Crossfire

Chapter 5

Geneva. We found a hotel room at a decent rate. I set my bag on one side of the room and let out a deep sigh. I don't know how many hours we spent on that train. I knew that most of them had been spent in silence. It was all enough for me to feel exhausted despite the fact I had slept at some point during the trip. Erik started to give the room our usual set up and I decided to take a shower. Just to feel refreshed and help wake me up without the assistance of coffee or tea. I closed the door of the bathroom and walked to the mirror.

I had changed so much since my powers had revealed themselves. In 1951, my dark brown hair had been long. Sure, I pulled it back most days, but it still reached to the middle of my back. The doctors had shaved it. Over the last two years, it had grown back, but I kept it much shorter now. My bangs fell over my forehead and into my right eye. My eyes had been a lot brighter in colour. Their blue colour had faded to grey over time. I imagined it was because of the time the scientists had blinded me to see if my eyes would heal. I couldn't see for two days. I pushed my hair behind my ear.

I shook my head. I hadn't come in here to appraise my features. I turned on the shower and waited for the water to get hot. I stepped under the steady stream.

I winced as it hit my back, running down my scars. I closed my eyes and allowed myself to get used to it. I rested my forehead against the shower wall. I felt the coldness of the surface against the heat of the water. I wasn't a fan of being alone, in any circumstance. It allowed dark thoughts to enter my mind. Thoughts that I couldn't that I had. Thoughts of killing Shaw. Using my wings and strength to carry him high into the air and then just letting go. Watching him fall, helpless to stop his fate. Hearing his bones crack when he finally made contact with the ground. Watching his blood form patterns in the pavement's imperfections. Why shouldn't I have wanted to do that? It would solve so many problems.

But it would be wrong. The thoughts made me scared of myself. It made me believe that I was the monster that they believed that I was. I pushed away from the wall and turned off the water. I pulled a white robe around myself and wiped the fog from the mirror. I would not turn into a killer. If I did that, I would truly be no better than Shaw and his lackeys. I would be giving up all of the goodness that Monica had seen in me and admitting that mutants were bad. That wasn't right, for anyone. I hoped that I could one day show Erik that path. I knew that we had said that once we found Shaw, we would go our separate ways, but I liked to think that we had become friends after all of this time.

I used a towel to dry my hair as I walked out of the bathroom. Erik was sitting on one of the beds, moving a metal coin through his fingers. He looked like he was deep in thought. As I took a step forward, the coin shot through the air. I could feel the air move by my cheek. I looked at the wall. He had launched a coin into the picture of Shaw he had. I took a breath to calm myself and shook my head. He looked over at me.

"Well, you certainly look better." He said,

"Thanks, I guess." I chuckled. "You've been busy."

"The bank opens soon."

"That it does. Shall I come with you on this little excursion?"

"Can you speak french?"

"Oui, je parle un peu du Français."

"Then I see no reason why you shouldn't. As long as you can stomach my methods."

"What are you intending to do?"

"I won't kill him, if that's what you're asking. But he was one of the many reasons my people suffered so much. He can't get away with that."

I glanced at the number on his arm. 214782. Forever he was branded with that memory. My hand reached to my back, gently touching the scars there. I wondered how many he had been inflicted with. I shook my head.