41 CHAPTER 41

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With the now soulless body of Bucky in my room in Nepal, I started to research how to undo brainwashes, all while Bucky's astral form floated around my room without saying a word, only glaring.

"The longer he stays outside his body, the harder it will be for him to adapt," The Ancient One said as she entered my room, giving me a cup of tea.

"Any ideas how to undo his Hydra brainwash?" I asked with a deep breath, taking a sip of the tea she had graciously brought me.

"There are a few spells that come to mind, but the results vary, so it's not a sure path to victory," The Ancient One replied, humming at the thought, "But… why are you asking me, after all, Mr. Walker, you already know how to save him, don't you?" she had a point, I knew how, Charles Xavier, but I really didn't want to owe the guy a favor, I didn't have any hard feelings against him, but I didn't have any good either.

"Fine… I will contact Raven," I sighed, "But… do you have a spell to bind him or something, at least until he… behaves?" I knew I could subdue him, but I didn't want to chase his ass to do it.

"As a matter of fact, I do," The Ancient One chuckled, amused at my dilemma, as she approached the soulless body of Bucky, "I will put a restraining rune on his body, it should be enough to keep him from acting out."

Carving the rune on his forehead, the Ancient One pulled Bucky's spirit back to his body. "I will… I will… what?"

"He will be for the most time, a confused little puppy," The Ancient One smiled, patting Bucky on the head, "But if he happens to break the restraining rune, I trust you have the power and knowledge to stop him."

"Ok," I sighed, pulling my phone out of my inventory to call Raven.

"I… who am I?" Bucky asked, touching his face, "Who are you?" he said, touching my face.

"To the corner," I chuckled, grabbing him by the neck, like a cat with my [telekinesis], moving him to the corner, away from me, as I called Raven.

"Alex?" Raven answered at the second beep.

"Wow, that was fast," I actually didn't know if they were going to answer.

"I gave you this number in case you ever needed something, I wasn't about to hang up on you," Raven replied from the other side of the line, amused. "So, what do you need?"

"I need Charles," I sighed.

"For what?" Raven asked, her tone now more serious.

"I have a… friend?... No, I barely know him... I have an ...acquaintance, yeah that's it, I have an acquaintance that was brainwashed by Hydra, and… well, who else but Charles to clean that up?" I replied, looking at the clueless Bucky, sitting on the corner like a child with a timeout.

"I see," Raven sighed, "Charles is… he doesn't really want to help others right now, he's mourning the loss of Jean."

"I know, but… this guy, he needs his help, Bucky is nothing but a weapon following the orders of monsters," I replied.

"Well, I guess I can give you his address but I don't think you will get anything," Raven sighed once again, giving me Charles' location.

"Thanks," I thanked her. Without her, it would've taken me a few weeks to find where he was.

"Don't thank me yet, he might say no," Raven muttered, "Have fun trying though," and with that she hanged up, rude, I didn't get to say bye.

"Ok, let's go buddy," I said, grabbing Bucky with my [Telekinesis] as I opened a portal to where Charles was, gotta love my map.

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Stepping out of the portal, with Bucky floating behind me thanks to my [Telekinesis], I looked around to see where I had teleported to, trees, birds, and lots of insects, a forest, great, and by the looks of it, a forest with a single house within a 20 mile radius, at least according to my map. "Charles," I shouted.

"Of all the people I expected a visit from, you were the last," I heard him chuckle in a bitter tone, as he came into view from the back of his house. He looked… terrible, like he had been drinking his pain away, like he was one beer away from having cirrhosis.

"Well, you did try to rape my mind a couple times," I replied with a shrug, "I need your help,"

Charles looked at me, his wheelchair stopping at the door of his house, "I can't help you," 

Great, he was going emo on me, "Look, you aren't my first option, your not even on the top ten, but unfortunately you are very efficient, this guy, is like me, but worse, he was actually brainwashed into obeying Hydra, and you are the key to his freedom,"

"I promised I would not interfere anymore, not after what happened to Jean, I… I killed her," Charles hissed.

"She is not dead, she ascended to another plane, you bald idiot," I sighed, "She is alive, very much so, and one day, she might come back," that was a lie, a big one, not the fact that she was alive, but the fact she could come back.

"More of your secret knowledge I presume," Charles chuckled bitterly.

"Yes, now you can one, help this guy, and make Jean proud, or two, let him die, because he might as well die, if he has no freedom," I replied.

"Is… is she truly alive?" Charles asked, his eyes looking at me, trying to find in me a reason to keep going.

"Yes, though technically she is now a God, so… pray to her?" I chuckled.

"I will help you… if only because you saved Raven, when I was too stubborn to accept my own mistakes," Charles eventually said, after a few seconds of silence.

"That works for me," I nodded.

"Let's see if I still have it," Charles muttered, "I mean, I haven't been able to pick anything from you, not a single thought," oh yeah, I had forgotten, thanks to the Phoenix fiasco, I had gained [Psychic Immunity] 

"I have trained my mind, to keep you out," I grinned, happy he had decided to help