"Oh my God." Raven said slowly with her mouth agape a smile slowly growing. Ivory watched the blonde slowly growing more giddy and wondered if telling her was a good idea, "You kissed him." She whispered.
"Yeah?" Ivory responded apprehensively.
Raven squealed loudly, "You kissed him!" she repeated louder batting Ivory's arm. "Tell me everything. Right now, start from the beginning."
And so she did, Ivory told Raven everything from Alex finding her in the kitchen, to their conversation, to him walking her upstairs and finally her gathering up the courage to kiss him before running away into her room. Raven watched listened with heart eyes and her hand under her chin, "So yeah." Ivory finished lamely.
"So when are you guys gonna go out?"
"I don't know," Ivory said with a shrug, "I guess once everything with Shaw is figured out, and we can actually relax for once. Or go out without having to look over our shoulders."
"That's so cute." Raven gushed, "I'm taking you shopping." Ivory smiled at her friends excitement but to Raven it seemed forced, "What's wrong? I thought you liked Alex?"
"I did," She responded automatically, then quickly amended, "I do. It's just a little but pathetic that I'm 20 years old and only just had my first kiss."
"Ivy, I think it's cute, does he know?"
"No," Ivory said strictly, leaning back, "Do you know how embarrassing that is?"
"I think it's sweet." Raven implored, "Innocence isn't always a bad thing. Besides the way Alex looks at you, I think he'd just about burst if he found out he was your first kiss."
"Is that a good thing?"
"It's a great thing," Raven insisted, "Trust me."
Before Ivory could respond they were interrupted by a cheerful voice entering into the kitchen and making a beeline straight towards them, "Good morning ladies." Charles said approaching the table but not taking a seat.
"Morning Charles." They responded in unison.
"Ivy, I was wondering if I could perhaps before you for a moment. I need your help." Charles asked looking to the dark haired girl in question.
"With what?"
"I was wondering if you would be willing to come down to the bunker today, to help Alex focus when using his power," Charles said quietly. "I think that you might be able to help him control his emotions."
Ivory flushed again, and she stammered out, "I- Okay." Charles smiled brightly then Ivory stood and said goodbye to Raven before following Charles down into the mansion's bunker, "How did- How did you know?"
Charles sighed but his smile didn't falter, "Unfortunately I hear everything that goes on within this house, and if I'm honest, Alex's thoughts were particularly loud this morning." Then his smile turned impish, "He seems quite smitten with you."
Ivory wondered if there was an acceptable amount of time a person could blush within a short span of time before something was really wrong with them, as her face went up in flames again. "I am too." She admitted shyly, before realizing something, "It's not bad right? I mean we won't get in trouble?"
Charles smiled again and cut her off gently placing his hand on her shoulder, "Calm down love, everything's quite alright, you're not in a trouble. In fact I think it's quite nice."
"Thanks."
Then Alex walked in carrying a mannequin under his arm, followed by Hank with a wad of blue fabric hanging over his arm. Alex looked up and paused slightly in surprise when he saw her standing there with Charles, Hank however did not look nearly as surprised.
"Lovely, we're all here," Charles said, clapping his hands together as Hank handed the blue fabric to Alex, and took the mannequin. "Alex, you can go ahead and slip that on, there's a good chap."
Ivory watch Alex as he unhappily slipped the fabric over his head, and then as the vest hung down over him she noticed the circular panel resting against his chest, "Is that the thing that's supposed to help him control his powers?" she asked Charles.
"Yes it is, the panel helps Alex control his energy rather than the rings you've seen it turns them one long beam. Alex, just has to direct the energy to whatever he wants to hit," Charles whispered, "Why don't you go and help Hank?"
Ivory nodded and joined Hank at the other end if the bunker where he set down the mannequin and handed her a roll of tape. He gestured for her to rip the tape, so she pulled off a long strip and handed it to him. He stuck it to the mannequin's stomach then did the same with the second strip she gave him. When he was finished, Ivory realized what he'd done, he'd made an 'X' a target for Alex to aim for.
"Wonderful work Hank, thank you very much, if you wouldn't mind taking a step to the side." Charles said joining them, "Ivy, can you stand on the other side of the mannequin beside Hank? Thank you," He smiled at her as she complied with his orders, and he went to stand on the mannequin's left. "Alright Alex, I want you to hit the 'X', only the 'X' and not any of us."
