X-Force #6

Ian sat alone, atop of one of the many trees surrounding the Warrington estate. His mind was conflicted. He hadn't expected any of this to happen. Different emotions began to wash over him, anger, sadness, Shame, guilt. All he could think about was how he had treated Laura. At the moment it seemed right. And even know he agrees. Everything he said about Rahne held true for him. He truly believed that Rahne was a life worth preserving. He believed the others were worth the same treatment. In fact, the only reason he agreed to even come on this death parade was so that he could protect Noriko.

" What the fuck am I going to do now?" Ian asked himself. Ian looked down at his phone. He had Noriko's number pulled up and was contemplating giving her a call. He knew she would probably be angry with him... No scratch that. She was definitely going to be angry with him. And he knew he deserved it.

" I was gonna ask you the same thing."

Ian looked down and saw Logan was standing down below him.

" You gonna sit up there all night or are ye gonna get yer ass down here?" Logan asked the man.

Ian nodded and hopped down, and landed right next to Logan.

" James sent you?" Ian asked.

" Yeah, he told me about what happened. Figured I'd want to speak with ya." Logan replied. " So, how you holding up?" Logan asked.

" You didn't come to fuss me out about snaping on Laura like that?" Ian asked the man.

" Nope. Quite frankly, she deserved it. And if I had been there, I'd probably would have done the same." Logan replied. " But I wasn't. You were. So, again, how are you feeling?" Logan asked once more.

Ian took a deep breath and sighed.

" I have no idea, Logan. This is ridiculous. I don't know what's going on with her. I've known Laura for so long and I've never seen her so cold and callous. Not to us, man. Not to her friends. I thought, she and I were past whatever it was that we had. That maybe we were finally going to be able to get back to how we were before. But we haven't. It's like she's a completely different person. I mean, I know we haven't seen each other in months. After Scott disbanded the X-men and everyone went their own ways, I know she probably had it rough. But.... I just want my friend back." Ian told the man.

" Kid, there's something about Laura you just don't get. And it ain't yer fault. I know Laura's never really been the one to share her problems or her feelings with others." Logan stated. " Look, Laura's never really been good at deciding what it is she wants. You know that, and when the Slim decided to end everything... It hit her the hardest. She had no place to go, she had no help from anyone. She had to do what she needed to survive and well; this is the one thing Laura knows how to do. Better than damn near anyone else. She knows how to thrive in this environment. I ain't gonna tell ye not to be angry with her. But don't give on her kid. Whether ye believe it or not, Laura trusts you, and needs you. Yer one of the few people alive that Laura has complete trust in. Trust enough that she's willing to kill for you. Willing to protect. Whether you know it or not, she cares about you. She just really doesn't understand it all. She needs help, kid. She needs your help. I can only help and hold her hand so much, but you. You're different. Laura cares about what you think of her. So, don't give up on her just yet. It's not too late to save her." Logan told the man. His words cut deep into Ian's mind. The shame and guilt he felt before were now a hundred times worse.

Ian sighed heavily. He looked at Logan and nodded.

He didn't say a word to the man, instead he walked past him. He wanted to look for Laura, he wanted to speak to her properly with a clear head and sound mind and not from anger. He needed to set things right between them. He valued Laura, greatly. She was just as important to him as Noriko, as Rahne, and Rachel. He loved her dearly. And the last thing he wanted was to lose her.

Ian traveled through the woods with a purpose, his feet carrying him faster and faster with each passing moment, and then he laid eyes upon her and... His world shattered.

Laura was sitting on a tree stump, blood running down her arm. The cause? Her own claw that she had dung into her skin. She had been cutting herself. Her entire left arm from her elbow down to her hand was covered in deep cuts and blood.

" Laura." Ian called out to the girl and in a moment, Laura's claw retracted, and she spun around to face the man. She hid her arm behind her back and looked at Ian in shock.

Laura trembled slightly. She was kicking herself internally, she had been so distracted by the smell of her own blood, she failed to realize that Ian was approaching. Laura looked at the man's face, the shock on it, she watched as the tears in his eyes swelled.

Without saying a word, Ian rushed Laura and grabbed her. He hugged her as tightly as he could and started apologizing.

