X-Men: The Winds of Change

By Ldynwaitin

Chapter One

A Gift from the Heart

The winter storms strong winds buffeted against the thick glass windows of the old mansion. The windows firmly held their ground, its builders made sure they were strong enough to weather any storm. Inside a tempest raged within the mind of the houses current owner. Charles Xavier sat on his cold wheelchair. He stared out from behind the safety of the windows, to view the storm at its full fury. The skies seemed to be in as much conflict as Charles, rain and snow fell from the churning heavens.

Bathed in darkness, the only light in the room came from blinking colored lights hung on a tree. On the walls and ceiling red, green and yellow bits of light danced from corner to corner. Charles fingers dug deep into the chair's arms, a chair that would now be his cold companion for life. He wrestled with the dark thoughts that plagued his mind. Just barely into his thirties, his zeal for life had always been insatiable. He thought he was invincible, that they all were. But fate dealt him a joker, reminding him just how fragile life can be.

His thoughts turned towards his past. He was finally using his gift to help his kind, and humankind. He…no they all worked together on stopping a madman from starting world war three. But they did not receive any accolades for their labor. Instead, an order was given to end their lives. Charles could not fault Magneto for stopping the bombs, but he could not stand by and watch so many innocent lives destroyed.

He knew he had to prevent Magneto from sending the missiles back from where they came. In the end, it was not a mutant power, but a simple bullet that stopped Magneto. However, it was not Magneto but Charles that the bullet found. It hit a space that only a sharp shooter would have targeted, if wanting to take away his legs.

Charles lay his head back, drawing in a deep breath he could hear the wind swirling through the eaves of the huge house, the rain falling on the roof. It was hard to imagine that just two months ago the house was alive with the laughter of his students, his friends.

For a brief and wonderful week he had done it, he was a teacher and his home was a school, but that now was part of his past. Only three of his students remained. The house seemed so empty now, with Raven gone. But the hardest thing he had done, the most difficult decision he had ever made in his life, was to wipe the memory of the woman he loved.

He would never forget Moira's cries of agony as she realized it was her bullet that brought Charles down. Erasing her memories, it was his last gift for her. No longer would she carry the burden of crippling the man she loved. That was his to bear now. While in the hospital the doctors would politely smile, and tell him there may be hope, a small chance for him to walk again. But he knew better. He reached into each doctor's mind, and saw that he would never walk again.

Hearing a crack, he opened his eyes. Charles saw a flash of lighting strike the large satellite dish that stood at the outskirts of his estate. Charles angrily shook his head, as he also saw someone standing in front of the window.

"Never thought you were one to wax on the past," the man said.

Turning Erik smiled at him. Charles tiredly sighed, he knew this was not the real Erik Lehnsherr standing before him. Since his return from the hospital he had been internalizing so much, wanted to be alone so much, that he began seeing the man that he became so close to, he saw the man that was his friend.

"Go away," Charles, sighed. He turned his head, "Please, just go away."

Erik suddenly appeared standing next to him. "Oh Charles, leave it to you to handle trauma and loss so uniquely."

"I'm handling it fine," Charles angrily shot back.

"Oh yes, this is normal, isn't it." Erik made tsking sounds, "Poor Charles, making up imaginary friends to argue with. Did you do that as a child? Do you want me to call your nanny?"

Charles eyes narrowed in anger, "Not helping."

Erik's smile was glowing, "On the contrary, Charles, on the contrary."

Charles saw Erik slowly fade away, he knew he was seeing him for a reason. It was not Erik talking, but his mind trying to find a way to cope with all that had happened to him. Until he could find another way to deal with his new condition, he would continue to see Erik Lehnsherr.

Hearing a door open, a beam of light grew into the room. "Excuse me Professor," Charles heard a voice say from behind. "You've been in here for several hours. You missed dinner, are you hungry?"

Without even looking he replied, "Not really Hank, but thanks for coming by to check on me. Really, I'm quite fine."

Charles heard the patting of furred feet walking across the parquet floor. He could feel the heat of a body as Hank stood behind him. Since their return Charles had been very subdued. No longer could Hank see the boyish enthusiasm in his expressive face. He and his companions knew they had to find a way to ignite that spark again.

"Professor, I've been hearing 'You're fine' since we came back, when can I believe that you really mean it?"

Charles squared his shoulders, have to keep up appearances, he thought. Thank god they still accepted him as their leader. Hank, Sean and Alex stayed with him, not Magneto. A line was drawn, and they chose him. He was thankful for that. It did not fill the huge gap that was left in his life, but they did help him in some small way to want to go on living. To hopefully push back the dark thoughts that tugged at his mind and continue his cause.

Hank stepped in front of Charles. His blue fur was a stark contrast to the bright flashes of lighting that snaked across the rumbling skies. "If you're not hungry, how about trying something I've been working on? I hope you don't mind, I used some of the electronic equipment we brought with us from the C.I.A."

"Actually, I'm really not up to…" Charles began to say.

"Great," Hank cut him off. "Bring it in, guys."

