chapter seventeen • 17
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"I can't believe I married my best friend."

•••

Alex, Charles and Natalie drove back the School with Moira. Alex was driving, with Charles in the front with Moira and Natalie in the back. As they arrived, Moira was looking out the window, amazed.

"I've read so much about this place. But being here, it feels kind of - Familiar," Moira smiled. You could just feel the smile on Charles' face. "Strange," She sighed.

"Quite," Charles looked at Alex. "Shall we," Alex and Natalie got out of the car, and got Charles' wheelchair and Alex helped him into his chair and Natalie wheeled him inside with Alex and Moira following.

As Alex and Natalie helped Charles back into his regular chair that he controls himself, they headed back to Charles' office.

"Hank?" Charles called out. "You in here?" Charles, Alex and Natalie reached his office.

Raven. She was back.

"Moira," Raven stood up.

"Raven," Charles spoke.

"I'm sorry, have we met?" Moira asked.

"I – um," Charles stuttered. "Hank, Alex, Nat, Agent MacTaggert, can you give us just a moment, please."
Alex put an arm around Natalie's waist and they exited the room.

•••

They headed outside, and sat on a bench.

"I know how much being outside makes you feel, rested," Alex smiled.

"More than rested, I feel, at home. Like I'm meant to be out here. I can feel, the energy swarm through me just by a touch of a finger." Natalie sighed. Alex smiled, Natalie looked at the bandage around his arm.

"I'm so sorry, Alex, I didn't mean to hurt you," She put a hand on his arm.

"No, no, it's okay, I'm fine, this isn't the first time that this has happened," He lied back on the seat and smiled at her.

"I can fix it, you know?"

"I know, but I know how much it drains you, and I think Charles needs you at your best right now," Alex stroked her cheek. Natalie leant in and gave him a kiss.

"Thank you." She sighed.

"For what?" He asked.

"For being here, for – for being you," Natalie leant her head on his shoulder. He kissed the top of her head.

"I can't believe I married my best friend," Natalie looked at him and leant in a softly kissed him. "I honestly don't know what I would do without you," Natalie smiled. There was a small pause.

"Can I ask you something?" Alex looked at her. Natalie smiled at him and nodded.

"Your family, before this. Are they – Did they –" Alex started, Natalie sat back up, feeling slightly uncomfortable of the idea of bringing up her family.

"No, no, my husband and daughter are still alive, well. I don't – I mean, they should –" Natalie struggled to speak, trying to find the right words.

"You haven't seen them, have you?" He asked.

She took a breath, remembering that she never explained to him about her past properly before. "Ever since that day, I was in hiding, for 16 years, before the CIA found me, and hid me." Natalie looked in front of her, seeing the young mutants walk around, talking, peacefully.

"You couldn't face them," Alex sighed.

"No, not after that. What I did, was the very thing my husband never wanted to happen, because he believed that I was the very Daughter of Mother Nature." Natalie leant back on the chair, Alex looked at her.

"Really?" He asked, she nodded. "Well, If they're still alive. You should see them, before it's too late. I mean, they probably saw you on TV." Alex sat up and faced her.

"I-I don't know," She shrugged, looking down.

"Please, I mean, they're probably confused, they deserve to know the truth." Alex held her hand.

"It's been 41 years, Alex. How do you think they'll react? My daughter is probably a grandmother for all I know, and Chester? I – I just can't" She put her head in her hands.

"That's my point, Nat. You have a family, which, technically I am related too now." Alex rubbed her back. "Look, after all of this, I'll take you there, I'll be there for you." Natalie looked up at him.

"Why do you want to do this?" Natalie stood up.

"Because I know you, deep down you want to see them, Natalie. And I know it's going to be big, and I know you're struggling to find the truth." Alex stood up and walked in front of her. "You need closure. And they need it too. Maybe that's what you needed all these years, to make the nightmares stop."

Natalie's eyes started to well up. "You really think so?"

"Hon, you're nightmares, you're demons are taking over you because of your deep guilt and remorse. And you finding out the truth and hearing what they have to say will help you."

Natalie felt the breeze around her pick up and she closed her eyes, and then soft rain drops fell, lightly dropping onto their skin. She smiled and opened her eyes looking directly into Alex's, she could get lost in his eyes, he meant the world to her.

"Natalie? Did you make it rain?" Alex asked looking up.

"No, I mean - I don't know -" Natalie struggled to find the right words as she felt peace flow around her.

"Alex! Nat!" Hank called out. She turned around and Hank was asking them to come inside. Natalie looked back at Alex.

"I'll do it, we'll go together, whether I get rejected or not, I know you'll be there for me." Natalie embraced Alex and then left towards inside.

