"We?" Charles Xavier was confused, be fair he had spent the last twenty-four hours in a haze of slight confusion. But as soon as he had encountered Erik Lehnsherr he felt even more confused for some reason, maybe because Erik seemed much like the work alone, stay alone type. Even as he stood looking at him with slight indifferent blue eyes, Charles couldn't help but feel the niggling confusion double. "Who is this we?" He asked as the two of them stood to one end of the coast guard's vessel, Erik was leaning casually against the steel railings which ran around the whole ship, whereas Charles stood to one side of him waiting for an answer and looking at him expectedly. His words didn't fill Erik with much confidence as it looked like he was all about ready to go diving back into the water. Charles had to put a hand on his arm to restrain him. "Erik, please, what is the matter? I can't help you if you don't talk."

"We, it's plural." Erik stated and got a blank look shot his way by Charles. He removed his hand though when Erik sent it a look. Taking to pushing his own wet hair out of his face, Charles waited for him to continue. "I wasn't alone, or rather I was because Liesel got taken."

"So she's this we?" Charles couldn't help but smirk lightly. So much for the work alone, stay alone image!

Erik shot him a look before looking out to the dark water. "She was with Schmidt." He could see where Charles's tone was heading and hinting at, and he decided to just flat out ignore it and explain further.

"Not freely I hope." Charles asked with a small ounce of confusion which was coupled by a lot of seriousness. Clearly the man he knew as Sebastian Shaw was also going by the last name of Schmidt. And whoever Schmidt was to Erik, was enough for him to look angered. Even more so when seemingly thinking that his friend, Charles presumed that was all Liesel was, had been with and may still be with the man he so clearly despised and loathed.

"What part of taken did you not understand?" Erik snapped while narrowing his eyes at him darkly. 

Charles sent him an apologetic look, Erik sighed and looked back to the water. By now the coast guard was on the move. The speed boats had been replaced by others which were scanning the water for any sign of...well...anything. He personally thought it was a fruitless effort. Everyone saw the man escape via submarine, there was no way to trace that! As for finding clues on the destroyed ship...it would be a hard task considering the thing looked fit to buckling in on itself at any given second. A moment of silence was suddenly ripped apart when there was a commotion on the other side of the ship that made Erik pushed away from the railing and run around and across the deck. 

"Move!" He pushed some poor man out of the way and looked at the unmoving body laying out on the deck. It seemed some crew members had returned, yet not alone.

"Erik, wait!" Charles called out, following after him. His pace slowed, and he paused behind the man as he knelt there. Charles looked sadly at the wrapped up, rather lifeless body. It seemed like such a desperate act considering she wasn't showing any signs of life at all. Charles felt his heart sink, Erik had seemed so determined to find her, and although Charles was a realist that considering the events, the likelihood of finding her alive was slim...but this, even through just meeting him was something Charles didn't want Erik to be subjected to, for anyone to be subjected to.

"Liesel?" Erik whispered, kneeling by her side and leaning close to her. He even reached out and placed his hands on either side of her face. She felt so cold, so deathly cold; a permanent chill set into her skin which caused her to pale considerably and look like a porcelain doll. This was the stillest he had ever seen her, and he found himself not liking it. She was always so animated, even when she was annoyed. There was no sharp, yet kind bright green eyes looking up at him. No warm smile which only ever seemed to be directed at him. Turning her face in his hands, he opted to try and ignore the blue tint to her lips which was creeping steadily in, and shook her lightly. "Liesel, ich brauche Sie aufwachen." Erik whispered in a pleading tone. 

For all appearances sake, she was dead. Unmoving, unresponsive, she seemed to have already passed over; and Erik felt something inside him break, splinter and fracture at the sight of her laying here below him quiet and still as if she were merely sleeping, yet wasn't. It physically hurt him, Erik was not one for feeling emotions at the best of times, ignoring anger which seemed the most prominent; happiness in its rarest forms was always spent in Liesel's company...but that couldn't happen anymore because of this. It hurt, the feeling of dread, and the feeling of something continuing to break within him continued if not more at the realisation that that feeling was resonating from his heart; and she was like she was because of him.

