Chapter 19 : The longest day of my life (An appointment for later)

 

Midtown High’s library, Midtown High, Queens, New York, 25th of January, 12:47

 

Me and the girls had relocated ourselves into the library after our meal ended.

 

I would like to pretend that we were all happily chit-chatting but since I was winded like a spring, still waiting for the approaching stranger to finally enter the room, we were all a little tense because of my fidgeting.

 

So it is with a mixture of equal relief and dread that I finally bear witness to the newcomer.

 

Five feet two, a sunny disposition and smile, rather slim body, blond hair and brown eyes.

 

The stranger looks a lot like Sandra Coltman, a member of the cheerleader squad.

 

Except she isn’t because I can feel the mind of the original right-over-there screaming her happiness at hand-holding with a jock whose name I already forgot.

 

Sue me, but I’m not going to pay any more attention to teenage drama that I’m forced to.

 

I immediately half-flop on the table, relaxing, as the stranger’s eyes roam the room and immediately beeline towards us four with a perfect act of cheerfulness in her steps.

 

As she finally reaches us, the stranger starts to open her mouth, probably to greet us, before I cut her.

 

“Fancy seeing you here, Raven.” I deadpan in an annoyed tone.

 

Gwen, Cindy and Jessica throw me confused looks as the stranger pauses.

 

Then she chuckles.

 

“Well, that was that.” She muses aloud as she takes a seat around the table without a care in the world.

 

“What do you want ?” I ask, a bit impatiently.

 

Cindy’s interject for the two others, puzzlement written all over her face.

 

“Why are you calling Sandra ‘Raven’ ? I don’t get it.” She asks, head tilted.

 

“Because she is not Sandra, but a shapeshifter who just happens to look like her.” I explain calmly to the class.

 

My three protegees tenses.

 

Good thinking, girls.

 

“Relax, girls.” I tell them easily, “I do not think she’s here looking to create problems. My guess is that she’s running an errand for someone.”

 

Raven’s little smirk at my explanation is answer enough in itself.

 

“So, what is it ?” I ask archingly.

 

She doesn’t answer, eyes roaming over my body for a bit, taking my figure in.

 

When she looks back at me in the eyes, there’s amusement shining through hers.

 

“Quite an impressive trick you managed to pull here, ‘Aamon’.” She starts.

 

I have to refrain myself from groaning audibly.

 

“Not very inconspicuous, you’re quite the looker now and the proportions are a bit unnatural, but still, I’m actually amazed.” She praises thoughtfully.

 

I sigh lightly.

 

“Call me Aria, please. And I’m going to take that comment as a praise of my sister’s work if you do not mind, I’m quite fond of the result myself.” I answer while a smile curls the corner of my lips.

 

She blinks, incomprehension flashing through her eyes for a second before she composes herself.

 

“Pardon the curiosity,” She starts, “But why the change of gender ?”

 

I snort.

 

“[Anger, annoyance].” Iris snarls on the mind-link.

 

“Peace, sister, I think she genuinely doesn’t understand, she can remain for extended periods of time posing as a man without it bothering her.” I explain soothingly.

 

In the corner of my eyes, I can see that Gwen is also getting worked up.

 

I lightly shake my head, my curls dancing around me as a little smile grace my lips.

 

“I should be the one asking you how you can pose as someone of the opposite sex without wanting to scrape every inch of your skin raw with a razor.” I explain, one of my hands gesturing vaguely in her direction, “That is something I can’t even fathom.”

 

She shrugs, and it is elegant and calculated, like every motion she makes.

 

“It is just an act, a play to me, that requires me to wear a different skin.” She explains shamelessly, “At the end of the day, when I look at myself in the mirror, I know who I am and my current ‘body’ changes nothing about it.”

 

Her answer makes me raise an eyebrow.

 

“Acting, uh ?” I mutter under my breath.

 

An interesting insight into her psyche.

 

I mull over her words, thinking.

 

“Imagine that you find yourself trapped into one of those roles, one of those bodies. And it’s a role that you slowly learn to hate a little bit more every day that passes because it doesn’t fit you, no matter how hard you try, without any possibilities to show to anyone, especially those you trust, who you truly are.” I explain slowly, eyes riveted on the table.

