The last thing Charles ever wanted was to perhaps have a loose cannon with them on this. He was not saying Liesel was one, but her sudden change in character had cause for concern. Whereas everyone else had settled, somewhat, into a routine, obviously not the newcomers, yet, she was struggling. And that struggle became even more obvious when she was split up from Erik. Though be fair, they did not part on very good terms so it looked like any sign of making up was out of the question for now. Looking at the woman who sat across the table from him, Charles couldn't help but frown. Liesel had her hands resting on the table, and her chin against them. She smiled at him while tilting her head to the side. She found this amusing, it seemed.

"We never really discussed the ways in which we found you. Or rather, you never explained what happened to you." Charles started to say while watching from the corner of his eyes as Moira shifted in her seat. Naturally she had told him the loose outline of what Liesel had said to her. Everything she said seemed to invoke a small ounce of paranoia. Moira believed that Liesel was privy to information, rather she knew what Shaw was really up to. Naturally Erik shot this down, rather vehemently at that too. He was close to storming off and asking Liesel for answers himself, if Charles hadn't stopped him. They all needed to know what happened, and if Liesel really did know anything. And if she did, and she didn't freely give what she knew up then things may get a little bad.

"No one asked." Liesel replied blandly, raised eyebrows and a loose shrug as she kicked her feet against the floor lightly.

"Consider us asking now." Moira answered instead of Charles. Her dark eyes narrowed, Liesel just flicked her eyes to her, even from that glance Moira could see she appeared bored, this was a trivial matter. Moira could also sense that no matter what was said to her here, she wasn't likely to dwell on it. Liesel didn't seem to respect her, Charles and Erik, yes, not Moira.

Liesel smiled at her and nodded slowly. Lifting her chin from her hands she gestured them at them both. "He seemed pleased," she started to say which obviously caused worried looks to be shared. Erik remained leaning on the wall behind Liesel though with his arms crossed and eyes shut listening to her. Out of all of them, the one who showed the most emotion earlier was now the calmest in the room. "Like...I do not think I have ever seen him look so pleased! All tricks and signs of success aside, even as a child I have never seen him look so pleased."

"What over?" Charles asked while casting a quick look to Erik, his eyes had opened a fraction from hearing her speak.

"Why he was pleased to see that his attempts at team building at such a young age paid off. Though he was not happy to hear that we were after him." Liesel said while looking over her shoulder at Erik.

"How did he know?" Moving away from the wall at last Erik sat down by her side and turned to look at her with a frown.

"Emma. She is the problem child in this demented faction." Liesel paused, "That and we weren't exactly very secretive were we?"

"What happened next?" Erik asked, seemingly taking over the role of interrogator. Not that Charles and Moira seemed to mind seeing as how she wasn't replying with a sarcastic tone or smile. She was taking this seriously now. Frowning Liesel shook her head slowly. "Liesel," he said her name in a stern voice.

"It was nothing!"

"You said that earlier!" Erik snapped back with a frown. "You seem to think that things that are ultimately important, are nothing."

"He wanted to catch up. He wanted to know everything I had done since he left us in the camp. I didn't want to say anything, because why would I? I didn't say anything. I merely stated I wished to go, and he corrected me in saying that actually I just wanted you." Liesel said with ease. "He...said he did all that he did to make us stronger. That, he did it for the greater good of our welfare, or something. He believes we're destined to stay together because he made such a thing happen, and look at us now. He said I interested him, and...that we are the future...he also called me ignorant, but whatever."

"Anything else?" Erik simply asked while casting a quick look to the other two present in the room. They seemed to have the same intent look on their faces as he did.

"This is far bigger than anything I could ever imagine." Liesel said slowly while looking to her hands and shrugging.

"He must be planning something else, something other than working with the Russians." Moira said while looking from Liesel to Charles. She had to look away, the serious look which Erik was sending her way was making her feel uncomfortable, how Liesel manage to sit and be looked at in such a way without reacting, she did not know.

"He wanted to see you." Liesel whispered while ignoring Charles and Moira's chatter in the background. "He knew you would come for me."

"I would never leave you behind, that's why." Erik replied in a low tone while making sure the other two didn't hear. "All you said earlier, I think you may have worried her slightly. Think an apology may be in order, yes?"

"Moira, I am sorry if what I said earlier caused you to feel worried, spooked even. I did not mean anything by it. I just merely wished to state that Shaw is far stronger and smarter than you could give him credit for, and that he may find loop holes in whatever you send his way. I stick by it: you're going to have to kill him to stop him. But I am dreadfully sorry, I could've thought of a million other ways to word what I said."

"You totally slated the human race to me." Moira said with a frown.

Liesel gave her a sheepish smile. "People and I...we do not have a good history." Liesel shrugged, "Yet that is no excuse, I suppose. I mean, you seem nice enough."

