When I Fell (Version 1) | Avengers & X-Men Fan Fiction

Chapter 4 - Freedom, Pain, And Fear

      Chapter 4 - Freedom, Pain, And Fear

     "You," I growled, wrenching myself from Logan's grasp.  I walked over to Erik, fury threatening to break my reason, and glared up at him.  He was staring at me, an amused expression on his face. 
     "How dare you just walk back here, like you don't regret anything?" I spat, my hands curling into fists.
     He immediately sobered.   "I would apologize, Evelyne, but I can't.  There is too much to be sorry about.  Trust me, I hear their screams every night."
     Erik rubbed the back of his neck as if he was uncomfortable.  I stared at him for a moment more and then nodded.  So he was haunted by the war, too.                   
     "Good.  You deserve it."  Then I slapped him.  The snap echoed around the clearing.  "You also deserve that."
     His cheek turned a bright red but he barely grimaced.  I could sense the X-Men behind me holding their breaths, probably waiting for Erik to attack back, but he just sighed and looked over my shoulder.
     "Shouldn't we be going?" he asked Charles, walking past me.  I stood in place, listening to the hushed conversation of the others, and then spun around.
     "Where are we going again?" I asked, gazing at Charles, Erik, and Logan as they talked amongst themselves.  The rest of the group—the younger members and Ororo—were making their way to the jet.  I remembered Logan or Charles or someone saying something about taking me somewhere earlier, but the conversation was fuzzy.  "Um, where are we going?  Hello?  Where.  Are. We. Going?"
     Logan glanced my way, clearly trying to quiet me, then sighed and nudged Charles.       
     "Professor," he muttered, nodding at me.
     "Oh, yes," said Charles, turning toward me as he ran a hand through his hair.  "We're going to the School."
     "In the jet?"
    

