Hope everyone is staying safe and healthy out there. Here's another chapter to get you through. As always, thanks Cheshire for the reviews and brainstorming when you should be sleeping.
"Another win for you Charles." Magneto's smile didn't match his tone as he waved his hand and the chess pieces on the board between the two old friends - and arguably worlds most powerful mutants in the world - moved back into place. The two sat in central park, as they had done decades ago.
"Care for another? I know the ruler of Genosha has many responsibilities." Xavier leaned back in his chair, enjoying the fall breeze as Erik took a deep breath.
"You have no idea, old friend. It's strange to think that after all these years not much has changed. Even your methods are getting a tad predictable." but the professor only smiled evenly. Even as Erik's knight made quite a show of devouring one of his pawns.
"I didn't come to discuss politics with you old friend but I know better then to try to stop you. Penny for your thoughts?" and something in the air shifted as the taller man took another of Charle's pieces.
"As if you don't already know. Tell me Charles ... what do you see out there in the world from inside your ivory tower?" and the professor shook his head, his own collection of Erik's fallen pawns growing.
"Why don't you indulge me?"
"Indulge you? Things have only deteriorated for our kind as yet another country passes laws designed to subjugated mutants. I fear Genosha is the only place left where mutants can be safe. I only hope I can save as many as I can. I WILL save as many as I can" Erik's tone edged with something more than simple determination.
"Then why not take up the UN's offer? Genosha should have a seat at the table of the world." Xavier pushed yet again. In truth this was something he had been pushing for behind the scenes for years. "This is a chance for our voices to be heard Erik."
"A hollow offer if there ever was one. A non-voting seat in exchange for letting humans - humans! - inspect Genosha. 'Inspect' ... as if I was a fool who would allow a single human to set foot on the one refuge for our kind." The pieces on the board rattled as the master of magnetism's as always calm demeanor could not hide his distaste. A few passerby paused but quickly resumed their journeys. Xavier simply steadied the board before claiming another of his opponent's pieces but Magento only continued.
"And what of my offer Charles. How much longer before your dear school is more a reservation than a haven? How long before it becomes your prison and I cannot reach you?" Magneto looked back at Charles who gave his own tired sigh.
"As much as I admire your skill at the game old friend I think you forget that this piece," and Xavier held up another one of Erik's pawns "is what many famous chess players call the "the soul of chess". And Erik watched as the first of Charle's pieces made it to his side of the board. "And rightly so, they can transform into any other piece except the king. You underestimate their power."
"I've never believed in the words of any fool claiming to be an expert. I also don't believe in wasting time to meddle and scheme. I lack your foresight Charles, but it would be in your best interest to not underestimate my power." and Erik's bishop slid onto Charle's side of the board.
It was quiet for a while, the two men concentrating on their game, no sound apart from the occasional tsk as their respective opponent collected more pieces. Finally each of them were left with only a few players. Xavier tried again.
"My goals remain the same Erik. We cannot retreat from humanity. There is still hope for unity."
"Hope," Erik scoffed, "that same hope is why you keep your precious school hidden I assume? Most already know the truth Charles. We need to focus on what is coming, not dreams."
"And what is coming Erik?" Xavier challenged, the first hint of edge in his voice.
"It is inevitable Charles. Don't pretend you haven't seen it in their thoughts. China has already claimed most of its mutants. The EU is pushing registration. A black market of mutant slaves across the globe. Ethnic cleansing in parts of Africa. Mutant soldier programs in Russia. The United States has already begun tagging mutants and we both know what that government has done to our kind already." Magneto's tone harder as he went on. They were both down to their last three pieces.
"So you would have me turn my students - children - over to you to become soldiers in a war with humanity?" Charles tone remained soft but the edge was undeniable. Radical mutant militia groups - terrorists as described by human media - had been sowing chaos across the globe for months. Seeming to undo every good deed the X-Men managed. Erik took a moment as if judging how far he could go this time.
"What would you call your precious X-Men?" and Xaivier eyebrow went up slightly, for a moment playfully wondering if it was Magneto who could read thoughts, as Magneto made his move.
"Well, hopefully with more time to fine tune, I hope for them to lead by example. A way to show the world that mutants can be leaders of peace. Beacons of hope for another mutants." Xavier explained for the hundredth time as he carefully considered how to go on from here.
