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“Raven?”
Raven heard a voice in the distance, away from the pain of the electrical shock she was feeling.
“Raven?”
She turned, suddenly realizing that she knew that voice, gentle and kind, always reassuring.
“You won’t have to fear anger anymore .”
“Charles?”
Her eyes widened, as she looked at her brother.
He changed, they both did. His hair were longer (his hair were dirtier), his eyes were always blue (he had dirty bags under them, as if he didn’t sleep since a long time), he was smiling (his features weren’t the same anymore, the time has passed for all of them, not kind with any of them).
“We’ve come for you, Erik and I.” Charles told her, kind and gentle, always kind and gentle. “Together.”
Raven felt herself smiling. “I never thought I’d seen you again.” She confessed, the guilt for leaving her brother behind always there.
“I made you a promise a long time ago that I would protect you.” Charles reminded her. “I’m going to keep you safe. I’m going to keep you out of their hands.”
Raven relaxed, her fear as she felt the first shock finally fading away.
Charles was there. No one would ever hurt her, as long as Charles would have been there.
Then, the gun near to her slid on the table and landed in Erik’s hand.
Raven looked at him in betrayal. She chose him over her brother, and now he was going to kill her?
“Erik?” Charles looked at him, betrayed as Raven felt. “What are you doing?”
“Securing our future.” Erik answered. “Forgive me, Mystique. As long as you’re out there, we’ll never be safe.”
Raven begged. “Use your power, Charles. Stop him.”
“He can’t.” Erik smiled, before aiming and shooting.
There was the shot.
Raven then screamed. “ Charles !”
She ran to her brother’s side, pushing him on his back, looking into his eyes.
There was blood running over his shirt.
“Am I the only one having a flashback, now?” Charles asked, laughing a little.
“This isn’t funny.” Raven murmured. “This isn’t funny at all, Charles.”
Raven looked at her brother, who was starting to smile. “Raven? I’ll be fine.”
“You’ll be dead.” Raven corrected him. “It isn’t the same. I can’t lose you.”
“Hey, look at me.” Charles raised his hand, a groan escaping his lips, a grunt of pain. “Can I…?”
Raven nodded, knowing what his brother wanted to do.
His fingers touched her forehead, and images flushed into her mind.
She was herself through Charles’ eyes, and Raven never saw herself more beautiful.
“I love you too, Charles.” Raven sniffed, leaning down to kiss Charles’ forehead. “And I’ll try your way.”
“I don’t really care how you fight, Raven.” Charles murmured. “Promise you’ll be safe. And, please, don’t be like me.”
“Why? You’re amazing, Charles.” Raven laughed a little.
“I trusted the same wrong person twice.” Charles answered, his eyes flashing at Erik. “Don’t do my mistake, please.”
Raven nodded. “I won’t.”
***
“I trusted the same wrong person twice.”
Erik felt his heart coldened when Charles pronounced those words.
“Charles!” He exclaimed, running at his side and looking at the wound.
“No…” Erik muttered.
“You’re wrong.” Charles told him. “I didn’t need my powers to stop you.”
Erik felt his eyes watering. “Please, forgive me.”
Charles scoffed. “Raven?”
“I’ll be safe.” Mystique nodded, looking at Trask, still there.
Erik felt himself full of anger.
It was Trask’s fault if Charles was now on the floor, dying. It was Trask’s fault if Erik felt the urge to kill Mystique, his friend and Charles’ sister.
Erik should have killed him.
He aimed with the gun, pointing at Trask, but Raven stopped him as soon as humans entered the room.
“This man,” Raven said, pointing at Trask, “is killing innocents, torturing our people, mutants, who did nothing wrong, but were born.”
Erik kept his eyes on Charles, who was looking with a smile at Raven, ignoring Erik, who was trying to make him rest on his legs, an awful dejavu crossing his mind.
“Please, don’t die.” Erik whispered. “Just, wait a little longer. Please , Charles, I can’t lose you too.”
I love you , he thought, pushing the thought at Charles, having noticed that he used his powers with Raven.
“You already did.” Charles replied, looking at him with hate, without any love.
I don’t care anymore , was the mental reply he received.
Erik shook his head.
“I’m sorry, Charles.” Erik muttered. “I already made the mistake of listening to your words after you were shot. I won’t do it again.”
He looked at Hank and at Wolverine.
“Help me get him out of here.” He said. “He needs medical attention.”
Raven was already walking out of the room, leaving Trask there, to be persecuted legally by his fellow humans colleagues.
Erik still thought that war was the only way to stop them.
But he wouldn’t lose Charles in the meantime.