xp_logs | Thirteen Days Aftermath: The Unbroken Ones

With everyone accounted for, finally those who escaped major injury can relax. Forge and Laurie find out that just because bones aren't broken doesn't mean that damage wasn't done.

Forge wandered out onto the front porch, slowly sitting down on the steps and watching his breath form fog in the air. Miles away in Salem Center, kids were probably dressed up and running from house to house for Halloween, reveling in their hauls of sugar-loaded goodies. And here he was, bone-tired and exhausted to the core after a series of trans-global flights and rescue missions. He'd managed to catch a few catnaps in between flights, but had been running nonstop for almost three straight days.

Rubbing his hands together for some quick warmth, he leaned against the railing and groaned slightly as his back protested.

Laurie paused at the door, smiling as she noticed someone had made it out here before her. She was still somewhat exhausted but she knew if she went to sleep now she'd been wandering around for half the night later on.

"Penny for your thoughts," she murmured, joining Forge at the railing.

Forge glanced up and smiled. "Hey," he said as he patted the stair next to him. "Just thinking how absolutely draining this all is. I mean, shit. Garrison's in critical condition, Clarice has a concussion, Scott's beaten all to hell and back, even the other trainees got banged up pretty badly. But we did it. Well, helped. Save the world and all." He chuckled to himself and shook his head. "How'd your end of it go? Pretty hairy there in Tibet, yeah?"

Laurie sat, resting her hands loosely on her knees as she thought about the question. The blood that had stained her clothes and covered her hands was long gone but it was a trial by fire that she'd always remember.

"Bloody, terrifying, but also enlightening," Laurie said, glad to be sitting down.

Nodding, Forge sighed and leaned forward, elbows on knees and head in hands. Now that the adrenalin had passed, the actions he'd taken - and those he'd almost taken - came crashing down on him. Beneath the thin windbreaker, his shoulders shook. "I almost killed someone," he said quietly.

Laurie placed her arm along Forge's back, giving him a sideways hug and scooting closer so she could keep her arm about him comfortably. "Why?" she asked, no hint of judgement in her voice. She'd learnt a lot in the last few days, about herself and what she believed especially.

"He... it... there was this mutant. One of Magneto's. And he was in the hospital, hurting people and..." Forge closed his eyes, remembering with chilling accuracy what he'd threatened the gaseous mutant with. It's easy to be brave when you've got a steel door between you and the other guy's basically at your mercy, he scolded himself.

"I told him that if he didn't let go this guy whose body he was controlling, I'd kill him. I could have. I could have done it, just like that," he snapped his fingers, metal on metal echoing across the porch, "and no one would have been hurt. And he surrendered. Gave up and let the guy go."

Laurie thought about it for a moment, wondering what she might have done in the same position. Admittedly, her power gave her a few more options then someone else might otherwise have. "Could you have gotten him to surrender any other way?"

"I don't know," Forge admitted. "Garrison and Marie were injured, Tabitha was trying to find them, Storm was back with the jet and there was just me. And... it's weird. I wasn't afraid." He looked over at Laurie, an odd look crossing his face. "It was like everything was clear, I couldn't be afraid. Because there were people depending on me. It's... I don't know if I'd have done it. I honestly don't know. But what mattered was that he believed I would have."

"You warned him, when you could have just killed him. It wouldn't have hurt anyone else, like you said." Laurie said, her voice noticably soft and as soothing as she could make it. "Would he have done the same, do you think?"

Forge shook his head. "He was going to kill the man whose body he was in, right in front of me. I... not on my watch, no. I just..." He laughed quietly. "I suppose my bluff was better than his, right? Maybe I ought to start getting in on the staff poker games."

"Definitely. Then you can take me out for ice cream for not ratting you out for using an unfair advantage," Laurie replied with a grin. "Did you hear about what I did with the injured guy?"

"Unfair advantage?" Forge arched an eyebrow. "You have me mistaken for one of the telepaths, or Doug doing that whole weird body language thing. But no, I just filed my mission report, but I suppose you can tell me about yours firsthand." Grunting through sore muscles, Forge gripped the railing and levered himself to his feet and held a hand down to Laurie. "Over ice cream?"

Laurie placed her hand in Forge's, pushing slightly with her power to help with the soreness after she noticed his grunt. "Definitely. Although, the good kind from the gelato place this time, I think we deserve it."

Forge felt a slow ease spread through his muscles as he leaned slightly into Laurie. "I think there's still some in the fridge. Let us go celebrate our first mutually successful mission... Still-Has-No-Silly-Codename Lass."

Laurie grinned and linked her arm into Forge's as they walked inside, "Shhh, don't mention that so loudly and maybe they'll entirely forget that I need one."

"I don't know, I may have to be bribed there..."