Author's Note: Whee I am so excited! Here we go, showdown!

Chapter Twenty One: The Other Telepath

Word Count: 2,399

Erik was suddenly aware of himself, it was if his body had been moving without him realising it, with a complete lack of control, or like moving through a dream. And if it was a dream, then Erik felt as if he was now waking, feeling Charles press against him on the dance floor. Strobe lighting was illuminating the people around them for the briefest of seconds, making the world around blur into the insignificance thing that it was. Erik couldn't remember how much he had been drinking, the students had been enthusiastically taking advantage of his generous bar tab, and neither he nor Charles had been shy in ordering beers and shots. It was buzzing through him now, making him feel reckless.

The DJ was busy merging the current song into some dubstep, which seemed to vibrate with a ferocious beat in Erik's chest. The change in the music snapped Erik out of his current spell, and he pulled Charles close to him, pressing his lips against his with a sense of urgency. The people around him appeared to move out of slow motion, and attack the music with wild eyes and hands that sought to pull them under. Erik had no idea what the time was, or how long they had been here dancing. He didn't know where the students had gone, or if Sebastian Shaw and Raven had finally arrived. All he knew was he was here, kissing Charles in the middle of his club, music pounding in time with his heart, and for a moment, everything was right.

Charles pulled away from him, his eyes were glazed slightly was if his mind was frantically trying to keep up with what was happening. Suddenly the crush of people seemed intrusive and overwhelming, the music was unrelentless and overpowering. Erik pushed his way out of the crowd taking Charles with him. As they reached the edge of the dancefloor, Charles bumped into Raven, for a moment they just stared at each other, not knowing what to do. Her expression was fearful, and her eyes flickered quickly up towards the balcony above before returning to look at Charles.

"Where is Shaw?" Erik shouted over the music.

Raven didn't reply, but Charles had caught the unconscious action and was looking up the balcony above them. His face was unreadable, and when Erik followed his eye line, he spotted Shaw looking down upon his empire, dark shadows crossing his face. Erik tightened his hold on Charles' arm, as if he could protect him just with his touch. Shaw held his drink up in a salute of greeting, a smirk on his lips, the shadows covered his jealous eyes.

"He found Charles' students," Raven replied taking Erik and Charles towards the private exit, which would lead them upstairs. Once in the quieter corridor Raven continued. "I don't know how. Angel figured out who he is, I don't think the others know. He sent me down here to look for you Charles, he's getting impatient, and there is something else…"

"What?" Charles asked. Erik could tell that Charles was nervous, his bottom lip kept disappearing between his teeth, and his eyes were wide and somewhat troubled.

"Shaw brought some people along tonight," Raven continued. "A woman and a man, they've been talking all night. I'm sure they have been discussing you Charles."

Charles stopped and looked at Erik, they held each other's gaze for a moment before Charles raised his hand to his temple. He closed his eyes for the briefest of seconds, before his eyes opened with alarm.

"The woman is a telepath, I touched her mind and she pushed me out."

"She realised you were trying to read her mind?" Raven asked urgently.

"Yes," Charles replied in a whisper. His face had turned white, and it looked as if he had forgotten how to breathe. "I've never felt another mind like mine before…"

"She pushed you out," Raven said trying to call Charles back to the problem in hand. "Is she hostile?"

"She didn't feel like a threat, I think she was as surprised as I was," Charles explained, he looked up at Erik. For a moment Erik didn't know what he was supposed to be working out here, if this was another of Charles' complicated puzzle pieces, then Erik was no closer to finding where it fit than before.

"You've been expecting something like this," Raven said suddenly. "That's why you wont tell us anything about what you're planning, isn't it?"

Raven's words suddenly made a lot of sense. Charles could hide his intentions from another mind-reader, whereas they could not. Charles had been expecting some kind of attack tonight, and yet had still walked into Shaw's trap. Or, they had just gotten really unluckily and Charles' paranoia had paid off. Charles didn't reply. He didn't need to.

"Well I suppose I should thank you for keeping Charles entertained so far tonight, I know it is not easy," Shaw said slyly, his eyes sweeping over Charles, lingering on his red-jean clad legs. "Dinner with my friends took a little longer than expected." His eyes slowly slid up the rest of Charles' body before he looked up at Erik, and his grin widened. He sipped his drink with relish.

The telepath is sat at the bar. Charles' telepathic voice was a shock, and Erik's eyes snapped towards the bar, to where a tall statuesque blonde woman was sat on a stool, ignoring all the men around her. Her admirers were all vying for her attention, but her eyes were fixed on Charles with an intensity that Erik didn't like.

"Perhaps you might like you be introduced Erik?" Shaw asked with amusement, he looked back at the blonde woman, and she immediately stood and walked towards them. She linked her arm in with Shaw's and flicked her intense gaze to Erik. "Emma, this is Erik Lensherr, Erik, my good friend Emma Frost."

Emma held out her hand for Erik to shake. Her whole demeanour was so poised that Erik couldn't look away from her. Her grip on his hand was assured, and her stare icy, as if she could see all the way through him. When her eyes finally met Charles' her face stuttered over surprise, before returning to its stoic expression. She had clearly made the connection between the telepath who had touched her mind before, and the man standing before her.

"A pleasure I am sure," Emma said blandly. "And I suppose this must be Charles. My my, you are cute." You will tell me your intentions or I will tell Sebastian what you really are. And believe me, if you think you are I deep now, you have no idea. Her warning was blunt, and Charles knew this wasn't a bluff, Emma would have nothing to lose by telling Shaw the truth, and the only question was why she hadn't already?

