#dark!charles

“all this pomp and parade for what?” you sniveled as you leaned your head back to watch the flags drape down from the gates. the velvet red color looked bleak against the backdrop of the castle, the sullen gold of A and L intertwined doing little to cheer up your mood based on the occasion. you turned your head towards your sister, watching her fidget with her handkerchief as usual as her eyes remain transfixed on her husband who was standing at the very front, hands behind his back and posture straight - there was no doubt that he was thrilled to see his little brother again.

"prince arthur has asked quite a lot about you," your sister whispered, leaning in close. you let out a bitter laugh, followed by a snort,

"i'm sure he did, that conniving fool. i cannot believe father made us use our best tailors to make those ghastly drapes, he doesn't deserve an ounce of it!"

your sister elbowed you, a frown on her soft face. with a shake of her head, her eyes flickered over to her husband's back, hoping he did not hear your cruel words. when she deemed it to be safe, she turned back to face you, "you mustn't speak in that manner, what if he had heard you?"

"so what?" you snorted, "i'd rather he hear it from my own tongue, to let him know how much i detest him. you don't even know what happened a week ago when i had come searching for you in your chambers! by the way, where even were you that night? he had mentioned you had been dismissed to another reclusive part of the castle…"

"i… well…. i…" she began to stammer through her sentence, avoiding your stern gaze, "i had been out taking a walk through the garden-"

"by yourself, i presume?"

she stiffened at your words and forced a nod, a small fragile smile blooming upon her lips, "y-yes, by myself, of course. who else would i walk with in the garden?" she laughed quietly as if the question itself was so absurd. she ceased her noises upon seeing the way you were sneering at her, of course you wouldn't buy the lie but she wished you would. she wished you would stop poking your nose into certain issues and not stir any more troubles for her. only she knew the extent to which charles went in disciplining her for ever daring to speak, and perhaps she was an evil sister for wishing the same fate unto someone she was to cherish and protect as the older sibling, but the way you carried yourself with a confidence that even the nobility envied had long burned her soul. why must you be brave enough, why must you be father's favorite and why must you be the token to her husband's heart. she could see it in the way that charles looked at you during dinner these past few days. a slow long swipe of his tongue against the cutlery, eyes fixated on your body the way a wolf would to a wandering deer. she could feel her husband's foot reach across the table to brush against yours in secrecy, only to be met with a harsh stomp of your heel against his buckle that made him hiss and bite down onto his knuckles.

charles' growing obsession with you wasn't unknown by the other members in the castle. your sister found herself crying to your mother often about how charles seldom lets her near him, but he would only perk up at the mention of your name. your father turned a blind eye to your sister's pleas, telling her that she was fussing over nothing. she had a duty to serve her husband, it didn't matter where her husband laid or who he fascinated over, she was meant to be there waiting for him regardless. this only upset your sister further because she knew that had it been you in her position, you would've fought back and your father would've listened immediately. charles remained preoccupied with god knows what in the late hours of the night, reading through letters from his correspondents. slipping out of the bed, your sister had hesitantly approached him, hands running through the locks of his hair as a soothing technique,

"my love," she whispered, hoping it would have some effect on him, to draw him out of his desk and back into their shared bed, "it is late at night, surely you can put a hold on your tasks and join me?"

"you somehow manage to fascinate me with your stupidity," charles snapped, the candlelight illuminating his clenched jaw and the dull look in his eyes, "this is far more important than your miserable life can fathom, but i suppose i can entertain you for a minute." 

your sister's mouth fell open into a shocked gasp at his harsh words, not understanding what the venomous intent was to constantly tear her down but she had no room to even think when he tossed her over his shoulder, dropping her to the center of bed. he climbed on top of her, bunching up her chemise to her waist before disappearing beneath her thighs, his tongue flicking out to dance along her sensitive bud. her hands trembled as she clung to this curls adorning his head and under the moonlight, her arousal smeared against his chin, glistening to her eyes alone. and yet, despite the short attention that charles had finally granted her, his mind wandered to the princess in the chambers right above theirs. 

in the present moment, you're standing atop the balcony to look down at the parade. dancers merrily hopped to and fro, their ribbons fluttering behind them as the trumpets blared. the golden carriage carrying the duke's younger brother came to a halt just below the grand steps in the foyer of the castle and the door burst open to the reveal the young man. years of an expensive education in austria among the finest of the royals, only to come back and still behave like the scumbag he always was. balling your gloved hands into fists, you forced a smile as prince arthur set his eyes on you, a dark look in his eyes that only you could read.

