Earth-Shattering [4/?]

[naiveprophet]

Title: Earth-Shattering [part 4]
Fandom: X-Men
Disclaimer: The characters belong to Marvel.
Rating: none
Pairing: None yet, but the featured characters are Ric/’Star
Feedback: I need it to keep going!
Author’s Notes: I can't believe it, but I actually managed to write this in like, a day and a half, with only a few changes, thanks to guiltycross's betaing.

ETA: Okay, so the way I chose to represent Spanish dialogue was screwing up the entry, so I gave up. Just realize that when he speaks to his family, he's speaking in Spanish. Thanks!

Earth-Shattering Part One | Earth-Shattering Part Two | Earth-Shattering Part Three



He was shaking. His powers were out of control and he was shaking, and people were screaming, and running, and dying. Bobby's lifeless eyes looked up at him, accusing. And Jimmy was buried under rubble, and Sam had fallen into the crack in the earth, and he was alone. He fell to his knees, covered his face with his hands, and sobbed.

"Julio!"

Someone was shouting at him, and he was shaking again. No, he was being shaken-

awake.

Julio wrenched his eyes open to find Shatterstar staring down at him, looking very nearly frightened. He sat up, rubbing his eyes tiredly, and looked around. The lamp was on the floor, smashed. His books were in a pile on the floor, knocked off the bookcase. All around him was mess and chaos, but the other side of the room was perfectly intact.

"You were shouting and shaking," Shatterstar told him, moving to crouch at the foot of Julio's bed. "I did not know what to do."

"It's okay. It's fine," Julio told him. "Just a bad dream."

"What was it about?"

Julio frowned at him. "That's private."

Shatterstar dropped his head. "Oh."

There was a long moment of silence that stretched into an eternity. Julio rested his chin on his knees. Shatterstar sat still, like a statue. Perfect and cold. "I can't control it," Julio whispered. "I'm hopeless."

'Star moved towards him, reaching out to him and holding his face, peering into his eyes. "No. You are letting your fears dominate you. In the pens, the first thing we learned, the very first, was how to control our fears." He tilted his head. "But your fears were exploited. That is why you cannot control it." Julio looked away, ashamed and afraid by how deeply Shatterstar's eyes were seeing him. "I have an idea."

Dani looked at them, her brown eyes astonished. "You want me to what?" she asked them, standing in her bedroom doorway in a t shirt and shorts.

"I want you to use your powers on Julio," Shatterstar explained calmly.

She rubbed her eyes. "Can't this wait until morning?"

"We would rather it not," 'Star said. "Julio has nightmares."

Julio gave him an embarrassed look. "Please, 'Star."

"I think that Julio cannot control his powers because he is afraid," Shatterstar clarified to Danielle.

"And how is making him afraid going to help?" she asked, hands on her hips.

"He will have to face his fear, and he will have to learn. It is worth a bang, is it not?"

"Worth a shot," Julio corrected.

Dani sighed. "I understand having nightmares. All right, I'll help. Let's go downstairs."

They couldn't get into the Danger Room, but the gym was open. They congregated there, in their pajamas, Dani and Julio tired, Shatterstar determined.

"I'll have to focus completely on forming the astral projection," Dani said. "So if things get out of hand, you'll have to watch after him, Gaveedra."

"I will," he swore.

"Ready, Ric?"

He nodded, his palms clammy and his heart pounding. "Do it."

Her eyes began to glow a faint blue color, and Julio was lost.

"Mama! Mama! You've come to take me home, Mama?" Julio cried, racing up to his mother to embrace her. She stopped him.

"No, Julio. You can't come home with us. We don't want you."

"But Mama, I didn't mean to-"

"You are going back to The Right. That is where you belong."

Julio collapsed to his knees. "No, Mama! No! I can't! They hurt me! Don't make me-"

They grabbed him, big men, and strapped him into the machine. He fought and cried and screamed. "No! Don't make me-I don't want-NO! Can't-hurt-"

[What's happening to him?]

