~~~~Part IV: Pandora's Box~~~~
Raven, Ritzy, Logan and Gambit sat around a table in Ritzy's magick shop, with stacks of old books, flipping through page by page.
"This crap is useless," Raven growled tossing a book back into the pile.
"Hey, easy, these books are old, come one now," Ritzy told her, "I found something, 'told hold an essence, particularly an evil essence you need a box build by a god' "
"So, what, are we supposed to asked, that Osiris guy to build us a box?" Logan asked closing the book he'd been looking through.
"Doesn't work that way, the only way Osiris can interfere is with permission from the god Ra the supreme Egyptian god," Ritzy told him.
"I get the feeling you can't find one on E-bay, So how is that helpful," Logan replied.
"Pandora's Box," Raven said suddenly.
"What?" Gambit looked at her.
"Pandora's box, it was build by Zeus to hold the sorrow's of mankind," Raven explained, "But the box was found by the Romans and they took it with them to Egypt, and that was the last anyone's ever heard of it,"
"What, are we supposed to go to Egypt to find it?" Logan asked.
No one spoke Ritzy just smiled.
"Sorry I asked," Logan muttered. ______________________________________________________________ Xavier sat in his office, with Raven and Ritzy.
"There's not another way is there?" Xavier asked.
Raven didn't bother answering, she knew that he already knew the answer; there hadn't been much verbal speaking. The professor being telepathic and Ritzy being tele-empathic, they've been chatting mentally back and forth which was comfortable with them but, Raven, though they did include her, found it uncomfortable, not to be able to actually hear people, and that there was more than one person in her head, besides her. It kind of made her feel schizophrenic, which Ritzy found amusing.
**Alright, then you two go and take three more people, you guys can take the X-jet it'll be faster, it should only take a day if you find the box fast,** Xavier 'said'.
**It'll be hard to find though, especially if the information's not accurate, but Scott, Gambit and Logan should come, because you know Logan's gonna complain and argue if he doesn't..**.Ritzy 'replied'.
Raven shifted uncomfortably, **Grrrr, Their gonna drive me nuts, **Raven thought involuntarily.
**Sorry,** They 'told' her at the same time.
Raven rolled her eyes, and Ritzy jumped in the chair sitting on her and then hugging her.
"I love you," Ritzy said in a child-like voice.
"Yeah, yeah, that's what you say," Raven replied, "Now get off you too heavy,"
"Hey, what exactly are you sayin'?" Ritzy demanded.
The professor cleared his throat, with an amused smile on his face.
"Are you two done yet?" he asked.
"Sorry," they said in a child-like voice.
"We're done, we'll be good, Promise," Raven said still in the child voice.
Xavier couldn't help but laugh, he hadn't seen this side of Raven before, she was more open and less defensive, but what bothered him was that he noticed she was more defensive when she was around the mutants at the institute than she was around Ritzy, which probably meant that she didn't trust most people at the institute, but he wasn't surprised, Logan was the same way when he first came here, and even now he has trouble trusting people. It would figure she was the same way.
"Alright, then tell them to come, and try to be back as soon as possible, " Xavier, said.
"Ok," they said getting up. ______________________________________________________________ "So where do you expect to find this box anyways?" Gambit asked lighting a cigarette.
Scott pulled the X-jet out of the hanger and into the air. Logan gave Gambit a warning glance knowing his sister wouldn't like that...but Gambit being as dense as he is didn't catch it.
"Gambit," Raven snapped, "Do you mind? We're breathing here,"
"My apologies chere," Gambit said, Putting out the cigarette.
"Tried to warn you..." Logan mumbled to him.
Gambit looked at him blankly. "So where down we find Pandora's box or whatever?"
"Pandora's Box? We believe we'll find it somewhere near where Cleopatra lived, because according to my sources Julius Cesaer gave it to Cleopatra as a present and when they were invaded by an unknown group of people, she hid it, somewhere," Ritzy explained, she glanced at Raven who seemed particularly detached and has been shorter with people than she normally is...or short with people she's not usually so short with...namely...Gambit, who seemed to brush it off like it was nothing but, she knew different.
"So we don't know where? Exactly it is but we know where she lived?" Gambit asked.
"Well not quite, we don't really know where she lived...we know it was in Egypt near the Nile...but..." Ritzy told him. "So we're going on a wild goose hunt? This is ridiculous, I don't believe I let ya'll talk me into this..." he growled, now getting angry because of his severe need for a cigarette.
