It was a sorrowful weekend, as the damage to the mansion and the grounds were repaired, patched up, fixed to as good as new. How easy everything would be if their hearts could be fixed so easily. If their lost friends could be restored to them.
The funeral was held that Monday, on the Institute grounds.
Logan's body could not be found, and he was presumed lost at sea. If he wasn't he would've returned by now, would've made himself known to the others, but he didn't. The Phoenix must've killed him. Another death on the conscience of Jean Grey, who sat sobbing at Scott's side as they prepared for the funeral procession to begin.
Others had been arriving all day, in vehicles parked on the long driveway of the Xavier Mansion, and sometimes out on the street when space became to choked. Families of the students, friends of the deceased, all were arriving to bid their final farewells...
... to Professor Charles Francis Xavier.
The battle to free Jean's mind had taken its toll on all of the mutants at the Institute. Logan was lost, Rogue's body had been all but ripped apart, Jamie had broken an arm in nasty fall, but Xavier had paid the ultimate price to free Jean's mind. He'd sacrificed himself to do it, using all of his power. And then he'd quietly passed away. Peacefully.
They were all there, of course, to bid farewell. They'd set up chairs on two sides of the grassy field, where the ceremony was being conducted. Initially it had been only one side, perhaps four dozen chairs, for the mutant children and their families. However, as time went on, more and more people began to arrive to bid their farewells. Including, most surprisingly of all of them, the President of the United States, George McKenna. He was there to bid farewell to a man who fought so hard for mutant rights, and no one even dreamed of denying him. Gabrielle Haller and her son David had also shown up, they sat alongside noted geneticist Moira MacTaggert and researcher Patronete. Among them also sat a number of politicians, statesmen, old time business partners of the illustrious Charles Xavier, who, had he been alive, would have been shocked to see that he still had so many friends among the non-mutant community.
The students sat on the other side, behind Ororo and Hank. All were dressed in mourning black, some were weeping. Kurt continued to idly fiddle with the tiny cross in his palm, as he'd been doing for almost the entire weekend. One hand fiddled, the other held Amanda Sefton's as they watched quietly, her parents behind them. His sister Rogue sat next to them, a black veil obscuring her features. Remy sat beside Rogue, one arm around her shoulder. The DA had cut Remy a deal, to allow him to see the Professors funeral in exchange for a little information concerning a NY branch of the Rippers, which he'd gladly supplied. Amara was beside herself with grief, clinging to Tabby, who also watched on with tear-filled eyes. Jubilee too was crying, sitting in the back with her parents, trying very hard to be brave. Piotr sat beside her, his face solemn. The Guthrie's were in the back as well, very solemn in general, Sam sitting beside his sister Paige and his girlfriend Rahne. The Morlocks had come as well, dressed up as best they could (considering their living conditions) to pay their respects. Not-so-little Torpid was seated beside Jamie. A chair was left open in respect for Logan. Sarah sat beside it. She did not cry. She kept her pain inside.
Behind them were a smaller group of less reputable individuals. Mystique sat in the back, in her Raven Darkholme guise, seated beside her was Irene Adler and Agatha Harkness. Behind them sat Danielle Moonstar and her grandfather, come to pay their respects. The inventor known only as Forge and his parents (introduced as his grandparents so as not to cause confusion) and the hacker Arcade, and also Dorian Leech and his mother. The heir of the Worthington enterprises, Warren the III, sat in the back in a black formal suit that allowed for the free movement of his wings, and beside him was Alex Masters and his foster parents from Hawaii. And beside him, at the very end, sat a diminutive little blonde girl by the name of Illyana Rasputin.
And then, surprisingly, there was one last group of visitors.
The Brotherhood walked past the Mansion's gate, the security having been deactivated earlier in the day to allow for the guests. They were too dressed in black, formal and semi-formal clothes (the best they had) but a glance from Scott told him that they meant only to pay their respects, not cause trouble. After all, Xavier had tried to reach out and help all of the Brotherhood at one time or another, and he was as much their friend as anyone else's. John was the only one truly out of place, wearing a bright orange Hawaiian t-shirt and sunglasses, but even he seemed strangely subdued. He had even stopped fiddling with his lighter. They took their seats, Lance immediately moving closer to Kitty to console her, and she gladly sobbed into his chest, overcome by the sadness of the day. Lockheed rested in her lap, and it too seemed subdued by all the sadness of the day and the countless humans surrounding it.