"ah, mademoiselle, the finest princess i've ever met! surely you didn't miss me too much, hm?" arthur beamed, taking your hand to press a kiss to your gloved knuckles. you retched at the warmth of his lips, the fabric doing little as a proper barrier.

"i don't usually miss my father's hogs," you smiled, noticing the way his eyes narrowed. you could see his jaw tighten for a split second, before resuming his smile.

"still the same, still the same," he murmured, another chaste kiss to your hand before gliding past towards the entrance and into your father's arms. you casted a dark glance towards your sister, a silent message that you would've much rather spent your time doing anything but welcoming this brat.

arthur had specifically chosen his seat besides you at the dining table, leaning forward to compliment your sister's necklace. you saw the way she got all flustered, her delicate fingers brushing against the diamonds that reflect her coy smile,

"oh, thank you," she exclaimed, breathlessly, as if never having heard a compliment in her life, "your brother got it for me the other day. charles is very generous for such gifts." her gaze flickered to her husband, only to find him staring directly at your unsuspecting form. she swallowed back her frown, nodding her head along with the music that played behind her, "i'm sure you must be tired from your journey, eat to your heart's content and rest in the chambers right next to (y/n)'s." your eyes darted to your sister in a look of betrayal. was she smirking at you? oh, that damned girl! after all you'd done to help her get away from charles' wrath, this was how she was going to repay you? by sending you straight into the hands of the tyrant himself? you snorted to yourself, taking a swig of the wine,

"there's a thousand other rooms in the castle, perhaps you'd like a room close to your dear brother?" you turned to arthur, "i'm sure you've missed his presence."

some of the liquid had carelessly spilled against your bosom, and you muttered a curse, hands scrambling to find your handkerchief before arthur stuck out his own with a grin, "allow me. here, you can use mine in the meantime."

as you dabbed against your chest, the white fabric soaking up the red wine, you could feel the way charles was staring intently at you from across the table, as if he'd much rather die than see his little brother catering to your every need and whim when it was supposed to be him alongside you. had he been given the chance, he would've swiped the liquid off the fabric himself, letting his palms cup the soft mounds of your breasts, squeezing the flesh and palming it grotesquely for the room to see his new little whore. or perhaps, he would've gone beyond his own expectations and dove right across the table, his tongue tracing the droplets and ripping that bodice off your body. he'd devour on your nipples, sucking harshly before letting them go with a wet pop! as his hand would dig through your skirts to find your cunt once more. he could still remember the feel of his fingers inside your wet heat, the way your body convulsed as he took what he was believed was rightfully his. your gummy walls sucking him in deeper and deeper, clenching around his digits as his lips flicked the hardened peak of your breasts over. the very visual made him shift in his seat, an action that didn't go unnoticed by you as you finally handed arthur his handkerchief back. 

charles' behavior since that fateful night in his chamber had shifted; not in a good way, not in the slightest. it started the morning after when you were in the arena for a jousting tournament, a spectacle that you had always been fond of witnessing. everyone in the kingdom knew how much you loved watching the knights duel for their life, always being in the front to reward them with a handkerchief as a token of appreciation to their valiancy. when you were a bit younger, you would've snuck out into the tents behind the arena to face the knights yet to put on their jousting armor, pressing a kiss to their cheek for good luck. you had made sure none of the knights would ever truly die from their tournaments, no one would be hurt save their egos. charles had took notice of your fondness of the knights from the very day he had married your sister; he had first thought of your love for the sport as something trivial, but then he saw the way your eyes widened, your lips broken into a grin as you merrily clapped and cheered, tossing that handkerchief around as a reward for the winner. it burned his soul, and nothing could stop him from balling his hands into fists and letting the bitter essence of jealousy course through his veins. 

