Chapter 5: Mixed Blessings
Xavier's School for the Gifted, Westchester County, New York
November 18, 2002
Flash!
Jessie was standing in the middle of what seemed to be a laboratory. Strange metal instruments, scalpels, wires, clamps, screws lay upon a table before her. Suddenly, a group of about five or six doctors walked in a door to her left. She tried to hide, but they just walked past her, as if…as if she wasn't there!
The doctors crowded around a…a something chained to the wall. They started to talk amongst themselves.
"Nnhhh…"
Jessie's head snapped up. Chained to the wall was a young man. He had on a pair of tight camouflage pants, knee-high, black lace-up leather combat boots, and dog tags that glittered around his neck. But it was his hair that caught Jessie's attention. It looked as though he had tried to dye it blue, but had had only enough to cover the top five inches of his long mop, the rest seemed to be a platinum blonde. His skin was deeply tanned, and it looked like it was barely keeping together under the pressure of rippling muscles and tangible veins.
"Ah, you're awake." The doctor chuckled. "Mr. Lehnsherr will be very pleased to see that you have survived. So, how are we feeling?" he inquired. The man opened his eyes a slit, like it hurt.
"I feel like I've been hit by a truck. What happened?" Jessie let out a small gasp. That voice…so familiar…
The doctor smiled. "Yes, Blizzard, that-"
"That's not my name." the young man snapped.
"It is now."
"What?"
The doctor chuckled. "Of course. You have not been told."
"All I was told was that, when it was over, I'd be a Captain America of sorts. Is that true?"
" Well, yes and no. You see, you are now part machine. Your entire skeletal structure is now covered with a rare alloy of adamantium. You also have that chip we talked about in your brain. So, in short, you're now the bionic man."
"Boy." the young man corrected.
"You're fourteen! Man is close enough!"
Jessie gasped. This man, who was now roughly the size and weight he would have grown to be-had science not interfered-was only fourteen! But wait…James underwent a similar procedure…could this be him? No, James doesn't look like that. But this was five years ago…
"Anyway," the doctor continued, "We have engineered you to be the perfect killer. An elite soldier that kills on command quickly and efficiently. An animal that enjoys killing, revels in the smell of blood, lives for the kill. The absolute perfect biological weapon. Code # 4148, Blizzard."
The teen opened his eyes. Jessie was surprised to see that they were sapphire, tainted with flecks of green. A tear slid out of the corner of one. He hung his head.
"So, I am no longer human?" he asked.
A female doctor stepped forward. "Stop sniveling!" she cried, slapping him hard. "Biological weapons don't cry!"
He put a hand to his burning cheek. Suddenly, without warning, a pair of fin-like blades shot out of his forearms, slicing through the shackles on his wrists. He cried out in pain and surprise. Then, he turned to the doctor who'd slapped him.
She backed away. The teen leapt at her with the agility of a cougar, easily pinning her down. An inhuman growl rose from his throat.
"No, this isn't your purpose." she whimpered. "James, stop. Please."
"Why?" he roared, picking her up by the throat, as easily as if she'd been a rag doll. "Why should I show you mercy when you turned me into a biological weapon? Is it not right?"
She carefully gripped his wrist. "Because you're still a child."
James laughed bitterly. "I sure as hell don't feel like one. Face it, bitch, like it or not we all know that you bastards turned me into a full-blown man seven years too early. On purpose." he hissed. "Remember," he said, still hissing menacingly, "Though I'm a child, I'm still a biological weapon."
"Yes, but it serves one…" But she never got to finish. James let her go, and the ice she was encased in shattered. He retracted the fins with a sickening sound of metal aganst flesh. Turning to the others, he growled, "I'm going home. And If anyone tries to stop me, they'll end up like her."
Flash!
Then Jessie was jolted awake.
Breathing hard, she tried unsuccessfully to push the disturbing images away. Climbing out of bed, Jessie went over to her closet and pulled out her favorite pair of Old Navy dark denim flares and an l.e.i. T-shirt.
I'll go to James. He'll help.
"James? You up?"
Silence.
Stupid question.
Jessie glanced up at the wall clock. 7:00. God, she was up early. But then, if the dream hadn't woken her…Oh well. James was probably still asleep. And Jessie didn't blame him. Saturday and Sunday were the only days he could sleep in.
"Mrreeeooowww?" A loud mewling split the silence. Then a softer "Brrrtt?" Jessie smiled. Looking down, she saw Emerald, James' now-grown Tonkinese, and Mercury, his Russian Blue kitten. She batted Emerald's tail playfully before leaping into Jessie's arms with another inquisitive chirp.
"Hello sweetie. Do you know where James went?" The kitten seemed to smile mischievously, then jumped onto the desk…and a note.
Dear Jessie,
On the 0% probability that you woke up in time to actually read this note, I'm down at the pool. Or, if it's after 7:30, I'm in the arena. Why not come and see me?
-James
So he was up. Jessie smiled, then stuffed the note into her pocket. Up early, indeed.
"Damn that James. He can remember all his student's grades, whether to give Diamond and Sapphire venison or beef tenderloin on Wednesdays, and about a million e-mail addresses, but he can't tell me which pool!" Jessie growled, looking up at the three signs that read: Indoor pool, right. Outdoor pool, left. Training pool, straight. She sighed, then let her mind focus on James, thinking about where he might be.
"Bingo."
Heading straight for the training pool, Jessie let herself sink deeper into her thoughts of James. Before she knew it, her feet had led her there. She looked around. Suddenly, a great wave of water splashed up at her feet, only to instantly freeze before it hit her. She shook her head.
"Smooth move, polar bear. You almost got me!"
Laughter rang out under the water, only to become bubbles. James broke the surface in a style reminiscent of the Little Mermaid. He was still chuckling.
"Really, Jess, d'ya think I'd splash you while you've still got regular clothes on? You worry too much." He flipped back into the water like a dolphin. Jessie shrugged, then walked to the ladder. Behind her, the ice liquefied and splashed back into the pool. Show off.
"Come on James, I need to talk to you." Her friend gently eased himself out of the water.
