A Broken Mind: Cherik

Nine

"The exhilarating ripple of her voice was a wild tonic in the rain."

Charles's heart was pounding oddly. It both pained him to feel it pulsing the way it should, but something was... different. It wasn't the usual sickening feeling that he got just thinking about this vile man, no, it was much more than that. Something that he couldn't fathom.

He sat across from Erik with glazed eyes, casting his gaze away from him stubbornly as he reclined in an armchair opposite the professor. How dare he get comfortable in this place! Why was he even bothering believing Lehnsherr when he already knew this was all going to end with a knife in his back...

The German seemed to be suddenly able to read minds as well and he leaned forward with his elbows resting on his knees, a more meaningful look in his dark and twisted eyes.

"Charles. Look at me."

Charles only gave Erik a slight glance before looking away again, his chin resting on a pale fist stubbornly.

"Look at me, please-"

"-You may control everyone else that blindly follows you, but I do hope it comes to your surprise that I am someone who will not take orders from you."

The professor's snap in such a cross voice made Erik sigh heavily and sit back up a little straighter in his chair. Xavier inwardly felt triumphant for somewhat putting the man in his place. Who did Erik think he was, coming here unannounced and acting as if everything was jolly good!

"Very well, then. But let me advise you that it is only in your best interest to listen to me. I have seen and heard more out there than you would ever know, considering you've locked yourself away in this place. But if you had chosen to be by my side..."

Erik's voice trailed off as a certain expression blazed on Charles's face and he seemed to get the hint to back off of that past. If he so much as dared go there, bloody hell, Xavier would make him regret it.

"Look, what I am here to say is that I was in a... certain situation, and I stumbled across a top secret government file about the termination of you and your school since all of those men believe you're raising some sort of mutant army-"

"-And I am going to stop you right there, Erik."

Charles held up a palm and Lehnsherr yielded despite obviously wanting to speak more.

"Do you honestly believe that those men think that I'm raising an army?" Charles chuckled wryly and shook his head, not looking directly at Erik who shifted uncomfortably now. "Let me make myself plain now, Erik; the government only believes what they do because you chose to start an uprising. All of these innocent people- children- have to live their lives with more fear and danger because of you. Your cause has cost us all our peaceful lives and here you are thinking you can play "hero" by rescuing my dwindling career... So thank you for coming, but I would much appreciate it if you left now- preferably forever."

Erik seemed speechless as Charles unstopped his wheelchair and seemed ready to steer himself out the door, but the German was just as stubborn and held up a hand to stop the metal in the chair from moving. Xavier sighed heavily and let himself be floated back and placed down in the same spot, an ice cold expression on his face now.

"I haven't anything more to say to you."

"I know that, Charles."

"Then let me go. Right now."

"That's just the thing, Charles... I- I think I've realized something and I cannot keep it from you any longer..."

Erik took a deep breath and made the scowl on the professor's face mold into confusion when suddenly the door burst open, making the both of them jump. Hank was standing there, panting wildly as he glared at Lehnsherr before jogging over to Xavier.

"We've gotta go, now."

Charles was bewildered and pressed his hand to his temple to search around them for hostile minds, but Hank shook his head and he slowly lowered his hand. Something so bad that a little psychic insight wouldn't be of help...?

"What's going on, Hank? Are the children in danger?" Xavier asked immediately, his voice shaking slightly as McCoy made to push him out the door, but a blur suddenly cut them off and Erik stood in their way. "Get out of the bloody way, Erik!"

"No! I'm not letting you go like this, Charles! Not again..."

The straight up refusal made Charles want to punch him square in the jaw, but whatever reason Erik would be slowing them down had to be good...

"Please, just hear me out-"

"Oh, there's going to be an "out" alright, and it's you out of the door!" Hank snapped and pushed Charles closer insistently, making him nearly close to being pressed up against Erik which made his heart squirm a little. When was the last time he had been this close to the man...

He smelled of liquor and pine.

"It's the government, isn't it?" Erik asked almost accusingly, his eyes on Charles instead of Hank. "They've come to seize your school and send all the children home, just as I have been trying to tell you!"

"As if!" Hank snapped back and scoffed. "Your- your cronies are coming and they're never up to any good! Raven gave me a message saying to get everyone out before the day is over or we're endangering the students- now get out of the way!"

As Hank managed to shove Charles's wheelchair past Erik, the professor could have sworn he truly saw fear in the German's eyes, making him realize the situation could be much more dire without him. Well, the professor knew when to cut his losses respectfully and if Erik really did want to be useful, then there was no problem, right?

To trust the most disloyal man in the world.

"Wait- Hank, if they come then they might listen to their "leader"," the Brit sighed with defeat and slowly looked over his shoulder at Erik who was still standing shock faced in the doorway. "You're going to have to convince them to stop this madness, you understand? This is your doing and you're going to be the one to make it right, for once. I'm not going to play maid and clean up your mess again."

The opportunity to prove his worthiness of trust to Charles seemed to make the worried German perk up and he nodded. "Will you listen to the rest of what I have to say then...?"

Charles considered but knew that they didn't have much of a choice, so he agreed grudgingly.

"I suppose so..."

What could the message be...? Was it going to be a painstaking reminder of what could have been? Or perhaps Erik would just gloat that he'd won again and send the professor right over the edge.

Either way, Charles knew he wouldn't be prepared for whatever else was so "important" for Erik to tell him...