"If that's true then allow me to train those mutants in your care. Your altruism blinds you Charles, why be beacons of peace when they can be champions of their kind." Magneto urged.
"By 'champions of their kind' ... you mean of war." Xavier challenged.
"We cannot allow those mutants that are capable of resisting the humans to be softened by your naivety Charles!" Magneto urged.
"Logan and Ororo has already -" but Magneto cut Charles off with a wave.
"Wolverine and Storm will have their roles to play. I am speaking of those mutants who must be protected until they are ready."
"Erik think of what you are saying. These are children. Not soldiers. Who could you possibly -"
"Give me the feral." Xavier went quite, honestly stunned at this turn.
"You can't - you're speaking of Kara? Erik she - how do you even know about her?"
"That is immaterial. She should be where she can be properly protected. Her skills nurtured. She should not be held back." and Magneto smiled as he signaled checkmate.
"Old friend, for someone who preaches on the importance of mastering your own potential, you're doing her a disservice by refusing to let her. Good day." and Xaivier watched as Erik seemingly faded into mist.
Across the globe, Xavier removed Cerebro and a frown remained firmly in place. He'd read the reports from the other staff on the newest feral to enter his school. He had brushed across her thoughts. She was shy but determined. A tad overwhelmed ... perhaps even on edge. Her past something she refused to focus on. But nothing he couldn't use to describe most of the new students in his school.
However, before Xavier could brush the entire conversation aside, the thought that Logan had left only a few days before forced him to pause. Magneto wanted Kara. He knew that Director Fury had visited Logan soon after Kara's appearance. And now Logan had rode off without much warning.
Xavier's frown deepened. He couldn't help but feel shadows lurking outside ... just beyond his grasp.
It was happening again. The third time that week.
The room a mix of shadows made of purple and black. Books and clothes slowly rotated around the room in different patterns. The candles on the desk flickered without being lit. The beds shook.
Raven was dreaming.
Kara stifled a yawn as she sat perched on the edge of her bedframe as she watched over her sleeping roommate.
This happened sometimes. Kara preferred to stay awake as opposed to getting hit with an errant flying textbook like last time. That and the random phrases Raven would sometimes shout out kept waking her up. The voice was definitely Raven's but ... different at the same time.
Watching was safer and Kara found it at least mildly entertaining to keep track of the patterns the floating books and furniture made .
"Azarath... Metrion... Zinthos…Azarath... Metrion... Zinthos!"and Raven suddenly shot up, gasping for breath, everything in the room hanging up in the air for a few moments before crashing heavily to the floor. They were once again in predawn darkness.
Raven tried to catch her breath, letting out slow gasps until her heart rate went back to normal. She shook her head, not so silently cursing at herself, before noticing that Kara was once again watching her.
"What are you staring at?" Raven hissed out, not looking directly at her roommate, but Kara didn't take the defensive attack, instead just watching, head tilted slightly to side, tail swaying ponderously, and silent. Raven seemed to be holding her breath as if waiting for Kara to do something say something ... anything.
But the little panthress was leaning foward, just curiously watching her roommate. There was some more silence before Raven made some internal decision as she slowly let out the breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. Her shoulders dropping slightly as she finally relaxed.
"Sorry." Raven muttered, shaking her head again, as she slid her legs over the side of the bed. The always carefully reserved empath too tired to pretend she was anything but exhausted. With a wave of her hand the scattered books and clothing floated back into place.
"Who's Trigon?" Kara's question got Raven to finally shoot Kara a look, the room lighting up a bit again with shadow.
"An asshole." Raven hissed the shadows behind her growing menacingly but Kara didn't seem the least bit bothered.
"You mention him a lot." the feline replied curiously.
"When would I - oh ... right." Raven took one look at her still mess of a bed. Glancing back at her, Kara could tell that Raven was clearly measuring her for something. For Raven, she struggled with where to start ... or whether she should start in the first place.
"Listen I - I'm not really a 'share' kind of person... But you've… You've stuck around longer than anyone else and ... and you deserve to know the truth." and as Raven began talking, she watched as Kara's tail slowed and the feline relaxed back onto her haunches, those amber eyes now focused only on her. Raven took a deep breath and let it out slowly, her legs folding beneath her into the same position she took when meditating.
