It wasn’t very long until you noticed the plane circling over the two lines of battleships on either side of the embargo line.

“It looks pretty messy out there.”

“We are literally moments away from a whole out nuclear war.” You mentioned and then the brunt of the situation finally landed upon yourself, “oh my gosh. We are literally moments away from a nuclear war.” You put your face in your hands and looked wide-eyed at the ground.

“Don’t think about it, it’ll make things all the more terrifying.” Erik remarked.

Charles was off in his own little world as he read the minds of the Russian soldiers below, “the crew of the Aral Sea are all dead.” He informed the rest of you, “Shaw’s been there!”

“He’s still here!” Erik yelled and looked through the window, “somewhere.”

“He’s set the ship on course for the embargo line.” Charles elaborated and pointed to the ship that was continuing to move forward, even though the rest of the Russian fleet had stopped.

“If that ship crosses the line, our boys are gonna blow it up.” Moira explained, “and the war begins.”

“Unless they’re not our boys.” Charles declared defiantly. He focused and you could tell he was controlling the actions of one of the russians. It was confirmed moments later as one of the russian ships launched a missile into the air.

“Hold on!” Beast yelled and the plane did spins in the air to avoid the missile rising into the air and then falling down to explode the Aral Sea. “A little warning next time, Professor.” You nodded and you noticed the other passengers nod along with you.

“Sorry about that. You alright?” Charles asked in concern.

“Yeah.” Hank confirmed.

“That was inspired Charles.” Moira applauded once it was clear that the Russians weren’t approaching the embargo line anymore.

“Thank you very much.” Charles acknowledged, “but I still can’t locate Shaw. (Y/n)?” he turned to you.

“No can do.” You shook your head, “he has a helmet on, and if you’re encountering it, I can’t get past it either. It works against telepaths and empaths.”

“He’s down there.” Erik insisted, “we need to find him, now!”

Charles looked towards the cockpit, “Hank?”

“Is there anything unusual on the radar or scanners?” Hank asked Moira.

She shook her head, “no. Nothing.”

“Well, then he must be underwater.” Hank concluded, “and obviously we don’t have sonar.”

The plane fell into silence until an eager voice shouted,“yes, we do!” Sean’s face brightened and you noticed the determination coursing through him.

Charles looked at Sean and nodded as well, “yes, we do!”

The two of them got up from their seats and Charles shouted to Hank, “Hank! Level the bloody plane!”

You noticed Erik’s anger getting the better of him which was causing the plane to crumple. You sent your mind out to him and tried to smother his anger with calming emotions. Moments later, the plane righted itself.

“Beast, open the bomb bay doors!” Sean yelled and the doors opened.

“Remember!” Charles shouted over the wind, “this is a muscle. You control it!” Sean nodded and jumped out of the plane. He dove into the water and you could only guess as to what he was doing. You sent out your mind to keep tabs on him, and when he was filled with joy, you knew he found Shaw’s sub. “He found them!” you called out.

“Are you ready for this?” Charles asked Erik as the two of them waited near the open doors.

“Let’s find out.” Erik replied evenly.

“Remember, the point between rage and serenity.” Charles coached.

Erik nodded and used his metal powers to lift the submarine out of the water. You inwardly laughed to yourself, you wondered how the sailors on the ship must’ve thought of all of this. A giant submarine being levitated in the air underneath an unknown plane.

“Yes!” you cheered Erik on, “you can do it Erik!”

The hatch on the submarine opened and you recognized the guy with tornado powers, “oh no.”

“Erik, take my hand!” Charles shouted as he grabbed onto Erik to keep him from flying away as the tornado ripped it’s way towards you.

“Hold on guys. It’s gonna get bumpy.” Hank warned as he attempted to keep the plane from going completely out of control. You desperately grabbed onto the various handles along the walls and hoped with all of your might that the plane wouldn’t get torn to pieces.

Hank was able to maneuver the plane from landing in the water, but instead of that, the plane was sent rolling onto the beach with fire and flying pieces of metal. You let out the breath you didn’t know you were holding when the plane stopped rocking and unbuckled yourself from the seatbelts holding you in.

