Liesel groaned and slowly rolled onto her side, she propped herself up onto an elbow and looked to the others around her. Much like her, everyone was trying to regain their composure and get to a standing position. Through the scrambled fight between Erik and Charles, Erik had resulted in pushing forwards and causing everyone to go hurtling backwards. The landing wasn't so painful as everyone landed in soft almost white sand. Unfortunately for one, he was more or less being ground into the sand below him.

Charles remained straining against the hand pinning him to the ground. He looked up at Erik as he turned his attention back to what missiles remained, if any. Through their little brief fight, most missiles had crashed and collided into each other. There was evidently still some remaining, and those which remained where now back under the control of Erik. "Erik, stop!" Charles exclaimed while making another reach for the helmet, only for Erik to lean back and push him more into the ground. Seeing as how this tactic wasn't working, Charles decided to reach up and push him away instead. This caused the grip that was on him to lessen, but his opportunity at following this up failed when Erik simply punched him. His head snapped to the side, and pain slowly started to spread through him, but this momentary attack caused the attention on the missiles to be lessened again.

Standing up and moving away from Charles, Erik ignored the quiet pained noises which were coming from him, he tentatively placed a hand to his face while moving onto his side. Erik looked away from him and took another couple of steps away. Space between them was a good idea, at least it'd take Charles another vaulting leap to get to him, and by that chance Erik would see it happening, because it was predictable, and he'd be able to dodge. Striding forwards on the beach, he lifted up an arm, extended his hand and regained control on the diminished missiles. 

The original number by now had almost been halved, if not more so. Yet that didn't matter. What remained could still prove useful. His attention turned solely to the missiles and the job at hand, and had yet again misjudged those who were around him. Side stepping from a ricocheted bullet, he turned and narrowed his eyes at Moira. When she had reappeared, he didn't know. And when she thought it was an ideal thing to shoot at him, he also didn't know. As if she couldn't get anymore idiotic from the first shot failing, she fired another round. With a wave of his hand, Erik deflected it to the side, it landed in the sand with a quiet thud.

Watching as she reassessed her footing and aim, Erik tilted his head to the side. It did not seem to stick in her head, that shooting him, or at him, was not going to work. He reasoned that desperate times, called for desperate measures. But even still, did the desperate measures have to be so predicable and ridiculous? With another wave of his arm, Erik directed yet another bullet away from himself. But unlike the last time, this one found an actual target. An actual living target, which screamed from the sudden piercing pain and fell back to the ground below.

He turned sharply and looked to Charles. The timing for him regaining himself couldn't have been more awful. Forgetting Moira, Erik skidded to the ground by Charles's side. Sand kicked up and settled again as Erik placed a hand to his back and gently pulled, the bullet which was embedded within Charles's back soon fell to his palm. Throwing it away from himself, Erik turned Charles over and looked down at him. He ignored the sudden explosions happening in the distance. The missiles really didn't matter anymore. "Charles, I am sorry." Erik said while managing to lift him slightly off of the sand. He glanced to the small spots of blood now tainting the light colour of the sand below them. The sudden movement caused Charles to wince and bite back a pained noise, or at least try to. It didn't work, and this caused Erik to look at him with worried eyes. Looking up at the sounds of movement, he narrowed his eyes. "I said back off!" He shouted at the oncoming figures of both friends, and enemies, if that distinction still remained. They all stopped, not wanting to be flung backwards again by him. Slowly turning his attention away from Charles, Erik looked to Moira. She looked at the two with wide brown eyes, the gun in her hand now limp by her side. "You." The venom in Erik's voice was blatant, "You did this." He lifted a hand up and slowly clenched it in the air. The dog-tag chain around Moira's neck slowly twisted and constricted against her skin. Her airways got cut off and she struggled to breathe as she tried to pull it away.

"She didn't do this, Erik." A voice from below said quietly, Erik looked from Moira's stricken form, to Charles. He shifted in pain and frowned at the man above him. "You did." His frown slowly dissipated and was replaced by a simple look. He watched as Erik seemed to think over those simple words. It seemed that sense sunk in, and he lowered his arm. Moira coughed and struggled to catch her breath again, now that she was free from the strangling sensation.

"Us turning on each other, it's what they want. I tried to warn you, Charles. I want you by my side, we're brothers, you and I. All of us together, protecting each other. We want the same thing." Erik said while briefly glimpsing at the stationary figures a little distance away, before looking back down at Charles.

