Please read the warnings on this one and the next few carefully. I will not be responsible if you get sick of some of the descriptions in the next few parts.
Title: Into the Heart of Darkness
Author: Stormy
Part: 6C
Warnings: EXTREME GRAPHIC VIOLENCE, not for the faint of heart. Death of
innocents, blood, some mild Quatre-torture, dark angst, OOC'ness especially
in
Duo.
Pairings: Standard Stormy. If you don't know, ya haven't been rading. (For
shame!)
Archiving: Jackies museum, Darkflames site and Candy's archive (check the addy in the sig)
Shinigami cackled as he swung his scythe around, not caring anymore where the blows landed, slicing and dicing, letting the actions flow naturally. Blood painted the walls, the whole warehouse resembling a butchershop. The smell of blood heated his own, his excitement level rising until he lost himself in Death's revelry. He was the Reaper - harvesting souls, gathering their spirits. Death struck, scythe flashing, hints of the indestructible metal glinting through the rusty haze covering both it and its wielder.
Harpoon and Forearm were beating on a pair of young mutants who bravely fought back with their limited powers, knowing they were about to die, but not about to leave with out a fight. Fatale stood in the corner, watching impassively. This was not her fight - she did not have to participate. One eye narrowed cruelly. That didn't mean she couldn't be a spectatre.
A movement caught Shingami's eye and he saw a blond-haired youth struggling beneath a seciton of wall that had collapsed from where his scythe had destroyed the support beam. Shinigami pounced, drawing the young man out and slamming him into the destroyed wall, knocking away more bits of plaster and wood planks. The blond hair fascinated him and he pulled the youth's head back. The boys blank eyes stared back at him unseeingly and Shinigami growled. Suddenly a tingling struck his awareness, the sensation of someone invading him crawling through his mind like lightning. Shinigami shook his head and suddenly realized what he was feeling - the boy whose life he held in his hands, was trying vainly to look through his eyes, to see for himself what was happening. He dropped his scythe as he slammed one hand against his head, trying to drive out the intruder. He chuckled hoarsely, stumbling as the boy fought for control of his mind.
" Wanna see what I'm doing?" he choked out a laugh. " You can watch yourself die!"
With that, he ripped out the dagger from his boot and slashed it across the boy's throat, watching the red liquid well up and gush over his fingers, still clutching the dying boy's shirt front. He felt a scream within his mind and he fell to the ground with a thump as the boy's presence vanished from his mind, trying to block out the never ending scream of agony that followed.
Quatre cried out and the professor echoed him as a young psi's powers flared briefly and then died within their link. Quatre choked and would have fallen but Trowa prevented him from moving.
" Quatre?" he asked urgently. The boy was shaking violently, coughing and choking, clawing at his throat. A glance upwards and he saw Jean doing the same thing, one hand gripping her throat, the other having a firm grip on her husband. The professor shouted, slamming his fist down on the console. Jean batted away her husband's arm as she groped wildly for the power button. Cyclops understood her intent and punched it. Charled ripped the helmet off his head in one violent move gasping for air. Next to Trowa and Wufei, Quatre lost his battle with his stomach as he vomited, sick to his soul at what he had witnessed. Heero didn't know who to turn to - he looked helplessly at Quatre and then over to the shaking Jean grey, and finally at the professor who was being held up by both his hoverchair, and Hank.
" What happened?" Wolverine growled, body taut with tension. Gambit and Rogue had automatically assumed battle positions at the first sounds of screaming coming from all three of them. Storm, assisting Beast with Charles, looked at Jean who looked to have regained control of her senses.
" Jean?"
" Some boy...y-young empath," Jean coughed. " He t-tried to take over Duo's mind...."
" Is he all right?" Heero asked. He didn't mention whether he was referring to Duo or the boy. He didn't need to.
" H-he severed....the link.." Jean choked out, tears starting to form in her eyes. Scott wrapped his arms around her.
Heero growled and spun around. " Severed the link?"
Quatre laughed hollowly as he looked up at Heero with blank eyes. " The link, and the boy's throat," he said hoarsely.
Heero felt like someone punched a hole through him. Duo had just committed murder.
" Boy?" He whispered in disbelief. Jean nodded roughly.
" Y-young...your age...just d-discovering his powers...I-I think..." the tears that had started to form now fell freely down her face as she clutched her husband.
" Duo..."
