Chapter Nine

The Intruder

Westchester County, New York

Charles jolted awake, sitting up and immediately collapsing back onto the bed. Reliving so many of his worst memories had been a most unpleasant experience. He sat himself up again when he felt shifting around somewhere by his head. Erik.

Erik was waking from where he'd propped himself against the headboard very close to Charles. Erik was with him. Charles breathed in and out and then took in the woman lying comfortably on her side, staring at him.

"Miss Frost," he greeted politely.

"You really do have the bluest eyes. Gorgeous."

He liked to think the faintest of blushes wasn't showing on his face, but that fantasy died when Shaw chose to comment on it.

"Impossibly innocent. How enticing."

The blush deepened but he did his best to ignore it when Erik placed a hand on his shoulder. He turned slightly to regard his old friend, aware of two newcomers entering the room out of the corner of his eye. His mind didn't sense them because it was occupied reconstructing its walls so his powers could be used by choice, avoiding an overflow of thoughts from breaching his defenses. He needed the control back or he could quite possibly have a mental breakdown until he got it fixed.

Azazel and Riptide said nothing when they came in, though they might have, if a young Japanese boy hadn't pushed past them to reach Charles's side.

"Nanika nomimasen ka?"

Charles chuckled softly. For a situation so dire only moments ago, the teenager was wondering if he'd like something to drink. Always the picture of politeness. Still, he knew his students and he knew the boy was worried about what he'd seen, the terrible childhood of his professor's he'd witnessed. He declined the offer of a drink politely with the minimal Japanese he spoke to enable him to confer with his own dear student.

"Iie kekkou desu, Aki."

"Iie. Hikou."

He jabbed at his own chest when he corrected Charles's use of his own name in favor of his X-Men name. His student was warning him that they were in the presence of enemies, should he not have realized it yet. Guilt welled up in his gut for a moment. These last few years he had been anything but the professor he should have been to any of his students. For any of them, Aki included, to have remained behind with him in the mansion through it all was heartwarming.

"Ii desu." Charles reassured him. "It's okay."

"Wakarimashita."

Aki nodded once, bowed briefly towards his professor, and then took a step back to give him room. His attention shifted to Erik. It was inevitable, he supposed, since this was the infamous Magneto, accused terrorist and enemy of humanity. The heated gaze of Erik's was not for Aki, however, it was for him.

"You wish to ask me something?"

Erik arched an eyebrow at him, absent-mindedly adjusting the helmet atop his head as if to make sure it was safely in place. He should know better. They'd always understood each other on a more intimate level without Charles needing to resort to his ability, and Erik knew it. Or perhaps he had forgotten.

"Casting aside the fact that you led me to believe your childhood had been a pampered and comfortable one, I wonder about something else. When you used your power to tell your step-father to stop breathing, you didn't put your fingers to your head. You were a mere child then. Fourteen."

"People are more comfortable when they think they can see me using my telepathy."

"So the finger thing, unnecessary." Erik realized out loud.

Shaw murmured his fascination with Charles's telepathy and it made him flinch. He didn't like such a man expressing so much interest, especially in him. He tried to pretend he didn't see how hurt Erik looked, that Charles had deceived him in such a big way. But he hadn't even thought about it as deceit. He'd done the action for so long, it had become second nature for him to mimic the pose when concentrating. He hadn't even thought about it as a lie. Great, more guilt twisted in his stomach.

"Sensei."

He forced his full attention to Aki again to see what had him so concerned. "Hai?"

"You are bad."

Charles could tell he struggled to find the right words, which meant he hadn't quite.

"You mean I was," he tried out.

The boy was shaking his head and then pointed to his head. "Use power."

He did. Then stood up abruptly, following the action up by pausing to take in that he had full mobility with his legs. He still hadn't gotten used to that yet. He'd never imagined regaining the ability to walk. He'd hoped, he'd dreamed, but never once had he thought it'd become reality. Pushing the pleasant feeling aside, Charles tried to freeze the trespassing mind with a thought, a mind that he felt was just down the hallway. Too close for comfort since he could sense the minds of his other students, Angel and Raven, in proximity to the intruder. The task proved impossible. He couldn't even worm his way inside the mind.

