NOTE: As of October, 27th, 2005, I have restructured this piece of fiction to make more sense. Part I will deal with the past and Part II will deal with everything that is currently happening in their timeline at the time of the Prologue.
Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own X-Men Evolution, because if I did, it wouldn't be on hiatus. Hiatus is a euphemism for canceled in my book…
Author's Notes: By the time I finished writing Remy's escape from the compound last part, I was like, HOLY HELL, It's gonna run long…AGAIN…oh well. I just can't write anything short…Damn. I'm sorry for the delay last chapter, but I get uninspired for typing stuff out when it gets long, it becomes this tedious task where I have to fight to get all that I can see in my head out to print. But never fear, I won't give up and now, I have the whole rest of the summer pretty much free except for a long vacation, but don't worry, I'm hoarding my laptop, so I'll be able to type stuff up. I had summer school this year to do a course I couldn't take in regular classes. It was really sucky, thank the lord it's over.
Okay, well this chapter will deal with some scenes in points of Logan and Raven's relationship as well as Hank and Ororo. You get to see Kurt, Rogue and Remy grow up. Also, Kitty, Piotr, John and Wanda's pasts will show up too. I promise to put Romy in at the very end. Should be good. I think I'm gonna stick in a villain. Be sure to stay tuned for Chapter Two though. It's gonna showcase the putting together of Ferocity…I have it all planned out and ready to go. Oh and Chapter Three will be when Logan gets caught.
Shout Outs:
CF: Hey, there, and I really tried to make it shorter, but then I kinda gave up when I wrote the part where Remy escapes, I was like, screw it, it's gonna be long, I didn't want to break it up any more. As for Erik and Charles' partnership, yes, they are fighting the humans, and yes, none of the mutants and humans living in harmony yet, but keep in mind, all the mutants in here want to be is live in peace and not be hunted down so fiercely. So yes, they do want to live in harmony with humans, it's one of their goals, but it's just not happening due to all the crap's that's going on. Basically, they're fighting because it's the only way to survive, to keep hope alive and to get a better tomorrow.
Wow, I'm so surprised, yet glad that I got you so emotionally attached to Ororo, and by the sounds of it Raven. I think every one hates her, so I just want to make people like her for once, just leave all that Mystique hate at the front door and read with a neutrality, because the only reason people really dislike her is because of all the shit she's done to Rogue and Kurt, two people who are least deserving of shit coming to them. However, in my fic, she's a good mom to both. Whoa, I've got you hating humans…nice…kinda what I was going for, but keep in mind, that only some humans are like that, and some of their allies are normal humans, like Jean-Luc not willing to put up with the mutant bigotry shit. Really, it's mostly just the MSF going all bitchy.
Hey, Essex is one of the roots of all Romy troubles, the other being Bella Donna, so hey, he's evil, he does screwy things to Remy's eyes. I knew it'd make you guys hate him, so I stuck it in. I'm glad to see that you liked all the Logan/Remy parts. And yes, I just had to put in an awesomeful nice Jean-Luc. I'm glad to see you like the couples I stuck in and such. I loved your Hallelujah at saving Wolvie. Oh and yes, I just really had to stick in a slight Lion King ref…I mean, with a name like simba317, it's kinda obvious...huh? And I totally had to have them adopt Rogue. And yes, this is a flashback to give you the back story to each of the characters. And as for Wolvie dying…you're just gonna have to find out…I feel mean for saying that…but Wolvie's one of my faves, so yeah…I leave you with that. Thanks for dropping the reviews. Tell the squirrels I say, 'HI!'
Oh and as for Chapter One, Part One, I totally felt like I was killing people right and left. But hey, you find out that they all lived, well except Alfred of course. OMG…The part that had me LMAO…was 'What? Raven too….I don't even like her…' Beautiful. But yeah, I do hope you understand her more, and come to like her in this fic. I guess I usually don't like her, but after reading 'Extermination' by slickboy444, I kinda changed my views on her. He gave her a great back story and motive and just made her Raven Darkholme a person apart from Mystique. It was what really encouraged me to write Raven like this. Wouldn't we all love to throw bricks at Sinister. Hey, Ish and I have started an angry mob against him, she gets the crowd and I bring the pitchforks and torches, you could throw bricks for us, sweetie. Ooohhh, the one time you don't like fire…I had to do some Kurt and Rogue bonding, I love fics when they grow up together as twins and Logan and Raven are their parents…Logan is so the best dad ever and I really wanted you to get a sense of how bad this all is with the guard…A lot of people hate him and that's the point. Oh yeah, and 'The Road to Forever' will be worked on after I finish this part of Chapter One and the next chapter of 'A Mutated Existence' although I'll probably work simultaneously with them. Expect them to be out in about two weeks or less, depending on certain factors of course and the length of what I write. Oh, update Stockholm Syndrome, I love it.
Bored247: I love the word Remyafied…yeah…I'm glad that you thought the length was worth it, and well, as for Logan. You know he's just got some great parental instincts.
Realtfarraige: I'm glad you like how I'm integrating their pasts. I really want to show that each of them has suffered and been scarred by all this in some way or another. None of them have been safe. This chapter will show some more of that, and I think Wanda's will be one of the most heartbreaking. OMG…at the time, I just couldn't get over this one line in Sweet Tempting Poison's story, 'No Day Should Start Without Coffee,' and it was '"You're very hairy."' Directed to Logan as he lets Rogue test out a power inhibitor on him, by touching his hairy arm…and I guess that's where those hairy comments spawned from. I love that line in the story; it just made me LMAO…
I'm glad that you're getting frustrated with the guards at the MSF…the fact is, they're like those football jocks on Evo…they taunt and tease the mutants, really egging them on. They become very racist to them, and that, if going on unchecked and what not will lead to the abuse of them in prisons and what not. I mean, it was always hinted that that was what they really wanted to do to the mutants. The guards just get to put that into reality. I mean, I just took a page from the book out of what happened in the world with racism and what not. Their hate and bigotry just evolved from making those racist slurs to violence.
When I was writing Remy, he really did turn into the man in a boy's body. At first, I thought he was acting a little too adult, but then I just let that work itself because the fact is, Remy is from the streets and in a place like that, well, he's gonna grow up real fast, but I just had to insert the fun and innocence to keep him a child too. I just think that Logan couldn't be one to stand around and watch as these kids get hurt over and over. He'd just have to do something, even though it's not that much, because it eats at his soul to see this shit happen. I just had to say that the shit they live through became normal, because it really gives you a sense of how bad everything has gotten for them. I'm glad that you like that Remy was saved by Jean-Luc, I really think this will give Remy an opportunity to be more of a child and less of an adult. And of course, the Logan connection will come into play with Remy and Rogue, for sure. You'll just have to wait to see how.
It wasn't actually that hard to write. I got a plan in my head and just went with it with revisions. It was in the meeting room that it all took shape and I just used those conversations as a guide line to write the scenes. The only hard part about writing is the typing out part. It's long and tedious, but nothing satisfies me more to get a new chapter out. I'm glad that you thought so highly of that scene. I'm kinda regretful that I didn't describe a lot of the teleporters, I was just like 'and they waited for one to teleport them here and there…' They were such an integral part too, but I didn't want to slow the plot to do it, plus they just used so many…
It really pleases me…OMG… I loved the comment of one day Logan's healing factor conking out…it just gave me the best mental image…LMAO…But seriously, I think Logan's the easiest one to pick on without guilt due to his healing factor. I think that just clues them in on beating him as much as they want, because he'll heal. Plus, for some reason, I like to be brutal with Logan and his healing factor…I don't know why though…strange really. I think it's just the intensiveness you can get with a fight when you do that. One of my fave fight scenes is in "Hellfire and Brimestone" by Agent-G when Logan is made to fall through many floors of a high rise building into the sewer and just crawls out after healing a bit.
I'm glad you liked the character interactions. I really made the Resistance like a surrogate family to them, because it is, I think, they've all lost a lot in life, and they've given their lives to it, because there is that family that's there and the people that help them move on, and I think they just bond well to their experiences. I really had to put in normal people not standing for this, because when such shit is happening, there are always those who want to oppose it, but keep their mouths shut due to fear and what not. And normal people do care, but it's the fear that stops them from doing so. I'm glad you like this, and thanks for the review. It was awesome to see.
GothikStrawberry: I'm glad you like this version of Jean-Luc, I didn't much like the Evo version either, even though it was a nifty way for Rogue and Remy to bond. However, in my other fic, 'A Mutated Existence', I'm blaming his behavior on the tithe and Candra, just because I hate it when he's like that, I heart the Guild. They're awesome. I'm glad you liked the Raven/Logan scene at the end and Harry Potter really did effectively halt my writing…
Ishy: Whenever, I write a new chapter, I always start by doing the shout outs, why, it just gets me into the zone to write a new chapter and it reminds me of all I wrote…Anyway, I love getting reviews from you, even when I don't stick Romy necessarily into a chapter. But I had to have a little link for Rogue and Remy, and what better one than Wolvie. I'm glad to see that I've got you rooting for the mutants. I really wanted to build that feeling of rallying behind them. I just had to have Logan sacrifice his freedom for Remy, I was always gonna have him do that, because well, Logan is just like that with his honor, and I think people are gonna get frustrated by it due to the fact that he does it again, I mean in the current timeline, he's captured somewhere and completely brainwashed.
I'm glad you like kid Remy. It's impossible for Remy not to be cute as a kid, it's just something about him, I mean even without his sexiness and charm, I think he still attracted the ladies as a kid because he'd just be so adorable. Hey, I just love that euphemism, 'relocating wealth' or 'redistribution of wealth', it's one of the things I love about Remy. He finds ways to bend the rules, that and I've got a thing for the bad boys…And I'll definitely try for the bunny on crackness.
Toxic touch727: Thanks for the review. Please update My Immortal. I love it. I'm glad you like the family relationship of Kurt, Rogue, Raven and Logan. I really tried hard to make them really bond. Although, the terrible teens are coming up, basically, a rebellious Rogue.
Okay, now we'll roll out the plot bunnies.
PART ONE: CHAPTER THREE: RUN FOR YOUR LIFE
The tall man of medium build sat back straight, eyes focused on the readouts of his computer in a luxuriously decorated study. The floor was a deep colored hardwood. Oriental carpets sat underneath the strong dark wood carved table. Rich velvet wingback chairs were positioned throughout the room. The one he sat in was grand and made of soft Italian leather. Old fashioned lamps were on his desk and smaller coffee tables in the room. Draperies and curtains hung on their posts near expensive art. Wooden paneling surrounded the study and many figurines were positioned on shelves lined with thick volumes and on his desk. A crystal chandelier loomed overhead.
His desk sported leather bound copies of official documents, an expensive antique lamp, a hot coffee mug, a new computer, and several writing implements. The desks held even more documents and files as well as a few supplies. A large antique clock sat in the corner ticking away the seconds as the man wearing an Armani suit sat typing on his computer at a rapid speed, holding an unemotional calm, but on the inside he was incensed. The leather shoes on his feet were Italian made and a silver Rolex dangled on his wrist.
His hair was jet black and slicked back. His eyes were a piercing cold blue, holding no warmth. His lips were thin and seemed too red for his pallor face. His name was Doctor Nathaniel Essex and he was infuriated. His plans had been foiled for they had been revealed to the enemy. His glorious network had been made a fool of. His entire organization had been crippled from the smallest cell to the largest corporation, for the Underground Resistance X had finally done it, they had bested him, and he didn't like that at all. His partners, Stryker and Trask were infuriated, not only did the Resistance destroy their most superb facilities in the field of experimentation, they had found a hotbed of information on them as well and it had come with consequences; the facilities of theirs that had once been so well trained and so elaborately hidden were now found and many of them had been ruined, burned to the ground, nothing more than ash.
The most insufferable thing was that it had been coming to them. For so long they had grown stronger, grown more powerful, grown more diligent, grown faster and grown more efficient, except so had the enemy and by all accounts, they were better, always better, just that one step ahead, but they were still winning the war, they were still winning and the Resistance knew that, their greatest weakness was their need for secrecy. They were winning a war, but they knew they had to rebuild before the enemy smashed them beyond repair. The summer was almost over, and almost all of the prisons had been hit and many more facilities were raided, destroyed, found and infiltrated. The worse part was that, although, they knew that there was a rebel force disrupting their goals, they had yet to find out anything about them, except that they had a way with butting into their plans and foiling them.
So for now he typed and planned with his two partners. They had come a long way, those three men with a dream, a goal. Goals of human dominance free of the genetic taint of the mutants; it was a pure race, a glorious race, a brilliant race, and a perfect race. The partners had decided that their strike would me immediate, their offense strong and victory imminent. They would finally strike one back and rebuild their organization more incredible than ever. A lesson was learned and a race was to be exterminated.
Finally, the message being typed on Dr. Nathaniel Essex's computer was complete with approval from General William Stryker and Sir Bolivar Trask III. Dr. Essex sent the file and closed off his computer, sipping his coffee, a satisfied grin on his lips. Slowly and deliberately, he vacated his seat and exited the room to other rooms of his elaborate English country side manor.
An order was given in all compounds: Slaughter all mutants. Yes, they were winning the war.
Raven smiled, shutting off the light in the bedroom. Leaning on the doorframe, she watched as Kurt and Marie slept in their beds that were next to each other. On Marie's side, it was painted a soft grayish green and had posters of animals and stars. Small white as well as dark wood furniture was in that side of the room, including a small desk, chairs and a small bench. A chest was in front of her four poster bed. Her blankets were lavender and violet. Kurt's side of the room was painted a bright cerulean blue, lighter than his fur. Posters of cars, rockets and planets were stuck at odd angles on his side. He too had matching white as well as dark wood furniture like Marie and a large chest at the front of his four poster bed. Both had a night table as well, Marie's purple, Kurt's red as well as shelves with toys on them, stuffed animals, dolls, action figures and cars. In the front by the door stood a circular table with four small chairs and on it were several toys. A couch was also positioned on one side to accommodate adults. Each had a dresser as well as a closet, but they shared a bathroom. Somehow, the carpet had wound up black because the two children had seen the sparkles in it and had not wanted any different. This was but one of the rooms in Logan and Raven's housing unit, underground in the headquarters.
