Asha Joy: When Cassandra Weeps

by Amanda Sichter

The contrast between the two young women who sat before him both intrigued and amused Xavier.

Both wore long gloves, clothes that concealed, but there the similarities ended.

Rogue's anticipation was clear in her expression, as easy to read as every emotion that skidded across her face, that her body language shouted. Although her inherited psychic shields damped her actual thoughts, any telepath that Rogue trusted could pick up the fluctuating emotions that she broadcast strongly, her aura spiking and pulsing with vivid reds and greens. Rogue lived on the outer edges of her skin, concealing nothing. She invited touch, dared it and hated the thought that the world might take her up on that dare.

Asha Joy's puzzlement, however, was barely obvious from her impassive face and her body language was closed, turned inwards, giving nothing away. Her aura was equally uninformative. Cool blue, smooth and rounded, it gave a telepath no cracks to enter through, didn't fluctuate in time with her emotions. She hadn't been trained to raise shields, Xavier could sense that, but the thoughts he could hear were muted and controlled, not broadcast widely as most untrained people's were. Her aversion to touch had made her withdraw inside the armour of self-possession, her demeanour so cool and self-contained, so uninviting, that you wouldn't think to reach out to her without her permission.

~Fire and ice,~ Xavier thought, amused, and then dismissed that errant emotion as he began his briefing.

'You were a law student,' he began, focusing his attention on Asha. 'Rather an active campus campaigner for human rights, as well.'

She didn't betray the surprise and faint alarm that flickered in her thoughts. 'You know a lot about me,' she said tightly.

'As you know much about us,' he replied, his eyes challenging her.

She responded to that challenge. 'You're worried that I might betray the X-Men?' she asked.

Xavier nodded but considered it unworthy of mention that, had Asha attempted such a betrayal, her memory of her time in the School would have been utterly wiped. Nor did he mention that he had been skimming through her thoughts for days now. He found that knowledge tended to upset people.

Asha chose her words carefully. 'I believe the X-Men's actions have, on the whole, been widely misinterpreted. And I'm still a law student. I'm taking a sabbatical.' She grinned sharply. 'Looking for adventure.'

'Looks like yah found it,' said Rogue. 'Why are we here, Professor?' she added, impatiently.

'I wished to sound Asha out about the possibility of undertaking a mission for the X-Men.' Xavier did not take his eyes from the young woman he had just met.

For the first time her aura changed, a swift streak of red flashing across it. 'I don't fight,' said Asha fiercely. 'I won't fight.'

'Nor am I asking you to,' replied the Professor, somewhat taken aback at the sudden vehemence of her thoughts. 'But I am asking you to use your rather remarkable talent in the cause of mutantkind.'

There was a long pause before Asha answered. 'What do you want from me?' she asked and Xavier was surprised that her thoughts were even more tightly controlled, so that he could barely grasp them.

'You know of Magneto,' he stated. 'Of his control over Genosha.'

'Of course,' replied Asha. 'A violation of every international law and an embarrassment to the UN. I didn't realise installing the dictator of your choice was part of their charter.'

The Professor smiled suddenly. 'While I'm sure you have a stimulating point of view on the legality of Magneto's ascension, that isn't my request. My wish is to send you to Genosha and for you to tell me what Magneto's immediate future might be.'

'Not might be. Will be,' corrected Asha automatically and then seemed to grasp the Professor's request. The silence stretched even longer this time but neither Rogue nor Xavier interrupted it. Finally, Asha looked up and her dark eyes were haunted. 'You'll try and change it,' she said.

'The future?' asked the Professor and Asha nodded. 'Most probably.' He smiled suddenly. 'Trying to change an inevitable future is almost the definition of what the X-Men do. But even if we merely find out what Magneto does in the next week or so, it may allow us to make plans to lessen the damage that will undoubtedly occur.'

'You don't trust Magnus with Genosha?' asked Rogue suddenly, her expression skating on the edge of accusation.

'No, I don't,' replied Xavier bluntly. 'He can't stop himself from crusading to win the "war" between humans and mutants. With Genosha's history and the mutates, there will be disaster.'

