True Believers: Part Nineteen
Nate Grey sat up with a gasp. As his apartment took shape around him, he realized he was on the floor. What the hell was that? he thought wildly, unable to stop shaking. Some sort of mammoth disturbance on the astral plane--
Rising slowly, he made his way over to a chair. "Damn," he muttered, rubbing at his temples. He had the beginnings of a massive headache already, and the strange sense of pressure in the air didn't help. It felt like it was going to storm, big-time. He forced himself to think back, to try and figure out what happened. I don't think it was natural--I felt something, some sort of awareness--
Or maybe that was the wrong word. Not consciousness, but purpose. Yeah, that was it. His instincts told him the disturbance hadn't been random. It was meant for something, or maybe someone. Nate scowled. If it was the latter, he'd like to get his hands on the person who thought he or she could tear up the astral plane at will--
Feeling a bit hypocritical today, pal? his conscience asked him sardonically, and Nate winced. Okay, so maybe he'd done just as much damage in his time, used his powers just as recklessly. Onslaught would never have existed if he hadn't pulled Xavier off the astral plane, but that didn't mean he should sit back and let whatever this was continue. You were supposed to learn from your mistakes.
But if he'd felt it, others must have, too. Jean, certainly, and probably--oh, damn. Cable. He didn't like to think of the effect the disturbance might have had on an unshielded mind. Closing his eyes, he reached out telepathically. Cable? he called. There was no answer, and he concentrated harder, trying to locate Cable's mind. Cable? Come on, old man, answer me--
The balcony doors suddenly flew open, crashing back and forth in the icy wind, the curtains flying wildly. Nate leapt from his chair, ready to defend himself.
And Madelyne floated into the room, the shrieking wind whipping her red hair around her face like a battle flag and her green eyes glowing with a light of their own. "Hello, Nate," she said calmly. "We need to talk."
***
"Betsy?" Warren Worthington called, peering into the darkness of the bedroom he and Elisabeth Braddock shared here in his loft. "Betts, you ready to go? Scott sounded pretty urgent on the phone--"
"In a moment, Warren."
Her voice floated out of the darkness, cool and remote, and Warren frowned worriedly. "Betsy?" She'd passed out briefly, a few minutes before Scott had called, and come to muttering something about a disturbance on the astral plane. She seemed all right, and had assured him she wasn't suffering any ill effects from whatever had hit her, but he wasn't sure. Just one more reason to go back to the mansion, in any case, he thought anxiously. Have Hank check her over, make sure everything's all right-- "Betsy?" he asked more tentatively, and flicked on the light.
She was sitting cross-legged on their bed, the butterfly- effect of her telepathy glowing around her face. It faded almost instantly, and she glowered at his concerned gaze.
"Did I not say 'in a moment, Warren'?" she asked crisply, sliding off the bed. Like him, she was in her uniform for the first time in weeks. They'd been effectively 'on leave' from the X-Men ever since the end of Zero Tolerance, something they both needed after the amount of uproar in their lives lately. But, judging by what Scott had said, the situation was grave, which meant vacation time was over. "I was attempting to track the disturbance on the astral plane back to its source."
"Oh--sorry," Warren said with a wince. He'd gotten too used to worrying about her lately. "I just thought there might be something wrong--"
"I know what you were thinking, love," she said patiently, the anger fading from her voice. "I'm a telepath, remember?" She was across the room in a few steps, sliding her arms around his neck. "I wasn't having much luck," she said, her voice muffled against his chest. Her grip on him was a little tighter than he'd expected, her body trembling slightly with an inner tension she couldn't quite mask. "There's still a terrible amount of distortion, but there's no pattern--" Whatever she'd sensed, it had clearly upset her more than she was willing to admit.
But he wouldn't push. Whatever it was, she'd tell him in her own time. "We'll figure it out," he said with as much reassurance as he could muster. "You sure you don't want to teleport us?"
She shook her head emphatically, still holding onto him tightly. "I think we'd better stick to our dimension for now, love," she said softly. "But I don't know if we can count on it to stay put, either."
