Author's Note: Wow, the last chapter got quite a few reviews. Thanks everyone!
This is set in first person (or rather, first people), throughout the days and weeks after the defeat of Apocalypse at the hands of our favorite mutants. I'm going to try to keep this completely in character, which means couples and relationships are what has been shown.
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To What Awaits Us
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26 September, 2005
Warren Worthington III
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I lay with my hands behind my head, staring at Xavier's dark, wooden walls. God, these wings are such a hassle. It's been twelve years since I've even been able to lie on my back...
With a sigh I heaved myself out of the bed and let my wings stretch out.
Hmph, they can barely reach their full span in here. Well, that is why Xavier gave me a room with a balcony. So I walked out to it slowly, my feet dragging against the plush carpet.
A satisfied smile planted itself on my face once I reached it, icy northern winds pulled on my feathers as soon as I stepped out the door. I flexed and flapped my wings, and they quickly regained their strength after the six hours spent tucked away.
Oh, that feels so good!
It's incredible how different this wonderful country air is compared to the heavy smog of New York City. No matter how high I fly, I can never escape that dense, city fog.
The sky too, is different. It's much darker out here. Usually I have to draw my curtains to get to sleep. But not here.
Everything is different.
It's so much easier here, at the Xavier Institute, to live the way you were meant to. No one else around for miles, no one has to know your secrets.
Sounds like a fairytale.
I yawned and stretched my arms above my head, letting the chill hit me from every angle. I love the cold.
My eyes slipped open again and I just stood for a while, enjoying my surroundings. Even the view from the top floor of Worthington Tower isn't this good. I caught a movement in the corner of my eye and whirled around.
A sigh escaped my lips when I realized it was only Scott, a room over. For a moment there, I had thought I was back in the city. Don't have to worry about prying human eyes here. He leaned on the side of his own balcony and sent a small smile my way.
"Morning," he said, his voice still thick with sleep. I returned the smile and nodded my head in greeting.
"Yeah, four a.m." I replied. "Why are you up so early?" He shrugged lazily.
"I think I'm a little restless," he surrendered, a blush appearing across the bridge of his nose. "It's been so long since I've been able to sleep without fear. Guess I'm not used to it."
"Scott," I sighed "I know what you mean." He stood straight and shoved his hands into the pockets of his pants. I spread my wings again, and then folded them in behind me.
"It's gonna' be a long winter, isn't it?" Really, it was more a statement than a question. I smiled to myself.
"Hopefully." The boy groaned and turned, then walked with a grim face back into his room.
"I hate the cold."
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I have been waiting here forever. Honestly, how long does it take someone to have a damned shower? I pounded on the door again.
"Kurt? Please hurry."
"Alright already, I'll be out soon enough!" was the muffled response. Waiting in line for the bathroom. Whoever thought this would happen to me? I would love to see the look on my parents faces if they knew I had to wait in line for anything.
I finally heard the now-familiar bamf of imploding air to my right.
"'Zere Varren, all done!" He grinned and slapped me on the back. Kurt teleported away, god knows where, leaving another cloud of horrible grey smoke in his wake. Sulfur. I don't know how he can do that all day without getting dizzy from the smell. I certainly couldn't. I waved it away and opened the door.
Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw. Nothing on earth.
How the hell can one person make such a mess?!
I groaned and moved to the bathroom cabinet, underneath the sink. Only two towels left. So that leaves one, just one, to soak up the gallon of water Kurt had somehow managed to splash onto the floor.
It would never work.
Calm down Warren, just a little water, nothing to get all pouty about. I was able to resist the urge of grinding my teeth. Barely.
All you need to do is find some towels. They have to be around here somewhere…
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Needless to say, I never found those towels. And when I returned from my mansion-wide search, it turns out the bathroom was occupied again. Just my rotten luck. Now I sat in the common room, watching a few of the younger mutants play cards. Wasn't watching them really, just needing an excuse to be in the room, still getting used to the feel of this place. I would help the youngest one every once in a while. Helping kids is what you do here, right? Of course it got protests from the others, but it wouldn't take a genius to see they were ganging up on him. Must be hard, to be the smallest one here.
"Hey, Varren, sorry about before." An accented voice said behind me. "I honestly didn't mean to be so long in 'ze bathroom." Didn't need to turn, his accent was so obvious.
"No problem, Kurt. I got my shower… In the end." I replied. Well, that was at least a half-truth. I felt a dip in the sofa and turned to see a pale, dark-haired boy sitting there. I tried to keep the look of confusion off my face; I had never seen this kid around the institute before.
Who was he?
…And where did Kurt go?
The boy smiled lopsidedly.
"Guess you've never caught me vith my inducer on, huh?" he said. Undeniably German accent. There were two German mutants here? He sure sounds a lot like Kurt. The boy touched a button on his watch and the strangest thing happened. He flickered. And then Kurt was there.
It's embarrassing really, sitting in front of the children with my mouth hanging open like some hillbilly, but I can't do anything about my jaw right now, it's not responding.
"Kurt…You look… You were…" His smile seemed to sadden a little.
"Normal?" he offered. I nodded slowly.
"How did you do that?"
"Duh, Angel, it's his image inducer." Bobby said, as if I was somehow supposed to know this. He rolled his eyes at Ray and went back to cheating Jamie out of his pocket money.
"And your inducer can change your appearance like that…" He pushed the button again and the image of the smooth-skinned boy reappeared, nodding his head.
"Ja…" he replied. It struck me then; he didn't want to do this. Not at all. Didn't want to hide who he was. Who he was meant to be.
"Kurt… Why?"
"Same reason you do."
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Am I so afraid of what I am? Am I really just hiding myself away, like Kurt is?
Argh, so many questions now. Questioning myself, my morals, my life…
My head hurts.
I raked a hand through my hair, a nervous habit, and sat on the edge of 'my' bed. This would be my room, if I decided to stay here. This small room, with its ornately carved designs on the wall, with its cream ceiling and plush red carpet.
Am I truly ready to give up the life I've worked so hard to achieve, for this?
And all of this, because I'm a mutant…
This never would have happened if I was normal.
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I sincerely hope this chapter didn't confuse anyone. It's taken the longest of the chapters, and yet it's the shortest. The original was a lot longer, but it really made Warren look schizophrenic… And he looks that way anyway.
I just wanted to show the differences in this, how Warren doesn't feel like he belongs at all, but he really wants too. I find this guy really hard to do, because he's rich and upper-class, but somehow casual at the same time. It annoys the hell out of me…
And with that said, tell me what you think… Feedback is good.
To the Reviewers:
mj: Well, Warren was up, at least. Sorry but 'Wargue' just doesn't make sense to me. They kinda-flirted in On Angels Wings, but that's the only interaction they've had. They strike me more as friends than anything else…
Elrohir: You will find out soon enough what's wrong with her, as will everyone else ^_^
todd fan: If your name is anything to go by, then it's probably the smell that Ororo hates.
nessie6: Trust me, you will see everyone. In fact, one of them has a pretty healthy involvement with the next chapter.
Snitter in Rivendell: You are way too good to me! I was really worried about writing Ororo, like I am with Warren. They don't exactly let on much about her, do they? But I'm glad I made you care about a few of the lesser-loved character.
DoWriter12: Questions are always good hook-in's.
Rogue14: Most people thought it was Magneto or Gambit. Is this soon enough?
cookies-n-cream08: I'd like to think so…
Foxy-Glove, Risty, Lyranfan, enfant-terrible, Flame31, aimtbj, and WerewolfLass : Thanks a bunch, guys! Hope you liked the chapter.