Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter 1!

Peter hadn't been fast enough, if only he had been careful. He had no idea that Jean would be able to see him coming, this new power of hers was unique. He had been tossed to one side like a rag doll, but his landing had been broken by a bouncy castle one of Jean's Father's neighbours had ordered for their child's birthday party. He had lost consciousness for a few seconds, when he finally came around he was surrounded by clown balloons and broken chairs. Luckily for Peter he hadn't been badly injured, he had a few scrapes and bruises forming on his face but he had managed to ignore his pain while he got to his feet. But when he returned to his teammates Jean had already gone and Raven had been injured, but something didn't feel right.

At first Peter hadn't realized how badly injured Raven was until he saw the fence sticking through her chest, she was gasping for breath and her voice was filled with panic. Hank was with her, he was comforting her and trying his best to help her while she struggled to breath. He rested his forehead against Raven's head when her head fell to one side, she was gone. Raven had died from her injures and Jean was the one who caused their friend's death, Peter couldn't get his head around it. Hank had been inconsolable, he stayed by Raven's side until she had breathed her last breath. The mood was somber, they had lost one of their own.

Charles had remained silent, he had his chance to stop Jean by letting Hank tranquilizer her but Charles had decided to let Raven speak with Jean. But the Professor's decision had been the wrong one, the cost of his failure was Raven's life. Hank was the one who had to pull Raven's lifeless body from the fence, Peter dared not look while Hank pulled her free. He didn't want to see Raven this way, she had been the heart of the X Men and now that heart wasn't beating anymore.

They boarded the X Jet and Hank laid Raven's body on a stretcher, Storm had taken a white bed sheet from a washing line and covered Raven up with it. They took their normal seats and remained silent on the journey back to the school, they were all fighting back their tears for their fallen friend. After they had landed back in the Hanger they all walked in single file down the X Jet's ramp, Hank carried Raven in his arms and took her somewhere private so none of the students would see her.

Charles had returned to his office, he planned on drowning his sorrows in the bottom of a bottle of scotch. Hank was furious with Charles, he had kept his distance from him on the X Jet and he refused to speak with him. It was up to Peter and the rest of his teammates to tell the students about Raven, they didn't know what to say to them since they had never really experience anything like this before since they had joined the X Men.

Hank had told them to met him in the teacher's kitchen in two hours time, he would run them through the school's grievance procedure. They decided first to get cleaned up and then arrange the school meeting in the main hallway or somewhere else around the school, they needed to gather all the students together first instead of telling them individually.

Peter had lingered in his dorm room for over an hour, he was dreading leaving his room. He didn't want to face the students and break the news to them about Raven, she was a role model to all the students at the school. Sighing to himself Peter found the courage to leave his room, he closed the door behind him and spoke to a group of students at the end of the corridor. At first they asked him if Jean had returned to the school, but after a while they soon began to question him about his bruised and cut face.

" Are you okay Peter?" One of the students asked.

" I'm fine, I'll walk it off." Peter replied, he tried to act like his cheerful self. " But will you guys do me a favour? We've got a school meeting in the main hallway in two hours time, I need to you pass the message on for me to the rest of the students. Do you think you guys can do that for me?"

" What's the meeting about?" Another student asked.

" I can't discuss that with you right now." Peter replied. " But just pass the message on for me, okay?"

" Sure thing, Peter!" Another student said.

" I knew I could count of you guys, thanks." Peter smiled.

Peter watched the students hurrying along the corridor together, he saw one of the students passing the message onto one of their friends for him and then that student hurried into their dorm room to tell their roommate. After that Peter headed to the teacher's kitchen, he planned to meet Hank and the rest of his teammates there since they needed to know how the school's grievance procedure worked. He entered the kitchen and saw Hank sitting at the table with an open folder in front of him, he sat across from him at the table. Hank hadn't even noticed that Peter was in the kitchen, he was staring down at the open folder in front of him.

" Hank..." Peter said.

" Hm?" Hank asked, he looked up at Peter from his folder." Oh, I didn't see you there..."

" It's cool." Peter replied.

Hank sighed and sat up straight on the chair while he ran his hands over his face, he looked awful. Peter didn't know what to say to him, he knew that Hank had been close with Raven. They had known each other for decades, Raven had once told Peter about how they had first met back in the 1960s. She had also told him about the time Hank had nearly strangled Erik when he had given him a compliment about his new blue appearance, a scientific accident had caused Hank's blue beast form they all were familiar with now and that he hadn't taken Erik's compliment that well at first. Raven had told Peter many thing about Erik over the years, she had been close with his Father once. Raven had been encouraging Peter to tell Erik that he was his Son for the last few years, she wanted Erik to find some happiness. But has always Peter had chicken out, he was still nervous about telling Erik the truth.

" Sorry I'm not every talkative..." Hank said.

" It's understandable." Peter said, he licked his lips nervously. " This may sound weird, but I keep expecting Raven to walk through that doorway any minute now. She use to always have a coffee after missions, she was the only woman I knew who could eat four croissants for breakfast and then a bowl of cereal afterwards for a snack."

" I know how you feel, I keep expecting to see her round the school too." Hank said.

Peter poured himself a coffee and waiting for the rest of his teammates to turn up, he made small talk with Hank in the meantime. They spoke about Raven and what would happen next at the school, but Hank did have some harsh words to share with Peter about Charles. Hank blamed himself for not tranquilizing Jean when he had the chance, if it wasn't for the Professor telling him otherwise then Raven may still be alive. Peter understood why Hank was angry, the situation could have been handled differently.

It wasn't long until the rest of Peter's teammates turned up in the kitchen, Scott and Kurt sat at the table with them. Storm leaned against one of the kitchen's counters and crossed her arms, they were already to discussion the school's grievance procedure. The Professor had written a ten page document about how to handle loss at the school, it was a straight forward procedure. School lessons would be halted for two weeks, there would be support and counselling available for all the students if needed. There would be a time of refection before Raven's funeral, the students would be given the choice if they would like to attend her funeral.

" It sounds easy when it's written down on sheets of paper, how will we handle this?" Scott asked.

" One step at a time, that's all we can do." Hank replied.

" It's easier said than done..." Scott said.

Peter rested his hand on Scott's arm and told him that it was okay, he knew this was hard on everyone right now. Scott was also dealing with Jean's disappearance, he was worried about Jean just like the rest of them even though none of them said it. Hank handed out copies of the school's grievance procedure, they all had a few minutes to read it for themselves and form some kind of plan how they would handle this situation. It was going to be hard on the students learning about Raven's death, they had to make sure they handled it the right way.

" We should arrange an assembly in Student Activity Room, they should be told together." Storm said.

" I've already sent the message out." Peter said before he took a sip of his coffee. " The students will be gathering in the main hallway in an hours time, all we've got to do is show up."

" One step ahead of us has always, huh Maximoff? " Scott asked, his gaze lingered on Peter. " I'm glad you're here for this, we need to stick together."

" We've got this, bro." Peter replied.

" I would like to ask a question." Kurt said.

" Sure, what would you like to know?" Hank asked.

" Are we allowed to pray for Raven?" Kurt asked while he looked down at the Rosary in his hands. " I would like to pray for her, do you think the students would join me in prayer? It may bring them comfort."

" I think that's a wonderful idea." Storm said.

" Raven would like Kurt, she really would." Hank smiled.

Hank spoke with his teammates and told them he couldn't face the students right now, he was relying on them to break the news to the students. Hank chose Scott to be the main spokesman, the rest of them were given the task to support the students. Scott didn't want to do it though, he felt like it wasn't his place to break the news to the students about Raven. Storm suggested that they could all do it together, Scott could begin the assembly and someone else could end it. But Scott piped up and told them he would do it after all, he said he owed it to Raven.

Hank left his teammates in the kitchen, they all sat in silence until it was time for them to leave for the assembly in the main hallway. They left the kitchen and walked together down the corridor, the odd student hurried passed them. Storm had stopped for a moment and looked along the corridor that lead to the Professor's office, she asked the rest of them if they should checked on him. But Scott told Storm no, he said it was best for them to deal with the students while the Professor drowned his sorrows with booze. Peter couldn't agree more with him, Charles wasn't in the right mindset to deal with the situation right now.

They turned into another corridor and it wasn't long until they saw the students gathering by the staircase, they were all talking amongst themselves. Peter glanced at Scott, his gaze was directly focused on the task in hand. None of them were mentally prepared for this, it was going to be hard to tell the students about Raven. All the students attention was soon focused on their Team Leaders, the odd student whispered to each other and Peter even swore he heard one of them talking about Jean going rogue on them. He had no idea how any of the students knew about that, but the news had been reporting about the incident at Red Hook.

" Settle down everyone!" Storm said.

The students all began to settle down and the hallway went silent, Peter stood with Scott on the staircase. Storm and Kurt stood at the bottom on the staircase in case they were needed. The odd student kept whispering but Storm hushed them, it seemed like the students were full of gossip and questions. Scott cleared his throat and cupped his hands together in front of him, he was now ready to break the news to the students about Raven.

