Everyone knew that Charles had the most powerful mind in the world. So what would happen when someone got inside his head? If they did, how would they know what fake memories to create that would cause Charles' mind to go haywire? Can Erk and the others save Charles from his own mind? Set after X-Men Apocalypse. WARNING: SPOILERS FOR X-MEN APOCALYPSE. Erik had decided to stay and help Charles. He wanted to help him any way that he could, after all he said it himself, they were brothers. He stayed and became one of the teachers there after helping to rebuild Charles' mansion/school.
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"What about the rest of the world? Doesn't it ever wake you up in the middle of the night? Feeling one day that they'll come for you and your children."
"It does indeed."
"What do you do when you wake up to that?"
"I feel a great swell of pity for the poor soul that comes to my school looking for trouble."
A moment of silence between the two old friends passes by.
"You're sure I can't convince you to stay?" Charles asked, his head slightly tilted to the side. Erik looked back at Raven and the other X-Men in the training room. He looked to the wall and thought for a moment, knowing that Charles would stay out of his head to let him give him an answer.
"You don't need to Charles." Charles straightened up his head to look at Erik. He felt his heart warm up a little.
"You're staying?" Charles asked, eyebrows raised, hopeful.
"Yes, Charles. I'm staying. I'll help you with the children, and...protecting the world." Charles smile and held out his hand. Erik took it and took a step closer to Charles so he could pat him on the back. He left his hand on Charles's shoulder and they both faced Raven and the others.
"Forget everything you think you know. Whatever you learned in school. Whatever your parents taught you. None...of that...matters! You're not kids anymore. You're not students." Raven spoke vigorously. She stood in front of them.
"You're X-Men." Raven looked over at Hank and he pressed a button on the control panel. The doors on the other side of the room began to open. The four X-Men turned around slowly to face whatever was coming through those doors. After a moment of preparing themselves, eight feet tall, purple machines walked through the doors. The four X-Men braced themselves for the battle.
"What are these things?" Scott asked raising his hand to his eyes.
"Sentinels."
"The sentinels?" He asked again. This time Raven didn't speak.
The doors to the training room closed. Charles and Erik made their way to the elevator full of pride for their children. They were waiting for the doors to open when suddenly Charles felt a sharp pain course through his head. He gasped and grabbed his head with one of his hands. Erik looked down at his friend and saw the discomfort.
"Charles? Are you alright?" Charles took a moment to gather himself. Then he looked up at Erik with tired eyes.
"Yes, Erik. I'm quite alright."
"You need to rest Charles. You've been through alot in the last couple of days." Charles simply nodded. The doors to the elevator opened and Erik let Charles in first. They rode all the way upstairs in silence. Charles was too tired and in too much pain to say anything. Erik just thought that Charles was tired. He didn't know about the excruciating pain. Erik walked Charles to his room to make sure he went there to get some rest. He was known for escaping the eye of the others to avoid rest when other pressing matters were on his mind. Charles turned to Erik and spoke softly.
"Thank you Erik. I'll be sure to get some rest. You have my word." Erik nodded, he supposed that was good enough. He would just check in on him later on that night.
"Good. Do you need any help?" He nodded towards the bed. Charles looked where he suggested and shook his head.
"No, I can manage. Good night Erik." Charles gave him a small smile.
"Good night Charles." Erik returned the smile and then left the room shutting the doors behind him. As soon the door shut behind Erik, Charles grabbed his head in pain. He didn't know what was going on. It had never felt like this before, before Apocalypse. H feared that Apocalypse had done something permanent to his mind and powers. He didn't want to have to worry the others about it. Until he was sure that something was actually wrong he wouldn't tell anyone. He might tell Erik when he discovered if it was just because he needed to heal. First he needed to rest. He rolled over to his dresser and pulled out his pajamas and rolled to the bed. He threw them next to his pillow then used his strong arms to lift himself up from his chair and onto the mattress. With much practice behind him he was able to put on his pajamas without any assistance. He lied down so that he was on his back and covered with his soft and warming sheets and closed his eyes for the night.
