Ktenology 101: Changes

[x-traction.livejournal.com]

Marie gets an unexpected visitor and makes an equally unexpected decision.


She had an unannounced visitor. The mansion was an odd blend of high security and attempted normalacy. The intercoms at the gates and the door fed huge amounts of information to the security office, where Forge or an X-Man on duty had the option of allowing or refusing entrance based on the information provided. However, once access was granted, the visitor was allowed into the mansion just like a normal guest in a normal school, a comforting illusion at Xavier's at best. There was usually a student or a member of the staff working near the entrance, and when guests arrived, it was a quick phonecall to whomever they were there to see in order to sort them out.

In this case, it had been one of the students, buzzing Marie to inform her that she had a visitor, and he was waiting in the parlor just off of the main lobby area. There had been no expected guests on her schedule for that day, and the student had hung up without disclosing the identity of the visitor.

A barely noticeable pause was the only hint of surprise Marie allowed herself to show as she recognized the distinguished looking gentleman sitting in the parlor. "Mr. Kane," she said with a nod while extending her hand. "Ah wondered if you might come to personally check on the progress with looking for Garrison."

"Yes, but that's not entirely my reason for beng here." Christian said, standing from the chair as she walked in. He looked older somehow, subdued. Setting next to him was a thick file case, closed with a length of red string. "You look well, Miss D'Ancato. Has there been any additional news from your X-Men on my son, or Pete Wisdom?"

The worried wrinkle that was almost a permanent part of Marie's face by this point deepened. "Nothing that's turned into anything," Marie said, her voice somber. "Not on them or the other two that..." she trailed off, swallowing hard, "...disappeared that day."

"According to your FBI, their forensic teams have typed significant blood loss to four separate mutants, including my son. Apparently they have physical possession of a pair of wings, and my son's right arm. Pete's--" There was a pause there, and the elder Kane's expression seemed to harden. "former team was kind enough to send along the report from one of your psychics, who was able to reconstruct the event through her powers. I've spent some time going over the details."

Marie's body tensed, as she fought from reacting the news the same way she had the first time and every time. "So you think they're dead," she said, barely recognizing the flat voice that spoke her words.

"Yes." The word was flat and final. "They killed my son, Miss D'Ancato. The ambush was designed in such a manner that taking hostages could not have been their objective. They used lethal measures first, even if mixed with sadism and cruelty. I have no doubt that their bodies are being kept as a surprise for your team sometime soon."

It was an odd disconnect. Kane's assessment of the situation was analytical, the kind of purposeful, professional summary of a man expertly trained and extremely experienced. But like the vague signs of a reef in the ripples of waves, the emotion under his words hinted its existance in flashing moments. "They killed my friend, and they killed my son. I do not intend for them to go unpunished."

Marie's fist, which had clenched unconsciously, shot to the side and hit the wall, leaving a dent. A surrpised look crossed the Southern girl's face as she looked at it, her finger unclenching to run over the impression. "They won't," she said. "They can't."

"I thought you might feel this way. Which is why I'm here." Christian looked down at the younger woman, none of the normal laughter in his expression that he'd held even in the most dangerous moments against Zemo. "I'm going to find them, and I'm going to kill them. One by one, I will make every member of Magneto's Brotherhood pay for this attack, and once I reach the top, I intend to make him face every death he's ordered before going slowly and painfully to his own. Garrison told me what they did to you, and what you meant to him. If you want the same as I do, I'm willing to have you along."

Marie stood silently for almost a full minute, her mind processing the unexpected request. She wanted someone to pay for her pain. She had played by the rules and what had it gotten her? More hurt. More loss. If she had been stronger, gone after Magneto earlier or faster, maybe no one would've gotten hurt. She couldn't change the past, but she could still effect the future. Remy had once told her that she wasn't this type of person...an assassin. She'd begged him to let her help and he'd turned her down, told her she was better than that. Maybe she had been...but now? She wasn't so sure. She'd always played by the rules...but maybe the rules were changing.

"Good," Marie said, her voice soft but firm. "Just let me grab a few things." And then leave before anyone can try and talk me out of it.

"Be prepared to travel light." Kane said, already knowing how hectic their search would be. "I've taken the liberity of preparing your travel documents. Take nothing that identifies who you are."

