Author's Notes: This story's based mostly on Raven LeBeau from Marvel Universe 41001. If you'd like to explore more of her past, check out my other stories, but it's not required reading. Here, she's crossing into Universe 616, which is where our Marvel stories occur.
Vicarious
If you're looking for specifics, I can't help you. I wasn't at the front. Or the rear. I wasn't even in the reserves. I was the hen on the nest, if you will. But I am the only survivor. The last of my world.
For a long time, I couldn't talk about it. But I'm ready now if you'd care to listen.
29 July 2043
New Orleans
Earth 41001
She knew before they told her. Oli was dead.
Her freckled-face twin brother was gone. They'd been conceived together. Born together. For years, they shared a room. Partners in crime. The gap appeared when they left home, started dating, and established careers. But the bond remained as deep as ever. Now he was dead, and half of her would never breathe or move or feel again. Part of her died with him.
But if Raven was half-dead, Meg was completely devastated: an empty shell of what once had been.
"Can you take her?" Scott asked. "And the baby?"
Oh god. Jack. What would become of him?
"Of course," answered Raven.
It was their final conversation.
Three offensive teams had been annihilated – Oli wasn't the only casualty. Earth's sharpest minds were working with the biggest muscles and the best tools. Still, it wasn't enough. Qabiri continued to cut them down with death's scythe. Humans, mutants, aliens, inhumans – all irrelevant labels in the face of certain destruction. They were living beings fighting for their right to live. And losing.
The call went out to every able-bodied person to join.
Join or die. Join and die.
What a choice!
Raven LeBeau was an invincible mutant with super-strength and the gift of flight. She would've been an invaluable aid, but in the end, she couldn't have tipped the scales. Instead, she stayed at home with her numerous half-siblings. All freshmen. Some had already developed mutant abilities. The bravest and best – Remi, Joie, Ikeno, and Oksana – would join the fray. The rest would help Raven with the weak, wounded, and helpless.
"My pillars!" she beamed proudly, trying to convey a bravery she didn't feel. This would be the last time she'd ever see them, although she refused to believe it. They stiffly embraced her – uncertain in this new role of "soldier".
Then she came to her father. Again, she refused to say good-bye. She said instead: "Good hunting."
"Whatever happens," he said quietly, "don't let them panic. Fear is the mind killer."
"There's nothing to fear. We're in God's hands."
His red and black eyes (Oli's eyes) flashed criticism he'd never voice. Instead, he said: "There's so much I wanted to give you. So much your momma-" His throat squeezed shut and for a moment no words came. "Thank you. For everything. Sorry I wasn't a better father. Wasn't 'cause you didn't deserve it."
She couldn't comprehend her father harboring regrets. He was an old man looking back on a life filled with missteps and lost chances, while she was a young woman looking forward to bright dreams. Although she realized her father was a broken man, she also recognized he was his best as a father. That was enough… even when it wasn't. But she didn't have the words to tell him.
"Don't talk shit about my daddy or I'll kick your ass," she said.
A weak smile cracked his gruffly, miserable face.
Brightly glowing portals appeared in the street. Magik appeared with refugees, ready to transport the LeBeaus. As they exited, Issa openly wept and begged Ikeno to stay. They were twins, too. Sometimes she thought that Issa had gotten all the bad for them both, and Ikeno, all the good. Could Issa survive without his brother? Surely God would not be so cruel…
One of the refugees, Nate Summers, had come with his children: four under six years of age. Their mother was already dead. Tears clung to his eyes as he kissed them farewell. Luckily, they were too young to understand. Raven couldn't even speak. This man had been like a brother and she loved his children as much as she loved her blood nephews. Surely, he knew.
As the day progressed, temperatures dropped and a blanket of dark, ominous clouds rolled in low enough to conceal the crosses atop church steeples. The roads vacated. Meg helped with the babies, and together, they decided to throw out all communicative devices. Meg telepathically received updates from her parents. Nothing good. Every dispatched team was crushed. Raven and Meg sealed the house. They further decided to lie to the children. Anything to keep hope alive. Four boys: Imo, Chibo, Ned, and Hattie had been armed and given posts. Raven's orders were to shoot on sight.
"What about cops?" asked Imo.
"Especially cops," she clarified. "First rule of the apocalypse: the powerful take from the weak."
The fires and riots kept a safe distance, and luckily, their only exposure to terror was a lone woman running down the street, screaming for help. Raven told the kids to keep quiet. The woman was probably bait to trick others into leaving their shelter. Her supposed attackers never surfaced.
