Chapter 12:
Everyone began to scream out as the plane rolled over the floor, each of us were smashed against items which were falling from the plane itself as well as the plane collapsing on itself. As the plane had finally stopped rolling it ended on its back, Erik slowly moved him and Charles to be seated against the floor while the others, including me, just undid their belts causing us to fall out of our seats and into the roof, now floor, of the plane.
Charles quickly rushed to Moria checking she was alright after the crash, while Erik rushed to me helping me off the then rushed to Raven to help her out of her seat, her belt was broken so Erik had to use his mutation to break the metal in the belt to release her. As we all get out of our seats safely we walk to the back end of the plane which was now ripped opened, the plane was now in two pieces instead of a whole.
"I read the teleporter's mind. Shaw is drawing all the power out of his sub. He's turning himself into a nuclear bomb," Charles said as he was looking out of the plane at the sub along with us.
"We got no time. The Geiger count is going out of control." Moria exclaimed checking the counter.
"Right this is what we're going to do. Get on the radio and tell them to clear both fleets out immediately," Charles said to us.
"I'm going in," Erik stated.
"So am I," I said.
"Beast, Havok and Banshee, back them up!" Charles shouted at the three young adults.
They all nod in agreement and understanding.
"Erik and Adele, I can guide you through once you're in, but I need you to shut down whatever it is blocking me, then hope to god it's not too late for me to stop him,"
I looked at Charles one last time, smiling before I jumped out of the plane along with Erik.
"Got it!"
Erik looked over to the sub and peeled out a piece of metal, making it crash on the top of Riptide. I take a deep breath and head towards the hole in the sub. Once we enter, I see the engine room and I hear Charles' voice.
Erik, Adele, make for the middle of the vessel. That's the point my mind can't penetrate. We have to assume that that's where Shaw is.
I looked around the sub and I see another door heading right. Erik and I looked at each other and decide that's where the middle of the vessel is. Erik opened it and we entered another engine room and I placed my hand all over the controls. Erik seems to have found something.
That's the nuclear reactor, Erik. Disable it.
I rushed to Erik and watched as he determinedly pushed down the lever. I see another door and I opened it. Erik lets me in first and we enter a fanciful living room.
You're there, guys! You've reached the void!
Erik yelled out in frustration when the search around the room seemed to be in vain.
"He's not here, Charles! Shaw is not here!" Erik grunted, pacing around the room.
I use my telepathy and hit the same void that Charles did.
"Erik, he's definitely in here," I said.
"Charles, Adele, trust me! I'm pretty sure I know my own eyes and I know that Shaw is not in this room!"
What? He's got to be there! He has to be! There's nowhere else he can be! Keep looking.
"I'm telling you he's not, there's no one here, god damn it!" Erik shouted, clenching his fists.
Right at that moment when Erik sweared, I see something opening at the back of the room. Erik turned slowly to face Shaw.
"Erik, Adelaide," Shaw greeted with a smile on his face.
It's sickening and I feel my stomach drop. This man has tortured and abused me. This man experimented on Erik and killed his mother. And now he is finally standing right in front of us.
"What a pleasant surprise!"
Erik approached Shaw with me trailing behind him. I notice a metal helmet on his head and he's dressed up in a suit. We stepped in a room with mirrors covering every inch of the wall, floor and ceiling and the reflection of the three of us seems to go on forever and forever.
"May I ask you something? Why are you on their side?" Shaw asked. "Why fight for a doomed race who will hunt us down as soon as they realize their reign is coming to an end?"
Erik takes no time in punching Shaw, but his face just vibrates and at first I think it's the helmet that's protecting him but as I notice Erik's shaking hand, it's Shaw. Erik doesn't say anything but just stares at Shaw. Shaw takes a step forward and just looks apologetic.
"Oh. I see. Erik, I'm sorry for what happened in the camps. I truly am,"
"That's bull! You were never sorry!" I shouted.
Before I know it, Shaw has touched my forehead and it seemed like a wall of force is slammed against my body and I'm thrown against the wall. Indescribable pain shoots through my body, starting at my back and ending in my fingers and toes and my head.
Adele, Erik, whatever you're doing, keep doing it! It's starting to work!
So breaking the walls seems to have opened the void a bit. Keep breaking them. I struggled to get up and I'm on my hands and knees when I feel somebody's foot in my side. Again, another wall of force slammed me against the mirrors. Erik looked like he's about to burst when Shaw started speaking as I'm struggling to get up.
