Old Friend

Chapter 6

When Erik returned to his room to check on Charles, he immediately realized something was wrong. The room was dark and Charles wasn’t awake, like Erik had expected. He couldn’t even see Charles. All he saw when he entered was a shapeless heap under the covers. The heap didn’t move when Erik opened the door, which concerned him.

“Charles?” he whispered, slowly approaching the bed.

No response.

Erik went closer and repeated Charles’ name, but he didn’t receive any reaction now either. Then he carefully placed his hand on the heap and said the telepath’s name again, though louder this time.

“Charles?”

Charles suddenly woke up and jerked when he felt the hand that touched him. Shocked, he believed it was Sabretooth who had come back and gave a terrified, reflexive cry. No, please…no…

But it wasn’t Sabretooth. It was Erik. Charles stared at his friend with glassy eyes, and it took him a few seconds to realize who he was looking at.

Charles’ reaction shocked Erik. “Charles?” he asked carefully. “What is it? It’s just me… Charles? What…”

When Charles finally lifted his head and exposed his throat, Erik could see the strangulation marks and scratches Sabretooth had caused him, and he got terrified.

“Charles! What happened?” he cried out, grabbing Charles by the shoulders and looking into his frightened eyes. “Charles how…?”

Erik passed his finger over the ugly bruises and fresh scratches around Charles’ neck. There was no doubt. Those marks had been caused recently, and only one person was guilty. Charles didn’t have to say anything to make Erik understand.

“It was Sabretooth, wasn’t it?” he asked seriously and did everything to remain calm, although he felt like exploding. “He has done this, Charles. He’s hurt you. Talk to me then!”

At first Charles was too scared to say anything. He had Sabretooth’s threat fresh in his memory. //If you even breathe about this to Mags, I’ll come back and kill you!// Those had been his exact words, and Charles did not doubt he meant it. But Erik was no idiot, of course, and saw the connection at once.

Erik’s anger passed on to pity. He understood how shocked his old friend was, and anger would not make him open up.

“Now tell me,” he said mildly. “Whatever it is, I want you to tell me. He’s been here, hasn’t he? Tell me, Charles.”

Erik cupped Charles’ jaw in his hand, and forced him to eye contact.

Charles nodded slowly. It was no use denying it. Erik already knew.

“What did he do? Has he hurt you more?”

Charles nodded again. “Yes. Lower,” he whispered hoarsely. His throat still hurt when he tried to speak.

An awful thought passed through Erik’s head. Had the beast raped Charles? He gently pulled the covers down and saw the scratch on Charles’ penis. It was about half an inch long and no longer bleeding, but still looked nasty enough.

“Charles, did he rape you?” Erik asked straight out.

“No…”

Erik’s hold of Charles’ shoulders tightened. “Can you promise me that?”

“Yes.”

Erik was pleased with the answer. Probably it was true, since there had been much more blood after a rape. Now Charles only had a few dry stains on his upper thighs and around his neck. He didn’t seem seriously injured, but he was deeply shocked.

“What did he do to you? Tell me, Erik tried mildly. “He won’t hurt you again. I can promise you that.”

But Charles didn’t want to tell Erik what Sabretooth had done. He didn’t want to think about that monster at all. When Erik repeated his question Charles began to break. He started sobbing and brought one hand to his face to hide his tears.

“I don’t want to talk about it…” he sobbed. “I don’t even want to think about it… Please Erik, don’t ask it of me…”

“No, I understand,” Erik admitted and gently pulled Charles into his arms. “You don’t have to talk about it. It’s okay, my darling… He can’t hurt you now. Don’t think about him.”

At last Charles stopped crying. He leaned back against his pillows and felt Erik’s cool hand on his forehead for a while. It felt good, and he wanted to ask Erik not to leave him alone.

Erik cleaned Charles’ wounds and smeared some antiseptic ointment on them. That was all he could do. The wounds weren’t serious, yet he still offered to bandage them, but Charles didn’t want any bandages, especially around his penis.

“Thank you, I feel much better now…” Charles whispered when Erik had tended to him.

Erik kissed his old friend’s forehead.

“I’m glad he didn’t injure you worse. But I do promise you he will not get away with this. I will deal with the beast at once.”

“No!” Charles exclaimed, grabbing Erik’s arm. “Stay here with me! You can’t leave me alone! Please?”

“Alright, I’ll stay for now,” Erik said soothingly. “Just relax, Charles. I’m here now. You can relax.”