"What's up?"
Jessie looked over at James, and suddenly found that she couldn't tell him. The concerned look on his face, the knowledge that she would bring back painful memories simply too much. He sighed and ran a hand through his flat, limp, curling hair, hanging in strange blue ringlets now that all the air had been rinsed out of it. It cascaded down his shoulders like sapphires on white silk. In fact, Jessie noted, it now hung almost to the middle of his back. She had never before noticed its true length.
He blinked benignly at her. "What is it? You can tell me." Jessie looked away.
"I…I saw a…a vision, or something. Of…of you. When you were fourteen. And in that…laboratory." James gave her a strange look. Was it anger? Hurt? Bewilderment? Jessie didn't know.
James leaned in closer. "And? It doesn't bother me anymore. Perhaps it was some divine power or something." He shrugged. "I can only give you my assumptions. I'm not psychic, you know."
"Okay, James."
He stood up. "C'mon. I need to go over more dressage movements with Velvet and then take the stadium jumps with her and then feed and groom Rebel before 8:30."
Jessie smiled. James was taking time out of his busy morning to work with Velvet Rhapsody, a tall, beautiful black Thoroughbred filly, and tend to Rebellious Spirit, a gorgeous chestnut Quarter horse. Both belonged to Samantha, and the 17-year old had asked James to help her train the young Thoroughbred and care for the older gelding.
At 8:30, Jessie and James settled into the confines of James' couch. He flipped on the TV.
"Pokemon? Oh, James, that's a kid's show!"
James wrinkled his nose. "So? I happen to enjoy the nefarious hijinks of Team Rocket."
Jessie shrugged. "Ya know, that James guy is pretty weird. I mean, his man-eating plant eats his head! What kind of an idiot is that!"
James got his "Half-moon-eyes" look. "He looks like me."
She giggled sheepishly. "Well, his hair is a little more violet-" James shot her a nasty look "-but it's still blue! Er, and he actually has pigment…or something…"
James got his "I think that's cute but somewhat insulting so I'm going to patronize you in a sickeningly sweet way" smile. "Uh-huh, and that Jessie character has, like, magenta hair and pale skin!" Jessie narrowed her eyes.
"Lake red."
"Whatever."
Around 10:30, James stood up. "I'm starving!" he whined. Jessie smirked.
"Well, you're a big boy now, I expect you can fix something yourself, Mr. Iron Chef wannabe."
James stuck his tongue out at her. "At least I can cook, you've just only got used to the microwave!"
"No fair! No fair! You can't tease me on my birthday!"
If James hadn't already had white skin, it would be white now. Instead, he turned a whole new shade of green. He gasped and fell over the back of the couch, his nearly-dry hair spilling over the white shag carpet like jeweled rain. James dramatically put his hand over his forehead.
"Oh, to think that I have so carelessly overlooked Jessie's birthday!" he sobbed melodramatically. "It must have lapsed from my consciousness during the morning's events! The guillotine for such a heinous crime! I am no better than Judas! I-"
Jessie laughed. "Come on, James, I know you didn't forget. Stop doing that 'Prince of Drama' thing and make breakfast!"
James immediately sat up. "As you wish." he said, flashing her a haughty, smirking smile.
After breakfast (French toast for Jessie and a kitchen sink omelet-complete with Tabasco sauce-for James), the two of them sat at the table, stuffed.
James groaned. "I'm just lucky your birthday comes only once a year!"
"You ham. You eat twice this on yours!"
He shook his head. "My poor metabolism…It's going to get such a workout..."
"Metabolism my ass! Now, do I get any presents?" she asked, batting her eyelashes at him.
James narrowed his eyes and smirked. "I dunno, do you?"
"Pleeezee…"
James sighed. "Yes…" he produced three CD-like presents "…But you'll hafta catch me first!" he said, giggling.
"No way! Lemme at 'em!"
The two somewhat immature teens chased each other around James' apartment, Jessie finally managing to trip the blue-haired mutant onto his own bed. Acting quickly, she sat down on his stomach and wrapped her legs around him so he'd stay. Jessie knew that, even though James was considerably stronger than she, he wouldn't hurt her trying to escape.
Not that he wanted to.
"Alright, alright! I give! Here." James freed a hand and gave Jessie her coveted reward. She ripped the wrapping off all three simultaneously. Three burned CD's, each with thirteen tracks, gleamed at her.
"Aw, James, all my favorites! Thank you."
He blushed and pulled himself into a semi-sitting position, Jessie now resting, ahem, somewhere below his belt buckle. Did she notice? Yes. Did she care? Hell no!
James blushed harder, his alabaster cheeks a startling rosy red. "Er, perhaps we should, um, go over to the studio and listen to them?" Jessie looked over at James' studio…all the way on the other side of the room. Screw that!
Jessie set the CD's on the nightstand and leaned in close to James. She wrapped her arms about his neck. "Not until I've thanked you properly…" she whispered, pressing her lips to his.
Not a bad way to start a birthday…Jessie thought. She pulled away, and, noticing that James' lips were…pinker than usual, licked her fingertip and gently traced them with it. He blinked.
"…"
"You had lipstick on your lips."
"Oh."
Jessie unwrapped her legs and hopped lightly off the bed, James following suit.
They crossed the room and entered the studio, James shutting the door behind them. Jessie looked through the CD's, and finally selected the second, noting the first track was the Goo Goo Dolls' Iris. She smiled. It was James' favorite song, and he'd gotten her liking it too. Mostly because it sounded as though he was singing to her when he sang it.
"James?"
"Yeah?"
She innocently held out the CD. "Would you sing track one? Please?"
James stuck the CD in the stereo. "Why not."
Then the music started up. James' stomach twisted. Why… He licked his lips.
Three, two, one…
And I'd give forever to touch you
Cause I know that you feel me somehow
You're the closest to Heaven that I'll ever be
And I don't wanna go home right now
And all I can taste is this moment
And all I can breathe is your life
And sooner or later it's over
I just don't wanna miss you tonight…
And I don't want the world to see me
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am
And you cannot fight the tears that ain't comin'
Or the moment of truth in your lies
When everything feels like the movies
And you bleed just to know you're alive…
Jessie watched as James sang the second chorus and picked at his impeccable nails during the music break. He was such an expressive singer…and his voice was incredible! He beat Johnny Reznik into the ground!
