A continuation from the previous chapters. Enjoy!

[[(Prompt: Pietro helping you escape Trask Industries after being experimented on)]]

3. Eyes on Fire [[Blue Foundation]]

Peter found her on the fifth floor. With trembling hands and hitched breath he eyed the machines they'd hooked her up to, trying and failing simultaneously to block out the horrendous beeping and buzzing that bit into his eardrums and made them bubble and bleed. She was laying on her back, pressed tight to the metal bed by nothing more than a few velcro straps. It was the battery capacitors that had Peter faltering. The size of a toy car, they were held firmly in place along each of her arms and legs by thick needles that protruded ghastly spires from Tes' ashen skin. Licking his lips, Peter hovered closer, blurred fingers twitching towards the tiny capacitors that, according to the Professor, were the key behind Tes' immobility.

'Remember, Charles' voice echoed eerily within his mind (he would never get used to it), the capacitors are what is keeping her motionless. The electrical state of her body is at constant war with them. Please recall exactly how I showed you to do this, Peter. You must be very careful extracting them, and make sure to do it while Tesla is still unconscious.'

Peter gritted his teeth. 'And why is that?'

Even from the safety of the rental car (that of which Hank had managed to hide close enough within the warehouse's range for the young scientist to mess with the building's security system) Peter could feel the Professor wince at his question.

'Because the capacitors were installed for a single purpose. The voltage on all four rivals dangerously with Tesla's own electrical maximum capacity. Any more and she would die. But the energy being pumped through each one of those is used merely for its stratagem of pain. With those capacitors in place, Tesla most likely can't even twitch her finger without-'

Peter had drowned Charles out. He tended to do that when he was concentrating, and besides, whatever scientist's mind the telepath had read earlier, it had provided far too much information for his liking. Biting his lip so hard he tasted the metallic salt of blood, Peter extracted the final capacitor as slowly as he could possibly manage. The sight of the needles coated in red caused the mutant to shudder involuntarily, unable to tear his gaze from inches upon inches of pointed, blood covered metal whose volts were enough to give him four heart attacks, no doubt.

Next, the machines. Peter paused to take a deep breath, willing away the rage that simmered, boiling red hot beneath the frail lid he could barely keep tamped down over it. This wouldn't be as tricky. He could do this quick. Through Charles, Peter had seen glimpses of another's mind, and despite how confusingly trippy the whole experience had been, he had to admit that when learning new information, no other method could prove to be better. In seconds he had them all shut down, wires cut and extracted and Tesla lying free upon the hard, unforgiving metal surface. Peter took a wary step forward. In the dark light of the room, he could barely see the pale skin of her body. She seemed smaller, frailer, but perhaps that was just because of the paper gown they'd put her in.

His right arm fit under her knees a little too loosely, and as he slipped his left around her shoulders Peter lifted Tes as if she were the most fragile thing in the world. Cradling her tiny frame to his own, he blanched at the myriad of black, green and purple bruises on Tesla's face. Several cuts danced about her cheeks, though none were as gruesome as the slice that ran through her left brow, nor the collection of poorly sewn up stitches that had Peter's skin crawling as if a thousand beetles were skittering up and down his bones. Her lip was split, her right eye so black and blue it looked as if it had been swelled shut for days. Tes' head lolled, her brows furrowed so violently that Peter suspected she was lost in a nightmare, undoubtedly reliving her torture- a waking dream, endless. She couldn't escape it, not even in her sleep. Something wet pattered lightly onto Tesla's bruised cheekbone, and blinking, Peter stifled a sob. Almost instantly, as though he sensed Peter's agitatedly fierce tumult of emotions, Charles was back in his head.

'Peter, you must overcome your anger. I know your rage, I understand it believe me. But in order for Tesla to survive, in order for both of you to return to safety you must-'

'How dare they.'

'Peter, Peter please heed my words-'

"Peter..."

That was not the Professor's voice. That was not in his head. Peter's arms tightened around Tes, his eyes flying to hers so fast he scarcely had enough time to prepare himself for

the ethereal ultramarine of her gaze. Even after weeks of torture, they shone just as bright as ever. Peter didn't know whether to laugh or cry, his relief at seeing Tes awake mixing with his fear, his anger, his hate.

