Part Seventeen
Cadie lay on the bed, her eyes closed, unmoving.
Jean Grey-Summers sat at her head, hands lightly touching Cadie's
face. No one else was present in the room, and there was only silence around them.
Wolverine and Gambit both had protested violently at
being excluded, but they had been overruled. "I can't have other
thoughts intruding on this!" Jean had explained impatiently. "And the
longer we wait, the fewer my chances of bringing her out of this. Is
that what you both want? To keep her this way?"
"Non!" "No!" Both men reacted violently to her question.
"Then stay out here and stay out of my way, guys,"
she said a little more softly. "I can't help her if I have to screen
out your thoughts as well. And you should both know I won't give up
until I either reach her or I drop." She had placed a hand on Logan's
arm, and stared directly into Gambit's face. #You both know I'll do everything I can.#
Now she sat with Cadie, her fingers gently resting
on the psi points at her temples. #Can you hear me?#
There was no answer to her telepathic calls. She
moved further into the psychic plane, into the mindscape. Colors and
shapes swirled around her, slowing her progress. *Well, that's a good
sign. You're fighting back to keep me out. So you haven't completely given up.*
She took a step and a wall formed itself before her. Jean touched it gently: it was like
rock, it was so solid. #Cadie, I know you can hear me. Let me in.#
#Non!#
Jean smiled. A response of any sort was a good sign.
#Cadie, you can trust me. I'm your friend. You know I'm your friend.#
#Don' know any such t'ing, lady.#
Another wall built itself in front of her, forcing
her back a step. Jean retreated from the psychic plane and hesitated.
*I didn't want to have to do this. I don't want to force my way in, it
might totally destroy her mind. Damn!*
She opened her mind and focused it on Gambit, then
Logan. #I guess you two were right. I need you to come in here please.#
*They must have been right outside the door.* She
smiled, but it felt hollow to her. "She's fighting me. Hard. She isn't
sure she can trust me, and that's where you two come in. Does she
trust either of you enough to let you in her mind?" She regretted the
need to be so blunt, but she had seen the readings from where she sat.
"We don't have time for debate on who. Or why. Her life signs are
getting weaker already. I need your help now."
The two men looked at each other, then Wolverine
nodded. "She's known you a lot longer, Cajun."
"Okay, Jean, what y' want me t' do? I help Cadie any way I can."
She motioned him onto another bed, then moved to
stand at his head. "Remy, you have to trust me or this won't work.
Totally. You'll have to let down your shields, so I can reach you."
He nodded, his mouth dry. "Oui, Jeannie." His voice was a bare whisper. "Gambit ready."
She gently placed her hands on his temples and spoke
to his mind. #Can you hear me Remy?#
The answer was hesitant, uncertain. #O-oui. I hear you, chere.#
She smiled. #Good, you come through strong. Cadie
will know it's you and not a projection. Relax now, I'm holding you in
gestalt with me. You're perfectly safe with me. Now we'll go help Cadie.#
She rose and moved a few paces to stand by Cadie's
head. Remy looked out through her eyes. #Mon Dieu, chere, dis is strange, hehn?#
She smiled again. #Yes, Remy. You're doing fine.#
She placed her hands gently on Cadie's face again, letting some of the
gestalt flow back into the mindscape. #Cadie, can you hear me?#
#I tol' y' b'fore, lady. Get outta my head!#
#Cadie, Remy is with me. You trust Remy, don't you?#
A flood of emotion swept over them. #Y' know I trust him. How'd he get here,
in my head, hehn? Remy's no telepath. Dat's what dey call dis, non?#
#Yes, Cadie. I brought him with me so you would know
I meant you no harm. Remy, tell her please.#
#Petite, listen t' de lady. She tryin t' help y',
bring you back. Compris? Y' let her in, she help you come back outta y'self.#
Neither of them was prepared for a violent denial.
