FicWad

Between Life and Death
Chapter 2: The Tragedy

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A series of powerful explosions had suddenly rocked the whole structure, causing it to shake as if it were in an earthquake. Throughout the halls and rooms, hidden incendiaries went off and quickly spread fire all over the old, dusty facility. The structural supports were blown to pieces by strong blasts of explosives that only compounded the shaking, causing several major areas of the ceiling to collapse.

Over in the archives, both Scott and Jean had been knocked off their feet by the sudden explosion and they both struggled to get up as parts of the ceiling began to collapse. Their uniforms were partially torn by the blast, but luckily they sustained no serious injuries.

"Come on! We have to find the others and get out of here!" said Scott as he helped Jean up.

"Right! Let's go before this room collapses!" said Jean as they both regained their composure and prepared to make a break for the exit.

But before they could take two more steps, another part of the ceiling suddenly collapsed and hit Jean on the head nearly knocking her out. Scott, upon seeing this, quickly went to his girlfriend's side.

"Jean!" he yelled, throwing the debris off her and lifting her back to her feet.

She groaned in response, letting him know that she was still conscious despite the blow. But the injury would only make things difficult for them if they were to escape.

'It's okay Jean,' sent Scott through the psychic link they shared, 'It's going to be okay. I'll get you out of here...I promise.'

Hitching one of her arms around his neck, Scott quickly began to lead Jean out of the archives. He could feel that she was still conscious, but her head was still reeling from the blow, making her powers unusable. Fire now illuminated the halls and more sections of ceiling began to collapse and form piles of rubble to block their path. However, thanks to Scott's optic blasts, the debris was blown away and the path, fire laden as it may be, was still open to them.

Over with Ororo, Kurt, and Kitty the sudden sound of the alarm had been equally shocking to them. The server room was probably the least flammable compared to the others, but that did little as the integrity of the worn ceiling was shattered by the shockwave of the blasts.

"What happened?!" yelled Kitty over the loud rumbles caused by the explosions.

"I'm not sure, but I think its best that we not stick around to find out!" said Ororo as she got out of the way of more collapsed ceiling, "Kurt, get us out of here!"

"I'm on it!" said the blue mutant.

However, just as Kurt prepared to help his friends escape, another charge of powerful explosives rocked the area round them and Kurt was blown back and slammed against an empty server by the force of the explosion, knocking him out cold in the process.

"NO! KURT!" yelled Kitty as she and Ororo quickly ran to his side.

Kitty feverishly tried to see if he was still alive, but her hysterical state did little to help. However, Ororo managed to stay calmer than the young valley girl and soon felt a strong pulse, allowing her to breathe a sigh of relief.

"It's okay...He's alive. But he's out cold," said Ororo as fires began to spread around them.

"Good! Then let's get him out of here!" urged Kitty as helped Ororo bring Kurt to his feet.

Soon, the two women found themselves navigating the winding corridors once again. And like Scott and Jean, debris formed formidable barriers that would have trapped normal human beings and left them to die. But thanks to Kitty's phasing powers, no barrier stood in their way and they were able to work their way back through the maze-like halls of the laboratory as the noise of the structure failing under its own wait began to grow all the more disconcerting.

Over with Logan, Rogue, and Bobby the flames were spreading far more quickly due to the high concentration of old gasoline in and around the areas. But thankfully the walls and ceiling were more structurally sound and Bobby's ice powers helped put out the flames that stood in the way. But the structure of the whole facility was still collapsing fire or no fire. Whoever planted the explosives knew to plant them in the areas that would cripple the whole buildings key support points so that there would be nothing left to save the mysterious building.

"Come on Iceman, get a move on!" yelled Logan as he saw Bobby lagging behind them as they made their way through the corridors.

Iceman was still using his powers to desperately try and stop the spread of the fire, but in doing so it slowed him down as the ceiling and walls began to buckle and collapse around him. And no matter what he tried, the new fires kept popping every time he put one out. There was just too much old gas and chemicals to contain it, so the best he could do was slow it down.

"Iceman let's go!" urged Rogue as more ceiling collapsed near them and the floors began shaking again from deeper explosions within the lower levels.

