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 ca
Author's Notes: SOOOOO…. I know I promised this chapter when I got 5 reviews, but blame the fact I have no laptop anymore. So I wrote this and was going to update it as soon as I got the 5 reviews (which OMG was on the FIRST DAY OF ME POSTING!) but I couldn't get to the computer because my mother was being a meanie. So I'm typing this out. Also, I know someone didn't mean it, but it really hurt my feeling when they said they didn't care about my OCs. I know it's just your opinion, but I love my OCs and work really hard to make them loveable and to hear you say that really hurts. But I respect your opinion. Just bear with me writing about my OCs because some people actually like them, I actually like them, and they help me strengthen the bond between Charles and Erik. So anyways thanks, enjoy this chapter. Again, when I reach 5 reviews I'll update as soon as the computer becomes available. Thanks to lynxpanther for the fifth review btw! She got this chapter up.
Erik awoke the next morning in his room. Loud shouting sounded through the thin walls from the hall outside. Startled, Erik tried to get up but even the slightest movement sent spasms of agony through his body. Resigning to the fact that he was in fact stuck in his bed, Erik strained his ears to hear. Pausing, Erik realized he knew those voices. Mannschaft and Shaw's voices were above "civilized talk" as Shaw put it, and were ranging on screaming. Well, more like Shaw was almost screaming. Mannschaft was speaking as he normally did, but Erik could tell from the tenseness in his voice that he was even more infuriated by Shaw's presence than per usual.
"I'm telling you, he's not in any condition to train right now!" Mannschaft growled out.
"And I'm telling you that I don't care if he's dying; he will get out there and show me he's worth my money. Now I'm ordering you to stand down." He heard Shaw take several steps forward before there was a loud thud and the wall groaned as a body hit it.
"If you take one more step towards that boy before he's healed, I will take him and we both will leave."
"You wouldn't dare," Shaw said fearfully.
"Watch me," Mannschaft snarled. A shiver went down Erik's spine. He had never heard Mannschaft speak with that tone. It made him want to curl up and hide.
The door opened and a fuming Mannschaft stood in the doorway. A disgruntled Shaw stood against the wall, looking at him. "What about your precious Anna?" Mannschaft's eyes widened for a spilt second. He froze in the doorway and just stood there, his eyes shocked. His shoulders locked as if restraining himself; he looked like he wanted to deck Shaw then and there but he was holding himself back. His eyes flashed murderously, but he remained still, his hand on the doorknob white from the pressure he was exerting on it. Shaw smirked at the sight and continued. "If you leave, who's to say she won't get into as freak accident? How long will she last once I'm no longer covering her tracks and the price on her head comes back? The only thing keeping those hunters off her back is my name, and if you leave she's no longer under my care!" The change was gradual, but Erik saw it because he had been watching Mannschaft so closely. As Shaw kept talking, Mannschaft started to relax and a crazed smile grew on his face. Erik felt terror like never before; that look made him feel like Mannschaft was going to kill him as slowly and painfully as possible. Slowly Mannschaft turned back to Shaw and Erik saw the man visibly flinch as Mannschaft smiling face met his. Doubt and terror shone in his face.
"Then I guess I'll have to go save her won't I?" he said. It sounded so harmless, but undoubtedly there was some hidden threat in there for Shaw's mouth dropped open in shock and he backpedaled. Taking his opportunity, Mannschaft closed the door. Then he just stood there, calming himself. Several tense minutes passed by before Mannschaft turned back around. A light smile graced his face and Erik found his fears silly. Mannschaft may be a very fearsome man, but he was still Mannschaft, the man that loved Erik like his own son and protected him from Shaw. In fact, hadn't he just threatened to leave with Erik hadn't he? Even though Shaw apparently had someone named Emma that was really important to Mannschaft. He had risked it to save Erik. "What trouble you cause Metallmanipulierer," he said teasingly. Then his eyes grew serious and he switched to English for safety. In this place, only Erik, Mannschaft, and Shaw knew English so it risked less chance of eavesdropping. "Now Metallmanipulierer, me must discuss what happened the other day."
Erik had been dreading—yet unexplainably hoping—for this moment. He feared finding out something that his mind had found so horrid that it had repressed any recollection of it whatsoever, but a small part of him begged to know what was so life changing that the absence of the memory would leave such an empty hole in his heart. He knew Mannschaft knew something he wasn't telling him, but the look Mannschaft had given him yesterday when he woke in the infirmary had haunted his dreams last night. It had been a look of sheer panic and fear. But underneath there was a look of understanding and resignation. It was like Mannschaft had found out Erik was going to die and there was nothing he could do about it. "I can't remember anything," Erik said finally.
"But do you really want to remember?" Mannschaft asked sadly.
This was it, Erik realized. His last chance out. Mannschaft was giving him a way out and from the sound of it hoped he would take it. "Yes."
Mannschaft let out a sad sigh. It sounded so old and broken. For once, Mannschaft's face lost its youthful glow and he looked much older than any man he had ever seen. Even though Mannschaft was only 27, the sadness in his eyes looked eons old. "Where do I begin?" he asked more to himself than Erik. "You mentioned a voice?"
"Yes," Erik said. "My conscious. It talks to me when I'm in trouble or am going to be. It's always correcting me and trying to steer me in the right direction. I generally ignore it, but when I do I always regret it. Like yesterday, for example."
Mannschaft nodded his head. "And what if I told you that this voice is actually not a part of your subconscious? That it is, in fact, another person?"
"What… do you mean?" Erik asked.
"Your voice is actually a telepath who is connected to you through a telepathic connection called a mind link," Mannschaft said somberly. "This telepath has created an unbreakable bond between your mind and his or hers. It is one of the strongest types of telepathic connections created and is extremely rare. The telepathic power needed to harness one mind and indefinitely bind it to another is immense This telepath would have to be at least a class three. But to harness your mind from Britain—you said the voice was British, right?—this telepath has to be a class four.
Erik was silent for a moment, taking it all in. "But… why me? Why is this person bonded to me?"
Mannschaft's eyes looked so sad as he looked at Erik that he looked like he was going to cry. "Because Erik, you and this person are soul mates."
OMG ANOTHER CLIFF HANGER! I'm coming to love them. Go ahead and scream at me in a lovely review :)
n 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.