Chapter 22 : The longest day of my life (Funny to mess with)

 

Midtown High parking, Midtown High, Queens, New York, 25th of January, 16:20

 

Raven finally steps next to me as I busy myself watching the train wreck that is Gwen pretending extra hard that she’s not into me to a rather persistent Jessica while I’m grinning.

 

The best part is that Gwen actually found an unlikely ally in Cindy, who is apparently incapable of computing that a woman can like another one and keeps nodding to herself to every poor argument the blond is throwing Jessica’s way without questioning them.

 

“Are they always like this ?” Ask a deep male voice next to me.

 

I direct a side-eye to her.

 

Six foot two at least, ebony skin, traditional Vishanti wear, bald headed and brown eyes.

 

The impersonation of Master Daniel Drumm would be perfect if it wasn’t ruined by the rather feminine way Raven is holding her head slightly tilted with one hand, puzzlement clear on her face.

 

Sometimes she drops the act when things are too weird for her to focus, I guess.

 

I chuckle lightly, burning the image in my mind because it’s totally incongruous, before answering, my eyes going back to the three teenagers arguing.

 

“Beats me,” I answer lightly, “It’s the first time in their lives that these three interacts with each other for that long, at least I think so ?” I end, head tilted in consideration.

 

“And you’re going to team up with them ?” ‘Daniel’ asks archingly.

 

“Must I really tell you that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, Raven ?” I answer rhetorically.

 

She chuckles, which sounds weird with her current bass voice.

 

“Point taken.” She agrees easily, “You know, I find that unsettling that you can tell it is me almost immediately…”

 

“Telepathy.” I confirm without care, “A shielded mind amid a gaggle of undisciplined ones is like a siren’s call to me. Add to that the fact that it is the second time you beeline to me like you knew where I was and it is not exactly rocket science.”

 

She looks at me for a beat, eyes calculating.

 

“And how exactly does a Speaker with only one gimmick and an over the top outfit become a competent telepath in a day, pray tell ?” She asks shamelessly.

 

“[Annoyance, pride] : I resent that, I’m a beautiful flower.” Grumbles Iris on our mind-link.

 

“That you are, sister, the prettiest flower of them all.” I coo at her lovingly.

 

“[Love].” She stammers shily.

 

“That is the interesting part, isn’t it ?” I start, “And what exactly would you give for the answer to this question?”

 

I turn myself to look at her in the eyes, an amused look on my face.

 

‘Daniel’ crosses her arms, face scowling.

 

“Another one of your ‘deals’, really ?” She mock-growls.

 

“Everything has a price, the ones for my knowledge just happens to be tailor made and sometimes quite high.” I answer shamelessly.

 

I think I’m enjoying messing with her a bit too much.

 

“Yet you’ll give it freely to them ?” She asks back, head jerking in the girls’ direction, still too much embroiled in their non-argument to have seen the newcomer arrive.

 

I roll my eyes.

 

“Don’t be like that.” I answer languidly, “I think offering you a way out of Erik’s rather toxic influence, a job requiring your talents and some bonus time with the love of your life was more than fair for five minutes of your time.”

 

She barely hides her startle at my mention of her complicated relationship with Magneto.

 

‘Daniel’s’ eyes narrow.

 

“Still a demon of knowledge, I see.” She drawls.

 

“Would you believe it if I pretended it was an educated guess ?” I ask innocently.

 

“I would not.” She answers, tone dripping with annoyance.

 

I look her in the eyes.

 

“He was but a babe when you were already old enough to be his grandma twice over, yet the guy chose to lord his mighty power and used it to browbeat you as soon as he could.” I start and she freezes, “Oh, he sold you an interesting dream, one who just happened to intersect with your goals, but he must’ve forgotten that you were more than just a rather apt minion. And deep down, you’re more a mercenary than a loyal follower.”

 

I look back at the scene in front of us.

 

“You must’ve gone with the flow because you knew that you’ll outlive him in the end and, if he ever succeeded, it would have put behind you all those years roaming the earth looking for somewhere to truly belong.” I conclude.