'So why do yah want me along?' asked Rogue.

'Because Magneto trusts you,' he replied. 'You know that Asha cannot hurt him but Magneto doesn't. If you go with Asha you will be allowed to see him and I'm sure that, between the two of you, you will persuade him to let Asha touch him.'

'So we ain't talking stealth?' Rogue was surprised, her aura rippling green.

'There seems little point. Asha's power to see the future doesn't extend far enough to make infiltration an option. A straightforward request from someone he trusts should - intrigue - Erik.'

'Ah think yah might be over-estimating how much Magneto trusts me,' Rogue pointed out. 'It's been a long time since the Savage Land.'

The Professor smiled. 'He still respects you, Rogue, that much I do know. And Magneto does have a weakness for strong women.'

Rogue grinned in response. 'Like Ah do for a good challenge?' she said. 'Yah certainly know how to press people's buttons, Professor.'

'Thank you, Rogue,' said Xavier, genuinely pleased. He turned back to Asha, sobered at her blank, inward gaze. 'Asha? Will you do it?'

Her head rose but it took some time for her eyes to focus on him, lost as she was in her own thoughts. When she finally looked at him, her eyes were grieving and he felt the old pain that pervaded her thoughts. 'I'll do it,' she said, shortly, and Xavier suddenly wondered whether the price he asked of his X-Men would always feel too high.

* * * * *

'You know Logan thought we were going to be friends,' Asha remarked quietly. The long flight was nearly at an end and the two women had barely exchanged ten words.

Rogue shrugged. 'Why?' she asked. 'Because we share the same affliction?' One gloved hand flicked open, closed contemptuously. 'Doesn't give us that much to talk about.' It was true - the few conversations they had had since Asha had come to the mansion had all been desultory, stilted.

'It's not an affliction,' Asha responded. 'It's a power, that's all.'

'Great power,' said Rogue. 'It's so much fun sucking people's souls out whenever Ah touch them.'

'And I really enjoy watching people die.' Asha's response had a hint of sting. 'It doesn't stop me living my life, touching who I choose too. Like this mission.'

'Mission's don't count,' Rogue responded harshly. 'Half the people inside mah head are there because of a "mission". Look, Asha, just because we both hafta wear gloves doesn't mean we got anything to talk about.'

The silence stretched for a long moment until Asha said, 'I think you're afraid of me.' The look she turned on Rogue was cool but steel showed beneath it. 'I think you're afraid of meeting someone else who can't touch because you've spent so long being poor little Rogue who can't touch that you can't stand the thought that someone else has the same problem. That's why you won't talk to me.'

Rogue paled, bit back a swift retort. Resolutely she turned her head and stared blindly out of the window, not seeing the clouds that passed as the plane slowly descended. It surprised Asha when, a minute later, Rogue suddenly laughed and turned back to her. 'Yah know,' she said, smiling, 'yah might be right. You're treading on mah turf, having to wear gloves and all. Maybe Ah just wasn't grown up enough to deal with it.'

Asha blinked, surprised. 'That - wasn't what I was expecting to hear,' she said.

'Yah got to spend a lot of time questioning your motives when you've got other people living in your head telling yah what to do,' replied Rogue. She looked away, shrugged. ''Sides, Ah don't like making enemies for no reason. Got enough of 'em for good reason.'

'I'm not your enemy,' said Asha softly. 'And I'd like to talk to you. I've never met anyone else who can't touch.'

'Neither have I, sugah, neither have I,' replied Rogue, and then the plane was landing and there was no opportunity for further conversation.

* * * * *

'I see you are as bold as ever, Rogue,' said Magneto, smiling.

'Worked, didn't it?' replied Rogue. Her way of getting in to see him had re-defined direct. She had simply marched off the Genoshan Airlines flight, strode to the first Customs officer and declared, 'My name is Rogue. I'm a mutant. I need to see Magneto.' Somehow it had worked and Rogue and Asha had found themselves ushered in to the Presidential palace to meet with Genosha's head of state.

