Story Two of the Caged Heart series-

Aint' No Rest For The Wicked

Erik...

The man in question sat up with a jolt, chest heaving. He switched the light on now and looked to his left... but both bed and room were empty other than him. He sighed now, lying back down and closing his eyes for a moment.

It had been a month now since Alexia had...

Erik gave up on sleep now and got up, grabbing his shirt and pulling it on as he walked through the dark mansion, then into the kitchen, grabbing a cup and filled it with water.

Erik...

He ignored that voice now, his subconscious trying to make him think she was still alive somehow. But that explosion had completely descimated the castle... there was nothing left of Alexia to even give her a funeral.

Erik raised a hand to the other necklace he was wearing now, the one she had to take off for the disaster of a wedding. The other half of his own necklace. He'd even put his own plans on hold for now, saying at the Westchester mansion because he just couldn't... go against her wishes.

He closed the fridge now, taking out a leftover sandwich of his from earlier and biting into it. As Erik turned, someone else walked into the kitchen, and he jumped in surprise, going.

"God Charles, don't do that!"

The telepath chuckled, grabbing his own cup of water. "Sorry. What are you doing up?"

Erik didn't answer now, but as he put his empty cup in the sink, Charles nodded. "Nightmares again?"

"Yes." he admitted and Charles asked. "Do you want me to-?"

"No. No. It's fine..." Erik said, worried he'd never hear her voice again, even if it was in nightmares... and Charles knew it. What he was doing.

"You can't keep this up, Erik." Charles told him now, and he chuckled. "Oh I can try."

"What would Lexi want?"

Erik was silent now, the wedding ring still on his finger. "How would I know. She's dead." then walked off before Charles could speak again.

Charles sighed a little, then put his own glass in the sink-

The loss of Alexia had hit them all hard... not just her husband.

Just outside of Seattle...

There was a steady beep come from the machine now as Dragon walked into the lab, looking down at the woman who had her eyes closed. It had been quite a stroke of luck to find her in the wreckage, immensely close to death. But even now in a coma, she was alive somehow.

Somehow... that was a word that made him wonder just how much power she had.

Dragon checked her blood pressure now, finding it a little high and gave her something to lower it, chuckling.

"You just won't die, will you?"

He patted her shoulder now, then felt an electric shock come from her. "You can hear me, can't you Blackthorn?" he chuckled now, then glanced to the machine, finger hovering over the top of the Off button... then pressed it.

The girl woke up with a gasp, eyes wide as she looked around the room, then at Dragon, hardly able to think straight.

"It's ok, it's ok." he said, taking her face in his hands, but she pulled away, and Dragon frowned as he saw her black eyes. Alexia snarled now, then Dragon vanished before she attacked him.

Alexia got up now, then looked at her hands, wondering that that gold band meant. But that man, he had called her Blackthorn. Her name? It must have been.

She walked through the place now, wondering where she was exactly. But now something got her in the neck and she felt her legs go numb, then a moment later, collapsed to the floor.

Dragon walked forwards now towards the currently paralyzed girl, then picked her up into his arms and carried her back to the lab, setting her down on the chair and closed the straps around her wrists and ankles.

"Mmhmm?" she said now, waking up in a groggy voice.

"Rise and shine." he chuckled now, crouching down before her as she opened her eyes. "Haven't you been a busy, busy girl?" he said now, and Alexia opened her eyes fully with a frown.

"Where am I?" she asked now, and Dragon sighed. "My testing facility."

"Tests?" she frowned now and Dragon chuckled. "Can you remember anything?"

"I... it's all a blur. How did I get here?"

"You had an accident. I saved you."

Alexia shook her head now. "No. You... you're a bad man."

"Bad?" Dragon chuckled softly now, then said. "Well it was your 'darling' husband that killed my friend."

It all came back to Alexia now. The wedding, the explosion... Erik.

"Let me go!" she yelled now, and Dragon cocked his head. "What's wrong? Can't use those powers of yours?"

"Who the hell are you! Why are you doing this?" she hissed now, and Dragon just said. "Your husband didn't just kill my friend..." he growled quietly now.

"He killed my brother."

Alexia froze now, then went. "What-?"

"I'm Thomas Shaw. I'd shake your hand, but you might blow... again." Dragon chuckled, then added. "Sebastian didn't tell you about me? Now I'm not surprised there... Seb and I always had out arguments. But little brother just had to go with the massive plans, not think the loopholes through and go with an entourage."

