ELEANOR WAS A BIT TROUBLED.

She had no idea why she decided to stay. She didn't know what pushed her to remain in Charles' mansion at the moment. What she only knew was that she had to. She accompanied the three men to the sub basement of the mansion. Her mouth fell open as she looked around its structure.

"When was the last time you were down here?" Logan questioned, looking around as if he became nostalgic.

Hank turned to him. "The last time we went looking for students."

"A lifetime ago." replied Charles. He situated himself at the center of a doorway and Eleanor watched as a biometric scanner recognized his eyes and let them in.

"Welcome, Professor."

"Now, that is amazing." blurted out the brunette as they stepped inside a room where a machinery was standing at its center. "What's that?" She gestured to the machine.

"That is Cerebro. It's what I use to amplify my telepathic ability so I could reach any individual in the world." explained Charles, staring at the helmet hesitantly. "It's Hank's invention."

Eleanor turned to Hank in awe. "Amazing. Just amazing, Hank." She muttered, smiling.

"Thank you." he smiled back and cleared his throat just as he activated the machine. It hummed to life and soft beep resounded in the room. "Raven's wounded. She won't be moving fast even though Valerie's with her."

Charles grabbed the helmet sitting atop it and blew on it, removing the dust. It was obvious it had been a very long time since he had used it. "These are muscles I haven't stretched in a long time." admitted the man as he put Cerebro on his head. Eleanor placed her hand on his shoulder once again, giving it a squeeze.

"You can do it."

"God, I hope so."

Just as he said that, he gasped and Eleanor immediately felt his telepathy was amplified. The room brightened up, red and white lights appeared around them and they all heard the desperate calls of mutants. They were all hurting and needed help. She then sensed Charles' struggle as he shook and winced as he uttered, "God!". She could feel he was overwhelmed by it all. He was not yet ready.

The room shifted erratically, a clear sign that he was attempting to block them. He was still trying to stop hearing them. "Charles," she warned.

Soon, the frantic calls of the mutants overpowered him and he lost focus. He groaned, attempting to maintain control.

"Charles!"

The lights around them whirled fast and suddenly, Charles shouted, causing the Cerebro equipment to break down. Glass flew from the machine and Eleanor flinched as she felt his telepathy snap. Charles abruptly pulled Cerebro off his head, breathing hard. His hands were clenched into fists and he shut his eyes tightly.

"Charles! Charles, it's alright." assured Hank. "I'll go check the generator." He rushed out of the room to get the power back on. Eleanor heard Logan's desire to talk with the former professor alone and acknowledged it. She patted his shoulder and walked out of the room. Charles needed to find his purpose again and she was certain Logan can help him with it.

"Hank, wait!"

Hank spun around and his eyes widened in surprise. "Eleanor! Why'd you follow me?"

She bit her lip. "Uh, Logan wanted to talk with Charles personally. I had to give them some space."

He nodded and the two accompanied each other in silence. They entered an electrical room where he worked on the series of circuits around. "So, uh, how are you feeling?" he asked.

"Confused, lost, angry." Eleanor enumerated, nodding. "Yeah, those are the emotions I can identify right now." She then leant against the wall, massaging her forehead. "You know, ever since this mission started, I-I felt like I didn't belong here, like I wasn't supposed to be here with you guys in this time." She confessed. "Do you get my point?"

"Yeah, I do." He pushed back his glasses. "I guess that's because you weren't supposed to meet us this year."

"Yeah, and then when I entered this house, I felt like I was home. I just felt happy and contented here and I-I don't know why."

Hank paused for a moment. "Maybe that's because you're meant to be here?" He shook his head and sighed. "I'm sorry, I can't offer any definite explanation for what you're feeling."

"It's fine. I just needed to get it out." She took out the metal ball out from her dress pocket and rolled it between her fingers. Her thoughts drifted to Erik. She wanted to blast him to oblivion for what he had done, but she also wanted him to just come home. If only he'll realize that he's wrong and let it all go, then she would not hesitate to be with him.

"Do you think we can truly change what happens now?" Hank questioned, finally turning on the generator. They both went out of the electrical room, walking back to the sub basement.

