author: Lucinda
story #4 in Crimson Arc.
rating: pg, pg 13?
contains Betsy/Warren pairing.
disclaimer: not mine. Nobody from Marvel is mine.
distribution: please ask first.
Warren opened his eyes, and the first thing that he saw was Logan. He closed them again, hoping that the image would change when he re-opened his eyes. No such luck. He still saw Logan's face, and the fact that Logan was scowling did not help matters any.
"Ugggh... What did I do to merit waking up to see you?" Warren's words were half croaked, and anything but pleasant.
"Well, lover-boy, it seems your girlfriend sucked you dry and left the mansion for the day. I think we have a bit of a problem." Logan's voice sounded almost amused. That was not an encouraging sign.
"Betsy? Betsy did this? But... how? and for the love of anything, don't call me lover-boy. It's all kinds of wrong." Warren was speaking a bit more clearly. His mind was turning over the memory of earlier - had that been today? He had met Betsy in a clearing, and she had given him this look, the one that said she wanted to ter his clothes off and devour him. Not being one to object to his beautiful girlfriend wanting him, he had gleefully managed the energy to turn the chance meeting into a passionate interlude...
"I'm not sure how. But the only scents there before Rogue found you were the scents that should be in the clearing, you, Betsy, and sex. Which tells me that whatever happened was either a psionic attack, or Betsy. Considering the way she just popped in, told Hank you'd collapsed and went off to go shopping, I'm guessing it wasn't an outside attack." Logan's words were a bit gravelly, and his logic was sound.
Warren winced, not in the least comfortable with the idea of Logan knowing about his sex life. Ever. He'd never thought about the question of how Logan's enhanced senses would open up the secrets of his personal life, or the personal life of anyone else. It made sense, if Logan could tell which villain had been in a place by sniffing the air... uggh, he did not want to finish that thought. "You think this had to do with the Crimson Dawn?"
Logan gave a short, harsh chuckle. "What else could it be? She's not acting the same. It's a lot of little things, and they aren't the right things for it to be just the after effects of Sabertooth trying to gut her. The only other thing that's changed is you giving her that stuff from the Crimson Dawn."
"What things? What have you noticed about Betsy? Should I be jealous that you're watching my girlfriend?" Warren was starting to worry. He had only wanted Betsy to live, he hadn't even considered the idea that there could be side effects.
"She's not eating as much. She says things taste bland, which when Remy's the one cooking is a sure sign that something's not right. She's avoiding bright light, wearing sunglasses almost as much as Scott. She's walking different, using that ninja walk of hers all the time. Lot more telepathic contact for the little things, is the danger room open, did I get any mail, have you seen my keys? Funny thing is, the people she's been thinking to alot have been more tired, like they got no energy." Logan was studying his thumb intently, as if it held all the secrets of the universe.
Looking up at Warren, he continued. "She's thinking her little messages to me now. Telepaths don't like to think into my head on account of it being a confusing mess, but she's been there, Logan, can I borrow some oil to clean my swords? Is the danger room free at seven? Remy's avoiding her too. Like he's scared, and that's new. Kid may be hiding most of his past, but he's dead on for spotting trouble. If his instincts are saying something's not right, and mine are giving the same message, I think we need to look into things a bit."
Warren considered that list. It did sound odd, and if so many things had changed... granted, most of them were little things, the sort that by themselves would be nothing. All together though, they seemed to paint a picture that he wasn't liking. "You and Gambit agree on this?"
Logan gave a small shrug. "We didn't sit down and chat. But he's been avoiding Betsy. Not flirting with her. Leaving the room when she shows up. Swapping practice sessions so he's not working with her. When he does bump in to her, he smells nervous. Not guilty, not lustful, he's nervous, sometimes bordering on fear."
Warren frowned, and tried to sit up, feeling his muscles protest and quiver with the terrible strain of sitting up in the bed. That was enough itself to convince him that something wasn't right. "Alright, I concede to your arguments. Something isn't normal with Betsy. What can we do about it?"
Logan gave a small, wintery smile. "We go talk to Gomurr again. That old mage was the one who pointed us towards the Crimson Dawn as a way to keep her from dying before, he should be able to tell us what it's doing to her now. Then, we have him tell us how to make her the Betsy we know again, and we fix her. Short and simple plan. Let's go. I got a feeling that we only have so much time before it's too late."
