Evolving Toward a Body of Steel

You could call it a win-win situation. Rogue might learn to control her power while absorbing his, and he would gain experience and grow stronger faster.

"It hurts a little," Russell said, as casually as if he were commenting on the weather. "But it's bearable."

In truth, the more it hurt, the happier he was.

He let go of Rogue's right hand and stood, looking down at her. "There. Your hand shouldn't hurt anymore, right?"

Rogue looked down and was astonished to see that the scrape on her palm had completely healed.

Her skin was smooth again, without a scar or a mark. Only a few streaks of blood mixed with dirt remained to prove the wound had been real.

"D-did you do this?" She looked up at Russell, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"More or less." Russell nodded. "Your power absorbed my life force, and my healing ability worked inside you for a short time. Think of it like a blood transfusion: I gave you blood, and your wound healed."

That was not entirely accurate. The reality was far more complicated, involving cellular repair at the atomic level and temporary activation of the X-Factor, but Rogue did not need to know any of that.

She only needed to know one thing. Her power would not hurt Russell, and her curse would not bring him down.

And with him, Rogue was safe. The only price was time.

Feeling his muscles and bones grow denser, Russell nodded in satisfaction. He had not tested it, but he was certain an ordinary gun would probably leave no more than a tiny white mark on his skin.

His skin, muscles, and bones grew stronger each time they were injured. It was very different from Wolverine's super-healing, and Russell preferred to call the change "evolving toward a body of steel."

Rogue glanced at Sabretooth in the pit, trampled so badly he no longer looked human.

His spine was healing at an unnatural speed. Fragments of bone shifted beneath his skin, moving back together with faint clicks.

She turned to Russell and said with heartfelt gratitude, "Th-thank you for saving me. My name's Mary. You can call me Mary, or Rogue. I came to New York because I wanted to meet you..."

"You don't have to explain." Russell smiled and gently patted Rogue's shoulder, as naturally as if he were greeting an old friend. "I know more than you do. I got here in time because I came looking for you."

"Looking... for me?" Rogue stared at her idol in shock.

She had thought this was a chance encounter.

A young man happened upon a girl in trouble, rescued her, and perhaps they even fell in love at first sight.

She had never imagined they might have been looking for each other. It was more than she had dared to dream.

Rogue was young. Of course she longed for a handsome prince like Russell.

"That's right." A kind smile appeared on Russell's face. If the people who had died at his hands could see it, they would probably crawl out of Hell on the spot and shout that it was unfair.

"Now, could you wait outside the alley for me? He and I have a few things to discuss."

Everything was under control. He had protected Rogue; all he needed now was a tissue sample from Sabretooth, and the day would be perfect.

Wolverine and Sabretooth both possessed super-healing. But in some respects, Sabretooth had the edge over Logan, whether or not the toxins produced by the Adamantium were limiting Wolverine's ability to heal.

Rogue looked down at the figure still writhing beneath Russell's foot. Sabretooth's spine had already reconnected, his ribs were shifting back into place, and even his broken pelvis was healing at a speed that seemed to defy physics.

After such terrible injuries, he was not just alive. In less than a minute, he was healing as if he had been injected with something that sent his platelets into overdrive. It was incredible.

She looked away, nodded obediently, and left without asking questions. At the alley entrance, she stopped to wait.

Once Rogue had gone, Russell lifted his foot from Sabretooth's head and stepped back, letting him pull it free of the dirt.

At the same time, he quietly took a piece of tissue from him.

Sabretooth climbed out of the pit. His shattered bones and torn muscles had already healed.

His clothes were even more tattered, and his face was covered in dirt and blood. But his amber eyes, with their slit pupils, remained fierce, like those of an enraged beast.

"You're Russell?" he asked, his voice as rough as sandpaper.

"Tell me something: did you attack the wrong guy? I'm with the Brotherhood. People call me Sabretooth. We should be on the same side."

Victor knew who had pinned him down in an instant. By now, it was almost impossible for anyone in New York's underworld not to know Russell.

"I know you're Sabretooth." Russell rolled his eyes. "And I attacked exactly who I meant to."

Sabretooth narrowed his eyes.

Russell slipped his hands into his pockets, as relaxed as if he were chatting with an old friend.

"Take a message to Magneto for me. This girl came looking for me, and she'll be a great help with my training. So whether she joins the Brotherhood of Mutants is up to her. No forcing her."

Sabretooth's eyes widened.

He had assumed Russell was one of them. They all hated the military and the government. They were all hunted, struggling to survive on the fringes of society.

Apparently, that was not the case.

"Any more questions?" Russell raised an eyebrow. "If not, do us both a favor and leave."

"You're taking her away? Aren't you afraid our boss, Magneto, will come after you?" Sabretooth was usually blunt, but there was confusion in his voice too.

"You don't need to worry about that. Just pass on my message."

Russell turned his back on Sabretooth and strolled out of the alley without another glance.

His steps were light and steady, as though he were walking through his own garden.

As for fighting Sabretooth and having another exhilarating battle like the one he had fought with Wolverine?

With a training partner as good as Rogue, Russell had no interest in fighting Sabretooth. That beast was not worth his time.

Behind him, Sabretooth stood where he was, his mission a failure, and watched Russell's back disappear into the sunlight at the alley entrance.

His hands curled into fists. Bone claws pierced his skin, and blood dripped through his fingers onto the ground. For a veteran killer like Sabretooth, failure was humiliating. Still, he did not give chase.

