A Time in Need
Chapter 2
The flight over was tense to say the least. No-one attempted to break the awkward silence onboard and quiet sighs of relief were heard all round when the plane finally landed. They all descended off the plane and headed towards the war room. Gibbs, being the only one who hasn’t been in the mansion before, had to admit he was impressed by it. Ofcourse he only admitted this to himself.
“Tony! I’m so glad you came, I was worried there for a while that you would decide not to come.”
Tony glanced round to see who was talking to him, and found a man he did not recognize.
“Do I know you?”
“You will, eventually. I am Bishop, I’m from the future. I came back to stop this time from turning out the way mine has.”
“Again” coughs Remy.
“You’re telling me your from the future?” Tony said skeptically, “I find that hard to believe”
“Most people do, but it’s true. I have a message from yourself in the future, you told me to give it to you the second I found you.”
“I did, did I? I’m getting confused already.”
“Here just watch it.” Bishop hands Tony a device.
“I’m going into the next room to watch this, no peeking!” Tony then grabbed Gibbs by the wrist and continued out the door.
Once inside the room, Tony formed a shield around himself and Gibbs, large enough so they wouldn’t feel claustrophobic. He then proceeded to solidify it, effectively blocking out and unwanted eyes and ears. “Just coz I know you are curious old man” he whispered to himself. Gibbs looked kind of awe struck but was clearly trying to hide it. Looking at Tony he knew he was fooling no-one.
“You’ve told me all about your powers, and what you can do but this is the first time I’ve seen them. It’s different than just hearing about them you know?”
“Yea I know the feeling.” Tony gave Gibbs a light kiss on the side of the head to help calm him a bit. “Now let’s see what this message has to say.” He pushed the play button and an image of himself appeared on the screen and it begun to talk.
“I hope this message got to you safely. And if you are thinking to yourself, boy do I look old, I am coming back in time to slap you myself! Although I suppose I could get Gibbs to do that for me, I presume he is standing next to you, he is never very far away. If you think I look old just imagine how bad Gibbs must look!!”
“Ow!”
“Gibbs if you just slapped Tony that’s hardly fair, he hasn’t said that about you yet! I sent this message back to beg you to help Xavier. I know he has done wrong by you in the past, and that his vision of the ideal future sometimes makes him blind to the present, but he is not a bad person. If you help it would not be for him but for the thousands that will die if you do nothing. And by the time you realise that you must help, it will be too late. Cities will have been destroyed along with everyone in them, and the monster responsible will become too powerful for you to stop. Trust me on this, it is a burden too great to bare to have their deaths on your conscience. The monster you must stop goes by the name of Asura. He is incredibly powerful and will difficult for even you to stop. If I am right then a week from tomorrow you can find him at the co-ordinates I gave Bishop. It is from there he plans on beginning his attack on people. One of his powers is to be able to absorb a person’s essence, this increases his strength, and with time makes him impossible to defeat.”
“I no you are probably reluctant still to fight this thing. But what I have to tell you next will surely make up your mind. It is what made me stand up and take notice of it. Gibbs dies at his hands Tony.”
Tony looked at the message in pain and despair, and could see the same emotions reflected back at him.
“You must stop it before that happens, trust me you don’t want to live through that pain. I know little about what powers it starts with, because when it absorbs a mutant’s essence it also gets that mutants powers. So I do not know what powers are originally his alone. Good Luck.”
The message screen turned black, and the two observers just stood and watched it a few minutes more, neither knowing what to say to the other.
“Well then….” Tony starts, but is still unable to think of what to say.
“Don’t decide to fight this thing just because you think it will save me. You don’t know that I will die, this message being sent back could have changed that.”
“Yes, but can I really take the change that it didn’t. Plus I’m right, I’m always right, if I stand by and watch this happen because I’m too stubborn to help Xavier, then their deaths will be on my shoulders. I don’t want that. I guess….I guess I have to fight this thing.”
“Tony..”
