Yes, I do realize it’s not afternoon, but figured this was a good day to post the next segment of the Afternoon Fic: Save the Mutant Save the World. As to get it back onto it’s normalish schedule.
PS: *hands tissues* *runs away*
Logan had never been in Cerebro.
The Professor had refused to allow anyone in, but Hank.
Even Mystique didn’t get inside the room.
He stood watching as the lights filled the room, first all the specs were white, and then they slowly turning to red. “Are these Mutants?”
“Yes.” Charles answered with awe in his voice. “Each year there are more, some born, some manifesting. All beautiful. I’ve reached out to those seeking something, to get them to come to the school. But times are rough. No one trusts anyone, especially after many disappeared. It was warming to discover how many parents, friends – humans who were concerned for their unique family members. It was also terrifying to find out how many sold them.”
Logan looked at the vast amount, wanting to reach out and touch.
He had watched as his people had been wiped out. First by mobs, then the camps, and lastly hunted to eradication by the Sentinels.
“Can you focus on one?” He asked distracted by everything.
“Yes.”
Charles focused on Raven, knowing exactly what her mind felt like. He found her sitting in the airport.
He divided into the woman next her. ‘You can’t do this.’
Raven snarled at him. “Stop it Charles.”
She got up and left only to run into someone else, who took her arm. ‘It isn’t the way. There is more going on that just your revenge.’
“This is about what he’s done to our people!” She yanked her arm away, only to turn around and see Charles standing in front of her. She startled slightly, it was a showcase of power she wasn’t used to seeing from him. “I’m doing this Charles! You and your lapdog can’t stop me.”
‘So it doesn’t matter to you, that the future your creating will kill your son.’
She gasped at him. “I’m doing this for him.”
‘No you’re doing this out of hatred and self-righteousness. Believe me I’m familiar with it.’
“Get out of my head Charles.”
‘I will stop you.’ He stood firm. ‘I know you think I’m weak. That you think Erik weak. That our relationship is wrong, but you forget how powerful both of us are.’
“So you would harm me to save a human!” She hissed. Her anger tangible in the air.
‘I would do what I have to, to save the world.’
She stood staring at an empty void, for once not sure what to think of her brother.
Charles pulled off the helmet and set it down on the console. He leaned forward, thighs resting against the edge, as he bit back the frustration. He wanted to scream, cry and throw an epic tantrum.
“Chuck.”
He turned around wiping the tears off his cheeks with the back of his hand. “Logan…” He paused not even sure what to say. Instead he found himself sitting on the floor, cross legged, sulking like a child. It was a good thing Erik wasn’t here, he could hear him easily.
‘Liebling you’re being an idiot. Get up, wash your face and move on.’
<<You are being an idiot.>>
Charles’ eyes shifted, sometimes he forgot how open he was to Erik. <<Oh do shut up.>>
<<When your done, come upstairs the kids are planning things, and I just want to say this isn’t my fault, I blame you and, well this time Hank, entirely.>>
<<They get it from their father.>>
<<Fuck you.>>
<<Later.>>
Charles was a bit shocked to see Logan sitting in front of him. He didn’t hesitate, because if he did … he would run and not see what the future held.
He blinked a few times, looking at a beautiful ceiling, it was rich with color and expression. Titling his head sideways he saw Mystique looking exactly as he had seen her moments ago. He didn’t recognize the kid next to her, or the one at his head. Though he figured from Logan’s description it was Bobby and Kitty.
He sat up, flipped his legs around and stood.
Getting a good look at himself in the future. He aged well despite the stress, the jaw line was harder, more pronounced. His body was in fit shape, but then that wasn’t surprising considering what Logan had described. The black X-Men uniform looked menacing in contrast to his paler skin.
What the hell happened to his hair?!
Beast was standing behind him fiddling with a small object in his hand. Charles gasped when he realized it was the Star of David, Erik had made out of the coin that killed Shaw. Even after all these years, Hank kept it.
‘Well if it isn’t me when I still had hope.’
“And hair.” Charles smirked at his olderself. “I would think to blame Erik, but I have a feeling it’s more than that.”
The older Charles’ smile was brittle. ‘I think he would’ve liked me bald.’
