A Fateful Connection

Chapter 5

Night came and everyone was exhausted from training. Moira, Erik, Hank, and Sean had gone to bed while Alex, Charles, Raven, and Layna were still up. They were hanging out in the living space, talking. Alex was going to go to bed, but Raven convinced him to stay so they could all get to know Layna better.
"Favorite color?" asked Raven.
"Ah yes, the generic questions. Red."
"Favorite color can actually say a lot about a person believe it or not."
"Really? What's your evaluation then?" asked Alex sarcastically.
"My evaluation is that you're a very determined person, you always try to look out for others, and you're a badass."
"Nice, I'll take it" Layna said as she crossed her leg over the other.
"What about favorite... season?"
"Fall, for sure. Man, I feel like a teenager again at a sleepover or something, which isn't a bad thing in this situation" said Layna.
"Can we get to more interesting questions? What are your powers?" asked Alex.
"I can emit positive energy."
Layna illuminated the surface of her hand and brought it near Alex. He was slightly startled by the heat.
"Why is it warm?"
"Positive energy is light and matter, but light is also heat energy. I can control how hot and how bright the energy is and I can shape it into things."
"Can you make three dimensional stuff?" asked Raven.
Layna made an orb with her hand and let it float. She then drew a 3D cube and turned it in her hand.
"How's that for three dimensional?"
"Sorry Alex, I think Layna takes first prize for coolest powers" Raven said. He raised his hands up.
"She can have it."
"What else can you do?"
"I can sense someone's overall energy and what energy they emit when thinking or saying certain things along with other stuff. Ask me more questions, this is kinda fun."
"How old are you?" asked Alex. Raven and Charles looked over to Alex. He looked back.
"What?" he asked confused.
"Don't you know asking a woman's age is considered rude?" said Raven.
"Sorry."
"It's okay Alex. If you must know, I'm thirty. Was born March 2nd, 1932."
"Did you go to a University?" asked Charles.
"I did. I was studying psychology and criminal justice and minored in acting."
"Acting? That sounds a bit random" said Alex.
"How else do you think I've been able to keep my 'act' with Shaw going for so long? I'm not a natural, it took a while to perfect my skills" Layna said sarcastically with a smile.
"Favorite food" Raven piped up.
"Too general, be more specific."
"Favorite breakfast food."
"French toast, all the way."
"Favorite kind of food."
"Most European food honestly."
"Do you have any birthmarks?"
"Nope, I have a scar though."
"Where?"
"On my face" Layna said as she pointed to her cheekbone. Raven and Alex leaned over to get a good look.
"How'd you get it?" asked Alex, curious. Layna hesitated a moment before speaking.
"I was on a mission with Shaw and the rest of his team. Had to beat some guys up unfortunately for them."
"Cool, but I do feel bad for whoever you had to beat up" Raven said seriously. Charles spoke up.
"I think that's enough questions for the night. We should all get some rest, it's getting late."
"Fine" Raven complained as she and Alex stood up.
"Nice chatting with you Layna, goodnight guys" she said with a wave.
"Night" Alex said as he walked off.
"Goodnight Raven, Alex" Charles said.
"Night guys" said Layna. The two younger mutants walked off to their rooms to get ready for bed, leaving the two brunettes in the living room.
"I'm gonna be honest, I'm not that tired" said Layna.
"Really? How is it that everyone is exhausted and you're perfectly fine?" asked Charles.
"Perfectly fine is an overstatement. I've still got a headache from using my powers, it'll probably be gone by morning."
"Well, what do you plan on doing in the mean time?"
"I don't know. I'm kinda in the mood for a movie."
"Do you mind if I stay and join you? I'm not too tired myself."
"Sure. The more the merrier" Layna said. She was internally freaking out that she was going to be watching a movie. Alone. With Charles Xavier. What could possibly happen? They moved to the TV and found a comedy movie on one of the channels. Layna and Charles were on a couch next to each other, leaving a good few inches between them. Layna was huddled next to the arm rest of the couch and lying on it with a blanket. Charles had his arms stretched out over the couch as they watched the film.
"He's definitely gonna walk into someone and spill those drinks everywhere, and then it's gonna get worse from there, you watch."
"What makes you say that?" Charles asked without looking away from the small screen.
"Come on, he's holding drinks, he's a waiter, he seems like a goofball, something bad is bound to happen."
Layna had somehow predicted accurately. The main character bumped into a table spilling the drinks on his tray, stumbled backwards behind another waitress, making her drop her tray of food, and then the waiter knocked over a full pitcher spilling it's contents on a table and it's occupants.
"Called it, what did I tell you?"
"I can't believe you guessed that and we're only ten minutes into the movie."
"It's another mutation, I can predict what happens in films. Sorry, guess I left that part out."
Charles chuckled and Layna just smiled in amusement. It was now a bit after eleven and the movie was almost over. Layna had fallen asleep on the couch, but Charles hadn't noticed. Layna furrowed her brows as she dreamed.
She was standing in Shaw's submarine, except no one was in there. She slowly walked around and found his reactor chamber open. She walked inside and looked around. She never really went in there often, so she didn't really know what was in it. She gazed at the glowing, blue pillars of energy as she circled the room. The doors suddenly shut, locking her inside. Shaw appeared in front of her, causing her to turn around.
"Layna, you know what happens when you disobey me. I gave you a new home, helped you use your powers, and treated you like a queen, and yet you betray me?"
"I'm sorry, it's not what it looks like I can promise you that."
"I think we're done with making empty promises" he said as he threw a punch across the right side of her face. She could feel a bruise forming and made her hands glow brightly and blasted Shaw. He absorbed the energy and his body started shifting strangely as it did when he absorbs energy.
"You should know by now that you can't do anything to me. But darling," he said as he stepped closer.
"I can do so much to you."
Layna was now in the small room where she had killed the two men. She saw herself tied and blind folded in the chair wearing that uncomfortable, black dress. Shaw walked up to the copy of her and walked behind it. He grabbed her shoulders and looked back to Layna.
"You either die by me, kill someone of my choice, or I have a little fun and play around, do what I want" Shaw said as his hands ran down the duplicate's arms. Layna shivered from the sight.
"I'm not going to kill anyone, not ever again. And you know I won't let you lay a finger on me."
"I honestly didn't think you would choose to die, but whatever you say" he said as he walked around and approached Layna with the positive energy he aborted from her illuminating his hand. Layna took a step back, but somehow ended up in the chair. The blindfold was off, but she was now in the chair, restrained, and in the dress. She tried using her powers, but nothing happened. Even though she wasn't touching Shaw, she could feel the negative energy practically radiating off of him. He walked towards her slowly as she tried to wiggle free.
"Stay away from me!" she yelled, but he didn't care. He walked closer and held his hand out towards her.
"Stay back, Shaw!"
He moved his hand closer to her and shoved his fist through her chest. She gasped as she felt her insides burn. Tears pricked at her eyes from the immense pain she was feeling.
"I didn't want to do it Layna" Shaw said as he leaned over and grabbed her jaw with his other hand.
"I had to dispose of you somehow. Have fun being another forgotten soul, darling" he said as he yanked her jaw out of his grasp. Layna was struggling to breath. She gasped for air, but she felt like she was choking as if the oxygen had been sucked out of her. The stupid black dress was bloodied and burned from the attack, but Layna only cared about staying alive. More tears formed in her eyes from the pain and lack of air and a few spilled out. Her skin started turning pale. She eventually became motionless... and sat still.