Erik stood at the door a moment after he had shut it. He worried about Charles. He knew that something was wrong and that Charles knew something was wrong, he just wasn't saying anything yet. He would just have to keep an eye on him; give him a chance to come to Erik telling him everything that was going on and what he thought was wrong. He sighed and then made his way to his room.
The next morning as the sun rose so did the youngsters. Everyone was up at breakfast getting ready for their big day. The teachers were in their own little teacher's lounge. Kurt, Jean, Scott and Ororo were in the break room downstairs eating together. Hank and Raven had woken up and met downstairs to work on something in the lab and then they would join them. Erik woke a little later than usual which was understandable, they had all been through alot.
He walked down to the cafeteria to check on all the students expecting to see Charles down there doing the same. Charles always checked on the students in the morning, when he wasn't teaching class and at night when they all went to bed. It was odd to Erik that he wasn't here, but at the same time it made him glad that he was probably in his room still resting. He needed it, after all he had been the one to endure most of the trauma. So he left all well alone not thinking too hard on it. He would check in on him later. After seeing that all was right with the students he went downstairs to the X-Men wing.
He went to the break room/lounge and found the four X-Men trainees eating their breakfast and enjoying a nice quiet morning. He noticed that Raven and Hank were not yet there so he just went to get a coffee and sat down reading the newspaper.
"Morning, sir." Scott said not knowing what else to really call him.
"Please, just call me Erik. Sir makes me sound older than I am." The others laughed and Erik smiled. Just then Raven and Hank walked in talking about enhancing the quality of the suits to resist others powers.
"Good morning." Erik spoke getting their attention. Raven looked over and smiled.
"Erik, you stayed." She sounded a little surprised, but thankful.
"Well I couldn't let Charles have all the fun now could I?" He said jokingly. To be honest, he was actually really glad he stayed. This place was the first that ever really felt like home. It broke him more and more each time he left it. Raven's hug brought him out of his thoughts and he hugged her back. She let go and went to grab some food. Hank looked at Erik and Erik at Hank. They nodded to each other, a sort of understanding.
Suddenly the class bell rang. All the students were to go on a field trip today so the X-Men could have some time around the school/mansion to upgrade the building for withstanding attackers should the time come. Erik and the others looked at the time and headed upstairs to assist. It took about an hour for all of them to get ready and in the main hall for the buses. They were all standing with one bag each talking amongst themselves. Erik and Raven were talking and Hank was checking the student list.
Finally the buses got there and they began loading up the students when they all heard an ear piercing scream, except they didn't really hear it, they thought it. It was in their heads and they know that one of two people would have the power to reach all their minds at once. Some pressed their hands to their ears, some to their heads, some just bent over or jumped in shock. Erik, Raven and Hank all looked at each other. Hank handed the clipboard to the math teacher standing next to him.
"It's alright everyone! Just listen to your name being called and get on the bus." Hank said.
"That was the professor." One student said.
"Is the professor alright?" Another asked. Erik stood next to Hank.
"I'm sure the professor is fine. He probably just had a nightmare. We all get them. Don't worry. Just go on with your trip and have a good time. I'm sure the Professor would say just the same." Erik reassured them. They did as told and they all quickly got onto the bus and drove away, leaving Erik, Raven, Hank, Scott, Jean, Kurt and Ororo in the main hall. Then they heard another scream in their heads. They gasped and ran to Charles' room.
Erik was the first to enter. He looked around the room searching for Charles. He couldn't find him anywhere. He wasn't in his bed, he wasn't in the bathroom.
"Where is he?" Raven asked aloud with fear and urgency in her voice.
"I've never heard him scream like that Erik something is really wrong." Erik could practically feel the terror in her voice.
"I know. We'll find him. Everyone search the grounds." Erik ordered and nobody second guessed his order. Raven checked all the rooms and all the bathrooms. Hank went downstairs to check all the meeting rooms and libraries. Scott and Jean searched the rest of the house while Ororo checked in the garage and the outside buildings. Kurt and Erik checked outside. They checked the entire grounds. Erik told Kurt and Peter to start checking the woods, they needed to not leave any stone or stick unturned.
