~~ Todd ~~
Pietro. It's funny how all I can think of is you. I never really thought about you at all. You were just someone that was there. Sure, there are memories I dwell on longer than neccessary, but this is different.
I think I know why you're so afraid of dying now. It's so lonely. I never realized how lonely it can get on your own, probably because since I met you I never was alone, was I? You were always there, lurking in the shadows because you knew I'd need you later on. You knew even though I didn't. I guess I'm not really as great or powerful as the world feared, huh. I wish I knew before, then I wouldn't have sent you away. We would've died there, but at least we wouldn't have to die alone. I'm sorry. I can sense your panic now. You saw, didn't you 'Tro. You saw me make the stupidest mistake I could posibly have dreamt up. Trust me to run out of luck right when I find people who need it, who need me. I'm such a jerk.
Guess who's here. Your favorite person. No, not your dad. Not Wanda either. Yeah. Evan Daniels. He's here cryin' his eyes out over us. Haiden and Scott are here too. Where is here? A nice, warm dark place, take that however you want, cause I know you will anyway. I've been thinking about my life and what it meant to me. I've come to the conclusion that I don't want to.
The way I see it is, if I decide the worth of my life, then what's there left for you but to cry? Not only that, but... well. I'm tired of having all the answers. To hell with purposes and missions. If I just worry about living my life, then someone else can interpret it. I figure, if there's someone out there willing to take the time to do that for me, then I mattered to somebody. There was someone who was irrevocably changed by my existence and that was my purpose for existing. To give someone else a reason to exist. That's you, 'Tro. You can't die here. Not here, not now. Most importantly, not alone. That's why you have to trust me Pietro. Let go and I'll get you through, okay. No, this isn't goodbye. I'm not telling you to retreat. I'm saying, I fucked up. I thought I was stronger than you and all I did was try to protect you. I get it now. Without you, I'm just Todd, a nobody off the street. Trust me, Pietro. Make me a somebody, and I'll save us all.
How do I know? The Fates told me so. They said I have to end this. I told them we'll handle it. Yeah. That's my half of the faith in us, 'Tro. I need yours. Thanks. We'll end it, together.
~~ Pietro ~~
The happy feeling that accompanied finding Kurt couldn't have lasted him through those tunnels. It didn't really. They had picked up Kurt and picked up the pace. The stranger said something was coming towards them, and while Pietro didn't get the name, he got the gyst. The problem was, Pietro was slowing them down. The dark made him think weird, and thinking weird made him do stupid things like try to run backwards without moving. The stranger thought he had been bitten by something. 'Just hang on' he kept saying. Pietro was trying, but it was harder and harder to find that happy place. After a while, it got to be too much for him to bear.
"I don't think I can do this." He whispered, ears already picking up on the faint hissing in the distance.
"Quitters never win." The stranger said.
"And losers shouldn't hang on to people who stand a chance of winning." Pietro fell to his knees, breathing hard as he lost hold of the only sane thing he could find in this blackness.
"We can do this, come on."
"I'm slowing you down. Get Kurt out of here. Don't worry about me. I can't die here. I'll just... distract them. Go on. Don't make this worth nothing."
"What's your name?" The stanger asked quietly.
"Pietro Maximoff. Quicksilver."
"Okay, Pietro. Okay." Pietro sat in silence as a great gust of wind sent sand billowing around him.
"Todd? Can we go now?" he asked the darkness.
Hiss. Thunk.
"It's about time you got here. I've been waiting. You, my slithering little beasties, are going to take me to the surface."
Hiss. Clickclick click.
"Stop wiggling. I'm almost done."
clickcli-
"There we go. Now, to the light. We don't have much time. The fates... they're counting on us."
~~ Mason ~~
With a roar, Logan charged at Evan. To be honest, he had no intention of doing more than subduing him, but as he got closer, Logan realized that Valzinameku, safe within the body of the X-Men's comrade, had no intention of holding his punches. If possible, Valzinameku would kill them all.
