ERIK STUMBLED ON his feet, crashing into the hard ground fast. It was evident in his actions that he wasn't going to fight her. He kept his hands and head steady. There was no sign of any moving metal around her. She might as well just kill him if she could, but she knew she wouldn't. As she continued to assault him, Eleanor felt her chest tighten. She couldn't continue this, she couldn't.

She paused, her lips quivering and her tears freely rolling down her cheeks. The right things are often the hardest choices to make. "Why are you doing this?" She asked him, hurt. "Why are you doing all of this? For what, Erik? For you to be a god? Who are you to decide who lives and who dies?"

"What I'm doing is not just for me, Eleanor and you know it. It's for our kind." He struggled. "I don't want others to live in this kind of world. I don't want them to be suffer under this humans. I want our kind to have a better future. That even after we die, what we did for them will last until their children's children." expounded her lover, carefully. "We deserve more than this."

As much as Eleanor hated to admit it, he was right. Humans will always destroy what they couldn't understand. When they are afraid, they attack.

She knew it in herself that humans will do everything to control them and use their powers to their advantage. The possibility that they will enslave them wasn't far-fetched. The future where Logan came from was enough proof of that.

"I don't want the family we will build to live in fear." Erik stared once again right through her. His words were piercing her heart and everything in her was screaming that he was right. However, she refused to listen because Eleanor would never agree to his goal of exterminating humans. She raised her hand once again, this time her palms emitting a huge energy. Her eyes were glowing a bright red and she was torn.

"You're willing to kill me?"

With a strained voice, she answered. "No, you know I can't and I'll never will." She shook her head. "I love you, Erik, but that doesn't mean I'll tolerate your bullshit."

"It's not bullshit if it's true." He retorted as he lifted his hand and attempted to pull out the safe room out of the White House.

"No!" Eleanor yelled, realizing what he was about to do. She bent down and fought against Erik's magnetic pull. They both struggled to overpower one another and the brunette noticed the cracks and dents they have created on the huge safe room. Erik's magnetism and her telekinesis were ripping it apart. If she didn't let go, they might actually kill all the people inside.

Reluctantly, the woman surrendered and let Erik land it in front of them. He then manipulated the rebars from a piece of concrete behind her, attempting to wrap it around her. But before it could even reach her legs, she incinerated them with a twirl of her hand.

"Restrain me again and I'll destroy you."

"You've always been a fast learner." He noted just as he tore the doors open, revealing all the people inside. They all jumped in fear when they saw them.

"I will not let you kill all of these people."

"Why do you keep on protecting them?"

"You'll make us an enemy in their eyes."

"Aren't we already?" Erik countered, raising his eyebrow. He then raised all the guns in the air and directed them all at the president and his guards. He even turned all the live news cameras towards him and Eleanor. 

"You built these weapons to destroy us. Why? Because you are afraid of our gifts. Because we are different. Humanity has always feared that which is different. Well, I'm here to tell you, to tell the world, you're right to fear us. We are the future." He started his speech and Eleanor couldn't deny it was true. "We are the ones who will inherit this earth, and anyone who stands in our way will suffer the same fate as these men you see before you. 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." He pinched two of his fingers to prove his point. "Let this be a warning to the world."

"And to my mutant brothers and sisters out there, I say this; no more hiding, no more suffering." He addressed them, encouraging. "You have lived in the shadows in shame and fear for too long. Come out, join me. Fight together in the brotherhood of our kind. A new tomorrow, that starts today. Come and join me in the empire I will build for us all."

The woman shut her eyes and made another decision. "I'm sorry, Erik, but that empire will never rise." She hurled several objects towards him, but since most of them were made of metal, he deflected them all easily. She then shot a red psionic energy towards him, hoping to push him to the ground. Erik only found several debris to shield himself with.

"Stop!" A man shouted across them, catching their attention. It was President Nixon coming forward, his eyes planted on Erik, determined. "Stand down! You want to make a statement?" He pointed his finger at Erik. "Kill me? Fine! But spare everyone else!"

Eleanor furrowed her eyebrows, sensing something odd. She couldn't read the President's mind although she was very sure he was a human.

"Very heroic, Mr. President. But you have no intention of sparing any of us. The future of our species begins now."

