Chapter Two – Beginning again

Raven needed money. Even though humans and mutants were at war, it was pathetically easy to find a man horny enough to pay through the nose for what she could provide. She hated that her human form could make men drool, but for now it was the only strength she had. Instant money only came one of two ways, in Raven's experience, you either sold yourself or you stole it. She'd done both before. She followed the human up to his apartment. The idiot was so excited he dropped his keys twice before finally letting them in. Raven had to fight hard not to let the disgust show on her face. The inside of the apartment matched the man; dirty, smelly and small. If Magneto did not die as a result of the war, she would kill him herself just for this.

"Er…" the human was looking awkwardly at her, "I…I've never done this before." Raven smiled tightly.

"Never slept with a prostitute, you mean?" The human nodded and blushed a furious red.

"That's alright," said Raven silkily, "I've never slept with a prostitute either." The human tried to laugh but it ended up sounding more like a hiccup. Raven turned away, unable to watch him for longer than a few seconds at a time. She ran a hand over the radiator lazily knowing full well that she was being watched.

"May I have a drink?" she asked.

"Oh! Yes, of course!" The human almost tripped over himself to get to the kitchen. Raven followed him silently. When he turned and saw her right behind him, he gasped. Raven could not keep the spark from her eyes now.

"Here's your water." The human held out a dirty glass. Raven pushed it away and stepped forwards. The human inhaled sharply, she had not even kissed him and he was already about to burst. Pathetic. He didn't even notice her hand close around an object in the sink.

"Sh-shouldn't we move into the bedroom?" he stammered. Raven smiled.

"Oh, I don't see why we should when we can do it right here." The human's beady little eyes lit up. Raven allowed a mere second of hope before she plunged the dirty knife into his neck. He gasped, expression shocked and disbelieving. Raven pulled out the knife and watched him slide down the wall dispassionately only stepping back when the blood began to seep towards her shoes. They were the only pair she had, no good getting them dirty. It took him five full minutes to die. Finally with a desperate gurgle, his eyes glazed over. Raven glared at his still body. She had sold herself for money before, she would rather die herself than do it again.

The apartment did not bear rich fruit but she found enough cash in the human's wallet and under his mattress to get her started. She noticed an ash tray on the bedside table and a half empty packet of cigarettes. By the time smoke began to curl from underneath the front door, Raven was long gone.

Larry Turnbull scratched his large stomach and licked his nicotine stained lips mechanically. The woman looking out of the grimy window at the world below was the most stunning creature he had ever seen. His one track mind zoned in on her tight little ass that was just begging to be unwrapped from its pencil skirt. When she turned round he pretended that he had been looking at the picture of the church on the wall.

"How much do you want in advance?" She was strangely direct. There was no chit chat with this one. Straight to business; Larry had to chew the inside of his cheek to stop himself chuckling. He only realised he had not answered the young woman's question when he noticed that she was staring unblinkingly at him.

"A month's rent," he said in his loud landlords voice, "Two hundred and fifty." He lowered his voice, his eyes twinkling. "But for you, I could make it two hundred. Call it a beauty bonus." The woman's lips thinned so dramatically Larry immediately thought he had offended her, but then a smile appeared. She walked over, hips swaying.Her handreached into her shirt. Larry almost fainted.

"Two hundred and fifty," she said handing him a wad of cash, "I'll move in straight away." Larry stared at her, goggle eyed.

"Do you need any help with luggage?" he asked weakly as the woman backed him towards the open front door.

"I don't have any," she replied and the moment he handed over the key she closed the door in his face.

Raven sat down on the moth eaten old sofa which sagged even under her slight weight. She wondered how a place like this had ever passed its safety inspection. Not that it mattered, the place had a lockable front door, and a television. That was all she needed, for now. Not to mention, it was all she could afford. She wanted to relax but that was something she could never do when so much was happening just outside her window. The television flickered reluctantly to life at the press of a button. She could hear what was happening before she could see it.

"Something is happening on Golden Gate Bridge. Wait…there are new reports coming through now…"

Raven could not help feeling a little pleased. She had poured so much of her heart and soul into this plan that to see it fail would have hurt her more than she had previously realised. She was still angry, still hurt, still broken hearted but there was a part of her that still wanted to see mutants victorious even if she could not walk alongside them. No more mutants should have their powers taken from them; no one had the right to take their choice away. No one had the right to take her choice away. Feeling suddenly drained, she stood and walked around the room in an attempt to shake the bitter cobwebs from her aching mind.

"The mutants are attacking the Worthington facility. I repeat the mutants are attacking the Worthington facility!"

She was back in the living room in an instant. The picture flickered so Raven hit the set in an attempt to jog it back to life. Even when the picture returned, the news was so fragmented that it was hard to follow. Raven found herself gripping the back of the sofa tightly, her fingernails digging into the ancient fabric. There must have been deaths, on both sides. Oh god, what was happening! Tension made Raven bite down on her bottom lip, she didn't even notice when it started to bleed. Where was he?

As the news got more and more tense, Raven found herself clinging to the edge of the sofa cushions desperate for every new bit of information. And a tiny voice in her head kept repeating, 'Let him be alright. Please let him be alright.'

A/N: If you enjoyed it, let me know. If you didn't, let me know that too! I'm having such fun with this story, I hope you're enjoying it too.