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The Ending He Deserves

Colossus was always one of my three favourite characters.  Ever since the first time I read UXM390 and cried buckets, I felt that it was all wrong somehow.  What follows is what I would like to think REALLY happened in the wake of that fatal injection.

"Dr Reyes, you need to let go of him," said Professor Xavier, carefully reaching out a hand to touch the sobbing woman, whose hands were clasped firmly around Piotr Rasputin's lifeless neck.  "We should get him up from the floor."

"Oui, Prof," agreed Remy LeBeau, running a hand through his tangled hair in disbelief.  Only minutes previously all had seemed well with the world; they had been outside on the basketball court, shocked by the sudden appearance of Professor Xavier – then there had been that huge energy blast.

"Dat's Colosuss' energy signature…only a t'ousand times more powerful!" he had exclaimed, and the group had raced inside – too late.  Far too late.  Piotr was gone, having injected himself with Hank McCoy's cure for the Legacy Virus.

"Dr Reyes, please," said Professor Xavier again, gently.  He looked down at the motionless Russian and felt a band of terrible grief constrict his heart.  Piotr had been with him since the Russian had been but a boy.  He had watched the shy, awkward young man grow into one of the greatest powers the world had ever known.  Yet there had always been an…innocence about Colossus that had touched everyone who knew him.

The Professor looked around the assembled group: Cecilia Reyes, helped to her feet by a sympathetic Remy LeBeau was still sobbing pitifully.  Gambit's red-on-black eyes were filled with deep sorrow.  Logan stood rigid, rolling a cigar thoughtfully between his fingers.  The Professor knew that Logan was thinking his own thoughts, that he was not the type to express his grief publicly.  Indeed, Logan simply shook his head, stuck his cigar in his mouth and strode purposefully out of the room.

"Piotr…"  Hank McCoy, on the other hand…Charles Xavier looked at his long-time friend in true sympathy.  Hank had been devastated at the shattering realisation that the cure he had created was as deadly as the virus that Stryfe and Sinister had released into the atmosphere in the first place.  This shocking revelation would be hard for him to bear.

"Professor, he must have been in so much pain," said Hank, raising his blue-furred head, tears streaming openly down his cheeks.  "He must have been so very afraid.  Piotr, my friend, what have I done?  What have I done?"  He put his head in his hands and sobbed harshly.

"Piotr knew what would happen to him if he did this thing, Hank."  Charles' chair crossed the room swiftly and he put a consoling hand on the Beast's forearm.  "He spent every day since Illyana's death yearning to find a way of somehow justifying it.  He would have seen this as a way to ensure the future survival of someone else's little sister.  It was a sacrifice of great nobility, of great courage.  One might almost say it was colossal."

Everyone present managed a watery smile at that.

"Now we must do for our friend what he would do for any of us.  We must prepare to lay him to rest with honour, love and friendship.  Remy, Hank, carry Piotr to the infirmary.  Cecilia, go and find Ororo.  She will need to know of this.  And someone contact Kitty."

"Ah, belle petite gon' be heartbroken," said Remy, shaking his head.  "Dem two never did get it on prop'ly, more's th' pity."  He gave Dr Reyes a consoling embrace and with Hank carefully began to adjust Piotr's death position to an easier-to-carry one.

"He cannot be dead," whispered Ororo Munro, sitting down heavily on the chair.  "Piotr Rasputin…can not be dead.  It is not possible, Dr Reyes."

"He injected himself with Hank's cure for the Legacy Virus," said Cecilia through her tears.  "His mutant power flared spectacularly and the cure was released into the atmosphere.  Even Piotr could not take that kind of power.  It killed him very quickly, Ororo.  He can not have suffered, not for long.  And he has done it.  He has released the cure.  Nobody else will die from that terrible illness."

Ororo did not hear the last bit.  She was crying too hard.

The news spread through the mansion like wildfire.  Colossus was dead.  Piotr Rasputin was gone.  Everyone was stunned and shocked by the news.  Hank McCoy had locked himself in the surgery with the corpse to carry out the necessary post-mortem and had not come out.

There was good reason.

"Come on, you big Russian son of a bitch, LIVE!"  The defibrillator flared yet again, sending another jolt of electricity through the motionless man's body.  "Your permanent eradication was not part of this ridiculous deal."  He readied the syringe that would send adrenaline straight to Piotr's heart, but took one last go with the electricity.

Like Victor Frankenstein on that night of horrors, Beast watched in almost manic glee as the creature laying on the slab before him gave a reflex jolt and suddenly sat bolt upright, eyes wide open, clawing desperately at the air.  Hank threw down the defibrillator and grabbed the oxygen mask, placing it over the panicking man's mouth.

"Breathe, Piotr, breathe.  It is alright now.  It is alright."  The Beast's voice was very soothing and slowly, slowly, Piotr's panic began to subside.  "It is over now, my friend."

Piotr took deeper and deeper breaths, the terror slowly leaving his eyes.  He slowly removed the oxygen mask and set it down.