As if hearing his whispered silent plea, Liesel moved in his arms. She turned onto her side and coughed up sea water. Because she was trying to cough up the rough salty water so much, blood was mixed with the otherwise clear fluid. "...Erik," she moaned quietly in a whisper, her voice hoarse and broken sounding on the deathly silent deck. It wasn't until Erik briefly looked about that he realised that people were standing close and watching the moment with pity and saddened filled eyes.

He went to pull her close when he spied people nearing. He narrowed his eyes dangerously. They were not taking her from him, not now, not ever. He looked to the side when Charles suddenly appeared kneeling beside him. He had been standing behind Erik watching the moment, seeing his chance he moved forwards tentatively. Whether Erik registered it or not, Liesel needed help, staying on a deck tightly bound in his arms was not going to help her, even if it comforted him somewhat, it wasn't what she needed.

So, deciding to be the voice of reason, calm, quiet, reassuring reason, Charles looked at him firmly. "Erik, you need to let her go." Erik naturally went on the defensive then, he tensed and looked like he was about to try something, anything to keep everyone away. "Listen, the medics can't check her out and help her with you clutching onto her, can they?" Charles stated and put a hand to his shoulder, "Come on." He said secretly pleading with him not to do something which would warrant in him having to retaliate.

After looking at Charles for a solid few seconds, trying to determine if he was up to anything, Erik relented with a nod. "She doesn't really like doctors, so be careful." Erik stated while relinquishing his hold of her and backing off. He watched as she was carried off, he continued to watch her up until she disappeared through a doorway. He fisted his hands at his sides and clenched his jaw, his eyes hardened and he glared at nothing in particular. If it wasn't for Charles suddenly speaking and asking him questions then Erik would've stayed like he was. "Is she...?"

"Like us? Yes." Erik replied, it would obviously stand to reason that at least one person present would want information on the woman below deck.

Charles pushed his hair out of his face and gave a slow nod. With a sigh he nodded his head back the way they had come. "We better go get dry." He mused, truthfully he didn't want a chill or a cold. There was too much to do to be ill. Erik begrudgingly followed, he wasn't really achieving anything just standing in the middle of the deck. And in all honesty, getting out of the black wetsuit or drying off would probably make Erik feel marginally better, Charles knew changing out of his wet clothes or at least drying off a bit would make him feel better. Certain members of the crew and whoever Charles came with gave Erik wary looks and decided to stay clear. Which was probably for the best. Erik was not exactly feeling totally sociable right now. Especially considering the fact that his mind was elsewhere.

Liesel just looked so lifeless. Still, pale, and cold. He honestly believed she was dead. She certainly looked it. And that...that caused his heart to still wrench and for him to feel suddenly very unwell. But she had woken for a moment, and had whispered his name. So she would be okay, right? Being handed a towel, Erik looked it over before running it over his hair. He looked at the brunette woman when she reappeared. From the brief introductions, Erik remembered her being called Moira. She seemed concerned and whispered something to Charles before the lights in the cabin, and on the boat in general flickered and dimmed. One light bulb even blew from having too much run through it.

The two brunettes looked confused while Erik merely looked around. With a sigh he stood from his seat and threw the towel into the chair. "Where's the infirmary?" He plainly asked.

"How did you-"

"She hates doctors. Trust me, I know her well enough. So where's the infirmary? The more time we stand here, the more time she's potentially harming the doctors who are trying to help her. As well as the more lights she blows." Erik said while easily cutting Moira off. She came darting up here with news on the unconscious woman. It wasn't good news. It was news of her causing problems below deck. She felt Charles should know first, even if Erik was the woman's comrade. "Lead the way," Erik gestured to her as he briskly walked after her with Charles in tow. Needless to say by the time they walked below deck the lights were all but blown. A few flickered, but most had gone dark or smashed.

