I don't own 'em even if I want 'em so don't sue. Please enjoy and tell me if you did!
Title: Heart of Darkness
Parts: 6A
Author: Stormy
Warnings: Angst, sap
Pairings: 1x2, 3x4
ENJOY!!
(Next Day)
Jean rapped lightly against the heavy wooden door and felt an answering smile in her mind. Pushing it open, she entered quietly. The professor raised a hand at her entrance but finished his phone call before speaking.
" Good morning Jean." He checked his watch. " Or should that almost be afternoon?"
" I think we can consider it morning a little while longer," Jean chuckled, honest warmth circling the room and the man she almost considered like a father. " Though I think I'm being generous."
" That you are Jean," Charles said quietly. " Much more then I have been, as of late."
" Sir?"
" I have been a terrible host to our guests," he admitted ruefully. " They've been here nearly three days now and I've barely spoken a word to them."
" But you've been monitoring them," Jean countered. " You know that we can handle our visitors - it's you that has the best chance of finding their friend through Cerebro."
" So diplomatic Jean," Charles smiled at his student fondly. " I thank you. And I believe I can now make up for my bad manners - I do believe I can at least narrow the search down for their friend Duo."
" I know they'll be glad to hear that," Jean said softly, remembering the soulful look in Quatre's eyes when they'd first learned their friend was missing. " Especially Heero."
" Such an odd young man," the professor mused. " So young and yet so old at the same time. Hardships bring about maturity in such a harsh and brutal manner. " He quirked his mouth. " I can understand why the loss of their comrade would affect them so."
" They're all they know," Jean nodded. " A life of war does not make for many constants for them to hang on to. And we, better then anyone, know how strong friendships forged in the heat of battle can be."
" All the more reason to bring the lost sheep back to the flock, no?" Charles closed his eyes.
::Henry?::
:: Ah, Charles - ready to, as they say, give it your best?:: The Beast's mental voice seemed more jovial then it had been the night before.
:: Jean and I will be right down::
Charles felt the connection between himself and Hank dissipate and he opened his eyes to Jean who had heard everything. He offered his arm to her, hovering wheel chair rising slightly to meet her height.
" Shall we?"
" Ya know sugah, you're more nervous then a long-tailed cat in a room full of rockin' chairs," Rogue said playfully as she brushed her hair. Her comment was directed at the love of her life, sitting on the bed across from her, arms crossed, clearly enjoying the view. Remy grinned disarmingly at her.
" Prof is ready to do some searchin'," was all he said, referring to the mental summoning he received. Rogue smirked and gripped his hand and dragged him out of their room in response. Remy was jerked off his feet by her strength and he literally flew through the air behind her! " AH! ROGUE! ARRET!"
Her giggle was the only response he got as he sailed through the hallways.
Quatre, Trowa and Wufei hadn't really moved since Gambit had left them early that morning to catch a few hours sleep. As Gundam pilots, they were used to keeping odd hours and going on little sleep, traits that had served them well in the past. Quatre had been lost in thought, mindful only of the strong arms wrapped loosely around him as he pondered all that they had been through since arriving in this strange world. He must have dozed off anyway, because the next thing he knew the shadows in the hangar had been chased away by sunlight streaming in through the concealed doors at the end of the large runway.
A flicker caught his eye and he saw Wufei take out his sword and a rag and began polishing the silver metal. Quatre frowned. Wufei polishing his sword was a site not uncommon - but it also served as a soothing gesture for the pilot. Meaning something was disturbing him. He had a number of ideas as to what it could be but to be honest, he wasn't really sure. They were all worried about Duo - but what beside's that could bring that little crease between the Chinese pilot's brows?
" Wufei?"
The pilot didn't bother to answer, preferring to lift a single eyebrow in his direction.
" What's wrong?"
Wufei snorted. " Need you ask?"
About to comment, Quatre was cut off by the arrival of the Chinese girl they had so briefly met before in the sickbay.
" Hey guys!"
" Hello....Jubilee, is it?" Quatre desperately hoped he had remembered her name properly. It would be so rude to do otherwise.
" And you're Quatre, right? " Jubilee smiled at him and Quatre felt relieved, returning the smile whole-heartedly. Jubilee's smile was like Duo's - large, bright and cheery enough to take on the world. Which when you stopped to think about it, he reflected, was kinda what she and the X-Men did. On a fairly regular basis. " And this must be Trowa 'cause I know for a fact that you're Wufei!"
This last statement was punctured with a finger pointing in Wufei's direction, the latter who froze, looking very much like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car.
" Miss Lee," he finally answered, warily eyeing the grinning girl as though she were an OZ operative in disguise. Jubilee grinned at him and them turned to face them all.
" Well, let's go!" The asian girl clapped her hands together briskly. " Up and at 'em!"
" Where are we going?" Trowa spoke up.
" The prof's gonna find your friend today," Jubilee shrugged. " Apparently, Beasty hooked an amp to Cerebro and it's gonna let him use that psy-mind of his to scan New York for your bud."
Quatre and Trowa exchanged amused albeit confused glances.
" Ano....this Cerebro unit has been mentioned several times, but no one's actually said how it's going to find Duo," the Arabian said, scratching his head thoughtfully. Jubilee blinked - and then that easy smile on her face brightened.
" Oh! Well, basically, Cerebro's like a computer that helps any telepath boost their power - the prof or Jean puts the little metal hat on and *poof* - they find what they're looking for!"