Warren couldn't think of anything to say to that. "Okay," he said quietly. "Hold on." He lifted her into his arms and took off through the open skylight.
As they flew over the city, Warren became increasingly aware that Scott hadn't understated the situation. The winds were unusually strong, and brutally cold. Betsy clung to him, shivering, and he cursed inwardly, wishing he'd insisted that she put on a jacket.
#I'm fine, Warren,# her voice insisted in his mind, but he cut his altitude despite her reassurance. He heard an telepathic sigh of aggravation, but ignored it.
Even at the lower altitude, he could still feel it. The--wrongness. Warren had flown through all sorts of weather, stormy and clear, freezing cold and blazing heat, but he'd never felt anything like this. Despite the force of the wind, there was a strange, oppressive heaviness in the area. It felt unnatural, and for one of the first times in his life, Warren Worthington half-wished he wereback on solid ground.
***
"Oh--" Jubilee groaned, sitting up and rubbing the back of her neck. What the heck happened? The last thing she remembered, Miriya had started to teleport them somewhere. But where was here? She didn't recognize it. Drawing her knees up to her chest, she studied her surroundings doubtfully. Somehow I don't think Miriya INTENDED to take us vacationing in the mountains. The mountains weren't real huge. They looked old, she thought, as if they'd been warn down by time. Logan would probably love this place. But it seemed barren to her--there weren't many trees or anything--and way, way too quiet.
Her eyes widened as she saw the sun, just visible over the eastern horizon. Dawn? she thought, astonished. "What the hell happened to the rest of the night?" she shouted, struggling to her feet. She wasn't expecting an answer, much less to hear someone call her name.
"Jubilee!" Gina waved frantically from the top of a steep, rocky slope not far away, and Jubilee's knees went weak with relief. She waved back enthusiastically. Gina started to slid carefully down the slope, saving her breath until she got close enough that she didn't have to shout. "You okay?" she asked, breathing heavily as she trotted over to join her.
"Sure, Dreamy," Jubilee said, trying to keep her voice casual. "Glad to see you, too. Any idea where the heck we are?"
Gina shook her head, her expression bleak. She looked disheveled, her clothes as dirty as if she'd been rolling in the dirt. And she didn't seem to be focusing properly, Jubilee noted worriedly. "Gina?" she asked tentatively. "You didn't like, um, hit your head or anything, did you?"
"No," Gina muttered, sounding distracted. "I just--something went wrong, Jubilee. We were teleporting--Miriya was talking to me in my head, telling me that I could do it too, if I was taught how--"
"So, she was giving you a driving lesson and not--um, keeping her eyes on the 'road'?" Jubilee ventured. Gina's expression sharpened into a scowl. "Hey, don't glare at me, Gines," Jubilee protested. "Just trying to lighten things up a bit--"
"Something went wrong," Gina repeated slowly. "I felt it. Something threw us off-course--I heard Miriya scream, in my head. She was in pain, Jubilee, I could feel it. But she--pushed me away, somehow. I--I don't know how to explain it." Gina looked around anxiously. "I can't find her. Have you seen her?"
"Nah, I just woke up," Jubilee said slowly. "You're sure you're okay?" Gina nodded, still peering around intently. Jubilee sighed, not convinced. But if Gina said she was all right--anyways, they had to find Miriya. Jubilee didn't like or trust the strange woman, but if she was lying somewhere, hurt--"C'mon," she said firmly. "Let's go find her--if we both ended up here, she can't be far."
They stuck together, rather than splitting up. Only smart when they didn't know where they were, Jubilee thought. I wish Wolvie was here, she thought, frustrated. He'd be able to find her without any trouble-- Of course, there were other reasons to wish Logan was around, too--quit being such a baby, Lee, she told herself scathingly. Logan'd be ashamed of you.
