[Amid a Field of Crimson Flowers]
---
Kirikou
[10/29/03 - 11/2/03]
---
[Carnage + The Wings Of Angels]
---
If we don't fight for them, who will?
Kitty thought about that line a million times, a million times the thought coming to her mind when she didn't want it to. Nobody would fight for them. The X-men where not fighting. They where peacemakers. It was what she was always taught at the institution. She was taught peace and understanding. This war and fights was not what she was used to.what she couldn't do. What she didn't understand. It had been weeks now, and no change in the pain and suffering. But it was just that day that everything went for the worse, and their lives would be changed forever.
"So, our little Kurt has been speaking to outside? The institute? Why would he have to do that?" The blonde man spoke up in front of crowds of hundreds while they watched Kurt strung up by his heels. They smiled, jeering and barking at him, while he begged and pleaded to get down. Jean ran into the room as this was going on, unable to do anything, or get to the front. Kitty curled in the corner, rocking. What could she do?
"For this treason," The man continued, reading off of a blank sheet of paper. "The nefarious little shit will be sentenced to death." Kurt closed his eyes, trying to catch his breath. It had all happened so fast, and now he was being carried off to the 'gallows'. He couldn't disappear, since they'd put something on him.some kind of drug? He was feeling a little sleepy. He'd been talking to Xavier.the man had shown up out of nowhere. He knew right away that Xavier had known who it was. Maybe help was coming.but one way or the other he would die, he thought, opening his eyes to look around. The ceilings where covered in darkness and spattered blood, just as usual, but there was a strange sound overhead as they brought him into a huge room, setting him on a pedestal, still tied up. Pounding.screaming.what was that noise?
"Brothers! We fight a battle overhead!" The man yelled, taking Kurt and throwing him in a cell until further notice. Kurt watched after them, immediately trying to break his bonds.
"Kurt."
"What's going on." He moaned, teeth full of rope. Kitty stood beside the cell, falling to a sit. Her head rested apon the bars, watching Kurt struggle until he'd freed himself. Of course it would do him no good if he couldn't get out.
"They're fighting again.it's war this time they say."
"Var?" He repeated, spitting out a piece of rope. He could only sigh from the feeling of the blisters in his mouth now. He suddenly perked up, standing to his feet groggily and glaring out of the bars.
"Vhere's Jean?"
"Dunno.she got lost in the crowd." Kitty replied. Kurt put his hand out of the bars, grabbing hers gently, staring her right in the eyes.
"Ve're in this together, remember?" He smiled when she did, gasping as he suddenly shifted through the bars.landing right in Kitty's arms.
"I remember." She smiled wider, turning her head to the sound direction. A little noise was heard.
"The phone!" Kurt exclaimed, picking it up and answering, hanging up a moment later. The x-men had heard about the war on the television, and had decided that now it was far too dangerous for the two to be there. Kitty shivered, smiling. Finally out of here. They would have rejoiced farther, but the noise was growing, growing at an unbelievably steady rate.as if the people where heading in their direction. Before the two could say anything, a door burst open, hundreds of mutants pouring into it. Only a minute later they where struggling to stay together among the masses. They ran about in fear, screaming and crying.These where mutants.why where they hiding? Kurt thought about this, but still tried to keep a good hold on Kitty, who could just dissolve through any of the people. Gunshot was heard, and a scream.the war had moved underground.
"Fire, fire! Kill them all!" A voice was heard from higher up and more bullets and gas bombs.the army officer. They'd gotten the National Guard here to destroy the mutants. But for every mutant they killed, 50 more came streaming out from the sewers and streets to kill those men. There was no end to the mutants, and both Kurt and Kitty knew this. These men couldn't win. Kurt was suddenly caught up in a rush of moving people, pulled away from Kitty who was now screaming after him. Blood spattered in every direction from no place as hundreds where gunned down. Before Kurt knew it, Kitty was out of sight. He called out her name as he was shoved along, trying desperately to get past these larger people.it was no use.she was gone.
A pair of shades stared out of the window of the x-jet, eyes still nonchalant with what went on around him. Rogue sat beside Scott, unable to think of anything to say to such a doll-like person. He'd been like this for weeks.and it was really starting to worry her now. She'd heard rumors, but where not sure if they where true. He'd tried to kill himself, she'd heard. But, as she looked at him now, there was no evidence of that. Xavier looked back at the two, his concern falling apon Scott. He couldn't stay like this forever.