“The jokes alone would have made it worth it.” He settled next to himself. “What happened to us? How did I lose all hope?”
‘Beast and Mystique would tell you it was when I lost Erik, and you know it took a huge chunk. I knew he would want me to keep the school going, not lose sight of what we were doing. Maybe it was naive of me, but then I never hid that from him.’
“Yet?”
‘I lost everyone. Not just Erik, and with each death I lost more hope. Until it was gone.’
“What happened?”
‘Do you really want to know?’
“Yes. To stop this. It’s why you sent Logan to me, right. To stop this? Or was it to just save Erik?”
Older Charles snorted. ‘Selfishly fixing this fuck up would save Erik, so yes I took the opportunity. But I also knew we had to stop this, because what use is saving Erik if we destroy the planet. So in theory … Save the Mutant Save the World.’
“Tell me.”
‘The Sentinels as you know were created because of Mystique. Except they didn’t show up until the 80’s. They hadn’t released them until there were more studies, more information, more mutants. The government was also getting pissed at the Brotherhood who was destroying labs and their research left and right. So they tested his Sentinels by sending them to the school.’
“How did they find out about the school?” The implications alone was enough to think about better security.
‘Captured one of our students, who told him everything to make the pain stop. I never blamed him, he was barely fifteen years old.’ Charles closed his eyes, almost as if reliving the moment. ‘There were five of them. Erik’s procedures went straight into effect. Hank and I, along with Darwin got the kids out. Alex, always Erik’s second, stood ready to defend. Azazel showed up, ready to grab them if need be. I never knew what happened. The next day we came back, found the sentinels ripped apart, scattered across the school. In the midst was Alex, dying from burn marks, so similar to his own plasma blasts. It was his dying breath he told us that there was one Sentinel that was made of plastic, it took Erik and Azazel. But what was more disturbing … one of the Sentinels adapted to Alex’s mutation and shot him with his own blasts.’
Charles let the tears fall.
‘We buried him next to the markers for Angel and Janus, who we had lost early in the war, some of Trasks first victims.’
“Unfortunately we weren’t able to stop that.”
‘I didn’t think you would. They are the catalyst to Raven’s revenge, somethings are meant to happen.’
“There is no way we sat back and let them have Erik.”
‘No we didn’t.’
The sorrow in his eyes, made Charles want to run away. He wasn’t sure he wanted to hear how he lost Erik, especially as he was going to make sure that didn’t happen. “Tell me.”
‘When we told Emma, she went into a rage, set out personally to find both men. Six months later she disappeared. A few weeks after that Mystique showed up at the school with a few leads, most of them panned out to labs and factories that were closed.’ He paused for a few seconds, trying to compose himself. ‘It was Darwin who found the clue, that led us directly to the lab.’
Charles wiped the minds of the guards as they stormed the facility.
Beast tossed the remaining.
He ordered them to spread out.
If they found any Mutants help them.
If they found any scientists get as much information out of them, then do as they felt was necessary.
Destroy everything.
It wasn’t until they were into the core of the laboratory that he finally felt Erik’s mind. The cry out to Charles, along with the waves of pain had brought him to his knees.
<<Darling.>>
<<Liebling?>>
It was so weak.
He stood and followed his instincts, leading him to a series of plastic cells. He yelled for Hank, and between the two of them they got the last one open, to find Erik on the floor. Charles slid to his knees, pulling him into his arms. He bit back the tears, at the sight. He was skin and bones, ribs prominent … looking very much like the child who came out of the concentration camp.
‘Erik. Darling.’ His hand went over the shaven head, not wanting to think about the indentions and scars he was feeling.
‘Charles?’ His voice cracked. ‘No…they can’t have you.’
‘I’m here to rescue you.’ Charles took his hand, holding it to his own cheek wet with tears.
‘There is no hope for me.’ Erik pulled Charles head down to his. ‘But now I can die in peace. I am here with you.’
‘No…’ He tightened his grip on his lover.
<<I’m sorry Liebling. I can’t. Take care of the kids.>>
<<Erik. Love.>> He took the moment and truly looked at him. The man he loved, the one who fought for and with him. The man who loved him with everything he was. The man who hunted Nazis and searched 20 years of the man who killed his mother. The man who raised their children. The man who fought for Mutants. Was no more. They had tortured and experimented on him, all which destroyed him. <<Be at peace.>>
He held onto him until he felt his last breath, and Erik’s mind slip from his.
