But Erik – and Charles was still trying to stop him, still trying to persuade him – Erik, this is madness! You can’t simply kill a man – whoever he may be! Two wrongs cannot make a right - the principle remains the –
‘Your principles!’ Erik roared, more agitated than he would have believed possible. ‘Your morals! Which you are trying to force on me! Who are you to say what is right? Who are you to say that you know better?’
Charles, looking stricken, for once had nothing to say.
Erik gritted his teeth together and forced himself to calm down.
‘No, Charles,’ he said quietly. ‘I have far too much blood on my hands already for your words to have any impact on me. It’s too late. I have come too far and many have died to bring me to where I am today. This is as much for them as it is for me. And believe me,’ he smiled grimly, ‘the world is better off without Sebastian Shaw.’
‘Oh Erik, is that any way to talk about your dear, devoted friend?’ came a voice behind him and Erik immediately leapt to his feet, Charles immediately forgotten as he settled into a crouch, arms raised up before him. His eyes narrowed as he saw Shaw step out of the ruined metal carcass that curled about him, dusting his suit jacket off as he climbed out, as if he had just walked in out of the rain.
‘Well,’ Shaw said, once he was completely clear of the metal shell, ‘that was fun. Let’s try something else now, shall we?’
Erik tensed and reached out with his powers before another voice halted him, this time from Charles.
‘Erik,’ he gasped, still on the floor. ‘Erik, it doesn’t need to be this way!’
Erik opened his mouth to reply but before he could, he was interrupted by Shaw.
‘Erik!’ Shaw exclaimed, sounding delighted. He cocked his head and greedily ran his eyes over Charles, making Erik’s insides squirm in fear and anger. ‘Erik, who is this? Is this one of your friends?’
Erik growled threateningly, his eyes flashing as he moved to shield Charles from Shaw’s gaze, even as Charles brought his fingertips to his temple, frowning in concentration. Shaw saw him do so and laughed in delight.
‘Sorry,’ he said, smiling benevolently at Charles and reaching out to rap his knuckles against his helmet. ‘Telepath-proof. But aren’t you just a precious little thing?’
Charles’s frown changed into a scowl. He clearly did not appreciate being treated like some sort of performing puppy-dog.
Now do you blame me for wanting to kill him? Erik couldn’t help thinking, though he managed to stop himself from projecting the thought to Charles. He much preferred for Charles’s ire to be directed away from him, in the proper direction; that is to say, towards Shaw.
Unfortunately, it took a great deal more than petty annoyance to put Charles off.
‘Listen to me,’ he said earnestly. ‘Both of you. This isn’t the way! Can’t you see that nothing good will come of this?’
Erik grimaced but said nothing. Shaw, on the other hand, cocked his head at Charles, curious.
‘And what would you suggest?’ he asked interestedly, raising an eyebrow. ‘That we sit down as gentlemen and discuss this civilly?’
Charles, looking distinctly uneasy, paused for a minute before swallowing and, bravely sticking to his guns, jerked his head in a nod.
Shaw stared at him.
Then, all of a sudden, he let out a great bark of laughter.
‘Erik!’ he laughed happily, clapping his hands together. ‘Erik! Where on earth did you find this delightful creature? And more importantly – where can I get one of my own?’
Heat - Part 33b
But Erik – and Charles was still trying to stop him, still trying to persuade him – Erik, this is madness! You can’t simply kill a man – whoever he may be! Two wrongs cannot make a right - the principle remains the –
‘Your principles!’ Erik roared, more agitated than he would have believed possible. ‘Your morals! Which you are trying to force on me! Who are you to say what is right? Who are you to say that you know better?’
Charles, looking stricken, for once had nothing to say.
Erik gritted his teeth together and forced himself to calm down.
‘No, Charles,’ he said quietly. ‘I have far too much blood on my hands already for your words to have any impact on me. It’s too late. I have come too far and many have died to bring me to where I am today. This is as much for them as it is for me. And believe me,’ he smiled grimly, ‘the world is better off without Sebastian Shaw.’
‘Oh Erik, is that any way to talk about your dear, devoted friend?’ came a voice behind him and Erik immediately leapt to his feet, Charles immediately forgotten as he settled into a crouch, arms raised up before him. His eyes narrowed as he saw Shaw step out of the ruined metal carcass that curled about him, dusting his suit jacket off as he climbed out, as if he had just walked in out of the rain.
‘Well,’ Shaw said, once he was completely clear of the metal shell, ‘that was fun. Let’s try something else now, shall we?’
Erik tensed and reached out with his powers before another voice halted him, this time from Charles.
‘Erik,’ he gasped, still on the floor. ‘Erik, it doesn’t need to be this way!’
Erik opened his mouth to reply but before he could, he was interrupted by Shaw.
‘Erik!’ Shaw exclaimed, sounding delighted. He cocked his head and greedily ran his eyes over Charles, making Erik’s insides squirm in fear and anger. ‘Erik, who is this? Is this one of your friends?’
Erik growled threateningly, his eyes flashing as he moved to shield Charles from Shaw’s gaze, even as Charles brought his fingertips to his temple, frowning in concentration. Shaw saw him do so and laughed in delight.
‘Sorry,’ he said, smiling benevolently at Charles and reaching out to rap his knuckles against his helmet. ‘Telepath-proof. But aren’t you just a precious little thing?’
Charles’s frown changed into a scowl. He clearly did not appreciate being treated like some sort of performing puppy-dog.
Now do you blame me for wanting to kill him? Erik couldn’t help thinking, though he managed to stop himself from projecting the thought to Charles. He much preferred for Charles’s ire to be directed away from him, in the proper direction; that is to say, towards Shaw.
Unfortunately, it took a great deal more than petty annoyance to put Charles off.
‘Listen to me,’ he said earnestly. ‘Both of you. This isn’t the way! Can’t you see that nothing good will come of this?’
Erik grimaced but said nothing. Shaw, on the other hand, cocked his head at Charles, curious.
‘And what would you suggest?’ he asked interestedly, raising an eyebrow. ‘That we sit down as gentlemen and discuss this civilly?’
Charles, looking distinctly uneasy, paused for a minute before swallowing and, bravely sticking to his guns, jerked his head in a nod.
Shaw stared at him.
Then, all of a sudden, he let out a great bark of laughter.
‘Erik!’ he laughed happily, clapping his hands together. ‘Erik! Where on earth did you find this delightful creature? And more importantly – where can I get one of my own?’