Author's Note:TRIGGER WARNING, EXCESSIVE BLOOD. READ CAUTIOUSLY. xoxo, Momma Love

Perfect Synergy

"It is the flash which appears, the thunderbolt will follow." - Voltaire

It was so dark. When I opened my eyes I couldn't- I couldn't see a thing. Wetness streaked my face and my chest spasmed continuously. It felt as if I was in a timeless void. I couldn't explain it, but it was as if- as if every single cell within me was being simultaneously ripped apart, coming together again, only to be forcibly separated once more. My body ached for oxygen yet each time I opened my mouth to take a breath I could only let out a choked sob. The pain was too much. I-I couldn't even raise my hand to grasp my chest. What does one do in this sort of situation? What can you possibly do when you can feel your entire existence fading out and you can't even muster more than a bloody cough to cry out for help? I couldn't think of anything...

As I sat there with saliva, blood, and tears soaking my hair and coating the back of my neck, I was able to move my fingers and hands just enough to examine my broken body to see where the damage lie. My fingers dusted over my chest. It felt like there was a gaping hole where my heart should be that was causing an eery numbness to creep across me from shoulder to shoulder. Upon moving my other hand I realized- there was something- something sticking out of my arm. I couldn't fathom what it could be, I just knew that it had to come out. It didn't belong there. I-I had to get it out!

With every ounce of strength I had in my decrepit I managed to reach my other arm across my midsection. Desperate to get it out, my fingers fumbled hopelessly as they searched for the foreign object. Finally, I found it. It was attached to the crease of my elbow and I managed to wrap two fingers around it. I couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. Everything would be so much better after I got that thing out of me. Quickly and abruptly I pulled as hard as I could on the intrusion and tossed it away from me. I was about to relax when something uncomfortably warm started pouring from my arm. I wish I could just see it so I could fix it! I just- I wanted it all to stop!

I-It was blood. That's when I realized it. Blood was pooling underneath me as it spurted out of my arm in time to the beat of my heart. I felt myself panicking- I-I had to get away from it! I didn't want it touching me! I tried to put as much distance between me at the sickly warm liquid. With my hand planted firmly against whatever was beneath me I pushed off with as much force as I could muster. Not knowing that I had been placed on an examination table I nearly panicked as I began to fall to the floor. I reached out in fear and managed to grab onto something but it quickly wheeled away from my reach sending me face first in the cold hard floor. And just as I touched it I felt the blood started to pool beneath me again. Rolling onto my back I couldn't help but cry quietly to myself. There was no one in the world that could help me. Upon realizing that my sobs grew louder and louder until I was full out screaming in agony and despair.

In the distance I thought- I thought I heard something. Muffled cries, but not quite like mine. No... they belonged to someone else and they were... scared...

"Maxine! Maxine? MAXINE!"

Max... I found myself giggling a little hysterically at the sound of my own name and my tears started falling faster. I don't know if I was happy or if the pain had just become so unbearable my brain just decided to switch off so it didn't have to endure anymore.

"Maxine? Oh God... they told me that you weren't recovering from your endeavor but I never imagined..." The voice died out after that, afraid to speak. From the distinct British accent I knew Charles had returned from his trip to Russia. He had lifted my head gently into his lap. Slightly delirious I started to laugh which only resulted in me coughing up more blood onto myself.

I opened my mouth in an attempt to say something, anything. Just more coughing.

A hand dusted over my wet cheek affectionately. "Don't try to speak. You've been through quite the ordeal... Hank! Get something to stop the bleeding!" He yelled back to something else who seemed to be shuffling around in the background. They quickly rushed forward and pressed something fluffy against my oozing arm.

"I-I can't see!" I practically pled, despite not asking for anything. I just wanted something to make me feel less helpless!

"It's temporary my dear, I promise. You'll be fine! Absolutely... fine..." He drifted off once more.

His words, they caused me to ache even more. Something I didn't think possible. I knew there was something wrong with me. Never in all my life have I ever felt anything similar to the pure feeling of utter despair that I felt that day.

"Maxine, i-if you can, I need you to dispel the energy you have stored inside of you." Charles continued to soothe me while someone still put pressure on my arm.

