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CHAPTER ONE


Throughout the control room of the U.S Military Base, there wasn't a green light to be seen. The telltales on every console were flashing red, with alarm chirps and honks and sirens to add to the din. Just like the morning rush hour, the staff was moving agitatedly from one place to another, exchanging urgent solutions; hoping for miracles to come their way---if there were, but their efforts were meaningless. All computers surrendered while systems turned obsolete.
"Godammit!" the commander lashed out, goggle-eyed. The huge monitor screen featured three activated nuclear missiles preparing to launch. The culprit? Of course, it's no other than Eric Lehnsherr, but he was known as Magneto. Certainly, nobody could match his abilities in controlling all metals. Thus, it was far from possibility for someone to stop him in controlling the three missiles. Simultaneously, a secondary phalanx of monitors presented data to show how dire the situation was.
Mathew Callahan marked his solid experience in the army through years of countless hell, witnessed his colleagues died in torture during the Vietnam War, shared several moments with death, and yet all of it seemed nothing compare to what he was dealing with right now. In his sixties, he was still well-built and handsome---white hair, beard and mustache, a perfect twin brother of Sean Connery.
"Sir, should we call for backups?" Tate Madison consulted while the other staff waited for the next order---but there was nothing to issue, and they're out of time. Perhaps, they better start kneeling down; they better start praying "Our Father."
CNN and Fox incepted broadcasting the shocking news on prime time television---Magneto emerges, bringing terror once more. Viewers were disturbed, calculating instinctive thoughts in their heads: "IS IT THE END OF THE WORLD?"
As for Eric Lehnsherr, the man known as Magneto, this moment was the moment of revelation, that mutants must show humans their capabilities. Hovering in the air, he smiled, as his eyes grew bigger in amusement. Commander Mathew Callahan made a wrong decision.

CHAPTER ONE-1

Why did he send ten U.S Jet Fighters to a man who has the power to control all metals, it was a stupid move. Magneto welcomed them in delight.
"Pathetic imbeciles," two ballistic missiles dashed toward his location---then a sonorous explosion preceded, it lighted the dark sky, serving as fireworks for the premiere night of World War Three.

"So, are we just gonna stand here and watch the show, bub?" Logan was obviously annoyed; he wasn't even done with his Dr. Pepper when Professor Charles Xavier told them about this dilemma. Well, it's a Friday night. It's supposed to be peaceful. In fact, it would've been better to go to a bar, get drunk or even get laid, not like this. Although he missed the fun in action, he wasn't interested.
Ignoring Logan, Scott Summers studied the circumstances gingerly. As the leader of the X-Men, his code name was Cyclops, just like Logan who was addressed as Wolverine. He had to be sure that every course of action must be far from failure---otherwise, damnation will be the aftermath.
"By the goddess," Ororo Munroe, also called Storm, gasped behind Cyclops and Wolverine. All three looked up in the sky, seeing the nuclear missiles waving goodbye to U.S Military Base---target unknown.
"What the hell is he doing?" Cyclops finally broke from silence. Wolverine snarled. "Oh great! Now what?"
Scott may be performing his duty as the leader, but as for Ororo Munroe, time was becoming impatient, and every second has gone to waste, they have to do something now. Suddenly, her eyes changed into silver white, then a strong wind blew her upward, higher and higher. Clearly, she knew exactly what to do; Cyclops should've realized this in the first place.
"Storm!" Logan cried, he was shrewd enough to figure out his teammate's agenda, and he thought it was not a good idea. However, alternative options were deprived at this moment, if they have to do something, they have to do it fast.

CHAPTER ONE-2

"It's too risky, she might lose control!" Wolverine protested, Cyclops agreed with him, but all he could give was assurance. Both men fixed their eyes on Storm, who was now following the destructive weapons, worry ran through their veins. Cyclops reassured him.
"She can handle it, trust me."

