Hi again. Here's the next part of Dreams of an Angel. Hope you enjoy it. And thanks again for the cool feedback guys. You guys are the coolest! :) If you have any suggestions or comment, well, the email addy is below, so you know where to drop the note. Oh by the way, in the following part of the story, there's gonna be a dream sequence. These are really taken, also from the Marvel's 'Fall of the Mutants' series, more specifically from X-Factor #24 when Archangel first emerges.
Onwards to the boring part! Legal matters! Hehehe. You can press 'fast-forward' now.
Well, first of all, this story, as you will certainly find out soon, is TOTALLY fictional. So! If any of you truly believe in it... well, my brother is studying psychiatry right now for his final medical examination in April, so maybe I'll just refer you to him. You'd make a good delusional subject. Secondly! None of the guys in the Backstreet Boys are gay! (No matter how hard I wished it :P). But nobody say we couldn't dream it, heh heh. Thirdly, Warren Worthington is actually a character from Marvel Comics, X-men known as Angel or recently Archangel. Okay fine, I admit it. I'm bored and I am making a pathetic attempt to make life a lil' bit interesting. Its not like I'm gonna publish it or something. What else to talk about hmm? Oh, there may be some adult gay scenes in this story. Unlike my brother, I don't mind writing naughty stuff ;) so! If you're underage, naughty, naughty! I can only ask you to go away, but I cannot do anything else to stop you from reading on anyway. Hell! I've been sneaking into the internet to watch gay porns since I was 13! So, if your parents or whoever responsible for you catch you, don't say I didn't warned you. However, if you're homophobic... well maybe I can seduce you enough to turn you around heh heh. I do so love a challenge ;)
Anyway, enough talk. Any comments or boos or suggestion or whatever, just sent it to the same address as in NNTs, goldenknightuk@yahoo.co.uk . Yeah, we shared the same address. Don't ask. Long story.
Okay then! On to the show. Now, don't be shy now. If you got any comments or suggestions, just drop me a note. You do the request, and I'll do the show.
Andy
Warren breathed in the air deeply as he soars through the sky, his wings spread wide on each side as he let the air flow beneath and over it freely. At times, he flapped his wings once or twice to gain more altitude. Occasionally, he saw the familiar blinking lights indicating an oncoming plane and flapping his wings again, he steers himself away to avoid it. Occasionally, when the feeling of freedom overwhelmed him, he would close his eyes and spread his hands, flapping his wings strongly and soar even higher like an eagle, screaming at the top of his lungs in ecstasy as loud as he could.
Flying is everything to him and he would never trade it for anything. He rejoiced at the feeling of freedom it offers him, feeds on it even. He would look at the world below him and forget all the troubles of the world for the moment. Looking up, he watched the stars, and at times, he felt like he could reach it if he flaps his wings hard enough. At times, when he reaches the countryside, he would fly amongst the birds, laughing brightly like a little boy as the eagles and falcons watched him curiously, wondering who or what he is. At times, he would fly just to watch the sunset or sunrise in the distance, committing the beautiful scene forever into his memory.
Spinning in the air smoothly, he flapped his wings again and then left it spread open as he glided on. At times, he wished he had someone with him to share his ecstasy, his joy...
Looking at his watch, he realized that he has been flying for more than three hours now. He went off flying immediately after Hank and Jean left for Westchester, and Nick and the others went back to their room to rest. He needs to clear his mind and flying is the best way to do that.
An eagle flew past him, causing Warren to look up and laughed brightly, flapping his wings to catch up with it.
"Well, hello there, little brother," Warren cocked his head to the side, grinning brightly and winked as the eagle looked at him curiously. "Doing a little bit of a late night flight, are we?"
The eagle veered off to the side and Warren laughed again and followed.
"You need to clear your head too, huh?" Warren chatted on cheerfully. "Well, I don't blame you. Life can be sucks when you least expected it. Well, life really sucks most of the time, come to think of it."
The two glided on, with Warren continues chatting cheerfully all the time. The eagle veered off here and there, somersaulting in the air in the attempt to shake him off, but Warren only laughed and followed the eagle's action, all the while chatting about how sucks life is in general. One who looks at the pair from the ground would have thought they are doing a mid-air flight performance - that is if the watcher managed to overcome the shock of watching a blond haired angel with blue skin and white wings flying in the sky.
Finally, Warren had enough and let the eagle flew on.
