Chapter 22

There is such turmoil here, Charles thought as he scanned the psyche plains. Cracks had appeared in walls that seemed stronger than his, large cracks that threated to bring down everything and leave the owner in a vegetative state.

He couldn't allow that to happen.

His wheelchair rolled forward by itself as Charles scanned every inch of his surrounding surroundings that weren't covered by fog. It was oppressive, the feeling of loss, loneliness and grief. Charles wanted to shed more than a few tears that threatened to blur his vision but he quickly dashed those feelings down. They weren't his, but someone else's.

Someone who needed his help and quickly.

"Hello?" He called. His words were thrown back at him in the form of an echo, which was quickly followed by whispering voices. He couldn't ascertain anything from the whispers so he called out again.

Still no discernable reply.

No…. please…..

That is, until broken pleas echoed in his mind, sticking out from the heavy whisperings that chattered around him. It was clearer than the voices that moved around him, so on instinct he moved towards it with as much speed as he possibly could muster.

Somebody….help…

I'm coming! Charles responded. Just hold on.

I can't...it's too much.

The voice faded away, and cracks appeared in the walls above him. Tremors shook the surroundings, a strange type of earthquake that signified one thing and one thing only: the mind was deteriorating fast.

Laughter, chilling and evil, echoed through the landscape as he desperately searched for the origin of the plea. Something deep within Charles balked at the sound of the laughter, despite everything that he was. It was like every molecule of his being want to retreat from the path that he was on, to turn around and go back, never to return. The laughter….it was pure evil, more so than his old friend Magneto. Charles fought the instinct to run, pushing forward with the desperation a parent would feel in regards to their own child.

There was an invisible wall that stopped him. One that felt foreign and unwelcomed.

"I don't know who you are," Charles said in a clear commanding voice, "but you have no right to be here!"

You think you can stop me?!In front of him, there was a raging inferno that ignited from nowhere. It was bright, burning like a sun or supernova. Charles diverted his eyes, shielding them until the light had died down. When it did and he removed his hands from his eyes, he couldn't believe what he saw.

A towering figure of flame, its outline barely visible and only vaguely human. Its facial features were twisted in a snarl, showing white hot teeth that were razor sharp. When it looked at him with those pupilless eyes, it looked at him with sadistic glee, as though he was nothing more than a toy that it was ready and willing to play with and destroy.

"I don't know who you are, but I command you to leave this young woman's mind!"

The figure gave a laugh. You think you can command me?! I rule the world!

"I hate to break it to you, but you don't!"

Not yet anyway.

"I said, LEAVE!" Charles expelled outward with his powers, honed to perfection over the years. Not many could go up against him.

Only his half-brother and Magneto were his equals in a way.

But when he pushed out with his mind, expecting this to be a quick fight, the figure in front of him halted all advances. It shattered his defense with barely even a blink of the eye, leaving him gob smacked and confused.

The figure laughed at his shocked expression. It appears as though you still have much to learn, Charles.

"How do you know my name?!" he demanded.

The figure shrunk itself down, but still remained a column of yellow and orange fire. I know everything about you and your little club. The X-Men's days are numbered thanks to the Queen of the Broken Kingdom.

"Who are you…?"

I am the Phoenix! The figure's arms spread outward, and flames expelled outward, licking the sky and taking the shape of fiery wings. I came from the stars to end the rot that is Humanity. I wiped out any resistance to my power and threats to my reign! I rule the entire world!

"If that's true, then why are you here?" Charles slowly built up another burst of power that would, hopefully, be powerful enough to eradicate the figure in front of him long enough for him to pass through the barrier that it had erected.

Because of a meddling tuna and her pet.

"Then your reign isn't as absolute as you thought." Charles's power exploded outward, catching the figure off guard. It screamed as it was pushed back, falling down with a crash. Charles moved forward, shooting passed the fallen figure and towards a lone figure that was illuminated by a single spotlight. He realized that the figure was the young mutant that had been brought to the mansion, except she was held down by chains and her body language told Charles that she had all but given up.

"Are you alright?" Charles asked as he approached her.

She opened her eyes slowly and glanced up, blinking owlishly at the man. Her brow furrowed. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to help you." Charles said. He bent forward and started to pull at the chains with little to no results.

"Here to help… why?"

Behind them, Phoenix let loose an ear shattering scream that sounded like it held the screams of others within it. Charles had to cover his ears at the sound, fear unlike he had ever felt coiling inside him. The mutant squeezed her eyes and clenched her teeth until the scream had passed.

"Come on!" Charles tugged at the chains as he heard Phoenix approach them. The mutant wasn't moving.

"I can't….." she whispered.

Charles turned around, blasting Phoenix. The figure went down, a scream on its lips. The professor turned back around. "You can do it!"

"Phobos has an iron grip…. his poison is working too quickly."

"If you wish to be free, then I can get the antidote back to an associate of mine."

"There is no antidote…Those that inhale his fear toxin die slowly, starting in the mind. They witness their worst nightmares, their mind slowly deteriorating before, eventually, they give up and allow themselves to be taken by Death."

Charles's heart was pounding heavily in his chest as Phoenix loomed closer. The young mutant looked Charles in the eye, the elder mutant catching a glint of sad acceptance of her fate in her dark eyes.

"Tell Adelina I'm sorry."

And with that, he was thrown out of her mind and back into his body.