1962 - charles xavier

T H I R T E E N

After Charles and I's embrace, he sits up in the sand with my head on his lap and we look up at the others. Henry rushes to my side, grasping my hand in his large paw.

"We're like sitting ducks out here," my brother says, carefully picking me up into his arms as I wince. "Let's get back into the jet."

"I read the teleporter's mind. Shaw is drawing all the power out of the sub," Charles announces when we make it back inside. "He's turning himself into some kind of nuclear bomb."

"We've got no time! The system is going out of control!" Moira cries out.

"Alright Moira, this is what we're going to do," Charles addresses her. "Get on the radio, tell them to clear both fleets out immediately."

"I'm going in." Erik says.

"Beast and Havok; back him up," Charles says before turning to Erik. "Erik I can guide you through once you're in, but I need you to shut down whatever it is that's blocking me. I just hope to God it's not too late for me to stop him."

"Got it." Erik says before turning and starting off for the sub.

"Good luck," Charles says before Raven tries to follow after Erik. "Raven, stop!"

"I'm going to help them!" she insists, making her brother turn to her.

"We don't have time for this. If anything comes through that entrance you're taking care of it, yes?" Charles says.

"Fine." she spits out as Erik, Hank, and Alex walk closer to the sub and I peek through a window to see them beginning to fight with some of Shaw's team.

I look away before I grow too anxious, knowing that the three of them can handle it. Moira gets onto her radio to warn the fleets.

"We believe that Shaw is trying to detonate some kind of bomb." she informs them.

"Erik, make your way to the middle of the vessel. That's the point my mind can't penetrate. We have to assume that that's where Shaw is." Charles instructs Erik in his mind.

"Is he in?" I ask, and Charles nods before lifting his finger to his temple again.

"That's the nuclear reactor. Disable it." Charles instructs Erik, who is inside Shaw's sub. "Erik, you're there. You've reached the void," He pauses for a moment, listening to Erik. "What? He's got to be there! He has to be there! There's nowhere else he can be! Keep looking... Erik? Erik!"

"What happened?" I feel my heartbeat quicken with worry for my dear friend.

"I don't know!" Charles shouts, calming himself down before he speaks to me with a disrespectful tone. "I don't know," He repeats more gently, and I nod. "He's gone!"

"What!?" Moira calls from the front of the jet.

"He's gone into the void! I can't communicate with him there!" Charles yells at Moira, not worrying about his tone with her.

"Charles." I softly scold, touching his arm and leaning on the wall next to him, wincing at the pain in my shoulder.

"He's back! Erik, whatever you're doing, keep doing it. It's starting to work," Charles instructs. "It's working. I'm starting to see it, but I can't yet touch his mind."

After a moment, Charles lets out a loud grunt.

"Are you okay?!" Moira yells.

"Moira, please be quiet. I can only control this man for so long," Charles grits out before gasping. "Erik, please! Be the better man! Erik, there will be no turning back! No!" Charles slaps at the window of the jet. "Don't do this, Erik!" I place my hand on his back, trying to calm him as he begins walking out from the jet. "No... Please Erik, no... Please, Erik," he begins to gasp out with tears in his eyes before letting out an agonized scream. "NOOOO!"

He collapses into my arms briefly before grabbing me and pulling me along with him out onto the beach.

"What happened?" I ask quietly as Moira follows behind us.

"He's killed Shaw." Charles murmurs, holding me close as Erik floats the corpse of Sebastian Shaw out of the ruins of the submarine

"Today, our fighting stops," He says, an odd metal helmet covering his head. "Take off your blinders, brothers and sisters. The real enemy is out there," he points to the warships. "I feel their guns moving on the water... Their metal targeting us. Americans. Soviets. Humans. United in their fear of the unknown. The neanderthal is running scared, my fellow mutants! Go ahead, Charles. Tell me I'm wrong." Erik tells Charles to tap into the minds of the soldiers.

Charles walks along the beach, lifting his fingertips to his temple before dropping his hand with a distraught look on his face. He turns to me before nodding at Moira, who runs back to the jet to get on the radio.

I step closer to Charles, his arm wrapping around the small of my back as his lips press onto my forehead. I feel a hot tear drip into my hair, and I close my eyes, flinching into his neck when I hear the loud noise of several missiles being fired towards us.

꧁꧁꧂꧂

"Savannah, Sweetheart?" I hear my beloved Charles call out, the harmonious voice sounding distant as my eyes flutter open.

"Yes, my Love?" I reply faintly, seeing the fear drain from his eyes.

"How are you feeling?" he asks, running his hand over my cheek.

"Tired," I admit with a sigh. "Will you lie with me? I just want to hold you."

"Of course, Sweetheart." Charles maneuvers his wheelchair to the edge of the bed and lifts himself onto the mattress beside me.

"I love you, Charles," I say as he wraps his arm around me, pulling me close the same way he did when we were young. "I'm going to miss you."

At this, my husband begins to cry, releasing the pent-up emotions that had been hiding behind his strong façade.

"I love you," he cries. "I love you, I love you, I love you."