The next morning, Castiel woke up early, the light filtering through the curtains of his dorm room. It was his second day on Wolverine's training team, and he couldn't help but think about the events of yesterday. He'd had his first Danger Room session with Wolverine and Rogue, and then a grueling session with Magik. The fight with her had been intense, but in the end, he'd beat her once again with his overwhelming power. Though it wasn't something he took pride in, he couldn't deny the fact that he had to rely on his abilities to win.
Castiel got out of bed and made his way to the washroom. The hot water from the shower helped shake off the tiredness, and as he finished getting ready, he dressed in the standard training attire that had been given to him: an X-Men uniform that fit tightly, but comfortably. He glanced at the clock—there was still some time before his training session, so he left the dorm room.
He passed a couple of his roommates Kurt, Nobby and Piotr who were just starting to stir, greeted them with a quick nod, and continued his way toward the Danger Room.
When he reached the door, he saw Wolverine standing in the corner, lighting up a cigarette. Castiel couldn't help but grimace. The smoke was thick, and the pungent smell hit him immediately. He walked closer, trying to avoid the smoke cloud.
"Morning, Wolverine," Castiel greeted, trying to be friendly.
Wolverine looked up from his cigarette, barely acknowledging him. "Yeah, yeah. Morning." He took a long drag, exhaling it slowly.
Castiel, not liking the smoke filling his lungs, cleared his throat. "Could you, uh, stop smoking for a bit?"
Wolverine raised an eyebrow and just blew another cloud of smoke. "Shut up, kid. You don't like it, deal with it."
Castiel was about to argue further when Rogue entered, cutting off his chance. Wolverine threw his cigarette on the ground and ground it out under his boot. He turned to the control room, leaving them alone.
"Hey, Rogue," Castiel greeted her with a smile.
Rogue gave him a quick wave before addressing him, "Hey, Castiel. How's it going?"
"Good," he said, still getting used to her southern drawl. "How's your day been?"
"Same ol', same ol'," she replied with a casual shrug. "Ready for today?"
Wolverine's voice came from the control room, cutting their conversation short. "Alright, listen up! Today, we're working on teamwork. You two have different strengths, and I want to see how well you can work together. We already know what Castiel's powers are, but Rogue, you explain yours to castiel ."
Castiel turned his attention to Rogue, curious to hear her story.
"Well, my power is a bit complicated," Rogue began. "When I touch someone, I can absorb their memories, powers, and even some physical traits. The only problem is, I can't control it too well, and if I hold on too long, I end up hurting 'em, sometimes even killin' 'em."
"That's... intense," Castiel muttered, impressed. He knew her power was dangerous, but hearing the full extent of it made him understand why she had to be cautious.
Rogue nodded grimly. "Yeah, that's why I try to avoid touching people. But I'm stronger and more resistant than most people because of the time I spent touchin' Ms. Marvel's powers."
"Okay, that's cool," Castiel said, trying not to sound too impressed. "So, what's the plan for today?"
"Plan is simple," Wolverine's gruff voice cut through. "You're gonna fight sentinels again. But Castiel, no holy power today. You gotta rely on your strength and your wits to get through this. We're here to teach you how to fight without relying on the big flashy stuff. You understand?"
Castiel nodded. "Got it, Wolverine."
The door to the Danger Room slid open with a low hum, and they entered. Castiel took his place in the center, ready to face whatever challenge was ahead. Rogue walked up to him, confident but focused. She was ready for whatever came next.
"Ready?" Wolverine asked, eyes glinting with approval.
"Ready," Castiel replied with a determined grin.
The fight started with a bang. Sentinels began emerging from the walls, massive machines with glowing eyes and weapons ready. Castiel hesitated for a moment. He couldn't rely on his holy blasts or smites. He had to fight using only his strength and skills.
But he quickly realized that it wasn't going to be easy. The sentinels were fast, their movements calculated and precise. Castiel blocked a punch from one, but the force of it made him stagger back. He needed a plan.
Then it clicked. "Rogue!" he shouted, catching her attention. "I need you to touch me. Absorb some of my power! You can take them down!"
