Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men: Evolution
After her children had turned their backs on her in Egypt, Mystique wandered around for a time, supporting herself with money from one of her numerous bank accounts. She had a good deal stored up, but she just took out enough to get by for a time. She rented an apartment and mourned for all she'd lost.
After a few weeks, she shook herself out of it. Moping around would get her nowhere. She had to make plans.
She turned her mind to the problem of her children.
How could she get them to see that she truly did care; that everything she'd done was for their own good?
She'd have to get them away from the X-Men first. They'd only poison the minds of her children away from Mystique.
But how?
Kidnapping was out of the question. Kurt would simply teleport them out.
Getting Mastermind to alter their memories a bit was a possibility. Wanda Maximoff had shown what a difference it could make. But Mystique had no clue as to his current location.
Talking to them hadn't worked. They hadn't even listened.
Mystique sighed.
She got onto the Internet and checked her various email accounts. One of them, the personal address which was known to very few, had a new message. It was from Irene. Mystique clicked on it and read.
Mystique--
I know what happened in Egypt between you and your children. I had seen it beforehand, but I could not bear to tell you. I am sorry.
However, I have had a series of disturbing visions I wish to discuss with you personally. Please respond to tell me if and when you are coming. You know where to find me.
Destiny
Mystique clicked 'Reply' and typed:
I will be there no later than tomorrow.
Mystique
She clicked 'Send' and went to book tickets for the first flight possible.
-
"It's good to see you again," said Irene. The two women sat in the living room of Irene's house.
"What is it you wished to discuss?" Mystique asked.
Irene paused. "As I said in my email, I have had some disturbing visions. Much of it is blurred, but I know more than I think I want to."
"Tell me everything. Does it involve Kurt or Rogue?"
"I saw Kurt in one of my visions, yes."
"Was he hurt? In trouble?" A worried note crept into the shapeshifter's voice.
"I cannot tell. He seemed tired." Irene pursed her lips.
"What aren't you telling me? What did you see about him?"
"You were with him. He said... that he forgave you."
Mystique's heart leaped. "Wonderful! How does this come to pass?"
"I do not know the exact chain of events which would lead to this."
"Well, tell me the rest of your visions."
"I saw that a virus swept across the Earth."
"A pandemic?"
"Yes. This virus had been engineered to wipe out only non-mutant humans. After the virus had run its course..."
"So a virus is going to kill all non-mutants?"
"Perhaps. That's why I called you here."
"To tell me this?"
"Not just that." Irene paused again. "I do not want all of these innocent people to die."
"If the virus is to be, it will be. You can't do anything to stop it."
"You don't understand. It was created in a lab and released on purpose."
"You want me to stop it? Why should I do that?"
Irene sighed. "Billions will die if the Legacy virus is released!"
"No one I care about."
Irene turned her head away, a mannerism from before she was blind.
"Who'll end up releasing this virus, anyways?"
Irene turned back towards her friend.
"You."
"Me?"
"That is what I saw. Please, Mystique..."
"I finally have a chance to reconcile with my son!"
"If our friendship has ever meant anything at all to you, listen! All that I saw was a small fragment. I don't know what happened to cause Kurt to say this. This path may cause not only the world grief, but you as well! You don't know what sorrows lie upon this path!"
"Any sorrow would be worth it to have my son back." Mystique grasped her friend's hands. "I finally have a chance to get my son back. The son who I longed for, who I wept for... If our friendship means anything to you, you will help me reclaim him!"
Irene pulled her hands away. "I am sorry, Mystique. I cannot help you in this. I sought to turn this path away, but it seems that I have brought it down upon everyone instead."
"Fine." Mystique rose. "I will find this virus and release it." She walked out of the house and began her search.
-
Rogue checked her email and saw that she had a message from Irene. She opened it.
Dear Rogue,
I have made a terrible mistake. Your mother, Mystique, is attempting to discover and release a virus which will kill all non-mutant humans in order to fulfull one of my visions. Please stop her. She might listen to you and Kurt.
Irene
Rogue gazed at the screen a few more moments. "I guess I'd better tell the Professor," she murmured to herself.
-
It took a good bit of work to uncover the virus.
Destiny had inadvertently given Mystique the first clue by calling it the Legacy virus. Mystique finally found a top-secret project run by a private lab called Project Legacy.
It wasn't too hard to get in for someone of Mystique's ability. She then learned a rather suprising fact.
This Legacy virus didn't target non-mutants... it targeted only mutants.
Apparently, whoever ran this lab was rabidly anti-mutant. Mystique was confused at first, but investigated further.
She discovered a bunch of samples of the virus that had turned out incorrectly. After examining the files, she discovered the one she needed.
Labelled L-681, and called a failure by the lab, it would serve Mystique's purposes perfectly. She also took all of the mutant-killing Legacy virus in order to prevent it from being used. She planned to find a place to dispose of it where it could never be used.
Unfortunately, she neglected to read the file completely. If she had, she would have discovered that, although it was extremely rare, even someone with the X-gene could contract L-681.
-
It was an average day in New York City-- busy and full of people.
That was why Mystique had chosen this place to release L-681.
She crushed the vial which held the virus, leaving it to spread amongst the populace.
The virus spread through the air. Death came anywhere from 24 to 72 hours later.
-
The virus caused an uproar. But it spread, no matter what people tried to do to stop it.
