I had a hard time writing this chapter! I just could not figure out how to stretch Charles's experience through an entire chapter… Oh well. So the beginning is from Charles point of view but then it changes the Hank. Enjoy! I'll try to update again tonight at the latest on Sunday. It all depends on how bored I get during my 4-hour English class…
Charles sighed running his fingers over his throbbing temple. His warm breathes echoed through the silent library. "You need to stop this" came a voice from deep inside Charles's mind. Charles laughed at the innocence of the plea.
"I thought I told you to leave." Charles thought quietly.
"You have caused enough pain" the voice said, "Please, just stop"
"Get out!" Charles snarled aloud, and the presence then quickly fled his mind. "I am stronger than you ever could be." Charles said to the empty room.
"Sir?" a dreamy voice said from the doorway. Charles picked at a piece of lint on his knee. Footsteps approached him and stopped at his side.
"I was not speaking to you." Charles said.
The visitor shifted slightly causing the floorboards to groan. "Can I get you anything?" He asked Charles. Charles thought a moment before replying.
"Yes," He said, "I think I would very much like to take a stroll outside today." The man began to wheel Charles toward the door. "And after I would like a nice glass of scotch. Any of the Macallan's should be fine."
"Yes sir." Came the puppets stony reply.
"I think this arrangement is going to work out just fine," Charles said. The blonde slave continued pushing his master down the hall in silence.
Hank pulled his scarf over his mouth and nose before stepping out of the Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk. A few teenage boys smoking outside a bar had already noticed the expensive vehicle. Hank silently cursed himself for driving off in the most expensive car from Xavier Manor.
"Can I help you?" Hank spun around quickly and came face to face with the gas station attendant. He was pretty young, most likely hadn't even set foot in college yet, pimples littered his adolescent features.
"I'll be fine, thank you." Hank told him but the young man didn't budge. Hank smiled at him but then remembered that his mouth was carefully covered. "Um, actually I wanted to go have a smoke for a moment, could you-"
The boy nodded happily "Don't you worry," he said to Hank, "I'll be real careful." Hank nodded in thanks before walking a few yards away from the car and the excited teenager. Hank gazed out over the crisp winter landscape carefully keeping his back turned so that the boy wouldn't notice the Hank wasn't actually smoking. Not that the boy gave the cars supposed owner a second glance, Hank would be surprised if the attendant actually remembered to fill up the tank.
Hank waited a few minutes before walking back over to the car. "Am I good to go?" Hank asked the boy, who was now basically drooling over the cars advanced engine. Well, advanced for humans anyway. Hank wondered what the boy would do if he could a glimpse of the Blackbird.
The boy's eyes shot up quickly as he tried yet again to squint past Hanks dark sunglasses. "How often do you drive this?" the boy asked carefully.
Hanks heart nearly stopped. Had this car ever left the mansion grounds? Hank didn't have the slightest idea and he now cursed himself for spending his days in the lab, tinkering with one thing or another. Maybe Erik had taken it out at some point, but Hank had always preferred to avoid the grumpy metal bender so he had no way to know for certain.
"Um, well…" Hank began, desperately motioning at the car with gloved hands. "You see, it's quite expensive and—"
The boy grinned, "I know why you cover your face!" He whispered, as if the keep other from hearing even though the nearest people were still smoking outside the bar. Hank froze, preparing to bolt into the car and drive off like a madman. The boy took a few steps closer to Hank "You're a movie star aren't you?"
Hank couldn't help himself. He suddenly burst into loud, animal-like bellows of laughter. When he finally managed to calm himself he looked up to see the boy looking sheepishly at Hank. "No," Hank told him "I'm not a movie star, I'm a scientist."
The boy frowned "I was hoping you were John Wayne's long lost cousin or something…" he said wistfully.
Hank shook his head "I'm afraid not, but I do need to get going is my car—" Hank trailed off suddenly as he saw the gang of teenagers begin to cross the street.
The boy followed Hank's gaze. "Oh." He said, "You should probably leave. The cars all ready to go."
Hank tensed as the boys continued to stalk toward the gas station. "Will they be trouble?" Hank asked
The young attendant shook his head "Nah," he said "they're harmless. Most of the time they are more of a annoyance than anything else."
"That's a mighty fine car you got there." One of them yelled, throwing his used cigarette into the gutter. Hank nodded his thanks at the stranger, pulling out his wallet to pay the attendant.
"Hey!" the boy snapped at Hank "I'm talking to you"
"Yes," Hank said calmly "and I, in case you haven't realized, am ignoring you." The boy bristled. Hank rolled his eyes. Theses kids were nothing but a bunch of bullies that spent their night harassing decent people.
The boy who had been talking leaned up against the car "You should let me take her for a spin." He said, lighting another cigarette.
"I don't think so." Hank said coldly opening up the driver side door.
"Well," the boy said, "luckily I don't really care what you think anyway. We outnumber you even when you count the zit-faced loser." The boy the reached out to snatch the keys from Hanks hands. Without knowing how, Hank suddenly grabbed the delinquent and threw him to the ground.
The gas station attendant laughed nervously as the boy gasped for air on the oil stained pavement. "You should have left me alone." Hank told him preparing to slide into his car.
"We all should have been." A familiar voice said from behind Hank. Hank froze. "What?" the voice said again, "You think things have turned out for the better? You of all people know how Xavier and Lensherr ruined lives."
Hank turned to face Alex "Your alive…" He whispered in shock. "Is Sean—"
"No." Alex snapped, "I turned his body to ash yesterday." Hank gazed at the blonde sadly. His arrogant blue eyes were hooded and blank.
"How did you escape?" Hank asked.
"I didn't." Alex said carelessly. The other boys were quietly trying to gauge the situation. A few of them looked ready to bolt if they hadn't already.
Alex began to pull off his coat to reveal the suit he had worn to Cuba. "I'm here to kill you." He said.
Hank pulled off the scarf covering his face and let it fall to the ground. "Run." Hank told the boys.
Oh man, I wanted to give Hank a bright red 1962 Ferrari 250 GT0! I had to control myself though because I feel like maybe that's a bit more conspicuous…. Just a bit. Maybe I'll have Erik steal one in later chapters :D
And for those who don't know, "the Blackbird." Is the jet that Hank designed in the movie. Sorry for it being a bit short but I do love cliffhangers! And sorry to all Banshee fans but he's not coming back. R&R please! ~Goldfish