Getting Warmer - Chapter 1 & 2/?
Alright, so I'm caving, okay. I wasn't going to post my story for X-Men Evolution on my LJ 'cause I figured no one would want to read it or be interested. But peer pressure has finally gotten to me and I'm caving.
So, for anyone suicidal enough to be interested in reading it here, I'm posting it. It's rated "M" so don't touch that link if you're not of age - K? I like my LJ and would like to keep it firmly in place here.
And please to be warned here: The first 3 or so chapters are from when I was about 16-18 or so, and hence suck major "salty chocolate balls." (Yes, that's a South Park reference) But I've been informed that the rest is at least somewhat decent.
Kthnx
This is an AU fanfic based on the events of Dark Horizons I & II and proposes that most of Season 4 never took place (at least not YET).
NEW STUFF:
Um, so yeah. For those of you who have seen this story before, or if it looks familiar…
PLEASE DON’T SHOOT!!!
After it took me like, two years to update the last chapter (and I received numerous death threats) I was a little scared to come back to this story, but rest assured I have died a slow and painful death for leaving this little nugget unfinished.
I’ve slightly revamped the pre-existing chapters and I’m taking pen to paper during my “non computer hours” and slowly mapping out this story. It will take me longer than simply typing it, but so far it’s working better.
So, keeping with promises, here is the recently re-worked 1st chapter of “Getting Warmer”
SUMMARY: AU to Dark Horizons. Instead of walking away and vanishing to Egypt, Apocalypse has a different agenda for world domination and the key to all of his potential power (and destruction) is Rogue.
PAIRINGS: Dude, it’s ROMY!! Duh?? And Kitty/Peter/Lance (and maybe Kurt) triangle. If you have any suggestions as to how these two/three dashing men can vie for Kitty’s affections, please email me. I’ve never had men fight over me before, and I hate Desperate Housewives, so yeah. I need help here.
RATING: M for violence, language, nudity, sex, and shit blowing up
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Wolverine snarled at the man looming over the X-Men. Leaning over without taking his eyes from Apocalypse, he checked Rogue's breathing and pulse quickly, releasing a sigh of relief when he found a weak but steady rhythm against his gloved fingers.
Snarling, the Canadian unsheathed his claws and lunged at Apocalypse. The rage was rapidly surging through his veins, and he wanted nothing more than to rip the mutant's throat out for hurting his Stripes.
Halfway en route to the man's jugular however, Logan suddenly found himself gripped in the air and held up by an invisible force. He growled viciously at the mutant holding him there and locked the mega-mutant in a death stare. His furious glare was cut short, however, when he was shot up the short stairwell and straight into Blob and Quicksilver.
The X-Men watched from the top of the stairs, stunned as the man grinned at Wolverine's fury and subsequent crash. A soft moan was heard from below Apocalypse’s hovering feet and the three teams gazed down at Rogue's semi-unconscious form.
The power hungry mutant began to reach down to collect Rogue when Cyclops belted out to the teams. "Stop him now! He can't get to Rogue!"
The three collective teams rushed down the stairs simultaneously. Those with close range powers sprinted downward, intending to take the fight up close, while Cyclops, Gambit, Pyro, Jean, Bobby, Magneto, and Xavier all used their powers simultaneously from above the others.
Cyclops was the first to fire an attack against the Apocalypse, but his optic blast never connected. Apocalypse haulted the ray mid-shot with his newly gained telekinesis and then in retaliation emitted his own optic blast, knocking the young leader across the stone floor and into a wall.
With a nervous glance towards Scott, Iceman - followed by Pyro - charged forward. Bobby iced up, ejecting a beam of frozen water from his arms as Pyro rocketed up his portable flamethrowers.
The two mutants shot off their opposing elements within rapid succession of each other. As they did though, Apocalypse countered Bobby's icy blasts with his own, and used Pyro’s fire manipulation to chase off the rest of the approaching mutants.
