500 Miles
Hellfire
By Princess Alexandria
"Rogue, honey, would you help me with the dishes?" Irene asked the young Xman and Christy thought she caught a purposeful smile directed her way, like Irene was helping to get Rogue out of the room for her. Christy just nodded her thanks and waited until Rogue was out of the room before turning to Mystique.
"I wasn't really joking earlier."
"Who?" Mystique sat forward a little and Christy felt like the spy was using all her powers of observation to try and understand Christy.
Christy sighed. Who? At this moment there were a lot of people on her list, but who was she talking about? Christy bit at her bottom lip as she thought about how powerful Selene was. "Sebastian Shaw." He raped Tessa, and that was enough reason for her. Raven might be safely out of that hell, but Tessa was still there. He was also the one behind the present Christy got and it was pretty clear he'd keep harassing Raven. Selene was someone she wished she could help Raven with, but really doubted they could do safely.
"Oh, you do make powerful enemies. You have a list of them don't you?"
"Yeah." Christy spoke quietly. "This hasn't been the best world I've visited and I want to leave it better off than I found it. Killing him is a good start."
Mystique's expression gave little away. It had to be weird having an Xman in her living room asking about this. "In your world what were you?"
Christy smiled a little. "I was your apprentice, but I was more of an anti-assassination specialist." Her Mystique had helped her learn enough about how assassins worked to plan against it. She wasn't sure it was enough to actually do it. "I was a baby shape shifter and you really took to kicking my ass to teach me, well in my world, my Mystique did." Her smile faded, for a moment it had felt like she had someone familiar but she had to remember this woman wasn't the same, in the same way she remembered each Emma was different.
"An apprentice?" Mystique smiled just a little. "I don't imagine your Mystique took many of those."
"No, I was her first." Christy noticed the smirk and tossed caution to the wind. "For a teaching virgin she didn't do too badly." Christy stared at Mystique with a teasing smile. "Are you a virgin? Teaching I mean." Christy batted her eyelashes obviously and enjoyed the deep chuckle that got. "I need more… teaching… and could really use your help."
"You need surveillance before planning a hit. You need to know his movements and when he's most vulnerable." Mystique became business like again. "I know enough about Raven to know she doesn't have access to the type of money a hit would cost." The smile was not really friendly, "Know your enemies and all that."
"He'll see me coming a mile away." Christy sighed and sat back in the chair a little dejected. "He's taunting me, he wants me to go after him."
"So why don't you walk away?" That coming out of Mystique's mouth was a surprise. "You know it's a trap, you don't have the resources to do the job, and obviously you aren't going to bring the Xmen into it, or you wouldn't be asking me."
Christy just stared at the candle on the coffee table for a moment. "I don't know what to do." Her voice was soft and slightly hurting, she could hear it herself and knew Mystique could. "I just don't know what to do. I really care about Raven, and he's starting to look like a stalker on top of a rapist."
"Rape?"
"Yeah." Christy leaned forward to rest her elbows on her legs and stared into Mystique's eyes. Maybe she needed someone to talk to as well, and talking to people that wouldn't remember anything the next day was more painful than anything else. "And I don't want them to catch her again. I have to protect her." There were two women she had to protect. "And I'm leaving this world, leaving her alone to face this isn't an option. I can't," Christy shook her head, "I just can't."
"What about the Xmen?"
"I've already tried. Xavier isn't going to back me up." Christy's jaw tensed along with her fists. "He's going to let them get away with it." She didn't need to ask, his insistence that they keep it a secret to avoid a fight was more than enough answer.
Christy could hear Rogue's voice getting closer. "Let me look into a few things." Mystique spoke quietly. "How can I reach you?"
"Raven?" Christy thought to her double. "How can she?"
"My email is…" Christy heard her voice answering and felt like she was doing the right thing. Raven was backing her up. Part of her felt bad that she was forcing the Xman to pick this path, but for Tessa Raven did.
An hour later Rogue and Christy went into the cold again and got into Raven's car. "Thank you for inviting me." Christy smiled at the girl. "I had fun."
"Ah noticed." Rogue started the car. "It was nice to see my family again, but you do realize that the others won't be too happy with us."
"They are your family, and no matter what they believe, they love you." Christy reached out and rested a hand on Rogue's arm. It was safely covered in clothes, so Rogue's power was no danger. "Anyone that tells you that you can't spend the holidays with those women aren't worth listening to. Irene won't always be around to spend time with." Christy bit back the rest of her comment. Irene didn't have a choice in her death, not really, but not telling had been her choice and Christy was going to leave it alone.
They stepped into the mansion much later and Christy squeezed Rogue's hand in thanks before they parted ways, Christy going back upstairs. It was late and she was too tired to wander into the party still going on in the living room to see if Xavier had erased the memory of her dramatic exit.
…………………
"Why is she willing to help us?" Raven asked her as they laid in bed staring at the drawings on the wall. Tessa's image was directly in front of her line of sight, and Christy doubted that was a coincidence.
"Probably a few reasons." Christy pulled the blankets up higher over her shoulders. "Xavier took her daughter, so the idea that an Xman could owe her has to appeal to her; she doesn't like it when women are abused like that; Irene let us stay for dinner, so her lover has some interest in us, Mystique always takes that seriously; and maybe she just wants to see if we'll actually try to kill someone." It wouldn't be out of character for Mystique to give an Xman enough rope to hang herself that way.
