the viewing begins
After the quiet chattering died off and the screen flickered to life, everyone tried to settle into their seats as best as they could.
The viewing begins.
It starts slowly, to reveal what can be assumed is a camp. It goes from showing a child and his mother, given how tense Erik is anyone can assume that the child was him, to showing people working and the numbers on their arms, before showing the child being separated from his mother. She's swept away in the crowd as he yells for her, and in the midst of his yelling he begins to bend a metal fence keeping him away from her. The fence bends before he's hit on the head, landing on the floor.
Erik's breath caught in his throat because it was this moment that would always replay in his mind at night. This, losing his mother, the torture he was put through. And the person that had caused all the pain was right behind Charles and he'd be damned if he let anything happen to what was his. He never knew himself to be so protective or possessive but he didn't mind the feeling. Distantly he felt Charles' hand tighten on his own clenched first.
Slowly the scene fades to show a young Charles Xavier weilding a baseball bat as a weapon whilst he walks to the kitchen carefully, in which he confronts his mother.
The action enticed a small giggle from Raven, "I forgot you had a bat." She mumbled cheerfully, staring at him, her form flickering between his mother's for a second before she switched back to her regular blonde face. He gave her a dirty look while trying to smother his grin before they looked back to the screen, as well as whoever looked at them during the small interaction.
Young Charles began speaking to her in her mind, telling her how his mother wouldn't step foot in the kitchen at all and wouldn't make him hot chocolate unless she'd count ordering a maid to do it as making some.
The scene was short and simple but it made Charles stiffen. Erik noticed but he could tell Charles didn't want anyone to notice, given how he stayed focused on the screen and shifted to sit up straighter. He chose not to say anything.
Soon enough the dread in Erik's stomach flooded to his mind as the scene began to play of him in an office with Shaw. Shaw spoke and tried coaxing him into eating a piece of chocolate, to which Erik responded that he wanted to see his mother. Shaw then tried getting him to move a coin, and when Erik couldn't he sighed and rang a bell.
Tears welled in Erik's eyes as he watched the screen as stiff as stone.
Shaw told him that if he didn't move the coin then he'd kill his mother. Erik felt his hands begin to tremble as Shaw counted down and the music became tense. The children– because in the long run that's what they were– sat leaning into each other for comfort. The Hellfire Club sat, and if they were uncomfortable with the way Shaw was grinning with triumph then they kept it masked as disinterest.
A shot went off as Erik's mother fell to the floor. Dead weight. A tear fell from Erik's eye as he exhaled shakily, staring straight ahead of him and grabbing onto the armrest hard enough that his knuckles turned white. Charles sent a wave of comfort towards him but it only worked a fraction as more tears fell from his eyes. Had it not been for the fact his powers weren't working he'd kill Shaw right here right now.
The scene continued and showed Erik as he yelled in agony, crumbling a bell much to Shaw's delight. Erik turned to the feo guards and crushed their skulls and then began to wreak havoc among the room beside the office. Shaw watched with a sick glee as he congratulated Erik, leading gim a few steps into the room as he handed him the coin and walked away.
Erik finally gained his composure and wiped his face. He was going to kill Shaw. Sooner or later the cruel monster would pay for what he's done, and it'll be at the hands of Erik.