Hands of Blue - Chapter Four (4/?)
Title: Hands of Blue
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 2,000 this chapter
Characters: Charles/Erik, background Mystique/Azazel, whole cast.
Warnings: Medical experimentation and torture, psychic violation, some disturbing imagery.
Prompt: From the kinkmeme Here And now Here on the overflow requesting an AU based on the Firefly universe. Charles is captured by an organisation that use him for experiments and try to turn him into a weapon. Erik and the other mutants save him, but his mind is severely damaged.(also updated on the kinkmeme thread)
Link to Prologue and Chapter One
‘I’ve got the power and water running.’ Hank announces as he held the door open for them.
Inside looked like a mausoleum, everything draped in white cloths. Untouched. Preserved.
Charles saw Hank immediately and began making a strange rocking motion, urging Erik to move faster.
‘Teddy!’ he exclaimed.
Hank went to him and crouched beside the wheelchair, gripping Charles’ hand tightly. ‘I’m so sorry, Charles. I should have gotten you out months ago by myself, but, I needed them.’
‘It’s okay.’ Charles smiled widely and placed his other hand on Hank’s shoulder. ‘We all do.’
‘Do what?’
‘Need them.’ Charles said. He raised his arm and pointed directly at Emma. ‘Except her. Can I make her leave?’
‘No.’ Hank said, too sharp and quickly. He gave a tight smile and squeezed Charles’ hand. ‘You’re going to have to keep that big old brain of yours to yourself.’
Charles gave a child-like smile and tilted his head forward. Hank leaned upwards and gave a little head butt to the helmet. As Hank moved to stand, Charles opened his arms and demanded, ‘Teddy hug.’
Blushing to the roots of his hair, Hank awkwardly wrapped his long arms around the seated man and Mystique snickered. Charles returned the hug for a brief moment then sharply pushed him away and folded his arms on his lap. He closed off, withdrawing emotionally and tucking his arms in close. ‘Cold. Smelly.’
Hank nodded in understanding. ‘Okay.’ He turned to Erik. ‘I think I saw a bathroom on the second floor, left up the stairs. Could you lift the wheelchair up there?’
With a smile and a hand on her cocked hip, Mystique asked innocently, ‘How do you know X wasn’t talking about you?’
‘Because I always smell amazing.’ Hank replied, deadpan.
Blue lips stretched over pearly white teeth. She sidled up to Hank and pushed herself onto her toes to kiss his cheek, pausing to inhale once before sliding slowly back to the ground, letting her hand brush down his chest. ‘You’re right.’ She smirked and looked back at her husband. ‘We should keep this one.’
Azazel cocked one dark eyebrow and folded his arms across his broad chest.
Mystique giggled and stepped lightly back, leaning against the doorway in a provocative pose. ‘Come on, Azazel. I need you to help me christen every room in this house.’
Chuckling deeply, Azazel moved forward and picked up his wife by the waist. Immediately, Mystique wrapped her legs around his middle and playfully snapped her teeth at him. He responded by growling and carrying her out of the foyer.
Charles followed them with his eyes, his lips parted slightly as they kissed and left. ‘Erik.’ He said evenly. ‘I would very much like to have a bath now.’
Two gloved fingers flicked and the wheelchair lifted two feet into the air and began hovering up the staircase. The first door on the left turned out to be a huge bathroom. A large tub dominated the far wall, made with marble stonework and ornate taps. The rest of the room was just as clean and preserved as the rest of the mansion, and hot water flowed from the tap when it was turned.
‘You can’t leave him alone.’ Hank commented from the doorway. ‘He’s like a child, he might drown.’
‘Thank you, Beast, now leave.’ Erik ordered. ‘Find something to eat around here, and some clothes, too.’
The moment the door was closed, Charles pulled the cape from his lap and dropped it to the floor. Erik half-turned at the movement, then quickly faced the bath again. He considered for a moment, then upended the years old bottle of bubble bath, squeezing until it was half empty. White foam thickened under the spray of the tap, easily enough to cover Charles’s dignity.