"Hey Tes," he whispered. And then, "Hold on, okay?" His voice cracked. "Just hold on."

Looking over his shoulder, Peter held Tesla tightly to his chest, making sure her head was tucked firmly against the crook of his arm and shoulder before, in a heartbeat, they vanished. He'd never run so fast in his life.

~*~Quicksilver~*~

It started with simple things, blood samples, physicals, things that any doctor would perform, things that had Tesla moving from one room to the next, calm, uninjured, unaware of the horrors she would soon face. Peter watched, almost unwillingly beholding the projection the Professor so dolefully contrived within his mind. It was almost like a dream, he thought, watching as one of the white coated scientists drew a small amount of blood from Tes' arm. Only these weren't dreams. They'd happened, and as the memories played on and on, they would only continue to grow worse, into never-ending torment and misery. Into hell.

~*~Quicksilver~*~

By the time they reached the elevator, Tesla had regained enough consciousness to realize who actually held her in his arms. As the doors slid shut behind them and the metallic ding announced their descent, she let loose a shuddering breath that ended in a moan so feeble it had Peter's heart dropping faster than even he dared move.

"Is this real?" She breathed, trembling fingers reaching up to gently press delicate tips to Peter's cheek. "Are you real?"

He was frozen, unable to respond. Red, angry stitches lined her arms, arms that he'd never seen so white and black and blue.

"It's real," he choked out, biting his lip to keep it from quivering. "I'm here, I've got you Tesla. I've got you."

Tes smiled before a spasm of weak coughs wracked her body. She cried out then, a whimper escaping her lips as she attempted to curl in on herself in his arms.

"Tes? Tes? Tes breathe!"

Tes took a shuddering gasp, tears leaking from her eyes. Everything hurt, every inch of her body, every particle of her mind. He could sense it. He knew. And Peter hated it, with every fiber of his being, with every thread that made up humanity and the galaxies beyond. He hated it.

The elevator dinged. Three floors to go.

"Peter," Tesla breathed, her voice urgent despite how desperately feeble she was. Slim fingers clutched uselessly at the metallic of his jacket. "You... have t- to get... out of here. You shouldn't of- can't be here- get out..."

Peter's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

"They want you too."

~*~Quicksilver~*~

'What do you mean they want me?' Peter could hear his alarm, how it echoed in the black swath of space that connected the Professor's mind to his own. Eyes still closed, he sat back, waiting for the answering thoughts to slip into his head. Charles' voice was becoming more of a familiar presence there, he'd noticed, though he despised the feeling all the same.

'From what I've gathered, Trask Industries had been keeping tabs on several mutants before Tesla's abduction, you being one of them. It was most likely easy for them to gather information, since the pair of you spent so much time together.'

Peter frowned. He didn't particularly welcome the knowledge that Charles was so fully aware of his and Tesla's relationship. Who knew what the older man had seen through the minds of Trask's spies. The thought made his skin crawl. 'How can you be sure? Was it Trask? How long did they-'

'I'd rather show you, Peter.' Charles' voice cut across his blur of questions, silencing him. For some odd reason, Peter suddenly had the impression of a blanket, large and warm and soft, being pressed down upon his consciousness. Sighing, he nodded.

'Do it then.'

Peter wished he'd never thought those words. Tesla was sitting in a chair, all alone in a dark room. The man questioning her didn't have a face, the darkness swathed around him keeping all but his hands and torso obscured in an inky black. He was yelling at her, screaming at her, causing tears to leak from her eyes as he threatened.

"We'll find that lover of yours if you don't cooperate, girl. If this is the kind of insurgent behavior you are going to continue to exemplify, than I can only promise you that it will amount to all the more pain for him."

Tes was shaking, wrists writhing in their restrains upon the armrests of her chair.

"Fuck off." She spit.

The slap rebounded harshly off the invisible walls of the darkened room, intertwining luridly with Tesla's cry of pain.

"What we want is simple. A few small tests, a few more samples- things that you could easily cooperate with. There does not have to be any animosity between us, don't you see? But no matter, there is a way to handle every situation."

Tes sniffled, her face hidden behind a curtain of dark, unkept hair. Suddenly, the man was leaning across the table that separated them with gnarled hands, his hot, stinking breath rushing like death over her face.

