A/N: My other story's on hiatus at the moment...the humor one since I can't figure out where to go and I need a little help from Anything but Ordinary3.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I guess you expect me to sugar coat how horrible a job you did on this mission, right?" Logan paced back in forth in front of his failed team.
Four heads stared at the ground before them. Their heads were bowed in an almost submissive way but the rigid set of their shoulders showed none were completely beaten. Dirt and sweat streaked their bodies and clothes; clothes stuck to their body so tight it could have been a second skin.
One stared straight ahead, meeting Logan's eyes. His expression was unconcerned and completely devoid of any emotion. Dirt, sweat, and blood streamed from his face then down his shirt, flowing from a wound on his arm.
"I don't intend to sugar coat it. You did a horrible job and if this were real we'd be burying you with the X-men around back...wait, no, that would be wrong. None of you deserve to be buried with them, not now, not ever,"Logan growled, glowering at each of them and stopping on Julius' dignified, proud expression. "This is all a joke to you, Kanteon? Training and getting to know one another didn't do shit. You don't know what a team is...none of you do. Until you learn don't any of you come within twenty feet of me if you value your lives. They're yours, Rogue, Gumbo. Hank's in the medlab if anyone needs him, I doubt it."
His footsteps echoed away from them.
No one moved or spoke.
Remy stepped forward and shook his head. "Mon only words be dese, petites-Vous n'avez rien appris. J'ai honte." (You learned nothing. I am ashamed.)
With that said Remy Lebeau walked away.
Rogue hesitated a moment, only a moment, then walked away from them.
"At least their finally gone,"Julius said, walking across the room and looking out one window.
No one else moved for a long moment. He didn't blame them. He was in control now and Logan...well, Logan was pissed at them. It served him right for trying to make a dream that had been crushed once reality twice.
Kellie broke the silence. "You didn't get a bit of what Logan said, did you? This isn't just a five-year-old stunt you can pull...maybe this has gotten you somewhere with your parents and whoever brought you up but here you take responsiblity for your actions, we all do."
Low clapping came. Seconds later it turned into full best-orchestra-I've-ever-seen applause.
Julius barely turned to see who was clapping. He could tell by the sound of it and the fact that Tara had gone upstairs to rest and take a shower after her ordeal.
Russ and Corey.
"You don't know a thing about me and I never asked to be part of this 'team' as you call it,"he said, turning away from the window. His gaze met each of them head on.
Angel held it the longest. Her voice and face were devoid of emotion when she next spoke. "None of us asked for this but for some of us it's all we have, all we'll ever have, to keep our sanity..." Her boots echoed for a long time once she'd left.
That's it. I've had it with her riddles. I'm going to confront her once and for all...this ends now.
He walked out, ignoring the others eyes on him. He felt them staring but didn't turn; he was too used to being stared at to care about them or their opinions of him.
Julius caught up with her or as close as he could get at the bottom of the stairs. She'd already made it halfway up the stairs but turned at the sound of her name. Her gaze didn't change nor did her face betray what she felt.
"Why the hell do you have to be such a damn statue all the time?"he demanded without preamble or giving her time to form a response. "Would it kill you to show an emotion?"
Angel froze for a moment, unable to speak, obviously. "I have to be a statue. It wouldn't kill me to show an emotion but it could kill someone else...my emotions are worse then a telepath in an asylum."
"How bad could showing an emotion be?" His voice dripped with sarcasm.
She hesitated. "You honestly want to know?"
He nodded, making a point to stare straight into her eyes.
"The summer I turned thirteen my powers manifested. My uncle was showing me around the holding docks for mutants...it was part of his job when he wore his image inducer. I don't know when empathy came but suddenly I felt every single thing any of them felt...thousands of mutants filled with hate, fear, anger, pity. It scared me and...I don't know why but next thing I know I was trying to kill my uncle, cursing him and his workers in English and Spanish both. I don't even know where I got Spanish from." Angel stopped speaking for a moment then tore her gaze from his. "That's why I can't show emotion. I can't afford it and the world can't afford it."