Kurt and Marie were now nine and had yet to get separate rooms for they had a strong bond and after their time in the prison had refused to sleep alone, but of course, they were beginning to find separation from each other, so the move to separate rooms was inevitable, but they were still unbelievably close, almost like twins, even though Kurt was seven months older than Marie. A voice stirred Raven from her thoughts of her two children as a voice.
"They asleep, Misty?" asked Logan as he came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her round belly, a silver ring on his left hand glinting in the light from the hall.
"Yeah," whispered Raven as he kissed her temple lovingly, "Is Odin asleep?"
"Yeah, took a while, though. He's hyperactive," replied Logan.
"Not surprising, considering the healing factor," said Raven.
"No way, Misty, he inherited your personality," said Logan.
"Oh please," said Raven, hitting him lightly on the arm as she lead him out the room, shutting the door behind her. Odin had been born two years ago and was a hyperactive two year old, due to a combination of Raven's personality and a healing factor like Logan's. He'd yet to display any more mutations. He had white blond hair with black tips and resembled Logan, but was lankier. His eyes were a deep blue. During the past few years, Kurt had begun to show his teleportation ability and Marie had yet to manifest one, the only clues being her DNA and her white stripe. Raven was currently pregnant with twins and she and Logan had gotten married a little over three years ago after a strange two year relationship due to the fact that they had kids, but were 'not romantically involved' for part of it. Of course that changed due to Hank and Ororo's meddling with the help of two irresistible children…
"Remember what you've gotta ask, children?" asked Ororo with a smile, trying not to laugh.
Kurt and Marie both gave her winning smiles, nodding conspiratorially. Then, they ran off to do their duties, giggling.
"Do you find it remotely shameful that we're using children to get them together?" asked Hank with a toothy grin.
"No, Hank, not at all," replied Ororo.
"Hmm…I thought I was the only one," said Hank.
"Well, they need outside help," said Ororo.
"I prefer aggressive push, but whatever works," said Hank, causing Ororo to laugh, clutching her slightly protruding stomach.
"You would think that nearly losing their lives time after time would make them want to finally admit their feelings," said Ororo.
"Well, Logan and feelings don't really do hand in hand, and Raven's stubborn and prideful," said Hank.
"Don't we all know it," said Ororo.
She and Hank had married shortly after the base had settled down after the Summer Liberation, after the sadness of the Mutant Massacre that followed, five months after Kurt and Marie found their way to safety after so long of fear.
Marie skipped merrily down the long corridor to meet up with Logan after one of his exhausting sessions in the Danger Room, one of many in the facility.
Running up to him with a large heartwarming grin she leapt into his open arms, laughing as he spun her around and gave her a hug. It seemed that Logan would only stray out of his gruff nature for Raven, Marie and Kurt. Otherwise, his reputation as the Wolverine would hold true. Only Hank, Ororo, Erik and Charles noticed this, everyone was too oblivious.
Putting her down, and kneeling to her eyelevel, he asked, "So Stripes, what brings you here? You should be with Rae in our unit."
"Oh, I wanted to talk to you, daddy," said Rogue with a sweet smile. Logan didn't know whether to be touched that she called him daddy or fearful.
"Oh, what's that, darlin'?" asked Logan, a little scared. Yup, the Wolverine was fearful of a small girl of age five with big green eyes. Big green eyes that you couldn't refuse to anything…
"How come you and mommy aren't married? Aren't mommies and daddies supposed to be married?" asked Marie, a confused and questioning look on her sweet face.
Logan balked, "Umm….Uh…well…uh…you see…er…Rave and I aren't…uh…together in…uh…that um…way…Well, what I'm trying to say, is that…um…I…well...I care about your mom, just not…uh…romantically….and people usually only…uh….um…umm…marry…when t-they love each other, Stripes…and well…mommies and daddies don't…necessarily have to be…well…married per se…"
Little Marie's eyes began to water and her lip began to tremble, "Y-Y-You don't love mommy, daddy…" she said beginning to cry.
Logan picked her up, fear in rolling in his eyes, "Well, no, Stripes, I love Misty, just not in that way," he said quickly, too quickly…"It's just that every women I come to be with, always ends up hurt and I just don't want Rae to go through that."
"T-Th-Then why do you live with her, only mommies and daddies live together…" said Marie.
"Um…well…" said Logan.
"And why do you hold her hand, don't people that love each other hold hands?" asked Marie.
Logan muttered some more incoherent words, the blood rushing to his face.
"And don't only people that love each other kiss…?" asked Marie with childhood innocence and wide green eyes, referring to when she, Kurt, Ororo and Hank saw Logan and Raven kissing, well a kiss on the cheek…but that's not the point.
Logan stumbled with his words some more, suddenly noticing Hank strolling down the hall, a cheery tune being hummed, strolling to his lab on the other side of the facility, just happening to pass by…
Logan looked very panicked as Marie had cornered him.
"Uh…HANK, could you please take Marie to Rae's unit…um…I've got…to uh…shower. Thanks," he quickly handed Marie over to Hank and ran into the locker room with adjoining bathroom.
Hank and Marie waited for him to be gone before bursting out with laughter.
"Good job, Scarlet," praised Hank.
Marie only smiled. (It's SO much fun to make Logan all panicky)
"See you, Erik, Charles," called Raven as she said good bye to her superiors, heading in opposite directions, after the mission briefing in the meeting room. She was about to go to Shanghai to retrieve some documents of interest. Raven was about to pick up Kurt and Marie from their preschool, when suddenly she noticed one of the said children bounding down the hall.
"Kurt, what are you doing here? You're supposed to wait for me with Marie at preschool," said Raven with a smile on her face as she met Kurt in a hug.
"I know, but I vanted to zee you," said Kurt.
"Oh, why's that?" asked Raven with caution in her eyes. She picked up Kurt and began to walk towards her and Logan's housing unit.
"Do you love Logan?" he asked cocking his head to one side with an innocent expression on his face.
"Umm…well…yes," said Raven, already disliking the conversation.
"Zhen how come you're not married?" asked Kurt with that innocent expression again.
"Well because we're not together like that," said Raven.
"Like vhat?" asked Kurt.
"Like two people in a relationship that love each other," replied Raven.
"But you zaid you love Logan," said Kurt.
"I do, but just not in the way that constitutes a loving relationship," said Raven, gritting her teeth, entering the housing unit that belonged to herself and Logan.
"Zhen vhy did you zay you love him?" asked Kurt innocently.
"Well, because he's kind, sweet, honorable, brave, courageous and funny, even though he can be completely incorrigible, snide, rude, gruff, arrogant, vulgar and egotistical," her voice had been raised ticking off Logan's more uncouth qualities. This was all punctuated by Raven entering the kitchen of their unit and slamming the swinging door shut behind her. She set Kurt down in a chair in the round kitchen table and began to cut pieces of an apple to give to him as a snack.
"But isn't Logan my daddy now, so how come you're not married?" asked Kurt.
Raven sighed, knowing she'd have to answer this inevitable question some day. She went over and placed a plate of neatly chopped apples in front of him and came to sit beside him.
"You remember your real daddy, Kurt?" asked Raven.
"Ja," said Kurt softly.
"Well, I still love him and well…uh…this is so hard, but I'm just not ready for what Logan and I have," said Raven, honestly, not knowing if Kurt understood it all and frankly she had enough of being in the hot seat. Luckily, she was saved by the sound of the kitchen door opening.
"Ororo! Umm…Could you please watch Kurt for a second? I have to go…uhh…get some groceries, yeah, we're um…running out, be back in a jiff!" said Raven dashing out from the room, grabbing her purse on the way, not questioning why Ororo was in her housing unit at all.
Once they heard the hiss of the entrance door sliding closed and locking into place, the two of them burst into laughter.
To say that Logan and Raven had a lot to reevaluate about their relationship was an understatement. For the next two weeks, they became like a pair of awkward teenagers, barely saying two words to each other, avoiding eye contact, ducking out of the other's sight, and when they did speak to each other, they stumbled over their words and left in a hurry. They became easily flustered. It was amusing, to say the least, but very frustrating for their friends. Their ploy to get them together had worked, but a little too well. So it was time for desperate measures.
A round of resounding laughter was heard from a small surveillance room in the north corridor as Charles and Erik strolled and rolled down it, rousing their curiosity and causing the means for their investigation of it. Opening the door, they were greeted with the sound of a microphone amplifying the voices of two people in a deep conversation as well as the sight of several monitors showing the same scene unfold at various different angles and shots.
"Was it really necessary to use our resources like that to get them together?" asked Erik.
"Was it actually necessary to take such measures?" asked Charles.
Both men were amused at finding Hank, Ororo, Kurt and Marie huddled in front of monitors watching a 'date' go on between Logan and Raven. Kurt and Marie were in print flannel pajamas.
"Yes, and besides, it was highly necessary," said Ororo. Hank agreed by nodding.
"How so?" asked Charles sharing a bemused look with Erik, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, you see, Logan and Raven have been trailing separate high ranking members of the MSF for a few days now, trying to see if they can get any information off them as well as getting to know the way their routines to get the jump on the behavior of MSF operatives. They were supposed to meet their contacts at this restaurant where their targets are sitting nearby to pass info as well as overhear anything that may go on between the two operatives with their listening devices. But their contacts just didn't show up for some reason and by coincidence they were reserved the same table," said Hank.
"I'm sure," said Erik.
"See, we have the footage taped from the MSF operatives' conversation. It's heavily coded," said Ororo, "and isn't their coded dialogue brilliant?"
"Right," said Charles. They decided to leave the small surveillance room and leave them to their business.
"I don't believe them for a moment," said Erik, with a smile.
"Me neither, old friend, but Logan and Raven, dare I say it, need help," said Charles with equal amusement.
"That they do," said Erik, "For integrity's sake, we didn't see anything."
"Of course," said Charles as they headed to their separate quarters.
Raven Darkholme was NOT having a good day. First, she was awakened at three am in the morning by none other than Ororo claiming that there was an immediate mission for her to take care of. Then, she had driven herself three hours to reach the local airport for her flight to New York with her new identity. Riding in the plane had been a test of its own, it was as if God hated her. She had been made to sit beside a 300 pound man in Economy Class who just wouldn't shut up, no matter what she did to make him do so. He ate disgustingly and continuously throughout the flight and was simply vulgar. Thank God the flight was short; Raven couldn't get off the plane fast enough. Then, she was made to trail some nut job throughout New York, having to change shape many times and do the most revolting things, such as hide in a sewer, shuffle through garbage and follow him as the sickening target flirted with women, and performed unsavory deeds for the MSF.
She was more than glad to finally end her mission by getting cleaned up and changed into formal attire to trail her target to a restaurant where she would meet her contact in a disguised form. Her hair was now a deep reddish auburn color, slightly curled and hanging loose on her shoulders and back and her eyes were blue with smoky eye shadow. Her skin tone was pale, which made her features stand out even more noticeably. Raven wore a simple floor length red dress that hugged her curves with spaghetti straps and a flared out skirt made of a soft shiny velvety material that flowed as she moved. The shape shifter was dressed to blend in and not stand out, and yet look stylish and formal. On her feet was a pair of black heels made of a slightly fuzzy material and adorning her neck was a simple diamond pendant with matching silver bracelets.
Upon entering the restaurant, she told the maitre d' the last name of her companion and he promptly led her to a table near the back of the restaurant with pristine tablecloth, candles and table settings. Approaching the aforementioned table and noticing who was meeting her, she abruptly did a double take and nearly fell flat on her face. Luckily, she kept her cool, as did her dinner partner who choked down his wine, hurriedly. The maitre d' pulled out a chair for her and after she was seated and her drink poured, she let out an exasperated sigh.
"They set us up," she said evenly, finally realizing the intervening hoax her friends had played on her.
Logan was a man with connections and was renowned for it. So when Hank told him that there was something brewing on the MSF underground, it was he who volunteered to check it out and do some sleuthing, hopping on a late night plane to New York, where many of his contacts and most secretive operations took place without public knowledge. The plane ride was horrible. The stewardess kept on bumping into you whilst walking down the isle. Frankly she was rude, ugly and spiteful, spilling hot coffee all over him after he had commented that she should watch where she was going. And that was only the beginning of the stewardess from hell. Upon arriving, he rented a car and headed into the city where he questioned contact after contact to no leads, frustrating him immensely. He got into brawls and scraps trying to find out what these people knew, but had come up with absolutely nothing and it was bothering him to no end. He had gone to some of the more ghetto like parts of town and gone down into sewers, garbage dumps and still nothing.
Finally, it came time to go to a restaurant to pass information to his contact that would meet him there. He cleaned up and got changed. It was a ritzy place, and unfortunately, that meant that he'd have to wear a suit. Logan wore a black blazer and loose pants to match with a crisp white shirt and blood red tie as well as a pair of leather shoes. He had tried his best to tame his hair by slicking it back as best he could and upon entering the restaurant had been ushered to an ambient table near the back with the intimate setting of candles. He guessed that the contact would be a woman. Logan ordered wine and a few moments later, it arrived with him studying the menu and waiting for his dinner companion.
Suddenly, he balked. His nose had caught onto something, but no, that couldn't be right, could it? Mere coincidence, he assured himself. However, he was forced to swallow his thoughts as he saw her, undeniably her with his powerful nose. He nearly spat out and choked on his wine, but was able to hold it down and swallow. Logan couldn't believe it, he was surprised. The maitre d' politely pulled out a chair for his dining partner and poured her a cup of wine, then after mentioning the specials on the menu, promptly left.
She let out an exasperated sigh said deadpan, "They set us up."
Logan took a sip of wine, "So how do you want to kill them?"
"Torture, bribery and blackmail sound nice," said Raven with a casual hand gesture.
"Very good, Misty," said Logan.
She then gave a sigh, "I guess we should do what they set us up to. It's as good as any time to." She avoided his eye contact briefly, playing with the table cloth.
"Yeah, I have really had enough of being jumpy," replied Logan.
After a short pause Raven started, by looking up at him, "I really like you, more than I could have thought, and infinitely more than when I was a teenager."
"God, Misty, you're way too young for me…" mumbled Logan, taking a sip of wine.
"Logan, everyone's too young for you," replied Raven snidely.
"Darlin', that's not the point," said Logan, giving her a deadpan look.
"C'mon, boy, out with it," encouraged Raven, making an encouraging hand gesture, waving at him like he was a dog.
