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Post by mystique on Jul 10, 2006 13:53:28 GMT -5
[SIX MONTHS PRIOR]
Raven stood in front of the rack of clothes, the task at hand hindered by a wash of thoughts. It was such an indignity to be here in this soup of homo sapiens, trying to decide how to cover up this awful, pale skin. She'd hated wearing this skin each time she'd been forced to- in her marriage to the Count, the long days she spent in disguise waiting for the right man to give up information, the hard times when the world had turned full boar against them. Now it was hers to wear night and day, maybe forever. Her fingers touched a black suit, flourescent lights making the vinyl shine. She'd always loved appearing in that particular fabric, it looked like wet skin painted oil black. Lifting the hanger from the rack, she made her way to the dressing room. The shirt and pants she wore now were ill fitting, things she'd grabbed just to survive, and as she hadn't left the hotel room for days they were graying from wear. The door opened and shut, as she flipped the lock she though the coffinlike room could be comforting, if it weren't for the full length mirror facing her. She forced herself to keep her eyes open, analyzing the shape of her face, her cheekbones, the tone and texture of her skin. Her black hair, short and pulled back from her face, made her cringe. Her eyes traced down her body to the floor, and back up. It took a lot to unsettle Raven, she'd been through so much. She'd had everything taken away from her, she'd had lovers and allies stab her in the back. She'd ended lives and given lives to others. And she'd seen this person in the mirror before. It didn't mean she had to like her. With an angry scream, Raven punched the mirror, cracking it in a spiderweb pattern. When the clerk called out "are you okay?!" she managed to respond through her teeth. "FINE." Her hands, so pale and colourless, went to either side of her face as she leaned her forehead against the broken glass and gritted her teeth. Out of the corner of her eye she caught a dull flash of blue. Her eyes lifted, looking into the mirror at the reflection of the underside of her hands. Sure enough, in the places where her fingers pressed to the glass, a blue-gray tinge rolled just beneath the surface of her skin as if struggling to break free. She smiled. [TODAY] Mystique stepped out of the cobalt blue Jaguar, a heel catching the pavement as she looked up at the building. It always confused her how her mind would attach itself to something, someone as if they or it were home. Everything went away in time. That feeling of lightness, of floating would return to her mind, but with that was always a certain... exhiliration. It meant opportunity. The vinyl slacks were tight around her thighs, dropping to a bootleg around her ankles. They made a delicious shifting sound as she walked towards the compound entrance, wondering what exactly she would find inside, or who. And whether they would be smart enough to take what she had to offer. Her fingers slipped inside the lapel of the vinyl suit jacket, tailored to her slender frame and open in the front to midriff. The curve of her pale breasts was beautiful but still, she'd rather it be the deep blue she once wore in her natural form. She touched the minidisc that rested in a specially sewn pocket over her heart, and smirked. Even if Magneto thought he could toss her out on her ass now that she had lost her mutant abilities, she still held the trump card. She couldn't wait to see the look on his face when he found out the information she'd obtained. The place was quiet, as it always had been on its exterior, but still she sensed little motion as she made her way into the building. The smells here were the same, the cool air within these walls so familiar. She'd considered her options. Perhaps it was time for her to take over the Brotherhood once more. Perhaps it was time she helped Magneto retire. With a jolt of affection mingled strong with some sort of hot hatred, she thought to herself no, Magneto would never retire. Their quenchless thirst for mutant glory drove them both on, hell, highwater- Or fire. Mystique saw the back of Pyro's head bent over the desk from down the hallway, and slipped around the corner with a grace that hadn't left her even if nearly everything else about her had. Turning back at an angle, her left eye caught him in its vision once more. Concentrating. On what, she wondered... there was music on, something she didn't recognize. Not that she would, she'd spent far too much time in the last few decades fulfilling her purpose to spend idle time listening to pop tunes. The music concealed the sound of her movements as she turned the corner. He'd been looking for her, the word had gotten around to her in time, but from sources that wouldn't reveal her unless she wanted them to. She'd taken her time, unsure of the young man's motivations. But she'd always liked him. He had so much... potential. Her fingers traced along the back of Pyro's neck before her hand came to rest there, cool to the touch and almost affectionate. "You rang?"