Eleanor shrugged. "I believe we can, but only to some extent. I think there will always be this one thing that will happen no matter how much you try to prevent it."

He nodded. "I don't mean to pry, but um, you and Charles were together in the future, right?"

She hummed. "Yes, we were happily married according to Logan."

"Do you think you guys will still be together?"

She looked up for a minute and sighed. "I don't know, Hank. I'm afraid I don't have an answer to that because truth be told, I still love Erik." She tightly held the metal bearing in her hand. "Let's just see what happens. I mean, if it's for me, it will always be for me."

Hank was silent as if weighing what she had just said. Turning to their right, they saw Charles and Logan talking with one another. "Power's back on!" He announced, marching over to them.

"Yes. Yes, it is." agreed Charles, now looking determined. He then turned towards Eleanor, his blue eyes sparkling with hope and care. They were teary-eyed and it was as if he was pleading for her to come closer to him. There was something in his stare that she couldn't explain like he knew something that she didn't.

It was then she discovered that Charles had a glimpse in the future and just when she was about to dive further to see what he had experienced, he wheeled himself inside the room. Eleanor had a lot of questions she wanted to ask, but she let them go for now. Taking one last look at the metal ball, she pocketed it and followed them.

For the second time, Charles used Cerebro and he was finally able to reach Raven, but he could only take over the mind of a traveler beside her. She recognized Valerie sitting across her, her mind heavily guarded. "Raven, Valerie, stop. Stop running."

A pause and Eleanor knew Raven was speaking on the other end.

"Back at the house..." Charles continued communicating with her. "... where you two should be. I need you to come home."

"What do you mean by that?"

Charles' expression then changed. He was shocked, but he continued. "If you two kill Trask, you'll be creating countless more just like him."

"Those are Erik's words, not yours nor Valerie's"

"The girl I grew up with wasn't capable of killing. She was good, fair, full of compassion."

"Shut her down, Charles. Get in her head." Logan urged him.

"I can't get in. Valerie's projecting her mental barriers on Raven's mind. I'm barely even holding on, I'm not strong enough yet." expounded Charles who was trying to keep up. "I know what Trask has done, but killing him will not bring them back. It will set you on a path from which there is no return. An endless cycle of killing, us and them, 'til there is nothing left. But we can stop it, right now, you and I. You just have to come home."

Another moment of tense silence and Cerebro shut down. Charles took the helmet off his head, disheartened. "So, what? Valerie's now out there to help Raven kill Trask?" Logan questioned. Charles somberly nodded. Eleanor pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. She already half-expected that Valerie would seek revenge for her older self's suffering under Trask's experimentation.

"I never should've told her she was experimented by him."

"It wasn't your fault, Logan. Valerie decided that on her own. She made that choice." Eleanor consoled the immortal, sighing. "Perhaps, it's time for all of us to rest especially you Charles. You're totally worn out. We'll find a solution to this first thing in the morning." She placed her hand atop Charles' shoulder and felt him relax. She watched him hold on to her hand tightly like it was his lifeline, his last support.

Eleanor then knew whatever he saw in Logan's future revived his hope and purpose in life.

She deeply wished it didn't involve her. She would only break his heart.

━━━━━━━

NIGHT HAD FALLEN quite quickly for them all. Eleanor sat in the living room, her eyes trained on the fireplace in front of her. She watched the flames wildly lick up the woods beneath. She downed another glass of Bourbon, immediately refilling it with the decanter beside it. Her mind was already telling her to stop drinking, but she couldn't.

She needed to clear her head.

It was heavily occupied with thoughts and memories of Erik. She missed him and her heart was longing for his presence. You could never unlove someone who had really touched your heart and your whole being. She remembered how Erik once recited a certain Jane Eyre line to her. That day, he randomly picked out a book from her shelf and read one of its lines. It was at that time she discovered that she loved the man and knew her life would never be the same.

"Every atom of my flesh loves you, Eleanor Ridges. Every fiber of my being will yearn for you wherever I go. I will always think of you whenever I see the stars. I will always love you."

Eleanor gripped her glass and gulped down her drink, trying to forget the last words he told her before he went away.

