Author´s note: This is a short one-shot that came to my mind while watching X-Men 2 on DVD. It connects two events from X-Men First class and X-Men 2.
Disclaimer: The characters and concepts of X-Men are owned by 20th Century Fox, creator Stan Lee and Marvel comics. I own nothing and this is just a little piece of fun!
The Plane
The plane that tumbled out of the sky had a specific form, one that he would always recognise. Recognise it as special. As the plane of the X-Men. But as advanced as it was, like all planes, it could crash.
Eric´s eyes followed the descent, wondering how many mutants would be trapped in there, screaming with no way out. Should he help them or should he simply let them crash?
At this moment in time, at this stage of war against the humans, he needed the X-Men to help him. To help him against a mutual enemy. An enemy who had taken the school, full of mutant children, with force. Charles school. The one save place of the mutant race.
He needed their help against the enemy who had taken Charles.
Eric looked to the side, where Mystique was standing passively. She would support either decision. To let them live or die. Once this would have been different. Once there would have been no doubt that they would try to save the X-Men plane.
He closed his eyes, remembering another time he had seen a plane like this go down.
Eric was standing on the landing struts of the plane. The jet was hovering over the ocean, waiting for him to make his move in the fight against Shaw. Charles was above him, completely immersed in his thoughts, helping him to to grab the submarine.
It was heavy, too heavy. He could not do this... He had to let it go.
But Charles was there, supporting him, telling him that everything was all right, that he was going to make it.
And finally he had it in his grip. Lifting it out of the water. The metal felt good, oh so good in his power. He lifted it up so it was floating in the air.
He could feel the engine of the plane strain under the stress of lifting the submarine and he shifted his powers to control the flow of the magnetic field. To support the plane in its fight with gravity. And then he saw a man, opening the entrance of the submarine. One of Shaw´s mutants. Standing there for a moment and then beginning to twirl the wind.
With this suddenly all hell broke loose.
Eric tried to hold onto the submarine and the plane at the same time. But it was a lost battle. Charles was screaming in his mind. "Eric, let go!"
And finally he followed the advice. Doing so, he nearly lost control over his position on the plane. He grabbed for Charles hand and let himself be pulled inside. As the jet begun to spin he took hold of Charles and pinned them both to the wall of the plane. Holding onto the metal with every ounce of his power.
Then the plane begun to roll and roll. Lost in the currents of the storm. He could hear Raven cry somewhere in a distance. Hank McCoy screamed, trying to take control over the plane again.
Eric tried to focus better on the metal of the plane, to hold it up and level the flight again. But between him having a big part of his concentration locked on holding onto Charles and the storm outside, he could not get it right.
He could feel the metal of one of the engines giving up. Then it was ripped away by the storm. Nothing for Hank to control any more. And finally the plane hid the ground.
Everybody was thrown into their safety harnesses as they crashed down. Just not Charles and him. They were still held only by his powers.
And then the rolling stopped. It really stopped!
Against all odds they had survived. He heard Charles sigh in his head: "Thank you, Eric."
He let them both go and they fell to the ground. A moment of peace in hell.
Yet the mission was not finished and they still had to find Shaw. And find him they did.
This tragedy created the moment he and Charles finally split. It had hurt them, more then the crash of the plane ever could. And because of this day Eric and Raven were not X-Men any more.
Eric opened his eyes, watching the plane, spinning up there in the sky. It had been traveling at a much higher altitude then its predecessor had once been. There would be no survivors this time.
No, he and Mystique were definitively no X-Men any more. Not bound by their stupid rules.
But without the knowledge of Charles to guide them, he could use the X-Men to further his own cause. And they would help him, to find the man who had gotten to him in prison. The man who had Charles and would use him against them all.
Why not take advantage of what destiny had to offer?
He reached out with his hand and put together the ripped parts of the plane. Then he concentrated to slow it down and finally stopped it cold just a few feet above the ground.
It hung over Mystique and him, hovering a little in the magnetic currents. He could see the mutants in the cockpit, hanging in their safety harnesses, looking down on him and Mystique with expressions of shock and gratitude.
And then one thought entered his mind, making him nearly laugh. Eric turned his face to Mystique and smiled:
"When will this people learn how to fly?"