A Touch of Brimstone Log 12

[x-gambit.livejournal.com]

Carnage the likes of which the X-Men haven't yet seen visits Muir Island.

Trigger warning: Graphic violence and death.



Magneto swept aside another telekinetic attack, aware that his prey had escaped, and more importantly, his plan was unraveling. The trap had worked at the beginning, keeping the X-Men off balance. But the taste of blood had been too much for his men, as they escalated the fight to lethal levels, killing many X-Men who would have served well as hostages and forcing the X-Men to lethal means themselves, killing several key Brotherhood. Worse, his team in the catacombs had reported being forced out, costing him the most important objectives; the inhabitants of Muir as hostages against Xavier's response.

Without the hostages, holding Muir Island was no longer feasible. Damn Apocalypse for his betrayal. The fool traded the chance of seizing the whole prize just to inflict a few casualties on the X-Men. Their next meeting would be a reckoning for him and the Dark Riders.

"Another day, X-Men." He touched the recall order for the Brotherhood, before taking to the air.

There hadn't been a second to think, let alone react to everything around them. All she knew was that Blink had all the injured, and that she had been ready to confront Magneto when he leapt into the air. "Goddamnit, get back here and fight like a man," she screamed, launching herself after him. "Ya think ya can do all this and then jus' leave?"

"Oh, do be silent, Marie." Magneto said, slowing her charge by slamming an HVAC unit directly into her, disrupting her flight path. He continued to climb, the panorama of the island growing more clear under him.

Jean followed Rogue, partially for to ensure her safety, partially to make sure they caught Erik so he could pay for his crimes. The rain had started to increase, and lightning in the clouds lit up the sky. As the HVAC headed for Rogue, Jean flung it out of the way with a wave of her hand. It flew into the ocean, landing with a spectacular splash.

"Why? You knew what would happen by aligning yourself with him! Apocalypse is a monster! He destroyed New York. Did you think this would end peacefully?"

"You were like a father to me once, you know that? You and Charles. Now you're just a madman! I don't even know who you are!" Jean screamed.

"Always the self-righteous, Jean. You always had the safety to be moral at those who couldn't hide and their needs for survival." The air rippled between them, and Jean had to abruptly shift as the magnetic field threatened to cut off her flight abilities. "This could have been a symbol as well as an asylum. But you fail to-"

Magneto was cut off as a white heat flare erupted from the midst of the Muir Island complex. There was a moment of total silence before the sound-wave hurt them; deafening and total, nearly throwing them from the air. As they fought to stabilize themselves, the roar of the blast continued to reverberate around them. Mini-thunderclaps sounded as the gaps blown in the atmosphere closed, and thick plumes of smoke began to rise from the north side of the island. The blast looked like it had taken a bite out of the geography, sundering a third of it to the ocean while the rest burned. Even Magneto looked stunned at the fury.

Coughing furiously, Rogue tried to wipe away the grime and water from her eyes. It had been hard to stay afloat with the blast waves, and she'd found herself tumbling a few times in the air. Now, there was an almost eerie silence, and as the smoke cleared, Rogue's eyes widened in shock, as her jaw dropped.

Muir Island was no more. Compared to the violence of the explosion, the flames looked almost calming, flickering against the backdrop of the rain. "Oh Magneto," she said. "What have you done?"

He ignored her, his attention fully on the smouldering ruin of the island. It was obvious from his expression that this had not been his plan.

Dozens of people. Friends. All obliterated in an instant. Their minds cried out in pain and anguish as their bodies burned. This death was not kind, or merciful. Jean was out of sight after the blast, the shock of it knocking her out of the sky. She'd caught herself before she had hit the ocean.

And now she was shooting toward them like a comet, barreling for Magneto at an alarming speed.

"ANSWER HER, YOU BASTARD!" she screamed, telekinetically yanking him toward her. Her eyes blazed, quite literally. The smoke continued to pour off of her, and her skin had taken on an orange glow from within. She grabbed his throat with her hand, lifting his arms like he were a marionette.

"There were CHILDREN, for god’s sake!"

"Hrrrgh" Magneto fought against her hold, finding his magno-kinetic powers sliding off her telekinesis, driven by rage.

Jean loosened her grip ever so slightly to allow him to speak, but do nothing else.

"I will not ask you again, Erik! Why? THEY DID NOTHING TO YOU!"

He grabbed at her grip, gasping at the pressure on his throat. He reached back for an EM burst and shoved it at her.

The energy shot through Jean, causing her to reflexively let go as she clutched at her temples. The thoughts of those on the Blackbird opened up to her, flooding her mind. She let out a cry of pain.

This was getting out of control. She'd tried screaming at Jean to stop, but there was no way she could get close to either of them while they were battling each other. So she kept a close eye, waiting for her moment.

When she saw Jean double over in pain, Rogue flew to her and put herself in between Magneto and Jean. "Enough! ENOUGH!." She stretched her arms out, hands out. Her throat hurt from the sound of her own voice. "Both of you! Hundreds are dead, and NO ONE WON! Let's not add more deaths." She swallowed hard and looked straight at Magneto. "Go. Jus' go."

