Author's Note: So yeah, I'm pretty convinced that I have the best, most amazing, supportive readers in the world, because we've gone from forty-five reviews to fifty-two. In about a day. You guys are so freaking amazing that I'm totally obligated to throw you another new chapter. So, the plan is for possibly another chapter tomorrow or Friday. And then no updates until about Monday, because I'll be camping in the woods. :( Which will still be fun, but...
This would have been up earlier, but tonight, you can blame (ironically, if you look at the title) The X Factor. Yeah, I laughed too when I realized that it was distracting me from Turning Tables. And yes. I watch way too many TV shows. Which is why if I get an update out tomorrow night, it'll be a miracle, since it's Vampire Diaries night.
Anyway, yeah. I don't own First Class. Not even a bit. I wish I did. I really do. But I don't. Maybe I'll get it for Christmas. But I'm kinda aiming towards a new laptop with an actual word processing program, so I doubt that'll happen.
As always, please leave a review on your way out. But whether you do or not, I'm still thrilled, because this chapter has passed the fifty review mark. And it isn't even two weeks old. Hello, my most sucessful fanfic. But you guys have no idea how thrilled I am that you like it. :) As always, leave suggestions and ideas for scenes that you'd like to see, because I am working on getting some together.
Turning Tables
Erik glared at her. "You haven't even heard my plan yet." "I don't need to. It involves boats and a sociopathic doctor. It won't end well." With a partner in his vendetta against Shaw, Erik Lensherr thought things would change. He was right. Erik/OC
Chapter 10
CIA Research Base, Virginia
1962
"Erik! Open up!"
Erik instantly stiffened as he heard the knock on his door. His body relaxed a bit when he recognized the voice after a second, but he frowned as he took the suitcase sitting open on his bed and laid it down on the floor, hiding it behind a table. She couldn't know he was leaving. He didn't know how to tell her that, and by the time she found out, he would be long gone.
"Erik, I know you're in there! If you don't let me in right now, I swear to God…"
He sighed, rolling his blue eyes, before crossing the room and opening the door, revealing his tired-looking partner already dressed in a longer nightgown, her normal sleeping apparel. "What?" Erik asked, unable to keep a somewhat harsh tone out of his voice.
To her credit, Miranda did not flinch. Instead, she gave a relieved grin and squeezed past Erik, closing the door behind her. "Raven is suffocating me!" she rasped, leaning heavily against the door. "I needed to get away!"
Erik rolled his eyes. "I thought you enjoyed your girl time," he said, taking a steps back before sitting back down on the bed.
Miranda sighed. "I do. But there's a limit to how much girl time I can have after spending so much time with you and getting used to having no girl time whatsoever, unless you count me completely flipping out on you when I'm super-hormonal." She flopped down on the bed next to Erik, and he cracked a smile as she closed her eyes. "I'm exhausted."
"I think we all are," murmured Erik. His gaze lingered on the slow rise and fall of his partner's chest as she tried to relax. He rolled his eyes. "Do I take it that you're staying here tonight?"
"Absolutely," Miranda replied. "Don't get me wrong. So far, Raven has been amazing. She's the sweetest girl. But she's completely crushing on Hank right now, and dealing with crushes isn't the easiest thing to deal with." She sighed, leaning up as she pulled her brunette curls over her shoulder. "And… I'm just too worried about Daniel to be able to give her the attention she needs right now."
Erik nodded in understanding. "He'll keep Daniel alive for awhile, Miranda," he assured her. His eyes grew hard, and she noticed how his body unconsciously tensed as he only mentioned Shaw. "We'll find him before it gets worst."
Miranda nodded. "Thanks, Erik," she murmured. She sighed, laying back down with her eyes closed. "I'm so exhausted right now. More so than usual, and I mean even more than those nights we're traveling…"
Erik chuckled. "Go to sleep," he told her, shaking his head.
"Aren't you going to?" Miranda murmured.
Erik shook his head. "I'm going to read for awhile," he replied, standing up and walking across the room to a table.
Miranda's green eyes widened, and she smiled teasingly at him. "Let me guess. The Once and Future King?" she asked, prompting a smirk and chuckle from Erik as confirmation. Miranda shook her head. "You've read that book dozens of times. Don't you ever get tired of it?"
