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Part One
Bobby Drake was enjoying a peaceful afternoon on the shore of the
lake. With the mansion packed full of people it was the only place
he could go to get any peace and quiet.
After the X-Men had rescued the Professor from Cerebro he had called
all of the X-People together for a meeting. Which meant that the mansion
was packed. The normal roster of the X-Men where there, plus everyone
who had taken off. On top of all of them Sean and Emma had brought
the kids up, X-Force had come in from the West Coast, Cable had dropped
in, even what was left of X-Factor and the people from Muir Island
were there. With all those people around there was not a single place
to get some alone time. Except outside.
There was a reason no one had joined Bobby outside. It was a whole
thirty-eight degrees. With the cold breeze from the lake it felt like
five below. It was the type of weather only the Iceman would enjoy.
Bobby was out there to think. He had been dealing with issues in
his life lately, and just needed time to himself. Whenever he needed
to think he would always go to the lake. It was totally peaceful there.
Nature calmed him in ways he was just beginning to understand and
accept. And with the weather like this it was a perfect day.
Bobby liked the lake for another reason though. He could relieve
tension. He could sculpt the water into ice formations. From the simple
to the complex. Whatever his imagination thought of he could bring
to life. The detail on the sculptures was amazing. It was a part of
his life that barely anyone else knew about.
On this particular day Bobby was totally engrossed in what he was
doing. In the middle of the lake a huge ice castle floated. It was
as tall as a two-story house with towers and turrets. Ice banners
flew from the castle walls. They were so fluid looking that they appeared
to be moving in the wind. In one window a princess waved to knights
who were riding their horses out the front gate.
Across the ice field from the castle was a forest. A spectacular
dragon watched the castle from the cover of the woods. Slanted eyes
and scaly flesh could barely be glimpsed through the trees. The whole
piece was done in shades of ice blue. Some parts were as clear as
glass while others were the deepest darkest blue that ice can get.
Taken as a whole it was a masterpiece. It looked like the artist had
put himself completely into the work. And it wasn't far from the truth.
The dragon doesn't look quite right, Bobby thought to himself.
Its nose is too long. That and the smoke cloud looks a little off.
He stepped into the water and his body disappeared. To an onlooker
it would seem as if he had melted into the lake. Which is exactly
what he had done. A few seconds later the dragon started to change
form. Its nose became shorter and the smoke cloud flowed beside it,
instead of up in the air. A few seconds later Bobby appeared back
on the shore.
Damn it feels good to use my powers like that! he thought
to himself. I'm doing some cool shit no one would have ever imagined
me doing. Who would have thought I could become part of the water
or ice?
"Oh, Bobby!" a voice exclaimed from behind him. "That is absolutely
breath takin', sugar."
"Thanks, Rogue. I've been working on it for most of the afternoon."
Bobby turned his head and looked her in the eyes. "So what brings
you out here? I didn't figure anyone would be out of the house today."
Rogue got a motherly look on her face. "Well, darlin', if you really
want to know, I've been lookin' for you. You seemed like you had a
lot on your mind earlier today. Thought you might like to talk about
it."
Bobby laughed. "That obvious, huh?"
Rogue joined in on his chuckle. "No sugar, not really. Only to those
of us who know you pretty well. And after our road trip a few months
back I'd say we know each other pretty darn good." She pointed her
finger at the sculpture. "That, and you only make those things when
somethin's on your mind."
Both of them thought back on the trip they had shared. Bobby went
mostly to keep Rogue company. She had needed to get away after absorbing
Gambit's memories in Israel and he had needed some time off. So they
both packed their bags and hit the road. As they traveled around they
grew closer together. They had never been good friends before, but
during the time away they grew together. Each confided things in the
other that no one else knew. They shared their pain and started to
heal.
"Oh, I've just been thinking about the X-Men, my place in it. My
place in the world," Bobby said. "You know deep stuff," he laughed.
"Life, the Universe, and Everything!"
Rogue smiled at him. "Well if that's what it takes to get you to
make something like that I say do it more often." Rogue got a little
bit more serious. "Well, darlin', you know if you need to talk I'm
always here for ya."
