AN: Sorry this one took longer than normal. I'm in the middle of my finals week.
In the end, the choice had been simple. Charles was done waiting for Erik to decide that it was time to stop hiding. They were out of time and he was damned if he would go off and risk his life without at least making sure Erik knew. So he sat there, staring awkwardly into the amber liquid of his scotch glass, and hoped that this wouldn't destroy the friendship they had built.
"Erik, you…" Charles cleared his throat, trying to get the sounds to stop getting clogged with emotion, "I suppose the best way to put it is that I feel like you are the other part of my soul. I can't imagine my life without you, and I wouldn't want to." Did that sound too serious? He wasn't sure. Did he want it to sound serious or did he want it to be more casual? Maybe he should have decided these things before he spoke. Despite his insecurity, Charles mouth kept running without his permission, "I do believe I am in love with you."
Silence met his words and Charles hoped it was just because he had stunned the older man. That was a far better scenario than that he had so thoroughly disgusted Erik that words couldn't express it. Charles knew he could have just slid into Erik's mind, gotten his reaction from there, but it felt wrong to even consider it. Just like it had always felt wrong to use his powers to confirm how the metal bender felt about him. Sure, he suspected that Erik felt the same, but he had always refused to actually search Erik's mind for proof.
It was torture though, sitting there waiting for a reply. Some sort of reaction to his words.
Charles couldn't take the quiet anymore, so he finally lifted his gaze, meeting Erik's stare head on. The older man was looking at him with a mixture of awe, surprise, and vulnerability swimming in his eyes. It wasn't a look Charles would ever have thought to see on Erik's usually stoic face.
He had gotten grins out of the man, even full on laughs at times. But, he still had always managed to hold back a part of himself in every display of emotion. Now though, he seemed completely open to Charles in a way he never had before.
Erik had never denied him access to his thoughts, but it was with the understanding that Charles wouldn't pry. So even though he had often had the chance to delve into Erik's emotions, he had always resisted out of respect for the metal bender's wishes. Now, everything was bared before him and it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
He suspected Erik wasn't even aware of how much his feelings were bleeding over to Charles. If he was aware, he didn't seem to mind at all.
"At some point, I was expecting some sort of response," Charles said with a wry smile. His worries had been eased significantly already just by what he saw in Erik's gaze. Whatever it was that had held the older man back all this time seemed gone and he made no attempt to hide his feelings. He just also made no attempt to voice them.
Erik was never much for talking about his feelings anyway. Charles knew all along that Erik was a man of action, so it didn't surprise him at all when Erik stood up and walked around the chessboard. He knelt beside Charles' chair, bringing his eyes level with Charles' and staring at him with that same vulnerable awe.
Charles could tell he was searching for something, possibly waiting for a sign that this had been a joke or something. Unwilling to go farther until he could be certain that Charles' words had been true.
The telepath didn't speak, not even inside Erik's mind, but he sent a rush of emotion towards Erik. Letting the metal bender soak up all the love that Charles felt for him. Layering that with the contentment and joy Charles always seemed to feel when he was with Erik. Adding to it all the intense connection he had felt for the man from the moment he first sensed his mind in the Atlantic Ocean.
The only outward sign Erik gave that he was receiving the tide of feelings was the hitch in his breath and the glassy look his eyes took on. Erik lifted a shaky hand and pressed it tentatively against Charles' cheek, uncertain even now. Charles responded by pressing his face more firmly into the hand and curling his own fingers around Erik's to hold him there.
With a harsh exhale of breath, Erik's eyes drifted closed and his head sunk forward to rest against Charles' shoulder – a mirror image of that first night in the mansion when Charles had turned to Erik for comfort. The intensity between them seemed too much for the older man to handle and his entire body was trembling with the emotion. The telepath got the distinct feeling Erik thought he was dreaming and that he was trying to absorb as much of this moment as possible before he woke up. Charles hated that life had damaged this beautiful man so completely that love seemed an impossible dream.
He hoped that he could spend his entire life proving Erik wrong about that. Just as he hoped to spend his life working to erase the pain that always lingered in the deepest parts of Erik's mind.
For now, he was happy just to revel in the feel of Erik pressed against him. Content to sit and marvel at the love pouring off of the man who leaned against him as if he were the only solid thing in the world.
Charles' hand drifted to the back of Erik's neck, rubbing soothing patterns into the skin. The touch seemed to pull Erik from his own thoughts and he lifted his head again. His eyes still held that same vulnerability and openness but now there was love shining through as well. Slowly, allowing Erik plenty of time to pull away if he wanted, Charles leaned towards the man kneeling on the floor in front of him.
