Xmen is the trademarked property of Marvel, all Marvel Characters are copyrighted to Marvel, their characters are borrowed, for the purposes of the story.
This is a work of Gay fiction, containing adult situations between consenting males. If you are under the legal age in your country, DO NOT CONTINUE, otherwise, I hope you enjoy.
Weaver X: Chapter 11
Alex sighed and stepped through the final gateway, back onto the grounds at Xavier's institute. He'd travelled all over the world, using his gateways, laying as long and misleading a trail as he could before coming here.
Alex inhaled gently, taking in the scent of the surrounding forest and the sense of isolation. He knew it wouldn't be long before Wolverine or someone else found him, but just for now, he took his time, revelling in the silence of the moment.
"Do I want to ask if you're in trouble?" Wolverine asked, stepping out from behind a tree. "Or is this just a social visit?"
Alex smile, he'd only been in the forest for 10 minutes or so. "I don't know exactly." He responded honestly. "I do need to see the Professor though."
Wolverine snorted and lit his omnipresent cigar. "Most people do." He took a deep draw of his cigar. "You stirred up a bee's nest leaving the way you did, don't be looking for the warmest welcome."
Alex sighed. "I figured it would be something like that." Seizing control of his abilities, he wove a net of air and gathered up his belongings. "Thanks for letting me know."
As he stepped forwards and began to weave a gateway, Wolverine grabbed his arm. "I didn't say you weren't welcome, I just said that you might want to be careful with a few people, you hurt them, leaving with no warning." Abruptly he sniffed the air and his face took on a feral cast. "Sabretooth." He snarled, and grabbed Alex by his arms, and hauled him up close. "When did you come into contact with that animal?"
Alex lost control of his powers and his cases fell to the ground. "I.I.uh." Abruptly he burst into tears.
Wolverine loosened his grip on Alex's arms and stared at him blankly. "You really do need to see the Professor." He said, his voice remote. "Weave your powers kid, take us to the mansion. Then we'll have a talk to the Professor, you and me, alright?"
Alex nodded, too shocked by his display to do anything but agree, it had been years since he'd cried. He had to be more on edge than he'd thought to loose control that way. Wearily he re-wove the net of air, and opened a gateway into the hangars. It was time to deal with the Professor's dire predictions coming true.
"You say that he approached you with Sabretooth and Mezmero?" The Professor frowned.
"Yes." Alex replied simply. "He knew my last name, I haven't told anyone my last name, not even here." He swallowed convulsively, the only person he could think of who knew his last name in America was Dimitri, and he was supposed to have left for Russia shortly before Alex left himself.
"I fear that you are in more danger than you know. Magneto has vast resources at his disposal, among them telepaths he uses to force cooperation." The Professor looked up at Alex from behind his desk. "It is crucial that we discover what he wants with you."
Alex shrugged tiredly. Fleeing from Paris and arriving back at the mansion had taken their emotional toll, he was utterly exhausted. "All I know is that he said he wanted me to join his brotherhood, whatever the hell that means, and that he wasn't interested in harming me. The thing is, he only said that after I flamed some iron railings he was trying to throw at me."
The Professor looked sharply at Alex. "What does he know of your abilities, from the fight?"
"Well, I was holding a personal shield, and had a few wards on myself, to warn me if someone got too close, and flaming the railing till it was ash.and I guess he knows that I was making my sculptures with my powers." Alex admitted.
"Sculptures?" The Professor sounded surprised. "Well, we must assume that he is also aware of your healing abilities as well." He examined Alex's face carefully. "You should go upstairs and rest, Beast, Logan and I will look into this, but until we discover what it is Magneto wants with you, I ask that you please remain in the mansion."
"You mean I'm grounded?" Alex asked disbelievingly, he'd only been back for a matter of hours.
The Professor chuckled. "Hardly that. I just believe that, for your safety, it's the best choice for now."
Alex nodded slowly. "So where am I staying?"
