Legend: Thoughts = <>
Stray thoughts = ()
Ok, guys, All the disclaimers apply, that means all thanks goes to Marvel for the X-Men, I'm just making the story. And I do read all the other stories, and they're great, keep up the good work. They inspire me!
Chapter 22: Halo
" It's not you, it's me." I said, trying to let Bobby down easily. I had decided that it was for both of our goods if I broke it off. I planned on leaving and it wouldn't work if I was still tied to this make-shift relationship.
Bobby looked at me coldly, " Look in my eyes and honestly tell me that you don't love me and want to be with me!" he said frantically, " I love you and you're just gonna break up with me because you can't deal with what's going on?"
" Yeah." I answered honestly, " We've been through so much and I...I know about the offer. You and Kitty being Co-leaders on the new team somewhere and it's an opprotunity that you can't miss. What better time to get away from the insanity that is me?" I asked.
Bobby stared angrily, " You're not getting the part where I love you." he said through gritted teeth.
" I got it. I see it. I acknowledge it, but you're not hearing me. It's not enough." I said, getting up and walking past him to my room. On my bed sat my suitcases, full to the brim. I grabbed my coat, my phone, and my iPod and got ready to leave when I stared right into the mirror. Who was I? What was I? Why am I here? I wanted to feel so many emotions and scream out the answer, but I felt someone behind me.
" Gambit." I said without looking, " Remy, what do you want?" I asked, turning to look at him.
" Nothing, petite. We're all looking for you again." Remy smiled, leaning on the doorway.
" Well, they're going to have to look farther than this." I said, looking to my bags.
" Wat dat 'posed to mean? And what in da blue moon is dis song?" Remy asked, walking to the cd player.
" Love show by Skye Edwards." I frowned.
" Downright depressin, dat's wat it is." Remy smiled.
" Maybe, but it's how I feel." I replied.
" Someone such as yourself ought not feel dat way." Remy beamed.
" Doesn't change that I do." I said.
" You shouldn't." he smirked.
" I do." I said quickly, " How's Rogue."
Remy scowled, " Dunno, ask her and her mystery man." he said bitterly.
I looked at him in shock, " She cheated?" I asked.
" Don't bother Gambit too much, he got his eye on somebody else." He smiled.
" Lucky somebody." I beamed.
" Where Mr. Freeze?" Remy asked.
" Getting ready to go, I suppose." I said uncertainly.
" Havin a scuffle?" Remy asked.
" Not anymore. Well, I'm late." I said, levitating my bags.
" You got an appointment?" Remy asked.
" What's with the questions? And No...yeah...maybe, not a formal one, but I need to get out of here." I said, walking to the cd player and switching it off just as the song ended.
" Good timin?" Remy smiled.
" No, I just listen to this song a whole lot." I smiled, leaving the room.
" Careful. Derr some loonies out derr." Remy cautioned.
" I've met them all." I shouted back.
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I walked the streets of Manhatten in a daze before initially deciding my feet needed a rest. I went to the coffee shop and ordered the strongest thing I could think of, but I only got sleepier. Then i began to wonder where was i going to sleep? i mean I could go with Johnny and the Fantastic Four, but it's been done. Then I got caught up in my problems, which seemed to disappate as I closed my eyes and let the thoughts of others wash over me like a calm wave. I was interrupted by, " HEY!" and I turned to see Spider...Peter Parker.
" Hey." I waved back.
" Can I sit down?" he asked.
" Sure." I smiled.
Peter sat down, " So, how's life? Still alive, I see." he smiled.
" Barely." I frowned, " I met you once, not sure I feel like sharing." I said, sipping my coffee.
" Sorry, you just seem a little down." he frowned.
" Sorry, I'm a bit touchy. Too much coffee plus loads of coffe equals grouchy me." I explained.
" What's wrong? Where're the X-Men?" Peter investigated.
I diverted my eyes, " I ran away." I grimaced.
