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Chapter Nine:

"Ekka?" Xavier's voice filtered through the speaker, "It is nearly noon, have you eaten?"

"Yes, Mister Xavier," she responded automatically. Ekka hadn't; she fed the food to Brownie, who ate both his breakfast and hers.

"Then, are you ready to go over your History?" Xavier asked.

"Yes, Mister Xavier." She reach over to her bookcase and pulled out the history book. Xavier began to read aloud, but Ekka wasn't listening. Tears blurred her pages, but she didn't say a word.

The rest of the lesson went by easily. Once she was done, Ekka went back to her bed. Brownie curled up beside her. Xavier would give her another ten minutes before he came back for her next subject — which was math. After that, she would get dinner and be left alone for the night.

However, today, Xavier didn't leave. He day there, staring at her. Ekka noticed and sat up, "Di–Did I do something wrong?" Ekka asked, scared.

"You did nothing," Xavier sighed. "I'm sorry it has to be this way, Ekka," Xavier said, and Ekka frowned.

"I know," she replied. He told her this nearly every other day.

"I mean it," Xavier said. "I am going to fix this. I'll find a way, Ekka. This I'd just temporary."

"Yes, Mister Xavier," Ekka murmured, and Xavier sighed, but rolled out of the hall.

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The next day, Xavier seemed very happy when he spoke. He smiled more, trying to be more optimistic. He acted like this at the beginning of her confinement, but recently began to be more sober. Now, he was happy again.

Before he left for his last lesson, Ekka was far too curious to not ask, so she did. "Why are you happy, Mister Xavier?" Xavier froze for a moment, as if surprised she said something other than 'yes, Mister Xavier'.

However, Xavier smiled anyway, "Do you want to go outside tonight, Ekka?"

Ekka stared, as if shocked. She hadn't been outside her cell for months now. Ekka didn't realize it, but she had missed being outside, more than anything else. She missed the grass between her toes and the wind that riled her messy hair. She missed the cold that pricked her skin or the sun that warmed it.

Ekka didn't even know what day it was.

"I can go outside?!" Ekka gasped. Brownie raised his head, this was the most emotion Ekka had shown in months.

"Yes, but it'll have to be at night," Xavier said. Tears filled her eyes, and she covered her mouth.

"Really?"

"Yes," Xavier smiled. "We'll go tomorrow night if you get ready." Ekka smiled, wider than she had in months.

"Okay!"

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The next day Ekka was very energetic in her studies. She asked questions, gave comments to what he said. She even ate, but only a little because Brownie was very hungry.

That night, when it was nearly one AM, Xavier returned. He wore a heavy jacket and had her blanket over his legs. He pressed a few buttons on the wall and suddenly, a door opened near the wall.

Ekka pulled on a sweater and shook Brownie awake. Then, she raced out of the room, walking beside Xavier. "Now, you have to be very quiet, alright?" Ekka nodded, taking his instructions with serious precision. "Good. Come along," Ekka giggled, and walked quickly.

True to his word, Xavier brought her outside. Ekka shivered in the autumn cold, but she felt free. She felt the fish in the pond, and the birds in the trees. She heard the crickets and grasshoppers emerging from their homes to buzz and full the night air.

Ekka felt tears fall down her cheeks, and she laughed. She ran around, giggling and cry. Brownie ran behind her, as excited as she was. He moaned in delight. The two of them rolled in the grass, giggling and crying. She missed this --- she loved this.

Flutter would have loved this too, She thought. She would be buzzing around her head, tweeting excitedly. And Vera, she would love weather like this. Her favourite season was fall. She loved how the leaves changed colours and the brisk air chilled her lungs.

Ekka sniffed, she missed Vera. She was gonna go to college, and be smart. She had a life ahead of her, and—

"Miss Ekka, if you are going to start crying then we are will have to go back inside," Xavier told her. Ekka sniffed again, rubbing at her cheeks.

"I am sorry," Ekka murmured. "But, can we stay? I just for a little more?"

Xavier sighed, his eyes softening. "Fine. But only for a little more." Ekka smiled, and once again, she and Brownie were playing again.

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Although that had been the first time Xavier let her outside, it certainly wasn't the last. Every other night, he came, let her and Brownie play in the darkness for an hour or so before having to go back to bed. This daily occurence of being able to play lifted Ekka's spirits. She wasn't as sad. In fact, she began to look forward to being outside, to being with Mister Xavier.

Sometimes, if she was very good that day, Xavier would bring a frisbee, and she and Brownie played with it for nearly an hour. Then, she would go back inside, go to sleep, and wait until they could go outside again.

This went on for a few weeks, unless Xavier said it was far too cold to go out for the night. If that happened, they'd play inside. He played board games with her, and taught her chess.

However, one night when they were outside, playing, Mr. McCoy came out too. Ekka was mid-throw with a frisbee, but stopped and stared at him. Mr. McCoy was furious. His cheeks flushed from the cold and his anger. His eyes narrowed, darting back and forth from Ekka to Xavier, as if progressively getting angrier.

"Why is she out here?!" He demanded, pointing to Ekka, who shrank away. Brownie came to her side, and she ran her fingers through his fur.

