EDIT: As according to 'Macs' who kindly pointed out how I didn't have any description of Erik seeing Charles tied up, I have altered the chapter and managed to reupload it with the extra bit included. I'm not going to point it out but I recommend that anyone who's already read this chapter just quickly read the last section again. Or you can leave it, it doesn't really matter :p
Right well. This chapter wasn't intended to have been written already; since I was on my college trip today but apparently even with some weird rash from a possible animal bite, an awful headache and a sprained ankle, this chapter is still more important than anything else... I hope you're all happy. :p
Anyway, I do hope you like this chapter and that I can manage to make it as good as possible – harder than it sounds lol.
And on another, I need to re-watch the film and purposefully memorise the script... *sigh* It would make life ever so much easier.
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Lesson Four: Don't leave a Telepath alone when they're a whole lot stronger than you are – and can talk to their friends who really don't like you... hint, hint Shaw(I am going to hang myself if I write another stupid chapter title! :|)
Erik was the first of them out of his seat, almost flying across the distance between him and his friend, and Charles couldn't help but tense up at the forth-coming impact... which never came.
With a strangled cry of surprise, from both of them, Erik fell right through his friend and landed flat on his face. Charles, for the most part, almost fell over from both the shock of having his friend fall through him and the sheer feeling he felt as Erik did so.
"Charles! Erik!" Raven cried out as she stepped towards them. Worry and fear rolling off her in waves and Charles couldn't help it, couldn't stop himself from reaching out with his mind to her, to all of them, and sending them a sense of reassurance.
Charles turned to look down at his friend, finally getting himself and his feelings back under control. "Erik?" He asked as he reached out a hand for his friend to grab, momentarily forgetting how that had turned out the first time. "Uh... sorry?"
Erik glared up at his friend, thinking murderous thoughts that made Charles swallow thickly. "How are you here?" Erik asked as he climbed to his feet, standing firmly in front of his friend and looking him directly in the eye. "And how the hell did I just go right through you?"
Charles' lip twitched in amusement but the reality of the situation about them kept him from laughing. "I believe that what you're seeing in front of you, what you're all seeing in fact, is actually an astral projection of my physical form which is in a close-enough proximity to allow me to project myself on to the Blackbird." He answered solemnly but he couldn't help the sprinkle of excitement and wonder colouring his words as he looked around at them. "Which I think answers your second question also." He added, smiling at his friend who simply glared at him.
"So where are you exactly?" Alex asked as he stared at the astral-Charles before them. He was confused and didn't understand any of this, but then again, who the hell would be able to understand this unless they were a genius like Hank or the Professor.
For a fraction of a second Charles' face darkened as he thought of where he was, but only Raven and Erik noticed. "I'm on Shaw's submarine." Charles answered as he turned to look at Erik. "Unfortunately you'll need a way of finding him and-" Charles suddenly stopped speaking, his eyes turning unfocused and distant.
"Charles?" Erik questioned, reaching out a hand instinctively but stopping himself from actually touching his friend who was like a ghost right now.
And suddenly Charles' eyes refocused and he focused his gaze directly on Erik's face. Erik blinked in surprise at the sudden change in his friend.
"The cargo ship heading towards the line... the crew are dead." Charles bit out and Erik frowned in confusion.
"What cargo ship?" He asked looking at his friend, expecting him to answer and his gaze snapped around to focus on the cockpit when Hank answered instead.
"The cargo ship that is in the middle of the Russian and American fleets and isn't responding to the Russian's calls." Hank called out as he revved the jet engines and brought them closer to the brewing battle.
"If that ship crosses the line then our boys'll fire and world war three will start." Moira called out, her presence all but forgotten up till now.
Charles looked at the cockpit and smiled slightly. "What if it's not our boys?" He asked and she frowned.
Refocusing his attention on Erik, Charles focused his mind on searching for someone, anyone, on one of the Russian ships that he could use from this distance. "Hank, pilot us closer to the Russian fleet." He called out, hoping that he could use the reach he had in the jet to lengthen his reach from wherever the sub was.
