Hey all. Here I am again with the next part of Dreams of an Angel. It's satisfyingly long because I was in one of my rare 100% writing mood. Hehe. Anyway, here it is. Comments and suggestions are deeply appreciated and for all those who have been very supportive and giving such cool feedbacks and all, you guys (and gals) are the BEST!
Onwards to the boring part! Legal matters! Hehehe. You can press 'fast-forward' now.
Well, first of all, this story, as you will certainly find out soon, is TOTALLY fictional. So! If any of you truly believe in it... well, my brother is studying psychiatry right now for his final medical examination in April, so maybe I'll just refer you to him. You'd make a good delusional subject. Secondly! None of the guys in the Backstreet Boys are gay! (No matter how hard I wished it :P). But nobody say we couldn't dream it, heh heh. Thirdly, Warren Worthington is actually a character from Marvel Comics, X-men known as Angel or recently Archangel. Okay fine, I admit it. I'm bored and I am making a pathetic attempt to make life a lil' bit interesting. Its not like I'm gonna publish it or something. What else to talk about hmm? Oh, there may be some adult gay scenes in this story. Unlike my brother, I don't mind writing naughty stuff ;) so! If you're underage, naughty, naughty! I can only ask you to go away, but I cannot do anything else to stop you from reading on anyway. Hell! I've been sneaking into the internet to watch gay porns since I was 13! So, if your parents or whoever responsible for you catch you, don't say I didn't warned you. However, if you're homophobic... well maybe I can seduce you enough to turn you around heh heh. I do so love a challenge ;)
Anyway, enough talk. Any comments or boos or suggestion or whatever, just sent it to the same address as in NNTs, goldenknightuk@yahoo.co.uk . Yeah, we shared the same address. Don't ask. Long story.
Okay then! On to the show. Now, don't be shy now. If you got any comments or suggestions, just drop me a note. You do the request, and I'll do the show.
Andy
About 45 minutes later, Nick stepped out reluctantly of the unbelievably blissful shower and proceeds to wipe himself with his towel, whistling softly to himself. Well, one thing is certain, this place rocks! Despite all those saving the world stuff, these X-men sure prefer living in style.
His room is not as large as the hotel room in LA, but it's sure is luxurious. This Professor Xavier must be as loaded as Warren. No wonder Warren didn't mind staying here. He walked into the room and put on a fresh boxer, jeans and T-shirt. It's chilly tonight but he's not complaining.
He was styling his hair when a knock on his door startled him out of his thoughts.
"Come in, Warren."
Nick has no idea how he could identify the person out there just from the emotional pattern, but somehow, he knows it's Warren's mind. The man's shield is up but not too tightly. His mind is... refreshed and content. His brief flight must have cleared his thoughts and emotions. Good for him!
The door opened and Warren walked in, smiling widely.
"You're getting used to your empathic ability, huh?" He said good-naturedly. "I felt your mind brushing against mine."
Nick's eyes widened in surprise and embarrassment. He never considered that Warren would feel him touching his mind.
"Oh! Umm... I'm so sorry! I... I didn't mean to intrude..." Nick stammered nervously.
"Hey! Hey! It's okay," Warren replied gently. "I'm not angry. Cool down, buddy."
"I... I touched your mind before... did you felt it too?" asked Nick uncertainly.
"Yeah, but don't worry about it." Warren answered soothingly. "If I don't want anyone in my mind, I'll just raise my shield. So, don't worry."
Nick's heart rate slowed down and he breathed out in relief.
"So, everything okay with your room so far?" asked Warren.
"Yeah. It's very comfortable. This Xavier is loaded." Nick answered as he continues with his hair.
"Yeah, he is. Sorry for leaving you to fly like that, Nick. I should have introduced you to the professor and Scott, but I just need to stretch these wings before I go mad."
"Hey, Warren. It's okay. I understand." Nick chuckled as he reaches out to touch those wings again. "Actually, you look really cool when you're in the air."
"Want to go flying with me one day? You're not afraid of heights are you?" asked Warren curiously.
Nick's eyes lit up at the invitation. He had dreamed of flying with an angel.
