I wake up and close my eyes as I see sunlight coming through my window. I then open my eyes again, a thought occurring to me. If it's daylight that means I slept through the night, something that hasn't happened since I first arrived here. Even with the x-men I was prone to nightmares, I think whenever I was stressed it manifested in nightmares.
I sit up and freeze as I see a figure out of the corner of my eye. I turn my head to the right and frown as I see Charles Xavier, why is he in my room? Where's Henry?
"I told your friends I'd look after you" Charles says with a kind smile on his face. "I can control minds, so I simply blocked out any nightmares that may plague you."
"Thank you" I say, I'm not used to adults being kind to me and Charles hardly knows me, yet he spent a whole night in here making sure I didn't have nightmares. "But why?"
"The same reason you're still fighting. If I can help someone, I will, just like you do" Charles says, I glance down at my hands, he has a point. It's like Peter's aunt used to say, if you're in a situation where you can help someone, you have an obligation to help them. I just didn't think that applied to my nightmares.
My heart sinks as I remember all the times that I'd wake up to Clover beside me. I wish that I could see her again, spend one last day with her.
"You're a strong girl, you've suffered a lot in your life, especially in a past five months since you came here" Charles says, glancing at me. I shake my head wordlessly, strong isn't the right word to describe me, I'm not even sure how I'm still holding myself together, I don't even know if I can without Clover.
"Clover's different" I whisper, I loved her. I would've done anything to keep Clover safe and yet I'm the reason she died, I'm the reason everybody I care about suffers. "Everyone that I love gets hurt because of me."
"They get hurt because they're fighting for something, Scarlett was hurt because she chose to do what she could to not allow the x-men to win" Charles says, I close my eyes as I remember Scarlett shooting Mystique, she knew how it would end.
"You can see things, can't you?" I ask Charles.
"What do you mean by things?"
"Do you know who killed Ashton?" I ask, my mouth struggling to get the words out, do I even want to know? Knowing Ashton's killer will just make his death more real; it'll be like the confirmation that he's dead.
"I could find out, but I don't want to tell you right now, I don't think you're in the right state to hear it" Charles says slowly, coming over to me. I watch the wheels on his wheelchair roll, I don't bother protesting because deep down I think I know Charles is right.
I know Charles can erase memories, a part of me wants to ask him to erase all my painful memories, but the other part of me is afraid of who I'd become without them, taking away my bad memories would mean taking away the knowledge Mystique never cared about me, making me forget I thought Tony was my father.
"I would never erase your memories, my darling, they are unfortunately crucial in the role you play" Charles says, giving me a sad smile. "I don't deny you carry a lot, but I do believe you must."
"I don't know how much more I can take" I say honestly. Scarlett, Ashton, Flash, and Clover are dead, Clover, the x-men, and the avengers all betrayed me, I bombed a building, I was tortured, Scarlett tried to kill me, and Mystique never cared for me. "Haven't I been through enough?"
"Some must suffer more than others" Charles says, placing his hand on my knee. "I think you're so quiet and brave that people forget how much you have endured." A single tear rolls down my cheek and Charles wipes it away.
"Storm, I don't want to bring more confusion to your life, but there is something I need to tell you" Charles says.
My heart freezes, what does he have to tell me? I shake my head; I don't need to learn anything else. Whatever he has to say, I don't want to hear.
"You're my child, I've known for a while now" Charles says softly. I close my eyes, not this again. Does he really think I'll fall for the same trick twice?
"What do you want?"
"This isn't a trick" Charles says calmly.
"I don't believe you" I say, standing up and heading out of the room, I ignore Charles calling my name. I rush over to Henry's room, not even caring that I'm still in my pyjamas. I knock and Henry opens the door immediately, I walk in and Henry shuts the door.
"We can't trust Charles" I say. Charles can probably read our minds from where he is, but I don't really care.
"He stayed up the entire night to ensure you didn't have nightmares, what else happened?" Henry asks, looking at me in confusion.
"He said he's my dad" I confess, staring atHenry. Henry sighs and looks away from me, my mouth drops open. "You fuckingknew?"
YOU ARE READING
Beautiful Ruins
Action"Maybe there was a fleeting moment where I wanted to be a hero and believed I could be one, but the truth is I'm not, I won't ever be. My past does define me, it made me a villain" - Storm. Fifteen-year-old Storm is the daughter of Black Widow and I...