     "What—? I mean, yes.  Why wouldn't we?"
     "Can I fly by myself?" I asked, completely ignoring Charles' question as I bounced on the balls of my feet.  The trio stared at me: Charles condescending, Erik confused, and Logan annoyed. 
     "Fly?" Erik questioned, his mouth twitching into a frown.  I inwardly shuddered.  That frown reminded me of. . . no. 
     I crossed my arms, shoving my anger and fear of him to a dark corner of my mind.  "No, Lensherr.  Fall.  I'm going to fall to New York.  Jesus."
     "Language!" snapped Charles, pointing a finger at me.  "And no, you can't fly to New York.  It's too far."
     "Fly?" Erik asked again, now looking completely bemused.  He gazed around at the rest of us and then threw his hands into the air.  "Am I the only one who is confused here?"
     "I'm the Shadow," I started, turning to face him.  "Mistress of Darkness.  I can summon a Shadow-beast—"
      "Oh, yes, I remember now," muttered Erik.  "Your dragon."
    "His name is Breccan." I felt darkness leaking out of me and staining the gravel, the world slowly becoming sharp and gloomy, but I didn't care.  I wanted to unleash it all, to ruin everything. 
     But then I remembered the accident—the fear, the way I was out of control, oh-so many years ago—and with a hiss of anger I reigned in the darkness.  I couldn't afford to lose my will again. 
     "Oh, just let her," growled Logan, already turning to head toward the jet.  "C'mon, Ororo's getting impatient."
     Charles sighed.  "Fine."
     But just before I was about to turn away and summon Breccan, Charles grabbed my shoulder and looked into my eyes, silently pleading with me.  "Please be careful Evelyne.  No reckless things, okay?  I need you here."
     "And so do I," I said, hugging him.  "You're like a father to me.  No, wait—make that brother."
     Charles chuckled and then pulled away.  "See you in a few hours."
     "Bet I can get there first," I said, grinning. 
     "No, we will," he said.  "Now come on, Erik, we have a race to win."
     I watched as the two hurried toward the jet and then up the ramp, their shoes clanking on the metal.  The doors closed behind them and the engines started up.  Dirt and stones rolled away from the back of the plane as it rose into the air.  Dimly, I saw Charles, Kitty, and Warren waving to me through the front window of the jet. 
     Charles' voice rang out in my head:  Be careful, E-Bee.
     I smiled lightly at his old nickname for me and saluted the jet, then turned on the spot and closed on my eyes.  I felt the familiar pull on my consciousness and let it expand in my mind. 
     You wish to fly, Mistress? Breccan asked.  I grinned. 
     Yes.
     As your command, he rasped, and then the shadows grew, reaching claw-like fingers toward me.  A pulsing black pit curved into existence in front of me, smokey black matter curling from it.  The brilliant blue sky dulled to flat gray as the ground shook slightly and pain pricked my mind—
      The world cleared.
     Why must you always have such a dramatic entrance? I asked the great creature standing before me.  He bared his teeth in what I gathered was a smile and said:
      Because I am a dramatic dragon.
    Oh, shut up and fly, I muttered as I jumped onto his back, thankful that I was still in my Shadow costume.  Breccan chuckled and lifted his great wings, then swept them down and shot into the sky.
     He leveled out and began following the jet, quickly catching up and passing it.  I heard Charles curse in my mind and I laughed, waving to him through the jet's front window.  I then crouched down on Breccan's scaly neck and whispered, "Fly with speed, my friend."  We streaked through the clouds, rising higher and higher until I asked Breccan to lower our altitude because I couldn't breathe.  I was still a human, after all. 
     I remember the first time I had summoned Breccan.  It had been an accident, caused by a frightful situation.  I was seven and had been running from a gang when they cornered me.  I had panicked and then felt a pain in the back of my mind.  The next thing I knew the gang members were sprinting down the street and a black dragon was standing before me.  I knew Breccan's name the moment I saw him, and was strangely never afraid of his bulking form.  He was just a part of me; a snippet of my soul. 
     The jet slowly became a black dot behind us as we flew on, over forests and streams, mountains and farm land.  Around four o'clock, three hours into our flight, we soared over the grassy plains of Missouri.  My arms were tired and little drops of water stuck to my hair and clothes.  Even though it took both of our energy to fly, I was pleased with Breccan's speed and my power.  We had grown stronger.
     But we had also grown careless.
     A half-hour later, in the center of Pennsylvania, I felt a large presence overhead.  I looked up, my neck aching, and frowned when I saw nothing but clear sky.  Nervous, I urged Breccan to fly on.  An uneasy feeling grew inside me, unlike the joy I had experienced earlier, and I hugged Breccan's neck tightly.  His back swayed gently with each stroke of his wings and I bobbed up and down with the movement.                              
      Breccan, I started, do you feel—?
     Like someone is watching us? he murmured.  Yes.  Just hang on, Mistress.  There is barely an hour left.
    "I know."  I sighed, wishing we hadn't sped ahead of the jet so much.  I wanted to speak to Charles right now, and even though he had telepathy the distance between us was too great to communicate.
     I shivered as the strange feeling strengthened.  Glancing up at the sky, I frowned when I saw nothing but clear blue.  Something was wrong, very wrong here.  I was a hunter and I knew when I was being hunted—I had experienced the same feeling I was now on many occasions.  Yet I couldn't see anything but the crowded towns below and the occasional bird.  I sighed and urged Breccan onwards, ignoring the warning aches in my stomach.  I was safe, nothing could hurt me.  I was the Shadow, after all. 
     Then I heard the engines.
     Jolting my gaze up, I nearly screamed when I saw a monstrous ship appear out of nowhere, two large propellors whirring on either of its sides.  The bottom of it gleamed as it slowly descended toward me.  I felt Breccan dip and gain speed, trying to avoid the shuddering mass above.  But we could only go so low or Breccan would be pulled down by the air currents.  I hunched over his back, my hair whipping behind me, and stared at the ship with mouth agape. 
     How can that. . . thing even fly? was my first thought.  Then my eyes widened when I saw a black jet soar off of its surface and head straight toward me. 
     Oh crap.  
   Screaming for Breccan to hurry, I concentrated and felt the shadows curl into my open palm, materializing into the form of Seselis.  Then the sword flickered and nearly died out.  I cursed.  I must have used more energy helping Breccan fly than I thought.  He seemed to be tired too.  The Shadow-beast beneath me was flapping exhaustedly, his wingstrokes becoming sluggish and slow.
     C'mon Breccan! I growled.  We need to—
     A whistling sound interrupted my thoughts and I ducked, letting the bullet fly over my head.  My heart thudded painfully in my chest, making my ribs ache, and I screamed in frustration as I held onto the weak form of Seselis.
      "Breccan!" I cried out, pulling myself down as another volley of bullets exploded over my head.  The jet was now at my left, firing at me as Breccan dipped and swerved, trying to escape.  We couldn't go any lower, and we were both tired.  Maybe we wouldn't escape this time. 
     Charles! I shouted through the mental link that the telepath had created between us.  Bad guys! Guns!  HELP! 
      Nothing but silence greeted me.  I was about to call again when a burst of pain flared through me.  I screamed, my back arching; a bullet had hit my left shoulder.  Warm, sticky liquid rolled down my arm and flew into the air.
     Blood.
     My breath came in moaning gasps as I tucked my left shoulder down.  Breccan was talking to me, but I didn't hear him.  A buzzing sounded in my ears, my arm was on fire, and black dots swam in front of my vision.
     Brec-can, I whispered weakly as my hands loosened.  I was going to fall off of his back if he didn't halt his flight.  He seemed to understand my message and stopped, flapping his wings in a circular pattern to make us hover.  The jet flew in front of us, guns still at the ready, but I couldn't see through the front window.  And I was too tired and hurt to use my powers. 
     Another wave of pain washed over my and I gasped, crouching down over Breccan's neck.  Then came the dizziness.  I needed to bind my shoulder or I'd bleed to death. 
     C-Charles. . . I murmured into the mental link.  Please. . . h-help!
     I heard nothing but silence.
     "Miss, please put down the sword." I looked up wearily at the sound of the man's voice.  It seemed to be coming from the jet.  "Put down the sword and follow us, if you will.  Or we'll shoot you again."
     I let the shadows forming Seselis flow back into nothingness and then weakly told Breccan to follow the plane.  He flapped after it, careful to not make any sharp movements, then rounded the top of the airship and landed on the tarmac.  Men in orange suits gaped at us, while others tied down the jet that had shot me.  I slid down Breccan's wing, gasping in pain when I hit the concrete, and then leaned against his side.  Pain radiated from my shoulder, paralyzing me.  I hadn't been in this much agony since. . .
     No.  Don't do it, Evelyne, I told myself.  Suddenly a large formation of men in black uniforms with guns led by a woman with brown hair wearing a crisp suit marched toward me.  I cowered away, backing up a few steps.
     And then I realized where I was.
     S.H.I.E.L.D.