Thank you all for being patient with my story! I have re-worked a little bit of this chapter, mostly because I have grown as a writer. If you have not seen Days of Future Past, I would NOT recommend reading this (there will be spoilers from the movie). If you have, feel free to keep reading.
This story will be a Charles/Erik story. If you are not a fan of it, then don't read it.
1
I woke up alone. For the first time, I felt alone. The quiet of the house made me feel like I was choking. My school was shut down only five years after it opened. Five years… I was only able to graduate one class. I sat up and tried to move my legs. Panic set in when I couldn't. I relaxed shortly after the panic began, my eyes settling on the stupid bloody coin I was left with. I felt anger bubble from deep within. It was all the coin's fault, wasn't it? I let out a pained breath when someone knocked on my door, snapping me out of my thoughts. I looked over at it. Hank quietly opened it.
"Professor…" He said calmly, as if asking permission to come in.
I nodded, allowing him to come in. He entered carefully, like I was a fawn that could be startled by sudden movements. He wasn't a beast anymore. I blinked in awe at his normal form, as he gave me a weak smile.
"I was able to isolate the gene in Raven's DNA that would allow me to…not be blue." He said.
I sighed bitterly and nodded. Raven…I was so sorry about the way I'd treated her. I didn't want to lose her. Often times I imagined different conversations she and I could have had in the kitchen that night she became proud of herself. I should have just told her what was on my mind, but I didn't. Now I was here, alone.
"I thought that it might allow you to walk." Hank spoke softly.
I sighed, closing my eyes. I would be a liar if I said that I didn't want to walk.
"What could it cost?" I asked him plainly.
"It might prevent you from using your telepathy, but I'm not sure." Hank said.
I almost reached out for it. My eyes fell back on the stupid coin. Would I really sacrifice everything I had been through, give up how much I'd grown, just to walk again? My breath caught. I blinked and breathed slowly.
"I can't Hank." I mumbled, "I…might abuse that kind of power."
"Is it the same reason you don't drink or use pain medication?" Hank asked me, "Professor your back is probably killing you most days. You need to take something!"
"I'd only use it as a crutch." I replied calmly, "I take pain medication but only when I really need it."
Hank watched me with a broken look in his eyes. I smiled at him, though I knew it wouldn't help him. It wouldn't convince him that I was truly alright without walking.
"Professor I'm not sure I follow what you're talking about." Hank murmered.
"I've managed to hide my pain while I was busy teaching." I explained, "Now that nobody is here I can't hide that anymore."
Hank looked like he had a million questions. He searched my eyes for the answers, but found none. I winced at him. He just shook his head.
"You need this." He said, showing me the shot.
I felt a strange sense of déjà vu. I looked into Hank's mind and saw the memory I saw in Raven; he'd used those same words. I felt a flare of anger when I heard him say that. Raven got to a point where she was considering being confident in herself, and he'd torn her down so easily.
"I need to deal with my pain," I insisted, "not mask it with the ability to walk."
"How do you plan on doing that?" Hank asked me, anger flaring up.
"I don't know, Hank." I replied calmly, "That's something I need to figure out on my own."
Hank left the room, shaking his head angrily. I closed my eyes and sighed. Carefully I opened my eyes and reached onto the end table, picking up the coin. I examined it closely, running my thumb over the now clean surface. I had taken a painful amount of time to clean it, though I knew it would never truly be clean. It belonged to an old friend, once. Now, it was a grim reminder that I couldn't change him. I couldn't convince him to see the good in himself. This evil stole my Raven, and turned her into something she isn't. I didn't help, either. I did nothing to prevent him from taking her away from me.
"Pets are always cuter when they're young." Raven remarked coldly.
Her words stung me. I looked at her in shock.
"Raven you aren't my pet." I should have replied, "You're my little sister! I'm only asking that you clothe yourself, not change back to your hiding form! Children don't mind seeing each other naked. We're far too curious then. But now, we know better. It makes me genuinely uncomfortable to see you walking around with no clothes on, not because you're blue."
I sighed again. I wanted to throw the coin across the room in bitter anger. I hated it. I clutched it as I lost control of my telepathy—for one of the first times since I was young. Voices flooded into my mind. All of their pain, their suffering was in my head. It cut me, the images of grieving mothers and brothers sharp in my mind. Maybe I should have taken what Hank offered. I doubled over and clutched my head, eyes snapping shut. God, I just wanted them to stop. I tried my hardest to concentrate on keeping as many voices out as possible. It wasn't working.
Eventually, the grieving mothers quieted. I began to relax, but something else came to mind. I found all of the mutants that were being experimented on. Their pain and suffering, much like Erik's, was leaving scars throughout my mind. I could do nothing to stop it.