I-I couldn't be charged. It wasn't possible. Whenever I was charged I felt this rush of energy pulsing through me, a perpetual high. One of the greatest feelings I've ever experienced. Like anything was possible. Bleeding out on the floor it just felt like I was rotting. Like every part of me was wasting away. In compliance to Charles's words I tried to release whatever energy was inside of me. Without anything being expelled my body started to convulse at the futile attempt. I believe I was having a seizure. I couldn't control a single part of me and more blood and saliva bubbled out of my mouth.

"My God..." Charles muttered. "Why the hell did you leave her alone?!" He screamed at whoever was tending to my wounds. I think- I think he said it was Hank.

"She was practically comatose I-I thought she would be fine on her own..." He muttered quietly. That was definitely Hank.

"Does she look fine?" The other person harshly. It wasn't Alex or Sean, meaning it could only be Erik. Once I could finally see again I confirmed my previous assumptions. Charles, Hank, and Erik surrounded me worryingly... protectively. And to thank them all I could do was spit up more blood.

A hand brushed through my hair calmly. I looked at the hand, it was Charles wearing a rubber glove to protect him. I cracked a very weak smile. "What's happening to me...?" I croaked. I was surprised I was able to even make a sound. It felt like my words had scrapped out the inside of my throat as they were formed.

His hand moved to my cheek. "Your powers are running rampant, it's causing you to experience a heart attack, only it's non-stop. I don't think your body can handle much more of it, it's not... your body isn't recuperating in the slightest." He tried to sound soothing. But I wasn't too out of it to here the real emotion behind his words. My breathing became even more labored than before, something I didn't think physically possible at the time, I felt my heart pounding, I felt it practically bruising my sternum, my hands started shaking, and a cold sweat covered my body.

Was I going to die?

"Not while we're still here." Charles continued to try to relax me to no avail. My body was too far gone by that point. I tried desperately to let go of the energy that was teething at the seams of my very existence. It was as if a child had found a frayed edge of a blanket and started to pull. They just kept pulling and pulling and eventually the blanket would be nothing but a long piece of thread. That would be me. I felt my insides unraveling. But what could I possibly do? I hated not being in control. It was possibly the worst feeling I've ever felt.

"I'd get back..." I gasped. Apparently Charles heard me since he began to usher Hank and Erik away from my pathetic excuse for a body. That's when I let everything go. I forced the energy out of me, something I've never had to do before. In the past my powers were like a muscle, the more I worked them the more I could utilize them, now my powers were a steel cage closing in around me at an alarmingly fast rate.

Once all of the energy was out I was surrounded by darkness. My skin always glowed a little so I was never completely in the dark. I reached out for someone, anyone. Someone approached me, in the dark it looked like Erik; I couldn't be sure.

"Her heart is still racing." He said to whoever was still in the room with two fingers pressed to my jugular. Why was my heart being so out of control! I let go of the energy so I should've been feeling tired by then. But I wasn't. I felt more energized than ever. The shakes ceased, the pain left me, I felt like a brand new Max! And I could finally move again freely. I clenched and unclenched my fingers, I felt in control once more. Since I felt some energy was still left in me I nonchalantly sent some into the light fixtures. Dearly, I hoped that I didn't fry the circuits. I was in luck! The circuits retained the charge and lit up the room. I sat up, that's when I noticed Charles giving me the most frightful expression I had ever seen.

I arched an eyebrow at him. "What's up, doc?" I asked, realizing my arm wasn't bleeding anymore. Yikes that was a lot of semi-wet blood. I was practically drowning in it and that couldn't exactly be sanitary.

Charles's blue eyes were full of pain when I looked back into them. "I'm afraid that my initial hypothesis was correct..."

Okay, what was he talking about now. "Care to share?" I asked.

"I don't want to say anything until we run some tests. You are not to leave this room, understood?" He said rather seriously. I looked to Erik and Hank who wore expressions of pain and worry. I felt fine. After feeling like I was trapped for the past however long I felt perfectly fine! There was nothing to worry about... right? I... was I seriously not going to be okay?