𝐒𝐖𝐈𝐅𝐓 (X-Men ~ Peter Maximoff)

The End of an Era

Raven didn't waste any time in removing herself from the scene. She hadn't wanted to be faced with the past nor did she want the future to balanced on her shoulders. Trask had killed her friends and tried to take her with them, hiding his perverse nature behind lab coats. He could never be forgiven, he deserved death and nothing less, and Raven had been more than willing to give that to him.

But then had Charles complicated everything as per usual, reminding her of how innocent they had once been. She couldn't stop though, not when Trask was free to destroy and pick apart lives without consequence, she was saving them. Why couldn't anyone see that? This was who she was, someone who did what had to be done, and if murder was what it took then so be it.

Surely there had to be another way though – when in history had a peaceful era started after someone bloodied their hands? If blood had blood then the cycle would never stop and a war of species would begin. Maybe Charles was right after all – if Raven could conceal her hatred for just a moment she could show mutants as forgiving, as people that had at least tried for peace and unity. Erik had set it all up, created the suspense and the fear, and it was up to Raven to decide how the play ended.

Her hand felt bare without the gun clutched within it. She hoped she had made the right choice, that she had saved the lives of her people worldwide, but she didn't have the time to wait and see what would happen now. Justified or not, Raven was an enemy of the states and a suspected accomplice to the attempted murder of Bolivar Trask. She could run and hide, but she needed a head start, and thankfully the guards present were still too puzzled over what they had just seen to notice as she slipped out of the clearing and through the mangled junkyard that was the entrance.

Three people did see her though, and Jennifer was the first to follow. It took her some time and well calculated movements, but she eventually managed to shove the bar pressing on her just enough for her to move and squeeze through gaps. As soon as she was able, Jennifer folded her wings back into their resting place, suffering through the pain of the cuts and bruises decorating them as she rushed after Raven. She would've been able to find her much quicker if she had a birds eye view, but Jennifer doubted she'd even be able to take off in her current state.

It was impossible to remember how the entrance stands had looked less than twenty minutes ago, now cluttered with rubble with the walls standing like precariously placed dominos. The metal detector was still beeping despite looking like it had been put through a trash compactor and Jennifer had half a mind to go and find a way to turn it off, but she had to catch up with Raven if she ever wanted to see her again.

Did Raven even know she was alive? She probably hadn't had time to notice her in the heat of everything that was going on. Jennifer personally couldn't understand why she cared so much about announcing her existence to someone that she knew for a month ten years ago, but it was a compelling force, and it led her to ignore the ache of her bones as she followed the sound of retreating footsteps through the maze of rubble and plastic.

There almost wasn't enough air in Jennifer's lungs to shout as she caught sight of a head of bright red hair. "Raven!"

The figure ahead turned around almost immediately, wondering who the voice belonged to. Not many people knew her name, and none of them sounded so young and feminine, except one. "Jennifer?"

Her voice was shaky. She had closed herself off to the idea that the girl was still alive years ago, and yet here she was, standing as tall and unafraid as she had that day on the beach. The day had been difficult enough, and now to top it off ghosts where coming back to haunt her.

"You're here? I thought-," she shook her head. That wasn't the right thing to say. "But you-" That wasn't right either. What question was she supposed to ask, if any at all? Raven was utterly confused, and not knowing any answers wasn't helping her.