Ivory realized the seriousness of the situation a moment too late. Alex was going to aim at the mannequin whilst she, Hank and Charles were all standing around it. And judging by the expression on Alex's and Hank's faces, this was a new development to them as well.
"You're serious?" Alex demanded, yelling to be heard from the other side of the bunker.
Hank and Ivory exchanged nervous glances while Charles replied calmly, "I'm very serious."
"I could hit Ivy!" Alex exclaimed tossing his hands, "Or you know, you. Or Hank." He added lamely.
"I have complete and utter faith in you." Charles said calmly with his hands resting in his pockets.
Alex looked at Ivory and she nodded confident that he could do it, and it was that look in her eyes that urged him on.
He nodded back towards her and Ivory watched as the muscles in Alex's arms and neck tensed, as he pulled all his energy and concentration onto hitting only the middle mannequin. Then, when a singular beam of red energy shot out from the device on his chest and hit the mannequin un the middle, it went up in flames, Ivory, Charles and Hank all ducked to the side of the bunker, covering their heads with theirs arms.
As soon as Ivory lowered her arms and saw the flaming mannequin she smiled and ran to the other end of the bunker where Alex was laughing happily and threw her arms around him in a tight hug, which he returned lifting her slightly off her feet.
When he set her back down she was beaming at him as she whispered, "I knew you could do it." He returned her smile then looked over her shoulder nodding to Charles who smiled and nodded back.
"Am I still a bozo?" Hank called loudly from the end of the bunker.
"Yes Hank, you're still a bozo," Alex replied seriously causing Ivory to playfully glare at him and gently smack his chest. "But nice job," he added sincerely, catching Ivory's hand with his and twisting their fingers together.
After his successful controlling of his power down in the bunker that morning, Ivory and Alex spent the remainder of their day, currently strolling around the mansions grounds hand in hand.
"I looked for you this morning." Alex said casually.
Ivory scoffed, "Blame Raven, she abducted me right after breakfast and demanded to know, and I quote 'Why I was so extra smiley this morning?'"
"What did you tell her?"
"The truth, I told her there was this really cute guy that I stayed up all night talking too."
He grinned, "Really?" Ivory hummed, "That's funny because last night I stayed up talking to this really cute girl."
"No?" Ivory fake gasped.
"Yeah," he nodded, "And then when I tried to kiss her, he rejected me. I'll admit that stung a bit, but after I walked her to her room, she kissed me. And it was pretty amazing."
Ivory blushed looking down, "She sounds great."
"She is," Alex pulled on her hand and they stopped walking, "And I'd really like to kiss her again," he said reaching out and nudging her under her chin with his knuckles making her look up into his eyes, "If she'd let me?"
"Why don't you just ask her?"
Alex smirked already leaning in, "Ivy, can I-" but they were interrupted by a different voice.
"Hey guys!" Sean called from a second story window, leaning out with his hands on the frame, "The President is about to do his speech!"
Ivory and Alex glanced at one another before quickly making their way into the mansion.
The entire house were gathered in the common room, watching the black and white television. More specifically, watching the address president John F. Kennedy was making about the possibility of a nuclear attack.
"It shall be the policy of this nation to regard any nuclear missile crossing the embargo line that surrounds Cuba as an attack," President Kennedy paused to look directly at the camera lens. "By the Soviet Union on the United States, requiring a full retaliatory response upon the Soviet Union."
"That's where we're going to find Shaw," Erik pointed out, gesturing to the screen with a gun in his hand, Ivory wondered why he would possibly need a gun, but that was rather obvious, then she wondered why he had it out before deciding know wasn't the time for such questions.
"How do you know?" Alex wondered aloud, asking the more important questions pertaining to the matter at hand.
"Two superpowers facing off and he wants to start World War III; he won't leave this to chance," Charles explained easily, not looking away from the screen.
"So much for diplomacy," Erik muttered before patting Ivy on the arm and nodding to Alex. "I suggest you all get a good night's sleep."
How many sheep can a person count before they go insane? Ivory wondered to herself later that night, sitting up in bed, wide awake and on the verge of counting her third herd of sheep. Sighing she pushed back her sheets and crawled out of the bed, leaving the room to head down to the kitchen to give Erik's form of sleep therapy a try, but before she made her way down the hall she noticed the door across from hers had light seeping out from underneath it. That meant Alex was still awake too. After giving it a short thought she changed directions and quickly reached out knocking on the door a few times before she lost her nerve.