He brushed his lips gently against Erik's, a tentative touch that probably still clearly broadcasted his uncertainty. Despite all his confidence, the fear of rejection was hard to get rid of. He needn't have worried though, as soon as his lips met Erik's, the metal bender was responding. Lips parted under his and the kiss deepened long before it had the chance to be considered chaste. Charles' hand was still curled around Erik's neck and the other found its way to the older man's chest.
Erik meanwhile tangled a hand into Charles' hair and used the other hand to pull Charles out of his chair as he got back to his feet. They stood up together, not breaking the kiss for even a second. An arm snaked around Charles' waist, pulling him closer to Erik's body, pressing them together tightly.
The kiss broke with a gasp as they both dragged air into starving lungs. Charles' lips tingled and he found that he already missed the feel of Erik's mouth against his.
Do you want to take this to my room? Charles whispered into Erik's mind. He noted with slight amusement that they were quite nicely fitting the stereotype of people wanting to make the most of their possible last night on earth.
My room is closer.
Charles really didn't care if it was stereotypical. He had waited far too long for this moment and all he really cared about was that it was happening.
Erik's room was closer, but they never made it that far. Charles was quite glad that his family had an exorbitant amount of guest rooms because the one two doors away from the study was as far as he could manage to get before he was pushing Erik against the door and kissing down the man's jawline. Erik let out a sound somewhere between a moan and a growl, and he fumbled around behind him for the doorknob.
They tumbled into the room, shutting the door behind them. Charles breathed out a laugh against Erik's neck when he heard the lock click into place with just a touch of Erik's power. Then he focused all his attention on the man he loved.
Charles wanted nothing more than to stay in bed all day, limbs entwined with Erik's and the sun playing across the older man's well-muscled torso. It wasn't an option of course, but that didn't stop him from wanting it.
Instead, they had a war to avert.
Erik groaned as Charles started trying to extricate himself from the pile of limbs and blankets. Then his eyes flew open in surprise, meeting Charles' amused gaze. The older man's mouth gaped open in shock and Charles caught the distinct thought from him that this had to be a dream.
No, my love, it wasn't a dream.
Charles chuckled and pressed his lips lightly against the corner of Erik's. "Come on, I'm sure there's coffee downstairs as well as a team of mutants waiting to help you take down Shaw."
Erik nodded mutely, still processing everything. It amused Charles how out-of-it Erik was before his morning coffee. Though, apparently not quite as out-of-it as the telepath thought. Just as he managed to swing a leg off the bed, preparing to go make tea, Erik's face split into a smile and he grabbed at Charles' arm. He dragged a laughing telepath back towards him and pinned him down against the bed with his body.
The metal bender hovered over Charles, grinning down at him for a moment. Then the amusement drifted away and turned into a much softer expression filled with love. Charles raised a hand to rest against the side of Erik's neck, pulling him gently down for a lazy kiss. On any other day, Charles would have loved to allow it to turn into something more, but they parted reluctantly with the knowledge that they had no time to waste. Erik pressed his forehead to Charles' resting there for a moment with his eyes shut while they savored the last few minutes of true peace.
Then with a sigh of resignation, he pulled himself away and out of the bed.
Charles followed suit, stretching and yawning as he dragged clothes on for the day. They meandered to the kitchen, prepared their morning beverages – rehashing the old debate between coffee and tea – and ate some cereal. As they ate, the rest of the crew filtered in as well. All except Hank.
When they had finished, the group wandered to the lab in search of the wayward scientist.
The note on the lab door was suspicious, but far less so than the complete shambles the lab itself had become. Charles remembered distantly that Hank had announced the previous day that his serum was complete. A dark foreboding started in the pit of his stomach. Had Hank really been stupid enough to try an untested drug on himself?
There were more pressing concerns though. Cuba was far more important than whatever had happened to Hank. The scientist had been well enough to leave a note, so he clearly hadn't died. In fact, he had found the time to finish battle suits for the entire team. Ugly bright yellow and blue suits.
Still, they would offer some protection. And of course for many of them, the suits also came with specially designed features just for them. Charles' suit had no such features. He was rather glad of it. Hank was a fantastic man, but everything he had designed looked horribly uncomfortable and the added features only seemed to make it worse.
The group reluctantly suited up and headed to the hangar where Hank, and his jet, awaited.
Hank wasn't quite what any of them were expecting though. Charles' eyes widened as he took in the new blue form of his friend.
"Never looked better," was Erik's response. Charles saw nothing wrong with the compliment, but almost immediately Erik was fighting for breath as Hank thoroughly expressed his displeasure. The telepath was mere moments away from barging into Hanks' mind and forcing him to let Erik go, but the scientist seemed to regain control of himself and dropped Erik of his own accord.