" I don't really know how to say this, but something happened to Raven on our mission to Red Hook." Scott said.

" Is Raven okay?" One of the student asked.

" There was an accident, I'm afraid to say Raven got injured..." Scott replied, he glanced at Peter before he continued speaking. " Raven didn't make it, she's... gone."

" Gone where?" Another student asked.

" She passed away, I'm sorry to break the news to you all..." Scott said.

Peter watched has the hallway went deadly silent, the students were taking in what Scott had just told them. Some of the students began to cry while other students comforted their fellow classmates, a few of the students hurried passed Peter on the staircase and headed to their dorm rooms in tears. It was heartbreaking seeing all the students so upset, all that could be heard were sobs. Peter hurried down the staircase to a female student who had collapsed on the floor in tears, he helped her to her feet and gave her a hug.

" It's okay, let it all out." Peter said.

Storm was hugging two student together, she was talking quietly to them and reassuring them that they would be okay. Kurt kept his gaze on the ground and held hands with a young student, his rosary was hanging from his free hand while a single tear rolled down his cheek. The students were unconscionable and broken, the mood was dark in the school. Raven had meant a lot to all of the students, she was their hero.

" Mutant and proud..." One student said.

Scott soon spoke again before he left, he told the students to retire to their dorm rooms or go to the Student Activity Room where prayers with Kurt would be held. Most of the students went to their rooms to grieve for Raven, but some followed Kurt to the Student Activity Room. Peter walked some of the students to their dorm rooms, when they were safe in their rooms Peter returned to the hallway and sat down on the staircase with Storm. They spoke quietly to each other and discussed what would happen next with Jean, they needed Charles to pull himself together for the sake of the X Men.

" This is such a mess. " Storm said with a sigh. " How are we ever going to face Jean after she killed Raven?"

" I don't know..." Peter replied while he looked at Storm. " I didn't exactly see what happened, but from what Scott told me Jean didn't mean to do it."

" Jean lost control and lashed out at Raven, it happened so fast." Storm said, she looked at Peter. " She's not mentally stable, we need to find her before she hurts anyone else."

" Then it's settled, we need to find Jean and bring her home." Peter said.

" It's not going to be that simple, we both know that." Storm said.

Storm touched Peter's arm before she left him on the staircase, she was going to check on some of the students. Peter decided to go and see how the prayers were going on in the Student Activity Room. He wasn't a religious man, but he was curious to see and hear what Kurt was saying to comfort the students. He walked along the corridor until he reached the the open doorway to the Student Activity Room, he stood in the doorway and saw the students holding hands in a circle. Their eyes were crossed and Kurt was speaking the Lord's prayer, his voice was rather smoothing.

Our Father

Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name

Thy kingdom come

Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Peter leaned his shoulder against the door frame and listened to Kurt talking to the group of students after he had finished the prayer, he was telling them all that death is the beginning of a new life. Kurt believed that after you died you were reborn on the earth once again, he told them that Raven's death was not in vain. He believed that the Holy Spirit would guide them all and share comfort with them in their times of need, Peter just hoped that the students would find some comfort in Kurt's words right now.

Chapter Text

Chapter 2!

Two Days Later.

The day of Raven's funeral had arrived, the students had decided to do their own thing to honour the memory of Raven inside the school since the day was downcast. It had been raining heavy since this morning, but most of them knew Storm was behind it. Her emotions sometimes caused the weather to change without any warning, the whole school's mood was somber so it fitted the occasion.

The X Men were going to say goodbye to their fallen friend at her grave side, Raven had been buried the day before since Charles was like a Brother to Raven. He had told them that it was an old family tradition to be buried before the ceremony, it was old fashioned but no one was going to argue with him about it. He had chosen the perfect spot for her on the school grounds, it was on a hilltop overlooking Xavier's School For Gifted Youngsters.

Peter looked at his reflection in the mirror, his face was still cut and bruised. He had made the effort for Raven's funeral, he had ironed his best black suit and borrow a black tie from Charles. He had fought with the tie for a few minutes before he managed to tie it properly, his Mom normally did things like this for him. He had combed his hair back and put some tasteful sunglasses on to cover up his black eye, he was now ready to meet up with his teammates. He left his dorm room and looked both ways down the corridor, he noticed two students sitting on the floor underneath a window. He closed his room's door quietly behind him, he didn't want to disturb them.

They had noticed Peter straight away and watched him for a few seconds before they returned their attention back to the balloons, they had a few packets of balloon in front of them. One of the students began to blow up the balloons while the other student tied string around the balloons fastened ends, he knew that the student who was blowing up the balloons had the ability to produce helium with their breath. He had no idea what they were doing so he left them to it, he didn't have time to mess around today. He walked along the corridor and hurried down the staircase, he then met up with Storm in the main hallway.

" You look smart." Storm said.

" Thanks, I'm making the effort for Raven." Peter said.

Storm gave Peter a smile while she fixed his tie for him, she told him it looked like a child had done it for him. He had to admit he wasn't the world's greatest tie fastener, it earned a chuckle from Storm at least. it wasn't long until Scott and Kurt joined them, they were dressed smartly too. They were carrying black umbrellas and bunches of lavender, Raven really liked the scent of lavender.

Scott handed Storm and Peter an umbrella, he told them they should get moving now. They walked together down the corridor, Charles and Hank were waiting for them at the main entrance of the school. Peter was surprised to see Hank in his true mutant form, but he knew why he was blue. Raven believed that mutants shouldn't hide their true mutation, she was mutant and proud until the very end. Hank opened the door for them, they all made their way outside and put their umbrellas up.

It was still pouring down with rain, they sky was grey and the scent of freshly damp grass lingered in the air. Peter noticed some students at the one of the windows, they were also holding balloons. Charles wheeled himself down a ramp and the rest of them followed him, they walked in single file down the pathway. They kept on following the path, it led them around the school until they reached the hill.

Peter's grip tightened around the umbrella's handle while walked behind Kurt, he could now see where Raven had been buried. The soil was freshly disturbed, there was no gravestone or flowers on her grave yet. He looked at his fellow teammates in turn, they were all grieving in their own way for Raven. They gathered around Raven's grave and threw the bunches of lavender on the damp soil, they bowed their heads has Charles began to speak. His speaking tone was strong with a hint of thoughtfulness in his words, his words spoke to each and everyone of them.

" We're all at war, at war with ourselves." Charles said. " And Raven had been waging that war for most of her life, I hope now she's found peace. Raven died doing what she did best, helping a friend... a friend in need. She is not gone, she lives on through me, through us and the spirit of the X Men."

The Professor's words were true, Raven would live on through them all. They all remained silent for a few moments around Raven's grave, Peter even heard Kurt praying for her. The rain was still coming down heavy, it was like the angels were weeping for their lost friend. Charles and Hank left first, but Hank walked ahead of Charles without saying a single word to him. The rest of them soon began to make their way down the hill, they all stayed close together until they reached the pathway.

Peter stopped halfway down the pathway and looked up at the sky with Storm, something had caught their attention. The sun shone through the dark rain clouds above them and the rain began to ease, that's when they noticed colourful balloons floating on the gentle breeze. He could see what looked like envelopes attached to the balloon's strings, he now knew what the students had been up to at the school.

" It's like a rainbow, so beautiful." Kurt said.

" The students have done this, it's their way of saying goodbye to Raven." Peter said.

" Raven would have loved this..." Scott said.

" We know, we've got some good kids at this school." Storm said.

Storm touched Scott's arm and told him that they should get out of the rain, they continued to walk down the pathway together. It wasn't long until they reached the school, they left their wet umbrellas near the main entrance of the school before they walked down the corridor. It was quiet in the school for once, the students weren't around.

Peter removed his sunglasses and put them in his jacket's pocket, but he was surprised to see a group of students sitting on the main staircase of the hallway. They were all talking quietly amongest themselves before they noticed their Team Leaders, one of the students got up from the step they had been sitting on and approached Scott.

" Is it true?" The student asked. " Jean killed her?"

" She didn't know what she was doing." Scott replied while he spoke to the rest of the students. " She lost control, but she's... she's still Jean. She's still our friend. We can help her, we can find her and bring her home. That's what we're going to do, okay?"

" But what if she kills us to?" Another student asked.

" It won't happen, I wouldn't allow it to happen." Peter replied.

" Peter is right, she wouldn't hurt any of you." Storm said.

" Yes, this is true." Kurt said with a reassuring smile. " She is our friend, she wouldn't hurt us."

" She killed Raven, what would stop her from killing us to?" Another student asked.

The students hurried up the staircase, they seemed unsure and nervous about the Jean subject. Peter called after the students and headed to the bottom of the staircase, he didn't want them fearing Jean. Scott left his friends and hurried up the staircase not long after the students left, he was struggling since he had no idea if Jean was safe or where she was right now.

Peter, Storm and Kurt headed to the kitchen to get some coffee. They sat down together and spoke about the main issue they were all thinking about right now, it was Jean. They were worried about their friend, but they had no idea how they would get her back. They were also worried about Scott in case he did anything reckless, they couldn't even talk to the Professor about it since he had been drinking heavily since Raven had died.

