Disclaimer: I do not own x-men first class. If i did...well, there would be a LOT more slash. Just sayin'.
A/N: One of my loyal reviwers has requested that i upload the big battle in more than one chapters. How can I refuse a fan? So here you go, To Fight The Whole World Part 1…
"Charles? What's happening?" Charles just shook his head; if he spoke he might loose it- the concentration he had finally achieved. Erik recognized the hint and fell silent. Charles could feel a slight prickle; a prick underneath the layers but it was gone as soon as it had arrived. He knew where it came from though, and without a word to Erik he ran in that direction.
Shaw's presence was a pulsating, vibrating energy, and although it was only a short spurt of uncontrolled power it led Charles right to him. He hadn't noticed Erik behind him, his arm wrapping around his waist and pulling him close before the young set telepath fell down the gaping hole that used to house flights of stairs. Charles chuckled in exhaustion and worded his thanks, noticing how Erik's grip tightened and his eyes narrowed dark blazing green at the haggard looking man before them. Charles followed his gaze, pulse spiking as his ice-cold eyes landed upon Shaw, whose helmet was cracked down the middle and a thin trail of blood and small glass made cuts lined his skin. Erik's mind was surprisingly calm, and Charles matched his ecstatic breathing with his love's steady breaths, feeling the clam settle like a veil down on him.
"You found me quick." Sebastian snarled, all playful dosed from his eyes and tone, and Erik just let his shark toothed grin shine.
"Let's get this over with, Charles." The all to familiar "r" rolled in with the "l" and Charles couldn't help of the feeling of final desperation and bittersweet sadness take him.
Erik, if one of us should die-
Don't go there, Charles. Not yet.
But Erik, I want you to know-
Erik's hand reached out, fingers intertwining with Charles' pale ones and he held his hand tight.
"Don't go there, Charles." His words were soft spoken and cruel, and Charles felt his heart falter at the expression on Erik's face. They both realized it then. Even if they did kill Shaw, they were the cause of all this. There's no way they'd be able to make it out of here without some crucial punishment. Charles smiled kindly, nodding to Erik who sprinted forward, a guttural snarl coming forth his mouth, and his hand slipped out of Charles', their fingers caressing in one last delicate farewell.
Raven attacked any guard who stirred, any mutant who tried to attack them out of blind fitted uncontrollable rage. She never released her grip upon Hank.
Sean had lifted up Alex's flaccid body, maneuvering his way through the mesh of bodies and blood. He settled for a large stone welded building, setting Alex's body down and resting the blonde haired teens head on his lap. He was finally able to mourn in silence. He didn't like fighting anyway.
Shaw was quick witted and powerful, and all the metal that Erik threw was rejected by a pulsating light, a throbbing energy that sent them all back. Charles ducked as a pipe swung recklessly by, smashing into the white wash dry wall and bringing a chunk of the crumbling burnt ceiling down. He coughed as the smoke billowed up, pressed his fingers to his temple in the most frantic sort of move he had ever made, trying desperately to squeeze through the crack in the helmet and into Shaw's head. Erik shouted in frustration, coughing and sputtering on his feet as Shaw stared tiredly down upon him, eyes holding something along the lines and features of boredom.
"You're a disappointment. Both of you. I expected more, something more amusing and vigorous than this." He clicked his tongue in mocking sadness, holding out his hand and shooting out a point of orange light, hitting Erik by his shoulder and sending the man flying back. Charles reached his arms out to catch him, the immediate impact much more severe than he had expected and they both tumbled back.
"Urgh, FUCK!" Erik growled, picking himself up from under Charles and spitting out the dirt that had found its way into his mouth. Charles' eyes found Erik's shoulder, the skin tattered and pushed repulsively back, the muscle pink and wet and pulsing beneath.
"Erik, your shoulder-!"
"Charles, I'm going to break the helmet off. When that happens I need you to get inside his head. If you can freeze him, do it. If not at least try to wipe his slate clean." Erik's jaw was set tight, his eyes gazing headstrong forward and Charles sighed, nodding softly as he heard Erik's shoes scrape against the gravel covered lab's floor, the metal wielding mutant shooting off and up toward Sebastian. It was hard to watch, Charles concluded, Erik flinging every piece of metal he could forward and having it tossed away like paper. There were some that landed, one that smacked against the crack precisely and snapping Shaw's head back, a trickle of blood and wheezing laugh soon following. The crack had defiantly grown, gotten more loosened up and waning, but Shaw himself was still as un-wielding. Without that helmet Charles could actually be of some use. Until then he'd have to wait…
Blood filled Erik's mouth and his body burned as he was knocked back again, the metal surrounding him in a basket to stop his collision with the ground. His head was ringing and he felt Charles swoop back in an attempt to clear it up. That helmet was almost broken, held together by nothing to very little, and Erik took a deep breath before rising himself again. There wasn't much time for him left; he could feel every bone in his body creaking in protest whenever he attempted to move. The metal ringed deathly around him, the pipes, street linings, inner built walls, gates…anything he could connect with. Shaw studied his surroundings, smiling softly as he gazed warily down at Erik and Charles. A slow chilling whistle sounded from between his lips, and the tune ran Charles' blood cold.
"Three minutes…"
Erik shifted nervously, warily, the metal rising up and slamming into Shaw, who had raised his arms in the lax of a little to late. The helmet broke off, shattering like a grey vase and Charles seized his moment. Shaw went rigid and frightfully still and the metal cut through his skin, bone and muscle like a nail through tissue paper.
Three minutes, and we'll all go up in a bang!
Shaw's dying thoughts rang through Charles head and he snapped back, rising to his feet and reached his hands out to Erik in a mad man's cry.
"Erik! We must go! He's going to blow it up! We've only got two minutes!" Erik fell to Charles' side, eyes wide and the triumphant smile on his face soon was erased.
"What? Blow it up? Blow what-?"
"EVERYTHING! Everything that's around us, everything where the lab was! We must go!" Erik didn't hesitate. He grabbed Charles and they ran, feet slamming against the broken tiles and crumbling walls and Charles felt the counting seconds tick away in his mind. They didn't have much time.
"Four…"
Erik shot a look at Charles, whose glass blue eyes were misted over in tranquil, tear stained eyes.
"Three…"
Erik faltered in his steps, hand reaching out to brush away a lone tear that had fallen down Charles' flushed cheek. The telepath turned to him, eyes once wide but now at ease.
"Two…" Erik smiled softly, pulling Charles into his arms with wanton heartbreaking command. "I'll never let you go…" He murmured against Charles' tangled chestnut hair and the one ticked by and down like a deaths ending in Charles' head.
The blast was loud and it rumbled like a lion's cannon roar. It stretched wide and thin and the smoke was thicker and hotter than anything before. Raven stumbled to her feet, blood dripping from her knuckles as she swayed, wide eyed and ice cold in the after math of the fiery explosion. She fell forwards, her knees knocking against asphalt and Hank staggered beside her, her grip on his hand never once loosening.
"No…" She croaked, tears falling like rain down her face, her throat tight and unbearably raw.
"CHARLES!" She screeched, a blast of smoke shrouding her eyes and making her choke, Hank's arms coming up and wrapping protectively around her. Rubble and ash flew towards them and Raven tried desperately to control her frantic, un-trimmed breathing.
"Fuck…Charles, you bastard." She blubbered, burying her face in the bloody confines of Hanks ripped shirt. "You better not be leaving me…" Her lips moved in distressed unspoken rants, the dying ash and smoke raining down, turning the city black…
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