let me steal this moment from you now
Charles slowly opened his eyes after being out of it for a brief moment. He glanced up to assure Alex that he was fine, only to find nobody there. He then realised that, despite being in his wheelchair, he could feel his legs. Frowning, he stretched them, and to his astonishment, they complied. He stood up, surprised that despite 20 years of inactivity, he could move his legs freely. He felt a wave of fear wash over him right away; something wasn't right.
‘‘Charles!”
Charles spins around in relief, eager to follow the new voice. Instead, he stops dead in his tracks, his eyes wide with disbelief at the figure in front of him. The mop of curly red hair is unmistakable.
”Sean? ", he said quietly. No, no, he'd gotten the letter, he'd wept for days, he'd felt- "Prof, what are you doing there? Everyone's in the mansion, Hanks had this crazy idea," the redhead exclaimed, and yet Charles could only stare. "What's wrong, prof?", Charles rushed to shake his head, "No, Sean! There's nothing-".
"You know, if it weren't for you, I'd probably be eating dinner with my family right now." I'm sure they could have done a much better job of protecting me. That's what you were supposed to do, right? Keep us safe? Keep me safe? As he spoke, his skin greyed and his eyes bled white. Charles staggered back, shaking, "No, you're not, no," turning around and began to run, only to collide with a chest and topple downward.
"Raven," he sighed, relieved. "We need to get out of here, something is wrong," he says as he lifts himself off the ground and walks toward her. He then blinks, looking at the unusually still Raven, "Raven, what's wrong?" He reaches out to touch her, only to have his wrist seized in a tight grip, he gasps as the hand wrapped around him transforms into a gnarled pasty white hand instead.
When he looked up, he saw his sister sneering at him, "What's wrong?", she scoffed, dark and hollow and nothing like his sister. "What's wrong is that you forced me to hide who I am for years. You made me feel like the most hideous creature on the planet, like a monster. You forced me to hide myself. You were supposed to be my brother, not my tormentor," she snarled, her grip on his hand severing his circulation.
He shook his head, ”No, Raven, please, I did it to protect you, please. I'm sorry, I know I should've been better, I know I was a terrible brother to you, I'm sorry, I'm sorry”, he sobbed.
He felt his chin lift and shuddered at what he saw in front of him. That was not his sister, but a monster with a nightmarish face looking intently at him. "But that's not what you told her, Charles," the hollow voice echoed around him, and he yanked himself free from the creature's grasp and ran. He realised he had come face to face with Vecna, the one he and his X-men had been searching for since the last murder in the mansion. He could hear yelling behind him but didn't dare to look back.
And ran straight into the fields of the mansion in Westchester. He sighed in relief, recognising the grounds. He had escaped, but no- he could still move his legs and why was it so eerily quiet?
He stumbled forward towards the house, but what he saw almost made him collapse. Instead, he dashed towards the smouldering ruins of the school. His knees buckled as he approached the rubble and noticed that it wasn't just concrete and wood in the ashes, but also his students. He was sobbing openly when he caught sight of flaming red hair in his peripheral vision. He staggered over to her and cradled her in his lap.
"Jean, my love, Jean, please look at me," he begged, her unfocused gaze found his face, "Professor," she whimpered. He clung to her even more tightly, "Yes, yes, darling, it's me, darling," he soothed, running his hand through her hair. "You-where were you, professor? I thought you were supposed to be our protector! I thought this was a safe haven for us; where were you when our house burned down, where were you when my friends were turned to ashes?" she screamed. He pulled away from her, falling backwards and into scarlet.
He stood up quickly and took in his surroundings, which included four pillars around him, a staircase to his left, and a stained glass window with a rose. This place was brand-new to him.
"There you are, Charles," a low voice drawled behind him, and he turned around to face Vecna.
He ran without thinking, having no idea where he was, but he didn't get very far before a slimy vine wrapped itself around his leg, causing him to trip and fall to the ground. ”Shit! ", he screamed as he was dragged against his will backwards until his back thumped against a pillar. His arms and legs were tied to his sides, and another vine wrapped around his throat, tightening until his eyes rolled back and his mind began to panic due to the lack of airflow. Vecna began to approach him, growling with each step as he watched in horror.
*
"Where is it, where is it?" Erik shouted as he rummaged through Charles' belongings for the damned cassette tape. Raven was shaking Charles' limp body in his wheelchair, his pupils rolling to the back of his head. Erik found the cassette tape while Alex was assisting him in his search. "I have it, it's here," he scrambled towards Charles. Raven took the tape from him and quickly put the headphones on Charles. "Come on, Charles! Erik yelled, clutching his old friend's hand.
*
You don't want to hurt me
Charles perked up from his restraints, the familiar melody reaching his ears. His eyes found a portal, and he could see his family. He saw Alex, Raven and Erik, crowded around him, their voices begging him to wake up. Vecna noticed this as well, turning his head toward the portal. "They can't help you, Charles," he growls, tightening the vines around Charles' neck, "you belong here, with me." But Charles had hope now, and he fought harder against his restraints, choking out, "You'll never win." Vecna cocked his head, a smirk on his sinister features, "Oh, but I have," he murmured, "I have," and a massive, gnarled hand blocked his vision.
*
And if I only could
I’d make a deal with God
And I’d get him to swap our places
They all collectively fell backwards as Charles' limp body started floating. They all stared for a minute, in shock before scrambling onto their feet.
”Charles!”, they shouted.
Erik used his powers, levitating himself up to Charles and cupping his face. ”Please, Charles! Come back to me! Fight him, Charles!”, he begged.
*
Be running up that road
Be running up that hill
Be running up that building
Charles' gaze shifts from the slimy hand in front of him to the portal, where he notices Erik floating beside him, cupping his cheeks. "Fight, Charles!" he hears him say. "Fight! ", and all of a sudden the memories come flooding to him.
Oh come on, baby
Seeing Raven for the very first time in his kitchen (I always knew I wasn't the only one). Raven cuddled up beside him as he researched his thesis. Raven's arms wrapping around him in an embrace.
Oh come on, darling
Sean flying for the first time. Alex's grin when he hit the dummy. Hanks laugh after beating him in their race. All of them sat together at the dining table, smiling and joking as they ate breakfast.
Let me steal this moment from you now
Pulling Erik out of the freezing water (You're not alone Erik). Playing chess with different backgrounds. Erik's joy after successfully moving the satellite.
Oh come on, angel
His students running around the school, their laughter filling the walls. Reciting stories to his engrossed students. Jeans laughing face in his study.
Come on, come on, darling
Erik and him tangled up in sheets. Erik's soft smile when their eyes meet.
Let’s exchange the experience, oh
Erik whispering that he loved him.
His eyes snapped open, his hand reached forward and tore a chunk out of Vecna's neck. He gasped as the monster stumbled away, freeing him. He scrambled to his feet and ran without hesitation. Dodging all of Vecna's attacks and sprinting straight for the portal.
He was so close, so close, so-
*
He panted as he regained consciousness. Erik instantly caught his body and cradled it against his chest. "I thought I lost you, I thought you-" Charles clutched Erik's hand, his shoulder, anything, "I'm still here. Erik, I'm still here".