The bathtub filled quickly, Erik dragged a gloveless hand through the water to test its temperature and flicked the water off. Something touched his shoulder and he turned around to see Charles holding out the helmet, giving it to him.
Erik took it warily. ‘You’re not going to dig into my mind this time?’
‘That is impossible.’ Charles said, matter of fact. Spinning the wheels of his chair, Charles manoeuvred into position beside the bath and lifted his arms. Erik peeled off his remaining glove and dropped the pair to the tiles. After a little positioning and lifting, the thin, naked man was lowered gently into the warm water. The tub was still filling, water only beginning to cover Charles’ knees as he sat up, Erik kneeling on the white tiles beside him.
The mess of confusing thoughts wondered through Erik’s mind. He hardly knew where to start. This telepath was obviously powerful, even more than Emma, he wondered to the extent of his abilities. He was also deeply disturbed, had no control over neither actions nor mutation. Still, Charles could prove to be valuable. Did he posses as second mutation that allowed him to move the metal? Was that even possible?
Charles played with the white bubbles, squeezing them through his fingers. ‘You should start there.’ He said.
‘What?’
‘With the metal.’ Charles stated. ‘I can at least answer that.’
Erik’s back straightened and he affixed Charles a hard look. ‘You were reading my mind?’
‘It is compulsory, not impossible, impossible not to.’ Charles murmured.
‘Can you move metal?’
‘No.’ Charles shook his head repeatedly and sank deeper into the water.
‘Then how did you do it?’
Charles stretched out his hand and waggled his fingers demandingly. Erik followed his line of sight and saw the handtowel he obviously wanted. Never having bathed a child before, Erik unbuttoned the cuffs of his shirt and rolled them up to his elbows, exposing his forearms and the blue of his number as he dipped the washcloth into the bubbly water. He lathered soap into the towel and gave it back to Charles to begin washing himself.
‘Optical illusion.’ Charles stated at length.
Erik’s eyebrows rose. ‘It wasn’t real? But Emma knew and she was in her diamond form.’
Charles shook his head repeatedly. ‘Not hallucination, though that is possible.’
Instantly, Erik noticed an ornate knife lying beside him, the words Blood And Honour inscribed in German on the blade. Curious, he picked it up and traced the words. He felt the sharp prick of the blade and saw a bead of red blood well up, but when he looked again, the knife had gone, and his finger was untouched.
‘Basic illusion based on your own memories.’ Charles explained. ‘I can show you some from mine, if you’d like.’
‘But the coin,’ Erik stressed, ‘you didn’t explain how you made the coin move.’
‘Optical illusions work by tricking your brain, objectively know the lines on the paper aren’t moving but mind attempts to convince you otherwise.’ Charles recited. ‘Brain trick.’
‘You said it wasn’t an illusion.’ Erik insisted.
Charles screamed and thumped his fist into the water, throwing bubbles across the room. ‘Not listening to me!’ he yelled. He calmed instantly and smiled sweetly, giggling at Erik’s splashed shirt.
‘Conscious control of power here.’ Charles said, demonstrating by curling one hand into a loose fist and holding it up for Erik to see. ‘Basis of power here.’ He placed his second fist underneath the first. ‘Conscious and submarine.’ He gritted his teeth and stuttered to control himself. ‘Conscious and sub-… subconscious.’
Erik’s lips parted slightly in realisation. ‘You tricked my subconscious into moving the metal and creating the coin?’
‘Remembered my manners. I said please!’ Charles insisted. ‘Asked sweetly and brain did it. You couldn’t force the coin down because…’ Charles spread his hands like starfish on the surface of the water. ‘I didn’t want you to.’
Erik grew power-hungry, imagining the potential. ‘That’s incredible. You can control another mutant’s power and they couldn’t even stop you. How far does it extend? What about physical mutations, like Mystique’s or Beast’s?’
Charles gave him a curious look as he scrubbed the cloth over his chest.
‘I mean, uh,’ feeling ridiculous, Erik corrected himself. ‘Teddy.’
