Hank skillfully piloted the aircraft, narrowly dodging the missiles launched by the Soviet fleet. He couldn't help but complain that Charles should have at least given them a heads-up.
But there was no time for that. The situation had been dire, and Charles didn't have a chance to warn them.
Always polite, Charles immediately apologized to everyone. Meanwhile, the freighter they were trying to save was struck by a missile just before it could cross the boundary line, instantly turning into a ball of fire.
Earlier, Azazel had been keeping an eye on the ship, which was full of corpses and completely deserted. Thankfully, he had teleportation powers and managed to escape just before the missile hit.
Charles sensed Azazel's presence and immediately alerted the group, "Shaw is nearby, but I can't pinpoint his exact location for now."
With the threat of nuclear war temporarily averted, the American commander on their fleet abandoned plans to provoke or attack further and reported to his superiors, awaiting new orders.
The Soviet fleet, on the other hand, was surprised that someone had acted on their own. But, they had to admit, this unsanctioned action had been brilliant—it had prevented another world war. Though, the officer responsible had sacrificed his future for the sake of maintaining peace.
Yet, the commander who made that sacrifice was left utterly confused. He didn't even remember what he had done and was immediately locked in solitary confinement. Poor guy, completely unaware that his mind had been controlled. This just showed how unstoppable Charles's abilities were when used against ordinary people!
Many political leaders and high-ranking viewers outside the scene watching the footage couldn't help but feel a sense of dread and unease. Charles's abilities were far more dangerous than they had imagined. If he had wanted to orchestrate a plan to ignite a nuclear war, it wouldn't have taken much. He could simply approach a nuclear silo or a submarine, hide in a corner, and trigger a conflict without breaking a sweat.
In the video, both the American and Soviet sides, as well as Charles, Erik, and the others, breathed a sigh of relief. But the crisis was far from over.
Sebastian Shaw was hiding in a submarine deep underwater. After receiving reports from Azazel about the strange events on the Soviet fleet, he quickly deduced the truth: "They're here, that telepathic kid... We'll have to go with the backup plan!"
Shaw truly had the demeanor of a master villain. He was well-prepared for this operation. After speaking, he donned an ugly and peculiar helmet, one that could block Charles's telepathic attacks. Shaw had made significant sacrifices to ensure his plan's success and had no intention of failing now.
The backup plan was simple: there was a nuclear reactor onboard Shaw's submarine. Since both the Americans and Soviets had chosen restraint at the last moment, Shaw decided to take matters into his own hands. He planned to use his ability to absorb all forms of energy to take in nuclear power and then release it. The resulting explosion would likely rival a small nuclear bomb.
On the surface, the tension between the American and Soviet fleets remained high. Any small spark could escalate the situation and potentially lead to nuclear war.
Neither side was aware of the true mastermind lurking beneath the ocean. Even if they knew, they wouldn't be able to handle it, leaving it up to Charles, Erik, and their team to figure out a solution.
They carefully searched the area using the detection equipment on their aircraft but still couldn't find any trace of Sebastian Shaw. Hank speculated that Shaw might be hiding underwater since the aircraft wasn't equipped with sonar.
At this point, Banshee stepped up, volunteering for the task. His ultrasonic scream, once properly trained, could function as a sonar. Plus, he had recently mastered gliding flight. Time was running out, and Charles agreed to Banshee's plan, offering him words of encouragement before he set off—truly a caring and supportive teacher.
Banshee didn't let his teacher down. He bravely jumped out of the aircraft, screamed to generate thrust, and after adjusting his angle, he dove into the water. Another scream followed, and he quickly located the submarine. Throughout the process, Charles maintained a mental link with Banshee, far more efficient than any radio communication.
Once they had the exact location, Charles instructed the aircraft to move closer. Now it was Erik turn to act. The aircraft slowed down and lowered its landing gear. Erik cautiously stood on the landing gear, extending one hand toward the ocean's blue surface.
Seeing this, Peter, who was watching the footage, was momentarily stunned. "What's he trying to do? He's not seriously going to pull the submarine up, is he?"
Although Erik's abilities had strengthened after Charles's guidance, allowing him to manipulate large metallic objects, a submarine was far heavier and more massive than anything he had handled before. Plus, it was moving underwater. It seemed impossible that he could simply pull it out with one hand.
Wanda also doubted it, shaking her head. "I think he's probably trying to further pinpoint the submarine's location with his metal-controlling powers."
However, Banshee had already pinpointed the submarine's location, so there wasn't really any need for Erik to do more.
In the footage, Erik's face gradually became strained. His muscles tensed, and his expression showed increasing effort—his teeth gritted, and the skin on his face twitched, as if he were fighting against the very air around him. Beside him, Charles offered calm encouragement, "Remember, it's the balance between serenity and rage…"
Moments later, a pale shadow began to appear beneath the ocean's surface, like a giant whale preparing to breach the water. But as the shadow drew closer, it became clear that it was no whale—it was the massive shape of a submarine.
Under the invisible pull of Erik's magnetic powers, the submarine, still in motion, was being lifted out of the water, nose down, tail up. Its propellers continued to spin at high speed, but with the vessel having been torn from the sea, it was no longer able to propel itself forward. Bit by bit, the submarine ascended closer to the hovering aircraft.
From the cockpit, Hank, turned to look at the enormous vessel being dragged upward. His blue-furred face was filled with awe.
The sight was indeed awe-inspiring. Inside and outside the screen, countless onlookers were left gaping, mouths hanging open in disbelief. Who would have thought that a person could stand on an aircraft and pull a submarine out of the ocean with just one hand?
Even the audience, who had seen their fair share of epic moments in previous events, were stunned. It was clear that this scene, of Magneto *grabbing* a submarine, would surely go down in history alongside other iconic moments like Spider-Man stopping the train, Captain Marvel hauling a spaceship, and Superman catching a plane.
On the battlefield, both the American and Soviet forces were frozen, watching in disbelief. They had no idea what was happening or how to process it. The only thing running through their minds was one word: **miracle**.