A/N: animeluvr1: You've got your wish.
Da Big Kahuna: Thanks for the heads up.
To every one: This is the final chapter but don't worry there will be more. To all of you who have reviewed my first work you have my gratitude. Enjoy!
Epilogue
Crucial Choices
What have we got?
Adolescent male, shot twice, in shock and was in the river for about ten minutes. He's a mutant too.
Why does that make a difference?
Why did it? I was dead. I felt like I was floating in water, being gently pushed by the current. I opened my eyes to see it was true, the water was a deep blue and moving slowly So this is what Death feels like, where's the guy with the Scythe? I thought lazily. My back stopped against something, I turned around to find my self on a tiny island, all it had on it was a small bonsai tree.
Keep on the pressure we can't have a bleed out, he's already lost a lot of blood.
Blood pressure is rising, heart rate also. He's almost in the clear.
The voices echoed all around me. What did they mean? I was dead! A guy should know when he's dead right? Right?
"Well tha' depends on a you mah son." The gruff Scottish voice startled me.
"Da'! when d'you git here ye daft auld beggar?" I'd reverted to my Scottish accent automatically, it was the first time I'd used it for going on a year now. "Ye no' deid are ye?" I asked cautiously. My father smiled and shook his head.
"Naw! I'm in yer heid ye silly eedjit." He was sitting where the Bonsai had been. " Now git oot of yon river afore ye catch ye death o' cold." I didn't find it the least bit funny but still hauled my self out of the water.
" Tha's no' funny Da', I'm already deid as 'tis." He just stared at me with the same expression he always used when I'd been out of line or mistaken.
"Yer no' deid son, jus' in a coma. But you do have to choose." I was confused, he saw this in my face and explained. "Richt noo yer in a coma, yer body his been fixed bit yer mind's shut aff." I was still confused.
"Layman's terms dad." I said in a perfect English accent.
"You're at a crossroads son, you get to choose whether you live or die." He answered back, I knew he was serious, he'd cut the accent as well. I stood up and surveyed the two banks of the river. One side was a green field full of fruit trees and various other plants, the other side was a wasteland, all dead and decayed. Something familiar was niggling at the back of my mind,
"I've seen this place before haven't I?" I asked my father, he nodded silently. An image of my mother in front of an artist's easel flashed in the water. "Sanzu." I said to myself. "This was mum's idea of the Sanzu River." I turned to my father who nodded.
"Aye," he said simply.
"So that means I'm about to die".
Ok seal him up, it's all up to God now.
It'll be a miracle if he pulls through.
Yes, but his mutant genes may have a factor.
I listened to the ethereal voices. My father stood up and approached me; he placed a hand on my shoulder and held me close.
"See son, they have done all they can, the rest is up to you." I laughed.
"I'm not God dad, I'm me." He gave me the Look again.
"You're in your mind right now, in here you are the god of your own mind." He stepped back. "So choose, Gabriel. Life," he gestured to his left, "Or death." He gestured to his right. I couldn't look him in the eyes, but the way he looked at me meant that he guessed my answer.
"I've done my time father; I did what I set out to do. My life for Rogue's, it was a fair deal." My father slapped me hard, I was more shocked than hurt, he'd never hit me before.
"How dare you stand before me and say that! I didn't raise you to give up!" I stared back.
"What do I have to live for dad? Death and destruction are all I cause." I sat down heavily on the earth. "Besides I've fulfilled my promise to save Rogue."
"What about your mother? Did you not promise to avenge her death? And what of the Oracle, did you not promise her tribe you would get her back?" I nodded silently. "Besides I have some information you might want concerning Rogue." I stood up quickly and faced him.
"What information?" He gestured to the water. I turned back and looked in. What I saw was myself running after the chopper and leaping onto the landing rail. "This is my death, why show me it?"
"Watch," he replied as the picture zoomed in on the chopper, I closed my eyes momentarily, and when I opened them I found myself inside the chopper. I watched myself pop into view in slow motion; I'd got the first hand experience so I didn't want to watch it again. I looked around the small cabin, I could see Stifan in the pilot's seat but I didn't know the guy next to him, like wise for the guy next to Joseph who had a gun pressed against the temple of a prisoner. I wanted to scream but couldn't, the prisoner was Rogue! She was bound up and watching me as I entered the Cabin, I saw her look of anguish as, I guessed, I was shot back out of the chopper. I fell to my knees and covered my eyes.
