"You shouldn't have come here."

"I could say the same thing about you... And that's my shirt."

"Lyla, don't push it." Charles warned but I waved him off and stepped closer to Jean.

"Forget about them. I wanted to come alone, but the migraine I have prevented me from tracking you down." I pulled my cowl back and crossed my arms. "I'm here to bring you home, Jean... Where you're loved and we can help you."

"I don't have a home!" Jean yelled and pointed at Charles. "He made sure of that."

"Jean, for the love of God Almighty... Charles barely even thinks anymore, okay? I'd take everything he did with a grain of salt."

"He took my memories... He told me my father was dead and used me for my powers."

"Red, I'm sure that's not true... All he ever wanted was to help you."

"By taking my memories?"

"I'll admit that's completely fucked up and he never should've done that but-"

"I did it to protect you, Jean." Charles defended.

"Jean, come home please." I begged before hearing sirens approaching and her eyes started to glow while my claws grew.

"Stay away from me!" Jean waved her hand and the police cars crashed into each other.

"Kurt!" I yelled and he teleported me to Jean who was currently trying to float away until I grabbed her leg and we both fell onto the house. "Red, I don't want to hurt you!"

"I do." She said, knocking me back against a wall which ultimately broke.

"Lyla!" Scott yelled and helped me stand.

"Charles, make them stop before they hurt her!" I yelled and everyone froze except for him, Raven, Jean and I.

"I told you to stay away!"

"That's never gonna happen, Jean." Raven said. "We're here to help you."

"Please stop." Jean begged, landing in front of us.

"Not until we know you're gonna be okay."

"Something's happening to me... I can't understand it."

"So come home and be my sister again." I pleaded. "Let me help you, Red."

"Claws... You don't know what it's like." She cried and I smiled at the old nickname. "When it comes, people get hurt."

"I'm not afraid of you, Jean."

"Jean, focus on my voice." Raven added and stepped closer to her. "We're gonna get through this together. I'm not giving up on you and neither is your sister... This is what family does. We take care of each other."

"STOP!" Jean screamed, holding her head and the two of us were sent back and impaled with the broken wood.

I slowly looked to my side and saw Raven struggle to breathe and my eyes widened.

"No..." Jean sobbed and ran up to us. "Claws, I-"

"I'll be fine, Red. I can get out in a moment." I assured, ignoring the taste of blood in my mouth. "Just need to catch my breath first."

"I'm so sorry..." She whispered and flew away.

"Lyla!" Scott screamed, running up to me with Hank.

"I can't catch my breath." Raven choked out and turned to me. "Lyla, I-"

"You're gonna be okay, Raven." I said, slowly sliding away from the wood and screamed out in pain.

"Don't try to move." Scott ordered but I ignored him and kept sliding away. "You'll bleed out and-"

"I'll heal, Scott. It'll just take a while." I groaned and fell to my knees holding my abdomen when Hank let out a cry. "Oh God... Don't tell me she's-"

"She's dead."

。✯ ＼ ｜ ／✯ 。

"It'll take a few days to heal, but you'll be-"

"Hank, stop." I sighed, pushing his hand away from the bandage on my abdomen. "I know I'll heal. I'm more worried about you."

"She's dead." He said. "We're the only ones left of the first class."

"I know... But she died doing what she loved and it was protecting mutants."

"Jean never should've-"

"Jean can't control it, Hank. I almost killed you once during a frenzy, remember? Alex and Sean had to practically chain me to a wall so I wouldn't hurt anyone else... Jean's experiencing the same thing and we shouldn't hold it against her."

"She's still dead... You got impaled the same way and you're still here."

"Because of my mutation, McCoy." I sat up and crossed my arms. "It isn't my fault that I have regenerative abilities."

"Weakened. Your regenerative abilities are fully focused on keeping the adamantium away from your blood and are currently replacing any damaged cells. Not to mention that you'll eventually die of adamantium poisoning because your abilities can only work for so long." He spat, tossing me a file and walked away, bumping into Scott in the process. "Looks like you're not as invincible as you think."

"What was that about?"

"Hank grieving. I wouldn't take it to heart." I waved it off and opened my file. "Though I will beat his ass soon for keeping this from me."

"Keep what from you?" Scott asked, sitting next to me on the bed.

"Apparently my regenerative abilities are weakened thanks to the adamantium... It's currently working overtime on keeping me alive so I don't get metal poisoning."

"You can get that?"

"You do know that adamantium is toxic, right? If I didn't have my abilities, I probably would've died the moment I was injected with it."

"Every time I learn something new about you it brings me actual physical pain and it's not my usual migraines."

"I'll be fine, Scott. I've probably got a few good years in me before the adamantium kills me." I assured and stood up with a wince. "I've got bigger things to worry about right now."

"Like Jean?"

"I'm worried about her, Scott. She's alone and probably scared to death." I admitted and set my file aside. "I don't know what to do, red eyes."

"I don't want to say it, but she killed Raven, Lyla." Scott frowned and stood up. "I know she didn't mean to, but-"

"Exactly. She didn't mean to. It was an accident." I defended and crossed my arms. "Jean would never hurt a soul, that's my job."

"I know it was an accident, sweetheart. But I'm afraid we're one of the few ones who see that... Especially now with Raven gone and-"

"She didn't mean it, Scott!"

"I know she didn't... But if it weren't for your abilities, we'd be mourning two X-men, not just one."

"I'll heal, I always do."

"You're not understanding what I'm trying to say."

"What I understand is that she's my best friend and I'll do anything to help her."

"I know that." He sighed and held my hands. "I'm just making sure you know just how serious this is... Lyla, Mystique is gone and Jean was the one who killed her. The cops are searching for her and possibly us for letting her leave. I know it was an accident, but it's not looking good for any of us."

"But I can't just step aside while my sister needs me."

"And I'm not asking you and I certainly won't stop you."

"I'm gonna miss Raven." I admitted and blinked back my tears. "Despite everything, I looked up to her so much."

"You don't have to act tough around me, Lyla." Scott whispered and wiped a stray tear. "It's just you and me."

"Why did she have to die?" I cried and he immediately pulled me into his arms. "I don't like losing people I care about, Scott... I don't want to lose anyone else."

"I know, sweetheart. I don't want to lose anyone else either."

"I don't know what to do."

"You don't have to know anything right now, Lyla... I've got you."

"Please don't die... And Jean was right."

"Right about what?"

"That I'm getting too attached."

"Maybe getting attached isn't the worst thing." Scott chuckled and rested his forehead against mine. "Means we're not alone in this mess."

"I don't want to lose anyone else." I said and glanced at my file on the bench until Scott gently made me look at him again.

"Don't think about that right now. We're crossing that bridge when we get to it."

"If I ever get to it."

"When we get to it. You're stuck with me, Howlett."

"You better mean that, Summers." I lightly teased and wiped my tears.

"I always mean it. You're not getting rid of me that easily." He smiled and pecked my lips. "And we're gonna find a way to help Jean and bring her home. I promise."

"But what if we can't?"

"We're X-men, Lyla. We can do anything."