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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"you're xmen,"
-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-
The sun rose over the remains of the Xavier Mansion, casting long golden light across the grounds that were slowly beginning to breathe again.
The foundation had been laid.
Brick by brick, steel by steel—Jean and Erik were rebuilding the walls.
Nearby, Natalie Parker knelt on the earth, her palms pressed to the soil. Vines uncurled beneath her touch, twisting through the stone pathways. A new fountain trickled to life beside her. Two ponds shimmered in the morning light. The air was filled with the smell of fresh-cut grass, rain-kissed roses, and beginnings.
She looked up as a shadow passed over her.
Erik.
He stood a few feet away, sleeves rolled, hair tousled by the wind, gaze heavy with something quieter than regret—something almost peaceful. But in his eyes... that old yearning. That pull that never truly left.
"I thought I might find you here," he said softly.
Natalie stood, wiping her hands on her trousers, her skirt swaying with the breeze. She met his eyes, unsure of how this was going to go. Unsure if she was ready.
But maybe... he was.
"You never liked gardens," she replied, lips twitching with memory.
"I didn't... but she did," Erik said, looking out over the freshly blooming roses. "Magda could sit in silence for hours. She said she could hear the Earth speak."
Natalie didn't speak right away. "Erik.."
"Before I lost her," Erik murmured. "And my little girl."
Natalie's breath caught.
Erik looked down. "I - heard about Alex. That day down in Cerebro - Nat - I'm sorry."
She looked away, her hand instinctively brushing against the chain around her neck. The ring, still warm from the sun, shifted against her chest. "I didn't even get to say goodbye."
They stood in silence. The breeze danced around them, leaves stirring softly like echoes of a memory.
"He loved you," Erik said. "So much."
"I know," she whispered. "And I loved him."
She turned to face Erik again, voice quieter now. "I think... I always feared that I'd outlive him. That I'd lose him eventually. But I never thought it would be like that. So sudden. So... final."
Erik's brow furrowed. "Natalie, you're allowed to still be here. You're allowed to move forward."
"I know," she said. "But I don't know what that looks like anymore."
Erik hesitated. His voice, when it came, was raw. "I thought I was done too. I thought... that kind of love, that kind of peace, wasn't meant for me. Then I met you. And even when you chose him, I never hated him for it."
Natalie blinked fast. Her voice trembled. "Erik—"
"I don't need promises," he said. "Not from you. But I need you to know... whatever time we have left, I'll spend it protecting what we have here. Protecting you. Because maybe that's all we get, Natalie. A little bit of time. But it's still ours."
She stepped closer, her hand brushing against his chest, over his heart. "You always say the right thing at the wrong time."
He smiled faintly. "It's one of my talents."
Natalie leaned forward and pressed her forehead to his. Just for a moment. It wasn't a promise. But it was a beginning.
She stepped back and whispered, "Come on. The others are waiting."
-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-
Inside the new Danger Room, the walls shimmered with advanced tech, humming with energy.
Each in a suit designed just for them—customized armour, streaks of their powers glowing beneath the surface. Raven stood in front of them, cool and focused in her new gear. Hank monitored the control panel nearby.
Off to the side, Natalie stood tall in her own suit. Black, grey, and deep forest green. Her cape shifted slightly with every elemental pulse she held—ice lining her boots, fire warming her hands. The suit adapted to her element, flickering through the cycle as she breathed.
She still wore her wedding ring.
Alex's was around her neck.
She'd carry him with her. Always.
Raven paced in front of the recruits. "Forget everything you think you know. Whatever your schools taught you. Whatever your parents told you. None of it matters now."
She stopped in front of them. "You're not kids anymore."
A beat.
"You're not students."
She turned slowly.
"You're X-Men."
Hank hit the control. The far wall retracted with a hiss.
Three Sentinel drones stalked forward, eyes glowing red.
Peter grinned and slid his glasses over his eyes.
Jean stepped forward, calm as fire waiting to ignite.
Kurt crouched, eyes narrowed, tail flicking.
Scott tilted his head up. His new visor hissed as the red beam flared, ready.
Storm raised her fingers to the air—lightning crackled like a heartbeat.
Natalie smirked, already drawing on the earth beneath her.
