X: The Beginning

Chapter 13 - Compassion

A/N: Sorry for the long update. I finally figured out how to present all the information.

Enjoy,

Jordan

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Chapter 13

I cough as air fills my lungs. The overwhelming smell of burning lumber and smoke fill my nostrils. The bomb; that's why my ears are ringing. I slowly open my eyes to a faint red or orange blur of light around me. My body hurts like hell. I cough again. I suppose it should hurt after surviving an explosion... and it's a sign that I'm alive.

I try to get to my feet. I get up and various debris slides off my back. As my eyes start to focus, I see the remnants of the warehouse in flames. The sky is an ugly brownish gray from all the smoke, and it lights up in the distance. The ringing in my ears starts to fade as I limp towards the warehouse.

Chase... where are you? My eyes scan through the piles of rubble for any sign of him. I get a little closer to the warehouse, and my hearing is slowly improving. The sound of police sirens echoes through the city, and as I continue to stumble along, I hear a rumble of thunder nearby. Suddenly, I notice someone's feet sticking out of some rubble. Chase. I frantically dig him out of the debris as it starts to rain.

"Chase," I mumble, but he doesn't respond. I tap the side of his face, "Chase... Come on, Chase. Wake up." I slap his chest in anger, "Wake up!" This can't be happening... Tears stream down my face and fall onto him. "Please wake up... please wake up..." I wait what seems like an eternity until I kiss him one last time, "I love you."

I wait a few more minutes for a response, but there is none. I hear a laugh behind me, and my sorrow quickly turns to rage.

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He waits until she moves away to tend to him. He jumps off the ledge and lands silently on the ground below, as he had done many times before. He takes in the ghastly sight of the Guardian.

The suit has saved him from some major damage; it is scratched in nearly every spot. He checks his pulse. None. His hands curl into fists and braces himself for the pain to come. He waves his hand in the air as lightning shoots across the sky. He throws his hand to the man's chest. The Guardian's body convulses, and he checks the pulse again. Nothing. He sends the energy to the man's chest. He convulses again, but gasps for air.

"Wha... Wha..." The Guardian mumbles.

He chuckles, "You're welcome."

The Guardian stares in awe as he climbs up the wall of a nearby building, until he can pull himself up onto the roof. He barely makes it over the ledge before he collapses in exhaustion. He laughs and pushes himself over. He chuckles again as he gazes at the storm, finally finding a use for the power inside him.

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I hear him snicker again behind me. I turn around to see Snake Eyes as my vision goes red. I charge at him, and he strikes me down with his left hand.

"You forget, I can sense your movement," He laughs. "Now, how about I finish what I started thirteen years ago?"

I spin up with a backhand, but he catches my hand, punching me in the stomach and breaking my wrist. I yell in pain as I fall to the ground.

Snake Eyes laughs, "Even with X in your system, you can't beat me. I know your movements. I know your style. Why else would I have you fight all those guys? Hmm? I was studying you so I could put you down."

I crawl away from his voice.

"You're pathetic," He continues, "Just like your mother. She had a conscience, which made her weak!" He kicks me in the stomach, causing me to roll into the wall of a building.

I cough some more as I start to lift myself up along the wall. "I'm... not... pathetic," I grunt as the pain goes dull.

"Ooh, this is unexpected. Bravery?" He laughs, "It must be from your father's side; your mother ran from her death."

I charge at him again. At the last second, I jump towards the wall behind Snake Eyes, push off it with one foot, and kick him with the other. It catches him off guard, and he falls to the ground. When I land, he grabs my foot, pulling it as he gets up. I fall to the ground again.

"You know, now that I think of it, your father is just as much of a coward. You don't see him coming to help you, do you?" He laughs. "Must be the X."

I kick him in the groin with my free foot, and as he hunches over, I swing my legs to the left, bringing me to my feet.

"You bitch!" Snake Eyes grumbles as he tries to get up. He uses the wall, as I had, but something hits his hands when they touch the wall. "What the hell?!" He tries to pull away, "I'm stuck!"

"Frozen actually," My father's voice says. I turn to see him walking down holding something in his hands. "You need to watch your language, Freddy. It might get you in trouble."

"Go to hell!"

My dad throws something, hitting Snake Eye's feet. "See, Freddy? I warned you. That ice isn't going to break. It's a little... side effect from what you did to me."

"I'll get you for this!"

My dad laughs, "No, you won't. You'll be rotting in a prison cell for a long time." He throws the ice bomb at Snake Eye's face, shutting him up until a heatwave.

I smile at him, "You have no idea how glad I am to see you." My heart slows down, bringing the pain back. My head throbs, and my vision blurs. I start to fall, when something catches me.

"You might want to stay off your feet with that bad of a concussion," I hear.

"Thanks..."

"No problem, I made you a promise, and I intend to keep it."

My eyes shoot open, "CHASE!" I hug him, accidentally putting pressure on my wrist. I pull away and cradle it against my body.

"Broken wrist too?" He smirks, "I'm out for ten minutes, and you go out and almost kill yourself."

"But Chase, I saw you... you were-"

"I'm here, now. That's all that matters."

I smile up at Chase, and he smirks at me back when I hear my father clear his throat. My face instantly heats up.

"You know what?" My dad says clearing his throat again, "I think I hear a waffle burning... I'll be over there..." He walks away from us.

Chase and I laugh. "I like your dad."

I smile, "He's gonna take some getting used to..."

"Now, where were we?"

"I believe you were about to kiss me."

"Was I?"

"Yes, you were."

"Hmmm, I seem to recall you were going to kiss me."

I frown at him, "Chase."

He smirks and kisses me passionately. My heart races as I anxiously kiss him back. I hear him grunt. I open my eyes and see that I shoved him against the wall, leaving a faint indentation.

"We're going to have to work on that," He laughs. I blush as he kisses me softly. "Come on, lets go home."

He wraps his arm around my waist as we walk away from our first brush with death.

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A/N: There is more to the story. This is only the beginning. Let me know what you guys think!! :)

-Jordan