The Truth Hurts
Silence fell over the office. Scott stared at his folded hands, resting between his knees, as he thought of what just happened. Everyone had left the office, except for Charles and Logan. Logan stood against the wall, with his arms crossed. Charles turned from the window, and looked at Scott. "Scott, would you like to talk about how you're feeling at the moment?" Charles asked.
"Professor, I feel really bad. After everything that had happened between me and them, I don't know if a simple apology will change their feelings about what I've done." Scott sighed.
Charles leaned forward. "Scott, sometimes teenagers get into arguments, and fights. But, they mend it, and move on. Things are said and done, that we don't mean. What I suggest, is that you sit and talk with them. Explain how you've felt, and how you're feeling now." Charles suggested.
Scott looked at him. He stood up, and walked out of the office. Logan sighed, as he stood against the wall. Charles glanced at him, "Logan?"
Logan looked up at Charles. "Is there something you want to tell me, Logan?" Charles asked, with a concerned look on his face.
Logan hesitantly shook his head, "No Chuck. I just never thought-", He stopped.
"That something like that could happen to someone?" Charles finished.
Logan shrugged, and he walked to sit in front of Charles in a seat. "Well, I think Elizabeth and I have something in common, Chuck."
Charles nodded in understanding. He knew what Logan meant. Both Logan and Elizabeth were taken against their own wills; abducted, completely transformed, their lives stolen away from them. "Logan, that's what I saw from the beginning. I think you and Elizabeth are two of the same people. Of all people, I think you will be able to help her come to an understanding of her past. Elizabeth is still trying to cope with what she had gone through." Charles said.
Logan looked at him, and nodded.
Elizabeth stared at a photo, taken of her with her family before she was kidnapped and reformed. She was only a child, with her blonde hair, and blue eyes. She stared out towards the ocean, while sitting on the roof. She bent up her knees, and wrapped her arms around them. She buried her face, except for her eyes, into her arms, and stared, as she remembered her past.
Elizabeth was only a young girl, as she slept in her bed. She opened her eyes, as she heard a noise in her room. Her window was open, with the breeze blowing her curtains into her room. She stood up, and walked towards her window to close it. She sensed something behind her, and she quickly turned around. Before she could scream for her parents, the figure behind her shot a tranquilizer dart into her neck. She immediately fell to the ground, unconscious.
Elizabeth let the tears fall from her eyes, as the memory shot through her mind. She continued to stare out to the ocean side. She wanted to forget everything. But, there was absolutely no denying, that every time she looked into the mirror, she was reminded of the very life that was taken from her. Her innocence was snatched away, as well as her very identity. The moment she returned home from being hidden away from the world, she felt different from the others in her family. Her recovery with Professor Xavier had been a long and difficult time. Her thoughts were interrupted, "Betsy?" She heard.
Elizabeth didn't turn around. Brian settled on his feet next to her, and sat down. He looked at her. Elizabeth didn't budge. She only buried her entire face into her arms. Brian heard a sob escape from her throat. He scooted closer to his sister, and put his arm around her shoulder. He hugged her, as she cried. "Betsy, forget that jerk." Brian said.
Elizabeth shook her head. "It's not him, Brian. I had buried everything away in my mind. I thought that would be the only way to deal with everything and move on." Elizabeth looked up, and wiped her face of the tears. "I've only come to realize that I've been running from it the whole time," She looked at her brother, and began to sob more, "Brian, it was horrible with the way they treated me. The reformation on my body was the most horrible thing!" She paused, and saw him waiting for her to reveal her secret.
"Betsy, is there something else you want to tell me?" Brian asked.
Elizabeth sighed, and began to choke back on her sobbing. "Elizabeth?" Brian asked again.
"Brian, only Professor Xavier and our parents knows this; he found this out when he helped me when I was found," She paused, and took a deep breath, "Brian, this isn't even my body." She saw the look of confusion on his face, as he sat back to fully look at her. She continued, "Brian, the reason why they reformed me in the first place was because I had tried to escape. Unfortunately, my real self had died in the process. They had switched my original mind with another. They were able to revive me, in my new body. Don't ask me how they did it, because I have no idea. But; they did." Elizabeth sobbed.