On the other side of the city, many people panicked. Several infrastructures were burning. Thus, they abandoned the area, fearing of more bad things to come. The fire surrounding the place resembled the picture of hell. As for Rogue, she has no choice but to accompany Bobby Drake and Kurt Wagner, it was Cyclop's instruction to them to investigate the place. You see, she wasn't having any speaking terms with Bobby for quite some time. Kurt Wagner would be okay, but not him. She was irritated, but she cannot involve their personal affairs with their assignments. Thus, she needed to help him.
John Allardyce was responsible for this, and he did justify his code name Pyro by spreading flames everywhere. A fat mutant whom Rogue thought to be familiar accompanied him; she couldn't remember when and where exactly she saw him. When Bobby tried to freeze the fire all over the place, John dashed toward him. Bobby, who was now Iceman, wasn't able to fend off Pyro's spectacular array of kicks. His former friend was good, absolutely trained by Mystique. He was extremely fast that it suggested Bobby to drop fainting. Then, Pyro's companion tried to poke his head by a broken pipe, but Kurt Wagner bounced and hurled himself through the air in a somersault that ended with both feet hammering the paunch of the fat mutant. In the Munich Circus, he was the famous Nightcrawler.
"Oh, that tickles," the obese mutant chuckled, and then the childish expression faded, changing into a devilish grin. "Noone hurts the Blob!" this quote was enough to introduce his identity to Kurt Wagner, whose two feet stuck in his round belly. Kurt gasped, he tried to punch Blob's face, but it was no use, it was just like the first attack. His opponent was like a huge bubblegum gifted with life.

CHAPTER ONE-3

On an instant, Nightcrawler rendered unconscious when Blob grabbed his legs and slammed him hard on the ground. Rogue tried to stop the villain, but Pyro gave her a flying kick that sent her crashing backward into some huge garbage cans, and tumbled into it. For a split second, Rogue felt dizzy. Rearing up slowly, a dark figure greeted her, she gazed at the silhouette, and it grew familiar as it moved closer and closer, she gasped. Carol Danvers!
Rogue had no idea of how thunder roared and lightning cracked in Storm's head, but her flashbacks resembled it.

The first boy, her first kiss, her first terrifying kiss! "Don't touch me!"
"You are not my daughter!"
"Papa..."

"Where you goin? Come here baby... we'll take you to heaven."
"Please, I don't wanna hurt you."
"Oh yeah?"
"Thank you!"
"I'm Raven, what's yours?"
"Marie..."

"Hurry up Rogue! We need to move fast! Toad and Blob are waiting in the helicopter!"
"Yes, mama."
"It's no use Carol, my daughter knows exactly what to do..."
"MAMA!"
"Don't let her go Rogue! No matter what happens, don't let her go!"
"Get away from me--- you... NO!"
"Mama!"
"I said---don't let go!"
"Toad! Where the hell are you? I need bravo configuration immediately... NOW!"
"Who is she?"

CHAPTER ONE-4


"She's Carol Danvers!"
"Oh my God!"
"YOU STOLE EVERYTHING... YOU TOOK MY LIFE... YOU'RE A MURDERER!"
"Please stop... please stop!"
"Goodbye mama..."

"Stick with the water kid!"
"I saved your life."
"You don't have anything to eat, do you?"
"I'm not gonna hurt you kid..."
"What kind of a name is Rogue?"
"What kind of a name is Wolverine?"
Logan... Marie...
"I'm Bobby."
"I'm Rogue."
"What do you want from me?"
"You? Who said I wanted you?"
"Help! Please somebody help me!"
"Women, some days aren't worth the effort."

A nightmare she was running away from, thought to be over, but now was right in front of her. But wait, how did she get here? She's in coma, and she's in the hospital, and she's lying in bed.
"Please don't come any closer!" Rogue begged.
"It's okay Rogue, it's okay."
A familiar voice opened her eyes.
"It's about time for you to come back to me."