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Post by Pyro on Jul 10, 2006 14:05:36 GMT -5
John 'Pyro' Allerdyce was many things.
He was a gifted, Class 4 mutant with the ability to manipulate one of the most destructive natural weapons on the planet. He was a bright, articulate, intelligent young man. He wasn't a bad basketball player, and he was the King of Halo. He wasn't even a half-bad hand-to-hand combatant when the situation called for it: the Juggernaut and Python had given him some lessons in such.
He had not, however, been paying attention.
Thus it was when the hand tickled the back of his neck, a chain of events unfolded.
He grabbed his Zippo and dived headfirst across the desk sending a pile of papers flying, knocking the stereo and the computer off the edge. This did little to make his injured shoulder feel any better, but right now he was more concerned with staying alive. He landed the other side in an immediate defensive crouch. He flicked the lighter on and snatched the flame into his hands.
"Intruder alert," he yelled at the top of his voice - not that anybody was likely to hear him. Python was far down in the supplies area, Juggs was watching football at top volume...
Then his eyes turned to focus on the woman standing by his chair.
The ball of flame in his hand flickered and died.
He sat down heavily and stared up at her.
"Mystique?"
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Post by mystique on Jul 10, 2006 14:31:57 GMT -5
Mystique half-sat on the very edge of the desk, long legs half crossed as she brushed off a bit of coffee that had splashed onto the vinyl sleeve of her jacket. She looked down at Pyro with a mild smile, a glimmering sort of affection on her eyes.
"On edge these days? Good. You have every reason to be." She straightened his chair, then offered a hand to help him up.
"Have a seat."
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Post by Pyro on Jul 10, 2006 14:44:23 GMT -5
He didn't accept her hand to help him up. He stood up by himself, winced slightly at the sting in his wounded shoulder and stayed where he was, eyeing her warily. "How the hell did you get in here without any of the sensor alarms going off?"
John stared at the woman in disbelief. During the time he'd spent with Magneto, he'd become rather fond of Mystique. She was a beautiful, intelligent woman. Far too old for him, of course, but that hadn't stopped him having a quiet, shy little crush deep down. When Magneto had just left her in that army prison truck after she'd been Cured, it had been the first time John had experienced doubts about his choice of allegiance.
He continued to stare at her. "I'll stand for now," he said. "But God, it's good to see you."
Had he said that out loud?
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Post by mystique on Jul 10, 2006 15:15:43 GMT -5
Her hand turned, falling palm down on the table with a deliberate press. All her movements seemed deliberate, and for the most part, they were.
Mystique watched him with eyes that gave nothing away. So much of what he had surely been through was worn in his facial expression, his posture, the breaking whisper behind words he was trying to take back.
Her lips curved slightly. She was touched that he had thought of her, but there were reasons for that. She was useful in more way than one.
"I might say the same," she said smoothly, looking over the paperwork scattered throughout. Her eyes caught words. The poor boy had been searching for more than just her, these last long months.
"I am glad to see you have survived... unharmed." She looked to his shoulder, then back up to his eyes. Her subdued smile seemed more genuine this time.
"Tell me you are well."
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Post by Pyro on Jul 10, 2006 15:25:54 GMT -5
"Tell me you are well."
"I'm...not bad," he said, cautiously. "I picked up an injury a few days ago when we were in England - did you see us?" Unmistakable pride crept into his voice. "Me and Python and Juggernaut, we got the Brotherhood back into everyone's minds and no mistake." He was dismissive of the injury that would likely have killed him had it not been for the quick action of the people around him. This was the John she remembered - keen, eager, impulsive.
He saw her looking around the chaos that was his office. "I've got another plan forming, too," he said. "We tracked down this company in Baltimore - NovaTeX? They're planning on distributing more Cure, the sons of camel dealer's daughters...and they've been supplying to the Sentinel programme too - my God, have you read about the Sentinel programme? We've been researching it and..."
