Disclaimer: I do not own x-men first class. If i did...well, there would be a LOT more slash. Just sayin'.
A/N: AGH! I AM SO SORRY! THIS TOOK FOREVER TO GET UP! I will write longer chapters, I promise! Interning now...urrrghh. Everything gets in the way of Charles&Erik. I have a feeling they'll prevail though. ;) Thank you everyone for staying with me, it means a lot. I was SO stressed that people who had reviewed and expected more in the past would get tired of waiting and stop reading. I really hope that doesn't happen, so for all of those who stayed: Thank you. This is dedicated to all of you. Please enjoy, and review. It'll boost my spirits ten fold! :D (It's good to be back, can't you tell from how much I'm babbling?)
The shaved mutants nails itched along the first layer of Charles' skin, like a porcupine's quill it sliced quite nicely through the flesh. The second layer gone and then the third, the blood beginning to gasp and quake and mold red at the exposure of sudden oxygen. Charles closed his eyes, focusing blindly on the cold invasive presence in his mind, the feel of icy fingers and naïve, sinful wishes, icy like the dust of winters day. The mutant's nails fell silently, tickling the fabric of Charles' jacket as the man's hand dropped. Erik stirred behind the frozen blue-eyed telepath, and Charles but his lip harder in considerable concentration. His head felt ice numb, and it hurt, too cold to be blown away with thinking. That one telepath, that woman, she was in his mind. Emma, was it? Erik growled in frustration, the deep timber of his voice made Charles' eyes flutter open without him really thinking about doing so.
"Who the hell are you?" Erik spat, anger and confusion rolling off the man in waves, and Charles instantly felt the need to reach out and comfort him with his mind, to tell him to calm down. The metal was wining on its high notes in the air. Charles could not reach out with this other mutant in his mind. His powers felt chilled.
Try it all you want, sugar. You can't move.
Her voice still carried that smug edge, that flirtatious high, and Charles gritted his teeth together as her voice rocked sensuous across his subconscious; like an icicle waiting to shatter. The mutant still stood unmoving in front of him, his dull eyes glassy and tired and they bore tiredly first into the magnificent blue of Charles' and the everlasting green of Erik's.
"Charles, can't you break this?" Erik snapped, his voice strained like welding steel.
"Be quiet." The mutant before Xavier droned, voice monotone and Charles stood waiting for Erik's remark that never came. Worry tapped teasingly on the edges of his heart, but he swallowed the beating of the muscle down.
His mutation is interesting, isn't it? He can harness onto the nerves of your brain, control your body with the flick of a finger. What do you think, Charles dear?
Charles closed his eyes tight, concentrating on just the feel of chill, of a trespassing presence, and soon the drone of cars disappeared, the city lights that made the inside of his eye lids glow a faint red turned black, the feeling of numbness flowed away. It was just him and this woman, he couldn't see but he could feel, could feel her all around, and he imagined wrapped his hands around the place where her thoughts were most strong. He focused on that.
Erik's eyes narrowed, and he tried to open his mouth to call out as Charles' head fell forward too suddenly, his shoulders going limp without reason. He instead began to concentrate on the surrounding metal the feel of it scraping along in his veins, and he tried to lift his hand again, tried to feel the metal and will it to move but he couldn't. Not with this damn mutant's powers grasping onto him like a starving child. He hated this feeling, hated the feeling of unease and defensiveness. He should be used to the feeling but he wasn't. It was just as alien to him as it was then as it is now. He couldn't focus on the metal. So instead he opted for staring at Charles, observing to see if there were any signs that something was wrong besides the obvious. And then Charles' stirred, wobbled some, his torso swinging to the left and before Erik had realized what had happened the man was in his arms, was cradled protectively weak against his chest, and all he could do for the moment was stare. He could move. Erik took in Charles' features, his knitted eyebrows, wonderful eyes drawn tight, a light sheet of sweat appearing on his brow. And then Erik was smiling at this man again, the smiles he had been giving to openly the past few days.
"Charles," He whispered, voice gruff and triumphant as he felt the man against him shoulders shudder. "You did!" He heard the scuffle of boots against brick and his head shot up, the shaved mutant was stumbling around in blatant confusion and wonder, and Erik wasted no time. He shifted Charles so that the telepath rested against the crook of his neck and left arm, and with his right he made the nearby street lamp hiss and whine like a snake, the way it coiled and twisted with sleek silver was fascinating. But it was no time to marvel. The lamp shot out, latching and curling around and around the other mutant's body, the man caught gave out a startled cry and Erik gave a final sharp twist and the man fell limply still. Erik dimly felt Charles stir, but didn't bother to look down as the lamp uncoiled itself, creaking and groaning as it fell to the night floor. The mutant lay motionless, blood spilling steadily from his cracked parted lips, and Erik started as he felt Charles' sit slowly up.