"It's all you are good for," Hodge snarled.

[Keep projecting.]

He saw Bobby, and the other X-Men, standing in front of him. "Help! Bobby-LET ME GO! Don't let them do it-BOBBY!"

[This isn't right.]

"You're always wasting my time," Bobby snapped. "Help yourself for once!"

"I can't," he sobbed. "It hurts."

[Oh, Julio…]

"It hasn't begun to hurt, mutant," Hodge breathed into his ear. He reached out and turned the machine on.

Julio screamed. The pain exploded within him, white hot, crawling through his body. And he started to shake. The world fell apart around him. His family fell away. The X-Men, his friends, everyone fell.

[What's he doing?!]

And then Julio fell.

[JULIO!]

He jerked to awareness, in Shatterstar's arms, on the ground-which didn't seem to be terribly level anymore-sweaty and nauseous. Dani loomed over him, her eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"You don't look so well."

"I'm gonna throw up," he said weakly. Shatterstar quickly picked him up and rushed him to the nearest bathroom. Julio crouched in front of the toilet, and threw up, over and over again. Dani stood behind them uncomfortably.

"Look, Ric," she said when he had finished, and Shatterstar was handing him a towel to wipe his mouth with. "I'm sorry, but I don't think it helped out, and…" She paused to look down at her feet.

"And your powers were completely out of control," a voice boomed behind them. They all turned, startled, to find Cable in the doorway, glaring at them. "You are all in serious trouble."

"What were you thinking?" Xavier asked them. "What could you have possibly been thinking?"

"We were trying to help Ric with his powers!" Dani said.

"That is not your place, Danielle. That is for the staff to do, in a safe and secure manner. You nearly endangered the entire student population!"

"Danielle is not to blame," Shatterstar said swiftly. "I told her to use her powers on Julio."

"Which puts you in the wrong as well, Gaveedra." Xavier shook his head. "I am severely disappointed in all three of you. This was a foolish thing to do. Julio's powers are unstable at the best of times. Putting him under that kind of emotional trauma-"

"We get it, professor!" Julio said loudly. "What we did was wrong. We'll never do it again. Can we go now?"

"I don't think you do get it, Julio," Xavier said quietly. "But considering what you have just gone through, I am going to allow your rudeness to pass. Return to your dorms."

The students left the office in silence. Xavier looked up at Nathan. "I know what you are thinking."

He smirked. "Yep. Kids are onto something."

"Nathan, I will not allow you to-"

"Charles, there ain't a whole lot you can do about it. You haven't done shit to help that kid. Maybe it's the only way."

"By further traumatizing him? No, Nathan." Xavier pounded his fist on his desk.

Cable moved to the door, grabbed the doorknob, and spoke with his back to Xavier. "We all have to face our fears at some point. The kid's gotta learn. He's got too much power inside him, and too much anger. It's a dangerous combination, prof."

Xavier bowed his head in defeat. "I know."

"Julio?"

"It's late, 'Star. I just want to go back to bed," he muttered.

"Are you still afraid?"

He turned. Shatterstar was standing a foot away, his eyebrows crinkled. There was a fading bruise on his cheek, and Julio realized it was from him. Because he had been out of control. His bottom lip trembled, and he hung his head in shame.

"Si."

Shatterstar moved closer. His face was troubled. "I am sorry that you were hurt."

Julio's head snapped up. "Did you-Wait. Did I?"

"You spoke out loud. I am sorry if it was private." 'Star placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Julio's fingers twitched, and he reached out and grabbed the front of his shirt. "Julio…."

"They used me to hurt people, 'Star. I was thirteen, and they tortured me so that I'd kill people. I'm so scared of hurting people," he gasped out. The tears started to fall. "I hurt people in Guadalajara. I hurt people in San Francisco. I wish I'd never been a mutant."

"But if you were not a mutant, I would not have met you. And I need you," Shatterstar confessed quietly.

