A complicated mutation (One on one)

Sometimes, strange things happened. The Xmen were used to strange. They were mutants. But sometimes, the cosmos threw one hell of a wicked curveball at you. Once such curveball was in the future of the Xmen, in particular, the future of Rogue, the sexy, sultry southern belle with superhuman strength, the ability to fly, and the ability to absorb energy directly from the cells of whoever she touched.

Most mutants had fairly straightforward powers. Rogue's abilities were mostly absorbed from another mutant, one Miss Marvel. Her comrades had varying abilities, from being able to form and manipulate ice, to shooting focused beams of high intensity light from one's eyes. This new mutant, however, could change everything known about the world.

Jack Devereaux was fairly normal. At least, he thought so, until the day he was attacked by a hulking tower of metal and plastics. A Sentinel, he remembered hearing about them on the news. He himself had no problem with mutants. But this monstrosity came after him directly. That could only mean one thing. He had to be a mutant. That was a surprise to him, of course, but it also was an annoyance. It meant the government clearly had information that the people should have, and it wasn't sharing.

The emotions triggered by that revelation tripped something within him. Something held dormant within his very DNA. But it also did something else. A longforgotten bit of organic machinery grafted to his body when he was a child, during an abduction by an alien race of unknown origin, awoke. With his genetic awakening, the machinery came to life, bonding with him.

It was a surprise to him, and the Xmen, who had arrived on scene to see the Sentinel looming over a young man with no hint of powers, when he held up his hand, and in it appeared a large, very heavy looking weapon. The weapon in question was a minigun. A very big, triplebarreled minigun. As the barrels started rotating, the optical sensors that were the eyes of the Sentinel refocused, narrowing. It started to back away, raising it's hand to fire a concussion beam. It never got the chance, as high velocity rounds tore through its armor like a hot knife through jello. The mechanized soldier didn't even get a chance to send a warning signal before its head was torn to shreds by the high speed ammunition.

As the body of the Sentinel fell to the ground in a smoking heap, the clip at the back of the big weapon fell as well, ejected out the back, only to be replaced just prior to the weapon vanishing in particles of light.

Jack's voice came out clearly, but almost mechanically. "Target threat has been neutralized." Then he turned, and saw them. His eyes widened, and his voice returned to normal. "Oh crap. What the hell did I do now?" The looks on their faces made him wonder if he should be on the run.

OOC: looking for someone to play the sultry, sexy Rogue. This version
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f21/ravenofangelfire/300px-Rogue_014.jpg

Could I join this thread or has another woman claimed the position of Rogue?

Nope, no one's claimed it. You're free to post as her.

Rogue could almost not believe what she had just seen, I mean come on ya'll that boy over there had just taken down a Sentinel with only a couple of shots. Granted those shots had come from a minigun of some kind. But damn the only time she had ever heard or seen one was from the Kree memories that she had from Ms. Marvel. And even then what that boy had strapped to his arm was much much more advanced than what her memories showed.

If it wasn't for the fact that flight was second nature to her now she very well might have just fallen out of the sky when that Sentinel's head came off. And in her long life of 27 years she had seen alot. She had even done alot, more then she wanted to remember. But this was a total first for her, and if she wasn't mistaken for the rest of the X-men Team. For when she looked down Logan's (a.k.a. Wolverine's) mouth was almost down on the street. He might even be able to catch some birds in there if he was really sneeky.

Rogue tried to access Kree memories or plans on something like this, but the only thing that came up was the fact that about 14 or 15 years ago there was a plan to merge Kree and another type of alien DNA together inside a human child. But along with this they had planned to meld a type of organic type of weapon to the child's body. But to her or more accurately Ms. Marvel's memories this had not been done. Or had it????

Rogue did not know if she should fly over and get a read on the young man or if she should let someone else do it. Cause after all her ass was pretty damn invincible these days.

"Thanks Carol, even if you were a psychotic bitch. You do come in handy every now and again darlin'."

Rogue landed beside Logan, "Is it you or me this time Old Man?"

