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Mutant and Proud

Chapter 25: We've Come So Far

"I don't know if I can do this Charles." I stated it felt like the night before Cuba all over again, except this time I didn't know whether we could do this. I was only just beginning to get a small grip on my powers and that wasn't going to be enough to stop Raven and Erik and make the future a better place for us all.

"We can do this together." He replied his pain had started to subside after he had stopped taking the serum Hank had provided for him for years, which meant he was now bound to his wheelchair. "We will stop them and make sure the future is not one of destruction."

"Are you sure we can do this?"

"As sure as I was when we defeated Shaw."

"Well I'd be a bit more optimistic if I hadn't have died on that beach and Erik didn't deflect a bullet into your back and cause your paralysis." I mused sighing as I picked up my glass of scotch off of the table. "I can't believe how much has changed."

"We just have to believe that they are the people we knew; deep down that they will do the right thing."

The next morning we had all gathered downstairs ready to fly to Washington where they were unveiling the Sentinel programme, the programme that would end all of mutant kind.

"Maybe this is all meant to happen, what if we change it and we create a worse future?" Hank asked he had a point we didn't know what could change in the future once we changed it today. Although I'm sure it wasn't as bad as what the future was currently.

"Believe me there is no worse future than the one we are facing right now." Logan responded and out of everyone in the room, he was the one that knew just how bad the future was.

"We won't be able to convince them around, they're long gone." Hank stated I'd almost forgotten about the relationship between him and Raven, but surely deep down he still believed that she was still the Raven he'd first met and fallen for.

"Just because someone stumbles and loses their way, it doesn't mean they're lost forever. No, I don't believe that theory, Hank. I cannot believe it's who she is." Charles interjected Hank nodded along, maybe he didn't fully believe Charles but maybe he was slightly convinced. "Ready the plane, we're going to Washington."

Charles' P.O.V

This was our chance, our second chance to right the future. If we did this all future generations could live without the fear that the sentinels would obliterate them, that they could live their lives without the worst fear possible. Maybe it wouldn't be the perfect future we all wished for, maybe we would all still be feared and persecuted for who we were but at least we could rule out total annihilation.

"I haven't found her yet, but she must be here." I kept scanning through the crowds that had gathered for this grand unveiling, but none of them were Raven.

"Ladies and Gentleman, the President of the United States."

"You don't think she'd be able to infiltrate the President's team?" Laura asked as the President took the stage followed by his entourage including Mr Trask.

"With Trask and his capability to find mutants, it wouldn't be feasible." Hank answered he was right of course, Trask was able to identify her once before so why couldn't he do it once more. Unless she was that far set on this path that she didn't care about herself.

"In the immortal words of Oppenheimer, behold the world will never be the same." President Nixon addressed the audience before the flag behind him on stage fell down revealing the large robotic structures that were the sentinels.

"So this is what destroys us all in the future?" Laura asked as everyone stared up at the giant machines.

"Yes." Logan replied once more facing the machines that had ruined so many lives in his future.

"Well let's stop this once and for all."

"I've found her." I stated as I stopped Raven from moving at all, she had taken the disguise of a man, who at that moment had stood up and was about to take the stage. Logan and Hank began to move towards her, leaving me to keep hold of her with Laura by my side.

"Raven please listen to me, we've been given another chance to show them who we are. Don't do this."

"Let me go Charles."

The sentinels began to come to life and lift off the floor everyone around us started applauding.

"I don't think Trask had this in mind." Laura stated. "He doesn't look happy that they've been activated. You don't think…" And then all of a sudden they began firing on the crowd making me lose Raven as the President, his entourage and Trask were ushered to a safer place.

"Erik!"

Laura's P.O.V

"We've got to move now." I stated as Erik finally made his appearance holding up an entire stadium where steel girders started to fall down. I was able to move some of the debris away from Charles and I, but I was so out of tune with my powers I missed one pillar coming down towards us. Charles shoved me to the side as he leapt out of his wheelchair. "CHARLES!"

"I'm fine, I'm fine."

"I'm so sorry…I should have…I should have stopped this."

"Calm down, I'm fine we need to stop him, you need to stop him." Charles reasoned the stadium was acting as a barrier allowing Erik to face the President without any intervention. "You have to believe that the Erik you love is still there."

"What if he's not?"

"He is Laura, believe that he is. There is still good in him." Charles responded but as I watched him impale Logan with steel and throw him out of the stadium it was hard to believe that this was the man I knew. He brought out the safe room that the President along with Trask the group that Raven had infiltrated. "I'll handle Raven, you deal with Erik."

"Are you sure? I don't want to leave you under this."

"Save your power and go."

"You built these weapons to destroy us. Why? Because you are afraid of our gifts. Because we are different. Humanity has always feared that which is different, but I am here to tell you, to tell the world, you're right to fear us. We are the future. We are the ones who inherit this earth and anyone who stands in our way, will suffer the same fate as these men you see before you."

"Erik! Stop this."

"Today was meant to be a display of your power. Instead I give you a glimpse of the devastation my race can unleash upon yours. Let this be a warning to the world and to my mutant brothers and sisters out there, I say this. No more hiding. No more suffering. You have lived in the shadows of shame and fear for too long. Come out. Join me. Fight together in a brotherhood of our kind, a new tomorrow that starts today."

"Erik! Enough."

"I cannot let them win." He finally ended his long monologue and came down to my level.