They'd been searching for a while when Gina suddenly stopped with a gasp, her whole body going rigid. "Other people," she whispered, her eyes glowing. "Other mutants--"
Jubilee looked around for cover. There wasn't any, and she swore. "We talking friends or foes?" she asked sharply. Gina didn't answer, and Jubilee took her by the arm and shook her firmly. "C'mon, Dreamy, snap out of it! Don't space on me now!"
"I don't know, I--"
Something shot past them, a black and white blur so fast that the wind it created nearly knocked the two girls over.
***
"Em?"
Emma Frost groaned and sat up. Oh, my head-- She leaned gratefully against the strong arms supporting her. "Sean?" she asked hoarsely. It felt like something had died in her mouth. "What happened?"
"I dinnae know, lass," he said. She blinked, realizing that she was in the infirmary, on one of the biobeds. Sean stood beside her, while Monet and Jono were both over by the door. Monet looked a little pale, and even Jono seemed shaken. Emma reached out to them, relieved when a brief mind-touch reassured her that they were all right. "The three of ye just passed out, all at the same time--"
"Gina!" Emma said swiftly, as she realized which of her telepathic students wasn't present. She grabbed at Sean's arm so tightly that he winced. "Sean, where is she?" she asked urgently.
"I wish I knew, Em," he said softly. He was obviously trying to keep calm, but she could feel his worry like a palpable thing. A great deal of it was directed at her, she realized with some surprise. "Neither she nor Jubilee seem t'be anywhere on the grounds. The security systems registered them both on the roof, earlier this evening, but it cannae detect them anywhere in the vicinity, now. I was nae going to let the other children run out and search for them when I did nae know what was happening, but--" Emma slid off the couch, and Sean made a frustrated sound. "Woman, would ye hold on for a moment? Whatever this was, it seems t'have hit ye harder than Monet and Jono--"
"That doesn't matter, Sean," Emma said, swaying a little. She gritted her teeth and started determinedly for the door. "Someone has to find them, and none of you are as good with Cerebro as I am--"
"There's more, Ms. Frost," Monet said coolly. Emma raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, go on," she said sardonically, even though part of her wanted to rail at Monet to get out of her way. She was not going to 'misplace' two of her students. Whoever or whatever was responsible was going to pay, one way or the other. "More good news?"
"Hardly, woman," Sean growled, rising. "The X-Men called. Our missing lasses chose a very bad time t'vanish."
"Are you going to explain, or are you just enjoying being oblique?" she snapped, and his face turned almost as red as his hair.
#Apparently we're in for a spot of bad weather.# Jono stepped in smoothly, his 'voice' ironic. Emma gave Sean one last glare, and then turned to Jono, waiting for the rest of the explanation. He simply shrugged. #And that's putting it mildly, luv.#
"Someone should go and bring the children in from the biosphere," Monet murmured, and blinked at the look Emma gave her.
***
Jubilee reacted instantly, sending a few fireworks after the blur. But whatever it was, it was much too quick, outracing her attack easily.
"Stand still and fight fair!" she shouted angrily.
"Fight?" came a voice from behind them. "Why would I want to do that? You are Jubilation Lee, right? From the X-Men?"
Jubilee froze, and turned slowly to see a girl in black spandex standing a few feet away. She looked about fifteen or so, but her short hair was as white as snow. She was the one running around, Jubilee realized. She must have super-speed like Quicksilver, or something--
The girl shook her head. "You shouldn't be here," she said quietly, and glanced almost fearfully up at the sky. "I shouldn't have come out. I'm going to be in so much trouble."
Jubilee followed the direction of the girl's gaze, and frowned. How'd the sky get so cloudy all of a sudden? she thought nervously. She hadn't been paying attention, too busy looking for footprints or anything that could lead them to Miriya. But the clouds gathering in the eastern sky were as black as pitch. I think that's what you call ominous-looking. As she watched, one moved over the sun, casting the land around them into shadow.
"Something's wrong," Gina said softly. Her eyes were wide, filled with fear. She was so pale, Jubilee was afraid she might faint. "Something's REALLY wrong."