There was a bit of shuffling on the other side of the door before it swung open, and Alex was stood there, with a shirt on unfortunately, he looked surprised to see her there before he nodded and opened his door widen for her to step into the room. Which she did, and he closed the door behind her.
"Can't sleep?" Alex questioned softly following her back to his bed, he moved a few random pieces of clothing from the edge of his bed so that they could sit comfortably.
"No." Ivory said shaking her head and sinking down on the bed.
"Worried about tomorrow?"
"Yeah?"
"You want to talk about it?" he asked calmly and she shook her head again.
"No."
Alex sighed, "Good, neither do I." he leaned back on his hands, "What do you want to talk about?"
Ivory looked around the room, that wasn't set up all that differently from hers, then turned her head slightly to the other side of the bed that was mused up, probably from where Alex had been laying there before she came in, "You read comic books?" she asked shocked.
"Yeah," He huffed, a light pink dusting his cheeks as he reached back to grab the book, turning it over in his hands, "My parents would send them to me, back when I was in prison, to help keep me entertained. Didn't always work but, I never got rid of them."
"Have you called, or spoke to them since you got out?"
He shook his head looking down to the ground, "I didn't want them to get too excited to see me you know? Just in case," he trailed off but they both knew what he meant.
"It's really happening tomorrow isn't it?" she whispered, "We're going to war."
Alex nodded, "Yeah." Then he took a deep breath and forced a smile, "We're not supposed to be talking about that."
She mimicked his smile, "You started it," she teased, "Do you think you'll reach out to them? After? You know if you survive?"
"Yeah I think I will."
"Then we better keep you alive." She joked with a real smile, Alex returned it and leaned in closer placing a short kiss on her lips.
"After our date." He whispered against her lips and she pulled back with a short laugh.
"You've got a deal."
His smile turned a little bit more contemplative, "Ivy, I want to tell you something."
"Don't," she said gently and his brow furrowed at the command, so she explained, "Don't say anything that you wouldn't say if there wasn't a chance that we could die tomorrow."
Alex nodded again in understanding and leaned forward once more closing the little bit of distance between them, his eyes flitting back and forth between hers and her lips, before he pushed his soft lips against hers. She wound her arms around his neck and one of his rested on the small of her back, the other keeping him balanced on the bed. This kiss felt different from their other kisses, though it was no less gentle, it was much more passionate, especially when Alex's tongue touched her lip for the first time.
Ivory pulled back slightly, and immediately Alex backed away worried that he'd crossed a line, but those worries were laid to rest when she gave him a shy smile and crawled into his lap, straddling him before kissing him again. He brought both his hands to rest on her waist as his tongue slid past her lips to tangle with hers.
Slowly Alex leaned back on the bed until he was laying down, keeping her pressed to his chest and their lips connected. When they finally pulled away at the same time, they stayed pressed against each other breathing heavily staring at each other.
"I'm scared." Ivory confessed, breaking the silence between them, reaching up with one hand to run her fingertips over Alex's sharp jawline.
"I know," Alex admitted reaching up and tucking a short piece of hair behind her ear so he could see clearly her two-toned eyes, "I am too. I'm not going to let anything happen to you."
She smiled and pecked him again, "Thank you."
Alex nodded pleased with himself, "You're welcome." He said before taking a deep breath and holding it, "Stay with me tonight? I don't think either of us wants to be alone." He added quickly. Ivory nodded biting back a smile and Alex deflated letting out the breath he'd held in.
It was official, he thought to himself as they rearranged themselves under the sheets and Ivy immediately curled into his side, I've fallen for her.
Alex and Ivory woke up the next morning tangled around each other, getting up from the bed without mentioning the previous night or the upcoming war Alex pulled her into a quick kiss before she left his room and scurried back across the hall before anyone could catch her leaving his room. She cleaned up quickly and got dressed in a dark green long sleeved dress, with black boots and her accessories before leaving to meet up with the others.
A quick and tense breakfast later Ivory, Alex, Erik, Sean, Raven, Moira, and Charles were stood outside Hank's lab as the young scientist was missing that morning, staring in confusion at the hand written note pinned to the door.
Gone to the airbase.
Bring the crate marked X.
