Days of Future Past (Charles Xavier Love Story)

Chapter Eleven

A few minutes later, Hank helped Charles to his study, Logan and Clara following right behind. Hank opened the closet door.

A wheelchair.

Charles's wheelchair.

"Are you sure about this?" Asked Clara. Charles' hand was still trembling. Clara took it in her's.

"Absolutely not."

***

Clara walked besides Charles's chair through the basement halls, Hank and Logan after them. They stopped in front of Cerebro's door.

"When was the last time you were down here?" Asked Clara.

"The last time we went looking for students," said Hank.

"A lifetime ago." Answered Charles. The light from the Door appeared and shined on Charles' eyes, recognising him.

"Welcome, Professor," it said. The door slowly opened, letting them inside. Charles wheeled himself inside as Clara hesitated.

"It won't be you," said Charles. "You don't have to do this. Never had, never will. As longs as I'm around," he said. Clara only nodded. She knew she didn't have to go through it, but just the thought of Charles doing it terrified her. "I'll be fine," Charles answered, like he could read her mind. Funny enough, he could.

They walked further into Cerebro and Charles stoped in front of the helmet. Hank leaned forward and turned it on. A white light shined right to Charles.

"Raven is wounded, she won't be moving fast," said Hank.

Charles took Cerebro's helmet, blowing away the dirt accumulated on it over time.

"These are muscles I haven't stretched in a long time," said Charles, before putting the helmet on. Clara took a step back, taking Hank's hand. As soon as he placed the helmet on, some lights on the helmet itself and the panels lit.

Charles flinched as he went deep into other mutants minds. Clara hid besides Hank, while Charles concentrated. Clara knew something was wrong when lights started flashing all over them. White lights, the humans and red lights, the mutants. All of them screaming, begging for help. Cerebro flashed from red to white and all they could feel was desperation and fear. The flashing lights started spinning around until Cerebro shut down, the panels exploding and Charles quickly took away the helmet, throwing it away.

"Charles!" Yelled Hank, as Charles breathed heavily. "I'll go check the generators," he said, walking away.

"It's not the machinery, is it?" Asked Logan. Charles shook his head.

"I can't do this. My mind--"

"Yes you can," interrupted Logan.

"N--it won't take it."

"You're just a little rusty," replied Logan.

"You don't understand! It's not a question of being rusty! I can flip the switches, I can turn them not, but my power don't come form here," he pointed to his head. "It come from.." he said, pointing to his heart. "And it's broken."

"No it isn't," replied Clara.

"Yes. Yes it is. I feel like one of my students. Helpless... it was a mistake coming down here. It was a mistake freeing Erik. This whole thing was a big bloody mistake," Charles shouted as he turned away and rolled down his way out of Cerebro. Clara turned towards him, inexplicably angry.

"Charles Francis Xavier, you come right back here!" She shouted. Charles slowly turned his chair back towards her and Logan, first asking himself how did she know his middle name, then realising that she could read his mind. "You are going to get your arse right back here." Charles froze. For a moment he didn't know what to do. Then he realised there wasn't much he could do.

"What?" He asked, riding back to her.

"You don't think you can do it? Fine. You don't believe in yourself? Fine. But letting those people there to die?!" She yelled out. She could feel a tear forming in her eyes. "They are real people, Charles! And right now, they are dying because you decided not to help," she cries out, storming out of the room.

"Woah. That was..." started Wolverine.

"Yes. Intense. Shes not usually like that." Charles said. A moment of silence. "I'll give it another try. A last one."

"Power's back on," said Hank, entering the room. "Where's Clara?"

Charles flipped a switch and the doors closed, ignoring Hank. He placed the helmet on his head. To everyone's surprise, the lights didn't even go on. It was like Cerebro could feel him, in some way, and it was rejecting him.

"I'll... go check the power again. Maybe I didnt--"

"No," Charles interrupted. "It's not the power, Hank. You know it. Cerebro can feel it. It feels that I don't believe I can do it. And it is right. But the only person I believe right now, is Clara. Hank. Do me a favour and call her back here, please."