" We'll think of something, surely she will resurface soon." Storm said.

" But what if she doesn't?" Kurt asked.

" She will, we've just got to believe it." Storm replied.

" I hope you're right, Storm." Peter said before he drank the rest of his coffee. " I'm going to get out of these damp clothes and catch up on some sleep, I'll see you guys later."

Peter excused himself from the table and washed his mug before he left the kitchen, he was getting another headache. He was still in some pain after the Red Hook incident, he just needed to take it slow until he was fully healed. He left his teammates in the kitchen and headed upstairs, there was a group of students hanging around in the corridor his room was located on. They quickly hurried down the corridor before Peter even reached them, it felt like the students were avoiding him. He opened his room's door and closed it behind him, it felt like his life had been turned upside down since Raven had died.

****************

The Next Day

Peter had woken up just before his alarm clock had gone off, he had gone bed early last night. The last few days had taken it's toll on him, he got dressed and had his breakfast in his room for a change instead of joining the students in the Dinner Hall. He spooned some of his cereal into his mouth while he watched the news, the hate for mutants was raising again because of what Jean had done in Red Hook. It felt weird seeing all of the anti-mutant protests and random violence on the streets on the news again after all of these years, not all mutants were the bad guys.

There was a knock at the door which caught Peter's attention, he placed his bowl of cereal down on the coffee table and ran his fingers through his hair while he got up from his couch. He knew he wasn't late for any lessons yet since he didn't have to be anywhere until 10am, he walked over to the door and opened it wide. To his surprise Storm and Kurt were standing in the corridor, they both weren't in their morning lessons which was odd.

" Sup?" Peter asked.

" We've got a lead on Jean, the Professor wants us to meet him in the Hanger." Storm replied.

" Cool, I'll be right down." Peter said.

Kurt and Storm made their way along the corridor together, this gave Peter a few seconds to get his stuff together. Peter zoomed around his room, he switched his television off and put his leftover bowl of cereal into the sink. He put his sneakers on and grabbed his black leather jacket from the couch, he took his goggles from his bedside cabinet before he left his dorm room. He put his jacket on before he zoomed along the corridor, he caught up with his friends in no time.

" Did Charles tell you guys where she is?" Peter asked.

" No, he wanted to speak to us about it in private." Storm replied.

They made there way through the school, most of the students were in their morning lessons while other students hung around in the corridors. Some of the students had been studying in the library since lessons had started again, the Professor had decided to scrap the grieving period because he wanted the students to have some form of normality again.

Two students eyed their Team Leaders up while they walked passed them, Peter looked back at them and gave them a smile. Storm pressed the elevator button on the wall, the elevator's doors soon slid open and they walked inside of it. They remained quiet on the elevator journey down to the Hanger, the elevator pinged before the doors slid open.

Storm took the lead while Kurt and Peter walked side by side down the corridor, they spoke quietly to each other about Jean. Kurt was nervous about finding Jean, but Peter reassured him that everything would be fine. He was also worried about finding Jean again, but he wasn't going to let it show. The last time he had seen Jean she had tossed him to one side, he was lucky he hadn't been killed by her.

The mental doors to the Hanger slid open, the Professor and Scott were waiting for them. Peter immediately noticed that the X-Jet was missing, but he had no time to question where it had gone since Scott's voice broke the silence between them.

" We know where Jean is." Scott said.

" I thought you said you couldn't track her." Kurt said.

" It wasn't me who found her." Charles said.

" It was Erik." Scott said, he glanced at Charles before he turned his full attention back to his teammates. " Hank was with him."

" No way, are you serious?!" Peter asked, there was a hint of surprise in his voice. " Hank is with Erik? I thought Hank would have been in his morning classes, when did he leave the school?"

" We're not sure, but Jean is in danger." Charles replied.

" They're on their way to her and they're gonna kill her." Scott said.

" And anyone who stands in their way." Charles said

" What?!" Kurt asked, there was panic in his voice." We can't allow them to do it!"

" Why is Erik going after Jean?" Peter asked.

" Erik knows about Raven, he knows that Jean is responsible for Raven's death." Charles replied.

" Did Hank tell him?" Storm asked.

" No, Erik already knew about it..." Charles replied, he lowered his gaze. " When Jean left the school she went to seek out Erik in Genosha, something happened there. There was an attack on the Genosha community, Jean was responsible for it. But the damaged had already been done before she left the Island, I cannot read Erik's mind. His thoughts are blocked from me, this is all I know from reaching out to Hank's mind."

" Where is Jean exactly?" Peter asked.

" New York, she's hiding out in a Townhouse there." Charles replied.

Peter couldn't believe what he was hearing, he never thought in a million years that Hank would kill someone. Hank had known Jean since she was a little girl, he had taught her science and fought along side of her many times over the last nine years. They were family, surely it couldn't be true. But Erik on the other hand would kill Jean in a heartbeat, he was temperamental at the best of times. His thoughts soon turned back to Jean, they needed to find her and bring her back to the safety of the mansion before they found her. Charles continued to speak with them, there was a hint of concern in his voice.

" Kurt, I would like you to take Scott and I there." Charles said, his gaze lingered on Kurt. " But that's all, I want you to leave us there and then come back home."

" And me?" Storm asked.

" Me too, we're a team." Peter said while he crossed his arms. " All for one and one for all, that's what Dogtanian and The Three Muskehounds always say."

" I'm not talking to you now has X Men." Charles said with a sigh. " Scott and I will go, and fight for Jean without you. End of discussion."

" We're coming with you." Storm said.

" Storm, I have lost so many of the people I love." Charles said. " I'm not going to ask you to go."

" I am." Scott said, he approached his teammates. " We need you, I need you."

" I've got you back." Storm said.

" Look..." Charles said.

" End of discussion." Storm said.

" You've been outnumbered on this vote Charles, tell us what to do." Peter said.

Charles sighed deeply to himself, he knew he couldn't win this fight without his friends with him. If Raven was here she would have done the same thing for one of them, this was the way it was going to be. The Professor told them to form a circle, they needed to stay close to each other while Kurt used his teleportation ability to teleport them to Jean's location. Peter put his goggles on and styled his hair around his goggle's straps, he was now ready to fight for Jean.

" Kurt, close your eyes." Charles said. " I'll show you our destination."

Kurt held the Professor's hands and closed his eyes, Peter touched Kurt's arm while he rested his other hand on Storm's shoulder. Storm and Scott followed suit, they had to make sure they were all connected while Kurt teleported them together to Jean's location. It was a weird sensation when Kurt used his teleporting ability with his teammates, it felt like you were about to go over the edge of a roller coaster. Your belly flipped and then there was a gust of wind, it felt like you were nothing but dust in the wind. But in seconds you were somewhere else, it was the fastest way of getting to any location in close proximity.

Chapter Text

Chapter 3!

They opened their eyes when Kurt told them they had arrived at Jean's location in New York, they all separated and remained still. Peter looked around at his new surroundings, there were many trees and the odd lamppost shone through the darkness. Scott took a few steps forward while Peter pulled his goggles over his eyes, they were in some kind of park. He could hear traffic not far away from their location, that meant there were innocent people around in this area. They couldn't see Erik or Hank anywhere, Scott turned around to face Charles and spoke to him.

" Where are they?" Scott asked.

Charles lowered his gaze from Scott, he used his ability to reach out to Hank's mind since Erik's mind was unreadable while he wore his helmet. They all waited patently for the Professor to get lead on them, it wasn't long until Charles told them that Hank was not far ahead of them with Erik. He told them that Jean was hiding in a Townhouse, he may not be able to sense Jean anymore but he could get all the information he needed from Hank.

They made their way through the park, it wasn't long until they saw Erik walking with Hank and an unknown male mutant was with them. They were walking towards a busy street, they could see the Townhouse not far ahead of them.

Peter kept his gaze on Erik while he walked with his teammates, it had been nearly ten years since he had last seen his Father. The last time Peter had heard anything about Erik was a few years back, he had been living peaceful within a community of mutants on an island the Government had given him as a reward for helping to defeat Apocalypse.

The island was called Genosha, it was located along the Eastern coast of Africa. It had been peaceful there for years, but since Jean had seeked Erik out the island had now changed. From what Charles had told them the US army had visited the island, there had been a conflict between Jean and the soldiers.

The X Men stopped not far away from Erik and his companions, they all knew he was planning to attack the Townhouse where Jean was hiding out. Charles's voice broke the silence, they stood along side their leader and readied themselves to fight if needed.

" Hello old friend." Charles said.

Erik and Hank stopped walking but they kept their backs to Charles, but the unknown male mutant turned around to look at them. Peter watched as Erik turned around to face them, they were then joined by a female mutant. They had no idea who these two unknown mutants were, but they were willing to fight along side Erik to stop Jean. Peter could feel the tension between them, it was weird seeing Hank on the other side. He looked so angry, but he was only doing this because he wanted revenge for Raven's death.

