Part 25

Questions of the mind

By Skytower

Tania stood and watched as the slim, balding man in the wheelchair sat by Jan’s bed and placed his fingers on her temple. Jan lay in the same comatose state that they had found her and Jen in. Dr. Faustus hypnotic treatment had been brutal, a combination of drugs and subliminal programming. Tania remember charging into the room to free her friends and nearly being overwhelmed by the hypnotic image projecting from the ceiling. But Faustus and the Sewing Circle were in a SHIELD cell and Tania hoped that they rotted there. The affect on her friends had been hard. Wanda had barely spoken two words on the trip back and even Steve had been silent. Once at the mansion they had called on Prof Xavier of the X-men to help. He had already used his vast mental powers to free Jen from the effects of the hypnosis and now he was doing the same to Jan. Tania knew that she didn’t have to be there but she wanted to be.

After a few minutes Charles took his hand away.

“She’ll sleep peacefully and wake up tomorrow morning,” He said.

“Thank you,” Tania said.

She opened the door and he wheeled himself out of the room. Tania closed it but left the light on.

“All done?” Carol asked from the doorway across the room.

“She’ll be fine,” Charles said.

“Good, can you two come in here?”

Tania followed Charles into Carol’s bedroom. She wasn’t sure what was going on but she could guess. Carol had enveloped her in a crushing hug when she had gotten off of the quinjet. A hug that had quickly turned awkward. The confliction in her had grown while Tania and the others had been held prisoner.

"Charles I need you to read my mind," Carol said as Tania closed the door. "I need to know if I did murder Destiny."

"Do you need me to leave?" Tania asked.

"That won't be necessary," Charles said.

“Stay,” Carol said. “Please.” She added.

Carol walked over to her bed and sat down. Charles rolled his chair over to her and put his hand on her forehead and they both closed their eyes. Tania waited not sure of what to do. After a few minutes both Carol and Charles open their eyes.

"I'm sorry Carol," Charles said "but I can't find any evidence of mental tampering."

"Nothing?" Carol asked almost desperately.

"You remember that night perfectly," Charles said "you went home, you ate dinner watched a little TV, changed into your nightgown and went to bed."

"Then how did I wake up in the morning in my costume with an empty bottle of rum and blood splatters all over me?" Carol asked.

"I don't know," Charles said.

"There's something else," Carol said looking at Tania. "Tania I’d like Charles to scan your mind."

"Mine?" Tania asked surprised and a little scared. She had not had good experiences with telepaths.

"You were with me that night," Carol said. "Maybe you will remember something that I don't."

"Carol..." Tania started but Carol interrupted her.

"Tania something’s wrong with me, with you, maybe with both of us," Carol said "the attraction between us... isn't right. It's not natural..."

"What you mean by that?" Tania said feeling anger rise within her. "Carol what I feel toward you is as natural to me as what I would feel toward anyone I was attracted to. I'm sorry if it frightens you but I find it wonderful to feel this way. Just because you've come from a closed society..."

"It's not that!" Carol snapped. "Tania I'm not gay. Never have been. So why the hell have I been thinking of kissing you the past week?" She looked at Charles. "Can you tell me why?"

"No," Charles said obviously a little uncomfortable being put between the two women. "Carol I probed your mind and there is no mental tampering that I can detect and I can't imagine there would be tampering that I couldn't be able to detect."

"But it's possible," Carol said.

"Yes it is," Charles said.

"So maybe you'll detect it if you see it twice," Carol said.

"Is this why you wanted me to stay with the Avengers?" Tania demanded.

"No it isn't," Carol insisted. "Tania I trust you..."

"But you need proof," Tania said coldly.

"Yes."

Tania felt the anger within her and forced it back down. She imagined how Carol felt, the fear and doubt that must be eating at her. Imprisoned in Avengers mansion and suspected of a murder and on top of that a sexual identity crisis.

Tania walked over and knelt beside Charles.

"If this will satisfy you Carol," Tania said.