"No kidding," the girl said ruefully, shaking her head. "Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out. Haven't you noticed how quiet it is?" She gestured around absently. "No birds. They know." Jubilee gave her a dark look.
"No birds. Right," she said sarcastically. "Do I know you?"
"Nah." The girl shrugged. "But I know you. Or your file, at least."
"My file? Care to explain, Speedy Gonzales?"
"It's a long story, and we don't have time." The girl's expression hardened. "You're a little far from home, Jubilation Lee. What are you doing in Wales?"
"None of your--Wales?" Jubilee sputtered. She'd noticed the girl's American accent and just assumed--well, Miriya brought us part of the way, at least!
"You didn't know?" the girl asked, raising an eyebrow. She peered at Gina curiously. "This isn't making any sense," she complained. Gina hardly seemed aware of the conversation. She was looking around, as if searching for something--scanning for Miriya, maybe? Jubilee thought tentatively. "These are the Black Mountains," the girl continued. "And you're not supposed to be here, like I said. None of you people are."
"The Black Mountains," Jubilee repeated suspiciously. "'You people'? What do you mean by that?"
"X-Men," the girl said, sounding irritated. "What did you think I meant?" There was a rumbling sound in the distance like thunder, and the girl sighed. "Oh, what the hell. Not like I've got much choice, here. I can hardly leave the two of you out here." She looked back at Jubilee, and smiled, obviously trying to be friendly. "You can call me Dart--or if you wanted to be really annoying, you could call me Scooter, like Kevin does." She scowled suddenly. "One of these days I'm going to get him for that. I mean, 'Scooter?"
"Dart? What's that, like your code-name or something?" Jubilee asked. She knows me, she obviously knows something about the X-Men--I'm not understanding this at all. Who IS she? And what did Miriya get us into?
"In a way, yeah. But you can call me Tally. I'm not big on protocol or anything." The girl's blue eyes narrowed. "I don't recognize your friend--"
"I'm Gina," Gina said, sounding subdued. Tally's jaw dropped.
"Gina? Oh--jeez. Wow. The dreamweaver, right?" She sounded almost impressed.
"How do you know us?" Jubilee exploded, and Tally seemed taken aback.
"Hey, no need to shout." She reached into the neck of her bodysuit and pulled something out, something that glittered silver on a long chain. Gina gasped as Tally let it fall into view.
It was a silver medallion with a Phoenix on it. If it had been gold, it would have been identical to Miriya's--and Cable's.
"Neither of you seem real dense, so I won't spell it out," Tally said. "Besides, we don't have time." There was another rumble of thunder, this time louder. "We need to get inside, before the weather really gets nasty."
***
His headache was back with a vengeance, seemingly worse for the brief respite. Cable wished he knew why the Phoenix- force had vanished like that. He remembered feeling a flash of alarm, so incongruous a thing to sense from that consciousness of cold fire. And then the Phoenix had withdrawn beyond his reach, leaving him hollow, empty inside.
He wanted it back. He was so tired of being in pain all the time lately, sick of feeling frustrated and inadequate. Jean had told him that he was risking not just his life but his soul when he drew on the Phoenix-force. That didn't particularly bother him. He had always been willing to die in the name of his mission, always known that was a strong possibility. With the memories that had been stirred up back at the mansion still raw and painful in his mind, he knew without a doubt that he would willingly sell his soul, too. Any price, any cost--
He had his eyes closed--if he did that and remained very still, the pain wasn't quite so bad--but he could hear the others talking in low, urgent voices.
"I do not understand where Madelyne's interest lies in this," Storm said tensely. "She must have some sort of ulterior motive, to have contacted Nathan in such a fashion. We must determine what it is--"
"He's her son, Ororo! Isn't it natural that she'd want to warn him? Nathan said she knows about what happened to him in Alberta. Maybe she was just worried that he'd be more vulnerable to the effects of this--astral disruption, or whatever you want to call it!"
"You would ascribe maternal concern to a psionic construct? There is nothing natural about this Madelyne, kitten."