 

Another beat passes as the girls apparently settle their debate.

 

“Tell me, how right I am, Raven ?” I ask conversasionately.

 

She sighs in annoyance.

 

“I don’t often swear, Aria, but fuck you.” She answers in a monotone.

 

I guffaw at her reaction.

 

“Don’t get your panties in a twist, girl, tell you what, this one is a freebie.” I tell her with a grin.

 

Still peeved, her attention comes back to me.

 

“I’m going to do better than him.” I say with the most genuine smile that I can muster, “And everyone, normies and mutants alike, are going to praise me for it.”

 

Startled from her adversarial mood, ‘Daniel’ looks at me.

 

“How ?” She belatedly asks.

 

“Again, that is the part where you’re supposed to offer me something in exchange for my answer.” I answer back with a wink.

 

Her scowl comes back in force.

 

I must be annoying her pretty hard if she’s emoting that much.

 

“No, thanks, that’ll ruin the surprise.” She drawls.

 

I snigger.

 

“Hey, maybe you’re right about that.” I muse aloud, a little smile on my lips.

 

The girls’ attention finally comes back to us, their bickering coming to an end as they take notice of the stranger by my side.

 

“Aria, who is this ?” Gwen wonders aloud a little forcefully, still desperately trying to make everyone else forget her display of public affection.

 

A little smile curls the corner of my lips as I watch Jessica snigger on her side.

 

“Our favorite shapeshifter, of course.” I answer flipantly.

 

Gwen, Cindy and Jessica sort of freeze as ‘Daniel’ directs to me a flat glare.

 

“[Amusement].” My symbiotic half snickers.

 

“It nevers gets old.” I laugh on our mind-link.

 

Raven sighs a little before looking at me pointedly.

 

“She wants to see you first as soon as possible, alone.” She finally says, “But she did find the prospect of observing two totemic warriors' innate magical link intriguing to say the least, so she is open to further discussion on the subject.”

 

“She never did it before ?” I ask her, a little surprised.

 

“She did, but not those tied to the Underweb apparently.” Raven answers.

 

“Alright,” I nod in understanding, “Would it be possible for me to meet her now ? I know she tends to be quite busy and I would be loath to take up more of her time than necessary.”

 

“She knew you’d say that and is expecting you for tea.” She answers easily.

 

Fucking farseers.

 

“Fine,” I lightly sigh, “Lemme just say goodbye and we can be on our way.”

 

As ‘Daniel’ wordlessly nods, my attention turns back to the girls.

 

“So, see you tomorrow ?” I tell them as I plaster the most confident smile I can muster on my face.

 

Feeling my confidence waver slightly at the approach of meeting the most powerful sorcerer of this earth, Iris mentally hugs me.

 

It works a little.

 

“Cya,” easily answers Jessica, apparently none to indulge in lengthy goodbies.

 

“Let me check if I've your address… I do.” Cindy quickly confirms by looking at her phone, “See you tomorrow, Aria.”

 

When her turn comes, Gwen blushes lightly, eyes shifting to the side as she puts back one of her bangs that came loose from behind her ear.

 

“Take care, Aria.” She mumbles softly.

 

My lips curl at the corner at her bashful display.

 

That girl’s displays are a little too endearing.

 

“Bye girls.” I answer back with a grin over my shoulder, waving lightly with my hand as Raven and I start to walk away.

 

As another chorus of ‘bye’ echoes behind us, my grin falls as the reality of my actions starts to dawn on me.

 

“Feeling nervous ?” Raven pokes at me.

 

I sigh, directing another glance to the girls we are leaving behind.

 

“That’s not it.” I start, mulling over my words, “It’s just… They are so young.”

 

As I face ahead again, I carry on.

 

“So young, yet they’ll have no choice but to fight. And I can’t help but tell myself that I’ll be the one turning them into, slightly older, child soldiers.” I admit awkwardly.

 

She stares at me from the side as we continue walking.

 

“I guess it comes down to me not knowing either if I’m doing the right thing or not.” I end up a bit lamely.