"Tania I have to know and I'm sorry I can't go on faith like you can," Carol said. Tania saw the doubt and pain in her eyes and she did understand. Tania could easily remember when supervillains had taken her mind and emotions and bent and twisted them. Still Tania couldn't completely fight down her own pain and anger. Trust was something that was vital in any relationship. If Carol were to begin theirs with distrust what would the rest of their relationship be like? Could they even have one? Tania wanted one, did Carol?

Charles put his hand on Tania's forehead and Tania braced herself. At first she felt nothing. Then she felt the new presence in her mind, as if somebody were blowing against her hair. The feeling increased and Tania felt her heart speed up. Of all of the violations that she had been through in her career as a superheroine a mental violation was the worst. However benevolent it was still an invasion on a very primal level. It was like walking naked through a thunderstorm while people laughed.

"She's resisting," Charles said.

"Resisting?" Carol asked. "Why?"

"Because someone is trying to read my mind!" Tania said through gritted teeth. "What did you think would happen?"

"Tania please!" Carol begged. "Please, just this once. Tania I have to know!"

The pleading tone in her voice was impossible for Tania to ignore. She took a deep breath and tried to calm her mind. Now she felt Charles's probe as if it were a cold sponge being run over her hot body. She could sense who and what he was and she could feel his benevolence and noble spirit. That helped and Tania forced herself to relax her mental defenses. It probably only took a few minutes but it felt like hours before he finally pulled back.

"There was no mental tampering with Tania," Charles said and there was a definite weariness in his voice.

"Thank you," Carol said but there was a tinge of despair in her voice that Tania couldn't ignore.

Is the thought of my body and my love that repugnant to her, Tania wondered and the thought hurt her. She stayed on the floor and tried to pull herself together. Tania barely heard Carol and Charles talk and then say goodbye. She was too wrapped up in her own thoughts and feelings. But when Carol finally spoke to her Tania's mind snapped into focus.

"Tania I'm sorry but I had to do that."

"You did," Tania said standing up. "Carol," Tania started and then forced herself to stop for a moment before going on. She needed to frame this perfectly and not allow her anger to put anymore poison between them. "Carol you were brought up in this world, a world ruled by men. You've only known brothers, you've never known a sister. You were brought up by a man, taught to fight by a man, taught to think like a man. My sisters are not all saints but they are all my sisters and I trust all of them. What you just put me through... I understand why you had to do it, but I hated it and now I'm very angry with you. You wanted me to stay, you wanted me to take your place in the Avengers. But now you didn't even trust me, you didn't ask me beforehand. If you asked me this afternoon or yesterday, given me time to prepare... I still would have been insulted but it would've given me time to understand more."

"Or it would've given whoever was controlling you time to hide it," Carol said defensively. "They would've guessed that I'd go to Charles, but not you."

"And now that you're sure we're both of our own minds?"

"I don't know," Carol said. "I'm sorry Tania I just don't know."

Tania put her hand on Carol's shoulder for a moment and then walked to the door. She paused and turned back.

"When you are sure Carol then come to me and we will talk," Tania said. She opened the door. "But do not come to me tonight Carol. Not tonight."

Tania closed the door and headed toward her own room.

Part 26

Friends under pressure

Athena flew through the air but couldn't help but looking around her as she did so.

"There's no one here but us," Tiffany said. But she looked around too.

"Who's left?" Athena asked and she knew that she was letting the tension get to her. "I've had Spiderman, Spider Woman, The Wasp and The Human Torch."

"I've had Thor, Captain America, Iron Man, Nick Fury and Hawkeye," Tiffany said. "Who knew she had this many friends?"

"Maybe we should rent out a hall," Athena suggested. "Anyway thanks for sticking with me tonight, I wasn't sure who I'd run into next."

"No problem I had the same feeling," Tiffany said "and I've been reading up on Ms. Marvel. Not all of her friends are good guys."

"I've heard from Le Joueur today," Athena said "she's had some pretty heavy types running through the casino. I think she'll fold."

"I'm not sure that blame her," Tiffany said. “Not with Mystique vanishing into SHIELD custody.”

