Playing Identities

AN: This is very much a Kurt and Mystique centered fic. Based on a dream (a very awesome dream, I swear it was like watching a movie in my head). It contains Ocs, but they aren't mutants, nor are they gud guys. Also, I'd like to say I chose to keep Mystique's eyes white like they are in the first season of the show, reason being is that I wanted hers and Kurt's to be identical. Little bit of foul language, and violence.

Disclaimer: Characters from X Men Evolution are not mine. Characters you don't know will be mine. This plot is mine. Kurt is mine – uh, I mean, enjoy.

Full Summary: Upon hearing of a certain mutant's abilities, a branch of the government decide to recruit her into their Criminal Investigation unit. But it proves more difficult than merely asking, and the organization is in desperate need of her powers. They are forced into drastic measures to get what they want. As the Unit is handed over to a new Commander, research is done; and done well: The mutant has family: a son . . . and perhaps the only way to make agreements with this mutant is through leverage . . .

The shade of the trees was cooling from the hot sun, and the shadows of the leaves on the grassy floor created a pattern one could watch for ages without interruption. It was in this environment that a mutant could find peace. Away from the annoying kids at the Brotherhood Boarding house, away from the Xavier Institute brats, and away from the normal, arrogant people who take pride in calling themselves human; although most didn't have an ounce of humanity in them. Out here, Nature can be cruel and kind, but respected regardless.

'Out here' was no more than half a mile from the Boarding house, but it was enough distance to get away from the town. Not many people liked to walk alone in the trees, none were confident enough to know they wouldn't be attacked by animal, human or mutant. But Mystique more than was, and if anyone even thought about disturbing her peaceful walk to jump her, she'd tear them apart before they'd even realized she had blue skin. The people who know her knew better than to break into her personal time. For in this place she could let her thoughts free, and think about things she would never allow herself to ponder.

The blue skinned mutant trod lightly as she walked next to a thick truck, belonging to a very tall and leafy tree. She stopped and leant her arm on the bark. She had been running, jogging, leaping and walking for almost an hour in this place she called the 'back garden'. It was like an obstacle course, one that she used often to get some time alone, to exercise her powerful muscles, or to perfect her excellent combat skills. This was one of the few things she enjoyed.

What she didn't enjoy was being watched.

Mystique turned her head sharply to some point over her shoulder, after the sound of crunching dried leaves met her ears, rippling the silence; her red hair flowed over her shoulder. She saw movement between two trees roughly fifteen meters away, and everything became quiet once more. Her sharp, white eyes searched out something glinting in the sunlight, about knee high, hidden under a fallen log. It was a small pair of binoculars.

An ominous click at her side brought her head round to look for the source. Mystique knew before she saw it that a gun was aimed at her, held in the gloved hands of a man, who was half hidden behind a tree. She didn't have to see them to know there were more, and that she was surrounded.

Rage began to swelled inside of the mutant. She spun her body around and with an amazing burst of speed, sprinted towards the camouflaged face of the man with the gun, whose surprise was just as evident on his face as anger was on Mystique's. Just as she knew, he was too surprised at her sudden action to fire whatever was loaded into the weapon. Be it tranquillizers or bullets, she didn't care; she wasn't going to get hit.

Growling, Mystique cleared the last two meters between her and the man with a handstand flip, landing directly in front of him. She swiftly kicked the gun from his hand, snapping his wrist back. He had only just grabbed his injured limb before his face exploded with pain, having met with Mystique's black boot. The man's entire body turned from the force of the kick and he lay in pain on his side, too disorientated to clutch his face.

To her left side came more noise, and she turned to see another man, a dark skinned human, running at her, yelling as he came. She delivered a sharp kick to his stomach, and as he stopped at her attack and clutched his middle, she lashed out again with the same foot to his groin. The man yelped loudly and groaned as he kneeled over and landed on his side with a thud on the dirt, gripping the sensitive area.

Mystique's arm automatically swung out full length as another of these guys ran at her from her southeast. Her arm chopped into his neck, rendering him motionless for her to perform a roundhouse kick to his chest. He bit the dirt too.

By now a large circle of humans had appeared around her, all rushing in different bursts of speed to attack. Their faces were painted, teeth were gritted, and all eyes were locked on the target.

"Stop!" Commanded a voice.