"She's gone crazy," Jadida said sympathetically.
A warning whistle cut through tension. Silently, Meg gathered the babies and toddlers while Raven ran out to investigate. No invading army or looters. Just Vaughn: strutting wearily with his chin down and a white flag over his head.
She couldn't wait to be in his arms – the safest place on Earth – and ran to him like a silly school girl. His body felt wonderful: so refreshingly sturdy and rugged. She was sick to death of tears and farewells! Here at last was an anchor she could crash against. God, he felt so good. He smelled so good. Overwhelmed with desire and gratitude, she buried her face into his shoulder and struggled to regain her composure.
At length, she found her voice. "How'd you get back so fast? The job-"
"Screw the job. How could I stay away when I knew my girl needed me? I'm only sorry I couldn't get here sooner."
"What would I do without you?" she sighed and kissed him.
He stifled a groan and pressed against her lower belly. She exploded with unthinking and overwhelming desire. Her face flushed, certain everyone could see it, but she had to have him. Here. Now. Somehow, they made it past everyone to her bedroom. Did they know? Probably. Did she care? No. Rather, she was impressed that he'd waited so long to remove her soaking panties. The evidence of her desire drove him half-mad, and he'd barely unbuckled his belt before taking her.
It had never been like this between them. He'd always been such a considerate lover. In fact, had quite the reputation for it before setting his cap at her door. But right now she didn't need sweet words and tender kisses. She was a like dying man adrift at sea. She needed fire and shelter and stable ground, which he gave with such easy grace. Just being held, loved, and safe filled her with such undeserving pleasure that she quickly climaxed.
He stripped them both and made love more leisurely this time, again bringing her to ecstasy. Tears of joy mingled with grief and regret. He kissed them all the same. How could one man be so perfect? How could anyone love her so unfailingly? She would've given him anything; everything wasn't enough.
July 30, 2043
Wakandian Royal Palace
The King's white oracle, Honor LeBeau-Mohmet, had tolerated enough of his demands. She told him every path he could take would lead him to the same destination, and she was taking the day off. At her apartment in the palace, she helped her six-year-old son with his homework and made her wife's favorite dinner. After the meal, she turned melancholy.
Her wife, Tess, brought a glass of wine. "Afraid to face David tomorrow?"
"No. I was thinking about Oli. And his son."
"Ramadan's coming up. Maybe we should take a holiday to New York. Visit with Meg and the baby. What do you think?"
Honor shook her head, fighting tears, and drained her glass. She walked out to the balcony, where the weather had shifted. The air threatened rain and gusts weren't far off. Tess joined her and rubbed her back, waiting for the words to come.
"I told him," Honor finally said, overcome with emotion. "I told him she'd get him killed! I told him it'd tear this family apart!"
"I know, my love. But the mind can never conquer what the heart wants." She dared a little smile. "Aren't we proof of that?"
She brushed her tears away. "I meant literally, not figuratively."
Rain blew in, smelling of death. Lightning webbed through low, heavy clouds, and exposed an enormous man's silhouette. He pointed downwards. Below them, the ground rippled and broke. The earth's boiling blood sprouted and set flames to the crumbling bedrock.
"We're too late!" Tess gasped. She ran back inside for her son.
Honor calmly followed. "Don't be afraid." She held and kissed them both. "When we were born, our soul shattered and we had to live in separate bodies. But now we'll be whole again. Together. Forever. Like we always should've been."
Roman wasn't frightened at all. He was spellbound by the screaming fire.
Tess wished for their bravery, she came painfully short. She wasn't ready to die and wasn't certain in the immortality of the soul. When they were torn from her hands, she tried to scream, but there was only darkness. Unending darkness.
July 30, 2043
New Orleans
LeBeau Residence
"Gambit and the kids are gone," Meg said numbly. "My dad… Nate… I can't reach them. They're all gone, Ray."
Across the globe, dawn brought death. First, Australia, Japan and the Pacific Islands were incinerated. Then, Asia, India, Africa and Europe. As the ocean outside her city boiled, Raven gathered those left to her.
"Well, kiddies, I have bad news and good news," she told the room. "Bad news is we've lost. The good news is it'll soon be over… And where we're going, we'll never be separated again. Unless we want to be, because hey, it's heaven. I can't promise a quick and painless death, but I promise our mothers are waiting on the other side... After the fire's died and extraterrestrial CSI teams come shifting through the ashes, they'll find us frozen in time. Like Pompeii. But unlike everyone else, we won't be cowering! They'll find us on our feet! And they'll know the LeBeau family was the bravest brunch of goddamned idiots who ever lived!"
