A Fateful Connection

Chapter 17

The red headed teen used her telekinesis to swing up Layna's foot and cause her to fall back. She recovered by landing on a rectangle of positive energy. She moved it upwards so she could stand and then extended her hand out. A blade of positive energy appeared in her hand and she threw it at Jean. Jean used her telekinesis to hold it before it hit her face. Layna threw more of them and started walking closer. Jean kept catching them, but she couldn't hold so many at once especially since they were made of energy. Jean quickly sent them flying back, causing Layna to stop throwing. She held her hand up and they vanished before they could reach her. Jean extended her hand out towards Layna and made her hover high into the air. The brunette couldn't move her limbs as the teen held them in place.
"Let's see how you get out of this," said Jean.
"I've got plenty more tricks up my sleeve Ms. Grey," said Layna as she created a flash of light. Jean shielded her eyes and dropped the older female from her psychic grasp. Layna fell onto her feet and stood up straight. She held out her hand and a thick ring appeared, she tossed it over Jean and it squeezed itself around her, trapping her. The teen struggled as she tried to get out of its grasp. Layna walked over to the red head and made another ring as she held out her hand. She let it pass through Jean's legs and it cinched the girl's ankles together. Jean tried breaking free, but she couldn't.
"You were saying, earlier?" she thought.
"We really shouldn't be joking around at a time like this," said Jean.
"I know, but it eases my stress. I just hope Charles is okay," replied Layna.

The male telepath could see the gold traveling up along the intricate lines running along the floor and the table he was on. The slab of table he was on began to rise up, along with En Sabah Nur's as the gold hoisted them into the air. A blue aura-like light surrounded Charles as he flinched about, trying to get away.
"Get out! GET OUT!" he screamed as he tried shifting his body as if it would make the light fade away and stop the process.

Jean had managed to catch Layna off guard and fling a damaged billboard at her. She was stuck underneath as Jean broke out of the rings due to her break in concentration. Layna blasted the board off, making it fly high in the air as she stood back up. Both her and Jean saw Kurt teleport Hank and Scott away, leaving the four horseman without an opponent. Kurt then came to Jean.
"Kurt, take her too, she's with us, trust me," said Jean. The blue teleporter looked skeptical, but didn't argue.
"If you say so," he said as Layna walked over to them. Kurt held onto them both and teleported them into the plane. Mostly everyone was inside, including Charles, who didn't have his hair for some reason. He was currently unconscious.
"Charles!" exclaimed Layna as she knelt down and rested his head on her lap. The plane took off and the group made their escape. Unfortunately, they didn't get very far. There was a loud thud that came from the roof causing everyone to look up.
"What the hell was that?" asked Moira. Angel and Psylocke had teamed up and made it on the aircraft to take it down. Psylocke was cutting a hole through the roof, trying to get inside.
"Kurt. Everyone grab hold of Nightcrawler!" said Jean.
"Nice code name Kurt, nice to meet you," said Layna as she held onto his shoulder. He nodded in confusion as to why one of En Sabah Nur's fighters was being so nice as everyone grabbed hold of him.
"I've never done it with this many people," said the blue teen.
"Get us out of here," Jean replied. Psylocke had successfully cut a hole in the roof and Angel hopped inside. Jean used her telekinesis to fly the plane downwards to try and get them to fly off. Psylocke lost her footing and held on tightly. The aircraft was getting too close to the ground for the dark haired mutant, so she leaped off and let herself fall as the plane crashed into the ground with Angel inside. Kurt teleported everyone to a house nearby that was still in tact.
"Is he okay?" asked Scott as Kurt lay on the ground, motionless.
"It's his energy, he's drained," said Jean.
Charles was now conscious and his face was contorting as he kept his mind fighting against the god-like mutant.
"No. Get out! GET OUT!"
"Professor, Professor it's okay, you're with us," said Jean as Charles reached around with his hands. Layna found them and held onto them tightly. They made eye contact and the telepath started to calm down.
"It's okay Charles, just breathe," she said, comfortingly.
"Charles... I know you can hear me. We're still... connected. Charles! Show yourself! ...CHARLES, SHOW YOURSELF!" said En Sabah Nur as everyone turned their heads to the source of the voice coming from outside.
"No, it's me he wants," Charles said.
"Charles, you can't give yourself up. If he has you, he has us all. The whole world," Moira said. A few moments passed and Charles began to look upset as he felt an all too familiar mind in the grasp of the powerful mutant.
"Raven," he said as his face was stricken with sadness and worry.
"I'm going out there" said Hank.
"I'm going with you," said Scott.
"Me too. He can threaten all he wants, but I'll kill him before he gets the chance to do anything. Might as well use this increased power and put it to good use," said Layna as she was about to leave Charles' side. He grabbed her by the wrist, causing her to look back.
