The Long Run (Prequel to Time Loop)

Chapter Eight

"So you don't know who sent this letter?" Charles asked.

"No clue," I shrugged, "When I tracked the postal address, apparently the address never existed."

"That's strange. JH," Charles read the initials signed at the end of the letter. "I have an idea on how we might be able to identify who owns these initials. But you won't like it."

"What is it?"

"I'll need to enter your mind;scavenge through your memories," he explained with a placid expression.

I narrowed my eyes, trying to figured out if he was joking or not. Once I gathered that he was quite serious about this, I sighed, "Fine. But only to find this JH person. Nothing else."

"Cross my heart," he promised.

With a nod, his stare became much more intense. Charles leaned closer, practically inches apart. I couldn't help but blushed due to how close we had been. Suddenly, my kind felt blank, as if everything was just...erased. All I could see was black. Silent, unchanging, black.

The moment lasted for quite a while until my mind had finally snapped back to reality, and I realized where I was. "Are you okay?" Charles asked with worry. I hadn't noticed that his hands were now on my face and his blue eyes were staring directly into mine.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I muttered nervously, adjusting my place. "What just happened?"

He slowly lowered his hands, "I entered your mind."

"Well," I studied his expression, and he still seemed timid, "Did you find anything useful?"

"I think I may have found out who JH is," Charles said, "Does a Joseph Hotch ring a bell?"

"Yeah that was an old friend I made in like my junior year at high school. Apparently, he moved to the UK like right after high school," I explained.

Joseph and I weren't that close, but he was the only one to know about my abilities during that time. He told me he met other mutants like me, and told me that there were actually others out there who had powers.

"Could it be him who sent you the letter?" Charles asked.

"Most likely. But why?" I contemplated. What was he trying to warn me about?

"That's what I'm trying to figure out," Charles mumbled, stroking his chin pensively. "Either way, we should play it safe. You can stay with Raven and I for the time being."

"Oh no thanks, can't leave Darlene all by herself," I rejected the offer.

"You and Darlene would be much more safe if you two were apart," Charles insisted, "Isn't that what you've been thinking?"

"Didn't you promise to stop reading my mind?" I glared at him with pursed lips. He was right, but I didn't want to give him the satisfaction.

"I said I'd try. I can't guarantee everything," he shrugged.

"Of course not," I rolled my eyes, "Fine I'll stay for a week. If nothing happens, I'm going back to my dorm."

~Time Skip~

"Hi, just came to check up on you," Raven walked into the guest room I had been staying in.

"Did Charles send you here? Cause I'm fine, really," I sighed. I felt like I was on 24/7 watch, with practically no privacy at all.

"Yeah," Raven chuckled slightly, "He's just really worried."

"Why should he be? I barely know the guy," I argued.

"But he knows a lot about you."

"Meanwhile I know nothing about him," I muttered under my breath.

"He has good intentions I swear. I wouldn't have lived with him for so long if I didn't trust him," Raven explained, "He's like the family I never had."

Her blue skin began to morph into a lighter cream skin tone and her bright orange hair grew down. "I should go. Do you need anything?" She asked.

I shook my head, "No I'm fine, thank you." She nodded and walked out, closing the door behind her. She seemed so kind and it wasn't fair that she had to hide her true appearance in public. If only society had been more open-minded during those times.

Once she was gone, I glanced around the rather spacious room. Darlene was right when she said this guy was filthy rich. I began to ponder how she'd react once she realized I wasn't coming back to the dorm for a while. Would she be worried?

Nonetheless, I shrugged the thought off my mind and decided to take a shower. The flat seemed pretty quiet so I assumed I had the place to myself for a little while. Walking over to the bathroom, I slowly started peeling off the blouse and skinny jeans I had on.

The pearly white tiles were frigid under my feet, but I was too tired to care. After multiple attempts at trying to figure out how to turn the shower on, I was abruptly splashed in the face by the jets of water.

"Well that works," I muttered annoyingly and stood up to hop into the shower after taking off my undergarments.

The warm jets of water that pelted my skin made me sigh in exhaustion. This was much better than the cold showers at my dormitory. For the first few minutes, I just stood there, taking in the warmth.

That is, until I was so rudely interrupted. "Pardon me Isabelle, what would you like for dinner tonight?" Charles peered through the door, making sure he was noticed.

"Do you even knock?!?" I scowled at him as I peeked my face out the shower curtain.

"Nothing I haven't seen already," he waved off, as if it wasn't a big deal, "So...?"

"So what?!?"

"I guess we'll eat out then," Charles said and didn't move from his spot. His blue eyes were glued onto mine, as if he were waiting for me to say something.

"Well? Are you going to get out or what?" I threw a loofah at him and missed by an inch.

"Fine, you don't have to be so angry," he smirked and walked out, closing the door behind him.