"His defense is impeccable. I can't even get a glimmer of a thought to identify him." Emma shared.

"I got a glimpse when we were in my dream, but I think he wanted me to."

Charles's eyes began to glow blue causing everyone around him to tense up. The two still on the bed, got off, watching the using telepath warily.

"Charles, what are you doing?" Erik asked him.

He was working on blocking out the telepathic attack directed at everyone in the room with him, however, so he did not respond. The intruder had felt him and Emma prodding at his mind and had not appreciated the attempt.

"Stop," he said out loud. When his mind alone couldn't get the job done, speaking the commands sometimes worked. "Stop. We will not try again."

His eyes faded back to their typical blue shade, still rather bright admittedly, but he was able to relax now. The attack on the other minds in the room had ceased. The intruder was drawing away from their room, heading downstairs. He could sense the other minds were moving with him. Why?

He had to find out. He ran. He ran out of the room, down the stairs, and a few yards across the open foyer area. After those few yards he slid to an abrupt halt. Raven was there. Hank, Alex, Tom, everybody. They stood off to the side and all turned to look at him simultaneously. They'd been waiting and most probably not of their own free will. Their expressions were ones of horror when they saw him but it was like they could barely move, couldn't even speak.

"What is it? What's wrong?" he inquired worriedly.

Behind him he heard footsteps and knew the others had followed him down the stairs. They made it in time for the intruder to make himself known, literally stepping out of the shadows. He knew he shouldn't feel it, but he felt shame when the man made himself known. When a version of himself from the future made himself known to the others.

He felt clean now, free of the fog that had been his mind over the past few weeks, yet he couldn't help fearing this could happen. In some other universe or timeline, he had become a monster. The potential to be someone terrible was in him. It had happened which meant it could happen. He couldn't let that be.

"I've ensured they will not interfere. You and I, we need to talk."

"What do you want?" he dared ask.

His other self, branding himself X, cocked his head to the side to take in the five substantially powerful mutants standing near the stairs. The ones standing a couple yards behind where Charles stood.

"Who are they?"

"Nobody."

X snorted. "I doubt that. The old me was all about taking in strays, like these ones here." He gestured vaguely to his right where Charles was now certain his students, and Angel, and Raven were being telepathically held in place and silent.

"Release them," he demanded.

Naturally, his request was ignored. "I recognize that one. The great Magneto."

Charles frowned at the use of this name but didn't say anything. Instead he carefully paid attention to the situation and words being spoken. He would use any opening made available to him. Right now, X's focus seemed to be for Magneto.

"You can kill." X stated, a sick grin overtaking his face. "I can, too. Your Brotherhood fell apart pretty quickly once I crossed that line."

He looked over his shoulder to gauge how Erik was taking this very different version of himself. It was obvious he didn't like meeting the man any more than Charles did. Even more so, Erik looked torn between confused anger and utter disbelief. He understood the feeling. This man was nothing like he believed himself to be. Certainly the last decade had been more than a little rough for him, but becoming the dark clothed man across from him, he couldn't believe ever happening.

"The difference between our kills, Magneto?" he said it in a tone that stated he was obviously going to be telling him what that difference was. "I enjoy every death by my hand while you do away with lives actually believing it is justified. All for a cause, you claimed. How does it feel knowing I have seen the future, several versions, and know what you wish to pass, will never happen?"

"You can see the future? How is that possible?" Charles questioned.

X grinned. "Right. I gained multiple abilities from other mutants. You don't have that. You could have but I saw it in your mind, all my work has been undone."

"You had no right to invade my mind. And, abilities from other mutants? How?"

"Still ever the scholarly mind, aren't you? It took a few dozen mutants but eventually I came to see where in the brain the mutation is located. Once I could see it and how it worked, I could use the ability myself. I have quite a number of abilities at my disposal."

