kairos : peter maximoff/quicksilver

8: "that's a waist of time"

Charles groans and shakes his sore hand, looking anywhere but the ground where Erik is rubbing at his jaw.

"The fuck?" Roxy whispers, biting back a shocked smiles. Charles had always claimed to be adamantly against violence. And now he was going around absolutely decking people.

"Good to see you too, old friend," Erik says. "And walking."

"No thanks to you," Charles growls.

Erik pulls himself back up. "You're the last person in the world I expected to see today."

"Believe me, I wouldn't be here if I didn't have to. If we get you out of here, we do it my way - no killing."

"No helmet," Erik says with a bitter grin. "I couldn't disobey you even if I wanted."

"I'm never getting inside of that head again," Charles sneers stepping closer to the other man.

Peter raises his eyebrows at Roxy, but she only shrugs. Apparently there was a lot she didn't know about good old Charles Xavier.

"I need your word, Erik."

Right as the metal bender grants him the smallest of nods, the doors at the back of the kitchen open, and a group of guards rush in with guns at the ready. "Nobody move!"

Roxy freezes, suddenly tense. Peter glances down at her to see an unreadable expression caught on her face.

"Charles?" Erik looks to the other man, but Charles won't look at him.

"Hands up, or we will shoot!"

Roxy grasps Peter's jacket sleeve, still looking straight ahead at the guards. Her body has rebelled against her, and locked her bones in place. Her throat seizes up, wide eyes locked on the closest guard's gun aimed to fire right at Charles' head. All she can do is stand there, stupid and silent and scared. Suddenly she's thirteen again, trapped between a threat and a wall, praying to a god that didn't answer.

Peter frowns down at her in confusion.

"Freeze them, Charles," Erik commands.

"I can't," Charles murmurs making Erik turn to him.

"Hands up! Now!"

Erik resolutely turns back to the guards, and suddenly the kitchen is rattling and shaking, metal appliances trembling and beginning to life into the air.

"No!" Charles shouts, pushing back on Erik's chest, but before anyone can think to do anything, the guards are thrown though the air and to the ground. Roxy watches one punch himself in the face and another get hit by a flying plate, as her fist grabs at empty air. She looks to the spot where Peter was just standing and finds it abandoned.

Her eyes quickly scan the kitchen, now quiet except for the sound of the sprinklers still raining down from the ceiling, and find the boy on the other side wearing a stolen hat and his Walkman headphones. Their eyes meet, and he sends her a small smile.

Roxy lets out a breath, sagging in relief, rushing across the chaotic room and stepping over an unconscious guard towards him. Hank, Logan, Charles, and Erik stare in shock for a moment before Charles refocuses and follows her over.

Peter grunts as Roxy slams into him, wrapping tight arms around his chest and pressing her forehead into his shoulder. He flounders, surprised at the gesture and unsure of where to put his arms. She was so close. Could she hear his heart thumping like a bass drum?

"Thanks, Maximoff," Roxy mutters.

Peter hesitantly settles with lightly hugging her back, and when he looks past her, Charles has narrowed eyes.