"See Remy, That's why you smoke before you get on the plane," Logan grinned.
"Or how about not smoking at all, If your gonna kill yourselves try something old fashion like jumping off a bridge or hanging yourself but don't take everyone else with you, " Raven hissed.
Everyone turned to stare at her, both Logan and Gambit had a look of shock, which Logan quickly recovered from the blow, but Gambit seemed to take it more personally.
"Sweetie, Are you okay?" Ritzy asked her, "That was a little harsh,"
"That's why they call it brutal honesty," Raven replied bluntly.
**Honey, Your Honest, I know, and I know you'd say somethin' like that to Logan and he'd get over it, he already has, But Gambit's takin' it kinda personal,** Ritzy 'told' her.
**Than he needs a thicker hide,** Raven replied coldly.
Ritzy sighed, then 'said' to Gambit...**She didn't mean it, there's somethin' wrong with her**
**No kidding Chere, you think I hadn't noticed?** Gambit 'asked' her.
**I can't figure out what, I can't read her, I can talk to her, but other than that she's completely shut me out...Jeez her mental wall makes the Berlin wall looked like a picket fence**, Ritzy 'replied'.
**How's that different than any other time?** Gambit 'asked'
**Now I can't break through it, Maybe you can...Talk to he**r...Ritzy 'told' her.
**Not until I've had a cigarette,** Gambit 'Grumbled'.
"Guys we're here," Scott said.
He landed the X-jet with a thump, "Oops, Sorry," Scott said sheepishly.
They all climbed out, and looked around. "So uh, where do we start?" Scott asked, looking at the vast oasis surrounding the Nile River.
Raven started walking off in a direction..."Okay then we'll split up," Ritzy said.
"I'm going with you," Scott said quickly, not wanting to deal the Newer, Angrier, Raven, Version 8.0.
"Alright, Logan you too, come on, Gambit go with her," Ritzy said.
"But..." Logan started but Ritzy Mentally cut him off.
**Shut up and come on, I think Gambit might be able to figure out her malfunction**, Ritzy 'told' him.
Logan was about to protest but thought better of it. ______________________________________________________________
"Mon Chere, Wait up," Gambit called after Raven, Who stopped in her tracks.
"Thanks Chere, " Gambit said catching up to her.
"This isn't right, I need to go this way," she mumbled turning right.
She said, literally ran into a vine-covered wall.
"Chere?" Gambit looked at her strangely.
She ran her hands along the wall, as if searching for something. Feeling a loose tile under the thick layer of vines she pushed it in, and a door opened, snapping the vines that concealed it. Gambit stared at her incredulously, "How'd you know that was there?" Gambit asked.
"Don't know," Raven shrugged entering the hallway, cautiously her eyes glazing over to her yellow tiger-eyes.
"Maybe we should go get the others," Gambit suggested.
"Go ahead," Raven replied absent mindedly, as she kept walking.
"Alright, Chere, I'll be back, Don't go gettin' into trouble," Gambit said backing out, and heading in the direction
Raven headed toward the back of the hallway, turning left down a long corridor. Until she came to a small bedroom. It was covered in a thick layers dust, but pretty much left intact, the obviously belonged to a girl, but not Cleopatra. She searched the room, ran her hands along the seams of the bed until she came to a spot along the seam that felt bumpy and different from the other parts. She ripped it open, and pulled out a large golden key...She walked down the corridor again to the opposite side, into another room which was empty except for an empty pedestal with a key hole in it and several Egyptian glyphs etched all over the room. She laid the key on the pedestal but didn't put the key in the hole.
Gambit found Raven in the room staring at some hieroglyphs; he also saw the key on the pedestal.
"Chere does this go in here?" Gambit asked picking up the key.
"Remy wait, don't," Raven said absent-mindedly.
Which he didn't listen and he stuck the key in. Above him the roof rumbled and suddenly collapsed, Raven shoved gambit out of the way as a ton of rocks and dried mud fell from the ceiling. The others crowded around the door; they landed on the other side of the pile of rocks and mud with Raven on top of him.
Gambit looked at her and smiled, "Um chere I really don't think this is the appropriate time,"
Raven gave him dirty looked as she pushed herself off the ground, "I said wait," she hissed.
Ritzy, Logan, and Scott entered the room, Ritzy pulled Gambit off the floor as he stared at her incredulously.