"Say hello to the missus and the kids for me!" He shouted cheerfully for the last time, waving his goodbyes, as he flew away. The eagle only gave him one last glare before flying on northwards.
Warren laughed again, fully enjoying the feeling of cool air flowing past his wavy blond hair as he flaps his wings again and turned back.
He reached the hotel soon enough, taking care to avoid any chance of being spotted again by using his sharp bird-like view that allow him to even see a scuttling rat all the way up from the air - another aspect of his mutation - to make sure that no one is watching. He was surprised when he noticed the light from Nick's room is still alight, despite the fact that it is already past 3 a.m. He could see the TV is still on and furthermore, he could see Nick sitting on one of the cushioned chairs on his balcony. From the look of it, it seems that the little empath fell asleep while resting on that chair. Poor guy.
Looking around to make sure no one else is present, he glided downwards and spread his wings again, using it as sails to slow his dive, until he hovers just before Nick's balcony. With one well-practiced smooth movement, he landed on the balcony quietly and folds his wings. Stepping nearer to the sleeping man, Warren gave a small smile as Nick stirred slightly at the slight chill caused by the disturbed air as the result of Warren's landing.
"Nick?" Warren called softly as he knelt beside the man. "Nick?"
He was only rewarded by an irritated and sleepy moan emanating from Nick's lips. Warren sighed wearily and smiled again. Nick'd get himself a chill if he stays here a lot longer. But at the same time, he couldn't find it in his heart to disturb that peaceful face, the lips smiling slightly, making Warren wonders curiously as to what Nick is dreaming of that could be so pleasant. The thoughts inadvertently makes him remember the nightmares that assaults him time and again, night after night, and almost immediately, Warren finds himself looking enviously at Nick's sleeping face... so peaceful, so relaxed... so innocent.
'I'll never have that look on my face when I sleep ever again,' Warren thought sadly to himself.
Feeling a slight chill of the night breeze, Warren made up his mind. Moving as deftly as a cat, he managed to pick Nick up and carries him gently in his arm to the bedroom, before laying him gently onto the soft bed. Nick only moan slightly in his sleep before turning to the side and continue to breath in and out quietly. Covering him gently with the bedcover to keep him warm, Warren sat beside him for a moment, looking at the empath, wondering in puzzlement as to why he feels reluctant to leave the room.
Staring at Nick in silence, he unconsciously removes the strays of hair from the forehead of the sleeping face. His finger trailed down to the side and onwards along the cheeks to touch the soft luscious lips, which unexpectedly leads him to wonder how it'd feel like to kiss...
'Well, I'll be damn...' Warren thought in shock, eyes widening as the realization began to dawn upon him. Withdrawing his finger from the lips quickly, he stared at the sleeping figure in silence for several minute, his mind seems to whirl as waves upon waves of impossible thoughts poured into his mind.
'I'm not gay or bi. I'm straight! Straight as an arrow! Mr. Super-Heterosexual, as Bobby pointed out again and again. Mr. Condom Machine, as Rogue would call him. Mr. Female Sex Machine as Scott would call him. Mr. 150,000 Mega-Watt-Stallion as Betsy used to call him. Mr. STD Reservoir as Hank would call him!' Warren thought quietly, his forehead frowning in deep thought. 'I'm a super-playboy who used to sleep with everything that has a pulse, a pair of breast and a pussy! How in the world...?'
Deep in thought, Warren looked back at the sleeping figure before him. He stared at the sleeping face, remembering how vulnerable and lost he looks when realizing that he's an empath... a mutant...
'Empath!' Warren's thought turned into a whole new direction. Could Nick be dreaming something that cause some of his emotion to slips into Warren's own mind? Is this feeling of... desire... is actually Nick's? Or is it his own?
Warren cocked his head to the side thoughtfully. The Professor has taught him many things, and two of these things include 1) creating a strong mental barrier and 2) detecting the presence of alien thoughts or emotions, and if there is any present, how to counter it. These two are essential especially when confronting an enemy telepath or empath. Every X-men knew and excels in performing this, including Warren.
But his barrier is perfectly intact. He would know when someone is trying to pass through it. In fact, he felt Nick trying to get past it earlier but he kept quiet about it. So where does this get him...?
Turning his thoughts inward, he tried to detect the presence of alien emotions and thoughts. He goes through his thoughts and emotions one by one, identifying it and putting it aside... and he found... none...
His eyes gazed at Nick's sleeping face again, breathing quietly in and out peacefully.
'My God...' Warren thought faintly to himself, 'These emotions are... my own...'