“Not that SHIELD admits that,” Athena said. A still comatose Mystique had been wheeled out of the hospital into a waiting SHIELD helicopter in broad daylight but SHIELD still denied that they had her. Abby was furious, the press was having a field day but no one seemed to be able to do much. An ‘official investigation’ was in progress.”

“No word from Tania?”

“Nothing,” Athena said and that puzzled her. She and Tania had always been friends, but now there was no contact at all. “She joins the Avengers and suddenly we’re yesterday’s news?”

She didn’t bother to hide the hurt in her voice.

“We could always go and see her,” Tiffany suggested.

“Yea, we could,” Athena agreed.

But after all of the attention neither of them felt comfortable about the idea of going to Avengers mansion. Athena had gotten definite threatening vibes from Spiderwoman and the Wasp and she was sure that Tiffany hadn’t forgotten the beat down of a few weeks before.

No, Athena thought, let’s just get the trial over with.

Athena took one last look around and then started to land on the balcony of her apartment. Tiffany landed beside her and they both went in. The moment they were inside the door Athena stiffened. Behind her Tiffany cursed. Sitting in the living room -- sitting in her living room -- was a bald man in a wheelchair and behind him a medium-size woman wearing a green jacket and pants. She had black hair with a white streak in it. While Athena was still fuming over the break-in Tiffany reacted. Her enchanted guns were in her hands and she leveled them at the two intruders.

"Move and I fire," Tiffany said and there was a deadly tone in her voice that Athena seldom heard. "White Owl the woman's name is Rogue, whatever you do don't let her touch you."

"We aren't here to fight," the man in the wheelchair said.

"The words; ‘breaking and entering’ mean anything to you?" Athena demanded.

"I'm sorry but I was afraid that waiting outside would draw too much attention," the man said. "I am Charles Xavier."

"Leader of the X-Men," Tiffany said. "Here to talk to us about Ms. Marvel?"

"She didn't do it," Rogue said. "I know her and she wouldn't do that."

"We've been hearing that for the past few weeks," Athena said not bothering to hide her anger.

"Rogue is in a good position to know Ms. Marvel's character," Charles said.

"The best from what I understand," Tiffany said. "From what I've read online Rogue tore Ms. Marvel's mind apart and kept it for a few years."

"She did," Charles said. "And that was a painful time for both of them." He stressed the word 'both'. "I was the one who helped Ms. Marvel through that time. I scanned her mind and the events of that night do not match your story."

"Story?" Athena demanded. "Like we've said to just about every superhero on the planet professor, we saw what we saw. We saw Ms. Marvel -- or someone in her costume -- murder Destiny." Suddenly Athena looked around. "Hey where is my cat? Where's Daisy?"

"She's in the bedroom," Rogue said "she kept trying to scratch us."

"Ladies I am sorry about the way this seems," the professor said "but we are only interested in finding out the truth. I'd like to scan your minds to confirm that there is no mental tampering."

"Get the hell out of my apartment!" Athena screamed at them. "You break-in, you bother my cat, you call us liars and now you want to read our minds? Get the hell out or we'll throw you out!"

"We just want to help our friend," Rogue said.

"We saw what we saw," Tiffany said. "That's what we're going to say at trial. The only one who can help her is her lawyer. Now get out or I'll start shooting."

Rogue was about to say something but the professor held up his hand to silence her.

"I'm sorry," he said "we'll leave."

"But..." Rogue started to protest but he stopped her.

"We can't do any good here right now."

He headed toward the door and with one more look at both of them Rogue followed him.

Tiffany didn't feel safe enough to lower her guns until the door closed behind them. She looked out over the window just in case there were other X-Men in the sky.

"We're clear," Tiffany said holstering her guns.

"Unbelievable!" Athena said stopping over to her bedroom door. "Why are we suddenly the bad guys?"

"She's got a lot of friends," Tiffany said going over to the couch and sitting down. After a minute Athena came back out. "How's Daisy?"

"Hiding under the bed," Athena said angrily. "She'll be there for the rest of the night I think. She doesn't like strangers."

"Maybe we should room together for a while?" Tiffany suggested.

