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▎ BEAUTIFUL CRIME ▎
»»————-　act one. a hero's journey
CHAPTER SIX ━━ all that remains

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♯ ❝WE'LL SEE! ❞ 
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THE CRUMBLED REMAINS OF THE CIA FACILITY WERE HIGHLITED BY THE PALE MORNING LIGHT SHINING DOWN UPON THEM. Debris was spread around the ground like a storm tore the building from the ground, most likely due to the man made tornado ravaging the grounds only hours before, dust was still swirling around alongside the cold breeze that also carried the smell of smoke around. Shards of glass spread around the concrete and blood stains had soaked into to pavement serving as a reminder of everything that happened in such a short period of time.

Maggie had dark circles forming underneath her eyes, tear stains still fresh on her cheeks while she had a secure arm wrapped around Raven, the blonde leaning into her embrace, in need of some sort of comfort after everything she just witnessed. The chesnut haired woman didn't even remember when the sun replaced the moon nor did she notice the people around here move about to remove the bodies, white sheets covering their corpses.

She was left in a state of shock, witnessing Darwin's death, she could still feel the heath surging from his body just before he exploded into nothing but dust. But the one things she remembered so vividly was the scream of anguish that had probably ripped his vocal cords to shreds.

Now with the sun peeking through the grey clouds, sending some light to the ground, Maggie felt exhausted. Her hair was a ruffled mess on her head from pulling on the long strands in frustration.

The sound of tires coming to a halt brought Maggie to lift her head up from where it rested on top of Raven's. She watched as Charles came rushing towards his adoptive sister, trying his best to avoid the broken parts of the building that were scattered around.

Maggie retreated her arm from where it was wrapped around the blonde so she could go to her brother. "Raven!"

The blonde wasted no time, jumping to her feet before embraced the telepath in a tight hug, his own arms clinging to the blonde for a long moment before he turned towards the group sitting on the stone bench.

"We've made arrangements for you to be taken home immediatley." Charles explained as Erik and Moira joined them silently. Maggie stared at the three in disbelieve, her arms crossed of her chest

"We're not going home." Sean spoke up bravely, lifting his head up to look at Charles.

"What?" Charles seemed to be surprised by the ginger's statement as he looked taken aback by his words.

"We can't go home." Maggie nodded in agreement, the brunette stood up to stand beside Raven, a fierce gaze set on both Charles and Erik.

"He's not going back to prison." Sean told them looking between Alex and Charles, determination flashing across his eyes.

"They killed Darwin." Alex spoke up, anger laced in his words as he clenced his fists by his side, the normal pale skin turner complete white.

"All the more reason for you to leave. This is over." Charles shook his head, looking between the protesting mutants before Raven spoke up again.

"Darwin is dead, Charles." She spoke up, her voice cracking and her eyes glazing over as she thought about her friend and the people who killed him. "And we can't even bury him."

Maggie lowered her head again after hearing those words as she stared intensely at her hands that rested in her lap. Her eyes glazing over at the thought of their friend.

"We can avenge him." Erik stated seriously and Maggie's head snapped up towards the man. He looked so sure of himself in that moment, like he believed they could truely beat Shaw.

The brunette smiled softly at the though of beating the man. To avenge their fallen friend. She was snapped out of her thoughts when Charles approached the man in a hurry. "A word Erik, please"

The group watched as Erik followed after Charles, but they didn't go far enough to not be heard by them.

"They're just kids." Charles whispered harshly turning to look at Erik as he took of his sun glasses.

"No they were kids. Shaw has his army, we need ours."

Maggie watched the two conserve quietly before Charles turned back around to face the group. A group of outcasts that wished nothing more than to belong somewhere, to have a home. To avenge their friend, to beat Shaw. He didn't see a group of outcasts.

He saw a group of survivors.

"We'll have to train. All of us. Yes?" He asked the group looking at each and everyone of them carefully.

"Yeah."

"We can't stay here." Hank spoke up. "Even if they reopen the department, it's not safe. We've got nowhere to go."

Maggie watched as a small smile appeared on Charles' face before he spoke up. "Yes we do."

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UPON ARRIVAL AT THEIR DESTINATION, MAGGIE WAS IN COMPLETE awe as she stared at the beautiful mansion– it was truely magnificent to look at. Ivy and ferns grew through the crevices of the stone path leading towards the colosal structure. The landscape surrounding was marvelous, some skeletal trees scattered around the place. It was peaceful and silent and almost completely isolated by nature.

