[There's no need for Erik to get worked up. Wanda is about to tell him as much; she has this under control, but then she feels a surge. A mere check of the door is now a battering ram, and it's so sudden and strong in her head that Wanda physically recoils, a hand going to her temple as she cries out. It knocks her so off kilter that Matthew is momentarily freed from her magic as she stumbles back.]
It's all been an act.
[He's no minor telepath. He just--did something to her, but maybe she's shoved him back out. Either way, he's off running like a rat to hide, and as Wanda rubs a hand over her spotted vision she blindly reaches a hand out to grab Erik's arm.]
--go. Go back to Gabriella, I'll take care of this.
[She thinks she's just been jostled, blinded by the force of his anger in her head. But her sight begins to come back, slowly. Still.]
[ It comes as an immediate shock, seeing Wanda cry out in pain as whatever attack Matthew had thrown her way clearly landed. When Erik registers it's all been an act, he immediately reaches out and uses his power to force the steel doorframe to knit together, though not quickly enough, as Matthew had already vanished out of sight.
Erik comes to stand in front of her, his hands framing her face as he looks her over. Obviously the damage that's been done isn't external, but her eyes seem strangely out of focus and he's concerned. ]
No, I'm not leaving you. We don't know what he can do, we deal with him together.
[ Their odds are better that way, especially if Matthew proves to be significantly more powerful than he'd let on. ]
Gabriella's safe, she knows the protocol. We have to find him.
[ He can ask her later what happened, at the moment they have to hurry or risk Matthew escaping for good. Erik leads the way out of the warehouse. ]
Can you locate him?
[ They could both move through the air and look that way, but Wanda might have a quicker method of tracking him mentally. ]
[She blinks hard, Erik's face a strange blur before her. It's not Gabriella's safety she's worried about. It's his. But before she can say anything, form a proper word, he's on the move and she follows, footsteps heavy as her eyesight returns to normal.]
I can try. I...
[As her eyes pass over Erik, she freezes. It's Erik, but then it's not. A man, dressed in blue and black, an emblem with a four on it on his chest. Wanda remembers him. She pales, feet taking her back several steps in the direction they came, heart sinking to the floor.]
Stop.
[It's a whisper. Wanda remembers him because she killed him in front of his allies. He'd been a father, too. Just like Erik.]
[ Her quiet voice has him halting in his steps immediately, Erik turns to face her and she's looking straight through him. At him, yes, but it's that same unfocused gaze he'd seen traces of just moments earlier. He abandons the chase for Matthew, and takes a few steps toward Wanda. ]
What is it? What did he do?
[ Erik's anger is palpable, but his tone is steady. He can't figure out what exactly Matthew had done to cause Wanda to look so... displaced, unsettled; but assumes he's gotten in her head, though how deeply he can't tell. ]
Wanda?
[ He tries again in a calm tone, hoping to help ease her out of the mental fog that seems to have taken hold. ]
[He steps forward and she retreats, eyes wide. Logically, she knows--knows it can't be the man that confronted her that day, because there's no coming back from what she did to him. This should be Erik.
What did you do? is what she hears, Erik's voice a faint whisper she can't make out. Her pulse races, and she feels the impulse to lash out. Attack, again, to keep him away from her, because the shame and guilt make her want to be sick.]
Stop. [Louder, now. Harsher.] Stay away from me. Go away.
[Richards or Erik--both, maybe. Wanda rubs her eyes with the heels of her palms.
And go where, pray tell?
Wanda whirls around to see another familiar face. A familiar uniform, and a shield, and it had struck her as so strange even then under the influence of the Darkhold how this woman was a mirror to Steve. It didn't stop Wanda from killing her. But now she sees her again, and all she wants to do is flee. Get away. Escape.
Though there's still just enough of her common sense intact that tells her don't.]
