a/n: RIP cherik... you two would've loved raising Lyla together. too bad you got divorced and Charles got full custody.

"Does it have to be yellow spandex?"

"Aww, you look adorable." Alex teased and pinched my cheeks. "Like a deadly and rabid chihuahua."

"Careful, Alex. She might bite." Sean smirked.

"Y'know... I have a little brother around your age, Ravager. He sure as hell has an attitude like yours... Come to think of it, I think you two would get along great."

"Alex playing matchmaker? That's suddenly even weirder than Lyla smiling at us." Raven chuckled and started to braid my hair.

"Nah, I just think she needs a friend her age."

"Not interested. I didn't come here to make friends." I spat, showing my claws and grabbed a file. "Tell your brother I'm not interested in friends."

"Doesn't that hurt? When they come out?"

"Excruciating pain since they're moving against bone to come out... And the fact that the adamantium is currently being stretched by my bones explains my growing pains or whatever Erik explained to me this morning." I shrugged and Alex winced. "Advanced healing factor, remember?"

"Which is why I managed to make the adamantium in your bones flexible enough for you to grow at a normal rate." Erik pointed out and escorted me to the plane. "You ready to take down Shaw?"

"I thought we didn't kill our own kind?"

"If needed be, we'll make an exception this one time and find a way to tell Charles afterwards... Sometimes it's better to beg forgiveness than ask permission."

。✯ ＼ ｜ ／✯ 。

"I hate flying."

"It's your first time on an airplane."

"And I almost died!" I defended as Raven helped me stand. "I never want to do that again!"

"Lyla, how good are you at hand to hand?" Charles asked and I smirked. "Do I want to know?"

"Daddy was a soldier and he taught me a few things. Spare time in the cage fighting and maiming the guards helped too." I grinned and ran outside to stand next to Alex. "Do I take out the other eye or a limb this time?"

"Depends on your mood." He hummed.

"Limb it is." I shrugged, grabbing the tail of the red mutant the moment he teleported behind us. "Nuh-uh. You're done."

He just smirked and teleported me and Alex to the sky above one of the ships.

"RAVAGER!" Alex screamed and I dug my claws into his forearm.

"We go, you go." I hissed and he teleported us back to the beach. "Charge it up, Havoc!"

"Lyla, steer Azazel away from the submarine to let Erik pass." Charles ordered.

I slid under Azazel's legs, giving Alex the opportunity to blast him back. Climbing up the nearest palm tree, I jumped off about halfway and dug my claws onto Azazel's shoulder causing him to scream out in pain.

"Rip him apart, Ravager!" Alex cheered and ducked when Azazel started swinging his tail.

"Havoc, I see Angel above you." I said, stabbing Azazel again but this time it was closer to his neck. "Where's Shaw?"

"Lyla, I can't reach Erik! I need you to get inside. He's inside with Shaw." Charles called out and I jumped off Azazel's back, throwing him to Hank before running inside the submarine.

"Erik!" I yelled, making my way to the back of the submarine to see him putting on a helmet. "Erik, what are you doing?"

"I'm going to count to three and I'm going to move the coin." He said, not turning to face me.

"Lyla, stop him! He's going to kill Shaw!"

I made a mistake in stepping into the room because the moment my boot touched the broken glass, Erik closed his fist and I was frozen in my spot.

"Erik!" I begged, watching as the coin went through Shaw's head. "What... what did you do?"

"I did what was right, liebchen." He finally turned and crouched down in front of me. "I avenged my mother."

"Erik, let me go... Please let me go." I cried and his fist opened. "Charles... Shaw's dead."

"Lyla, get out of there!" He yelled and I ran out of the submarine which Erik surprisingly let me.

"Ravager!" Alex exclaimed as I hid behind him. "What happened in there?"

"Today, your fighting stops!" Erik announced as he left the submarine and dropped Shaw's body in front of all of us. "Take off your blinders, brothers and sisters. The real enemy is out there. I feel their guns in the water, their metal targeting us... Americans, Soviets, humans. United in their fear of the unknown."

"Don't move a muscle." Hank whispered and I nodded shakily.

"The Neanderthal is running scared, my fellow mutants." Erik continued and then turned to Charles. "Tell me I'm wrong, Charles."

Once the cannons went off, Alex fully pushed me behind him and I covered my ears. However, Erik lifted his hand and stopped the missiles right before they reached shore and slowly turned them.

"Erik!" I yelled and ran up to him. "This is madness and even you know it!"

"Erik, you said yourself that we're the better men. This is the time to prove it." Charles tried to reason. "There are thousands of men on those ships. Good, honest to God men. They're just following orders."

"I've been at the mercy of men following orders... Never again." Erik coldly said and sent the missiles to the ships making the two of us tackle him to the sand.

"You said there was always a better way... and I sure as hell know this isn't it." I spat and punched him, trying to knock back the helmet. "I don't want to hurt you, Erik."

"Then you're done." He said and I was sent flying back, colliding with a palm tree and stayed there.

"Erik, let me down!"

Moira suddenly appeared with a gun and started shooting at Erik but he deflected the bullets until one of them hit Charles in the back.

"CHARLES!" I cried out and Erik finally let me go, both of us rushing to him. "Oh, God... Charles."

"Keep him steady, liebchen." Erik ordered and slowly removed the bullet before I could protest. "Everyone back off!"

"Lyla-"

"I said back off!" I screamed, pressing my hand on the injury to try and stop the bleeding. "Dammit, Charles... He's gonna need a hospital."

"It's all your fault." Erik spat and started to choke Moira with her dog tags.

"Erik please." Charles begged as I grabbed his arm to let Moira go. "She didn't do this... you did."

"Us turning on each other is what they want, Charles... I tried to warn you. I want you by my side... We're brothers, you and I. All of us together, protecting each other. We want the same thing."

"My friend... I'm sorry, but we do not." He said and I rested his head on my lap when Erik stood up. "You... you should go with him, Lyla."

"I don't want to fight anyone, Charles. I want peace." I admitted and held his hand. "My Daddy would've want me to be at peace... He never did like when my hands were stained with blood."

"This society won't accept us!" Erik called out and turned to the other mutants. "We form our own. The humans have played their hand. Now we get ready to play ours. Who's with me?"

"Lyla..."

"I'm not moving, Charles." I decided and stared Erik down when he outstretched a hand to me. "Fuck off."

"Liebchen-"

"I have a choice, don't I? That's what you said when you took me in... that I'll always have a choice." I snarled. "I'm not moving."

"You would deny your country and your brothers and-"

"I'm an only child and Canadian... and my daddy's daughter, so fuck you."

"Lyla, I can't feel my legs." Charles whispered just high enough for me to hear and my eyes widened. "I can't feel my legs."

"We're gonna get you some help, okay? I promise." I assured, moving to wrap his arms over my shoulders and slowly stood up. Alex immediately rushed to my side to grab his other arm and apply pressure on the wound. "Keep the pressure there as much as you can and shift his body weight to me."

"Do you think that's-"

"Lyla, you're making a mistake." Erik called out and I scoffed, turning to look at him.

"I believe it's the other way around, Erik. Turns out we're not so similar after all."