Phoenix Series. Book: 1 - Ashes To Sparks

Chapter 17: United - Host: Abbi

     "No!"  I yelled.  Michelle had just been knocked out by a piece of metal that magneto had flung at her.  It made me angry but my anger just made my head hurt even more.  "Fighting me will only hurt you more, stop resisting ,I'm not bad. Plus this is your power."  The Phoenix said in my head.  I was on the verge of turning into it, and I could tell because my eyes would start to glow but then flicker and go back to normal.  Even though I knew the Phoenix would put up a good fight against Magneto, I didn't want to turn into the Phoenix because sometimes the Phoenix would get carried away and destroy a lot of stuff in the process of killing what it saw as the enemy.  But I didn't want that, and the Phoenix never listened to me, so I fought against it and refused to give it control over me.  The migraine I had from fighting the Phoenix suddenly died down and I noticed the Phoenix's attention turning to something else that was invading my thoughts. 

     My eyes stopped flickering on and off and I could feel the migraine draining away.  I ran over to help Michelle but before I could reached her one of the X-Men teleport-ed behind Michelle then grabbed her hand and teleport-ed away with her.  Then I noticed Jean and Scott pinned to the wall by metal pieces.  Jean Gray looked like she had an even worse headache than the one I had just had and Scott's goggles had fallen off.  I was a yard away from them but I could still hear Jean's cries of pain loud and clear.  Then I realized that Jean was the one invading my thoughts and fighting the Phoenix for me so that it wouldn't take control of me.  But it was a bad idea since The Phoenix was a lot stronger than her and she had never felt the Phoenix's power or anger before, so it was causing Jean a lot of pain to invade my mind.  But before I could do anything Magneto combined all the metal that he had been using and made thick walls out of it. Then he aimed them at me and blocked my path on all sides, trapping me in a metal square. Then a top went over the square box, so if I did turn into the Phoenix I couldn't fly out of it.            I looked around and thought I saw a shadow slip inside with me but it happened so quickly it might as well have been the shadow of the metal walls or just my imagination. 

     The box was dark but I could hear the quiet scrapes of the metal walls slowly closing in on me.  I lit my hand aflame and punched one of the metal walls in anger.  Nothing changed that except my hand now hurt.  I growled but the minor pain in my hand was replaced by a single surge of the Phoenix's power.  For a second I thought it was trying to take control again but it seemed to be giving me more of a warning mixed with a threat so it might as well have said, "If you don't give me control something terrible will happen and you won't be able to stop it."   I gripped the scar (that was in the shape of a sword) on my side, and almost sank to my knees from the pain, but I managed to stay standing upright.   But then the pain from the Phoenix stopped and I felt normal.  I thought it was very strange for the Phoenix to deliver a warning since I had been through worse scenarios and it never had given me a warning before.  But I had a feeling it might be the fact that I was running out of air in this tiny metal box.  Suddenly their was a puff of smoke behind me.  I lit one if my fists aflame and aimed a punch at whoever was behind me.  "Whoa, girl settle down I'm here to get you out.  I'm Night crawler one of the X-Men."  He said right before I punched him.  I was suspicious of him but I needed to get out, so I extinguished the fire in my hands so I could teleport out with him.  "Wait hold on one sec."  I was very annoyed by this, but the metal walls had suddenly stopped closing in on me.  

     Then I heard something else so I turned around to see what it was. I didn't light a fire to see who it was because it would take up air and I also assumed it was Night crawler.  But that couldn't be right, this figure had what looked like a black cloak on.  Suddenly a part of the wall was cut out with a red lazer.  Jean Gray and Scott came through the cutout part in the metal and into the box but just as soon as they were in it was blocked again by another strip of metal.  But before it got covered, the light of the sun shone through and I saw the extra figure.  The figure was wearing a black cloak and because of the body shape I guessed the figure was male . My eyes quickly adjusted to the dark again and I saw the hooded figure stretch out his hand towards us.  Then screams filled my ears.  Scott, Jean, and Night crawler were all doing it.  But it shocked me when I realized I was feeling the immense pain to.  It wasn't the Phoenix, this was not the fiery power that I was used to feeling.  This was raw pain. The only power that I could compare to this was when I was touching the Purple stone back at Crystal's lab.  Except this time their was no vision to distract me from the pain.  Then the Phoenix started to cry out in my head as if it was feeling it to.  It kept getting worse and soon the X-Men that had come into save, me were on the ground on the verge of passing out.  By the time they all did collapse I was on the ground myself.  I knew I would collapse like the others from this power, so I took advantage of this time.  I reached out and grabbed the cloak hoping to pull it off and see his true face, so I knew who was doing it.  But as soon as I pulled it off, my eyes closed and I passed out. 

