Disclaimer: Don't own X-Men. Never have owned X-Men. Probs won't own X-Men in the future
It had been fifteen minutes since the incident that took place in a hallway located in the CIA headquarters. Fifteen minutes since Amelia had spoken a word. Fifteen minutes since the Darkholme sisters fled the sight of humans and found sanctuary in a public restroom.
Raven sat with her back pressed firmly against the restroom door, which acted as a barrier between the outside world and her crumbling world. Her sister, still in her invisible state, was curled up in a corner of the ceiling. Raven could only assume she was present on the restroom ceiling. The offending jacket, that flawed Amelia's escape from the CIA workers, had fallen from the roof a few minutes after the twins locked themselves in. Luckily for the Darkholme siblings, the restroom was completely empty when they arrived.
The shape-shifting mutant sighed through her nose and closed her eyes. This was a mistake. Charles and she shouldn't have agreed on letting Amelia come to this horrid place. Raven felt anger on her sister's behalf. These humans had almost hurt her. Simply because she wasn't mundane, she wasn't like them. And it filled Raven with an unnamed emotion. Charles looked normal. The word alone made Raven clench her teeth. Charles Xavier looked normal. He was accepted by society simply because he blended in with them. Society accepted him because his skin was considered one of the ordinary colours. Shades of blue and green? Well then you were a freak. A monster like Amelia was called numerous times, the word passing through the minds and lips of ordinary normal people. How Raven envied them. She envied their appearances and the ignorant bliss their lives would provide. Not knowing about people like Raven. People like Charles and Amelia. Mutants.
"Amelia?" Raven mumbled. Some of the ceiling boards creaked back. "Do you ever wish . . ." The words seemed to get caught in her throat. Raven opened her eyes and looked at her reflection in the floor length mirror that occupied the wall to the left of her. "Do you ever wish that we were born . . . normal?" The ceiling tiles didn't groan in response. Raven closed her eyes again and placed her head against her knees.
"We were born normal." Amelia softly spoke. She shifted her body then let it fall from the roof to a spot beside her sister. Raven felt the presence of her twin and turned to face her. Well not her exactly. She was simply staring at the wall but Raven knew Amelia was there.
"No we weren't." Raven chocked out. Amelia rubbed her hand against Ravens back. She had to be strong. Raven hid Amelia away from the scared eyes of humans. She hid her away because she was falling apart and couldn't do anything apart from cry. Amelia's first day of being seen by humans was not a success. But she had to care for Raven even in her delicate state. Because that's what siblings were supposed to do. "If we were normal then we wouldn't be . . . we wouldn't be . . ." Raven failed to finish the sentence. But Amelia knew. She always knew.
Slowly Amelia became visible, green skin, glowing yellow eyes and all. The twins stared at each other, one seeing the flaws in their genetic make-up and the other gazing at what they could have had.
"Like this." Amelia finished for Raven. The natural red-head refused to meet her green sisters' eyes. "You have an amazing gift, Raven." Amelia felt her scales start to shift into scarlet red. Tensing she focused on keeping control. Amelia refused to let her sister see her true emotions about their different mutations. When her scales gave up their rebellion she continued. "Don't let anyone make you feel that you don't." Raven gave a slight nod of acknowledgement. Amelia frowned at her sister. Sure they weren't the dictionary definition of normal but why did that have to matter? Raven could shape-shift, something that little kids that read comic books would call an awesome superpower. Why couldn't she see it though? Amelia's musings came to an end when she heard the first door that lead into the toilets open. Both girls held their breath and then Amelia moved away from the entrance and disappeared. Raven leaped to her feet and pretended to be fixing her make-up in the mirror. Amelia could feel her heart beat in her ears and her palms became sweaty with nerves. The beating became more rapid as the door slowly opened.
Both girls released a breath they didn't know they were holding. Just as quickly as it had opened, the door swiftly shut and there stood Charles Xavier. He cleared his throat and let his eyes scan the room for his green scaled friend. Raven felt her mouth turn down at Charles' display.
Always thinking about Amelia, isn't he? Whispered a little voice. Raven shook her head at the thought. But once the little seed was planted she couldn't stop thinking it. Its roots had clutched onto her better judgement and made her see red. The anger had returned but for a different reason now.
"Raven," Charles broke the silence. "In about seven minutes Agent MacTaggert will be in the parking garage with a car." Raven gave Charles a puzzled look. "I need you to go and retrieve Agent Hillson from the entrance of the building and make your way up there." Raven scowled at her adopted brother. She opened her mouth to protes- "Now, Raven." And she swiftly closed it again. Raven shoved passed Charles and made her way out the restroom.
"She isn't pleased with you at the moment." Amelia stated, eyes focusing on the door her sister slammed shut. Charles sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
"I know," He replied, "But she'll forgive me. We're family, it's an unwritten rule." He softly joked. Amelia grimaced at his response.
If he only knew, she thought. Charles waited for a reply but was only met with the exhale of a sigh.
Charles' shoulders sagged and he leaned his back against the door. "Amelia . . . are you okay?" The mutant girl didn't reply and that broke his heart.
He heard her shuffle closer to him and then she spoke. "Do you think I'm okay?" She questioned. She then appeared right in front of Charles causing him to press further against the door in surprise. Tears streaked her face and her eyes were bloodshot. All he could do was stare. Amelia made a questioning sound. Charles gulped in response. "Do you?" She repeated. Her voice was steady and calm. And that's how he knew. That's how he knew she wasn't okay. Her posture was too stiff and her lip trembled when she spoke. Charles pressed his eyes tightly shut, trying to prevent the stinging sensation building up behind his eyelids.
The silence found them there. Found them in between their shaky breathing and the words that would not be uttered aloud or telepathically but were known. Amelia wasn't okay. And Charles couldn't think of a damn thing to say to her.
"They are not all like that love." Charles finally spoke. Amelia took the time to study his face and he her. Charles looking for understanding to dawn on her face while Amelia looked at the way the corner of his mouth twitched down the longer she didn't reply. The green fingers of Amelia stretched forwards at tightly squeezed Charles' hand.
"I know." She reassured him. The stocky Agent Hillson didn't recoil from her in fear; Moira MacTaggert stared at her in awe and not in disgust. Those two humans couldn't be the only people on this earth that didn't think of Amelia as a monster. And Amelia refused to believe anything else. She didn't want to believe there was anything else. In time, mankind would accept mutants for what they were. Just people.
Mi amgios. I do deeply apologise for taking so long to update. It saddens me that this isn't even a very long chapter but I'd rather have a few small updates than nothing at all. This chapter didn't end the way I was planning to write it, meaning there could be more than one chapter in the way of you people getting some Magneto lovin'. I have been pondering taking this story all the way to thee end of Day's of Future Past. But this is entirely up to you dear readers! Reviews are always loved and cherished ;) *hint hint*
( Also who's liking the cover image for the story?)