Okay, so first off thank you for reading this far! I have written for other fandoms but after watching X-men First Class I was enthralled by the Erik-Charles interaction (who wasn't?). I will not write strictly slash or strictly friendship. I will write a variety.
Premise: Charles rescues Erik from the water. They sit across from each other trying to warm up, sizing each other, and each other's powers up. Yet Erik never makes things easy [evil smirk]
Disclaimer: Don't own the characters or anything to do with X-men. If I did they would have a lot more fun!
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Note two: I am definitely continuing this, um, I believe. Please Please Please let me know what you think. Review! Should I continue? And in a certain direction?
Note Three: Thanks to Anna for advising me on a plot-blunder. In fixing it however (I hope its fixed) my chapter seems to have lost almost 60 words from the previous version without explanation. Its too late to read and compare. Will do so in the morning. Enjoy!
Start the show!
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They got away. I failed. He got away.
He couldn't believe he was only feet from Schmidt, so close he could reach out and touch him, only to be flung away like a bug. There was no way he was going to get that close and simply give up for another day. Not after all that had happened. Not after all he'd been through.
When the submarine detached from the ship, he saw his opportunity. Even though his vision started to go black at the lack of oxygen, his body straining to force the metal particles closer, it did not matter. All that mattered was Schmidt.
And he got away.
"Hello? Buddy, here!" Snapping out of his internal monologue, Erik glanced at the man with such a disgustingly plain suit and haircut he practically screamed government. He was trying to hand him a towel, but was standing over five feet away from him with a look of clear distaste tempered with apprehension.
Erik sneered at him and kept walking past, following the man who identified himself as Charles Xavier. The man who helped Schmidt escape. The man who, as much as he didn't want to admit it, offered him something he thought he'd never find again-trust. They walked the length of the huge ship, into a small room in the back of the ship. Every once and while, Charles would glance back his way with a smile or a wave of his hand as if encouraging him to follow. Normally, Erik would have laughed at the arrogance if he had not sensed such innocence behind the action.
Charles took a seat on one of the metal benches lining the room, wrapping himself tighter in the towel draped around his shoulders. "You are freezing, my friend. Please-there are towels in the locker over there. Have a seat."
Erik stood in the doorway, making sure none of the suits were following them, before finally ducking inside. I twas a bare room-nothing but steel walls, steel benches, and a single steel locker. In here he felt a littler safer, surrounded by his element. But the men outside, the government men, he did not want to be around. It seemed this Charles held some sway among them as well; Erik expected to be followed by at least one agent. Perhaps by the woman Charles whispered to when they were first pulled aboard the ship. But to his relief, they were left undisturbed. How much of that was luck and how much of that was manipulation by his new "savior" he would have to determine on his own.
Erik opened the locker with a quick flick of his wrist, manipulating the steel door to his will, and grabbed a towel.
"That was an amazing display of power out there, my friend! Tell me, wh-"
"Friend?" Erik took a seat opposite the telepath, wiping the water from his face but otherwise just clutching the towel in his hands. "We've only just met, and assuming I even want to be your acquaintance, what makes you think I am okay with you messing about in my head?"
Charles leaned back, away from the intense emotions radiating off of the German. "You're right. I apologize."
A small smirk tugged at Erik's lips. "You are still doing it." He could feel his mind brush against a barrier, almost like an energy field projecting away from the telepath. "Do you not even realize it?"
"Well, my frie-Erik, I don't think you realize how much you are projecting right now." He casually motioned around the room. "You can hardly blame me."
For the first time, Erik saw-or rather, felt- the bolts of the metal benches twisting and tightening, the steel locker warping into nothing but a melted pile of molten metal, and the random shards of aluminum tinier than a grain of sand floating through the air. Losing control of his powers was not a rare occurrence. It was annoying, in certain situations, to be sure. But in most situations it proved useful. Such as now-he was sorely tempted to give this man who thinks of him as a friend a taste of the danger one is put in, being friend to Erik Lensherr.
"Does this bother you? Chaos? You want control. You are used to control." Erik leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees and letting go of whatever shred of serenity he was clinging to. The entire boat began to shake, creaking as the metal sheets warped and twisted. "You want to try to control me."
