School of X: A Marvel: Xavier's Institute Anthology (Marvel Xavier’s Institute) by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Tags: media tie-in, action and adventure, superheroes, Marvel
Publisher: Aconyte
Published: 2021-12-07T00:00:00+00:00

Depowered

Carrie Harris

One

Eva Bell sat uncharacteristically straight in her chair. Her pencil was poised and ready, her feet neatly crossed beneath her at the ankle. In fact, all of the New Charles Xavier School students maintained their best behavior. No one muttered sarcastic comments or tossed balls of paper while the instructor’s back was turned. Even Hijack had his eyes glued to the dusty chalkboard hung at the front of the room, and he considered classwork beneath him.

Magneto was teaching, and the students barely dared to blink.

It didn’t matter how softly he spoke or how often he praised them. It didn’t matter that he would take a bullet for any of them without a second thought. The man oozed intimidation, whether he meant to or not. Eva couldn’t look at him without seeing the leader of the Brotherhood of Mutants. The criminal. The killer she’d read about in the papers growing up. Based on the cowed expressions of her classmates, she wasn’t the only one.

Age had failed to blunt his effect on her. Just a few days earlier, she’d sat in this same chair, trying desperately not to fidget. Since then, everything had changed. Nothing had changed. She was ten years older and still struggled to meet his penetrating gaze. She could avoid a lot of questions – and had – but if Magneto pushed her, she’d break.

But what could she say? Sorry, boss; I didn’t realize I could time travel, and then I got stuck in the future? She would have to fess up at some point, but every time she thought about it, her throat tightened and her palms dripped with sweat. At some point, she’d have to figure out what made her so reluctant to talk about what had happened. Grief? Loss? Fury at the unfairness of it all? Was she worried Cyclops would kick her out? That she’d fall to pieces and make a fool of herself? Right now, she couldn’t bear to think about it.

But she was visibly older now, and it was only a matter of time before someone pushed the issue. She’d put her money on Christopher Muse. They’d gotten close. She would have confided in him if it had been possible.

“Miss Bell?”

Magneto’s stern voice cut through her reverie and brought her back to the present. She met his icy blue eyes and blanched, her gaze dropping. Her heart pounded for reasons she didn’t understand. What was she so worried about? He wasn’t going to beat the truth from her. They were on the same side. Besides, if he tried something, he’d find that she wasn’t the inexperienced teenager she used to be. She’d faced down alien invaders and held the hands of dying men. She’d fought to the death to protect her child. But she didn’t want to think about her daughter ever again. It hurt too much. Even facing the likes of Magneto was preferable.

She met his eyes again, ignoring her racing heart. Stuffed the memories of her loss deep down inside and locked them away tight.

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