Julius shook his head when she retreated up the stairs. Her voice held no sign that she wanted pity. It was simply facts that she stated as calmly as anyone else would give their order from a menu at a resteraunt.
"There are worse things to life, my dear Angel, worse things then you'll know....."
JANUARY 18, 2005
"I can't feel my legs anymore." Corey settled into a chair, resting his feet on top the dark brown coffee table; his muscles screamed in protest at the movement. He picked up the remote and flipped through several channels, stopping it on a news station.
Russ groaned from his place on the couch. "Oh, Lord, not him,"he mumbled, turning onto his side to better see the tv.
Senator Tailsman's smiling, fake face appeared across the screen.
Angel came into the room, chewing on the end of a peppermint. She leaned against the doorway, watching the tv from a slightly tilted angle. Her head leaned against the doorway in a manner that would be uncomfortable to some.
"You wanna turn it up, sweetie?"she asked, innocently, propping her feet against the opposite side of the door frame.
Corey shook his head but turned up the volume a few notches. His arm muscles protested since he'd made himself work extra hard considering Logan hadn't spoken to any of them since his tirade before.
Senator Tailsman's voice filled the room. "...the campaign toward mutant and human realtions has not met well since a renegade band of mutants attacked a local facility, Icon. Live footage shows a group of seven mutants in the process of freeing experiments and also a clip of one being shot down in the process. At the moment he is under high survellience and refusing to speak...respective motions are being taken to ensure the safety of citizens..."
An image flashed across the screen, showing what appeared to be a man in his late teens, early twenties with dark colored hair and the features of a snake combined into that of a human. Slitted yellow eyes stared out from a scaley face. Dirt, sweat, and blood clutched and streaked down his face.
"Jax." The word was more a whispher then a spoken question.
Russ and Corey both looked up. "What was that?"
Angel sighed and turned. "Nuthin'. Don't concern yourselves with it...I'm going to talk to Rogue a moment. Tara's in the medlab with Hank, Kellie's trying to cook, and Julius' training. Whatever he says ignore it unless it's actually intelligent. See ya."
"See you, Angel,"Russ called, shifting onto the couch and groaning at the pain to his back. He muted the tv as she walked back into the other room. "I think I tore something like a ligament in the spine."
"Aren't you the least bit curious about this mutant that they're using for questioning? Maybe there's something about him we should know...Angel said something." Corey unmuted the tv, listening to more of the senator's rant.
He rolled his eyes then closed them, yawning. "Don't worry about her. She'll be fine and anyway it's not like she plans to do something about it, Corey, leave it alone...Angel's not a dumb person, at least not usually."
"That helps, it really helps. Seems more people than I'd originally thought go alone with this guy...check this out, Russ."
He turned to look at the tv just as a mass scene came onto the screen. Millions of people, teenagers and adults, flocked in the streets. Signs with large logos of respect and alliance to the senator flashed across the screen. Cheering and shouting came from the gathered citizens.
"Can you believe these people? They follow him around like he's a god or something,"Corey said, sitting up and taking a closer look at the tv.
The image on the screen reminded him of his parents. There had been a crowd similiar to the one on television at the mutant riot his parents had taken him to; he'd been into his powers well enough that he could come along rather then sit at home and wonder. He'd walked beside his father, taking in all the signs with anti-mutant logos then he remembered the friends of his father who they'd met. The two men had basically ignored him. He remembered his mother's tense smile when she'd assured him nothing was going to happen; that had been a lie.
Corey remembered the sound of gunshots and screams. His mother's face had lost it's usual color to waxy white as red began to spread over the back of her shirt. His father had caught her just before she fell, ignoring his friends frenzied words about leaving.
His father's words rang in his ears again. "Take Corey and leave. I need to stay with Kate..."he'd said, falling to his knees while still cradling his wife's body in his arms.
He remembered trying to stay with his father but had been pulled away by his father's friends. His mother's voice had stopped him and he'd gone back.
Tears had poured down her pale face when she spoke to him. "I'm sorry. I think I hear God calling me, Corey..."
His mother had died there. Seconds later his father was also dead.
