeated, practically chanting as her feet gave out from beneath her.

"Rogue," Graydon called out as he ran over to her and caught her by the shoulders. He helped her to the bed, where he sat beside her as she shook. She was literally shaking, as her breaths came fast. "It's okay," he said, his arm around her shoulder, his gloves hand rubbing her shoulder comfortingly as she fought off hyperventilation. She felt the phone slip out of her hand as her brother took it from her. "Sir?" he asked.

"Help her calm down. I'll join you both in a moment," Magneto said, the phone still close enough for her to hear the comment.

"Wait, you're here?" Graydon asked, his question unheard by Magneto as the phone hung up on his end.

"Course, he-… he is," she muttered, almost bitterly as she tried to control her breathing.

The door opened almost immediately after that. They both looked up to see Magneto standing there as he entered the threshold. He was in his usual outfit, black pants, and belt, a white button-down shirt. His helmet looked a little strange with his more casual attire but she understood the need. The Professor was here, so he had to hide his presence.

Which is why she was surprised when he took it off as soon as the door was closed behind him.

Magneto looked between them both and Rogue watched the gears turn in his head. He was debating asking Graydon to leave, so he could speak with her alone. She firmly took hold of her brother's hand, even as she was shaking, even as she struggled to control her breathing.

She watched him give her a slight nod; an acknowledgment that her brother wasn't going anywhere. She wasn't dealing with this alone and he would have to explain himself with another present. She watched him walk over to her… no his desk, deposit the helmet, and pick up the chair before walking it over toward them. Each move was deliberate and slower than necessary. She guessed he needed as much time as he could to muster his defense.

All of her thoughts, despite her fear, seemed to align. The lines, that once held separate two entities, merged and she stared up at him with utter clarity of who she was addressing.

'How the fuck are ya gonna justify this, Erik?' she asked firmly before she used Jean's powers to put up a mental shield around her thoughts. As she watched him firmly place the chair in front of the bed, where he intended to sit, she saw his eyes flare and knew he no longer had access to her train of thought.

Finally, he sat in front of them both and their eyes met again. The look she found there held no shame or remorse. But rather the same righteous conviction that governed his every action. The fire in his eyes seemed to say, 'Watch me.'