Chapter 49

"Let me out of here! I demand that you release me!" said Mystique fiercely, tugging on the chains that held her arms. However, Mystique wasn't her usual blue self, but instead impersonated a very important person. "Don't you know how I am?" she snapped to the oncoming guard, after the other one had walked past her without a batter of an eyelid and continued his patrol of the convoy. "I'm the President of the United States!"

The guard stopped in front of her barred door, taking on a sarcastic tone, "Oh! Mr President.." he began, before adding fiercely, "Shut up!" Mystique smirked at him as he turned away, enjoying the entertainment. She had little else to do, so had taken to irritating the guards. So far other than the President, she had impersonated Elvis Presley, a naked Angelina Jolie, the Prime Minister of England and the guards themselves, just to unnerve them.

"Why are you doing this to me?" a gentle voice suddenly sobbed as Mystique transformed into a young girl. "Let me down," she continued tearfully, though amused eyes watched as the guard's shoulders slumped wearily and he sighed. "I'll be a good girl, please let me go. Please!"

The guard turned towards her, procuring something from his pocket. "Keep it up," he said, holding what appeared to be a pepper spray, "I'll spray you in the face, bitch."

"When I get out of here, I'm gonna kill you myself," she said softly, words rather chilling seeing as they were spoken from the form of the young girl.

However, the guard didn't look all that concerned, chuckling with a sarcastic sneer, "Yea, right," before he turned away and continued his patrol.

Mystique smirked as she slowly transformed back into her natural state, her feet touching the floor once more. She would push them to the brink, but never enough to get herself hurt in the process. No, she knew what she was doing. Plus, she was convinced Magneto would be along eventually. It had already been quite a while, and she was beginning to get impatient

Then suddenly, out of the blue, the entire convey was thrown up into the air before striking the ground heavily. Mystique gave a gasp as she swung on her chains, the guards ahead, falling over. Glancing about anxiously, she felt the metal of the truck screeched against the road before it slammed to an abrupt halt which sent the guard she had earlier conversed with crashing up against the bottom of her barred door. Her eyes watched him closely as he grunted in pain, shaking his head and attempting to stand to his feet carefully.

Mystique lightly lifted her legs upward, smoothly slipping them through the metal bars of her cell door. The instant the guard was at the right height, her feet locked about his neck, a foot against his throat and the other abruptly twisting his head. There was a loud crunch, and a satisfying gasp as Mystique broke the guard's neck. "Told you so." Smirking, her feet elegantly acquired the set of keys from his pocket, pushing his dead body to the floor. Using her foot, she lifted her agile body upwards to unlock her cuffs with the keys clasped in her toes. It wasn't long before she was on her feet again, just as the door at the end of the convoy was ripped open and figures flocked up the ramp.

Unlocking her cell door, she strode out after calmly throwing the keys aside. The dead guard was uncaringly pushed aside by the weight of the door. Magneto strode into the convoy, flanked by Pyro. Mystique smiled as she watched Magneto come towards her, Mystique walking with a usual sultry sway of her naked hips. "About time," she said playfully.

"I've been busy," he replied, but she could still hear the light heartedness behind his words. He quickly proceeded onto the important matter at hand, however. "Did you find what you were looking for?"

Stopping besides him, Mystique lightly nodded her head as she proceeded to inform him of the details. "The source of the cure is a mutant. A child at Worthington Labs. Without him they have nothing."

Magneto slowly looked into the convoy, making a noise of interest to her words. His eyes then located a chart, which one of the guards had dropped. He summoned it to Pyro's hand calmly. "Read off the guest list," he told him, then sharing a smirk with Mystique.

The three strode forwards to the first locked door, Pyro peering down at the sheets on the clipboard. "Cell 41205. James Madrox.."

"This one robbed seven banks," Mystique said quietly, recalling a conversation the guards had had. Magneto opened the prison door to allow the mutant to exit.. only to find seven copies of the man stood in front of him, each figure looking around inquisitively with a cheeky sort of smile. ".. at the same time." Mystique concluded, looking over to Magneto with a smile.

"I could use a man of your talents," Magneto said slowly, lifting his head as he watched the mutant.

