Not Even A Memory

by SLWatson

The world's gonna end in a few minutes. Kinda funny, after all the fighting an' all the dreamin', some guy shows up an' tells us all that it was wrong. That we shouldn't be here, an' that we're all part of an impossible timeline, or some other technical bullshit. Tell ya the honest truth, I still don't buy into it.

Okay, maybe I buy into it a little.

I thought 'bout this other place; this better place. Where ole Poccy isn't in charge, an' there's real hope that someday the whole world'll be a happy, peaceful place. A place where kids c'n play an' not be scared, where humans an' muties get along all nice-like. I thought about this place long b'fore Bishop ever showed his tatooed mug.

We're done fightin' fer now. Aw, fuck... we're done fightin' fer good. 'Cause in a few minutes, we're all gonna be nuked to oblivion, an' everything we ever were ain't gonna even be ash on th' ground. Me, Clarice, Kyle, Mags... all o' us. Not even a memory.

There's my pup. She's just standin' there, watchin' the sky with that look... damn, but that's a brave little girl. Always has been. If Bish was right, an' there is a bright an' happy world out there, then I really hope she has a place in it. Any reality, any place'd be lucky ta have Clarice. I know we are, an' I know I am. If not fer her, I don' think there'd have been much hope fer me... Hell, I wouldn't of even believed in hope. But havin' a kid around does that to ya.

Kyle's sittin' up on my shoulder, like usual. He ain't scared either. I know he understands what's gonna happen, but he believes in hope too, so it'll be okay. Good companion, good listener, good friend. Eh, good pet too. Toss him a raw hunk o' meat, an' he'll be yer best pal.

Wonder what I'd be like in this new world. Prolly not what I'm like now, but then, maybe there was somethin' good that came outta all this nightmare. Found a family, an' a purpose, an' we're all part o' the same team. X-Men...

Not much time now. C'n see all those bombs streakin', real pretty-like. Kinda reminds me o' shootin' stars. Clarice is walkin' over, an' I guess maybe there are worse ways ta go, worse things than dyin' with the people ya care most about real close. I'd say thank you ta whatever Almighty there is, but I quit believin' in that kinda thing a long time ago.

'Course, when ya have somethin' wonderful, maybe it's not so hard ta believe after all.

Less'n a minute. There's a new world supposed ta happen, an' then we're gonna be gone. Makes me sad ta think no one'll ever know what happened here... no one'll ever know how hard we all fought, an' how much we cared, an' all the little things like a quiet day with yer family, jus' sittin' in th' sun an' daydreamin'.

It'll be worth it, though, if there really is somethin' better.

Here's hopin'.