so, that morning when he saw you avoid his gaze, your body still stiff from his assault in his bed, his eyes followed yours to the center of the arena. you were anxiously shifting in your seat, hands crumpling the handkershief with intense suspense to who the valor would be. he knew the smell of your handkerchief from afar, the same smell of your perfume and a twinge of your sweat, what made that arrogant body of yours fairly human; behind that tough exterior, you were just another woman with a juicy cunt that he intended to ruin, to devour whole and rip apart in his hands. he stepped closer to you, inhaling your scent that made his head spin with a surge of dark lust, combined with rage that he should've married you instead of your oafish sister. your eyes never once turned back to face his, too preoccupied with the jousting tournament. charles knew he needed to grab your attention, he wouldn't let you brush him under the expensive carpets you owned and so, perhaps much like a fool in love - or in this case, lust - he had exited the stands and found himself stealing the armor from one of the knights in the tent. 

just as the blue knight was about to tap the white knight with the tip of his lance, in came the red knight, the feathers on his helmet bright and bold, a stark contrast to the peaceful atmosphere that the jousting tournament had given you. your hands found the edge of the barrier, your body slowly standing up from your seat to understand the twist in this game. the red knight defended against the two, wheeling his horse around and you watched the animal stand on its hind legs, a loud neigh roaring from its lips as it barrelled towards the others of its kind. in only a matter of minutes, the red knight racked up double the points that the blue knight had managed to fain in an hour. when one of the nobles standing in the side called time, you watched the fiery red feathers swoop downward as the gentleman took off his helmet, a pair of piercing green eyes staring back at you with a triumphant look that spoke volumes of revenge and darker thoughts. 

"i believe i've earned your handkerchief," charles announced loudly, guiding the horse towards the box in which you sat, tugging on the reins harshly. you gulped, eyes flickering to the crowd who, no doubt at all, were witnessing this spectacle in confusion and horror as to why the duke would such a thing, especially to his wife's little sister.

"i'm a woman of my word if anything," you inhaled, sharply, handing him your handkerchief, "you have done well, grand duke leclerc, i commend you for your performance in the jousting tournament today."

Charles had a proud look on his face, pressing the cloth to his face as he inhaled the fabric, fingers tracing over the sown initials of your name. "how very thoughtful of you, princess (y/n), i'm sure you can reward me in many more ways in the future." and he immediately trotted off with the horse, leaving you shaken and in disbelief at what had just transpired in the arena.

arthur had been no different. he was just as filthy as his brother, but perhaps even worse considering that he had nothing binding him to the law. he was a proud, spiteful young man that had his eyes set on you. your father had persuaded him a year back about marrying you, and he'd be damned if you didn't end up his bride in the foreseeable future. he had followed you into the library after dinner, fingers tracing the spines of the books that you lost yourself in when your royal duties became unbearable. he was standing behind a shelf, peering through the open spaces as he stared at you,

"you are very beautiful when you are upset, you know?" he whispered, poking his head around the corner.

"flattery will get you nowhere," you slammed a book shut, shoving into the shelf before gazing through the vast collection to find another intriguing work to indulge in. he chuckled, lowly as he shook his head,

"i was not trying to flatter you, mon ange, i meant it truly, very beautiful… and very arrogant," arthur scoffed when you pushed past him. he caught hold of your hand, yanking you back closer to him. he would be a fool to say that he had never been attracted to you before, genuine attraction, not as dark and thoughtless like his brother. "come now, don't be like this. i spent every day waiting to return so i could see you again."

you scowled at his words, "and why should i care? you're nothing to me, you're just as deranged as your brother, charles! if you think that i could possibly-" your words were cut off as arthur captured your lips into a kiss, his actions only growing more fervored as his hands roamed over your body, squeezing your waist and crushing you against his firm embrace. the shelf shuddered behind you when he pressed you up against the wood, his arms hoisting your legs around his waist. he finally let your lips go, allowing you to take in a deep breath as you stared up at him in a mix of horror and reluctant curiousity.

"how disgusting and impolite of you!" you snapped, backhanding him across his face. his head whipped to the side, and you could hear the sound of a whispered 'putain!' before he turned back to face you, his eyes widening. you expected him to react with violence, to put on a tantrum that his brother would've surely done but instead he grabbed your hands firmly and maneuvered you around so that your face was pressed against the dusty surface of the shelf, wrists bound behind your back.

