Light A Way

38

So where had a relatively normal morning gone wrong? It had started outside the cinema. The way down to the city was pretty horrific in the way of dodging snow and ice clumps. But the two of them managed to arrive in one piece and do a bit of shopping before being approached by a suited male outside the cinema. Always being quick to be suspicious of strangers, Elsie had naturally been on high alert while avoiding looking at the man. She avoided looking at him until he addressed her by name.

"How do you know me?" She asked while taking a step back. Distance right now seemed like a brilliant idea. Charles seemed to completely agree. He held onto her arm gently and began to lead her back to where the car was parked. They hadn't got far before more men crossed their paths. Only these were armed, and wearing visors which blocked off their faces. Turning sharply Elsie looked back to the suited make. "What do you want?"

"We have questions to ask you involving one Derek Vincent? He bought some information to our attention, and we just need to clear a few things up with you." The man said while stopping in front of them.

Elsie stiffly turned and looked to Charles, he looked as lost as she did. "How?" She asked while shooting a sidelong look to the male.

"Can't divulge that here."

She tensed and looked back at Charles. He ran a hand through his hair and shook his head slowly. He didn't know. Honestly, he didn't. But yet, straining his memory back to when they first met, Charles remembered Erik asking if they were looking for files. Elsie had stated she was uncertain. What if...what if Derek had backed up everything Elsie had told him onto paper? Through looking over his belongings, what if he had discovered this information and took it to the police? Charles was rather sure Derek could not remember Elsie fully, if at all. But the information of her past which she had so easily told to someone she thought she could trust when she was younger, was a first-hand account, a damning one at that, of everything that she had done. If Derek discovered these written backups of his and grew suspicious he would naturally go to the police like anyone else would if they discovered information involving possible murders back in England.

Becoming aware of the building up energy within Elsie, Charles tried to tell the man to not touch her, like he was trying to, to bring her over to a nearby car, but he was too late. The man got sent hurtling backwards in a small blaze of flames while she turned and shielded him from the backlash of it.

"You're not hurt, are you?" She asked worriedly while looking him over.

Charles shook his head only to pull her out of the way of a gun being pointed at her. "So much for civility."

"Sorry."

"I am on about them, not you." Charles looked at her briefly before holding his hands up and taking a step forwards. "Now, I'm sure whatever this is-" and that's as far as he got before being rather rudely tackled out of the way.

Elsie called out to him before taking to running away from the crowded streets. Too many people were around. She didn't want anyone to get hurt. Honestly she didn't. She did hope though that the man from earlier who set her nerves on edge was okay. He looked like he had quite the tumble. Turning down a side street she held her hands up and fired at two nearby dustbins, the black smoke which came from them was good cover. It allowed her to run again and appear back on another street. Only by now the guards had suspected this and intercepted her. Before she could retaliate, one had fired at her.

The warm numb feeling the shot created ebbed slowly through her almost instantly. She was vaguely aware to being lifted up off of the snow layered ground. She couldn't feel the hands, but she knew they were there. Even in the darkness that was now her world, she was not completely out of it to register being placed on her back in a vehicle. She only knew it was one because of the slamming of the doors and the steady hum of the engine. It was mainly the low and steady hum of the engine which finally lulled her to a world of unconsciousness.

----

Never before, that Charles could remember to hand, had he ever driven so frantically before. He was sure he had overtaken several cars which blared their horns at him. And then there were the red lights he jumped. He didn't have time to sit and wait in a line of traffic. He was trying his hardest to catch up with the vehicle which was carrying Elsie off to who only knew where. To be honest, Charles had an inkling. Either she was being taken to the police station. Or she was being taken to one of many CIA bases which were dotted about. Coincidentally there was one not too far away. By that it was a half hour drive. But close enough for him to safely travel and know he could get back home quickly enough if needs be.

Snapping out of his thoughts he quickly pulled up behind the vehicle, he was naturally kept back as a small group of people took to handling Elsie. She was clearly still out of it. But she was conscious enough to be able to walk. Or at least shuffle along with her head down. As soon as she was taken into the precinct, not a base but the local police station, Charles rushed forwards. He kept being pushed back, in the end he relented and used certain liberties to allow himself passed.

Rushing through a set of double doors, he halted. "Wait! Just wait a minute," he held a hand up and frowned deeply at the group of officers. With jarring motions Elsie turned and looked at him. "Now, I must admit that all of this is very confusing. But seeing as how I was left in charge of that young woman and a few others, I would very much like to know what is going on exactly." He said and ended up breathing deeply. He hadn't realised he had spoken very quickly and all in one breath. The officers around just exchanged looks before one walked over and led him off to one side. He was still within range to see Elsie be carefully leaned up against a wall, but he divided his attention to listen to what was being spoken to him. Shaking his head quickly he frowned deeply at the officer before him. "You are sorely mistaken, you are arresting an innocent person. She may have done wrong in the past but-" Charles stopped when he clearly picked up on something else.

Blinking her eyes slowly Elsie managed to look over to him. "Don't." Was what he had heard. "You are wasting your breath and a lot of effort. They have already condemned me, and no matter what you say or do will change that. I am going away for a while, perhaps even a long while, I don't know." Elsie thought with an outstanding amount of clarity. She had accepted this already. But then, Charles presumed she had been expecting this to come back to her at some point in her life. Though he really wished it didn't.

I am not giving up on you. Not until you are free and back home again. He replied back determinedly.

Elsie smiled as she was pulled away from the wall carefully. "You've got a long fight ahead of you. Goodbye, Charles. Just know you were perhaps the best thing to happen to me in a long time, and that I love you for that and more." And with that her form disappeared behind another set of double doors, and she was lost from him.

He stood in the corridor with a blank expression before someone escorted him out of the building. As if he was going to cause any trouble? If he did he was rather sure that'd cause more problems for her. He didn't remember the drive home, as such. He just remembered walking through the door and getting suddenly bombarded with questions from a curious Sean. Hank luckily had heard the commotion and led him away to his lab. Even when in there he sat in silence and couldn't find it within himself to speak.

How could he possibly fight for her when there was an actual case set up against her? He couldn't. If he didn't care so much about keeping the peace between mutants and humankind he would've wasted no time in assaulting the station and breaking her out. But he couldn't. Because that'd go against his beliefs. And deep down he knew Elsie was aware of this.

"She's strong," Charles looked up when he heard Hank speak. He shifted in his seat and looked at him. Placing his hands on the table in front of him, Hank inhaled and exhaled lightly. "She's stronger than you think."

"What use is that strength, when it's just going to get her into further trouble?" Charles replied distantly while standing up and walking out of the room. He couldn't bear being around people right now. He just wished to be on his own and think over everything.
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(Edited: 21/June/2019)

(Reedited: 7/Dec/2021)