Chapter 10: Chess Piece

In the meantime, Noh had gone back to the coordinates Erik had given him, since he really didn't know what else to do. He still felt terrible about hitting K, especially after he'd insisted to Erik that he wasn't going to fight the X-Men… and the whole conversation had him more than a little off-kilter, not at all as steady as he'd been before.

Not that Erik seemed to notice as Noh came in. If anything, Erik looked perfectly pleased with himself and with Noh.

"I… need to eat before I can keep going," Noh said, almost distractedly as he sat down and rubbed his fingers over his eyes. He was tired in a way that his physical exhaustion didn't match.

"You've gotten a fair start," Erik said as he looked over the incoming footage.

"And I wanted to speak to you about the targets," Noh said as he started to pull out a few different things to eat.

"Oh?" Erik said, barely glancing his way before he went back to the screens. "What about them?"

"We could be more precise," Noh said. "I want to be sure I'm killing the men at the top, not the janitors."

Erik stiffened for a moment, his irritation clear to see. "Anyone in those buildings is just as guilty as the men at the top," he said in a low tone. "Any help they give to maim and murder mutants is the same as ordering it."

"And if there are any there against their will?" Noh said, one eyebrow raised. "We need to be more precise or risk hurting the people I swore to protect."

Erik turned at that, his eyes narrowed. "Where is this coming from? What makes you think that anyone is there against their will?"

Noh gestured openly. "That was the case in the facility where Logan and K were held. K told me their history," he said.

He made a noise at the back of his throat at that. "Yes, well. They've murdered more mutants than I can count."

"I'm well aware of the history," Noh said evenly. "I'm only asking that if I am to continue working with you, we focus at the top. Precise strikes. I'm capable of it."

"That's not what we discussed," Erik said.

"I asked for your help finding the people that threatened the innocents of this world," Noh pointed out. "It's not too much to ask to make sure those innocents are protected. I thought it was implied in the mission statement."

"No," Erik said simply. "When I said 'destroy the bases,' that is precisely what I was aiming for."

"Then we're no longer of the same mind," Noh said simply, setting down the roll he was eating. His stomach was still in knots, especially knowing that K had been right — and knowing that this left him adrift, since he couldn't follow Erik but had also turned too far astray from the X-Men to go to them either.

"I suppose not," Erik said, and though he didn't turn, it only took a heartbeat for a large piece of metal to wrap entirely around Noh. He was frowning to himself as he tightened the sheet of thick metal tighter around Noh. "I'm not sure how your species can withstand pressure, so you'll need to simply stop struggling before I accidentally crush you."

Noh glared at Erik and spit out a few incredibly choice Kree words his way. "And you claim to fight against subjugation," he practically hissed — though he didn't stop trying to wriggle free until he literally couldn't budge even with his enhanced flexibility, the metal almost formed to his body by that point.

"And I can't have you rushing back to Charles to tell him what we've discussed."

Noh let out a choked-sounding laugh. "I can't," he said. "I chose not to follow his creed to keep the rest of them safe enough to do so. I wouldn't be welcomed back, and you know it."

Erik smirked at that. "Then why would you try to cross me? I thought I made it clear: you're either with me or against me."

"That's far too simplistic," Noh said. "I agree with your methods and I love Charles' people. There is a middle ground; I choose to walk it."

"That kind of soft stance will never win this war," Erik said.

"It's not yet a fully-realized war," Noh said. "I would know. I have fought in seventy-nine."

Erik waved a hand at him as he turned to leave. "And I have yet to decide what to do with you."

"I'm sure," Noh said dryly. "It must be a difficult decision, finding a way to wage a war with someone who knows war better than you do no longer at your call."

"You know how to be a pawn beautifully, my boy," Erik called back.

Noh narrowed his eyes at that, but Erik was already gone, leaving Noh still stuck. If he could get leverage, he could get out, but… He shook his head. As much as he hated to admit it; he'd gotten himself into an absolute mess, and he had no idea how to get out of it.

