Wavering Future

Chapter 9

Jay grunted as Ashling nudged his side and sleepily waved her arm away only to be shaken in response. "What, I'm sleeping."

"We're in Washington, time for us to leave." She explained before pulling him to his feet. "Come on!"

He hastily waved to the remaining mutants on the jet, Alex and Ink, before blinking in the bright sunlight of Washington. Angeni grabbed them and an instant later the three were standing outside the door of Xavier's School for the Gifted. He glanced at the two uncertainly as he heard a roar come from the other side before cautiously opening the unlocked door to reveal a younger teenage Beast, or also called Hank, swinging from the chandelier to kick Logan across the room. Well at least that meant the other plan had worked, now they were all gathered together here, all they had to do was get the fighting mutants' attention and settle things down.

"Uh, Logan...?" Ashling spoke up before either mutant could attack again. "What's going on?"

Logan whipped his head towards them in surprise. "I- uh, we were just having a conversation... Right Beast?"

Beast snarled but didn't reply as another voice coming from the staircase cut into the conversation. "Hank, who's at the door? ...And why are you on the bloody chandelier?"

Hank dropped to the floor and to everyone's amazement turned into his normal human look. "Sorry, I tried to tell them you didn't want to talk, that the school was closed..."

Charles came into view, younger looking yet at the same time still looked miserable, another thing Jay and the others were surprised about was the fact he was walking. "Who are you?"

Logan narrowed his eyes at Xavier before responding. "Why don't you tell me?"

That seemed to throw the young Professor off for a moment before he turned to Hank. "Make them leave."

Angeni stepped forward quickly. "Wait, Professor, we came here because you need our help!"

Hank paused as Charles walked down the stairs and over to them. "I don't need help."

Jay shook his head. "Your future self sent us, including Logan over there, to get you to help save the future from mutant destruction."

He did a double take when he saw Jay. "Alex? What are you talking about? How did you...? Wait, you're not-"

"I'm Jay..." He shifted uneasily. "Jay Summers."

They all stood there in silence for a few moments before Charles spoke up again. "So... his brother? No, you said you're from the future so... child. Correct?"

"Yeah." A haunted look crossed his gaze for a moment. "He was my father."

"Was?" Hank questioned but never received an answer as Logan got them back on track.

"Look, in our future these robots called Sentinels were created by Trask to kill all mutants, if we don't change something here in the past that started the creation then all mutants will be killed." He explained the problem quickly. "Will you help us?"

Charles and Hank exchanged looks before Xavier spoke again. "I can't."

Angeni glared at him. "Why not?"

"Follow us." Charles sighed before allowing Hank to lead the way upstairs. "I'll explain everything I can, help with all I can, but I can assure you I will not leave this place because I cannot help you with anything you probably need of me."

Ashling leaned over to her friends before whispering. "What's happening? I thought Xavier was crippled and in a wheelchair, and isn't Hank supposed to be with the government?"

Jay shrugged but Angeni whispered back. "I guess we're about to find out about that... but something tells me our goal has just got a lot harder."

"You got that right." Logan butted into their whispered conversation. "How did you three get here?"

"Pharzuph and Angeni combined their powers." Jay explained. "...Pharzuph didn't make the trip, I think we might be stuck here."

"Better hope not." He replied. "Otherwise that could mess up our future too."

"Thank you for stating that obvious fact." He snapped back sarcastically, before walking faster up the stairs before Logan could say anything else. He hoped that if Charles couldn't help them they could at least get Hank to, after all the next person they needed wasn't exactly friendly with them in this time period, after that... well hopefully Logan knew exactly what they needed to do.