" Sir?" Beast held Charles upper body by the shoulders. " Sir? Are you all right? Charles!"
Charles opened his eyes wearily, staring at his student with such sadness, that Hank bit back any further commments and merely waited for his teacher to speak.
" I am most assuredly...NOT all right..." he said at last. He looked past Hank to where Jean was sobbing into Scott's chest, and then to Quatre who seemed to be going into shock. Heero was vibrating with tension, rivulets of blood tracing down his fingers, dripping off clenched knuckles, so tightly had he clenched his fists.
" Is Duo okay?" he asked again, turning the full force of his death glare on him. Charles laughed bitterly, moping the sweat from his face.
" For now he's....fine.." Charles closed his eyes again. " But that boy is dead..."
Jean had regained part of her composure and was looking with concern at Quatre.
" Quatre felt that the most strongly," she said hoarsely. " He was connected to Duo when Duo was taken over. He felt the boy die - felt Duo kill him..."
" He enjoyed it..." came a faint whisper. Trowa's eyes snapped back to the blond he held.
" Quatre?"
" He enjoyed it !" Quatre said insistantly, eyes wild, his face nearly white. " He slit that boys throat....and he ENJOYED it!"
Wufei made a strangled noise in the back of his throat and Heero turned white.
" No..."
" It's NOT your Duo!" Jean said weakly. " He's being controlled by Sinister..."
Her arguments fell on deaf ears. Her words may have been true. Probably were. But what they knew and what the X-Men didn't, was that Quatre was sick because Duo's actions were familiar. Quatre remembered seeing Duo's face in his mind for a split second - that maniacal, blood-thirsty grin as he painted the walls red. The same grin he wore in battle. Looking at his three partners, Quatre knew that they understood what he was saying. Duo had enjoyed it. It may not have been Duo agreeing to do it, but it was Duo doing the killing. It was his style - the abandonment of control, the sheer recklessness - Duo had killed the boy. Even if it was under the wrong orders, or if he was being controlled.
Quatre felt sick again. If Duo ever returned to his senses - even if they were able to break whatever force was controlling him - the braided American would never be the same. None of them would. His mind raced with the problems, concerns this raised and he felt a wave of pity wash over himself. Poor Duo. Such an understatement but he repeated it over and over in a dry whisper. " Poor Duo, oh god, poor Duo..."
Heero licked his suddenly dry lips and turned to the Professor.
" W-were....were you able to find out where he is?"
The professor nodded and pressed a button. A map suddenly appeared on a computer screen and the professor studied it for a minute before pointing a shaking finger. Cyclops nodded once and turned. Wolverine and Gambit ran after him, Rogue flying behind. Storm supported Jean who sat down heavily. Heero looked at Quatre who was still shaking and nodded. Wufei stood up, fingered his sword lightly and turned dark eyes on cobalt-blue.
Heero's mouth opened and closed a few times before he was able to speak.
" M-Mission.......Accepted."
Quatre's gasp echoed after them as Heero and Wufei raced out the door after the X-Men.
A hand gripped the front of his uniform and hauled him to his feet.
" Whatsa matter kid?" growled Forearm. " Gettin' soft on us?"
Shinigami forced his eyes open as the scream died and he sighed with relief. His eyes met those of his partner and he shook his head.
" Got in my mind," he said darkly, glaring balefully at the still-warm body. " M'okay now."
Forearm dropped him and he scrambled for his scythe, picking it up protectively.
" We done?"
" Almost - found a few more - they've got some good hiding spots. Flush 'em out."
Shinigami nodded and leaped to his feet, manouvering skillfully around the bodies. He heard a gurgling noise as Harpoon threw a psi-spear through a mutant girl who's body dripped with some substance that ate away at the floor where it fell. Acid or something. She threw handful's of the stuff, dodging the first spear but she fell prey to the second, writhing and convulsing as the spear short-circuted her nervous system. Her thrashing slowly ceased in its intensity and Harpoon chuckled.
" Interesting," he said, motioning to the puddle of acid spilling across the floor. Shinigami shrugged and turned to find his next target.
The Blackbird was ready when the group arrived at the hangar, having been activated by remote control. The ramp lowered and Cylops ran up, seating himself in the pilot's seat. Remy appointed himself co-pilot and Wolverine sat next Heero and Wufei. Rogue had already flown ahead, knowing the other's would follow. Cyclops punched in the VTOL and the black plane shuddered as it slowly lifted. Heero was champing at the bit but knew the importance of a clean takeoff. The Blackbird hovered for a second while Gambit entered their destination. The rear jets fired, flames shooting out and scorching the wall as Cyclops ignored the usual taxiing procedure and flew the large plane up the ramp, focusing on not scraping either side of the tunnel. Bursting free of the mountainside, Cyclops increased the speed and flew out into the sky.
