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Chapter Six
Of A Simple Favor:
On March 8th, 2002, around 10:00 am Rogue sat in study hall, she had taken a seat fairly close to the window, enjoying the occasional distraction from her textbook. She glanced up, needing one of those distractions, and by a tree, her eyes caught sight of a strange refraction of light. She tilted her head from side to side as she pinpointed its location. Then her eyes scanned up to where she assumed Magento's eyes should be.
She felt something bump into her hand and glanced down at her desk to see her pen. She pulled out her notebook from beneath her textbook, lifted the pen, and placed its tip on the paper. As she felt the pen move, she loosened her grip but kept her fingers on the pen itself to assist in the illusion.
In handwriting, not her own, the words "And a good morning to you as well," appeared. She had to keep herself from snorting as she read the message in her mind with his voice. She glanced up out the window again but the refraction had disappeared.
'Why does he always move?' she asked, annoyed. 'He knows I can see him. He doesn't know how and there ain't no way I'm ever telling him, but he knows. Why's he gotta move around so much?' she asked as she scanned the area searching for him again.
Realizing she still had his powers from the previous night, she turned them on and scanned the area. It didn't take her long to find him. Since he was wearing his uniform, his entire body was encased in magnetic fibers and his helmet alone was pretty distinctive. With access to his powers she could pretty much feel everything he was doing. The slightest twitch of his fingers wouldn't escape her notice, if she chose to focus on him.
He had moved away from the second floor, where she was, and had floated down to the first floor. He was headed towards the right side of the school.
What was on that side?
'Wait, where's Mystique?' she asked herself. She should be in computer class with Kitty. Which was on the right side of the school, the first floor. 'Okay,' she thought as she monitored his progress.
She reached out towards the computer lab and attempted to find Mystique, which also wasn't difficult since she had a gun stored in her stomach. In her actual stomach. Which seemed bigger than it should it like she had used her powers to morph her vital organ into a larger size to fit the gun. Which was kind've tucked in towards the top, avoiding the acids at the bottom of her stomach. She had no idea how that could be comfortable but she guessed there was an advantage to being able to just reach into her organ and be armed.
Her attention turned back to Magneto as she felt his feet touch down on the ground. He was now outside the window of the computer lab, as he crossed his arms over his chest. He promised to disarm her but she still didn't understand how he was going to do that from-
She let out a gasp as she felt the gun melting. He was- he was melting the gun into Liquid Metal. Only the bullets remained whole.
'Oh my god,' she thought as she felt the metal swirling inside of Mystique's stomach. Most of it had sunk down into the acids and was still moving? Oh, god, was he agitating the metal? And keeping the bullets from falling into the acid? Rogue felt Mystique's body leave the metal chair and there was pressure against the metal? Mystique was holding her stomach, maybe? Was she in pain? She must be with the way she bolted from the classroom. God, where was she going- the girl's bathroom, she realized.
Magneto was- he was pursuing her from outside the school, and she felt him fly after her. But he was still outside and- Nope, no, he thrust his hand forward and pulled back, the hallway window unlocked itself and flew open under the effects of magnetism.
As Magneto entered the school and closed the window behind him, Mystique ran into the bathroom and he was- he was right behind her.
The door to the girl's bathroom- it- oh god, it stayed open longer than it should've and now they were both in the bathroom.
She didn't- she didn't sense anyone else in there. But felt a shiver run down her spine as she felt the lock of the bathroom turn itself.
Rogue's heart was racing as Mystique ran into one of the stalls and was- she felt hands gripping on the toilet bowls and the hands grew in size- she must've morphed back into herself as- oh god- metal was dripping into the bowl- was she? Oh god, she was vomiting, wasn't she?
Yeah, yeah. As the metal spewed forth she felt specks of metal running over Mystique's lips. Rogue felt her stomach twist into a knot. She wanted Mystique disarmed, not hurt.
Oh god, what was Magneto doing? He was just standing there? Yeah, she could feel that his arms were crossed over his chest. Was he waiting for her to be done?
Rogue felt like she was going to be sick herself. She didn't- this isn't what she asked for … was it? No, no, she just didn't want Mystique to shoot anyone. She didn't-
Rogue felt Mystique's hand slip off of the toilet bowl and she was- yeah, she seemed to be done. She felt a hand grip the top of the stall's door and skin pressed against the metal stall door- it was- she felt breaths, shallow breaths hitting against the door and the small specks of metal that were still on Mystique's lips and cheek.
