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Post by conduit on Aug 8, 2006 15:08:58 GMT -5
Rayen lowered her hands onto her brother's torso and drew electrical current both from his center and from the lamp near the wall. A very soft buzzing sound echoed in her ears, the white noise almost helping her to relax.
Drawing along his nervous system, Rayen could feel where the damage was. It wasn't an ability she'd ever had, to her knowledge; but for some reason, with Bandero, it works. Mohanes had said she would find her path. It seemed it was more like the path found her.
Stretching her senses with a shift of tension across her back, Rayen moved the flow of electricity through a section of nerves and blood vessels near where his leg had been severed. She forced the current to open up new areas, stemming off blood flow and redirecting it. It was incredibly strenuous work, as she wasn't entirely sure what she was doing, going only be instinct. When something felt right, she did it. Bandero's biology was different than others, but similar in many ways to her own.
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Post by forge on Aug 8, 2006 15:25:51 GMT -5
Once again Forge’s consciousness swelled to the surface. The pain was brutal, the morphine drip having been tuned down due to limited supply here – at least until Logan got back from procuring some more painkiller from the supply rooms.
Not that Forge knew any of that, he just knew it hurt… and that this was not the hospital. They were back in the X-Mansion. He could feel something strange in his body… a charge, and a change. Something was…
He looked up, blinking at the light, and seeing Rayen. She was doing something with him. She was… changing his bio-electric signature. Even altering around things in his leg. He could feel it, and knew instantly what it was. He also recalled with a great and sudden pain that he’d lost his leg. That it’d been… that it was gone.
“Rayen…” He said, barely audible. God he was thirsty. “I.. how are you doing this?”
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Post by conduit on Aug 9, 2006 11:00:55 GMT -5
She smiled, gasping a bit as he woke up. Thank GOD.
"You know... I haven't a clue. It just came to me." She took his hand. Her control over the current in his body subsided... it seemed like an invasion to do it while he was awake. Suddenly it occurred to her he might not have appreciated her being there.
"They just don't understand your mutation, at the hospital.." she gave a lame excuse, wincing. "How are you feeling?" She got up and handed him a small glass of water. "Don't drink too much, that whole area down there is kind of a mess still."
Concern was written on her face, along with the awkwardness of him still being mostly a stranger. They lacked the familiarity of years together, and she fumbled a little, feeling out of place.
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Post by forge on Aug 9, 2006 16:04:55 GMT -5
There was no mistaking her discomfort, and there certainly were a plethora of reasons as to why it would be so… but he thought he understood the primary reason.
“Rayen,” He said, after drinking just enough water to quench his thirst. “Thank you. This was probably the best idea… particularly if you, can… you know, help out, in whatever fashion… I just can’t believe that he-” His voice broke then, the low quaver given to a person who’s on the verge of a sob. His face told the story of trauma, of loss and fear. “I just don’t know what I’m going to do… you’re helping , though, thank you for being here with me. Your power is helping, too, whatever you’re doing, it seems as if my energy – I dunno – trusts it?”
That sounded odd, even to him, but it was true. His leg felt like it was recovering, which was absurd, given that it’d only just been damaged. Dermally it was still shot to shit, but the wiring on the inside, it felt as if it was doing quite fine.
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Post by conduit on Aug 9, 2006 16:28:49 GMT -5
Rayen winced, sucking in her emotions just to be strong for him. Taking his hand in both of hers, she held it tightly.
"I'm so sorry Bandero... I'm... I'm just sorry. That guy was seriously messed up. But... you got him, ya know that?" She tried to make it better, but couldn't.
"I'm going to take care of you. Don't worry about anything. Just get rest, and we'll get it all figured out." She suddenly wanted to sob, but couldn't. He had a lot more reasons to cry than she did.
"Hey..." she smiled a little. "You know your friend Bishop is here?"
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Post by forge on Aug 9, 2006 16:58:58 GMT -5
A vicious cycle, remorse and sadness. When you felt it for yourself, when your situation went beyond basic self pity and became justified self-grieving, and someone else felt it for you, you then felt it for them… and it became a perpetual motion machine. Forge could see the sadness in his sister’s eyes, and her swimming for a way to get rid of it. He knew it, because he felt exactly the same.
