RP with emeraldallure | Another old face returns
WHO | Angel & Polaris
WHERE | Post-mission, on route to Xavier's in the Blackbird
WORD COUNT | 5,795
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Lorna Danes had no idea how long she'd been in the cell, how many days she'd been held captive. For all she knew it could have been mere hours, or weeks. Every second dripped into the next. Every moment she came closer to losing hope. No one knew she was here. No one even kept in contact with her. No one would miss her. No one from her old life anyway. The chat with Bobby had been a once off. He didn't owe her anything, he didn't miss her. Wouldn't miss her.
She curled her fingers against her face to hide her eyes as she curled into a tighter ball. All she'd wanted was to live her life, to pursue her love of geophysics and forget all the dramas that came with being a member of the X-Men. She didn't have the energy to fight a war. All the time at Xavier's her footing had been uncertain, like she was never quite sure if she belonged or not. She had never been there from a young age like the others. She'd come when she was slightly older, and getting ready to move on to college. Only her adoptive parents had become scared in the face of the events that followed in the wake of the revelation of the Cure, and the battle at Alcatraz. They weren't sure they could protect their daughter, and Lorna had to wonder if they also doubted their own safety from her.
Her thoughts started to blur and she only snapped out of it when she heard shouting followed by the sound of explosions. Her cell was dark, the only light coming from a lamp in the corner. She wasn't even held in a metal cell. Apparently they knew all about her mutation, and so the bars were plastic. Just like where Magneto had been held once upon a time. She'd heard about it from Scott Summers - Alex's brother.
Another man who wouldn't miss her. Alex had been someone she'd fallen in love with, deeply. Only it hadn't lasted. Sometimes it just wasn't meant to. She knew she'd broken Bobby's heart for no good reason, but hindsight was twenty-twenty. She also knew she just wasn't meant to make Bobby happy. He'd find the woman who was meant to make him happy, and to have his heart. Not to mention give him hers. Lorna still didn't know who was meant to keep her heart, so lately she'd just kept it to herself.
Light suddenly shone through the bars and her green eyes squinted as she tried see past it. All Lorna could make out was a silhouette, a giant pair of wings spreading out before there was more shouting and she flinched as her cell seemed to shatter around her. The winged man came towards her, and she looked up into blue eyes as strong arms picked her up, and the wings seemed to wrap around her protectively as she rest her head against his chest in relief. "My angel," she murmured.
She was vaguely aware of others moving around them, and she was sure she saw a hint of ice racing up the side of the wall, but she ignored it and focused on the warmth of the chest and the man holding her. She didn't even know why, but she just felt safe in his arms. Her mind slipped again, taking her back to before she was captive. She'd been on campus at Cornell University, and then the next thing she knew she was getting tossed into the back of a van. It didn't even seem real, but they knew enough about her to know to keep her from ripping the car in half with her manipulation of magnetic fields.
She wasn't even up to being a strong user of her power offensively. It was just a fancy way to move things around, or to create forcefields. She really had always been better on the defence. As far as she had been able to gather the people who had taken her were assassins. Some group intent on wiping out mutants - even more so than the FOH. Or maybe just less obvious about it. She had no idea who they were, but there had been references to 'Marauders'.
When Lorna blinked, and brought herself back to the presence she was in different surroundings. Metallic surroundings. It was the Blackbird. A female voice was in her ear, telling her to sit, but she refused to move from her angel's arms and clung to him tighter. She looked up into his eyes again. "Don't leave me," she whispered pleadingly. "Please."
The woman gave a derisive snort and she heard the clicking of heels as Lorna and the winged man were suddenly left alone in the back of the Blackbird. The rest of the X-Men seemed to be up the front in the cockpit and Lorna realised her feet were on the ground. She wet her lips as she sucked in a breath. "Thank you."
"Don't mention it," Warren returned with a tired smirk. He was trying not to think about the fact his head was now throbbing and he was pretty sure he had to be bleeding somewhere. He had a run-in with one of the bastards responsible for the kidnapping. In fact, they were all fighting off against them at one point. It was hard, considering they were still down a pair of hands with Gambit, who had not been the slightest bit impressed he was being left behind on his first mission in a very long time. He wasn't exactly sulking, but he wasn't exactly pleasant to be around, either. He loosened his grip a little now they were sitting and his wings curled back into place as he indulged in a sigh of relief. He could really use a smoke right now. It really sucked when the fuckers wanted to hurt one of their own, for no real reason than they were mutants. This group weren't giving up without a fight, either, and he was probably lucky to just escape with a few cuts, bruises, and probably some dislodged feathers. At least they weren't friggin technicolour anymore.
Lorna rest her head against his shoulder again, and just stared at nothing for a long moment as her brain struggled to keep up with what happened to her. She looked down at her hands to find them shaking and tucked them between her knees to try and stop it. "If I throw up, I'm really sorry." Lorna's voice cracked from disuse and her tongue darted out to wet her lips again before she managed a lopsided smile.
Warren waved his hand a little, keeping his head still against the back of the chair, even if he was sitting to the side of it a little to accommodate his wings. "Go for it, I might just join you," he joked and then cleared his throat, trying to analyse how much his bits hurt. He glanced down at her, eyebrows raised a little. He could feel the dirt and grim on his skin. It wasn't like they just immediately managed to locate her and drag her out. It took some negotiating of the surroundings. They weren't even sure initially if it was safe to be heading in there, but Warren held firm. After a heated debate with Scott and an almost screaming match with Emma, he got his way when he threatened to go in alone. He didn't know why. He just figured if she was in there alone, and apparently she was, she had to be shitting herself, fearing for her life. How could he just walk away from that? "You okay?" he asked her.
Lorna nodded her head before she swallowed back a lump in her throat and started to shake her head. "Synchronised vomiting already? Does that mean you'll have to marry me? I mean, if the puke test is right and all, then it looks like we'll be a match made in Heaven." She took a shaky breath and glanced around the Blackbird like her surroundings were finally starting to sink in. Now it made sense why her rescuer had wings. Warren. Of course she knew Warren. He just looked different to her now. She pressed her lips together as she started to feel the tears spill over, and she buried her face into the crook of his neck.
