Mutants Rise Ep 1 - Safety

Trigger warnings

Swearwords

Safety

Charles quietly stared at his hands as he felt the truck rattle across the gravel road. It was clear they were offroading just a moment ago, and had finally hit a road that felt at least a little familiar. Even if he didn’t have a clue where they were going. Sure, he could easily read the mind of the driver if he pulled the circlet off. But he wasn't that desperate to figure it all out. Besides, as he laid his head back, he felt the thoughts of those who sat around him. Especially Louise and Erik. Their thoughts were already intruding on his own, almost altering some of them. As they always were.

‘Wonder where they're taking us…’ Louise's mind bounced with the ideas of what the place they're going to would potentially look like. Her mind lingering far too long on a place with a beach and ocean view. Despite how they were clearly just travelling further inland as they moved.

‘I know you hear me.’ Erik's thoughts were more direct. More obvious. The man's mind was clearly opening itself for Charles to peek, to listen. An open invitation for a distraction and a focus point to avoid reading the minds of everyone else. Especially as his helmet rested at his feet. The extra layers inside it that helped completely mute everything was suddenly incredibly tempting.

‘Don't you dare,’ Erik's voice abruptly chimed, as though his mind yelled it out to ensure that Charles heard. Yet as he turned his head to stare the taller man in the eyes; the white haired man only grinned. ‘Caught you.’

“Shut up,” Charles muttered beneath his breath, to which Erik just raised his hands.

“I didn't say anything,” he playfully retorted, his tone sweet as he did. A clear tease dancing across his voice and even his mind. As Charles got a full view of the sparking thoughts behind the grinning man's eyes.

“Don't you fucking dare,” he practically snarled in response. Only to pause as Louise laid her hand on his shoulder, squeezing down.

“Not so loud you two,” she sharply explained, while her eyes lingered on the soldiers sitting opposite of them. Two of which they had worked alongside with for a while, and one dressed in red. The one she stared at the most.

“Don't you ‘you two’ us. I did nothing,” Erik started, yet lost his grin as Louise shot him a glare. “Alright alright. You have a good point.”

“I don't mind someone talking,” one of the soldiers opposite them perked up. “I mean, we're allowed to talk, no?”

“Of course,” the gurgled voice of the HYDRA soldier responded, before the figure paused and removed their helmet. Revealing a slightly beat up but healthy face beneath. “Of course you can talk. It was actually kind of awkward that you didn't.”

Louise huffed in response to his words, crossing her arms as she leaned back. “Well sorry that we aren't very talkative.”

“I know you are all going through it,” he expressed. “But you are not prisoners. We just have to take you somewhere safe.”

“Yeah yeah, we .” Erik waved it off. “You people really like to repeat yourself.”

“It’s our job,” the HYDRA soldier explained with a sigh. “As annoying as it is.”

“You… can talk about your job like that? Without risking being fired?” Charles questioned, making everyone stare at him in response.

‘We don’t ask questions like that out loud.’ Erik’s thought bounced.

‘That was a stupid question to ask.’ Louises’ thoughts agreed.

‘I was gonna ask that.’ The soldier across from them’s thought was quiet but it reached him either way.

‘Reading our minds for real.’ The second soldier in the corner, who was now smirking.

“Of course,” the HYDRA soldier responded with a raised eyebrow. “What, is there a rumour among Shield that we cannot speak ill about our job or we get executed?”

Their question wasn’t answered, as instead everyone but Charles looked away from them. Making them raise an eyebrow before they lifted a hand to pinch their nose. Grumbling something beneath their breath before they’d just laugh. “That’s honestly fucking hilarious.”

“There are a lot of rumours about Hydra… though none are exactly confirmed.” Charles explained, feeling Erik’s hand squeeze his upper arm in response. His head turning to make eye with the other mutant while he raised an eyebrow.

‘Why are you talking with him?’ he had stopped concealing his thoughts; and simply used them to directly talk with Charles instead.

‘To time…’ responding with thoughts was still a little odd for him. But the moment he did; Erik smiled proudly at him. Excitement present in his eyes.

‘Fine fine… a little bit of noise is always welcome.’

