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T/W: Mention of su*cidal thoughts and scars from experimentation and torture. Note* It's very brief, but you have been warned...
CHAPTER TEN...
The sun beats down on my pale, freckled cheeks, bathing us all in a heavenly glow.
We stand outside what has to be the most beautiful house I have ever laid eyes upon. There must be at least 3 floors with large, stained glass windows facing outwards, accented with decorative stone. Large spires rise up from the top, and several junctions jut out like towers. It looks like something out of an antique painting. My mouth drops open.
The landscape is almost as beautiful as the house, with sprawling fields of emerald green bordered by lush, dense forests. Bushes cut to look like triangles dot the lawn, and far in the distance a large, glistening lake rests in the ground. The water is perfectly still and clear as day. The sun washes upon it like liquid gold, and for a moment, I want nothing more than to jump in, feeling the water rush over my tired bones, pulling at my limbs, bringing life back into my body.
The world comes into focus as I turn my attention back to the group in front of me. Charles and Erik stand at the front, looking up in the shadow of the manor. Moira stands behind them, with Raven and Alex beside her. Hank hangs at the back, while Sean and I stand to the side. Sean crosses his arms and peers up at the mansion in wonder. I look at him, then quickly avert my eyes when he turns to meet mine.
We left the facility five hours after Charles and Erik arrived back. In an instant, everything went into chaos. One minute, Charles is letting us fight and train, the next, we're crammed into several army vehicles and were driven off to a private jet, taking us to New York, where Charles explained his family home was situated.
The plane ride was hot and uncomfortable, all eight of us and several CIA officers crammed into the private jet. There was very little room. I ended up being crammed between Erik and Hank, who kept glancing over to where Raven was sitting with Sean and Alex. Charles sat further up, conversing with the flight attendant.
Several times during the flight, between Hank's incredibly annoying and strangely adorable snores, Erik whispered to me, asking about what happened the night Shaw infiltrated the building. At first, I couldn't speak, the excitement and adrenaline rendering my voice practically useless. But after I calmed down and forced him to get me a cream soda from the mini bar because I was too scared to ask the stewardess, I worked up the courage and pushed down the bile rising in my throat.
I told him everything.
I told him about how my fight to gain control over the shadows caused me immense fatigue that got me captured by Shaw. I told him about Angel, and how she was getting in over her head by going with Shaw. I told him I wasn't afraid anymore, I wasn't the weak little girl that Shaw wanted. I was Phantom, and I wanted to fight.