"Wouldn't know, love. Never really had synchronised puking with anyone before... And despite the wings, ain't really sure Heaven will have me," Warren added. When the tears started, he sighed softly. He didn't really know how he could assure her it would be okay. You never believed bullshit like that after an ordeal, anyway, and more often than not, you just wanted people to shut up and stop being optimistic while you felt like crap. He tightened his arms around her a little more securely and rubbed her back, glancing up in the direction of the cockpit. Just about everyone would be glad to see this week over with. "It sucks, I know. To think some people actually think being a mutant is all fun and games. But you're safe now. Not sure how you feel about landing back at Xavier's, but for lack of any other way of putting it... tough shit? Sometimes, it's just the best place to be."
She nodded against his neck, a brief wave of embarrassment rolling through her as she realised she was probably snotting all over him, and getting him wet. He would probably be grateful for the uniform. "Why don't you think Heaven would have you? Have been a naughty angel since I saw you last, Warren? If they won't have you, I will. You saved my light. I really can't thank you enough. I owe you... so much. I thought I was going to die. I really did. These guys meant business. I've never even heard of the bastards before." Lorna sniffed as she lifted her head, and met his gaze. "Doesn't seem like any of us get away from the place for too long."
Warren tentatively put a hand up to his head when he felt a small trickle just near his ear. There was some blood on his fingertips when he took them away. Hank really was going to need a vacation sometime soon. "Yeah, there's a lot of you boomerangs lately. I bet you really make Bobby's day," he teased with another smirk. He knew it was a serious situation, but the mood had to be lightened some way. It was better than sitting there dwelling on the fact that there were factions out there that wanted them dead, plain and simple. If you you let your mind kick into overdrive about that, you could go mental... or turn into someone like Magneto, hell-bent on revenge. "They always mean business. If they didn't, the X-Men wouldn't exist and we'd have to be flipping burgers at McDonalds. If I hadn't have been there, someone else would. Without a doubt." Even if there were doubts. He really wasn't sure they were going to go in there for a minute there.
Lorna rolled her eyes as she gave a half-hearted laugh and brushed away the tears on her cheeks. "Oh yeah, he's going to love me crashing in on his teacher gig. We, ah, talked... briefly. I don't think exes are ever things that go smoothly. You can say you're friends, but are you ever really?" She pulled back when she noticed the blood on his fingers. She gently touched the side of his face, and inspected the cut behind his ear. "You poor thing... Are you okay? Maybe not flipping burgers, but definitely something us. Some of us are still trying to work out life away from the X-Men. Maybe it's not meant to be once you've experienced it. I almost believe you," she added softly.
"I'm fine, it's just a scratch," Warren assured her and just half-heartedly wiped his hand on his uniform. "There's a lot of ex shit going on at the moment. Actually, there's be a lot of shit in general. The team were wary, stuff's been going on. I can't really blame them, but there was no reason not to at least try and go in there. We've been to worse rescues and missions, come out in much worse states, too. There's nothing keeping you at Xavier's, you know. I was only joking. Hank will probably want to give you the once-over, but after that, you're welcome to go back to your life. No one is held there against their will."
"I think I want to come back," Lorna replied, her voice a little stronger. She straightened up a little, but rest her hand against Warren's to keep some form of physical contact. She needed the grounding, needed to know she wasn't just imagining it. "If this can happen to me - it can happen to anyone. I didn't even get a chance to fight back, but if it had been someone else then maybe they wouldn't have lasted so long. Not every mutant's been through Xavier's. Not every mutant is trained like we are. I want to stop it. I want to help them. Has it really been that bad with the team?"
Warren had a headache from hell, so he could only imagine what she felt like. He had lost track of how long it would take to get back to the school, too. If only his wings fit into a bath tub. He would just have to settle for a long, hot shower. "Everyone has different reasons for being on the team, some which aren't even entirely clear to them. Others just want to try and help, or don't really want to be anywhere else. I guess even reasons why we're there can change, just like everything else. That's the whole thing right there. So much shit has changed, and not everyone is happy about it. There's tension, grudges, possessiveness, pissing contests, past hurts... It's not so much bad as tiresome some days. I've mostly just been on the peripheral watching it all go on around me."
Lorna mumbled an agreement before she sagged again, her energy waning. She just wanted to... Hell, she didn't even know what she wanted. She knew she didn't want to be alone for a while. She didn't want to have anything to do with darkness. She cleared her throat as she glanced up at Warren. "Can I... Can I ask you a favour? I don't think I could deal with being alone. I know it's probably asking too much, and it's okay, I could just... I don't know. Ask one of the women," she pointed her fingers in the direction of the cockpit. "Just not Emma. But could I sleep with you tonight? I won't take up any room. Hell, as long as there's a pillow on the floor with me it's better than what I've just been through. Changes aren't easy. It'll take the team some time to settle. We've been through this before, just different dramas."
"Not quite exactly like this. We're treading some uncharted territory..." Warren looked down at her warily, processing her request. It felt a little odd. He hardly knew her, hadn't even really had a whole lot to do with her last time she was on the team and was dating Bobby. Who was now fucking Besty, who had supposedly had a thing for him. His head just started to hurt more when he tried to work that one out. It wasn't even like he had time to decide if he was into having anything with Psylocke before she was looking in another direction. "Uh... sure, I guess. I can't promise that I don't take up much room, because I do, unfortunately."
Lorna arched her eyebrow slightly. "Not quite? Are you allowed to tell me about the territory?" Truthfully, Polaris really had no idea why she'd even asked him to share his bed, but she was still shaken from her ordeal. She also knew that Warren had been there when she thought no one would be. He had been her saviour, and she felt safe with him. She ducked her head as she tried not to scrunch her nose and kick herself. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have... thank you. Again. I won't be much trouble, I promise. I really will just sleep on the floor if you want me to."
Warren smirked and then scrunched his nose up a little. "The floors in Xavier's? You haven't been away that long to forget the finer details, have you? No one would choose to sleep on those bastards. Hard and cold... unless you're into that sort of thing." He glanced up at the cockpit again, his forehead creasing in thought. "To be honest, I dunno if I can tell you or not. But if you're coming back to the school, you're going to know. Gambit, he's... mutantly challenged right now, so to speak. You'll probably get a bit of a shock seeing him. We all did. The thing is, Hank's still not 100% sure it's not been caused by a mutant illness or something. He's watching us all like hawks, without trying to make it too obvious. We've also had a deserter return to our territory, which has caused a lot of niggles. Bobby's back, and Gambit didn't take too kindly to that. Fuck, I feel like Xavier's Gossip Girl."
