#exchronos

The young mutant had been ushering underclassmen, trying his best to guide as many to the exits as quickly as possible. Already things were coming apart, falling- 

He couldn’t see her anywhere. Had she gotten out? 

“Xenia!!” Suddenly a loud groaning sound, the falling of a thin wooden beam from the ceiling came hurtling toward the ground and it missed him- 

   But now he was boxed in. Stuck. It was getting harder to breath in here. 

Uh.. 

“That’s, okay, I hear that. Sorry, Xenia.” She was right, that had been a little thoughtless. He hadn’t even considered Charlie. “Just trying to make sure everybody’s accounted for.”

He paused, seeing just behind her the view from her window of smoke rising from the forest. 

“Do you, need anything? I mean. Everyone got sent inside, so. 

There’s only quick stuff from the cafeteria, so if you want I could, bring you something. 

   “--Jean-Paul Beaubier, slow down. You’re not supposed to-” 

Yeah, there was no way he was slowing down. And the fastness of the movement toward the two figures was painful, but he was beginning to see their faces more clearly, and took no heed of Kyle’s stern warning. 

“Xenia! Tim!” He cupped his hands over his mouth. 

It was them. 

It was really them. 

“--Kids!” He shouted, a huge breath of relief gushed forth from his lungs, and though everything hurt, it was within moments that he had his arms thrown around the two soot covered children. 

Thank god, thank god. 

“Are you hurt?” He took a step back, turning Xenia and then Tim to face him, one hand on the side of each of their heads as he got a proper look at the students. “Where were you??” 

@exchronos

When the bell tolled to signal the end of the final class period of the day, Tim was off to his room to get ready and put on the suit. 

In the hall, teachers and volunteers alike were busy putting the final touches on the end of the year celebration. Balloons, centerpieces, the DJ stand, food and plenty of punch. They even set up a photo-booth, per student council poll this year. 

When the teacher’s assistant finally felt ready enough to step out the door, he gave himself a final look in the mirror. And then, couldn’t move. 

He grimaced, hand rubbing over his pant leg. Fear suddenly making its presence very known in the pounding of his chest, even the taste in his mouth. “You’ve got this.” 

He took a sharp breath in, cleared his throat and nodded at himself. “You look great. Just have fun.” 

And with that, he was out the door and down the hall to go and meet Xenia, to knock on her door and see if she was ready.

“There you are, I was wondering, I wanted to ask you something.” 

@exchronos

He rose from under the pile of blankets, pulling a hand back through his unruly hair at the sound of the voice through the door. 

He wasn’t sure where Rue had gone, what time it was or how long he’d been huddled up in bed from the cold.