XxX Get Out XxX
1963, last week.
"Somebody has to pay. Minister Kelly has been on my case about our funding. He all but demanded we table our expenses, Budapest has given us a lot of problems." Stryker observed unkindly. She could almost feel the power pooling in the room. Shaw smiled, ever pleasing, always pleasant. She felt her skin crawl.
"He wouldn't dare to shut us down." Hank said defensively.
"I don't doubt that he would cut our funding, that would cause your division a lot of problems wouldn't it Hank."
"It is my research that is saving your men. We at least are a damn sight further ahead on the nuclear development than the Russians." Hank growled at Colonel Stryker.
Stryker laughed. "Its solid intelligence that's saves men's lives not your little toys." Stryker said with a broad gaffing laugh.
X risked a glance at Control; do you want me to end this? A question. This meeting was so far off track now, but it was Control's meeting, and his choice where or not to end Stryker's attack on Hank. Control just flicked him an angry glance.
"Indeed William. Solid intelligence that I will now table." Shaw stood, and placing pile of brown folders on the table. "Angel, be a dear and pass those out." Hastily Angel put down the minutes she was taking for the meeting, and walked around the table handing out the materials. She'd only just got out of the typing pool; her being at the table at all was an achievement, she put Raven's copy down with a twist of jealousy on her face. Angel had no rich brother to advance her career.
"This is good. It gives us just enough on the Russians." Alex says pursuing the documents Shaw has tabled.
Control scans his copy, and then tosses it down on the table in dismissal, he flicks his eyes to Xavier an eyebrow raised, and Charles glances back with equal amounts of concern. "How did you get this?" Xavier asks Shaw.
"Confidential." Stryker stone walls. Shaw smiles smugly.
"Oh yes Charles they went straight to Kelly himself, and have been given special parliamentary permission to keep the source a secret." Control sounds completely civil, but his smile curls up gently sarcastic. "Well what do you think Charles?" Control asks with some impatience.
X glances down, eyes critically skimming through the document. The title reads 'operation witchcraft'. "It's almost too good to be true. But it confirms what our field agents have been reporting, there is a new group of hardliners in charge in the Kremlin, and they have created a group known to us only as the brotherhood. The head of the brotherhood is an agent known only as Karla. The brotherhood is radical in its approach and poses a new threat to the fragile peace we have established and rules under which we operate. "
"Sounds like a lovely club Xavier," Control said drily looking down the table at Sean, "and what do you think about it young man?"
Sean scanned the document nervously, he is the only one at the table not wearing a suit, he feels the pressure of Erik's glare. "It's clean, it looks good, there's just enough information to make it look genuine. I don't know," he concluded uncertainly. Sean is the youngest member of the Circus, too young Erik had said.
"Xavier's suspicious, Shaw. And not even young Sean here is convinced."
"That Intel is good. It has been used in two of my operations successfully already." Stryker is defensive.
"Then reveal to us your source!" Control grates out.
"No. There's been enough leaked out of here since Budapest. I'll not lose this source too!" Stryker says with burning accusation.
The room erupts into name calling and angry discussion. Shaw does not take part, he watches, just like Charles. Hank's voice is too loud, defending Charles. The room falls silent. Sheepishly he takes his seat again.
"Come come now boys we all appreciate your work down with the nuts and bolts." Shaw begins as the unlikely peacemaker, "but you can't deny a funding cut would affect your work." Shaw lets Hank hang there for a moment and Hank couldn't deny it, even though he looked like he wanted to, less funding would halt the majority of his work. "We can talk about who is responsible for Budapest another time. In fact I believe the home competition would even like to take a look into that little mess Control." Shaw smiled (the home competition meaning MI5), charmingly as he drummed a pen against the witchcraft folder.
"And how would MI5 know our business Sebastian?" Charles asked his voice low. Shaw smiled. And Toad answered, "it's my job to inform the minister."
Shaw cut across Toad who looked annoyed, "and people do have a habit of talking, in fact I was speaking to Mr Harkness over at MI5 just the other day, always keeping up on homeland security..." That was it, that was the final straw. Shaw wasn't allowed to finish.
"Enough! I've heard enough. Get out! All of you." Control said standing, all pretenses at patience gone, as he grounded out each word in his lowest tone, the world of threat in each word. The young ones left quickly, Angel who hadn't said a word all evening, Raven, Alex and Sean had never seen Control so furious nodded their goodbyes to Charles and headed for the door. Stryker stood calmly and walked out, with Shaw who smiled pleasantly, "Good evening gentlemen. Come along Toad." Toad who had enjoyed watching the little power struggle so much, now moved quickly to catch up with Shaw.
"You too Hank." Control said with an almost weary apology, turning his back on the room. Hank left after a nod from X to say that it would be okay. That just left X and Control. Xavier watched Control. His tense shoulders suddenly swung around.
"What do you think Charles?"
"I think Shaw's up to something. As for MI5, I'll speak to Jack and sort it out; he's not one to be led around by Shaw."
"No Jack's not. Damn it Charles. Bloody Shaw!" Control vented a little more. "Find out what it is, Charles I don't want another meeting with that bastard smirking at me without knowing why."
"Somehow, Erik I don't think we will have to wait long."
"It all comes back to Budapest doesn't." Erik's brow crinkled and he bows his head into his hand. Guilty.
Charles puts an arm around Erik's shoulders drawing his face up, he looks into Erik's eye's, "what do you think happened that day Control?"
He looks away from Charles, his eyes are clear and grey when they turn back to Charles, his voice like velvet "a rotten apple."
Erik draws his hands up to the side of Charles' face, searching for a moment. Charles puts his hand behind Erik's head and pulls him forward. Their lips meet. Erik tastes like rich aromatic coffee. Charles tastes sweet like marmalade, and maybe the slightest hint of earl grey. Erik breaks away. Charles feels a little breathless.
"Lock the door." Erik orders softly.
They do something and they never do at work.
Charles can feel it, the desperate edge they are approaching, in the way Erik strips him of his shirt, grasps his arms and drapes him across the table. What they do is rushed, hurried and rough. He kisses Erik gently afterwards, holding him tight, wrapping his arms around him to try to take way that desperate feeling that was coming off Erik in waves.
"A rotten apple" he says softly, almost deadly, in Charles' ear.
Charles shivers.