"You don't need to tell me twice!" said Bobby as he put one last fire out before running with all his might to catch up with his friends.

However, just as he was within ten feet of them, a huge chunk of debris from the ceiling and the floors above feel right between the area separating him from Logan and Rogue. Bobby was forced to jump back to avoid being crushed, but in doing so, trapped himself behind a thick layer of rubble with the advancing fires behind him.

"Shit!" cursed Logan as he whipped out his adamantium claws and began trying to tear through the rubble to get back to the young man.

However, the debris was too loose and coarse and Rogue began to panic as more fires broke out and more smoke began to choke the air around them.

"Logan!" came a voice from behind them.

However, this didn't seem to stop him from trying to tear through the debris. But Rogue quickly responded.

"Cyclops! Over here!" she yelled, hoping to get as much help as possible to get Bobby out.

The two other groups had converged and quickly followed the source of Rogue's voice through the thick smoke to the area not far from the three way path where they had split earlier. Kurt was still out and Jean was close behind because of all the smoke. Kitty too seemed nearly incapacitated as a result of using her powers so much and inhaling so much smoke. Ororo had tried to use her wind powers to clear the air, but that did nothing more than fan the flames. Overall, it was clear now that escape was their only option with two injured teammates and one trapped behind rubble.

"Rogue! Logan!" said Ororo as she saw the situation, "Where's Bobby?"

"Where do ya think?!" said Logan as he kept trying to cut through the debris with little luck even as the flames around him grew stronger.

"You've gotta...Be kidding me!" said Kitty between coughs as she struggled to breath.

"Don't talk Kitty..." coaxed Ororo as she saw her nearly keel over from a coughing fit, "We'll be out of here soon."

"Not without Bobby!" said Scott as he stepped forth besides Logan.

"Wolverine, take Jean and the others and get them out of here! I'll get Bobby out!" ordered Scott.

"No way Cyke! I ain't leavin' without Iceman!" grunted Logan in defiance.

"I'll get him out! The more people that stay behind, the greater the risks! And I'm not taking a chance here!" said Scott as he shoved Jean into the powerful mutant's arms, "Go now!"

Logan still hesitated, but he didn't argue any further as he saw Jean and Kurt's condition and heard Kitty go through another coughing fit due to excessive smoke inhalation.

"Okay Cyke...But hurry! This place is gonna collapse soon!"

Logan then rushed back through the halls as he led the others to the exit. Rogue was forced to help Kitty as she began to cough more from the excessive smoke inhalation she had taken down the halls she, Ororo, and Kurt had come out of. This left only Scott to stay back and deal with the trapped Bobby Drake.

"Bobby! Can you hear me?!" yelled Scott through the debris.

Bobby was still trapped on the other side trying to put out fires with his powers, but the smoke was starting to get to him and the heat was weakening him.

"Yeah!" he managed to answer through the loud rumbling of the structure.

"Well stand back! I'm gonna blast my way through!" said Scott as he adjusted the power setting on his visor to the max level, "Get down and brace yourself Iceman!"

Bobby quickly took cover off to the side and got down as more smoke filled his lungs. Then...With a deafening blast, the large pile of debris was blown away and a huge opening was formed. Scott quickly made his way through and over towards the weakened Iceman as the fires quickly melted away every bit of ice he had laced his body with. The heat along with the smoke made him very weak, but Scott would not leave anyone behind on this mission.

"Come on Bobby. Let's get you out of here," said Scott as he helped Bobby up to his feet.

But just as they seemed ready to make their exit, another huge explosion destroyed their path of escape and now an even thicker layer of debris stood in their way as Scott let out a frustrated grunt over the smoke and began trying to blast his way through.

Outside with the others, everybody watched anxiously as fires erupted from all floors of the facility and parts of the top began to collapse. The whole area around them began to shake violently as a result of the ensuing explosions as more detonations echoed through the air. However, there was no sign of Bobby or Scott and their chances grew worse and worse as they saw more parts of the building collapse.

"X-men!" said Xavier over the radio as he sensed a great deal of distress, "Is everybody okay?"