If Raven tried to continue to be an Xman after this, there was a good chance Mystique could blackmail her. Raven should know that. She was trading problems if they killed Sebastian, because this Mystique wasn't Raven's friend. In Christy's world Mystique would have killed for her and not even thought about charging for this one, not that they'd run into a situation like this, but her Mystique loved her, was her best friend. Having an assassin as a best friend came with some perks Christy was pretty sure.
Christy didn't envy Raven her choices right now. If they did this before Christy left, Raven could blame it all on her, but even if that worked there would be suspicion for a while. Nothing needed to be decided right now. Raven could take some time.
Christy pulled the pillow partly into her arms, hugging it like it was her lover, and closed her eyes. "Goodnight Raven." She thought tiredly, and put as much affection into it as possible.
"Goodnight." Raven sounded distracted by her thoughts. She should be.
…………………
The day after Christmas, it was amazing how good it felt to be the day after. It was over. Christy checked her reflection again, and played with Raven's short hair to get that spiky wild do that looked pretty good on her Xman self. The music and the decorations would stop and with that the constant reminders. Most likely neither one of them would look at the holidays the same way again.
The tree was still up in the living room and Christy just sighed, wondering when it would come down. Irene may not have said it, but that woman had made sure to take them down in her home to make Christy comfortable. Christy's Mystique once told her how Irene got into decorating and yet their home hadn't been. It wasn't hard to put the pieces together and like Irene even more.
She didn't really want to talk to the Professor, but maybe she'd tell him that Raven didn't like having the tree around, or any of the other decorations.
Christy sat at the table eating her breakfast bar rather than attempting to cook. She'd missed the group breakfast on purpose. She felt like the place was abandoned. She couldn't hear anyone and for such a large place with such a large group living there it seemed wrong.
The whir of sound had her looking up just in time to see the Professor's wheelchair starting to come into view of the doorway. He stopped his progress and turned to look at her. "I was hoping you could come to my office when you're done eating." He sounded a little off, tired.
"Where is everyone?"
"Scott's team left and Ororo's team is on a mission." He turned his head back down the hall he'd been wandering. "Just come right in when you're ready. We have a lot to talk about."
Did he actually look at the pictures? Christy took another bite of the breakfast bar distractedly. Sure she could just go now, but she wanted a moment to figure this out. They were the only two here. Oh she'd sell her kingdom for permission, she thought sarcastically as she imagined ending his life again and how it would mean Tessa was recalled, and that Raven wouldn't be forced to stay silent any longer. Just one bullet could do all that, and there wasn't anyone here to stop her, except Raven. Christy sighed heavily and poured out the rest of her juice in the sink. It wasn't an option, but if Raven ever changed her mind Christy would gladly do it for her.
She felt like she'd lost the winning lottery ticket as she made her way to his office, knowing that she'd have to leave it alone, but just because she was letting the bastard live didn't mean he'd get away with not doing right by Raven. Christy would do whatever she could to make sure Raven was taken care of.
Christy took a deep breath and stood taller before she moved to enter his office.
…………………
Christy was learning more about herself in this world than any of the others. She hated feeling helpless, it was something she hadn't even let herself feel in her home world. Her normal cold commanding voice didn't work, she couldn't order people to do something and get them to do it. She found that made her talk louder and angrier than normal.
Christy took a deep breath, but her eyes stayed cold and threatening. "Raven is alone. She has no friends, because you won't let her have them."
"What are you talking about?" The Professor had the nerve to ask.
"The fact that she has no one she can talk to, because you'd wipe their memories. Was Kitty the first time you've done that to her? Who is Raven supposed to lean on? It won't be you."
"Why won't it be me? In the past she came to me with…"
Christy heard the rush of the ocean and tried to blink, but she couldn't.
"It won't be you, because you betrayed me." Raven growled. "You betrayed Tessa and I'll never forgive that. Never."
"But Raven understands…"
"You are talking to Raven Professor." Raven's voice cracked with her pain. "And I can't understand, I just can't. I can't excuse this. Did I ever tell you why I became an Xman? It wasn't your fucking dream. I did it to protect the people I care about, Jean, Bobby… Storm… And Tessa, always Tessa. I don't believe in your dream, it's just a dream, I am here because I wanted to protect those I cared about and you…" Christy had a hard time seeing through Raven's tears. "It turned out the person I needed to be protecting them from was you. I trusted you, you fucking bastard. I trusted you and you did this to my Tessa, to me. I let you get away with making me a ghost in my own home, making me have to not trust anyone here with the truth, and look what happened. I was idiot. I never should have trusted such a stupid, blind, and selfish old man. Tessa and I will be paying for that for the rest of our lives." Christy did her best to remain calm as she heard her double's pain, not wanting to do anything that would make it harder for Raven to keep control. "You know how Tessa feels about rape, and she's trapped in that hell. She had to walk me to the door so that Selene could…" Raven took a deep breath and her fingernails cut into her palms. "I hate you." It wasn't yelled, it was spoken coldly. "I don't know why I didn't just give Christy permission to kill you, because I was tempted. I hate you that much." Raven stood up and turned to leave. "There is nothing… nothing you can say to make this okay Professor. I'm not an Xman anymore. I quit. I'll be moving out once I have my body back."
