Inside the Mansion
Breaking eye contact, Sinister grew annoyed with Xavier's stalling
tactic. "I am not a patient man, Charles."
"Gotta surprise fer ya, Essex." Sabretooth's thick voice came from
behind him.
"Creed, your interruptions are becoming tedious." Sinister turned and
readied himself for another heated confrontation with the bothersome
mutant. He mentally promised to rid himself of Creed's existence once his
score was settled with Xavier and the X-Men.
His gaze fell on Storm as the weather witch was escorted inside the
mansion. With a slight nod of his head, he bowed in a respectful manner to
greet her. "Welcome Ororo, it is so good to see you again."
"Forgive the discourtesy, Sinister," Storm stopped in front of him,
returning the bow with a gracious one of her own, "but the feeling is not
mutual."
"As I would have expected." He replied and then noticed the collar
around her neck. He reached out and touched the device. "Allow me to
remove this hindrance, my dear."
With a slight wave of his hand, the collar opened automatically and he
delicately removed it and held it up for her to see. "I'm sure you're more
comfortable without this added accessory. You may now join your friends if
that is your wish." He stepped back, allowing her to move by him.
Storm quickly moved between Warren and Scott, her back facing her
enemies. Within seconds, she turned back around, her face and stance as
placid as usual.
Storm whispered a few words to Cyclops, who simply nodded. Though
Storm's brief conversation was inaudible, Sinister chuckled to himself. He
knew his adversaries so well; the woman wanted to know the X-Men's current
predicament.
She turned her blue eyes away, staring beyond him with a pleading
appeal. "Remy, please. You belong here, with us."
"Non Padnet." Remy's voice came from behind Sinister. "We already
settled dis."
"We have settled nothing!" Storm tried to keep her voice calm. She
closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then stared back at her friend.
"You decided, and we have not settled this. Do not think
this matter is closed between us."
"It is closed because I say it's closed." Sinister said, ending the
conversation. He glanced over his shoulder and saw LeBeau for the first
time. Opening his hand, the scientist motioned the younger mutant forward.
"Come," he demanded, "this unplanned visit of yours has ended."
Without hesitating, Remy moved to Sinister's side. "Just' open up a
tesseract an' get me outta here."
"And leave without saying ‘goodbye'?" Sinister laughed as he removed the
collar and tossed it to Scalphunter. "I would have thought those in New
Orleans would have taught you better manners while you were growing up."
"I've learned de hard way. Do unto others before dey can do it to
you." Glancing up at Xavier, Remy tapped the side of his temple with his
finger. "I don't think you be forcin' your way inside my head now dat de
odds have changed, uh Professor?"
Harpoon rushed into the mansion. "Boss, we got a..."
"You!" Angel screamed at the Marauder.
"You got your wings back, Worthington?" Harpoon laughed, watching the
winged X-Man with interest. "Maybe Blockbuster and I can pluck them for
good this time."
Warren took to the air, grabbed Harpoon by the shoulders and used the
Marauder's own weight to break the glass out of the front window. Using all
his strength, Angel flew the two of them out the window and disappeared from
sight.
"What in tarnation?" Rogue rushed into the confrontation with Wolverine
fast behind her. Glaring at the female Marauder, she pointed a finger at
her. "Just you an' me, Arclight."
Arclight tried to prepare herself, but with Rogue's super speed, the
Marauder didn't have time to offer any resistance. The purple-haired woman
was spun in the air several times before being released. She hit the wall
hard and slid to the floor unconscious.
Rogue wiped her hands as if she was dusting them off from a hard day's
work. "Next time Sugah, ya knock before ya enter mah home."
With the welcome distraction caused by Warren and Rogue, Xavier used the
opportunity to his advantage. He had to think of a way to direct Sinister's
attention away from Gambit long enough to make a last ditch attempt to
communicate with his former student.
Placing his hand to his forehead and using his gift of telepathy, Xavier
communicated with Cyclops. ‘Scott, can you keep Sinister occupied long
enough for me to contact Gambit? Perhaps I can yet convince him of
Sinister's true intentions.'
‘It will be my pleasure, sir.' Scott answered, turning to Storm
and Warren he relayed Xavier's orders. With renewed vigor, the three X-Men
lured the unsuspecting scientist into a false sense of victory.
'Gambit?' Xavier called out mentally, 'Can you hear me?'
