Meet You In The Red Room Chapter 14: Heaven in Hiding, a x-men fanfic

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Welcome back!

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"She's some ride, John," Remy commented as he surveyed the condition of the beat-up muscle car.

The Aussie shrugged, "Ford Boss 429. One of the classics," He kicked the back tire as they walked around it.

John had owned this car for a long time, since he moved State side. He'd always wanted a classic American muscle car. Australia had their fair share of cars, but the American models were something else to him. They were his idealized version of reality; raw power and devil-may-care recklessness. But after moving to the city, there wasn't really a place to use it, let along keep it. So, he parked it at a storage center near the edge of the city rather than selling it off. Never knew when he'd want to use it again.

The car was rusting, had some dents on the bumpers – likely from John's terrible driving skills – and looked like it hadn't been driven in years.

"You're sure she'll run? We got a long drive," Remy asked, concerned about the quality.

"Doesn't look like much, but she runs like a charm," John replied, taking out the keys, "Want to give'r a test run?"

Remy smiled as John threw him the keys. It'd been a long time since he'd gotten behind the wheel of a muscle car.

"You don' have to do this, John. I can get another car," he stated as he stood in front of the powerful machine.

John walked next to him to stare at the car, "Eh, what else am I gonna do with the thing? Not like you can really drive in New York with this," he laughed at the thought of trying to drive in downtown New York with something that was designed to go hard and fast.

"Thanks, mon ami," Remy replied.

John patted his back, "Just don't try to hug me, you know I hate it when you get sappy."

As the two drove back to the city, they arrived back at the apartment where Piotr had just finished talking with Kitty on the phone.

"Any luck?" John asked.

"She's in," he responded, "She'll come over to the bar downstairs tonight so we can discuss."

Remy nodded, "That'll help to prevent any leaks to Raven or Joseph."

Piotr set down his phone, "We should probably make plans to leave too. If this man is as dangerous as you say, we may not be safe if he comes looking for her."

Remy solemnly nodded, "Sorry to get you boys dragged into this mess."

"We dragged ourselves into it, mate! The day we all decided to travel cross-country like a rag-tag team of good for nothin' nomads," John replied, "We ain't got no home, just each other."

xxx

Present day

Remy sat at the bar under their apartment, bourbon in hand, swirling the deep-colored liquid. It was a waiting game at this point. Tomorrow, he'd be back. Remy would finally be able to get his revenge, and this time, the plan would go off without a hitch. He wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

He thought back on where they'd gone wrong a year ago.

Kitty was briefed and everything was organized for the next day. She was to get Rogue out of the club at 5am, getting past security and it was late enough there'd be no witnesses, where she'd order a cab that would take her to their apartment above the bar. Remy and her would pack into the car and drive to the house on Long Island, where they'd lay low until Jean-Luc gave them word it was kay to make the trek south. They had to be sure no one was tailing them. Joseph and Raven would assume she'd go south first, so the safest thing to do was to stay in the state until the coast was clear, literally speaking. They'd make the drive down in 3 days, stay at motels and pay in cash. The guild house in the edge of New Orleans would be set up for them, free to stay as long as they needed.

John and Piotr would head west, not sure where or what they would do, but they'd "figure it out as they went along", according to John. The apartment would be scrubbed of all trace of them, nothing to lead where they were going.

Everything was so well planned out. It should've been seamless. But plans don't always go as they are intended. Remy didn't have too many failed heists on his resume, but this one was in the upper-echelon of fucked up.

They didn't predict Raven's deep-seating invested interest. They should have known she wouldn't have stood idly by as her property was taken away from her.

She found out…

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Anna slept most of the day away, but she was going to need the rest.

Kitty had come back the next day and relayed the plan to her. Her bag was packed, and as soon as 5am, came, she'd be a ghost to this place.

She was sitting in front of her vanity mirror, delicately putting on her makeup, purposefully though, like it was war paint. This would be her last performance in the club, and this would all become a distant memory in a future that was growing even more uncertain, yet comforting. Anna dressed in her favorite pieces, the last time she'd get to wear them. She was starting the show tonight, having asked Raven if she could headline the evening. Raven didn't want to upset her, so she allowed it.

She looked at herself one more time in the mirror, her makeup artfully covering up her cuts and bruises from the other night, she felt renewed, and felt herself. Running her hands over the sequins on her dress, she took a deep breath and turned to leave the apartment and head downstairs to head on stage.

She timidly walked down the hallway, getting a few stares from the other girls that saw her go by. Many were shocked she was getting back to work so soon after what happened, but they wanted to support her. Anna silently smiled at them as she walked by, turning to the stage. The lights were dimmed, the crowd cheering, the adrenaline slowly filling her veins. The rush of the performance took over as she walked out to center stage in the darkness.

The electronic but symphonic sounding music started to hum in the background before the loud beat of a drum crashed, the crowd clapping in rhythm. She raised the microphone to her lips, closed her eyes, and sang as passionately as she ever had before. This would be her last show, and dammit, this would be a show.

"Sittin' on the counter in your kitchen
Can you hear my heartbeat fuckin' kickin'?
Your eyes light up 'cause you best believe
That I got something on my sleeve
I walk my talk, no time for wishful thinkin'"

The lights raised slowly, the sequins on her sultry black dress sparkling, creating an ethereal radiance around her as she sang. She slowly moved around the stage, the long length of her leg exposed as she walked by the slit in her dress.