"Raven, it isn't really safe for you to leave right now. I can't let you do that."
"It isn't safe for me to stay. You're more of a threat than any of them." The Professor went quiet as Raven stepped out of the room. Christy sent pure emotion at her double, her affection, her concern, her support, hoping Raven felt it all. Christy stayed as calm as possible and let Raven take over as long as Raven could. She'd never have thought she'd surrender all control so easily to anyone.
What would the Professor do to keep Raven from leaving? Raven was an adult, but Xavier was a control freak. Raven also knew his secrets. Christy found she wasn't feeling very reassured by that meeting.
"I want to show you something." Raven spoke softly as they approached a closet door. Raven opened the door and stepped inside while turning the light on. "When Tessa and I first came here he didn't want the other Xmen to know about us. He wanted both of us to be spies." Raven pushed and Christy was surprised to see the back wall of the closet give. "He eventually decided I was too emotional, or my powers weren't good enough, I was never sure. Maybe it was because Tessa and I were starting to get serious and he didn't want us to have love or a reason to want to not do what he said. I hadn't really let myself think of it that way, I wanted to trust him, but he…" Raven's words trailed off and Christy wanted to hug her. "He moved me to the main team, but he kept Tessa. He couldn't erase my memory of her and I'd still sneak around to visit with her. She was so lonely, with no one but him to talk to and he was busy with his other students so often."
They stepped over the items on the floor and into the hidden small room. Christy noticed the hole in the floor. "It was like she was a prisoner here. The others could come and go as they pleased, but she had to sneak in and out to spend time with me anywhere else. We still did it." They made their way down narrow stairs. "Ghosts, both of us were ghosts in this house." Raven's voice was shaky. Christy noticed the stale air and when Raven hit the light switch they were in a hall. "There aren't a lot of ways into this part of the mansion, he was hiding us from the others in this little cage." Bitterness laced her words.
"This was my room." Raven opened a door and Christy looked into a room with a twin bed and no windows. The dresser was slightly dusty. "The others might have shared rooms, but my being a lesbian kinda of made him rethink that idea here. Besides spies need to be self reliant and Xmen had to be able to work as a team. Alone and lonely versus loved and supported."
Christy felt her anger at that man spike as she heard the hurt in Raven's voice. They took a step into the room and Christy could see drawings taped to the wall. These Tessa's were young and all the details were there. "With little else to fill our time I picked up drawing and art. Tessa was a great model, she could hold positions longer and better than anyone." Raven's hand caressed Tessa's image. "I'm getting tired. I'll just talk you through this."
"Okay." Christy thought as she found herself able to move her arms again.
"I've never had anyone I could talk to, you're right. When Tessa left he was the only one that knew about this, and I resented him for her leaving. I didn't know he'd send her to a place like that. I never would have followed a man like that." Raven was speaking and rather than interrupt her Christy just let her vent. It was a long time coming. Raven's voice got softer. "I want these pictures. Take them down for me?"
"Of course." Christy moved to gently, reverently, take down the pictures, being very careful to not let the tired tape rip them.
"Tessa was seventeen." Raven sighed. "Seventeen. Too young he said, and the Professor told me that I would be taking advantage of her. I was twenty-one. He didn't want me… corrupting her." Christy hated the laugh Raven gave, it sound broken and a little insane. "Corrupting, that's the word he used. He didn't want the young girl corrupted. God…" Christy had to stop taking the pictures down as tears filled her eyes. "What is she now? She gave her virginity to some bastard in that place, because I wasn't allowed to take it. The Professor said he didn't want me corrupting her." The howl of pain was wild and echoed off the walls. Christy waited tensely to see if Scythe would answer Raven's call, but it didn't. "I loved her… I loved her. How the hell would that corrupt her? She loved me too."
Christy sat on the bed and waited for more pain to burst out of Raven. This was like a festering wound Raven had never been allowed to lance, because really, who did she have to trust.
"Just you." Raven spoke. "I only have you. I thank god for you, you're the best thing to happen to me since he sent my Tessa away." Christy felt her own tears at that moment. She was so sure Raven would resent her at least some. Christy ran her hands over her upper arms in a caress.
The silence lasted a little longer than a pause so Christy gave Raven her break and finished taking the drawings down. "Tessa's room is across the hall." Raven spoke after Christy finished stacking the art. "I go there sometimes just to get away. She had to leave everything she owned behind."
They stepped into the other room and Christy saw a few other drawings on Tessa's walls, ones that Raven obviously did for her. Drawings of various people, some of which were Raven herself. "I come in here and steal her clothes sometimes so I can feel closer. I feel pathetic every time I do it. The clothes you put on that first day, they were hers. I just can't seem to… move on. He told me that I should, that bastard, but I can't. I flirt and I pretend to date, but not really. Every time I go out on some date someone arranges for me, or a date to stop them from wanting to arrange something for me, I feel like I'm cheating on her. She's been gone five years and I never knew when she'd come home. Every month I'd wonder if this was the one. Months turned to years, and I just finally couldn't take it. I had to know if I'd be waiting forever, if I should really try to move on. I started to look for her. I needed to hear it from her and he'd never tell me where she was. A spy has to be self reliant right? Well, I did have some of the training, and I found her."
