Hey guys! How's everyone doing today? Here's part 2 of First Class cause a lot of the major changes that I've been thinking about and implementing need the solid foundation First Class provides so the rest of the changes I make in the other movies don't just collapse in on themselves…I hope. Anyways, go ahead and read on and I hope you all enjoy the changes I've made.
Like always, I enjoy any comments, except for those that are just full of negativity and not constructive at all. Just give me something to work with instead of just "It's bad." I also appreciate any positive constructive criticism since I'm always looking to improve my writing and storytelling capabilities. Thanks for reading this story! Virtual hugs and cuddles to y'all.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything except any OC's that may come up, any world building that has not yet been officially stated by any medium, and any plot points/structures that have not been used in the books or movies.
Warning: No beta, we die like canon cause superhero timelines are the worst.
Chapter 2: X-Men First Class Pt.2
XXXXXX
"Are you sure about this, Erik?" Bill asks as he sits in the back of the moving truck with Moira, Erik, and a few armed agents. The driver of the truck, a rather timid farmer, was kind enough (read: influenced) to give them a ride to their destination.
Erik glares at him, annoyed. "That is the 34th time you asked me that question, William."
"It's Bill," he mutters.
"My answer is not going to change no matter how many times you ask, Charles" Erik continues on as if he didn't hear him. "And besides, don't you think it's a little late to be asking that considering we're already in Russia."
Bill sighs. "I just wanted to be sure that you were absolutely certain that this is the course of action you want to take."
"Yes, it is," Erik says through gritted teeth, "And if you ask me that question again, I'm going to knock you out of this truck soldiers be damned."
"Boys, boys, do you want us to pull over so you can whip'em out and measure?" Moira asks, completely exasperated and done with the married couple/pissing contest between the two men. "Or do you want me to officiate a ceremony instead? I am qualified."
Bill sputters in response, turning red as a blush spreads all the way across his face and down his neck.
Erik grunts. "Why would you need to become an officiant in the first place?"
Moira raises an eyebrow, curious as to Erik's focus on her second question instead of the first like Bill. "Is there something you guys forgot to tell me? Did you stop at Vegas during your recruitment trip?"
Bill sputters even more, the blush starting to rival a tomato in color.
Erik frowns, not getting it at all. "I don't quite understand what you mean, Agent MacTaggert. What does Las Vegas have to do with your officiant status?"
"Okay, first of all, it's Moira. How many times do I need to tell you that?" Moira says as Erik shrugs. "And second of all..." she trails off when she sees Bill frantically waving a hand over his throat in a "don't, please stop" kind of way. "You don't need to know," she concludes.
Bill slumps in relief as Erik switches his gaze back and forth between the two of them.
"What?" Erik demands. "What is it? What don't I know?"
Moira smiles sweetly at him. "Don't worry about it. It's just an American thing."
Erik nods slowly, only half buying that explanation and already making plans to drag the answer out of Bill once they were on the plane back to America.
Suddenly the truck slows down. It comes to a jerky halt, putting everyone on high alert. Moira knocks on the closed window dividing the front compartment and the back. The window opens and the nervous farmer peeks through.
"What's going on?" she asks.
"Border patrol," the farmer responds before sliding the window shut.
Moira sits back heavily onto her seat. "Well, shit. What do we do?"
Bill shakes off his blush and clears his throat. Moira looks over to him as he points at himself and then at his head.
She blushes a bit in embarrassment. "Oh...right...forgot about that."
Bill reaches out to the minds of the Russian soldiers and the farmer, concentrating on making sure that they'd only see the empty back of the truck when they opened the doors.
From the perspective of the farmer, he nervously flings the doors open, bracing himself to get shot. However, his eyes widen as he and the soldiers don't see anyone or anything besides the empty back of the truck.
The soldier makes a snide joke about the farmer's profits but the farmer's honestly more relieved to be able to leave with his life.
The truck passes through without incident, much to everyone's relief, and it drops them off at their destination. The farmer leaves to park his truck nearby in an inconspicuous location with a wallet many rubles heavier.
Then they wait for Shaw to arrive.
Soon a small helicopter lands in the clearing before the mansion of the Russian Military Official's house. They all watch intently through binoculars as they see Emma step off and wait for Shaw to follow. However, the helicopter takes off back into the air, leaving Emma behind.
"What's going on?" Erik asks in confusion.
"Hold on, let me see," Bill says as he narrows his eyes on concentration. His mind reaches out towards one of the two soldiers posted by the entrance. He watches as Emma kisses the Russian General on both cheeks with a roll of her eyes before quickly giving a charming, flirtatious smile. He listens as she tells the General that Shaw wasn't going to come and then proceeds to flirt as the General leads her inside with a perverted smile.
"He's not coming," Bill announces.
Moira sighs. "Guess that means the mission's aborted, guys. Let's head back."
"I think not," Erik vehemently protests, "She's his right hand woman. Even if he's not here, she's the next best thing."
Moira quickly grabs Erik's arm as he pushes himself up. "Woah! Hold on!" she exclaims. "The CIA can't just go barging into a Russian General's home. The paperwork and red tape alone would be a nightmare!"
Erik grins at her. "Well it's a good thing I'm not CIA."
He springs up, deaf to Bill and Moira's protests, and runs to the entrance of the house. Bill, Moira, and one of the agents watch as he uses the barbed wire around the gates to trap the Russian soldiers standing guard and drag them into the nearby woods.
"Okay, we need to pull out now before that guy starts world war three," the agent said as he pushes himself off the ground and goes to alert the other agents.
Moira protests as Bill returns his attention to Erik who's just kneed a soldier in the face and chokes out another two with the chains of their dog tags. They drop like flies as Erik slows his frantic run down into a leisurely stroll through the front door.
