Disclaimer: I do not own the X-men or any other Marvel characters. The only thing that is mine is the plot.
A/N: This is my first attempt at publishing a story, and I hope you enjoy it. Feel free to review, and be completely honest (I'm a big boy, and can take criticism).
This story takes place in the not too distant future, and is a Scott/Ororo fic.
Eyes of the Storm
When Jean died the first time, I was devastated. I left the X-Men and tried to deal with my pain. I met Maddie, and things started to get better; we got married and had a son, Nathan. But then Jean returned from the dead, and I screwed it all up by running to her. I lost Maddie, and reclaimed Nathan, for a time, before losing him too. Jean helped me with that and eventually we got married. Then it was my turn to "die", as I was taken over by Apocalypse. Eventually Jean and an older Nathan freed me; but the experience had left me changed. It put a strain on all my relationships, especially my marriage to Jean. I sought out Emma for some therapy, and it escalated into a psychic affair. When Jean found out, everything went to hell, and I did what I always do; I ran from my problems. Emma was killed by one of her students, but resurrected by Jean. When I returned, Jean was killed by Magneto. I started a relationship with Emma, which caused problems with almost everyone on the team, but I was happy for the first time in years.
Then Emma was killed, and I was crushed again; I felt like what was left of my soul, after everything I'd been through, had died with her. Hank tells me that I was like a walking coma patient; I functioned, but wouldn't respond to anyone. Ironically, it was Jean's best friend Storm that helped me come to terms with Emma's death. Unfortunately, six months later, I would return the favor when her husband T'Challa (The Black Panther) was assassinated. I went to live with her in Wakanda for a while, so we could help each other. After she assured me that she was okay, I returned to the X-Men, but kept in constant contact with her; my return, however, was short lived, as I found it hard to continue fighting after having lost so much. So several months later, I headed back to Wakanda to talk to Storm.
*****
"The Queen will see you now." A very large and heavily armed guard says to me.
"Thank you." I reply and follow him into the inner chambers of the Royal Palace.
When Storm sees me enter the throne room she gets up and uses a gust of wind to propel herself across the room to me. "Scott! It's good to see you, my friend. Why didn't you say something to my people? You wouldn't have had to wait all this time. They only told me that an American wished to have an audience with me."
I smile as she hugs me, happy to see one of my oldest friends. "Ororo, you look as beautiful as ever." I can see her blush; but when I think about how unlike me it is to make a comment like that, I understand. "I didn't want to disturb you; it's nothing important."
"Nonsense, Scott; my friends are always important to me. Come, walk with me, and tell me why you're here." I walk out the side of the room and into the garden with her. "Logan called me two days ago; is it true, Scott? You've left the X-Men for good?"
I glance sideways at her, expecting to see anger or disappointment on her face, but I only see concern. "Yes, I have."
"But why? When you left here, three months ago, to return to the X-Men, you seemed so sure that it was the right thing to do. What changed?"
"I changed. I tried, 'Ro, I really did; but I don't have anything left to give the X-Men anymore. They'll be better off without me, now."
We walk in silence for a while, and I can tell that she is watching me closely, looking for any sign on doubt in my decision. Finally she says, "You really are sure about this?"
"100% sure, 'Ro. For the first time in a long time, I'm sure I made the right decision."
"Surely you didn't travel all this way only to tell me this?" She says and I can hear the curiosity in her voice.
I smile at her and say, "Well, no. You see, for the first time in as long as I can remember, I'm unemployed; and I thought that if anyone could help me find a job, it'd be a Queen."
She laughs, "By the Goddess, Scott Summers, are you asking me for a job?"
"If you have any openings; you know my qualifications."
"I'm sure I can find something suitable. Are you sure, though? Why come all the way to Wakanda for a job?"
"Yeah, I'm sure. And as to why Wakanda; it's a beautiful country, and the people here are good people. Also, it's far enough away from a lot of bad memories for me; and I would get to see one of my best friends on a regular basis."
She stops and faces me. "Well if you are sure, then I'll start looking for a position for you right away. Meanwhile, I'll have my people go with you to collect your things and get you settled into the Palace."
"The Palace?"
She gives me another one of her beautiful smiles. "Surely you didn't think I would let my friend stay anywhere else?"
True to her word, Storm has already found something for me to do by the time I return to the Palace with my things.