"I didn't want this. I wanted this to be a sanctuary. I didn't-" Erik's throat closed convulsively. He had never intended this, but the Dark Riders had out maneuvered him.

Jean's body straightened, stiff, rigid. Rogue's words might have meant something if Erik hadn't spoken. She had wanted for so long to believe that Erik might change someday. That he'd become the man who'd raised her. And now he had murdered her friends, her loved ones, her FAMILY. All in his dogged pursuit for mutant supremacy. It would never end. He would never stop. He would never see reason. Never. No matter how hard she wanted it. All was lost.

Something happened. It was like striking a match, and throwing it in gasoline. The fire in Jean's eyes seemed to catch, and spread, igniting her from underneath but her skin didn't burn. The flames merely danced along the surface.

"YOU LIE!," Jean said, her voice burning with pure rage. She lifted her head, as her hair ignited in flames. Raising her arms, a pair of wings, made of fire, burst from her back, and the head of the phoenix sprung form from her own. It grew exponentially, until it's wingspan was nearly the size of Muir island, heat and flames spewing from it's tongue in an otherworldly scream.

Her eyes met Magneto's as she suddenly turned calm. It was like staring into a dark eternity. The voice that came from her lips was like nothing they'd ever heard before.
"And you will burn for it."

She pressed her index finger to Erik Lensherr's forehead. The moment it touched his skin it left ash in its wake, and it slowly spread, enough for him to know what was happening. The smell of burn skin and hair, the sight of smoke started to billow in the rain.

Erik screamed as the fire ran through him. He believed himself insulated against most powers. But this tore through his veins. "Jean, Don't- I once taught you! Please don't-"

Cocking her head to the side, Jean studied him like a culture on a petrie dish. "Too late." The fire flared, and flames started pouring from Erik before his entire body immolated and was soon reduced to nothing. The ashes caught on the wind.

At the same time the sound of screams also echoed down on Muir below as the rest of the Brotherhood followed their leader in death. They joined the fires from the remains of the island, the only light left.

Rogue could only watch in growing horror as Magneto's body crumbled to ashes before her very eyes. Tears she didn't know she'd shed were coursing down her face.

"You killed him," she said in awe, her eyebrows furrowed as if trying to comprehend it. She then wrenched her head towards Jean, eyes welling with sadness. "You. Killed. Him. Why? We're X-Men! We don't kill, and...you didn't....you didn't even hesitate! He may have been a selfish, horrible man but he didn't deserve that death! And all those people....". Rogue turned away to glance at the epic destruction below her.

She would never forget the sound of those people screaming, wondering if among those voices was Mystique. "I don't even know you right now..."

Staring down at the island with a sense of satisfaction, Jean didn't respond for a moment or two, looking almost celestial with the Phoenix around her, suspended like she were in water. Even the rain drops around her had seemed to stop, frozen. Then reality barged back in.

You. Killed. Him. You. Killed. Him. You. Killed. Him. Rogue's voice, over and over and over and over in her mind like a broken record.

The fire in Jean's eyes completely disappeared in seconds. The Phoenix shrunk down, until soon it evaporated as well, only tendrils of smoke remaining.

She looked up at Rogue, the supernatural calm quickly being replaced by sheer horror as if she had just woken from a nightmare. She then stared down at her hands like they were covered in blood. Her breathing quickened, and she clutched her hands to her chest to try to quell her pounding heart.

You. Killed. Him. A new word crept in and suddenly took hold, obliterating the rest with all the mercy she'd shown Erik.

Why?

Jean's face crumpled as she shook her head in disbelief, the look on her face answering Rogue's question.

"I don't...I don't know either," she said. She stared back down at Muir. Her voice became a whisper.

"What have I done?"

Without allowing either of them to answer that question, Jean turned away, listening as the thoughts of the others, not just on the Blackbird but from Scotland nearby, started to pour in. She felt that heat again, rekindling inside. But she couldn't allow it.

She met Rogue's gaze for a moment, her eyes bleeding sorrow and regret before shooting off into the sky.

And then Rogue was alone. Noises were starting to pick up below, the shuddering thuds of buildings crashing down, the rhythmic crackling of the many fires, the thunderous booms of the waves taking back the land, but none of it registered to her.

She watched as her mentor, her friend, her sister , flew off into the evening sky, and she couldn't do a thing. It was if all the stress, all the shock, had paralyzed her into one place and left her completely empty inside. The rain was picking up, her outfit so utterly drenched, the water was wicking off her body, dripping down to the ground.

There was only one thing left that Rogue could do. Balling her fists next to her body, she screamed as loudly as she could. She screamed for the senseless loss of lives. She screamed for the innocence that had been so soundly shed. She screamed for the inevitable change that was put into motion this very night.

But most of all, she screamed because she couldn't do a fucking thing about it.

And when she was done, when she had nothing left inside, she took a deep breath, futily wiped the rain off her face, and reached for her comm. "Lorna, I need a pickup. Jean's gone." No sense in codenames at this point -- there was no one alive to hear her.

Rogue gave her coordinates, and floated, aimlessly in the sky, waiting for the Blackbird.

And while she waited, she looked at the stars, and wondered where Jean had gone, and what she would tell the others when they picked her up.

The truth was hardly believable.