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"I feel ridiculous." Gabriel comments to Jean, looking down at himself in the 'uniform' looking thing he is dressed in. It was far to X-men ish, too similar to what he'd seen others wearing. He doesn't view himself as one of them, dressing like them was rough. But the fact that it was a bit tight in places that he wasn't used to. This is a man who wears bagging pants and T-shirts, so the form fitting element has him off guard. "What was wrong with my shirts and pants? Did we have to dress up?" It really is the first time he's ever complained; but the source of it has more to do with nerves than anything, that emotion seeping through the link. He's nervous.
*
Jean takes him by the arm, lifting it and lowering it, squeezing along the muscles as she wrinkles her nose just a touch. "You look great." She states idly, still focusing on the basics of the suit, making sure the padding goes where it needs to and the boots that went along with it were fitted to his frame.
"If you think about it, Gabriel.." She says quietly. "I make fire. According to Beast, this fabric is fire retardant. In theory, the fire shouldn't melt through the uniform. It's just a tester either way, so we'll see." She grins a little. "And you paid money for those clothes. I don't think it'll be fair to you if we ruin them." She lightly strokes his cheek with her gloved hand, then takes a step back to pull her own hair into a ponytail.
"We will be okay. Trust me.." She smiles a little. "..let me know when you're ready."
*
"I'm still not entirely certain what we are going to be doing, so it is difficult to say when I'll be ready for the unknown." Gabriel explains back towards Jean, the tone of his voice, even though he is making a joke, a bit more serious. He has the demeanor he gets in those serious times. Thoughtful and meticulous, precise and looking at everything in front of him. "So I will say, I am ready, as much as I can be for the unknown."
*
Jean rolls her neck just a touch as she takes a further step back, a little smile drawing upon her face as she listens to his words, glossing over them for the fact that.. he said he was ready. And so was she. "Alright then!"
She seemed a little bit too happy to fight, working out her aggression was one way of doing that, and so, with a lift of her hand she slowly begins to pull Gabriel into the air, her fingers curling into a fist and a scattering toss which aims to fling him towards the opposite side of the room.
*
It was actually a graceful mid-air somersault, acrobatic in the way Gabriel turns as he approaches the wall. If it were successful, it'd be a work of art. But it wasn't, mistiming has him crashing with a thud against the wall and landing on the ground. What could be a crushing injury however is shaken off and he slowly pushes himself up off the ground with a shake of his head to clear the cobwebs that creep around. "You know, this isn't really fair. I don't even have any powers that I can control." Talking, if he can talk he can stall, if he can stall he can find a solution..
*
Jean was up and ready, her feet were light against the mat as she keeps her body loose. "Exactly. That's why you're going to get a crash course, we can't open your mind to make you remember, but maybe.. just maybe it's rooted in your biology."
Again, her hand lifts, sending a blast of telekinetics in his direction. She was aiming for the legs of course, mainly to trip him up before she goes for the bigger stuff.
*
Again, hesitation. Both in action and in his emotions. The sweep of his legs with invisible energy causes him to hit the mat hard. Again, he rolls over and gets up. It is an interesting state; one of not quitting and one of not trying. It is simply existing at the present. He couldn't be accused of holding back, because Gabriel isn't even attempting that much. But still, he stands, he 'looks' the part; but the emotional pairing says much different.
"Maybe I'm just not a fighter anymore?"
*
There was a little frown that draws upon her face, her hand lifting to press against the bridge of her nose, her footsteps carrying her closer towards him as he slowly rises from the floor. "Maybe you're just afraid to hurt me." She states, her arms soon folded behind her back as her chin tilts lower, allowing the glow to form within her eyes as she calls the other Woman out to the front. "You shouldn't be afraid, but you should be wise enough to defend yourself against us."
The fire slowly begins to lick upon the tips of her fingers, crawling in a flash-bang up towards her shoulders. "So get with it, Gabriel, or I'll kill us both!" Okay, that was a total lie, but hell, she has one decent poker face!
*
"You don't get it, still." Gabriel says quietly, not making eye contact with Jean or the Phoenix or whomever is in charge at that moment. He turns, profiling a bit at her. "There is never enough. Go ahead, hit me with everything you have; you know it won't be enough." The tone is sad in a way, like a prophet predicting the future in a stoic method. "You know what I am. Training me to embrace it?" A shake of his head comes and he just sighs.
The pull begins, the drinking of energy, and it is not subtle. Not like when he helps her sleep, but she says she wants to.. A sigh comes again. Pull it all, drink it all. More energy, more power.
