Great job on the reviews, everyone! Now, in this chapter we really do get into X1. See if you can notice where the film scene begins and ends. The end of the film scene in this chapter is missable, but it could have happened if you watch the film! I had the film right besides me on my laptop as I wrote this, so it should be pretty much spot on!

Chapter 31

"You're back late," commented Magneto as he sat at his desk. Mystique walked across the metal bridge over the running water with her body bloodied and a briefcase in one hand. Magneto studied the crimson stains in a concerned manner.

Mystique noticed this, for as she reached the desk, she placed the briefcase in front of him, leaning forward with a toying smile, "It's not mine."

Magneto leaned back in his seat slowly, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked slowly up at her, "Is that so? How did you manage to avoid suspicion if you were fighting others?"

"Oh.. this isn't from the offices. No.. I made a little detour on the way back." Her smile spread into a crooked smirk, "Visited an old friend."

"Oh?" Magneto raised an eyebrow, sitting up so he could lean forward onto his desk, "I see." He didn't sound angry or pleased, just curious. "But all that bothers me is that you got the documents without difficulty and without anybody knowing." He pulled the briefcase toward him, unclasping the lock and opening it. He pulled out the folder Mystique had stolen, glancing at the contents as he flipped through a few pages. A slow smile crept coldly on to his face as he read. "How helpful.." he commented airily. "Hm.." he studied the pages for a moment before he lowered the folder.

Just then, Toad came running across the bridge, stopping ungracefully by Mystique with a wild grin on his face, "Magneto! Got some good news. You don't have to use the machine yourself!"

"You've found another metal mutant?" asked Magneto, looking genuinely surprised.

"No, no," Toad waved his hands dismissively, "But it was just on the news that a mutant girl has gone on the run from Mississippi, and when you touch her, she takes your energy!"

Mystique didn't look impressed, however Magneto stood up, leaning on the desk and watching Toad, "Energy..?" he repeated quietly, "A mutant's energy is their powers.."

"Yeah, yeah!" said Toad enthusiastically, "So, she can borrow yours for a while – "

"And power the machine! She could be killed.. but she is doing her bit towards mutant survival." Magneto's eyes gleamed as he stood in thought, looking down at the open documents on the desk. "Where's the girl now?" he quickly looked up at Toad.

But Toad shrugged his shoulders slowly and crouched down into a more comfortable position, "No clue. Think she was goin' north.."

Magneto smiled slowly as he stepped out from behind his desk and with a swish of his cloak, strode off towards the deeper chambers, "Sabretooth!" A quiet growl sounded from the distance in answer. "You have a girl to track down!" Magneto spun round, watching Mystique's bloodied form, "You go too.."

The air was bitingly cold and blusterous winds howled menacingly through the blindingly white valleys of Canada. Falling snow was thrown along with the wind, thick and heavy. Sabretooth stalked through the snow slowly with heavy footsteps. He growled quietly as he came by a roadside, glancing up and down it slowly. Mystique followed behind him, walking calmly through the freezing weather even though she was so bare. She even still had the graceful strides, with the additional sultry sway of her hips. She glared around the area imperiously with an arrogant smile. "She's coming," growled Sabretooth quietly as he stared at the road in the distance. A small speck of a lorry could be seen trundling along through the darkness of the night.

"She's in the truck?" asked Mystique, joining Sabretooth's side.

Sabretooth merely nodded, keeping his eyes on the lorry as it came closer. Now it was so close that the two figures in the seat could be noticed. At this point, Sabretooth grabbed Mystique's slim wrist in his large hand.

"What are you – " she began angrily. But the lorry suddenly roared pass and with a surprised shriek she was dragged along by Sabretooth as he leap at the back of the truck, grabbing onto it. He continued to hold her arm as the pair stood on the narrow ledge at the back of the lorry, holding on as the truck continued along. Mystique gasped quietly as she glanced down, watching the icy road race by underneath her feet. "She better be on this lorry.." she muttered, glaring sideways at Sabretooth.

"She is."

Mystique turned slowly, Sabretooth instead resting a large claw hand against the top of her back to help keep her there. She glanced to him slowly, uttering under her breath, "I hope so."

The lorry slowly pulled to a halt in a large snow-covered car park. The Brotherhood pair listened carefully as a door at the front slammed. Crunching footsteps sounded before a second door opened and a rough voice was heard.

"This is it."

Shuffling sounded before in reply came a southern female accent, "Where are we? I thought you said you were gonna take me as far as Laughlin City?"

Mystique and Sabretooth shared a smirk. If she was lost, it only made their jobs easier.

