Hi all!! Here's the next part of Dreams of an Angel. Hope you all enjoy it! Any comments or suggestions, well, you know how to contact me. My Yahoo ID is Goldenknightuk if you wish to send me an instant message. Sorry for any bad grammars boys and girl. C'mon! Nobody's perfect!! :)
NOTE TO ALL READERS:
In order to balance my study time and writings, I decided to set a specific time for every update. For now on, I'll be updating Dreams of an Angel every Tuesday & Friday evening (Well, Irish time. I dunno about the time differences between my place and yours, guys and gals. You have to figure that out yourself :P Trust me, I sucked in figuring it out :)). But hey, if time permits me, I promise I'll update it at other times :)
Before the show, 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... dude, I'm worried about you. 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
"GET YOUR DIRTY HANDS OF HIM, YOU MOTHER-FUCKIN' BASTARD!!"
An icy blast followed the angry shout and in seconds, Sabretooth found himself hurtling off into the night before crashing on several parked cars in the distance. Lance crumpled to the ground dazedly, gasping for breath and trembling in horror. His shaking hands goes up immediately to feel his neck again and again where the clawed hand gripped him several seconds ago while his eyes are still wide-open in pure terror.
"Lance?" Bobby shouted as he rushed to the trembling man. He didn't shift into his icy-form. The plaster cast covering his injured hand prevents him from doing so.
He followed Lance and Nick outside earlier and has been watching the two from the distance, smoking his cigarette quietly when he saw Sabretooth suddenly descending on them from shadows.
"Are you alright?"
Lance only looked at him wide-eye, his mouth opened and closed soundlessly as he recites every single prayer he could think of. His eyes fell on Nick.
"N-N-Nick..." He pointed a trembling finger.
Bobby quickly whirled around
"My God..." He gasped before rushing to Nick, who has by now fallen in and out of consciousness. Blood trickles out in an alarming rate from the gruesome wound on his side and even now is starting to pool slowly on the ground.
"Lance, give me your T-shirt." Said Bobby urgently as he tries desperately to stop the bleeding. "Lance, hurry!! He'll die if I don't stop the bleeding!"
Crawling desperately towards the two, Lance took off his T-shirt and passed it to Bobby.
"NIIIIICCKKK!!!" Warren's panicked voice howled throughout the night and soon enough, a winged-figure swooped above them at an amazing speed. Lance gasped at the sight.
"Warren!! Over here!!" Bobby shouted as he pressed the T-shirt on the wound.
Warren veered around and swooped back, landing before them smoothly. Lance scrambles back desperately as Warren rushed towards his lover. Warren's eyes are filled with unshed tears and pain - the pain no doubt came from Nick's psyche, through their shared link.
"What happened??!!" Warren shouted in panic, cradling Nick's head as he did. His pained and haunted eyes turned to look at Bobby and Lance. "WHAT HAPPENED??!!"
In the distance, Jubilee's voice floated through the night as she calls the others.
"Sabretooth!" Bobby answered. "Press this to stop the bleeding, Wings! I'll get the van. We need to get him to Hank..."
"LOOK OUT!!!!" Lance's horror-filled shout drew both men's attention to the rushing shadow behind them.
"HOLY HANNAH!!" Warren swore when he caught Sabretooth's snarling face right behind him when he turn around... right before a powerful clawed hand gripped his shoulder and threw him several feet away to the side. He grunts heavily as he crash against the windshield of a nearby-parked Mercedes. The car's alarm rang shrilly through the night.
Bobby on the other hand let out a choking gasp as Sabertooth's clawed fingers reach out and gripped his neck before he could do anything, pulling him up limply.
"I'll deal with you shortly, Fly-Boy." Sabretooth smiled as he glanced briefly at Warren's dazed form before shifting his gaze to Bobby's choking face and finally to Lance. "Go 'n' cower over there, kid, while I'll deal with this li'l lion of yours."
"Don't bet on it, bub."
Another figure loomed up from the shadow of the night, moving fast and before anyone was even aware of it, Sabretooth quickly found himself hurtling into the air once again before crashing into another car, a brand new Jaguar this time. He let out a bestial howl once before leaping to his feet once again, staring at Logan's smirking face.
"You okay, Ice-Cube?" he puffed his cigar contently. "Good. Look sharp now. I can smell others nearby. Our li'l puppy-friend brought some friends along wit' him to join the fun. You 'n' the others take care of them. I'll deal wit' Santa Li'l Helper here."