"And all the other stuff?" Moira raised an eyebrow at her.

Liesel tilted her head to the side and looked thoughtfully around. "I do not like the idea of being a soldier on a doomed mission, but I am with you; as I said earlier. Yet I am still only here because I cannot stand to see more people suffer because of that man."

"Well...I suppose that's as good as it's going to get, huh?" Moira asked, Liesel narrowed her eyes and nodded slowly. Looking to the side, Moira frowned gently, Charles looked rather reserved, he couldn't help but notice what Erik meant by his much earlier words. They were very alike at times, extremely alike.

"Sorry." Liesel looked to Charles and smiled honestly at him. "Honestly, I am." Considering Moira had easily accepted things, she half thought Charles would too. Yet no, here he was frowning and staring at her with a hard look.

"Fine," he relented after a few moments of awkward silence drawled past. Smiling lightly he leaned his arms on the table and shifted forwards. "Just...perhaps refrain from having another moment such as this, yeah? I can see it pains you to be told off like a child, like it clearly pains us to do the telling off."

She shut her eyes and smiled while waving a hand at him. "Yes, yes! That is a promise!" Liesel opened her eyes and looked around. "Are we done? Because this is sort of boring now. I get it, I played up, I've got a talking to, I've apologised...can I go now?"

"Yes, you are free to go. I do believe Angel and Darwin are in the recreational space. Go down and see them, you've got to get used to them seeing as how they're your new team mates." Charles replied while she seemed to frown at the word 'team mate'. But she smiled and gave a firm nod before darting out of her chair and walking to the door. "Keep an eye on her." Charles said while looking seriously at Erik. They didn't need her acting like this around the others.

"She isn't going to be trouble anymore. Trust me, once she gets told to stop, she stops." Erik replied while rolling his eyes over Charles's words.

"It isn't trouble for us that I am wholly concerned about."

"You think she'll turn on the people here? Trust me, she's dubious of them. But she's not someone who attacks without reason. Yet again, trust me." Erik sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Listen, as much as I know you don't wish to hear it, but she is right...to a point, what makes it worse is I think you may have an inkling already about that." Erik stood up and moved to the exit. "Better go find her, seems you think she's going to be trouble."

"I didn't-"

"Mean it like that? Yes, you did." Erik frowned and exited the room, looking from left to right he decided to go and see if she had gone to meet the newcomers. He could bet money on it that she hadn't. He did briefly peer in through the small window in the door, he could see everyone sitting around chatting, but no Liesel. With a sigh, his blue eyes looked upwards. Turning, he moved quickly up the stairs, Erik silently walked along the corridors, making his way upwards. "I do not class this as meeting the newcomers." Erik stepped foot onto the roof, seems it was the only open space that didn't warrant being watched by agents, he figured Liesel would be up here. She sat on the ledge, her legs draped over the side of the building while she looked upwards at the sky. She didn't reply to him, it sort of appeared that she was ignoring him. Which naturally caused him to frown as he walked towards her. Leaning against the ledge, he glanced up at her. "This all started earlier on, so there's more to it clearly. What's wrong? I can't remember the last time you've been so annoyed. Maybe back in school when that kid decided it would be a funny thing to fling your bag into that high tree. You were so mad then. I understand somewhat your anger here, but you don't have to go around freely voicing it." Erik said while looking around and then up at her. He had never been blanked by Liesel before and he realised he didn't quite like it. Not one bit. "Didn't you end up punching that kid? What was his name again? Larry? Leslie? Leonard?"

"Luther. His name was Luther Murray." Liesel said while shutting her eyes and sighing gently.

"Oh yeah, Luther Murray. The only kid to get beaten by a girl who was half his size. It was rather amusing."

"The expulsion and detentions weren't amusing."

"No," Erik laughed quietly and leaned his head against his fist. "I know because I was there too, remember?"

"You didn't have to go for him too."

"Of course I did." Erik frowned and looked up at her. "He had been bullying you for weeks."

"Did tell you not to get involved and that I would sort it."

"Yes, and sort it you did."

"Not my fault I had little control of what I could do and the kid ended up having some sort of fit."

"It was and it wasn't. People aren't as resilient as us, Liesel."

"And yet you still find that amusing?" Liesel turned and looked down at him. "Almost killing a child for throwing my backpack into a tree and punching him for it. You find it amusing still?"

Erik looked at her for a few moments before looking away. It wasn't amusing when put into that context, or any other context. He frowned slowly and leaned away from his hand. "They think you're going to be problematic here."

"I'm not."

"Well your current mood says otherwise."