Charles understood, even before the others, just what his dark self meant. "You mean, you mean you killed a few dozen mutants to gain the ability to adapt other powers?"

A laugh was the immediate response. "Oh I've killed so many more than a few dozen. Those ones were the ones I selected, tore apart, dissected."

He was pretty certain he'd vomited a bit in his mouth. Swallowing hard, he continued to force his eyes to remain on X. But X didn't seem bothered by his own words. He was refocusing on Erik instead.

"You never answered me, Magneto. Does it bother you, knowing your goals will never be realized? Do you want to know why they can never happen?"

"X." Charles said it to get his attention away from Erik. He didn't like someone who looked so much like him, save for the outfit and facial scar, to be focusing on his friend. "You underestimate the human race and their will to survive, their capacity to endure and understand."

"That's just it. Humans and mutants are the same. But Magneto only ever desires to separate them."

His diversion was a failure, X's gaze returning to look past Charles's shoulder at Erik. Erik, who was moving to stand closer to Charles. He reluctantly admitted it made him feel better somehow. Erik always was a solid presence that he could feel with his telepathy when in close proximity. It would seem his presence was magnetic for the other him as well.

"You hold to a cause, claiming to have reason, but there is none." X boldly informed Erik as Magneto. "You seek to combat the humans because you know not what else to do. You are lost. You are alone. Always alone, just like me. We chose the very solitary life we feared, loathed, never wanted to have. We let go." X laughed, cruel and cold. "Probably shouldn't have done that. Now look at what I've become."

Charles was surprised when Erik dignified the other man with a response. It was an endearing response. The first words, not so much, but the rest.

"A monster..." Erik merely breathed out, then raised his volume when he continued. "You can't be Charles. He is too pure of heart to be as you are."

"I'm more powerful than ever. Did you know I'm the most powerful mutant ever to exist? And that was true even before I learned to adapt the powers of other mutants. I could bring this world to its knees with a mere thought." His gaze shifted to Charles. "The man I was never would have done that. Never would have allowed himself to reach his full potential to do it. He cared too much. But I'm not him. I've contemplated killing everyone in this house tonight..."

He tensed up, feeling rather helpless but ready to do anything to try and defend against this monster wearing his face. He could feel the others around him stiffening, thoughts filtering through their minds on what they might do to attack the man threatening them. The situation defused as quickly as it had ignited.

"I think I'll give it some time. Time for Charles to decide what he is capable of, used against everyone."

"That would never happen." Erik said before he had the chance to say the same himself.

"It was happening. Of course, I've been pressuring him into it happening." Two fingers tapped the side of his head. "Couldn't take the risk you and your little team would convince him of who he really is."

"But we did. It's done. Get over it." Emma told him, ever so confidently.

"Charles could become me if he would just let me back into his mind to redo my work. Then, Magneto, we could have the war you always wanted."

"But.."

Was Erik seriously considering this man's words? Why was he humoring him? Oh...Azazel and Riptide were in play. They each of them had picked a direction and gradually moved closer and closer to the telepath from the future. Erik was humoring the man as a means to attract his attention. Still, the tone of his old friend's voice made him think the conversation wasn't entirely for nothing. There was emotion layering the words, unmistakably.

"It's not supposed to end with nearly eliminating every person on the planet."

"It's war, Magneto." X stated, sounding incredulous. "War is death. In the time I come from, you do not live long enough to see the war come to fruition. In another time-frame, or so I've been told by my benefactors, you live to an old age, but war comes, too. Many mutants die. Many humans die. You are lost and, so the female one tells me, you become a shadow of your former self, because you no longer have Charles to keep you strong. Even as he was on another side from yours in this time period, he was your constant, your strength that mutants deserved protection and had the right to power."

"Apocalypse and Anomaly, they're behind this. They brought you here to change me."

"Yeah, what a failure that was. Now I'm stuck here with nothing to do." The look on his face was more akin to a childish pout than mere disappointment.