"Corey. Hey, Corey, am I alone in here?" Russ' voice snapped him out of the memory.
"You're always alone. No one else can measure up to you..."
The two laughed at the joke.
"You want to try a little training session?"Russ questioned, rising from the couch and stretching. "For some reason I feel like training right now but not with those damn infuriating robots. Let's play a little one on one."
"Since I can feel my legs? Sure...be warned I'm pretty good at fighting, Russ."
"Wouldn't have asked if you weren't."
DOWN IN THE TRAINING ROOM
Russ slammed his foot as hard as he could into Corey's chest, sending him flying back against one wall. He landed almost gracefully on the floor, fighting to keep his footing.
Corey coughed. "Not...bad. Try to keep from giving me a few broken bones,"he muttered, climbing up and attacking again.
His own fist swung at Russ who ducked only to recieve a swift kick to the stomache. His hand caught onto Corey's shirt, holding himself there as it glowered a dark purple color.
"Uh-oh...I think I made a mistake."
"What are you doing?"
Russ pulled his hands away. His shirt lost the glow with no affect.
He took a breathe, dropping his hands to his sides. His expression looked beaten and worn; instead of his nineteen years he looked closer to thirty. Sweat poured from his body along with blood that ran down his chin then neck.
"Sometimes I lose control of the ability to keep my powers in check,"he explained, raking his hands through his hair then over his face, smearing blood and sweat. "It's been that way since about a year ago. Things just go awry and sometimes...somtimes I can't stop them."
Corey nodded. "Sounds typical of an our of control mutant."
"Who's out of control?"Russ demanded, glowering at him.
"You, obviously."
"Hey, that's enough! We have a bigger problem then another macho show down."
Kellie crossed the training room in slow strides, keeping her pace slow and her gaze fixed on one of the two every step of the way. She stopped in front of them, took in their appearances, then shook their heads.
"What could be bigger than Russ' problems?" Corey couldn't stop the question.
"Angel and Tara left..."
"Left? What do you mean left?"Russ demanded without preamble, staring at her. "You mean left the mansion to go for a walk?"
She shook her head. "No, Russ, they left. One of the two left a message on an upstairs mirror in lipstick...something about saving a friend."
Russ cursed.
"Watch you language."
"The guy from tv, part of that band of mutants...he looked sort of like a snake at a close glance but Angel seemed to know him. She left a few minutes afterwards. Shit...where's this guy being held, Corey?"
He shrugged in response. "Didn't pay much attention. It would have to be somewhere around Icon...don't tell me we're gallavating off to save some guy we don't know just cause Angel had to go."
"We're not gallavating. If you don't want to come, stay...I'm going and I don't plan to come back unless Angel and Tara are both with me. Come or stay. Your choice; I won't twist your arm,"Russ stated then turned and walked away and out of the control room.
I never asked to join this team but nothing else has ever lasted. Maybe, just maybe, this can actually work without back firing. I'm at least going to try...God pity the one who tries to stop me.
He showered and changed in record time then made his way downstairs, stopping to grab Gage's device. He stared at it a moment then began to press several small, almost hidden buttons. He'd almost programmed in his destination when a hand touched his arm. It was gloved in black.
"You coming or just offering comfort, Kellie?"he asked without bothering to look up.
Hesitance from her. "I'm coming. No one ever cared for me once my powers developed except my brother, two years younger than me. It's time to repay the favor through someone else.."
Russ turned.
Her hand was held out to him.
He shook it, feeling how warm it was despite the glove she wore.
"Welcome to the team, Dust."
UPSTAIRS BEDROOM, GUYS' ROOM TWO
He stared down at the ground, shaking his head.
"Pathetic,"he muttered, turning away and walking back into the bedroom. His voice and expression held scorn. "Like either of you can do any good now. It's too late to save anyone in this world."
His footsteps echoed away from the window and out the door. He stopped to search out something on the wall then pressed a switch down before sliding out the door, pulling it shut in his wake. Silence echoed for a moment once he'd left.
A tiny beeping sound emitted for a moment then stopped all together.
Silence reigned.