"Win what? This is the reason they built those things. The reason they are afraid of us." I reasoned if it weren't for Cuba, if it weren't for Shaw maybe everything would be different. Sure we'd maybe all still be hiding ourselves from the world, but there wouldn't be programs like this that could kill us all.

"They should be afraid of us." He stated walking closer to me.

"Why? Because we can do this? Because we can destroy them with just a thought or a flick of the wrist?" I had to agree with them some of us could be absolutely terrifying, the possibility that we could wipe out humans with just a simple movement was terrifying.

"If we don't, they will kill us all."

"Then we show them that we are better, that we can coexist without killing each other. That we are better than animals warring over some territory."

"We are better." He stated placing a hand on my cheek, if this had been another time it would have been more of a loving gesture.

"Then we are better than this mindless killing." I added placing my hand on top of his.

"This needs to happen."

"Erik, if you do this the future is gone. We will all be annihilated. Please stop." I pleaded tears finally reaching my eyes.

"I can't." he whispered his forehead rested against mine.

"Please…I love you."

"I love you too, so please understand I have to do this, for us."

"Erik…" and then all of a sudden Raven incapacitated him and was pointing a gun straight at Trask. "Raven!"

Charles' P.O.V

"Get out of my head, Charles!"

"Raven, please do not make us the enemy today." I appeared before Raven like I had done at the airport, I just hoped that this would be enough to stop her and change our future.

"Look around you, we already are!" she yelled pointing indiscriminately around her, Erik was at her feet with Laura reaching out for her behind her.

"Not all of us, Raven. All you've done so far is save the lives of these men. You can show them a better path."

"Shut her down, Charles." Hank said but I knew I was getting through to her, I knew she wouldn't shoot Trask now.

"I've been trying to control you since the day we met, and look where that's got us. Everything that happens now is in your hands. I have faith in you, Raven."

"He's all yours, Charles." She said as she dropped the gun and removed Erik's helmet. I was able to use his powers to remove the girder that I was trapped under, before I let go of his mind.

Laura's P.O.V

"If you let them have me, I'm as good as dead, you know that." Erik stated, Charles had actually managed to convince Raven to not shoot Trask and now President Nixon was surely shown that not all mutants were bad.

"I know." Charles replied he was being supported by Hank. Erik turned towards me offering a hand.

"Join me."

"I can't…I'm sorry Erik."

"I understand, just remember I'll always love you." He answered before closing the gap between us and kissing me lightly on the lips.

"I love you too." I whispered.

"Goodbye, old friend." He said turning to face Charles.

"Goodbye, Erik." And with that he floated away leaving us in the rubble. We all turned towards Raven who smiled before she too left.

"Are you sure you should let them go?" Hank asked as I approached them, Charles smiled and nodded.

"Yes... I have hope for them. There's going to be a time, Hank, when we are all together." He stated and that thought was the most reassuring.

"And what about Logan?"

"We'll find him Hank." I stated now all we really needed to do was to fix this mess that lay around us. "You think I'll be able to shift this back in one piece to its actual place in the city?"

"Don't push yourself."

Logan's P.O.V

I woke up in a sort of a daze, I was back in the mansion…was I dead or had it all worked out? Had we actually changed the future? I started to leave the room, this was definitely the mansion, and all the kids were here, Rogue and Iceman were walking hand in hand down the corridor. Kitty was talking about science to a class of mutants with Colossus in attendance. I turned a corner and Hank in all his blue fur glory came walking down the corridor.

"Morning Logan, late start?" he laughed as he passed by me. I hoped this wasn't a dream and this was actual life. As I walked down the stairs, Storm was there ushering the children down the hall and as the hallway emptied I turned round to where the Professors' office was and there in the doorway stood.

"Jean?"

"Hey Logan." She answered turning towards me, I just couldn't believe my eyes, had we changed the future so much? "Are you alright?"

"You're here."

"Where else would I be?" she asked as I reached out to touch her but before I could a hand came out to grab my wrist."

"Wow, hold on there." And there stood Scott…this couldn't be real, they were both dead.

"Somethings never change. It's good to see you Scott."

"Uh-huh…this is weird I'm leaving." He said as he left the room, and there behind his desk was the Professor.

"Professor."

"Are you sure you're alright Logan?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm more than alright." I answered and then she left the room, maybe a little bit sceptical at my answer. "You did it."

"Did what Logan? Don't you have a class to teach?" the Professor asked as he put down a book and came round from behind his desk.

"A class?"

"Yes history." He replied it was as if I had been plucked from one timeline and squashed into another yet again, with all these memories that may never have happened.

"I may need a little help on that."

"With what?" he asked, had Charles forgotten everything that had gone on? Surely not he would have remembered me from 1973 and everything we had done to change the future.

"Pretty much everything after 1973, I think the history I know is a little bit different."

"Maybe I could help with that." I turned around to face the doorway where an older version of Laura stood…my actions had actually saved her life somehow and she'd been able to live a life she was never going to live in the old future.

"Laura?"

"Maybe a little bit older looking than last time." She joked as she entered the room and stood next to Charles.

"Welcome back Logan."

"It's good to see everyone."

"We've got a lot of catching up to do. What's the last thing you remember?"

Author's Notes:

Hi, really sorry that it has been a while I really thought I was going to be able to update more frequently but then I got a bit of writer's block especially trying to figure minor details here or there. I hope you have enjoyed this and hopefully I'll be able to update more often from now on. Thanks again for all the support it means a lot to read the reviews and see it being favorited and followed.