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Post by Cyclops on Feb 26, 2008 23:22:20 GMT -5
Rushing up to the front of the mansion, Scott saw the damage that the front of the building had sustained had begun to be repaired. The contractors were local men and they had made themselves quite rich by not discriminating against mutants. The school had been destroyed several times in the years since he himself had first attended. The original Xavier Mansion was little more than a memory at this point and the men who had come to fix the building time and again were skilled laborers, their task would be completed within the week he would bet.
"Lets get inside and down to the hangar" Cyclops called to Aideen. He led her inside past the scaffolding and buckets and lumber that was covered and wrapped in thick plastic mylar. The inside of the foyer was much warmer, but he couldn't let himself be distracted from the task of finding his friend. The man who was once his rival for the heart of a woman they both had truly loved in their own way.
He slowed his pace as he entered the building and looked over to her, his youngest Team Leader. He wondered what was going on in her mind and in her heart.
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Post by Ember on Feb 26, 2008 23:55:25 GMT -5
Aideen followed Cyclops past the construction where they were repairing the front of the school from the battle yesterday. Every time she went past this area, she remembered the heavy feeling she experienced, like someone had literally punched her in the heart, when Sabretooth ran at her and Logan was nowhere in sight. Even worse when Haven had saved her from a terrible fate and she returned to the school, and he didn't. Aideen looked straight ahead, keeping close to Cyclops, dreading going back to that place. It was like losing James all over again, except this time it was her stupidity and foolishness that was at fault. She didn't know if the fire in the old brewery was mentioned in her files in school, but it sure as hell was all over the papers in Boston. They investigated it for some time.
The whole thing with James wasn't because she was being stubborn and foolish, but because they both got into some bad business in the underground when they managed to hustle some mafioso's out of a couple of grands in a bike race. They were both at fault there and in the end, James pushed her away from a burning beam that was about to fall right on top of her. Aideen flew out the window, glass landing flying everywhere, but James never made it out. All because he wanted to save her and she lost him.
This was worse. After years of shutting herself out from everyone she finally found someone who for whatever odd reason, she truly felt at ease with him. The last person she was that comfortable with was James. And because of her foolishness, he was gone and despite what Cyclops said, she had very little hope. Her uncle was right. When you let yourself get close to others you only get hurt in the end, which is why life is better lived alone. Maybe he was right. It seemed whenever Aideen had a chance of a friendship or comfort it was taken away from her. She would be better off alone.
To go back to the woods will hurt, and she knew that. Whenever Aideen closed her eyes or allowed her mind to wander, it would always go back to that. Maybe she needed a closure to convince herself that her current mindset was correct. Sooner or later she would need to courage to say goodbye. But then again, courage in the matters was not her forte. She would do what was asked of her as she always had, so Cyclops can see for himself. Then she will go back to doing her duty and living her life. Alone.
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Post by Cyclops on Feb 27, 2008 0:15:33 GMT -5
"Hey you O.K.?" Scott asked her as he pushed the button for the elevator. The fact was he knew this wouldn't be easy for her, she was however the only person who knew where Logan and Sabertooth's fight had begun. Cyclops had been around long enough and seen more than a few of their scuffles to know that they tended to range all over, but clues to Wolverine's where-abouts were needed.
"It's going to be hard to see what we are bound to find out there. I want you to try and be prepared for it." Scott knew she wouldn't be, no matter how she might try, or what kind of things she may have seen before. He hated to do it to her, but she was needed. Her childhood would end tonight if it hadn't ended already, for that one reason alone he hated himself more than for sending Nightcrawler to his grave.
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Post by Ember on Feb 27, 2008 0:28:47 GMT -5
Aideen nodded when Cyclops addressed her, she kept her eyes straight ahead though, having no intention to meet anyones eyes for a long time. "Yes, sir. I'm perfectly fine," she said quietly as she stood next to him. Maybe she wasn't exactly what you would call fine, but putting up a strong front was nothing new to her.
