Remembrance

The frog sat on the middle of the road. Slowly he turned his head to face the fly cleaning itself on one of the bright yellow lines that divided the high way. Without a sound, the fly was quickly wisked away by a light pink, sticky blur, the latest meal of the dark green bull frog. Slowly, the frog turned its head to find another fly, walking nervously along the dark pitch of the road. The bullfrog started to open it's mouth when suddenly, a bright light covered the entire area. Without hesitation, the frog quickly jumped off the road, and into the safety of darkness, dirt and weeds covering the road's shoulder.

The dark green landscape quickly blured past the lone red convertible. In the car, two figures sat in silence, the only noise in the car was the loud blasting sound of Dixieland Jazz playing.

"Rogue, do you mind if we shut this off?" Bobby Drake asked, "It's starting to give me a slight headache."

"Sure, Sugah, what ever ya want," Rogue replied, "Ah just thought, you bein' so quiet 'n all, that Ah'd put somethin' on. Ya know, your a better passenger than Remy. You haven't cursed or complained 'bout muh drivin' since we left the mansion."

Bobby drake turned from his position of looking out the window, slump-shouldered, and chin on hand to face his lovely driving companion. "I'm sorry, Rogue. It's just that, well, since Emma's been in my head, I'm a little scared about going up to see her. I wish I knew why Scott wanted me to come up and see how she and Sean were handeling things since the Professor flipped out and was...."

"Ah know how you feel," Rogue said, cutting him off, "Remember, I had Carol in mah head for a long time. Ah'm just lucky Ah don't have to see her every day, or work with her. We're here." she quietly added, as the red convertible quickly turned the corner, and took some of the curb with it. This time, Bobby did flinch (and mutter a small prayer under his breath) as he flew up out of his seat, bouncing his head on the convertible's closed top.

"Um, Rogue, have you ever considered taking...driving lessons?"

"Why?"

"No reason, I'll see you in two weeks, Rogue, thanks for the lift" Bobby said as he exited the car.

"Alright, Ah'll see ya then," Roague shouted as the car quickly skid out of the driveway, hitting the sidewalk, causing sparks to fly, several times.

"Next time I'll drive with someone who isn't invulnerable," he thought to himself as he walked up the path to front of the Massachusetts Academy. Before the Iceman reached the door, it was opened by the Headmaster of the Academy, Sean Cassidy.

"Bobby, me boy, Em told me you were comin' but I wasn't 'xspectin' ya for another day."

"I decided to come up a little earlier than I thought,"Bobby said, stepping into the front hallway, "I thought I would see how you REALLY live." he joked as he saw Jubilee running down the steps of the main hall toward him. "Jubes! how ya been, kid," Bobby asked, using his best tough New York accent, and picking her up in the air in a big bear hug.

"BOBBY BOBBY BOBBY, where have you been?? I have, like, been waiting for you for, like, forever! I am SO glad you could come!!! Frosty has also..." Jubilee said under her breath as Emma Frost stepped on to the balcony over looking the grand hall.

"Hello Drake," Emma said coldly, moving quickly down the staircase, and straight towards Bobby.

"Emma," Bobby replied, using the same cold tone.

Before the two mutants could reach each other, however, Sean stepped between them, giving Bobby a nervous smile and laugh. "I'm sure, lad, that ye want te get settled before ye get the grand tour o' the academy."

"Why don't you go get his bags, Sean, while I see to Drake's 'grand tour'," Emma said, quickly stepping in between Sean and Bobby, using the same maneuver on Sean that he did on her.

"Thanks, Emma, but I'd rather..." Before Bobby could answer, though, a loud explosion rocked the mansion, causing everyone to fly backwards, and causing Bobby to smack the side his head on the large marble table in the center of the room.

"Damn, FoH, outside, twenty of them, Drake, you take--Damn, Sean, most of the children are already out there, go out and help them while I get Drake to the infirmary."

"What di' ye mean the children are already out there? They aren't ready for the FoH yet," Sean screamed at Emma, over the noise of gun fire and multiple explosions.

"Would you rather that they let them blow the entire school up?" Emma screamed back, while trying to hoist Bobby up.

"Cass' man, I think Frosty's got a point there," Jubilee shouted, while firing plasma towards the large hole where the two large oak doors used to be.

Without answering, the mutant known as Banshee flew out the hole, towards the other mutants, already in battle with the Friends of Humanity.

"Yo, Frosty, you need help luggin' him down stairs?" Jubilee asked and she backed away from the door, towards the White Queen.

<No, I don't think so... Jubilation, head out and see what you can do, try to find Monet and have her contact me if you need assistance> Emma said in Jubilee's head. Without answering, the young mutant ran at the opening in building, fireworks flying from her hands as she tried to find the other telepath.

"Come on, Drake," Emma said as she tried to lift Bobby up and onto her shoulder in a form of the Fireman's Carry. "We have to get to infirmary." Lugging the Iceman down the darkened hall, Emma finally reached the stairwell that led down to the medical area, as the building tremmored around her. "We should have taught the children how to handle the Friends of Humanity better," Emma whispered to herself as she started down the stair case.

"yOURTohaRDonYOUrSeLF," Bobby slurred at her, as he started to come to, again. Emma tried to quickly drag the Iceman down the steep stone stairs. "yoUsHOUldTaKEAvacAtion. GO OUT AND SEE THE WORLD!!!!!" he screamed, swinging his arms wildly, freezing parts of the walls and floor.

"Drake, if you don't settle down, so help me, I'll knock you out, AGAIN--and I'm not as forgiving as that table!"

"ya KNOw, YOU'Re cUTe WhEn YoU' re Mad?"

Without answering, the former White Queen carried the delusional X-Man down the last flight of stairs. Slowly (and without any of her usual grace) Emma finally reached the infirmary, and the Sh'iar based bio-beds. Quickly, Emma adjusted the bed to scan for any head injuries that Bobby would have recieved as result of his crash. As she had feared, the information the bio-bed gave her, was not good.

"Concusion, fractured skull, Dear Lord," Emma murmured under her breath as she compared the instrument's screen with her own mental readings. "Let's hope you don't slip into a coma before the biobed can repair some damage."

"WhATtt's Up doC?" Bobby slurred at her, from the other side of the room, slipping in and out of consciousness. Finally, though, the latter won, leaving the Iceman laying on the bio-bed, unconscious.

"Drake!" Emma screamed from on the other side of the room. Without looking at the instrument's readings, Emma could feel that Bobby had already sunk into a coma.

End of part One

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