Caroline's money had been running low recently which was why she found herself at Fenway Park on a Saturday. Watching the Baltimore Orioles vs the Boston Red Sox in a baseball game was certainly not her idea of a good time, but betting promised funds. Plus, all those people? All those fans with their explosive energy? Sometimes bills got lost, caught by the wind, dropped in a crowd, people could just be unlucky.
She placed her bet, fluttered her lashes at the more confused witnesses, claimed she was her husband's good luck charm and he was a rather superstitious man.
The Red Sox would win, she declared.
Nine innings later, and the Red Sox did indeed win and she went off to collect her money. Today had been a good haul and she had a slight bounce to her step when she finally made it out of the packed stadium.
Her good mood instantly plummeted, steps slowing some as she noted two men approaching her from her peripheral vision. She covertly peered at them from under her hair, mind rapidly analyzing their appearances.
Both had brown hair and were on the taller side at about six feet. One seemed a bit more severe, hair slicked back, darker colors and a leather jacket. The other held himself more affably and dressed more elegantly in a dove gray sports jacket and a light lilac button down.
She didn't recognize either of them, which didn't necessarily mean anything, but she had a sharp eye for the people who might hunt her. Ducking toward a more isolated corner of the parking garage, though still within hearing range should she need it, she felt them both follow her.
Without warning, Caroline whirled to face them, not even pretending that she hadn't notice them.
Raising one perfectly plucked eyebrow she drawled, "Can I help you, gentlemen?"
The one on the left, the more severe looking one, offered a slight nod of acknowledgement, "I'm Erik Lehnsherr."
"Charles Xavier," said the other, a slight British accent in his voice.
"Good for you," she replied, a bit annoyed, about to repeat her question when the British one - Xavier - spoke into her mind.
Please, forgive our abruptness. I'm sure we must have startled you.
Caroline's eyes instantly narrowed, letting a tendril of her power seep into her mind.
Xavier let out a slight grunt, raising a hand to his temple. Though he looked to be grimacing a bit, he seemed strangely delighted rather than upset. "Marvelous! How are you doing that?"
"You think I'm just going to tell you?" She bit out, incredulous, shifting her weight when she noticed Lehnsherr's stance change.
"What is she doing, Charles?" He asked, his hand twitching toward her.
She crouched slightly in preparation as Xavier replied.
"It's like her mind suddenly got distorted, like a bad radio signal. Probably why I couldn't sense her with Cerebro."
From behind her Caroline felt the air stir as something rapidly approached, and she nearly attacked before she recognized the presence.
A familiar voice, one with a much more prominent British accent, sounded from her left.
"Two on one, gents, that's hardly sporting, now is it? And against a lady at that."
Caroline would never admit it, but she was somewhat glad to hear Klaus' voice, knowing no matter their…colorful history, he would side with her over these strangers.
She angled her body a bit towards him as he came prowling out of the shadows, eyes carrying a glint of feral gold.
Lehnsherr looked even more wary and a bit annoyed.
"Charles are your powers broken today?!"
Xavier spluttered, looking a tad offended. "No! Both their minds are particularly unusual though. His seems," he trailed off, looking a bit confused, before offering, "like an animal's?"
Klaus smiled, teeth and dimples on display, hungry and hunting. "A wolf, if you want to be precise."
Caroline refrained from rolling her eyes, exasperated by his dramatics. Sure it wasn't a very useful bit of information, but must he?!
Irritatingly good at knowing the direction of her thoughts, Klaus shot a quick glance in her direction, a trace of mirth in his eyes, before he became grim and guarded once more.
"Well? Answer the lady's question," He commanded, his mien a mix of his typical faux-politeness and menace.
Xavier, clearly the less confrontational of the two (a piece of information Caroline filed away under potential weaknesses to exploit), held up his hands in a pacifying gesture.
"Wait, we seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot. We don't mean you any harm, either of you," he said glancing between her and Klaus. "We've been searching for people like you, like us," he emphasized, nodding to his partner. "But if you're not interested we'll leave, I promise. No one will bother you."
Caroline suppressed a disbelieving scoff as Klaus mocked him.
"Isn't that cute, sweetheart? He thinks they simply get to leave."
That seemed to set Lehnsherr off as he threw his arm out, ignoring Xavier's cries to wait, and metal beams shattered concrete, reaching out with a groan as they attempted to wrap around them.
General telekinetic or metal specific? Caroline wondered, even as she moved to dodge.
She leapt, knowing exactly where to land in order to jump on and over the beams. Klaus was flashier, flexing his suddenly claw-like nails and tearing through the metal like tissue paper.
Their attacker cursed, while Xavier got out of the way, still looking concerned. Another hand flex sent the metal pieces shooting back at them, and Caroline jumped in front of Klaus.
Probably just metal, she concluded, as she tugged at her power, every projectile inexplicably missing.
"That wasn't necessary," Klaus growled from behind her, his gruffness doing nothing to hide his concern for her. She smothered a smirk, cute, but hardly called for.
Though it surprised her not at all when he whipped out from behind her, form a blur as he slammed Lehnsherr against the concrete wall.
Xavier, hand once more at his temple, seemed to squint at Klaus. At first nothing happened, and then Klaus snarled, his body convulsing as his eyes flashed from gold to blue and back.
Caroline cursed her stupidity. How could she not consider mind manipulation, when he demonstrated clear and powerful telepathy?!
She glared, sprinting toward her new least favorite person, plucking more delicately at her power as she worked to undermine his control.
Klaus flexed his spasming hand, still pinning Lehnsherr to the wall. "I will take his bloody head off if you don't stop!"
Meanwhile, Caroline barreled into Xavier, tackling him to the floor and expertly pinning him down.
She leaned down to snarl her own threat.
"I'll take your head if you don't release him."
Klaus' snarls quieted. "That's more like it," he drawled. Only to let out a pained grunt a moment later.
Caroline looked over to see metal had slammed into Klaus, though his enhanced strength prevented it from throwing him back as was no doubt the intent.
She watched as an angry, panic entered Lehnsherr's expression more metal bombarding Klaus as he reached his own arms up to try to pry off the hand strangling him.
And then she had to refocus on her own opponent, a sharp migraine suddenly assaulting her as he turned his power on her. She bit down on her lip, drawing blood as she fought through the pain, struggling to counter his unexpected assault.
Suddenly, it stopped.
Caroline panted out a breath, sneered at Xavier's apologetic expression before glancing toward Klaus, realizing something must have halted their fight.
She sucked in a breath as she saw what had happened. Lehnsherr's sleeve had gotten torn in their scuffle, black numbers stark against the pale skin of his forearm. An empathetic pang twisted in her gut as she watched Klaus slowly shift his gaze from the numbers to Lehnsherr's eyes.
He didn't release his grip, but he did loosen it.
"We'll hear you out."
Title means "Serendipity" in Russian. The title is in Russian as I made Klaus a victim of Russia's actions during WWII rather than Germany's like Erik. Additionally, as this was a fusion/cross-over with X-Men: First Class which takes place during the Cold War, I thought choosing Russian was appropriate.
FYI, Charles and Erik more or less stumble into Klaroline after leaving Logan at the bar. Caroline's power is extreme probability manipulation and knowledge. While Klaus has enhanced physical prowess drawing from wolf-like traits along with blood manipulation abilities. In other words they're both pretty OP.