Chapter 15: Protection

So loud, so loud.

Abigail covered her ears, but she was powerless to stop the overwhelming noise surging through her mind.

Malice.

Disgust.

Jealousy.

Mockery.

Amidst these sharp voices, Abigail desperately searched for a calming one to soothe herself.

It didn't matter whose it was, as long as it was peaceful…

Suddenly, a youthful, clear voice broke into her ears:

"Clang, clang, clang~ I am the king of the world!"

Huh? A child?

"In the name of Odin, the father of the gods, I shall protect the future of Asgard!"

...Huh?

After a brief pause, the voice matured slightly, no longer brimming with excitement. This time, there was a trace of melancholy in it:

"As long as I work hard, Father will notice me."

But moments later, it seemed that the melancholy and gloom were swept away, and the boy once again comforted himself with renewed confidence:

"Come on! Loki! You are the man who will become king!"

…

…

…

Who is this? Does she know them?

The earlier noise filled with malice had been overwhelming, but this person's voice was so fresh, so clean, untouched by any impurity… Is she supposed to know this crazy person?

Before Abigail could think further, she heard that voice again. This time, it was more mature, and the anger in it was almost enough to shake the air:

"Abigail Rose! You will pay the price! Just you wait!"

Abigail: "…"

What?

Abigail lowered her head in disappointment. It seemed there was no escape from these voices. She had foolishly hoped to find a peaceful space here… how ridiculous…

"Abigail!! Who is this woman? You look down on me, you despise me! I am the future king of Asgard!"

Abigail: "…"

This little princess' tone! Who are you?

"You even went as far as to write me a letter to mock me! Just you wait! I'll flip mountains and seas to find you!"

Abigail: "…"

Okay, okay, you're the man who's going to be king.

But, being the king's man, shouldn't you have a bit more grace?

However, the voice didn't stop. The speaker clearly hated her, and from then on, they repeated the words, one by one, through clenched teeth: "Abigail, Abigail, I remember you, Abigail…"

…This fool.

Among all the malice in the world, his hatred seemed particularly refreshing.

Without even realizing it, Abigail, crouching on the ground with her head held, let out a low laugh.

As she laughed, the red mist around her vision faded slightly. In the murky field of vision, a figure suddenly appeared. For the first time, the external noise broke through her ears and came rushing in: "Abigail!"

Abigail raised her head in confusion and saw the unconscious bodies of those around her, and the lone figure still standing.

His face was hard to make out in the red mist, but in this modern city, there weren't many people running around wearing a helmet, and Abigail was startled. She instinctively took a step back.

The scene of a multi-vehicle crash on the road was filled with severely deformed cars, and since Abigail had crouched down, it seemed the figure didn't see her but was anxiously searching for her.

Not daring to confirm whether he was a hallucination or real, Abigail timidly hid behind one of the cars, carefully shrinking her head and peeking through the gap at the strange figure in a suit and helmet.

The fog around her was thick, and she couldn't see his face clearly, but it was obvious he was searching for someone urgently.

Abigail stayed hidden, her sweaty back pressed against the cold metal of the car, hoping he would just hurry on by.

However, not long after, she felt a strange emptiness behind her. She looked up and saw that all the cars around her were slowly lifting off the ground! Along with them, the scattered metal scraps, parts, and anything that could be used as shelter were floating in the air.

Nowhere to hide.

Abigail was understandably panicked, but soon she recognized the familiar face: Erik.

As though seeing her allowed him to relax, Erik kept the cars suspended in the air and flashed a rare smile, his usually indifferent face softening: "Abigail, stay where you are. Don't move. I'll come to you right now."

As he said this, he took a large step toward her. But before he could reach her, he stopped suddenly.

From the tips of his outstretched fingers, a layer of cold, thin ice began to spread as if frost was forming.

Abigail warily eyed him, cautiously stepping back, warning: "Don't come any closer."