The next mourning, after breakfast together, she introduces me to the leader of Wakanda's military forces. "General Almada, I would like to introduce you to Scott Summers, one of my oldest friends, and perhaps the greatest tactician alive." She says indicating me.
"Mister Summers." he says, reaching out to shake my hand.
"General." I reply, shaking his hand.
"General, I have decided to appoint Scott to be my advisor for all things military. T'Challa was the one who dealt with the military before, and I find I lack the skill to properly deal with this; so Scott will be speaking for me, with my full authority. His decisions are final, and his commands are to be followed as if they were my own." Storm says.
"As you wish, my Queen." the General says, bowing.
Storm turns back to me and says, "I'll leave you with the General, Scott; but remember that you're having dinner with me tonight."
"Yes, your majesty." I say as I bow.
She gives me a dirty look and slaps my shoulder. "I'll have none of that, Scott Summers. It's bad enough that everyone else here insists on using some kind of honorific to address me, I'll not have my friends doing it too." I smile at her as she kisses my cheek and leaves.
I spend most of the next three weeks getting integrated into the system. I meet all the different commanders, visit all the different bases, and spend countless hours researching the capabilities of the Wakandan military, as well as those of it's neighbors and any possible enemies.
Storm and I have almost all our meals together, giving us a chance to talk. We talk about my new job, or the X-Men; but mostly, we talk about Jean, Emma, or T'Challa.
About five weeks after I arrive, Storm and I are having dinner and talking about Wakanda's latest relief efforts, when she asks, "Scott, I have a favor to ask of you."
I look up from my meal and ask, "What is it, 'Ro?"
I'm surprised to see her actually looking embarrassed. "I was wondering if you would attend a diplomatic function with me in Paris, this weekend. The official period of my mourning is over, and I'm required to start attending these functions again, and I don't want to go alone."
"Yeah sure, 'Ro; I'd love to go." I say.
She smiles and sighs. "Thank you, Scott. I don't really think I'm ready for this yet, but I have my duties as a Queen."
I reach across the table and cover her hand with mine. "Hey, I'm here for you. You've helped me so much; let me repay some of it back."
So later that week, after being fitted for a new suit, I fly Storm's private jet to Paris. We are, of course, accompanied by her personal bodyguards; but being a mutant with her incredible power, she only has four of them. After being shown the suite that Storm has been given, we get ready for the party.
I wait in the lobby for Storm to get down so we can head over to the party across town. I hear the elevator chime and turn to see the door open. Two of her bodyguards step out and to the side, letting me see Storm as she walks out; I try not to let my jaw drop. I've always known she was beautiful, but have rarely seen her dressed so elegant before; I can probably count the times on one hand.
"Sorry to keep you waiting Scott." She says as she approaches me.
"Wow, Ororo, you look amazing." I say, and am rewarded with another of her beautiful smiles.
"Thank you, Scott. You look very handsome yourself." I hold out my arm and Storm takes it. Her body guards fall into place around us, and we get in the limo.
Less then an hour later, we arrive at what looks like an old castle. After going through security, we join a line of dignitaries waiting to be introduced. As we are about to enter the room, a gentleman talks to one of Storm's bodyguards before going over to the man who is announcing the guests.
We step up to the doorway and the man announces in French, "La Reine Storm, de Wakanda, et son consort, Monsieur Scott Summers." (*)
As we enter the room, I turn to Storm and ask, "Did he just call me your consort?"
Storm smiles at me and replies, "It sounded that way, but I'm not sure if the word means the same in French; I only know a little bit."
We walk around the room and she introduces me to several people. I start to feel a little uncomfortable, so I ask Storm, "Would you like something from the bar?"
"A glass of champagne would be nice." I can tell by the sympathetic look in her eye, that she understands that I just need a few minutes away from all this.
I walk over to the bar and wait for the bartender to get to me; luckily for me, he speaks English. "Two glasses of champagne, please." I tell him.
As he returns with the glasses, a man walks up to the bar beside me. "So, you go from being the leader of all mutant kind, to a Queen's consort; talk about a step down, Summers."
I recognize the voice and turn, expecting to see a metal mask, but instead see a handsome man dressed in a fine suit, sneering at me. "Doom. What are you doing here?"
