Part 12- ‘A Force Unseen…’
Hank struggled to persuade Bobby to sit still long enough for him to apply the bandage to his head, he couldn’t be sure if it was the boy’s hurt pride or adrenaline from the ‘fight’ with his ex that had him in a state of hyperactivity.
Doc McCoy had come to expect his lab to be filled with broken, injured and bewildered mutants of late and he had one particular mutant to thank for his latest influx; Rogue. She had either deliberately or inadvertently had a hand in placing them all here.
There was Scott, stretched out on bed, a man who he was sure hadn’t slept for weeks, heavily bandaged with his shoulder in a sling, and Bobby who had been cleared from having a concussion but not, according to Logan from being a complete ass.
Logan, Hank couldn’t help but feel sorry for his old friend, the physical injuries the ones the doctor saw could be bandaged and healed but what of the injuries done to Logan. Dealing with the treachery and desertion of a woman he had come to love was a pain no salve could fix. Hank saw him leaning heavily into the corner, pressed close to the wall a black look filled with anger crossing his face. Hank knew better than to talk to him whilst he was in this state, better to let the Wolverine wander into the woods behind the mansion and take out his frustrations on the old trees. Nobody in their right mind would want to cross those claws tonight.
And the Professor, he would see this as a personal failure, because he couldn’t reach the girl in time to make her see the destructive path she was taking. Showing each mutant that they had a higher purpose, a place in the world alongside humans had been his life’s work. Seeing one of his first, and Hank did not doubt one of his favourite protégés out of control had to be painful.
Rogue had been a favourite with so many at the academy, how would they take the news? How would the other students react to the fact Rogue had joined the other side, Magneto and his band of mutants? It had hit Hank hard, and he had been around long enough to have his share of disappointments in life. Rogue, though at times had been brusque and hostile, her southern charm and humour had soon won many over. She had been a constant presence at the academy, and although lately even he had noticed her pulling away, it would be strange not to see her around the academy.
‘What did you say to her?’ Logan’s quiet but firm voice brought Hank out of his silent reverie. He was slightly unnerved as Logan finished his sentence with his more than usually gruff snarl. His question had been addressed to Scott and as Logan moved over to the injured man Hank also moved instinctively in that direction. He did not doubt Logan was capable of violence, right now with Rogue’s defection Hank wasn’t sure of anything not even of the X-Men turning on each other.
‘Nothing…’ managed a weak Scott.
‘Bulllshit!’ Logan cried out furiously, ‘you must have said somethin’ to her; there was no way she would have…’ He seemed to falter.
‘Attacked me?’ Scott finished the sentence for him. ‘Because that’s what she did Logan, Rogue attacked me.’ But Logan was adamant.
‘What did you say to her?’
‘Rogue hasn’t been herself of late Logan we all know that, attacking a fellow X-man, well it’s something I did not expect. But it is not wholly unusual if she was seeking to cut all ties with us, with the academy ensuring there was no return, well then turning on her team mates would be….would be the way to go about it.’
Professor Xavier wheeled his chair towards Logan and Scott ready to interfere if he needed to. His voice faltered a little as he spoke. The strength he had sensed from Rogue was overwhelming; the power had resonated from her and it was matched by her anger. And to think all this time he had been worrying about another rising, had been worried about The Phoenix. And all this time this incredible force was or had been right in front of him, that he could have missed it was terrifying. The fact that she was perhaps on her way to join Magneto was even worse.
‘And what did you do to her Professor?’ Logan’s accusation caught him completely off-guard. He stared up at the angry man, whilst Logan advanced toward him. Hank knew there was no way Logan would hurt the Professor but he couldn’t help but be on edge all the same.
‘Rogue said you had been in her mind before. Is that why she was so angry? Had you been in there without permission?’ Logan’s voice rose with every word until he was practically shouting, ‘that’s it isn’t? You forced your way in there.’
‘I had no choice,’ Professor Xavier’s eyes narrowed and his voice grew stern, he could feel everyone’s stares fixed firmly upon him, judging him. ‘What I saw, what she had done to Siren and that man that she killed...’
Killed, that was news to Scott, Hank and Bobby, their eyes widened in shock. The Professor continued, ‘What I saw was such anger, bitterness and this overwhelming hate, it was as if she was covering herself in this black cloud, I had to force my way through. To see and to know what she had become…’
Logan stepped forward once more, ‘what do you mean, what has she become?’ His voice faltered. The Professor merely shook his head sadly, ‘I don’t know Logan, all I know is that she has this tremendous power, all the life sources she absorbed over the years she is somehow controlling them, using each ability as and how she wishes, it is a force unseen…’
Professor Xavier paused a little as the effect of his words were absorbed by the others, ‘But that is all I could get, she resisted me I couldn’t see any further.’
Logan’s hands balled into fists and he struggled to contain his claws, he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. ‘You had no right, that’s why she was so angry, you violated her. That code of practise you go on about, it meant nothing, you swore you would ever invade the mind of another, and you broke that promise to her.’
‘Logan, aren’t you listening…’ Professor Xavier gestured desperately, ‘I had no choice.’
‘That isn’t the way she sees it, as far as Rogue is concerned it’s another betrayal by someone she trusted.’ Logan looked around the room first at Bobby, who rightly cast his gaze downward; Logan briefly closed his eyes clearly counting himself in the tally of those who had hurt Rogue, before opening them again and settling his stare on Scott.
‘What did you say to her Summers, she didn’t just attack you did she?’ Logan’s voice was softer now, pained and slow.
It was a long while before Scott spoke; he pulled himself in the upright position, his long legs dangling from the bed to the floor, ‘I told her…I said it was she who should have died.’
‘What?’ Logan hadn’t heard right, he couldn’t have.
‘I told her that she should have died instead of Jean, that we didn’t want her on the team, and that I advised against it. I told her that’s how everybody at the academy felt, that she would always be an outsider, and that she would never be….’ He faltered before speaking again, ‘that she would never be wanted.’
Scott shut his eyes tightly and seemed to curse under his breath, repeating the words he had spat at Rogue only a few hours earlier suddenly resulted in him realising the devastating effect his words must have had. Had he really wished her dead? What had he done?
But it was Logan’s disappointment that sounded the loudest, merely shaking his head he made his way to the automatic glass doors, before turning and simply saying, ‘And we wonder why she left.’
His shoulders were heavy and sagged as he walked down the cold corridor, what had they done, what had they all done?
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Logan, Hank couldn’t help but feel sorry for his old friend, the physical injuries the ones the doctor saw could be bandaged and healed but what of the injuries done to Logan. Dealing with the treachery and desertion of a woman he had come to love was a pain no salve could fix. Hank saw him leaning heavily into the corner, pressed close to the wall a black look filled with anger crossing his face. Hank knew better than to talk to him whilst he was in this state, better to let the Wolverine wander into the woods behind the mansion and take out his frustrations on the old trees. Nobody in their right mind would want to cross those claws tonight.
A/N: The X-Men finally realise just what they've done to Rogue...and it ain't pretty.
A/N: The X-Men finally realise just what they've done to Rogue...and it ain't pretty.