"You really need to control your alcohol intake when you're stressed."

She snapped her head towards the sound of Charles' voice. "You're still awake." She noted, raising her eyebrow.

"I can hear your thoughts all the way from my bedroom." He sighed, wheeling forward to her side table, picking up the other glass. He poured himself a drink and settled in front of her.

Eleanor observed the remaining amber liquid in her glass. "I think I know now what Erik meant when he said I'll balance us all." She mused. "I think he knew how incredibly stupid he was when he was younger."

He snickered. "Erik knew he'd turn this way and so he pushed you to be here so we can both stop him."

The brunette set aside her glass and rubbed her face in frustration. "The idiot just couldn't resist being the enemy. It's part of who he is."

"Yet, you still love him despite of it."

Eleanor swallowed, unsure how to respond on what Charles had just said. "Pry inside my head again and I'll fucking pin you to that wall." She then furrowed her eyebrows, realizing her words. "Shit. That sounded better in my head."
.
Charles chortled. "You and your bloody threats."

Eleanor glared at him before joining him in his laughter, refilling her glass and taking another gulp of her drink.

"I saw our son and our grandchild." announced Charles, staring at the glass he was holding.

This caught her full attention and she leant forward quickly, letting her questions tumble out of her mouth without stop. "What do they look like? Are they good? Did you talk to them? How are they?" She then shut her eyes, pausing. She swallowed before speaking again. "Sorry, I just want to know."

Eleanor had always wanted to have children. It was a desire she wanted to fulfill for a very long time now. When she first discovered that she was with child, she followed every instruction of her doctor and monitored her pregnancy because she wanted it. That's why when she lost Erica, she also lost her spirit. She lost a part of her she couldn't fill up.

Charles smiled sympathetically and reached out to her, holding her hand. "Nathaniel was obviously blessed with my looks -- "

She snorted.

"And Atlas, such a lovely kid. He was the first who saw me and then you."

Eleanor only listened, observing how his eyes moved up, remembering what he saw. She didn't want to get inside his head, but it was tempting to do so. "I wasn't able to talk to them, but Atlas sensed me. He looked for me actually. You and him. Nathan had my eyes, the color of your hair, my nose, your lips, my cheeks. They were a mixture of us. We raised our son well. Atlas still had our features, but mostly he looked like his mother."

Eleanor's eyes burned. She felt like she was mourning for someone she haven't met yet. She gently removed his hand away and kept it on her lap. "I wish I could see them too." She quietly mumbled.

"I do wish too."

She fixed her gaze at him, discerning the meaning behind his words. "You only met me, Charles. Please don't think because we had a future, I'll simply stay by your side. I will still make my choice. Though, I would probably stay here and help you reopen the school, I cannot guarantee you my heart's choice. I hope you understand that."

He nodded. "I know."

The woman set aside her glass, firmly. "Good. I just want to make things clear between us."

The two fell in a comfortable silence for a few minutes. Honestly, as they both stayed further in the living room, Eleanor felt another wave of familiarity. She noticed that it had been happening a lot since she came, but she chose to ignore it again. She wouldn't let these feelings influence her decisions. She'll decide her own fate. She let her gaze wander to Charles once again. He looked more sober now and she wouldn't deny it, but he was so charming. He smiled and this time, it reached his eyes unlike before where it was forced.

"You should really clean up." She blurted out, breaking the silence between them.

"Will I still look charming if I do?" He quipped, cheekily.

"Shit." She chuckled. Of course, he heard her thoughts. She really needed to block her mind now.

"I can hear your thoughts, Eleanor Ridges and you're quite a loud thinker. Control your thoughts." He recited her words when they first met, smugly. She laughed, picking up the pillow beside her and threw it at him. He caught it and smirked, raising his eyebrow then.

Eleanor shook her head and grinned. She felt glad that things between them were now clarified. It was as if a burden was lifted out from her. Soon, they walked back to their own rooms, bidding each other a good night. He made another joke about the hallways of his mansion, making her laugh loudly.

"Go away, you idiot! We'll talk in the morning."

"Looking forward to it."

