Title: The Marker

Author: L. Burke

E-mail: crowtrobot_2000@hotmail.com

Disclaimer: “X-men” and all the characters here belong to Marvel , 20 Century Fox and I intend no infringement, this is a piece of amateur fan fiction, and I make no money of it.

Only the original idea contained within this work is the property of the author. Please do not copy this story to any website or archive without permission of the author.

Summery: A father says farewell to his sons.

 

 

 

The Marker

 

            When Charles Xavier wheeled up to the two tombstones, he found him dressed all in black.  Black pants, black turtleneck sweater and a black trench coat.  Charles Xavier thought the color scheme fit the mood tonight.  Charles took a deep breath, “Chris,”

            Chris Summers just stiffened up at the sound of his name and replied in a cold deadly tone, “Don’t say one word to me Charles.  I blame you for this.”

            “I understand what you’re going through.”  Charles stated quietly.

            Corsair suddenly turned his head and shot Charles a look that men across the galaxy had come to fear.  “You understand what I’m going through?  I don’t think so.  I lost both of them because of your stupid little war.  I had finally managed to find them again after all those years and now they’re both gone.  You have no idea what I’m feeling right now or you would be getting as far away from me as possible.”

            Xavier flinched, “Corsair, I understand why you’re angry.”

            “Do you now?”  Chris fired back bitterly, “All Alex wanted to do was live a normal life, settle down, study his rocks, and have a few kids.  Let’s not get going on Scott or I might just shoot you here and now.”

            “I cared for Scott very deeply, Chris.” Charles stated quietly.

            Corsair threw his head back and laughed bitterly, “I’m sure you did.  That’s why you trained him to be your perfect little soldier.  Tell me something Charles if you had use of your legs at the time you found him.  Would you have bothered with him?  I always wondered why you ever would have made a shy, insecure boy like Scott in to your team leader.  You know what I think?  I think you knew what stock he came from.  I think when you first took him in, you did some checking and found out that Scott came from a long line of soldiers and go ones at that.  No family, no place to go, he was exactly what you needed, so you took him in.  Or did you find out he had grandparents and just never mentioned the fact to Scott?  I know, I found out that my parents were still alive without too much trouble.  A man with your means and influence shouldn’t have had any problems.”

            Xavier narrowed his eyes, “How dare you.”

            Chris glared right back at him, “I dare a lot.  I’m standing at the foot of both my sons’ graves.  Of all people I have earned the right to question you Charles.  You never trained Scott to be anything else but a soldier for your little mutant army.  All that potential, Scott could have been any thing, and you made him a soldier like his father.  That way Scott would always come back to the X-men.  Always come back to you.” Chris Summers spat those last five words out like they were a very bitter poison.  “That’s the one thing I will always hate you for Charles.  I never wanted my sons to see real combat.  I never wanted them to know what it was like to wade through other people’s blood.  I never wanted them to know what it was like to watch the light fade from another person’s eyes because they pulled the trigger.  You took those choices away from them.”

            “You have no right to question the choices either Scott or I made.  You weren’t here.”  Xavier announced coldly.  “You were too busy running around the galaxy.  If I recall correctly.” 

            “And what do you know about having choices taken away from you Charles?”  Chris fired back.  “You were always in control.  Even when you were ‘Consort to the Empress’ you pulled the strings behind the scenes.  When you spend a year in a tiger cage or three years on a hell prison plant come talk to me.”

            Charles took a deep breath and said calmly, “Chris I know your grieving and you’re very angry right now.”

            “You’re damned right I’m angry.”   Chris held both of his fists rigidly at his sides and fired back, “I’m angry about a lot of things.  I’m angry about spending a year in a tiger cage.  I’m angry that I didn’t just shoot D’Ken dead instead of trying to take the pleasure of killing him with my bare hands.  I’m angry that Kate died for that choice.  I’m angry about spending three years on a hellish prison planet.  I’m angry with myself for not getting the guts to come home sooner to see if my sons were still alive.  I’m angry with myself for a lot of the choices I’ve made in my life.  But this,” Chris gestured towards the two Summers’ graves, “I lies squarely on your shoulders.  That’s why I called you to meet me here tonight Charles.  Tonight you’re going to answer for killing my son’s.”

            Xavier raised an eyebrow and responded dryly, “How do you plan to do that?  Are you planning on murdering me Chris?  If you are, go ahead and pull the trigger, violence and revenge were always your answers before.”

            Chris Summers just gave Charles a cold blank mask.  It was an expression Charles has seen on another face many times.  “Don’t you think the thought didn’t cross my mind, Charles?  It was a very tempting thought splattering you’re brains all over this graveyard.  Don’t even think for a moment I couldn’t do it.  I’ve looked in to the eyes of better men than you and pulled the trigger.  I decided against killing you.  I won’t do it for Scott.  Scott wouldn’t have approved of me killing you.  Scott always was very against killing, one of the many things we disagreed on.  So I came up with something better to make you suffer.  I’m calling in the marker you owe me Charles.  Remember?”

            Charles sighed, “Yes.  I owed you that marker when you saved my life.”

            Chris smirked at Xavier, “I’m calling it in tonight Charles.  Do you remember that picture of Scott and Alex we took on that camping trip years back?  Both of them look so young in that photograph do you remember?”

            Xavier nodded, “Yes I believe I still have it in storage somewhere why?”

            Chris’ smirk deepened, “Excellent, if you didn’t still have a copy.  I was going to give you one.  I want you to go find it and put it on your desk.  My marker is you aren’t allowed to take it off your desk.”

            Xavier looked at Christopher Summer for a moment and asked “Why?”

            Chris narrowed his eyes at Charles, “Because I want you to remember.  Every time you recruit a young mutant like Scott.  Every time you take a young life and mold them only for your cause, I want you to see Scott and Alex.  I want you to have to look at that photograph everyday and remember my sons.  I want you to remember the wasted lives.  I want you to remember all that wasted potential.  I want you to remember what they could have been.  I want you to remember what they could have given the world.  If I have to live my worst nightmare hell, Charles, you’re going to live it right with me.  That’s my marker.”

            Charles just said quietly “I see.”

            Chris gave him a bitter smirk as he turned to walk away.  “I’m sure you do, Charles.  What can I say?  I’m not a very forgiving person.  Hell’s not quite so bad when you know you’re not in it alone.  Goodbye Charles and I want you to remember, I am never going to forgive you for this.”  With those final words between them Chris Summers walked away.   Leaving Charles Xavier standing at the foot of his favorite students’ grave alone.