There was no response.
‘Please, Remy,' Xavier again tried reaching out to his former
student. 'If you can hear me, answer.'
Remy turned and stared up at him. 'You know I heard you, Professor but
mebbe I didn' wanna answer.'
'Remy, please, what ever Sinister has told you, I am not your enemy.'
Xavier pleaded. 'He's trying to destroy us one by one. Sinister is only
using you.'
'Funny, Essex say de same 'bout you, Professor.'
'Remy, have I ever lied to you?' Xavier asked, waiting for a
response from the younger mutant to determine where the conversation was
going next.
Gambit shook his head negatively, but didn't respond with a mental reply.
'Then what reason would I have to lie to you now?' Xavier continued. ‘I
believe that Sinister used mind control on the X-Men, he easily manipulated
their actions, making sure you would be left behind.'
Remy looked away, appearing to consider the theory Xavier was
presenting. Several seconds later, Gambit countered, still not convinced of
Sinister's guilt. ‘You also have dat ability professor.'
'Yes, I do, but with one exception,' Xavier admitted
confidently, 'I am not a shape shifter. I could not make myself appear
as Eric the Red.'
Remy's eyes widened in disbelief and glanced at Sinister in confusion.
'Non, you be wrong, Professor.'
'Am I, Remy? You seem to be having doubts yourself now.' Charles said.
'Who else but Sinister had anything to gain by revealing your past to the
X-Men? He knew your involvement in the massacre was the one thing that
might destroy your ties with us.'
Feeling as if he were being watched, Xavier shifted his gaze towards
Sabretooth and found the large mutant smiling enticingly at him.
Knowing his time was now limited, Charles tried to hurry his pace but
Sabretooth's biting words stopped him cold. He was out of time.
"What's th' matter, doc? Those mental powers of yours ain't up to par?"
Creed asked mockingly, needling Sinister with the scientist's unawareness of
Xavier's recent plan.
The Scientist turned an annoyed look at Victor; the mutant chuckled and
then nodded in Gambit's direction. "Looks like Xavier's bein' a lil on th'
sneaky side with them communication skills of his, ain't he? Wonder if he's
tryin' to recruit LeBeau again. That might blow a hole in yer plans,
wouldn't it?"
Sinister shot Sabretooth an intense glare then turned his attention to
Gambit. Essex's eyes narrowed, fully understanding what Creed was vaguely
hinting about Xavier.
"So you want to play games, Charles? Then allow me to oblige you."
Sinister declared and then shot a force bolt at Xavier's wheelchair,
knocking the professor out of the chair and onto the floor.
"Professor!" Jean rushed to assist her mentor. With Elizabeth's support,
both were able to help Xavier back into his chair. Looking down from the
landing, Jean glared at Sinister.
Witnessing the attack on Xavier, Gambit stepped forward, moving towards
the stairs as if to assist the fallen professor, but he stopped suddenly and
stared back at Sinister in confusion.
"Don't waste your powers, Mrs. Summers." Sinister eyed her
threateningly. "You forget that I can equal your powers and more. If you do
not believe me, ask Charles."
"The X-Men are not going to let you win, Sinister." Xavier said, trying
hard to sound strong. "Your threat has ended."
"It is only beginning, Charles. The time has come to settle all debts
owed me by you and your team." Sinister declared. He waved his hand and a
tesseract opened. Turning back to Gambit, he instructed. "Remington, you
may leave. Once my business here is completed, I will make certain that you
suffered no damage from your unwanted stay here."
Remy glanced at the tesseract, debating to himself what to do next. In
all the commotion, he had forgotten about his unexplained and uncontrollable
power surges. He turned back to Sinister, wanting to tell the scientist
what had happened. "Dere's somethin' wrong wit' my----"
"Do as I command." Sinister abruptly interrupted the young mutant but
never took his eyes off Xavier. He walked by Gambit as if he wasn't there.
"Now Charles, where were we?"
"Ya don't wanna kill ‘em, so whatcha plan? Talk ‘em ta death?" Creed
snarled and then walked away. "Call me when ya really want some muscle,
Doc. I'm gonna go find somethin' ta amuse myself."
Sinister turned to the Marauder leader. "Scalphunter, Creed needs a
lesson in loyalty. Explain that to him."
