Tag: Creator: Bj Jones

This is the sequel to Afternoon Fic: A Single Shot – if you haven’t read that, go now.

Note: Afternoon Fics have always been sporadic, so be prepared to see long moments between updates.  It feels good to get back into this.  With everything that’s been going on in RL, and then so much going on in Sylum – it’s nice to do something not related to anything.

***

The Blackbird landed at the base of the Chinese Temple, that was hidden deep inside the mountains, making it virtually impenetrable and secluded.  Bobby had done a good job finding the place and getting the team secured – away from the Sentinels.

For now.

Charles walked down the ramp as it was lowered, with Hank and Mystique flanking him, Logan and Storm followed, Logan chomping on his cigar as always.  How he found on in this nightmare, ceased to amaze Charles. He gave Bobby a nod, as they made their way into the Temple, where Kitty and others were waiting.

They were so few now.

His dreams of a school destroyed by hatred.

“Professor?” Kitty smiled at him, as she took a seat on the large stone altar. “We called you here because we might have a plan.”

“To stop the Sentinels,” Bobby added into the conversation.

“At this rate, any idea is a good one.” Hank snorted, his voice low and gravely with age.  The blue fur rippled under the X-Men uniform, the only thing they all still held onto.

Mystique smirked over at him, ready to comment about one of Erik’s crazy plans, but shut it, when Charles gave her a dark look.

“What is this plan?” he asked the younger Mutants.

“We’ve been staying one step ahead of the Sentinels by tricking them with illusions – basically they are fighting us in the past. When they get to Kitty, we all disappear, and they are left where we were, giving us time to escape to the next location.”  Bobby explained, glancing over at Kitty, who nodded along with him.

“I think I could use the same abilities to send someone back.” She took a deep breath, her gaze on the Professor, watching him intently.  It was him they had to convince. “I know no one talks about the time before the Sentinels, but maybe, if we knew what time to go …”

“1973,” Hank said without hesitation. “It wasn’t when it all started, but that was when Trask Industries got the Sentinel program approved.”

“Trask’s labs had been targeted by the Brotherhood.” Mystique continued Hank’s train of thought. “He’d been experimenting on Mutants for years, but it wasn’t until then the company got the approval…”

“How did they get it?” Bobby asked.  He had never been sure how this whole thing started. He had been trained by Charles since he was a boy, after his parents abandoned him, not wanting a Mutant for a son. As long as he had been alive there had never been peace between Humans and Mutants.

“I killed Trask,” Mystique answered honestly. “And from that moment, the war began.”

“It just didn’t start until ten years later when the first Sentinels appeared.” Charles glanced at his sister, she still looked as young and beautiful as those days before Cuba, before the Brotherhood. “Do you think this would work?” His focus turned towards Kitty, she was one of his brightest would’ve made an excellent teacher, instead she ended up a soldier.

“It could, it’s just that I’ve never done it for that long or far.” She glanced around the last of their unit. “We would need someone who was there, but I don’t know how it would affect the person being sent back.”

“I’ll do it.” Logan stepped up volunteering. “I was around at the time, and with my added abilities.” He gnawed on his cigar, giving them a shug. “I should be able to handle it.”

Hank gave Mystique a side eye, then both turned and looked at Charles.

“It might not be like you think it is.” The Professor chuckled humorlessly.

“Oh, I know about the 70’s Chuck. Lava Lamps, free love, the war … it was a different time. I might not remember most of my life, but everyone knows the 70’s.” Logan smirked at the Professor, who gave him a rare smile in return.

“You will need to go to Westchester, find the Xavier School for the Gifted.” Now that was a name Charles hadn’t thought about in a long time.

“It’s in the same location where our headquarters were located.” Hank explained hesitantly, knowing they were approaching ‘never bring up’ territory.

Logan glanced between them, a confused expression on his face.  “Wait. You’re tellin’ me that our headquarters was a school?”

“Yes.” Charles gave a warning look to both Mutants before they said anything more damaging.  Leaving him to explain the one thing he never wanted to talk about. “Logan, when you meet me, I’m not the same man I am now.”

“No one is bub.” He put out his cigar before settling on the spot Kitty had vacated.  He felt like he was going to be a living sacrifice.

Maybe he was.

“I’m not kidding Logan. I was a very different then, naïve and so stupid.  Or as someone once put it Naïve Idealist.” He closed his eyes trying not to think about that time or him. “I will be difficult to deal with.”

“Oh for fucksakes, Charles.” Mystique threw her arms up in frustration as pushed past her brother.  She looked down at Logan, rippling into her natural form, knowing it would get his attention. “Ignore Charles.  You’ll need to convince Erik.”

“Just tell him Charles’ life is in danger and he will listen to you.” Hank added, his hand wrapped around the metal Star of David in his pocket.

“That’s enough!”   The rest of the team, startled at the raised voice.  Only having heard that tone, when the Professor was beyond pissed and it was usually at the two he was glaring at now.

“No!” Mystique yelled back at her brother. “I know I fucked up back then, but if we’re going to fix this, you’re not going to be the one to do it, not you from back then. He needs Erik.”

“Who the fuck is Erik?” Logan asked wondering what the hell he was going to walk into.

“The reason for everything.” Charles answered sadly.

***

Logan woke up to the sight of a lava lamp.  

He took stock of the situation, realizing he was stark naked.   Well it was the 70’s and the embracement of free love. He moved out from under the very naked woman next to him, and grabbed his pants.

He searched his memory and came up blank.

He had no idea who the woman in the bed was, or what was supposed to happen.  

When the door opened, and angry thugs stormed in, he really wasn’t that surprised.  Fighting some pissed off wannabes was par for his life. What was shocking was when he slid down his claws they were bone and not metal.

He finished dressing, grabbed the keys and left the carnage behind.  He needed to figure out where he was, and how to get to Westchester and to this Xavier School for the Gifted.

In all the years he had known the Professor, he had never known that he had actually been a Professor.  He had thought the name had stuck because of his posh tone in lecturing all of them in the arts of war.

He still had no idea who this Erik was, it was obvious it was a sensitive subject by the way the Professor was ready to shred his closests Generals.  He couldn’t imagine the Professor being anyone but the ‘Professor’.

Hopefully this Erik wasn’t an asshole.