" What? Why'd you do that? I've seen that place and with all due respect, you'd have to be stupid not to wanna stay." Peter blurted.
" You wouldn't say that if you were actually there. At first they wouldn't tell me anything, then there was all the drama...just need some space." I said, exhaling.
" I get that....I think. Where are you going to stay?" he asked.
" Didn't think about it. It did pass my mind before you talked to me, which is very strange. You can't read my mind, can you?" I joked.
" You have to stay with me." Peter said boldly, " If you want to."
" Sure, if you'd have me." I smiled.
" I invited you, didn't I?" Peter smiled, " Come on."
I smiled and paid for my drink, then left with him to his apartment. When we got there, it wasn't the most beautiful place, but it was where I expected a college student, who moonlights as a superhero, to live. It was big enough and was better than most places and I settled in.
" How are you?" Peter asked, checking on me.
" Good." I smirked, " Thanks."
" You're welcome." he smiled.
Long silence.
" Go ahead and asked." I said.
" Why, exactly did you leave?" Peter asked.
" I'm the key to bringing Apocalypse back to Earth." I said casually.
Peter looked shocked, " Wait, what?!" he asked.
" Don't freak, I wouldn't let that happen, I hate the bast...guy." I said quickly.
" Are you going back?" Peter asked.
" Here a few hours and I'm already getting the boot?" I joked.
" No and don't change the subject." he chuckled.
" If I know them, they'll be here by morning." I said, staring at him.
Peter nodded, " Goodnight." he said, getting up.
" What was she like...MJ?" I asked.
" She was the most beautiful, smartest, and all around nicest people I could ever concieve of. I'm not sure where she is, but I hope to save her someday soon." Peter explained.
I got up and hugged him. Vision Spider-Man was fighting something big and defeated it, then hugged a red-head.Vision
" Goodnight, Peter." I smiled.
He smiled, then headed back into his room. I just stared at the door and smiled. He'd have his soul-mate back soon and he'd be happy again. It was simple. Right? Why couldn't love and relationships and life be as simple as this was? Why couldn't I find my soul-mate and be genuinely happy again? U thought about these things as I drifted into a deep sleep, listening to "Love Show" on my iPod.
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" Get up!" came a voice. I raised my head to see Scott's visor staring furiously at me.
" I can't..." Scott said, frustrated.
I rolled oved, " Leave me alone." I groaned.
" You are being such a brat!" Scott said angrily.
" You're not my father...You're..." I paused.
" ...the one who loves you. Look, something has happened." Scott said impatiently.
I turned to him, " Not what I was going to say, but...what's wrong?" I asked, getting up.
" He's missing. We think he might be on the Shi'ar." Scott said ambigiously.
Peter stepped up, " Who?" he asked.
" Professor X." I said carefully. I thought back to when we last spoke. The night he urged me not to enter the room and now it was becoming clear, he was going or gone then! I turned to Peter, " Thank you so much for everything Peter, but I have to go." He nodded and hugged me goodbye, then I turned, leaving with the X-Men. I didn't remember the Shi'ar, apparently. When someone said the words, I saw flashes in my head. i read about them in a book, apparently teleportation was one of their strong points. Lilandra was his soul-mate, they had a connection, but there was only one question.
" Am I in trouble" was what I said.
The team looked at me.
" What I meant was, what's gonna happen to the school?" I asked.
When I asked, they all seemed to look at each other.
" Someone want to tell me what's the ruckus?" I asked.
Logan raised his hand, " Golly, I'd sure like to!" he chirped.
I looked at him, along with the team, " That was a hell of a thing!" I said in shock.
" I dunno what the fuck that was. I wasn't myself for a minute." Logan said, holding his head.
We nodded. I wasn't going to tell them, but I think I did it. My empathy was getting extra powerful, I could almost control someone else now. It was foreign to me, but I was guessing it would come in handy.
" Like I was about to say, it's Magneto." Logan started.
" What about him?" I asked.