Swiftly, James' multiple forms reverted back into his original body, which shrugged before answering coolly, "I'm in."

"Welcome to the Brotherhood," said Magneto softly before he turned, following Pyro to the next locked prison. Mystique turned to pursue then, watching James as she passed, not missing his appreciative gaze, which trailed over her naked form. She smirked to herself as she slinked by, coming to a halt with a purposeful tilt of her hips.

"Careful with this one," warned Mystique, who had heard conversations about this prisoner too.

Pyro flipped onto the next sheet, "Cain Marko," he read out. "Solitary confinement.." he then looked towards Magneto. "Huh, check this out: 'Prisoner must be confined at all times. If he builds any momentum, no object can stop him.'"

"How fascinating," Magneto said softly, lifting a hand to calmly slam open the prison door. Inside, a large figure of a man was secured in place by several metal binds on each of his limbs and about his thick neck. "What do they call you?" he asked.

"Juggernaut," said the male, a thick Cockney accent evident.

Raising an eyebrow, Magneto calmly replied, "I can't imagine why."

"Are you gonna let me out of here? I need a pee."

Mystique held back her chuckle, watching as Magneto lifted his hand once more to rip apart the metal binds that held Juggernaut in place. The mutant then leapt out of the broken confinement, landing heavily on the floor of the convoy, shaking it. His height towered over the mutants present, the Juggernaut garbed in thick heavy attire, including a large headgear.

"Nice helmet," commented Pyro idly as he watched the man.

"Keeps my face pretty," Juggernaut responded, smirking.

"I think you'll make a fine addition to our army," Magneto said as he surveyed Juggernaut.

But Mystique was no longer paying attention, for she saw a sudden beam of laser target Magneto on his shoulder blade. Without considering the consequences of her actions, she span round, positioning her body defensively in front of Magneto's. "No!" she cried, but it all happened too fast for her to comprehend. The next thing she felt was a sharp pain in her shoulder and quickly looked down to pull out the offending object from her skin. She lifted slim needle to observe it, but felt her legs weakening and she slumped to the floor heavily.

It was only then that she realised that she had blocked no ordinary bullet, when she felt the pain spreading from her shoulder, and appearing to take over her body convulsively. Then she felt herself shifting without her control, her skin flaking and peeling to revert into her flesh. Having turned herself away from Magneto, she slowly rolled round to face him in desperation, trying to summon aid. Then she noticed her trembling hand as it came near her face and stared at the blue scales, which were disappearing to reveal supple pale skin. She couldn't tear her eyes from it, staring transfixed at the long slim fingers, which seemed mockingly bright and clean in their new cured state.

She gasped softly under her breath, her eye slowly lifting to see Magneto staring down at her. His face was a mixture of emotions, none of which she could identify. "You saved me.." his voice sounded hollow.

She slowly picked her head up off the floor, watching as he began turning away from her without a word. "Erik.." she said softly, calling for him, needing him, probing with his real name to try and bring him back to her. He wouldn't abandon her. He wouldn't do that to her.

"I'm sorry, my dear," he said quietly as he looked down at her, flanked by Pyro and Juggernaut who too were staring at her. "You're not one of us anymore." She stared at him, her gasps turning heavy and erratic as the tears she felt well up inside her threatened to be let loose. Magneto turned away from her, striding away swiftly, as though trying to stop himself from lingering. Mystique's eyes never left him as walked away from her. "Such a shame," she heard him sigh. "She was so beautiful.."

And that was it, the last shard that wedged firmly into her heart causing it to break and her sobs to tremble free. She didn't care if he heard her despair, she didn't care about showing weakness anymore. Her trembling naked hands cradled her face as she cried heartbrokenly, now believing herself to be alone, abandoned in the prison convoy with the dead guards surrounding her.

But she suddenly felt a hand touching her bare arm, and she gasped as she threw her head back to stare up at the figure. With a smile, the man lifted a finger to his lips, making a gentle shushing sound. Still feeling her body tremble; Mystique's eyes stared up into the smooth features of the one who had stayed behind for her. "James?"

The man jovially winked, "Call me Jamie."

And this is what I think happens after she was cured! Please review. I know the consists mainly of film text, but I really wanted to concentrate on the cure scene, seeing as it is so important.