Panic

Charles watched in wide eyed confusion, the energy building around the blonde man's head was…it was extraordinary. It was raw life force, and an incredible amount of it.

He was also watching in slight horror, the moment he watched Sabretooth 'die' was…it was staggering, he didn't even feel anything breaching his mind. 

Because nothing did, it was as if Minato's intent to kill Sabretooth had been so great, that the image simply tore itself into reality.

During the intense moment he could barely use his powers, it felt as if he took a single wrong step that he too would be dying.

Charles tightened his grip on his chair, his fingers curling ever so slightly. 

He still had his powers ready, Minato was clearly not in the most stable mind. If he tried to attack them next, Charles would have to use every ounce of his strength to pierce the energy surrounding his head. 

He wasn't sure that would be enough.

'Would Cyclops or Storm be fast enough if he attacked?' The chilling thought ran through his head like a tsunami. 

He took but a moment to recompose his mind, he needed to focus.

"Minato, are you…are you alright?" He asked carefully, his mind conjuring an image of the man suddenly appearing behind him. 

The man was staring at the seemingly nothing as he clenched his jaw, blood covering his right arm upto the elbow. 

The hair on Charles arms raised, he felt like he was staring death in the face

A bead of sweat formed at his temple, though he ignored it. There wasn't a time for fear, not here. Yet as Minato continued to stare into nothingness, Charles felt something he rarely allowed himself to feel, 

He felt uncertain. 

Cyclops had his hand on his visor, ready to release a full blast of kinetic power onto the blonde man if he even thought of attacking them. 

Storm's fists were clenched, thick dark clouds gathering like a cyclone above them. Ready for if Minato tried anything. 

But would that be enough, were they fast enough.

If Pietro wasn't, why on earth would they be? 

"Minato-" Charles said, but stopped when the man simply blinked out of existence. 

For a moment Charles' heart stopped, his eyes widened as his power spread out around them defensively. 

Lightning snapped and roared in the sky, Storm had let slip her almost perfect control over her devastating powers, her breathing shaky as her eyes snapped back and forth.

Cyclops turned his head quickly ready to let his powers loose at the first sight of the man, he was used to life or death.

He nearly died every other week, but that had build up, it was never as instant, as fast as that blonde man would make it.

But the man hadn't flanked them, he was gone. 

Charles sensed him, miles away, the potent life force wrapped around his form was a beacon to any telepath. 

Charles clenched his fists, he…he felt so shaky. 

But the danger had passed, Charles clenched his jaw. Now was the time to act decisively, he turned his chair and hovered into the jet.

Cyclops and Storm followed his lead, it was time to takeoff.

Cyclops quickly walked into the cockpit his fists routinely clenching and unclenching, Storm not far behind her breathing a bit too calm as they both got ready for takeoff,

"Are we following him Professor?" Cyclops shouted from the cockpit with a furrowed brow and an edge to his voice.

"No, we've given him his warning, let us get back to the school Scott" Charles said, a rare waver present in his usually steady tone. 

The engine roared to life and Charles felt a wave of relief come over him, tempered by residual unease. He sensed Scott's relief as well, their tension melting away as they took off. 

—-

Minato stood atop a building, eyes fixed on the crowded beach below. His gaze wasn't on the people but on the memories haunting him.

His hand pressed against his stomach, recalling the fatal injury he received from the Nine-tailed Fox.

Fragments of the past flashed through his mind: welcoming his son, battling the masked man, and then confronting the demon fox. His memories of that night were fragmented, leaving him confused and lost.

He sighed, frustration evident as he clenched his jaw. He needed to return to his son but first, he needed to recover his memories, his past life, his family, his purpose.

His eyes focused on a tear in the space-time above the beach, recognizing the dark chakra and the Reaper Death Seal. Theories of how he arrived here swirled in his mind, but none made sense.

Minato knew one thing: he needed to recover his memories and regain his sanity before he could think of returning to his world.

—-

Pietro sat back against his bed, his accelerated healing had already kicked in. Nowhere near the level of Sabretooth but he had nearly fully recovered. 

He eyed the T.V on his wall, a sitcom was playing in 3x speed. He didn't like them, but Wanda did so he kept up with the shows.

Footsteps came running down his hallway, he blinked and quickly turned his head towards his door which burst open.

Pietros heart thumped against his chest, images of a certain blonde man rushing in plagued his mind.

That worry was subdued when Toad rushed in, he tripped but quickly caught himself on the side of Pietros mattress, the silver haired teenager looked at the extremely pale toad in confusion and slight anger as he paused the sitcom.

"We-we found him" Toad said as he panted like a dog, he paused and slowly caught his breath as he stood shakily and looked down at the confused Pietro.

"Who-" he started to speak before Toad spoke again.

"Blonde guy, he-fuck-" Toad spoke but stopped and clenched his jaw, his eyes snapped back and forth as if he would appear here any moment.

"What! Did he follow you!?" Pietro said with fear in his tone, he felt a lump in his throat. 

Pietro was now sat up, his heart thumping, his face pale as paper, his fists clenched around the blanket encasing him. 

His father wasn't home, he's not even sure if Wanda was here.

Toad stepped back in shock "No…no, no way I was in a helicopter" he said, though he didn't sound very sure now that Pietro had brought it up. 

Pietro swallowed, he probably couldn't follow a helicopter, his eyes quickly snapped to the teenager. "Did he throw anything at you?" He asked, in reference to that three pronged knife. 

He remembered the man lobbing the kunai behind him just before he was…he swallowed as his hand shakily pressed against his abdomen. 

The man could either teleport or switch places with an object.

He wasn't 100% sure but if he had thrown anything near the helicopter he was leaving, he didn't care for Toad, he would just run. 

Toad blinked "No, it was way worse than that man" he said with panic coursing through his tone.

Pietros' brow furrowed as he quickly threw the blanket off his form with a wince at the cold, only wearing loose shorts and white bandages he didn't make the most impressive figure. 

"What do you mean worse" Pietro demanded his words coming out fast, he quickly stood with a stumble, ignoring the pain in his stomach as he rushed over to his wardrobe and started to rummage through it-

"He fucking tore Sabretooth in half!" Toad said as the teenager dragged his shaking hands through his hair and eyed Pietro's suddenly frozen form.

Pietro blinked, his own hands began to shake.

"What?" He croaked, his throat suddenly dry.

"He just teleported behind Sabretooth and cut him in half man!" Toad said hysterically "What if he saw me! I was about to jump out of the helicopter too!"

Toad suddenly leaned back against the wall, his arms covering his eyes as he clenched his jaw trying to keep calm,

Pietro felt his bandages tighten uncomfortably as the whole room seemed to be getting smaller, his hands fumbled with his sock drawer as he struggled to even open the damn thing.

"Fuck!" He cursed out loud, his accent thicker than usually as he smashed his fist into the drawer and finally succeeded in pulling it open, his hands rushing around searching for the knife he hid in there.

Pietros hands clasped around a small switch blade like a lifeline as he left the room in a blur, ignoring the sharp pain igniting in his stomach.

Toad didn't even notice him leave, his form shaking as the teenager imagined that blonde man coming for him next.

Pietro smashed his fist into his sisters bedroom door, panic coursing through him. "Wanda!" He shouted out, worry, fear and desperation driving him.