As The World Turns Cold

The Beast Within

The air in the car changed.  This time everyone noticed the effects.  The car grew colder and Mercy was shaken to the core. 

This was the first time she'd heard anything personal coming from Rogue's mouth. 

Though her life wasn't as important and the world wouldn't stop and grieve if she died, Mercy knew what it felt like to fill those shoes. 

To put someone else's life on the line and fail at keeping them safe.  If anyone could ever understand a semblance of the pain Rogue spoke of, it was Mercy.

"Don't put her life in my hands.  Not if you want a chance of us getting the freedom we all swear by.  Responsibility and I don't go hand in hand."

Mercy clenched her fists. Rogue was beating himself up over this.  It was terrifying how much it affected him.  But she had enough of it, herself. 

They talked aimlessly, speaking as if she weren't there.  Or better yet, that she wasn't capable of thinking for herself, making her own decisions on the matter of her life.

  She was done with the silent, cool demeanor.  Mercy was a fire, raging and broiling down to its very core and she wasn't going to let someone else decide her fate.

"I should get a say in this."  She could feel the burn of anger as it coursed through her bloodstream.

"This is my life and it'll be placed in my own hands, thank you very much."  She snarled.

Rogue sat up beside her, his gaze finding hers in concern.  "There are other factors that play a role in this, Mercy.  You may think you can handle it, but if worst comes to worse, someone will need to know how to take the reins." 

"I'm not some charity case.  We all know that I'm capable of things even more frightening than simple elemental design." 

Heat flared from her nostrils as if to prove a point and she wondered if anyone could see it.  "I can do a lot more than be the prisoner."

Terrance glanced at her, leaning in closer to get a glimpse of her eyes, rearing back once he saw the cold heat of her gaze.  

Mercy realized she'd leaned forward as she spoke.  The seatbelt protested against the shake and swell of her body as the fire within took over.

Terrance tentatively reached out a hand to push her back against their conjoining headrest.  "You need to calm down, Red.  We can't afford to blow this car up, too."

She shrugged off his hand and whipped her head around to face him.  "You don't get to tell me when I need to calm down."

Mercy had remained calm for far too long.  She'd drowned out pain and feeble attempts of escape with silence. 

But once she snapped, when the pent up feelings rushed to the surface, there was no way of holding I back.

"I'm sick of all of you getting a say so on if I live, die, or get to play another role for the benefit of the doubt."

Terrance held up his hands in surrender.  "I know you've been through a lot and you're afraid for good reason, but we don't have much of a choice sometimes, Red. We get dealt a hand in a game we can't always win, but we've got to play along until it's time to fold.  We keep going and hoping that the next card turned our way is the luck of the draw."

"Do you honestly believe that analogies like that mean anything to me?  Those antics won't be enough to change my mind."

"I understand, but you need to listen." Terrance sighed; he was beginning to see how this argument would get them nowhere.  Mercy was good at overstepping the thin boundary between anger and panic.