“Moira? Moira, are you alright?” Charles asked as he helped said woman get out of her restraints.

“Yeah, I’m okay.” She replied.

“I read the teleporter’s mind.” Charles filled the rest of you in to what was happening, “Shaw is drawing all the power out of his sub. He’s turning himself into some kind of nuclear bomb.”

You gasped, “we have to stop him!”

“Moira,” Charles turned to her, “this is what we’re gonna do. Get on the radio and tell them to clear both fleets out immediately.” She nodded and ran to find the radio on the plane.

“I’m going in.” Erik declared and stepped out of the wrecked plane.

“Beast, Havok, back him up.” Charles ordered, “Erik, I can guide you through once you’re in, but I need you to shut down whatever it is that’s blocking me, then we just hope to God it’s not too late for me to stop him.” You frowned, the plan was banking a lot on chance, and Erik, but what other choice did you have?

“Got it.” Erik nodded and the three men darted out of the plane towards the submarine’s wreckage.

“Good luck!” you called out after them.

Raven made her way out to follow them but was halted by Charles, “Raven, stop!”

“I’m going to help them.” Raven proclaimed.

“We don’t have time for this.” Charles shook his head in denial, “if anything comes in that entrance, you’re taking care of it, yes?”

Raven harrumphed, “fine.”

“What about me?” you asked suddenly.

“I need your help to make sure Erik doesn’t do anything rash, we could completely lose him and start world war three.” He answered somberly.

“You know, you trying to control everything isn’t going to result in something good.” You murmured. Charles looked at you, but decided against refuting it.

“Erik, make for the middle of the vessel.” Charles lead Erik through the maze of the submarine. Even after knowing him for nearly your whole life, it still amazed you the extent of his powers. “That’s the point my mind can’t penetrate. We have to assume that that’s where Shaw is.”

You raised your eyebrow, you thought it was his helmet that was keeping Charles out, apparently it was a room. You sent out your mind through the ship to see if you could locate Shaw yourself. Sure enough, there was a big blank hole in the middle of the ship. You groaned, right when you thought you could’ve been helpful.

“There’s the nuclear reactor.” You heard Charles next to you, “disable it.” There were moments of silence as you assumed it was action going on that didn’t require step by step instructions from Charles. “Erik, you’re there. You’ve reached the void.” There was a silence and then Charles’ voice had an edge of panic in it, “what? He’s got to be there! He has to be! There’s nowhere else he can be!”

You took this as your cue to delve back into the sub to try and calm Erik down. A panicked mind can’t think clearly, and for the plan to work, you needed Erik to be able to think rationally. You latched onto his mind and gave him some calming emotions. He still needed his anger to keep him motivated, but it was a delicate balance he needed to be in.

“Erik? Erik.” Charles was calling out to the man who went into the sub.

You noticed Shaw flicker in and out and you grabbed the chance to try and change Shaw’s emotions. “No!” you shouted and Charles’ eyes flicked to you in surprise, “I can’t do anything against Shaw.” You explained, “darn it!” you shouted and punched the side of the plane.

“He’s gone.” Charles tried to refocus onto Erik.

“What?” Moira looked at him in concern.

“He’s gone into the void! I can’t communicate with him there.” Charles explained. You and Charles met blue eyes with (e/c) eyes. You were doomed.

“Darn it!” you shouted again and kicked the metal wreckage, “I could’ve done something about it, but I was too wrapped up in trying to get Shaw.” You spun around angrily and looked at Charles in shame, “I’m sorry.”

“Wait, yeah! Yes!” Charles cheered and you looked over to him, “he’s back!” he elaborated, and you quickly took a seat next to him, “Erik, whatever you’re doing, keep doing it. It’s starting to work.”

“Can you see him?” you demanded.

“It’s working! I’m starting to see him. But I can’t yet touch his mind.” Charles continued.

“Charles! I need you to send the image of him into my mind.” You took hold of his shoulders, “I can’t do anything without it.”