"We've got to get those kids out of there before someone gets hurt." Storm mentioned as Logan flew the jet, staring out the window at the city lights. Nighttime was falling quickly, but a lot of the lights stayed off. Suddenly a slight gasp was heard from the back. Rogue looked over at Scott, amazed at the size of his eyes, hands gripping the seat as if his life would fall out of the plane.
"Oh.My God." Rogue looked over semi-concernedly.
"What's the matter.?" She didn't even have to finish her sentence. All of the x-men in the jet's eyes widened after they'd seen what Scott had seen. Even from the height they where at, they could see thousands of people swarming around through the city like ants, coming out of the sewers, multiplying at an alarming rate. Lights went on and off with gunshots and broken flashlights, screaming heard from miles around.
"Someone's got to stop this!" Rogue gasped, then noticing that many of the specs where wearing blue once they got closer. They finally landed apon a building, hopping out and making their way down. Once they hit street level, everything was fast-paced and scary. They where constantly being threatened with disappearing from the group, being swept away by the countless number of mutants. They had eventually forced their way into the bottoms of the streets, pushing through the screaming people, victims falling dead around them. Every breath took another one away. By the time they where even close to Kitty, they where stumbling over bloody bodies, human and mutant. Guns fired in every direction, making them all duck in fear.
"Kitty!" Scott yelled, making his way towards the girl and pulling her out of the rush. She fell into his arms, unwilling to let go through her shock. Storm elevated herself above the crowds, trying desperately to find any more signs of their comrades. Scott was completely lifeless as he held Kitty, staring around gratefully. Maybe someone would hit him. Before anyone else could think though, A cry was heard from above. They turned their heads, Logan moving just in time to catch Storm in his arms. She was bleeding heavily from her arm. A gun shot. Scott growled, looking around angrily. Would these people just move out of his way?
"There's only one way to fix this." He growled, laser beams suddenly emitting straight out of his eyes, clearing a two-foot path. People ran from the beam, screaming as loudly as a person could. He tried not to kill anyone, but a few people where unfortunate enough to fall victim, burning alive. Logan couldn't believe his eyes. Scott really didn't care! Eventually the beam made a very large path, leading straight to Kurt. The blue creature disappeared, re-appearing right beside Kitty and Scott. Scott turned his head, aiming the beam straight up through he ceiling, busting a huge hole in it, and emitting it straight to the sky. Maybe she'd see.
"Hey.what's that?" People in the hotels screamed, asking, yelling, pondering.A bright red light illuminated the sky like a searchlight for only a millisecond, but it was enough to catch a red-head's attention. It must be Scott, she thought, running down the stairs as quickly as she could. She'd gone up there for shelter for the moment. She quickly made it to the ground level, pushing people about with her mind until she made it underground. The red light was still visible psychically. She followed it as well as she could, seeing a flash of white hair. Storm.
"Scott!" She found him standing there, fighting off whoever had the nerve to cross his path. There weren't that many people around. He turned to her, his face lighting up for only a second, before falling into his usual melancholy stare. She had no time to think about him, though, for Logan was pulling on her arm, trying to drag her along.
"We've got to stop all of this. Don't worry about Mr. Goth right now."
"Goth.?"
"Storm, there's a bomb!" A voice carried far over everyone else's. Kitty merged through people to make it to them again, pulling on her good shoulder. Storm turned around, eyes wide. A bomb.what kind of bomb? What was this city planning?
"Where is it Kitty?" She asked quickly, following painfully behind the girl as they ran through people to get there. Apon arrival, Storm couldn't believe what she saw. A bomb the size of the room had been planted, and army members where still working on it. Nobody was around them, strangely. Logan had followed along with Jean, walking up behind one of the men and throwing him to the side.
"What the hell are you doing?" He yelled at the man, extending his claws to his throat. The man gurgled, squeaking something out of fear.
"Kill the mutants."
"That's right, we're going to blow them all up." Another man came over, wiping his hands off on his pants. He'd finished the job.
"This baby is going to blow up in ten minutes." He smiled, running off with a 'tally-ho'. The fearful man ran right after him as Wolverine's attention was distracted towards the huge machine, watching the minutes tick away. He immediately jumped up, grabbing everyone and making his way out.