A rough voice answered, although there was pity in the man's tones, "This is Laughlin City."

Their footsteps crunched on through the snow as the trucker and the young mutant round the side of the lorry and headed towards the small bar at the back of the hoard of parked vehicles. Sabretooth jumped down off the back of the lorry with expert silence, he made a start towards the retreating pair, but Mystique slipped down to block his path.

"Not yet," she said quietly, glancing behind her at the green-coated girl. She pushed with her hands on Sabretooth's chest to make them slink round the back of the lorry against some trees so they were out of view. "We can't grab her with an audience. Wait till she comes out."

"And what if she comes out with people?"

"I'll go in," said Mystique with a smile playing on her lips, "And keep an eye on her." Her svelte figure disappeared under the flaking blue skin, and her slim line formed grew with muscle and a burly looking character stood there, clenching large fists. "You wait for her to come out," she finished, in a rough masculine tone. Sabretooth just stared at her as she changed. It was a mutation that was unlike anything he had ever seen before, and even after a year of witnessing it; it was still something incredible to watch.

And before he could give an answer, the new large form of the male had turned and sprinted towards the bar, with all the grace and agility Mystique had.

Mystique pushed on in through the door slowly, ears being met by a rumble of voices and excited shouts. The room was dark and lit by only a few bare bulbs that were coated in years of filth and grime. Cigarette smoke hung in the rafters in a suffocating cloud and it drummed at the senses strongly. Beyond the crowded bar area was a large caged area, illuminated by strip lighting attached to the rafters. A loud and rather boisterous crowd had gathered around it, each on their feet and roaring their approval.

Slowly, Mystique stepped forth, her large muscular form not receiving a second glance from any of the brothers of grimy men around her form. Ahead, she saw another figure making it's way through the crowd, smaller, leaner, and dressed in a thick green coat. Mystique picked up her pace, her deep dark eyes fixated on the back of the girl's head. Only feet behind her, a loud crash caught her attention, and both Mystique and the girl quickly looked up to see a burly looking man be slammed against the criss-cross wire that fenced the cage. He slumped down onto his front and remained unmoving. A bell rang enthusiastically followed by the angry boos of the crowd.

"Gentlemen! In all my years I've never seen anything like this!" The crowd around the cage roared in response as the MC stood in the centre of the cage. The unconscious fighter was dragged out. "Are you gonna let this man walk away with your money?"

Mystique quickly looked in the direction the man was pointing to see a tall figure, clad it on tight jeans stood facing the cage wall with his back to the MC, Mystique and the girl. The crowd around them bellowed a furious, "No!" The winning fighter look unperturbed by the hatred that was pouring in, he didn't have one cheer of support. He just remained leaning with one arm up against the fence, the other holding a cigar between his fingers.

Then, from the crowd, a man rose to his feet, roaring a fierce, "I'll fight him!" as he tossed his coat off his broad shoulders. The crowd yelled their approval, those near the cage shaking the fence viciously at the lone fighter inside awaiting his next contender. Mystique had to admire the man who was within the cage, for he just remained as calm as ever, lifting a shot of whiskey and downing it without even a shudder. His persona was still a mystery to both Mystique and the girl she was tracking, for he hadn't turned round yet.

The MC looked ecstatic, no wonder, for he held a roll of bets against his microphone. "Ladies and gentleman!" he cried as the contender stepped into the cage with his arms flexing in preparation, "our saviour!" The crowd clapped approvingly with supportive cheers. For a moment, the MC and the new fighter talked. The MC had a wry smirk subtly on his face, especially as the fighter replied. The bell rang three times, the MC exiting the cage doors slamming shut. The new fighter bounced on the balls of his feet, exercising his neck muscles as he raised his fists.

The bare-chested man was still leaning against the cage walls, and was yet to turn around when he was hit in the back with a fierce kick that spun him round. He fell against the cage wall, his face hidden under a sudden barrage of punches from the fighter. Under the attacks, he stumbled, only managing to keep himself off the floor as the new contender unleashed a vicious range of kicks to his groin, using the fencing as support. The crowd's cheers suddenly quietened, and Mystique looked round curiously. He was winning wasn't he? Why weren't they cheering?

Distantly, she heard a voice cry from the crowd, "You idiot!"

Puzzled, she quickly looked back at the cage; seeing the fallen man sat on his knees, gasping quietly. His opponent drew back his fist, intending to finish the fight, when the floored man rose speedily and met his fist in a crunching smash of bone. Instantly, the new fighter pulled back, his face consorted with agony as he held his hand. As he doubled over in pain, Mystique could clearly see the bare-chested man's face, and she immediately gasped.

