Chapter 11
So wherever you go
I'm your shadow
Desert to ice flow
I will follow
Shadow-Birdy
Monday passed quickly to Moira and Alex, because the only thing they had in college that day was the meeting with their advisors, which had gone very well and the two exchanged a smile as they met in the parking lot.
"I don't think my advisor was expecting such dedication and interest in history because I am an athlete." The blonde said amused and Moira laughed.
Alex was very intelligent, and his time in the army had given him a great knowledge of the period of wars and other events.
"Same here, I'm looking forward to when I finsh my final paper." Moira smiled, pleased with what she had already done. She then glanced around the parking lot, surprised not to see Marie. Even when she didn't go to the classes, she used to stay in the parking lot.
With nothing left in Bennington that Monday, the two of them were more relaxed that night and Moira was helping Magda with dinner while Alex was reading a magazine in the room and Sean and Raven were training underground. But both Charles and Hank weren't in the mansion, and all Erik knew was that Charles had received a call from Washington and left.
Moira was starting to sort out the dinner table when they heard a soft noise below them, indicating that the Blackbird had returned, and then they saw Hank and Charles appear and the look on Charles's face was extremely serious and they all stared at Charles, fearing what could have happened.
"The old Cerebro model that Hank built last year was stolen." Before Hank built the model that was underground, in the mansion, he had tested one in Washington and Erik frowned.
"But the Cerebro can only be used by a telepath... Who stole it?"
"Colonel Stryker." Everyone knew that he had been the only man in the government meetings that had been against the mutants. "The government doesn't think it was him, there is no evidence, they talked to him and they said he was in vacation with his family in Hawaii, but from what I saw in his mind, I know it was him."
"But that's not why they called me. Emma Frost escaped."
"But Charles, she was locked in a building under high surveillance." Moira said gaping, and he nodded, still serious.
"The government thinks it was she who stole the project, but from what we've seen of Emma, she's not the type to act without having a leader behind." Charles said and frowned, rubbing his forehead. "What worries me is that with the Cerebro, she can find any mutants on this planet, and I think she was causing me these headaches, she was in my head, but I can't get into hers!"
"Then let's go find her, catch her!" Alex said seriously, staring at the boss and then the phone next to him rang and he answered.
"Mom? What happened?"
And then Alex was speechless, his eyes glazed as the woman on the other end of the line spoke desperately, and Charles closed his eyes, feeling a desperation inside him as he heard the younger man's thoughts.
When Alex hung up the phone, he turned to Charles, an expression of desperation on his face:
"My younget brother, Scott disappeared at school, he's been showing signs of being a mutant for a few months, and Emma must have got him!"
"Do you think she's the one behind, kidnapping mutants?" Raven asked in horror and Charles rubbed his forehead, feeling that horrible headache again and Moira placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Charles?"
"I think it's Emma, she's in my head, but I can't get into hers." He then looked at the others. "I need to go to the Cerebro, see if I can find Scott." And that made Moira think of something unpleasant.
"Charles, could you locate Marie and Pyro as well?"
In the basement, the group headed into the room Hank had built for the Cerebro, and Charles sat in the chair, putting on his helmet while Hank pressed the buttons.
The room become a blur of colors for everyone, but Charles could see the red dots, showing the mutants and for a long time he searched for Alex, Pyro, Marie, Emma and Stryker and after much effort, he managed to find the missing three mutants, but couldn't communicate with them, as if Emma was preventing him and he removed the helmet, frustrated.
"Emma must be protecting Stryker's mind and somehow shielding the others."
"I'm going."
"Charles, you're not going alone, we're going too." Raven said, stamping her foot and staring at her brother as Sean and Alex joined her and the blonde said:
"It's my brother and I need to go along." And then Alex opened a small smile. "And, we won't let our leader go toward the danger alone."
"I'll follow you." Moira said as well, and Charles looked at her seriously, shaking his head, but she insisted: "I can't stay here waiting, and Hank needs a copilot."
"That's true, Professor." Hank said. Over the summer he had taught Moira how to fly the Blackbird, since the incident in Oxford that she had had to help him.
"And I'm not going to let my best friend fall into such a trap." Erik finished, and Charles sighed.
"I never wanted to involve you all in another battle, I don't like it, but I see it's necessary, so I'll ask you to come with me, but to be careful."
In the basement, everyone was surprised to see the yellow and black uniforms that Hank had prepared for them, of sturdy material and, in Alex's case, with modifications to use his powers and Hank said awkwardly:
"Since the battle with Shaw, I decided to make them in case we had to fight again." Alex wrapped an arm around his shoulders, holding his uniform with the other hand and smirked:
"Great job, Beast!"
