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Post by ERIK LEHNSHERR on May 30, 2021 22:44:48 GMT
The day had been a difficult one, though Erik would not apologize for the outcome of the Brotherhood's efforts no matter how explosive they happened to be. No matter how the media, converging like so many insects, chose to portray it. Let them see what became of those who acted against him. Let them know that he would not stand down, would not rest - and that he was still free to come for the rest of them.
He'd returned to the structure currently acting as their headquarters, to scrub off the grime and suture the wounds and consider what his next move might be. Eventually, they would need a more permanent base. A more cohesive strategy. And yet there never seemed to be time for it; despite everything they'd done, the humans had more momentum. And they were capable of learning, making the work ever more difficult to untangle. But surely, he was not the only one outraged by what they were doing. Surely, they would not be alone in this fight.
It was this which drove him to the mansion after evening had fallen. It was not the first time he had come here. Not even the first time he had come with the intention of speaking to Charles. But he always found some reason to turn away from it. Guilt, anger, the certainty that he was the last face Charles might hope to see again. But he thought of the mutants they had rescued from that... place. Their brokenness. Their need. Surely the time had come for him to lay aside old grievances. He didn't expect that Charles' answer had changed from all those years ago - but even with his insufferable hope, he must see that the current situation was not sustainable.
He still remembered the window that had been Charles' room. It was child's play to circumnavigate any defenses, to slide the window open with the flick of a hand and enter. It was empty. Dark. He let the window close and moved through the space, sensing out each trace of metal. Somehow still familiar, for all the time that had passed, aside from the occasional addition. At length, he took a seat in the chair he had once occupied frequently, and he waited. Not with patience so much as resolution.
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Post by CHARLES XAVIER on May 31, 2021 1:06:03 GMT
It was late, it had been a long day, and all Charles wanted to do was read a bit and go to sleep. A fairly reasonable expectation of what one might do when they retreated into their bedroom at night. There was absolutely no reason for one to expect that a a former friend might have let themselves in through a third story window when there was a perfectly accessible front gate they could have used during any part of day, had they really felt the need to have a conversation.
All that said, Charles entered his room, flicked on the switch to a light beside his bed, and immediately let out a small gasp, his shoulders jumping back in surprise at the sight of another person seated across from him. With the ability to sense minds, Charles was very, very rarely caught unaware by anything. He was unaccustomed to it, unprepared for it, and if he had not recognized the man immediately, he might have reached for the closest thing he could use as a weapon. But he did recognize him, and his expression quickly morphed from one of shock to irritation.
”Bloody hell,” he said, letting out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. It had been five years since he had seen that stupid helmet. ”What are you dong here, Erik?” There was a sharp edge to his voice as he used the older mutant’s name, and he unconsciously shifted into a more defensive posture. Logically, he wasn’t afraid of Erik. He knew that the man wasn’t there to hurt him or his students. But he also knew what Erik was capable of, and subconsciously, Charles, like most people, had a fairly strong sense of self preservation.
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Post by ERIK LEHNSHERR on May 31, 2021 4:46:57 GMT
He sensed Charles' approach, and lifted his head just slightly, waiting for the moment the door would open. He was aware that this was an... unconventional method of obtaining a meeting, but he had no interest in dealing with others at the school. Particularly not when part of him was quite sure Charles would never agree to seeing him again. No; this was better.
He had resolved himself to this fact by the time the light turned on. Charles looked... so very much like Charles, even with the shock written clear across his face - and, if Erik felt a small amount of satisfaction at having been able to surprise him, that was neither here nor there. It certainly didn't show on his face as he steeled himself for a swift rejection, hands tightening on the arms of the chair without his intending them to.
Deciphering Charles' response was difficult. He didn't sound pleased. In fact, he moved as if afraid Erik might attack him, which was insulting until the memory of that day on the beach pushed itself forth into Erik's mind. He'd hit him. He'd lodged a bullet in his spine. He'd murdered Shaw, been willing to murder more... and had done so, since then. It was not that Charles had no reason to fear him. It was that Erik had always found some comfort in the idea that, however ridiculous the notion, Charles had never seen him as - that.
Things might have changed more than he'd anticipated. His eyes were cold, steel grey where they glittered beneath the helmet, his mouth a firm line.
