Fate decides who comes into your life; your heart decides who stays.
"𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑤𝑖𝑛 𝑜𝑟 𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒, 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟. 𝐼𝑛 𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑠𝑠, 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑢𝑝 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑜𝑎𝑟𝑑."
[X-Men: First Class - X-Men Apo...
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Warning: long chapter, mentions of failed pregnancy, mentions of child death, actual death, hopelessness
How long must it have been since she escaped Athena's hold? Centuries, Erik presumes, as he and Charles simply watch a boisterous group of men dancing aboard a sailing ship, Ria nowhere in sight. One man sits solemnly tied to the mast with his bruised cheek on display and his gaze averted downwards while the others sing some old tune Erik cannot recognize.
As the song dwindles to a close, two others emerge from below deck with wicked grins followed by a woman, a curved sword attached to her belt and her triangular hat tipped low to cover her face. The woman wears a loose white shirt beneath a tight corset, dark shorts covering her thighs with cloth hanging off her legs. An emerald crystal lies on her chest connected to a chain of silver around her throat.
The pirates scramble around to attention, though none seem too concerned as the woman strolls down the length of the ship and kneels beside the man taped to the post. With a swipe of her sword, the man tumbles down to his knees with the cut rope falling to the ground.
"And you are?" Ria asks, tilting her head as she looks down at him.
"Stowaway, Captain," one of the men who had arrived with her says.
"Stowaway?" Ria chuckles. Erik's never heard her like this, though it is leagues better than what he saw before. Humor lies in the corner of her eye, life flickering in her grin. "Care to explain yourself?"
The man slowly lifts his head. "I seek shelter and offer my services in exchange."
"You realize you are stranded in the middle of the ocean, do you not?" Ria crosses her arms. "I don't allow just anyone aboard my ship."
"I have nowhere else to go."
"How do I know you aren't here to kill me? Kill my crew and take my ship?" She narrows her eyes. "Many have tried—"
He surges forward. "I'm like you."
Ria pauses, pursing her lips. "Are you lying to me? You don't know who I am."
"But I have heard the stories." The man struggles to his feet as he pleads. "The Haven—a safe haven for people like me, like us."
She glances around at the others before she says, "Toss him over."
The Ria Erik knows wouldn't kill a man for no reason, yet she remains still as some of her pirates grab the shouting man and toss him into the sea. She lets out a laugh and says, "Let's see him prove it, shall we?"
Within seconds, the sea rears up around them. Water splashes aboard the ship as a wave climbs high into the sky, the stowaway surfing atop before it crashes onto the ship. He coughs and whines against the deck as Ria nods to one of the others.