It wasn't a well-known fact but the mutant known as Rogue was capable of achieving speeds that broke the sound barrier. It wasn't something she displayed on a regular basis. But this was extremely urgent and she felt the sonic boom ruffle the sound waves as she increased her speed, willing her body to go even faster. Within fifteen seconds, she was nearing the area pointed out by the professor.
It was a large building and Rogue touched down in front of it, eyeing the area with some confusion. She wasn't an expert but if people were dying, shouldn't you hear something? Anything? Suddenly, her eyes registered a faint blue aura covering the bulding.
" Well, THAT explains it," she mumbled and shrugged. She backed up and then charged the barrier.
" YEOW!!!"
Rogue's jacket was still smoking as the Blackbird landed two minutes later. The five onboard charged down the ramp. Gambit noticed Rogue's singed state and rasied a single eyeborw.
" Not ONE word, Swamprat." She turned towards her leader. " Some kind of energy field."
Cyclops nodded and looked at Gambit. " We can handle that."
Fatale was enjoying the show as it began to slow down, the mission nearing its completion. So thoroughly was she into it that her normally attune senses didn't register the arrival of anyone outside the building.
So it was a complete surprise when an explosion erupted behind her, completely knocking her off her feet. She looked up in shock, noting that all action had ceased in the background, as six figures appeared before her.
" Holy shit," breathed Cyclops. Wolverine snarled, feeling the rage start to overtake him at the sight of such carnage.
Rogue gasped, clapping a hand to her mouth. For her, it was like a repeat of the Morlock Massecre...her eyes narrowed to green slits as she looked for the attackers. Gambit felt himself start to shake with both revulsion and complete anger at the blood-spattered room. He locked eyes with a surprised Forearm and reached into his pocket for another card.
Finally, Heero and Wufei entered the room, stopping short at what lay before them. Bodies everywhere, mutilated, gore painting the room. The smell of blood was cloying and heavy in their noses. Wufei forced himself to stay put instead of running out of the room to be sick. And Heero...
Upon entering the room, Heero had gone into Soldier mode. He noted the carnage and set it aside to deal with later. Searching wildly, his eyes fell on a black-clad person clutching a scythe and staring at them with feral determination.
" D-Duo?" He asked shakily. The demonic apparition in black snarled, hefting his scythe. The movement broke the trance of everyone in the room and Forearm charged Cyclops. Cyclops struck him down with a burst of energy, driving the man back, slamming him into the far wall. Leaping overtop of the beam, Wolverin attacked Harpoon, raking at the big man's body with his claws. Harpoon ducked and fired up two spears, launching them one after another. Wolverine dodged the first one but his movement carried him into the path of the second one. He howled in agony as his body began twitching and thrashing. Gambit flung a handful of cards, explosions hiding the man from sight for a minute beforethe smoke cleared, revealing Harpoon on the ground, moaning in pain. His interception allowed Wolverine the time he needed for his healing factor to kick in.
Rogue had her hands full of Asian assassin. Fatale revelled in the hand-to-hand combat and sliced at the mutant with her dagger. A master of the Ghost Tiger technique, she could blend in with shadows and light, a hiding place in plain sight from which to launch her attacks.
Rogue knew the dagger couldn't harm her, but the substance coating the blade could. Fatale was known for coating her blades with varios poisens and she jumped back out of range. Fatale seemed to fade away and Rogue barely sensed her in time to turn and block the downward stab of the knife. At that point, it was all over for Fatale. Rogue used the other arm NOT occupied with holding the knife, to slam it into the assassin's face, the force of her blow rocking Fatale back, out cold on her feet. Rogue stood up and dusted off her hands, checking the progress of her teammates. She blinked. Wufei was unconscious and Heero was facing down Duo, face stony but agony written in his blue eyes. She started towards them but was held back by a firm grip on her arm.
Gambit stood next to her.
" Harpoon and Forearm are out - Logan be securin' dem," he said in a low voice. " Dis be between dem."
Rogue nodded once and he released her arm, watching the events unfold.
End Part 6C
Stormy
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