In the end, Rogue found that the majority of her team was returning with her. Havok would stay long enough to be molded into a true leader, and Psylocke had agreed to join them until they could find another telepath to take her place. Victor said he would stick around for a month or so, depending on how long it took to get into Storm’s pants. Gambit and Pyro would both return to become permanent residents at the school and possibly to join the team.
Logan was anxious to return to his students, completely certain that they had all lapsed on their training. Especially Jubilee. In the three days before their agreed departure, Rogue and Logan had avoided each other like the plague. He found he wasn’t ready for her to tell him no, and she found she wasn’t quite ready to say yes. The other’s all felt that this justified the two were soul mates.
The morning of their departure, Rogue found herself in the company of Mystique and Destiny. Although she hadn’t spent much time with the blind mutant while she was here, she found a growing affection for the older woman.
“You will be missed sorely, Rogue,” Destiny told her slowly, their hands clasped as they sat side by side on the couch. “You have more strength and wisdom than you give yourself credit for. Once you get control of yourself and leave all those uncertainties behind, you will find that you are more capable than even those you look up to. You are going to do great things with your life. I know many of them, and yet I feel that what I have seen is only the tip of the iceberg.”
“What have you seen?” Rogue asked. She was curious to know what other obstacles she would have to over come. Even with Destiny’s reassuring words, she wasn’t sure she could take much more of this.
Destiny only smiled, her lips pierced tightly together. “Just know that not everything is written in stone. Your future is a series of paths with each decision acting as a fork in the road. Some things, though, you will not be able to escape, no matter what choices you make. Such as that man who insists on growling at everything around him.”
Rogue choked on her laughter. She would miss her greatly.
“Is there no way I can talk you into staying with us?” Mystique asked wistfully even as they heard the obnoxious noise of the men in the kitchen. “I’m begging you.”
“I’m already going to give you somewhat of a break from all of them,” Rogue replied sweetly as she stood from the couch. “Just be thankful that it’s only Pietro that’s staying behind for now.”
“Agh! He’s the worst of the bunch,” Mystique complained. “If that man ‘accidently’ knocks over another piece of crystal, I swear I’m going to cut off his damn legs.”
Rogue laughed as she left the room, ready to get her team together. It was time to return home.