~Chapter 8~
Seeing the large hand coming her way, she dodged to the left. Coming to her feet, she missed the foot huvering above her.
"Phase Kitty! Now!" Bobby yelled, as he deflected the animated Piro from punching him.
Gasping and allowing her power to take her, she sighed in relief as she passed right throught it.
Shaking his head at the two who always looked out for the other, Logan was soon brought out of his thoughts, as a scream sounded on his left. Blocking Mystic's high kick, he quickly back handed her, and rushed over.
Being slammed into a tree, Rogue couldn't contain the scream that tore from her throat. Falling to her hands and knees, coughs started to befall her. Hearing rapidly moving footsteps approach her, she lept to her feet and balled two fists.
Shkkk!!!
Staring at her miniture claws poised at his throat, Logan raised an eyebrow. "You still..."
"Yeah." She replied, dropping her hands and giving a cough. Looking past him towards Mystic and Sabortooth coming their way, she frowned. "Looks like we have company."
Following her gaze, he nodded. "So it seems." Chancing a glance at her small claws, he cleared his throat. "Know how to use them?"
Smirking, she sheathed two on her right hand and left the middle one up. "Ofcourse, ah learned fro' the best."
Laughing, the two launched an attack on the two rivals nearing them.
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"Rogue, I do not believe you told that you still have Logan's mutation." Charles stated, an hour later, when all were in the briefing room.
Giving a lazy smile, she ran a hand through her hair. "Ah kinda' forgot to mention it."
"Forgot or didn't want to mention it?" Logan voiced, from his seat across from her.
"Both...Ah don't use the claws unless ah have no choice...and when ah tend to use them, my inner Wolverine takes control."
"That would explain how insync you both were." Ororo added, as she sipped her tea. "You both moved with such grace, but at the same time it was wild. Every movement you made Rogue was...it was..."
"Very graceful." Gambit stated, beside her. Wrapping an arm about her shoulders, he smiled. "You have a way about you that comes off wild, yet gracefull all together. And Gambit likes, and he likes alot."
Clearing his throat, Charles regained their attention. "Rogue, how much hand-to-hand training have you taken?"
"None."
"Excuse me? If you didn't take it, then how did you..."
"Logan's memories. Ah don't have to tap into them, but when ah get in certain situations, the Wolverine will take ova'."
"Then I recommend that you take some training."
"Ah'm fine, professor. Ah don't need..."
"I would feel much better if you did. The Wolverine inside your head may choose to not aid you in an instance and..."
"He would always come to ma' side, no matter what. Even if ah don't want it. He gives me advice sometimes or just lends an ear. It's like ah got ma' own personal friend in ma' head."
Gambit groaned. "Please don't say that, ma'chere. That makes Gambit queezy, cuz' you have another man in ya' head."
Laughing, Bobby shook his head. "You should've been here years ago when she had several. That would've driven you crazy."
"Just like finding out ya' boyfriend of two years cheated with yo' so called best friend?" Rogue rather coldly spat.
Promptly closing his mouth and removing his arm from around Kitty's shoulders, he fell silent.
Hank frowned. "I see someone still holds a grudge."
Coming to her feet, Rogue glared across the table at him. "Got something to say, fuzz ball?"
"No, but it's a shame that you three can't be that close anymore."
"Close...Ah gave my all to a boy who turned around and slept with my so called best friend who ah saw as a sista'. If ah don't want to be bothered with neither of them, then please, forgive me."
"Rogue, don't take your anger out on Beast." Kitty voiced, standing.
"I deserve it, not him."
"Yeah, ah know that, but if ah get a hold of you, ya' won't come out alive."
Shkk!!!
Placing both hands on the table, her voice lost all emotion.
"Like ya' always told me, you feared to be gutted inside out. Don't tempt me to make that come true."
Instantly paling, she fell back into her seat.
"Rogue, that is enough." Charles barked, eyeing her. "You get control of your self right this..."
"She is in control." Gambit stated, watching as she retook her seat. "That wasn't the Wolverine nor the Pheonix. That was all Rogue."
Calling the claws back, she sighed. "Ah'm sorry proffessor, for ma' out burst, but somethings still get under ma' skin."
"I uh...I understand." Clearing his throat, he turned the convensation back over. "Now, about the training..."
"If you really want me to do it, ah will. But at times during a fight, ah might become lost to the Wolverine and ma' claws may come out." She stated, in her soft and seductive southern drawl.
Nodding, his gaze moved towards Logan. "Do you think that you can make time for her, after your classes?"