"Sure, Boss." Scalphunter tossed the Genoshan collar to Scrambler and
followed Sabretooth out the door.
Charles again used telepathy to reach his second in command. 'Ororo, you
and Logan stop Gambit. If Remy leaves with Sinister, we may never get him
back.'
_____________
Wolverine smiled to himself as he silently stalked his prey. His
intended target, the unsuspecting Marauder, Scrambler, had his back to him,
making the man an easy target.
He tapped Scrambler on the shoulder and waited until the Marauder turned
around before hitting him with a tight closed fist that sent Kim Sung into
dreamland. He reached down, picked up the discarded Genoshan collar, and
bent the device, destroying it.
With Arclight and Harpoon out of commission, and knowing Creed had
disappeared with Scalphunter, Wolverine glanced at the two remaining
Marauders to see if they had noticed their comrade going down. Neither
Riptide nor Blockbuster appeared to have noticed Scrambler's assault or if
they did, they feigned ignorance.
That left Sinister and Gambit.
He glanced at Sinister, watching in amusement, as the scientist seemed
oblivious to the dwindling numbers of the Marauders while concentrating
instead on Cyclops. If Logan didn't know any better, he'd almost swear
Sinister's attention teetered on obsession where Scott Summers was
concerned. The scientist kept talking to Cyclops, ignoring everyone as if
they were the only two individuals left in the world.
On second notice, Wolverine realized Scott was deliberately distracting
Sinister, allowing Storm the opportunity to ease away without Essex
detecting her movements. The beautiful Egyptian Goddess was gracefully
moving in his direction.
Storm glanced down at Scrambler's limp body, raised an accusing brow, and
smiled slightly. "Your methods never change, Logan."
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it." He declared, admiring his handiwork.
Noticing she had turned her attention to something behind him. He turned
and saw Gambit about to jump into a tesseract.
"Remy wishes to leave, Logan. I prefer that he stay." Storm said,
leaving no doubt, what she wanted. "Would you convince him otherwise?"
"It'd be my pleasure, darlin'." Wolverine replied, almost too eagerly as
he dropped the collar to the floor. He wasn't about to tell Storm, but
since the incident at Sinister's base, Logan had been itching to knock
LeBeau down a few pegs for destroying his favorite jacket.
He grinned as his eyes stalked Gambit. Calculating his timing perfectly,
he leaped into the air and landed between the tesseract and his intended
victim.
Remy's eyes widened, surprised to find Wolverine standing in front of
him. The younger mutant tried to dodge but Wolverine, already anticipating
the move, pounced with all his strength before Remy had a chance to react.
The two men hit the floor hard. The momentum of Wolverine's flying
tackle sent them sliding ungracefully across the recently waxed floor. At
just the right moment, Logan reached out and grabbed the front leg of the
large sofa, using it as a brake to bring them to a stop.
Wolverine chuckled. He couldn't have done that any better than if he had
planned it. Only Storm had been in position to see what had just happened
and in the location he was now, they were shielded from Sinister's line of
sight.
His moment of satisfaction was short lived when Gambit twisted free and
got to his feet. Logan knew he had to act fast before the younger mutant
had time to get Sinister's attention. Without thinking, he grabbed Gambit
by the leg and yanked him back down.
Roughly turning LeBeau over on his back, Wolverine used the bulk of his
weight to effectively pin Gambit on the floor. "Yer not goin' anywhere,
Gumbo."
Gambit's eyes started glowing, enraging the Canadian further. "Use those
powers on me boy an' I promise ya, one of us will be hurtin' an' it won't be
me," he snarled in his prey's ear. "Ya get my meanin'."
"Get off me, old man." Remy hissed, the red eyes flashing in anger. The
more LeBeau struggled, the more Wolverine tightened his grip. The conflict
was one sided and futile for the younger, resulting in frustration. "Get
off b'fore I kill you."
"Well I guess I betta defend myself then shouldn't I?" Wolverine taunted
before he unsheathed two claws from his right hand and jammed them into the
floor, capturing Gambit's head in between them. "Now what was that ‘bout
killin', Cajun?"
Gambit froze, knowing the slightest movement could either maim or kill
him.
"Just lay there an' keep yer yap shut," Logan leaned over Gambit's still
body, his voice barely above a growl. "I'm gettin' a lil' tired of yer
attitude. If ya want t' act like a brat then I'll be more than happy t'
accommodate ya."