She would do whatever was asked of her, even if that meant reliving something that she wished had never happened in the first place. It wouldn't have if she had listened to Nightcrawler and Beast. No matter now. She would do her duty. And right now her duty was to show Cyclops the place where it all started and prove to herself that the bit of hope she held was useless.
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Post by Emma Frost on Feb 28, 2008 22:28:58 GMT -5
Descending the great stair at the front of the mansion Emma saw both Cyclops and Ember standing at the elevator to the sub-basement. Wondering what they had plans for and thinking it a strange sight to see them both looking like they were up to something adorned in their leathers and motorcycle riding gear, Scott still wearing his helmet and Aideen holding hers.
"Nice night for a ride, if that is what you two were doing?" Emma said from the landing six steps up. "Going downstairs I see. Do you mind if I ride down with you? I'm going to check for our friends again and see about Haven's needs, I imagine she will be wanting to eat and probably have a mind full of so many vile rage-full thoughts I wont help but be hearing her cursing me wordlessly. All that aside, how was your day of riding in town, Ember...?... Cyclops?"
She sidled up alongside Cyclops and glanced over at Aideen with a slight smile a look of relaxed and tired defeat on her face. It was a very long day for Emma Frost, and it was showing on her visage.
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Post by Cyclops on Feb 28, 2008 23:03:49 GMT -5
Scott whipped his head around at the sound of Emma's voice. A slight smile crossed his lips when she said what she did about being jealous, or rather how she said what she said about them spending the day together in a jealous manner. It was a nice feeling to be wanted that way and he didn't mind her playing with him ordinarily, but right now might not be the best time.
"We had a good ride thank you. We are heading out to take a look at the forest and find some trace of Logan. Ember recalls where the contact with Sabretooth took place and we might be able to find him if we can follow a trail or something." Cyclops said as he pulled off his helmet and made sure to replace his glasses before opening up his eyes again.
"I know it's a long-shot, but any help we can get, right...." he sounded solemn and his tone seemed less than excited. It was almost as if he knew she would tell him not to bother. Not that Emma was cruel, but he knew she would have had them out to get the two X-Men, directing them to the spots the men might have been the moment she had emerged from the CEREBRA chamber earlier that day.
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Post by Ember on Feb 28, 2008 23:18:23 GMT -5
Aideen looked up quickly when the Headmistress came up behind them. Aideen couldn't help but wonder if she ever figured it out. Cyclops would probably tell her everything later on, and Aideen knew that Emma Frost would not be happy in the least bit that she wasn't informed about something like this. She swallowed hard at the sound of Cyclops mentioning Sabretooth. Christ what is wrong with her? Why is she allowing him to get to her so much? She's fine, alive and away from him. Yet every time she closed her eyes and laid on her bed or even just thought of him, Aideen still saw the looming figure of Sabretooth over her, the cold cruel hunger and lust for blood in his eyes as he looked down at her. And she was helpless to do anything.
Aideen trembled slightly and stayed silent, looking straight ahead. She still couldn't believe she was going to go back to that place in the woods so soon, but Aideen could never refuse Cyclops or any other superior if they asked something of her. That's just how she was conditioned since her uncle took her in. Aideen would have to think about how this would affect her later though. Then again, she turns eighteen in a a couple of weeks, so it shouldn't be too much trouble before she was free to make her own decisions about some things.
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Post by Emma Frost on Feb 28, 2008 23:38:06 GMT -5
"It's getting very cold out there, and I'm not going to countermand your decision Scott, but I would like you to think this through a bit. I know you want to find Logan and Kurt, but at what expense?" Emma's eyes flicked to Aideen and back 'The poor thing has been through enough- Look at her Scott, and tell me if you really think she can handle this -I would like to make it through the week with at least one of my children still in their right mind- You don't know what I've been dealing with today! Please have some compassion, let your heart be heard over your mind for once.' She thought to him.
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Post by Cyclops on Feb 29, 2008 0:16:08 GMT -5
Scott looked over to Aideen and back to Emma. He wanted to get out there in the sky over the woods and look down from above and find them both, Kurt and Logan, roasting marshmallows over a campfire and laughing about the good old days. His heart sank when he saw the girl's face though, and then he realized just how selfish he had been.