He was about to tell her it would be okay. That these things happened in war, and he’d seen it happen to a hundred guys… of course, the latter may be true but the first, not so much. He didn’t believe it would be okay at all. Still, he was going to tell her when she said:
"You know your friend Bishop is here?"
He immediately tried to sit up, but winced and coughed, and immediately laid back (She was pressing him to, anyway, clearly concerned)
“Sarge is here!?! How long has he been here?” He felt suddenly self conscious of the missing leg. Bishop was his best friend, but he was also a bastion of strength and unlimited resolve. Here Forge was torn up about his leg, and he thought that if Bishop had lost a leg, he would’ve just picked it up and used it as a weapon. When he was done with it, he would’ve eaten it and claimed ‘waste not, want not’. That was the Bishop that Forge knew.
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Post by conduit on Aug 9, 2006 21:54:07 GMT -5
"Bout a day," she said, clearing her throat. "He actually helped us kidnap you from the hospital. They weren't going to let me sign you out."
Reluctantly she let his hand go once she saw he was going to lay back.
"Did you want to see him? Do you need more painkiller?" She stood, biting her bottom lip a bit. Actually, it might not be bad to get out of things for a while. She needed a cigarette, and all this emotion was making her tired.
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Post by forge on Aug 10, 2006 3:55:28 GMT -5
“Yeah… I think I would like to see him. More painkiller to, if ya got it.” He said, his voice stronger than his face looked. “Rayen, again, thank you so much. You’ve only had the chance to see me for a day now, and already I’ve put you through so much… I know this must be exhausting and frustrating. Maybe you should call it in for the night? I’m not going anywhere. Go get some sleep in a comfortable bed.”
He wanted more than anything for them to be able to start over, maybe to actually do normal brother/sister things, and talk about normal brother/sister subjects… thinking about his shredded up leg stump, though, he doubted ‘normal’ was something in their cards. For now, he really wanted her to get some sleep, change, shower, and start fresh. She looked like she needed twelve hours of deep slumber, and then big ass breakfast. That’s what he wanted for her, more than anything.
“Seriously… I’ll be alright.” He even managed a smile. “You go take care of yourself for a little bit, okay? Send Bishop’s giant ass in here.”
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Post by conduit on Aug 10, 2006 8:20:10 GMT -5
Rayen smiled, a bit of guilt, a bit of relief on her face. She nodded.
"I don't think I'll be able to stay away that long, but I'll take a nap at least. Sound good?"
Moving to him, she brushed a bit of hair off his forehead. She really did love him, and every hour that past she felt that love from childhood grow into something deeper, more suited to their new selves. It felt natural, not forced. And she needed it, after all the years with their loveless father.
Leaning down, she kissed his forehead. "I love you, you know." Giving him a warm half smile, she stepped out the door before he could see her eyes fill with tears.
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Post by bishop on Aug 10, 2006 17:18:05 GMT -5
Enter Bishop from the Dormitories
"I'd say 'stand by your beds', but under the circumstances, even I might consider that a little crass and thoughtless."
Lucas Bishop stood resting against the doorframe of Forge's room, an unreadable expression on his usually affable face. "How you doing, little guy?"
He stepped into the room and crossed to the bed. "Hauled my cookies down here as soon as I saw the news report on Baltimore. I ought to thank you really. Do you have any idea how boring Nebraska actually is? I mean, if you're big on cornfields, then whoop de doop, but otherwise...? A dump."
The concern in his dark eyes was evident. "Crap, man," he burst out. "Your whole damn LEG! You have to go one better than me all the time, don't you? All I lost was a chunk of thigh!"
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Post by forge on Aug 10, 2006 23:25:34 GMT -5
Forge couldn't help but smile, one that felt to him like a mile-wide, but in reality was meager and sort of pathetic. “You know me, Sarge... always raising the stakes in any competition.”
Damn it was good to see the big man. Even in a world full of powerful mutants like the X-Men, Bishop (who was a mutant, with a decent power) seemed larger than life. Despite this unlimited reserve of strength, Forge could see that Bishop was truly worried about him. That made made him feel ten feet tall and bulletproof in and of itself. He'd never really seen Bishop worry.
“I have to apologize, Bish... I don't think I'm ever going to get to take you on in that Breakdance fight I kept threatening you with in Kosovo.”