Alex lay on the guest room bed. It was so strange to be back. When he'd left, he'd never thought, not even for a moment, that he'd come back. The distance and loneliness he'd felt when he'd left, none of it had changed. Paris had been good. At least there he'd managed to make his own way, to interact with people as though he was normal, not a thing to be used, not a freak, not a ticking time bomb, just another artist in Paris. Making glass sculptures may not have been the best paying occupation in the world, but it was something that was his alone, something that didn't require others to touch him, his body, his soul.
Alex sighed and rolled over on his stomach. Now, now, he was back at Xavier's. No more normality, just another freak in the crowd of them. He sighed again, and yelping, slid off the bed in surprise as the door burst open, revealing the grinning, tear streaked face of Rogue.
"You're back!" She pulled Alex up off the ground and into a hug. "I missed you." She muttered, squeezing him tightly.
"Me too." Alex replied, and was surprised to find that he actually meant what he'd said. Rogue had been a friend from the moment he'd first set foot in the Mansion. He squeezed her back gently and let go.
Rogue took a step back and half-examined, half-glared at him. "Where did you go?"
Alex sank down onto the bed. "Paris." He grinned up at her. "I travelled in Europe for a month and then settled down in Paris, selling sculpture."
Rogue's eyes became dreamy. "Paris." She half-sighed in envy. "I always wanted to go there." She took a deep breath and her eyes narrowed sharply. "Did you bring me anything?"
Alex frowned slightly, if there was any response he'd expected from Rogue of all people, it was a teary demand on why he'd gone away, not this radiation of relief and pleasure. "I can't say that I was expecting to come back." He paused for a moment. "But I do think I've got something for you."
Rogue tilted her head in a questioning manner. "Oh?" She smiled. "Where is it then?"
Alex laughed and opened his specially built case for carrying the fragile sculpture. "No peeking." He warned her as he flicked the case open and lifted out one of the miniature statues out of the case. Instinct told him that this was the perfect one. "Now you can look." He held out the sculpture.
Rogue's lustrous green eyes filled with expressive tears as she beheld an exquisite foot high glass sculpture of herself, clear, save for the two snowy white locks of hair that wrapped and moulded themselves to the contours of 'her' skin. She stared at it, speechless for a long moment, then reached out and traced the contours of the statue with gentle fingers. She took a deep shaky breath. "I don't.I've never seen anything so beautiful in my life."
Alex shrugged uncomfortably. He wasn't used to compliments, never had been and it still felt strange to get them. "You're my best friend. I wanted to make something that wasn't just, you know, a pretty picture."
Rogue smiled and wiped her tears away. "You're all thumbs telling someone that you love them, but I know what you meant." She surprised Alex by leaning forward and kissing him gently on the cheek. "Thankyou."
Alex shook his head, this certainly wasn't the response he expected from his best friend after just disappearing, but he was grateful for it nonetheless. "You're welcome." He replied, a smile hovering on his lips. "I just don't know what to do now."
Rogue sat down on the bed next to Alex, and sobered up straight away. "You want to tell me what happened?" She asked, glancing at him sideways.
Alex recounted his encounter with Magneto and Professor Xavier's reactions.
"Well, I guess that means you'll be sticking around for a while, won't you?" The plea on Rogue's face was clear, even if she wasn't asking questions about his disappearance, she'd missed Alex and been hurt by his absence.
Alex smiled at his friend. "I'm not going anywhere."
"Alex," Scott's voice rang out down the hall, "I'd like to speak with you for a moment please." Alex halted and turned around. Ever since the first moment they'd met, there had been tension between them. Admittedly their first meeting was Scott almost breaking down Alex's door to chew him out for smoking, the first impression had stuck, with both of them.
"How can I help you Mister Summers?" Alex asked him politely, he didn't like the man, but he didn't see any reason to antagonise him more than necessary. Necessary meaning breathing.