“What are you two chatting about?” Louise suddenly asked, having leaned her head onto Charles’ shoulder with a wide grin on her face.

“Nothing-” Charles instinctively spat in response to her intrusion, making Erik laugh.

“Oh… oh that’s why I was told to guard this truck,” the HYDRA soldier suddenly commented. “You are the mutants.”

“Wait, they didn’t tell you?” Erik asked while he looked over, right eyebrow raised.

“Nope. Then again, it is just standard protocol.” they responded with a shrug.

“Then why you specifically?” Charles chimed in.

“Oh simple really, I’ve worked alongside mutants since I became a soldier. So Boss is probably just being cautious that you are with someone who knows how it works,” they explained with a shrug. “Or it’s a coincidence. He isn’t exactly a mastermind.”

“Damn… even we can’t speak about our bosses like that,” Louise commented with a pout. “I did it once and got called deranged and tossed out of my previous team.”

“That, and you blew up one of your teammates' cars.” Erik commented.

“Ain’t my fault he parked like a three year old was driving.”

“Either way,” the HYDRA soldier hummed. “You are all in safe hands. Mutant or not. When we get there it may feel a bit crammed and weird, especially as we will be sorting out who wishes to stay or not, but-”

“Wait, stay?” Charles questioned.

“Well yeah. We will offer you all to stay with Hydra if you want. If not we will find a way to get you and your family to a safe place out of Shields reach.”

“... you guys knew?” Erik abruptly asked.

“I don’t have high enough clearance to know what info we had… but it’s safe to say the higher ups did. Since we are trained to deal with this. I always thought it was just to evacuate civilians, but it's safe to guess it was actually for this.”

“Huh… fascinating…” Erik grumbled, while Charles grabbed a hold of his hand. Squeezing down as he got a peak of the other’s mind. One he hadn’t even wanted to do.

“... you need another layer. Don’t you.” he calmly responded to the squeeze, sighing as Charles only squeezed his hand in response. “Louise?”

“Of course! I’m glad they decided to let me keep my bag,” she snickered and pulled her bag up from between her legs. Where she dug around for a moment; then grabbed a hold of a simple metal bar. “Though… I am running low.”

“We’ll figure it out,” he said, then made the bar float over to his hand. “We always do.”

After he had said that; he flattered the metal between his fingers. Effortlessly contorting and controlling the metal to his demand. Letting go of Charles’ hand to get it done properly, before he wrapped it around the other man's circlet. Ensuring not to pinch his reddish brown hair in between the layers before fusing it against the other metal percent. Chuckling sharply as Charles let out a sigh of relief.

“We’re here…” he muttered after the sigh, lowering his head to rest it against Erik’s arm.

“Already?” the HYDRA soldier questioned, then quickly slid their helmet on. To obviously receive a message, which made them chuckle. “Yup, we’re here.”

The car slowed down the moment they spoke, before it backed up into a parking spot. Two knocks followed from the front of the van, and in response the HYDRA soldier would open the back door and hop out. Stopping to turn around and open the door on the other side as well. Then offering their hand to help the others out of there. Which Louise just took with a brief shrug before she hopped out first. Sliding her bag over her shoulder, then attached her helmet to the bottom of it so she wouldn’t have to wear it. The two other soldiers followed behind her, before Charles and Erik hopped out. Where Charles just stared at his helmet before Erik grabbed it from him and tossed it to Louise. Attaching his own to his belt afterwards.

“Why-” Charles started asking, but Erik shut it down with a hard smack against his back.

Charles grumbled in response, but would walk along with them either way. The group of five were then led by the HYDRA soldier that had been in the car with them. They walked from the garage where everyone was parked and into a giant room just at the other side of the door. When inside it was clear just how many had been in on it. There were maybe a hundred of them there, and as they entered Charles caught sight of many being rushed through hallways on stretchers. One of which he saw Jacob being carried down, with Minerva and Noah in toe. Noah having a soldier ing him on the side while Minerva was walking just fine.

“Jesus…” Erik muttered while he stared around them. Keeping Charles close to his side as it was no wonder the telepath had called for him to strengthen the dampener.

