Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men Evolution.
Just Run Away
Chapter One: Takes One to Know One (Liar, Liar)
"Come on, Mikey," Dani pleaded, giving a lopsided grin towards the man behind the desk. Bleeding and bruised, the 16 year old girl was not very attractive at the moment. She had a good body and if her face wasn't black and blue it'd be nice to look at. "After all I've done for you?"
Mikey "The Turtle" Dirona, son of the head of the biggest Mafia family in Chicago, was not a merciful man. His round belly peeked out from under her white shirt. The sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a napkin stuffed in his collar as he ate the buffalo wings. His face was round with a double chin and heavy lines under his eyes. Not an attractive man in any aspect, except maybe his power.
Five guards were in the room. Tank tops and belts adorned each of them. Two men in suits stood behind a tall, narrow faced man with high cheek bones and thin lips. His cold, reptilian eyes looked over the teenage girl in self-satisfaction. The man is Jimmy Chan of the Dragon Tri-peds.
"You've been good to me, Dani girl, yah have." Mikey said through a mouth full of food. "Yah weren't bad ta' look at either. Little thin for my tastes but not bad. But yah see," Mikey leaned forward, resting his weight on his elbows, the papers on his desk crinkling. "Mistah Chan here spotted yah with your hand in his cookie jar."
"I swear I didn't know it was Mister Chan's!" Dani squeaked. "Like I heard that some high roller was coming into the area to buy ol' Shine's bar. And like I planned to give you your dues, Mikey! I'm not greedy, you know that."
"I know that, girly. Now tell me somethin', who helped you get in? The one who knocked Mister Chan's friend out cold." Mikey asked.
"I did that. No one else was involved. It was a mistake. I'm awfully sorry about that-"
"A little thing like you couldn't have knocked out one of my men," Jimmy Chan finally spoke, his voice colder than ice, but smooth and sweet like a nice glass of wine.
"I used a piece of wood that was laying around, you see. I used to be on the baseball team so I got a pretty good swing," Dani explained quickly. Jimmy Chan obviously didn't believe the 5'3'' girl who looked like she hadn't had a good meal in a few years.
The doors opened and a woman who looked suspiciously like Rita Sironi, a powerful player, went over to Jimmy Chan and whispered in his ear.
Jimmy Chan frowned, his eyes narrowing to slits but he nodded and then said, rather tersely, "Let her go. Girl, go with Mrs. Sironi."
Dani's eyes widened to saucers but the man holding her at gun point grabbed the back of Dani's t-shirt and pulled her to her feet. Dani was pushed forward and she stumbled, though she followed Mrs. Sironi out of the room.
And then down stairs and then to the parking garage underneath the fourteen story building. "Don't try to run," Mrs. Sironi said, leading Dani towards her limo. Dani glanced towards the street longingly, but knew she wouldn't have gotten out of the city alive if she tried to escape. But going with Sironi would get her two in the head.
Dani found herself sitting in the limo a moment later. As the car began to move, Dani snuck a glance at the tall, curvy woman across from her. "Aren't you going to thank me? I did save your life."
"Thank you, Mrs. Sironi," Dani said quickly, meeting the woman's eyes.
"I'm not Mrs. Sironi," the woman said. "And I know you're a lot tougher than you look."
"I'm small but I'm scrappy," Dani said with a weak smile, finding herself confused and scared.
Sironi then did the strangest thing. She morphed, in under three seconds, into a blue-skinned, red head with bigger boobs, a slimmer waist, and wearing a black skirt and top. Dani made a weak whimpering sound, scooting further back in her seat and pressed her body against the door.
"I'm a mutant. Like you. My name is Mystique and I have the power to change my appearance at will." Mystique said carefully. "So, would you like us to stop and get you something to eat?"
"Yeah, I'm starved," Dani said, nodding slightly. Rolling with the punches was something Dani was good at. But even this was hard to swallow.
They seemed to drive for a bit longer before slowing to a halt and then seemingly fitting into a parking space. It was impossible to tell with the blacked out windows.
"You have super strength, am I correct?"
Dani found her mouth go dry so she nodded. "I'm strong, yeah. And most of the time I heal really fast," Dani motioned to her face, "But bullets hurt."
"You were shot?" At Dani's nod, Mystique continued. "Show me."
Dani unbuckled her belt and pulled down her black jeans, revealing blood stained blue panties and a large black and blue on her thigh, though blood was surrounding the bruise. "When were you shot?"
"Um, thirty minutes ago. The wound healed quickly enough, but then my stomach started growling like crazy and my wounds stopped healing. Then when they hit me all over, it really hurt. Usually it doesn't hurt when someone hits me but I guess my healing ability goes off when I'm hungry."
