💥𝒢𝑜𝒹𝒹𝑒𝓈𝓈 𝑜𝒻 𝒲𝒾𝓈𝒹𝑜𝓂💥 [𝒳-𝑀𝑒𝓃]

Chapter 25: Hank

"I never truly learned what the words 'I miss you' were until I reached for my dad's hand, and it wasn't there."

- Unknown

────── 〔💔〕──────

Hank's POV

A clear feeling of uneasiness surges through my body. However, I find myself confused by it... as it isn't my own uneasiness. It's very early in the morning. The sun hasn't even risen over the horizon. In fact, there is no light other than that of the moon outside. I was asleep just prior to this. There was no night terror to awaken me or anything of the sort.

I slide out of bed and walk outside my room. This sort of thing has happened before. Of course, it's just never happened to me. Liza's room is only a few doors down from my own and is still shut when I reach it.

I tap on her door gently. There is no response. Opening the door, I expect to see her having a full blown night terror. Instead, the sheets of the bed are thrown back in a messy state. There is a dip in the bed the correct size for an 11 year old, but there's no 11 year old.

I leave the room, shutting the door gently. Erik and Charles would always know where she would've gone. This doesn't exactly feel like a job I'm going to excel at, but she's here somewhere, and it's clear something's wrong. She needs help, and it seems I'm the only one who can provide anything of the sort. Further searching, I find that she's nowhere upstairs—of course, that's unless she's using her powers to hide.

When I've searched a majority of the downstairs area, it almost seems that my hypothesis was correct. I can't exactly console someone who's invisible. That's until I round a corner to find the missing child curled up against the stairs. In her hand is an old photograph. Her white eyes stare at it filled with tears.

"Hey," I say softly, expecting to startle her.

Liza doesn't so much as flinch. She only looks up at me slowly. I swear the pain in her eyes could break my soul. I slide down onto the floor beside her. Now, I can clearly see the photo. It is a photo of Liza when she was likely about three. She is sitting on Charles's lap as he reads a book to her—The Once and Future King. Beside him, a woman sits, laying her head on his shoulder. I can only assume this woman is Evelyn—Elizabeth's mother.

"I know you miss her," I tell her.

I feel as though I have no idea what to say to her. Before the school shut down and Charles started drinking, he always seemed to have the perfect words to calm his daughter. He just somehow knew exactly what to do. Erik did as well. He could always relate to her—losing his own parents. Either of them could have her at peace in what seemed like mere seconds. Their words were poetic and perfectly strung together. No night terror or situation was too great for them to fix. Now, I'm here with no eloquent words or any form of fatherly instincts to help her.

"She's gone..." she whimpers. "But even when I lost mom I wasn't alone. Erik was there, but I also still had my dad. Now... he's right upstairs but he's..."

Her words are stifled by a sob. Now, I understand. Liza almost has the feelings of an orphan. The father she knew and loved now feels almost dead to the world. Charles has been replaced by someone who is consumed by grief. This doesn't even mention the fact that Erik is in prison, Elijah is dead, and Sean and Alex are in a jungle with the threat of destruction with every passing day. She's afraid she's lost her family forever.

"Elijah told me to have hope... but... but I'm alone. Everyone's gone. I can't even do that for him..."

"But you're not alone," I start. "I-I'm still here. I'm not going anywhere."

She doesn't respond. I don't think she knows how to. I move closer to her and pull her into my lap. Liza lays her head against my chest as I wrap my arms around her. She's so intelligent and powerful. Yet, we all often forget just how young she still is. Everything that's happened to her... she's still only 11 years old. She's so young and so pained. More tragedy has befallen her than many adults I know.

"Hank..." she begins in a tiny, quivering voice.

"Yes?" I reply gently.

"Does it get better? Do you... Do you think he'll ever come back?"

I want to tell her that I know for sure that everything is going to be alright. There may not be anything I want more at the moment. However, Liza is extremely smart and would know in an instant that my response is a lie. In truth, I have no idea what's going to happen. Charles has become so broken—even completely shattered. Putting him back together is a colossal task.

"Well... I..."

"You don't know."

"No..." I sigh. "I don't."

"What happens if it doesn't get better?"

"I suppose you and I will become much better friends."

This is a poor answer, but somehow, it's the only one I can seem to form. At least, it gains a smile and weak giggle from her. The world has become more frightening for us—all mutants as a matter of fact.

She eventually relaxes. Her eyes begin to droop once again. I lift her up and carry her back upstairs. I place her back in the dip in the bed. Before I even tuck her in, she's out like a light.

────── 〔💔〕──────

Song: Wake Me Up When September Ends by Green Day

────── 〔💔〕──────

Author's note:

Hey y'all! Forgive me for the poor formatting. Wattpad obviously is disagreeing with computers, so this was posted from my phone... which I've learned doesn't end so well. It'll get fixed whenever Wattpad gets fixed.