Pyro left. Ling had hoped to get through to him-hoping that he'd help her,
but at least she could tell Bobby and Rogue to still have a reason to hope.
"That is, if I ever get out of here." Ling muttered. She tried to liquefy herself, but all she could manage was a hand. She knew why. She was dehydrated, and she had used most of her energy on Magneto. And since there is no water in this cell, she had no way of revitalizing herself.
Day after day this went on. She was deadly thirsty, and Magneto was smart enough not to give her any water. She spoke a bit more with Pyro, and she thought that she'd nearly had him convinced-but it was not good enough. Every day, she became weaker and weaker; it took a lot of labor just to breathe properly. Magneto kept on saying, "If you help us, you can have some water and food." But she was a stubborn person-she did not give in, even though she was tempted to many times.
At one point, her voice was so raspy and croaky that she couldn't speak to anyone anymore, and the talks with Pyro had to cease.
"There goes my last chance at freedom," Ling thought bitterly. Not only that, but she was starting to like Pyro, and she enjoyed their time together.
Then, she felt something familiar on her head. With a lot of effort, she looked up and felt a drop of water fall onto her nose.
"Water!" she thought joyfully. That single drop felt like opening presents on Christmas Day. She figured a pipe was broken and somehow it was leaking through. She leaned her head back a little more and felt a drop go into her mouth. This stance was painful, but she slowly felt her energy come back. A little water was better than none at all. After what seemed like hours, she felt that she had enough strength to liquefy her entire body. First, she liquefied herself, including the metal bracelet, and just sat there as a pool of water for a while. Then she re-formed herself and saw that the bracelet was rusted. With some help from the wall, she cracked the bracelet open.
Ling made her escape. She found the helicopter landing and opened the door. She was about to take the helicopter when she realized that she didn't know how to fly it. And she heard Magneto's distant cries of anger.
So to improvise, she leaped into the ocean.
Ling felt like she was in a dream. She was dead tired; she didn't feel like she could swim anymore. But the gentle and rough waters pressing in on her gave her strength, gave her strength enough to make it. She flowed through the seaweed, past the sharks, under the boats, through the waves, and eventually landed on shore.
She somehow, someway, reached the Xavier Institute. It was the only place she could go. To tell Bobby and Rogue about Pyro. To make things right.
She couldn't get in through the door-it was about 9:00 maybe. The dark sky was cloudy, and still was when she liquefied herself once again and made her way in. She went to her old room, hoping Rogue was in there by now.
She came in as a puddle and stayed that way for a moment because Ling didn't think that she had enough energy to re-form. Ling tried, but all she could manage was a watery form of herself. It's a human shape, but it's made of water. Through her blurred water vision, she could see faded shadows of two people kissing-
"Oh my god, who are you?" Rogue's voice shrieked as she broke away from (Ling presumed) Bobby. Ling felt a breath of cold air from Rogue's breath.
"Shoot." Ling muttered as she started going back into a puddle.
Rogue sort of recognized the distorted voice. "Ling?"
"In the flesh. Well, not really."
She finally got herself to re-form, and she collapsed on her old bed.
"What happened to you? Where did you go? The Professor's been looking everywhere, even on Cerebro. He couldn't find you. We-we thought you were dead." Bobby asked.
At first she just laid there, eyes boring into Bobby's ice blue ones. Finally, she pointed to the healing cut on her head and said, "Magneto."
Rogue's eyes flashed angrily at the mention at that name. She fingered one of the white streaks in her hair.
Ling quickly went to the bathroom and took a long drink of water.
"Did you see John there?" Bobby asked quietly. Rogue looked at Ling expectantly.
"Yes." Ling answered.
"Is he an evil follower of Magneto now?" Rogue asked harshly.
"Actually, from what I got from him, he misses you guys and I don't think he has a forever loyalty feeling to Magneto. I tried to get him back, I really did, and I think it almost worked. But it wasn't enough, especially after I lost my voice." Ling explained.
