X-Men: Winds of Change

By Ldynwaitin

Chapter Twenty One

Breaking Down a Door

Charles stared right into Sinister eyes. Sitting on Alessia he was finally able to see into his mind. He could see Sinister's world, or the world that he wanted to create. His world would have one leader, Sinister. There he would be revered, worshipped. Charles flinched as he saw how much a part Sinister wanted him to have in his demented vision.

He saw himself standing by Sinister's side. He almost cried, yes he was standing not crippled but standing on his own two feet. In Sinister's vision he had accepted his gift. In return he was his guardian, his companion, his Knight. He was there for one purpose, to guard his King. If anyone even thought of attacking him, Charles would instantly know it, and stop it before it even happened. Charles' only existence was to insure Sinister's rule was absolute.

He saw what humans remained were being slaughtered or kept as slaves to serve their new masters. Even mutants were not immune to Sinister's wrath, at least the natural ones. Sinister's plan was to use Charles to ferret them out and kill them. In Sinister's vision of the future he saw Charles the same as his Nob's. A weapon to be used. Charles was his pawn, his knight, his bishop and castle. That was why he wanted him so badly, he was Sinister's checkmate for the human race.

Shaking his head of this horrific vision, Charles stared back at Sinister. "I admit, in the beginning I hated what the world did to me, hated everyone around me."

Charles saw his faux Eric appear. "Say it Charles, say what you've needed to say for so long."

"But most of all I hated myself," Charles slammed his fist on Alessia. "I began to believe I was a fool to think that stopping a war would change the way humans looked upon us. I wanted my legs back, I thought it was to big a price to pay. That I was only half a man without them."

"But you were right to think that way," Sinister said. "Humans have ruined this world, they are a contagion that needs to be eradicated. We can do that, together. I can help you Charles. I can give you your legs back. Just say yes, Charles. That's all you have to do, a simple word that will change the world for the better."

"No!" Charles angrily snapped back. "What you said before made me realize that I was wrong. I am what I am today because of my environment, what has happened to me in my past has molded me. The bad things, the good things, my friends, my family, even my enemies. Everything that touched me in my life made me what I am today. Losing my legs is now a part of my life. It increased my power, made me stronger…" he punched his chest, "…on the inside. I needed to be a good leader…I needed to be humbled. I needed to take what fate has given me and embrace it. So my answer to you, Mister Sinister, is that I think I shall decline your offer. I am not crippled, I've just lost the use of my legs. And I would not change anything in my life, even if you gave me an offer of a thousand brilliant futures. I like me, and I like what I am."

Erik's image began to clap, "That Charles, is what you've needed to say for so very long. You no longer need me now." Slowly he began to fade away, for Charles was whole now. He had finally accepted what had happened to him, this was his future. Good or bad, it was now his life.

Sinister crossed his arms. "A pity Charles, I hoped that this would have gone the easy route. Oh well, I have tried to be a patient man. Just to let you know, it seems that you are an excellent teacher."

Charles eyes lit up, "What are you talking about?"

Sinister slowly walked towards the center of the room. Charles could see this room was not just used for operating. He saw many devices that he was sure Hank would love to fiddle with.

"Your X-men as you call them are coming here. Most remarkable, I have no idea how they found this location. They are persistent aren't they."

"Frost's betrayal's grows," Charles angrily replied.

Sinister spun around, and looked at Frost, she remained quiet. "Oh but she was not the one to let me know. You see I've had a little spy in your ranks, Professor, a sleeper that I've kept constant track of. He's been a little experiment of mine since he was a boy."

"They would never betray me," Charles countered.

"Regardless, things have changed now. I no longer have the time I need to accomplish my ends. My agenda has been hastened, I need to break down that block of yours before they arrive."

Charles gasped as Centurion suddenly covered his mouth with a cloth. Immediately his head began to swim. He clawed at Centurion's hands, he struggled to fight the effects, but the chemical in the cloth was to strong. He fell limp in the chair.

"Place him on the table, if you please, Centurion," Sinister said.

Lifting Charles from the chair, he carried his limp form to a table. Peter scrambled after him, he was wringing his hands in worry. He stood by Charles side as Centurion quickly began to strap him in, Sinister did not want to take any chances that Charles would be able to fight off the effects of the chemical he used to disable him.

"Why are you doing all this?" Frost demanded. She rushed towards Sinister. "Haven't I done all that you've asked of me?"