"Erik was right." I whispered, tears streaming down my face as I nervously thumbed over the coin.
My head was already very sore. I was having trouble keeping myself awake, or at least slightly detached from the memories. The pain got worse, and I don't remember when I began to shriek. It felt almost worse than feeling Shaw die in my mind, because of the coin. I barely heard Hank come in. He tried speaking to me, but I couldn't remove my hands from my head. I couldn't stop screaming. I felt Hank sick something in my arm, and the pain faded slowly.
I also felt myself fade away. It was like I was being dragged into a black abyss. I watched Hank in worry and anger before the darkness consumed me.
It was a long time before I "woke up" again. I vaguely remembered a man named Logan coming and choosing to help us, to save us from a future that could exist. It was me but it wasn't me that was there with them; a sick version of me that my telepathy buried. I was walking, on the bright side—that is, if there was one. I remembered vaguely getting Erik out of prison, and all of the events and talks leading up to this point.
When I finally faded back in, my legs began to give out. Thankfully it just looked like I tripped on the stairs. Erik looked back at me when I did, and I waved it off. He nodded, and looked forward again.
We had made it to where Raven was supposed to kill Dr. Trask—we had to find some way to stop it. I felt my telepathy coming back, ever so slightly. I was able to use it to peek inside, borrowing some vision from one of Dr. Trask's men. Dr. Trask was showing off a little handheld device that could identify mutants. I knew Raven was in the room, I just didn't know where. I wanted to search for her mind, but I didn't. I couldn't; I promised her I would never look inside her head.
Logan opened the door as we heard intense beeping from his mutant identifying machine. My legs kicked out from under me as the shot Hank had been giving me (more I had been abusing) wore off. As I fell, I realized I could manipulate the situation, slightly. I doubted it would work, but I had to try.
Erik noticed my falling and caught me smoothly, lowering me to the ground carefully. I began to cry out in pain, and Erik kneeled down to check on me. Everyone in the room turned to look at me. I placed my middle and index finger to my temple, as I continued to cry out in pain. Erik checked my forehead, his body language frantic.
Dr. Trask's mutant identifier has been recently tested, and it is killing a mutant as he is using it. It is happening right now, we have to go investigate. I thought to the reporters and cameramen
I felt almost guilty about that. I'd very rarely implanted an idea in someone's head without telling them—even if it was going to happen instantly. Fairly soon, we heard a crowd of newscasters filing up the stairs. Police and security let them pass, only because I told them to.
Hank, Logan. I thought, I am pretending that the thing Dr. Trask is holding is killing mutants. Specifically, it's killing telepaths. Play with it as you will.
Logan and Hank stared over at me and nodded quietly. When newscasters came up the stairs, Erik blocked my face from the cameras. I looked into his eyes then. They showed a mixture of worry and confusion. It was honestly beautiful to see something other than anger and pain inside of him, as well as see him so willing to protect my identity. I gripped him tightly. I curled into him as best I could.
"Turn it off!" Hank shouted, pointing to the little hand-held device.
"Why?" Dr. Trask asked.
He looked as shocked as everyone in that room did. Raven was now standing up, watching me carefully. She hesitated, as if she was going to get out of her disguise and come to help me. Thankfully, she hesitated.
"You're killing him!" Logan added on.
Erik held me close, trying to shush me. He actually believed I was in severe pain, which made my heart skip a beat. Dr. Trask turned the machine off quickly before blowing Raven's cover. The group was silent for a little while, watching me. I panted a bit, curling into Erik. He lowered his head to listen to me.
"I'm fine." I mumbled to him, "I was just causing a distraction and interrupting Raven's plan."
"You could have told me, Charles." Erik growled into my ear.
I was able to pick up on the relief through his annoyed voice. I chuckled softly.
"It came to me as we reached the door." I whispered in reply, "Besides, I needed someone to look authentic when I was in 'pain'."
I broke the hug with Erik when I felt someone touch my shoulder. I knew it was Raven. Trask starting to defend himself from what the people were accusing. They were yelling at him, telling him that I was hurt from it. He kept insisting that it didn't hurt mutants.
"Are you okay?" Raven whispered.
"Just trust me." I whispered in reply.
"What are you planning, Charles?" Erik whispered nervously.
"I…"I stammered, trying to re-create how I'd felt when I first lost feeling in my legs, "I c…"
"You…?" Erik asked me, playing along now.
The news crew and people in the room fell completely silent when Erik spoke. Dr. Trask and I locked eyes, and I managed to bring up some tears and create a look of shock. The people in the room bought it, some even rushing over to come see what was wrong.
"I can't feel…my legs." I replied, half being serious.