It wasn't the best of starts to their day, but the group marched on to the jet undeterred and hoped for the best as the thing took off.
The jet really was as marvelous as Hank had said, flying them to Cuba with incredible speed. Charles and Erik had somehow ended up on opposite sides of the plane and the telepath regretted it deeply. His hand very nearly ached from the desire to curl his fingers around Erik's. If there was ever a moment that lovers should be holding hands it was this. Hurtling through the air towards an unknown situation against a deadly enemy.
It was now, in the last moments before their mission truly began, that Charles lamented being separated from Erik by mere feet.
It all came down to today. Shaw, Russia, the crushing possibility of a devastating nuclear war. One way or another it would end today. And, Charles was positive, that at least one mutant would be dying. He was just uncertain which side that mutant would be on. He hoped that a single death would be the worst thing that happened today, but he doubted it.
If there was a bright point, it was the fact that Charles knew beyond any shadow of doubt that, even after Shaw, Erik would be staying with him. There was no more fear that the metal bender would flee from the team the second his objective was complete.
Across the aisle, Erik kept glancing at him with unshielded affection and still that lingering tint of awe. As if he still couldn't quite believe that last night had really happened. Charles was positive that the other occupants of the jet had noticed and were simply politely ignoring the shifted dynamic in their relationship. They would have to be nearly blind to not see the love that the two older mutants were so clearly broadcasting.
Anxiety crossed briefly through Erik's features and Charles frowned in concern. What troubles you, my friend?
Erik never broke eye contact and the look he shared with Charles was one of fierce determination as he thought back, I just want you to remember the twenty dollars I owe you. Don't even consider denying me the chance to pay that back tomorrow.
Charles smiled brightly at him, feeling the warmth grow in his chest at the thought of how deeply Erik cared for him. Rest assured, my love, I have every intention of collecting my money. I would not deny you anything.
Those words seemed to remind them both of what today would bring. Even in the best case scenario, this day would end in death. A death that would test the core of this new relationship. Charles truly meant it when he said he would deny Erik nothing, but saying it and actually acting on it were two different things. In the final moment, could he really let Erik kill a man? Would Erik still kill Shaw even knowing what it would do to Charles?
How far did love extend when faced with a vengeance that had been building for decades?
The apprehension in the air refused to dissipate, and the other mutants only added to it with their own worries. With effort, Charles systematically shut each of them out of his mind. The last thing he needed to deal with in a battle was a headache from too many emotions gripping at his head.
The only one he couldn't bring himself to break his connection with was Erik. Instead he let his mind latch onto Erik's as an anchor. He wrapped himself tightly in the love emanating from his lover's open mind and let the peace of that feeling carry him through until the moment his attention was needed elsewhere.
The crystal blue of the Atlantic Ocean stretched out below them, interrupted only by the two lines of battleships and the single cargo ship playing a deadly game of chicken. With sadness, but no real surprise, Charles noted that the cargo ship was still very much proceeding ever closer to the invisible line that would catapult the world into war.
Charles stretched his mind out far beneath the jet, lightly touching thousands of minds before zeroing in on one that served his purpose.
This mind was jumbled and hazy. Nearly blind with pain and fear. In the background, Charles could hear exactly what he hoped for, an order to turn the cargo ship around, but with a sinking feeling he knew it was an order that would be ignored. Dimly, through eyes clouded with agony, Charles could see a red man standing at the helm of the Aral Sea cargo vessel.
The terrified memories of the mind he was in showed clearly the slaughter that Shaw's teleporter had committed against the crew of the cargo ship. That same panicked mind also struggled with the certainty that he was about to follow his crew into death. As if on cue, Charles was thrust violently back into his own head as the dying man's pain slowly faded from his own body.
A shallow gasp of air was the only sign he allowed out that revealed the shock of death he had just felt. Erik gave him a sharp glance, not fooled for even an instant into believing that nothing had happened. "The crew of the Aral Sea are all dead, Shaw's been here" Charles informed his team, not bothering to respond to Erik's silent request for information. "He's set the ship on course for the Embargo Line."
In the smooth water of the Atlantic, the near-empty cargo ship plunged them ever closer to war.
Charles strained his powers, reaching into the mind of every captain on every American ship. He could hear the Soviet's explaining in desperate broken English that their ship had been called off. Wasn't responding. For the love of God don't attack us even though our ship still refuses to turn.
He could tell with dull horror that the decision had already come through to ignore the Russian claims. An assumption being made that it was all just a trick.