He continued in this vein for several minutes, chattering excitedly until he finally ran out of steam.
THEN he sat down in the chair.
"What brings you back here? Magneto's...well, I reckon he's...y'know. Dead."
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Post by mystique on Jul 10, 2006 15:53:36 GMT -5
Mystique listened to his words. Of course she'd seen him. And listening to him speak was like hearing a book report. In any case it was good review. John impressed her; his passion for the cause was a beautiful thing to see.
She did not respond to his comments regarding Magneto.
"The Sentinel program can be manipulated."
Not being offered a seat, she crossed her legs and scooted back a bit on the desk, sitting just to his left on the desk.
"You've done very well Pyro. You've shown strength and dedication. We're going to have some fun, I think." The look of imagination on her face was stunning, if you saw her only as a beautiful woman- intimidating, if you knew who she really was.
Mystique smiled down at him, a bit of arrogance in her smirk.
"What did you intend as your next step."
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Post by Pyro on Jul 10, 2006 16:30:05 GMT -5
"You've done very well Pyro. You've shown strength and dedication."
Pyro's face lit up at her praise. Praise from Mystique had always been one of those elusive things that he had sought to get. It was different to praise from Magneto for any number of reasons. He practically beamed as he picked up the computer and hoped it would still work.
His luck was in.
"What did you intend as your next step."
"We're recruiting," he said, "amongst other things. There's one girl we already found, Jane..." He launched into a story about her and how they'd got her back. He then explained that a couple of people had responded to his business card campaign. "In a day or two, when I've got things sorted and...and had my stitches out of my shoulder," he looked embarrassed by this. "Well, then we'll be ready to head up to NovaTeX. Um."
He rubbed his nose.
"I was just gonna destroy it, but I haven't really fixed a solid plan in my head yet."
He yawned, suddenly.
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Post by mystique on Jul 10, 2006 16:42:18 GMT -5
Her smile drew across her face. How glad she was to be back. And here he hadn't missed a bit, accepting she had been given the cure. Not tossing her aside like Magneto. Perhaps there was hope for the new generation after all.
Mystique turned a bit, glancing at the screen.
"What do you know about the location? No sense in destroying it if there is something of use within." She chuckled. "Then we can destroy it."
She didn't have to explain to Pyro her talents in that arena- the espionage, of course. She had a feeling John would take care of the destruction half all on his own. It thrilled her to think of them taking down a wretched establishment like NovaTeX together.
"Current events should bring more of us out of the woodwork. With the right moves, we could draw significant numbers. If Magneto were not always so arrogant, he might have brought a few more in himself. Perhaps some phone calls to old friends should be made." She glances at the computer, then back to him.
"You've gone through the database, right."
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Post by Pyro on Jul 10, 2006 17:19:27 GMT -5
"You've gone through the database, right."
"That," he said, slyly, "is exactly why I've been looking for you. There's nobody left who can access it, and you know I'm a complete technophobe when it comes to anything other than surfing the 'net." He began rifling through the papers on the desk. "And...well, have you been keeping up with the medical papers? There's rumours floating around that the Cure doesn't last permanently."
He found the relevant paper and hauled it out, handing it across to her. "This has several things that impact on our cause. Many of our former members who scattered after being Cured might come back. And the pharmo companies will go bonkers trying to beat each other to another, longer term Cure, I reckon. Which will keep us busy for some time."
The young man smiled shyly at Mystique. "I...I'm sorry," he said, simply.
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Post by mystique on Jul 10, 2006 17:52:11 GMT -5
She drew the paper to her, eyes slipping over text quickly, only absorbing the general theme.
What this meant... was that she was not the only one.
Mystique coolly set the paper down, lifting her thigh to sit on the corner of it, making sure it would not move.
She looked to him, an expression on her face that was hard to read.
"Sorry? Don't be."
She looked around. "You need to get out of here. Would you like to go for a drive?"