Known to be the mother of her hometown in Africa and her team, Ororo Munroe would never permit Magneto's oppressiveness. Taking the lives of the innocent wasn't the remedy for this never-ending humiliation of

CHAPTER ONE-5

humans toward mutants. What about the children? They were not yet influenced by the harsh society to hate and fear their kind. Or maybe, Charles Xavier's old friend was trying to make a big show off to the whole world of what he could do. This was terrorism, not a battle for their acceptance, and it's not right.
The three nuclear missiles traveled like a bullet shot, but Storm was able to maintain her distance behind it---a small bolt of lightning disrupted its circuits while the strong wind held its path.
Magneto witnessed everything, and he knew it. He knew that Charles would gatecrash his party once again.
Magneto was dismayed and he was definitely pissed off.
"Charles---you and your precious X-Men---still protecting these insects despite of everything---what a pity..."
Subsequently, a sigh of relief became visible in Mathew Callahan's face upon receiving the good news from one of his staff: The nuclear missiles have been disabled. Edward Wilson said that a mutant was seen flying---bringing the destructive weapons safely to the sea.

On the ground, Wolverine snorted.
"It looks like we missed Storm's ballgame here, didn't we?"
Cyclops agreed with him.
"Well, it looks like it," he then pinched his communicator attached on his left chest. "Great job Storm! Do you see Magneto around?" There was no reply.
"Storm... Storm?"
Wolverine frowned. "What's wrong?"
Cyclops waited for a respond
Suddenly, heavy footsteps became audible, and it sounded like it was going to leak the surface of the earth---behind the buildings of the city, some 15-foot lifelike machines emerged, freaking the people everywhere, they thought that the premiere night of World War Three was cancelled, but it seemed they were mistaken.
"Uh oh...we've got company, bub," Wolverine sensed danger, and he

CHAPTER ONE-6

knew that these things were a threat. He brandished his claws through his knuckles.
One of the machines fired a shot.
"Watch out!" he shoved Cyclops sideways.
Cyclops stood up.
"What the hell are these things?"
He tapped a control on the wing of his visor, the ruby quartz depolarized, and a beam of scarlet force exploded through the lens, two of the lifelike machines collapsed, but more and more came.
Wolverine spotted Storm in distress. She was hugged by one of the robots that were flying in the air, squeezing her to death. In some ways, it could have been Storm's loving better half, begging her not to file divorce or whatsoever. Logan wanted to help her, but flying was not one of his abilities, he adverted to Cyclops who likewise saw it, he tried to blast the creep. But just like Wolverine, it was impossible; their new unidentified enemies kept blocking his way---he couldn't get a clear shot.

"Mama, I can't... MAMA!"
One of the robots blasted Raven Darkholme, rendering the woman unconscious. Thankfully, this distracted Pyro in giving Bobby a massive uppercut. The approaching horror awakened Kurt Wagner---his head was still painful after what Blob has done to him.
"What the hell are these things?" Pyro exclaimed, goggle-eyed, standing beside Bobby who was still fainting.
"Blob! We gotta get outta here!" he started leaving the place, his companion carried unconscious Raven, she must have been badly hit. However, Rogue came after them, but one of the robots grabbed her by the neck, she kicked and scratched. Iceman and Nightcrawler tried to help her when more and more robots incepted shooting them like pests or something. Luckily, Bobby figured out immediately that the hands of their enemies were designed to fire laser beams, thus he froze it as Nightcrawler hurled through the air, he was here, he was there, he was

CHAPTER ONE-7

everywhere. Before his enemies could focus on him, he would simply bamf in midair. If Pyro has spectacular array of kicks, he also has his own teleporting hammer kicks that stashed the robots' frozen hands and heads.
Rogue felt dizzy, the robot dashed toward the walls of the supermarkets using her as a shield, chunks of the walls shattered on the floor. She was waved around like she was some kind of a Barbie Doll or something. It was cruel, and the lifelike machine showed no mercy, debris scattered everywhere. Rogue was still struggling to break free from the robot's grasp, but she was slammed here and there, she fainted and she wanted to give up, but she was getting sick and tired of it, sick and tired of being scared and all that, she realized she had had it, and that's enough.
The horrible creep strangled her hair, smashed her head on the wall, she whimpered, yet she was growing furious.
"These boys are making me mad," she growled.

