Back at the Hotel Wundagore

[house-of-mystiq.livejournal.com]

"That's right. Count backwards from ten Ms. Lensherr."

The leather pouch is rolled flat on the surface of the bed. Each vial within is carefully hand labeled in an archaic German script.

Raven sits on the bed next to the green haired woman, gently holding one hand. She's wearing a maternal face with a faint hint of an Eastern European background. She unties the tournaquet from Lorna's upper arm and gives the girl's hand a gentle pat.

A stone knife sits behind Raven's back, out of the girl's sight. The room is suspiciously bare of any form of metal.

Comments

[exiles-2h.livejournal.com]

"Wha--" She takes a deep breath and tries to sit up. "Where--Daddy? Daddy?"

[house-of-mystiq.livejournal.com]

"Your father is fine, Lorna. Can I call you Lorna?"

The matronly face smiles down at her. Something about the room smells antiseptic, but it doesn't look like a hospital.

[exiles-2h.livejournal.com]

"Yes," she says, automatically courteous to someone older. "Where am I? This isn't--what--?" She frowns, trying to feel for the lines of magnetic force that have always been around her....

[house-of-mystiq.livejournal.com]

"There was a little fuss at your reception. We have you some place safe, dear."

[exiles-2h.livejournal.com]

"Oh." She settles back, raising a hand to her temple, massaging it carefully. "Is ... do you work with the ... the Darkholmes?"

[house-of-mystiq.livejournal.com]

A brief look of surprise flashes across Raven's face before the maternal smile is locked back into place.

"Yes. Ms. Darkholme is very concerned with your safety...and your future wellbeing."

[spidey2099.livejournal.com]

There's a figure clinging to the far wall.

Masked. No eyes visible.

Playing with a sharp talon on the end of his finger, idly.

"We work for someone more important," he says, his voice a growl, lowered from its normal pitch.

[exiles-2h.livejournal.com]

She shrinks back against the bed. "What--who--" Her jaw firms. "I don't know who you are, or who you work for, but when my father finds out--"

[house-of-mystiq.livejournal.com]

She squeezes the young woman's hand again. "Your father is a great man. I have the utmost respect for him."

Which explains the complete absence of metal in the room.

"...quite unlike my feelings towards the Summers..."

[spidey2099.livejournal.com]

The talons on the masked man's fingers just tap together gently. A quiet, steady rhythm.

Letting Raven do her thing.

[exiles-2h.livejournal.com]

"The Summers?" repeats Lorna, her hand still in the mysterious woman's grasp. "I know they're not--not nice, but ... Alex is different," she finishes weakly. "He's kind to me, and he's lonely...."

[spidey2099.livejournal.com]

The masked man nods behind her.

"It's what we do. Dirty job, and we don't get paid enough."

[exiles-2h.livejournal.com]

"Oh. You're with the government?"

[house-of-mystiq.livejournal.com]

"I am. He's a ... contractor."

[exiles-2h.livejournal.com]

"Uh ... okay. I hope you're better than those Avengables or whatever they're called." She straightens up. "It's the wedding. I know why Daddy wants it, but I don't know why the Summers family wants it. But it's got to be bad. Nothing good comes from that family. Except maybe Alex." The color rises in her cheeks as she thinks of the whipped-puppy look she'd seen on his face.

[spidey2099.livejournal.com]

"Belay that thought. I have it from a trustworthy source that Alex has gangrene. I don't think you want to get mixed up with that, anyway."

[exiles-2h.livejournal.com]

"I know what it's like to be the only nice one in the family," she snaps, "and so does he. You want to stop whatever you're trying to stop, you might as well help him, too. Otherwise, the Summers'll probably just find some other rich girl to marry so they can bankroll whatever they're up to."

[house-of-mystiq.livejournal.com]

"I said we should've castrated the boy first..."

Raven shakes her head. "If you'd like him to come out of this alive and unharmed, tell us what your father wants from this wedding - and what you suspect the Summers want from it."

[spidey2099.livejournal.com]

[house-of-mystiq.livejournal.com]

"You've survived this long without any balls."

Raven pins Lorna with a stare. "You. Talk. Now."

[spidey2099.livejournal.com]

A glance toward the door that Lorna's behind, dyeing her hair, as the shower starts.

"Far be it from me to look at the bright side, but maybe you can finally get a sense of what it's like to live as a - what did you call us? Flatscans? Unless you think losing your abilities makes you less deserving of life and equal rights."

[house-of-mystiq.livejournal.com]

"I wouldn't want to have been the last Neanderthal when Homo Sapiens rose to power. I don't envy the last wave's dying gasps as evolution replaces them, too. But you know what? I don't believe in protecting endangered species. If they want to keep Dinosaurs alive in the Savage Land, fine, but I don't want the bastards shitting on the streets of Berlin, much less muching on buildings. I don't see any reason to drag Homo Sapien's death knell out any longer, either. It's cruel to them."

[spidey2099.livejournal.com]

No response.

The mask conceals whatever look is on his face.

He just stares her down.

[house-of-mystiq.livejournal.com]

Where the hell is an ashtray? It seems like a crime to waste the filter when they can bring so little with them between worlds.

"Don't be such a pouty wannabe. Carol Danvers got her powers out of a crackerjack box and people fucking love her. If biology isn't on your side, sure, be proactive and use science."

She frowns disgustedly at her hand. "Hell, it looks like I'm going to need remedial courses in chemistry and biology at this rate. It's the people trying to hold onto the old order who annoy me."

[spidey2099.livejournal.com]

Still nothing.

He lets her keep talking.

With any luck, she'll hear the sound of her own words without everybody else in the world rushing to agree with her.

He's never been a lucky man, though.