FicWad

Darkness and Light
Chapter 7: The Search for Scott

**************************************************

Genosha Island was a lot different than it was a year ago. Since the downfall of Magneto, the island had become a desolate ghost in the vast waters of the Pacific Ocean. It was once envisioned to be the capital for mutants everywhere, but that seemed all too long ago as the high noon sun beat down against the rocky shores. There was still some inhabitance on the island, but not much. Most of them were mutant refugees from abroad that didn't look human enough to survive elsewhere.

As Jean, Ororo, Logan, Beast and Slayer stepped out of the jet, they got their first glimpse of the vast island. With such rugged terrain in an unforgiving environment, it was clear that they had their work cut out for them.

"Are you sure he's here Jack?" asked Hank as he took in the size of the area they were going to have to search.

"Yes, I'm positive. But I am not certain of his exact location."

"Well it's a big island bub. We're gonna need more than just an estimate," quipped Logan.

The tattoo over the mutant warrior's left eye began to glow for a brief moment, but as soon as it stopped he just shook his head.

"I'm sorry, but this is the best I can do. Apocalypse has hidden his body somewhere with enough physical and mystical shielding that even I can't see past it. We're just gonna have to look for him the old fashioned way."

"Great..." said Logan, knowing that the odds were stacked against them. "So what's the plan? You do have a plan don't you, Slayer?"

The young warrior thought for a moment while the four other X-men waited intently for his response. All eyes were on him as he contemplated what to do next.

"For now...We'll just have to split up and search for leads. Logan, why don't you and Storm head to the south end of the island and ask some of the locals if they know anything? Hank could stay in the air and use the instruments on the X-jet to see if any energy spikes pop up. And since Jean and I can fly, we can check over the north end where the terrain is too rugged to search on foot."

"Sounds like a plan to me," said Hank, "But are you certain that Scott is still alive?"

Slayer paused again as he contemplated what to say.
"I'm afraid I don't know...I only caught a brief glimpse of him when I used Cerebra. But from what I did see, I could tell that he was dying fast. That means time is definitely against us...So we must act quickly if we are to save him."

"Then let's not waste any more time!" said Jean as she took to the air to begin the search for her dying husband.

Her actions left little room for argument as Slayer soon followed, taking to the air by means of a mysterious glow that engulfed his body and allowed him to fly.

"Well Ro...We got a lot a searchin' to do. We best get started," said Logan as he watched the two other mutants fly off.

"Right...Hank, you'll keep in touch?" replied Ororo as she prepared to follow him towards the locals.

"Yes, I'll radio you if I find anything...Good luck," said Beast.

"Thanks...We're gonna need it," said Logan.

And without another word, he went back in to the X-jet and prepared to take off once again and do his part to find their missing leader.

**************************************************

As Jean and Slayer flew over the mountainous northern area of the island, she tried searching frantically through the inactive mind link she once had with Scott. However, she was still coming up with nothing as she tried to push herself further to find her missing husband. Slayer wasn't doing any better as he looked around the vast land below with his all-seeing eye. Whatever Apocalypse did to hide Scott...He did it well. Even with their combined power, Jean and the mutant warrior were finding nothing...Not a trace.

"This is like looking for a needle in a haystack," said Jean with an exasperated tone in her voice. "You see anything yet, Jack?"

"No...I'm still looking. Wherever Apocalypse has hidden Scott, it's shielded so greatly that even the power of the eye of the Sphinx isn't enough to break through it."

That didn't sound too promising as they flew over a large mountain peak and continued to look for something...Anything that would lead them to Scott Summers.

"So how do we find him now if that place is so heavily shielded?" asked Jean as she tried to hide the worry in her voice.

"We just have to keep searching," said Slayer simply as he looked over towards the east side of the island.
"But what are we even looking for?" said Jean, who was beginning to get more anxious about this whole search in general.

"Anything out of the ordinary. If something just doesn't look right...It'll probably be a clue, knowing how Apocalypse operates."

Jean felt uneasy about that plan...Apocalypse had been deceiving her for over a year now. He had used and manipulated her in every way, shape, form, and manner. Even though Slayer had helped lift some of this mental fog, she was still weary of herself as she searched frantically for Scott's presence.