"I push up on my toes, you call me 'sweet thing'
And breathin' down your neck, your body screamin'
And you thought you were the boss tonight
But I can put up one good fight
I flip the script like I can take a beating"

The beat of drum was a rush of energy and power, a sense of control that Anna hadn't felt in forever. The crowd was enamored, in a trance of her singing. She could feel their attention on her. This was her domain.

"And when you start to feel the rush
A crimson headache, aching blush
And you surrender to the touch, you'll know
I can put on a show, I can put on a show
Don't you see what you're finding?
This is Heaven in hiding, oh
And when you start to look at me, a physical fatality
And you surrender to the heat, you'll know
I can put on a show, I can put on a show
Don't you see what you're finding?
This is Heaven in hiding
This is Heaven in hiding"

The lights dimmed quickly at the end of the chorus, as the music went soft, before she punched back into the next verse with a throaty roar.

"Sittin' on the concrete in your basement
But I don't have no time for conversation
Said this ain't what you usually do
And a girl like me is new for you
And I can tell you mean it cause you're shakin'"

Anna's voice started to crack as she began the chorus again, grander than before. But it was ferocious and empowering. She felt like she owned the world.

The lights dimmed again as she echoed the vocals, the room swaying to the slow, but emphatic pace. As her vibrato increased with the music, the lights crashed back into bright flares, and "the Rogue" shone like she never had before.

The crowd's cheers deafened the building as the lights faded to blackness. Anna moved off the stage, the crew and girls cheering along with the crowd. She openly smiled and thanked the compliments that they poured towards her. As she walked to the green room, she saw Raven who did not show any outward emotion. She simply nodded towards Anna in a motion that could only be described as approval.

Anna had never really gotten much of positive reinforcement from Raven before, so she'd take the small gesture.

She sat in the green room with the other girls as they prepped for the next performance, enjoying the time she'd have left with them. As much as she hated this place, she would always love the girls. They were her only family, and they had been there for her when she needed them. The compliments they were throwing her way were a lovely way to remember them by. Kitty looked at her knowingly, but said nothing. It was too dangerous to say anything before the club closed.

A few hours later, at around 1am, she made her way back upstairs to her apartment to undress, saying she was still tired and was going to sleep early. No one pushed it and said their goodnights to her. Her face had become dewy under the hot lights on the stage, and she wiped off the heavier stage makeup. She sat and stared at her own reflection for a little bit, free of makeup, acknowledging the cut on her temple and the bruising. They would fade soon. And all of this would become a faint memory.

Anna stepped out of the glamorous dress and got into leggings, runners, and an oversized cropped hoodie. She threw her hair back into a ponytail, and moved to her closet to grab the duffle bag. She opened the door, only to find the duffle was gone…

A moment of panic spread across her face as she dove into the closet to find any trace of the bag and her belongings.

"Is this what you're looking for?" came a voice behind her.

Anna looked over her shoulder in a sharp turn to find Raven standing in the doorway of the apartment, Remy's worn leather duffle in hand, and her heart sank.

"Give it back," Anna demanded, finding the courage in her voice, standing to meet Raven's stern gaze.

"Anna, I'm doing this for your own good…" Raven stated coldly, "I've already let one man hurt you, I won't let you be hurt again."

She could feel the tears pricking behind her eyes, but she wouldn't let Raven see them, "You have no say in this. I'm leaving this place!"

"And do what?" Raven asked harshly, harsher than she probably intended.

"Live!" the room went eerily silent at Anna's exclamation.

"I want to live, Raven! I can't live my life in fear of what he did, and the longer I stay here, the more I'm reminded of it, and the more scared I am that he'll come back…" Anna cried, revealing what she truly felt.

Raven's face remained unwavering though, "I have my protections, Anna. He'll never touch you again so long as you're here."

Anna shook her head, gritting her teeth, "You can't promise that. He has his own connections. At least out there, I stand a chance of having a normal life and getting away from him," Anna continued.

"You mean with that delinquent of a thief you've been running off with for the last few weeks?" Raven shot back, shaking Anna to the core. How did she know about Remy? "Do you think I don't know what's been going on in my own club?"

"How…?" Anna asked almost silently.

"Like I said, I have my protections, and that includes my assets," Raven said so dryly. She reached into the duffle and pulled out the inhibitor Anna had packed into it.

It was bugged.

"I had it installed after what happened with Joseph. I felt awful that I wasn't there to protect you…" Raven started, but Anna quickly cut her off.

"So you invaded my privacy?!"

"You have no privacy here, Anna! I thought you would've learned that by now," Raven retorted.

Anna's knees went weak and she sunk down to the floor, staring at the bag, wondering if she could just make a break for it now.

"You're to never go near him again," she continued, "Security has been doubled, so don't even try…"

Anna slowly raised her eyes back to Raven, a deep hatred seeping out of them, "Why are you doing this?"

"You'll thank me for this. Don't let flights of fancy and words of love and affection sway you into thinking the world is better for you out there than it is in here. It's not. The world is a cruel place, Anna. I'm just trying to protect you from the pain you'd eventually have to face."

Raven turned and closed the door behind her, leaving Anna alone in the darkened room.

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I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, I had a ton of fun writing it!

The song used in this chapter is "Heaven in Hiding" by Halsey. I recently really got into her new album, hopeless fountain kingdom, and thought a lot of the themes of the music mirrored the story.
I hope you continue to like and support my work, as infrequent an updater as I am. I'll try to have a new chapter up sometime soon.

Thanks for reading!

Until next time…