About two hours later Erik came across a very old and large tree. At the bottom it was like an extremely small cave just enough room for a full grown man to fit into. And that's where he found Charles. He was curled up on his side facing inside the tree holding onto his head with both hands. Erik rushed over to him and called out his name trying to get him to wake up.
"Charles!" No answer.
"Charles! It's me. You've got to wake up!" Erik ruffled his shoulder. Finally he turned him over. Charles' face was so pale it was scary. He had a small cut on his cheek and a bruise already formed around it. Charles felt cold and clammy to the touch. His cheeks were flushed, a sign of a fever.
"Charles! Char-Ah!" Erik could feel Charles screaming inside his head. He knew that Charles wasn't doing it on purpose. Something was terribly wrong. Another moment later and it was gone. He had to get Charles out of there fast.
"KURT!" He screamed as loud as he could. He knew that Kurt could get them inside quicker, that's why he had brought him outside to look for Charles. Erik turned back to Charles who was struggling to breath, he began to cough.
"Charles. Charles! Wake up! Charles!" Erik shook him with a little more force and this time it worked but he didn't think that he was the reason he woke up. Charles jolted up from the ground and into Erik's arms which caught him before he could fall back down.
"GAH!" He looked around frantically at his location and he struggled within Erik's grasp. He didn't where he was, why he was here? Where had his tormentor gone? Why was he cold? Why did his chest hurt? Why did his head hurt? Oh God! His head hurt.
"GAH! AH!" Charles cried out at the pain in his head.
"Charles! Look at me! Focus on me, Charles!" Charles grabbed his head with his hands like he always does when it was causing him pain. He was finally able to look up at Erik for the first time since being found.
"E-Erik?" He asked. His eyes widened and he grasped his shoulder, clinging to it as if for his life.
"Er-Erik. It-h-h-urts! GAH!"
"I know Charles just hold on. We have to get you inside! You're freezing!" Just then Kurt popped up nearby.
"Professor!" He exclaimed. Peter was there in no time.
"Kurt. Take us to the infirmary, quickly!" Erik rushed out.
"I'll meet you there." Peter said then he disappeared. Kurt leaned down and grabbed both Charles and Erik's shoulders and closed his eyes. He concentrated and soon they found themselves inside the mansion in the infirmary.
"Go get Hank! Hurry!" Kurt stood, closed his eyes, and 'poofed' out of the room. Not three minutes later he came back with Hank and Raven. Then he left to tell the others that they found him. They all hurried downstairs to meet up with the others. They stood there looking at the professor in his state, shocked.
"Where was he?" Hank asked.
"In the forest out back. I don't know how he got there! His chair is still inside." Hank picked him up bridal style and carried him to the examine table. As he set Charles down, he grunted in pain.
"Ah! Hmm. Nggh."
"Easy Charles. Scott reach me some thermal blankets." Scott expertly went into the cabinet on the right and brought 3 out to Charles and helped Hank cover him up. Jean brought over a head cap and put it on Charles' head hoping that would help to warm him up. He instantly felt relief from the cold.
"Ororo could you warm it up a little in here, for Charles?" Erik asked. Ororo came out of her own thoughts and focused on the weather inside the room. Her eyes went white, suddenly they could feel the temperature rise a little in the room. Ororo looked back down at them with her normal brown eyes again. Erik looked at her gratefully.
"Thank you." He said and she nodded. Erik turned back to Charles who was obviously still in pain. He he was moving all around the medical bed unable to sit still with the fever running through him and the pain in his head.
"I can't do anything to help him until he calms down." Hank said with an i.v ready for set up his hand.
"What's that for?"
"The infection. If we leave it the way it is now he could get septicemia, and that can kill him, and fast. And if I can sedate him it might help with his head." Erk thought for a moment. He might be able to get him to calm if only he could get Charles to read his mind, or get inside his head. Erik took a step closer to Charles so that he was leaning against the bed. He reached for a chair and sat down, as close to Charles as he could get.