" Save the " old friend " shit, Charles." Erik said, his speaking tone was serious. " And stay out of my way."

" I'm sorry for what she did, but I can't let you go in there." Charles said.

" You're always sorry Charles and there's always a speech." Erik said while he took a few steps toward them. " But nobody cares anymore."

" We do this here now, they'll see us has monsters!" Charles said. " Violent freaks fighting on the streets of New York!"

" What did I tell you?" Erik asked.

" Damn it man, your homeland will be gone!" Charles replied, his speaking tone was serious. " Everything you care about!"

" Save it..." Erik said.

" It doesn't have to be this way." Peter said, his gaze was fixed on Erik." You don't have to do this, Raven wouldn't want this..."

" And what would you know about what Raven would have wanted?" Erik asked.

" More than you'll ever know, she was my friend..." Peter replied, he paused for a moment. " She was more than my friend and mentor, she was my family."

" You've filled their heads with lies, Charles." Erik said. " Jean as Raven's blood on her hands, she has to be stopped!"

" If you touch her, I'll fucking kill you!" Scott said.

" Don't do this, Erik." Charles said, he was almost begging Erik to change his mind. " Killing Jean won't bring Raven back!"

" The girl dies." Erik said.

Peter watched Erik turn his back on them, but without any warning Hank began to run on all fours until he jumped up onto a wall. He was heading towards the building where Jean was located, he was going to kill her for what she had done to Raven. Erik raised from the ground and used his ability to move forward towards the busy street of the City, the unknown male mutant jumped into action. He used his dreadlocks to attack Storm, she dodged his moves and shot lightning strikes at him. Kurt teleported the Professor to the street, they were going to try and stop Erik from reaching Jean.

Hank had already caused a few cars to crash into the back of each other, Peter was now fearing for the safety of the innocent bystanders. Scott hurried forward and fired his red coloured beam at Erik, he had missed his target but there were people screaming on a Tour Bus. Erik just calmly moved forward, he wasn't going to let anything stop him from reaching Jean.

Scott ran towards the wall and jumped up onto it, he fired his beam at Hank which caused him to fall from a car's roof top. He jumped down from the wall and ran at some parked cars, he climbed onto the hood of one of the cars while he yelled for Kurt.

" Kurt, I need you!" Scott yelled.

Kurt left the Professor's side and teleported to Scott, they both vanished in a puff of blue smoke. They both reappeared on top of a truck, they were very close to the Townhouse now. Kurt teleported back to the Professor and stayed with him, he had his own battle to fight when the female mutant approached him.

Scott aimed his visor at Erik and shot his beam at him, but Erik dodged it with ease. Scott was planning on trying to stop Erik from entering the Townhouse, someone was going to get badly hurt if Peter didn't do anything.

Peter jumped into action and zoomed through the street, he grabbed a car door from the ground while he headed towards Erik. He stood in front of Erik and held the car door in front of him, he readied himself for Scott's attack. He used the car door has a shield, time returned to it's normal pace and the beam hit the metal car door instead of Erik.

Scott stared at Peter, his friend looked shocked about what he had just done. Peter dropped the car door and glanced at Erik before he zoomed away, his actions were questionable. He knew there would be many questions about why he had protected Erik from Scott, he would answer them when the time was right.

Peter stopped and hid behind a truck, he couldn't believe what he had just done. It took him a few seconds to pull himself together, he couldn't stand around anymore. He needed to help the innocent people who were caught in the middle of this battle, he needed to play the hero. Time slowed down for Peter, he zoomed forward and maneuvered himself through the still traffic of the street. He quickly removed people from the Tour Bus and took them to the park they had teleported to before the battle had begun. He repeated this method many times while Storm battled with this unknown male mutant with the dreadlocks, he only planned on fighting unless it was necessary. He wanted to make sure everyone was safe first, it was his duty after all to save people and to protect the innocent.

Storm used her lightning strikes as she battled the dreadlock wielding mutant, she raised from the Tour Bus but the male mutant was ready for her next attack. He used his dreadlocks and he managed to wrap one of them around her ankle, Storm was immediately pulled back down towards the bus. She hit the floor with almighty thud and rolled into some seats, but luckily for her Peter had seen the situation unfolding in front of him.

Peter zoomed the rest of the people from the Tour Bus and returned to help Storm, he used his arm to shield her from the dreadlock wielding mutant's attack. The dreadlock wrapped around his arm, it felt like he had been hit by a whip. The unknown male mutant didn't look that pleased with Peter's surprise appearance, but Peter didn't care because he was protecting his friend.

" And what do they call you?" Peter asked, he wrapped the dreadlock tightly around his arm and smirked at the man. " Braids?"

" The name's Ariki." Ariki replied.

" Wait, wasn't that an 1980's anime?" Peter asked.

A dorky chuckle escaped from Peter's lips, but Ariki didn't look that amused with Peter's bad joke. Ariki yanked at Peter's arm with his dreadlock which caused him to stumble forward onto his knees, but this mutant didn't know how gifted he really was when it came to his mutation. Time slowed down for him, he smirked at Ariki before he jumped into action. His hand tightly gripped around the dreadlock, he easily pulled Ariki forward and lifted him into the air with his hand. He began to swing him above his head like a Cowboy using his lasso, he kept on doing this until time returned to its normal pace.

Peter let go of the dreadlock and watched as Ariki was thrown across the street at some force, he couldn't help but smile to himself at his battle win. The dreadlock wielding mutant slammed into the side of a truck which caused it to topple over, he couldn't help but make a remark about hoping the truck's insurance would cover mutant damage. Peter helped Storm to her feet and asked her if she was okay, she told him she was fine. But she was off balance for a few seconds which caused Peter to support her for a moment, he told her to take her time.

" Thanks, I owe you one." Storm said.

" Oh right, it was Akira..." Peter said.

" Huh?" Storm asked.

" The anime, it was called Akira and not Ariki." Peter replied while he positioned his goggles over his eyes. " It's a long story, I'll tell you about it later."

Storm shook her head in amusement at Peter before she used her ability to elevate herself into the air, this Ariki they had been fighting was heading back towards them. Peter swore to himself when he found out that Ariki was still standing, he readied himself to battle this guy again. Storm told Peter she had got this, he saluted her before he zoomed away to help some other people caught up in the crossfire. He helped people out of their cars and guided them to safe places, but Erik soon caught his attention which caused him to stop dead in his tracks.

Erik was standing outside of the Townhouse, he had now reached Jean's location. Erik knelt and rested his hands on the sidewalk, there was a low rumbling sound coming from beneath the street. The ground shook beneath Peter's feet, he could hear people screaming and running for their lives around him. Cars shook and lampposts fell onto the road, the whole street was in chaos. Erik was a powerful mutant, his abilities were unique just like his own.

The sidewalk cracked and road broke apart, something big was being summoned from the ground below them. One car disappeared into the hole that had appeared in the street, whatever was coming it was something big. Peter watched in horror has a train emerged from the ground, he could hear people screaming from inside the train's carriage. The train was pulled from the subway below the street, it was a frightful sight to behold. It slammed into the side of the Tour Bus, the windows smashed on the carriage and Ariki jumped from the bus onto the train carriage's roof.

Erik got to his feet and walked towards the Townhouse, the train carriage followed close behind him. The Townhouse's doors were flung open by Erik, he entered the building and the train crashed through the open doorway. Broken parts of the Townhouse fell onto the street, Peter took a few steps away from the crumbling building and looked over at Hank. He was also watching the situation unfolding in front of their eyes, Erik had no idea what he was walking into though. A familiar voice echoed inside of Peter's head, it was the Professor.

Peter, get those people out of that train!

" Got it!" Peter said.

Peter zoomed towards the back of the train carriage, he pulled at the door's handle and threw his shoulder against the door more than once. He could hear people calling for help from inside the carriage, one man was banging against the door's window with his fists . Peter had to tell him to stand away from the door, he didn't want to hurt him in case he had to use his mutant ability to pull the door off it's metal hinges.

Another hard shove of Peter's shoulder managed to open the door, he used his mutant speed to push the door open. There was enough room for people to get out of the carriage. He entered the train and started telling people to stay calm, he then began helping people off the train. It was hard though, in situations like these people tended to panic.

" Everybody out, no pushing!" Peter said while he helped an old woman through the train's doorway." Single file, one at a time! Hey, I said no pushing!"

The people inside the train carriage began to barge pass Peter, he moved out of the way in the end and moved forward down the carriage. There was broken glass on the floor and twisted metal was sticking through one of the carriage's windows, it was dangerous for anyone to be inside of this thing right now. He made sure no one was injured or trapped inside the carriage, he reached the end of the carriage and saw Jean with some unknown woman. Peter stared up at Erik while he rested his hand on a window frame, he was going to get himself killed if he confronted Jean.

The woman with Jean seemed to have some kind of hold over her, she was weird looking with her long blond hair and pale skin. She was dressed quite smartly in her long black coat and her business suit beneath it, she could pass has a regular person. Erik threatened Jean and it seemed like she hadn't taken too kindly to his threat, but Peter soon noticed the golden metal banister peeling it's self away from its fixture. It moved like a snake towards Jean, it's sharp point stopping centimetres away from Jean's left eye.

