"Here you go," a blonde woman said, handing me a blanket, "do you want something warm to drink?"
I took the blanket gladly, but shook my head, "No, thank you."
"You're Lena right? Charles said…" she started to stay before pausing and smiling instead, "I'm Raven," she stuck her arm out to shake mine.
I returned the gesture and nodded, "Lena."
Looking out the window, Erik was being talked to very animately by Charles, if it hadn't been for him, we would've drowned to death. Oddly, I wasn't as grateful as I thought I should've been and more irritated than anything else. Erik, feeling my gaze, motioned for me to come over to them. I ignored him, turned away and walked to the opposite deck, not in the mood to talk to him.
The cold wind was sharp against my face and hair as the boat sped to wherever the hell we were going. The water was still almost black, but in the far east, the inkling of the sunrise was beginning to form.
"Lena," the door opened behind me, "It's cold, come inside."
Refusing to look back, I remained ignoring him, as if he hadn't said anything.
After a long silence, with neither of us uttering a word, he finally relented, "Why are you upset?"
I gripped the railing tightly, feeling a surge of energy in my core spreading to my fists. The electricity spilled out onto the metal and I watched it dance around before I absorbed it back.
"Control yourself," he said, making me whip my head at him. Erik walked closer and reached his hand out to brush my hair back, but I stopped him, avoiding his touch. He lost some of his patience this time, "What is it?"
I gripped the railing tighter and stared as my knuckles turned white, "You could've died."
"Oh," he said, sounding if he were almost relieved, "but I didn't."
"That's not the point," I spat, still refusing to take a glance.
"What's the point then," Erik's impatience reappeared in his tone.
"It was together or nothing," I barely managed to utter under my breath.
"Lena…" he reached out once more, but I hit his arm away.
Struggling to my calm myself, I closed my eyes, "Please, just let me be for now."
The sound of resignation echoed in his steps and the door opened and closed once again.
I breathed hard, trying to calm my mind, much like Charles had commanded Erik to do before. Soon my feelings would blow over and everything would go back to normal, but right now I was angry. Honestly I wanted to slap Erik even if he could only feel the fraction of the hurt he had inflicted on me by his stupidly rash decision. At that moment, even if fury and rage had made him blind, he had still chosen death over life. Though I knew that ultimately he was still here, still alive, it didn't mean I wanted to be anywhere near him for the next couple of hours.
The now familiar creek of the door sounded and I sighed, wishing he would just leave me be like I told him to before, "Go away."
"Apologies if I was disturbing anything, just wanted to see if you wanted some."
I looked over my shoulder to see Charles holding up a pitcher and two mugs. "Thought you were Erik," I said coolly to our savior.
"No, I'm afraid I'm not," he chuckled and poured the hot chocolate in the cup before I could stop him, "Here, have some."
I sighed and reluctantly took it from him since he had already poured it out. My hands stayed wrapped around the mug, warmed by the heat. I didn't drink it, not in the mood for anything sweet at the moment.
He took a large sip and leaned forward onto the railing, swirling the dark liquid around the edges, "It is, surprisingly good."
Still not in the mood, I continued to look out at the ocean and at the tip of the sun rising above the waters. Orange had begun to taint the dark blue of the sky and the water brightened along with it.
"Lovely sunrise, isn't?" Charles asked pleasantly, a faint smile on his lips.
I shrugged and combed my hair back, hoping it would fully dry soon. It had began to lighten from it's brunette to an odd light brown mix as the sun shone brighter.
"It'll get cold," he gestured to the untouched mug in my hand.
"Did you need something?" I finally said, not wanting to continue listening to his little comments.
"Yes," he obliged, "I wanted to formally invite you to come along with us, I've already invited Erik."
I quirked a brow at him, dismissive of his question, "Is that what you really wanted to ask me?"
His adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed, "I understand what your brother means to you. I wanted to make sure you were alright." Genuine concern laced his voice and I had the smallest inkling to actually answer his question, but I didn't as another thought manifested itself.
"Why don't you just read my mind then, since you've already had the courtesy of doing so," I said, wrapping my blanket closer around me, uncomfortable with the way the conversation was going.
"You're very intuitive," he chuckled once again, sticking his hands in his pockets, "But I would rather ask you myself."
"Well, I'll have to ask you something," I shoved the mug back in his hands, "Stay out of my head." I walked away from him to the front of the boat and found a supply box to sit on.
Holding myself together, I watched the sun rise.
The agent, after introducing his facility and informing us that we were to be something like the CIA's new mutant division, took us on a tour, leading us to a large lab. All of us marveled at a large and sleek airplane that hung inside before a voice chimed in, "It's a, supersonic."
I turned to see a relatively young looking scientist making his way towards us, "The most advanced plane ever built," he pointed at it, "you should see it in real life, it's incredible."
"Hank, these are the special new recruits I was telling you about," the agent gestured towards us and then motioned to him, "This is Hank McCoy, one of our most talented young researchers." He was young, surprisingly so, but he seemed meek in presence, like he was hiding behind his glasses.
Charles walked forward to shake his hand, "How wonderful. Another mutant already here, why didn't you say?" He looked back and questioned the agent.
"Say what?" The man said, oblivious to the situation at hand.
Charles' face immediately blanked and he turned apologetically back to Hank, "I am so, so terribly sorry." Hank shook his head and dismissed it, but his head angled down as if he were ashamed.
