Disclaimer: I do not own any of the X-Men movie characters.
Title: Unforgivable Sinners
By: Cmdr. Gabe E.
Note: This fanfiction occurs entirely in the X-Men movie-verse . Characters' unspoken thoughts are enclosed in .
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I thank thee, SKETTY24, EBONY, GIVEGODTHEGLORY and TP96 for thy wonderful reviews ! I really want to reply to every review, but I might end up giving away too many spoilers! So I'll just let the story speak for itself for now !
Oh....thanks for telling me about the missing links, SKETTY24 =).... Let's see if these ones will work
Fanfic cover - Stryker, Yuriko and Logan - = = = = = = = = = = =
CHAPTER 19: The school for gifted youngsters
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Yuriko felt her heart beating faster as their transport moved closer to Professor Xavier's School for the Gifted. It looked so distant, but she felt as if she could already walk through its front door. She really hasn't been to the mansion before. Stryker didn't bring her when they infiltrated it during the Alkali base operation.
Her eyes wandered at the lush fields that surrounded the area. Based on the documents she found in the envelope, Charles Xavier owned the entire land. Why would Stryker want to destroy such a beautiful place? It was a haven for mutants young and old. Why destroy it because of one simple mistake?
Yuriko saw a clear patch of land near the school and knew it was reasonable place to land. She didn't want the helicopter too close to the mansion. After the events that just transpired, she doubted that the mutants would greet them with warm welcome if they suddenly landed right in front of the school's doorstep.
She moved close to the pilot and pointed to the clearing. "You can land it there."
"We can land you right in front of the mansion if you want." The pilot said. "If we land you there, you'll still have to walk for a good ten minutes."
"We'll be fine. We have legs. We can walk." She said firmly.
"Okay, Ms. Oyama." The pilot shrugged and maneuvered the helicopter towards the clearing. He landed it softly on the grass-covered grounds.
The agent who accompanied them opened the helicopter's door. "We hope your business with the mutants go well, Mr. Stryker." He said encouragingly.
Stryker just looked at him and nodded. His mind was still lost in a limbo of thoughts.
Yuriko exited the helicopter and Stryker followed after her. He seemed quite hesitant to exit the vehicle. Was he afraid? Was he afraid to find out what was in that mansion?
They both moved away from the helicopter as it lifted itself from the ground. It faded away into the distance, leaving the two of them alone again. Yuriko looked at the distant mansion and felt her heart beating faster. It was going to be their final destination.
Her eyes wandered at Stryker's still form. He stood unmoving as he looked at the mansion. She could see the fear in his face.
Stryker knew...Stryker knew that that 'mutant school' would bring out more of his ghosts, more of the things he didn't want to remember. And he feared that. He looked at the distant mansion as his own pandora's box, waiting to be opened.
"Come on, William. Let's go." She said commandingly. She wasn't going to let him slow her down now. They were already too close.
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Professor Xavier and Ororo were both in the mansion's study. The professor was by the window, reading the book 'The Once and Future King', and Ororo was arranging some of the books on the shelves.
The loss of Jean still weighed heavy in their hearts. Sometimes Ororo felt as if Jean was still there, as if she was still alive. But whenever she turned around, she only saw an empty space where Jean Grey should have been standing. She missed her dear friend, and knew that her death hurt Logan and Scott the most.
Even the school was wrapped in silence. Most of the children were sent to their homes due to the repairs that were being done to the mansion. As for the team, they lamented in silence. They knew grieving would serve them no purpose, but Jean had meant so much to them, and even more to the school. They still couldn't believe that she was now gone.
The professor, too, felt sadness for her passing. He had gone through many deaths and sacrifices in his life and he knew why Jean did what she did. She did it to save all of them. She did it because she loved them. The professor knew that and he didn't question her action. He didn't question her love for her friends.
His eyes continued to read the passages in the book 'The Once and Future King'. It was one of Eric's favorite reads. His head suddenly perked up, and his eyes looked outside the window.
Ororo noticed that and looked at the professor. "What is it, professor?"
Professor Xavier looked at her and gently smiled. "We have guests."