"Yeah, I guess we'll have to fight." Charles said decisively, because what Emma and Stryker were doing was horrible and he wouldn't let them continue.
He never wanted to involve his friends, but he wasn't naive, knew that battles happened and what he could do, was to try to solve them peacefully, until the moment it wouldn't be possible anymore and then, they would have to attack. And at that moment, he would fight with everything he had, alongside his friends.
Hank, Sean, and Alex headed for one of the locker rooms, and Raven went to the other while Erik pulled Magda to the corner to talk.
Moira smiled, grabbing her uniform and then took Charles's hand and he opened a small smile despite the concern and stroked her hand.
"It's going to be ok, we'll be okay, we trust you as the leader of the... X-men."
"X-men?" He asked amused and she smiled.
"I had thought of that name after the battle against Shaw. You're the leader of this group, and therefore the X, of Xavier, X of the gene X."
"You are incredible, my love." He murmured, pulling her to him and hugging her and Moira buried her face in his neck, absorbing his scent and feeling safe. "Please be careful, okay?"
"I'll be, remember, Emma Frost can't get in my head." Moira reassured him, stepping away from the embrace. "I love you Charles."
"Love you too."
The two of them went to one of the locker rooms downstairs to put on their uniforms, and when the metal door closed, Charles dropped his uniform, taking Moira's hands and bringing her body toward his and pressing her back against the wall, kissing her with passion.
Moira let go of her uniform that she held between their bodies and brought her hands to his hair, parting her lips and feeling her body shiver with his hands, which lowered to her legs, caressing them and holding them glued to his body.
One of Moira's hands came down from his hair to his back, running her nails over the fabric of his shirt and then bringing him closer, making them sigh as their tongues fought.
When they were out of breath, Charles rested his forehead against hers, opening his eyes and staring into her brown eyes, which glittered and the two smiled, while their heartbeats slowed and they parted, picking up their yellow uniforms.
Moira opened the buttons of her dress, letting it fall to her feet as Charles tugged at his shirt, folding it and then unbuckling his belt, his eyes going to Moira's and all the time they undressed and then they began to get dressed in the yellow uniform, they didn't look away from each other.
When everyone was ready, Raven had assumed her true form and had a very mature expression on her blue face as she stood between Moira and Alex, and only Erik was missing.
Erik was ready, but he was in a difficult conversation with Magda, who had her arms folded over her chest as he placed his hands on her shoulders.
"Magda, I promise we'll be fine, we'll be back soon, but you have to stay." He said seriously and she shook her head sadly.
"Why? What if something happens to you, how will I know?"
"Because someone needs to stay if we need them to call help, and with you here, I'll have something more to make me want to win the battle and get back home to you." He explained gently, then kissed her forehead. "Please Magda..."
"Okay, but please be safe, you and the others..." She pleaded, and in spite of the tears, she smiled and Erik nodded, bringing a hand to the corner of her eye and wiping the tears.
"Come back safe, my love."
Magda brought her hands to his chest, over the yellow and resistant fabric, knowing it was another protection to the strong man she knew he was, and she relaxed a little, lifting her face, and then Erik kissed her.
When they parted, Charles aoproached and handed her a piece of paper and said:
"Stay in the basement, Magda, there's a room equipped with kitchen and bathroom that my grandfather built and an emergency telephone. If we don't get back in two days, call those numbers, they're from Carlisle and Millestone and they'll know how to find you."
"Be careful, Charles, all of you." She said, hugging him and then smiling at the others and Charles turned to the group, who stood side by side in front of the Blackbird, waiting for his orders.
"We're going after Emma and Stryker to save Scott, Marie and Pyro and prevent them from committing another crime against mutants and humans." Everyone listened attentively, waiting for his orders and he said seriously:
"I never liked fighting, because fights mean losses, but I know that sometimes, we have no choice and so we, from now on, the X-men, we're going to Stryker's base and we will fight if wen need to. I ask you to fight by my side and, be careful, okay?"
The group nodded, applauding Charles and Alex and Raven smiled at their name, X-men, knowing it was for real and they said goodbye to Magda, entering the Blackbird.
Hank and Moira put their headphones on, checking the engines and control panel, while Charles, Sean, Alex, Raven and Erik put their seat belts on and Charles took two fingers into his temple, putting in Hank's mind the coordinates for Stryker's base.
Tbc
