The Human X-factor

by Orkoad

Based on characters and situations created and/or owned by Marvel Comics, Sunbow Entertainment, Kids WB and John Proft.

Special thanks to Red Witch for the use of her character, Spyder.

Chapter 1: Birth of Vengeance

The year: 1894

The fall leaves were freshly falling on the New York street, as Raven Darkholme looked outside the window of the massive cottage she shared with her beloved husband. She wore a wide smile as she turned to look over the luxurious room. Red hair, blue skin and glowing yellow eyes made her appear like a forbidden angel from some alternate plane of existence. She gave a passing sigh of contentment as she walked into the living room and picked up the morning paper one of the servants had delivered. She was about to open it when there was a knock on the door. She set the paper down and raced for the door.
"Who is it?" She called out in a nearly giddy voice.
"It's Mr. Wagner." The cheery male voice called out from the other side of the fine oak door. She smiled almost as giddy as a schoolgirl, as she reached for the handle but then stopped. She closed her eyes and let her mind focus, and as if by magic, her appearance shifted. Her skin morphed from bright blue to a supple bright peach, her hair now a platinum blond. When her eyes opened they were no longer blinding yellow but white, with shimmering green in their centers. Finished with her little change, she opened the door and smiled wildly at the man who stood beyond. He was tall, with wavy blond hair and a smile that would make any woman melt. She leapt up and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him fiercely, showing physically how much she missed him. When the exchange of affection was over, the man gave Raven an inquisitive look. Her look became almost fearful. "What?" She asked, afraid something terrible had happened.
"Who are you and what have you done with my wife?" He asked, a small smile growing, a teasing smirk showing his enjoyment of the little game. Raven blushed, and let her focus slip, her form returning to her more beautiful shimmering light blue skin, dazzling yellow eyes and Scarlet shoulder-length hair. The tall man smiled and wrapped his arms around her in response, kissing her slowly and deeply, letting the kiss linger for several seconds.
"How was your day, my angel?" He asked, so softly it was almost a whisper.
"Oh Eric... I could die happy right now... you are the only thing that matters to me." she said with a bright smile, her eyes locked on his sparkling green orbs.
"I was hoping you would say something to that effect. That's why I got you this..." he said, handing her a small jewelery box. Her breath held in her chest as she looked at the expensive looking box, and took it in her trembling fingers. She looked up at his mesmerizing smile, before returning her gaze to the box and opening it.
Inside the box was a shining golden necklace, with a heart shaped locket at its end. Her eyes trembled as her slender fingers extended to open it to show two pictures: one of herself, her "true" self on the left, and a picture of Eric on the right. She looked up at Eric, here eyes welling up with tears as she lept to him, hugging so tightly that he lost his breath for a moment, before calming himself and holding her close to him.
"I assume you like it?" he asked with a smile. She looked up at him again, and kissed him with a wild, fiery kiss, then slowly pulled back."What do -you- think..." She smiled wickedly, tugging him slowly to the bed.

Just then, there was an angry rapping on the door. Eric frowned, and looked down at his love. She groaned, not wanting to let it go, but she knew her husband well enough to let him answer the door. He made an odd motion with his head, which confused her for a moment, when it came to her. She was different, and had to make herself look... not different. She gave a comforting smile and nodded, Her features shifted back to that of the platinum blond appearance. He forced a smile and kissed her quickly, before walking to the door.
"I'll make it up to you, soon as they're gone..." he said with a smile. No sooner was the promise out of his mouth than the door flew open, leaving a hole in the wall where the doorknob connected with the wall. The door frame burst with splinters as a mob of 6 people stormed into the room, some with muskets and others with torches.
"What the devil..? what's the meaning of this!" Eric demanded in a rage. The mob began talking all at once, but became silent when Eric rose one hand. Looking over the group, he found a man he recognized. "Nathanial, what gives you the right to burst into my home like this?"
"You know only too well!" the middle aged man said, a musket in hand. He was a tall man, showing the first signs of middle age, with his hair beginning to gray in some places. His attire was that of a political man of the time, the Western suit that seemed to fit the era. He pointed to Raven, an angry shaking finger marking her. "You speak of the Devil, well there it sits!" he howled.
Raven stood up angrily. "How DARE you! We've done nothing to you. Why do you barge in with these terrible allegations?" Raven demanded, wrapping the blanket around her as her nightgown leaving very little to the imagination.
"Silence, harlot!" Nathanial bellowed, slapping her to the ground. She fell hard, tasting blood but regardless struggled to hold her form. Eric punched Nathanial hard in the face in retaliation, but was pulled off by three of his followers. Nathanial groaned as he stood, wiping the spot of blood from his nose as he looked back at Eric.
"You and I have known each other along time, Eric. I ask you once, as a friend...tell me you never knew." Nathanial almost begged, as the other two men pulled Raven up from the floor, keeping her from running off. Eric knew full well what he was talking about, but hoped to God he would be a well enough actor.
"What are you talking about Nathanial, have you gone mad? You still have yet to explain yourself!" Eric snarled, still unable to pull away from the men who had helped him up. In response, Nathanial picked up his musket, walked over to Raven, took a fistful of her hair and used his other to point the barrel of the musket under her chin.
"You will show your true form or I will splatter your innards all over this room! I very much doubt you can stay this way after death." Raven looked over to Eric, tears streaming down her face. Eric nodded, giving her his council in silence. Raven's eyes clamped shut, more afraid than she had ever been, and let her shape change, her skin darkening to her normal blue, her eyes glowing as she weakly fluttered open. the group gave a collective gasp, all except Nathanial and Eric. Nathanial caught on to this, and punched him hard in the abdomen. Eric fell to the ground, his captors releasing him to let him fall. Nathanial stood over him, his voice now empty and devoid of emotion.
"Eric Wagner, you are charged with the sheltering of a known demonic being. You and I both know that you knew full well what she is, and because of that...you shall share her fate." Eric's eyes widened in horror.
"What are you, what gives you the right to decide things of this magnitude!" Eric bellowed, his hands cradling his lowed body, looking up from his position on his knees. Nathanial grabbed him by the hair now, kneeling down to face him in anger.
"We are the Friends of Humanity, a newly formed group of men and women determined to keep our world free and clean of evils like this!" Nathanial bellowed, pointing the musket at Raven, her body trembling now as she still struggled to free herself.
"None but God are allowed such a right. Only He is to determine who should live or die!" Eric shouted angrily. Nathanial kicked him hard in the face, causing him to fall hard on his back.
"God is not here to help you, for we do God's will." Nathanial replied, as he readied his rifle, and pointed it at Raven. "Have you anything to say before we send you back to the hell for which you came?" Raven looked up at the man, her whole body trembling in fear.