Brian shook his head in disbelief. He looked at his sister, "Betsy, why didn't you tell me?"
"Brian, would you have thought of me any different? You're still my twin!" Elizabeth cried.
Brian hugged his sister, "Oh, Lizard, of course you are. It's just that you and I have never kept anything from each other; no matter what our secrets were."
"Brian, everything was taken away from me!" Elizabeth sobbed. She looked at her brother, "That's why Professor Xavier had to help reform my mind back to a normal state. I know you hadn't seen me since I was kidnapped, up until my mind reformation was complete. I was not in the right mind. I had been so badly damaged."
Brian hugged his sister again, "Elizabeth, I wish I could take the pain away from you. I would if I could. But, just remember; you're safe. The Hand is gone, and locked away, and believe it or not, Professor Xavier is offering to help you again. He was able to do it the first time, Betsy. Why not let him do it again?"
Elizabeth nodded. "Alright." She sighed.
"And remember, Lizard. I'm going to be here with you. You and I are going through this whole mutant thing together, alright? We're twins, remember?" Brian smiled.
Elizabeth let out a laugh, "Right."
Brian looked around. "How'd you get up here, anyway?" He asked, changing the subject.
Elizabeth sat up, and wiped her face. "I climbed out of my room window."
Brian looked at her. She shrugged. "Want me to fly you down?" Brian asked.
Elizabeth shook her head. "No, I just want to stay up here for a little while longer."
Brian nodded. He looked at her hands, and saw a picture of their family before Elizabeth was abducted. He took the picture from her hand. He looked at his sister, holding up the picture, "I think it's time to let go, Betsy."
Elizabeth looked at him, "That'll take a while, Brian."
"I'll be inside if you need me, Betts." He smiled.
Elizabeth nodded, and watched him fly away, and down towards the mansion. She looked back out the ocean side, and sighed heavily.
Brian walked into the mansion from the front door. He closed the door behind him, and stopped as he saw Scott entering the foyer from the elevator. Scott stopped, and stared at Brian. Scott straightened up, and cleared his throat. "I was looking for you and Elizabeth." Scott said.
"What for?" Brian snapped.
"Brian, I want to talk with you and your sister." Scott answered.
Brian rolled his eyes, and began to walk towards the stairway. "I have nothing to say to you." He snapped.
"Brian, if we're all going to live here together, we have to get along." Scott said.
Brian attempted to shield his anger, as he stopped in his tracks. His face turned red with anger at Scott's comment. He turned his head to look at him. "You should have thought about that when we first stepped foot into this bloody mansion!" Brian growled.
"Brian, I'm trying to talk with you and Elizabeth so I can apologize to both of you," Scott stopped, as he walked up the stairs towards Brian, "Look, Brian, I had no idea. I have a bad habit of judging people too quickly. I didn't mean-"
Brian turned to him, interrupting him, "I said you owe my sister an apology! Not me! And I thought that of all people, all of you here would understand about the concept of judging!"
Brian turned around, and continued to walk up the stairs. He didn't care what Scott had done or said to him. He only cared about what Scott had thought of his sister. He knew that his sister was the problem to Scott; not him. After what he had just learned from his sister, he made a vow to himself, never to let anyone hurt his sister again about her past.
As Brian entered his room, he slammed the door behind him. He looked at the family photo he had on his dresser. He began to pace his room, staring at the photo. He stopped in front of the dresser, and grabbed the framed picture. He stared at it, and looked at his sister. He had lied to her, hiding his anger of her secret. He clenched his fist, and tears of anguish welled into his eyes. He thought of the fact that his twin had died. He couldn't believe it. He didn't want to believe that the other half of him had been dead for some time. He turned around and threw the picture at the wall across the room. He rushed to pick up a chair, and he slammed it onto the ground. He saw it shatter into pieces on the ground from the impact. He squatted down, and pressed his thumbs against his closed eyes, wanting to push the tears back in. The tears escaped his closed eyes, and ran down his face. He heard a knock at his door. "What?!" He yelled, not moving.
