It was the morning after,and the X-men and sundry other survivors of the alliance that had faced the Onslaught of Apocalypse were crashed in one of Warren's father's Brownstone Buildings. Warren called them "His father's chance to play Big man for the small Man," and had without hesitation borrowed the house for the survivors to recuperate.
They had crashed in the various sleeping quarters of the ten-story house, and they slept mostly peacefully, each in their own world and each clutching close or laying close to their chosen allies.
It was a night of silence and many hours after the general crash, Scott Summers found himself awake, and nursing a headache, and thus, unable to sleep. Forced to try not to wake any others he retreated to the most remote place -- the rooftop. He had moved slowly through the night and through the building, making his way there, expecting to be alone, only to find a figure slumped in a hammock atop the roof, snoring away. With a strangled laugh, Scott stared bemusedly at the odd sight of Quicksilver, one leg dangling off the hammock, and dressed in Hawaiian shorts, a 'They Might Be Giants' t-shirt, a straw hat and what appeared to be flip-flops(????), and snoring soundly. Even the solid clank of the door shutting behind Scott didn't awaken him or even bring a response.
Scott shook his head and walked to the other side of the rooftop. There he stood taking in the sight of the city and the oddly comforting sound of snoring, and just being at peace. So lost to the world was he that he didn't even hear the door open and close, but suddenly could feel her near him. He turned as she came closer.
"Scott? Are you ok?"
Her voice sounded quietly but not worried. After all after everything they had been through she would know now if something was wrong. Their mindlink had strengthened even more. The Professor had said it was something to do with the stress of the situation and that the brief exam showed nothing wrong.
"Everything's ok, Jean. I'm just taking in the night, after everything that has happened."
He gazed at her, his eyes full of a love he had finally acknowledged and knew now was returned full force. He felt that love within him, from across the link, like a living flow of fire connecting them.
"I know what you mean. After the battle, and the press, and everything, and with the idea that Brotherhood, X-Men and others are all here under one roof," she cast a glance over at where Quicksilver was…"or, in some cases, above it. It is hard to believe everything is so peaceful. It doesn't feel real."
"Well you might get a little less peace soon," Scott said, his eyes fixed on a storm bank coming closer quickly, even as the wind picked up and began to whistle and even slightly howl through the metal and brick of the area. "That storm looks to be a big one."
He turned to her and took her hands gently, drawing her close into his arms. He leaned in to kiss her softly, gently, and felt the kiss strengthen into a passionate one.
Just then the door banged open and shut after a gaggle of students, and Scott sighed as Kurt, Kitty, Amara, Rogue, and Bobby all spilled out onto the rooftop and towards them. They had obviously raided the kitchen as they carried plates of snacks and sandwiches and glasses of lemonade. Kurt eyed them and grinned that slow grin of his, making Scott blush just knowing what he was thinking.
"What are you two doing up here? Alone?"
"Quicksilver is up here, too," Scott heard himself say, and winced at the plaintive note in his voice. Some days he felt as though he spent as much time watching the others and watching out for them as he did leading them as X-Men.
"I don't think it counts when the person is as dead to the world as he is," Kitty interjected helpfully. "He didn't even respond to us coming up here!"
"And we didn't exactly make a silent assent." added Rogue. "I bet we could be heard all over."
Scott groaned, with a sinking feeling in his chest, even as the whipping wind seemed to take on a howling assault on the ears that made his nascent headache grow somewhat more intense.
Amara glanced up from slurping in another spoonful of her hot-to-the-nth-degree tom yam soup, which the others had all learned to stay far away from, since she liked to load on the spices and heat to almost scalding temperature.
Her gaze met Scott's sympathetically, even as he turned back to Jean and pulled her close, kissing her again, and defying life to make him stop.
Her gaze had gone on past him, when suddenly her shriek made Scott spin, his hands automatically rising to his face and switching glasses for visor almost as fast as he could think. All over the roof, the others responded just as jerkily, dropping sandwiches and spilling lemonade as they looked for the threat. Even Quicksilver awoke at this noise his hammock spinning fast as he jumped to the roof and groggily looked every which way to see the problem. Scott's eyes widened as he gazed at what appeared to be... He blinked, and looked again. Yes, there was a tornado, moving directly towards them. He moved with sudden speed and decisive movements his voice snapping out as the X-Men responded.
"Rogue, get Amara, and Quicksilver below fast! Kurt, teleport and wake the Professor. Let him know what's going on. Then find and inform Warren, and then inform Magneto! Kitty, you and Jean stay here with me."