Shadowcat was caught off guard by the flames, and barely managed to phase through them. She gasped in pain, however, as her left arm seared from the heat. She looked down to see the left sleeve and shoulder of her uniform melted away and the skin underneath badly burned and blistering.
Gritting her teeth against the pain, she charged forward regardless of her condition. Rogue was her closest friend, and the brainy valley girl was not about to leave her in the clutches of a mad man.
Nightcrawler had also narrowly avoided the hungry flames before he ported away from danger. With a characteristic 'bamf' he reached his self-proclaimed sister's side instantaneously. As he reached down to retrieve her though, spikes shot out from above him, intercepting the furry blue mutant.
Kurt looked up quickly, "Vhat?" but he was thrown away from Rogue and straight into Kitty, who was also attempting to rescue the gothic mutant. Shadowcat was unable to phase quickly enough, being somewhat distracted from her burns, and the two mutants barreled into Hank with the force of a small cannon. The three X-Men were deposited up the stairs along with the heap of other unconscious bodies.
Magneto used his powers of Magnetism to hurtle various metallic objects left and right towards Apocalypse. The more powerful mutant merely cackled as he was barraged with exploding cards, metal bars, and telekinetic blasts.
He stopped laughing maniacally however, when Xavier used his telepathy to try and subdue the madman.
"I grow tired of this." He stated simply, and with a wave of his hand swept all of the mutants up and into the main hall.
The teams recovered quickly enough, but Apocalypse hindered them further by using Avalanche's powers to shake them off their feet. Before they could get up again, he used Xavier's powers to emit a physic blast to all who remained conscious.
Various groans and screams were heard as the mutants fell into darkness one by one.
The only mutant who seemed only slightly affected by the surge however, was a certain red-eyed Cajun. Gambit quickly sighed in relief, confused, yet thankful that his mental shields had protected him whilst the others (including Xavier) lay unconscious.
Apocalypse, certain that all the mutants had been neutralized, reached down for a now fully unconscious Rogue and cradled her in his arms. Using the telekinesis, he levitated up the stairs and towards the ship Xavier and the others had used to get to the temple.
As they reached the top landing though, he stumbled and fell from the air as the last ounce of his acquired telekinetic powers drained from him.
Mesmero quickly rushed up to his master and aided him along.
"Get in the ship, my lord." Mesmero prompted. "It will take us away from here where they will not find us."
With that, Mesmero lifted Rogue away from Apocalypse and placed her over his shoulder, using his other arm to support his weakening master.
Gambit, sensing their intentions, snuck out of sight and headed for his own destination. Since it seemed the others were not going to be of much help, he knew he would have to save the girl on his own.
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Chapter 2
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Logan was the first to come out of the telepathy-induced stupor. He shook his head vigorously as the headache began to fade. Most of the kids were still out cold, but a few others were beginning to awaken and he surveyed the damage as he tried to remember what had just happened.
As Wolverine's head cleared fully, however, he jumped up and bolted down the stone staircase in search of Rogue. He was desperate to find her - to find some evidence that she was safe and alive despite Apocalypse’s misuse. His heart pumped faster and faster as he sprinted across the room and down into the heart of the tomb. Dread had settled within his bones and he slowed as he reached the last few stairs. Coming upon the landing, he stooped down to gather up the precious bundle that lay at his feet.
He stood, a single purple glove cradled in his palm, and dread was replaced with rage as Wolverine finally released his torrent of emotion in a single cry.
"GRRRRAAAARRRRGGGHHHH!!!!!"
His bellow echoed throughout the temple and as it did all those who weren't previously awake jolted upright. The dust and loosened stone chips on the ceiling fell free and the mutants became lightly coated in the debris. The extra noise did not help everyone's thumping headaches, yet no one seemed to mind.
Logan’s cry echoed the mood of everyone in the temple. They all felt angry with themselves and Apocalypse, but mostly they grieved for their lost friend.
Ororo's eyes brimmed with tears as she closed them and Kitty turned to Kurt, burying her head in his blue fur. Kurt in return could only rest his arm over his friend's shoulders as the shock of the situation and the loss of his sister gripped him.