[ Erik stops from advancing any further toward her. He puts his hands up in front of him in an effort to convey that he's not whoever she thinks he is, whatever her mind is telling her; but he doesn't know if it will do any good. Whatever illusion Matthew had thrown her into, clearly the influence was to destabilize her. And Erik knows quite well how easily that could be for someone with a past like his, or Wanda's. There were too many things one could take advantage of, if that was the aim. ]
I'm stopping. Whatever you're seeing, whatever you're hearing... it's not real. It's an illusion, put there by Matthew.
[ He glances around, as if expecting to see the man in question; but it's still just the two of them alone in the middle of two tall buildings. He doesn't want things to escalate, so he's trying his best to calm her; but he doesn't have the ability to get in her head and clear out whatever is currently taking over. ]
Wanda, it's me, it's Erik. You know me. Just listen to my voice.
[She can hear Erik say his own name. It's as if she's under water, the voices of Richards and Carter so loud despite her not knowing who these people are beyond that they were int he wrong place at the wrong time.
She knows they deserved better than their fate.]
He's--nearby. In my head. I can't see you.
[Wanda says loudly, unsure of where Erik might be, and trying to speak over the voices. Keeping her eyes shut does help, but it leaves her feeling frighteningly vulnerable if Matthew is around, waiting in the rafters.]
[ He reassures her, then lifts up off the ground to get a higher viewpoint. His ability doesn't allow him to fly through the air at superspeed, but he can cover the area quicker if he's not on foot. Just like he said, he doesn't go far, he's not about to leave her there vulnerable. She's in his sights still.
The streetlamps illuminate small pockets in between the darkness surrounding them, and as Erik focuses; he notices slight movement near the alleyway. There happened to be construction going on near the warehouse, so Erik takes advantage and quickly moves a long piece of rigid metal plank, dissecting it into four separate parts as he sends it toward the figure in the dark.
There's a strangled noise as one of the strips of metal closes around Matthew's throat. The other metallic shards hover in the air, ready to impale their target at Erik's slightest movement.
It happens quickly. One moment Matthew's struggling against it, and in the next he lashes out - shattering the glass in the building window nearest to Erik and sending it in his direction, forcing him to revert his efforts toward shielding himself. The metal around his neck stops compressing. ]
[The benefit of playing with people's minds for so many years is being acutely aware of the tricks. Dead people--low hanging fruit. Were she weaker in mind, if her own trauma hadnt already made her see Pietro and Vision on separate occasions, she might be in more of a bind. A mess on the floor, unable to stop the tears.
This just makes her angry. Frightened, upset, ashamed, but angry all the same.
Matthew, luckily, isn't skilled in fighting and keeping a mental intrusion strong. The sound of a conflict makes Wanda open her eyes, and the sound of all that glass has her moving, ignoring the shadows that seem to be dripping. Blood. Another weak grasp at her terrors.
When the metal pauses, it almost seems like Matthew has found another escape. His telekinesis struggles to unbend the metal. Just when it seems he might pry it apart, Wanda closes it tighter around his neck than it was before.]
No. We're not playing cat and mouse. You had your chance.
[ Matthew struggles for breath, hands uselessly clinging to the metal at his neck as if to pry it off that way; some instinct that proves to be completely ineffective. The more it tightens the more he lashes out with his telekinesis - sending every object he can find shooting forward toward Erik and Wanda. Erik's shielded them with a few large slabs of metal - some doors, some walls.
The anger in Matthew's eyes turns to panic as he realizes he's outnumbered, but he's still fighting; or at least trying to before the slow cut off of oxygen renders him unconscious. Or, if either of them decide to press in any harder, immediate death. ]
Wait.
[ Erik says, halting Wanda's compression of the metal around Matthew's neck. ]
I need to know who else he's communicated his plan to. If he has others he's allied with.
[ The three shards of metal hover near Matthew as Erik turns to Wanda. ]
Can you get into his head again?
[ He absolutely doesn't want to give Matthew the opportunity to try another illusion attack against her, but it's vital they know if this particular mutant is simply operating by himself; or if he has others behind him as well. Erik doesn't want to leave any loose ends that might threaten Genosha. ]
[Wanda looks agitated, being told to wait, but she listens. Patience isn't a virtue she has in moments like these, but that respect for Erik tempers her reaction.]