James finished the song, his powerful voice still reverberating inside Jessie's ears, chasing itself rings around her brain. He smiled nervously at her.
"Was that good enough, Jess?"
Jessie stood there, awestruck. She had heard James' voice. Knew what he had said. Didn't care. Her brain was about to answer, but her heart got there first.
James waited for his answer, wondering what was taking Jessie so long. It was a simple question! Suddenly, Jessie launched herself at him. He stepped back, surprised. And nearly fainted. Jessie's entire mouth was clamped over his, kissing him. James didn't know how to react. Sure, he and Jessie had kissed, but not like this. Never like this. So he did the best thing he could.
He began to kiss back. Her lips, her chin, her whole mouth, it didn't matter. Just as long as she didn't pull away. Rational, intelligent, collected, high-school professor James was gone. Wild, animal-hybrid, amorous James had taken over. And he wasn't going down without a fight.
Jessie was in Heaven. James…Her James was kissing her, his mouth on hers, kissing her hard, roughly, but gently all the same. It only turned her on more. To know that the James who stayed in a shell all the time, the cold, icy, cynical, saturnine man that couldn't seem to love anything on two legs, the man who seemed so wrong for her, yet so right, was kissing her with such passion gave her hope. For what? A future together? She didn't know. But there it was.
A war was going on in James' mind. His rational side, the perfect little boy, innocent and pure, was getting his butt whipped by his wild side, the sexual young man, the one who embraced the DNA of the wild animals inside his body. Abruptly, the white-haired little boy reached up and slapped the blue-haired young man. "Get a hold of yourself!" the child cried, his high voice cracking.
James pulled back. Jessie cocked her head, concerned.
"James? You alright?" she asked. Jessie gently stroked James' cheek. He turned away, dark lashes shielding his eyes.
"Y-yeah. I'm fine. I just…something inside of me snapped. Jess, did I ever tell you what animals they collected DNA from? To inject into me with?"
"Um, a horse, and, like, a cat…or something like that."
James turned to her, long blue hair kissing his face gently, obscuring the right side of his countenance. "An unbroken mustang, a savage gray wolf, a ferocious cougar, and a wild deer. All males, all the meanest, nastiest, wildest ones they could get. There was a dolphin too, but I don't count him."
"And? Does that give you a wild side, an erotic, sexual, bad-boy wild side?"
James' eyebrow twitched. "Y-yes. I do my best to suppress it, but…"
Jessie laughed and put her hands on James' shoulders. "Oh James, you're so stupid! You've got a rational side, right? You're not just some over-sexed, nasty little pervert who's only sweet to me 'cause he wants to get me in bed! You're James, a smart, virtuous, sweet man who wouldn't hurt anyone, much less try to seduce them! True, you're not perfect, but who is?"
James pulled a corner of his lips in a lopsided grin. "Thanks Jess, I owe ya one."
Jessie smiled and spit on her handkerchief. "You can pay me back by wiping your mouth. White skin shows red lipstick easily, remember?"
James blushed and wiped off the lipstick.
That evening, James went up to Jessie's room.
"Hey, Jess, could I see you for a sec?" he called. Sounds of footsteps crossing the room…And Jessie opened the door.
"Yeah?"
James beamed at her. Taking her hand, he whispered, "Come with me."
He led Jessie down the hall, down two flights of stairs, and down an elevator, stopping at a large pair of metal doors.
"James…"
He said nothing, just led her down a metal corridor. Finally, they came to a locker room. Here James stopped. He handed her a key.
"Find the locker that this key fits in, get changed, and meet the rest of us down that hall." he said, pointing down a larger corridor. He smiled at her, then kissed her on the cheek. "See ya."
Then he walked into another room. Jessie looked at the silver key in her hand. She turned it over, and, seeing that it had a small ruby embedded in it, tried a similar lock. Sure enough, the lock clicked and the door opened, revealing a black X-Men uniform with red and gold piping. A pair of Sailor Scout-like gloves and black half-calf lace-up boots were inside as well.
Jessie quickly got dressed.
A few minutes later, Jessie made her way down the corridor and onto a glass-walled platform, where Cyclops, Rogue, Jean, Wolverine, Storm, Nightcrawler, Shadowcat, and the Professor were waiting for her. Jessie looked around at them all, a bemused expression gracing her face. Suddenly, she felt a pair of hands on her shoulders. She jumped. "Jesus, James, you scared the hell out of me! Don't do that!"
Blizzard chuckled. "Jess, you have to be prepared." Jessie noticed that her friend wasn't wearing a mask like he usually did. She stroked his high cheekbone. He sighed.
"I stopped wearing a mask last year, my little pyro." Jessie smiled at the use of James' nickname for her. Wolverine growled.
"Alright kids, break it up. If we're gonna get the little firebug into shape, we're gonna hafta start now, Blitz." James sighed.
"Yeah, I know…I know. Er, come on, Jessie, let's go." Jessie raised an eyebrow.
"Training? What training?" James rolled his eyes.
"Shall we demonstrate?" Cyclops asked.
The rest nodded. Xavier pushed a button on the console of the Danger Room's only safe area, and the doors opened. The X-Men, excluding Storm and Blizzard, entered the Danger Room. They turned to Jessie.
"You stay here and watch, child," Storm said, "We won't be long."
The two weather-altering mutants leapt off of the platform and began to fly on their trademark winds. Xavier started the automated defense system and the X-Men went to work, watching out for each other and freezing, electrifying, slashing, and blasting the laser cannons that threatened them. Jessie watched in awe. After about ten minutes, Professor Xavier stopped the machines' assault. The seven mutants wearily made their way to the platform.
Blizzard growled. "That was a little too long for a demo, I think. Better let us collapse here, Prof."
Xavier nodded. "Alright, Jessie, looks like you're on your own." Jessie began to protest, but James gently caressed her shoulder and reassured her. She nodded.
