She crashed through her window, floating in the air and not sustaining a
scratch. "It is the end! No good can come from this. There will be no
mercy." Her voice was quiet, almost calm. She stretched her fingers, and a
dark shadow flew from them. It crept over all the remaining minions, like
some black death. Slowly it destroyed them, until they were but sand. As it
slinked onto Edward Leonid, Haley spoke slowly. "Pay for your sins. And
pray that you will be forgiven." He had no time to respond, as the black
mist ate him up until there was no more.
"Haley!" Professor Xavier cried. "Get down! Everything is alright!" He was frightened; the girl's mind was less human than possible.
"Ssh," she whispered, still in the air. "I'll be better now." And a soft golden light came from her other hand, rising over all the fallen members. Erik took a surprisingly deep breath, as Erin fell to her knees. Scott too, began to breathe again, finding Jean and holding her tightly. Haley's eyes were sad, pitiable. "I'm tired."
"Wait, you've used up most of your power!" A mutant, Sensor, yelled. "Get down!"
"No," Haley responded darkly. "So very tired. I think I've had enough." And with this she fell to the ground, landing in the undergrowth.
"Haley!" Scott called, but there was no response. Beast went quietly through the bushes and retrieved the girl.
"Shit," Erin said softly. "Shit.god damn."
And no one could find the words to say.
_One week later_.
The Institute was recovering from the shock, hoping things could return to normal. It was early, so early that no one saw a man dressed in black glide down the stairs quietly and silently open the door. Erik Lehnsherr was relieved to feel the wind on his face. It helped to brush away the guilt.
"Leaving so soon?" A familiar voice said softly.
His face was a strange mixture of chagrin and pleasure. "Couldn't sleep?"
"I don't think I'll be able to for a while," Erin said as she walked outside with him. "Can't stand to stay near me any longer, eh? Not that I blame you, Erik. Well, I do blame you, but I've gotten used to that."
"I'm sorry, my dear," he responded sadly. "But I can't stand it here. The quiet, the stillness. I'm not doing anything, not helping my fellow mutants! I must get out, I must fight for them. You know that I hate to sit here, doing nothing."
"It's not nothing!" She was close to crying, but restrained herself. "At least we're not hurting anybody."
"Look around, Erin," Magneto's voice was angry. "None of this is worth anything! Mutants still die, Mutants are still slaughtered! I have my duty."
"What about your duty to me?" Erin asked quietly.
He looked away. "I will see you again. You know that, don't you?"
"Yes. I suppose so."
"I-You know how I feel about you, don't you?" Erik gave a small smile.
"I love you too." Still, her words were cold. "But it will never be the same again."
"Life shouldn't stay the same, my dear. Makes things awfully dull." With this he kissed her gently on the lips, and walked away, shutting off the detectors in his wake. Erin touched her lips, and gave a small smile.
"I don't think things will ever be dull again, Erik."
"Haley!" Professor Xavier cried. "Get down! Everything is alright!" He was frightened; the girl's mind was less human than possible.
"Ssh," she whispered, still in the air. "I'll be better now." And a soft golden light came from her other hand, rising over all the fallen members. Erik took a surprisingly deep breath, as Erin fell to her knees. Scott too, began to breathe again, finding Jean and holding her tightly. Haley's eyes were sad, pitiable. "I'm tired."
"Wait, you've used up most of your power!" A mutant, Sensor, yelled. "Get down!"
"No," Haley responded darkly. "So very tired. I think I've had enough." And with this she fell to the ground, landing in the undergrowth.
"Haley!" Scott called, but there was no response. Beast went quietly through the bushes and retrieved the girl.
"Shit," Erin said softly. "Shit.god damn."
And no one could find the words to say.
_One week later_.
The Institute was recovering from the shock, hoping things could return to normal. It was early, so early that no one saw a man dressed in black glide down the stairs quietly and silently open the door. Erik Lehnsherr was relieved to feel the wind on his face. It helped to brush away the guilt.
"Leaving so soon?" A familiar voice said softly.
His face was a strange mixture of chagrin and pleasure. "Couldn't sleep?"
"I don't think I'll be able to for a while," Erin said as she walked outside with him. "Can't stand to stay near me any longer, eh? Not that I blame you, Erik. Well, I do blame you, but I've gotten used to that."
"I'm sorry, my dear," he responded sadly. "But I can't stand it here. The quiet, the stillness. I'm not doing anything, not helping my fellow mutants! I must get out, I must fight for them. You know that I hate to sit here, doing nothing."
"It's not nothing!" She was close to crying, but restrained herself. "At least we're not hurting anybody."
"Look around, Erin," Magneto's voice was angry. "None of this is worth anything! Mutants still die, Mutants are still slaughtered! I have my duty."
"What about your duty to me?" Erin asked quietly.
He looked away. "I will see you again. You know that, don't you?"
"Yes. I suppose so."
"I-You know how I feel about you, don't you?" Erik gave a small smile.
"I love you too." Still, her words were cold. "But it will never be the same again."
"Life shouldn't stay the same, my dear. Makes things awfully dull." With this he kissed her gently on the lips, and walked away, shutting off the detectors in his wake. Erin touched her lips, and gave a small smile.
"I don't think things will ever be dull again, Erik."
