Disclaimer: I do not own any branch of the X-Men franchise nor do I own Pirates of the Caribbean or Ragetti. Doesn't mean I wouldn't like to.
Notes: Meh, I was viciously attacked by a mutant plot bunny with really long teeth. Being bored out of my skull and seeing as the creature was attached like a parasite, I decided to try writing it. If I get 7 reviews, I will continue it. If not, well, wait until the plot bunny seeks it's revenge.
Here we go!
Chapter OneThe Black Bird landed slowly and carefully onto to pale glittering sand below. It was the only open spot on the tiny island large enough to land the jet, but it still had to be done with great precision. Slowly it inched down until the landing gear opened up and extended touching the fine white grains and with a sudden shudder the craft was in place.
"Like, nice landing Cyclops."
Scott Summers ignored the sarcastic comment and put the jet in wait mode until they found the mutant in question. All things considered his landing had been quite nice up to the sudden shudder and he ignored the valley girl behind him. The X-Men on this mission only consisted of himself, Wolverine, Shadowcat, Jean, and Nightcrawler. Wolverine grunted and un-strapped himself from his seat and stood up to stretch and pop a few joints.
"Alright, this is supposed to be a slightly tricky mission. Chuck said this Mutant's mutation is like a form of immortality. He doesn't need to eat or drink, and he won't age. Problem with it is that he can be killed by someone other than him, but for whatever reason can't kill himself. Doesn't work or something, Prof said he's been marooned here for a long time, but he can't be sure how long. He guessed that it's over a hundred though."
The group of teenagers muttered and whispered back and forth for a moment and he allowed it. Grunting he re-established their attention. "Stick together, if this kid has been alone for over a hundred years, well, you can get yer ass he's bound to be a little out of it. He might attack if you scare him, goes especially for you Elf."
Jean and Cyclops nodded and stood to join the older mutant. Nightcrawler blushed slightly and nodded knowing that his appearance did tend to have that affect on people. The younger ones took the other two's example and stood. Taking a deep clear breath Wolverine flipped the switch that opened the hatch and it lowered, they descended carefully peering out into the hot and bright Caribbean sun. The island was certainly small, less then a mile long and less than half wide. They looked around for a moment.
"It's really pretty here. I wouldn't mind living in a place like this."
Jean spoke admiringly as she eyed the rich green palms and the lapping ocean. Kitty nodded her head and quickly agreed. Cyclops broke their admiration though. "He doesn't live here, he's trapped here. We can plan the beach party after we find this guy." Kitty sniffed knowing he was kidding about the beach party, but she couldn't help but to think how nice a place it would be to throw her birthday party.
Wolverine pointed a direction and began hiking through the soft sand that sank beneath his boots. He didn't wear his mask for this mission due to the fact he had been warned that it would likely frighten the only inhabitant of the tiny isle. The gang of teenagers followed him for awhile as he sniffed and smelled the air trying to pick up on a scent.
After about ten minutes he began leading them onto slightly firmer ground and they all appreciated it. The sand was so soft and fine it made the hike difficult and Jean had cheated by gently levitating herself along the ground. They pushed through palm trees and other foliage and stopped when the senior mutant held up a hand a breathed in deeply through his nose. He sniffed carefully testing the air to be sure, and after mentally deciding turned to the left and continued making a path for the others to follow.
After a few minutes the trees and shrubs began to clear and they found themselves wandering into a small sandy clearing where there was a small fire pit lined with rocks and what looked like an ancient rowboat that had a huge chunk missing from it. It was flipped over onto the ground and through the gape they could see a lump of canvas resting inside. But their attention quickly turned to a tall rail thin man who was crouched over the fire pit with a rock in each hand. Next to him laid a tiny pile of dead fish and he stared up at them blankly.
At first look, he was a sad sight. All bones with a thin layer of tanned skin stretched over it like latex over a skeleton. He was covered in filth as well, his face and hands were grimy as well as his bare feet and the stretch of his legs that were seen where the clothing he wore was ended. His hair might have once been blond, but was now a disgusting grimy and greasy mess that fell in front of his mismatched eyes. One eye was pale blue and the other was brown and bulged from the socket grotesquely. He stared at them for a moment then shook his head causing the brown eye to spin in place and began beating the rocks together eliciting tiny sparks. His clothing was unusual as well. A ripped and faded green jacket over a torn shirt that might have once been red, but was now a faded maroon. His trousers (the only word that suited them) stopped just below his knee and he had an odd sash as well as a sword and an antique pistol.
