Author's Note: Updated and edited for consistency. My "second chapter" in my Mystique saga, Where I Belong, ended up changing some minor things in this story, mainly the way Mystique uses language.
FYI, if you like this story, thank Randy Newman and "Toy Story 2" for it. It's inspired by the song "When She Loved Me" from that movie...mixed with the comic where Mystique was infiltrating the X-mansion to get Rogue back after she left for the first time. It came to me while I was driving to work one day.
Rogue left me.
I did not expect this. I knew her power was spiraling out of control, but I did not know how much pain she was in. I did not think she would become my enemy…my girl. My daughter. The only child I had that ever loved me.
The world turned gray. Not much mattered to me any more. Destiny tried to keep things going, getting the occasional job for us to do, and I would try halfheartedly to do my part. But it was not working. Time passed, and things mattered less and less to me. Why bother doing anything, when everything I care for dies or leaves me? I destroy everything. Nothing lasts.
I withdrew from everything. The brotherhood disbanded. I did not care. I tried to, once, to see if I could. Mild curiosity was satisfied when I found that I could not. Then I returned to staring at the wall and brooding. I could no longer cry.
After some time, Destiny told me we were going to do an easy job. I waved my hand and told her she could do as she liked, but that I would have nothing to do with it. This time, though, she did not back down. She pushed me and pushed me until I agreed to do it as well, just to shut her up and get her to leave me alone. She called together some of our old Brotherhood and said it was a simple and quick assassination. Pyro and the others would set up a distraction so that I could take down a corrupt city alderman, a real sleaze of a person. The pay was right, and I found myself taking some slight interest in the job. I prepared with a little of my former zeal for the work.
Of course, things are never what they seem. The alderman was not where our employer said he would be. The X-men were there instead. We had been betrayed again. I half welcomed it. Maybe this time, we were dangerous enough that the "do not kill" rule of the X-men would not apply…maybe.
I used two of the four bullets I had left in my gun to good effect, destroying Cyclops' visor and taking Storm's right leg out from under her, but I could see it was no use. Already most of the others had been subdued. Only Destiny and I were free, and she would not be for much longer. I hesitated, but then I ran. I did not want to risk capture.
Strong hands picked me up by my shoulders, and my daughter's familiar voice said, "Mother, don't make me hurt you." I shuddered and decided to try a dangerous bluff. I shifted enough to put my gun muzzle against my daughter's right side. Her hands clenched on my shoulders. I was about to speak when a loud noise to my left startled me. I reflexively pulled the trigger, Rogue dropped me and screamed, and another familiar voice cried, "Nein!"
Of course, I thought darkly as I fell. Who else should destroy Mystique but her son? Why not make her fall, as she did to him. It is the perfect revenge. I appreciate revenge.
Nightcrawler took Rogue and teleported away, and came back as I landed. I broke my left ankle in the landing. He kept me from further injury, though, by catching my arms and keeping me from falling to the pavement. I tried to shift some to heal, but I was so weak that I could not. He looked at me with … pity? He let go of me and cocked his head. "Mein Gott, you are so thin…" he whispered.
I would not be pitied. I swayed and leveled my gun at him, hands trembling, and tried to keep from falling.
He shook his head and used one hand to steady me. "Please give up, Mystique. You cannot hope to win." He made no attempt to disarm me. He just looked at me with sorrow. He had his father's cheekbones.
I had a clear shot. I could not take it. I could not even kill him when Arcade made a facsimile of him…how could I kill the real thing? My generous, impulsive boy. So I took the only action I could, the only one where Mystique could remain free. I put the gun under my own chin and said, "Goodbye, Kurt."
I started to fall as he teleported away. The gun fell from my hand and disappeared before I could do more than extend my hands to brace for impact with the ground. He caught me from behind and whispered in my ear, "Guten nacht," before he knocked me out.