For the first time, Marie's surprise registered on her face in the form of widened eyes. So he'd expected her to agree. "Can't see there'd be much use for my own documents then," she said with a nod. "Ah'll be back in ten minutes." Turning, she ran up the stairs, already composing an email to Scott in her head. She wouldn't disappear without a word...just without a word of where.

Unfortunately for her, she runs into someone on her way out the door.

Marie finished throwing a couple shirts and a spare pair of gloves into a small backpack. She didn't want to have much, but there were some things she'd need...there was no telling how long she and Christian would be on the hunt and the last thing she wanted was a mishap because her clothes tore and she was exposed. Slinging one strap over her shoulder, she turned to walk out and caught a look at herself in the mirror. A gloved hand went up to push the white lock of hair that always fell in her eyes away. Worry clouded her eyes, but now there was something else there too...a sense of determination perhaps. Swallowing hard, she turned from her reflection and headed out the door. She'd sent Scott an email and wanted to be gone before he had a chance to read it and try to stop her.

He wasn't the one she'd have to worry about, as she was about to discover. Angelo stepped out of his room in turn, dog at his heels, and turned with a smile as he noticed her... only for his eyebrows to go up sharply when he saw the bag.

"Goin' on a trip?"

Marie tried to keep the guilty look off her face as she shifted her bag from one shoulder to the other. So much for not running into anyone... "Yeah. Guess it's better you hear it from me...Ah'm gonna be gone for a while. Don't know how long. But Ah'm fine, so no need to worry."

"Em, you know it don't work like that." He was studying her carefully, trying to work out how truthful she'd just been. "I'll not worry if you keep in touch an' tell me a bit more."

Marie let out a sigh. "Skin, it isn't that simple. Not really gonna be in touch...not taking my phone with me. Ah just...Ah gotta do something more than sit here and trust other people to follow leads. Ah gotta go look for some myself. And don't go worrying that Ah'm going off by myself. Ah'm just not going with the team."

"No." He was blocking her path, ready to do it more completely if he had to. "Not a chance you're goin' anywhere lookin' for leads without some way t'call back if it goes wrong. An' you tell me who you are goin' with."

"Didn't say Ah wouldn't call if Ah need ta. Just that Ah'm not gonna be able to be contacted," she said gently, laying a hand on his shoulder. He knew as well as she did that she could clear him from her path if she needed to, but Marie hoped it wouldn't come to that. "As for who with...Garrison's father. So it's not like Ah'm not gonna have back up with whatever Ah'm doin'."

"Just the two of you", he said flatly. "I know you two are pretty hard to take down, but if you do get in trouble, if you can't get to a phone, how're we gonna know if you need help?"

"You just gotta trust me Ange..." she started, dropping her hand to her side. "Ah don't know how else to do this, to deal with what's going on." Marie's body language abruptly changed and her head dropped to hide the tears. "It's my fault," she said softly. "And Ah gotta fix it."

"It is not your fault", he responded instantly, taking a step forward. "None of this is. Em, I know you're havin' a hard time, but runnin' off like this... I don't want you on the missin' list too."

Marie looked up, seeing the worry in Angelo's face, and felt instantly guilty. "Ah'll call to check in once a week....that's all Ah can promise, ok?" she said, wiping her face with the back of a gloved hand.

"Once a week", he agreed. "It'll do... but you miss that call an' I'm goin' straight to Scott. No argument." He reached to squeeze her shoulder in turn. "An' if you need me..."

"Ah know," she said, trying to force a smile on her face. She knew she wouldn't bring him out there to help no matter what happened, but he didn't need to know that. "And hey, tell Scott that Ah'm keeping in touch with you? Maybe he'll kill me a little less when Ah get back."

"...you did tell him you're goin', right?" Angelo demanded, suddenly wary.

"Yeah, Ah told him," Marie said, neglecting to mention she had emailed their team leader several minutes before she ran into Angelo. "So...Ah'll call ya, ok?" she said, getting rady to keep walking. She didn't want to keep Christian waiting much longer.

"Okay." He still wasn't overjoyed with the whole thing, but there wasn't a lot more he could do. "Remember, once a week."

"Promise," she said, giving him a quick impulsive hug before running dwn the stairs.