Thunderbird || X-Men

Chapter 14 ~ Becoming The Villains

Charles was focusing all his will power into this. I could tell he was struggling. We were all waiting.

"Erik please." He began. I looked at Moira, then back at Charles. "Be the better man. Erik, there will be no turning back!" Charles shouted.

"No!" He growled through clenched teeth, hitting the wall of the sub angrily. "Don't do this, Erik!"

"Charles, what's happening?! Is he okay?!" I exclaimed. Charles ignored me. He got up from where he was crouching and walked to the end of the plane.

"No. Please Erik, no." Charles spoke quietly. "Please Erik." He breathed heavily. Then suddenly, he started screaming.

"Charles!" I yelled, running toward him. He fell to his knees in pain. I moved the hair from his face, which was covered in sweat. Moira was at my side.

"I'm okay, Kayla. I'm fine." He said, pulling himself to his feet. He wobbled a bit but regained his balance. He walked carefully out of the jet and onto the sand as Moira and I followed him. All of the others were already there in front of us, Hank, Raven, Alex, and Sean. I sighed with relief that they were alright.

I looked up to see Erik near the top of the sub, wearing Shaw's helmet, hoisting Shaw's lifeless body above the ground.

"Today our fighting stops!" Erik called to us, his voice booming. I couldn't help but be kind of proud of him that Shaw got what he deserved. Shaw's body fell to the ground, a cut in his head bleeding.

Erik floated down, and I ran over to the others.

"Take off your blinders, brothers, and sisters. The real enemy is out there." Erik pointed to the open sea. I turned to see the ships. "I feel their guns moving in the water. Their metal targeting us. Americans, Soviets, humans. United in their fear of the unknown." I watched as Charles and Erik walked towards each other.

"The Neanderthal is running scared, my fellow mutants!" Charles and Erik were walking side by side now, with Moira and I close behind.

"Go ahead Charles, tell me I'm wrong." Charles touched his temple but slowly put his hand back down. He nodded to Moira and I. Moira quickly ran to the jet. Erik, Charles, and I watched the ships.

After a moment, all of the ships fired their missiles. All of them were targeted at us, hundreds of them. This was it, this was the day we all die. I closed my eyes and braced for impact until the sound of them stopped. I looked up to see Erik, hand outstretched, stopping the missiles in mid-air. I watched in awe as they hovered for a few seconds before turning around.

"Erik, you said yourself, we're the better men. This is the time to prove it." Charles told him. Erik ignored him, not taking his eyes off the missiles.

"There are thousands of men on those ships! Good, honest, innocent men! They're just following orders." Charles pleaded.

"I've been at the mercy of men just following orders." Erik finally spoke, looking over at Charles, then to me. "Never again."

Then Erik launched the missiles. I gripped onto Alex and Raven tightly.

"Erik, release them!" Charles called. Erik ignored him, focused on what he needed to do. Charles lunged after him, pulling him to the ground. Some of the missiles started falling, exploding in the air. I saw Charles trying to rip Erik's helmet off until Erik elbowed him in the face.

"Erik stop!" I shouted. All of us ran to pull Erik off of him, but he pushed us back.

I hit the ground hard, falling face first into the sand. A stab of pain shot through my body. I lifted myself slowly off a sharp piece of metal. It had cut through my suit and into my side. I laid on my back, keeping pressure on the wound. So much was happening, it didn't really hurt as much as I thought it would. Alex and Raven quickly sprinted over to me, helping me to my feet. Erik didn't notice at first, until he finally turned around. He gasped at the blood on my hands and suit.