X-Men: Fate

Do You Dare Defy Fayt

Sorcha knocked on Reva's door.

"Hey," Reva said. "Come on in. Close the door behind you." She flopped back down on her bed when she saw her guest was Sorcha. She stared at the ceiling deep in thought. She had noticed a long, white envelope in Sorcha's hand.

Reva took a deep breath.

"Got something for me?" Reva asked Sorcha.

"I do," Sorcha said slowly, "but first, are you ok?"

"I'm fine," Reva said. "I'm always fine. Something happened." She raised up on her forearms. "But not to me. What happened, it reminded me of someone. It reminded me of someone I haven't thought of in a while is all."

"Someone delivered this to you," Sorcha said. "Personally." She came to Reva's bed and held out the envelope to her. "There's no mailing or return address." When Reva reached out her hand, Sorcha handed the envelope to her.

Reva sat up. She read her name on the front of the envelope. She tore the envelope open and pulled out the letter the envelope contained. She read through it.

Reva,

I know it's been a while, quite a while. I wonder, if you even remember me. I miss you. Anyway, you'll receive a visitor soon. She's going to ask you about me.

Lie to her.

If you don't, I'm going to die. And, I'm not ready to die yet.

This is selfish, but you know I always have been.

Love you,

Kenji

Reva immediately balled up the letter. Then, she straightened it out. She hid it in her music box. She had received this music box from her mother long ago. She had to unlock it, so she could hide the letter within it.

"Who's it from?" Sorcha asked: trying and failing to contain her curiosity.

"The someone I was thinking about," Reva answered. "The someone I was reminded of earlier today." Her gaze had lingered on her music box until she turned it on Sorcha. "Kenjamin Heron. I called him Kenji. A good-looking guy with a beautiful soul, but a troublemaker through and through. Hadn't talked to him in years. What a coincidence. I hear from him today. He wants something."

"A mutant?" Sorcha questioned.

"Yeah…" Reva answered her as she flopped back on her bed once again.

"What does he want?" Sorcha questioned her once more.

"He wants me to lie for him," Reva answered her. She placed place her hands across her stomach, and she looked to the ceiling, past the ceiling, through the ceiling. She knew the question Sorcha would ask next. Did she have the answer for it, Reva asked herself.

"Are you going to, lie for him I mean?"

"Yep," Reva said. Her answer came so fast. It didn't surprise her. She didn't surprise herself at all. "I have to. His life depends on it."

Sorcha turned away from her. She made to leave, but something held her in place.

"You did come to see me for a reason," Reva said: having remained still. "Other than delivering my letter."

"You're a part of the X-men," Sorcha said. "Armod is a part of the Purifiers. Are you two going to kill each other? Will the school close down again: this time for good. Is there no possible future where humans and mutants live together in peace?"

Reva opened her mouth to speak, but she didn't know what she could say. She didn't know what answers she could give. She didn't have any. She didn't have an answer specifically for what the future might hold.

"Everybody is in trouble," Reva finally said.

"Everybody is in trouble," Sorcha repeated. "One person can make a difference."

"Three people can," Reva said, sitting up. "Four people too." She said, rising onto her feet. "Five is probably even better." She said, grabbing a hold of Sorcha from behind in an embrace and smiling a rocking her back and forth making Sorcha smile through and past her worry and fear and doubt.

A coincidence, huh. Reva thought. Tess. Kenji. Maybe not. May be not.