"No. He was right. There is still some part of me connected to him."
"Charles!" They heard in the distance.
"I can get inside his head."
"Your life, for theirs! Or your children's lives, for yours and Layna's!"
Charles connected his mind to En Sabah Nur's with ease.
"Thank you for letting me in," he said as he laid himself down. Moments passed and the blue mutant finally released Raven after almost choking her to death. She lay on the ground weakly as the wall of the house that the others were in had turned to sand and blew away. Layna stood up and flared positive energy into her eyes in a threatening manner as she approached the edge of the house.
"I turned you into a goddess, my child, I can just as easily take it away from you," replied the mutant. His eyes fogged over with white as he extended a hand to her. Suddenly, a metal beam was shoved into the ground between them as well as another, creating an "X". Everyone looked up to see Erik, hovering in the air.
"You betray me?"
"No. I betrayed them," he responded. Charles winced and his facial expression changed as he tried fighting consciously in his mind. Erik had gathered various metal objects and looked over to Layna.
"How hot is positive energy again?" he asked with a small smirk.
"I guess it's timed us to find out, let's see what amplified positive energy does," she replied with a smile. As he lunged the metal items towards En Sabah Nur, Layna turned around and produced positive energy at it, melting the material instantly. The molten metal caused the mutant to wince, not yell in pain, but he spread his hands to his sides and created an barrier of sorts made of flames to protect himself. Hank and Scott jumped down to help and the brunette teen shot a beam towards the metal and energy combination. Hank helped Raven get out of the way and then helped Peter free his other leg that was stuck in the ground and his free leg, which was broken. Layna increased her energy output, causing the light to shine brighter, and aimed right for the mutant instead of Erik's fast flying metal. Hank escorted Raven and Peter to a wall to rest as he leapt across houses and jumped towards En Sabah Nur. The powerful mutant flung him to the side, making Hank crash into a nearby car.
"Jean..." Charles said quietly. The young telepath looked down on him.
"Help... me."
Erik was starting to strain himself from using his powers to hurdle so much metal towards the false god and bend it around him, encasing him in it. Layna wanted to increase her positive energy output, but everyone else would have to stop and shield their eyes or they might go blind. It was better for everyone to be attacking than just one person.
"You guys might want to look away if you can!" she warned as she increased her power slightly. En Sabah Nur groaned in pain as he was starting to struggle under such force.
Moira looked out at the spectacle before her, things were looking alright, but the odds still weren't in their favor.
"They can't stop him," she said with concern.
"Jean. Help me!" said Charles with more desperation. The red head didn't hesitate to enter his mind and assist the Professor. En Sabah Nur cried out in pain as Jean unleashed all of her power in order to turn the tide of the mental battle she had entered. His guard was down, his armor was gone, torn from his body, and Erik launched metal beams towards him. A few of them were able to pierce through his body, and Scott, who was now free from being trapped inside a wall, took his glasses off and released a powerful beam. He walked slightly closer as he kept his eyes on the target. Jean had walked out of the house, into the air, as if an invisible walkway was underneath her feet. Jean screamed and extended her arms out as an intense burst of flames emerged from her. The heat engulfed the crazed mutant as he struggled to stand his ground. He muttered, "all... is revealed."
Then, Storm summoned bolts of lightning with all of her strength and struck En Sabah Nur. She contorted her face from the strain, but persisted in helping take him down. Jean's flames only grew as the heat started to burn him away along with the help of Erik, Scott, Layna, and Storm. His flesh was burning, exposing raw tissue, and then bones, and then, he had become completely incinerated. Nothing was left of the first ever mutant, En Sabah Nur, Apocalypse. Magneto, and Storm brought themselves back to the ground. The fight was finally over. Jean's flames died down and she turned back towards the others. She walked back inside towards Layna as she hastily looked towards everyone who was on the ground. They started getting up and looked over to the Professor.
"Is he okay?" Scott asked as they all approached Charles.
"Its his energy, it's drained," said Jean. Layna walked over and knelt down beside his head.
"Charles? Charles, wake up."
"Charles?" asked Moira, a bit panicked.
"Charles? Can you hear me?"
Tears were pricking her eyes as she gently shook his face which was being held in her hands.
"Why isn't he waking up?" she asked.
"...We've lost him," said Hank. Layna shook her head. She was not going to accept that, not when they had kids back home to take care of and a life together to finish.
"No, he cant be gone. I can still feel his positive energy."
"You're right, he's not. I can still feel him," said Jean. She placed a hand to his temple and dug into his mind. A few moments later, his eyes opened. Layna let out a sigh of relief as she held Charles' hand with her own.
"Thank you, Jean," he responded.
"Charles, do you know where you are?" asked Moira. He looked up at her.
"I'm on a beach. In Cuba. With you and Layna."