"Okay." Jessie climbed down into the center of the Danger Room.
Later, Jessie walked up to James' room. Pushing open the door, she noticed that the temperature was somewhat colder than usual. She peeked into his lit bedroom. Sure enough, there he was, lying spread-eagled on his four-poster. She sat down next to him.
"All tuckered out, huh?"
James chuckled. "You have no idea." Jessie smiled. After she'd gone, the Professor had worked the other X-Men like dogs. James, along with the rest, had nearly collapsed. No surprise there. James was still flushed, and his sweaty hair stuck to his forehead. Poor thing, she thought. Jessie leaned down and gently kissed James' forehead. He smiled weakly.
"Oh yeah, now I feel loads better." Jessie rolled her eyes.
"Well, what do you want me to do? Give you a bath in ice water?"
James sat up. "Would you really?"
Jessie sweatdropped. "Er, ah, no. I, um, wouldn't...maybe. "
He sighed. "Guess I'll take a shower then. See ya in fifteen."
Jessie did her best not to think of James in the shower...and failed miserably.
James sighed and leaned aganst the shower wall. He shook his head. The professor meant well, but he wasn't Superman! He winced as he remembered Jessie limping out of the Danger Room, her face twisted in pain. James figured she'd pulled a muscle. James hadn't had a real pulled muscle since he was thirteen, when his healing powers had kicked in. He rinsed out his hair, making sure that his rose Herbal Essences shampoo was completely gone before turning the water off.
He toweled off and got dressed, his wet hair still a long mop.
Jessie looked up to see James walking out of the bathroom dry and dressed-Damn, she thought-,but with his hair still long and sopping wet. He tossed the now-dark blue locks over his shoulders in a school-girlish manner, exposing his ears, and began to brush them. James had very fine, very oily hair that stuck together when greasy and stuck up when clean. James, luckily, was obsessed with cleanliness and washed it twice a day.
Jessie walked over to James' dresser and rested her head on his shoulder.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Jessie." James said, without even a sideways glance.
"Why?"
He chuckled. "You've got about ten seconds to find out!" he warned.
Abruptly, James' hair puffed out, whacking Jessie in the face. James smiled wryly at his new afro, then began to drag his brush through it. The wild blue locks slowly shifted into James' trademark shoulder-length tresses accordingly.
Jessie whistled. "Wow. Can you teach me to do that, or is it a guy thing?"
"I'll teach you the 'instant afro' when you teach me the 'instant homework'." he said sternly, shifting into science-teacher mode.
"Heh heh...I'll pass."
"Thought so."
James suddenly dropped his brush, an expression of shock on his face. He looked up and over his shoulder. He looked like he was communicating telepathically with someone, but James had no psychic powers. He walked over to the wall and started to bang his head on it.
"James! What are you doing?"
"The"-bang-"Professor"-bang-"wants"-bang-"us"-bang-"to"-bang-"come"-bang-"to"-bang-"the"-bang-"Danger"-bang-"Room"-bang-"immediatly." He rested his head on the wall. "And I just changed!"
Later, the whole X-Men team gathered around the Professor in the Danger Room, visibly annoyed. Mutters could be heard flitting around the room. James fussed with his cape. He snorted.
"Alright Professor," James said, a growl deepening his baritone voice, "We came, despite the fact that we'd already changed, showered, and rested. Now, would you be kind enough to tell us what the hell is going on that's so freakin' important?
Xavier sighed. "Well, Blizzard, I have just discovered that Magneto is out of prison and doing the same thing he did two years ago! We must stop him, X-Men!"
Jessie gasped. A real mission? With a real Magneto? But I'm not ready! Suddenly she felt James' warm, protective, comforting embrace. She gripped his leather sleeve and snuggled into it, much like a small child clinging to her father, apprehensive of her first day of school. James kissed the top of her head.
"And what of Jessie?" he asked. "Is she ready? The rest of us have been preparing for years, while she has only been one of us for a few hours. Should we be asking her to take such a risk? Such a-"-here Jessie felt James tighten his hold on her-"-dangerous and possibly deadly risk? All for the sake of one measly little race that does more harm than good? I will not allow it. Nothing is worth that."
"Worth what, child?" Storm asked gently.
"Jessie's death. Her life is more precious than anything to me, and if anything should happen to her..." Here James' voice faltered. Jessie looked up. The top half of James' face was shaded in black. "...I don't know what I'd do." He nuzzled the top of Jessie's head, and Jessie felt his tears. She reached up and brushed them away.
"Really, it's okay, James. I-" Jessie didn't get a chance to finish. James tore away from her.
"How can you say that?" he cried. "You don't have a chance, Jessie! Magneto could kill you, and you don't care?!" James' voice rose, wavering. "You don't care what would happen to me, do you, Jessie? God, I wish I was you right now, if only to rid myself of this nightmarish image..." James' voice broke. A sob escaped his throat. James spun on his heel and fled, his shimmering hair, silvery cape, and crystalline tears streaming out behind him as he ran.
"James! Wait!" Jessie called after him. A tear shining in her own eye, Jessie sped after him.
James was sitting on the floor outside the locker rooms when Jessie found him, a miserable wreck. He was holding his knees up to his chin.
"James? You okay?"
He looked up. His eyes were red and puffy; in serious danger of running. He sniffled and wiped at his eyes with the corner of his cape.
"I guess...no. No, I'm not okay. I'm horrible. I'm a wreck. Happy?"
Jessie kneeled down next to James. She leaned forward and put her arms around his neck. Hugging him, she whispered, "You...wanna talk about it?
James audibly choked back a sob. "Talk about what?" he said, smiling a very watery, forced smile. Jessie shook her head and freed one hand. She stroked James' kneecap, and, seeing him relax slightly, chuckled.
"C'mon, sweetie. I know something's wrong." Jessie entwined the fingers of James' right hand with her left. "Please tell me." James looked at her like she was insane, then sighed in gentle resignation.
