"Untouchable"

Author's Note: This is the latest installment in a series that has been going on, on and off again, for more than five years now. The reading order goes: Touch, The Rest of the World is Noise, Mouvement, The Dividing Line. The events that will take place shortly are payoffs of build-ups introduced in past installment(s), so, caveat emptor. The chapters and their related quotes are taken from Diary of Dreams songs, as the first installment was.

Warning: this one is a bit darker than the others, and has a sexuality theme running throughout, and has a few (non-explicit) sex scenes. Other warnings include cursing, violence and themes of self-abuse. You were warned.

Prologue

(The Stranger Remains)

(The stranger remains the same)

The black limousine slowly cruising through the streets of Harlem was the safest place to be in New York, as its sole passenger knew, for tonight, nobody would be looking outside. It wasn't the cold of late February or the three-feet high snow that kept them in their homes, huddled around heaters, the passenger knew. It was the TV screens, it was CNN, it was Fox – they were all waiting to hear the first baying of the war hounds.

Her hands tightened on her cane. Even without eye sight, she could still sense the bile fascination that had emptied the streets. It made what she had to do a lot easier, not because of the flashy car or the eerie sensation she knew was emanating from it, but it could help her make her point.

Destiny kept her senses peeled, and suddenly, in the scattershot emotions and screaming thoughts echoing, there it was – focused, poised and waiting. The eyes of a cat, glowing in the headlights of the approaching car. Destiny's fingers went down to the arm rest and she lowered the window on the side of the cat. The cat lazily approached and gracefully leaped up into the limo. The tinted window rolled back up, whirring.

Destiny could feel the seat next to her shifting as the cat expanded. In her mind's eye, Destiny saw her: thick, sheepskin coat over a pure white shirt, three buttons open, revealing a smooth, blue skin and a skull necklace. Black, form-fitting jeans underneath, the belt holding it around a beautiful waist adorned with skulls. Combat boots, black.

Henna-hair and feline features. Fierce, yellow eyes that did not show the pupils.

"Hello, Mystique." Destiny said. She leaned forward and tapped on the window separating them from the driver. George took his cue and began to follow the route he had been given.

"What is it, Destiny? Did you have a vision?"

"I am fine as well, thank you for asking."

"You didn't call me here to socialize." Mystique scoffed.

"No. But it would be nice, don't you think?"

"...yes."

"See? That wasn't so hard."

"You're awfully playful tonight." Mystique said, crossing her arms, "What did you see? Is it Rogue?"

"She has a name now. She took it from her lifelong tormentor."

"That woman..." Mystique hissed in contempt, "I never thought I'd be able to do worse than her. I'm surprised she's still alive."

"Not for long." Destiny pursed her lips to hold back a smile. Much as she hated taking pleasure in the demise of someone, having seen the scars made by her, she had always waited for the day she'd see her disappear forever.

"So that's what you saw?" Mystique asked, "Rogue's aunt dying?"

"Among other things... listen to me, Mystique. What is about to take place is beyond your ability to stall, influence or stop. It's too late to do anything."

"Then why are you telling me now?"

"Because I didn't see it until it was too late." Destiny said.

Mystique's brow furrowed. The car took a turn, gliding through the empty streets, surrounded by dead buildings teeming with the bitter taste of violent excitement.

"You?" Mystique asked, "You didn't see it coming?"

Destiny shook her head.

"I'm afraid whatever prevented me from seeing it, also revealed it to me for a reason. If I had to guess, I would say it either slipped, which is unlikely... or it doesn't care if I see, because I can't do anything about what's going to happen."

Destiny turned her head to face Mystique, and to Mystique, she was looking over her shoulder, at something behind her.

"Everything is about to change for mutantkind. It's not just the Senate vote, or what will follow... the metal Colossi in the skies, the police state setting its ever-watchful eyes on we the few. They will not blame her for it, thought she will look like the cause."

"...what will happen to Rogue?"

Destiny sighed.

"The same thing that happens to all of us when we lose ourselves." She said.