Erik wasn't surprised in the least to see one of Charles' blackbirds approaching. After all, it didn't seem very characteristic of the little Kree soldier to change his mind with no outside impetus, and he knew personally how easy that mind was to change.

Nor was he surprised to see that Scott and Jean were the ones in the blackbird — Charles' favorite students. It was almost predictable.

"Mr. Summers, Mrs. Summers… if you'd called ahead, I'm sure I would be better prepared," Erik said easily.

Scott shook his head at that. "We're not actually here to talk to you," he said. "We're looking for Noh."

"Misplaced a student?" Erik said with one eyebrow raised. "Charles is usually so careful with his little flock. He hardly ever loses one."

Scott took a step forward, but Jean put a hand on his arm. "We're concerned about him," she explained. "He was captured with some of the other junior team members, and we know he's still hurting. We just want to keep him safe."

"I know you're perfectly ensconced in your worldview, Mrs. Summers, but it seems to me that if a young man ran from your care, then he does not, in fact, feel safe."

"We just want to talk to him," Jean said.

"No."

"We're not here to start a fight," Scott said as calmly as he could. "We're just here to make sure he's okay. It's not unreasonable."

"No," Erik replied in the same tone.

Scott had his arms crossed, his eyes narrowed behind his glasses, but even as he tried to reason with Erik, he reached out to Jean: Can you find him?

Jean frowned and shook her head, just slightly enough for Scott to catch that it was a response to him before she stepped forward to talk to Erik. "If he's alright with you, we won't force him to come with us. You know that. But we do actually need him if he can pull himself together. The others that were there are worried about him, and the last thing they need right now is another unexplainable and unnecessary loss."

"Tragic," Erik said, clearly unmoved by the logic of it.

Scott narrowed his eyes, drumming his fingers against his arm until he finally let out a breath and turned on his heel. "It's not going to work," he said over his shoulder. "You can't use a kid to start a war, and we're not going to start one for you."

"I also don't need to answer to you or explain myself. You are not welcome here, Mr. Summers. I trust you know the way out."

Scott didn't reply as he and Jean walked out of the palace room, though Scott was working a muscle in his jaw and clearly furious. That's just proof positive he's here, Scott said. I just wish we knew if he was still here of his own free will. Even if he is right now, it won't last, but if we could just find him…

Let's talk to the professor, Jean suggested. Maybe we can find a way out of this that doesn't start a war.

Scott nodded, though it was clear he wasn't happy about it as they headed to the blackbird.

Scott and Jean hadn't gotten back yet from talking to Magneto before a news story hit the airwaves with footage of some of the most spectacular destruction that Noh had been up to in the past twenty-four hours.

And, to the frustration of the X-Men who saw the broadcast, the news teams already clearly knew who to blame, seeing as they were running side-by-side footage that showed Noh with the X-Men. He wasn't in uniform, since he'd only just started on the junior squad when this whole mess had happened, but there he was all the same.

It was a clever way for Erik to deflect blame — and to keep the X-Men busy as well. But it really didn't help to assuage any of the worries the X-Men had about Noh himself on top of all the new problems this was causing.

But since the places Noh and Erik had targeted were among the worst offenders — and therefore the kinds of people who would retaliate quickly and ruthlessly — Charles' first priority was the safety of the students in Westchester. So, he pulled K aside to let her know what was going on.

"I need you to take the students to one of your hideouts," he told her simply. "You and Logan both. We've only just gotten the security systems and everything back online; I wouldn't be surprised if we have to rebuild again within the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours."

K stared at him for a moment, clearly not expecting that for a directive. "What makes you think I have anywhere big enough for a crowd like that?"

"If you need to split them between you and Logan — or otherwise — then do so."

K raised an eyebrow at that. "You really want to leave Logan alone with a whole flock of kids? They won't stay there more than an hour before he's waging his own assault."

"Then what, exactly, do you suggest?" Charles said. "It's a matter of urgency, and to be frank, you and Logan are the only ones with outside arrangements beyond a cabin for two that Scott uses on occasion or Remy's criminal arrangements, but you can understand why I would prefer not to ask him to ask them."