Elizabeth opened the door, and peeked into the room. She saw him squatting near his bed, with the pieces of wood in front of him. She leaned against the doorway, and sighed. "I knew that you were lying to me, Brian." She said.
Brian still didn't move. Elizabeth walked into the room, and knelt down next to him. She attempted to place her hand on his shoulder, but, he pushed it away. Elizabeth sighed, "Brian, I know why you're upset. I know you're hurting."
Brian shot up, and walked towards the window away from her. He placed his hands on the window sill, and bowed his head. Elizabeth stood up, staring at her brother. "I shouldn't have told you." She said.
Brian stood up straight, and kicked the wall in front of him. His foot went halfway through the wall, creating a hole. "It wouldn't have made a damn difference, Betsy. I would have found out anyway; either from mom or even the Professor." Brian snapped.
"Brian, I'm sorry I kept it from you." Elizabeth apologized.
Brian swung around to look at her. Elizabeth's eyes watered, as she noticed that her brother had been crying. Her brother had never cried before. "Betsy, I'm not mad because you kept it from me. I'm hurting because you were dead! Do you have any idea-"; Brian stopped, as he began to sob. He sunk down to the floor.
Elizabeth cried, as she walked towards him. She knelt down in front of him. She placed her hands on his shoulders, "Brian, I'm here now." She cried.
Elizabeth hugged her brother, trying to comfort him from his pain. He relaxed, and hugged his sister. "We're still here, not separated. We are always going to watch out for each other, right?" Elizabeth said.
Brian nodded. "Brian, we're not letting each other go through our pain alone. You've always been there for me, through everything. Now, I'll be here for you, to help you through the hurt." Elizabeth sighed.
Silence fell over the office. Scott stared at his folded hands, resting between his knees, as he thought of what just happened. Everyone had left the office, except for Charles and Logan. Logan stood against the wall, with his arms crossed. Charles turned from the window, and looked at Scott. "Scott, would you like to talk about how you're feeling at the moment?" Charles asked.
"Professor, I feel really bad. After everything that had happened between me and them, I don't know if a simple apology will change their feelings about what I've done." Scott sighed.
Charles leaned forward. "Scott, sometimes teenagers get into arguments, and fights. But, they mend it, and move on. Things are said and done, that we don't mean. What I suggest, is that you sit and talk with them. Explain how you've felt, and how you're feeling now." Charles suggested.
Scott looked at him. He stood up, and walked out of the office. Logan sighed, as he stood against the wall. Charles glanced at him, "Logan?"
Logan looked up at Charles. "Is there something you want to tell me, Logan?" Charles asked, with a concerned look on his face.
Logan hesitantly shook his head, "No Chuck. I just never thought-", He stopped.
"That something like that could happen to someone?" Charles finished.
Logan shrugged, and he walked to sit in front of Charles in a seat. "Well, I think Elizabeth and I have something in common, Chuck."
Charles nodded in understanding. He knew what Logan meant. Both Logan and Elizabeth were taken against their own wills; abducted, completely transformed, their lives stolen away from them. "Logan, that's what I saw from the beginning. I think you and Elizabeth are two of the same people. Of all people, I think you will be able to help her come to an understanding of her past. Elizabeth is still trying to cope with what she had gone through." Charles said.
Logan looked at him, and nodded.
Elizabeth stared at a photo, taken of her with her family before she was kidnapped and reformed. She was only a child, with her blonde hair, and blue eyes. She stared out towards the ocean, while sitting on the roof. She bent up her knees, and wrapped her arms around them. She buried her face, except for her eyes, into her arms, and stared, as she remembered her past.
