I groggily work woke up and glanced at my alarm. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, seeing it was only 3 am. I tried to sit up, but I couldn't move. I glanced down to see arms wrapped around my chest. I looked to my left to see Karla cuddled against me and smiling in her sleep. I couldn't help but smile; she looked so peaceful.
I slowly managed to slide out of Karla's arms without waking her. If anyone here deserved a good night's sleep, it was her. I pulled the blanket back over her and went to the bathroom to splash water on my face to help me wake up. Staring into the mirror, I could hear The Void taunting me. I tried to block him out, but he would only grow louder in response.
Letting out a sigh, I decide to go for a little flight to try and clear my head. I slowly crept out of my room, careful not to wake Karla. I made sure to close the door softly behind me. I made my way to the flight deck. As I walked down the hallway, I could hear Claire snoring. Grant must have been sleeping well; his heartbeat was notably low. I thought back to Diana's offer about joining the League; I don't think I could bring myself to leave these guys. I was the reason they were here, and the League already have Superman. I would merely be overkill.
The elevator dinged and opened up to the almost empty deck of the Helicarrier, walking out toward the edge, I saw the beauty of the city skyline at night. I slowly lifted off of the ground before shooting off into the clouds. I flew around aimlessly for what felt like hours but must have been a handful of minutes. Being up so high is such a freeing feeling. It makes all of your worries melt away.
I hovered above the top of the Empire State Building, "The city is truly stunning at night. Maybe I should bring Karla up here someday." A deep raspy voice called behind me, "Lovely night isn't it." I spun quickly and came face to face with Batman, "Batman? What are you doing here?"
He stared into my eyes, silent for a second like he was analyzing me. "Research." I raise an eyebrow in confusion, "About what? This is an odd place to see you, all things considered." This couldn't be a coincidence; Batman is easily one of the most intelligent men on the planet. He must have been watching me.
Batman's eyes bore into mine. His stare was cold like he had no emotions behind them. "You." He presses a few buttons on his forearm and a video of my fight with The Absorbing Man project into space between us. I crossed my arms, "Me? What for? You might not kill criminals, but if Creel had been allowed to live with my power, he could have killed millions, if not billions."
Batman presses a button, and a video of me in Clark's office plays. "Your unstable, Y/N." I could feel my fists tightening, "How did you get that video?!" I shot down, landing with a loud boom in front of him. "How!?"
He remained unfazed, "How long until you lose it and an innocent person gets hurt? Did that thought ever cross your mind? You're dangerous." I stepped up to him, "You know nothing about me. You can't even fathom the mental strength I need to exist. I'm more stable than you know."
Batman stares back, "You're a threat to yourself and everyone around you. Threats need to be stopped." I turn around toward the ledge, "Is that a threat, Batman? If you're as smart as they claim, you should know you have nothing that can harm me." I step off the edge hovering in the air, "I don't want to fight you, Batman. You were always my favorite. But if this is how it'll be, you can tell Ms. Prince to keep her offer."
I float over to him, a foot off the ground, "I will say this, next time you threaten me, I will visit Wayne Manor." He remains unfazed as I fly off back to the Helicarrier.
---
Batman stood across the table from a green alien who was pouring over the files Batman had sent to him. Batman eagerly awaits a response, "Is any of this familiar to you, J'onn?' J'onn looks up at the main Watchtower computer, "Pull up the video from his interview with Clark; I wish to examine it closer."
Batman hits a few keys, and the video plays on the big screen. They sit in silence as the video plays until J'onn sees something that concerns him deeply. "Stop the video!" Batman quickly pauses it and turns to J'onn, "What did you see?" J'onn points to the black mist surrounding Y/N, "There. Zoom in there."
Batman presses a button, and the video zooms closer to the mist. J'onn looks to be in deep contemplation, his eyes not moving from the video. Batman steps up and puts a hand on his shoulder, causing the Martian to flinch slightly, "J'onn? What's wrong?"
J'onn walks around the table, shaking his head, "This cannot be. It is impossible." Batman looks at his friend, worried, "J'onn, talk to me." J'onn turns and gestures to the video, panic building in his voice, "Do you not see? The Many-Angled One! Bruce, this is not good. Not good at all."
Bruce pulls out a chair and sits down, "J'onn, what aren't you telling me? I know from Clark that this has appeared in Kryptonian myth; are you saying the Martians have their own legend?" J'onn looks at Bruce, his usually stoic expression gone, "You have no idea what you're playing with, Bruce. Myh'korr is a being of pure destruction. He existed before the universe, a being sent by The Great Darkness to destroy the universe."
Bruce takes this all in; if half of what J'onn is saying is true, they have a massive problem. "Is there any way to defeat it? Any weaknesses?" J'onn looks at Bruce like he's crazy, "That boy is the only one who can hold him back. He is the light to the darkness." Bruce pondered on that for a few seconds; J'onn continued, "You're thinking about it all wrong, Bruce. Y/N Reynolds is simply the host. Within him is a great battle, the ultimate fight between good and evil. The only reason we're sitting here having this conversation; is that he's holding that darkness in."
Bruce interlocked his fingers and rested his chin on them, looking deep in thought. "What would you suggest we do? Let him carry on? Doing whatever he wants?" J'onn sighed and leaned against the table, "Bruce, I understand your anger. I know why you're against killing; realize this isn't a fight you can win. The kid is still on the right path; one little push could end us all. This is a power beyond creation."
---
I walk into the meeting room, having received a call from Fury which sounded pretty urgent. Karla clung to my side, wrapped around my right arm like I'd disappear if she let go. I felt horrible about what The Void had done to her; I've got to do better. I pressed open the door, seeing Fury, Claire, Grant, and Natasha all sitting around the table. I close the door softly, "You wanted to see me, Fury? Sounded important."
Fury looked at me like I was crazy, "What is she doing here? We're discussing a highly covert operation. Ms. Sofen, I'm afraid I have to ask you to leave." I feel her grip on my arm loosen, "Whatever you have to tell me, you can say in front of her. Fury, don't buck me on this."
The room is quiet for a few seconds before Fury grunts and turns to the screen behind him, "You'll be happy to know we heard about your little run-in with Batman last night. He seemed to know a lot about you." I pull out a chair for Karla and sit down in the chair next to her. "It was strange; there's no way he could have planted anything in Kent's office. Unless he knew I would be there."
Fury slaps the table, "That's the million dollar question. Who tipped him off?" Claire tapped her fingers against the table, "Could we have a molerat?" Grant stops stroking his beard to look at Claire from the corner of his eyes. "No, Claire, you usually say one or the other. Maybe she's right; we have a traitor in our ranks." Natasha shakes her head, "No way, Kent came to me about the interview. If anyone else heard about then they must have been listening in when I told Y/N."
Everyone turned to look at me, Claire being the one to snap me out of my trance. "What do you think, N/N?" I look up from the table, "Kent may work with Batman." Natasha laughs, clearly skeptical, "What makes you say that? See any bat cameras in his office?" I ignore her joke and look to Fury, "Do you know who Batman really is? Under the mask?"
Fury raises an eyebrow at me, "No. Why would that be important? What're you thinking, Y/N?" I clicked my tongue, "I looked through his mask last night. Batman is Bruce Wayne." They all proceeded to murmur about themselves until Claire spoke over everyone else.
"Who is Bruce Wayne?"
Grant stifles a laugh, "Jeez, I knew you were out there, but come on. Everyone knows who Bruce Wayne is." Claire smacks his shoulder, earning a sharp 'ow' from Grant. Natasha crosses her arms as she looks over at me. "Bruce Wayne is one of the richest men on the planet. Standard pretty boy philanthropist has his hands in about every industry you can think of. Only rivaled by our own Tony Stark."
Before she can cast more doubt, I speak up, "Think it through, Natasha. Stark has just as much money and look at what he's doing. They both have similar backgrounds in the fact their parents were murdered. They both have reasons to go out there and fight. I saw him with my own eyes. If you looked under Wayne Manor, you'd find some secret lair."
Claire looks to me, "Playboy?"
I sigh, rubbing the bridge of my nose, "Another time, Claire."
Fury coughs, focusing our attention. "Either way, I'll look into Wayne. Back to the topic at hand, he's getting a little too close. Y/N, it's clear that his problem is with you, and for the sake of not having you brawl it out with the League, I'm sending you on a mission."
I nod, feeling Karla's head slide down my arm. It was torture; having to see her like this breaks my heart. "You've piqued my interest, Fury. What's the mission; where are we going?" Fury slides a folder down the long table, "Just you, Y/N. I'm sending you upstate. As you are a mutant, I'm having you help the X-Men with a problem they need fixing. It would also allow you to learn more about your abilities."
I looked through the folder, "You sure you guys can hold down the fort while I'm gone?" Fury smiled; a genuine smile from Fury was rare. "I assure you, Y/N, we have everything under control. We both know that you could be here in a heartbeat. I just wanted to give you a little heads-up. By the time you return, we'll have CLOC ready."
I smiled and nodded to him. "I'll leave immediately. One more thing before I go, in case you were unaware. I believe Mr. Wayne purchased the Daily Planet earlier this year. It might be worth looking into." I slowly helped Karla out of her seat and walked her back to my room. She mumbled a bit on the walk back; not much of it was understandable.
---
I sat her down on my bed; and turned to leave before she grabbed my arm, "Do you have to go, N/N?" I felt a sad smile creep across my face, "I'm sorry, Karls, but these people need my help. These people... they're like me. I need to talk with them." I could see the tears welling up in her eyes, "I need you! You're the only person I have left! Now you've got all these new friends, and you're leaving me behind." Her words got quieter as she neared the end of her sentence, ending in a whisper.
I placed my hand on her shoulder as she began to cry, "Karla, listen to me. I'm not leaving you behind. You will always be my best friend. You're the only person I have left too. From when I was 'normal.' You knew the real me; no one else will ever get to say that."
Her sniffles got softer and less frequent. "I don't like that girl." I look at her; was she talking about Claire? She continued, "She called you N/N. That's my name for you." I felt horrible Karla was slipping. I wish she would have never got involved in this.
I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her into a tight hug. "I know, Karls. I'm sorry you had to get wrapped up in all of this. I want you to know you'll always be my number one." I see her smile spread across her face. I softly laid her down on the bed, "Now, please get some rest. I promise you that I'll be back before you know it. I'll make sure Natasha looks after you while I'm gone."
I turn to leave, but Karla calls out to me, causing me to turn back to face her. "Yeah, Karls?" She looks down, sadness clear on her face. She was always independent, and being this vulnerable must be hard for her. I would get The Void back for this.
She twisted a strand of her hair between her fingers, unable to meet my eyes. "I love you, N/N. Please be safe." I felt myself blink. Once. Twice. Three times. "You too, Karls. I'll be back in no time." I hurried out of the room and sped past everyone I met in the halls. A bewildered Grant and Claire left, standing behind me.
---
I took my time on the flight there; going faster would have been a waste of a beautiful sunny day. It also allowed me to try and clear my mind. At the forefront of my mind was Karla. I had forced The Void from her mind, but she was still suffering what seemed to be aftershocks. I knew she would eventually recover, but all this started because I let my guard down. I had to be better.
My meeting, if you could call it that, with Batman. I knew Batman had always been mysterious, but this was perplexing. I suppose it wasn't too dissimilar to how he treated Superman, but I still can't wrap my head around it. Batman was one of the three leading members of the Justice League. If Diana had offered him a spot, surely he knew about it.
This current mission was already leaving a bad taste in my mouth. I knew the others could handle things without me, but it didn't ease the feelings. Fury was right; if I was, needed, I would be there in an instant. I'd rather not be away at all; every second counts. I felt horrible about leaving Karla. Hopefully, she'll be fine until I return.
I thought about something that had been resting heavily on my mind. I felt my walls slowly crumbling. I was scared The Void would break free again. Thousands of possibilities ran through my mind, cut short by the large building I was closing in on.
I saw several people standing outside on the steps, some welcoming party, I imagine. Most looked around my age, whether in their early to late 20s. A few people stood out from the others. An older, bald man in a wheelchair who I presume to be Charles Xavier. A young man with red-tinted glasses seemed to wrap around his head. A short girl that looked like she was some biker.
The person who stuck out the most was a girl with red hair and what looked like a streak of white running through it. She stuck out, mostly because she seemed to be the most 'normal' person there. They were all conversing; they didn't expect me for a few more minutes.
I floated down, walking up to them, their backs turned to me.
"I heard this new guy is super strong; they say he's the next Superman."
"Anyone who wears tights like that can't be too tough."
"Laura!"
"Well, whoever he is, and whatever he wears, all that matters is he's a mutant and needs help as much as we do."
"Yes, Rouge, that is quite right."
It seems I'm the topic of discussion. I called out to them; I was about an arm's length away. I don't suppose super hearing is a power any of them have. "Hey there, is one of you Charles-" I was cut off, the red-head turned and her hand wrapped around mine, "Woah there! Remind me not to wave around you."
She stared at me wide-eyed, a look of shock plastered on her face. I let out a short cough trying to break the silence. "Uh, Miss? You okay there?" I waved my other hand in front of her face, and she snapped back to focus.
Her eyes were glued to my arm, which she was still holding. I decided to carry on; this wasn't the weirdest thing that could have happened. "I'm looking for Charles Xavier. I was told I'd find him here." The man in the wheelchair rolled over beside the woman holding my arm, "Yes, I am he. It is a pleasure for you to join us, Sentry. Rouge, please release the young man's arm."
Rouge hesitantly released my arm, causing me to let out an awkward laugh. I looked over at Charles, "Please, call me Y/N. Trust me; the pleasure is all mine. It's a lovely place you have here." Rouge wandered off, looking to be in a daze. Charles saw this and looked at the others, "Laura, would you be a dear and make sure she's okay?" He turned to me and motioned for me to follow him through the garden, the others walking behind us. "I assume Fury has briefed you on why you're here. While it is true, we require your assistance. I'm also interested in you on a more personal level."
I smile, looking around the beautiful garden. The colors of the flowers were simply stunning. The stonework on the fountains was lovely. "Yes, Fury told me you could help me understand more about my powers." The boy with the red glasses spoke loudly, "Professor Xavier is the world expert on mutant physiology. None of us hear would be half of what we are without him."
Charles smiled, waving him off, "Scott, you praise me too much. I am indeed very knowledgeable about our kind. I only guide people on the journey of life." He looked over to me, "You though, my boy. You are unique. There are very few people who can block their presence from me. I wasn't any wiser to your arrival until you announced yourself."
I scratched the back of my head, "Be that as it may, I don't know the extent of my power. I know there is much I have to learn." I could see a twinkle in the professor's eyes, "That is precisely why you are here, my boy. Even if you don't realize it, you have powerful psionic abilities. It is most impressive, subconsciously putting up such powerful mental barriers."
I felt my cheeks flush, so much praise for something I could barely control. He gazed across the garden, "Normally, we would need a look at your DNA to know for sure. Though from what I know, collecting a sample might be hard." He clapped his hands and spun around, leading us around the side of the mansion, passing what looked to be a group of schoolchildren. As Scott pushed him up the ramp, he turned to look at me, "Luckily for us, we've developed a less archaic manner of testing. A simple scan should show us everything we'd like to know."
I looked around the many halls of the mansion, it looked like many classes were being held, and I caught a glimpse of some of the older mutants who taught here. There was still no sign of the girl from earlier. I hate to think I scared her off. "Professor, if you don't mind me asking, where is the lady who walked off earlier? I hope I didn't offend her in any way."
Scott let out a snort but stopped as Charles looked back at him. "Well. I feel it would be best to allow her to explain. I will ease your mind. You did not offend her, that I assure you." After a few more moments of walking, we arrived at what looked like a laboratory.
Charles wheeled himself in with a smile, "Here we are! Scott, can you go and retrieve Dr. McCoy?" Scott nodded and walked off, and Charles motioned me to sit, "While we have the time, are there any questions you have, Y/N?" I sat, my head resting on my hand, "Not especially. I've known I was a mutant for a little bit now. I would ask about this problem, but I'm sure that will be explained to me later."
Charles hummed in response, "Yes, I am interested in these mental shields you've put up. It is absolutely fascinating. I have some of the strongest psionics on the planet and find it impossible to get past them." I raised my head to him, and he waved it off, "Of course, I've been trying since you first announced yourself. Your mind is exceptionally protected indeed."
Thinking of what happened to Karla, I buried my head in my hands. "Maybe it's best my mind stay sealed. It's good for no one if he gets out." Charles was about to ask another question before we were interrupted by Scott and a man covered in blue fur. He looked like some animal-human hybrid. He spoke in a voice much friendlier than I expected, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Y/N. I'm Dr. McCoy, but you can call me Hank. I oversee the lab and, by extension, your scanning today."
I smile and nod to the man, a bit put off by how eloquently he spoke. He tapped away on some machine, "If you could stand right here for me, this should only take a moment." He gestured to a pair of footprints beside the device, which I quickly stood over. "This looks like very advanced technology. Did you invent this?" He nodded and hit a green button on the keypad, a green light shining at the top of my head. "It took some time; I've just cleared it for use. You would be the second person to be scanned. We can talk details later."
The light slid down my body to my feet, slowly rising back up. It did this twice before it stopped and blinked red. Charles and Hank shared a look and gazed intently at the display. "Everything alright back there, Doc?"
Hank looked over to me and sheepishly nodded. Charles wheeled over to me, "No cause for alarm, my boy. It's simply something we'd not planned for. You're a smart man. I'm sure you're aware of human evolution. The homo sapien?" I nodded; this was middle school science. What's he on about?
He gestured for me to follow him around to see the results for myself. "We possess different genes that enable the powers that we have. Whether we're humans or another species entirely is up for much debate. I won't delve into that now a topic for another time." I read through the notes on the screen, and nothing really out of the ordinary considering what I am. "That's nice to know, but what does that have to do with your machine freaking out?"
Hank scrolled through the data and stopped suddenly, turning toward me, "You're homo supreme. One of two known in the world. The final step in evolution." I looked at the screen, and the large bold letters Homo Supreme stood out. "What exactly does this mean?" Charles wrote some things down and handed them to Hank, "In layman's terms? It means you're cut from a different cloth. I do not wish to put too much on your mind at once. Come. We can talk in my office over a nice cup of tea."
The walk to his office was short and quiet. I was barely paying attention as I grappled with the information I had been given. It's a lot to dump on someone at once, the fact that not only am I a mutant, but a separate line entirely. Hoping to find others like myself, I've only learned that I'm even more different than I thought. Charles had wheeled into his office, and I followed after him.
I felt something bump into me, and it snapped me back to reality. I looked down and saw Rouge, the red-haired woman from earlier. I hear Charles from his office, "Dreadfully sorry, I tried to warn you, but you must have been deep in thought." I offer a hand to her, which she stares at before accepting. It almost looked like her entire body shook when she grasped my hand.
Once again, she was reluctant to let go, causing a red hue to spread across my face. "Hey, I'm sorry for earlier. Charles said everything was fine, but I wanted to apologize just in case." Charles wheeled up in the doorway behind her and smiled, "Yes. This is good. Anna Marie, I'd like for you to show Y/N around. Tell him about the school and our purpose. I expect hearing it from a peer would do wonders, don't you agree?"
She spoke for the first time since I got here; her voice had a very thick southern drawl. "I'll do my best, professor." He smiled and looked around her, looking up at me. "We can have tea another time. Seeing the time, it'll be tomorrow morning. I'll fill you in on why we called for you as well. Good day, Y/N, Anna Marie." With that, he rolled into his office, leaving Anna Marie and me alone in the hallway. I went to speak, and she held her hand up, "Not here, please."
Elizabeth Gillies as Rogue/Anna Marie
( I felt a bit iffy about this face claim, but I saw this fanart, and I'm starting to like it a lot.)
---
We sat under a tree by a small pond just behind the mansion gardens. The silence was the only thing filling the air for the first few minutes. I guess neither of us quite knew where to start.
I barely opened my mouth, and she beat me to the punch, "I'm sorry about earlier." I glanced over at her, her knees pulled to her chest, with her chin resting on her arms. "Sorry for what? I did sneak up on you all. Sorry about that, too, by the way." She sighed, "Listen, sugah, you didn't do anything wrong. It's not your fault you're different."
I laid back, resting on my elbows, "Well, I've been getting told how different I am since I got here. It's nothing new." A quaint silence overtook us again. The sound of birds chirping and the wind rustling occasionally broke the quiet. I look over at her, "Do you mind if I ask a personal question?" She raised an eyebrow at me but nodded. "Why are you so covered up? I took a second before realizing how perverted that sounded, "I didn't mean it like that. It's just, it is, a beautiful day out, and you're covered neck to toe. You've even got gloves on."
I saw something akin to sadness and longing in her eyes. I felt like the biggest asshole in New York. "I'm sorry, that was rude. I'll see myself out. The professor-" She reached out and grabbed my arm before I could stand, "No. I understand what you mean."
I could see a few tears in her eyes, "My powers, they, I can absorb people's energies. I can absorb their powers, memories, talents, and... life force. When my abilities first activated, I was having my first kiss. The poor boy was sent into a coma. He still hasn't woken up, and he likely never will. That was 11 years ago. I couldn't risk hurting someone like that again."
I sat there, trying to take it all in. 11 years? Over a decade without any human touch? No wonder she didn't want to let go of me; that was possibly the first time she'd touched anyone in years. I didn't know what to do. I could barely think of anything to say. "Rogue, I'm so sorry. If I had any idea, I would have been more careful." She laughed softly, "Sugah, you aren't the brightest tool in the shed, are you?"
I could feel myself blushing; I must have looked like a tomato. She slowly slid one of her gloves off, "It's been 11 years since I've felt another person's touch without hurting them. I meant it when I said you were special." She took off her other glove and placed it next to her. I just nodded and looked out over the pond, trying to figure out what to say. I heard the sound of a zipper and turned back to her.
She slipped her jacket off and had a green and yellow tank top under it. She nervously rubbed her arm, "I know this might come off a bit weird, but if it ain't too much trouble. Do you think I could have a hug?"
I could see the vulnerability in her eyes; I couldn't say no. I smiled and nodded, and by the time I got up to my knees, her arms were wrapped around my neck. I wrapped my arms around her and held her close. I could hear her muffled sobs and feel the tears soaking my shoulder. I sat there and rubbed my hand in circles around her back; I couldn't understand how much this meant to her. Around 10 minutes later, her cries had stopped, and her tears dried when she finally pulled away.
She sniffled and sheepishly looked at the ground, "I'm sorry, that was a lot to drop on you at once." I waved it off, "No, it's okay, trust me. If you ever need to let loose, just let me know. If I'm the only person you can hug, it would be rude of me to say no."
A second passes, and an idea pops into my head. "Hey, this might sound weird, but do you get to leave the mansion often?" She looked at me curiously, "No, it's been a while since I've been to the big city. I've been through the woods here quite often, though."
A huge smile spread across my face, "This is going to sound crazy, but I need you to trust me. Is there anywhere in the world you've wanted to see? Anywhere at all?" I slowly wrapped an arm around her, her face flushing red. "Well, I've always wanted to go to Paris one day. I've seen it on the TV, and it looks so lovely."
"You might want to hold on." I scooped her up by the waist, and her arms immediately wrapped around my neck, "Y/N?! What are you doing?!" I smile and shoot off into the sky, Anna Marie had her head buried into the crook of my neck, and I made sure not to fly too fast for the risk of hurting her. After about a minute, I slowed down until I was hovering, "Anna Marie, we're here."
She slowly raised her head, "You stupid man! You can't just snatch a lady-" She looked out over the city, the skyline of Paris sprawled out before her. The Eiffel Tower stood tall in the distance. "How? What- How?" I smiled and slowly descended until I felt my feet on the building below us. I let her down, and she ran to the edge, looking over the city streets.
I smiled. It was sweet seeing her like this. I could go anywhere I wanted in the blink of an eye. Anna Marie, on the other hand, had most likely never left the country. Another thing I take for granted, just like the human touch. I traveled a lot even before my powers were awoken. I guess this is my way of giving back.
She turned and saw me smiling, leaning against the wall of an adjacent building. The smile on her face was pure joy. She ran over to me, throwing her arms around me, "Thank you so much! It's more beautiful than I could have ever imagined. I'll never forget this, Y/N. I don't know how I'll ever repay you."
I laugh and pat her back a few times, "You don't have to pay me back; this is what friends do. Trust me; this isn't an inconvenience. Just enjoy it. Seeing how happy you are is reward enough." She pulled me deeper into the hug, then ran back to the roof's edge and sat down, soaking in the sights.
A minute or two passed, the sounds of the city coming to life beneath us. Without turning her head, she called back to me, "Y/N? Would you come to sit with me?" I smiled and walked over to her, sitting by her side. I glanced over at her, a look of pure amusement on her face. It was so innocent, genuine happiness.
I nudged her shoulder, and she turned to look at me, "Before we leave, do you want to go to the top of the tower?" Her face lit up like a Christmas tree, "Really? Oh yes! Yes!" I couldn't help but grin, I held out my arm, and she quickly wrapped hers around my chest. I wrapped my arm around her back and gently lifted her off the ground, hovering toward the Eiffel Tower. She was beaming; she saw Paris in a way that most people would never experience.
She giddily pointed out places she recognized from different movies she'd seen. She pointed out things from famous bookstores to old cafes that were older than anything back in the States. It's always lovely seeing someone enjoy something they genuinely care about.
We eventually reached the top, and I lowered us down. She quickly leaped from my arms and ran over to the railing. The view was honestly all it was said to be. The city just looked so different from up here. It reminds me of the feeling I get when I fly. I felt so free.
I felt her hand slip into mine, interlocking our fingers. She turned to me, "Y/N. This is honestly the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me. I'll treasure this memory forever. You truly are one of a kind, sugah." She stood on her toes and placed a soft kiss on my cheek. I could feel the blush spreading across my cheeks.
I was about to speak, but she beat me to it. "Do you mind if we stay like this? For just a little while longer?" I smiled and gave her hand a soft squeeze. She laid her head against my shoulder, and we watched the sunrise.
---
When we arrived back at the mansion, it was around midnight. We were gone for a few hours, longer than I intended, but it was well worth it. Anna Marie hugged me one last time as we stood outside her room, "I mean it, Y/N. I'll never forget this night. Goodnight, Y/N."
She went inside her room, and as the door shut, I sighed. Tonight was fantastic; not only did I learn a lot about the mutants and Anna Marie personally. I was able to give her a sense of the world, something she might not have gotten otherwise. I turned to see Charles rolling down the hall toward me, "Y/N! My boy! We've been looking everywhere for you, and that problem we mentioned has returned. Please, there's no time to waste!"
He gestured to the front door, and it flew open, "He's in the city, about 50 miles south of here. Make haste!"
I wasted no time and shot off in a blur of golden light. I could barely make out Anna Marie asking Charles what was happening. No time. I landed in the middle of a street, in the middle of pure destruction.
It looked like a nuke had gone off here. I walked around, looking through the debris with my x-ray vision. There were no signs of life anywhere in the vicinity. I wandered into what looked like a high school gym. It was completely empty. I suddenly felt intense pain, more excruciating than anything I'd felt before.
"Who are you?"
I tried to look back but couldn't move, "Who are you?
"I'm Owen."
"I'm Y/N."
"I know you're Y/N Reynolds. I know you're The Sentry. But who are you? What are you made of?"
I let out a scream of pain, "ARGH! Are you doing this?!"
Owen laughed, "I've tasted every molecule in the world. But I've never tasted anything like you."
I grunt, "Tasted?"
"Experienced."
I felt like my body was being ripped apart, "Could you stop this? Please...please."
He laughed again; it sounded evil. Pure malice in his tone. "You'll hurt me if I let you go."
I cried out, "No! No, I won't!"
I felt the pain grow like my cells were being split apart, and he continued, "You will. Charles Xavier and Nick Fury told you to. I'm sorry."
I could hear the voices of Scott and Anna Marie, among Fury and the others, before something strange happened.
I felt like my body disintegrated. He turned my body into liquid. I wasn't dead. I was fully aware the entire time. I felt rage, and my cells seemingly willed themselves back together.
"ARGH!"
A flash of golden light blew the roof off of the gym, and I was floating there. I saw the others running over and held out a hand to them, "I have this." Owen sped toward me and tackled me into the sky; Anna Marie watched with bated breath.
Owen charged energy between his hand and violently ripped them apart, "You're in my world, Sentry!" What followed next was traumatizing for all that witnessed it. I was torn apart, molecule by molecule. It was a bloody mess.
Rogue screamed, dropping to her knees. Karla was in a similar shape. The rest were a mixture of shock and anger. Claire banged her shield against the ground, "You monster! You will pay for this!"
It could be argued Rogue was the most hurt of all. The first person she could touch was just killed right before her eyes. Karla was also horrible state; her best friend, the person she'd go to the ends of the universe for, was now gone.
Scott shot a beam toward Owen, who pushed it aside, "Do you not understand!? I just killed your God! What could you do- AH! No! YOu Can't!" What looked to be some solar energy surrounded Owen.
Out of the light came Sentry, looking like nothing had happened, "Listen to me, Owen. If you show me how to put everything back the way it was, I will spare your life." I looked down at Owen, his face contorted in agony, "You have experience with this; I do not."
I could hear the others, the tears of Karla and Anna Marie, the shouts of joy from Claire and Grant, and the relief from Fury and Xavier. Owen yelled, enraged, "How are you doing this to me?! I control the molecules! I do!"
Owen screamed again, the pain starting to break him. "Put everything back, Owen."
He was panting, relief from the pain, "It's done! All of it!" I cut my eyes, "Are you sure?" He answered frantically, "All of it! I swear!"
I looked down and saw a crowd of people in the city, assuming Owen had torn them apart. The town was empty when I arrived. All those people, all that pain and suffering. I could feel the power coursing through me as I stared into his eyes, "Then go away."
Owen was torn apart, ripped down the seem. If anyone hadn't seen it, they would never know he had been there. I could hear Fury directing emergency response as I floated toward the group, looking Xavier in the eyes. "I learned something about myself today."
Charles looked toward the young hero, "What's that, Y/N?"
I hovered above the ground, my eyes shrouded by my hair, "I can control the molecules of my world. That's how I do what I do. I never knew that. How could I? No one could, not Batman, not Reed Richards. All they knew was that I was different.
Charles smiled, "We're all different, Y/N."
Grant yelled from the back, "What the hell is going on?" Karla quickly shushed him, "Prometheus, shut it!"
I held my hand out, and a miniature wolf materialized, running around my palm in circles. "We're all different. Now I can see how and why. How I can control it."
Fury walked toward me, "And today, we learned you shouldn't mess with things that don't belong to you. You don't want to end up like Owen Reese, do you? Not knowing what's real and what's not. Not having anyone."
I looked down at Nick, "But you're my friend."
"I am, Y/N."
"You're scared of me."
"I don't want to be. I want to be in awe of you."
Karla flew between us, eye level with me, "Y/N, how about you and I talk? Not as Guardians. Not as Sentry and Moonstone. But as a doctor and patient. You know I'm a psychologist. I know how our minds work. We should talk this out."
I lifted my eyes to her, and she continued, "But today, I want to say; thank you. Thank you for saving us."
I looked around at the people below. Without me, they would have stood no chance. I saw the tears running down Anna Marie's face and the puffiness of Karla's eyes. It was too much, "I...I need to go. I can't handle this." I flew off into the sky.
---
Karla patted Fury's shoulder, "You're welcome." Fury watched Sentry fly away, "I was going to say thank you."
Karla clicked her tongue, "You got yourself a whopper of a problem there." Fury just grunted. Karla continued, "You remember Scarlet Witch? What happened to her? That was nothing."
Karla heard the sobs behind her and turned around, seeing Rogue on her knees. She knelt and rubbed her arm, which caused her to flinch slightly. "Hey, you okay? If you're worried about N/N, he's fine."
Rogue wiped her eyes, "Oh, I know, he's a tough nut. I'm just worried about what he could be thinking."
Karla smiled. It was an odd look, to say the least, "How do you know Y/N?" Rogue smiled briefly, "It's a long story. He's someone special to me. He's such a sweet guy. He must be going through so much."
Karla's mind was raring to go; she already didn't like the southern belle. Before she could tear into her, a deep voice cut through the crowd. "Lantern, direct the civilians away from the scene. Wonder Woman, Superman, with me."
Batman parted the crowd and walked up to Fury, "Fury. I've got to say I am not happy." Fury scoffed, "Are you ever happy? You cycle through 5 degrees of pissy." Superman stepped between them, "Listen, we've got a job to do. Cut it."
Wonder Woman laughed, "Really, Batman. I still don't see the issue. Owen Reese is better off. Not like we had a cell to hold him with anyway." Batman waved her off and looked to Fury, "Which way did he go?"
Karla and Rogue stood, "What do you want with him?" They turned and looked at each other. Batman stepped over to them, "I only want to ask him some questions."
Wonder Woman broke from her conversation with Claire, "Yeah, to give him the third degree; for doing his job." Batman cut her a look, "He's dangerous. Can we all agree on that?"
Rogue took severe offense, "He is not dangerous! Y/N is a sweet boy. He's never hurt anyone who didn't deserve it!" Batman looked at her dismissively, "You kids are what? 20? 25? Too old for puppy love, don't you think?"
He turned to Superman, "See if you can hear him out, if not, look around maybe he hasn't gone very far. Wonder Woman, I want you to escort these two to HQ. They seem close to him, and might have an idea of where he went."
Wonder Woman shook hands with Claire and walked over, "Whatever you say. Can you ladies fly?" Karla nodded, and Rogue did nothing but stare at Batman. Wonder Woman smiled and wrapped her arm around Rogue, and flew off with Karla behind her.
---
The Justice League was gathered around a large table. Most of the heavy hitters were out looking for Y/N. They were discussing how to best go about bringing Y/N in. They seemed split on whether or not they thought he'd committed any wrong.
Bruce spoke first, "I think we need to bring him in. There's no avoiding it. I have people scouting now looking for him. He has to have a weakness."
Clark pointed out, "Yeah, and he'll take kindly to these scouts? What good will they do if he kills them?"
Aquaman laughed, "The boy has killed criminals. If he wants to kill scum, let him."
Bruce slammed his hands on the table, "He's a monster! Who kills however he sees fit. Look at what he did to Reese! We can't allow that to wander about aimlessly!"
Suddenly, Wonder Woman burst into the room, "Bruce, there's something wrong with the girl!" Bruce, Clark, and Diana all ran into the room to find Rogue and Karla.
Karla was having something akin to a seizure, and Rogue knelt over her. "Do something!" Bruce ran to her side and tried to deduce what was causing this while Clark looked inside to see if there was any internal damage. Diana had dragged in a first aid kit and several scientific-looking tools. Rogue was weeping uncontrollably. She talked with Karla about Y/N, and they seemed close. If she died, it would hurt him deeply.
Before they could do anything to help, a loud rumbling was heard. A roar echoed through the building, and an alert popped up on the screen.
"Batman, we need backup! Now!"
"J'onn? J'onn!? What's happening?"
"WHAT DID YOU DO!?"
The feed cut to black and Karla's seizure came to an end. The Trinity looked at each other, now was the time. This would be their most brutal fight yet.