Logan considered, reaching up to scratch his chin. Whoever the kid was, he had a lot of power. Logan wasn't even sure if it was an actual mutant. The minigun reminded him of something he couldn't quite remember. And the way it had just materialized in the kid's hand, and then vanished when he was done with it, combined with the almost mechanical voice coming from his throat.... He frowned at that, then looked over his shoulder at Rogue when she asked her question.

Then he shrugged. "Up to you, kid. Might not make a good impression if an ogre like me tried to approach him. Turn on the Southern Charm, kid. This one's gonna need it, I think. He smells afraid, or paranoid. Not sure which." Logan shrugged again after that, and then turned towards the Blackbird. "I'll be in the jet. Don't take too long."

The other Xmen were just as confused. They'd never even imagined something like what they'd just witnessed being possible. It was almost like they'd seen a living weapon in action, some forgotten relic from a war in ancient times. It was enough to inspire a sense of dread of upcoming events.

Jack just watched them for several long moments, and started to edge backwards, in case he needed to run. He frowned when he saw the ogre-eqsue man walking back towards the big plane behind the party that was staring at him.

Rogue did not know how she was supposed to get this boy from running, cause it looked like that was what he was really wantin to do. And when she looked around she could not really blame the poor thing, if she was new to the mutant world and was greeted by this motley crew then she'd have probably run screaming.

Rogue thought it best if she did not fly over to him, that just might make him run faster. She calmly straightened her leather jacket and hoped that she was not showing as much curves as she usually did. Cause it was really hard to get a young man to focus on what she was saying and not her body, at least not for the last 8 years. She almost wished she had her non curvatious body back, it would not be such a problem at times like this. Rogue walked over to the young man, calmly trying to read him. It was not really working all that well. All she could sense was almost fear but yet not, but it was something close to it coming off of him.

"That was some mighty fine moves you've got there young man, mind if I ask ya where ya got that nifty little gun ya had in your had a second ago? Please do not run away from me I'm not goin to hurt you sugar, just need to talk ya and ask you a few questions thats all."

Rogue could tell that this kid wanted nothing to do with her and the X-men. But when you get a welcome like that from a Sentinel to the mutant world not many people wish to stay apart of it. Rogue just hoped that this one was not going to become apart of Mystique little brotherhood of evil mutants, God could the woman not come up with something original. She was like Magneto's lap dog of a bitch.

Anywho......

"Whats ya name young man? and is there anythin that I can do to help ya out with what you just seen and did?"

Jack blinked, confused. He saw a ravishing woman, roughly in her mid 20s (Twenty-Seven years old, his mind supplied, which confused him further), walking slowly towards him. She must have been the spokesperson, or at least, elected as such. Probably by the ogre, who had disappeared into the jet behind them. If not for the serious (and somewhat awed) lookson the faces of her friends behind her, he'd probably have greeted her with a cheesy line.

As it stood, he shuffled backwards slightly, not entirely sure he should allow her to close the distance on him. He had a theory that women that beautiful were dangerous. He wasn't really in a mood to test that theory. That was when he tripped over the remains of the Sentinel, or more specifically, one finger of the mechanoid. He let out a cry as he fell backwards over the chunk of metal, and winced as he smacked his head on the next digit.

"FUCK... Dammit that hurt. What did I...." His voice trailed to nothingness as he slowly realized what he had tripped over. He scrambled over the mechanoid, staring at it, then looked at the woman again. That was when he realized he recognized her, or more specifically, her uniform. She was one of the X-men, mutant protectors of the planet Earth (Terra, some corner of his mind interjected/corrected).

"Wow. This thing is...big. Never seen one close up before. You're the X-men. I guess that means you took this clunker out, huh? I owe you my life then. If this thing had gotten off a shot, chances are most of us would be dead." He went back to examining the giant robot as she moved closer, muttering to himself and ignoring her.

"Let's see. That's a concussion grenade launcher. Pulse burst cannon. Particle ray generator. Huh...looks like they stole Iron Man's Repulsor tech, or at least, acquired it by some means." Then his ears caught something she said. Something that sort of stuck in his mind. Something she'd asked him.