"Yeah, maybe you have a point." he said to the White Queen. He would want to get out there soon though and check. It was possible they were out there though. His minds eye conjured a new fantasy, that of the both of them out in the woods dead. Wolverine's body decimated by more than just Sabretooth, as Cyclops knew the Brotherhood members rarely worked alone, and often times used every dirty trick in the book. While Nightcrawler's body was blown apart and hanging throughout the barren leafless tree limbs.
He shook his head and willed his mind into the present, the here and now as he stood before the woman he loved. He saw in her eyes an almost pleading look he had never seen before, she honestly didn't want him to go, at least not with young Ember in tow. The sound of the elevator door wooshing open drew all of their attention to it.
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Post by Ember on Feb 29, 2008 0:34:16 GMT -5
When the elevator opened, Aideen walked inside with her head held high and her face completely emotionless. She listened as Emma Frost spoke of the cold and Cyclops seeming to agree in a more graver tone than should be given when talking about something as trivial as weather.
She stood up straight and looked straight ahead not meeting either of their eyes. In truth, Aideen was a bit wary to look into Emma Frost's eyes. For some reason she always thought that if Emma Frost manged to peer in her dark bottomless eyes, she would see everything and her secret of what happened in the woods when she led Sabretooth out there would be revealed as well as everything else.
Aideen looked toward her two superiors and waited for them to enter so they could go back out there. She mentally started prepping herself emotionally for the journey. She was willing to help how she could no matter how hard it would be.
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Post by Emma Frost on Feb 29, 2008 1:15:24 GMT -5
Emma stepped inside the elevator and looked back out at Cyclops raising her eyebrow and wondering if he was really going to go through with it.
"I think it's brave of you to want to help find Logan, Aideen. I'm wondering though if there isn't a better way to go about this." Emma didn't want Ember to have to be subjected to what she knew would be a difficult and potentially scarring event. "Would you be opposed to staying here this evening? Or is this a test you want to put to yourself?" The headmistress knew how the girl often challenged herself and how she would strive for perfection in all that she did.
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Post by Cyclops on Feb 29, 2008 1:17:22 GMT -5
Scott caught the glance and the raising of Emma's eyebrow as well. He stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for it to descend to the sub-basement. The door closed just as Emma began speaking.
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Post by Ember on Feb 29, 2008 1:25:57 GMT -5
Aideen swallowed hard and masked her eyes of any emotions of hurt and sorrow that she might have risen to light before she looked up at her Headmistress. She knew it would hurt to go back and see what she was the cause of and be reminded even more of the loss of her first friend in the school, but this was all her fault. If it hadn't been for her, Logan would still be alive. Aideen knew she deserved every bit of the pain that she would feel to be back there, which was another part of the reason that she didn't protest when Cyclops suggested it. She needed some kind of punishment, because going on unpunished just didn't suit well with her.
"I have no objection to helping with something that was I was the cause of. I will do what I was asked of me with no objections," Aideen said quietly but firmly.
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Post by Emma Frost on Mar 1, 2008 10:48:32 GMT -5
"You are proceeding under a mistaken notion, Ember." Emma said to her turning and brushing a lock of hair out of the young womans face that had come out of her ponytail. "You did nothing to instigate the fight between Wolverine and Sabertooth, they have been enemies longer than you have walked this earth...and to think you were expected out there in those woods is incorrect. Tell her Scott." Emma turned to look at Cyclops.
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Post by Cyclops on Mar 1, 2008 11:17:19 GMT -5
"I'd have to agree. In my estimation Wolverine was the target, and would have been attacked regardless of you being there or not." Scott nodded in agreement. "You've been beating yourself up over this? Listen Ember, these guys, the Brotherhood, are beneath contempt. They think that the world should be ruled by mutants and they will go to any extreme to see that plan come to fruition." He was doing his best to be empathetic and try to explain, although it more than likely came out like a lecture.
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