· 。ﾟ☆: *.☽
▎ BEAUTIFUL CRIME    ▎
»»————-　act one. a hero's journey
CHAPTER TWO ━━ the power of a choice

ᵒ .༄ ࿐ ࿔* 🌊♟💦
♯ ❝THAT'S A NEAT TRICK❞ 
⋆⋅ ━━━━ ‧ ༻✩༺ ‧ ━━━━ ⋅⋆ 

THE LINGERING SUN WAS OBLITERATED BY THE rapidly falling nightsky. The once soft pink and warm orange hues transformed into the vast expanse of jet-black ink that engulfed the little town Maggie lived in. A canopy of luminous stars materialised among the ocean of blackness. Some were dull, just barely flickering into existence while other shone lustrously.

Even after the first time Maggie discovered her abilities, the brunette woman refused to let her spirits down at first. She would not be a dull star hiding while she could produce such a beautiful light. She wanted to show the world she was one of the good guys, but sadly they never saw that. And the utter terror in their eyes slowly chippered away on her heart until there was nothing left to share. The lushful and youthful garden of her childhood had whitered away with each petrified look until only dead flowers remained within. They only saw what they did not understand. She had given up on her childish dreams, forced to face reality far too quickly after they were run out of their home.

She was glad for her parents, she truly was. They never onced abandoned her. They were always behind her, defending her from judgemental looks. They never strayed away from her. But even they could see that their daughter was never the same, and in a way that changed them too. They couldn't be fully happy because they had to witness their only daughter be rejected by society.

Sadly wherever Maggie went chaos ensued one way or another in her younger years. At that time she still believed her 'superpowers' as she liked to call them, were a gift. A sign she would be a hero one day too.

They never could stay in one place for more than a couple months. People would find out, they would act out of fear and Maggie's life would once again be uprooted. A part of herself staying back too.

It was hard for her parents too, they didn't like to see their daughter sad, so they would always put up a brave face but the brunette could see it. They were not meant for a life on the road and it was taking a toll on them. So when Maggie reached the age of eigtheen she made a decision. She left in the middle of the night, leaving a note to promise her parents she would be okay but that she needed to find her own path. A path that could not only convince the world she was good, but herself too.

So by time, Maggie Hendrix slowly used her gift les and less until it was like she never even possesed the ability to control water. She was okay with hiding her true self for now if it meant that people accepted her.

Her bond with the water was never broken however as she found herself living in a small cottage at the end of lake. It was where she spend most of her time like she was now.

The lake glintsered with the moonlight reflecting on its surface that evening, mirroring the dazzling assemblage of glittering stars and luminescene light coming from the window she was sitting in. The faint wind brushed against the surface, ripples ruffled the stillness of the water, creating an almost soothing sight for the young adult staring longingly outside.

With a soft sigh, Maggie left her warm spot at the window and reached for her jacket. She still had work to get to that evening even if she despised her job at the diner. She could still not comprehend how a small town like hers had such a busy dinner. It was like everyone from nearby towns just flocked towards that one place when she was working.

Reaching the neon lit diner after some time walking, Maggie pushed the glass doors open her brown strands flying behind her as she rushed to the counter muttering apologies along the way. Soft music playing throughout the dinner, easing her nerves slightly.

"I'm sorry I'm late, I could't find my keys and one thing let to another but now I'm here!" Maggie bursted through the staff only doors and into the kitchen, tying her hair up while doing so.

"It's fine sweetheart, you're only five minutes late." Gregory, the cook and owner of the diner smiled kindly at her.

Maggie sighed in relief as she send a thankful smile towards her boss and friend. "Thanks Greg." She quickly tied her apron around her waist before she stepped outside again and into the busy diner to take the orders of their customers

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

THE EVENING WENT BY DREADFULLY SLOW as Maggie spoke to some familiar faces while trying to balance multiple plates of food on her arms without running into someone. The crowd had thinned out imensely after the clock struck ten, most people leaving to go to their families and in a way the brunette missed that.

She remembered clearly how her parents always took her to her favorite diner a town over for her birthday each year. She smiled at the thought of one of the waitresses always sneaking her an extra chocolate chip cookie.

The bell rang, signaling of a new arrival, startled Maggie out of her bittersweet memory, the girl jumping sightly in fright by the sudden noise that rattled through the now almost empty diner.

She cursed under her breath when she realised she knocked her glass of water over, drenching a part of her worn out jeans and leaving a mess on the counter.

Biting her lip unsure, Maggie carefully sneaked a glance at the two newcomers sitting at the end of the bar while other customers where too engrossed in their own conversation to even notice her.

Taking a deep breath, Maggie tried to stealthily remove the wet spot from her jeans without anyone seeing. She moved her fingers around gently and slowly, the liquid removed itself from her jeans. The brunette was quite proud of herself as she watched the water move around her fingers. Apperantly she still knew how to do it.

"That's a neat trick." A sudden voice spoke up and Maggie's eyes widened in shock, the water dropping to the floor as she snapped her head towards the source, a lump forming in her throat.

Her eyes landed on the two strangers she had never seen before and the smaller man closest to her was staring directly at her while the taller man eyes were focused ahead of him.

"I don't know what you're talking about sir." Maggie denied quickly trying to slow her ragid breathing and hammering heart down.

When she calmed herself down she turned towards the two men and approached them. "Can I get you anything to eat or to drink?"

"I'd like a water." Maggie's head snapped towards the other man who seemed to have a faint accent she couldn't place and it was like he was staring right through her.

"Just a water?" She asked slowly her eyebrows furrowed as she watched the man who had spoken to her first discretely place two of his fingers to his temple in what she thought was supposed to be cassual manner.

"Well it is your specialty isn't it?" The stranger asked his startling blue eyes focused on her chocolate brown ones.

Maggie gulped and looked between the two nervously, her chocolate eyes darting between the two, scared that she once again could be uprooted from her life.

"It's okay Maggie we're just like you."

That was all it took for Maggie to take off in a hurry, she swiftly turned around startling the two man sitting at the bar before she dashed through the staff only door and out of the back.

Her hair wipped fiercly around her face, her heart beating rapidly in her chest as she tried to get away as quickly as possible.

"Maggie! Please wait let us explain. We need your help. It is of upmost importance that you listen."

The voice in her head continued to breach her mind like some sort of virus and Maggie frantically searched around for the source and when she couldn't the source she just shouted. "Leave me alone! I can't help anyone."

"You saved a boy named Billy when you were ten years old."

"Get out of my head!"

"Please just let us explain Maggie!" Suddenly the voice wasn't in her head anymore and she swiftly turned on her heels to see the same men from the dinner standing a few feet away.

"I'm Charles Xavier and this is my friend Erik Lehnsherr. We're mutants just like you."

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