"They're insane!" Storm commented, running off as quickly as she could. The mutants where running in a frenzy now, all having heard of the bomb and trying their best to get out. Kitty suddenly stopped, eye apon a man whom she knew well now.
"We can't leave him here!" She pointed to the blonde leader, who was trying his best to ward off several policemen. He killed them all in a run, moving on to the next group. They heard his screams of victory and war, wondering just why Kitty wanted to save this guy. Kurt found them again, taking Kitty's repeated advice and traveling over to the man while the rest ran.
"Mr., you've got to get out! There's a bomb!" The man turned to him, pushing him out of the way as another policeman tried to take him down. The man exploded. The blonde took Kurt by the shoulder, shoving him to the side again, off where nobody was.
"I'm not leaving this battle."
"But your people are going to die! Do you want to explode?"
"There has to be a winner to this fight. I will be known to go down in battle."
"Man, stop thinking about battles!" Kurt screamed, a tear coming to his eye. "Your life is important!"
"My people are important to me! I will not stop until we have succeeded!" He screamed, leaving the blue devil alone. He sighed, another tear falling as he disappeared. The seconds ticked away as the x-men fought to get out from underground, but almost all entrances and exits where completely barricaded by police or creatures trying to get out. Logan growled angrily, trying to think of a way to get out. Kurt returned to them, despair on his face. They already knew that the man wouldn't go.
"I wish he'd just understand." Kitty sighed, eyes downcast. She looked up sharply, feeling someone touch her shoulder. It was Scott.
"We have to get past it. There's no use living that way." He mumbled, but she could hear him well enough to understand. A small smile slipped across his face, that expression of emptiness fading away like a dream. Kurt took a good hold of all of them, concentrating as hard as he could, with all of his might. The group felt faint and suddenly, none of them where there.
"Let's get out of here!" Logan said after he'd regained his center of gravity, running off to the jet. Kitty was the one who'd stopped, looking around. One of the members was missing!
"Rogue! She's still down there!" She cried, being stopped by Storm. "We've got to get her out." She pleaded, but the white-haired lady did not relent.
"I'm going back in!" Kurt yelled, disappearing before anyone could say a word.
"Rogue!" He yelled, running around the building with only a three minutes left on the clock. He growled, shoving his way around the people and using his powers to try and find her. A minute later he did just that, seeing her dilemma. She was in a group of people, trying to get out, but the people shoved in the opposite direction, pushing her down. She'd be trampled if she stayed any longer.
"Hold on!" Kurt smiled.
"No wait, I'm not." She yelled, but disappeared before she could say anymore.
They landed back on the top of the building, Rogue on the ground looking nauseous. Kurt picked her up and put her in the plane, all of them strapped in and taking off with only seconds left. The lift on the engine picked up just as the last seconds ticked away.
4.3.2.1.
The x-men could only help but stare backward at the horrible scene was the witnessed the bomb blow, destroying the entire city. A piece of ground moved from the initial shock, more moving and buildings collapsing around it as it grew, enveloping all of New York city, destroying thousands of lives, human and mutant alike.
The blonde growled, destroying another enemy as his followers gathered around him in the last seconds of life. They stood hand in hand like brothers, heads to the ground. They stood there, and prayed. The last thing that the underground heard as the place went down would be remembered in their deaths. The words had not passed on to any others.
And fight for righteousness. ---
If we don't fight them, who will?
The voice still rang steady through Jean's ears as she slept on the plane, the man's voice, his face, and his features still in perfect color. The explosion as she imagined it, and everything disappeared. The words, perfect in melody and such determination, disappeared, blown away by the winds. Never again would his words come to her mind again. She fell from her trance at something, turning her head to see Scott's hair brushing her cheek. He'd fallen to her shoulder, snoozing away. It had been a big day indeed. Everyone had learned something from this experience.
Xavier watched with horrid fascination as the city exploded, destroying all of its residents and rebels. He immediately went to the phone, dialing a cell-phone number for Jean. She answered cheerfully, yet tiredly.
"We're fine professor. We're heading back right now. Yes.he's fine." Jean looked over at Scott again, smiling sweetly. "I think he'll be alright." She gave the phone to Logan, who said a few words as well and hung up.
"So, pipsqueaks, what did we learn today?" He asked sarcastically. The group laughed, silence following. Everyone knew what he or she'd learned. Everyone had lost something. Everyone had been through an experience they would not so soon forget.
