The White Phoenix 10: An Avengers: Endgame Fanfiction

Chapter 16: Awakening

I opened my eyes and slowly pushed myself up to a sitting position. Glancing around, I noticed my surroundings. I was in a lovely, soft bed in a large mansion-like bedroom. Wait, I thought to myself. I am in a mansion. I heard voices outside my door. Getting out of bed, I padded on bare feet to the door and opened it. Outside my door were none other than Charles Xavier, my kind-of-ex-husband and a man with furry blue skin.

'Hank McCoy?' I uttered out. The two turned to look at me.

'You should be resting,' the furry blue, who I assumed was Hank, replied. Steering me back inside the bedroom, he brought me to my bed and got me to lie down again as Charles wheeled in.

'Charles,' I breathed.

'He's right. You should be resting. You took quite the hit.' I still had my vibranium leg and arm on. Good.

'Where am I?' I asked frantically. 'Where is Bucky? I need someone who can explain all of this to me.' I tried to get up, but Hank pushed me back down again.

'You shouldn't even be standing. You're severely dehydrated, not to mention very badly injured.' Hank, pulling up my shirt, checked my bandages. 'Haven't bled through, yet, thank God.' I sighed as I settled back on the pillows.

'Where's Bucky?' Charles' brows furrowed at this. 'My fiance, or boyfriend, or something like that. What am I even doing here? Where was I before I got knocked out?'

'Just rest,' Hank said gently. 'You and Logan are the only ones who were supposed to remember what actually happened. Logan's still asleep, though. The rest of us, Storm, Scott, Jean, all of the kids here at the school... we don't remember what the hell happened. Charles would know, if he read Logan's mind. And-'

'Slow down. My head hurts hearing you talk so fast. Please. I don't remember a damn thing. All I remember was fighting giant robots, and then - oh... I do remember what happened. The dark future got erased because of the events of 1973.' Charles nodded. I settled back finally and closed my eyes, snuggling in the blankets.

'Do you think she'll recover?' Hank asked Charles.

'She will. She still has a long while to go yet. I still see a bright future ahead of her...' I soon fell asleep and the words that I could no longer hear the words that were being spoken.

It was a couple of days later and I was recovering well. I learned Erik was alive, and a week after I had first woke up, both Erik and Raven came to see me. I began to see everyone that I thought I had lost. Scott, Jean, Erik, Raven, Charles, Storm, Hank - I all started seeing them regularly. Soon enough, there was a school to teach full of bright, busy kids with energetic spirits and a host of powers to be tamed. One day, I was in my classroom, teaching psychology to the kids (which was what I taught at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters before I went into my coma in 1991).

'Okay, kids, this morning's session is about telepaths and empaths. Can someone tell me what a telepathic does?' One of the kids, Juniper, raised her hand.

'Yes... Juniper?'

'They read minds?'

'Correct - what else?'

'They can control minds?' another kid yelled from the back of the room.

'Also correct! Do we all want to know what they really do, other than reading and controlling minds?' I asked. There was a chorus of cheers from the roomful of kids. 'Alright.' Going over to the chalkboard, I picked up the chalk and began to draw on the board. 'So, telepaths,' and here I wrote the word TELEPATHS in big, bold letters. 'Telepaths don't just read and control minds. Telepathy is defined as a direct transference of thought from one person to another without using the known senses, i.e. writing, speaking, such and such. It's also known as extrasensory perception, which is also known as ESP. They can share and project memories and experiences. They can also know what someone is thinking, thus reading minds is one thing. Controlling minds is another. They can project their will onto another person's brain, causing them to do what the telepath wills, such as move objects, etc.'

'And what do empaths do?'

'That is an excellent question. Empaths,' and at this I wrote EMPATHS in big bold letters, 'can feel what others are thinking, quite like telepaths, but what they do is empathise with the other person's feelings. Which also means they feel what the other person is feeling in their own bodies. It's like if one person feels another person die or be injured, they will feel what goes on and the pain of the other person in their own bodies.' There was a chorus of agreements from the kids. I sent them all back to their seats when the bell rung. The kids started packing their stuff up, but I shouted above the crowd.

'Kids! Please sit down! I've got stuff to discuss!' The kids all sat down, groaning. 'Kids, I've got your assignment for the week. Your assignment is to, with the information you've heard today, your assignment is to write about the difference between empaths and telepaths and which one you most identify with. That is your assignment. Class dismissed.' The kids almost scrambled over each other to get out of the room. As the last of the children filtered out of the room, I saw Charles in his wheelchair, with someone that I thought I wouldn't really ever see again. It was Bucky. He came forward and I hugged him, then gave him a kiss. 'I thought I'd never see you again, Buck.'

'What made you think that?' he said, a smile on his face.

'A little bird told me they'd probably not let you in.' He kissed me on the cheek and I went over to my desk and cleaned up my books.

'Teaching now, huh?'

'Yes, indeed,' I replied, kissing him as well. 'How've you been, Buck?'

'I've been good. Steve's been anxious to see you.'

'Did we win?'

'Obviously, yes. But - I need to speak to you in private.'

'Why?'

'I just need to tell you something. Alone.'

'Alright. Meet me in my study during lunch. Then we'll talk.'