"Maybe that's true, 'Ro," Logan put in, "but we don't neccessarily have to go jumpin' to conclusions. I mean, why would she go to all that trouble, pulling him onto the astral plane like that, just to lie to him?"
"Logan, we are speaking about the woman who attempted to sacrifice Nathan as an infant, if you will recall--"
"Oh, that's cute, Ororo!" Kitty snarled. "You can't have it both ways! You can't say she's not Madelyne and then turn around and blame her for what the 'real' Madelyne did when she was being manipulated by demons--"
Interesting how they're focusing on Madelyne, don't you think? Domino's voice in his mind was cold as ice, but seething with anger. It hit him like a slap in the face. Why do you think that is, Nate? Seems to me like they've got their priorities messed up--
Cable opened his eyes and saw her sitting down beside him, her amethyst eyes as hard as steel and her features taut with suppressed fury. #So, you're speaking to me now?# he sent back stubbornly, even though the simple effort of sending the words along their link made the pain in his head increase to the point where he felt almost nauseous. Since Gwen had gotten them back on course, Dom had been ignoring him determinedly, as if she didn't trust herself to begin a conversation. #Let me guess. You think everyone should be lecturing me on how stupid I was to use the Phoenix-force.#
Why bother? You didn't listen to Jean's warnings, why would you listen to us? There was an edge of something very close to contempt coming from her end of the link, and it kindled a spark of anger deep inside him.
#What should I have done, Domino?# he demanded, exasperated. #Stayed on the astral plane and tried to 'surf' the distortion wave? Or let the plane crash?#
Let's drop the sarcasm for a minute, shall we? Was it your only option? Her eyes narrowed, the intensity there piercing him to the core. Did you even think try to think of another way? Or did you just take the easy out, Nate, and throw caution to the wind?
#I'm not going to second-guess myself! What is, is--#
"Bullshit!" she snarled aloud. The conversation taking place at the rear of the plane came to an abrupt end. She flushed, but plunged on stubbornly. "Don't give me that, damn it--"
"Why not?" he growled, pulling himself to his feet and trying to ignore the way the world was spinning around him. "What point is there in rehashing it? It's over and done, so drop it!"
He became aware of their audience, and glared at the others where they were gathered around the sensor array. Kitty was still flushed with anger, while Pete's expression was equal parts wariness and concern. Ororo wore a calm mask that was showing definite cracks. Logan, even as Cable met his eyes, muttered something under his breath and started forward.
"The Phoenix has its own scent, Nate. Always has," Logan asked levelly, stopping a few feet away. "And I'm still smelling it on you. Not real strong, but if you reached out for the Phoenix-force, I bet you it'd be right there, waiting." For a moment, there was a strange sadness in his eyes, but then his voice hardened. "It's nowhere near over, Cable. Not until you admit that what you're doing is dangerous, and stop damned well doing it!"
"Back off, Logan!" Cable snapped. The anger inside him grew, a fire roaring upwards to consume him. But on a deeper level, there was a strange sense of hurt. Why can't they understand, why won't they even try-- "I did what was neccessary!"
"The ends justify the means, huh?" Domino said quietly. She hadn't risen, but as he looked down at her, he saw the tension in her posture, as if she was about to erupt into motion. "Even if it means sharing your body again, this time with a cosmic entity who actually has a worse track record than Stryfe?"
***
On Easter Island, Golden awoke with a gasp to find the chief technician hovering over her, babbling frantically.
"The machine, my lady--I'm so terribly sorry, we lost control over the test sequence, I never intended that it should cause you any harm at all--"
"Shut up, worm!" she snarled, flushing with rage as she realized she was sprawled on the floor of the control room, all of the technicians staring at her. He tried to help her up, and she pushed him away with an angry growl, resisting the urge to crush his mind like a bug underfoot. "Status report, you fool!" The giant holographic projection of the machine's superstructure was shimmering erratically, and she grimaced as she realized the base's power was fluctuating. "Go to auxiliary power!" she snapped even as the chief tech started to stammer out something about phase variances.