"I'd love to fly with you!!!" Nick exclaimed excitedly, his eyes shining with joy. "Tonight??"
Warren laughed.
"Whoa! Slow down, Nick." He let out as he chuckled. "No, not tonight. I'm dead tired from the journey. I just wanna go to sleep and wake up late tomorrow. What about tomorrow night?"
"Cool!!" Nick answered immediately.
"For the time being, dinner is almost ready downstairs. The others are back, so I might as well introduce you to them."
Suddenly, Nick felt a bit shy in meeting with the others. Warren saw this and smiled reassuringly.
"Don't worry, Nick. They're gonna love you. Jean and the professor have already informed them about you, and they took it really well. C'mon."
"If you say so." Nick sighed and followed Warren to the door. "How's my hair?"
"Geez, you're not meeting your fans here, Mr. Superstar. Relax!" Warren laughed. "You're hair is great."
"I'm relaxing! I'm relaxing!"
"For someone who dares to sing and dance in front of thousands of screaming teenage girls and gay guys, you sure don't look relaxed to me."
Nick has to admit the truth in that and finally he closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself down.
"That's better." Said Warren, as they approach the dining room. "The only thing you have to worry right now is the fact that it's Bobby's turn to cook tonight. If you feel weird after tasting the food, tell Hank immediately."
"Hardy Har-har. Very funny, Wings!!" Bobby greeted them as he emerged from the kitchen, carrying the dishes. "It's not my fault that Remy got sick after eating my spaghetti last week! Hank said his sickness has nothing to do with my cooking!"
"Hank was only trying not to hurt your feeling, mon ami. I ended up sick in bed for de whole week 'cause of you."
Nick turned towards the deep, slurring, Cajun accented voice and saw a handsome man lounging easily near the dining room's window, smoking a cigarette. Turning around to face him, Nick almost gasped as he saw the red-on-black eyes looking at him lazily.
"Ah! You must be de homme our good professor told us 'bout. Mon Dieu! When de professor told us dat your name is Nick, I didn't expect it to be de famous Nick Carter of de Backstreet Boys!" The man smiled widely as he jumped to his feet and shook his hand. "The name is Remy LeBeau, or Gambit as dese losers always call me. But you, monsieur, you are special! You call me Remy."
"Flirtin' with everything on two legs as usual, sugah?" A woman's voice from the behind caused Nick to turned around to face a woman with dark brown hair with a streak of white trailing from the front, smiling at him beautifully. While Jean's beauty is filled with warmth and reassurance, this woman's beauty depict her wildness... the type of wildness that AJ would approve. "My, my, aren't you a cute one! Not to mention famous too! Ah'm Rogue. Pleasure to meet you."
"I'm Nick." Nick smiled as he shook the glove-covered hand. Dimly he remembered Jubilee's warning about touching her skin. "Pleased to meet you too."
"And polite too! Why can't you be more like him, little thief?" said Rogue.
"Ah! But cher, I thought you like my sleek roguish attitude, hmm?" Remy smiled mischievously as he smoothly kissed Rogue fingers. "But if you want me to be polite, dis li'l thief is more than happy to oblige."
Beside Nick, Warren rolled his eyes and snorted. Remy turned to him and his smile grew wider. Nick, on the other hand, could only stare at the Cajun's eyes in fascination. Warren's wings is definitely beautiful, but this man's red-on-black eye... that has a beauty of it's own. It is... hypnotizing... alluring... and something else...
"And de Ange! Too long has he been 'way dat poor Remy has started to miss him so much!" Remy continue to purr. Looking at Warren's face, Nick almost laughed. Remy's mind is emitting various mischievous emotions and Warren's mind is filled with long-endured suffering.
"Grow up, Cajun." Warren grumbled sourly. "Rogue, you really should have a tighter leash on your man here."
"Mais, Remy has already been tightly leashed to dis beautiful femme. Poor Remy is already a prisoner of her heart." Remy chuckled at Rogue.
"Oh, will you quit it with the flattery!!" said Rogue, but her laughter told Nick that she didn't mind at all.