 

“You know,” Raven starts a bit flippantly, “There’s another two who do the same thing as you intend to do, with far fewer scrupules.”

 

I volt-face to glare at her.

 

“Are you suggesting that I take a page from their books and bury my guilt, Mystique ?” I spit.

 

“No, I’m suggesting that maybe you’re the right one for them since you actually give a shit about their well-being.” She answers back without a care for my outburst, “For now, at least. Try not to forget it.”

 

As I mull over her answer while we walk into a companionable silence toward where Raven parked her car, Iris’ mental hugs get a little tighter around my mind as she starts humming a soft non-vocal tune on our mind-link.

 

For the first time of the day the incessant whispers of the peoples’ minds around me are lost into her soothing and alien melody.

 

I’m so glad she takes after me.

 

***

In front of the Sanctum Sanctorum, Greenwich Village, Manhattan, New York, the same day, 17:03

 

“Right on time, or close enough, I guess.” I muse aloud as we step out of Raven’s beautiful black sports Audi.

 

I actually complimented her on it and she went onto a prideful rant about it.

 

I would have trouble describing the Sanctum Sanctorum as a ‘quaint little house’, since it is anything but. Stuck between two other pseudo victorian era buildings, it looks more like a manor suddenly found itself trapped into Manhattan as the city grew around it than the tentative to make one of the locks guarding one of earth’s nexus of power less conspicuous it really is. Its facade is made of dark orange bricks, intersticed by white columns and black bordered windows with a roof made of shiny black slates. One especially round and big window, with cuts evoking an extravagant yet transparent stained glass that suspiciously looked like a sigil, had the place of honor as the sole fanlight of the building.

 

It looks just like in the movies and I want to laugh because if someone ever asked me if I ever saw a strange house in my life and where, I would firmly point them in that direction even before I knew what it was.

 

“Tell me it’s warded to appear less conspicuous and that I’ve been excluded from its effect, otherwise I’m going to have a conniption trying to find a logical way nobody ever wondered about its design.” I drawl.

 

“It is, or so I was told.” Answer a smirking Raven, still in her ‘Daniel’ guise.

 

“Thank you.” I sigh with relief.

 

“[Amusement] : Isn’t your reaction a little over the top ?” Iris asks while laughing quietly, interrupting her recital.

 

“I stand by what I said, and I’ll die on this hill.” I reply mentally, a little embarrassed.

 

As Iris tries to muffle her laughter, we finally reach the porch, and Raven open the door without ceremony, ushering me inside.

 

The permanent susurrus of the New Yorker’s minds instantly quiet as we cross the threshold, blessed be the wards of the Sanctum, and I taste the equivalent of telepathic silence for the first time since this morning, considering that everybody else in the building is psy-shielded.

 

There’s apparently one more person than I expected, and I strongly suspect them to be Irene.

 

I almost want to sigh in relief.

 

We immediately find ourselves face to face with the real Master Vodoo, Daniel Drumm from his name, arms crossed and looking positively unimpressed by Raven’s choice of disguise.

 

As the door closes itself ‘magically’, or so I suppose, he arches an eyebrow silently toward my guide.

 

Raven rolls her eyes, her guise falling as she shrinks a little and lets her true form appear.

 

I’m sort of relieved that she indeed looks like a rather tall-ish woman, five foot ten maybe, with a blue midnight skin spotted with black dots like a leopard's, red hair falling under her scapulas and yellow-red eyes.

 

An indiscreet glance at her bust makes me look the other way with a slight blush, because the woman is a tad impressive in the department.

 

“Why ?” Asks the Master, a little miffed that she went walking in his skin.

 

Raven visibly struggles with herself for a second before sighing.

 

I want to snigger. Her and authority probably equal one hundred, but here she’s an employee and remains accountable.

 

“Two reasons : I wanted a better vantage point to spot her in the crowd and try to see if I could throw her off. The second part failed by the way, the girl remains insufferably smug.” She rants, arms crossed and scowling.

 

Master Vodoo pinches his nose and sighs deeply while I snigger openly.

