Avengers: Vengeance

Not Turning Back

When dinner was served, Kyle feigned a migraine and requested his meal be brought up to his quarters. Though he hated to lie to his father- the man who had taken him in and rescued mutantkind from catastrophe- he knew that Magneto wasn't being honest with him either. He recalled everything he'd ever heard about two wrongs not making a right, but knew instinctively that whatever lurked beneath the castle was worth the deception.

Having set the stage with his lie, Kyle knew that he wouldn't be disturbed for the rest of the night. Migraines were a thing he unfortunately suffered occasionally from. He dressed slowly in dark clothing, taking his time since he knew that the castle would not fall to slumber for some time. As he put the dark clothing on, he contemplated what he was about to do and what it could mean. If he discovered nothing underground, he could creep back to his bed and never think of it again. Life would resume at its usual pace in the paradise he and the other mutants shared. But if he discovered some irrevocable secret? The life he knew would change forever.

"Are you prepared for that?" He asked his reflection.

He thought about the world beyond the shores of Krakoa and his father's words about gratitude haunted him. If what he was about to do altered everything, it would mean turning his back on the good fortune. Perhaps not looking was best? Maybe it would be better to live on in blissful ignorance? He shook his head emphatically. He knew better than to assume he'd be able to live that way. He wouldn't be satisfied until he pulled back the veil and learned the secret. And the secret was underground.

As he shut out the lights and listened to the castle, he could only hear the beating of his anxious heart. He opened the doors to his balcony, conscious of every noise he might make. Approaching the railing, he cast his hands down, sending out a burst of telekinesis- gentle enough not to cause damage to anything but strong enough to propel him up over the rail and into the air. Concentrating his power, he let up on the flow of telekinesis, allowed him to drop to the ground below with the ease of a falling leaf. Landing soundlessly, he stared into the shadows, watchful of the Royal guard. He'd encountered Colossus earlier in the day, but he knew there were more where he came from. Though he knew they wouldn't harm him- the son of Magneto- that didn't exclude him from consequences.

He moved quietly into the shadows, conscious of each footstep he heard. Lucky for him, the guards had little reason to be stealthy. He could easily detect when they were near, taking full advantage of darkness to cover his movement. Living in a paradise, too, provided other benefits to his mission- No one expected attacks or invasions.

After a tense and slow-moving trek, he arrived at the mouth of the underground tunnels. Taking a deep breath, he slowly advanced inside. Immediately he pressed himself against the cool, moist wall of the cavern. He remained still, listening in the dark. Silence met his ears and a strange along with an ominous sense of foreboding. The feeling that something wasn't right set in like a cloying film over him.

I should turn back. It's too quiet.

He looked back to the entrance and saw a shadow fall over it. Someone else was approaching. Knowing that his decision had been made for him, he levitated himself off of the ground, unleashing a constant stream of telekinesis to propel himself further down the tunnel without a sound.

As he moved, he reflected on the frustration of his powers. Having never mastered telekinesis in the traditional sense, he'd utilized ballistic telekinesis- the projection of destructive telekinetic blasts. But as he'd learned, he could simulate levitation of himself through careful and precise use of the power.

The caverns dipped lower and lower beneath the island, and soon he found himself faced with a very large room of sorts. Pausing to stare at the different exits, he heard the footsteps draw nearer. He looked up at the stalactites overhead and propelled himself upward until he could touch them. He took a deep breath, held on tight, and stopped the flow of telekinetic energy. Anyone who passed beneath him would be struck by it if he continued it and his cover would be blown.

The figures of Rogue and Angel passed underneath him and he held his breath, waiting for them to pass. A third figure- Iceman- walked out of one of the passage. They stopped together just beneath him to talk.

Because of course they would.

"I've just come from the chamber," Iceman explained. "It's secure."

"Good," Angel sighed. "We should go and report this to Magneto, let him know it was a false alarm."

"I'll stand watch at the cave entrance," Rogue explained.

Waiting until the three of them were long gone, their footsteps no longer audible, Kyle let go of the stalactites and invoked his power, slowly moving himself to the floor again. Turning to the corridor Iceman had walked out of, he took a breath, then entered.

The corridor was dark like the others, but as he advanced, a strange and soft green light began to illuminate his path. Frowning with confusion, he moved more hastily. His mind raced to so many different conclusions, but none could have ventured anywhere near the truth.

Standing on the threshold of the large room, fear and disgust amalgamated in his core and rushed out in body-shaking waves. Nausea rose up on his core and his eyes filled with tears. "Oh my God," he groaned in fear. He put a hand over his mouth to stifle the sobs that were beginning to emerge from him. "This can't be real," he said, barely catching his breath. "This can't be fucking real!"