"Maybe. You want some coffee?"

"That'd be good," Tiffany said.

Tiffany found it hard to relax while Athena was in the kitchen. It was bad enough to worry about supervillains did they have to worry about superheroes now? It seemed insane that they’d get this much attention. Maybe rooming together -- and for once Tiffany wasn't thinking at all about sleeping with Athena -- was a safer alternative. She could think of a few superheroes that might just cross the line in trying to prove Ms. Marvel innocent.

"Here you go," Athena said walking in and handing Tiffany a hot cup of coffee. She had one herself and sat down on the couch next to her friend. "Do you really think we need to room together?"

"I don't know," Tiffany said drinking her coffee. It was warm and sweet and she guessed that as usual Athena had put too much sugar in it. "So far we've just been getting the good ones, from what I've read online Ms. Marvel has friends in military intelligence. Real black op types. We both know Mystique didn’t vanish on her own."

Athena didn't say anything and Tiffany found herself yawning. She stretched and drank more of the coffee.

"What if we are being used?" Athena asked.

"How?" Tiffany said finishing her coffee. She stretched again and felt her toes tingle in her boots.

"I don't know," Athena said. "I guess if we knew we were being used we couldn't be used."

They both laughed at that and Tiffany wanted to say something else but abruptly she couldn't focus. She was tired. Her legs felt like lead and her arms were stiff. The room seemed to fall away from her and suddenly she was floating in blackness. Then there was light.

Tiffany stood beside Athena guns drawn. She had read up on Rogue and someone with that kind of power was not someone she was going to trust. Prof. X. as he was known was supposed to be one of the good guys but the X-Men were full of supervillains. They claimed to be former supervillains but the jury was still out on a lot of them.

"Get the hell out of my apartment!" Athena screamed at them. "You break-in, you bother my cat, you call us liars and now you want to read our minds! Get the hell out or we'll throw you out!"

"Not until we get the truth," Rogue said.

"You'll leave now," Tiffany said.

"No we will not," Professor Xavier said. His eyes suddenly locked with hers and Tiffany found herself unable to move. She could feel him forcing his way into her mind. Out of the corner of her eye Tiffany saw Athena wrestling with Rogue. The mutant had taken off her gloves and was trying to touch Athena and Athena was trying to fend her off.

But then all of Tiffany's attention was focused on her mind. She could feel Prof. Xavier pushing his way in. It was as if her head was in a vice and he was squeezing. Tiffany managed to pull the trigger once but her shot went into the floor. Then she couldn’t move her body at all. He was in and Tiffany wanted to throw up. Her mind burned as the mutant forced his way in, probing her memories learning things she kept well hidden even from herself. It was as if she had been given a dose of absolute truth serum. Her every thought was his, to read, reshape or erase. Tiffany had never felt so helpless or so violated. He read not only her memories of that night he also read her memories of her first sexual encounter, the first time she was tied up, the secret dreams she had about Athena... She was an open book to him and in the slight feedback she got through the mental link Tiffany could feel his amusement and lust.

Then it was over. He pulled out and she fell to the floor her mind too confused and in too much pain to allow her much thought let alone action. Vaguely she heard them talking.

"I've got her memories," Rogue said "and she really remembers what she says she remembers."

"Tiffany is the same," Professor Xavier said. "We'll have to find some other way to prove Ms. Marvel's innocence."

“No matter what we can’t let her go to jail.” Rogue said.

They left and Tiffany felt herself being dragged into a confusing maelstrom of dreams and nightmares.

Crimson Valkyrie moaned and her arms and legs twitched. Athena sat motionless on the couch beside her. Both of them were wearing helmets that completely covered their heads. Wires ran from the helmets to a small control panel that sat on the coffee table. Tina typed commands into the control panel and watched a display. On the display was a cartoon of the scenario that she had just implanted in their minds. On the other side of the couch Destiny stood and waited.

"The memory implantation is confirmed," Tina said.

"She really will believe it happened that way?" Destiny said.