"What beach?" she asked. Charles lifted his hand and placed it to the agent's temple. Moira's face changed and Charles set his hand back down.
"I'm sorry. I should never have taken those from you."
"Hold on!" exclaimed Kurt.
"What did I miss?"
They chuckled too each other and then Moira turned to Layna. Tears were in her eyes as she recognized the face before her.
"Layna Verity...."
"Good to finally see you again Agent McTaggert," she said as she hugged her. Moira was thrilled that she had her memories back and was able to catch up on everything she had missed.
The team went back home, including Erik and Storm, who were a bit hesitant since she had helped En Sabah Nur. They fortunately welcomed her with open arms and forgave her, welcoming her to the mansion. Everyone was watching the news about the events that took place in Egypt.
"It seems only by the grace of God, that the ominous destruction... seen from one end of the globe to the other, has stopped."
"At a debriefing today, CIA Special Agent Moira McTaggert... revealed to an investigative committee..."
"The committee was further stunned to learn that fugitive Erik Lehnsherr... aided in defeating this powerful and unknown..."
"The potential destructive power of mutants... ...is sure to fuel new controversy and debate... at a time when mutants were becoming accepted around the world."
Charles, Erik, and Layna were down below in the halls of the sub basement levels, they were standing in front of an entrance to one of the rooms. The new X-Men recruits were inside, listening to a lecture from Raven, who decided to stay and help train them.
"The world's already begun rebuilding its arsenals," said the now bald-headed telepath.
"It's human nature, Charles," replied Erik.
"We still have hope," said Layna.
"Oh yes... hope."
"I was right about Raven. I was even right about you," said Charles with a small smile.
"What about the rest of the world? Doesn't it ever wake you up in the middle of the night? The feeling that one day they'll come for you... and your children?" Erik said as he gestured to the students in the room in front of them and to Layna.
"It does indeed."
"What do you do when you wake up to that?"
"Well," started Layna as she sighed.
"We feel a great sense of pity for the poor soul that comes to our school looking for trouble. Are you sure we can't convince you to stay? Even after meeting Luci and Andreas?"
"You're husband's psychic, Layna," he said as he started to walk away and placed a hand on both of their shoulders before continuing.
"He can convince me to do anything."
He then started walking away towards a door across from them.
"Goodbye, old friend," said Charles. Erik paused at the exit.
"Good luck, Professor."
"Erik wait," said Layna. He turned around as she dug into her pocket and pulled out a small metallic disc. She flipped it over and used her pinkie to melt something into it.
"A think this memento should stay with you," she said as she blew on the hot surface and tossed it to him. He caught it, looked to her, confused. And opened his hand. It was the coin that she had given both Charles and Erik in southern Mexico when she gave them the map to Moscow back in sixty two. He flipped it over and saw new initials melted into it, "C. X." He looked up to her with a slight grin on his face.
"A little something from the both of us," Charles said with a grin. Erik chuckled under his breath and held the coin up.
"I won't let it out of my sight. Thank you."
And with that, he walked out and was gone. Both Layna and Charles turned back around to the open door, listening in on Raven's lecture.
"Forget everything you think you know. Whatever lessons you learned in school... whatever your parents taught you. None of that matters. You're not kids anymore. You're not students. You're X-Men."
"We're finally doing this," said Layna as she crossed her arms.
"I know. I have a good feeling that things will turn out just fine for them."
"No doubt about it. They're going to change the world, their determination and hope is just what the world needs."
"...You know, it's incredible how certain events take place and they lead up to such great things in the future."
"Like what?"
He turned to look up at her.
"If I had never met you, we wouldn't have gotten the information about Shaw's plans from Emma Frost, we never would've fallen in love, we never would've gotten married, I probably wouldn't have lived to see another day back in seventy three because of my drinking and the serum that Hank had made, you never would've told me that you were pregnant, and we never would have built this place together."
"You really know what to say to a gal," she said with a smile.
"I'd hope so. The world is changing, love, and I'm so happy that you're still going to be in it."
"Well how can I top that? Anything that I say isn't going to sound as heartfelt, but I'm just as glad to have you in my life as everything changes around us. Come on, I think Raven is ready to start teaching and we've got some kids to talk to about where daddy's hair went."
"Now that... is going to be somewhat complicated to explain," he said as he turned his wheelchair around.
"They're kids, I don't think they'll be as confused as you think."
"Only one way to find out," he said as he held his hand out to her. Layna took it with a smile and they walked down the hall towards the elevator. Their lives have been filled with so much chaos and craziness, happiness, and sadness, but they knew that it was just apart of life. The best part about it all, was that they had each other to go through it for as long as life would let them. They weren't too worried about the future, they were focusing on the present. The school, the students, their kids, the new X-Men, and each other. Life was truly good and they felt that it was going to stay that way for quite a long time.