#Non! Don' want t' come back, Remy! Leave me be!#
Another presence made itself felt, and Jean looked
up to see Wolverine standing beside them, his hand lightly touching
Cadie's cheek. She took a look and drew him completely into the
gestalt. #She is fighting hard, Logan. Maybe the three of us together
can convince her to come back. Talk to her.#
#Cadie, darlin. Listen ta Jeannie. She's tryin ta help you.#
All three mind voices continued to speak to her,
reassuringly, pleadingly. She continued to resist until she simply couldn't stand
any more. #Why won' y' let me be?# she wailed. #I can't come back, I won'!#
Jean seized on it. #Why won't you come back, Cadie?
We want to help you. Please, tell us what you are so afraid of.#
A mental sigh of defeat. #Y' wan' t' know so bad, den look.#
Sinister's lab formed around them, and Cadie was
sitting on Vertigo once more. The gestalt felt the rage, the hate that
Cadie had poured at the woman. The desire to kill, no longer
repressed. The only thing that had stopped her was the calm her
friends had shown her, the knowledge that they were safe.
#Can' come out.# The mental tone was muted, pained.
#I killed dat woman, surely as I'd put a knife in her. Dis fittin
punishment, dat I be like her, non?#
The gestalt merged even closer, truly becoming one
voice in her mind, reassuring, pleading for her understanding. #She
isn't dead, Cadie. She's like you, trapped inside herself. With the
proper treatment, she will recover.#
#Y' t'ink she get dat from him? He kill her, cut his
losses, start again. I know dat much. Felt de same way I went after
him. Can' control dis, don' wan' t' try no more. Better dis way.#
#Cadie, will you talk to me if I let Remy and Logan
go? Please, I need to ask you some things.#
Another sigh, defeated, despairing. #I talk t' you.#
The gestalt dissolved and Jean was alone with Cadie,
in her mind. #There is something you weren't saying when they were
here, Cadie. Tell me what you are so afraid of. It isn't just your
power, that you could learn to control. So what is it?#
Cadie's psychic presence rose before her and grabbed her by the arms. #You got t'
promise no one ever know. I won' let y' in 'less y' promise.#
Jean felt the terror in her tone. She could have
broken free easily, but she chose instead to agree. With a final sigh,
Cadie's defenses crumbled and Jean saw everything in her mind.
She cried out at the torrent of emotion that poured
over her. Love, hate, rage, and grief nearly overwhelmed her. The
vision of a small boy, smiling, then gone forever dominated the scene.
#Now y' know. Now go 'way, leave me here.#
#Cadie, please. We can help you with this. We can
help you control your power, we can help you contain that grief, work
through it. Come back to us. To your friends. Let us help you.#
Another sigh of resignation, then agreement. #Hope
y' can help me, chere. Next time, I won' come out. Ever. An I won' let
y' back in again. So dis better work, non?#
Jean slowly lifted her hands from Cadie's face,
barely feeling the tears on her own. "Oh, you poor lost child," she
whispered. She tried to stand, but her knees buckled. Wolverine caught
her before she could fall, and Remy put a gentle hand under her other
arm. She stared at first one, then the other. "What did Sinister do to
her? There is a child in her mind, a little boy; about 5, I think.
Then he's just not there any longer. And she is so torn, grieving so
hard." She caught Remy's eyes with her own. "Do you know who he is?"
He shook his head, puzzled. But before he could make
a sound, Cadie's voice came from behind them, low, full of pain. "I
tell you who he was, Jean. He was my son."
[ 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 ]
-
Wolverine's Realm
-
Facts About Wolverine
-
Origins of Wolverine
-
Wolverine's Allies
-
-
Wolverine's Enemies
-
Picture Gallery of
Wolverine
-
Fan Art Gallery of Wolverine
-
-
Wolverine Fan Fiction
-
Wolverine Rumor Section
-
Current Wolverine Issue
-
-
Wolverine Issue Database
-
Sound Gallery
-
Wolverine Price Chart
-
Wolverine Chatroom
-
-
Wolverine Books for Sale
-
Wolverine
Poll
-
Other X-Men related links
-
Other
Comic links
-
-
Webring Membership
-
Wolverine Search
-
Mail Me!!
-
Guestbook
-
Feedback
-
©Copyright by Alan Quan. This printed article is ©copyrighted
by its respective author and has been reprinted with permission.