Kira, at the back, threw a fist into the air and shouted: "For Valhalla!"
The others took up the chant until the house rattled. Poor baby Jack and little Scottie cried. Raven mimicked them, although she didn't know why, and she laughed at herself as tears streamed down her face, chanting: "For Valhalla!"
When the ground cracked open, all her brave words fell away. She dove for the babies and then Meg. They evaporated in her hands like dried leaves in a roaring flame. Steam and ash melted her eye lashes, sealing her eyes shut. Her organs threatened to explode inside her body. Fire went right through her. Blinded, she was buried in a violent ocean of rock and flame. The noise was deafening but she refused to cover her head.
'It'll be over soon,' she thought. 'Soon. It'll all be over.'
July 30, 2018
Deep Space
The Unity Squad, a division of the Avengers, consisted of Rogue, Human Torch, Deadpool, Cannonball, and Synapse. And frankly, they'd seen better days. Battered and beaten, they boarded a spaceship to return home.
"Hey," Johnny caressed Rogue's tender shoulder. "You okay?"
"Nothing a hot bath and cold drink can't fix," she smiled.
Not only had they traveled deep into space, but they'd also crossed dimensions. Returning home from that voyage was no small feat. One always risked getting lost in space or time, but professional heroes didn't stay in the safe zone. Not when lives depended on them. Luckily, this ship could sail through trickier terrain, and they expected to be home for dinner.
As they re-entered the Earth's atmosphere, turbulence shook the vessel, slowed its speed, and then flung them. The pilot regained control but remarked on the singularity of the event.
"Better make sure we didn't bring a stowaway," said Rogue.
Synapse countered: "What could've survived without showing up on the radar?"
July 30, 2018
New Orleans
Earth 616
The King of Thieves works alone, surrounded by lackeys and marks. To their faces, he calls them friends, although he never trusts them. They would be wise to do the same. Occasionally, one will worm into his heart and earn his love – but never his trust. That piece of him is broken. He knows it. What makes him a great king also makes him a lonely man: the King of Thieves works alone.
"Robert Lord rides again!" Gambit declared to his new fake passport. "Beau travail, chere."
His document-forge specialist, who he knew only as 'Darce', beamed with pride. "Thanks, boss. Check me out. Danica Lord! Sexy, right?"
Fence, tech guru and their mutual friend, threw two black duffle bags between them. "Computer chip will distort TSA scans, so they'll see clothes and hygiene products. But if they open the bags, you're screwed. So try not to draw attention."
To this aim, Gambit would be wearing contacts to conceal his demonic red and black eyes. The flight was long and the contacts painful, so he'd have to take a sedative pre-flight. He never did like those things. Hopefully, he wouldn't heave his breakfast. Besides his visible mutations, a lonely man in a foreign country looked odd, so Darce would accompany him.
She was open and friendly, mid-thirties with round hips, glasses, pony-tail, and perpetual smile. Apparently, Fence had been working with her for months, but only recently introduced her. Any new factor could throw a team off, and Darce was no exception. Her constant chattering seemed to grate on Fence's nerves. When she boasted her accomplishments to Gambit, Fence took offense and was quick to counter with his own deeds. But Gambit needed a woman and no amount of technology could transform middle-aged, heavy-set, half-cyborg Fence into a non-descript female.
Gambit asked, "Danica your real name?"
"Think my birth certificate says… Darlene? Denise? Something! I know it's not Darcy. Picked up my name from the sea lions. They're my spirit animal, you know. Darce! Darce!" She clapped her hands and barked like the loveable creatures.
Fence laughed so hard his belly shook.
With a forced smile, Gambit said, "Maybe we should go as siblings 'stead of spouses, eh?"
He hoisted a bag on his shoulder and headed for the van. Behind him, he heard her tell Fence, "Gorgeous men are like wet blankets. I like a man who can stimulate my mind. Bet Bill Gates never got a date in high school, but look at 'm now!"
After that, Fence was considerably kinder to both of them.
They boarded and Remy felt the sedatives take effect. Conversation deteriorated.
"So… you and Fence?"
She blushed. "No! I don't know why everyone thinks that! I mean, he's really sweet and lots of fun-"
"So why not?"
"Look, boss, I really respect you and I want the same. So, for professional curtesy, can we not talk about my love life? Or lack thereof?"
He held his hands up in surrender. "Fair enough. Seems like y'all make a good match is all. But hell, I'm de last person to be givin' out relationship advice."
"Feelin' goooood?" she smiled.