She went back to the wall she was looking at, and pushed a few glyphs and there was a loud clicking noise that made everyone jump. She walked over to the pedestal and put the key back in and it opened up, producing a small rectangular box no bigger than a jewelry Box with several inscriptions, and was inlayed with silver, and several red and black jewels and an intricate lock on it. She picked it up breathlessly, "Found it..." she whispered.
"Yeah the question is how, and why your acting so...pre-madonna-ish," Scott replied.
A goldish glow filled the room then turned into a ball shaped like a human, the human shaped light came at her full force, and knocked her down, then disappeared...Raven lie on the ground unconscious.
"Come on, Let's get her and the box to the professor," Logan said picking her up and carrying her out to the X-jet.
*Back at the institute*
"Her pulse is strong, and she seems fine other than the fact that she won't wake up; I tried to reach her telepathically but it's like she's not there at all, like trying to read someone when there out of range," Jean told Logan, Gambit and Xavier.
Kitty stuck her head through the wall. "Um, guys she's a wake and is trying to kill Scott,"
"What?" Logan stood up and headed for the door but Kitty pulled him through the wall and into the Lab.
Raven had a Scalpel, to Scotts throat and held up against the wall, by his hair. Logan's claws sprang from his hands, "Raven what are you doing?" he demanded.
Raven jerked around, and Scott took the opportunity to hit her, knocking her. Logan pounced on her, then sat on her pinning her arms to the ground.
"What's your problem?" he growled.
"Who are you people?" She demanded struggling against him but to no avail. Which surprised Logan, it to easy to hold her down.
"What?" Logan asked.
"Who are you?" She repeated.
"You don't know us?" Kitty said stepping up beside them.
"No she doesn't, That's not Raven, Are you Celesta?" Xavier said entering the room.
She stopped struggling.
**Hello Celesta, we're not here to hurt you, Do you remember what happened?** The professor 'asked' her.
Her eyes darted around like a frightened cat, Logan let he up and she darted to the far corner of the lab.
"Charlie, What's goin' on?" Logan asked.
"I'm not really sure, but all I know is that, that's not Raven," he replied.
"So if that's not Raven, Where is she?" Logan asked...
Raven, Ritzy, Logan and Gambit sat around a table in Ritzy's magick shop, with stacks of old books, flipping through page by page.
"This crap is useless," Raven growled tossing a book back into the pile.
"Hey, easy, these books are old, come one now," Ritzy told her, "I found something, 'told hold an essence, particularly an evil essence you need a box build by a god' "
"So, what, are we supposed to asked, that Osiris guy to build us a box?" Logan asked closing the book he'd been looking through.
"Doesn't work that way, the only way Osiris can interfere is with permission from the god Ra the supreme Egyptian god," Ritzy told him.
"I get the feeling you can't find one on E-bay, So how is that helpful," Logan replied.
"Pandora's Box," Raven said suddenly.
"What?" Gambit looked at her.
"Pandora's box, it was build by Zeus to hold the sorrow's of mankind," Raven explained, "But the box was found by the Romans and they took it with them to Egypt, and that was the last anyone's ever heard of it,"
"What, are we supposed to go to Egypt to find it?" Logan asked.
No one spoke Ritzy just smiled.
"Sorry I asked," Logan muttered. ______________________________________________________________ Xavier sat in his office, with Raven and Ritzy.
"There's not another way is there?" Xavier asked.
Raven didn't bother answering, she knew that he already knew the answer; there hadn't been much verbal speaking. The professor being telepathic and Ritzy being tele-empathic, they've been chatting mentally back and forth which was comfortable with them but, Raven, though they did include her, found it uncomfortable, not to be able to actually hear people, and that there was more than one person in her head, besides her. It kind of made her feel schizophrenic, which Ritzy found amusing.
**Alright, then you two go and take three more people, you guys can take the X-jet it'll be faster, it should only take a day if you find the box fast,** Xavier 'said'.
**It'll be hard to find though, especially if the information's not accurate, but Scott, Gambit and Logan should come, because you know Logan's gonna complain and argue if he doesn't..**.Ritzy 'replied'.
Raven shifted uncomfortably, **Grrrr, Their gonna drive me nuts, **Raven thought involuntarily.
**Sorry,** They 'told' her at the same time.
Raven rolled her eyes, and Ritzy jumped in the chair sitting on her and then hugging her.
