Peppermint Candy : X-Men Days of Future Past Volume II of Prism Series

Part 30

"It's not the machinery, is it?" Logan asked once Kate was out of earshot.

"I can't do this, my mind-"

Logan interrupted him. "Yes, you can." He said. 

"It won't take it." Charles said, his heart breaking at his own weakness.

"You're just a little rusty. Like what she said. You're just out of

practice." Logan said, trying to sound convincing.

"You don't understand, it's not a question of being rusty." Charles nearly

shouted and brought his voice down to a hoarse whisper. "I can flip the

switches, I can turn the knobs, but my power comes from here, it comes

from," Here he touched his head and then pointed to his heart.

"And it's broken." He managed to choke out. "I felt like one of my

students, helpless. It was a mistake coming down here. It was a mistake

freeing Erik. It was a mistake to even meet Kate again. This whole thing

has been one bloody mistake!"

He shouted at Logan, spinning his wheelchair around to leave. Charles hung

his head guiltily and headed for the exit.

Logan clenched his fist and unclenched them. So he was to have to live with

the fact he failed. That the sacrifices, the blood shed from millions of

mutants and humans had all been in vain. Who knew which of his friends was

already dead by now.

"I'm sorry, Logan, but they sent back the wrong man."

His head snapped up, seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

"You're right. I am." Logan said, trying to keep his excitement down and

sound calm despite the epiphany he'd just had.

The whir of the wheelchair stopped. He looked up to see Charles hesitating. 

He walked to him.

"Actually it was supposed to be you." He chuckled. "But I was the only one

who could physically make the trip. And uh- I don't know how long I've got

here, but I do know that a long time, actually, a long time from now, I was

your most helpless student, and you unlocked my mind."

Logan stopped in front of Charles smiling at the distant memory. At a time

long ago that had changed now into a memory.

"You showed me what I was, you showed me what I could be. You gave me

everything I thought I could never have. A life that had meaning...You gave

me the one person I truly love. You gave me...Happiness." Logan smiled at

Charles's clenched jaw and sad expression. "I don't know how to do that for

you. You're right, I don't. But I know someone who might. Look into my

mind."

Charles stuttered over his words. "You saw what I did to Cerebro. You don't

want me inside your head."

Logan huffed a laugh. "There's no damage you can do that hasn't already

been done, trust me."

Logan closed his eyes as he felt Charles's fingers touch his temples and

braced himself for the impact of memories to come hurtling at them.

==============

Date: Sunday, 10 July, 2021

Word count : 504

Two parts today cause this is short and it has to be read with the next chapter.

C. Riverbend