The Days The Music Died (Open, all X-Men)

[RiffWrath]

The darkness slowly lifted, the myriad hues of light dancing across the writhing mass of bodies moving towards the stage. The air slowly filled with sounds, a tapping of drums, a plucking of various tensions and thicknesses of strings. This was a tune up, a sound check; very obvious to anyone who's been to a concert, or ever been a part of one. Amid the musicians taking the stage, Melvin Lodeus plucked away slowly and methodically at the strings, his face virtually expressionless as he did so. Mel found the tune up necessary, with the problems that he ran across earlier. His pickups were entirely too loud, almost to the point of drowning out the drums. It seemed odd enough that the amplifiers were turned down twice as much as they normally were. Must be the crap acoustics in this place, Mel thought bitterly to himself as he plucked, strummed, and picked his way through the last of his tune up and sound check. He was ready. He looked over to the lead singer, a nod of his head followed by a slight smile on his face. They were ready. As the music started, slow and gradual, decending into the masses, Mel couldn't help but think of how far they had come...

Melvin Lodeus had graduated from high school, one of the top students in his class, and one of the best musicians that his high school had to offer. All State. First Chair. National Bands. Third Chair. Mel didn't even think of applying to any musical college; he merely played for the enjoyment of it. And then, one day, a councilor at Juliard called for him, offering him a full ride scholarship, if he came to their school. Mel was estatic. And then, one day, while hanging out with some friends, he decided to burn one with them, and was asked to play lead guitar for a small band known as "Riff Throttle." Well, his parents were completely shocked when Mel announced that he was going to travel to play a little gig at a nightclub, instead of go to orientation at Juliard. They pretty much abandoned him at that point, disowning him. But Mel was happy; he had chosen his lot, and would make it with what he had. Well, Riff Throttle had a few successful gigs, and then got some recognition at a local competition. This, in turn, led to studio time, and a small record deal. Upon hearing it, a major record label picked up the deal, and made the copies and spread the publicity. Riff Throttle's first album, Here's The Deal, had platinum sales in less than twenty-four hours, a record best. The scene simply exploded for Riff Throttle, and this was the seventh show of their second album's tour: the Take It Or Leave It Tour. And for Mel, along with several others, that day would forever change their lives.

Mel awakened in a cold sweat, sprawled across the back of his personal van. It had been only a few days since the seventh stop of Riff Throttle's second tour, but already he was done. After what had happened there....he shivered in the cold air, pulling the hoodie close to himself. It took a few more minutes of tossing and turning before Mel found himself getting back into the front seat, and starting the engine. With a few sputters, it roared to life. Flipping the shifter into gear, Mel drove out of the rest area, and took the northbound Interstate route, heading for upstate New York. Where? The Cullen's Institute. Why? Because maybe there, they could do something about his....curse. His...powers....

Sighing as he adjusted the black fingerless gloves, Mel reached for a cigarette, resting it in his mouth. With the telltale clink, the Zippo lit the cigarette. Taking the cigarette into his right hand, Mel exhaled the smoke, mentally going over the directions, trying not to even think of the incident several days before.... All those people... Mel shook his head, busying himself with the cigarette, the Mountain Dew in his cupholder, and sped his way down the highway...

[Banner Laverick]

The cool wind whipped her hair around,into her face and she wished she'd pulled it back before she left. But time was a factor, as she watched the van pull away, heading north on the Interstate.


Days earlier, Banner Laverick had been one of many fans at the Riff Throttle show. Her friend Lee had gotten the tickets, borrowed her mothers' station-wagon and drove them to the show. Their very first road trip! Dressed in jeans, a t-shirt and sneakers, Banner slowly bobbed her head to the music playing over the PA as the band took the stage to turn-up. The excitement in the crowd was growing - Lee was practically jumping up and down, trying to get a good look at her favorite member of the band, Mel Lodeus. She LOVED them, felt their songs perfectly described her life, the universe and everything. Banner, on the hand, was a casual fan. Although, she couldn't help being as excited as Lee was when the first notes began to play...