"Don't worry Jean...I promise we'll find your husband...You have my word as a warrior," assured the mutant warrior as he seemed to pick up on her anxiety.

Jean couldn't help but smile briefly. This mysterious man had been doing a lot to help them even after they unknowingly helped Apocalypse. It was strange that he was so willing to do this even after they fought so hard against him and didn't listen to his pleas for help. Through all this Jean couldn't help but wonder...

"What makes you try so hard Jack?" asked Jean curiously as they both continued to fly over some of the narrow valleys between the mountains.

"What do you mean?" asked Slayer, as he turned to face her.

"I mean why are you doing this? My friends and I fought against you...We didn't listen to you...And we didn't believe you. Yet here you are now, trying to help us undo what we did to ourselves. Why? What do you get out of all this?"

"I don't want anything out of this...I just want your trust for now," replied Slayer as they flew lower over some of the plateaus over the mountain range.

"But still...Why are you doing this? You've already told me a little about your past and...Well, I'm just surprised to see that it hasn't tainted you."

Slayer let out a brief sigh upon hearing that last part.

"Don't be misled Jean. My past...It has tainted me...It has hurt me before."

"But...How come you don't show it? I don't know how I could get past growing up like that and still fighting for what's right in the world."

"Who says I ever got past it?" replied Slayer as they flew higher over the rocky north coast to get a better look.

"You mean you haven't?" asked Jean with a surprise look on her face.

"No...I haven't," said the mutant warrior flatly.

"But how..."

"Inner wounds can never be healed Jean...They can only be treated. No matter how much things change, they never go away. I had to learn this long ago...And since then I have stopped trying to heal. Instead...I can merely cope with what I've been through."

Jean hadn't expected to hear this from Slayer. Not after everything he had done and the things he had revealed to her. However, he wasn't finished just yet...

"This may come as a shock to you Jean but...Good doesn't always triumph over evil. I know I may look strong...But I have suffered great defeats in the past as well as victories. It's hard...Because innocent people have died because of my losses. However, I can't let that stop me from fighting for what I believe in."

"Then what is it you're fighting for that's so meaningful that you let nothing like that taint it?" asked Jean who felt she had to know why this man was helping her.

"In order for me to best answer that...First tell me what you and the rest of your team are fighting for...You do remember don't you?" said Slayer as they looked over some of the hills near the northwest coastline.

"Well...We fight for to bring peace between humans and mutants," said Jean.

"You say that...But can you honestly tell me that you have remembered that ideal lately?"

It had actually been a while since Jean reminded herself of that. To her...It felt somewhat strange because lately it seemed that all the battles that they had faced lately didn't concern that dream at all. When she actually thought about it...They had been more concerned with fighting over things like rivalries, destruction, and personal vendettas. It was kind of surreal in a sense because up until now, Jean hadn't thought much of it.

"Peace between mutants and humans is a noble cause...But that is far from what I am fighting for. One of the major things Apocalypse did to you and you're team is he made you all forget what you were fighting for in the first place. He made you forget the dream. And with a dream such as yours...It requires little effort on his part. That is why the X-men have been so fractured lately...And why bad things erupt from the pettiest of feuds. You all have split up because you stopped believing in your cause. But a cause that can be forgotten is a dangerous cause to fight for...Because even the best of us sometimes lose faith in ourselves given severe circumstances."

Jean couldn't help but agree with Slayer when he said that she and the rest of the team had negated their true cause lately. It wasn't just within the last year...It also spanned back to the early days of the team. There were so many instances where somebody would leave or lose hope in what Professor Xavier was doing. She couldn't deny that she had felt that way before as well. Even though they could resolve these kind of feelings most of the time...There were still some instances where it lead to more conflict. As Jean thought about this...Slayer continued.