“There’s so many…” Louise mumbled, her hand raising to grab Erik’s free arm. Squeezing while he let her hand slide into his. So he could return with a comforting squeeze.

“Five more, sir,” the soldier with them explained to one who stood with a tablet in hand. “Two mutants.”

“Got it…” the woman responded before she’d wave towards one of the hallways. “Take them with you that way, though those two are staying.” she gestured to the two others who had been in the car with them. “I need more hands for the wounded. We are already stretched thin over our facilities.”

“You got it, just tell us where you need us.” The two almost eagerly followed along behind her. Already being put to work carrying people on stretchers.

“Understood,” the HYDRA soldier turned their way with a small nod before they walked. The three following along behind them, Erik in the middle as he kept them both anchored. Keeping Charles from being overwhelmed, and Louise from getting ideas.

“Not much further,” they suddenly explained after half a minute of walking. “There’s space in our common rooms for you, and I think the three of you will enjoy these better. Someone will be by once everyone is sorted to figure out who is staying or not. Please try to relax, and you are free to use everything in the room.”

After the explanation they turned to a door which slid open with a soft hiss. “Noise suppression,” was their quick explanation for the door, before they stepped aside with a gesture for the three to head inside. Charles first, with Erik and then Louise following.

“Ozzy!” Charles shouted when he got outside, immediately rushing over to the small kitchen corner of the common room. ing a few other agents on the way. All of whom seemed to stare at him with an angered expression. One that faltered when Erik and Louise walked by, who got smiles thrown their way instead.

“Ah!” Ozzy turned around, a giant grin on his face, “well now, if it ain't my favorite 'poil de feu'.”

“Brown-” Charles protested, but was swiftly shot down by the other as he sat the knife down on the cutting board. He turned, leaned over the counter on the U-shaped kitchen that Charles stood on the other side of, then brushed his low ponytail over his shoulder. Letting the edge rest against his collarbone while he pointed at his hair.

“Can' be mistakin', dis brown, like a roux brown, tha righ ova dere, gotcha with tha fiery, redhead.” Ozzy explained with a chuckle. Waiting patiently for Charles’ response, but there was none given. He had left the telepath stunned with the stunt he pulled, just as expected, and it wasn't even Charles that responded in the end.

“What are you making?” Louise chirped as she hopped up beside Charles. Leaning onto the same counter Ozzy had, only for him to smack her arms away.

“Hand off tha workspace,” Ozzy rumbled, shaking his head at her with a quick tsk sound. Making Louise just stare at him with an angry look.

“Are you going to answer the woman, Ozzy?” Erik ed the conversation, while standing at the other side of Charles. His smirk almost the same as Ozzy's was. All three having noticed that the man was stressed, as his accent was never this thick.

“Non,” the man responded sharply, “ya know ya gonna learn to live for de surprise. Ain't no suspense like tha one in a beautiful mind, aye chér? All you gotta do is sit right dere, wait, whilst ya boy Ozzy here makes a masterpiece with whateva shit they have.”

“You could've asked for better ingredients, you know!” A sudden perked and British voice exclaimed. Followed by the sound of the whole room shifting around them. As everyone else bar the four retreated as far away from the main door as possible. “Jesus… you really dislike me that much? I'm hurt.”

Charles turned, raising an eyebrow, before he looked at Tech. His mask didn't have the glitching effects it usually held, and his attire was still specked with dust and blood. While he displayed clear signs of exhaustion.

“Yeah, just a little.” Erik muttered, then grinned. “But not all of us. What brings you here, Tech?”

There was a sudden spark of energy present in the formerly presumed villain upon Erik treating him like that. Though he did quickly adjust himself with a brief cough to clear his throat.

“Just came to check that you two were here,” he explained, then stepped aside from the door with a small bounce present. “Got someone I have to introduce you to.”

“Who?” Erik questioned while Charles turned to stare at the door. His eyes steadily widening as the shorter stature of a man appeared. One who stepped inside. Gruff beard, wild hair, and attire that almost looked like he hopped off of a military truck without full gear on. His sleeveless arms kept his arms on full display as he crossed them up with a chuckle. Opening his mouth to speak; but Charles was faster.

“HOLY SHIT IT'S WOLVERINE!!!”

#Rise