I think he's killed people before. Humans.
[Just a guess, the coward that he is. The fake story is one thing, but there's something there.]
Once I get the information, what are we doing with him?
It's clear what he intends to do, if he ever gains access to Genosha. I cannot allow that to happen.
[ There's a brief pause as Erik studies Matthew's face; finding both fear and rage in his eyes as he looks at the two of them. He's set on his path, and therefore it sets Erik on his as well. ]
He dies.
[ After this small confrontation between the three of them, it's unlikely Matthew would just disappear; never to retaliate again. Even if it turns out he's not connected to any particular group, Erik thinks of Kira, Nic, and the other children and it only furthers his resolve that Matthew is a threat needing to be removed. Even if Wanda took away his memories, it wasn't a strong enough guarantee they'd never need to worry about him again. ]
[While Erik studies Matthew, Wanda studies Erik. A steady resolve. She didn't expect anything less from him, but she does find it makes her heart ache. It's been a long road that's led him here.]
I'll take care of it. [She says, before she even realizes that she's opening her mouth to speak.] I'll see what else he has to offer and give him a taste of his own medicine.
[She'll make sure his ghosts are much more violent than the ones he summoned for her.]
[ Erik looks over at Wanda, not expecting her to volunteer. When he'd mentioned Matthew needed to be taken out, he was prepared to do it himself. He'd killed before, and in this case when it was in the name of protecting what he held most dear; it was a choice he was prepared to shoulder the weight of, without hesitation.
But she seems to not flinch at the thought of it, and they don't have the luxury to stand around debating who will do it, still he asks just the once -]
Are you sure?
[ He's not questioning if she can or not; but more so concerned about the toll it could take on her, taking Matthew's life. That's what he wants to avoid. But he'll respect her decision. Either way, they leave here tonight and Matthew doesn't. ]
[Wanda nods, hand lifting just enough to quietly touch her fingers to his wrist.]
I'm sure.
[She knows he's made an effort to be a better man than he was before. And maybe she doesn't want to stomach Kira and Nic looking at him with their big, curious eyes, and remember the sight of him killing someone.
Wanda isn't pleased to do it, either. But she can make it quick and clean and she tells herself that this is her, protecting the island. Protecting Kira and Nic from someone who would turn them into soldiers.]
Make sure no one is coming.
[Her way of wanting some kind of privacy. Erik doesn't need to watch them. Matthew won't be getting in her head again.]
[ He studies her face for just a moment, because they don't have that many before the potential exists for their fight to have drawn attention. Then he nods, and heads toward the entrance of the alley.
Erik doesn't want her to feel like she has to do this, he definitely doesn't want her to feel like an executioner; that's not why he brought her with him. But he's trusting that if she tells him she's sure, then she is.
Once he's at the end of the alley, he stands guard; watching for any signs of movement. ]
It's clear.
[ He calls out to her, then turns his focus back to what's ahead of him; keeping watch. He can still hear her from this distance, in case something goes wrong, he can be there in an instant. ]
[Matthew, at this point, seems to regret everything. The tears are heavy and thick--honest, and he calls Wanda cruel. Agatha had said the same thing.
She was right.
Cruel is sometimes the only way, she's learned.]
Do better, next time.
[In the next life, the next universe, whatever there might be. Wanda steps close enough to touch his temple, and she searches. There are flashes of incidents. A woman pushed onto the tracks of an oncoming train, made to look like she slipped. A man fishing at a lake, drowned. Matthew unable to make or keep friends, going from job to job, left to his own thoughts and all he does is read, read, read. Nothing good.
But he is, at least, alone in his endeavors. A little mutant killer, though the body count is comparatively low when his potential strength is taken into consideration. He could become a terror.
So-called accidents happening to people just going about their lives. There's enough in his mind that she can make it terrify him, because fair's fair. Out of the shadows come the mangled bodies, the limping men and women. Bony hands reach for Matthew's neck.
