"She's gonna be alright, isn't she?" Logan asked Hank as the furry blue doctor finished applying temporary dressings over Rogue's multiple wounds. The team had reassembled in the Blackbird moments earlier and were waiting for Storm to complete a final overhead sweep of Alcatraz before they could take off. The fact that Phoenix's body had not been found made them all uneasy, leaving them wondering if it was truly over. In the meantime, Logan anxiously hovered over Rogue's body as she lay on a cot while Hank examined her.
Wrapping one more piece of gauze around Rogue's pale hand to cover the three gaping cuts on her knuckles, Hank appeared to not have heard Logan's question as he muttered to himself, "Going to require stitches, most definitely. The burns, now, those must be carefully - "
"Hank!" Logan barked, cutting into his musings. "Is. She. Going. To. Be. Alright?"
The doctor looked up, his blue eyes wide behind his spectacles. Removing his latex gloves as he stepped away from Rogue's side, he heaved a deep sigh and replied, "Physically, yes, she'll be fine in a few days. She has a few minor burns over her body as well as several third-degree burns. It will be painful for her when she wakes up, though it's nothing life-threatening." Pausing, he turned to regard Rogue once more as a perplexed expression crossed his features. "The bruises look nasty but are superficial, while the lacerations on her hand will need stitches. As far as I can determine, she has no internal injuries to speak of, but I'll know more once we get her back to the lab where I can run some tests."
Logan nodded, not moving from Rogue's side as he studied her peaceful face. An ugly bruise bloomed across one high cheekbone and a small patch of burnt skin covered her left temple before disappearing into her hairline; other than these injuries, her features remained the same. He brushed an errant lock of platinum hair from her brow before asking quietly, "So why isn't she awake?"
Hank shook his head. "I don't know. She has no head wounds that I can determine, so she has no physical reason for being unconscious. I'm at a loss as to how - "
Just then Storm entered the jet, cutting Hank off in mid-sentence as the weather goddess went straight to the pilot's seat, her face unreadable. "Buckle up," she said, flipping switches and controls to prepare for take-off. "We're leaving."
Kitty began to help Jimmy fasten his belt from their seats in the far back of the jet where the boy's power couldn't reach the others while she studied Storm's stoic face from the corner of her eye. Finally curiosity got the better of her and she asked, "Did you find anything? Is Phoenix - "
"I don't think we'll be seeing her again," Storm said shortly as the jet rose into the air.
Bobby frowned from his position next to the still unconscious John, puzzlement evident in his clear blue eyes. "How do you know?" he asked. "I mean, did you see her body, or..."
He trailed off as Storm pointed mutely out the windshield of the jet, indicating the spot on the island where Rogue had been found. There on the ground surrounding the area where she had lain was the huge outline of a Phoenix in flight, composed of ashes that still retained their form despite the water falling over it.
"That... that's Jean?" Kitty squeaked in wonder as she gawked out the window at the amazing sight.
"What's left of her," Bobby said slowly. "But how? I mean, unless she turned herself to dust, the only other option is if Rogue touched her and - " Comprehension dawned in his eyes as he realized what happened. "Rogue touched her, then used her power to kill her," he finished in a rush as everyone turned to look expectantly at Rogue who had yet to move a muscle.
Hank nodded, looking as though his worst fears had been confirmed. "Rogue touched her and absorbed her mind into her own."
"And now she's inexplicably unconscious," Kitty added uneasily, her face turning pale at the implications.
A loud snort rang out, and they all turned to see John rubbing his forehead, a disbelieving expression on his face as he caught the last of their conversation. "God, how did I get myself mixed up with you psycho's in the first place?"
Bobby turned to him with a scowl as he raised an ice covered fist threateningly. "Try anything and I'll make that head butt I gave you look like a love tap," he promised while John merely rolled his eyes at him.
"It's less intimidating in a sweat suit, Bobby," he replied, a mocking grin on his face. "What happened to your spiffy leather uniform?"
As his face turned red, Bobby was spared from answering when Piotr gestured towards Rogue whose eyes began moving rapidly back and forth beneath her closed lids while her long black lashes fluttered.
"Well," John stated wryly. "The engine's running."
Piotr nodded sagely before adding, "Yes, but who is behind the review mirror?"
An awkward silence ensued, broken by Kitty who said in a soft voice, "Um, I think you mean 'who's behind the wheel.'"
