CATACLYSM || X-Men

10| can't take my eyes off you

Westchester, New York, 1962

| Nova |

"And you're sure about this?" Charles asked Hank, Erik watching the inventor show the prototype.

    "Pretty sure," he nodded.

    "She won't go for it," Erik shook his head, taking the few steps towards them. They looked up, over the microscope and computer, to look at the man who crossed his arms, eyes stern and unmoving.

    "She might," Hank tried.

    "She'll say it's too dangerous."

    "I hardly believe she would say that," Charles chuckled, unsure about Erik's belief. "This is Rose."

    "You haven't known her for as long as I have."

    "I've seen more in her head than she's ever shown you," Charles reminded him, but Erik was still hesitant.

    "Why don't we ask her?" Hank proposed, needing to break the tension somehow. Both men snapped their heads at her, before they turned back to each other.

    "Let's."

    Rose was sat in the circular window that opened onto the entryway. Her body cast a shadow on the floor, making it easy for anyone on the floor to spot her.

    "Heller?" she looked up to see the three men at the top of the stairs, and she smiled softly as Charles seemed skeptical at her choice. Catch-22 seemed pessimistic at best, but it was only a year old, and she hadn't gotten to read it yet. It was pure luck that she packed it in her backup bag that was picked up by the agents.

    "Relevant," she offered as an explanation, closing the book and sticking her thumb in place. "Can I help you?"

    Sharing one last look, Erik took the few steps towards her, before he took a seat beside her on the window sill. "Hank thinks he's solved your glove problem."

    After a moment of silence, Rose let out a laugh. "I don't have a glove problem."

    "You're afraid, every time, that leaving your gloves off will make your body draw in energy from the closest source when you need it," Charles spoke her fears out loud, walking to her other side. "Hank here, has developed something that would help you control the need to absorb."

    She looked to Hank's hands, which held the device.

    "This isn't like Alex's need to concentrate his strength. I can concentrate it. I just don't have the ability to choose the source of my power without my gloves," she clarified.

    "So what if you did?" Hank spoke, his expression and eager position inspiring her curiosity.

    Erik and Charles followed the two outside, where Raven was fighting with the boys in a sparring session. After Rose had taught her how to analyse an opposition's moves, she handed down the knowledge when the older woman didn't feel comfortable doing it. She didn't plan on sticking around after this was over, whether they won or not, and she didn't want them to get used to her methods if it would come to that.

    "What's going on?" she called to the four walking down to the pond at the bottom of the stairs.

    "We're all training, not just you," Rose called to her, the three younger team members sharing a look, before they rushed to the edge of the raised edge, to lean over and watch as she went through what they did.

    "Okay," Hank sighed, taking her hand and pulling off her glove. He pulled the bracelet over her wrist, and pushed a button by her veins. A device flicked out, and he pressed the small disk into her palm.