"But everything I did, I did for you. To unlock your power. To make you embrace it,"
I turned my head to glare at Shaw when I realize he's a few mere inches from me and he smirked at me before his hand goes to my chin and I fly up to the top of the room and back down, making even more pain shoot through my body. I go blind for a minute as I hear Erik shout "No!"
Shaw stood in front of me like he's guarding me. Shaw continued speaking.
"You've come a long way from bending gates, I'm so proud of you,"
Erik yelled and released his mutant power, making the pipes bend and the metal outside of the glass room burst into the room and hit Shaw. I see several metal tubes going towards me. They almost hit me in the chest, but now I'm trapped. I groan weakly, feeling the pain throb all over my body. It hurt so much to just roll over.
"And you're just starting to scratch the surface," Shaw cooed walking towards Erik, bending whatever metal was in his way. Erik grunted and grunted as he threw metal at Shaw.
"Think of how much further we could go together," Shaw kept walking towards Erik, and a large piece of metal blocked them, but Shaw pushed it towards Erik, eventually trapping him.
"I don't want to hurt you, Erik. I never did. I want to help you. This is our time. Our age," "We are the future of the human race, you and me son. This world could be ours,"
"Please, Erik, please don't fall for his lies. Erik, he only wants to cause you more pain than he already has," I said weakly.
"Everything you did made me stronger. It made me in the weapon I am today," Erik started, and I stared at him.
I caught his eyes and he takes in a sharp breath.
"It's the truth. I've known it all along,"
Erik broke eye contact with me to look at Shaw and I noticed a metal tube slithering towards the back of Shaw's head.
"You are my creator," The tube sprouts out claws and grips Shaw's helmet, pulling it off and Shaw reaches for it as Erik yelled "Now, Charles!"
Shaw froze in motion and I realized the helmet was what's blocking Charles from getting into Shaw's head.
Erik immediately helped me to my feet. I winced feeling pain shoot all over my body as soon as I put pressure on my feet.
"I have to take care of something," Erik stated grimly.
No! Erik, don't do this!
"Erik, what are you going to do?" I asked slowly my body shaking all over. "Erik, tell me right now what you're going to do!"
Erik took my face in his hands and kissed me passionately on the lips. I was still stunned when he pulled away.
"I'm sorry, Charles," Erik whispered as he walked to Shaw.
Erik, please, be the better man.
"It's not that I don't trust you," Erik said, taking the helmet in his hands. I realized what he's going to do and I attempt to make a move to stop him but something wrapped around my ankle. It was a metal pole, I tried to undo Erik's handiwork but it was useless.
"Erik…don't do this," I strained out, and he paused a minute, but he doesn't make an attempt to look over to me.
Erik, there will be no turning back! No! Don't do this, Erik!
Erik puts the helmet on his head and he stared at Shaw.
Adele you must stop Erik!
I can't! Erik wrapped a metal pole around my ankle!
"If you're in there, I'd like you to know that I agree with every word you said. We are the future, but, unfortunately, you killed my mother. You hurt Adele. I've got to stop you. So, this is what we're going to do," Erik stated, turning around and looking at me.
"I'm going to count to three, and I'm going to move the coin," Erik turned back around and pulls out a coin.
No. Erik, no. Please, no.
"One," Erik let go of the coin and it slowly makes it way to Shaw. "Two,"
When the coin makes it way to Shaw's forehead, Erik whispers, "Three,"
Right as Erik counts the last number, I watch the coin embed its way through Shaw's head. I hear Charles screaming in my head and I realize that Charles is controlling Shaw's mind and I can't imagine how painful that must be. It's a moment that's in slow motion and feels like forever before the coin finally appears on the other side of Shaw's head covered in blood. Erik dropped his hands and the coin falls to the floor. Shaw crumbled to the floor and Erik released the metal pole from my ankle.
I nearly crumbled to the ground but I used the wall to keep me steady. It's done my father is dead. A great sense of relief washed over me but I noticed a change in Erik's attitude. I need to get out of here. I envisioned the beach we're on and I felt my body disappear and reappear on the beach next to Charles.
"My God, Adele what happened to you? Where is Erik?" Charles asked.
"You'll see," I said grimly.
I put my hand on my back and warmth traveled up and down me as I healed my self. Charles helped me up when we heard the bending of metal coming from the sub. look up to see a floating dead Shaw coming out of the sub followed by Erik wearing Shaw's helmet.