He screams. In reality, no one comes for him, no dead victims approach, but his shrieks end abruptly as his body goes limp. Dead or passed out from what seemed so real in his mind, it doesn't really matter. This needs to look like an accident. Just his style.
Wanda unwinds the metal from around him and, without much thought, blasts him into the base of some scaffolding. It's horrendously loud, the metal and concrete and wood crashing down and kicking up dust and debris, but the place was a mess already. The authorities can try to piece together what happened here.
But it's time for them to go. Wanda takes a shaky breath, trying to keep her anger in check.
She hates doing this, but Matthew left no other option.]
[ Erik turns at the sound of Matthew's scream, but doesn't move. He knows what's happening and it is what needs to happen. He knows she's done when the sound of the crashing scaffolding echoes throughout the alley. It will look like an accident.
He wonders if she made him suffer, he wonders what she saw in his mind. But he's not going to ask any of that right now, because they need to leave the area; and there's time enough for all of that later.
Erik approaches her and places his hand on her arm. ]
We have to go.
[ He says gently, and leads the way as they vacate the scene. Moments later, when they meet up with Gabriella, she asks what happened. Erik responds with a simple shake of his head and she understands; it didn't go well, and they'll go over it later. Right now, they had to get back to Genosha. Gabriella teleports them back to the island in the next instant once they've all locked hands. ]
I'm sorry.
[ He says to Wanda after Gabriella heads to her home and they're left in the quiet of the small clearing set a distance away from the community. Regret is etched on his features for how the night turned out, and the stress of what she's been through - he still doesn't know exactly what happened, what she saw when Matthew attacked her. ]
[That only the two of them return is telltale enough of what happened.
Once back--home, Wanda realizes is how she thinks of it--and standing in the clearing, Wanda thinks she can hear her blood buzzing around n her ears. Erik speaks, and it takes her a moment to reply.]
Me, too. I wish it had turned out better.
[But not everyone will be a fit for the island.
Wanda knows he'll want to ask what, exactly, Matthew did to her. She decides to talk about something else, first. Something else he'll want to know.]
He was alone. He was always alone. He took that out on humans. He liked killing people.
[She crosses her arms, looking down at the toes of her boots.]
The world is a better place without him. Even if he wasn't good for Genosha, it's good we crossed paths with him when we did. He could have hurt more people, or found other mutants that share his view, or...
[Any number of things. The caught the problem when it was manageable. All she has is a headache and some unjustified murder on her mind, which probably means sleep will be a gamble. She knows what nightmares are made of.]
[ Erik says definitively, without remorse. It was not an outlook shared by everyone, he knew that; but some people were beyond the point of bringing back. The world was better off without Matthew.
Much like the world was better off without Shaw - one of the turning points in Erik's life's trajectory. Though at the time, Erik had killed him purely for his own motivations of vengeance.
This was a bit different. He didn't know Matthew, save for their brief interaction; but it was clear his death was a necessary outcome. For the safety of their home, the people here, the children. Innocents that just wanted to live a peaceful life. Not to mention the world beyond just Genosha, that Matthew had his sights on.
Erik's only concern now was in how the events of the night might be affecting Wanda. She seemed stable enough, but taking a life was always a toll in some regard; and he still didn't know what had happened when she had looked at him like he was someone else entirely; lost to an illusion he couldn't see. ]
I need to drop this off, [ he says, indicating the helmet in his hand; no longer needed. ] would you join me?
[ He's concerned about her, and doesn't want to just leave her alone to her thoughts in her home. ]
[Wanda is sure the wife and children of the man she killed while hunting down America Chavez would think the world a better place without her in it. Them, and all the other loved ones of people she killed. Erik's question snaps her out of her thoughts, and she nods.]
Sure.
[She's not eager to be left alone to her thoughts, either.]
May I?
[See the helmet, she means, as she holds a hand out.]
[ He hands her the helmet, and then leads the way back to his home. It's another sign of his trust in her that he doesn't think twice before handing her the helmet to inspect. After all, she's already been in his head, seen some of his memories; and seen him more vulnerable than he'd been in years.