Rogue looked uncertain at first. "Are you sure? You know what happens when I touch people..."
Castiel nodded urgently. "I can handle it. You won't hurt me, and we need to work together on this."
After a beat, Rogue reluctantly walked up to him. She placed a hand on his arm, and for a moment, nothing happened. Then Rogue's eyes widened, and she visibly grew stronger. Castiel felt something shift in him too, as if a part of his energy had been siphoned away. He felt weaker, but it was temporary. Rogue's energy surge was incredible.
"I feel... unstoppable," Rogue said, grinning as she launched herself at the sentinels. With a newfound strength, she obliterated one sentinel after another, sending them crashing to the floor. Castiel watched in awe as Rogue tore through the machines.
When it was over, Wolverine entered, shaking his head. "What the hell was that? You two are insane! Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?"
Rogue looked a little guilty. "Sorry, Logan. We won, didn't we?"
"Yeah, but not because you used your own skills," Wolverine snapped, eyeing Castiel. "You won because Castiel decided to let you absorb his power. You need to learn to work without him."
Castiel didn't respond, though he felt a pang of guilt. They had won, but only because of his abilities. Wolverine's voice softened. "You got lucky. Don't let it get to your head. But you did good. For now."
But before Castiel could process that, he noticed something odd. Rogue started to scream in pain, clutching her chest as white smoke poured from her body, swirling around her like a storm. Castiel's eyes widened in horror. The smoke seemed to burn her from the inside out, and she collapsed to the floor, unconscious.
"Rogue!" Castiel yelled, rushing to her side. The smoke immediately swirled towards him. He felt it hit him like a blast of pure energy, and in an instant, he absorbed it, feeling his strength surge. It wasn't like anything he'd felt before. The smoke was overwhelming, but he knew it wasn't just a physical thing—it was spiritual. The moment it entered him, he was whole again, as though something inside him had been restored.
He placed his hands on Rogue, channeling healing energy into her. Slowly, the pain in her body eased, and she stopped convulsing. The smoke dissipated, and she lay still, but now breathing evenly.
Wolverine was the first to react. "What the hell just happened?" he muttered, stepping closer. "Castiel, what did you do?"
"I... I don't know," Castiel said, feeling a sense of confusion mixed with relief. "It was like the smoke was hurting her, and when I absorbed it, it just... went away. I healed her."
Wolverine didn't seem fully convinced, but nodded. "Go to the headmaster. He'll want to hear about this."
Castiel agreed and left for the infirmary, where Rogue was being tended to. When he arrived, Professor Xavier was already waiting for him, his eyes full of concern.
"Explain what happened, Castiel," Charles asked gently.
"I don't know what it was," Castiel said honestly. "It was like this white smoke that was hurting her... and I... I absorbed it. It made me feel whole again, and I was able to heal her."
Xavier nodded, his expression thoughtful. "It's strange. We'll need to keep an eye on Rogue, but she seems fine. As for this 'smoke,' we'll need to investigate further."
Castiel stayed in the infirmary, waiting for Rogue to wake up. Hours passed, and just as he was beginning to lose hope, Illyana entered. She didn't say much, only that she had heard about what happened. "It's not your fault," she said in her blunt way.
Castiel wasn't sure what to think. But before he could say anything more, Rogue stirred and opened her eyes.
"Rogue," Castiel said softly. "Are you okay?"
Rogue looked up at him, blinking in confusion. "Yeah... I think so. What happened?"
"I healed you," Castiel said quietly. "That smoke... I think it was connected to my power."
Rogue shook her head. "It's my fault. I shouldn't have used your power like that."
Castiel was about to argue when Illyana interrupted. "Enough, both of you. You're fine. Stop blaming yourselves."
"Are you okay?" Castiel asked again, concerned.
Rogue smiled faintly. "I'm fine. Just... don't do that again, okay?"
Castiel nodded, relieved. Before he left, he turned to Illyana. "You wanna train?" he asked.
Illyana smirked. "You bet I do. Let's go."
And with that, the day continued, and Castiel knew that even though things had gotten dangerous, he was only getting stronger.