"I might be able to."
"Good." Facing Rogue, he smiled. "Then your training shall begin today, whenever he is free and..."
"Noon....I'll be free around noon." Logan added.
"Noon then...your training can be at noon today. Is that okay with you?"
"Yeah. Ah'll be free and..."
"But ma'chere, we have plans." Gambit voiced.
"We can always reschedule and...."
"Just not at noon. That will be the time for training now on." Logan's hard voice sounded.
"Then I will have to see when the theater has a later show for that play."
Smiling, she kissed his cheek. "Thanks for understanding."
He merely shrugged.
"Then it's all settled then. Noon training shall begin...you are all dismissed and free to go on with your regular schedules."
Watching as all left, Logan grabbed Scott and shuved him back into his seat.
"What now?"
"I slept with her."
"Who?"
"Marie."
Scott shook his head. "What the hell is the matter with you? She's with Gambit and..."
"She showed me my past and I was a nervous wreck. She was there and we just..."
He held up his hands. "Okay, I get the idea. No need to share the details. It's going to be awkward when you two train, ya' know?"
"I know."
Sighing, Scott folded his arms. "You want her to be with you, don't you?"
"Oh, jezz, what could've gave you that idea?" Logan bit out.
"Well, I told you what to do and you didn't wait for your chance to..."
"Rogue said she loves me."
Choking on air, Scott eyed him. "Come again?"
"She loves me." He repeated.
"Did she say that during..."
"No...before. And the night she came back, she about confessed then, but that damn Cajun interupted."
"Damn...Well, all I can say is, don't get caught. And by the heavens, don't mess around with her until her and him are over. Cuz' she will be the one hurting more than anything. Her heart will eat away at her for hurting Gambit to follow said heart."
Nodding, the two went their seperate ways.
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Hearing the sound of footsteps, he turned and froze.
Droping her towl and bottle of water on the bench, she softly paded over towards him. Wiggling her toes in the grass, she raised an eyebrow. "Wha' wrong, sugar?"
"Where in the hell is yo' clothes?" He barked, eyeing her flat stomache and round breast. "You don't train in..."
"Ah do, Logan. Ah'm just like you there. Ah don't like to wear shoes and less, the better movement ah can do." Tying her hair up and allowing her streaks to frame both sides of her face, she smirked. "So, where do we begin?"
Growling in the back of his throat and forcing his eyes from her sport's bra, he motioned her over. "I want to first see what you can do, since ya' said you fight off my memories."
"So basicly, your jus' going to sharpen me up to be more like you?"
He nodded.
"Ah don't know about that...ah fight the Wolverine in ma' head all the time when it comes to fighting. And if ah feed him, he'll..."
"You will also learn a stronger form of meditation, that will help you to contain him." Reaching out a hand and placing it on her stomache, where three light markings laid, he frowned. "You still have them."
"Yeah...they jus' didn't want to go away." Placing a hand over his, she smiled back in his dark brown hues. "Jus' like a certain person, that always stayed in ma' heart."
"Marie..." His husky voice rang, as he lowered his head to claim her lips.
Turning her head and taking a step back, she faced the figure nearing them. "What's wrong, Jubilee?"
Coming to a hault before her, she sighed. "It's Dr. Rayson. He's here and looking for you."
"Wha? When did he arrive?" She demanded as she took off in a dead run for the briefing room. "Ah shuda' sensed him and..."
"He had to hide his presence, because the Brotherhood is after him." Scott replied, as all three entered the room.
Pausing, her gaze moved towards the tall and muscular man who bore scars over his body. Quickly moving to his side, she frowned. "Mystic?"
"Yes."
"Where's the team? Are they here with you and..."
Smirking, he nodded. "I knew you would want them. Their exploring the mansion. So I take it, you want to launch an attack on them?"
Growling, she balled a fist. "That woman doesn't deserve to live, after wha' she did to Mist."
Jubilee frowned. "Chicky, don't blame yourself for her dieing and..."
"If it wasn't for me going after Sabortooth, she would still be..."
"You gave her an order and she didn't listen." Dr. Rayson's stern voice sounded, demanding all attention. "Mist was still angered that you took over the team after her being rendered incompetent to lead them. You are the leader of that unit and she decided to go against your order for her to aid the kids to the jet. She may have died, but the kids that you saved and risked your very life for, are more than thankful." Pausing and reaching into his pocket, he placed a bracelet on her wrist. "Ang wanted you to have this."
Fingering it, her eyes watered. "She's awake?"
