"How are you feeling today, Rogue?"
Anna looked around the vast open space of the unaltered Danger Room and couldn't help but to feel she was somehow standing on a giant target. "Like you're going to unleash that giant robot on me and turn me to swiss cheese."
"No need to worry," declared Xavier's almighty god voice from his glass booth in the highest reaches of the colosseum-like room. "No robots or machines will be involved in today's exercises."
"Wonderful." Anna rubbed her arms, and for the first time missed the great stinking pads strapped to her person when she normally entered the Danger Room. "You sure it's a good idea I don't have my gun or anything?"
"It would be unnecessary. Today we will be simply exploring the capabilities of your abilities to the lightest degrees."
"Ah," Anna rubbed her upper arms in hopes of warming up if only just a little. "So that's why you called me out here at 6 in the morning on a Saturday. Great." She looked around. "Not sure if you remember, but I kinda need a partner for my particular 'gift' to work."
The great entrance to the room slowly slid open to reveal Logan wearing his set of combat gear and a scowl. "Huh," Anna stepped in his direction. "Ready to go another round, old man?"
Logan held his hands in front of his chest. "Oh no, not me. I've had my fill of what your particular powers have to offer." He stepped aside to reveal Kurt who stood easily in the big man's shadow. Kurt gave a little wave and an even smaller smile.
"Kurt - uh - Nightcrawler? You're willing to be my guinea pig?"
"When we brought up the idea with the others, he was the only one to volunteer." Logan crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm just here to play referee to make sure nothing gets out of hand." Anna looked from Logan back to Kurt and felt a swell of something warm in her chest.
"I just wanted to help you with your powers. If that means… being a test subject, well, someone needs to do it and I suppose that is going to be -" Before Kurt could finish, he was swept up in a hug from Anna. She lingered a moment before sense seemed to return and she released him as quickly as she had hugged him.
"Sorry." She pushed her hair behind her ear. "Just…" She nodded and looked him in the eyes. "Thank you."
He smiled back at her. This time his grin was more broad and self-assured. "Happy to help."
Logan looked up at the glass booth. "How do you want to do this, Charles?"
"According to reports, Rogue's abilities seem to depend upon the amount of time she has contact with her subject. We will start with a small brief touch, forefinger to forefinger, and see how she handles Nightcrawler's abilities."
"Alright," Logan looked down at Anna. "You heard the man."
She nodded and, a little short of breath slid the glove off of her right hand. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to, Kurt." She whispered. "I won't think any less of you if you walk out right now."
With this, Kurt extended his finger as if getting ready to punch in a number for an elevator, and looked at Logan. "Do we count to 3, or do we just go?"
Anna spotted the whisper of a smile creept across Logan's otherwise imperious face. "Whatever floats your boat."
Kurt looked back at her. "Ready when you are."
She bit her lip and slowly inched her trembling finger towards his till they finally made contact. A shock of energy electrified Anna as she ripped her finger away. Her heart pumped, her eyes dilated, and every sense felt heightened but not to the point of discomfort. She became innately aware of every surface in the room and felt that she merely needed to step in order to be wherever she looked.
Next, she tried moving, the world momentarily vanished in a puff of smoke, and when it reappeared her back was against the wall furthest away from where she just was. She looked up and with another puff of smoke, she was on the ceiling.
Instinctively, her hands shot up and found her fingers somehow finding a grip on the impossibly slick surface of the Danger Room's ceiling. Heart pounding in her chest, she looked at the ground directly below her, and just a moment later was at that very spot with a complete head-rush.
Anna fell to her hands and knees. The acute senses she had enjoyed were now leaving her all at once now that she was back on the ground. She felt a whole lot heavier all of a sudden and very very tired. A pair of hands were soon upon her, pulling her head to the side and checking the pulse on her neck.
"You alright, kid?"
"Yeah." She pushed herself back to sit on her knees and rubbed her face with her hands. "Holy crap… that was insane." She ripped her hands from her face and found Logan's eyes. "Is Kurt okay?"
"I'm fine!" Kurt strode up to her. His face looked weary, but otherwise, he seemed alright. "Little dazed, but I'm good." He sat down cross-legged in front of her. "You were flying around like a champ! It got kinda scary when you were on the ceiling, but you even figured out sticky hands!"
"Sticky hands?"
"Yeah!" Kurt pushed his hand into the floor. When he made to move it, his body shifted instead with effort. "My skin sticks to surfaces when I want. The only way to undo it is to relax." The muscles in his hands then visibly went slack and he lifted his palm with no issue.
"Huh."
"Nightcrawler."
Kurt looked up at the booth. "Yes, sir?"
"Are you feeling up to further testing?"
"For sure! Um-" He looked around. "Do you think we could maybe get me a chair or something? I'm guessing it's going to be a long morning."
It was in fact, a very long morning. A morning filled with Anna siphoning Kurt's abilities touch by touch while he sat in a fold-out chair cheering her on with one hand and nursing a sports drink with the other. With Kurt's guidance, she practiced teleporting to different spots in the room. Eventually, Xavier introduced platforms for her to 'bamf' on and stick to. She couldn't remember if she had always had the same sensation of energy 'highs' she had with former 'touches,' but every time she touched Kurt touched, it was almost like taking a little shot of adrenaline. It was almost addictive. Almost, except she couldn't ignore the exhausted face Kurt had whenever he thought she wasn't looking.