He faced Charles who was sitting slightly upwards due to the angle the bed was in. He grabbed Charles's right hand that was lying limply by his side and pressed it to his temple. He thought loudly to try and get Charles to hear his mind and focus on it.
"Charles! I need you to hear me. Charles focus on my voice. Focus on my mind." He was having trouble getting Charles to pay attention to him, the pain must be excruciating. Who or what could be doing this?! Charles was the most powerful telepath in the world, he was the only one like him with his power. Erik kept pleading with him to listen to his voice, to block out whatever it was that was causing him that much pain. Somehow it was stronger and Charles was nowhere near Erik's mind.
Erik stood and grasped both sides of Charles head with his hands and looked at Charles. He did the only thing left to do that he could try. Something that always worked with Charles when wanted to get someone's attention with his mind; he screamed.
"CHARLES!" Charles' eyes shot open and focused solely on Erik. As soon as their eyes connected so did their minds. Charles could hear the worry in Erik's thoughts, he could feel it. After their minds connected all Charles hear was Erik's voice trying to calm him down.
"Charles, just breath. It's alright. You're safe, here with us, you're HOME, Charles." Charles' breathing began to regulate and his BP began to normalize so Hank saw this as his chance to get the i.v in.
"What's that on my arm? What's going on Erik? Why am I so cold?"
"Someone was in your head Charles. I don't know who and what they were doing but somehow you ended up outside last night. Hank is treating you for a fever. Just lie still."
"Erik, I couldn't think straight, I-I-I couldn't hear you. I...how did they get inside my head? What do they want? The pain... Erik...it's coming back! Make it stop! I can't...AH!"
"AH!" Charles' pain go to the both of them. Erik gasped aloud and he let go for a moment but then he reconnected with Charles' mind.
"Erik! This is hurting you, you have to let go of me."
"No! You're in pain too, more so than me. We have to find out what the hell is doing this! Now think Charles. Who's on the other end?" Charles fought the pain back so he could focus on the source. It was causing difficulty because Erik was there and if finding the source meant some kind of mental lapse then he needed Erik away from it so he could lead the others into finding this person in physical form.
Luckily hank have the i.v and the medicine going to Charles before the burst of pain from the both of them. It shocked everyone that Erik was going this far to help Charles. They knew that he would help in any way he could when it came to Charles and that he would never really hurt him but, he was in Charles' mind for crying out loud. Raven stood there next to Hank worry for both men apparent on her face. She needed Charles to be alright or she wouldn't be. He was her brother, she needed him to hold her and tell her that everything was going to be okay and to not worry about him.
Jean, Scott, Ororo, Peter, Raven and Hank looked at their leader. He was like a father to some of them, a brother, a friend. They would make the person who was putting him through this pay. But they needed to get him stabilized first and the new second in charge was even having trouble doing that.
"Charles! Focus on my voice. I know it hurts but you have to find the source. I am so sorry that you have to do this but you have to connect with the pain, you have to look past it and look for the source." Erik rushed in his head hoping that Charles still had some strength left in him to do this. This was their only chance to get the culprit.
"Ah! I'm trying...I can't break throu-." Charles' thoughts stopped completely. Erik couldn't hear his voice, his thoughts nothing.
"Charles? Charles! CHARLES! Where are you dammit!" Erik screamed in his head. His mind suddenly quiet, calm and eerie. He could hear Charles, he couldn't feel Charles anymore.
Hank was keeping an eye on all of the monitors that were hooked up to Charles that he managed to get connected while they were calm and unmoving. He looked to the e.k.g for his brain and he stood quickly and went over to the machine. He began to check all the systems and connection, panicking slightly.
"Hank? What's wrong?" Raven asked standing up. Hank, at first didn't reply, he only kept working around the machine trying to understand the readings it was giving him.
"Hank!" He finally looked over at Raven. Raven saw saddened, worried and pained eyes, she saw something on his face that she knew all too well, fear. One sentence from him sent her heart to the depths of her stomach.
"Charles has no brain activity."
TO BE CONTINUED...