The Swan Goddess (1): X-men: First Class

Chapter Six: Visit From Shaw

I groaned and glanced over at the large clock on the wall. I'd been sleeping for three hours. I sat up and rolled my neck. I stood up and glanced at the clock again. We all normally did whatever for dinner, but Raven and I normally ate together. I had to time shower before she'd come get me. I went over to my dresser and grabbed a light blue jumper and a white sweater then moved towards the bathroom. I paused for a moment and opened the door to my balcony. "Get some air in here." I muttered. I shut the door to the gold and white tiled bathroom and started the shower. I put my clothes on the counter and took the white pearl earrings out of my ears, the silver banded ring off my index finger and the necklace from around my neck. I put them down on the counter as well. I pulled the short sleeved shirt over my head and winced at the red ring around my ribs. "Ow." I muttered as I inspected my back in the mirror. The mirror was already fogging up from the humidity of the shower. I tossed my shirt onto the floor and finished stripping. I pulled the shower door open and slipped in under the warm spray. Raven had given me some of her extra soaps and other toiletries. I liked the shampoo she'd picked out, a nice lavender one. I stood under the water for a few more minutes before I shut it off and reached over for the white towel hanging on a rod outside the shower stall. I toweled off then wrapped it around me. I stepped out into the bathroom and shook my wet hair off my shoulders. I glanced down at the counter and frowned as I realized my comb wasn't there. I looked around the rest of the bathroom but it wasn't in there. Sighing, I opened the door and stepped into my room. I shut the bathroom to keep the heat trapped then turned around, and froze. My comb was in here all right. Being spun lightly around in the fingers of Sebastian Shaw as he leaned against the doorframe of the balcony. He smiled at me.

"Hello, my dear." I couldn't move. I couldn't speak. I couldn't even comprehend what was happening. "How are you?" My brain kicked in just enough for me to wrap my arms around my ribs and back against the bathroom door. He was going to kill me. What did he want from me? He smiled again and put the comb down on my dresser. "I'm not going to hurt you, my dear. I promise."

"What do you want?" I managed to whisper. He spread his arms in a grand gesture.

"Why, to offer you my brotherhood again!" I whimpered and gripped my towel.

"I don't want to join you." He raised an eyebrow.

"But, my dear. You haven't reached your full extent of your powers. I could help you. We could help mutants everywhere."

"No." I whispered. He took three more steps toward me and I cowered against the door.

"Why not? These mutants aren't really going to help you. They just want you to use you. They don't want to make humanity pay for how they've treated us." He took another step forward. "How they've treated you." Panic was starting to rise and I felt the swan stirring in my chest. "You have such an amazing power. You could make such a change."

"P-Please stop." I stuttered, pressing against the door as much as I could. The swan was starting to panic as well and I could feel my skin start to tingle as the change got closer. He stopped walking forward and tilted his head, smirking.

"Am I really that scary to you? What if I told you, you could bring your friend. The tall blonde one."

"Alex." I breathed without thinking, and grabbed the handle to the door. His grinned and widened.

"Yes. He could come as well." I shook my head, shaking like hell.

"He wouldn't come with you. We would never come with you."

"Why not?" He asked, crossing his arms.

"You killed Darwin. You killed all those other people. What's to stop you from killing us? What would keep us safe?" He considered this.

"That is a good point. I will admit." I straightened up.

"We won't join you. I would rather die." Shaw grinned and a spike of fear, pain and panic ran through me. Why did I say that? He raised his hands in defeat.

"Alright. You've made your point. I will leave you alone." He winked at me as he moved toward the balcony. "By the way, your little sister, Sabine? She's a cutie. Until we meet again, my dear." Azazel appeared behind him and both of them disappeared in a cloud of red smoke. I sank to the floor and began to shake. He knew about Sabine. He knew about Sabine. Had he met her? Had he done something to her? I scrambled back into the bathroom and hurriedly threw the jumper and sweater on, grabbing my necklace as I burst through the door. I moved toward the balcony, pulling my necklace on. My shoes were in a heap under the coffee table, but if I was going to fly back home, I wouldn't need them. I'd done extended stays in the swan form before and could eat and drink. It was disgusting but I would do it for Sabine. I would do anything for her, even kill if I had to. No one could hurt her while I was there. But I'd left her. What if something had already happened? I valuted onto the railing and took a deep breath. I needed to know if Sabine was ok. If he'd hurt Sabine, he'd probably killed mum. I leaned forward to change but stopped. Doubts raised over my panic. I couldn't change back last time. I've had trouble changing into the form before. What if I didn't change when I jumped off the balcony and I died? Tears started to flow down my face, and I wiped them away angrily. I needed to go. I took another breath and leaned forward to change again. The tears came back in full force and I stumbled off the railing, back onto the balcony. I curled into a ball on the concrete, crying to hard to go anywhere else.

"Mum, I'm so sorry!" I sobbed. "I'm sorry I'm not strong enough!" I reached up, grabbing the railing and pulled myself to my feet, my ribs and chest on fire. I fell back to my knees, the shock and the pain nearly making me pass out. The painkiller that Hank had given me must have been wearing off because my entire body was screaming. I crawled forward, pulling myself back into the room. I collapsed into the corner, body racking with sobs. "I'm sorry, Sabine! I'm sorry I can't save you!" I wailed. Only the wind answered me. I squeezed my eyes shut and put a hand over my mouth in an effort to muffle the sounds coming out of me. I drew my knees up to my chest and leaned my head against them. My hair stuck to me, frozen because of the shower and the frozen Massachusett air. The swan finally broke free and forced me to change. She settled back, her wings folded against our body and her head bowed, tears still leaking from our closed eyes. She tucked her head under our wing and shivered as the wind continued to blow into the room. The swan comforted me and helped me remain some calm. She took a deep breath and forced air into our tear jerked lungs. I was starting to actually think the encounter through when someone knocked on the door. Panic shot through our combined bodies and she shoved me back, retreating to within my body.

"Vivien? You in there?"

"Go away!" I called in a strangled voice, gripping my sweater tightly around me. Raven knocked again and tried the door handle.

"Vivien? Are you ok?"

"Go away!" I screamed again, drawing back against the wall. Raven messed with the handle again and I could sense her leaning against the door.

"Vivien, it's just me. Let me in ok? Vivien?" I sobbed, the panic rising again.

"Just go away! Leave me alone!" Raven knocked on the door.

"Vivien, its ok. Just let me in. Tell me what's wrong. Vivien, just listen to my voice." I heard her lean back away from the door and call down the hall. "Go get Charles! Something's wrong with Vivien!" I scrambled forward and white flashed in front of my eyes, making me collapse.

"No!" I rasped. "I'm fine, just leave me alone tonight." Raven heasated and leaned against the door again.

"Are you sure? You don't sound ok." I nodded, trying not to scream with pain.

"I'm ok. I just... I just need some time by myself."

"Ok, I'll give you some space." I heard her walking away.