Lame title, I know. Never been great with titles.
Moving on, this started as a role play idea (as many of my drabbles do, it seems) and turned into a fascinating alternate universe. I'd like to expand on this piece later on, or at least tell it through a couple of short stories. Role reversal fascinates me.

Disclaimer: I do not own XMFC.

The room is just as he remembers it. Square, sophisticated; lit in a pale orange glow. It looks like any other office he's ever seen ( the rare times he'd gone with mother to work); had there boy been a gaping wall of steel and glass, there'd be little reason to fear. Well, there would, but nothing like the horrors scraping through imagination. 'Laboratory,' he thinks, squeezing his sister to his chest. She's whimpering, poor girl; it's all he can do not to echo it. "W-What do you want with us?"

The man behind the desk merely smiles, his own eyes twinkling behind his glasses. "To understand." He says, and even though he's smiling, something freezes Charles' stomach.

"I hear you caused quite the fuss out there." The man ( who looks like a doctor but can't be in principal) continues, folding his hands atop his desk. Spectacled gaze shifts, and beneath his embrace, his sister's scales quiver.

"Both of you."

Raven's grip tightens as Charles' does around her, color draining from his already ashen face. The doctor-man knew? What… What happened to those guards?

"They were t-trying to separate us." Even as he says it, he feels the mistake. Older man'd gaze narrows— studying, calculating; a predator sizing up his prey. Abruptly, his faux (it was faux, want it?) demeanor drops, barking orders at the soldiers behind the frightened children, who in turn pry them apart.

"No!" Raven cries, and Charles screams her name. Furious fear flashes before his eyes, familiar pressure squeezing his temples…

"Let me go!" He shrieks and the soldier behind him hisses, staggering.

The doctor's never looked so pleased.

"Release him" he orders, and the older man does, sagging against the wall as Charles reaches for his sister—

"Ah ah ah." A click of the tongue, (which would've gone unnoticed—NO ONE threatens Raven and gets away with it) and Doctor Whatshisname pulls out a gun. Raven's gold eyes bulge. Charles' heart stops.

"I'm afraid it's not so simple, Charles. If you want your sister back, you'll have to better than that." Gaze shifts, and the boy tries not to cringe beneath its weight. The man behind the desk nods to the soldier squeezing Raven's arm. "Knock him out."

What?

"Like you did outside."

Frozen stomach chills further.

Outside…he can't do that again. He isn't even sure how it happened the first time. "I—"

The gun shifts, lining up with his little sister's heart.

"You…?"

Pressure builds behind his eyes, dragging with it swelling anger. No one. Hurts. Raven.

"Gah!"

The man flinches, pinching his forehead, as Charles glares him down; crushing him with FURYFURYFURY his direction. 'DonttouchherdonttouchherDONT TOUCHHER—'

BANG.

Noise explodes, and Charles falls, eyes shooting to his sister who…seems fine. The soldier…he too, seems…fine…

He looks back at the Doctor, who's stood at some point, blood dribbling from his nose. He's…is he…yes, he's shaking—the doctor is, but not from fear. His arm and the weapon grasped tremble with unsuspecting rage and only now does Charles understand what's really happened.

Only now does he feel the biting bullet—the oozing blood down his arm.

Only now does he scream.

—

He wakes up in a cold sweat, shaking violently. His eyes sting, his throat, his chest, throb viciously and it takes a second to realize he hasn't stopped shrieking.

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