~~ Pietro ~~
"Ohmigod, ohmigod, ohmigod." Pietro's breath came in quick gasps that had nothing to do with the fact that he had just stopped running. The infamous end of the line had been reached. There was no where else for the speed demon to run. Tears poured down his face as a chorus of hisses neared him. His eyes searched the darkness for at least a glimpse of his doom, but he saw nothing but uniform darkness and monsters created by his hyperactive imagination.
Maybe that's all it is. My imagination. That's it 'Tro. You're getting away with yourself.
Pietro jumped backwards and twisted to the left as something inside him called a warning to his muscles. Pietro's heart stopped as something far to close for comfort gave a sharp and definite snap. He stood stock still as a hissing filled his ears once more.
Lightheaded, Pietro tottered, nearly falling. As he swayed backwards, there was another snap- a sound he could identify even through his fear as the snapping of a predator's jaws. The sound startled him back to his senses, if only for a second. Pietro straightened and accidentally hit the thing that hadn't moved since it snapped at him. Pietro listened as it went sprawling and the air filled with indignant clicks. He tentatively put a hand to his forehead, which had taken the brunt of the hit. More than ever, he felt like fainting.
Hisses, mixed with the angry clicks, echoed in the darkness and became amplified by Pietro's panic.
"This isn't the way it's supposed to end." He whispered. "Not here. Not now. I was supposed to die with Todd, not alone. Not in the dark." Pietro's legs gave way beneath him, but he was so deeply buried in his fear that he didn't notice. "Old age. You said we'd all die of old age... in the country with our wives... and kids beside us. I can't die here... Please..." Pietro knelt there, surrounded by the invisible, hissing predators. "Todd..."
~~ Kurt ~~
"Zis is impossible. Vhere could he be?" Kurt muttered to himself. Of course he knew that Pietro could be anywhere, what with his speed and the pure vastness of the caves. And there was always the possibility... "No. It is not a possibility and if you don't stop scaring yourself, you'll panic- and zen vere vill ve be? Lost. Zat's vere." Kurt continued to talk to himself, even as he lost his sight to the darkness. "Poor Pietro. How am I zuposed to find him if I can't see? I'm ~zuposed~ to be able to see in zee dark... he's not..."
Kurt's sharp ears picked up a soft hissing. "Hello? You're not playing games on me, are you, Pietro? Pietro?" Kurt took a step back and angled so that he could catch the last bit of available light. There was a sharp snapping noise beside him and he looked back into the pitch black. He saw nothing, but the hissing began again. Kurt smiled. If Pietro thought he was so funny, then there was no reason that Kurt couldn't play a trick or two.
He began softly hissing back, carefully tracking the direction the other noise came from and doubling back on it.
When he was within striking distance, Kurt slipped his tail around Pietro's waist and squeezed.
"Vas?" Kurt exclaimed as his tail curled around what should have been Pietro's waist but was much too thin and smooth.
Click, clickclick.... clickclick.
"Ohoh." Kurt squeezed tighter and hoped that he would strangle the thing before it attacked. His chances were slim, but Kurt made it a point never to think that far ahead.
"N-" Snap.
~~ Logan ~~
"You got a lot of nerve coming here like this."
"Actually, it required very little. After seeing you all attack me while I held that putrescent girl, I realized that you would not hesitate to attack me unless I made myself invaluable to you. That the so-called Phoenix gave her life to one of your comrades... it only made things easier for me. You know as well as we do that you would never attack one of your own and would not allow anyone else to either."
Logan stared hard at the skinny black kid in front of him. Yeah, it looked like Evan, but that voice... Evan didn't speak that eloquently and he didn't have the guts to pull a stunt like this. Logan doubted that Valzinameku would listen to reason, or even threats, but he gave it a shot anyway.
"Kids, cover your ears. Now look here you ugly ass punk shiteater, if you harm a single hair on that boys head I'm gonna string you guts up from the Statue of Liberty and use your balls for batting practice."
"You really think you can? I have no material shape except this boy's body. Could you bring yourself to harm him?" A massive spike formed in Evan's hand. "Could you bring yourself to allow any harm to come to him at all?"
"Whoa, whoa...buddy. There's no need to go there." General Matthias blocked Wolverine from charging. "Surely we can negotiate some terms."
"Negotiate? There is no need. I just wanted to see the looks on your faces when you realized that you failed. It truly is rewarding. If you don't mind, I have a world to terrorize." He bowed and smiled as though he had just conquered the world.
Which was exactly what he had done.
'Why am I hesitating? SO many people will die because of this... But. I can't. I can't do it.'
Beside him, Lance growled.
"I can't." The mutant known as Weapon X whispered. For the first time in years, Logan regretted changing his lifestyle so much.
The old Wolverine wouldn't have hesitated.
The new Wolverine wept.
~~ Bobby ~~
As he stood watching the strongest man he knew break down, Bobby suddenly realized just how bad the situation really was.
They were all going to die knowing that they were worthless pieces of shit who couldn't sacrifice a friend to save the planet.
"I wish Todd was here. He'd know what to do."
"But he's gone too. Everyone else is gone and we're not strong enough. They all stood there, willing themselves to simply cease existing as a trail of bright flashes sparked through Bayville.
"Dere goes da' neighborhood." Remy said casually. "What now?"
Everyone turned expectantly towards General Matthias.
"Now. Now we go to protect the President. That thing is headed straight towards him."
~~ Outside Fort Braddock ~~
"Guys. Wait. I'm coming. Professor." The tall man fell to his knees sobbing. "I'm coming. Just wait." He fell flat on the ground. Other than to breathe, he was still, until finally even that movement appeared to stop.