"It's over now son." My father was by my side, holding me. I was back on the island. "You have to make a choice now son, eternal rest or your duty as a McKinner." I stood up and waded into the water I was directly between both banks.
"See you later Father." I walked towards the barren land beyond the bank, I knew I had made the right choice.
5 Months and 3 Days later:
School had started up again and the X-men had gone, working through their days on automatic. It was lunch and they were all around their usual table, no one was willing to look at the empty seat. Psylock had taken Gabriel back to England three months ago, he was in a coma and she wasn't certain whether he'd survive. He was the topic of the moment.
"Do you think he'll survive?" Kitty asked no one in particular. Kurt was sitting next to her, taking small bites out of his gut bomb.
"I dunno, but if he doez, do you think he'll come back here and help us look for Rogue?" Scott was sat across from him and answered.
"Who knows, and who cares. The guy was trouble from minute one, I don't think he'll have the audacity to show his face around here." They finished in silence and left the cafeteria. They stopped near the front entrance of the school and began talking quietly to themselves once more; they didn't notice the two figures coming from the street towards them.
"I think he'll pull through, he must have taken worse through his career." Evan said to Kitty. "I'm with Scott though, he won't come back, guys like that doesn't give a thought for bystanders." Kitty gave him a sideways glance.
"Are you forgetting that he like, totally risked his neck to get Rogue back? He could die." Evan shook his head in reply.
"Excuse me, I was wondering if you could help us." They all turned around at the English voice and looked at the two boys in front of them: one was tall and broad with short blonde hair and ice blue eyes the other was short but lithe with shoulder length black hair and black eyes, he was the one that spoke.
"Yeah sure what's the problem?" Scott asked. The short one answered him immediately.
"We're new here and we need to find the principal's office, you wouldn't be able to tell us where it is would you please?" He said, adding a disarming smile. Kitty and Jean stepped closer.
"Like sure, we'll even show you." Kitty and Jean moved up to the front doors and beckoned for the two English kids to follow "See you later guys," Kitty said to the other X-men as the two newcomers followed through the doors.
"Wonder who they are," Scott said to himself. He caught the look Kurt and Evan were giving him. "What?" Kurt rolled his eyes and headed off to class as the bell went. "What?" Scott asked again.
"Don't you ever keep anything in your head besides thoughts of Jean?" Evan said simply. "Remember a photograph showed to us by a certain British agent?" Realization slowly blossomed on Scott's face.
"Damn."
Jean and Kitty moved through the crowded corridors making certain that the two newcomers were close. They stopped outside principal Kelly's office.
"Here it is, hope you like it here. I'm Jean and this is Kitty." The tall one gave Kitty an amorous smile. "My name is Tobias; I'm very pleased to make your acquaintance." He bowed which got a slap from the short one.
"Quit it Tobias." He nodded to each girl in turn. "My name is Gabriel, thank you for showing us to the office. I'm sure we'll get to know each other as the year progresses." He gave a curt bow, as they left he whispered just loud enough for them to hear "Give the professor my regards Miss Grey, Miss Pryde. I look forward to seeing you soon." He knocked on the door and entered the office, followed by Tobias. Kitty and Jean looked at each other and smiled, maybe Scott was wrong. It looked like a very interesting year ahead; maybe the hunt for Rogue wasn't going to be so fruitless after all.
3 Months Ago Moscow, Russia: British Embassy
She waited, it's what she does. She watched her target move through his office, she smiled. Another easy one, she thought.
It was over, done. The British ambassador was dead, her master would be happy. She activated her radio and spoke into it.
"Mission accomplished. Whose next?" The list was sent and she committed it to memory. Three names stood out among the rest: Charles Xavier, Gabriel McKinner and Conner McKinner. She knew the last two but heard of the first. She still had to do her job.
One down and thirteen to go.
It wasn't a pleasant thought running through her head, having to kill your first boyfriend and his father wasn't something she was comfortable with. But she had too. But her first stop was Ireland, and she had to make sure she got there.
