Two Sides Of A Coin

16~Erik

This is it. Moira's office.... I come to a stop in front of a crisp white door. The sign posted on the door is labeled Mactaggert, which assures me I am at the right place. I rip the door off of its hinges and peer into the sterile office. The desk is extremely tidy with neat piles of paper lined up in rows. I step inside and rush towards what looks like a miniature lab. Vials are sealed in plastic bags and I read each label, hoping to find the one that contains Charles' blood.

It must be here somewhere. She was the project manager....This vial would be important....where would she place it? I sort through sample after sample until I have scavenged through them all. A sickening thought races through my head and I can feel my blood pressure rising. There is no vial. It is all a trick, a trap meant to lure Charles right into the open and I lead him right into it. I left him defenseless. Who knows what Stryker has in store for him.

It is a kind of brilliance that I would not have expected from Stryker. He is proving to be a worthy opponent in this deadly game of chess. Perhaps I have time to intercept Charles before he is captured which would lead to the immediate exploitation of his powers. I leave the room in a flash and raise my hands to destroy the entire workspace. If I am wrong, and the vial is in fact legitimate, it would be better for me to have destroyed it than leave it laying there.

I take off running down the hallway to search for Charles. I cause any door in my way to implode and crumble to the side so it does not impair my passage. My shoes collide with the slick tile and I turn the corner that leads to another passageway. Bodies are strewn across the floor which cause me to slow down to avoid tripping. I kneel beside one and check his pulse. He is still breathing, but unconscious....There is no sign of injury on his body...Charles came this way....

I follow the trail of guards to a room at the end of the hall. There appears to be no one guarding the room. I take a cautious step forward before lifting the door away from the frame. I keep it in front of me defensively to deflect any attack that might be attempted. Only silence greets me as I enter the room. I throw the door against the wall with a clatter and focus on the sad sight before me. The empty wheelchair is sitting in the middle of the room. Charles's wheelchair.... I turn my attention from the empty chair to the woman seated on the floor beside it. Moira looks up at me and touches her head with her fingertips. She seems to be in some kind of daze.

"They took him."

"Who?" I ask even though I already know the answer.

"Stryker." She replies.

"How long ago?" Perhaps I can catch up with them...

"Seven... maybe eight minutes ago. You just missed them." She says sorrowfully.

They are well out of my reach by now.... How is it that Moira is unharmed? Is she capable of such treachery? Even if Charles read her mind would he believe it if she wanted to hurt him? Or is he too attached to listen to the truth?

Moira is not a mutant. Perhaps it is time to show her exactly who I am.

I cause a tendril of metal to unwind from Charles' chair and float towards Moira. She raises an eyebrow, but doesn't look too alarmed. I allow it to remain near her as a reminder that I will not tolerate lies.

"Did you know about this?"

"Absolutely not." She says, offended by my interrogation.

"You could easily be lying to me right now. Why should I believe you?"

"Erik, I would never hurt Charles. And even if I had, why would I remain here knowing that you would find me? If I was responsible-- which I am not-- then you would torture me and probably kill me. Why would I want to wait for you here?"

I study the cuts on her wrists and the rope lying limply near her. She was injured. She does make a good point. She takes an enormous risk by being here unarmed. That does not change the fact that if I find her to be guilty she will suffer a death more painful than she would care to imagine.

"Fine."

"I-I think I might know where they are going. Err- I know how to find the man who can take us there."

She has captured my attention. She might actually be useful. I wasn't looking forward to searching the entire North American continent for Charles. If she can take me to his location then that will make this easier.

"Take me to him." I order as I start to walk away.

I assume she manages to pull herself off the floor because I hear quiet plodding and shuffling behind me.

"He's not here. We need to get a vehicle and go to his home. We can exit through the-"

I twist my hand and force support beam of the building to break through the wall and barrel through the side of the hallway. I slam it into each wall in its path until I see the outdoors from where I am.

"Or we could just leave through a hole you created. That works too."

We step through the makeshift tunnel I have made and exit the compound. The sunlight is bright in contrast to the dim lighting that was inside. Now, to make them pay.... I lead Moira a safe distance away from the base and then lift my hands into the air. It is my intention to level the entire building. Moira grabs my arm and tries to pull it down.

"Erik! Wait! There are good people inside, innocent people! They don't deserve to die! Killing them will not do anything, but cause there to be an even bigger investigation into your kind. Is that what you want?"

I ball my hands into fists and lower my arms. I need to conserve my strength for whatever the day holds. Destroying that building would mean nothing to me and I do not care for the inhabitants inside. Moira may imagine that mercy is on my mind, but it is in fact the last thing I desire.

A/N: Sorry for the delay in the update! My life has been C R A Z Y   so I haven't had much time to write ):
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Sincerely,

Lorna and Samantha