"Oh, and another thing," Ling added, "I know what Magneto's planning."
"That is, if I ever get out of here." Ling muttered. She tried to liquefy herself, but all she could manage was a hand. She knew why. She was dehydrated, and she had used most of her energy on Magneto. And since there is no water in this cell, she had no way of revitalizing herself.
Day after day this went on. She was deadly thirsty, and Magneto was smart enough not to give her any water. She spoke a bit more with Pyro, and she thought that she'd nearly had him convinced-but it was not good enough. Every day, she became weaker and weaker; it took a lot of labor just to breathe properly. Magneto kept on saying, "If you help us, you can have some water and food." But she was a stubborn person-she did not give in, even though she was tempted to many times.
At one point, her voice was so raspy and croaky that she couldn't speak to anyone anymore, and the talks with Pyro had to cease.
"There goes my last chance at freedom," Ling thought bitterly. Not only that, but she was starting to like Pyro, and she enjoyed their time together.
Then, she felt something familiar on her head. With a lot of effort, she looked up and felt a drop of water fall onto her nose.
"Water!" she thought joyfully. That single drop felt like opening presents on Christmas Day. She figured a pipe was broken and somehow it was leaking through. She leaned her head back a little more and felt a drop go into her mouth. This stance was painful, but she slowly felt her energy come back. A little water was better than none at all. After what seemed like hours, she felt that she had enough strength to liquefy her entire body. First, she liquefied herself, including the metal bracelet, and just sat there as a pool of water for a while. Then she re-formed herself and saw that the bracelet was rusted. With some help from the wall, she cracked the bracelet open.
Ling made her escape. She found the helicopter landing and opened the door. She was about to take the helicopter when she realized that she didn't know how to fly it. And she heard Magneto's distant cries of anger.
So to improvise, she leaped into the ocean.
Ling felt like she was in a dream. She was dead tired; she didn't feel like she could swim anymore. But the gentle and rough waters pressing in on her gave her strength, gave her strength enough to make it. She flowed through the seaweed, past the sharks, under the boats, through the waves, and eventually landed on shore.
She somehow, someway, reached the Xavier Institute. It was the only place she could go. To tell Bobby and Rogue about Pyro. To make things right.
She couldn't get in through the door-it was about 9:00 maybe. The dark sky was cloudy, and still was when she liquefied herself once again and made her way in. She went to her old room, hoping Rogue was in there by now.
She came in as a puddle and stayed that way for a moment because Ling didn't think that she had enough energy to re-form. Ling tried, but all she could manage was a watery form of herself. It's a human shape, but it's made of water. Through her blurred water vision, she could see faded shadows of two people kissing-
"Oh my god, who are you?" Rogue's voice shrieked as she broke away from (Ling presumed) Bobby. Ling felt a breath of cold air from Rogue's breath.
"Shoot." Ling muttered as she started going back into a puddle.
Rogue sort of recognized the distorted voice. "Ling?"
"In the flesh. Well, not really."
She finally got herself to re-form, and she collapsed on her old bed.
"What happened to you? Where did you go? The Professor's been looking everywhere, even on Cerebro. He couldn't find you. We-we thought you were dead." Bobby asked.
At first she just laid there, eyes boring into Bobby's ice blue ones. Finally, she pointed to the healing cut on her head and said, "Magneto."
Rogue's eyes flashed angrily at the mention at that name. She fingered one of the white streaks in her hair.
Ling quickly went to the bathroom and took a long drink of water.
"Did you see John there?" Bobby asked quietly. Rogue looked at Ling expectantly.
"Yes." Ling answered.
"Is he an evil follower of Magneto now?" Rogue asked harshly.
"Actually, from what I got from him, he misses you guys and I don't think he has a forever loyalty feeling to Magneto. I tried to get him back, I really did, and I think it almost worked. But it wasn't enough, especially after I lost my voice." Ling explained.
"Oh, and another thing," Ling added, "I know what Magneto's planning."