"Been a long time, Wolvie." Sabretooth grinned. "Cat 'n' mouse game as usual?"
"Good idea. I'll be the cat," Logan grinned back, puffing his cigar lazily as his adamantinum claws slide out from the back of his wrist with a slight metallic click. "'N' y'll be the mouse."
With that, they hurled themselves towards each others, roaring mercilessly. Logan dodged slightly to the side at the last instant, barely missing Sabretooth's claw even as one of his hand extend, his claws ripping Sabretooth's thigh in the process. Blood spattered everywhere and Sabretooth's roar echoed all over the parking lot before he threw himself towards Logan once again, catching the man on the midriff and knocking him with one powerful backward stroke, sending him hurtling into a battered Ford Mustang.
"Y'could at least give me a Mercedes like Warren." Logan muttered dazedly before extending his leg as Sabretooth leaped at him again, catching him nicely on his chest and sending him flying away once again. "Bingo."
'I can't stop the bleeding!!" Lance whispers fearfully as he pressed the now blood-soaked shirt against the wound. "We need to take him to the hospital quickly!!"
"Bobby, look! Scalphunter! And over there, Arclight! And there... Harpoon...!" Warren gasped.
"The Marauders??!! But... but... they are dead!!" Bobby whirled around to look at each of them in shock.
"Sorry to disappoint you, kid." Harpoon smiled as he drew one of his harpoons. "Hey, Fly-boy! Remember me?"
He hurls the harpoon towards Warren; the glinting steel gradually changes into a crackling spear made of pure energy.
"Lance, duck!" Bobby cried out as he threw up a wall of ice to stop the oncoming projectile. It struck the wall, shattering it to pieces. Ice debris cracked down everywhere.
"Nice move, kiddo." Archlight smiled, cracking her knuckles readily. "Now let see what else can you do when ol' Archlight begin shakin' things up around here!"
With that she threw a punch on the ground beneath her and the transmitted shockwave shook the ground everywhere, throwing Bobby and Warren to the ground.
"Hallelujah. See Harpoon? I told you they're easy to handle." She laughed.
"Yeah? Well, what about me, bitch? 'N' muh best Sunday punch!"
Archlight looked up, startled, when she saw an angry Rogue flying towards her at an incredible speed, right before the gloved fist connected to her face, sending her hurtling towards the nearby wall. She crashed through the wall into the club and onwards through the wall on the other side as well followed by several other walls after that before bursting out and crash into an empty bus parked on the next avenue. Screams and panicked shrieks ensued immediately as the people from the clubs began scrambling and rushing for the exit.
Back in the parking lot, Scalphunter is shooting again and again at Logan while Bobby is doing his best to fight off Harpoon. Warren and Lance hover over Nick, working hard to stop the bleeding, while Rogue began advancing towards Scalphunter.
"Yuh next, Scalphunter!" Rogue grumbled angrily. "Ah'll teach yuh to spoil muh party night!"
"Heads up all!!" A gleeful voice suddenly appeared out of the night. "Riptide is crashing the party!!"
"Bobby!! Wall!!!" Warren shouted as Riptide landed and began whirling around, shurikens flying everywhere. Lance watched wide-eye as three struck Bobby's hastily made ice wall, right in front of him, several inches away from his face.
"Hey big guy!" Jubilee's suddenly appeared from behind one of the cars.
"Eh?" Scalphunter turned in surprise.
"Smile for the camera!!" Jubilee grinned right before bright multi-colored lights and fireworks exploded everywhere.
"Fuckin'...!! That li'l bitch! She blinded me!" Scalphunter cursed as he blinked repeatedly and dazedly before shooting his gun everywhere.
"Whoops!" Jubilee dodged behind the cars quickly as a hail of bullets flew past her. "Ever heard of Anger Management Therapy, hunk??"
"Goddammit! Y're shootin' at li'l girls now, honey?" Rogue shouted angrily as she flew towards him. "Shame on yuh!"
Again the fist connected, and Scalphunter found himself hurtling off into the air to crash some distance away, taking several cars in the process.
"Done!" Warren's thankful voice appeared suddenly. "The bleeding stopped! Now I need to take him to Hank."
"Then what are y' waiting for, Bird-brain?" Logan growled as his feet connected onto Sabretooth's jaw. "Go! 'N' take that other kid wit' ya! Get them outta here!!"
"I cannot carry two people!!" Warren replied in frustration.