"Cyclops and Iceman are still in there!" yell Logan, who wanted to run back in there and get them himself if the entrance hadn't been destroyed, "We have to go back!"

"But how?" said Ororo as she saw more parts of the structure collapse.

"I know a vay..." said a weak voice.

Everybody then turned to see a groaning Kurt as he regained consciousness and was able to stand up under his own power.

"Kurt!" said Kitty in relief as she saw him awake, even though he still looked somewhat shaky.

"I'm going back in to get them..." said Kurt.

"No way elf! You're too weak! You'll pass out after five seconds!" said Logan as he saw the elf's weary form.

"Then I'll just have to do it in four..."

Before anything else could be said, Kurt had disappeared in a puff of smoke. Now, there were three friends in the collapsing building and all they could do now is watch and wait.

As soon as Kurt appeared back near the area where Bobby had been trapped, he was horrified to see the fires growing even bigger as they engulfed practically every place around him. His head was still reeling and his body was still weak, but that didn't stop him from searching for his friends. He knew time was short and his strength was being stretched to the limit, but he never once considered leaving.

'Come on Kurt,' he told himself, 'Just hold on...Don't pass out. Vhatever you do...Don't pass out.'

Then, despite the smoke and sharp pain in his head, Kurt heard a voice through the thick smoke.

"Kurt!" yelled Scott as he made his way over to his blue friend with a weakened Bobby beside him, "Thank God you're here! You have to get Bobby out! The heat from the fire is weakening him!"

Kurt was still wobbly and Scott could tell. But right now, he was Bobby's only hope and the threat to his own life didn't seem to concern him in the slightest.

"But vhat about you?" said Kurt as he began to cough through the smoke.

"You'll have to come back for me!" said Scott, "If you try two at a time in your state, we might not make it! Hurry Kurt! Don't argue, just get him out of here! I'll be okay!"

Kurt was starting to black out, but he still had the strength for a quick port back outside. However, he knew that Scott was right when he said that he didn't have the capacity for two. The more people he teleported, the greater the strain on his body and mind. And right now, he couldn't afford to pass out or get them only halfway out with a weak port. While he still didn't want to leave his friend behind, Scott didn't look as though he was going to let Kurt risk his own life by pushing himself any further.

"Kurt...Go," urged Scott.

Knowing time was up for debate, Kurt did as he was told and gritted his teeth in determination as he took Bobby's hand and teleported him out of the building...Leaving only Scott behind.

Outside, upon Kurt's reappearance, everybody rushed over to see if everybody had gotten out. Kurt nearly passed out again and fell back into Kitty's arms as Ororo quickly tended to Bobby. But there was just one problem...There was no Scott.

"Elf! Where's Cyke!?" yelled the Wolverine.

This seemed to stir Jean out of her state upon hearing him mention Scott. Her head was still reeling, but she was still strong enough to search through their link. As she opened her eyes she found herself still in Logan's arms, but from what she could sense...Scott wasn't there. The Wolverine was surprised by the sudden movement as Jean fought her way back to her feet and began limping back towards the crippled building.

"Jean wait!" urged Ororo as she and Logan went to stop her from going back.

Back inside the building, the final seconds were fast approaching as the noise of the supports to the building were quickly eroding and the final struts threatened to collapse. Scott was fighting the heat, smoke, and falling debris as his uniform became all the more torn by the struggle. The strength that had led him to get his friends and family out was quickly beginning to wane and he could hear the whole structure around him beginning to collapse. As a boy, he had fought off death before when he and his little brother jumped out of a burning plane together in the cold skies over Alaska one fateful night over ten years ago. That night, he lost his parents and for many years thought he had lost his brother as well. The years after that were among the hardest of his life...But he had fought through them. He had faced death way more than he cared to remember and this was no different. So many times he felt his life flash before his eyes, but each time he managed to fight it off. However...The longer he stayed in this structure, the worse his chances were. He felt himself on the verge of collapsing. But then...Through a warm feeling in his head, he felt his link with Jean grow as she woke up. That meant that she was alive and well...And she would survive. It was a comforting thought as the building around him began to collapse. He tried to tell himself that Kurt would appear any second to get him out...But somehow in the back of his mind he knew...He was going to die. His friends were going to live on...But he was not. He had lived a very hard life...But he had done something in the end to be proud of. He had saved his friends and the woman he loved. As his thoughts drifted back to Jean...He sent one last message of his great love for her.