"I'm sorry, Moira, but I can't leave him," Bill says as he gets up and runs after Erik.
Moira can only stare after Bill before scrambling after the agent to stop them from pulling out.
Bill walks past the front door and follows the path of destruction and carnage Erik left in his wake. He grimaces when he sees the body of a soldier with a pool of blood growing underneath him from a wound made by a knife held in his own hand.
He picks up the pace and manages to catch Erik just as he ruthlessly cuts the throat of another soldier.
"Erik!" he shouts.
"You can't stop me, Charles," Erik pants out.
"It's Bill and I'm not going to stop you," he responds.
"Then why are you here?" Erik demands.
Bill smiles wryly. "Because you're going the wrong way."
He moves towards the stairs and climbs them two steps at a time. Erik shakes his surprise off and follows. The two men make their way through the mansion and burst through a large, ornate set of doors.
They're greeted with the sight of the Russian General seated on his bed, making out with someone who isn't there. Emma sits off to the side, nibbling on a cracker and wearing a rather fancy pair of white lace lingerie.
Her head snaps towards them and she groans, "Not you two."
The General stops his actions when the mental illusion of Emma disappears and he sees two strange men standing before his bedroom doors. He quickly whips out his gun.
"Go to sleep," Bill sharply demands.
The General slumps back on his bed, unconscious. Emma finishes off the cracker and stands up. Her skin turns to diamond as she walks over to face them.
Bill narrows his eyes in concentration.
"You can stop trying to read my mind, sugar," Emma says with a roll of her eyes, "You're never gonna get anything out of me while I'm like this."
Bill flinches when the sharp cut of her diamond skin stops his mental reach in its tracks. Erik frowns in response. Suddenly, the metal posts and fixtures of the bed lash out and wrap themselves around Emma's wrists. They drag her back and bind her to the bed. She struggles and pulls against the improvised metal cuffs but can't break free.
"So then you can just tell us," Erik calmly states as he walks over to her. Bill follows with a frown and a worried expression as he glances over at Erik.
"Where's Shaw?" Erik demands.
Emma stays silent and continues to struggle against her bonds. Erik stares furiously at her and metal posts wrap themselves around her neck.
"Erik?" Bill asks, worry growing with each passing moment.
The posts around Emma's neck tighten and she shifts nervously as she's slowly choked out in a definitively non-sexual way.
"Erik, that's enough," Bill demands as the posts tighten even further and Emma struggles to breathe.
Erik continues to ignore him, only focusing on his rage. Soon Emma's eyes start to roll up and Bill steps in. He takes his mental hand and slaps Erik's mind, hard.
Erik flinches harshly in response. The post around Emma's neck immediately loosens and she greedily draws in breath. Her diamond skin withdraws as well.
"What did you do that for?" Erik demands, glaring at Bill.
Bill glares right back. "You came here for information. What good is she if she's dead?" he retorts harshly. "Not every problem requires violence and death, Erik."
Erik scoffs. "Fine. She's all yours," he bites out as he walks over to the whiskey tumbler nearby and pours himself a glass. "She won't be shifting into her diamond form anytime soon."
Bill frowns as he watches Erik down the whiskey before pouring himself more. His frown deepens when he sees how pale and sweaty Erik is. His hands were shaking slightly as he lifts the glass back up to his lips.
"What?" Erik asks when he sees Bill watching.
"Nothing," Bill says, shaking his head and walking over to Emma.
She glares as he crouches before her and narrows his eyes in concentration. Fortunately, Bill doesn't have to dig far to find out Shaw's plans and location. Unfortunately, neither of the two bits of information bode well.
"We need to go now," Bill says, standing abruptly with a sense of urgency that has Erik jumping to his feet in concern.
"What's wrong? Did you get anything useful?" Erik asks.
"Yes and that's why we need to leave now," Bill insists as he pushes Erik out of the room.
"What's going on?" Erik demands, digging his heels in and stopping them both in their tracks.
"Shaw's planning to start world war three, a nuclear holocaust where all of humanity, except for mutants, are wiped out and he will rise to be their supreme leader," Bill explains in a rush.
Erik nods apathetically. "Okay but where is he?"
Bill looks at him with such a strong look of fear and anger in his eyes that it actually startles him a bit. "The CIA Headquarters."
"It was a rather brilliant plan don't you think?" Emma calls out with a smile.
The two men turn to her as her smile turns smug.
"He knew that the moment that CIA agent saw us, it would start a chain reaction that would push them to gather other mutants in order to combat him," she crows, "Then he'd have even more support in realizing his true vision for the world. Reuniting with Erik was just the cherry on top."
Erik steps forward, ready to choke her out again but Bill places a hand on his chest to stop him. Erik looks at Bill and actually steps back a bit in fear when he sees the shockingly neutral expression on his face.
"Shaw's plan will never come to fruition," Bill declares firmly, "I'll make sure of that."
"And what are you going to do about it, sugar?" Emma smugly asks, "He's got countermeasures in place for people like us and if those little mutants of yours try to indulge in some misplaced rebellion and defiance, well..."
Bill slowly smiles and both Emma and Erik flinch. Because it's not like the usual professional smiles he puts on for politeness sake. This smile was one that was wide and all teeth and completely unnerving in the way it didn't reach his eyes. In fact, there were no emotions at all in his eyes. They looked completely dark and dead. It was like he was a completely different person.
Emma shifts into her diamond form as Bill leisurely meanders over to crouch in front of her again.
"Do you want to know what I'm going to do?" Bill calmly asks.
Emma trembles fearfully, mouth clamped tightly shut.
