X-Men Fic: To Buy Free the Cost is Nothing
Posted to erik_charles
Title: To Buy Free the Cost is Nothing
Pairing/Characters: Erik/Charles, Alex, Sean
Rating: PG13
Spoilers: XMFC
Summary: Charles figures out a way to keep Erik from becoming a mass murderer (AU)
Notes/Warnings: Read the disclaimer on my LJ
"No!"
Charles tackles Erik, trying to draw his concentration away from aiming the missiles and they do falter, some explode, but it's only for a brief second or two. Erik's had a lifetime to learn how to fight like a mercenary. Charles is just a mere academic fueled by the passionate desire to both save the humans and Erik.
Blows rain down and he can only stand so long, there has to be another way.
"I won't let you..." he manages before a right cross steals his words, whipping his head over so he meets the gaze of the frightened children.
But Erik is right, they're not children anymore.
'Forgive me,' he thinks, but it's not directed at Erik.
A second later Alex is stunned to see his powers go off; it's not him controlling them.
Charles lays on the sand pouring part of his energy into controlling Havok's powers and the rest out to the boats, trying to get into the minds of the captains so they'll fire on their own torpedoes to stop at least some of them.
The first few shots fired from the ships are barely audible in his ears, the rush of white noise from the intense mind control almost drowning out even Erik's nearby yells of futility as his bombs blow up on him.
Erik tries to turn on Alex, to stop him, but Sean is right there with a Banshee scream to make him falter yet again.
Charles lifts his head to the sky with the last of his energy and sees the final bombs explode in Havok's red rays.
He has no idea how he's going to get them off the island if there's another attack, but for now he's given all he can.
He lets Alex go, lets everything go and sinks into the sand a specter of his former self - a shell, empty and vacant, with only one hollow thought echoing.
He stopped the war: for now.
Some part of his body registers strong arms lifting him, holding him and somewhere a voice is calling his name. It might be Erik, it feels like Erik, but Charles has nothing left with which to respond.
Oblivion beckons and with it comes a peace he bought with the highest price he could spare.
-x-
"No!"
Erik is caught off guard when Charles - academic Charles - tackles him to the ground. It's a senseless fight, one he can't win, but Charles seems determined to at least try to stop him.
Erik's experience kicks in and he rains down punishing blows to bring a quick ending. It's only when he's partway through a wicked right cross that it hits him it's Charles he's beating, Charles: who is trying to say "I won't let you..." when Erik knocks him out.
He's stunned for a split second at how wrong this is. They should never have turned against each other like this: friend to friend, mutant to mutant, brother to brother. It's the humans who have done this, created such a rift that they came to blows over it.
His attention returns to sending the missiles back to the men who fired them, his ire renewed by his hatred for what they've made him do to the best friend he ever had.
They're on their way when suddenly they start exploding, red rays spraying havoc across the heavens, forcing them to explode before they reach their destination.
Erik turns, furious that Alex should intervene, but he can tell - like the rest of them - from the stunned expression on Alex's face that he's just as surprised as they are. Clearly he's not the one driving: Charles has to be in control.
He yells in frustration and raises his hand to Alex to stop him, but Sean stands beside his teammate and aims a viciously loud scream at Erik, forcing him to rip off his helmet so he can cover his ears against the pain.
He's losing the last of the bombs - the ships are joining in by firing on their own purloined weapons - but he can't bear the sound and focus on his powers. He turns to find the last of them are gone from the sky: it's over.
Erik's anger fades as he stares off at the ships in the harbor, some of which are already turning to leave.
In the battle of humans against mutants, humans didn't win, but neither did the mutants.
In the final estimation, it was Charles who won - the one person who got what he wanted: war averted, humans saved, mutants saved and Erik not to become a mass murderer.
His attention turns to Charles, but he's still lying on the beach where Erik left him. He should be getting up, telling the team they did a good job, accepting Erik's apology. Only he's disturbingly still, something that makes Erik's chest clench as he runs the short distance to fall to his knees and scoop Charles up in his arms.
He's limp, seemingly lifeless, barely breathing and Erik calls out his name to no avail. He clutches Charles to him, holding him tightly as the others gaze on in shock and concern. It's then Erik realizes that the ships wouldn't have fired on their own missiles without intervention. It was Charles, not only controlling Havok, but the captains too, all at once.
Erik closes his eyes and wills Charles to still be in there, in the empty shell that feels vacant without the beautiful spark in those blue eyes.
He'd told Charles peace wasn't an option.
Charles had decided otherwise, but he hadn't prepared Erik for the cost.