"For me...I really couldn't care less about how humans see mutants. I couldn't care less if everybody in the world hated me and my kind. I couldn't care less if everybody wanted to hunt me and anybody I cared about down and stick them in concentration camps to die slow, painful deaths. For me...I fight for another cause...A cause that can't be forgotten no matter how many times you lose faith. It's a cause that one cannot rebel against...For it is etched in stone, yet is flexible enough to accommodate everybody's whim regardless of their creed. In order for a warrior to never give up...He must chose a cause that is strong, noble, and everlasting through all walks of life. Is it justice? No...One person's interpretation of justice can greatly differ from that of another. Is it truth? No...Truth is only the absence of lies and is only part of a greater whole. Is it punishment for the wicked? No...If there's one thing I've learned over my time as a warrior, it's that violence does nothing more than beget more violence. The cause I'm fighting for deals with all those and the one the X-men are fighting for. It includes everything from protecting to weak...To preserving the peace. My cause encompasses all walks of that which is good in this world. I fight for something grander...I fight for something solid. I fight...For honor..."

"Honor?" said Jean as she took in the mutant warrior's words.

"Yes...Honor. So simple...Yet so complex. So vague...Yet so universal. I fight for honor...For myself and others. That is why I do what I do...And I never let myself forget that...No matter how many times I am defeated...No matter how many tribulations I face. I know my cause...And I fight for it."

There were so many more questions Jean could have asked...But that one answer 'honor' just seemed to explain so much. This man...This warrior who was doing everything he could to save the future and all the lives that came with it...Knew his place. That was more than Jean could say for herself and the others back home. But thinking about it started to make her believe once more...That maybe there was still some good left in the world worth fighting for.

"Maybe that's the problem with the team...We need a better goal. I know I've doubted the Professor so much in the past...Hell, he's probably doubted himself as well. But I guess you're right about our cause...It is too easy to forget."

Then, the two mutants stopped in mid flight and Slayer just shook his head as he looked back at young woman before him.

"Jean...Just because you and your team have forgotten the dream at some point before doesn't mean you should stop fighting for it. Half of succeeding in any cause is NEVER giving up no matter how many times you are defeated by yourself or others. If you want to change the world...You pick a cause and you fight for it. In a way...Xavier presented his dream to you and your friends...And you chose it. And you should keep on believing in that choice despite all the setbacks and tribulations. It's like I said before...You have the power, it's just a matter of how you use it."

They both hovered in silence for a brief moment as Jean took in his powerful words. Everything he said had just made things so clear for the first time in what seemed like forever. It was a good feeling...Knowing that what she knew wasn't corrupted. And for that, she couldn't help but smile back at the mutant warrior for helping her.

"Thanks Jack...You really have been a big help to me...To everybody."

"Don't thank me yet," said Slayer as he smiled back, "It's not over...Not by a long shot. Now come on...Let's find Scott...The real Scott."

With renewed confidence, Jean resumed the search along with Slayer. They headed around the northwestern coastline searching the rugged terrain for any sign of Scott. However, they were still not finding anything despite their efforts. Then, as they flew over the eastern part of the island's rocky shore, Jean suddenly heard her com-link become active.

"Jean, Slayer, Logan, Storm come in," said Hank McCoy as he flew the X-jet over the south central plains of the island.

"We're here Hank," said Logan as he and Storm temporarily halted their search in the southern most areas of Genosha.

"Any luck with you guys? The scanners on the plane aren't picking up anything."

"Nope...None of the locals here seem to have anything useful," grunted Logan, who sounded obviously frustrated, "A lot's changed since the last time I was here."

"Well, keep searching my friend...We're bound to come up with something. What about you Jean?" said Hank as he started to fly the plane northward.

"Still no luck," responded Jean with and exasperated tone, "I can't even find a psychic trace of him..."

"Well keep at it. What about Slayer? Has he seen anything?"

"Well he..."

Then suddenly...The mutant's warrior's gaze shifted out towards the sea and the expression on his face changed to one of great curiosity. Jean was about to ask what was wrong, but before she could he flew off in the direction he had been staring at, still with the same mysterious look on his face. He had seen something...Something strange that urged him to find out more and quickly, for time was still against them.

"Hank, I'll have to get back to you...Over and out," said Jean hastily as she shut the device off for the time being.

