Stargazer

by The Dark Zodiac

Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men characters or any of that jazz.

Author Notes: So…welcome to the second to last (?) chapter of my first X-Men fic, Ultimate or otherwise. I really appreciate the feedback from everyone and I really do hope you've enjoyed the story.

Chapter VII: Waiting

Regardless of what they did during the day, Pete and Rhys started spending every night in the same bed. The more time they spend together, the more they grew on each other and though they may have only known each other for a few months, they knew over those months they'd formed a deeper connection which they could only describe as love.

Every few nights, Rhys would have a nightmare and Pete would subdue him as best he could; sometimes it took the intervention of whichever X-Men were around at that time. On a rainy day one week before the eclipse, Rhys was walking alone around the grounds of the mansion, stopping every few minutes to examine a flower or tree that caught his eyes. After an hour of listless wandering, he found himself at the weeping willow tree he and Pete sat under the first time they met.

I need you, Pete.

Suddenly he saw Pete pushing the willow branches aside.

"Pete?"

"I've been looking for you."

"Every hear of telepathy?"

"I'm not a telepath."

"That doesn't matter. If you focus, you can make me hear you. It's weird. I used to experiment with Reeny all the time."

"Is something wrong, Rhys? You've had this blank expression all day."

"I have to get out of here. Look," he said as he lifted up his sweatshirt, revealing the black symbols. "It's gonna happen any time now."

"We have to get you to the Professor. You're safer here!"

"But you aren't."

"Rhys..."

"Uhhh," Rhys moaned as he clutched his head with his hands and his eyes went white. "Get away from me, Pete!"

Rhys ran away from Pete as fast as he could as energy began to expand from him in glowing ribbons. Pete chased after him, but Rhys knocked him back with a blast of telekinetic energy.

"RHYS! WAIT!"

Waves of energy exploded from Rhys' body as the enormous wings and cape took shape. Pete ran into the Mansion as fast as he could, but the Professor was already giving the X-Men orders.

"Jean, can you track him?"

"Yes, Professor."

"Excellent. Take the jet and follow him. He's a danger to himself and everyone around him. Peter, you must do everything you can to stop him. If he gets out of control, you have to stop him by any means necessary."

"I understand, Professor."

"Now go. Quickly."

Zodian streaked across the sky in a brilliant flash of light and energy while the X-Men did their best to follow him in the X-Jet. After half an hour of flying, they finally tracked him to a small abandoned park beyond a dead end street. Cyclops set the jet down and Colossus got out.

"Let me try and talk to him."

"If anything happens, we'll be right behind you, Pete," Jean said as he placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder.

Pete found Rhys sitting on a swing, his wings and cape bigger than they were before. He noticed the black symbols went all the way up his neck and onto his face.

"Rhys?"

"Pete? Why? Why did you follow me?"

"Because I love you, Rhys. Now please, come home. We can help you."

"No. You can't."

The Russian was now standing over the telepath with his hands on his shoulders.

"Pete. You have to kill me. While I still have some control."

"I can't, Rhys. How could you even ask me to?"

He stood up and was quickly wrapped in Pete's arms. Tears dripped from both of their eyes as they embraced.

"Pete…if you love me, you'll do this," he said as he looked up at him. "I'm too dangerous."

"There has to be another way."

"There's no other way! Do it Pete! Please…" he begged as he buried his face in the Russian's chest and more tears trickled down his face. "Please…"

"Never."

"I don't want to end up killing someone I love! I don't want to end up killing you! Pete! Something terrible is going to happen during the solar eclipse. I can feel it. Whatever is inside of me…it's going to come out. I won't be able to stop it. I won't be able to control it. I've made contact with it. It's too powerful for any of us to defeat."

"I can't."

"The longer I'm alive the more everyone is in jeopardy! Are you really willing to put their lives on the line too? I love you, Pete, but I'm not worth all this!"

"I love you, Rhys…"

"Pete…I can't…can't…control it…"

As Rhys was about to lose it again, Pete quickly turned into steel and knocked him unconscious with a light blow to the head.

"…and I'm sorry. But you are worth it."

When they got back to the Mansion, the Professor put Rhys into a medical-induced coma with the use of heavy sedatives. Once again, Pete found himself at Rhys' bedside, their hands intertwined among a jumble of wires and tubes. The Russian ran his hands through Rhys' hair and kissed his forehead as the constant beeping of the heart monitor provided a lackluster soundtrack.

Minutes ticked by on the clock as Pete did his best to fight sleep, but he soon found himself facedown on the side of Rhys' bed. Everything was black until he heard Rhys' voice.

Pete.

Rhys? What the…is this a dream?

Kinda. My body may be in a coma, but my mind is far from rested.

I…still don't understand.

It's hard to explain, but when you get deeply emotionally attached to someone, a kind of psychic link forms.

Are you okay?

The eclipse is in three days.

What's going to happen?

Something terrible.

What?

I'm not entirely sure, but it has to do with the energies of the sun and moon amplifying each other. The Stargazer is gonna absorb them somehow and break free of me.

Then what?

Do you really have to ask, Pete?

But you're in a coma now.

Do you really think some sedatives are going to keep me on this bed during the eclipse? There's…still time, Pete.

For what?

You can still kill me. I'm in a freakin coma! I won't feel it.

But I will.

Pete suddenly woke up and wondered if what had just occurred was really some kind of psychic link or just a dream.

End Chapter VII: Waiting

R&R please! Reviews are much appreciated!