“Oh well I was getting bored anyways, nothing exciting seems to have happened to me lately. You know between the plague, the bomb and getting framed for murder, you think someone is trying to send me a message? Anyway I guess I should go and get the information from Bishop, come on.” Tony’s shield dissipated and he strode of towards the door.
Before Tony walked into the war room he formed his face into an emotionless mask, one he had perfected over the years. He still wanted them to think that he was doing this out of reluctance instead of for protecting someone he cherished. Happy, he opened the doors and walked inside. Tony hiding his emotions took only a few seconds but Gibbs noticed the changes, ones he was sure only he could see. The straighter posture, the fine lines around his eyes, and the way his mouth dipped slightly downwards. To anyone he would look emotionless, but to Gibbs, who could read Tony as well as Tony could read him, he looked stressed. Gibbs quickly followed Tony inside.
“Give me the co-ordinates Bishop” Tony demanded.
“I knew you would do it!” Bishop said as he turned to bring up a picture of where the co-ordinates where.
“I’m doing this on the condition that you,” Tony said turning to point at Xavier “never bother me with something like this again. There was a reason I left here in the first place and didn’t get involved with you and your fights. That reason still stands. After this don’t dare contact me again, because if you think I’m scary pissed of just wait until you really annoy Gibbs.”
“I understand. Bishop give Tony a layout of the area at those co-ordinates.”
“Right now that I know what I’m fighting and where I see no reason for me to be here any longer.”
“No Tony you should..” Xavier started
“No.”
“But its …”
“No, I’m not staying here even if you believe it is safer. I can protect myself.”
“Well at least let some of the X-men stay with you just incase. It is possible that other people from the future came back to prevent you helping us.”
“I’ll stay with him”
“Uhh, no thanks. You may know me Bishop but I don’t know you and it would just be a bit too weird for my liking.” Tony walks over to Remy and Logan, “I’d like you two to stay with me if you don’t mind”
“But Tony you don’t even know them.” Xavier said.
“Exactly. This way there will be no awkward avoiding of the past.”
“We would be happy to, mon ami.” Remy said, Logan just grunted.
The flight over was tense to say the least. No-one attempted to break the awkward silence onboard and quiet sighs of relief were heard all round when the plane finally landed. They all descended off the plane and headed towards the war room. Gibbs, being the only one who hasn’t been in the mansion before, had to admit he was impressed by it. Ofcourse he only admitted this to himself.
“Tony! I’m so glad you came, I was worried there for a while that you would decide not to come.”
Tony glanced round to see who was talking to him, and found a man he did not recognize.
“Do I know you?”
“You will, eventually. I am Bishop, I’m from the future. I came back to stop this time from turning out the way mine has.”
“Again” coughs Remy.
“You’re telling me your from the future?” Tony said skeptically, “I find that hard to believe”
“Most people do, but it’s true. I have a message from yourself in the future, you told me to give it to you the second I found you.”
“I did, did I? I’m getting confused already.”
“Here just watch it.” Bishop hands Tony a device.
“I’m going into the next room to watch this, no peeking!” Tony then grabbed Gibbs by the wrist and continued out the door.
Once inside the room, Tony formed a shield around himself and Gibbs, large enough so they wouldn’t feel claustrophobic. He then proceeded to solidify it, effectively blocking out and unwanted eyes and ears. “Just coz I know you are curious old man” he whispered to himself. Gibbs looked kind of awe struck but was clearly trying to hide it. Looking at Tony he knew he was fooling no-one.
“You’ve told me all about your powers, and what you can do but this is the first time I’ve seen them. It’s different than just hearing about them you know?”
“Yea I know the feeling.” Tony gave Gibbs a light kiss on the side of the head to help calm him a bit. “Now let’s see what this message has to say.” He pushed the play button and an image of himself appeared on the screen and it begun to talk.
“I hope this message got to you safely. And if you are thinking to yourself, boy do I look old, I am coming back in time to slap you myself! Although I suppose I could get Gibbs to do that for me, I presume he is standing next to you, he is never very far away. If you think I look old just imagine how bad Gibbs must look!!”
