30.
He turned back towards Rogue as he stretched his hands forward, "I believe we have much to discuss."
Rogue reached for his hands, just like everyone else, she too was shocked at Kai's appearance, but before she could touch him she hesitated pulling her hand back. But Kai reached for her hand, grabbing it without hesitation as the scene left her shocked.
"Figures you can't absorb a spirit after all." Kai nodded in approval, from what he had theorized so far from the consistent update by the system regarding his unique existence in the world, he had faith that Rogue wouldn't really be able to absorb his powers as at the end of the day, his powers was fundamentally different from what she could handle. His powers, derived from the vengeful spirit of his brother and his own unique abilities, were not something that could be simply absorbed or replicated.
And with the energy acting as a barrier, she obviously couldn't access his memories or anything else further. Of course, he wouldn't try anything so reckless, if it wasn't for his brother's spirit acting as a medium.
Rogue felt an intense, chilling energy flow through her briefly as Kai held her hand, but it quickly dissipated, leaving her unharmed. Her eyes widened with a mixture of relief and fear.
"You... you're not just a mutant," Rogue whispered, her voice trembling slightly. "What are you?"
"We can carry on our conversation elsewhere..." Kai said although he was completely armored at the moment he didn't know the full potential of what he could handle not to mention what advantages he could have. Not to mention, getting a direct hit from Storm's lighting was although not as bad as he was expecting it to be he knew, she wasn't striking to kill as well.
"But before we go, I have just one last thing I need to do." Kai glanced at the steadied X-men, Storm was barely able to stand up alongside Xavier who although was regaining his strength couldn't do much, and as for Jean, she was already unconscious not to mention even if she was awake she wouldn't be able to do much.
That left one variable he couldn't act against and yet was decently strong enough to hold out his own. Cyclops.
"Hmm... Rogue, that's what you go by right?" Kai asked as Rogue nodded, "Would you be a dear and use whatever powers you absorbed from Storm over there and unleash it on that guy..."
"Kai!" Cyclops yelled holding Jean, with the immense speed and power he had displayed, he knew fighting him would be a losing battle, and with the professor asking him to not act sharing the same rationality, he had kept quiet.
But he didn't expect, Kai to immediately start manipulating Rogue and using her as a weapon, although he wasn't certain, he knew the attack on Storm was likely mitigated by none other than Kai.
"This has gone too far." He stood up against Xavier's warning ringing in his head, "Just hours ago, all I wanted to do was nothing but apologize for letting you down. For not being able to save you alongside your brother and those people on that train but I didn't expect you to not listen to any kind of reason."
"How many more people have to die for you to finally be satiated... would Magneto be enough? Maybe even Fisk? Or would you just go around killing like the murderer you've become?"
"Maybe I was wrong... It wasn't my fault that you-"
A wave of Kai's cursed energy slit past next to Cyclops, "Damn, just because I am not saying anything doesn't mean you can go on with your melodrama, Cyclops," Kai interrupted coldly his armored figure imposing on Cyclops, "And whatever you said, I never blamed you for the fact that you couldn't 'save' me... I am rather pissed at the circumstance itself."
"The fact that I had to be saved. The fact that people like you, and believe me I am not just talking about mutants can act as gods creating and solving conflicts as they please and people like me have to be saved because" Kai continued with his nonchalant attitude, "Hell, look at you, do you shower with those glasses on?"
"What?"
"Of course you do, right? Because god forbid you ever drop those off and shoot your laser beams killing people willy-nilly." Kai chuckled, "Now you're gonna go on a whole tangent about how you're careful and all that, but one mistake and people, families, loved ones... gone just like that. If I were you I'd kill myself."
"No seriously, the moment you were born we should've cut your head off, you were a message from god that he doesn't love us and we should've sent it back. Signed, sealed, delivered, returned to sender except if you were in heaven it'd be in hell."
"Get it? Because of your laser eyes? No takers? Tough crowd..." Kai rolled his eyes, "Now that the whole talking and trying to convince your enemy that you're just as flawed as him and you repented for whatever you did talk is over. I'll give you the peace you wanted, give me Magneto and I'll let you and your buddies go along to play house as it used to be."
"Try me." Cyclops gritted his teeth and stood his ground, raising his hand to the side of his visor, ready to unleash a powerful optic blast. The tension in the air was palpable, with Rogue looking anxiously between Cyclops and Kai, unsure of what to do next.
"Sigh!" Kai readied his hands unleashing a small burst of Dismantle cutting off Cyclops's glasses instantly, making sure he didn't harm him any further.
As Cyclops glasses fell apart, he unleashed his laser without meaning to and the uncontrollable blast surged out, tearing through the sky. Kai sidestepped effortlessly, letting the beam pass harmlessly by.
"See? Just as I said," Kai remarked, shaking his head. "A walking disaster waiting to happen."
Cyclops, now unable to control his optic blasts, was forced to shut his eyes tightly, leaving him blind and vulnerable. He fell to his knees, trying to cover his face with his hands.
"Scott!" Storm cried out, trying to summon the strength to help her teammate.
But Kai ignored her plea. He turned back to Rogue, "You want revenge?"
"I just want the unnecessary destruction to stop." Rogue shook her head, "And for that, Magneto must be stopped."
"That's a fine line you're walking on, I am honestly surprised, to be honest with you," Kai said as he walked past Cyclops heading towards Magneto, each step echoing through the devastated battlefield. Rogue followed, glancing back at the fallen mutants, "But what if destruction is all I can offer you?"
"..."
Rogue stayed quiet for a moment before answering, "I don't know... all I know about you is through the memories and emotions of others...hatred, fear, and even being seen as worthless in the eyes of the others. I just have to see for myself and decide, and stop letting other people's opinions deter my own."
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P.S. Had to put in the skit...