No matter what Cyclops and Wolverine did, it seemed that their enemies were multiplying whenever one was demolished. Fine. Logan scratched his attackers, Scott blasted it into pieces, but there's too many of them, and just like that, they ended up being surrounded by the robots, they were cornered. There was a moment of pause. Cyclops was thinking of what to do, while Wolverine clenched his fists as the adamantium claws shone.
Any ideas Cycie?" he hissed, but there was no reply from his companion.
The robots moved closer and closer, Logan and Scott realized there was nowhere to go, picturing a chess game. Checkmate!
However, Logan didn't see himself as the king of the game, thus he charged toward the machines and slashed its body from head to toe, another one tried to grab him, and this made him only more ferocious, he moved around like a wild animal. In some ways, he was an animal, and it felt like the showdown was just a total body workout he missed

CHAPTER ONE-8

for a long time. It was great, time to sweat out a little bit, to him. Cyclops blasted three more, leaving its parts scattered on the ground, and one more---another three were down. Then, he looked up in the sky to help Storm. To his surprise, one of his teammates was hovering in the air, beating up the creep that nearly killed Ororo. It was Rogue.

"I didn't know she could fly," Wolverine swore.
"Me neither."
Apparently, seven robots rocketed toward Storm and Rogue's location. They were really creepy. Dead eyes resembling doomsday, programmed that flesh and blood didn't exist in the dictionary, horrible machines indeed.
However, Storm wasn't threatened by the approaching villains, she encountered evil many times, and these were nothing compare to what she had fought before. The weather forecast for the day was accurate, and the people believed it. As for Storm, things had to be changed for a moment, it was necessary. Thus, the clouds gathered around, creating flashes of lightning. As the machines got closer and closer, they were welcomed by the stinging rebuke of Mother Nature.

"There's too many of them!" Cyclops complained, still blasting the creeps that dare try to get near him. "We must retreat, this is a battle we cannot win!"
Wolverine was just about to get started when Cyclops seized his wrist, he was reluctant---Nightcrawler gathered Iceman to his embrace, they vanished in front of their assailants.
Through the woods, Cyclops and Wolverine ran as fast as they could to reach the Blackbird, it was landed there purposely so as to avoid drawing attention of the people. Cyclops was reaching for the pilot's deck when Nightcrawler and Iceman popped up in front of him.
"We have to leave now!" Cyclops gave his final order, his voice wouldn't permit any objections from his teammates, it was a firm tone. He was switching on the engines when an earsplitting explosion shook their

CHAPTER ONE-9

aircraft, the horrible machines had followed them!

"Oh sh!t!" Wolverine hissed.

Iceman assisted Cyclops with the consoles, his leader was thankful Storm trained him on how to work the stuff inside the jet. Actually, he did silly mistakes during his practice, and he was embarrassed.
The aircraft started ascending from the ground, speeding through the air, leaving the city with marching lifelike machines, as if they were led by Hitler, the X-Men had no time for them right now, perhaps later, the more they stayed, the more risk they would be fried by their unknown enemies. Payback has its own right timing, just you wait and see.

"Storm! Rogue! We have to leave now!" Cyclops cracked over Ororo Munroe's communicator, the order was final, and they somehow agreed with it.
They tailed the Blackbird behind and imprinted the aircraft's speed.
As for Storm, she wanted to ask Rogue about everything, she was really astonished, but she decided to save the interview once they arrive at the mansion. After all, patience is a virtue.

The city was left in shock and terror. Even though the nuclear missiles were desisted, you can never blame the people to be traumatized. Vehicles were stuck in traffic since a lot of them were disturbed by the news.

