So we finally have a chapter really focusing on Laura over Darcy. Lets go see how she is!
Also: The locations in this chapter are a combination of real places, canon comic or movie places, and the ability of Starbucks to be everywhere.
When Darcy woke up, she realized she was still on the couch. Her mind went to the night before. She must have fallen asleep after cuddling with Bucky for a few hours. That had been really nice, but she couldn't focus on that now; she had to go get ready for her meeting.
As she moved toward her room, Darcy checked her phone, finding just a single missed text from Jane. She smiled and the scientist's winking emoji. It always felt good to get that unspoken affection, and affection was definitely something she needed.
Once Darcy got to her room, she began stripping off her sweater and jeans, trading them for a sports bra-crop top and tight black leggings. She brushed out her hair and darkened her makeup.
Looking at herself in the mirror, Darcy had not seen herself looking so much like Laura again in a very long time. Shaking her head, she pulled on an oversized sweatshirt and combat boots. She needed to be focused, not reminiscent. No matter what happened at the meeting, she would need to be Laura and not Darcy; Darcy would not be able to do whatever was needed.
Laura grabbed the backpack she had packed the day before and slung it onto her back. She slowly rolled her shoulders. Time to go.
Walking through Stark Tower as Laura was a completely different experience. Laura saw each room strategically - entrances, exits, hiding places, what could be used as a weapon and more. Darcy would have just seen a room and the people within.
Thus when Laura accidentally bumped into Hawkeye on the way to the elevator, she stiffened immediately. Her brain instantly began devising ways to kill him - he was unarmed so most revolved around stabbing him, either killing him instantly or leaving him to bleed to death. She shook her head quickly, trying to at least act like Darcy for just a moment.
Laura gave an awkward half smile. "Sorry, I didn't see you. I'm meeting a friend and I'm late. Gotta go!" She turned and ran the rest of the way to the way to the elevator. Once inside she took a deep breath. Hopefully that just gave the image of a frazzled Darcy and nothing else too suspicious.
As she exited the tower, Laura put her mind on autopilot. Drop by the Starbucks in Grand Central, change out of her sweatshirt, leave the Starbucks, take the subway to Times Square, walk through shops to lose any tails, take the subway over to Columbia University, blend in with the college students, go to the Starbucks there, order and find a seat.
So there she sat, sipping at the bitter drink. She watched the people enter, completely ignoring everyone but the person directly before them in line. No matter how chaotic, the crowd remained constant and unchanging. Then Laura noticed a girl in line looking at her. Her face seemed familiar but not enough to remember, until she turned her head to expose a white streak through her brown hair. Rogue.
Laura felt a small twinge of joy. It had been so long since she'd seen anyone who knew her for what she was, and it felt good to not hide that from someone.
Rogue moved to sit across from Laura, a smile on her face. "It's good ta see ya again sugah. It's been ahwhile."
Laura gave a hint of a smile. "It has been. I have missed your presence."
"And ah've missed ya, too. And while ah now you'd love ta chat, we should get moving."
Laura nodded sharply, standing up and slinging her backpack back over her shoulder. Rogue rose also, leading Laura out of the Starbucks and over to a nearby alleyway. Waiting there was a young girl around the age of 9.
"Ah'd like ta introduce ya ta Illyana."
Laura nodded sharply. Illyana Rasputin, otherwise known as Magik or Darkchilde, ruler of Limbo and mutant with the power of creating teleporting "stepping disks."
She also had caused Laura to be killed back when she was with the New X-Men. But just by looking at her, this Illyana seemed much more sane; it was likely had never been to Limbo at all.
"Hello Illyana. It is good to see you again. Where will we be transporting?" The young girl looked at Rogue in confusion, who just shrugged. Laura knew that the many should-be-mutants of this world knew that she was extra knowledgeable about them, but she imagined it was a little different to see it firsthand.
"I'll be taking you to the guild headquarters in the Middle East Side. I'm not allowed to stay." The girl spoke quietly, almost shyly. She was a lifetime different from the Illyana Rasputin that had been one of the Phoenix Five.
A glowing yellow circle appeared at their feet, slowly rising up and covering all three of the girls. When the light dissipated, they found themselves in a different alleyway. This one was dirtier and was covered in graffiti.
"Bye Miss Laura. Bye Miss Rogue." Illyana gave a smile and a wave before another stepping disc appeared under her and teleported the young girl somewhere else. Rogue turned to Laura. "Are ya ready? Ya know they like ta test ya first."
Laura nodded and shrugged her bag off of her shoulders. "Please hold onto this for me. I do not need it in the way." Rogue took it carefully.
Laura turned and headed deeper into the alley, drawing in the scents around her. The majority of the trails kept going until…here! A door on her right. Forcing in the lock with only her strength, she walked in with all her senses on alert.
As she walked in further, she found nothing. No guns, no lasers, no weapons of any sort. No nameless grunts either. Finally she reached the end of the hallway, facing a single door. She could hear the heartbeats on the other side: three.
She extended her claws, and kicked down the door.
There was a sudden spray of bullets hitting her arms, legs, and stomach. She even felt a few go through her head. She stood up slowly, shaking her body as the metal bullets fell and clanged against the floor.
Laura strode the rest of the way forward and sat in the empty chair.
"I hope you didn't mind that too much, Petite. Had to make sure it was you. But these two did go overboard. I'll have to deal with that later." A genuine smile. "How are you?"
Remy LeBeau. Gambit. The power to charge kinetic energy in objects. And in the other dimension, one of the people who cared about Laura the most.
"I am fine. Why did you call me here?"
Remy sighed. She could tell he didn't want her to ask such questions right away, possibly not at all.
"There is a man, willing to pay me very well if I steal something for him. And I need your help to do it."
Laura lifted eyebrow, "Why do you need me? You have plenty of help among the powered community and the Thieves' Guild."
He sighed deeper. "The item is within the Stark Tower. I need you to get me in and watch my back."
All the new characters mentioned in here are mutant characters from the comics- and Laura's backstory with them is true. Magik did cause her to be killed twice (only mostly indirectly).
These characters are not mutants in this universe though, but they do have their powers. What do you think they are?