New Beginnings. wolverine x reader

xv.

A gentle knock sounded at the door, breaking the vulnerable silence that had enveloped us. Logan's gaze flickered towards the door and then back to me, concern etched on his features.

"I'll get it," he murmured softly, carefully untangling himself from our embrace before rising from the bed. I watched as he moved towards the door, his usually confident stride softened as he glanced back at me. I pushed myself upwards, wincing I aimed to sit up straight in the bed.

When he reached to door, a moment of apprehension hung in the air as his hand hovered above the  handle. When he finally opened the door, a strong sense worry flooded inside. He stepped aside, revealing Ororo, with her usual calm demeanor softened with concern. Her eyes met mine, and I could see the unease that she tried to mase behind her composed expression.

"Hey Logan," she greeted quietly before turning her attention to me. "(Y/n), how are you feeling?"

"Better," I replied, though my voice trembled slightly. The sight of my dear friend brought a sense of reassurance, but I couldn't shake the feeling of dread that came upon her entrance.

She took a step further into the room, her gentle as she spoke. "Charles wants to see you, (Y/n). He's waiting in one of the conference rooms. We thought it would be best to talk there, away from the others."

Logan held out a hand, his eyes filled with a determination to ensure her comfort, and worry at Storms serious tone. "I'm comin' with, don't worry" he assured, looking at me gently as he could.

I nodded, swallowing the sense of unease that had settled in my chest. I reached forwards, grasping Logans hand, his grip both comforting yet firm. Ororo took a step forward, her step a quiet comfort as she made the effort to walk along side us.

The walk to the conference room the silent and slow, my pace was jagged, pain randomly deciding to prick me with any movement. My heart pounded louder with each step, a mixture of anxiety and dread swirling inside of me.

Upon reaching the room, storm gently pushed open the door to reveal Charles, patiently waiting inside. He looked up as he entered, his expression kind yet firm. Storm firmly shut the door behind us, taking her seat across from where Logan was slowly guiding me to sit, and then him beside me, his hand never leaving mine.

Charles' eyes softened as he looked at me, "(Y/n), I'm glad to see that you're feeling a little better" he started on a softer note, "although, we do have something serious to discus."

I nodded in response, my throat tight, "What is it..?"

"It's about the artifact" he began, reaching down to place a small box on the table. 

The air felt thick with tension as I stared at the box. I didn't need to see it to know what was inside. I could feel it, a faint, malevolent pulse calling to me from within. Logan's hand squeezed mine, grounding me, pulling me back from the spiraling thoughts racing through my head. Reluctantly, I dragged my eyes away from the box to meet Charles' gaze again.

"While Magneto's defeat was a crucial victory, the artifact remains active. As the one who activated it, you're the only one who can neutralize it completely." 

The weight of his words pressed down on me like a heavy stone, and a cold knot formed in my chest. I could barely breathe as the thought of confronting that power again made my pulse quicken. "H-how would I neutralize it?" I stammered, my voice shaky.

Charles' expression remained steady as he explained, "The process is similar to what you did to stop it the first time, but on a much larger scale. We'd give you time to mentally prepare and build up your emotional resilience. You would need to channel your emotions into the artifact again, but instead of the fear and pain that fueled it before, you would project the opposite—hope, love, and inner strength—to overpower its dark presence."