"So, we talk to the old sorcerer that remembers back when Rome was a tribe of barbarians, have him tell us what's wrong with Betsy and how to fix it, and then just get it done? That's your plan?" Warren was standing now, swaying slightly on his feet.
"Yep." Logan had this crazy grin on his face, one that told Warren that the shorter man was expecting some sort of danger, or violence.
Walking out the door of the med lab, Warren sighed. "We're all going to die."
In the end, it hadn't taken them very long to find the old mage. Warren suspected that he was waiting for them, although that would normally have sounded almost too paranoid, even for an X-Man.
"Can you tell us what's happening to Betsy? That stuff... it's done something to her, more than just healing her wounds." Warren was worried, and he spoke first, hoping to prevent Logan from alienating the wizened old mage that might be their only hope of returning Betsy to normal.
The old mage, his wrinkled dark face peering at them, his body hidden by flowing worn robes turned towards Warren. "Tell me what you have seen. Only then can I determine it's meaning."
So they explained everything that they had noticed, with several probing questions from the old mage to gain further details in certain areas. Including the rather embarrassing question of 'had her sexual habits changed since the elixir. More embarrassing to Warren was the fact that while he was to embarrassed to answer, Logan filled in for him.
He was going to try to repress the idea that Logan knew that much about his sex life as far into his subconscious as possible, and made a mental vow to never ever underestimate Logan's senses again. As if he didn't have enough things in his life that would send a normal guy screaming for mental therapy.
Finally, the old mage considered all the information. After a few moments, he looked up, his dark eyes intense. "She has been marked for something by the Crimson Dawn. I had not expected anything so... noteworthy. The only way to change this... well there are two things that could be done. The first would be to kill her, which I doubt you would want to do. The other is that the two of you and the woman, Betsy, must journey into the land of the Crimson Dawn, and seek to bargain with it's guardians. They should hold the power to undo what has been done to her, if they choose."
Then, he gave Warren a small talisman, shaped like an oval made of twisted wire and shadow, a single red stone gleaming in the center of it. "When you are ready to go to their land, place this on a door, and it will open a portal to the land of the Crimson Dawn. Be careful, for it is not a safe land, and the dangers will be many."
Having spoken to the mage, there was no more to be done now except to return home and try to rest and wait for Betsy.
end Crimson Consultation.
story #4 in Crimson Arc.
rating: pg, pg 13?
contains Betsy/Warren pairing.
disclaimer: not mine. Nobody from Marvel is mine.
distribution: please ask first.
Warren opened his eyes, and the first thing that he saw was Logan. He closed them again, hoping that the image would change when he re-opened his eyes. No such luck. He still saw Logan's face, and the fact that Logan was scowling did not help matters any.
"Ugggh... What did I do to merit waking up to see you?" Warren's words were half croaked, and anything but pleasant.
"Well, lover-boy, it seems your girlfriend sucked you dry and left the mansion for the day. I think we have a bit of a problem." Logan's voice sounded almost amused. That was not an encouraging sign.
"Betsy? Betsy did this? But... how? and for the love of anything, don't call me lover-boy. It's all kinds of wrong." Warren was speaking a bit more clearly. His mind was turning over the memory of earlier - had that been today? He had met Betsy in a clearing, and she had given him this look, the one that said she wanted to ter his clothes off and devour him. Not being one to object to his beautiful girlfriend wanting him, he had gleefully managed the energy to turn the chance meeting into a passionate interlude...
"I'm not sure how. But the only scents there before Rogue found you were the scents that should be in the clearing, you, Betsy, and sex. Which tells me that whatever happened was either a psionic attack, or Betsy. Considering the way she just popped in, told Hank you'd collapsed and went off to go shopping, I'm guessing it wasn't an outside attack." Logan's words were a bit gravelly, and his logic was sound.
Warren winced, not in the least comfortable with the idea of Logan knowing about his sex life. Ever. He'd never thought about the question of how Logan's enhanced senses would open up the secrets of his personal life, or the personal life of anyone else. It made sense, if Logan could tell which villain had been in a place by sniffing the air... uggh, he did not want to finish that thought. "You think this had to do with the Crimson Dawn?"
Logan gave a short, harsh chuckle. "What else could it be? She's not acting the same. It's a lot of little things, and they aren't the right things for it to be just the after effects of Sabertooth trying to gut her. The only other thing that's changed is you giving her that stuff from the Crimson Dawn."
