Twisted metal, broken brickwork, and smouldering remains of what used to be a building stood on well trodden, cracked grey tarmac. The remnants of stairs could still be seen, leading off up to a level which hardly existed anymore. What there was of the upstairs was fractured, broken windows, some still in the frame. The flooring, even now was still crumbling and breaking. Every so often a clump of floor would echo out as it landed against the ruined ground below.

The building, or what remained of it wasn't the only thing which was broken, battered, and destroyed. There were bodies scattered about, blood stained and in splatters of it as they all laid either on the floor, or against walls, or just landed wherever they got flung to. It didn't take a genius to know that a fight had happened. A fight which was clearly more one-sided. An unfair fight with the losers being left to suffer here; even if not immediately dead, it could be seen that some weren't totally gone by the time the fight was over. Left to die, alone and in a pool of their own blood was not a dignified way to go.

What was effectively a home for many, was now a wrecked mausoleum. A tomb that no one other than those gathered would know about. The outside world would probably never know of the fight that happened, of what really happened. Although in saying that, even as they all stood here, those who had gone off didn't totally know what had happened. Could guess, and considering the shell and bullet damage, humans and the army was where the fingers were being pointed.

Azazel looked over some of those which were huddling together, he tilted his head and looked bitterly to the side. Frowning, he walked forwards a few steps. Something had distracted him from his thoughts of how those people didn't stand a chance. But the way he saw it: if they didn't fight, how would they have stood a chance? With a sigh he crouched down, looking up with a frown though when the sounds of rubble falling echoed out again. What remained of this building was going to come down eventually.

Flicking his eyes around, he looked over his shoulder. Emma seemed to sense his thoughts and looked over with a sharp look. He would rather be out and away from this, so he didn't get bought down with it, and those lifeless around him, them. He could see a sinking ship when it was in front of him. And this here was a sinking ship. Their forces weren't just halved, because half of them weren't even here. Most were dead, and who wasn't dead was wherever. There's being on the back foot, and then there's being down and out. To fight back they'd need more, but by getting more and fighting back - wherever that fight took place - would still result in massive casualties. By all means, Azazel wasn't too fussed on the loss of the humans, but even still...

Looking downwards he gripped the black handle of the knife, standing and looking at the scorched slashed marks around it he sighed. If even one of the strongest people was taken down, injured or not, then really what hope was there for the rest of them? It'd be much better to lay low.

He turned, running his thumb across the blade gently. It was still very sharp, it hadn't seen much action. But then honestly, he didn't know how its geometry was affected by Valeryia's energy being forced through it. Looking up, he stopped and looked to Erik. For the most part he had stood motionless, taking this all in.

Azazel could see he was trying to think of a way around this. They didn't really have any option but to go to another base which Shaw had. But, to be honest, what was the chances of them still being around? Anyone who was taken knew where the other bases possibly were. That information could be gleaned from them, then good bye bases.

Erik's eyes slowly slid to the red skinned teleporter. His eyes drifted downwards and a frown appeared on his face. Reaching down, he took the blade from his hand and turned it over. Upon seeing it, it seemed to trigger something as he gripped onto it tightly. Whatever beam work wasn't completely ruined was soon getting twisted and pulled apart or pushed together until it was just all some gnarled lump.

As if the building couldn't look more ruined, it was now well and truly no longer resembling one. Raven shook him by the shoulder shouting his name. Honestly, none of them wanted to be buried alive. But also likewise, they were all in a shocked state. None of them could have foreseen coming back to this carnage. "If she is gone, she would've gave them hell." Sure, as of late Valeryia and herself may not be on the same page. But she was still her friend, and Raven thought a lot of her. There's many things she knows when it comes to the Russian, and going down wasn't one of those things. "She isn't dead." Raven said lowly and surely as she stared up at Erik. He seemed to be close to replying, only for someone to beat him to it. The words of which caused him to turn sharply and stare with unblinking eyes at Emma.

"I heard from her." She spoke quietly, she stood to one side away from most of the destruction, if that were possible. Surely being too close to blood and smoke stains would ruin her white attire, and that was something she didn't want to be near. It didn't take much for Erik to march over to her and grab her by the shoulders, the knife still in his hand narrowly missed cutting into her skin. Emma winced a little from the tight grip and was half tempted to shift into diamond form, but thought against it. They weren't fighting amongst themselves, they hadn't got to that level of self-implosion.