"you should be more grateful," arthur whispered into your ear, "because, ma belle, if it was my brother… you would've been dead before your hand even rose," and with that, he bunched your skirts up around your waist, spitting onto his fingers before slipping them between your thighs, circling your clit softly. his touch was gentle, almost reverant, a stark contrast to his brother's handling of you. you couldn't help but moan softly, your hands struggling behind your back despite arthur's words being cooed into your ear to relax. you could feel him undo his trousers behind you, the head of his cock sliding against your wet cunt, your folds parting invitingly against the flesh of his manhood, before he eventually slid himself inside, a perfect symphony of moans escaping from the both of you as he dropped his head forward, his forehead pressed against your neck as he began to move his hips.

"perfect… absolutely perfect," he moaned, his hand on your wists moving up to wrap around your throat; he didn't squeeze, but held you firmly as he forced you to arch your back farther, lips brushing against your cheek, leaving peppered kisses that reflected a man worshipping his idol, the very purpose of his existence. "you cannot tell charles this happened, he will kill me if he finds out."

you turned your head around, lips parted to ask him what he meant by that but he silenced your inquiries with his mouth once more, kissing you like a man starved of any affections, moaning against your mouth. the notes of your lustful conquest swirled around the empty library, traveling towards the door where charles stood watching you two through the tiny sliver of a crack. his jaw was clenched, his chest heaving in anger and disgust at the sight of his brother claiming you, having the audacity to place his hands on your sweet body. that lying vermin! he had promised to help charles, that was the only reason the man beckoned for his little brother to return from his studies, and yet here he was with his cock deep inside that cunt of yours. he growled to himself, storming off with murderous intent.

"second person to have slapped me today," arthur quipped later that night as he stood before his brother. charles sneered at him, raising his fist as if to strike him once more but decided against it. he closed his eyes, spinning around on his heel to calm himself down before turning back to face him,

"you're lucky that i haven't chosen to kill you after what you've done," he growled. "what did i tell you when i asked you to come back? i told you one important thing."

"that maman missed me?" arthur responded, only to earn another harsh slap from charles,

"no! you idiot!" charles bellowed, "i said keep your hands off her! she's mine, you hear me! she's mine! when this stupid kingdom burns to the ground, she will be my consort!"

"her father wants me to marry her, though!" arthur cried out, clutching his reddened face and charles grabbed him by his shoulders, giving him a harsh shake,

"and you will marry her, for the sake of keeping appearances but if you dare to try and consummate that marriage, i don't care if you're my brother, i will cut your limbs off and feed them to the dogs," charles snarled, raising his finger and jabbing his brother's chest, "you do not touch her, you won't ever touch her again after this. you hear me?"

"and what of your wife, then?" arthur grumbled, "what of the king, the queen and every other noble in this castle?"

"rot in hell for all i care," the grand duke snorted, adjusting his robes, "when they all fall before me in the future, i will have them all executed, burnt at the stake, whatever i feel like. but that girl will live, and i will make her pay for ever disrespecting me."

arthur stared at his brother, sighing before shaking his head, "you are right, i guess i got carried away. i was merely trying to earn her trust."

"there were a thousand different ways you could've done that instead of resorting to what you did in the library," charles rolled his eyes, "but we move on past this, very soon, that crown will be upon my head and she will be nothing more than a dog at my feet, stripped of her titles, her luxury and," he paused to laugh at the image in his mind, "her clothes."

arthur nodded his head before walking away; the little brother clearly not all in for the idea but as long as he was granted some luxury in the future where his brother ruled over your kingdom, he was satisfied. he knew he had no right over you, especially when charles seemed so hellbent on possessing you. charles, however, had his gaze shifting towards the balcony above to your bedroom, and he could smell the scent of your perfume even this far down on the ground.

You’ve done this too many times, stood at this window remembering it all. It’s exhausting; you’re so tired, so worn down. It’s a lie, all of it. You never married him. He forced you into this, erased your memories and added his own. He stripped you of your agency, moulded you into what he wants. A happy wife, someone to control - to submit.  

“Are you ready to stop this now?” Charles hisses from behind you.

A tear runs down your cheek and you wipe it away with the back of your hand. You step back from the window and slowly force your body across the room to your “husband”.  

“Good girl,” he praises, pulling you down and kissing away your tears.

You close your eyes and let him kiss you. His tongue pushes in your mouth and you open for him, tasting the slight saltiness of your tears on his tongue.

“Let’s go back to bed,” he smiles.