Hank
Charles spared the group a shot glace before reaching forward and ripping off the note then pushing the wooden doors open.
The inside of the room was a scene absolute carnage; all of the tables were overturned, broken experimental equipment and electronic equipment scattered the floor and papers were torn to shreds. It looked like some kind of beast had blown through.
Charles strode into the room, dodging broken glass and furniture, as he made his way to the back with the others following behind carefully to where a large metal crate sat untouched on a table.
"What the hell happened here?" Erik asked the question on everyone's mind as the approached the crate.
Charles reached the crate and lifted the lid, peering inside. The others gathered around staring down at the contents of the crate.
"Hank has been busy," Erik scoffed, seeming insulted by the bright yellow material staring back up at them.
"Do we really have to wear these?" Alex's voice held a tone of disbelief obviously not a fan of the brightly colored suits either.
"As none of us are mutated to endure extreme G-Force or being riddled by bullets," Charles said shrugging, reaching out to grab the suit that was resting on top. "I suggest we suit up."
Ivory was in one of the bathroom stalls changing into the new uniform and boots, Raven was in the other, after a few more second she heard Raven emerge then knock on the door of her stall.
"Ivy you okay?" she asked concerned.
"I'm fine," she answered through the door before scoffing and pulling it open letting her hand drop from fiddling with her zipper, "This isn't going up anymore." She explained in a huff.
"Hello cleavage," Raven teased yellow eyes widening, "I guess Hank didn't get all of our measurement right."
"Guess not." She Ivory muttered trying the zipper again with no success. "Is it distracting?"
"For me? Not at all." She responded before a familiar mischievous smile took up her face, "Havok might be a different story."
Ivory's mouth dropped open, then she laughed along with Raven grateful for the lighthearted moment they could share.
"By the way," Ivory said once they calmed down, "You look really pretty Raven."
"You think so?" she asked shyly.
"I know so," Ivory answered reaching out and taking her hand, she had seen Raven in her blue form since breakfast but didn't comment on it until they were alone, "And if there are others that can't see that, then they don't deserve you."
Raven smiled and pulled her friend into a hug, before whispering in her ear, "Thank you Ivy."
An hour later the group stood in a private airbase which concealed the single strangest aircraft Ivory had ever seen in her life, though she hadn't seen very many. And amusingly enough, Raven was right, Alex's jaw had dropped open the moment she and Raven had approached the group, he was quick to snap his mouth shut however and kept his eyes respectively above her neck, she could practically see the effort he put into he a gentleman. Unfortunately Sean didn't quite have the same willpower as his friend and it took Erik slapping him in the back of his head to get him to stop staring.
"Where's Hank?" Raven asked looking around, as the young scientist still had yet to appear.
"I'm here," A familiar voice called from the shadow's as a large form emerged from the other side of the hangar. The dark figure came into the light and everyone was shocked and confused.
"Hank?" Charles carefully, his voice full of curiosity.
'Hank' looked up from beneath his glasses in shame, the blue creature in front of them clearly wasn't the young careful scientist they'd come to know.
"It didn't attack the cells," he came to a stop several feet in front of them, looking down sadly. "It enhanced them. It didn't work."
"Yes it did Hank," Raven said soothingly, she seemed to be the only one not surprised with Hank's new appearance. "Don't you see? This is who you were meant to be. This is you." She reached out and rested a gloved hand against his cheek. "No more hiding."
Erik leaned over to catch, Hank's eye, "Never looked better man," he complimented as good-naturedly hit Hank's arm.
Hank however, didn't react well; his arm shot out and his hand wrapping around the front of Erik's neck in a tight grip, a snarl twisting his features as he growled.
"Hank," Charles warned as Raven, Alex, Ivory and Sean jumped back, slightly.
"Don't mock me," Hank warned Erik lowly, glaring at him, ignoring the fact that Erik's face was turning red as he struggled to take in a breath.
"Hank put him down immediately, please," Charles demanded politely, but his voice grew in concern. "Hank. Hank!"
Hank finally let go of Erik, who dropped to the ground, gasping for breath. He glared up at Hank.
"I wasn't," Erik rasped out, as Ivory bent and took his arm helping him back to his feet.
"Even I gotta admit you look pretty badass," Alex commented, from her other side crossing his arms. "I think I've got a new name for you – Beast."