The numbness in my legs had returned since the shot wore off. All eyes fell on Dr. Trask. I repeated the phrase, much like I had when Erik left me on that Cuban beach. Hank watched me with shock and pain in his eyes. Erik picked me up when people came too close and pushed my face into his chest. He carried me out of the hallway, followed by the other mutants. I didn't know why Erik was so focused on protecting my face from the news people. When they crowded us about what was happening, asking me directly, he stopped walking. I almost looked up but he answered for me, pushing my head back where it was. I sighed softly into Erik's chest.
"My friend here wishes to remain out of public sight and ridicule." He spoke calmly and clearly, "It's demeaning to be immediately paralyzed by someone you were only trying to help."
"Help? How?" One of the newswomen asked.
"Dr. Trask was going to be assassinated. That was all we knew. My friend here knew that because he was able to read the killer's mind before the attack would have happened. After only trying to help he's lost the use of his legs. If you'll excuse us, I have to treat him."
"You're a doctor?" One of the newsmen asked.
"Yes." Erik lied.
The people parted like the red sea, allowing us to slip out. Nobody had managed to get a good photograph of me, which was a good thing. Once outside and a safe distance away, Erik attempted to put me down. I wrapped my arms around his neck and shook my head, wincing.
"I was only half lying back there." I told him plainly, "I actually can't feel my legs…"
Erik led me into a sitting position on his knee. He looked at me in shock and pain. He caused this, and he knew it. He glanced back when we heard commotion. Dr. Trask was leaving, hiding his face from the public. Raven was walking up to me, her disguise almost gone. She wasn't blue.
"What the hell Charles?" She asked me, angry.
"I'm sorry Raven." I replied, "I couldn't let you kill him."
"Raven's not my name." Raven replied.
"Fine Mystique, whatever you want to call yourself." I replied, trying not to sound bitter, "Dr. Trask should not die."
"He experimented on—." Raven started.
Erik opened his mouth, trying to butt into the conversation.
"You think I don't know that already?" I snapped, "I felt their pain! Killing Dr. Trask would not justify anything that he did! It will only prove that mutants are dangerous and need to be slaughtered in a mass genocide."
The group was silent after I spoke, watching me in awe. I made sure not to shout, though I deeply wanted to. Raven was watching me in shock. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She knew I was right. I didn't have to read her mind to see that. Erik was watching me now, his eyes a mixture of sympathy and guilt. I closed my eyes and sighed as he picked me up again. He carried me to the car we'd rented out. He carefully placed me in the passenger seat, turning around and walking over to Raven.
"Charles you don't own me anymore." She said, "I'm not your pet."
"I never said you were a pet, Raven." I replied, trying to hide the pain from my voice, "I haven't treated you with the best respect, I haven't valued your opinions, or your choices. I'll own up to that. I understand you're mad, and you deserve to be. But I'm making a choice that will save us in the end."
"And how do you know all of this?" Raven asked, her voice scathing. I flinched from it.
"This man," Erik said pointing to Logan, "was able to unite Charles and I even though we don't see eye to eye on many things. He was able to settle our scores, and heal past wounds. Isn't that enough?"
"No." Raven replied simply, "It won't be enough."
"I came from the future. Well, at least my conscious did." Logan said, "Charles would have sent himself back fifty years, but he wouldn't be able to mentally take the trip. I can, so I did. I'm not nearly qualified enough to do it, but here I am."
"And in fifty years what happens?" Raven asked sarcastically, "Humans fight for their lives while mutants reap the benefit?"
"Mutants are fighting to survive." Logan replied, "The program Dr. Trask was displaying today would have been accepted by all governments because of the now visible need for it. You would have branded all mutants. Even humans who were helping, or humans that were going to create mutant children were captured. Nothing would be able to stop the Sentinels. Dr. Trask would have used your DNA to make them able to counter every single mutation out there."
Raven's smile faded. She looked down at her feet, sighing. She then looked back up at me. She winced.
"I…" She said.
"It's hard to think about the long-term effects of choices you make, Raven. I didn't let you learn that for yourself, and for that I'm truly sorry. I'm afraid I've prevented you from learning a lot of things." I replied.
"You were protecting me, Charles, on one hand. On the other you were smothering me." Raven stated.
She smiled at me for the first time since we'd met up with her. I smiled back. I had a gut feeling that this wasn't over, but for now it was. Erik told everyone to pile in, and he got in the driver's seat. Hank wasn't too pleased to have Erik driving, and mumbled. I closed my eyes and searched the people. They didn't believe Trask's material was trustworthy, but they also knew the destructive power of mutants. It was a split down the middle. I opened my eyes, sighing. I began to receive multiple thoughts at once, wincing slightly.