Erik reached out with his powers and squeezed, only to jerk back with surprise when nothing happened.
He was broken out of his stupefaction by the sound of Shaw’s cold, delighted laugh rising up though the air.
‘Oh Erik,’ Shaw laughed, wiping away a tear from his eyes in apparent mirth. ‘Oh my dear boy – you didn’t think that I didn’t take more than one precaution in having this helmet created, did you?’ He laughed again and reached up to knock on his helmeted head with one hand, allowing the sound to ring out across the yard. ‘It’s metal, yes,’ he said. ‘But a special bit of metal nonetheless. Not only is it completely resistant to telepathy but it’s also immune to magnetism and magnetic fields. Fascinating, isn’t it?’
Erik merely growled in response.
‘Yes, I thought you might take it that way,’ Shaw sighed. ‘It’s nothing personal, Erik, it’s merely that a man in my position can’t take too many risks. You understand, don’t you?’ And he really did look genuinely concerned that Erik might not understand his motivations.
‘What do you care if I understand or not?’ Erik growled. Shaw’s lack of concern for his own survival irked him more than he would like to say. ‘It can’t really matter to you, not now.’
Shaw looked almost hurt at that accusation.
‘Erik, my boy,’ he chided, opening his arms in a mockery of welcome. ‘How can you say such a thing? You know how devoted I am to you. I know you, Erik; and that’s why I staged this little meeting tonight. Because I knew you well enough to know that you wouldn’t be able to resist coming after me again even after I had warned you to leave well enough alone.’
‘This was a set up,’ Erik stated flatly. He had already guessed as much, but it was nice to have his suspicions confirmed. ‘You set this up to bring me here and now you plan to kill me.’
Shaw gave Erik an innocent, wide-eyed look. It didn’t suit his features at all.
‘Kill you?’ he repeated. ‘Oh Erik – no! Well,’ he amended. ‘If I have to, then yes, but that was not my primary purpose. I lured you here to give you one more chance.’ He held out his hand towards Erik. ‘Come with me, my son. Leave this petty grudge aside and follow me. Take my hand and I shall lead you into greatness!’
Erik stared at the proffered hand blankly for a moment before raising his head.
‘Petty?’ he repeated slowly. He cleared his throat and then said it again. ‘Petty?’ His hands clenched as his rage was once again refuelled, anger and hatred leeching into his words. ‘You murdered my mother, Shaw. There is nothing petty about this!’
Shaw sighed at that and lowered his hand.
‘I take it that you are refusing me again,’ he said sadly. ‘Well, no one can say that I didn’t try.’ He sighed and then gestured at Erik. ‘Come on then. Let’s get this over and done with.’
Erik quirked an eyebrow.
‘Let’s,’ he replied calmly, before grasping hold of a large, heavy wreck of a car and flinging it towards Shaw.
To Erik’s surprise, Shaw didn’t move. He didn’t even flinch. All he did was brace himself and smile before the heavy vehicle smashed into him, dealing him what was likely a mortal blow.
Erik didn’t move for a moment. His body was still tense, still flooded with adrenaline. As the seconds passed, however, he slowly began to relax, his heart rate slowly lowering.
He was just about to bring himself to approach the wreckage when the vehicle suddenly began to move. Erik paused, staring, his body taut once more. As he watched the whole car was shoved aside sharply and there, once again, stood Sebastian Shaw, looking for all the world as if he had just stepped out of a spa. Far from being smashed into a bloody pulp he actually looked … refreshed.
‘Your power,’ Erik said, his mouth dry, everything suddenly falling into place. ‘This – your power, the reason you’re still alive even now – that’s your mutation.’
Heat - Part 29a
Erik reached out with his powers and squeezed, only to jerk back with surprise when nothing happened.
He was broken out of his stupefaction by the sound of Shaw’s cold, delighted laugh rising up though the air.
‘Oh Erik,’ Shaw laughed, wiping away a tear from his eyes in apparent mirth. ‘Oh my dear boy – you didn’t think that I didn’t take more than one precaution in having this helmet created, did you?’ He laughed again and reached up to knock on his helmeted head with one hand, allowing the sound to ring out across the yard. ‘It’s metal, yes,’ he said. ‘But a special bit of metal nonetheless. Not only is it completely resistant to telepathy but it’s also immune to magnetism and magnetic fields. Fascinating, isn’t it?’
Erik merely growled in response.
‘Yes, I thought you might take it that way,’ Shaw sighed. ‘It’s nothing personal, Erik, it’s merely that a man in my position can’t take too many risks. You understand, don’t you?’ And he really did look genuinely concerned that Erik might not understand his motivations.
‘What do you care if I understand or not?’ Erik growled. Shaw’s lack of concern for his own survival irked him more than he would like to say. ‘It can’t really matter to you, not now.’
Shaw looked almost hurt at that accusation.
‘Erik, my boy,’ he chided, opening his arms in a mockery of welcome. ‘How can you say such a thing? You know how devoted I am to you. I know you, Erik; and that’s why I staged this little meeting tonight. Because I knew you well enough to know that you wouldn’t be able to resist coming after me again even after I had warned you to leave well enough alone.’
‘This was a set up,’ Erik stated flatly. He had already guessed as much, but it was nice to have his suspicions confirmed. ‘You set this up to bring me here and now you plan to kill me.’
Shaw gave Erik an innocent, wide-eyed look. It didn’t suit his features at all.
‘Kill you?’ he repeated. ‘Oh Erik – no! Well,’ he amended. ‘If I have to, then yes, but that was not my primary purpose. I lured you here to give you one more chance.’ He held out his hand towards Erik. ‘Come with me, my son. Leave this petty grudge aside and follow me. Take my hand and I shall lead you into greatness!’
Erik stared at the proffered hand blankly for a moment before raising his head.
‘Petty?’ he repeated slowly. He cleared his throat and then said it again. ‘Petty?’ His hands clenched as his rage was once again refuelled, anger and hatred leeching into his words. ‘You murdered my mother, Shaw. There is nothing petty about this!’
Shaw sighed at that and lowered his hand.
‘I take it that you are refusing me again,’ he said sadly. ‘Well, no one can say that I didn’t try.’ He sighed and then gestured at Erik. ‘Come on then. Let’s get this over and done with.’
Erik quirked an eyebrow.
‘Let’s,’ he replied calmly, before grasping hold of a large, heavy wreck of a car and flinging it towards Shaw.
To Erik’s surprise, Shaw didn’t move. He didn’t even flinch. All he did was brace himself and smile before the heavy vehicle smashed into him, dealing him what was likely a mortal blow.
Erik didn’t move for a moment. His body was still tense, still flooded with adrenaline. As the seconds passed, however, he slowly began to relax, his heart rate slowly lowering.
He was just about to bring himself to approach the wreckage when the vehicle suddenly began to move. Erik paused, staring, his body taut once more. As he watched the whole car was shoved aside sharply and there, once again, stood Sebastian Shaw, looking for all the world as if he had just stepped out of a spa. Far from being smashed into a bloody pulp he actually looked … refreshed.
‘Your power,’ Erik said, his mouth dry, everything suddenly falling into place. ‘This – your power, the reason you’re still alive even now – that’s your mutation.’