" Oh god. I'm so sorry, Laura. I'm so sorry!" Ian cried. He cried on Laura's neck as he held her. He felt so ashamed of himself. So hurt.

Laura didn't say a word, instead she just stood there, holding her arm, in shame.

" I am sorry, Laura. I love you. " Ian told the girl.

And for a moment, Laura was strangely happy. She didn't understand it. Another thing she couldn't understand. It didn't feel real to her. That's one of the reasons she began cutting herself. To feel real. To feel like she existed.

Laura hugged Ian back, her arm having healed already, found its way wrapped around Ian's back. And for the moment, Laura felt... Happy.

For quite some time, Ian and Laura stood there in the snow embracing one another. But as Laura drank in the peace and relished in her brief moment of happiness, the smell of blood on the air forced her back to her previous state. Laura jerked away from Ian.

" Blood. Elixir, and Angel." Laura muttered. She took off running, leaving Ian behind.

" Laura! Wait!" Ian ran after the girl. He didn't know why she suddenly jerked away from him like that, but from the look on her face he knew she was troubled. So, he chased after her.

Laura ran as fast as she could. She could hear the sound of the slicing and tearing. She knew who it was. She could hear the muscles tearing. ' The attack on angel is not emotional... It's strategic. The lacerations almost sound surgical.' That's what Laura thought as she entered the house. The smell of blood was thick in the air. The house was a mess, and standing there over the bodies of both Elixir and Warren was Rahne Sinclair.

She was feral, a mindless beast.

Laura raised her claws, ready to attack Rahne, when Ian's words suddenly sounded clear in her mind.

"Our lives are worth nothing compared to hers."

Laura stopped, she lowered her claws and just stood there.

But Wolfsbane didn't.

She attacked Laura, biting a large chunk of flesh out of her neck, she then clawed Laura across her stomach, disemboweling her and leaving her to bleed out.

Ian ran towards the house and just as he entered, Rahne shot out of the house, covered in blood, with Angels wings in her mouth.

" What the hell?!" Ian yelled.

" Kid!" Logan and James came running up from the mountain, drawing Ian's attention away. When he looked back Rahne was gone.

" What happened?!" Logan asked.

" I don't know." Ian replied. He and the two others ran into the house to the sight of a blood bath.

Blood was everywhere. It covered the floors, the walls, the ceiling. Everything.

There, lying in a puddle of blood, was Laura. She wasn't dead, but she was still healing.

" Laura! Are you alright?" Ian asked the girl. He reached down and grabbed Laura's hand and lifted her up into his arms, while her body healed itself.

" I'm fine." Laura replied.

" Foley, Josh! Wake up!" Logan shouted at the boy as he shook him. He needed the boy up right to help heal the others who were injured.

Josh shot up from the ground and vomited gold blood from his mouth.

" Wha... What happened?" Josh asked. He was delirious. He didn't understand where he was or what had hit him.

" No time for that. You got three seconds to get your shit together kid." Logan told the boy. He then pointed over at Warren.

Josh hopped up from the floor and ran over to Warren and started trying to heal him.

" Alright kid, what happened?" Logan asked Josh.

" It was Rahne. She woke up and everything was fine at first. Then she saw Angel and... Oh god." Josh muttered.

" I think we can figure out what happened next. Foley, is Warren going to live?" Logan asked.

" I've healed the neck and chest wounds... But his wings. I'll have to regrow them." Josh told the man. He put his hands on Warren's back. But found that something was wrong. " Wait. Angel's wings."

" What is it Foley?" Logan asked.

" The cells. They're not human, or mutant. They're not even organic... My powers.... They're not working on his wings. The foreign matter... It's blocking me." Josh explained.

" Well, keep trying." Ian told the boy.

.......

Josh spent hours trying to fix Warrens wounds, but even with his powers he found he couldn't do anything for the man. So, he focused his attention on Warren's other wounds. And once they were taken care of Logan and Ian carried Warren to his room and placed him bed. Then they all waited for Warren to wake up.

They all took turns watching him. It was Ian and Logan watching him at first, then a knock came at the door and in stepped Warpath.