Raven's voice paused. "I want the teddy bear." The words were so out of context it took Christy a moment to catch the meaning. She noticed the bear on the bed and moved to pick it up and hug it. "I won that for her at a fair we managed to sneak out to. That was pretty rare for me to beat her at anything and I did that day so I made up for it by giving her my prize, normally she was better than me at most things. I didn't mind, she never made me feel bad about it. She had to grow up in a war torn country, she wasn't like normal teenagers. That's probably why I fell for her, she was older than her age. I never felt like I was spending time with a teenager. I did feel guilty at first, but Tessa, she's so special."
"I want some shirts." It was clear Raven was preparing for her move. Christy moved to open the closet. "Tessa normally dressed for comfort. I was surprised to see her in the café I found her in looking so elegant. I just stared at her while she talked with Emma and they didn't notice me. My Tessa had grown up to be beyond beautiful. She was like the women you see on TV and daydream about, knowing in real life you'd never be able to get even a date, but I had. She was my Tessa." Christy started to go through the closet. "I doubt Tessa will want these clothes back, if she ever comes home. Let's take that one." Christy pulled out the shirt in question and set it on the bed. They went through the entire closet and came out with ten shirts, mostly sweatshirts. "I'll have to make them last." Raven's voice cracked in pain again.
Christy could not even imagine going through this with her Emma. If they were in the same world she couldn't have survived what Raven had been through. She wasn't about to tell Raven to move on, or that it was pathetic to take Tessa's clothes. Hell, Christy would have loved to have something of Emma's with her now.
"Well, lets go. I've got to sneak upstairs before someone gets home. I'm a ghost after all." Raven sighed. Christy took a moment to look at the pile she'd have to take up with her before deciding to steal one last thing. She put the clothes in the center of the bedspread and wrapped the bedspread around them making it a makeshift bag. With the teddy bear and clothes held with one hand she was able to gently carry the drawings in the other. One more thing. Christy gently took one of the pictures of Raven off the wall and put it with the others. Someday Raven might want that. Christy wished she could take it with her. It would be nice to have something of her double's as well.
"I love you too." Raven whispered as they made their way out the door. Christy smiled just a little in spite of the painfulness of this trip.
They made it back to Raven's room easily. No one had come home yet. Christy carefully folded the clothes and put them in the closet. Enough had happened today, so she didn't bring up the fact that moving out of this mansion wasn't likely to be as easy as moving out of an apartment.
……………….
Christy was seeing how right Raven was about being a ghost in this house. It was very easy to not get noticed, to just blend in and avoid people, and she was taking advantage of it. She'd spent a lot of time building up her power, but stopped before it got to critical mass, because she wasn't leaving until things were better here and glowing eyes were too easy a give away that she was a mutant when she'd need to blend in for the hit. It would probably take her two or three weeks of actively trying to get enough power to go, but she was just dabbling at it now. The Xmen came and went on missions and no one thought anything of leaving her here alone. Did they do that to Raven as well? She'd heard that Raven was the rarely sighted Xman from Jacqueline in the Hellfire club.
"Where are you going?" The Professor asked as Christy picked up her keys. She hadn't talked with him much lately.
"I need to get out of here. Thought we'd go to a movie." She barely glanced at him as she opened the front door. These were old movies to her, she could remember enough if he thought to interrogate her about if she liked it later, she just needed to check on the times. "And dinner. It'll be like a date, only with myself." Her sarcasm was thick.
"Don't stay out too late."
Christy turned to look at him. "I believe Raven's twenty six now, and I'm older. I'll come home when I'm done." If she didn't respect someone she couldn't even fake it. She closed the door shutting off his annoying voice. Poor telepath couldn't follow her fast enough and couldn't invade her mind. She liked that.
Weeknights at the theater weren't too busy. Christy parked the car and leaned against it waiting. A slight smile came to her lips as a very hot looking brunette pulled up in a sedan and licked her lips seductively while staring at her. Christy sauntered over and noticed the other woman in the car as well. "So," Christy smiled and leaned into the opened window. She had to stop herself. This was where she'd pretend to be a hooker, but with the recent events she wasn't sure Raven wanted to play like that. "Dinner first? I'm a little hungry."
"Afraid you'll lose your appetite if we get to business first?" Mystique taunted a little.
Christy's voice softened. "This will hardly be the first person I've killed Mystique." She glanced at Irene. "Nice to see you again Irene."
"You too dear. Get in the car."
"Yes Ma'am." Christy smiled and then opened the back door of the car, sliding in. It had taken Mystique two weeks, but the woman had emailed for this meeting.
"I have some information for you. I'd planned to just hand it over and go." Mystique muttered, clearly irritated at Christy's horning in on her evening plans. Christy started to feel a little bad about it. Normally with her Mystique it was assumed they'd spend time together if they met. She'd just assumed.
She was a little lonely for someone to talk to outside of her body.
"Oh Mystique." Irene's voice held some reprimand. "Don't mind her dear." Irene turned to look back towards Christy, even though she couldn't see her. "How have you been?"
