Since You've Been Gone (Sequel To Mutant Beyond Compare)

Chapter 1

*Third-Person P.O.V**The Past*

The Chinese temple stood stoic as the hovercraft landed in it's courtyard. The hangar of the ship opened and four mutants walked out into the courtyard. The main door to the temple opened where multiple mutants one in particular that had fiery red hair ran towards an older mutant that was in a floating wheelchair, "Father! You're back." She hugged the man and then stepped back to see her other friends that stood before her, "Storm, Logan...Eric." She ran to a man dressed in similar black robes as her father and hugged him tight, "I wish that mother were here to see you." "What happened to her Aria?" Storm asked.

*Aria's P.O.V*

As soon as I released Eric from my nearly bone-crushing hug, I turned to face Storm, "Before Warpath could warn us that a pack of Sentinels were coming our way, they killed my mother. She told me to tell you that she was sorry for being reckless and not paying attention to her surroundings." My father nodded, "Let's get inside the temple, there is much to discuss." I lead the way into the temple and Storm was the last to come in along with Logan. Everyone sat in a circle as Bobby and Warpath explained how we have been living for the past few weeks. "She send Bishop back in time and then when the Sentinels find us, we were never there." Warpath finished. "What do you mean you were never there?" Logan asked, clearly confused. I gave a slight chuckle, "Kitty transports his consciousness into his younger body and he warns us about an attack that hasn't happened yet. He changes the future in that way." Eric leaned over and whispered to Charles, "Charles, this might actually work." I looked at my uncle funny, "What do you mean Eric?" "The Sentinel program was created by Dr. Bolivar Trask. In the 70s he was leading weapons designer. Over time he began to experimented on mutants. He used their abilities to make weapons. There is a mutant who knew what he did and another who helped her get to Trask. A mutant capable change shape into anyone and the other could do anything imaginable." Charles told us."Mystique and Chrome." Cyclops answered before any of us."I knew her as Raven and Chrome as Nora. We met when we were children, grew up together. Raven was like my own sister. I tried to help her, but succeeded in turning her away. During the Paris Peace Treaty of 1973 after the Vietnam War, she found Trask, and killed him. That was the first time she killed," Charles continued. "And it wasn't her last." Logan mumbled. I shot a lethal look at him which shut him up.

"But killing Trask didn't have the result she expected. The incident convinced the government the need to continue the program. They captured her and Nora, tortured them, experimented on them. In their DNA, especially Nora's, they found the secret to weapons of mass-destruction. It was the key they needed, to create a weapon capable of adapting to the ability of each mutant. And less than 50 years the machine eliminating many of our people was created. All of that begins that day in 1973, The first day they first killed. On the day they truly became Mystique and Chrome." He sighed as he finished. Everyone paused for a minute as they processed the information that my father had given to him. "You want to go back in time?" Kitty asked."If I can persuade them, thwart the assassination, keep both of them away from them. And we can stop the Sentinels before they were ever created." Charles attempted to convince Kitty."And end this war, before it ever begins." Eric nodded.

"I-I can only send the to the past in a few weeks. Maybe a month, but you're talking about decades. You have the most powerful brain the in the world, Professor. But the mind can only go so far before it snaps." Kitty stuttered.Logan bit his lip before he spoke, "What if there was a person whose mind could heal as fast as it could snap?" I looked at Logan and then Charles, "That might work, then again I could go too. I can heal as fast as you can." Then I realized the problem with me going, "But, I wouldn't be able to convince Charles and Eric to find Raven since they never knew I existed in 1973." Kitty nodded and started to brief Logan about time-travel and things like that.

"Charles, are you sure this will work?" Eric asked Charles."I have complete faith in him." Charles nodded."It's not him I'm worried about. It's us. We were younger, more brash. We didn't know any better." Eric sighed. "We will now." Charles answered confidently. Charles then went up to Logan. Logan sighed as he attempted to soak in all of this, "So I wake up in my younger body, God knows where, and then what?""You'll need to go to my house and find me. Convince me of all this." Charles explained to him."Won't you be able to read my mind?" He asked."I didn't have my powers in 1973. Logan, you're going to have to do for me what I once did for you: lead me, guide me. I was a very different man then. You'll have to be patient with me." Charles sighed."Patience isn't my strongest suit." Logan scoffed."You'll need me as well." Eric stepped forward."What?" Logan raised an eyebrow at him."After Mystique left Charles, she came with me, and I set her on a dangerous path, a darker path. It's going to take the two of us, side by side at a time when we couldn't be further apart." Eric said."Great. So where do I find you?" Logan asked with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.Eric paused, "Well, it's complicated..." I rolled my eyes, "Very. Anyway, Logan you will also need one more mutant at your side. And she's going to be more difficult than both of them combined and then some. It will take more patience and all of your cunning due to the fact she hates both of them during this time period.""Who would that be?" He asked."My mother." I answered as I transformed into her younger form, "She will look like this. But Logan, you may have to stop her from either putting a dagger in Eric's, or Charles', heart. She wasn't that fond of either of them in 1973.""How do you know that?" He asked as Kitty was laying him down on the altar. I rolled my eyes, "I was eleven that year, I remember it very well." He nodded and Kitty then sat next to his head readying her hands. "One more thing Logan," I added quickly, "Make sure you get to Nora BEFORE you get Eric. If you bring both of them to her at once, she will probably flip out and lose control. You do NOT want that to happen." Right as Kitty sent him into the past, Logan asked, "Why do I not want her to lose control?" I smiled, he was in the past. He was going to help my family save the future.