They all looked up as Hank entered the room, followed by Jean and Scott. Nick stared at Hank in shock as he saw Hank true appearance for the first time.
"Hank! Wha... What happened to you??"
As oppose to what he looks like the last time, Hank appearance this time took the form is a blue, furry beast. Hank beamed at him and with one great leap, he landed before Nick and enveloped him with a strong hug, laughing as he did.
"Ah! My young empathic friend! It is so good to see you again!! As for my appearance, well, this is my true appearance. The one that you saw last time was an illusion! They didn't call me the Beast for nothing!"
"Oh! I didn't know!" Nick stammered.
"I hope I didn't scare you." Said Hank.
"Look at it this way, Nick," Jubilee laughed as she walked in. "He's cuddly as a teddy bear."
"Of course I am! That's why children love me." Hank replied.
"Nick, meet Ororo and Logan, also known as Storm and Wolverine." Said Warren. "And of course, you've met Jean and Scott."
Nick turned his attention to the alluring dark-skinned African woman standing beside a dangerous looking man who looks like he eat woods for breakfast and rocks for dinner. Behind them, the professor wheeled himself in.
"So, this is the li'l runt yer were talking about, Charlie?" the man grumbled as he puffed his cigars.
"Yes, Logan. This is Nick. Nick Carter." The Professor replied.
"Heh. Yer looks like one of those boyband wimps the girls been screaming about." Logan said gruffly.
"Actually, Logan, he is... well, not the wimp part though." Storm smiled. "I saw his face plastered all over Jubilee's bedroom. I am Ororo Munroe. And I am pleased that you decided to come over and join us. I heard you've had quite an exciting time with Warren."
"Well, if you call passing out after a concert or at the mall exciting, yeah." Nick smiled. "It's a bit of a nuisance to me though."
"Well, I'm sure you'll be able to control you empathic ability in due time." Said the professor. "As you can see, you are not overwhelmed by emotions this time. I've already asked everyone here to shield their mind properly for your sake. So, you don't have to worry about it here."
"We're all willing to help you, Nick. Just let us know how to help you and we'll deal with it." Said Scott.
"Hello Warren."
The room suddenly fell silent as a beautiful raven-haired woman slipped into the room. Her voice is rich and English accented and her manner is that of a graceful lady of high upbringing, clearly defining her high social class status. What drew Nick's attention to her, however, was her unusually strong mental barrier. Unless Nick is clearly mistaken, he is looking at Betsy, the third telepath in the mansion as well as Warren's ex-girlfriend.
Warren merely greeted her with an expressionless face, and Nick is also aware of Warren's mental barrier going up immediately, hiding any signs of emotions the he is experiencing right now.
"Hi Betsy. Nick, meet Elisabeth Braddock, but we all called her Betsy in short. Betsy, this is Nick." Warren murmured softly, thought Nick has no doubt he is aware of the awkward silence all around the room.
Betsy merely smiled at Nick in greeting.
"The professor has already informed me of your unusual empathic ability, Nick. Impressive. We never have an empath in the team before. I'm sure you'll make an excellent addition." She said though her tone indicated that she hardly care of Nick's empathic ability at all. Jubilee was right. She does give him the creeps.
"You're all dressed up, Betsy. Will you not be joining us for dinner?" asked the professor.
"I'm afraid not, professor. I have some matter to attend to in town before I go off to London tomorrow. I hope that's okay with everyone?" Betsy replied, raising an eyebrow arrogantly as she looked around.
A general murmur of assent from everyone answered her question, and Betsy nodded in satisfaction before heading off to the door without saying a word. Nick could hear the soft 'Good riddance' from Rogue though, and the glare directed to her back from Jean seems to be hurling daggers. Obviously, Betsy has not been getting along very well with everyone. Warren's face remained expressionless though, and the way he stood still in silence... he might as well have been carved from a rock.
"Dinner's ready!!" Bobby voice floating all over the room actually shatters the awkward silence in the room. The room bustle again as everyone began to take their seat. Jean and Ororo went to the kitchen to help Bobby bring out the dishes.
