[Meanwhile back at the Institute]
Rogue had been lost in her own head for days, consumed by guilt and self-blame. The Danger Room had been her refuge, a place where she could work out her frustration and anger without hurting anyone. But now, as she emerged from the training session, she realized she had been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed the other X-Men leaving.
As she made her way through the halls of the mansion, still covered in sweat from her workout, she overheard Logan speaking to Psylocke about the Professor taking Shay to Wakanda to treat his coma. Rogue's heart sank as she realized that everyone had left without telling her.
She stormed into the room, her anger and frustration boiling over. "Why didn't anyone tell me?" she demanded, her voice shaking with emotion. "How could you keep something like this from me?"
Logan looked at her with a mixture of sympathy and concern. "We didn't want to upset you, Rogue," he said. "We know how close you and Shay have become."
Rogue felt a surge of guilt and self-loathing. She knew that Shay's injury had been her fault. She had been too slow to react during the battle with the Brotherhood, and Shay had paid the price. She felt cursed, as if she was destined to be alone, always causing pain and suffering to those around her.
As she stood there, lost in her thoughts, she heard the sound of a Quinjet outside. Without thinking, she rushed outside in the pouring rain, hoping against hope that it was Shay returning to her. But her heart sank when she saw X-23 emerging from the jet, covered in dirt and grime.
Rogue's frustration and anger boiled over again. "What the hell is going on?" she shouted, her voice cracking with emotion. "Where is Shay?"
X-23 looked at her with a mixture of confusion and concern. "I don't know what you're talking about, Rogue," she said. "I was on a mission. I just got back."
Rogue felt a surge of panic and desperation. She grabbed X-23 by the arm and dragged her back towards the Quinjet. "We have to go to Wakanda," she said, her voice trembling. "Shay is there. He's in a coma. He needs me."
X-23 hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to do. But as she looked into Rogue's eyes, she saw the raw emotion and pain there. She knew that Rogue needed her help, and she couldn't refuse. "Okay," she said, her voice softening. "I'll take you there."
As Rogue dragged X-23 to the Quinjet, X-23 couldn't help but feel confused. She had no idea who this Shay person was, but she knew something was wrong from Rogue's emotional state. X-23 had been gone for months, on a mission to track down a new threat, and was surprised to find the team in such disarray upon her return.
As they boarded the Quinjet, X-23 took in her surroundings. The interior of the jet was dimly lit, with only the red emergency lighting providing any illumination. The rain outside was pounding against the metal exterior, making it hard to hear anything above the din.
Rogue was pacing back and forth, her eyes red and swollen from crying. X-23 had never been good at comforting people, but she could tell that Rogue needed someone to talk to.
"Who's Shay?" X-23 asked, her voice gruff and direct.
Rogue stopped her pacing and looked at X-23, surprised by the question. "He's...he's a new friend," she said, her voice breaking.
X-23 didn't press further, sensing that it was a sore subject for Rogue. Instead, she focused on flying the Quinjet. As they flew towards Wakanda, X-23 couldn't help but feel a sense of dread. She had seen the effects of comas before, and they were never good.
The trip was long and uncomfortable, with only the sound of the engines and the rain to keep them company. Rogue was lost in her own thoughts, and X-23 didn't want to disturb her. As they approached Wakanda, X-23 could see the lights of the hospital in the distance.
They landed the Quinjet on the hospital's helipad, and X-23 shut down the engines. The rain was still pounding against the metal exterior, but inside the Quinjet, it was quiet. X-23 turned to Rogue, unsure of what to say.
"Thank you," Rogue said, her voice barely above a whisper.
X-23 nodded in response, understanding the gravity of the situation. They exited the Quinjet and made their way into the hospital, the sound of their footsteps echoing in the empty halls. The hospital was dimly lit, and the only sound was the hum of the fluorescent lights.
As they approached Shay's room, Rogue's footsteps faltered. X-23 could see the fear in her eyes, and she hesitated for a moment before taking Rogue's hand in hers. Rogue looked up at X-23, surprised by the gesture, but didn't pull away.
Together, they entered Shay's room, and X-23 was struck by the sight before her. Shay lay in the hospital bed, his skin pale and his breathing shallow. The machines surrounding him beeped in time with his heart rate, a constant reminder of how fragile life could be.
Rogue collapsed into a chair by Shay's bedside, tears streaming down her face. X-23 stood by her side, unsure of what to do. They sat in silence for what felt like hours, the only sound in the room the constant beeping of the machines.
Eventually, Rogue broke the silence. "I...I don't know what to do," she said, her voice shaking.