•••

Hank, Alex, Raven, Moira, Charles and Natalie went downstairs and made their way to Cerebro. Raven informed them that she wants Charles to find Erik. Erik has been into hiding since that incident 10 years ago. Raven told them that he had a wife and child, but they were killed, along with a dozen cops.

They entered Cerebro, and Raven, Alex and Moira all looked around, impressed.

"Moira, I'm going to have to ask you to keep this a secret." Charles spoke.

"I don't even know what this, is," Moira looked around, confused.

"Cerebro," Raven looked at Hank. "The new model,"

Charles placed the helmet on and it lit up. Then all of a sudden the room changed to a black room with blue figures around them.

"What are those?" Moira asked.

"Those are all the humans of the world," Charles spoke. "And this, " Most of the figures suddenly disappeared, and some turned red.

"They're all the mutants," Charles sighed. "I'm connected to all of their minds,"

Moira looked around, stunned. "The CIA would kill for this,"

"I know they would," Charles spoke. "Where are you Erik?"

Natalie put a hand on Charles' shoulder, he stopped and Natalie let him read her mind.

"Let me talk to him, I know what he's going through,"

"Are you sure?"

"Definitely,"

Suddenly one red figure faced them. Erik.

"Hello Old Friend," Charles spoke softly. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I feel your pain. And your loss."

•••

Erik was in a room. "You think just because you can see into my head, you know how it feels, you're looking into the wrong place, Charles."

Charles' held Natalie's hand, and projected her voice to Erik.

"I'm so sorry, Erik. Charles may not know what you're going through, but I do. Let us help you,"

Erik paused, hearing Natalie's voice, it was familiar, peaceful. But he shook it off, not letting her distract him.

"Help me?"

"Please, Erik. Don't let your anger control you, think of your wife, think of your daughter, what would have they of wanted?"

"They would have wanted to live. I tried your way, Natalie. I tried to be like them. Live like them. But it always ends the same way. They took everything away from me. Now. We'll take everything from them."

•••

"Natalie," Charles spoke, Natalie leaned in. "He's not alone." Suddenly the control panel in front of Charles lit up. The numbers moving like crazy.

"Ch-Charles, wait," Hank spoke and started looking at the control panel.

"Oh my god." Charles spoke. The room around them, suddenly turned purple.

"Charles! Charles! Get out!" Hank insisted. Natalie stood next to Charles and looked at him.

"I've never felt power like this before," Charles spoke. His eyes turning black.

"Charles?" Natalie worriedly looked at him.

"What's going on? What's happening?" Moira questioned.

"Charles you need to get out of there!" Natalie begged.

"I – I think someone's taking over, someone's taking control of Cerebro." Hank said.

"To do what?" Raven asked.

"To connect,"

Natalie looked in front of her and military figures appeared. Eyes turning black. All at their bases. They unlocked a button. Then pressed it.

The nuclear weapons. Launched. All of them.

"Charles!" Hank yelled. Hank attempted to take the helmet off, but electricity emitted off of it, zapping, Hank, Raven and Natalie. Charles started yelling in pain.

"Hank do something!" Raven yelled.

Hank started punching the metal control panel. He ripped out the wires. "It won't shut down!"

Charles continued to yell in pain. "Alex!" Charles yelled.

"What?" He stood next to him.

"Destroy it! Destroy everything! Destroy Cerebro!" He yelled.

Alex stood in front of him.

"Wreak Havoc," Charles spoke.

Alex looked at Natalie, he handed her his wedding ring, knowing it would melt from a previous experience. Natalie placed it in her pocket and nodded at him. He then stood in front of Charles. He flung his arms back and his read beam emitted from his chest. Charles yelled.

Then another beam from his right hand, then another from his left. Alex yelled then Cerebro shut down. Alex stumbled back and Natalie grabbed him. she looked behind her and Charles was unconscious. Hank removed the helmet and he wheeled him out of Cerebro.

"Charles! Charles! Are you okay?" Hank kneeled in front of him.

Then a loud noise erupted and they looked up. A purple orb appeared then five people appeared. Erik was one of them. A tall man, with metal armour, helmet and blue skin stood in front. Apocalypse. Two women, one with short white hair, Storm. The other with long brown hair, Psylocke. And another man behind them, short blonde hair and he had metal wings, Archangel.

"Erik," Natalie spoke.

Erik looked at her, almost hesitated, but then lifted his hand and Charles went into the air and flew towards them.

"Charles!" Raven yelled.

Alex started running.

"Alex!" Natalie yelled.

"Hey! Hey Asshole!" Alex yelled. Natalie started sprinting after him.

"All will be revealed my child," Apocalypse spoke. And the purple orb appeared again.

"Stop!" Natalie yelled.

Alex stopped and his red beam emitted.

"No!" Natalie screamed. "Alex!

Then an explosion formed in their eyes then –

•••