Charles glanced to his side where Erik stood, when the man ignored his better judgement to ask something.

"What happened to Charles? In the..in the timeline that you just mentioned." He returned Charles gaze casually. "I believe that timeline is the one we are on now. That war sounds very much like the one we were warned needed to be prevented."

It made sense. It did. But he didn't like the question anyway. He didn't want to know what could happen to him in the future. He'd rather live day by day and live in the present.

"Murdered, of course. He lived to a relatively old age, but, one of his students could no longer control her power and she killed him. Right in front of you, I hear. He warned you about calming the mind. But you spurred her on to be 'mutant and proud'." His voice was positively dripping in sarcasm. "Proud wouldn't be the word I'd use to describe how you felt afterwards. Misdirected rage? Yes. Towards the humans, and the spark of war was ignited. The beginning of the end."

Charles knew all of that information didn't quite match up. Things played out like his different self was saying, he believed, but other things were responsible for the future war as well. It didn't matter though. Not when he was determined to stop any bad future from happening in the first place.

"I won't let that future come to pass. Charles won't die."

"Aw, concern for me?"

"Not you. Charles. You're not him. He'd never do the things you've done, or act the way you do."

X followed those words with a harsh laugh. "Don't worry. That future will never be. Those twins are on a mission and they don't seem ready to quit their attempts anytime soon."

Erik was frowning heavily in X's direction and it was not missed by the other at all.

"Don't pretend to care about anyone. You only care about the cause, Magneto. When your own lieutenant became human, you abandoned her."

Automatically, Erik and Charles both looked over to Raven. To say she was shocked and dismayed would be putting it lightly. They both were shocked themselves. Would something like that possibly come to pass? None of it seemed real.

X wasn't done with the man he refused to call anything but Magneto. "You are hateful and ignorant. Your ambition blinds you. I watched you, back when I could have been called innocent, I watched you become just like Shaw, the man you loathed. You became worse than Shaw really, because at least Shaw knew what he was doing was morally reprehensible. He knew it was wrong and didn't pretend otherwise. You, Magneto, actually believe what you're doing is right."

Charles frowned at this alternate version of himself, sounding a bit too like him for comfort. His words were probably harsher than he'd like to say, but still it did not make the words any less true. And for such words to be said in the presence of both Shaw and Erik..not good.

"I've had enough from you, X." Charles stated. "Get the twins to come back and return you to your own timeline. You don't belong here."

He felt it might have been a bad idea, speaking up, when a very dark look focused on him.

"You, so enamored by the well-being and strength of others, you leave no room for yourself to realize your full potential."

"What have you done to yourself to make you this way?" The question slipped out before he even realized he was asking it.

"The empath power of ours, I learned to shut it off. I don't feel anything anymore. It's..refreshing. All that's left inside is the hatred I feel toward mutants. They ruined my life, ruined the world. Death is what I bring them." He had the audacity to sigh with regret. "I want to go back to my world. It's so much better there."

Charles once again found himself horrified and disgusted by this vastly different type of self he was staring at. He couldn't find much familiarity between him and X. He was speechless. The other other him was getting there, too.

"I tire of this. If you cannot be convinced, then I no longer wish to be here. I dislike this time and would much prefer my own again."

"Oh how unfortunate; you're unhappy." Charles muttered.

X noticed Azazel and he noticed Riptide. In the next second the both of them were on their knees on the ground, clutching at their heads and yelling out in pain. Then he grinned one final time at all of them.

"I've never known true happiness, and, if the song remains the same, neither will you. Goodbye, Charles."

His final words said, he was gone in the blink of an eye. He simply vanished. He could have used his ability to make none of them able to see him, but Charles was usually able to see the work of other telepaths. A teleportation ability perhaps? He couldn't help his attention from briefly wandering over toward Azazel, and then he nearly fell over when Raven threw herself into him.

"I still can't believe it! You're walking! You're you again! You're okay!"

Yes, he was okay physically. But was he all right?