The Prophecy

iv.

Cecily stood outside the door with Jean and Scott, her eyes shielded as Scott unleashed his optic blast to break it open. The door gave way, and a blonde woman stepped out first, looking composed despite the chaos.

"We know where the professor is," Jean said quickly.

"And I think we've got a way out of here," Scott added, urgency in his voice.

The woman glanced at them. "Well, you've certainly been busy."

"We had a little help," Scott replied.

"Let's move!" Scott urged, and the group quickly sprinted down the corridor.

Suddenly, Kurt teleported right beside Scott with a bamf. "Jesus!" Scott yelled, startled.

"Oh, sorry!" Kurt apologized.

"This way!" Scott shouted, regaining his focus as they hurried toward their next destination.

They finally entered a large hangar, the massive plane looming before them. Cecily glanced around, nervously picking at her nails, her eyes darting from the plane to the others.

"Hey, Hank," the blonde woman called out, her tone sharp with urgency. "Think you can fly this thing?"

Hank gave the plane a quick once-over, nodding confidently. "Yeah, I'll figure it out."

Scott, scanning the room, spotted the gear. "Hey, guys—flight suits!" he said, pointing to a row of them hanging nearby.

The woman smirked, glancing back at Hank. "Well, you've got your warplane."

"Let's go to war," she added, her voice steely with determination.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

Cecily shifted uncomfortably in her seat, tugging at the stiff flight suit, feeling out of place. The blonde woman noticed her fidgeting and looked over with a curious glance.

"What's your name, kid?" she asked.

"Cecily," she replied softly, barely lifting her eyes.

"How old are you, Cecily?"

"Fourteen," she whispered.

The woman raised an eyebrow, her expression softening. "You're tough for fourteen."

Cecily looked down at her hands, still picking at her fingers. "I don't feel it," she murmured, her voice almost lost in the hum of the plane's engines.

"Were you scared?" Jean asked, her voice quiet but probing. "That day in D.C. — were you scared?"

The woman didn't hesitate. "No," she replied flatly, her eyes distant. Jean looked away, sensing the weight of the silence that followed.

"But I was scared on my first mission," the woman finally admitted, breaking the quiet. "I was on a plane like this, with my friends. About your age." Her lips curved into a faint smile. "We called ourselves the X-Men."

Scott glanced up at her, intrigued, but his expression hardened when she continued, "Your brother was there too."

She looked over at Scott. "We used to call him Havok. He was a real handful, but when it came down to it, he was brave. Really brave."

"What happened to the rest of the kids who went with you? The X-Men?" Kurt asked quietly.

Raven's expression darkened, her voice soft but heavy. "Hank and I are the only ones left."

Cecily sighed softly, her voice barely above a whisper, "Oh... you're Raven."

Raven's eyes flickered toward her but she continued, "I couldn't save the rest of them. I told you—I'm not a hero."