STEEL-MINDED | erik lehnsherr

CHAPTER TWENTY

"It's sad, really?" Grace said, "I wanted this to work but I guess you aren't even the bad guy."

The metal spun in the air, Erik waiting for her to act first. He really didn't want to hurt her if he didn't need to.

"Before we throw hands, I'm going to deal with our cockroach problem."

Clenching her fist the dirt in front of Adrian hardened before spurting up in a spike. It would have impaled him had it not been for the metal Erik put down in its path.

"I thought we'd already established that metal can't stop me," she said, "and why would you bother saving him? He is of no use to yo-"

She froze, frowning.

"You're going to use him against me?"

She laughed.

"Pathetic," she growled.

"He's in your head," Erik said, "I know you. This destruction, this isn't you Grace."

"You don't know me, Erik," she said, "and as cliche, as it sounds even if you did how would you know this isn't me?"

"Because this is what I wanted," he said.

She faltered, her smile breaking before she returned it.

"You first had your little blip after I talked to you about how nasty I thought people were," he continued, "And every time I brought it up a little bit more of you began to agree with me and do you know what I think?"

She shuddered.

"Stop it," she snarled.

"I think the thing in your head agrees with me."

The metal in front of Adrian turned to dust.

"It's controlling you, Grace," he said, "It's a shadow of this man-" He gestured at Adrian. "-a man with the power to tell people what to do regardless of what they want! If you think for a second it's letting you decide then you're blind!"

"Stop it!"

"You didn't want it in your head," Erik said, "It hurt you. You cried about it, I remember you crying."

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"I do," he said, "And I think you've lost your way."

"I remember when you came to my school," Adrian said. His eyes had glossed over and his body was stiff.

"Charles," she snarled.

"You were alone and broken," he continued, "You needed someone to be your friend and I'm sorry that I couldn't be that for you."

She put her hands to her ears and the ground began to shift beneath their feet.

"Grace," he said, "You need to stop this or I will."

"Get out!"

It was then that Erik got the feeling she wasn't just talking to them. As she knelt on the ground, knuckles white as she gripped her head. It took a second for Erik to realise that blood had begun to drip from her mouth, just like at the school before she'd had her drastic switch.

"Do it, Charles," he said. As much as he knew it would hurt her she would suffer more if they didn't.

"I'm giving you a chance to stop this, Grace," Charles/Adrian said.

"She can't, Charles," Erik said, "it's controlling her."

Charles/Adrian turned to him before their features softened as they realised what he meant.

"Grace." Erik felt a shift in their voice, a switch been flicked and their words were now a command. "You are going to stop...."

"No, please!" she cried, "Why can't you just leave me alone?"

Erik wanted to comfort her, wrap his arms around her and tell her it was okay. But that wasn't going to work today.

"Just go away!"

"You can't use your mutation," Charles/Adrian finished.

Grace stopped moving, the ground returning to its normally stable condition. She looked up slowly, a stream of blood dripping off her chin. Her eyes cleared, a shadow Erik hadn't noticed was there dispersed. The tears on her cheeks finished falling, finding a place in the dirt. 

"What?" she whispered.

"You can no longer use your mutation," Charles/Adrian repeated.

Grace looked down at her hands. A sense of finality sank in and let out a sigh.

She laughed. Softly at first but it grew deeper as she let what had happened wash over her again and again.

"He doesn't want me anymore," she said, "He doesn't need me."

"What happened?"

Erik turned to find Adrian teetering slightly. He ignored the mutant and knelt down in front of Grace. He reached out, placing a hand on her shoulder. She shuddered at the touch.

"It's OK now," Erik said, "Everything's OK now."

"It's not. It's not," she whimpered, her laughter fading, "He's still in my head. It's my fault. I failed. I can't... I'm sorry. Please, just let me go."

She dug her nails into the dirt as she shook.

"Make it end," she cried, "Please."

"Talk to me, Grace," Erik said, "Tell me what's happening."

"I didn't listen," she hissed, "I don't want to die."

"No more doing what I say," Adrian said, squatting down beside her.

He seemed solemn as he watched her cry and writhe. It was almost as if he felt bad.

"You are no longer susceptible to my mutation," he said.

She stopped shaking and looked up to him. Relief flooded through her and she relaxed.

"Why are you here?" she choked out.

"Because I hurt you, and I'm sorry," he said, "I loved you and I didn't know how to get you to love me back. I'm sorry."

She sat back on her heels.

"You were in my head."

"I'm sorry. I really am. You didn't deserve any of this."

"You made me want to die."

"I know."

And as broken as she looked, as shattered she was, Grace smiled softly. Reaching out she took his hand in hers and squeezed it.

"I forgive you, Adrian. I forgive you."