"Well I am the ruler of Latveria, and I was invited to attend this rather insignificant party." He glances around the room. "Imagine my surprise when I see Storm, the Queen of Wakanda, enter with her new consort Scott Summers, formerly of the X-Men; or are the X-Men perhaps thinking of stationing a team in Africa?"
"I'm no longer an X-Man, I retired; but don't think I won't stop you if you try anything funny, Doom."
He laughs. "Please, Summers, if you're going to be living this life now, do learn the proper way to deal with people. You don't want to make any new enemies for Wakanda, do you?" I just continue to glare at him. "I see that you no longer seem to believe that people are capable of change."
"I've given my share of second chances, Doom, and lost too many people that way. You've been rotten from day one; sure you've had your moments when you've done the right thing, but only when it benefit you in some way."
Before either of us can continue, Storm joins us. "There you are, Scott, I was wondering if you'd gotten lost." She looks at Doom. "Victor."
"Ororo, you look lovely, as usual." He says.
"Am I interrupting anything?"
"Not at all, I was just catching up with your new consort."
"Scott is not my consort, he's my new advisor."
Doom laughs. "Well then, there seems to have been a miscommunication somewhere, because he was introduced to everyone as your consort."
At that moment, an explosion rocks the building, as a hole is blown in the wall on the left of the room. Heavily armed men in masks come running in and quickly spread around the room, covering all the exits. I watch them, while keeping an eye on Doom, and placing myself between the room and Storm; he looks just as surprised as everyone else.
Their leader starts shouting in French, and Doom provides us a running translation. "The great and powerful Hydra has taken over the castle, and you are all now prisoners. If you do not resist, you will not be harmed. You shall each be ransomed off, at which point you will be set free." He then sneers again, and says, "Hydra! How utterly barbaric; ransoming people. Is this how low they have now stooped?"
"Storm?" I say to get her attention.
"You make the call, Scott." She replies.
"Alright, I count ten in here, probably another twenty elsewhere, and whatever transport they came in outside. First, we need to deal with these ten fast, then blast a hole in the outer wall; get you outside where your powers are more effective."
"So, what's the plan?" Doom asks.
"What do you mean? Storm and I are the only ones here with powers, so we'll take care of Hydra. If you want to help, you can lead the civilians to safety once we've breached the wall."
He laughs. "Do you really think that Victor von Doom ever goes anywhere unprepared?" He does something with his cuff-links and two metal disks drop out of his sleeves. He attaches straps across the back of his hands and looks back at us. "While it's not my full suit of armor, there bracers can still shoot a powerful electrical blast. So, I ask again; what's the plan?"
I look at him for a few seconds, before deciding that I may as well trust him; Doom has had his own problems with Hydra in the past. "Alright, Doom you take the four on the right, I'll take the four on the left. Storm, you take care of the two in the middle; then we go through the wall and see what they've got outside."
They both nod at me and move off into the crowd. I start heading to the left, thinking of a plan of attack. I reach into my jacket pocket and take out my new lightweight vibranium visor, that General Almada had had made for me. Closing my eyes, I swap my glasses with it. I get to the wall unnoticed, and see that I can actually take out all four guards with one well aimed shot, because they are standing in a straight line.
I figure that Storm and Doom have had enough time to get into position, so I fire. *ZZRAK* The guards all smash into one another before hitting the wall and collapsing. I can hear Doom's blasts over the sound of the crowd, now screaming. I look and see that Storm has pinned her two guards to the wall with a powerful gust of wind.
I get to Storm at the same time as Doom. I gesture to the two Hydra agents and say, "I think these two want to help us make our hole; what do you think, Doom?"
His reply is a simple smile, and then we both turn and blast the two men through the wall. Storm flies out and up into the air. Doom and I step out to see what Hydra has outside. "How disappointing." Doom says. "Nothing here."
"Alright, Doom, you take point and lead these people into the city; I'll be the rearguard, and Storm will provide air support."
"And, where should I be taking them?"
"You decide; just get them as far away from here as possible. I'm sure someone noticed the wall explode when we made the hole; the authorities should be on their way already." I step back into the room and yell, "This way, everyone! Follow Victor von Doom!"
Everyone starts to rush to the hole and I turn to Doom, only to see him looking in my direction with his arm raised and an electrical charge about to be fired. Before I can react, the blast sails past my left ear and I hear a scream and thump behind me. I turn my head to see one of the Hydra agents on the ground with smoke rising from his head. I turn back to Doom, but he is already halfway to the castle gates.