"Kid, tell me, where's the Planning Department at this end o' town?"

Those eyes, as fierce and as steely as they were when they confronted her five years ago. Face just as stern and wild.

"It's Peter, he got stabbed by a carjacker.. next to the planning department, that's where they said the guy had come from."

The cause of everything was right before her, the reason her cousin was dead, the reason her mutation had started and the reason she was locked in her own bedroom for four years. Ignoring the fact she had just watched him take down a man with little effort, she shoved passed the girl she was supposed to be tracking and ran up the steps into the cage. The new fighter was now on the floor, unconscious after a horrific head butt.

"Ladies and gentleman, tonight's winner and still King of the Cage, the Wolverine!" the MC quickly looked round as Mystique ran into the cage. "Hey, you can't just – " Still disguised as the rough-looking man, Mystique shoved the MC out of her way and leapt at Wolverine. He had gone back to his lean against the cage fencing, slowly exhaling smoke from his cigar. With an angry cry, Mystique grabbed him by the arm, but he must have noticed her coming, for he spun round and aimed a punch at her.

Catching her by surprise, she collapsed backwards, and Wolverine quickly threw himself down, pressing a knee to the large muscular chest below him. "Cage fighting's over now, bub," he muttered quietly, "You'll have to wait till tomorrow night. Now get the hell outta here."

"I'm not here to win a bet," growled Mystique, her large fists rising to grab Wolverine by the neck. "I'm here to get my cousin's revenge."

Wolverine grabbed the wrists of the hands to his neck, tightening his grip about them, "Your cousin? The guy I just beat? He had that comin', bub."

"No," she replied in a low snarl, "Five years ago.. you murdered my cousin."

Wolverine snorted quietly, throwing the arms off Mystique easily as he stood to his feet, "You're drunk," he muttered.

The crowd around them were deadly quiet, watching the pair with cautious anticipation. Mystique glowered at Wolverine as he lifted to his feet. Then suddenly, with lightning speed, Mystique twisted her legs round to trip Wolverine, causing him to fall to the floor with a surprised shout. Mystique rolled on top of him, using her weight this time to pin him. Wolverine growled quietly at this turn of events, glaring up at the male before he lifted his head and struck his forehead into Mystique's.

Mystique cried out, in her own voice that caused Wolverine to stare at the feminine cry that came out of the large man. However, as the figure fell back, he noticed something strange.. their skin.. it was turning blue. And before his and the crowd's eyes, the bulky figure shrunk into a slim body of a curvaceous female, brazenly naked, but.. somehow, there was something that kept her modesty oh-so subtly. Wolverine sat up slowly, staring at the blue figure as she held her forehead, her eyes tightly closed.

Mutant.

Had to be.

Mystique opened her eyes slowly, Wolverine seeing her blazing yellow eyes for the first time. They glared fiercely, brightly burning into his dark gaze. The silence around them had gone into a shocked, but fearful one.

"What the hell?" he growled quietly, narrowing his eyes at her.

But Mystique had recovered, and she leapt upon him again, pinning him with strong thighs, "You don't recognise me, do you?" she hissed, leaning her face close to his. Her intense eyes glared strongly into his, "That's because what you did made me like this."

"I don't normally hurt a lady.." he paused to give her a slow glare up and down, "but you're just askin' for it."

Mystique merely spread a slow smile, chuckling quietly to herself. "Don't worry, Wolverine.. I can take care of myself." She leant down slowly, resting her lightly scaled chest against his bare one.

"Get the hell off o' me," snarled Wolverine, tightening his fists, "I ain't got a clue who you are." When Mystique showed no signs of backing off, Wolverine growled, pulling back his fist and striking her across the face, as she was pushed back, he raised his booted feet, kicking her sharply in the gut with a force that threw her against the metal of the cage fencing.

Free, he swept to his feet, grabbing his shirt and coat and striding out of the cage towards the MC. "How much did I get tonight?"

Mystique pushed to her feet slowly, glaring round at the faces watching her. She snarled quietly, touching slowly at the bruising that was forming on her cheek. The crowd was becoming noisy again, jeering and shouting at her. With a sudden crackle of skin, she transformed into the figure from before and ran out of the cage, pushing past the girl she had long forgotten about and ran out into the snowy car park, spitting blood from her mouth.

Now you can imagine, that after this point, it goes to where Logan is sat in the bar to get a drink and he gets attacked, yada yada. See? Told you in fits in with the film scene! Put X1 on if you don't believe me! XD Now, review my little Mystique minions!