"She may have nothing to say...but I -do-!" Eric's voice bellowed as he lept for Nathanial, sending a punch hard into his nose. Nathanial fell hard, a deafening 'crack' sound erupting from it as Eric turned fast, kicking one man holding Raven deep in the chest, sending him flying into the bed while gripping the musket of the other man and swinging it at its owner, cracking it over the man's face. Raven let herself fall to the ground, grabbing the musket and firing it quickly at one the men who had been holding Eric, sending him flying through the window behind him. This man had a torch in his hand, and when he shattered through the window, the torch had fallen to the ground, erupting in an inferno against the drapes that quickly began spreading. Eric quickly pulled Raven up, but before he could do more, the last man had lept onto him from behind, holding him in a chokehold. Raven was searching for the musket to help, but between the fire and the smoke she could barley see at all.
"RUN!" He called out, causing her to look back at him. He was already fighting the man off, elbowing him hard in the side. Raven nodded and sprinted out the open doorway. Eric was finally able to pull himself from the man behind him and used the moment of freedom to whirl around and punch him in the face, causing him to fall in a heap at the floor. Eric was about to run out, the room almost completely filled with flame, when he looked down at Nathanial.
"You disgust me... you were a great man Nathanial Carson, how could you have strayed so far from the line?" Eric said as he turned and started off. Just then there was a loud bang, and suddenly the world went silent. Eric looked down, and saw a gaping blood spot in the center of his chest. He reached back and felt the gap in his back where there should have been untouched flesh, felt the cold wetness of a flesh wound, and turned again to look back at Nathanial, the undamaged musket barrel pointing at him.
"You... Eric, were once a good man... now nothing more than a temptress' puppet." He said, before his hand became limp, the musket fell to the ground and his eyes became lifeless. Eric turned and stumbled out.

Raven stood in the woods just outside the house, watching as the fire slowly consume it. Her heart skipped a beat as she saw Eric stumble out. She raced to him, letting herself morph back to her platinum-haired disguise as she ran out of the woods and raced up to embrace him. She then felt the dampness on his back, and lost her breath as she looked at the blood on her hands. Unable to stand, he fell to the ground on his back, her hands never leaving his sides as she struggled to keep him on his feet but fell to her knees over him.
"Eric.. .p. please.. I'm so sorry.. I don't know how they could have known." She said, her words blurring together, her heart pounding in her chest as she looked desperately for something she could do to save him. He coughed, blood splitting out of his mouth with the cough as he looked up at her, his eyes so dark as though the life was slowly leaving them.
"R...Raven... l.. let me see your true face..." He begged, as he reached up to cup her face in one hand weakly. She felt the blood on his fingers as they brushed against her face, as her face returned once more to its true form. He smiled as he pulled her hand to hold his against her face.
"You have the most beautiful eyes, my love..."He said, fighting to stay there, to stay in the moment, to stay in this world. "I love you, Raven..."

"I love you Eric... p-please.. we'll get help." Eric shook his head. He knew it was too late, they both knew it, but Raven didn't want to believe it, didn't want to listen to her own common sense. He smiled up at her as he stroked his fingers along her hair before his hand slowly fell to the ground.

Raven's eyes widened, tears moistening the soil around them. Her hands shivered as they reached down to cup his face, as his eyelids slowly fell, closing for the last time.

XxXxX

Hours passed, and Raven found herself in a new form: shorter, a darker shade of peach flesh and in a servant's attire. As she wandered the streets of the nearby town, she seemed distant to the entire world, as she looked down over the locket, the last item to hold her on to happier days. She wanted to leave all together, but first she would find those who brought the happiest time in her life to an end. that's when she noticed the paper at the newsstand at the end of the street. Quickly she snatched a copy and read the headline:

"Friends of Humanity, newest friends of the human race!"

Raven's eyes narrowed, anger filling every inch of her. She had nothing left...no home, no life, no love. Hate was all she had now, and she would make the whole human race suffer, but that wouldn't be enough. As she looked over the paper, she eyed the picture of the F.O.H.'s founder, Nathanial Carson. She crushed the paper in her hands and started down the street, plans of vengeance hatching in her mind.

"You may have cheated me out of my vengeance, Nathanial Carson...but i will make you pay! Even in death, I will kill your family, along with every human on Earth, and the mutants will rule! You, your family, and every person who even considered being in the F.O.H. will know the wrath of...Mystique."

Chapter one is done! Please bear with me because this is the first time I've written from chapter-to-chapter like this. Spyder will show up soon, as well as a character of my own, who will either be the one to save the X-men and all of mutant- and human-kind...or be their downfall...