Author's Note: So from this part in the story, I'm going to be making it somewhat AU. Because, if you know the story well, there's a huge gap in time between the beginning and when we see them next. One minute they're children and the next they're in college and killing people. So from now till that point, the story will consist of what is in my mind. I hope you read this before the story so that you do know this and proceed with caution. Thank you for reading this all who do. I hope you enjoy the story. Sorry for the long wait, but I didn't know if I should write these linking chapters or just skip to the next part in the movie, but I wanted to write them. I'm very sorry if I lose some readers because of this choice, but all who remain loyal, thank you.

Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men: First Class or anything related to the X-Men story-verse. I do not own any characters but the ones I create.

Erik landed with a light thud against the floor, panting heavily, crouched and ready to spring back into action at any moment. His skin was covered with a thick layer of sweat, his clothes, a thin white dress shirt unbuttoned and black dress pants, were soaked in a mixture of sweat, blood, and dirt. There were tears in them and his blood oozed out of several minor cuts littered along his body. His shoes were covered in dust and blood and he balanced on the balls of his feet.

"Come now Metallmanipulierer," a soldier dressed in a pristine, pressed black suit called from 10 feet away. He wiped the blood off his katana with a white handkerchief. "Surely that's not all you can do?" he asked tauntingly, his smooth, deep voice gentle and coaxing.

Taking a deep breath, Erik pulled the dagger out of its sheath attached to his hip and pounced. He smoothly landed a few feet away from the soldier and broke into a brisk sprint towards the other man who, upon seeing him advance, smiled and placed his handkerchief back in his pocket. He stood there, the hilt of his blade held loosely and the tip touching the ground, watching the young boy advancing upon him. His footsteps were sloppy with exhaustion and he was panting hard as he ran, dagger gripped tightly in his right. He saw the tensing of his right before the boy flung himself to the soldier's left and swiped at him with the blade.

Sidestepping easily, the soldier frowned at the other. His movements were sluggish and lacked control. He sheathed his sword and the boy's face twisted in anger as he landed. The man shook his head in disappointment and the boy's face fell, ashamed of his inability to meet his mentor's expectations. Walking over to him, the man reached his hand out and ruffled the young one's hair.

Looking up in surprise, Erik couldn't keep his surprise off his face when he saw the man down at him fondly. Day one and Erik had just failed his first lesson, but the man stood there, playfully ruffling his hair and looking at him proudly.

"Very good Metallmanipulierer," the man said, his deep voice light. He looked down at his student. His chocolate eyes twinkled in merriment as he looked down at his student, drenched from all the effort he had just exerted. The corner of his mouth was turned up in a smile, his cheek bleeding slightly from Erik's well-aimed swipe. Not many men could have landed a blow on him and on the very first day of their training, Erik had shown a promise he had not seen in years. He had skillfully applied all his past lessons at the training camps into this fight and the soldier couldn't help but smile at what the boy could be under his guidance.

Erik was so confused. "But I lost sir," he said, his head falling again, staring sadly at the soldier's shoes. He felt shame when the simple movement sent a wave of pain through him.

The soldier rolled his eyes, getting down and sitting next to the boy in agura. He used his fingers to pull the young boy's shin up to look at him. "But you fought valiantly," he said, pointing to the deep cut on his cheek. When he say the boy's skeptical look he added, "You mustn't be too hard on yourself Mettallsaurferei. It is but your first lesson. To land a blow on me at such an early stage is commendable. Do not worry yourself; it will take time to learn the art of combat. But I promise that as long as I am with you I shall teach you what I know."

"Thank you sir," Erik said with respect. He knew how skilled the man was at what he did and he knew that it was an honor to train under him. To get a compliment from such a master made him smile slightly.

The soldier openly smiled at the slight raise in the corners of the boy's mouth. Though it was feeble, the man knew any sort of reaction from the boy was marvelous. His smiled dimmed as he thought about what the boy would have to endure under Shaw's guidance. He wanted to protect the boy. He had grown fond of him, for reasons which he did not know. Perhaps it was because he had always wanted a son. But he vowed he would make it as bearable as possible for the boy. He could do that much for him. "Please, don't call me sir. It sounds too proper," he said, smiling at the boy.

Erik paused. "Then, what do I call you?" he asked quietly.

"Whatever you want, Metallmanipulierer," he said softly. No one actually knew his name, instead opting for one of the many names he had been given on the battlefield. And if he was honest, he couldn't remember it himself. The memories of his old life had long ago been buried in the bodies of his enemies and drown in the blood of innocents.

Erik paused for a moment, thinking about what the man was to him. He was a new beginning, a mentor in his future life. But Lehrer seemed to common for this man. This man was strong and he was going to train Erik to be just as strong. They would become the strongest team the world had ever seen. He needed a name that accented his power. "How about Mannschaft?" Erik asked hesitantly.

The soldier thought about it for a moment. Team he thought. Smiling at the intimacy this name held compared to all the many others, the soldier looked at Erik, feeling a wave of paternal affection wash over him. "Sound perfect, Metallmanipulierer."

So I know this chapter was super short and lacks Charles to it, but I wanted to focus on the bond that's going to form between these two. I created this character and I purposefully left the description of him vague just cause I wanted to leave some room for interpretation until later in the story. Anyways, next chapter's already half written and waiting to be posted. I will post when I get some reviews that make me want to post.