When Hank growled at Alex, even as his chest puffed up in an obvious display of pride.
"You sure you can fly this thing?" Sean asked Hank, changing the topic and completely ignoring what had just happened in the way that only Sean can.
"Course I can; I designed it." Hank answered simply and confidently.
Hank settled into the pilot seats and Moira sat on his left in front of many boards and switches. Charles, Raven and Sean sat in the three seats on one side of the plane, and Erik, Alex and Ivory sat in the seats on the other side of the jet, Alex and Erik all but forcing her into the middle seat between them.
They all buckled into their harnesses and pulled the headphones over their ear as instructed by Hank.
The engines roared into life as they began to taxi down the runway, quickly picking up speed, before taking off at the end of the concrete stretch. Ivory felt her stomach drop, as she realized this was her first time flying, and so far she wasn't enjoying it one but.
"Not a fan of flying Blühen?" Erik teased from her side seeing how tightly she gripped onto her harness.
"If I was meant to fly," Ivory bit out, "God would have given me wings." Erik smirked like he was amused and so did Alex, but the latter did offer her his hand to hold onto for the ride, which she did eagerly.
After a ride that involved Ivory steadily squeezing the life out of Alex's hand, it seemed they'd finally arrived the embargo line as Hank tensely informed them through the headphones. "Looks pretty messy out there,"
Charles lifted up his hand to his head and closed his eyes, using his power to see what he could find, he opened his eyes seconds later with a slight wince and a frown.
"The crew of the Aral Sea are all dead; Shaw's been there," he explained, looking at Erik.
"He's still here, somewhere," Erik replied.
"He's set the ship on course for the embargo line."
"If that ship crossed the line, our boys are going to blow it up," Moira informed grimly looking back. "And the war begins."
"Unless they're not our boys." Charles said firmly.
Ivory looked at him in confusion, before glancing over at Erik, who seemed thoughtful, like he knew what Charles was implying, and maybe he did.
Charles inhaled deeply and pressed his finger to his temple once more, a look of intense concentration on his face.
Suddenly Hank growled sharply from the front of the pane before it tilted sharply before barreling through the sky, Raven and Ivory shrieked as the plane spun while Hank tried to regain control, vaguely she could feel an pressing against her chest and another around her waist and she could only assume that it was Alex and Erik trying to keep her in her seat.
There was a boom from outside of the plane before it finally, the plane resumed its normal flight.
"A little warning next time, professor?" Hank called out sarcastically, glancing back to look at him.
"Sorry about that," Charles apologized, keeping one arm across Raven. "You alright?" he asked Raven and Sean.
Raven nodded quickly, whilst Sean looked at him in disbelief and Erik repeated the question to Alex and Ivy, who nodded.
"That was inspired Charles," Moira commented as she flipped some switches.
"Thank you very much, but I still can't locate Shaw," Charles replied, keeping his hand to his temple.
"He's down there, we need to find him now," Erik demanded straightening up in his seat.
"Hank?"
"Is there anything unusual on the radar or scanners?" Hank questioned turning to the CIA agent on board.
"No, nothing," Moira responded begrudgingly.
"Well then, he must be underwater," Hank added, seeing Charles drop his hand from his temple and give up on using his mind to search for Shaw. "And obviously we don't have sonar."
"Yes we do," Sean suddenly exclaimed confidently sitting up in his seat.
"Yes we do," Charles agreed with a small smile, taking off his headphones and getting up.
Both Erik and Sean followed suit, unbuckling their harnesses, placing their headphones on the hooks and climbing to their feet, using the roof as a way of keeping balance in the tilted aircraft.
"Hank! Level the bloody plane!"
The plane slowly levelled out, allowing Erik, Charles and Sean to let go of the bars supporting the plane, as Charles and Sean moved to stand on the other side of the bomb doors on the floor of the plane.
"Whoa! You back right off," Sean yelled at Erik, who held up his hands in accommodation backing up a few steps at the redhead's request. "Beast, open the bomb bay doors!" Sean yelled towards the front of the aircraft and seconds later with a loud click, the doors opened, letting the roaring wind.
"Remember, this is a muscle!" Charles yelled, holding onto Sean and pointing at the front of his throat. "You control it! You'll be in here the entire time!" he placed his fingers by his temple to inform Sean they would communicate via telepathy. "We'll see you soon. On my mark." He let go of Sean and moved back to hold onto the side of the plane, allowing Sean to walk towards the edge of the doors. "Three! Two! One!"
