Racetrack's Goil, Blix Howlett: Not going to answer anything too specific in case I spoil the chapter, so just read on! Thanks for reviewing!
Chapter 53The rain fell like sharp daggers through the air, aiming their sharp points into the running river through the dirt ground. It stung at the faces of the mutants that stared upwards at the roof, making their faces cold and raw even in the humid weather. The air was filled with an eerie silence, which had only the slight distance calls of wildlife. Siren's horrified scream had left a ringing stillness in the air, only now disturbed locally by her gasps for breath as though she had been running for miles. She broke the tense air by whirling her head round to stare at the other X-Men, watching their shocked and blank faces. Nobody said a word. With an angry cry, she ran towards the scarred building wall, scrambling over a broken car door that sat dug in the waterlogged dirt. The glass was smashed and bodywork dented – it had seen the effects of mutant retaliation.
Near the wall, lay on it's back in the mud was what once was a car bonnet. The inside was dented, making the rainwater collect in a murky puddle in the centre. Siren had leapt upon the scarred metal, dual clang of her heels echoing mysteriously in the air. She spun her head again to glare round at the other mutants. Her hair – since saturated – stuck its soft curls against her forehead and cheeks, flying skyward as she moved her head before hanging limply upon her shoulders. "Magneto!" she cried, staring at him with wild eyes. "Lift me up there!"
Magneto regarded her sternly for a moment with his dark eyes. Rain trickled down his weathered face, dripping past the aged hollows of his eye sockets. Slowly, he nodded his head and strode past the X-Men. He swept his long black cloak to one side as he outstretched his arms. His fingers spread wide as they pointed at Siren. The shrivelled car bonnet beneath Siren's feet shuddered before Magneto raised his hands and the metal groaned pitifully as it rose up out of the dirt – murky water pouring off its sides. Siren's legs spread slightly to keep her balance as she rose upon the sheet of metal. The overhanging body of Scott coming closer as she moved higher. She kept a determined face, her tears disguised by the continuous trickle of rain down her features.
As she reached the roof, she leapt off the metal, which instantly dropped towards the ground. Siren landed sharply on the grit roof, her boots screeching slightly on the small stones from the force of her landing. She swept her blowing hair back from her face, eyes first being greeted by the carnage that was fallen bodies of the roof Snipers. She turned slowly, seeing Logan sat crouched a few feet away from Scott. He was holding his side that was bleeding aggressively through his destroyed uniform. The man was so marked by blood and bruises she could hardly recognise him. There was a pool of blood underneath him, staining the knees of his uniform as he sat in the crimson puddle that rippled under the falling rain. Her eyes moved from Logan, who had observed her with dim eyes, to Scott. She let out another gasp at seeing his fallen body, how he hung so limply off the edge of the roof. She hurried on over to him, her green trench coat billowing fervently behind her. She collapsed down upon her knees, hands gripping at his clothes as she pulled him away from the edge of the roof. Once he was no longer partly hanging off the edge, she let him lay still. She stared down at his face, dirt and blood cleaned away from his exposure to the rain. He looked so pale..
Her hand rose from his chest to hover against the side of his face. After a moment's hesitation the soft leather of her gloves touched his face. She lifted his cheek from the dirt of the roof, picking up the side of his face so he faced her. Her thumb slowly extended, still shaking as it slowly pressed down to his cheek in a gentle stroking motion. The touch triggered movement from Scott, and Siren made a gasp as his head moved and he made a soft cough. She immediately moved closer, hand parting from his head for only a moment as she ripped off her gloves before she touched his face with the soft skin of her hands. She held both his cheeks in her palms, cradling his face, "Scott? Scott, it's all right. Adrienne is here. I'm here."
She saw the dark shadows of his eyes flicker open behind his visor, the movement of the shadow the only evidence of his eyes behind the red lens. "Adrienne?" His voice sounded so tired. The tremendous effort could be heard in his trembling voice.
"Mon Dieu... Look at you," she whispered in a tearful voice as her eyes watched the ripped bullet holes through his uniform. Her eyes quickly met his face against as he made a swift groan of pain, his back arching slightly. He gasped quietly, dropping his head back down.
"Adrienne," he said quietly, his hand suddenly darting and grabbing hers, "I can't - .. it." His eyes closed, and he took a shuddering breath that was finished with a pained wince. "Adrienne.. I don't want to die. Not anymore."
"You're not going to die!" cried Siren forcefully, holding his hand tightly, "Listen to me, we're going to get you back to the Jet and Storm can help you."
"We can't," he gasped softly, "The jet.. it's too far away."
Logan sat with his head bowed, a hand still held tightly over his wounded side. He said nothing.
But Siren's eyes flashed angrily as her hands fled from his hand and took hold of his face gently, "No Scott! You do not give up! You be too strong to give up. You're a leader Scott, where is your determination now, huh!"
"No matter.. how hard I try, how determined I am. There are some things.. you just can't change.."
There was a cry of anguish from Siren who had lifted his head from the floor to hold him against her. His upper torso was lifted slightly as Siren shifted her arms to hold him against her. Her face was pressed against his as she spoke quietly, tears falling strongly from her closed eyes, "Please don't do this, Scott. You can't die. You're going to be fine.." a hand raised to hold his head, brushing through his hair to move it from his forehead, "You will not die. You will not!"
But he did not reply.
"Scott?" A ghostly wheeze of passing wind blew by, obscuring Siren's face with her hair that she tossed back as she stared worriedly at Scott's face. "Scott.." she said in a quieter voice. She pulled back slightly, her arms loosening their hold. He slumped back from her chest to lay heavily in her arms. His head dropped back from its cradle against her chest, hanging limply back as his face lay slack. A hand flew to Siren's lips, holding upon them as she gave a shrill gasp of horror. Her breath had speeded with growing sobs, causing her entire body to rack with each shaky breath. A sob escaped her as she flung her arms around him again, pulling him close against her body once more. His arms lay relaxed on the grit of the roof, moving limply as she rocked against his body in soft sobs.
"Scott?" another voice sounded, another female. Siren ignored it. She held Scott tightly. "Scott!" came the voice again; in such a passionate tone that Siren slowly pulled her face back from Scott's, her lips leaving his pale cheek. She looked towards where the voice had come from and her eyes landed upon Logan. He was no longer huddled on the floor in his pain, but he was standing rigidly. The torn attire was blowing fiercely as though a strong gale was billowing around him. Beneath the fluttering strands of his hair, Siren noticed that his dark gaze had changed. His eyes were alight with flames that danced and writhed like a living blaze. Siren slowly turned a little, her shimmering eyes staring at Logan with a mixture of bewilderment and fear.
Suddenly, without warning, the thrashing fires in his eyes erupted forth in two streams of billowing flames, stretching out strangely from each eye. They danced slowly and wrapped around each other before a moving figure began to form as the output of the fire grew. A moulded form of a female could be seen, set by flames. She was writhing in anger, as if trying to break out. Siren's eyes widened, her hands automatically tightening on Scott's body. But the figure threw back its head, shaking its fiery hair angrily, before it let out a ghostly wail of anguish and it dived in a stretch of fire towards Scott's body with it's echoing scream.
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