Logan then grumbled out, "Fine. I like you too." Raven gave him a smug smile.
"So when do you think us happened anyway?" asked Raven, resting her head in her palm, "I never expected it, that's for sure."
"Me neither, but if I had ter hazard a guess darlin' it'd be somewhere between me recovering and you finding Kurt," he said.
"Still makes you wonder how it happened," she said relenting.
"'Ro once told me that I'm naturally drawn to people who're hurting and have this innate sense to need to help them," he started, "At the time, oh, I don't know, out of all the people at the base, you were definitely the one most in need of a friend and I guess it lead from there."
"I agree," said Raven, "I mean there's that whole rescuing little kids thing," she got a far off look in her eyes and told him, "I miss him so much. I just don't know if this is right, if it's too soon…I'm just so confused."
"It never gets any easier, Rae, you just learn to cope with it, and move on knowing that they would've wanted you to be happy," said Logan.
"Maybe. We made plans, and I never thought it'd end so soon. We always knew that it might not last, but I never thought it'd be so real. And maybe you should take some of your own advice, Logan, you're still completely hung up over Rose and Yuriko," said Raven.
"It just seems that every time I get close to someone, shit always happens to them. They get hurt, really badly, and I always lose, every single damn time," replied Logan.
"So what? You've just given up on it all. Logan, I know, from what you've told me that you loved each of them so much and how each moment you spent with them was incredible and worth cherishing for the rest of your life. So why keep reliving the past, when you can be out there finding that again and be happy. I love Alfred, Logan, I always will. He gave me Kurt and that's what makes it harder, but I know it's okay to move on and find someone else, but mostly I just wanna stop feeling like shit because he's not here anymore. I'll always treasure my time with him, but I wanna find happiness again," said Raven, reaching out and taking his hand.
"Rae, I just wanna learn from my mistakes and stop making them. I don't want to hurt you, or Kurt or Marie and I will, somehow, I just know it," said Logan.
"Well, I'd hate to tell you, but it's too late for that. You got involved Logan, really involved with me, Kurt and Marie. They deserve a real dad, Logan, and they want you. But most of all, you deserve to be happy," said Raven, "Besides, time is something any of us has, so why waste it?"
"We have something, Rave, something that boggles my mind. I wanted to make you happy from the moment I saw that you were suffering and I still do, for some inexplicable reason. I want to get over them and stop from holding myself back, but when you're up high, you fall down further and it's so much harder ter climb back up again. Yet, I still want to help you move on from Alfred and be happy again," said Logan with a smile.
"So you'll give us a chance?" said Raven, with a hopeful smile.
"Yeah," replied Logan, "I'll do everything once."
"Great, I'm starved; I've trailed some loser all over New York. The pasta looks good," she said, studying the menu.
"Right, at least you didn't have to question some nut jobs who really really didn't know shit," said Logan, "Hmm…filet mignon…"
"Why is it always meat with you?" asked Raven amused. Logan gave her a raised eyebrow in reponse.
"Did you happen to work in retail?" asked Logan with an amused expression.
"No, but convincing MSF agents that you're not conspicuous works just as well," replied Raven with a smile and a wink.
"Right, darlin'," said Logan mumbling something and giving her the 'you're crazy' look.
The rest of the night was completed with witty conversations, laughter, wonderful and good times, but also the two of them finally getting over their awkwardness with each other. Their feelings for each other were finally revealed and both agreed to a tentative 'dating' type relationship…which was of course entirely eavesdropped upon by the instigators of this clever ploy.
The pair would truly fall in love with each other after that point, and after a two year courtship, the two would finally wed. They taught each other to love again, and to take a chance. They formed a bond because of the need to get over what they lost and move on, somehow being drawn to each other's pain and helping each other get through it. And in between the friendship lay the care and love they had for each other, which had to be found. They became happy together, raising Kurt and Marie, living each day to the fullest, because they knew that and had experienced first had how short time with the people you cared about could be.
Two weeks before the wedding, which would be a momentous and joyous occasion where Marie was the flower girl and Kurt the ring bearer, Kurt and Raven made a trip to a small cemetery in Germany, to say good bye before officially moving on with their lives. In the local cemetery beside the small nearby church lay the final resting place of Alfred Wagner, buried next to his family, as he would've wanted to be.
Kurt was now nearly seven years old, however, he still remembered the words his father had said to him that fateful night they fled with alarming clarity. He ingrained it into his head, remembering exactly the way his father looked in the fading light, the tone of his voice, the way his eyes bore so much love for him, so many words that he wanted to say, to tell him, but would never get the chance. Kurt tramped over to the neatly kept gravestone engraved with his father's name, running his hand over it, whispering, "Hello, fazher, I miss you zo much, so does mozher. I love you, and you'll always be my dad, except now, so will Logan. I'll always remember you and vhat you taught me. I love Logan too, and so does mom. I got a sister too, now, Marie, you vould've loved her too. I'll alvays miss you, but I'm moving on without you. I hope you don't mind Logan being my dad now, and marrying mom. I zhink you vould like him. Vell, I know you already did, but you know vhat I mean. He's a good man. You'll alvays be my dad, but so vill Logan, and I'll alvays remember you and love you too." As he finished, he hugged the tombstone, the last thing holding his father to the Earth and let his mother speak her peace.
"Hey, Alfred. We always knew that if something like this happened, we'd move on and I did, Alfred. I'm happy, really happy. Logan makes me happy and I love him. I love him so much. But I'll always love you too, and you'll always have a place in my heart. I'll always treasure the time we had together and remember them always. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't miss you. I wish you were still here so that you could see Kurt, he's growing up, and I always wanted to share that with you. I'm getting married in two weeks to Logan. You always like him, so I know you don't mind. He's good to me, Kurt and Marie too. He's taking care of us. You'll always be my first love, Alfred. You gave me everything I ever wanted and all my firsts. There's so much I want to still share with you, but can't. We were so great together, but so are me and Logan. I moved on thanks to Logan, but I'll always love you and always miss you, Alfred. Good bye," she said, and with that she kissed her fingertips and bought them to his headstone. Then, holding Kurt's hand, they left flowers and walked away, feeling lighter and happier, knowing that they still loved him, but moved on so that he didn't make them sad anymore, but happy to have shared their lives with someone so incredible.
The event of the wedding was one marked with happiness and celebration, a rarity in the lives they lived. It went perfectly. It marked the absolution of something many of their inner circle had seen for some time, ever since Logan returned and helped Raven get better from losing Alfred. They had found in each other hope for the future and a chance to take care of each other, to help each other forge on and live again.
They had held it in a mansion that Charles owned in Westchester that had been untouched by the MSF in fall with the area looking spectacular with amazing scenery due to the colored leaves and lovely wilderness surrounding the estate from the lake to the rivers, mountains and trees, the beach and the ocean beyond, it was perfect. It was a very traditional wedding, held in a place where all of their friends could come as they were.
She wore a beautiful white dress with lace, beading and silk. He wore a classic black tuxedo. Marie was the flower girl, earning coos of adoration due to her cuteness. Kurt was the ring bearer and earned chuckles of amusement due to his liveliness. Ororo was the elegant bridesmaid in a simple red gown, and Hank was the portly best man. Their many friends in the Resistance rounded off the wedding party, with both Erik and Charles giving Raven away.
Meeting at the alter, they met each other's eyes, seeing everything they meant to each other returned. Lifting her veil, the priest began to speak. The vows were exchanged with touching emotion, eliciting tears from every party in the room. It was as if they were the only two people in the room. Their words were spoken with love, devotion, truth and eloquence, and sealed with the passing of rings, symbolizing their bond to each other. A kiss finalized their commitment and drew cheers from the crowd. From that they on, they were connected and bound for eternity.
However, this day would start with a moment in time with a little girl.
Raven looked to the little girl in the simple red dress smiling brightly, new hope and happiness ablaze in eyes that had seen so much.
"Ya look real pretty, momma," she said, awe in her voice at seeing the beautiful woman before her.
"Thanks, sweetheart, you look gorgeous yourself," said Raven, running a hand along her cheek. She would be a heartbreaker some day, she thought. One could easily see the blossomings of a beautiful woman to be some time in the future.
"So is daddy gonna be at tha end?" asked Marie with a child's innocence, retained just like Kurt even after all their pain and suffering. Though the scars remained, they still forged on, the strongest of them all.
"Yeah, sweetie, he is," said Raven, "you just scatter the rose petals and go towards him."
"Okay," she said sweetly, "Why did ya adopt me?" she asked, curious all of a sudden.
"Well, honey, you remember when I told you how your dad told me so much about you from after we rescued him?" she asked and as Marie nodded, Raven continued, "Well, he told me some amazing things about you and Kurt too, I saw that you and Kurt had become brother and sister, given each other hope, and I began to see that you gave that to me too. When I saw you, I knew that you were my daughter, I just did. It was like fate brought us all together. I know what it's like Marie, to lose your family, your parents, everything you hold dear. I think I saw myself in you and I didn't want you to suffer like I did, and I think I just knew that you could help me heal, like I would help you. You, your dad, and Kurt, you helped me find happiness again. When I first saw you, I just knew that you'd give us all hope and light for once, and I wanted to make sure you never lost it."
The girl gave her a smile and without a word, reached for her mother's hand, and together they began to walk out the door to the wedding about to start.
While, Logan and Raven had relative ease with their children at the moment, another couple did not…or so it seemed…
"Ororo, Ororo! Have you seen him? I can't seem to be able to find him. He disappeared among the insulin and aesthesia," said a frazzled Hank as he burst into their housing unit to see an amused weather goddess sitting on a couch reading a magazine. Ororo merely pointed to the couch across from hers.
"Oh," said Hank upon seeing the sight of a boy curled up on the couch fast asleep. The five year old boy had blue fur all over his body, like his father, only his was not shaggy and long and looked very cat like, with paw like hands and feet. His ears were pointed and looked like a lion's, and he had long navy blue dreadlocked hair. He also had a long furry cat like tail and claws. The boy had intricate white markings on his face and body and when he wasn't sleeping, one could see his fantastic baby blue eyes.
"He ran in, saying that he was playing hide and seek with you about an hour ago," said Ororo.
"Ah yes," said Hank, feeling sheepish, "I forgot about that."
"Well, Lysander is a tricky one," said Ororo, with a smile. She had known that Lysander had retreated here the moment he started to play hide and seek with his father. (Lysander is the name of one of the characters from William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Hermia's true love. Hey, McCoy was big into Shakespeare on Evo. Pronounced Lie-sander.)
A slight whimpering distracted them from their conversation and turned Hank to check on the bassinette in the corner of the living room. Inside lay a little new born baby girl with Ororo's dark mocha skin and a shock of soft bright blue hair on her head and when she would open her eyes in the future they would show to be deep blue like her father's. Hank picked up the little girl, causing Ororo to smile, for the large man always showed he was gentle and rocked the baby back and forth until she stopped whimpering.
"Tamara is a sweet one," said Ororo, running a finger down her apple cheek.
"Yes, my dear, she is," said Hank, looking in wonder at the little life in his arms.
Just then, a small voice interrupted the couple as they watched in bliss of their little daughter.
"Daddy, tuck me in?" said a voice, "I can't sleep." Her name was Zara, the now middle child of Hank and Ororo at around two. She had bright white hair and cornflower blue eyes like her mother. Her skin however, was a shade of light blue, just like Hank's underneath all the fur.
"Sure, Zara," said Hank, giving Tamara over to Ororo and moving to take Zara's little hand and lead her to tuck her into bed again.
And so, Hank and Ororo found their own brand of happiness and normality within the chaos of the world they lived in, just like every other person in the Resistance. You made your own happiness and forged your own lives from the holes you climbed out from. And that is the story of the other's that would join too…
Katherine Pryde was a normal girl. She lived in Chicago with her mother and father, an only child, but a happy one, always spreading a little brightness in the lives of everyone she knew. She was unique. While most chose the nickname of Kat, Kathy, Kate or Katie for a full name of Katherine, she went by Kitty, but those special qualities about her did not end there…
There was injustice in the world, and from a young age, she knew it, she saw it, and instead of suppressing that in their child, their parents allowed it to bloom, seeing that knowledge was better than the half truths the government fed them. They were appalled by the Mutant Hunt, who wasn't? But the point was, you couldn't very well say so and live to see the consequences. To not believe in the half truths was to lie in the darkness and to truly believe in it was to stray from the light, but that was all they could do, turn a blind eye and stray and hope that they could live in happiness in a times like these. It was like living in a democratic dictatorship, sure they could vote for who ran the country, but they were all the same, carbon copies of each other all believing in the same thing and not one who differed was ever the choice, and so what decisions could they make? It was something of Hitler's Germany.
It was one even when Kitty Pryde was 13, when they realized they could no longer hide in their simple existence and hope for the best, because action needed to be taken, lest their daughter be taken away from them so many other children were, no, they would not stand for it, they couldn't, they would disappear, they would find their own happiness and they would succeed.
Kitty walked home from school as usual, with her best friend Melody, who lived next door. The bubbly brunette talked about fun things with her best friend. Things that any thirteen year olds would, clothes, make up, boys and music. Every thing about this day had been ordinary, but the funny thing about normality is that it ends when you least expect it, throwing everything you hold dear into chaos.
Rounding the corner to an intersection that would lead to their houses, they saw the pandemonium of a mutant capture. Bullets were flying, people were screaming, the victims were running and voices were brought to the peak of yelling. In such times of disorder, the girls knew that an alternate route was needed to get home safely, but before they could react and go in a different direction, the detainment took a turn for the worse, the mutant boy who was trying to evade capture ran towards them, pushing them aside as he past, trying to escape. He never would. As soon as he came in their direction, bullets began to fly at them, the MSF so concentrated on taking out the mutant race, that they didn't care anymore if civilians died, it was unfortunate, yes, but an honorable sacrifice needed to cleanse the race of the tainted genes.
The cracking of bullets echoed in the air of the alley they were coming out of and as soon as she turned her head after falling from when the boy pushed her to elude the MSF, she saw it. For the first time in her life, Katherine Pryde saw death. The mutant boy who couldn't have been more than 16 was shot dead. His blood splattered off his body at impact, causing him to lurch forward, before he could fall to the ground, more bullets was shot and impacted his body in rapid succession. The sound of his strangled voice as he fell to the ground dead would haunt her forever, but while she was being scarred by the whole ordeal, she remembered one thing, a scream in the background. It was Melody. Her last words would not be like the harmonious tones in her voice as told by her name, but the sound of a scream, in terror, pain, fear and agony.