'Jean...' he sent weakly through his mind, 'I'll always...Love you.'

Then, suddenly the whole area around him collapsed and Scott Summers then felt himself get hit by a powerful force. Finally...Everything went black.

Back at the mansion, Professor Charles Xavier let out a pained yell that echoed through Cerebro and caused him to keel over to the side and fall of his wheelchair as the pain surged through his head.

Outside...Just as Logan and Ororo were about to reach Jean, the young redhead suddenly let out an agonizing scream as she clutched her head in pain. Everybody present seemed drawn to this as they heard Jean let out a cry of great pain into the night as she fell to the ground in a heap of tears and began sobbing uncontrollably.

"Jean!" yelled Logan as he and Ororo rushed to the side of the young woman that they had helped teach and raise since she was only 12 years old.

But their voices did not register...For all she could feel was pain...Horrible, terrible pain unlike anything she had ever felt before. The warm feeling in her head...The link she had shared with Scott...Had been suddenly severed in a horribly painful surge that felt as though somebody had ripped a part of her very being from her.

Then...The whole structure exploded in a huge fireball that rose hundreds of feet into the air and everybody watched in horror as it soon became clear as to why Jean was in such pain. At first, it didn't truly register...Until Jean let out a meek, yet audible response that confirmed what they all knew was true...But didn't want to believe.

"He's dead...Scott's dead."

The blast from the explosion had rocked the entire area. The old laboratory was now nothing more than a blazing fireball in a smoking crater. There was nothing left of it now...Everything inside had been incinerated. And for the X-men, their friend and leader, Scott Summers, had still been in there during that fateful moment.

Everybody was now in such a grave state of shock that they simply stood there on the cold field in the valley as still as statues. The huge explosion that blew the building to bits had taken their friend with it. Everything had happened so fast...It had all gone so horribly wrong. And the words of Jean Grey, the girl who had been Scott's closest friend and lover, only served to confirm what they all feared.

"He's dead..." she said again in a pained voice that was barely audible, "Scott's dead."

The shock was just too great for any of them to process. Kitty, despite the effects of smoke inhalation, simply covered her mouth in shock and keeled over in a heap of tears. Kurt was right next to her and he tried to support her, but his injuries and his own grief just wouldn't allow him. For Bobby, he had never experienced the death of a friend before quite like this. Scott had saved his life at the expense of his own. He made the ultimate sacrifice for him and for Kurt. Now, a hard lump was forming in his throat as painful tears streamed down his face while his mind kept struggling to process the fact that Scott was gone...And he had been one of the last to see his face. For Rogue, she had always been one to keep her emotions hidden because of her introverted nature, but in learning that Scott, the friend that had helped influence her to join the institute in the first place, was dead...She just couldn't hold her emotions back anymore. Like the others, she began to sob uncontrollably as her body stood frozen at the sight of the destroyed building that had taken Scott away from them.

It was no easier for the elders as they tried to process what had just happened. Ororo was already bursting with tears, for she felt as though she had just lost one of her own children. Both she and Logan had helped raise Scott since he was only 12 years old. He was the first student at the institute and he grew into such a strong young man with endless potential for his future. But in the span of a fraction of a second...He was gone...Taken away from this world in the blink of an eye. Even Logan, the most stoic of the group, couldn't believe it. He had seen a lot of death in his life, but this hit him in a way no other loss ever had. Having lost a great deal of his memories, he had always worked to make better new ones as an X-man and an instructor at the institute. Scott had been his first attempt at helping mutant children...And that simple experience changed his life forever. Now, that one child that had grown to be so strong...Was dead. And such a feeling hurt in a way that neither Logan nor Ororo could put into words.

"No..." said Ororo as she covered her mouth in shock, "Scott..."

"This...This isn't happening," said Rogue, trying to convince herself that this was all a bad dream that she would wake up from at any moment.