[RiffWrath]

The look backward still continued, in spite of himself. It was awful hard to forget something like that....

Three songs into the set, Riff Throttle was hot tonight; everything seemed perfect. The harmonizing of the vocals and the instruments were all falling perfectly into place. Some would say that the concert would have been completely synonomous to the album. And they were actually singing and playing it, not lip-synching it. Very difficult to accomplish, yet they were doing it.

And then came the wonderful sounds of Mel's guitar, the solo at the beginning of the song. It started slow and melodious, the notes drifting and flowing like water. Mel Lodeus was on a roll tonight. The music slowly began to build, and build, the tempo picking up speed as the music creshendoed. And then it began to fall apart. Not the music; the music was perfect, Mel's fingers dancing across the guitar, a blur as he dove into the riff. It began to build at its maximum intensity, and at the highest volume possible....and yet still, as Mel closed his eyes and continued to lose himself in the melody, it began to build even more, the sound flowing even faster, an absolute assault on the senses. Bodies were gyrating everywhere, people were cheering. And then it built more. And more. And more. And slowly, the dancing and the cheering died away, only to be replaced by looks of awe. And then, as it built to dangerous levels, the awestruck glances became replaced with pain. Slowly people began to fall to their knees, holding their ears. Blood became slowly visible, trickling from the lobes of ears. Even the other band memebers began to drop, holding their heads, dropping their instruments, knocking over speakers, amps, and other equipment. And only, as the music finally built to the final edge, Mel looked up, to see the agony and pain washing throughout the crowd. And he dropped his hands, the right thumping at the guitar's body. As this occured, the speakers and amps, starting with the ones closest to the stage, and continuing outward, began to explode, flashes of scrap parts and electricity striking outward to the crowd. And as Mel watched with horror as the scene finally became at its worst.....

He dropped the cigarette from his hand, landing in his lap. Swearing, Mel groped for the 'smoke, feeling the embers burn into his thighs. Finally plucking it upward, he left the cigarette in his mouth, and patted himself off, with no more words. He was still lost in thought, his focus on the road enough to properly function, but not to register....

[Banner Laverick]

She'd blacked out as the music reached it's peak, only to come to a short while later, blood caked under her nose and a loud ringing in her ears. Bodies were everywhere, the floor, the stage. The amplifiers were completely destroyed, charred and still smoking. She sat up with a groan, barely hearing the sirens of the emergency workers as they arrived on the scene. Banner had gone to the hospital, explaining away her lack of injuries by saying she'd been at the very back of the hall. Lee hadn't been so lucky; she was one of many who ended up seriously, nearly fatally injured. The last time Banner had seen her was in the hospital, comatose and being kept alive with machines...

The only uninjured band member had been him. She'd followed him, found his van, and now was standing in the middle of the interstate. He had just enough time to look up, slamming on his brakes a split second before impact.

A smirk crossed her face as she waited for him to get out of the car. She'd promised Parker she wouldn't do anything "a super hero wouldn't do.", no matter how much she wanted to.

[Anja Drake]

::At the Cullen's Institute::

It was midnight, or even passed that, and Anja Drake was off the school's campus, again . . . this was the third time in one week that she had been up in the middle of the night and into the morning hours of the day. Of course, there were other students who were up and moving at this hour; but all of them were ment to thrive in the night. [i}What it would be like to be nacturnal?'[/i] she thought occasionally.

It was getting frustrating on how much she couldn't sleep; every sense in her body was on a 24-hour time table and no matter what she did, she just couldn't fall into a subconcious slumber. Thus, her position now.

