CHAPTER FOUR: DARKEST HOUR

The swarm of lecherous reporters had died down in front of the mansion and the night seemed oddly settled as Scott and Logan finished boarding up the windows in the classroom.

"It looks like everything's died down out there," said Scott.

"Looks like," replied Logan, "But I wouldn't host any picnics just yet." Phil stood by the phone, began dialing and waited, "Hello," he said with a whisper, "Mr. McCoy? It's Phil… can I talk to you?"

Phil hung up the phone and sat by the phone as he looked down in a daze, "How's Hank?" asked Logan.

"He's okay," replied Phil, "He's coming back in two or three days."

"Whiskey?" he asked sticking his glass out to him as he rejected. He took a slow sip and looked over at him, "Came to a decision, yet?"

"D-Decision?"

"Magneto came to you, didn't he?" asked Logan, "He offered you something."

"Probably," replied Phil, "He made some interesting points."

"I'm sure he did," replied Logan, "He's a master spin doctor."

"How so?" asked Phil.

"He's great with the speeches," replied Logan, "How else do you think he wrangled up his brotherhood?"

"He asked for me personally," argued Phil.

"He asked for all of them personally," replied Logan.

"What if he's right?" asked Phil, "What if we're looking at the brink of a mutant holocaust and tomorrow we wake up, our school is gone and we're building stuff and dying in prisons because of Helmsley? Wouldn't you rather fight for freedom?"

"Better to die fighting," replied Logan, "But not under Magneto's watch."

"The professor is clueless, like everyone else is," replied Phil, "Even Scott doesn't know what to do, and Mr. McCoy is stumped."

"Right now nobody knows what to do," argued Logan, "But that ain't reason to abandon your kind."

"I'm not abandoning anyone," replied Phil, "I'm just thinking. Those people out there are ready to kill us the first chance they get and I don't want to die." He stood up and walked off, "Hey kid," Logan called as Phil stopped at the doorway, "I like you… which is why I'm asking you: Don't join him. Think about it."

Phil stood in his room packing his bags as Chi walked in curiously watching him quickly stuff his clothes in his suitcase.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"Out," he replied coldly.

"I heard that you're leaving school for good," she said.

"Shouldn't listen to rumors," replied Phil, "They're not all true."

"I-Is it because of me?" she asked.

"You, them, everyone," he replied, "I'm sick of being looked at like I'm a freak when I go to the store… I have to leave for a little while to think things over, clear my head. I'm burnt out here teaching, hiding in this place day after day."

"We all need you here," she argued.

"No, you don't," he insisted, "No one does. Scott is distracted, Jean is worried, the professor is in a corner, no one is in school, I can feel the tension and it's terrible. There's something in the air, and I can feel it, something is going down and very soon. You know what stores are beginning to have now? Hmm? "No Mutants allowed" signs; idiots. Like they could tell; half of the mutants in this world don't even look like mutants. It's all based on rumors and propaganda that we're all one eyed freaks with horns. The media is feeding this cock-eyed stereotype to them and every person from New York to Russia is buying it."

"Look," Chi said, "I'm sorry...I-I got scared and instead of asking you why you did it, I pulled away from you." He stopped and looked back at her with a forced half smirk, "Its okay," he replied.

"So, c-can you stay?" she begged.

"No," he replied closing his suitcase shut, "I'm sorry, Diane, it's not that easy."

"Where are you going to go, then?" she asked.

"I called Mr. McCoy and he's staying somewhere in the city and he invited me to stay with him," he explained, "If there's any place to be right now, it's with my mentor."

"It's… not going to be the same here without you," she said with a whimper.

"Yes," he replied, "I'm going to miss you." He picked up his suitcase and walked off as she began to cry knowing he wouldn't be coming back.

"School's out, Diane," he said looking back, "If I were you I'd go back home for a while until the heat dies down."

"I don't want to go home," she argued, "I have to stay here and fight."

"Fine," he replied, "But I'm going while the going's good." He waved to her and walked down the steps as Logan waited for him perched near the doorway.

"Logan," Phil said, "Don't say anything."

"You're leaving," he said almost in disbelief.

"I can't be here," replied Phil, "I'm going out for a while."

"Where to?" he asked.

"My uncle owns a cabin by the Lake in Tahoe," he explained, "I'm going to hide out there for a while." He shook his hand and nodded with assurance, "Good bye, Wolverine. Tell everyone I'll be back very soon." He turned and headed for the door outside into the night as Logan watched him walk through the cobble stone pathway.

"Wait," Diane said running outside. She stopped him and hugged him tightly not wanting to let go of him. She looked into his eyes and kissed him one last time as he prepared to leave the Xavier School for the gifted and his family behind.

"I'll see you," he said looking into her eyes, holding her softly. He walked off into the woods as she watched him disappear into the darkness of the trees and brush of grass. He continued walking to the middle of the path and stopped looking around. "Anytime you're ready," he muttered. He looked back and saw a brown cat run to him and suddenly transform into Mystique who crouched down.

"Nice entrance," he replied.

"You won't need that," she said standing up approaching him.

"Where's Magneto?" he asked.

"I'm taking you to him," she replied, "He's working on the formation of his army as we speak."

She walked ahead and looked back at Phil peered into the bright glowing windows of the mansion, "There's a car waiting for us," she said putting her hand on his shoulder.

"I hope this is best," he said saddened.

"When we're in the middle of war and you're soaking the fruits of your victory, you'll stop wondering," she replied walking off. He sighed and hurled his suitcase into the trees, turned to Mystique and followed her off into the arms of Magneto who awaited his newest soldier for training and the ongoing construction of his rebel army that would fight the humans.

The professor glanced to his side and sighed in sadness lowering his head in disappointment, "Phil is gone," The professor said with a gentle whisper to Scott who peered over at him in surprise.

"How do you know?" he asked.

"He sent me a message," he replied peering into the fire in disappointment, "I read his thoughts."

"He's with Magneto now," Logan said.

"I'm afraid so," replied the professor.

"He's a deserter," declared Cyclops.

"Be easy on the young man," replied The Professor, "He's conflicted, confused and scared. Think about if you were in his place."

"Did he tell you when he'd be back?" asked Storm.

"No," replied the professor, "Maybe it's for the best. He'll return whenever he thinks its right."

"He won't be back," replied Logan. Storm turned, hiding her disappointment and realizing her attempts to save him were in vain.

"It's beginning, isn't it? Just like predicted," said Scott looking out the window, "We're choosing sides, losing friends, retaliating and fighting… its coming already."

"We'll be ready, then," replied Logan, "We'll be ready to fight."

ONLY THE BEGINNING…

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