"You don't need to!" A sweet woman's voice suddenly floated from the shadow near him. Warren cried out as the world began to spin around him. Dimly he saw Lance vomiting beside him, cradling his own head unsteadily. "Trust me, handsome, once Vertigo is finished with you, you'll be begging for Scalphunter to put some bullets into you."
"Sorry, chere. Not while Gambit is 'round t'watch their back."
"Oh!" Vertigo cried out in surprise as Gambit's bo-staff struck the back of her head.
"Sorry for being late, mon amis. Poor Gambit got caught in de mad rush back dere in club. No one bother to tell 'im dere's 'nother party goin' on back 'ere." Gambit grinned. He checked Vertigo unconscious body quickly before shrugging. "Looks like dis chere 'ere got her own headache to deal wit' right now."
"Stop babblin' and help me with these bozos, will ya!!" Bobby shouted as he desperately fends of Harpoon and Riptide's attack.
"No need t'worry, mon ami. Dis t'ief 'lways emerge triumphant." Gambit laughed as he gracefully leaped and dodged Riptide's shurikens. "It's all in de cards."
Three kinetically charged cards flew towards Riptide as Gambit leaped and laugh on.
"HOLY..." Riptide cried out as he saw the cards right before it explode violently in his face. When the smoke clears, Riptide lay on the ground, groaning softly.
"Heh! After all dese times, ole Gambit still manage to impress 'imself." Gambit smiled arrogantly as he brushes the dust off his trench coat.
"Archlight 'n' Scalphunter are comin' back!" Rogue shouted warningly. "'N' Archlight looks mad enough to knock down the Statue of Liberty."
"Warren, GO!!" Logan shouted.
"Wings, he's right!" Bobby shouted as he let loose an ice-blast on Harpoon. "Go now! We'll take care of things here!"
Warren nodded as he cradles Nick in his arms gently.
"Lance, stand behind me and wrap you hands around my waist." He spoke as he unfurled his wings readily. "Hold tight, and don't let go, no matter what happen. With Nick in my hands, I won't be able to grab you if you fall."
Lance stare at him wide-eye as if he is crazy.
"Lance, do it!!" Bobby cried out in exasperation. "Go with Warren!!"
Swallowing twice, Lance threw himself on Warren's back and wrapped his hands around him tightly, muttering a quick prayer as he did. With one powerful leap, Warren flapped his wings as hard as he could, grunting in the effort. He never carries two people at the same time before. There are limits, even for him. They took off but Warren couldn't fly fast enough as he wished to, no matter how hard he flapped his wings. It'll take ages to get to Westchester at the speed he is going right now.
"Don't worry sugah." Rogue suddenly flew above him, grabbing him by his armpits as she did. "Ah'll give yuh a boost. See ya later at the mansion!"
With Rogue hurling him upwards, in seconds, he is soaring in the air once again, using his newly gained momentum to gain the speed and altitude he needed.
Down below, he could hear Logan's berzeking voice roaring thunderously.
"All right, y'li'l furballs! Listen up! I'm bleedin', I'm in pain, Scott took my bike away so I haven't had a good fight in two days! I've been groped and felt all night! I ain't in a good mood 'n' now that Fly-boy is gone with those kids; I have nothin' to lose! Y'wanna see a mad Wolverine? Good! Open yer eyes wide 'n' look closely 'cause ya ain't gettin' another chance!!"
Warren flew on. He could hear Lance praying as hard as he could with his eyes closed. But he blotted off everything else soon after that. All that matters is Nick. Looking down at his lover in his arms, he nearly cries when he saw the pale, unconscious face. The link throbs with pain and agony and before he knew it, he is crying quietly in mid-air. He flapped his wings again, wishing he could fly faster. Vision of Candy's death grew back in his mind and his sight blurred as more tears leak out and his sobs grew heavier.
'Please God. Not again. Don't let it happened again...' he prayed again and again in his mind as he flapped his wings desperately.
Several hours later...
"Do... do you want some... coffee?" Lance offered in a small voice.
He watched nervously as the blue-skinned winged mutant before him stopped his worried pacing to stare at him. Feeling naked under those clear electric blue eyes, Lance could only drop his gaze and stare at the floor uncertainly, wrapping the warm spare blanket around him tighter, sipping his cup of coffee quietly.
'Mutants...' He thought dazedly to himself as he tried to sort out everything that has happened that night. He unconsciously felt the bruises around his neck and shivered as he remembered that brief horrifying moment when that gruesome beast-like creature held him. 'I'm in a house full of mutants...'
"Still hurt?" Warren asked softly.
Lance stared back at those eyes silently for a moment before shaking his head. There's so much pain, worry and sadness in those eyes.