In the day or during the night, it didn't matter really, but she was in her favorite spot. About half a year before, she had discovered this little place. She had been wandering aimlessly around, trying to still get a feel for the Institute, but in doing so, about half a mile or so down the gravel road that led up to the West side of the school grounds, she found a small area cut out of the maple and hedge barrier that lined the road. It was like her own personal haven away from the school. With senses like hers, it was hard to concentrate on something as simple as eatting a carrot...in her haven, there was nothing but the chilly clear air.

Tonight, she found herself laying with her back to a tall maple tree; just listening to the peaceful nature...and half-heartedly practicing to widen the range of her senses, even though by now, she could "see" for a couple of miles around. It was very serene this particular night.

However, there was something changing swiftly in the air; it was like there was...pain and...confusion coming from every direction. Anja squeezed her blind, hazel eyes shut, whatever it was, it was going to come here. She didn't know how she knew, but she did. What or who was in this much pain?

[RiffWrath]

His green eyes snapped up, spotting the girl standing in the middle of the interstate. Mel instantly cursed, slamming on the brakes. May God strike him dead if he nearly killed or killed anyone else... The impact had jarred Mel, his chest hitting the steering column. Through the spider-cracked windshield, Mel could make out a startling sight: it was a girl. Young, no older than her late teens. The air seemed sucked out of his lungs as he noted that the girl was still standing, her hands dug into the hood of the large van. She wasn't hurt, and she had caved in the metal on his hood. Oh crap, Mel thought to himself. I've gone and pissed off someone....someone capable enough to stop a van going seventy on the interstate. This is bad.... Mel instantly checked his mirrors. It was late; there weren't many travellers this far upstate, so he seemed clear. Irregardless, he turned on the hazards. Rubbing his chest, he thought to attempt to restart the van, but didn't even bother. If there had been engine damage, restarting it could cause serious issues. Slowly, Mel undid his seat belt, and opened the van door. It stuck normally, and this time, it was stuck enough that Mel had to practically kick the door open. He slid out of the van, and landed unsteadily on the ground, his boots resounding with a clip-clop. Steadying himself against the frame of the van's driver side, Mel slowly approached the girl in the front of his van. His words came out shaky.

"Um....are you okay?"

[Banner Laverick]

"No, I'm not okay. I have some questions that need answering."

As he approached, he could see she was dressed in all black, wearing a long black coat. It had been too cold to wear her normal "costume", except for her mask. Her arms were folded across her chest, but the look on her face suggested she wanted to do to him what she did to his van.

"Why are you running, Mel? Too ashamed to turn yourself in to the cops?"

[RiffWrath]

At first, Mel wanted to throw himself at her, but having seen what she did with the van, and without virtually a scratch on her, he shook his head.

"What the hell? You think I did that...."

And instantly, Mel lost his control, his talent ran wild. Without any warning, without so much as a breath, his voice suddenly amplified itself, to levels unparalleled by any normal means.

"ON PURPOSE!?"

The power and intensity of the words and the sonic energy behind them knocked the girl to the ground with incredible force, the concrete having an impression of her impact upon it.

As the words left his mouth, Mel instantly saw the effects of them, and covered his mouth. No doubt her hearing was probably shot, or at least impaired at the moment....Talking would do nothing more than harm her. And he didn't want that. He waited a few moments, long enough for the ringing in her ears to subside. His voice was quiet, but somehow loud enough for her to hear.

"You see?! I can't control it! Why would I hurt those who have taken us so far?! Those who loved us, were devoted to us!? Maybe you don't remember. I hurt the other band members, too. And now, they are deaf. And they aren't Beethoven; they'll never make music again. Their careers, and their health are ruined. And because of me...."

Mel's voice cracked, tears beginning to fall down his cheeks, as he clenched his gloved hands into tight fists.

"And those fans. They put our band on top. They did. Not us. Not our talent. But them. Their love for our music. And I hurt them as well. I nearly killed them. And you think that I could do that on purpose? That I should turn myself in? Why? So they can brand me, and toss me aside, or use me as some god-damned lab rat? What will happen when you fall, girl?"