When they arrive at his home and climb the stairs up to the living space, Erik turns on a few lamps; illuminating the space enough to reveal the framed photographs of his family that sit atop the previously bare surfaces of his bookshelves, kitchen counter, and one in the middle of his table - the photograph of all three of them; himself, Magda, and Nina all smiling happily in the spring sunlight.
It makes the space significantly less stark, and much more personal. Still no color on the walls, but he's making small steps at least. ]
Make yourself comfortable. Would you like something to drink? Tea, water, beer?
[ He wishes he'd kept something stronger on hand, but alas. He asks her the question as he places the jacket he'd been wearing on one of the hooks near the stairwell. ]
[Wanda's merely curious, wanting to look the thing over herself. She is curious if she'd be able to get into his head while he wore it, and she's sure he'd allow the experiment given that he trusts her, but she's in no mood to mention it after today.
Follow him, she does notice the photographs right away. It makes her smile despite the fact that she just killed someone. This was the undeniable good she's done.
Carefully, she sets down his helmet next to the photo on the table and sits.]
I'll have what you're having.
[It's all the same to her.]
I like what you've done with the place. It feels more like a home already.
[ Erik grabs two beers and hands her one, then takes a seat at the table. ]
Well, I have you to thank for that.
[ He offers her a smile as he takes a drink. ]
The quality of these pictures is absolutely remarkable. It's like nothing I've ever seen. [ He remarks while glancing at the one atop the table. The photographic advancements just weren't present in that time period; but Erik doesn't really question it. She did gather the images directly from his mind, so it's honestly not the strangest aspect.
He has more serious questions to ask, and they need to talk about what happened; but he's giving them both a moment to settle in. ]
[Ah, so he noticed. Wanda smiles and takes a drink of her beer, though she's not particularly eager to tackle that tonight. One day, maybe. She'd like to be honest with him, as he's been with her.]
I'm happy to see them out in the open.
[He could have decided to put them away in a drawer somewhere. But no, they're here, where he lives his day to day.]
You're okay?
[There had been a brief once over for cuts or injuries on the way out, but now that they're standing still, she figures they can take better stock.
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It's all been an act.
[He's no minor telepath. He just--did something to her, but maybe she's shoved him back out. Either way, he's off running like a rat to hide, and as Wanda rubs a hand over her spotted vision she blindly reaches a hand out to grab Erik's arm.]
--go. Go back to Gabriella, I'll take care of this.
[She thinks she's just been jostled, blinded by the force of his anger in her head. But her sight begins to come back, slowly. Still.]
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Erik comes to stand in front of her, his hands framing her face as he looks her over. Obviously the damage that's been done isn't external, but her eyes seem strangely out of focus and he's concerned. ]
No, I'm not leaving you. We don't know what he can do, we deal with him together.
[ Their odds are better that way, especially if Matthew proves to be significantly more powerful than he'd let on. ]
Gabriella's safe, she knows the protocol. We have to find him.
[ He can ask her later what happened, at the moment they have to hurry or risk Matthew escaping for good. Erik leads the way out of the warehouse. ]
Can you locate him?
[ They could both move through the air and look that way, but Wanda might have a quicker method of tracking him mentally. ]
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I can try. I...
[As her eyes pass over Erik, she freezes. It's Erik, but then it's not. A man, dressed in blue and black, an emblem with a four on it on his chest. Wanda remembers him. She pales, feet taking her back several steps in the direction they came, heart sinking to the floor.]
Stop.
[It's a whisper. Wanda remembers him because she killed him in front of his allies. He'd been a father, too. Just like Erik.]
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What is it? What did he do?
[ Erik's anger is palpable, but his tone is steady. He can't figure out what exactly Matthew had done to cause Wanda to look so... displaced, unsettled; but assumes he's gotten in her head, though how deeply he can't tell. ]
Wanda?
[ He tries again in a calm tone, hoping to help ease her out of the mental fog that seems to have taken hold. ]
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What did you do? is what she hears, Erik's voice a faint whisper she can't make out. Her pulse races, and she feels the impulse to lash out. Attack, again, to keep him away from her, because the shame and guilt make her want to be sick.]