"I - I guess it starts with my mom. She was young, rebellious, and stupid. So of course she ended up in a cult. Anyway, they decided to do some mutant doomsday ritual. And guess who got to be the lucky offering?" Raven gave a dark laugh, "I doubt any of them really thought it would work. But it turned out to be the real thing. So my mom, with her great powers of judgement, didn't hesitate to hook up with the guy who emerged from the smoke. But even she knew something was wrong ... evil with what had happened."
Raven paused, taking another slow breath before continuing. She realized she had never shared any of this besides for Professor Xavier and it just… it just felt so tiring lugging all of this with her all the time.
"My mom figured out pretty quickly that she was pregnant. She was afraid of what might happen to her ... to me. So she fled the cult. Was on the run with nowhere to go. But she got saved by these people ... the People of Azerath. I know it sounds dumb don't but," and Raven paused her whole body relaxing,
" It - it was like another world. A place of beauty, light, peace, and tranquility. Where needless to say I did not fit in." Raven said with a sad sort of smile.
"Anyway, I must have inherited some of my mom's horrible judgement because when I got older, I thought that if I understood more about the monster that made me …" and Kara noticed how Raven's voice was tightening, "I'd be able to make sense of myself. Instead I - he found us. My mother. Azerath. And he ... he destroyed everything and ... Well you can guess the rest. The X-Men found me in the wreckage a few days later and brought me back here." Raven's voice had been at its usual monotone but at the end Kara could hear the tremble.
"Definitely an asshole." Kara growled, Raven blinking having closed her eyes without realizing it.
"So you believe me?" Raven's tone was clearly skeptical like she had expected a different kind of reaction, earning a chuff from Kara.
"Of course. Besides you're not lying. I could tell." Kara rolled her shoulders, clearly a little insulted by the question.
"No that - I just …" and Raven paused suddenly feeling lighter somehow. She'd honestly expected Kara to laugh ... or at least just brush it all off. The fact the pantheress believed her ... it felt like a bit of weight had been lifted off her shoulders.
"Professor X doesn't exactly feel the same way." Kara's look was clearly a sign for her to continue, "He thinks it's all in my head. A coping mechanism. I mean yea my mom was part of a cult but he tells me there was no 'demon.' Just an abusive father who led a doomsday cult out in Idaho. Azareth wasn't some ... distant realm. It was a convent in Mexico for battered women and I - I found who my father was and didn't summon him but reached out over the internet like an idiot. When he came to take me back with some other cult members a fight broke out and ... that's when my powers surfaced. I'm no bringer of the apocalypse ... just a stupid girl who got her mom killed."
There was a pause between the two.
"True?" and Raven looked back up.
"Is it true?" and the empath lowered her head on her arms for a moment. She got migraines whenever she thought about this too hard.
"I - I honestly don't know anymore. Professor X showed me a bunch of papers that make him seem right it's just ... I can't shake the feeling that I'm right." and Kara went silent, she could tell from how Raven was holding herself it was time to stop.
A few moments of silence passed between the two girls as the room slowly lightened. Kara seemed to be content just watching Raven who eventually returned the look as a look of curiosity slowly came across her face as well.
"What about you?" Raven finally asked.
"What about me?" Kara replied evenly, her soft rumble filling the room as the pantheress suddenly seemed interested in her claws.
"No way. I don't share something like that and you get to hold back. Don't think I haven't noticed you not sharing your own backstory."
"I - nothing to tell." Kara managed out but Raven felt something emanating from the young feline. A warping kind of ... hollowness. Which almost was distraction enough as Kara tensed to clearly escape out the window which Raven quickly slammed shut.
"Tsk" For the first time the Raven walked over from her bed and took a seat on her roommate's bed.
"Bullshit. Empath remember? I can feel your ... well whatever that is. I know you have something to say Kara." Raven caught the look on Kara's face, her usually stoic gaze shooting another look at the window - well it was the closest thing to conflicted she thought that muzzle could get. There was silence for a while before the older girl tried again.
"Let's start off easy, where did you come from?" Raven reasoned.
"Come from?" Kara asked, clearly not enjoying this sudden turn on focus on her, Raven noting how Kara had started rubbing her shoulder ,the same as she always did when the feline got stressed.
"Before you came here." Raven nudged. Kara seemed to weigh that before coming up with an answer.
"The cave." Kara finally replied.
