GottaLoveIt : I'm glad you like how i give different perspectives. Some people just define that as crappy writing :D I just figured that there were so many characters that they needed to speak for themselves some times.
That Livingston Girl : Yes the Toadness is the best part. Don't worry Bobby and Marina scene will be arriving shortly.
Maid of the Mer : Well i'm glad to see you put effort into your muffins. I make the stories and you can make the muffins, sounds like a great plan. Thanks for reviewing, it really encourages me to continue writing.
Yes Scott is out of action. I thought it would be much more interesting that way, it gives Marina and Toad more time together ;)
Galadeidre : Thanks for your review! I'm not sure what i'm going to do with Rogue. At first i was going to stick her with Remy, but then everything i know about Remy has been from other Fan Fictions so i didn't feel up to the job. But i might write a second story...maybe Rogue and Remy will get there moment there. I'm not sure yet.
If anyone else has reviewed i'm sorry if you didn't get mentioned. My crappy review alert doesn't tell me i have a review untill two days after its been sumbitted.
17. The Loss
Bobby POV
I think Professor Xavier had a few lose screws in that bald head of his. I can't believe he actually expected us to look for one shrub in the entire forest. Sure I'll be able to sense Marina when we get close, but we'll have to search and whole forest to get to that point. Did I mention that the forest was big?
Remy walked up beside me and took off his black sunglasses, showing his red eyes.
"Feel anything?" he asked. I shook my head without answering. If I had said something it probably wouldn't have been nice, and I could see that Remy was truly worried about Marina; he and I both had something in common. Remy stopped walking and motioned for everyone else to stop. He began scanning the bushes as Logan began to sniff the air like a dog. Logan rolled his eyes and groaned allowed.
"Why do you always have to show up?" he asked, to no one in particular. There was a rustle in the near by bushes and a lithe blue woman sauntered out.
"Hello to you too," Mystique said. I immediately noticed something different than usual, she was actually wearing clothing! Sure it was only a tiny sports bra and black yoga pants, but it was a welcomes change.
"What do you want?" asked Logan, watching her with careful eyes.
"Calm down, Wolfy. I'm here for the same reason as you; to get Marina back." I couldn't help roll my eyes at her comment. What was is about Marina Ocean that attracted people to her, making them want to save her life.
"Join the club," I muttered. Mystique glanced at me before turned her attention back to Logan.
"You can stick with us if you want, but we'll be watching you," said Logan, pointing a finger in her face. Mystique just smiled and swatted his finger out of her face. We continued on our way, but it was obvious everyone was worried about Mystique's presence. The blue woman moved up so she was standing beside me and Remy.
"'allo Mystique," said Remy, not looking her way.
"Remy. It's been awhile," replied Mystique. I felt my mouth go dry; they knew each other! Of course I realized it was stupid to be surprised. They were both friends of Marina's, and neither could really be counted as respectable company in the first place. I hoped we would find the shrub soon, before anymore of Marina's strange friends showed up.
"Okay let's do it?" said Marina, decidedly. For the last hour she and Toad were trying to find a good way for her to get out. The finally decided that she might as well jump through the hole as water and see how things went from there. "If something goes wrong, just hold tight. The X-team is probably out looking for us." Marina looked down the hole and then back at Toad.
"Be careful luv."
"I'll try." Marina body dissolved until it was only silhouetted by clear blue water. She slowly slid through the tunnel that led to the entrance way. She was about to leap through the whole when she froze and turned back into her human form.
"Hey Toad!"
"What?" Marina did not morph as she wiggled back out of the tunnel, she felt Toad's hand on her waste as he helped slide her out. Marina caught her breath, surprised to find that he was once again touching her.
"I don't have to go," she explained. "Bobby, Bobby is coming."
"Who?" asked Toad, looking puzzled.
"Bobby Drake…Iceman. He's one of the X-Men," said Marina, almost hopping with excitement. Toad waved his hands in the air to make Marina slow down.
"How do ya know 'es coming?"
"I can feel him."
"Feel 'im eh? You can't read minds can ya?" he asked, edging away from Marina. The water angel giggled and smacked him on the chest.
