That night, Kurt had one hell of a time trying to sleep; Erik was making rest difficult. The Fuzzy Dude felt more sympathetic than annoyed as his companion tossed and turned fitfully in slumber. He sat up, watching the figure next to him intently, as he became aware of Erik's mumbling.
"No… leave me alone…" he murmured, curling into a tight ball.
His body jerked as pained moans passed his lips, his arms raised in self-defense, as though some invisible force was beating him. His jerking subsided, though his form was now shaking with the intensity of his sobs.
"Want to go home… hate this… cage…" Erik whimpered.
"Erik," Kurt whispered, shaking his friend's shoulder, "Erik, wake up. Erik? ERIK!"
Erik bolted upright, panting, obviously panicked, as he looked around, seeming unsure of where he was.
"Erik!" Kurt said, grasping Erik's arm, "It's OK, it's OK. You're safe. There is no cage, you're at the Xavier Institute, OK?"
"Kurt?" he questioned, still somewhat panicked, "Thank God…"
Without warning, Erik fell against the azure figure beside him, wrapping his arms around him. Suddenly he pulled back, appalled at himself, wondering why he had dared to do such a thing.
"I… apologize, Kurt," he stammered, rising from the bed.
Before Kurt could utter a word, Erik slipped from the room to his perch on the roof, taking a spare blanket with him.
Kurt was sound asleep when Kitty and Rogue entered his room and shook him awake.
"Kurt," Kitty whispered, "Kurt!"
"Wake up, Blue Boy!" Rogue called in his ear.
"ACK!" he woke with a start, "Vas?"
"Do hear that?" Kitty asked.
"Hear what?" Kurt yawned.
"Listen," the brown haired girl answered.
He listened; in the night came a heavenly voice, such that would make angel's weep at its beauty, sounding like it came from the balcony of Kurt's room.
"Oh, that," he yawned again, "That's just Erik."
"Erik?" Kitty questioned.
"That masked freak who bunks with you?" Rogue put in.
"Yes, him," Kurt answered, rolling his eyes at Rogue's 'freak' comment.
"You're not, like weirded out or anything?" Kitty queried.
"Nein, he has some sleepless nights," Kurt sat up, "So he goes out on the balcony and sings. Haven't you heard it before?"
"Well, yeah," she answered, "but it usually comes from the roof. Well, night!"
"G'night," Rogue said as she and Kitty headed out.
Kurt yawned a response, then his head dropped back into his pillow as he went back to sleep. The next morning, everyone was summoned bright and early to the Danger Room, where they did their training. The X-Men, including the newer kids, all gathered in the control room, Erik stood below in the Danger Room itself with Wolverine and Storm. Erik was dressed in his full Phantom regalia, Wolverine in his uniform with a smug grin on his face.
"All right," Xavier's voice echoed through the room from the intercom, "What we're going to do is test Erik, see exactly what his powers are. Ready?"
"Ready whenever you are, Chuck," Wolverine replied smugly.
"Ready, Charles," Storm answered.
The two mutants stood to the side as the automated defenses came on, Erik deftly dodging the lasers and other obstacles. A cybertronic soldier snuck up behind, but in a flash, Erik pulled his deadliest and signature weapon from a hidden depository in his cloak. The rope flew through the air, looping around the droid's neck and he gave the lasso a jerk, the machine's head coming off.
The team watched in awe as Erik evaded attacks and the automated defense systems with seeming ease.
"Whoa," Kitty uttered, "Look at him go. He's going to make a good addition to the team with powers like that!"
"He's not using his powers," the professor replied, "Well done, Erik, you've gotten past the automated defenses let's see how do against actual opponents."
Wolverine dove at Erik, his metallic claws fully extended, but Erik somersaulted out of the way.
"Well, there's one mutant ability," Xavier muttered, "Enhanced agility…"
Erik landed behind Wolverine, the temperamental mutant turning around and slashing at him, but only cutting through air.
"Ah, disappearing…" the Institute's founder said, "another ability."
"So that's how he does it," Kurt remarked.
As Wolverine continuously attempted an attack on the Phantom, Erik revealed another ability as he began throwing small fireballs at his opponent. Storm watched it all, amused with someone even Wolverine had a hard time touching. Aside from Sabertooth, Wolverine was a challenge to out maneuver; Erik was as worthy an opponent as Wolverine's greatest foe.
"Wow, this guy is a real freak," Wolverine muttered.
Erik had heard him and was not at all happy, a darkness engulfed the Danger Room, Erik standing in the center, rage burning in his icy blue eyes. He had taken a fighting stance, legs spread, arms bent, hands clenched; the three mutants were clear to see, but all around them was pitch black.
As Erik's restraint on his temper broke, his rage taking over, the very ground shook and, removing a dagger from a hidden pocket on his person, he attacked Wolverine head-on. In itself, that was not a smart move, not against Wolverine, but Erik was a force to be reckoned with when he lost control. Wolverine defended himself, getting a few slashes of his own, his claws making contact with Erik's clothing through to his flesh. But the former Opera Ghost did not stop his onslaught, his dagger tearing the other mutant's flesh here and there. Seeing the danger her colleague was in, Storm tried to intervene and flew in to stop Erik, but he sensed her coming. He turned to her for a second, throwing his hand out toward her and a gust of air forced her back. Wolverine had taken that opportunity to swipe at Erik, his clothes tearing at Erik's unmasked cheek. The enraged creature that had taken over turned back to his attacker and, turning his hand palm up, raised it up, seeming to lift Wolverine with it without even touching him.
Apparently Erik also had some kind of telekinesis and had used it to lift Wolverine into the air and send him flying into the unseen wall. Xavier could see that Erik had completely lost control, that something else had taken over, and that Storm and Wolverine's lives may be in peril. Closing his eyes, he attacked Erik mentally, as he would his younger brother, Juggernaut, with mind blasts. Immediately, Erik stopped his assaults, bringing his hands to cradle his head, his eyes clenched shut, yelling in pain. Xavier continued this until Erik was on his knees, the darkness subsiding, more or less harmless, his darker side was subdued, and released his hold on Erik's mind. The Phantom remained on his knees, hands on the floor, his head bowed, gasping for air before passing out. Wolverine rose from the floor, a hand to his head, Storm descending to the ground, both relieved but confused.
"What…" Wolverine began, "was that all about?"
"I'm not absolutely sure, Logan," the professor answered, entering the Danger Room itself with the other mutants in tow, "Though it may have had something to do with your remark."
Erik was brought up to the hospital ward where Kurt, once he had changed out of his uniform, sat by his side.
"Hey, Professor?" he asked.
"Yes, Kurt?" Xavier answered.
"How could he have been asleep," the blue mutant went on, "for 123 years? I mean the oldest person was like 114 and they looked old! But Erik…!"
"Calm down, Kurt," the professor said, "Perhaps it was more a comatose state he rose from than an actual sleep. People can lay in comas for years without aging, but still very much a live. I suspect his state was more similar to that."