AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thank you, Thanx4reading, for the review! Just to clear some
things up, which the movies confused for everybody: Logan is really close
to Kitty Pryde, Jubilee, and Rachel Summers, (and obviously the love of his
life, Jean Grey); other than that, he NEVER opens up to anybody!!
(especially not Rogue, who he never even knew that well)
616 timeline 08-25-2004 Westchester, New York, United States
Logan had no idea where he was. There were lights shining everywhere, but they were faded behind a veil of smoke, and flames were roaring nearby. Then he smelt the scent of burnt lilies in the wind, and spun around in surprise. Jean Grey was watching him, her eyes lacking their usual luster, encased in a jade melancholy. She gave a feeble smile, and swept into his mind. ~Logan, I need you to do something for me.~
~Anything,~ he offered. ~You know I'm always here for you.~
~Rachel will be here tonight. She will be in a frail frame of mind, when she'll be attacked by the Black Queen...~
~...and you're afraid she'll repeat your mistakes.~
Jean nodded. ~I need you to do to her what you couldn't do to me.~ She drew an image from his memory of a beautiful angel, with a halo of red curls, lying upon the ground, vulnerable. When she was weak, it had been up to the Wolverine to slay Dark Phoenix, but he couldn't bring himself to hurt the woman he loved.
"Jeannie." He came forward, taking her in his arms. "I can't. You created that kid, maybe not with me, but situations could have just as easily turned fate on us. I consider her family just as much as Jubie."
"I know, Logan. But you don't understand how powerful she is; there's too much at stake here. And in any case, she feels pain, but she is beyond death." Jean could see that he was connecting her words in his mind. Phoenix is beyond death. "I need you to remind her of that pain, to wake her from her fury. That's all." She kissed his cheek, fighting to hold back tears. "I wish I could have come under better circumstances. I'm afraid I have to go."
He had to ask one more question before releasing her. "Jean, Rachel said that you would come back." She nodded. "Did you really die, that day on the moon?"
Jean gave a small sigh. "A part of me died that day. And a part of me was reborn. But, no matter how you look at it, I never left my loved ones." She stroked his face affectionately. "I'll always be with you...Now go!"
Logan jerked awake to find himself encased in darkness.
* * *
The Net was an adult amusement park that stood on the bay of New York City. The park (which looked like a giant fishnet, with its intersecting roller coasters) offered children of heart cheap beer, fast rides, and private entertainment at a relatively low price. But tonight, it belonged to Rachel and her gang. It was long after closing time, but they didn't have much trouble getting the main power to turn on. As six glossy racecars sped through the spiraling obstacle course, Jubilee and Alex commentated from a platform high above.
Their voices rang out against the roar of engines. "And it's Sam in the lead, topping off at 140, with his blast on high!"
"Maybe," the young Summers piped, "but Kitty's catching up fast."
Jubilee rolled her eyes and muttered, "It's amazing how fast she can catch up when she phases through all the death-defying challenges." Paige, seated behind the control booth, found a cd she liked and turned on the overhead speakers.
Below, Rachel was right behind Kitty when she heard Mudvayne's "End of All Things to Come" blast into her ears. She was copying her best friend's sly trick and running through the obstacles before her, while occasionally leaving telekinetic mines for the competitors behind her. As she came neck- to-neck with Pryde, Rachel threw her a wink. "You in the mood for a 'Samwhich'?" she yelled.
Kitty gave an evil snicker and nodded, stepping hard on the gas. Rachel followed, her ears pumping with pressure. She turned up her car radio, charging herself with energy as one of her favorite songs pulsed through her body. _And when the whole damn world is dead-there's your fucking peace!_
Suddenly, Sam's car burst into flames just a few feet before her. She saw Kitty's vehicle rush into the rising smoke, and out into safety, where she began to break hard. Rachel put her clutch in and pulled her steering wheel hard to the left, so that her car slid into position beside the wreckage, and slammed on the emergency brake. She got out of the car, assessing the situation like a mission. If she smothered the flames to prevent another gas explosion, she could suffocate Sam...if he was alive. ~Oh, god.~ She tried telepathy instead. Gazing through the disaster, she spotted Kitty pulling her friend through the metal doors of his racecar. Rachel telekinetically lightened the burden, and put a TK shield around the two bodies until they were a few feet before her, lungs heaving with carbon dioxide.
As the rest of the gang pulled up, Rachel felt a familiar voice pierce her psyche. ~Oh, pity. You'd think an explosion that big would've killed him.~
Rachel turned on her heel to come face to face with Selene. But, rather than let her temper control her, she decided she'd handle this more like the cosmic force of infinite power that she was. ~I'm a legend,~ she told herself. ~I can take a jealous little girl.~ She cleared her throat and yelled to her friends. "You guys get back to the Mansion and get Sam to Dr. McCoy."
Bobby started to protest. "But, what about-"
"NOW!" She heard them scurry off and returned her focus with her adversary.