"XOXO," Lorna teased as she tried to make a kissy face. She just felt exhausted, sore, dirty... Her nerves were on edge too, so that her body felt like it was tingling all over. Just in a bad way. "He's what? Mutantly... Oh. Oh. Seriously? Oh my god. I've never heard of anything like it. I didn't even think it was possible until a few years ago. If Hank can't even figure it out, it really is big. He must be worried about it spreading if it is a disease. Watching to see if it's a once off. I can't blame him. Spontaneous lack of abilities is a big deal. A deserter? Well, that's not me. I've had my time for hard and cold."
Warren held up his hands in surrender. "No more, you'll kill me. That show does my head in. I hate rich bastards," he joked and then laughed, only it made him realise that his chest hurt a little. No wonder, considering he had basically been kicked in the torso so he didn't actually get himself murdered. "It's not really spontaneous. It only came on after Rogue drained him again, so that's the favoured theory and probably why he isn't locked in an isolation room in the med bay right now. He's just... normal? Probably the best way to describe it. Really normal. Still a cranky bastard, though. Pyro's the one who came back. I think he still has some fancy footwork to do to regain everyone's trust."
Lorna laughed weakly, but at least she could smile. Only minutes ago she was wondering if that was ever going to be possible again. "Yeah, those rich pricks are true bastards. Especially the ones with companies... Oh no, how's Rogue? She's probably getting a massive guilt complex if the drain resulted in Remy losing his powers. But at least he's never made her feel bad for any of that. Even in the beginning. I can't believe it. It's hard to imagine him normal, but it's nice to know the cranky bastard thing hasn't changed. Really? Well, the plot thickens. I'm not surprised, but I'm sure if he really wants to be there he'll do it."
"To be honest, I don't really know. I haven't spoken to her much since it all happened. I was there after it did, Remy was in and out of consciousness. He usually recovers pretty rapidly from the drains, but there was something just off about it. Maybe more prolonged contact than usual? Like I said, I'm not completely up to scratch on all the details. We're just all trying to accept the fact that Remy seems to be completely powerless. It throws up a lot of issues. Scott doesn't even want him out of the school because he's pretty much a target for people like this and Magneto to get him while he can't fight back." Warren indulged in letting his eyes close for a few lingering moments, and shifted in his seat when the leather started to pinch in awkward places again. "It's just hard to completely trust someone again after they've been under the influence of Magneto. But the point of the school is to be a safe place for mutants. It's not often they turn anyone away."
Lorna shifted in place and winced as she twisted her side. She pulled away from Warren to lift her top up and hissed out a breath as she caught sight of the technicolour bruise covering most of her side. A nice little souvenir that would last her a while. She also had a several other cuts and bruises but she didn't think any of them would be quite as spectacular as this one. Her green hair fell into her line of sight, and she pushed it back before lowering her top, and moving carefully to lean against Warren again. She took his hand in hers and threaded their fingers. "It's hard to trust anyone after a betrayal. Doesn't matter if it's personal, or just... business. Magneto offered him power and he took it. Now he's probably grown up enough to realise it wasn't everything he expected. Magneto's become more overzealous since his abilities returned after Alcatraz. He learned a thing, it's just fuelled his argument. Perhaps Pyro's realised he's not fighting for mutant rights - he's fighting for Magneto's."
Warren scrunched his nose up in sympathy at the sight of the bruise, figuring they could be matching by the time he got back and peeled his uniform off. "You'll need to get that looked at by Hank. Maybe it's best if you just stay in the med bay tonight. You're badly injured and you've been through a lot. It's probably for the best. Hank will keep you company. He'll be glad of someone not Gambit messing with all his medical instruments." He looked down at their hands, just his eyes shifting so he didn't need to move his head too much. It was times like this he wished he had healing abilities beyond just fatal injuries. It would be good to have an in-built ability that acted like a Tylenol. "To be honest, the power struggle just... bores me. I don't want power, don't really want much to do with people who do, either. I just want to make sure other mutants are okay, and not being hurt for no reason. I guess that's why I stick around on the team. I'd go mental if I just had to be a rich kid business heir twenty-four-seven. I basically just think Magneto is a cock, and I used to think John was one, too, but he's still my mate."
Lorna wasn't even sure why she started to smirk, but she did. Inappropriate thoughts entered her head that she suddenly found amusing and she seriously wished she and Warren were meeting under different circumstances so she didn't come across as a lunatic. She reached up with her free hand to rub her face and try and force her mind to pull itself back together. "I think everyone would go mental if you were a rich kid business heir twenty-four-seven. No offence, but I like you with more substance. It's nice to peel back the layers and to keep finding more. I guess it's why I tried to get out. I didn't think it was possible to avoid the power struggles. That, and I did a pretty good number on Bobby. I thought it would rip the team apart if we tried to keep working together."
"Yeah, but then he left and took the issue out of your hands anyway. I won't lie, I think he took it as quite a low blow. He took leaving Rogue as a low blow, too. Seriously, if it was me, I would be wondering what the fuck was wrong with me to have two chicks I loved and gave my heart to fall for other dudes. I can't say I blame him for being wary about other relationships... especially with mutants. Only, he doesn't seem to be having too much trouble right now..." Warren trailed off, his nose scrunching up a little. He probably wasn't going to understand that situation until he bit the bullet and asked Betsy why... which he had no intention of doing. A male ego didn't really need any extra knocks than they already took. "They're avoidable if you don't give a fuck," he put it simply. It was exactly how he had come to see things these days, even if he had more than been in the thick of his fair share of power struggles over the time.
Lorna gave a shake of her head. "I don't even know what to say anymore. It's past, and he wants to keep it that way. That's fair enough. I can't say I blame him. Just sometimes I wonder if I'll ever be able to apologise enough, but then it's done. I can't change it. None of are capable of travelling through time. Alex did the same to me anyway, so I think Karma paid me back in full. I'm not sure who my heart's supposed to belong to, but it's not either of them." She blinked and glanced up at Warren. "Do you avoid them at your father's company?"