"Her and Athena both," Tina said. "Athena's shadow brain allows direct memory implantation by oral command but also by direct transmission. The machine wouldn't work on Crimson if she knew what was going on, but the drug that Athena put into her coffee took care of that. I was right in that we needed a blood sample to make one that would work. I don’t think we can use the drug more than once though she might be able to fight it off next time." Tina stood up and started to dismantle the equipment, taking the helmets off Athena and Tiffany. "I've also implanted the suggestion that Athena should trust no one but Tiffany and increased the attraction between them. They already love each other as sisters this will put them into the lovers category. It's too bad that Tiffany can't be implanted, but her history with nano technology makes her to unpredictable. We don't know if she’ll be able to detect the web or not."

"It still works in our favor," Destiny said. "If my projections are correct and hold true then the Crimson Valkyrie is the key to the destruction of the X-Men."

"Your predictions were absolutely correct here," Tina said. "I wish I had the ability to do that."

"I'm not always accurate," Destiny said "I can see the timelines but they blur because events in the present change and sometimes all I can see is darkness. But short range I can be very accurate."

Tina put all of the equipment into a box and carried it over to a shadow in the corner of the room. Then she went back over to Athena and took her off the couch and laid her on the floor. From her pocket she took a syringe.

"With your abilities our plans have a better chance of success," Tina said. "This drug will simulate the neural damage that occurs when Rogue uses her powers against someone for too long, but it will be a bit more severe." Tina plunged the syringe into Athena's neck and pushed the plunger. "Crimson will be furious when she sees what Rogue has done to her friend."

"And once the X-Men are no more Rogue will come home," Destiny said smiling.

Tiffany woke only after a truly tremendous effort of will. Her body felt weak and her mind confused but she knew that she had to be awake. She managed to look around and the first thing she saw was Athena lying on the rug. Her friend was pale and angry looking black lines crisscrossed the shrunken flesh of her face. She was barely breathing and her fingers were twitching. With fingers that barely worked Tiffany managed to open her cell phone and call for an ambulance.

Tiffany knew many lawyers and she respected them all. It was a hard job and a lot of the time it was a thankless job. Right now was one of those times and Tiffany was struggling to think through her anger. Abby Carmichael, Judge John Parker and Jennifer Walters were standing with her outside of Athena's hospital room. Athena would be all right but they wanted her to stay in the hospital overnight and Tiffany wasn't leaving her.

"Judge a parade of capes was bad enough," Abby said angrily "but this was a physical assault. The second one in a month. I want the restraining order on everyone."

“Second one?” Jenifer asked.

“The night Thor visited me,” Tiffany said. “Once he left some bitch in a viking costume caught me from behind.”

“There’s no way you can blame Thor for that,” Jenifer insisted.

“Viking god, viking woman…” Abby started

“Anyone can put on a costume,” Jenifer said.

“Not everyone can beat me up,” Tiffany said looking at Jen. Jenifer was in her human form but Tiffany knew that as She-Hulk she was strong and powerful. Maybe powerful enough? “What were you doing that night?”

“Me?” Jen asked.

“As She-Hulk you’re powerful enough,” Tiffany said letting her anger choose the words, “a little make-up and a mask, I wouldn’t know you.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Jenifer snapped.

“So’s the parade of superheroes suddenly showing up every other night to harass my witnesses,” Abby said. “Judge I’m asking seriously for a restraining order.”

“On who?” The judge asked.

“Everyone,” Abby said.

"Everyone?" Jenifer asked.

"Everyone associated with the Avengers and the X-Men."

"That covers a lot of ground Abby," Jenifer said.

"Not enough for me," Tiffany said. “We still don’t know what SHIELD did with Mystique.”

“We don’t know that SHIELD took her,” Jenifer said. “Judge an order like this is excessive."

"No excessive is White Owl laying in a hospital bed after two of the X-Men broke into her apartment and assaulted us!" Tiffany said working hard to keep her voice low.

"I talked to Professor Xavier," Jenifer said "he and Rogue will turn themselves into tomorrow, they say they only talked to you and White Owl."