‘Teddy…’ Charles cocked his head and closed his eyes. ‘Teddy is special, can control brain but that would limit his intellect. Could influence special feet…’ He nodded and opened his eyes. He smiled seductively and licked his lips. ‘You’ll find I can be very persuasive.’
The instant attraction and desire that shot through Erik’s gut couldn’t possibly be just from the lustful expression that shapes Charles’ features. He reeled back, breathing sharply and staring in confusion.
‘Sorry, sorry.’ Charles stammered, his cheeks and neck and chest flushing pink from embarrassment. He gathered some bubbles floating in the water and drew them closer to cover his crotch.
‘What the hell was that?’ Erik demanded. He refused to admit his voice was gruffer than usual.
‘Sorry, Red and Blue are…’ Charles trailed off and looked away like a shy schoolboy. ‘Downstairs. Together.’
Understanding clicked in Erik’s mind and he couldn’t help but chuckle. Charles glared at him indignantly. ‘Not funny!’ he insisted. ‘This is why I asked for the helmet.’
‘Asked?’ Erik repeated, remembering the traumatic memories that Charles had called to the surface and lashing out in anger.
Charles chewed his impossibly red bottom lip and gave an apologetic shrug.
‘You manipulated me.’ Erik realised.
Charles nodded slowly. ‘Sorry.’
‘Sorry?’ Erik said, his voice low and dangerous. ‘You force me to recall the dogs and the trains and all you can say is sorry?’
His anger obviously upset Charles, who started sobbing hot wet tears. ‘I just needed the emptrywrong, wanted the silence. You were taking me to Teddy and Red and Blue and the Ice Lady and it’s getting very, very crowded!’ He cried.
Once again, Erik found himself with the impossible task to sooth the frightened man. His mood swings were fast enough to break his neck.
‘How did you know what I would do?’ Erik asked, trying to move on Charles’ train of thought.
‘I know everything about you.’ Charles said simply. ‘Everything.’ He released a little sigh of breath and straightened his thin shoulders. ‘I would like to get out now.’
Erik stood up and checked outside the bathroom door to find a set of white and blue striped pyjamas for Charles to wear. He brought them back inside and placed them on the edge of the bath.
‘Helmet goes back on.’ Charles insisted, wagging his finger at Erik until he nodded. The washcloth was flattened between Charles’ hands and spread out onto his bald head, covering up his twin surgery scars. ‘Keeping brain to myself.’
‘Why can you be around me, then?’ Erik asked.
‘I already know you.’ Charles said. ‘And you’re a good man.’
‘I’m not a good man.’ Erik said. He looked towards the door and gave a little sigh. ‘But I’ve got good men with me, and that’s a start.’
The process to get Charles out of the bathtub was particularly difficult, made no easier but Charles’ moods changing instantly, from being helpful to angry and stubborn.
After half an hour or so, Charles was dressed in warm flannel and sitting upright in his wheelchair. His stomach made a growling noise that Charles tried to imitate.
What struck Erik most besides the sheer power Charles possessed was his receptiveness to psychic suggestion. When he got impatient with Charles’ stubborn refusal to move, Erik yelled at him internally and the other man would acquiesce. Erik absently thought how tired his was and Charles yawned.
Erik collected the abandoned cape and tucked it under his arm while Charles wiggled his fingers in the direction of the metal helmet. After confirming that Charles wanted the helmet to block his telepathy, Erik slid it down over his shaved skull, levitated the wheelchair downstairs and brought Charles into the kitchen. While everyone else was occupied, Emma had obviously taken the stolen car into town and bought some of the basics. Hank was slicing ham for some sandwiches but stopped when Erik entered.
Charles grumpily crossed his arms and scowled at Emma when she offered him a sandwich. The young scientist put down the knife and approached Erik.
‘Magneto, I need to talk to you.’
Erik turned to him, levelling Hank with a steady stare.
‘It’s about Charles’ legs.’
Chapter Five
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 2,000 this chapter
Characters: Charles/Erik, background Mystique/Azazel, whole cast.
Warnings: Medical experimentation and torture, psychic violation, some disturbing imagery.
