Seven

This time Imperfect By: AFI

I cannot leave here I cannot stay Forever haunted, more than afraid Asphyxiate on words I would say. I'm drawn to the blackened sky, as I turn blue There are no flowers, no, not this time. There will be no angels gracing the lines, Just these stark words I find I'd show a smile but I'm too weak I'd share with you could I only speak Just how much this hurts me I cannot stay here I cannot leave Just like all I loved, I'm make-believe Imagined heart, I disappear Seems no one will appear here and make me real There are no flowers, no, not this time There will be no angels gracing the lines Just these stark words I find I'd show a smile but I'm too weak I'd share with you, could I only speak Just how much this hurts me I'd tell you it haunts me Cuts through my day and sinks into my dreams You don't care that it haunts me There are no flowers, no, not this time There will be no angels gracing the lines Just these stark words I find I'd show a smile but I'm too weak I'd share with you could I only speak Just how much this hurts me. Just how much this hurts me. Just how much you.

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Oz sat under the pavilion's wooden roof. She listened to her CD player as it played AFI full blast. The rain pour all around, like a gray veil over her world. The music pounded her out of her mind, keeping her new memories at bay as the devils played with the false images in her mind.
This little town was called Aberdeen South Dakota. Oz stayed on Main Street, that's were most of the business was anyway. She rented an apartment at the Howard Johnson Inn above the Red Rooster Café, every morning she'd go downstairs and into the café for some coffee and breakfast, then it was out side and two blocks up to the park where she would sit in the pavilion and listen to music to drown away the memories. People walked by, families came out to play, life all around her seemed good but all the life inside of her seemed bad, and that destroyed her inside.

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"Professor, have you gotten anything from my sister?" Kurt asked one day after breakfast after everyone left the table.
Logan stood outside in the hall listening.
"No Kurt, I am sorry, she isn't using her powers, I'm in the dark about your sister Oz. Last I caught her she was transforming into human form outside of Chicago. She was traveling west on her motorcycle. She can be anywhere." Professor sighed. "I am sorry Kurt."
"Can't we go find her? Degas could be looking for her now! She could be in trouble!"
"There is nothing to help us look for her."
"Professor," Kurt was close to crumbling in defeat. "There has to be something. something to help us get to her before Degas."
"It's been almost three weeks Kurt, Degas is traveling North from Albuquerque slowly, she's in Wyoming right now."
"Can't you channel through her to see if she knows where Degas is?"
"Kurt, we've been over this, I cannot do that I cannot channel through people like she can."
Kurt lost his breath and teleported off.
Logan leaned against the wall and thought for a long hard moment then ran upstairs.

"Professor, have you seen Kurt?" Scott asked. "He wasn't at classes at all today."
"Did you check his room? He is still worried about Oz."
"Isn't there anything we can do?"
"I'm afraid not."
"Professor," Jean walked in. "Logan is gone."
Professor closed his eyes. "Logan and Kurt took off."

"Where will we start?" Kurt asked.
"In Wyoming, I know someone there who might be able to help us locate Degas then maybe Oz."

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Oz turned off her CD player and looked around, the rain had stopped. She thought for a moment then stood up and ran back to her hotel room. She threw everything into her shoulder bag and ran out to her cycle. She climbed on and sped down the road to the gas station. She refueled and got on the pay phone.
"Professor, it's me, Oz."
"Oz, are Logan and Kurt with you?"
"No, why would they be?"
"They are looking for you. They left just yesterday morning. Where are you?"
"Aberdeen South Dakota, it's been raining for days here, it just stopped and I got this notion that I am going to stop drowning myself in self pity."
"Good to hear it."
"I'm going to find Degas and settle this once and for all."
"No! Oz, listen here, let us help you!"
"No Professor, this is my war."
"At least let Kurt and Logan help you."
"Okay, If you can get a hold of them, tell them I am going to find Degas and I'm going to end this, they can help, anyone can help if they can get there in time."
"Oz, just wait-"
"Good bye Professor." She smiled and hung up. She kept her hand on the phone handle for a moment. "Here, I'll help you out Professor, go to Cerebro, and I'll give you a hint as to my whereabouts in three hours."
Professor Xavier caught her thought through the phone, then he hung up and looked over at Scott. "Get the X-Men ready Scott, Oz is going to reveal herself in three hours."
Scott nodded and ran off.

Oz revved her engine and sped off heading southwest. Wyoming, that was the vibe, that was the place to start. She opened her mind, reaching out for Degas; this was going to be one hell of a fight.

*~* Okay, I know this is a lot shorter than what I usually have, but I have a killer headache and my muse just ran out on me again, damn that muse, I'll have to write about him. Well, coming up in the next chapter is the fight scene; will Kurt and Logan make it on time? What did the dream mean in chapter Four? Perhaps all will unfold in chapter eight, perhaps it will only end in some big mystery. I really don't know. I have to go now and find my muse and staple him to the wall that way I can finish this story and see what happens. Uh, what the hell does "Mary Sueish" mean? Oh, and as for problems with Oz, her problems stand as is: she cannot remember anything about her past - well, she can now - and she has a tendency to pass out a lot. Not very good I know, that's why I said I am not a good writer, but I am working on it! Give me some slack, this is my first fan fic. but you probably figured that out already huh? Okay, I am off. Does anyone have a cigarette? No, I should quit, all right, I am gone. Thanks for reading, a rose for your tyme @---- *~*