[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/7rzp20d.jpg?1[/img][/center]
The house smelled old to Rogue. Actually, house wasn't a word that did the place justice. It was a full blown mansion if she had ever seen one, which she hadn't before.

That was besides the fact, of course. The place was incredible. Dark, intricately carved wood lined the walls, the smell like what she imagined a grandmother's old house would smell like. It was welcoming and homey. In the main foyer, beautifully abstract stained glass rose along the high arching walls, diffusing the light in a warm rainbow of light. It all felt like something out of a fairy tale.

As she followed Steve Rogers down the halls of the mansion, multitudes of kids from all age groups rushed by them chatting, laughing, and playing. She had been in an orphanage with a bunch of kids before this, but the other kids never acted like this. Everyone was miserable, and few of them really wanted to make the others around them laugh or feel better. Again, this place didn't feel real.

Rogue was embarrassed to say it made her feel uncomfortable to be around so much happiness. She had never experienced anything like it before.

"You dose me this morning, Steve?" she asked with some suspicion.

He looked over his shoulder at her and chuckled, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I dunno," she motioned around her, her white streak of hair swirling around her face as she did. She pushed the hair back out of her eyes, "Suburban Hogwarts don't feel like a real place is all."

"Xavier's School is a place that is only real because of the sheer will of its headmaster," Steve shrugged. "Charles is the preeminent voice in mutant rights. And this is the place he built so mutant children could be safe."

Rogue nodded and grumbled something incoherent. That's why he was bringing her here. To dump her off somewhere safe. It was a nice place, that much was obvious. But she still wasn't comfortable with the idea.

Steve rapped his knuckles on the dark wood of a door, and a refined voice from the other side announced, "Come in!"

The heavy door swung open, and Rogue walked in behind the former Captain America. Inside waiting for them was a man in a sports coat and jeans, with auburn hair leaning against a wall looking out the window. The man was almost Steve's height with a leaner, but still powerful-looking, build. He turned and smiled, revealing the ruby sunglasses that were on his kind face. Rogue had to admit he was handsome.

Behind the desk at the center of the room sat a bald in a tweed coat. It even had the leather patches on the elbows like in the movies. He looked about as stereotypical as any headmaster could possibly be. But there was a keen intelligence behind his pale blue eyes.

"Steven," the man behind the desk smiled before sliding back, revealing he was sitting in a wheelchair. He glided up to her and extended his hand, "And I believe your name is Rogue. Welcome, my name is Charles Xavier. We're happy to have you."

She flinched a little at his outstretched hand before remembering she had her gloves on. She shook it, and smiled, "Yea, thanks. Glad to be here, I guess."

"Rogue," the younger man pushed himself off the wall and shook her hand as well, "I'm Scott Summers. Or, Cyclops, if you prefer. I'm the school's history teacher as well as athletics director. Good to meet you. Later I can take you around and introduce you to the other teachers and some of the students in your year."

"Yea, uh, about that," Rogue shrugged. "I still ain't sure this is for me. I ain't been all that good at school in my life, and I definitely ain't fancy like this place."

"Many feel that way before they spend time here," Xavier smiled slightly. "But I promise you-"

"No, Chuck," Rogue shook her head. None of them understood. She had grown up in a swamp to a mother and father who hadn't even finished elementary school, let alone high school. She had barely learned to read from them before they went and disappeared and dropped her off at the orphanage. She had never had any real friends, just other orphans who wanted to get adopted as much as she did. That never happened, and then she ended up kidnapped by those bastards. What point was there in pretending she could belong here. "I don't think it's gonna work."

"Rogue," Steve sighed, "this is how it's gotta be. Where I'm going, you're not going to be able to follow. I'm not going to be able to protect you and stop the people who abducted you."

He just wants to dump me off like the rest of them. First person that actually seemed to give a shit about me and he's dropping me off somewhere as quick as he can.

"I'm a mutant, [i]Steve[/i]," she put emphasis on his name. "I got powers. I can fight. It's not fair that I ain't go no say in this."

The three men in the room all looked at one another before looking at their feet. 

[i]Good,[/i] Rogue thought to herself, [i]I hope they all feel bad.[/i]

"If I'm staying here, I at least want to do one thing before I do," she folded her arms. "I want to go to the orphanage and tell them I'm alive. In person. The place was a shit hole, but a few of the staff was nice enough. I'd like to let them know I ain't dead or human trafficked or whatever."

Another sigh from Rogers, "Rogue I need to-"

"It's no problem, Steve," Charles waved his hand. "Scott, can we take the two of them on a ride in the Blackbird?"

Cyclops chuckled, "Professor, I'll fire up the engines."