Prompt: From the kinkmeme Here And now Here on the overflow requesting an AU based on the Firefly universe. Charles is captured by an organisation that use him for experiments and try to turn him into a weapon. Erik and the other mutants save him, but his mind is severely damaged.(also updated on the kinkmeme thread)
Summary:When Erik met and saved Charles, the telepath had endured years of torture. The ruthless Magneto sees himself in the broken and shattered mutant who should have been his friend. AU - Firefly inspired.
Link to Prologue and Chapter One
The Xavier mansion had visually suffered from years of neglect. The gardens were full of weeds and ivy tangled up the walls beyond tasteful aethstetics. There was mould growing on the windows and the door let out a wailing creak when it opened from the inside.
‘I’ve got the power and water running.’ Hank announces as he held the door open for them.
Inside looked like a mausoleum, everything draped in white cloths. Untouched. Preserved.
Charles saw Hank immediately and began making a strange rocking motion, urging Erik to move faster.
‘Teddy!’ he exclaimed.
Hank went to him and crouched beside the wheelchair, gripping Charles’ hand tightly. ‘I’m so sorry, Charles. I should have gotten you out months ago by myself, but, I needed them.’
‘It’s okay.’ Charles smiled widely and placed his other hand on Hank’s shoulder. ‘We all do.’
‘Do what?’
‘Need them.’ Charles said. He raised his arm and pointed directly at Emma. ‘Except her. Can I make her leave?’
‘No.’ Hank said, too sharp and quickly. He gave a tight smile and squeezed Charles’ hand. ‘You’re going to have to keep that big old brain of yours to yourself.’
Charles gave a child-like smile and tilted his head forward. Hank leaned upwards and gave a little head butt to the helmet. As Hank moved to stand, Charles opened his arms and demanded, ‘Teddy hug.’
Blushing to the roots of his hair, Hank awkwardly wrapped his long arms around the seated man and Mystique snickered. Charles returned the hug for a brief moment then sharply pushed him away and folded his arms on his lap. He closed off, withdrawing emotionally and tucking his arms in close. ‘Cold. Smelly.’
Hank nodded in understanding. ‘Okay.’ He turned to Erik. ‘I think I saw a bathroom on the second floor, left up the stairs. Could you lift the wheelchair up there?’
With a smile and a hand on her cocked hip, Mystique asked innocently, ‘How do you know X wasn’t talking about you?’
‘Because I always smell amazing.’ Hank replied, deadpan.
Blue lips stretched over pearly white teeth. She sidled up to Hank and pushed herself onto her toes to kiss his cheek, pausing to inhale once before sliding slowly back to the ground, letting her hand brush down his chest. ‘You’re right.’ She smirked and looked back at her husband. ‘We should keep this one.’
Azazel cocked one dark eyebrow and folded his arms across his broad chest.
Mystique giggled and stepped lightly back, leaning against the doorway in a provocative pose. ‘Come on, Azazel. I need you to help me christen every room in this house.’
Chuckling deeply, Azazel moved forward and picked up his wife by the waist. Immediately, Mystique wrapped her legs around his middle and playfully snapped her teeth at him. He responded by growling and carrying her out of the foyer.
Charles followed them with his eyes, his lips parted slightly as they kissed and left. ‘Erik.’ He said evenly. ‘I would very much like to have a bath now.’
Two gloved fingers flicked and the wheelchair lifted two feet into the air and began hovering up the staircase. The first door on the left turned out to be a huge bathroom. A large tub dominated the far wall, made with marble stonework and ornate taps. The rest of the room was just as clean and preserved as the rest of the mansion, and hot water flowed from the tap when it was turned.
‘You can’t leave him alone.’ Hank commented from the doorway. ‘He’s like a child, he might drown.’
‘Thank you, Beast, now leave.’ Erik ordered. ‘Find something to eat around here, and some clothes, too.’
The moment the door was closed, Charles pulled the cape from his lap and dropped it to the floor. Erik half-turned at the movement, then quickly faced the bath again. He considered for a moment, then upended the years old bottle of bubble bath, squeezing until it was half empty. White foam thickened under the spray of the tap, easily enough to cover Charles’s dignity.