Surely though, Charles had not dragged his team down here only to fail. He had to find a way to avert this. He had to.
Moria's voice broke his concentration, "If that ship crosses the line, our boys are going to blow it up and the war begins."
"Unless," Charles responded with sudden inspiration, "It's not our boys." Again he felt out with his power, this time finding a mind on the bridge of the lead Soviet vessel. He apologized profusely to the man – though the Russian wouldn't remember it later – for what he was about to do. Charles had no idea what the Soviets did to traitors and that was what this man was about to be branded.
Moving the body he was borrowing as fast as he could, Charles crossed the bridge and approached the weapon controls. With a single push of a button, a missile burst out of the Russian battleship. Charles fled back to his own head in time to feel the entire jet tilt sideways. Reacting instantly, he flung an arm out to protect Raven. He was relieved to note that the seatbelts held them all firmly and despite the impromptu barrel roll everyone was completely secure.
Below them, the Aral Sea ripped into pieces as the missile found its target.
"A little warning next time," Hank requested from the cockpit.
Charles gave a guilty grimace, "Sorry about that. Everyone alright?"
Affirmatives came from every direction as well as a slight groan from Sean that Charles took to mean speaking would only make the kid throw up. He turned his attention to the ocean, now that the cargo ship was out of the way, he could focus on finding Shaw. He got absolutely nothing. No clue at all where the mind he sought could be found.
"That was inspired, Charles," Moira complimented him.
It took a few seconds for Charles to process what she was talking about and then he remembered the missile. Of course. It hardly seemed important now that it was over. Regardless, he replied, "Thank you, Moira. But I still can't locate Shaw."
"He's down there, we need to find him now!" Erik's rough voice growled out from across the aisle. Charles wondered for the first time exactly how emotionally stable Erik was going to be on this mission.
He gazed at Erik, almost wanting to flinch away from the coldness he saw in the other man's eyes. Hank and Moira were still talking, trying to locate their target on radar, but Charles knew it was useless. The man had a submarine; he wouldn't be stupid enough to be somewhere radar could pick up. Hank seemed to come to the same conclusion as he morosely stated, "He must be underwater."
"And we don't have sonar," Charles pointed out, still watching Erik's face. It was painful to see the way it fell in on itself at the possibility that this entire mission would still result in losing Shaw.
Thankfully, for all involved, Sean appeared to have regained his ability to speak. "Yes, we do."
It clicked instantly for Charles and he repeated the words as he took his headset off. Of course they had sonar. They had spent hours fine tuning their sonar. Sean was completely capable of serving as sonar to find a submarine. He and Sean stood up simultaneously, starting the trek to the back of the jet as Beast worked to level the plane for them. Erik must have made the connection almost as fast as Charles because he was tearing off his own headset and pulling out of his seat to join them within seconds.
Charles and Sean stood at the front of the bomb bay doors, waiting anxiously for them to open. The telepath spared the time to shoot an amused glance at Erik after Sean forbade him from coming near.
You did shove him off a satellite last time.
I apologized.
Don't lie to a telepath.
Erik raised his hands in a conceding gesture. Charles didn't know if he was conceding to him or just letting Sean know that he had no intention of shoving him through the bomb doors. He decided he would take it as a sign of both.
The doors opened, sending a gust of air into the jet that threatened to topple the three mutants standing near it. Charles reached to steady himself against the side and watched as Erik and Sean did the same. Once they were all stable again, Charles shouted what words of encouragement he could in Sean's ear. As an afterthought he touched his fingers to his head and added, "Remember, you'll be in here the entire time."
With a shout that could have been either terror or excitement, Sean hopped out of the jet and into the empty air. Charles tagged along inside the boy's head.
He marveled at the feeling of dropping through the air, feeling the wind against his face as the ocean crept ever closer. With a great bellow, Sean slowed their fall, gliding another few hundred feet horizontally before plummeting into the water. It was simple from there, just a matter of sending his sound waves out in all directions and waiting for one to bounce back.
Charles pulled back to his own head, "Banshee's got a location on Shaw." He had no idea when he had allowed the kid's silly nicknames to get into his head, but in this situation it sounded more appropriate.
Erik's entire body straightened up, tensing with emotions that Charles couldn't even begin to name. Their eyes met and Charles asked, "Are you ready for this?"
"Let's find out." Erik's eyes had a hardness to them that reminded Charles oddly of the metal that he was so fond of. The man in front of him, about to take on his greatest demon, was forged from steel and something told Charles that nothing could break him.
It no longer even surprised Charles that they didn't need to ever actually share their plan with each other. Erik headed off towards the access compartment for the wheels of the jet and Charles followed easily, knowing already exactly what Erik intended to do. It was easy reading Erik's intentions even without reading his mind.
