Part 4: Reflections in the Glass
Location: Xavier Institute Grounds and Medical Wing
Time: Evening, the same day after the mutant containment incident
The golden hue of sunset bled across the Xavier Institute grounds. Riven sat alone on a stone bench in the garden near the west wing, his black t-shirt clinging lightly to his frame in the fading warmth. His gaze was locked on the horizon, unmoving, as the world softened in amber tones.
Footsteps crunched gently on the gravel path behind him.
"He's awake," Jean's voice was calm, but there was a thread of quiet relief woven into it. She stepped into view, her arms crossed gently. "The kid... he's alive. Weak, but stable. Charles helped stabilize his mind. There's still a part of him left—something Hydra couldn't fully erase."
Riven exhaled slowly, a twitch of something unreadable flickering in his eyes.
"Good," he said simply, but the word carried a deep well of tension behind it.
Jean tilted her head. "Want to come see him?"
He nodded. Silently, the two walked side-by-side through the corridors of the mansion, their footsteps the only sound between them.
When they reached the medical wing, the air felt thicker. Inside, Beast stood at a console, monitoring the readings from a large containment chamber now converted into a sterile recovery room. Cyclops leaned against the far wall, arms crossed, his visor casting a red gleam in the low light.
As Riven entered, Beast nodded politely. "Vitals are stable. Physically, he's healing faster than expected, but it'll take time for his mind to recover. Charles is monitoring him closely."
Riven's eyes locked on the sleeping form of the kid through the glass. The once-monstrous transformation had faded. Now, he looked like what he was—a boy. Pale, bruised, but breathing.
Jean stepped up beside him, speaking softly. "He's got a chance now."
Cyclops shifted, his gaze settling on Riven. There was something behind the lenses—tension, perhaps, or something more personal. "You didn't have to push yourself like that," he said, his tone almost neutral.
Riven didn't look away from the boy. "Yeah, I did."
Beast adjusted a few parameters and backed away to give them space.
Cyclops didn't move. "You didn't even know him."
"I knew what they did to him. That was enough," Riven said quietly.
Jean glanced at Scott briefly, sensing the tension but choosing silence.
"You should rest," Beast offered diplomatically.
Riven just stared through the glass, unmoving.
"Later," he said.