She thought about it for a long moment before she held up one hand. "Give me … ten minutes. I have a call to make, I think." She took a few steps back and then took out her cell to give Tony a call, though she didn't try to do the usual teasing to start with for a change. "I need a place to lay low … with a few friends. Do you have something tucked away I can talk you into sharing?"

"Depends on what kind of getaway you're looking for," Tony said.

"Private and preferably secluded."

"Alright. And how many friends?"

K let out a sigh at that. "It's for the kids here. Erik has the school in the center of a bullseye … so … maybe a couple dozen. It'd be a prime opportunity for the MRD to hit and scoop up everyone that's not going after Erik. And … by the way ... I have yet to thank you for making sure that Logan and I are out of that fight." Her tone made it clear that she wasn't pleased about it at all.

There was a beat of silence on the other end before Tony let out a breath she could hear through the phone. "Okay, so. I've got a place in mind. I'll send you coordinates. It was an Avengers safe house, sort of a fallback, so it's got enough space."

"Might be smart if you came too," K pointed out. "If Erik goes on the warpath like it looks like he wants to … you're going to catch it too."

"Okay, I'll bite: what did I do?"

"Parading around in iron underwear."

"You know that's not what I wear, but if you need a visual reminder, you can always come over…"

"But Tony, I'm going into hiding." K couldn't help but break into a smile. "And really, I don't know what you wear for sure. Come on."

"Open invitation, K; I'm just saying…"

"I'll consider it. As long as it's not a show and tell that has to go two ways." She was shaking her head laughing as she turned back to Charles, her hand over the receiver of the phone. "It's covered."

"Yes, I gathered," Charles said with a smirk. "Thank you."

K waved his way as she took her insane phone call elsewhere, though the coordinates had already come up in a text, along with a note that Tony would, actually, meet them there to make sure they got past the security measures. Which left Charles with the rest of his X-Men to figure out exactly how they'd defuse the bomb that Erik had created.

Noh looked up when he heard the door open and then narrowed his eyes when he saw Erik. "So you've decided what to 'do with me'?"

"I've only decided I have no longer use for you," Erik replied before he lifted his hand almost lazily to magnetically pick up Noh, still wrapped in metal. "For now."

Noh could only narrow his eyes at that, since he couldn't move to do much more. "And if that was the case, you could have left me be."

"I did say 'for now'," Erik replied. "And you yourself said that the X-Men would not take you back. That leaves precious little for you, my boy."

"Yes, well." Noh paused. "I still won't be party to hurting innocents. Trapped though I may be, you have no sway over me otherwise."

"Not yet," Erik said. "Charles is not the only telepath around. I simply need to get the right one to show up … and well …" He gestured openly with a smirk. "... we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. In the meantime, I do not need you here when there's so much that needs to be done."

Noh kept his eyes narrowed and his glare in place, though he could hear his heart hammering and his chest tightening. He hadn't felt this trapped in a long time, especially with what had happened with the Kree ringing in his ears, not to mention Bastion's disaster….

Of course, Erik wasn't going to say anything to Noh and give him an indication one way or another as to what was going on, so Noh found himself simply sitting in his own panic as they left Erik's stronghold and headed… somewhere.

But what Noh hadn't been expecting was to arrive at a small island, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. There wasn't much to it beyond a little plant life; most of the island was sand and beaches. It certainly wasn't anyplace they could stage from — but then, it also wasn't anyplace where they'd likely be seen.

Once they arrived, Erik simply set Noh down in the sand with a quiet smirk. "You've been very helpful to me," he told Noh. "And I can't have anyone else finding you either. I'm sure with a little time, you'll come to a decision as to whether you'll continue helping me willingly or otherwise. There's not much else to do here but think."

"You are only proving yourself to be everything you say you despise," Noh said through his teeth. "How are you any different to those facilities I destroyed that were making weapons out of mutants?"

Erik glared harder at Noh for that before he shook his head and started to simply float away. "On your own head be it," he said.

Noh swore under his breath a few times, but he couldn't exactly do anything except watch Erik leave.