"You are a fool. Surely you know direct attacks like that are useless against me." Before Logan was halfway to the imposter, he snapped his fingers and suddenly Logan was gone. "I know better than to try to kill you. One would think you'd understand these kinds of things." Evan turned his head to the left and everyone else followed his gaze. There, in a corner of the room was a human-sized cage. The bars looked like angel's wings. "That suits you far better than it's previous occupant." Wolverine tugged at the fragile looking bars to no avail. A moment later, the only sound was the rhythmic scraping of his adamantium claws against the cage. "So. Let's get started. I've decided that you're bothering me." He turned slightly to the side and slid his left foot in front of his right. From his palm came a giant spike, more like a sword than anything.
"I got this covered." Bobby said, gliding forward.
"Do you really?"
In answer, Bobby silently formed a row of icicles on the ceiling. Suddenly, the hall seemed to freeze. Everyone's breath misted over and those who's uniforms included short sleeves were shivering.
"What is this magic?" Valzinameku hissed at Bobby.
"The Iceman cometh." Wolverine smirked.
And so he did. Bobby didn't run nearly as fast as Wolverine, but he didn't have to. With his subthermal control, he made a slide of ice that carried him far faster than the muscular adult. That, combined with Evan's reluctance to move in the cold, was probably the only reason Bobby survived.
When Valzinameku noticed the discomfiture his stolen body was suffering, he put it down to weariness, not used to a human body yet and unable to translate human senses into his own experiences. Just as it grew unbearable, Valzinameku realized something.
He couldn't use his own magic. The powers gifted to him by the body of the mortal he had stolen were of no use, since the body itself refused to operate. That meant that Valzinameku was helpless. Of course, Bobby didn't know, and probably wouldn't have cared.
"Very well then." The demon said to Bobby's silence. He fell into a crouch as he prepared for Bobby's attack. He braced the spike against the floor and waited for Bobby to come within striking distance.
Pietro. It's funny how all I can think of is you. I never really thought about you at all. You were just someone that was there. Sure, there are memories I dwell on longer than neccessary, but this is different.
I think I know why you're so afraid of dying now. It's so lonely. I never realized how lonely it can get on your own, probably because since I met you I never was alone, was I? You were always there, lurking in the shadows because you knew I'd need you later on. You knew even though I didn't. I guess I'm not really as great or powerful as the world feared, huh. I wish I knew before, then I wouldn't have sent you away. We would've died there, but at least we wouldn't have to die alone. I'm sorry. I can sense your panic now. You saw, didn't you 'Tro. You saw me make the stupidest mistake I could posibly have dreamt up. Trust me to run out of luck right when I find people who need it, who need me. I'm such a jerk.
Guess who's here. Your favorite person. No, not your dad. Not Wanda either. Yeah. Evan Daniels. He's here cryin' his eyes out over us. Haiden and Scott are here too. Where is here? A nice, warm dark place, take that however you want, cause I know you will anyway. I've been thinking about my life and what it meant to me. I've come to the conclusion that I don't want to.
The way I see it is, if I decide the worth of my life, then what's there left for you but to cry? Not only that, but... well. I'm tired of having all the answers. To hell with purposes and missions. If I just worry about living my life, then someone else can interpret it. I figure, if there's someone out there willing to take the time to do that for me, then I mattered to somebody. There was someone who was irrevocably changed by my existence and that was my purpose for existing. To give someone else a reason to exist. That's you, 'Tro. You can't die here. Not here, not now. Most importantly, not alone. That's why you have to trust me Pietro. Let go and I'll get you through, okay. No, this isn't goodbye. I'm not telling you to retreat. I'm saying, I fucked up. I thought I was stronger than you and all I did was try to protect you. I get it now. Without you, I'm just Todd, a nobody off the street. Trust me, Pietro. Make me a somebody, and I'll save us all.