"Gun? I don't have any guns. Wait...you think I did this? Yeah right. What kind of weapon on the planet that isn't entirely biological or alien in nature could do...THIS?" He held up a chunk of composite armor shot out of the body of the Sentinel.

"Well, you know who I am or at least what I am. You also seem to know quite a bit about armor and the mechanical in's and out's of Sentinels at the very least, if not all mechanical things." This young man could be a very nice addition to the team. But she first had to make him realize that the minigun was his, and that it wasn't so bad being a mutant just so long as you didn't have a power like her's. Cause let me tell you it wasn't all the f***ing fun sucking the powers if not the life itself out of a person. That was a cake walk she hoped no other mutant ever had to go through.

Some days she wished that she really would have taken that drug that would have made her power useless. But no Gambit had to pull his Holier the All bullshit and stop her and then on top of it all the fucker goes off without his powers and finds a new girl to be with and now they have twin little boys, and what does she have. Just the f***ing job. Under her breath she says "Thats all I am ever going to have"

Snapping out of her pity party of one.

She takes a look at the boys shocked face. She does not wish to touch him just yet cause she has no clue what might happen. He might be so different that she need not touch his skin to do any damage but just to touch him at all could harm him beyond reason, and that Rogue just could not do again. Ms. Marvel still tormented her sleep at night, hell anytime she tried to sleep at all she was tormented by what she had done to Carol Danvers. The poor woman did not ask for this. She was just doing her job.

"Snap out of the pity party, Rogue."

"Well, I would like to be able to call you something besides boy, or young man. Does that shocked expession on your face come with a name? And if so can I ask what exactly you were doin' on a well know mutant battle field? Cause boy if you were wanting to die or try out a new power you really should be doin' research before the final examination, take my word for it, it's much safer...."

Rogue hope that she could keep herself together, cause since finding out that the man she thought she was in love with and who she swore loved her right back, was married to some perfect little bitch that he could touch and make love to and apparently have children with. God must hate her, cause if he did not he had a really weird way of proving his love at least for her.....

Sweet Southern charm be damned, Rogue was pissed and she was sick and damned tired of bending over backwards trying to find a way to do her calling and find love. Obviously she was only goin' to be getting one of them and love did not look like it was goin' to be it.

But first things first, this boy needed her help along with the rest of her teams, and she'd be damned if she would fail this lost boy that did not seem to have known who or what he was....

Jack raised an eyebrow, studying her face. She honestly seemed to believe he had taken this thing on the ground out. It was actually kind of amusing, he thought. But then, he did vaguely remember being chased by the monstrosity, for reasons unbeknownst to him. He shook his head, turning to study the mechanoid. Before he could stop himself, he'd reached down into the braincase of the armored soldier, and gasped in shock as images flooded his mind, flowing directly from the computer system inside it.

He did his best to try to stave off the flood of information. Really, he did. He saw places, people, files on specific mutants. Then he found the real surprise. A file on him, listing him as 'Unknown Biological Entity' with 'Massive Genetic Alterations' detected. He fell back, managing to pull himself free finally, and stared at the machine in shock.

As the information from the Sentinel slowly sunk in, he stared down at his hands, then looked at her. "Wh...what...Am I? I mean, when I first saw that thing chasing me, I had to figure either it was my views, or I had to be a mutant, but...'Unknown Biological Entity'? 'Massive Genetic Alterations'?"

Oh holy mother of god! This was the thing that Mystique was after, the mutant that she wanted to iradicate off the face of the earth. This young boy who had nothing about him the least bit threating, let alone mass murder. Destiny predicted that this young man, this UBE was going to kill all of them. Wipe them of the face of the earth.

Yeah Right!!! She was more likely be the one to do that then this poor little kid.

"Okay, calm down. I'm goin' to have to touch a I promise I won't let anythin' happen to ya. But I really need to find some answers and I don't rightly know if ya can give them to me, at least not verbally. If at any point ya feel like ya life's bein' sucked out of ya I need to say Rogue. And I promise that I will stop immediately."

