Fanfic, X-Factor and other: "Red Leaves" by Eliyes

[eliyes]

Title: Red Leaves
Author: eliyes
Rating: Er, T for Teen due to strong language?
Spoilers: X-Factor vol. 3 issues 28 and a little bit of 29. (This plot-bunny brought to you by Ely seeing a spoiler.)
Author's notes: Seems like lately, redheads keep leaving Ric...



"Sam called. I know there's still some of my family on the loose, but they're small fry. We've basically broken the back on this beast. He's got an... interesting offer. Wanna hear?"


Empty.

Rictor just stood in the doorway for a minute, convinced he was seeing things. Rahne's shelves -- empty. The dresser drawers hung open, a lone sock languished on the floor.

No no no. No.

She couldn't have just left without saying goodbye, right?

Except --

Except that he remembered that kiss, in the tunnels of Genosha. She had kissed him, and she had said she would meet him at the rendezvous point.

She hadn't.

She hadn't said good-bye then, either.


"I think that you should accept Sam's offer."

"Okay. I'll call him and tell him we're interested, and --"

"No, Julio."

"Whaddaya mean, 'no'?! You just said --"

"I am not going with you."

"...What?"


He finally shook himself, and walked into the room, still feeling a little dazed. She'd been here when she went out, he knew.

The dupe downstairs hadn't mentioned anything, but God only knew when he'd been popped out, so that didn't mean anything.

Terry and Monet had chased him away before he could get three words out, but surely Terry would have said something, if she'd known.

Right?

On second thought: Terry, in a bar. He hadn't had time to see what she was drinking. Just because she'd stayed dry in Paris didn't mean she might not fall off the wagon now, and for all he knew, Monet didn't even know about her drinking problem.


"Sam? Yeah. I'll do it. 'Star's not... 'Star's not coming, though."

« Did something happen? »

"...No. Nothing happened."


The envelope on the bed had clearly been raided from Jamie's stash of office supplies.

His name was written on the front, and he recognised Rahne's handwriting. It was actually pretty similar to his own, a fact which Boom-Boom had teased him about, back in the day.

Back when they began.

He slit open the top of the envelope with his thumbnail.


"Are you sure about this?"

"It is something I must do, Julio."

"You said."

"Are you still mad at me?"

"I'm just... concerned. Listen, if you ever need anything, or if you just wanna look me up, look me up, okay, 'Star?"

"Thank you, Julio."


It wasn't hard to find a pack of matches.

This was X-Force all over again, only worse, because at least he'd had friends in X-Force. Today was just one big lesson in 'nobody gives a damn about me'. Even Guido had ditched him at the E.R.

Hell, Weapon P.R.I.M.E. had been better than this; at least they'd had an actual goal. Jamie said he had one, but Rictor didn't see them doing anything about it, and now Layla was stranded in the future and maybe dead. And that whole thing looked to be getting complicated, anyway.

It was just a shitty fucking day.

He lit the match and held it to the note.


Cross-posted to ricstar.