"I'll tell you what I'm going to do," Bill says, wide smile still in place, "I'm going...to make. Him. Float."
Emma's body suddenly seizes as an indescribable fear grips her entire being. She gasps and chokes as her diamond form melts away. Tears fall down her face as her eyes slowly roll back. Then, like a puppet with its strings cut, she slumps forward, unconscious.
Bill calmly stands and turns his gaze onto Erik who tenses, fearfully. His hands flex by his side as Bill walks over to stand before him. He flinches as Bill leans towards him.
"Are you afraid of me, Erik?" Bill whispers in his ear.
Erik's mouth stays glued shut as terror grips his heart.
"You don't have to be afraid of me. You're a dear friend of mine," Bill whispers reassuringly, "So I'm not going to make you float just yet."
Then Bill leans back and the dead look in his eyes disappears. He blinks as if coming into awareness and looks at the scene before him.
"Well don't just stand there, Erik!" Bill exclaims, "I see you've already taken your rage out on Emma despite my advice. We have to get back to the CIA Headquarters as quickly as possible!"
He grabs Erik's wrist and pulls him out of the room, dragging him out of the mansion as quickly as possibly. The entire time Erik can only think about how he thought he knew everything there was to know about this idealistic but surprisingly not naive professor. But given what just happened, he can only surmise that he actually knew nothing at all.
Only the tip of the deceptively large iceberg that was William Charles Xavier.
XXXXXX
The younger mutants have all gathered in the rec room again. This time they're not going all out and having the time of their lives but instead just lounging around and chilling.
Raven leans her head against a heavily blushing Hank's shoulder as she nurses a bottle of coke. Hank is completely stiff and afraid that even a single twitch could have her running away. Alex, Sean, and Darwin all hang around a pinball machine, which is the only other source of entertainment besides each other. Alex is one hundred percent focused on beating Darwin's high score while the others shit talk at him. Angel lounges on a loveseat and smiles amusedly at the sight. Her gaze turns flirtatious when Darwin sneaks a glance and waggles his brow at her.
Suddenly, a distant thumping noise has everyone pausing what they're doing and looking around in confusion. The thumping noise continues erratically.
"What is that?" Alex asks as he walks towards the window and looks out. He sees nothing and turns to shrug at the others.
Angel gets up off her seat and goes over to the door of the rec room. She opens it and pokes her head, turning it side to side but also seeing nothing.
All of them share confused looks as the thumping noise continues. The noise grows louder and closer with each thump until they can all definitively hear something thump from outside. Alex looks outside again and his jaw drops.
"Uhh...guys?" he calls out, beckoning them all to join him by the window. "I think we might have a problem."
"What is it?" Raven asks as she cautiously walks over to stand by him.
Before he can answer, the body of Agent Oliver Platt lands before them. His skull cracks open like an egg. His limbs bend in ways they shouldn't be bent and his eyes stare out into nothingness.
Raven shouts out in shock. The guys jump back in surprise and Angel huddles behind Darwin, clutching at his back in fear.
Lights turn on and sirens blare as more bodies fall from the sky. Another body lands close by, shattering the glass of the balcony only a few feet away from them.
Armed agents swarm out into the quad, standing guard in front of the window of the rec room.
"Stand back!" one of the agents shouts at them, waving a hand for them to move back.
They follow his orders but all shout out when a man with red skin and a devil's tail appears in the middle of the agents. The man disappears in a puff of red smoke and quickly reappears, slitting the throat of one of the agents and using another agent's gun to take out the rest.
Everyone dives to take cover behind one of the couches when bullets shatter the window of the rec room. They all cover their faces and their ears as the screams of dying agents followed by their falling bodies sound throughout the air.
"We need to get out of here!" Darwin shouts, ushering everyone onto their feet and towards the rec room door.
A thunderous crack stops them in their track. They all turn to see a giant tornado tearing apart the Cerebro installation until there was nothing left except for tons of debris. The tornado disappears to reveal a man in a grey suit and Fabio hairstyle leisurely walking towards them on their right.
A thump from their left has them snapping their heads over to see the devil man flicking blood off his blades. He looks up at them. They all flinch in response as he too makes his way over to them.
They all back towards the only unblocked exit of the rec room but stop when screams echo from outside.
"Please! Don't kill me! I did what you asked," an agent pleads from outside the door, "I have two kids. They need me! Please!"
The agent's pleas die with a gurgle and there's only silence left. The doors suddenly open and the group backs up to the wall on the other side.
Another man in a suit steps forth. He's wearing an ugly metal helmet with a T shaped opening that reveals cold eyes and a repulsively charming smile. Smugness at ensured victory radiates off him in almost visible waves.
"Oh good! The telepath's not here. Then I won't be needing this," he says, calmly taking his helmet off and widens his smile to show teeth.
"Good evening. My name's Sebastian Shaw and I am not here to hurt you," Shaw introduces with his charisma dial turned up to one hundred but the others are still unnerved by his presence.
An agent suddenly appears. "Freeze!" he shouts as he aims his gun.
Shaw frowns. "Azazel," he commands, as if ordering someone to swat an annoying fly.
The red skinned man, Azazel, disappears with a puff and reappears behind the agent, quickly stabbing him through the heart. He flicks his blade clean and reappears by Shaw's side.
"My friends...a revolution is coming!" Shaw exclaims as he slowly walks towards them, acting as if a man wasn't just murdered right then and there, "When mankind discovers who we are and what we can do...we will each face a choice."
"Be enslaved," he says, looking directly at Darwin who flinches. Alex grabs his shoulder in support and he nods gratefully. "Or rise up to rule," Shaw says, turning to look at Angel who moves to tuck herself by Raven.