Erik dropped the body of Shaw between both groups of mutants, Charles' group and Shaw's. The dead body of Shaw had just made contact with the floor with a sickening 'thud'. Erik floated back to the ground and looked between the two groups of mutants.
"Take off your blinders, brothers and sisters. The real enemy is out there," Erik said pointing at the humans in their ships. "I feel their guns moving in the water, their metal targeting us. Americans, Soviets, humans. United in their fear of the unknown,"
Erik was turning into Shaw. I realized.
Erik turned to face the center of the ships in the center of the beach, continuing his speech.
"The Neanderthal is running scared, my fellow mutants!" Charles followed Erik and glanced at him confused. "Go ahead, Charles," Charles raised his fingers to his temples, reading the minds of those on the ships. "Tell me I'm wrong,"
Charles took his fingers from his temples, saddened. He glanced at Moria and nodded to her, Moria ran towards the plane and radio in hopes to stop the humans firing at the beach. We listened to Moria begging down the radio.
Suddenly we all heard fires of guns from the ships; Erik raised his hand up in the air. The missiles near the beach but as soon as the come ten feet above us Erik stopped them with his mutation.
Everyone let out a sigh of relief once the missiles are stuck in mid-air. Erik turned his hand slowly around to make the missiles faces the humans and ships. My heart begins to beat rapidly in my chest.
Charles turned to Erik begging him to stop.
"Erik, you said yourself, we're the better men. This is the time to prove it. 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 of men just following orders, as has Adele. Never again," Erik says soullessly.
Then suddenly Erik caused the missiles he was stopping to make them head back towards the ships and the humans. I couldn't believe what was happening. Erik was Shaw, or well his replacement now that Shaw's gone.
"Erik, release them!" Charles yelled, his fist tight to his sides and his voice raised.
Then as Erik doesn't do anything Charles screamed in protests and runs over to Erik tackling him over. As Charles knocked Erik over, the bombs begin to stop short of the ships, dropping into the ocean. Charles and Erik scrambled on the ground fighting, Charles tried to take the helmet off Erik while they're fighting.
All of us stand back glancing at each other not knowing what to do. As Erik punched Charles in the face, which makes Charles groan loudly in pain, Havok, Banshee, and Beast move forward to Erik and Charles. Erik raised his hand and using his powers he pushed Havok, Beast, and Banshee back leaving Raven and I to watch.
"Stand back!" Erik shouted at us, with his hand raised. Charles scrambled at Erik's face, Erik again raised his hand to continue to missiles course towards the ships and humans. Charles cried out to Erik again, making Erik punch him on the face again. Erik quickly gets up and makes the missiles continue the course.
No one could do anything to change Erik's mind as he was so hell bent on killing the humans which were afraid and taking orders. I see in the corner of my eye that Moria is heading towards them with her gun raised.
Moria takes one shot at Erik, which bounces off his helmet. Erik's hand falls, causing the missiles in the distance to stop and fall into the water. He glared at Moria and started to walk towards her. I take steps forwards to stop Erik from harming Moira, but before I can say anything or do anything Moria shoots at Erik again. As she shoots at Erik he reflex's off his course and towards Charles who was struggling to get up onto his feet. As the bullet changes course it swerves into Charles way then imbeds itself into his spine. Charles fell to the floor in pain.
Everyone takes a huge breath in as they watch Charles fall to the ground in slow motion. Erik rushed to Charles side, Erik moves Charles around, who's groaning in pain. Moria runs towards them. I began to run to be seated next to Erik. Erik glances at me before saying to Charles.
"I'm sorry,"
I checked Charles' back the bullet had hit the base of his spine. I knew what had happened to Charles. I looked at Charles sadly, who was still groaning in pain. As everyone else began to near Charles, Erik shouted at them.
"I said back off!" He hollered out at them, grasping the limp body of Charles.
Erik then turned to Moria. "You. You did this,"
Then he raised his hand to make Moria's dog tags to start strangling her. I opened my mouth to stop Erik but Charles sent me a look to keep quiet. I placed my hand on Charles wound to help stop the blood, and then Charles began to reason with Erik.
"Erik, please," Charles began weakly. "She didn't do this, Erik. You did,"
Erik looked down at Charles, tears in his eyes. He released Moria, who fell to the floor gasping for much needed oxygen.