Charles looked torn between keeping tabs on Erik, and helping you which would in turn help him. Charles nodded and quickly established a mental connection with you. You closed your eyes and the image of Shaw appeared. “Got it, thanks Charles.” You confirmed and the connection broke.

The two of you turned towards the sub and you searched for Shaw. Now that you knew what he looked like, you were able to create the emotional connection with him. You ferried calming emotions into Shaw, ‘you don’t want to do this. You don’t want to hurt anyone.’ You thought in your mind. Shaw froze and you knew Charles was able to get into Shaw’s mind.

“Erik! No!” Charles shouted and he screwed his eyes shut in concentration, “(y/n)! Help Erik!”

You turned your attention towards Erik and got into his emotions. Once again, you were ferrying calm emotions into Erik. ‘Don’t turn against us Erik!’

“Erik, please! Be the better man!” you heard Charles shout next to you. You shut your eyes and your hands clenched as you tried even harder to get Erik to stop. “Erik, there will be no turning back!” there was a pause, and your connection broke off. You and Charles shared scared glances, once again you had lost him, and you were certain this time that there was no return from this.

Charles turned back towards the ship and you could tell he was holding onto Shaw, “No! Please, Erik! No!”

You couldn’t just sit back and let it happen without knowing what was going on, so you sent your mind back to where Shaw and Erik were. What you saw made you want to throw up. Fear was coursing through Shaw and only gleeful pride was found in Erik. “Charles let him go!” you shouted when you noticed Shaw was still frozen.

“I can’t! I can’t!” Charles shouted in a panic.

You decided you didn’t want to witness what was going to happen and retreated while still hearing Charles pleading for Erik to stop. It went silent, and you looked to Charles who shook his head. “It’s over.” Him, you, and Moira picked your way out of the ship, encountering a bored Raven on the way out.

You gasped when Erik led Shaw’s dead body out of the sub using his powers. You saw the trickle of blood coming from the wound in his head and you turned away to gag. It was horrible, and the shocked and disgusted emotions from those around you didn’t make it any easier to bear.

“Today our fighting stops!” Erik called out triumphantly and dropped Shaw’s body to the ground. You felt like a little kid again and hid your face behind Charles’ body. “Take off your blinders, brothers and sisters. The real enemy is out there. I feel their guns moving in the water. Their metal, targeting us.” You gasped and turned towards the ships out in the water. You looked at Charles in a vain hope that it wasn’t true, but Charles shook his head. Erik wasn’t lying. “Americans, Soviets, humans. United in their fear of the unknown. The Neanderthal is running scared, my fellow mutants!” Erik turned to Charles, “go ahead Charles. Tell me I’m wrong.”

Upon seeing no denial from Charles Moira took it upon herself to frantically call those who were on the ships, “the beach is secure. Call off the attack!” there was no answer and Moira frantically cried out, “hello? Hello!”

“No!” you shouted and clapped your hands onto the sand. You focused and used all of your energy to send out a wave of emotion through the water and to the ships. “Stop it!” you shouted, “we’re no threat!” You were only able to send a few waves of the strongest power you’d ever felt towards the ships, until you collapsed onto the ground from exhaustion. A moment later missiles flew into the air. You could barely keep your eyelids open, but you were determined that you were going to spend your last moments awake.

You felt Alex grab your fallen body to bring you back to the others, “stay awake, okay (y/n)?”

“That’s the plan.” You let out a dry laugh that took more energy than you believed was warranted.

The missiles stopped in midair as Erik halted any progress through the air, you let out a sigh of relief, “thank goodness.” Then, the missiles did a one-eighty and turned back towards the ships, “oh no no no no no! I hoped I was wrong. Erik!” you shouted

“Erik, you said yourself, we’re the better men.” Charles cautiously dictated, “this is the time to prove it. There are thousands of men on those ships.” Charles angrily pointed towards said ships, “good, honest, innocent men!” he shouted, “they’re just following orders.”