" Hey, kid. Let's switch." Warpath told Ian.

Ian nodded.

" Alright. It's been a long night. I'm going to sleep. If anything happens you know already." Ian told the men. He stepped out of the room and yawned. He was tired. He walked out to the living room where; Laura and Josh were and sat down next to the woman.

She was staring out the terrace window while Josh slept on the other couch.

" Hey." Ian said to the girl.

" Hey." Laura replied.

" Are you okay?" Ian asked the girl. He hadn't had a chance to talk to the girl about what he had seen earlier, and he knew now probably wasn't the time to fully address it. But he wanted to make sure that Laura was at least feeling okay.

" I am unharmed." Laura replied.

" That's not what I mean, and you know it, Laura. What's going on? What happened?" Ian asked.

" I could not attack her. You said her life was more precious than mine." Laura replied.

" Laura. I... I did not mean that. Laura, you let her do that to you?" Ian asked and Laura nodded. " Laura, why didn't you stop her? You could have taken her down easily."

" I did not want to upset you again." Laura replied.

" Laura, I didn't want that. I never wanted you to get hurt. What I said about our lives being worthless compared to hers.... It wasn't right. Your life is important Laura. It's important to me. I want nothing but for you to be happy. That's all I've ever wanted." Ian told the girl.

" I don't know how to be happy. I don't even know what happy is." Laura told the boy.

" Laura..." Ian looked into her eyes and could see the pleading within them. Asking, begging for an answer, an order. But he couldn't give her one. " Laura, I can't tell you what happiness is. I can only tell you what I feel. I know that, when I'm with you and everyone else that I feel this warm feeling in my chest. It's weird, I know. And I can't really explain it myself. But it's those moments and that warm, fuzzy feeling in my chest, that let me smile. Those moments where I can just sit back and enjoy being me. Where I feel at peace. That's what I think being happy is. Feeling at peace and enjoying each and every moment in that moment." Ian explained to the girl. " I don't know if that makes sense to you or not."

" I... I think it does. Ian, could... Could you hug me again?" Laura asked.

Ian looked at Laura.

" Of course." He replied. He wrapped his arms around Laura and pulled her close to him.

Laura leaned into Ian's chest, snaking both of her arms around the man's back, she started to squeeze him tight, as tight as her small body could. Laura leaned back, moving one of her hands to Ian's mop of red hair, and started leaning towards the man.

" Laura." Ian's voice was quiet and his breathing slow. " What are you?" Laura suddenly planted her lips firmly on Ian's.

Ian was stunned, he didn't know what to think or do. He just sat there and when Laura finally pulled away, he just stared at her.

" You make me happy..." Laura told the man.

" Laur-"

" AghhhhhH!"

Ian and Laura were suddenly startled by the loud screaming of Angel.

Josh, who had been sleep at the time, jumped up from his couch and along with Laur and Ian, ran into the room where Logan and Warpath were trying to restrain the man.

" Hold him, Jimmy!" Logan yelled at the man.

" I'm trying!" James replied. " He can't be this strong!"

" You two watch out!" Ian jumped over to the bed and grabbed both of Angel's arms and held the man down to the bed. " What the hell happened?" Ian asked.

" We don't know. He just woke up and started screaming." James told the man.

" I have to do something, Laura. I have to help." Josh told the woman as Ian continued struggling to hold Warren down. It wasn't that Warren was overpowering him, but that Ian didn't want to hurt Warren more than he already was.

" He will not let you. I have seen this kind of pain before. He is more likely to kill you." Laura told the boy.

" Whoa!" Ian was suddenly flung over Warren's head.

Warren turned over and got on his hands and knees, and suddenly his bandages on his back started tearing away.

" Oh crap. Something's happening to his back." Josh stated.

Ian and the others watched in terror as Warren continued to writhe in agony, his bandages tore away completely and his skin started turning blue. Metal armor started surrounding Warren's body, and a pair of razor-sharp wings sprouted from his back.

" Oh shit." Logan cursed.

" What is it?" Josh asked.

" Fuck." James cursed.

Warren had changed. No longer was he the Angel of the X-men. Now he was entropy, one of the horsemen of apocalypse, he was death. He was Archangel.