 

I raise my head to look at her in the eyes.

 

“How would you react, Raven ?” I ask, head slightly tilted.

 

She ponders for a second, crossing her legs under the table.

 

“I would be angry and sad, I guess.” She answers, more thinking aloud than anything else, “And I would probably end up looking for a solution at any cost.”

 

I let a little smile slip.

 

“That’s what I thought.” I answer with a little wink of false cheer.

 

Raven looks at me anew, eyes calculating.

 

“Although I do not know if I’d be as determined as you were and go to the same lengths.” She says meaningfully.

 

I school my face not to wince as my traitorous mind shows me the last instants of dear Kevin once again at her words.

 

Iris immediately shares the equivalent of a mental hug, sending soothing emotions on our mind-link.

 

“If I have to wish you something, Raven, it is that you remain blissfully ignorant of that fact.” I tactfully answer.

 

She wordlessly nods, acknowledging the sentiment even without understanding it.

 

“She wants to see you.” She finally says.

 

I sigh, feeling the beginning of another headache rearing its head and it will not be self-inflicted this time.

 

“I gather that the negotiations were successful ?” I ask politely.

 

“Indeed, her terms were generous.” Raven slowly nod.

 

“How many years ?” I continue archingly.

 

“Twenty, under a geass of course.” She answers easily, “As you said, she has uses of a talented spy whose mind is shielded by discipline and not magic.”

 

She shrugs again in her theater worthy way.

 

“She even threw some extra years for Irene in the bargain, so I do not begrudge her.” She admits.

 

A genuine smile graces my lips.

 

“Was she happy ?” I gently ask.

 

Raven pauses, blinking, before nodding hesitantly.

 

“She was…” She slowly answers.

 

“I’m glad then.” I end frankly.

 

She halts again, before slowly shaking her head with a light chuckle.

 

It is still fake, but more honest than before if that even makes sense.

 

“This meeting is definitely not going as I thought it would.” She amusedly says.

 

“I’m a gentle soul when not pressed by time and circumstances.” I declare with mock-candidness.

 

She snorts, her first true reaction since we started talking.

 

“Keep lying to yourself like that.” She easily quipp back, “So, your answer ?”

 

“I’ll see her, not like I have much of a choice anyway.” I easily admit, “But I would like to bring two people with me if she’s amenable.”

 

Raven raises an eyebrow at that, arms crossing in front of ‘Sandra’s chest’.

 

“Do you think it will help you when she decides to dispose of you ?” She asks, genuinely puzzled.

 

A chorus of gasps echoes behind me, but I halt any retorts with a little gesture of my hand.

 

“You misunderstand.” I answer while shaking lightly my head.

 

“Cindy and Gwen here,” I explain while presenting the both of them with a gesture of my hand, startling them both, “Are spider-totemites, magical warriors empowered by the Great Weaver of the Web of Life and Destiny.”

 

My hand fall onto the table once more.

 

“I know that it isn’t the Octessence, but it remains a powerful source of magic nonetheless. Maybe she’ll be interested in a joint study of an entire new branch of the arcane ?” I falsely wonder aloud with a little smile.

 

“I’ll have to ask her about it.” Raven answers a little dazingly.

 

Barely a few hours have passed since she entered her service, it’s normal that I managed to throw her off here.

 

“You do that.” I say, a little bit of condescension showing through my tone.

 

Despite the appearance, I’m still peeved about the fact that I’m called upon and have nothing to do but come running.

 

I’m still too young and relatively powerless yet I’ve made too big of a splash, unwanted attention from the big players, while irking me to no end, is warranted.

 

Raven’s eyebrow twitches slightly in irritation.

 

Yes, I’m in a foul mood, I’m just hiding it very well, and playing tricks with you is my coping mechanism.

 

“You seem awfully certain that you’ll leave her home alive.” She drawls, her annoyance showing.

 

“The Phoenix let me live,” I easily answer, pretending I do not see her making a double-take, “A fact that is in itself a pretty big boost to my confidence about me coming out of her abode alive. She’ll make her own judgment, but I expect the results to be similar.”

 

She gulps slowly, still shaken by my admission.

