Memories

Chapter Two

He hadn't intended it to be this way- how could he be have? How could he have planned to injury Charles and leave him on that beach? He couldn't. No, Erik had been overwhelmed. He'd felt betrayed that Charles hadn't seen it Erik's way, that he had chose that woman over his own kind- over Erik.

It was supposed to end up with Erik and Charles ruling the world together, saving mutant-kind together. They would have been unstoppable- invincible, even. With their Charles's clear-headed logic- his serenity- and Erik's single-mindedness- his rage- no one would have been able to stop them. Except for Charles.

Charles had stopped them.

Erik hadn't predicted that Charles would side with the humans. He hadn't predicted Moira shooting at him, and Erik deflecting the bullet right into his close friend's back. He didn't have a Plan B. He'd just had a plan. Now, he always had several plans, all over the same scenario, but with subtle differences.

Now, he always had a Plan B.

That was why in that moment, Erik was concocting several plans as he prepared for the next mission. He sat at his desk in his office in complete silence, door closed and locked to keep his team out. Azazel could always teleport in, but he wouldn't. Azazel knew when to leave Magneto alone.

Somewhere in the house, Mystique was probably lying about with Frost, waiting. Erik knew the two women had become close. Frost had softened her icy exterior to the young, insecure, blue-skinned woman. Raven was still the young girl whom Erik had known at the mansion, who had hid behind behind a façade- on the inside, at least. She didn't show it much around her new teammates except for Frost. She couldn't hide from Emma. No one could.

That was also why Magneto had his helmet on. Emma Frost had no respect for boundaries- much like Charles.

Erik cringed at the thought.

He hated that part of Charles- his telepathic ability. It unnerved him. Erik craved privacy. He needed his head to be his own- Shaw had taken everything except his mind from him. His mind needed to stay his own. Plus, Charles didn't deserve to be haunted by the things he might see within Erik's thoughts, his memories.

Erik used to not even take off the helmet at all. When Frost first joined their team, Erik had been too paranoid to release his thoughts to the blonde, icy telepath. But when Erik had finally asked her why she had been with Shaw (she hadn't seemed nearly sadistic enough to be so close to a man like Sebastian Shaw) she had stated that Magneto hadn't been Shaw's only victim. That had made Erik trust Emma Frost, if only slightly, and only with his dreams. She must have had the same nightmares; no one withstood the torture of Sebastian Shaw and didn't suffer nightmares, even years later. So he felt it was safe to take off his helmet to sleep, leaving his nightmares open for her viewing if she decided to peak in- it was her own sanity that she risked.

But, in daylight, he refused to open himself up to that sort of vulnerability.

He heard a knock on the heavy wooden door to his office. He hummed, moving the lock on his door to unlock it, allowing the person in. Raven tentatively stepped into the room, looking shy.

"Hello," She murmured, and Erik only gave a grunt in response. He was tired, and he had never liked being interrupted. "You've been in here a whole day, so I thought I should bring you this," Raven said, revealing what her hands had been holding behind her back- one hand with a plate full of a sandwich and chips and a bottle of water in the other.

He was surprised- only Charles had ever been concerned of his welfare like this. Then again, they were siblings. Charles had probably instilled a parental, protective instinct in the girl. A small smile played on the vengeful mutant's lips, making Mystique smile as well.

He stood and took it from her, giving her a small 'thank you' in return. "It was no problem, really. I just thought our fearless leader needed some sustenance." Raven giggled, and Erik shook his head in amusement at her behavior. He knew he should be more harsh with her, make her see that the training wasn't going to be as soft as it was when they were with Charles Xavier, but he couldn't bear to say it. She was his one true connection to Charles, even if this would make the team slightly weaker. He wanted her to still be able to have fun.

She should still be able to laugh.

If he was Shaw, he wouldn't let her laugh.

Erik was going to be different from Shaw.

"Well, thank you. You may go now," He said, and she hesitated for a moment. She wanted to ask something. "Do you... Miss him?" He jerked his head so that his eyes met hers. She was genuine, and she also had that stubborn determination in her eyes that she and Charles shared.

"Very much so," Erik finally admitted reluctantly, giving in to the demands as the girl switched her eyes to the wonderful, calm blue of Charles's eyes. She was good. Her eyes switched back to yellow, and Erik glared at her. She smiled, then sauntered out of the room. Where had the confidence suddenly come from?

He collapsed into his chair, taking a chip off the plate he had sat on the desk. He ate the food provided to him and drank the whole water bottle. He'd need the nourishment to finish making these plans.

He spent the next two days holed up in his office, Mystique, being the only one to dare disturb him, bringing him food and water, sometimes coffee, every so often.