「 The Professor & I 」VOLUME II

(336) That Fire

Charles' POV

Faith glistened her eyes in sheer quantities—so vast it was boggling for a situation as forlorn as this. I stared into the brilliant sparkle of her hazel irises, ironically weakened by the unwavering confidence she held in me.

It was cruel enough to personally watch her suffering, but not being able to live up to her expectations was more excruciating than anything I have ever imagined.

"What is it I can do that they can't?" I challenged doubtfully but Lynn just smiled, diligently wiping off the drops that unwittingly trickled down my face.

"They are not the world's strongest telepath," Lynn answered optimistically.

"Out there, our kids are terrifyingly outnumbered. But still, they're giving everything to fight for our cause," Lynn demonstrated, smiling in utter satisfaction.

"And if you don't help them, we're going to lose it all," Lynn claimed in a grim tone but her face was contrastingly animated.

"I know you still burn with excitement at the thought of a world united," she enthusiastically asserted and a faint smile naturally twitched onto my lips, observing her adorably thrilled expression.

"I know you still have it in here, to change the world," she inspired unreservedly, resting her palm against my chest, and spontaneously, there was a fuzzy feeling, like my heart had been enveloped by the warmth of her hand.

"Don't let this bury that fire," Lynn stressed and I tracked her slender fingers as she gradually lowered them beyond my line of sensation, pausing upon my benumbed thigh.

"Never let anything bury that fire, my dear..." Lynn rehashed in a lethargic tone as her hand limply slipped from my legs, dangling flimsily off the edge of the desk.

Immediately, I shot my gaze up to her head, noticing her eyes almost completely shrouded. There was an unsteady flutter to her lids, essentially like no matter how hard she tried, they were too heavy for her to lift. Her breaths were shallow, and arbitrary, clearly illustrating her rapidly dwindling energy.

"Lynn?" I sputtered anxiously as I delicately stroked aside her unkempt blonde fringe clinging onto her damp forehead.

"I'm fine... It's just the meds kicking in..." Lynn mumbled in exhaustion.

"Go. They need you," she urged, seemingly channeling all her available strength to that graciously wide smile.

"Are you sure you're going to be alright here?" I probed worriedly, caressing her cool cheek that had been thoroughly bleached.

"Jimmy will make sure I'm fine. Aren't I right?" Lynn posed, tiredly shifting her gaze to the boy, and Jimmy's eyes sprang to life nervously as he was unexpectedly called upon—albeit nodding furiously in absolute compliance.

Chuckling slightly at his comical behaviour, Lynn slowly faced around and smiled at me. Her sleepy eyes barely opened more than narrow slits but they imparted, unconditionally, a boundless supply of positivity.

Notably emboldened, I stared at her with great appreciation and leaned down towards her face. She giggled bashfully as I pressed our lips together, reciprocating my kiss in a frail but ultimately sweet fashion.

"I love you," I whispered, unwillingly breaking away from her.

"I know," she countered playfully and I laughed in amusement.

"I'll be right back," I sincerely reassured, dotingly pecking the back of her hand.

Considerately, Lynn nodded and with extreme reluctance, I backed away from the table, pivoting myself towards the exit. As I closed in on the ramp, psychic noises began to inundate my head but it was a startling bamf suddenly erupting into the atmosphere that truly scored my attention.

Amidst the darkness outside, I spotted the addition of three familiar figures and intuitively peeped back at Lynn who just laid nonchalantly. Her lack of surprise was baffling initially but her actively blinking earpiece perhaps provided her with due notice.

Supported in the arms of Raven and Kurt, Hank's practically unconscious frame slouched, floppy and debilitated. The fitting suit earlier now drooped baggily over his lean body devoid of that striking blue layer. Not a single strand of beastly fur remained upon his human phase, pale and sedated.

Kurt's prehensile features inevitably vanished as he briskly dashed in, yanking off one side of the curtains, and quickly draped it over Raven's shoulders. I swerved my chair out of the way as she clothed her naked scaly form under the velvet fabric and cooperatively, the mother-son duo dragged Hank in, gradually losing colour of their own.

"How is he?" I investigated in a somber tone as they carefully nestled Hank into one of the Murphy seats anchored against the wall.

"I don't know. We found him like this," Raven revealed wistfully, cuddling his comatose state snugly.

"I'm sorry, Raven," I consoled in a soft tone.

"I'm not too sure he won't be glad, actually," Raven confided, braving a smile.

"What happened around here?" Raven blurted, finally discerning the littered ground.

"Raven!" Lynn hissed in a chastising tone, tainting our sister's mildly disgusted face with confusion.

"That'll be me," I admitted quietly and Raven sagged her shoulders, flashing me a empathetic smile.

"I'm sorry," she mouthed and I just shook my head subtly as Kurt frantically fumbled through the racks of medicines I searched through prior.

"Is there anything we can give that will help him?" Kurt questioned in a flustered tone.

"I'm afraid not," I replied pensively and he paused, staring at me with immense disappointment.

"But you can help me," I suggested with an earnest gaze and Kurt eagerly agreed.

We advanced expeditiously into the cold of the night and Kurt flanked my chair with a vigilant combat stance as I stationed myself at an angle to the parapet for a better visual of the ongoing warfare.

Ruggedly constructed and in varying sizes, impeding slabs of ice were lodged randomly across the well-illuminated terrain. In a reminiscent sporadic manner, bodies sank half submerged into the earth as erratic blasts resembling fireworks burst into the cloudy skies.

Glaring streaks of lightning bolted intermittently into the gravel, hammering targets reasonably, as they were accompanied by sharp shrieks to simultaneously mask the concomitant rumbles and temporarily incapacitate.

Metallic jangles were in abundance once the piercing shrill faded as a series of bodies were consecutively punched out of their paths by a fist of tin. As animalistic growls howled over the belligerent commotion, trios of shiny claws decisively jabbed into living flesh, eliciting hair-raising groans of agony and fresh fountains of bloody fluids.

A number of mutants were surely stunned being whipped by their own talents and Wanda's skewed perseverance was progressively subjugated by her brother. Yet, despite their industrious performance, the X-Men were a far cry from victory being confronted with the incessant waves of Erik's army.

His domineering pose was obnoxiously prominent—cape flapping and with that disgusting helmet. Oblivious to my presence, he just peered down at the riotous crowds with a desirous gaze, expectedly lusting all the death and chaos.

"Where do you want me, Professor?" Kurt sought in a zestful tone.

"Hopefully, here," I unveiled with a sigh.

XXXXX

Just three more weeks!
"I'm not ready to go..."