"Good days and bad days." Christy answered honestly. "If I had a gun Xavier would be dead now."
Mystique smirked. "I can get you one."
Christy smiled just a little. "Thanks, but Raven's still insisting on leaving him alive." Christy sighed. "So, any ideas for dinner? I'll pay, I found Raven's credit card." Raven's credit was still in her real name, Christy Taylor, so the signature wouldn't be an issue either. Raven did say she could use it. "I think Xavier pays the bill, so something big?" She grinned.
"I see, if you can't shoot him, maybe you can make him poor." Mystique turned left. "It isn't really expensive enough, but there is a nice Italian restaurant we could check out."
The restaurant was nice, not pricey, but nice. Christy followed Irene and Mystique in, and Mystique was still wearing the hot young model look, which caused more than a few eyes to turn in their direction. "I thought spies should blend in." Christy muttered at Mystique's lover.
"Oh Mystique prefers to have all eyes on her." Irene smiled.
"She's still prettier in blue." Christy said distractedly as Mystique went to request a table.
"Yes she is." Irene's fondness filled her voice. "She always was."
"You should go to the doctor more often." Christy said quietly. "There are things…"
"I know." Irene's voice was sad. "I know. Let's not ruin the evening talking about that."
"She loves you."
"And I love her." Irene patted Christy's arm. "I know you mean well, but drop this topic."
"I'm sorry." Christy watched Mystique flirting with the man taking their name for a table. "But my Mystique was so hurt, I just… she's my best friend, you know. What kind of friend would I be if I didn't care about her doubles?"
Irene's hand moved to her shoulder. "Our table is almost ready. I'll play at being blind, lead me." Irene smirked.
"Yes Ma'am." Christy shifted a little. "You can drive can't you?"
"I have a time or two." Irene smiled.
"I'm glad I got to meet you." Christy shook her head and ignored Mystique's surprise when Irene let Christy lead her to the table.
…………………….
Christy stood on the cold rooftop waiting. Her eyes were focused and her hands were busy assembling the rifle with her gloves on. She had to remember and constantly think about the fact that she couldn't leave evidence. No hair, no fingerprints, the shoes on her feet were new and disposable. Her clothes were black, but underneath she wore a more normal outfit. Mystique would only get her information, and access to a gun, she didn't come with her.
Two weeks. She'd given Raven two weeks to tell Christy she didn't want to do this after Mystique showed her when the hit would be easiest to complete, and Raven was still with her on this. New York was fucking cold at the end of January. It made the freezer they'd been locked up in seem warm.
Her escape route was firmly in her mind and she waited for that bastard to step out of the building.
"It's easy to want to make them suffer, but the fast kill is the one that works best." Christy muttered her lessons. "Vengeance killing means you lose your head and there are more chances it won't work." It was partly to remind herself. "We want him dead, suffering would be nice, but let's just trust hell to do that for us."
The door opened and Christy felt the past haunting her as she held the rifle sight to her eyes like she'd done countless times in another world. Tessa's presences shocked her, and Christy found herself staring a moment too long. She moved to very carefully take aim and fire.
Her hand shook. Oh god he was ducking down for something. The man behind him fell, and Christy felt the death, the wrong death. Christy quickly moved to aim again, putting his head in her sights, but a dark haired woman's intense eyes fell in between and then she saw Tessa pulling a gun out to cover him. Tessa was protecting that bastard. Her cover demanded it. She'd put her life in the way. Christy just shook her head. The points in her direction from the others on the street had her having to turn and run. Failed, because Tessa… Her jaw clenched and she raced down the stairs while pulling the black clothes off her body and she got off on the second floor of the short building, looking like an office worker. She carried the file box full of her clothes as if they were really files and moved to the elevator.
Her heart was racing as she tried to calmly exit the building and head for her car. Men ran past her towards the stairwell and Christy turned to glance at the scene once before walking away. Tessa's eyes caught hers and held them. Christy sighed and turned to walk away.
She would have had him if it weren't for Tessa. It was so wrong. If Christy had been in her own body she would have tried again, but she couldn't risk getting Raven arrested.
She slammed the box in the trunk and got in the car to drive. She wanted to scream, but that would draw too much attention. God, now he'd be prepared for another attempt. She failed.
"It was my fault." Raven whispered. "I didn't expect to see her, I should have. I… I'm sorry, I think I was the one that made the first shot move. I was afraid we'd shoot her."
"It's okay Raven." Christy thought as she pulled into traffic. It wasn't, but no need to hurt Raven with that.
So much planning down the drain.
The box of evidence was burned before she pulled into the mansion driveway. She climbed the stairs and gave a few distracted greetings to various passing Xmen as she made her way to Raven's room. Her feet felt too heavy to her.
……………….
"We could try again." Raven suggested as they laid in the darkness staring at the ceiling and the shadows playing on it.
"No, we can't." Christy couldn't risk Raven in a second attempt. She knew security and she knew it would be tight for a couple months around Sebastian now. It would take a while for them to get lazy again. A second attempt with Tessa heading security against her was bound to fail.
Tessa was that bastard's body guard. Somehow she hadn't really realized that. She'd underestimated Tessa the same way people underestimated her. Many people initially assumed Christy was her Emma's secretary.
