Jenskott: Ah, well sorry, but that's how you came off last chapter.
The Uncanny R-Man: Yeah I wanted to work in a few things from the comics to show just how much he has been a part of their lives and they never knew it, but sorry no April in this. I wanted to have at least one person that doesn't blame Sage from that.
Mark C: Yeah, they will do everything to rescue them. I really wanted to do that Sage/Rogue scene there. Plus, Sinister's reach was farther then anyone had known. They might get rescued before then so don't worry too much.
Aaron: Yeah, I'm really trying to make Sinister a villain that's just plain scary. I really liked how that Rogue and Sage scene worked out, I wanted Sage to start getting over her own guilt somewhat. You can bet it will be a major battle in this chapter.
Jade: Rogue was busy in the mansion they just went to Bayville to try and snatch whoever they could and she was just lucky not to be out of the mansion at the time.
ViciousAssassin: Thanks I really tried my best to capture Sinister in this chapter and his speech to them was something that I've wanted to do for a log time. Glad you liked the Xavier bit there, and I really wanted Sage to start interacting with the others and Rogue was perfect for it. Major fight in the next chapter and you know it.
Kaliann: Yeah well Sinister lives in his own little world, and you know the others will find them eventually.
GothikStrawberry: Actually Sinister I think was responsible for the Summer's death in the comics. Sorry about the cliff hanger but it will be worth it.
Doza: Yeah I had one back to the 80s with that guy too lol. Same with the Buffy thing, blame that on popular culture I guess.
Thanks to: X00001, Simba317, Quillian, Wen1, japanesegirl101, Silver Warrior
Hellfire and Brimstone
CHAPTER 42: DARK MOMENTS IN MUTANT LIFE
Selene & Slayer
The mutant warrior known as Slayer and the immortal woman known as Selene stood poised to fight in the uppermost hall of the Hellfire mansion. Slayer had his long, decorated magic sword drawn as he took a fighter's stance in preparation to strike…Yet to Selene, such an act didn't concern her in the slightest as she merely scoffed at this pathetic mortal's attempt to instill fear in her.
"Slayer huh?" said Selene with a cold, evil grin as she summoned her black magic to make one of the swords on one of the many demonic statues littered throughout the area to levitate and rocket over towards her hand where she turned it into a shining weapon of death, "Well…Slayer…I don't know how you've managed to slip past my senses all this time, but if it's a slow, tortuous death you want…It's a slow tortuous death you shall have!"
"Bring it on evil bitch!" shot Slayer as he let out a war cry and lunged forth with great speed and agility with his sword in hand.
In a clash of steel and strength, Slayer's sword made contact with Selene's. Both fighters were surprised at one another's strength, which seemed equally matched, but that didn't slow the fight own in the slightest as Slayer attempted a four slash combo with his blade, each of which Selene countered and blocked with a few skilful defensive moves that showed off her agility and skill. When the combo was over, Slayer attempted a powerful lunge attack that went in a blur of speed that Selene managed to dodge, leaving them both a brief minute to catch their breath and prepare for their next attack.
"Not bad warrior…" said Selene with an insidious grin, "But not nearly good enough!"
Then, Selene went on the offensive, using centuries of black magic and immortal strength to pull off a few two slash manoeuvres that were meant to be two slash, two kill manoeuvres that usually left the victim's head rolling on the floor. Yet Slayer, with the aid of his all seeing eye, managed to see this coming and took the mere fractions of a second he had to counter with his sword and block her attacks, leaving them once again stuck in a stalemate as Slayer kicked her away from him and they both continued to glare at one another with unfretted determination.
"You reek of good chi!" yelled Selene as she tried several more slashes, each of which Slayer managed to block, "You're repugnant stench was what gave you away!"
"Funny…And I thought that stench was because I couldn't find time to squeeze in a shower before I came here!" said Slayer, matching every attack from Selene with his powerful warrior skills.
"Pathetic mortal!" she yelled back at him, growing annoyed with his strong resistance to her wrath, "I will not allow some retched do-gooder come between me and my power!"
Then, in a maze of frenzied manoeuvres, Selene managed to pull off one quick swipe to the face of the mutant warrior, causing a small cut to form on his face. Slayer reached up and felt the small speck of blood upon his face, but it did not change his demeanor in the slightest.