Finally, when everyone had arrived, Hank stood, stepping before the open casket to deliver the eulogy.
"We gather here today, to bid our final farewells to Professor Charles Francis Xavier," said Hank, his voice wavering only a little. And to the credit of the audience, not one so much as gasped when they saw him, when they saw a great furry beast conducting the funeral. They were all people here, bound together by sorrow and loss.
"Charles Xavier was a great man," he continued on. "When I first realized who and what I was, I was frightened, as I imagine we all have been, at one point or another. This man here did not question me, did not ask anything of me. He simply said 'how can I help?' Charles Xavier was many things in his life. Philosopher. Dreamer. But most of all, I will remember him for his teachings. He had a dream... a dream of a world where humans and mutants could live together in peace," he said meaningfully. Then, for effect, he glanced at those gathered on the lawn of the Institute. "I would like to think he would be very proud, if he could see us all gathered for him today, putting aside our differences and be united in our care and sadness."
Hank paused then, taking a moment to work a lump out of his throat before continuing on. "Charles Xavier had created a legacy that will last far beyond the end of his life. That legacy is in us, in the teachings he tried to give us. Today we say good-bye to Charles Xavier, but we will never forget what he has taught us. Professor Xavier was a hero, but he was more than that... for he taught his X-Men to be heroes as well."
Hank stepped down, and the procession broke as people made their way up in an orderly fashion to view Charles Xavier one last time before the casket would be closed and he would be buried on the estate. His final Will had been found by Hank a few days ago, with instructions for him to be buried, with its caretakers permission, at Kurt's church. A large stone in the partial woodlands that were part of the Xavier estate. Kurt had wholeheartedly agreed.
There had been something else in the Will, as well.
"Scott, Jean," Hank said, getting their attention. They had just given their last respects, stepping out of line for Kurt and Rogue to go next, with Mystique behind them. "There's a matter in the Will concerning inheritance. Charles asked that it be read with the two of you present."
"Sure," said Scott, his voice greatly subdued. "Afterwards..."
"Of course. Whenever you're both ready," said Hank, knuckling off to give them space. They needed time to grieve, after all.
And so did he.
Eric Magnus Lensherr, known more commonly by his mutant alias of Magneto, watched the funeral from the sidelines. He dare not approach further, not with secret service agents guarding the President and SHIELD agents like Fury sitting with his son and daughter. Chatting rather pleasantly, he noticed.
He felt so tired. As if the death of Charles had driven home the fact of just how old he was. Already the senior of the two friends, Magneto now felt ancient. And yet of the two, Charles had died first.
"Good-bye old friend," he intoned, floating behind the rise of the Xavier Mansion, out of view of the others. "Perhaps some day I'll see you again. In a place where you and I need not be enemies any longer. Besides," he added, a wry smile touching his lips. "You owe me a re-match for that last chess game we played."
It'd been a hobby they'd shared, what seemed a lifetime ago. Simply chess. Thirty-two pieces, two dimensions, one objective. A world without complications. How he'd enjoyed those games they'd played. But now...
Eric sighed, lifting himself with the power of his will. And he floated off, heading east. He needed to rest.
Sarah Howlett sighed as the proceedings began to break down. People were mingling now, remembering Professor Xavier, drinking punch provided by Ororo. Sarah had never known the Professor very well, but she still felt for his loss. As she did for the loss of Logan. Breaking off from a talk with Agent Fury and Wanda, she wandered over to the wall that surrounded the mansion and leaned her back against it, sighing deeply.
Then suddenly her senses alerted her to something nearby. Frowning, she sniffed the air... and caught that oh-so-distinct scent.
"Hey," she managed to whisper, her back against the wall. She knew he could hear her.
"Hey yourself kid," came the reply. She could sense it. He was on the other side of the wall, back leaning against it. Though she couldn't see him, he had a cowboy hat on and a heavy coat over his body to cover his features.
