An Afternoon Chat
[This was written with summers_grey]
Mystique crossed her arms and watched the car pull out of the mansion gates. Rogue had actually done it, leaving behind this cultist lifestyle, even if only for a few weeks. Hopefully forever. She pursed her lips, watching the car disappear down the road. The safe house was bugged and she had no doubt the girl would find most of them. Therefore learning anything that way would most likely not work. Frowning, she walked away from the window and sat down at the desk, mulling over what to do.
There was no doubt in her mind that 'Little Miss Phoenix Entity' knew what was happening. Of course, the girl was hardly Mystique's biggest fan. And prone to losing her temper. Mystique smiled. Even if she didn't learn anything about Rogue's sudden need to leave it was always fun riling the girl up. She left her room and set out to find Rachel, checking her own emotions so as not to tip off the girl. She found the girl in the kitchen and Mystique leaned back against the doorway.
"You do realize that dinner time is in thirty minutes," Mystique stated, watching the girl intently. "Why would you want to deprive yourself of the moronic tradition of cramming the entire household into one room to partake in eating?"
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Rachel glared at Mystique. She collected her sandwich and Coke and started to go around the other woman. She was in a terrible mood. Hadn't been sleeping well at all. The last thing she wanted was to talk to Anna's conniving, villainous, over-controlling, possessive mother.
God, Rachel thought. I really really hope that thought was only to myself. Crap.
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"Thank you." Mystique smiled, stepping into Rachel's path. "I pride myself on being all of those things. My daughter needs...guidance or she'll flounder about and get herself killed."
She cocked her head, noting the fatigue in the girl's face and defensive stance. She'd try being nice first, though she doubted it would work. "Surely as her friend you realize this."
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"Anna was out from your control for years and-" Rachel stopped, because the end of that sentence was and only got killed twice. "--and beside, she doesn't flounder!"
Rachel tried to dodge the other way. She stopped when Mystique smoothly moved in front of her again. Rachel heard the kitchen window behind her rattle and briefly closed her eyes. Oh, do not lose it here. She's goading you, you're an X-Man for crissake, act like it! Rachel wondered why it was easier to fight Mystique, with her life on the line, than it was to have a civil conversation with her.
"I'm sorry," Rachel said tersely, "did you want something?"
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"Information, the kind I know you have." Mystique took note of the window and the girl's obvious tension and desire to leave. "Give it to me and I'm sure this can be as painless as possible." Her eyes narrowed and she fixed the girl with a dangerous glare. "Who was my daughter with on Christmas night? And please, spare me the nauseating excuse that you do not know."
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At the word "information" Rachel stopped worrying about the damn windows and threw all her effort into her telepathic shields. Do. Not. she thought to herself, give Anna up.
She carefully stepped back to the center island in the kitchen. Pulled out a stool. Set down her sandwich and Coke, since it was clear she wasn't leaving yet. Unless she wanted to start a fight. But between Scott and Logan, and then Hank and Logan, Rachel was pretty sure the mansion did not need another brawl between senior staff. Which reminded her --
"Mystique," Rachel asked, beginning to eat her food, "do you have a staff job here at the school? Or are you just on the X-Men?"
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"I do not believe that answered my question," Mystique replied curtly. "Being a member of the team is sufficient enough a punishment for being on these grounds. Now back to the matter at hand, Miss Summers." She pauses, knowing the girl doesn't like that surname. "Who did Rogue enjoy a festive dinner with?"
"Or perhaps you do not know anymore. I did hear that the White Atrocity was in your room a few nights ago, locking your telepathy away." She gives a little laugh, making a play for the girl's weaknesses. "Maybe that is not all she locked away."
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Rachel worried that she'd actually flinched at the mention of her nightmare. She covered, growling, "Emma fixed that, thank you, we're all on the best of terms now. I appreciate your concern."
Rachel looked at Mystique, drinking her Coke. "Why didn't you ask Anna yourself?" she asked. "Oh, wait, you did. And she didn't want to tell you. So if I know, I don't think I'll be telling you."