Stop. [Louder, now. Harsher.] Stay away from me. Go away.
[Richards or Erik--both, maybe. Wanda rubs her eyes with the heels of her palms.
And go where, pray tell?
Wanda whirls around to see another familiar face. A familiar uniform, and a shield, and it had struck her as so strange even then under the influence of the Darkhold how this woman was a mirror to Steve. It didn't stop Wanda from killing her. But now she sees her again, and all she wants to do is flee. Get away. Escape.
Though there's still just enough of her common sense intact that tells her don't.]
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I'm stopping. Whatever you're seeing, whatever you're hearing... it's not real. It's an illusion, put there by Matthew.
[ He glances around, as if expecting to see the man in question; but it's still just the two of them alone in the middle of two tall buildings. He doesn't want things to escalate, so he's trying his best to calm her; but he doesn't have the ability to get in her head and clear out whatever is currently taking over. ]
Wanda, it's me, it's Erik. You know me. Just listen to my voice.
[ He urges in the same calm, measured tone. ]
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She knows they deserved better than their fate.]
He's--nearby. In my head. I can't see you.
[Wanda says loudly, unsure of where Erik might be, and trying to speak over the voices. Keeping her eyes shut does help, but it leaves her feeling frighteningly vulnerable if Matthew is around, waiting in the rafters.]
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[ He reassures her, then lifts up off the ground to get a higher viewpoint. His ability doesn't allow him to fly through the air at superspeed, but he can cover the area quicker if he's not on foot. Just like he said, he doesn't go far, he's not about to leave her there vulnerable. She's in his sights still.
The streetlamps illuminate small pockets in between the darkness surrounding them, and as Erik focuses; he notices slight movement near the alleyway. There happened to be construction going on near the warehouse, so Erik takes advantage and quickly moves a long piece of rigid metal plank, dissecting it into four separate parts as he sends it toward the figure in the dark.
There's a strangled noise as one of the strips of metal closes around Matthew's throat. The other metallic shards hover in the air, ready to impale their target at Erik's slightest movement.
It happens quickly. One moment Matthew's struggling against it, and in the next he lashes out - shattering the glass in the building window nearest to Erik and sending it in his direction, forcing him to revert his efforts toward shielding himself. The metal around his neck stops compressing. ]
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This just makes her angry. Frightened, upset, ashamed, but angry all the same.
Matthew, luckily, isn't skilled in fighting and keeping a mental intrusion strong. The sound of a conflict makes Wanda open her eyes, and the sound of all that glass has her moving, ignoring the shadows that seem to be dripping. Blood. Another weak grasp at her terrors.
When the metal pauses, it almost seems like Matthew has found another escape. His telekinesis struggles to unbend the metal. Just when it seems he might pry it apart, Wanda closes it tighter around his neck than it was before.]
No. We're not playing cat and mouse. You had your chance.
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The anger in Matthew's eyes turns to panic as he realizes he's outnumbered, but he's still fighting; or at least trying to before the slow cut off of oxygen renders him unconscious. Or, if either of them decide to press in any harder, immediate death. ]
Wait.
[ Erik says, halting Wanda's compression of the metal around Matthew's neck. ]
I need to know who else he's communicated his plan to. If he has others he's allied with.
[ The three shards of metal hover near Matthew as Erik turns to Wanda. ]
Can you get into his head again?
[ He absolutely doesn't want to give Matthew the opportunity to try another illusion attack against her, but it's vital they know if this particular mutant is simply operating by himself; or if he has others behind him as well. Erik doesn't want to leave any loose ends that might threaten Genosha. ]
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I think he's killed people before. Humans.
[Just a guess, the coward that he is. The fake story is one thing, but there's something there.]
Once I get the information, what are we doing with him?
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[ There's a brief pause as Erik studies Matthew's face; finding both fear and rage in his eyes as he looks at the two of them. He's set on his path, and therefore it sets Erik on his as well. ]
He dies.