"I thought we agreed you never call me that again," she responded angrily. It was all show anger, of course. She was delighted (though not terribly surprised) to see he'd survived.
"Listen, I... I got some things that I need to take care of. With the Professor around I wanted to help take care of the school, but now that he's gone its really long past time I moved on."
"Will you be back?"
"Maybe," he said, almost as an after-thought.
"We'll be missing you around here," she added uneasily. Not adding the necessary 'I will miss you.' Some things didn't need to be said.
"When I have some answers, I'll be back. Just promise me you'll stay alive 'til then."
"If I live anywhere near as long as you do, that'll be no problem," she replied earnestly.
"Take care... Sarah," he said, then, as an afterthought, he added "Oh, and take care of my bike, wouldja?" And then he was gone. She shifted, tilting her head to listen, sniffing the air to check for scents. He was long gone. But Sarah wasn't sad.
A smile touched her lips briefly, before she covered it up with her usual grim look. Wouldn't do to make it think she was happy at the Professor's funeral. She could tell the others later that he'd survived, so they wouldn't need to throw a similar funeral later in the week. That would cheer them up... a little.
Because of all the unusual and numerous guests, one or two unnoticed faces could've easily slipped in amongst the prestigious heads of state and businessmen, were they properly inconspicuous. Cain Marko was, unfortunately, none of these things, and even without his armor he stood a head and foot taller than the average joe, and would've been spotted immediately. However, the answer had presented itself to him in the form of a secret service agent. Cain had left him in the bush after confiscating his uniform.
Now he stood alongside the President of the United States, peering down at the body of his little brother. Half-brother, really. Mutual mother. Charlie had never been that big to begin with, not even compared to pre-Juggernaut Cain. But still, looking down at him now... he looked so unbelievably fragile and tiny.
The Juggernaut had been waiting for this day for ages. He'd wanted to destroy his brother for everything he'd stolen from Cain. But now, it was here... and he felt nothing. He felt no joy, no sense of triumph.
Cain Marko looked in the mirror and realized what a monster he'd become. As responsible for Charlie's death as the mutant girl who'd destroyed his mind. Angrily, Cain turned his head, glad that the secret service sunglasses he wore covered his eyes. He didn't want anyone to see him crying.
There, the redhead... she was crying too, resting her head on the shoulders of her sunglasses boyfriend. Cain could've walked over their, crushed her head with no problem. Even without his armor he was still the Unstoppable Juggernaut, with all the strength and power that came to him from his use of mysticism. But... still...
... he couldn't bring himself to do it.
He might feel nothing again, and would kill again, and again, and again, just trying to feel something, just trying to relieve his inner pain. And he'd fail.
Silently, Cain Marko stomped out of the Institute gates as soon as discreetly possible, tearing off his jacket and tossing it aside, leaving on his t-shirt and pants as he stalked back to the warehouse he'd hidden his armor. Not to get it, but to have some time alone.
He needed to think... and to mourn.
'Professor Charles Francis Xavier'
'Husband, Father, Teacher and Dreamer'
'1949 - 2004'
So was carved into the stone now placed alongside the greater one of Kurt's church. The casket was carried by his X-Men. His students... and his family. And laid to rest. Kurt, while an inexperienced clergyman, had none-the-less been able to call upon what little training he'd received in Heirelgart as a priest to recite a few closing words, as the casket lowered into the ground. Then it was over, and the guests began to disperse. Hank, Jean, and Scott, made their way inside to deal with more legal matters concerning the Institute and its occupants.
Professor Xavier's lawyer was present, of course. An old friend of the Professor Xavier and, indeed, even his parents Brian and Sharon Xavier before him, he made no comment on the mutations of his friends. A kindly old man whose mind was none-the-less as quick as ever, he was their legal aid in these troubled times. Scott and Jean took seats, as did Hank across from them as the lawyer read from the final Will and Testament of Charles Xavier.
