The story from the X-Men animated series of Mystique dropping her newborn into a river never made much sense to me. It certainly doesn't fit with Jennifer Lawrence's interpretation of the character. This is what I think happened.
Thanks once again to Spitfire47 for being my beta.
-S.L.
Though it broke her heart, Raven knew what she must do for her newborn son. Her life was much too dangerous for him. She had heard of an orphanage that catered especially to children like hers. Young unwanted mutants would be loved and kept safe in a place with others like them. This would be a good place for him.
Raven worried from the moment she first learned she was pregnant that the child growing inside would inherit her unique complexion. Those fears were confirmed when the shocked sonogram technician pointed out what she called a vestigial tail. She said it was nothing to worry about. The child would be perfectly normal after the minor deformity was corrected.
Raven knew the truth, though. This was no minor deformity. Her child would never be what the world deemed normal. Even if by some chance it didn't end up with her shimmering blue skin, it would likely have its father's deep red coloring. It already had his tail.
That was the first and last prenatal exam Raven went to. She didn't even stay long enough to find out her baby's sex. For the next seven months she used her shapeshifting abilities to disguise not only her blue skin, but also her growing belly. She prayed to whatever gods would listen that nothing would happen to her or the baby to put them back into the tender care of Western medicine.
When Raven went into labor, it was the middle of the night. She was staying at a tiny hostel, as far away from civilization as she could possibly get, away from the prying eyes of the public. The innkeeper was a short, portly old woman named Anya. She hadn't realized Raven was even pregnant until she heard the cries of pain. The old woman tried to take Raven to the hospital or at least let the local doctor make a house call.
Raven barricaded herself in her room. She refused to let the doctor examine her when he pounded at the door and threatened to run if the he didn't leave. Labor pains or not, she was well enough to get at least a few miles away if she needed to.
At first, Raven insisted she was fine, that she could deliver the baby by herself. After a few hours, however, the physical and emotional stress wore her down. She allowed Anya to assist her.
The shapeshifter managed to keep her peach-skinned disguise until almost the end. A few times she lost her concentration, she felt her eyes shift from their brown disguise to their natural glowing yellow. Luckily, Anya seemed not to notice or else ignored it as her own imagination.
"You're doing great, Raven," the old woman assured Raven as the baby's tiny head was crowning. "One more big push then it's over."
Raven closed her eyes and gave one final push. With a loud scream, she pushed the baby out. She heard the old woman gasp and shuffle away. Raven opened her eyes, dread in her heart that the baby was stillborn. When she looked down she saw with the start that not only was the baby's skin blue, but that hers was as well. Some time during that last push she had slipped her cover.
"Demon! You're a demon!" Anya ran from the room shouting. A minute later Raven could hear a car speeding off.
"No," Raven said weakly. She cursed the woman.
If only her disguise had held for a few more seconds. It was no matter, though. She couldn't hide the baby's blue skin - a blue so dark it was nearly black - or the spade-tipped tail wrapping itself around the child.
She scooped the squirming newborn up and held it to her breast. Raven could see clearly now that it was a boy. His cry was a weak little hiccup at first, then morphed into a soft warble.
"I hope you're nothing like your father," Raven whispered to her son. "I'm sorry you've had such a rough start, but we're going to have to move soon. It isn't safe for us here anymore."
Raven tore a thin strip of cloth from the ruined sheets to tie off the umbilical cord before cutting it. She left the afterbirth on the bed.
Let the old witch take care of it, she thought bitterly.
With the baby wrapped in a fresh towel, Raven cleaned herself up as best she could. Pain swelled in her legs and abdomen, but she managed to ignore it the best she could.
She wished she had thought to get diapers and baby clothes before now. Even if it were only a few, it would've done wonders for her now. Raven had tried to use a hand towel as a diaper, but with no pins to keep it in place it would do only so much good.
"We'll have to get some on the run," she told the now sleeping baby. "Then we'll find some place safe for you."