"We're trying, my lady," the man babbled. "But the power supply is surging--the test sequence seems to have had an unexpected effect on our systems. I have men bringing the back-ups on manually, but until then--"
Golden closed her eyes. Her head ached hellishly. The defensive screens--our communications--Lord Apocalypse is not going to be happy. He had entrusted her with the completion of the machine and the security of the installation. If both were compromised--"How, precisely, did you lose control of the test sequence?" she asked in a level voice, careful to keep her tone devoid of the fury boiling inside her.
"One of my subordinates failed to properly monitor the power variance in the phasing array," the chief tech said anxiously, wringing his hands. Golden smoothed her clothes and hair, reminding herself to stay calm, to remain incontrol. "The levels grew--unsafe, and the circuits in the array burned out. The test wave re-phased into our spacetime locale, and h-had a corresponding effect on the astral plane."
Golden swallowed. "Which caused me--and presumably other telepaths around the world--to lose consciousness," she said calmly. The tech bobbed his head nervously. "Who," Golden continued, smiling slightly to reassure the man that she wasn't going to kill him, "is this incompetent subordinate of yours?"
The chief tech gestured frantically at a red-haired young man at a console not far away. The young tech shrank back against his console, shaking, as her gaze fell on him. "Him, my lady. H-he is a good worker, he just failed to--"
"Discharge his duties properly," Golden said, and gestured at her guards. They dragged the young man forward. He wept and struggled all the way. "Oh, stop that," she snapped as the guards forced him to his knees in front of her. "It's terribly undignified." She reached out, taking his head between her hands.
He screamed for a very gratifying length of time.
***
Cable's blood seemed to turn to ice as he stared down at Domino. He couldn't believe she'd said that. How could she throw what Stryfe had done in his face, after what he'd told her back at the mansion?
Domino bit her lip, but didn't look away. "You're playing with fire here, Nate," she said softly. "Why can't you see that?"
"I'm not going to argue with you," he said unevenly, and pushed past her without another word. He didn't stop until he'd reached the closet-like washroom at the back of the plane. He locked the door behind him and leaned back against it, shaking.
Is that what I'm doing? he thought wildly. Giving up control? No, the Phoenix hadn't tried to control him. It had banished the pain, lent him its own strength. Not like Stryfe, not like--
--trapped in his own mind, helpless, raging. Screaming out his hatred into the silence as Stryfe used his body, his powers to attack Dom and Terry and Ric, and hunt down Tyler--
A wave of nausea sweeping over him, Cable fell to his knees and vomited. He hadn't eaten since the night before, so there wasn't much in his stomach to come up, but it seemed like an eternity before he could stop heaving.
Oath--what's wrong with me? he thought shakily as he pulled himself to his feet, flushing the toilet and washing his face at the small sink. He'd entered the memory as completely as he had during his flashbacks at the mansion, but it hadn't felt quite the same. It was as if the memory had pulled him in, made him go through the entire loop of the recollection, and then, inexplicably, released him.
But he'd never 'flashed back' to the day when Sinister had hit him with the energy blast that had brought Stryfe's consciousness to the forefront. No, there had been too much else to process--the knowledge that he wasn't the clone after all, the sudden addition of a father to his already-complicated life. The similarities between what he had felt as a prisoner in his own mind to the emotions he had experienced while he'd watched Stryfe destroy the Protectorate had been obvious. But things had turned out differently. Not a happy ending, but as close to one as he deserved. The memory of those few helpless hours hadn't haunted him--
Until now. "What's happening to me?" he muttered, staring at his reflection in the mirror. His own face, bleached of color, stared back at him. But as he watched, his reflection changed, eyes glowing with a fiendish pleasure, lips curving in a mad grin he knew all too well.
What's the matter, Nathan? Don't like what you see?