"And you're saying this now?" Erik finally spoke, low and serious as he stared down at the blonde. He pushed her away out of his grasp, as if she had physically burned him. "How selective of you to remember this happening now." He wished to point out.

Emma brushed a stray lock of hair out of her face from the slight shaking Erik gave her. Inhaling and exhaling she frowned, trying to look indifferent on the matter despite their current surroundings. "When else was I meant to tell you? I heard from her, yes. But she cut out, I presumed she was here..." Emma trailed off and glanced at the bodies around them. "Seeing as how she isn't..."

Erik just looked spitefully at her before turning away. He didn't need to know that it was not the truth, at least that's what Emma believed. Valeryia had tried, so very hard to try and get in touch despite Emma blocking her. She'd say it was nothing personal, but really, she saw the orange haired teen as a bit of a hindrance. To get to where they all needed to be, the last thing they needed was someone niggling in the background contradicting nearly everything. And that's what she did, Emma for one was fed up of the constant stroppy teenager schtick, even if no one else was. Sure, she knew that at least three of those gathered were close, one more so, but really?

Raven moved past Erik, making her way determinedly to Emma. "If those were her last words, we deserve to know what they were. Did she sound scared?" Raven asked, looking upsettingly at the telepath. Erik shot Raven a blunt look, it seemed rather stupid, of course she probably sounded scared.

"Considering she was bought up to fight, I doubted she was scared." Erik said simply while looking around. He spoke before Emma even could, "In her element, perhaps." She seemed to slightly revel in fighting, it was admirable really. Admirable that no matter the forces pitted against her she'd still fight. Even if she lost. His eyes flicked back to Emma, "What did she say?" He was curious, as was everyone else.

Being at the centre of attention caused Emma to shift from one foot to the other. "She...was trying to tell me what was going on..."

Erik's eyes narrowed, "And, I find myself seemingly needing to ask, why, if you heard from her like you say. Why didn't you then relay to the rest of us, to me, that there seemed to be trouble?" He was turning back to her then, Emma, seemingly sensing she had put her foot in it shifted. Maybe the self-implosion point had appeared after all. It was a slight impasse, she couldn't get in his head all the while he still wore his helmet, and he couldn't exactly do much damage to her while she was like that. Although, considering the last time she was caught he almost took her head off, there seemed to be a stress fracture there. A chink in her armour, and honestly, with the amount of corded beams around, it didn't take much to entwine her in it. Sure, everyone seemed to call his name to make him stop, but it was for very little. "You're lying," Erik was rather good at humouring people, but only for so long. He had had enough. He, along with everyone here, knew how very little she thought of Valeryia. Everyone else seemed to get indifferent attitudes sent their ways from Emma. She saw her moment to get rid of the fodder and took it, basically in the simplest of terms. It wasn't even worth finishing the job he started, he let her go after seemingly squeezing the life out of her and went. Even before anyone could stop him, thanks to there being basically no roof it didn't take much for him to disappear upwards and leave. He couldn't be there, surrounded by all of that.

There honestly wasn't any destination in mind, he just mindlessly travelled away. Eventually he did come to a stop, practically crashing down in a field, distantly there were buildings standing tall against the sunny sky. Stabbing the knife into the ground, Erik reached up and pulled the helmet from his head. He stayed kneeling on the ground, even as he ran a hand through his hair and ruffled it slowly.

He needed to recollect and think. And he definitely couldn't think there. There needed to be a plan of action, and everyone seemed quite content to just flounder about and stay in a building of death. Shutting his eyes, Erik pinched the bridge of his nose. He could feel a headache lurking, opening his eyes slowly, he looked upwards and around the trees which swayed in the breeze around him.

This wasn't just a headache, although he wouldn't be totally surprised if one ended up appearing. "Charles," he said lowly, he had felt this niggling feeling before it was genuinely being invaded. Totally different feeling than Emma. Charles had a more calming aura, gentle even. Trying to cause as less stress and pain as possible. "I would ask what I've done to deserve this visit, but I think I can already guess." Erik pushed himself to stand. He looked at the knife in the ground, next to where he had left his helmet before looking up and around the surroundings he found himself in. It was peaceful here, and quiet, he could feel himself calming down slowly. Although he was still incredibly angry feeling. "Stop it." Erik gritted his teeth, he didn't need his feelings being dispelled. He was fine with feeling anger, especially considering the moment he was feeling it for. Valeryia had warned him, and he had ignored her. She was gone, possibly dead, and here he was. Contradictory feelings were definitely travelling through him as he stood staring blankly ahead.