Hand shaking, he lightly touches Nick's lips again.
'I'm... I'm attracted to... him...' Warren thought again, mustering all his will to control the increasingly raging emotions within him, his gaze never left Nick's face. It all seems to come back and become crystal clear to him. His feeling of over-protectiveness, his eagerness to care for him, to be there for him, to hold him...
"How did this happen?" Warren whispered to himself softly, but many possible answers came into his mind. His loneliness after Betsy left him, his continuously failed relationships one after another in the past, Nick's lost expression and his need to have someone to care and support him at his time of need, his dark past with Apocalypse and his needs of someone to hold him when his nightmares returned, his tendency to fall in love so easily...
That last bit of thought startled him even more, though he wasn't sure where he got that. Thinking back carefully, he dimly remembered that it was Jean who told him that. Once, long ago, after his break-up with Maggie... He remembered crying at Jean's shoulder. They were young then and Jean had just got engaged with Scott. The X-men were still newly formed. Apocalypse was still far away in the future. He was crying because Maggie decided to be with someone else and he ended up feeling terribly lonely, just like the loneliness he felt when his father died. They were sitting by the lake near Xavier's mansion and Jean held him closely as he cried, rocking him gently. When he controlled himself, they talked about Maggie...
"You shouldn't let yourself fall in love with someone too easily, Warren..." Warren remembered Jean's exact words.
Looking back at Nick, he gazed at the sleeping face quietly.
'How could I prevent myself from falling in love, Jean?' Warren asked in his thought, wishing Jean's telepathic ability is strong enough to hear him all the way from Westchester. 'It is not something that any man could control. When it happens, it happens.'
A single tear slipped out of eyes and rolled down his cheek. He didn't mean to fall in love with anyone, but he couldn't help it if he tends to fall in love too easily. It is one of the things he lacks in his life. He has more than enough money to last him two lifetimes. He owns hundreds of properties, businesses, companies, hotels, beaches, yachts, cars... He has a pair of wings that could fly him everywhere he wanted. He has the look that all women would drool at. But none of these things could ever get him what he wanted most... love. He cannot buy it, he cannot own it, he cannot fly to it and he cannot bait it. No matter what he owns, what he have in his life, his life will always be empty.
Now, as Jean correctly would have guessed, he has fallen in love again... but this time its with another man, whom Warren knew would never love him back. Way to go, Warren. Warren has no problem with homosexuality. It'd be foolish to try to convince humankind to stop discriminating mutants just because they are different, and yet, discriminating homosexuals simply because their sexual preference is different. But then, he had never, ever, considers himself to be one. Logan, Scott and the rest would be rolling on the floor laughing when they heard even half of this piece of news. Warren Worthington the Third, playboy extraordinaire who claimed to be as straight as any man worthy of his Y-chromosome and testosterone, turned out to have fallen in love with a young straight boyband singer who is currently uncertain himself of his own future as a mutant.
Another tears rolled down, and he roughly wiped it away. He has fallen in love again! Another one to be added into his long list of failed relationships... except that this one has already failed before it even started.
"I'm sorry," Warren whispered so softly, it barely came out of his lips. Without even registering it, be leaned forward and placed a light kiss on Nick's forehead. Nick stirred slightly before remained motionless again, breathing gently in and out. "I'm sorry it has to be you this time."
With that, Warren stepped away from the bed and calmly walked out of the room, switching off the lights as he did so. Soon, he is soaring in the air once again. It seems that he needed an hour or two more of flying to calm his mind before returning back to go to bed. And soar he did through the air, wings flapping furiously as he pressed on to gain more altitude. His vision became blurry as more tears filled his eyes and slipped onto his cheeks.
"I'm sorry it has to be you this time," He whispered as the winds rushes past him.
- DREAM -
He stood there, erect and silent, with Apocalypse looking at him proudly at his side. He stood there, his face hidden behind the skull-like mask, looking at the people standing before him - X- Factor - people who used to be him friends. But his mind, clouded with anger and rage, didn't even register those people before him as his friends. He had suffered. Suffered so much for the past few weeks, that he could only recognize everyone he see besides Apocalypse, as his enemies... enemies that must be destroyed.
He watched calmly as Scott, Bobby, Hank and Jean stepped back warily as they try to discern who this newcomer is and what type of surprise Apocalypse has sprung on them this time.
"Who are you?" Asked Scott not recognizing the blue skinned man wearing the unrecognizable costume before him.