Scott held fists at his sides as he turned his ruby gaze to the floor and Jean, seeing blood dripping from her boyfriend's fingers, sluggishly made her way over to him.
The mood was sullen and overcast as if death itself had cast a shadow over the teams. Even Pyro lacked his normal quip as he too was overcome by the blowing defeat.
Hank picked himself off of the floor slowly and retrieved Xavier's wheelchair before helping the Professor onto the seat. Beast never once met Xavier's eyes as he aided the mentor and instead kept his gaze fixated on the floor.
Even the Brotherhood looked downtrodden. Pietro scuffed his shoes against the floor and Lance leaned against the wall in his usual pose. Even he lacked his normal arrogance, however, as he looked around the room at the grieving faces.
Toad sat slumped against a wall, and Blob - breaking the encompassing silence - suddenly threw his fist into a nearby wall. Some of the mutants turned their gaze toward the disturbance while others ignored it.
Wolverine stomped up the stairs then, murder reading clearly in his feral eyes. As he passed Creed however, the cat-like mutant shattered the dreary mood with a simple remark, “Some superhero you make runt. Ya can't even save one of yer own kids."
Wolverine turned his gaze to Sabertooth. The smaller man wanted Apocalypse's blood, but for now, Creed would definitely suffice. With a battle cry, Wolverine lunged for his rival.
Creed had expected retaliation yes, but not of this intensity. The Canadian laid into the other mutant with such passion that he took Sabertooth off guard.
The other Acolytes rushed to help their teammate and the Brotherhood followed suit. The X-Men, now experiencing the anger phase of their grief, also joined the melee of fists and insults.
Magneto and Xavier remained as the only two NOT fighting (which was ironic in itself), and what's more, it seemed that Charles was not even interested in the chaos. He kept his head bowed over folded hands as he sat in his chair silently.
Professor Charles Xavier was known for his patience and understanding. He rarely spoke harshly to any of his students and he had never lost his patience.
Until today.
"THAT IS ENOUGH!!!!" The Professor exploded, causing every single body in the room to freeze in pure awe and fear. Even Wolverine and Sabertooth ceased their fighting - with a little help from Magneto of course.
All eyes turned to Xavier as he spoke again in a more calming tone, "I know you are all angry and upset. That is understandable. However, taking out your frustrations on each other will NOT solve the problem."
All heads were lowered in shame as each person contemplated the Professor's words.
"I agree that this incident has been a blow to all of you, but you must not let that," he was cut off by Scott of all people, who had been slowly simmering to a boil in the back of the room.
"Get us down?" he asked in a sarcastic and spiteful tone. Jean, and many others, simply gawked at their normally respectful and rule-abiding team leader.
Cyclops continued with a sneer in his voice, "excuse me Professor, but Rogue was just kidnapped - for the second time today. Apocalypse is now free - because of us - and we just got our asses thoroughly kicked; so why would we possibly be upset?"
A few gasps were heard throughout the crowd and Lance let out a low whistle before leaning over to Pietro, "I gotta give that guy some credit. I don't think even Magneto would go that far." Pietro simply nodded, too stunned to reply.
Apparently the Professor was a little taken back as well because it took him a few seconds to recover his voice.
He cleared his throat slightly - which was not a good sign - and replied to Scott's 'outburst.' "Be that as it may Cyclops, our main focus must now lie in finding and rescuing Rogue. In addition to that, we must also care for our wounded," he said, motioning to Kitty and Bobby, both of whom had been badly burned during the battle.
"And what of Apocalypse, Charles? He defeated us all with a mere wave of his hand. If we should find him, what is to keep him from killing the lot of us?" Magneto interjected.
The Professor pondered the question for a moment and closed his eyes, “he is weakening."
"How? Why?" Magneto asked again forcefully.
"He is somehow using Rogue as a source of power. It seems that his absorption of her abilities only lasts as long as they normally would for her."