"Silly little Rachel," the Black Queen mocked. "Always concerned for others when she should be concerned for her own well-being."
Rachel gave her a cold stare, the music still ringing through her, now charging her with hatred. _I'm killing every fucking thing until somebody gets the fucking point!_ "You will call me Phoenix."
"Oh, yes," Selene chuckled. "I'd forgotten you've recently discovered your little tie to the firebird. Well, I'd hate to break it to you, since you've obviously gotten it into your head that you're the same all-powerful psi that your lovely mum was, but, you see, your connection is more of an inheritance, really. I mean, sure, you can perform lots of cute little tricks, but you're no match for a witch like myself."
She ignored the entire comment. "Other suitable names include the Black Angel, the Child of Light and Darkness-"
Selene burst out loud with laughter. "Oh, you truly do play a convincing death-dealer, *child*."
Rachel, growing tired, let her heavy jean jacket slip to the floor and kicked it out of the way. "Look, I'd love to exchange more insults, but I have better things to do with my time. So let's get this over with."
* * *
The Blackbird was racing to an unknown location, the radar closing in on Kitty Pryde. Logan had never seen the place in his dream, but he was almost certain it was in New York, and wherever Kitty was, Rachel was sure to be near. As he sped toward the bay, he tried to clear the uncertainties lurking in his mind. He should've kept a closer eye on Rachel. He should've fought harder against Dark Phoenix. He should've alerted the rest of the X- Men and gone in with backup. But something told him it'd be best if no one witnessed what he was about to do.
The plane came to a hair-raising vertical drop, parking above a brilliantly- lit strip of land, and Logan opened the hatch. He leapt onto a metal tower in the center of the structure, plunging his claws in to steady himself. Even with his keen senses, he couldn't see through the smoke below, so he decided to go in blind. He twisted his wrists, so that his claws went with the vertical grain of the metal, rather than against it, and in a second, he was sliding fast down the slick surface, gaining momentum. By the time he saw that the tower was about to end in a platform, he was going way to fast. He twisted his claws against the grain, but didn't stop in time; he came to a crash against the hard asphalt of a racetrack.
It didn't take long for him to come to, and when he did, eight of his students were helping him to his feet. He shook his head clear and waved them away. "Blackbird," he muttered, pointing towards the sky.
Jubilee nodded. "Do you want us to wait?" Logan shook his head and started running in the direction of the flames, his legs stumbling beneath him.
Within seconds, he reached the site of the crash, and his heart caught in his chest at the sight of Rachel in the Dark Phoenix costume, hovering above the Black Queen's corpse.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: And still to come: Rachel and Logan duke it out!! Who will win?!?! Tune in next time!
616 timeline 08-25-2004 Westchester, New York, United States
Logan had no idea where he was. There were lights shining everywhere, but they were faded behind a veil of smoke, and flames were roaring nearby. Then he smelt the scent of burnt lilies in the wind, and spun around in surprise. Jean Grey was watching him, her eyes lacking their usual luster, encased in a jade melancholy. She gave a feeble smile, and swept into his mind. ~Logan, I need you to do something for me.~
~Anything,~ he offered. ~You know I'm always here for you.~
~Rachel will be here tonight. She will be in a frail frame of mind, when she'll be attacked by the Black Queen...~
~...and you're afraid she'll repeat your mistakes.~
Jean nodded. ~I need you to do to her what you couldn't do to me.~ She drew an image from his memory of a beautiful angel, with a halo of red curls, lying upon the ground, vulnerable. When she was weak, it had been up to the Wolverine to slay Dark Phoenix, but he couldn't bring himself to hurt the woman he loved.
"Jeannie." He came forward, taking her in his arms. "I can't. You created that kid, maybe not with me, but situations could have just as easily turned fate on us. I consider her family just as much as Jubie."
"I know, Logan. But you don't understand how powerful she is; there's too much at stake here. And in any case, she feels pain, but she is beyond death." Jean could see that he was connecting her words in his mind. Phoenix is beyond death. "I need you to remind her of that pain, to wake her from her fury. That's all." She kissed his cheek, fighting to hold back tears. "I wish I could have come under better circumstances. I'm afraid I have to go."
He had to ask one more question before releasing her. "Jean, Rachel said that you would come back." She nodded. "Did you really die, that day on the moon?"
Jean gave a small sigh. "A part of me died that day. And a part of me was reborn. But, no matter how you look at it, I never left my loved ones." She stroked his face affectionately. "I'll always be with you...Now go!"
Logan jerked awake to find himself encased in darkness.
* * *
The Net was an adult amusement park that stood on the bay of New York City. The park (which looked like a giant fishnet, with its intersecting roller coasters) offered children of heart cheap beer, fast rides, and private entertainment at a relatively low price. But tonight, it belonged to Rachel and her gang. It was long after closing time, but they didn't have much trouble getting the main power to turn on. As six glossy racecars sped through the spiraling obstacle course, Jubilee and Alex commentated from a platform high above.