It was too late for the X-Men, or anyone else to do anything about it.
"Damn you, Mystique," Rogue hissed as she watched the riots on television. "Damn you."
-
And Mystique stayed hidden, and she waited.
She returned to Bayville, the better to gain access to her son.
Perhaps even her daughter would return to her. It was always a possibility.
Mystique had thought for a long time about why this virus would cause Kurt to feel differently towards her, and she thought that she had it.
With all the ordinary humans gone, Kurt wouldn't have to hide anymore. He wouldn't be a freak. None of them would be.
All Mystique had to do was wait.
-
It had not escaped the people that the mutants seemed to be immune to the disease which ravished the world. Riots arose wherever mutants were found. Xavier let it be known that he would shelter any mutant who needed aid. He also enlisted the aid of Forge to improve upon the mansion's security in any way possible.
-
Mystique decided to pose as a mutant requesting shelter. Remembering Wolfsbane's powers, she imitated them, posing as a girl named Felicia who could change herself into a cat.
When the time came, she would reveal herself.
-
The riots soon faded out simply because there were not enough people to stage them. Mystique's plan seemed to be going perfectly.
Soon, soon, we will be a family again!
"Morning, Kurt," she said brightly.
"Oh, morning, Felicia," he replied sadly.
"What's wrong?"
"It's... my parents."
"What do you mean?"
"They... they aren't mutants," he said simply. "They... they lived in a rural area... maybe it missed them..."
Mystique felt a sudden flash of anger. She was his mother! What right had they to have such a hold on his heart?
Suddenly, Kurt collapsed.
"Kurt? Kurt? Help, somebody!"
-
"I'm afraid he appears to have the virus," Hank explained to a frantic Felicia/Mystique.
"But... that's impossible! Mutants are immune!"
"I don't know why, or how, but he has it." Beast sighed. "I'm afraid I'll have to declare a quarantine."
"No! It can't be!"
"I'm sorry, Felicia."
"Let me see him!"
"We can't risk..."
She shifted back to her true form.
"Myst-" Hank exclaimed, when he was cut off by a well aimed blow which knocked the unprepared mutant out.
She rushed inside the room. Kurt was hooked up to monitors showing his vital signs.
She grasped a three-fingered hand. "I'm sorry, Kurt. I'm so, so, sorry."
-
The news that Mystique was in the X-Mansion caused somewhat of an uproar, but Professor Xavier ordered everyone to leave her be. She never left his side.
Eventually, Kurt came back to consciousness.
"Mystique..." he murmured, looking up with bleary eyes.
"Oh, my son. This is all my fault. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything." Tears fell down her cheeks. "I'm sorry," she whispered hoarsely. "I'm so sorry."
"I... forgive you... Mother," he said, managing the faintest of smiles. Then the light faded from his eyes, and he grew still.
"Kurt! No! Wake up, please wake up, please! Kurt! KURT! NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Mystique howled out her denial and her grief. "No! You can't be dead... my son, my son... no, no no no! Wake up, wake up, you can't be gone, please don't be gone, I need you, Kurt, my child, my baby, my son..." She lifted his limp body and wept bitterly.
-
"Murderer."
Mystique looked blearily up at her other child. She still cradled Kurt's body in her arms.
"You killed him. You killed everyone!" Rogue accused, anger and hate burning in her eyes.
Mystique was silent.
"Murderer! You killed your own son! You killed your own son..." Tears began to fall down Rogue's cheeks. "You killed Kurt! How could you!"
"I didn't know..." she began.
"You should have died, not him! He did nothing to deserve this!"
"You're right."
Rogue fell silent.
Mystique looked up at her. "Kill me."
"Wha--"
"Kill me, Rogue. Please. You're right. I deserve to die." Her voice was extraordinarily calm, as if she'd already spent all of her emotion. "Drain my energy. All of it. Let me die."
"I don't want your memories!"
"Please, Rogue. I want... I want at least one person to understand. Please." She looked up at her daughter.
Rogue squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them. She removed both her gloves and dropped them onto the floor. She stepped forward cautiously, as if she expected Mystique to suddenly rise from her chair and fight. But Mystique only watched as Rogue approached, making no move.
Rogue put her hands onto Mystique's face. The familiar jolt came over Rogue as all of the shapeshifter's energy, thoughts and memories flowed into her. Only this time, she held on even after Mystique fell unconscious. The energy kept flowing. Mystique's pulse slowed. Her breathing stopped. Then, there was no more energy. There was nothing more than an empty shell.
And Rogue knew everything. She knew that, through all of the horrible things that Mystique had done, she'd never stopped loving her two children. She knew that even this inexcusable crime had been an attempt to gain the love of her son.
And Rogue wept, for the deaths of billions, for the death of her brother, and for the tragedy of Mystique.
-
They buried them both in the garden under an oak tree. A memorial stood for Kurt which read:
Kurt Wagner
Once rejected by the world for his strange appearance
Now he has come to his rest
He will be remembered, not as a freak, but as a friend
Not strange, but unique.
We will miss him always
Kurt's memorial was never without flowers.
And over Mystique's grave was a rock, with a few words carved into it.
Mystique
Her life was a tragedy
Her death came as justice
But she loved both her children
Occasionally, a single flower would be found resting atop Mystique's rock. But no one knew who left it.