"Alright, Jess. I guess I should've known that you'd be as stubborn as a Mississippi mule." James chuckled. "Well, if you must know, the 'nightmarish image' I see is of me, lying on my bed months after this ordeal has passed, eyes glazed and deadened, really nothing but an emaciated, living corpse. No will to live. None. Just lying there, waiting for the ol' Grim Reaper. Waiting in vain, of course, I won't really die that easily. This healing ability of mine will probably keep me alive for a while."
"Why?"
"Because you're dead." he said dully. "Magneto killed you, and when you died so did I. Of, course, my body dragged itself back home, but that was it."
Jessie looked up, astonished. "You think so highly of me...that it would kill you-literally-if I were to die?"
James nodded. "And you wanna know why?"
"Yes..."
He paused. "Jessie...I lo-"
"You two okay? James?" It was Jean.
James pulled Jessie to her feet. "Y-yeah, we're fine."
As Jean led the two teens back to the Danger Room, James silently cursed Jean's timing. His resolve was gone with his tears, and now he felt even worse. Things couldn't suck worse, in James' opinion.
He was about to find out that they could.
As the Blackbird sped closer to the George Washington Bridge, Cyclops looked back at the jet's super-advanced security system.
"Storm, Blizzard, some cover please?"
The two mutants chuckled. Cyclops had often(always)used them to cloak the jet in various types of weather. Sparkling emerald and glittering turquoise eyes clouded and became brilliantly white as clouds of icy fog kicked up over the harbor. Blizzard sat back and looked out the window, sensing rather than seeing Jessie gawping at him. He turned to her, close enough for Jessie's freaked-out expression to mirror in his blank, white eyes.
"James, quit! That is really freaky!"
"I can't, Jess, I can't let poor Storm cloak the jet all by her lonesome, now, can I?"
Jessie relented. "Alright, but just get your face outta my face!"
A nasty smile slowly sidled its way onto Blizzard's face. He leaned closer, so that their lips were nearly touching.
"Nah, I think I'll put my face in your face some more!" he whispered as their lips touched.
Jessie giggled. She and James were kissing...again. By now it was old hat, but it still gave her chills to know she was kissing the one she loved. And kissers like James didn't quite come along every day. True, he'd never kissed a girl before her, but he seemed to instinctively know what to do. Maybe it was the French blood in him.
James gently pulled away from their kiss. He would've liked for it to continue on further, but it was best not even to get going. Besides, everyone was watching!
Jessie ran a hand through James' hair. A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
"You know, Jess, you need a name to go along with that great outfit of yours." he mused.
"Why not Pyro?" she asked, thinking of James' affectionate nickname for her.
James raised his eyebrows so high they were in danger of disappearing into his hair.
"Really?"
Jessie smiled sheepishly. "Yeah...it's cute, fitting, and I do like it..."
James sat back and twirled his strand around one finger. Letting it go(it now had a small curl), he licked his fingertips and slicked it back down, which made it hang limply between his eyes. He sighed.
"And besides, whenever someone calls me Pyro, I'll think of you!"
James shot Jessie a sidelong glance.
"James, look at me."
"I am looking at you."
"How am I supposed to tell?!"
"Oh, yeah...right...sorry, I forgot." He turned to her. "What is it?"
Jessie looked down. "What if...what if I do get killed? Or sustain some horrible bodily injury? What if-"
"Now you stop right there, Jessica Rachael Parker! You will not get hurt badly, and you will not die! Honey, in our line of work, there ain't no 'what ifs?'" He wrapped Jessie in his arms, hugging her gently. Then, in a softer voice, "I won't let anything happen to you, Jessie. I promise. There will be no 'what ifs' to consider."
"You promise?"
"Yes. I promise."
Jessie leaned in to kiss James again. He put a hand to her lips, shaking his head. She raised her eyebrows, puzzled. James never missed a chance to kiss her!
"C'mon, Jess, we're in a jet with seven other people. Don't you think it would be painfully obvious if we made out right here?" he whispered. Jessie nodded, feeling extremely foolish. She figured her teenage hormones had run away with her again.
The jet landed on the water with tooth-rattling force. Cyclops had done it again.
"Cyke, you suck!" Blizzard yelled.
"What did I tell you last time?" Wolverine said, joining in.
Cyclops blushed. "Sorry."
"Yeah, the hell you are," Blizzard growled, "Or you wouldn't do it again."
The nine X-Men climbed out of the jet, surveying the area around them. Cyclops walked up to Blizzard.
"Blizzard, get a reading of Lady Liberty. I want to know where we can expect trouble."
Blizzard rolled his now-green eyes. "Okay, but you could've asked." he said, focusing his gaze on the giant copper statue. The irises of Blizzard's eyes slowly turned to red, while the pupils shrunk to tiny slits, like a cat's.
Blizzard frowned. "I can't see any of them. The bastards must have found a way to shield themselves from me!" He looked down, his red-eyed gaze thoughtful. "But how..."
He turned to Cyclops, his eyes slowly turning back to green. "Sorry, Cyke. I can't see anything."
"It's okay. We might as well split up and start looking. Rogue, you go with Storm. Nightcrawler, you go with Wolverine. Shadowcat, you come with me and Jean. Blizzard, you and Je-"
"Pyro," Jessie said.
"-Pyro can go together. Is that everyone?"
"Ahem." Blizzard said. "Why don't Pyro and I just go alone? I'm sure we can handle whatever they decide to throw at us separately just as well as we can together."
Everyone stared.
"What?" Blizzard asked, sweatdropping.
"It's okay, guys," Pyro said, putting a hand on Blizzard's arm. "I don't mind. I can look out for myself. If anything, James is just trying to give me a chance."
They nodded.
Jessie deftly tiptoed through one of the shadowy corridors inside Lady Liberty's base. Suddenly, she saw a green glitter in the shadows. A familiar green glitter.
"James?"
Blizzard stepped out of the dark, a self-satisfied smirk set upon his face. One that he didn't often have.
Jessie approached him cautiously. Blizzard grinned, teeth shining in the pale light.
"Why are you so afraid, Jess?" he asked. "It's me, James. You know, your best friend?"
Jessie eyed him suspiciously. "I thought you said we should split up."