'To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?' he asked now. 'Is it too much to hope that you have learned the errors of Charles' ways and have come to help me build a nation for mutants?'

'Way too much to hope for,' said Rogue. 'Ah ain't leaving the X-Men anytime soon, Magnus. Ah came because the Professor asked me too.'

'And you brought someone with you. A new member of the X-Men perhaps?' Magneto raised a sceptical brow at Asha. 'You don't look like a fighter,' he said to her.

'My name is Asha Joy,' she replied, in a low voice. 'I'm a law student. And a mutant. Not an X-Man.'

'But you came here at Charles' request as well, I presume,' said Magneto. 'Did he send you to argue constitutional law with me?'

Asha looked at him, self-possessed, unruffled. 'He sent me here so I could touch you,' she said.

Magneto drew back, covering his instinctive reaction by leaning back in his chair. 'Are you another Rogue?' he asked. 'Sent to suck the life out of me? I didn't think Charles would be so mean-spirited. Not when I've just got a new country to play with.'

'I'm a precog,' said Asha. 'If I touch you I can see a week or so into your future. Professor Xavier asked if I would do so and I thought it would be interesting.' Her voice didn't betray any of her emotions.

'That explains the gloves,' said the Master of Magnetism. 'I had been wondering. Did Charles give you any reason to think that I would accede to your request?'

'He said it would intrigue you,' said Asha and her dark eyes flashed in sudden amusement.

'As it does,' he responded. 'Will you tell me my future? Or is that only for Charles' ears?'

'It doesn't matter if I do or don't,' she said. 'You won't be able to change it. What I see, is. Are you sure you want to know?'

'I'm sure,' replied Magneto and looked at her thoughtfully. 'Are you sure that you would not wish to come and join us in Genosha? Your ability could be most useful.'

'I'm sure,' said Asha. 'I've been caught in the middle of too many civilian insurrections. I can live without getting caught in any more.' She caught Rogue's questioning look. 'I grew up in Indonesia,' she added flatly.

There was something strange in Magneto's look as he gazed at her, something indecipherable. 'How do I know that I can trust you?' he said and Rogue knew he'd made the decision to let Asha touch him.

'I don't know,' she shrugged. 'Rogue can vouch for me.'

'Ah can,' said Rogue. 'Asha can't hurt you, Magnus. Her power ain't like mine.'

He bestowed a sad smile on the Southern belle. 'While I am sure you are as forthright as ever, dear Rogue, I'm afraid I can't trust the word of an X-Man. Not since Avalon.' He beckoned the man who had been standing in the corner of the room forward. 'Asha, would it be possible for you to touch Matthias? That way I can be certain that your power is benign.'

She looked up at the bodyguard, obviously reluctant. 'I'd prefer not to,' she said. 'Two people in a row -it's too much. Is there any other way?'

'Is she telling the truth, Matthias?' Magneto asked.

'She is, sir,' replied the bodyguard. 'Her powers can't hurt you. Her reluctance stems from the possibility that she may be hurt.' Rogue was surprised as she realised the bodyguard was a telepath and one she had never met. Idly she wondered how many mutants had flocked to Magneto's cause since he had acquired Genosha.

Magneto wasn't paying Rogue any attention, however. His gaze was fixed on Asha as he rose and came to their side of the desk. He dwarfed Asha in her chair, until he held out his hand, graciously lifted her to her feet. 'Come, Asha,' he challenged her, 'tell me my future.'

Slowly Asha slid off her glove, tucked it into her belt. Her dark eyes fixed on Magneto's, her face utterly blank, and her hand rose almost, it seemed, against her volition until it rested on Magneto's cheek.

For a moment Rogue burned with envy wanting, viciously wanting, the capacity to touch someone. But then she saw the colour drain from Asha's face until her bronze skin was sickly yellow and envy vanished into concern.

'Asha?' said Rogue uncertainly.

The noise that burst from Asha's throat was almost inhuman, a keening half-choking sound that made the hairs on Rogue's neck stand on end. She sprang to her feet as Asha's knees crumpled, but Magneto caught her first, his fingers latching beneath her jaw and holding her up.