The MSF would never allow a body to just lie, no, it had to be made sure that it was dead, so they continued to shoot at the dead body, dishonoring it until it was nothing more than a hunk of flesh, the body once inhabited by a handsome boy, so full of potential was gone and in its place a stark reminder of the cruelty of the MSF. Kitty could watch this no more. She turned her head from the boy and the next thing she saw, broke her heart. The dead eyes of Melody starring back at her. She screamed. Fear, pain and sorrow enveloped her, and in her hysterical and irrational state of mind, she ran from her safe alcove to check on her friend right into the crossfire of the bullets.
Scurrying from the alcove where she had fallen, she began to make a run to her friend, somehow ignoring the bullets and noise from it all. Just as she made it a little ways into the alley, it was like her brain finally clicked and she realized she was prime target practice. Turning her head, frozen in shock, she watched as she saw what had to be the end of her short life, running to see if her friend was okay. The bullets shot straight at her, with no time for those MSF officers to divert their fire. Something amazing happened then as Kitty Pryde closed her eyes and waited for impact.
It never came.
Opening her eyes, she watched in amazement as bullet after bullet careened past her body, right through. A shout of an agent to go after her now shocked her out of her reverie. She hurriedly ran to Melody and saw that she was a lost cause, bullets had ripped through her torso, neck and chest. With nothing left to do, the human instinct of flight took over her and she ran. Kitty ran for her life, her heart pounding like never before, air coming into her lungs in uneven breaths and adrenaline pumping into her blood.
The girl didn't think, didn't need to, her body took control. Her powers had manifested itself and she ran through solid objects, benches, trees, people, cars and buildings in her escape, the bullets and sounds of pounding feet right behind her all the way she ran. She could barely process the fact that she was phasing though solid objects. In that moment, all she could do was run. She would puzzle the strange anomaly later.
Kitty phased herself into the wall of a small clothing shop and froze. The young girl knew that she needed to blend in if she were to escape the MSF and make it home. Fear ruled her brain now, but she knew she had to let it go, for at least awhile to get home. She only prayed that her parents would understand and not kick her out or turn her in. Kitty had known of people who that had happened to, in her classes at school. It was regular for people to just periodically disappear.
Thanking her luck that she had run into a thrift store, due to her minimal amount of money, with none of the people noticing her strange appearance, she quickly looked for some clothes to blend in. Looking around, she saw that no one was paying attention to her. Grasping a pair of stylishly worn jeans, she nearly screamed in surprise as her hand went past it. She tried again, but her hand still phased. She started to panic, but she told herself to calm down and concentrate. A few more tries later, she had the jeans in her hand. Heading to another section, she quickly picked up a vintage T-shirt, and only phased through it once. Grabbing a zip up hoodie, with relative ease, she went up to her counter to pay for her things, before going out, she changed into her new wardrobe, hiding her old clothes in her backpack, all the while having difficulty with her powers.
When she was done, she looked completely different from her usual preppy look, she looked more vintage now. Even in the heat of fear and uncertainty, Kitty Pryde could put together a great outfit. Trying her hardest to concentrate, she focused on reaching the doors and pulling it open as to not attract attention. After that was done, she pulled the hood over her head and rushed home, trying not to attract attention. She felt numb and in shock, that somehow that what had happened hadn't sunk in yet in accordance to her need for survival at the moment.
She sprinted the last few blocks to her house and when she finally reached the white doors of number 14, she nearly cried. Kitty ran up and began to bang on the door, too scared to get her keys. Just as her father was about to open the door, she lost her balance and fell through the front door into the arms of her father where she broke down in tears, hood falling from her cloaked face.
"Please don't hate me. Please don't hate me," she cried over and over again, tears streaming down her face, her voice cracked and hoarse. Her father wrapped his arms around her, but recoiled in surprise when he was met with air, his hands going through her emotionally distraught daughter. This only caused Kitty to cry out even more, about to reach hysterics. Her mother's voice calmed her a bit.
"Kitty, honey, it's alright. Please, it's okay, we don't hate you. We love you Kitty," she said, hoping that she could reach out to her girl. Hearing that caused Kitty to revert back from her phased form and allow her father to wrap her in a comforting embrace.
"What happened, sweetie?" asked her father, knowing that his daughter's change in clothing and state of mind had a lot to do with what had to have happened to her when she was at school or coming home.
"T-T-They SHOT her," she wailed, in pain, "S-She's d-d-dead."
"Who, honey, who was shot?" asked her mom.
"Melody. Melody's dead," she whispered in anguish.
Her parents were taken aback. Her father's voice sounded above her, "Let's go into the sitting room and talk about this, alright, Kit?" he said. He felt his daughter nod in assent and led her to the large couch there, sitting her down, because Kitty was just too traumatized to do so herself.
"What happened, Kitty?" asked Mr. Pryde and then Kitty launched into a tearful recount of the events that transpired when she was walking home with her best friend and then her parents knew, they knew that they had no choice but to run and go to the Bishop, for otherwise their daughter would be killed.
Not wasting a moment, the Prydes packed their lives in a few suitcases and boxes piling them in their sedan, replacing the plates with expired ones to throw off the police or MSF that would undoubtedly come searching for them.
They drove for what seemed like hours until they reached a dilapidated part of the greater Chicago area. The word on the street was to all those who had mutant children and wanted them spared should appeal to the Bishop. It was part urban legend and part myth. No one knew if it was fact, or a work of the MSF to take more mutants, but it was their only shot. What would you do if your child were a mutant and you had no where to turn, lest you wanted to resign them to their death?
It was told the man had some sort of contract or deal with the MSF. There was an abundance of mutants, more showing up everyday, more than the MSF could handle, so they allowed some to be taken by the Bishop for his work. This was not generally known, but the Prydes knew it was their only chance. No one knew what it was, just that it was hard and backbreaking, but you and your children would live and not be persecuted, it was a heavy compromise, but what choice did they have?
The neighborhood screamed ghetto. It was a rundown block, a ghost town. Worn pieces of wood boarded up long broken windows which had cob webs spun in between the shards. Old newspapers, garbage, glass and who knows what was spread all over the cracked asphalt of the road. The sidewalks were crumbling and the buildings were falling down, the bricks poking out at odd angles. You could see the various coats of paint that once colored the store fronts and the signs of definite age from the various flyers and posters still pasted on the walls.
Loud music blared from a building in the center of it all, spray painted with intricate graffiti, much newer than anything else on the block, and with that sign of life, they decided to look there first. Resigning themselves to their fate, they got out of the car, leaving their belongings and made for the building with the loud music and graffiti. Eyes and flashes of color would show itself through holes in the building and the roof every now and then; they knew they were being watched. Reaching the entrance, they saw a teenage boy leaning against the door frame, blocking the way in, strewn with stings of beads, sheer scarves and ribbon for ambiance, with an appearance akin to Sid Vicious. His dark hair was long and messily spiked in all directions and coming apart as the gel wore off. It had red streaks dyed running through it. Piercings could be seen on practically every inch of his face and ears. Tattoos peeked out from his clothes, tight torn and worn black jeans with many studded belts, a tight white T-shirt with a band emblazoned on the front with an intricate design and picture of said band and a studded leather jacket. Chains, leather wrist cuffs, and large clunky buckled biker boots completed his outfit. He regarded them with casual interest as if bored.
"You're here to see the Bishop," he said flatly and to the point, it was a statement, not a question. His voice was deep and held a menace to it, sounding strange from his lanky frame.
"Yes," said Mr. Pryde softly, not knowing if he should trust the boy.
He stared down at Kitty with a raised eyebrow, sizing her up, "You're a pretty little gal," he winked at her, getting serious, he said, "My name is Rath. You must first see Sage. Follow me."
He brushed back the curtain of beads, scarves and ribbons, leading them inside the building. It was a rave inside. The music was thumping and teenagers were dancing to the beat of the song, swaying their bodies. Some wore clothes like the boy leading them, many wore different clothes. There were girls who wore clothes reassembling the Japanese street look with layers and skirts, Goths, punks, eurotrash, brightly dressed clubbers, sophisticated dressers and just ordinary boys and girls in ordinary clothes. But the ordinaries still had an edge to them for some reason, certain rawness. They all belonged here. They all fit. A DJ spun the discs in the corner at his turntables; there was room for a live band on the stage. Speakers were everywhere. Colorful lights flashed, a disco ball cast its strange light on them as it spun, and strobe lights made the room flash and smoke gave it mystery. There were many wall hangings on the wall showing brick and dark colored paints. Many other decorative items lined the walls. To the sidelines of the dance floor were mix matched chairs, sofas, tables and other furniture. There were some lava lamps and blue lights every here and there. A brightly lit bar could be seen in the corner. The Prydes could do nothing but stare at the spectacle before them, reminding them of Studio 54, although sans drugs. Kitty would inadvertently phase through a few of them every now and then, and it had been an 'interesting' car ride. The ravers stared back, regarding them with mild distaste. Strange phenomena would spark now and then, causing them to jump, but not causing any surprise from their guide. Rath lead them through the sea of moving bodies, swaying to the music, and to a corner with a small alcove.
Following Rath, they soon discovered the alcove to lead to a long hallway, strangely quiet, tranquil, unlike the dancers outside. Their footsteps echoed loudly on the white linoleum wall, contrasting with the black walls and deep red frames. At the end, a mix of punk, rock, electronic and industrial music could be heard, if they didn't know better, they would say that it reminded them of going back stage at a concert and meeting the rock stars, in their dressing room, a private party inside.
Opening the door, he called to a woman in the center of it all, "Sage, we have some more." She was surrounded by many others, talking to them.
The woman smiled at him, "Thank you, Rath, you may go now," she said in a deep resonating tone.
Then, she regarded the Prydes, staring at them for a moment. She had alabaster skin, shocking electric blue eyes and the darkest raven hair spilling in light curls on her shoulders and back. Tear like tattoos were on her cheeks from a mission gone wrong. The woman was no older than 25. She wore a black satin choker and a silver diamond pendant on her long neck. She wore a deep orchid colored one shoulder top that exposed her right shoulder and part of her midriff and pierced belly button. She wore tight black leather pants splattered with shiny paint and covered with patches of different fabrics, all very fancy and dark along with some studded belts. Large leather biker boots with buckles that were clunky and went up to her knees adorned her feet. Hanging off her torso was a short leather jacket with sleeves reaching her wrists, hem stopping above her belly button. It was studded and had an elaborate design embroidered on the back. On her hands were wrist cuffs and fingerless gloves.
"My name is Sage, you seek our asylum with Bishop. Please, follow me," said Sage, standing up from a velvet purple sofa and leading them to a corner of the room. She held her hand over a position on the wall for a moment and the wall fell back, revealing a square box of a room lit white, giving off a pale blue glow.
"In here, please, and don't worry, it's perfectly safe," she said, noticing their unease.
Once they were safely in and the panel of wall slide back and the room started to descend, she said five words that shocked them immensely, "Welcome to Underground Resistance X."
"What?" they all said at the same time.
"See for yourselves," she said as the elevator stopped its decent and the panel opened once more, revealing a cavernous metallic room, bustling with people and activity, mutant people. Their car could be seen in a corner of the room.
"Where are we?" asked Kitty, "and who are you really?" Her mother gave her a look for her rudeness, but she shrugged it off.
"Call me, Tessa, please, I am a telepath. Upstairs, it is all for show to throw off the MSF. I simply scanned your minds to know your intentions and whether or not you mean us harm, a safety precaution. This faction of the Resistance focuses on rehabilitating found mutants. We're basically a safe house. All of your questions will be answered soon enough," she said.
Walking on, she continued to lead them down the white tiled floors down a white hallway. Finding the correct room, she entered a series of numbers onto a key pad, which caused the reinforced metal door to open with a hiss. She stepped aside, motioning for them to go through. Inside, it revealed itself to be living quarters, much like a hotel. It had a small living area with a TV, sofas and coffee table. To the side were doors leading to two bedrooms and a bathroom. In the corner of the room, were the boxes and suitcases they had packed inside their car when they left their home.
They were about to question it, but Tessa spoke before they could speak, "We took the liberty to bring down your car and belongings, we knew you meant no harm from the moment you drove into our territory, it is monitored by hidden cameras, sensors and telepathy as well. Wait here and clean up, if you please, I will get Bishop for you." She bowed slightly, and then left the room. The Prydes were stunned and amazed at what had transpired. They made themselves more presentable and relaxed on the sofas for awhile. Not long after, the door hissed open and beside Sage stood a large bulky black man, the same age as her.
"My name is Bishop, but call me Lucas, welcome. We got reports on a shooting at Massey and De Green, today, a double homicide, a civilian and a mutant boy. A girl in the area escaped, showing a strange ability to let bullets phase past her body. She was you," he said, with a warm smile. Once again, they were about to question them, but he responded before they could, "We watch all MSF activity in the surrounding area."
"Welcome to the Resistance. You may be curious as to how we run. The truth is, we conceal ourselves with the MSF by hashing out a deal with them through manipulation. We supposedly run something close to a slave camp that protects mutants from the persecution of the MSF. In truth, we are a faction of the Resistance. We use this front to gain information from the MSF. When they check up on our operations, we have counter measures to induce illusions to make them think we are in fact truthful, by means of Tessa's illusionary powers," he explained, "We spread our word on the streets hoping that people like you will be keen enough to take a chance with us and reap the rewards."
Lucas Bishop was large and built like an NFL football player and tall. He wore a leather jacket with olive cargo pants, black shirt, dark belt and large boots similar to Sage's. A chain with a strange pendant was on his neck. His hair was dreadlocked and he sported a sort of bearded goatee. He had a scar like tattoo over one eye in the form of an M. He had gotten it during his stay at a prison, branded as a mutant.