X-23 put a hand on her shoulder, the closest thing to comfort she could offer. "We'll figure it out," she said, her voice rough but determined.
Together, they sat vigil by Shay's bedside, waiting for any sign of improvement. The rain outside continued to pound against the windows, a constant reminder of the world beyond the hospital walls. But in that moment, all that mattered was Shay, and the hope that
He'd make it through…
A few hours later
Rogue continued to sit Shay's bedside, her hand resting lightly on his cheek as she gazed down at him. It had only been 3 days since they met, but in that short time, she had grown fond of him. More than fond, if she was being honest with herself. She had developed a crush on him, a fact that both thrilled and terrified her.
For as long as she could remember, Rogue had been unable to touch anyone without absorbing their memories, abilities, and life force. It had made her distant, unable to form close relationships with anyone. She had always been so careful, afraid of hurting those around her.
But with Shay, everything was different. When they had first met, he had flirted with her, making her laugh and feel more alive than she had in months. And when she had touched him, she had expected to feel the usual pain and fear. But instead, she had felt...nothing. No memories, no abilities, nothing.
It was a revelation, and one that had filled her with hope. Maybe, just maybe, she had finally found someone she could touch without hurting them. Someone who she might be able to share those experiences she had only dreamed of. Like walking in the park, a loving embrace or something as sweet as a kiss. Someone to get to know her in a way no one else ever had.
But now, as she sat by Shay's bedside, watching his chest rise and fall with each labored breath, that hope was fading. He had been injured in a battle, and despite the best efforts of the Wakandan healers, he would not wake from his coma. They didn't know if he would ever wake up.
Rogue didn't know what to do. She felt helpless, powerless to help the one person who had made her feel alive in months. She wanted to hold his hand, to stroke his hair, to do something, anything, to ease his pain. But she was afraid. Afraid of hurting him, of making things worse.
X-23 sat next to her, silent and watchful. Rogue was grateful for her presence, even if she couldn't put it into words. She knew X-23 didn't understand emotions the way humans did, but somehow, her quiet strength was comforting.
Hours passed, and still, Shay didn't wake up. Rogue talked to him, telling him about her life, her fears, her hopes. She wasn't sure if he could hear her, but it didn't matter. It felt good to have someone to talk to, even if they couldn't respond.
Rogue closed her eyes and whispered softly, telling Shay about her life, her struggles, and her hopes for the future. And for a moment, everything else faded away, and all that mattered was the sound of her own voice and the steady beep of the machines. It was not long before Rogue herself drifted off to sleep.
X-23 watched as Rogue slept soundly by Shay's side, her head resting on the edge of the hospital bed. She couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy at how easily the other girl was able to touch and comfort their friend. It was a luxury that X-23 would never have.
But as she continued to watch over them, her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of heavy footsteps running several floors below them. X-23 immediately tensed up, her instincts telling her that something was wrong.
She glanced at Rogue, still sleeping peacefully, and made the decision to investigate. Quietly slipping out of the room, she made her way down the hallway and towards the source of the noise.
As she neared the stairwell, the sounds grew louder and more urgent. X-23 couldn't make out exactly what was being said, but she could tell that it was a group of people in a hurry.
X-23 crouched in the shadows, her senses on high alert, as she listened to the sounds of the footsteps coming closer. Suddenly, a group of heavily armed men in high tech jaguar-themed armor appeared at the end of the hallway, carrying large plasma spears that glowed red. Their voices were deep and distorted by the high tech helmet they wore.
"Boss wants this done quick," said one of the henchmen, his voice robotic and cold. "The faster we get the stuff, the faster we can get out of here."
X-23 watched the group move past her, her eyes following them as they disappeared down the hallway. She knew that she had to act quickly if she wanted to stop them.
With practiced ease, X-23 reached for her gadgets. She had several throwing knives and a grappling hook at her disposal, and she knew that she needed to be quick and precise if she was going to take down the henchmen.
She crept down the hallway, her footsteps silent on the cold stone floor. The only sound was the steady hum of the high-tech equipment that surrounded her. She could hear the henchmen's voices echoing through the halls, their conversation growing more and more urgent.
X-23 knew that she needed to be careful, to take them by surprise. She could see the group just ahead, they had not yet noticed her presence
X-23 kept to the shadows, her senses alert and her body poised to strike. The three guards were alert, their weapons held tightly and ready, but X-23 knew that patience was key.
As she observed the guards, X-23 listened in on their conversation. They were growing more panicked by the minute, their attempts to contact their comrades failing one after another. She could sense their fear, and it made them sloppy.