"Don't worry, I can't read minds. Bobby is an ice mutant and I am a water mutant," she explained with a shrug.
"So?"
"So, ice is only frozen water." Marina nodded her head in the direction of the main cave and walked back in, Toad following behind her. Marina walked over to Scott, and softly touched his leg, where she knew she wouldn't hurt him.
"Scotty? Bobby's coming." Scott kept his eyes closed, but a smile formed on his lips, showing that he heard her. He thought it was only right that Marina's son be the one to come get them out.
Bobby walked through the forest with confidence. He had suddenly connected with Marina and it wouldn't be long before he found her and got the answers he wanted.
"How much longer?" asked Mystique.
Bobby didn't say anything but stepped around a large rock to where there was a single shrub on the ground. Rogue walked up and looked at it before nodding. It was the shrub.
Bobby reached out and yanked the bush back revealing a hole big enough for a person to crawl through on his or her stomach. Bobby wanted to be the first in so he began to climb into the hole. A huge bang erupted and Bobby's ears burned in pain as well as the left side of his face.
"What that?" asked Scott. A large bang sounded through the cave and loose pieces of rock fell to the ground.
"My God!" Marina screamed, running towards the entrance. Toad also raced after her, realizing what just happen. Marina flooded through the hole and sloshed out the other side, Toad only a few seconds behind her.
The x-men said nothing as Marina appeared. Lying on the ground was Bobby, the left side of his face a bloody mess of burned skin. Marina didn't say anything but stood there, her whole body shaking as she stared at the mangled face of her unconscious son.
"Marina," Mystique said quietly, edging cautiously towards her friend. Marina broke out of her daze and let out a shriek that sent shivers down the spines of everyone present. She dropped to the ground and cradled Bobby's head in her arms. "Marina listen to me," said Mystique again. Marina ignored her and continued to whimper. "Sarah- Jane Montgomery!" Marina's eyes immediately flickered to her friend on hearing the name that once belonged to her. "Sarah, he'll be fine, but we have to get him out of here before its to late. Pull yourself together."
"Do you promise?"
"Yeah I promise." What Mystique did next shocked not only the x-men but Toad as well. She wrapped her arms around Marina and hugged her tightly, a single tear sliding down her blue face.
"Scott!" Marina screamed suddenly, jumping out of the embrace. "Scott, he's down there and he's really hurt. He might not recover."
"I'll get him," said Mystique, heading to the hole. "Come on Rogue."
Rogue and Mystique slid into the hole and disappeared from the view of the others. They made their way to the main cavern. Both their stomach's flopped when they saw Scott lying on the ground in such a bad shape.
"Hey Scotty," said Mystique.
"Hey Jody," Scott whispered.
"You know that isn't my name anymore," Mystique said. Scott smiled and shook his head at her.
Marina's POV
The image of Bobby's mangled face was burnt into my vision, even after I turned away. Remy and Logan were working at cleaning up his wounds, but I was too emotional to watch. When I saw my only son lying on the ground, assumed dead, I thought I would die myself.
Mystique set me right; she always was a good friend. I couldn't believe she called me by my old name in front of everyone. She and I had been friends long before her mutation had kicked in. I had foolishly told her my first name, a mistake I never did anymore.
We had made a deal when she changed, she would never call me Sarah, and I would never call her Jody. She hated anything to do with her. I don't think anyone but me and Scott knew her has Jody, we were the only two who continued to be in her company after she became a shifter.
"Some one is coming!" Logan shouted, jumping to his feet and listening intently.
"Did anyone check if Ken had any detectors around?" I snapped, jumping into fight mode. The only emotion that I could successful manage in my current state. The x-team looked at me wordlessly; it was one precaution that forgot to check.
"That was sm-" Toad began, he was cut off by sudden sporadic gunfire came from the near by trees. All of us scattered like aunts, ducking behind the closest cover that we could find. I grabbed Bobby by his shoulders and dragged him behind a large boulder so that he wouldn't catch a stray bullet. I kissed him on the clean side of his face and rushed from behind my cover, no longer myself but water.
