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»»-----　act two. another lifetime
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE ━━ skyfall

ᵒ .༄ ࿐ ࿔* 🌊♟💦
♯ ❝TOLD YOU I WOULD STOP YOU! ❞ 
⋆⋅ ━━━━ ‧ ༻✩༺ ‧ ━━━━ ⋅⋆ 

THERE WAS SO MUCH CHAOS, SCREAMING MEN AND WOMAN, CRACKLING FIRE AND SMOKE THAT ROSE LIKE A THREATENING SIGN IN THE AIR. IT FELT VAGUELY FAMILIAR TO THE CUBA CRISIS, BUT AT THIS POINT, everything felt like it always came back to that moment in time. Were paths were forged and blazed into stone. Not to be unwritten, or remoulded. If she were to believe Hank's Quantum Physics theory, she would surely be in this potion many times over. She would diverge this road, only to stumble upon the very same crossroad again.

She had stood across from Erik in 1962, and now, in 1973, she was back again, facing the man hell-bent on destroying the human race.

Maggie should feel scared, terrified to the bone, but she can't bring herself to cower under Erik's iron stare. He had killed and murdered, almost ended the life of one of her closest friends from the past, but yet, she stood straight, muscles relaxed. "Erik?" She breathes out, not sure how he is supposed to hear her over the chaos around them.

His eyes meet hers for a split-second, but he doesn't relent. His eyes are still ahead, arm outstretched and in search of President Nixon. "Erik!" She bellows when the Sentinel starts to attack Logan and Hank in his beast form.

"Please Erik, for once in your stupid life, stop this nonsense!" She cried out, not caring about the battle around her as she runs towards him, eyes ablaze and pleading. "Think, just for a second about what you're doing!"

His head tilts, a dangerous glint in his eyes that makes her falter, "I am Maggie." He states so surely, so confidently, "I'm doing the right thing, I am securing our future."

Maggie shakes her head, chestnut brown locks whipping around her face, "No, you are destroying the only chance we have." She tried to persuade, taking a cautious step towards him. "What you're doing now, is only proving that we are something to fear."

"We are something to fear."

"We might be stronger, smarter, hell we might actually be the better species, but that does not give us the right to install fear!" She shouted, anger flooding her veins, "We were once the scared little children! I remember that feeling so vividly, and I never want to feel it again! And I would never want anyone else to feel like this! Neither human nor mutant."

"They are to blame for it." Erik countered strongly, "They will pay for all they've done!"

"You know, I have source in the future, who knows for certain, we can all come back from this. Become friends again." She tried desperately, stepping closer and she stopped right in front of him.

His eyes pierce into her own, cold steel meeting hazel, "Please."

"There is no going back." She doesn't recognise his voice, doesn't recognise Erik, she can only see Magneto now. "I will see to it."

Maggie shakes her head, stepping back, and trying to mask the hurt that flashes in her eyes, trying to ignore the small spark of hesitation in his eyes when he regards her retreating figure.

She nods, as if answering a silent questions she asked herself, before moving her arms outwards, muscles taut and jaw clenched as the water came towards her. "I will have to stop you Erik." There is a final warning, a final plead in he tone.

Erik braces himself, "You won't succeed."

"Neither will you."

He nods, "We'll just have to see who's right then."

Crack

The first shard of ice is moving as fast as lightning, sharp and gleaming in the light before shattering upon connection to a piece of concrete with metal woven through it. She grunts, thrusting her other hand forward, as another piece of ice moves through the air.

But the assault ends just as the first one with a simple twitch of Erik's head. She is shouting, unrelentless in her moves as shards of ice and jets of water shoot at him with little interval. She is already panting as she moves around the grass dodging Erik's own attacks, while the blazing beams of energy from the Sentinel sound from somewhere behind her.

Suddenly a stray piece of metal slams into her side, sending Maggie tumbling through the ground, a hiss of pain passing her parted lips. Dirt smears across her clothes, blood mixing with the smell of sweat that clings to her body. She uses her hand to brace herself, head lifting to glare at Erik who is advancing towards her. She can't yet bring herself to stand up, exhaustion making home in her limbs.

Before he can get too close, another figure is passing her, claws rupturing from the skin of his hands.

Erik is throwing all kinds metal objects at Logan, who is swiping them away with his claws while getting closer to the metal manipulating mutant.

Maggie heaved in a breath, before pushing herself back to a standing position and clenching her fingers in fist before moving to follows Logan lead. While he deflects all incoming attacks, she focused on her own assault.

Streams over water swirl around Erik like a whirlwind, closing in on him as she moves her arms around, exhaustion is creeping up on her again, making it hard to focus, especially when Logan suddenly screams out when metal rods rip at his skin.

She momentarily stops her own assault to look over her shoulder at Logan, eyes wide and filled with concern. It is when she look behind her, that she always sees the metal that is creeping up behind Logan. She shoots her hands out, water shooting up to try and block the metal, but she isn't at full strength and she thinks if she even tries to turn her water in ice, she'd pass out.

