Wavering Future

Chapter 12

Jay had been keeping to himself on the flight to Paris, and taking extra care to avoid Erik after his outburst that nearly crashed the plane, but with Angeni's rapid fire questions about the jail break it was hard to find time to himself. At least Ashling was around to answer most of them but... all the details of her adventure were finally out and now it was time to bleed his experience dry.

"We didn't do much." He finally gave in but didn't tear his gaze away from the window. "Hank just used a device to disrupt the camera and sprinkler system and we met up with Peter, Ashling, and Erik."

"Well you're no fun right now." Angeni gave him a worried look. "Are you alright?"

"It's nothing. I'm just tired."

"Did you have another... er, episode?" Her gaze flickered to where Charles and Erik were playing chess but neither seemed to hear them.

"No." He had to admit that not having one was worrying him. It normally meant the next episode would be worse than normal. "I just worry about being able to go home, you know? When this is all over Logan will just have his mind back in his future self's body but what about us? Without my cousin what will we be able to do?"

Ashling looked down at the table between us. "...We'll- we'll think of something. Maybe there are others out there like us who can help in this time."

"And if not?"

"Stop being pessimistic!" Angeni hissed and gave Jay a warning jab with the end of her tail. "We will figure something out."

Ashling nodded in agreement. "Yeah, besides... what if when the timelines change we no longer exist? I mean, without a need to teleport back here would we from that timeline we had to come back even exist still to keep us here? Like in movies! I think the characters fade right?"

"In some of the movies."

Jay sighed. "Maybe... time travel is weird and tricky. No one is really sure how it works... Not that I'm aware of at least."

Footsteps came closer and he looked away from the window to see Logan stand over them. "We're landing, get ready to teleport us Angeni."

"Where to?" She perked up at the thought of being able to help with the mission some more.

"The Summit meeting. Charles can tell you more so you don't get us lost in limbo or something." He shrugged before moving back to his seat and slumping back into it.

Angeni gave us one more reassuring glance before jumping up and making her way over to Charles. Jay turned to look over at Ashling. "Hopefully getting Mystique will be as easy as breaking out Magneto was."

"As long as we stop her from killing Trask and he doesn't get her we'll be fine. I'm sure we'll be able to be in and out with Angeni's mutation."

"Yeah. I just don't see why we all need to go. More people means more attention and I don't think my mutation will help in a stealth situation."

"They could in a fight." Erik's voice spoke up from where he sat. "Assuming you mean your mutation is more aggressive."

"My code name was Chaos for a reason."

"There's no guarantee we won't be fighting our way in or out-"

Jay rolled his eyes. "I get it. I might be needed. I never said I wasn't going. I just feel useless so far."

Ashling put her hand on his, her voice gentle and quiet. "Jay, you should be glad we haven't had to fight yet. We've fought enough before coming here and you know you might not be up for a real fight."

He shot a glance back at Erik but the other male hadn't seemed to hear and he was once again helping Charles and Angeni figure out the details of getting into the building. "I hate fighting. I hated the fact we nearly died all those times. But Pharzuph died to get us here and I don't know if what we're doing is solving anything. None of us do... I just want to feel like I'm contributing. That he and Angeni taking me with you and them wasn't for nothing. I was such a burden in our future, Ashling, I nearly cost others their lives several times. Even yours."

"At least you could see to fight." Ashling snapped, still keeping her voice hushed. "I couldn't see the Sentinels. All I could do half the time was help with retreating or to hide myself. So stop feeling sorry for yourself. Everyone probably felt like that at some point."

Jay couldn't meet her gaze and instead he turned to watch the plane descend. "...Sorry..."

It didn't take long for them to get into the building once Angeni teleported them but Jay knew they'd only have minutes before someone noticed they weren't supposed to be there. He admired how easily Logan, Charles, and Erik walked through the halls towards the meeting as if they were meant to be there and did his best to mimic them as he walked beside Ashling.

"Something's happening." Ashling suddenly spoke up, her eyes widening. "I can't see too well yet but two guards just went into the room."

Charles nodded in acknowledgement and began picking up the pace. Moments later they were bursting through the doors in time to see Mystique being electrocuted while members of the Summit meeting were either on the ground dazed or shouting in alarm with guns in their hands. Jay swallowed and focused on keeping his breathing in check; he couldn't fight if he let the pressure get to him.

Luckily, Erik was the type of mutant to take care of things himself as quickly as possible. With a flick of his hand the wires sending the electric current into Mystique flew back and hit the shooter, who promptly fell to the ground with spasms going through his body. The guns in the room were useless against him and the man known as Trask was quickly overpowered, though Jay noted no one was killing him either. Wasn't he the enemy? Should he kill Trask?

"Leave him. Don't make things worse for our kind." Ashling put a hand around his arm as he shifted towards the short man. "Remember, we're here to prevent him being murdered by a mutant."

"...Right..." He nodded before jumping as Logan fell back. "Logan?"

"Did he get hit?" Angeni moved closer to the panicking man. "Logan, are you alright?"

"What if something's happening on the other end? Kitty was sending his mind here right?" He felt panic creeping into his mind as well. "We need to help them as fast as we can. Before we lose his help."

The commotion behind them fell still as a gunshot rang out and Jay whirled around in time to watch Mystique crash through the window with a bullet flying at her under Magneto's control. Did he think killing his own kind- not to mention ally in his future- was the solution?

"Stop him!" Charles ordered, though it was directed at stopping Erik rather than stopping Trask from escaping.

Jay quickly followed Beast outside and together the two fought to prevent Magneto from killing Mystique. With the crowd of people and cameras he was hesitant to use his mutation; after all what if his father saw? Still, he could at least keep Erik busy while Hank took him down. All they needed to do was make sure Raven could get away. Blood filled the water from a cut in Erik's head but he was still fighting despite any pain he might've felt.

"Hank-" His warning came too late before the metal decoration in the fountain cut into him before more bent to restrain Beast.

Jay winced and couldn't avoid being snared in the attack as well. He watched as Magneto escaped into the frightened, scattering crowd and with the metal bending mutant's disappearance their bonds grew weaker until Hank broke free and ran off. Jay twisted against his before finally squirming free and running as well; they knew where to meet up with the others. Right now they just needed to avoid any more cameras and normal people.