Sean's sonic waves successfully locked onto the submarine carrying Shaw and his team.
Inside the vessel, the sonar equipment emitted a piercing alarm, causing Riptide—who was monitoring the instruments—to cover his ears in pain. The harsh sound reverberated throughout the submarine.
"They've found us!"
"Don't concern yourself with them," Azazel replied coldly, increasing the reactor's power output to maximum. "Once Shaw fully absorbs the nuclear energy, no one will stand against us."
In the reactor chamber, Shaw gripped the nuclear fuel rods tightly with both hands, drawing in the nuclear energy with all his might.
The energy flowed into his body in overwhelming waves. As it did, his appearance began to age rapidly, his body struggling to contain the immense power.
Meanwhile, Charles and his team faced a significant problem: they had no way to extract the submarine from the depths.
Charles was reluctant to involve the warships of either superpower. If either side opened fire, it would inevitably escalate into full-scale war. Their only hope was Erik's arrival.
With this realization, Charles grabbed the radio and called urgently:
"Hank! Can you hear me, Hank?"
If they wanted to force the submarine to surface, they would need Erik's magnetic powers to drag it from the depths.
"Reading you loud and clear, Charles. What's happening?"
Hank piloted their plane at top speed, with the shadowy outline of Charles's aircraft just appearing on their radar.
"We've located Shaw's position, but we need Erik's help immediately!"
Hearing this, Hank and Erik exchanged glances before Erik grabbed the radio.
"We're almost there! Where is he?"
As soon as he spoke, Charles's telepathic presence spread out and locked onto Erik's mind, his voice resonating directly in Erik's thoughts.
"Shaw's not far from your position—right below you!"
Following Charles's mental guidance, Erik peered through the window at a seemingly calm stretch of ocean.
"I've got this. Hank, open the cargo door!"
Erik could barely contain his excitement. He would finally confront the nightmare that had haunted him for so long. This time, he would end Shaw once and for all.
As Erik moved toward the rear of the plane, Marcus stood up and followed with interest.
"What are you planning to do? Some deep-sea fishing?"
Erik paused momentarily, then nodded. "Yes, I'm going to 'catch' a very big fish."
The cargo door opened slowly, revealing the ocean rushing by below. Immediately after Hank extended the landing gear, Erik jumped without hesitation.
He gripped the landing gear firmly with one hand while extending his other toward the sea. He could sense the massive metal vessel moving beneath the waves—the submarine containing Shaw.
Erik channeled his power desperately, pushing his abilities to their limit as he attempted to drag the submarine from the depths.
Despite his efforts, the vessel remained submerged, resisting his pull.
"Center yourself. Don't let anger overwhelm you," Marcus advised from the doorway, watching Erik's contorted expression.
Erik's hatred for Shaw was clearly interfering with his control. Simultaneously, Charles's voice echoed in his mind:
"Find the balance between rage and serenity."
Hearing their counsel, Erik took a deep breath. He worked to calm the vengeful fury that surged through his heart, focusing instead on precisely directing his magnetic force.
This time, his ability responded. The submarine, still in motion beneath the waves, suddenly found itself caught in his magnetic grip, unable to proceed.
As Erik maintained his concentration, a pair of massive metal propellers broke the surface, followed by the submarine itself rising from the sea.
This extraordinary sight was witnessed by many—including military commanders on both nations' warships observing through telescopes.
"My God!"
Everyone aboard the warships stared in disbelief. A submarine was literally flying out of the ocean, pursuing an aircraft through the sky.
Amid this chaos, Riptide emerged from the submarine's conning tower. A violent cyclone began forming around him.
When the whirlwind reached sufficient strength, Riptide directed it toward the plane before ducking back inside the submarine.
The storm expanded rapidly, churning the ocean into massive waves. The plane carrying Marcus and the others suffered immediate damage, its fuselage beginning to disintegrate under the intense forces.
"Everyone hold on!" Hank shouted, struggling to maintain stability.
The deteriorating aircraft couldn't withstand the storm much longer. As a last resort, Hank steered toward the nearest island.
As the plane fought to escape the cyclone, Erik's control over the submarine weakened. While their aircraft limped toward the island, Erik desperately used his remaining strength to drag the submarine in the same direction.
The submarine crashed violently against the island, its hull rupturing in several places. Moments later, Marcus's plane slammed onto the beach, breaking into two sections upon impact.
"NO!!!"
Charles cried out in horror as he witnessed the crash directly in front of him.
Quickly recovering, he placed his fingers against his temple, extending his telepathic awareness to check on the survivors.
"Erik? Hank? Is anyone there?"
"We're alive," Erik responded, staggering from the wreckage and breathing heavily.
In the final moments before impact, he had used his abilities to slow the plane's descent, saving most of them from serious injury.
Most, but not all. Logan had been impaled through the abdomen by a jagged piece of wreckage, his body drenched in blood.
When the crash was imminent, Logan had positioned himself to shield the others, intercepting debris with his own body.
While the others escaped with minor scratches, Logan had metal shards piercing completely through his torso.
"Ughhh..." Despite his familiarity with pain, the sensation of being simultaneously impaled in multiple places was a new experience even for Logan.
He pulled the debris from his body and, to everyone's amazement, his wounds healed within seconds before their eyes.
Though they knew of Logan's regenerative abilities, the speed with which he recovered from what should have been fatal injuries left them astounded.
"Your healing factor is as ridiculous as ever," Marcus remarked, unable to hide his envy.
While Marcus could block most attacks with his nullifier field, once injured, his healing was no different from an ordinary human's.
Logan merely shrugged, retrieving a cigar from his pocket and lighting it.
"Now it's our turn to act," he said.
As everyone exited the wreckage, they found themselves facing Riptide and Azazel, standing alongside several unfamiliar mutants.
"Seems Shaw has recruited quite the entourage," Marcus observed, rolling his neck as he addressed the group before them.
Far too many mutants had chosen to follow Shaw's vision—from those causing chaos in cities, to the ones at the Hellfire Club, to these new faces confronting them now. Given more time, Shaw's plan might actually succeed.