James' grin faded to a small, knowing smile. He stepped closer, a hand gently but intentionally brushing Jessie's thigh. An involuntary chill of pleasure frosted her spine.
"I said that so I could find you later."
"Why go to all that trouble if we could've just paired up from the beginning?" Jessie asked.
"So no one would suspect." James chuckled. "If we did anything."
Now Jessie was interested. She ran her hands seductively up James' chest.
"Like what?" she asked, unzipping his collar.
James put his hand to hers, then ran it up her arm and her delicate throat.
"You're so beautiful, Jessie." he whispered. "Pity it will all be wasted, huh?"
And with that, James hoisted Jessie in the air by her throat. She gripped his wrist.
"What...are you doing...?" she asked, her voice strained. "I...thought you were...my...friend..."
James laughed, an evil laugh, one that didn't suit him and yet...horribly...did.
"You actually believed that bullshit? It was an act, Jessie. I pretended to be nice to you for the two worst years of my life, all so it would end with Magneto being the savior of the mutant race! Well, I have always had a flair for the theatrical, you know..."
Jessie's mind spun wildly, like the Tilt-a-Whirl at the county fair gone out of control. James...is Magneto's pawn...no...he is my friend...no...he is the enemy...no...I love him...no...I hate him...no...no...NO!
Jessie watched in horror as the beautiful emerald of James' eyes morphed to a sick, golden yellow. A sadistic sneer graced his features.
Then...
Jessie hit he floor with a dull thud. As did James. He hopped up and was slammed aganst the wall by someone...
An extremely pissed-off, growling, spitting-with-rage James. But...
...If that was James...
...Who was the doppelganger with the golden eyes?
Jessie didn't have time to tell, as the two Blizzards began to fight. A large dust cloud formed around them, and chibi fists, boots, and heads being pounded with the above would emerge from time to time.
Eventually Jessie got tired of it all.
"STOP!" she yelled.
The dust cloud dissipated immediately. One James was lying on the ground, eyelids fluttering over dead whites. The other was standing over him, smirking. He turned to Jessie.
Golden eyes.
That meant James had lost.
He smoothed his hair. "And as for you..."
BAM!
James chuckled. "Never turn your back on a Southerner, bud."
The imposter looked up and wiped a stream of blood from his mouth. "You can go straight to hell!" he cried in a weird, warpy feminine voice.
He kicked James' legs out from under him. When James landed on the pavement, the charlatan quickly straddled his waist.
"You know, James," he said, using James' own voice, "We could've been lovers, if you hadn't escaped. But let's just see how good a kisser you are, hmm?"
With that, the doppelganger began to kiss James. Slow and passionate, the kind of kiss Jessie had gotten from James once. It had been that March, actually. The two of them had had a fight, and they had made up underneath a blanket of stars.
James wasn't kissing back. He looked like he was about to wretch. Then, he jerked upward. He had buried his knee in the other James' stomach.
Taking advantage of his foe's momentary immobility, James stomped the imposter in the stomach, aggravating an already painful injury. A feminine shriek echoed off of the walls.
But no matter how painful the charlatan's injury seemed, he just got up again. He had spunk, Jessie had to give him that.
However much spunk he had, though, it was no match for the real James. He spun around just in time for the sole of his boot to meet the doppelganger's throat, pinning him to the wall with a powerful side kick.
James growled, his abnormally large canine teeth glinting. The golden-eyed James pinned to the wall coughed and flinched.
"Don't hurt me!" he managed to squeak.
James narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?" he asked.
"..."
"Answer me!" James cried, pushing his heel harder into Golden-eyes' throat.
"
Disgusted, James let Mystique go. She fell to the floor, resuming her normal, blue-scaled state. She coughed up a little more blood, then fell unconscious.
"I should've known."
Then James turned to Jessie. His expression softened.
"Are you okay, Jess? Did Mystique harm your person in any way, shape, form, or fashion?"
Jessie smiled, in spite of herself. "No, but seeing her kiss you...ugh. I wanted to be sick myself!"
Suddenly, James dropped to his knees, then fell over completely. A young boy of about eleven or twelve stood over him, his hands crackling with electricity. He laughed maliciously.
"Heh. Looks like ol' Electro took out the big, bad Blizzard. And Magneto said you would be a 'formidable opponent'!" he said, smirking. The boy-Electro-had greasy brown-black hair, streaked with yellow. A tight black Spandex bodysuit, complete with no sleeves to show off what little muscle tone he had, lightning stripes, and mask completed the "Magneto's thugs" look nicely.
Then Electro fired a bolt of electricity at Jessie, and everything went black.
Later, Jessie found herself handcuffed to an extremely freaky machine-probably the one the Professor had talked about. It was constructed of metal. And, unless Jessie missed her guess, metal was vulnerable to fire!(Well, it was in Pokemon Gold and Silver, anyway.) Jessie had paid attention to James' lesson on the melting points of certain elements in Physics class. She desperately hoped the machine was aluminum or something...
Jessie tried her best to melt the handcuffs, but they only briefly flashed red.
"How do you like my machine? It's fully resistant to attacks by fire." a voice said.
Jessie looked up and into the eyes of Magneto.
He chuckled. "Yes. You're probably wondering what I did with young Master Woodson. Am I right?"
Unable to speak, Jessie merely nodded.
"Well," Magneto began, "I simply wired him to the inside of this great Statue. Once my plan has been carried out and you are dead, I will train him to provide the services he was engineered to provide. Or at least, finish training him."
Jessie narrowed her eyes, molten anger coursing through her veins. "And what might that be?"
Magneto laughed. "Serving me, of course! Surely you don't think that Blizzard's adamantium bones happened by accident, do you? Or perhaps the chip in his brain?"
Jessie felt a hot, sick swoop of anger rise in her stomach. She suddenly got another vision of James' past...
Flash!
Jessie stood on the outskirts of a training arena. Inside stood James. His skin was pale, apparently undergoing its transformation from tan to white. He was missing something...
"Again!" a voice instructed.