The door to the infirmary got suddenly shot open by a body being hauled against it. Moira let out a startled noise while Erik merely peered around the door frame, Charles knelt to look over the man before looking at Erik. He looked worried that they had someone potentially out of control and dangerous on board. Standing silently in the corridor the three of them listened to the rather angry German shouting coming from the woman inside the ward as the remaining doctors managed to escape unharmed. They all sent confused looks at the three of them before disappearing up deck. Charles and Moira exchanged confused looks as the irritated ranting continued in the room, even with the doctors now gone, the moment just caused Erik to roll his eyes. Naturally he seemed like the only one understanding her. They looked to him for guidance, he merely shook his head. There were some things they didn't need to know. Like how Liesel was calling them all incompetent irritants.

Slowly Erik peeled himself away from the wall and walked into the room. Seems the shouting and complaining had died down, he thought it was best to make an entrance now. He just didn't anticipate having to dodge out of the way of a shot of electricity. The spark fizzed and died down in the corridor, narrowly missing the unconscious man, as well as Moira and Charles who looked wide eyed at the moment. "Really?" Erik questioned as he stopped by the bed. Despite being hooked up to a load of machinery, she still seemed able to do quite a fair bit of damage. "Liesel, you need to calm down."

"Don't tell me what to do!" She shouted angrily at him while trying to pry the oxygen mask from her face. She wheezed out a cough which sounded truly awful and waved his hands away when he tried to stop her.

"What have I done?" He snapped back at her. He did nothing to deserve her anger, far from it. He was here trying to see if she was okay.

Liesel looked at him sadly. "You're an idiot!" She said somewhat hysterically as she withheld a sob. She managed to sit up on the bed and reach out to him. Erik just stood still as she placed her hands either side of his face. "Are you okay?"

"I'm not the one who almost drowned." He placed his hands over hers and looked down at her. She still looked pale and withdrawn, but colour was slowly returning to her features.

She laughed and shook her head slowly. "You are the one who nearly got his head split open by a telepath though."

"Did not."

"Watermelon."

"Liesel."

"Splosh." She looked at him with wide eyes. Imagining someone's head caving like a watermelon was not normal. She looked to the side at the IV drips. What had they put her on exactly?

"Be serious," Erik said while she slowly looked back to him. "You conquered the fear, hm?"

"Far from it." She shook her head and let her hands fall to his shoulders. She was still terrified of water, if not more so now, and as for Schmidt...do not get her started. "I was so scared, Erik. Whatever fear I felt in Argentina...this did not compare."

"Did he do anything?" He asked through gritted teeth. He despised himself for asking; but he had to. A small slither did not wish to know, but the majority of him had to. If he had, that'd give him even more reason to hunt him down, more reason than what was already existing.

"He just talked. It was all rubbish. Nothing happened. It seemed all so pointless. I don't get it. If his mission was to part us, then why the hell even put us together in the first place?"

"I don't know." Erik replied slowly with a measured tone. Liesel let out a quiet yawn from behind the oxygen mask. "You need to rest." He reached up and pushed a wet lock of auburn hair over her ear. She looked at him as if he was mad. "I'll still be here when you wake up. Trust me when I say I don't exactly plan on leaving your side for a while." He whispered so only she could hear, he honestly did not want the two in the corridor to hear this.

Liesel smiled and shifted forwards to wrap her arms around his neck tightly. "I am glad you are okay, Erik. I honestly did think Emma was killing you. But then you started destroying the ship, though I am peeved I almost drowned by your inadvertent actions, I knew you were alive...and that made me happy." He merely listened to her, he reached up and patted the back of her head gently as she breathed heavily.

"I'm sorry for putting you in such a position though." He whispered while simply leaning his head against hers. He looked up at the ceiling, the overhead bright lights were still functioning in here strangely enough. He was sorry, and she deserved the apology.