"Reality bites...and leaves some pretty nasty marks,"the voice called back, already growing fainter with the forward movements of his feet.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I guess you expect me to sugar coat how horrible a job you did on this mission, right?" Logan paced back in forth in front of his failed team.
Four heads stared at the ground before them. Their heads were bowed in an almost submissive way but the rigid set of their shoulders showed none were completely beaten. Dirt and sweat streaked their bodies and clothes; clothes stuck to their body so tight it could have been a second skin.
One stared straight ahead, meeting Logan's eyes. His expression was unconcerned and completely devoid of any emotion. Dirt, sweat, and blood streamed from his face then down his shirt, flowing from a wound on his arm.
"I don't intend to sugar coat it. You did a horrible job and if this were real we'd be burying you with the X-men around back...wait, no, that would be wrong. None of you deserve to be buried with them, not now, not ever,"Logan growled, glowering at each of them and stopping on Julius' dignified, proud expression. "This is all a joke to you, Kanteon? Training and getting to know one another didn't do shit. You don't know what a team is...none of you do. Until you learn don't any of you come within twenty feet of me if you value your lives. They're yours, Rogue, Gumbo. Hank's in the medlab if anyone needs him, I doubt it."
His footsteps echoed away from them.
No one moved or spoke.
Remy stepped forward and shook his head. "Mon only words be dese, petites-Vous n'avez rien appris. J'ai honte." (You learned nothing. I am ashamed.)
With that said Remy Lebeau walked away.
Rogue hesitated a moment, only a moment, then walked away from them.
"At least their finally gone,"Julius said, walking across the room and looking out one window.
No one else moved for a long moment. He didn't blame them. He was in control now and Logan...well, Logan was pissed at them. It served him right for trying to make a dream that had been crushed once reality twice.
Kellie broke the silence. "You didn't get a bit of what Logan said, did you? This isn't just a five-year-old stunt you can pull...maybe this has gotten you somewhere with your parents and whoever brought you up but here you take responsiblity for your actions, we all do."
Low clapping came. Seconds later it turned into full best-orchestra-I've-ever-seen applause.
Julius barely turned to see who was clapping. He could tell by the sound of it and the fact that Tara had gone upstairs to rest and take a shower after her ordeal.
Russ and Corey.
"You don't know a thing about me and I never asked to be part of this 'team' as you call it,"he said, turning away from the window. His gaze met each of them head on.
Angel held it the longest. Her voice and face were devoid of emotion when she next spoke. "None of us asked for this but for some of us it's all we have, all we'll ever have, to keep our sanity..." Her boots echoed for a long time once she'd left.
That's it. I've had it with her riddles. I'm going to confront her once and for all...this ends now.
He walked out, ignoring the others eyes on him. He felt them staring but didn't turn; he was too used to being stared at to care about them or their opinions of him.
Julius caught up with her or as close as he could get at the bottom of the stairs. She'd already made it halfway up the stairs but turned at the sound of her name. Her gaze didn't change nor did her face betray what she felt.
"Why the hell do you have to be such a damn statue all the time?"he demanded without preamble or giving her time to form a response. "Would it kill you to show an emotion?"
Angel froze for a moment, unable to speak, obviously. "I have to be a statue. It wouldn't kill me to show an emotion but it could kill someone else...my emotions are worse then a telepath in an asylum."
"How bad could showing an emotion be?" His voice dripped with sarcasm.
She hesitated. "You honestly want to know?"
He nodded, making a point to stare straight into her eyes.
"The summer I turned thirteen my powers manifested. My uncle was showing me around the holding docks for mutants...it was part of his job when he wore his image inducer. I don't know when empathy came but suddenly I felt every single thing any of them felt...thousands of mutants filled with hate, fear, anger, pity. It scared me and...I don't know why but next thing I know I was trying to kill my uncle, cursing him and his workers in English and Spanish both. I don't even know where I got Spanish from." Angel stopped speaking for a moment then tore her gaze from his. "That's why I can't show emotion. I can't afford it and the world can't afford it."
Julius shook his head when she retreated up the stairs. Her voice held no sign that she wanted pity. It was simply facts that she stated as calmly as anyone else would give their order from a menu at a resteraunt.
