Chapter 5 - Angelo's Story

Attention:  Generation X and their villians,as well as any other mutant mentioned in this story, is property of MarvelComics.  The character Richard Cale is named after family relations. Any other reference to anything copywrighted is a chance happening.
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Truth Be Told
Angelo's Story
            Angelohad just pulled Yvette to were he and Jono were standing, when he noticedthat Rich had disappeared.  He thought that Rich had been knockedout when all of a sudden as the tendrils were waving about, one fell topieces.  He heard Black Tom exclaim, "What in Sam Hein?"  Theother root fell to pieces, and then Angelo saw the movement of a blackshadow in the darkness.  It must have been Rich.  He had madehis skin so sharp that the light seemed to be reflected into him.
            Seanhad started to come to from what had happened.  "What's going on? Where's Skitz."
            Angelowas about to answer when Yvette finally said, "His temper.  He mustlost control when I was hit."  She was rubbing her side, where thetendril had hit her.
            Angelothen continued, "And I don't think he plans on letting your cousin succeed,judging by how then tendrils are being taken out."  All of a sudden,it appeared that Black Tom had made himself fluorescent, and that a shadowappeared to be standing a few feet from him.  That had to be Rich.
            Hesaw the shadow had shielded it's eyes, which appeared as a glowing bluish-brown. Black Tom reached for Rich and said, "So, there is the problem.  Ishall take care of you."  A glow was forming from Black Tom's handand Rich had finally adjusted to the light.
            Seanyelled to Rich, "Watch out, lad."  Angelo watched as Rich waved hishand and scream of agony filled the air.  The living shadow that Richwas could now be seen easier, due to the red outlined hand.  He alsosaw Black Tom holding his arm in agony.
            Angelocould only watch, as did the rest of them, at the sight they were witnessing. He had seen many scenes like this before, but this was totally unlike Richto do that.  He heard Yvette said, "My God."
            Angelosaw Black Tom was about to try and strike Rich, when Rich swung his lefthand, then his right, following with backwards somersault.  "Bloodyhell!"  Jono exclaimed as the nearly shredded form of Black Tomfell to his knees.
            Richhad just landed and lunged forward with a head butt.  Angelo onlywinced, as everyone else averted their eyes.  Finally, there was twothuds as Angelo watched the two parts of Black Tom's body hit the ground. Just as quickly as the pieces hit the ground, Rich's claws went throughthem so quick that the pieces dissolved.  The shadow that was Richhad finally stopped moving, covered almost head to toe in the blood ofBlack Tom Cassidy.  They all watched as Rich returned to his normallook, as Yvette's ability had finally left him.
            Angeloand everyone approached him slowly.  Rich looked around, as if hewas in a daze.  Angelo knew the look on Rich's face.  It wasthe face of a person whose loyalty was so strong to something that onewould kill for it.  He saw that look many times in L.A.  He wasabout to say something when Rich's face changed and went from no remorseinto a fit of sadness.  They all heard in Rich's sobs, "What haveI done?"  Rich collapsed to the ground right near what was left ofTom Cassidy's face.
            Seanlooked at Rich and said, "You might have done the world a favor, and savedall of our lives."
            Richlooked about and said, "But, I-I-I killed him.  I didn't have to killhim, but I did.  I didn't want to kill him, but I did."
            Angelolooked at Rich and thought he understood why Rich acted the way he did. "He threatened your life.  You fought in self-defense."
            "No,I fought in rage.  I lost control of my temper, and that man sufferedfor it.  I didn't want to kill him."  Rich almost broke intoa fit again when Yvette walked over to him.
            "Youwere worried about me.  You were protecting me.  When you thoughtthat he injured me, you reacted just as I would have if he hurt you." She helped Rich up and he seemed to lean on her support.  Angelo couldtell that Rich was shaken up.
            Forthe first time since they were all outside, Jono finally spoke up. "Ithink you might want to get cleaned off.  I don't think you want tobe covered in Tom's blood for too long."  Rich nodded and Yvettehelped him to the dorms.  Angelo always wondered how bad Rich's temperwas, and now he had seen it.
            Asthey headed back to main building, Sean asked him, "Angelo, you've seenthat back in L.A., does the pain ever go away?"  Angelo didn't knowhow to answer that.  He had never taken anyone's life.  He shruggedand continued back to the dorms.
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            Jubileewas still comforting Penny when Angelo finished telling everyone what hadhappened.  To hear about it once was bad enough, but to her aboutRich's temper and rage taking control a second time made it more unpleasant.She wondered what would have happened if Rich had her abilities and personalityat the time.  He probably would have leveled the school in one pyrotechnicblast.  She snapped out of that thought when Jean said, "If the actwas in self-defense, it shouldn't plague him so."
            Emmasaid to Jean, "Rich is a very emotional person, and the last thing he wantsto do is harm, let alone kill.  He was very upset when Emplate forcedhim to attack Jubilee."  Jubilee remembered that day.  She hadbeen the med center for about a day.  She was the first one who sawRich awaken from the coma he had been in, when he used Emplate's own devicesand weaknesses against him.  She saw the look of regret in his eyeswhen he remembered what he had done.
            Scottjust said, "It can be very painful to do something that you don't wantto do.  Even more painful if you can't control what your doing."
            Emmathen continued, "But he recovered from that, and during the days afterthe attack and when we returned from Monet's home, he was recovering mentally. He did his best to cope with the killing."
            Shenoticed Sean sighing as he said, "He went to same spot every day and puta flower there, as if he was trying to make peace with me cousin." Jubilee had wondered what that was about on the day of the attack, andnow she knew.
            "Butsomething happened before he had fully recovered, correct?"  Jeansaid as if knowing.  Jubilee remembered what happened during the secondattack.  She felt it was time to speak up.
            "Fromwhat we all discovered, Rich's family had a skeleton in their closet thatthey were hiding from him.  I found out about it when Rich confrontedit,"  Jubilee stated.  She still remembered that day.
            "Aye,"Sean said, "the scary thing is that we all knew about it, because Rich'sfather informed us about it."  Jubilee was amazed, but then the dayRich's father was here, she was half with it.
            "Wasthis the relative that he thought was dead?"  Scott asked.
            "Yes,and I remember the look on Rich's face that day."  Jubilee finallysaid as she started telling everyone of the second attack, and how Rich'sbreakdown had started.
 

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