The frown from earlier on reappeared on his face. Inhaling and exhaling painfully, Charles managed to loosely shake his head. "My friend, I am sorry...but we do not." He said sadly as the realisation that his much earlier fears of them splitting and going in two different directions was happening right now. He had a feeling though, that the divide between them had happened a while ago, before this, and before what was happening right now.

Erik didn't reply, he merely looked to Moira and beckoned her over. She ran over and took his place. Erik stood slowly and moved away from the pair. "The society won't accept us. We form our own. The humans have played their hand. Now we get ready to play ours. Who's with me?" He asked while looking about those gathered. Shaw's band of followers seemed to be easily swayed, yet the others. The others were not so willing. Much to his annoyance even Liesel stood looking puzzled. She stood a little in front of where Darwin had landed from the earlier attack. Striding over, Erik looked at her, "Together." He simply said, though there seemed to be a small hint of desperation in his voice. Surely being around everyone hadn't swayed her? The peaceful outlook surely couldn't have taken root in her mind? It didn't settle with him that Charles and himself were going in different directions. But Liesel and himself? That just caused a stabbing feeling to settle within him. The mere thought of him and her going their own separate ways was something which caused him to feel some sort of inner turmoil.

Tilting her head to the side she looked thoughtful. "Together?" She asked with a frown. "For what reason, this time?" She held her hands close to her chest as she tapped her forefingers together, the metal encasing her fingers clinked quietly.

Erik looked at the ground before looking at her. "For peace." His eyes flicked to Darwin who was overseeing this whole moment, much to his annoyance. With narrowed his eyes he looked back to Liesel. "For belonging. For being together. What other reasons do you need?"

Liesel looked to the sand and looked quickly to the side as those who wished to follow Erik had lined up. Linking hands they were going to teleport away with thanks to Azazel. They were all just trying to fight against them lot, and now they were supposed team mates? It caused her to frown, were conflicts so easily forgotten? She couldn't help but spitefully notice that Shaw's previous group opted to follow. They evidently needed someone to follow. Sheep, was the word she would've spoken aloud. Looking back to Erik, she smiled and gave a nod.

He looked relieved and reached out to grasp onto her hand. He frowned when Darwin took a step forwards too, he was more surprised than annoyed that the man was following after Liesel. She gave Darwin a look, which he retorted with with a wink and a nod. He was up to something, she wasn't sure what, but he was. He didn't need someone to follow, not like those who so willingly followed Shaw, and were now apparently following Erik. So why was he coming? She was going to have to ask him. Her motives for tagging along did not stem from apparently hitting back against people. Her motives for following stemmed from the simple fact that it had been made evidently clear from today's events, that Erik was more than capable at going too far. She had rather speedily decided that she was going to try and dissuade him from going too far if it came to certain things.

The transition between being rooted, to feeling weightless, and then rooted again was more than what some could handle. It seemed, through it all, the only ones who didn't suffer from this sudden shift was Azazel, if he wasn't used to his own power by now, then when would he ever be? Riptipe, who had been teleported enough times, and Liesel, who was slowly growing in the teleportation side of things. Angel, even though she'd been through this before still come off a little wobbly alongside Raven, the two braced each other and regained some level footing before awkwardly walking over to a set of chairs.

Liesel felt a tug on her arm and looked to Darwin, who didn't look at all well. She narrowed her eyes at him, though pleased to have him here, she couldn't help but feel that he was here for another motive. Like heck did he believe in anything Erik had ever said. Erik, himself, seemed a little uncertain yet managed to keep himself better together than what two of the group present had. "Where are we?" Wiggling her hands free of both Darwin's and Erik's, Liesel stepped out of the still formed line and looked to Azazel and Riptide for answers.

"Base, a secret hideout, off the grid. Choose your pick of what to call it." Azazel said simply, Liesel raised an eyebrow at the ever prominent Russian accent, yet smiled. Azazel looked at her weirdly when she turned from serious questioner to relaxed listener. It was just, she hadn't heard a Russian accent for years. She lived with her own German one every day, and got rather bored of the sound of her voice. Erik's accent had disappeared, yet slightly appeared if he spoke in an angered tone; as if trying to get a point across made this little trait slip.

"Home?" She posed, Azazel seemed to weigh this up before shrugging.

"Call it want you want." He reasoned with a wave of the hand before turning around and disappearing off down a nearby corridor.