"There are worse things to life, my dear Angel, worse things then you'll know....."
JANUARY 18, 2005
"I can't feel my legs anymore." Corey settled into a chair, resting his feet on top the dark brown coffee table; his muscles screamed in protest at the movement. He picked up the remote and flipped through several channels, stopping it on a news station.
Russ groaned from his place on the couch. "Oh, Lord, not him,"he mumbled, turning onto his side to better see the tv.
Senator Tailsman's smiling, fake face appeared across the screen.
Angel came into the room, chewing on the end of a peppermint. She leaned against the doorway, watching the tv from a slightly tilted angle. Her head leaned against the doorway in a manner that would be uncomfortable to some.
"You wanna turn it up, sweetie?"she asked, innocently, propping her feet against the opposite side of the door frame.
Corey shook his head but turned up the volume a few notches. His arm muscles protested since he'd made himself work extra hard considering Logan hadn't spoken to any of them since his tirade before.
Senator Tailsman's voice filled the room. "...the campaign toward mutant and human realtions has not met well since a renegade band of mutants attacked a local facility, Icon. Live footage shows a group of seven mutants in the process of freeing experiments and also a clip of one being shot down in the process. At the moment he is under high survellience and refusing to speak...respective motions are being taken to ensure the safety of citizens..."
An image flashed across the screen, showing what appeared to be a man in his late teens, early twenties with dark colored hair and the features of a snake combined into that of a human. Slitted yellow eyes stared out from a scaley face. Dirt, sweat, and blood clutched and streaked down his face.
"Jax." The word was more a whispher then a spoken question.
Russ and Corey both looked up. "What was that?"
Angel sighed and turned. "Nuthin'. Don't concern yourselves with it...I'm going to talk to Rogue a moment. Tara's in the medlab with Hank, Kellie's trying to cook, and Julius' training. Whatever he says ignore it unless it's actually intelligent. See ya."
"See you, Angel,"Russ called, shifting onto the couch and groaning at the pain to his back. He muted the tv as she walked back into the other room. "I think I tore something like a ligament in the spine."
"Aren't you the least bit curious about this mutant that they're using for questioning? Maybe there's something about him we should know...Angel said something." Corey unmuted the tv, listening to more of the senator's rant.
He rolled his eyes then closed them, yawning. "Don't worry about her. She'll be fine and anyway it's not like she plans to do something about it, Corey, leave it alone...Angel's not a dumb person, at least not usually."
"That helps, it really helps. Seems more people than I'd originally thought go alone with this guy...check this out, Russ."
He turned to look at the tv just as a mass scene came onto the screen. Millions of people, teenagers and adults, flocked in the streets. Signs with large logos of respect and alliance to the senator flashed across the screen. Cheering and shouting came from the gathered citizens.
"Can you believe these people? They follow him around like he's a god or something,"Corey said, sitting up and taking a closer look at the tv.
The image on the screen reminded him of his parents. There had been a crowd similiar to the one on television at the mutant riot his parents had taken him to; he'd been into his powers well enough that he could come along rather then sit at home and wonder. He'd walked beside his father, taking in all the signs with anti-mutant logos then he remembered the friends of his father who they'd met. The two men had basically ignored him. He remembered his mother's tense smile when she'd assured him nothing was going to happen; that had been a lie.
Corey remembered the sound of gunshots and screams. His mother's face had lost it's usual color to waxy white as red began to spread over the back of her shirt. His father had caught her just before she fell, ignoring his friends frenzied words about leaving.
His father's words rang in his ears again. "Take Corey and leave. I need to stay with Kate..."he'd said, falling to his knees while still cradling his wife's body in his arms.
He remembered trying to stay with his father but had been pulled away by his father's friends. His mother's voice had stopped him and he'd gone back.
Tears had poured down her pale face when she spoke to him. "I'm sorry. I think I hear God calling me, Corey..."
His mother had died there. Seconds later his father was also dead.
"Corey. Hey, Corey, am I alone in here?" Russ' voice snapped him out of the memory.