Cable stumbled backwards. Not real, this isn't real--
Of course it is. I was always your reflection, and you mine. But for a twist of fate, our positions could have been reversed. Stryfe's smile grew. And that's why you really hated me, wasn't it? You saw yourself, what you could have been--what you are deep inside, for all your noble intentions--
"NO!" Cable slammed a fist into the mirror, and it shattered.
Oh, as if that's going to get rid of me, Stryfe scoffed. Shards of the mirror fell, hitting the sink with clinking noises, but Cable could still see the reflection, even though what was left of the mirror was spider-webbed with cracks. You're stumbling around in the dark, Nathan, blind as a bat--and I'll be free, free at last--
"No," Cable muttered desperately, flattening himself against the opposite wall, part of him wanting to melt into it. "Never."
Keep telling yourself that, Stryfe said mockingly. It'll make you feel better.
There was someone pounding on the door. "Nathan!" Domino snapped. "Nate, open the door!"
Keeping a wary eye on the laughing spectre in the mirror, Cable reached out to unlock the door. But as he did, he saw the bloody mess he'd made of his hand when he'd broken the mirror. He froze, paralysed--
--kneeling on the banks of a river that had once run beside the city of Bigraia. But now Bigraia was in flames, and Canaanite soldiers were dumping bodies into the river. Watching the bodies float past, growing more numb every moment until he saw movement in the river, heard the cry of a child, wounded but alive, as she fought to stay afloat. Then, somehow finding the telekinetic power to break his restraints, the strength of will to fight the effects of the neural dampeners he'd been given, he ran for the river, plunging into the water in a desperate attempt to reach the child, to save just one. But there were too many bodies, he couldn't reach her, and the water had turned so red with blood, it didn't seem like water anymore--
Cable sagged back against the wall as the memory-loop ended. He could remember what had happened after that, being dragged back out of the river by his guards, but it wasn't the same. The memory didn't pull him in. The loops had to be--triggered, Cable thought hazily. But how? And why was this happening now? Was he losing his mind? Or having a relapse, like Hank had feared? But he didn't feel like he had a fever. He felt cold right to the core, as if he'd turned to ice--
I honestly don't know what you were thinking that day, Nathan, Stryfe said mockingly. I'd gone to all that trouble to break you--did you really think I'd have let you save yourself?
"You didn't break me!" Cable snarled at the distorted reflection, anger lending him the strength to stay upright. "You never did!"
But you didn't save her, did you? You couldn't save any of them. Stryfe laughed, and laughed, and laughed--
"SHUT UP!" A red haze descended over his vision, and Cable smashed at the mirror over and over again, wanting nothing but to stop that laughter, to wipe the self-satisfied smirk off Stryfe's face. "I killed you once, I can do it again!"
Be seeing you, Nathan--
The laughter stopped, and Cable found himself staring at the frame of the mirror, which was now empty save for a few small shards still attached to the frame itself. Most of the mirror was in pieces, on the floor and in the sink. And there was blood everywhere. Sinking to his knees, Cable looked down dully at his hands. His right hand was slashed in half a dozen places, blood pulsing from the deep cuts. The gashes in his right hand bled something else, something that was not quite blood, but something--else. But they closed over even as he watched, vanishing before his eyes.
Kitty phased through the door, and gaped at him for a moment. Then, shaking herself, she unlocked the door and knelt beside him. "Let me see," she said quietly, taking his hands. He let her, too dazed to pull away. "Who were you talking to, Nathan?"
The door was wrenched open. Pete stood there, staring, the others crowding behind him. Domino tried to move past him. He threw an arm out to stop her; she gave him a look that could have melted adamantium and pushed him out of the way. As she knelt down beside him, Cable stared fixedly at the floor.
"Nate--um, what did the mirror do?" Pete asked faintly.
"I didn't like the way it looked at me, so I hit it," Cable said, and then started to laugh wildly. It was insane--his head was pounding, he still felt more than a little sick to his stomach, and he was bleeding all over the flonqing place, but the look on Pete's face was just too good for words.
to be continued...
[FOOTER]