Four
One foot in front of the other Piotr tried not to think of where he was heading just the why-he had to contact Cypher. It galled Piotr that the only person he could think of that would know where the hacker had gone to ground was her lover. Normally, not he or any other X-Man would be found in this part of Bayville after dark they usually left the Brotherhood to their own devices but Colossus was a man on a mission.
The Brotherhood of Bayville Boarding house was as shabby now as the first time Magneto had brought his select team there to watch the younger, undisciplined mutants it housed. The grass was brown and withered even with the early spring rain; Lance's rusty jeep was parked crookedly near but not in the garage and the shutters hung askew as the paint peeled. Piotr wondered just how the home had avoided being condemned. "What do you want?" The shaggy brown head of Lance Alvers appeared from underneath his vehicle as Piotr walked towards the front steps.
Without preamble Piotr looked down at the smaller man, "Where is Asli?"
"So it's Asli again?" Lance lifted an eyebrow and propped himself into a sitting position, "Not Cypher? Not Traitorous bitch?"
In light of Kitty's revelations there were many things that Piotr wished he could take back regarding his behaviour towards Asli but he didn't need Alvers to point it out to him, "Do you know where she is?"
"If I tell you will you try to strangle me again?" the teen asked rising himself to his feet so that the men were on a bit more equal footing.
"I will control myself," Piotr ground out wondering why he hadn't just asked Professor Xavier or Wolverine to track the hacker down.
Silently the earthmover lifted his grease stained hand and pointed at 'Hood House, "She's in my room sleeping-third door on the left, second floor. She wouldn't tell me but something upset her at Magneto's-she passed right out. I didn't wanna wake her if I didn't have to ya know?"
Piotr nodded gravely, "You do not mind if I go speak with her?"
"It's her call not mine," Lance shrugged his eyes straying to the darkened window of his bedroom, "We have an understanding-neither of us was looking for commitment."
"I see." Piotr bit his cheek to reign in his anger at the younger man's flippant attitude.
Lance's dark brown eyes narrowed into slits and his hands clenched at his sides, "Don't give me that shit man. You've set up house with Kitty and I haven't said a word and believe me if either of us has a reason to be pissed it's me not you…you think it's easy watching you with the woman I love?"
The moment he said it Piotr could tell the Brotherhood mutant wanted to take the words back but it was too late Pitor knew Avalanche's dirty little secret-he still loved Kitty Pryde. Piotr's anger towards the young man washed away in a tide of perfect understanding, "I could say the same."
Seeming embarrassed by his show of emotion Lance ducked his head, "Yeah well don't tell me tell Asli. She's the one who needs to hear it."
***************************
Shadows chased Asli wrapping their cold fingers around her heels and pulling her from her feet. Claws dug into her skin burning and freezing at the same time leaving Asli curled on the ground in pain clutching herself tight. As her blood began to drain Asli could feel ice forming in her veins and travelling into her every cell-turning everything into ice. Cold, immobile, unfeeling.
Biting her lip from the effort Asli twisted around to face her attacker in the dim; for a brief second her father's eyes flashed before her face before they were replaced by Magneto's icy irises. Then it all shifted once more and it was Mystique with her glowing yellow eyes bearing down on her, "You're mine!"
Heat racing Asli jumped up in bed trying to calm herself with deep breaths, "Bad dream?"
For the second time in the last thirty seconds Asli jumped as she noticed Piotr's unmistakable girth filling Lance's doorway watching her as she lay on the bed. She frowned at the X-Man, "Yes. I didn't think Lance would let you in to kick me while I was down."
"I did not come here to fight with you Asli," Pitor's voice was soft and the hacker had to strain to hear him, "I am sorry."
"Why?"
Asli furrowed her brows together attempting to figure out why the Russian's attitude had changed towards her so drastically in the last seven hours-she had worked very hard to make him hate her. Piotr moved away from the door and sat lightly on the edge of Lance's bed so that they would be eye to eye-hers were full of suspicion and doubt while his shone with compassion. "Katya told me why you went back to Magneto."
Cursing the hopelessly romantic young X-Woman Asli shook her head and pulled her blanket tighter, "That doesn't change anything between us Piotr. We still can't be together."
His confusion jerked at every one of Asli's heartstrings, "Why not?"
"Kitty for one," Asli bit her lip, "I don't want you hurting that girl. Second, I still work for Magneto no matter what the motivation. And third-I just can't…" Asli's voice broke as she trembled on the verge of tears once more, "When I was young my parents loved each other to distraction…then my mother killed herself and it destroyed my father. Her death made him that creature I killed last week. I can't love you like that…"
Piotr reached out a hand and brushed a stray curl away from Asli's pale face, "You would not have to love me that much. I am patient and would only ask what you could give."
'That's the problem," Asli pulled away from his touch, "When you love some one Piotr-you sacrifice everything for them. You became Magneto's slave to save your sister…what would you do to save me? I can't be responsible for that…I can't let you give up everything for me. I refuse to let loving me destroy you."
Tears began to shine at the corners of the large Russian's cerulean eyes but he didn't brush them away, "I can not stop loving you either Asli."
A sob ripped its way out of Asli's throat as she lunged forward to wrap her arms around Piotr-all she needed was to hold him close one last time, "I know. If Magneto finds out what I'm up to he will kill me. If my life is the price of the safety of the people I care about then I think it's well spent. Don't make this harder for me."
"Should I make it easier?" Piotr's face hardened, "How can I walk away and leave you when I love you?"