Looking thoroughly chagrined, Piotr nodded sheepishly as he shuffled his large feet. Meanwhile, Rogue's eyes continued to move to and fro, though the rest of her body lay motionless. The tension in the jet was palpable, as though a bomb was set to explode at any minute, and when John spoke suddenly, everyone jumped.
"Let me see if I have this all lined up: Rogue's alive, but she's probably... what, possessed by that crazy Phoenix broad? And when she wakes up, then what? Is she gonna vaporize us all or something like that?"
Logan growled at his words though they brought a chill up his spine. It was what everyone was thinking, and he himself grew more and more uneasy the longer Rogue remained unconscious. He didn't like the restless way her eyes were moving beneath her lids, as though searching for something.
"Uh, guys?" Storm's worried voice came from the front where she manned the jet, sounding completely unlike her usual cool, aristocratic tone. "We have a bit of a situation here."
Everyone faced her expectantly, waiting to hear what had gone wrong. They watched as she frantically hit buttons and entered numbers into the computer before she turned in her seat to face them, her expression stricken. "I'm not flying the jet! It just... it just stopped and reset it's coordinates and now it's running by itself!"
Hank's jaw dropped in shock as he rushed over to the co-pilot's seat. "What are the coordinates set to now?" he demanded, futilely pushing some more controls and switches before sitting back in defeat.
Storm looked at him with wide frightened eyes, and when she answered him she addressed the whole group. "Alkali Lake."
John began unbuckling his seat belt, cursing under his breath before Bobby finally noticed him. "What the hell are you doing?" he asked just as John leapt to his feet and moved towards Kitty.
He stopped in front of her and glared down at Jimmy. "C'mon Squirt. You got a job to do."
"John!" Storm admonished in a scandalized voice as she continued her struggle with the uncooperative jet.
"What?" he replied not moving his eyes from the small boy he still towered over. "It's what you do, isn't it? Get rid of mutants powers? Get over there beside her and do... whatever it is you do."
Kitty had wrapped a protective arm around the trembling child who shook his head at John's fierce words, his face wan. "I can't," he whispered. "She's too strong. I can feel her. Even from here, I can feel her."
John raked his hands through his hair in disgust, his lips curling into a sneer. "Well that's great. That's just great. So now what? We just...wait?"
Storm sat back in her seat, resignation in her eyes as she half turned to him and replied, "We wait."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The rest of the flight to Alkali Lake passed in silence as the jet steered itself to it's final destination. Rogue's eyes still continued their constant movements, but beyond that she had yet to move an inch. Logan maintained his vigil by her side, his gloved hand clutching hers while his intense stare never left her face.
"C'mon Kid," he murmured softly, hoping to see any signs of change. "Come back to me. Don't leave me like this." Lowering his voice more so the others couldn't hear, he whispered hoarsely, "Please Marie. I need you."
The feel of the jet beginning its decent jarred him back into his surroundings, and he turned to see the others sitting tensely in their seats as the sound of the landing gear lowering filled the cabin. Moments later they touched the ground lightly, a landing so gentle that not even the most skilled pilot could have achieved it.
"Well, we're here," Storm announced as she unbuckled her seat belt while everyone else followed suit. Rising to their feet, the team collectively peered out the windshield of the jet, seeing nothing but inky darkness. Logan reluctantly joined them, standing by Piotr as they all stared outside expectantly.
John tapped his fingers impatiently against his leg, clearly wishing for his trusty lighter to occupy his restless hands before asking, "So what the hell are we doing here? I don't see a goddamn th-HOLY SHIT!"
His loud exclamation made them all jump in surprise and as one the team turned to see what had made him cry out. The sight that met their eyes gave them all a jolt of shock.
Rogue was awake.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Disclaimer: Don't own the X-men, but I like to pretend.
We're now winding down with this story. i figure another few chapters and i'll be done... but i'm just having so much fun writing it! anyway, let me know what you all think of this one. inspired by the song "You're all I Have" by Snow Patrol (a L/R song if i've ever heard one)Please review! and one more tid-bit of info: i have no diea if in the movie the Blackbird was destroyed, so for the sake of this story i'm just gonna say it was double parked out on the street for a quick getaway
We're now winding down with this story. i figure another few chapters and i'll be done... but i'm just having so much fun writing it! anyway, let me know what you all think of this one. inspired by the song "You're all I Have" by Snow Patrol (a L/R song if i've ever heard one)Please review! and one more tid-bit of info: i have no diea if in the movie the Blackbird was destroyed, so for the sake of this story i'm just gonna say it was double parked out on the street for a quick getaway