1973

Erik held shaw's old helmet in his hands as he strolled down the darkness of the park in D.C. It was past midnight, and he had been able to find the sentinel machines being transported and had all ready gotten to them. Lifting them, he stored them in safe keeping until tomorrow. Walking back from where he had been held imprisoned for nearly ten years. Taking the helmet, he knew this was the only way to be one hundred percent sure that nobody could stop him. He remembered that helmet, worn by Shaw all those years ago, and how the second he was able to take it from him his path of revenge begun. After Charles had decided not to join him, he turned it into his own, taking the name Mystique had given him.

Magneto.

That following year after Cuba had been the best one for Erik.

He somehow, strangely enough had a family. Now with Shaw dead, he decided to lead the others in proving that they were the greater race. That humans could fear them, and that they were unstoppable.

Riptide, Azazel, Angel, Mystique, Emma, and Ryan all served with him. They continued the army he wished Charles would have joined. They traveled the world together, them looking at him as their leader as he taught them how to be strong fighters and survive. The only person who truly knew how badly he missed Charles was Ryan. He suspected that Mystique did as well, but she was becoming one of his best soldiers. He knew she had feelings for him, and was wildly jealous of Ryan, but pretended to be the strong one. It seemed that something was going on between Azazel and her, and Erik wished with all his heart that she would become the fighter he saw within her.

After Cuba, Erik knew Ryan was the one to stay by his side. She had been the one who joined him on the beach, holding his hand with her silver eyes reflecting. She was the one who could open up to and feel as close to human as he possibly could. In fact, shortly after breaking Emma out, he told her one night after making love and falling asleep in each other's arms about how truly unlucky in love he had been. He told her that he had many lovers in his lifetime, in fact he admitted that he hadn't been the greatest gentlemen before her. Lots of one night stands, lots of meaningless sex. He did tell her about the young German girl Aisha he had met a few years before, how they met at a pub and how he couldn't bring himself to tell her what he truly was. When she told him she was pregnant, he became a coward, and left her. When he finally got the guts to face his responsibility he found out just a few months later she had died in a fire when her apartment burned down. He told Ryan he never knew if Shaw had been involved, but he always regrets never stepping up and being a man. He told her about all the women he left behind, and how it wasn't until her that he actually believed there was such a thing as a soul mate.

Ryan laughed and then admitted that he had been her first lover ever.

Raising an eyebrow, he hiked himself up on one elbow, looking down at her near the flicking fireplace they were laying in front of.

"Your kidding."

Ryan laughed, covering her face.

"I'm afraid not."

Staring down amazed, Erik smiled before he rolled on top of her.

"Well my love, there is so much for you to learn..."

The two stayed by each other's side, working together in the fight they had begun.

Then...they lost each other.

Thinking of her, he couldn't believe ten years had passed. He remembered that year of them together, how she had become his wife, his companion, his lover, his friend, and his mate. Together they traveled the world, side by side...never once letting her out of his sight. When he learned she was pregnant, it was the happiest he had ever been. He wouldn't make the same mistakes he did in the past. No, this time he would make things right. He hoped his child was just like Ryan and him, he hoped he could be the father he never had and teach this child to never run or be scared as he did. That's when he left her at Charles' hoping she would be safe until he returned from Dallas. Hoping everything would be all right.

But instead he was captured, and while he was locked away she was taken, tortured, and punished for his mistakes. His baby was taken away, and his friends killed. Now all these years later he would prove to these sickening monsters the error in their ways. He would punish them as they had punished Ryan. He was sick of running and hiding, tomorrow would change everything.

Thinking of her, he gripped the helmet and wanted his wife more than anything at that exact moment.

That morning...

Logan glanced at Ryan as she came from the back of the train. She was dressed in black tights, and silver boots. Her sunglasses still on. When she passed Logan she noticed his eyes and smirked.

"This...well this is part of what I used to wear back when we...Magneto and I were together."

