Fifth Avenue, New York.
Outside St. Patrick's Cathedral, tourists moved in steady streams, cameras flashing, voices blending into a constant hum.
Just a block away, the atmosphere shifted.
A narrow alley sat nearly empty.
A girl walked through it alone, wrapped tightly in a dark cloak.
After a moment, she lowered the hood.
Soft features. A hint of baby fat still clinging to her cheeks. Nervous eyes scanning her surroundings.
Marie.
It had been fifteen days since her powers awakened.
Fifteen days since her life had fallen apart.
Every time she touched someone, they collapsed—drained, unconscious. Like she carried some kind of curse. The fear of hurting someone had driven her away from everyone she knew.
Now she kept her distance from the world.
"Found you."
The voice was low. Rough.
Marie froze.
At the far end of the alley, a towering man blocked her path.
Wild hair. Ragged clothes. A predator's stare.
And when he smiled—
Fangs.
"Who… who are you?" Marie asked, instinctively stepping back.
"Someone who needs you," the man replied casually. "My boss wants a word."
He tilted his head slightly, eyes glinting. "So let's make this easy. Come with me."
Marie didn't wait for him to finish.
She turned and ran.
Behind her, Sabretooth gave chase without urgency.
He already knew her ability.
As long as he didn't touch her, she was just a frightened kid.
No threat.
The distance closed fast.
Ten meters.
Five.
Three—
Sabretooth's expression shifted, a flicker of impatience crossing his face.
"Enough."
He lunged forward, claws extending, aiming straight for the tendons in her leg.
Cripple her.
End the chase.
But just before his strike landed—
Something felt wrong.
A sharp, instinctive warning screamed through his senses.
He looked up.
Too late.
A shoe filled his vision.
Then—
Impact.
His body slammed into the ground as if crushed by a falling building. The force shattered bone, drove him deep into the pavement, and sent a shockwave through the alley.
Boom.
Marie stumbled as the ground trembled beneath her feet.
She fell hard, scraping her hands, panic surging as she turned back—
And froze.
Sabretooth lay face-down in a crater.
Pinned.
A young man stood over him, one foot planted firmly between his shoulder blades.
Effortless.
Controlled.
Like he wasn't even trying.
Sunlight filtered down into the alley, catching against his white shirt.
He looked… unreal.
"Looks like I made it in time," Noah said.
He ignored the twitching body beneath his foot and stepped forward, offering his hand.
"Hi," he said with an easy smile. "Noah Vale. I hear you've been looking for me."
Marie stared at him, stunned.
Is… is this real?
For a second, she almost reached out.
Then she saw her own hands—dirty, scraped, dangerous.
She pulled back.
"I—don't," she said quickly. "You can't touch me."
Noah glanced at her injured hand.
Then, without hesitation, he reached out and took it.
Marie's eyes widened in panic. "Wait—!"
Too late.
Their skin met.
Power surged.
She felt it instantly—energy flowing from him into her, overwhelming, steady, endless.
But Noah didn't flinch.
Didn't even react.
He just stood there, calm as ever.
Marie blinked, confusion replacing fear.
"…Are you okay?"
"A little uncomfortable," Noah said casually. "Nothing I can't handle."
Inside, it was anything but minor.
It felt like being torn apart from the inside—like thousands of blades carving through his body at once.
His strength dipped. His endurance wavered. Even his lifespan ticked down, piece by piece.
But his expression didn't change.
Not even slightly.
So that's how it works.
There was a limit. A cost.
But also—
A gain.
He released her hand after a moment.
"That should do it," he said. "Try moving your hand."
Marie looked down.
The scrapes were gone.
Her skin was smooth again, as if the injury had never happened.
Her breath caught.
"It's… healed."
She looked up at him, eyes wide with disbelief.
"Thank you," she said quickly. "I'm Marie. People call me Rogue. I came to New York to find you, I—"
"No need to explain," Noah cut in gently. "I already know."
He gave her shoulder a light pat.
"I came here for you."
Marie's heart skipped.
She'd thought this was coincidence.
A lucky encounter.
But this?
He'd been looking for her too?
"…Really?" she asked, barely above a whisper.
"Yeah."
Noah glanced back at Sabretooth, who was starting to stir beneath his foot.
"Give me a minute," he said. "Wait outside the alley."
Marie nodded quickly, still dazed, and hurried away.
Behind her, Noah shifted his weight slightly.
And pressed down harder.