"Well," Charles looked at the empty space which Liesel was just inhabiting. "That was..." He didn't even know how to finish that sentence, so he didn't. He let it hang in the air as he slowly blinked and looked to Erik. He looked equally confused, yet also suffering from other emotions. Guilt seemed quite prominent, and Charles had to admit he believed that was rightfully so considering.

"Did you believe that this was going to go any other way?" Erik asked simply while leaning against his hand.

"Well, yes, I did actually."

"Then you perhaps should've rethought over what you were going to actually say."

"Coming from you?!" Charles looked at him shocked. "You weren't exactly tactful either, may I remind you? She may hate me for putting her on the bench, but she'll hate you more for breaking her heart."

"I did no such thing. Stop being dramatic."

Charles looked at him dumbly. "You don't usually get someone confessing they love you shortly followed by a threat because they get nothing response wise." He sighed, looking at the untouched food, he stood and started packing everything up and away.

"She threatened you too." Erik replied eventually while standing and helping him.

Charles looked at him with a wry smile. "Because she's angry at me for circumstances she can't control." He pointed a finger at him, "Totally different reason."

"She is ultimately right though." Erik said while they both started to leave the kitchen. "And I know that. As you know, she's only really here because I promised to her something which I shouldn't have."

"Killing Shaw?" Charles placed his hands in his pockets and looked up at Erik.

"Yes, obviously." Erik frowned and glanced at Charles before looking forwards. Getting a rather eerie yet innocent smile sent their way by Liesel, who seemed to just appear from the living room, they both stilled. They also both watched her walk up the stairs and out of sight.

"Hell have no fury like a woman's scorn." Charles said while getting a look shot at him.

"Yes, that's most helpful, Charles. Really, thank you." Erik rolled his eyes as they commenced walking again, though Erik's eyes narrowed when Darwin appeared out of the living room a few seconds later.

Upon seeing them, he smiled awkwardly. "Evening."

"I take it you heard?" Erik wasted little to no time in saying as he walked slowly over to where Darwin had come to a stop at the foot of the stairs. Charles wasn't too far behind ready to step in if Erik decided to take out whatever feelings he felt on the poor unsuspecting man before them.

"Look, I'm not commenting. What happened between you three is your own business." Darwin said while holding his hands in defence.

"But she told you the general gist of the conversation?"

Darwin sighed heavily, and looked at him somewhat sadly. Only because Erik felt annoyed at himself, for what he said to Liesel, did not mean he could come to him to vent. His saddened look changed to one of determination. He was going to stick up for the woman who just freely called him a friend, as such she hadn't really said that to anyone else. Not that she had been around the others much. "Listen, emotional blackmail is a low blow, considering you two are...whatever you are, I would think you'd be above that. As I'm sure you are well aware, she's hurting enough as it is without you jumping on the bandwagon. And as for you, honestly, I thought you'd have left this conversation about training off of the topic list until she'd settled fully and was starting to feel better." Darwin said from looking to Erik then to Charles before turning and walking up the stairs.

"We seem to be working through the ranks." Erik looked down at Charles where he stood blinking, and looking rather like a deer in the headlights.

"Is it a full moon? Why else would everyone be acting like this?"

"Because we're saying the wrong things to them, that's why."

Charles hung his head and nodded slowly. "We'll start afresh in the morning. Maybe a good sleep will help?"

"That's optimistic." Erik commented while walking up the stairs. He wasn't hopeful. If anything, he believed a whole night to dwell on this was going to make those involved feel worse.

----

With the new day, everyone else seemed rather oblivious to anything being wrong until Liesel slouched into the kitchen, she screeched the chair along the tiled floor before sitting down and leaning her chin against the table. "Yikes, what's up with you?" Sean asked by her side while eating a spoonful of cereal.

Liesel looked at him with a frown. "Really?" She asked bluntly while sitting up. "I'm going to ignore you just asked me that." She replied while pouring herself some cereal for herself. Pulling her painkillers out of her pocket she dosed herself up, before putting them away. For the remainder of breakfast she sat in silence while everyone happily talked around her. When she finished she placed her things in the sink before leaving the room.