"It's important for her to do something physical," Xavier said simply.

"Charles, she—" he inhaled, glancing around. Then, he spoke lower. "Charles, Lwazi is here."

"What?" Charles stared at the man. "He's—" Charles looked at Ekka, then at Hank. "Are you positive?"

"He's in the school, Xavier. I didn't know... God. We need to hide her."

"What is going on?" Ekka asked, scared. "Who is Lwazi?"

"Come on, Miss Ekka," Xavier said, holding a hand out to her, but Ekka didn't take it.

"Who is Lwazi?" She asked again, scared.

"Ekka, we need to go inside, now," Hank said, seriously. He looked scared, and it made her scared.

Brownie moaned, pawing her hip, standing on his hind legs. "No," Ekka said, shaking. She didn't want to go back to her cell. What if Xavier never let her out again? "No, I do not—"

"Miss Ekka—" Ekka didn't listen. She turned and ran.

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Ekka got quite far before she stopped and had to breathe. She heard Xavier yelling behind her, but ignored it. Brownie raced beside her, happy to be actually running for once and not just bouncing around.

Ekka had to stop, leaning against a tree to catch her breath. She didn't know how she was going to get out of the school. Did she want to get out of the school? Xavier protected her. He always would protect her. She should just stay here forever. Forever. For—

Ekka groaned gripping her skull. That wasn't what she wanted. She never knew what she wanted. She was always being told to do things! She wanted to leave. She needed to leave. She needed to leave and come back because why would she leave? Xavier wouldn't let her leave? He would keep her here. There was no escaping a man who could pick apart your mind. She was safe here. She was wanted here. She was needed here. She—

Ekka screamed. She literally screamed. She was going insane. This wasn't her! She wasn't thinking this! He... Xavier was controlling her. He was doing the same thing Father did. He was just like Father. He was just like Father.

"Ekka!" This voice calling from the dark woods was different. It was taunting, and young. "Ekka~!" She didn't know where it was coming from. She didn't know who it was.

Then, a hand wrapped around her wrist, and turned her around. Ekka nearly fainted by who she was glaring down at her. "Did you really think you'd be able to get far from me?" Father growled.

"No! Please, Father!" Ekka cried out, new tears staining her cheeks, but Father wasn't hearing it.

"You remember the last time you tried to run?" He snatched her other hand with the missing pinky finger and showed her. "Apparently, you just don't learn, do you?" Brownie growled, but was easily silenced when Father kicked him away. Ekka gasped, but Father hit her, directing her attention back to him.

Father dragged her to a nearby tree, then and held her hand down. Then, he put the knife in her other hand. The blade gleamed dangerously in the moonlight and Ekka couldn't help the sobs escaping her throat.

"Please, Father," Ekka begged, trembling. "Please!" Father snaked into her mind and Ekka felt sick immediately. "Please!" She screamed, trying to move her hand as the other raised against it. "Please, Father! Please! Have mercy! Do not—!" It was too late. The knife was so sharp that it cut through her skin easily, it for wedged between the bone, but Father helped for that. He pushed it down and soon, her finger was detached from her hand.

Ekka screamed, her legs turning to jelly as she fell to the ground. She screams were choked with done that racked her entire body, but Father wasn't done.

"Get up!" He hissed, and Ekka tried to crawl away. "Get up!"

Ekka shook her head, "No more, Father, please! I am sorry, I will come home. Please, no more!" Father bared his teeth, making his way back in her head. Then, he forced her to put her bleeding hand on the ground. Without hesitation, he stamped on it, his steel-toe boot crushing her bones. Ekka felt faint with the pain of it, her eyes rolling back in her head, but Father took her by the shoulders and shook her, keeping hee awake.

"That's enough!" Xavier snapped, Hank following him. "Get away from her, Delilah."

Father laughed, dragging Ekka up off the ground, "Why should I?" He taunted. His voice was high again. Ekka realized that it was Delilah's voice, the one that was in the woods. She hadn't recognized it because she hadn't seen or heard the girl in so long.

"Mister Xavier, this—" Father hit her and she stopped talking immediately.

"You will be expelled," Xavier said coldly. "For several assualts on a student. I have already rang your parents. It's over. Let go of her."

Brownie got up and growled at Father. Xavier realized that the bear was looking above Delilah's head to something, or someone much taller. His eyes widened and at the time of his realization, Lwazi dropped the act, pulling out a gun and pointing it at Ekka's head. His face was shifting, as if Xavier couldn't focus on it, so he focused on his dark eyes, that were full of rage.

"We can settle this, Lwazi," Xavier spoke in calm tones. "Leave Ekka out of this. She is just a child."

"No, no, because you don't realize what you're doing to her," Father growled. Ekka had ran out of tears to spare at this point. "You're giving her hope, Charles. You don't think I had to deal with her mutation every day for the year since she developed it? The only way to keep it neutralizes is to keep her neutralized. You want to know how that is?" Father raised Ekka up, and slammed the butt of his gun in between her shoulder and collarbone.

