22 | Chapter 22: Aftermath, And Setting Up The Kingdom - Part II |
| Author's Note: This small chapter, focused on various POVs. More interesting reactions about Gilgamesh Island are coming next. Hopefully a bigger chapter will come as well. Also, these 2 last chapter parts, alongside the next one are part of the "Aftermath" part of the title. The chapters that are next to the following one(tomorrow) will be the "Setting Up The Kingdom" part of the mentioned title, above. |
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| Jean Grey Pov / Inside Jean's Room, X-Men Mansion |
The distant sounds of my turned-on television could be heard, the news channel going through its normal routine, disasters and deaths following each other, as always.
I was currently finishing making some popcorn, it was nighttime, and I wanted something sweet while I watched some TV, before going to sleep.
It had been one whole day since that fateful encounter, and my mind was still in turmoil about it. From straight thoughts about that golden-haired man to nightmares where I saw him kill every single one of my team colleagues.
My mind has been a mess in the past twenty-four hours.
Suddenly, popping sounds take my mind away from those dark and strange thoughts.
"The popcorn is ready..." I mused at that, my mouth watering slightly in anticipation.
As I finish my sweet and delicious night snack, I head to the living room of my dorm room. Being a member of the newly created X-Men, we were granted bigger rooms than most of the mutants that lived here in the Institute, or school. Whatever you want to call it.
And, as I prepare myself to watch some movie or a series on my television, a sudden news came live.
"..., the United States of America are focused and prepared to investigate this phenomenon, carefully assembling ways to try and find whatever the cause of the recent distortion in the Atlantic ocean may have been caused by." I heard the military guy in the news proclaim. At that, my mind swirled once again.
"It's about him..." All these past few hours, everything has been about him. That damned golden-haired king, with red eyes and a well-built body. "... why is everything about him..." I screamed into a nearby pillow as my mind was a wreck. From trying to enter his mind, to that wretched dream I had of him, to finally being defeated by him and sent home. Home... is this school really what I call home?
"What is happening to me?" I asked with a pained voice, while unknowingly to me, my eyes glowed a soft orange color, matching my raw emotions.
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| Narrator's Pov / Meanwhile |
As Jean Grey was having a small breakdown due to her unruly emotions, a result of her unstable mental, mutant powers, a small reunion was currently going on in the middle of the night between some of the core members of the X-Men, in Xavier's office.
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| Charles Xavier Pov / Inside Xavier's Office, X-Men Mansion |
As a crude silence spread throughout the room, Ororo's voice resounded again.
"So, you guys are telling me that an island appeared out of nowhere, and instead of gathering everyone, to try and reach a consensus on what to do, you guys decided to simply send a recently formed team of youngsters in the place of what should have been experienced X-Men?" Ororo asked me and Logan in a dangerous tone.
...
Present in this late reunion was me; Logan(Wolverine); Ororo(Storm): Raven(Mystique); Hank(Beast); Warren(Archangel) and Bobby(Ice Man), the original X-Men team I formed, and my most trusted allies in this ever changing world.
...
As Ororo's question remained unanswered, my eyes looked over every single member here present. From Hank's eyes to Bobby's eyes, I met every single gaze with calmness and a strong and resolute look. "We thought it better at the time, yes." I answered her in a low tone of voice, though I was calm inside, the loss still took place, and so I answered, truthful with her.
Faced with that kind of answer, I could see Ororo sigh, while lightly massaging her head to reduce her headache at the situation. "I swear it's always the things we least expect to happen..." I heard her mutter to herself.
"In my defense, I was opposed to it," Logan told her, looking at me with a regretful look, but still strong in his opinion about the matter. "Yet, you didn't stop the professor, nor did you consult any of us." Raven shot back at him with a narrowed gaze. Her red hair flowed down her back and her long legs crossed.
"What was I supposed to do? Lock Charles in his room?" Logan retorted with a snort, to which Raven just gave a roll of her unamused-looking eyes. "Good joke dog, now we have a student who may lose his sight forever and a teacher who is unresponsive in the medical rooms." Raven taunted, with a dark smirk reflecting her twisted look at the current situation.
"What did you just call me?" Logan asked dangerously low, an animalistic snarl leaving his mouth at the same time. "Enough!!" I roared inside everyone's mind, making them all coil back in their chairs.
Raven looked down at the ground, before looking up again. "Whatever..." Her distinct way of dealing with everyone is simply chaotic but worried as well. A hard contrast to the currently reserved Bobby, who sat in his chair without saying a word, deep in thought.
Meanwhile, Warren shot an important question into the air. "So, what should we do from here onwards? We know what and who stands on that island. The world will soon come to know it as well, so what should we do about it, Professor?" His visage is curious and confused. "I am not sure, that's the problem." I told him, looking at him in the eye.
"Professor, I think we should approach this individual again." Sounded the voice of Hank, cautious but assured of his opinion.
"You mean to visit the place and the person who did that to our students?" Logan spoke up while frowning, his impatient personality not seeing the long run, and only thinking of the immediate consequences and actions taken on the day before. "I agree though." Raven said from her seat, while Ororo was still torn.
"And to do what?" My fiery temperamental friend asked them.
"Dialogue." Suddenly, Bobby's voice was heard. "And what do you have in mind, dear Bobby?" I asked him, keen to know his output on the matter.
"Well," He started, mildly hesitant. ", first and foremost, we should dialogue, in a way to ensures we can understand the other party's mind. If the dialogue we want is accepted, we should speak with caution as if speaking to a king, seeing the other party is one, from Jean's report. And lastly, we should strive to seek alliances, to try and mend what you have caused by sending the young mutants to his island. We never know how much more powerful his kingdom might be, we need to walk carefully on this thin ice as we are currently blind about all of this." He finished saying his part. I could see Ororo finally giving in to the idea, Raven was all too keen on meeting this supposed king, Logan was as always still displeased with the current choice and Warren was still in his world, but nodded nonetheless.
"Then we have an agreement, correct?" I asked them all, and everyone minus Logan nodded in agreement.
"Very well then, it is decided. We will meet again tomorrow morning to address the how and when. Have a good night, all of you." I told them all, watching them leave one by one. Logan left with a grunt; Ororo with a pensive frown; Bobby with a small smile; Warren with a normal face as always; Hank with a calculative look on his face and Raven with a smirk on her lips.
After they all left, I leaned back in my very own chair.
"What a troublesome bunch..." I said with a small smile.
[ Comment Here So I Can Post Their Pictures, Please ]
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| End Of Chapter |