God she really didn't want to have to do this. But sometimes ya have to bite the bullet and do ya best not to kill anyone.

Rogue calmly and very very slowly put her gloved hands on the boys head, right at his temples. She thought that it would be best to start with the gloves on and then go from there. No sooner had both of her hands touched his head then a stream of information was running through her brain. The young mans, whose name was Jack Devereaux, she couldn't find his age but that was the least of her worries at this point. It would seem that on top of Jack's information she was also receiving the information Jack had just gotten from the Sentinel. And the information that Jack himself could not access. The knowledge of how he became what he is.

Right as Rogue was about to disengage her hands from her head. It seemed as if the other personality that was Jack's mutant thought he had a better way of doing it. Rogue felt the fist to her face seconds before she flew back towards her team.....

Jack was confused. When the woman put her hand on his head, nothing happened. At first, anyways. Then he could feel his body being drained of...he wasn't sure what, exactly. But it hurt, and gave him a headache too. He wasn't sure what triggered his reaction. But it was instinctive, or encoded. His hand struck out, unaware that she'd just started to let him go, and she went flying. Literally, slammed for away. For a second, there seemed to be two of him. The real him, and a ghostly after image.

But the afterimage faded away, and then he collapsed, out cold. His eyes had shut, and he didn't even dream. He wasn't quite aware of what had happened, but somewhere inside, he knew he was being picked up by several hands, and carried...somewhere. He had no idea that they were carrying him into the Blackbird, to see if they couldn't find out what had just happened. Rogue had been set in a seat in the plane, and he was dumped on a bunch alongside.

God she f***ing hurt. Not the kind of hurt that happened after waking from an absorbtion. It was a hurt from absorbing someone's soul and getting the shit beat out of her, for days on end. And trust her that was never pleasent.

Rogue tried to move into a upright position. But it seemed impossible. And that was never a good thing.

"Logan? Logan are ya there? Come on Old Man this is not funny, talk to me damn it. Someone talk to me?" Rogue's voice started to get histerical, but she could not stop herself from fighting the bonds on her. The last time this had happened she'd nearly killed Carol Danvers. And if that was the case she had just killed that innocent young man Jack. Which was not exceptable.

"GOD DAMN IT, YA ASSHOLES HAD BEST GET ME THE HELL OUT OF HERE!!!!! I WILL NOT BE STRAPPED DOWN FOR ANOTHER DAMNED SECOND!!!!"

Rogue heard footsteps calmly walking down the hall to her. And that's when she realized that the young man she had only a few seconds ago believed she had inadvertantly killed. Was strapped to another table right next to her, and he was out cold. But still breathing. That was always a good sign, RIGHT?

The infermary doors opened to allow Logan and another woman that Rogue could have sworn she knew, but had no name to put with the face. And that wasn't a good thing to have happen, when Rogue couldn't remember it usually meant that she really didn't want to....

"Oh god Logan, what did I do? Please tell me that I did not kill that boy, I can not live with myself anymore if I had killed that innocent, I have done that one to many times. Not again."

"Easy, Marie. I've checked on not only yourself but that young man laying next to you. You are both fine, no permant damage done to either one of you. He just got knock out like you did thats all." The doctor told her.

With a sigh of relief Rogue went back into a blissful slumber. Where she was dreaming of a man that she could touch without gloves on and who could touch her with out the fear of her killing him. She had been dreaming of this man off and on for a little over a year now. If Rogue were honest with herself she would admit that this dream man was the only thing keeping her going anymore. The hope and wish that he really was out there waiting for her.

Rogue rolled over on the bed that Logan had moved her to in the infermary, and sighed once again. As Logan walked out of the room he thought he heard her say, "Thank God, you finally came back to me."

When Jack Devereaux woke up, he was strapped to a table. His first thought, an odd one to him, was that he'd been captured and experimented on. It was a decidedly jovial, very English voice that spoke out to calm him. Or did it speak. Jack had the odd impression that it was more of a mental thing. A man in a wheelchair, completely bald, rolled around the table and then looked at him.