You lie next to him and turn your body away, stiffening as he puts his arm over you protectively. Your life has always been like this since you were born, it was stupid to think you could ever find happiness in this fucked up world. You feel his hand snake down your body and take a deep breath before opening your legs for him.

He was the first mutant you ever met, found you scared and starving in an alleyway and gave you food - love - family. He made you feel like you weren't alone for the first time in your life. For so long everyone around you made you feel like your power was bad but he didn’t think that. He thought that your power made you better than everyone else. He taught you to embrace it, to carry your mutation with pride. He told you to never take abuse, to throw everything they did to you right back at them.

Comical, really, how the one who brought you to a place of acceptance, who taught you not to take abuse, turned around and abused you. He had taught you well, too well. As soon as the first bruise showed up you chose to leave. You deserved better.

“What do you think you’re doing,” He said as you packed a bag. You should have left while he was gone but it was too late now.

“I just need space Erik, some time to think about what I want.”

“No,” his voice was quiet but serious, the tone more alarming than any of the times he had yelled. it made you stop packing and look at him. He took a small step forward and you noticed the disheveled appearance. His leather costume was torn in several places and sweat was beading on his forehead.

“This is what I’m talking about, I need to be able to have my own life. You dictate everything and won’t even tell me where you go. You… you hurt me,” you grabbed your arm gingerly, looking at it and frowning.  

The familiar sound of metal being manipulated came from Erik and you looked up just in time to see pieces of silver fly towards you. Your wrists were suddenly encased and you tried in vain to move against them.

“Let me go,” you said.

“No,” he replied almost too calmly.

“I’m leaving you Erik, you can’t do this,”

He walked to you and ran a gloved hand over your cheek.

“I can do anything I want, baby.”

Your wrists suddenly slammed into the floor and he was grabbing your head, tilting it back so that you looked up at him. He brought his other hand to your cheek, smoothing his thumb over your lips. “Anything,” he said as he pushed his thumb in your mouth. The earthy smell and taste of his glove overwhelmed your senses and you struggled against him. It was no use though. He was stronger than you would ever be. You relaxed your jaw and closed your eyes and he removed his hand, replacing it with his dick. He grunted as he pushed into your mouth, slowly pushing further into your throat with every thrust. When his cum finally filled your throat you swallowed and kept your eyes down. He crouched in front of you and kissed your cheek before leaving to shower. He left you there all night and by the time you were finally released from your chains you were too exhausted to fight. He carried you to the bed and fucked you gently and you let him.

You spent months alone in the prison he created for you. He said you would be let out once he was confident you wouldn’t try to run or use powers but you weren’t sure that would ever happen. Even when you followed all his rules, when you acted like you loved him. He would still find reasons to keep you isolated. Your life revolved around him, a cycle of trying to please him, eventually acting out and the inevitable punishment that came with your rebelion. It wasn’t a way to live.

“You’re thinking about him.” Charles' voice has an edge to it, one you’re familiar with.

You nod and turn your face away.

“You’re not there anymore sweetheart, I’ll take care of you.”

Charles grabs your chin and forces your head towards him. He kisses you softly on the cheek and pulls you towards him until you’re settled against his warm body.

He’s the same though, it’s the exact same suffocating love you ran from almost two years ago.

It took five years of trying to finally do it. Erik made a mistake, He left the back door open and you took your chance without hesitation. The first barefooted step onto the dirt was euphoric. Being kept away from the earth was like torture. Silent tears fell as you dug your hand into the ground and felt it move. It sucked away the fear, leaving you with a sense of peace. You had power again, could feel it like electricity move through your body.

Sounds of fighting came from nearby and you hid.

You could feel where people walked. The earth was talking to you, telling you when and where to hide. You made your way to a helicopter and crouched in the back, making yourself as small as you could and praying that whoever was attacking would get away and take you with them.

You held your breath as a group of mutants piled in quickly and the helicopter lifted from the ground. You stayed hidden for an hour before someone noticed you. A woman, red hair and drenched in sweat looked at you.  

“Who are you?” she asked. her bright green eyes widening in shock.

“I’m not like him,” Charles says “You’re happy here,” The anger in his voice becomes more evident by the second.

“Stay out of my head!” you yell.

A headache starts burrowing into your brain and you cry out in pain.

“I’m not like him,” he reiterates.

You struggle in his arms, turning to your back and looking at him from inches away.