[ After this small confrontation between the three of them, it's unlikely Matthew would just disappear; never to retaliate again. Even if it turns out he's not connected to any particular group, Erik thinks of Kira, Nic, and the other children and it only furthers his resolve that Matthew is a threat needing to be removed. Even if Wanda took away his memories, it wasn't a strong enough guarantee they'd never need to worry about him again. ]
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I'll take care of it. [She says, before she even realizes that she's opening her mouth to speak.] I'll see what else he has to offer and give him a taste of his own medicine.
[She'll make sure his ghosts are much more violent than the ones he summoned for her.]
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But she seems to not flinch at the thought of it, and they don't have the luxury to stand around debating who will do it, still he asks just the once -]
Are you sure?
[ He's not questioning if she can or not; but more so concerned about the toll it could take on her, taking Matthew's life. That's what he wants to avoid. But he'll respect her decision. Either way, they leave here tonight and Matthew doesn't. ]
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I'm sure.
[She knows he's made an effort to be a better man than he was before. And maybe she doesn't want to stomach Kira and Nic looking at him with their big, curious eyes, and remember the sight of him killing someone.
Wanda isn't pleased to do it, either. But she can make it quick and clean and she tells herself that this is her, protecting the island. Protecting Kira and Nic from someone who would turn them into soldiers.]
Make sure no one is coming.
[Her way of wanting some kind of privacy. Erik doesn't need to watch them. Matthew won't be getting in her head again.]
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Erik doesn't want her to feel like she has to do this, he definitely doesn't want her to feel like an executioner; that's not why he brought her with him. But he's trusting that if she tells him she's sure, then she is.
Once he's at the end of the alley, he stands guard; watching for any signs of movement. ]
It's clear.
[ He calls out to her, then turns his focus back to what's ahead of him; keeping watch. He can still hear her from this distance, in case something goes wrong, he can be there in an instant. ]
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She was right.
Cruel is sometimes the only way, she's learned.]
Do better, next time.
[In the next life, the next universe, whatever there might be. Wanda steps close enough to touch his temple, and she searches. There are flashes of incidents. A woman pushed onto the tracks of an oncoming train, made to look like she slipped. A man fishing at a lake, drowned. Matthew unable to make or keep friends, going from job to job, left to his own thoughts and all he does is read, read, read. Nothing good.
But he is, at least, alone in his endeavors. A little mutant killer, though the body count is comparatively low when his potential strength is taken into consideration. He could become a terror.
So-called accidents happening to people just going about their lives. There's enough in his mind that she can make it terrify him, because fair's fair. Out of the shadows come the mangled bodies, the limping men and women. Bony hands reach for Matthew's neck.
He screams. In reality, no one comes for him, no dead victims approach, but his shrieks end abruptly as his body goes limp. Dead or passed out from what seemed so real in his mind, it doesn't really matter. This needs to look like an accident. Just his style.
Wanda unwinds the metal from around him and, without much thought, blasts him into the base of some scaffolding. It's horrendously loud, the metal and concrete and wood crashing down and kicking up dust and debris, but the place was a mess already. The authorities can try to piece together what happened here.
But it's time for them to go. Wanda takes a shaky breath, trying to keep her anger in check.
She hates doing this, but Matthew left no other option.]
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He wonders if she made him suffer, he wonders what she saw in his mind. But he's not going to ask any of that right now, because they need to leave the area; and there's time enough for all of that later.
Erik approaches her and places his hand on her arm. ]
We have to go.
[ He says gently, and leads the way as they vacate the scene. Moments later, when they meet up with Gabriella, she asks what happened. Erik responds with a simple shake of his head and she understands; it didn't go well, and they'll go over it later. Right now, they had to get back to Genosha. Gabriella teleports them back to the island in the next instant once they've all locked hands. ]
I'm sorry.