No sooner than the words were out of his mouth than they started moving, responding as trained to react. Rogue scooped up Amara, and grabbed the still groggy Quicksilver by tghe arm hauling them both down through the large Roof entrance. Kurt vanished in a bamf and Kitty moved to his side flanking him as Jean moved to the other. Scott let himself feel amount of pride for the two and for all his X-Men, and then focussed on the job.
He reached out for Jean along his mind asking for her to link all three of them.
*Jean and kitty face outward at 15-degree angles from my stance. We have to try to anticipate whatever this storm may throw at us*
Even as he thought the words, he felt his heartbeat speed up and adrenaline shot through his veins. In the midst of danger he was alive and confident. and thinking only of what to do. He glanced aside at Jean...well almost only of what to do.
The tornado hurled objects thrown as if by a mighty hand and for a few moments they were busy, he blasting some with his eyes, Jean deflecting objects as big as cars with her telekinesis, and Kitty grabbing things that got closer and phasing them so they lost velocity. Suddenly out of the storm came a huge tractor trailer entangled with a giant tree. The two entertwined weapons flew at the building and Scott felt his mouth go dry as he lined up a shot hoping to shatter it just right to make the pieces split and avoid the building yet knowing it was an impossible shot. He fired and his beam shot out picture perfect, cuting a line through tree and tractor trailer alike, and shattering them into several pieces. Unfortunately those several pieces obstinately still kept coming. Straight for them. He desperately aimed again even as a small piece of wood he hadn't seen clipped him, knocking his visor flying across the roof top. He immediately squeezed his eyes tightly shut, and fell to the rooftop, gathering Jean to him, even as he heard her call out his name and clutch him equally close. He knew the pieces were almost upon them. He could feel Jean desperately trying to raise a shield. Suddenly his visor floated to his face and he watched in amazement as the pieces of tractor trailer deflected the pieces of tree and sprang off in opposite directions. His mind instantly added the pieces together and came to one conclusion: Magneto.
He turned his head and saw the sometimes villain standing besides Kurt, Professor X and Storm. Magneto's head was already beaded with sweat as he guided his senses across the electromagnetic disruption this storm was causing and Storm was tense beside him her mind questing out to find the answer.
Kurt disappeared and then immediately reappeared at his side, even as Professor's voice sounded in his mind. *We'll take over the defense now, you three retire inside and rest.*
He swallowed a protest and allowed Kurt to teleport him, Kitty and Jean down to the kitchen where there was hot coffee and more sandwiches being watched over by a brooding Warren. Ignoring everything else he sat in a chair and held Jean tightly, glad to be out of the storm and safe once more.
They had crashed in the various sleeping quarters of the ten-story house, and they slept mostly peacefully, each in their own world and each clutching close or laying close to their chosen allies.
It was a night of silence and many hours after the general crash, Scott Summers found himself awake, and nursing a headache, and thus, unable to sleep. Forced to try not to wake any others he retreated to the most remote place -- the rooftop. He had moved slowly through the night and through the building, making his way there, expecting to be alone, only to find a figure slumped in a hammock atop the roof, snoring away. With a strangled laugh, Scott stared bemusedly at the odd sight of Quicksilver, one leg dangling off the hammock, and dressed in Hawaiian shorts, a 'They Might Be Giants' t-shirt, a straw hat and what appeared to be flip-flops(????), and snoring soundly. Even the solid clank of the door shutting behind Scott didn't awaken him or even bring a response.
Scott shook his head and walked to the other side of the rooftop. There he stood taking in the sight of the city and the oddly comforting sound of snoring, and just being at peace. So lost to the world was he that he didn't even hear the door open and close, but suddenly could feel her near him. He turned as she came closer.
"Scott? Are you ok?"
Her voice sounded quietly but not worried. After all after everything they had been through she would know now if something was wrong. Their mindlink had strengthened even more. The Professor had said it was something to do with the stress of the situation and that the brief exam showed nothing wrong.
"Everything's ok, Jean. I'm just taking in the night, after everything that has happened."
He gazed at her, his eyes full of a love he had finally acknowledged and knew now was returned full force. He felt that love within him, from across the link, like a living flow of fire connecting them.
"I know what you mean. After the battle, and the press, and everything, and with the idea that Brotherhood, X-Men and others are all here under one roof," she cast a glance over at where Quicksilver was…"or, in some cases, above it. It is hard to believe everything is so peaceful. It doesn't feel real."
"Well you might get a little less peace soon," Scott said, his eyes fixed on a storm bank coming closer quickly, even as the wind picked up and began to whistle and even slightly howl through the metal and brick of the area. "That storm looks to be a big one."
He turned to her and took her hands gently, drawing her close into his arms. He leaned in to kiss her softly, gently, and felt the kiss strengthen into a passionate one.
