Fanfiction: "Royal Station 4/16"

[eliyes]

Title: Royal Station 4/16
Summary: Some of Rictor's X-Corps teammates are wondering where Shatterstar is, but he's not talking.
Author's note: This may be the first story in a short series. Not sure if I can write the rest.


It blindsided him, which was stupid, because he really should have seen it coming. Sam made one little comment along the lines of 'I thought you said you'd been honing the use of your powers while you were kicking around Mexico with Shatterstar', and Rictor was out the door before he'd finished saying the name. It was a stupid reaction, but not as stupid as staying would have been. He fled down the hallway while behind him the sound of the TV suddenly cut out -- muted, probably -- and he heard Monet ask what the hell just happened.

Stupid stupid stupid.

Of course, Sam didn't leave it alone. He wouldn't be Sam if he had, but he was smart enough to give Ric enough time to calm down a little. He stalked up and down the stairwells, and finally let himself out onto the roof to pace in the Parisian night air. By the time Sam found him up there, he'd kicked Monet's sunbathing lounge into cooperating and was laying on his back, an arm flung over his eyes and one foot dangling to the ground, such as it was.

"Hey." The low patio table squeaked faintly when Sam sat on it, loud with immediacy compared to the backdrop of city sounds from below.

"Hey," Rictor replied.

"I didn't mean to tick you off back there."

"I know."

There was a moment of palpable hesitation as Sam decided the right way to ask; tension pooled between Rictor's shoulders just from waiting.

"I'm guessin' it wasn't the part about your powers that set you off," Sam tried.

"Not really." Rictor moved his arm down, lacing his fingers together over his gut. He stared up at what he could make out of the stars, forcing himself not to look at the flicker of movement that he figured was probably Sam running a hand through his hair. Finally, the blond sighed.

"Look, I figure that if you want to talk about it, you will, and not before. You've always been like that, and I know that. I accept that. But right now, I want you to answer just one question for me. Yes or no."

Rictor didn't say anything. Sam, realising he wasn't going to get an agreement at the moment, and that a lack of disagreement was better than nothing, asked his question.

"Is Shatty dead?"

Rictor made a noise like a snort, feeling like he'd been gutpunched. It was amazing how much the idea affected him, considering. He closed his eyes.

"He wasn't, last I saw." Even as he heard Sam's sigh of relief, he added, "Though it was close."

"...He can heal some pretty bad wounds," Sam ventured.

"Not what I meant." Rictor opened his eyes, letting his gaze rove aimlessly across the sky for a minute, before he admitted, "I could have killed him."

Another squeak and Sam's head was just in Rictor's field of vision.

"You know, if you are havin' trouble with controlling your powers lately--"

"Sam--" he started warningly, but the blond waved him to silence.

"I'm just sayin', mutants often get more powerful as they get older. So if that is or becomes a problem, we can help you with that, Ric."

"Yeah." Rictor closed his eyes again. "I didn't mean there was an accident with my powers," he said, remembering being so angry, so... something, that the entire block around their hotel in Zacatecas had trembled and shook before he shut himself down.

"Then what --?"

"I mean I wanted to, okay?" He sat up and glared at Sam, who looked understandably surprised. "Now you've had your one question, Sam, and I don' wanna talk about it any more."

Rictor swung his legs to the other side of the lounger and stood.

"Okay," Sam said as he began to walk away. "You don't have to. But if you ever want to?"

"I know." He waved without looking back. "We'll see."


Cross-posted to ricstar.