Once the last person is through the hole, I head out myself. I keep looking every which way, expecting to see Hydra agents at any minute, but I get all the way through the gates and into the city without so much as seeing one. We don't travel far before the local authorities arrive, followed shortly be SHEILD.
Storm lands next to me and says, "Thank the Goddess, you are okay, Scott."
"Are you okay?" I ask.
"I am fine. Was anyone hurt?"
"Only those Hydra imposters." Doom says as he joins us.
"Imposters?" Storm asks.
"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. Hydra is usually more organized then that, and I can't recall them ever holding a room full of dignitaries for ransom. I think it was a mercenary group disguised as Hydra." I say.
"But why Hydra?" Storm asks.
"Well, Summers, pretty much summed it up when he said they're usually more organized. They were relying on the Hydra name to frighten people into believing that there was more to it then what they actually had going." Doom replies.
"So this was just some mercenaries attempt to make a lot of money?" Storm asks.
"Or a possible PR stunt by someone at the party." I say, causing Storm to gasp. "Someone just may have wanted to get their name in the press, and hired a bunch of second rate mercs."
Doom smiles at me and nods approvingly. "My, my, Summers, you surprise me with your knowledge of the depths that the 'rich and famous' will go to stay that way. I believe you may be right; the host was the only one who didn't seem surprised by the attack, and he didn't panic during the escape. Also, he would have been able to provide the mercenaries with the information they would need to infiltrate the party without having to go through a castle full of bodyguards."
Before we can continue our conversation, a SHEILD agent comes over and asks to speak with Doom. "Well, I suppose this is good-bye, for now." He says. He takes Storm's hand and kisses it. "Always a pleasure to see you, Ororo." He then turns to me and extends his hand. "Summers, it was a pleasure working with you."
"Same here, Doom." I say as I shake his hand, and then watch him walk off.
"That was odd; fighting along side Doom." Storm says.
"Tell me about it; he actually saved my life back at the castle." I reply.
She looks at me, stunned. "What?"
"Yeah, one of the guards was sneaking up behind me and Doom took him out."
Storm looks over at Doom and says, "I'm going to contact my bodyguards and tell them to meet us back at the suite. I'll just be a minute." She steps away, and takes the concealed communicator from her bracelet.
A SHEILD agent approaches me and says, "Mister Summers, Sir. I've been asked to thank you and Miss Munroe for your assistance in tonight's hostage situation."
"Assistance? You guys showed up after it was over; even the local police got here before you."
"Ah..."
"You know what; forget it. If you need anything from me or Storm, we'll be at our suite. I'm sure I don't have to tell SHEILD where that is." I say as I walk away from him and head over to Storm.
She puts the communicator away and says, "As usual, Maduba is upset about me going off without him, but they'll meet us at the suite." She reaches out her hand. "Take my hand, Scott; I'll have us there in no time."
I grab her hand and immediately feel the wind building around my body. Suddenly, we're lifted into the air and she flies us away. I trust Storm, and know she won't let me fall, but it's still a little frightening. Don't get me wrong, I love to fly, but in airplanes; there's something disconcerting about flying through the air without one.
We land on the balcony of the suite, a short time later. "Well that was a pretty short night." I say as we head in.
"Yes, I sometimes wish things like this would happen regularly; these parties can go on for hours." Storm says as she removes her jewelry.
"You should just keep bringing me along. You know the rule; if two X-Men are at a party, there's bound to be an attack." I sit on the couch.
Storm laughs and sits next to me. "It does seem that way, doesn't it, Scott?"
"Yeah. The only times I can remember being incident free, were my wedding to Jean and your wedding." I regret saying it the moment it leaves my lips. I glance over at Storm and can see pain on her face." Oh, I'm sorry, 'Ro. I wasn't thinking." I put my arm around her and pull her into a hug.
"It's okay, Scott." She says between sobs. "Those were two wonderful days."
"Yeah, they were." I hold her while she cries.
Eventually she stops crying and her breathing gets very shallow. I move my head and look down to see that she has fallen asleep. I scoop her up in my arms, and carry her to her bedroom. I lay her down and start to remove her shoes so she doesn't have to sleep in them. "Scott?" she says.