The bathtub filled quickly, Erik dragged a gloveless hand through the water to test its temperature and flicked the water off. Something touched his shoulder and he turned around to see Charles holding out the helmet, giving it to him.
Erik took it warily. ‘You’re not going to dig into my mind this time?’
‘That is impossible.’ Charles said, matter of fact. Spinning the wheels of his chair, Charles manoeuvred into position beside the bath and lifted his arms. Erik peeled off his remaining glove and dropped the pair to the tiles. After a little positioning and lifting, the thin, naked man was lowered gently into the warm water. The tub was still filling, water only beginning to cover Charles’ knees as he sat up, Erik kneeling on the white tiles beside him.
The mess of confusing thoughts wondered through Erik’s mind. He hardly knew where to start. This telepath was obviously powerful, even more than Emma, he wondered to the extent of his abilities. He was also deeply disturbed, had no control over neither actions nor mutation. Still, Charles could prove to be valuable. Did he posses as second mutation that allowed him to move the metal? Was that even possible?
Charles played with the white bubbles, squeezing them through his fingers. ‘You should start there.’ He said.
‘What?’
‘With the metal.’ Charles stated. ‘I can at least answer that.’
Erik’s back straightened and he affixed Charles a hard look. ‘You were reading my mind?’
‘It is compulsory, not impossible, impossible not to.’ Charles murmured.
‘Can you move metal?’
‘No.’ Charles shook his head repeatedly and sank deeper into the water.
‘Then how did you do it?’
Charles stretched out his hand and waggled his fingers demandingly. Erik followed his line of sight and saw the handtowel he obviously wanted. Never having bathed a child before, Erik unbuttoned the cuffs of his shirt and rolled them up to his elbows, exposing his forearms and the blue of his number as he dipped the washcloth into the bubbly water. He lathered soap into the towel and gave it back to Charles to begin washing himself.
‘Optical illusion.’ Charles stated at length.
Erik’s eyebrows rose. ‘It wasn’t real? But Emma knew and she was in her diamond form.’
Charles shook his head repeatedly. ‘Not hallucination, though that is possible.’
Instantly, Erik noticed an ornate knife lying beside him, the words Blood And Honour inscribed in German on the blade. Curious, he picked it up and traced the words. He felt the sharp prick of the blade and saw a bead of red blood well up, but when he looked again, the knife had gone, and his finger was untouched.
‘Basic illusion based on your own memories.’ Charles explained. ‘I can show you some from mine, if you’d like.’
‘But the coin,’ Erik stressed, ‘you didn’t explain how you made the coin move.’
‘Optical illusions work by tricking your brain, objectively know the lines on the paper aren’t moving but mind attempts to convince you otherwise.’ Charles recited. ‘Brain trick.’
‘You said it wasn’t an illusion.’ Erik insisted.
Charles screamed and thumped his fist into the water, throwing bubbles across the room. ‘Not listening to me!’ he yelled. He calmed instantly and smiled sweetly, giggling at Erik’s splashed shirt.
‘Conscious control of power here.’ Charles said, demonstrating by curling one hand into a loose fist and holding it up for Erik to see. ‘Basis of power here.’ He placed his second fist underneath the first. ‘Conscious and submarine.’ He gritted his teeth and stuttered to control himself. ‘Conscious and sub-… subconscious.’
Erik’s lips parted slightly in realisation. ‘You tricked my subconscious into moving the metal and creating the coin?’
‘Remembered my manners. I said please!’ Charles insisted. ‘Asked sweetly and brain did it. You couldn’t force the coin down because…’ Charles spread his hands like starfish on the surface of the water. ‘I didn’t want you to.’
Erik grew power-hungry, imagining the potential. ‘That’s incredible. You can control another mutant’s power and they couldn’t even stop you. How far does it extend? What about physical mutations, like Mystique’s or Beast’s?’
Charles gave him a curious look as he scrubbed the cloth over his chest.