Logan could hear the young man muttering under his breath as easily as if her had been whispering into his own ear. "…s'not real. None der, disappear in a minute. Yer alone ye fool, s'none there. Just yer 'ead playin' tricks on ye. None der, n'ones eva' der…"
Wolverine turned slowly to look at the mutants behind him. Cyclops's face was drawn and grim and Jean looked like she was being over come with emotions. Shadowcat seemed curious and disgusted and the elf merely watched the man as though silently grieving for him.
Sighing the older X-Man turned and addressed the pathetic creature. "You…bub! It's alright kid, we're here to help you." He waited for a reaction and watched the scrawny man begin to tremble and clashed the rocks together harder. His muttering increased and he refused to look up at them. "…s'not real…s'not real…none der, yer alone ye bloody fool…"
Logan was slightly interested in the way the young man spoke. He eyed the pistol hanging from the kid's hip again and tried to date it. It was certainly older that a hundred years, he was guessing over two hundred at least. He couldn't think of the last time he heard some one say "ye".
"Kid…?" He took a subtle step forward and motioned to the others to stay in their current position. The young man was clacking the rocks creating sparks galore but he wasn't paying them any mind. By the glassy look in the young man's eyes he had retreated into his mind but continued to mutter a mile a minute. Logan approached carefully and quietly not wanting to startle the thin man into consciousness resulting in him attacking or fleeing.
Minutes seemed to creep by as he reached the fire pit and reached out a muscular arm towards the scarecrow of a man. He heavy gloved hand touched down onto the trembling shoulders and the shaking abruptly stopped. The young man's head raised up to look up at the mutant and his mouth fell open to show rotted teeth. The glassy sheen disappeared and was replaced by wonder as his head turned to stare at the hand that touched his cloth covered skin.
"Ye…ye…yer real?" Before Logan was able to finish nodding he had his arms full of a smelly grimy young man who had begun weeping and screaming praises to God. Logan was so taken aback he fell with a thump to the soft sandy ground and grunted as the miserable creature crawled into his lap and clung to him like a leech.
"Lord Jesus! O' Mighty God, thank ye! Thank ye Lord fer forgiven' me! I'll be a good man! Thank ye Lord!"
Jean appeared at his side as well as Cyclops while the younger mutants stayed back a ways. Jean was grinning down at the older man and Summers looked as though he was struggling not to smile himself. Kitty came closer to get a look at the new mutant and smiled at him. The skinny thing finally let go and looked up to stare at the teenagers, his bony fingers released their hold on Wolverine and he grabbed the red head to hug her as well. "Praise Jesus! 'e leave me! 'e sent me angels! The Lord forgave me, 'e did! Thank ye Lord! Thank ye!"
All in all, he repeated the spectacle of dramatics with each member until he turned and saw Nightcrawler creeping his way over. The blue eye went wide and under all all the filth and grime he turned sickly pale and went slack. The X-Men looked over and saw whom he had spotted and all uttered an "Uh-oh."
"I been tricked! Demons! Oh Lord why ye punish me! I'll be a good Christ'an! Please Lord!"
They watched Kurt's face fall but watched the broken man fall to the sand as he weeped to God for forgiveness. Curling in on himself he shook and chanted a broken Hail Mary as in between lines he cried to the Lord begging for pardon from the hell he was in.
Though it was obvious his feelings were considerably hurt, Kurt closed the distance between himself and the man placed a fuzzy hand on the man's cheek. The pale blue eye went wide and the other brown one rocked in it's socket as he stared up in terror.
"Ve are not here to hurt you. Ve are not demons, ve are people. Ve can take you somevere safe, avay from this place, ja?"
The man shivered and nodded. Un-curling his long arms and legs and wiped away his tears with a filthy jacket sleeve and succeeded in smearing more grime around on his face. "Can we bury Pinters?"
The question knocked them all off kilter and Jean finally spoke the question as they all stared around at each other uncomfortably. "Who is Pinters?"
The starved man jumped up surprising them with his quick movement and moved over to the destroyed rowboat that they had seen earlier. He flipped it with some work on his part and they say a rumpled spread of yellowed canvas covering something almost six feet long. Before any of them could beg him to stop, he pulled back the cover showing them a rotted skeleton dressed in remnants of clothing similar to the ones he wore himself.
" 'e was me best mate. Name was Pintel it 'twas. He promised ta ne'er leave me to meself, but 'e died anyway. A long time ago, too. A long long time ago."
End of Chapter Thanks for reading! Please review, remember, 7 reviews guarantee a second chapter. Gotta go, hope that you enjoyed it a bit.Stray