" He's calling himself Michael Xavier" Logan finished.
" Magneto's crazy...surprise?" I said sarcastically, " Still not getting the 'what'."
" He left the Brotherhood to run the school." Scott answered.
" Whoa! How'd he swing that one?" I asked.
" We are not sure, but it is not natural. And I would know." Ororo smirked.
" What does he have to gain!?" Jean blurted, almost in panic.
We all looked at here, then she looked directly at me, " You're doing it, aren't you? When you get excited, or overcome by something, you can transfer feelings and sometimes even control people...can't you?" she asked, holding her head.
" Not the point, what does he have to gain?" I asked.
Nobody said anything, it was as if I hadn't asked, but I got the feeling I already knew. I looked out the window, trying to forget about the fact that he'd ruined my major relationship...s? And ultimately, he was the most evil bastard in all evil bastardom.
" Get ready, we're landing." Scott said, punching buttons.
" Looks like we're not in Kansas anymore." I said as we landed.
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When we landed, the school seemed different. I could feel the worry and the fear emanating from the campus and I felt even worse when I saw Magneto waiting for us to land. After settling back into my room, I heard a knock on the door and opened it telekinetically.
" Hello, Pane." Magneto smiled, levitating into the room.
I wheeled around, " Hi, Magneto." I said, annoyed.
Magneto moved closer, " Call me grandpa." he smiled.
I smiled nervously, " Yeah, see that's weird. You look a few years older than me and I don't think of you as..." I started.
" I know, but..." he interrupted.
I continued, "...Yeah, you know, you ruined my relationship and left. Sorry if I don't exactly shed a tear." I said with the slightest disgust.
" I like the fact that you can be candid with me. I apologize for that, but I wanted you at my side. So did Pietro and Wanda, although they wouldn't 'help' you." he smiled.
" Why are you trying so hard?" I asked.
" You're not scared at all, are you?" he asked.
" No, why should I be?" I asked.
" I could've killed you without thinking." Magneto said, looking around the room.
" You would've tried." I frowned.
" Never." Magneto smiled.
" That's why I'm not scared." I said optimistically.
Magneto turned and floated to the door.
" You know, maybe people can change." I said quietly.
" Maybe...you tell me. You're the one with the halo." Magneto smirked. He opened the door and left me there, folding socks.
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Weeks flew by and those weeks were filled with resentiment, unspoken things, and rebellion. One morning I woke up and noticed that the teachers were not in class, so I went to see if Scott was in his room. He was packing, so I knocked lightly.
" Come in." Scott beamed.
" Where you goin?" I asked, walking deeper into the room.
Scott turned to me, " I was hoping you'd come by. We're leaving...me, Jean, Warren, Hank...this is all too shady. I have a question, I know we haven't been too...I want you to come with us. We're going to call ourselves X-Factor." he explained.
" Why are things shady?" I asked.
" Because I don't believe..." Scott started.
" He's reformed. Why does it always have to be Xavier's way or no way?" I asked.
Scott stared at me as if I had just said something very hurtful," Because this is his school." he said angrily.
" He's gone. He left us here alone." I said bitterly.
We both stopped and looked at each other, both unsure of what to say. It took a few minutes for me to find the words.
" If you're right, then they're gonna need someone here to protect the school." I said finally.
Scott looked down, " So that's a no?" he asked.
I kissed him passionately, " I'm always running from here, finally it's my time to stay. love you, but I'll be here." I said, trying to fight the overwhelming emotion we were feeling. We were feeling. I was feeling his hearbreak too.
He grabbed his stuff and looked at me. He stumbled out of the room and I followed him to the sub-basment. The X-Men and Juniors were there and they watched. I knew they'd come back, not because there were wrong, but because this wasn't meant to end. I watched as Scott boarded the X-Wing. I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked over to see Ororo attached to it.
" You fear for our fates." she asked.
" Yeah." I said, watching the X-Wing lift off and fly away.
To-Be-Continued