"How long has he been in there?" Lance asked at last.
Warren sat down beside him in silence, staring hopefully at the door leading to the operating theater within the medlab.
"Almost two hours." Warren answered in a small voice.
They sat quietly for a moment, each immersed in their own worried thoughts.
"He should be alright." Lance heard Warren whispered to himself so softly that he could barely hear it. "Hank is one of the best in the country. He should be alright. He must!"
Lance glanced at him quietly and his heart sank at the sight of Warren gazing unseeingly at the floor before him, tears rolling down his cheeks. His wings drooped slightly on his back, and Lance shifted his eyes to gaze at it in silence, silently marveling the divine sight. Despite his blue skin, this mutant before him truly is beautiful. Nick really was envisioning another image when he told Lance that Warren is the most beautiful being he ever met in his life. He was not talking about the Warren he saw in the club. He was really referring this blue skinned blond haired angel.
Looking at the angel before him... Lance has to admit; even he would fall in love with Warren at first sight if he were in Nick's shoes. Who wouldn't? Nick is a very lucky guy.
'My God... who would have thought the rich and famous Warren Worthington the Third, sole owner of the Worthington Industries... is actually a mutant?' Lance thought quietly. 'And Nick! Nick Carter of the famous Backstreet Boys... his friend for years, despite the supposedly rivalry between the two groups... Nick is a mutie too... Oh wow, Howie would freak out big time if this gets out...'
Another thing flashed into his mind. He is sure of it now. It really was Nick he saw outside the plane window the other night. And it was Warren he saw carrying Nick. That little twerp! Scaring him like that; making him look like a fool in front of all of his bandmates. Lance cannot decide whether he should laugh or be angry. If the situation were not as scary and depressing as it is right now, Lance would have laughed. But as it is... he and Nick are going to have a little talk after all this is over. On the bright side, at least JC was wrong. He was not seeing things that night. He really did saw Nick and Warren outside his window.
Reaching out quietly, he grasp Warren's wrist gently. The teary blue eyes, red now from the silent crying, gaze deeply back into his own eyes. There is nothing for him to say or do, except to offer the sad angel a reassuring smile. It feels strange, reassuring a mutant.
He never met a mutant before. He only heard them from news on TV. People in his neighborhood appear to hate mutants too, just like they hate gays. But being bisexual himself... he knew what its like to be different... to be on the wrong side of discrimination and prejudice. So he has no problem with mutants... unless they start causing a mess. Thank God neither he nor anyone else in his family are mutants though. It's bad enough for them, being a religious family and all, to handle him being bisexual, without having to deal with this matter as well. If there is one thing he would like to avoid in this cruel world, it would be having more complications in his life.
They sat on in the small lounge outside the medlab, holding each other's hand, silently comforting each other. It has been two hours since that polite beast-like mutant (who unbelievably turns out to be a doctor), that cute Moira woman, Jean and that bald guy on a wheelchair (both telepaths! Mindreaders!! Better watch carefully what he is thinking) took Nick inside the operating theatre.
Aaaah!! This whole night seems like a total nightmare for him. Starting when the awful beast-like animal gripping him by the neck and attacking Nick, to that little battle between mutants in the parking lot, to him being flown away to safety by a blue-skinned angel... before they crash-land on the lawn of this mansion where Warren burst in, screaming hysterically for someone named Hank, only to be greeted by another strange looking mutant with tails and blue fur and all that suddenly appears into the room out of thin air in a puff of smoke... Did he just enter the Twilight Zone or something?
"Are you okay?"
Lance looked up at Warren again and smiled nervously.
"Yeah. These are all just... too much to digest in one night..." Lance stuttered in response.
A small smile appeared on that sad and worried face and he hardened his grip on Lance's hand supportively.
"I can relate." He spoke softly. "I'm sorry you got... dragged... into the middle of all this."
Lance merely responded with a raspy laugh.
"It's feels like some sort of a bad dream." Said Lance. "You're a... mutant... and so are this professor guy, and this Jean... and Hank... and that Kurt guy... and... and... Bobby... and... Nick?"
The last name came out softly and enquiringly. Warren merely looked at him and nods silently.
"I'm sorry you have to find that out... that way..." said Warren.
Lance smiled wryly.
"Well... it feels... strange... but I have no problem with it. You cannot be angry at something you can't control. 'You are what God intend you to be.' That's what my grandma used to say. You just have to live with it and make the best out of it." Lance murmured. "But Nick? Nick, who has been my Backstreet buddy for years? The same Nicky who nearly drove everyone in both groups insane? A mutant? It's... strange..."
