"Hello" Kurogai said, offering a gentle smile to the quiet girl sitting in the passenger seat of Logan's truck.
She looked at him, cautious but curious. "Hi… my name's Rogue."
"Kurogai," he replied simply, extending a hand in greeting.
Rogue flinched, pulling back instinctively. She didn't shake it.
That reaction didn't surprise him. She was still early in her journey—guarded, anxious, afraid to hurt anyone. Kurogai let the moment pass without comment. He understood her condition all too well.
"You and Logan know each other?" Rogue asked, glancing between them. "He seems... different around you."
From the moment she'd met Logan, he struck her as someone fearless—gruff, bold, almost reckless. But ever since Kurogai entered the picture, Logan had grown quieter, visibly restrained. It puzzled her.
"A little scared, maybe?" Kurogai said with a teasing smile.
Rogue looked embarrassed, caught in the truth of her guess. She gave a sheepish nod.
Kurogai leaned back casually. "Maybe Logan just thinks I'm stronger than he is."
He wasn't boasting—just stating fact. Years ago, he'd easily overpowered Logan and even drained a substantial amount of his blood, forcing Logan's vaunted healing factor to its limit. If Rogue knew that, she might understand why Logan kept his distance.
But Kurogai wasn't in the mood for stories. He kept it light.
"You're kind of strange too," Rogue muttered, eyes narrowing slightly. Something about him wasn't normal, and she felt it. He was calm—too calm—and something about him carried the same energy as Logan… but more refined, more dangerous.
She still hadn't revealed her powers, not outright. But Kurogai already knew everything.
And he wanted something from her.
"Rogue," he said suddenly, turning his gaze on her, "would you like to make a deal?"
Her guard shot up again. "What kind of deal?"
"Give me a vial of your blood, and I'll help you control your power."
Rogue blinked, stunned.
"You—how do you even know about that?!"
He didn't answer directly. His voice remained calm, sincere. "I can help you stop hurting people."
That hit her like a freight train. The dream she barely allowed herself to believe—being able to touch someone without fear.
She hesitated. "You really think that's possible?"
"I do."
"I want to believe you… but it's not curable. I've tried. Doctors, specialists—none of them could do anything."
"I'm not a doctor, Rogue," Kurogai said quietly. "Your power isn't something that needs curing. It just needs someone strong enough not to be afraid of it."
Before she could respond, Kurogai reached forward and gently took her hand.
"No—don't!" Rogue panicked. "You'll get hurt—I'll absorb—"
But it was too late. He carefully removed the glove from her hand.
Her skin was pale, cold, trembling.
Kurogai wrapped his warm fingers around hers.
And nothing happened.
No surge of energy. No shock. No screams. No pain.
Just stillness.
Rogue's eyes widened. "What… how?!"
"There's nothing to be afraid of," Kurogai said softly. "Maybe your mutation recognizes mine… and decided it wasn't worth the trouble."
His tone was light, but the truth was far deeper. The Phoenix Force that slept within Kurogai wasn't just powerful—it was divine. Even passive, its presence alone cowed lesser abilities into submission. Rogue's mutation—usually automatic and aggressive—simply recoiled.
She stared at her hand, still intertwined with his, and for a moment, her lip trembled.
"I can touch someone…"
Tears welled in her eyes. That single moment, brief as it was, meant everything.
Kurogai didn't press further. He released her hand gently and smiled.
"You don't have to decide now," he said. "But I'm not going anywhere."
Rogue wiped her eyes. "Why… why would you help me?"
He shrugged. "Let's just say your blood is unique. It could help me too."
Rogue studied him, still unsure, but for the first time in a long time—hope flickered in her chest.
Maybe this strange man who made Logan uneasy really could do the impossible.
---
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