Tasha Taylor: A pleasant surprise to see you review too! More reviewers are lovely! It's great to hear that you like my story so far. I hope I am portraying Mystique with a realistic approach. Thank you for reviewing!

Galadeidre: Well, we hope she gets out of there! Otherwise she IS gonna end up killing herself in there. And I understand about exams.. did one last week.. and I got one this Wednesday. If you do come on to read, let's hope it's a nice bit of stress relief for you! P Good luck!

Legolasfreak2: I haven't said exactly how long she's been locked in her room in fear of getting into the story then finding myself in some bad plot holes due to age and stuff. So, so far it's just been hinted at as "a few years" take that as you wish. And Raven won't find out about the full extent of her powers until later. P Thanks!

Wolfie: I don't intend to finish it just yet! Hehe. Thanks for reviewing!

Rogue151: She'll discover her powers eventually, not just yet though P

Brynnmissy: I'm glad you like it! And I know my chapter lengths could do with being longer. I'm trying. In my other stories I do 3000 word chapters sometimes! I suppose I just gotta get into the swing of things.

Sych77: Hahahah! Hello SPOUSE! Lol. Howya doing? It's fantastic that you liked it. Lol, glad you picked up the little hints. Hearing voices ISN'T normal, and Raven has gone rather crazy. Come on, she just smashed up her mirror in a twisted rage!

Sci-Fi Reader: A new reviewer! Fantastic! Glad to have met your high expectations, hehe ;) I hope you keep reviewing, cos I'll keep updating!

Thank you for reviewing everybody! Brilliant!

Chapter 9

Raven had sat in her room in wait the darkness hours to fall. She had had no other clue as to when or how her mother was intending to get her out, all she could do was wait. She pondered over things she may need to take with her. A phone would be ideal.. Though her mobile phone had since not been used. The battery was dead, and she had no idea where the charger was. But even, so.. She pulled it into her backpack, along with her purse that still had money in from the day she ran home from school. She also shoved in some of her more treasured clothing, including ones that would cover her more. A baseball cap went in there also.. she had a feeling she would need to shield her face. However, she paused in her actions, pulling the cap back out of the bag slowly and staring down at the cream surface.

Cass had bought her that hat. Bought it for her 14th birthday.. the last birthday she had before her mutation took place. She had loved that hat.. she had pointed it out on a shopping trip with Cass once, gushed over her admiration for it before accepting she could quite simply not afford it and went home somewhat sulky before forgetting about it. That was until Cass presented it to her with a delighted smile. Raven had been thrilled.

Cass was a great friend.. had been a great friend. No doubt Cass regretted ever getting to know Raven now. Cass hated mutants. That meant Cass would hate Raven.

With an irritated scowl Raven thrusted the cap into her bag, zipping it up before dumping it on the floor rather heavily that she planned. Her eyes narrowed slowly as she stared at the floor, slowly lowering herself to sit on the end of her bed, feeling a familiar mix of frustration and sorrow churn from her stomach. Slowly, she raised her head to stare at the now oddly bare chest of drawers where her mirror had once been. She watched the white wall gleam in the exposed space. A soft sigh breathed out of her lips as she slumped forward gently to rest her arms on her clothed knees whilst she watched the empty area on the furniture.

She had often thought over how her life could be different, and each time it never failed to aggravate her more, drive her deeper into depression. The voices were louder each time she cried. A bandaged hand ran shakily across the top of her red hair, which hung limply down her shoulders. Her electric yellow eyes still bore into the nude space, burning into the brickwork. She wondered if she looked harder she could make that wall crumble. Maybe she could melt it down.

The voices told her she could.

The voices also once told her she could fly out of her window and to freedom.

She found that her window was too small.

So she had just sat and cried at her failure, and listened to the lecture inside her head and accordingly punished herself as the voices told her to.

But right now, she didn't give in to the voices. The last time she did that, she collapsed in her own blood after her attack on the mirror. She wanted to get out tonight, the voices and their demands could wait.

She sighed slowly, dropping her eyes from the wall and absently watching her bandaged hands, she toyed with the end of it, wondering what her hands would look like under the bloodstains. The distraction didn't last long, and she quickly thought back over Cass. She really wished all this had never happened and that she could still be going to school, seeing Cass, Mr. Gerald.. hell even the sergeant-like Ms. Joaquin.

But by now she would have completed her exams and left school. She dreamed over what grades she could have achieved. She would have done well in most subjects.. she was an intelligent girl. Her teachers had always said so.

She felt a horrible sick feeling in her stomach.

The previous long years of education and hard work had been wasted. She had no grades. She had failed her education, failed every single exam by not attending. She lowered her head slowly to her hands. How would she ever get a job? Come to think of it, the grades didn't seem that important. One look at her and she'd probably be arrested or something ludicrous like that.

However, Raven was snapped out of her thoughts when she saw a pair of shoes suddenly be thrown through her barely opened door. The trainers rolled slowly across the carpet before coming to a mismatch lean against her wardrobe, looking rather pathetic as they rested on their back from the throw. Her eyes narrowed at them. Was this the signal? Was this her cue? She was supposed to get up and run now.. her mother was distracting her father as planned.