"We'll find him, capture him, and torture him until he can barely remember his own name. And we'll make you watch. In fact, you and your lovely mutation can even be as privileged as to have a hand in his suffering."

Tesla's breath was coming fast and leaving faster, her face ashine with tears of fright and panic. Pale fingers clutched tightly to the ends of the chair's arms, chipped nails working their way slowly into the old wood. Everything was wood- anything that could conduct a charge was kept far out of range. Until they could learn to control her, subdue her powers, Tes was a danger. Blue eyes floated upwards, meeting the dark iris' glaring across from her, so full of loathing and repulsion. With a quirk of her lips that took far too much effort, Tes sneered.

"You think you could catch him?"

~*~Quicksilver~*~

The alarms had finally sounded. Tes had screamed as the sirens had begun to wail, flashing red and blue and purple violently along the dingy walls and rusted hand-holds that lined them. Clutching the trembling body tightly to his own, Peter whirled around, silver hair floating about him as he turned, brown eyes widening as the elevator shuddered abruptly before groaning to a slow halt. His gaze flicked to the numbers above the twin doors. Stuck. Between the second and first floor.

'Professor?'

'I know, Hank just told me what happened.'

'What did happened, exactly? One second we were fine and the next-'

'Whoever is manning the security systems in the building was smart enough to break through Hank's manipulation. You have to get out of there Peter, as fast as you can. We no longer hold the element of surprise.'

Peter groaned aloud in irritation, cursing as he shifted Tesla's weight. 'Speed can only get me so far, Professor. We're stuck halfway between the first and second floor, and the doors are made of solid metal. So-'

Charles was thinking quickly, Peter felt the rapid ebb and flow of thoughts and ideas spinning wildly from the professor's mind, so much so that he nearly staggered from the dizziness of it all.

'Professor?'

'You're not going to like this, Peter. But I'm afraid it's the only way.'

'What's that supposed to mean? Like what?I don't understand- I'm not going to like what?'

'Have Tesla place her hand on the doors.'

Charles could not see the convulsion of utter disbelief and fury that exploded like a firecracker on Peter's face, but he felt the emotions behind the action all the same.

'How could you even think of asking such a fucking thing of her, you insane piece of shit crackpot profes-'

'It's the only way Peter! We cannot do anything from the rental car, you two are alone in there and we must get you out!'

'It will kill her!'

'No it won't! No it won't. I've been monitoring her consciousness- she's weak, yes, but she's also very strong. And tough. Incredibly so. She can do this Peter, trust me.'

Peter turned in a circle on the spot, blowing away a strand of silver hair that had fallen into his eyes as he scanned the cramped elevator.

'I shall help her, as much as I can.' Charles' voice was soothing, and for a moment Peter believed the strange older man, believed that he understood this pain, this heartache of watching the one you loved ebb away before your very eyes. Slipping up alongside the door, Peter held Tes closer, bringing her face nearer to his so that her blurred, unfocused gaze could find his easier.

"Tesla?" He breathed.

"Pete..."
"We need to get these elevator doors open." He whispered, nearly gagging on words that wanted to choke him. "I'm going to get you out of here, I promise, but I need those doors open and-"

Peter faltered, watching as the girl in his arms turned her head slowly, reaching out an arm with a wince and a flinch as pain wracked through her in waves. Placing her palm flat against the cold metal of the doors, just over the slit that marked the separation between them, Tesla sighed, her breath hitching, before nodding her head. Perhaps Peter wasn't the only one Charles was speaking with. Eyes emptying until they were nothing more but pools of vacant light, Tesla cried out.

Like a snake Peter recoiled backwards an inch as the elevator suddenly let out a deafening whine of protest. With a jolt it began to move downwards, inching along until, with a jostling bump that sent Peter back a step and a loud ding, the doors slid open.

Peter let out a breath he hadn't been aware he'd been holding. A whimper sounded close to his ear.

"Tes? Tes are you okay? Tes?!"
Tes' hand had dropped limply from the door, her head drooping against his arm, eyes rolling shut as she lost consciousness.

She's fine, she's just fainted from overexertion. Charles was in his head again, but this time he didn't care. His eyes remained trained on Tesla, heart pounding so hard it was becoming agonizingly painful.

Hurry Peter, you don't have much time, even for you.

