Marvel owns the X-men, no profit is to be made from this work.
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Snapping his phone shut and smiling with a flash of yellow across his eyes, the apparent Senator Robert Kelly looked to all the delegates, diplomats and politicians around him indulging in the refreshments. Helping himself to a glass of wine and walking away from the rest, the iconic skyline of New York lit up in the late evening, soon another light would be added to the glowing city. The victory would be a bitter one to savour at the price it cost, but defeat was unacceptable. Having his first sip of the wine he watched and waited, others joining him with their own glasses and lost to their musing as they enjoyed the view.
The last few hours has been a lesson in control, enduring the Mutant Debate that had hijacked the summit, registration called for among other horrors which some of the less civilized nations of that pontificating organization for world peace brought to the table. It was all over now in more ways than one, just a time for photo ops and pandering for favours. Imagining just what it would look like, the glow of their bright future as it encompassed the entirety of Manhattan and carved out a swath of New York, he thought he could see the first glimmer and raised his glass in silent toast.
Out of the crowd he listened to them point and wonder at the light, growing brighter than any in the night, looking to one another with questions and musings on just what it could be. They would stand witness to future and bring back word all around the world, that the Mutants would not lay down and be shackled. With a single flutter of lashes that future that had been paid for in pain, agony and blood was gone with the glow vanished, only the curious murmur of the crowd to tell that it hadn't been imagined. Excusing himself to a quiet and recluse place at the summit, only then did he find his phone and make a call all the while dreading the answer.
The phone rang and droned on, the click coming that had it going to voice mail. Trying another just to be sure, it too went unanswered. Finishing his wine in a single swallow and throwing the glass out into the harbor, he breathed deep and found the strength to carry on the act. As much as she longed to be there this night and stand at his side, Mystique understood the need for other avenues better than most, the Senator still a useful pawn. Turning on his heel and joining the rest, he found a fresh glass of wine and put on a smile that didn't reach his eyes that went unnoticed or ignored amongst so many liars and sycophants.
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Pushing himself to keep up with the frenzied pace his Rogue set, Remy saw her vanish ahead after falling to all fours and clawing at the very deck. A scream echoed loudly, not his Rogue or his Petit, another girl that came to mind feeling his stomach twist thinking back to the mansion.
"Let her go!"
He was close, forcing himself to his fullest even as the twisting of metal joined the night, the shattering of concrete and the wildcat snarling of Rogue. Angry yelling was lost to awful abuse of what had to be the very building tearing itself apart, finally rushing about the corner and standing frozen at the nightmare he saw there.
Lashing about like angry serpents, tendrils of rebar and steel lashed through the air to attack and pierce her holding her firm to the ground. Losing himself to his rage that gripped him just as fast as the terror stole his breath, he lashed out with kinetically charged daggers that were taken in an unseen hand and hurled over the edge to explode impotently. Charging forward and pulling his staff out, a twirl unfurling it to its full length, sudden pain tearing through him as he fell hard only to find he was held fast and firm by another lance of rebar though his leg.
Rogue was pulling at the pieces of steel that ran through her chest, trying ever harder to get any bit closer to the man who he only now noticed held their terrified Petit, bound tightly in a twisting of wires and steel. With red washing out his vision he gripped the offending shackle and charged it, the explosion of steel digging into his flesh as a hot wash of blood soaked his jeans. Finding the strength to get back to his feet and resume the fight, it fled from him instantly in one horrific moment as he watched his Petit carelessly tossed over the very edge of the building, the words echoing in his ears as he was fell low, 'Know my pain.'
"Blast the sonovabitch Jubilee!"
In one last defiant act the answer to Rogue's plea came, the man hit from behind by the brightest and strongest fireworks he'd ever seen. Watching as Magneto was hurled through the air into the accepting arms of his Rogue, she pressed her bare hands to his face that was twisted in pain and anger, replaced by shock and the anguish of knowing just what was happening to him. Throwing him aside and standing against the binding metal, it yielded for her with a wave of her hand as she looked on to the other glow in the night.
"Rogue!"
His shout fell on deaf ears, Rogue standing up and reaching out to the the spinning bands of metal, clenching her fist for them to answer as they stopped at once and shattered. Falling limply from her prison, Lorna looked up with a band of white streaking her green locks, meeting eyes with Rogue before her ordeal claimed her as she fell spent and weak.
"Save her!" Remy shouted, thinking of just everything he'd seen, Rogue the only one who now could save their Petit.
Struggling again to stand, he watched feeling his world end as she herself fell, no hope left for him as he rushed to her side and took her into his arms wailing into the night. Jubilee would die to the pavement below, and as he looked to the wounds Rogue had suffered he saw to his horror that they weren't healing as they should with everything she had taken from Victor in payment for all he had done to her. Pressing his hand to her breast, her heart beat once, then twice irregularly before resting.
"No, no!" Remy swore, clenching his fist and beginning compressions.
She wouldn't, she couldn't leave him alone now, not after he had just broken the most important promises in his life. Not after losing his Petit Ange, the girl who was his sunshine on cloudy days. Pausing to check again, no patter of her heart was felt, beginning anew with a curse to the fates if they'd steal her from him. Feeling the wind rush against his hair, he couldn't spare a glance up as litter scattered and danced down the deck.
"Remy!" Jubilee screamed.
Thinking it a ghost come to haunt him early, he pumped his Rogue's heart hoping never to hear her call to him so when the click of heels against concrete had him look up from his task. His Stormy lady held his Petit in her arms, carrying her over to lay her down near them as she cried and sobbed. Letting his tears join hers, he struggled on crying a prayer as he never before had in his life, asking for just one more miracle. Pumping hard, he expected her to jerk awake or cough and sputter, but the sign of life came as he looked on her face and saw the cuts close before his eyes.