"Choose freely but know that if you are not with us, then by definition you are against us," Shaw says, turning his gaze onto Raven who wraps her arms protectively around Angel and the guys huddle closely around them.
He stands before them trying to act charismatic in a way that only Bill could truly achieve. He talks like a leader but all of them can hear the underlying narcissism in his tone.
"So, you can stay and fight for the people who hate you," he looks to Sean who flinches before looking at Alex who grimaces, "Or fear you."
"Or you can join me! And live like Kings," Shaw proclaims as he looks at Hank who lowers his gaze, jaw clenched tightly. "Or Queens," Shaw whispers reverently to Angel as he holds a hand out to her.
Angel looks down at his offered hand, then back up. "I've met a lot of men like you, talking big and making promises to girls like me. But you're all the same in the end."
"But we're not all the same, I assure you," Shaw purrs, "I always follow through on my promises. Just ask my associates."
He gestures out to Azazel and the tornado mutant who both nod.
"I know that now. One of those guys, I actually believe him," Angel says.
Shaw smiles as if he's won a match before the final score was even announced. Then that smile drops when Angel states firmly, "And I'm sorry to say that the guy I'm talking about ain't you. So you can take your pretty promises and shove'em up your ass cause they aren't for me."
She purses her lips and spits a ball of acid at Shaw's face. The acid hits him right between the eyes and he stumbles back as the acid sizzles against his skin. Everyone stands there, hopeful that maybe this'll be the end of it. But that hope dies when Shaw straightens and they watch, horrified, as the acid dissolves into his skin and reveals itself to be unblemished.
Shaw tuts at Angel like she's just a child throwing a temper tantrum. "You shouldn't have done that, my dear."
He glows a sinister yellow orange color as he lifts his hand out towards her. A glowing ball of energy shoots out from his hand with a direct trajectory towards Angel who stands still in shock.
"Angel!" Darwin cries out as he jumps in front of her and takes the blow to the chest, right where his heart is.
Everyone cries out as he flies back to the wall with a force that cracks the concrete structure. He slides down with a pained groan. The area where he got hit sizzles and burns with acid that his body changes form and texture to combat against.
The others huddle around Angel for some semblance of protection even though they're all trembling in fear.
"Protecting your fellow mutant, eh? What a noble gesture," Shaw mocks as he walks towards Azazel with the tornado mutant following after him.
"Well I'll be taking my leave for now, but if you ever change your mind," Shaw turns to them with a slimy grin, "Just call me."
Azazel places a hand on Shaw and the tornado mutant's shoulder and they all disappear in a puff of red smoke.
Everyone relaxes once they're sure that Shaw is actually gone. Then a pained groan catches everyone's attention.
"Darwin!" Angel cries out in worry as she rushes over to check on him.
The others follow as they gather around Darwin who groans again as Angel gently lifts his head.
"Why did you do that?" She demands as Hank and Raven separate from the huddle to go look for first aid supplies.
"Had to...protect you...all of you..." he grunts out through the pain. He smiles, though it comes out more as a grimace, at her. "Besides...I'm basically immortal...adapt to survive and all..."
He hisses in pain and curls inward.
"That doesn't mean your invulnerable, you idiot!" she tearfully shouts at him
"Am I your idiot though?" Darwin cheekily asks.
Angel chokes back a sob. "Is this you're way of asking me out? Cause lemme tell you, there are thousands of ways you could've done that and this is definitely not one of them."
Darwin smiles at her and his eyelids flutter shut. His breathing slows until it finally stops.
"Darwin? Darwin?" Angel gently asks before growing hysterical, "No! Please, no!"
Just then Hank and Raven return with medical supplies.
"Oh no!" Raven breathes out as she sees a hysterically sobbing Angel draped over Darwin's still body.
Alex punches the wall with a shout of rage. Sean clutches his head between his hands, eyes wide and muttering to himself in shock.
"Wait guys!" Hank shouts out, catching everyone's attention as he points to Darwin in hope. "Look!"
They all look to Darwin as Angel lifts herself off of him. For a nerve-wracking moment, they all stare and wonder what Hank was yelling about. Then they watch as Darwin's skin shifts and the acid wound disappears. Darwin takes in a shuddering breath that has Angel crying out and pulling him into a hug.
The guys shout out in joy and Raven drops down to the floor in relief.
However the cheerfulness soon stops when they realize that Darwin was not waking up.
Hank quickly rushes over to examine him.
"Hank, what's wrong with him? Why isn't he waking up?" Angel asks fearfully, "He should be fine now right? He adapted and he survived. So why isn't he waking up?"
Hank's brow furrows in thought. "It's highly possible that the trauma of Shaw's attack combined with the way his body shut down to prevent further damage and recover caused a chain reaction that simulated death so his brain shut down as well and it suffered a lack of oxygen that even if only for a few seconds, could cause massive damage," he rambles while still examining Darwin.
"What does that mean, Hank? Is he going to be okay?" Angel asks, grabbing Hank by the arms to get him to focus.
"Yes, he'll be fine but..." Hank trails off nervously.
She persists, desperately needing answers. "But what, Hank? Why won't he wake up?"
Hank takes a deep breath in and out. "Based on a combination of factors, Darwin's fallen into a coma and even with his mutation, there's no telling when, or even if, he's going to wake up."
XXXXXX
Bill, Erik, and Moira all make their way towards the younger mutants sans Darwin who sit, huddled together, against a bench with the wreckage of what little remains of the CIA facility building behind them.
"Bill!" Raven cries out in relief when she lifts her head and sees him. She jumps off the bench and throws her arms around him.
The two siblings squeeze each other tightly.
"Are you all alright?" Bill asks, leaning back to scan her body for injuries.