"What's your special name?"

Smiling, as if remembering an old memory Ryan put her hands on her hips and sighed.

"I had several but in the end I ended up being called Reflector, it seemed like the only one that stuck."

"Do you think he'll show up?"

"I'm not sure, but if he does maybe I can stop him from doing something stupid."

Nodding, the two helped Hank get Charles off and together they headed to the rental car they had waiting for them to take them to the event. The entire ride, Charles kept nervously glancing at Ryan as she sat beside him. He didn't want to say it out loud, but yesterday when he was shouting on the plane to Erik, he not only meant Raven for being taken away...he meant Ryan as well.

His heart ached knowing he had fallen in love with his best friend's and is sworn enemy. Looking at her, he remembered all those years ago how she had came to him, wounded, bleeding, and soaking wet from the storm. It was him who had taken her in, nursed her back to health, and was there for her when Erik wasn't.

He swore that after he made things right, he would never allow himself to dwell on the past any longer. If he could change the future, maybe, just maybe life was worth living.

The four of them rode out in silence, praying it wasn't too late. All the meanwhile, Ryan stared out the window wondering where Erik was? Wondering if he hadn't started a war causing any more damage to be done.

1963

When Ryan learned of Erik's capture, there was no stopping in her trying to find him. First she begged Charles and Hank to go with her, to help her get him back. Charles simply explained that Erik had gone too far, that he was a killer now, and it was too dangerous.

"But he's your friend!"

Ryan cried, pacing his study. Her insides ached as she nervously wrung her hands together. The reports of the presidents death were everywhere. The press said that it was some man with a sniper, but Charles knew better. Instantly he knew Erik was involved and had been taken. The government of course knowing what he was covered the entire thing up, but as the students of the school sat glued to the TV screens, watching the reports over and over again.

Charles finally calmly explained that Erik and the others had been playing with fire with what they were doing, it was only a matter of time before this happened, in fact he sensed maybe Erik knew that sooner or later this would happen and maybe that's why he dropped her off here in the first place.

"But we have to go after him!"

Ryan cried, looking right then and there as a helpless teenager. Not the strong young woman Charles had watched hold onto Erik's hand that fateful day on the beach back on Cuba. Now she looked as Charles had seen her, not as the object Erik claimed to own.

"Ryan, Erik told me to look after you. You're pregnant, you need to think about the baby..."

Ryan stared at her with hate filled eyes before she stormed upstairs to the room she was staying in. The very same room she had made love to Erik with less than a year before hand. Throwing herself on the bed, she curled up sobbing having no idea what to do. Finally, a little after midnight she changed into her black catsuit, zipping the back and lacing up her boots. She smirked at herself at how tight her suit felt, she was just starting to show. Gently rubbing her stomach she looked at herself in the mirror before sighing. Erik was right, she really was on her own. Taking a deep breath, she opened up the window and slipped out onto the night.

Less than a day later she was captured, taken, and tortured.

Images of her laying, strapped down all those months later as the blurred faces of the doctors and scientist look her over. How they injected her, drugged her, and pulled her baby screaming and crying away from her.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Ryan came to as the car came to a halt. Logan looked back at her.

"Ready?"

Nodding, Ryan fixed her sunglasses before getting out and helping Charles with his chair. They headed in the direction of the crowds towards the white house. They all walked together, Hank pushing Charles. The second Ryan saw the metal detectors she sighed.

"Ah shit."

Logan stopped.

"What?"

Ryan pointed.

"Now what?"

Ryan sighed.

"I can't go in without them going off, I'll stick just outside...keep my eyes out okay?"

Nodding Charles reached up and patted her leg.

"All right darling, be careful."

Smiling Ryan nodded as she walked back, blending in with the crowds and pacing around. Hank and Logan continued on. As Ryan kept walking around, she had no idea that her husband was coming very quickly, and was about to do exactly what he did best.

To show off.