Read My Mind ↳ charles xavier

12. Mutant and Proud

The oxygen leaves my lungs, the thoughts leave my brain, and my heart stops. My legs almost give out.

Charles's legs actually do give out. Raven's hands clasp over her mouth and her yellow eyes go wide.

Erik is at Charles' side in a second. As for the rest of us, we can't move. Our legs have become glued to the sand beneath us.

I hear the gentle wirr of metal moving and notice the bullet in Erik's palm. Around us, the missiles continue to explode, falling through the air and towards the sea, bursting into flames before they can reach the water. I can sense the heavy relief and thrilled shouts coming from the ships, both sides.

The sound comes back to my ears and Moira rushes forward. I feel like I should be angry at her, for doing what she did. But I really can't feel anything. I can't even think.

"I'm so sorry," Erik says, attempting to turn Charles over in his arms. The other mutants have begun to reluctantly walk forward, but Erik's booming voice stops them, "I said back off!" He then turns his icy glare to the CIA agent to my left, "you. You did this." He raises his arm.

The metal of the dog tags around her neck shoot upward and begin to choke her. She gasps, grabbing at the necklace with her gloves fingers.

"Erik," I faintly hear Charles say, "please." Moira's eyes begin to water up. "She didn't do this, Erik. You did."

Realization slowly dawns on him. He looks down at his injured friend before lowering his arm. Moira breathes again, falling to her knees as she sucks in the air around her.

"Us turning on each other," Erik says, drawing my attention back to him, "it's what they want. I tried to warn you, Charles." He pauses, "I want you by my side. We're brothers, you and I. All of us together, protecting each other."

He looks up for a second and gestures to the rest of us mutants surrounding him.

"We want the same thing," Erik says, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. But Charles doesn't want that. The look in his eyes gives it away easily.

Charles laughs in an exhausted way, "my, friend. I'm sorry, but we do not." The hope leaves Erik's eyes and is replaced with tears. But they don't fall.

Silence fills the air for a moment, an intense moment, before Erik looks up at me and gestures for me to take his place. I snap out of my trance and practically rush forward, dropping to his side.

"Are you okay?" I ask, quietly. I have barely spoken two words since we arrived on this beach, so my throat is a little parched. I try to ignore it.

He looks up at me, as if not actually wanting to say how much it hurts. He doesn't have to say it. It was a stupid question, anyways.

Moira rushes over, tripping over her words as apologies flood out of her mouth. Charles says it's all right. I sniffle and set my hand in his hair, letting my fingers comb through it as he speaks to the agent.

"This society won't accept us," I hear Erik say, behind me. "We form our own. The humans have played their hand. Now we get ready to play ours. Who's with me?"

I say nothing. No one does.

"No more hiding," Erik adds quietly, and a small part of me knows that he's talking to Raven. I hear footsteps walking through the sand.

I feel a hand on my shoulder and look to see Raven, beside me. I give her a small smile, one which she returns before speaking quietly to her brother.

"You should go with him," Charles says, voice unsteady as he looks at his sister. I clasp his hand in mine in comfort, like he did for me on the plane. He returns the gesture. "It's what you want."

"You promised me you would never read my mind," Raven says, looking at Charles longingly, brushing her gloves hand across the other side of his head.

"I know," he replies, "I promised you a great many things, I'm afraid." A tear slips down my cheek. "I'm sorry." He kisses his sister's hand, and Raven returns it to his forehead. She looks at me before getting up.

"Take care of him," she says, before taking Erik's hand and taking her place next to him. Shaw's mutants join them.

"And, Beast," I hear Raven say loudly, "never forget. Mutant and proud." I hear them all disappear, then the sounds of numerous footsteps running through the sand and to his side.

"We're gonna get you to a hospital," Moira says, attempting to move him. He groans in pain. Hank stops them.

"Wait, Charles," he says, "Charles, don't move, okay?" He squeezes my hand in a death grip, but it leaves me unfazed. He could break my hand and I would be fine with it. I just want him to be okay.

"I won't," he mutters, "actually, I— I can't feel my legs." We all look at each other.

"What?" Moira asks.

"I can't feel my legs," he repeats, "I can't feel my legs."