Erik crawled down, fully dressed, in the bed and pulled Charles into his arms. He soothingly stroked the telepath’s bald head and rocked him tenderly. Charles was no longer crying, but his breathing was still ragged and he was feeling very doddering. With terror he remembered Sabretooth’s broad, malicious grin, and how his huge hand had closed around his throat and stopped him from breathing. At that moment Charles had been convinced that he would die.

But he didn’t. He was safe now, with Erik. Erik wouldn’t let anyone harm him.

“Charles?” Erik asked a while later. He was still holding Charles in his arms, and his hand in his own. He was stroking his old friend’s knuckles with his thumb to get him calm, since he knew Charles had always loved that feeling. Charles’ hands were still shaking, which meant he was scared and nervous.

“Yes?”

“Was Raven here earlier this day?”

“Yes, she came with my breakfast. Why?”

“In the morning? Before Sabretooth hurt you?”

“Yes.”

“And she hasn’t been here after that?”

“I… I don’t know,” Charles confessed. “I think I passed out after he…”

“You don’t have to talk about it,” promised Erik. “I understand. But I am pretty sure now. He was planning it. Everyone was acting weird when we were having breakfast this morning. No one has told him where you were. I believe he’s triedforcforce Raven to tell him.”

“And you think she did?”

“No, I believe he was spying on her when she came here earlier.”

Erik felt like a complete moron for not telling Mystique to lock the door. He should have known Sabretooth would try something like this. Very well, it won’t happen again, Erik decided. From now on the door to his room would always be locked, and when he was done with that animal…

“No, please, Erik, don’t tell him that I…”

“Charles,” Erik said resolutely. “Now you listen to me. This isn’t like you. I understand that he threatened you, but you have to believe me when I say he won’t come near you again.”

Charles wanted to believe Erik, but he dared not. He felt so exposed and helpless without his telepathy, which had been his strength and only defence all his life. What was he now? A totally helpless, wheelchair-bound old man who was completely dependent on others for his survival? That was a pretty accurate description. There had been moments when he’d hated and cursed his telepathy, but now he realized he couldn’t live without his gift.

“Charles,” Erik said softly, pulling his hand over Charles’ arm. “I must go and confront Sabretooth. Now at once.”

Charles opened his mouth to object, but Erik interrupted him.

“There is nothing you can say or do to stop me. Let me go now.”

Erik disentangled from Charles and got out of bed. He corrected his wrinkled outfit and brushed his thick hair back.

“Please, don’t go,” Charles begged. “You’ll only make it worse!”

Erik sighed. “I don’t think so. He has to pay for this. Only an idiot would think I wouldn’t notice what he’d done. Be calm, Charles. He won’t touch you again.”

“Please, let me call my students,” Charles whispered from the bed.

“Not yet, old friend. Be patient,” Erik said seriously, and then left the room. This time he made sure to lock the door, which would protect Charles from the murderous lunatic also known as Sabretooth.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Sabretooth had gone to the gym to work out. He was full of suppressed fury and frustration, and needed a way to relieve himself. It was either this or tearing somebody apart.

The blond giant was wearing a tight tank top which clearly emphasized his massive ribcage, and black slacks. His long, coarse hair hung loose around his face, and in moments like this, it almost resembled a lion mane. Sometimes Victor Creed suspected that he would have been much more comfortable amongst lions or other wild animals than humans was was a wild animal staring out of his rumpled mane more than a man.

While he was doing presses he thought about Xavier. He started to regret he didn’t rape the old man anyway. He would have deserved it, and maybe he’d even liked it, little faggot that he was.

Suddenly his weight froze in midair as though some invisible force had grabbed it. Sabretooth tried to pull the weight down, but it wouldn’t budge. Momentarily confused he turned his head to see what was going on.

Magneto was standing at the door to the gym. Of course he was controlling the weight with the help of magnetism.

Sabretooth frowned irritably, although he felt thrill of alarm in the pit of his stomach. Xavier had told him, of course. Sabretooth knew he would. And now Mags was here to punish him.

He was usually not afraid of the old queen, but unfortunately there was a lot ofal ial in this room for him to control.

“Creed, can we exchange a few words?” Erik asked in an icy voice.

“Let go of my weight!” Sabretooth snarled back.

“As you wish.”

Erik withdrew the magnetic field which kept the weight up, and Sabretooth wasn’t prepared for it, so the weight almost came down on his chest. With a feral roar the huge mutant threw the weight to the floor, where it landed with a deafening bang. Erik didn’t even twitch.