Blob was still carrying Raven Darkholme when the machines had cornered them. Pyro was thinking of doing the same thing he did in Bobby's house, but he realized that before he could do it, their enemies could fry him in any second by now. One of the robots was about to shoot when Magneto came. For a moment, he played with the machines, you know, he lifted it up and down, turned it like a Ferris wheel, he controlled them like puppets on his arms. Then, he was bored. It's so

CHAPTER ONE-10

sad, they had to go now.

"These toys are really amusing to me---just look at that..." he smiled brightly to Pyro and Blob, an assuring smile that everything was okay now, now that he was with them.
"I believe we have to cancel the finale of this show tonight---we have an important matter to deal with right now..."

CHAPTER TWO

The hot organic green tea was perfect, really perfect. Thankfully , it had eased her migraine, but she felt bad since she knew that it was only temporary, and sooner or later; it will come back. It's been tormenting her, and nobody else could tell how punishing it was. God knows, she was good, she had her own share of good deeds in this world, she had an open heart for everyone, but it seemed nothing.

Adding more to her torture, the enormous flat television kept broadcasting the same news again and again, it seemed that the media never believed in monotony, they were airing the same footage since the six o'clock news, and it's already the eleven o'clock news, and things were just the way it were: Magneto activated the three nuclear missiles, he was proposing war, he wanted to shed blood, and kill the lives of the innocents. The reporters were in the road where flames blazed with fury, they found scattered circuits on the ground. An old woman was asked by the reporter:
"Ma'am, what can you say about this shocking incident mankind has never witnessed before?"
The woman answered:
"These mutants are the pests of our planet, they must be exterminated."
Another man, who passed by, stopped and inserted a statement in front of the camera:
"Kill the mutants! Kill the mutants! This is terrorism..."
More and more people wanted to state their own opinion to the reporter, while others just wanted to be seen on television, in fact two high school girls were smiling brightly on the camera, trying to impress the viewers, hoping that a Hollywood producer would discover their charm. Another old man emerged, he kept talking about the threat of mutants, his statements were good, but he ended up blurting silly stuff. In fact, he tried to greet his family on air. The reporter pulled the microphone, but

CHAPTER TWO-1

the old man clutched it, they were pulling it away from one another like it was the best candy in the whole world.

She was pissed off, she grabbed the remote control and turned it off. She should've done it minutes ago. However, she lavished the moment right now. Of course, the room was completely hospitable, she liked it. Totally amazing, with sophisticated furnitures, a veranda offering the best view, and the king-sized bed, it was tempting. What more can she ask for? Well, perhaps the cure for her stubborn headache.
On the soft couch, where she was comforting her spine, she slowly put the teacup on the small table in front of her, then she gazed around the room, there were huge picture frames hanging on the wall. One of it caught her attention, a man, a handsome man, late thirties. She noticed that his deep, dark eyes were sneering at her, as if he wanted to make love to her. His shoulder-length wavy, dark hair made him look like a prince. Even if she couldn't see his entire figure, she was certain that he was qualified to be a part of King Arthur's Knights. He's swarthy and muscular. Absolutely a seductive stallion. However, she didn't buy it, she wasn't turned on. In other words, he wasn't her type. Instead, she started collecting her thoughts again, she wanted to think of something, she wanted to imagine someone. Another man? Perhaps, a competitor to the stallion she saw in the frame? But no, it's not.
Just before she could incept concentrating, the well-crafted French door opened, she didn't turn the lights on, thus the room was gloomy, only the blazing chimney provided light all over the place, but she was sure it was a woman. The voluptuous shape distributed the evidence.
"Good evening Seraphina," her visitor walked in, sat down on the couch in front of her, and then offered her a warm smile.
"I believe that your condition is getting better now, is it not?"
Perhaps, the woman saw her face filled with stress and all that, she was so grateful somebody was concerned.
"I hope so, but I'm still having nightmares... I couldn't... it's killing me." she closed her eyes, tears rolled down her rosy cheeks. She wasn't

CHAPTER TWO-2

lying, and the woman in front of her had definitely no idea, what it felt inside, as if her head was going to explode. It was like she was dying slowly, like a brain tumor or something.
"I see," without permission, the woman took one of the cups of tea on the table, she sipped and tasted it, lavished its essence just like the way Seraphina did.
"Listen, why don't you try doing what I said. Trust me my dear, you will feel better."