"Slayer...Slayer! Where are you going?" yelled Jean as she tried to catch up.

However, the mutant warrior didn't slow down...He seemed to be flying towards nowhere in particular, but the strange look on his face hinted that there was more to this action than meets the eye. Jean didn't have time to ask or wonder...She just followed as best she could, not worrying about any mental strain from using her powers in such a way. The stakes were too high now...And she knew that if she was to have any hope of finding her husband, she would have to trust the mysterious mutant warrior no matter what...

**************************************************

As Logan heard Jean turn off her com-link in a rather rushed manner, he couldn't help but wonder why. He had hoped that she and Slayer were having more luck than the rest of them. So far, he and Storm hadn't been able to find much other than a few overly rude residents of the island.

"Any luck with them?" asked Storm as she looked back towards Logan after he checked out with Hank.

"Nope...Not yet," said Logan as he sniffed the air for what seemed like the hundredth time, hoping to find any subtle scent of Cyclops. "Seems like they're in just as much a rut as we are."

"Then we best resume our search," said Ororo, who seemed to have more confidence than Logan did at this point.

It was strange...Logan remembered that fateful mission to Genosha with Scott like it was yesterday...But he never thought twice about how much he changed after it. In a way, Logan sort of blamed himself for letting this whole thing start the way it did by not seeing that he left the island with a different Scott than when he came. As he pondered those thoughts, Storm seemed to pick up on his wayward disposition.

"Is something bothering you Logan?" asked Ororo as they continued to walk near the small residential areas located along the southern beaches of the island. "You seem somewhat concerned."

Logan just sighed. For some reason he had never been good at hiding things. People could always tell for some reason...Ororo in particular.

"Is it really that obvious?"

"Well...To me it is," replied Ororo with a slight laugh.

Logan took a deep breath, still trying to make sense of all this just like everybody else had since the mysterious mutant warrior known as Slayer entered the mansion and turned their lives upside down.

"It's just that...This whole situation has been making me do a lot of thinking."

"Yeah...It has been an awful lot to take in," agreed Ororo as they walked along the eroded pathways.

"I know...It's just...I kinda feel this is somewhat my fault to begin with. You know...Being that I was with Scooter when Apocalypse nabbed him."

"Logan...You mustn't feel guilty about something like that. You know it was out of your hands," assured Ororo who understood what he was trying to say, but didn't believe he should be feeling that way about something like this.

"Was it Ro? Come on, I went on that mission with him...And I saw how much he changed. It was almost instant and for no reason at all...But I still did nothing. I shoulda known...I shoulda stopped that psycho before he got so powerful. Instead, I just made things worse by given Jeannie bad advice and goin' off on my own missions, leavin' you and the others to deal with things even as they were falling apart around us."

"I understand you're feelings Logan, but remember what Slayer said...Apocalypse used us. He used all of us...You and me included. He made me fight battles with myself when I should have been helping the rest of you."

"I don't know Ro," said Logan as he stopped walking for a moment to briefly look out over the sea, "I still felt I shoulda done something. I know that Cyke and I were never really good friends...But I did respect the guy for knowing what to do and what not to do. He always knew right from wrong even when I struggled with it. He of all people didn't deserve half of what happened to him...And I just made things worse by playin' to Apocalypse's tune."

Logan felt a wave of confusion settle over his complicated mind. Now more than ever, he regretted the kiss between him and Jean and he hated himself for letting the real Scott die here on this island and not doing anything about it. As much as he and Cyclops never got along...Logan knew he was still a leader and a friend to everybody in the X-men. It only made him feel worse as the memories of all the bad events within the past year that he was a part of surged through his mind like a painful shock to his system.

As he let his self-loathing get the best of him...Ororo gently put a hand on his shoulder to help calm him down.

"Logan...You must stop blaming yourself for this. What's done is done...And we can't undo what Apocalypse did. But for now...We just have to concentrate on finding the real Scott. He's suffered enough and it's time start to let go of Apocalypse's hold."

The weather witch then let out a sigh as she looked out over the ocean along with her friend.

