CATACLYSM || X-Men

12| both sides now

Westchester, New York, 1962

Hank had been working too hard for Rose to not seem him on this mission. Which was why she made sure no one left without him, and made everyone put on the suits he left in his trashed lab. While concerning, she was determined to get them suited up.

    "Where's Hank?" Raven had been the one to ask, even Rose glancing around to find his glow. By the time she did, he had revealed himself, in all his blue glory.

    "Hank?"

    "It didn't attack the cells. It enhanced them. It didn't work," the doctor attempted to explain, noticing how Rose was looking at him. She gave him a small appreciative nod, her smile putting him at ease just a little.

    "Yes it did, Hank. Don't you see? This is who you were meant to be. This is you. No more hiding," Raven added, trying to help.

    "Never looked better, man," Erik piped up, but even Rose flinched at his tone, knowing Hank would take it wrong. If the now blue man's hand holding onto the magnetic teammate by his throat, a foot above the ground, was any indication, he did.

    "Hank," Charles and Rose both jumped to calm him down.

    "Don't mock me!" he growled at Erik, disregarding the two's pleas.

    "Hank, put him down, immediately, please," Charles demanded, but Rose didn't need to be so polite.

    "Hank, drop him. Now," her voice demanded an authority that none of them had heard before, making even the three men involved in the situation look to her. "Put him down," she repeated, Hank finally dropping him with a last growl. He bowed his head a little, giving in to Rose, who gave his shoulder a pat, before she crouched down to Erik.

    "I wasn't," he croaked out, Rose putting her uncovered hand to his neck, taking his own off.

    "You deserved that," she muttered to him, making him let out a choked chuckle.

    "Even I gotta admit you look pretty bad-ass. I think I got a new name for you. Beast," Alex scoffed, and not even Hank could defy the accuracy of the name.

X-Jet, international embargo line, Cuba, 1962

"Looks pretty nasty out there," Hank said as he glanced down at the two country's ships facing off against the one boat approaching the line.

    "Crew of the Aral Sea are all dead. Shaw's been there," Charles confirmed.

    "He's still here. Somewhere," Erik told him.

    "He's set the ship on course for the embargo line."

    " If that ship crosses the line, our boys are gonna blow it up," Moira replied, having heard the orders.

    "And world war nuclear begins," Rose spoke up.

    "Unless they're not our boys," Charles corrected her, smiling softly as he closed his eyes to concentrate.

    "I can hear the Russians trying to tell the Americans to not fire," Rose relayed.

    "Do you have a signal or something?" Alex asked.

    "Radios, telephones, all need some kind of energy to get them going," she shrugged, continuing to listen.

    "They're not taking it," Charles shook his head, his hand going to his temple once again.

    In the next minute, a Russian missile was soaring through the air, making Hank have to turn the jet sideways. Hands went flying to each other to make sure everyone stayed in their seats, as Rose took Raven's hand when she screamed.