These words of shock and grief did not even register for Jean Grey, who was by far the worst. She was still collapsed on the cold, hard ground sobbing uncontrollably from what she had just felt. To her, Scott Summers had been more than just a friend...A lot more. He was the boy that helped save her when she came to the institute scared and confused about what she was becoming. He was the boy who had always been there for her no matter how bad things got. From the time her powers went crazy to the time she thought the Professor had been killed...He had been there for her to help her through every tough moment she faced. He was the boy she had fallen in love with. She had known it for years...But it had taken her so long to fully realize it. Their love was strong...Very strong. They shared a powerful bond that few others ever hoped to experience or understand. It was a bond that she had treasured...It was a bond that had given her comfort and warmth when she needed it. But now it was gone...Now she couldn't feel anything left of Scott in her mind. She felt so empty inside...So cold. She had just lost the love of her life and the pain was simply too great for her to describe.

'Scott...Please...Answer me,' she sent through the empty link, desperately trying to find any trace of him even though she knew in her mind that all was lost, 'Scott...Don't leave me. Please don't leave me. Please...'

She was practically begging now. She was pleading with whatever higher force there was not to take Scott away from her and his friends. But no matter how much she begged or how hard she cried...Nobody answered. There was nothing but silence. The only thing that she heard in her head was the echo of the last thing Scott had sent her through their link, 'I'll always love you.'

As the smoke and fire began to wane over near ground zero, nothing was left except a smoking crater. Whatever fragile hope that had remained was completely shattered now...They knew that there was no hope left for Scott Summers. He had died saving them. He had made the ultimate sacrifice. And no matter how hard it was for the friends that he had considered nothing short of family...It could not be undone.

"No...No..." sobbed Jean, unable to say anything else as her ability to form words quickly degraded.

Both Ororo and Logan couldn't stand to see her like this...For they had raised her almost as long as they had raised Scott. From the young girl they first took in to the young woman that was now before them...They had never seen her in such pain. It was almost too hard for them to watch, but they knew they had to help her.

"Come on Jeannie...Let's go," said Logan in a soft voice as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

However, this gesture didn't seem to register with the young redhead. It was as if her mind was too shocked and hurt to sense anything. But she had just felt the man she loved die in her head...She had felt him the moment he was killed. It had left her in a deep state of disbelief and pain.

Seeing her like this was almost too much for the two teachers that were still reeling from this great tragedy helped her up. She was still crying and sobbing uncontrollably, but they managed to bring her to her feet as they slowly made their way back to the waiting X-jet.

The others remained in a state of shock and were still unable to move or process what had just happened. They were all still young and they had never faced something quite like this before. To see a friend that they all held so dear give his life to save theirs...Was just something that they couldn't get over. They may have teased Scott about being uptight, anxious, and somewhat stiff...But he was a young man of honor that had been willing to sacrifice his life to save those he cared about. Now, the pain of the minor injuries that they had sustained in their escape now paled in comparison to what they were feeling now as they looked back at the decimated area.

"He's gone...He's really gone," said Bobby as he now felt colder than he ever had before in his life.

"He died saving us..." struggled Kurt, fighting off the pain of his injuries and his exhaustion, "He didn't even care about his own life...All he did was fight to save us."

More tears were shed by all of them as they remembered those fateful moments that had come and gone so fast. Now, they were forever engraved into their memories. If it had been anyone else...It wouldn't have been this hard. Scott was their leader, their friend, and a role model. To lose him was to lose a big part of the team. But the state of the team was far from their minds now as the loss of their friend remained the only thought in their minds.

The friends and teammates that had known Scott Summers could've stayed in their current position for hours on end and still not fully process what had just happened. But some of them needed medical treatment and no amount of loss or tears could change what had just transpired.

"Guys..." said Logan as he let Ororo lead Jean the rest of the way into the jet, "Come on...Let's go."

Logan's gruff, yet solemn voice helped snap them out of their daze as they all swallowed hard and turned away from the devastated area. But before each on of the traumatized X-men turned to leave this horrible area that had taken away one of their best friends...They all took their time to say goodbye.

