XxXThe Young Ones XxXX
Wednesday. 1963. Circus: Brown room.
"Here here! Time for the young ones to have a go." Alex said with a laugh. Col. William Stryker certainly looked amused. Xavier watches him. Sean made eyes at Alex. Alex is back from overseas rotation for a few days.
"I hear those spa's have Roman perks."
"Oh you're one to talk Hank"
"I believe your nick name is Beast in the bedroom is it not?"
The room tittered with ribald jokes. Even Erik joined in a bit, Xavier and Shaw they just watched, calmly quietly, Mystique could feel the lines being drawn. This laughter, even this was a test. Mystique quickly complemented Sean on his flamboyant choice of type of tie, in this game even laughter could be full of knives. She found it thrilling. The mood in the room sobered.
Shaw stood up to make his report. "More seriously, now boys. Oh I am sorry ladies too." He flirts with an easy grin to Mystique and Angel. Angel flirts back. Mystique gives him a perfect fake smile, with her brilliant white teeth, her golden eyes reveal nothing. Shaw cannot get a read on her expression, it annoys him as much as it intrigues him. He continues his speech without missing a beat. "Our funding goes before the house for approval next week. Minister Kelly advises me that funding approval will not be given unless we can demonstrate, and these are the minister's words not mine, 'results, not scandals.' Gentlemen we need to change what we do, witchcraft has given us results. Budapest left nothing but mess. I say it is time for new blood in the team." Shaw makes his challenge staring straight at Erik.
"And by new blood you mean?" Erik asks in a low tone.
"That old should make way for the new."
"Shaw, you're the oldest out of all of us are you proposing to retire?" Sean says with a laugh and an easy smile that falls flat into the power vacuum in the room. Mystique feels her heart skip a beat. Angel has stopped taking notes.
"What are you proposing Sebastian?" Xavier asks his tone careful.
"That it is time to talk about Budapest."
Raven wonders if she will finally hear the full story, Charles only ever spoke in bits and pieces to her about that place during his recovery.
"Someone must be held responsible." Stryker chimed in from across the table.
"Who was in charge that day?" Shaw says quietly.
Icily calm green eyes scanned the room. No one spoke. He smiled. Nodded to Charles and turned back to Shaw. Smooth. Threatening. "I was. Budapest was my affair. I alone bear that responsibility, nobody else." Not Charles, Mystique realizes, Erik is trying to protect her brother. Xavier looks like he wants to argue. Control silences him with a flash of his grey eyes, guilt flicks through them. No, Charles thinks violently, don't you bloody do it. Erik gives him a look of apology as he stands and walks over to Shaw.
"You want new blood? Take it." Erik leans forward. He is close to Shaw. New blood does not mean new team members. The air has been sucked out of the room, and once tacit divisions now alarmingly clear.
Mystique shifts uncomfortably in her seat. There were rumors about how much blood was on Erik's hands. Shaw on the other hand, just the way he smiled, the way the energy in the room changed when he spoke, even though Mystique didn't know what he'd done, she got the feeling that Erik might be nothing compared to Shaw. And now Erik was offering up the Circus to him. Shaw smiled. "Though it's not for me to take," he glances at Xavier, "I will happily serve as leader in your retirement Control."
Erik laughed. "I am sure you will."
They had run out of time. This had blown up in their faces faster than they had expected. Xavier knew things about Shaw. He had dirt on Shaw. Not enough, and not information they could use now. He looked away from Erik. This was his defeat too.
Erik glided out of the room. Tall and lean, he cut a powerful figure even in defeat. Xavier stood and leaned against the table, he looked across at Shaw; he stared at Stryker, his eyes lit with undisguised fury. Shaw leaned back in his seat, bathing in Xavier's glare.
"And what about you Xavier, want to be a member of my team or are you feeling the creep of age too?" Raven was going to speak, but Xavier cast his storm filled glance at her and she flinched, her words dying on her lips. Charles took his cane and limped out of the room. He put his hand on the back of Mystique's chair, as he went, trying to reassure her, trying to reassure himself, because he knew he was leaving his sister in a room full with vipers. But he had to, if she left with him now, they'd try to strike at her as well.
Mystique watched Charles follow Erik out of the room and suddenly felt afraid as she looked around the table. Stryker, Shaw, Angel and Alex. They all sat near each other. Shaw made her skin crawl. But Alex. Couldn't be. With them, could he?
She looked at the other men across the room: this would be grand, they laughed, and part of her wished she had gone with Charles.