ENCHANTRESS ( peter maximoff ) o.h.

𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑟𝑡𝑦-𝑜𝑛𝑒.

31. | chapter thirty-one

❝raven returns.❞

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Moira was ecstatic to be invited to the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters. She quickly agreed to go and then proceeded to hop into Lydia's car with several strangers that she had just met.

Lydia drove the car up to the front of the school with Charles seated beside her. Moira rolled down her window and stared at the school in amazement. "I've read so much about this place," she smiled. "But being here, it actually seems kind of....familiar."

Lydia shrugged, a small smile on her face. "It gets that a lot."

"Strange," Moira mumbled.

"Quite," Charles turned his head to glance at Lydia and Alex, a smile appeared on all of their faces. "Shall we?"

Alex helped Charles onto his wheelchair and then the four of them proceeded to enter the school. They headed straight towards Charles' office as Charles told Hank that he was to look after the school while they were out.

"Hank, are you in here?" Charles asked as they walked in. "I'd like you to meet...."

Charles stopped as soon as he saw someone. Lydia looked at Hank who was on a seat and then to the blonde sitting beside Avery on the couch. "Raven!" Lydia squealed as she bolted over to her and then proceeded to attack her older sister in a bear hug.

"Lydia!" Raven laughed as she gripped onto her. "It's been so long!"

Lydia pulled away from her so she could lightly slap her shoulder. "And whose fault is that?" She asked.

"Sorry about that." Raven looked at Avery and then back at Lydia. "Also, you're a mother to Avery Raven Xavier, huh?"

Lydia grinned and nodded, watching as Avery jumped off of the couch and headed towards Moira to meet her. "I had to name her after you. You've helped me so much throughout the years, and you're my sister."

Raven's eyes glistened as she bashfully smiled. "Thank you, Lyds." Lydia shrugged as if it was no big deal. Raven then looked past Lydia and frowned. "Moira?"

"I'm sorry, have we met?" Moira asked her after meeting the young girl standing beside her.

"Ah," Charles glanced at everyone. "Hank, Alex, Agent MacTaggert, would you give us one moment, please? And take Avery with you." Alex picked up Avery and whispered something to her that caused her to laugh, and then the group were out of the room.

Raven walked up to Charles. "Charles, why didn't she recognise me? She knew me in this form."

"Well, after you left Lydia and I on the beach in Cuba, I took her memories of that time," Charles said as he began to wheel himself to sit behind his desk. "Have a seat."

Raven sat down in the chair in front of Charles and Lydia stood beside her. "Lucky girl," Raven sarcastically said.

"It's good to see you, Raven," Charles smiled. "Welcome home."

"This isn't my home," Raven quickly bit back.

"It use to be," Lydia sighed.

"No, it was your guys home. I just lived here," Raven said. "And I barley even recognise it now."

"You know, I have plans for this place. I mean to turn it into a real campus. A university. Not just for mutants, either, for humans too," Charles smiled as he looked out the window. "Living and working, growing together."

Raven looked down. "You know, I really believed that once. I really believed we could change them after DC."

"We did," Charles' head tilted.

"No, Charles. They still hate and fear us. It's just harder to see because they're more polite about it," Raven shook her head.

"People are always going to fear us. It's natural," Lydia sighed.

"I just got sick of living that lie," Raven looked down.

"That's why you're not in your natural blue form," Charles concluded.

"I'm not going to be half of the face of a world that doesn't exist," Raven turned her head away in disgust.

"Things are better. The world is better."

"Maybe in Westchester. Out there, mutants are still running, hiding, living in fear," Raven said. "Just because there's not a war, doesn't mean there's peace. You want to teach your kids something, teach them that. Teach them to fight. Otherwise they might as well live in this house for the rest of their lives."

"You still sound just like him," Charles turned away. "You sound just like Erik."

"That's why I'm here," Raven said. "He's resurfaced," she paused. "He had a wife and a child. They were killed."

"What happened to them?" Lydia asked her.

"Erik was accidentally seen using his powers and the humans got scared. They called up the police to have him taken in. They killed Erik's wife and child and then Erik killed them," Raven spoke and Lydia bit her lip.

She got a sudden pang in her heart for Erik. Just because he had turned into a person that went off and killed any human in his path, he was still there for Lydia when she was a child. He would always have a spot in Lydia's heart. And hearing that he had to watch the police officers kill the two women he loved most in the world...Lydia couldn't even imagine watching someone kill Avery without feeling sick about it.

"The whole world will be looking for him," Charles said.

"But you can help me find him before they do."