#adrian thread

Adrian was still fresh off the high of his rebirth through the Crucible. It was freedom; cleansed through blood. A decade of fighting for his people. Of bearing the disgusted looks when people saw his Purifier tattoo. The mark of his sins.

It was gone, and he was clean.

“Gladly, Kurt.“

Adrian had refused to go down in his ritual battle with Apocalypse. He has much to prove, not just to the first mutant but to himself. It would have been easy to go down after the first time the blade cut his flesh. It would have been the dishonorable thing to do. The first cut was across his chest, blood running down his front. The second cut had been along his arm, yet still he did not fall. 

It was the third hit he took that brought him to his knees. Adrian fell as the sword nearly severed his shoulder. He held himself up as best he could, shaking, blood loss severe. His healing factor meant the first two strikes were healing; and still he did not fall. Adrian stood, shouting his defiance as he charged, taking another hit. This time his side. Adrian’s good hand held in his guts, while the nearly useless arm picked up the sword. He couldn’t swing it, yet still he remained on his feet. Defiant, strong. 

The last thing he remembered was the sensation of a sword piercing his chest.

When he awoke, crawling out of an egg, Xavier restored his mind, and Adrian felt whole. The first thing he did as he stood was look at his arm, where the Purifier tattoo had been. Clear, perfect, skin. Unblemished. Grinning like a fool, covered in orange slime, Adrian walked naked into the light of day. The crowd that had watched his Crucible was assembled, cheering as Storm asked, “how do I know you?”

He tentatively put a hand on his arm, where he had once been marked. Tears fell, freely, and he proclaimed, “because I am clean!” Storm embraced him, undaunted by the mess still on his body. She took his hand and raised it, proclaiming, “this is my brother, Halcyon! I know him! And what is he?!” The crowed roared back, “mutant!” Adrian walked forward, lifting into the air, his inner light shining out. He radiated light, and power, before setting back on the ground, where the magnificent Claire waited with a pair of pants, which he gladly took with a laugh.