Different

Chapter 20

"Hank, level the bloody plane!" Charles cries out as Banshee, Erik, Charles, and I make our way to a door in the back of the plane. Hank levels the plane, and Banshee gets ready to drop into the water.

"Whoa!" Banshee points at Erik. "You back right off!"

Erik stops and holds up his hands in surrender.

"Beast, open the bomb bay doors!" Banshee calls out to Hank.

The doors open from the floor in front of us and Charles shouts to Banshee over the wind, staring at the ocean just beneath.

"Remember, this is a muscle!" He touches to Banshee's throat. "You control it! You'll be in here the entire time!" Charles gestures to his head. "We'll see you soon! On my mark: three, two, one, go!"

Banshee drops out of the ship and I watch to make sure he hits the angle on the water right. Thankfully, he does, spreading his arms and rising up out of sight.

Charles presses his temple when Banshee enters the water.

"Banshee's got a location on Shaw." He informs after a few moments, and we look at Erik. "You ready for this?"

"Let's find out."

Hank moves the plane where Banshee pointed out for us and lowers it just over the water, deploying the landing gear. Erik perches on one of the plane's wheels and extends his arm towards the sea, searching for the ship. Charles and I watch his hand tremble and we look at one another before he presses his temple again, reaching out to Erik.

Erik's hand movements smooth out, and his grip on the wheel of the plane relaxes.

The tip of Shaw's submarine emerges from the ocean until the rest of it rises fully out of the water almost to eye level. Hank guides the plane closer to the island's shore.

One of Shaw's men, Riptide, steps out onto the top of the submarine and a tornado begins to form from where he stands.

"Uh, Hank?" I shout to him in warning.

"I see it!" He calls back.

"Erik, take my hand!" Charles reaches down to him as the cyclone expands.

"Hang on guys," Hank says. "It's gonna get bumpy."

"Ilsa strap in," Charles shouts over the wind while Erik is forced to release the submarine from his grasp. "Erik, take my hand!" He repeats as the cyclone grows more violent.

As soon as I reach my seat, the side of the plane rips in half beneath my feet and I'm dragged out.

. . .

"There," I look at the rest of the trail we had made leading straight to the mountain's peak. I turn and look at my uncle when I realise he's stopped. "You okay?"

He nods. "Just taking it in." He moves to sit atop a flat boulder. I step forward and sit beside him. His breathing is laboured, and while still well physically fit, the elevation has more of an effect on him than me. "Yeah, I know, I'm getting old. Slow." He notes my concern.

"Nah," I bump his shoulder.

He nods. "Age comes to us all, Ilsie, you don't need to worry about me."

"I didn't say anything."

"But you were thinking it," Snow particles sprinkle across his face with the breeze, some sticking into his stubble beard. "When I'm gone-"

"Stop it."

"When I'm gone," He insists. "Remember this."

The light is white gold. The cold sun shines now and then through the storm clouds, purple and dark grey swirling like ink. Thunder rumbles softly in the far distance. The loch ripples with the stronger wind down below and the dark trees of the forest sway in a coordinated dance.