'Tell me,' he said and this was not the benign President they had been speaking to, but the Master of Magnetism who could bend the world's path through sheer will. 'Tell me,' he seethed at Asha as her eyes began to roll back in her head. He shook her by the throat and his hand slapped across her face, a quick, harsh blow, cutting off the hideous keening. 'Tell me,' he repeated.

Her dark eyes focused on him again and they were ghastly with pain. 'How could you?' Asha whispered. 'How could you?' and the second time was a scream.

'I've got it, sir,' said Matthias from behind them. 'There'll be an uprising. There's an army of humans and mutates in the sewers. There's - no sir, it's gone. Blood, that's all she can think of.'

'There will be blood,' whispered Magneto. 'If they dare an uprising, there will be blood.' His fingers released from Asha's throat, leaving lurid marks and she crumpled to his feet.

'Asha,' shrieked Rogue and turned the other woman over. Asha's face was bloodless and her eyes rolled back in her head as she fainted. 'Magnus,' Rogue shouted up at him, accusing, but he had turned his back on them, was already shouting orders. Frantically, Rogue shrugged off her jacket, wrapped it around Asha's head, lifting her easily and cushioning her against her chest. 'If you've hurt her, Magnus,' Rogue threatened but couldn't think of any way to finish the threat. He had hurt her already, that much was obvious and there was little Rogue could do about it. So she curled Asha close to her and flew through the roof of the Palace, scattering bricks and masonry as she punched through and set course for home, flying as fast as she could.

* * * * *

She came into the mansion grounds like a thunderbolt, scattering fallen leaves in billows as she skidded to a halt in front of the door. 'Beast,' she shouted as she flung open the door, running, not quite flying, through the corridors, Asha held against her.

'Beast,' she shouted again as she made it into the medlab, followed by concerned X-Men that had gathered at her shout, horrified by the cold pale stillness of the woman in her arms.

'What happened?' asked Henry sharply as he came out of his inner sanctum, saw Rogue depositing Asha on a bed.

'She's gone into shock,' said Rogue, professionally placing Asha's still body into the recovery position. 'Ah don't know what she saw in Magnus' head but she passed out almost straight away. Ah flew her back as quickly as Ah could, but she hasn't woken up since. She's gettin' real cold, too, so Ah figure she's gone into shock.'

'He didn't do her any physical harm?' asked Henry and then clucked his tongue disapprovingly as he uncovered the slowly-colouring bruises on Asha's throat.

'Only that,' replied Rogue. 'And that wasn't what caused the problem. She just touched him, that's all. Something that she saw caused this.'

'Then I need to know what that was,' the calm voice of the Professor came from the doorway behind them. He rolled into the medlab, held up his hand as Beast began to protest. 'I realise you need to help her, Henry, but if Magneto's future caused this reaction in her, I need to know what it is as soon as possible.'

Beast looked away and then nodded slowly. 'Make it quick,' he said.

Rogue caught the ticklish edge of the psychic probe the Professor sent into Asha's mind, urgent yet soothing, asking her to wake yet telling her all would be okay.

Asha woke screaming, flinging herself upwards off the bed, until Rogue caught and held her still. It was several seconds before Xavier could clamp down on her mind, hold it, soothe it until the screaming stopped. 'Asha,' he said. 'What did you see?'

She began to moan again, her body rocking back and forth on the bed, close to hysterics. 'I can't - I can't,' she whispered. 'What he's going to do - I can't.'

'You have to tell me,' said Xavier. 'Tell me and then we can work on reducing the trauma. But I need you to tell me. Your mind is in too much of a mess - I can't see what you saw.' His voice was low, soothing and Asha went still beneath Rogue's hands. She shuddered once and then that mask, that armour of self-possession, came back, as she slipped it on over her obvious terror.

