I do not own X-Men: Days of Future Past.
Or the DVD. Yet. Boo.
The Story Left Untold
Chapter 10: Long Goodbyes
Everything had happened, escalated so abruptly.
Commencement of the ceremony. Presentation of Trask's sentinels. Locating of the masked Raven.
The world blowing to pieces.
Unseen Erik somehow taking control of the previously non-metaled behemoths. Opening fire like a madman, causing widespread panic and mass destruction all over the immediate area.
And dropping a sports stadium, of all possible things, on them.
Entrapping them.
And the huddled humans.
Charles, fallen beneath the rubble of the chaos.
Logan next to Hank, as surly and determined as ever.
Erik below, master of all he surveyed. And on his own most important mission.
Raven, Mystique nowhere to be seen.
At least I know she's not dead. If she were, she'd visibly blue right now.
Asking a stupid question, receiving the answer he dreaded.
And deciding to throw some Logan aplomb in there for stubborn flash.
Well, screw the future. I'm going to fight anyway.
And he had.
Temporarily anyway.
While Logan had fought Erik the Magneto.
Thrown like a ragdoll into a ruined car.
While Logan had inescapably disappeared.
If I live and we are friends in the future, I'm really going to have to ask him about that.
Erik ripping a metal safety room protecting the President, the mutant murderer Trask, and numerous other cowering government officials out of the bowels of the White House.
Threatening them with their own guns while he held forth with an impassioned speech directed toward every available listening mutant in the world.
Or so Hank figured.
He'd been a little preoccupied.
Trapped in a car being ripped apart by a raging Sentinel.
Witnessing the President facing down Magneto, offering himself as sacrifice.
Wait, no. That's not right . . .
Utilizing his serum to melt away the beast and trick the Sentinel into believing he was human.
Don't judge me, Raven. I don't see you waving your arms around and jumping up and down like a target.
Facing his imminent death. Said imminent death turning away and heading for Erik. Falling to pieces like refuse, garbage.
No more imminent death within the vicinity.
Thanks, Erik. I owe you one. Oh wait, no I don't.
And her, Mystique, suddenly morphing out of her disguise . . .
Oh hey, there you are!
. . . and shooting Erik in the neck.
Holy crap she's a good shot.
Erik the mighty, collapsing to his knees. The guns behind him following suit to clatter to the ground.
Pity one didn't go off and shoot him in the ass.
And her, Mystique, advancing . . .
Still favoring that leg. Need to check that.
. . . dropkicking Erik in the temple . . .
Hey, he got a helmet, no fair!
. . .and smashing the butt of the gun into the side of his head for good measure as well . . .
Okay, I take it back. Fair.
. . . and Erik the mighty Magneto collapsing unconscious on the ground.
It would seem impossible that he had witnessed so much of the confrontation between Erik and Raven at the same time racing toward the spot he'd last seen Charles fall. The old loyalties reemerging in the face of sudden catastrophe.
But he was hyper-alert, hyper-sensitive to every movement she made.
Because it was her.
And she was not yet past saving.
And then Mystique, the damned crazy woman, spinning about-face to the terrified human men behind her, lining them (Trask presumably) up in her sights.
Oh crap. Here it is. The moment. And I'm way over here.
And it was here now. The Moment.
The men didn't move. As if frozen in pl-
Hello, Charles.
And she, Mystique, screamed out in fury at her telepathic brother.
His serum overdose taken massive hold, Hank couldn't lift the metal rebar that trapped Charles. Not an inch. Not an iota.
Charles Xavier, the serum headed paralyzed former professor, was their only hope.
Don't screw it up, Charles. Please don't say anything stupid.
The man did his best. He pleaded and begged. Offered her hope.
But Hank been at her side for going on three days. Despite their shared passions of the previous night, Hank knew that she had no hope left. That she was going to do it.
And there was only one sorry option left.
"Do it, Charles. Shut her down."
We'll do it your way. Get her back to the mansion. Figure out something together. Just be gentle with her, please.
But, as usual, Hank McCoy's words went unheeded.
Instead, Charles Xavier chose to do the one thing Mystique had been begging him to do for a very long time.
He relinquished control. He stepped back. He let her go.
And that was the one thing that finally worked.
Her determination slipped away as she drew down her sights on the diminutive Trask. Her body heaved with rising emotion. Her lovely blue face crumpled and pinched.
The moment stretched out forever. He watched her, silently calling out to her, watching, waiting, hoping.
Please, Raven, please . . .
And she finally did it.
She dropped the gun.
The bloodied Charles sighed his relief. Hank smiled down at him, suddenly so relieved he didn't care about the events of the past.
And Mystique locked her gaze onto the human men she had just spared.
Don't make me sorry I did this, she seemed to be saying. Don't you dare.
Then she pulled Erik's telepathy blocking helmet away and gave him up to Charles.
Who opened the metal controlling mutant's eyes, brought him to his feet, and bade him toss away the metal trapping the telepath.
Hank immediately reached out for him and pulled him to his feet.