     "Abbi, Abbi, wake up please Abbi."  I opened my eyes a little and when they came to focus I saw Michelle standing over me on my bed.  I stood up now wide awake, "Where am I?'  I asked.    I was in a cream colored dull room with 2 beds.  "You're in a room in the X academy."  Michelle said.  "What!  I don't need to be here!"  I said.  "Abbi, settle down. You're only here because we found you, Night crawler, Scott, and Jean all unconscious.  What happened?"  Michelle said.           I sighed then told her about what had happened at the school starting from when Michelle had come and killed the electric snakes around me.  "Oh ya, I got hit in the head didn't I, but I would have helped you."  Michelle said.  Then their was an awkward silence till I said. "Can I go now?" Michelle looked up at me, "You leaving already?"  "Ya, I have no reason to be here.  Plus I'm not one of the X-men."  I replied.  Michelle looked down again then a minute later she said. "The professor wants to see you."  "He talked to me 2 nights ago.  Remember?"  "Ya I do, but he doesn't think it went that well."  "Let me guess, he wants me to join the X-Men?"  I said.  "Yes, but he figured you might want to now, since we both know you can't defeat Magneto or that hooded figure you described alone."  I looked at her.  She was right, I couldn't face them alone.  Michelle looked at me with a worried look then said. "I'm gonna go check on something."  Then she left.    I knew I would have to be allied with someone other than Michelle eventually, no matter how hard I tried to be alone, it just wasn't possible.  But still, some groups like this just want to control you and befriend you for power.  But if Michelle joined, they might actually want to help. But then again, they could be just tricking her, then again there is a chance the professor could help me and the Phoenix.  I decided I would join them, but mostly because our enemies were the same. 

     Michelle came back in looking a bit sad and worried and I knew it was because of me.  I decided to make her a bit happy, "I decided to join the X-Men."  I said.  Michelle's face lit up, "Really?"  "Ya just for a bit."   Michelle smiled, "Great, I'll show you where the Professor's room is."  She led me out of the room and to an elevator.  At the top of the elevator was a dull looking hallway with a door at the end.  Michelle led me through the door and the first thing I saw was the Professor sitting in a chair.  Every other furnishing  in the room looked like very expensive. Xavier turned around with a serious look on his face. "Aah Michelle, I see you brought Abbi."  He said.  Michelle nodded then went away.  "So, Abbi, have you finally decided to join us?"  I nodded and said, "Yes, I've thought about it and decided that I probably should join you if I'm going to solve anything that is going on right now."  Professor Xavier smiled, "Great, Michelle will explain everything to you about this place.  Till then, I would like you to share some things with me.  Is that okay?"  "Yea that's fine."  I replied.  I figured he might as well know everything if he's going to help me.

     The professor said that Michelle had already told him about my past and now the only thing he wanted to know was what caused me to black out, and some other side notes about me or something to do with me.  "Do you know where your cousin is and what his name is."  He asked. "No," I answered.  "Do you know the location you were captured?"   "A secret base in the dessert."  I said.  "Thanks Abbi, that's all I need to know.  You can go and pick a room now."  I opened the door and almost ran into Michelle who looked like she was listening in by leaning on the door.  Michelle smiled and said, "Here, I'll show you around."   I followed her around the whole place while she explained the schedules and all of the rooms and what they were used for.  It was a pretty nice place, lots of training rooms, a pool, comfortable rooms, and a nice front and back yard.  I picked my room next to Michelle's, and as soon as I entered my new bedroom Michelle started rambling on about all the people here and their powers.  I was getting a bit bored and annoyed now so I started to play with an ember by weaving it in between my fingers and watching it glow. I wasn't that nervous but I still couldn't help but wonder what would the X-Men's reaction would be to me being here. 

    Then without warning an alarm sounded. I looked at Michelle who said, "we've got to go to the main computer room, something's wrong."  She ran to where we needed to go and I followed her.  The computer room was huge with a big screen and it had a table with a lot of buttons on it. The professor sat in a chair and he typed on the keyboard, and out on his head set.  I could barely hear what was wrong,  so I looked at Michelle to see if she could hear.  It looked like she could, so I asked, "What's wrong?"   She looked at me then back at the computer.  "Someone has taken one of the X-Men and..."  "and what?!"  I whispered.  Michelle hesitated, "They've been captured in the desert by a hooded figure.  Luckily someone is trying to stop them but he's already wounded."  My eyes widened then quickly narrowed.  I couldn't believe this was happening.