"Yes my dear Emma, that and much more."

"They why do you still insist on wanting him? I'm here, Sinister. I've given you everything you've needed. What does he have, that I don't have?"

"In one word my dear Emma….loyalty." Strapped in, Sinister stood over Charles. He placed his hand on his head, gently stroking him. "Charles Xavier is a rare man. He puts himself, his life above others. His loyalty runs true and deep." He looked up and glared at Frost. "A trait my dear, that I'm afraid is not part of your make-up. Your true colors have come through time and again. Changing your loyalty from Shaw to Magneto, and then again to me."

"With Charles I have something there that I can work on. I can twist his loyalty towards me. He will be my most faithful and in time, my most powerful ally. But you Emma, there is not a loyal bone in your diamond body. Your only concern is for you and you alone, and that will not do in the world I am creating. So to answer your question, no Emma, you are not like Charles, you are nothing like him!" Sinister hissed.

Emma's eyes grew wide, she struggled against the cloth that Centurion wrapped around her face. The chemical placed in it worked just as quickly on her as it did on Charles. In seconds her body went limp. Sinister turned his attention back to Charles.

"Lock her up until I'm ready to work on extracting her mutant genes," he ordered Centurion.

Throwing her over his shoulder, Centurion nodded his head at Charles. "Will you be all right alone with him?"

"Oh yes," Sinister purred. He gently stroked Charles hair. "We'll be just fine."

Centurion quickly exited the room, taking Frost to her Cell. Sinister checked to make sure the restraints were tight. Pulling one from under the table he strapped Charles head down.

"I wanted it to be your choice, Professor, it would have been so much better that way, but your will proved to be much stronger than I anticipated." He saw Charles eyes flicker, slowly they began to open. He looked up and saw Sinister standing over him. He struggled as he found himself restrained. "Just relax, Professor, we have little time and I have much to do."

Sinister slowly took off the halo he wore. "I'm so very sorry Professor, but it appears that you will be one of the few to experience my most special gift." Charles saw Sinister's red eyes changed, they grew lighter until they were just as pale as his creations.

They soon grew so light that he could swear they were glowing. Sinister stood over Charles, his eyes seemed to bore right into him. "There is a fine line between loyalty and fear, Professor. I've learned that over the years. I have to find your greatest fear, and use it to give me your unquestionable loyalty. Now I just need to….," Sinister lifted his hands, he touched his fingers on either side of Charles head. As his eyes glowed brighter, Charles let out a scream that filled the room. He felt as if Sinister's fingers were reaching into his mind, manipulating it. He closed his eyes and tried to fight it.

He heard Sinister laugh, "Yes, fight me Professor, you are a worthy opponent, but in the end you will be my finest creation."

Centurion stopped, he heard Charles screams coming from the lab. He continued on, once his master was done there would be a new addition to their family. For now he had to get rid of the old one.

Charles screams drifted through the caverns until they reached a small cell. Magneto immediately stood up. He could hear the agony in Charles screams, the pain cut right into him. His power increased as his anger grew with each cry of pain. As his power increased the electricity in the bars began to dance from bar to bar. Magneto's shouts of pain joined Charles, as the lightening mutants began bombarding the cell.

Magneto fell to his knees, he fisted his hands, and struggled to fight back, but it was to much for him. Falling on the floor he fought the pain, as the screams filled his mind.

Sinister dug his finger's deep into Charles head, his eyes glowed brighter as he searched into Charles mind. He had to find something he could use, had to find Charles greatest fear.

Charles battled to keep Sinister out. He felt as if snakes were crawling into every corner of his mind. Sinister was searching for something, and he would not stop until he found it. Charles struggled to stop Sinister but his resistance was fading, as he felt himself fall deeper into a dark pit, he suddenly saw a light. He heard a voice say, "Help, friend."

Sinister dug deeper into Charles mind, his mutant's previous sessions had managed to crack a door open, he just had to find it. He felt Charles fighting him. It was not going to be easy, but then he knew this from the start. Charles Xavier's will, was the strongest he has come across his entire life. He would make an excellent ally. Sinister struggled to go deeper into Charles mind, but he was constantly coming up against walls and blockades. Just as he was about to give up, he sighed in relief as he found the open door. It was a memory of Charles. A very strong memory hidden deep, so deep he knew it had to be important.

