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Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
 
 
 

The Companion Picture - REVIEW THIS STORY

Written by Dandelion
Last updated: 12/03/2009 06:26:08 PM

Chapter 19

03:00 EST:

Professor Charles Xavier:

This is when the phrase 'desperate times call for desperate measures' seems apt. I don't like to write letters, I've never been very good at it. But this is necessary and I don't want to risk coming there to tell you myself and put everything in danger.

The reason I'm writing this is so you will know how dangerous things are. You never questioned my being part of the team. At first, I thought you were a fool because of it. But I realize that you trust your students, some more so than others, but that's understandable. I know Stormy is one of those you trust completely.

I want you to know that I stayed for Stormy's sake. We were partners and we were thieves together. There *is* honor among thieves, don't kid yourself. I admit I actually got to believing in everything you all fought for. I agree with the ideal, not necessarily with the methods for reaching it. That's my prerogative, I guess. I just want you to know that I didn't hook up with your team just to betray them. I really thought I could beat my demons by working with the angels. I almost got away with it, but my past has a real bad habit of catching up with me. And where Bishop is concerned, my future seems to be taking up the habit, as well.

Professor, I never wanted to betray you and the X-Men, to be honest I never thought I was going to be the one to do it, but things from my past, things I had long since buried resurfaced and I guess I figure I'm a prime candidate. I don't know if I can control the forces pulling at me. I know what you're thinking, Magnus. No, you're wrong. Magnus isn't the one you need to worry about. I'm talking about Sinister.

I made a deal with him a long time ago. He helped me out. If you can call it that. He gave me a chance to be the worst I could be and I took it gladly. I'm not proud of it, but I can't hide it anymore. Brett says that if I was so bad I never would have taken care of Stormy and I never would have been there for Magnus.

Oh yeah, Brett, that's Rogue. It's her real name. Don't know how she found me but she did and I'm glad. I'm thinking that if I was all bad, I never could have loved her. Maybe there's hope. Sinister is a part of my life. Kind of like Scott's, but Scott didn't have a choice and I did. I don't know what Sinister has planned for me, but I think it involves the X-Men and I'd rather not do anything to hurt you all. That's why I wrote this instead of coming and telling you myself. I had to leave to see it all clearly. I don't know what to expect Professor. I suppose it's possible that by leaving, I sealed all of your fates. Please know, that I'm trying my best to help. I just can't outguess Sinister. He seems omnipotent.

Brett, Magnus and Lee are on my side. That's three more people than I ever expected to have, it makes the risk worth taking.

I've always been one to look for the easy way out. I'm all flash and little substance. It takes some doing to make a man as self-absorbed as me to look outside himself. I don't think you can save everybody Professor. I know you're going to try, though. Do me a favor, though, if you value your dream, stay away from me. I don't want to be the one to destroy as good a thing as that. Keep your eyes open for Sinister. He's been keeping tabs on you and yours. I expect he's been watching me, too. I don't know how he does it. Good luck, Professor.

Remy LeBeau

To: Lila Cheney

Sender: [email protected]

Lila, this is going to have to be brief. I have every reason to believe that Guido is in danger. Do what you have to do and get him out of the hospital and somewhere else where he will be safe.

Stay out of contact with any government representative except for myself. Good luck.

Forge

Dear Lorna;

If only I could tell you in words what I feel right now, it's incredible. I came to Miami after going back to Westchester because Remy had come this way.

I had to find him again. I did, and this time I'm not letting go.

Remy had left the X-men with, sit down for this one, Magneto!! Yes! I couldn't believe it either. This falls under that 'truth is stranger than fiction' thing we talked about before. Magnus has lost his memory and is trying to get it back. Remy went with him.

I thought it would be really weird to deal with Remy and Magnus at the same time. After all, I had some very strong, very intense, very unresolved feelings for Magnus after my stay in the Savage Land. Ancient history, it seems. It was really surprising how very little tension there was -- and is.

Magnus is disarmingly charming and friendly.

And even more disarmingly normal, which is a word I never thought I would use in reference to Magnus. There is none of the megalomaniac that we've been conditioned to expect. He even tells jokes! Sometimes he's dark and brooding, but those moods are surprisingly rare. He is generally refreshingly open.

Remy has the market cornered on dark and brooding right now. He tend to fret, no that's not right, what can I say that explains what he seems to go through. He goes deep into himself and seems to ponder all of this darkness. It's like watching the telepaths meditate. I think that's it. Remy meditates, but there is a morbid touch to it. It's like he's preparing for something. The connections from his past plague him more than they ever did before. Or maybe I'm just now noticing the weight he carries.

He has told me little of what bothers him, and though that doesn't sound very good, little is far more than he ever shared before. He is taking little steps forward, but it is better than not moving at all.