Their voices rang out against the roar of engines. "And it's Sam in the lead, topping off at 140, with his blast on high!"
"Maybe," the young Summers piped, "but Kitty's catching up fast."
Jubilee rolled her eyes and muttered, "It's amazing how fast she can catch up when she phases through all the death-defying challenges." Paige, seated behind the control booth, found a cd she liked and turned on the overhead speakers.
Below, Rachel was right behind Kitty when she heard Mudvayne's "End of All Things to Come" blast into her ears. She was copying her best friend's sly trick and running through the obstacles before her, while occasionally leaving telekinetic mines for the competitors behind her. As she came neck- to-neck with Pryde, Rachel threw her a wink. "You in the mood for a 'Samwhich'?" she yelled.
Kitty gave an evil snicker and nodded, stepping hard on the gas. Rachel followed, her ears pumping with pressure. She turned up her car radio, charging herself with energy as one of her favorite songs pulsed through her body. _And when the whole damn world is dead-there's your fucking peace!_
Suddenly, Sam's car burst into flames just a few feet before her. She saw Kitty's vehicle rush into the rising smoke, and out into safety, where she began to break hard. Rachel put her clutch in and pulled her steering wheel hard to the left, so that her car slid into position beside the wreckage, and slammed on the emergency brake. She got out of the car, assessing the situation like a mission. If she smothered the flames to prevent another gas explosion, she could suffocate Sam...if he was alive. ~Oh, god.~ She tried telepathy instead. Gazing through the disaster, she spotted Kitty pulling her friend through the metal doors of his racecar. Rachel telekinetically lightened the burden, and put a TK shield around the two bodies until they were a few feet before her, lungs heaving with carbon dioxide.
As the rest of the gang pulled up, Rachel felt a familiar voice pierce her psyche. ~Oh, pity. You'd think an explosion that big would've killed him.~
Rachel turned on her heel to come face to face with Selene. But, rather than let her temper control her, she decided she'd handle this more like the cosmic force of infinite power that she was. ~I'm a legend,~ she told herself. ~I can take a jealous little girl.~ She cleared her throat and yelled to her friends. "You guys get back to the Mansion and get Sam to Dr. McCoy."
Bobby started to protest. "But, what about-"
"NOW!" She heard them scurry off and returned her focus with her adversary.
"Silly little Rachel," the Black Queen mocked. "Always concerned for others when she should be concerned for her own well-being."
Rachel gave her a cold stare, the music still ringing through her, now charging her with hatred. _I'm killing every fucking thing until somebody gets the fucking point!_ "You will call me Phoenix."
"Oh, yes," Selene chuckled. "I'd forgotten you've recently discovered your little tie to the firebird. Well, I'd hate to break it to you, since you've obviously gotten it into your head that you're the same all-powerful psi that your lovely mum was, but, you see, your connection is more of an inheritance, really. I mean, sure, you can perform lots of cute little tricks, but you're no match for a witch like myself."
She ignored the entire comment. "Other suitable names include the Black Angel, the Child of Light and Darkness-"
Selene burst out loud with laughter. "Oh, you truly do play a convincing death-dealer, *child*."
Rachel, growing tired, let her heavy jean jacket slip to the floor and kicked it out of the way. "Look, I'd love to exchange more insults, but I have better things to do with my time. So let's get this over with."
* * *
The Blackbird was racing to an unknown location, the radar closing in on Kitty Pryde. Logan had never seen the place in his dream, but he was almost certain it was in New York, and wherever Kitty was, Rachel was sure to be near. As he sped toward the bay, he tried to clear the uncertainties lurking in his mind. He should've kept a closer eye on Rachel. He should've fought harder against Dark Phoenix. He should've alerted the rest of the X- Men and gone in with backup. But something told him it'd be best if no one witnessed what he was about to do.
The plane came to a hair-raising vertical drop, parking above a brilliantly- lit strip of land, and Logan opened the hatch. He leapt onto a metal tower in the center of the structure, plunging his claws in to steady himself. Even with his keen senses, he couldn't see through the smoke below, so he decided to go in blind. He twisted his wrists, so that his claws went with the vertical grain of the metal, rather than against it, and in a second, he was sliding fast down the slick surface, gaining momentum. By the time he saw that the tower was about to end in a platform, he was going way to fast. He twisted his claws against the grain, but didn't stop in time; he came to a crash against the hard asphalt of a racetrack.
It didn't take long for him to come to, and when he did, eight of his students were helping him to his feet. He shook his head clear and waved them away. "Blackbird," he muttered, pointing towards the sky.
Jubilee nodded. "Do you want us to wait?" Logan shook his head and started running in the direction of the flames, his legs stumbling beneath him.
Within seconds, he reached the site of the crash, and his heart caught in his chest at the sight of Rachel in the Dark Phoenix costume, hovering above the Black Queen's corpse.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: And still to come: Rachel and Logan duke it out!! Who will win?!?! Tune in next time!