Mel shook his head, and sat against the van, against the midsection, leaning his head.

"If you wanna take me out, better do it quickly. I can't control my talents. But before you do, think of this: I'm out here, in a piece of crap van, wearing tattered clothing, not any bling or expensive stuff on me. I have my Ibanez, and my amps and speakers. And I probably won't touch those again....Now, do you wonder what I'm really doing here? Why I'm not in an expensive car, speeding, and hiding out? I'm not running. The press and the PR guys covered it. They said it was a sound system malfunction. And no information has been released on me. And every bit of money I got from that concert, hell, from the last six months; you wanna know where it went? I personally donated it to the hospitals that cared for the patients. And all my expensive stuff, even my beach-front property in Cali, the nice cars, et cetera? Liquidated, and given up willingly, without even being asked, or even confronted. And it went to those injured. Along with personally written apologies and condolences for their injuries and losses. And why? Because...."

Mel sobbed, his head sagging.

"I can't take it back; I can't undo it; I could only do what I thought was right....So, you come here, dressed in black, ready to fight. Very Edgar Allen Poe-etic....You didn't come here for what's right, for justice. Nah. You, you're here for vengance. And I can hardly blame ya. So, if it'll make it right, girl, then do it. Bloody your hands. But remember: you do the wrong thing now, and you will lose your adoring public, and your righteousness. You won't be a hero any longer. You'll be a vigilante. And if that's what the world needs, then do it."

With the tears fresh on his face and more still falling from green eyes, he held his hands out at his sides, palms turned upward to the sky, the ultimate gesture. Mel lifted his head.

"End it."

[Banner Laverick]

"Urgh."

Banner shook her head, trying to rid herself of the ringing in her ears. She slowly stood up, brushing concrete dust from her arms.

"Listen, Captain Emo. I'm not here to kill you," she pointed at him as she spoke. "Cos if I wanted you dead, it would've already happened. Trust."

She kept her distance, fists clenching at her side. Yes, she was totally mad, but beating the caca out of him wouldn't solve anything.

"I was there, doofus. I want to know what happened...It's not up to me to judge you," a heavy sigh followed. "Jeez, stop crying, you're making me feel bad."

[RiffWrath]

Mel shook his head.

"Well, if you were there, you know what happened. I didn't even know I was...a mutie. All I knew was that, from time to time, I had to turn down the amp some, because I was overpowering the band. That can happen with electric equipment. But I never exploded speakers or amps like that. Sure, by pluggin' them in wrong, when I was first learning to play, or havin' one crap out after some time? Sure. But just exploding one? No way. And makin' people's ears bleed with the music? My parents made the claim when I was first learning and playing rock, but literally? No freakin' way...."

Mel wiped the tears from his eyes, sniffling.

"I'm sorry I hurt you....twice. I didn't mean to..."

[Banner Laverick]

Another big sigh.

"Whatever." She sunk down beside him on road, trying to smile a bit. "I know it can be kinda scary when you first, er, find out that you're "special". It's not so bad though; you get used to it. Trust me, when you wake up one day able to fly and lift cars, you freak out. Just a bit."

[RiffWrath]

Mel dried his eyes again. He didn't normally break down so easily. His general demeanor wasn't overly emotional. Normally, he was nonchalant, calm, cool, and collected. But that was before he found out he was a mutie who could make people's ears bleed. Now, all bets were off, and he had every last right to be "emo."

"So that's how you got here. I figured you walked...."

[Banner Laverick]

She almost laughed. It came out as more of a scoff-pfft combo, since laughing would probably make him feel bad. "No, I flew. I followed you from the hospital. My friend, Lee, is there. Uh, she was at the concert, and now she's in a coma..."

Banner frowned. "The doctors don't know if she'll ever come out of it, she was pretty close to you when er, the mess happened. That's why I came after you - I had to know if you meant this, and if you did, then I was going to stop you."