“I’ve been at the mercy of men just following orders.” Erik replied with an upturned nose, “never again.” He let the missiles fly back towards the ships where they had come from.

“Erik, release them!” Charles screamed.

“No!” Erik shouted in response.

“Alex, put me down.” You urgently hushed into his ear, “you’re a lot more help when you’re not being weighed down by me.” Alex hesitated, then nodded as he gently placed you down into the sand.

In the meantime, Charles had launched himself at Erik in an effort to stop him. “Erik stop!” he continued to yell.

Moira grabbed a gun and had it pointed at Erik, ‘it won’t help!’ you tried to shout using your mind. You cursed at yourself for not being able to master telepathy.

“Stand back!” Erik shouted and Moira refused to listen as she shot off multiple rounds. Charles ran to restrain Erik again as he was thrown off of Erik but let out a pained scream as a bullet Erik had deflected shot into his back.

“Charles!” you shouted. Immediately Erik turned around to cradle Charles’ head in his lap.

“I’m so sorry.” Moira ran to help Charles.

“I said back off!” Erik roared, he then glared at Moira, “you. You did this.” He noticed the dog collar around her neck and used it to hold her up in the air, thus choking her. You cursed in your head, if only he didn’t have that helmet on.

“Erik, please.” You heard Charles wheeze. “She didn’t do this, Erik. You did.”

Erik seemed to bite down whatever he was going to say and let Moira take his place in holding Charles.

“Charles! I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” She rushed over while profusely apologizing.

“Us turning on each other. It’s what they want.” Erik talked mournfully to Charles, “I tried to warn you, Charles. I want you by my side. We’re brothers, you and I.” You wanted to scoff, he was a psychopath, Charles, was not. “All of us, together. Protecting each other. We want the same thing.”

“My friend, I’m sorry. But we do not.” Charles denied, and you still wanted to groan aloud. Charles was too soft.

Erik looked somewhat offended and then turned towards the rest of you, “the society won’t accept us. We form our own.” He continued with his speech, “the humans have played their hand. Now we get ready to play ours. Who’s with me?” he held out a hand and you wanted to burn holes in it with your eyes. You were human too, just, well, as Charles liked to put it, more evolved. “No more hiding.” Raven started to walk towards him and you felt a crushing feeling of despair. However, it quickly turned to hope when she kneeled down next to Charles’ fallen body.

“You...you should go with him.” Charles breathed, “it’s what you want.”

“What? No!” you shouted. You couldn’t believe that Charles was breaking your little family apart.

“You promised me you would never read my mind.” Raven smiled wryly and continued as if your little outburst never happened.

“I know. I promised you a great many things, I'm afraid. I'm sorry.” Charles croaked. You couldn’t believe your ears. Everything that you thought you knew was falling apart faster than you could comprehend.

Raven looked towards you sitting in the sand many feet away, “take care of him.”

“R-Raven?” your voice cracked on the verge of tears as she turned away from Charles and joined Erik.

“We all knew it, you always got along with Charles more than me.” She smiled, “sorry (y/n). And Beast?” Hank looked up when she called his name, “never forget, mutant and proud!”

“No! Raven!” you screeched and you were miraculously gifted with the energy to lunge towards her. One moment she was there, the next she was gone with a whiff of red smoke. “Raven!” you choked on your own saliva as you fell onto the ground where she was just moments ago. Sure, you had your differences, but she was practically your older sibling. Raised up from nothing, she kept the two of you alive, and now, she was gone. “Raven!” you wailed up towards the sky.

“Help me out, come on.” Hank immediately rushed to Moira’s side, “I’m gonna get you to a hospital.” Charles started to move and she gently put him down, “wait, Charles.”

“Charles, don’t move. Okay?” Hank asked.

“I won’t.” Charles grimaced. “Actually...I can’t feel my legs.” You spun your head around to look at your fallen brother.

“What?” Moira asked in surprise.

“I can’t feel my legs. I can’t feel my legs.” Charles repeated the mantra and you found yourself shaking your head. No, it couldn’t be.