𝘚𝘩𝘦'𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 -and lost just as many reasons to keep going.
Natalie Parker, once hidden in the shadows of history, is a mutant unlike any other. Bound to the earth by blood and power, her touch coaxes life from st...
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"twenty twenty-three"
-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-
China, 2023
The jet hummed with an eerie quiet, the kind that didn't come from a lack of sound—but from the weight in the air. Natalie sat beside Storm, her fingers gripping the armrest a little tighter every time the aircraft hit turbulence. Across the aisle, Logan stared silently ahead, a rare trace of unease in his usually unshakable expression.
They were flying toward one of the last strongholds—what remained of their friends.
The Sentinels had taken so many. What was left of mutantkind could fit inside a plane.
When they landed, the ramp hissed open. One by one, they stepped into the cold air: Storm, Logan, Charles, Natalie... and finally Erik. The wind whipped around them as they approached the looming stairway. At the top stood Bishop, grim as ever, nodding their way.
"Professor," came a voice. Bobby stepped into view with a small smile.
"Bobby," Natalie smiled, stepping forward and wrapping him in a hug.
"Hey, Ivy," he greeted with a softness that only old friends could share.
Logan gave him a nod. "Hey, kid."
From the stairs, Kitty made her way down, slipping her hand into Bobby's. She offered a hopeful smile to the group. "Glad you made it."
-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-
Inside, Kitty gathered them in the main hall to explain their survival strategy.
"Whenever the Sentinels attack, Warpath senses them. I send Bishop back to warn us before they arrive. Blink scouts the next site. We're gone before they even know we were there," she explained.
"Because we weren't," Warpath added.
"What do you mean you weren't there?" Logan asked.
"She doesn't send him back physically," Charles said, picking up the thread. "Just his consciousness. Into his younger self."
Logan gave a low whistle. "Wow."
"This just might work, Charles," Erik looked over.
"What might work?" Natalie asked.
"The sentinel program was originally conceived by Doctor Bolivar Trask," Charles told the group. "In the early 70's he was one of the world's leading weapons designers. But covertly, he had begun experimenting on mutants, using their gifts to fuel his own research," Charles continued, looking at Erik. "There was one mutant who had discovered what he was doing."