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Mystique glared, mulling over the various other tidbits that she knew about this girl, trying to determine what she could use to her advantage. Unbidden, she remembered Rogue asking her to look into the security because Rachel had seen Sinister in the mansion. She paused, for the first time wondering why Rogue hadn't brought that to Cyclops or any of the other senior staff.
Grinning, Mystique leaned against the table. "Tell me Rachel, have you seen your dear friend Sinister lately?"
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Rachel stood. The kitchen stool she'd been sitting on tipped over, hitting the floor with a bang. She left her sandwich. Her can of soda. She walked to the doorway. Mystique was in the way.
"Please move," she said. There was . . . a quiet. A stillness. In her head. And a picture of a door. In London. Rachel did not know what she wanted. But nothing good was going to happen here. Nothing not even okay.
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"No." Mystique didn't budge, amused that mentioning Sinister had resulted in this reaction. "He's a little old for you, don't you think? And the X-Men's mortal enemy, specifically your entire family's nemesis." Perhaps goading Rachel would allow for something to slip.
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Gently. Very gently. Rachel picked up Mystique. Moved her aside. Walked past. Let Mystique go. Her room was just up a floor, a few doors down the hall. She could go in. Lock the door.
Rachel felt a headache starting. Maybe Anna had the right idea, leaving, she thought. Rachel walked into the hall, followed by Mystique. Rachel rubbed at her neck. There. He'd kissed her there. She was surprised that Mystique's words didn't hurt more. But they were only what she'd been saying to herself for the last day. Just the truth.
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"Walking away, tsk tsk tsk. You've learned so much being here at the mansion," Mystique remarked, following the girl towards her room. "What's next, are you going to lock yourself in your room and cry? Pathetic, the lot of you."
She crossed her arms and watched the girl intently. "Perhaps I should speak with your father and his mistress about Sinister being in this household and your obvious feelings towards the man." She needed just one little slip up from Rachel, a small piece of information about Rogue that she could unravel.
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Rachel stopped walking.
The pictures hung on the walls began to vibrate, slightly. A faint rattling sound.
"I don't know where she is, Mystique," Rachel whispered. "I really don't know." Rachel was distantly surprised to notice that the glow from her Phoenix mark was reflected off the polished banister all the way at the other end of this hall. That was quite something.
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"I know where she is you fool," Mystique replied, ignoring the theatrics. "She came to me for that. Someone has her rattled and I will learn who it is."
She narrowed her eyes and took a step forward, invading the girl's personal space and altered her appearance with each step, becoming Sinister. "Who did she have dinner with, Rachel?"
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Rachel swallowed. She knew she looked scared. There were, it was just, there were just too many things to keep track of. Rachel hated it that she couldn't hide it better, but the telepathic shields came first and then not wrecking the hallway and then not falling over or running away and dammit dammit dammit why had she not thought that Mystique would do this? She could've been ready. Or something closer to ready. Somewhere next door to ready? Maybe in the same county?
"I'm not telling you." Crap crapfuckthis. Rachel could hear her voice shake. It wasn't that she was scared of Sinister, haha, no, if she was just fighting him this would be easy, like talking to Mytsique was harder than punching her damn face in, and why was it that suddenly there was such a short list of villains to punch in the face? I mean, really, where was an evil Juggernaut when you needed him? And when had she started wishing for supervillains to attack the mansion? Right around when you started lying to your family, idiot, she thought.
Rachel cleared her throat She did not did not did NOT look at Sinister's lips. Except she did. Damn. How did Mystique know to get them so right? They looked just right. Huh. STOP IT! Rachel yelled at herself.
She cleared her throat again.
"I'm not telling you."
There. That sounded better.
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This was entirely too amusing. The girl was obviously flustered. Mystique pushed forward and bared her teeth as Rachel walked backwards, stopping when her back hit the wall. "Who did she have dinner with..." She paused, trying to think of an endearment the demented psycho would use, something Victorian as he never had adapted properly to the changes around him. The man needed to get out of the basement more often. "Poppet, hmmm...?"
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This was just like her dream. Just like it. Chased and backed up and trapped and Rachel was certain that if Sinister touched her she was going to end up screaming. Please, don't let him touch me, she thought frantically. I couldn't explain.