"Never," Erik replied, pulling the book off the table. He smiled softly before looking at her. "It's your fault in a way. You bought the book for me last year. I believed you called it birthday present, even though I had never told you my birthday."
"Ironically, it actually was your birthday when I actually gave it to you," murmured Miranda. She sighed before cuddling up against a pillow. Erik sat back down on the bed, opening up the book. "What part are you on?"
Erik chuckled. "I thought you said you'd never read this book."
"I won't. The more you talk, the quicker I fall asleep."
Erik rolled his eyes, but smile softly to himself. "So the sound of my voice is that boring?" he asked, knowing that she would instantly hear the baiting tease to his tone.
"No," Miranda corrected, her voice growing softer and more drowsy. "It's more like it's that comforting."
Erik chuckled, a genuine smile relaxing onto his face. "Do you want me to read to you?" he asked. He glanced down at her, and blinked in surprise when he realized that she was fast asleep. Brown curls obscured her face, and her breathing was soft and quiet.
He watched her for a few minutes, a sad look in his eyes. He didn't want to leave her. He knew that she was going to completely flip out when she found out he had left her, and sooner or later, she'd hunt him down in order to utterly destroy him. Hell had no fury like Miranda scorned. But the events of the previous night still haunted him.
The longer they engaged on this hunt, the more likely Miranda would end up injured or dead. Erik didn't care if he died on this quest for vengeance. He did care if Miranda died. The last few days had been hard for them both, physically, mentally, and emotionally. They had fought for their lives daily, and now, as Erik took a good look at how he felt about Miranda, he knew that staying would only cause his worries to double.
He stood slowly to keep the bed steady. The last thing he needed was Miranda to wake up and realize that he was going. She was not coming with him this time. He had been fine on his own before. He would be fine on a solo hunt again.
He slipped towards the suitcase, picking it up and setting it on the table. He opened it open, setting The Once and Future King back inside, safe and sound. He closed the suitcase back up before slipping to the door. He opened it and stepped out, but paused before he completely left.
Erik shot one last regretful look towards Miranda. "I'm sorry, Miranda," he whispered before slipping out of the room, closing the door behind him. Miranda slept on, unaware of her partner's escape.
"From what I know about you, I'm surprised you've managed to stay this long."
Barely twenty minutes later, Erik stopped in his tracks as a voice invaded the silence surrounding the outside of the research base. The grip on his suitcase, which now held Shaw's file, stolen from the Agent's office minutes before, tightened. His stare turned icy as he turned around, not surprised to see Charles standing behind him, an unsurprised look easily read on his face.
"What do you know about me?" Erik demanded, his voice colder than what Charles had every heard from another human being.
Erik's respect for the telepath went up a notch when Charles didn't flinch. "Everything," Charles replied in a tone of absolute calm.
"Then you know to stay out of my head," Erik snapped. He turned back around, walking quickly away.
"I'm sorry, Erik," Charles said, stepping forward as well. "But I've seen what Shaw did to you." Erik stopped in his tracks, and Charles smiled when he realized he finally held Erik's attention. "I've felt your agony." He hesitated for a second, but then saw that Erik seemed to be paying more attention that before. "I can help you."
For a few moments, Erik stood, silent, as he contemplated Charles's words. For one, he couldn't believe that Charles had had the nerve to go through his mind, to read his most private and horrifying memories. Charles had seen his nightmares, and that made Erik more than uncomfortable. It made him feel vulnerable, something that he didn't allow himself to be. Miranda only knew of those nightmares, and she knew not to mention them.
Finally, he turned to face Charles. "I don't need your help," Erik told the brunette telepath, two blue eyed gazes meeting each other across the sidewalk that lead to the building.
"Don't kid yourself," Charles said, shaking his head. "You needed my help last night. You may not like to admit it, Erik, but if we hadn't been there last night, both you and Miranda would have died."
Now, he had a reaction. Erik's body stiffened instantly, and the icy glare seemed to increase dramatically in temperature, instead turning angry and fiery. Charles hid the surge of victory he felt. Now he was getting through to the surprisingly stubborn Nazi hunter. Why hadn't he played the Miranda card before this?