‘I mean, uh,’ feeling ridiculous, Erik corrected himself. ‘Teddy.’
‘Teddy…’ Charles cocked his head and closed his eyes. ‘Teddy is special, can control brain but that would limit his intellect. Could influence special feet…’ He nodded and opened his eyes. He smiled seductively and licked his lips. ‘You’ll find I can be very persuasive.’
The instant attraction and desire that shot through Erik’s gut couldn’t possibly be just from the lustful expression that shapes Charles’ features. He reeled back, breathing sharply and staring in confusion.
‘Sorry, sorry.’ Charles stammered, his cheeks and neck and chest flushing pink from embarrassment. He gathered some bubbles floating in the water and drew them closer to cover his crotch.
‘What the hell was that?’ Erik demanded. He refused to admit his voice was gruffer than usual.
‘Sorry, Red and Blue are…’ Charles trailed off and looked away like a shy schoolboy. ‘Downstairs. Together.’
Understanding clicked in Erik’s mind and he couldn’t help but chuckle. Charles glared at him indignantly. ‘Not funny!’ he insisted. ‘This is why I asked for the helmet.’
‘Asked?’ Erik repeated, remembering the traumatic memories that Charles had called to the surface and lashing out in anger.
Charles chewed his impossibly red bottom lip and gave an apologetic shrug.
‘You manipulated me.’ Erik realised.
Charles nodded slowly. ‘Sorry.’
‘Sorry?’ Erik said, his voice low and dangerous. ‘You force me to recall the dogs and the trains and all you can say is sorry?’
His anger obviously upset Charles, who started sobbing hot wet tears. ‘I just needed the emptrywrong, wanted the silence. You were taking me to Teddy and Red and Blue and the Ice Lady and it’s getting very, very crowded!’ He cried.
Once again, Erik found himself with the impossible task to sooth the frightened man. His mood swings were fast enough to break his neck.
‘How did you know what I would do?’ Erik asked, trying to move on Charles’ train of thought.
‘I know everything about you.’ Charles said simply. ‘Everything.’ He released a little sigh of breath and straightened his thin shoulders. ‘I would like to get out now.’
Erik stood up and checked outside the bathroom door to find a set of white and blue striped pyjamas for Charles to wear. He brought them back inside and placed them on the edge of the bath.
‘Helmet goes back on.’ Charles insisted, wagging his finger at Erik until he nodded. The washcloth was flattened between Charles’ hands and spread out onto his bald head, covering up his twin surgery scars. ‘Keeping brain to myself.’
‘Why can you be around me, then?’ Erik asked.
‘I already know you.’ Charles said. ‘And you’re a good man.’
‘I’m not a good man.’ Erik said. He looked towards the door and gave a little sigh. ‘But I’ve got good men with me, and that’s a start.’
The process to get Charles out of the bathtub was particularly difficult, made no easier but Charles’ moods changing instantly, from being helpful to angry and stubborn.
After half an hour or so, Charles was dressed in warm flannel and sitting upright in his wheelchair. His stomach made a growling noise that Charles tried to imitate.
What struck Erik most besides the sheer power Charles possessed was his receptiveness to psychic suggestion. When he got impatient with Charles’ stubborn refusal to move, Erik yelled at him internally and the other man would acquiesce. Erik absently thought how tired his was and Charles yawned.
Erik collected the abandoned cape and tucked it under his arm while Charles wiggled his fingers in the direction of the metal helmet. After confirming that Charles wanted the helmet to block his telepathy, Erik slid it down over his shaved skull, levitated the wheelchair downstairs and brought Charles into the kitchen. While everyone else was occupied, Emma had obviously taken the stolen car into town and bought some of the basics. Hank was slicing ham for some sandwiches but stopped when Erik entered.
Charles grumpily crossed his arms and scowled at Emma when she offered him a sandwich. The young scientist put down the knife and approached Erik.
‘Magneto, I need to talk to you.’
Erik turned to him, levelling Hank with a steady stare.
‘It’s about Charles’ legs.’
Chapter Five