 

I take my composure back before the both of them can throw themselves in a shouting match. Letting my touch-TK disguise fall, it would be useless in front of master sorcerers anyway, I promptly fall in a picture perfect curtsy, my white curls lightly dancing around my face with the motion.

 

“Greetings, Master Vodoo,” I start softly, minding my manners, “My name is Aria. It is a pleasure to meet the guardian of the New York seal.”

 

Both of them throw me a look.

 

Raven’s face is a mixture of both pinched and astonished because of my show of humbleness, proper manners and my appearance, while the Master is probably asking himself how the fuck I already know of him and his duty.

 

They exchange a glance while I keep my pose, saying nothing. It is the Master that breaks the silence first.

 

“Insufferably smug, uh ?” He drawls, and I want to snigger once more, yet manage to refrain myself.

 

“Bah !” Raven explains, throwing her arms in the air in the universal ‘I give up’ gesture, “I’m too old to be fooled by her games but feel free to fall for them all you like.”

 

And she promptly storms off towards what I suspect strongly to be the courtyard and her lover’s position to both Iris’ and mine mental hilarity.

 

Master Vodoo’s eyes slide back to me.

 

“Is what she said about you playing games true, young miss ?” He asks, genuinely curious from his tone.

 

It could be fake to have a better picture of me, but I choose to be honest as I straighten myself to answer him.

 

“There’s honestly a little bit of truth on both accounts.” I explain candidly, “I wanted to convey my proper respects to a master of the Vishanti tradition and also mess with her a bit. She’s too fun to bully to pass.”

 

My smile is as sunny as my golden majesty when I end my sentence.

 

The master snorts, shaking his head slightly.

 

“No skin off my nose, she has been strutting around with her woman on my lawn since this morning and it already exhausts me. How I will manage to put up with her for the next two decades is beyond me.” He answers with a good humored smile. “And we’re not in Kamar-Taj, neither are you a member of the order, you can drop the title with me.”

 

He starts to walk while lazily indicating to me to follow him with his hand.

 

“How should I call you then, mister ?” I ask politely.

 

“You can call me Mr. Drumm for now.” He answers easily.

 

His tone was all business-like so I’m assuming that it is just his way to instaure a polite distance in our relationship.

 

“The Ancient One is expecting you in the boudoir. The discussion that will follow will be between you and her only and so I will not join.” He carry on, “I would like to remind you however to treat her with the respect she is due.”

 

“It wasn’t in my plans to offend her, considering the fact that I value my well being pricelessly.” I answer back conversationally, conveying to him that I’m perfectly cognizant of the fact that she probably just has to snap her fingers to send me somewhere particularly unpleasant with no way back.

 

The Master directs a side-eyed look to me, considering, before shaking his head lightly.

 

“Ms. Darkholme was right, your knowledge and the way you use it is, in fact, unsettling.” He admits.

 

Before I can muster a proper response, he opens the double doors we reached and introduces me.

 

“Ancient One, your guest is here.” He says, his right arm outstretched in my direction while he bows his head just a fraction.

 

“You can leave us, Daniel.” The Ancient One answers in a surprisingly melodic voice.

 

The Master of Kamar-Taj is seated cross legged in front of a low table, head bowed as she prepares some tea in traditional nepalese ceramics. She is as bald as the movie depicted her, only a few scars maring the skin of her skull, and wears a yellow Vishanti’s garb like it is the most natural thing in the world, ease and power flowing through her minute motions.

 

I step closer to the table as Master Vodoo leaves us, only the sounds of the Ancient One crushing tea leaves with a pestle and the doors closing behind me breaking the silence of the Sanctum, and I drop into a curtsy anew.

 

Better to stick with what I know rather than improvising poorly.

 

Before I can even open my mouth to introduce myself, her melodic voice interrupts me.

 

“I thought I told Ms. Darkholme to explicitly tell you to come alone, so, can you explain to me why there are two of you ?” She asks as her head rises, her black eyes spearing me.

 

I refrain myself from wincing, holding my pose.

 

And we are off with an auspicious start.

 

Peachy.

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