Sabretooth bounced off the bench and shot the elder man a menacing look from his black eyes. He was almost ready to slit the old man’s throat.

“You,” Erik began, “have done something you shouldn’t have. I guess we both know what I’m referring to.”

His voice was stern and his eyes filled with cold anger. Yet he remained completely calm. Most of all he had wanted to bury Sabretooth amongst all the weight, but coldly decided not to overreact. He was a civilised man, not a feral animal like some others.

“Do you mean the old cripple in your room?” Sabretooth grinned. “Yeah, we… met a while ago. Perhaps I was a bit rough with him. Never mind, shit happens.”

Erik clenched his teeth. “Charles is my friend, and you have hurt him. You’re not doing it again, not as long as I’m around. If I had as little self-control as you have, I would kill you for what you did.”

Sabretooth started jeering loudly and audaciously.

“You? Kill me? Are ya kidding, Mags? I would slash your throat before you could do anything! I wouldn’t threaten me if I were you, Mags. Maybe you want the same treatment as your crippled lover?”

Slowly the blond giant started approaching Erik. Erik didn’t like it. He could handle Sabretooth from a distance, but if he let him come too close he got dangerous. Erik knew what incredible reflexes the large man possessed, and in a close combat Erik would be chanceless. But he decided not to back or show any fear. Sabretooth was like a predator; if you showed fear it could provoke an attack from him.

Erik’s heart rate increased, and he wondered if Sabretooth could hear or feel it. It was also possible that Sabretooth’s enhanced senses allowed him to smell fear. Erik wasn’t sure, but he wasn’t going to back away.

The giant stopped about two feet from Erik. Sabretooth was more than a head taller and twice as heavy. He looked both imposing and terrifying.

“What do you want from me, Mags?” the feral mutant asked. “You want an “apology”?” he leered.

Erik tilted his head so that his pale blue eyes met Sabretooth’s black ones. “No,” he said slowly and clearly. “That is not what I want from you. I won’t let you ever come near Charles again. I want you to get out of this house. It was a mistake to let you come back in the first place. Go and live with the beasts in the forest. It’s obvious that you belong there.”

A low-pitched growl started to form in Sabretooth’s throat. Small wrinkles appeared around his eyes and his facial muscles flexed when he clenched his teeth. He took one step forward and almost pressed Erik against his massive chest. Erik finally backed not to be pushed over by the giant, but discovered that the only thing behind him was a wall.

Sabretooth bent down until they were almost in eye level with each other. Then he brought his face close to Erik’s, and whispered in his ear,

“Do you think I care what you want, old man? Do you think I’ll obey an old fruit like you? Never. You’ve held me back long enough now, and I’ll put an end to it.”

“Move away!” Erik hissed in reply and put his palms against Sabretooth’s chest.

“Or else?” the giant mocked.

“You will regret it. I promise you that.”

“You’re really scaring me, Mags. Can’t you see how I’m shaking?”

“Get out of here,” Erik said. “There is no place for you here. Go! At once!”

Erik tried to push Sabretooth away, or at least make him move a little, but Sabretooth grabbed Erik’s wrists and pinned him against the wall. He was looking menacing and feral, displaying his fangs like a predator, sniffing his prey.

“You’re getting saucy, old man!” he growled in Erik’s face. “I don’t like that! Maybe the same treatment I gave your friend a few hours ago would do you good!”

Erik was now too enraged to feel any fear. He knew he couldn’t break free only by physical strength, but he always had his power to his aid.

The weight Sabretooth did presses with before started hovering behind his back, like many other metallic objects in the gym.

“Release me at once, or the weight behind you will crash into your back,” he said furiously.

Sabretooth’s facial expression became insecure. He couldn’t *see* any weights, but the familiar buzzing of Erik’s powers actually sounded.

“Would you do that?” he asked sceptically.

“Try me.”

Sabretooth’s eyes narrowed, and he hesitantly released his hold of Erik’s wrists, although he didn’t move out of his way.

Erik never let the hovering weights out of his sight, making sure he was ready to fling them at the giant in case he tried anything.

“Back away,” Magneto ordered.

Sabretooth backed approximately one foot, and Erik grasped the opportunity and slid away from him. Now he felt relatively safe again. Perhaps Sabretooth still respected him after all, although he tried hard to prove he did not.

“I hope I was clear enough,” Erik said. “Get out of my house. I don’t want to see you anymore. If you ever put your foot in this house again, I won’t be this forgiving.”