She can only scream as the metal rods pierce through Logan's back, as he falls to his knees, a groan of pain escaping his lips she sees red, physically on his body, and figuratively in her eyes.

Maggie whirled around, eyes narrowed on Erik and she screams again, power surging through her bones in a final attempt to bring Erik down before there truly is no way for him to come back from this.

A flood of water staggers up before her, rising higher and higher until she can't even see Erik anymore. She takes a single step, leaning forward, before she pushes the wave with all her might towards him. A brutal pain surged through her as she holds the wave up, but she doesn't cave in and instead keeps walking forward. Closer and closer until she can make out Erik's figure, submerged and on his knees. She can see him struggle to lift an arm, or move his head against the strong current of her waves and after a moment she can see him struggle because of the lack of air.  She saw him blink, muscles weakening as he started to lose conscious. She watched as his head dropped, no more strength to keep it up, and she finally gave into the urges to let go.

As soon as she dropped the water, she dropped to her knees as well in fatigue. Both Erik and Maggie fell forward, too tired to fight it as they crashed against one another. His head dropped on her shoulder, heaving heavily while her head rested against his chest. "Told you I would stop you." She muttered, blinking as black spots started to sprout up in her vision.

Erik hummed, "You didn't."

That makes her tense up again, and before she can respond, metal rods bend around her limbs, encasing her wrists and ankles before they pull her to the ground. She almost falls face first to the ground but the metal holds her in place. She glared up at Erik as he slowly stands back to his full height.

Her eyes are blazing in fury, "Stupid fool! Can't you see what you're doing is wrong!" Tears start to gather in her eyes, "We could have changed the future. Changed our faith." She doesn't even care that she isn't talking about the future as a whole at this point. She is way past caring. Way past hiding her emotions. "We could have had a chance." Tears are now streaming down her cheeks and Erik kneeled down again in front of her as she struggle to get free from her bounds.

Almost reluctantly, Erik reaches out to wipe away the tears, cupping her face in his cold hands, "I'm sorry."

"No you're not." She spat, trying manoeuvre out of his hands.

"I am."

She can only watch as he walks, stopping in front of Logan, and twisted his hand, the metal rods puncturing his flesh, moving around him like a snake capturing its prey. "Erik!" She shouted, "Erik stop! Please!"

She cannot unhear Logan's agony filled screams, can't ignore the own pain that raptures through her throat when she shouts as Erik levitates Logan in the air.

"So much for being a survivor." Erik taunted before moving his hand and sending the man flying out of the stadium.

Maggie felt helpless as Erik outstretched his arms again, ripping the bunker, containing Trask and the President from the ground, dirt flying and shouts echoing around them. She tried to wiggle out of her constraints, but the metal only digs into her skin.

"Erik!"

He ignores her as he rips away a metal wall, revealing the people gathered inside the bunker, all their guns flying away from their hands and into the air.

She swallows nervously, eyes flickering to the guns and Erik's murderous look. With a simple flick, Erik moves all the camera's to face him and a deadly silence hangs over them. "You built these weapons to destroy us. Why? Because you are afraid of our gifts? Because we are different. Humanity has always feared which is different."

Panic starts to creep up in her heart, blinking away tears as she keeps trying to get free from Erik's bounds.

"Well, I'm here to tell you, to tell the world, you're right." Erik continues, "You are right to fear us. We are the future. We are the ones who will inherit the earth. And anyone who wants to stand in our way will suffer the same fate as these men you see before you."

Maggie doesn't have the energy to scream anymore, to look or think. She feels defeated, and ashamed. She wonders if the mutant kids are watching, if Henry is watching and what he is thinking. Would he fear her now? Would he fear the kids?

"Today was meant to be a display of your power. Instead I give you a glimpse of the devastation my race can unleash upon yours. Let this be warning to the world. And to my mutant brothers and sisters out there, "He paused to look at one of the many camera's "I say this. No more hiding. No more suffering. You have lived in the shadows and shame and fear for too long. Come out. Join me. Fight together in a brotherhood of our own kind. A new tomorrow that starts today."

Maggie's head falls as the words leave his lips, numbness coursing through her veins.

"Mr President! Sir!"

Her head snaps back up again at the sound of commotion and she looks up to see Nixon pushing his way past his security guards. "Stand down!"

She can only watch as Erik slowly turns around again

"You want to make a statement?" The president accused, pointing a finger at Erik, "Kill me, fine. But spare everyone else."

"Erik?" Maggie tries again, "Erik! Please. Think about the future!"

The metal is puncturing her skin as she trashes around in her bounds, screaming and shouting, even the water around her reacts as its trembles with her rage. "Stop this now!"

