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Post by Guido Carosella on Dec 21, 2003 17:07:07 GMT -4
Guido stood mute in the doorway as Gambit withstood the brunt of most of the reactions in the mansion. He had no idea what to say, anyway.
When Gambit, Ororo and Christine all fled their seperate ways, Guido knew his time had come. He had to come clean.
It's my fault. He'd still be here if it wasn't fer me. She needs to know.
He stepped outside the mansion into the immense front yard, where Storm was curled in a fetal position on the ground, shrieking her anguish to the raging thunderstorm that had appeared out of nowhere. The rain felt soothing to the burns and cuts all over his body, and began to wash streaks in the dust and ash caked on him.
He slowly made his way to her, and dropped heavily to his knees next to her, his great shoulders sagging.
He knelt next to her in silence, letting her vent her grief. She would acknowledge him soon enough.
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Post by Storm on Dec 21, 2003 17:23:49 GMT -4
Storm lay on the ground until she had no tears left to cry. She was vaguely aware of a presence behind her, which caused her to stiffen. No one was supposed to see her like this. She was always the strong one, the one others went to for comfort.
This is all wrong…
Taking a few shaky breaths, she forced herself into a sitting position. Her limbs felt weak, and she knew it would be futile to attempt to stand. Looking to her side, she was met with the battered and downfallen face of Guido. She wanted to yell at him, as she had Gambit, but there was no anger left inside her. She wanted to cry into his shoulder, but there were no tears left. Instead she did what came natural.
“Are you badly hurt?” she asked simply, the question sounding strange even to her own ears. She wasn’t even sure if she cared to hear the answer, but anything had to be better than silence.
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Post by Guido Carosella on Dec 21, 2003 17:34:57 GMT -4
Guido remembered the charred and broken body of Logan, and looked at his own blistered and bloody hands. He reached for his face and started pulling his goggles off. He had to look her in the eye. The melted plastic made a horrific ripping sound as bits of flesh were torn away with the ruined eyewear.
He turned his bloodshot eyes to hers.
"Nah, I'm all right. Look, Ororo, I, uh, gotta tell ya somethin. But, uh, I don't..."
His voice cracked, and he stopped.
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Post by Storm on Dec 21, 2003 17:42:36 GMT -4
Storm winced as Guido removed his goggles. She tried to pay attention to his words, but they all seemed to run together, like the water that ran down his one lock of hair. Finally understanding what he said, he eyes hardened slightly, but the anger didn’t come.
“I have heard enough from Gambit already. I do not wish to hear more,” she replied coolly, before turning her face away. As a flash of lightening lit up the sky, the extent of the storm finally hit her. But she did not yet have the will to put an end to it.
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Post by Guido Carosella on Dec 21, 2003 17:54:06 GMT -4
Guido flinched as a loud crack of thunder hit overhead.
He shook his head. "No, I gotta," he said softly. "Can't keep this bottled up inside, I've got too much there already."
He met her eye, and his voice trembled. "It's my fault. He'd be here talkin' to ya now if it wasn't fer me. He gave himself up so my worthless carcass could come back and tell ya about it. I can't even begin ta say how sorry I am. He was a hero. A true hero, and a great man. An' it's my fault he's not here. I'm sorry."
He sighed, and looked to the sky for a moment, letting the rain wash over him. Without another word, he began laboriously climbing to his feet.
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Post by Storm on Dec 21, 2003 18:38:01 GMT -4
Allowing Guido’s words wash over her, Storm looked at the rain soaked grass. The anger she had felt before had completely diminished, leaving only the overwhelming sense of loss.
If Guido had not been there, Logan may still be alive. But if we had not fought earlier, Logan might not have left at all. I cannot focus on what might have been. I cannot continue blaming everyone, without laying blame on myself.
As Guido began to stand, she reached out quickly, grasping his large hand.
He died saving another. He died a hero.
“Guido,” she said softly, seeing the anguish apparent in his eyes. “Thank you.”
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Post by Guido Carosella on Dec 21, 2003 18:51:01 GMT -4
Guido stopped at the touch of her hand.
He turned and smiled at her slightly, squeezing her hand gently.
She needs some time ta herself now. Gotta find Chris an' tell her, too.
He disengaged from Storm's hand, and ambled back to the mansion.
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Post by Storm on Dec 21, 2003 19:03:41 GMT -4
Watching Guido disappear back into the building, Storm sighed. Staying seated on the ground, folded her legs, closing her eyes. She seemed to retreat inside her head, her body no longer having relevance. Breathing deeply, she began to search for that sense of peace she so needed to control her powers.
As the minutes passed, the weather slowly began to change. The thunder and lightening eventually faded away into the distance, the howling winds calmed to a slight breeze, and the torrential downpour slackened to a light drizzle. Although not the beautiful sunny day that had been forecasted, this was the best the Weather Witch could do. It took every bit of strength she had to calm the storm to this extent, so she was sure some gray clouds and a light rain was acceptable.
Rising to her feet, her legs were barely able to hold her. Completely exhausted, in all possible ways, Ororo slowly rose into the air. Flying past the front door, she went straight for the window to her room. Landing in the center, she lay numbly on her bed, not bothering to change out of her wet clothes. No longer able to stay conscious, she let the blissful silence overtake her.
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Post by Risty on Dec 21, 2003 23:52:27 GMT -4
Mystique watched what was happening from a distance in stunned silence. The winds whipped her reddish hair about and the rain drove into her at nearly a horizontal angle, feeling like pellets of stone instead of water with the sheer force that they hit her.
Logan has…died? The shock that was sweeping over the mansion was enough to shake even her. She couldn’t say that the two of them had many fond memories that they could draw back on, but nonetheless he was a great fighter and a noble man. The first was something they needed desperately right now. The last is the reason he isn’t here.
She saw the weather witch laying in a mournful position, her tears mingling with the rain and disappearing in the mix. She watched as the hulking brute Guido came over to her and gently lay a hand on her to comfort her. This is a woman mourning a lost love. This is the dirge of regret…
Something fluttered in her own heart, a feeling that she was quite unfamiliar with. She bit her tongue from the distance that she watched the scene. Guido walked right past her, not even seeming to notice she was there. Ororo stood and straightened herself out, as she did the winds died down a little and the clouds lessened their torrent. Ororo turned with still white but sturdy eyes and noticed Mystique staring back a few yards away.
She didn’t know what compelled her to say the words, but they were off her lips before she knew they were forming. Two simple words but that carried an enormous weight.
“I’m sorry.”
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