Scott interrupted again, concern now lacing his voice, "you mean he's draining her like a battery?" His voice rose as he asked, making everyone aware of the full gravity of the situation.
Xavier simply nodded, unable to speak.
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So, for anyone suicidal enough to be interested in reading it here, I'm posting it. It's rated "M" so don't touch that link if you're not of age - K? I like my LJ and would like to keep it firmly in place here.
And please to be warned here: The first 3 or so chapters are from when I was about 16-18 or so, and hence suck major "salty chocolate balls." (Yes, that's a South Park reference) But I've been informed that the rest is at least somewhat decent.
Kthnx
This is an AU fanfic based on the events of Dark Horizons I & II and proposes that most of Season 4 never took place (at least not YET).
NEW STUFF:
Um, so yeah. For those of you who have seen this story before, or if it looks familiar…
PLEASE DON’T SHOOT!!!
After it took me like, two years to update the last chapter (and I received numerous death threats) I was a little scared to come back to this story, but rest assured I have died a slow and painful death for leaving this little nugget unfinished.
I’ve slightly revamped the pre-existing chapters and I’m taking pen to paper during my “non computer hours” and slowly mapping out this story. It will take me longer than simply typing it, but so far it’s working better.
So, keeping with promises, here is the recently re-worked 1st chapter of “Getting Warmer”
SUMMARY: AU to Dark Horizons. Instead of walking away and vanishing to Egypt, Apocalypse has a different agenda for world domination and the key to all of his potential power (and destruction) is Rogue.
PAIRINGS: Dude, it’s ROMY!! Duh?? And Kitty/Peter/Lance (and maybe Kurt) triangle. If you have any suggestions as to how these two/three dashing men can vie for Kitty’s affections, please email me. I’ve never had men fight over me before, and I hate Desperate Housewives, so yeah. I need help here.
RATING: M for violence, language, nudity, sex, and shit blowing up
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Wolverine snarled at the man looming over the X-Men. Leaning over without taking his eyes from Apocalypse, he checked Rogue's breathing and pulse quickly, releasing a sigh of relief when he found a weak but steady rhythm against his gloved fingers.
Snarling, the Canadian unsheathed his claws and lunged at Apocalypse. The rage was rapidly surging through his veins, and he wanted nothing more than to rip the mutant's throat out for hurting his Stripes.
Halfway en route to the man's jugular however, Logan suddenly found himself gripped in the air and held up by an invisible force. He growled viciously at the mutant holding him there and locked the mega-mutant in a death stare. His furious glare was cut short, however, when he was shot up the short stairwell and straight into Blob and Quicksilver.
The X-Men watched from the top of the stairs, stunned as the man grinned at Wolverine's fury and subsequent crash. A soft moan was heard from below Apocalypse’s hovering feet and the three teams gazed down at Rogue's semi-unconscious form.
The power hungry mutant began to reach down to collect Rogue when Cyclops belted out to the teams. "Stop him now! He can't get to Rogue!"
The three collective teams rushed down the stairs simultaneously. Those with close range powers sprinted downward, intending to take the fight up close, while Cyclops, Gambit, Pyro, Jean, Bobby, Magneto, and Xavier all used their powers simultaneously from above the others.
Cyclops was the first to fire an attack against the Apocalypse, but his optic blast never connected. Apocalypse haulted the ray mid-shot with his newly gained telekinesis and then in retaliation emitted his own optic blast, knocking the young leader across the stone floor and into a wall.
With a nervous glance towards Scott, Iceman - followed by Pyro - charged forward. Bobby iced up, ejecting a beam of frozen water from his arms as Pyro rocketed up his portable flamethrowers.
The two mutants shot off their opposing elements within rapid succession of each other. As they did though, Apocalypse countered Bobby's icy blasts with his own, and used Pyro’s fire manipulation to chase off the rest of the approaching mutants.
Shadowcat was caught off guard by the flames, and barely managed to phase through them. She gasped in pain, however, as her left arm seared from the heat. She looked down to see the left sleeve and shoulder of her uniform melted away and the skin underneath badly burned and blistering.
