Ben 10: Marvelverse

Chapter 20: Mistakes

Ben's hand left fist slammed onto Charles desk. "Are you fucking kidding me!?" Ben said clearly angered by their discussion. "Do you know anything about what you're suggesting!?"

Charles looked at Ben with determination. "I'm telling her." Charles said.

"That's not your choice to make. You have no right!" Ben countered.

"You gave me the right the moment you told me!" Charles argued.  

Charles took a second before continuing. "You didn't see how hurt she was to learn about something involving you from another person's mouth. That secret already hurt her, do you know how much more it'll hurt to learn about a secret you're keeping from her involving her own past? This is her life. It isn't right to keep it secret from her." 

"It's to protect her! Do you have any idea of what it feels like knowing you're the reason others you care about are dead!" Ben roared back. 

Charles didn't back down as he spoke with conviction. "I know what you went through Benjamin, I saw-"

"You don't know shit!" Ben said cutting him off.

Charles stopped seeing he struck a nerve. 

He could see Ben was tense as he struggled to keep himself under control. 

Ben's fists were balled up tight, his jaw clenched. Ben had to force himself not to yell. "You think, just because you went inside my head one time and saw what i went through you know what it feels like? You read minds, Mr. Xavier. Not hearts. Wouldn't help if you could anyways since mine is gone." Ben said, he held his chest with his left hand. Feeling the metal through his shirt.

"Do you know how many people are dead because of me?" Ben asked with his head hanging down. "I can't even begin to count the numbers. Honestly, i don't even care about that number. The only number i care about is nine. Nine people, who counted on me." Ben's voice started shaking as his body trembled. "Who trusted, me!" 

Ben stopped for a second as he breathed, steadying himself. "And they are all dead, because of me." Ben stood up to leave. "I will not have Lorna carry the burden of her families death. And i will not have anyone else i care about dying because of me. I will do anything to make sure of that. If you think we're so advanced to think that's beneath us why don't you look at some of your own choices" Ben said before turning around and walking to the door. Xavier felt the sting of what he said. He would have let him go if he didn't have one last question for Ben.

"Does that justify murder?" Charles asked. 

Ben stopped with his hand on the door when he heard the words. He looked back at Charles with a fire in his eyes. "For that squid face fuck?!" The words were filled with venom, almost as if they were dripping from his mouth. "Absolutely." Ben opened the door. 

Charles stopped him as he walked out. "If your every bit of the brother Lorna sees you as you'll be here later when i tell her." Charles said. Seeing Ben stopped long enough to listen to few more words he continued. "She needs to know, and you're presence will make a difference." 

With that Ben roughly closed the door behind him before he was walking away. Leaving Charles in his office with his own thoughts. 

Charles felt like their argument had been an extremely hard one. He felt a level of exhaustion, not physical or even mental but emotional exhaustion. Charles just hoped this was the right decision. 

***** 

Lorna was in the middle of class lost in her own thoughts when she heard Xavier summon her. She looked up in slight surprise before looking at the teacher who nodded for her to go. Lorna grabbed her bag before walking to Charles' office.