Rachel's back hit the wall and Sinister kept walking towards her. He stopped in front of her. Rachel looked down, making sure she wasn't wearing a dark green dress. Nope. Okay. Mystique, this is Mystique. Okay.
Rachel watched Sinister's hands. If he moved to touch her, she was not going to be nice about it.
"What are you thinking of telling Scott?" she asked Mystique.
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Interesting. The girl's heart beat had escalated and Mystique noted the hint of arousal and fear showing on other areas of the girl's body. "Oh come now, poppet, what do you believe I should be telling him?" she murmured, and leaned forward, putting her hands on the wall just beside Rachel's body. A few inches closer and they'd be touching.
"Perhaps the way your pheromones are going wild with him this close to you. I'm sure Emma will love this. Little Miss Phoenix Entity smitten with the mad scientist that orchestrated her family's existence." She inched her hands closer, hovering just along Rachel's waist but not touching, wanting the girl's shields to break, to give Mystique what she'd come here for.
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Rachel closed her eyes and turned her head away. Maybe Emma and Scott just, just wouldn't believe Mystique? But they'd probably, y'know, want to check. God. Rachel turned her head further to the side. Emma'd just go snooping. And she's better than I am. Dammit. She put her hands flat against the wall at her sides. Anna thought better of me than this. Rachel could smell him, the sharp and the smoke. But I don't, I don't want them to hate me. I hate myself enough. I'm so sorry, Anna.
"Erik," she whispered.
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Mystique's eyes narrowed dangerously at the name. No. She pushed herself away from Rachel, letting her body slip back into her usual form. "Thank you, Miss Grey. It's been lovely chatting with you."
She slipped past the girl and moved quickly towards her room to determine what her next course of action would be. The silver bracelet was beginning to make sense and she tensed, thinking of the intent most likely placed behind it. Rogue wouldn't be that stupid, he was the X-Men's enemy. Suddenly, her urgency to leave was beginning to make sense.
I'll kill him.
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Rachel walked back to her room. She stood in front of her bathroom mirror. She looked at the hound marks on her face for a long time. It had been nice of them to make sure she would never forget what a traitor looked like. Yes. That was right.
Mystique crossed her arms and watched the car pull out of the mansion gates. Rogue had actually done it, leaving behind this cultist lifestyle, even if only for a few weeks. Hopefully forever. She pursed her lips, watching the car disappear down the road. The safe house was bugged and she had no doubt the girl would find most of them. Therefore learning anything that way would most likely not work. Frowning, she walked away from the window and sat down at the desk, mulling over what to do.
There was no doubt in her mind that 'Little Miss Phoenix Entity' knew what was happening. Of course, the girl was hardly Mystique's biggest fan. And prone to losing her temper. Mystique smiled. Even if she didn't learn anything about Rogue's sudden need to leave it was always fun riling the girl up. She left her room and set out to find Rachel, checking her own emotions so as not to tip off the girl. She found the girl in the kitchen and Mystique leaned back against the doorway.
"You do realize that dinner time is in thirty minutes," Mystique stated, watching the girl intently. "Why would you want to deprive yourself of the moronic tradition of cramming the entire household into one room to partake in eating?"
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Rachel glared at Mystique. She collected her sandwich and Coke and started to go around the other woman. She was in a terrible mood. Hadn't been sleeping well at all. The last thing she wanted was to talk to Anna's conniving, villainous, over-controlling, possessive mother.
God, Rachel thought. I really really hope that thought was only to myself. Crap.
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"Thank you." Mystique smiled, stepping into Rachel's path. "I pride myself on being all of those things. My daughter needs...guidance or she'll flounder about and get herself killed."
She cocked her head, noting the fatigue in the girl's face and defensive stance. She'd try being nice first, though she doubted it would work. "Surely as her friend you realize this."
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"Anna was out from your control for years and-" Rachel stopped, because the end of that sentence was and only got killed twice. "--and beside, she doesn't flounder!"
Rachel tried to dodge the other way. She stopped when Mystique smoothly moved in front of her again. Rachel heard the kitchen window behind her rattle and briefly closed her eyes. Oh, do not lose it here. She's goading you, you're an X-Man for crissake, act like it! Rachel wondered why it was easier to fight Mystique, with her life on the line, than it was to have a civil conversation with her.