"We're alright," Raven reassures him, "But Darwin..."
"I know. We heard," Bill grimaces, "They really don't know when he'll wake up?"
"They don't even know if he'll wake up," Raven chokes out, holding back a sob.
The two walk back over to where everyone has congregated.
"So what now?" Sean asks hesitantly.
Bill sighs. "I think now you all need to go home."
Immediately, the younger mutants release a storm of protests, even his sister chimes in unhelpfully. She merely gives him a look when he levels an unimpressed stare at her.
"No objections! It's too dangerous for you all to stay any longer," Bill insists, "We should've never brought you together here in the first place."
"So you're saying this was all a mistake?" Angel tearfully demands, "That we would've been better off where we were, afraid for the rest of our lives and never knowing that there were others like us?"
"No, that's not," Bill protests, before thinking better of it. He sighs and rubs at the back of his head, "Look. I will never regret giving you all the feeling of companionship you so desperately craved and rightfully deserve...but Shaw is dangerous."
"We know that, Bill," Raven interjects, "He put one of our friends in a coma that we don't even know if he'll ever get out of. He wasn't afraid to kill Angel when she openly defied him."
"But your life...the risks," he weakly protests, still trying to get them to see reason even though their minds all scream that they're not going to go anywhere, not until they've avenged their friend.
"We know the risks and we're still not going to leave anyways," Hank suddenly says. Everyone turns to him in shock, for the most timid member of the entire group just spoke up with quite a lot of spine showing in that one sentence.
"You know revenge will only lead to a vicious cycle of violence that will never end," Bill firmly states with a frown.
"I don't know about that," Erik chimes in unhelpfully, "It's been working pretty well for me."
"You nearly drowned trying to stop a submarine. You don't get an opinion," Bill snaps at him.
Erik smiles amusedly at Bill.
"Bill," Raven says, placing a hand on his arm. "We're not staying because we want to get revenge. We're staying because the only way we can stop what happened to Darwin and the agents here from happening to other innocent people, is to stop Shaw."
Bill gazes at her uncertainly. She smiles wryly at him. "And if you don't believe us, then read our minds...including mine."
He gapes at her because the one promise from their childhood that he'd always adhered to was to never read her mind without permission, permission he'd never received until now. Sighing in defeat, he shakes his head with an exasperated smile.
"I'm not going to be able to stop you all, am I?" he asks the rest of the younger mutants.
They all shake their head and smile at their victory.
"Moira, would the CIA still be willing to help in our battle against Shaw?" Bill turns to ask her.
Moira nods firmly. "Of course. Shaw attacked and killed our agents. The Director's already calling out for his blood so you'll have all the resources you need."
"But where would we go?" Erik asks, "I highly doubt we can stay here or any other CIA affiliated location considering Shaw would know where they are."
Bill and Raven share a look. She raises an eyebrow in question. He nods.
"I think I know a place," Bill responds with a cryptic smile that has everyone looking at him in confusion.
XXXXXX
They all stand before a large mansion set in a spacious field with a large forest bracketing the entire area.
Alex and Angel gape in awe at the sight of such old money and opulence. Hank's eyes sparkle as his mind races over all the space he can utilize for his experiments. Sean surprisingly looks unimpressed by the sight while Moira mouths 'rich people' to herself. Erik broods and is basically just being Erik.
Bill and Raven share a side hug as they stand before the gate of the house that hadn't been home in a long time.
"Honestly, William, I don't know how you survived living in such hardship," Erik snidely remarks with a side glance and scoffs mentally at him, 'It's no wonder you act like such an idealist, being sheltered like this your entire life.'
Bill rolls his eyes, his smile overly polite while Raven bristles like a wet cat.
She hisses. "Oh, I'll show you hardship, you little-"
"Alright!" Bill quickly interjects with a cheerful smile, "I think it's time to give you all a grand tour of the place, shall we?"
XXXXXX
Bill stands before Erik with a loaded gun pointed at the metal bender's head. He clicks the safety off with a neutral expression.
"Are you sure?" he asks, half already knowing the answer and half hoping that he's wrong.
"I'm sure," Erik states firmly as he steadies himself before the gun, placing complete focus and total concentration on the bullet within the chamber.
Bill takes in a deep breath and slowly releases it. His hand shakes slightly as he tries to steady his nerves and pull the trigger.
"I can't," he says, lowering the gun with a sigh, "I just can't point a gun and shoot someone at point blank, especially a friend."
"Oh come on! You know I can deflect it," Erik eagerly insists, grabbing Bill's wrist to pull the gun back up, "You're always telling me to challenge myself-"
"If you know you can deflect it, you're not challenging yourself," Bill interjects, pulling his arm away. "Whatever happened to the man who could slow a submarine?"
"Wha- I couldn't," Erik tries to protest, before throwing his hands up in defeat. "If you've already forgotten, the submarine dragged me instead of me dragging it. Besides, for something that big I need the situation, the anger."
Bill holds the gun out for Erik to snatch away.
"The anger's not enough," Bill states like an ultimatum.
Erik gapes at him like Bill just killed his puppy right in front of him. "Well it's gotten the job done all this time," he protests.
Bill smiles wryly at him. "You mean it's nearly gotten you killed all this time." He looks away and spots the overly large satellite dish in the distance. His smile grows giddy with excitement. "Come over here," he says, slapping Erik playfully on the arm, "Let's try something a little more challenging."
He darts off towards the railing of one of the many balconies built around the outside of the house. Erik follows after him skeptically.
XXXXXX
"My uncle was a very paranoid man," Bill explains as he leads Alex down a set of stairs that go deep underground.
Alex carries a generic store mannequin and an expression of complete confusion.