"Tell me it worked," he said, his voice quiet and strained.  "Tell me, Dr. McCoy."

There was an pause of infinite length.  "You released the cure into the atmosphere, Piotr.  Beyond that, it remains far too early to tell if it will be a complete success.  But I believe it will be."

"And…my death?"

"Your death was most impressive.  Although of course, my reaction to your death was nothing but business."  Hank was damned if he would admit that there were a few moments during those staged tears back in the lab that real grief hit him: what it would truly have been like if he, Charles and Piotr had not come up with this plan the previous day.

It had been Charles' idea, of course.  Hank had gone to speak to the Professor about the possibilities of the cure and had revealed the fact that in order to release it, a mutant's life would be the price.  Charles had thought long and hard and had summoned Piotr to his office.

The young Russian had listened to Hank's explanation and, of course, had immediately volunteered himself for the job.  The Professor had been firm, but polite.

"No X-Man should die, Piotr.  It's an unwritten rule in the contract of employment."

"Then I defy that rule."

"You will not die.  Correction.  You WILL die…but if the doctor acts quickly enough, we can reverse that situation.  And assuming that is a success, then I have a proposition for you."

It had been right.  It had touched Piotr's gentle heart deeply.  His noble sacrifice would be long remembered by generations of people spared from the harsh deaths caused by the Legacy Virus.  He would be remembered as the one who gave everything so that everyone could have everything.

And as his reward, the Professor had found a way to give him everything.

"I spoke with Longshot, you know."  The Professor had been somewhat offhand about it.  Piotr had furrowed his brow in confusion.  What had his one-time team mate got to do with anything?

"You travelled together in the Savage Lands.  I understand that you met…a young lady there?"

Actually, it had been two young ladies, and their idea of a reward for Piotr's bravery was a night of unadulterated affection. He remembered it with vivid clarity.  Nereel and Shakani.  A small smile touched his lips, but he tried to hide it.

"I do not understand what Longshot has to do with this, Professor.  He was not with me when I first met Nereel."

"No, indeed he wasn't.  But he was with you when you returned, was he not?"

Yes, he had been.

"And what had changed about Nereel?"

She had been older, more mature.  Still as lovely as Piotr had remembered her and she had been gifted with a child, a boy.  A little tiger of a lad who had sat atop Piotr's shoulders and been transfixed by the fact that big man's hair was steel as well.

"A child she named 'Peter'.  She told Longshot he was named for his father.  She made him promise not to tell you.  But he told me.  Or at least…I found out."

Piotr sat back in shock.  He had not even realised.  He had a son?  And slowly but surely, everything began to fit into place. The words she had spoken about being separated from the boy's father.  Tears began to leak down his face.

"I would help you return to the Savage Land – in secret.  There you can live out your days with those people you once saved.  There are no guarantees, Piotr, there never are.  But you are no longer happy with us here."

He had tried to protest at that, but Professor Xavier had held up a hand. 

"Your heart has been broken one too many times, Piotr.  Nereel lives, this I know.  I have…my sources, as well you are aware.  She lives and so does your son.  The Savage Land is a difficult place, they need someone of your strength, your honour, your integrity.  Let the X-Men believe you gone."

"I feel much better now, thank you, Dr. McCoy."  Piotr swung his legs from the slab and took a few more gulps of air.  "I should make tracks soon, before things get suspicious."

"I would prefer you to at least stay the night.  Just to be sure you are well enough to travel."

Piotr smiled.  "I am well enough, Doctor.  It is time for me to leave.  I beg of you, do not draw out this parting any longer than is necessary.  Are my things together?"

"Yes, my friend."  Hank helped Piotr down from the table and put a strong hand on his shoulder.  "I wish you nothing but joy and happiness in your future life, Piotr Nikolaievitch Rasputin.  You have been a true friend and a worthwhile colleague.  You were even an honourable adversary.  Your reward is nothing less than you deserve."

"Nothing less than I deserve," mused Piotr as he picked up the holdall that contained his dearest possessions.  "I like the sound of that."  He paused for a few moments.

"I have one regret, Doctor.  I did not see Illyana.  I did not see my little Snowflake."

"You will, Piotr.  We will all meet again someday, of that I am sure."  Impulsively, the Beast hugged Piotr fiercely, then stood back.  Piotr smiled.  A vast weight seemed to have been lifted from the big man's shoulders and he held out his hand, shaking Hank's in a firm grip of life-long friendship.

"Da svadanya, Doctor McCoy," he said.  "And may life bring you all you deserve as well."

The Beast watched the big man leave through one of the many tunnels that led to the lab.  The exit route had been prepared in advance and he was gone in moments, leaving Hank McCoy alone in the laboratory with nothing but a coffin, empty but for the two hundred and fifty pounds worth of ballast that had been added, for company.

He carefully shut the coffin lid and fetched the bolts home.  "Goodnight, Piotr Rasputin," he said, sorrowfully.  "I hope the next life brings you more happiness than this one."

Hank McCoy walked to the door and switched out the light.

© 2004, Sarah Watkins