"Looks like I draw first blood…" said Selene with a cold, confident grin, "You may have skill…But you're still mortal and I am immortal. No amount of beating you inflict will ever cause me any harm!"
"Wanna bet?" said Slayer with a slight grin as he saw his opportunity and took it.
Then, with a quick three-slash combo, aided with a firm kick to the stomach, Slayer landed a single powerful slash across the immortal woman's torso. Immediately, she let out a howl of pain…For it burned her in a way she had never been burned before.
"YEEEAAAARRRRRGGGG!" she yelled in a fury of pain.
It had caught her completely off guard. Normally, whenever she was hit with something whether it was a sword or a gun, it left a mere sting in her body before the life energy that she had amassed healed it…But this time, it was different. This time…That blade had penetrated her in a manner which she had never felt before. Something within that blade reacted with the very essence of her being…Something within that power struck her hard…Which only seemed to enrage her further.
"NO! It's impossible! I am immortal! I cannot be hurt!" she yelled as she felt the wound the mutant warrior's sword had left on her.
"Wrong Selene…" said Slayer as he stood poised in his fighter's stance, ready for another blow, "My sword is forged with the essence of good, pure chi…The very same chi which dominates my aura. My sword and I function as one and with it, I can penetrate beyond your elaborate defences and strike at the very heart of the darkness which has kept you alive for so many centuries."
This revelation was one Selene never anticipated, but despite this…It hardly did anything to threaten her as she quickly recovered from the blow and held her weapon firmly in hand, a cold evil grin still dominating her face.
"So…Looks can be deceiving," she said with a grin as she looked back at the mutant warrior, "You seem to be quite resourceful in having avoided detection and actually having landed a blow upon my being which caused a little damage…But you are still a mortal being and I shall only savor your death even more once I send your soul to burn in hell!"
Selene's overconfidence seemed to fade as she began fighting with more rigor at this strange new opponent that had been snooping around under her nose for too long now. As the immortal Black Queen, she would not allow any sort of pestilent threat to come between her and her plans. This mortal may have been strong, but he was hardly skilled enough to overcome her centuries of experience.
With a fury of skilled slashes and gravity defying maneuvers, Selene quickly gained the upper hand on the mutant warrior as she forced him on the defensive, leaving him only time enough to counter and block each move she made and no time to make any offensive maneuvers with that sword of his. As she backed him towards the wall, her centuries of skill began to show as she used her agility to pull of a quick vertical slash, which Slayer was forced to counter, but with her quick reflexes, Selene managed to shift the momentum of her blade and hit the mutant warrior with three powerful slashes.
"Arrrrgh!" yelled Slayer as he felt two powerful horizontal slashes hit his torso and upper left leg while a single vertical slash landed upon his shoulder.
Selene may not have looked it, but she was exceptionally strong and each blow could have easily torn through the flesh of a regular mortal. But thanks to his powerful field of life energy and his samurai armor, he was able to absorb the blow and take in the intense pain that followed. As he keeled to the ground, Selene then kicked him up against the wall, where he clutched his torso, feeling blood soak his hand as the evil woman looked back at him with demented grin.
"You see warrior? Your skill is no match for centuries of darkness!" said Selene as she watched Slayer grit his teeth in pain from the impact of her blows, "Now…I will show you what true power is!"
Standing only a short distance from the wounded warrior, Selene raised her hand and began chanting a few mystic words as she prepared to cast a spell that would put him in a world of pain. Upon seeing this, they symbols atop Slayer's hands began to glow as she unleashed a blast of dark red energy that looked like the burning flames of hell itself.
However, Slayer's knowledge of magic quickly took hold as he cast a defensive spell, encasing him in a small shell of good chi that protected him from the fury of her blasts. Once again, Selene was met with something she had not expected as she looked back at the warrior with frustration.
"You're not the only one who knows a thing or two about magic, Selene…" said Slayer as he fought through the pain and regained his stance, his hands now glowing brilliantly in a bluish, purple light, "Now…Let me show you a few of my tricks!"
Then suddenly, Slayer launched a fury of purple colored lighting bolts at the dark immortal woman. This sent her back a bit, but she easily managed to block and deflect the blasts as Slayer used the opportunity to regain the initiative in the fight.
"Holy lightning…" she said as the bolts died down, "Not bad for a mortal…But no match for an immortal!"