"I love you," Ritzy said in a child-like voice.
"Yeah, yeah, that's what you say," Raven replied, "Now get off you too heavy,"
"Hey, what exactly are you sayin'?" Ritzy demanded.
The professor cleared his throat, with an amused smile on his face.
"Are you two done yet?" he asked.
"Sorry," they said in a child-like voice.
"We're done, we'll be good, Promise," Raven said still in the child voice.
Xavier couldn't help but laugh, he hadn't seen this side of Raven before, she was more open and less defensive, but what bothered him was that he noticed she was more defensive when she was around the mutants at the institute than she was around Ritzy, which probably meant that she didn't trust most people at the institute, but he wasn't surprised, Logan was the same way when he first came here, and even now he has trouble trusting people. It would figure she was the same way.
"Alright, then tell them to come, and try to be back as soon as possible, " Xavier, said.
"Ok," they said getting up. ______________________________________________________________ "So where do you expect to find this box anyways?" Gambit asked lighting a cigarette.
Scott pulled the X-jet out of the hanger and into the air. Logan gave Gambit a warning glance knowing his sister wouldn't like that...but Gambit being as dense as he is didn't catch it.
"Gambit," Raven snapped, "Do you mind? We're breathing here,"
"My apologies chere," Gambit said, Putting out the cigarette.
"Tried to warn you..." Logan mumbled to him.
Gambit looked at him blankly. "So where down we find Pandora's box or whatever?"
"Pandora's Box? We believe we'll find it somewhere near where Cleopatra lived, because according to my sources Julius Cesaer gave it to Cleopatra as a present and when they were invaded by an unknown group of people, she hid it, somewhere," Ritzy explained, she glanced at Raven who seemed particularly detached and has been shorter with people than she normally is...or short with people she's not usually so short with...namely...Gambit, who seemed to brush it off like it was nothing but, she knew different.
"So we don't know where? Exactly it is but we know where she lived?" Gambit asked.
"Well not quite, we don't really know where she lived...we know it was in Egypt near the Nile...but..." Ritzy told him. "So we're going on a wild goose hunt? This is ridiculous, I don't believe I let ya'll talk me into this..." he growled, now getting angry because of his severe need for a cigarette.
"See Remy, That's why you smoke before you get on the plane," Logan grinned.
"Or how about not smoking at all, If your gonna kill yourselves try something old fashion like jumping off a bridge or hanging yourself but don't take everyone else with you, " Raven hissed.
Everyone turned to stare at her, both Logan and Gambit had a look of shock, which Logan quickly recovered from the blow, but Gambit seemed to take it more personally.
"Sweetie, Are you okay?" Ritzy asked her, "That was a little harsh,"
"That's why they call it brutal honesty," Raven replied bluntly.
**Honey, Your Honest, I know, and I know you'd say somethin' like that to Logan and he'd get over it, he already has, But Gambit's takin' it kinda personal,** Ritzy 'told' her.
**Than he needs a thicker hide,** Raven replied coldly.
Ritzy sighed, then 'said' to Gambit...**She didn't mean it, there's somethin' wrong with her**
**No kidding Chere, you think I hadn't noticed?** Gambit 'asked' her.
**I can't figure out what, I can't read her, I can talk to her, but other than that she's completely shut me out...Jeez her mental wall makes the Berlin wall looked like a picket fence**, Ritzy 'replied'.
**How's that different than any other time?** Gambit 'asked'
**Now I can't break through it, Maybe you can...Talk to he**r...Ritzy 'told' her.
**Not until I've had a cigarette,** Gambit 'Grumbled'.
"Guys we're here," Scott said.
He landed the X-jet with a thump, "Oops, Sorry," Scott said sheepishly.
They all climbed out, and looked around. "So uh, where do we start?" Scott asked, looking at the vast oasis surrounding the Nile River.
Raven started walking off in a direction..."Okay then we'll split up," Ritzy said.
"I'm going with you," Scott said quickly, not wanting to deal the Newer, Angrier, Raven, Version 8.0.
"Alright, Logan you too, come on, Gambit go with her," Ritzy said.
"But..." Logan started but Ritzy Mentally cut him off.
**Shut up and come on, I think Gambit might be able to figure out her malfunction**, Ritzy 'told' him.
Logan was about to protest but thought better of it. ______________________________________________________________
"Mon Chere, Wait up," Gambit called after Raven, Who stopped in her tracks.