Grabbing the wheelchair armrests Hank spun Charles around. Charles bright blue eyes lit up as he saw Alex running into the dark room, pushing Sean on a small wheelchair. Both young men had large grins on their faces.

"Lights, on," Charles declared. Hank was not idle since their return. He adjusted all the lights in the house to turn on or off to Charles voice. As the room was washed in light Charles stared in wonder as Alex quickly pushed Sean towards him.

Stopping just in front of him Sean lay back in the chair, "Merry Christmas, Professor. Hank made it just for you."

"But it's not until tomorrow," Charles protested.

"We couldn't wait," Hank gushed. "So, what do you think?" He proudly walked up to the chair.

"Well, it appears to me to be a very small wheelchair."

"Don't let that fool you, Professor," Hank insisted. "This epitomizes the saying, 'Good things come in small packages'."

Sean jumped out of the chair. He admired the Professor so much. He managed to reel in his wild side, and show him how to use his gift to its full potential. He could never thank the Professor enough for giving him the ability to soar in the skies.

Charles carefully studied it, it appeared to be an ordinary wheelchair, but then again there were things on the chair that Charles did not recognize. The wheels were not visible, he saw at the bottom what looked like a small track, similar to what was found on a tank. He smiled as he saw a large X embossed on its side.

"I made it just for you." Hank smiled so widely, his fangs poked out. "This little baby is going to take you anywhere you need to go. See…" he pointed to the bottom of the chair. "I put in special track-wheels. She'll be able to take you up any stairs. She's pretty quick too, can go up to twenty miles an hour. You can go with me on our jogs again." Hank smiled at him, he missed his discussions with the Professor, as they ran around the estate.

Clearing his throat, he continued. "Her compact size will allow you to go through any doorway." Hank turned the chair around, "She's completely self sufficient, runs on batteries. She'll last 24 hours on a single charge. I also got…"

"Hank," Charles laughed. "Stop talking, breathe."

Hank nodded his furry head and took in a deep breath. Once he started talking about something he felt passionate about, it was hard to stop. Stepping back, he said, "Go ahead, Professor, give it a try."

Charles was at first embarrassed. He was still not strong enough to carry himself onto the chair. Hank's smile faded as he realized what the Professor was feeling. He kneeled in front of him.

"Professor, please don't feel ashamed. You've handled this much better that I ever would have."

"Got that right," Alex agreed. "I think I'd be crying my eyes out every day."

"We can tell, Professor," Sean quietly said. 'You've been trying to, as you would say, 'put on a brave front', for us."

"Professor," Hank said. "We choose to stay with you for a reason. We believe in you. We all have to work on letting the world know that mutants are not evil." Hank half grinned, "At least, not all of us."

"No Hank, they aren't," Charles choked, fighting to keep his tears back. He was always an emotional man, never tried to hide what he was feeling.

Hank stood up, "I promise you," he pointed to the chair. "This will be the last time I'll carry you to the chair, you'll see. Just try it out."

Biting his bottom lip, Charles nodded his approval. Quickly picking him up before he changed his mind, Hank easily carried Charles to the chair that he made. Charles heard a sigh as his weight sunk into the chair. His first impression was that it was the most comfortable chair he had ever sat in.

"How's it feel, comfortable?" Hank asked him.

Charles squinted one eye, "I'm the mind reader here."
"Yes you are," Hank agreed, with a laugh. "And I'm the inventor with a hirsute problem. Now let me show you what I made to make your life a bit easier."

Hank moved behind Charles and pulled something out. Charles tried to twist around to see what he was holding, until he felt something cold placed over his head.

"Just stay still," Hank cautioned him. "I need to calibrate you to the chair."

As he fiddled behind Charles, he babbled away. "I was thinking, if it happened to me, my biggest fear would be not being able to be a part of the team." Hank patted Charles on the shoulder. "I created this chair for you Professor, for your unique talents. So you no longer have to worry about being a burden."

Charles shook his head, "Never, Hank I…" Hank gently squeezed Charles shoulder. "You promised that you would never lie to us, Professor."

Charles saw Erik shaking his finger at him, he softly whispered, "Perhaps just a small contemplation." Erik clapped his hands, as he blinked out.

"Well, never fear Professor, this chair will chase those feelings away. You see it will be able to hear and follow all your commands. All you need to do is just think it, and it will happen."

Charles heard a click as if a switch was being triggered. He suddenly felt the ring around his head grow warm.

"Just stay still Professor," Hank warned him, "And let the chair recognize its owner."

Charles sat back, the warmth of the band had a calming effect. He closed his eyes as he felt the warmth spread through his mind. He felt it reach every part, until he suddenly heard a woman's voice say, "Calibration completed, I am ready for your first command."

"Excellent!" Charles declared. He nearly jumped out of the chair for he heard her voice within his mind. He was surprised to feel the chair jump with him, keeping him safely seated.

"Bingo!" Hank declared. "She works."

"She?" Charles asked.

"Yes," Hank said. "She's an Augmented Portable Sentient Intensifying Automated…,"

"Hold on there, Beast," Sean held his hand up. "Alex and I thought that might be a mouthful to say."

"Two mouths fulls," Alex agreed. "So we looked in one of the Professor's dictionaries and found a good name for her, Alessia."

