(no subject)
Title: Conduit
Author: Expected Aberrance
Rated: PG-13
Summary: “And you. Let's point those claws of yours in a safer direction.”
Magneto forced the Wolverine's arms down against his own body, twisting them until the backs of the mutant's hands met. If the man did attempt to release his claws, he stood a high chance of emasculating himself with no hope of cutting through the thick metal bands holding him to the wall...
Pairing: Rogue/Magneto
Spoilers: X1 only
Disclaimer: I don't even own a bit of Marvel stock, which might be fortunate in light of its recent value...
“I'm sorry, my dear.” She'd watched him remove his gloves almost petrified in fear after he'd raised her to stand before him, and now with his bare hands reaching for her face she renewed her desperate entreaty.
“No, please...” She shook her head in denial, perhaps a subconscious echo of his motion, and gasped as he firmly cradled her head in his hands. She shut her eyes in response, expression frozen in a silent scream, her body taut and shaking as he held her. Her skin was warm, soft until her powers engaged, the pinch of absorption spread over his palms and fingers with a numbing burn, almost like holding ice. He focused on directing his consciousness and energy into her, pushing into willing body and reluctant mind. Her eyes snapped open in disbelief and terror as he knew she felt him take control within her, forcing her hands to grasp the handles on either side. He could feel an echo of his own gift inside her, steadily increasing as his strength began to diminish. His hands started to shake with the strain, but he did not let go, nor shift his gaze from hers. Only when the convulsions threatened to rip his muscles free from his bone structure did he break, throwing his head back and crying out involuntarily as something vital, fundamental tore loose inside him and entered her. Her scream joined his as they rocked together, and he held on until even the rigor locking his muscles in place gave way under the sapping onslaught. He buckled and fell away from her, managing to pull himself outside to avoid the rising platform. She disappeared above him into the apex of the machine, her face set in an odd mixture of her fear and his resolve. His mind drifted in and out of contact with the world around him, registering the nascent motion of the rings above with satisfaction before slipping briefly into darkness.
By the time he regained consciousness, the machine's velocity had reached the lower bound of energy wave formation, and a spark of silvery light appeared at the peak of the arced metal. He used the familiar texture of copper and steel to anchor his mind and lever himself to his feet to assure himself that X-Men remained safely restrained. Discerning no significant movement from within the statue's head, he leaned back against the railing to better observe his invention. The rotations quickened, enlarging the glow into a translucent sphere encasing his surrogate. The effulgence roiled in the space around the machine before ballooning outward. His closed his eyes as it washed harmlessly over him, opening them again to track its progress down toward the political gathering. The luminous wave enveloped Ellis Island for a shade longer than target duration and then receded quickly, folding in on itself until it vanished where it had come into being.
His elation was diminished only a bit by the bone-deep ache permeating throughout his entire body. He allowed himself a smile as he surveyed the quiet ocean surrounding the island now sheathed in a pregnant darkness. This night he had forged the underpinnings of tolerance, and the gift of peace it would provide. Those in power would no longer able to marginalize his people or tolerate their persecution when they themselves bore the label 'mutant.' He anticipated seeing what would become of them.
After spending a few fruitless moments again attempting to hail Mystique over the communicator, he ordered Sabretooth to retrieve her and ready the boat. As he gathered his strength for the departure, he focused half his concentration on the unguarded mutants in the statue below him and the other on the apparatus shutting itself down, its purpose fulfilled. The rings of the machine finally ceased rotating, and the raised platform receded into the torch-base. His reluctant martyr was slumped forward between the posts, her upper body suspended by hands affixed to the braces much as he imagined he had looked after operating the device.
