Chapter Twenty-one: Death and Life

Ana's mind was wandering. She tried to be hopeful, but it was difficult. She kept seeing different scenarios in her mind. Some where she never got out of this horrible box, some where she did, and a few where Warren came and rescued her. But the latter grew rare as the hours passed by.

Ana was thirsty and hungry, and her whole body ached. She remembered Shards throwing a glass orb at her, and that it shattered. She guessed that the splinters must have torn her skin up pretty bad. Every time she made a grimace or moved too violently she winced from the pain. She didn't think it was anything too bad, and the cuts were certainly not going to kill her, but even so they were troubling her.

As she laid in silence, contemplating her faith, the sudden need to get out overpower her as it had done a couple of times. It felt like the walls started to close in one her. She knew, even during her panic attack, that she was only imagining it, but the feeling was terrible. In desperation she started tugging her restraints, and tried to rise from the table she was lying on. As she took a deep breath for another try she saw something appear from the wall, and the next second she saw the running form of Kitty Pryde fly past her.

Ana saw a look of recognition flash over the other girl's face as their eyes met, but then the girl reached the other wall. This time, however, she didn't run through it, but slammed into it with her head first. Ana heard a loud thump, and then the other girl slid to the floor away from her view.

"Kitty? Was that you? Are you okay?" she tried to ask while raising her head as much as she could from the table. But her voice was hoarse from not being used and it was difficult to speak properly. She heard a moan from the floor, followed by the sounds of someone trying to get to their feet. Moments later Kitty's face emerged over the edge of the table. Her hair was tousled, and a large red spot was visible on here forehead where she had hit the wall, but otherwise she seemed fine.

"Ana!"

Ana repeated the question, this time it came out almost like it should.

"I'm fine, I think," Kitty answered and lifted her hands to her head, fingers gently touching the red spot. She flinched and withdrew her fingers. Then it was as if she suddenly remembered where she was, and why, and her eyes fixated on Ana.

"But how are—" her voice cut off abruptly and she drew in a sharp breath. "Oh my God, what happened to you?"

Ana tried to shrug, but her restraints wouldn't allow it.

"Nothing big. Got kidnapped. Same old same old." Ana surprised even herself with her comment. Sarcasm had never been her strong side, but obviously she had it in her. Kitty gawked at her for a moment, just as shocked by what Ana said.

"I—I know that, I was thinking of your face. It's all cut and stuff!"

"Oh, that. One of the Brotherhood mutants got me, but I'll live."

Kitty didn't say anything for a moment, just stared at Ana, but then she seemed to snap out of the shock and shook her head. A smile spread on her lips. "Great! Then let's get you outta here right?"

Ana nodded in answer as Kitty looked over the restraints that kept Ana to the table. After a few moments she grabbed Ana's elbow and pulled gently. At her touch Ana got intangible and slid away from the shackles to the floor. When Kitty let go of her she scrambled to her feet.

"I'm guessing those shackles don't work on your powers then?" Ana asked mildly jokingly. She was still a bit surprised that she could keep such a light-hearted manner after being stuck in this box for several hours, possibly days, but she figured it was the shock and aftermaths of the panic attack. It had been a lot in a short time, and Kitty had made quite an entrance. It was almost like one of her more pleasantly scenarios, only then it was always Warren that saved her. But now she was just so happy to see Kitty that she felt her heart was going to burst, and certainly didn't mind it being Kitty coming to the rescue. Just the fact that she wasn't forgotten, that someone had come for her showed her that someone really did care about them and that she truly did belong among the X-Men.

As soon as Ana was standing Kitty took hold of her elbow once again and they walked through the wall, and out of the hellhole of a box that Ana had thought she would never see the outside of.

The first thing Ana saw when stepping out of the box was a man lying at her feet. He was unconscious, and sported several bruises in the making. She stepped over him before her gaze lifted and she saw that one person she had hoped to see while being held captive.

A pair of wings, once white, now spattered in dirt and blood. They moved slightly as the man whose back they were attached to breathed heavily. In front of him stood another man, this one taller, broader and brandishing a club. Warren had the odds against him, but didn't hesitate. He leapt gingerly to the left as the club came down towards his head, and then he used the moment when the other man tried to gather himself for another blow to deliver a furious combination of kicks and punches that brought the man to the ground. Then he slowly turned around, hands raised and balled into fists as if expecting another attack.

As their gazes met Ana felt her heart try to beat its way out from her chest to get to him, but her legs wouldn't cooperate. They both stood in silence staring at one another. Then she saw his lips move in a silent whisper.

"Ana?"

Her legs didn't hesitate any longer, and she ran towards him. As she could finally throw her arms around him and felt him lift her off the ground it was as if a dam burst and her eyes filled with tears. She buried her face in the nook of his neck and relished the touch of his skin against hers. She inhaled and the scent of him, a scent that she immediately recognised as his, filled her with happiness. She was finally back in his arms, the only place she would ever want to be.

She felt the arm not wrapped around her waist holding her up gently make its way over her back and to the neck and he pulled her even closer. Ana moved her head slightly, her lips seeking out his. As she found them it was as if all the pain and hurt from the time here just vanished in the blink of an eye. As long as she had him she knew everything would be fine.