Charles did not move, afraid to push this man off the edge. He could've easily entered his mind and calmed him, but he wanted this man's trust. Erik. He wanted him to be at his side for reasons he could not yet comprehend. "That's the least of my intentions, Erik. I do not wish to control you. I wish to help you learn to control yourself. To control your power."
His steel grey eyes searched the other man's face, looking for deception. "I've heard that before. Needless to say," Erik twisted his arm so his forearm was exposed, and thus the numbers he was forever branded with, "that did not go so well."
The boat continued to creak, noises of panic floating down the hall into their little room. Erik smirked and watched the door, tensed and waiting for the influx of agents once they figured out what was going on.
"They are on our side, Erik. Please do not antagonize them!"
"Government? Fighting for something other than their own agenda?" He laughed a dry humorless laugh. "I would think someone privy to the world's thoughts would be a little less naive than you, Charles Xavier."
Heavy footsteps echoed along the metal platforms, men heavily armed and about to burst in with guns raised. Erik could feel the metal of their weapons getting closer, Charles could feel the anxiety of their minds pressing down upon them.
"All I ask is you give me a chance. One chance, Erik. To prove to you that I am not who you have been fighting your whole life." Charles stood , pushing past the various metal shards still rotating in the room and made his way, cautiously yet with purpose, towards Erik.
"And what would you know of my life?" He stood as well. His back rigid with tension, half turned toward the telepath and half turned towards to door. His hands were not balled at his sides, instead splayed open, tingling with the metal particles so nearby.
"I got a few glimpses in the water. But I would like to know more. I would like to know you, Erik. I know you might find that hard to believe right now, but your power is not only for revenge. You are not alone. You can join me-join us-and use our gifts to make a difference."
By now the best of the best was mere inches from their cubbyhole, about to burst in and teach this new "mutant" (although, the words Charles read specifically stated "freak:") what it felt like to have the strength of the United States Military drilling down upon him.
Erik glanced sideways at Charles, tensing for the men about to enter, yet still not completely shut off from his offer. "Humans have only brought death and destruction. What makes you think you can make a difference?'
The first of the high powered rifles poked through the doorway, followed by shouts of "freeze", "don't move", "on the ground you scum!"
Charles moved quickly to incapacitate the soldiers but Erik shook his head, letting them push him to the floor in the most-un-gentle manor possible. He wanted Charles to see a demonstration of these human's idea of peace. One of them slammed the but of his gun into Erik's face, another sat on top of his back, pressing his knee into the German's back with more force than necessary.
"Stop! He means no harm! Please!' Charles screams fell on deaf ears. Finally, after a few minutes of wrestling, the officers managed to lift Erik to his feet. In the few moments before they dragged him out of there, Erik called to Charles telepathically-You never answered my question, what makes you think you can make a difference?"
Hope.
Then the men dragged him from the small-cubby hole back into the freezing air, not being kind about encouraging him along. One even got a cheap shot to his ribs, which-god below-pushed his patience to the limit. He was less than three seconds from ripping their guns from them, throwing them overboard, and carefully yet with too much pleasure, rip the metal plates from the soldier's legs.
It was then he felt the telepath-Charles-brush his mind. He slammed down the best screen he had-anger, pain, rage, hate-and hoped it'd be enough to repel the damned fool.
They ended up in some sort of secure room near the front of the boat, on the top most layer. They threw him inside and locked the door, although a few looked back, some with what weaker people would see as remorse. the entire time. Erik played the part of wounded captive until the door clicked shut. Then he closed his eyes and began mapping out every inch of the boat through the metal frames and doors. Once in a while he could hear the telepath, Charles, arguing with someone outside his door, but he quickly blocked it out. Sentimentality could wait.
After a few minutes Erik felt he knew the layout well enough.
So...what did you think? I know it might be a little bit rough in parts, but I am feeling pretty good about it. Please REVIEW-should I continue? What did you like or dislike? Constructive criticism is okay, but please don't be too hard on me ;)
Thank you so much for even reading. It means so much to me. (Tomorrow, when it is not 1am, I might go through and check one more time for mistakes, but as it is now I think should be okay *winces*- hopefully?). Okay, goodnight everyone! Let me know what you think, I'm dying to hear/read your thoughts! Pretty please.
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