But she ignored the woman, she knew that it wouldn't do her any good. Well, perhaps if she would be given no choice, she would do it. Sluggishly, she stood up from the couch she sat, she headed toward the veranda. It's beautiful. She could see the whole city, the tall buildings were like series giving light to the dark night. The stars were clearly visible as well, and the moon, it was greeting her. Somehow, she could breathe, not her lungs, but her soul.
The woman followed her behind, Seraphina didn't look at her, she surrendered her eyesight to the dark sky, lighted by the moon and the stars.
"Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to be in the star?" Seraphina asked her companion. "You know, you're just going to stay there forever, like you have this feeling deep inside you, you couldn't explain it."
Seraphina stared at the woman. She wasn't smiling and she wasn't frowning, but the eye contact sent a message that she wanted to tell a story, hoping that the listener wouldn't get bored. Then, she transfered her gaze back in the sky.
"When I was a little girl, I used to count the stars, I never realized until my mother told me, that there are millions out there, billions of light years away from us. In fact, some of it hadn't reached our planet yet." she narrated like a little girl, the woman listened quietly offering another smile once more.
"Seraphina, you better get dressed, I have something to show you, I'm

CHAPTER TWO-3

sure you will like it." the woman suggested, she was disgusted to the bathrobe, she knew that Seraphina had to take it off somehow. That it was not right for her to remain in that room. A woman like Seraphina deserved more of what she was at that moment. She needed to be admired and praised. Just you wait and see.
Reluctantly, Seraphina nodded. She wanted to tell the woman more about the stars, but the latter didn't register any interest about it.
"Come," the woman took her hand and led her back inside. Like a little girl with her mother, Seraphina obeyed and followed the woman.

CHAPTER THREE

A straight line from Xavier's School on Graymalkin Lane in the town of Salem Center to the Empire State Building runs forty-five miles. An hour by Metro North from Grand Central Station, general two by car at rush hour.
The School for the Gifted Youngsters has its own rules and regulations that parents totally agreed with. As far as they know, the students were abiding it as best as they could. To their dismay, the Professor imposed a new rule at that moment.
Tracy Cassidy and Kitty Pryde wanted to object. But even if Tracy would scream to justify her code name Syrin, it wouldn't do any good. It was like a huge wall, that Kitty couldn't walk through, even if she was Shadowcat. It was so annoying. You know, Friday night and everybody's supposed to go out; especially, teenagers like them. Party at a nightclub or something, it's so exciting, but Professor Charles Xavier has been a joy killer, and it's a major catastrophe to them. Jubilation Lee approached the two girls in the hall, she told them something about their new P.E teacher and another faculty member. Introductions would be done tomorrow morning. In contrast to her curiosity, the two bored girls paid no interest. Perhaps, they were really eager to go out that night and have fun. She thought that maybe they could just go shopping tomorrow afternoon or something, but Kitty didn't like it. The way she delivered her reply to Jubilation Lee, the more she sounded like a spoiled little rich girl. And Tracy took the supporting role for that.

Downstairs, if you want to reach Cerebro, you better go straight ahead, walk along the shiny floor of the wide corridor, and assume that the retinal scanner would entertain your pupils, but if you turn right, just before Cerebro, a round metal door would face you; it's the conference room. It's the official rendezvous whenever Charles Xavier needed to have a serious discussion with the X-Men, and he was doing it right now.
After Magneto's attack, a horrible nightmare was introduced; the X-Men returned to the mansion, believing that their questions will be answered by the Professor. It fed on one another like a brushfire.