Hank dutifully piloted them closer to the Russian ships and waited for the professors next orders.
Charles reached out again and searched for a weak mind that he could manipulate and nearly sighed in relief when he found one. Quickly entering the man's mind he manipulated his body over to the controls for the missiles and fired one at the cargo ship, before fleeing the man's mind just as quickly as he'd entered.
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"What happened?" Shaw asked his second-in-command as Azazel listened to the transmission from the Russians. He was antsy and annoyed now. This wasn't good. What the hell had happened?
"They say the comrade lost his mind. The Americans are plotting." Azazel replied as he translated the transmission in his mind.
Shaw was quiet for a moment before almost whispering. "They're here." And then he blinked and looked up. "That telepath is powerful." 'Too powerful for him to be an enemy of mine.'
"We're moving to a backup plan." Shaw added as he tapped the helmet adorning his face in thought.
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"That was inspired Charles." Moira said as she ran through the transmissions coming from the American ships, and the Russian ones.
"Thank you very much but I still don't know where Shaw or myself are." Charles replied.
"You're down there, we need to you both now." Erik said firmly, trying to keep his anger under control.
Charles, unable to argue with Erik's statement, turned to look at Hank. "Hank?" He asked.
Hank turned at his name and looked at Moira. "Anything unusual on the radar?"
"No." Moira answered. "Nothing." She felt disheartened and useless, both feelings Charles picked up and soothed over with feelings of optimism and comfort.
"Well then he must be underwater." Hank reasoned, nodding to Charles who felt like pointing out that of course he was underwater. "And obviously, we don't have sonar." The blue, furred mutant added turning back to the controls.
"Yes we do." Sean countered and Erik and Charles looked at one another.
"Yes we do." Charles repeated as he and Erik began to move and Hank opened the bomb-bay doors, at Sean's request, to reveal the sparkling blue ocean about a few hundred feet beneath them.
"Hey. You stay away from me." Sean shouted over the sound of the air rushing around them and Erik held his arms up in surrender as Charles smirked.
As Sean prepared to jump Charles shouted out. "Remember! This is a muscle. You control what you do." Sean nodded and jumped out the plane falling through the air until he screamed and flew.
He arced up high in the air before angling himself down and diving into the water. Blinking as he began to swim with his hands, Sean let loose a large burst of supersonic sound through the water, effectively acting as a sonar for the ship.
Up on the Blackbird Charles looked at Erik and said. "Banshee's got a physical location on Shaw." Erik nodded and Charles couldn't help but add. "Ready for this?"
Erik stared at his friend for a moment before saying. "Let's find out."
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Hank levelled the jet out and lowered the landing gear as Erik climbed onto the front wheel and searched with his powers for Shaw's sub. He found it and with a smile began to try and raise it from the depths.
Struggling desperately with himself and trying to find the necessary rage to pull up Shaw's sub but he couldn't. All he could find was worry, concern and fear of what would happen to Charles' real body when he did. All he could think of was killing Shaw as painfully and slowly as possible. All he could do was strain his powers and hate himself when he couldn't even manage to pull the sub where his friend was held, caged, to the surface.
Charles heard all of his friends thoughts and felt a sudden jolt of sheer agony, born not of physical discomfort but emotional. His friend was suffering, and the only thing Charles could think of doing was whispering to Erik's unconscious and his soul, whispering reassuring things and comforting him, as he said inside his friends mind. 'Remember. The point between rage and serenity.'
And like a God being granted the full extent of his powers, Erik's mind calmed and his power came under his complete control. Every contour of the sub, every tiny piece of metal present in its structure, was bending to his command and he could feel it all. He could feel the submarine rising from the depths and he could feel the metal moving and bending to obey his wish.