"You need help, Erik. You always have done. I just happen to freely give my help to you, because it's you. This all happened because of him, not because of you. I'm fine. I'll survive. So don't you worry, yes?" She leaned away and looked at him sternly.

"Ja, Miss Jäger." Erik tapped a finger to the mask and stepped back. He looked over his shoulder and frowned gently. "It's safe." Liesel naturally looked confused as she settled back in the bed. She looked even more confused when two faces peered around the door.

The male looked instantly curious, pleased, and excited at the mere sight of her. It was weird. Very, extremely weird. He walked forwards and stopped by Erik's side. Erik merely glanced from him to Liesel, he rolled his eyes at her expression. She was looking at Charles as if he was some sort of foreign object, while he looked at her like she was some sort of lost treasure.

"I'm so sorry!" Charles laughed and looked rather embarrassed when he realised he was just standing staring at her. Liesel blinked slowly and shifted in the bed to get comfortable. "I'm Charles Xavier, and you are?"

"Liesel Jäger." She held out a hand and placed it into the one Charles offered her. "You're an odd man."

"I'm just in shock, it's okay, it'll pass. I never thought in a million years that I would not only meet someone like myself tonight, but you two too." He explained simply. He would count the other telepath and make it three, even four for the one who destroyed the speed boats with torrent winds. But he hadn't actually met them in person. Not like Erik and Liesel.

"You're the other telepath." Liesel stated. "That woman...Emma, she mentioned sensing you."

"That's right," Charles said with a small ounce of seriousness in his voice.

"Who's she?" Liesel's dim eyes slid to the side and to the woman who, as yet, had been silent thus far. She just stood, hands by her sides, listening to the conversations.

"Moira McTaggert." The brunette woman moved into action and stuck her hand out. Liesel eyed her up and down sceptically while shaking her hand, "I'm not...I'm human." She explained with a small, awkward smile. Liesel nodded her head, placing her hand back in her lap and watched as Moira stepped back beside Charles.

"Oh." Was all she said while tucking a hand under the pillow to better support her head. "It's nice to meet you." Though the look in her eyes may have said otherwise. Liesel just couldn't remember ever having a good meeting with a normal human, it was a rarity in her life. Shaking her head she smiled, it was a little strained but it was something. "Thank you for saving me."

"We weren't likely to leave you out there. Even more so with the fact that Erik looked like he was about to go searching for you himself." Charles explained and sent a smile in Erik's way, he frowned and crossed his arms, hating the fact that all this achieved was pressing damp material more against his skin. Withholding a shudder, he also ignored the look Liesel sent his way. "Plus! The more the merrier, no?"

"Sorry?" Liesel rubbed her eyes and looked to him with confusion. "I do not understand what you're on about."

"I think we're being recruited." Erik explained while uncrossing his arms and swatting Liesel's hands away from the wires and leads she was hooked up to. She was rigged up for her own good, and she was going to stay that way until they got to land. Which really shouldn't be that long, but from there he didn't know where they would be going.

"Recruited?" Liesel fidgeted on the bed and looked worried. "I...I am not a fighter." She pulled the mask off of her face and placed it to one side. Charles and Moira looked confused, she after all was in the company of someone who was clearly able to fight. "I'm not saying I'm a pacifist! I just...fighting is, how you say...a fruitless task, yes? It doesn't always prove to have results." Liesel said while making to appear to climb off of the bed. Only to get a hand placed on her shoulder, and for her to be nudged back down. She shot a look to Erik, who easily frowned in response before turning and sitting on the edge of the bed. She wasn't leaving until they got to land, and he was going to make damn well sure of it.

"We'll discuss this in more detail when we get back." Charles said with a measured tone. He glanced between the two of them before looking to Moira. Getting the message the two of them turned and left the room.

----

Inventory:

Liesel, I need you to wake up. - Liesel ich brauche Sie aufwachen.

Edited: 7/June/2019

Reedited: 16/August/2021