(ooc: on my way home, shouldn't be more than an hour or so...)
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Post by mystique on Jul 10, 2006 20:22:40 GMT -5
ooc: Back!
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Post by Pyro on Jul 11, 2006 1:39:38 GMT -5
"You need to get out of here. Would you like to go for a drive?"
He stared at her. "You must've come over by boat then," he deduced, "if you got a car here." She always had been good at manipulating people to do whatever she wanted; getting ships to come to this remote Indian Ocean island wasn't easy given the local superstitions that it was probably haunted.
But she was right. Yes, he did need to get out of here. John was suddenly, painfully aware of his youth, a thing which constantly irritated him. He worked hard to try to make people see beyond his twenty years - but there were times when the kid in him yearned for someone else to take charge for a while.
Perhaps this was his chance.
"Yeah," he said, softly. "Yeah, let's go for a drive."
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Post by mystique on Jul 11, 2006 8:38:14 GMT -5
Mystique nodded, nudging off the desk. She picked up the paper he'd given her and took it with her, turning in the doorway to wait for him to catch up.
Once he had, they were on their way. Her heels clicked on the floor, her every move feline, an economy of motion that somehow has time for grace.
"A private ferry actually. I can't tell you I have connections in this part of the world, but where one does not have clout, money usually suffices." She looked back at him with a flirtatious, almost dark expression. In that split second, a golden-yellow glow crossed the surface of her eyes.
"I knew you were here, but not who else may have remained or returned. Tell me Pyro, are you king of the mountain on solitude island?"
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Post by Pyro on Jul 11, 2006 15:58:39 GMT -5
"I knew you were here, but not who else may have remained or returned. Tell me Pyro, are you king of the mountain on solitude island?"
He smiled, wryly. "I'm king of a very small court," he said. "There's me, the Juggernaut, Python and Gill - but then Gill was probably here at the very dawn of time and will be here long after we've all died. There's a few more, but when we got back from Alcatraz, nearly everyone who hadn't been either killed or Cured scattered." His smile became a scowl. "They wanted Magneto's leadership, not mine. I'm just a kid, after all."
His shoulders straightened. "I might just be a kid, but at least I'm keeping the old man's dream alive. I'm damn sure it's what he would have wanted - and I believe in the cause." He ran a hand through his hair. The blond streaks that he'd put in it were long faded now and it had returned to its natural mousy brown and had got decidedly unkempt over the months since she had seen him last.
He'd changed in other ways, too. He was even more scrawny, if such a thing was truly possible - he'd been a skinny runt to start with, and his eyes carried the weight of all the deaths at Alcatraz.
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Post by mystique on Jul 11, 2006 16:09:55 GMT -5
Mystique hit the button for the door locks, the security system chirped and the locks clicked. Such a beautiful blue to the Jaguar, it had obviously been intended for her. A decent offering from an old ally.
She got into the car and waited for him to join her.
"You're not a 'kid', Pyro." She looked at him, running long fingers over the silver knob of the gear shift. "And if you continue to have that attitude, NO one will want to follow you." She turned the key and spun the car 180 degrees, flinging gravel before more calmly heading out onto the rough little road. There wasn't much place for driving, but it was worth a shot to see where they might end up.
"You're lacking only due to ignorance, and the insufferable need for others' approval." The trees flew past as the car barely leaned, taking a corner while the engine purred like a cat.
"Another thing you must rid yourself of. Never underestimate yourself- and NEVER... let anyone underestimate you."
"I think you've experienced enough in the last few years to teach you that lesson, don't you think?"
"Keep talking. You and I could do a lot of good for the world."
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Post by Pyro on Jul 11, 2006 17:53:05 GMT -5
She was telling him off. Her voice was smooth and almost sweet, but John recognised the tone of honey-coated razor blades that accompanied a telling off. Funny thing was, coming from Mystique, he didn't care.
