For all Marie knew, Logan was dead. There was no doubt in her mind that Erik would kill him if he proved to be an inconvenience. And knowing Logan the way she did, she could only imagine the type of trouble he was causing. He was probably doing everything possible to piss Erik off. It was just how he was. Only this time it would cause nothing but trouble.
Marie was curled in a ball on the small cot in the car corner of her new room. She was alternately sobbing and whimpering as she rocked back and forth in the centre of the cot.
“Please be all right. Please be all right,” Marie chanted over and over.
The words became her mantra. She repeated the same phrase time and again until it was the only thought passing through her mind. All of her senses were filled with Logan. His touch still lingered on her. If she concentrated hard enough, Marie could clearly remember the feel of Logan’s hands and lips on her body. She could still hear his voice and remember the distinctive smell of his skin.
For all she knew, Marie could have spent hours in her comatose state. The thought that Logan could be dead sent her over the edge. Logan had kept her strong through so much and saved her in so many ways. Marie felt utterly lost now that she didn’t have Logan by her side.
Letting out a pained sob, Marie flopped onto her side. She grabbed hold of the pillow under her head, pulling it tight against her chest as she curled into a fetal position. She knew that Logan couldn’t protect her, but at the same time, Marie didn’t believe that she would be able to protect herself at that moment. Her mind was so full of people, all of which were fighting for control. Logan kept a rumbling presence, turning away both Mystique and Creed when they got a little too loud.
Marie wanted more than that, though. She wanted to be able to see, feel and touch Logan. As great as it was to have him in her mind, Marie needed his physical presence. She wanted to be able to touch him and feel his arms wrap around her. Marie always felt so safe in his arms.
Eventually, out of pure exhaustion, Marie drifted off to sleep. She didn’t want to sleep. Marie wanted to stay awake so that she could be alert and able to protect herself in case someone came into her room. Her body had different ideas, though. All of the adrenaline that had been pumping through her body since she had first discovered Logan missing was beginning to fade, leaving Marie feeling extremely exhausted.
“She appears to take after her father more.”
“That is a good thing. It will make her less obvious.”
“There is no way to be sure that she will inherit my traits. Her brother has not.”
“Your son has his own advantages.”
....
“No! You can’t take them away from me! They are my children!”
“Which is why it would be best that they were raised far from here. Where it is safe.”
“There is no such thing as safety for our kind. They will be hunted no matter where they are. It will be safer to keep them with me where I can protect them.”
....
“I have to go away for a little while, my darling. I want you to stay right here and look after your sister. Can you do that for Mommy?”
“Where Mommy go?”
“I have to go on a little trip to help some people. But I’ll be back real soon. you won’t even notice I’m gone.”
“Love you, Mommy.”
“I love you too, my darling. Now stay here and look after your sister.”
....
“I gave up my children so that they would be safe! Now my son is being hunted like a monster and my daughter is being used as a test subject! Tell how that is better for them?”
“Everything will work out as it was meant to.”
“”I don[‘t care about ‘meant to’! I want my children safe!”
“And they will be. It will just take time.”
Marie sat up with a jolt. She was breathing heavily. There had been no actual images in her dream, but the voices and emotions had been real enough.
It had been Mystique’s voice that was predominate in all of the dialogues. The other main voice had been Erik’s. The other voice that she had heard had been that of a little boy. One that Marie had never heard before. If her dream was the result of Mystique’s memories as she believed, then it was very likely that the little boy had been her brother. A brother that she had never known existed until this afternoon.
“There are vague remnants of mothering instincts that tell me I should go over to you now and comfort you.”
Marie jerked at the sound of Mystique’s voice, her head spinning towards the door of her tiny room. She bit her lower lip, absently smoothing her hair behind her ear. “So it’s true then?”
“That you are my daughter? It is very true,” Mystique informed her, gliding across the room to stand in front of Marie. “I gave birth to you twenty years, seven months and sixteen days ago. The first thought that I had when I saw you was that you had your father’s eyes. That has not changed.”
“Who’s mah father?”
Mystique frowned suddenly, her glowing eyes narrowing. “Unfortunately, that brute Creed is your father. I was a naive girl and foolishly believed that I could love that monster. It was a mistake, but one that I didn’t realize until after you and your brother were born.”
Marie drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. “Can ya please just get Erik t’ let me an’ Logan go? We’ve done nothin’ wrong. All that we want is some peace an’ quiet.”
“You can’t be serious!” Mystique burst out, laughter bubbling in her voice. “Why would I do something like that? Do you have any idea of the kind of power you possess? With my help you could become one of the most powerful people on the planet.”
“Why the hell would Ah want t’ do that?” Marie shouted, her eyes blazing. “All that Ah want is fer me an’ Logan t’ be left in peace! Ah want some happiness! Is that too much t’ ask? That Ah get some happiness? ‘Cause Ah think that after everythin’ Ah’ve been through that Ah deserve it!”
“Well, I’m sorry, my dear, but that’s not going to happen. As soon as Pedro arrives with your brother, everything that Erik and I have worked for over the years will finally happen,” Mystique told her, heading back towards the door. “Now I suggest that you get comfortable because you are going to be here for a little while yet.”
“Can ya at least tell me whether Logan’s alive or not?” Marie pleaded, tears filling her eyes.
Mystique grinned ferally. “Oh he’s alive. Though I don’t think that he’ll be of much use to you anymore.”
With that, Marie was once again left alone in her sparse room. She scrambled off the bed and bolted towards the door. Marie grabbed hold of the door knob, pulling as hard as she could. No matter how hard she tried, though, she couldn’t make the door budge one bit. The knob simply refused to turn.
“Let me outta here!” Marie screamed, pounding on the door with the side of her fist. “Let me out! Ah need t’ see Logan!”
The door was thrown open, sending Marie sprawling onto the floor. In the doorway stood Creed, glaring down at her from his superior position.
“You’re still as noisy as I remember,” Creed growled, crossing his arms over his massive chest. “You take after the Blue Bitch.”
Ignoring Creed completely, Marie scrambled to her feet. She ran towards the door, attempting to slip past Creed and out into the hallway. She needed to find Logan and make sure that he was safe. She had to help him. Marie needed him to be all right. It was her fault that he was in danger to begin with.
“I don’t think so, kid. You’re not going anywhere,” Creed said, holding an arm out and shoving her back into the room. “Magneto wants you to stay in here. You stay in here.”
“Touch Logan an’ Ah’ll kill ya,” Marie threatened, glaring up at Creed from her sprawled position on the ground. “Ah don’t care if yer mah father, Ah’ll kill ya just the same.”
Creed burst out laughing. “Did the Blue Bitch tell you that? There’s no fuckin’ way that you’re mine. She believes that, but it’s not true. I’d know if you were mine and you’re not. No, you’re someone else’s.”
Refusing to let his dominating presence frighten her, Marie continued to stare up at him with clear eyes. “How can ya be sure?”
“Blood is blood and you don’t have mine in you. It’s as simple as that. I just let the Blue Bitch think that you are,” Creed told her, already bored with the conversation.
“Ah meant what Ah said. Touch Logan an’ Ah’ll kill ya,” Marie promised, rising slowly to her feet.
Creed burst out laughing and slammed the door shut. Marie could still hear his laughter echoing through the door as he headed down the corridor. Hoping that he had forgotten to lock the door, Marie attempted to turn the knob. She failed and let out a defeated sigh before returning to her small bed.
“Ah’ll figure out a way t’ get us outta here, Logan. Ah promise.”