"You're Shaws brother-?" Alexia said again, truly in shock. Dragon nodded. "Yes Blackthorn, I am... and-" he smirked now. "I know your sister. Or should I say, where she is?"

Erik walked into the finished Cerebro now, finding Charles with it on, eyes closed. But now he took it off and said. "I can't find her if that's what you were going to ask."

"I wasn't-"

"Or to find Dragon." he added, turning around with a smirk on his face that made Erik realize. "You found him-?"

"He obviously doesn't know about us, because he's not shielded himself." Charles nodded, but now Erik asked. "Or could it be a trap?"

"Trap or not, we need to take him out." Charles said, then went to walk past Erik, but he held out an arm and prevented him from going through the door.

"Where is he."

"Erik-"

"Where. Is. He." he said in a low growl, and Charles sighed. "A place in Seattle."

Erik walked out now, and Charles groaned-

It was like Erik was walking the path of revenge once more...

Alexia stared at the man, then said. "My sister?"

"Elaine Blackthorn. Or Elaine Grey as she's known now actually. Married some guy last year." he chuckled, then Alexia went to blast the straps off, but found she couldn't.

"Where is she." She snarled now, and Dragon chuckled. "Well... I think we can come to some sort of arrangement. You know what I want from you, correct?"

Alexia was silent, then nodded. "My powers."

"Your father, my brother, already made quite the collection of stored energy from you. So I don't require too much from you."

"Go and shove it up your ass!"

"Maybe I should pay your sister a visit? Last time I heard, she was pregnant. Now that'd be an awful shame, wouldn't it?"

"You wouldn't..."

"Oh I would Lexi." he chuckled, then added. "I knew your real parents too. Quite well I must admit. Sebastian never did like following out my orders back when we worked together."

Alexia had tears in her eyes. "Why did you want them dead-?"

"Ah, ah. That's not part of the deal." Dragon said now, then Alexia nodded, looking away. "Fine. Do it... but I can't wait until Erik finds you and rips your head off like your brother."

Dragon chuckled, then snapped his fingers, making it all go dark for Alexia.

The jet was silent as it landed ontop of the compound that was, ironically enough, a real 'Dragons lair.'

Erik was the first out, but Charles grabbed his arm and said. "No rash acts. We can't afford them this time." but all he got was ignorence and pushed away as the man walked forwards, raising a hand and pulling the door off its hinges, causing Charles and the others to groan as the alarm went off.

Dragon heard the alarm, then checked the CCTV, and chuckled to Alexia, who was drifting in and out of consciousness as the residue energy was drained from her. "Your husbands here."

"What?" she said with a frown, then realized- Erik was here.

"I think it's time for my exit anyway." Dragon said now, tapping the full container and pulled it out, ending the connection between Alexia and the machine.

"And now I bid you goodbye." Dragon chuckled, kissing the top of Alexias head, sure they would meet again soon. After all- she was looking for her sister. He vanished now.

All the doors were ripped off the hinges as Erik passed them, looking inside each one in turn for Dragon.

Charles was wondering just why there were no guards, and Alex said. "Where are the guards?"

"I don't know." he said back, then looked forwards at Erik who was still making the metal lined walls tear up as he walked past, murder on his mind.

But now as he ripped another door off from the basement, he froze in a mixture off emotions, then gasped. "Lexi."

"What?" Charles said now, then ran forwards and looked into the room to see the girl, then Erik ran forwards, raising her head, going. "Lexi! Talk to me." but she wouldn't wake up, and Erik blew the chains from her, then picked her up into his arms and walked over to Azazel and said.

"Get her back to the mansion. Get Hank on the job while we finish up here."

He nodded now, then took the girl, vanishing in a flash.

"Now, where's Dragon?" Erik growled now, and Charles shook his head, nodding to the containment facility that was now empty. "The place is near enough empty. And I can't hear him... he's gone."

"Damnit!" he yelled now, almost hitting the wall in rage.

"Hang on-" Mystique said now, going through the abandoned paperwork on the desk. "We should take all this. It's his projects..." then frowned at the name Operation Blackthorn.

Erik walked over and near enough snatched it from her, reading swiftly-

This Dragon had much more planned than they had first realized...

So! Story two kicks of with a bang! Dragon is Thomas, Shaws brother? Yes, I think he's going to be annoyed with Erik killing his brother lmao! Anyway, next chapter up soon and reviews are very much loved! x Nic