Lightning had never struck half as fast as Peter ran from the elevator. Cradled protectively in his arms, Tes' eyes fluttered. To her, all of this was but a passing dream, and so she sunk back into the darkness, though not willingly. For as long as she could, she kept her gaze wide, eyes trained on Peter's face as he ran. It was the last thing she saw as her vision began to blur and flicker about the edges, and with a sigh she fainted.

~*~Quicksilver~*~

"Now I'm going to need you to steel yourself before I show you these last memories, Peter."

"And why is that? What's in them?"

Charles found himself taking a long, slow breath. Of all the kids he'd ever encountered, this one seemed to favor talking, and quickly, above any of them. Removing the tips of his fingers from his temple, he folded his hands neatly in his lap, clearing his throat. From the front of the plane, Logan and Hank's thoughts trickled like a lapping stream. Hank, thinking equations and electricity as he fiddled with the same device he'd used within the Pentagon. Wolverine's musings, as he'd mentioned was his nickname, were noticeably darker than the scientists- the murky water in the stream contrasting with the clear. The burly man was lost deep within his own mind, pondering Peter's reaction when he'd gone to tell him the ill-fated news. Like a scratched record, skipping countless times over and over to that exact moment when Peter's eyes had widened with realization, and his mouth had stopped moving and fallen open, as the impact of Logan's words had settled over him in a shroud of fear and confusion.

Idon'tunderstandissheokaywhatdoestheProfessormeanhe'sgonesilentthisisreallybadIcan'twatchthisIcan'tdothisit'llkillmeiftheyhurtherIsweartoGod-

Fingers coming up to rub at the space between his brows, Charles closed his eyes. Peter's mind worked nearly as fast as his legs did, and the output always left him with a terrible migraine. Thus far, the boy had suffered the cruel memories in relative silence. But his mind, like Charles', was always working. Opening his eyes, Charles forced himself to hold Peter's gaze. Anguish, misery, fear- Peter's eyes were that of a starved man, half wild with desperation. A flash of steel grey eyes and curling, contorted metal had Charles blinking away memories doused in savage pain, of a first meeting with one who would alter his life forever. He blinked, bringing himself back to the present.

The silver hair that framed Peter's face was nearly as long as Charles', the pinched skin between the kid's brow mirroring his own. His heart constricted. No one should have to feel such pain. Especially not someone so young. Feigning a scratch, Charles quickly wiped at a tear that was fighting valiantly to slip from his eye. No doubt Peter had see it anyways.

"When you find her, you must be careful. She is injured, both physically and mentally, but the physical injuries are paramount for the time being."

Peter nodded.

Charles reached out a hand. "Close your eyes. And remember, whatever you see, you must remain calm. Think of Tes, of saving her. You need your wits about you to do that."

The fear that radiated from Peter was palpable. He nodded. Fingers against his temple, Charles placed a hand against Peter's cheek, cradling the younger mutant's face in his palm. It was the easiest way to subdue the kid, in the event that his rage took over. Charles was experienced. It had happened before, with other mutants.

With an intake of breath and a flash, the memories began to swarm.

~*~Quicksilver~*~

It was disgusting, the emotions of whomever scientist the blurred recollection was stolen from. Glee and interest, void of any remorse. Charles did his best to keep them out, to hold them at bay from Peter, yet particles leaked through all the same, making the scenes of torture playing behind their eyelids all the more macabre. And Peter could only watch, lost in the caverns of memory, unable to do much more than call out helplessly to the figment of remembrance that personated before his eyes.

They wanted to see if she could conduct electricity, so they hooked her up to machines and listened to her scream as they jotted down notes. They were curious of her mutation's power, it's stamina, so they pushed her to her limit and then some, watching with indifferent gazes as she finally lost consciousness. One scientist was interested in what would happen if she was submerged in water surging with electricity, and Peter watched as Tes cried out for help, for them to stop, beneath the tank's surface, bubbles of air streaming from her mouth as she clawed as the covering above her, blockading air. Blockading escape. And as Peter watched Tes, Charles watched Peter, saw the silent tears dripping down the young mutant's cheeks, saw the way his heart began to fracture and his mind writhe in angry, red contortions that only a certain degree of rage could muster. Charles would know, he'd seen it before...