I sloshed into the first man I could see. He fell to the ground and I quickly morphed human and grabbed his dropped weapon. I hated killing, I really did, but there are some things in life people just can't get around. I turned the gun on the fallen man and pulled the trigger, trying not to wonder whether or not he had a family.
I jumped from behind the tree and began to shoot at any person I could see. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Remy shooting his cards at the offending soldiers. His cards were suddenly gone and I spun to him.
"Remy!" I chucked the rifle to him and he grabbed his and started to use it instead. I felt something cut through my stomach and I gasped in pain and put my hand to my stomach. I felt a warm liquid on my hand and I didn't have to look down to know what it was. I had been shot. I groaned and tried to get control over my wandering mind. I felt an arm around my waist, and my body being led in an unknown direction.
"I tink its time tah heal yourself, luv," I heared Toad say into my ear. My mind wrapped around his British accent, going over each word in my foggy mind. Suddenly I opened my eyes and morphed into water, sighing as I felt the warm liquid disappear and felt only water remaining. Two more bullets came my way, but they cut through the water and hit near by trees. I turned human again and ducked behind a tree where Toad was waiting.
"Thanks," I said, before quickly running out again to get back into the fight.
Bobby's POV
The first thing I felt when I opened my eyes was a searing hot pain that burned the left side of my face. I reached up to touch my face but quickly retracted my hand when I felt the bubbly flesh. Gun fire filled my ears and a struggled to sit up and look around. I was beside a bolder which I quickly peeked around. The entire forest clearing was filled with men in army garb. They were being fought back by my fellow mutants and I wondered what had gone on while I was unconscious.
Across the clearing I saw Marina fighting side-by-side with Toad, and I felt relieved to know that we had at least gotten them about alive…so far. I heard a loud yelp and I saw Rogue being dragged out of the clearing by a woman, a flying woman. Ken had a mutant on his team! It was then that I got angry. The very man who was trying to destroy mutants had a mutant on his team.
The burning in my face suddenly cooled down and another sensation filled my body. I felt cold, solid, and ready for battle. I stood up quickly and there was a huge shock that ran through my whole body. I looked down at my hand and saw that it was no longer a hand, but ice shaped like a human body. I ran (more like slid, everywhere I stepped I left an ice path) in the direction the woman had taken Rogue.
I couldn't see them anywhere, but another painful shriek echoed through the forest. I ran blindly until I saw Rogue on the ground, the flying woman's hands clenched around Rogue's neck. Rogue's face was covered in pain and the other woman's skin was covered in veins, her eyes rolled back into her head.
"Bobby," Rogue shrieked my name, "She's s-stuck, make her l-let go." I was racing to her as quickly as possible when Rogue threw back her head and let out one more shriek. The woman's eyes rolled forward again and she fell to the ground, pulling Rogue with her. I skidded up, and knelt down beside the.
When I reached to touch the blonde woman, I noticed that my hands once again were normal flesh. I felt for her pulse, but there was nothing there. Rogue had large bruises on her neck and when I reach for her pulse, I didn't feel the familiar tug of skin touching, in fact I didn't feel a pulse at all. I yanked my hand away and stared at her, stunned.
"Bobby?" I hear Marina call. "Bobby?"
"I'm over here," I shouted, pulling my eyes away from Rogue's body. Marina ran over to me and knelt down beside Rogue.
"Is she…"
"Yeah." Marina looked down at Rogue quietly.
"Alright, let's move her to the jet. Storm has flown it to us." I couldn't believe how calm she was being. It was obviously not the first time she had dealt with a dead body before, and that creped me out a little bit.
I can't even explain the grief that settled on everyone when they saw Rogue's body. I had thought I had seen Logan at his worst when Jean died, I had been mistaken. He looked so small and weak when he saw Rogue, and for the second time I saw him cry. Even Toad and Mystique looked somewhat sad. Rogue would be a terrible loss for all of us.
Hey Hey, i've decided that its finally time for Bobby to find out about his mother. At first i decided that he would never find out, but i told my Best Friend and sister and they weren't too happy about that. So next chapter : Bobby learns the truth!