"You are safe here. As Sage has told you, we are a faction of the Resistance focusing on rehabilitation. You are safe here; we're protected by technological means far more advanced than the MSF have as well as our mutant powers. You may stay as long as you need, or move to one of our more permanent dwellings at one of the headquarters in the Resistance's care. What you chose to do with your fate is wholly up to you. You may choose to join our cause and fight or help it anyway you choose, or simply seek asylum. We have schools and other facilities at the headquarters. We can help Kitty with her powers to make them controllable. You may choose to relocate and live in the normal world. It's all up to you," he said. Lucas then explained with Sage some of the inner workings of the Resistance and their options while in their care. They decided to take a night and think about their choices. The two agreed and left them to themselves.
"We will not pressure you. We simply seek for peace with those around us. When you decide, just tell us. Good night. Sleep well, for you have journeyed long," said Lucas before leaving them with Sage.
They Prydes had a loaded decision to make, but somehow, they wanted to do the right thing for Kitty and for others like her. They were tired of the deaths, the destruction of life and it was time for that to change. They decided then to join the Resistance and help out in the simple ways at the headquarters, gathering computer information, cooking food, help doing the hundreds of chores that needed help to do.
Yes, they would take control of their own fate.
Snow swirled all around him, cold and biting, if not beautiful, like thousands of sparkling dancers. The cruel wind whipped at his body, chilling him to the core. Above, the sky was dark, grey and overcast. Around him was him family, huddled over for warmth, not that it helped any. Moving at a slow pace, they opposed the wind, always proceeding onward, going forward, preserving. They were running. They were right behind them.
Piotr Rasputin was a Russian farm boy, growing up on a small farm in Siberia, where his family had lived for generations. He was fifteen. It was a grueling work on the farm, but a simple rewarding lifestyle. The wondrous Urals stood behind the farm, standing guard; a lake shimmered below it and in front stood the farmhouse, simple and strong, beside it the barn. He was a gentle and caring person. He was a simple boy, a smart boy, a sweet boy, but what made him stand out were his marvelous artistic skills. He was a remarkable painter, possibly a great in the making. He was a mutant.
He lived a happy, normal childhood, with his parents, brother and sister. They were a close knit family that loved each other immensely. There was not a day they didn't laugh together.
The once quiet, secluded Siberia was aflame with blasphemy, spreading the word of mutant, of their wickedness, their sin. A successful ploy set up by the MSF, they soon came hunting, and so did every peasant in the country side, feeding off lies and deceit. The lynch mobs came to take them, the mutants who were discovered one by one. Tales of rape, torture, murder and true affliction circled his simple life. Mutants being found all over the country were being killed in grisly ways, more disturbing as the days went on, and he had seen them too. The head of a boy he had once played with as a child, a close friend, beheaded and impaled through a spike and embedded in front of the house he once lived, now burned and destroyed as was his loved ones, all because he had openly opposed the mutant hunt with a few wise words. A ghastly reminder to those who should be the taint of the Earth to disappear or else. (Think orc a la The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers, the movie, when Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas find the place where Merry and Pippin escaped the orcs and went into Fangorn Forest to meet Treebeard)
It was then, that the family of the boy, who once formed a metallic skin to save his beloved little sister from death by tractor, was forced to hide, flee the only home they knew, because the consequence was great. Packing a few sparse belongings and wrapping themselves in warm clothes, they braved the Russian winter and headed out to run from the oncoming army of MSF purifiers, ransacking homes and destroying all who associated themselves with the disgrace of mutants.
They were three days from their home, still trekking along in the blizzard, his parents, elder brother and younger sister, high up in the rocky Ural mountains. Fear cooled their veins as they fled from the MSF, always knowing that they were only just one step ahead and that they were closing in on them, that they may not live to see the next day or each other. Bullets cracked behind them suddenly, they were found.
Piotr metaled up and prepared to defend his family, but a voice stopped him.
"No, Piotr," said the pleading voice of his father, "Take your ziblings and run. Please, Piotr, please, live, just live."
"Nyet, fazher, I von't leave youss," he said.
"Piotr, please, it's zhe only vay. Just live, zon, just live. Know zhat your mozher and I love you all," said his father.
"Good bye, Piotr, Mikhail, Illyanna. Ve love you, so much," said his mother, tears in her eyes.
He was about to object, but something in the eyes of his mother made him do it, made him tearfully pick up and shelter his brother and sister and run. Tears streamed down the three siblings' faces, not daring to look back, just relying on Piotr to run for them, protect them. They could hear the sounds of bullets in the background as they sprinted away. The wind carried sounds in the distance. A cry lit the air, of torment and suffering, pain exemplified, male, their father, a second rang out of pain of loss, female, their mother. They fell to the ground dead, bullets ripped though their bodies, as the Russian winter claimed their corpses.
(Argh, the amount of character death in this story is starting to get tedious. I've killed off like ten characters, basically unimportant characters, but still. I'm getting really sad, I write that sweet fluffy bit at the beginning and now I kill off tons of people and really mess up Kitty and Piotr's pasts and scar them for life. I'm killing people left, right and center…it's really depressing.)
Sobs now wracked at the three Rasputin children, they knew they were orphans then, but they kept rushing away, too afraid to see the dead bodies of their parents, just hoping to fulfill their final wishes to them. But the guns grew nearer still and they ran out of hope. The bullets began to ricochet off Piotr's metallic body as he ran with hard sounding clangs. Piotr didn't know is he could run anymore, but the sounds of his siblings edged him on, running for their lives, but he knew he couldn't keep it up any longer, the upscale run was tiring him and quick.
Suddenly, he reached a solid rock face. There was no where left to run. The children looked at each other, and at that moment said goodbye to each other, hoping to meet again, saying that they loved each other one last time.
But they were surprised. It was a miracle.
A beam of red light shot through the ranks of the MSF operatives behind them, shattering their ranks and causing an eerie red glow and many to go down. An invisible force lifted them up and hurled them off to the sides, knocking them unconscious. Angel's feathers pummeled the soldiers and sliced at them, while a purple glowing spike danced, moving in lethal strikes, taking down the left over soldiers. They all wore near identical black leather jackets, cargo pants, gloves and boots. The four approached the three huddled children, tears frozen to their faces, offering sincere condolences and understanding of their situation, and the three recently orphaned children knew that they could relate to them.
A look of sympathy crossed Jean's face as she approached the children, all sobbing. She knew why. She understood, so well, the anguish they were going through, seeing loved ones die before your eyes. She had watched her best friend die, trampled by the mobs as they chased after a small girl.
"I'm Jean. Are you hurt anywhere?" she asked lamely, coming up to them and giving them some semblance of comfort. They shook their heads. She soon found herself helping the girl, Illyanna up to get them to the plane.
"You'll be safe with us, now," said Betsy, feeling so hopeless in that moment, "We're part of the Resistance. I'm Betsy." She and Warren helped Piotr up.
"Zhank you for your kindness," said Piotr softly, edged by the torment in his voice.
"It's no problem. I'm Warren. What are your names?" asked the Angel, feeling every bit as useless as Jean and Betsy at that moment. Sure, they saved the children, but they couldn't help their parents. It was a bittersweet victory.
"My name iz Piotr Rasputin and my brozher is Mikhail and my zister is Illyanna," replied Piotr, bravely. The only one who could speak at this moment.
"We'll be taking you all to our base. I'm Scott. You'll get everything you need there. I know you probably don't want to hear this right now, but you'll be okay, and you will find a family. A wonderful family, trust me," he said, helping up Mikhail. Something about these people and their warmth made the three Rasputin siblings trust them and know that they were right, that somewhere somehow everything would work out.
A short walk later, they were met with a small dark colored aircraft, perfectly aerodynamic and sleek with a roomy cabin to fit all of them comfortably. Inside, the four wrapped the children in warm blankets, out from the cold, and offered them comfort and sympathy from their own pained experiences, telling them stories of hope and light that rooted from the Resistance.
Their names were Jean Grey, Cyclops, Angel and Psylocke, they had tried to reach them, but they were too few working to help the area they were assigned. Jean and Scott were now in their early twenties and married, so were Warren and Betsy, nearing their thirties and already having children at home to take care of. Gathering the cold, traumatized children, they shepherded them into a small stealthy aircraft and flew them to the small base that had recently been expanded in Siberia, where they would join the MSF, fighting in the memory of their slain parents. In time, they would heal, but the pain never really goes away.
The sun beat down on him; he figured it wasn't long until he went. At least it wouldn't be like some dog, he'd have his dignity, his pride and his body intact. The ground below his tired weary feet were ochre brown and cracked from the dry heat. Nothing green was insight. All that was visible was the taunting cerulean blue sky and the glorious golden sun burning into his body. Chocolate brown rock jutted from the ground forming strange structures. He was trudging along the ground, beads of sweat dancing down his face and neck, hunched over, ready to collapse at any moment from heat exhaustion. Still, he went on, just putting one foot in front of the other, wanting to cover as much ground as he could before he died. (I just realized what a Lion King scene this is, very reminiscent of when Timon and Pumbaa find Simba…)
His name was St. John Allerdyce. He was fourteen. He was running.
Last night had been the worse of his entire sorry life. His life was a series of hardships and pain. It had never been easy for him. For years, he had lived in an orphanage, taken by social services after finally being abused to the edge of breaking by his aunt and uncle. He was an alcoholic; she was a manic depressive on high medication, not the best combination. He had been sent to live with them when his parents died in a car accident when he was two. John then rode the trail of social services which lead him to home after home of cruelty and anguish. (This is a modified version of the past I gave him in 'A Mutated Existence'.)
He turned to gangs on the streets to get away from it all, and he was only getting into more and more trouble. John soon got into a car accident when the miscreants he was with decided to try some grand theft auto. They were a strange group of social outcasts ranging from around six to twenty something. The older kids had stolen a car, a Cadillac Escalade and shoved the many of them into the car, driving like maniacs down the crowded Sydney streets. Soon, the cops came after them, and one hell of a car cash took place, breaking several records of such lunatic things. Inside, the younger ones started to get scared; this was not supposed to be happening. The driver in his late teens, blew a red light, pedal to the metal, but it was not enough, several cars unable to stop, rammed into the car, tearing the giant beast to shreds and throwing him from the car, landing a nice stay for him in the hospital.
Finally, when he was nine years old, he had been adopted by a wonderful family, the Deacons. Mary and her husband Mark had adopted him, since Mary learned of all his troubles after looking at his case as she was one of the officers on scene after the crash. He had it good after that, a great life of love and happiness with a wonderful family that loved him. They really truly loved him, something he hadn't experienced since his real parents died.
For five years, it was a wonderful existence, one that would end all too soon. Shortly, after his fourteenth birthday, he developed his mutant powers. Mark and Mary helped him to hide it well enough, but it was becoming a true burden to conceal with the MSF always on the prowl, but still they persisted, even as they grew more desperate. His brothers and sisters would help, but even that was not enough in the end.
They lived in an acreage near one of Australia's national parks. To one side of the house was the cracked path to the main road and to the other side stretched the unforgiving outback. One night, pounding resonated from the door, looking out the window and seeing the MSF surrounding his home, he knew he was done for, but his family would not give him up.
Mary hid him in the basement while the entire family was questioned upstairs. When it became apparent that they wouldn't give him up, they decided to punish them for their traitorous solidarity with execution. They tried to fight as they were bound and gagged, but there were just too many of them, and below, John could hear the struggling, the punches, the breaking furniture and glass, the shouts and screaming, the shots and then silence.
He listened huddled in a linen closet as the sergeant ordered his men to line up his family in a row in the living room. Then his commanded yell, ordering his men to prepare to fire, and then the command to shoot, the deafening sound of bullets being fired and the sounds of the bullets meeting their targets with pained screams and thuds of impact and fallen bodies. Then silence, piercing silence; they were gone, dead. Sobs wreaked his body as he mourned for them.
He began to hear the sergeant order his men to search the house for him and John knew he would not be met with the kind fate of his family, his would be worse, so much worse. His dignity, pride and humanity would be stripped from his soul. He knew he couldn't dishonor the deaths of his family like that. So grabbing a backpack, he packed what little he could, salvaging quietly in the basement, making sure that his lighters were in tow. Then he broke the small window in the basement and made a break for it.
First, a massive fireball erupted from his palm and attacked the troops waiting outside, distracting them. Then he ran, making sure to use his flames to protect him from the onslaught of MSF soldiers, sprinting into the night, entering the dangers of the outback.
So here he was, three days after his harrowing life ended, when they killed his family. He was suffering in the sun and ready to die, join his family. His lips were cracked, his throat parched and dry, he ran out of food and water, not long ago. He had known how to survive in the outback, but his heart wasn't in it anymore. Only despair lived there now. John collapsed in the scorched caked earth of the Australian outback, laying spread eagled face up, staring into the clouds, just memorizing this moment, the heat of the air, the blue of the sky, the pale white of the clouds, that black dot descending towards him…then he blacked out.
Bright lights assaulted his eyes, blinding him momentarily. When he refocused, he screamed. Peering over at him was a humongous blue lion ape creature.
"Ah, so our Aussie here awakes," said Dr. McCoy, disregarding his scream, very much used to it as many patients had done so before him, "My name is Doctor McCoy, but please call me Hank."
"Thare are blue liyons in heaven?" he asked, confused, using his arms to lift his body up a bit. He could see he was in some sort of hospital, in a bed and nicely decorated room.
Hank chuckled, "No, my boy, you are not in heaven, you are in my med lab, in the Resistance headquarters in Canada."
"Royt, Oy knew that," said John, "You shoulda left moy ta die," he whispered.
"No, my boy, we very well couldn't. I know how you feel; we all know how you feel. You can make a difference here. We can help you," said Hank, lending a comforting paw.
"How did Oy end up here, anyway?" asked John, changing the subject, still not inclined to live, but not one for suicide.
"Well, a week ago," started Hank, John gave him a confused look, "You've been out for four days with heat exhaustion, dehydration, and other ailments. Anyway, a week ago, our professor noticed a large spike of mutant power in your region of Australia in Cerebro. We did some investigations and found out what happened," he said sadly, "I'm so sorry," he said sincerely, "Well, we knew you had escaped, but it took awhile to find you in the outback. We brought you to headquarters as we have better treatment for your condition than in our outback base. You can stay here as long as you'd like, join or just do whatever you'd like."
"Oh," said John dumbly, "Listen, ya hospitality and wot noyt is all good and stuff, but I think Oy'd just loyke ta sleep this all over." He really didn't feel like socializing much, especially when the pain was still so near for him.