"I really screwed up." Raven sounded hurt and Christy caressed her stomach.
"I was shocked too. I should have realized it, not you. Maybe now he'll feel he owes her." Christy sighed heavily. "She did save his life." It might buy Tessa some freedom from abuse for a little while at least.
Could she talk Tessa into getting sloppy on purpose?
…………………
"There was an attempt on Sebastian Shaw's life yesterday." The Professor's voice filled the kitchen as Christy was working on getting a snack. Her normal routine was to skip breakfast and get something a little later.
"Did they get him?" Christy asked after barely looking up from her half made peanut butter and jelly sandwich. "Because nothings worse than a half ass assassination."
"No, he's fine. A man on his detail was killed." Christy could feel the Professor's eyes on her, most likely the man was wondering what kind of woman he'd let into his home.
"Got the wrong one." She put her two halves of the sandwich together and turned to look at him while taking a bite. Once she swallowed she gave him a small smile. "That's sloppy, not a professional job." He was still staring at her. "I know these things, I used to be in security. I had to prevent a few assassination attempts."
"You were in law enforcement?" He sounded doubtful.
"In a matter of speaking."
"A man died."
"Yes, a man willingly hanging around that monster." Christy took another bite casually. Her juice washed it down. "Probably a rapist. No loss."
"It isn't our job to kill."
She spoke calmly and with a slight smile she knew bothered him to no end. "Really, if the law isn't going to be used to get justice, maybe the shooter had the right idea. Maybe she was last years Christmas toy." Now she was just flaunting it. "She needs more target practice regardless, missing was just careless."
"How do you know it's a woman?" His eyes told her he knew.
"Because I saw what Sebastian does with women. It was a safe bet." She picked up her glass and started for the doorway. "Personally shooting is too good for some people. They should have to suffer." Her eyes trailed over him coldly. "But sadly I'm not the law in this world."
"Raven has to live with anything you do here Christy." He spoke firmly.
"There are a lot of things Raven has to live with Charles." Christy stared into his eyes. "But don't worry, unlike people she's trusted in the past, I don't abuse her trust. She's not just a pawn to me, I love her." She continued on her way back to their room.
"He's gonna think we're having sex." Raven teased after they made it up the stairs. Christy found herself trying to envision how that could happen. Her mind was deep in problem solving mode as she ate, just curious and it gave her something other than her less than secret attempt to kill Sebastian to think about. The embarrassed chuckles Raven gave once in a while were a nice reward for her thoughts.
It was a little later that Raven said what Christy was hoping she wouldn't. "We killed a man." It broke the silence as Christy read a magazine. Christy lowered it while considering what she could say.
"Yes, we did." She answered gently. She wasn't really sure how to deal with this one. If they'd killed Sebastian it would be easier to deal with the fallout, but she didn't know anything about the one that really died.
"How do you deal with it?"
"Honestly," Christy felt like Raven might think she was a monster, "it only bothers me a little bit anymore. I've done it so many times." She tried to gather her thoughts. "I like to believe they deserve it. If I can at all make myself believe they were monsters, rapists, murderers I do that. I lie to myself when I can, but I've also killed obviously good men before too. In those cases I told myself it was mercy, because the death I gave them was more gentle than the one they were going to get." Her memory of Mark's last breath filled her mind.
"Did you ever kill women?" Raven asked all the hard questions today.
"A few, not nearly as many." Christy felt a little sick. "Women and children, those are really hard. Not many women are as evil as Selene. The first woman I killed, I didn't realize… she was just with the group I was supposed to shoot, I didn't know it was a woman until later. She was bruised up like you were, and…" Christy had convinced herself she'd given mercy, but now with Raven here she didn't want to say that. That woman might have joined the tribe if given a chance, but she was dressed like a man and Christy just assumed she was with the others, not their slave. "When you pick up a gun, things can happen you didn't expect." Christy went quiet, wondering what she could possibly say to make this easier. "That man was probably a bad man." She sighed. "I'd bet he went to all the parties."
"He probably beat his wife." Raven joined in. "And his kids were scared of him."
"He killed baby birds if he found them in his yard." Christy added slowly.
"And he was probably just waiting for his turn to hurt Tessa." Raven whispered. "He can't now."
"No, he can't." Neither one of them really believed what they were saying. Killing had gotten so routine at times, but being here for someone else's first kill brought back old pain.
If Christy could have gone without Raven, done it herself, she would have.
……………………..
"Where are you going?" The Professor asked as Christy picked up the keys on her way out again. After a quiet day of Raven's remorse Christy thought the woman might actually like to go to a movie, for real this time. That and a nice dinner. Maybe she really was dating herself.
"Movies."
"I think perhaps you should take someone with you." He stared at her. "For safety." Not hers most likely.
"I could go Professor." Storm smiled at her, and it was friendly. She probably didn't know why he was really not wanting Christy out alone. "I'm sure this mansion gets quite dull after a while. What movie?"
"I was going to just go and see what was playing, maybe a comedy." Well, Storm wouldn't be too bad. She wasn't like Kitty, with too many questions Christy wasn't allowed to answer.
