X-Men First Class: The Fox's War

Chapter 19: Restart.

Symphony looked up quietly, before standing and turning so she was facing Hank. I'm not as strong in this form... Might be easier on both of us. She told him nervously, noticing the needle in his hand for taking blood.

Hank thought for a moment, and then nodded. "Do you want me to do this now, or do you want to wait for Charles?" He queried patiently.

"No need to wait for me." Charles said, wheeling back into the room with the chess board, pieces, and the checkers pieces, along with a deck of cards.

Hank moved aside to let Charles through, and then nodded. "I'm ready to take her blood for those tests we discussed." Hank informed him, causing Charles to nod.

Symphony crawled into Charles' lap when he wheeled up beside the bed, curling up in a ball to hide her eyes from the needle that Hank was about to put in her arm.

Hank smiled and shook his head. "She's fine with small medicinal injections, but still not with taking blood. That's just a little funny." Hank chuckled as he started taking the blood.

Charles smiled as well, scratching Symphony's ears. "You just don't like the feeling of the pinch." He implied.

Symphony let out a whistling whine in reply, confirming Charles' supposition.

Hank finished taking the blood, and then nodded to Charles as he took his gloves off and started transporting his work out of the room.

"It's done now." Charles whispered, making Symphony jump off his lap so that she could morph back into her human form.

"So... What will we play first?" She asked, eyeing the games.

Charles smirked. "Checkers first, so that I can redeem myself when we get into Chess." He chuckled.

Symphony laughed and nodded in agreement. "I've been practicing, so I might win at Chess too." She warned.

Charles grimaced, hoping that she hadn't really gotten that good.

He was in trouble if she had.

It took only a few moments for Symphony to set up the board for a game of checkers.

*****

Charles ran a hand through his hair, biting his lip. "You're killing me Symph!" He whined playfully, looking at the board that now contained all of Symphony's pieces, and a third of his pieces left.

"I dunno, I've been known to be able to win with one piece left; you still stand a rather large chance." Symphony chuckled, looking at the board.

Charles shook his head, staring at the careful and strategically placed pieces on Symphony's side of the board. "Nope. You're too good. You're blocking my every attack, I can't take a single one of your pieces!" He pointed out, sweeping his hand through the air above the board.

Symphony laughed. "Good point." She agreed.

Charles sighed and finally made a move that he thought would be safe, but realized too late that he'd made a mistake.

Symphony grinned and took one of her pieces, and jumped three of Charles' pieces before she had to land.

Charles groaned. "See? I defend, and you win!" He motioned towards the game.

Symphony giggled. "That's how you win at checkers. You have to be methodical and forceful." She explained.

Charles shook his head and took another move, readily forfeiting the game. "I give up. Take my pieces, finish me off." He muttered.

Symphony immediately made her final move, taking the last of Charles' pieces. "Time for chess then." She said, licking her lips.

Charles smiled and nodded, preparing to set up the pieces as Symphony flopped onto her back on the bed, closing her eyes tiredly.