Remy glared harshly at Wolverine, who only laughed. "That's right boy,
if looks could kill, I'd be dead." He toyed with LeBeau as if Gambit were a
mouse to his cat. He was going to enjoy taunting LeBeau as long as
possible. "It's just too bad ya hafta lay on th' floor an' watch th' X-Men
rip ol' Mister Sinister ‘part."
_____________
Riptide tried to occupy his mind with anything but thoughts of massacring
the X-Men. He knew Sinister had forbidden any of the Marauders from
attacking but with so many potential victims in his sights, his mouth
started watering.
With Scalphunter out tracking down that idiot, Creed, Janos knew the
Marauders' hopes of disobeying Essex's orders and remaining alive were
severely hampered. To make the situation worse, he had been standing in one
place for so long, he felt like he was posing for some statue to be placed
in a public park.
He smiled to himself, convinced everything wasn't as bad as he first
thought. His boredom had been temporary relieved when he secretly witnessed
the attack on Gambit by the X-Man, Wolverine. It took all his will power to
keep from laughing as he enjoyed the incident.
The Marauder wasn't about to help Sinister's little pet unless he was
ordered to do so and since Essex hadn't noticed, Riptide sure as sin, wasn't
going to tell the scientist.
He stepped up behind Blockbuster and pretended to be interested in the
conversation going on between Sinister and Cyclops. The last thing he
expected was his partner's question.
"You think we should help LeBeau?" Baer asked, not sure what to do
next. The big man glanced worriedly in the scientist's direction. "You
know the Boss won't like it when he finds out what just happened?"
"Did you see anything?" Riptide asked him suspiciously. "I didn't see a
thing."
"Nope." The other Marauder cracked a smile, finally understanding Janos'
plan. "If the Boss asks, we were kinda busy and didn't notice until it was
too late."
"That's right. It's too late," a baritone voice sharply declared
startling the two Marauders. Both turned; ready to face the intruder who
had somehow gotten past them undetected.
Riptide almost expected to find another addition to the X-Men ranks, but
once his eyes landed on the intruder, he knew he had underestimated his
adversaries. Standing in front of them were three aliens and one lone human
male whose intense gaze could have rivaled Magneto in vengeance.
'Finally,' He thought to himself as he rubbed his hands together and
scrutinized the foursome, 'something to break the monotony.' This was
indeed a challenge. Riptide was convinced he could take out all four with
just a minimal whirlwind.
He smiled, savoring fond memories from past conflicts; shurikens can do
so much damage to flesh.
The female of the group, a feline in stance, smiled back at him, almost
purring as her eyes roamed up and down his body. It was evident that she
wanted him.
Perhaps, he'd save her for himself. No sense in wasting a good body like
that when he could find pleasure in it. He chuckled; enjoying the attention
the alien woman was giving him. He definitely had something to tell the
others once this little mission was over.
So engrossed in his ego, he didn't notice the female had something hidden
in her closed fist until it was too late. Out of nowhere, something wrapped
around his waist and he found himself being pulled unmercifully towards a
creature resembling an offspring of Godzilla.
The creature snarled down at him, clearly displaying its disapproval of
the captured Marauder. Normally Riptide wouldn't have cared one way or the
other how mini Godzilla felt, but being so close, Quested wished for an
industrial sized odor eater. He was convinced the creature's breath alone
could make King Kong cry for mercy.
Riptide guessed the creature was telepathic, because it hissed, turned
sideways, and then swung its thick tail at him. The impact was hard,
sending him flying backwards and into Blockbuster's big body. It was the
last thing the Marauder remembered.
______________
Using her whip, Hepzibah easily picked up the weapons lying near the
unconscious Marauders and tossed them into the air where Ch'od caught and
crushed them like match sticks with one large closed fist.
"You could give Indiana Jones lessons with that whip, Mademoiselle."
Corsair said, watching in amazement at his lover's unequivocal ease with the
lash. He knew she was just as deadly with a laser in her hand as he was, if
not more.
"Remember, do I," Hepzibah winked wickedly at him, "the many things
taught I to you."
As much as he loved the playful teasing, Corsair knew now wasn't the
time. He silently made a sacred vow that if they lived through all this
madness; he'd make it up to her, somehow.
