Chapter 199
White walls. The sterile hum of alien machinery. The scent of antiseptic too clean, too sharp, almost burning in Logan's nose. They were in the Shi'ar flagship's sickbay.
Xavier lay motionless on the bed, his head cradled by alien supports. Tubes and shimmering energy bands pulsed faintly around him. He looked smaller than ever, breath shallow, eyes closed.
Lilandra held his hand, her voice trembling as she spoke softly in Shi'ar. The words meant nothing to most of them, but the grief in her tone said everything.
Logan stood in the corner, arms crossed, jaw tight. He hated this part. The waiting. The helplessness. His senses screamed at him—Xavier's heartbeat was there, but weak, faltering, like a candle about to gutter out.
A Shi'ar medic stepped forward, bowing quickly. "Your Professor… his mind has been struck. His body remains alive, but his psyche… damaged. Semi-vegetative state. We cannot say if he will recover."
The silence after was a knife.
Storm pressed her fingers to her lips, eyes wide. "No… Charles…" Her voice cracked, fury and sorrow warring in her chest.
Colossus bowed his head, the metal on his skin flickering faintly before he forced himself back to flesh. "He gave everything for us. For Lilandra."
Corsair looked away, ashamed, still shaken from nearly killing his own son. He muttered, "If I hadn't broken in the fight—if I hadn't—"
Cyclops turned on him, his face stone. "Don't." His voice was sharp, cutting. "Don't try to make this about you. This is about the Professor." His visor hid his eyes, but the tightness in his jaw betrayed him.
Logan growled, stepping forward. "Enough, Summers. We can play the blame game later. Right now, wheels is hangin' on by a thread." He jabbed a clawed finger at Corsair. "And you—next time your head gets twisted, make damn sure you're not pointin' a gun at your kid."
Corsair flinched, but Logan didn't let up. He turned his gaze to Cyclops. "And you—you keep actin' like you're made of glass, you'll shatter when people need you solid. You didn't shoot him. That says somethin'."
Cyclops's fists clenched, but he didn't fire back. Not with words. Not with heat. Just silence.
Storm touched Logan's arm gently, grounding him. "Logan…"
He exhaled hard through his nose, pulling back. His senses still locked on Xavier's shallow breathing, the faint rattle in his chest. 'Come on, Chuck. You're tougher than this. You don't get to leave us like this.'
Lilandra finally stood, her posture rigid despite the tears streaking her face. "If he cannot fight, then we must fight for him. Deathbird will not stop. She has allied herself with the Brood, and now she has fled with her ship. She will regroup."
Cyclops straightened, his voice regaining steel. "Then we track her. We finish this."
Logan cracked his neck, claws sliding out with a slow, menacing snikt. "Damn right. Bird-lady's not gonna sleep easy knowin' we're comin'."
Colossus looked at Xavier one last time, then at Lilandra. "For Professor… we do what must be done."
Storm raised her head, lightning flickering faintly in her eyes. "If Deathbird thinks she can break us with this, she is mistaken. She has only sharpened our resolve."
The Shi'ar medic adjusted Xavier's readings, then glanced at Lilandra. "His condition is stable… but fragile. He cannot be moved again for some time."
Lilandra's shoulders sank, torn between duty and devotion. "Then I will remain with him. You… you must finish what he cannot."
Cyclops nodded, stepping into his role. "The X-Men will see this through. Deathbird won't get away."
Logan glanced back at Xavier one last time before turning to leave, his gut twisting.
'Hang on, old man. We'll bring your bird back, and when you wake up, I'll tell you how ugly the Brood looked when I gutted 'em.'
The team walked out of sickbay, the weight of Xavier's condition heavy on their shoulders.
Behind them, the steady beep of Shi'ar monitors marked time like a cruel metronome.