Then, with in an evil maze of red haze, Selene cast a spell that engulfed the mutant warrior in shroud of glowing mist which quickly consumed him. And as it made contact with his body, it caused his whole form to freeze and turn into a strange diamond like statue…Trapping him. Selene grinned in triumph at what she saw, but it quickly faded as she saw the shell crack and shatter in a burst of mystic bolts, freeing the young warrior and fuelling his determination as bright glow formed upon his hands and concentrated itself within his sword.
"You little shit!" spat Selene, growing increasingly annoyed, "You are really starting to try my patience!"
"Yeah…I have a talent for that," quipped Slayer.
"You will BURN warrior!" she yelled as a strange glow of fire engulfed her sword, "I will see to it that your soul is tortured for all eternity!"
"Too late for that lady…I'm just in this for the thrills," quipped the warrior as the fight resumed.
In a clash of epic proportions, the mystic talents of both fighters combined and sparked with each blow as their swords and magic sent echoes of intense fury all throughout the area. Neither side held back anymore as they began integrating their magic into their swordplay, using it to perform mid air maneuvers that no normal being could ever pull off.
They were equally matched on many levels, but Selene's long time skill gave her the upper hand for the most part as she landed several early blows on the warrior, causing him to cough up blood as a result as his armor was mangled from the sheer force of her power. However, this only fueled his power as he pulled off a few acrobatics, giving him a few narrow openings to stab and slash Selene on her face, arm, and torso. Each touch of his sword burned her to the core, but for every blow he landed she inflicted three more as the simmering power of her evil power continued to add bloody injury after injury to the young warrior. However, even though she managed to land more blows…She expended more energy by doing so.
For the first time in a very long while, Selene felt her own blood trickle down her body from her wounds. The sword and skill of this warrior was hurting her in a way she had never been hurt before. His sword struck at the very core of the darkness that dominated her demented soul and soon, the once elegant black queen was mangled in a fury of messy blood just as much as Slayer's armor and body had been mangled by her as well.
Soon, they found themselves panting for breath as the once again pushed each other away from yet another fury of sword slashes, only a few of which landed. They were both struggling to keep their balance and leaning on their weapons for support, but neither side seemed ready to back down in the slightest.
"You are a skilled warrior…Slayer," said Selene coldly as blood trickled down her face through her now messy hair, "But you are far from capable of defeating me…"
"Wrong…Selene…" said Slayer as he coughed up blood, "I will…Defeat you! I will…I must…"
"You're pathetic…" she scoffed, "All you noble, hero wannabe's are the same…Thinking that the world can ever be dominated by light. With every force light conquers…Darkness prevails and grows stronger and stronger…While all the deluded champions of light fade and weaken with the strain of time. Don't you see…Slayer? You can never win…You're cause is pointless."
Then, much to Selene's annoyance, Slayer actually began to laugh at her words even as more blood seeped through his mouth.
"You think I do this because I want to be some kind of hero?" he said with a scoff, "You think I'm working for truth and justice in world where lies dominate? Lady…I know you're strong…But that doesn't give you an excuse to be stupid. I don't give a damn about justice and I don't give a damn about truth…I fight for the one thing that darkness can never taint…I fight for the one thing that never falters no matter how often I'm beaten or how much pain I feel…I fight…For honor."
"Honor!" shot the evil woman as her rage continued to grow, "You think that honor is a cause even worth giving two shits about! Looks like I was wrong about you mortal…You're no warrior of the forces of light…You're just a pathetic man using power he can't even begin to understand!"
"What can I say? I guess I'm a glutton for punishment," he grunted as he managed to return to his feet.
"ER! You pathetic fool! You must DIE!"
Then suddenly, Selene shot up from her wounded state and lunged forth towards the mutant warrior, grabbing his face and absorbing his life energy. Immediately, his chi began to flood hers as the young warrior let out a pained scream that echoed through the room while Selene was overcome with the rush of such intense energy.
"YES!" she said in a near orgasmic delight, "SO MUCH CHI! SO MUCH POWERS!"
Slayer's immense level of chi was feeding her body and healing the wounds she had suffered while it put Slayer into a world of pain. He yelled and he screamed in agony, yet he would not go down on this night…Not yet.
