Heaven and Hell in an Old Gray City

[uneasy-rider.livejournal.com]

It has come down to the moment. Scores of mutants, mundanes, and power-mad people living in between them are scattered across the once grand ballroom of the hotel. A day of peace and reconciliation has been revealed to be a lie and the Exiles are caught up in the riptide of violence.

At least one man's sins are being revisited upon him from an unearthly stare.

"Tell us all about your sins in the world, Professor!" The woman is undeterred by the people Xavier has put in her way. "How does it feel?"

Comments

[wanda-maximoff.livejournal.com]

Wanda is a witch, not a doctor, but she has seen much in her lifetime. When Xavier does not move, does not respond to the Ghost Rider's commands, she frowns and dares to move closer, studying the blood flowing from his eyes and nose.

His eyes look glassy, and she risks a small sphere of witchlight his way. The reflection in his eyes is dull silver.

"I think he's dead."

[uneasy-rider.livejournal.com]

The Rider responds only to souls and Xavier's lingered longer than his mortal body. Now that it too as imploded, the rider merely nods - not taking it's eye off the remains.

Justice has been meted out, but it was not nearly enough.

[rogue-starsr.livejournal.com]

As things settle, with the announcement, Sarah stills, recovering the shield, calling the hammer to her hand since she no longer needs the disguise, and turning to Wanda, though she remains wary.

[wanda-maximoff.livejournal.com]

Wanda draws herself to her full height as she looks at the party-crashers, careful not to look too closely at the burning motorcycle rider. "Who are you people and what did you hope to accomplish here?" she demands.

[house-of-mystiq.livejournal.com]

"Sorry about your party, Princess, but we had to stop the wedding."

Raven lights a cigarette on the back of Ghost Rider's head. She looks around, surveying the carnage, then frowns at her fellow Exiles.

"I can't leave you people alone for an hour..."

[canadiansixpack.livejournal.com]

And now there's new movement, and a new voice to add to the mix.

"Hn. Looks like we got beat ta the punch."

[lehnsherr-erik.livejournal.com]

"Where is my daughter?" All the reparte and argument is pointless at this point because if Lorna is not in front of him in about 5 seconds he is going to start killing people.

The wave that is making hair stand up and electrical arcs from the static is their only warning. He.has.had.enough.

[spidey2099.livejournal.com]

"Where YOU can't find her and force her to do things she doesn't want to do," is the Spider's barked response. "She's safe."

[lehnsherr-erik.livejournal.com]

"How dare you say such things. She is safe with her family."

[spidey2099.livejournal.com]

"If by 'safe' you mean being pressured into marrying someone she doesn't love and barely even KNOWS, and as such, threatening your entire reality, then I'd suggest you consult your Webster's."

[house-of-mystiq.livejournal.com]

Raven pulls out a pre-paid cellphone.

"Lord Lensherr."

She wants to tell him how much respect she has for what he's done. She wants to appologize for her doppleganger's obvious incompetence. Part of her even wants his autograph. Instead, she keeps a straight face.

"You have 90 pre-paid minutes. Then both numbers will expire and you won't be able to reach her again. She is safe."

[lehnsherr-erik.livejournal.com]

Her voice is the only thing that kept him from unleashing deadly power on the one daring to question him.

"Your idea of managing a situation is to come in, kidnap the person, manage to kill or injure dozens of people not directly involved and then insult the person whose daughter has been taken." It's pretty clear he thinks they are all idiots.

"Did it ever occur even once to attempt to actually speak to the people involved? Or are you so in love with blood you would go to these lengths?" He takes the phone and looks at Mystique.

"If she is harmed in any way there is no barrier that will keep me from killing you all even retreat to another world. Do you believe that promise?"

[house-of-mystiq.livejournal.com]

Raven narrows her eyes at this James, her mind forcibly brought back to business.

"What do you mean when you say the Lensherr's money was a means to an end?"

[canadiansixpack.livejournal.com]

He casts his dark gaze on Xavier's bloodied corpse. Finding out he wasn't responsible for killing Raven all those years ago... it's been a great deal to straighten out in his head. But what he had planned couldn't have been allowed to come to fruition. "I worked fer him," he says eventually, with a gesture at the wheelchairbound corpse. "Decades ago. I thought he had somethin', some vision fer the city, fer the world. Turns out it wasn't th' kind o' vision I could stomach."

[exiles-2h.livejournal.com]

Jean Summers' tear-stained face and huddled form mutely testify that not all shared Logan's dislike of Xavier's dream.

[ms-tique.livejournal.com]

Ramon snarls at the redhead. "What? Did you think you'd be one of the few people left with any free will when he telepathically enslaved the entire planet?"

He doesn't have a gram of sympathy.

[canadiansixpack.livejournal.com]

"Marryin' his kid off inta th' Lensherrs woulda given him th' final funds an' th' resources he needed fer his pet inventor ta create th' biggest an' most powerful mind control device on th' planet." He pauses, his expression darkening. "No thought private, no will left that wouldn't be under his control. That was his idea o' a mutant revolution."

[rogue-starsr.livejournal.com]

Sarah has stood mutely by while most of this situation resolved itself, mostly watching Magneto, while trying not to show too much discomfort with the weight of the shield on her dislocated arm. Even that aside, she doesn't look pleased, particularly any time the killing of Xavier comes up. For that matter, the situation with her grandmother suggesting a threesome with her grandmother and yet another Wolverine is clearly not an image she's taking in stride either, but the killing still takes first place.
At least Deadpool will heal.

"Alright, are we done fighting over this, now that the plan has been revealed, and the wedding is definitely off, or do I need to stick around any longer?"

[spidey2099.livejournal.com]

Dammit, the poor girl is beaten up again.

"With any luck, NONE of us need to stick around much longer."

[lehnsherr-erik.livejournal.com]

He has withdrawn to speak to his youngest child. To any who think that Erik is an inhuman monster with no feelings they might be surprised by the range of expressions that cross his face while Lorna does her best to explain why all of this is necessary.

Anger chases grief and finally settles on grim resolution that hides the emotional wounds he hoped to never have again.

When he's done the phone is closed and for a long span he does not rejoin the crowd. When he finally does it is only the woman in Blue who gave him the phone that is addressed. Anyone else in the room is ignored as if they do not exist.

"The world is a safer place, and I have lost my daughter. I will never forgive you for either." The phone still has some minutes left but he will give them to Wanda and Pietro to say their farewells as well.

"I know where she is, the telephone signals can't bounce enough to hide her location from me." He pauses. "But I will abide by her wishes and let her leave her family though it breaks my heart beyond the telling of it. Luckily for you."

[house-of-mystiq.livejournal.com]

"Yes, My Lord." Raven stands at full attention. Her face is frozen in an expressionless mask. She stares at him for a long moment, then salutes.

[lehnsherr-erik.livejournal.com]

He is still puzzled by her deference to him but when she salutes he salutes her in return.

She is saving a world, that much accords respect.

[wanda-maximoff.livejournal.com]

"Abba?" Wanda draws close to her father. The word, her inflection, could mean so many things:

Is our baby sister truly all right?

Is there anything you need of me and Pietro?

Should I leave you alone?

[lehnsherr-erik.livejournal.com]

He puts an arm around her shoulders without a word.

He will need her and Pietro in the upcoming days.

[house-of-mystiq.livejournal.com]

There's a familiar wrenching sensation in her gut. The last thing she sees is Lensherr holding the Princess before the Exiles disappear. (http://community.livejournal.com/elseworldexiles/23149.html)