"Ohmigod, ohmigod, ohmigod." Pietro's breath came in quick gasps that had nothing to do with the fact that he had just stopped running. The infamous end of the line had been reached. There was no where else for the speed demon to run. Tears poured down his face as a chorus of hisses neared him. His eyes searched the darkness for at least a glimpse of his doom, but he saw nothing but uniform darkness and monsters created by his hyperactive imagination.
Maybe that's all it is. My imagination. That's it 'Tro. You're getting away with yourself.
Pietro jumped backwards and twisted to the left as something inside him called a warning to his muscles. Pietro's heart stopped as something far to close for comfort gave a sharp and definite snap. He stood stock still as a hissing filled his ears once more.
Lightheaded, Pietro tottered, nearly falling. As he swayed backwards, there was another snap- a sound he could identify even through his fear as the snapping of a predator's jaws. The sound startled him back to his senses, if only for a second. Pietro straightened and accidentally hit the thing that hadn't moved since it snapped at him. Pietro listened as it went sprawling and the air filled with indignant clicks. He tentatively put a hand to his forehead, which had taken the brunt of the hit. More than ever, he felt like fainting.
Hisses, mixed with the angry clicks, echoed in the darkness and became amplified by Pietro's panic.
"This isn't the way it's supposed to end." He whispered. "Not here. Not now. I was supposed to die with Todd, not alone. Not in the dark." Pietro's legs gave way beneath him, but he was so deeply buried in his fear that he didn't notice. "Old age. You said we'd all die of old age... in the country with our wives... and kids beside us. I can't die here... Please..." Pietro knelt there, surrounded by the invisible, hissing predators. "Todd..."
~~ Kurt ~~
"Zis is impossible. Vhere could he be?" Kurt muttered to himself. Of course he knew that Pietro could be anywhere, what with his speed and the pure vastness of the caves. And there was always the possibility... "No. It is not a possibility and if you don't stop scaring yourself, you'll panic- and zen vere vill ve be? Lost. Zat's vere." Kurt continued to talk to himself, even as he lost his sight to the darkness. "Poor Pietro. How am I zuposed to find him if I can't see? I'm ~zuposed~ to be able to see in zee dark... he's not..."
Kurt's sharp ears picked up a soft hissing. "Hello? You're not playing games on me, are you, Pietro? Pietro?" Kurt took a step back and angled so that he could catch the last bit of available light. There was a sharp snapping noise beside him and he looked back into the pitch black. He saw nothing, but the hissing began again. Kurt smiled. If Pietro thought he was so funny, then there was no reason that Kurt couldn't play a trick or two.
He began softly hissing back, carefully tracking the direction the other noise came from and doubling back on it.
When he was within striking distance, Kurt slipped his tail around Pietro's waist and squeezed.
"Vas?" Kurt exclaimed as his tail curled around what should have been Pietro's waist but was much too thin and smooth.
Click, clickclick.... clickclick.
"Ohoh." Kurt squeezed tighter and hoped that he would strangle the thing before it attacked. His chances were slim, but Kurt made it a point never to think that far ahead.
"N-" Snap.
~~ Logan ~~
"You got a lot of nerve coming here like this."
"Actually, it required very little. After seeing you all attack me while I held that putrescent girl, I realized that you would not hesitate to attack me unless I made myself invaluable to you. That the so-called Phoenix gave her life to one of your comrades... it only made things easier for me. You know as well as we do that you would never attack one of your own and would not allow anyone else to either."
Logan stared hard at the skinny black kid in front of him. Yeah, it looked like Evan, but that voice... Evan didn't speak that eloquently and he didn't have the guts to pull a stunt like this. Logan doubted that Valzinameku would listen to reason, or even threats, but he gave it a shot anyway.
"Kids, cover your ears. Now look here you ugly ass punk shiteater, if you harm a single hair on that boys head I'm gonna string you guts up from the Statue of Liberty and use your balls for batting practice."
"You really think you can? I have no material shape except this boy's body. Could you bring yourself to harm him?" A massive spike formed in Evan's hand. "Could you bring yourself to allow any harm to come to him at all?"
"Whoa, whoa...buddy. There's no need to go there." General Matthias blocked Wolverine from charging. "Surely we can negotiate some terms."
"Negotiate? There is no need. I just wanted to see the looks on your faces when you realized that you failed. It truly is rewarding. If you don't mind, I have a world to terrorize." He bowed and smiled as though he had just conquered the world.
Which was exactly what he had done.
'Why am I hesitating? SO many people will die because of this... But. I can't. I can't do it.'
Beside him, Lance growled.
"I can't." The mutant known as Weapon X whispered. For the first time in years, Logan regretted changing his lifestyle so much.
The old Wolverine wouldn't have hesitated.
The new Wolverine wept.
~~ Bobby ~~
As he stood watching the strongest man he knew break down, Bobby suddenly realized just how bad the situation really was.
They were all going to die knowing that they were worthless pieces of shit who couldn't sacrifice a friend to save the planet.
"I wish Todd was here. He'd know what to do."
"But he's gone too. Everyone else is gone and we're not strong enough. They all stood there, willing themselves to simply cease existing as a trail of bright flashes sparked through Bayville.
"Dere goes da' neighborhood." Remy said casually. "What now?"
Everyone turned expectantly towards General Matthias.
"Now. Now we go to protect the President. That thing is headed straight towards him."
~~ Outside Fort Braddock ~~
"Guys. Wait. I'm coming. Professor." The tall man fell to his knees sobbing. "I'm coming. Just wait." He fell flat on the ground. Other than to breathe, he was still, until finally even that movement appeared to stop.