" what the hell is going on with these damn things " the lead soldier huffed
" maybe the thick vibranium walls here in this cold storage are are interfering with our communicators sir!" The other soldier theorized.
" Yeah, yeah, that makes sense. Anyway, Silo, did you find the stuff over there" the lead soldier asked
" No sir, someone has been down here recently but there's no way to tell exactly how recently sir. But, if I had to guess, it would have to be within the last day or so" silo answered
" We don't get paid to guess. Sweep this whole place.At least some of it still might be here" the lead soldiers bellowed irritation filling his voice
the opportunity to strike soon presented itself, X-23 sprang into action. She moved with deadly efficiency, taking out the first guard with a swift and silent strike to the back of the head. The guard crumpled to the ground without a sound, and X-23 moved on to her next target.
The second guard was more alert, but X-23 was quicker. She feinted left and then struck right, landing a precise blow to the solar plexus that knocked the guard out cold. X-23 quickly moved to the third guard, who was now growing increasingly frantic.
She could see the fear in his eyes as he fumbled for his weapon, but X-23 was faster. She closed the distance between them in a flash, delivering a quick jab to his throat that sent him gasping for air. With a swift kick to the back of the knees, X-23 brought him to the ground and swiftly knocked him unconscious.
As she moved back into the shadows, X-23's heart was racing. She had taken out the guards with ease, but she knew that their failure to contact their comrades meant that more guards were likely somewhere around Wakanda if they weren't also in the building.
X-23 quickly searched the unconscious bodies but she found nothing of note except a Golden keychain "LC ?" She muttered it was nothing familiar to her. She had seen tons of private military groups and mercs but none of them had anything like this. She could sense something was off but she knew she wouldn't figure that out in a freezer.
Despite that, X-23 remained calm and focused. She had been trained for moments like this, and she knew that the only way to get Shay out safely was to stay alert and keep moving.
X-23 quickly made her way back to the Quinjet, her mind racing with questions about the strange LC keychain she had found on one of the henchmen. Once on board, she made her way to the computer terminal and began searching through the onboard database for any information on LC.
As she sifted through various files and records, X-23 couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. There was something about that keychain that was bothering her, something that she couldn't quite put her finger on.
After a few minutes of searching, she came up empty-handed. There was no information on LC other than what she already knew - the letters on the keychain and the fact that it was made of gold. Frustrated, X-23 leaned back in her chair and let out a sigh.
But as she sat there in silence, her mind began to wander back to the hospital room where Rogue and Shay were. She couldn't shake the feeling of jealousy she had felt earlier, but this time it was for a different reason.
She envied the peaceful look on Rogue's face as she slept next to Shay. It was a luxury that X-23 could never have, not with the memories of her past constantly haunting her.
Shaking off the thought, X-23 got up from the computer and made her way to the cockpit. The sun was starting to set, casting a warm orange glow over the landscape below.
As she gazed out at the horizon, X-23 couldn't help but feel a sense of calm wash over her. She knew that there would always be more missions, more enemies to face, but for now, she was content to simply watch the world go by.
After a few moments, X-23 decided it was time to head back to the hospital room where Rogue was sleeping at Shay's bedside. She left the cockpit and began making her way down the dark hallways, past the rooms of other sleeping patients who were blissfully unaware of the crumpled henchmen she left below them in the basement.
"Well, at least I left them in the hospital this time," she muttered under her breath, feeling a sense of relief that no innocent bystanders were hurt during their mission.
As she finally arrived at Shay's room, X-23 felt exhaustion slowly creeping up on her. She collapsed at Rogue's feet, her body giving in to the fatigue. Rogue, who was half asleep, jolted awake at the sudden noise and saw X-23 lying on the floor.
"X-23! What happened?" Rogue asked in alarm, quickly getting up from the chair she was sitting on.
X-23 struggled to keep her eyes open as she spoke. "It's nothing, just...tired. Found a strange keychain on one of the henchmen. Couldn't find anything on LC, though," she explained, her words slurring slightly.
Rogue helped her up and led her to a nearby chair. "You need to rest," she said firmly. "We can look into that keychain later. For now, you need to sleep."
X-23 nodded, grateful for Rogue's concern. She closed her eyes and let herself drift off into a peaceful sleep, the sound of Shay's steady breathing and Rogue's soft voice lulling her into a sense of calm.she calmly balled up her own jacket,, and placed it on her lap. And She gently positioned X-23 to lie on her lap so she could rest.