*
She could feel it, the tug and pull at her soul, even a little barrier goes up to prevent such a pull but even that too, slowly begins to weaken. She keeps the fire going, her hand lifting to press against her chest, attempting to save face as her energy.. it leaked from her bones as if she were spilling out too much at once. But she inhales, tapering down upon herself.. drawing away as best as she could.
"Yes, training you to embrace it.. to ..s.. save people.." She manages to squeeze out. "You can do that purposely.. tr..try.. le.." She begins to wheeze, her fingers clutching at her chest as falls upon one knee to the ground. "..let it out!"
*
The hue around Gabriel shifts, growing in purple colors as the power is pulled into him. As she said, biology is kicking in, causing him to override his normal demeanor of passivity. Looking at Jean, he just shakes his head a bit. "You see? Even with both of you… look?" Taking a deep focusing breath he focuses, brings himself into a mental balance and stops pulling energy from her so that she can recover. Even then he doesn't release the energy he has gained, instead just keeps it bottled up for the time being resulting in a permanent glow.
"I can't embrace this."
*
Once the pull stops, Jean lets out a cleansing breath, her eyes squeezed shut as she struggles to regain her footing. "You don't have a choice.." She murmurs quietly. "Or you do but.. what if?" The question was as clear as day, what if people were to actually come and find him? Them? She wears his necklace, his markings around her neck. Wouldn't she be a target as well?
"What if they come back Gabriel, are you going to let them take you? Or me? Just us being alive and together.. we're a danger to everyone around us.. you have to learn.."
*
"What if a lot of things could happen." Gabriel responds, breathing deeply with air that is tinged with energy; the feel of it trickling over his lungs and skin. "We've seen what is possible. I don't know if I can balance it Jean. Control myself the way that would be needed. I'm not a scalpel, I'm an axe or a hammer." His fingers flex, crunch some as purple traces over them. "I need a target."
*
To the point of near giving up on this conversation, Jean lashes out in frustration, a row of fire expanding from her back in the form of wings that soon dissipate for her energy to regain itself. She was using the Phoenix full stop, and the Lady of Fire did not mind it one bit. Though there was a show of her. A phantom sight that lingers just over the shoulder, and if the eyes were to squint, one would see the imprint of her charred hand pressing down upon the shoulder of Jean herself..
"Sometimes that's all that's needed.." Her arms outstretch, her feet taking those few steps back to brace herself. "I'm your target. Show me your power."
*
Gabriel's demeanor is steady and cold, his head shakes as if fighting back against something; the battle internal is raging against his mind between decisions needing to be made. The first hand is to grant the request, the other is to simply walk away. Even in his mind, he knows; truly believes that Jean does not understand what she is requesting but… but then there is the bird. His purple hued eyes see the bird over the shoulder; and if that is what is desired.
Beams of purple plasma streak out of Gabriel, from his eyes and his hands as he lifts them. Superhot energy flying free, the gathered energy that Jean provided herself, rechanneled and redirected in the only method he has learned so far; plasma energy.
*
To say that Jean wasn't prepared would be silly, she was prepared. But she wasn't expecting -that- much of an output of power. And directed at her. She's seen it in action, how horrible it could be. But being on the other side of that madness was something else she didn't consider.
So when the plasma beam shot out, her hands immediately draw up, palms outward to erect an instinctive field that blocks the force of his power. Her feet dig in, which causes her to slide back, the telekinetic wall soon lighting up with fire as she continues to skate backwards upon the floor. This was good! It was good progress! But she didn't want to wear him out -completely-!
What would happen if he drains himself? That was her worry, and she projects it through their bond, to please.. be safe.
*
That is just it however, even as the energy dissipates in the plasma it is being reabsorbed by Gabriel. That energy isn't created, it isn't destroyed. It is the law of conservation of energy afterall. Even as it strikes the telekinetic shield the energy is fueling Gabriel further. The plasma energy being brought in but also the collision energy, the friction of her feet against the ground, all of it is a transference of energy which is translated and absorbed back into him and altered.
The blast remains for a few more moments and then it fades away and through their bond, their link together she could feel that rather than weakened from the attack, Gabriel is stronger after it. He looks at her, his partner, and smirks. "Are you beginning to understand?"
*
His continuing gain of energy was her loss. Slowly she began to understand, that once he starts. He never quits. In fact, sleeping.. eating, walking. In his life he was a person who always seemed to be on. Seemed to be drawing energy from anywhere, everywhere and nothing at all. And for once, she was tired.. her shoulders slumping halfway through his withdraw of power. She lowers herself to her knees, her hands placed upon the floor.. unwilling to build up her own energy to compensate for her current weakness.