Charles wasn't entirely sold on the idea of Erik hanging high in the air, held up by only his own grip on a grimy piece of landing gear, but he trusted Erik to know what he was doing. And he trusted himself to grab Erik and haul him back inside if need be.
Before Erik quite had time to signal Hank to lower the landing gear, Charles reached out and grabbed his arm lightly. Their eyes met and no words were exchanged but they both understood that it was a demand that Erik stay safe. Not push himself. Not let go.
Erik's gaze softened as he looked at Charles. He responded to the unspoken demand by lifting his hand to gently cup Charles' face. He drew their lips together in a chaste kiss, flooding Charles' head with thoughts of love and confidence. When he pulled away again and took the last few steps to the plane wheel, Charles felt certain that part of him was going with Erik. If something happened… he knew he would never get that part of himself back. The thought alone started up a hollow ache in his chest.
The metal bender acted unconcerned with the situation. He just flashed a cocky grin and a thumb's up signal to Hank and then wrapped an arm casually around the landing gear as it started to lower.
Charles knelt down beside the opening in the jet's floor, wind whipping his hair around and his eyes firmly fixed on Erik. He projected as best he could the location of the submarine and felt Erik's power surge up as he reached out to the hulking mass of metal under the water. A vicious glee bubbled up in Erik's mind when he connected with the sub.
For a few moments, he struggled with it and the effort started a dull anger in him. Charles could tell immediately that it was all wrong. The emotions Erik was feeling were far closer to rage than anything else. Falling back on old habits that were simply not enough to get this job done. The metal pulled against Erik, refusing to cater to his demands and Charles could see his lover's hand trembling with the strain of trying to do more than his power would allow.
Remember, he pressed urgently against Erik's mind, the point between rage and serenity.
He accompanied the thought with every single memory that he thought might invoke that sense of peace inside Erik's mind. Satisfaction came immediately as he could sense the struggle against the submarine becoming easier for the metal bender.
Charles latched on to Erik's mind completely and felt the metal growing closer to the water's surface, obeying Erik's commands with ease now. Slowly, the entire thing dragged through the ocean, pulled closer every second. The pride he felt when the sub broke out of the water could have come from Erik, but it was just as likely his own.
It was truly amazing to watch, and even more amazing to feel it secondhand through Erik's mind. Propellers still twirled in a vain attempt to get away as the rear of Shaw's vessel came gracefully out of the ocean. Water cascaded off the metal surface and the entire thing rose higher – flying parallel to the jet as Hank slowly turned them towards shore. The submarine Erik had once almost died trying to stop now hung suspended in midair at the simple command of his power. It was, quite simply, beautiful to witness.
The confused minds of the occupants in the airborne submarine buzzed dully at Charles' power. One in particular stood out, the teleporter named Azazel. He recognized the mind from the brief moments he had spent aboard the now-sunken cargo ship. Inside Azazel's head, he discovered Shaw's back-up plan.
Of course, it was too much to ask for that Shaw and his team wouldn't at least attempt to fight back. When the hatch at the top of the sub opened and Janos stepped out, Charles knew that the real struggle was about to begin. Sure enough, the mutant on top of the flying submarine glared at them as he conjured a tornado and with a satisfied grin he flung it at the jet.
"Erik, take my hand!" he shouted to Erik.
Not yet, Erik projected back to him.
Charles recognized in the logical part of his head that Erik was probably right to hold out longer. If he dropped the sub now it would fall straight back to the water and they would lose it again. Just a little longer and it would instead fall to the sandy beaches of Cuba where they could properly deal with the people inside.
That logic did little to comfort the part of Charles that was watching a cyclone swirling ever closer to the man he loved. Particularly when Erik was focused on his power and probably not on keeping a strong grip on the precarious perch he had.
The moment felt oddly reminiscent of their first meeting. Erik pulling desperately at the submarine while Charles begged him to release it. Erik risking his life to hold onto Shaw.
The whirlwind hit with a fury, nearly tearing Charles out of the jet with the force of impact. He kept his grip with great effort and kept his eyes on Erik. The metal bender clutched tighter to the landing gear but still refused to let go of the submarine.
Get back inside, Charles.
Not without you.
It was a testament to Erik's willpower that, even with the imminent possibility of being torn away from the jet by the cyclone, he held on until the moment that the sub crashed down to the beach. He released the metal and Charles breathed a little easier once he saw both of Erik's arms holding on to the jet. It was clear that they were not out of danger though, the wind still buffeting the jet wildly. A crash was inevitable and being inside when it happened was certainly preferable.