With a cheer, Sean jumped out of the plane.
"Alert the fleet, they may want to take their cans off," Moira radioed in to the US Government.
A minute or so later, Charles spoke with glee and his hand pressed to his temple.
"Banshee's got a location on Shaw," he confirmed, looking up at Erik. "You ready for this?"
"Let's find out."
The plane dipped as Hank turned them around again, before slowing down to a hover. Ivory watched as landing gear was deployed and Erik held onto the front wheel as it was lowered, before he vanished from sight completely where she sat. Charles kneeled over the open bomb doors, watching Erik concentrate.
Ivory gaped seconds later when she saw the submarine being lifted out of the water through the planes windows. Hank noticed as well, quickly shifting the planes gears and moving them away from the ships below. A sudden gust of wind rocked the plane before Charles yelled down to Erik, "Erik, take my hand!"
"Aw, hold on guys," Hank warned seconds later. "It's going to get bumpy."
The plane was thrown about once more, but having gotten a warning this time they were all better prepared, even though it was no less jarring. Alex threw his arm over Ivory again as the plane was caught it what seemed to be a tornado, courtesy of one of Shaw's associates clearly.
Charles and Erik seemed to fly back through the doors at the bottom of the plane, before falling to the ceiling with Erik holding them down. Just in time too as the plane then hit the ground with a jerk, rolling heavily, the main cabin of the plane snapping away from the rest of the body and the engines as the mutants and Moira inside were all screaming.
As quickly as the rolling began, it stopped, the silence on the plane broken moans and groans as everyone tried to right themselves in the plane that was now flipped upside down, the occasional spark of electricity from the wires that had snapped during the crash.
Ivory suddenly felt her harness loosen and she grunt form the suddenly strain on her shoulders, before she was being pulled down from her seat and into Erik's strong arms.
"Are you alright?" he asked quickly sitting her on her feet and looking her over.
"I'm fine." She responded, and he nodded moving to undo Alex's harness as well, on the other side of the plane Charles had done the same for Raven and Moira.
"I read the teleporter's mind," Charles informed the group as they all gathered around the windows peering out to the destroyed beach, "Shaw's drawing all the power out of the sub; he's turning himself into some kind of nuclear bomb."
"We've got no time, the Geiger counter's going out of control," Moira added, looking over her shoulder at the crackling sounding device.
"Moira this is what we're going to do, get the radio and tell them to clear both sides immediately."
"I'm going in," Erik called loudly, as Riptide, Angel and Azazel appeared by the sub, on the other side of the beach.
"Beast, Havok, Lotus, back him up," Charles ordered without a second thought. "Erik, I can guide you through once you're in, but I need you to shut down whatever it is that's blocking me, then we just hope to God it's not too late to stop a war."
Everyone nodded at their given tasks and made way for the broken hull of the ship, before Ivory was stopped short by a hand on her upper arm.
"Stay safe out there." Erik urged, blue eyes blazing as he stared down at her.
Ivory nodded before leaning up and pressing a quick kiss to his cheek, "You too." He nodded and they quickly made their way out of the plane with Alex and Hank.
Alex struck first shooting a blast of energy at Riptide, throwing him back into the wall of the upturned sub. Azazel however disappeared dodging the blast reappearing behind Alex, he swung but Alex ducked and Hank grabbed the red mutant's arm but he was quick wrapping his tail around Alex's neck before the three vanished with a puff of red vapors.
Erik and Ivory were then running across the beach, with Erik thrusting his hand out and ripping off a part of the submarine colliding with Riptide and knocking him down and out, for the time being.
Ivory was stopped by a spray of fireballs near her feet and looked up to see Firefly glaring before flying upwards and circling back towards her. Ivory narrowed her eyes, and as she flew back towards her and spit more fireballs a sudden cone of sand enveloped Ivory blocking her from the fire. When it dropped and blast of sand shot out hitting Angel in the face tossing her backwards in the air, blinding her for a minute. Angel righted herself before flying off towards the ship, before glancing quickly over her shoulder.