Jean didn't even flinch, her gaze was fixed on Erik and soon the metal banister fell to the ground. Peter backed away slightly from the window, he knew what Jean was capable of when she unleashed her new ability on others. He couldn't really hear what they were saying from the train carriage, but without any warning Jean raised her hand and clenched her fist while Erik groaned in pain.

Peter watched as Erik's helmet broken apart like it was nothing, the pieces of his helmet floated around his form. The woman standing with Jean looked smug, she was enjoying every moment of pain Jean inflicted on others.

Jean's fiery gaze was still fixed on Erik, she looked so rageful. The wall behind Jean began to disintegrate slightly, she moved her hand and Erik was flung backwards through the Townhouse's large arched window. Peter hurried back through the carriage, he heard a thud on the train's floor before Erik hit the ground outside of the train carriage.

Peter jumped through the doorway and landed next to Erik's side, he quickly knelt next to him while he touched Erik's shoulder. Erik's face was cut and bloody, he could see bits of glass covering his coat. Erik was unresponsive, but he was still breathing.

" Erik, can you hear me?!" Peter asked.

Peter gently shook Erik's shoulder and patted at his face with his other hand, he was out cold. This was the first time Peter had seen Erik this close up since 1983, he hadn't really changed that much at all since he had last seen him. He wished he could tell him that he was his Son, but Erik wouldn't be able to hear him since he was unconscious. Peter glanced over his shoulder when he heard an explosion, he needed to get Erik away from Jean before he came back around. He got to his feet and cupped his arms underneath Erik's arms, he began to drag him across the street.

" Okay, we've got this..." Peter muttered.

Peter kept on going until he felt a sharp pain in the side of his neck, he couldn't help but touch his neck with his hand. His eyesight blurred and he wobbled slightly, something didn't feel right. Without any warning Erik was pulled away from him and he felt himself being thrown to the ground by some unknown stranger, he could hear loud voices around him. He shielded his eyes when some bright lights were shone down on him, that's when he felt multiple sharp pains piercing chest.

Peter didn't even have time to react when he noticed a soldier with a riffle, he felt an electric current travelling through his body. His body shook, he felt nothing but pain flowing through his veins. A group of armed soldiers surrounded them and aimed their riffles at Peter, he groaned as one man roughly clipped a collar around his neck. His eyesight was failing him and his body felt numb, he felt himself being dragged along the ground before he blacked out.

Chapter Text

Chapter 4!

Peter gently rocked side to side as he came round to a clip-clopping sound, his vision was blurred for a few seconds. He tried to move but he was bound to the seat, his leather jacket was torn and the smell of iron was strong in his nostrils. He looked over at the person sitting across from him, he could see Kurt. He looked to the left of him and saw the woman that had been fighting alone side Erik, she stared at him for a brief moment before she looked at one of the soldiers walking passed them.

Peter had no idea where he was but it looked like and sounded like a train, it was heavily guarded by soldiers. His hands and feet were bound, he tried to free his arms but the metal bounds were fixed tightly to the armrests. A soldier walked passed him with a heavy duty assault rifle in his hands, the soldier looked at Kurt while he walked passed him and spoke to him.

" My kid use to be a fan." The soldier said.

Kurt lowered his gaze, he looked disappointed at the man's words. Peter knew how his teammate felt, he didn't want to go back to the times where humans hated his kind once again. They had finally been accepted, but one mistake made by Jean had changed everything overnight.

Peter rocked gently side to side while the train rode down the tracks, the train carriage was quiet. His gaze soon wandered to Erik, it had been sometime since he had been in the same room as him. The last time he had seen him this close up was at the school back in 1983, time hadn't changed his Father that much. He watched Erik for a while until Scott's voice caught his attention, he turned his head towards his teammate and made eye contact with him.

" Hey Maximoff, what was that shit you pulled in New York?" Scott asked.

" What are you talking about?" Peter asked.

" You know very well what I'm talking about..." Scott replied.

" Maybe I don't." Peter said.

" You shielded Erik from my attack, what gives?!" Scott asked.

Peter went quiet, he had forgotten about what he had done back in New York. He could feel Scott's gaze on him, he couldn't really tell Scott why he had protected Erik from his attack. It wasn't the right time for him to tell Erik that he was his long lost Son, then again he never seemed to find a right moment to be truthful with Erik since he always seemed to disappeared for a decade or two.

Storm piped up and tried to settle the situation Scott was causing, but it only seemed to make things worse. The Professor's voice soon interrupted Storm and Scott's arguing, Peter was happy that Charles had interrupted them.

" What's going on?" Charles asked.

" It's nothing." Peter replied.

" Nothing?!" Scott asked, his voice was raised slightly. " You blocked my attack with a car door to protect Erik, he was going after Jean!"

" I had my reasons, okay!" Peter replied.

" Oh really? What reasons were those?!" Scott asked.

" Scott, stop it!" Storm replied.

" Hey, knock it off!" The soldier said.

The soldier had interrupted them, it was probably for the best. Scott glared at Peter through his visor, he couldn't see his teammate's eyes but Peter knew he was holding a grudge against him over the Erik incident. He turned his gaze away from Scott and made eye contact with Erik for a brief moment, the situation was awkward. The silence was soon broken by the Professor's voice, he was glad that the subject had been changed.

" Raven had the right of it." Charles said, his gaze was fixed on Hank. " Jean was never the villain, I was. I should have never lied to her, I was wrong."

Everyone turned their attention to Charles, they listened to him speaking with Hank. His words made some kind of sense, Jean wasn't the villain of this story and neither was Charles. He had only tried to help her by hiding the memories he didn't want her to see, it was wrong but at the same time he was only trying to protect an innocent child like a Father would from the darker side of life. Peter admired that Charles was owning up to his past mistakes, he listened to him as he continued to speak with Hank.

" But this power inside of her, I never put it there." Charles said. " I would never do anything to intentionally to hurt her, this isn't me and this is not Jean. We can still save her, she's still Jean inside. "

" What is exactly controlling her?" Erik asked.

" I don't know, but this woman... this thing." Charles replied.

" She's an alien, that's what I'm thinking." Peter interrupted.

" Yeah, you would think that..." Scott said.

" She could be an alien, she is very strong." Kurt said.

" Something unworldly, I believe there is some kind of supernatural force at work here." Charles said before he turned his attention back to Erik." Whatever she is she's had a taste of her power and she'll be coming back for more, she'll be coming back for Jean."

" Good, let her." Erik said.

" She'll kill her to get it." Charles said. " But I promise you the killing will not end there."

" It's not what Raven would have wanted, you know that." Scott said, his speaking tone was serious. " You both do."

Peter didn't like that Erik was still willing to let Jean die, but his thoughts were soon interrupted by a loud bang coming from the outside of the train. Everyone's attention was drawn to the ceiling of the train carriage when they heard more banging sounds coming from the roof of the train, it sounded like hurried footsteps. The carriage went deadly silent, the soldiers aimed their assault rifles at the ceiling of the carriage while they walked forward. Something was going on outside of the train, the silence was soon broken by one of the soldier's radios.

Alpha one, you have multiple hostiles onboard. They're heading towards the back!

" Open four to five!" The soldier said.

Copy that!

" Okay, you two come with me!" The soldier said while he pointed at his fellow troupes. " The rest of you stay here and guard the prisoners!

" Don't be fools, you need our help!" Erik said.

" Lock it down, now!" The soldier said.

The door of the carriage slid open and three soldiers walked forward, there was another group of soldiers in the next carriage along from them. The door soon closed after them and everything went quiet again, it had gone quiet outside of the train too. The soldiers left behind looked nervous, they had no idea what was lurking outside of the train. An armed soldier walked down the aisle between them, he eyed each one of them up in turn while he held his assault rifle in his hands. But as always the mutants got the blame even though this had nothing to do with them this time, but Charles knew they weren't their kind.

" Goddamn muties come to spring you." The soldier said.

" They're not mutants!" Charles said. " Free us, you're going to need our help!"

" We're the only chance you have." Erik said.

" Keep you mouth shut!" The soldier said.

Peter watched the soldier lingering near Charles, his gaze was fixed on the carriage's main entrance. It had gone quiet, too quiet for Peter's liking. The soldier aimed his assault rifle at the door when they heard a whooshing sound, it wasn't long until gunfire could be heard from inside the other carriage and from the outside of the train too. The soldier on the level above them aimed his machine gun directly at the door when they heard the soldiers screaming from the other side of the door, there was a nearby explosion which startled everyone inside carriage.

" What's the status on those mutants?!" The soldier asked.

We're falling back, they're not...

" What?!" The soldier asked.

The radio connection was crackling and the message was unclear, the soldier looked panicked. Everyone looked at each other while the soldier struggled to get in contact with his fellow comrade, the radio crackled once again and the voice on the other end of the radio was broken up. It was hard to understand what he was trying to say to them, but gunfire could be heard in the background.