"I doubt he actually wants to keep hearing your apologies, anyway. No offense. I know he doesn't want to keep hearing Rogue's. In fact, he seems to be going out of his way to avoid her and Remy lately. I guess his return hasn't been as easy as he thought it might be. He's had a rough few days, too. Remy gave him a concussion in the DR. It was questionable for awhile whether it was an accident or not. Just makes me wonder if it really is worth the hassle of dating colleagues. It always seems to end messily." Warren had to unzip the top of his uniform, pulling the zip down to his upper chest just to loosen it off a bit. He never had a desire to be in it longer than he needed to. "I don't really need to. My place is pretty much at the top of the Christmas tree - pardon the angel pun - as it is. There's no power struggles if you're already on top."
"You're right. I know you're right. I still don't know how it's ever not going to be awkward to talk to him though. I do actually miss talking to him. Wow, reunions really aren't happy occasions are they. Even took me getting kidnapped to get an invite." Lorna turned her head to face towards his chest again, her green eyes stealing a peek to see if there was any chest hair under his uniform. "That was a terrible pun, you know. Unless someone's trying to usurp you."
Warren smirked at her. "He's over you, you know. I'm pretty sure you'll invent the awkwardness in your head. He's not pining for you. Bobby's a good guy. He's here, actually. He's holding no grudges. He was the one that split with you to give you free range, remember? The only reason he's awkward with Rogue is Gambit, who has been trying to piss around perimeters ever since Bobby and John came back. It's why he ended up drained. He's seeing someone else and they seem pretty good together. You've got nothing to worry about." He brushed his hand through his hair, trying to get it to sit back down again. Everything felt like it was out of place. Feathers sticking out, hair to match. The Blackbird didn't exactly give him enough room to shake them back into place. "They'd be welcome to it. I'm there because I love my dad, not for a love of the job. It's just my family business."
Lorna snorted softly as she rolled her eyes at herself. "So much for not being egotistical, huh? He really is a good guy. He deserves someone that just loves him for him, and doesn't look anywhere else. Gambit's always been like that. I don't think there's any chance anyone will ever cross into his territory - not with Rogue. The whole entire planet knows she's his." Lorna wet her lips before she reached up to cup Warren's face with her hand and placed a gentle kiss against his cheek. "It always comes back to family business no matter what we do."
Warren paused for a moment, pulling his nose and lips to the side. "Hopefully she doesn't look anywhere else..." It wasn't like Betsy made it a secret of how many directions she had looked in. Suddenly Warren wasn't so sure she wouldn't hurt Bobby too. He just hadn't thought about it until now. "Well, Bobby got a smack in the head for it, I don't blame him for being wary. Pretty sure he feels like he can't talk much to Rogue because of it." He blinked in surprise at the kiss and cleared his throat. She'd had a shock and been through a lot, she was just projecting her emotions... and still clinging to him quite tightly. "It could be worse. Half the mutant world just think my father was trying to eradicate mutants, but hey. What's a bit of tension in the business world, huh?"
"So it's a colleague, and you know her... Interesting. You don't seem pleased by the match." Lorna hadn't thought too hard on the kiss. She'd wanted to show her gratitude for the rescue. The clinging was just... she couldn't help it. Warren was her angel. "That really does suck. He'd be a good friend for her to have. The business world thrives on it, I'm sure."
Warren snorted. "Maybe because she was looking in my direction a few days before her gaze shifted course?" He scratched his head. He really wasn't bitter about it, just bewildered. It wasn't like he was opposed to anything with Betsy, it just never really had the chance and it did make things a little akward. Even when they found themselves sitting next to each other en route to rescue Polaris, Warren had pointedly put his iPod in his ears so he didn't need to talk to her. "Yeah, sure. The business world is one big hoot." He didn't like people thinking his father had anything against mutants. He knew the whole concept of The Cure was only based on a desperate want for his father to help him.
Lorna's eyebrows went up and she glanced at the cockpit like that was going to give her answers somehow. She shrunk back against Warren when Emma Frost turned around to pierce her with her ice blue gaze. There were times when she genuinely was worried that woman was reading every thought in her mind. But Emma glanced away again, the gaze shifting onto Scott. "I'm sorry. That really is awkward. As much as I care about Bobby, I don't understand why anyone would look away from you." Lorna gave his hand a squeeze. "I understand what he was doing. I do. I just think the wrong people got their hands on it."
It was Warren's turn to look up at the cockpit now, and ironically, his eyes locked with Betsy's momentarily... from where she was sitting next to Bobby, if the blond hair over the top of the seat was anything to go buy. Warren looked away to glance down at Polaris again. "It's not like I was engaged to her, we didn't even sleep together. Nothing to it. I don't hold grudges like that, it's just made me wonder what made her lose interest, that's all. The only other person that seemed remotely interested is headed for divorce and she probably needs some time to find her head. Which is fine, she's still fun to hang out with." He shrugged a little. "I guess when you love your kids, you'd do anything to stop them hurting."
"Of course you would, only sometimes when they try to help stop them hurting, you just hurt them more." Polaris had missed the look between Warren and Betsy, her eyes lifting up again in time to meet his. "A divorcee? Well, well, well... You really are a playboy, aren't you, Mr Worthington? I can't even remember the last time I looked at a guy like that. After Alex, I mean. After him I just... I got lost in my research. Probably why I wasn't even alert to the fact I was about to get attacked."
"Worth the risk," Warren murmured in return. As soon as his mutation had kicked in, hated himself. Things sucked growing up. It only really took the whole ordeal with The Cure to help him accept who he was and to live with the wings. Now he had fully embraced it, they just pissed him off now and again when he didn't have the ease of standing things like most did. Things like people wondering how he flew in a plane just amused him... considering he didn't need to fly in any planes, and it was even more entertaining when they wondered how he had sex. Last he looked, a penis wasn't attached to one's back. "How does it feel to know you ultimately got treated by Summers how you treated Bobby? And people wonder why I try to steer clear of relationships."
"Sometimes they're worth the risk, too," Lorna replied quietly. "Like I said, it feels like Karma gave me the payback I deserve. It sucked to be treated that way, and it made me understand what I really had done to Bobby. I didn't like it. It's made me incredibly cautious about what I'd do if I met someone else."
Warren shrugged. "Never had kids, can't say I'd really know. The ones in in the school are just... there. I'm just fucking thankful none of them have asked me where babies come from," he added in amusement. "I guess you'd have two choices. Try... or don't. Not a lot of grey area on the issue of romance, I hear."
Lorna let her head fall against his shoulder and sighed. "Not a lot of grey are in anything lately."