"Take my hand!" Charles shouted again. He reached out towards Erik as far as he could go, struggling not to lose his own grip. Erik would never forgive him if he fell out of the plane while trying to get to him.
The metal bender stretched out towards Charles' hand, fingers not quite reaching. With a quick glance at the approaching beach – probably to weigh his options of survival – Erik pushed off from the wheel and leapt towards the offered hand.
The sudden pull on his body from the weight of a full grown man would usually have hurt, but the weight was a comfort. His fingers curling around Erik's arm was proof that he had made it. The fact that his arm was screaming at him in protest was of little consequence.
The entire jet shuddered as one of the engines tore off, sending the already spinning plane into a steeper downward spiral. Erik's body swayed dangerously out into the open air, no longer supported by anything except the grip Charles had on his arm. Charles had no intention of letting go even if it meant he got pulled out too. Instead, he felt Erik's other hand coming up to wrap around his arm as well and Charles put his entire body into pulling Erik up.
They weren't a moment too soon. The jet hit the ground seconds after Erik made it inside, sending Charles sprawling to the floor with a cry of surprise. His entire world started to tilt as the plane tipped and started to roll. Charles felt his body start to slide – and he would have given anything at that moment to be strapped firmly in a seat like the rest of the team.
Erik was on top of him in an instant. He pressed his body against Charles' and used his power to secure them both to the ground stopping them both from being flung by the tumbling of the jet. Charles clung to Erik's wrist, more as a comfort than anything else. Erik wouldn't let him get hurt. The knowledge that he was safe didn't help much against the nausea that rose in him as the plane rolled and bounced against the sand.
When it finally stopped, they were on the ceiling instead of the floor and Erik gently lowered them.
He would have liked a moment to just slow the frantic pounding of his heart, but Charles forced himself to stagger to his feet. He worked quickly to release the rest of the team from their seats, checking everyone for injuries as he went.
"I read the teleporter's mind," Charles said once everyone was standing firmly on the ground. "Shaw's drawing all the power out of his sub. He's turning himself into some kind of nuclear bomb."
The horrified looks around him probably mirrored his own when he had first seen the plan in Azazel's mind. They had no time for fear; they needed to take action immediately if there was any hope of still saving this day.
Charles started planning. "Moira, get on the radio and tell them to clear both fleets out immediately."
"I'm going in," Erik stated abruptly.
It wasn't a surprise to Charles, he had known of course that Erik would go to face Shaw, but it didn't stop the fear from lurching into his throat. Across from the ruins of the jet, they could see Shaw's crew standing ready for an attack and that was far too many people for Erik to just plow through. Charles looked at the rest of his team and ordered, "Beast, Havoc, back him up. Erik, I can guide you through once you're in, but I need you to shut down whatever it is that's blocking me. Then we just hope to God it's not too late for me to stop him."
"Got it."
"Good luck," Charles shouted after him. He wanted to say a hundred other things, but this wasn't the time. He had to take charge and he had to command a battle. There was no time anymore for drawn out goodbyes so he just clung tightly to the hope, as he watched Erik leave, that he would see him again.
He was about to drift into Erik's mind, prepared to direct him to Shaw, but the movement of Raven behind him caught his attention. He called out to her to stop, knowing it wouldn't be what she wanted to hear.
"I'm going to help them," she insisted.
Knowing he had no time for an argument, Charles instructed her instead to guard the entrance to the jet. She was still clearly unhappy with the task but Charles paid her no more attention. He turned back to the window and pressed his hand to his head, letting Erik's mind pull him in with ease.
Alex was the first to attack Shaw's people, firing a bolt of energy at Janos and knocking him back against the submarine. Azazel appeared behind Charles' team, sweeping his blade at Hank's head and missing when Hank ducked. With a puff of red smoke, Alex, Hank and the teleporter were all gone. Charles didn't take the time to worry about them. They could take care of themselves.
Even if they couldn't, he was incapable of helping them from here anyway. He needed his attention on Erik. On Shaw. Because that was the most crucial battle that would be fought today.
Erik was tearing across the sand, rapidly closing the distance between him and the sub. With a burst of power, he tore a chunk of the wall away – letting it hit the recovering Janos. Erik leapt through the hole he had created and Charles started guiding him towards the empty hollow he felt inside the submarine.
Erik, make for the middle of the vessel. That's the point my mind can't penetrate and we have to assume that's where Shaw is.
Charles was speaking out loud as well as into Erik's mind but he didn't particularly care. Attention to a small detail like accidentally speaking out loud was not high on his priority list.