Kurt and Kitty were still leaning on each other for support as they struggled back to the X-jet. Rogue soon came up beside them and guided them both as the two younger mutants struggled with their injuries and their grief. Bobby was the last one, taking slightly longer to say goodbye since he had been one of the last person to see Scott Summers alive...And he had survived because of his sacrifice.

On the X-jet, the silence was almost too grave to describe with words. Only the sound of sobs and the smell of tears permeated now. There was still smoke rising up from the crater where the building had once been. Now because of it, they had lost one of their own and it would take quite a while to recover from it.

As Logan took the pilot seat that Scott had sat in less than an hour before, everyone took one last look at the site where their leader had made the ultimate sacrifice for them.

"So long Cyke...We'll miss ya," said Logan, being the only one strong enough to speak, "Thanks for everything you did...And we'll never forget you."

With those final words, the engines of the X-jet ignited and the soft rumble of the interior hinted that it was time to go back and deliver the grim news to the rest of the institute. Jean had passed out at this point, unable to stay awake because of her grief. Her mind was still searching through the empty link for the man she loved. But no matter how hard she searched...She could find nothing.

Scott Summers had been a friend and leader to the X-men and had dutifully worked to uphold the principles of Professor Xavier and protect those around him. Some criticized him for his uptight nature while others turned to him for guidance when they needed it. But in the end...He had died for them. He had bravely given his life without any regard for his own. Now they were never going to see him again. Such a tragedy was not something that they would easily overcome. And as the X-jet streaked across the sky and away from the grizzly sight...Their prayers went out to their lost friend and leader...Wherever he was.

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While the X-men struggled to deal with the horrible loss of their friend and leader...Back at the crater where the mysterious laboratory had once stood, strange new activity was brewing in the area that just been so greatly rocked by the explosion.

Deep within the hillside where the facility had been built into...A long, darkened tunnel that led from what used to be the basement of the facility all the way to the end of the small chain of hills remained intact. The sheer depth of this tunnel had helped save it from the explosion and the thick, dense layer of rocks around it had shielded it from detection. It wasn't very big and was barely wide enough for four people to walk through. But it had been built tough and had withstood the worst of the explosion.

In this deep tunnel, however, there was more than just rats and empty space. Under the soft glow of old, dirty lighting that was barely sustaining itself as it is...Three distinct figures stood below the area that had once been the basement of the laboratory. Above them, there was nothing left. But that didn't matter to them, for they had gotten what they had come her to get. Before them...Lay the motionless, lifeless body of Scott Summers. If anybody had looked at him...They would have quickly assumed him to be dead. The power of the strange blast he had suffered had literally blown the top part of his uniform clear off and his visor was now in shambles, so it had just been casually disposed of...Seeing as how it didn't seem as though it would do him any good now. Each one of the three figures looked deeply contented with what lay before them and a look of triumph dominated their expression as one of them, a tall, muscular man took out a small communicator and spoke.

"Sinister...It's Gorgeous George. We have the package. That weird ray gun you gave us did the trick. The guy is out cold."

Over the small, high tech device a deep, dark voice responded.

"Excellent...Everything has gone flawlessly. Can you tell if the X-men are gone?"

"We did a check," responded George, "They just left."

"Then you all should do the same," answered the dark voice that they had referred to as Sinister, "Put him in the mobile transport chamber and bring him back to the base. The effects of the device you used on him won't ware off anytime soon. But be careful with the specimen...I have very big plans for him."

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AN: Well, what do you think? Mysterious is it not? Sinister is now involved and the X-men are now reeling from the supposed loss of their friend and leader. But do you think he's really dead? And are you curious to see what Sinister means by 'big plans?' Well you'll just have to stay tuned to find out! There's definitely more to come! The mystery is just getting started! I hope you all like the story thus far even it is a little angsty now. But trust me, this is merely the beginning! So what do you think? Like it? Hate it? Eager to read more? Please tell me! Send me your reviews via email or post them on the fanfiction website! I appreciate all reviews and I urge you all to tell me what you think! Thanks for reading and until next time I wish you all the best!

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