"He never knew about it. He only realized it about two weeks ago when he got all those headaches and blackouts. I was the one who first recognized what he is, and persuade him to learn how to control his ability before it overwhelms him." Warren replied.
"You mean all these years with us... he never even realized it?" Lance asked curiously.
"Some mutations are so subtle; it takes some time before it is finally revealed." Warren answered.
"I take it that yours is not that subtle." Lance smiled slightly as he nodded at those wings.
Warren flaps the wings slightly as he smiled, using his sleeve to scrub away his tears.
"No. Far from it." He answered. "It sprout painfully out of my back when I was in boarding school."
He proceeds to tell Lance about it, and smile when he saw how attentive Lance is as he listened to his tale.
"It must have been a trial, having to keep those wings hidden all the time." Said Lance.
"Yeah. But you gotta do what you gotta do." Warren sighed.
Silence stretches as they stare at the theatre door thoughtfully.
"What's li'l Nicky's power anyway?" Lance asked again.
"He's an empath." Warren answered. "He can sense and read other people's emotions... and manipulate them too. He can project his own emotions for other people to feel as well."
Lance smiled.
"Well, to be honest, I've always thought Nicky is special in his own way." He remarked. "Justin'd be green with envy when he finds this out. He has always consider himself more special than everyone else."
"Well, he's wrong." Warren smiled proudly. "To me, Nick is far more special than anyone else in this world. He saved me... more than once."
This time, Lance turn to look at him fully and his smile grew bigger. Nick really is lucky to have this guy as his boyfriend.
The door slid opened before he could say anything else and Hank strode out, wheeling the professor along with him. Warren and Lance stood up in nervous silence.
"We saved him," Said Hank and Warren sigh heavily in relief. "Sabretooth's attack did quite a damage on his side, in doing so, damaging his lower ribs, liver and a couple of blood vessels. He also lost quite a lot of blood, but we manage to stabilize him and repair the damage. He'll be well and about again in time."
"Can I see him?" said Warren.
"He's in the ICU. Moira and Jean are monitoring him right now. He's still unconscious, so don't disturb him too much." Hank replied.
"You were there when Sabretooth attacked him, Mr. Bass." The professor suddenly spoke. "Did he say anything that could give us a clue as to why he attacked Nick?"
Lance frowned slightly as he thinks carefully.
"You must understand... I was... too terrified to notice anything at the time... but I distinctly remember hearing the beast saying something about 'she wanting Nick dead'... whatever that means." said Lance.
"She?" Warren frowned thoughtfully.
"Does Nick have any enemy? Or mutant enemies?" asked the professor again.
"Not that I know of." Lance shrugged helplessly. "I doubt Nick ever came into contact with any known mutants in his life. And as far as non-mutant enemies are concern... no, I can't think of anyone who has a grudge against him. I mean, sure, his pranks nearly drove everyone insane, but I doubt that is a cause for killing him... much less sending that awful beast to kill him."
"And yet, she wants him dead. Whoever she is." The professor murmured thoughtfully. "Have the others returned yet?"
"Kurt said he'll inform us when they do." Said Warren. "Can I go and see him now, Hank?"
"Go ahead, Warren." Said Hank. "Just don't take too long and don't disturb him too much."
"Can I go and see him too?" said Lance.
Hank looked at him uncertainly.
"One at a time, Mr. Bass. One at a time."
"Hank, if anyone needs me, I'll be using Cerebro." Said Xavier.
"What do you intend to do?" asked Hank.
"I'm not sure... Maybe I can find some clues about the attack by examining the psychic residues around that area." Said Xavier as he wheels himself out of the room. "I do not like this Hank. Nick has only realized his mutant status for a short time. He hasn't even been involved in any sort of mission for anyone to know him, much less hold such grudge on him. So who could be so threatened by him enough to order a team of highly experienced mutant killers to kill him? And how did anyone know about him anyway? As far as I know... only the X-men knew about him so far..."
"In another word, who this mysterious she and how did she know about Nick." said Hank.
As Xavier and Hank move out of the room, Xavier continues to murmur to himself worriedly.
"Yes... So far, there are... several possibilities that I can think of..." he muttered. "Most of them are highly unlikely..."
"Except one..." he whispered softly after some thoughtful moments. "And I do not like that particular possibility at all."
To be continued...
Tune in this Tuesday, Part 32: 'Honor & Betrayal'