" It's that simple?" Trowa asked skeptically. " Why didn't it work before?"
Jubilee hesitated before answering. " Well, it takes a lot of power to use - Jean can only do it for so long and on a limited radius. Non-telepaths can use it too but don't get great results. The prof's the only one who can theoretically do a world-wide scan with it and that's at his full power which he doesn't have right now."
Wufei noted the dark tone in her last few words. " Why not?"
" 'Cause a while back, the prof kinda went schitzo on us and tried to take over the world," was her off-hand remark as she turned around. " Now come on - it's not every day non-X-Men get to see the prof hook himself up to an alien dishwasher and scrub out the inside of his head doin' searches."
Trowa blanched. " That was supposed to be comforting?"
Baka.
Duo no baka.
If he had just gotten into Deathscythe's cockpit instead of gaping, none of this would be happening.
Damn American.
Heero scowled blackly at the gleaming pond, the speckles of light trailing across the surface doing nothing to lighten his mood. It had only been three days since he'd last seen his partner - why was this having an effect on him?
//Because you always knew where he was before// came a snide voice from within his mind. //And it's killing you that you, the Perfect Soldier, so BADLY screwed up his mission//
Mission? What mission?
They had taken out the laboratory as ordered.
Mission completed.
//Liar//
Am not.
//It's really pitiful when you argue with your own mind//
Ite. Heero scowled even more ferociously, kicking at the ground, watching as a small rock was knocked into the water, causing small ripples to disturb the formerly tranquil surface of the lake.
//He's your partner. You should have protected him//
" Iie. He's my partner - I should be able to depend on his ability to take care of himself," Heero growled at his distorted reflection in the water. " He knew the risks. I knew the risks."
//So?//
" Arrgh!"
//Just admit it - you miss that chatty motor-mouth partner of yours. Why else would you be trying to blow up the Danger Room every chance you get?//
" Because...."
//Yeah?//
" Shut up."
" Excuse me?"
Heero whirled around, silently berating himself for not sensing anyone's approach. His gun appeared in his hand automatically and he fell into a typical crouching position, gun steady in his hands.
Elapsed time: 1.5 seconds.
His eyes widened slightly and then narrowed as he realized who it was. Long white hair, carmel skin, blue eyes. He stood up slowly, tucking the gun back into the waistband of his shorts as was his habit.
" Storm."
" Heero," she returned. " I thought I might find you out here."
" Hn."
" It's a very peaceful place," she continued, settling herself beside him on a large rock. She was dressed in her battle suit and Heero suddenly smirked. Storm quirked an elegant eyebrow at him.
" What is so amusing?" she prompted him.
" Just something D...something Duo might have thought of," he admitted, looking back out at the water.
" Oh?" There was no denying the curious lilt in her voice.
" He...makes fun of me for wearing nothing but tank tops and spandex. Even if they are comfortable and efficient for mission."
" Yes....?"
" I was wondering what he'd think about every single one of you dressing in spandex armor."
Storm laughed out loud, causing Heero to flinch slightly. She smiled at him gently.
" He's your best friend, isn't he?"
Duo? His best friend? Heero thought about that for a second. A friend...did he realy know what those were? Well, Quatre, he supposed. The Arabian made friends with everybody, even that loud-mouthed Queen of the World that insisted on following him around like some deranged bloodhound.
And Trowa? Well, he and sister DID help nurse him back to health after he'd self destructed....but wasn't that out of pity? Maybe respect for a fellow pilot? Or was it because the uni-banged pilot actually did consider him a friend?
Wufei...there was definitely a respect issue there. The Chinese pilot had a deep-rooted respect for justice and illustrated this belief with every battle he fought, coming to the rescue of his...well, yes, it must be his friends he considered them to be.
And then there was Duo. The braided American had seemingly adopted him, helping him bandage his wounds, dragging him off to the basketball court for a quick game in between missions....his mind travelled back to a moment before all this madness had started, back before they had met up with Quatre and a pair of hands soothing away the aches of battle in his shoulders.
Something clicked in his mind and he opened his eyes to see Storm regarding him thoughtfully. It was small, unsure - and it may not have been the most reassuring site in the world - but Heero Yuy smiled.
" Yes, he's my best friend," he said honestly. The voice in his head seemed to vanish with that admission and the tiny smile grew imperceptibly.
Stormy nodded. " I thought so," she said softly, her voice sounding almost musical. " I was sent out here to get you - but I could see something weighing heavily on your mind." Her eyes twinkled. " Did you come to terms with it?"
Heero felt the last of his doubts fade away. " I did."
" Good." Storm stood gracefully, brushing away a non-existant wrinkle in her uniform. " Now, let's go. The professor is about to search for your friend and I think you might want to be there for when we find him."
" Yes." Heero followed the stately woman back to the house.
(Sinister's Lab)
Sinister let the scene of the warehouse on the monitor go dark. It was time to leave a calling card for the X-Men. Threnody stood beside him, silent as she waited for her orders.
" Summon Shinigami," he told her curtly. Nodding once, she turned on her heel and left the room. Sinister smiled into the empty room.
" It's time we reunited him with his friends."
End Part 6A
Heh heh *rubs hands together* Next up - mass destruction and mayhem!!!
Comments? Questions? Concerns? Gifts? Umm..forget that last bit...
Stormy
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