Fallout (X-men: First Class, Erik/Charles)

Charles pulls his cup away from his lips as a growing sense of unease fills him. Warm tea spills on his hand and he looks down, surprised to see his hand shaking. The cup clatters against the plate as he hastily puts it down. His entire body is shaking and he has no idea when or why it started. It only makes his unease worse. He can’t help the momentary sense of betrayal that sweeps through him. His body is dysfunctional enough without another part of him falling out of his control. He presses his hands flat to the table in an attempt to regain some semblance of control. It only partially works.

Sun streams in through the large bay windows that form the southern wall of the dining room. He expects to see a storm but there isn’t one. The skies are clear, almost picturesquely so, marred only by the heavy swaying of the trees. There’s a strong wind blowing from the south. It makes the trees lean towards him and shakes the windows. A glint catches his eye and he squints, trying to make it out but it blends with the sunlight.

He’s felt this unease before, just before something devastating happens, but it’s worse than anything he can remember. It’s closer. Whatever’s about to happen, it’s going to happen nearby. It’s the Chile earthquake, Typhoon Vera, and Mount Lamington all rolled into one. As he watches, the glint of light gets closer to the horizon.

He should warn the children, tell them to get to the storm cellar in the basement. Before he can, the light flashes and a deafening boom pierces the air.

Terror squeezes his heart so hard that he fears it might burst. It seeps into him, flooding his mind and clogging every pore. His eyes widen and he forgets how to breath. The light keeps getting brighter and wider, blossoming out in a white cloud that he’s seen before on old film from the war. He wants to run but he knows running will do no good. He has no chance of outpacing what’s coming for him, even if he wasn’t crippled and stuck in a wheelchair.