"That's why he had this underground bunker built," Bill says as he opens the heavy metal door and steps into a long bunker about the length of half a football field. "I was thinking we could use this as a range for you."
"You don't think I'm going to blow up the walls?" Alex asks as the two walk down the length of the bunker.
Bill laughs as he prompts Alex to set the mannequin down. "This shelter was built to withstand a nuclear bomb. I think it can handle you."
"You know bad things happen when I use it, right?" Alex says, doing his best to dissuade Bill from whatever crazy plan he's thinking of.
"That's because you aren't in control," Bill states with a calm smile, "It controls you. That's why we're here, Alex. That's why we're training. For you to overcome your fear and become the one in control."
XXXXXX
Sean lets out a shriek that shatters the glass of a window placed on a stand in the back of the mansion. Bill lets out an astonished laugh as Moira gapes in wonder nearby.
"What you're doing is completely incredible," Bill breathes out before rambling, "You're releasing a pitch of sound waves that is the same resonance frequency of the glass, that's why it shatters. However," he taps at his throat, "This is a muscle and like any muscle you need to train to control it."
XXXXXX
Bill and Hank run a lap around the mansion with Bill in the lead and Hank struggling to keep up. Once they complete the lap, they walk another to cool down.
"In each of us, there are two natures at war," Bill says.
Hank automatically responds, "Robert Louis Stevenson. Jekyll and Hyde."
"A plus," Bill exclaims with a reassuring smile, "However, the story wasn't about good and evil but about man's animal nature and his struggle to control it, to conform," he explains, "And it's that struggle that's holding you back, Hank."
Hank sighs. "Yeah, well, Jekyll was afraid of what he could be capable of."
"And you are too," Bill says sympathetically.
XXXXXX
"If you're serious about me doing this, you might want to step outside," Alex informs with a skeptical side-glance at Bill then back at the mannequin.
"Alright," Bill shrugs as he walks out of the bunker, "I'll even shut the door if it makes you feel better."
"Thanks," Alex says sarcastically with a roll of his eyes though his body relaxes as the large metal doors close behind him.
"Whenever you're ready!" Bill shouts out from behind the doors.
A sound of a laser firing can be heard before Alex calls out to him, sounding resigned and defeated, "Okay! You can come in now."
Bill frowns as he opens the doors before his eyes widen in realization. He quickly grabs the nearby fire extinguisher and starts putting out the multiple fires that had broken out through the entire length of the bunker. The mannequin is completely untouched.
"I will help you learn how to control this, Alex!" Bill firmly declares. His attention is solely on putting out the flames that he doesn't notice Alex smiling a bit, somewhat reassured by the declaration.
XXXXXX
"And you're sure that this will work?" Sean asks hesitantly as Bill and Hank fit him with a pair of wings not too dissimilar to those of a flying squirrel.
Hank opens his mouth to speak when Bill quickly interjects, "Of course it will work!" He pats Sean reassuringly on the back as the three of them walk to the open window. They help Sean slip himself out and seat himself along the ledge. Erik, Raven, Alex, and Angel all lean out from nearby windows to watch.
"Now remember to scream as hard as you can," Bill cheerfully states.
"And they need to be super sonic too," Hank adds, "Catch them at the right angles and they should be able to carry you."
Sean smiles sarcastically at Hank. "They should carry me? That's reassuring."
"If it helps, I can hover nearby and catch you if you fall like a brick and think you're going to break something from a two story drop onto some mattresses," Angel calls out with a bright shit eating smile.
"I think I'm good. Thanks for offering though!" Sean shouts back with a tone that's subtly calling her out.
"Good luck!" Raven calls out with the same shit eating smile as Angel.
"And don't forget to scream!" Alex shouts out, trying to be encouraging but still not.
Sean flips them all the bird before using that same hand to make a quick cross. He mumbles a short prayer under his breath before holding his arms out to the side. He slowly leans forward until he's falling off the ledge. Then he screams, high pitched but not the right high pitch, and falls onto the mattresses. He looks up at everyone with the traumatized expression of one who has almost met death.
"You'll get it next time!" Bill calls out reassuringly.
XXXXXX
Angel falls down onto the mats with a groan. Raven smiles as she stands above her, casually wiping off the thin layer of sweat from her face with a towel like she hadn't just smacked her fellow mutant down for the hundredth time.
"Why am I doing this again?" Angel asks, deciding to just lie there instead of getting up, "I can fly, spit acid, and have perfect control over my abilities so no control training needed for me."
"And what happens if your wings get injured? Or you're in an area where acid is the last thing you want to be spitting out?" Raven retorts, holding a hand out to her.
Angel tries to protest as she takes Raven's hand but stops when Raven merely pulls her up to throw her back down again.
"What happens if you fight Shaw and he uses your powers against you again?" Raven states, serious, stern, and relentless. "Darwin isn't here to protect you right now and you need to learn how to react and fight back instead of just standing there like a deer in the headlights."
Angel's further complaints crumble like wet tissues and guilt immediately floods her.
"You're right," she glumly agrees, "I'm sorry. I'll do better."
"Don't just say it, do it," Raven says with a sigh as she pulls Angel back up without any tricks this time. "Now get into the basic stance again."
XXXXXX
"That was a rather impressive lesson I have to say," Erik calls out to Raven as he magnetically lifts the heavy barbell up from her hands.
Raven sits up with a gasp, startled at the sudden intrusion.
"But if you're using half your concentration to look normal, then you're only half paying attention to whatever else you're doing," Erik says as he walks towards her.
Raven glares at him for his unasked for and very much unneeded advice.
He shrugs in the face of her annoyance. "Just pointing out something that could save your life."