CHAPTER THREE-1

Cyclops, Storm and Wolverine stood near the door, while Iceman and Nightcrawler took their seats in front of the table. Rogue, however, comforted herself in one corner.
Professor Charles Xavier was like a grandfather narrating a thrilling bedtime story to his grandchildren; the X-Men. They listened attentively and every word was worth it.
At this moment, the shocking news has been doing a promotional tour around the globe, and it was selling like hotcakes.
"Magneto has released several mutants, mutants who had committed serious crimes. Of course, the government must present a course of action." he paused awhile, scanning the eyes of his audience, as if he was reading their thoughts, then he continued. "I'm afraid this is the day that I fear. Eric Lehnsherr is building an army of evil mutants to annihilate humans."
Cyclops interrupted.
"What about those horrible machines?"
Wolverine and Storm were about to raise the same question, but Scott brought it, so there was no need to.
"The Sentinels," Xavier answered simply. "They are mechanical mutant hunters, engineered by the government to apprehend and destroy mutants, durable mongrels having state of the art weapons."
"Who created it?"
"Dr. Bolivar Trask---several years ago, he tried to introduce the machine to the government, but it had numerous errors, until it developed gradually. They have equipped it with mutant-tracking sensors, lasers, catchwebs, disintegrator beams and other various and deadly weapons. In addition, Sentinels are self-adapting, learning and modifying themselves after every encounter."
"So, you're saying that these creeps are going to kill us?" Wolverine wondered aloud.
"William Stryker made a copy of the list of mutants, and handed it to Trask which makes me conclude that our names are programmed in their systems."

CHAPTER THREE-2

"You mean, these machines are hunting us down?"
Xavier nodded curtly.
"I'm afraid it is. By the way," he offered Logan and Scott Summers a glimpse, "I want you to accompany me next week."
"What for?" Logan snorted as if he thought that it would be the same, when the Professor told them about Magneto activating those nuclear bombs.
"We need to attend the debate. As you can see, Bolivar Trask has never stopped rambling about the Mutant Registration Act. He has convinced numerous supporters for his agenda, and we need to put a halt into it."
Bobby Drake didn't freeze the room, but their reaction resembled it, they couldn't move, they were astonished realizing that their new enemy was something more than just an ordinary human being."
Apparently, Storm brought the last question that everyone in the team wanted to open up. She's been keeping her cool when she and Rogue were flying behind the Blackbird, and she thought this was the right time.
"What about Rogue?"
Professor Charles Xavier offered Logan a glance, yet his answer was for everybody in the conference room. "Just like you Logan,"
Rogue could barely look at him nor at her teammates , she knew that this was it. Everybody would know. Perhaps, it's better this way, she would be able to find out if these people, whom she treated as her new family, could accept whatever she was.
"What happened this evening has summoned her dark past to haunt her once more, something that you and I have never figured out."
Logan showed him a frown. "What do you mean?"
Charles incepted narrating Rogue's story:
"After nearly killing the boy she kissed, Marie's parents found her being a mutant, they despised her, and it caused a painful experience in her life. She ran away, wandered in the streets. A woman named Raven Darkholme saved her from being harmed by undisciplined teenagers in the streets.

CHAPTER THREE-3

"Who is this woman?" Storm interrogated.
"Rogue's foster mother. She's the one who gave Marie the code name Rogue. She adopted her, trained her how to use her powers. Not for good, but for evil. Raven's group did countless illegal projects; not to mention robbery. However, their attempt to hijack the U.S President's Plane was a terrible mistake."
His pause made his listeners even more enthusiastic to know what's next. It's as if it was the latest gossip that everybody wanted to hear and talk about.
"The Head of the Security Officers of the president was there; Carol Danvers. The woman was a mutant with the ability of incredible strength, near-invulnerable, and could create a force that reverses the rules of gravity."
They wanted more...
"The accident happened inside the pilot's deck of Air Force One. Carol was choking Raven when Rogue came in. Obeying her mother, she grabbed the security officer's neck ending up in a tragic accident. Although, Rogue held her for a long time, she didn't die, and this remains a mystery, that I myself couldn't provide exact answers."
"Are you telling us that Rogue has the girl's mutant powers?" Cyclops uttered.
"Precisely."
"Why didn't she tell us about this? I mean, what happened? She didn't know it or what?" Wolverine realized he was so wrong to think that the young girl he met at that bar was completely naive. Yet he saw to it that his tone remained gentle, he wasn't prosecutorial.
"Carol Danvers has split personalities. Therefore, Rogue still has it and it remains inside her. The weak side of Carol merged with Rogue making her more fragile and vulnerable. The moment she uses the girl's powers, she could hear the girl's voice yelling in her head, and Rogue felt it when you were on your way back here."
The statements of Professor Charles Xavier were enough to answer Storm's curiosity. She didn't have to wonder how Rogue managed to