It was amazing and exhilarating and Erik smiled joyously as Charles watched from the Blackbird as his friend did the impossible. The submarine rose from the water like a chained leviathan being dragged from its icy domain and Charles could feel everything Erik felt as his friend revelled in his achievement.
But it was short lived.
From the hatch on top of the submarine another of Shaw's associates appeared, the one who could create tornados, and just as the other mutant began to use his powers Charles shouted out, forgetting that his friend couldn't. "Erik! Take my hand!"
As Erik's control over the submarine fled him as he gripped onto the landing gear Charles couldn't hold himself back as he threw out his arm, gripping onto the side of the jet and shouting out again. "Erik! Take my hand!"
As Hank lost control of the jet and one of the engine's was ripped clean off, Erik grabbed for Charles hand desperately and Charles reached for Erik's. Just as the jet began to lose altitude Erik's hand wrapped itself around Charles' forearm and Charles held his friends hand tighter than a metal-band could.
Just as Charles managed to pull Erik through the hatch for the landing gear, the jet finally succumbed to gravity and hit the ground with a jolt strong enough to throw Charles to the floor.
Landing in a heap on the ground, Charles didn't have enough warning to grab something as the plane began to turn over and instinctively Erik dived on top of his friend and glued them to the floor with his powers. Too busy dealing with the still moving jet, Erik didn't think about how Charles was suddenly solid and neither did Charles.
When the jet finally came to a stop, Erik lowered them down from the floor which was now the ceiling. Standing up he glanced at Charles and couldn't help but ask. "You're solid now?"
Charles looked up at his friend as the others set about freeing themselves and blinked. "Apparently."
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"The gigacounts going insane!" Moira called out and Charles felt like hitting his head against the wall.
"Alright. This is what we're going to do." He called out. "Shaw's in there making himself into some kind of a nuclear bomb."
"I'm going after him." Erik said, murder in his every thought and for one terrified moment Charles truly thought his friend had forgotten his promise to him. "After I find you."
Charles just managed to stop himself from sighing in relief at Erik's words. "Alex. Hank. Raven. Back him up. Moira, get on the line and tell the two fleets to get away from here."
Moira nodded and began to do as he said. "Erik. I can lead you to myself. But you have to be quick. And bring my suit with you." Charles said looking at his friend and then pointedly at the trunk that looked to be the only thing that was undamaged.
Erik nodded, frowning slightly at the last sentence but he grabbed the last remaining suit in the trunk and held it in a tight grip. "I didn't take you for being shy Charles." He quipped as the telepath blushed in embarrassment.
"Just get going." Charles retorted before disappearing from the jet and opening his eyes in the room he was still held within.
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It looked like someone had detonated a small bomb inside it; most of the instruments were strewn around the room and Charles' eyes widened as he looked to his right and saw a rather sharp scalpel embedded in the table less than a centimetre from his face. "Oh..." He breathed out in surprise.
Reaching out with his mind Charles found Erik's mind not too far away from his own, that would help him when guiding his friend to him. "Right. Let's get going shall we?" Charles said to no-one in particular as he projected his thoughts into Erik's mind. 'Erik?'
'Charles?' His friends voice rang out loudly in his mind and Charles smiled. 'Where are you?'
'I'm about half way along the ship, not too far from the middle in a room which is on one of the lower decks.' Charles answered. 'I'll be able to be more precise when you're closer so hurry please my friend.'
'I am Charles. I am.' Erik answered as he ran through the mini battlefield between the team and Shaw's mutants. Quickly and ruthlessly Erik ripped a large chunk of metal off the side of the sub and threw it on the mutant known as Riptide, knocking him unconscious and leaving him a clear route in to the sub.
'How polite of you my friend.' Charles observed, seeing Erik's journey through his own eyes.
'Sorry Charles, I'm not one for discussing things over a cup of tea. That's more your area than mine.' Erik replied as he manipulated the metal around him to produce a passage down to the lower levels of the sub.