He sounded weak, and looked like 220 lbs of hammered shit, but Forge had clearly changed little in the span of time they'd been apart.
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Post by bishop on Aug 11, 2006 14:17:20 GMT -5
"We'll just assume that I won the breakdance fight then, I would've done anyway." The big man chuckled lightly, an exceptionally rare sound. "What the hell you been up to, man? You look like shit, and I don't mean that lightly. And what the heck is this place all about? I met your sister, by the way. I never even knew you had a sister."
Bishop paused for breath. Often, when he got going, it was hard to shut him up. And Forge recognised it for just what it was: nerves. He was worried and deeply anxious for his friend and it showed in his eyes. "She asked me to hit you with some more painkillers, so just you say the word when you've had enough of me."
He sat down.
He stood up.
He paced a bit.
Then he sat down.
"I ain't got any work on just now, my friend, so I'll stop here for now - just to see you right."
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Post by forge on Aug 12, 2006 13:09:24 GMT -5
Forge tried to hold it back, but couldn't help smiling widely. It was all too... well... cute. Though the thought of saying anything of the sort out loud sent a chill or terror through him. Lucas Bishop was a lot of things to a lot of people, but 'cute' likely never made the list. Well, maybe to a few ladies in his time, but not after he's prattle off military science to them.
“Okay... I'll give you the Breakdance Fight. I really believe in this place, Sarge...” No segue to change the subject, just did. “Xavier's Institute... the X-Men... it's a home for me. It's a home for a lot of mutants. Hell, we can outright talk about our abilities over corn flakes in the morning in the cafeteria.”
He coughed a bit, then held up a staving hand when Bishop got up once more. He cleared his throat and continued.
“The X-Men are doing something good here, too... the human/mutant relations is shot to shit in this coutnry, we're working on putting it back together. Also there are threats Uncle Sam can't handle here. Also our job... it's great. I fit in.”
He looked up at Bishop, clarity momentarily returned to his eyes. “I think you should stay for a while... just to check the place out...”
There was an unspoken 'thank you' between them. Forge and Bishop didn't quite have the relationship where you could completely go all mushy on each other, but Forge was sure the big man knew how much he appreciated that he was here. He felt more at home than ever. Rayen, Bishop, the X-Men... it was almost as if the lost leg could be forgotten. Almost.
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Post by bishop on Aug 13, 2006 6:54:22 GMT -5
"I was certainly planning on staying whilst you got on your feet..." Bishop trailed off. "That sounds incredibly insensitive. Why did it have to be your leg, you stupid bastard? Now I can't use even normal phrases without sounding like I'm mocking you."
He said it with a grin on his face. "Guess we won't be going out on the town and getting legless for a while, will we?"
Bishop settled back in his chair and looked around the medical lab in interested curiosity. "They certainly seem to have some pretty technologically advanced stuff lying around. I can see precisely where that would grab your interest. I imagine you've got a lot of plans for developing equipment, huh?" His dark eyes flashed with extreme approval. "Once you're up and about again, I'd be interested in commissioning a few more weapon developments - unless you've given up such behaviour and spend all your time building automatic toasters now?"
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Post by forge on Aug 13, 2006 11:26:11 GMT -5
Forge laughed at the jokes, for, even at his expense, punnery was still his favorite of all humor.
When Bishop asked about the technology, his humored smile became more of a business smile. The true passion within him came forward, and decorated his weary face like a set of beautiful drapes.
“Oh hell nah, I've been up on my weapons. I'll show you the specs for the laser cannon I used in Baltimore... attached 20 mm high-powered grenades, smaller and more efficient than what Uncle Sam uses. Turns out someone before me was experimenting with atomic slugs – small nuclear power cells capable of powering electronics for centuries. They require a minimum of space, but have a maximum of power – I updated the design, used my old corporate ties to get a small stash of plutonium (though there were a few atomic slugs here,) and use the stuff to power weaponry. The laser could've lasted quite a while on the full setting. At least a day of solid blasting... granted they do no good in conventional weapons, but I've been kicking around an idea about a plasma rifle.”
He looked around the room as best he could.
“Yeah, this place, otherwise, is a marvel. They have had a jet with an actual cloaking device on it.. and they have a room capable of making tangible illusions that look completely real. Simply amazing.”