"Here Nick. Sit next to me." Warren whispered and Nick is more than willing to comply.
"Are you okay, Warren?" Nick whispered softly as they sat. "You suddenly went weird just now."
Warren only replied with a sad look in his eyes before shaking his head.
"I'm okay, Nick." He replied softly. "Betsy and I were together once and... well... it's a long story."
"Well, if you feel like talking, you know you can talk to me right?" Nick murmured. "Remember what we talked about this morning? We support each other right?"
Again, silence stretched between the two. Nick watched Warren carefully from the corner of his eyes. Warren's eyes is troubled and filled with sadness. Unnoticed, Nick sneaked his hand to Warren's and gave him a gentle squeeze. Warren glanced back at him for a moment before giving him a small smile and squeeze back in return. His shield is lowered again and waves of gratitude flowed into Nick's mind... and something else... Nick is unsure what it is...
"Later." He whispered.
At the other end of the table, a good deal of bantering was in full swing, with Jubilee, Logan, Rogue and Remy exchanging teases and insults to each other, while the professor, Scott and Hank watched them in amusement.
"Hey Logan! Did you gain some gray hairs while I was gone?" Jubilee's cheeky voice arose from the other end of the table, only to be greeted with a growl from Logan and a good deal of laughter from Rogue and Remy.
"Hey wait a minute. Is it Bobby's turn to cook today?" Nick heard Scott suddenly speaking softly. "Uh-oh. Hank, make sure you got the medical lab ready."
"I heard that!!" Bobby's indignant voice rang out as he came in with the dishes followed by Ororo and Jean, and the whole room burst into laughter. "One more remarks like that and you'll not be having any dessert!"
"Dat is if we survive long enough to get to dessert, mon ami!" Remy replied laughingly and the atmosphere became even more cheerful when the professor began chuckling too.
"This is sooo cool!"
Nick is sitting in the cockpit of an impressive jet, looking excitedly at the assortments of buttons and computer panels and whatnot like a child with a new toy. He has a passing interest in planes or jets, and so far, he is certain he had never seen anything like this before. Wait till he tells Aaron about this!
"Welcome to the Blackbird. The only one of the kind. Scott built it himself, complete with its own state of the art computer system, cloaking devices, navigation and hundreds of other gizmos only Scott and God know what they are." Said Bobby laughed.
Nick was overwhelmed with excitement. He was actually imagining flying the goddamn thing. They left the dining room one and a half hour ago. Warren was supposed to take him on a tour around the mansion facilities. But somehow, Jean and the professor managed to pull him away from Nick, causing him to end up with Bobby instead.
Bobby is a pleasant guy to be around with, to be honest. He really reminds Nick of himself back when he was innocent and unaware of his mutant status - young, fun and head filled with all sort of pranks and mischief. Scott actually told Nick that Bobby is actually an X-boy instead of X-men.
"Can you fly this thing?" asked Nick as he gleefully placed his hands on one of the steering.
"Hell yeah." Bobby cheered. He leaned over with his hands rested against the headrest of the seat Nick was sitting on. "Everyone in the mansion could. But no, I'm not taking you out now. Scott loves this jet as much as he loves Jean, maybe even more. His 'baby'; he used to call it. He hates it when anyone took it without his permission. You need to ask him first."
"Damn." Nick muttered.
"Hey, don't worry! You'll be here for quite a while. You'll get your chance." Said Bobby. "C'mon, there are other things I'm suppose to show you."
The two got out of the jet and went on with their tour, with Bobby explaining things happily as they walked. Nick looked all over the place with the curiosity of a child. When he first got here, he only expected a bunch of outlaw mutants staying together in a normal house and that's about it. He never expected THIS! A huge underground hangar with their own state of the art mission jet, a massive gym, a medical lab for Hank plus his own private research lab; even now Bobby is leading him towards this 'Danger Room', which, as Nick remembered being told, is a room where the X-men perform their battle exercise and simulations.