"Yes. She happened to awaken just yesterday afternoon and was asking for you."
"Is she..." Pausing and taking a big wiff of the air, she looked towards the entrence. "Ang."
Smiling the small six year old burst into a fit of speed. Laughing as she caught her and fell against the table, Rogue happily hugged her. Closing her eyes and running her hands through her hair, she started to shake.
"I missed you, Roguey." Her small and squeeky voice sounded.
"And ah missed you, lil' bit." Pulling back and fingering the necklace around her small neck, Rogue smirked. "Ah see someone still has my chain on."
Blushing, she grabbed the dog tags in clear view. "And you still have the Wolverine's on."
Laughing, she eyed a confused room of people. "This is Angela. She and ah have been kinda' attached to the hip, since ah saved her. She was in a mild coma when ah left."
Ororo nodded. "She kinda' resembles you and..."
"She can absorb people traits through her skin like mine, but her power is more like Mystic's." Dr. Rayson replied, taking a seat. "Since that day Rogue saved her, Ang refuses to allow her traits to fade."
"But she looks kind of like..." Pausing and looking towards the man with chops and folded arms, Bobby fell silent.
Placing Ang down, Rogue smiled. "Ang has the ability to go into the human mind and see a person's inner desi...uh, ah mean happiest moments." She finished, as Jubilee gave her a raised eyebrow. Ignoring it, she was soon facing a frowning Gambit.
"Gambit isn't a happy moment for you, ma'chere?"
"You are, but uh...Logan and ah have history and ev'thang that led up to today, wouldn't have been possible if he didn't take a chance and help a hitchhiker out." She calmly replied, as her mind was screaming that was a bold face lie.
"But you and I have been together for years, ma'chere? Why can I not be a happy moment in your life?"
"You are."
"If I were, then why does she look the way she does?"
"Is that wha' this is about? Her taking after Logan?"
"No...But the fact that after all that we have been through, I am not good enough be a happy moment in yo' life and..."
"He is the reason why ah'm here and without him, ah wulda' died back on Statan Island. So forgive me if ah hold him in a higher light and..." Eyes going wide as flames raced up her figure, her gaze landed on Dr. Rayson. "Something is wrong." Her now scratchy voice rang. "Ah feel..." Closing her eyes and floating up in the air, a bird made out of pure flames developed her.
Closing his eyes and scanning her mind, Charles frowned. "The Pheonix is angered and...I am not sure, but it despises Gambit now and..."
"No." Rogue's harsh voice sounded, as she started to ball up and tears started to course her face.
Growling and taking a step, Logan found a hairy hand upon his shoulder.
"Don't. The intensity of the flames will..."
"If I can take what Jean dished out, then I sure as hell can take this."
Beast frowned. "Logan, I know that you want to help her but..."
"She rejected me." Gambit's low voice sounded, as he nursed his badly burned hand. "She...the Pheonix denies my aid in calming it."
Dr. Rayson frowned. "This is not good. Without her having someone that can help her balance the thrall and power the Pheonix has over her, Rogue will only walk the same path that Jean once did."
"No. That can't happen." Scott's shaky voice sounded. "We already lost Jean, we can't lose another."
"And I sure ain't hell, gonna take the kid's life." Logan's gruff voice rang. "I gave my word that I would protect her, never hurt her. And I ain't gona start now." Shrugging Beast's hand off, he leapt on the table and was instantly engulfed by flames.
Feeling the heat upon his skin and the pain errupting all over, he could only push it to the side, as he slowly moved towards her. Having his skin once more peel away as he faced Jean as the Pheonix, he found himself at a loss of speed, but none the less, he pushed on.
Balling her knees further into her chest and hands on her head, she wanted to scream. Her head was ringing and her neck was on fire. Literally. Just as she moved to scream, a hand touched her back. Jumping and instantly coming out of her ball positon, she narrowed her eyes at him. Noticing who it was, she couldn't contain the relief that flooded her. Witout any thought of where or who were around them, she threw her arms around his neck and burried her face in his neck.
Wrapping his arms around her and running and hand through her now loose and wild mass of hair, Logan sighed. "It's okay, kid. I'm here."
Pulling back and staring in his eyes, her hazel one's gave a slight glow. "You promise?"
"I promise, Marie."
Smiling and pulling him closer, she gave him a light kiss on the corner of his lips. Closing her eyes and placing a hand on his neck, she sighed. Just as she lost conciousness, one word left her mouth and she collapsed into his waiting arms.
"Mine."
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