No eloquent words now, Chuck. Just shut up. We'll chat later.
Hank saw him.
Erik.
Who wanted his freedom. And his helmet.
And whose former friend, Charles would allow him the first, but not the second.
When Erik had done with his goodbyes to Charles, he turned to her.
Mystique.
And though they spoke no words, Hank could almost hear them in his overcharged brain.
You spared them.
Yes, I had to.
You shot me.
Yes, I had to.
If you are not with me, you are against me.
Yes, I know.
I am leaving. You're staying here.
But I will be alone.
Yes, I know. But you are strong. You are a fighter.
Yes, I am.
And then Hank watched her watch him levitate into the air.
And leave her alone.
And Hank saw her wilt.
No more mission. No more Erik.
Only her.
I'm still here, Mystique.
And then she, Mystique, did look.
At him. Charles.
And once again, though Hank was no telepath, he could still hear their voices in their gazes.
You let me go, Charles. You finally let me go.
Yes, Raven, it was time.
Thank you.
I'm so sorry for everything.
I know. Me too.
Goodbye, my sister.
Goodbye, Charles.
And she smiled. Just a little.
And then as Hank's heart was about to burst, split wide open, she, Raven, looked upon him.
Finally looking at him.
Him who had gone through the last three long days with her. Talking and not talking, fighting and upholding. Living. And loving.
She looked at him and everything passed between them all over again.
And her unspoken words rang in his head.
You gave me my hope back.
I thought it was Charles.
No, he finished it. You started it. You.
Come with us. With me. Stay. Please.
I can't. I have to keep going. There's more to do.
And then she smiled again and did just that.
She kept going.
He watched her, feeling his heart crack apart into a thousand little pieces. He sighed as that heart emptied out of him, draining out of his bare toes and into the earth below.
"You sure you should let them go?" he questioned Charles.
She'll . . . she'll be alone again. She doesn't need to be alone.
And Charles replied with hope and faith.
As the good man he once strove to be, would.
And Hank wanted to believe it. So badly.
She has to go. For her son. For others out there. But me, what do I do?
He turned to Charles.
"Stay here . . ."
As if you have a choice.
". . . I'll be right back."
Maybe.
Taken aback, Charles gripped the metal rebar in front of him and Hank released his grip. Charles sagged suddenly, an alarmed expression on his face which Hank purposefully ignored.
Man up, Charles. Time to start standing on your own two feet again. Well, metaphorically speaking, of course.
And Hank, the grown man who hid a sarcastic side along with a blue, furry, orange-eyed alter ego, ran off after the woman he loved.
He turned the corner where he had seen her last.
She was gone. No blue skinned, red haired, scaly naked woman to be seen anywhere. No blond, blue eyed beauty.
No . . .
He did see a male soldier in full uniform and helmet.
Who was slightly favoring his right leg.
"Mystique," he called out.
She turned slowly, as if she didn't want to, rippling back into her blue form.
He approached with no idea at all what he was going to say.
I'm proud of you.
I love you.
Don't go.
"How's your leg?"
Lamest opening statement ever, you moron.
She smiled a little.
"It'll be fine, Hank."
They stood there, face to face.
And the possibilities and impossibilities stood between them.
Finally, he spoke again. With the same sense of disconnect he had experienced the first time he'd uttered his request.
"I want to come with you."
There was no desperation in his voice or in his soul. He wasn't recklessly running away from anything or anyone this time.
He was just reaching out to her. To be at her side. To protect her. Support her. Love her. Whatever he could do to help her.
She didn't respond, only looked deeply into his blue eyes with her yellow ones.
"Hank," she said with a gentle little smile. "You're not even wearing your shoes."
He looked down at his hairy human-looking feet. Wiggled the toes speculatively.
Looked back up at her.
And smiled a little.
"Yeah, I know."
Okay, some of you have expressed concern for Hank abandoning Charles to run off with Raven. Well, to be honest, whether Raven says yes or no, Hank's gonna make sure Charles is safe and sound before taking his next step. but he only had a few moments before she disappeared forever. Again.
And Hank's not running off like a little puppy after her. He does want to be with her but he's also concerned about her wellbeing. I mean, when the chick's alone, she tries to kill off people, right? ;)
Just so you know.
Anyway, so ends another Hank-capade. Hope you enjoyed it!
Got something to say? Bring it on, people! I'm all ears! :D
I for one never expected this story in the first place and then never expected it to evolve into what it did. So that was a cool surprise.
Thanks to brigid1318 who's valiantly stuck through this whirlwind of a story to constantly review and give insight and advice. And never once told me to back off or take my meds (don't have any!).
Thanks to MoonlitShadowsoftheHumanSoul, angeleye02, and my mystery guest reviewer as well for speaking up.
Thanks to InkInTheKeys, Sybretooth, and Abby0512x for adding your support to this story as well.
Thank you so much for all the readings and reviewings. You are all, vocal and silent, delightful people.
Good reading of whatever makes you happy!