The last memory was the worst, as things of such a nature tended to always be. A hum of disquieting excitement filtered weakly from the ghost of the scientist's consciousness, causing Charles to cringe and Peter's knuckles to curl, spasming into fists. Strapped tightly to an operating table, in the overly bright hue of lights blazing overhead, Tes' arms had been pinned down harshly, palms upturned, knuckles white. It was the final test Trask had planned for her, for the time being, the final injustice before Charles had found out her location. With small, sharp tools they cut into her skin- her arms- intrusively examining bone, muscle and tissue. Meticulously they searched for the source of her abilities, an explanation for how easily the power would float through her veins, ignorant of the agonized sobbing, the blatant suffering of the half conscious girl who's blood, as blue as the electricity she controlled, seeped from the slits in her skin, drizzling onto the white floor as she screamed Peter's name-

Even with the warning- a flare of savage red that sent him reeling from the younger mutant's mind- Charles was helpless to suppress him. Too slow, to incapacitated. And that was why he called out for Logan, Hank- somebody- to come, and quickly. Peter was a blur, a flurry of bared teeth and silver as his fist lashed out, connecting with the plane's window that sent a resounding crack! ricocheting off the inner walls of the small plane. To Charles' horror, the glass fissured, fracturing with a crackle and a sliver of displaced glass that resembled a lightning strike a little too accurately. By that time, Logan had made it to his side.

"What's happening?"

"Peter he's- he reacted badly to the memories."

A burst of splintering wood had Logan whipping around, Charles turning as much as he possibly could in his wheelchair to catch a glimpse of the ruined cabinets along the back wall of the cabin, the doors lost from their hinges.

"Well no shit, Professor."

The furniture was demolished, looking as if someone had rained down upon it a thousand punches as hard as they could swing.

"You're going to have to subdue him." Logan growled, eyes trying and failing to track Peter's movement's. "I can't try. Not in this deathtrap." It was like the kid was invisible.

Charles shook his head rapidly. "No. No, I can't. I can't just force my way-"

Suddenly, one of the shot glasses within the devastated depository went flying across the plane, narrowly missing the side of Logan's head as the large man ducked, moving quicker than his size let on. With a teeth gritting shatter the cup broke into a million crystal shards. This was getting out of hand. Charles' fingers flew to the side of his temple once more.

'I'm sorry about this, Peter.' He projected rapidly, the echo of regret clear, before rushing into the screaming, florescent young mind and seizing hold. Beside him, Logan blinked, his brows knitting at Peter's sudden reappearance. Frozen in place, unable to move, the speedster had his hand drawn back, a mere second away from sending the old chess set Charles' liked to keep on the plane flying into smashed oblivion. The fierce expression that marred the kid's features sent shivers nipping along Charles' arms, and down what little he could feel of his spine. Beside him, Logan shifted, catching the intense look that had corrupted Peter's normally aloof gaze. It was unnerving.

From the front of the plane, Hank shouted. "The device is ready Professor!"

Charles' eyes slipped shut. So it was time.

'I'm going to remove myself from your mind now, Peter. And when I do, you must find the strength to pull yourself together. Every moment we remain here gives Trask all the more time with Tesla... Hank is ready. It's time.'

When he regained his mobility, Peter retook his previous seat so quickly Charles hadn't even had time to blink. As Logan went to scout out the small tarmac, Charles chanced a quick glance at the silver haired boy. He'd turned his face away, looking out past the window he had wreaked his fury upon and beyond with red rimmed eyes. Charles wheeled towards the cockpit, his mind lost deep somewhere between Tesla's screams and the way Peter had let the tears roll untouched down his pale cheeks.

~*~Quicksilver~*~

To say they made it out in the nick of time was an understatement. Forced to watch the aching seconds drag by as the outer gates of the facility closed, lethargic and callous, Peter felt the sudden uprising of true panic seize ahold of him. Clutching the unconscious girl securely in his arms, he clenched his teeth, forcing his legs to carry him as fast as they would go, and then faster still. The gates were almost closed, guards swarming around the entrance like flies on raw meat. With a grunt Peter threw himself forward, pushing himself until he was practically flying, his feet barely touching the ground. He was at the brink- he'd never pushed himself like this. The gates were nearly closed. A trickle of sweat slithered down the side of Peter's temple. He needed to make it, he needed to get her out. With a roar of desperate frustration, Peter shoved himself over the edge.