“You’re even worse. He always knew he was a monster, he wanted liberation at any cost, me at any cost. He was…” you search for the words to explain “a poisoned cup of water.”

You grit your teeth and stare in his eyes, bringing your face so that your noses almost touch. You don’t care, there’s nothing he can do to you that hasn’t already been done, no way he can hurt you more than he already has.

“You pretend like you’re a hero but you’re not. You're a glass of juice laced with the same exact pison as him. You look good and taste good but you’ll kill me the same way.”

He uses his power against you, reminding you who he is and what he can do. You scream as your body bursts into invisible flames. With Erik the bruises would remind you that it was real.  Charles doesn’t even afford you that. Everything with him is invisible, all in your head. They’re not the same, Charles is worse.

“Is she ok?”

“She’s fine Jean, give her some space.”

You groaned as you returned to consciousness.

“She’s waking up!”

You jolted up, turning your head to stare at your surroundings. The last memory you had was crouching in the helicopter, now you were laying on a couch surrounded by mutants.

“I’m Jean,” a soft voice said.

“I’m sorry I… there were no other ways out,” you whispered.

“We know,” You looked over to see Charles pushing himself towards you. He stopped and looked you in the eyes.

“We’ll take care of you,” He smiled.

You smiled back, feeling safe and free for the first time in a long time. The X-Men, you had found a true family at last. Everything was going to be ok.

You’re expecting him to knock you out again, for you to fall asleep and wake up his loving wife but The pain stops suddenly and you whip your head towards him in surprise.

“You didn’t take my memories?” you ask.

“I’m not like him,” Charles insists.

You sit up and pull your knees to your chest.

“Show me you aren't, let me go.”

He looks up at the ceiling and inhales.

“I can’t.”

It started so slow with Charles. He gave you personal lessons, treated you kindly. You started to actually fall for him.

But then a new mutant came in and the chemistry was like nothing you had ever felt.

Charles got jealous almost immediately. You slowly started to see him the same way you saw Erik, recognizing the signs, there were so many red flags. You weren’t going to stick around, you had to leave while it was still an option.

You packed a bag and ran without a word, finding a job far away.

You should have known better. It was your hope that he would just let you go but of course he didn’t. Charles found you easily, and he was angry. You had never seen so much rage, it was like you were looking into Eriks eyes. You begged him not to do it, cried for help.

They stood there complacent as he forced you to your knees and rewrote your history, wiping your brain for the first time. They said they were your family, you loved them, and they betrayed you.

“It would be easier if you just accepted this, I don’t like using my powers against you.” he says.

You roll your eyes. He does like using them, you see it behind his eyes every time he does it. He loves the power. You look at his face and see a slight twitch in his eye. The wheels start turning in your head, a theory forms.

“You’re losing your ability to control me,” you say.

He sets his jaw and you know you’re right. Your lips lift into a small smile as hope starts to bloom.

“What will you do once you can’t just erase memories?” you ask.

A headache starts again and you stare at him, fighting back. You’ve never fought back before like this, didn’t know you could.

“I’m going to leave you,” you say before the world goes black.

Jean was the one who made the memories return for the first time. She unlocked them for you, cried and apologized as you sat there panicking.

Nobody said no to Charles. he wanted you and they were too afraid of him to stop it, she told you. The team was happier, Charles was happier. They sacrificed you, pushed the abuse onto you so that it wasn’t on them anymore.

It was all a show.

Your husband of three years had only kidnapped you a week prior. It was stressful and confusing, you ran to the bathroom and vomited. Charles called your name from the kitchen and you bolted out of the house. You made it halfway through the yard before you were tackled and held with your hands above your head. The only thing you could reach was a little bow from your hair. You took it and jammed it into the ground, letting the earth take it and hoping that one day it could somehow help you. You had to fight, keep trying no matter what.

“Good morning my love,” Charles says.

“Good morning,” you smile back.

You give him a kiss on the cheek and stretch out before walking to the kitchen. You look out the window and your memories come back in a sudden burst.

You turn around to see him in the doorway. Fear washes over his face as he realizes how fast you escaped this time.

You smile and raise your middle finger at him. The window shatters into small pieces as your fist breaks through. Blood drips down your hand but you don’t care. You’re free.

“I’ll find you,” he calls.

Erik sat down, hard and graceless, in the sand.

