AN: I'm back! This chapter would've been posted sooner but my life has been busy lately, and then I heard the news about Kobe and GiGi Bryant which deeply upset me to the point I didn't want to do anything on Sunday.
"Peter, thank you very, very much," Charles said, as he shook Peter's hand.
We were standing outside of a plane on the air strip, preparing to depart to France. It was going to be an all night flight if we had any hopes in stopping Raven who would have a large advantage since she had the head start to get there. I had changed out of my bathing suit, and instead I was now dressed in blue, wide flare pants, a polka dot, yellow halter top, and brown sandals. My hair that was previously in an afro was now slicked back into a low puff ponytail.
"Hey, I saw your flight plan in the cockpit. Why are you going to Paris?" Peter questioned.
"Have you ever heard the saying that curiosity killed the cat?" I asked, speaking from next to Charles' side.
"Um...yes?" Peter answered unsurely.
"Would you like to test that theory?" I asked again, and Peter vehemently shook his head. "Good. Just know that we have business there," I simply explained, flashing him a smile.
"Do me a favor and return it for me," Charles called, as he started to walk up the stairs, tossing Peter the keys to the car.
"Okay," Peter nodded.
"And, Peter? Take it slow," Charles said pointedly, making Peter chuckle.
"Well, it was nice meeting you," I said, sticking my hand out and Peter took it.
"You have a really awesome home," he complimented, shaking my head.
"Yes, I do," I agreed, nodding with a small smile and placing my free hand on top of his. "And let me tell you, if I see anything missing from my home..." I trailed off. "I know where you live," I informed in a whisper, still smiling. I leaned down and gave him a good bye peck on the cheek. "Safe travels," I wished, letting out a chuckle at Peter's ashen face, as I walked up the stairs to the plane.
Charles lingered at the top and gave me a small smile as I passed. My previous amusement disappeared from my face, which fell into a cool expression as I breezed past him. I looked over to Hank who was setting up in the cockpit and he sent me a nod and mouthed 'thank you' to me before I took a seat. I seated myself across the aisle from Logan while Charles sat on the same side, but next to the sofa that Erik was sitting on.
Soon the plane was in the air and it was filled by an awkward silence.
You could cut the tension with a knife. The guilt, blame, questions, and overall emotions were complex. I knew Logan was having a hard time keeping up with everything that was transpiring in this confined space and why the three of us, who used to be as close as you could be, all seem to resent each other or have mixed feelings towards one another.
But me, I didn't pay any attention to it, as I was looking out the window at the blue sky and white, fluffy clouds. It was a beautiful and serene view.
"Come fly with me, let's fly, let's fly away," I sung lowly, my lips barely moving. Suddenly, I felt a cold hand rest on my shoulder and I whipped my head away from the window to see who it was. "Erik," I breathed, lifting my head slightly in order to meet his eyes.
"Somethings never change," he told me with a smile, in regards to my singing.
I let out a chuckle, "Where else would you hear such lovely singing," I quipped, as Erik handed me a glass of water which I took gratefully. "Thank you Erik, you're such a darling," I stated, momentarily covering his hand with my own.
I glanced at Charles only to see him looking at us, a hard expression on his face, but in my ex-fiance's eyes I could see only two things...anger and pain. Erik moved back towards his seat and looked across the table at his old friend.
"How did you lose them?" Erik asked curiously.
"The treatment for my spine affects my DNA," Charles replied coldly, the already dark bags under his eyes seemed shift to a harsher red as he answered.
Erik scrunched his eyebrows together, "You sacrificed your powers so you could walk?!" He asked in disbelief.
Charles' eyes flickered with an immense amount of pain and sadness, "I sacrificed my powers so I could sleep," Charles corrected, his voice breaking at the end. He looked over at me for a brief moment, noticing that I was listening. I raised my eyebrow at him and interlocked my fingers together. He shook his head as if clearing his thoughts. "What do you know about it?" Charles questioned angrily.
"I've lost my fair share," Erik argued.
"Dry your eyes, Erik," Charles laughed coldly at the remark. Logan and I glanced at each other. The mocking attitude, that Charles had was starting to turn into more anger. "It doesn't justify what you've done," Charles rebuked bitterly.
Erik frowned at this, "You have no idea what I've done," Erik growled lowly, shaking his head.
"I know you took the things that meant the most to me," Charles seethed. "Whether it was directly or not," His eyes darted my way again. I was the indirect thing that Erik took from him. Erik took away Charles' legs, and in the years to follow I was soon to follow.
"Well, maybe you should have fought harder for them," Erik retorted in the same coldness.
I felt the rage surge up inside Charles with a force that knocked the breath out of me.
"If you want a fight Erik..." Charles rose from his seat abruptly as did Erik, but Charles stumbled from being slightly intoxicated.
"Sit down," Logan and I interjected, although my tone was more of boredom.
"...I will give you a fight!" Charles finished, ignoring the two of us.
"Let him come," Erik whispered, raising a hand to the two of us.
