𝖠𝖥𝖳𝖤𝖱𝖫𝖨𝖥𝖤 ↳ quicksilver

》nine《

song: if the world was ending by jp saxe

════════ ◈ ════════

"Feared what would happen, Charles?"

Peter's voice had took the telepath aback. Of course, Charles had known Peter was particularly on edge, but he had never heard such aggression from the speedster that wasn't followed shortly after by either tears or an apology.

This time, Peter stood tall, hands clenched tightly against the railing. His gaze held strong on Charles, threatening for him to continue.

"There's a... has a thought ever occurred to you about what happens to those when they pass on?"

"Where are you going with this, Professor?"

Had Hank's heavily hesitant tone not sound before Peter could get a word out, it was safe to say there wouldn't have been so calm interactions between the mutants.

"That's where Elsie is."

"Can you hear how vague you are or is this some kind of sick joke?"

"Peter, please."

The words seemed automatic to Charles by now. Surprisingly, Peter stayed quiet, awaiting any further information.

"Okay... what about the multiverse?"

"Charles-"

"Hank."

Hank stepped backwards, retracting his held out hand from where he went to intervene. Peter overlooked them both, too many questions flooding his mind; it was all just too much.

There were many things Peter didn't know, this multiverse being one of them. However, when it came to the person he had vowed to spend the rest of his life with, he couldn't care what he had to understand or comprehend on the situation. He'd memorise the whole of the Diophantine equation to get her back.

Anything he had to do, he would do it.

Shaking his head, Peter waited on Charles' next sentence, nerves flooding him like a sudden salty wave overtaking a civilian in water.

"Well, there's this universe, and there's others. Others where we may exist, others where we don't. We can't be sure. It had been completely theoretical up until... well... up until now. Peter, Elsie has a soulmate. A soulmate from a universe that differs our own greatly."

It was all a lot to take in, obviously, but it was one step closer to getting her back.

"So... she's in another universe?"

"No she's-"

"Elsie's dead-"

Hank's words had been so abrupt, even Charles were shocked by them. Abrupt or not, they were true. True in all possible ways.

"-there's no way around that. That doesn't mean she was supposed to die, though. Whoever this soulmate of hers from this supposed universe is, they have a power that connects her to this place. Whether it's their own or not, a power is still held on their behalf. Right, Charles?"

Charles nodded, continuing on for Peter's meagre understanding,

"Someone in their universe has a link much stronger than any of our own. Elsie wasn't supposed to die that night, as I'm sure you already know. Something-or someone-took her to this hereafter. Where they felt she belong."

They say crying is a cleaning of the soul, a chance to realise what suffering and pain are to you.

For Peter, it was none of these things.

He felt like a broken record: hopeless.

But he had to accept it.

Everyone else could, so why shouldn't he?

Elsie Gilmore was in the afterlife.

════════ ◈ ════════

"Life after death"

Peter snorted, reading out what Raven had drawn out on the plain blackboard of her classroom.

Shortly after her return, Mystique had turned to a much needed profession of teaching sociology at the mansion. It was a strong topic of hers, a topic she knew much about, contrasting considerably from when she would fall back and watch as Charles aced all of his Oxford lectures. She had something she could teach. Something that meant something to her.

"Precisely, Peter."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You tell me."

Raven partially leant her weight on the discarded desk, that had been pushed against the wall underneath the board, behind her as she nodded for Peter to continue.

Almost frozen by the gesture, Peter voiced his cluelessness through one simple word,

"What?"

"Tell us what you think happens after death, Maximoff."

His eyes had glanced over ever so briefly to Elsie for any kind of help whatsoever. The sight of her alone had reassured him enough to state an actual answer, one to be taken seriously. Well, as seriously as one could take the speedster.

"I think it depends on how you lived your life, really. So, like, if you were like a patronising capitalist who stepped on quite literally everyone to attain wealth, you'd either spend eternity in someplace very shit or be reborn as a snail. Or, if you were a really awesome person, you'd be wherever you want, I guess. A nirvana, even."

Raven nodded, quite pleasantly astounded by his answer,

"I think we agree, Peter. Anyone else have an input..."

Her voice had trailed off into a faint background noise for Peter as his eyesight met Elsie's once again.

She gave him a warm smile as she mouthed to him,

'You did great'

Peter smiled back, an uncharacteristic heat falling upon his cheeks as he turned away reluctantly.

Sure, he loved Elsie, but he wasn't prepared to risk his reputation.

Or he just didn't want to embarrass himself in front of her.

I'm sure the truth here is pretty clear

════════ ◈ ════════

"Life after death."

Peter said gravely, jaw tightening as he kept himself before falling apart once again, though there wasn't much of himself left.