A boom so loud and violent it threw half the guards off their feet sent him accelerating forward at a speed so rapid, so electrically fleeting that before Peter had even realized what had happened, he was well within the woods that lined the perimeter of the warehouse, the rental car not ten feet away. Peter's breath left him in a rush, like he'd been punched in the gut. Tilting forward, he barely managed to catch himself with a bent knee. Charles had told him that the rental car would be staked out three miles into the woods, giving them a wide berth from Trask to avoid detection. Peter blinked, gaze floating to Tes. Her face was blurred. His vision was fading, going grainy as blackness licked at the edges. In the distance, he could hear the Professor's voice, hear Hank yelling for Logan... but the sounds were faint, almost as if he were underwater listening to them. Peter blinked again. He'd never run that fast before. He'd never tried.

The Professor was in front of him then, saying something, but Peter couldn't hear him. There was a ringing in his ears, and with every passing second it grew increasingly louder. The metal wheel of Charles' chair snapped a twig in two as he wheeled to Peter's side, and vaguely the younger mutant felt the soft touch of a hand on the side of his head. Even lost within the recesses of shock and exhaustion, Peter knew: Charles was reading his mind.

"Be careful... with..." Peter's eyes rolled, body swaying dangerously, his words vanishing for a moment before he forced himself to come back. To continue. "...with her... Left leg...'sbroken..." He slumped forward then, his fall stopped only by a hand that caught him firmly by his shoulder as Charles whipped around as best he could.

"Logan! Come help me with him."

The crunching of undergrowth announced the larger man's presence, and as Logan stooped to removed a still unconscious Tes gently from Peter's tight hold, he eyed the silver haired mutant concernedly. Peter's head was lulling, his eyes shut and lips parted slightly as fatigue finally ensnared him in its dark embrace.

"What the hell happened?"

Charles shook his head. "His mind is a blur, it works four times as fast as a regular humans. It's hard for me to process, but from what I picked up on they almost didn't make it coming through the final gate. But Peter, he-" Charles hesitated, the look that flitted across his face uncertain.
Logan stood, his hold gentle on the girl as he rose easily. "He what?"

"I- well I believe he went supersonic."

"Are you kidding?"

The baying of dogs in the distance caused Charles to flinch. Beside him, Logan growled, the corners of his lips turning down into a sinister snarl that had an uneasiness settling like dead leaves in the bottom of Charles' stomach. Granted he'd known Logan for two whole years now, the man never failed to elicit a a particularly lucid amount of wariness within Charles. Behind him, a car door opened and closed. Low voices murmured back and forth as Logan passed Tes over into Hank's arms. Charles kept his hand firmly against Peter's shoulder, the boy slumping into the contact.

'I hope you're coming back for Peter,'

Even within his own mind, Logan's words were tinged with lupine gruffness that had almost become familiar to Charles. 'I was, unless you were planning on carrying him, Professor.'

'I think I'll sit this one out, Logan, but thank you for the generous offer.'

Despite the graveness of their situation, Logan chuckled darkly.

Echoing through the trees came voices, shouting angrily as the dogs howled their outcry. Suddenly, Peter's shoulder slide from beneath his hand. Unconscious, the boy had fallen sideways, no longer leaning against him for support. With a gasp Charles lunged forward as best he could, hand grasping at empty air a moment too late. There was a dull thud as Peter collapsed onto the ground. Charles winced, cursing colorfully beneath his breath.

"Get in the car, Professor, those dogs may not be as fast as the kid, but they have his scent." Logan's long legs were striding past Charles then, over to where Peter lay, his face nearly lost behind a tangled web of silver hair. Stooping, he slipped an arm under the kid's knees, his other arm sliding beneath Peter's shoulders. With a grunt and a huff, Logan stood, and for what seemed like the first time since they'd first met, Charles was struck with how massive the man standing before him really was. If Peter was the same height as Erik (which, Charles had noticed, the kid nearly was), he looked like a child in Logan's arms. Perhaps it was because of the way Logan's muscles seemed to bulge larger than the circumference of Charles' head... Or maybe that when unconscious, Peter really did look years younger than his age.

