STEEL-MINDED | erik lehnsherr

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Erik wasn't nervous so much as uncertain how things were going to turn out. As he stopped the car and got out he wasn't ready. 

Grace stood in the middle of the empty field, her back to them. Erik clenched his fist, searching for metal in the ground. There were bits and pieces buried beneath the area, enough for him to use if needed.

Adrian patted him on the shoulder which made Erik want to turn around and punch him as hard as he could. Unfortunately, Charles's plan involved him staying fully conscious.

"Just act like you're going along with everything I say," he instructed.

"Why am I doing that again?"

"Coz she'll know that I'm not controlling you the second you don't."

"Erik," Charles called from the car, "I know you don't like it but it needs to be done. This may be the only way to stop her before she does anything on a larger scale."

Erik clenched his jaw. He was not one for following orders.

"If you backstab us I will kill you," he said to Adrian who raised his hands in defence.

"Understood," he said, "Betrayal equals death."

The two men turned Grace.

"She'll kill me," Adrian said, "For everything I did to her."

"I'll kill you for everything you did to her."

"Wait. What do you think I did to her?"

"You forced her to kill over seven hundred people," Erik answered nonchalantly.

"Cool, so we are on the same page."

"I am deadly serious when I say that I'm going to kill you. You destroyed an innocent woman's life and it just so happens that I've grown to care for her," Erik said looking straight at him, "So when I say I will kill you? I will kill you."

Adrian gulped.

"Got it, you're gonna kill me," he said trying it keep his cocky demeanour.

"So are we gonna do this or not?" Erik asked.

"I'm not scared."

"Then let's do this."

"I have the two big dogs for you, Babe!" Adrian announced, leaning on Erik, "The Professor is in the car cause, well, legs."

Grace turned around, unimpressed.

"What about the rest of them?" she asked, "then again I didn't expect anything more."

Erik was almost surprised by her snark. Grace had been kind, respectful, sometimes I bit to kind in letting others problems become her own.

"Ouch," Adrian said but he didn't really sound that hurt, "Do I get my gold now?"

"I asked for X-Men, not two old men, one of whom is still blaming the world for his problems," she snapped, "bring me someone worthy and then you'll get your gold."

She was so scornful, it hurt. Blaming the world for his problems? Was she talking about Erik?

"I assure you, these two are powerful."

"Of course they are but they aren't the most powerful."

"Who did you want instead?" Adrian exclaimed defensively, "Mr. 'Beast Man'?"

"You really have rotted away in prison haven't you."

"Whatever. Do what you want with this guy and I'll get you some really powerful mutants."

"Good idea."

She stalked over to them, stretching her fingers.

"First," she began, "Make him do something."

"What do you want him to do?" Adrian asked bored.

"Make him stab himself in the foot."

Erik's heart sank. If he wanted to give the impression that he was under Adrian's control he needed to do whatever the man said, including if needed stabbing himself in the foot. He tried to remain expressionless.

"Since when are you so sadistic?" Adrian asked nervously. She smiled at him.

"No one in their right mind would do that of their own free will," she explained, trailing a finger down Erik's jawline, "it proves to me that you really do as you said."

"OK."

Adrian really did not want to do this.

"What's he gonna stab himself with?" He asked trying to stall for time.

"We'll find out."

"Ok. Erik you wanna stab yourself in the foot."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Erik clenched his fist and a metal pipe beneath him ripped up through the ground and straight through his foot.

It was agony. He tried to maintain his composure as pain flooded through him. He tried to stay standing.

"Impressive," she said curtly.

Waving her hand the pipe returned to atoms leaving a gaping hole in his foot. The pain started to go away and when he looked down his wound had closed up.

"Matter can do a lot of things," she said to Erik, "including heal wounds."

"What now?" Adrian asked.

"Now you find me some more mutants," she said, "but then again you can't do that. Can you?"

"I don't understand."

"Of course not," she laughed, "as someone whose been under your control for over eight years I know what you can do when you are being controlled."

"I'm sorry?"

"He's not begging nearly enough. Nor is he crying in pain. You can make people do things but you can't control their responses unless you specifically tell them to feel a certain way."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying," Grace began, "it was a good try but I'm not an idiot."

Erik knew they had been discovered. He clenched his fists, the metal rising from the ground into the air.

"Such a shame, really," Grace sighed, "I was looking forward to having you around, Erik."

"Stop this Grace."

"You're no fun," she spat,

"I was gonna make you feel so much pain it was gonna kill you."