"It's not just me you're walking away from, Erik," Charles told him gently, taking a few steps forward. "Here, you have the chance to be apart of something much bigger than yourself. You've seen what can happen when you join forces with one person. What if you joined with others?" Charles saw the hesitation in Erik's eyes, and continued in on the roll he had gained. If he had been in Erik's position, Charles knew that he would leave behind Raven if it meant protecting her, even if it was a personal journey for her as well. Miranda had been Erik's partner for years. If he was willing to leave her behind, Charles knew that he truly feared for her life."You're trying to protect her, Erik, but who are you to judge whether or not she needs protecting?" Charles asked musingly, a pensive look on his face as he watched Erik's face darken with anger.
"You don't know what you're talking about," Erik replied, his voice laced in warning and anger.
"I told you last night that she still needs you." Charles took a few steps back, watching him carefully as if he was a particularly interesting subject in an experiment. "I wasn't lying to you. She needs you, Erik. And you need her." He turned back to the doors, and Erik watched him. "I'm not going to make you stay. I could. But I won't. Just think about what you'll be leaving behind if you do go." He paused. "Or rather, who you'll be leaving behind."
As Erik stood watching his retreating back, Charles smirked. "Shaw has friends. You've seen what having one can get you. Why not get some more?"
Charles's words echoed in Erik's head long after he had left.
The next morning involved Charles desperately avoiding Miranda's gaze in order to not be the one to tell her that Erik had left last night. He had a feeling that her reaction wouldn't be pretty to say the very least. It wasn't a problem for now. The Agent had pulled in Charles and Miranda after breakfast that morning, saying that he needed to talk to them.
As they sat in the Agent's office, both Charles and Miranda looked outside the window. A few dozen yards away sat a strange white building. The Agent had said that it was a key to finding other mutants, and Charles listened closely as the Agent explained what it was.
"Hank turned that radar installation into a transmitter. It's designed to amplify brainwaves, so it could enhance your telepathic powers." He looked at Miranda and Charles in turn. "It'll us find other mutants for our division."
"What if they don't want to be found by you?"
All three turned to see Erik standing in the doorway. He looked a little tired, but none worse for wear as he looked at both Charles and Miranda in turn before turning his attention back to the man in black. The Agent looked a bit annoyed at the question, Charles looked pleasantly surprised, and Miranda had a puzzled look on her face, as if she was trying to figure out where Erik had been all of this time.
"Erik!" Charles exclaimed, smiling at him. "You decided to stay!" He stopped a moment too soon, and winced over at Miranda, who had suddenly sat up straight, looking furious.
Miranda scowled over at Erik. "You were going to leave?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at her partner.
"I was," admitted Erik. He exchanged a smirk with Charles. "I changed my mind." He turned his attention back to the flustered looking Agent. "If a new species is discovered, it should be by its own kind." He nodded towards Charles and Miranda. "Charles, Miranda, and I find the mutants. No suits."
"First of all, that's my machine out there," protested the Agent, sitting straight up as he glared at Erik. Miranda raised an eyebrow at the man. "Second of all, and much more importantly, this is Charles's decision. He's fine with the CIA being involved. Isn't that right?" he asked, turning to Charles for support.
"No," Charles replied. He smiled at both Erik and Miranda before looking back at the Agent. "I'm sorry, but I'm with Erik. We'll find them alone."
"Miranda-" the Agent said, hoping to find support in the sole female present.
"Do you need to ask whose side I'm on here?" Miranda asked, exchanging a smile with Erik and Charles. She looked at the Agent. "Imagine you have these powers, and then, people in suits come and tell you that you're needed to help the CIA. Imagine the freak-out. Now, imagine people with powers like yours come and talk to you. Much less intimidating this way."
"What if I said no?" the Agent asked, looking at each of the three mutants in turn.
Charles leaned forward, and smirked at the Agent. Instantly, Erik and Miranda knew that the three of them had won this argument. "Then good luck using your installation without me."
Barely an hour later, Charles, Raven, Miranda, and Erik trudged up the stairwell to the installation pointed out by the Agent earlier. The staircase was winding, and Miranda blinked in surprise as the ceiling of the staircase opened up into the top room. It was a high-ceiling room, with a platform in the center and computers on the far side of the room. A helmet of some sorts was suspended above it. As she followed Charles and Raven in, Miranda shot Hank an encouraging smile.
"Cool place, Hank," she said, taking a good glance around at the clearly technologically advanced room.