" They're not what?!" The soldier asked.

They're not Mutants!

" They're aliens, I knew it!" Peter said.

" What?" The soldier asked.

" Extraterrestrials, of course!" Charles said, his speaking tone was serious. " That's why I couldn't read their minds, they're not of this world!"

" Shut up, the both of you!" The soldier said.

" They're here for Jean!" Scott said.

The main soldier beckoned the two other soldiers to moved forward, they had their assault rifles ready if needed. They could hear a banging sound from the other side of the door, they aimed their riffles at the closed door and waited for whatever was coming their way. The gunfire had died down in the other carriage, they had lost contact with the other group of soldiers.

" Get ready to open fire!" The soldier said.

" Your kid was right about us!" Kurt said, his voice was full of panic. " We can help you!"

" He's right, listen to us!" Peter said.

The main soldier patted another soldier on his shoulder and he cocked his riffle, he took aim at the door. Peter and Kurt's pleas hadn't worked on the soldiers, they were heading for disaster. There was bang at the metal door, it shook with each bang the door made. Whoever was on the other side was strong, the soldiers wouldn't stand a chance against them without the aid of the X Men. The banging sound was getting louder, there were dents forming on the door with each punch the unknown thing did from the other side of the door.

" Please!" Kurt yelled.

Peter yanked at his bounds and tried to move his feet, he couldn't free himself from the metal fixtures. He glanced over at the switchboard where the main controls were to free their bounds, but there was no way for him to reach them. All he could do was watch when the metal door was flung open and an unknown male entered the carriage, the alien looked human which surprised Peter. The man was tall and well-built, he looked battle ready.

" Fire!" The soldier yelled.

The soldiers immediately opened fire on the man, they were showing no mercy to this unknown creature. His body shook with each bullet that pierced his human form, the gunfire soon halted and the man opened his eyes. His clothes were torn and his skin was peeling away from his face, they could see some green skin showing from beneath his human form. His wounds soon healed and he smiled at the soldiers, but without any warning the machine gun on the higher level above them soon began to open fire upon the unknown assailant. The bullets rained down on him and his body shook once again, he was soon knocked to the floor.

" There's more!" Another soldier yelled.

Two more unknown people entered the train carriage, the soldiers soon opened fire on them. One man jumped towards the wall and used his feet to catapult himself at one of the soldiers which caused him to be knocked to the floor. The woman slid herself along the floor and knocked the other soldier off his feet, she then threw him against the wall. The machine gun began to fire once again while one of the soldiers ran towards the switchboard, another solider began to fire at another unknown man. The man grabbed at the soldier's throat and he was lifted from the floor, the soldier was thrown at the machine gun above them which caused it to collapse under the soldier's weight.

The soldier at the switchboard began to flicked switches and press buttons, it wasn't long before their bounds were released. Peter pulled the collar away from his throat and got to his feet, the solider that had freed them looked frightened. Peter told the soldier to stay behind them, he soon joined his teammates and readied himself to fight. They watched as a group of unknown people entered the carriage, there was about five of them in total. They looked human which was making Peter feel uncomfortable, it would be so much more easier for him if he got to fight them in their alien form.

" We only want the girl, step aside!" The man said.

" No!" Hank said.

" What are you doing?" Selene asked.

" What Raven would have..." Hank replied.

Hank quickly changed into blue mutant form, he roared at the unknown people that stood before them. He now understood what Raven would have done, she would have fought for her family until the very end. Erik raised his hand and some locker doors flew at one of the people, it forced the person back into the corner of the carriage and the locker doors trapped him there. Hank leaped into action, he roared has he threw himself at the emery. Ariki used his dreadlocks to fight one of the men while Hank took on the rest of them, he threw one of the people at the carriage's ceiling which caused it to dent.

" Scott, get me to Jean!" Charles said.

Scott helped the Professor up from his seat, he dragged him forward along the carriage. It was now up to the rest of the mutants to protect them while they went to find Jean. Scott blasted at the train's closed metal door, there was nothing but a hole left where the door had once been.

Peter looked up at the ceiling of the carriage when he noticed some sparks, he soon saw some hands ripping the carriage's ceiling apart like it was nothing but paper. Scott fired his optic blast at the person above them, he managed to hit the person. Peter told Scott to go while he stood close behind him and the Professor, he heard Scott saying thank you to him before he disappeared through the doorway with Charles.

Storm raised into the air and flew through the hole in the ceiling above them, her lightning strikes coming to her aid when she called upon them. Ariki continued to fight the unknown people off with his dreadlocks, he swung one person around like they were a rag doll. Erik used his ability to throw a floor panel at one of the people he was fighting, he threw a piece of metal at one person's throat which caused it to fall to the floor.

Peter punched one man in his face at full speed as they approached the broken doorway, the man was flung across the carriage and he hit the wall not far away from Erik. He dodged another person's fist, he used his speed to flip the person upside down before he kicked him directly towards the hole that somehow had appeared in the carriage's wall without his knowledge. The person was sucked through the hole, but without any warning another person appeared through the hole.

Peter watched the person running towards Erik, but he was ready for him. He dodged the person's fist and aimed some metal at him, the person was throw against the wall. But another person soon ran at him, he had no time to react to their attack. Erik was thrown against the wall and he bounced off it, the person was soon standing over him with clinched fists. Peter zoomed forward and grabbed hold of the person's arm, he stopped for a few seconds to speak with him.

" Hey E.T, it's time to phone home!" Peter said.

The person looked confused before time slowed down for Peter once again, he smirked at the person and gently pushed him away from them. One gentle push from Peter was like a high speed punch from him, he watched as time returned to it's normal pace and the person was thrown across the carriage.

Peter helped Erik to his feet and stepped away from him, he wanted to give Erik some space while he had a moment to recover. Erik's gaze was fixed on Peter, he moved Peter out of his way with his hand while he walked passed him.

" Twice boy you have saved me without any reason!" Erik said, he moved his hand which caused some metal to hit one of the unknown people hurried towards them. " What's your game?!"

" There's no game, I'm here to help..." Peter replied.

Peter's gaze lingered on Erik, he had his Father's full attention now. This was his moment even though they were in the mists of a battle to save Jean, he had been waiting for over a decade to tell Erik the truth. His thoughts were interrupted by a piece of metal whizzing passed his head, he quickly turned around and saw a person lying at his feet with a knife in their hand. Erik had saved his life, he had to tell him the truth now while he had the chance. He stuttered at first, but his words soon rang out clear in the train carriage.

" I'm your Son!" Peter said.

" What..." Erik said.

Erik and Peter's eyes meet for a brief second before they were attacked again, the truth was finally out. Peter had no idea what would happen next, but right now they were kind of busy fighting for their lives. Peter didn't even have time to think as another person jumped through the hole in the ceiling above them, the person was heading right towards him. He didn't really have time to react to the attack, but without any warning Selene intervened. She used her dagger and the person fell dead at Peter's feet, he gave her smile before he spoke to her.

" Thanks, I owe you one." Peter said.

" Anytime." Selene smiled.

Selene quickly moved to Erik's side, she stabbed one of the unknown people in it's throat before he was sucked through a hole in the side of the train. Her gaze met with Erik for a moment, she shared a smile with him before someone grabbed her from outside of the hole in the train. Peter watched in horror as Selene was thrown from the train by her head, Erik hurried to the hole and held onto the sides of the hole while he called out his friend's name.

" Selene!" Erik yelled.

Peter had no idea what to do or say, but he soon heard Erik telling Hank to help Storm. Peter watched Hank jump through the hole in the train's ceiling, he peered through the hole in the side of the train and he saw Storm fighting off some people above them. He pulled Erik back inside of the train and guided him away from the hole with his hand, but it wasn't long until they were fighting off more of these alien beings. Five more people jumped through the hole above them, it was like a never ending flow of unwanted guests.

" Hey Erik, did you invite these guys?" Peter asked.

" No." Erik replied.

" Me neither." Peter said, he looked at his Father with a slight smile on his face. " Do you wanna go tag team on them?"

" Sure, why not." Erik said.

They fought side by side, their combat skills were in sync with each other. Peter couldn't help but admire Erik's fighting skills, he moved fast and quite graceful at times for an old guy. Erik used his ability to fight them off, he whipped some metal chains from the carriage wall and hurled them at one man running towards him. He rolled across the floor and threw a metal slab at another man, he then stabbed one person in the neck with a piece of jagged metal.

Peter looked over his shoulder and saw another man running towards them, he watched as Erik stopped the man in his tracks with a slab of metal. Somehow the man's hand ended up threw the metal slab, Erik broke the mans wrist with ease and threw him across the train carriage.

The man got to his feet and more people appeared from the other carriage, Peter joined his Father's side since they were outnumbered. But without any warning an icy cold breeze blew from above them, the alien beings were blown into the next carriage. Peter and Erik looked back at the hole above them, they were surprised to see Storm looking down at them. She beckoned to Erik to do whatever he was planning to do next, she wanted him to carry on fighting. Peter watched Erik walk forward, his walking pace was bold and powerful. He stopped near the entrance of the carriage, one of the unknown people began to run towards him.