Julio pressed his face against his shoulder, drying his tears on his t shirt. "I'm tired," he mumbled. He looked up at him, his hands still clenched in the folds of his shirt. "I need to go to bed," he tried to explain.

Shatterstar nodded, understanding the unspoken request. Julio climbed into bed, and 'Star slid in next to him, pulling the covers up. Julio curled onto his side, pressing his forehead against Shatterstar's shoulder, and fell asleep that way.

When he woke up late the next morning, it was with his face still pressed against Shatterstar's arm. He moved and stretched and shifted up to look down at him. Shatterstar was awake, and looked back at him. Julio glanced over at the time.

"It's ten thirty."

"Yes."

"You never sleep in this late," Julio said accusingly.

Shatterstar shrugged. "I have been awake for a long time."

Julio blinked at him, rubbing the back of his head in confusion. "So, you were just… lying there?" 'Star nodded. "Why? Weren't you bored?"

"You…." He paused, struggling to find the words. "Needed me."

A smile slowly made its way onto Julio's lips. "Oh."

Shatterstar sat up and regarded him carefully. "Did you sleep well?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I-I did. Thanks."

"Oh, and Julio, we are to-"

Now that you're finally awake, maybe you two can join the team in the Danger Room.

Julio grabbed his head as Cable's telepathic voice ran through it.

"Bastard," he swore through gritted teeth. "Get out of my head."

Shatterstar placed a hand on his shoulder, looking concerned. "He wanted me to wake you up earlier, but I said I would not."

"You-what?" Julio asked in surprise, looking up at him. Shatterstar, defy Cable's orders?

"I told him that you were in need of rest," 'Star said simply.

Julio grinned at him. "Thanks, Shatty. That probably put his panties in a knot," he added gleefully.

"Panties?" Shatterstar repeated, puzzled.

"C'mon. Better get dressed."

They met up with the rest of their team in the Danger Room, dressed in the grey shorts and t-shirts with black x's that they used for gym class. The rest of their squad turned to them with impatient expressions, except for Dani, who looked sympathetic.

"How are you feeling, Ric?" she asked him quietly.

"Fine, tha-"

"Now that we're finally all here," Cable interrupted. "Let's get to work. Last night's events sparked an idea. Today, you are all going to face your worst fear." He smirked. "And since Rictor was so eager to try it last night, you're going first."

"But the professor said-" Dani began, as Julio clenched his fists and thought about punching him in the face.

"The professor said it was the staff's job. I'm staff. No more arguments. I suggest everyone back up. Miss Moonstar, if you please."

She looked helplessly at him. "I'm sorry, Ric…"

"Mama! Mama!" - "We don't want you." - "Don't make me!" - "It's all you are good for." - "LET ME GO!" - "Help yourself!" - "It hurts!"

Control it, son!

"P-Papa?"

His father appeared, his face covered in blood-just how Julio remembered him last.

"Papa, I'm sorry, Papa! I'm sorry I followed!" Julio sobbed, struggling against the machine he was strapped into, wanting so badly to run up to his father and bury his face against his waist like he did when he was small and afraid.

"You could have helped me, Julio. You let me die."

"No! No, Papa, I didn't--"

"But you hid. You hid like a coward and you let your father die!"

The man was there. The faceless man that Julio still had nightmares about. Big and terrifying in all his anonymity. And he raised his gun.

"NOOO!"

No, DON'T!

He lashed out. The energy that had built up-the pain and the fear-he released it all in one seismic shockwave that was impossible to direct. It rippled out of him in all directions, and everything was lain to waste, and Julio was-

Alone. He looked around. The rest of his teammates were scattered around, unconscious. Rahne appeared to be bleeding from the head. Julio scrambled to his feet, panting and sweating. "What-No!"

There was a low groan, and Cable pulled himself to his feet, shaking his head. He looked at Julio gravely.

"It's hard to overcome your fears, and I just don't have time." He stalked over to him, big feet heavy on the floor. "I didn't want to do this, son."