"Then why is White Owl laying in the hospital bed?" Abby demanded. "Your Honor they’re intimidating the witnesses I have left."

"They're just asking questions," Jenifer protested.

"When the God of Thunder lands on your roof it's intimidating," Abby said.

"I agree," Judge Parker said. He had stayed silent but his face had grown hard. "Tell your clients Ms. Walters that if any of them or their friends go near Crimson Valkyrie, Le Joueur or White Owl that I will consider it a violation of Ms. Marvel's bail and she'll go to jail."

"Your honor that leaves me without any way of investigating this entire matter," Jenifer said. "I have to be free to pursue areas of the investigation that I think will help my client. I'm one of the capes after all."

“And when you're big and green one of the most intimidating," Abby said.

"Not to me right now she isn't," Tiffany said her hands itching to pull out her guns.

"Your honor there are many private investigators who don't wear capes," Abby pointed out.

"And they won't get anywhere," Jenifer said. "They don't travel in the right circles they don't..."

"Break into peoples houses and rape their minds," Tiffany added.

"Your Honor I believe this is a conspiracy," Jenifer said. "A well thought out, well planned and well executed conspiracy. No normal private investigator will be able to go where he needs to go. Let me put one investigator on this. Just one. I know the perfect..." Jenifer paused for a moment and then continued "guy." She said finally. She reached into her purse and pulled out a card handing it to the judge. The judge looked at the card and then looked back at Jenifer. He handed the card Abby.

"You're serious?" The judge asked.

"He's the least intimidating person I know," Jenifer said. "I've worked with him and he knows the ins and outs of the superhero world but he's not a superhero."

"Ms. Carmichael?" The judge asked.

"I've no objection Your Honor," Abby said handing the card to Tiffany.

"Fair Wing investigations?" Tiffany said reading it out loud. "I've never heard of them."

"I have," Abby said. "I think we can go with this."

"I'll call him and he'll start tomorrow morning," Jenifer said.

"If he finds anything out then I want to know about," Abby said.

"Crimson can he stop by and talk to you and White Owl tomorrow morning?" Jenifer asked.

"All right," Tiffany said after a moments hesitation. "But not alone. You tell your friends Ms. Walters that from this moment on White Owl and Crimson Valkyrie stick together and back each other up. We won't be taken by surprise again either by X-Men or Avengers!"

Part 26

Friendship into love

"She said that?" Tania asked.

"And she meant it," Jenifer said. “I think she wanted to deck me when I showed up.”

Tania could only imagine how mad Crimson must've been to say that. She and Carol were sitting in the conference room in Avengers mansion. Holographic images of Jennifer and Charles were on the other side of the table.

"Charles what were you thinking?" Jenifer demanded.

"It was my idea," Rogue said as her hologram suddenly appeared beside his.

Carol winced and her whole body went rigid for a moment.

"Jenifer we did not do anything," Charles said. "We were in her apartment yes but we left when they told us to go."

"White Owl is laying in a hospital bed with all the symptoms of the aftereffects of Rogue using her powers on her," Jenifer said. "How do you explain that?"

"But I'd never..."

"The hell you wouldn't," Jenifer said. "We both know you would, we all know you would."

"Jenifer if she said she didn't do it then she didn't do it," Carol said. Her body was trembling as she said it and Tania could feel the tension radiating off of her. "We were both set up somehow."

"Carol I believe that," Jenifer said "but there's no way in hell anyone on the jury will. Motive, opportunity and evidence are what juries believe."

Carol's hands bunched up into fists and Tania reached over and put her hand on one of them. Carol looked like she was going to pull away but then didn't.

"Whoever is doing this," Tania said "must be watching us somehow. They must be watching everyone. Which of your enemies can do this?"

"I can think of half a dozen," Jenifer said.

"And I can think of more," Charles said.

"What can we do?" Rogue asked.

"Stay out of it," Jenifer said "before you do any more damage. Howard will start working on this tomorrow, we just have to trust him from now on." She reacted to something beyond the range of the holographic camera and her image vanished in a burst of static for a moment. When it reappeared Jenifer looked angry and frustrated. "I just got a notice from Hammer, they’re moving to exclude White Owl and Crimson Valkyrie from Whiplash's trial. They're claiming that since both of them were victims of a mental attack they aren't reliable witnesses."