Just then the door banged open and shut after a gaggle of students, and Scott sighed as Kurt, Kitty, Amara, Rogue, and Bobby all spilled out onto the rooftop and towards them. They had obviously raided the kitchen as they carried plates of snacks and sandwiches and glasses of lemonade. Kurt eyed them and grinned that slow grin of his, making Scott blush just knowing what he was thinking.
"What are you two doing up here? Alone?"
"Quicksilver is up here, too," Scott heard himself say, and winced at the plaintive note in his voice. Some days he felt as though he spent as much time watching the others and watching out for them as he did leading them as X-Men.
"I don't think it counts when the person is as dead to the world as he is," Kitty interjected helpfully. "He didn't even respond to us coming up here!"
"And we didn't exactly make a silent assent." added Rogue. "I bet we could be heard all over."
Scott groaned, with a sinking feeling in his chest, even as the whipping wind seemed to take on a howling assault on the ears that made his nascent headache grow somewhat more intense.
Amara glanced up from slurping in another spoonful of her hot-to-the-nth-degree tom yam soup, which the others had all learned to stay far away from, since she liked to load on the spices and heat to almost scalding temperature.
Her gaze met Scott's sympathetically, even as he turned back to Jean and pulled her close, kissing her again, and defying life to make him stop.
Her gaze had gone on past him, when suddenly her shriek made Scott spin, his hands automatically rising to his face and switching glasses for visor almost as fast as he could think. All over the roof, the others responded just as jerkily, dropping sandwiches and spilling lemonade as they looked for the threat. Even Quicksilver awoke at this noise his hammock spinning fast as he jumped to the roof and groggily looked every which way to see the problem. Scott's eyes widened as he gazed at what appeared to be... He blinked, and looked again. Yes, there was a tornado, moving directly towards them. He moved with sudden speed and decisive movements his voice snapping out as the X-Men responded.
"Rogue, get Amara, and Quicksilver below fast! Kurt, teleport and wake the Professor. Let him know what's going on. Then find and inform Warren, and then inform Magneto! Kitty, you and Jean stay here with me."
No sooner than the words were out of his mouth than they started moving, responding as trained to react. Rogue scooped up Amara, and grabbed the still groggy Quicksilver by tghe arm hauling them both down through the large Roof entrance. Kurt vanished in a bamf and Kitty moved to his side flanking him as Jean moved to the other. Scott let himself feel amount of pride for the two and for all his X-Men, and then focussed on the job.
He reached out for Jean along his mind asking for her to link all three of them.
*Jean and kitty face outward at 15-degree angles from my stance. We have to try to anticipate whatever this storm may throw at us*
Even as he thought the words, he felt his heartbeat speed up and adrenaline shot through his veins. In the midst of danger he was alive and confident. and thinking only of what to do. He glanced aside at Jean...well almost only of what to do.
The tornado hurled objects thrown as if by a mighty hand and for a few moments they were busy, he blasting some with his eyes, Jean deflecting objects as big as cars with her telekinesis, and Kitty grabbing things that got closer and phasing them so they lost velocity. Suddenly out of the storm came a huge tractor trailer entangled with a giant tree. The two entertwined weapons flew at the building and Scott felt his mouth go dry as he lined up a shot hoping to shatter it just right to make the pieces split and avoid the building yet knowing it was an impossible shot. He fired and his beam shot out picture perfect, cuting a line through tree and tractor trailer alike, and shattering them into several pieces. Unfortunately those several pieces obstinately still kept coming. Straight for them. He desperately aimed again even as a small piece of wood he hadn't seen clipped him, knocking his visor flying across the roof top. He immediately squeezed his eyes tightly shut, and fell to the rooftop, gathering Jean to him, even as he heard her call out his name and clutch him equally close. He knew the pieces were almost upon them. He could feel Jean desperately trying to raise a shield. Suddenly his visor floated to his face and he watched in amazement as the pieces of tractor trailer deflected the pieces of tree and sprang off in opposite directions. His mind instantly added the pieces together and came to one conclusion: Magneto.
He turned his head and saw the sometimes villain standing besides Kurt, Professor X and Storm. Magneto's head was already beaded with sweat as he guided his senses across the electromagnetic disruption this storm was causing and Storm was tense beside him her mind questing out to find the answer.
Kurt disappeared and then immediately reappeared at his side, even as Professor's voice sounded in his mind. *We'll take over the defense now, you three retire inside and rest.*
He swallowed a protest and allowed Kurt to teleport him, Kitty and Jean down to the kitchen where there was hot coffee and more sandwiches being watched over by a brooding Warren. Ignoring everything else he sat in a chair and held Jean tightly, glad to be out of the storm and safe once more.