If Yesterday Was Tomorrow [ X-Men ]

Chapter Thirteen

Victor and Sean hung out more and more often. It visibly bothered Alex, who looked ready to kill Victor every time he passed by him. Victor thought that it might be because of how Shaw had killed Darwin. Hank didn't care and passed most of his time building stuff in his labs in the mansion. They only met when it was time to change Victor's bandages and check over his wounds. Sometimes, Xavier went to see them, but Victor made an effort to quickly leave every time he came by. He simply couldn't trust the telepath. There was just something about him- the shadow in his eyes telling Victor that he could overwrite everything he was to shape it to his wish- that drove him into hiding.

By the sixth day since he'd woken up, about seventeen days since his capture (though, was it even a capture if they let his roam freely around the estate?), Victor was able to speak clearly long sentences. Words didn't escape him as often as before, and even if he was sometimes remembered of the horrors he'd lived, it did not haunt him during daytime. At nighttime, nightmares plagued him, but Victor found it a very low price for being able to talk again. His memories were still there, but they were memories. They weren't as intense as they used to be and slowly distanced themselves from him.

With Sean's help, his voice and ability to speak had greatly improved to a level where he could hold a normal conversation for a reasonable amount of time. And when he couldn't, he could still converse with Sean in sign language.

Victor was grateful that Sean didn't ask any questions. He did not ask how he'd lost his voice, or why he suddenly grimaced or coughed in the middle of a sentence as he remembered the doctor's voice. His friend simply waited and joked around. Victor knew that Sean still held back slightly, always remembered that his new friend was an enemy by Victor's opinions on certain delicate subjects. Yet, they enjoyed their time together. Sean knew that Victor disliked Xavier, so he tried not to spend too much time with the telepath, especially after the last time they'd met.

However, when Victor stumbled by mistake upon Charles Xavier, it was too late to run away.

"Janos," he said with a smile. "I had been searching for you."

Victor hesitated a short moment, wondering if he had time to run before Xavier could stop him with his telepathic powers. He had not expected to meet the telepath as he was going back to his room. He had been sure that he'd been with Hank in one of their labs, so he'd made the mistake of thinking the way safe.

"Come," continued Xavier, "I want to ask you a few questions."

Victor knew that he couldn't possibly refuse. He didn't stand a chance against the telepath.

He awkwardly followed Xavier in the corridors of the mansion, wishing with every fiber of his being that Sean would appear from around the corner and help him escape. He did not hate Xavier per se, but god was he scared of what he could do to his mind. In a second, Xavier could learn of his hidden desires and delve into his deepest fears. He could break Victor without breaking a sweat.

And there was nothing stopping him from doing so.

They passed by Hank, who greeted them with a smile. He did not see Victor's panicked look. As Hank disappeared in his lab, the young man felt his heart squeeze. He had learnt a few days before that Angel had managed to steal Hank's formulas. Which only made him angrier: after their mission accomplished, everyone had discarded like a used tissue.

If Xavier was to kill him, would they even mourn him?

They entered an office full of documents and books scattered around the room. Xavier sat by the desk and invited Victor to sit in front of him. The young man did so, with some reserve. He hadn't yet felt the touch of the telepath in his mind, but perhaps he would never quite know whether or not Xavier was reading his thoughts.