Shaking her head Asli lifted her hand to Piotr's lips and hushed him, "Piotr...I have to stop Magneto to do that I will probably have to kill him. Can you deal with that?"
"It is wrong to kill," Piotr lowered his head.
Asli frowned and moved away from him, "I'm not above killing if I have to Piotr you were there when I killed my father to stop his madness. If it means saving lives then I will kill Magneto without blinking…nothing you can say will stop me."
"I know this."
"Good," Asli offered him a weak smile as she climbed off the bed and made her way to her bag it served a dual purpose-there was the briefing she had prepared for Professor X as well as her pain pills inside. The ache in her shoulder made Asli wonder which the real necessity was, "Please give this to the Professor. It'll tell him what's going on and what I want him to do. Tell him to keep the X-Men well back so that you have the element of surprise."
Piotr slipped the computer disk she handed him into his pocket and rose, "I will do this."
Longing flared deep in his eyes and for a moment Asli didn't think Piotr cared about any of the reasons she had given him to stay apart. Even she was having her doubts-it couldn't be any harder to love him than it was to push him away. Asli was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't notice that Piotr was now standing right in front of her. Wordlessly, he lifted her chin and lowered his lips to hers.
While their first kiss had been full of promise and hope-the second tasted like desperation and regret more than anything else. Their tongues sparred as Piotr and Asli pulled themselves as close to the other as they could and remain separate beings. Finally, it was Piotr who pulled away his eyes glazed as he looked down at Asli, "When you are finished making excuses I will be waiting."
He turned and left Asli to her own conflicting thoughts so that he could deliver her message to Professor Xavier-lives would count on it. His large back grew smaller as he walked away and Asli shut Lance's door before the Russian could turn around and rush back to her. With shaking hands she fumbled for the bottle of painkillers and tossed two into her palm once more swallowing them dry. Asli wrapped her arms around her body and lay back down on the bed tired down to her very soul. She caught herself foolishly hoping that the rest of her night would be dreamless.
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On silent feet he moved forward-tonight was his lucky night-she would be alone in her room. Asli had left shortly after her 'talk' with Mystique and Remy knew for sure that the hacker wouldn't be back until dawn-not if Lance knew what was good for him. Remy was glad that he had been so kind as to oil the hinges on the girl's door earlier in the week; he was pretty sure it had been an altruistic move on his part. That didn't change just because it happened to benefit Remy Lebeau more than either Rogue or Asli.
First checking to see if any light escaped from underneath Rogue's door Remy took a deep breath and opened up his empathetic powers just enough to tell him that the goth within was truly sleeping. Don need her wakin' up an skinnin' dis Cajun alive, he chucked to himself know full well that Rogue would kill him if she caught him. It wasn't a craving for danger that brought him to her bedside at this late hour but his own worry.
His powers had told him when Mystique had spoken about Destiny's vision that it had been the truth. Remy was just having a hard time deciding how he felt about it. There was no way he wanted Rogue to die even if it meant they were all stuck with Magneto for eternity…but he also didn't see the Gothic belle lasting in the 'practical' world of the Acolytes much longer. Deep down underneath her bravado, toughness and make-up Rogue was a good person-one not made for the rigors of a life spent staying alive no matter what.
In the darkness Remy looked down on the young girl that had somehow wormed her way into his life with her stubborn, hard-headed loyalty and made a place for herself that he could not fill. The fire in her emerald eyes was more intoxicating than any wine. Even in her sleeping form Remy felt like he was punch drunk on her angelic appearance. With infinite care Remy used his gloved hand to brush a stray lock of white hair that had fallen across her pale cheeks.
"Mmmm…Remy," her voice was a sleepy purr but still made Remy jump a mile.
Heart pounding Remy watched from the shadows as Rogue rolled over and hugged her pillow close. The innocent joy this seem to bring the girl made the thief wish on every star that he could make her smile that way in the waking world. "Don worry mon ange, Remy always be here ta protect you."
Having profaned the perfect silence of the dark room Remy backed away from Rogue's bed then out her door-convinced of what he had to do.
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Teehee…Teehee… 'Evil light'? Was that 'evil light'?
I don't own the song 'Outside' it's Staind's…
Staind - Outside
And you,
You bring me to my knees
Again
All the times
That I could beg you please
In vain
All the times
That I felt insecure
For you
But I leave
My burdens at the door
But I'm on the outside
And I'm looking in
I can see through you
See your true colors
'Cause inside your ugly
Your ugly like me
I can see through you
See to the real you
All the times
That I felt like this won't end
it's for you
And I taste
What I could never have
It was from you
All the times
That I've tried
My intentions
Full of pride
But I waste
More time than anyone
But I'm on the outside
And I'm looking in
I can see through you
See your true colors
'Cause inside your ugly
Your ugly like me
I can see through you
See to the real you
All the times
That I've cried
All this wasted
It's all inside
And I feel
All this pain
Stuffed it down
It's back again
And I lie
Here in bed
All alone
I can't mend
But I feel
Tomorrow will be OK
But I'm on the outside
And I'm looking in
I can see through you
See your true colors
'Cause inside your ugly
Your ugly like me
I can see through you
See to the real you
Star-of-Chaos – Yeuh…we will not discuss Remy in leather pants…I need to concentrate on finishing this…if I get side tracked Ish will never find out who dies. Purpetutal longing would suck…I'll try not to do that.
Ish- You realize I love playing with your emotions…Is this what you expected when I sent you the sneak peek? Huzzah! Please stop twitching…you won't be able to send more reviews if it gets too bad…