With his magic sword in hand, he firmly gripped it and fought through the pain as he felt his body and mind burn with agony. Then, in one swift, fluid motion, he jabbed the sword up over his head right into Selene's heart, causing a mini-explosion as she was flung back against the wall with the force of a speeding freight train. The volatile energy field that had surrounded her while she was absorbing his energy was sparked through the power of his sword and freed him before she could absorb the whole of his life energy.
Slayer was now on the floor gasping for air as Selene easily returned to her feet, now strong with life energy from the mutant warrior. A cold grin dominated her face as she made her way over to him, ready to once again feel the rush of soaking up such intense life energy.
"You're too weak to fight me now, Slayer…" she said coldly as she stood before him, "I am now strong with your life energy…And I shall use it to drain you down to your pathetic soul!"
Slayer was still in a world of hurt as he struggled to return to his feet. Then, as Selene's intense gaze focused on him, the mark of his all seeing eye began to glow and a slow smile spread across his face as he saw the visions of what was happening outside this mansion and with the X-men but only glimpse and that if he didn't leave at that moment he wouldn't be able to help them later. He hated to leave but sometimes he had to cut his losses and do what was best for what is to come. But he knew this wasn't the end of this, there would be another day and another battle and he would be more ready for that day.
"As much as I'd love to hear an evil mistress taunt me…I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you," he said as he looked back up at the evil woman, "All this fighting has finally caused you to let your guard down long enough for me to see what's going on. You may have more experience than me…But you're stuck with the same flaws. I know what's going on now…I can see it now that you have faltered in your desire to kill me. I got what I came here for…And because of that, I will put a stop to your insane plans…I will put a stop…To you and the Hellfire Club…Once and for all."
As a purple mist consumed him, a feeling of great rage consumed Selene as she lunged forth and tried to grab onto him before he disappeared. But this time…She was too late and the mutant warrior was gone.
"NO!" she yelled out in a fit of rage that echoed all throughout the halls, "YOU PATHETIC MORTAL! I WILL GET YOU! I WILL CONSUME YOUR SOUL AND MAKE SURE YOU BURN FOREVER IN THE FIRE AND BRIMSTONE OF HELL! MARK MY WORDS SLAYER…WE SHALL MEET AGAIN…AND I WILL CRUSH YOU!"
Rogue's Room
Rogue once again shot up from another hellish nightmare covered in cold sweat. Yet even when she was awake, she kept telling herself that this had to be a nightmare…It had to be some kind of horrible nightmare just like the ones that she had struggled with so much before. The Hellfire Club…The heinous group that took her and tortured, raped, and used her for their own heinous purposes was back…And they took her friends.
She thought she was finally learning to cope…She thought she was finally learning to live with it. She had developed closer friendships with those who were also victims like Jean, Betsy, and Emma…She had come to have a greater appreciation of her relationship with her brother, Kurt, who had also suffered tremendously as a result of the Club…And she thought that maybe she could find love with someone who had nearly died trying to save her both from being captured and from being controlled. And on top of that, she was finally learning to touch again…She was finally learning to trust again…Now this happens.
As soon as word got out that Scott, Jean, Emma, Vincent, Kurt, Wanda, Remy, Kitty, and Piotr were missing and captured…She was nearly went hysterical. That Club…That heinous club had her friends, her brother, and Remy…And she couldn't do anything about it. At one point, she yelled and screamed at the Professor for a good ten minutes, begging him to use Cerebro to find them before it was too late and they were put in some shielded prison…But unfortunately, it was already too late and not a trace of them was left just as it had been before when the Club captured her, Jean, and Vincent.
Now, she had sequestered herself in her room, tired and exhausted after having broke down upon feeling so helpless. She didn't want to believe it…But the sinking feeling in her stomach reminded her that this was no dream…This was real. Selene and Shaw were alive…And now they and their insidious club had her friends. For all she knew, Selene could be torturing the men and Shaw and the guards could be raping the women at this very moment. Memories of how she had been brutally gang raped came flooding back to her as she shivered and sobbed at the horrible memories that were never very far from her mind. She never wanted any of her friends to experience such pain…But now she had no control over it anymore…She couldn't do anything to stop it. She could lift 70 tons, fly through the air, and take bullet with ease…Yet she couldn't do anything to help her friends and it brought her a level of pain and sorrow the likes of which no amount of torture could equate to.