The agent carefully walked to him surprised to what had been just revealed, "Hank?"
"You didn't ask so I didn't tell," he answered, shrugging.
"So your mutation is what,' Raven strided closer to them, "you're super smart?"
"I'll say," Charles agreed, "Hank here graduated Harvard at age 15."
I was impressed by that, truly, Hank seemed super smart and given the fact he was a mutant only added to the equation. What I couldn't get out of my head was that Charles had scooped all this from his mind, unknowingly to Hank. True, he had what appeared to be non-malicious intentions, but It felt like he had no sense of boundaries.
"I wish that's all it was," Hank admitted to her.
"You're among friends now, Hank. You can show off," Charles told him.
I leaned forward to see him shuffling to take off his shoes, Erik stayed back, not as interested as the rest of us were. Somehow the two of us were the only ones who had not gotten closer to him during the ensuing conversation.
Hank's feet were, animalistic, if that was the right word. The toes were elongated and spread apart as if he were an ape. A sense of awe came before me, never having met someone like that before and knowing first hand that he was just like us, different.
Charles breathed in a delighted laugh, "Splendid."
"Sorry," he waved the crowd around him to move and he flipped upwards to hang by his feet on the wing of the airplane, "Ta-dah," Hank said, showing off his ability.
Raven got closer to him again, "You're amazing."
"Really?" he smiled and I held a smile of my own back too. I could empathize with him, being different his whole life, feeling like it was wrong, but the acceptance in the air was tangible. I wondered if Raven was the only person in his life who has ever complimented him on his ability and from the looks of the two, it wouldn't be the last time.
A quick knock sounded at my door. I recognized it immediately and scrambled up to unlock it, letting Erik in.
"Talking to me again?" He asked, an almost hidden smirk on his face.
"Depends," I said, sitting back on the window sill, bringing one my knee up to my chin, "On what you have to say." Both of us knew that this act was just an act now. Being that he was all I had I couldn't choose to ignore him for long.
Erik sat on the bed across from me and tapped at his briefcase, "I'm getting the information we need and then we're leaving."
I frowned at the short notice and probably at other reasons as well. I only trusted one person person in the whole world and he was sitting in front of me. There was suppose to be no hesitation, but I felt it. There was a tug inside me telling me to stay. I didn't know these people and they didn't know me, though somehow they've already made a mark, no matter how miniscule it was.
Hank, who had never revealed himself before this day, Raven, who had readily accepted him right away, and even Charles, the prying mind reader who seemed so happy about giving us a place to be ourselves.
But it didn't matter, not when my brother was in question. I was going with him.
I looked outside at the dark lawn, illuminated by the numerous outdoor lights, the moon had risen high in the sky, "When?"
"Right now," Erik stood and walked up to exit the room, "Get a car, I'll be there in 20 minutes if not less." The soft thud of a closed door signaled me to get ready to go.
I guess whatever could've been, won't be.
I slid out of my room and strided briskly through the hallways, taking the only familiar path of exit that weren't the main doors. Opening the doors to the large lab we had been in earlier, I sped towards the side, seeing the dark grass through the windows.
"Going somewhere?" A voice broke the empty silence of the lab.
I spun around to see Hank, clad in his lab coat, behind numerous amounts of different chemicals.
"Isn't it a bit late for you to be here?" I said, not immediately answering his question.
Hank nodded, but continued, "Could say the same for you," he pushed his glasses up and slightly frowned, "Are you… is everything okay?"
I wondered how much my face actually gave away, but maybe he was just naturally attentive, "Getting a breath of fresh air, if that's allowed."
He blinked a couple of times, unsure of himself, "Yeah, um, that's allowed. If you need anything let me know."
"Will do," I replied and finished my brisk walk to the door.
Stepping outside, the chilled air hit the tip of my nose, making the rest of my skin stand. I quickly found myself in front of one of the identical black cars lined up in the far side of the front of the facility.
I tried the door first and rolled my eyes when it clicked open with no problem, so much for the CIA. Tearing off the bottom panel under the steering wheel, I identified and grabbed the appropriate wires and charged them myself, blue electricity rolling of my fingers. The car engine started to hum and I inserted the panel back to where it belonged.
Sitting in the driver's seat, I drummed the steering wheel, waiting for Erik to arrive. I placed the back of my hand against the window, feeling the cold condensation of the night. I couldn't help but feel the tiniest bit of regret, leaving this place. Nothing had started quite yet, and from the looks of it I wouldn't be there when it did.
The passenger door opened and Erik sat beside me, briefcase in hand.
"Ready?"
"Lena," he started, capturing my attention by the odd severity in his voice, "We're staying."
I quirked my head and rubbed at the steering wheel, surprised at what I was hearing, "Where did that come from?"
"We," Erik paused and took a second to recollect his thoughts, "We have the chance to be part of something… something much bigger than ourselves and-"
"Okay," I turned to look at him in the eye.
"What?" Erik's forehead creased in surprise.
"We're staying."
"And you're alright with that?" He tilted his head closer to mine.
"I'll stay… with you."
Erik nodded and stepped out of the car and I walked back to the facility with him.
I was staying with Erik, like I had originally planned to do, but I was also staying with the people inside, people that were like me.
I was staying with the chance to be a part of something much bigger than myself.
A/N: Once again, thanks for reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting.
I really appreciate any feedback or any sort of comment at all so thank you guest for those hugs and kisses, xo.
Love everyone,
-Vanesky