He turned and spotted his son, who amazingly locked eyes with him that
exact second, but the contact, ever so brief, guaranteed the Starjammers'
appearance remained secret.
The individual talking to Scott seemed to be the center of attention and
the instant that individual spoke, Corsair's mood changed dramatically.
"Well, if it isn't the devil himself." He deliberately announced,
watching with newfound anger as Sinister turned and looked nonchalantly back
at him. With his trusty blaster raised, the space pirate wanted the mad man
to know who was ending his evil existence. "I'm sending you to hell."
"Then I won't be going alone." Sinister declared, as a smile appeared
across his face. "Perhaps you should ask the female of your group if she
agrees with my statement."
Suddenly the room felt cold. Corsair reluctantly turned his head
slightly to find a rifle aimed at Hepzibah's head. The Mephistoid was just
as confused as he until she turned and realized Sinister's threat was real.
"Welcome back, Scalphunter." Sinister stated calmly, acting as if the
Marauder had been there all along. With the element of surprise now back in
his favor, the scientist addressed his would be assassin. "I hope you have
enjoyed your reunion with your son, Christopher Summers because it is about
to end."
____________
Scott heaved a sigh of relief; thankful that his father and the
Starjammers had arrived in time before Sinister decided to quit
congratulating himself and attack.
He gasped and cringed in anticipation when he saw Corsair face Sinister
and threatened the scientist with bodily harm. Never had Scott heard his
father sound so ominous. For a brief second, he actually savored the idea
of watching Sinister die a painful death.
A shadow moved silently behind the Starjammers, catching Scott's
attention. He tried to warn his father of the approaching danger but
Scalphunter proved too quick, raising his rifle behind Hepzibah's head,
silencing him with a clear threat he knew was directed at him.
Scott impatiently waited, silently praying Scalphunter would move an inch
in either direction, just long enough to give him the chance to blast the
Marauder leader but like everything else today, luck was not on his side.
While mentally running other ideas through his mind, Scott heard
Corsair's voice, and from the tone in his father's voice, anyone would have
thought Christopher was the one who had the upper hand.
"If you think you can intimidate me like you do the others Sinister,
guess again." Corsair glared at the scientist, "Your perverted days of
stalking my sons are over."
"You dare dictate demands to me, you pathetic human worm!" Sinister's
voice hissed, causing Scott to fear for his father's life. "Your feeble
mind can not even attempt to comprehend the powers your sons possess. Only
I know the true value they have." The scientist pointed a gloved finger at
Cyclops and stated pompously. "This one has great potential but opting to
follow Xavier on his blind mission has proven to be a hindrance."
At that exact moment, Scott caught a glimpse of Bobby slowly climbing to
his feet. The blonde-haired X-Man silently changed into his ice form and
nodded slightly indicating that he, as well as Bishop was prepared for
battle. Scott glanced down at Bishop, who was still on the ground,
evidently playing possum.
Scott needed a distraction and found it in Sinister, himself. He knew as
long as he kept Sinister talking, his two friends could use the time to plan
an ambush.
"That hindrance, as you call it, Sinister, will one day happen. The
X-Men will make sure the professor's dream will happen."
"You're a fool, Scott," Sinister stated with a laugh, "Alexander would be
a great replacement for you if he . . ." he paused, and then added with
another chuckle, "wasn't such a disappointment where my research and I are
concerned."
The insult was a veridical attempt to incite an emotional response, to
throw him off balance, but Scott wasn't falling for his nemesis' bait.
Instead, Cyclops stayed calm, surprising Sinister with his placid reaction.
The two stared at each other, waiting for the other to concede.
Thankful that his visor kept his eyes hidden, Cyclops used it as an
opportunity to check on Logan, Remy, and Storm after Jean mentally revealed
their location.
He found the trio with ease and reluctantly Scott admitted to himself
that Logan was the best in the art of intimidation. Even Remy, with his
ability to escape with ease was no match for Wolverine's adamantium claws.
The Canadian looked up, spotted Scott, and then gestured with a nod of
his head towards Remy. No words needed to be spoken. Scott knew exactly
what Logan wanted.
He nodded slightly, indicating to his friend that he understood and then
turned his attention back to Sinister, determined to lure the scientist with
his own brand of bait.
"Did you conveniently forget to mention Remy, Sinister?" Scott asked,
purposely raising his voice to allow everyone to hear the
conversation. "Have you somehow forgotten that he's a Summers too?"