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It was almost two o' clock in the afternoon and Logan was still in the kitchen. His arm was folded on the kitchen table with his head resting on it. A half-empty beer bottle was in his hand, and more beer bottles, all of them empty, were scattered around him on the table. He seemed to have fallen asleep.
Logan groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. He lifted his head from his arm and saw the bottle in his hand. He breathed in then drank the bottle empty. He slammed the empty bottle against the table and stood up.
"Must have fallen asleep." He groaned.
He closed his eyes then shook his head from side to side. He could still feel the effects of the alcohol in his head. The ten empty bottles of beer on the table was a sure sign that he drank too much in one sitting. He rubbed the back of his neck then flexed his shoulder muscles.
"Jean." He whispered. He still missed her as much as when he first opened his eyes that morning. She had been gone for more than a day, but Logan could still remember the last time he saw her as if it just happened a couple of minutes ago. He could still see her face. He could still see how the icy waters swallowed her in their depths. He would never forget that sight.
His eyes looked at the clock and saw that it was already two in the afternoon.
"Damn. I didn't know I slept that long." He said.
Then he thought of Scott. Scott was his rival and his friend. But above all, he looked at him as the man Jean chose. Logan knew that Scott was the one who felt the most pain. He loved Jean more than life itself. They have been together for years, and now Scott was alone, without the woman he loved.
The last time Logan saw him was earlier that day. By the time he woke up, Scott was already fully dressed in his casual outfit. He had his car keys in his hand when he made his way into the garage. He probably went out for a long drive. He probably couldn't get Jean's death out of his head too.
Logan sighed and walked towards the kitchen door. But before he could go through the doorway, he suddenly stopped in his tracks. He narrowed his eyes and looked around. His nose twitched as he sniffed the air. He could sense someone coming. He could smell them from a mile away. And the smell was so familiar.
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Yuriko and Stryker were now standing in front of the mansion. They have gone so far and have gone through so much to be were they were now. Right in front of them was the house that will set them all free. There was no turning back.
Yuriko looked at Stryker and saw his lips shaking. He was rubbing his arms as if he felt so cold. It was a cold afternoon, but not cold enough to cause someone to act like that.
"I don't like this place." He said, his voice shaking. "I --- I think I've been here before."
Every time Stryker closed his eyes, he saw an image of the mansion in his mind. It was dark and cold and people were running everywhere. There were armed men and gunshots and explosions. He saw children lying unconscious on the floor with their eyes wide open. The place looked like a battlefield. People were dying left and right. And then he saw himself, standing in front of a wall of ice.
Yuriko noticed the blank look on Stryker's eyes. She knew he was slowly starting to remember.
"William!" She shouted.
Stryker suddenly snapped out of his trance and looked at her. His eyes were filled with fear and rugged breaths escaped from his lips. He looked like a lost child who didn't know where to go.
"Fear." She said sternly. "That's the price you have to pay for being the man you once were... Eternal fear for the things you have done, because you know they're going to haunt you for the rest of your life."
He looked back at her. He felt defeated and cornered. Every word from her lips stung him because he knew she was telling the truth.
Yuriko looked at the mansion's wooden door and noticed it slightly open.
"It's open." She whispered. There was a hint of uncertainty in her voice. She found it quite odd that the door was just left open like that. But since their objective was to go to the mansion and meet with the professor, she might as well take the opportunity anyway.
She pushed the door open and stepped into the main entrance of the mansion.
"No." Stryker said in a low voice.
She sighed in frustration then looked at him. "We've gone this far, William. There's no turning back now." She said firmly.
Yuriko grabbed him by the arm and dragged him into the mansion with her. Once they were both inside, she kicked the door shut behind them. She could feel him struggling against her hold on his arm.
"I have a bad feeling about this." Stryker whispered.
Yuriko looked around and felt the mansion's emptiness. She expected to hear voices and footsteps, but there were none. The silence was almost deafening. Where were all the students? Where were all the mutants?
She let Stryker go from her grip as she walked deeper into the main entrance. A staircase ran down each side of the room. On the far end was a fireplace, and beside it were two halls that seemed to lead deeper into the mansion. She found the lack of welcome quite disturbing. There was something odd about the situation.
