Mama Said There'd Be Worse Days Than This ((Open for Inspection Aftermath))

[nohoundsallowed]

Rachel Grey-Ramsey pulled into Xavier's fast enough to almost clip the sides of her car on the opening gates. She didn't bother parking in the garage, abandoning her vehicle somewhere on the drive way before the house.

The Professor himself was coming back from his conference. They need to do an assessment of what went wrong and how they were going to react to it.

So far, Rachel was reacting by telekinetically flying over the front lawn while helping her cousin keep Animus under wraps.

Comments

[marvel_boy]

Topher did his cousin one better. He pulled her into a long, fierce, somewhat terrified hug, before pulling away and giving her his hands.

Sorry that you had to rush back from your thing, cuz.

[nohoundsallowed]

Rachel blinked a little at the hug but gave him one back. Being that close let her feel the strain of holding Animus back much more acutely.

I'm an X-Man. What's life without a little unexpected rushing? There was a thought of a wry smile but not one on her face. Instead she took in a deep breath. Your turn. Deep, steady breaths. And when you're ready, close your eyes. We'll take care of Animus.

[marvel_boy]

Topher nodded. He sat down, all lotus-position, and straightened his back some. He breathed in and out deeply, the way he'd learned to do so during his yoga sessions down in Salem Center.

He shut his eyes deeply and Animus' terrifying face leapt to mind right away, grinning darkly at him from behind the glowing bars of the psychic cage.

Topher grunted in surprise.

Stop that.

No.

[nohoundsallowed]

What felt like warm wings wrapped around the part of Topher's psyche that was not the dark creature. Rachel had promised her cousin safety, and she would deliver it. She had the raw power to, but she preferred not frying family members' brains. She was using some of the power, but it was backing up her refined strength.

You are not wanted, Animus. You should learn to not force yourself on my cousin. The green fire bars of Animus' cage were reinforced by strands of red peeking out from the tongues of flame. Once she was confident the cage would hold, Rachel sent in two small talons of her own energy between the bars. The raptor-footed shapes clawed at Animus, trying to take bits of psychic energy away.

[marvel_boy]

Topher felt the warmth and comfort emanating from the wings. Outside, he visibly relaxed a little bit.

Animus, though, laughed a dark, rumbling laugh that shook Topher's psyche. We already faced off once before, when I first sprang from Christopher's mind. I returned. Attack me all you want, little firebird. I'll always return. We're forever tied, your cousin and I.

[nohoundsallowed]

The small yet strong raptor claws kept reaching through the bars to pluck at Animus' energy. She kept the wings around Topher despite the rumbles from Animus' posturing.

I will be here whenever he needs me most. I will help make him stronger to face you on his own. You will not win, and then it will be you regretting being tied to him.

[marvel_boy]

Go ahead. Teach him. Strengthen him. But remember that sooner or later, all Phoenixes burn out - and when you do...well... Animus laughed again, though this time there was pain mixed in with the sound. He'd never admit it, but Rachel was doing some damage to him.

[nohoundsallowed]

Rachel kept up the claw attacks. Bit by bit she would wear the entity down. She couldn't get rid of him, even if the temptation was strong. It would harm Topher more than do him any good. Though she did have to smirk and roll her eyes on the psychic plane.

I'm not the Phoenix now, but I was and will be again. I've been to the end of time. You cannot scare me with your doom-saying. It is all sound and bile. Let me know when you can speak in anything other than weak, dark threats.

[marvel_boy]

I'd rather not show my hand yet, Rachel Grey-Ramsey.

Rachel would notice, though, that Animus seemed to be quite a bit weaker than he had a few moments ago.

[nohoundsallowed]

See? I knew you little evil psyches could learn to talk beyond threats. A small hop into poker terminology. She could feel Animus weakening with every snatch of the claws. She kept at it. Though when she sent her telepathic voice to Topher himself, she moderated it to not make his head hurt.

How are you doing, Topher? How much weaker you need him?

[marvel_boy]

Just give him one last psychic bitchsmack? Make him quiet for a couple of days so I can, you know, recuperate.

And possibly spend some time making out with his ridiculously hot boyfriend to forget about this day.

[nohoundsallowed]

One psychic bitchsmack coming up. But Topher? I'm in your mind. I don't need to see your thoughts about making out with Jeremiah.

The talons withdrew from the cage for a moment. What came back was one massive bird of prey foot. The talons went through the bars and scraped against Animus to take one last giant scrape of the energy he had harvested.

[marvel_boy]

Heh. Umm. Sorry. It's just...happy thoughts, you know?

Even as he thought it, he relaxed visibly. He felt Animus go down and unconscious and for a moment, all of the strength released from that went rushing into Topher. He floated up from where he sat, still holding on to Rachel. He opened his eyes wide and blinked. "Not gonna lie. That was too close for comfort." Animus getting released, he meant.

[nohoundsallowed]

Rachel slowly opened her eyes and took a deep breath. She was centered back in her own body and this was possibly the only thing that wouldn't give her a headache as she rushed to catch up on what happened while she was gone.

"Very close. Topher, how much shielding do you tend to have on a daily basis?"

[marvel_boy]

"I usually just expend, expend, expend," Topher replied. "I don't really shield myself from anything. If I know someone tends to be overbearingly negative, I just try to limit contact."

Mostly, that just meant Brooke.

[nohoundsallowed]

"That won't be good enough if you're going to compete with Sara to lead the next generation of X-Men," Rachel gently chided with a smile. She stretched a bit to work out some of the tension between her shoulder blades.

"I know you've had basic mental shielding classes like all students here, but I want you to sign up for an intermediate course after a refresher. You've already seen a leader can easily get into situations where limiting contact won't work."

[marvel_boy]

"Oh please," Topher grinned. "It's hardly a competition." Besides, she's with the New Mutants now, and I'm still with the core team. We're both carving out niches for ourselves.

He nodded, then. "But no, I agree. I do need better control so I can lead when the time comes."