"Maybe we should stop for the day." Anna declared while her latest teleportation cloud dispersed around her on the ground floor.
"Are you hurt, Rogue?" Asked Xavier's god-like voice through his speakers.
"No. Actually, I'm pretty good." She looked over at Kurt in his chair. His eyes were glassy and his chin was low enough that it looked like it was resting on his chest.
"You've shown remarkable progress!" Anna turned and found Xavier's silhouette bobbing in his control booth. "Rogue, well done! Such quick mastery over a power you've just been introduced to… it's staggering."
"Good job, kid." Logan clapped her on the back. "Took guts doing what you did." He looked over at Kurt. "Took a lot of guts to do what he did too."
"It really did." Anna's eyes lingered on Kurt who struggled to keep his head up.
"I'd like to do one last test before concluding today."
Logan looked up at Xavier. "Crawler looks pretty spent, Charles. Might be time to call it."
"Its a minor test. Very minor." Xavier sounded strange. He sounded almost giddy. "Rogue, I'd like you to perform one last touch. However, don't use Nightcrawler's powers. I want you to try to access his memories."
Logan glanced at Kurt. "You can see how he is from where you're sat, right Charles?"
"This is perhaps the best time, Wolverine. I want to see if Rogue is capable of a sort of mind-melding when her target's defenses are down."
"You are keeping in mind her 'target' is a fellow student, right?"
"Yes, I am well aware, Wolverine. This is a safe and controlled environment. If medical assistance is required, the medbay is just down the hall."
Logan squared his shoulders and planted his hands on his hips. "No. We're done. We can do you're test when the kids are rested." He patted Anna on the side. "Help me with Crawler. We're done for today."
"Wolverine! It is not your place to make such decisions!"
"I'll do it." All eyes turned to Kurt who nodded with an almost drunken expression. "I want to help."
Logan turned up at his side. "No, kid. You're spent."
"I got one more left in me. I'll be okay." He looked up at Logan. "If I don't, no one else is going to try."
"We can do it a different day."
"The professor said it had to be now."
Anna walked up to Kurt and knelt before him. "You can say no. Don't do this if you don't feel like you can."
He smiled one of his goofy smiles at her. "I'm the toughest dude around. I can take it. I got one more left in me." He held out his hand to her.
Anna looked at the hand and then at Logan. He wiped his forehead with his palm and turned his back. Anna then faced the glass booth. "What do you want me to do?"
"A brief touch. As brief as you can make it. Just focus in on his memories or current thoughts."
She faced her fellow student. "Are you sure?"
Kurt grabbed her hand with his and the world stood still.
-
"So? Who wants to help Anna out with this?" Logan looked between all of them assembled that previous day at the breakfast table. The students looked between themselves. Scott looked at Kitty who stared at the floor with her legs bouncing. Jean's face was shadowed by her long red hair. Kurt felt Evan looking at him and he looked back. Evan slowly shook his head back and forth. Kurt nodded his head, then stood holding up his hand.
"I volunteer as tribute!" Kurt could hear Evan clapping his hand to his face.
-
"Are you nervous?"
Kurt shifted the pillow under his head and further studied the ceiling of Evan's room. "No."
Evan turned under the sheets next to him to face him better. "You can't be serious. Like, I like Anna too, but her powers are dangerous."
Kurt shrugged. "It's not like she's going to try to hurt me. Sides, we're here to learn about our powers and stuff, right? I want to help."
Evan ran his fingers through Kurt's curly hair. "You're stupid. Stupid and brave." He kissed him gently on the temple.
-
Anna had to run, she didn't know where she was going to go, but she had to leave and now! But it was dark and the bridge was covered with ice. Damn, she could solve everything if it wasn't for the inhibitors! A bear, a bird, something! Anything she could finally do to protect her baby.
Shots were being fired, but she couldn't tell from where. Damn this dark! All she knew she could do was run away from there. Run, just run!
She tucked Kurt close to her chest and tried to keep his little face away from the blowing sleet. He was screaming as loud as his little lungs could give. It was at least a good sign he was still alive. This bridge had to end soon.
A bright white light blinded her. All she could hear was jackboots thudding on the ground, and then she felt hands ripping at her clothes and face. She swung at them with her elbows and threw her weight around. She backed up against the rail of the bridge, but lost her balance, and Kurt…
-
"My baby! My baby boy!" Anna finally heard herself crying, felt her hands outstretched, and grabbed handfuls of Kurt's battle uniform. "My son! You can't take my son!"
A strong pair of arms pulled her away. "Kid! Calm down! It's not real! You're safe."
She flailed her head around till Anna finally got an eye full of the Danger Room's long metal walls once again. "I - what? What… what happened?" She looked down and spotted Kurt staring back into her eyes with an expression of utter shock.
"You were living some sort of memory." Logan loosened his grip on her. "You need to relax."
Kurt's brows furrowed. "You kept calling me your 'baby.'"
Logan sighed through his nose. "You alright, Crawler?"
He didn't answer immediately. He just kept staring into Anna's eyes and eventually nodded.
Logan looked up at Xavier. "Get what you wanted out of you're little 'test?'"
The man in the glass booth sat still like he was a photo. Eventually, he lowered his head onto a pair of tee-ped hands. "…and then some."