Charles was at Erik, "You abandoned me!" Charles cried, taking hold of the front of Erik's shirt. I was on my feet now too, standing directly behind Erik just in case this actually came to blows. "You took her away...you caused the events that made Claudia leave me and you abandoned me!" He screamed at the taller man while distinctly looking at me.
I lowered my gaze, a stab of pity slicing my heart at the shattered, damaged, broken man in front of me. Irrationally, I started to feel like this was somehow all my fault, that I was a bad person for leaving. And even though it wasn't fault nor that I should feel guilty, my heart still ached.
"Angel," Erik whispered, and I lifted my eyes back up and frowned as Charles looked confused as well. The plane started to shift. "Azazel. Emma," He continued, staring blankly as the plane began to shake and tremble, but it was not because of turbulence.
"Shit!" I hissed, grabbing onto a headrest for support, but still falling to the floor.
"Banshee,"
Sean.
My heart pounded at his code name as I stood up, I missed the goofy, redheaded boy quite dearly and I began to wonder where exactly Erik was going with this list.
"Mutant brothers and sisters..." Erik continued, his voice was getting louder. "All dead!" Erik declared, anger laced through it as the jet began to decompress and anything else made of metal.
My blood ran cold and it felt like my heart stopped. Sean was dead...and I had no idea.
A beeping alarm went off as plane the tilted, many items sliding to the floor. Erik's anger was effecting the plane's stability. Charles fell back against his seat, gripping the wall of the plane as Erik dipped it to the right, tilting us as things fell from the cupboards, dishes and other things sliding on the ground and towards the cockpit.
"Countless others experimented on, butchered!" Erik growled, continuing his magnetic fury.
"Erik, please!" I shouted, as I looked out the window and noticed that we were nose-diving. I had to hold onto the arm rest so I didn't crash to the other side of the plane. "Erik!" I yelled again.
"Erik!" Hank called worriedly over the noise, as the beeping grew louder, the altitude dropping.
But Erik wasn't listening to anything or anyone as he unleashed his fury.
"Where were you, Charles?! We were supposed to protect them! Where were you when your own people needed you?! Hiding! You and Hank! Pretending to be something you're not!" Erik snarled, seemingly unfazed as the plane shook and the many metal objects flew around the floor.
"Erik!" Hank cried urgently, as the plane was treacherously close to crashing into the ocean.
I quickly grabbed Erik's arm, looking up at him, "Erik, please...calm down..." I begged with pleading eyes, my fingertips tingling with my mutation.
Within a split second, Erik came to, and the jet began to regain it's balance as Hank was able to once again take control of the plane. I let out a shaky breath I hadn't realized I was holding. Erik looked down at me over his shoulder, his eyes darkening at what I'd done.
He then ripped his arm out of my grip, "You abandoned us all," Erik finished, facing Charles again. "Even your own fiancee," he added.
I looked over at Charles who stared right back at me, "Charles..." I called softly, but he ignored me.
Panting, Charles stood up, glaring at Erik before he stormed off to the cockpit with Hank and slammed the door behind him.
"Brilliant," I stated, shaking my head. "Just brilliant, the two of you acting like children," I commented, placing my hands on my hips.
Erik chuckled and spun to face me, "I'm sorry Claudia, are genuine emotions an inconvenience to you?" Erik questioned, arching his perfect brow. "It must be so hard for you right now to be outside the utopian bubble you created for yourself," Erik stated mockingly. "Where everything was sculpted to your desire," he added.
I flexed my hands into fists at my sides, taking in a deep breath when I felt my body begin to feel hot.
"You don't know what you're talking about," I said lowly, clenching my fists.
"You know, I wonder if Jean and Anna genuinely loved you? Or if you just made them because you were bored and lonely?"
I raised my hand in fury and slapped Erik hard across the cheek, the sound echoing throughout the cabin. Erik slowly turned his head to face me again, massaging his reddened cheek in the process.
"I would never do that and you know it!" I whispered hotly, my brown eyes staring at his in fury. "Jean and Anna brought joy back into my life! You will never know what I was put through while you were locked up," I hissed, jabbing my finger into his chest. "And you off all people should be the last person to judge about how I use my powers," I chuckled, shaking my head in disbelief. "You murdered the goddamn president with yours," I scoffed, before I walked to the back of the plane.
Just as I entered the small bathroom I nearly closed the door until I heard Logan's voice, so instead I kept the door slightly cracked to watch the interaction.
"So," Logan began, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "You were always an asshole," Logan commented, almost amused.
"I take it we're best buddies in the future," Erik stated as he slowly turned to face him.
Logan chuckled, "I spent a lot of years trying to bring you down, bub," Logan said, a lighter in his hand and a cigar that he was lighting in the other.
"How does that work out for you?"
"You're like me. You're a survivor," Logan answered simply. He took a long drag from his cigar and gestured subtly to the interior of the plane. "Do you wanna pick all that shit up?" Logan asked, looking down at the mess of glass on the floor.
And with that I closed the door to the small bathroom where was able to have a few moments of privacy, to allow my tears to flow.
AN: RIP Kobe & GiGi Bryant.