The Blood Phoenix: An X-Men: First Class Fanfiction

Chapter 8: Finding The Mutants

'Hank turned that radar installation into a transmitter. It's designed to amplify brain waves, so it could enhance your telepathic powers; help us find other mutants for our division,' the CIA agent said, gesturing out the window to a white dome.

'What if they don't want to be found by you?' I asked, leaning against the door. Erik was behind me.

'Erik, Adelaide! You decided to stay.' There was a genuine sparkle in his eyes as he met my eyes.

'If a new species is being discovered, it should be by its own kind. Charles, Adelaide and I find the mutants. No suits,' Erik spoke. 

'I agree,' I echoed. 

'First of all, that's my machine out there. Second, much more importantly, this is Charles' decision. Charles is fine with the CIA being involved. Isn't that right?' There was a moment of hesitation as he looked from Erik, to me and then back to the agent.

'No. I'm sorry, but I'm with Erik and Adelaide. We'll find them alone.'

'What if I say no?'

'Then, good luck using your installation without me.' 

We had found our first mutant. According to Charles, she was a nightclub girl named Angel Salvadore. Charles had recruited Erik and I to go with him to recruit the new mutants that we were going to bring under the radar of the CIA to bring down Shaw.   Within minutes, Angel revealed her powers to us and Charles was quick to offer her a position on the team. She accepted heartily and with that, Erik, Charles and I went out and into the taxi. 

'Where to, fellas?' the driver, Darwin, asked. 

'Richmond, Virginia,' Erik announced. 

'Right...' the driver asked, 'so you want, uh, airport, the station, what?'

'No, we were rather hoping you would take us all the way.'

'That's a six hour drive.'

'That will give us plenty of time to talk,' I announced, using my powers to move the cab meter. 

When we went back in the car, we drove to Washington D.C. It was the afternoon. 

Sitting on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, with the sun setting, Charles and Erik procured a chess board and began to play. I was sitting next to my father, watching Charles. Every so often, he would raise his eyes to meet me and I would feel chills go through my body. 

'Can't stop thinking about all those minds out there. All those minds that I touched. I could feel them. Their isolation, their hopes, their ambitions. I tell you, we're at the start of something incredible, Erik. We can help them.' 

'Can we?' I asked. Charles and Erik both looked up at me. 'Identification - that's how it starts. And ends with being rounded up, experimented on - eliminated.'

'I agree.' I looked at Erik.

'Really?'

'I couldn't have said it any other way.'

'Not this time,' Charles replied to my statement. 'We have common enemies. Shaw, the Russians. They need us.'

'For now,' Erik spoke, his voice heavy. 

We were sitting outside the room, hearing Moira and a senator speak about some intel on Shaw that they had found. Erik was tapping his foot, looking extremely impatient. Charles was with me on a small couch and we were entirely silent. Waiting. And waiting. 'When is she coming?' Erik demanded in a low voice. 

'Patience, Erik,' Charles said gently, his arm around me. 

'Remember what I said about her,' Erik said, looking at his arm around my shoulder.

'That was if he kissed me, Erik,' I snapped, almost glaring at him. He looked at me, but said nothing. Just then, Moira entered the room. 

'Plane leaves for Russia in an hour,' she announced. We looked at each other, Charles and I, but said nothing to each other. Erik spoke first. 

'I'm telling you, these kids are not ready for Shaw.'

'I think they're going to surprise you,' Charles replied. 'They're an exceptional bunch of young people.' 

We arrived back at the CIA facility. Walking into the courtyard, we saw a mess. The window was shattered, the statue in front had its head and body completely decapitated, there was loud rock music playing and the young mutants were flying, dancing around and smashing each other with things. 

'So much for exceptional,' I whispered to Charles. All of a sudden, the party was brought to a halt when the young people saw that Moira, Charles, Erik and I were all standing there, with disapproving looks on our faces. 

'What are you doing? Who destroyed the statue?'

'It was Alex,' Hank said, pointing to Alex. 

'No, Havok,' Raven said. 'We have to call him Havok. That's his name now. And we were thinking, you should be Professor X (pointing to Charles), you should be Magneto (pointing to Erik) and you should be Blood Phoenix (pointing to me).'

'Exceptional,' Erik spoke sarcastically. We came inside the building and Charles walked up to Raven. 

'I expect more from you,' he spoke. It made sense, but it felt like he was being really hard on her. Then we all walked off. 

That night, I couldn't sleep. I was extremely restless. My dreams of late had been disturbing me and I wanted some time to myself. But I was longing for company. Specifically, his company. I sat in the dark, playing with my hair anxiously as I thought about the day's hectic events. I was broken out of my silent thoughts by a voice in my head.

'Do you ever sleep?' I put my forefingers to my temple and spoke back to him.

'Do you ever stop trying to talk to me, Charles?'

'No. I'm worried. You're awake and your thoughts are louder than ever. You should be sleeping.'

'Should I?'

'Yes, love.' The way he said that caught me off guard. 'You're off guard. I apologise if that term of endearment was a little out of term.'

'You know what?'

'What?'

'I think it was just fine, and you use big words. Perfect for a man who has a big heart.'

'You're sweet, as always. Wanna talk in person?'

'Sure.' I got out of bed and traipsed down the hall. 'Which one is yours, Charles?'

'Down the hall, second door on the right.' I went down the hall. When I came to his room, the door was shut and there was light underneath. I rapped on the door gently. Charles opened it a crack and peered out at me. 'Come in, Adelaide.' He opened the door and I entered the room. After a while of us speaking to each other about the day's events and whatnot, my mind turned to the young mutants. 

'Charles?'

'Yes, Adelaide?'

'I may be overstepping my bounds, but I think you were being a little too hard on Raven tonight.' He came back over.

'You think?'

'Yeah. And I don't think, I know.'

'Your choice of words said otherwise.' 

'But I still think you were being too hard on Raven. She looked hurt.'

'Do you exactly approve of what they were doing tonight?'

'No. Not really. But like you've said, they're extraordinary young people. Just give them time to wise up a little.'

'You didn't look so sure of that.' He came back over with the bottle and filled up his cup and mine again. He sat on the bed, close to me. I smiled at him. Lifting the glass, he spoke again. 'To new friends... and extraordinary young people.' 

'And a new team to take down Shaw with.'

'I'll drink to that,' he said, and we clicked glasses.