Scott gestured to an open door. It was an empty classroom. Alex followed him inside and watched as he closed the door behind them.
"I just wanted to let you know that if you ever need to talk to someone about things, I'd be glad to listen, any time, day or night." Scott said, sitting on the edge of a desk and smiling at Alex.
Alex blinked in surprise. This was the last thing he'd expected from the authoritarian X - team leader. It must have shown on his face, because Scott cleared his throat uncomfortably.
"I know things can be difficult. Finding out you're a mutant, let alone dealing with the pressure of learning how to control your powers, it can really mess you up." He seemed to look at Alex expectantly, it was hard to tell though, with his eyes hidden behind his visor.
"Thankyou, Scott." Alex answered awkwardly. He didn't know what to do or say. They'd been cordial when Alex was in training, but there wasn't anything more to the relationship than that.
Scott cleared his throat again. "I just wanted you to know." He said awkwardly, standing.
Alex nodded and opened the door. "Thankyou, I, I um, appreciate it." He said hurriedly and walked back out into the hall.
Thoughts whirled through his head, mostly the shock of a positive encounter with Scott. Simply put, Alex wasn't used to dealing with males being nice without an ulterior motive, and Scott had never been nice to him before. He wandered through the halls and outside, not really knowing where he was going until he suddenly found himself standing outside the greenhouse Storm had claimed for her own.
Alex walked along the carefully designed path, revelling in the warm, moist air. The smell of fresh dirt, fertiliser and growing green things surrounded him and assailed his senses, reminded him of the rainforests of home...
"What are you doing in here?" Storm's voice broke through his reverie.
Alex spun, looking for the mutant he possibly had the most respect for in all of Xavier's mansion. Finally he spotted her, half concealed behind a screen of fern fronds. "Storm, I was just."
Storm cut him off with one hand. "I don't recall inviting you here." She replied coldly, not even turning her head from her examination of the ferns.
A knot of ice formed around Alex's heart at the hard, harsh tones of the woman he most respected. "I.I was just looking for a place to be alone." His voice came out dull and flat, nearly unrecognisable even to him.
"For what?" Storm demanded, releasing the fern and turning icy blue eyes on him. Tension crackled in the air as she took a step closer to Alex. "You left, you wanted to be alone and you were. If you want to be alone again. Leave."
Alex staggered backwards with the force of hatred behind Storm's words. "I. I'm sorry." He stammered, unable to tear his eyes from Storm's eyes, now crackling with sparks of electricity.
"Get out."
Alex blinked at the force behind the command and fled the greenhouse as wind began to lash plants back and forth, the leaves cutting his face and arms with the force behind them.
Alex flung the door closed behind him and sank onto his mattress, tears streaming down his face. Of all the people in the world to reject him, Storm was the last he'd expected to have that reaction, she'd always been so kind and gentle with him. Angrily he dashed the tears from his eyes and stared at his hands in shock, mingled with tears was blood.
Shaking his head angrily, he stalked into the bathroom and stared at his face in the mirror. Dark blue eyes stared back at him out of a face most models would have envied, with dark red luscious lips and pure white skin framed by lanky black hair, an image now marred by long, angry red scratches, the legacy of Storm's rage at him.
Hands gripping the basin, Alex stared at his reflection as tears of heartbreak and sorrow welled up in his eyes and broke loose. Anguish welled up inside of him as floodgates long closed opened up in response to Storm's unexpected reaction, his fear and the biting loneliness deep within. Slowly, he half-slid down the wall, blinded by all the pain, as wracking sob after wracking sob escaped his shaking form.
Time became a blur as the anguish of his life escaped his control, emotional pain translated to a dull physical ache as the acid of his tears etched deep marks on his face and through it all he saw nothing, felt nothing until he slipped into blissful darkness.
Author's Note:
Well, I hope you all had a great holiday season and New Years! As always, I look forward to feedback, it's always a privilege to hear from you. I hope the New Years brings you all you could want it to!