Hearing quick footsteps behind her, she turned and saw Riptide was standing a few feet away, conjuring small tornados in his hands. He threw one at her, sending her flying back across the sand, she scrambled to her feet quickly, as he threw the second tornado but she met it in the middle with a gust of sand. The tornado grew as he tried to regain control and she just keep adding more sand keeping it even. Ivory's hair blew about her face wildly, before she suddenly let go, forcing the sand upwards with the tornado before dropping it. While Riptide was distracted with regaining control, she manipulated one of the still standing trees and bent it swinging it at him knocking him out yet again, after he hit the submarine a second time.
A loud scream rang her eardrums briefly but alerted her to Sean flying back. She spun around, just in time to see Sean and Alex crash into the sand and roll in her direction. Sean closer to her than Alex did and seemed to be in more pain than him, so she ran the small distance to her friend to look him over.
A fluttering of wings sounded, announcing Angel's arrival, but before she could gear up to spit another fireball at Ivory, Alex was there with a yell, pulling all his energy into throwing a ring at Angel, slicing off half of her wing and throwing her off balance to send her to the sandy ground with a thud, where she lay unconscious.
Sean laughed happily at the sight of Alex using his powers before rolling onto his back with a pained groan having awkwardly tweaked his leg when he landed. Ivory threw her arms around Alex's neck hugging him tightly.
"I told you I'd keep you safe." His deep voice muttered into her ear and she nodded before releasing him both of them tending to Sean. Before a completely unexpected voice made them jump.
"Azazel." Shaw said firmly, and the red skinned mutant stopped right away. They watched as he stood and backed away from Hank stepping closer to his boss, before he seemed to pause glancing back at Hank who had gotten to his feet. He disappeared and then reappeared behind Hank hoping for a surprise attack, but Hank was ready for him punching him straight out of the air and knocking him unconscious. Shaw's features wobbled, before blue rippled over his skin, revealing a smug looking Raven.
Alex, Ivory and Sean made their way over to the other two, where they all wrapped their arms around one another for support, all of them emotionally and physically drained from the day. A loud screech made them all look up at the top of the submarine, in time to see the metal folding away from a hole.
Ivory gasped as Shaw's dead body floated through the hole and out into the air in a crucifix position, metal strips wrapped around his arms holding him up. Erik then emerged from the hole behind his tormentor, wearing Shaw's metal helmet.
"Today our fighting stops!" Erik yelled as the two sides of mutants all moved closer to see what was going on. Erik dropped his fist and Shaw fell to the ground with a loud thud. He followed, floating down to the sand between the two groups.
"Take off your blinders, brothers and sisters; the real enemy is out there," he pointed to the ships on the water, which were all moving together to form a long, tired line, forming a barrier. "I feel their guns moving in the water, their metal targeting us. Americans, Soviets, humans, united in their fear of the unknown. The Neanderthal is running scared, my fellow mutants." Erik began to walk to the water's edge, Charles and Moira standing closest to him as the other mutants followed but remained at a distance. "Go ahead Charles, tell me I'm wrong." He challenged
Charles lifted a hand to his temple and set his gaze on the ships before them. After a moment, he let his hand down, nodding sadly at Moira, who ran back to the plane.
Loud banged began to fill the air, and the mutants watched in shock as all of the ships started firing their missiles board in the direction of the beach.
And they could do nothing but watch them get closer and closer.
Before Erik suddenly raised his hand, halting the explosives dead in their path and holding them in the air for a moment, and with a slow controlled rotation of his hand; the missiles turned around and pointed straight back at the military ships.
"Erik, you said yourself, we're the better men. This is the time to prove it." Charles pleaded looking between Erik, the missiles and the ships. "There are thousands of men on those ships, good, honest, innocent men. They're just following orders."
"I've been at the mercy of men just following orders." Erik said, before turning to face Charles his voice turning steely. "Never again."
Then he thrust his hand forward and let the missiles fly.
Fin-Fish Jun-Tenshi: Ikr.
Ivana Bocanegra: Thanks babe.
MidnightPenguin: Why thank you my love. We'll see Ivy's reaction to Erik's change in the next chapter.
AlexisDumbee: THANK YOU!
I've recently realized that I've been wrongly imagining Ivy's powers and plant manipulation, when in fact it is earth manipulation. Pointing it out now because it will become relevant later in the story.
And next chapter we will see what Ivory thinks of Erik in this new light, still taking suggestions on what you guys think that'll be. And also of course, the aftermath of what happens on the beach.
As always let me know what you think and what you'd like to see in the future.