The change in conversation was good. He could tell Bishop was getting a bit uncomfortable by the whole thing, and who could blame him? The few times Bandero himself had been around amputees, they were all uncomfortable.
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Post by bishop on Aug 13, 2006 11:36:27 GMT -5
When Forge started talking about the modified weapons stack, Bishop's eyes took on a very hungry look. It was like describing a feast to a starving man. "We'll definitely have to take a look at all of that, when you're up to it, then."
He got up and paced again. Lucas Bishop was good at waiting, and he was good at lying motionless in undergrowth for hours. But he somehow didn't blend in well to an indoor environment. He was too...obvious.
"Maybe it's time for a temporary change of direction," Bishop said, more to himself than to Forge. "Mercenary work's drying up a little at the moment...the competition is fierce out there."
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Post by forge on Aug 13, 2006 17:38:21 GMT -5
“Maybe, Sarge. As you can tell we could use all the help we could get...” He chuckled. “Besides, who's going to teach the kids advanced combat tactics, large scale conflict resolution, extreme outdoor survival, and the best twenty five ways to kill a man with pack of breathmints and four inches of twine?”
He couldn't help but grin. The thought of having Bishop around was all too awesome. Bishop AND Rayen, it really was surreal. I mean, the leg thing sucked, but at least it ... oh, yeah, it did hurt. Pretty badly.
“Actually Bishop, if you could hook me up with some more of that painkiller... just for now, and not enough to put me under...”
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Post by Storm on Aug 14, 2006 18:18:54 GMT -5
Warren had said that Forge was injured in Baltimore, but Ororo was not sure how badly, nor was she sure what condition of awakeness she would find him in. But out of the people the winged young man had said were hurt - well, Bobby was going to be all right, so that left only...
Opening the next hallway door, however, brought her up short. There was Forge, true, looking fairly awake on a laboratory bed; but he was joined by a man that Storm had never seen. Heavens, what was it with people just waltzing into the mansion lately? Well, she couldn't deny that things had been - chaotic. However, this was a particularly large... strong... good-looking man.
She kept her back straight and tried not to show that she was taken aback. "Bandero -" she said quietly, standing in the doorway.
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Post by forge on Aug 15, 2006 3:50:53 GMT -5
Forge looked up, eyes weary and head void of much strength. He’d been considering how to try to take the burden off of Bishop’s mind, possibly by talking about an old war story, when Storm had come in.
"Bandero -"
He smiled at her, and nodded her in. “Hey Ororo. This is Bishop… old war buddy of mine, and a mutant. Saw me get hurt on the news, thought he’d come down and check it out.”
He looked her up and down. “Were you hurt in the battle? I got, uhh… I…” He looked down at the part of the sheets where his leg should have been making it’s own shape, but wasn’t. “I guess I finally figured out what happens when a level 2 mutant takes on a level 4 mutant, right? Least I dropped the bastard…” then to clarify: “Juggernaut.”
The pain of loss in his eyes was great, and joking aside, he seemed to be on edge about the issue. His expression was the burning question: How can I cope with one leg?
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Post by Storm on Aug 15, 2006 4:26:22 GMT -5
Storm nodded once at the tall newcomer, trying not to stare. "Hello Bishop, it was good of you to come visit."
She crossed slowly to the other side of Forge's bed, listening to him. "I was hurt, yes. A sentinel - my ribs were crushed, I think, and internal injuries, and I am afraid I was unconscious on the way back."
She spread her arms slightly to show she was well, and smiled slightly. "But we have yet another newcomer - a mutant with a healing power, whom Warren picked up somehow. I was lucky enough to wake up next to him."
When Forge described his own injury, however, her eyes shot to his leg and widened just slightly. A slight pang of guilt ran through her as she realized Josh could do nothing for a missing limb.
Juggernaut.
She remembered him well. God help the man who went up against him hand-to-hand, she had thought when she first saw him; now she was seeing the result. And he had still done the giant mutant damage?
Ororo put a light hand on Forge's shoulder. "Admirable," she said to him quietly, although in his current state she was not sure he would believe him. There was a great deal of pain in his eyes. She could not imagine what he must be going through; and all her powers of caring could not tell her what to do right now. So a light touch it was, for the moment.
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