Ekka cried out, pain exploding in the area, then slumping against Father, trying to breathe. Xavier flinched and Hank seemed to grow steadily angry, glaring intensely at Father. "It's the only way. When she feels small, her mutation feels small. You just have to nudge her in the right direction. And besides," Father chuckled, shaking Ekka by her shirt. Ekka's head lollied. The only thing keeping her conscious was Father in her head. "It's such a good stress reliever."

"There's no reason to result to violence for any solution," Xavier glared. "Leave her alone, Lwazi."

"I don't think you're listening to me, Professor," Father narrowed his eyes. "I know how to keep her in check. I can take her off your hands. Just turn a blind eye this one time, and you won't have this problem. I mean, you've already gone through the trouble of wiping the entire school's memory of her and her little 'tantrum'. People have been killed, Professor. So, how about you let me have my lovely little Ekka, and I won't utter a word to the press about how the Charles Xavier, advocate for all Mutant kind, has been covering up the deaths of what, eight? Nine people? What will they say about you then, Professor? What will they say about your school?"

Xavier glared at the man, "They won't say anything. And neither will you. You won't lay another hand on Ekka."

"And why's that?"

Xavier glared, "Because, I—" He didn't finish. A snake rose from the ground, and bit him in the leg. Father cried out, dropping his gun. Then, birds came out of their nests and descended on the man. Their sharp beaks pecked out his eyes, clawed at his face and tore out his tongue. Brownie came behind them, his claws, although not quite sharp as they should be, mauling in body and teeth tearing out his throat.

Xavier watched in quiet horror as the man was practically eaten alive by animals.

Once he was finally dead and face no longer recognizable, Ekka slowly leaned over and picked up his gun. She cocked it and pointed it at her own head. "Ekka! Wait!" Xavier said, eyes wide.

"I cannot live like this anymore, Mister Xavier," Ekka said softly. "I cannot do it."

"Ekka, please, wait, we can talk about this, out the gun down," Xavier said slowly.

"I cannot do this anymore," Ekka repeated, tremblings. "I cannot. I—"

"Okay, okay, I understand, Ekka. We'll solve this. We'll figure this out," Xavier said, trying to be calm. "But we can't do anything if you are dead, Ekka. Please, put the gun down."

"I killed nine people—"

"I know."

"I killed Vera and Flutter and Mr. George and—"

"I know, Ekka, I know."

"I cannot, Mister Xavier. I am sorry, but I cannot."

"Ekka, please. We can still save you. We can still help you."

"Are you going to hurt me like Father did?"

"What?" Xavier frowned, "No, never. We'll find some other way. Lwazi, your Father, was wrong. That isn't the only way to help you, Ekka. We'll find another. We will, I promise. Trust me, Ekka."

Ekka stared at him and Hank who both looked very scared and worried. "No." Ekka tried to pull the trigger, but failed. Her finger didn't move. Her entire body didn't move. Ekka stared at her hands as they slowly put the gun back on the grass and then pushed it away.

Then, Ekka looked at Xavier who was concentrating very hard on her. He also looked sad, and Ekka didn't know what to do.

Ekka cried. She was right, all that time ago, when she thought Father would never leave her life. It was Mr. George, then Delilah and her friends and now him. Now it was Xavier. He was her new Father.

"You are no better than Father," Ekka told him before Xavier forced her into unconciousness.

[END OF BOOK ONE]

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YES! YES! YES! I FINALLY finished this book! Woohoo! Finally! Hahahah! Suck on that, kiddies!

Okay, had to get that out. But yes, this is the end of book one of the Fading Series (do you like that? I think it has a nice ring to it :3!) I don't know when I'll start the next one. Let's say September, if I'm not backed up on stories. Lemme take a break from Ekka and relax lol.

I'm low-key sorry for the emotional rollercoaster that was this chapter --- this whole book, actually --- but, not really lol.

Since Father is dead, and I have given a few people hints, I'll answer the question: what does Father look like?

If you haven't noticed Father was able to be disguised as Delilah for several  months without anyone noticing. That's because his power isn't so much as mind control as it is mental perception. The question 'what does Father look like' is kind of a trick question because Ekka has never described what he looked like. She only describes him with 'dark features' because that was the main thing that stuck out. Father changed her --- and everyone else's --- perception of his face so much that they didn't know. How can you track a man who can change his face?

Man, I've given this story so much thought lmao. I'm so pumped for the next book!

However, this is where I'll unfortunately have to end it, guys. I'll see y'all in the next book, and remember...

Don't melt~!- Happyritas <OOO

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The darkskinned woman approached the resting large man hesitantly, but squared her shoulders as she got close. "Sir?"

"What is it?" The man growled, annoyed by her intrusion.

"It is about your brother, sir," she said. "There has been word that he has been murdered."

"'Murdered'?" The African man rose an eyebrow. "Of course that fool was. Who did it?"

"Nothing is certain yet, but we have reason to believe it was Professor Charles Xavier," the woman explained. The man's eyes narrowed dangerously, his fist clenching. "That is all, sir."

"Then be gone," he growled, standing up.

"Yes, Master Mandla," the woman said, then exited his room. Mandla stood, anger boiling in his eyes. It was time he payed a visit to America.

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Edited: 5/25/18