Charles struggled to keep up with Logan as the two made their way hurriedly to the car, his hands and arms burning as they were forced to work faster and faster to wheel himself alongside the man towering over him. The door to the backseat was already open when they reached the dingy rental car, Hank standing unsurely off to the side, balancing Tes in his lanky arms. His discomfort was obvious. Charles frowned.

'Don't drop her, don't drop her, don't drop her, oh God don't-'

Hank's thoughts were so loud Charles was certain for a moment that he was speaking aloud. As Logan settled Peter into the backseat of the run-down station wagon, the telepath wheeled himself over to where his oldest student stood awkwardly, his disquiet plain.

"Calm your nerves my friend, you won't drop her."

Hank's eyes darted towards the backseat. "She's so... Professor, she's so broken." The words, so hushed and soft, felt like a punch in the gut to Charles. Reluctantly his gaze skimmed Tes' injured frame, his examination increasing in speed with each cut, scrape and stitch he encountered until his eyes were flitting from the girl's prone form to Hank's somber brown eyes that always seemed to peek out from beneath his glasses almost timorously. Charles opened his mouth- something, he had to say something, anything, that would bolster the spirits of the young man before him.

A dog bayed then, the deep bass resonating through the dark tree-line ominously as more yelping and snarling rose to answer it. McCoy paled, his teeth grating together. His grip on Tesla tightened. Wheeling to the rear of the station wagon, Charles found Logan waiting impatiently.

"Hank, get Tes in the car!" He yelled as he was helped into the trunk. As the backdoor slammed behind him and the rusty sound of the engine revved to life, Charles swore he could see the haunting glow of luminous yellow eyes glaring back at him, sinister in the twilight that had begun to filter through the woods like a creeping shadow.

"Drive!" He shouted. Logan slammed on the gas and the car roared to life.

~*~Quicksilver~*~

They made it onto the interstate in record time. Charles rubbed his temples, his ears still ringing with the fierce snarling of dogs unseen. It didn't help his headache much that he was currently splayed out in the trunk of a station wagon that seemed to have a knack for finding every bloody pothole on the road- or maybe Logan was as a horrible a driver as he was with his no-nonsense temper. At least he drove fast. Speaking of Logan...

"In your... alternate timeline... you said he didn't hit that speed until when?" Charles asked, raising his voice slightly so that he could be heard over the clattering rumble of the car's dusty engine.

"Ninety-four, thirty nine years old." Came the gruff reply.

Beside Logan, Hank whistled. "What do you think made him do it? Triggered the advancement of his mutation I mean. Such a drastic development skipping twenty years had to have been caused by something significantly extreme."

Charles glanced over his shoulder, his long brown hair tangling briefly with Peter's silvers strands. The speedster's head was resting on the worn leather that covered the tops of the seats, just beside Charles'. His eyes were shut tight, still lost in the dusky penumbra of unconsciousness. Once Logan had gotten Peter buckled into the back seat, Hank had layed Tesla down as gently and carefully (and slowly as was possible given the chaotic situation) as he could across the remaining seats. Now her head rested in Peter's lap, her dark hair limp and tangled, shaved in patches where scientists had run tests and taken samples.

"Judging by what I saw from his memories, he nearly didn't make it past the gate with Tesla on the way out." Charles rubbed his nose absently, a distance alight in his ice blue eyes as he recalled Peter's panicked, mind numbing consciousness seconds before he'd escaped.

Logan grunted, angling the car over towards an exit from the highway. "When I knew him, his ability to go supersonic was developed over time- he had to work at it."

"That may be but... back at the warehouse..." Charles shook his head, blinking once, twice. "He was scared. Truly scared, and not just for himself. He realized he wasn't going to make it out- That his speed wasn't going to be enough this time. And then he looked down at Tesla and boom." His hands spread wide, mimicking his words. "Super speed times two."

Hank snorted. "More like times five."

"However he accumulated it in your future, Logan, I am not sure. But I am utterly certain that this time around, it was acquired in an entirely divergent manner. And I think the key to this perplexity," Charles shifted, turning with great effort so that he could look easily down at the two motionless forms huddled together in the backseat. "Greatly has to do with Tesla."

Hank turned his head. "You think so?"

Charles hummed once, low and sweet, in the back of his throat. "It has come to my understanding in life that incredibly marvelous things occur in the name of love, Hank. And this just may be one of them."