[RiffWrath]

Mel looked to the girl.

"Well, look. As nice as it is talkin' to ya here, we're in the middle of the Interstate. So, could you kindly rebend my hood back out, and help me check to see if the van's drivable? After all, I'd like to get it moved to at least the side of the road, so we don't get killed just talkin' out here...."

Mel reached in his jacket for another cigarette, having lost the other one in the "crash." The Zippo made it's trademark click as he lit up, taking a long drag.

[Banner Laverick]

"If you wanted it moved, you could've just asked."

She stood up, shooing him away from the van. With a slightly unlady-like grunt, the van was lifted up and moved carefully onto the gravel shoulder of the road. Banner made a face as she wiped her hands on her jacket.

"See? Being a freak of nature has some advantages." A few hard punches to the underside of the hood straightened it out, not quite as good as it was...She gestured to the engine. "Your turn."

[RiffWrath]

Seeing the entire van hoisted up by a girl that was smaller in height and build than himself made Mel merely stare. He almost dropped the cigarette from his mouth. Instead, he merely let it hang loosely, only tightening the hold in his lips to take another drag. He spoke as he exhaled.

"Alright."

Mel walked to the van, and opened the door. With her banging about, the door now actually opened a little better than before. It didn't look much better than before, but Mel was hopeful at the sign of the door opening without any difficulty. He turned the key, and listened as the engine turned over and then roared to life. As it did so, Mel hopped out of the van and checked under the hood. Nothing to report. Smiling, Mel look up at the surprising teenage girl.

"You got a name?"

[Banner Laverick]

"Yeah, but I'm not telling you it."

She stuck out her tongue, laughing. "I can't just tell you my real name...that wouldn't be very super-hero-y of me. The press have dubbed me "American Girl" so I guess you can call me that."

[RiffWrath]

Mel merely shook his head.

"Figures. You so-called superheroes and your secret identities."

Laughing slightly, Mel took another drag of his cigarette.

"Anyway, I gotta get going. I have somewhere that I need to go....to, you know, figure out this thing. And if there's anything I can do to reverse the effects of what I can do....Or something..."

Mel felt strange; a young girl had stopped his car so dramatically, and seemed threatening enough, but when it came down to it, his lack of control blew her to the pavement. And she could fly and apparently was strong enough to bring an Econoline to a dead stop without being seriously injured. Yet, he told her the truth, and cried because of how bad he felt being responsible for so much pain; despite his millions that he simply gave away to the people injured and their families, it didn't seem like enough. He had to do more. He had to gain some control of these powers, not for himself, but for those he hurt. He owed them that much.

[Banner Laverick]

She raised a brow. "They have a Mutie University now? That's news to me."

The idea of a school or any place really, where she could free-wheel and fly down the halls...sounded AWESOME. But would it really help mutants, or was it just some fraud?

"Are you sure whatever place you're going is going to help you? What if it's a trap?"

[Anja Drake]

::At the Cullen's Institute::

Concentration was hard, extremely hard. What seemed like such a simple task, it turned out to be something quite difficult to control. It wasn’t like ADD or anything but for her, everything was shoved into her head like an overly detailed map. Her senses picked up everything, and everything meant from every blade of grass to every small pebble imbedded in the earth; thus naturally, it was hard to pick out just one person or thing.
<o></o>
She was trying to it…or them? Whatever it or what it was that had been shrieking out to her minutes earlier was out of her sense “range”. Anja opened her eyes again, well, she knew it was coming here or at least she thought it was.
<o></o>
The Italieness rested her head on the trees’ trunk for a few moments; she needed to gather herself again. Concentrating that hard had always taken a toll on her, mentally.
<o></o>
She pulled her knees up to her chest and listened to the wind rustling through the tree leaves, it was in the early morning now and it was getting cold. She reached down beside her and picked up a heavy quilt before sprawling it over her huddled form. She was going to wait for this thing or person, whether it was a good idea or not.