She walked close and gave Bobby an awkward hug, trying not to touch
his skin. "Thanks Rogue. That means a lot."
"Now enough with this serious stuff!" she said. "I wanna get a good
look at this work of art floatin' in our lake." With that she floated
a few feet off the ground and flew over to the ice island.
When she got half way to the island a hole in the air open up over
her. Bobby shouted, "Rogue, watch out!" But it was too late. The hole
had expanded and bright white light came out of it. Rogue was blinded
and flew wildly. While she was struggling to regain her sight something
fell out of the hole and hit her. Both Rogue and the object went right
into the freezing water.
Bobby immediately melted into the water. When he did this he became
part of the lake itself, feeling everything in the water. The fish,
plants, wreckage from planes and the emergency exit from the mansion's
underground complex. It was easy for him to find Rogue and what felt
like another human. Bobby froze the water around the pair and brought
them to the surface. "Rogue, are you all right?" he asked her in a
panic as he formed a body of ice on the platform.
She was leaning over the edge of the ice coughing up water. "I'll
*cough* be fine in a second, sugar." Rogue looked at the body
lying face down next to her. "What about her?"
Bobby leaned over the girl. "She's breathing. That looks like the
only thing she's got going for her." He turned the blonde girl over
on her back. She was battered, bruised and beaten. "Oh my god!" he
exclaimed. "Rogue get to the house now! Have Hank prep the med-lab.
This looks like it's an emergency!"
"Bobby, sugar, what's wrong?" Rogue asked, perplexed. She stood up
and got a close look at the girl. "Jesus! Bobby, that's..." Bobby
cut her off.
"I know who it is," he yelled at her.
"Bobby, darlin' she literally been through hell if she's comin' from
where I think she is." Rogue said.
Bobby pushed at Rogue. "I know, I remember that night. Now fly ahead
and get things ready. I'll be right behind you!" With that Rogue took
off at high speed and flew towards the house.
An ice slide started to form, coming out of the lake. Bobby had secured
it to the lake floor and it grew from there underneath the ice platform
pushing it into the air. Bobby and his passenger moved at a high speed
towards the mansion. From the distance he saw Rogue fly in the front
door. Good, he thought. I'll be there in about two minutes
and Hank will be getting things ready. He turned his head back
and looked at the young blonde girl lying behind him. Oh god, she
looks like shit. But at least she's human. Last I heard of anyone
seeing her this age she was a demon. As he got closer to the house
a few people were pouring out the door to see what the excitement
was all about. Jean and Storm were at the head of the pack.
Jean telepathically sent to Bobby, ::What's wrong? Rogue came
flying in asking for Hank. All I could get from her was something
about the med-lab.::
Just read it from my mind Jean, we don't have time for the long
version, Bobby thought to her. Jean reached into his mind and
saw the events of the last few minutes.
::My, God!:: She thought to him. ::I just sent all of it
to Hank. He's got things waiting for us downstairs.:: When Bobby
landed at the door Jean picked the girl up off the platform with her
telekinetic powers.
Storm took on a commanding pose, "Everyone get out of the way. Let
them into the mansion."
Jubilee chose this inopportune moment to stick her nose in. She was
coming down the stairs, headed for the kitchen to get some sugar bombs,
when she saw the small gathering at the door. "Hey, what's going on
here?" She pushed her way through the crowd. "Jono, get out of the
way," she said as she shoved him. "Skin, move it or lose it," she
grabbed ahold of a piece of loose skin and popped him with it. "Mall
rat, coming though." As she neared the front she still couldn't see
what was going on. "Hey, Cajun what's all the fuss about?"
Gambit looked at her with his glowing red eyes. "Don't rightly know
petite," he told her. "Now calm down and we'll see."
About the time Jubilee got situated, Bobby pushed her out of the
way. "Move it squirt, this is an emergency." Jean quickly followed
behind him with the girl. Everyone moved aside to let them into the
mansion. The crowd watched as they disappeared downstairs.
continued
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