I never wanted what he wanted. I just want out. Charles replied as earnestly as he could, he let her feel inside of his mind to know it was the truth. He tried to show her that he meant Shaw no ill will; he just wasn't interested in the deal her friend wanted to make with him. After all, as domineering as Shaw was, his intentions towards Charles were indeed genuine; there were no ulterior motives. Or at least, as far as Charles could tell.

Erik watched Emma's eye widen before she turned, smiled at Shaw and affectionately stroked his arm. It seemed Shaw was waiting for her reaction because his shoulders lost their tension and his grin widened.

Everyoneone wants out Charles. But there is no where for people like us to go. You might have found Shaw by accident, but he has been looking for you for a longtime… You and he would be perfect. He'd want you by his side forever.There was slight sadness in Emma's warning, as if the prospect would have been something she would have wanted for herself. She might be in Shaw's confidence now, and valued for her abilities like only Shaw could value someone like her. But he would not look at her the same as he did Charles. Her resentment flowed through Charles like a wave he had to struggle against, before her eyes met his and they were cold. You might reconsider? He would love you… In his way.

Erik felt Charles' fingers find his, briefly brushing against them before disappearing.

Shaw just wants to control the world and everyone in it. He hadn't meant to sound so bitter, but he was feeling trapped. He needed to convince her of his intent, and quickly.

You cannot be controlled Charles, you know this. So why are you running? Sebastian wants a new world, one where people like us, people like him, are not hiding. A slight smile appeared on Emma's lips, and she turned her head slightly towards Shaw. You never stopped to look did you? Charles felt her push through his memories with abandonment, not taking the care he would have done. It raised the hairs along his arms, and caused him to shiver. Of course Sebastian is a mutant, that is why you were drawn to him, why you couldn't leave him. You don't have to leave, you could come with us, start again. We are the higher order.

No. I believe I am needed elsewhere. Maybe there is another world about to begin, and if so, there are people that depend upon me. I don't want to cause any harm tonight, so please, stay out.

Charles pushed her out. He felt his influence over her to be the stronger, and she must have realised the same, because her face became more guarded. Her grip tightened around Shaw's arm, and Charles knew immediately that Shaw was waiting for a signal from Emma. If he wanted, Charles could have listened in, but there seemed little point. He didn't want to start a war with this woman, with any luck she wouldn't want him in Shaw life anyway, and would leave them alone.

She must have known there was no hostility in him, at least not to her, and not even to Shaw. He had been as honest as he could, after tonight, there would be no need for any of them to ever meet again. But Emma's revelation had caused something unexpected in Charles; a weight that he hadn't even known was there was suddenly gone. His fear over his plan was dissipating. Shaw was a mutant. That meant that the game had changed once more. It had evened the playing field, and Charles was no longer using his powers against someone defenceless, but against someone who also had unusual advantages too. After all, you fought with the weapons you were given; he just needed to make sure Shaw didn't decide to draw his, whatever they might be.

Erik was aware that he was guarding Charles, he'd already frightened off a couple of girls who had tried to strike up a conversation with them both at the bar. Charles was busy trying to intoxicate his students, by agreeing to their every drink demand, and Shaw had mysteriously disappeared. This didn't fill Erik with much confidence, just because he couldn't see Shaw didn't mean that he wasn't watching. There were eyes in the skies; little hidden cameras were always spying.

"Well your ex sure is intense," Angel commented as she propped up the bar, wedging herself between Erik and Charles. "I mean, wow, he spent a whole hour sitting over there staring at you, before he went. And what a total arse, he's now dating your sister? Except she'd been sucking face with Hank for the past half hour, so I guess that's off…"

"Hank and Raven?" Erik asked incredulously. "He was such an innocent boy when I met him at Oxford. What have we done to him?"

"Yeah, he's well and truly corrupted now," Angel said, sharing the same amused grin on her face as Erik was wearing. "No going back."

Charles was shooting them both the evil eye, when Raven appeared at his side looking rather flushed. There was a stupid grin on her face, which she was trying to bite back.

"He's waiting for you," she announced cryptically, brushing her hand through her hair.

"What Hank?" Erik asked. "I know he loves the professor, but seriously, this is going too far."

"No idiot," Raven scolded looking annoyed. "Shaw is waiting for Charles in his office."

"How do you know?" Angel asked. As far as she was concerned, Raven had been rather too occupied just now to be taking messages.

"Because he sent me to find Charles… after he dumped me," she replied with a huff.

"Well you don't look that upset," Angel commented.

"I'm not," Raven said with a scowl, before she turned to Charles. "Anyway you better hurry up and meet him, because I was supposed to tell you earlier, but I got distracted."

"Raven, please don't say anymore. I'm going," Charles pleaded. Hank was a good kid, and quite frankly anyone was better for Raven than Shaw, but that didn't mean he wanted to hear about it. "Erik, don't follow me, I'll be fine." But into Erik's mind he secretly pushed the thought, tenminutes.

As soon as Charles had walked away, Erik found his eyes glued to his watch. For some reason watching for ten minutes to pass seemed very important. As soon as the minute hand hit the mark he was off, with Angel calling after him. He didn't know why, but he knew something was wrong. He could feel the panic building in his as he hurried towards Shaw's office. Charles was in trouble. The plan had gone wrong.

As he pushed the door open, he froze, a sickening feeling in his stomach. Shaw pulled away from Charles and pushed him roughly against the desk. A stack of files fell down onto the floor, followed by a rain of papers and receipts. Charles' face was momentarily stunned, his eyes were startled and his lips were swollen from Shaw's kiss.

"What the hell is going on?" Erik demanded. The sick feeling in his stomach turning cold and heavy, when Charles wouldn't meet his eye.