"Will that work?" Tania demanded.

"It might," Jenifer said sighing. "I'll do some research and see if there's precedent, in the meantime everyone stay away from those two."

She hung up and her hologram vanished.

"Carol I am sorry," Charles said "but after you asked me to scan Tania it occurred to me that White Owl and Crimson Valkyrie might offer a clue. But I approached it wrong."

"It was my fault," Rogue said.

"It was no one's fault," Carol said wearily. "Thanks for trying to help. You better get to work on your own defense."

"Goodnight then," Charles said and the holograms vanished.

"You have good friends," Tania said "even if they are clumsy."

"Rogue is still working off guilt," Carol said. "She's no friend of mine."

"I don't know very much about her," Tania said and left it at that.

"About five years ago," Carol said after a minute or two of silence "I was in San Francisco. Rogue attacked me, she was with the Brother Hood of Evil Mutants back then, led by Mystique. Rogue didn't know how to handle her powers. When she attacked me she not only absorbed my powers but my mind as well. It left my body an empty husk and she kept my powers permanently. It drove her crazy, having me in there." Carol gave a bitter laugh and Tania tightened her grip on Carol's hand. "When it got to be too much Rogue ran away from the brotherhood and was found by Charles. He used his powers to push me down further into her mind and lock me away there."

"He did what?" Tania demanded.

"It was the only thing he could do to save both of us," Carol said. "My body lay in a hospital bed and my mind was imprisoned in Rogue's mind. You can't have two conscious minds in one body. We'd both go insane. It was like being in a deep dark dungeon with a little window very high up. I got glimpses of things, brief periods where the mental shields broke down and I could see and hear. Flashes of her memory now and then. It was the worst hell you can ever think of. I wasn't awake and I wasn't asleep but I was aware. I nearly got loose once when Professor Xavier vanished. I fought her mentally, nearly overpowered her and took over the body." Carol buried her head in her hands for a moment and then released it and shook her head as if to clear the memory. But Marvel Girl, Jean Grey used a mind amplifier and entered Rogue's... Our mind. I couldn't beat both of them. Jean sealed me into a cage and Rogue turned the cage into a concrete block of stone with just few windows. Then they just left me there."

"These are your friends?" Tania demanded outraged. "You just defended her. Why?"

"I know she's sorry," Carol said "and I know they had no choice. I've been in there with her Tania, I know she feels guilty, I know what kind of hell she went through. Eventually I got back into my body, but there were gaps for years afterwards. Memories that she kept that were mine. She was a villainess. But she changed, became an X-Men, and heroine. She's done great good. But dammit I can't stop hating her!" Carol slammed her hands on the table. "I hate her and I have to defend her and I have to respect her! While I was stuck in her mind my parents died, my brothers died… But Rogue never had any family outside of Mystique and Destiny… I’m not sure if I pity her, hate her or just don’t care! God I need a drink."

"No you don't," Tania said. "You may want one Carol, but you'll never need one."

Carol leaned back in her chair and her eyes focused on some spot far beyond the room. They sat together for a few minutes in silence.

"Thanks," Carol said. "You know I'm going to be found guilty."

"Neither of us know that for sure," Tania said. "But we both know you are not guilty. If you can find any solace in this at all Carol find it in that fact."

"Tania I think the only solace I'm going to find for a very long time," she paused and looked at Tania, then looked away, then down at her hands. She clasped them together tightly, so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Tania didn't say anything, she just waited.

"Is in you," Carol said finally.

"Are you ready to talk?" Tania asked again reaching over and putting her hands on Carol's.

"The past few nights have been hell," Carol said. "The more I stay away from you the worse it gets. I don't know what the hell is going on with me, but I do know that... I need you."

"Come on," Tania said standing up. "Such a talk should be held in a less formal setting. I think some chocolate ice cream in the kitchen will be best."

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