"Very heroic of you Mr. President." Erik only walks closer, "But you had no intention of sparing any of us. The future of our species begins now."

All the guns in the vicinity cock, safety guard turned off and facing the gathered people around the President. One of the Sentinels, previously protecting Erik comes running towards them, but with a couple movements, Erik completely dismembers the metal robot as it fall on the ground in a heap of metal pieces.

But while he does that, Maggie's eyes widen at the sight of the President pulling a gun, a plastic gun from his jacket.

Everything happens at once then. The bullet piercing his neck, blood squirting and Nixon transformation into a familiar mutant. Screams and running people, more smoke that fills up her longs.

Erik falls, so do the guns, a moment of silence that stretches out.

"You used to be a better shot." Erik manages to jest as Raven approaches him.

"Trust me, I still am." She kicks him in the face, and Erik falls down on his back.

For a moment Maggie thinks he's dead, and she feels a tug at her heartstrings at the idea, but then she hears him gasp again.

Raven whirled around to face the president again, gun outstretched, "Raven?!" Maggie exclaimed worriedly.

"Get out of my head Charles!"

Maggie breaths heavily when Raven shouts, waiting nervously, and hoping that whatever Charles is saying, will persuade Raven to stop this madness.

"Look around you—were already are!"

The chestnut haired woman watches as Raven's arm starts to shake, contemplation in her eyes before it drops, gun falling to the ground.

She turns on her heel, gripping Erik's helmet and ripping it from his head. "He's all yours Charles."

Maggie can't help the relief that spills through her then as Charles moves to control Erik.

With a moves of his wrist, the large metal structure that lay on top of Charles is lifted, and the metal rods bended around her like chains move away again.

She stumbles to her feet, hurriedly walking towards Hank and Charles to help the telepath back in his wheelchair. She slings his arm over her shoulder, while Hank does the same and they turn to face Erik.

"If you let them have me, I'm as good as dead." He warns. "You know that."

"I know." Charles replies, "Goodbye old friend...goodbye Erik."

She catches his gaze again, like she did that day at Cuba.

Only this time there are no silent promises.

She doesn't think they can come back from this.

"Are you sure we should let them go?" Hank wonders.

"Yes." Charles nods, "I have hope for them."

for once, Maggie truly hopes Charles is right.

ᵒ .༄ ࿐ ࿔* 🌊♟💦
⋆⋅ ━━━━ ‧ ༻✩༺ ‧ ━━━━ ⋅⋆ 

one year later.

THUNDER ROARS OVER THE CLIFFSIDE, SEA AIR MIXING WITH THE SMELL OF FRESH RAIN IN THE DAKRNESS OF THE NIGHT, MAGGIE HENDRIX IS HALF ASLEEP, eyelids heavy as she sips from her cup of steaming blueberry tea. The house is silent, two children sleeping soundlessly upstairs, another three in a bedroom on the first floor, even Henry had retreated to his room an hour ago, but the chestnut haired mutant, for some reason can't find it in herself to go to sleep yet.

Her gaze is fixated on one of the windows facing the cliffs where lightning flashes decorate the starless night in bursts of light. The sound of rain falling on the glass lulls her soothingly until unexpecting knocking breaks her tranquil concentration.

She jumps, startled by the sudden intrusion before she cautiously stands up from the couch to approach the front door. She takes a deep breath before swinging the door open only to come face to face with a very familiar man.

"Erik." Her voice can barely be heard above the roaring thunder as the soaked man stand in front of her, his frame being illuminated by the occasional flash of lightning. "What are you doing here?" Her brows knit together almost warily. After the events of a year ago, she didn't not expect to see him unless the world was threatening the fall apart once more.

"I heard this was a safe place for mutants?" He breaths out, squinting as the rain trickles down his face.

Maggie hesitates, and Erik notes her rigid posture. "Can I come in?" He pause. "I mean no harm."

"You always say that." Maggie laughs humourlessly.

"I know." His answer is honest, she can see it in his eyes.

Slowly, Maggie steps back, opening the door further despite her instincts telling her to slam the door in his face. "Come in."

Erik waits for a moment, giving her the chance to take back her words but when she only opens the door further he moves.

Heat immediately invades his senses when he steps over the threshold. "Thank you."

Maggie nods in a wordless reply, Charles' words ringing in her ears.

I have hope for them.

"Let me get you some dry clothes."

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. ᵒ .༄ ࿐ ࿔* 🌊♟🥃
𝚘𝚘𝐨. ┊CHLOE'S NOTES ! ✎↷:     ❪  𝙰𝚄𝚃𝙷𝙾𝚁𝚂 𝙽𝙾𝚃𝙴 ❫ ❁ཻུ۪۪∘. 𝙑𝙊𝙄𝘿𝙇𝙀𝙂𝙀𝙉𝘿𝙎 ━ 🗒✏️🖇

and that concludes the end of x-men: days of future past. see you call soon in act three!