A/N: Hi! ^___^ Thanks for the reviews!! The song used in this chapter is⦠a song by Evanescence⦠heh. ^__^
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He'd fainted again, and the thing in his head was back, and angry, and colder than ever. He gasped for breath, terrified, pulling his knees up to his chest and closing his eyes. *You think I'm gonna go away cause you close your eyes?* The voice said. It chuckled cruelly. *Don't be stupid. I'm in you, there's nothing you can do to block me out now.*
Catch me as I fall
Say you're here and it's all over now
Luke panicked as Nikki slumped to the ground.
'Nikki!' He called out mentally then began to bark and howl as loud as he could hoping someone could hear him.
Speaking to the
atmosphere
No one's here and I fall into myself
Nikki shuddered, then screamed and struggled as he was picked up in one hand. *You're really pathetic you know that?* The thing said, throwing him back to the ground. I'm sorry, I'm sorry... Nikki whimpered. The thing stared down disdainfully *Yea, you should be sorry you little fuckwit.* Who are you? Nikki asked. *I'm your fucking POWER you moron.*
This truth drives me
into madness
Luke howled again as he sat by Nikki's unconscious form. Suddenly there was a sound of leaves crunching and twigs snapping then Logan immerged just few short feet away.
'Logan! Something's wrong with Nikki, he just passed out and I can't carry him!' Luke sent in a full out panic mode.
"Calm down kid," Logan grunted as he scooped Nikki up effortlessly, "Chuck could hear you mentally screaming
all the way at the mansion," He adjusted Nikki in his arms as he set off for the mansion, "Nikki too." he added.
Luke stopped, suddenly terrified for his friend.
I
know I can stop the pain
If I will it all away
I don't have a power *Yea... you don't... I have YOU. Fucking pathetic little cage.* He kicked at Nikki's mental form and it felt like ice cut through him. Nikki whimpered. *Yea, whimper you little bitch. i've fucking had it with you. You're fucking mind is harder to get out of than a helix, wha's your problem kid?* Nikki just stared, unable to say anything.
Back at the mansion Xavier stared at Luke sympathetically, "He's blocking me out."
'What do you mean, he's blocking you out?' Luke began to pace, 'Can't you help him!?'
Logan placed a hand on Luke's head, then crouched down next to him, "You need to calm down, Luke." He grunted.
Luke sneered at him, 'How can I?'
Scott came into the room, for once, without Lance. "He's sleeping." he said to the unasked question, blushing slightly. "What's going on?"
"Nikki passed out again," Xavier answered as he leaned back over Nikki again, "I'm going to try to look into his mind once again."
Luke let out an irritated snort and began pacing again.
Logan sighed and stood up walking over to the far wall, which he leaned up against.
Scott looked worried. "Passing out all the time can't be good." He said. He watched Luke pace. "Hey man, chill. The Prof'll fix him." He said, sending Luke a weary smile.
Nikki cowered in his own mind. "I'm sorry." He repeated.
*Yea, you're always sorry. Wasn't good enough for your mum, for the guys at the asylum. It's not good enough for me.* Nikki sobbed brokenly. "I didn't mean to be a bad boy."
*Yea?* The thing sneered. *Well you were. And you deserved to be punished. Hell I bet you even liked it...*
"I did NOT!" Nikki screamed, and the shadow faded, leaving him whimpering and panting from exertion.
Xavier managed to break through the barrier finally and spotted Nikki almost immediately.
"Nikki!" He called out to the boy.
Luke glared at Scott and continued his pacing.
"Don't worry 'bout 'im, Scooter," Logan folded his arms over his chest, "Just let 'im be."
Nikki, afraid that the thing had come back, scrabbled backwards, away from Xavier. "Please, leave me alone." He wept. "I didn't like it, I didn't"
A wave of fear hit Xavier and he had to pause a moment before he could continue.
"Nikki, it's me, Charles Xavier. I'm not going to hurt you," He tried to approach the broken boy again, "What happened to you?" He asked softly.
Luke, finally exhausted from pacing, flopped down on the floor.
Nikki looked at Xavier with suspicion, not sure if this wasn't some kind of trick. "I didn't mean to be bad, I didn't like being punished, I didn't like it at all." He sniffed
"You're not bad Nikki," Xavier kneeled down next to the boy so that he was eyelevel with him, "And I know that you didn't like it."
"The thing said I did." He sobbed. "But it was lying." He tensed as dark shadows swirled. "It's coming back..." He said, scared.
Xavier looked around, his eyes narrowing, "Nikki, you need to fight this thing! You need to fight it!"
"I can't." He whimpered. The black shape formed behind Nikki and stood up, almost protectively over the other boy. *Go AWAY* it snapped
"No!" Xavier barked back, "It's you who has no right being here! Why are you feeding this boy poison?"
It was Logan who first noticed the look of concentration that suddenly washed over Xavier's face. He walked over and laid his hand on his shoulder. Suddenly the room grew dark and Nikki was sitting before him, a dark shadow hovering over him.
"Logan?" Xavier looked to him confusion washing over his face, "How-?"
"I dunno," Logan shrugged just as confused, "What's going on here?"
Nikki saw Logan and screamed. His mindscape went red and a large force slammed the small group, knocking Logan and Xavier out of his head, but also getting rid of the shadow. Nikki thrashed on the bed screaming.
Scott ran forward and shook him awake. "Hey kid, wake up... it's ok, it was a dream." Nikki sat up panting again. He was shaking, and it was obvious that this little trip had taken a lot out of him. He pulled his knees up and put his thumb in his mouth, curling his hair around an index finger and stared blankly in front of him.
Logan stumbled backwards and shook his head. Luke immediately climbed to his feet and jumped onto the bed in front of Nikki.
He turned to Logan and Xavier, 'What happened?' He asked noticing the look the two shared.
Scott waved a hand in front of Nikki's face, getting no response. "Uhm... this doesn't look good."
Luke turned back to Nikki, 'Nikki,' He called out mentally and received no response, he turned back to Xavier and bared his teeth, 'What did you do to him!?' He growled deep in his throat.
"Hey!" Logan barked, "It was Nikki that threw us out!"
Scott stood between Nikki and Logan. "Hey guys, come on. This isn't gonna help anyone."
Nikki's mind was clicking back into place from the previous happenings, and life suddenly came back into his eyes. He stayed where he was, but now he was looking around. He reached his hand out to make physical contact with Luke. Luke startled forward from the sudden touch then turned around.
'Hey!' His ears perked up.
Logan snorted and walked back to his place against the wall.
Scott turned. "Nikki? You okay?"
Nikki nodded dazedly, but didn't remove his thumb, or move in any other way. His eyes turned to Logan and his fingers curled. He watched the other man intensely.
Logan stared back at the boy but didn't move or speak. Luke glanced between the two and sat down.
Xavier, rubbing his temples, ignored all of this and began to take his leave, "I will be back," He said to Scott, "Just need an Aspirin..."
"Are you okay?" Scott asked worried.
"Yes, yes." Xavier waved him off and disappeared out the door.
Nikki reached out for Luke again, and pulled him into a hug, hiding his face deep in Luke's fur and cried softly.
'What's wrong?' Luke asked resting his chin on Nikki's shoulder.
Nikki's shoulders shook as he coughed and just kept crying. Scott was worried that something had gone seriously wrong this time, and he looked to Logan for answers.
"I don't know either." Logan admitted never once taking his eyes off the two.
