“ERIK NOOOOOO!” Charles screamed uselessly into the stale air. He can feel Moira’s gaze on him, can feel her concern, worry, flowing out of her but he’s occupied with the sensation of a coin pushing through his head.
Charles can feel it, the coin, pushing through flesh, bone, brain, nerves, synapses, everything. Charles felt Shaw, felt his brain, felt a man die. Charles made eye contact with the man he lo- cared about deeply. The connection between Charles and Shaw was severed abruptly. Charles gasped and stumbled, tears spilling over as a migraine bloomed where the coin passed through Shaw, through him. Charles feels a shiver go down his spine. He tried to reach out to Erik, to find him. But he’s gone, to Charles.
His brain is foggy as he stumbles out of the plane. He watches as Erik hovers Shaw out of the submarine and fear grips his throat. Erik is shouting something about the freedom of mutant kind. Erik tries asking him to check something, on the ships, but Charles can’t focus his eyes and is barely standing on the beach. Erik looks at him, confused, and steps towards him, arm reaching out.
“Charles?” He asks, his eyes down turned with worry.
“Erik. I-“ Charles is cut off by the sound of a bomb flying overhead. Charles watches as Erik freezes the bombs in the air. As Erik redirects it, panic grips Charles.
“Erik. Don’t kill them. They’re innocent.” Charles begged. His hands gripped Erik’s suit, migraine making his vision blurry and knees feeling like jelly.
“I’ve been at the mercy of ‘innocent men’ before.” Erik said, voice accent heavy and laden with tears and pain.
“Erik!” Charles says again, trying to get through to him.
Moira aimed the gun at Erik, telling him to stand down. Charles blinked as black spots floated across his vision as Erik pushed Charles behind him. Moira didn’t hesitate at the opportunity to start shooting at Erik. He deflected the bullets, sending them in multiple directions. But he couldn’t stop all of them.
Two sank into Charles. One at the diaphragm and one by his heart. Charles paused, unable to process what happened before he crashed into the sand.
Erik sensed it. The moment those bullets took away the only thing he has ever cared about since his mother. Charles let out a strained and painful cry, body collapsing into the sand.
“NOOOOO!” He yelled, turning away from the agent and diving after Charles. He knew it wasn’t his fault. Those bullets came straight from Moira. He didn’t deflect them. She was scared of all of them, even Charles. He pulled Charles against his chest as he gasped and writhed in pain.
Moira dropped the gun, taking a step foreword.
“GET AWAY FROM HIM!” Erik shouted, pulling Charles closer against him. Moira took a step back.
Charles gasped, bringing Erik’s attention back to him. He ripped the helmet off, flooded with the presence of Charles. Tears flooded his eyes, cradling Charles face.
“E-Erik,” Charles gasps out, voice sounding wet as blood seeps out of his mouth. “Erik, I l-love you.”
Erik’s heart seizes at the confession, everything stopping in him.
“Charles, please.” He begs, tears burning down his face. He leans down and presses his lips to Charles’ forehead.
“Charles, I love you too.” He whispers. He rocks slowly as Charles relaxes against him. He runs his hand through Charles’ hair.
Charles reaches up to him, hand fistted in his clothes. His vibrant blue eyes stare up at Erik, warmth flooding Erik’s mind. “I love you, Erik.” echoes through his head one last time before all the warmth is gone and Charles gaze goes foggy and distant. Erik let’s out a harrowing sob, Charles hand falling from his chest, landing with a dull thud on the hollow body.
For Erik, time stops. For him, all there is is this moment, him and Charles. Except it’s not. Because Charles is gone. And he knows who to blame. His focus is turned to Moira. He pulls her gun to him and shoots her. Square in the chest. Not a quick death, a long painful one, the way she deserves. Everyone else stands in shock.
Erik heaves out a heavy sob, head bowed low over Charles. Erik took a moment, resting Charles delicately in the sand. He lays his hands over his chest, like he's just resting. He sweeps his hair just the way he likes it. He closes Charles eyes gently, unable to keep looking at those glassy eyes. He presses one final gentle kiss to the center of Charles' forehead.
He stood shakily, facing the oceans. He reached out with both hands, feeling for the ships and the submarines. With a sob, he searches his memories to fuel him. His mother, his father, their deaths, Charles' smile, rage and serenity toggle in his mind as Charles' voice echoes. He cries, mourning the loss of his love, the chance of a normal life with him. He's not sure if he would abandon the cause for Charles, but he loathes that he will never know. He forces all of the ships closer and closer together, making them all crash into one another. He screams painfully as he thinks of lost chess matches with Charles, how he'll never see his bright smile when he wins. The ships collide, metal pushing against metal, deforming and flexing under the stress.
Erik glances back, seeing the rest of them staring at him. He looks down and his throat locks back up at seeing Charles and that is the final push he needs. The ships implode as he forces them together, a fiery explosion bursting in the distance. He screams then, in pain, tears streaming endlessly down his face. He lets go of the ships, deflating. The sobbing finally stops, exhaustion weighing him down. He collapses onto the ground next to Charles. He rolls so he's facing his love, reaching a hand out and laying it gently on his cold ones. A single tear slides down his face one last time before he slips his eyes shut.
Raven watched the scene, a swell of anger filling her. Charles is dead. And Erik killed him. In a fit of rage, she finds the forgotten gun and aims it at Erik, laying in the sand all sweet next to her- next to Charles, tears still wet on his face. She was met with the fact that, in another life, they both would be alive, smiling, laying on a bed in the mansion together. She thought that she might've walked into the domestic scene, and felt peace. But now, all she feels is sad and angry.
She shoots Erik, multiple times, until the clip is truly empty. Erik doesn't move, body leaking blood, mingling with Charles' in the sand.
Raven collapses next to the men, crying silently. She's lost everyone. That even though she pulled the trigger, Erik was dead the second Charles hit the ground. She turns and sees everyone watching her out of fear.
Mystique composed herself, turning to everyone. "This is why. We can't join humans. They will always fear us. Charles trusted Moira, and she killed him, because she was scared of Erik. They do not deserve our friendship." She walks and stands where Shaw's people are standing, including Angel.
"Raven-" Hank starts, reaching for her.
"It's Mystique now. Are you going to die with the humans or are you going to join me?" She proffers a hand to the group. The others join her, except for Hank. She scoffs before gesturing to Azazel and he teleports them away.
She doesn't see Hank shed quiet tears at the loss of Charles and Erik. She doesn't see him Frankenstein a radio together and manages to convince a local into giving him his boat.
She doesn't see Hank load up the bodies of Charles and Erik onto the boat, delicately as possible, as if worried he'll hurt them. He keeps their hands intertwined.
She doesn't see how Hank holds a private funeral for the two men. He still doesn't separate them. No one else is there. Just Hank.
She doesn't see Hank wander the full mansion alone, without direction. She doesn't see the moment he decides to combine the dreams of Erik and Charles. By opening the mansion into a school, where mutants can gather and be proud and where he can cultivate the next generation. It takes some time but before they know it, The Xavier-Lehnsherr School For The Gifted Youth is open to the public, Hank McCoy at the head.
Like I said, she doesn't see any of that. Mystique is too preoccupied with gathering forces for her Mutant revolution fighters, in the name of her family.