In the Eyes of the Beholder (Part 6)
Author Note: With any luck Lj will be a little more stable. Here is what I have to this point. It might take me a day or so to get the next piece up. Sorry.
Hank came to Erik in a panic. Charles had gotten up and left the infirmary without Hank seeing him. He didn’t know where Charles was.
Erik got everyone together and they made a search plan the house and the grounds.
“How far can a blind man get?” asked Alex as they split up.
The answer was far apparently. The room to room search was fruitless. Sean was having no more luck from the air of spotting Charles on the ground.
Erik went back to the study to get a flashlight he knew was there because it was getting dark outside. Out of the corner of his eye he saw movement. He turned to see Charles running through the patio door and out across the expanse of lawn. He had to process what he was seeing for a moment because Charles had to be able to see where he was going.
“Raven!” Erik shouted “He just ran out of the study. Get the others.” He sprinted after Charles.
Erik ran across the lawn and just saw Charles sprint into a thicket that was in front of a small wooded area that they had used for training. He followed through as the branches and thorns tore his clothing as he tried to catch up Charles. He didn’t think about the pain. Pain had been a part of him for so long that he had learn to ignore it unless he needed it.
He broke through into the woods and stopped trying to figure out where Charles had gone.
Hello Erik came the voice in his head. It was Charles but it didn’t feel like Charles. he knew that Emma was still in CIA custody so was there another telepath out there?
No Erik. Just me. came the odd voice in his head.
“Charles?” he said out loud.
He heard a giggle that froze him to the core. He had heard that sound before at the camps. Those who made it were not in their right mind.
He turned on the flashlight and shone it around the woods. He heard a rustle in the trees. He turned the flashlight to see two squirrels running through the branches. He was not expected the tackle from behind. His search for Shaw had given him some skills that allowed him to roll into the attack and grab the man who tackled him.
He looked into the face of madness. This was not Charles.
Charles pulled free and grinned a maniacal grin.
What are you going to do now Metal Man? Erik felt like Charles was shouting into his skull. He put his hands to the sides of his head and fell to his knees.
Images were being pulled from his head. He found himself in the middle of the camp again surrounded by the dead and the dying. A voice whispered in his ear ‘Why didn’t you save them? You have the power. There was metal all around you? What stopped you? You let them all die.
Erik shouted “STOP IT!”
The images vanished and he found himself looking up at Charles but not Charles. The eyes were wild and almost animalistic. Then Charles screamed and clutched his head. When Charles’ opened his eyes, Erik could see his friend again.
“Kill me Erik! You have to kill me before he…” Charles screamed again and fell to the ground. “Erik promise me that you will kill me!” He started foaming at the mouth and then went unconscious. Erik picked him up and carried him back to the infirmary.
“Strap him down” he ordered Hank and left to take care of his scraps and bruises.
Hank came to Erik in a panic. Charles had gotten up and left the infirmary without Hank seeing him. He didn’t know where Charles was.
Erik got everyone together and they made a search plan the house and the grounds.
“How far can a blind man get?” asked Alex as they split up.
The answer was far apparently. The room to room search was fruitless. Sean was having no more luck from the air of spotting Charles on the ground.
Erik went back to the study to get a flashlight he knew was there because it was getting dark outside. Out of the corner of his eye he saw movement. He turned to see Charles running through the patio door and out across the expanse of lawn. He had to process what he was seeing for a moment because Charles had to be able to see where he was going.
“Raven!” Erik shouted “He just ran out of the study. Get the others.” He sprinted after Charles.
Erik ran across the lawn and just saw Charles sprint into a thicket that was in front of a small wooded area that they had used for training. He followed through as the branches and thorns tore his clothing as he tried to catch up Charles. He didn’t think about the pain. Pain had been a part of him for so long that he had learn to ignore it unless he needed it.
He broke through into the woods and stopped trying to figure out where Charles had gone.
Hello Erik came the voice in his head. It was Charles but it didn’t feel like Charles. he knew that Emma was still in CIA custody so was there another telepath out there?
No Erik. Just me. came the odd voice in his head.
“Charles?” he said out loud.
He heard a giggle that froze him to the core. He had heard that sound before at the camps. Those who made it were not in their right mind.
He turned on the flashlight and shone it around the woods. He heard a rustle in the trees. He turned the flashlight to see two squirrels running through the branches. He was not expected the tackle from behind. His search for Shaw had given him some skills that allowed him to roll into the attack and grab the man who tackled him.
He looked into the face of madness. This was not Charles.
Charles pulled free and grinned a maniacal grin.
What are you going to do now Metal Man? Erik felt like Charles was shouting into his skull. He put his hands to the sides of his head and fell to his knees.
Images were being pulled from his head. He found himself in the middle of the camp again surrounded by the dead and the dying. A voice whispered in his ear ‘Why didn’t you save them? You have the power. There was metal all around you? What stopped you? You let them all die.
Erik shouted “STOP IT!”
The images vanished and he found himself looking up at Charles but not Charles. The eyes were wild and almost animalistic. Then Charles screamed and clutched his head. When Charles’ opened his eyes, Erik could see his friend again.
“Kill me Erik! You have to kill me before he…” Charles screamed again and fell to the ground. “Erik promise me that you will kill me!” He started foaming at the mouth and then went unconscious. Erik picked him up and carried him back to the infirmary.
“Strap him down” he ordered Hank and left to take care of his scraps and bruises.