Disclaimer: X-Men cannot be mine.
In the span of six weeks this was the sixth murder now. A coincidence at a point or might be a subtle hint if one wants to think.
If this was a clue or link, no one placed much thought of it since the culprit never timed his killings. It was erratic, no pattern to surmise at all.
But this murder case was somehow exceptional as it has managed to draw the attention of both the X – Men and Brotherhood. Surely, both parties only correspond to subjects that relates to mutant problems, especially Magneto.
It was none of Magneto's beautiful business to associate himself in pitiful Homo sapiens matters. Let alone show concern for their death in the hands of a fellow superior.
The killer was a mutant. No doubt at that. The corpse had provided enough evidence for that fact.
When the first murder was reported it had been neglected as another natural ill-mannered mutant behavior. The victim was a nameless person in the crowd anyway. Another scare to the human community added.
Three days after, a mutant was found dead the same way the man had been. Just looking at the body would make anyone deduce it was the same killer. But the fact that this second victim was a mutant had been confusing. They concluded that the culprit might have had a grudge against this one. Case closed. Officials don't have time for petty mutant misunderstandings.
Two days after, a metal forging factory in the midst of a private property area had been burned down. No death has been listed. How this occurrence was related to the murders they would only later find out. Angered employees they had insinuated since no further evidence was found. What else can you see in a place that was burnt to the crisp?
And no, if you think it was Pyro who did that. There was no reason for Magneto to impose such action. The more metal in the world, the more powerful he'd be.
One week later Norman Edwardson, a government official on the Mutant Affairs, was found sprawled lifeless on his lawn. He had the same murderer. This time they had been more alarmed.
The X - Men were distressed due to the fact that this human works for mutant welfare. It would leave more unruly impression of mutants.
Magneto was simply intrigued.
A day after Edwardson's death, the X – Men and Magneto received an identical letter. Indicating an address and time. What surprised them was the list written below.
Lucas Daughtry
Guy Wendell
INT Forging Metal Works
Norman Edwardson
Along with the letter came files of mutants that were identified and some that were captured by the MRD.
And of course the lone card that was always left behind at the crime scenes of the murder. The one on the factory must have escaped the hands of the investigators.
The Queen of Hearts.
After reveling on this information some investigators suspects that the culprit might be a woman due to the choice of card. Some say that it could have been dissuading information that the killer must have wanted them to think of.
Either way, they called him or her the Queen of Hearts.
Wolverine did not want to entertain the idea that bucket head had showed up at the area. Every X – Man was there. In which Magneto needn't have to bring his whole army but still ended up having a number of troops that'll pass as one to head on an invasion.
The Brotherhood leader found it more interesting. The Queen of Hearts had given information on both sides of conflicting mutants.
It was a laboratory. Hiding and experimenting captured mutants. Negotiation that was what the X – Men wanted. After all they had the Secretary of Mutant Affairs with them. Diplomacy and peace they say.
Reclaim and destroy was what Magneto imposed.
In the end, the god of metal got what he wanted. Apparently the security didn't want to be hospitable either.
To where the freed mutants want to flee was their own choice. Some went with the X – Men, some with the Brotherhood, and some away they don't know.
There was no conversation afterwards.
Four days after that mission, the highest commanding officer of the MRD was killed on his office by the Queen of Hearts.
One week passed, another mutant was killed.
And now it was a senator.
The corpse was the testimony.
The eyes almost bulged out of their sockets. The face screamed shock, fear and death. The body was drained. Malnourishment or anorexia depiction was not even close. It was skin fused to bone. It seemed to have no blood and organs. Everything thinned out.
Energy and life sucked out almost reducing it to dust. Almost.
The clue was the imprint.
The Queen of Hearts.
A mutant with the power of draining life force. Just like Rogue.
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You stumble on the dark hollow hallway.
You guide yourself with the oak wood walls, dragging yourself inside a room in the end of the path.
You wonder around similar to a drunk. Like the hallway the room was dark. You enter a smaller space in the room. You try to reach for something at your left, twisting it water came out. Your hands cupped the water immediately. Scrubbing them with a force enough to make them red, but you don't see it or anything. There was nothing but black.
You splashed water on your face and clenched the edge of the sink.
The sound of running water was drowned out.
You feel the abnormally fast beating of your heart; you can hear it too, pounding in your ears. You think your lungs would explode any minute as your breathing becomes more erratic every second. You feel uncontrollable heat coursing through your veins. Life and energy pulsating in every nerves. Every fiber in your body was screaming.
And then you feel something beckoning you at the back of your mind. At the click of approval in your thoughts every single candle in the bathroom flickered with light. With flame. Wick burning. The smell, the feeling, the sensation, you inhale everything in making you feel sedated but calm.
You notice your reflection in the mirror. Enchanting and prim yet disheveled.
Soulless hooded red eyes stared back at you. You see the face of death.
You see a person that was not you.
Your eyes rolled back. Your vision blurred. And you fell.
Everything that surrounds you returned to pitch black.
It wasn't until later that you find your self lying on the bathroom floor.
A/N: Please comment.