Erik raised his arm and clinched his fist, the connecting train carriage began to cave in on it's self. Peter couldn't believe what he was seeing, the carriage was being crushed like a soda can and the man running towards them soon disappeared in the tangled mess. Erik turned around and walked towards Peter, he then tossed the carriage aside like it was nothing. Peter watched the crushed carriage rolling along the train tracks, there was an explosion and the carriage came to a standstill on the tracks.

" Peter, come with me!" Erik said.

" Got it!" Peter said.

Peter followed Erik into the next carriage, he stayed close behind him. They kept on moving forward until they reached the carriage that was connected to the carriage where Jean was being kept prisoner, they could now see Charles and Scott with Jean. Charles was trying to reach Jean while Scott fought off the alien beings above them who were trying to get into the carriage, Scott seemed to be keeping them at bay for now.

Erik stopped at the carriage's doorway and told Peter that they would have to protect them, but Peter's attention was soon drawn to the next carriage along from them. There was a flash of light and a cracking sound, he saw Storm being thrown against the wall near the carriage's other entrance. Peter moved forward but he was stopped by Erik, the blonde haired woman from the Townhouse was heading right towards the carriage they were located in.

Kurt soon appeared and he tried his best to slow the woman down, but he was soon thrown to the floor. Erik sealed the door up with some metal behind them, Scott and Charles would be safe behind the barricaded door for now. Peter stood behind Erik as the woman approached them, he heard Erik telling him to be on guard.

The woman stepped into the carriage, there were soldiers scattered around the carriage and some weapons were still in their wall holders. She walked slowly towards them, her heals clicking with every footstep she took. Her black coat flowed behind her, the look of determination in her eyes showed them that she meant business. This was the first time Peter had managed to get a better look at the woman who had been manipulating Jean, she looked like a normal woman and not an alien. She began to speak to them while she walked towards them, her speaking tone was serious and full of hate.

" I have no desire to fight you." She said.

" I get that a lot." Erik said.

" You wanted her dead." She said.

" I had a change of heart." Erik said.

" He does that a lot..." Peter said.

" How amusing." She said.

Erik glanced at Peter before the different kinds of riffles freed themselves from their wall holders, they moved forward and aimed themselves at the woman. She didn't stop walking, her focus was on them both. Erik's expression was serious, he was planning on doing anything to stop her from reaching Jean. Peter noticed some other riffles moving from the other connecting train carriage, he was beginning to feel uncomfortable with the situation that was unfolding in front him. He clenched his fists while the riffles began to fire at the woman, she was not fazed by the bullets piecing her human form.

The woman kept moving forward, the empty bullet shells fell around her feet. Her skin was tearing away from her face and yet again there was green skin behind it. The riffles around them began to fall one by one as the bullets began to run out, they were running out of time. The last riffle fell to the floor and Erik stood there, his gaze was firmly set on the woman. She raised her hand and Erik was throw side to side against the carriage's walls, he soon fell to the floor at Peter's feet. Peter looked down at his Father for a brief moment before his attention was drawn back to the woman, he told her he wouldn't allow her to get to his friends.

" Silly boy." She said.

" It's not the first time I've been called that." Peter said with a slight smirk." It probably won't be the last time neither..."

Time slowed down for Peter, he moved forward and grabbed the woman around her waist. He moved her backwards away from the barricaded door and zoomed her along the carriage, he kept on going until he kicked her through the other doorway where the rest of his friends were. He stopped and watched the woman hit the wall at the other end of the train carriage, but she soon got back onto her feet while she glared at Peter. He didn't have anytime to react, she reached her hand towards him and he felt himself being lifted from the floor. He began to struggle, it felt like he was stuck in some unseen cobweb.

" I could pull you apart like a spider. " She said, her gaze was focused on him. " I may pull your legs off first, but for now I want you to squirm."

Peter's eyes grew wide at her words, he didn't want to be ripped apart like a spider. But her threats were idol, she waved her hand to one side which caused Peter to hit the ceiling before she threw him back along the carriage. He hit the barricaded doorway to the train carriage his friends were inside of before he hit the floor, he landed next to Erik. His body was aching but he still managed to get to his feet, he rested his hand on his side while the woman began to walk towards him.

" Is that all you've got?" Peter asked, his breathing was heavy. " It will take more than that to slow me down."

" Bold words for such a simple creature." She said.

" I prefer the word mutant, and hell yeah I'm proud!" Peter said.

" You're strong, but not strong enough..." She replied.

The woman moved her hand and Peter was flung to one side, he hit the wall and collapsed into the corner of the carriage. He felt his vision failing him slightly, the taste of iron was strong in his mouth. He spat some blood from his mouth and touched his lips with his finger tips, he had bitten his tongue. He watched the woman step over Erik and with one swift movement of her hand the barricaded doorway was torn apart. She glanced at Peter and smiled at him before she entered the other carriage where Jean was being held prisoner.

Peter tried to get to his feet, but his body was failing him. He fell forward onto his hands and knees, he used the last ounces of his strength to crawl forward. He collapsed in front of the doorway to the other train carriage, his vision blurred as he watched Jean free herself from her bounds and elevate herself into the air. Her eyes were fiery and her red hair flowed freely, she looked more powerful than ever. Peter could hear Charles's voice while his eyelids began to close, it wasn't long until the darkness claimed him.

Chapter Text

Chapter 5!

The battle had been hard on everyone, so many innocent people and mutants had died while they tried to protect Jean from those extraterrestrial beings on the train. Peter had gained consciousness after the battle had ended, he had come around on the way back to the school on the X-Jet. Storm had told him about Jean, he had no words to describe how he felt about Jean sacrificing herself to save them all.

Erik had decided to come back to Xavier's School For Gifted Youngsters with them, Charles had invited him back to the school after the train event because he wanted to speak with him. Scott had remained silent on the journey back to the school, he was a broken man. It would take time for him to get use to not having Jean around, she was the love of his life after all. Everyone would miss Jean, her presence still lingered around them even though she wasn't on this planet anymore.

The X-Jet landed in the Hanger and everyone went their separate ways, but Peter stayed behind in the Hanger with Hank. He needed a quick medical before he went to his dorm room, it was a normal procedure after any mission. Scott had taken his leave, he wanted to be alone. Storm and Kurt were hanging around in the Hanger, they didn't have any serious injuries but they wanted to stay until Peter was patched up.

Erik had gone to the Professor's office, it seemed like they had a lot of things they needed to discuss. Peter had wondered if the subject of his parentage would come up in their discussion, it was a confusing time for him. He had no idea if Erik would stick around after he told him about him being his Son, the future was unsure for them both right now.

Hank had spoken to Peter about Erik, it seemed like all of his teammates knew about his secret now. Hank had known Erik back in the 1960s, he gave Peter some advice and told him to be careful around him. Peter understood why he had said it, he knew how dangerous Erik could be at times. He thanked Hank after his medical, he then left the Hanger with Storm and Kurt. He didn't really say much to them, but they had a lot to say to him about Erik.

" I cannot believe Erik is your Father, this does not make any sense." Kurt said.

" It's hard to believe, huh?" Peter asked while he tucked his hands into his trouser pockets. " You know because I'm a good guy and sometimes he's the bad guy, it's like a wacky cartoon."

" Well, I'm just glad you finally told him even if it did take you nearly two decades." Storm said.

" Me too, but it's still complicated though." Peter said.

" How is it complicated?" Kurt asked, he smiled at Peter. " This is good news, you have a Father now!"

" Yeah, but he didn't know I existed until today." Peter replied.

" That shouldn't matter, he's still your Father and you're his Son." Kurt said.

" Kurt is right, you're related by blood." Storm said, she rested her hand on Peter's arm and continued to speak with him. " There's nothing more stronger than the link between family, this is what Raven wanted for Erik. She encouraged you over the years to seek Erik out, now you've got the chance to do it."

" I know that, but what if he rejects me?" Peter asked.

" He won't, he's not has bad has you think." Storm replied.

" We're talking about the same guy here, right?" Peter asked.

" You know what I mean, he had a family once and he loved them dearly." Storm replied.

"I don't want to replace his Daughter..." Peter said.

" You won't, just give him a chance." Storm said.

" I will pray for you, Peter." Kurt said, he smiled at his friend while his tail swished from side to side. " I have faith in you, he will learn to accept you. You are a good man, the students speak highly of you."

" Thanks buddy." Peter said.

" Go and find him when you have the chance." Storm said. " We'll be around if you need us."

Peter knew his friends were right, he just had to take the chance and speak to Erik. It wasn't long until they reached the elevator, it didn't seem like two minutes ago since they had left the school to go and find Jean. The elevator's doors slid open and they walked inside of it, it wasn't long until they reached the main floor of the school.

Kurt and Storm went their separate ways, Peter zoomed upstairs to his dorm room. He entered his room and immediately turned the shower on, he wanted to get cleaned up before he went to find his Father. He took his leather jacket off and threw it over the back of his couch, his jacket was ruined. He quickly got showered and changed into some clean clothes, he was feeling a lot better now.

