"Breathe through your nose…and now out. Relax…you're free…feel yourself flying…there is no stopping you…clear your mind…clear your mind…Jean…clear…"
"My mind is clear!"
Sighing, Moira lowered her arms and looked at Jean, who now had her eyes closed and was pinching the bridge of her nose. "Jean," Moira began.
"I told you this wasn't working," Jean said quietly.
"I'm just trying to help you access your full powers," Moira said calmly. "There's no harm in trying."
"It's a waste of time," Jean said more annoyed. "Whatever this technique is…it's not helping," she said. Shaking her head, Jean stood up and left the room, letting the door close behind her.
As Moira sighed again, she turned and looked at Emma, who only shrugged and closed her eyes. "It's working for me," she said. Opening her eyes, she patted Moira's knee. "Come on…let's keep going," she urged. As Emma closed her eyes again and began to hum, Moira shook her head and looked up, silently praying for patience.
Logan's head snapped up as he heard Jean walk in the kitchen, take out a bottled water, and then slam the fridge. Rising his eyebrow, Logan watched as she gulped the water down. "Yer little therapy thing didn't go well?" Jean shot Logan a look and he nodded, getting the answer in a less than nice way. "I'll take that as a no," he muttered.
"I don't understand this!" Jean said frustrated. "I don't understand why Phoenix is fighting me on this."
"Well," Logan shrugged. "I think it'll be safe to say that this Phoenix doesn't know ya."
Throwing the bottle in the trash can, Jean let out a frustrated sigh. "I need to find a way to get on the same level."
"Jean," Logan said, walking up to her. "That took you years to do," he reminded her. "There's no way that you can ever reach that level in twenty-four hours."
Jean nodded. "Yes I can."
Logan watched as Jean walked out of the kitchen and down the hall. Sighing, he turned to follow her. "Jean," he called after her. "You're not gonna do what I think you're going to do?"
"Yes I am!" she called back.
"Logan?" Logan stopped as Ororo came from behind him. Keeping his eyes on Jean, he watched as she went in the elevator and disappeared. Ororo followed his gaze before she looked back at him. "What's going on?" she asked. "Did the therapy work?"
"Nope," Logan grunted before he turned and walked away, angry at Jean's stubbornness.
"We have a problem."
Looking up from her wedding album, Jean saw Erik standing next to her, his expression masking the dread that he was feeling. "What?"
"Rogue has gone missing," Erik said more urgently. Closing her eyes and sighing, Jean slammed her fist on the table and stood up, brushing past Erik in the process, as she stormed down the hallway, cursing. "I believe she went to fight Apocalypse," Erik told her as he followed.
"You gotta be shitting me," Jean muttered. "Logan!"
As she walked in the Headmaster's office, finding Peter, Logan, Moira, Emma, Kurt, Forge and Hank all gathered around. "What's wrong?" Logan asked, seeing her panicked expression.
"Rogue's missing," she informed them. Everyone gasped in shock as Jean raised her hand. "I'm sure that she's gone to confront Apocalypse."
"Shit," Logan muttered. "She's gonna get herself killed."
Jean nodded. "We have no choice," she said quietly, looking around the room, and making eye contact with everyone. "We're going to have to go in."
Shaking her head angrily, Emma stood up. "Leave it up to a kid to get ourselves killed," she hissed before leaving.
As they rest of the team left to change, Logan walked up to Jean and grabbed her shoulders, making sure that she looked at him. "Are ya sure this is a good idea?"
"I can't let her kill herself," Jean whispered.
Nodding, Logan kissed her forehead before the two of them walked out as well, planning an attack on Apocalypse to save Rogue.
-----
"Apocalypse is going to enter the city through here," Logan said, pointing to a place on the map. "We," he pointed to another spot, "are going to enter through here."
"What if it's a trap?" Scott asked.
Logan shook his head. "I don't see any reason why Apocalypse will guess our plan," he said. "But the team will be split in two. Apocalypse doesn't have the man power to cover the entire city."
"That's why he's goin' by force," Remy guessed.
"Exactly, which is also why the team will be split into three."
"Three?" Scott asked, looking around. "You're going to make small teams?"
"Yeah," Logan grunted. "Remember somethin', bub," he sneered. "I've been down this road before."
"You haven't let us forget," his opposite muttered.
"What are the teams?" Ororo asked.
"You, Boyscout and I will be leading the teams," Logan gave out. "On Ororo's side will be Kitty, Peter, and Kurt."
"Kurt?" Kitty asked, surprised.
Logan gave them a quick nod. "He's actually on his way here." Looking around, he continued. "With me will be Hank, Bobby, and Jubilee. With shithead," Logan said, referring to Scott, who rolled his eyes behind his ruby glasses, "is Emma, Remy and Rogue. Magneto will stay here with Moira, Charles and the other students."
"I don't believe that is using me very well," Erik stated, stepping up. "Who gave the control of a tamed animal to make the team and plans, anyhow?"
"Jean did," Logan growled. "And if ya wanna take it up with someone…take it up with her!" Erik swallowed hard as Logan walked out of the office.
"Respect their decision, Erik," Charles reasoned. "They deserve it given their dilemma."
"I could be of us elsewhere, Charles," Erik said in turn, glaring at his old friend. "You know that."
While Charles said nothing, he sighed, lowering his head as Erik scoffed and walked out of the office in a fit.
As Logan began to ascend up the stairs, he turned around, hearing a faint noise coming from the foyer. Curious, he began to walk in the direction, when he realized that it was the door; someone was knocking on the wooden frame. Grunting, he swung the door open, and raised his brow. Holding out his hands, Forge gave Logan a huge grin.
"I didn't think I could do it," Forge said out of breath. "But I did."
Slowly, Logan grabbed the device that Forge had been holding. "This is it?" he asked.
Forge nodded. "I even made a modification to it," he added. "Instead of sending one of ya back," he explained. "It could send both of ya."
Logan nodded. "This is good," he whispered, looking at the small machine carefully. "Ya sure it'll work?"
Forge shrugged. "Won't really know until we try it."
Logan nodded, stepping by to let Forge come into the mansion, as he glanced around in awe. "Wow…never been here…"
Closing the door, Logan grunted, "And hope ya never do!"
Watching Logan walk away, Forge frowned, and asked, "Why not?"
Yes...that was the end of the chapter. We are now entering the CLIMAX of the story, as well as its prequel. Should my brain keep working and the fingers keep typing, we'll get there by the middle of the month and probably finish. Though, like what? Two...three ppl review this story, at least hits are getting made, accident or not...what I don't know won't hurt me. The more then one sentence reviews are good enough for me; I ain't one to complain so much because honestly, how many AN notes do you see in these stories?
Legacy was such a hit (for me) I'm a little surprised that bringing Apocalypse back into the stories didn't make a bigger hit; maybe it was the stories in one that ppl didn't like? Possible OOC or AU moments that I was unaware of?
Well, if you are reading this, a review WOULD be nice, but I won't hold you at gunpoint of threaten you in anyway. I believe in free will.