"Alright," said Hank, reluctantly, he wasn't really all that great when it came to dealing with teenagers, at least he had a few more years to prepare until his own kids reached that stage, "But just know, that we're here for you and that we're not asking you to join, just understand us a little. It's all we ask."
John nodded and Hank left him. John fell into an uneasy sleep then.
When John woke up later, he was once again assaulted by the lights. It was about a week after he had woke up in the base, and he had dug himself into a self hating rut, just like another boy who once had problems letting go, so putting two and two together, the professor thought it would be beneficial for the boys to bond.
"Oh bloddy hell, why do all hospitals insist on these God damned lights," he mumbled.
"Zhey need zhe lighting for emergencies and operations," said a deep Russian accented voice. John looked around and noticed a boy his age, maybe older with short black hair and blue eyes that was built like an American football player. He regarded John with mild curiosity, over his bulky sketchpad, sitting in a chair in the corner away from the door.
"Wot are you doing in here?" he asked of Piotr suspiciously.
"Sketching," said the boy, John gave him a look that said 'yeah right.'
"Zhe adults vant me to talk to you and my little zister vanted to play hide and zeek. It's a razher good hiding place," said the stoic Russian.
"Royt, I'm John, wot's your name?" asked John, hearing about the boy's sister only made it hurt as he knew his younger sister was dead.
"I'm Piotr," he said.
"And ya need ta talk ta moy, why?" asked the Aussie.
"I need to talk to youss, because you are angry, upset, depressed, self-loazhing, and in grieving," said Piotr simply.
"Yeah, mate," said John, "that pretty much sums it up, not loyke ya understand."
"I understand, John, more zhan you know. I know you're angry, because I vos angry, I vos depressed and upset, I hated myself for not doing more and it hurts to grieve," replied Piotr.
"So woy are you here?" asked John, "I'm pretty much a lost cause. I don't have anything."
"Because I know vhat it's like. I still do. And because zhey zhink zhat it'll be 'good' for me," said Piotr, "I zhink I believe zhem now."
"Woy?" asked John.
"Because it hurts, and I just vant it to stop. I zhink you do too. I just vant to stop hating myself. I get it, trust me. My parent told me to run, zave myself and my zister and brozher, vhile zhey gave us a chance to live by sacrificing themselves. I get it, John. You hate yourself because youss could've done more, anyzhing to help zhem, but it didn't happen and you zee it replay in your head, over and over again, just killing you all over again. I understand. I feel it. And I'm not over it, I don't zhink I ever will, but I vant to heal and stop zhis," said Poitr. John didn't say anything, he was too stunned.
"Don't youss feel selfish right now? You got to live, John. Yet you feel terrible. Don't you vant to just let zhat go? It hurts, but you can't let it control you. You're just letting zhem vin if you do, John and zhey can't vin, zhey can never vin. It's not your fault. It's zhere's. Zhey took zhem away John, not you. It's not your fault zhat you couldn't protect zhem," said Piotr.
"But it wos, I stayed in the basement, while they executed them at gun point!" he shouted, "I should've been up thare, doing something. I can control God damned foyre. I could've done something. I could've done something," he cried, tears running down his cheeks from his green eyes. Piotr went over to John and put a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"And I can turn my body to metal, John. I could've protected my parents from zhose bullets, but I didn't. Because if I did, my siblings vould be dead too, and so vould I, for they vould've caught us," said Piotr, "Look John, you lived, you can make a difference, it's hard, I know, I've been there, I've hated myself too. But look at yourself. Zhey vould not vant youss like zhis. Zhey vould not vant zhere lives to be in vain. You can do so much good here, John, honor zhere memory. And show zhe MSF zhat no more children zhould lose their parents or loved ones," finished Piotr.
"By God, you're good," said John, his old personality shining through.
"Did it vork?" asked Piotr.
"Yeah, sort of," said John, "It still hurts, but I don't wanna keep doing this to myself."
"I know, me too," said Piotr.
"You believe that?" asked John.
"Most days," said Piotr. They both smiled and an easy going friendship would form between them.
"Oy just want this ta end, Oy just want peace," said John.
"Me too," said the stoic Russian.
Wanda Maximoff was born in the Resistance headquarters with her twin brother Pietro to Erik and Magda Lehnsherr. The world was a dangerous place and when they were six, their mother died in an attack by the MSF. Feeling that the lifestyle he lived in the Resistance was unsafe for his children, he put them in the care of the Maximoffs, knowing it was safer for them that way. They lived in a secluded village in a small Eastern European town. He was motivated by grief, maybe, but he just couldn't bare it if he lost his children too. Erik would visit them often, as much as he could, tell them his stories, his hopes and dreams.
This would all change for the worse when they were sixteen.
One night, they were attacked, finally discovered after ten years of safety by the MSF. The Maximoffs told them to run and so they did, Pietro lifting her sister and running like the wind away, to where they didn't know. All that they knew was that they heard screams of death and gun shots as they left the house, causing their grief to fall in heavy tears, sparkling in the light of the moon.
They ran into the forests, the hope that came with spring freezing in their hearts. Suddenly, their powers began to fade unexpectedly, a negation field had been set up and they knew it wouldn't be long before they were swarmed by the MSF. They used every trick their father had taught them to avoid them, but it was not enough. They were everywhere.
Agents jumped out at them and with her remaining powers, Wanda hexed them all into submission, but she didn't notice the one who was about to shoot her from behind. Pietro saw this and instantly ran to his sister's side, using his last burst of speed, taking the bullets for her in a loud crack and grunt as it hit his body. Wanda screamed and prayed to God her twin would be alright and that was when it all went black.
Wanda woke up in a cell with her brother. All she knew was that he was in immense pain, they hadn't taken out his bullets and the injuries festering, his breathing ragged. She felt so helpless. Days passed, harder than the last. The guards would beat them and hurt her brother's injured body even more and she could do nothing. It felt so hopeless to her. She could feel Pietro's life slipping away and she couldn't do anything about it. He would black out and no matter how hard she begged or tried to do as much as she could to help him live, it wouldn't help matters. She wrapped him in the blankets and stuck close to him to warm his body, but nothing helped, he was fading fast. Wanda could only pray that help would come soon.
Wanda and Pietro woke up to the sounds of hurried footsteps one night. The next thing they heard was metal ripping the bars open, then the Wolverine appearing before them, telling them to hurry, picking up Pietro, mindful of his injuries. They krept into the hall, where Storm, Beast and Mystique were doing their best to get everyone out of the miserable conditions of their cells and fight off the soldiers at the same time. The conditions were sickening, and absolutely filthy, the walls were caked with dirt and grime and the floors were covered with sewage. Sage and Bishop were focused solely on the oncoming mob of operatives, blocking the halls to their right, Psylocke and Angel focused on the left. They herded the escapees of the prison over to teleporters for transport out of the fire. Magneto used what metal he could against them and Charles tried to take out as many as he could with his psychic powers. Over the years, the enemy got smarter and the Summer Liberation style rescue didn't work well anymore. Guns were fired and bullets flew, explosions were everywhere.
Inside the jet, Marie and Kurt did their best to help all those on board and give them the medical treatment they needed. They were allowed to come because they had earned it by their relentless training and work ethic. Meanwhile Cyclops and Jean Grey guarded the jet from below, making sure it wasn't' compromised by the MSF. More and more teleporters would bring in the prisoners, but the MSF outside would not let up and they were losing the battle of numbers. What used to be a big operation could now only have one jet due to the sophisticated enemy.
Their line of teleporters were compromised for a moment and all that the Resistance could do was fight their way outside with those that had been taken captive, to where the jet lay, flames alight underneath. Some had been shot down. Running away from the facility, they could see that they would lose this unless something happened to turn the tides.
All of a sudden, Erik stopped running. His friends, family and teammates looked back at him confused.
"I'm sorry," he said simply, "This is the only way. It's time to be with Magda."
"Erik, please," pleaded Charles Xavier, knowing what was to happen. Jean's telekinetic field would only protect them from the bullets for so long at a distance.
"Charles, keep fighting for me, for all of us who have perished. Do not give up hope," Erik said as he lifted himself into the air above all he held dear, he could see the pain in their eyes as he did that. He regarded his long time friend sadly, but could see the understanding in his eyes, amongst the sadness.
"Keep to the love that binds you together," he told to all those that loved each other, "It's what keeps you strong, never forget that. I cherished you all," he told them, regarding Raven, Logan, Hank, Ororo, Jean, Scott, Betsy, Warren, Tessa and Bishop. They all looked at him miserably.
"Wanda, Pietro," he called to them, from above, "I love you, both. Remember that. Please remember an old man's word, it's the truth. Forgive me. I only wish we had more time together."
Wanda and Pietro cried then, their world was ripped apart.
Magneto flew high above them, yanking all the metal, automobiles, guns, the very metal of the facility from their holdings. He slashed them at those who opposed him, like an angered god. Metal wrapped around bodies and held them to the ground. The soldiers fell to their feet as the metal was jerked from the ground. He hurt them, used the metal to pierce their bodies, crash into them. It wreaked havoc. He was expelling his ultimate power, showing why he was the master of magnetism. All his comrades could do was watch in awe as they ran to the waiting jet. They entered and started it, quick as possible. Magneto gave them the leeway to lift off, by using his power to propel them forward. (Wow, this is so Jean Grey a la X2…strange how the death parts have relations to other movies.)
Just as they were in the air, sailing to safety, they saw it, the ending to the life of one of their founders in a barrage from plastic guns with plastic bullets that he couldn't possibly avoid and so, he was slain, crashing to the Earth to the terror of the Resistance members in the jet. No matter how much, you saw it; it still hurt, every time. They were hysterical. Tears were shed; it was surprising a river did not form from tears.
"Ohmigosh!" cried out Kitty Pryde. She was one of the mutants waiting in the hangar bay with stretchers and other medical supplies. She had seen Kurt and Marie exit the jet, helping Wanda off, who was in shock, shaking, watching as their parents, Ororo and Hank carefully got Pietro off the jet, IVs and other needles and contraptions already stuck to his body. Bandages were wrapped around his torso, from the emergency operation Hank had done when he started to bleed internally. He was being hefted in a gurney by Logan and Hank. Ororo made sure his vitals were alright, while trying to soothe the boy in immense pain. Raven's arms were laden with the IVs and painkillers already pumping into his body from the bags and tubes.
Kitty pushed past the crowds, phasing through them with her stretcher, making sure she got there first to meet the group and help in any way she could.
"The ER is set up, Dr. McCoy," said Kitty as Hank and Logan lay the gurney on the stretcher and strapped in Pietro.
"Thank you, Kitty," said Hank, before pushing the stretcher at a rapid speed, Raven following with her collection of IVs and other medication. A space in the hangar was formed for the two to rush Pietro to the ER, Logan and Ororo, not far behind. Kitty watched the whole scene unfold, with glassy eyes, the pain stabbing in her heart once more. The doctor would work hard tonight, but not many would live through the night. No matter how many they saved, how much good they did, this was still the painful reality and it never got easier. All you could do was help the ones that lived and that was what she did.
Kitty bravely approached the small crowd at the base of the jet, seeing the pain on their faces and noting not all of the team members were present. She hoped that some were still in the jet, taking care of the wounded prisoners and other teammates.
"W-What happened?" she asked of Kurt and Marie. The three had become fast friends once she and her family had moved to the Canadian base, deciding to help the efforts of the Resistance. She herself, like Marie and Kurt had trained as well, to become a fighter and one of the agents, but tonight, she was helping work the medical facility. It was no less important and she was not selfish about not going, knowing the risks and consequences all too well.
She had bonded with Kurt first, he was easy going and funny, a rarity in the life they lead due to all the pain and suffering. They saw eye to eye on many things and had the same bright personality and optimism in life. They had met on her first day at school in the facility, in English class. She had known no one and Kurt had took it upon himself to get to know her and help her out on her first day by waving her to his table and showing her around the base. Kurt showed her that her mutation was not a curse, that her life could be everything she had wanted it to be and that there were worse things that could happen and she had come out on top. Both had the same bright disposition and outlook on life. But she could also see that Kurt was suffering because his sister was suffering, so she decided to do something about it. Three years later, they had emerged the best of friends.
Marie was harder to crack. She had become withdrawn and depressed at the manifestation of her powers, making her dark and moody, changing her forever from the bright and happy little girl that Logan and Raven had adopted. This caused many arguments between her and her mother and a new bond that formed between herself and her father. In her first training session, Logan had paired them together and she had a lot to learn, so Marie had no choice but to help her along the way, albeit reluctantly. Marie was quick to anger and snap at her, but Kitty could see that she was suffering in herself, and that it was the only way she could defend herself. She could see the pain in Marie's eyes, and decided that from then on, she would do all she could to help her, and befriend the girl, show her that her powers were not the end of the world. It was in a way, repayment to Kurt for being such a good person to her. Kitty wanted to help Marie, not only because the girl needed it, but because her brother suffered from it too and wanted his sister back. It would be Kitty that would break a bit of Marie's shell and allow the girl to let loose and do the normal things that her powers did not allow and for the first time, Marie had a best friend aside from her brother.
She knew Wanda, like Kurt and Marie did from the times when she would visit the base with her brother, seeing her father. She could be moody and spiteful, but inside, she was a good heart. Wanda and Pietro had become friends with them because of their close contact since their parents were some of the most important people in the Resistance. Kitty's father had found himself as one of the best hackers, if not the best, in the Resistance due to his software job before, teaching his daughter to follow in his footsteps. They formed a friendship because they could help Pietro and Wanda with the loneliness and isolation of where they lived in Eastern Europe, helping them forge a bond to the outside world.
"It vas a difficult mission, Katzhen, and zhen zhe teleporters vere compromised. Zhey vere trapped, so zhey had to make a break for it…and zhen…an zhen…" Kurt broke down then, tears in his eyes, remembering the sacrifice. It never got easy for them.
Marie placed a comforting hand on her brother's shoulder, "Erik sacrifaiced himself, Kit, so we could all escape," she whispered, tears in her eyes too, "And Pietro was reallah badly shot befoh they put them in tha facility. He's in a reallah bad way."
Kitty's heart broke at the news, her heart going to her friend, "Wanda, I'm so sorry," she said, clasping the girl in a hug, letting her sob on her shoulder.
"I know….I know…I just…I just hope Pietro'll be okay…I don't know what I'll do if he's not," said Wanda.
