(A/N: Okay...I admit this isn't very good, but some of you may enjoy it. Read and Review! Ninth place in the class, yeah!)

In my mind, I am cheering. At last, things are going my way.

The Americans and the Soviets tried to kill us or at least force us into submission with their nukes. But they underestimated my potential, and I have sent their 'gift' back to the senders.

Charles Xavier is here, too. He tried to stop me, but I don't know why. He knows of the anger I've kept inside me, boiling just below the surface. Did he expect me to just forget?

There is a human here too, shocked at seeing the ease at which I defeated Charles, she stands up and tries to stop me by shooting at me. Why is she even trying? I think with a laugh. She's been around long enough to know that won't do anything to stop me.

I deflect her first shot, and it flies off to the left. Nonplussed, the human tries again.

This time, something goes wrong. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Charles struggle to his feet. I must have hurt him more than I thought I did. I try to pull my hands into a different position, to keep her shot away from him, but it doesn't work, and the bullet rebounds off my hands and smashes into his lower back.

Time seems to stop. My eyes widen in concern and fear. Charles cries out in agony, and he collapses on the sand with a thud.

Now I'm also in agony as I rush to his side. My thoughts are screaming at me, No! This can't happen again! When I reach him, I fall to my knees and hold my hand over the injury, gently tugging the metal out of his body. It is wet and glistening, and I can feel blood on my fingers as I reach back and throw the bullet into the sea.

Turning back to Charles, I can hear his faint gasping for breath. I grasp his right shoulder and gently but firmly, roll him onto his back, keeping the most likely injured spine straight.

His eyes, clouded with pain, find mine behind the mask. I can see he's relieved as he faintly whispers my name. "Erik?"

Despite what I've done and what I've tried to do, he still trusts me and sees me as friend, or even a brother and that he still cares. I then realize that the only other person who cared about me ended up at the wrong side of a gun. I can't let this happen anymore.

The other mutants, obviously still numb with shock, try to come closer, but I don't want that. I feel nothing but resentment towards them and all their petty complaints. I've had enough of them.

I glare at them from beneath my helmet. "No," I shout, voice carrying loud and clear through the silver helmet. "Stay back." I don't want them near him, not while I'm still here.

They all have some sort of metal on them, so I use that to blow them back, away from me and my only companion.

But my anger and resentment doesn't end there, not by a long shot. I stand up, ignoring the children who have scrambled to their feet by now and are keeping well away from me. I turn toward the woman who pulled the trigger and feel rage. Rage greater than I've felt since my mother was killed by Shaw. I spit three words out at her, "You did this!", before tightening the metallic necklace she always wears.

Before I get to the point when I would cause any lasting effect, Charles manages to bring me to a screeching halt. "Erik, stop!" he says in a very commanding tone. "It wasn't her," he continues. Of course he would say that, I think, we all know they have a thing for each other. I can't continue this train of thought, however, because Charles draws in a deep breath and says, "You did this."

Those three words...they have been haunting me for ages, never letting me have more than a moments peace. Because they are true. This was all my fault. If I could have moved that accursed coin like I knew I could've, I would have prevented my mother's death. And now, Charles Xavier, the only person after her I can trust, lies moaning on a sandy shore in front of my eyes.

In my pain, in my own grief, I close my eyes. I think, hard. I've encountered other injuries like this. They've killed many unfortunate men, but if he gets medical attention soon enough. Somehow, glancing at the human and the mutants on his side, I don't think that will be much of a problem. I know that he'll live at least another day.

I swallow back my feelings and walk towards the ocean, coming to a stop next to Azazel and Angel. I clear my throat and begin a doubtless compelling speech about equality between humans and mutants. My heart really isn't in my words, however. I'm thinking about my friend, knowing he will never be the same again, even if he gets proper medical attention.

I offer a place beside me, to help give us what we deserve. Mystique steps forward to stand next to me, and I almost don't let her join. I do in the end, because the more on my side, the better. It's really not her fault she's Charles' best friend.

I turn to Azazel, silently asking for a teleport away from here. He obliges, doubtless somewhat reluctantly, and my new team and I vanish in a puff of red smoke.

Ever since then, I've wanted to tell Charles one thing. As his trainees, the X-Men are set against me, and later that group of humans known as the Avengers, I have yearned to tell this one thing: That all I've been fighting for and all that I will do in the future, I started because of him.

(A/N: I really want reviews on this so... please make me happy!)