Elizabeth was only a young girl, as she slept in her bed. She opened her eyes, as she heard a noise in her room. Her window was open, with the breeze blowing her curtains into her room. She stood up, and walked towards her window to close it. She sensed something behind her, and she quickly turned around. Before she could scream for her parents, the figure behind her shot a tranquilizer dart into her neck. She immediately fell to the ground, unconscious.
Elizabeth let the tears fall from her eyes, as the memory shot through her mind. She continued to stare out to the ocean side. She wanted to forget everything. But, there was absolutely no denying, that every time she looked into the mirror, she was reminded of the very life that was taken from her. Her innocence was snatched away, as well as her very identity. The moment she returned home from being hidden away from the world, she felt different from the others in her family. Her recovery with Professor Xavier had been a long and difficult time. Her thoughts were interrupted, "Betsy?" She heard.
Elizabeth didn't turn around. Brian settled on his feet next to her, and sat down. He looked at her. Elizabeth didn't budge. She only buried her entire face into her arms. Brian heard a sob escape from her throat. He scooted closer to his sister, and put his arm around her shoulder. He hugged her, as she cried. "Betsy, forget that jerk." Brian said.
Elizabeth shook her head. "It's not him, Brian. I had buried everything away in my mind. I thought that would be the only way to deal with everything and move on." Elizabeth looked up, and wiped her face of the tears. "I've only come to realize that I've been running from it the whole time," She looked at her brother, and began to sob more, "Brian, it was horrible with the way they treated me. The reformation on my body was the most horrible thing!" She paused, and saw him waiting for her to reveal her secret.
"Betsy, is there something else you want to tell me?" Brian asked.
Elizabeth sighed, and began to choke back on her sobbing. "Elizabeth?" Brian asked again.
"Brian, only Professor Xavier and our parents knows this; he found this out when he helped me when I was found," She paused, and took a deep breath, "Brian, this isn't even my body." She saw the look of confusion on his face, as he sat back to fully look at her. She continued, "Brian, the reason why they reformed me in the first place was because I had tried to escape. Unfortunately, my real self had died in the process. They had switched my original mind with another. They were able to revive me, in my new body. Don't ask me how they did it, because I have no idea. But; they did." Elizabeth sobbed.
Brian shook his head in disbelief. He looked at his sister, "Betsy, why didn't you tell me?"
"Brian, would you have thought of me any different? You're still my twin!" Elizabeth cried.
Brian hugged his sister, "Oh, Lizard, of course you are. It's just that you and I have never kept anything from each other; no matter what our secrets were."
"Brian, everything was taken away from me!" Elizabeth sobbed. She looked at her brother, "That's why Professor Xavier had to help reform my mind back to a normal state. I know you hadn't seen me since I was kidnapped, up until my mind reformation was complete. I was not in the right mind. I had been so badly damaged."
Brian hugged his sister again, "Elizabeth, I wish I could take the pain away from you. I would if I could. But, just remember; you're safe. The Hand is gone, and locked away, and believe it or not, Professor Xavier is offering to help you again. He was able to do it the first time, Betsy. Why not let him do it again?"
Elizabeth nodded. "Alright." She sighed.
"And remember, Lizard. I'm going to be here with you. You and I are going through this whole mutant thing together, alright? We're twins, remember?" Brian smiled.
Elizabeth let out a laugh, "Right."
Brian looked around. "How'd you get up here, anyway?" He asked, changing the subject.
Elizabeth sat up, and wiped her face. "I climbed out of my room window."
Brian looked at her. She shrugged. "Want me to fly you down?" Brian asked.
Elizabeth shook her head. "No, I just want to stay up here for a little while longer."
Brian nodded. He looked at her hands, and saw a picture of their family before Elizabeth was abducted. He took the picture from her hand. He looked at his sister, holding up the picture, "I think it's time to let go, Betsy."
Elizabeth looked at him, "That'll take a while, Brian."
"I'll be inside if you need me, Betts." He smiled.