(X)
Title: To Buy Free the Cost is Nothing
Pairing/Characters: Erik/Charles, Alex, Sean
Rating: PG13
Spoilers: XMFC
Summary: Charles figures out a way to keep Erik from becoming a mass murderer (AU)
Notes/Warnings: Read the disclaimer on my LJ
"No!"
Charles tackles Erik, trying to draw his concentration away from aiming the missiles and they do falter, some explode, but it's only for a brief second or two. Erik's had a lifetime to learn how to fight like a mercenary. Charles is just a mere academic fueled by the passionate desire to both save the humans and Erik.
Blows rain down and he can only stand so long, there has to be another way.
"I won't let you..." he manages before a right cross steals his words, whipping his head over so he meets the gaze of the frightened children.
But Erik is right, they're not children anymore.
'Forgive me,' he thinks, but it's not directed at Erik.
A second later Alex is stunned to see his powers go off; it's not him controlling them.
Charles lays on the sand pouring part of his energy into controlling Havok's powers and the rest out to the boats, trying to get into the minds of the captains so they'll fire on their own torpedoes to stop at least some of them.
The first few shots fired from the ships are barely audible in his ears, the rush of white noise from the intense mind control almost drowning out even Erik's nearby yells of futility as his bombs blow up on him.
Erik tries to turn on Alex, to stop him, but Sean is right there with a Banshee scream to make him falter yet again.
Charles lifts his head to the sky with the last of his energy and sees the final bombs explode in Havok's red rays.
He has no idea how he's going to get them off the island if there's another attack, but for now he's given all he can.
He lets Alex go, lets everything go and sinks into the sand a specter of his former self - a shell, empty and vacant, with only one hollow thought echoing.
He stopped the war: for now.
Some part of his body registers strong arms lifting him, holding him and somewhere a voice is calling his name. It might be Erik, it feels like Erik, but Charles has nothing left with which to respond.
Oblivion beckons and with it comes a peace he bought with the highest price he could spare.
-x-
"No!"
Erik is caught off guard when Charles - academic Charles - tackles him to the ground. It's a senseless fight, one he can't win, but Charles seems determined to at least try to stop him.
Erik's experience kicks in and he rains down punishing blows to bring a quick ending. It's only when he's partway through a wicked right cross that it hits him it's Charles he's beating, Charles: who is trying to say "I won't let you..." when Erik knocks him out.
He's stunned for a split second at how wrong this is. They should never have turned against each other like this: friend to friend, mutant to mutant, brother to brother. It's the humans who have done this, created such a rift that they came to blows over it.
His attention returns to sending the missiles back to the men who fired them, his ire renewed by his hatred for what they've made him do to the best friend he ever had.
They're on their way when suddenly they start exploding, red rays spraying havoc across the heavens, forcing them to explode before they reach their destination.
Erik turns, furious that Alex should intervene, but he can tell - like the rest of them - from the stunned expression on Alex's face that he's just as surprised as they are. Clearly he's not the one driving: Charles has to be in control.
He yells in frustration and raises his hand to Alex to stop him, but Sean stands beside his teammate and aims a viciously loud scream at Erik, forcing him to rip off his helmet so he can cover his ears against the pain.
He's losing the last of the bombs - the ships are joining in by firing on their own purloined weapons - but he can't bear the sound and focus on his powers. He turns to find the last of them are gone from the sky: it's over.
Erik's anger fades as he stares off at the ships in the harbor, some of which are already turning to leave.
In the battle of humans against mutants, humans didn't win, but neither did the mutants.
In the final estimation, it was Charles who won - the one person who got what he wanted: war averted, humans saved, mutants saved and Erik not to become a mass murderer.
His attention turns to Charles, but he's still lying on the beach where Erik left him. He should be getting up, telling the team they did a good job, accepting Erik's apology. Only he's disturbingly still, something that makes Erik's chest clench as he runs the short distance to fall to his knees and scoop Charles up in his arms.
He's limp, seemingly lifeless, barely breathing and Erik calls out his name to no avail. He clutches Charles to him, holding him tightly as the others gaze on in shock and concern. It's then Erik realizes that the ships wouldn't have fired on their own missiles without intervention. It was Charles, not only controlling Havok, but the captains too, all at once.
Erik closes his eyes and wills Charles to still be in there, in the empty shell that feels vacant without the beautiful spark in those blue eyes.
He'd told Charles peace wasn't an option.
Charles had decided otherwise, but he hadn't prepared Erik for the cost.
(X)