Recovery

"Don't ask me how he's still alive Duke, because I don't have a clue," Lifeline told him. Hawk was with the two of them in a section of the Pit's medical wing. "Maybe it was his powers kicking in or not. All I know is that he's got so much hardware in what's left of his brain that it would be impossible to remove. It's a miracle he can breathe on his own much less anything else."

"So what's the prognosis?" Duke asked.

"He's going to have to be hooked up to a special machine for a long time," Lifeline sighed. "The techs think that maybe some day we can remove that wire from his head permanently once we figure out how to keep his brain from being completely shut down. Right now he needs it to stay alive."

"In other words he's gonna be stuck in here for a while?" Hawk asked.

"Maybe the rest of his life," Lifeline sighed. "There is a chance he might be able to walk again, but now he's so weak and there's so much brain damage…"

"What about your healing abilities?" Duke asked.

"I used what I could but even my gifts could hurt him more than heal him," Lifeline told him. "I could repair some brain tissue but there's so much stuff inside his head that if I do create more…the hardware inside might malfunction. Or worse. I need time to study the problem."

"From what you've told us it looks like you're gonna have a lot of it," Hawk said. "Can we see him?"

"Yes but don't tire him out," Lifeline warned.

They went to an opened chamber. The boy lay inside it. His head was hooked up by a wire to a machine nearby. He looked very pale and worn. "Yes I feel like hell as well…" He croaked.

"How did you…?" Hawk began.

"My powers have been altered," He told them. "I'm more telepathic now than precog. I'm afraid I can't stop the thoughts coming into my head. Fortunately it's only short range. Only within a few feet or so of me. I can't hear the whole base. Just anyone who walks by the door and is in the room."

"We'll have to find a way to artificially shield you until you can do it on your own," Lifeline told him.

"But I may never be able to do that will I?" The boy asked. "Sorry I can sense your thoughts on what my father did to me. I apologize if this makes you uneasy."

"It's not your fault," Duke told him holding his hand.

"Maybe…" Larry sighed. "But what really worries me now is that you haven't captured him."

"We'll find him," Hawk said. "We stopped him at least from making more sentinels."

"That Mastermold may have been destroyed but my father still has the data to create another one like it," He told them. "All we did was delay the inevitable."

"Hey, we're not gonna let that happen," Duke told him. "Somehow we're gonna find him and find a way to avert that future."

"I am not so sure that's possible," Larry spoke. "Some destinies can not be changed no matter how hard you try."

"But some can," Hawk told him. "Destiny isn't a matter of chance, it's a matter of choice."

"How did you end up like this?" Duke asked.

"It's a pretty basic story," Larry told him. "When my father found out about our powers he tried to use us in his fight. Fortunately my sister escaped him and faked her death."

"Faked her death?" Duke asked.

"She could move through time but only forwards," Larry explained. "She had no way of coming back. Usually the most she could go is an hour into the future. But somehow she managed to find the strength to go further. Don't ask me how many years but I know it was way beyond my father's reach." Larry's eyes closed again.

"I think we should let him rest for now," Lifeline said gently. "We'll check up on you later." They walked out. They went a bit further past the door. "Poor kid. What kind of man actually believes he can save humanity by doing such inhuman things?"

"You know the answer," Duke told him. "A fanatic. We're gonna have to call in Xavier. If anyone can help the kid he can."

"I also have a low level power dampener I can put on his chamber," Lifeline said. "That might give him some peace anyway."

"If he'll ever have any peace again," Duke sighed.

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"Wait a minute, let me see if I get this straight," Todd held up his hand. "Foresight is Trask's kid? And he's a mutant?" The Misfits were in the briefing room talking to Roadblock.

"Yeah a precog," Roadblock nodded. "And now he's got some low level telepathy as well thanks to daddy tinkering with his brain."

"That guy operated on his own kid?" Lance gasped.

"I know how he feels," Pietro growled.

"Wait if his father put all that stuff in his head in order to control him then that means he wasn't really responsible for all the stuff he did," Angelica thought. "Was he?"

"Depends if he let his father do it to him in the first place I guess," Pietro shrugged.

"Don't go there Pietro," Wanda said.

"Why not? It's the exact same situation we were in!" Pietro snapped.

"A little too close to home eh?" Arcade looked at him.

"Arcade you have no idea what it's like to have someone play with your body and soul like he thinks he's god or something," Pietro snapped. Then he said in a very quiet voice. "And I hope you never do."

"Can we see him?" Angelica asked. "I mean he's all alone now. Yeah I'm still a bit ticked off at what he almost did to me but I got away. He didn't."

"Not too many of you," Roadblock sighed. "He can't control his telepathy yet. It's short range but he can't put up a shield. I suppose Lina and Angelica should go."

"I'd like to go too," Pietro said. "I mean, I know what this guy is going through."

"You won't upset him will you?" Lina asked. "I helped take care of him. He's really bad off."

"Give me some credit," Pietro looked at her. "I'm not totally a jerk 24-7."

"Yeah he takes an hour break at lunch," Todd remarked.

"Very amusing," Pietro looked at him.

"I thought so," Todd grinned.

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"Larry, you have some visitors…" Lifeline told him. Then he looked at the three teens. "Don't tire him out." Then he left them alone.

Larry's eyes twitched open. "No you're not bothering me…" He spoke softly. "It can get a bit…quiet around here."

"Foresight…" Lina asked. "I mean Larry…are you in any pain?"

"Physically I'm sore all over," Larry told her. "But I'll live."

"Physically?" Angelica asked.

"I don't feel anything really," Larry spoke. "It's as if all my emotions were erased. Don't feel sad for me. It's actually quite…peaceful. I do feel one thing though…regret. I am sorry for all the pain I have caused while working for my father."

"I can hardly call it working," Angelica huffed. "It's obvious the guy brainwashed you! I mean look at you." She pointed to his head. "You didn't have a choice."

"Maybe I did but I did not see it until it was too late," Larry said. "No, I accept this. It is just punishment."

"No it isn't," Lina told him. "Nobody deserves this!"

"Well almost no one," Pietro remarked.

"We do seem to have that in common," Larry remarked. His head twitched. "Pietro…your thoughts are coming fast….too fast…"

"Sorry," Pietro apologized, knowing full well that Larry had no control. "I'll wait outside." He ran out.

Larry relaxed. "Tell him I appreciate him coming. I know he meant well."

"Larry I…" Angelica began.

"You don't have to say it," Larry told her. "I know you forgive me. Thank you."

"We'll help you get through this Larry," Angelica said. "I promise."

"I don't know if I ever will 'get through' this," Larry sighed. "But thank you."

Next: Certain X-Men react to Larry as well as other X-Men moving on with their lives.