"... do hereby leave my entire estate, including all of my personal assets, to Scott Summers and Jean Grey. All personal heirlooms of the Xavier family now belong to aforementioned Summers and Grey, including but not limited to the Institute for Gifted Youngsters and the grounds on which it is on. A sum of one million dollars is to be set aside for each student of the Institute following his or her successful obtaining of a college-level degree..." and here he broke off, placing the will before him. "There a number of legal matters after that, but its nothing to overly concern yourselves with."
"You mean... we own the Institute?" asked Scott, shocked beyond all reason. The elderly lawyer nodded his head.
"If you want to. You are legal age, after all. All you need to do is sign here," he said, pulling out another paper. The deed to the Institute, Scott could tell at a glance, with spots for both himself and Jean to sign. "Of course, if you feel this is too much, we can have all the assets and everything else liquefied, turned straight into cash. I don't think that's what Charles would've wanted but... what he would wanted would have been for you both to make your own decisions," he added, sliding a pen across the table.
Scott picked up the paper, reading it. Ostensibly it was to make sure there were no hidden clauses (read before you sign, after all) but in reality it was to buy time as he shared a brief telepathic conference with Jean.
Should we? he asked.
Scott, I dunno... I want to stay here but... can we?
If we don't, what'll happen to the X-Men? To all the kids, some of them don't have families or homes to go back to.
Whatever you decide is fine, Scott, but ask yourself this... do you really want to take on this responsibility? To fill Xavier's shoes?
I don't know if I can, he replied honestly. But I want to try.
Scott signed his name in crisp, bold strokes of the pen. Jean signed hers beside it. Beneath the table, they clasped hands, and Scott could feel the ring on her finger. Suddenly, the future did not look so bleak.
Author's Notes:
And so the main character death I spoke of has finally come to pass. Did I surprise anyone? Probably not, at least a few of you figured it out, but the rest must've been shocked. Wolverine's near death was of course to throw people off. Well, I hope you enjoyed the funeral and maybe even shed a tear or two (I know I did). Still, the X-Men will go on, and this story isn't yet done. Xavier's funeral was largely inspired by the Justice League episode 'Hereafter,' and the X-Men: TAS episode 'Graduation' (now you know where I got the title). What comes next is what happens afterwards to the X-Men. President of the United States George McKenna comes from the X2 movie and book. The reference to Eric and Charles playing chess is also of course from the X-Men movie. Brotherhood sitting with SHIELD Agents? I think you can guess where that's going. Xavier's birth date was just a rough guess on my part, based on what I think his age is (I mean, he's not ancient, and he does have a teenaged kid). Next time, a glimpse into the future. And I again remind all who have read my previous stories with glimpses into the future... forget all you have seen. Prepare for the unexpected.
Risty: Not really, this was the ending of the Dark Phoenix from the TAS saga. Scott talking Jean down is highly over-rated, plus its already been done. Romantic on the edge of doom… yes an appropriate description. Hope you weren't disappointed to find out your guess was wrong.
Nessie6: You prefer TAS Wolvie to Evo Wolvie? That stupid twit who spent half his time whining about Jean and the other half running off to beat up Sabertooth? Well as you can see your fears were groundless. And the day the Brotherhood have their own show is the day I swallow a bucket of scorpions. X-Men Forever!
ViciousAssassin: Died at the very end of the chapter, breathing his last. Wolverine was to throw everybody off. And no, Phoenix wasn't yelling, her voice was just naturally powerful and echoing everywhere, hence the uppercase letters. And yeah, everyone has a dark side of their personality, and at least half the X-Men at the Institute have 'Former Villain' on their resumes. Even Xavier briefly as a Horseman. Wolverine's relationship with X23? Clones they may be, yes, but clearly different, so I'm thinking right now as Father-Daughter. If she got older but he stayed the same, maybe as Brother-Sister… maybe. No, 'fraid no happy reunions for the Xavier's. And when I say possibility, it means just that… this possibility I had to turn down, unfortunately. As for who feels guilty about Prof X's death, quite a lot of people, but the blame rests solely on the departed Phoenix. As for loose ends… possibly, maybe. But I really should move on.