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Title: Unforgivable Sinners
By: Cmdr. Gabe E.
Note: This fanfiction occurs entirely in the X-Men movie-verse . Characters' unspoken thoughts are enclosed in .
= = = = = = = = = = = =
I thank thee, SKETTY24, EBONY, GIVEGODTHEGLORY and TP96 for thy wonderful reviews ! I really want to reply to every review, but I might end up giving away too many spoilers! So I'll just let the story speak for itself for now !
Oh....thanks for telling me about the missing links, SKETTY24 =).... Let's see if these ones will work
Fanfic cover - Stryker, Yuriko and Logan - = = = = = = = = = = =
CHAPTER 19: The school for gifted youngsters
= = = = = = = = = = = =
Yuriko felt her heart beating faster as their transport moved closer to Professor Xavier's School for the Gifted. It looked so distant, but she felt as if she could already walk through its front door. She really hasn't been to the mansion before. Stryker didn't bring her when they infiltrated it during the Alkali base operation.
Her eyes wandered at the lush fields that surrounded the area. Based on the documents she found in the envelope, Charles Xavier owned the entire land. Why would Stryker want to destroy such a beautiful place? It was a haven for mutants young and old. Why destroy it because of one simple mistake?
Yuriko saw a clear patch of land near the school and knew it was reasonable place to land. She didn't want the helicopter too close to the mansion. After the events that just transpired, she doubted that the mutants would greet them with warm welcome if they suddenly landed right in front of the school's doorstep.
She moved close to the pilot and pointed to the clearing. "You can land it there."
"We can land you right in front of the mansion if you want." The pilot said. "If we land you there, you'll still have to walk for a good ten minutes."
"We'll be fine. We have legs. We can walk." She said firmly.
"Okay, Ms. Oyama." The pilot shrugged and maneuvered the helicopter towards the clearing. He landed it softly on the grass-covered grounds.
The agent who accompanied them opened the helicopter's door. "We hope your business with the mutants go well, Mr. Stryker." He said encouragingly.
Stryker just looked at him and nodded. His mind was still lost in a limbo of thoughts.
Yuriko exited the helicopter and Stryker followed after her. He seemed quite hesitant to exit the vehicle. Was he afraid? Was he afraid to find out what was in that mansion?
They both moved away from the helicopter as it lifted itself from the ground. It faded away into the distance, leaving the two of them alone again. Yuriko looked at the distant mansion and felt her heart beating faster. It was going to be their final destination.
Her eyes wandered at Stryker's still form. He stood unmoving as he looked at the mansion. She could see the fear in his face.
Stryker knew...Stryker knew that that 'mutant school' would bring out more of his ghosts, more of the things he didn't want to remember. And he feared that. He looked at the distant mansion as his own pandora's box, waiting to be opened.
"Come on, William. Let's go." She said commandingly. She wasn't going to let him slow her down now. They were already too close.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Professor Xavier and Ororo were both in the mansion's study. The professor was by the window, reading the book 'The Once and Future King', and Ororo was arranging some of the books on the shelves.
The loss of Jean still weighed heavy in their hearts. Sometimes Ororo felt as if Jean was still there, as if she was still alive. But whenever she turned around, she only saw an empty space where Jean Grey should have been standing. She missed her dear friend, and knew that her death hurt Logan and Scott the most.
Even the school was wrapped in silence. Most of the children were sent to their homes due to the repairs that were being done to the mansion. As for the team, they lamented in silence. They knew grieving would serve them no purpose, but Jean had meant so much to them, and even more to the school. They still couldn't believe that she was now gone.
The professor, too, felt sadness for her passing. He had gone through many deaths and sacrifices in his life and he knew why Jean did what she did. She did it to save all of them. She did it because she loved them. The professor knew that and he didn't question her action. He didn't question her love for her friends.
His eyes continued to read the passages in the book 'The Once and Future King'. It was one of Eric's favorite reads. His head suddenly perked up, and his eyes looked outside the window.
Ororo noticed that and looked at the professor. "What is it, professor?"
Professor Xavier looked at her and gently smiled. "We have guests."