"I'm scared!" She shouted and looked at him with wide eyes. "Is that okay with you? I am afraid. Since the moment I saw him, to the moment of seeing that thing," she waved her hands referring to Cerebro's cap. "To the fact that there is no solution! There is no plan even being put into action here. And that frightens me! I know what we were doing was perhaps not the most ideal, but bloody hell...at least we knew what we were doing. These people don't! I don't like not knowing what's going on, it makes me uneasy and...no one else seems to share this. Everyone seems to just be going with the flow, accepting this. Yes, okay, I said to Moira that we were likely to fail...how else am I meant to feel at the moment when I don't know what's going on, and when nothing is going on? I'm not going to be any trouble! You know that!" Liesel shouted angrily yet sadly, and somewhat desperately. She turned and jumped off of the ledge and straightened out the shirt she had been loaned. Both of them had eventually been given more changes of clothes. "I've just had a bad day."

"Want to exchange?" Liesel turned and leaned back against the ledge. Smiling stiffly she nodded slowly. Erik mused over it, he thought it best to exclude how they found Angel and decided instead to tell her about how they found Darwin, and the fact that the traffic while doing so was horrendous. He didn't miss out the fact that Darwin called them both crazy at least several times in one sentence, even after witnessing Erik change the meter in his taxi with his powers. If anything, this warranted another 'crazy' to be sent his way. Liesel smiled and laughed at certain points of the tale, yet otherwise listened intently and didn't comment. It actually seemed that she had returned to normal, somewhat. She still looked uneasy though, but then this place could make her feel such a way. There was something definitely off about it. "I honestly did think we'd either have to bribe him, or Charles would have to influence him somehow to get him back here." Erik finished with a nod while looking down at the ground below. Even now he could see people flitting in and out of the building.

"How'd you persuade him to come then?" Liesel placed her elbows on the ledge and leaned her head back. Looking at everything from an upside down perspective was odd.

"The sense of knowing he was not alone was enough. I think he came to see what others were here. Truthfully I think he believed us to be lying."

"Not taking this at all seriously, then?"

"As you rightly stated, no one really is."

"Yet."

"Yet," Erik confirmed and looked down at her. "It's your turn."

Rubbing her eyes, Liesel shrugged. "Being pent up in here isn't really doing me any good. Restricted access is the bane of my life. The lack of anyone to talk to is extremely boring. The food is rubbish, the coffee is equally bad. Everyone seems nice enough sure, but delusional. There's something in the garden that looks like something from my nightmares, and I've been labelled a potential trouble maker."

"There's plenty of people to talk to, stop being antisocial." Erik pointed out. "What are you doing in restricted access parts anyway?"

"Don't you dare try and take the moral high ground! You've not once ever had problems with breaking and entering." Liesel pointed a finger up at him. "And for your information, no there isn't. Raven and Hank stay together, no agent wants to come near, Moira is...probably never likely to talk to me ever again, you and Charles are busy..."

Erik looked at her with a raised eyebrow and a smile. "You're jealous."

"What? Of you two having a budding friendship? No."

"I didn't mean that." He shot down. Though be fair, he did find himself slowly befriending Charles by the minute. "Of being without anything to do."

"I'm jealous of not doing anything?"

"Think about it," he moved away from the ledge and put his hands in his pockets. "We've always been busy, travelling and searching. Now you're without a task, for the moment."

"Erik?" He turned in the doorway and looked at her. There was no point whatsoever in him keeping an eye on her. She was fine. She just needed to vent. Now that she had, she would be okay. He had seen her like this before and knew from experience if given time and space she'd return to normal. "I'm sorry."

"What about?"

"Everything."

"You're going to have to be a little bit more specific." Erik smirked while watching as she looked thoughtful before moving forwards.

"I shouldn't have gone off on you, because you were trying to see if I was okay. I keep lashing out at you, don't I? First in the infirmary, and now here...I am sorry, you don't deserve that." Liesel shook her head slowly and looked rather awkward about the whole situation.

"It's fine." He replied after a few moments of silence. Her head snapped up to look at him. He sighed and nodded back into the building. She shifted forwards and followed after him. "Believe me if I took every little moment you had to heart, I think I would've had a breakdown by now. You have your moments, and that's all they are; they never amount to anything. Just...don't have too many of them, or else I think there will be trouble."

"We really are staying then, huh?" She asked quietly.

"Yes." He looked down at her, "Is there a problem with that?"

"No." Liesel smiled and gave a pathetic shrug. "Much like Darwin, I feel obliged to say that we are not alone. There is something comforting about that, don't you think?" She looked up at him as he thought over her question before nodding slowly.

"Says the woman who has yet to meet the person she's quoting."

"In the mood I was in, I don't think I was suitable for introductions." Liesel laughed and awkwardly looked around them.

"Feel up for it now?" Erik asked while pushing open a door and leading her to the ground floor where the space designated to them was. Liesel look hesitant for a moment before smiling and giving a nod.

----

Edited: 10/June/2019

Reedited: 16/August/2021