nevanna: ([X-Men: Evolution] Irene and Rogue)
Nevanna ([personal profile] nevanna) wrote2014-12-24 06:56 pm

Ficlet: "Echoes"

Fandom: X-Men: Evolution
Characters: Charles and Rogue
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, and I do not profit from their use.
Summary: Charles tries to help Rogue recover from the events surrounding Mystique's latest betrayal.
Words: 295
Notes: Set directly after Episode 3.08, "Self Possessed." Written for the "backstab" prompt at [livejournal.com profile] comicdrabbles.


Echoes

“How are you feeling today, Rogue?” Charles asked as he drew closer to her bed in the medical lab. “I hope that you’ve managed to get some rest.”

Although Rogue understood that they had wiped out the other minds that had been sharing space inside her, he only needed to skim her surface thoughts to understand why the idea of resting still worried her. The night before, she had started to drift off several times before jolting awake from the fear that her mind and body would turn against her again; that she would wake up in another shape, or in a twisted nightmare combination of several, with no way of changing back to herself….

The memory of those terrors tightened her gloved hands into fists, and Charles placed his own hand on her shoulder. “You needn’t worry that you will lose yourself again,” he said quietly. “We are all here to help you… if you’ll trust us.”

Rogue scowled. “Professor, I trusted someone else, and she stabbed me in the back. Twice.”

“Mystique took advantage of your desire for a friend, for a normal life. I’m not saying that it’s easy to regain your equilibrium after a betrayal of this magnitude, but it is possible.” Unlike Rogue, who knew by now that Risty Wilde had been a completely calculated and false persona, Charles had never been certain whether “Erik” or “Magnus” or “Magneto” was his old friend’s truest identity, but that certainly didn’t matter now. “You are more resilient than you realize.”

“Guess we’ll see about that.”

“I imagine that we will,” Charles agreed. “Close your eyes, please.” She did, but her hands were still clenched. “We shall work towards your complete recovery the same way that we brought you back to yourself: together.”