= = = = = = = = = = = = = =
It was almost two o' clock in the afternoon and Logan was still in the kitchen. His arm was folded on the kitchen table with his head resting on it. A half-empty beer bottle was in his hand, and more beer bottles, all of them empty, were scattered around him on the table. He seemed to have fallen asleep.
Logan groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. He lifted his head from his arm and saw the bottle in his hand. He breathed in then drank the bottle empty. He slammed the empty bottle against the table and stood up.
"Must have fallen asleep." He groaned.
He closed his eyes then shook his head from side to side. He could still feel the effects of the alcohol in his head. The ten empty bottles of beer on the table was a sure sign that he drank too much in one sitting. He rubbed the back of his neck then flexed his shoulder muscles.
"Jean." He whispered. He still missed her as much as when he first opened his eyes that morning. She had been gone for more than a day, but Logan could still remember the last time he saw her as if it just happened a couple of minutes ago. He could still see her face. He could still see how the icy waters swallowed her in their depths. He would never forget that sight.
His eyes looked at the clock and saw that it was already two in the afternoon.
"Damn. I didn't know I slept that long." He said.
Then he thought of Scott. Scott was his rival and his friend. But above all, he looked at him as the man Jean chose. Logan knew that Scott was the one who felt the most pain. He loved Jean more than life itself. They have been together for years, and now Scott was alone, without the woman he loved.
The last time Logan saw him was earlier that day. By the time he woke up, Scott was already fully dressed in his casual outfit. He had his car keys in his hand when he made his way into the garage. He probably went out for a long drive. He probably couldn't get Jean's death out of his head too.
Logan sighed and walked towards the kitchen door. But before he could go through the doorway, he suddenly stopped in his tracks. He narrowed his eyes and looked around. His nose twitched as he sniffed the air. He could sense someone coming. He could smell them from a mile away. And the smell was so familiar.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Yuriko and Stryker were now standing in front of the mansion. They have gone so far and have gone through so much to be were they were now. Right in front of them was the house that will set them all free. There was no turning back.
Yuriko looked at Stryker and saw his lips shaking. He was rubbing his arms as if he felt so cold. It was a cold afternoon, but not cold enough to cause someone to act like that.
"I don't like this place." He said, his voice shaking. "I --- I think I've been here before."
Every time Stryker closed his eyes, he saw an image of the mansion in his mind. It was dark and cold and people were running everywhere. There were armed men and gunshots and explosions. He saw children lying unconscious on the floor with their eyes wide open. The place looked like a battlefield. People were dying left and right. And then he saw himself, standing in front of a wall of ice.
Yuriko noticed the blank look on Stryker's eyes. She knew he was slowly starting to remember.
"William!" She shouted.
Stryker suddenly snapped out of his trance and looked at her. His eyes were filled with fear and rugged breaths escaped from his lips. He looked like a lost child who didn't know where to go.
"Fear." She said sternly. "That's the price you have to pay for being the man you once were... Eternal fear for the things you have done, because you know they're going to haunt you for the rest of your life."
He looked back at her. He felt defeated and cornered. Every word from her lips stung him because he knew she was telling the truth.
Yuriko looked at the mansion's wooden door and noticed it slightly open.
"It's open." She whispered. There was a hint of uncertainty in her voice. She found it quite odd that the door was just left open like that. But since their objective was to go to the mansion and meet with the professor, she might as well take the opportunity anyway.
She pushed the door open and stepped into the main entrance of the mansion.
"No." Stryker said in a low voice.
She sighed in frustration then looked at him. "We've gone this far, William. There's no turning back now." She said firmly.
Yuriko grabbed him by the arm and dragged him into the mansion with her. Once they were both inside, she kicked the door shut behind them. She could feel him struggling against her hold on his arm.
"I have a bad feeling about this." Stryker whispered.
Yuriko looked around and felt the mansion's emptiness. She expected to hear voices and footsteps, but there were none. The silence was almost deafening. Where were all the students? Where were all the mutants?
She let Stryker go from her grip as she walked deeper into the main entrance. A staircase ran down each side of the room. On the far end was a fireplace, and beside it were two halls that seemed to lead deeper into the mansion. She found the lack of welcome quite disturbing. There was something odd about the situation.
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