Gritting her teeth against the pain, she charged forward regardless of her condition. Rogue was her closest friend, and the brainy valley girl was not about to leave her in the clutches of a mad man.
Nightcrawler had also narrowly avoided the hungry flames before he ported away from danger. With a characteristic 'bamf' he reached his self-proclaimed sister's side instantaneously. As he reached down to retrieve her though, spikes shot out from above him, intercepting the furry blue mutant.
Kurt looked up quickly, "Vhat?" but he was thrown away from Rogue and straight into Kitty, who was also attempting to rescue the gothic mutant. Shadowcat was unable to phase quickly enough, being somewhat distracted from her burns, and the two mutants barreled into Hank with the force of a small cannon. The three X-Men were deposited up the stairs along with the heap of other unconscious bodies.
Magneto used his powers of Magnetism to hurtle various metallic objects left and right towards Apocalypse. The more powerful mutant merely cackled as he was barraged with exploding cards, metal bars, and telekinetic blasts.
He stopped laughing maniacally however, when Xavier used his telepathy to try and subdue the madman.
"I grow tired of this." He stated simply, and with a wave of his hand swept all of the mutants up and into the main hall.
The teams recovered quickly enough, but Apocalypse hindered them further by using Avalanche's powers to shake them off their feet. Before they could get up again, he used Xavier's powers to emit a physic blast to all who remained conscious.
Various groans and screams were heard as the mutants fell into darkness one by one.
The only mutant who seemed only slightly affected by the surge however, was a certain red-eyed Cajun. Gambit quickly sighed in relief, confused, yet thankful that his mental shields had protected him whilst the others (including Xavier) lay unconscious.
Apocalypse, certain that all the mutants had been neutralized, reached down for a now fully unconscious Rogue and cradled her in his arms. Using the telekinesis, he levitated up the stairs and towards the ship Xavier and the others had used to get to the temple.
As they reached the top landing though, he stumbled and fell from the air as the last ounce of his acquired telekinetic powers drained from him.
Mesmero quickly rushed up to his master and aided him along.
"Get in the ship, my lord." Mesmero prompted. "It will take us away from here where they will not find us."
With that, Mesmero lifted Rogue away from Apocalypse and placed her over his shoulder, using his other arm to support his weakening master.
Gambit, sensing their intentions, snuck out of sight and headed for his own destination. Since it seemed the others were not going to be of much help, he knew he would have to save the girl on his own.
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Chapter 2
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Logan was the first to come out of the telepathy-induced stupor. He shook his head vigorously as the headache began to fade. Most of the kids were still out cold, but a few others were beginning to awaken and he surveyed the damage as he tried to remember what had just happened.
As Wolverine's head cleared fully, however, he jumped up and bolted down the stone staircase in search of Rogue. He was desperate to find her - to find some evidence that she was safe and alive despite Apocalypse’s misuse. His heart pumped faster and faster as he sprinted across the room and down into the heart of the tomb. Dread had settled within his bones and he slowed as he reached the last few stairs. Coming upon the landing, he stooped down to gather up the precious bundle that lay at his feet.
He stood, a single purple glove cradled in his palm, and dread was replaced with rage as Wolverine finally released his torrent of emotion in a single cry.
"GRRRRAAAARRRRGGGHHHH!!!!!"
His bellow echoed throughout the temple and as it did all those who weren't previously awake jolted upright. The dust and loosened stone chips on the ceiling fell free and the mutants became lightly coated in the debris. The extra noise did not help everyone's thumping headaches, yet no one seemed to mind.
Logan’s cry echoed the mood of everyone in the temple. They all felt angry with themselves and Apocalypse, but mostly they grieved for their lost friend.
Ororo's eyes brimmed with tears as she closed them and Kitty turned to Kurt, burying her head in his blue fur. Kurt in return could only rest his arm over his friend's shoulders as the shock of the situation and the loss of his sister gripped him.
Scott held fists at his sides as he turned his ruby gaze to the floor and Jean, seeing blood dripping from her boyfriend's fingers, sluggishly made her way over to him.
