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━━ BROKEN PROMISES
I CROSS MY ARMS AROUND myself and stare at Charles, a smile growing on my face. Logan cocks his head to the side as we all watch Charles shift from foot to foot, an empty glass in his hand. There is an added fire to his eyes, something burning that wasn't there before.
Doom, doom, doom. I shut my eyes for a moment, and understand just what it was. He took the injection, just like he wanted. For some reason, it makes my stomach twist. Doom, doom, doom. Whispers bounce around inside my head, and I bring a finger to rub the bring of my nose. It doesn't help.
"Not for any of your future shite." Charles continues, walking towards the foyer. Logan and I follow him, and Charles' eyes never leave the older man's face. "But for her."
"Fair enough." Logan says, and I let out a relieved sigh. Charles pauses for a moment, and his eyes find mine. Something passes along his pupils that I can't understand. Something like regret. Not for the first time, I curse that godforsaken serum for tampering with my abilities, dampening my empathic skills. Then I remember the voices, and go silent.
"I'll tell you this." Charles finally speaks up. "... you don't know Erik." I stiffen, and Logan purses his lips. I give my head a small shake, the images coming back to me in brilliant flashes of darkened ebony. A hand, held out. A promise he couldn't keep. I curl my fingers into my palm, barely feeling the pain of my nails digging into the soft flesh. A smile. A hug. A promise. I close my eyes for a second, wondering for a moment if I can actually do this, if I can even bear seeing him again.
It always comes back to the promise. The promise he broke.
Charles moves forward, something deep within his eyes telling me that he doesn't care what his words will do, he just needs to speak them out loud. Anger, so harsh and cruel it slams the air right out of me, comes bubbling up to the surface of my mind. A shadowy figure, a man, sits on the ground, on his knees, and shakes his fists at the air. A rage-filled plea for mercy. A rage-filled plea for all this to stop. I put a hand up to my head, grimacing.
"That man is a monster." Charles says.
"Stop." I whisper, barely loud enough for anyone to hear.
"A murderer."
"Charles, stop." but the telepath isn't listening to me anymore. He never does, now. Charles steps forward, hunched to one side, and stares deep into Logan's eyes. He's not looking at me. He can't see that his own anger is threatening to tear down my walls, to make the dark energy release, seething like a storm through my fingertips. He doesn't see that I am so close to breaking, that I'm so close to slamming his body with my power, hoping to knock the drunken man out of the professor I know. I just want him to stop, but as I've come to realize, I don't ever get what I want now.
