The screech of the heavy gate slamming shut was like a physical blow to Xavier. He froze for a split second, his sharp breaths punctuated by the chaos around him. Beyond the gate, Anderson and his men dragged Elizabeth towards the compound's East wing. She struggled, her fiery defiance undiminished, even as Anderson's grip on her tightened.
"Xavier, move!" Clara shouted, snapping him back to reality.
Xavier's head whipped around, his body already moving. The sound of boots echoed in the corridors as Anderson's reinforcements closed in. Clara grabbed his arm, pulling him towards a side corridor.
" You can't save her is you are dead!" she hissed, forcing him to follow.
Xavier bit back a curse as they ducked into a storage room, slamming the door shut behind them. The dim space smelled of grease and metal, the shelves stacked with abandoned equipment.
"Clara," Xavier growled, his voice low and deadly. " we're getting her back. Now."