How do I know? The Fates told me so. They said I have to end this. I told them we'll handle it. Yeah. That's my half of the faith in us, 'Tro. I need yours. Thanks. We'll end it, together.
~~ Pietro ~~
The happy feeling that accompanied finding Kurt couldn't have lasted him through those tunnels. It didn't really. They had picked up Kurt and picked up the pace. The stranger said something was coming towards them, and while Pietro didn't get the name, he got the gyst. The problem was, Pietro was slowing them down. The dark made him think weird, and thinking weird made him do stupid things like try to run backwards without moving. The stranger thought he had been bitten by something. 'Just hang on' he kept saying. Pietro was trying, but it was harder and harder to find that happy place. After a while, it got to be too much for him to bear.
"I don't think I can do this." He whispered, ears already picking up on the faint hissing in the distance.
"Quitters never win." The stranger said.
"And losers shouldn't hang on to people who stand a chance of winning." Pietro fell to his knees, breathing hard as he lost hold of the only sane thing he could find in this blackness.
"We can do this, come on."
"I'm slowing you down. Get Kurt out of here. Don't worry about me. I can't die here. I'll just... distract them. Go on. Don't make this worth nothing."
"What's your name?" The stanger asked quietly.
"Pietro Maximoff. Quicksilver."
"Okay, Pietro. Okay." Pietro sat in silence as a great gust of wind sent sand billowing around him.
"Todd? Can we go now?" he asked the darkness.
Hiss. Thunk.
"It's about time you got here. I've been waiting. You, my slithering little beasties, are going to take me to the surface."
Hiss. Clickclick click.
"Stop wiggling. I'm almost done."
clickcli-
"There we go. Now, to the light. We don't have much time. The fates... they're counting on us."
~~ Mason ~~
With a roar, Logan charged at Evan. To be honest, he had no intention of doing more than subduing him, but as he got closer, Logan realized that Valzinameku, safe within the body of the X-Men's comrade, had no intention of holding his punches. If possible, Valzinameku would kill them all.
"You are a fool. Surely you know direct attacks like that are useless against me." Before Logan was halfway to the imposter, he snapped his fingers and suddenly Logan was gone. "I know better than to try to kill you. One would think you'd understand these kinds of things." Evan turned his head to the left and everyone else followed his gaze. There, in a corner of the room was a human-sized cage. The bars looked like angel's wings. "That suits you far better than it's previous occupant." Wolverine tugged at the fragile looking bars to no avail. A moment later, the only sound was the rhythmic scraping of his adamantium claws against the cage. "So. Let's get started. I've decided that you're bothering me." He turned slightly to the side and slid his left foot in front of his right. From his palm came a giant spike, more like a sword than anything.
"I got this covered." Bobby said, gliding forward.
"Do you really?"
In answer, Bobby silently formed a row of icicles on the ceiling. Suddenly, the hall seemed to freeze. Everyone's breath misted over and those who's uniforms included short sleeves were shivering.
"What is this magic?" Valzinameku hissed at Bobby.
"The Iceman cometh." Wolverine smirked.
And so he did. Bobby didn't run nearly as fast as Wolverine, but he didn't have to. With his subthermal control, he made a slide of ice that carried him far faster than the muscular adult. That, combined with Evan's reluctance to move in the cold, was probably the only reason Bobby survived.
When Valzinameku noticed the discomfiture his stolen body was suffering, he put it down to weariness, not used to a human body yet and unable to translate human senses into his own experiences. Just as it grew unbearable, Valzinameku realized something.
He couldn't use his own magic. The powers gifted to him by the body of the mortal he had stolen were of no use, since the body itself refused to operate. That meant that Valzinameku was helpless. Of course, Bobby didn't know, and probably wouldn't have cared.
"Very well then." The demon said to Bobby's silence. He fell into a crouch as he prepared for Bobby's attack. He braced the spike against the floor and waited for Bobby to come within striking distance.