It definitely seems like the younger woman is capable of taking care of herself, and Rogue has the sinking suspicion she's dead weight here. The claws alone tell her something's up, something important, something she'll question when they figure out who's screaming and make sure they're okay.
And when they reach the source of the sounds that had (presumably) brought them both out of their rooms, everything happens far too quickly. It's been a while since she's been in any sort of combat situation that hadn't solely been her fighting against the scientists and their armed goons trying to tie her down to a gurney. More often than not, she'd ended up sedated, fuzzy and unable to do much but flail weakly and ineffectively.
After a while, she'd stopped fighting entirely.
But muscle memory kicks in, and after years of being experimented on, on being forced to use her powers against her will so they can be studied, her unwillingness to use them -- at least in a situation like this -- has faded. At least enough to have her tugging off her gloves, dropping them on the ground, approaching palms up (I'm not a threat, see? no weapon) towards the man with the knife. Even as Laura heads towards the man throwing things around inside the room.
He does what she's expecting. Pushes his victim aside, and reaches to grab her instead, probably because he thinks it'll slow Laura down, not realizing that the two women don't know each other at all. Unfortunately, he grabs for her bare throat. More unfortunately, her hand clamps down on his wrist at the same time.
She's absorbed memories from the lowest of the low, most of them when she'd been a teenager hitchhiking her way through Canada, and this is no different. His thoughts are slimy and sickly and any guilt she might have felt about using her powers against him evaporates as he jerks, eyes rolling back as dark veins spider out over his skin. Rogue catches the knife as his hand spasms and he drops it, and his entire body follows a moment later.
no subject
And when they reach the source of the sounds that had (presumably) brought them both out of their rooms, everything happens far too quickly. It's been a while since she's been in any sort of combat situation that hadn't solely been her fighting against the scientists and their armed goons trying to tie her down to a gurney. More often than not, she'd ended up sedated, fuzzy and unable to do much but flail weakly and ineffectively.
After a while, she'd stopped fighting entirely.
But muscle memory kicks in, and after years of being experimented on, on being forced to use her powers against her will so they can be studied, her unwillingness to use them -- at least in a situation like this -- has faded. At least enough to have her tugging off her gloves, dropping them on the ground, approaching palms up (I'm not a threat, see? no weapon) towards the man with the knife. Even as Laura heads towards the man throwing things around inside the room.
He does what she's expecting. Pushes his victim aside, and reaches to grab her instead, probably because he thinks it'll slow Laura down, not realizing that the two women don't know each other at all. Unfortunately, he grabs for her bare throat. More unfortunately, her hand clamps down on his wrist at the same time.
She's absorbed memories from the lowest of the low, most of them when she'd been a teenager hitchhiking her way through Canada, and this is no different. His thoughts are slimy and sickly and any guilt she might have felt about using her powers against him evaporates as he jerks, eyes rolling back as dark veins spider out over his skin. Rogue catches the knife as his hand spasms and he drops it, and his entire body follows a moment later.