"Erik, what did you-?" His eyes widened slightly at the lifeless body of the mutant who had frozen them, and Charles turned his gaze up to meet Erik's burning green ones.
"What happened back there, Charles? How did you break free?" Charles didn't respond, just stood shakily to his feet and began to trudge sullenly over to the bleeding man in the street.
"You did this Erik?" The metal wielders eyes narrowed, and he stood straighter, glaring warningly at Charles' back.
"Don't sound so sad, Charles. This man worked for-"
"No, my friend. He did not." Erik strode forward then, boots clicking on stone and he reached Charles in two strides. He met his friend's gaze in an assertive glare.
"What do you mean?" Charles swallowed, his eyes flickering over Erik's stone carved face and then he smiled. Erik went ridged, shock warming the frost from his veins and his lips parted slightly in surprise.
"Char-?"
"She was controlling him, Erik…the telepath Emma Frost. He was an experiment gone wrong. They needed a quick profiting way to dispose of him."
"Let's do it!" Her blonde curls fanned across her face like honey, slow dripping honey, and Charles just stared as Erik stared. Her reaction came as a pleasant disclosure. Erik and Charles shared a brief look of relief.
"How are we going to get in?" She quipped, and Charles smiled down at her, and Erik found his eyes glued to that smile. The way his eyes lit up with resolution and determination and Erik felt warmth he hadn't ever felt before. It started in his chest, bloomed out like the petals of a blossoming morning glory, and zinged across the nerves of his skin. It unnerved him, but Raven's question soon sank in and he stepped forward, wolfish grin in place, his eyes never leaving Charles. The telepath met his stare, the other man's lips twitching out in light smirk. The feeling grew warmer.
"Same way as before." Erik pulled up the hem of his sleeve, up to his elbow and lifted up his arm for all to see. He tapped leisurely on the numbers imprinted there. "Numbers are the key." Raven brightened, hopped off the bed, and stumbled across the room, flinging bras and discarded cloths away in her search for her shoes, the price tags littering the once clean floor.
"Raven," Charles whispered and she turned, cheeks flushed but eyes glistening with excitement and some twisted sort of rage. She stumbled with her boots, but her smile soon faded as she studied Charles' expression. Then she shook her head.
"Nuh-huh! If you even DARE to say I'm staying behind I swear I'm going to-!"
"Raven." The softness of Charles' voice brought her up short, and she seemed to deflate. Erik's eyes darted between the two, and he shifted his weight in unspoken impatience. "We need to be quiet. We can't be seen this time. We can't attack unless absolutely necessary. We need only discover the layout of the labs and get out. No dallying. If you can morph into a guard or nurse we may be able to get some other mutants out. Do you understand?" Charles had crossed over to where his sister was as he spoke, and he now kneeled beside her, hand a comforting weight on her shoulder. Raven nodded, the smile creeping back into place, and without much else to be said they raced out the door and into the street. Raven hailed a cab with some help from Erik and Charles searched through Erik's recent memories to find the place. When he had located it, they gave the driver their instructions and headed out. The air was cool and foreboding, and Raven clutched anxiously at Charles' arm, the fabric of his jacket bunching up under her long nails and shaking fingers.
"What the-? It's a dead end, Erik!" She spat, twirling on the toes of her leather boots to face him. Erik didn't respond, just felt around silently through the alley, taking in the walls and trying to spot the small metallic coded box. He found it quite easily.
"It's not real, Raven. Remember what I told you?" Erik muttered, and Charles drew up closer, Raven at his heel. Erik typed in his number, the ones that will forever brand him, and the wall wavered, shifted as if underwater, before it disappeared completely. The group was silent, staring darkly up the winding road that had now presented itself to them.
"Erik, this is-?"
"Yes. I'm not sure if it's the one Shaw's in, but I am fairly certain." Charles nodded, suddenly frustrated and scared to use his powers to see. If he did, Emma might latch on to the intruding presence. So he didn't. No, instead he let the nostalgic feelings of hopelessness latch onto him again, like leeching starving for the hunger and need they had left him craving. Without putting much thought into it his hand (the one Raven wasn't glued to) reached out and with his thumb and index finger and pinched the edges of Erik's sleeve jacket for a silly kind of reassurance. Erik's eyes flickered over to the other man, but he was staring straight ahead, his eyes glowing in the dark.
"Charles." Erik spoke softly but he saw Charles flinch nonetheless, but still those eyes turned to meet his. "I will protect you." Raven didn't seem to hear, still fumbling needlessly on whatever piece of her clothing was slightly out of place and Charles was suddenly grateful for the dark. He knew the blood had rushed to his face, swirled rosy red in his cheeks. He didn't turn away though. Instead he just smiled, the warmth and sudden quickening of his heart making him wary.
"I know you will." And Erik just nodded, suddenly unease with this situation, and he began to walk forward, one foot in front of the other. Soon Charles and Raven followed, their footsteps muffled by grass and weeds. This was it. Their first couple steps to redemption.
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