CHAPTER THREE-4

pilot the Blackbird when they rescued the children at Alkali Lake. Even though somebody would dare try to do that, they can never perform the way Rogue did. It was too impossible.
Nightcrawler didn't know what to say. He had no idea about the girl's past, but he was ready to give her all his assurance that things will be fine. If his teammates would accuse her of something, he was ready to accept her in everyway. It's not her fault, she was so young. She was seeking for a family, just like the way he did before. Although, he looked like a demon, with skin so dark a blue black it was as if he was cloaked in his own personal shadow, gleaming yellow eyes, pointed ears, teeth with fangs, he was humane and he could somehow imprint his teammate's suffering deep inside her.
"Where's the girl?" Bobby said, looking at Rogue, he sent a sympathetic stare, but the girl didn't take it.
Xavier was about to go on when Rogue took the shot.
"I just heard from mama she was in coma, lying in that hospital bed," not noticing tears were rolling down her cheeks. "I wanted to stop but mama told me not to, she told me that if I let go, we will all die, and I was scared, I didn't know what to do. We were slamming our own bodies all over the place, and I could hear her screaming so loud, and I could feel the pain." Rogue stammered.
Professor Charles Xavier allowed her to continue as it should be, while Cyclops, Storm, Iceman, Nightcrawler and Wolverine pictured the scenario in their minds:
The place was like pandemonium. Suddenly, Carol and Rogue accidentally decided to try sky diving. The former dashed toward the window of the aircraft in front of Raven; who was also invited to join their sky diving performance. They fell thousands of feet from up above, but Toad and Blob served as backups. They managed to provide parachutes for Raven, giving her a safe landing. Meanwhile, Rogue laid beside Carol who was unconscious. The authorities came as they left unnoticed.
"I didn't mean to kill her---no---I didn't kill her---I can feel it---I knew it"

CHAPTER THREE-5

bursting in tears, she was whining like a little girl. God only knows what exactly happened there, and perhaps these people around her, the one she called her family, may accuse her of something else.
And yet, she was wrong. Just like that, she realized she was around Storm's sympathetic arms, her teacher gathered her around a warm embrace.
Nightcrawler stared at her, he didn't know what else to say, he didn't know more about his teammates, but the way it occured, he realized that everyone in the room was ready to accept Rogue for whatever she was, whoever she was, it didn't matter. Cyclops and Wolverine kept their cool---just like their colleagues, they felt the same way. Bobby wanted to take Storm's place, but something stopped him. He felt that it was not the right time.
Logan approached her location, he knelt down in front of her, with a reassuring smile.
"It's okay kid. No matter who you are or who you were, it would never change the first impression I had for you..."
Rogue could never been happier. Storm's embrace reminded her about her mother, and Logan added more comfort. And the X-Men---Professor Xavier, they were still with her. Perhaps, it's the best thing she could ever have. A family. Her heart was beating so fast as if her soul was about to separate from her body. She wanted to shout for bliss. She couldn't explain what she was feeling at this moment. With a grateful reply, she smiled at them.

Moving to General Fiction area.
Moving--moved

What do you mean Kes?

I mean I moved it here. To general fiction area