The scream of anguish ripped through the building, the mental backlash reached out killing all those who were responsible.
‘Charles.’ Hank approached him carefully, laying a blanket over Erik’s body, then scooped him into his arms. ‘They found Azazel’s body in the autopsy room.’
He stood, hand resting on the body. ‘We won’t leave either of them behind. Azazel would want to be next to Janus, and Erik next to Alex.’ The tears began to fall as Hank started to say the El Maleh Rachamim, the Jewish prayer for the dead.
As they made their way to the entrance, Charles was in too much grief to care about the bodies left behind. Their small party, stopped at the entrance, meeting up with Darwin, pushing a gurney with a body bag. Sean hugged him tightly, then took his arm. ‘I hate to be the bearer of more tragedy, but you need to see this.’
Charles didn’t want to leave Erik, but Sean’s expression was enough that he knew he was needed. It was probably a good thing, he had wiped out the humans in the lab with a single thought. The pain he would’ve caused when he saw the sight before him, would’ve been worse.
He softly approached the once beautiful diamond, and knelt in front of her. She was hooked up to something similar to Cerebro, how they got the plans he had no idea. The normal illustrious blonde hair was stringing, the white dress dingy and grey, eyes pale and no longer seeing.
<<Emma>>
<<Charles?>> The mental connection was soft and fading. <<Please. Sugar. End it.>>
<<I want you to look beyond. Erik and Azazel are waiting.>>
<<No. No… sugar Erik is supposed to be with you.>>
<<Take care of him for me.>> He took her hand, kissed it gently, then mentally reached out and shut her down. <<I’m so sorry Emma.>>
He pulled the helmet off her and threw it against the wall. ‘Sean when we leave, let out all your frustration and destroy this.’ Charles picked her up easily as she weighed nothing. As he left the room, he heard Sean’s inhale of breath, and even with the doors closed the piercing scream tore through the walls.
‘Fuck.’ Darwin said what was on most of their minds.
They loaded everyone up in the vans, and left. No one tried to remove Charles from Erik’s side, all worried of what would happen now.
They all had plans for Erik if something happened to Charles.
But very few of them had plans for Charles.
When they arrived home, it was Charles who had to tell Peter and Kurt, their fathers were dead. He was the one who had to hold both of them, as they cried. He was the one who had to console the students, he was the one who had to watch Scott lose it at the loss of his brother.
But he was determined to go on.
Keep the school. Keep the kids safe.
He also fought every day with the government. Told them of the atrocities, showed them the photos, the evidence. He even threw Erik’s file folder onto the Jewish Senators desk. The file folder that had six numbers 214 782. The same numbers Nazi’s tattoed onto a twelve year olds arm, after they killed his parents and tortured him. The same number these ‘humans’ used as Erik’s Case Number.
‘Professor you have to understand, people fear Mutants.’
‘People feared Jews.’
‘That was genocide.’
‘What do you call this? You are wiping out my people. Erik’s people, who was one of you. Just because he was a Mutant didn’t make him less Jewish. If you can sit there and say, these registration acts, these atrocities are perfectly okay, because we’re not human … then you are no better than a Nazi.’
‘How dare you! My parents died in the camps.’
‘So did his.’ Charles snarled as he walked out of the room. ‘I want you to remember this – if you follow this path – it will be the destruction of all of us.’
‘Are you threatening me?’ He snarled at him.
‘I am stating a fact, Senator.’
“No one listened.” Charles wiped the tears from his own eyes, as he listened to the story.
‘The last stand. The moment that took away all my hope, was when we discovered the government authorized the making of more Sentinels. They would be used for patrol, so human cops wouldn’t be harmed by these mutants. The government encourage parents to give up their mutant children. It’s how I got Kitty and Bobby.’
“Logan?”
‘He came to me with no memory, and a skeleton frame made of metal. Erik would’ve loved him.’ Charles smiled softly. ‘He was a soldier who they experimented on, as they did on so many others.’
