X-Men.
Some call them heroes.
“....I know why I go on. Every one of those people gone--Mariko, Peter, Moria--makes me wanna stop their fate from fallin’ onto anyone else. So, I get up every day, put on my boots, n’ do what I need to do.”
Others call them renegades.
“Did she kill him?”
Not answering, he swept up the remnants of the mess and sighed.
“Good,” she said unexpectedly and resumed her moving.
“Good what?”
“I’ll get a chance to kill him myself.”
A scant few call them victims.
“Do you have my Christmas present, Toad?”
The disguised Toad patted the bag.
“Good. How many this time?”
“Last you for months. Get you a big Kick for a long time.”
Angrily, she snatched the bag from him and backed away. “Don’t you get lost on your way out.”
“And don’t ruin the plan,” he warned. “Master doesn’t like failure.”
They’ve defeated the greatest of enemies...
*Damn you, mutant!* the formless thing yelled. He stretched and warped and wrangled, but he couldn’t break free. For every act of struggle, he grew weaker, his mental manifestation losing cohesion.
... but today, a threat far worse lies in wait.
“You haven’t been here since the beginning. You haven’t seen all the crap that gets thrown at this mansion. If we’d fallen for this routine like you are now, we would’ve been dead by Sinister’s or Mystique’s hands long ago! Get rid of her and say goodbye to another potential headache. Scott, Jean, back me up on this one. We’re stretched thin as it is! We can’t afford to have anyone baby-sit her!”
Unfathomable machinations fall into place.
“Doctor Hayes,” a distorted, male voice greeted, “Would you like to destroy the mutant who ruined your life?”
“Wait a second, who is this?”
“Does my identity matter? Your mortgage payments are coming up, your pièce de résistance is gone, and I offer you a way to reclaim lost glory. Revenge, contrary to what people say, is a dish best served immediately, repeatedly, and with a side of wrath. So old chap, should we get cooking?”
Friends become foes.
“Bel, go find Quiet Bill. Tell him I be waiting for him at the landing up north. He’d know what I mean.”
Bella Donna let out a breath of frustration, and the crash on the other end of line probably meant another neat trinket on her desk had met an early demise. “Hurry, Remy. The Guild’s starting to get nervous, and you know how they can be.”
“Relax, chere. I be there, I promise. Now, de quicker you find Quiet Bill, de quicker I can be there.”
Through it all, two people struggle to define what they’ve become.
*Am I like a broken toy to you?* Emma snarled. *Do you feel the urge to fix me? Do us both a favor and shove it!*
Betsy narrowed her eyes. *Did I imagine that sudden stab of regret and Monet holding Everett’s bloody corpse?*
A loud thunder crack of a slap rang out. The slapper: Emma. The slapped: Betsy. *I told you to keep to your own mind.*
Diamonds.
*Now, if you’re done observing how I stay sane in this mutant madhouse, start giving an astral form to your martial arts skills.*
*I’m hardly a telepathic neophyte, Emma.*
*Then show me you’re not.*
*You’re stalling, and I don’t need powers to see that.*
*Way to promote my peace of mind.*
Dames.
“Ummm, do I get any feedback?”
Tessa shot a glance at him as she tied her shoes. “Like what, Robert?”
“I dunno. Nice ass? Sloppy moves? Awesome packaging? Fast shipping? A++?”
She actually looked contemplative for a moment. “Good package. Average technique. May do business again. 3 out of 5.”
Deception.
“I’ve got him.”
“Oh my, oh my, what took you so long?”
“He probably got lost. I found him at a stoplight a block away from the meeting place.”
“Astounding, Mystique. You are truly worth every penny of your services.”
“Easily impressed, aren’t you?”
“My fellow sister in blue, I don’t ask for much, only the world on a platter. But before I get too off-base, why don’t you drive the good doctor back here and I can continue with my plan?”
The life of an X-Man just got a hell of a lot more interesting.
“Your style is remarkably like Psylocke’s. I did not know you studied aikido or karate.”
“You don’t know everything.”
“No, I do not, but I make it my business to scrutinize, analyze, and dissect all information available.” The blonde continued on her way out, ignoring Tessa. “I have found a disturbing trend on the premises of late. Because I only have conjectures at this point, my words to you are simple: I will be watching your every move.”
Comin’ at you live, bub.
*******************
- The story begins soon...
Deviant Hearts Archive | Back to main index