Suddenly the barbell drops down and Raven throws her hands up to catch it before it could crush her face. Her skin ripples but does not change. Erik raises an eyebrow in surprise before smoothing his features to neutral.
"Impressive control," he sincerely compliments, though the sincerity behind it is highly debatable.
Raven smiles sarcastically at him as she resets the barbell and shifts into her original blue form. "Thanks, Captain Obvious. You think neither Bill nor I ever thought about the concentration that goes into my shifts? You're a decade late to that discussion."
Erik merely smiles. "That's all well and good but how can you expect society to accept you if you can't even accept yourself."
Then he walks out of the training room leaving a frowning yet thoughtful Raven behind.
XXXXXX
"Doesn't this look sexy," Alex sarcastically remarks as he looks down at the metal plate attachment Hank unceremoniously threw over him.
"Well it's just the prototype so the next model will look considerably better it'll be a whole suit!" Hank rambles on as he points at various metal components, "See these sensors measure your energy output, this panel focuses it, and then the excess is absorbed."
"That's fascinating and all but how exactly is this supposed to help me?" Alex asks, skeptically.
Bill smiles secretively and reassuringly. "Why don't you try hitting just the mannequin in the middle and see for yourself?"
He pats Alex on the back and then ushers Hank out with him. The doors close and Alex gazes at the three mannequins uncertainly for a moment. Then he decides to suck it up and release his energy. The plate concentrates the chaotic energy into a beam but the power behind it knocks Alex flat onto his ass as the beam cuts through the right and left mannequin but not the middle.
XXXXXX
"Go on, do it!" Angel whispers to Raven encouragingly, "My nana's hot cocoa hasn't steered a single woman in my family wrong before."
"But-" Raven tries to protest as she looks down at the two mugs in her hands then turns her uncertain gaze towards Hank who's staring down a microscope with intense concentration. "He looks busy. I don't want to interrupt or anything."
Angel gives her a look and grabs her by the shoulders, physically turning and lightly shoving her towards Hank. She then loudly clears her throat to catch Hank's attention. Raven gives her a panicked look to which Angel responds by giving her a thumbs up, a look that screams "don't fuck this up," and immediately books it.
"No- Angel! You traitor!" Raven hisses at the retreating girl's back as she cackles her way down the hall.
"Raven!" Hank exclaims, surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"Hey Hank!" Raven exclaims, quickly scrambling to get her shit together as she slowly walks over to him. "I, uh, brought hot cocoa! Apparently it's a secret recipe from Angel's family that she wanted to share with everyone and she assigned me to help her pass them out."
"That's really nice of her and of you as well," Hank says as he gratefully takes the mug from her. "How's she doing? What with-" he waves his hand vaguely but she gets what he's trying to say.
"She's still taking it hard, visiting his bedside every night to update him on how everyone's doing these days," Raven responds, smiling sadly as she sits on a stool next to Hank. "Is there really no way we can help him?"
"I wish," Hank frowns before he taps his chin thoughtfully, "But I have been studying a sample of your genes and I have to say, they are incredible! So far they seem to be aging at half the rate of a normal human so even at the age of 40 you'll still have the cellular structure of a teenager. And that's not even accounting for the adaptability that your cells undergo whenever they shift! This might be just the thing we need to help kick start Darwin's own ability to overdrive. He might even be able to wake up!"
Raven smiles as she watches Hank with a fascinated love struck look as he rambles on and on like the adorable little nerd he is.
XXXXXX
"And you really think I'll fly this time?" Sean asks, trying to stave off a growing panic attack as he stares down the length of the huge ass satellite dish.
"Absolutely," Bill states as confidently as he possibly can while still trying to hide his own fears.
Sean rocks back and forth on his heels. "I trust you," he says before pointing at Hank, "I don't trust him."
"Say nothing," Bill directs at Hank who's opened his mouth to protest with more scientific jargon that won't help the situation at all.
"I'm going to die!" Sean exclaims as he grabs his head in distress.
Bill sighs. "Alright, we're not going to make you do anything you're uncomfortable with-"
"Here let me help," Erik interjects before shoving Sean off the ledge.
"Erik!" Bill cries out in shock as Sean plummets to the ground.
Sean quickly spreads his arms out to catch a bit of wind and give him more time to gather his wits and let out a super sonic scream that allows him to fly high into the air. He lets out a whoop of excitement as he does a loop and uses another scream to slow his descent and travel along the length of the satellite.
Bill tries to give Erik a look but it's ruined by the smile on his face. Erik responds in turn with his own smug smile of triumph.
XXXXXX
Bill and Erik run side by side around the mansion. Both men are pumping their arms and legs as they match each other's fast pace.
Suddenly, Hank zooms by out lapping them once again with his quick speed. He's not wearing any shoes and his large feet carry him around the mansion again and again before finally bringing him to a stop.
Bill leans over to try and catch his breath. Erik places his hands on his hips leaning back and trying his best not to fall over in exhaustion. Hank looks completely undeterred by the laps he just ran and actually looks like he could go for another hundred more.
Once the two men have finally caught their breath, they give congratulatory smiles to Hank. And Hank, well, Hank looks like a wavy weight has finally been lifted off his shoulders as he smiles back at them.
However, an impressed whistle from Alex and some excited clapping from Raven and Angel have Hank quickly shuttering down again. Bill and Erik share a frown as the scientist clumsily accepts his fellow mutants praises with a strained smile.
XXXXXX
Hank carefully places the black tape on the mannequin and steps back when he's done.
"Thank you, Hank," Bill says before turning to Alex, "Alright Alex! Now I want you to hit the X and try not to hit me or Hank."
Alex's eyes widen with surprise while Hank's widen with fear. "You're serious?" they both exclaim.
