As The World Turns Cold

Revival

Seconds or hours, Mercy could not decipher which, passed by in a blur. All she could see was a patch of blackness similar to a blank slate. She felt hollow despite the emotions raging within.

Sharp pain dulled her senses, but the stab of anguish still pierced through her nerves. She let out violent screams and she felt her limbs contracting and restricting as the discomfort seeped into her bones. She was briefly aware of force being applied to her arms and legs.

There was something heavy pinning her to the ground, making it difficult for her limbs to move as the throbbing sensation continued to pass. Mercy couldn't move and the confinement made the pangs of fear she was experiencing far worse.

A chorus of voices joined hers as she screamed. Soft whispers of words coated in warmth and comfort surrounded her like a blanket.

The voices were familiar yet unidentifiable to Mercy as she teetered on the edge of consciousness. Her mind and body were in state of disarray.

Part of her wished the light had swallowed her up and taken her somewhere grander than the world she was lingering in.

At least then she would be sure of an afterlife of happiness; a new life that she would have to experience without the nagging thoughts of governments and ensuing violence.

Whoever was looking out for her up above was not the type to give up on his creations so easily. She was meant to live, whether that was to lead a new era of peace for individuals like her or for her to fight more battles with impossible enemies she did not know but she was happy to be alive.

The bone-shaking and gut-wrenching agony she was experiencing could be taken out of the equation to make her feel at ease, but coming back from near death situations was not meant to be easy on the body.

"Tiger?"

Rogue's voice called out through the dark tunnel of her mind. "Come on, Mercy, we didn't go through all of this terror to lose you. Wake up for us. We could use your fiery attitude to lighten our hearts."

Mercy could feel the wet tears as they dripped onto her cheek. It was impossible to believe that Rogue could emit such an emotion.

She never thought she would see the day when he wept for her. It was times like this that Mercy knew they were meant for more. Her faith in him was ever-increasing.

"Wake up, Red!" Another voice yelled.

Terrance sounded almost as distressed as Rogue. The emotion was evident in his speech as well.

"You're the leader of this team. We won't give you the chance to be taken away from us. You've got to push through this."

Mercy groaned against the pain still sputtering on. It had moved from her veins to her chest, pushing against her heart with pressure to beat again. The force being applied to her arms eased a little and her limbs quaked with the desire to move.

Colors in different shapes shot across the darkness underneath her eyelids and she squeezed at the muscles in an attempt to open her eyes. Bright lights beat at her eyes.

Her hand reached up on impulse to rub them and she was surprised at how easily – and with little objection- she was able to gain movement of her arm. After that trifling length of time unconscious, it should not have been such an easy feat.

Mercy heard the audible gasp as her friends took in the sight of the gesture. Despite their words of encouragement, it was obvious they weren't expecting her to gain consciousness at that moment.

After this, one could say their stimulating words could raise the dead. Mercy picked up on a rustling movement as they began to back away to give her more space.

Her sore limbs protested against each added movement, but Mercy's muscles were gaining enough strength to lift her body off of the concrete below her. Mercy frowned at the feel of it. It was no wonder why heaven had not been very comfortable.

Her muscles screamed in agony as her elbows and forearms worked to support the weight. Mercy squeezed her eyes tightly before opening them.

The contents of the room came into focus first in sepia and then moments later in their normal tones. Colors swam into focus and the sight was welcoming after the blackness that had defined her state of teetering on the edge of life and death. She blinked away the scattered spots clouding her vision.

"Mercy?" Her sister sidled up beside her with caution and grabbed Mercy's hand gently. The other hand was already in possession of Rogue's. With the tight grip he had on her fingers, it was clear he had no intentions of letting go.

"How do you feel?" Lily inquired.

"Do you really have to ask?" Mercy grumbled. Even after waking she was as mouthy as they come. Mercy rolled her shoulder back to test the weight as she tried to sit up further.

"For someone who's supposed to be dead, you could say I feel great. Still breathing."

Water pooled in Lily's eyes. She grimaced. "That's not funny, Mer. We were all so worried."

Lily shook her head furiously before she continued her story. "Rogue had finished dispatching the remaining guards when we witnessed you fall at the hands of that repulsive man." She paused.

"Rogue's screams were the loudest. He ran straight to you and managed to catch you just before you lost consciousness. The rest of us were completely beside ourselves. We couldn't stomach the thought of losing you. Not again."

Terrance came into view and he rubbed at his bruised wrist. His eyes were purple with lack of sleep and he managed a small smile upon seeing her up and moving.

"It took a few minutes for the doctor's words to register in our minds. It was hard to recall exactly what the doctor said about using his healing regimes." Terrance remarked.

He withdrew a small syringe from his pocket. A blue-green residue was left in the small container. "Turns out he had stashed a vial in his coat pocket before leaving Phoenix. He was prepared for the worst, but luckily for us didn't have the chance to use it."

Mercy nodded. "That sounds about right. He was too smart for his own good yet not intelligent enough when it came to us super-humans. I was very lucky indeed that you thought to check." She muttered somberly.

"Thank you."

"Don't you ever scare us like that again, Tiger. Never, understand?" Rogue scowled.

"I've had enough of a scare to last a lifetime."

Mercy shrugged with some discomfort but a smile had formed on her face, defeating the purpose of the movement. "I can't make any promises. Hard to resist the adrenaline dying gives off."

Rogue brought her hand to his lips. There was a slight shakiness to his movements. Mercy's fight for her life had taken a toll on him.

"I mean it. Don't ever put me through that again." He snapped.

Dennison coughed, disrupting the moment. He popped up behind his son and sought to gain Mercy's attention.

"If I may be allowed to interrupt this happy reunion of ours, I'll have you know you caused quite the scene back there. With all that fire you unleashed, Rogue was able to extend the fumes further, creating a fire worthy of toppling a building." He frowned and glanced down at the screen on his phone.

Tapping away, he spoke, "No one knows of the extent of this predicament except for the few of us."