"Mais – you're a woman… Why won't she call?"
"Rogue?"
"I called her every day for six weeks. Count 'm! Excuses, excuses. And we were supposed t' be a thing. Fine, she needs space. 'S fine! That night – that night – she hooks up with 'm! Him. So I let her be. And she still doesn't call! What am I? Dead?"
"Some people just can't be alone," she shrugged. "But, you know, in my experience, rebound is just rebound. Never works out. And, I mean, I don't know specifics, but I think when someone refuses to speak to you, it's not because they don't care. Usually they care more than they should and are afraid of what'll happen. Did she tell you not to call?... Boss?"
He was asleep.
She closed the window, wrapped a blanket around his shoulders, and put on her headphones.
July 30, 2018
Over New York
The deafening roar of planetary destruction receded into the vacuum of space, pulling Raven with it. Her legs flipped, her arms followed: over and over and over she spun. The pressure in her chest released and she automatically gulped for air. Oxygen! She could breathe! Elated, she opened her eyes in time to see a concrete building drop on her. No, she'd fallen on the building, not vice-versa. She peeled off and fell again: slamming into the street below.
"Fuuuuuuuuuck," she groaned.
'Get up.'
"Dying…"
'Then die on your feet, LeBeau. Get up!'
She staggered to her feet and saw two cops walking slowly towards her. "Miss, have a seat. You've been badly-" He paused. "Rogue? That you? We didn't know the Avengers were in the vicinity!"
'Walk.'
The police officers seemed to realize she wasn't Rogue and circled her again. "Miss, please sit down until an ambulance arrives."
"I didn't do anything wrong!" she shouted. "You have no right-!"
'They won't kill you. They're recording. Ruff 'm up a little and it'll make the news. Vaughn will see and know you're alive.'
"Please," she told the officers, "I don't wanna hurt you."
"You're in shock," one said, grabbing her shoulder.
In a flash, she knocked it hand away so quickly that his wrist broke. His partner pulled his sidearm and fired a full clip. Most of the rounds ricocheted off her chest but one grazed her temple. She didn't give him a chance to reload. She flew at him - fist extended - and caught him under the ribs. Then she shot into the air, leaving the city far below.
'They have 'copters.'
"I'll be long gone. And they'll be after… Why did he call me 'Rogue'? Did I – time travel?"
'Where are you headed?'
"New Orleans. When Vaughn sees the news-"
'There's no time for that! Turn around. We're going to Germany.'
"Not without him!"
'He's not indestructible like you, dingbat. He regenerates. That'll take time. You wanna be loitering around New Orleans, waiting for the cops to find you? Because they will.'
She about-faced. "What's in Germany?"
'The Momentary Princess. It's gonna help us get home again.'
"Us? Who is this?"
'All men desire me, although I can't be touched. Everyone sees me different and many have died for me. In battle, I accompany the dead. I am as personal and powerful as any god, although the only shrines you'll find in my name are in the lives of good men.'
"…Honor?" Raven's vision blurred and her throat tightened.
On the dark ocean below, a heavy freighter slowly chugged along. She landed atop a container and sat for a moment.
"Honor, what happened?"
'I think you know what happened, sweet Anna Ray. Does no good to dwell on it…'
"So how are we getting home? Did we time-travel?"
Pause. 'I'm not entirely sure where we are. When Nate realized all was lost, he collected everyone on Earth and sealed their consciousness in the White Hot Room. He let you go. It was a risk, but one we had to take. Someone was dimension-walking and you got caught in their wake, pulled into their world. I convinced him to place my mind with yours until we could fix this. The Momentary Princess is our best chance.'
Raven didn't need the basics. She knew the Momentary Princess was a magical stone and ward of the Thieves Guild. Her family had been protecting it for generations. Every twenty-seven to twenty-nine years, it appeared for minutes at the Martin residence in Germany. Anyone who could get their hands on it could glimpse their future.
"How is that going to help? You can see the future. Don't need a stone for that."
'It can do more than look through time. It can fold it. Suspend it. It's just never had a master clever enough to use its full potential. If we can get Nate that missing tool, he can do the rest. Raven… I don't think I need to tell you: no one can ever know. We need the Princess to get our world back. If people realize what it's really capable of, well never have a moment's peace.'
"Are you sure this'll work?"
'There are no guarantees in life. But this is our best chance.'
Raven wrapped her arms around herself. "I can still hear their screams, 'On. I can feel them burning."
'Rest easy, baby sister. All that's done can be undone, if our hearts are in the right place.'
…
To Be Continued…