"What things? What have you noticed about Betsy? Should I be jealous that you're watching my girlfriend?" Warren was starting to worry. He had only wanted Betsy to live, he hadn't even considered the idea that there could be side effects.
"She's not eating as much. She says things taste bland, which when Remy's the one cooking is a sure sign that something's not right. She's avoiding bright light, wearing sunglasses almost as much as Scott. She's walking different, using that ninja walk of hers all the time. Lot more telepathic contact for the little things, is the danger room open, did I get any mail, have you seen my keys? Funny thing is, the people she's been thinking to alot have been more tired, like they got no energy." Logan was studying his thumb intently, as if it held all the secrets of the universe.
Looking up at Warren, he continued. "She's thinking her little messages to me now. Telepaths don't like to think into my head on account of it being a confusing mess, but she's been there, Logan, can I borrow some oil to clean my swords? Is the danger room free at seven? Remy's avoiding her too. Like he's scared, and that's new. Kid may be hiding most of his past, but he's dead on for spotting trouble. If his instincts are saying something's not right, and mine are giving the same message, I think we need to look into things a bit."
Warren considered that list. It did sound odd, and if so many things had changed... granted, most of them were little things, the sort that by themselves would be nothing. All together though, they seemed to paint a picture that he wasn't liking. "You and Gambit agree on this?"
Logan gave a small shrug. "We didn't sit down and chat. But he's been avoiding Betsy. Not flirting with her. Leaving the room when she shows up. Swapping practice sessions so he's not working with her. When he does bump in to her, he smells nervous. Not guilty, not lustful, he's nervous, sometimes bordering on fear."
Warren frowned, and tried to sit up, feeling his muscles protest and quiver with the terrible strain of sitting up in the bed. That was enough itself to convince him that something wasn't right. "Alright, I concede to your arguments. Something isn't normal with Betsy. What can we do about it?"
Logan gave a small, wintery smile. "We go talk to Gomurr again. That old mage was the one who pointed us towards the Crimson Dawn as a way to keep her from dying before, he should be able to tell us what it's doing to her now. Then, we have him tell us how to make her the Betsy we know again, and we fix her. Short and simple plan. Let's go. I got a feeling that we only have so much time before it's too late."
"So, we talk to the old sorcerer that remembers back when Rome was a tribe of barbarians, have him tell us what's wrong with Betsy and how to fix it, and then just get it done? That's your plan?" Warren was standing now, swaying slightly on his feet.
"Yep." Logan had this crazy grin on his face, one that told Warren that the shorter man was expecting some sort of danger, or violence.
Walking out the door of the med lab, Warren sighed. "We're all going to die."
In the end, it hadn't taken them very long to find the old mage. Warren suspected that he was waiting for them, although that would normally have sounded almost too paranoid, even for an X-Man.
"Can you tell us what's happening to Betsy? That stuff... it's done something to her, more than just healing her wounds." Warren was worried, and he spoke first, hoping to prevent Logan from alienating the wizened old mage that might be their only hope of returning Betsy to normal.
The old mage, his wrinkled dark face peering at them, his body hidden by flowing worn robes turned towards Warren. "Tell me what you have seen. Only then can I determine it's meaning."
So they explained everything that they had noticed, with several probing questions from the old mage to gain further details in certain areas. Including the rather embarrassing question of 'had her sexual habits changed since the elixir. More embarrassing to Warren was the fact that while he was to embarrassed to answer, Logan filled in for him.
He was going to try to repress the idea that Logan knew that much about his sex life as far into his subconscious as possible, and made a mental vow to never ever underestimate Logan's senses again. As if he didn't have enough things in his life that would send a normal guy screaming for mental therapy.
Finally, the old mage considered all the information. After a few moments, he looked up, his dark eyes intense. "She has been marked for something by the Crimson Dawn. I had not expected anything so... noteworthy. The only way to change this... well there are two things that could be done. The first would be to kill her, which I doubt you would want to do. The other is that the two of you and the woman, Betsy, must journey into the land of the Crimson Dawn, and seek to bargain with it's guardians. They should hold the power to undo what has been done to her, if they choose."
Then, he gave Warren a small talisman, shaped like an oval made of twisted wire and shadow, a single red stone gleaming in the center of it. "When you are ready to go to their land, place this on a door, and it will open a portal to the land of the Crimson Dawn. Be careful, for it is not a safe land, and the dangers will be many."
Having spoken to the mage, there was no more to be done now except to return home and try to rest and wait for Betsy.
end Crimson Consultation.