Erik then directed all the levitating guns at Nixon, loud clicks resounding, signifying they were all ready to be fired. Eleanor was about to telekinetically stop the bullets, but then she heard loud trudges behind her, distracting her. She spun around and almost tripped over her feet when she saw one of the Sentinels charge at her. She was about to defend herself when it was disassembled by Erik piece by piece, saving her.

At that moment, a gunshot rang in the air and Eleanor saw Erik fall on his knees, clutching the side of his neck. "Erik!"

She turned to look at Nixon who then transformed into Raven with a plastic gun on her hands. A bullet grazed Erik's neck and he groaned loudly. "You used to be a better shot."

"Trust me, I still am." And with that statement, Raven knocked him out cold before turning around and pointing her gun at Trask. Suddenly, everyone froze and nothing else was moving except her and Charles who now stood in front of the scientist.

"Get out of my head, Charles!"

"Raven," Charles called for her, pleading. He had a wound on his head and it was bleeding profusely. She assumed he was somewhere beneath all the debris, crushed. "Please, do not make us the enemy today."

She moved over to Erik, eyeing his gushing wound. She placed her hands over it, attempting to stop the bleeding.

"Look around you, we already are!"

"Not all of us." Charles continued to communicate. "All you've done so far is save the lives of these men. You can show them a better path."

"I've been trying to control you ever since the day we met and look what that's got us." He regretted. "Everything that happens now is in your hands. I have faith in you, Raven."

Everything then resumed and Raven continued to point her gun at Trask, but this time she could see the hesitance in her face. "The right thing is often the hardest thing to do, but it is always right." Eleanor advised her with hope in her eyes.

Raven tilted her head towards her, heavily contemplating. Eleanor watched as the blue-skinned woman dropped her gun. "He's all yours, Charles."

"I can handle it." Eleanor interjected as she sensed Charles' exact location and lifted the debris that trapped him. Hank picked Charles off the ground and half-carried him. She then removed Erik's helmet, gently placing her hand on his cheek to wake him up. Her red surge of energy reached his temples and he gasped, his eyes blown wide in shock. "Hey, hey, you're okay." She comforted him.

"Eleanor," he croaked.

"It's going to be okay, it's going to be alright."

"No, it's not. I have to leave, you know that."

Eleanor pretended that she didn't get hurt by what he said. "I know."

He held her hands in his, his blue eyes staring at her as if it was the last time they were going to see each other. His hands were warm just like the times when they would lay down on the grass, bodies close and arms wrapped with one another. "Can you forgive me?"

The woman placed her hand on his cheek, smiling kindly. "You did nothing wrong to me," She said. "but you did wrong to them."

Erik looked down and pushed himself up with Eleanor helping him. "You go with them." It wasn't even a question. She knew he didn't want to let her go, but he had to.

Uncertainly, Eleanor ambled over to Charles and Hank. "If you let them have me, I'm as good as dead. You know that, you both do." Erik claimed.

"I know."

"Goodbye, old friend."

"Goodbye, Erik."

Erik locked eyes with Eleanor, no words between them were exchanged. The sad smiles on their lips were enough indications that this was their goodbye. God knew she didn't want him to leave but he had to. With what he had done today, all the governments around the world would be bent to arrest him and probably even execute him. She noticed the fire in his eyes had died down and they were soft and gentle. With a hard swallow, Erik flew off to the sky, leaving them all behind.

"You sure you should let them go?"

"Yes, I have hope for them." affirmed Charles. "There's going to be a time, Hank, when we are all together." He glanced at Eleanor, but she didn't return his gaze. Her eyes were fixed on the sky, waiting for some kind of sign that would tell her Erik would return.

It was a funny thing that fate brought them together this time only to separate them again. Will there ever be a time when they will be together?

"What about Logan?"

"Only God knows now where he is." Eleanor answered Hank, turning around to check on Valerie, but there was no trace of her. She was gone just like Erik and Raven. Her fate now lies unknown, just like hers.

She noticed how the clouds departed as if it was another day for them all. The warmth of the sun kissed her cheeks and she smiled to herself. His departure from her now was different from the last time. A feeling surged up in the deep pit of her stomach, warm and reassuring.

And then she knew.

They will see each other again.

Eleanor only hoped it would be sooner.