Erik made his way through the sub, avoiding all the sparks and dangling wires that the crash had worked free. The metal bender proved once again the fact that they didn't need to speak their plans to each other because, without Charles telling him to, Erik diverted from finding Shaw long enough to explore the instrument panel. Charles waited until his eyes fell on what they needed and then he confirmed, That's the nuclear reactor. Disable it.
As quickly as he could, Erik pulled the lever back down, taking power away from the reactor. Away from Shaw. Then he was progressing through the sub again while Charles stayed rooted in his mind, anxiously waiting.
Erik, you're there. You've reached the void.
Charles could feel the frustration and confusion from Erik before the man even spoke. "He's not here, Charles. Shaw's not here! He's left the sub!"
The telepath paced within the broken jet as he pushed his mind into the sub again feeling for any sense of Shaw. He spread out to search the beach itself looking for any sign of their target but found nothing. That void was the only thing he couldn't touch.
He's got to be there. He has to be. There's nowhere else he can be. Keep looking.
"And I'm telling you he's not. There's no one here God damn it!" Erik turned in circles, surveying the room which was, as Charles could see through Erik's eyes, definitely empty.
Charles could feel something tingling at the back of Erik's awareness. A sense of being watched. The metal bender turned slowly just as Shaw's voice called out his name. There was hardly time for Charles to shout Erik's name before the man was stepping into the same void that Shaw occupied.
With a rush of despair, Charles felt Erik's mind pull away from him and then cut off completely. "He's gone," he said aloud with frustration. "He's gone into the void. I can't communicate with him there!" He wanted to punch something. He wanted to dart across the sand himself to defend Erik from whatever Shaw tried to do. The panic gripping his heart was only outweighed by the need to remain calm so he could still help take down Shaw.
He had to stay in control. He had to trust in Erik's ability to break through whatever Shaw was using to block him.
The minutes dragged on, it felt like an hour since his mind had last touched Erik's. He wished he had given Erik one more declaration of love before they were cut off from each other. Just in case.
Erik's mind flooded back into his and Charles nearly dropped to the floor in relief. He shoved aside the worry he felt at how quickly Erik's thoughts had filled with pain and fear. It was only to be expected when confronting someone like Shaw. He still couldn't get to Shaw's mind and that was the only thing that he needed right now.
Erik, whatever you're doing keep doing it. It's starting to work.
The sound of his voice in Erik's head again cleared some of the residual terror the metal bender had been feeling. He turned to Shaw with renewed determination and Charles was positive that they were going to win this fight.
His power was still heavily dampened by whatever Shaw was using to block telepathy, so the only thing he could do was speak to Erik and feel his mind. There was another brief burst of pain from Erik but with it came another crack in Shaw's void.
It's working! I'm starting to see him but I can't yet touch his mind.
Charles could see through Erik's eyes again. In fact enough of the void had shattered that Charles could see everything except for Shaw's mind. Erik's glare gave Charles all the information he needed to know why. A helmet perched on Shaw's head. An ugly metal thing that covered all but a small portion of his face. That helmet was the only void left and it was the last barrier Erik needed to remove before Charles could get in.
Shaw's voice filtered to Charles through Erik's ears, "You've come a long way from bending gates. I'm so proud of you."
Charles wanted to be sick. He could feel the revulsion from Erik too as the metal bender stood up and latched on to metal pipes and support beams with his power He dragged them down, crashing them through the mirrors that surrounded the fight. Charles noted with very little interest that the mirror was probably similar to the helmet. Built to keep telepathy out.
There was an initial thrill of satisfaction as the metal rained down on Shaw, but the infuriating man just came closer to Erik. He seemed untouched by the chaos around him. Charles watched in horror as Shaw approached Erik, ignoring almost every piece of metal thrown at him. There was one though, a large steel beam, that he used for his own purposes. Even as Erik struggled to push it towards him, Shaw pushed back with greater force.
The telepath nearly cried out in horror when Erik lost his grip on the beam and Shaw shoved him against the wall, pinning him with the metal. Erik panted with effort and Charles could distinctly feel each ache that bloomed under his skin.
Fear and pain were making Erik's entire body tremble but rage still lingered beneath the surface and Charles grasped that knowledge with joy. It meant Erik hadn't given up yet. He was still fighting. If he could just get that God awful helmet off Shaw this would all be over.
Bile rose in Charles' throat when Shaw reached out to Erik, placing a hand around the back of his neck in a familiar gesture. Shaw's breath brushed across Erik's face as he leaned in and spoke, "We are the future of the human race. You and me, son. This world could be ours."
The word, 'son,' had been his worst mistake. The moment it was uttered Charles could feel the anger growing again in Erik.
