Chapter 4: The Aftermath
The air erupted with fire. Rogue's instincts took over. She dove to the ground, covering her head and neck with her arms. She braced herself for burning skin and hair, but she felt, nothing. Just a warmness that swelled up inside her heart, like she was meeting an old friend.
Someone screamed.
Upon opening her eyes, Rogue was shocked to discover that the air was on fire. They were unharmed, but yet the burning embers appeared to resemble the very depths of Hell. Nobody else seemed to be affected by the flames, except for the Brotherhood. Pyro was the only who was conscious enough to feel the effects of the fire. And feel them he did. He could feel the fire singeing at his skin. He could feel the flames ignite the hairs on his head. He could feel the fear well up deed inside his heart when he realized, that for the first time in his life, there was a fire that he could not control.
From where she was hiding, Rogue could see the embers clinging to Pyro's skin, and the fear within his eyes. He seemed to look right at her for a split second, before he let out a scream that pierced the depths of her heart. She blinked once, and then they were gone.
Rogue could hardly believe her eyes as she let Bobby help her to her feet. "What happened?"
Bobby shrugged. "My guess is as good as yours." He felt Rogue pull away from his grasp, but he could not movie. He himself could not believe what his eyes were seeing.
The town centre was absolutely spotless. It looked like the battle had never taken place. There were no burned or singed objects in sight, nor was there any water or ice. The cars that had blown up were where they had originally been, gleaming in the late afternoon sun.
Within a few seconds, the residents of Kingsville had gotten over their shock and surprise. They all gathered around Breeze, giving tearful thank-you's and hugs. Breeze simply smiled and said "You're welcome" to every single person in return. Slowly, the residents either go into their cars and drove off or returned to their business.
"Bobby!"
Rogue's frantic voice made Bobby jar out of his trance. He ran to the direction of her voice. A small crowd of people had already formed, and Bobby had to shove his way through. In the middle, he was a tearful Rogue cradling Cyclops's head. A silent Wolverine held onto Cyclops's limp wrist, searching for a pulse. The look in his eyes told Bobby that he found nothing.
Grief and guilt overwhelmed Bobby as he collapsed beside Rogue. He had fallen right onto a pool of blood, but Bobby barely noticed as the blood soaked through his jeans. The only thing that he noticed was the peaceful face of a man, dead, who should have been too young to die. Bobby felt his eyes start to burn. It was all his fault. He saw Mystique plunge that dagger into Cyclops. And yet he had done nothing. Absolutely nothing.
The circle of people slowly parted and a shadow fell over the X-Men. They all looked up to see Breeze standing over them.
"He's dead." Rogue said as a way of explanation. "It's all our fault...he's dead."
Breeze knelt beside the body and placed her fingers on Cyclops's neck, trying to find a pulse that had already ceased to exist. "Indeed, he is gone." She said at last. "What is his name?"
"Cyclops. Or, his real name's Scott Summers. Mr. Summers."
Gently, Breeze took her fingers from Cyclops's neck and placed them on his forehead. She placed her other hand over his stomach wound.
"Scott." She began. "I know you can hear me. I know you must think that there is nothing you can do. But there is. You can come back." As Breeze spoke, her eyes slowly closed. Her voice had an almost hypnotic tone. A pale yellow light slowly enclosed Cyclops's body.
"Come back. You can do it." Breeze continued. "So many people who care about you. Come back." Slowly, the stomach wound receded. It grew smaller and smaller until it disappeared altogether.
Rogue let out a cry of joy as Cyclops started to breathe once again. A great gasp for air, and Cyclops's eyes flew open. Full of questions, they full upon Breeze, who was still leaning on him.
"Wait, Breeze!" Bobby cried as she got up and turned to leave. "How can I, or we, ever than you for what you did just now? It was truly a miracle. You must be an angel."
Breeze smiled and shrugged. "It wasn't his time to go." She said simply. "Watch over him, and tell him, as gently as you can, what just happened. It's always a shock to find out you've come back from the dead." With that, Breeze turned around and proceeded to walk away. In a few seconds, she has disappeared.
* * * * * * *
Magneto walked quickly down the stairs. With any luck, the Brotherhood would have captured the mutant and would be returning soon. Stopping short, Magneto felt nothing but surprise as he took notice of what was lying at the bottom of the stairs. The Brotherhood.
Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Magneto picked up Mystique and began to shake her. "Mystique! What happened?" It was useless—she was unconscious. Furthermore, she had numerous burns all over her body. It was the same situation with Toad and Sabertooth—both were unconscious and badly burned.
A slight sobbing sound caught Magneto's attention. There was Pyro, clutching his knees, rocking back and forth in one corner, tears streaming down his cheecks. Burns were also evident all over his skin.
"What's going on?" Magneto grabbed Pyro and shook him vigorously. "What happened?!?"
Pyro looked at Magento, his lip quivering and eyes full of fear. He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out.
"What happened?" Magneto demanded again. "Was it the mutant?!?"
After a few seconds, Pyro slowly nodded. "She......she.....did this...."
"What was her name?!"
Pyro looked at Magneto, his lip quivering even more. "Bbbreeeeze....." Breaking down, Pyro collapsed and began sobbing in Magneto's arms.
Magneto remained still and silent while Pyro continued to sob in his arms. He could barely believe it—here was a grown man, sobbing and blubbering like he was seven years old!
Oh Breeze. Magneto thought. What have you done?
Author's Note: Well, that's it for this chapter! I'll try to keep writing and posting more chapters as fast as I can. Hopefully I'll be able to write a story that will live up to everyone's expectations. Please keep reviewing! Thx!