She felt rigidly frozen to the bed as she stared at them.

She had to go..

She turned her head sharply, hearing the front door unlock before her mother called loudly, "Oh wait, forgot something," and her heels moved into the kitchen where a low hum of conversation started with Raven's father.

This was it; her mother was waiting for her to go.

With a streak of determination suddenly lifting her to her feet, she leapt over to her trainers, sharply jutting her feet into the soft insides before spinning and grabbing her bag. She made a breathless gasp as the adrenaline suddenly began to course through her. She would have to be quiet, and quick.

Raven had never been a master of stealth. This was going to prove to be very difficult with her vigilant father.

The rucksack was swung over her shoulders hurriedly as she span to the door, pulling on the handle and opening up the first step to her freedom. Her sharp eyes scanned the staircase that spilled down into the hallway. This was it. With another gasp she spun around the corner of the banister and began desperately hurtling her feet down on the stairs. She tried her best to keep her landings quiet, but the sound of rubber soles to wood were all too obvious, and Raven knew that now, it was not a matter of stealth, but speed. Incredible speed.

An undernourished form would surely be sluggish at getting to the door. But Raven had so more excitement and adrenaline raging around her bloodstream, she thought she could do anything! The last few steps were ignored as she blissfully sailed over the top of them in a leap to freedom.

"Well, I think we should try it.." her mother's voice came from the kitchen. It sailed out of the open door, which led out into the very hallway Raven was in.

"Well, I don't know.." she heard her father mumble in reply, "Perhaps you're right, we haven't been out in years.

"Yeah," her mother kept on, trying to keep the conversation going and the man distracted. He had his back to the open doorway, and over his shoulder, Gemma could see her daughter jumping out into the hallway. She was opening the door! She was getting out!

But as Gemma excitedly watched her daughter's escape, her attention had been distracted long enough for Evan to be greeted by silence.. until the tell tale sounds behind him caught his ears. With a surprised gasp he spun around in the doorway, staring with wide eyes as he saw the blue skinned mutant dragging open the front door and proceeding to run down the steps.

No!

She couldn't escape!

With a furious explosion of a roar he burst into action, running ahead through the doorway, hurtling out across the hallway before leaping over the steps and down onto the driveway. Raven had gently jumped out into the cool night air, feeling a revelling euphoria come over her as her skin was bathed in the natural moonlight. But she had heard her father's enraged cries, and she spun round to see the furious man charge after her with a frightening speed that she knew she couldn't match.

She let out a terrified cry, the anger in his eyes glowed like fire, blazing and dangerous. She staggered around, trying to continue her run, trying to get away from this crazed beast. But his large hand snaked out and grabbed her by her long hair. Her screams echoed across the street as she felt the back of her scalp burn fiercely at her father's hold. But it didn't stop there, not only did he use it to stop her, but he proceeded to drag her back into the house by the hair. No matter if she had collapsed on the floor, no matter how her skin sliced and scraped on the gravel.

"No.." she sobbed as her hands went to her head, trying to ease the agonising tugs, "Let me go.." she whispered, tears spilling from her eyes as she fell upon the gravel. She could feel the bits of stone tearing at her flesh; the jagged tips pierced her skin as the dragging motions brushed up her clothes. The sharp gravel scratched at her exposed mid-section. She made a breathless gasp as her spine smacked against the steps as she was pulled up and inside the house.

"Keep quiet," her father hissed roughly, dragging the girl to her feet, "I don't want the neighbours knowing you're still around here."

But Raven's legs wouldn't work; she stumbled over the steps and into the house before staggering to the floor. Failed. She had failed her bid for freedom. She was an angel with broken wings. Useless. She heard the door was shut behind her, and now her ashen faced mother stared at the sobbing heap on the floor, "Raven.." whispered her mother softly. Raven raised her head from the floor slowly, her glistening eyes spilling more tears down her cheeks that were now dotted by little slices and gashes from the sharp flooring of the driveway. She made a shaky breath before giving a soft whimper as her father lashed as unnecessary kick to the girl's stomach in order to get her out of his way.

"Evan!" her mother cried nervously, her hands wringing slowly.

But when Raven locked her eyes upon her mothers, she felt the sadness and desperation simmer to rest as a new surge burst alive through her body. The burning flood of thorough anger was bringing her eyes alight with a fury that made her eyes sparkle like the very irises were crackling with electricity. She spun off the floor in a shockingly fast spin; she slithered up with no effort and grabbed her father by the neck with a vicious cry of hatred and frustration. Her father, taken by surprise, was pushed back against the wall with a loud crack of his skull meeting the brick. He winced visibly, for once looking extremely scared until that endless anger replaced it and he raised his fists, defending himself with a swooping punch across Raven's face.

With a startled cry, the fist met Raven with a smacking sound, and her weak body buckled under the strike. She fell down to her knees with a hopeless cry, chorused by her mother's terrified exclamations.

Raven felt her father's boot slam into the side of her head as her mother screamed louder. But Raven witnessed no more, as for the second time that day she fell unconscious..