「 The Professor & I 」VOLUME II

(250) Fantastic Beasts

Lynn's POV

As Charles obediently complied for some respite, we proceeded to the emergency room where we relished in a breather while patiently awaiting my telepathic orders to take their effect. Leaning intimately against each other, we simply sat in silence and merely enjoyed how the pleasant serenity comfortably enveloped us.

Precipitous paces eventually destroyed the therapeutic tranquility, echoing with increasing intensities along the vast corridors, and the X-Men soon materialized within the premises. As the others took random positions around the area, Jean meticulously gathered the relevant medical supplies and I reluctantly peeled myself off Charles.

Carefully levitating onto the sick bay with my dead legs sprawled limply before me, I reclined into the plush back support and Charles stationed his chair to my right, automatically intertwining our fingers, as Jean diligently began attending to my wound.

"Did you guys get anything?" Jean probed casually, disrupting the somber atmosphere, and I shook my head mutedly as she slowly unwrapped Charles' handkerchief from my ankle.

"In my opinion, Magneto's behind this," Scott asserted in an incriminating tone.

"I don't think so, Scott," Jean rebutted plainly as she focused on removing the melted fabric that had invariably fused with my skin during the accidental combustion.

"While Erik could organise something like this from prison, it would be irrational and only hurt his goal of mutant prosperity," Charles intervened calmly, albeit pinching tightly on his nose bridge.

"You mean superiority," Scott retaliated with a scornful face.

"You're right. If only Erik had his way," I countered in a solemn tone as my shoulders sagged spiritlessly.

"At least we know how the government will respond. They will reintroduce the Registration Act," Storm denounced cynically, rolling her eyes in annoyance.

"Or worse. The President could declare a state of emergency, place every mutant under arrest," Jubilee highlighted, the normally jovial tone exiled by logic and maturity she undeniably possessed as a responsible adult.

"Do you think the assassin worked alone?" Storm challenged, looking towards Charles with an apprehensive expression.

"We will only know that if we find him before the authorities do," Charles answered dejectedly and the kids frowned in puzzlement, not at the facts of his announcement but at the mannerism of his unusually doleful articulation.

"We've been trying to track him using Cerebro, but his movements are inexplicably erratic," I elaborated in a crestfallen tone, lowering my head in despair.

"What does that mean?" Jubilee enquired tentatively and I need not even glance up to know all their keen gazes had landed intently on us.

"He's a teleporter," Charles enlightened conservatively.

"And a German one at that," I unveiled in a murmur and instantly, a jarring clang followed.

Jolting slightly, I instinctively secured my grasp on Charles' palm as the clamorous resonance pierced my eardrums and Jean quickly apologized, scurrying to fetch the metal forceps that had crashed to the polished tiles from her loosened hand.

Gradually, as Charles gently stroked my back to mollify my tensed nerves, the turbulent vibrations in the air ceased, fading into the uneasy fidgeting and heavy breathings of all the teachers apart from Jubilee who basically stared in bewilderment at Jean's atypical clumsiness.