It would have been nice to be able to answer those questions. The look in Charles' eyes was a warning not to. Christy just shoved her hands into her pockets as she stepped out into the cold outside. Had Raven ever actually been free?
…………………..
A woman with white hair caught her eye as Christy stood in line to get the tickets with Storm, and it wasn't Storm. It was just a brief glimpse of a slight smile as Destiny leaned on her cane, and then a group of teenagers walked between them. Once it cleared Destiny was gone.
"So," Christy spoke a little distractedly, until she forced herself to pay more attention to her companion. "You gay now?" She smirked as Storm glanced at her. The woman then just shook her head a little and smirked.
"Well that's bolder than Raven was when she was fishing for my sexuality."
"Is that a kinky sex game?" Christy asked with a fake innocent look on her face. "Fishing for sexuality?"
Storm just shook her head and sighed. She didn't play along. Christy fidgeted a little in line and found her eyes traveling back to where she'd seen Destiny. The woman wasn't there anymore, but something was up.
Christy felt someone run into her as they made their way between her and the people in the line beside her. "Oh, excuse me." A man apologized and Christy looked at him to smile forgiveness, only to see his smile and a flash of yellow eyes. He mouthed the word pocket and moved on.
Christy knew better than to reach into her coat pocket at that moment, but Mystique in her world had pulled this same trick. Instead of pick pocketing, Mystique had deposited something.
"So are you big on popcorn?" Christy asked Storm with a smile. "Do I have to get my own?"
"I think I can share." Storm's gentle laugh seemed at odds with her tough appearance. Christy noticed more than a few eyes on the tall woman in leather and a mohawk. Storm really stood out.
"Okay." Christy stepped up to the now opened window and bought the tickets. Once they were inside she moved into the snack line with Storm. The man that Mystique now was glanced at her from another line and then glanced at her pocket meaningfully. Apparently this was time sensitive.
Casually Christy pulled the note out and glanced at it while Storm ordered for them. How short. Go to the bathroom was all that was written on it. "Hey," Christy gently touched Storm's arm and smiled at her. "I need to go to the bathroom before the movie. Can you handle this?" Christy glanced at the large bucket of popcorn and the Coke Storm had added to the order.
"Go." Storm was already picking up the snacks. "I'll get us a seat." Well, it wasn't like Storm would be hard to find in a crowded theater. Christy just nodded and started off in the right direction.
The bathroom was crowded. Christy sighed as she waited in line for an open stall, almost feeling like it was a horse race, with the opening gates and rushing out women. "Come here often?" A teasing voice asked and Christy turned to see an attractive teenage girl standing behind her.
"Picking women up in the bathroom? That's a new low." Christy watched the smile and knew who it was, but the nervous and disapproving looks of the women in line behind Mystique irritated her and she had to keep herself from playing it up to piss off the prudes.
"So, you missed."
Christy sighed and waved the woman behind both of them towards the stall that opened up, since she wasn't going to take it. "Yeah."
Another stall opened and again Christy waved someone in. When another stall opened Mystique grabbed Christy's hand and pulled her towards it, they were the only ones in not in a stall. "Irene is waiting in the car to talk to you." Mystique whispered and pushed Christy into the stall. "Stay in here until for a few minutes before going out. I'll go to the bathroom again in forty minutes and we can switch back." Suddenly Mystique looked like Raven, right before she closed the stall door, putting Christy on the inside.
With a sigh Christy took the time to actually use the bathroom, since she had to stay there anyhow.
Irene was sitting in the passenger seat of the same car that Christy had seen last time she'd gotten together with these two. Christy made her way to the side of the car and opened the driver's side door and got in, grateful for the protection from the cold wind. "So, spy games Irene? I didn't know you did that."
"If we wanted to talk to you, we had to be creative." Irene looked her way and smiled. The smile faded a little. "The Professor isn't willing to let you go out alone, this was the best chance I had to talk to you."
"Why didn't you tell me I wouldn't make the shot?" Christy asked, her voice weary.
"Because I needed you to prove to Raven, I mean Mystique, that you would have tried." Christy had suspected there was a reason, and hoped it wasn't because Destiny liked to jerk her around.
"So what's up?" Christy shifted to lean back on the car door and face Irene. They had about a half hour to chat.
Christy's eyebrows were drawn together in concern as she made her way back to the theater to meet Mystique. The things Irene had said were hard to hear, especially hard for Raven.
"Should I trust her?" Raven whispered before they got to the door.
"I don't know." Christy wanted to say yes, but this wasn't her world. Everything she'd heard about Irene and seeing the woman, Christy felt like she was trustworthy, but this was a big step for Raven and Christy wouldn't have to live with the consequences, Raven would. Raven had less than an hour to make up her mind, because Irene wanted an answer when they left the theater.
"Hey, Xman." A whisper in her own voice had Christy turning around in the abandoned feeling bathroom to see her twin.
"Not anymore." Christy leaned against the sink. "She quit already."
"Oh." The Raven form shifted into the young teenager, "so, are you in?"
"Raven needed some time to think." Christy felt the weight of Raven's decision and didn't envy her. "Irene's giving her until the end of the movie." Christy shook her head. "That's hardly enough time to make a decision like this."
"Okay, well I left your date all warmed up for you."