"Rogue!" Remy shouted, checking for the beating of her heart and rewarded finally.
There was so much he wanted to do in that moment but couldn't, to kiss her lips and breath life into her, to brush away the blood that stained her flesh. Shifting over and pulling Jubilee into his lap, he started to strip at the bindings that held her and hugged her hard instead, kissed her cheek and whispered to her all his relief that it was all finally over. The cough he expected came finally, the flutter of those emerald eyes looking up at them utterly tired and wholly curious.
"Rogue!"
His Petit proved a wildcat all her own as she struggled in his arms and kicked, trying to throw herself at Rogue in a misguided embrace. He could hear the others coming, the sound of the Blackbird hovering at the very edge of the battlefield the Empire State building had become. Yet it was those emerald eyes closing again that had him dreading they might never open again.
"Roguey!" Jubilee wailed, forcing them open again.
They looked so tired, fluttering and fighting to stay open for one last look at them both only to fall closed once more.
"Marie!" Remy yelled, calling her secret name, her eyes opening once in a puzzled expression before falling shut.
"Marie!"
"We have to get them back to the school!" Jean called from where she was extracting the equally spent Lorna Dane.
John was walking near now, looking over the scene with his face ashen in horror, his blackened and ruined lighter snapped open once and slammed shut to be held tightly in his fist. Ororo stood conversing seemingly to herself but more likely to Slim. Watching it all he felt the cold take him, finally falling himself amidst the cry of his little Jubilee and John alike. Staring up at them as they fell over him, he blinked once, twice, and then sought the peace of whatever the fates would make him pay for two miracles in one night.
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Jubilee woke to a gentle stroking down her back and a soothing melody sung to her 'en francais', the strange mixed with the familiar, the smoky smell that was Remy mingled with antiseptic and the beep of heart monitors and other medical equipment. Cracking open her sleepy eyes and still blind by the watery vision, gentle hands pressed a bit of blanket to them to clear her gaze.
"Mornin' ma petit ange." Remy greeted.
Feeling her heart twist, fresh tears coming, soothing words were whispered as she was wrapped up in his arms. Through those tears she saw where she was, some sort of hospital straight out of a sci fi flick, a trio of beds nearby and all occupied. Rogue was in one, Lorna in another, yet at the sight of the third she squawked and struggled only to be held firm, seeing Toad.
"He be a guest of sorts, don worry, he not be waking up unless they want him to." Remy promised, kissing her atop her head.
"They got him doped up real good."
Looking to the new voice, she saw a boy sitting there stretching and yawning, off against the far wall. He looked tired but the wink he threw her was playful and cocky all at once. Feeling just how tired she really was, she settled down against Remy and wished they were back home out on his deck, just them in a hammock with the waves rolling on in from the Pacific. With fluttering eyes and heavy lids, sleep tugged at her that she wanted to surrender to, looking at the two girls across from her as visions of the night past assaulted her.
"Rogue!" Jubilee shrieked, overpowering Remy with a burst of frantic strength and tumbling out of the bed.
Rushing to her side and ignoring the calls for her to stay, she saw her friend looking as if she were sleeping, surprised to find a shock of white hair running through her blonde speckled auburn. Glancing to Lorna, she saw the same, looking between the two in confusion.
"Your guess is as good as ours." John said, closing the distance between them.
"They're...?" Jubilee started, unable to bring voice to her question.
"Doc Grey said it best, they're stable but not outta the woods. We're all hoping some rest is all they need." John said softly, looking back to where Remy laid on his own bed.
Jubilee followed his gaze and saw for the first time the bandage around his leg, a fresh wash of red staining it darkly. Holding her trembling hands to her lips and rushing up to him, she found herself drawn in with an arm for a hug.
"Looks worse then it be, I didn't think that one through. Think maybe the stitches, they get popped." Remy whispered.
"I'll go get the Doc." John said, giving them some time alone.
Finding some space made for and urged up with a pat, she climbed back up and let herself be wrapped up in those arms as she curled up felt safe for the first time since the whole nightmare had begun. She wanted to cry, whether out of relief or grief she didn't know, wanting to forget the whole thing and just go back to the beachfront home and get lulled to sleep by the crashing of the waves.
"You came." Jubilee whispered.
"Devil himself couldn't keep me away, Jubilee, not me or our friend Rogue. That one, John, he help too. I think he think you be cute." Remy teased weakly, a fist thrown just as tired against his chest expressing her ire.
"He hasn't even seen me ya doofus!" Jubilee growled, burying her face against his chest.
"That not be true, the pictures you and Rogue took on the boardwalk, she show him one. Just like the one I got in my wallet." Remy revealed, ruffling her hair and taking a deep breath filled with the relief of having her safe at his side again.
"Rogue's really gonna be okay, her and Lorna?" Jubilee asked, lolling her head to look at the two girls.
"Time will tell, but I think yes, they just be needing their beauty sleep oui? That and I have too many promises I owe our Rogue that she can't go doing anything foolish." Remy whispered, stroking her hair and toying with it.
"When can we go home?" Jubilee asked in a timid voice.
"Soon, so hush and go back to sleep. It all be over now." Remy urged, kissing her head and singing once more to lull her off.
Knowing she was safe in his arms and that he'd never let anything happen to her, she let herself drift off dreaming of the waves and the surf, dreaming of skating with Rogue and parties with Cynthia, of swaying safe in hammocks curled up against him just as she was now.
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