A portcullis-like gate opened on the north side of the oval arena. With a roar, out stepped a huge bear!
James assumed a haughty smirk. He flexed his muscles. The bear charged. Jessie knew that a bear could run about forty miles per hour, but this bear seemed to be running in slow motion. James didn't move.
As the bear ran by, it raked its claws across James' cheek. Blood spattered his shoulder. He didn't even flinch. The wound healed quickly.
Then James ran to meet his challenger. The battle raged. Blood flowed...
...And it was all the bear's.
Finally, the bear fell, dead. James sighed deeply. A tear rolled down his blood-spattered cheek.
A whip flew out of nowhere. It caught James across the temple. He fell, blood from the already-healing gash seeping into his hair...
His hair!
Jessie gasped as she realized...James' hair was short! A thin, boyish cut, one that he'd not had in that morning's vision...
But this was different.
Magneto stood over James' prone figure, coiling his whip.
"We do not show remorse for our kills, Blizzard."
"Ughhh...it...j-just...seems so...cruel..." James managed. He weakly looked over at the bear. "This...is... wrong. It has to be..."
Then he fainted.
"Useless boy. His emotions overpower his will to destroy. He will never be a true Dark Angel." Magneto said, his voice full of contempt.
And he walked away, leaving James to the devices of the night.
Flash!
Jessie felt tears rolling down her cheeks. She was crying. Crying for a past that James could not escape, crying for the present hell James was in, and crying for his unknown future. James should never have gone through that, Jessie thought. No one should...
Magneto smirked. "So, enjoying my machine? I've only recently rewired it. It now runs off of heat energy. And you know what that means, don't you?"
"You sick bastard!" Jessie cried, a sob escaping her throat.
The machine began to move. Jessie felt her energy being siphoned into the rapidly spinning rings. She tried her best to stay awake, but her best was just barely enough. Suddenly, a freezing blast of air hit the machine, Jessie, and Magneto full force. It snapped Jessie awake and gave her hope.
James! Jessie thought, being unable to get her jaw to move. My knight in black leather has come for me...
Sure enough, through the rings of the machine, Jessie could clearly see James rising onto the torch's platform. His eyes were glowing pristine white, with freezing energy crackling around them. Dark clouds were growing in the sky above. James raised his eyes to the heavens.
"When the temperature of the surrounding area of certain metals is lowered to certain degrees, the metals superconduct." James turned his gaze back towards Magneto. "Superconduction is when the metals repulse their magnetic field and float in midair. It is also something I am quite good at, Magneto. Would you like to see how good I am?"
Magneto began to shake.
James raised an arm. Magneto began to float. "One more thing, Magneto. After all I've been through-and all you've personally put me through-don't you think I am deserving of the title of Dark Angel? As my friends will contest to, I have the strength of a stallion, the intelligence of a dolphin, the cunning of a cougar...and the demeanor of an angel.
"However, angels aren't little cherubim who float around in Heaven, doing nothing. No, they are warriors as well, wielding the sword of God. And now I do the same. With the power He has given me!" James cried. He blasted Magneto with pure, unbridled ice energy. And Magneto's blasting off again...
Next James froze the machine. The metal, put underneath such a drastic temperature change, shattered. James stepped up to the platform were Jessie lay, arms suspended by her shackles. He popped the razor-like fin in his right forearm and sliced through the metal chains, deftly catching Jessie as she fell.
"Jessie? Jess, c'mon, time to go home. Jessie?"
James gently pulled a couple of strands of hair away from Jessie's face. None were white. Jessie hadn't been in the machine long enough for her mind to register it as a "traumatic experience". But she was in the machine long enough for it to completely drain her of energy. She was barely alive.
James did a quick survey of his injuries with a full-body scan. The information from his chip skittered across his retinas like little bugs.
Claw scrapes on face, status: healed
Various wounds from fight with Mystique, status: healed
Throat wound by Sabretooth, status: healed
Chest wounds by Sabretooth, status: healing
Electricity burns by Electro, status: healing
Analysis: 90% of body capable of performing, need 100% to attempt full heal
Full heal attempt: fatal if performed, -10% will be taken
Summary: Abort heal attempt or die
Abort attempt or die...Fatal if performed...Screw the numbers! James thought. He looked down at Jessie. And she needs this more than I do...
James' mind was made up. He was going to do it.
He gently pressed his lips aganst Jessie's cold ones, holding her tightly. James could feel Jessie's body being energized, healed.
And he could also feel the blood from freshly reopened wounds all over his body running onto the platform.
James was, in essence, slowly and agonizingly, dying.
Dying because he loved Jessie.
Enough to give her all of himself.
The wounds burned. James could see the rapidly dropping numbers on his retinas.
Energy level status: 85%
Energy level status: 80%
Energy level status: 75%
Energy level status: 70%
Energy level status: 65%
Energy level status: 60%
Energy level status: 55%
Energy level status: 50%
Warning: Energy level status has reached 50%, abort attempt or die
Repeat: Energy level at 50%, abort full heal or die
But still James pressed on. The numbers didn't matter anymore. All that mattered was Jessie.
And then...
James felt Jessie's hands gently slide up his back. A burning pain shot up his back as well. She stroked his hair and began to kiss him back.
Passionately.
Normally James would've enjoyed this, but he was in too much pain to really think just then, let alone use his tongue to any great extent.
Jessie pulled away. "What is it, James? Something must really be bothering you, if you can't even kiss me back!"
James felt something rise in the back of his throat. He coughed it up. Dark red blood spattered on the cold steel of the machine's base. Jessie gasped.
"James! Your face!"
James raised a hand to his face. It was bleeding. Blood ran into his left eye. He squeezed it shut, trying to wipe it clean at the same time. Jessie looked horrified.
"What...happened? I-I remember you landing on the platform...and talking to Magneto, and then I...blacked out...and then I remember feeling warm and this light...and my momma came to me and told me I wasn't going to die...because someone had willingly given up himself for me to live."
Jessie looked up at James, a light of realization dawning on her face. "You...you used your healing power...on me...to save my life! But...why, James? Why would you do that for me?"