The men immediately halted as Mystique continued to hold her defense stance. Her fists were balled, and her teeth gritted as she looked about the circle with fire in her eyes. The men who she had downed were crawling away from her, and the ones standing were eyeing her carefully. She took note of the fear in their eyes, and that half of them were carrying guns. To her left two men parted to let another into the circle. This human was brawny, similar to Wolverine but taller, and dressed in higher ranking clothes and hat. His face was not painted with camouflage patterns, and showed no surprise or fear at her appearance as the others did.

"Mystique," he smirked, as though he was on friendly terms with the mutant, familiarity in his voice.

"The answer's 'no', Miles," Mystique said coldly, before he could say anything else. She lowered her fists, but remained tense.

The man known as Miles showed no change of expression. "You don't even know what I'm going to offer you," he said in his deep voice. Unlike most deep voices, it had a soft edge that could persuade many people into anything. It was a weapon, but it did not work with Mystique.

"I know what you want, and I'll have nothing to do with it," she said in her own deep, level tone. Her voice alone would tell anyone she was not going to accept whatever they wanted to offer her, and what they wanted her to do in exchange.

The man chuckled on his words as he said, "I strongly recommend you listen to the proposition." He smiled. The kind people don't like to see when they're refusing something.

Mystique glared. The men around her looked uncertainly between the mutant and Miles, as though afraid of what the blue skinned woman was going to do if the man didn't shut up. Her glare was enough to tell Miles that he was going nowhere in convincing her to accept the offer he and his organization were giving. She had given him her answer, and she wasn't going to speak any more.

Miles stared at her for a few silent seconds. "Alright," he said softly, with an almost disappointed expression. "I'm warning you Mystique, don't underestimate the CI Unit," he dropped his tone even lower. But it was not a threat. "They want you for their assignments, and these people'll do anything to get you." He started at her unblinkingly, as though trying to bore the message in through her eyes.

Mystique glared back into his eyes until he broke the connection.

"Men, fall back," he ordered shortly, turning his back to the blue mutant as he and the troop of men followed him into the trees and out of sight. After half a minute of waiting for all noise to cease, Mystique relaxed her body, but not her mind.

She continued to stare at the point Miles had disappeared. She gave the smallest of snorts. Was that concern in dear Miles' voice? Did he really think I'd accept? Miles, you really don't know me after all …

Mystique turned away and started walking back towards the Boarding house. Well, she had an extra obstacle in her course today, and a nice workout. But as she walked, she couldn't get Miles' warning out of her head. 'They'll do anything to get you …' She knew they most likely would, the government went to no ends to get what they want. But she was not one to give up, despite whatever pestering was dealt to her. They would just have to let her go, and find some other way to infiltrate enemy lines instead of using her.

'There'll do anything to get you …' Well they had nothing against her, nothing to work with, so she wasn't worried. Miles' warning was rather amusing than concerning. Do you care what happens, Miles? She taunted in her head, smirking. Does someone besides my car give a damn if something happened? No, I didn't think so. You're a player, Miles, you like to confuse and lead astray before you jump in for the goal.

She let a small chuckle of 'hm' slip as she walked in the direction of her house.

Reaching the other end of the woods, Miles and his men emerged to the sight of their trucks standing patiently by a dirt road. As the men walked past him towards the rides, Miles pulled out a radio from its holster on his belt, and, with his features pulled into something similar to regret, spoke into the device, calling for the other line. When it was picked up, a man with a higher voice than his answered.

Miles listened to the man's question before speaking. "Negative. There's no way she'll join."

The man on the radio spoke again in a crackling voice. For a few seconds Miles remained motionless while he listened. By the end of the man's message, Miles was squinting, as though the sun were in his eyes. He was wincing, as though he didn't want to hear what had just been said to him.

He sighed. "Yeah, yeah I knew it would come to that . . . No, I'm not. You can search through the damn files, I've done my job . . . She'll be well pissed at you, Reily, I'm serious, she's not one to use like that . . ." he sighed again as he listened, aware the men in the trucks were waiting for him. "I guess that might be the one thing to persuade her . . ." he listened for another couple of seconds. "Reily, if you don't plan this right she will kill you, I know she cares for – and how the hell do you plan on catching this one? If you read the file you'll see you're gonna need something better than a fish net . . . I know she has two . . ." an angry sigh escaped him. " . . . Yeah, I knew you would pick that one, anything for a project," he said disgustedly. "Don't sound too excited, Reily, I doubt you'll get him, if he's her son then I'd expect some resistance . . ."

Wow, you got this far? I'm honored. Questions will be answered soon. If there's anything bad about my writing then go ahead and shout, I need some advice to improve. So I'm guessing you know who Miles is on about, huh …