When Alex Blew Up
This gets backdated to December 18th...2003. Notable events around that date include: Alison Blaire took a group of misfits to Mexico and rescuing a small green boy from a cave, Jamie Madrox learned to dupe past 6, Emma Frost started recruiting for her court.
Alex sighed as he got up from his sitting position under a tree. It was getting to be late afternoon and while he doubted anyone would, he really didn't want anyone to come looking for him. He'd been out at his spot by the wall for a while and figured it was time to head back in, his shivering confirming that idea.
Lorna had almost gotten used to the way Alex would just disappear sometimes and had even caught glimpses of him trudging away outside to nurse whatever problem currently troubled him. It hurt some, though she wouldn't have admitted it, that he wouldn't come to her. But she couldn't really blame him. He'd relied on himself too long for him to come to anyone else. Usually, she respected his distance, but today she needed him. Alison's news had shaken her and so she'd gone out looking for Alex for a little reassurance.
He had been looking at his feet when Alex heard the crunching of someone walking in the snow a little ways from where he was and he paused a moment to look around for who it was. The flash of green hair though the trees caused him to smile. Quietly, Alex made his way towards her and enveloped her in a hug from behind. "You look lost, can I help you?"
She twisted around in his arms and hugged him back. "I was looking for a hot blond surfer dude. Seen any around here?" She rested her head on his shoulder, content for the moment just to have found him.
He smiled and cuddled her close. "Maybe, but what could such a beautiful, respectable lady such as yourself be doing looking for that type of character in the middle of a winter wasteland?" Alex taunted kiddingly, resting his cheek on the top of her head.
"I've just got a thing for those types, I guess. And I'd heard that there might be one around here so I braved snow and ice to find him." She tilted her head back to look him in the face. "I'm dedicated like that."
"And I'm thankful that you are." He kissed her lightly on the forehead. "So what was so important that you braved the snow and ice to come find me?" Alex thought a moment then asked as a side thought, "This doesn't have anything to do with chocolate does it?"
She shook her head, "No, I just...wait, what about chocolate?" She pulled back a bit to give him a suspicious look.
Alex grinned bashfully, reaching one hand up to scratch behind his ear. "Oh nothing, nothing at all...I...I..." He pulled his hand away from his ear and stared at it with a frightened look in his eyes.
"You what? Does this have anything to do with my missing..." she trailed off. "Honey, what's wrong? Your hands again?" She stepped forward as though to take his hand in her own.
As soon as she stepped forward, Alex pushed her away a tad bit more violently then he intended. He backed away hugging his now burning hands around his waist. "Get away from me!" He yelled frantically, taking more stumbling steps backwards. His eyes were clenched from the pain and from the fright of what he knew was coming. "Get out of here!"
She stumbled but caught herself against a tree, "Alex, I..." She started towards him but flinched when he shouted at her again to go. "I don't want to leave you here!" But even as she said it, she knew she would have to. She took a few stumbling steps backwards, still reluctant to admit that there was nothing she could do.
He fell to his knees, clutching his hands to his chest and willing it to wait only a few moments longer. Alex opened his eyes for a moment, pleading with her. "Please, just go!" If anything happened to her because of this...Alex didn't know if he could ever forgive himself so he prayed through the pain that she would leave and that'd she'd hurry because he couldn't hold it in much longer.
Lorna backed off a few more steps, clearly torn. She tried desperately to think of some way, any way, that she could help but came up blank. She didn't realise that she was crying until she tasted the tears. With a shuddering sob, she turned and broke into a stumbling run, tripping over the rough ground whenever she looked over her shoulder.
A short distance away, Emma was making her way up the path from the gates, carrying a small paper bag of cosmetics in one hand and a larger bag full of deli foods in the other. She took a moment to look around at the snow-covered school grounds, feeling begrudgingly sentimental to be 'home' again. She also psi-scanned the grounds with typical idle curiosity to see if there was anyone else around. That's when she picked up on Alex's distress. She immediately broadcast a psionic alert to every mind she could pinpoint in the area; "Everyone, get to your nearest shelter area at once!" She also searched out Scott's mind and sent him a specific signal; "Scott, your brother. Down by the old oak." Then she threw down her bags, switched to her diamond form, and went running in Alex's direction.
With a loud scream that Alex didn't even realize came from his own throat, the built up energy began pouring out of his hands like water bursting from a pipe. It hurt as it forced its way through and Alex's eyes were clenched shut, fighting back tears. The energy burned everything in its path and he tried to keep the energy pointed up or down, but it had a mind of its own, going in whatever direction it pleased. Most of all, he tried to keep it from going in the direction of Lorna's escape, but after a few moments, he'd forgotten what direction that was in.
Lorna jerked around at the sound of Alex's scream, tripping as she did so. She hit the ground hard and could only watch in horror as the super-hot energy covered the area with unbelievable speed. She only had time to bury her face in the frozen ground before it covered her and everything nearby. She would have screamed but the heat stole the oxygen from her lungs. Something inside her shoved away from the source of the pain though she could not have said how. She went skidding across the ground until she struck something. Then everything went black.
Emma came through the trees and stopped in her tracks as the energy wave rolled out. Instinctively she raised her arms to cover her face and stumbled backwards away from the heat, though she was far enough from the epicenter that the blast couldn't do her any serious harm in her diamond form. When the wave passed, Emma took a look around. Energy was still churning out from Alex's body, but he seemed to be managing to focus it skywards. Then she saw Lorna, lying curled and crumpled against a tree, and rushed to her side.
Scott came running at Emma's call, cursing himself silently. He knew that Alex was worried something might happen soon, and Scott had not had the time to devote to his brother's powers. That was going to change, and this time, he meant it.
The place where Alex was pouring out energy at an alarming rate was easy enough to spot. He stopped by Emma, and nodded at her.
"Sitrep." It wasn't a question, but a standard commander's request for information. Whether Emma liked the tone or not, he didn't care. She was the one who had called the alarm, she knew the most about what was going on.
Save for Alex, inside the outpouring of uncontrolled energy.
Emma, kneeling down by Lorna's side, took the barking in her stride. "He lost control. He panicked. Lorna looks badly burned, and may have some broken bones. I don't think I can move her. She seems to be regaining consciousness, but she'll be in shock."
"Send out a call to Beast for a stretcher. Or better yet, Nightcrawler. If he can pick her up and 'port her to the medlab, or just to the front door, it would save time and be better for her." He used the code names out of habit; the situation seemed to call for it.
"I'm going in. I'm going to try to talk him down. If he keeps focusing the energy skywards, I'll be fine. See to Lorna. If I can tell him anything good about her condition, it will likely help."
Scott began to walk toward Alex, calling out to his brother. "Hey Alex, it's me. Scott. I'm going to come up behind you. I want to try to help you stop this, okay?"