"You gave us quite a scare. From what I understand, you are a very unique individual. But that's alright. We're used to dealing with unique individuals. My name is Charles Xavier, and you are now in the Xavier Institute for the Gifted. It's a school, among other things. And you're the third person to have to be strapped down like that. The first was a man named Logan. The second was the girl you gave a rather impressive straightarm too."

Jack's mouth moved, but no words came out for a few moments. At that, Xavier nodded, and a glass of water came floating into the room, followed by a redhead who proceeded to check him over for injuries. After he sipped the water for several moments, he spoke. "What...happened? I felt pain, and then...." He shrugged, and Xavier spoke again.

"My colleagues and I surmise that Rogue tripped some sort of anti-intruder program buried in your DNA. You see, from what we understand, you're a mutant, but not like other mutants. You're a melding of various genetic tissue samples and some sort of organomechanical technology. Something similar to the Phalanx, if you know what they are, though less purely technological in nature. From what I gathered of Rogue's mind, you were created to be a weapon. So was Logan, however, and now he fights alongside us, helping to prevent such things from occurring."

Xavier had been moving the wheelchair, which Jack now realized was an electric one that was powered by Xavier's mind, around the room while speaking. When he stopped at the door, he looked over his shoulder at the young man in his care. "If you'd like, we can try to help you. At the very least, we can try to get your abilities under your control. Several of our colleagues in particular want to see this manifestation ability of yours."

Jack didn't have time to answer before Xavier was out the door. He frowned at that, and then something occurred to him. Xavier...the X-men. His eyes widened at that realization, and what little of him could move sank back onto the bed.

Several hours later, after a lot of deliberation, Jack nodded. He closed his eyes, and spoke, not really expecting anyone to hear him, but part of his mind knew someone was listening. "Alright. I'm game. And could you tell the babe in the bodysuit and leather jacket that I'm sorry about whatever happened?"

Rogue awoke in a panic, she knew that she had done something wrong... She just couldn't remember what. And there was another voice inside her head telling her all these things that she shouldn't even be able to comprehend. The voice wasn't like her alter ego. It was a mechanical male voice, and it scared the shit out of her.

"Professor? What have I done?" Rogue knew he wasn't in the room but she knew he was keeping tabs on her, he always did. And in a way it was comforting know that almost at all times she had someone looking out for her.

"Rogue, glad to see your awake. You've done nothing wrong, just a little on the unprepared side of things thats all."

"I didn't kill the boy, Jack?"

"No, he's fine. Right now he's in the infermary with Jean getting looked over. She's checking to see how much of him is human and how much is alien."

"Do you know what he is Professor? Or is it just a speculation at this point."

"I have a very good idea of who and what he is, but its not enough for us to be able to help him. For some reason you got farther into his head then even I can. You got past the barriers that were put into is mind by his alien DNA, and right on into his stream of information. Not even I could do that Rogue, and that has me worried young lady. And Jack wishes me to let you know he's sorry about the hit to your face, it was instinctive for him though, so don't hold it against him."

"What did I trigger something that let me in? Or was it just the training that you and Jean have been giving me over the past few years? And if its none of that what the hell is happening to me? Its okay Professor, I'll just have to let him know that I have been through much worse pain than that."

Rogue didn't wish to be any more of a freak then she already was, because being a freak among mutants was saying something. And it wasn't good.

"Professor before you go, could you tell me if he really is the one? The one that Mystique and Destiny think could kill me and leave nothing behind?"

"I don't know Rogue, it is a possibility but with that group of mutants you never know if the information you have is correct or not."

"Can I see him Professor? Just to make sure I didn't hurt him in anyway."

"Follow me."

Jack had been given a full checkup by Jean Grey, and he had to admit, he'd had far worse doctors in his life. She was smart, good to look at, and quick with a joke or a barb. He immediately recognized that she was a telekinetic, because she had a habit of holding her hand out for objects that soon gravitated into her hand. He considered briefly switching some of the things around, to see if she noticed, but decided against it.