"You're always alone. No one else can measure up to you..."
The two laughed at the joke.
"You want to try a little training session?"Russ questioned, rising from the couch and stretching. "For some reason I feel like training right now but not with those damn infuriating robots. Let's play a little one on one."
"Since I can feel my legs? Sure...be warned I'm pretty good at fighting, Russ."
"Wouldn't have asked if you weren't."
DOWN IN THE TRAINING ROOM
Russ slammed his foot as hard as he could into Corey's chest, sending him flying back against one wall. He landed almost gracefully on the floor, fighting to keep his footing.
Corey coughed. "Not...bad. Try to keep from giving me a few broken bones,"he muttered, climbing up and attacking again.
His own fist swung at Russ who ducked only to recieve a swift kick to the stomache. His hand caught onto Corey's shirt, holding himself there as it glowered a dark purple color.
"Uh-oh...I think I made a mistake."
"What are you doing?"
Russ pulled his hands away. His shirt lost the glow with no affect.
He took a breathe, dropping his hands to his sides. His expression looked beaten and worn; instead of his nineteen years he looked closer to thirty. Sweat poured from his body along with blood that ran down his chin then neck.
"Sometimes I lose control of the ability to keep my powers in check,"he explained, raking his hands through his hair then over his face, smearing blood and sweat. "It's been that way since about a year ago. Things just go awry and sometimes...somtimes I can't stop them."
Corey nodded. "Sounds typical of an our of control mutant."
"Who's out of control?"Russ demanded, glowering at him.
"You, obviously."
"Hey, that's enough! We have a bigger problem then another macho show down."
Kellie crossed the training room in slow strides, keeping her pace slow and her gaze fixed on one of the two every step of the way. She stopped in front of them, took in their appearances, then shook their heads.
"What could be bigger than Russ' problems?" Corey couldn't stop the question.
"Angel and Tara left..."
"Left? What do you mean left?"Russ demanded without preamble, staring at her. "You mean left the mansion to go for a walk?"
She shook her head. "No, Russ, they left. One of the two left a message on an upstairs mirror in lipstick...something about saving a friend."
Russ cursed.
"Watch you language."
"The guy from tv, part of that band of mutants...he looked sort of like a snake at a close glance but Angel seemed to know him. She left a few minutes afterwards. Shit...where's this guy being held, Corey?"
He shrugged in response. "Didn't pay much attention. It would have to be somewhere around Icon...don't tell me we're gallavating off to save some guy we don't know just cause Angel had to go."
"We're not gallavating. If you don't want to come, stay...I'm going and I don't plan to come back unless Angel and Tara are both with me. Come or stay. Your choice; I won't twist your arm,"Russ stated then turned and walked away and out of the control room.
I never asked to join this team but nothing else has ever lasted. Maybe, just maybe, this can actually work without back firing. I'm at least going to try...God pity the one who tries to stop me.
He showered and changed in record time then made his way downstairs, stopping to grab Gage's device. He stared at it a moment then began to press several small, almost hidden buttons. He'd almost programmed in his destination when a hand touched his arm. It was gloved in black.
"You coming or just offering comfort, Kellie?"he asked without bothering to look up.
Hesitance from her. "I'm coming. No one ever cared for me once my powers developed except my brother, two years younger than me. It's time to repay the favor through someone else.."
Russ turned.
Her hand was held out to him.
He shook it, feeling how warm it was despite the glove she wore.
"Welcome to the team, Dust."
UPSTAIRS BEDROOM, GUYS' ROOM TWO
He stared down at the ground, shaking his head.
"Pathetic,"he muttered, turning away and walking back into the bedroom. His voice and expression held scorn. "Like either of you can do any good now. It's too late to save anyone in this world."
His footsteps echoed away from the window and out the door. He stopped to search out something on the wall then pressed a switch down before sliding out the door, pulling it shut in his wake. Silence echoed for a moment once he'd left.
A tiny beeping sound emitted for a moment then stopped all together.
Silence reigned.
"Reality bites...and leaves some pretty nasty marks,"the voice called back, already growing fainter with the forward movements of his feet.