She had been pretty much gazing stoically into the air, angry at the Hellfire Club for continuing to have an affect on her life and angry at herself for letting them do so. The whole institute was in chaos now, but that was the last thing on her mind at the moment as she kept thinking about her friends and what sick ways the Hellfire Club were using them in at this very moment. Images of her rape memories meshed with the images of what they could be suffering right now…And with each image, an increasingly sick feeling welled up within her as she tried to shut it out and hold onto whatever hope she could manage.
The talk with Sage earlier had helped her for a bit but now she was back to worrying herself sick. She hoped that Sage was right and that they could find them, and she put up a front in front of the others especially the New Mutants but in her room alone she just broke down. She had no Kitty to comfort her, no Kurt for advice, not even Remy who would try to charm her with that smile of his. The three people she was closest to were gone and it was starting to take it's toll on her.
Then suddenly, a knock at the door startled her from her daze as she nearly gasped at the abrupt noise. She was in no mood to talk to anybody and probably would have told whoever was behind her door to go away if she hadn't heard who it was first.
"Rogue…" said Logan's gruff voice, "Rogue, are ya in there? I thought I heard something…"
Under normal circumstances, Logan wouldn't have entered her room unless she said something, but given the circumstances, he decided it was unlikely at best that she would respond. When he entered, he found the room in near total darkness with Rogue sitting on her bed, hugging her knees as she gazed off into space with a look of sorrow and anger upon her face.
As he closed the door behind him, Logan stepped in, knowing this had to be pretty hard on her given that not only was her brother one of the victims this time…But so was her unofficial boyfriend. Logan may not have been too fond of Gambit, but he made it clear that he cared about Rogue just as much as she made it clear she cared about him. And for that, Logan made no qualms about their relationship even if it still didn't sit right with him in many ways. But now, that wasn't his focus as he looked at the solemn young woman before him.
"Hank told me what happened with the Prof," he said in a low tone, still not drawing Rogue's gaze, "Says ya really unloaded on him…"
"Yeah…Ah did," she answered in a low tone, now regretting her actions, "Ah had no right to…But Ah did."
Rogue was forced to swallow a lump in her throat as she felt a new wave of anger towards herself for unloading her temper on the man who had given her so much. Professor Xavier didn't know this was going to happen…It wasn't his fault that the Hellfire Club had her friends. And yet, she still blamed him…For no good reason, she blamed him.
Logan watched the look on her face fall further into self loathing, a look he himself had been no stranger to since he found out as well…But as bad as the situation was, he knew neither of them could afford to let it consume them…Not when the others needed them so much.
"Hey…It ain't yer fault," he told her as he sat next to her on her bed, "Given what happened…I'm actually surprised ya didn't break any furniture."
"Ah busted his door…" she said, still not looking him in the eye in her solemn state.
Logan just rubbed the back of his neck, not knowing how to handle a situation like this since Rogue had been through the Hellfire Club's torture and he had not. In the past, he had usually been able to help Rogue more than most others, like the time her powers went crazy when after she found out she was adopted by Mystique…Yet in a situation like this, there wasn't much either of them could do to fight what was going on. Their friends had been abducted by the Hellfire Club…They hadn't left a trace behind…And they had no way of detecting them. Needless to say, there was no way to put a positive spin on things as he simply sought to reassure her that they all had to be strong.
"We'll get 'em back…I know we will," said Logan, "Ya have my word that I'll tear through an army if I have to in order to get everybody back safe and sound."
"Ah know ya will…" said Rogue finally turning to face the man who had helped her many times before in the past, "It's just that…After all this time…All this shit that Ah had to work through just to find some sense of sanity…It finally felt like I was learnin' to live with it. Ah was finally learnin' to get over it and move on, but…But then this happens. Mah friends, mah brother, and…Remy…They're all with those sick assholes and there ain't anythin' I can do about it!"
"I know…It's a bad feelin', believe me I know…" said Logan.
"But ya don't understand!" she said as she began to feel tears form in her eyes, "Ah could have been there! I could have at least done something to help! Ah mean…Remy asked me if Ah wanted to go with him, Kit, and Peter…But Ah said no. Ah…Ah could have been there to help them! Maybe Ah could have fought them off because Ah…Ah…"
"Rogue…Rogue!" said Logan, trying to stop her from letting herself sink any lower, "Come on Rogue…Don't be like this. This ain't you and you sure as hell know it. You're stronger than this…You know ya are. And the other's wouldn't want ya moping like this because of somethin' none of us had control over."