"Go back to sleep, 'Ro. I was just removing your shoes so that you can sleep more comfortably." I say as I stand up and start to leave.
"Wait. Don't leave me alone tonight, Scott; please. You're the only one who understands the pain I'm feeling. Please stay and just hold me."
I can hear the pleading in her voice, and I remember everything she's done for me over the years. "Sure thing, 'Ro" I kick off my shoes and climb into bed next to her. She rolls over and places her head on my chest, and I wrap my arms around her. She cries for a little bit more, before falling asleep again.
I think back to the day's right after Emma died, and how, for five straight nights, Storm had slept in my bed and held me as I cried myself to sleep. The only one besides the two of us, who knew about that, was Storm's husband, T'Challa; and he had completely understood her need to be there for me. He was a very special man, and Storm had been so in love with him.
At some point I must have fallen asleep, because I wake up to see Storm leaning on my chest, watching me. I can see it's still dark out, but there's enough light to make out the delicate features of her face, and her big blue eyes. "Hey 'Ro. Did I wake you? Was I snoring or something?" I ask.
"No, I just had a dream."
"About what?"
She reaches up and strokes the side of my face. "You know in all the time we've known each other, I've never seen you look as peaceful as you did sleeping just now."
"Ah..."
"The only times I've ever seen you asleep before were either for quick naps while traveling to a battle, if you were unconscious because of injury, or those nights after Emma passed." I can tell that she feels bad about bringing up Emma's death.
"I was actually thinking about those nights myself before I fell asleep. You really helped me get through that."
"As you have helped me get over T'Challa's death." She leans towards me, and I expect her to kiss my cheek; instead, she kisses me on the lips. She leans back and the look on her face tells me that she's feeling awkward because I didn't kiss her back.
I don't know why I do it, but as she starts to pull away, I wrap my arms around her, pull her to me, and kiss her.
We wake up in the mourning, back in the same position we were in when we fell asleep the first time; although, now we're both naked. Storm looks up at me and says, "Good mourning, Scott."
"Good mourning, 'Ro."
She sits up and stretches, before standing up. I watch her walk over to the balcony doors and push them wide open, letting the sunlight frame her body. I suddenly start to feel guilty about last night; I feel that I may have taken advantage of my friend's grief. When she turns to look back at me, I say, "Look, 'Ro, about last night; I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken advantage of the situation like that; that's not what friends do."
I'm surprised when she starts to laugh and uses a gust of wind to propel herself back to the bed. "You did no such thing, Scott; and neither did I. I knew perfectly well what I was doing last night, and it's because it was something that I wanted to do; not because I was feeling lonely." She lies down beside me and kisses me quickly. "Do you remember me telling you that I woke up because of a dream I had?"
"Yeah."
"I didn't answer you then, when you asked me about it, but I'll tell you now. I dreamt of T'Challa; he came to me to tell me that it was time I stopped mourning for him. He told me that he was honored by my devotion to him, but that it was time for me to move on with my life. He then told me that he knew of the feelings I had developed for you, and said that I should follow my heart." She lays her head on my chest. "I won't lie to you, and tell you that I haven't been struggling with these feelings; you were my best friend's husband. But I know that I couldn't ignore them any longer."
"I had no idea, 'Ro."
"I didn't want you to know, because I was afraid that if you found out about my feelings for you, that you would leave me."
"'Ro, I..."
She places a finger across my lips to stop me from talking. "Scott, I do not expect you to tell me that you share these feelings; I merely wanted you to know about them."
When she removes her finger I take her hand. "'Ro, since Emma died, I've grown closer and closer to you; and when I returned to the X-Men, I realized that you had become much more then just a friend to me. When I was there, I missed you, and when I left, you were the only person I wanted to see." She smiles. "I don't even think I really knew how much I cared for you until last night; I love you, Ororo."
Just when I thought her big blue eyes couldn't get any bigger, they do. She says, "Scott, can it be? Are you the first one to say 'I love you'? That's unheard of."
"Yeah, I guess it is kind of unheard of." I pause as I register what she just said. "What do you mean 'the first'? I'm the only one who's said it so far." I say with a crooked smile.
"I'm sorry, I was just so shocked to hear you say it first that I forgot to tell you that I love you too, Scott."
THE END
* - if anyone was wondering, the translation is "Queen Storm, of Wakanda, and her consort, Mister Scott Summers."