Flight of the Archangel

Disclaimer: "Will you just listen to me? Just listen to me!" – Al Pacino, A Dog Day Afternoon

Chapter 9: Thoughts of an Archangel

The Xavier Institute

Sam Guthrie, the immortal lycanthropic mutant codenamed Cannonball, walked inside the Institute, and as usual, he had a lot on his mind.

There are others like me? Sam thought, looking up at the sky through the doors. Ah'm not the only one who had been cursed? Could Selene be right? About everything?

"Hello, Samuel." Sam turned around and saw Professor Xavier wheeling up to him.

"Oh. Hello, Professor." Sam greeted.

"Is something troubling you?" Xavier frowned concernedly. "I sense that a lot is troubling you. But then again, you've had a lot on your mind ever since you learned you were immortal."

"Yeah…" Sam admitted, rubbing his head. "Not to mention that Ah also turn into a mindless monster every month."

"Actually, Rahne told me that werewolves are not 'mindless', as you say." Xavier corrected. "That werewolves simply are more primal and think more with instinct."

"Uh-huh. She said that to me, too." Sam nodded. "But that's not what's bothering me."

"Then what is?" Xavier wondered.

"Well…" Sam scrunched his face in thought. "Ah was thinking…what if there were other mutants like me? You know, mutants that were also cursed with living forever."

"Hmmm…the bald telepath rubbed his chin in thought. "That's a reasonable hypothesis, Samuel. I myself find it hard to believe that you are the only mutant out there that is capable of defying death like you are. And if there is anything I have learned over the years, it's that nothing is impossible for our species."

"You do have a point there, Professor." Sam nodded. "Ah also came to realize something else."

"And that is…" Xavier wondered.

"…Maybe Ah'm hurting Rahne and mah children by staying with them." Sam explained. "Think about it, Professor. Ah'm immortal. Ah can't die. Ah can't even age. But Rahne will do both. And it's likely mah kids will do both. How can Ah possibly continue being with them when Ah know that all Ah'll end up doing is watching them age and die. Maybe it'd be better if I left them."

"Sam, I cannot see you doing that." Xavier shook his head.

"But…" Sam countered.

"I understand why you'd be thinking like this." Xavier continued. "You are in a very unique situation. I'm not saying that you are wrong, thinking like that. It's natural to have those thoughts in your situation…I think."

"Ah don't think you understand, Professor." Sam sighed. "No offense or anythin'."

"None at all." Xavier nodded. "And you are right. I don't think I ever could fully understand your situation. I wish we did have someone who did understand that."

"So do Ah, Professor." Sam sighed. "So do Ah." He walked by a newspaper, open to the classified ads. One ad was for a party planner named Sylvia Sersi…

The roof of the Voodoo Lounge

Jay Guthrie sat on top of the Voodoo Lounge's roof, staring down at a poster he found. He looked sadly at the poster, which prominently displayed himself at a younger age.

"Penny for your thoughts, Archangel?" A familiar voice asked. Jay turned his head and saw the black dinosaur-like demon called Dracor.

"Just looking at a poster." Jay showed the black demon the poster of himself as Icarus.

"Days gone by, huh?" Dracor gave his version of a smirk.

"I used to love doing that." Jay frowned. "I used to love singing in front of crowds, playing my guitar, that kind of thing. Now…" His eyes drooped. "I can't even bring myself to sing one blasted note. I can't even sing to myself."

"I'm sure you still can sing, my dear boy." Dracor shrugged.

"I was 29 when I died. I'm hardly a boy." Jay told the demon. "And I know I can sing, it's just…A part of me doesn't want to do it anymore. Like I have no reason to sing."

"I do not blame you." Dracor nodded. "You breached the barrier between life and death. Quite an achievement. However, one does not go through something like that without being…changed somewhat."

"If you say so." Jay concurred. "I look at this poster, and I can't help but wonder."

"Wonder what?" Dracor blinked.

"What could've been." Jay sighed. "I could've been a legend. I could've been an influence to millions of young rock fans. Now I'll never know. All because my blasted sister viewed me as a living wound to her ego." He looked at the dinosaur-like demon. "Why? Why would God allow me to die like that?"

"I really don't know, Archangel." Dracor shrugged. "But then again, I never worked for Him."

"I tried to appeal to Death herself, you know." Jay told Dracor. "I tried to get her to let me live again."

"Let me guess, she refused." Dracor smirked. The formerly-deceased mutant nodded. "I'm not surprised, kid. Let me tell you some advice that you'll find very useful: Deities and cosmic beings and the like…do you really believe that they care about you? Or any other mortal? They don't. And why should they? They don't have to suffer or struggle like mortals do."

"You got a point, Dracor." Jay admitted.

"Indeed. I do." The black-haired demon nodded. "You know, Selene needs the Wand of Watoomb."

"And where the hell do I start?" Jay groaned. "All I know about the Wand is what it looks like! Selene didn't really give me a starting point here!"

"Hmmm…the Wand vanished sometime ago. She has no idea herself where it went. Perhaps we should check out some local occult shops. Maybe they have some idea or have caught sight of the Wand." Dracor suggested.

"Yeah, maybe we should." Jay agreed. "It's the only possible idea I have for a start."

"Jay?" A familiar voice called. "Are you up here?"

"You better make yourself scarce, iguana." Jay warned. Dracor nodded.

"Indeed. See you around, Archangel." Dracor waved and flew off. Jay watched him fly across the sky briefly before vanishing.

"There you are." Topaz walked up beside him. "Are you alright?"

"…Yeah, I'm fine." Jay mumbled.

"What's that in your hand?" The Indian woman noticed the poster. She gently took the poster and opened it up. "This is you."

"It was me." Jay scowled. "I was flying high at that time. My life was perfect. I was the opening act for a great singer, and I was getting some fame myself." He took the poster. "Now that's gone."

"Not necessarily." Topaz blinked. "You can sing again."

"Oh yeah, I could!" Jay snapped unintentionally at the Indian woman. "And how the hell would I explain my return? People would think my death was some kind of damned publicity stunt! It was real!"

"Jay…" Topaz reached for him. "You could start again…"

"And what?" Jay growled. "Sing under a false name? Achieve my dreams pretending to be someone else? I can't do that, Topaz! I won't do that!" He clutched the poster. "The world loved my music as Icarus! I can't be Icarus anymore!" His grip tightened around the poster. "Thanks to my damned sister, I can't be Icarus ever again!" He tore the poster in half, and angrily threw the halves over the edge. "Never again."

"Jay…" Topaz held his shoulder.

"Why?" Jay shook with anger. "All I wanted was to sing. Why did that get taken away from me? What did I do to deserve that?"

"Fate can be cruel, Jay." Topaz told the former musician sadly. "Fate can be very cruel."

Next: The Search Jay begins the search for the Wand of Watoomb.