He calmly raised his hands and took off his mask, revealing his face. Beside Scott, Jean gasped.
"Scott, he... he looks familiar... he's..." Jean whispered.
"WARREN!!" they all shouted in surprise and horror even as Apocalypse's evil laughter echoed all over the room.
"Warren... what... what has he done to you?" Bobby asked in disbelief.
"We... we thought you had died... committed suicide..." said Jean.
Warren simply looks up, his eyes blazing with fury so strong that Scott and the rest took another step backward.
"I'm a way, perhaps I did." Warren said softly, his voice is like sword sliding out of the scabbard. "Warren Worthington is no more!"
With that, he spread his metal wings and took up into the air.
"I am Death!!" Warren shouted in anger as he dived towards them like lightning. Scott and the others scattered all over the room as he nearly reached them and he swooped up again. "Alive I was miserable... alone! The humans stripped me of my wealth, of beauty, name, pride! They cut off my wings!!"
Hovering in midair, he stretched out one of his newly made metal wings and swiped it forward, and hundreds of razor sharp metal shards sliced the air towards the frightened faces below them. The air seems to rains with metal shards.
"I was in pain! Confused!" Warren continued to rage above. "Maybe I would have ended it all! Wasted it all!"
Down below, he saw Hank fell to the ground as one of the shards struck him.
"The... feathers... metal feathers... cut like knives!" Hank stammered.
"And then, Apocalypse took me... remade me in his image!" Warren thundered on as he unleashed another rain of metal shards.
"Can't... can't move..." Scott stammered as the shards struck Bobby and him. "Edges... laced with synapse disruptors..."
"Please! Warren! You're a hero! Our friend! X-Factor's founder!" Jean cried out as Warren advanced towards her. "Xavier trained us! All of us together! Back when we were children!"
"Warren... you remember... don't you?" Jean pleaded as Warren landed some distance before her.
Silence stretched for a moment, before Warren raised his eyes to look at her, his fury renewed even hotter than before.
"I remember..." Warren spoke softly and menacingly. His metal wings spreading again. "That Xavier is gone! Apocalypse is very much with us."
"Xavier made 'Angel' what he was." Warren sneered and the wings stretched forward again. "Apocalypse made 'Death'!"
"NOOOO..." Jean screamed as the shards flew towards her at an incredible speed...
- END DREAM -
"JEAN!!!" Warren screamed hoarsely as he sat up in his bed.
Panting for breath, he covered his face with his hands and fell back in bed, curling up as he sobs uncontrollably. The memories. The nightmares. The nightmares are back again. Will there ever be any peace for him?
Someone knocks on his bedroom's door, but lost in his sobs, he didn't even bother to answer. He hoped the door is locked. He doesn't want anyone to see him like this.
"Warren?" Jubilee's small voice floated in softly as she opened the door slightly to peek in to see if everything is all right.
"Go away!" Warren spoke through his gritted teeth. No one must see him like this. No one!
"Warren..."
"GO AWAAAAYYYY!!!" Warren shouted harshly as he sank into another bouts of sobs.
Seeing Warren curls up tighter as he sobs, Jubilee wisely withdrew and closed the door quietly. Sadly, she shook her head resignedly. This wasn't the first time she was woken up by Warren's screaming. Jean has warned her about the nightmares but she has never thought it'd be this bad. The problem now is, Jubilee have no idea how to help him! Warren seems to push her away every time she tried to help.
Briefly, she toyed with the idea of calling Jean to ask for her advice. Would that be wise? Warren is not someone whom you'd like to be around with when he is mad. She certainly doesn't want Warren to think that she couldn't mind her own business. Of all the X-men in the mansion, Bobby, Scott, Jean, Hank and Professor Xavier are the only people who stood close enough to dare invading Warren's personal space and that is only when it is absolutely necessary. Even Betsy had lost that right after she left him. Not even Storm dares unless the team is endangered.
She was startled out of her thoughts when a soft knock arises from the front door. Looking at the clock, she realized that its nearly 7 in the morning. Wow. Jubilee has never before in her life woken up this early, except for the occasional Scott's insane early-morning Danger Room training session but even then, most of the time, the X-men doesn't really needs her and let her sleep on. It is a sin for a teenager to wake up this early! She made her way to the door and opened it.
"Nick." Jubilee greeted in surprise.