The mood was sullen and overcast as if death itself had cast a shadow over the teams. Even Pyro lacked his normal quip as he too was overcome by the blowing defeat.
Hank picked himself off of the floor slowly and retrieved Xavier's wheelchair before helping the Professor onto the seat. Beast never once met Xavier's eyes as he aided the mentor and instead kept his gaze fixated on the floor.
Even the Brotherhood looked downtrodden. Pietro scuffed his shoes against the floor and Lance leaned against the wall in his usual pose. Even he lacked his normal arrogance, however, as he looked around the room at the grieving faces.
Toad sat slumped against a wall, and Blob - breaking the encompassing silence - suddenly threw his fist into a nearby wall. Some of the mutants turned their gaze toward the disturbance while others ignored it.
Wolverine stomped up the stairs then, murder reading clearly in his feral eyes. As he passed Creed however, the cat-like mutant shattered the dreary mood with a simple remark, “Some superhero you make runt. Ya can't even save one of yer own kids."
Wolverine turned his gaze to Sabertooth. The smaller man wanted Apocalypse's blood, but for now, Creed would definitely suffice. With a battle cry, Wolverine lunged for his rival.
Creed had expected retaliation yes, but not of this intensity. The Canadian laid into the other mutant with such passion that he took Sabertooth off guard.
The other Acolytes rushed to help their teammate and the Brotherhood followed suit. The X-Men, now experiencing the anger phase of their grief, also joined the melee of fists and insults.
Magneto and Xavier remained as the only two NOT fighting (which was ironic in itself), and what's more, it seemed that Charles was not even interested in the chaos. He kept his head bowed over folded hands as he sat in his chair silently.
Professor Charles Xavier was known for his patience and understanding. He rarely spoke harshly to any of his students and he had never lost his patience.
Until today.
"THAT IS ENOUGH!!!!" The Professor exploded, causing every single body in the room to freeze in pure awe and fear. Even Wolverine and Sabertooth ceased their fighting - with a little help from Magneto of course.
All eyes turned to Xavier as he spoke again in a more calming tone, "I know you are all angry and upset. That is understandable. However, taking out your frustrations on each other will NOT solve the problem."
All heads were lowered in shame as each person contemplated the Professor's words.
"I agree that this incident has been a blow to all of you, but you must not let that," he was cut off by Scott of all people, who had been slowly simmering to a boil in the back of the room.
"Get us down?" he asked in a sarcastic and spiteful tone. Jean, and many others, simply gawked at their normally respectful and rule-abiding team leader.
Cyclops continued with a sneer in his voice, "excuse me Professor, but Rogue was just kidnapped - for the second time today. Apocalypse is now free - because of us - and we just got our asses thoroughly kicked; so why would we possibly be upset?"
A few gasps were heard throughout the crowd and Lance let out a low whistle before leaning over to Pietro, "I gotta give that guy some credit. I don't think even Magneto would go that far." Pietro simply nodded, too stunned to reply.
Apparently the Professor was a little taken back as well because it took him a few seconds to recover his voice.
He cleared his throat slightly - which was not a good sign - and replied to Scott's 'outburst.' "Be that as it may Cyclops, our main focus must now lie in finding and rescuing Rogue. In addition to that, we must also care for our wounded," he said, motioning to Kitty and Bobby, both of whom had been badly burned during the battle.
"And what of Apocalypse, Charles? He defeated us all with a mere wave of his hand. If we should find him, what is to keep him from killing the lot of us?" Magneto interjected.
The Professor pondered the question for a moment and closed his eyes, “he is weakening."
"How? Why?" Magneto asked again forcefully.
"He is somehow using Rogue as a source of power. It seems that his absorption of her abilities only lasts as long as they normally would for her."
Scott interrupted again, concern now lacing his voice, "you mean he's draining her like a battery?" His voice rose as he asked, making everyone aware of the full gravity of the situation.
Xavier simply nodded, unable to speak.
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