The brunette ambled across the hallway, studying each painting and picture around. Upon reaching a corner, she caught sight of the elevator that would lead to the sub basement. Feeling inquisitive, she went down to let herself immerse around it. That's when she saw two figures near the doors of Cerebro.

Eleanor immediately recognized Valerie and Raven and confronted them. "What are you both doing?"

She couldn't read both of their minds as Valerie's barriers were working. Valerie's power was astounding if Eleanor could comment on it. To a telepath, she was a ghost. No one would hear her coming. She knew she would be a formidable foe if it came to it.

"Hello, Eleanor." greeted Valerie, pulling out her batons and twirling it smoothly. "We're going to be great friends and enemies in the future. I don't want to fight you."

"How did you two get inside?"

Valerie smirked, turning her head to Raven. "We know a person inside who was willing to let us in, because we knew him longer than you."

Eleanor scowled, not amused by her antics. "You're both going to destroy Cerebro." She concluded, putting her hands in front of her. She let her palms face each other, creating a large psionic energy.

"Obviously, yes." Valerie stepped forward, menacing. She lowered her stance and Eleanor knew she had to be ready to defend herself. "He murdered our friends, Eleanor. You can't blame us for seeking revenge."

"You already heard what you've become in the future, Valerie. Do you still want to follow that path? Do you still want to end up that way? Do you still want to end up with too much blood on your hands?" Eleanor narrowed her eyes at the woman, unflinching. "You've been given a second chance to change. Think first."

"I'll decide my future."

"If you murder him, you'll just create another Trask!"

"Then, we will all kill them. We won't let another human do this to our kind. I won't let it happen again. Aren't you horrified with what they've done to us in the future? Don't you feel angry with that? Open your eyes, Eleanor." Valerie seethed. "They will never stop until they annihilate us all."

"We can prevent it all from happening. I still believe that one day they will see that we aren't the enemies. I have faith -- "

Valerie raised her arm, frowning. "Your optimism and faith in humanity can only get you so far, Eleanor. Trust me, I've been there." She then ran forward towards her, striking first with her baton. Eleanor threw her scarlet sphere directly at the charging woman, but Valerie deflected it with her forcefield.

"Go, Raven! I can handle her!" yelled Valerie as she swung her baton at Eleanor's head.

Eleanor ducked, but her opponent was faster. Valerie elbowed her jaw, causing her to stumble backwards. The brunette held the area where she was hit and gritted her teeth. The telekinetic then levitated herself away from her opponent using her powers, her eyes swiftly noticing a metal grate. With a wave of her hand, she raised it in front of her and split it into shards. Her anger was peaking and that was not a good sign.

She launched all her shards towards Valerie, but they all bounced back from her shield. Her rival threw her baton and Eleanor barely had time to put up her own shield. Just as she caught the sleek weapon, Valerie stood in front of her and blasted her away using her forcefield. Eleanor flew backwards and hit her back on the wall, sliding down.

Eleanor's sight blurred for a minute, her back aching from the harsh impact. She coughed and shut her eyes, clenching her fists. It was then she felt a wave of power surge through her veins and she stood up. Staggering forward, she uttered, "That's it. I've had enough of you, Valerie. You fucking come here!"

She hurled several psionic blasts at the woman, each throw becoming stronger than before. She let out a roar as she conjured one of her strongest shock waves. This caused her enemy to tumble and roll on the floor. She didn't get up anymore.

Not missing another second, Eleanor formed a long rope with her powers and used it to wrap around Raven's waist. She then forcibly pulled the blue mutant away from the now smoking Cerebro. Raven fell on the ground, face first and Eleanor dragged her across the floor.

Angrily, she sauntered towards the woman she once met. "I don't want to hurt you, Raven. You know this is wrong." She reasoned out, breathing hard.

"There's nothing wrong with avenging my friends."

Eleanor was about to retort when she felt a punch to her kidney. She screamed in pain and doubled over, clutching her side.

"Don't hurt her!" Raven shouted. Valerie came up front, catching her breath. She had a wound on her shoulder and it was bleeding profusely.

"I won't." assured Valerie. "I don't have the heart to." She swallowed, wiping her lips. "Good night, Eleanor. Sleep well."

And then, she blacked out.