Tears welled up in James' eyes. He smiled slightly and put a hand to Jessie's cheek.
"I'm sorry I wasn't able to say this earlier, but Jean cut me off." James said, managing to get the words around the blood in his mouth and throat. "Jessie..."
"Yes?"
James spat blood onto the machine's base again. "Jessie, I love you."
Jessie felt tears well up in her own eyes. He loves me! He really does!
"I love you, Jessie, and I always have. Even if I haven't always known it. I don't care if you don't love me back, but I had to tell you before...you know."
Jessie placed her own hand on top of James'. "I...I love you too, James." she whispered, kissing the top of James' hand. Her voice wavered. "And I always have. But I won't let you die!"
James fell back, his energy-deprived body finally losing its will to sit up.
He took in a great, shuddering breath, nearly choking on the amount of blood in his throat. His breathing became more shallow and quick with every passing moment. James had once been thrown from his horse, when he was about ten. The Welsh pony had flipped taking a triple oxer in a prestigious horse show. He had landed on top of James, who had been caught in a tangle of reins and stirrups, unable to escape.
James had been rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, his situation critical. He had spent twelve hours in surgery to repair the severe damage done to his thin body. James had then spent two weeks in a coma, barely alive.
He remembered how it felt, trapped beneath a ton of flesh and fur, suffocating on dust, blood, and dapple-gray hair.
How it felt to be dying.
James did die, total flatline for nine minutes. He remembered how it felt to be dead, too. But an angel had come to him and told him he must live. His life had a much greater purpose.
This is it? James thought, lightheaded and dizzy. My purpose? To die so Jessie could live? But...but I thought Heaven didn't work that way...that true love never died...
James could hear Jessie's voice, but it was strangely echoed and far-off, as if sounded from a great distance. And other voices, as well-Storm, Jean, Rogue, the others...
"James! No! Please don't leave me! I love you!"
"His pulse is dropping rapidly, Jessie..."
"No! James! You can't! You can't leave me! You can't die! Please!"
James felt himself slowly drifting off into oblivion. The pain subsided. A crystalline tear made its way down his cheek. A divine hand wiped it away.
"Time to go home, James. You've earned your rest."
The crystal tears dropped more rapidly. On Earth, it began to rain.
"I can't...What about Jessie?"
The seraph smiled. "All will be taken care of. Come, James. They're waiting for you..."
Jessie's eyes widened. She threw her head upon James' bleeding chest.
Nothing.
"James!" she screamed. "No! You can't be dead! Please!"
Storm gently placed a hand on Jessie's shoulder. Jessie shook it off.
The rain fell harder.
Jessie whimpered. "Storm, make it stop..."
Storm picked Jessie up and held her like a mother would. "I can't, child. This is divine rain. James is crying for you."
She picked up James' limp wrist. Jessie began to cry. "How can you tell?" she asked.
"I can just feel it." Storm answered.
Suddenly, Storm felt a surge underneath her fingers. Ashen-faced, she looked down at James' wrist.
The veins in his wrist were pulsing!
James was alive!
"Jessie!" Storm cried. "I don't believe it!"
"What?"
Tears welled up in Storm's eyes. "James is alive!"
Jessie scrambled out of Storm's arms. She crawled over to James' body. Sure enough, he was breathing, but it was labored...
James was still bleeding internally!
Wolverine ran over and picked James up. They ran to the jet...
And flew back home.
A week later, Jessie lay on James' bed, soaking in the smell of his pillow. James' pets all lay next to her, with the exception of Dark Angel, who lay on the white shag carpet next to the bed.
A knock came at the door.
"Come in." sounded a chorus of voices, though only two could be understood by a human being.
The door opened and in walked Madeline, James' cousin, and Samantha, one of James' students. Both girls had been stunned by the news of James' condition, and they kept, along with Jessie and the animals, a constant vigil in James' room. It would be too difficult for them to enter the hospital wing.
Sam sat down on the bed. She fiddled with a feather in her right wing. Sam idolized James like crazy, and not just because he was handsome, either...
"Jessie," Sam said suddenly.
"Yes?"
Sam rubbed her upper arm. "You know how James was intended to be a Dark Angel?"
Jessie raised her eyebrows. "How...how do you know about that?"
The top half of Sam's face was shaded in black. "Because I was, too."
Jessie sat up abruptly, upsetting Mercury, who had been sitting on her butt. "What?" she asked incredulously.
"Uh-huh. I can remember our training. They shaved our heads and made us practice Taekwondo and other martial art forms for hours on end while we were getting our steroid treatments so they wouldn't have to teach us after..."
"But you and James are at least two years apart..."
"Didn't matter. Magneto wanted mutants. That's all he cared about. He performed different experiments on all of us. That's why I can control wind. Magneto nuked me with the 'Jewels of Cyttorak'. He also gave me cat DNA. Guess he figured I wasn't strong enough to handle adamantium bones..."
Jessie placed a hand on Sam's shoulder. "Is that why your name is Dark Angel?"
"Yeah. I was more like a 'company mascot' than anything. Still have my dogtags, too."
She smiled. "Kinda reminds you of the TV show, don't it?"
"Yeah, it does."
Madeline sighed. "Sorry, guys, but ze Professor wants to see us in ze 'ospital wing. We...'ave to discuss James' condition." She sniffled. "My poor James, mon ami!"
Moments later, the three friends were being informed by Xavier and Jean that James' body wasn't healing itself, and they were only being cruel to him, keeping him alive. So...
"If James doesn't heal within the next 24 hours, we're cutting life support." Jean said.
"B-but James revived for me, and you're just going to give up on him?" Jessie felt her heart drop.
Jean looked down. "Jessie, we have no choice. You saw how horrible he looked in there..."
"You can't-"
But something cut Jessie off.
It was the steady beep of a heart monitor...
...One that had gone flat.
It was too late.
Jessie choked back a sob and bolted out of the room, ignoring the voices that called her back.
She kept on running.
@----
So, it seems that James has died for the third time! Or has he...
To find out, stay tuned for chapter 6 of this soap opera drama! (That was a pun; I hate soap operas.)