"But we were warned, Logan!" said Rogue, now beginning to lose control of her sobs, "We knew they were alive and we didn't do anythin' about it! Now look what's happened…They have em…They have mah friends…Mah family…And Remy…They have Remy."
"And we're gonna get em back, ya hear?" he said, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, "We did it once…We can do it again. We're gonna find them…Rescue them…And bring em back home. Ya hear? And this time we're gonna make sure those Hellfire fucks stay dead so they can never do this shit again. But we can't do that…Unless we all stay strong…You included."
Those words seemed to strike a chord with Rogue as she swallowed her sorrow and anger. Logan was right…Moping about it wasn't going to undo what happened. All any of them could do now is work to find their friends and fight to get them back. The Hellfire Club may have taken many things from her already…But she sure as hell wasn't going to let them take any more…Not now, not ever.
As she turned to face Logan, a new look of acceptance fell upon her face as she let out a deep sigh, knowing that the nightmare that was the Hellfire Club had taken hold once again and all they could do now was fight.
"Now come on stripes…" said Logan, helping her up off the bed, "Let's go get ready for another fight…"
"Lead the way…" she said with a new, more confident tone, "Ah sure as hell ought to be ready if Ah'm gonna kick some Hellfire ass."
-War Room-
Sage was in the War Room as it was sometimes called. It was also where most of the computer power in the mansion was centralized. With Hank's help, she had set up a very good computer research station and she made her own improvements to it. She also made a few pairs of special red shades in all her spare time. It was an idea she had in her mind for sometime now, for they not only allowed you too see, but access a computer network she was making. One of the good things about having a computer like mind was that she could make computer system like no other.
And she was putting it to good use and she was in a very comfortable chair that was sent special for her to sit for very long periods of time. She sat on it how in lose jeans and shirt for comfort as she had on the new shades as well as typing on a keyboard. She had tried to get in contact with Fury…Hell, with all the work she had done for him and all the sacrifices she had made, the least he could have done was to help them find where the Hellfire Club was now. She left a message for him but she was doing her own investigations. Emma was the only one that knew the ins and outs of the Hellfire Club like her, but she had been one of the ones taken. She knew many of the records and false accounts Shaw and the others used and she knew where to start.
She looked through records, both financial and property as well as any shipments with rush orders or any strange shipping manifests that the Club used. It was a LOT of data to sift through, but she could link up with the shades she wore and with her mind running as fast as a computer she was running through it all as inhuman speeds, but it would still took precious time.
She had been working for very long and so hard she had totally lost track of time. She had worked through the night and even had missed breakfast, but she didn't care. She had to find them and she wouldn't stop until she did. She didn't even notice when someone came into the room until they called out to her. She took off the cyber shades and looked to see Ororo with a worried look on her face.
Ororo had been wondering where Sage had gone and even Hank didn't know. She had tracked her down and Sage looked horrible, her hair was matted and she had dark circles from lack of sleep. "Goddess Sage…Didn't you get any sleep last night?"
"Last night?" she asked rubbing the bridge of her nose, "What time is it?"
"It's eleven thirty in the morning," Ororo said kneeling down to her height taking her hand, "Sage you're worrying me. What have you been doing all night and morning long?"
Sage placed the shades on the keyboard and sat back and took a deep sigh, "I have to do something…I won't just sit back and wait…Not this time, not again…" she said, whispering that last part.
Ororo heard that and knew what this was all about. Even though they hadn't seen each other in years, she still knew her well enough to know what was bothering her. She knew that Sage had been dealing with a lot of guilt over her inactions before and they had been eating her up inside ever since she started to live here again. Ororo noticed how she preferred to help with the younger members and avoided the older ones, especially the ones like Emma, Vince, Jean, Rogue, and Betsy. She felt guilty and now she was pushing herself to try and make up for it.
"Sage, I know you'll help them and we will need you in top form. But you can't work yourself sick…You need to eat and sleep or you'll just drop."
Sage's face went neutral then, "I'm fine…I can handle it."
Ororo didn't like this, or the monotone expression she was giving, "Don't you dare 'turn off' your emotions to me. You know I hate it when you do that," she said angrily to her friend. Even back in the old days she knew that when Sage was dealing with very emotionally hard times, she just somehow was able to 'turn off' the emotional center of her brain. It wasn't healthy and she was afraid that one day she would turn them off permanently if she kept it up.