"Us turning on each other, it's want they want. I tried to warn you, Charles. I want you by my side, you too Adele," He said turning to me as he said my name then back to Charles. "We're brothers, you and I. All of us together, protecting each other. We want the want the same thing,"
Charles looked sadly at Erik then chuckled. "My friend. I'm sorry, but we do not,"
Erik wanted all humans dead, Charles wanted to live in utter peace with humans.
Erik looked up from Charles, saddened then signaled Moria over to us. Erik stood up and Moria cradled Charles' head.
"Charles" I'm sorry. I'm so sorry,"
"It's all right. It's all right," Charles repeated over and over to Moria. He smiled at Moria then at me I was still putting pressure on his wound.
Erik faced the other mutants. "This society won't accept us. We form our own. The humans have played there hand. Now we get to play ours. Who's with me?" As Erik finished Shaw's mutants moved towards Erik, as does Raven. "No more hiding,"
As Raven made her way towards Erik she turned so she's next to Charles. She reached Moria, Charles, and I. Raven took Charles' hand and looked at me and then back to Charles. Breathlessly Charles began to speak to Raven.
"You should go with him. It's what you want,"
Raven looked down at Charles surprised and shocked. "You promised me you would never read my mind,"
"I know," Charles groaned. "I promised you a great many things, I'm afraid. I'm sorry," Charles kissed Raven's hand as she looked away from him. She gets up and as she began to leave she looks at me, as does Erik, and raised her hand towards me.
"Adele?" Raven asked, her voice breaking.
I shook my head, still holding Charles' wound. "No, I can't" I answered.
"Why?" Erik asked.
"Because Erik...you've become my father, Shaw," I said sadly.
Erik's eyes saddened as he met mine.
"And Beast," Raven started. "Don't forget! Mutant...and proud," Raven said bravely.
Beast couldn't meet her eyes anymore. Erik nodded at Azazeal and in a puff of red smoke they teleported away.
Alex tried picking Charles up but he screamed in pain.
"Don't move!" Hank shouted
"Guys," Charles whispered. "I can't feel my legs," Charles breathed out shakily.
"What?" Moira gasped.
"I can't feel my legs," He bit his lip. "I can't feel my legs," He repeated and looked up at us.
"He will never be able to walk again," A nurse stated solemnly.
"Is he awake?" Hank asked anxiously.
"No, he's resting," the Nurse answered.
"May I see him?" I asked.
"Of course. Follow me," the Nurse instructed.
I followed the nurse to Charles' room and opened the door. I walked over to the side of Charles' bed and sat on it.
"Oh my dear Charles," I started stroking Charles' cheek gently.
I looked at the nightstand next to the bed and see a notepad and pen. I began Charles a goodbye note. When I finished I tore it off the pad and folded it in half. I wrote Charles on the outside and placed the note on the desk.
"Goodbye Charles," I said sadly and gently kissed him on the lips.
I walked out of Charles' room and entered the waiting room where Sean, Alex, Hank, and Moira were waiting anxiously.
"How is he?" Moira asked.
"Fine," I answered.
"I'm going to step out for a breath of fresh air, don't wait up," I stated.
Everyone nodded their heads not knowing that I will never return.
A nurse came out to the waiting room and came up to them. "Mr. Xavier is awake, you can see him now," the Nurse said kindly.
They thanked her and went into the room.
"Glad to have you back, Professor," Hank said.
"It's good to be back, Hank," Charles replied.
Charles looked at the relieved faces in front of him but he realized one face was missing.
"Where's Adele?" Charles asked.
"She stepped out for fresh air. Do you want me to get her?" Sean asked.
Charles put two of his finger on his temple and searched the hospital for Adele. Charles put his hand slowly.
"She's not here," Charles said shakily.
"Adele lied to us. There has to be a reason she would leave," Moira said.
"I think this is for you, Professor," Alex said as he grabbed the note from the nightstand and gave it to Charles.
Charles grabbed it and quickly opened it.
Dear Charles,
I'm afraid I can't stay with you. There are things I need to do and if I stay, they will never done. Even though you forgave me Charles, I could still the hurt your eyes and in all honesty Charles, I'm not sure who I love now. Goodbye Charles, we may never see each other again.
Love, Adele
"Adele is gone and never coming back," Charles whispered.
AN: Bam! The last chapter of the story. The sequel should be coming soon!