WHERE | Post-mission, on route to Xavier's in the Blackbird
WORD COUNT | 5,795
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Lorna Danes had no idea how long she'd been in the cell, how many days she'd been held captive. For all she knew it could have been mere hours, or weeks. Every second dripped into the next. Every moment she came closer to losing hope. No one knew she was here. No one even kept in contact with her. No one would miss her. No one from her old life anyway. The chat with Bobby had been a once off. He didn't owe her anything, he didn't miss her. Wouldn't miss her.
She curled her fingers against her face to hide her eyes as she curled into a tighter ball. All she'd wanted was to live her life, to pursue her love of geophysics and forget all the dramas that came with being a member of the X-Men. She didn't have the energy to fight a war. All the time at Xavier's her footing had been uncertain, like she was never quite sure if she belonged or not. She had never been there from a young age like the others. She'd come when she was slightly older, and getting ready to move on to college. Only her adoptive parents had become scared in the face of the events that followed in the wake of the revelation of the Cure, and the battle at Alcatraz. They weren't sure they could protect their daughter, and Lorna had to wonder if they also doubted their own safety from her.
Her thoughts started to blur and she only snapped out of it when she heard shouting followed by the sound of explosions. Her cell was dark, the only light coming from a lamp in the corner. She wasn't even held in a metal cell. Apparently they knew all about her mutation, and so the bars were plastic. Just like where Magneto had been held once upon a time. She'd heard about it from Scott Summers - Alex's brother.
Another man who wouldn't miss her. Alex had been someone she'd fallen in love with, deeply. Only it hadn't lasted. Sometimes it just wasn't meant to. She knew she'd broken Bobby's heart for no good reason, but hindsight was twenty-twenty. She also knew she just wasn't meant to make Bobby happy. He'd find the woman who was meant to make him happy, and to have his heart. Not to mention give him hers. Lorna still didn't know who was meant to keep her heart, so lately she'd just kept it to herself.
Light suddenly shone through the bars and her green eyes squinted as she tried see past it. All Lorna could make out was a silhouette, a giant pair of wings spreading out before there was more shouting and she flinched as her cell seemed to shatter around her. The winged man came towards her, and she looked up into blue eyes as strong arms picked her up, and the wings seemed to wrap around her protectively as she rest her head against his chest in relief. "My angel," she murmured.
She was vaguely aware of others moving around them, and she was sure she saw a hint of ice racing up the side of the wall, but she ignored it and focused on the warmth of the chest and the man holding her. She didn't even know why, but she just felt safe in his arms. Her mind slipped again, taking her back to before she was captive. She'd been on campus at Cornell University, and then the next thing she knew she was getting tossed into the back of a van. It didn't even seem real, but they knew enough about her to know to keep her from ripping the car in half with her manipulation of magnetic fields.
She wasn't even up to being a strong user of her power offensively. It was just a fancy way to move things around, or to create forcefields. She really had always been better on the defence. As far as she had been able to gather the people who had taken her were assassins. Some group intent on wiping out mutants - even more so than the FOH. Or maybe just less obvious about it. She had no idea who they were, but there had been references to 'Marauders'.
When Lorna blinked, and brought herself back to the presence she was in different surroundings. Metallic surroundings. It was the Blackbird. A female voice was in her ear, telling her to sit, but she refused to move from her angel's arms and clung to him tighter. She looked up into his eyes again. "Don't leave me," she whispered pleadingly. "Please."
The woman gave a derisive snort and she heard the clicking of heels as Lorna and the winged man were suddenly left alone in the back of the Blackbird. The rest of the X-Men seemed to be up the front in the cockpit and Lorna realised her feet were on the ground. She wet her lips as she sucked in a breath. "Thank you."
"Don't mention it," Warren returned with a tired smirk. He was trying not to think about the fact his head was now throbbing and he was pretty sure he had to be bleeding somewhere. He had a run-in with one of the bastards responsible for the kidnapping. In fact, they were all fighting off against them at one point. It was hard, considering they were still down a pair of hands with Gambit, who had not been the slightest bit impressed he was being left behind on his first mission in a very long time. He wasn't exactly sulking, but he wasn't exactly pleasant to be around, either. He loosened his grip a little now they were sitting and his wings curled back into place as he indulged in a sigh of relief. He could really use a smoke right now. It really sucked when the fuckers wanted to hurt one of their own, for no real reason than they were mutants. This group weren't giving up without a fight, either, and he was probably lucky to just escape with a few cuts, bruises, and probably some dislodged feathers. At least they weren't friggin technicolour anymore.
Lorna rest her head against his shoulder again, and just stared at nothing for a long moment as her brain struggled to keep up with what happened to her. She looked down at her hands to find them shaking and tucked them between her knees to try and stop it. "If I throw up, I'm really sorry." Lorna's voice cracked from disuse and her tongue darted out to wet her lips again before she managed a lopsided smile.
Warren waved his hand a little, keeping his head still against the back of the chair, even if he was sitting to the side of it a little to accommodate his wings. "Go for it, I might just join you," he joked and then cleared his throat, trying to analyse how much his bits hurt. He glanced down at her, eyebrows raised a little. He could feel the dirt and grim on his skin. It wasn't like they just immediately managed to locate her and drag her out. It took some negotiating of the surroundings. They weren't even sure initially if it was safe to be heading in there, but Warren held firm. After a heated debate with Scott and an almost screaming match with Emma, he got his way when he threatened to go in alone. He didn't know why. He just figured if she was in there alone, and apparently she was, she had to be shitting herself, fearing for her life. How could he just walk away from that? "You okay?" he asked her.
Lorna nodded her head before she swallowed back a lump in her throat and started to shake her head. "Synchronised vomiting already? Does that mean you'll have to marry me? I mean, if the puke test is right and all, then it looks like we'll be a match made in Heaven." She took a shaky breath and glanced around the Blackbird like her surroundings were finally starting to sink in. Now it made sense why her rescuer had wings. Warren. Of course she knew Warren. He just looked different to her now. She pressed her lips together as she started to feel the tears spill over, and she buried her face into the crook of his neck.