"Liesel," turning in the doorway she looked to Charles. He smiled somewhat awkwardly. Mainly because she was looking at him darkly. "Can you wait for us in the living room, please?" He didn't get an answer. Not that he expected one.

"What did you do?"

"What makes you think I did anything?" Charles looked suddenly to his sister.

"Erm, hello, she was fine all day yesterday. Then she wakes up in that sort of mood, I already know you went to collect them for dinner yesterday; so you've said something to her." Raven had been sitting on Liesel's other side, she had glanced at the auburn haired woman from time to time, and all she saw was this saddened resignation; she looked tired, exhausted even, but there was something else lingering. From the look she just sent in Charles's direction, it didn't take much for Raven to figure out her brother had said something.

"I merely said she wouldn't be able to train while injured." He defended himself and got looks sent his way.

"Are you mad? You know how much this meant to her." Raven said while frowning and looking truly lost. She inwardly cursed Charles's lack of tact at times, honestly, he clearly spoke before thinking again.

"Yeah, like, she's easily the strongest one here so like...we'll need her, right?" Sean said awkwardly while waving his spoon around in thought.

"At the price of her health? No." Charles said. "I will not allow her to further harm herself, or rather make her current injuries worse by training and this mission."

"That's all well and good," Erik said while looking at those gathered. "But she won't listen." He said, "And I'm not telling her no."

"So you'd allow her to harm herself more?" Charles frowned, anyone who cared for another wouldn't do that. Though Erik looked firm on the subject, the look in his eyes said otherwise. Rolling his eyes, Charles just stood and led the way to the living room.

Liesel was surprisingly here, sitting on one of the window seats, looking blankly out into the vast garden. Hearing footsteps she looked from the corner of her eyes to the small group filing into the room. She didn't move. Nor did she particularly pay attention to the small meeting which revolved around training regimes. Who would go first, and so forth, how long would each session last...really, Liesel found it all very boring and regretted not finding a book before this so she had something to distract herself. She continued to sit there as everyone left, sighing and swinging her legs over the edge of the window seat, she looked forwards and frowned. Tilting her head to the side her fingers dug into the cushion below her as Erik simply sat in a chair opposite, looking over at her.

"Is this enough distance?" He asked, fully remembering her little threat.

"Nein."

"Hm," Erik hummed in thought, "So?" She hadn't made a move to follow up on her threat. Not that he thought she would. "Nothing?" Erik gave a sigh and stood up slowly, shaking his head. "That's somewhat disappointing, you know?" Not that he really wanted to be attacked, but for the sake of proving a point that she was fine to train, he would provoke her. He could see she was wearing thin of restraint, if she gripped that cushion anymore she would tear right into it. Shrugging he left the room, "Oh well, stay wallowing in self-pity then." He would add on: "See if I care," but he really did. He really, really did. Admittedly what she had said, shouted, last night had stuck hard. Stopping suddenly when there was a crackling sound behind him, he looked over his shoulder. "You're quick." Or at least, quicker than he remembered. He hadn't even heard her move, yet here she was suddenly behind him with a few sparks flying off of herself. They fizzed in the air and died away.

Liesel simply tilted her head to the side, staring rather blankly up at him. The fact that she wasn't replying wasn't something he had accounted for. Liesel liked talking. She couldn't shut up at times, yet here she was saying nothing and staring at him with emotionless eyes. Continuing to exit the room, Erik was more than aware to her following him. Mainly because each electric socket he passed suddenly buzzed and crackled. She was collecting from the buildings source, which really wasn't good. 

Maybe provoking her wasn't good. Getting suddenly hit by a wayward spark Erik turned and held a hand up and in her direction. Whatever metal was on her person caused her to freeze, yet letting off some energy she managed to electrify herself. The metal on her person now had a current running through it, and because he was tapped into the metallic pull, the shock of energy went back to him. Pushing forwards he managed to shove her a few paces away before turning and briskly leaving the building. Running down the steps he turned the corner and sent a hesitant look to Charles and Hank, who apparently was the first for a training session.

