X-Men: The Gifted Ones

69. MY LAI, VIETNAM

Forge was airborne with the X-Men and about six refugees. He was trying to get them to safety as quickly as he could. The Brotherhood was unpredictable and he knew the longer he stayed in the air, the more danger he was in.

Warpath alerted him to a tornado that was quickly approaching. Cursing, he dodged it and barely missed it. The quick action threw the passengers off-balance. He heard them scream. He could only shout for them to hang on tight. He saw Logan's helicopter dodge the same tornado.

The twisters kept coming. He kept taking evasive action. Every time he dodged, people screamed. He was relieved to see Cannonball and Scarlet Witch envelop everyone in force fields.

A third helicopter approached and he knew that the Professor and his wife were aboard that one. The tornadoes seemed to target that helicopter. Forge could only watch as the twister hit the blades and the helicopter exploded, crashing to the ground.

Forge heard everyone scream. He heard Scarlet Witch and Cannonball desperately attempt to create a force field to shield the fall. "I can't do it," Scarlet Witch cried out. "Something or someone is stopping me!"

"The Professor and his wife were in that chopper!" Forge cried out, his voice anguished.

Everyone grew quiet, stunned with grief.

"Forge, we have to land!" Scarlet Witch begged.

"Land it, Forge," Havoc demanded.

Hank was resigned. "There is nothing we can do to save them."

"We have to try," Sway cried. "We have to try! We can't leave them for dead!"

"No one could have survived that."

Banshee cried and looked at Sway. "Sway, why can't you use your power! Use it to reverse time, save them!"

She shook her head and cried, "I already tried! I can't, it's one of those points where I can't. And I can't reverse death."

"Death?!"

The helicopter circled the crash site several times. The smoke was too thick to see if there were any survivors.

"Sway are you sure they are dead?"

"If I can't reverse it..." Sway sobbed.

Forge looked at them all. "We need to leave thearea," he said sadly. "Before we, too, are dead. Charles would want us to besafe."