"But," he said. "But the helmet—"

"It slowed me down for a few minutes, I admit," Charles said. "But it's a bit hilarious that Shaw thought it would stop me for good. Brainwaves don't only come out the back of your head. Honestly!"

Erik probed at his exposed face, frowning.

Moira came running out of the crashed plane, where she had been trying to contact her CIA superiors. "Erik, put down those—Oh. You stopped him." She lowered her gun.

"Yes, thankfully, since you certainly wouldn't have been any use at it," Charles said. "A gun, Moira, really? You were going to fire a gun at a mutant who controls metal? How do you think that would have gone? Wherever that bullet ended up, it certainly wouldn't have been in Erik!"

Moira blushed and holstered the gun.

"You sit down, too," Charles said, "while I get this figured out." He waved a hand at Moira, who dropped onto her butt in the sand, face blank.

"Charles…" Raven was approaching cautiously, the boys hanging back behind her. "Are you all right? You're acting… a little strange."

"Oh, I act like this all the time, you just don't remember it later," Charles said absently. "And Moira doesn't mind. She thinks she has a crush on me. She actually finds me quite irritating, which wouldn't serve our purposes at all, so I had to fix that. Ah ah ah!" He turned and pointed at Erik, who was trying to get to his feet. "You stay put! There, now you can't feel your legs. That ought to keep you still for a bit."

"I don't… remember it later?" Raven repeated, shaken. "But Charles, you promised you would never use your powers on me…"

"Yes, I did," Charles said brightly, raising a hand to his temple, "and of course I never shall. You believe that, wholeheartedly. You all do."

Raven and the boys all nodded woodenly.

"Excellent. Now, you." He went to stand in front of Erik, whose eyes had gone very, very wide. "I think I've been more than patient with you, Erik. You've been through a great deal, and I really enjoyed trying to help you with that. It's been such a long time since I had a real challenge to work with. Raven stopped having truly independent ideas years ago. But unfortunately you've just proven that you can't be trusted not to kill people on a whim."

"I'm beginning to wonder why that matters to you," Hank said from behind Raven, his voice heavy with dawning dread.

"Sometimes I wonder too," Charles said in tones of exasperation. "People really are so stupid, so much of the time. But they're beautiful, too. You're all so beautiful." He beamed at them all, and they smiled back tentatively, instinctively reacting to the wave of affection and approval hitting their minds. "I can't help it, Hank, I do love people! They're so complicated, so interesting, so entertaining. If I had no people to love and take care of, what would I even do with myself? Not to mention, who would take care of me? I have needs, you know. And I can't cook at all." He looked them all over for a moment, thoughtfully—all of them, Shaw's defeated minions included. "Yes, every one of you has such potential. I do believe I'll keep you." He smiled with great satisfaction.

Then he pointed, and Shaw's minions walked, blank-faced, to stand next to Erik.

"Right," Charles said. "This whole kill-the-humans mindset has got to go. I think the simplest solution is to say today has been a turning point for you all, an epiphany. Violence is not the way. Brotherhood for all, that is the only answer." He touched a hand to his temple and closed his eyes for a very long minute, face scrunched in concentration. Moira, Raven, and the boys looked at each other uneasily.

When Charles opened his eyes, Shaw's minions were looking around and smiling as if the world were somehow new and beautiful. Erik, getting slowly to his feet, looked like he might be waking up from a bad dream—his face lighter, his shoulders sagging with relief. Absently, he took off the helmet and dropped it in the sand.

"Charles," he said breathlessly, opening his arms, "I'm so sorry—I don't know what I was doing—I don't know why I thought—"

"Shh, it's all right, darling, all is forgiven," Charles said, falling into his embrace. "So long as you never do it again."

"Never!"

"Excellent." He kissed Erik for a lazy, luxurious moment. "You are so good at that. All right, everyone, gather up! Azazel's going to get us out of here."

"But Charles," Raven said shakily.

"Ah, right." Another fingertip to his temple. "You all remember me talking Erik down with a rousing and inspirational speech about peace and unity, powerful enough to bring Angel, Riptide and Azazel over to our side. Raven, your confidence in my promise remains undying. Moira, don't forget you're in love with me—though you may end up forgetting a good many other things, very soon. Never mind that for now. Come along, everyone hold hands. Let's go home!"