"Don't ca-"

Something crept in, big and metallic-tasting. Julio tried to push it away, tried to run away, but it was all around him, crushing him, sweeping him up and in.

He was running, his bare feet slapping against the dusty roads, and he kept to the shadows. He'd said to stay there, he'd said not to come. He'd come anyway. He crept along the side of the building and peered around the corner.

Blackness swept in.

He was in the market. His mother had gone to buy some bread and he'd lost her in the crowd and there was a funny smelling man asking him if he needed help and Julio was scared and he started to shake and then…

It went away.

The man was tall and thin and his hair was grey and his skin was pink because he probably wasn't used to the sun here. His mother said he would be safe, the man would take care of him, but Julio didn't believe her. But he had to go with the man, and he took him in his van and then he was-

Nothing.

"I cannot believe you allowed this to happen, Nathan. Three of your students have concussions! The others are suffering from severe bruising, and I can't begin to fathom what happened to Mr. Richter."

"Just get them back on their feet, Hank. That's your job. It doesn't come with a lecture."

"In these circumstances, I believe that it does."

Julio opened his eyes. He was in the hospital ward, he realized that at once. And he wasn't alone, not nearly. Dr. McCoy was arguing with Cable nearby, and the other students were lying on beds-Sam, Roberto, Rahne, and Dani. He sat up slowly, rubbing his head. There was a dull ache there, a kind of pulse.

"What happened?"

"Training session gone bad," Cable muttered. "That's all you need to know. Get up, get out of here."

"Not until I've examined him properly," Hank argued.

"He doesn't need to be examined. He just overexerted himself. He'll be fine in a few hours. Get out of here, Rictor."

"I am the doctor, and-"

"Look, it's okay. I feel fine," Julio said loudly. He slid off the bed. "If I start to feel bad, I'll come back, okay?"

Hank peered at him through his glasses. "I would feel better-"

"Let the kid go."

Hank sighed. "You are free to go then, Mr. Richter."

"Gracias." Julio slipped out.

Shatterstar and Jimmy were both waiting outside the clinic. They looked up when he came out. Shatterstar looked intensely relieved, and Jimmy looked curious.

"How come you guys don't have to stay in there?" Julio asked.

"I am healed," Shatterstar said simply.

"And I got better," Jimmy added.

"I thought you couldn't get hurt!"

"Yeah, so did I. Beast said that your seismic wave knocked my equilibrium, or something." Jimmy shrugged. "Anyway, it shook me up a little, that's all."

"My seismic wave?" Julio repeated.

Jimmy rapped him on the head. "Uh, yeah. In the Danger Room. Facing your fears. Knocking us all out. Ring a bell?"

Julio just looked at him blankly. Shatterstar gave him a concerned look. "Perhaps you should go back…"

"Nah," Julio said with a wave. "It's no big deal. Maybe I knocked my head or something. So what happened?"

"Dani used her powers on you so that you would face your fears again," Shatterstar told him. "Except that it was different at the end."

"You were talking in Spanish, I had no idea what you were saying," Jimmy added. "But you were freaked out."

"You were talking to your father," Shatterstar said quietly.

"My father?" Julio repeated blankly. He tried to think, but nothing came up. He laughed. "That's weird. I don't know why…" He frowned then. "I don't know at all."

'Star peered at him, his silver eyes seeking something. "Something is wrong. Julio, do you-"

"Let's go play some basketball!" Julio suggested. He wanted Shatterstar to stop looking at him, and to stop asking questions. Because he didn't know the answers to those questions. And that scared him.

Cable watched them playing on the court outside, Rictor and Shatterstar against James, and James was winning. Julio had the ball. Shatterstar lifted him up into the air and Julio tossed it into the hoop. They cheered.

"They're still only kids."

He sighed, and rubbed the back of his head. "I know. They've got a lot of growing up to do."

"You can't force it on them."

"I had no choice!" he snapped.

"There's always a choice. Call me when you need me."

"Yeah," he said heavily. "I will."