"Wouldn't know, love. Never really had synchronised puking with anyone before... And despite the wings, ain't really sure Heaven will have me," Warren added. When the tears started, he sighed softly. He didn't really know how he could assure her it would be okay. You never believed bullshit like that after an ordeal, anyway, and more often than not, you just wanted people to shut up and stop being optimistic while you felt like crap. He tightened his arms around her a little more securely and rubbed her back, glancing up in the direction of the cockpit. Just about everyone would be glad to see this week over with. "It sucks, I know. To think some people actually think being a mutant is all fun and games. But you're safe now. Not sure how you feel about landing back at Xavier's, but for lack of any other way of putting it... tough shit? Sometimes, it's just the best place to be."
She nodded against his neck, a brief wave of embarrassment rolling through her as she realised she was probably snotting all over him, and getting him wet. He would probably be grateful for the uniform. "Why don't you think Heaven would have you? Have been a naughty angel since I saw you last, Warren? If they won't have you, I will. You saved my light. I really can't thank you enough. I owe you... so much. I thought I was going to die. I really did. These guys meant business. I've never even heard of the bastards before." Lorna sniffed as she lifted her head, and met his gaze. "Doesn't seem like any of us get away from the place for too long."
Warren tentatively put a hand up to his head when he felt a small trickle just near his ear. There was some blood on his fingertips when he took them away. Hank really was going to need a vacation sometime soon. "Yeah, there's a lot of you boomerangs lately. I bet you really make Bobby's day," he teased with another smirk. He knew it was a serious situation, but the mood had to be lightened some way. It was better than sitting there dwelling on the fact that there were factions out there that wanted them dead, plain and simple. If you you let your mind kick into overdrive about that, you could go mental... or turn into someone like Magneto, hell-bent on revenge. "They always mean business. If they didn't, the X-Men wouldn't exist and we'd have to be flipping burgers at McDonalds. If I hadn't have been there, someone else would. Without a doubt." Even if there were doubts. He really wasn't sure they were going to go in there for a minute there.
Lorna rolled her eyes as she gave a half-hearted laugh and brushed away the tears on her cheeks. "Oh yeah, he's going to love me crashing in on his teacher gig. We, ah, talked... briefly. I don't think exes are ever things that go smoothly. You can say you're friends, but are you ever really?" She pulled back when she noticed the blood on his fingers. She gently touched the side of his face, and inspected the cut behind his ear. "You poor thing... Are you okay? Maybe not flipping burgers, but definitely something us. Some of us are still trying to work out life away from the X-Men. Maybe it's not meant to be once you've experienced it. I almost believe you," she added softly.
"I'm fine, it's just a scratch," Warren assured her and just half-heartedly wiped his hand on his uniform. "There's a lot of ex shit going on at the moment. Actually, there's be a lot of shit in general. The team were wary, stuff's been going on. I can't really blame them, but there was no reason not to at least try and go in there. We've been to worse rescues and missions, come out in much worse states, too. There's nothing keeping you at Xavier's, you know. I was only joking. Hank will probably want to give you the once-over, but after that, you're welcome to go back to your life. No one is held there against their will."
"I think I want to come back," Lorna replied, her voice a little stronger. She straightened up a little, but rest her hand against Warren's to keep some form of physical contact. She needed the grounding, needed to know she wasn't just imagining it. "If this can happen to me - it can happen to anyone. I didn't even get a chance to fight back, but if it had been someone else then maybe they wouldn't have lasted so long. Not every mutant's been through Xavier's. Not every mutant is trained like we are. I want to stop it. I want to help them. Has it really been that bad with the team?"
Warren had a headache from hell, so he could only imagine what she felt like. He had lost track of how long it would take to get back to the school, too. If only his wings fit into a bath tub. He would just have to settle for a long, hot shower. "Everyone has different reasons for being on the team, some which aren't even entirely clear to them. Others just want to try and help, or don't really want to be anywhere else. I guess even reasons why we're there can change, just like everything else. That's the whole thing right there. So much shit has changed, and not everyone is happy about it. There's tension, grudges, possessiveness, pissing contests, past hurts... It's not so much bad as tiresome some days. I've mostly just been on the peripheral watching it all go on around me."
Lorna mumbled an agreement before she sagged again, her energy waning. She just wanted to... Hell, she didn't even know what she wanted. She knew she didn't want to be alone for a while. She didn't want to have anything to do with darkness. She cleared her throat as she glanced up at Warren. "Can I... Can I ask you a favour? I don't think I could deal with being alone. I know it's probably asking too much, and it's okay, I could just... I don't know. Ask one of the women," she pointed her fingers in the direction of the cockpit. "Just not Emma. But could I sleep with you tonight? I won't take up any room. Hell, as long as there's a pillow on the floor with me it's better than what I've just been through. Changes aren't easy. It'll take the team some time to settle. We've been through this before, just different dramas."
"Not quite exactly like this. We're treading some uncharted territory..." Warren looked down at her warily, processing her request. It felt a little odd. He hardly knew her, hadn't even really had a whole lot to do with her last time she was on the team and was dating Bobby. Who was now fucking Besty, who had supposedly had a thing for him. His head just started to hurt more when he tried to work that one out. It wasn't even like he had time to decide if he was into having anything with Psylocke before she was looking in another direction. "Uh... sure, I guess. I can't promise that I don't take up much room, because I do, unfortunately."
Lorna arched her eyebrow slightly. "Not quite? Are you allowed to tell me about the territory?" Truthfully, Polaris really had no idea why she'd even asked him to share his bed, but she was still shaken from her ordeal. She also knew that Warren had been there when she thought no one would be. He had been her saviour, and she felt safe with him. She ducked her head as she tried not to scrunch her nose and kick herself. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have... thank you. Again. I won't be much trouble, I promise. I really will just sleep on the floor if you want me to."
Warren smirked and then scrunched his nose up a little. "The floors in Xavier's? You haven't been away that long to forget the finer details, have you? No one would choose to sleep on those bastards. Hard and cold... unless you're into that sort of thing." He glanced up at the cockpit again, his forehead creasing in thought. "To be honest, I dunno if I can tell you or not. But if you're coming back to the school, you're going to know. Gambit, he's... mutantly challenged right now, so to speak. You'll probably get a bit of a shock seeing him. We all did. The thing is, Hank's still not 100% sure it's not been caused by a mutant illness or something. He's watching us all like hawks, without trying to make it too obvious. We've also had a deserter return to our territory, which has caused a lot of niggles. Bobby's back, and Gambit didn't take too kindly to that. Fuck, I feel like Xavier's Gossip Girl."