“Ow!”
“Gibbs if you just slapped Tony that’s hardly fair, he hasn’t said that about you yet! I sent this message back to beg you to help Xavier. I know he has done wrong by you in the past, and that his vision of the ideal future sometimes makes him blind to the present, but he is not a bad person. If you help it would not be for him but for the thousands that will die if you do nothing. And by the time you realise that you must help, it will be too late. Cities will have been destroyed along with everyone in them, and the monster responsible will become too powerful for you to stop. Trust me on this, it is a burden too great to bare to have their deaths on your conscience. The monster you must stop goes by the name of Asura. He is incredibly powerful and will difficult for even you to stop. If I am right then a week from tomorrow you can find him at the co-ordinates I gave Bishop. It is from there he plans on beginning his attack on people. One of his powers is to be able to absorb a person’s essence, this increases his strength, and with time makes him impossible to defeat.”
“I no you are probably reluctant still to fight this thing. But what I have to tell you next will surely make up your mind. It is what made me stand up and take notice of it. Gibbs dies at his hands Tony.”
Tony looked at the message in pain and despair, and could see the same emotions reflected back at him.
“You must stop it before that happens, trust me you don’t want to live through that pain. I know little about what powers it starts with, because when it absorbs a mutant’s essence it also gets that mutants powers. So I do not know what powers are originally his alone. Good Luck.”
The message screen turned black, and the two observers just stood and watched it a few minutes more, neither knowing what to say to the other.
“Well then….” Tony starts, but is still unable to think of what to say.
“Don’t decide to fight this thing just because you think it will save me. You don’t know that I will die, this message being sent back could have changed that.”
“Yes, but can I really take the change that it didn’t. Plus I’m right, I’m always right, if I stand by and watch this happen because I’m too stubborn to help Xavier, then their deaths will be on my shoulders. I don’t want that. I guess….I guess I have to fight this thing.”
“Tony..”
“Oh well I was getting bored anyways, nothing exciting seems to have happened to me lately. You know between the plague, the bomb and getting framed for murder, you think someone is trying to send me a message? Anyway I guess I should go and get the information from Bishop, come on.” Tony’s shield dissipated and he strode of towards the door.
Before Tony walked into the war room he formed his face into an emotionless mask, one he had perfected over the years. He still wanted them to think that he was doing this out of reluctance instead of for protecting someone he cherished. Happy, he opened the doors and walked inside. Tony hiding his emotions took only a few seconds but Gibbs noticed the changes, ones he was sure only he could see. The straighter posture, the fine lines around his eyes, and the way his mouth dipped slightly downwards. To anyone he would look emotionless, but to Gibbs, who could read Tony as well as Tony could read him, he looked stressed. Gibbs quickly followed Tony inside.
“Give me the co-ordinates Bishop” Tony demanded.
“I knew you would do it!” Bishop said as he turned to bring up a picture of where the co-ordinates where.
“I’m doing this on the condition that you,” Tony said turning to point at Xavier “never bother me with something like this again. There was a reason I left here in the first place and didn’t get involved with you and your fights. That reason still stands. After this don’t dare contact me again, because if you think I’m scary pissed of just wait until you really annoy Gibbs.”
“I understand. Bishop give Tony a layout of the area at those co-ordinates.”
“Right now that I know what I’m fighting and where I see no reason for me to be here any longer.”
“No Tony you should..” Xavier started
“No.”
“But its …”
“No, I’m not staying here even if you believe it is safer. I can protect myself.”
“Well at least let some of the X-men stay with you just incase. It is possible that other people from the future came back to prevent you helping us.”
“I’ll stay with him”
“Uhh, no thanks. You may know me Bishop but I don’t know you and it would just be a bit too weird for my liking.” Tony walks over to Remy and Logan, “I’d like you two to stay with me if you don’t mind”
“But Tony you don’t even know them.” Xavier said.
“Exactly. This way there will be no awkward avoiding of the past.”
“We would be happy to, mon ami.” Remy said, Logan just grunted.