"I know you blame yourself for this Logan...I know you blame yourself for a lot of things. But...No matter how many things you feel guilty about...I still believe that you have a good heart. I still believe that you are more than just some weapon that was made to kill. You've done a lot for the team...And for yourself since you came to the X-men. Don't let this horrid event taint the man you are...You're a lot more than that to me...And everybody else for that matter."

There was a brief pause between them after she finished saying what she thought.

"You really think so Ro?" asked Logan who was still somewhat unsure.

"I know so Logan...Have I ever lied to you?"

Logan took those words to heart as his gaze shifted back towards Ororo. As much as he struggled with everything that had happened to him and the rest of the team...Ororo was still there to help him make sense out of it all. While she had her own difficulties with Apocalypse, that didn't stop her from reassuring Logan of his own self worth. He was always a man who doubted himself no matter how much he did to atone for it. She had known that about him for since the beginning. But unlike most others, she best understood him and why he felt that way. To Logan, it was a welcomed reassurance for someone to say that he still had a heart...Even though he sometimes forgot.

"Thanks Ro...I needed that," replied Logan who actually managed a half-simile.

"Anytime Logan..." said Ororo as she managed to smile back.

As they resumed their search for their missing leader, the two mutants couldn't help but feel that he needed to address one last thing.

"Ro...You think this 'Slayer' guy is really as altruistic as he says he is?"

"Well I...Why do you ask Logan?" said Ororo, who seemed unable to form the right answer.

"You know me Ro...You know I don't trust a lot people, total strangers being one of them."

"So...You're saying you don't trust him?"

"No...It's just that...I'm really not so sure. Part of me trusts him...But another part of me doesn't. I wouldn't have listened to any of what this guy had to say if he hadn't pointed out so many problems we were having. It's just that I can't disagree with anything he says...No matter how hard I try."

"Well...He said it himself...Trust is very hard to gain, but very easy to lose. If it wasn't so important to him, then I don't think he would have stuck around and kept trying. That...And there's just something about him that seems...I don't know, honest."

"So you trust him?" asked Logan as they headed towards another residential sector of the island near the southeast coast.

"I wouldn't go so far as to say that...But I think I'm starting to...Are you?" replied Ororo.

As Logan thought more about it...His answer became clearer. It was a welcomed feeling...Knowing now that Apocalypse was not there to make the decision for him.

"Yeah...I think I am."

**************************************************

"Slayer...Jack! Wait up! Where on Earth are you..." then suddenly the mutant warrior stopped.
He now just hovered high in the air, looking over the picturesque ocean view of the Northwestern part of the island. Jean, had been chasing him for what seemed like a full 10 minutes now and she felt the mental strain of keeping up with him. She didn't know why he had inexplicably flown off while she was talking to Hank...But the strange expression on his face seemed to indicate that it was because of something major.

"Jack...Jack what is it?!" said Jean who was beginning to get frustrated.

However, the mutant warrior just kept staring out towards the sea...But from the enigmatic look on his face, it was obvious he was seeing something more than just the water.

"Something about this picture...Just doesn't seem right," said Slayer as he continued to look out to the sea.

"What do you mean?" asked Jean as she tried to look out to sea and find whatever he was seeing.

"I mean...Something is definitely wrong here. Something here...Just shouldn't be..." replied the mutant warrior enigmatically as he looked closer.

"What do you see? Does it have to do anything with Scott?" asked Jean hopefully.

After a brief pause, the mutant warrior just shook his head.

"I don't know...But let's check it out."

As soon as he finished those last words, he immediately flew out towards the sea.

"Dammit not again..." said Jean as she prepared for another chase, but this time she felt a new sense of hope...For something told her that whatever Slayer saw, it had something to do with Scott. At least she hoped it did.

As Jean struggled to keep up, Slayer kept scanning the waters...Looking for something that seemed out of sight for anybody else to see. Jean followed close...But she still wasn't sensing anything telepathically. Instead, she would just have to leave her faith with the mutant warrior she was following.

Then, after what seemed like an endless chase, the mutant warrior stopped and simply hovered over a seeming insignificant place over the sea that was far from land. Genosha looked a lot smaller now, and it was making Jean wonder what was so important about this particular spot of water.