"Summers? Remington is no Summers." Sinister stated, nonchalantly. "I
never said he was a Summers."
"I guess the chemicals you've been using all these years to clone the
Marauders have finally affected your brain, Sinister." Scott said
sarcastically. "You said back at your base that Remy was my brother, now
you're saying he isn't. Is he or isn't he? Make up your mind!"
"Oh dear, you do look troubled, child. Allow me to explain further so
that I might ease your confusion." Sinister arrogantly folded his arms and
stared back at Scott. "Remington is your brother, half brother to be
precise. You both share the same mother."
The scientist continued as if he were teaching the X-Man leader a lesson
in Summers' genealogy. "As you know, I knew about your existence centuries
before you were born, but due to unforeseen circumstances I was unable to
act on that knowledge until after you were born and by then it was too
late. I then turned my attention to another in your family."
Scott held his breath, suddenly afraid of what he might learn. He had no
idea that Sinister's next words would haunt him for years to come.
"Since your father never carried the X-factor gene that left your mother
as the source and once the tests I conducted on her were concluded, my
speculation was found to be correct." Sinister boldly and unemotionally
explained in vivid detail what he had done, leaving nothing to the
imagination.
"Kate Summers was a remarkable specimen, not only was she the only choice
selected to host my gene splicing experiment, she also produced the result
of that experiment; a son. She was a willing participant."
"You're lying." Scott screamed while shaking his head in denial. He
thought he was going to be sick. The thought of his beloved mother even
associating with Sinister made his stomach churn. "Mom would never
volunteer to . . ."
"Who said she volunteered?"
"You...you raped my wife!" Corsair hissed, "You son of a..."
"Raped? Christopher, how insulting!" Sinister feigned disturbance at
the accusation and then grinned like a triumphant dictator. "Why would I
take something that was freely given to me?"
"I'm going to kill you with my bare hands." Corsair shouted. He took a
step towards the scientist, but caught a glance of the Marauder leader
grinning maniacally back at him.
"Unless you want Catwoman's brains spattered all over the floor, you
better stop right where you're standing, Summers." Scalphunter warned,
raising the weapon he had pointed at Hepzibah's head just enough to
illustrate his point. "Then again, it might be interesting to find out if
this feline has as many lives as the fables claim the hairballs on this
planet do."
"You just destroyed any credibility you had, Sinister." Scott said,
completely ignoring the Marauder leader. Scalphunter was only a lackey, not
worth his time. Sinister, however, was another matter all together and
there was no way Scott was going to allow Essex to destroy the one thing he
had left of his mother, his memories.
"I remember my mother, Sinister and she never would have
done the things you claim and she never would have wasted
her time getting acquainted with the likes of you. She never touched
trash!"
Several in the large room laughed at the sarcastic remark but Scott paid
little attention as he breathed a sigh of relief. "Mom would not have been
deceived by you."
"Rest assured Scott, your mother accepted me for who she believed I was.
Allow me to demonstrate." Sinister raised a hand, waved it slightly, and
then morphed into the spitting image of Corsair. "I came to her in this
form. Do you doubt me now?"
Scott's heart was beating so loudly in his ears that he didn't hear the
shocked gasps around him. He could only stare at the almost pale features
on his father's face. Corsair was in a state of shock.
He stared back and forth between the doppelganger and his father like one
did a tennis match while trying to clear his chaotic thoughts. If he hadn't
seen the morphing with his own eyes Scott never would have been able to tell
the two apart.
He painfully closed his eyes; finally realizing Sinister had spoken the
awful truth and worse, the knowledge that his mother had once again been
victimized. He could only pray that in Sinister's manipulation, his mother
never knew how her youngest son was conceived.
"Scott, I'm so sorry." He heard Jean's voice mentally in his head as he
reopened his eyes. "I...I just don't know what else to say except that I'm
sorry."
It wasn't the sincere consoling voice of his wife that touched Scott, but
the devastated expression on his father's face that destroyed the barriers
he had in place to control his emotions.
He felt the first of many tears sliding down his face as his throat
tightened making it difficult to swallow but one look at Sinister, and Scott
angrily swiped the tears away with his clinched fist and buried his
emotions.
He would grieve later, but first, more than anything he wanted to blast
that arrogant smirk off Sinister's pasty white face.