A silent exchange of glances passed between Val and Magneto, the stillness of the moment only punctuated by the lifeless form of Shaw sprawled across the flight deck.

Val's eyes briefly lingered over Shaw's fallen figure before he broke the silence. "Such a pity!", he lamented, "I had hoped to enjoy the show of his slow death. Your intervention, however, killed him instantly."

Magneto raised his eyebrows at Val's remarks and asked, "Does the manner of his end really matter? His death was inevitable either way."

Val conceded with a nod, lifting his gaze from Shaw's lifeless body to meet Magneto's and answered, "Indeed, you have a point there,"

Magneto sized Val up and asked, "Can I ask why you wanted to kill him?"

Val dismissively nudged Shaw's lifeless form with his foot, and answered, "Nothing major. He was simply a nuisance, a pest that needed to be taken care of." His gaze swung back to Magneto as he asked, "What about you?"

Magneto shifted his gaze to the deceased Shaw, a sigh escaping him before he began his confession, "Everything. This man cost me everything. My father, my mother, my family, my childhood, my innocence - he robbed me all of it with a single order. In Auschwitz, he found out about my unique ability. He summoned me and demanded a demonstration of powers I was barely aware of. When I failed, he shot my mother right in front of my eyes. I was horrified. Sadly, he learned that my powers thrived on pain and anger, and took it upon himself to fuel these emotions within me. All the while, he would reiterate how he was molding me into something far greater than mere humans."

Val exclaimed, "Damn!" With a look of genuine sympathy on his face, he told Magneto, "I'm genuinely sorry that you had to endure such suffering because of him."

Magneto responded, "Don't waste your sympathy on me. Those circumstances have shaped the person I am today."

Val asked, "Do you hate him?"

After a few silent moments of staring at Shaw's lifeless body, Magneto finally turned to Val, saying, "Indeed, I hate him wholeheartedly, yet I can't help but agree with him."

Val smiled and asked, "Oh? You agree with him on what?"

Magneto looked in the distant horizon and answered, "Shaw was right about humans. They won't accept us. They will always push the blame on us whenever they feel threatened. There will be a group of them that would never stop attacking us and pushing for a world free from us, as if we are the cause of every problem of the world. I have been at the mercy of humans before but not this time. I will stand up for what's mine and protect it with all my strength until my final breath."

Val, with a smile on his face, enjoyed a young Magneto forming right in front of his eyes as he thought, 'He looks so cool while saying that. Fuck! I love these parts of Marvel so much. Watching your favorite Marvel characters form and begin their journey right in front of your eyes is a real treat for real Marvel fans.' He quickly shook his head as Magneto finished speaking and said to him, "There would be many of us who would disagree with you."

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Magneto turned to Val and replied, "Let them think whatever they want. The humans want this - the divide. They want to cause a friction between us so that they can prey upon us one at a time. I can't be responsible for the whole mutant race but I can at least take responsibility to create a safe haven for mutants. That..", he smiled and said, "would be my goal for now on."

Val still smiling replied, "Good luck on that."

Eyeing Val, Magneto extended his hand, introducing himself simply, "Magneto."

Val reciprocated the handshake and shared his alias, "Starlance."

In the midst of their exchange, a sudden, deafening explosion roared through the Navy vessel. The shockwaves reverberated across the surrounding ocean and nearby naval vessels, shattering the serenity of the moment.

* KA-BOOOOOM *

As the explosion thundered through the area, it left a trail of destruction in its wake. The remaining windows on the naval vessels shattered into a shower of crystal shards, and metal railings twisted grotesquely from the force. The tranquil waters of the ocean were whipped into a frothing fury, heaving and bucking under the sudden onslaught.

Every person aboard the ship clutched at their heads, their faces twisted in agonizing pain. It felt as if an unmerciful force had struck their heads repeatedly with a hammer, leaving them reeling. All were victims to this skull-cracking discomfort, save for Val, Magneto, and Charles.

The trio spun around, their gaze drawn to a figure soaring in the air, a desperate cry piercing the chaos, "Nooooo! Shawwww!"

* THUD *

Val's gaze landed on a woman who had just descended onto the deck of the naval vessel. Her striking blonde locks cascaded down her shoulders, catching the sunlight and glowing with a radiant intensity. Her azure blue eyes shone with intensity, framing a beautiful face and she was adorned in a dress that was visibly luxurious.

A flicker of recognition flashed across Val's eyes as he took in the sight of her. He thought to himself with a jolt of surprise, 'Oh no, it's Adrienne Frost!'

Adrienne's tear-streaked face crumpled with grief. She knelt by Shaw's lifeless body, her trembling hands tenderly caressing his cold face. Her voice wavered, filled with choked sobs as she said, "P-P-Please wake up, my love! D-Don't leave me here alone! You still had so much left to give. S-So many promises left unfulfilled. I-I need you." She tenderly stroked her belly, her voice a mere whisper now, "She... she needs you too."

Her gaze dropped to the protruding metal rods embedded in his body. Disbelief etched on her face as she murmured, "How did you die so easily? Didn't you promise to lead the mutants into a new era? Didn't you claim that you were born to be a leader? How could such a fate befall a man as flawless as you? Why has our love story been turned into a tragedy?"

As Adrienne's grief-riddled cries echoed around them, Val squinted, his brow furrowing with suspicion, 'Something's not right here! Why is she drawing so much energy? Wait, could it be...?' His gaze flicked to her belly. His eyes glimmered with a golden light, enabling him to see the influx of energy rapidly funnelling into her abdomen, 'She's pregnant?!'

In the midst of her sobbing, Adrienne's eyes darted down, landing on Magneto who stood a mere few steps away. Recognition sparked and her sorrow quickly morphed into blistering rage. Her voice ricocheted off the surrounding ruins, "You! You killed the love of my life! You destroyed my family!"

Magneto narrowed his eyes at Adrienne and said, "He stole my family from me. In turn, I took his life. That's karma for him."

Adrienne delicately placed Shaw's head back onto the deck before rising to her feet. "You're the one with the ability to control metal, aren't you?", she asked, her eyes fixated on Magneto. "Shaw spoke often of you. He dreamt of a future where both of you would lead our kind into a new era, ruling this world side by side. But..." With a sweeping motion of her arms, the scattered remnants of broken equipment and metallic debris levitated around her, "You ought to thank him. Without his influence, wouldn't you just be another frightened mutant, lost and wary of his own ability?"

Magneto stared at her and questioned, "So, his choice to murder my family was justified, then?"

Adrienne's lips curled into a malevolent grin. "Absolutely," she replied, flinging the levitating objects towards Magneto with a commanding gesture.

Magneto was quick to respond, raising his hand towards Adrienne as the metallic objects surrounding him, too, levitated and charged toward her in retaliation.