---
Kirikou
[10/29/03 - 11/2/03]
---
[Carnage + The Wings Of Angels]
---
If we don't fight for them, who will?
Kitty thought about that line a million times, a million times the thought coming to her mind when she didn't want it to. Nobody would fight for them. The X-men where not fighting. They where peacemakers. It was what she was always taught at the institution. She was taught peace and understanding. This war and fights was not what she was used to.what she couldn't do. What she didn't understand. It had been weeks now, and no change in the pain and suffering. But it was just that day that everything went for the worse, and their lives would be changed forever.
"So, our little Kurt has been speaking to outside? The institute? Why would he have to do that?" The blonde man spoke up in front of crowds of hundreds while they watched Kurt strung up by his heels. They smiled, jeering and barking at him, while he begged and pleaded to get down. Jean ran into the room as this was going on, unable to do anything, or get to the front. Kitty curled in the corner, rocking. What could she do?
"For this treason," The man continued, reading off of a blank sheet of paper. "The nefarious little shit will be sentenced to death." Kurt closed his eyes, trying to catch his breath. It had all happened so fast, and now he was being carried off to the 'gallows'. He couldn't disappear, since they'd put something on him.some kind of drug? He was feeling a little sleepy. He'd been talking to Xavier.the man had shown up out of nowhere. He knew right away that Xavier had known who it was. Maybe help was coming.but one way or the other he would die, he thought, opening his eyes to look around. The ceilings where covered in darkness and spattered blood, just as usual, but there was a strange sound overhead as they brought him into a huge room, setting him on a pedestal, still tied up. Pounding.screaming.what was that noise?
"Brothers! We fight a battle overhead!" The man yelled, taking Kurt and throwing him in a cell until further notice. Kurt watched after them, immediately trying to break his bonds.
"Kurt."
"What's going on." He moaned, teeth full of rope. Kitty stood beside the cell, falling to a sit. Her head rested apon the bars, watching Kurt struggle until he'd freed himself. Of course it would do him no good if he couldn't get out.
"They're fighting again.it's war this time they say."
"Var?" He repeated, spitting out a piece of rope. He could only sigh from the feeling of the blisters in his mouth now. He suddenly perked up, standing to his feet groggily and glaring out of the bars.
"Vhere's Jean?"
"Dunno.she got lost in the crowd." Kitty replied. Kurt put his hand out of the bars, grabbing hers gently, staring her right in the eyes.
"Ve're in this together, remember?" He smiled when she did, gasping as he suddenly shifted through the bars.landing right in Kitty's arms.
"I remember." She smiled wider, turning her head to the sound direction. A little noise was heard.
"The phone!" Kurt exclaimed, picking it up and answering, hanging up a moment later. The x-men had heard about the war on the television, and had decided that now it was far too dangerous for the two to be there. Kitty shivered, smiling. Finally out of here. They would have rejoiced farther, but the noise was growing, growing at an unbelievably steady rate.as if the people where heading in their direction. Before the two could say anything, a door burst open, hundreds of mutants pouring into it. Only a minute later they where struggling to stay together among the masses. They ran about in fear, screaming and crying.These where mutants.why where they hiding? Kurt thought about this, but still tried to keep a good hold on Kitty, who could just dissolve through any of the people. Gunshot was heard, and a scream.the war had moved underground.
"Fire, fire! Kill them all!" A voice was heard from higher up and more bullets and gas bombs.the army officer. They'd gotten the National Guard here to destroy the mutants. But for every mutant they killed, 50 more came streaming out from the sewers and streets to kill those men. There was no end to the mutants, and both Kurt and Kitty knew this. These men couldn't win. Kurt was suddenly caught up in a rush of moving people, pulled away from Kitty who was now screaming after him. Blood spattered in every direction from no place as hundreds where gunned down. Before Kurt knew it, Kitty was out of sight. He called out her name as he was shoved along, trying desperately to get past these larger people.it was no use.she was gone.
A pair of shades stared out of the window of the x-jet, eyes still nonchalant with what went on around him. Rogue sat beside Scott, unable to think of anything to say to such a doll-like person. He'd been like this for weeks.and it was really starting to worry her now. She'd heard rumors, but where not sure if they where true. He'd tried to kill himself, she'd heard. But, as she looked at him now, there was no evidence of that. Xavier looked back at the two, his concern falling apon Scott. He couldn't stay like this forever.