"XOXO," Lorna teased as she tried to make a kissy face. She just felt exhausted, sore, dirty... Her nerves were on edge too, so that her body felt like it was tingling all over. Just in a bad way. "He's what? Mutantly... Oh. Oh. Seriously? Oh my god. I've never heard of anything like it. I didn't even think it was possible until a few years ago. If Hank can't even figure it out, it really is big. He must be worried about it spreading if it is a disease. Watching to see if it's a once off. I can't blame him. Spontaneous lack of abilities is a big deal. A deserter? Well, that's not me. I've had my time for hard and cold."
Warren held up his hands in surrender. "No more, you'll kill me. That show does my head in. I hate rich bastards," he joked and then laughed, only it made him realise that his chest hurt a little. No wonder, considering he had basically been kicked in the torso so he didn't actually get himself murdered. "It's not really spontaneous. It only came on after Rogue drained him again, so that's the favoured theory and probably why he isn't locked in an isolation room in the med bay right now. He's just... normal? Probably the best way to describe it. Really normal. Still a cranky bastard, though. Pyro's the one who came back. I think he still has some fancy footwork to do to regain everyone's trust."
Lorna laughed weakly, but at least she could smile. Only minutes ago she was wondering if that was ever going to be possible again. "Yeah, those rich pricks are true bastards. Especially the ones with companies... Oh no, how's Rogue? She's probably getting a massive guilt complex if the drain resulted in Remy losing his powers. But at least he's never made her feel bad for any of that. Even in the beginning. I can't believe it. It's hard to imagine him normal, but it's nice to know the cranky bastard thing hasn't changed. Really? Well, the plot thickens. I'm not surprised, but I'm sure if he really wants to be there he'll do it."
"To be honest, I don't really know. I haven't spoken to her much since it all happened. I was there after it did, Remy was in and out of consciousness. He usually recovers pretty rapidly from the drains, but there was something just off about it. Maybe more prolonged contact than usual? Like I said, I'm not completely up to scratch on all the details. We're just all trying to accept the fact that Remy seems to be completely powerless. It throws up a lot of issues. Scott doesn't even want him out of the school because he's pretty much a target for people like this and Magneto to get him while he can't fight back." Warren indulged in letting his eyes close for a few lingering moments, and shifted in his seat when the leather started to pinch in awkward places again. "It's just hard to completely trust someone again after they've been under the influence of Magneto. But the point of the school is to be a safe place for mutants. It's not often they turn anyone away."
Lorna shifted in place and winced as she twisted her side. She pulled away from Warren to lift her top up and hissed out a breath as she caught sight of the technicolour bruise covering most of her side. A nice little souvenir that would last her a while. She also had a several other cuts and bruises but she didn't think any of them would be quite as spectacular as this one. Her green hair fell into her line of sight, and she pushed it back before lowering her top, and moving carefully to lean against Warren again. She took his hand in hers and threaded their fingers. "It's hard to trust anyone after a betrayal. Doesn't matter if it's personal, or just... business. Magneto offered him power and he took it. Now he's probably grown up enough to realise it wasn't everything he expected. Magneto's become more overzealous since his abilities returned after Alcatraz. He learned a thing, it's just fuelled his argument. Perhaps Pyro's realised he's not fighting for mutant rights - he's fighting for Magneto's."
Warren scrunched his nose up in sympathy at the sight of the bruise, figuring they could be matching by the time he got back and peeled his uniform off. "You'll need to get that looked at by Hank. Maybe it's best if you just stay in the med bay tonight. You're badly injured and you've been through a lot. It's probably for the best. Hank will keep you company. He'll be glad of someone not Gambit messing with all his medical instruments." He looked down at their hands, just his eyes shifting so he didn't need to move his head too much. It was times like this he wished he had healing abilities beyond just fatal injuries. It would be good to have an in-built ability that acted like a Tylenol. "To be honest, the power struggle just... bores me. I don't want power, don't really want much to do with people who do, either. I just want to make sure other mutants are okay, and not being hurt for no reason. I guess that's why I stick around on the team. I'd go mental if I just had to be a rich kid business heir twenty-four-seven. I basically just think Magneto is a cock, and I used to think John was one, too, but he's still my mate."
Lorna wasn't even sure why she started to smirk, but she did. Inappropriate thoughts entered her head that she suddenly found amusing and she seriously wished she and Warren were meeting under different circumstances so she didn't come across as a lunatic. She reached up with her free hand to rub her face and try and force her mind to pull itself back together. "I think everyone would go mental if you were a rich kid business heir twenty-four-seven. No offence, but I like you with more substance. It's nice to peel back the layers and to keep finding more. I guess it's why I tried to get out. I didn't think it was possible to avoid the power struggles. That, and I did a pretty good number on Bobby. I thought it would rip the team apart if we tried to keep working together."
"Yeah, but then he left and took the issue out of your hands anyway. I won't lie, I think he took it as quite a low blow. He took leaving Rogue as a low blow, too. Seriously, if it was me, I would be wondering what the fuck was wrong with me to have two chicks I loved and gave my heart to fall for other dudes. I can't say I blame him for being wary about other relationships... especially with mutants. Only, he doesn't seem to be having too much trouble right now..." Warren trailed off, his nose scrunching up a little. He probably wasn't going to understand that situation until he bit the bullet and asked Betsy why... which he had no intention of doing. A male ego didn't really need any extra knocks than they already took. "They're avoidable if you don't give a fuck," he put it simply. It was exactly how he had come to see things these days, even if he had more than been in the thick of his fair share of power struggles over the time.
Lorna gave a shake of her head. "I don't even know what to say anymore. It's past, and he wants to keep it that way. That's fair enough. I can't say I blame him. Just sometimes I wonder if I'll ever be able to apologise enough, but then it's done. I can't change it. None of are capable of travelling through time. Alex did the same to me anyway, so I think Karma paid me back in full. I'm not sure who my heart's supposed to belong to, but it's not either of them." She blinked and glanced up at Warren. "Do you avoid them at your father's company?"