She felt as the metal specks moved off of Mystique's face and were flicked into the toilet bowl before she felt a foot kick the toilet's handle flushing the metal down the drain. Rogue hoped Mystique was okay-
Oh god, Magneto was moving now, closer to the stall Mystique occupied. Rogue swallowed as she felt the stall's door rip open and a foot kicked against the stall- had she tried to attack him? Oh god, she felt Magneto's hand- it was gripping something. It was, she could feel his fingers gripping around bare skin- her throat? Oh god he was choking her and she could feel it: her fingers tightening around her skin, Mystique's racing pulse as she clawed at Magneto's hand. She felt her foot make contact with Magneto's side but with his armor, he was unphased by the attack.
God- he needed to stop, he needed. Could she? No, no, using Magneto's powers against him was- it was a bad idea- he was- she wouldn't be able to stop him. She was sure of that. The way it hadn't phased him when she had access to his powers- he was so unthreatened by the idea- she knew she couldn't stop him- but his hand was encased in magnetic fibers- all she had to do was reach out and loosen his grip- just a little?
Rogue felt her heart skip a beat as she felt Magneto's helmet tilt slightly, his head turning in her direction. He swiftly turned back towards Mystique. He retightened his grip as he slammed her up against the stall's door. Magneto's hand gripped her throat as she felt Mystique's feet pressed up against the stall door like she was getting ready to attack again- but
She didn't and now he wasn't doing anything either. Were they? Yeah, they had to be talking- they- He was threatening her, wasn't he? Warning her this was but a taste of what he would do to her if she ever brought a gun into Bayville High again.
And while she didn't want Mystique to be armed or hurt anyone she felt- why did Mystique need a gun anyway? No, no, this was her fault right? Because she asked for help? God, she had so many conflicting thoughts.
She focused on the bathroom again and Magneto was- oh thank god, he was letting go of her throat and Mystique was- back on her feet? She- yes, she was using the sink- cleaning out her mouth and Magneto was leaving the bathroom. Okay- okay, this was good. He was leaving her and she was okay- ish. She would check on her during lunch. She'd see Risty at lunch and-
Wait, where was Magneto going now? He was flying through the halls and up the stairs and- oh god was he coming towards her?
Rogue scrambled, pulling her textbook out from under her notebook. She adjusted her body- realizing how much tension she was holding in her stance. She needed to appear relaxed and- she had done this before- for weeks when he first watched her and he had thought her seeing him was her imagination before- she just- she had to get this right and maybe he-
He was standing outside her classroom door now, his arms crossed over his chest and she had her gaze firmly fixed on her textbook. She just-
'Don't look, don't look- don't- wait,' she realized. She did need to look- but not towards the door. She lifted her head up and glanced out the window again- she tilted her head slightly as she pretended to look for him. Once she was certain he had seen her try, she looked back down at her textbook, rolling her eyes at herself.
She felt him tilt his head but he remained outside the classroom door. Rogue felt her heart beating in her chest but fought to keep her body language neutral. She glanced back up and out the window for several more- long agonizing seconds.
Why wasn't it working? Why wasn't he leaving? Nothing about her physical appearance would suggest that she- She reached down and grasped at her bracelet, the metal studs that lined the metal in her leather cuff were right on her wrist. She focused on them and- Oh god, he could feel her heartbeat, couldn't he? He knew- he definitely knew.
But knew what? She wasn't even sure if she had used his powers on him- she had thought about it, sure, but- had she actually done anything? She didn't actually know and- it's not like she had done anything wrong, right? He wasn't going to hurt her. He had promised that, multiple times and she believed him- but then- why was she so scared right now?
Because he was dangerous? She had known that since December and still, she had asked for his help. Was that her mistake? Okay, she really needed to think her next favor though. She didn't want Magneto hurting anyone because of her. She's asked for his help to prevent anyone from getting hurt and while Mystique wasn't her favorite person this wasn't what she wanted.
But, on the other hand, she couldn't deny that it was probably effective- and she felt bad- she really did- but she was talking about the same woman who once threw a boulder at her for catching her in a lie. She had asked for Magneto's help because Mystique had tried to kill her before- in anger, yes, but still, she had tried. And Magneto had never even raised his voice- she had, in a single night, become his greatest liability and he had approached her with nothing but empathy and kindness. If Mystique had treated her with even half the level of respect Magneto did, she would probably still be in the Brotherhood.
So, why was she acting like she was scared? Why was her-
Oh, her heart wasn't racing anymore- she felt- calm? Yes, calm.
She glanced up towards the door, where she knew he was still standing, and once again looked where she assumed his eyes should be. She let out a long sigh and then she felt his helmet move, down and up. He had nodded at her, she realized.
He stayed there another moment before turning to leave.
She was okay.