"To get access into the Danger Room..." Bobby droned on and on as he outlined all the security measure all around the mansion and Nick listened to the details carefully. This place is waaay cooler that he has ever imagined. The X-men were cool too. Nick reflects his mind back to dinner and to be honest, he really enjoyed being with them. They were not at all like those human killing mutants Nick has always envisioned. Despite their powers and abilities, they are really nothing more than a bunch of normal human beings living together like a normal family simply because the rest of the world shunned them for what they are.
His mind settles on Scott first of all, the leader of the group - a typical, responsible boy scout. Jubilee was right. He is as stiff as Kevin, probably more, but then maybe being a leader does that to everyone. Or maybe it is one of the criteria one must satisfy in order to be a leader! But at the very least, he is fair and quick minded. He is unbiased and his every action is solely for the good of the group... again, just like Kevin. And although Nick couldn't see his eyes behind that red glasses, Nick could actually feel the affection emanating from his mind, all directed to Jean, his wife.
Jean, telepathic and telekinetic, a faithful wife, a loving mother, and also generally regarded as 'the mother' to everyone here in the mansion. Nick smiled at that thought. Conversations with Warren about her indicate that she too has some dark past similar to Warren - something to be aware and noted. Whatever it is, Jean seemed to have taken Nick close to her heart. She keeps on enquiring on how he is doing and has Warren been treating him well.
Remy and Rogue are also a couple, though they are not tied up by marriage yet. The pair fascinates Nick for one big reason - they cannot touch each other. Rogue would absorb another mutant's power upon direct contact to her skin, but if the contact is prolonged enough, she would start absorbing that person's personality and memories! Somehow, Nick felt sorry for her - not being able to make any physical contact with anyone, probably for the rest of her life. Such curse would isolate her from everything and judging from the occasional feeling of loneliness from her mind, Nick finds himself wishing he could do something for her. The X-men and most importantly, Remy, are the only thing now that kept the loneliness at bay. They can't touch, but they are still in love with each other. And love knows no boundaries.
Remy, the Cajun thief, sleek, smooth, roguish, mischievous, sly but with a good heart, and most importantly, possess the charm and grace that could impress and lull anyone, male or female to submission... and the damn guy knows it, God blast his soul to Hell. His red-on-black eyes is most hypnotizing and fascinating that Nick always ended up gazing into it stupidly until the Cajun blinked or winked and Nick would be startled out of his trance and ended up gazing foolishly at the smirk. And yet, for all his grace and looks, he too has a dark shadow in his past, just like Jean and Warren... and even Scott.
Hank, the Beast - the doctor, the genius, the scientist and a polite gentleman, despite his beast-like appearance. He prefers to spend most of his time working in his lab, until Bobby would occasionally decided that he need to get out more and drag him out for a Twinkie run - which he loves very much. Like the professor and Jean, he too is extremely interested in Nick's vast empathic potential and if he had his way, Nick would have been dragged and strapped within his lab for various tests by now.
Bobby, the Iceman - prankster, smile bringer, a small boy trapped in an adult body (according to Scott and Warren), but possess an unquestioning loyalty to the team. He was actually one of the original members of the X-men, if Nick remembered correctly. The emotions he keeps on projecting are always that of an innocent kid, filled with mischief and innocent fun. He's hard to get mad according to Warren, unless someone threatens his friends.
Then there's Logan, also known as the Wolverine, and another man with a dark past. A grumpy Canadian (Jubilee's words), a predator, a wild beast that could grow feral at any time - a very dangerous man with a big fat attitude greater than Justin Timberlake's. His relationship with Warren seems to be... strained... to say the least - both men seem to have a degree of dislike to each other. A mutant with an extraordinary regenerative capability and animal-like senses, making him hard to kill and a good hunter, but his real weapon, if Nick could remember Warren's words correctly, is his adamantinum claws that could come out anytime at will from the back of his wrist.
Then there's Ororo, or Storm, as the team prefer to call her. Regal, alluring, darkly beautiful - those were the words Nick would use to describe her. A mutant who looks so fragile and helpless from the outside, but possess the ability to manipulate the weather, which makes her as formidable and deadly as Logan. She has led the X-men many times in the past when Scott is not around, but at other time, she prefers to remain in the background.
