Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy/Xmen.

I saw that movie and saw Xmen. Too much ff me thinks perhaps. But enough of me. Enjoy. The tinker tailor thing is has been altered.

Tags: Au, De-powered, multiple pairings, everyone's there, some violence, minor character death/s, implied relationships, no porn, slash, spies, limping Charles, BAMF!everyone, timelines all messed up: they are older in 1960's (only a bit), spies, glass ceilings, sexism, double agents, mild swears.

So, to make it clear just in case i confuse you later this fic takes place over two years, 1962 and 1963. 1963 is set within two weeks. Erik is the head of MI6, Charles is his second. Expect: Raven, Moria, Emma, Shaw, Stryker, Alex, Sean, Hank, Wolverine, and others as minors. Shaw (still a completely evil former nazi) as a character is split with the Herr Doctor as a separate character being the one who shot Erik's mother. ( I know, know. It's different, but it wouldn't work otherwise.)

All is betrayal and no one can escape the consequences of its reach, not even those we try to protect. Or basically love's going to bring down the secret service.

xXx Leaving XxX

1963 May Tuesday night, the week before.

Erik walked down through the Cambridge library and with complete confidence found a less well-known corridor. Without hesitation he continued into a lift. Once inside he inserted a key into the panel and pressed the button for the basement. There was a reason why he didn't come here. Memories of the camps, of the old German with the metal, his mother, flickered like fire before his eyes. The lift opened and Erik walked down the hall, antiseptic lime green paint reflecting his shadow dimly, and his footsteps loud in the empty hall.

"Hank?" Erik called as he opened the lab door. The gloomy exterior of the hall was replaced by a well-lit room. A mathematical formula was scrawled across the blackboard, a clean steel table littered with blue prints. Another door with a glass and mesh windows by the blackboard, that door Erik knew led off to other rooms, with more equipment and occasionally a few carefully chosen grad students, for when Hank needed a hand with something. Tonight however the labs were as deserted as the halls.

Adjusting his glasses Hank looked up in surprise. "Control?" Erik rarely visited the lab, "how can I help you?"

Walking into the lab Erik, observed the plans littered on the tables amidst microscopes and other scientific equipment he couldn't identify, but his attention was drawn by three green vials that sat on the steel sink. Without looking away he demanded, "tell me about the serum."

Hank met his grim eyes uncomfortably. "I've turned it into a tablet." Hank gave his answer almost guiltily. One small powdered green tablet sat alone in a small dish. Erik pocketed the tablet without further conversation.

XxX The Mission XxX

1963, May, Monday, now.

"I need you to do something for me"

Xavier stood and passed her a cup of tea, before turning to speak. How he hated to ask her this. She stood before him clad in a simple grey coat. The room they both stood in was old dusty and filled with disused furniture. A metal chess set by the window. No one lived here, now, but someone had once. Who? Mystique thought as she glanced around the room old photos lined up on the mantel, was that Charles in one of them? She looked like she wanted to ask, but sometimes it did not pay to be curious. Raven returned her gaze to meet Xavier's cold serious, almost uncomfortable expression.

"I need you to steal something from the circus. I need the October log book."

Steal? Raven gaped a little and then gave a slight grin, she did have a record for being good at that.

With a slight limp Xavier moved into the back of the room. He stopped by the mantel piece. The light did not reach this part of the room. Almost unconsciously, his fingers glided lightly over, a black and white photo ; Control had looked so much younger then. This life made them older than they should be, his gaze flicked quickly back to Mystique.

"Raven, if you are caught," emotion waved in his eyes, he tried again, striving hard for his normal calm, "if you are caught you are on your own. I will not be able to protect you." Raven sipped at the tea trying to hiding her nervousness, her fingers tightened around the triangle-shaped handle of the modern tea-cup. Xavier rested against the mantel a moment. He wanted to hide there in the back where the light did not reach, because he had always wanted to protect Raven from what he did. He spoke to her from the darkness, his eyes meeting hers, "You are welcome to say no. There will be no blotch on your record." I will not hold this against you.

"When do you need it?" Damn it. She answered without hesitation. The blue eyes flashed at her in the dark.

"Thursday. You have three days." She set the tea-cup down.

Oh his beautiful Raven. She was his younger sister. He felt her ambitions and he used them. He returned from the dark, opening the window, grey rain blew in, hitting his clean white shirt. She shivered. Raven turned to leave, stepping forward he took her arm softly guiding her towards the door and what he said next looked like it actually hurt him to say, "Raven, if you have any affairs to get in order, if have anyone you want my help with, now is the time." Amber eyes stilled with brief bright fear, then schooled themselves into cold order, betraying nothing except perhaps to him. Oh Raven. What had he taught her?

"No, there's no one. Where will I find you?" To deny love, to lie? To hide in plain sight? He swallowed his tea.

She was only beginning to learn to play this game, Xavier thought; he could see in her eyes a young man a 'Hank?'' But it was good she didn't trust him with her lover's affairs, it would keep her alive. "Bring the documents to the hotel. Sean will drive you." Xavier walked her gently to the door closing it behind her.

He watched her step into a taxi then returned to the room, alone on a table stood the chess pieces Control had left him. Each piece had a face, taped to it. Control had cut out each face with a scalpel. They were the faces of traitors. X looked down at one piece, a steel knight with his own faced stared back, surely not, surely Erik trusted him. In the middle of the board, one black king stood alone. Faded black and white photos stared back at him. A mystery. A challenge.

He could always see, always tell, that's what made him so indispensable. He picked each piece up. Why the bloody hell he couldn't tell now was frustrating. So much like Budapest, he couldn't see then either. Maybe he was getting old. Maybe he didn't have all the pieces yet.

X

She sat with Hank on the bed. He took his thin black tie, buttoned his shirt and left without even looking at her. Mystique sat on a cheap plastic chair, half masked by the darkness. A car door slammed in the distance. She bent forward, a half choked sound left her throat. Tight unwanted tears fell down her face.