[ He says to Wanda after Gabriella heads to her home and they're left in the quiet of the small clearing set a distance away from the community. Regret is etched on his features for how the night turned out, and the stress of what she's been through - he still doesn't know exactly what happened, what she saw when Matthew attacked her. ]
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Once back--home, Wanda realizes is how she thinks of it--and standing in the clearing, Wanda thinks she can hear her blood buzzing around n her ears. Erik speaks, and it takes her a moment to reply.]
Me, too. I wish it had turned out better.
[But not everyone will be a fit for the island.
Wanda knows he'll want to ask what, exactly, Matthew did to her. She decides to talk about something else, first. Something else he'll want to know.]
He was alone. He was always alone. He took that out on humans. He liked killing people.
[She crosses her arms, looking down at the toes of her boots.]
The world is a better place without him. Even if he wasn't good for Genosha, it's good we crossed paths with him when we did. He could have hurt more people, or found other mutants that share his view, or...
[Any number of things. The caught the problem when it was manageable. All she has is a headache and some unjustified murder on her mind, which probably means sleep will be a gamble. She knows what nightmares are made of.]
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[ Erik says definitively, without remorse. It was not an outlook shared by everyone, he knew that; but some people were beyond the point of bringing back. The world was better off without Matthew.
Much like the world was better off without Shaw - one of the turning points in Erik's life's trajectory. Though at the time, Erik had killed him purely for his own motivations of vengeance.
This was a bit different. He didn't know Matthew, save for their brief interaction; but it was clear his death was a necessary outcome. For the safety of their home, the people here, the children. Innocents that just wanted to live a peaceful life. Not to mention the world beyond just Genosha, that Matthew had his sights on.
Erik's only concern now was in how the events of the night might be affecting Wanda. She seemed stable enough, but taking a life was always a toll in some regard; and he still didn't know what had happened when she had looked at him like he was someone else entirely; lost to an illusion he couldn't see. ]
I need to drop this off, [ he says, indicating the helmet in his hand; no longer needed. ] would you join me?
[ He's concerned about her, and doesn't want to just leave her alone to her thoughts in her home. ]
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Sure.
[She's not eager to be left alone to her thoughts, either.]
May I?
[See the helmet, she means, as she holds a hand out.]
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[ He hands her the helmet, and then leads the way back to his home. It's another sign of his trust in her that he doesn't think twice before handing her the helmet to inspect. After all, she's already been in his head, seen some of his memories; and seen him more vulnerable than he'd been in years.
When they arrive at his home and climb the stairs up to the living space, Erik turns on a few lamps; illuminating the space enough to reveal the framed photographs of his family that sit atop the previously bare surfaces of his bookshelves, kitchen counter, and one in the middle of his table - the photograph of all three of them; himself, Magda, and Nina all smiling happily in the spring sunlight.
It makes the space significantly less stark, and much more personal. Still no color on the walls, but he's making small steps at least. ]
Make yourself comfortable. Would you like something to drink? Tea, water, beer?
[ He wishes he'd kept something stronger on hand, but alas. He asks her the question as he places the jacket he'd been wearing on one of the hooks near the stairwell. ]
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Follow him, she does notice the photographs right away. It makes her smile despite the fact that she just killed someone. This was the undeniable good she's done.
Carefully, she sets down his helmet next to the photo on the table and sits.]
I'll have what you're having.
[It's all the same to her.]
I like what you've done with the place. It feels more like a home already.
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Well, I have you to thank for that.
[ He offers her a smile as he takes a drink. ]
The quality of these pictures is absolutely remarkable. It's like nothing I've ever seen. [ He remarks while glancing at the one atop the table. The photographic advancements just weren't present in that time period; but Erik doesn't really question it. She did gather the images directly from his mind, so it's honestly not the strangest aspect.
He has more serious questions to ask, and they need to talk about what happened; but he's giving them both a moment to settle in. ]
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I'm happy to see them out in the open.
[He could have decided to put them away in a drawer somewhere. But no, they're here, where he lives his day to day.]
You're okay?
[There had been a brief once over for cuts or injuries on the way out, but now that they're standing still, she figures they can take better stock.
And he can ask what she knows he wants to ask.]
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