Finally, Betsy, aka Psylocke. Nick didn't see her that much, but he didn't mind. The woman definitely gives him the creeps. Obviously, she is not in a good term with Rogue and Jean - why? Nick has no idea. Warren prefers not to talk much about her, but Nick knew better. Betsy used to be his girlfriend, and the brief moment of sadness Nick felt from Warren before the mental shield slammed shut is indicative enough that Warren cares for her deeply... and it is that last bit of thoughts that pained Nick deep inside his heart.
Warren has become some sort of an idol to Nick. His 'personal little angel'. But he is aware that his feeling towards Warren has undoubtedly increased, much to his dismay. It is not enough for him deal with the fact that he is a mutant. Instead, fate has to add into the whole mess the fact that he is very attracted to Warren - A guy; not to mention a STRAIGHT guy.
"Nick, you okay? Hellooo? Anyone there?"
Nick was started from his thoughts by Bobby's voice and finally became aware that he is frowning. His awareness to the surrounding returned and he finally realized that they have already left the hangar and are right now walking along a corridor towards the Danger Room.
"Yeah, I'm cool. It's just that... well... it's a bit overwhelming... you know..." Nick stammered out and Bobby smiled in understanding.
"Yeah, I was in your shoes once. Don't worry about it. You'll get the grip of the whole thing soon." Bobby replied.
"How did you know you were a mutant, Bobby?" asked Nick.
"Hmm... that was ages ago, I barely remember it now. I was 13 at the time. I woke up one day to discover my whole room was covered with ice." He smiled at the memories. "Mom and Dad were freaked out, but unlike some of the others, they accepted the fact that I'm a mutant, but they kept the fact secret because people might hate us if they found out."
"Well, they found out eventually when I accidentally created a wall of ice to save my girlfriend from some punk wielding a gun. Things went downhill from there. My girlfriend freaked out and ran off from me, and words spread throughout the whole neighborhood like wildfire. My friends and teachers suddenly don't want to have anything to do with me. Mom and Dad were forced to move to another city where people doesn't know us and a couple of months later, Prof. Xavier found me and offered me a place here."
"Wow, seems like you've led a tough beginnings." Said Nick.
"Yeah, but hey, things turn out for the best. You got it lucky. You had a normal beginning and led a good life of luxuries... hey! How does it feels to be a mutant AND famous?" Bobby grinned.
"I don't know yet about the mutant part, but it sure feels great being famous!" Nick grinned back. "You listen to our songs, Bobby?"
"Yeah, but don't tell Jubilee or I'll freeze you balls off." Bobby laughed. "I've been collecting all your CDs since the first time y'all showed up."
"Aha, a closeted fan huh? Why didn't you come to our concert with Jubilee then?"
"Nah. I'm not THAT fanatic. Anyway, I got stuck with the monitoring duty this week."
"Well, I should take you to meet the guys one day." Said Nick, as they stood before the steel door that leads to the Danger Room.
"Well, that'd be great." Said Bobby as he pressed the access code on the panel beside the door. "Well, here we are! The Danger Room. And here's our fearless leader, Scott, or Cyclops if you prefer, working tirelessly day and night to make sure we're all well muscled and healthy and cute!"
Nick was greeted by a room filled with various computers and control panels that he could only guess as to what they all are. In the middle of the chaos, Scott Summer turned to look at the two and smiled in greeting. He is wearing his full suit and looking at that skin-tight blue suit and yellow spandex for the first time, which doesn't even attempt to hide that well developed and not to mention muscular body... wow, no wonder Jean is attracted to the guy. Hell, Nick finds himself wondering why Rogue, Storm and Jubilee didn't drool on him... and Bobby, for that matter. Even Nick felt like drooling at those biceps!
"Oh hey, Nick, Bobby. Welcome to the Danger Room. Has Bobby's little tour been beneficial?" Scott smiled in greeting.
"Yeah! Bobby said you built the Blackbird. Think you can take me for a ride one day?" Nick replied cheerfully.