"Erik?" Charles asked curiously just as Erik lifted up a hand and froze Liesel in her tracks again. She managed to let out an annoyed noise while doing the same thing again. Shaking his hand Erik pushed Charles out of the way as Liesel seemed to manage to tap into the natural electricity in the air, it speeded her motion up and she was soon in front of him; with a bandage fisted hand which suddenly found itself impacting against his shoulder.

"Liesel!" Charles regained his footing and charged over to stop her from possibly following through with another attack. He didn't need to as she suddenly found herself rooted to the ground again.

Rolling his shoulder, Erik smiled wryly. "That actually hurt." Looking briefly to Charles, he shrugged. "What?"

"You're making matters worse." Charles said while having two fingers against his temples. He was looking intently at Liesel, and by her pained look it was more than clear he was telepathically speaking to her, or at least doing something. "This isn't the way to prove a point. Sometimes actions don't speak louder than words." Charles said in a tense tone.

"If she can manage all that she just did, while still being injured, don't you think she can also train?"

"This is what this is all about?" Charles asked despairingly. He was seriously at a loss. He'd put himself in harm's way, just to get this across? But then when Charles briefly mused on it, what else did he expect? Erik was sometimes an actions speak louder than words sort of person.

"Erm, I hate to interrupt, but...she's not looking too good." Hank said while pointing a finger in Liesel's direction. She was somewhat deflated by now, tired and exhausted and beyond annoyed looking. Figuring out that Charles had perhaps worn her down mentally, Erik relinquished his hold only to regret doing so as she vaulted forwards and full on hit him across the face.

"Liesel!" Charles exclaimed. "What did I just say to you?"

"Be the better person." Liesel finally spoke while watching Erik tend to his new injury. The mental conversation wasn't very expansive, but it did involve being better than this childish provoking. "But he cannot get away with doing that and not suffer some sort of consequence." She shook her hand and turned away.

"You're welcome, by the way." Erik said while hesitantly touching the evident mark where she hit him. Liesel shot a look over her shoulder as she went to return inside, he followed after her. "You'll most likely start training tomorrow."

"You do things in such a backwards manor. I don't get you sometimes, I think I do...then you flip, and switch, and it's like I don't know you." Liesel looked up at him as he jogged to catch up to her and walk by her side. "By the way, I think you broke my hand."

"Shouldn't have hit me then." Erik smirked.

"If you weren't so irritating I wouldn't have."

"But you love me really." He said quietly and got a glare shot at him. "I am sorry." He whispered as they came to a stop at the foot of the stairs. No one else was around, yet he still whispered this in case anyone was lurking. He didn't exactly want someone to be witness to this other than the person he was apologising to.

Liesel looked dubious, she shook her head. "It isn't enough." Saying sorry really wasn't enough to forget the petty words and actions.

Erik looked like he was about to say something, only to narrow his eyes to the side when Hank came running after them. "You need looking over." He looked to Liesel as she cradled her hand against her chest.

"Okay," Liesel said simply, Hank double took not expecting her to agree so simply. Nodding quickly he walked past them and led the way. It didn't take long for them, along with Charles as he just appeared in the doorway, to get to the large room Hank tended to dwell in. Waving a hand, Liesel got the hint and jumped to sit in an empty desk.

Erik sat slowly beside her while getting something roughly shoved into his hand as Hank walked past and started tending to Liesel's hand. Turning the item over, he couldn't help but shake his head. "Stylish."

"Frozen peas suit you." Liesel commented while looking to him as he held the packet to his jaw. Looking back to Hank, she watched every move he did. He removed the bandage around her hand, made sure all was well, and then bandaged it back up.

"Nothing's broken. Your stitches are fine. Just...don't go making punching a habit." Hank said awkwardly while readjusting his glasses.

"I'll try not to. Thank you, Hank. I am sorry for disrupting your training session." Liesel stood slowly and smiled kindly at him.

"Ah, that doesn't matter."

"We are on a schedule." Charles couldn't help but chime in.

"Shouldn't have left him alone, then none of this would've happened." Liesel commented while shooting Erik a look. "Your plan was idiotic, I hope you're suffering." She said while looking to Erik before turning out of the room.

----

Edited: 10/June/2019

Reedited: 17/August/2021