"Haven't you seen the news, Charles?" he drawled, straightening his back but making no move to leave. "Surely you still pay some attention to the world beyond these walls."
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Post by CHARLES XAVIER on May 31, 2021 5:24:45 GMT
Charles just stared at Erik as he straightened up, making no move to leave, offering no greeting, and no explanation for his unprompted appearance outside of a vague insult. Charles was furious with him.. furious he had the audacity to come back there, to break into his home, his room of all places, and then sit there smugly and insult him for not knowing what was going on. But he held onto his composure, knowing that if Erik was here, there was a reason for it. A reason that likely wasn’t going to make him happy, but that he needed to uncover none the less.
”I’m going to need you to be more specific.” he said, without a trace of patience for the back and forth Erik was trying to encourage. He did, in fact listen to the news. Not obsessively, but enough to be fairly up to date on current events. Local reports were often what helped him uncover mutants who needed help in the area, who had inadvertently committed crimes, or were responsible for strange ‘unexplainable’ events. But Erik wouldn’t care about that. The country, no the world, was in a constant state of turmoil. The past few years had held more than enough death and destruction; wars, riots, hate crimes… but there was nothing he could think of that would catch Erik’s attention that he had seen in the past few days.
Now he worried for a whole other reason. ”What happened?” It frustrated him more than ever that he couldn’t read Erik’s mind, that he was at the mercy of waiting for whatever information the man chose to share with him. Had Erik’s… Brotherhood, or whatever they were calling themselves these days, been attacked? Was Raven okay? He didn’t know it he could ever forgive Erik if he had let something happen to her. Not that forgiving Erik was an activity on Charles to-do list in the present. He had given up on that notion when he gave up waiting for the man to show himself years ago.
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Post by ERIK LEHNSHERR on May 31, 2021 6:02:27 GMT
Oh, Charles was most certainly angry. Doing well enough to hide it, remaining composed, but there was no hint of warmth in his expression. The edge did not fade from his tone. It was all Erik could to to keep from shifting uncomfortably. He had not expected to be forgiven, but it was possible he'd underestimated Charles' ability to hold a grudge. The line of his mouth veered toward a frown. Before he could come up with an adequate answer to Charles' request for specificity, Charles continued, apparently realizing that anything that might bring Erik here was cause for concern.
Erik released a sigh that mirrored Charles' frustration, but spoke before said concern could evolve into anything hysterical. "Nothing unusual," he assured him, as if he would have any idea what Erik's 'usual' was. "There was an explosion. A miscalculation. The media caught wind." He lifted a hand to wave it off, because that wasn't entirely the point. His work was not meant to be a secret. In fact, the more exposure the better.
He licked his lips before continuing, at first meeting Charles' gaze. His next words were delivered with steady care, though he could feel the anger rising beneath them. Knew that it would be written plain across his face, even if Charles could not see it there in his mind. It was too much like what had happened before; too much like what he knew men to be capable of. "They experiment on us, Charles. We don't know how they find us - we suspect they've developed a screening method." His lip curled in disgust, and he turned away, jaw ticking as he worked to maintain his control. "I am doing what I can to stop them, but they are relentless."
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Post by CHARLES XAVIER on May 31, 2021 6:42:35 GMT
”So that’s what you’ve been doing then? Blowing up buildings?” Charles questioned, judgement evident in his tone when Erik mentioned the explosion. Casually, as if it was something he was involved in every day. It probably was, Charles thought bitterly, but again he held his tongue and let Erik continue. It was only when Erik’s composure broke that Charles’s features softened, his complex personal feelings for the man seated in front of him set aside to focus on what was clearly a more pressing concern.
”I didn’t know,” he admitted, a hint of apology in his tone. He frowned. He hadn’t gotten wind of anything like that from the news.. but he supposed he wouldn’t have. Erik likely acquired his information from less public, less legal sources. Charles could do the same of course, and more if he wanted to, but he typically didn’t. ”You're sure? Do you know who’s responsible for this? Where it’s happening?”
All at once he had too many questions. ”You know I want to stop this as much as you do.” Charles said. While Erik had never shared Charles’s concern for the well-being of humans caught in the crossfire, Charles did share Erik’s desire to do whatever he could to keep people like them from harm. ”What can I do?” He knew Erik hadn’t broken in just to give him a courtesy call. He expected that he already had a plan of sorts, something that he wouldn’t be able to do without help. Charles didn't expect that he would agree with a single one of Erik's methods, but he was willing to at least hear him out and see if there was something they could reach an agreement on.