"Thanks Chere, " Gambit said catching up to her.
"This isn't right, I need to go this way," she mumbled turning right.
She said, literally ran into a vine-covered wall.
"Chere?" Gambit looked at her strangely.
She ran her hands along the wall, as if searching for something. Feeling a loose tile under the thick layer of vines she pushed it in, and a door opened, snapping the vines that concealed it. Gambit stared at her incredulously, "How'd you know that was there?" Gambit asked.
"Don't know," Raven shrugged entering the hallway, cautiously her eyes glazing over to her yellow tiger-eyes.
"Maybe we should go get the others," Gambit suggested.
"Go ahead," Raven replied absent mindedly, as she kept walking.
"Alright, Chere, I'll be back, Don't go gettin' into trouble," Gambit said backing out, and heading in the direction
Raven headed toward the back of the hallway, turning left down a long corridor. Until she came to a small bedroom. It was covered in a thick layers dust, but pretty much left intact, the obviously belonged to a girl, but not Cleopatra. She searched the room, ran her hands along the seams of the bed until she came to a spot along the seam that felt bumpy and different from the other parts. She ripped it open, and pulled out a large golden key...She walked down the corridor again to the opposite side, into another room which was empty except for an empty pedestal with a key hole in it and several Egyptian glyphs etched all over the room. She laid the key on the pedestal but didn't put the key in the hole.
Gambit found Raven in the room staring at some hieroglyphs; he also saw the key on the pedestal.
"Chere does this go in here?" Gambit asked picking up the key.
"Remy wait, don't," Raven said absent-mindedly.
Which he didn't listen and he stuck the key in. Above him the roof rumbled and suddenly collapsed, Raven shoved gambit out of the way as a ton of rocks and dried mud fell from the ceiling. The others crowded around the door; they landed on the other side of the pile of rocks and mud with Raven on top of him.
Gambit looked at her and smiled, "Um chere I really don't think this is the appropriate time,"
Raven gave him dirty looked as she pushed herself off the ground, "I said wait," she hissed.
Ritzy, Logan, and Scott entered the room, Ritzy pulled Gambit off the floor as he stared at her incredulously.
She went back to the wall she was looking at, and pushed a few glyphs and there was a loud clicking noise that made everyone jump. She walked over to the pedestal and put the key back in and it opened up, producing a small rectangular box no bigger than a jewelry Box with several inscriptions, and was inlayed with silver, and several red and black jewels and an intricate lock on it. She picked it up breathlessly, "Found it..." she whispered.
"Yeah the question is how, and why your acting so...pre-madonna-ish," Scott replied.
A goldish glow filled the room then turned into a ball shaped like a human, the human shaped light came at her full force, and knocked her down, then disappeared...Raven lie on the ground unconscious.
"Come on, Let's get her and the box to the professor," Logan said picking her up and carrying her out to the X-jet.
*Back at the institute*
"Her pulse is strong, and she seems fine other than the fact that she won't wake up; I tried to reach her telepathically but it's like she's not there at all, like trying to read someone when there out of range," Jean told Logan, Gambit and Xavier.
Kitty stuck her head through the wall. "Um, guys she's a wake and is trying to kill Scott,"
"What?" Logan stood up and headed for the door but Kitty pulled him through the wall and into the Lab.
Raven had a Scalpel, to Scotts throat and held up against the wall, by his hair. Logan's claws sprang from his hands, "Raven what are you doing?" he demanded.
Raven jerked around, and Scott took the opportunity to hit her, knocking her. Logan pounced on her, then sat on her pinning her arms to the ground.
"What's your problem?" he growled.
"Who are you people?" She demanded struggling against him but to no avail. Which surprised Logan, it to easy to hold her down.
"What?" Logan asked.
"Who are you?" She repeated.
"You don't know us?" Kitty said stepping up beside them.
"No she doesn't, That's not Raven, Are you Celesta?" Xavier said entering the room.
She stopped struggling.
**Hello Celesta, we're not here to hurt you, Do you remember what happened?** The professor 'asked' her.
Her eyes darted around like a frightened cat, Logan let he up and she darted to the far corner of the lab.
"Charlie, What's goin' on?" Logan asked.
"I'm not really sure, but all I know is that, that's not Raven," he replied.
"So if that's not Raven, Where is she?" Logan asked...