“Do as he says, Creed,” suddenly another voice said from the doorway. It was Mystique. She entered the gym and stood beside Erik to confirm his words.

“You’re done here. It’ll be best for everyone if you leave, including yourself.”

Mystique put her arm around Erik’s shoulders, and was prepared to defend him in case Sabretooth had a fit and attacked them. She suspected that something serious might have happened, since Erik had finally decided that Sabretooth didn’t fit in among them.

Sabretooth was staring at them both; an elder, grey-haired man and a blue-skinned woman with red slicked-back hair and yellow eyes. They were his former team-mates, but not anymore. Now they were only two mutants, maybe even his enemies, like everyone else.

“You want me to go away?” he asked them.

“Yes. And don’t bother coming back,” Erik replied coldly.

“Believe me, I won’t! You really think I’ll let an old faggot and a blue whore control my life? You’ve done it long enough, but now it’s over!”

“Get out of my house!” Erik cried. He no longer cared to sound calm and eloquent. The only thing he wanted now was to see Sabretooth disappear.

“Gladly…” the large man muttered and rushed out of the gym.

Finally Erik could relax and release the weights. He sighed deeply when he was alone with Mystique, and brought his hands to his temples, rubbing his aching head with his fingertips. Soon he felt Mystique’s light hand against his back, and realized she tried to soothe him.

“What happened?” Mystique asked concerned. “He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

Erik shook his head. “No… not me…”

“Then what happened?”

Erik raised his head and met Mystique’s questioning eyes.

“He… He hurt Charles,” he slowly explained. “Didn’t you know? Please Raven, tell me that you didn’t tell him where to find Charles?”

“No, of course not!” Mystique exclaimed. “You know I’d never do anything like that! When did it happen? I had no idea,” she said honestly. “Is he OK?”

“He’s not seriously injured physically, but he’s in shock, frightened and mentally instable. And I don’t blame him. It must have been a terrible experience.”

“I am sorry,” Mystique said. “You made the right choice, sending him away. We can’t keep him here. He’s become uncontrollable.”

“I know. I blame myself for the mistake to let him come back.”

Mystique regarded Erik seriously. “He hurt me too,” she explained.

Erik gasped. So it *was* true! Then what he feared had really happened. Now Erik realized why everyone acted so strangely around the breakfast table this morning.

“What did he do?” he asked.

“Look,” Mystique replied anowedowed Erik her forearms. The scratches were beginning to heal, and the bruises weren’t visible, considering her blue skin, but the marks his claws had left were still obvious.

“Oh, Raven…” Erik said, taking her hands in his own. “I am so sorry… When…?”

“Yesterday he tried to force me to tell where Xavier was. I refused, and then he grabbed me and pressed me up against the pantry. For a moment I was really worried, but he stopped when John came in.”

“He didn’t…?”

“Hurt John? No. At least I think he didn’t,” Mystique said. “But now you know. I didn’t tell him Xavier was in your room, Erik. I swear.”

“I believe you,” Erik replied. “He must have spied on you today when you brought Charles his breakfast. There is no other possibility. It is my fault too. I should have told you to keep the door locked.”

“Do you think he’ll leave without trouble?”

“I hope so,” Erik replied gravely. “I really hope so.”

“Come here…”

Mystique pulled Erik into her arms and let him rest his head against her shoulder. He gratefully leaned against her with almost all his weight, knowing she was strong and could take it. Erik had had so much to do and fix lately, and really needed someone to lean on.

“Erik…” whispered Mystique, stroking the elder man’s grey hair. “You’re completely smashed… Are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m just…tired,” Erik confessed. “I’ll be alright.”

“Would you like me to take care of you?” Mystique whispered in his ear. “We can go to my chamber for a while. I think you’d like that.”

Erik sighed again. No, sex was not what he wanted now. Not with Mystique, anyway.

“No, Raven. Not now,” he replied and disentangled from her.

“I can be a man if you wish,” Mystique offered. “I know you prefer men. You won’t notice any difference.”

Erik wasn’t sure what to say. This was really a dilemma. He didn’t want to use Raven that way, knowing very well that she did it only to please him. He also knew she didn’t like anal sex, and he always felt like such a bastard for doing that to her.

“No, I have to go back to Charles,” Erik claimed. “Thank you for the offer, but not right now.”

“Alright, I see…” Mystique sighed, trying to hide her disappointment.