He approached her still form and knelt to see her face. His apology to her had been honest; he regretted the necessity of her sacrifice. His attention was drawn to the strands of bleached hair among brown obscuring her features, and he rubbed the new shock of white between thumb and forefinger before trailing his hand down to brush the girl's eyes closed. As his hand paused on her he was astonished to feel the slightest tug at his fingertips. Fully expecting the process to kill her, he hadn't considered her youth might allow her to endure the exertion of operating the machine better than he. He pressed his palm flat against her forehead and felt his energy being drained at a faint trickle. He brought his other hand to her cheek and temple as he had earlier, and felt the pull again, much weaker than was usual, but still indication there was life in her yet. He searched for a pulse with his left hand, and detecting none initially was prepared to initiate CPR when she jolted violently, gasping, choking on the air burning its way into her deprived lungs. He found her heartbeat faint and erratic, and pressed his skin determinedly against hers despite his already weakened state. Her pulse and respiration improved slowly to his satisfaction. The girl was stronger than he'd thought, and it pleased him.
He could tell she became conscious of her surroundings when the sight of him or feel of his hand on the side of her face threw her into a panic attack, reversing the progress he'd made in slowing down her breathing. He shifted his hold, curling the back of his left hand underneath her jaw while his right found the smooth skin of her lower back through the many layers of clothing she wore. He murmured calming assurances both verbally and through the renewed connection from his mind to hers that the horror he'd forced her to experience was over, that she was safe. He released her wrists from the metal shackles, gently prying her locked fingers from the hand-holds, and her slight frame lurched forward into his. She struggled against him, eyes wild and fearful as she fought his embrace with a ferocity he found fascinating. But slowly she succumbed to his inexorable will, his touch soothing her more than it had any right to when he ended direct contact by moving his hands to massage the base of her skull and trace patterns on her back.
“My good girl.”
He traced a finger along the shell of her ear, loose strands of her hair forming a barrier between their skins. She shied away from his hand, shuddering and pressing her face to his chest in a delightful manner, clutching at the fabric of his uniform in her small hands. He frowned at the faint whine of approaching sirens from the small fleet of boats converging on the island. In his current state, he could probably hold off law enforcement, but if they managed to free Xavier's brood it would certainly at least delay their exit. He paused for a bit longer to regain enough strength to levitate the pair of them down to the base of the statue. Gathering her into his arms and molding the steel of the cuffs to her to aid in supporting her, a crutch he would never use under other circumstances, he pushed off the metal statue and used it to control their descent. His balance wavered moderately as they landed, but he managed the short walk to the watercraft with little trouble. The engines roared to life when he boarded and made his way to the fore. He was a bit surprised to see that Sabretooth stood slouching comically at the helm, the low ceiling clearly not designed to accommodate his girth, Mystique apparently directing from the seat beside him. His amusement was quickly replaced by anger as he took in the blood-soaked bandaging the shape-shifter was pressing to her abdomen. He moved to set his burden aside in one of the remaining seats, intent on helping her, but she motioned him back with a raised hand. He frowned, but did not press the issue.
“Toad?”
“Nothing yet.” Her expression as she answered him was uncharacteristically quizzical as she just seemed to realize the identity of the petite form he was cradling. He studied Mystique briefly, taking in the labored breaths she was trying to hide, before snapping at the feral man at the controls.
“Go. We'll come back for him.”
He moved into one of the rear compartments and sat, rearranging the sleeping girl in his lap as he did so. He glanced back at the Statue of Liberty quickly becoming smaller behind them. Taking in the damage wrought to it by his actions, he reflected that he preferred it as it was now, a better symbol of hope for his kind than it had been. He would retrieve his device later. His attention returned to the girl curled up against him. Indeed, if all went well, he wouldn't have to use her to power the machine again. He didn't think she would appreciate the view at the moment, but given time and proper stimuli he was certain she would see the beauty in what they had accomplished that night. He pressed his lips to her hairline, the hand securing her to his lap traveling from the side of her ribcage, just touching the underside of her breast, down over her hip and thigh and back up again rhythmically. The pull of the delicate skin under his adding to his general exhaustion was stronger than even a few minutes ago, and it made him smile.
Fine.
AN: Honestly, I did start this before reading Sionnan's post. I hope mine is different enough to be interesting. It turned out a bit creepier than I expected, which may or may not have been due to having watched The Shining before writing it. Also, I am not fully convinced Magneto's device doesn't actually work, as one test subject is an appallingly small sample size. And I'm skeptical of his 'death' as well. For crying out loud his mutant power was to turn into water. Anyway, reviews are greatly appreciated, thanks!
