Changes Chapter 18
They're unable to move…
Everything they could do was to stand on the same spot and look at Logan's dead body. Heavy rain poured down, called by Storm's unstoppable tears which had already soaked Hank's suit. He was still holding her shaking form, continued to stroke her back and listened to her heartbreaking pleas…
"I thought he was indestructible…", Scott said barely audible. Even he could just stare… Suddenly, he sat down and took the rod into his hands. With all his might he pulled it out of Logan's body, damaging the stabbed lung and heart even more… When he finally held it in his hands, Scott looked at it in complete disgust and threw it away. Leaving even more blood in the snow as there already was.
Charles, who had closed his eyes in grief before, opened them now, tears shining in them. "We should get him inside now…", he said to Hank who nodded.
Storm still sat in the snow, her eyes were completely empty and she still stared down on the body in front over her. "She'll hate me…"
Hank turned around since he hadn't understood what she'd said. "What?"
"She'll hate me…"
"Don't be ridiculous, 'Ro!", he said and shook his head. "It's not your fault…"
Tears were still falling down her cheeks. "She'll hate all of us… I know she will…"
Charles knew what she meant. He had thought about the same thing before. He was afraid, deeply scared that this shock would cause Jean to freak out again. And he was convinced that no one and nothing could stop her this time. With the death of Logan, she had lost her only anchor…the only one who understood the battle she fought within her day after day. If Jean woke up and heard the terrible news… Charles didn't even dare to imagine or think any further… "Well, if she'll ever wake up again…", he thought sadly. As the things were at the moment, it was very likely that they could dig two graves again after three had been closed…
"Oh my God…", Storm suddenly gasped and everyone looked at her frightened expression immediately. Her eyes were fixed on something at the mansion and she was backing off slowly.
Frowning Hank, Charles and Scott, who still kneeled on the ground next to Logan, turned their heads around and there chin dropped suddenly, too. From the mansion, a huge light approached, coming closer and closer towards them. Soon, they noticed that it wasn't just a light, but burning flames that moved towards them…Unable to move first, Scott stood up for the Professor to protect him, while Hank wanted to support Ororo.
"What is that?", Ororo asked in shock as she saw that the flames seemed to have arms and legs. "Is that Pyro?"
Charles narrowed his eyes; he'd never seen something like that before… But he sensed an immense power which this living torch radiated. He couldn't take his eyes away from it, it was just too fascinating…
They watched the body come closer, saw how it moved like flames which burned there way to its destination, while the eyes of it were glowing like bright yellow sunlight. Storm looked up, noticing that the rain had stopped. She gasped for air as the thing had almost reached them. Suddenly, her skin felt pleasantly warm. She laid a hand on her chest and frowned, while her eyes were still fixed on her opposite. Storm felt her soul aching, but not with sadness or sorrow anymore… If she had felt both very strongly before, it was now as if they'd never existed, if they're erased, completely gone, as if she'd never even experienced them…
Scott had his hands already on his visor, read to battle the thing before them. He wouldn't let another one of them die today, no matter what it would cost him…
"Scott, wait!", Charles said taking the hand of the man in front of him.
"Why?"
The Professor narrowed his eyes. "I doubt it is going to attack us…"
"How can you be so sure of it?"
"I don't know…" He only hoped that he was right…
The body came slowly closer, spreading warmth all around it, causing the snow to melt underneath it. Surprised, they watched as spring flowers sprang up out of the places the thing was walking along. The warmth consumed them, triggered emotions in them they'd never felt before or haven't felt in a very long time… They couldn't help but stare as it kneeled down besides Logan's body. They stared as they noticed the beauty of it, the Godlike expression it left in them. The dancing flames hypnotized them, left them unable to move or think, erased the horrible pictures they'd to experience before completely. All they could feel was a deep love within them, which consumed every inch of their bodies. They didn't feel the tears which were flowing down their faces, didn't feel how wounds healed, couldn't think or speak, only stare…
The flaming torch bent down to Logan. A deep sadness in its eyes as it took his numb and with blood covered head in its hands. Gently, it stroked his cheeks, his hair, kissed him and whispered things into his ears only he could understand. Storm stared at the scene before her, her chin dropped and her eyes widened. Her heart was so close to breaking, her breath out of control…. She had seen this before, months ago…and it, too, had made her cry and her emotions gone wild. She remembered Logan holding Jean's dead body close to him, how he wouldn't let go of her, the dozens Forgive me's he'd whispered into her ear while crying… It seemed so familiar…yet so strange… "Jean…", she said barely audible and caused the others to turn their head's towards her. "It's Jean…"
"Jean?", Scott asked confused and looked at the not familiar person next to Logan.
Charles took a closer look. He knew that Jean's powers had no limits. She could do anything that she could imagine… But he never imagined that…
With her telekinetic powers, Jean lifted Logan's upper body up. Her head tilted to the right side as her nearly white glowing eyes looked at him curiously. It seemed as if she or the being she was right now, didn't understand hat happened to him. She paused like this for a brief moment, before black tears were running down her cheeks…
Everyone immediately backed off in the belief that she's freak out as the flames, which still covered her body, began to flicker violently. Helplessly, they watched as they gathered above her and formed the huge firebird again, which immediately spread its wings and uttered a loud cry. Jean looked up while the bird looked down on his mistress, silently communicating, before the bird took off and disappeared into the woods.