Maggie found herself at the front of the group beside Erik as she absorbed her surroundings a certain twinkle in her eyes.

This is your's?" Sean asked, almost breathless as he looked between the large building and Charles who wore a proud smile.

"No, it's ours," Charles stated, making Maggie smile, her heart warming at the kindness of this man. The brunette stepped back slightly her combat boots scrunching on the gravel path as she came to stand beside Sean, the ginger boy still staring admirable at the mansion.

"Honestly, Charles. I don't know how you survived living in such hardship," Erik wonders sarcastically after he returned his gaze from Maggie towards the telepath.

"Well, it was a hardship softened by me," Raven said as she made her way up to the front of the group, walking between Charles and Erik  with a smug smile that made Maggie chuckle lightly.

Charles then pulled Raven in, the girl leaning into his embrace before Charles planted a kiss on her hairline. The blonde sighed happily before an excited and almost child like smile appeared on her face. "Come on. Time for the tour."

Maggie laughed when Raven suddenly turned around and grabbed her arm, dragging the older brunette with her and towards the elegant house. Maggie turned to look over her shoulder with raised eyebrows while Charles just chuckled at his sister's antics and gave her an innocent shrug.

Maggie shook her head before focusing back on the curly haired blonde as she began to blur out facts and old childhood memories.

The brunette marveled at every small detail in the house, it looked like something royals should life in. The antique decor reminded the woman of her father who loved to collect old furniture when he was younger. She remembered him talking about opening an antique shop with her mother once the girl would leave the nest and start a life of her own. Of course that didn't work out like they planned and Maggie wondered if they were ever able to achieve there dream after she dissapeared out of their lives.

After Raven was finished with showing them around the house, Maggie still felt like she would get lost. The house was so enormous that she didn't expect to find her way for quite some time. Luckily the tour had left them close to their rooms so the brunette quickly excused herself to her room to start to unpack whatever possesions she still had left.

When morning rolled around the next day, the sun peeking through the curtains, illuminating her room with a soft light, Maggie was soon dressed and ready for the day. And just like inside the CIA facility, Maggie felt the urge to explore the room, a part of her still paranoid that something would go wrong. It was a habit she rather had not developed over the years.

The brunette was farely sure most people were still sound asleep as she softly closed the wooden door behind her. Only quiet thuds of her footsteps hitting the hardwood floor echoed throughout the hall.

As she wandered around the halls, beautiful paintings and old statues littered the hallways. It gave her a feeling as if she was walking through a museum, around every corner something magnificent would await her curious eye.

Coming across another room Maggie faintly remembered from Raven's tour, the brunette pushed the doors open. Rows upon rows of books were neatly stacked upon wooden shelfs a warm glow came from outside the barely covered windows. The place held a warm feeling with some chairs and couches spread around the room close to a fireplace. The small wooden coffee table was filled with all kinds of stuff from previous nights spend inside the room.

She hadn't realised it at first but was startled out of her admiring gaze when someone cleared their throat. Maggie snapped her head up towards the source to see Erik sitting in one of the comfortable chairs in the corner, a book in his hands as he lifted a curious eyebrow at her.

"I didn't see you there." Maggie chuckled softy approaching the man. Like normaly his face was void of emotion, but his eyes were an exception, they swirled with thousand emotions and stories just like her own. "I see I'm not the only early riser then." She spoke akwardly after a minute as she sat down across from the stoic man.

She sighed when he didn't reply and focused back on the book in his hand. The leather cover looked worn and the red color was almost completely faded from what she could still see. The brunette yawed, leaning her head back against the soft chair, her legs pulled up to her chest as she closed her eyes again. Soaking in the silence now that it still was there. She was sure when Charles woke up he would round everyone up to start training and the chesnut haired woman was not keen on working out so early in the morning.

"Do you play?"

Maggie's eyes snapped open again and she lifted her head up in confusion to stare at Erik's questioning gaze. "What?"

"Do you play?" He motioned with his head towards the old chessboard on a small wooden table beside his chair.

Maggie slowly nodded, biting the inside of her cheek to refrain herself from smiling. "Yes, it's been a while though."

Erik nodded standing up to grab the set and place it on the wooden table between them. "Then it will be an easy win for me." He stated smugly to which she raised a challenging eyebrow.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that Erik." She replied, determination flashing across her eyes like a wild storm was raging within her iris'

Erik grinned, a spark ingniting in his eyes as he looked at the fierce brunette. "We'll see."

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