Elizabeth nodded, and watched him fly away, and down towards the mansion. She looked back out the ocean side, and sighed heavily.
Brian walked into the mansion from the front door. He closed the door behind him, and stopped as he saw Scott entering the foyer from the elevator. Scott stopped, and stared at Brian. Scott straightened up, and cleared his throat. "I was looking for you and Elizabeth." Scott said.
"What for?" Brian snapped.
"Brian, I want to talk with you and your sister." Scott answered.
Brian rolled his eyes, and began to walk towards the stairway. "I have nothing to say to you." He snapped.
"Brian, if we're all going to live here together, we have to get along." Scott said.
Brian attempted to shield his anger, as he stopped in his tracks. His face turned red with anger at Scott's comment. He turned his head to look at him. "You should have thought about that when we first stepped foot into this bloody mansion!" Brian growled.
"Brian, I'm trying to talk with you and Elizabeth so I can apologize to both of you," Scott stopped, as he walked up the stairs towards Brian, "Look, Brian, I had no idea. I have a bad habit of judging people too quickly. I didn't mean-"
Brian turned to him, interrupting him, "I said you owe my sister an apology! Not me! And I thought that of all people, all of you here would understand about the concept of judging!"
Brian turned around, and continued to walk up the stairs. He didn't care what Scott had done or said to him. He only cared about what Scott had thought of his sister. He knew that his sister was the problem to Scott; not him. After what he had just learned from his sister, he made a vow to himself, never to let anyone hurt his sister again about her past.
As Brian entered his room, he slammed the door behind him. He looked at the family photo he had on his dresser. He began to pace his room, staring at the photo. He stopped in front of the dresser, and grabbed the framed picture. He stared at it, and looked at his sister. He had lied to her, hiding his anger of her secret. He clenched his fist, and tears of anguish welled into his eyes. He thought of the fact that his twin had died. He couldn't believe it. He didn't want to believe that the other half of him had been dead for some time. He turned around and threw the picture at the wall across the room. He rushed to pick up a chair, and he slammed it onto the ground. He saw it shatter into pieces on the ground from the impact. He squatted down, and pressed his thumbs against his closed eyes, wanting to push the tears back in. The tears escaped his closed eyes, and ran down his face. He heard a knock at his door. "What?!" He yelled, not moving.
Elizabeth opened the door, and peeked into the room. She saw him squatting near his bed, with the pieces of wood in front of him. She leaned against the doorway, and sighed. "I knew that you were lying to me, Brian." She said.
Brian still didn't move. Elizabeth walked into the room, and knelt down next to him. She attempted to place her hand on his shoulder, but, he pushed it away. Elizabeth sighed, "Brian, I know why you're upset. I know you're hurting."
Brian shot up, and walked towards the window away from her. He placed his hands on the window sill, and bowed his head. Elizabeth stood up, staring at her brother. "I shouldn't have told you." She said.
Brian stood up straight, and kicked the wall in front of him. His foot went halfway through the wall, creating a hole. "It wouldn't have made a damn difference, Betsy. I would have found out anyway; either from mom or even the Professor." Brian snapped.
"Brian, I'm sorry I kept it from you." Elizabeth apologized.
Brian swung around to look at her. Elizabeth's eyes watered, as she noticed that her brother had been crying. Her brother had never cried before. "Betsy, I'm not mad because you kept it from me. I'm hurting because you were dead! Do you have any idea-"; Brian stopped, as he began to sob. He sunk down to the floor.
Elizabeth cried, as she walked towards him. She knelt down in front of him. She placed her hands on his shoulders, "Brian, I'm here now." She cried.
Elizabeth hugged her brother, trying to comfort him from his pain. He relaxed, and hugged his sister. "We're still here, not separated. We are always going to watch out for each other, right?" Elizabeth said.
Brian nodded. "Brian, we're not letting each other go through our pain alone. You've always been there for me, through everything. Now, I'll be here for you, to help you through the hurt." Elizabeth sighed.