Storm tried to reach out and touch her friend in hope she would stop her from killing anyone, as suddenly the ground started to shake heavily. Within an instant it was torn open. Jean threw her head back and looked up into the sky, causing it to blacken completely…
The X-Men backed off, their eyes fixed on her. Even if they had to, they couldn't betray anyone…they're scared to death…
Phoenix's eyes were fixed on the body before her again, black tears flowing uncontrollable now. Her flaming body rose a bit when she spread her arms, causing the flames to burn even higher and stronger.
Charles and the others had to cover their eyes; the light was o strong that it nearly blinded them completely. They didn't see how Logan's body was consumed by the light and set into fire. They could only feel the ground shaking stronger and their emotions running even wilder than before, making it impossible for them to recognize what they're feeling right now.
When the light stopped blinding them, they opened their eyes slowly and gasped for air as they became totally aware of the scenery before them…
Proud like a Goddess, the Phoenix stood in all her beauty before Logan. Arms spread wide from her burning body, while she shared the light with him.
Storm took Hank's hand into hers and leant her head against his shoulder. With her mouth open she could only stare…
"Jean…", Charles said in complete disbelief as he finally understood. As if someone had opened his eyes, everything became completely clear to him now…
They watched when Logan's body began to float, saw how she discorporated his entire body until nothing more than his adamantium skeleton was left.
"What is he doing?", Ororo shrieked and wanted to stop her, but was held back by Hank.
Scott's heart was racing as he watched her continuing her work. He had never known what she was capable of before, hadn't believed Storm when she'd told him about the incidents after his death. He couldn't believe that Jean, his Jean, was capable of such terrible things… "My God…", he gasped as he saw how organs and muscled were rebuilt by her…
Phoenix had her glowing eyes still fixed on the body before her. Her heart was nearly exploding since she used all her power to fix the damages. She concentrated as hard as she could, overpowered herself completely…
The X-Men watched as the not beating heart took its old place in Logan's chest again, watched how the eyes returned to their holes, saw how the muscles first and afterwards the skin completed the picture.
"Oh my God…", they heard someone say from behind. Rogue and the younger X-Men came closer. "What is she doing to him?", she cried and her eyes widened even more when Phoenix sent an immense wave into all directions, which had nearly torn them off their feet.
"Stop her!", Rogue yelled hysterically towards the Professor, who only shook his head. "You can just sit here and let her kill him?"
"He was already dead before, Marie…", Scott explained. "Let her finish whatever she's doing…"
"He's dead? Logan's dead?", Jubilee and Kitty asked in shock, while Rogue dropped to her knees and sobbed.
Suddenly, the flames returned to Phoenix, covering her body again, consuming every inch of it, by dancing their bizarre, but beautiful dance on her skin again. She opened her eyes again. The glow within them was even stronger than before as she spread her arms again. Like a roller of fire, the flames gathered again above her, began to dance like a whirlwind, before they rushed down to earth and hit Logan straight with all their might.
The women couldn't stand to watch it anymore as silent screams left their mouths…
The men's eyes were widened in shock… All of a sudden, the air was cool again and stars had finally found their way back to heaven. A deadly silence filled the air…the ground had stopped shaking…
Unable to move, they watched Jean changing into her normal form again. For a few seconds, she just stood there, heavily breathing and trying to fill her lungs with air again. Ears were falling unstoppable and her eyes were still fixed n Logan's healed but still dead form. She began to sob heavily and trembled as she realized that she'd used up all her power. Scott instinctively jumped and caught her, when Jean collapsed and fell unconsciously to the ground…
Charles closed his eyes in sorrow, knowing that it would even be harder for her to realize that even she couldn't save him… "Let's finally get inside…", he said and woke everyone out of their shocks.
Rogue looked at him with red and wet eyes. "That's it?", she asked, the despair echoing and anger echoing in her voice. "So you gonna tell me that he's just dead and I'm supposed to accept that!"
Bobby took her in his arms and held her tight. "She tried, Marie…it was too late…"
Marie shook her head, unwilling to accept that one of her closest friends was dead. She pushed him aside while she jumped up. "I thought she's so powerful!", she cried sarcastically. "He can't just be dead…"
"He is, Marie…", the Professor assured her sadly.
"So why didn't you help him before?", she screamed hysterically, while the pain was eating her up inside. She didn't care about the tears wetting her cheeks, she didn't even feel them anymore. What she felt right now was unbearable for her. Her heart was torn out of her chest… "Why did you let him die?" Her whole body was shaking violently as the sobs became harder.
"Marie…", Bobby tried once more, but she pushed him away again.
"Let go off me!", she screamed.
Storm bent her head in grief and didn't even felt that Hank was supporting her in his arms again. She couldn't think, her mind and hearts were completely empty and her body felt numb. She starred down on Logan's body and only shook her head slowly…
"I get Peter", Kitty said to the Professor. "We can't get him inside alone…"
The Professor nodded in agreement and looked at Logan's body again. His hoped were shattered…destroyed when he finally believed that he'd found the answers to his questions…
"You're his murders!", Rogue suddenly said, causing everyone to look at her in shock.
"Rogue!", Jubilee said in disbelief and shook her head.
"You killed him by not helping him!", she yelled and turned around to run away. She couldn't stand it anymore; she couldn't be here anymore…
Abruptly, she stopped…her eyes widened in shock. She was convinced that her mind was making a fool out of her, when she heard it again… Slowly, Rogue turned around, her heart nearly breaking in her chest. She was sure that she was mistaken, when she looked down…