"We've got to get those kids out of there before someone gets hurt." Storm mentioned as Logan flew the jet, staring out the window at the city lights. Nighttime was falling quickly, but a lot of the lights stayed off. Suddenly a slight gasp was heard from the back. Rogue looked over at Scott, amazed at the size of his eyes, hands gripping the seat as if his life would fall out of the plane.
"Oh.My God." Rogue looked over semi-concernedly.
"What's the matter.?" She didn't even have to finish her sentence. All of the x-men in the jet's eyes widened after they'd seen what Scott had seen. Even from the height they where at, they could see thousands of people swarming around through the city like ants, coming out of the sewers, multiplying at an alarming rate. Lights went on and off with gunshots and broken flashlights, screaming heard from miles around.
"Someone's got to stop this!" Rogue gasped, then noticing that many of the specs where wearing blue once they got closer. They finally landed apon a building, hopping out and making their way down. Once they hit street level, everything was fast-paced and scary. They where constantly being threatened with disappearing from the group, being swept away by the countless number of mutants. They had eventually forced their way into the bottoms of the streets, pushing through the screaming people, victims falling dead around them. Every breath took another one away. By the time they where even close to Kitty, they where stumbling over bloody bodies, human and mutant. Guns fired in every direction, making them all duck in fear.
"Kitty!" Scott yelled, making his way towards the girl and pulling her out of the rush. She fell into his arms, unwilling to let go through her shock. Storm elevated herself above the crowds, trying desperately to find any more signs of their comrades. Scott was completely lifeless as he held Kitty, staring around gratefully. Maybe someone would hit him. Before anyone else could think though, A cry was heard from above. They turned their heads, Logan moving just in time to catch Storm in his arms. She was bleeding heavily from her arm. A gun shot. Scott growled, looking around angrily. Would these people just move out of his way?
"There's only one way to fix this." He growled, laser beams suddenly emitting straight out of his eyes, clearing a two-foot path. People ran from the beam, screaming as loudly as a person could. He tried not to kill anyone, but a few people where unfortunate enough to fall victim, burning alive. Logan couldn't believe his eyes. Scott really didn't care! Eventually the beam made a very large path, leading straight to Kurt. The blue creature disappeared, re-appearing right beside Kitty and Scott. Scott turned his head, aiming the beam straight up through he ceiling, busting a huge hole in it, and emitting it straight to the sky. Maybe she'd see.
"Hey.what's that?" People in the hotels screamed, asking, yelling, pondering.A bright red light illuminated the sky like a searchlight for only a millisecond, but it was enough to catch a red-head's attention. It must be Scott, she thought, running down the stairs as quickly as she could. She'd gone up there for shelter for the moment. She quickly made it to the ground level, pushing people about with her mind until she made it underground. The red light was still visible psychically. She followed it as well as she could, seeing a flash of white hair. Storm.
"Scott!" She found him standing there, fighting off whoever had the nerve to cross his path. There weren't that many people around. He turned to her, his face lighting up for only a second, before falling into his usual melancholy stare. She had no time to think about him, though, for Logan was pulling on her arm, trying to drag her along.
"We've got to stop all of this. Don't worry about Mr. Goth right now."
"Goth.?"
"Storm, there's a bomb!" A voice carried far over everyone else's. Kitty merged through people to make it to them again, pulling on her good shoulder. Storm turned around, eyes wide. A bomb.what kind of bomb? What was this city planning?
"Where is it Kitty?" She asked quickly, following painfully behind the girl as they ran through people to get there. Apon arrival, Storm couldn't believe what she saw. A bomb the size of the room had been planted, and army members where still working on it. Nobody was around them, strangely. Logan had followed along with Jean, walking up behind one of the men and throwing him to the side.
"What the hell are you doing?" He yelled at the man, extending his claws to his throat. The man gurgled, squeaking something out of fear.
"Kill the mutants."
"That's right, we're going to blow them all up." Another man came over, wiping his hands off on his pants. He'd finished the job.
"This baby is going to blow up in ten minutes." He smiled, running off with a 'tally-ho'. The fearful man ran right after him as Wolverine's attention was distracted towards the huge machine, watching the minutes tick away. He immediately jumped up, grabbing everyone and making his way out.