Liesel pouted, as far as 'home' went, it wasn't much. To be honest, it looked like they were all in a warehouse conversion. There seemed to be a set of metal stairs to each side of the large space which led upstairs to another area. As for the ground floor there was a seating place, and to the other end tables and monitors and other contraptions. That looked like a hub of activity there. Clicking her tongue in thought she looked around at those still around her. Raven and Angel were awkwardly talking, still recovering from being teleported. Much like Azazel, Riptide had decided hanging around here wasn't worth his time, so he'd gone to the other end of the room and sat down at a table, seemingly minding his own business. Darwin and Erik still stood near each other, the distance in between them was still Liesel-sized. They hadn't moved, and after exchanging a look they parted ways at last.

Swinging her arms by her sides, she seemed like she was at a loss. Hearing the familiar sound of teleporting, she looked to the side. Azazel held out a dark green case, noticing the white cross on the front Liesel took the first aid kit from him and trotted after Erik. Clearly the still drying blood from Shaw's attacks hadn't gone unnoticed by others. Naturally, Azazel wasn't going to approach him and give him the kit. So he gave it to the next best person. Stepping back at the last minute, Liesel looked to the red skinned man. "How do you do it?"

"What?" Azazel in mid-turn looked at her with a confused look.

"Teleport, I mean. How do you do it? I can do it too, in a fashion, but not without locking onto something, but this is hit and miss. From one to another, it got me wondering: how do you do it?" Liesel asked while it had been niggling in her mind somewhat, against better wishes. Getting training advice from someone who she had punched out of the way, and was meant to fight against, was odd, that she could admit to. But who else here could possibly aid her? The only person she had crossed that had any idea was Moira, and she naturally was wherever Charles was. The mere thought of what he must be going through pained her. Something in her twisted painfully at the thought of him being in agony from a wayward shot.

"Focus." Azazel replied while appearing suddenly in front of her. Liesel raised an eyebrow, she leaned back and let out a low whine when he reached up and pressed a finger to her forehead. It wasn't just pressed, it was jabbed a few times, "Focus where you want to go." He furthered in more detail. "You visualise where you want to go, and go." Azazel said with a wave of a hand.

"Eh...I am not certain that'll work for me." Liesel was dubious as she drummed her fingers on the kit.

"You help him, come back and we shall see, yes?" Azazel said shortly, Liesel raised an eyebrow, that was an order if she had ever heard one. He just nodded at her, waved an arm in the direction to where Erik had disappeared off in and looked to her.

Getting the message, Liesel turned and ran off down the large, high ceilinged corridor. She looked about, half wondering what this place was used for, and where exactly Erik had gone. Turning the corner quickly, she backtracked and looked into a room. "You are hiding back here then, hm?" She asked while nudging the door fully open with her boot before shuffling in and kicking the door shut again.

Looking from the ceiling, to around the room and then finally to her, Erik frowned slowly. "It is not hiding. It is exploring."

"You're in one room."

"Yes."

"And you went into the other rooms along this corridor?"

"No."

"Then it isn't exploring. It is hiding, yes? What and why are you hiding for? Is this not what you wished for? Shaw dead, and everyone to be together. United mutant force, and all that other jargon." Liesel said while shrugging and putting the kit on the table in the room.

"You sound unconvinced." Erik leaned suddenly beside her and looked her up and down sceptically.

"It is also a bonus that we get to nab this hideout too, no?" She continued on without answering or retorting to his previous words. She opened the kit and took to rummaging about in it.

"Liesel."

"Saves having to find somewhere for ourselves. I do hate house hunting, it is such a pain. I can only imagine that hideout hunting is just as bad. Got to be lowkey, yet reliable, and convenient-"

"Liesel!" Erik shouted cutting her off effectively. She merely sighed, that was her lone reaction to his raised voice. "Stop it." He reached out and placed his hands over hers, or at least the gauntlets that she still wore. "What is wrong?" He asked suddenly in a calm tone. After a few seconds of silence, he had managed to recollect himself.

Liesel turned and looked up at him. "By targeting the common people, do you not become just like him? The last thing I want, could ever want in fact, is to stand and watch you become like him. That...that is why I sound unconvinced. What is to stop you from doing that?"

Erik looked over her worried expression, her face smeared with dirt from the jet crash, to sand still being present in her hair. She looked tired, exhausted even, yet still somehow very alert. Her eyes had darkened, which from experience told him that she was annoyed. Reaching up he firstly removed the helmet, which he was still wearing, before placing it on the table. Tapping a finger against the top, he turned back to her. She was still looking at him with a searching, serious expression. Placing one hand against her cheek, and then doing the same with the other, he smiled and leaned down slightly to be on the same eye line as her. "Because I have you." He kissed her lightly, before placing another kiss against her forehead, and then wrapping his arms around her and leaning his head on top of hers.

----

Edited: 13/June/2019

Reedited: 20/August/2021