Nick stood alone, dressed only in his T-shirt and sweatpants. His hair is slightly rumpled indicating that he has just woken up from his sleep. He wavered on his feet slightly before supporting himself by putting a hand on the doorframe. Jubilee unconsciously marveled at the obvious bulks of muscles on his arms and legs. If dancing did all THAT, Jubilee wondered why she even bothered spending all those endless hours training and exercising in the Danger Room. She has to speak to Scott about that... when she got the guts to do so. Nick and the rest of the guys think Kevin got a rod tightly stuck in his ass did they? Well, obviously they haven't met Scott yet!
"Hey Jube." Nick gave her an obviously struggled small smile as Jubilee gaped at him. "Is Warren up? Can I come in?"
Jubilee looked at him in puzzlement as she wonders why Nick is here so early in the morning. She was about to open the door wider when she remembered about Warren. Uh-oh. Warren will certainly not appreciate Nick finding him at his present condition. Calling up Jean may be considered going a little bit too far. Sending Nick in right now is considered suicidal... not for Nick, but for Jubilee.
"I... umm... actually, Nick, this is really not a good time," said Jubilee as she wracked her head to think up a plausible excuse.
Nick must have noticed the worry in her eyes because he pushed against the door gently.
"Actually... umm... I came to check up on Warren," Nick stammered nervously.
"Huh?" Jubilee asked in confusion.
"Well... you see, my room is right below this and... well... I... I was sleeping and then I felt... this... this... umm..." Nick was actually shaking visibly as he tried to explain and it took some minutes for Jubilee to finally understand.
"Oh! The empathy!!" Jubilee exclaimed, finally catching on. Warren and Jean had already told her everything that went on yesterday. She still couldn't get over the shock of the fact that Nick is actually a mutant like her. "Oh, God! You have no idea how glad I am that you're here! Maybe you can help him! Can you use you empathy to calm him down?"
"I'm... I'm not sure. I don't really know how to use it just yet." Said Nick as he walked in nervously into the room. But his nervousness is more because of the continuous streams of anguish and despair that constantly assault his mind. It started with a burst of fear and panic not long ago and it was so sudden that it startled Nick out of his sleep to the point where he nearly jumped out and fell off his bed. Using what little Jean had taught him before she left, he hesitantly reached out mentally to pinpoint the source and was surprised to find himself penetrating Warren's mental barrier. The barrier doesn't seem as strong as before and as soon as he was in, he wished he hadn't attempted the whole thing. Waves upon waves of pure agony, pain, anguish and fear washed over Nick's mind that he actually staggered when he attempted to get out of his bed. What could have upset Warren so bad?
"What happened? Is he okay?" said Nick as he winced against another wave of emotional pain. Unconsciously, he placed his fingers on his throbbing temples.
"Nightmares." Jubilee said sadly as she watched Nick's predicament. She suddenly realized her situation. Nick hasn't had full control over his empathic ability yet, and Jubilee has no doubt that the emotions Warren is projecting out right now are hurting Nick. If she sent Nick in, Warren might not forgive her for letting Nick see his state right now. But if she leaves Warren alone, it is Nick who will be suffering. She has heard the Professor mentioning once that empaths tends to experience emotions much more deeper than normal people do.
'God dammit! I hate making decisions!' She cursed in her thoughts. Jubilee knows for a fact that she is NOT a 'Fearless Leader' material. She is quite content in leaving all the life and death decision-makings to Scott or Storm or Logan. They point, and Jubilee punch - simple concept for a happy-go-lucky teenage mutant girl!
Thinking as quickly as she thought she ever could, she made her decision. She may regret this, but sending Nick in would end both men's suffering quicker compared to the alternative. Nick may calm Warren down, and when that happens, the emotional projection will disappear. Of course, there is a chance that the whole thing will blow in her face and that would be the time when she should jump off the balcony and dive to the ground, laughing all the way as she makes her death as glorious as possible.
"He's crying in his room alone now," Jubilee said nervously, afraid that Warren might be listening. With luck, she wouldn't end up as a chop liver in Warren's plate tonight. "Maybe you can try calming him down? You two were close yesterday, so... I dunno..."
Nick look at the door of Warren's room hesitantly. He winced again as another wave of pure agony washed into his mind. God! What could make him be so upset? The assaulting pain and bitterness began to draw tears from Nick's eyes too. He cannot leave him like this. His angel is in pain, and Nick couldn't leave him like this! Warren was there with him yesterday when Nick needed to hold someone...
Gathering his courage, he twists the doorknob and quietly walks inside the room...