"They're insane!" Storm commented, running off as quickly as she could. The mutants where running in a frenzy now, all having heard of the bomb and trying their best to get out. Kitty suddenly stopped, eye apon a man whom she knew well now.
"We can't leave him here!" She pointed to the blonde leader, who was trying his best to ward off several policemen. He killed them all in a run, moving on to the next group. They heard his screams of victory and war, wondering just why Kitty wanted to save this guy. Kurt found them again, taking Kitty's repeated advice and traveling over to the man while the rest ran.
"Mr., you've got to get out! There's a bomb!" The man turned to him, pushing him out of the way as another policeman tried to take him down. The man exploded. The blonde took Kurt by the shoulder, shoving him to the side again, off where nobody was.
"I'm not leaving this battle."
"But your people are going to die! Do you want to explode?"
"There has to be a winner to this fight. I will be known to go down in battle."
"Man, stop thinking about battles!" Kurt screamed, a tear coming to his eye. "Your life is important!"
"My people are important to me! I will not stop until we have succeeded!" He screamed, leaving the blue devil alone. He sighed, another tear falling as he disappeared. The seconds ticked away as the x-men fought to get out from underground, but almost all entrances and exits where completely barricaded by police or creatures trying to get out. Logan growled angrily, trying to think of a way to get out. Kurt returned to them, despair on his face. They already knew that the man wouldn't go.
"I wish he'd just understand." Kitty sighed, eyes downcast. She looked up sharply, feeling someone touch her shoulder. It was Scott.
"We have to get past it. There's no use living that way." He mumbled, but she could hear him well enough to understand. A small smile slipped across his face, that expression of emptiness fading away like a dream. Kurt took a good hold of all of them, concentrating as hard as he could, with all of his might. The group felt faint and suddenly, none of them where there.
"Let's get out of here!" Logan said after he'd regained his center of gravity, running off to the jet. Kitty was the one who'd stopped, looking around. One of the members was missing!
"Rogue! She's still down there!" She cried, being stopped by Storm. "We've got to get her out." She pleaded, but the white-haired lady did not relent.
"I'm going back in!" Kurt yelled, disappearing before anyone could say a word.
"Rogue!" He yelled, running around the building with only a three minutes left on the clock. He growled, shoving his way around the people and using his powers to try and find her. A minute later he did just that, seeing her dilemma. She was in a group of people, trying to get out, but the people shoved in the opposite direction, pushing her down. She'd be trampled if she stayed any longer.
"Hold on!" Kurt smiled.
"No wait, I'm not." She yelled, but disappeared before she could say anymore.
They landed back on the top of the building, Rogue on the ground looking nauseous. Kurt picked her up and put her in the plane, all of them strapped in and taking off with only seconds left. The lift on the engine picked up just as the last seconds ticked away.
4.3.2.1.
The x-men could only help but stare backward at the horrible scene was the witnessed the bomb blow, destroying the entire city. A piece of ground moved from the initial shock, more moving and buildings collapsing around it as it grew, enveloping all of New York city, destroying thousands of lives, human and mutant alike.
The blonde growled, destroying another enemy as his followers gathered around him in the last seconds of life. They stood hand in hand like brothers, heads to the ground. They stood there, and prayed. The last thing that the underground heard as the place went down would be remembered in their deaths. The words had not passed on to any others.
And fight for righteousness. ---
If we don't fight them, who will?
The voice still rang steady through Jean's ears as she slept on the plane, the man's voice, his face, and his features still in perfect color. The explosion as she imagined it, and everything disappeared. The words, perfect in melody and such determination, disappeared, blown away by the winds. Never again would his words come to her mind again. She fell from her trance at something, turning her head to see Scott's hair brushing her cheek. He'd fallen to her shoulder, snoozing away. It had been a big day indeed. Everyone had learned something from this experience.
Xavier watched with horrid fascination as the city exploded, destroying all of its residents and rebels. He immediately went to the phone, dialing a cell-phone number for Jean. She answered cheerfully, yet tiredly.
"We're fine professor. We're heading back right now. Yes.he's fine." Jean looked over at Scott again, smiling sweetly. "I think he'll be alright." She gave the phone to Logan, who said a few words as well and hung up.
"So, pipsqueaks, what did we learn today?" He asked sarcastically. The group laughed, silence following. Everyone knew what he or she'd learned. Everyone had lost something. Everyone had been through an experience they would not so soon forget.