Charles snorted and shook his head as best he could on the metal table. 'Oh my friend... you wouldn't believe some of the things I've done; they'd fall in any category but 'mine' for certain.'
'Oh?' Erik thought, intrigued.
'Turn left and I should be in the last door on your right.' Charles instructed firmly as he stretched his mind further out, beyond Erik, and checked on the status of his team. 'The others are doing quite well.'
'And you're avoiding the subject.' Erik pointed out as he ripped another door off its hinges and proceeded down the corridor until he reached the last door on the right. 'Though I suppose you could always tell me to my face.'
Taking a deep breath, steeling himself for what he might find, Erik opened the door to Charles' room, cage, and couldn't help but gasp in surprise. "Charles!" He exclaimed as he ran into the room.
"I'm fine. Just a little battered." Charles said, trying to sound calm and soothing to his friend but he found it significantly more difficult now that he was in the room with him. "Couldn't give me a hand could you?" He smiled at his friend who looked, for all the world, like he was about to explode from anger. "Erik. Calm your mind please." Charles added softly and his friend's eyes snapped up to lock with his own.
"How do you expect me to be calm when you're..." Erik trailed off as he realised he hadn't moved any further into the room than half-a-dozen steps. "Forgive me my friend." Erik said as he stepped forward and worked on releasing Charles from the table.
As he worked on the restraints in silence, Erik forced himself to not look at his friend, his oh so special friend who was caged and tied up like an animal. Charles looked battered and worn and Erik wanted to kick himself for not realising that Charles wouldn't appear on the jet looking like he did now; it would have given the children heart attacks and Raven might have torn Shaw apart if Erik wasn't going to do it himself. Though there was little in way of blood, there was enough dried and caked on his friends skin to allow Erik to form some idea of what Charles had gone through in the last few days. It made him want to throw up because he saw the bruising on Charles' chest, the tensing of the muscles and he could hear the iron in his friends blood speeding about as Charles' blood-pressure rose higher and higher. Erik might not be a telepath but his own ability told him that Charles was trying not to panic as Erik stood over him and undid the restraints.
Whilst Erik's thoughts and feelings shot about in his mind, Charles focused himself on calming his own mind as a number of unbidden, unwanted memories and feelings assaulted him. Memories of Shaw standing over him. Memories of Shaw hurting him. Feelings of pain and agony and hatred. It took so much of his attention that he didn't realise immediately that he was free and he quickly hopped off the table before Erik could acknowledge his lapse in concentration. He winced at the pain still present in his chest from Shaw's attempt at musical organs. "I'm quite alright Erik." Charles said as he caught sight of Erik's concerned face.
'Like hell you are.' Erik thought and Charles smiled as Erik realised that his friend had heard his thought. "Don't you dare deny it." He warned dangerously as he pointed at Charles with the hand still gripping his friends suit.
"Ah, my suit. Thank you. I could do with something to change into." Charles said, ignoring Erik's glare as he pulled the suit out of his friends grip. "If you'll give me a moment to change, we'll be able to deal with Shaw momentarily." 'That means you turn around and look away Erik.' Charles thought at his friend and he was rewarded with a slight blush on his friends features.
"Just get on with it." Erik said as he turned around and gave Charles some privacy, purposefully thinking in German and singing an old German song that he'd heard when still a child.
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Okay... This wasn't meant to be anywhere near this long – in fact, this is an amalgamation of two different chapters because I couldn't decide where to separate them. So you get two for the price of one (well, not for me at least, more the other way around).
And you guys may or may not get another update soon – it just depends on if I can actually write what's in my head... silly brain, work damn it!
And just so you guys know, my trip was a trip (in an intellectual sense at least; we got the results we were looking for) but I think I might end up being a guest of the hospital soon enough... damn allergies -.-
Tell me what you think of this and I might be really kind to one of you and, if you can give me a good prompt, I may write a little crack!fic. I'll reiterate the 'LITTLE' part shall I? Hear that brain! LITTLE as in SMALL xD
Kasey