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.
"Kay-" I heard him yelp, before Charles punched him square in the jaw, causing him to reel back.
Soon enough, he quickly regained control of the missiles as Charles was struggling underneath him. I didn't know what to do at that moment. I wanted to run and break them up, and also pass out at the same time. Erik broke eye contact to give Charles a good punch in return. The missiles fell again.
Erik stood up this time, grabbing them again, the last few still on course. I saw Moira out of the corner of my eye shoot a bullet at Erik, but it hit his helmet.
"Moira!" I shouted, breaking from the group and trying to run towards her. She continued shooting, and Erik blocked them all. I paused. Everything was happening so fast, I only see Charles hit the ground, holding his back.
Charles looked like he was screaming in pain, but no sound came out. Erik turned suddenly, the remainder of the missiles falling into the ocean. I ran to them instantly, all of my pain suddenly gone. Erik was crouching over him, a bloody bullet in his hand.
"I'm so sorry." Erik apologized, his voice gravelly from the fist fight before. He looked up at Moira, who was beside me.
"You." He said in almost a whisper.
"You did this."
Moira was lifted from the ground, her necklace choking her. I watched in horror as she wobbled.
"Erik, please. She didn't do this, Erik. You did." Charles said between breaths. Erik lowered his hand as Moira fell to the ground, breathing heavily. I stepped a bit closer to Erik, but I was afraid of him. For the first time in my life, I found myself afraid of Erik.
"Us turning on each other, it's what they want. I tried to warn you, Charles. I want you by my side. We're brothers, you and I." Erik said. I could hear a knot forming in his throat. Charles and Erik's relationship was always a tricky one, but right here in front of me was something I never saw. And in the chaos around me, for a moment, there was peace. How they felt about each other was something I knew I could never understand.
"All of us together, protecting each other. We want the same thing." Erik continued, his eyes were glossy with tears.
"Oh my friend," Charles began with a pained laugh. "I'm sorry, but we do not."
There was silence between the two of them for a moment before Erik motioned for Moira and me to come over. Moira immediately crouched down to Charles, apologizing profusely. I looked Erik in the eyes, taking in the sadness he had in them, but neither of us said anything. I knew we were both at a point where we didn't know what to do. I felt like I knew what was going to happen.
I knelt down to Charles.
"I'll be alright, Kayla. No need to worry about me." He said, a faint smile appearing on his lips. He wiped a tear off my cheek before hissing in pain at the movement.
"You're bleeding..." he noted, grabbing my waist lightly as to not hurt me.
"I'll be fine. You're more important right now."
"No but see, you-"
"I'll be fine."
"This society won't accept us. We form our own." Erik began. "The humans have played their hand. Now we get ready to play ours. Who's with me?"
Nobody moved at first. I looked up to see Raven, limping her way over. But she turned towards Charles and me instead. Raven and I exchanged glances at each other. Charles took both of our hands.
"You two should go with him. It's what you want." Charles told us.
"You promised me you'd never read my mind." She said.
"I know. I promised you a great many things, I'm afraid. I'm sorry." He admitted, kissing Raven on the hand. She returned it with a kiss on his forehead.
"Take care of him." She said to Moira. Charles glanced over at me next.
"Thank you, Charles, for finding me at that motel, and for asking me to join the team." I told him.
"Thank you for saying yes." He replied, sniffling.
"I want you to know that whatever happens, Kayla, I am glad to have met you. Please take care of Erik. Make sure he doesn't get in too much trouble." He joked, his small smile returning for a moment. "And be brave love."
"I'll try my best, I promise." I told him, holding his hand. Eventually, I got up and went to Erik, taking his hand in mine. He felt the blood on it, and immediately started shaking. He squeezed it as tight as he could without hurting me, his palms sweaty and fingers trembling.
The rest of Shaw's group joined us, and I watched them as they approached. We all stood in a line. Erik pulled me an inch or so closer to him protectively.
"And Beast!" Raven called.
"Never forget. Mutant and proud."
Soon enough, we all disappeared from that beach in Cuba. And I never let go of Erik. I agreed to take him for what he was, both him and his heavy heart.