Anyway the Wind Blows (Avengers Fanfiction)

அ Chapter Thirteen அ

"There are so few of us left."

Nikolas turned, his eyes skipping of the Professor's nose. The man was frowning, his eyes zoned out as he looked through a blue mirage. Nikolas' hands dropped and the blue faded. It was a gift he was not aware that he had.

Charles was terrified, though he attempted to not show it.

The Doctor winced as he was hit with a vision of a mutant being killed. Another one gone from this world as easily as a wave of a hand.

He stepped forward, his hands moving slowly as he spoke. Nikolas' voice would not comply, though in a different way than usual. He touched the outside of his throat, feeling a scar across the skin there. He signed as though it were natural, to some extent it was. "Kitty Pryde is calling to me. We must go."

Charles nodded, his concentration on moving his wheelchair taking precedence over a reply.

The X-Jet they were currently standing in shifted, Ororo stood at the helm, controlling it with the same tact and grace that she had always garnered.

"We will have to be strong Endeavour." Another voice spoke, Nikolas turned, his eyes finding Erik as he frowned. The man had not changed much, a few wrinkles around the eye, he was missing his usual metal helmet, though he appeared to not be missing it.

Nikolas' mind brushed over Erik's, no one ever called him Endeavour and the knowledge that they had become close enough for this sentimentally distracted Nikolas briefly.

The vision jumped and instead of standing alongside Erik in the X-Jet, Nikolas was moving down a set of metal stairs. Logan stood at the bottom, his hand held out to Nikolas in a way that showed sentiment.

Logan smiled softly, "Hey doll."

They were together and the idea made Nikolas smile.

Ororo stood beside Erik, a frown on her face as the younger mutants approached her. 

"Doctor!" The voice that called after him was familiar, Nikolas smiled as his eyes found Bobby. He moved forward, dropping Logan's hand and reaching for the elemental. Bobby held his hand tightly, squeezing twice before letting go.

"Professor you made it," Kitty Pryde smiled at the newcomers, her eyes scanning each of them as she motioned to the base behind her. They took a seat around the room, each of Kitty Pryde's group looking at the Professor and his with thinly veiled fear.

"You can trust us." Nikolas' hands moved on their own accord, his mind brushing against those in front of him in a slight display of power.

"Who are you?" A man holding a large gun asked, shifting the weapon in his hands.

"I am Charles Xavier, Erik Lehnsherr, Storm, Logan," Charles motioned to each of them as he spoke. "And Doctor Nikolas Stark."

A ripple passed through Kitty Pryde's group at Nikolas' name. The Doctor straightened, smiling softly in a way that he hoped was comforting. A moments of silence sat between them, before Kitty spoke again.

"Whenever the Sentinels attack, Warpath spots them. Then I send Bishop back to warn us of the attack before it happens." She glanced at each of her team as she said it, a faint prideful smile on her lips as she did. "Blink scouts the next sight, and then we leave before they ever know we were there."

"Because you never where." Nikolas grinned, "That's brilliant!"

Each of the mutants smiled at the compliment. Nikolas stood tall, looking at Kitty and speaking in her mind. "I can amplify your power, allow you to send someone back for longer." Nikolas was not aware of this power in himself.

The idea made Kitty Pryde smile in excitement. The Doctor took a step forward, wanting to speak only to be interrupted by a whirling sound just over his shoulder. The sound made him panic, though he could not place why.

"Sentinels!" Erik was the one to speak, his hands lifting instantly as Kitty Pryde ran off with Bishop, their task a habit at this point.

Nikolas turned, seeing the Sentinels and recognizing his fear in them that he did not fully understand. He stood firm, his mind reaching towards those around him to protect each of them in a way that he was not aware he was capable of.

It would appear that whatever this dream world was, Nikolas was stronger than he could have ever believed.

He held out his hands, an image of the Sentinels appearing in the open space there. Charles spoke on his behalf, "If everyone will direct their attention to Doctor Stark, the Sentinels' have a weak spot located here." Nikolas prodded at a spot in the center of the metal men's chest. "No one fights them alone."

A thud sounded just behind Nikolas, the fear apparent in his friends eyes made him panic.

Nikolas' wings extended high above his head as he turned, a few of the feathers shined like metal as they shifted. His hands following suit as he pulled his sword free-

But he was much too slow, his mouth open in a voiceless scream as a blade passed through his stomach.

Endeavour Stark was dead.

Nikolas Stark screamed.