"The cave?" Raven's tone was clearly unimpressed, suspecting Kara was just deflecting, and Kara withheld a growl of frustration.
OK ... how did you end up in 'the cave'? I thought Logan brought you in?"
"He did," Kara rumbled, her tail picking up speed, "I - escaped but ... I was caught and they - they dragged me down to the cave ... I didn't like it down there. Boring. ngry. Sometimes they brought me out but that - that was not good ... tests ... fights ... hurt. But Logan came. Brought me here."
Raven had gone quiet at this point, it was weird but she didn't just pick up on what Kara was feeling. She could - it was like she could smell the dampness of the cave, feel the cold on her back. The older girl narrowed her eyes, just watching as the pantheress seemed to focus more as she haltingly spoke, her brow furrowing the more she went on.
"What about your parents?" Raven had felt more than seen from Kara's reaction at the mention of parents and Raven felt it again, stronger, like a pressure gnawing through her chest, her hearing becoming slightly drowned out. Raven rotated her shoulders.
"N - no mom." Kara managed out but Raven raised an eyebrow when the feeling changed, it was subtle but she felt it.
"OK ... what bout your dad?"
"Asshole." The panthress hissed out on reflex, her hackles raised and the older girl noticed how Kara had visible tensed up, her pupils constricting, fur standing on their ends. Raven frowned, her brows furrowing as she saw Kara's eyes narrow to slits.
"Welcome to the club." Raven half-joked, though Kara didn't seem to notice. Raven was ready to let things drop, getting up from the bed and was halfway in the room when a thought occurred to her.
"Where did you escape from?" Raven turned back to Kara who was still looking fixed at the floor and realized an answer wasn't coming, "Kara, where did you escape from?"
"Bad place." Kara rumbled out, but Raven didn't quite hear her as a hand went to her temple. The feeling coming off of Kara was - it was more than just bad. It was suffocating like being dragged down, squeezed through the floor.
"Kara what was the bad place?" Raven tried again, at this point Kara's eyes were shut, her breathing coming faster.
"Stop." Kara growled, but Raven could almost feel where the pain was coming from. And Raven bravely decided to take a stab.
"Is your dad at the bad place? Is that what - who you escaped from?" Raven suddenly faltered, bracing herself against her bedframe as a wave of mental nausea hit her. Kara however stayed rigidly in place aside from now gripping her shoulder.
"I - I don't know." Kara practically whispered out.
"Kara you can tell me."
"Stop it." Kara's eyes were screwed shut now, her tail completely still, ears flipped back, as her fur went on end.
"Kara why won't you just tell me?" Raven tried again.
"I - can't. Bad. Weak. Br - Break rule." Kara seemed to struggle to even speak, both hands now clutching her head, as Raven's vision was quickly trending towards double.
"Kara what's - why can't you tell me? Just -"
"STOP!" Raven crashed into the wall above her bed before crumbling onto it as if struck. But it wasn't from the roar or from Kara who had simply collapsed onto her own bed, that had caused Raven to fall. A wave of psychic energy had hit Raven, like a rubber band stretched too far, smacking her full force. But the pain she had felt had been very, very real. The searing pain in her shoulder only matched by the headache building in her head.
"Oww." Raven grumbled as she slowly got back to her feet.
"You OK?" Raven almost fell back onto her bed at the sight of Kara standing right in front of her.
"Yea I'm ... I'll be fine," Raven rubbed her temples and took a few meditative breaths before opening her eyes again to find Kara back to a respectful distance, "what about you?"
"What about me?" Kara repeated confused.
"You're kidding right? Kara what the hell was that?"
"Was what?" Raven had trouble processing that response for a moment.
"THAT" and Raven gestured at a sizable dent in her wall.
"Sorry." Kara replied seemingly on instinct.
"No ... No don't be sorry just-" and Raven pinched the bridge of her nose, "I've never felt anything like that before. Are you…" and Raven tried to continue carefully. "Are you OK? The bad place… do you want to tell me -"
"Can't talk about it." and Kara returned back to her bed, a little too casually for all that had transpired.
"But don't you want to tell me about your dad?"
"Asshole." Kara had thrown out casually and Raven blinked. Kara was completely calm and she was acting ... well Raven could feel it ... Weird. It was like the little feline hadn't registered what had just happened. And before Raven could say anything else, Kara had popped open the closed window and slipped out into the dawn.