Chapter 45

Gojo Satoru strolled down the mansion's corridors, his steps light and casual as if he had all the time in the world. He made his way to Charles Xavier's study, where the senior X-Men members were gathered. Without bothering to knock, he pushed the door open and stepped inside.

"Yo!" Gojo greeted them cheerfully, his voice ringing out in the quiet room.

Charles Xavier looked up from his papers, a warm smile spreading across his face. "Gojo, my boy, how have you been?"

"Oh, you know," Gojo replied, his tone as carefree as ever. "Just blinking around and playing with some fire and explosives." The words came out in such a cheerful and eerie way that it sent a shiver down the spine of everyone present.

Bobby Drake's mind immediately latched onto the word "explosives." 'Wait, was he serious? Did he really blow something up? I wouldn't put it past him…' Bobby thought, eyes narrowing slightly as he studied Gojo's face for any hint of a joke.

Kurt Wagner, on the other hand, was more skeptical. 'He's probably exaggerating. Right? Although, with Gojo, you never really know…' he mused, glancing at Jean for reassurance.

Jean Grey's telepathic abilities picked up the subtle shifts in everyone's thoughts, and she couldn't help but smile internally. 'As much as he jokes around, he's capable of so much more than we know. I'm not sure if he's joking or being half-serious, but either way, it's Gojo.'

Scott Summers, ever the pragmatist, frowned slightly. 'Fire and explosives… He's got to be joking. But with Gojo, it's hard to tell. He's so nonchalant about everything, even the dangerous stuff.'

Kitty Pryde giggled softly to herself, shaking her head. 'He's probably telling the truth. With his abilities, blowing something up would be just another Tuesday.'

Breaking the moment of introspection, Bobby spoke up. "Dude, it's been weeks," he said, sounding both relieved and annoyed.

"Yeah, we were starting to wonder if everything was alright," Scott added, crossing his arms as he looked Gojo over, trying to gauge his mood.

Jean nodded in agreement. "We were worried about you. You disappeared without a word."

Gojo waved them off casually. "I was just out for a little training, is all."

Charles, ever the mentor, leaned forward slightly. "And how goes your training?"

Gojo's eyes sparkled with amusement, and a sly smile tugged at his lips. "Well, let's just say the next time I train with them, it'll be a blast." He chuckled softly at his own pun, leaving the others to wonder just what kind of training he had been doing.

As the room settled into a comfortable silence, Gojo noticed that not everyone was present. "Where's Logan?" he asked, his sharp eyes scanning the room.

Kitty was the first to respond. "Oh, Mr. Logan went into the city for something. I think…" She trailed off, glancing at Charles, who gave Gojo a meaningful look.

Gojo raised an eyebrow but decided not to press further. "And the rest?"

"Ororo is handling some things elsewhere," Jean offered, her tone neutral.

Kitty spoke up again, this time with a hint of uncertainty. "Oh, and Rogue went out to, um, clear her head."

Gojo tilted his head slightly, her phrasing catching his attention. "Ohhhh kay then," he said slowly, his tone a mix of curiosity and amusement.

With a final nod to the group, Gojo turned on his heel and left the room, his mind already racing with plans for his next training session. As the door clicked shut behind him, the atmosphere in the study returned to normal, though the X-Men couldn't help but exchange glances, wondering what exactly their enigmatic friend had been up to.

As Gojo left the study and wandered the familiar halls of the mansion, he decided to extend his telepathic sense, letting it sweep across the area like sonar. Almost immediately, he felt a familiar presence ping on his radar. 'There you are,' he thought, locking onto Rogue's mind.

With a casual blink, Gojo teleported from the mansion's interior and appeared near the courtyard. There, he spotted Rogue standing alone, her eyes fixed on the sky above. Her expression was deep in thought, almost as if she was in a staring contest with the heavens themselves.

Gojo broke the silence, his voice light and teasing. "This is the first time I've seen anyone having a staredown with the literal sky."

Rogue blinked in surprise, her focus snapping back to reality. She turned to see Gojo standing nearby, her initial surprise quickly morphing into a frown. "Oh, it's you," she muttered, her tone flat.

Gojo responded in a playful sing-song voice, "Heeey, you don't sound thrilled to see me." He made an exaggerated sad face, causing Rogue to roll her eyes in exasperation.

Seeing her reaction, Gojo suddenly changed his tone. "Well, seeing as I'm intruding, I'll take my leave." Before she could respond, he teleported away, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

Rogue's eyes widened in surprise, and she reached out instinctively, her voice softer and tinged with regret. "No, no, no… I didn't mean that… Please come back," she said, her tone small and a little let down.

Gojo reappeared beside her, his arm casually wrapping around her waist. "Awwwn, so you did miss me, ma chérie," he teased, his voice still playful.

Rogue's response was swift. She punched him lightly in the chest, the impact making solid contact. Gojo saw the punch in slow motion, deliberately deactivating a layer of his Limitless defense around his body to allow her strike through.

"You jerk!" Rogue exclaimed, her frown softening into something more playful.

Gojo pretended to be hurt, clutching his chest dramatically. "Ow…"

" Don't be a baby, it'll take a lot more than that to hurt you," Rogue quipped, rolling her eyes again.

Gojo laughed, the sound rich and genuine. "Well, you're looking good," he complimented, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

Rogue's cheeks flushed a bit before she composed herself. "Flattering me won't get you anywhere, sugah," she shot back, her Southern drawl coming through.

Her expression softened as she continued, "You've been gone for weeks… We started wondering if you were okay."

Gojo grinned. "Awwwn, you do care," he teased again.

Rogue huffed, a mix of frustration and amusement in her tone. "Can't you be serious for just one second?"

Still laughing, Gojo finally answered. "I was training my powers, trying to see how I can build my repertoire."

Rogue's brow furrowed in confusion. "Training? You're already so strong with your powers, and your control over them is kinda perfect… Can't imagine why you'd need more training."

Gojo chuckled, shaking his head. "Believe me, compared to some people or entities out there, I'm still kinda weak. Hence the need for training. And besides, no matter how powerful you might think you are, not training should be the last thing you do. There's always something to improve, and there's always someone or something stronger out there. I want to match them at my best," he said, his voice filled with a zeal that lit up his features.

Rogue looked at him for a long moment, studying the intensity in his eyes as he gazed off into the distance, the sun setting behind the horizon. 'He's different,' she thought to herself. 'All that power, and yet he's still pushing himself. What drives him? Fear? Determination? Or is it something else? Does he… feel like he's missing something? Or maybe he just can't sit still like the rest of us…'

As Rogue continued to watch Gojo, she couldn't help but wonder what it was like to live with that kind of power and ambition. 'Maybe… maybe I could learn something from him,' she mused, her own thoughts now tinged with curiosity.