So, this was the end? That’s what everyone was saying. ‘The End’ felt like such a meaningless term at this point. It was so relative, one person’s end able to seem like a minor disturbance to another. Erik had gone through and made it out of so many ‘ends’ that now he almost didn’t understand the word anymore.
This situation was different, of course. This looming ‘end’ applied to everyone, and not just the people residing on his own planet. This was massive and terrifying and yet Erik felt an odd sense of.. calm. Or perhaps ‘peace’ was a better term for it. It had been quite awhile since the master of magnetism had felt useful, which was strange. Now it was all happening at once, and within that misplaced peace he was feeling there was bitterness and anger and even a touch of fear. And seeing the faces of his fellow mutants created a sort of paradox for him-- one where he felt strengthened by their unity, but also hurt by their timing.
Where were they when he was out fighting alone? When the answer was clearly in front of them and yet Erik seemed to be the only one who saw it? They rallied together now, yes, but it was all those times of pain and hardship that Erik needed them, too.
Ah well. Charles would tell him to not dwell on the past. It’s what he had told him the entire time Erik knew him, but Charles was naive in that way. Always had been, even at his end.
( That was an ‘end’ that Erik had not been prepared for. )
Friends were hard to come by-- ones that he could trust, that he actually enjoyed being around. Charles was one of the very few individuals to make the list, but he was gone. Erik felt that loss every day, and being surrounded by so many only to feel lost even further was bothering him more than he anticipated. But there was one other person here who his thoughts drifted to--
Whether it was his own loneliness or his desire to check on a friend that drove him to pick up a bottle of scotch and a full chess set, he didn’t know. Perhaps it was both, a bit of selfish interest mixed in with the selfless. But with his arms full Erik found Jean’s room and knocked lightly on the door, waiting tensely for an answer.