2. Meanwhile

„What do you mean... What are you planning?" A soft voice asked while the sound of sipping of tea filled the small room.

Four white walls, one window and a door, a clock on the wall, one arm chair and one wooden coffee-table were the only pieces of furniture, located in the center of the room. It was a cold, saltless ambient. Without pictures, without color, without life.

Only one picture frame was lying face down on the coffee table.

The widow was shut and the dark red curtains were pulled over it but the door was slammed wide open with a little hole on the wall the same size and shape as the door-knob. The cool air licked the wooden floor making its way deeper into the small room like a pack of mad dogs craving for the heath of their fresh hunting catch. The steam of the once boiling teas was swiftly swallowed the cold not leaving a nip of warmth in it.

„What? No welcome-back or nice-to-see-you-again? "

She didn´t had to look to see there was no smirk that fit to the smartass remark. It was like standing on the edge of the knife, as if a fight couldn't be outran. The air was bitter in her nose as she took a deep breath, heavy in her lungs as she filled them and unsatisfying in her body as she emptied them again. Like she did not breathe at all.

„Like I said, what do you want?"

„He has to pay....for everything..." was the answer.

A wave of silence drowned their word in an ocean of understanding and pity for the one whom lusted for revenge.

„I served him loyally for so long, i gave him my life and myself and he stabbed me in my back mercilessly! I must find him and give him what he deserves..." Came finally after a long silence full of tension.

„...and what do you want from me?"

„You know exactly what I want."

Another loud sip of the now cold tea followed but not a word.

„You know where he is. You can see where he's hiding damn it!" a fist slammed into the table with enormous power causing it to shake.

Their eyes locked.

„No. " She said with a calm voice, ignoring her visitors rage.

And she remained silent and calm when she heard the sound of clenching fists and cracking knuckles. Seemed like no storm nor other natural catastrophe nor human nor mutant, not even a hurt and betrayed one.

„No...I won´t tell you and I can´t tell you. You are mad and insane with the want for revenge. It´s not going to end good and -"

„I don´t care if I die if he dies too!"

She sighed

„You know my mutation doesn't work this way. I can´t control it."

„Stop it! You knew I would come and you also know where he is! Don´t you lie to me!"

„Even if I knew I would not tell you..."

Heavy breaths were everything. It seemed as the world stood still for minutes. None of them dared to move, not even to look into each others eyes. The cool air managed to get into every corner of the room. A light blow of wind tickled the ends of a black old coat ignoring that the „welcome" visitor still remained just inches away from the door step, licking its way inside.

„Irene..."

„You know what you ask from me?" She said looking deeply into her empty cup of tea.

She sighed.

„You might not care about your own life but do you really don´t care about them either? You are mad with your chase. You are dragging those kids with you and you use them the same way as Eric used you."

„Don´t y- "

„I´m not saying that you are like him... I know too well that without you, those kids might have been captured by Sentinels by now. But now you want to risk their lives just for your personal revenge. You would even risk the life of your daughter...."

„I'm-"

Irene interrupted again „Remember, you gave her to me left her here to give her the chance for a normal life after all....and now that her powers manifested you want her to suffer once again?"

„Irene....please."

She couldn´t believe what she saw. A heartbroken shadow of a woman she once knew. Pain and sheer hatred for the man called Magneto burned in her eyes together with the guilt she felt for her daughter. What could have done so much damage on a once strong, independent and caring woman? Love. Only love could have killed such a strong soul. Love she once felt for Eric, for her daughter Marie and her son Kurt, love for Irene....

Eric betrayed her, abandoned her, used her... her children didn´t knew about her... Kurt was even fighting against her....

„My dear Raven, I´m won´t tell you... I don´t want to lose you. It's destroying you inside!" She almost screamed the last words when Raven turned around, about to leave.

„Raven!" Irene stood up from her armchair looking at Mystique making a halt in the door with her blind eyes.

„Don´t ...call me so.... to you, my names is Mystique" snapped Raven with an even calm voice, without turning around.

„You gonna get your revenge, I promise, but not like this. Raven...he's not gonna die under your hands." She said with a begging voice knowing well it wouldn't change anything.

„Oh no fear, I´ll make sure that I´m the one to make him pay for everything. I will be there when he takes his last breath, I swear!" were her last words before she disappeared.

Irene walked to the door , stopped where Raven did, driving her hand over the place where Ravens hand laid on the door frame just some seconds ago, when she decided that Irene wasn't worth to be called a friend anymore. The cold from the outside faded compared to the cold she felt from Raven.

„I´m sorry my dear old friend but you won´t be with us anymore when Eric's time to pay comes.."

XxX

„But mon pére!"

„Non, non and non it's been decided!"

„By who?! You and that crétin from the Assassins?! That-"

„Non, by the patriarchs of the two most influencing Guilds of Na´ Orleans." answered Jean-Luc with an diplomatic even voice to his anxious son. His face didn't soften a bit and Jean-Luc sighed.

„Look mon fils a marriage between ours and the Assassin Guild and ther´ will be peace." Jean-luc smirked „And we get the chance to infiltrate dem and bring dem to their knees. We would get the upper hand over Na´ Orleans!"

„Argh, thats all ya think ´bout. Mon Dieu!" he growled „What ´bout yo´ famille?!"

„I wouldn´t be the patriarch of the thieves if I wouldn´t think ´bout the well of all. The Guild comes before the famile. New Orleans isn´t big enough for two of us to be shared. It will come to war if we don´t do anything against it.. I have to do the right decision fo´ all of us... and if there's a chance to shake with the Assassins in their fundaments then I will do everything that's needs to be done. My pére made mi his dauphin and I will do everything to make sure that the Guild will survive and lead it into a new, brighter future."

„I ain´ un of yo' hommes! Don´t talk to moi like an filthy politique!" he glared at his father „Yo' wanna t´row away the life of yo´r son, moi, and everyone in your famille just t´ win yo´r personal war with Marius Boudreaux! Marriage to that witch?! What were you thinking?!"

Jean-Luc sighed and sank into his comfortable leather arm chair resting his head on his palm. His room was dark, the windows were hide behind long dark blue curtains. Some light from outside shone from under the door and only the light of a weak lap on the massive zalber wooden desk lightened the room. Portraits on the wall seemed like portal to other dimensions from which evil creatures laughed at the scene and judged them.

„It´s not so and you know it..." Jean-Luc stood up and in a quick move, the files on his desk went flying across the room.

„Mebbe one day, when yo´ll become the patriarch of the guild, yo´ll understand. "Came out like a low whisper.

„...Je comprends pas! I thought -"

Jean-Luc silenced his startled and confused son with a wave of his hand and settled back into his chair and adjusted his tie with a calm unreadable expression covering his face. He took a picture frame in his hand and drove his finger over the glass.

„We both know that Remy won´t marry Belladonna, at least not on his own and fo´ sur´ he won´t do it fo´ the good o´the guild.... An´ if he doe´ not, you Henri will become my dauphin"