"Like a heart attack," Bill responds with the utmost seriousness. "I have complete and utter faith in you."
Bill and Hank then shuffle off to the side a bit, giving adequate room for Alex to hit the mannequin and hopefully not hit them. Alex swallows back his fear and steels his nerves. He spreads his feet apart a bit and braces himself as he unleashes his energy. A beam shoots straight with such control that it only hits the mannequin, setting it on fire as Bill and Hank duck and cover from the small explosion.
All three of them share laughs and smiles of triumph.
XXXXXX
"Alright, do you see that?" Bill asks, pointing at the large satellite dish in the far distance, "Try turning it to face us."
Erik looks over his shoulder to give him a questioning look of disbelief. Bill nods, completely serious. Erik sighs and turns back to the satellite. He takes in a deep breath to steel himself.
Then he lifts his hands up, doing a strange twitchy version of jazz hands as he grits his teeth and strains his muscles. He pulls up every bit of rage and anger that he can muster in an attempt to move or at least make the satellite twitch in their direction. His face rapidly grows red from the overexertion and eventually he drops his hands down and leans against the outdoor railing in defeat.
Bill sighs in disappointment even though he didn't even have any expectations to begin with. "You know," he calls out, drawing Erik's attention to him, "I believe that true focus lies somewhere between rage and serenity."
"Do you mind if I?" Bill asks as he brings a hand up to his head and wiggles his fingers about.
Erik, still working on catching his breath, gives his go ahead.
Bill smiles before narrowing his eyes in concentration as he reaches out into Erik's mind. Erik freezes as something foreign but gentle brushes against his mind. His eyelids flutter when an unfamiliar feeling begins to grow in his chest. His eyes glaze over with tears as that feeling grows and becomes warmth he had thought was long forgotten.
A memory appears in his mind. One of him as a child and of his mother, long before their neighbors turned on them and her life was forfeit because of his own incompetence. She was smiling at him, his mother, with a well-lit birthday cake sitting between them. She reaches out a hand to gently brush his cheek as she smiles lovingly at him.
A tear falls down his face.
Across from him, Bill's eyes also grow wet with unshed tears as a long buried memory of his own surges forth.
One of a loving family of four sitting together as the youngest opens his gift and squeals in happiness over finally receiving the Batman costume he'd begged to have for that year's Halloween.
Bill quickly releases his connection to Erik, though not before a bit of that memory revealed itself to the metal bender. Erik watches, confused, as a tear falls down Bill's face that he quickly wipes away.
"What did you just do to me?" Erik softly demands.
"I accessed the brightest corner of your memories," Bill explains as he walks to stand by him, placing a hand gently on his arm. "It was a very beautiful memory, Erik...thank you."
Erik chuckles, voice slightly hoarse. "I didn't know I still had that."
"There's so much more to you than you know," Bill says, smiling, "Not just pain or anger. There's good too. I felt it."
Erik grits his teeth, attempting to hold back the tears and the surge of emotions threatening to overtake him.
"And you can access all that. You possess a power that no one can match," Bill firmly states, "Not even me."
He then turns to point at the satellite. "So do you want to try again?"
Erik looks down to gather himself before turning to face the satellite again. He holds one hand out and with the slow turn of his palm to face up, the satellite slowly turns to point in their direction. He lets out a bark of laughter at the feat he'd just achieved.
He turns to Bill who gives him the most blinding smile before throwing his arms around him. Erik jumps a bit in surprise at the sudden contact.
"You did it, Erik. You did it."
Erik hesitantly puts his arms around Bill and returns the hug. 'Thank you...Bill.'
Bill releases his hold on Erik. "You said my name!"
Erik coughs and looks off to the side nonchalantly. "No, I didn't."
"Yes, you did!"
"No, I didn't."
"Yes, you- alright, no, I am not going to get into a third grade argument with you," Bill sighs, waving Erik off when the man chuckles at him, "Let's head inside now, shall we?"
Bill whirls away and walks back towards the mansion with Erik slowly trailing after him. However, Erik watches Bill's retreating form in worry for he'd seen a glimpse of Bill's memory and it only added more questions than answers to the enigma of the man.
Up above, Raven looks down at the two men in amusement. However, there's a hint of worry in her eyes as she watches the two enter the mansion.
XXXXXX
Everyone sits around a small television set as they watch the President give an announcement about the current movement of Russia in regards to the Cold War. They listened as Reagan spoke of how the war was finally reaching its end but if Gorbachev continued to lead his country down a path of nuclear ruin, the US would have no choice but to react. The announcement ends with the hope that there won't be another Cuban Missile Crisis but that if push comes to shove, they will act.
"Looks like Shaw's finally making his move," Erik comments when the TV is shut off.
"I'll go make some calls and then we can begin planning," Moira declares as she exits the room, pulling her phone out to make said call.
"What do we do now?" Raven asks.
Bill frowns and crosses his arms. "We rest and get our affairs in order. For I fear the fight that comes, and it will come no matter what, will be one where there will be no guarantees for tomorrow."
Erik nods in agreement as the rest of the mutants look to each other, fearful of the inevitable fight coming their way because there was a high chance not all of them would be coming back.
And that's the end of part 2! The end will come with the next chapter and then things will hopefully start to pick a bit in terms of writing and updating so I can finally get to the It part of this crossover. Though I hope you guys like the references and callbacks to the movie.
Also, I hope the connections make sense cause I think as an omega level telepath, Charles/Bill would've been heavily affected by It and it's mental influences on the Loser's Club. So much so that bits of It might've imprinted itself on Bill's psyche especially since It's influence was what caused his memories to disappear in the first place.
Anyways, hope you enjoyed the chapter, I'll see you all next time!