He wants to talk… to that guy?
Rogue glanced uneasily at Sabretooth, still pinned beneath Noah's foot. The man had taken a hit that should've killed him—and yet he was still moving.
She swallowed, then nodded obediently and stepped out of the alley, waiting near the street.
Once she was gone, Noah lifted his foot.
Sabretooth dragged himself up, bones cracking back into place as his body rapidly healed.
He grinned, feral and dangerous.
"Kid," he growled, "you've got no idea who you just crossed. We're with the Brotherhood."
"I know," Noah said flatly. "That's why I'm talking to you."
Sabretooth blinked, caught off guard.
Noah continued, tone calm and direct. "Pass a message to Magneto. I know he's working on a machine that can turn humans into mutants."
That wiped the smirk off Sabretooth's face.
Noah tilted his head slightly. "Tell him it's flawed. If he activates it now, it'll cause more problems than it solves."
A pause.
"Three days from now, same time. I want to talk to him."
Sabretooth stared at him, disbelief written all over his face.
"How the hell do you know about that?"
Noah shrugged. "Not your concern. Just deliver the message."
He turned away, already walking toward the alley exit.
Behind him, Sabretooth hesitated—then decided.
This wasn't something he could ignore.
Outside, Rogue stood near the sidewalk, watching the crowds pass by.
Her thoughts were a mess.
Who was that man? Why was he after me? And Noah… how did he know I'd be here?
And then there was the contact.
That moment when she'd touched Noah.
The power she'd felt—endless, overwhelming.
Her fingers curled slightly.
If I'm with him… I'll be safe.
That certainty settled in her chest.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
Rogue turned.
Noah stepped out of the alley, now wearing a mask.
"You've probably got a lot of questions," he said. "Let's walk."
He glanced down the street. "There's a Burger King nearby."
A few minutes later, they were seated at a table piled with food.
Rogue hesitated, then looked at Noah. "You're not eating?"
"Hard to do that in public right now," he said, tugging slightly at his mask. "You go ahead."
She nodded and started eating, clearly hungrier than she realized.
Noah leaned back slightly.
"Alright. Let's get you up to speed."
He spoke evenly, keeping things simple.
"Your ability lets you absorb energy through physical contact. Strength. Stamina. Even powers. It's dangerous—but it's also extremely valuable."
Rogue slowed, listening carefully.
"That's why that guy was after you," Noah continued. "People like him see you as an asset."
He didn't mention Magneto's real plan.
Not yet.
"Then… what about you?" she asked. "How did you find me?"
"Someone asked me to," Noah said. "Another mutant. He wants me to bring you to a school—one run entirely by people like you."
Rogue blinked. "A school… for mutants?"
"Yeah."
She stared down at her food, thinking.
"That sounds… better than running," she admitted quietly.
After a moment, she looked up again.
"Are you a mutant too?"
"No," Noah said. "Not exactly."
He shrugged. "Call it… enhanced. But technically, everyone carries the potential. It's just a matter of whether it activates."
Rogue's expression dimmed slightly.
"…Oh."
Noah noticed—but didn't comment.
Instead, he leaned forward slightly.
"Here's the deal," he said. "You've got two options."
Rogue straightened.
"Option one—you stay with me tonight. Tomorrow, I take you to that school."
"And option two?"
"You walk away," Noah said simply. "Go wherever you want. I won't stop you."
Silence settled between them.
Rogue stared down at the table, thinking hard.
After a long moment, she looked up.
"…Can I stay with you instead?"
Noah paused.
That wasn't the answer he'd expected.
He studied her for a second.
Her ability wasn't exactly useful to him. If anything, it complicated things. Every contact drained him, disrupted his training rhythm.
But—
She wasn't a burden either.
And keeping her around… might prove useful later.
More importantly—
He didn't feel like refusing.
"…Alright," Noah said at last. "But we're still visiting the school first. You can decide after you see it."
Rogue's face lit up immediately.
"I won't change my mind," she said quickly—then froze, realizing how that sounded.
Her cheeks flushed red as she buried her face in her food.
Noah just smiled faintly.
The night passed quietly.
The next morning, Noah brought Rogue to the address Xavier had given him.
They stood before a sprawling estate, surrounded by greenery, far removed from the noise of the city.
Even Noah paused for a moment, taking it in.
So this was it.
A place built for mutants.