Sandoz: David does indeed seem like a nice guy, at least towards Jean and maybe a bit towards his dad, so he deserves a happy ending. Unlike meanie Lucas. As for the armband seen in the future scenes on X23, I think that was part of her uniform, not a sign of mourning. Glad you enjoyed the comic references, including the mention of Onslaught (who bears a remarkable resemblance, power-wise/personality-wise with a certain Mindcoil).
X00001: Jean Grey is free of her dark side (though it lives within her still, as do all of ours) though she is still no doubt trapped and caged by guilt over the death of her dear Professor X. Lucas -is not- dead. He was banished to the Astral Plane. Believe me, he probably wishes he was dead, right about now. Ah well, the Shadow King can keep him company.
Todd fan: Awww, but you guessed right. You win a prize. I agree, I'll miss Lucas too. He was a most entertaining villain. But such is life. He might come back some day, the Astral Plane never did seem to keep the Shadow King under control very well. You keep up the good work with your many stories.
Star-of-Chaos: Clearly there will be no Onslaught, with Professor Xavier six feet under. I mentioned him only in comparison to the Dark Phoenix, as powerful telepaths dark sides. Jamie? I considered that, actually, but settled on Professor X to force everyone to move on and grow past their teacher and "graduate."
Danfred: I -am- a rabid Rogue fan, I'll have you know. I would never kill her or X23, I love them too much. And no, 'fraid Wolverine was a decoy. It was Professor Xavier. Surprised you, didn't I?
DoubleL27: I'd like to think they've all grown up. If you don't believe me, look waaaaaay back in Season One from Evo. They've totally changed. And yeah, Scott may've relaxed in his job, but doesn't mean he doesn't do the right thing all the time. Glad you enjoyed the end to my version of the Evo Phoenix Saga.
Princess Myra: Bingo! You got it right on the nose and noticed all the subtle, cryptic clues I left along the way to show who it was. Glad you liked the return of Jean and David and the bright ending to an otherwise dark and angsty fic.
Comet-hime: Kickass indeed. I love making Rogue the hero, now that she's Marvel empowered I just love throwing her headfirst into the thick of combat. And yeah, poor Professor X, but the X-Men'll do just fine without him, I think. He taught 'em well. And yeah, glad that Jean's back. I think I actually managed to salvage her character completely from the bitch we all hated back in Seasons One and Two.
UniversalAnimeGirl: Brief but good. I spent enough time on action sequences with the Divide and Conquer chapters. Of course I didn't kill off Wolvie, he was a decoy to distract from Prof X biting the big one. Wolverine is still alive, and Sarah knows he'll come back. But Rogue and Kitty will have to deal with Logan being gone. And yeah, I noticed the Scott-talks-Jean down is a little too commonplace for my tastes. I try being unique. And they won't need to recover Wolverine's body, as you've seen. X-Sub? Not gonna happen… ever. Colossus or Rogue can handle it, if it comes to that. Enjoy the upcoming chapters as I wrap everything up.
Rogue14: Just like Xavier, Scott has no luck with women. Neither does Bobby, half his former girlfriends have tried to kill him at one point or another. Of course not X23 or Rogue! I love those X-Girls, and I'd rather die before they did!
Oceanbang: He survived! It was all a ploy! Muwahahahah! Professor X bought the farm, he did! X23? You honestly think I would kill her after giving her a whole frickin' story?! Blasphemy! Her and Rogue might as well be immortal in my stories, they ain't ever gonna die. Mastermind doesn't count, he isn't a major character. He was seen in three episodes of Evo (and one was a non-speaking cameo).
Pixie Stick Addict: Very few of the New Recruits were shown in the future shots, except for Bobby. Besides, isn't Sam immortal in the comics or something silly? Ha, no it wasn't Logan. Jean kill herself, oh come on its never gonna be that easy. Glad you enjoyed her smacking around Lucas though. I love giving villains what they deserve.
Elrohirthewriter: Oh but the story is not yet over, there is more involved in Graduation, else I would've simply left it a tale about the Phoenix. I will certainly try to keep writing well, but I'll need insight and criticism from good readers and reviewers such as yourself. Blue Christmas deleted chapter? You don't have an E-mail or IM under your screenname, so send me that and I'll be happy to provide you with it.