“What happened with the next set of Sentinels?”
‘They were due to release on the 15th Anniversary of Trasks death. A celebration of a man who understood the threat of the Mutants, one that cost him his life. It was all very dramatic.’
Charles through the scotch glass at the TV breaking it instantly. He took a few calming breaths, before turning around to apologize to the children. Ororo gave him a slight smile, while Jean stood and gave him a hug.
There was a part of him that really wanted to smack the living shit out of his sister. She had been by the school a few times, helping where she could. But she refused to see how her killing Trask was the problem. The humans were declaring war on them! She argued that they should fight, ignoring that Charles was still trying to protect children.
‘They came here the first time, what makes you think they won’t come again.’ She yelled at him.
‘And what do you plan on doing about it?’ He demanded of her. ‘You’re not here. You weren’t here when they came.’
‘I’m saving our people!’
‘Then where the hell were you when they killed Azazel? The father of your child? Or Emma? Or Erik?’ Charles shook his head. ‘You are good at starting the fight Mystique but you’re not the one suffering.’
‘You don’t think I’m suffering. My people are dead…’
‘OUR people Raven. I am a Mutant. Or did you forget that? Oh wait, you don’t like my mutation – because it’s intrusive. If you want to fight for your people … start with accepting all of us. Don’t think I don’t see how you look at Jean, she’s one of us.’
‘She’s dangerous.’
‘So am I. So are you. So was Erik.’
He ended the conversation by leaving the room. He didn’t see her again until she showed up with information on where the new Sentinels were located. What he didn’t expect, but what he should’ve anticipated, was Peter and Kurt.
Two boys just like their fathers.
They overheard the location and went after it.
The two of them had become a formidable team for the Brotherhood. Taking down labs, detention centers, and other facilities. Kurt would get them in, while Peter used his speed to plant charges, and then Kurt would get them back out.
Before Charles could stop them, they went after the Sentinel facility. But what they hadn’t known was they had instituted a new technology, that detected Teleporters.
They got in, but couldn’t get out.
Charles, Hank, Darwin, and Mystique arrived in time to watch the facility blow.
‘I never told anyone, Kurt reached out to me before they detonated the charges.’ Charles ran a hand over his bald head. ‘He said not to mourn, they would be with Vatar.’
“They were children.”
‘They all were. They were declared Terrorists, and the humans started a war against all Mutants, rounding us up, building concentration camps … the irony wasn’t lost on me. We lost Sean, Darwin, and Dr. Gregory who refused to move when soldiers came for children he was hiding.’
“How many are left?”
‘There is only those you see, and not many humans left. Soon the world will be no more.’ He gave him a pained smile. ‘Go back. Fuck him into the bed. Tell him you love him. And stop Mystique, anyway possible.’
Charles watched as his younger self disappeared.
‘You know there’s a possibility that Mystique won’t survive.’ Hank said from behind him.
‘I know.’
‘Are you prepared to deal with that?’ He asked with concern.
‘I won’t have to.’ He looked back at Hank. ‘I just sent my younger self back with all my pain and suffering. I know myself, he’ll do what is necessary. And as long as Erik’s by his side, he can deal with anything.’
‘You’ve never forgiven her.’
‘She still thinks killing Trask was the right thing to do. She knows it caused this, but in her mind – she feels perfectly justified. This …’ he waves his hands around ‘ … is all the humans. So how can I forgive her for something she has no remorse for.’
‘Do you think it will work?’
Charles looked at him, then laid a hand on his furred shoulder. ‘You have stood by me through all this, and I’m sorry I never gave you the world I promised.’
‘You don’t care if we die tonight.’
‘No,’ he admitted. ‘If they succeed I’m with Erik. If we die tonight, I’ll be with Erik. I’m tired Hank. I just want to be with the man I love more than life itself.’
‘Ever think what would’ve happened if it was you and not him?’ Hank had always wondered it.
‘No. I wouldn’t want him to go through this.’
Thank you for the tissues; they were definitively needed **bawls, blow nose** Great chapter!
—Naj : s
Done with great subtlety without overstating – which is usually a huge turn off in fanfiction – but this was nice. Simple. Devastatingly simple. Love it. Now I’m going to go bawl my eyes out…