Peter had decided to wear his Nirvana shirt and some black jeans, he put his black hoody on while he winced. His body was sore, being dragged along a street and thrown around a train carriage wasn't the most pleasant of experiences. He zoomed over to his mirror and checked himself out, his face was still bruised. He combed his damp hair back and patted some aftershave on his face, he winced though when some of it got into a graze on his cheek.

" Son of a bitch!" Peter muttered.

Wiping his hands on the back of his jeans Peter walked towards his room's door, he wanted to speak with Charles before he approached Erik. He wanted to make sure he would have the supported he needed in case he got rejected by Erik, also some advice wouldn't go a miss right now from the Professor. He left his room and put his hood up on his hoody, he wanted to go unnoticed in the mansion until he reached the Professor's office.

Peter hurried along the corridor and made his way down the main staircase of the school, there wasn't many students around right now. It was lunch time, so most of the students were having their lunch in the Dinner Hall. He kept on walking until he reached the corridor that lead to the Professor's office, the doors to his office were wide open. But the Professor wasn't there, he had no idea where he would be in the school.

Pulling his hood down on his hoody Peter looked both ways down the corridor, he sighed to himself and ran his fingers through his hair. He had no idea if Erik was still at the school, he didn't have his goggles with him to explore the whole mansion with his speedy ability. He began to search the school, he checked the teachers kitchen and the library. He then checked a couple of the classrooms, he even checked the boy's restroom. He stopped in a classroom's doorway and asked a student if they had seen the Professor, he hated interrupting students who were studying but he was clutching at straws right now.

" Hey, have you seen Professor Xavier?" Peter asked.

" Not since yesterday, sorry Peter." The student replied.

" Okay, thanks anyway." Peter said.

Peter wasn't having much luck, he was going to have to take his search to the school grounds. He walked down many corridors and spoke to a couple of students on his way, none of them had seen Charles or Erik on their travels. He finally reached the door to the back of the mansion, he could already hear some students playing outside from the corridor.

Peter opened the double doors to the back of the mansion, he walked through the doorway and stood on the patio of the school. The day was pleasant and everything seemed to be getting back to normal, the students were already outside for their lunch break. He breathed in the fresh and exhaled, but his heart skipped a beat when he noticed Erik sitting on the steps of the patio.

Erik gaze was fixed on the ground while he held a mug in his hand, he was still dressed his clothes from the train battle. He looked lost in his own thoughts, but Peter didn't blame him. He had lost his friends and maybe his home, he could still be processing the news Peter had told him about him being his Son. Then there was Raven's death, he had lost and gained so much since yesterday.

Peter didnt want to disturb Erik, he decided to go back inside of the mansion and returned later. Basically he had chickened out, he wanted to run away and hide in his room. He took a few steps backwards and walked into a table which caused the table's leg to grate across the patio's slabs, he swore loudly to himself when the umbrella of the table opened by it's self. Erik's attention was soon drawn to Peter, he stared at him. Peter felt embarrassed, he hadn't planned on embarrassing himself in front of Erik of all people.

" You don't have to leave on my account." Erik said.

" I wasn't going to leave, I was going to give you some space." Peter said.

" You can sit with me..." Erik said, he smiled slightly at him. " You don't have to fear me, not anymore."

" I'm not scared of you, I never really was..." Peter said.

" Peter, we need to talk." Erik said.

" Yeah, you're right..." Peter said.

Erik turned his gaze away from him and patted the empty space on the step next to him, he had basically given Peter an open invitation to speak with him. Peter lingered near the doors of the school, he told Erik that he would rather stands for now since his back was still killing him. Erik told him that it was fine if he would rather stand than sit with him, but Peter felt awkward. He didn't know what to say to him, so he said the first thing that popped into his head.

" I'm sorry about your friends." Peter said.

" They fought valiantly, their sacrifice wasn't in vain." Erik said.

" You're right, we won't forget them." Peter said.

Erik looked over his shoulder at Peter once again, he looked so tired and old. His gaze lingered on Peter, he invited him to come and sit with him again. Peter didn't refuse his offer this time, he sat down on the step next to him and crossed his arms. He kept a small space between them, he didn't want to over crowd his Father.

They remained silent as they looked over at some younger students playing and laughing together on the open grounds of the school, everything was returning back to normal in the mansion. Erik cleared his throat which caught Peter's attention, he looked at his Father and waited for him to say whatever he wanted to say to him.

Erik told Peter that Charles already knew about him being his Father, apparently Peter's mind was very loud at times when the school was silent. He had spoken with the Professor about it, he believed that Peter was telling the truth. But he had many questions he needed to ask him, he wanted to be sure before he began a fatherly relationship with him.

" How do you know I'm your Father?" Erik asked.

" My Mom told me, she saw you on the news." Peter replied, he looked at Erik and licked his nervously before he spoke again. " She was also there when I was watching the broadcast from the White House back in 1973, she didn't tell me about you until a few years later."

" And what is your Mother's name?" Erik asked.

" Marya Maximoff." Peter replied.

" Marya, it's been decades since I've heard her name..." Erik said.

Peter watched Erik's facial expression change, he even swore he had seen a faint smile for a brief second. Peter's Mom had told him what had happened between them before he was born, a jealous rage had ended their so called relationship. Peter's Mom had fled to his Grandma Maximoff's house after the incident, Erik had no idea that Peter even excisted until he blurted it out on the train. Clearing his throat Peter began to speak again, he had a lot to say to his Father.

" She knew you before I was born, she use to work in a Cocktail Bar in New York." Peter said.

" I remember it vaguely, it was decades ago." Erik said before he took a sip of his hot coffee." And your Mother, how is she?"

" She's good, she's really good actually." Peter replied, he smiled to himself. " I mean I've driven her crazy over the years, I've done a lot of illegal shit in my time as you very well know. But she seemed to cope... somehow."

" I can believe that.." Erik said while he lowered his gaze. " Why did you wait so long to tell me the truth?"

" I don't know..." Peter said, he lowered his gaze too and fidgeted with his fingers. " I could never find the right moment, I actually came to see you in Poland. But the situation there wasn't that great."

" I understand." Erik said.

" I sometimes blame myself for being late, maybe if I gotten there sooner..." Peter said.

" It wasn't your fault, no one could have stopped what happened that day." Erik said, his voice cracked with emotion. " Not even you, my Son..."

Peter looked at Erik and noticed the sad expression on his face, he knew that the memories of his lost family still haunted him. Erik's beautiful Wife and Daughter had been taken away from him so cruelly, he had lost so much over the years. Not to mention his parents, he had grown up alone in a world full of monsters.

Peter turned his gaze away from Erik again and looked back over at the students, they were still playing on the school grounds. Licking his lips Peter began to speak again, his thoughts were mostly about Erik's family.

" I'm sorry about your Wife and Daughter, they seemed nice." Peter said.

" They were, I miss them more with every passing day..." Erik said.

" I bet, I wish I had the chance to get to know them." Peter said.

" Nina would have liked you, I know that for a fact." Erik said while he wiped a single tear away from his cheek with the back of his hand. " Magda too, she was a caring and loving woman. I couldn't have asked for better Wife..."

" Thank you, that means a lot hearing it from you." Peter said.

Peter went to touch Erik's arm to comfort him, but he stopped himself from doing it. He didn't really know Erik that well, he didn't want to cross any boundaries between them before he had the chance to get to know him. They sat in silence once again, the school bell rang from inside of the building and the students began to hurry back towards the mansion.

Erik drank the rest of his hot beverage and placed his mug down on the step next to him, he then got up from the step. His gaze lingered on the school grounds, he told Peter he had to leave the school soon. Peter didn't really want him to leave yet, but he wasn't going to stop him if he needed to go. Erik began to walk up the steps, he told Peter to be careful out there.

Peter got up from the step and watched Erik leaving, but he had no idea where Erik was planning to go when he left the school. He told him to stop while he walked up a few of the steps, Erik did as he asked. Erik looked at him over his shoulder, he eventually turned around to face him. Peter took another step towards him, he was hesitate at first but he soon found his voice.

" Do you want to hang out one time?" Peter asked, he gulped hard before a dorky laugh escaped his lips. " You know if you want to, no pressure or anything."

" I would like that very much, Peter." Erik replied.

" Great, but how will I find you?" Peter asked.

" Funnily enough I think you'll have no trouble with that..." Erik replied with smile. " Keep safe, my Son."

" You too, Dad..." Peter said.

Peter watched Erik walking towards the school's back door, he tucked his hands into his hoody pockets and smiled to himself. He had finally made his presence known to his Father, he knew Raven would have been proud of him. This was all he had ever wanted, he was happy that he had finally found the courage to tell Erik the truth.

Erik opened the double doors and stopped in it's doorway, he then looked back at Peter over his shoulder. Erik smiled at his Son before he entered the building, the doors soon closed behind him. Peter knew that his relationship with his Father had just started right here on the steps of Xavier's School For Gifted Youngsters.