Chapter 2
“Get away from him.”
“Shut up Erik, don’t tell me what to do.”
“I’m going to do more than that if you don’t get away from him. He’s going to be scared enough as it is without your ugly mug in his face when he wakes up.”
“Please Erik, you hurt me.”
“Fuck off.”
Slowly Charles cracked his eyes open. He was taken back by another man’s face right next to his. With a squeak he tried to push to his feet only to fall over. “Bloody hell.”
“I told you! Just relax, it’s okay.”
The man that was now closer to him looked to be about eighteen. Even though he was crouched down it was easy to see that he was taller and more muscular than Charles. The other man was older than him as well but by more than the man close to him. He tried reaching out with his mind towards them, to make sense of what was going on. The man was met with a wall though, a horrible wall that he was unable to push past. Tears started flowing from his eyes.
“The sedatives are still wearing off, I wouldn’t try to walk. Your mutation probably won’t work either and if they do it will be very weak.” His voice was kind but he sounded like he was talking to a frightened animal not a human being.
“What is your mutation,” the other man very suddenly rushed forward.
Charles tried to get away but was met with a wall.
“Leave him alone, Shaw.” So that must be Erik then, Charles figures out somehow while still panicking. Erik pushed out of his crouching positon and stood in front of him to block him.
“You know I’m getting really sick of your attitude.”
“I’m getting really sick of your existence; let’s see if I can fix that, hmm.”
Charles tried hard to get a grip on himself but only ended up shaking and crying harder.
“At least give him time to adjust before you harass him!” Erik’s voice was a low growl. “If you want to play with something go find Emma, she just loves your fucking games.”
Shaw gave a long sigh. “Fine Erik, you take the fun out of everything.” The man looked over Erik’s shoulder at Charles. “Catch you later,” he says with a wink.
Erik watched him retreat, to where Charles wasn’t sure, before turning back to Charles. “It’s okay, I won’t hurt you.”
“Where am I?” The telepath looked around him taking everything in. To the left of them was a long glass wall but the rest of the room ceiling, walls, and floor were cement with a small opening on the opposite wall from the glass. He couldn’t see past the glass though, it was pitch black past it.
On top of that his body throbbed from a dull pain.
“You have come to the mutant zoo my friend,” Erik crouched back down in front of him.
“No, I was careful. No one knew what I was; Raven and I were both careful. Oh gods, Raven.”
Erik didn’t question him at all. “They always find out, always. Then our people end up here, in this fucking hell hole. Come on, there’s a bed in the back room. Hopefully Shaw hasn’t claimed it yet?” Erik stood and held out his hand to the younger man.
“I don’t think I can walk.” Charles still had tears running down his face but they had slowed considerably.
“Shit sorry,” Erik kneeled down picking up Charles’ small frame. “Just try to relax, what’s your name?”
“Charles.” The telepath wrapped his arms around Erik’s neck.
“Well Charles, I’m Erik. I along with Shaw are going to be your cage mates.” Venom filled his voice as he spoke.
Charles had a hard time seeing what was going on in the backroom as no lights were on.
“Let me guess, he gets the bed.” Shaw was somewhere off to the side but Charles couldn’t make out where.
Neither Erik nor Charles responded to him but Erik did lay him down on the bed. “Sleep, you’ll need it.”
In all fairness Charles really did try to sleep but there so much sound going on around him not to mention Shaw and Erik talking to quietly for him to hear but enough that it annoyed him. In the end he had only gotten a few hours and was exhausted. He was awoken when a door slammed.
“He’s tired,” he hears Erik growl. “Can’t you let him sleep?"
“Stand down.”
Erik snarled a warning but Charles could hear electricity power up.
“Erik, it’s okay, I’m up.” Charles sat up and turned to them. A man with lightly graying hair along with three guards, one of which was carrying a plastic or glass, Charles couldn’t tell, cattle prod, stood next to what he could now see was a door. He could also see that there were two chain link fences running on either side of them and the other two walls were also cement.
“I’m glad to see you are all getting along, it took a while to find someone we could actually put with you two and neither of you had better ruin him, he’s going to bring us in a lot of money.” The man with graying hair started to walk towards Charles but stopped when the smaller man started backing away. “Clients are just going to eat you up. I want all three of you out today. You two help make sure all of the cuts and burns on him are covered up, I don’t want the MPA on my ass.”
One of the guards placed three paper plates with gross looking food on them before they all left.
Erik watch them leave with a heavy glare. “I hate that man.”
“For once we agree,” Shaw growls grabbing two plates and walking over towards the bed. “Eat up kiddo.”
“We’re expected to eat this?” Charles looked down at it in disgust but took the plate when the other mutant offered.
“Yes and finish it.” Erik sat on one side of him and Shaw the other.
“We don’t even get utensils.”
Both of them shook their heads and started using brown crackers to scoop up and eat slop that seeped through to the bottom of the plates. Charles followed their example while looking around. Through the fence he could see other mutants all in similar cages but the fence around them looked different somehow. That’s what they were, fucking cages! Charles was not looking forward to what the rest of this day would bring.