'She isn't dead,' Charles replied eventually, or spoke in fact at last something so honest sounding Erik found himself nodding.

"She's too stubborn to die. We both know that." Erik responded with a scoff. He looked to the side at a large tree nearby, picking the knife out of the ground and his helmet he simply strolled off to it. He sat down against the trunk and looked up through the foliage. He could just about see the sky and sunlight travelling through the greenery. Frowning suddenly, Erik tilted his head. "She failed to get in touch with Emma, and came to you?" Of course she did, why isn't he surprised? When all else fails, Charles will always be there to help her out.

'She did get in contact with Emma. I think she cut communication though.' That honestly wouldn't be a surprise at all, Erik found himself rolling his eyes. 'She was uncertain whether she was going to die. She was hurt, I know that much. She also told me that she wasn't the only one being taken. I am sorry, but I lost contact with her soon after. And I have tried to find her, but I can't get a trace. Wherever she is, she is shielded.'

Erik leaned his head back against the tree and shut his eyes with a sigh. "So you are the real bearer of her last words then." His eyes opened as he traced the patterns in the bark in the branch above him. "Was she scared?" Raven's earlier question was bugging him. He didn't think he had ever seen, or could think of Valeryia being scared. She seemed so strong.

'She seemed resolute. She's a realist, Erik. She wasn't foolish enough to think she was going to get out of this in one piece. It wasn't just the army, she entrusted me enough to relay to you what I found out through being linked with her for the moment. There were others rounding the mutants up. One spoke personally to her, he spoke Russian. Which is peculiar.'

Erik sat in silence for a few moments taking all of that in. "I learned something from Shaw," Erik explained, by the small twinge in his head he could only guess Charles was curious. "There were others who had interests, when it came to Val. A doctor, in particular. From what I could gather, he spent an awful lot of time with and around her." Erik turned his face to the side and looked at the distant city. "If he has her-"

'She isn't dead,' Charles snapped, almost.

Erik rolled his eyes, "Charles, these men...the things they do, the things they've already done. If they don't kill, then they'll use to their own devices." He said, rather ominously as he stared unblinking at the sky touching buildings across the way. The sun glittered off of the shiny glass windows, causing flares to shine out across the sky.

'Can put a stop to it.' Charles said hesitantly, Erik sighed. He could already see where his suggestion was going.

"You do realise we will have conflicting ways of doing things?" Erik wished to just question obviously. "There is no peaceful way of doing this, Charles. No civil talking, no sitting down and discussing matters; they have her, and they're doing who only knows what, there will be no peaceful end for them." He could certainly guarantee that.

There was silence for a moment, before a quiet sigh. Erik could feel Charles slowly leaving his mind, the lingering sentence hung in his mind for a few moments even after Charles disappeared completely: 'So be it.' Not that Erik was expecting Charles to wholeheartedly approve of whatever his actions were. Charles and violence wasn't a match made in heaven. However, not totally endorsing what Erik did, if it had results of freeing mutants, many mutants - Val included - Erik presumed he could see that really, sometimes, to get results serious action had to take place. Can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs, and all that.

Breathing deeply, Erik stood and turned his face. Hearing the familiar sound of shifting air, he wasn't surprised to see Azazel standing there. He looked at him with a frown, Erik just stood blank faced. He wasn't an idiot, he knew really how the two Russians had formed a friendship, an odd one yes, but one nonetheless.

Turning and slowly walking forwards, Erik reached up and slipped the helmet back over his head. "We will get her back." He spoke lowly as he stopped infront of the teleporter. "We will get her back." He repeated, with more emphasis when Azazel looked a little uncertain.

"We will need to find her first." Azazel stated while the two stared off at each other. "Just her?"

Erik looked down at the ground below his boots with an indifferent glance. "Others who are imprisoned shall be freed too." His eyes flicked quickly back up to Azazel. "But they're not our main priority." He asserted that, others could be freed and then they could do whatever they wanted. But mainly, they were going to be on a rescue mission...even if the others may not want to totally get involved. Erik had a distinct feeling that there was going to be a disbanding when Azazel returned them to what remained of the base.