"I can take him, Scott!" Bobby grinned again but Scott frowned at him.
"No, I'll find someone else to take him, thank you. The last time you took it, you filled the whole cockpit with Twinkies and gay porn magazines!" said Scott. "It took me half a day to clean up the mess."
Bobby and Nick laughed.
"Hey Scottie boy." Logan's voice emerged from the speaker. "We're all set down here. Run the program will ya?"
Scott eventually turned his attention to the window overlooking the Danger Room below and began fiddling with the computer before him. Bobby however, leaned towards Nick and whispered softly at his ear.
"Isn't he cute or what?! Check out that ass!!" Bobby whispered as he grinned. Nick burst into laughter so hard he almost choked. Scott turned to look at them enquiringly.
"Everything okay, you two?" he asked, looking suspiciously at Bobby.
"We're fine!" Bobby and Nick answered at the same time before bursting into laughter again.
"Come up here, Nick. I'll explain to you a little bit about this place. That'll probably take your mind off from whatever plan Bobby is hatching with you." He said gruffly.
"Ouch! That's hurt, Scott." Said Bobby in a wounded tone.
Nick laughed as he stepped forward to peer down the window. The Danger Room is actually nothing more than a large empty room, a hall to be exact.
"THIS is the infamous Danger Room?" Nick laughed. Scott smiled as he continues with his programming.
"Hey! Stop mocking us!" said Bobby. "You'll not find this facility anywhere else on this planet! This is an alien holographic technology - a gift from the Shi'ar race. Through it, we can create holographic simulations of any battle situations for our trainings."
Down below, Nick could see Gambit, Rogue, Storm and Logan pacing the floor with a bored expression on their face, dressed in their complete battle costume. Remy covers most of his with his overcoat though.
"Fighting with our stomach full, what would that boy scout think of next?" Nick heard Logan grumbles as he paced on.
"All right, guys. The program is standing by. Everyone ready?" said Scott.
"Bring it on, mon ami." Gambit replied lazily and grinned as he twirled his bo-staff in his hand. "'Bout time dis thief teach dese losers how a Cajun fight."
"Heh! And how's that, li'l thief? Screaming, scratching and hair pulling?" Logan smirked.
"Program downloading... now." Said Scott as he enters the final command into the computer system.
Nick watched with interest as the room before him changed into that of a ruined city - a ruined New York City to be exact, from the looks of it. Here and there, piles of mortars and steel block the alley and streets. Burning or mangled cars litter everywhere. Smokes and fire filled the air. The scene looks like what New York would looks like after a World War III!!
"Oooh. The Sentinel program. It's been a while." Rogue grinned as she flexed her muscle. "Up for some clobberin', sugar?"
She began to float into the air as she said that. And so does Storm.
"Rogue, you and Remy scout that way." Storm said briskly. "Logan and I will go scout that way. Keep the frequency of your voice transmitter open for constant contact. And alert us at the first sign of trouble. Go."
"Yer the boss!" said Rogue as she flew off to the left with Remy hot on her heels.
"Slim, I bet you a hundred bucks we'll finish this in less than half an hour." Said Logan as he ran off with Storm to the right.
"You're on, old man." Scott replied.
"Ye'll regret callin' me that, boy scout." Said Logan again but Scott just laughed in answer.
'Nick?' Nick jumped off his feet, startled as the professor's voice echoed in his thought. Scott and Bobby turned to look at him in askance. 'I'm sorry to startle you. I'm speaking to you telepathically. Warren is here with Jean and he explained to me about how you used your empathy to calm him down this morning without even knowing how or what you did. Would you mind if I ask you to come and join us in my study as soon as possible?'
"Umm... of course, sir." Nick replied vocally. "I'm... not sure about the way to your study though."
"I'll take you there, don't worry." Said Bobby immediately.
"Oh! You heard?" Nick stammered.
"Yeah. The professor linked us all together. C'mon, Nick. Let see what Wings been up to." Bobby smiled as he pulled Nick to the door. "See ya later, Slim."
"See ya, Bobby, Nick." Scott replied as he turned his attention back to the training.