"Yes, Charles. I see that you have a dark secret, one that you have kept hidden, locked away for some time now." Sinister concentrated harder. His eyes glowed brighter as he worked on opening the door wider. "Why is it hidden Xavier, why keep it locked away for so long?" he grunted, as he strained harder to break the wall. He could feel a weakness flush through him, Charles fighting back. He began to fear that perhaps he was to strong, then it happened. He felt the barriers shatter, the door opening to allow him in.

Sinister closed his eyes, and stepped into the hidden memory. He saw Charles as a young boy, sitting in front of his mother in the kitchen. She was angry with him, very angry.

"Eat it," she shouted at him.

Charles shook his head, the food on the plate was everything he hated to eat. "When you are grown up you will have to do things you don't want to do. I am trying to make you a man, now eat it."

Charles bit his lower lip and shook his head. "Very well," she jumped up and grabbed his arm. "It's time to teach you another lesson." She dragged him out of the kitchen and through the halls of the mansion,

Charles dug his heels in the rug, "Please mother, not again, please don't do it."

"Enough! I'm sick and tired of your whining. Now stop crying like a baby, this is going to make you a man."

She pulled him into a dark room, Charles screams turned frantic. He begged and pleaded with his mother, but she was to strong. She pulled open a closet door and threw Charles inside. He slid on the wooden floor. His hands gripped the wood, scrambling to get up his screams took on a different pitch as the door was slammed shut. He was plunged into total darkness.

"No mother," young Charles screamed. "Please, let me out. Let me out!"

"You are going to stay in there until I say you can come out," he heard her scream back. He listened carefully as her footsteps faded.

Charles pounded on the door, he screwed his eyes shut and continued to scream until he was hoarse. He shook and cried himself to sleep in the darkness of the closet. Sinister saw Charles in his later years, avoiding any dark rooms, it was a fear that increased, as he grew older. It grew so strong that he locked it away in his mind, forgotten it even existed, until today.

Sinister pulled out of Charles mind, he had to step back and catch his breath. It took a lot out of him to break into Charles hidden memory. He laughed with relief, this was exactly what he needed, he could use this. He took a step forward and breathed in. It always weakened him when he used his power. Shaking it off, he took in another breath. He was so close now, so close he could taste it. "So, you fear darkness, my friend, being locked up, abandoned." He knew now how to turn Charles loyalty towards him.

Stepping closer he again dug his finger's into Charles forehead, but this time he had a different purpose. He entered Charles mind and implanted a new memory.

Charles mother pulled him into a dark room, his screams turned frantic. He begged and pleaded with his mother, but she was to strong. She pulled open a closet door and threw Charles inside. He slide on the wooden floor. His hands gripped the wood, scrambling to get up his screams took on a different pitch as the door was slammed shut. He was plunged into total darkness.

"No mother," young Charles screamed. "Please, let me out. Let me out!"

"You are going to stay in there until I say you can come out," he heard her scream back. He listened carefully as her footsteps faded.

Charles pounded on the door, he screwed his eyes shut and continued to scream until he was hoarse. He was afraid, no one was there to help him. He just wanted someone to help him. Then he felt the door move, it slowly opened, strong arms reached in and carried Charles out. The arms embraced him, he felt safe, loved. Charles looked up and saw Sinister looking down at him.

"I promise you, Charles. She will never harm you again. You will never be alone again." Charles began to cry, "Promise? he asked him.

Sinister hugged the small boy tightly, "With my dying breath."

Sinister continued to change Charles memories, with each obstacle he faced, Sinister was now there to help him through. Through out his life Sinister was there again and again.

Sinister gasped as he pulled back, he was panting and sweating. He never felt so weak in his life. He held onto the table for support. The glow in his eyes blinked out, they returned to their blood red color. He shook his head, this was the worst he ever felt. It was why he rarely used his gift. Each time it always took a bit out of him. It came to a point that he needed to choose wisely when he would use it. The pain in his mind lingered longer this time, dug deeper. He wondered, was it worth it?

Ignoring the pain, he leaned over Charles and searched deep into his eyes. Was it there? Did it work, did he change his loyalty towards him?

Charles light blue eyes blinked, he looked up at Sinister. Then he saw it, yes, it was there. The same look he saw from Centurion, and his Nob's.

"Charles," he uttered. "Tell me now, do you swear your allegiance to me?"

He wanted to cry as he heard Charles say, "With my dying breath."