Sage closed her eyes and her face changed into a more pained expression, "There…Are you happy now?" She hated feeling like this…She hated feeling like shit. Turning off her emotions was the only way she could get any peace and sometimes when she worked, she preferred to do it. But it was sometimes the only reason she had been able to do what she had to do in the past. Whenever she let her emotions out, she had to deal with all of those memories and the emotions she hadn't felt about them now were out.
"You have no idea what I had to do Ororo…You have no idea how hard it was to see them and others go through so many horrible things. To know that people had been murdered, tortured, and other things I don't want to think about…" She then closed her eyes as if that would shut the memories out.
Ororo took her hand and squeezed it, "I know it had to be hard."
Sage looked at her with tears in her eyes, "You have no idea! I had to watch and I had to…God Ororo, do you have any idea the things I had to do? Shaw alone was the worse. There were times when I had to sleep with that monster I let him do whatever he wanted to me and I had to act like I enjoyed it! When all I wanted to do was slit his throat or throw up afterwards."
Sage just placed her head in her hand trying not to cry. There were so many things she regretted doing in her job at SHIELD. She had known that being an undercover operative wasn't easy and all the missions she had with them still haunted her. Then she felt her long time friend, someone that had at one time felt like her sister and family to her in spirit.
Ororo wrapped her up in her arms and Sage just let it go. She let out all the pain, suffering, and frustration that had been building up for years. After some time the pale woman pulled away and wiped her eyes, "God I feel like and idiot blubbering on you like this."
Ororo just gently caressed her face, "Don't be. You've had a tough and lonely life since we last saw each other. Everyone needs to vent. Remember how I once broke down during the night after having a nightmare of my family being killed and you woke up and stayed with me the entire night?"
Sage smiled at the memory, which were the good old days in her mind that she missed soterribly, "Yes I do."
"You were there for me and I'm here for you. So please, let me help you."
"Alright, I guess I can take a short break…But I am going back and finishing this Ororo. I need to do this…You have to understand that," she said as she looked her friend in the eye, "I need to help this time around more then I did last time."
Ororo saw the determination in her eyes and nodded, knowing that Sage still had that stubborn side to her, "Okay, but first you need to get something to eat. Then, take a shower and get some rest. You're mind may be a computer, but your body isn't."
Sage nodded and sat up, feeling her body protest the movement. After being in a sitting position for so long she guessed she could use a break. But she was determined to be back at work as soon as possible…For she still had a lot of things she wanted to make up for.
-Elsewhere in the Mansion-
Sam was looking for someone…Mainly Tabitha. He hadn't seen her lately and given how everyone was nervous about all that was happening, she was strangely absent. He looked all over for her since he had finally worked up the nerve to tell her how he felt. This latest attack was a wake up call for them all. There was talk of them going off the save the others. Add to that they were next on the list of those that would be taken.
He felt that before anything else happened, he had to tell Tabitha how he felt.
Sam was walking to the room that she shared with Amara and he guessed it was time to take her advice. He knocked on the door, "Tabby you in there?" He heard someone moving around and then Tabitha's voice.
"Yeah…Look can we talk later? I'm not feeling well."
Sam was a bit concerned at that, "Tabby can Ah come in?" He waited for a moment and when he didn't hear anything, he began to grow more concerned. "I'm coming in then."
He opened the door and saw Tabitha on her bed, but what was strange was the way she was. There was no amusement on her face…Instead it there was this deeply depressed look, something he hadn't seen on her face since he had known her. He sat down next to her, "Tabitha…What's wrong?"
"Besides the fact we got an enemy out there more ruthless and vicious then Magneto ever was?" she said not looking at him. "I mean, sure Magneto was a major pain in the ass and he did kidnapped a few of the original students, but the things he did were mild compared to the Hellfire goons."
"Tabby Ah never seen you like this before, last time-"
"Last time I thought it was Magneto or someone else like him…But when they got back and I saw them…" She shook her head thinking back to that. She had seen looks like that on the streets at times. She had tried running away a few times from her father and she had spent time in bus terminals, shelters, and other such places. She had seen looks like they had before and knew some of the causes.