Author: Expected Aberrance
Rated: PG-13
Summary: “And you. Let's point those claws of yours in a safer direction.”
Magneto forced the Wolverine's arms down against his own body, twisting them until the backs of the mutant's hands met. If the man did attempt to release his claws, he stood a high chance of emasculating himself with no hope of cutting through the thick metal bands holding him to the wall...
Pairing: Rogue/Magneto
Spoilers: X1 only
Disclaimer: I don't even own a bit of Marvel stock, which might be fortunate in light of its recent value...
“I'm sorry, my dear.” She'd watched him remove his gloves almost petrified in fear after he'd raised her to stand before him, and now with his bare hands reaching for her face she renewed her desperate entreaty.
“No, please...” She shook her head in denial, perhaps a subconscious echo of his motion, and gasped as he firmly cradled her head in his hands. She shut her eyes in response, expression frozen in a silent scream, her body taut and shaking as he held her. Her skin was warm, soft until her powers engaged, the pinch of absorption spread over his palms and fingers with a numbing burn, almost like holding ice. He focused on directing his consciousness and energy into her, pushing into willing body and reluctant mind. Her eyes snapped open in disbelief and terror as he knew she felt him take control within her, forcing her hands to grasp the handles on either side. He could feel an echo of his own gift inside her, steadily increasing as his strength began to diminish. His hands started to shake with the strain, but he did not let go, nor shift his gaze from hers. Only when the convulsions threatened to rip his muscles free from his bone structure did he break, throwing his head back and crying out involuntarily as something vital, fundamental tore loose inside him and entered her. Her scream joined his as they rocked together, and he held on until even the rigor locking his muscles in place gave way under the sapping onslaught. He buckled and fell away from her, managing to pull himself outside to avoid the rising platform. She disappeared above him into the apex of the machine, her face set in an odd mixture of her fear and his resolve. His mind drifted in and out of contact with the world around him, registering the nascent motion of the rings above with satisfaction before slipping briefly into darkness.
By the time he regained consciousness, the machine's velocity had reached the lower bound of energy wave formation, and a spark of silvery light appeared at the peak of the arced metal. He used the familiar texture of copper and steel to anchor his mind and lever himself to his feet to assure himself that X-Men remained safely restrained. Discerning no significant movement from within the statue's head, he leaned back against the railing to better observe his invention. The rotations quickened, enlarging the glow into a translucent sphere encasing his surrogate. The effulgence roiled in the space around the machine before ballooning outward. His closed his eyes as it washed harmlessly over him, opening them again to track its progress down toward the political gathering. The luminous wave enveloped Ellis Island for a shade longer than target duration and then receded quickly, folding in on itself until it vanished where it had come into being.
His elation was diminished only a bit by the bone-deep ache permeating throughout his entire body. He allowed himself a smile as he surveyed the quiet ocean surrounding the island now sheathed in a pregnant darkness. This night he had forged the underpinnings of tolerance, and the gift of peace it would provide. Those in power would no longer able to marginalize his people or tolerate their persecution when they themselves bore the label 'mutant.' He anticipated seeing what would become of them.
After spending a few fruitless moments again attempting to hail Mystique over the communicator, he ordered Sabretooth to retrieve her and ready the boat. As he gathered his strength for the departure, he focused half his concentration on the unguarded mutants in the statue below him and the other on the apparatus shutting itself down, its purpose fulfilled. The rings of the machine finally ceased rotating, and the raised platform receded into the torch-base. His reluctant martyr was slumped forward between the posts, her upper body suspended by hands affixed to the braces much as he imagined he had looked after operating the device.