"She's not my date." Christy stared into Mystique's eyes. "Tell me you didn't act like this was a date."
Mystique smiled at her wickedly for a moment, "Oh so my making out with her during the movie wasn't appropriate?"
"Funny," Christy recognized when she was being teased. "Oh, and Irene told me that I was amazing. I may have ruined her for you." Mystique just nodded once, acknowledging the return jab. "I need to get back there, anything I should know?"
"That you've admitted to a crush on the leading lady."
"Okay, I can do that." Christy moved to leave with a determined stride. Storm was seated in the back row. Christy moved to her side and gave the woman a small smile before sitting down. The movie played in front of her eyes, but her thoughts weren't on it.
"Thanks for coming with me." Christy took the half empty popcorn bucket from Storm's fingers as they stood up.
"It was fun."
"What are we doing?" Christy thought to her double as she carried the bucket of popcorn past the trash can near the doors to the theater, slowly following the crowd with Storm by her side. A hand distractedly pulled out a small handful of the buttery and now cold popcorn to her mouth as Raven didn't answer her.
The cold air felt good on her skin as she got out of the crowd, something that Christy hated more than Raven did, crowds made her nervous because she couldn't see threats. It was the bodyguard in her that liked to see everything going on.
She stared at the trash can as she started to make her way towards it. "Raven?" Christy whispered as Storm moved around an older couple to stand by her side.
"Do it." The voice was nervous and quiet, but Christy heard it. Christy glanced toward where Mystique's car had been, stared right into Irene's face, even though the woman was far away from the door and knowing Irene would see it happen, Christy dumped the popcorn bucket upside down, pouring the popcorn into the trash can, following the mess with the bucket itself.
Raven was going to dump it all, and this was the signal that she would. Raven was going to run away from the Xmen, away from New York, away from the Hellfire club, and away from the Professor before the man managed to find a way to make her stay. Irene had told them that the Professor wouldn't let Raven leave, and that if Raven wanted to be free she had to cut all ties and go into the equivalent of the witness protection program before Christy left, since the Professor didn't expect her to try and leave until after. She couldn't take much with her, and she couldn't ever call the people that meant something to her, because once the Xmen found her they'd drag her back home and want to know why she ran.
Given all this risk Raven was taking, Irene only told them that it was in Raven's best interest to go. Christy tried to get more information for her double, but Irene talked about possible futures and potential dangers, staying vague, but insisting that it was in Raven's best interest to go.
Raven decided to trust her enemy. Christy prayed Irene proved to be a trustworthy one.
What was Raven going to do about Tessa? Christy couldn't imagine Raven walking away from Tessa.
………………….
Raven had control of the body. In the past week since Raven made her decision Christy had learned how to surrender some control and every night they seemed to follow the same routine. Christy just watched as the wall got closer and closer, and then they turned and the opposite wall approached. Pacing at this speed was almost exercise, but Christy said nothing and made no attempt to do anything about it. "Do you think she'll come?" Raven asked again before turning to the other wall. "I mean, we could make a new life. We could be free." Raven's voice became quieter. "Be together, finally." It was painful to hear the slight hint of hope, and the despair in the same question.
"I don't know." Christy answered as gently as she could.
"She's got to get out of there." Raven swallowed painfully and Christy hoped for both their sake that Tessa would change her mind about staying behind. Christy had asked Tessa to leave the club with her when the Xmen rescued her, but maybe… If there was any justice in the world, maybe love would win this one.
"It's time for bed." Christy thought gently to Raven. It was actually way past time for bed. Raven was restless, nervous, and while Christy couldn't blame her, it was getting hard to hold back from taking control. She didn't want to just stop Raven and take over because Raven deserved this freedom, but her mind felt tired and weakened from her efforts to remain calm and removed as Raven paced and worried.
"You sound like a lover." Raven smiled just a little, Christy could feel it.
"If I was your lover I'd use more than words to get you in bed." Christy teased. "I know where that spot is behind your ear that makes you whimper." Christy's mental voice took on a seductive quality.
"Don't." Raven didn't sound amused. There was a strained tone to her word.
"I'm sorry." Christy apologized and did her best to send warm thoughts to her double. It bothered her that Raven might be afraid of her. Christy would never hurt Raven.
"I'm not afraid." Raven sat on the edge of the bed. "I know, and I'm…" Raven sighed heavily and went quiet for what felt like a full minute. "You're leaving." Raven's voice broke. "Everyone I love leaves me, and now… I'm leaving everyone and you aren't coming with me." Raven's head hung down, staring at hands that were in tight fists and laying in her lap and that was all Christy could see. "I love you."
Raven's arms slowly wrapped around her own body, the slow movement and slight caress from fingertips turned the self hug into something more. A physical expression of that love that made Christy ache to be able to return that hug, but it was something they weren't capable of.
Raven pulled the sheet back and got into bed. Christy let her double cuddle up to the pillow, pull the sheets up over them and turn off the light.
"I love you too." Christy finally figured out something to say. "Part of me wishes I could stay with you, but I have to go home. I love her, and I can't… she needs me, and you are strong. So much stronger than me, you'll be fine." Not that Christy would ever know. It had bothered her to not know about the other double's she left, but leaving Raven would leave a hole in Christy's heart.