Neither of her friends dared give her false hope. In their lives hope was all they had, but it could be dangerous.
"We all do, Wanda," said Kitty, simply. She then led Wanda, as well as Kurt and Marie, to the med bay, to wait for news on Pietro's condition.
Their work was not over, as soon as they arrived at base, Beast began taking charge of the emergency facilities, trying to save as many of the escapees as he could, but it was a grisly job. It was too late for many of them. The conditions in the prisons had worsened in the years. It was not uncommon for the mutants to die from starvation, disease and injuries sustained from capture. The MSF had taken to making them suffer in this way, taunting the Resistance with their efforts.
Dr. McCoy worked feverishly on Pietro, but nothing her tried helped the boy, his state was utterly hopeless. Hank was truly testing his medical knowledge, but nothing could work. He knew he was just continuing because he couldn't accept the fact that Pietro was dying, not when Erik had tried so hard to save him. His sacrifice could not go in vain. It was just too cruel. He had been lodged with the bullet too long, it had damaged his organs profusely, it was a miracle he was even alive right now on the operating table.
"Pass me the scalpel, Ororo," requested Hank. Ororo did so, she had been helping Hnak for the past hour, trying to save Pietro, they both knew he was a too far gone, but they refused to stop.
A voice broke Hank from his efforts on the operating table.
"H..Hank, stop, it's too late, I know," whispered Pietro Maximoff, "Let me go, it's all you can do. You've tried your best."
"But…But…" said Hank, refusing to stop.
"Hank, it's time," said Ororo sadly.
"Please, stop lying to yourself. Let me join my father in honor," said Pietro.
Hank ripped off his face mask and nodded, sadly.
"I'm sorry," said Hank.
"I know," said Pietro, uttering his dying breaths, "Please let me see Wanda."
Hank nodded and exited the operating room. Ororo did her best to make him comfortable for his last few moments. He shot a grateful look at the weather goddess.
Wanda was waiting outside the room in a chair, along with everyone from the mission. She was surrounded by her friends. Kitty, Kurt and Marie were there at her side, offering comfort. They gave her encouragement, comfort, faith and hope, what little there was.
Their quiet conversation ended when a downcast Hank exited the operating room, with crestfallen features.
"I'm so sorry, Wanda, it's too late, there's nothing I can do," said Hank, completely dejected, his ears and shoulders were drooped, his entire body language screamed sadness.
Wanda nodded, bravely, trying not to cry again. It was too heartless that her father and brother would die in the same night, both forfeiting their lives for her. The guilt ate at her soul.
"C-Can I at least see him?" she asked softly, her face marred with the trails of tears.
Hank nodded and led her in, while the others contemplated the cruelty of the world.
Seeing the poor state of her brother set her off on another round of tears, as she entered the operating room. His wounds were sewn and closed, but they would not help him anymore. Bandages covered his torso, masking the severity of his wounds. Pietro looked weak, defeated, but only in body, never in spirit. The boy was lying on a bed, that Ororo had moved him to, so that he would be comfortable. Pillows supported his strengthless head and a blanket gave him warmth. His body was bruised and broken and the heart monitors showed a fading heart beat. He didn't have much time left.
"We'll leave you two," said Ororo. Pietro nodded and the couple left the twins for their last moments together.
"I'm SO SORRY!" shouted Wanda hysterically, the tears streaming down her face again.
"Wanda, it's okay, it's not your fault. Stop crying," whispered Pietro.
"I can't help it," she said back, coming up to her brother and sitting in the chair Ororo had thoughtfully prepared in front of her twin. She took his hand in hers.
Pietro smiled, despite it all, "I know. Don't let this take you over Wanda. You couldn't've helped me or dad. It was our choice. I'm sorry it hurts so much, but it's not your fault. Nothing you could've done would have changed anything."
"I promise you, I won't let this take me over," vowed Wanda, smiling at her brother through her tears.
"Good, Wanda, keep fighting for me, for mom and dad too. I'll get to see her soon. I miss her so much," said Pietro.
"Me too, tell her hi for me and tell her I missed her over the years, but we grew up okay," said Wanda.
"Okay," said Pietro.
"I know I didn't always show it, but you're my twin Pietro and through it all I always loved you, even when we were at each other's throats," said Wanda, laughing slightly at the memory of their fights.
"Don't worry, sis, I've always known that," said Pietro, "I'll be seeing dad tonight."
"Tell dad, that I love him," said Wanda, her voice breaking.
"Will do, sis," croaked Pietro, "Promise me you'll live for me. Live life to it's fullest for me. Cherish it and don't forget me."
"I will, Pietro," said Wanda.
"Good," said Pietro Maximoff, a satisfied smile on his lips, he'd gotten out all he needed to, "I love you, Wanda."
Wanda's tears blurred her vision, "I love you too, Pietro." Wanda felt his hand, loosen, the strength was gone. His eyes closed shut and she knew, knew that he was gone. She fell to the side of her brother's bed and cried, sobs wrecking her body, uncontrollably. The machines wailed around her. Pietro Maximoff, age 16, was dead. (I feel so bad. I've now killed two major canon characters. Just to let you know, I am doing no resurrections and such, so if they die, they're dead.)
Marie sat on a seat in the New York subway, on her way to a café to meet a target. It was her first solo mission, a dangerous one too. If she passed, she would be made a full fledged member of the Counterintelligence branch in the MSF as an agent. Her job was to get to know him follow him, find out who he worked for, any information that she could on the MSF and take him out, if necessary. She looked around the train, noticing the different people, the different lives. Her sketch book was out, and she was drawing their faces, it was calming for her. She had always loved to do that, it showed the stories of different people, different stories and different lives, yet colliding into one. It calmed her. Her mind was chaotic, so this stilled it some.
Her world was one of chaos, torment and anguish, yet the hope and happiness she had found there made it all worth while. She supposed in her teenage years she had become somewhat of a rebel, every parent's worse nightmare. Marie supposed it had something to do with her powers. She was doomed to a curse of a touch and it had left her with a new attitude, taking away the optimism, innocence and brightness of her childhood, as every part of the world did eventually. Her brother Kurt and her best friend Kitty would help her through. With them, she could be normal, at least as much as she possibly could ever be. The relationship with her mother which had once been strained had gotten better, once they were able to let go of the past and forge ahead by talking thoroughly. It had been emotional, but Kurt and her father had been grateful that they were finally able to see eye to eye, out of desperation after a painful experience for her. Her father and she now shared a strange bond. It was the bond of two loners with painful lives, still trying to heal.
Her powers had manifested themselves in a day when Kurt, herself, Logan and Raven had gone above ground on a shopping trip, just trying to be normal with an image inducer for Kurt. They had run into some trouble with the MSF and in the battle that followed, she would be held in a choke hold by an MSF agent. The breath and life was being squeezed out from her and her family was helpless to watch, until the man's life force began to be sucked from his skin contact with Marie. She freaked and the man fell to the ground unconscious. Her parents and Kurt would win the battle and take her back to base where her powers were diagnosed and forever change her life, make her dark and depressive. She had the man's psyche in her head, and although it would fade in time, it was always there, a ghost taunting her, tormenting her, deliberately making her hate herself.
Things had changed greatly in her life, she wore clothes that covered her body head to toe, and had become to both crave and fear touch. Marie was 18 now. She was slightly withdrawn, she supposed, but it was necessary. She kept a thin veil of secrets away from her family and ones closest to her, because if they saw her inner secrets, they'd only see how scarred she was, how broken and how terrible. But her powers weren't the only thing that changed in her life. She had gained siblings once Logan and Raven married. The event brought a smile to her face. She still remembered the day well.
Her little brother Odin was now eleven now and a hyperactive rambunctious boy. He had Kurt's easy going disposition, but was a bit of a troublemaker. Not only did he have Logan's keen senses and healing factor, he also had his mother's ability for shape shifting, though much more limited at his age and current ability. The twins had been born and were now nine, a girl and a boy, Lindsay and Cole. Lindsay had long bright red hair, like Raven and golden cream colored eyes with a normal skin tone. Cole had black hair like Logan and his grey blue eyes as well, except he had taken after his mother with cobalt blue fur that matched Kurt's fur. Lindsay was outgoing and very talkative. She had a personality like Marie's before her mutation changed her. Cole was more of an introvert and slightly shy, except around his family and close friends. He had a bit of Logan's loner nature. Marie and Kurt loved them all and were close to all of them. They were a tight nit family really, even when Marie tried to shut them out. She failed miserably when it came to that. They were just wouldn't let her fall.
Her parents hadn't changed much, at least physically. Due to their mutations, they looked much younger than they should. Raven still looked in her late twenties at thirty six and Logan, well, he still looked in his thirties, although slightly battered around the edges as usual. They still had a unique loving relationship that withstood and held strong despite all the trials and tribulations of being in the Resistance. They cherished each other and their time together, aware it could end for them all too soon.
Hank and Ororo were much the same. Their love still held strong and close with their children aged 14, 11, and 9. Lysander, Zara and Tamara had grown up in the time that passed, fairly quickly, though due to the environment in which they lived, but they were still able to be children. His children's teenage years were going better than had been expected though. Lysander took after Hank in many ways, he was absolutely brilliant and surprised his father with his knowledge sometimes, but he possessed Ororo's wisdom and nurturing qualities and was able to work well around others. He developed many of Hank's powers. Zara was a bit of a free spirit. She had Ororo's personality, but was more fun loving. She had began to show signs of manifesting her mother's abilities. Tamara was sweet, introspective and quiet. She had a strange mix of both her parents' personalities and had yet to show any abilities.
Wanda would transfer to the Australian base after her brother and father's deaths. She wanted to go away from this place that reminded her so much of them and the pain, but still wanted to help the cause. She chose Australia for its warm weather and hopeful disposition. She would meet a boy there, John Allerdyce, who would use his sunny disposition to pull her out from despair, using a technique that had once been imposed on him, by a friend by the name of Piotr Rasputin. He took her from her low and helped bring her up again and find herself. They had only recently started dating. John had gone back to Australia to work in the base after living in the headquarters for awhile, wanting to see home, just as Piotr wanted to. Piotr was now working in the Russian base with his siblings, helping the efforts in the Russian countryside still plagued with a Salem witch huntesque problem of hunting mutants.
Logan would find Remy by chance a few years after he rescued him when the boy was twelve. Logan, Ororo and Raven were on a mission in the area around New Orleans sniffing around for a hidden compound in the city some where. Once they had found it, they had gotten into some trouble in which their secret identities had been compromised, so they had no choice but to seek refuge with Jean-Luc and the Thieves Guild at Ororo's suggestion. Once there, they had stayed with his family at the Guild's mansion, while at the same time completing their mission. Logan had been surprised to see Remy and so had he. The two kept secret the way they had known each other, as the way that they had escaped was something that they only shared between the two of them, even Raven didn't know the full story behind their escape. The two would keep in contact with emails over the years.
Warren and Betsy, Jean and Scott as well as Tessa and Lucas would get married and raise families, although in very different circumstances and such. Scott and Jean would become Xavier's right hand men after Erik's death and helped him run the Resistance. Betsy and Warren would continue to get information to further the cause of the Resistance in their circle of rich 'friends'. Tessa and Lucas would continue to run one of the most successful recruitment facilities and safe houses in the Resistance in Chicago, under the guise of a work camp or something of the sort, making mutants do unbearable labor in exchange for safety.
Over the years she had changed and especially when her powers had shown up, she had started to go Goth. She regularly wore dark clothes with lots of sheer fabric, although she covered up as much as she could, always wearing gloves. More than a few piercings adorned her body. Dark makeup would usually accompany her outfit, unless she was on a mission like now. It kept people away though, people she would hurt or hurt her. Kitty and Kurt could see passed it though and really tried to make her as normal as possible. They were part of the reason why she was still sane. She owed so much to them. They were close to her, very close, Kurt was her brother, but Kitty was her closest friend. They kept her up and made sure she didn't fall.
Currently on the subway Marie was sketching the faces of the various people in the train with her with quick precision. Her auburn hair with the white streak was concealed under a wig of red hair. Her makeup was minimal. He wore a pair of vintage style square rimmed glasses, with a black woolen toque to protect her from the cold of the New York fall. She wore a baby blue turtle neck sweater over a black cotton three quarter length sleeved shirt. This was paired with a pair of dark faded flared jeans, a black leather belt and flat heeled black leather boots, which were nice for walking. Over top all this she wore a thick navy blue pea coat that reached her mid calves. It was paired with a pair of black leather gloves and a deep woolen violet scarf. Underneath her leather gloves were a pair of lace ones that weren't as warm for when she went inside. She had a pair of dangly silver earrings with purple stones. Her ears were left free of her usual amount of earrings as was the rest of her body. A set of ear bugs in her ear lead to an MP3 player which played some softer alternative music she liked but usually didn't listen to. It was usually more Kurt's music. She had a huge black leather purse at her side, slung through her arm. It held her laptop, alias and other materials that she would need for her mission, including extra clothes and such.
Kitty had said she looked approachable and nice for once. She had told her that she didn't want to be approachable or nice, thus her outfit, to which Kitty merely laughed. Personally, she felt like Kitty in her outfit. It really wasn't her at all, which was why it was such a perfect look. She looked quiet and demure, respectable, quiet and just someone who was stylish, sophisticated and wealthy.
The subway lurched to a stop and Marie stowed away her sketch book and filed out the car invisibly with the rest of the crowd. She was posing as a graphic designer that was to be recruited into one of the Three's companies and was meeting with one of the head designer's of the company who also happened to be from a rich family and one of the largest supporters of the MSF. It would be infinitely useful to find all she could about him and his dealings. It was to be a week long undercover job.
Exiting the subway, she crossed the gates with the rotating spiels and climbed up a set of stairs bursting into the cold autumn air, assaulting her senses. She could smell the scent wafting from the hot dog venders, that heady scent of meat, which could make you sick. Marie could hear the bustle of the crowds, the snippets of conversations, the sounds from the road of the cars and the wind blowing at them. The few trees that lined the streets had leaves of brilliant yellow and red. She took all this in, as she walked down the street, but in her mind was a definite location, a cozy little coffee shop where she'd be meeting her target.