"I'm sorry," Rachel said tersely, "did you want something?"
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"Information, the kind I know you have." Mystique took note of the window and the girl's obvious tension and desire to leave. "Give it to me and I'm sure this can be as painless as possible." Her eyes narrowed and she fixed the girl with a dangerous glare. "Who was my daughter with on Christmas night? And please, spare me the nauseating excuse that you do not know."
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At the word "information" Rachel stopped worrying about the damn windows and threw all her effort into her telepathic shields. Do. Not. she thought to herself, give Anna up.
She carefully stepped back to the center island in the kitchen. Pulled out a stool. Set down her sandwich and Coke, since it was clear she wasn't leaving yet. Unless she wanted to start a fight. But between Scott and Logan, and then Hank and Logan, Rachel was pretty sure the mansion did not need another brawl between senior staff. Which reminded her --
"Mystique," Rachel asked, beginning to eat her food, "do you have a staff job here at the school? Or are you just on the X-Men?"
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"I do not believe that answered my question," Mystique replied curtly. "Being a member of the team is sufficient enough a punishment for being on these grounds. Now back to the matter at hand, Miss Summers." She pauses, knowing the girl doesn't like that surname. "Who did Rogue enjoy a festive dinner with?"
"Or perhaps you do not know anymore. I did hear that the White Atrocity was in your room a few nights ago, locking your telepathy away." She gives a little laugh, making a play for the girl's weaknesses. "Maybe that is not all she locked away."
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Rachel worried that she'd actually flinched at the mention of her nightmare. She covered, growling, "Emma fixed that, thank you, we're all on the best of terms now. I appreciate your concern."
Rachel looked at Mystique, drinking her Coke. "Why didn't you ask Anna yourself?" she asked. "Oh, wait, you did. And she didn't want to tell you. So if I know, I don't think I'll be telling you."
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Mystique glared, mulling over the various other tidbits that she knew about this girl, trying to determine what she could use to her advantage. Unbidden, she remembered Rogue asking her to look into the security because Rachel had seen Sinister in the mansion. She paused, for the first time wondering why Rogue hadn't brought that to Cyclops or any of the other senior staff.
Grinning, Mystique leaned against the table. "Tell me Rachel, have you seen your dear friend Sinister lately?"
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Rachel stood. The kitchen stool she'd been sitting on tipped over, hitting the floor with a bang. She left her sandwich. Her can of soda. She walked to the doorway. Mystique was in the way.
"Please move," she said. There was . . . a quiet. A stillness. In her head. And a picture of a door. In London. Rachel did not know what she wanted. But nothing good was going to happen here. Nothing not even okay.
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"No." Mystique didn't budge, amused that mentioning Sinister had resulted in this reaction. "He's a little old for you, don't you think? And the X-Men's mortal enemy, specifically your entire family's nemesis." Perhaps goading Rachel would allow for something to slip.
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Gently. Very gently. Rachel picked up Mystique. Moved her aside. Walked past. Let Mystique go. Her room was just up a floor, a few doors down the hall. She could go in. Lock the door.
Rachel felt a headache starting. Maybe Anna had the right idea, leaving, she thought. Rachel walked into the hall, followed by Mystique. Rachel rubbed at her neck. There. He'd kissed her there. She was surprised that Mystique's words didn't hurt more. But they were only what she'd been saying to herself for the last day. Just the truth.
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"Walking away, tsk tsk tsk. You've learned so much being here at the mansion," Mystique remarked, following the girl towards her room. "What's next, are you going to lock yourself in your room and cry? Pathetic, the lot of you."
She crossed her arms and watched the girl intently. "Perhaps I should speak with your father and his mistress about Sinister being in this household and your obvious feelings towards the man." She needed just one little slip up from Rachel, a small piece of information about Rogue that she could unravel.
-----------------------
Rachel stopped walking.
The pictures hung on the walls began to vibrate, slightly. A faint rattling sound.
"I don't know where she is, Mystique," Rachel whispered. "I really don't know." Rachel was distantly surprised to notice that the glow from her Phoenix mark was reflected off the polished banister all the way at the other end of this hall. That was quite something.