As he finally started pulling his clothes back on, something tickled the back of his mind. He turned, to see the bald man, Xavier, rolling towards him again, with the gorgeous brunette from earlier, walking next to him. His eyes dwelled on her form for several long moments, before he spoke. "Welcome back. Uh...sorry about anything that I might have done. I'm not even sure what happened back there. What I do know is that I'm famished. That, and the rather pretty doctor here tells me that I'm apparently several different aliens, with some extinct human DNA thrown into the mixture. At least, I think that's what she said. Hard to tell."

He shrugged, then smiled.

Rogue couldn't help but smile back.

"Ya name is Jack, correct? I am pretty sure that is what I gathered from ya brain. My name is Rogue or if ya wish ya can call me Marie."

Wow, the only other people she had ever allowed to call her Marie were Logan and Gambit. And ya all see how that worked out for her.

"At least ya okay, that was my main concern. I had thought that I might have killed ya. And I don't think I could have lived with myself if I had. But now that I no longer need to worry about that. I should tell ya that, that hit to the face ya gave me was nothing I haven't taken before."

"So now that I have rambled on about nothing at all, how about we go get ya some fine tasting food. And if ya don't like what we have here, I will just have to take ya out on the town for something better. But between ya and me there isn't any food better then what we have here."

Wow, she was having diarrea of the mouth. And Rogue never had this problem. What was wrong with her. Though she did have to admit that once she got around Jack the third voice in her head went away. And that was something to be very happy about.

Jack nodded, and smiled again. When the Southern brunette introduced herself and apologized, he grinned sheepishly again and held out his hand. When she took it, and rambled on and on, he immediately got the distinct impression that it wasn't normal for her to be so talkative. When she mentioned getting him some food, however, he nodded enthusiastically. "Lead the way, Miss Rogue."

Rogue seemed to fit her, he thought, which was why he'd used it. Xavier said something about showing him to his office when they were done eating, and let them walk away as he conversed with the redhead. As they walked, something occurred to Jack. "So...you absorb people's energy on a cellular level, along with the electrochemical memories they possess?" He wasn't sure where the knowledge came from. He wasn't sure of a lot of things lately.

"Yes, I do. And ya might want to be careful. Cause when I touched ya head yesterday I did it with my gloves on. Usually when I touch someone I have to do it skin to skin, with ya it's different. I don't know if that should scare us or if it means something good could come of this but we will just have to error on the side of caution that's all."

Rogue really didn't want to admit even to herself that holding Jack's hand had felt better then any kiss she had ever gotten from another boy or even Gambit himself. And she didn't know whether to be happy about this or scared by it. But for the first time in over three years Rogue felt at peace and completely happy, she didn't want to loose that.

To be able to keep the boy alive and hungry Rogue slipped her hand from his. "I don't wish to hurt ya anymore then I already have." Rogue bent her head towards the ground and kept walking she felt Jack behind her, and she thought he had said something but she really didn't want to hear him reassure her about what he really knew nothing about.

Finally they walked into the cafeteria and it was packed seeing as it was dinner time. As they are walking in Colossus or Piotr Rasputin walked up and in his Russian accent said "Rogue I wish to try new thing today in training will you let me?" "Oh, honey I would have loved to let ya do anything ya wished to in training but I not be feeling well today so maybe tomorrow, is that alright?" "That be fine Rogue, I shall see you tomorrow at training."

When Rogue looked over at Jack, there was this odd expession on his face. But Rogue just thought that it was from seeing a man made entirely of steel, that tends to do funny things to people.

"Come on Jack, lets go get ya some food for that starvin' stomach of ya's"

The Russian man had looked odd, but Jack's mind had provided information he didn't know about him. Piotr Rasputin, Colossus. Abilities included electromagnetic manipulation and the ability to turn the outermost layer of his body into a tough organic steel shell. When Rogue looked at him, he blinked, confused, then shook his head.

"Yeah, food sounds good." As they moved through the line, and then took a seat at one of the tables with what they'd gotten, he cleared his throat. "Um...should I be worried that I know more about these people I've never even seen before than I do about my own family?"

