CATACLYSM || X-Men

32| end of the line

Cairo, Egypt, 1984

The group woke up in the still intact room of one of the buildings. Rose wasn't sure where, but when she woke from the impact, she had to reach up and pop her shoulder back in place. The crack made most of the group look to her, Hank immediately moving to offer her help, but she waved him off.

"Are you all okay?" she asked, looking at the others as she pushed herself up on her elbows.

"You're an idiot," Moira spoke, looking at her.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she coughed out a laugh.

"If you're the cataclysm, you're the only thing that's going to save us."

"I am the cataclysm. And I have no plans to wipe out the Earth just to get rid of him," she replied, wincing as she turned and pushed herself up onto her feet. "I'm not doing this again. Not again, not like before," she managed to say before she crouched down beside Charles, who strted shouting for the foreign mind in his head to get out. Hank had checked on Kurt, Rose leaning over to touch the boy's leg to keep him alive.

"Is he okay?"

"Took a toll. He's just drained, he'll be okay. I can't fix it."

"You can give him—"

"If it was up to me, none of you would be here right now," she snapped at Hank, holding onto Charles's hand. "He needs to rest, or I overload his system."

"Get out!"

"Hey, hey, Charles," she leaned down, his eyes opening as she touched the cut on the side of his face, healing it. "You're with us, you're all right."

"Rose?"

"Yeah, you're okay," she smiled ever so softly, his hand coming up to hold onto hers. "Stay calm."

Hank pulled Kurt to the side, while Jean and Rose managed to make a space for Charles to lay as he got his energy back. Rose had done all the healing she could, but the rest was up to him to allow it to work.

"Charles?!"

The voice made Rose and Hank turn towards the window that would open onto the rubble below. They knew what was coming, all of them, but none better than Rose, and possibly Charles. They'd felt it.

"Show yourself! Charles! Show yourself!"

The screams made Rose wince, but turn back to Charles nevertheless. He looked so tired, exhausted, and powerless. He could tell she knew what he was thinking, but he just didn't have the capability to do it.

"Peter and Raven are out there," she told him.

"No, they—"

"Hey, hey, stay right here. He wants you. If he has you, we're done for. You're our castle now," she attempted to joke, but none of them could manage to find the humour. "We have to defend him. And if it comes to the worst, I need you to leave me here," she turned to the others, eyes locking on Hank who nodded to agree. He had to. He knew she wouldn't let them stay.

Before he could answer with words, however, screams broke through their safe silence.

"Peter," Charles spoke, eyes desperately searching Rose's, as she tried not to break down.

"I'm going out there. Don't let him leave," she pointed to Charles before she rushed out through the back, climbing over the rubble.

The view made her sick to her stomach. Apocalypse's hand was around Raven's throat, Peter stuck in the ground with his arm and leg bent at awkward angles. Rose flexed her fingers behind her back, letting a ball of energy glow in her palm.