"I doubt he actually wants to keep hearing your apologies, anyway. No offense. I know he doesn't want to keep hearing Rogue's. In fact, he seems to be going out of his way to avoid her and Remy lately. I guess his return hasn't been as easy as he thought it might be. He's had a rough few days, too. Remy gave him a concussion in the DR. It was questionable for awhile whether it was an accident or not. Just makes me wonder if it really is worth the hassle of dating colleagues. It always seems to end messily." Warren had to unzip the top of his uniform, pulling the zip down to his upper chest just to loosen it off a bit. He never had a desire to be in it longer than he needed to. "I don't really need to. My place is pretty much at the top of the Christmas tree - pardon the angel pun - as it is. There's no power struggles if you're already on top."
"You're right. I know you're right. I still don't know how it's ever not going to be awkward to talk to him though. I do actually miss talking to him. Wow, reunions really aren't happy occasions are they. Even took me getting kidnapped to get an invite." Lorna turned her head to face towards his chest again, her green eyes stealing a peek to see if there was any chest hair under his uniform. "That was a terrible pun, you know. Unless someone's trying to usurp you."
Warren smirked at her. "He's over you, you know. I'm pretty sure you'll invent the awkwardness in your head. He's not pining for you. Bobby's a good guy. He's here, actually. He's holding no grudges. He was the one that split with you to give you free range, remember? The only reason he's awkward with Rogue is Gambit, who has been trying to piss around perimeters ever since Bobby and John came back. It's why he ended up drained. He's seeing someone else and they seem pretty good together. You've got nothing to worry about." He brushed his hand through his hair, trying to get it to sit back down again. Everything felt like it was out of place. Feathers sticking out, hair to match. The Blackbird didn't exactly give him enough room to shake them back into place. "They'd be welcome to it. I'm there because I love my dad, not for a love of the job. It's just my family business."
Lorna snorted softly as she rolled her eyes at herself. "So much for not being egotistical, huh? He really is a good guy. He deserves someone that just loves him for him, and doesn't look anywhere else. Gambit's always been like that. I don't think there's any chance anyone will ever cross into his territory - not with Rogue. The whole entire planet knows she's his." Lorna wet her lips before she reached up to cup Warren's face with her hand and placed a gentle kiss against his cheek. "It always comes back to family business no matter what we do."
Warren paused for a moment, pulling his nose and lips to the side. "Hopefully she doesn't look anywhere else..." It wasn't like Betsy made it a secret of how many directions she had looked in. Suddenly Warren wasn't so sure she wouldn't hurt Bobby too. He just hadn't thought about it until now. "Well, Bobby got a smack in the head for it, I don't blame him for being wary. Pretty sure he feels like he can't talk much to Rogue because of it." He blinked in surprise at the kiss and cleared his throat. She'd had a shock and been through a lot, she was just projecting her emotions... and still clinging to him quite tightly. "It could be worse. Half the mutant world just think my father was trying to eradicate mutants, but hey. What's a bit of tension in the business world, huh?"
"So it's a colleague, and you know her... Interesting. You don't seem pleased by the match." Lorna hadn't thought too hard on the kiss. She'd wanted to show her gratitude for the rescue. The clinging was just... she couldn't help it. Warren was her angel. "That really does suck. He'd be a good friend for her to have. The business world thrives on it, I'm sure."
Warren snorted. "Maybe because she was looking in my direction a few days before her gaze shifted course?" He scratched his head. He really wasn't bitter about it, just bewildered. It wasn't like he was opposed to anything with Betsy, it just never really had the chance and it did make things a little akward. Even when they found themselves sitting next to each other en route to rescue Polaris, Warren had pointedly put his iPod in his ears so he didn't need to talk to her. "Yeah, sure. The business world is one big hoot." He didn't like people thinking his father had anything against mutants. He knew the whole concept of The Cure was only based on a desperate want for his father to help him.
Lorna's eyebrows went up and she glanced at the cockpit like that was going to give her answers somehow. She shrunk back against Warren when Emma Frost turned around to pierce her with her ice blue gaze. There were times when she genuinely was worried that woman was reading every thought in her mind. But Emma glanced away again, the gaze shifting onto Scott. "I'm sorry. That really is awkward. As much as I care about Bobby, I don't understand why anyone would look away from you." Lorna gave his hand a squeeze. "I understand what he was doing. I do. I just think the wrong people got their hands on it."
It was Warren's turn to look up at the cockpit now, and ironically, his eyes locked with Betsy's momentarily... from where she was sitting next to Bobby, if the blond hair over the top of the seat was anything to go buy. Warren looked away to glance down at Polaris again. "It's not like I was engaged to her, we didn't even sleep together. Nothing to it. I don't hold grudges like that, it's just made me wonder what made her lose interest, that's all. The only other person that seemed remotely interested is headed for divorce and she probably needs some time to find her head. Which is fine, she's still fun to hang out with." He shrugged a little. "I guess when you love your kids, you'd do anything to stop them hurting."
"Of course you would, only sometimes when they try to help stop them hurting, you just hurt them more." Polaris had missed the look between Warren and Betsy, her eyes lifting up again in time to meet his. "A divorcee? Well, well, well... You really are a playboy, aren't you, Mr Worthington? I can't even remember the last time I looked at a guy like that. After Alex, I mean. After him I just... I got lost in my research. Probably why I wasn't even alert to the fact I was about to get attacked."
"Worth the risk," Warren murmured in return. As soon as his mutation had kicked in, hated himself. Things sucked growing up. It only really took the whole ordeal with The Cure to help him accept who he was and to live with the wings. Now he had fully embraced it, they just pissed him off now and again when he didn't have the ease of standing things like most did. Things like people wondering how he flew in a plane just amused him... considering he didn't need to fly in any planes, and it was even more entertaining when they wondered how he had sex. Last he looked, a penis wasn't attached to one's back. "How does it feel to know you ultimately got treated by Summers how you treated Bobby? And people wonder why I try to steer clear of relationships."
"Sometimes they're worth the risk, too," Lorna replied quietly. "Like I said, it feels like Karma gave me the payback I deserve. It sucked to be treated that way, and it made me understand what I really had done to Bobby. I didn't like it. It's made me incredibly cautious about what I'd do if I met someone else."
Warren shrugged. "Never had kids, can't say I'd really know. The ones in in the school are just... there. I'm just fucking thankful none of them have asked me where babies come from," he added in amusement. "I guess you'd have two choices. Try... or don't. Not a lot of grey area on the issue of romance, I hear."
Lorna let her head fall against his shoulder and sighed. "Not a lot of grey are in anything lately."