Without waiting for an answer, he turned his face towards the towering sight of a triple bacon cheeseburger, cheesy fries, and a salad with cheese and Catalina Honey on his tray. He picked up the burger, and took a big bite, chewing thoughtfully. The food was exceptional, he decided. Whoever did their cooking had to be either a master chef or had the mutant power of good taste.

"I really can not say Jack, I do not know ya powers like the Professor and Jean do, but it would seem that ya have the ability of processing information from just looking at someone. Just take things one step at a time. We will all help ya out as best we can."

Rogue hoped that, that statement help him. But she wasn't sure if it did.

Heck when Logan had used it on her years ago it hadn't work worth a damn for her. She hoped Jack could make since of it better then she did.

Rogue really wanted to ask Jack if he had the mechanical voice in his head too, but she was scared to do that, she didn't want him to know really how much of a freak she was.

Jack considered Rogue's words carefully, then nodded slowly. He ate quietly for a few moments, before speaking again. "I'm a little new to this whole thing. But I know you guys said I was a mutant. I don't think you'd have a reason to lie to me." He left it at that, then frowned. "I don't think the whole information thing has to do with being a mutant though. It's too ordered, too methodical. Almost like...records being accessed in a computer."

He shook his head, then shrugged. "Anyways, thanks for helping me."

"There was nothing to it, it is what I do. At least for a little while longer."

Rogue couldn't believe that she had admitted that to Jack, she hadn't even told the Professor or Logan yet. She was really starting to worry about what was happening to her around Jack. She rambled on, confessed everything and just plan made a fool of herself.

So to shut herself up she started to dig into her food, which she always loved. Today was the best, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, a salad and she knew she'd get into trouble for it but what the heck, chocolate cake and a glass of wine.

"Jack, I hope ya do not mind me askin' but if the Sentinel had not happened along when it did, what would ya be doin' right now?"

Rogue had no clue why she wanted to know, but she could not help thinkin' that this guy had a girlfriend and for some really weird reason that pissed her off and also scared her, just the thought of him leavin' and not comin' back to her. That should not have mattered to her not in the least.

Under her breath she said "Jesus, what is happenin' to me?"

Jack grimaced at the question she asked. "My sister had set me up on a blind date with one of her friends. The description she gave wasn't that enticing, but she wouldn't take no for an answer." Then he smiled, looking at her.

"I suppose I should thank you again for saving me. Now I don't have to deal with a blind date with someone I'm not interested in." He nodded, then started eating again. Then he grinned wider. "Though I probably would have ditched the blind date for a round of Tekken in the arcade, or something. I dunno." He shrugged.

"Well, what did the girl look like? And ya know that ya should not judge a book by its cova."

"Sorry my accent comin' more pronounced these days."

That only happened when she was angry or aroused. She didn't mind the first one but the second one always got her into trouble. Heck Gambit was a key example for the trouble she got into.

"Well Jack, I know that the Professor would not be very happy I told ya about this, but I think ya should know all ya options. There is a drug or virus if ya will that can counter act the mutation in us, and I do not know if it would work on ya, but it is something for ya to think about. Cause I know that not everyone wishes to have this kind of life."

Rogue had finished her food, finally and was getting up to leave when all the sudden she heard in her head. "Die bitch die, you don't deserve him. He's better then you and if you don't leave him along I will kill you." Right on the end of those words she felt a mental stab to her brain, and she went down hard and fast.

Rogue awoke, but she knew not where she should have been..... It was dark and even though there was someone else there with her, it wasn't who it should have been.....

Jack was surprised to find Rogue passing out in his arms. He held her close, then looked around the cafeteria. Several of those nearby watched in awe, and then he shouted to one of them. "Go get someone. Anyone. She needs help."

He was confused as to what was going on, but hoped Xavier could help. Even more confusing was the slightly tingling in his arms. But when Colossus came in and picked Rogue up, motioning him to follow, he did. He shivered slightly, feeling a little cold, and followed quietly behind the massive Russian. They took Rogue to the infirmary, where they were met by Xavier and Jean Grey again.