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Post by ERIK LEHNSHERR on May 31, 2021 16:13:48 GMT
Charles' assumption felt deserved, even if it stung. Erik hated the fact that he still seemed to care what Charles thought of him. That he had ever cared. He hated that he had come here to ask for help - because he couldn't deny to himself that that was what this was. He had never needed anyone before; had convinced himself over the past handful of years that this still held true. But when Charles softened, when his voice took on that particular, familiar tone, Erik felt treacherous burst of relief.
He fought it back and down. Met Charles' gaze again, sharply, though the steel was gone from his eyes. He wanted to snap that Charles should have known, should have been paying attention, but he didn't know if he could bear to see him shutter closed again. "Yes, I'm sure," he replied curtly, as if he would have come here on an uncertainty. On a whim. "I've seen firsthand the scars they leave." The rush of questions left him reeling, and he could no longer bear to keep still, rising abruptly from the chair and beginning to pace the floor.
"I suspect the government," he explained, followed by a challenging look in case Charles might attempt to speak in their favour. He didn't know how the relationship with the CIA had progressed in the wake of Cuba, though he hoped Charles had seen some sense and kicked them to the curb. "They have multiple locations. For every one we infiltrate, another appears." His movement was a barely-contained violence, cape curling behind him each time he turned. It was only when Charles asked what he could do that Erik paused to scrutinize him, as if he might determine the extent of what Charles was willing to offer in the nuances of his expression.
"Cerebro.," he stated at last, and it was as if he had to force the words out, knowing the ill-concealed desperation behind them, "if you could... find them."
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Post by CHARLES XAVIER on May 31, 2021 19:22:30 GMT
This was the Erik Charles remembered. Driven, energetic, passionate to do what he believed in. This was the Erik Charles had believed in, pacing back and forth, his cape -god he was wearing a cape now- swishing as turned on a heel. Charles didn’t speak until he had finished his explanation, didn’t dare arguing against what Erik had apparently seen with his own eyes.
Did he believe that the entire government had launched some sort of top secret mutant annihilation program purely out of hatred for them? No, not to the extent Erik likely did. But there were plenty of situations mutants could wind up in a position where people simply didn’t understand how to handle them, how to treat them, how to restrain them. Fear made people do terrible, irrational things, and too many people had not yet been able to master the task of loving their human neighbors. What Erik claimed, unfortunately, wasn't out of the realm of possibility.
”Cerebro.” Charles raised an eyebrow at the strain of Erik's request. Erik had never liked Cerebo, something he had made evident to Charles on numerous occasions. Charles might have thought to rub it in that all of a sudden Erik was the one who needed to ‘use’ him in that way, but what he had to say instead, he imagined Erik would want to hear much less.
”I cut ties wit the CIA after Cuba.” Charles admitted. ”I erased Moira’s memories of us.. all of us.” he said, with a touch of emphasis to confirm that yes, Erik had been included in that effort. Outside the two of them and the rest of the mutants who had survived the excursion, there was no one who could say for certain that it was Erik who redirected those missiles at the ships.
That, however, led to the bigger problem. ”I don’t know what happened to Cerebo.. Its possible that it’s still there, or that they’ve moved or destroyed it.” Charles had thought about it from time to time, when it would have been useful for him to be able to extend his powers, to know more about what was going on, or to find people in need of help. Obtaining it had just never seemed like a safe or practical option.
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Post by ERIK LEHNSHERR on Jun 1, 2021 1:38:23 GMT
Erik glowered at Charles' raised eyebrow. Cerebro had... concerned him. In fact, it still did. That power in the wrong hands was potentially devastating, and only the fact that Charles appeared to be singularly capable of its operation had kept him from destroying it back then. It was fortunate for them both that Charles seemed willing to let slide the fact that Erik was suddenly in need of the damnable thing. He was in no mood to have his hypocrisies examined.