 

I’m not surprised that she knows about the cosmic prick since Irene must have written about him.

 

“Do you have any proof of that ?” She shakily asks.

 

Some heat reaches my cheeks and my eyes shift awkwardly for a beat.

 

“I do…” I admit with some discomfort.

 

In the corner of my eyes, I can see Gwen and Jessica being puzzled by my reaction while Cindy tries extremely hard to hide her mirth, finally piecing things together.

 

I direct a thought at her in annoyance.

 

<“Do not say a word about it, or I swear I’ll make you regret it.”> I clip harshly.

 

She startles, gulps audibly and mock-salutes.

 

Shaming averted.

 

Raven, too skilled at what she does to have missed my display, does not comment on it, probably still shocked by what I just told her.

 

She shakily nods.

 

“Alright,” She starts a bit distractedly, “I’ll have to tell her about that too I guess.”

 

She exhales.

 

“I’ll come back later,” She continues as she raises, “I’ll give you her answer and the date and hour of the meeting.”

 

I nod assent.

 

“We will see you later, then.” I say simply.

 

Me and the girls remain silent as Raven leaves the room.

 

When the door closes, Gwen starts the unavoidable barrage of questions.

 

“Alright, what just happened ?” She asks.

 

I mull over my words.

 

“We just had a little chat with a known terrorist, I guess ?” I admit lightly.

 

I’m promptly rewarded by three hanging jaws.

 

“What the hell ?” Blurts out Jessica.

 

I chuckle.

 

“Raven is Mystique’s true name, Magneto’s infamous right hand.” I answer, eyes dancing with mischief.

 

“And we didn’t do anything because ?” Asks an annoyed Gwen.

 

“Because she just changed employers apparently.” I explain, “As you have probably already figured out, I met her once already. She’s definitely not the villain they try to sell her as in the media. Oh yeah, she made some pretty messed up stuff, but you have to remember one thing about her.”

 

I pause as the three look at me with rapt attention and quite a bit of annoyance and anger.

 

“She did those because deep down, she’s angry that she cannot be herself in society without risking an angry mob. And she has lived a long, long life being at risk of getting stoned on the streets if she ever messed up with her powers once.” I continue slowly, eyes alternatively fixing each of them.

 

“Why is that ?” Asks a more calmer Cindy.

 

“Because she was born a redhead with a skin of midnight blue during the 19th century, checking all of the marks on the evil witch list before she was even able to babble to her parents.” I explain to them.

 

“Oh…” Blurts out a cell-shocked Gwen.

 

Quite the empathy you have there, Gwennie.

 

“[Agreement, amusement].”

 

Absentmindedly sending positive feelings to Iris, I continue.

 

“Honestly, I sympathize with her.” I end casually.

 

“Why ? She’s a terrorist for fucks sake !” Hisses Jessica.

 

Arching an eyebrow, I throw a peripheral look around us.

 

Seeing no one, I let go of my touch-TK disguise for a few seconds.

 

Jessica’s expression turns blank while Gwen’s eyes fill with wonder.

 

I reset my disguise.

 

“Because of that.” I drawl languidly.

 

Cindy, the only one who was in the know, chuckles lightly behind her hand.

 

“Point taken.” Jessica admits dryly.

 

“Please remember that I did not say that I condoned her methods.” I add lightly.

 

Gwen, whose cheeks now sports a nice red teint, attempts valiantly to redirect the conversation.

 

“But what were you talking about ? To whom do you want to bring Cindy and I ?” She enumerates, “And what was that about you being disposed of ?”

 

“As I said, Raven has a new employer.” I answer casually, “She made a deal with the one known as the Ancient One, the Sorcerer Supreme of Earth.”

 

I pause to let them digest the news.

 

“And if she found her that quickly, that means that she lives here, in New York city, in a place called the Sanctum Sanctorum.”

 

As the bell rings to signal the beginning of the next period, I rise up, stretching lightly.

 

“And we just made an appointment for later with her.” I conclude with a smirk.

 

“But,” Starts Gwen as she rises too, the others following, “Why would Raven make a bargain with her ? She’s a mutant.”

 

“Why ? Because of love, of course.” I answer as I make my way out of the library.

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