His Beast Instinct told him he was no match for Russell. If he pursued him, he would die.

He turned and walked the other way. He had to report what had happened to Magneto.

Outside the alley, Rogue stood on the corner, watching the steady stream of people on the street.

Tourists held up their phones to take pictures. Children ran up and down the church steps. A hot dog vendor called out, "Fresh hot dogs!"

Everything seemed ordinary, untouched by what had happened in the alley.

But Rogue's heart was racing.

Questions tumbled through her mind. Who was that scruffy man? Why did he want to capture me? How did Russell know I was here? Why was he looking for me too?

What did he mean when he said I'd be a great help with his training? And the way he healed my palm... Is Russell a Mutant with healing powers too?

The thoughts tangled together until she felt lost.

She felt as though she had been swept into some conspiracy, a little boat caught in a rushing current with no idea where it would end up.

Then she remembered holding Russell's hand. Strength had flowed from him into her, bringing a warmth and sense of safety, of being protected. Her unsettled heart grew calm again.

If I'm with Russell, everything will be fine.

"My curse doesn't seem to work on him."

She touched her healed palm. That was what she believed.

"Sorry for the wait." A calm voice came from behind her.

Rogue turned around.

Russell emerged from the alley with a plain black face mask in his hand, the kind sold at a drugstore.

He put it on, leaving only his eyes visible. They narrowed slightly in the sunlight, like two glowing sapphires.

"You must have a lot of questions," Russell said. "There's no rush. It's lunchtime, and I remember a KFC nearby. We can talk on the way."

"Okay." Rogue nodded firmly and followed him toward the fast-food restaurant. Her steps were much lighter than before, as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

A few minutes later.

Inside the restaurant, Rogue stared at the food piled in front of her: burgers, fries, chicken nuggets, cola, apple pie, and a sundae. Her mouth fell slightly open.

She had not eaten this much in a long time. It was not that she could not afford to; she simply had not felt like eating.

Today, though, her appetite had suddenly returned.

"Aren't you eating?" she asked through a mouthful of burger.

"Go ahead." Russell tugged at his mask. "I'd rather not show my face in public. It would be a shame to cause a scene while everyone's enjoying their lunch."

He leaned back, hands folded over his knees, as comfortable as if he were at home. "This is a good time to explain the basics."

Rogue set down her burger and looked at him attentively.

"First, your power. Through physical contact, you can absorb other people's strength, life force, and even Mutant abilities. It's incredibly powerful, and I suspect it has enormous room to grow." Russell spoke quietly enough that only she could hear.

"That's why the Mutant from earlier was after you. To them, your power is irresistible.

If the ability to absorb other people's powers were developed to its limit, you could become any Mutant and wield any power.

It's priceless. It also makes you a target."

Rogue's face went pale.

"As for how I happened to find you, another Mutant asked me to. He wants me to escort you to a school where all the students and teachers are Mutants."

"A school for Mutants? There's a place like that?" Rogue stopped eating, her eyes wide.

"Of course." Russell tapped his fingers rhythmically on the table.

"You know how society treats Mutants: fear, rejection, discrimination. Ordinary schools aren't good for Mutants or humans.

Mutant students get bullied, and human students are afraid of their Mutant classmates. Neither side feels comfortable. Neither side is happy."

"Will you go too?" Rogue asked, her eyes full of hope.

"Not right now." Russell shook his head. "That place isn't for me. And if you don't want to go, you don't have to."

Rogue's head drooped at once. She went back to chewing in silence, though the food no longer tasted quite as good.

"You have two choices." Russell held up two fingers. "First, stay at a hotel for a few nights. I can try to help you find the switch that controls your power, then take you to Mutant Academy.

Second, you can choose not to go to Mutant Academy. Whether you go home or keep wandering after that, I won't stop you."

Rogue was silent for a long time. She poked at a fry with her fork until it was nearly mashed to pieces.

"Can I stay with you?" she finally asked, looking up with bright eyes.

Russell studied her and fell silent for a few seconds.

From their brief test, she was even more effective than bathing in Sulfuric Acid. The pain was sharper, and his proficiency rose faster. As his research into Genes progressed, he could help her control her power along the way.

It would benefit them both. And if her power grew stronger later, the gains might be even greater. Keeping her around long-term might not be a bad idea.

The corner of his mouth lifted. "Of course. But I should warn you: I'm not going to look after you. It'll be too late to regret it later."

"I-I won't regret it." Rogue shook her head vigorously, her face flushing red.

Then she realized how obvious that sounded. I won't regret it? I met him less than half an hour ago, and I'm going to stay at his hotel. How can I say that?

Her face reddened further. She buried her head in her food, wishing she could hide inside her burger.

Russell watched her with a faint smile. Outside the window, the New York sunshine bathed the entire street in warm gold.

He took out his phone and sent Felicity a message: "There'll be one more person tonight. Have the hotel manager make arrangements."

A few seconds later, Felicity replied, "Got it. Can I ask whether it's a boy or a girl?"

Russell glanced at the girl across from him, still battling her burger, and typed, "A girl. Her name's Rogue."

He slipped the phone into his pocket, leaned back, and watched the people passing outside.

Rogue was only the beginning.

He would find more Mutants, more Metahumans, and use their powers to sharpen his own.

Train, grow stronger, unlock new abilities, then find the next one.

Like a river that never stopped flowing, descending from the mountains, joining streams, then larger rivers, then the sea.

Until no one dared draw a line for him again.

Or perhaps he should go further and follow Apocalypse's example.