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"I know where she is you fool," Mystique replied, ignoring the theatrics. "She came to me for that. Someone has her rattled and I will learn who it is."
She narrowed her eyes and took a step forward, invading the girl's personal space and altered her appearance with each step, becoming Sinister. "Who did she have dinner with, Rachel?"
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Rachel swallowed. She knew she looked scared. There were, it was just, there were just too many things to keep track of. Rachel hated it that she couldn't hide it better, but the telepathic shields came first and then not wrecking the hallway and then not falling over or running away and dammit dammit dammit why had she not thought that Mystique would do this? She could've been ready. Or something closer to ready. Somewhere next door to ready? Maybe in the same county?
"I'm not telling you." Crap crapfuckthis. Rachel could hear her voice shake. It wasn't that she was scared of Sinister, haha, no, if she was just fighting him this would be easy, like talking to Mytsique was harder than punching her damn face in, and why was it that suddenly there was such a short list of villains to punch in the face? I mean, really, where was an evil Juggernaut when you needed him? And when had she started wishing for supervillains to attack the mansion? Right around when you started lying to your family, idiot, she thought.
Rachel cleared her throat She did not did not did NOT look at Sinister's lips. Except she did. Damn. How did Mystique know to get them so right? They looked just right. Huh. STOP IT! Rachel yelled at herself.
She cleared her throat again.
"I'm not telling you."
There. That sounded better.
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This was entirely too amusing. The girl was obviously flustered. Mystique pushed forward and bared her teeth as Rachel walked backwards, stopping when her back hit the wall. "Who did she have dinner with..." She paused, trying to think of an endearment the demented psycho would use, something Victorian as he never had adapted properly to the changes around him. The man needed to get out of the basement more often. "Poppet, hmmm...?"
---------------------------
This was just like her dream. Just like it. Chased and backed up and trapped and Rachel was certain that if Sinister touched her she was going to end up screaming. Please, don't let him touch me, she thought frantically. I couldn't explain.
Rachel's back hit the wall and Sinister kept walking towards her. He stopped in front of her. Rachel looked down, making sure she wasn't wearing a dark green dress. Nope. Okay. Mystique, this is Mystique. Okay.
Rachel watched Sinister's hands. If he moved to touch her, she was not going to be nice about it.
"What are you thinking of telling Scott?" she asked Mystique.
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Interesting. The girl's heart beat had escalated and Mystique noted the hint of arousal and fear showing on other areas of the girl's body. "Oh come now, poppet, what do you believe I should be telling him?" she murmured, and leaned forward, putting her hands on the wall just beside Rachel's body. A few inches closer and they'd be touching.
"Perhaps the way your pheromones are going wild with him this close to you. I'm sure Emma will love this. Little Miss Phoenix Entity smitten with the mad scientist that orchestrated her family's existence." She inched her hands closer, hovering just along Rachel's waist but not touching, wanting the girl's shields to break, to give Mystique what she'd come here for.
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Rachel closed her eyes and turned her head away. Maybe Emma and Scott just, just wouldn't believe Mystique? But they'd probably, y'know, want to check. God. Rachel turned her head further to the side. Emma'd just go snooping. And she's better than I am. Dammit. She put her hands flat against the wall at her sides. Anna thought better of me than this. Rachel could smell him, the sharp and the smoke. But I don't, I don't want them to hate me. I hate myself enough. I'm so sorry, Anna.
"Erik," she whispered.
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Mystique's eyes narrowed dangerously at the name. No. She pushed herself away from Rachel, letting her body slip back into her usual form. "Thank you, Miss Grey. It's been lovely chatting with you."
She slipped past the girl and moved quickly towards her room to determine what her next course of action would be. The silver bracelet was beginning to make sense and she tensed, thinking of the intent most likely placed behind it. Rogue wouldn't be that stupid, he was the X-Men's enemy. Suddenly, her urgency to leave was beginning to make sense.
I'll kill him.
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Rachel walked back to her room. She stood in front of her bathroom mirror. She looked at the hound marks on her face for a long time. It had been nice of them to make sure she would never forget what a traitor looked like. Yes. That was right.