As for Remy and Magnus there is a genuine affection between them. I couldn't have been more surprised. They slip into a familiar attitude with each other that I find myself envying. They are slowly letting me in, but more often than not they take on an "Us Against the World" mentality that is very hard to break through. Very soon I'll be included in the 'Us', it all takes time.

Lee Forrester is taking us to the Bermuda Triangle on the Arcadia (don't ask, it's a loooong story), so I don't know when I'll be able to write you again.

Do take care of yourself, Lorna, and I know I can count on you to keep the particulars of this letter to yourself.

I'll be in touch, sugar.

Lovin' you!! <grin>

Brett

To: [email protected]

Sender: [email protected]

Pietro, I have found some evidence that leads me to believe that you are quite possibly in some significant danger. Please take extra precautions with that safety of yourself and your family. I wish I could go into more detail, but be very careful in any dealings of an official nature.

Forge

Dear Ororo,

Hope everyone in New York is doing all right. Wish I could give you more pleasantries, but I'm just not in the mood for it. I don't know what to tell you, Ro. I don't know anything, Ro. You want to know something? I am beyond confused. You haven't met Pete. Pete Wisdom, I mean. I met him a while back through a mission and hated him immediately. What a total boor. Really, rude and inconsiderate, that's what Pete Wisdom was.

And is, really. Then I went on a super-secret mission with him, mainly because I didn't trust him at all, and the hate turned into an intense like. We were well on our way to one of those weird, passionate romances. Which is odd when you consider the guys in my past. All two of them. I mean, Pete is unlike either of them. He's tough and blunt and a bit older than I am. But you know, there is something genuine inside of him. Things looked pretty good, until Peter returned. He was so exhausted when he arrived, I have no idea how long he had been making his way to Muir but..well, he was in a state of semi-shock by the time he rolled onto this rock.

Something in him snapped when he saw me with Pete and he pounced on him. Let me say they did a lot of damage to each other. Peter obviously has strength on his side. Pete's a mutant to. He can fire these projectiles, well, he calls them hot knives and I guess they pretty much cover it. They are hot. Moira measured them. They're as hot as the heart of the sun. Impressive, isn't it? He fired them right at Peter and nailed him in the back, almost paralyzed him. Peter took it, too. I had forgotten how strong he really was. Well, they're both okay now. But, I tell you, I avoided Peter like the plague for awhile. I was so angry at him and how he had hurt Pete. I didn't want to think about how he might be hurting. Plus, and I didn't want to admit it at the time, but his arrival really brought a lot of things to the surface that I thought I had either buried or had long since disappeared.

I don't know, Ororo. When I finally went to talk with Peter after everything, I felt a piece of myself falling in love with him again. Now, I'm very confused about what to do. Did you know he's painting again? His work is beautiful, better than it's ever been.

But what now? I'm still with Pete because I like being with him. I'm afraid I've been avoiding Peter again. Partially because I'm afraid of my feelings. I don't want to have him be as wonderful as he was. Because if he is, someone is going to get hurt and that's the last thing I want to happen.

Kurt has been supportive. I can honestly say that is seems his preference is for me to be happy. I wish I could know for sure.

Anyway, other than that, things are okay.

Give Logan a hug for me, will you?

Talk to you soon.

Love,

Kitty

Dear Kurt,

I'm sure this is the last thing you expected. I know I promised you time and if nothing else you must believe that that I wouldn't infringe upon your wishes if it were not for the dire circumstances we have found ourselves in at headquarters. X-Factor is in trouble, or rather, what's left of it.

I don't write this letter for myself but for a member of your team who once aligned herself with this group. I mean the child, Sinclair. The fact of the matter is, Kurt, is that things are going from bad to worse here and it is impossible for me to explain things in a letter. Suffice to say there is a member missing and we are trying to warn the recent members of X-Factor so they might be more wary.

Do not try to contact me or Forge, we are shutting down operations here in Virginia and in all honesty, I have no idea where we are going to go next.

So, I'm afraid you're stuck in your own right. If you wanted to confirm this with Forge, you can't.

I hate to do this to you, Kurt. I know you don't trust me. I know I've never given you reason to and I certainly would be disappointed if you suddenly did.. I am certain you are wondering what I'm up to and you are well within your rights to do so, but let me assure you that you absolutely cannot afford to dismiss this warning.

And neither can Rahne Sinclair.

I am certain you will do what's right. You usually do.

As ever,

Raven Darkholme

<Mail Daemon: Message To: Lila Cheney; From:

[email protected] Deleted>

<Mail Daemon: Message To:

[email protected]; From:

[email protected] Deleted>

 

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