Inter-LOAFERS: Dance-Dance-Feva!

By Xenomorph666

Disclaimer: I own only Perfection and Wraith.

DigitalMan and K2 are © My close friend.

Everything else is copyrighted to their correct owner.

Universe: Misfit-Verse

Inevitable Truth, Inevitable Pain

It had only been a week since the tragedy of Thunderbird's death, and the images still burned in Ash's head. The big Russian slamming, of all things a Mack truck, onto John, the resounding thud of the attack and condition of John's body afterwards. Ash couldn't tell if a deadite had gotten to his friend or if something had just drained the life out of him, but Xavier knew, apparently Logan's kid froze when the bastard Proteus went to take her body, but John pushed her out of the way and took the waste of life into his own body. The kicker of the whole deal though was what Ash and only Ash saw; a floating green specter that stood solemnly over John's body.

Now he understood John's last message. From the time he had arrived in his semi-new world he had avoided the Scions, partly out of fear and partly out anger. He hadn't bothered to learn what they where or why they were there, he just didn't care; to him they were a danger. Now he understood though, all because one of the X-Men cracked just a little more than the others.

Rogue, the only female member of the X-Men that he hadn't dared to nickname was out on the back gazebo looking over the cliff and into the sunrise. Tears covered her face and rage masked her voice.

"So…" Ash began as he walked up to young goth. "What are you thinking about?"

"Nothin'." Came her monotone answer.

"OK…" Ash said. "Listen, I know I didn't know John that well, but if you need someone to talk to about his death, I got open ears. God knows I've seen enough of it, I'd better know how to deal with it, but I understand if you don't' want to talk. We can just sit in silence until you either throw me off that cliff or knock me out." He managed a smirk from Rogue.

"It's not Thunderbird's death. Ah mean, yeah Ah'm sad that his gone, he didn't deserve that, but…" Rogue began.

"Go on…" Ash pushed her lightly.

"Wraith could have stopped it." Rogue's face was full of tears.

"Who's Wraith again?" Ash asked in confusion, "And how could he have helped?"

"Wraith is the green ghost that looks like a floating green hoodie. He also happens ta control death." Rogue was now visibly angry, "And he could have stopped it!" She slammed her fist down and broke part of the bench.

"So he's like the Grim Reaper or something?" Ash concluded as he sat across from her.

"Yeah." Rogue sniffled a little. "But he has absolute control over it, Ah mean, he stopped people from dahyin' before, why not this time? Why'd he let a friend die?"

For a few moments Ash sat in silence. He had never questioned why people had to die before, it was just something that happened to the careless and stupid, but John was not careless or stupid, ok maybe stupid, but he was definitely a great fighter. So why would a being capable of holding off someone's death, especially a friends, not do so? He had no answer, no way of knowing and no way of trying to explain it. Then a small idea formed a rare thing for the small town Michigan man.

"Maybe, even he has things that he can't avoid." Ash said. "Maybe, death isn't so much at his control as he is at its control, you get my drift."

"Yeah, but…" Rogue was silent for a few more seconds. "They did this last time to you know. Promised some great fun and adventure and the world nearly ends, only this time it did for one person."

"Well, maybe they aren't as all powerful as we'd like to think. I mean, what is it that web head said at the funeral earlier; 'With great power comes great responsibility'. I think that's right." Ash rubbed his chin. "Anyway, can you imagine a power greater than that of controlling death, I mean if I had that power I'd just stop it all completely…"

"No, you wouldn't." Wraith silently appeared near them. "You would realize the necessity or life and of death and that no matter how many friends you make along your eternal path you would have to watch them all inevitably pass on from the physical realm."

"You could have…" Rogue started just as a shimmering phantom appeared next to Wraith.

"He could have taken anyone of us there. He had to maintain a balance, and I was willing to do that." Thunderbird's ghost spoke slowly. "It was either me or the girl, and I'll be god-damned if I ever let a kid die. Don't blame the hoodie, it was my choice and I made it, hopefully for the better of the team."

"Hey John, how's heaven?" Ash smiled jovially.

"Wouldn't know, I'm in some sort of limbo until my destination is worked out. Apparently they really do track everything we do." John smiled. "Speaking of which, I got a look at Evan's file, you aren't going to believe this one…"

A few seconds latter a very angry Rogue burst through the back door of the estate to find Spyke sitting down and talking with aunt and only a split second after she came in, did she knock him into the next room through a wall.

"ROGUE! What is the meaning of this?" Ororo said as she grabbed the angry girl's arm.

"He killed Spears! He did it!" Rogue was fuming as Wraith and Ash caught up.

"It's true, green-guy here brought Johny's ghost back for a talk to with Rogue and he dropped a hell of bombshell on us." Ash said between gasps.

"What?" Ororo entered the first stage of shock. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"His actions were recorded in a holy place." Wraith began, "And in my existence, I've learned holy places generally do not like my presence, they wouldn't have told me anything."

"But he was on tape…" Ororo began.

"He took on of them fancy watches that the blue kid has, and gave it to one of his girlfriends; she was the one who threatened this Creed guy." Ash said as he began to stand straight.

"Evan." Ororo gave a confused look at her nephew who was now in the kitchen again. "Please…"

"How the hell did you know that?" Evan growled at Ash.

"Well, gee it's funny you should ask that you little urchin, because it seems Heaven keeps a big file on that suff and Johnny-Boy had a good look at yours." Ash's usual manner took over. "And get this, the kid's havin' a kid, and left the mother, used to date one of your students and dumped her when she wouldn't go all the way and to top off the sundae of disappointment his current girlfriend is a psycho she-cat with a love of killing."

"That was to far human!" Spyke launched a flaming spike at Ash, which the human narrowly avoided.

Then a loud crack crossed the angry mutant's face. Ororo had slapped her nephew and sent him sprawling. "Get out now." Tears formed in her eyes as she told her one of her family to leave, "You will no longer be welcome here after this." She then spun on her heels and ran out of the room crying.

"Like I needed you guys anyway." Spyke sneered as he left.

Rogue went to stop him, but Wraith raised his arm to block her path. "Trust me Rogue, going after him will only cause more pain." He then walked down towards a secret entrance to the sublevels of the X-Mansion. "It's time to tell Xavier and the others. Ash, gather everyone for me, will you?"

"Uh, sure." Ash said as he walked off.

"I can't believe this." Rogue was still angry. Then she remembered why the Scions had left in the first place. "So lot of betrayal going on here recently."

"Al's just angry, we'll let him calm down and he'll be fine in a few months." Wraith explained. "Then we lay on the guilt trips."

"Gee, he has such loving friends." Rogue rolled her eyes as she followed Wraith down. "So, how's it going with Karma?" Wraith only glared at her.

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AN: It's short, yes, but it's also a lead in for my own little twists. Like what happens when a certain Green-Masked character from another universe decides to play with Stryker and the Hellions.