As Charles explained that the CIA was no longer in the picture, Erik gave a single nod. The tension eased momentarily from his features. He was impressed; he approved. Especially of the decision to erase all recollection of who they were and what had happened that day. "That was... wise," he grunted, the closest he could bring himself to thanking the other man. And it left him wondering what else had changed in his absence. For a moment, he wished he'd simply paid a social visit here before his work reached its boiling point, but alas - he had not, and now it was too late. And he could not imagine that he would have been accepted then, either.
The brief peace between them dissolved when Charles continued on, admitting that Cerebro was not in his possession. Erik's anger returned in force as he stepped closer, looking incredulously down at his friend. Former friend. It wasn't his intention to intimidate; it was only that he couldn't believe Charles would have allowed it to remain in the possession of humans. "They might still have it?" he asked. "Where did you last see it? They can't be allowed to keep it, Charles. For all we know, this is how they've been finding us!" His voice began to rise, though he quickly remembered where he was - and how unwelcome he was - and stopped himself short of yelling. The dangerously low tone he took was not especially better. "If it still exists, it must be destroyed."
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Post by CHARLES XAVIER on Jun 1, 2021 2:24:01 GMT
Well there it was, yet another way that this whole thing was apparently Charles’s fault. Fortunately, Charles was too irritated by the baseless accusation to be intimidated by his former friend glowering above him. ”You were with me the last time I used it.” he reminded sharply. ”When was I supposed to have gone back for it? After Cuba? I was a little busy.” As the one who hadn’t had to spend weeks in the hospital and months relearning how to do just about everything, maybe Erik should have gone and retrieved the damn machine if he cared so much about it.
But.. as unreasonable as Erik had been.. Charles had to admit he had a point. He knew he wasn’t the only one out there with telepathic abilities. Had the CIA gotten another mutant who was able to use Cerebo, or some how altered the machine to work without mutant readings? One way or another, they did need to find it, and soon. He took a breath to compose himself in the wake of Erik’s rage. ”If destroying it is your intention, then you’re perfectly capable of doing that without my help.” Erik had made it clear that blowing up buildings was just another afternoon for his brotherhood. ”If you would like me to use it, to find the mutants and whoever’s doing this to them, I’ll go with you. But we do this on my terms.”
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Post by ERIK LEHNSHERR on Jun 1, 2021 2:58:57 GMT
The mention of Cuba, post-Cuba, was enough to quiet Erik immediately. Guilt, shame, replaced the anger in a wretched wave, and though he wanted to turn away, wanted to conceal his anguish over his role in what had happened, he felt that he owed it to Charles not to. As long as he wore the helmet, Charles would not know his mind - but Erik didn't want, had never wanted, to hide himself from Charles. From the one person who had seen him as more. It was simply... easier this way. Easier to know that his thoughts could only harm himself. Easier to remain secure in the path he'd chosen.
"Of course you were," he relented, drawing back. Gaze dropping, as if noticing the chair for the first time. But he didn't linger there long. He hadn't come here to speak of the way they'd hurt each other. The way he'd hurt Charles. He still had the bullet; in some ways, it had replaced the coin, though the only enemy it reminded him of was himself.
Charles had a point. Erik could have easily left then and ensured its erasure within the week, if not the day. But he thought of the weeks spent tracking down laboratories, tailing individuals, interpreting whatever intelligence they had scraped together. The way they were often too late, finding places abandoned. The way they didn't always make it in time to save anyone. If Charles was willing to use Cerebro, to help, they might finally gain an upper hand.
Though he suspected that Charles' terms would be nothing short of unbearable. He sighed. "I don't see why you would need to accompany me, let alone want to. It will be dangerous. And I won't hesitate to defend myself."
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Post by CHARLES XAVIER on Jun 1, 2021 3:39:08 GMT
Charles knew he’d touched a nerve, and selfishly, he was glad. Erik should have felt bad, uncomfortable, sorry. All he had wanted for years was for Erik to say he was sorry for how things had turned out that day. Not even for the bullet— that was an accident and Charles didn’t blame him for deflecting the shot away from himself. What he did blame Erik for was what he had done after. How he had used what happened as a platform to start his movement, to stand there and give a speech to divide Charles’s friends and family, and leave him there alone waiting for help. For years Charles wondered if Erik even knew what he had done, how much that single moment had impacted Charles’s life, though seeing the way his eyes settled on the wheelchair, he didn’t seem particularly surprised with the outcome.