Walking for about ten minutes down the bustling streets of the New York afternoon, she finally reached the coffee shop, proclaiming its name of 'The Goddess Called Coffee' in twisted metal. It was in an elderly building made of sandstone with archaic designs and a few gargoyles. (weird, I know…I just tapped into the coffee addiction of some people, I for one, am not all that addicted, I just like iced coffees once in a while.) She entered the ethereal shop filled with the delicious aroma of freshly brewed coffee. Marie was a little early and didn't see her target, so she took it upon herself to find a table near the back of the shop with an unobstructed view of the entrance.
The shop was done in rich brown wood, with metal accenting, colorful draperies, brick and granite. The floor was a rich deep mahogany colored wood. The railings and panels were all of the same wood as well. On the walls, brick would peek out in some areas. Other areas were painted a warm red. Lights hung from silver twisted metal on the ceiling. There were silver decorations hung all over the place on shelves and walls. It was also used as coat hangers and other items. Many of the chairs were made from twisted metal with comfortable cushions of various colors. Draperies of different colors and fabrics were on the walls, giving an aura of ambiance and mystery. Many pictures, sculptures and works of art decorated the room nicely. Thick Asian rugs were on the wooden floor. The tables and table tops on the counter were all made of dark stony granite. There were booths with thick benches from velvety fabric and tables with twisted metal chairs as well as wooden ones. To the window was bar like seating with raised barstools. In the back was a raised area with sofas and tables. This was where Marie was. She was seated in a deep purple velvet easy chair in front of a large circular granite table and across from an identical chair.
She took the opportunity to set up her portfolio and other items, arranging them on the table for her prospective boss to arrive. She slung her jacket, scarf and gloves on the easy chair she would seat in. She set up the laptop with her jump cable. She was nearly set up when she saw her target enter. She had been told that her target would know her from a picture and description she had supposedly sent into the company with her application.
The man entering was very tall and concealed by a long dark coat. She couldn't quite see his features, but she knew it was the target from the way he looked at her with slight recognition from a reference photograph. He had a bag at his side at what she supposed were showings of what the company did and such. He began to walk towards her. Marie's heart pounded with nervousness, but she quashed it, taking relaxing breaths.
When the man approached her and was close enough, something in the recesses of her mind triggered. Now this wasn't uncommon due to the multiple psyches in her head, but she knew the memory was hers. The man felt familiar. Why? Well that would have to wait. For now, she had to stick to her alias.
Remy LeBeau was currently driving down the cold New York streets of autumn in his shiny black with red accenting Ferrari. The car whizzed through the busy streets, with the stereo pumping some of his favorite classic rock songs from the likes of Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Metallica and Guns 'N Roses. He watched as the bright leaves of fall fell to the ground from the window of his car with the fall breeze. People bustled around crossing the street in packs, bundled up. He saw business men, punk dressed teens, mothers with their children, pretty much people from any and all walks of life congregating on the roads of New York to get to one place to the next. They were always interesting to watch. There was so much to be told by the way they looked, the way they walked or held themselves. He was driving himself to the location of a target for a job in the Resistance. He was to follow a target, get information from her by any means possible to find invaluable information on the MSF. He was in a section of the Resistance focused on counterintelligence and this was a big mission for him after a long string of solo work he'd been doing since he joined the bureau of the Resistance at 18. He had taken down many operations, gathered invaluable information and succeeded in everything he did.
His life as a thief moonlighting for the Resistance had been interesting to say the least. After being adopted at seven into Jean-Luc's family, he had been trained as a thief for the Guild. He grew to be incredibly close to his elder brother Henri, who was two years older than him. They got into all kinds of trouble with his cousins Emil, Etienne and Theoren. They were quite a group, always pranking New Orleans, no one was safe, not even Jean-Luc, the Guild Leader of the Thieves. No one that is, except Tante Mattie, for she had mighty strong aim with her rolling pin and a temper to match.
He learned all the tricks of the trade and became one of the best thieves in the Guild. He had been a skilled pickpocket before Jean-Luc, but after, he was a master and not just at the craft of pickpocketing. Any trade of thievery, he could do. Remy was an excellent thief in all fields, there was not one area he was weak in. This earned him the respect of thieves twice his age and earned him a spot as a master thief at 16, something previously unheard of. All his training, of course, was excellently put to work for the Resistance as well. The many jewels that he stole and sold became money for the Resistance to use in a constant effort to beat the MSF. He not only was a Master Thief, he was also a powerful agent for the Resistance in counterintelligence due to his masterful skills learned as a thief.
He lived in New Orleans and helped run several of the Guild's safe houses for mutants which in turn helped the Resistance. It was work that was close to his heart, for he had been taken by the MSF as a child and abused and tested on like a rat in the prisons. Still, it would not be the last of torment he suffered for being a mutant. His father's many safe houses in New Orleans were secret business that even the Assassins didn't know about. The relationship with the Assassins was bitterly terrible. A rift had settled in the Guilds for decades, but when the Assassins slowly began to side with the MSF, it was the last straw and the Thieves Guild cut all contact, launching a full scale war between the two sides, more bloody than the war with humans against mutants, but the Thieves were coming on top. A peace agreement had once been forged that would've made Belladonna Boudreaux, daughter of the Guild leader of Assassins, wife to Remy, but the accordance was nullified when they tried to assassinate the LeBeaus at a gathering between the two families.
This was not to be the last hardship in Remy's life. His so-called first love, Genevieve had betrayed him and sold him out, during their time together on a mission to steal the Cheating Star with Henri. An altercation with Genevieve had shown her true colors and in the end, the brothers had no choice but to kill her to survive when she was about to kill Henri and turn in Remy to the MSF to which she was loyal to. She had been a mole implanted to garner information to the MSF, luckily, she had failed and all the evidence she had found against the Thieves had been much too vague to be of any use. This ordeal had however scarred him deeply, as had Belladonna.
It seemed that all the women who he had thought loved him would turn on him. Belladonna professed her love to him but in truth she was just using him to move further up in the Assassin's Guild by trying to kill him in a gathering of the Thieves and Assassins when he was about 17, a year after Genevieve. He had thought Belle, the one, but she had shown herself a cold bitch. She had helped him get over Genevieve and he had once loved her and believed her a genuine woman. After the ties were severed with the Assassins and Thieves, he hadn't seen her. The last he heard, she was supposedly romantically involved with her own brother, Julien.
The day in which his powers went out of control at the gathering of Thieves and Assassins had been a terrible day. Henri was about to be killed with one of Julien's blades and it was like he snapped. Julien's blade was charged instantly, and when he released it, it exploded, giving him a near fatal injury. It didn't end there with Julien, he began to charge many other objects as well, automatically with no touch, they exploded with a force he had never known before. Many Assassins would be killed and many more killed in the successive blasts. He supposed he was one of the reasons that the Assassins left them alone after they cut ties. The screams that day still haunted his memory.
It was just one heart break after another. He was a man who'd given up on love. The three years, he had begun to show his status as a ladies' man. Sure, he was always good with the ladies, but it was nothing more than casual flirting. He was just a natural charmer. But after two very bad breakups, he began to go through with the classic ladies' man behavior, sleeping with many women, leaving behind a string of broken hearts and one night stands. He hadn't had a serious relationship after his two disastrous ones with Belle and Genevieve.
It was after his two catastrophic relationships that he began a world tour relocating the rich of the world and giving the dividends to the Resistance, like a modern day Robin Hood, but he didn't feel satisfied, so he would eventually join and train to be an agent. He surpassed training quickly, due to his acquired skills as a thief. Soon, he was an amazing agent and working some of the toughest, most secretive cases. Not many knew of him. It was in this time that he would end up working a few cases with his old rescuer, Logan. Since he was so secretive, Logan couldn't talk about him, but that didn't stop them from getting that beer Logan had promised him years ago and many more. They became strange friends.
He would've much rather been cruising on his Harley, but he needed to keep up the appearance of a wealthy billionaire and head designer of a company that was owned by the Three. It was his job to pose as a head designer to recruit a up coming designer with links to several of the highest ranking members in the MSF as many of them were in her family. Remy drove down a few more streets; taking a few turns and then parked his car at a parking complex two blocks away from the locale he was to meet his target over coffee.
Remy was wearing a black T-shirt with a sketchy red dragon printed on the front. Over top of that he wore a white shirt leaving it open with a black blazer over that which had dark slate grey pinstripes on it. He paired it with a pair of nice jeans that were slightly worn and loose with a black leather belt. On his feet was a pair of leather shoes that were black. A silver chain was on his neck. He wore a long black duster overtop with leather gloves, a dark fleece scarf and black ear muffs that went behind his neck to ward off the cold. A dark wig was on his head, making his coppery auburn hair black. Contacts on his eyes made them appear blue, instead of red on black.
Getting out from the expensive car and locking the doors, he took an elevator down to the ground level of the complex and began to walk the two blocks to the coffee shop he was to meet the target. All he had was a picture to go with, but he had memorized every detail and knew that he would be able to spot her when he saw her. He took to the bustling streets of New York, blending in with the locals. He noticed the street vendors selling beautiful trinkets, the street musicians and their music and the painters creating humorous portraits of their customers, but he didn't admire them for long. They were just part of the New York atmosphere. He had his mind set of a coffee shop dubbed, 'The Goddess Called Coffee.'
He reached shop after a brisk ten minute walk, taking in the twisted metal sign, large windows and dark sandstone building. He could see the aged white marble in the building with French design on it. It was wrapped with the marble and on the top of the building were aged marble gargoyles. The coffee shop however, was a touch of the new and modern in the old building. The frames of the window were painted dark obsidian black, as was the door. The large window had a sort of raised table behind it where customers sat on barstools sipping coffee. He pushed the door open to a ring of a small bell, alerting of a new customer and looked around for the target.
He spotted her at the back of the coffee shop behind a large granite table and two comfortable looking velvet easy chairs, setting up her portfolio and other items on the table. He noticed she had kept her toque on for the look and wore a pale blue sweater.
He approached her relaxed, taking in the atmosphere of the room. When he neared her, something about her seemed to take him aback for a second. She was so familiar. It was just something about her, but he couldn't place it. He pushed it to the recesses of his mind. He'd worry about it later. Right now he had to focus on the mission and his alias.
Getting closer to the woman with red hair, the man greeted, "Hello, I'm Robert Lord, from Inspired Designs." The man gave her a smile and a hand to which she shook. Remy looked at her and determined she was quite beautiful. The shade red hair didn't seem to suit her too well. He assumed that she had probably lightened it at one point.
"I'm Anna Raven," she said, giving him a smile. Marie had to admit that the man before her was a looker, even though something about his eyes didn't quite fit, she ascertained that they were probably contacts, but brushed it off.
"I've heard a lot about you," said Remy with a normal American accent, taking off his jacket and placing it on the chair adjacent to Marie.
"I've heard a lot about you, too," said Marie, in a typical New York accent.
"Who hasn't?" said Remy, "Listen, I'll get us coffee, what would you like?"
"Oh no, I couldn't," said Marie, politely.
"No, I insist," said Remy.
"Alright, I guess I'll just have a large black," she said.
"Of all the coffee in here, you choose black?" he asked.
"You got a problem with black coffee?" she asked back.
"No, I like mine black too," replied Remy, "Though I've never known anyone else to either."
"I know what you mean," said Marie with a smile as Remy went to get the coffee.
Marie had to say that if the circumstances were different, she probably would've liked this guy. He seemed genuine, but she knew that it wasn't the case. Little did she know that Remy was thinking the same thing as he ordered the coffee.
When Remy came back and handed her the coffee she ordered, they sat down and got down to business.
"You're younger than I thought you'd be," said Remy honestly, testing her, like any employer would.
"Well, you're younger than what I thought you to be, too," said Marie, throwing back his words.
"I like your spirit," he said genuinely, "So why do you want to work for Inspired?"
"I've just always admired the work there. It would be a dream come true to work for you. I love the way you give creativity to your teams to show off actual artistic talent, not just some clichéd gaudy photoshop thing. The creativity shown in your company is unlike any other and the work is just so much ahead of the rest. Your designs and advertisements are in a league of its own and I want to be a part of that," said Marie.
"Well, let's see your portfolio," said Remy. Marie had prepared a portfolio of her own works of art. And the two would spend the rest of the afternoon talking about her art, the way the company ran and such. Marie had to admit it was nice to be able to talk to someone who actually understood art like she did, even though she knew her mission. She could tell that the man in front of her was just as passionate about art. He showed her many of the company's designs that had been published and some of his own works and they were brilliant. He seemed to be a person who was smart, funny, intellectual, creative and kind.
Remy had to say that meeting with the girl complicated the mission somewhat. She was lively, intelligent, artistic and caring. He could see parts of her soul in her work. It was amazing. For once he had someone to talk to about something he was really passionate about asides from the usual. They seemed to have a lot in common. He would talk and show her his works of art and she would share as well. It would be hard to do the mission because she felt like a genuine person he would really like to know. It was too bad that the mission and what he did didn't allow that. They were on different sides.
Little did they know that a connection had formed between them inexplicably that would most definitely complicate things in the mission, they were supposed to follow. The two of them didn't know it was a test to find out their strengths and see if they would be able to work together. Their superiors didn't know at the time that they had formed the perfect partners at the time, but they would soon realize the brilliance in the times to come. Remy and Marie however would soon learn of their ploy and turn the tables on their superiors though.
Serendipity, eh, I just had to set them up like this…will they figure out what's going on and how they seem to recognize each other? The mystery continues. The story finally takes that spy like edge from the beginning. Oh, and you won't have people dying every two seconds, plus their past is over, so I can focus on the actual plot. YAY!
Strangely, the fluffy bits were harder to write than the death and destruction bits. That's why it took so long, because I didn't really have an inkling of how I would show them getting together. So I hope it's done well. Some of the stuff I'm thinking is crap, but I really tried my best. I hope you like. I think you're gonna kill me for that Romy cliffie. I just really don't want to do it all in this chapter, because well, it got long again, and this way, the next chapter is a full Romy infused chapter. Then of course, you'll get to see the beginnings of how the team formed.
UP NEXT: CHAPTER TWO: FORMING FEROCITY
…very self explanatory. The story will take on some of the plot I was planning to do at the beginning. It will have more of a spy feel and less of a look at all the people dying feel. I'm not sure how many more death scenes there will be, butthey probably won't be anywhere as big as in the first chapter in terms of people dying.
PLEASE REVIEW!
simba317