Hank beamed at the compliment. "Thank you, Miranda." He took a look around, and he smiled proudly. "I call it Cerebro."
Charles grinned over towards Hank. "As in the Spanish for brain?" he asked.
"Yes," admitted Hank, chuckling to himself. As Charles took a few steps forward to take a good look at the platform, Hank explained, "Okay, so the electrodes connect Charles to the transmitter on the roof. When he picks up a mutant, his brain sends a signal through a relay and the coordinates of their location are printed out here." While he spoke, he pointed to several of the different machines against the far side.
Raven took a step forward, staring at the machines before turning back to Hank. "You designed this?" she asked, sounding amazed.
Miranda stood a bit behind her and Erik, glancing at the platform along with Charles. She frowned slightly at Raven, and then realized that the blond was a bit nervous. For a moment, Miranda put herself in Raven's shoes. If Erik had to do something like this, she would be a complete nervous wreck. Raven had to be given some credit for even coming.
Hank looked pleased as he replied, "Yeah."
He and Raven turned around as Charles stepped onto the platform, bringing the helmet down on his head. Miranda stifled a laugh as she saw that Charles looked slightly ridiculous. Charles shot her a warning look, and Miranda put her hands in the air, unable to wipe the grin off her face. Erik smirked.
"What an adorable lab rat you make, Charles," Erik teased, taking a few steps past Miranda to take in the view of Charles in the helmet.
"Don't spoil this for me, Erik," Charles warned, looking completely serious. He shot a mock glare towards the taller man.
"I've been a lab rat," Erik reminded him, a faraway look coming over his face. He shrugged as he took a step forward, leaning against the platform. "I know one when I see one."
"Behave, Erik," murmured Miranda, rolling her eyes as he shot an amused smirk towards her.
"I am behaving," Erik replied, shaking his head. "I am definitely behaving today."
Miranda rolled her eyes before looking at the other three mutants present. "No, he's not," she said in a stage-whisper. "He's waiting for the best time to completely drive me crazy. He always does."
The smirk on Erik's face only confirmed Miranda's words. It also seemed to relax Charles and Raven. Raven chuckled slightly, and managed a nervous smile to Miranda, and Charles rolled his eyes. He was clearly getting used to the banter between the two.
Hank stepped over to Charles, stopping as he began to readjust several knobs on the helmet. Miranda stood on the right of Erik, and Raven stepped to her other side, shooting a nervous look towards the older brunette. Miranda shot her a comforting smile as she put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it. The two women returned their attentions to Hank.
"Okay, great," Hank said as he took a step back. He frowned at Charles for a second. "You sure we can't shave your head?" he asked.
"Don't touch my hair," Charles warned.
"Okay," Hank replied immediately, heading back to the machines.
The attention of all three mutants was on Charles as Hank began to switch on the machine. Charles shot Raven a reassuring smile before closing his eyes. Miranda took a step towards Raven and put an arm around her, giving her a quick hug before putting her hand on her back. The brunette shot the younger blonde an encouraging smile, but it seemed to do little. Raven swallowed heavily again, and Erik and Miranda exchanged looks before turning their attention back to Charles.
Finally, Hank, turned back to Charles, seemingly waiting. And then, as blue lights came down on them, Charles cried out, his hands flying to the handles of the platform. His eyes were wide as he saw something they clearly did not, and he suddenly grinned, giving a laugh.
The laugh seemed to be enough to calm the other three down. Erik gave a shrug, which Miranda knew from experience meant that he was impressed with Hank. Raven's face broke out into a relieved grin, and Miranda smiled quietly to herself.
"It's working!" Hank exclaimed, looking beyond thrilled. "It's working!"
Miranda grinned. "Congratulations, Hank," she told the researcher, shooting him a thumbs up. "Very nice job."
Raven beamed over at Hank before turning back to Erik and Miranda. "None of us are alone anymore, are we?" she asked quietly, her gaze still on Charles.
Miranda smiled before looking at Erik, who smirked back at her before turning back to Charles. "I don't think any of us were ever alone," she murmured. She squeezed Raven's arm before looking back at Cerebro.
"Things are going to be different, at least," Hank said. He was still beaming with pride.
Erik looked at the two, and Miranda frowned at the troubled look on his face. "Will it be for the better though?" he asked, looking at each of the four in turn.
No one had an answer for him.