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▎ BEAUTIFUL CRIME ▎
»»————-　act one. a hero's journey
CHAPTER TEN━━ a closing chapter

ᵒ .༄ ࿐ ࿔* 🌊♟💦
♯ ❝MAYBE IN ANOTHER LIFETIME! ❞ 
⋆⋅ ━━━━ ‧ ༻✩༺ ‧ ━━━━ ⋅⋆ 

     PEACE WAS NEVER AN OPTION, MAGGIE STILL HEARS THE HAUNTING WORDS OF ERIK ECHO IN HER HEAD AFTER THEIR CONVERSATION last night. She had once shared that mindset, that dark and twisted way of thinking that she based on her experiences as a lonesome child. She had used it as a foundation to build-or better said rebuild herself on. And now as she sits in the same chair she sat in at the beginning of this journey she wonders. Wonders about the life she could have lived if she hadn't been afraid to hide her true self. Something about Charles' hopeful words and dreams sparked something inside of her. Made her question the idea of Erik's words. Words she would have stand behind if it wasn't for this experience. Her shared laughter with Raven and Alex, or how she could aimlessly talk with Hank about the extent of her powers. She felt light, and peaceful-she felt happy.

     "It has to be an option." She speaks the words in a breathless whisper as she stand up from her chair. Her shoulders are squared, her spine is straight and she feels powerful, capable of good things-the right thing.

     Step by step she walks closer to the door, the fire inside her burning brighter, fiercer, stronger. "It will be an option." She states the words with the conviction of a priest leading people into prayer.

     And all the chestnut haired woman can hope is that when push comes to shove, Erik will find clarity in those words too. The door of her room falls close behind her, like the last chapter of a book marking the ending and the hopeful start of a new beginning somewhere hidden between the lines.

     One by one, everyone gathers, like herself looking ready to fight-maybe even die if the odds favour that. But no one shows any hesitation. Unconsciously, her thoughts drift back to Darwin and is own last stand against Shaw. Now it would be their turn to try and defeat him.

    Maggie doesn't look to her right when she sees some fall in step with her from the corner of her eye. She has been with him enough to recognise his presence, and dare she admit his familiar scent. Her arms swing by her side, and for a brief moment, maybe accidental or maybe intentionally  their hands brush together.

    But before she can really think about any hidden meaning, the group halts in front of Hank's lab, a hurriedly written note plastered on the door, but she has not much time to see what it says when Charles opens the door, revealing a mostly destroyed room to her surprise. "What the hell happened here?" She can hear Erik inquire next her as they all step inside the room, eyes scanning the broken glass and scattered pieces of broken equipment on the floor. Charles only casts a single glance over his shoulder, eyes piercing into Raven's like the two of them know exactly what has occurred.

     Slowly the group gathers around a large metal box, an X marked on the top of it. Charles looks to his left, eyes meeting Erik's before he turns to look at the box to open it, revealing black and yellow suits neatly folded inside.

    "Hank has been busy." Erik comments apprehensively, eyeing the contents with a hint of distaste in his eyes.

     "Do we really have to wear those?" Alex groans, not trying to hide his own revulsion like Erik did.

    "As none of us have mutated to endure extreme G-force or being riddled by bullets, I suggest we suit up." Charles jested, a careful crafted smirk displayed on his face.

     "Gotta give it to Alex though," Maggie grins, picking on of the suits labelled with her name from the box, "He could have at least not made them bumblebee yellow." With that said, she turned on her heel to return to her room to change, Charles voice telling her to meet back her in twenty.

    Opening the door to her room, Maggie is quick to change out of her current clothing, carelessly throwing the items on her unmade bed. For a moment she holds Hank's meticulously crafted suit in her hands, thumb smoothening out the wrinkles of the strange material.

    Within a couple moment, Maggie is suited up, the material sticking to her like a second skin in all the right places, making her softly chuckle as she humours herself with the idea of Hank getting into the fashion business. Smoothening the wrinkles out one last time, Maggie tilts her head to observe herself in the mirror and a gentle smiles forms on her lips as she sees herself. But before her thoughts drift off further, the sound of knuckles against wood fill her ears.

    The person behind the door doesn't give her time to answer as the door opens, revealing Erik standing there also clad in Hank's suit.

    "I could have been naked you know?" Maggie crosses her arms over her chest, a single brow cocked as she stares him down.

     "Perhaps." Erik shrugs, inviting himself in and closing the door behind him. "But you aren't now, are you."

     Maggie doesn't indulge him in his attempt at banter, "Twenty minutes over already?" She asks him instead, letting her arms fall limply beside her.

     "No." Erik shakes his head, stepping closer to her.

    "Something you need?" Maggie looks up to meet his eyes as he enters her personal space. She tries create some sort of distance between them as her heartrate picks up, but for every step she takes backwards he steps forward.

     "I do." Erik confirms, eyes flickering from her eyes to her lips and back. "More so a want really." He adds after a second, but Maggie knows exactly what he is hinting at. She swallows nervously, she craves the same thing as she stares into his eyes, ones that hold a fondness in them, and maybe even more. But deep down, there is an alarm going off in her head as she remembers everything that he had said.

    Erik is leans down, lips ghosting over her own, one last chance to say something-to stop something. Everything inside her is screaming, pros and cons, the heart versus the head.

    For a split second she wants to lose herself in the moment and finally act on the bubbling feelings between herself and Erik, but then self-preservation kicks in and she places a single hand on his chest, gently pushing him back.

    Maggie can see the confusion swirl in his eyes, the crease of his brow as he slowly staggers back to his full height. "I can't." She whispers, her tone solemn. "I want to, I really, truly do Erik. But I also know you."

     She can see the confusion in his eyes as she continues. "Vengeance consumes you Erik. It has always been your fuel, and that's why I know that whatever everyone else will tell you not to do today-you will still kill Shaw. Charles may think he can change your mind, but he won't. No one can."

    She exhales softly, "And I can't find it in me to follow you down that road. Because killing Shaw? It won't change anything and you will find another problem to fixate on. I won't stand by and watch you destroy yourself."

    Erik nods, a silent understanding passing through them even though this was neither's preferred outcome. "Maybe in another lifetime."

    She watches as he silently turns around to leave her again, eyes glazing over as she sees him disappear from view. Peace will never be an option. She hopes he changes his mind, but she blames those ideas on the optimistic child hiding inside her.

     It will be an option, it has to be.

     She'll make it an option.

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