"I see something...Something here that just shouldn't be," said the mutant warrior as he looked at the waters around him.

"How do you know?" asked Jean.

"I don't know...It's just a gut feeling. Something's not right here...And it has Apocalypse's name written all over it..."

Upon hearing that, Jean knew they had to be on the right track to finding Scott.

"Well, what do you think it is?" asked Jean.

"I don't know...But what do you say we find out?"

Then, before Jean could respond, the symbols on the mutant warrior's hands began to glow and both of their bodies were engulfed in a yellow halo of light. Jean was about to react, when suddenly she felt herself get pulled down by an unseen force that seemed to come from Slayer and whatever spell he had cast. They both plummeted in to the water, but thanks to the strange glowing shell around them they could both breathe comfortably. As they went deeper and deeper in to the sea, the sunlight around them began to fade and it began to get increasingly darker. Slayer responded to this by increasing the intensity of the light around both him and Jean as they continued to go deeper in to the ocean abyss. Jean couldn't only stay along for the ride as she continued to wonder where they were going. At first she felt nervous, but the look on Slayer's face helped bolster her confidence.

As they approached the desolate ocean floor, the two mutants finally stopped descending and instead they were speeding along the vast underwater plains. However, as they moved along the cold waters, a new structure came in to view. It was a large, underwater mountain that didn't seem to interesting...But for some reason Slayer stopped them both at the base.

"I apologize for the abruptness of that little trip Jean...But I had to see for myself," said the mutant warrior through the strange glowing bubble that encased the both of them.

"See what?" said Jean as her anxiety levels soared from anticipation.

"Watch...And find out."

Before Jean could respond, Slayer suddenly started chanting some mysterious words in an unknown language. The symbols on his hands and the mark on his eye began to glow with greater fury as he continued to speak in an unknown tongue. Then, as the glowing subsided, Jean was taken aback by a most spectacular sight. The entire side of the underwater mountain began to fade in a wavy haze that soon uncovered a mysterious structure that had been unseen.

"Oh my God..." said Jean as she watched the mountain take a new shape.

On the side of the mountain...A huge hole that resembled that of an entrance to a cave took form, but that wasn't all. Over the opening of the cave, a large structure took shape...And as the wavy haze around the mountain stopped, Jean finally saw what it was. A large, ominous skull-head that resembled the shape of Apocalypse's head now appeared before the two mutants as they both took in the sight. A new feeling of anxiety came over Jean...For something told her that in this heinous looking structure...She would find her missing husband.

"Slayer...Is Scott...Is he in there?" asked Jean wearily as she looked at the mysterious entrance to the cave.

"I don't know for sure Jean, but I'd say there's a pretty good chance that he is."

As Jean looked at the huge, skull structure over the cave...She suddenly felt herself overcome with a new sense of confidence. If her husband was in that cave...She was going to find him...No matter what Apocalypse threw at her...She was going to rescue the man she loved.

**************************************************

AN: I'll leave there for now. So what do you think? Will they find Scott in this mysterious cave? Is he even alive? Stay tuned to find out! And for the record, I didn't originally intend to have any Logan/Ororo material...But plans change. Besides, I've always thought they look good together. They seem much more compatible than the slew of other characters the comics has tried to stick them with (Like Logan with Jubilee, Jean, Yuriko, and Mariko and Ororo with Kurt, Bishop, Remy, and Forge). In my opinion, they just seem more right together given who they are and how they act most of the time. But, then again what do I know. Also, for future reference, I have a BIG surprise planned for later on in this story...And I'm sure you won't want to miss it! The comics may suck now, but that doesn't mean it has to carry in to my story. By the way, what do you think of my character, Slayer? I know this chapter was kind of wordy, but I thought it would be the perfect place to explain more about his past and why he does what he does. I'm eager to know what you all think of him! Please send me your feedback at slickboy444(at)aol.com or post your thoughts on the fanfiction website. Until next time, best wishes to you all!

REVIEWS...SLICKBOY NEEDS REVIEWS!