Hi all! This is my first fic in this fandom. It's short and painful. Sorry. :(

"Andy took his first steps today. He walked towards Lauren."

She remembered hearing those words roll proudly and quietly off her mother's lips. She remembered her dad's smile, and the soft laugh that followed. She remembered curling up closer to her little brother on the couch and pretending to be asleep for just a little bit longer. She remembered the warmth and peace she felt. She remembered thinking just how much she loved him, and how she would always protect him.

Looking back, she wished it could've stayed like that forever. It was so simple then, so pure. A time before either of them had the faintest idea what the word 'mutant' meant. A time before all the complications and pain.

Back then it was just them, their little family and the loved that they shared. Lauren would've given anything for it to be like that again, even for just a day.

It had all gone so wrong.

It had started as so many of their confrontations did these days. Lauren tried to talk to him, to reach him in some way. But like always, it never worked. He was in too deep, to enthralled by the lies of the Inner Circle. He wouldn't stop.

So they fought, as they always seemed to. It was more vicious and violent then it had been in the past, more destructive. The warehouse creaked and groaned around them as they used the powers that were meant to adjoin against each other.

Andy let out a particularly strong burst, boxes and metal rebar splintering all around them. Lauren managed to deflect it, but was knocked back by the sheer force and sent skidding across the concrete floor. She quickly grit her teeth and pushed herself to her feet, prepared to face Andy once more. However, when the dust cleared she found him close by. He stood only a few feet away, motionless and jarred.

Then Lauren's eyes drifted downward, and she nearly gasped in horror. There was a large piece of rebar protruding from his stomach, blood steadily dripping from the wound.

"Andy," Lauren breathed out, her tone laced with a sudden panic.

She hadn't meant to hurt him.

Lauren watched as his features morphed into that of pain and shock. He moved to take a step towards her, only for his knees to give out. Lauren sprang forward and caught him, slowly lowering them both to the ground.

"Don't move, don't move," she ordered, her vision blurred with tears.

Andy's breaths came out in ragged gasps as his body began to go into shock. He laid rigid and stiff, his shoulders half in her lap and half on the cold, gray floor. Everything about his previous demeanor had melted away, and Lauren was left staring into the scared eyes of her little brother.

"I'm sorry," Andy gasped, trembling violently, "I'm sorry."

"Your fine, you're gonna be fine," Lauren assured quickly, though she wasn't even sure she believed it.

"I can use my powers to stop the bleeding," she added, a desperation in her words.

"I don't think that's the only problem," he admitted, an edge to his voice. He could feel his body starting to shut down, and his vision began to darken.

"I'm sorry," he repeated once more, the hot sting of tears washing his eyes, "for everything."

Andy reached up, his hand unconsciously finding hers.

"Me too," Lauren whispered back, meeting his gaze.

Silence filled the room for the next several moments, the only sound being Andy's unsteady breaths. Lauren held his hand tightly, blood slowly seeping into her jeans.

"I'm...I'm really tired," Andy eventually spoke, his words faint and slurred.

"No, no, no. Don't go, please," Lauren begged, her voice not sounding like her own. "Please."

Andy's eyes slipped closed and she felt his body go slack. She received no reply.

"Andy," Lauren nearly shouted, trying to shake him back awake. "Andy, please!"

The silence that followed was deafening.

After that, something in Lauren snapped, something broke. Tears streamed down her face and sobs racked her body. Lauren buried her face Andy's shoulder, rocking back and forth in the middle of wrecked warehouse.

He was gone, she knew he was gone. A part of her had died with him.

Andy took his last steps today. He walked towards Lauren.