The air erupted with fire. Rogue's instincts took over. She dove to the ground, covering her head and neck with her arms. She braced herself for burning skin and hair, but she felt, nothing. Just a warmness that swelled up inside her heart, like she was meeting an old friend.
Someone screamed.
Upon opening her eyes, Rogue was shocked to discover that the air was on fire. They were unharmed, but yet the burning embers appeared to resemble the very depths of Hell. Nobody else seemed to be affected by the flames, except for the Brotherhood. Pyro was the only who was conscious enough to feel the effects of the fire. And feel them he did. He could feel the fire singeing at his skin. He could feel the flames ignite the hairs on his head. He could feel the fear well up deed inside his heart when he realized, that for the first time in his life, there was a fire that he could not control.
From where she was hiding, Rogue could see the embers clinging to Pyro's skin, and the fear within his eyes. He seemed to look right at her for a split second, before he let out a scream that pierced the depths of her heart. She blinked once, and then they were gone.
Rogue could hardly believe her eyes as she let Bobby help her to her feet. "What happened?"
Bobby shrugged. "My guess is as good as yours." He felt Rogue pull away from his grasp, but he could not movie. He himself could not believe what his eyes were seeing.
The town centre was absolutely spotless. It looked like the battle had never taken place. There were no burned or singed objects in sight, nor was there any water or ice. The cars that had blown up were where they had originally been, gleaming in the late afternoon sun.
Within a few seconds, the residents of Kingsville had gotten over their shock and surprise. They all gathered around Breeze, giving tearful thank-you's and hugs. Breeze simply smiled and said "You're welcome" to every single person in return. Slowly, the residents either go into their cars and drove off or returned to their business.
"Bobby!"
Rogue's frantic voice made Bobby jar out of his trance. He ran to the direction of her voice. A small crowd of people had already formed, and Bobby had to shove his way through. In the middle, he was a tearful Rogue cradling Cyclops's head. A silent Wolverine held onto Cyclops's limp wrist, searching for a pulse. The look in his eyes told Bobby that he found nothing.
Grief and guilt overwhelmed Bobby as he collapsed beside Rogue. He had fallen right onto a pool of blood, but Bobby barely noticed as the blood soaked through his jeans. The only thing that he noticed was the peaceful face of a man, dead, who should have been too young to die. Bobby felt his eyes start to burn. It was all his fault. He saw Mystique plunge that dagger into Cyclops. And yet he had done nothing. Absolutely nothing.
The circle of people slowly parted and a shadow fell over the X-Men. They all looked up to see Breeze standing over them.
"He's dead." Rogue said as a way of explanation. "It's all our fault...he's dead."
Breeze knelt beside the body and placed her fingers on Cyclops's neck, trying to find a pulse that had already ceased to exist. "Indeed, he is gone." She said at last. "What is his name?"
"Cyclops. Or, his real name's Scott Summers. Mr. Summers."
Gently, Breeze took her fingers from Cyclops's neck and placed them on his forehead. She placed her other hand over his stomach wound.
"Scott." She began. "I know you can hear me. I know you must think that there is nothing you can do. But there is. You can come back." As Breeze spoke, her eyes slowly closed. Her voice had an almost hypnotic tone. A pale yellow light slowly enclosed Cyclops's body.
"Come back. You can do it." Breeze continued. "So many people who care about you. Come back." Slowly, the stomach wound receded. It grew smaller and smaller until it disappeared altogether.
Rogue let out a cry of joy as Cyclops started to breathe once again. A great gasp for air, and Cyclops's eyes flew open. Full of questions, they full upon Breeze, who was still leaning on him.
"Wait, Breeze!" Bobby cried as she got up and turned to leave. "How can I, or we, ever than you for what you did just now? It was truly a miracle. You must be an angel."
Breeze smiled and shrugged. "It wasn't his time to go." She said simply. "Watch over him, and tell him, as gently as you can, what just happened. It's always a shock to find out you've come back from the dead." With that, Breeze turned around and proceeded to walk away. In a few seconds, she has disappeared.
* * * * * * *
Magneto walked quickly down the stairs. With any luck, the Brotherhood would have captured the mutant and would be returning soon. Stopping short, Magneto felt nothing but surprise as he took notice of what was lying at the bottom of the stairs. The Brotherhood.
Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Magneto picked up Mystique and began to shake her. "Mystique! What happened?" It was useless—she was unconscious. Furthermore, she had numerous burns all over her body. It was the same situation with Toad and Sabertooth—both were unconscious and badly burned.
A slight sobbing sound caught Magneto's attention. There was Pyro, clutching his knees, rocking back and forth in one corner, tears streaming down his cheecks. Burns were also evident all over his skin.
"What's going on?" Magneto grabbed Pyro and shook him vigorously. "What happened?!?"
Pyro looked at Magento, his lip quivering and eyes full of fear. He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out.
"What happened?" Magneto demanded again. "Was it the mutant?!?"
After a few seconds, Pyro slowly nodded. "She......she.....did this...."
"What was her name?!"
Pyro looked at Magneto, his lip quivering even more. "Bbbreeeeze....." Breaking down, Pyro collapsed and began sobbing in Magneto's arms.
Magneto remained still and silent while Pyro continued to sob in his arms. He could barely believe it—here was a grown man, sobbing and blubbering like he was seven years old!
Oh Breeze. Magneto thought. What have you done?
Author's Note: Well, that's it for this chapter! I'll try to keep writing and posting more chapters as fast as I can. Hopefully I'll be able to write a story that will live up to everyone's expectations. Please keep reviewing! Thx!