"no good ever came from telling someone you can manipulate them."
Not all mutants are able to come out of the shadows and tell the world to take them as they are. CIA Agent Josephine March is one such mutant. It takes a team of people just like Jos...
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~<x>~
The day at the beach, the one where everything suddenly changed, was one that would live on in Josephine March's mind for years to come. It was the day her head reminded her what happens to those that give into their heart, how delicate trusting another person is.
That day on the beach, or rather, the last few moments of it had felt like they had gone in slow motion for Josie. She watched as Erik turned the missiles towards the ship, felt the clench of her heart as he reminded Charles that he would never again be at the mercy of those "just following orders". Alex held her back as Erik and Charles started to fight but released her as he was thrown across the beach with the other X-Men. She remembered running, trying to stop Moira from shooting at Erik, and changing her direction when the bullet was deflected into Charles's spin.
"Stop it!" Josie pleaded as he choked Moira, her partner, one of her greatest friends. He didn't spare Josie a glance as he continued to suffocate the life out of her. Erik held Charles on his lap and Josie was trying to pull him away. She reached out a blindingly light red - desperate fear - hand to grasp hold of Erik's forearm. He released his hold on Moira and she dropped to the sand below her, gasping for air.
Erik looked into Josie's exhausted eyes. He saw the colors rippling around her skin before eventually looking down at the trembling hand receding from his arm slowly.
Charles was talking before Josie could say a word. She wasn't listening to what he said, she was studying the two mutants auras as they seemed to merge together. Erik's usual red was deepening as it was being stained by Charles orange - courage and most likely self control - and grey - exhaustion. Josie couldn't tear her eyes away from it. Not even when she felt Eriks piercing gaze, eyes glazed over by tears she never thought she'd see make his blue orbs somehow brighter.
"Josie?" he spoke her name like prayer, as if she was the only thing that he needed at that very moment. Her eyes looked from Charles to Erik, searching for the question he was trying to get her to answer. "Come with me. Please."
Josie is stunned as she looks from Charles to Erik then to Alex who was watching with clenched fists. She looked at her battle worn friends who watched on with fear. This wasn't what she had wanted for them, this isn't what she had wanted for herself.
"No," she whispered, "No. I can't. This- all of this is not how we are supposed to be helping." Josie's voice grows stronger as she looks to Erik whose face hardened, aura pulsing violently. "All of our lives we have been different. There are thousands of other mutants out there who feel just as scared and-and alone as we've all felt at some point or another. I won't be part of the reason humans fear us, I won't be the reason some kid is afraid to be who they are because people may think they're going to turn out exactly like Shaw and his men. Fear, hatred, violence. They are beautiful colors but they disguise such ugly actions. If that is your path, Erik, then take it but I wouldn't last a day walking beside you on it."