At her words, thorny vines suddenly grew up from the ground in front of Erik, quickly twisting together to form a high wall.

Erik hurriedly called out: "Abigail? You don't recognize me? Listen, even though you've got the situation under control now, it won't stay like this forever. Soon, the authorities will realize this accident is no ordinary one. You may be powerful, but they have many strategies to deal with mutants. So listen to me, I'll send you home right now—"

But Abigail was backing away: "I've made such a huge mistake, they won't let me go…"

So rather than being sent to prison alone, maybe…

"You won't be!" Erik shouted, his voice thin through the thorn wall. "As long as I'm around, they'll think whatever happens is something I planned. Right now, all you need to do is pretend you're a survivor fleeing the scene. Got it?"

"It's okay, I'll take the full blame. So before they come, we need to get you somewhere safe!"

Abigail stood frozen, her fingers loosening. The thorny wall she had created collapsed in an instant, turning to dust.

She stared blankly at the person before her and softly asked, "Really?"

Erik's ice had spread up to his elbows, but he took slow steps toward her, speaking gently: "Don't be afraid. It was my fault for leaving you and the others behind back then. Trust me, I won't do it again."

Protection?

Once, someone had promised not to judge her and vowed to always have a backdoor ready for her.

But now, she didn't believe that person anymore.

How could she be sure they weren't all in this together? After all, Magneto and Professor X used to work side by side—who knew…

Before Abigail could respond, Charles appeared in her vision. The man in the wheelchair watched her with a pained expression, although he tried to speak gently: "Abigail, it's alright, it's alright…"

It was as if he were comforting a frightened animal, his voice soft and soothing.

However, his sudden appearance only brought Abigail extreme fear. She widened her eyes and spat out each word: "Get out of my head, now!"

Charles stared at the furious Abigail and asked, "Do you misunderstand something—"

Before he could finish, a sharp buzzing sound filled his ears, nearly cracking his skull!

Charles bowed his head in agony, his hands gripping his hair tightly: "Abigail, you promised me… you'd control yourself…"

Standing aside, Erik looked at Abigail screaming at an empty space and suddenly realized what was happening. He angrily shouted: "Charles, why do you have to make things worse!"

Abigail was clearly terrified by the ability to invade her mind at any time, as if she were under constant surveillance, being watched by countless eyes. Instinctively, she took another step back, whispering, "I said, get out."

Charles winced in pain, his fingers digging into his scalp, gritting his teeth: "Abigail, I can't move… Damn it, don't do this…"

Erik immediately took off his helmet, which had shielded him from Charles' influence. In that moment, a deafening buzzing rushed into his mind. Erik clenched his teeth, ignoring the ice spreading on his hands, and placed the helmet on Abigail's head.

Abigail's ears rang, and the image of Charles finally vanished.

The moment the surveillance disappeared, she quieted down.

Erik gently placed a hand on her back and helped her walk toward a quieter street: "I'm taking you home now. We need to leave before the large-scale hunt starts."

In the distance, Charles sat in his wheelchair, his back soaked in sweat. His fingers were tightly gripping the armrests, his body tense as he slowly regained his composure.

Hank, still standing by his side, was connected to a machine.

Hank leaned down, concerned: "Professor, how are you?"

Charles furrowed his brow: "Erik is with her. She seems to have misunderstood something."

His eyes followed Erik's figure, watching as they left the scene of the accident. Erik rarely removed his helmet when he knew Charles would invade his mind. This time, however, it was different.

But why?

He had thought Erik's "protection" was just about recruiting a strong ally. Now, it seemed like much more.

That kind of protection was more like…

Even though they had made promises, Charles decided to enter Erik's mind to find out the truth.

Clearly, Erik had sensed his intrusion. Stretching out his hand, covered in ice, he held the girl in his arms, turning his head to give a cold, sharp glance to the empty space.

Charles, are you intruding to find out why?

Because she is my only family.