Her voice was soft and cool as she said, 'There's an army in the tunnels. There's all these tunnels under Genosha, I don't know what they are - old sewers or something. There's an army of humans and mutants and mutates and they want to destroy Magneto. They're going to rise - soon. I saw them coming out of the ground, rising up. They want to overthrow Magneto's government and they're going to fight his soldiers and they come close to winning, but Magneto -,' her voice crazed and cracked again, fear tumbling out with her words. 'They end up, there's a square. They go there when they think they've won, all of the ones that are left go there and Magneto stops them, he comes out of the palace and he holds them all, takes the iron in their blood and holds them still and he's trying to make them sleep, he tries to cut off the blood to their brains so they'll sleep and he can stop them, but it's not his power. He doesn't have the power any more, something went wrong with it, and he's weak and he's using someone else's power - a green-haired girl. It goes wrong, it all goes wrong, it's not his power and he doesn't have the control he thinks he does and he tries to change the way their blood flows and there's rain, red rain falling, red rain because they're all bleeding, all of them are bleeding, like rain falling in the square and he can't stop it and they die, all of them die.' She stopped abruptly, as if she had run out of words, and began to weep quietly.

'X-Men,' said the Professor, his expression stark. 'Scott, get the Blackbird. We need to get to Genosha.'

'You can't change it,' said Asha softly, but Xavier ignored her, glanced at Beast.

'I'm not going,' said Henry. 'I need to treat Asha.'

'Rogue?' asked the Professor, but she shook her head.

'Ah ain't leaving Asha,' she said stubbornly.

'You won't change it,' said Asha again, forlornly, as Xavier wheeled out of the medlab. She looked up at Beast. 'No-one can change it.'

'Our own Cassandra,' said Henry softly and Asha nodded.

'They never believe me,' she responded. 'They'll come back all covered in blood because they won't believe me.'

'I'm going to give you a sedative,' said Henry and Asha nodded and held out her arm, slipping peacefully into sleep as the drug took effect.

Rogue settled back to watch her sleep and wondered why she suddenly cared about what happened to Asha. 'She hurts,' she said softly and Beast looked at her curiously. 'I've never seen anyone else who hurts when they touch someone. I didn't know there was anyone else who . . .' She trailed off.

'Who feels like you do,' stated Henry, gently, and left Rogue to ponder over his words as she watched over Asha.

* * * * *

Asha rose gently from sleep, opened her eyes to see Rogue watching her, sitting in a chair beside the bed. Memory came back with a shuddering jolt and Asha found herself trembling.

'Has it happened?' she asked Rogue.

Rogue nodded and her eyes were full of grief. 'It's everywhere. CNN is full of it. The others haven't come back yet. They're trying to help keep Genosha together. They said - they said it was horrible.'

'They got there too late,' stated Asha and, at Rogue's puzzled look, added, 'I didn't see them there, so they couldn't have arrived until after.'

'So yah meant it,' said Rogue. 'That what yah see, is. Even if you'd told Magnus what he was going to do . ..'

'He would have done it,' interrupted Asha. 'Henry had it right. I am Cassandra - doomed to tell the future true and disbelieved by all who hear it.' Her mouth quirked again and then her expression smoothed as she tucked all her emotions away behind her mask. 'No-one ever believes me when I say it can't be changed.'

'We have to try,' Rogue said passionately.

'Maybe,' shrugged Asha. 'I've stopped trying. It -hurts too much.'

'Like touching?' said Rogue.

'Like touching,' agreed Asha. 'Why else do you think I stopped doing that?'

There was silence for a moment until Rogue said awkwardly, 'Ah didn't think there was anyone else in the world that touch could hurt.' She smiled, embarrassed at Asha's glance. 'Self-centred of me, hey? Ah didn't even think that yours was too bad - Ah didn't think seeing the future would compare to sucking out someone's mind. But when Ah saw yah touch Magnus, Ah saw how much it hurt.'

Asha looked at her sharply. 'It's not always like that,' she said. 'Not everyone hurts like that.'

'Ah know,' said Rogue and reached her hand out shyly, touched Asha's gloved fingers with her own. 'But enough do. Ah guess - Ah guess maybe we really do have something to talk about.'

Asha's dark eyes were cool as she looked at Rogue, but then she smiled, a small, sad smile. 'I guess,' she replied, 'maybe we do.'

The End

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