"It's Greek," Sean explained. "It means 'helper'."

Charles blinked his eyes in surprise, "Good lord, the two of you actually looked in a dictionary?"

"It was to our benefit," Alex truthfully replied. "We didn't want to take half a day calling it what Beast had picked out."

"Yeah, hard work," Hank growled. "You got as far as the 'A's'."

Hank patted the chair's back. "Let's get, Alessia,…" he eyed Sean and Alex, both looked happy to see their name being used. "…to help Professor X have as normal a life as possible. She's going to be your legs from now on, Professor. Go ahead, give her a command, all you have to do is think of an order and she'll follow it."

Charles took in a deep breath, rubbing his hands on the armrests, he thought of moving forward. Instantly the chair began to move. Getting excited the chair moved faster.

"Stop!" Charles shouted, as he was getting to close to a leather couch. The chair stopped so fast Charles had to grip the armrests to keep from falling out.

Hank quickly ran to the chair. "Sorry Professor, you have to get used to her, and her to you."

"Guess we're not the only ones that need training, right Professor?" Alex asked.

"One thing I have learned as I grew older," Charles said. "Is that the more you know the more you realize how much you don't know." Nodding his head, he gave a determined look. "As Sean would say, 'It is time for this Professor to get back in saddle'."

"Yee Haw, Professor," Sean yelled with an excited whoop.

"Professor," Hank said. "There's something else special about her, she's not just an automated wheelchair." He took a step back. Crossing his hairy arms he nodded his head towards the window. "Go ahead, try reading a mind from someone in town."

Charles frowned, "That's to far, Hank," he insisted. "I've never been able to read someone from that distance."

Hank grinned widely, "Give it a try, Professor."

Puzzled, Charles placed his index finger on his forehead. Concentrating he was surprised at first how intensely he was able to see into the minds of his companions. Lying back, he moved his mind farther, he contacted a man fighting to close his garage door miles down the road. He found that mind so clear, he moved on.

He skipped to a woman driving down the road, he could feel her fright as she worried about getting home safely, concerned that she would not get home in time for Christmas. Then he came to a man gathering an armful of wood. He was thankful for the time he spent splitting the wood. Charles flinched as a splinter of wood pricked the mans hands. He actually could feel the sting of the wood in his finger.

He went even further until he could hear the thoughts of people in a town that lay over ten miles away. He entered the mind of a chef in the local restaurant. He was unhappy with the small crowd of patrons on this stormy night. He was hoping for a large Christmas eve crowd. The chef hissed in pain, as he lifted a lid to a pot, the steam burning his hand. The pain was so intense it brought Charles back to the mansion.

Sean was standing directly in front of him. Once their eyes locked he saw Sean hiss, and shake his hand. "Yowl," Sean, screamed. "For a second there it felt like something burned my hand."

Charles shook his head. "That's new, I've never been able to transfer the pain I feel from another's mind, much less go that far. It's not as far reaching as when I was using Cerebro, but..."

That was when Charles saw Hank's eyes light up. He quickly explained to the Professor what he had done. "While I was building Cerebro Mark 2, I found I had some extra parts. She's not at Cerebro Mark 1's full strength. But sitting in Alessia will increase your power. She's a helper in more ways than one. Professor X is now more powerful than ever."

The smile on Charles face was glowing. "Hank, I believe this is the best Christmas gift I have ever received."

Hank had never been more happy, he felt his heart beating with pride. He saw a look on Charles that he knew all to well…he had a plan.

"Gentlemen," Charles said. "I fear that with what has happened in Cuba, the government will not be as complacent as they were before. We are going to use our school as a sanctuary against prejudice and intolerance for our kind. Beast, when will Cerebro Mark 2 be ready?"

"I'm nearly done, Professor." Beast found it hard to contain his smile. He saw something he hadn't seen in two months, he saw a spark in Professor's X's eyes

"Excellent," Charles was surprised to find Alessia moving towards the window. He was just thinking of going there, and she complied. 'Yes,' Charles thought. 'The best present ever.'

She turned with a just thought to face the others. "When it's ready, we need to pick up where Erik and I left off. There are so many minds out there that I touched, so many which need our help."

"Can Sean and I go with," Alex asked. "To help you search?"

"Yes, please, Professor." Sean begged.

Charles smiled proudly, "Of course. I will be depending on the three of you to help me find the others before the government and Magneto do. I will not lie though, what we are doing will not be without risk."

"Don't worry, Professor," Alex said. "The X-men are up to it."

A small smile parted Charles lips, "X-men, I like the sound of that."

Patting Alessia's armrests, he nodded his head, "Let's go then, we have much to do my friends, much to do." Seeing an anxious look on their faces, he slowly moved Alessia towards a tree in the corner. Looking at it he said, "Since you started early, I think these presents also need opening. Know anyone that can do it?"

Charles had never seen them move so fast. He smiled warmly as they tore into the presents he brought for them. Looking at the mantle he saw a small present wrapped in blue paper. He realized this was the first Christmas that he would spend without Raven. He prayed that wherever she was, she was happy.