He approached her still form and knelt to see her face. His apology to her had been honest; he regretted the necessity of her sacrifice. His attention was drawn to the strands of bleached hair among brown obscuring her features, and he rubbed the new shock of white between thumb and forefinger before trailing his hand down to brush the girl's eyes closed. As his hand paused on her he was astonished to feel the slightest tug at his fingertips. Fully expecting the process to kill her, he hadn't considered her youth might allow her to endure the exertion of operating the machine better than he. He pressed his palm flat against her forehead and felt his energy being drained at a faint trickle. He brought his other hand to her cheek and temple as he had earlier, and felt the pull again, much weaker than was usual, but still indication there was life in her yet. He searched for a pulse with his left hand, and detecting none initially was prepared to initiate CPR when she jolted violently, gasping, choking on the air burning its way into her deprived lungs. He found her heartbeat faint and erratic, and pressed his skin determinedly against hers despite his already weakened state. Her pulse and respiration improved slowly to his satisfaction. The girl was stronger than he'd thought, and it pleased him.
He could tell she became conscious of her surroundings when the sight of him or feel of his hand on the side of her face threw her into a panic attack, reversing the progress he'd made in slowing down her breathing. He shifted his hold, curling the back of his left hand underneath her jaw while his right found the smooth skin of her lower back through the many layers of clothing she wore. He murmured calming assurances both verbally and through the renewed connection from his mind to hers that the horror he'd forced her to experience was over, that she was safe. He released her wrists from the metal shackles, gently prying her locked fingers from the hand-holds, and her slight frame lurched forward into his. She struggled against him, eyes wild and fearful as she fought his embrace with a ferocity he found fascinating. But slowly she succumbed to his inexorable will, his touch soothing her more than it had any right to when he ended direct contact by moving his hands to massage the base of her skull and trace patterns on her back.
“My good girl.”
He traced a finger along the shell of her ear, loose strands of her hair forming a barrier between their skins. She shied away from his hand, shuddering and pressing her face to his chest in a delightful manner, clutching at the fabric of his uniform in her small hands. He frowned at the faint whine of approaching sirens from the small fleet of boats converging on the island. In his current state, he could probably hold off law enforcement, but if they managed to free Xavier's brood it would certainly at least delay their exit. He paused for a bit longer to regain enough strength to levitate the pair of them down to the base of the statue. Gathering her into his arms and molding the steel of the cuffs to her to aid in supporting her, a crutch he would never use under other circumstances, he pushed off the metal statue and used it to control their descent. His balance wavered moderately as they landed, but he managed the short walk to the watercraft with little trouble. The engines roared to life when he boarded and made his way to the fore. He was a bit surprised to see that Sabretooth stood slouching comically at the helm, the low ceiling clearly not designed to accommodate his girth, Mystique apparently directing from the seat beside him. His amusement was quickly replaced by anger as he took in the blood-soaked bandaging the shape-shifter was pressing to her abdomen. He moved to set his burden aside in one of the remaining seats, intent on helping her, but she motioned him back with a raised hand. He frowned, but did not press the issue.
“Toad?”
“Nothing yet.” Her expression as she answered him was uncharacteristically quizzical as she just seemed to realize the identity of the petite form he was cradling. He studied Mystique briefly, taking in the labored breaths she was trying to hide, before snapping at the feral man at the controls.
“Go. We'll come back for him.”
He moved into one of the rear compartments and sat, rearranging the sleeping girl in his lap as he did so. He glanced back at the Statue of Liberty quickly becoming smaller behind them. Taking in the damage wrought to it by his actions, he reflected that he preferred it as it was now, a better symbol of hope for his kind than it had been. He would retrieve his device later. His attention returned to the girl curled up against him. Indeed, if all went well, he wouldn't have to use her to power the machine again. He didn't think she would appreciate the view at the moment, but given time and proper stimuli he was certain she would see the beauty in what they had accomplished that night. He pressed his lips to her hairline, the hand securing her to his lap traveling from the side of her ribcage, just touching the underside of her breast, down over her hip and thigh and back up again rhythmically. The pull of the delicate skin under his adding to his general exhaustion was stronger than even a few minutes ago, and it made him smile.
Fine.
AN: Honestly, I did start this before reading Sionnan's post. I hope mine is different enough to be interesting. It turned out a bit creepier than I expected, which may or may not have been due to having watched The Shining before writing it. Also, I am not fully convinced Magneto's device doesn't actually work, as one test subject is an appallingly small sample size. And I'm skeptical of his 'death' as well. For crying out loud his mutant power was to turn into water. Anyway, reviews are greatly appreciated, thanks!