His lips moved against her eagerly, almost desperate, and Ana wished they could stay like this for hours, but a large explosion in the distance made them break they kiss and embrace. Tremors shook the floor, and Ana's eyes widened as she sought out his. She had no idea what had just happened.

"What was that?" she asked in a whisper.

"We have to leave, it's the others, they are distracting the Brotherhood outside."

Ana frowned slightly. "But, how do we get out of this…this place?"

As to answer Ana's question Kitty came over to them and without anymore hanging around Warren grabbed on to her as well. Then he pushed off the ground and they flew towards the roof. Right before they crashed into it Kitty placed a hand on Ana's shoulder, and they flew through it, noticing nothing but a slight tingling as they passed through the solid metal. Then they were outside. The noises doubled in volume instantly, but Ana didn't notice it in the beginning, she was too busy enjoying the cool breeze on her face.

Then she opened her eyes and looked down.

They were hovering above a battlefield. It was complete mayhem below. Ana saw a few bodies scattered on the ground, and all over people were engaged in battles. Before she had time to fully take it all in she heard a shriek of horror from Kitty followed by "Jake!" Ana followed Kitty's gaze to the ground where Jake, more commonly known as Tsunami among the X-Men, was fighting one of the Brotherhood mutants. Ana saw why Kitty had screamed, Tsunami was in over his head.

As they watched the mutant threw what looked like a stake at him, and it hit the young X-Man in the gut. Kitty screamed again, and then she dropped away and floated towards the ground, using her powers to "walk" on air.

Ana looked away and towards Warren with a horrified look on her face.

"We needed a distraction to get inside. Now we need to tell them that you are safe, and then get them, and us, out of here." Ana nodded slightly, but as she was to ask him how she saw Warren's eyes widen in what looked like both shock and horror as he obviously noticed something over her shoulder.

Before she had the time to do anything he flipped her around so they switched places. Then he folded his wings around her as a protective cocoon and they dropped a few feet towards the ground before she felt them jerk through the air as something hit Warren in the back and then exploded. The noise was ear shattering, and Ana felt the air being punched out of her lungs. Then they fell towards the ground once more. She wanted to scream, but she couldn't get her vocal cords to work, so she fell in silence, still cocooned inside Warren's wings. She felt him turn ever so slightly, and then they hit the ground. Everything went black.

As she came back to herself seconds later the first thing she saw was a bloody feather laying on pale skin. She quickly scrambled to her feet and kneeled next to Warren. His eyes were closed, and his chest weren't moving. A small stream of blood trailed from the crook of his mouth and towards the ground. One of his wings lay in a twisted position beneath him, the other was lying across the ground in all its former splendour.

Ana stared at him in shock. He couldn't be dead, not now, not when she had just gotten him back. She couldn't live without him, he couldn't leave her, not like that.

Her trembling fingers moved towards his neck where they hesitated an inch away from it. She was afraid to touch him, afraid of getting proof of what she already knew. If she touched him he would truly be dead and gone and she would be alone. Without Warren she had no reason to live anymore.

Her eyes travelled away from his still body, she couldn't bear looking at him. They were on the ground and she saw dirt beneath her knees, and beneath Warren. It was so much blood everywhere, and feathers were scattered all around them, his feathers, his beautiful feathers. Ana's lip trembled, but she bit back the tears that threatened to come, she couldn't, not now. She had to stay strong, like Warren would have done.

She took a deep breath and then lowered her fingers to his skin. It was still warm, and slightly sticky from sweat and blood. Her fingers moved over the soft skin as she checked for his pulse, but no matter how long she felt there were none.

"No, Warren, please, don't do this to me," she choked out from between sobs. Then sudden anger overpowered her, and her fists hit him repeatedly on the chest, but there were no power behind them, only hands flapping limply in despair.

"Don't you dare leave me, Warren! Don't you dare!" she screamed out, but no matter how loud she screamed he wouldn't be able to hear it.

Ana felt her eyes watering up, but she bit it back again and rose to her feet. She saw that they had landed behind an outcropping from the fortress, and were hidden from view. But the noises were very much still there, and she knew the fighting was still going strong.

She stepped out from behind the outcropping and walked with slow deliberate steps towards the battleground. No one noticed her approach, and she used that to her advantage.

Out of pure instinct, driven by Callisto's words from earlier and powered by an immense grief, she reached out with her mind and felt the energy of electricity through the very earth and air. The fortress weren't that far away from New York City, and she could feel it, could feel the immense power that radiated from the city. She took a deep breath and started coaxing the strands of energy to do her biddings. She called them to her, and they followed her lead, she was their master.

Soon she felt her body pulsating with electricity and slowly lifted her hands with her palms towards the battling mutants.

Several faces turned towards where she stood as the sound of electricity that crackled through the air intensified. What they saw where a young woman embedded in light, sparks flying all around her petite body. Her hair was flying around her, as if she was caught in a vortex of wind. The last thing they saw was her eyes. They flashed brightly, and then all the electricity she had drawn towards her flew from her outstretched palms in one intense wave of electricity.

At this point Ana was way beyond control, she had lost back that back with the body of the man she loved. She was driven by grief and anger and pure energy. She held her hands lifted till the terrible wave died out, and then she fell to a heap on the ground. She locked on the scene before her, bodies all over, blackened, tormented, dead. Then her eyes drifted close, and she saw no more