"Everything you did, made me stronger," Erik conceded. There was a quality to his voice that made it clear he wasn't offering a compliment. The tone was chilling and violent even though it remained steady and calm. "It made me the weapon I am today. It's the truth. I've known it all along." The words made Charles want to reach out to Erik, send him comfort and affection, but this wasn't the time to distract Erik. Already he could feel the metal bender flexing his power out around him. "You are my creator," he continued.
A bundle of wires floated just behind Shaw's head, unnoticed by him. When the wire gripped the helmet, tearing it from its place, Charles was ready for it. He dove into Shaw's head, freezing him in place, unable to contain the brief shout of pain that came out as he did. This man's head was a nightmare.
"Are you okay?" The words came from behind Charles and it took him a moment to sort through his confusion and figure out what they were.
"Moira," he pleaded, "be quiet. I can only control this man for so long."
Shaw's head surged with power. It fought against him as he poured his strength into holding on. A headache pounded at his temple already and it had hardly been a second.
Erik paced around to the front of Shaw, looking into the man's eyes without mercy. Charles took a gasping breath, maintaining his grip on the violent mind of their enemy but pulling enough focus away to speak to Erik as well.
You don't have to do this Erik. Be the better man.
It was useless and he knew it. This would come down to a choice between Erik and Shaw. If he kept Shaw frozen then Erik would kill him, but if he released Shaw Erik would die instead. This was what it had always come down to. Charles being the one to decide which death occurred on this day.
It was an easy choice of course.
Erik never gave him the chance to make that decision though. With a gentle pull, Erik called the helmet to his own hands. Charles' eyes widened in shock and an ugly sense of betrayal started churning in his chest. Surely Erik wouldn't cut him off like that.
"I'm sorry, Charles."
Erik, please! Don't make the same mistakes that I did!
"It's not that I don't trust you."
Erik, it will not bring you peace!
"If anything, I trust you too much. I trust that you won't force me to stop. But I also know that you would never forgive yourself for allowing me to do this. I don't want that blood on your hands so I'm taking away your choice in the matter."
The helmet sliding over Erik's head was like a punch to the gut. It sent Charles' mind reeling and his grasp on Shaw threatened to break. He pushed past the pain and anger, doubling his efforts on keeping Shaw stationary.
Mounting panic had Charles squeezing his eyes shut and pounding uselessly against the wall of the jet. "Don't do this, Erik!" he shouted in vain, knowing that Erik wasn't listening. He wondered if Erik would ever listen again.
He had claimed the helmet was for Charles' sake, so that Charles wouldn't feel the guilt of killing Shaw, but would he still claim that after this was over? Or would he decide the helmet was something to keep around?
Erik was speaking again and Charles could hear it through Shaw's ears. "I want you to know that I agree with you. We are the future. But, unfortunately, you killed my mother." Erik turned to face Shaw, holding a small coin up between his fingers. "This is what we're going to do. I'm going to count to three, and I'm going to move the coin."
Charles started making his way out of the plane; he kept up a steady stream of pleading words as he went. "No, Erik. Please no." They were murmured under his breath and had no chance of reaching Erik, but a part of him needed to say the phrases regardless.
"One."
Erik released the coin and it started drifting lazily towards Shaw.
"Please, Erik."
"Two."
As it drew closer, the realization fully hit Charles that he was inside the head of a man who was about to die in a very painful way. He sucked in a breath and slammed his eyes shut trying to brace himself for what was about to happen.
"Don't do this, Erik!"
"Three."
He felt the press of cool metal against his forehead for only a moment and then with ruthless force it pushed through. Skin split open and fine cracks spread across the front of his skull as the coin moved onward. It broke through bone, sending a few splinters of skull into his brain as it went. The coin itself was far worse than the pain of the bone. He could feel it travelling through at a leisurely and unceasing pace. It tore through nerve endings and ripped apart brain matter. The panicked mind reacted by firing off every nerve it could, pulsing pain through his entire body.
Charles was screaming. He wasn't even aware of it nor was he aware of the fact that he had fallen to his knees in the sand just outside the jet.
Relentlessly the coin kept pushing through his mind. Cutting through everything it came in contact with and sending fireworks of agony bursting along every string of nerves. Blackness filled his vision and his entire brain threatened to just shut down but Charles held on with everything he had. Shaw wasn't dead yet and until he was Charles was going to keep holding on.
When at last Charles felt the mind go dim, he relaxed his grip. His hand fell limply to the side and without another sound he collapsed fully onto the sand.
AN: Another cliffhanger! Oh no! Also, this chapter ended up being reallly long. Oops. Next chapter will probably be shorter and will also quite likely be the last.