Donella and Rogue stood on opposite sides of a ladder hanging decorations while Jubilee directed where the decorations would go. Seemingly in an order understood only to Ms. Jubilation Lee. Rogue huffed a little blowing a few strands of hair from her face. "And just why are we hangin' streamers Jubes? No one's gonna care what the hall looks like. They jus' want the food."
Jubilee snorted. "They may want the food but its not a celebration without decorations."
Rogue snorted again but humored Jubilee. Donella strung a paper lantern up and gave a small smile. "Its festive. I like it."
Rogue smiled over at the woman who had become a fast friend. "It is festive Ah'll give it that. What is this year five of Haven?"
Donella nodded. "Year five and what a five years."
"Yer supposed to make a speech right?" Rogue asked taping streamers to the domed ceiling.
"Yeah. I stayed up late last night working on it."
Donella and Rogue climbed down and looked up at their handiwork then Donella got called over to inspect an ice sculpture Bobby was working on and to chastise Johnny for melting bits of it while Bobby wasn't looking. Rogue watched her friend and reflected that five years ago she'd have never thought Donella would be the take-charge-keep-it-in-order type. Rogue meandered to the kitchen to see if there was anything she could do to help.
At noon The Great hall of the underground complex filled with the refugees and the survivors. The newest arrivals looked around nervously while the long term denizens murmured excitedly amongst themselves waiting for the festivities to begin. Donella stood on a raised platform and cleared her throat.
"Welcome to the Fifth Anniversary of the Mutant Haven Project, known fondly as Haven. I would like to extend a warm welcome to our new comers, may you find peace here in safety. Those who have come before you made this place possible. I would like to remind everyone gathered though that while this is a celebration this is also a time of reflection. I want everyone to reflect upon why Haven was built. Superstition, prejudice and hatred were the reason for our home. This is a place we hope will be a temporary home. A place to be safe until the world is a more accepting place. I would like to observe a moment of silence for those lost in the Cause of Haven."
She bowed her head and everyone followed suit. For a long moment there was silence then she cleared her throat again. "And now I give you the Fifth Anniversary of Haven. And its very own band The Underground!" She stepped aside and the band jumped up onto the platform and began playing their own variations of popular rock.
The crowd broke up and moved off to enjoy the festivities. Donella stood to the side and watched them a small smile playing on her lips.
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It was too much. He couldn't hold out any longer, between the torture, the drugs and the isolation it was little wonder when Xavier finally snapped. The doctors knew this would happen of course. They were fully prepared and had another telepath, one they had full control of, waiting for the exact moment when Xavier was finally unable to hold out any longer. But even their pet telepath couldn't completely block the agony and screams from everyone's minds. Everyone in the FOH complex doubled over as the pain of nearly six years torture and abuse flowed through their minds. It killed their telepath. It also reached Donella, already psychically linked with Xavier due to their relationship.
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Donella had just climbed onstage to announce that the party was over when she felt a burning agony sear through her mind. She clutched at her head. All eyes watched her in concern. She tried to gain control of her mind falling to her knees her body hunched her hands grasping at her hair. Suddenly it became more than she could bear and her back arched as she screamed in a voice that was not just her own. The searing pain filled every part of her mind.
Rogue ran up and grabbed for her trying to keep her from hurting herself. As soon as she touched Donella though the same searing pain filled her mind and she had to let go. Donella screamed until she ran out of breath. She sucked a lungful of air in and screamed again. By now Jean and Scott were evacuating the Great Hall telling everyone to go to their quarters. That they would have an explanation soon. Logan moved towards Donella but didn't touch her. He tried to speak to her but she wouldn't or couldn't hear him. Then as suddenly as the episode had begun it ended and Donella collapsed to the floor in a faint.
Jean approached carefully Donella's screams still ringing in her ears. She carefully placed her hands on either side of Donella's head. She gasped. "The Professor. It wasn't Donella's pain we saw it was his. Years of pain in a flood. Too much and she's connected to him..." She broke off and pulled sharply away from Donella.
"What'd you see?" Rogue asked.
"A medical complex. I don't know where exactly. The Professor in a empty room, he was in agony, mind and body. That's about all I could make out." She replied.
Donella stirred and Rogue leaned over. "Donella? Honey, are you ok?"
"Nevada." Donella croaked. "He's in Nevada. I know where he is." Her voice was raw and she was crying."
Logan lifted her up into his arms, she tried to push him away but the episode had left her weak. "We'll go to Nevada when you've had some rest."
"I can rest on the way." She croaked.
Hank came running in with a medical kit. "Not until Hank has checked you out." Scott said firmly.
Donella tried to glare at him but it lacked any power. She laid back in Logan's arms as Hank inspected her. Her only thought was that whether Charles had meant to or not, she now knew where to find him and no force in the world could stop her.
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The leader of the FOH surveyed the disaster left in the wake of Xavier's mental collapse. Three of their most promising Technicians were dead from psychic overload. A telepath who'd been carefully cultivated and conditioned was dead, his brain literally boiled in his skull by the force of Xavier's mind and as collateral damage in some kind of psychically induced craze the technicians had destroyed almost half a dozen computers and a lot of expensive equipment before the psychic overload fried their brains and stopped their hearts. He kicked moodily at a shard of glass then gave the now catatonic Xavier a thoughtful look. "This had better bring them to me." He murmured. "Or this will all have been for no good reason."
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Author's Chapter Notes:
In which we meet the antagonist. And we get to find Xavier soon. Yay!
Chapter End Notes:
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