So why did Charles want to go on another mission with Erik… Because Erik didn’t have the foresight to even consider that Charles could be useful for more than just his telepathic abilities. ”You’re attempting to steal a large, complex machine with electrical engineering, likely hooked up to one or more of the government’s rotating satellites. Are you planning on just ripping it out of the ground and carrying it back here?” There were a variety of reasons that wouldn’t work. While Charles was no mechanical engineer, having used the machine, he stood a much better chance than Erik of being able to understand the components and how they worked together. ”We don’t know that it can even be moved and reassembled again outside of it’s current location. If it can’t be, I can use it there to find our answers… Besides, you won’t need to defend yourself if no one in the building knows we’re there.” Charles’s abilities happened to make things easier and ensure that less people would be harmed, and that alone was enough of a reason for him to want to accompany Erik.
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Post by ERIK LEHNSHERR on Jun 1, 2021 4:13:51 GMT
Erik suspected that the current effect of Charles' words - as if he were a student being reprimanded for running in the halls - was entirely intentional. Once, Erik had almost enjoyed being lectured by him; the way he came alive with whatever impassioned point he was making, the way he leaned eagerly to hear Erik's rebuttal. This was not like that. And Erik didn't rise to the bait of it. Well, not to the bait of Charles' scorn for what they both knew full well would have been Erik's first suggestion. Instead, he looked at him stonily and replied with a simple, "yes. I could take the entire structure out of the ground."
This was more from a place of stubbornness than anything. A need to remind Charles what he was capable of. He didn't expect it to get the green light, and he could see a certain value in Charles' approach - if only because it meant they would be able to get it up and running more quickly. The idea of using it there, where they would be exposed, was not ideal, but it would be better than nothing. "I suppose I would need you there, if it came to that," he admitted begrudgingly. He wasn't a particular fan of relying on subtlety, either, but if Charles was going to insist on accompanying him, they would need a strategy that wouldn't put him in danger.
"Fine. We'll try it your way," he decided, as if he had any real choice in the matter. After a beat, he added, "promise me that you will give me the locations, when this is done."
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Post by CHARLES XAVIER on Jun 1, 2021 4:28:41 GMT
Erik’s agreement seemed forced and ultimately dismissive of the points Charles had made, but it was best he could have hoped for in the given circumstances. Erik agreed.. he didn’t need to be happy about it. ”I promise you, so long as you promise me there will be no unnecessary bloodshed.” He tilted his head up to meet Erik’s eyes directly for that response. While he understood there were circumstances in which they needed to defend themselves, they were both more than capable of subduing people, and he wouldn’t tolerate one of Erik’s tantrums for no reason.
”You want to do this now, I assume?” The building would likely be emptier, this late at night, and time was of the essence if lives were on the line as Erik seemed to think. ”Did you come here alone, or.. in some type of vehicle?” He really didn’t want to know the details of how Erik had got into the mansion, but he did want to know how they were planning on getting to their destination, and if any of Erik’s.. friends were going to accompany them. ”I’m bringing Sean.” The statement was non-negotiable. If Charles was going to be shielding them, and possibly using Cerebro, he was going to be… distracted, and needed someone there he could trust. Erik was no longer that person.
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Post by ERIK LEHNSHERR on Jun 1, 2021 4:47:55 GMT
Erik looked steadily back at Charles. And knew better than to suggest that all of his bloodshed had been necessary. "I don't enjoy killing," he said instead. It wasn't as if he took pride in it. It wasn't as if he'd asked to become this. But he would not apologize if there were casualties in the quiet war started against them; he would stop at nothing to protect his people. He had enough blood on his hands that a few gallons more wouldn't change anything. All the same, he knew that this was a point Charles would never give way to. "No unnecessary bloodshed." He wondered whether Charles would second-guess his use of the qualifier, or whether he'd intended for it to be something of a loophole.
It was impossible to tell.
"The sooner the better," he replied, glancing toward the clock. Already calculating the distance. Pausing at Charles' question. "I flew here." He hadn't expected to need any other form of transportation. "You must have a car." He stopped short of offering his services in acquiring one, suspecting Charles would not appreciate the sentiment of thievery. As Charles continued, he immediately regretted his self-restraint, a look of confusion and then indignance crossing his face. "Sean? What use is Sean going to be? I thought you wanted subtlety."
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