"I understand.." She says quietly. But she wasn't sure that he understood her. "I'm done."
*
Letting breath leave his lungs with a deep sigh, Gabriel walks over to Jean and sits down in front of her with a slump. He's focusing on letting the energy collected dissipate back into the universe itself in a calm means so that it won't cause any harm. "I know you want to help. And I want to be able to help Jean but.." He just sighs then once more and reaches up to touch her chin. "Why can't I be allowed to be afraid of this?"
*
Jean leans back as she sees the first of his feet approach, her bottom settling upon her boots as her shoulders keep that slumped nature as well. "No one said you weren't allowed.. or maybe I did.. but.." She shakes her head ever so slightly, her eyes reddening due to the tears that are attempting to fall from her eyes. But she does take a deep breath, inhaling then forcing out a smile even though it fails to reach her eyes.
With a light pat upon his thigh, she gives it a squeeze. "It's alright. We're not doing this anymore. Okay? We should probably get something to eat." She inhales faintly, then slowly begins to rise, her knees nearly giving out due to her wobbily state.
*
Gabriel is reaching out to pull Jean to him even as she starts to get up, his head shaking. "No, we aren't done. I really want to know why. Why this means so much to you. Maybe if I understand that…" He bites his lip then sighs, "Because if it means that much to you, it will mean that much to me, I just need to know why."
*
She falls into his lap with ease, her back pressed to her chest as she lay limp within his arms. He wanted to know why, but she felt like she didn't know how to explain how she felt. "I.. I always just wanted to save people.." She explains quietly. "Be there for someone the way that no one was there for me. Help them, defend them.. save the world from destruction and to put myself out there to stop it.." She shakes her head. "I can't do it alone. And.. it's okay if I have to. If we.. me and her, have to. It's okay." She tries to look up towards him and smiles, though her bottom lip trembles just a bit.
'The more you rely on me, the more I'll consume.' It was a taunt from the bird, the one that actually shook her.
"Yeah.. it'll be okay, Gabriel. I promise.."
*
"But you're not alone Jean." Gabriel says softly to her. "You have all the X-men, you have friends. I'm with you, just maybe not in the way you envision. You know I would never let anyone hurt you if I can help it. You know I'd do anything if I must. But to look out and see no ceiling, to see no cap of what can be." He leans down, kissing the top of her head. "I just want to be a man. Not a god." The words hurt to admit, she can feel it between them but that is the fear, the fear that the power will consume, continue to push him until ..
"Between us Jean we have the power to mold the world as we see fit. Tell me that doesn't terrify you."
*
"I have people that look out for me because they think that I'll go crazy.." Jean's voice was a quiet murmur, a near cry of frustration. It was partly why she moved out, either way. But she could feel that he meant it, and even felt hurt by his words. It was like an emotional recession, her entire psyche drawn back and blown away as her fingers lift to fists which hide her eyes, and the glow that strongly built within.
"It excites us.." She quietly whispers, her voice almost wasn't like her own..
"We could create a peace that humanity has never, ever known. Wars, famine, everything would be extinguished.. and all we'd have to do is lift our hand and say so.." Her hands slowly lower, her eyes opening, fire red.. and if Gabriel could see from the corner of his eye? A figment of Jean herself would kneel there, her hands buried into her face, near skeletal, broken, and crying.
"And all galaxies will fall at our feet. King Vulcan, and his Queen. Tell me.. do you not want all among the stars to kneel before us? Do you not want to conquer and destroy all who oppose us? Gods?"
*
"No." Gabriel says back quietly towards Jean. "Because I know what it is to be a slave. And I would not put that on anyone else." Hand lifts, touches Jean's cheek and then his voice speaks quietly, firmly. "And the part of you that thinks that way? That is not you. You told me once she fears me. Did you ever ask her why?" His tone drops even softer, almost hypnotic in a way. "I suspect she fears me, because You and I are the counter balance to him and her."
*
"We wouldn't make them slaves.." The woman states, her eyes near wild but in an almost dreamish state. "But we would set them free.." Yet, when he speaks, she seems to focus. The glow within her dimming, her eyes unfocusing and refocusing again.. blinking back the fire that slowly builds and yet, one eye remains true. The other does not.
Jean was half in, half out, her lips pressing tightly together as she lets out a tired groan. "Maybe.." Jean finally murmurs, turning over to press her face into his chest. "She's getting worse. Part of me knows that you need to stop her.. Me."
*