"You're right," he said, after a certain period of silence. "I do like to get other people's approval. Old habits die hard. Still...I came up with the idea of the bank raid as a means to getting us back into the public eye pretty much single handed. Admittedly, if it hadn't been for Python's contacts in Italy, I'd be inhabiting a little wooden box just about now."
He stretched luxuriously in the seat of the car.
"Keep talking. You and I could do a lot of good for the world."
"You think? Well, I reckon our next stop needs to be Baltimore, this NovaTeX place. We make it loud, we make it clear, we make it final. We might not have the numbers, but we have the wherewithall and we have the conviction - and above all else..."
He grinned, decidedly maniacally.
"Above all else, we've got determination."
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Post by mystique on Jul 11, 2006 18:47:02 GMT -5
Mystique smiled, saying nothing for a moment. He was still so defensive, even as she tried to build him up. Pyro had sway over a fire not only outside himself, but inside as well. He had only to understand it's power. Of course that could make him dangerous. But she rarely took issue with that.
He didn't listen. He hadn't heard what she said. But that was just as well. If he chose to demote himself to the level of the other children in their midst, he could do so with only a little disappointment on her part. Mystique hoped, however, that he would rise above that petty garbage Xavier had impressed upon his mind.
She looked sidelong at him, his posture, his body language. An attractive boy. So close to being a man. Did he know the only barrier was his own behavior? That it had less to do with accomplishments, and everything to do with attitude?
Her voice softened. Not with kindness, so much as a certain kind of gravity. It was clear the woman that spoke to him now spoke only as the creature Mystique, with no motive, no agena but the future of their race.
"You're defensive." She stopped near a beach, in a shelter of trees overlooking the water. "I know I've said a lot, maybe too much. It isn't my place to tell you how to be."
She half turned towards him, resting an elbow on the back of her seat, fingers reaching to touch his shoulder.
"But I am telling you I believe in you, in your mind and what you are capable of. I don't wish to lead us, it has never been my desire. I will if I must... but if you'll take advantage of my experience, my knowledge, it may be yours. The future."
"That requires YOU to understand that no one has the right to doubt you- including me, including yourself. Fail this test, and expect that someone else will come along and take the reigns away from you. Whether by your choice or not."
"That is... if you want the reigns at all."
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Post by Pyro on Jul 11, 2006 19:00:17 GMT -5
Her words poured into his spine like molten steel, straightening his posture as she spoke. He had always - according to several of the other students back at the Institute - had an over-inflated sense of his own ego. That ego had been positively shattered back at Alcatraz: the shame and ignomony of defeat, a defeat that he'd taken extremely personally.
Few of the remaining Brotherhood realised that the young man had taken the weight of the loss of so many excellent mutants on his own shoulders, that he carried the guilt of their deaths with him almost perpetually.
When Mystique told him that she believed in him, a spark of hope flared somewhere deep inside him, re-igniting his cold sense of self-worth. Her fingers on his shoulder, the light touch the voice of belief and reason were like manna to him and he turned his face upwards to bask in the warmth of her praises.
"I want to lead the Brotherhood," he said, eventually. "But because it's the right thing to do, not for any glory reasons." He'd learned, the hard way, that there was nothing glorious about limping, wounded, away from battle, that there was no glory in defeat. "And with your help, I know I can do it."
For the first time in months, he actually believed in the words. They no longer seemed hollow and empty.
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Post by mystique on Jul 11, 2006 19:11:35 GMT -5
There it was, what she had been looking for. The expression on his face excited her, thrilled her in ways that would not reflect on the outside. Or so she thought. Her basic human form was far more prone to those sort of human frailties. For a moment, the emotion on her manifested in the gentlest shade of blue creeping across her lips.
She whispered in the shelter of the car, perhaps out of respect, perhaps out of fear. "Then you are one step ahead of Magneto already." She watched him carefully, tilting her head a bit.
"You wear the weight of all that has happened, but it needn't be that way. It should not be that way. We at war, Pyro. We will lose battles."
She sat back in her chair and looked at the ocean. She smiled, that enigmatic, sensual smile that said Mystique had something on her mind.
"But so will they."
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