Nathan and Hank rushed out of the Pentagon and found the others already crammed into the car.
As soon as the doors shut, Peter turned around in his seat.
"What took you so long?"
"Apparently not all of us are speedsters," Nathan replied dryly. "Scooch over."
Peter slid aside, giving him just enough space. Nathan squeezed in. Logan started the engine and pulled away from the curb.
"Man, it's really cramped in here," Peter complained.
"You should run behind the car," Nathan said. "Spare us the suffering."
"I would," Peter shot back, "if I knew where we were going. Actually,where are we going?"
"Paris," Hank answered. "We're heading to the airport right now."
"Paris?" Peter blinked. "Why are we going to Paris?"
"Does it concern the future of all our kind?" Peter added, mimicking Nathan's earlier tone.
"Yes," Nathan said. "It does. Long story."
"Make it short, Pterodactyl," Peter said, pointing at Hank.
Hank sighed.
"It concerns the development of weapons," Charles said calmly, "specifically designed to counter and eliminate mutants."
"According to them," he added, gesturing slightly toward Logan and Nathan.
"That's the nutshell version," Nathan said.
Magneto, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.
"How do you know about this?"
Nathan didn't look at him. "Complicated. You'll have to trust us. Or Logan can explain."
Logan's jaw tightened, but he began anyway.
"In the future, there are machines called Sentinels. Designed by a man named Bolivar Trask. He experiments on mutant DNA. At first, the president refuses to greenlight the program,calls it inhumane."
He glanced at Erik.
"That changes when a mutant assassinates Trask on live television."
Silence filled the car.
"The country panics," Logan continued. "First JFK. Then a high-profile defense contractor with military ties gets killed in the White House. It's seen as a direct challenge to the government. The mutant responsible gets captured. Her DNA becomes the key to building hyper-adaptive killing machines."
His voice darkened.
"Machines that hunt us to extinction."
"I did not kill Kennedy," Erik said coldly.
"Oh yeah?" Charles replied. "Then how do you explain a bullet curving?"
"Because I was trying to save him," Erik snapped. "They took me out before I could."
"And why would you save him?" Charles asked.
"Because," Erik said, eyes hard, "he was one of us."
That hung in the air.
"Um," Peter cut in, raising a hand slightly, "can we circle back to the extinction robots?"
"We stop it before it starts," Logan said. "The plan is to prevent her from killing Trask,or any high-ranking official."
Peter leaned back slowly.
"So… we're basically stopping a murder to prevent genocide."
"Something like that," Nathan said.
"There is no we here, Peter," Logan said firmly. "You're staying behind. We've already put you in enough danger."
"What? This would be easier with him," Nathan argued.
"We promised his mother he'd be back in a few hours," Logan replied. "He's not coming."
Peter opened his mouth to protest, but Logan cut him off.
"And the same goes for you"
"No."
Logan's eyes hardened. "No?"
"I'm going," Nathan said evenly. "With you or without you."
"That's not your call."
"It is when my life's on the line."
The air in the car grew heavy.
"Haven't we already been through this?
I can't just sit around and entrust my survival to you," Nathan continued, voice low but steady. "If you fail, they won't stop at her and you. They'll come for me too."
He met Logan's gaze without flinching.
"There's very little that hasn't already been done to me. At this point… death is the least of my concerns."
"I hope you know what you're really in for," Logan said quietly.
The rest of the drive passed in silence.
When they arrived at the airport, Nathan stepped out without a word and headed inside. The others exchanged uneasy looks before following.
Charles tossed the car keys to Peter.
"Do me a favor and return it for me."
He turned toward the jet, then paused and looked back.
"And Peter… take it slow."
"You got it," Peter replied with a grin.
The engine roared to life, and Peter sped off.
Inside the jet, Erik, Charles, and Hank took their seats. Hank moved to the cockpit and began pre-flight checks.
Soon, they were airborne.
Silence lingered for a long while.
Then Erik spoke.
"So… how did you lose them?"
Charles didn't look at him. "The treatment I take for my spine affects my DNA. It masks my abilities."
"You sacrificed your powers so you could walk?" Erik asked.
"I sacrificed my powers so I could sleep," Charles replied sharply. "But what would you know about that?"
Erik's jaw tightened. "I've lost my share as well."
"You always justify what you do by what you've lost," Charles shot back. "As if it will bring them back. Nothing can justify what you've done."
"You have no idea what I've done."
"I know what you took from me."
Erik leaned forward. "Maybe you should have fought harder for them instead of pretending everything would be alright."
Charles stood abruptly. "If you want a fight, I'll give you one, Erik!"
Erik rose as well.
"Settle down," Logan warned.
Nathan sat rigid in his seat, watching.
Charles moved forward and grabbed Erik by the collar.
"You abandoned me!" His voice trembled. "You took her away,and you abandoned me!"
"Angel," Erik said evenly.
The jet trembled.
"Emma. Banshee. Azazel."
The lights flickered as metal panels began to vibrate under Erik's power.
Nathan's heartbeat quickened.
Seeing it in a movie had been one thing.
Experiencing it in person was something else entirely.
The jet tilted slightly. Loose objects slid across the floor.
"Mutant brothers and sisters," Erik continued, anger rising. "Dead. Countless others experimented on. Butchered."
The aircraft shuddered harder.
"Where were you, Charles?" Erik demanded. "Where were you when they needed you? When your own people needed you?"
Nathan's fingers dug into the armrests.
Metal groaned.He didn't even realize he was bending it.
"Hiding," Erik spat. "You and Hank, pretending to be something you are not,and never will be."
The jet pitched backward suddenly.
Charles, unbalanced, stumbled and barely caught himself on a row of seats.
Erik's voice dropped, colder now.
"You abandoned us, Charles."
Erik took a slow breath.
The trembling gradually stopped as Hank regained control of the jet.
Charles looked at Erik,guilt heavy in his eyes,before stumbling toward the cockpit and lowering himself into the co-pilot's seat.
Erik calmly returned to his own seat.
Nathan didn't look away.
He studied him.
Up until now, Nathan had always sided with Charles in situations like this. Erik fought for mutant survival, yes,but his methods were brutal even extreme in other cases.
But after everything Nathan had endured… his perspective had shifted.
Erik wasn't entirely wrong.
Look at what they did to mutants.
Experimented on them. Hunted them. Caged them.
If he had to choose right now.He wouldn't choose the pacifist watching injustice unfold.
He would choose the man willing to burn the world to stop it.
Nathan shook the thought away.
When he looked up again, he realized Erik was already watching him.
Their eyes met.
Nathan casually lifted his hand to scratch an itch on his nose,and froze.
His hand wouldn't move.
He looked down.
His fingers had sunk deep into the metal armrest.
Almost all the way through.
Slowly, he pulled his hand free.
The metal peeled back with a faint groan.
Five clear fingertip impressions remained, punched nearly through solid steel.
Nathan glanced back up.
Erik was still staring.
But now his gaze flicked between Nathan's hand… and the damaged armrest.
Only one thought echoed in Nathan's mind.
'What the hell?'
End of Chapter