"Sam…I just don't know if I can take it…I'm not that strong. I know that I seem like the wild girl and well…I am a bit…but…" she sighed, thinking back to her earlier life. "Sam…You have no idea what my life was like before this. You all know my dad forced me to steal for him, but you have no idea what it was like living with that man."
Sam placed an arm over her shoulder, "You're right Ah don't…But you never talk about it."
"I don't want to talk about it…I just want to forget. But Sammy, all this stuff happening…Reminds me of those times and seeing how hurt they were scared me…It really, honestly scared me. I tried so hard to hide it. I stayed the same and tried to help them feel normal again by being normal…But I don't know if I can keep the act up Sam. They're my friends and seeing Rogue as she is now and even though Warren and Betsy are doing their best with us…I need to do something…Anything productive."
"Ah know, we all feel the same Tabby," Sam sighed holding her close and noticed how she rested her head on his shoulder. "It was all going so well…Everything was going back to normal again…And then this happens."
Tabitha had to voice the one fear she had inside her, "What if we're next?"
"Ah'd never let anything happen to you Tabitha," he said before realizing just what exactly he waas saying and Tabitha looked up at him, her eyes questioning what he just said and why. Granted she liked him a lot, he treated her in the nicest way and she knew that Ray and Roberto saw her as only the sexy blonde. Sam seemed to see more in her and she had never had that before in her life. In many ways, it kind of scared her to think she could find a person that really cared about the real her no matter what.
"Why? Why am I so important?" She tried to smile and make light of it, but failed.
Sam looked into her eyes and lost himself in them. "Tabitha…Ah…Ah care about ya. Ah mean…More then as a friend…" He had taken the plunge and his heart was racing. He knew that the might freak out, laugh, or if he was lucky and say it was sweet of him to say so…But when she kissed him lightly on the lips, he was positively shocked.
Tabitha had to kiss him even if it was just once…She needed comfort and she needed this moment. She felt him stiffen up a bit, but eventually loosened and started to kiss back. They stayed that way as they wrapped each other up in their arms. They both lost themselves in the moment, both pushing the outside world away to get this one moment together.
After that Tabitha pulled back her eyes still closed, "Oh wow," she whispered out. She never expected for him to kiss so good. Her breath had been taken away from it and now looked at Sam wondering if he would think her nothing more then the easy girl or something.
Sam looked at her and smiled and caressed her cheek, "Ah've wanted to do that for months."
Now she smiled at him, "You serious?"
He nodded his head. "Yeah, Ah am. You're not like the girls Ah've known back home. You enjoy life to the fullest…You always speak your mind…And you never let anything get in your way. Ah think that takes all kinds of strength Tabitha…And ah admire that about you."
She blinked a few times and didn't know what to say at first, "Sam…That…No one has ever said anything like that to me."
Sam blushed a bit and smiled at her a bit shyly. "So…Does this mean that if Ah asked you out when all this is over…Y'all would say yes?"
She smiled at him and placed her hands at the back of his neck, "What does this tell you?" She planted another kiss on his lips and it truly felt wonderful. For the first time in her life, she thought that she might have found someone who genuinely cared for her as much as she cared about him. She liked him a lot and even though they wouldn't date until the others were back, she knew had something to look forward to…And Something to give her strength in this dark time.
Amara at this time was walking to her room, for she had been thinking all day to tell Xavier about Selene and her homeland, but to be honest she hadn't been seen there in a very long time and she only knew stories and nothing important. Most of those stories only confirmed what they did know about her and were probably not much use anyway. That, and she had seen the door Rogue and destroyed and decided it best to wait for things to cool down a bit.
She decided to go to her room and try to relax a bit. With everything going on and her own personal problems, things were just too stressful. She opened the door and was about to speak, but was just left there staring. She saw Tabitha on her bed…But Sam was on top of her as they continued to make out, the two of them lost in their little own world. They never noticed the door opened or Amara standing there or her running away.
Roberto and Ray had seen Amara running in the halls past them. They yelled out to her and asked what was going on, but she didn't answer. She also had been running so fast they didn't notice the tears running down her face as she ran out to the back yard and just kept going until she was tired and slumped down against one of the trees onto her knees. She just stayed there hurting feeling like her world was coming apart. She had waited too long and now she knew she had lost them both. Whatever chance she had with either one of them was now gone and she had only herself to blame.
NEXT UP CHATPER 43: A LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS?