A.N: Hey yall ! Finally back with a new chapter. I hope you and your loved ones are safe and healthy. Also, I'm sorry for going on hiatus for so long. This chapter was probably the hardest one I had to write for this story. I really had a hard time inserting Angelika in this chaos... *pleasedontkillme* As always, a big thank you to those who read this story! Not edited btw but I promise to edit this chapter and the previous ones before 2020 is over hahaha
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Her knees buckled and all she wanted was to fall asleep, to hide even if it was just for a short moment. But Angelika knew she would never be granted such peace, that the demons of her guilt would feast on her sombre thoughts. She vaguely sensed that Peter had returned by her side, his lips sealed shut.
But what use was silence when she could hear his thoughts?
Moving at Peter's pace caused her stomach to churn. Shaking her head lightly, Angelika opened her eyes to find that she was sitting in the car, four pair of eyes staring at her. Hank and Charles were mortified by her bloody appearance while they turned their head back to fixate their gaze on the road. Logan seemed to pity her, giving her privacy as he smoked his cigar, leaving his questions unspoken. The worst of all was Erik. So many thoughts were running through his mind and each of them made her fists clench harder.
"I know what you're thinking," Angelika spoke as nonchalantly as she could, "And the answer is that they are all dead. Water is an absolutely formidable conductor of electricity."
Charles' shoulders tensed at her words. Even without her telepathy, the female mutant could tell he was appalled at her nonchalance, that innocent lives were wasted for Erik's sake once again. She dared not to correct him that it was her weakness that caused such loss; she refused to show it in front of the problematic metal bender.
"It was either yours or theirs. I'm glad that you made the right choice," said Erik. Angelika made the mistake of looking into his eyes and see the sincerity behind his words. Anger flared within her and she wanted to kick him towards a far, far away planet. After all these years, he did not have the right to show that he cared for her.
Biting her tongue, the telepath feigned as though he wasn't staring at her in a way that sent chills down her spine. She hoped to have Caliban with her — not that he would do much to ease her mind. On the contrary, he would reprimand her for acting so recklessly. Breaking into the Pentagon was one thing, committing mass murder was another. But his presence always brought peace to her mind and she desperately needed some to endure a car ride and an 8-hour flight with Erik and Charles.
"Has anyone seen The Exorcist," Peter asked out of blue, popping his head from behind. "They say it's the most chilling thriller ever yet and I'm kinda miffed about seeing it by myself. Not saying I don't have any friends or anything but they're all busy with stuff."
Logan snorted in a mocking manner. "Sounds to me like you don't have any friends, kid."
"See, there's where you're wrong. I have 3 friends and that's plenty enough for me."
"Your mother and sister don't count, Pietro," Angelika stated teasingly, enjoying how the usage of his first name caused him to blush.
"Oh man, your name is Pietro?" Logan barked out a laughter. "That sounds like the name of an Italian clown."
"You're violating my privacy and I can sue you for that," Peter muttered, glaring at Angelika.
"I like you, Peter. You're a funny kid." Peter was purposely embarrassing himself to ease her mind and Angelika was thankful for the kind gesture.
What fun Georgina would have fixing her again. They had first begun their sessions because Angelika's hallucinations of Schmidt grew more frequent and after two years of struggle, they had stopped. All those efforts were rendered moot this afternoon and she was back to square one.
Peter filled the void with his rapid chattering and Logan interjected every now and then, teasing the teenager mercilessly during the entire car ride. Hank finally pulled over by an abandoned airstrip where a jet awaited them.
"How did you manage to get us a private jet on such short notice?" Charles asked, staring curiously at the female mutant.
Angelika merely shrugged. "People owe me favours." It was half the truth. People owed her their lives and they were willing to pay back their debt by any means possible.
"I just saw the inside and it's sickening," said Peter. "Are you sure I can't come with you?"
"You're underage, Peter. You can't travel overseas without your mother's permission and I'm pretty sure she'll say no," Hank replied, an apologetic smile on his face.
The teenager insisted, "But I saw your flight schedule in the cockpit and you're going to Paris. I wanna go to the Louvres."
"The Louvres?" Angelika struggled as the corner of her lips threatened to curve upwards. "Didn't take you for an art guy."
"I'm a cultivated person, Angelika. It actually offends me that you would think otherwise."
"Sorry, sorry," she playfully hit his shoulder. "See you around, kid. Thanks for everything."
"See ya, Angelika."
Angelika boarded the plane and she had the misfortune of bumping into Erik who was changing from his prisoner uniform to a simple shirt and a pair of tan pants. He towered over her and she had to crane her neck to look at his face. "I believe a "thank you" is in order for breaking me out. Thank-"
"Stop," Angelika raised her hand, cutting him off, "The only reason you regained your freedom is because you're crucial to our plan. If I had my way, you would've never left that hole until death liberated you."
He scoffed. "You truly believe every word Logan has said? How can you be so sure that he is from the future? He could be using us for his own gain."
"Well, he can't be worse than you." Her sharp words and tight smile were enough proof of her everlasting grudge. "And I've seen the world he comes from. You were there with Charles, trying to salvage whatever remained of our race." She frowned. Come to think of it, she had not seen herself in the future. Did it mean that the Sentinels got to her? Had she fallen victim to Trask's gruesome experiments? The mere thought of it made her gag.
"Were you there?" Erik's incomplete question caused her to cock an eyebrow. He cleared his throat. "I meant to ask if you were there with me."
"No." If her answer stirred any kind of emotion inside his cold, dead heart, the metal bender did an excellent job in concealing it. The look of sympathy in his eyes, it made her want to turn around and leave. "Stop looking at me like that."
"We'll change the future, Angelika. I promise." The inkling of determination, she could feel it inside his mind. She worried that it might spark something else, deepen his hatred for the human race.
"Another empty promise, Erik? I've grown tired of them, to be honest with you." She sighed. "Don't get ambitious. Just don't do anything you would normally do."
Stepping away from the man, Angelika sat by the window and strapped the seatbelt on. She could only wish to sleep for the entirety of the flight to Paris.
-&-
Charles nearly bashed Erik's skull with the crystal cup he held in his hand. Or with the chessboard he brought over. Whatever hurt more, he wanted to hit him with it. The young professor was nearly not drunk enough to be able to look at Erik and tolerate him. But that didn't stop the man from sitting across him, half a smile dangling on the corner of his lips.
"Why Angelika?" Was his first question. Out of all mutants that Charles could sought to, Erik was curious why they solicited the female telepath's help. Was it for her powers or was she to be his leash?
"Logan." Charles took a swing of the whiskey he was nursing in his right hand before adding, "Apparently you told him to get her. You from the future."
The shift in the stoic metal bender's emotion was barely noticeable but Charles caught on. His gaze softened as he threw a quick glance at Angelika's sleeping form before he looked him in the eye again. "She is one of the most powerful mutants I've met. The last time I saw her, she was still a young girl but she was already capable of supplying electricity for the entire village."
"And what did you do to betray her," Charles asked bitterly, earning Erik's frown. "Isn't that what you normally do? Taking advantage of those who care for you and then abandoning them when you no longer have a use for them."
"It was for her safety," Erik snapped. "You have no idea how much Shaw was making our lives hell."
"You always have a reason to justify yourself, Erik," the male telepath shouted in rage, slamming his palm on the armrest. "Everything you do, it's for your selfish self, not for those around you. Be honest with yourself for once. You've abandoned her! You've abandoned me."
Charles pulled Erik up from his seat, holding him by the collar of his shirt. The metal bender took notice that Logan had also risen to intervene before the dispute worsened. "No, let him come."
"You took her away and you abandoned me!"
Angelika woke at the sound of Charles' hysterical yell and found said man holding onto Erik by his collar. When she took a step towards the fighting pair, Logan caught her wrist and shook his head. The two needed a moment to vent their anger, to lessen the hurt in their hearts to be able to work together.
"Do tell me how you lost your powers, Charles. I cannot wait to hear them." Erik was taunting Charles in an obvious manner. Though he admitted his wrong silently, he deemed that his friend was also at fault. "If I had to guess, you chose to hide from the world like a coward. You always lacked the strength to act and now look around you! You failed to protect our mutant brothers and sisters."
"And you killed the president for what? To prove that humans should be scared of mutants? Because you've done a bloody good job in proving that we are the enemy. Why do you think the government is turning a blind eye to Trask's experiments?"
"Then where were you, Charles? What did you do when they took away Alex? You were supposed to protect them!"
"Angel."
The metallic surfaced groaned at the first blow.
"Azazel."
Erik continued his assault, causing the plane to rattle dangerously.
"Emma."
It began to tilt downwards, cutlery flying from the drawers and glass smashing against each other.
"Banshee."
Angelika's eyes widened as she realised they were heading towards the ocean. The control panel emitted sounds of warning and Hank yelled for Erik to stop. She closed her eyes for a second, breathing through her nose, while she held onto the back of a seat to remain rooted where she was. Logan somehow lost his hold and plummeted into the cockpit, the door closing behind him.
She pushed herself forward. "Erik! Unless your intention is to kill us all, I suggest you stop this madness before we plunge into the ocean!"
"Don't pretend as though you are the only one who lost those dear to you," Erik snarled. "My ways may differ from yours but I did not lose them without a fight. I did not cower and I fought back, no matter what misfortune may befall on me."
"Erik!" She screeched as she caught his arm before falling towards the cockpit like Logan. "Regain your senses, Erik! You're about to drown us all!" His glacial blue eyes snapped to meet her warm brown ones, unshed tears brimming in the corner. Torn away from his dramatic tirade, he heard her pleading. Her fear forced him to relish his hold over the plane, undoing the damage he caused.
When the plane was no longer heading towards their imminent death, Angelika's knees buckled for the second time that day. She breathed roughly, trying to slow down her heartbeat. It pained her to breathe, like a thousand needles were forced down her throat. She and water did not bode well, not after Schmidt earned her total submission by repeatedly enclosing her inside a tank full of water.
It felt like her head was about to split open from others' rapid worries and loud shouts, too many hands on her body. Her powers surged and there were hisses of pain. Charles and Logan nursed their hands as they eyed her wearily, whereas Erik stood still, his jaw set, almost as if he knew that she would've shocked him to oblivion if he laid his hand on her.
"You alright?" Logan asked, his brow furrowed. "Charles said you were having a panic attack."
She kept her gaze low. "I'm fine. Just- Just clean this shit up. I would very much like to return this plane in its original state."
Hurriedly, Angelika fled to the bathroom.
-&-
The last time Angelika visited Paris, it was with Caliban on Christmas eve. His skin condition forbade him from wandering in daylight but the City of Light was the perfect place to explore at night as well. She remembered how delighted he was as they crossed Pont Royal to see Opéra Garnier. Everything was so bright, filling their young minds with hopes and dreams.
It was a few months after Erik's abrupt departure and Agnes' funerals, when she was still a teenager and Caliban a whining child. They had to skip meals to save up for money to travel but it was worth it. The change of scenery had refreshed them both, giving them the strength to move forwards. And now she was back to save the mutant race.
Charles had rented a car at the airport and they headed straight to the Hôtel Georges V where the Peace Summit was being held. This time, Angelika drove because she knew the city well and Erik rode shotgun with the others all squashed in the back seat. They had not spoken after the stunt he pulled; he did not ask her if she was feeling better, just like she did not bother reprimanding him for his recklessness. However, it seemed that Charles had pardoned him — just a tiny bit, for the sake of this mission —as she found them playing chess earlier.
As they slowly approached the back entrance of the hotel, two soldiers walked forward, holding their hand up to halt them. Erik raised his own and flicked his wrist, using a steel grid to push them away, raising the barricade with ease.
In honesty, Angelika still felt conflicted. Would stopping Raven truly save the future? Leaving Trask alive, would it be enough proof that mutants do not seek the blood of humans? They were fickle creatures who feared what they could not comprehend and they always lusted what was not theirs.
She shook her head. Now was not the time to doubt.
The telepath fell behind as Charles, Logan and Hank marched rapidly towards the conference room, following them despite her hesitation. Erik gently nudged her with his elbow. "I know that look. You're hesitating."
Angelika scrunched up her nose, hating that he was so quick to read her. "And? Would you like a candy as a reward for guessing what I'm thinking?"
"I don't blame you," he spoke quietly, "Even I am itching to kill Bolivar Trask."
"You can't teach a murderer that he is wrong by taking his life, Erik."
"And Bolivar Trask is not just a murderer, Angelika."
"I believe we already had a similar conversation a long time ago and I had failed to convince you." She sighed. "All that I ask of you is to think before you act. We are not part of the Brotherhood, we do not share your beliefs. But we are pushing aside our odds and differences to secure our future. So, I beg you, Erik. Don't kill anyone."
Does she know?
Did she know what? Just as she was about to ask what he meant, she heard the panicked thoughts of those who were attending the Peace Summit, alarmed by a mutant with blue skin and the ability to metamorphose.
She clicked her tongue. "We need to hurry, Charles," said the female telepath urgently, "Raven has made herself known." And hurry, Charles did. He sprinted down the hall, shouting his sister's name, hoping he was not too late.
In the nick of time, Mystique stopped her advance towards Trask and turned to see her brother's face. Out of all people, Stryker was also present and Angelika saw red as he fired taser gun at the blue-skinned mutant, causing her to convulse painfully on the table. Erik was quick to act. He redirected the tasers to Stryker, giving him a taste of his own medicine.
"Raven! Raven!" Charles cried out in worry, rushing to comfort his sister, gently cradling her face in hands as she moaned in pain. "Raven?"
"Charles?"
He sighed in relief, a tearful smile on his face. "We've come for you, Erik and I, together."
Angelika momentarily got lost in her thoughts as she watched Stryker writhe in pain, drool dripping from his open mouth. It was a glorious sight. After all the violence and cruelty he inflicted on mutants, it partially satiated her thirst for his life. From the corner of her eyes, she noticed that Logan was also staring at him. Flashes of the clawed mutant being experimented sent painful jolts to her head and she realised that his mind was no longer in 1973. He was lost in his memories of his future life where he was forced to reborn as Wolverine, robbed of his life and identity. And Stryker was the one who caused him such pain.
"Logan! Logan! You need to stay here with us!"
"No!" She heard Charles' desperate cry as he tackled Erik to the ground but she saw the gun fire under Erik's manipulation, the bullet forced to follow Mystique until it hit her. The metal bender pushed off his friend and went after his sister, intent on killing her. Hank roared at the sight, blue fur covering his enlarged body and eyes shining amber. On all four, he chased after them.
Overwhelmed, her head was spinning, standing in the centre of chaos. In a blink of an eye, she found herself tending to a disoriented Logan while Erik was trying to kill Raven and Hank turned into... something. This was certainly not part of the plan.
"Go," Charles urged her. "I'll look after Logan. You're the only one who can stop Erik from killing Raven. Please, save my sister."
With a nod, Angelika leapt from the broken window. She wondered if they were not screwing up the screw up. Despite Erik's idiocy and all of their stupidity, would they be able to save the future now when their present was doomed?
Mystique had taken another appearance but Angelika knew where she had hidden in the crowd and so did Erik. She was wounded, shot in her calf, and left a trail of blood whichever direction she ran in. He pulled her by the bullet embedded in her skin and the blue-skinned mutant yelped in pain.
Heaving, Mystique stared at the man she once claimed as her friend, partner and lover in fear. "Erik, please..."
"I'm sorry." His face held no regret as he removed the bullet. It hovered above her head dangerously but before he could take any action, faster than Hank in his fully mutated form, Angelika reached for the bullet, the emerald energy englobing the small piece of metal until it became a mere puddle.
Gritting her teeth, she gathered all the electricity she could find in the area, from the hotel, electric posts and parked cars. She shot the orb of energy she held towards the sky, watching it turn grey and the clouds grow heavy with rain. The soft pitter patter turned into a heavy shower and she could barely keep her eyes open. Thunder roared loudly, leading the journalists and curious passerby to flee.
"You can't win against me in this condition, Erik," Angelika said. "No matter what you do, what you try, I'll always have the upper hand."
In that instant, Angelika was engulfed in an emerald glow, the low hum of electricity could be heard. As ironic as it sounded at the moment, she was perfection in his eyes, displaying her grandeur in public, fighting for a cause she believed in.
Swallowing hard, Erik regained his stoic expression and took hold of the pipes of a fountain behind him. They rattled loudly to make themselves known as his weapon, to prove that he was ready to use force to obtain what he desired. "I do not wish to harm you, Angelika, but Mystique must die to secure our future."
"Foolish Erik," Angelika chuckled bitterly. "You always think you're the smartest in the room, that you know what's best for everyone. But you only look at the tip of the ice berg, not the entirety of it."
When she asked Charles to let her supervise Erik, she had hoped it wouldn't come to this. No matter how much he hurt her, how wrong he was, he would always be the boy who pulled her from hell and protected her with his life. As much as she hated him, she cared for him just as much. It reassured her that he did not have telepathy. Otherwise, he would've found out that contrary to the strong, unshakeable expression she wore, she was quivering inside at the thought of hurting him.
"Hank, help Mystique. Take her away from here."
Erik made a move to stop them, sending a two bent pipes in their direction but a lightening struck the pavement, flashing loudly and brightly. Stunned, he lost hold of it and Hank fled rapidly with Mystique in his arms.
He narrowed his eyes. "I gave you a chance to walk away, Angelika. I will not give you another."
"And I'm done giving you chances that you don't deserve," she countered, taking a daring step forwards.
"Do your worst, Lehnsherr."
And so he did.