"I see," Mystique said. They sat in silence for ten minutes, parked somewhere, then the sound of a door closing made Dani jump. The window behind Mystique opened revealing a driver, but Dani couldn't see his face. He handed Mystique a small pizza box, which was then handed to Dani. "Eat up."
"Thank you!" Dani grinned and started digging in. Mystique watched happily as Dani's bruises and cuts disappeared. Dani is small, yes, but definitely womanly. Her long brown hair is straight and the bangs spike all over her forehead. She has freckles and she's kind of pale. Her grey eyes are round and expressive, her nose is slightly crooked but also small and slender. Dressed in a torn up, blood stained green t-shirt that looked so cheap that it could have been made from curtains and black jeans. Her shoes were in decent condition, but muddy and were probably not originally grey. Mystique could see Dani's socks through the holes in the girl's shoes.
The vehicle was moving again and Dani was finished with their pizza before they parked again. "We're at your," Mystique paused, not sure of the right word, "home."
"My home?" Dani didn't understand.
"The house you're squatting in."
"Oh." Dani nodded.
"My driver will help you pack," Mystique said just as Dani's door opened.
"Pack?"
"Do it," Mystique ordered. Dani nodded meekly and got out of the car. The house she was squatting in is in a good neighborhood. The house is a two story place with a pretty blue door and a swing on the tree. Dani pulled out a pick from her pocket and quickly picked the lock to the front door. She slid in with the driver behind her. The driver's a tall skinny man in a black hoodie and jeans. He's wearing sunglasses and has brown hair, along with a bit of hair on his chin.
Dani lead him into what she had dubbed bedroom. An empty room with a bunch of blankets in one corner. No furniture in the house but it's pretty with soft, warm colors. "Um... Can you grab that bag?"
"Sure, femme..." The man said, picking up the duffel bag. He had a strange slur to his words and Dani wasn't sure how to place the accent. "I'm Gambit."
"Oh. I'm Dani." She said, nodding to him.
Gambit watched her pile the clothes that were lying around the floor and the few books that were on the pile of blankets into a book bag that looked like it was stolen recently. The duffel bag was a different story. It was worn out and heavy, probably filled with everything the girl owned and always zipped up and ready to go if she had to get out of this place in a hurry.
Dani nodded to Gambit before leading him out of the house. She locked the door behind her and followed him to the limo. He opened the door for her and dramatically waved his arm. Dani couldn't help but smile at him before sliding into the car. She heard the trunk opening behind her.
"Do you have any family?" Mystique asked.
"Nah," Dani said, shrugging. At Mystique's look, Dani continued. "My dad was some rich guy that got a prostitute pregnant. He paid her money every month to keep me a secret from his family. I never met him though. My mom worked the street corners but last year she got into some needles and, like," Dani looked at her reflection in the blacked out glass, "she overdosed a few months ago. Needle still in her arm when I found her. I couldn't tell anyone or else they'd put me in the system. So I asked some guys to help me drop the body off at the morgue. They cremate people for free if it's a John Doe. I was kicked out of the apartment a few weeks later. I've been doing odd jobs, legit jobs. But I get a few jobs from Terrance now and then, running stuff. And Mikey gives me jobs now and then. Stealing stuff, distracting guards." Dani shrugged, looking back at Mystique.
"What about school?" Mystique asked, holding onto the seat belt as the car did a quick turn.
"I'm sixteen so I dropped out when mom died. I would be a sophomore." Dani said, embarrassed. "I don't miss school or anything but I kind of miss reading. I liked my English teacher, he suggested books for me."
"You've been out of school for how long?"
"Four months," Dani answered.
"I'm Raven Darkholme, Principal of Bayville High. I can have you back in school. I run a boarding house, too, as Mystique." Mystique said.
"Where's Bayville? And why would you help me?" Dani asked.
"Bayville is in New York, two hours out of the City. And I'm helping you, Dani, because we're both mutants. Sisters." Mystique said, leaning over and taking Dani's hands in her own. "When I was your age I couldn't control my powers and the other children were vicious. My parents abandoned me. I don't want you to suffer like I did."
Seeming to believe this, Dani gave a small, gentle smile.
On the plane ride to Bayville, Dani fell asleep on Mystique's shoulder after playing a round of cards with Gambit.
Notes: So, if anyone's confused, my OC's little story of 'how she stayed out of the system' is a half-truth (her own little edit of what happened). So, no, what she said would probably not work. Also, the correct term would have been Jane Doe. But Dani didn't know that. And Mystique's being manipulative and lying through her teeth, so I hope I had her in character. Short beginning, but I've written a few more chapters of this just for fun and if anyone likes it I'll post more. I feel I kind of rushed the intro but I wanted it to be somewhat ambiguous. Tell me what you think?