Freelance comic artist, illustrator, and animator â¨Creator of The Strays on Webtoon!⨠23 ~Iâm a silly little demon~ âMUTANT AND PROUD!â Commissions OPEN đMDNIđ
When Melanie was on the streets, it had been a blessing if things were quiet. When she would tuck herself away in some hidden place for the night, not knowing what dangers the city might conjure, hearing nothing but the sound of sirens and taxis was a relief.Â
But now, standing in her dark bedroom, not even changed out of her mission clothes, the quiet seemed to press down on her with intent to smother.Â
Limbs stiff, Melanie moved to sit on the end of her bed. Stomach heavy and chest aching. She buried her face in her hands.Â
How could I have been so callous?
She took a deep breath, but the burn in her chestâand the sting at the corners of her eyesâwas only sharpened by it.Â
âYou did what you thought was best,â Melanie tried to assure herself, wrapping her arms around herself and squeezing until the dull ache yanked her back from the edge of a spiral. âYou thought he was going to hurt you. Mystique wouldâve killed you if you didnât do that.â It was logical. Reasonable. What person wouldnât react to their trust being broken in such a way? But it still stung.Â
Way too far, Leblanc, She thought bitterly. He takes you in as a friend, does his best to be kind, and you want to kill him. I couldâve run. I couldâveâ
Melanie groaned, falling backwards onto the bed. Another deep breath. Less painful this time. In. Out. Ground and center.Â
âIt doesnât matter what I could have done,â Melanie said softly. âI protected myself. Andâand if I lost a friend, thenâthenâ!â She tried to will herself to say then thatâs fine, but she couldnât. The words stuck in her throat like phlegm.Â
âGod fucking dammit.âÂ
Melanie sighed. It was only then, as she stared listlessly at the ceiling, did she realize just how disgustingly sticky her skin felt. Sweat and skintight fabrics were not friends, even with the most modern moisture-wicking technology Xavier could buy. A shower was sounding more and more tempting than ever.
âAlright, câmon, get up. You can be dramatic later.âÂ
The shower did help immensely, once she turned the water hot enough to flush her skin pink. The sensation helped her mind not wander off. After a quick towel dry and changing into clothes that were light years more comfortable, Melanie finally headed downstairs for dinner.Â
Sheâd guessed earlier that it wasnât Gambit or Ororo helming the kitchen tonight; after all, there was no tell-tale scent of turmeric, cumin, or paprika in the air. And lo and behold, Scott was in the midst of serving up steak and potatoes.
âHey!â Jubilee greeted warmly, with Kitty giving her a wave as well. Melanie managed a small smile as she slid into the end of the booth.Â
âDude, I had to take the biggest nap after that,â Kitty sighed. âI kept having to phase to keep up with Kurt.â She turned her gaze to Melanie and smiled carefully. âWhat about you, Mel? Did youâŚget some rest?â
Melanie tried her best to tamp down any annoyance at Kittyâs clear prodding. They were friends, and Kitty meant well. Still stung, though.
âIâm alive,â Melanie huffed. âThatâs all that matters.âÂ
âDuh, you donât get to punch your timecard anytime soon, girl.â Jubilee said with a gentle smile.Â
âThanks, Jubes.â
Melanie was eventually served her plateâScott could make a mean steak, which somewhat made up for Jeanâs war crimes that she called foodâand a bit of the weight of the day seemed to ease. It was only after sheâd gotten about halfway through her food that she realized someone was missing.
âWhereâŚwhereâs Gambit?â She asked in a small voice.Â
âCajun said he needed to take a walk after that shitshow with Mystique,â Wolverine replied gruffly. âI wouldnât worry about it, kid. Heâs a loose cannon on a good day.â
âAinât that rich, cominâ from you,â Rogue teased. âDonât you worry, sugah, that ole card thief will wander his way back here eventually. Gambitâs a ramblinâ man. Sometimes he takes a couple days off.â
A couple days? The idea made Melanie want to shrivel away. Great. Waltz into his life and get him so upset heâs fucked off to god knows where. Youâre a class act, Leblanc.
Melanie didnât finish her plate.Â
Going back to her room only sounded like another date with self-loathing, so Melanie instead elected to make her way to the library. Sheâd made a habit of visiting in evening hours, when most people were watching TV. The only people who tended to join her on occasion were Hank and the Professor, and the former was usually in the lab and the latter in his office.Â
Curling up in one of the large armchairs in the corner, Melanie tucked her legs under herself. The guilt over her actions had faded, thankfully, though the thought that she mightâve hurt the real Gambit still made her stomach twist up in knots.
Thereâs nothing I can do except wait, Melanie said. Itâs not my call in the end, how things turn out. It didnât soothe her, but it was nice to have some logic to cling to.Â
In the calm, the thought that had been coiling in her mind like a worm finally pushed its way forward. Maybe I should go. Melanie winced to even hear it, let alone entertain it. Not fair that he gets pushed out of his home by me. Iâm not even officially an X-Man.Â
But even as she considered it, she knew it was simply her regret talking. The city held nothing for her, and would give her no quarter. And she had no doubt some of her survival skills had dulled; the essentials were still razor-sharp if the mission had been any indication, but a single slip could spell disaster on the streets.Â
So Iâm stuck.
Melanie bit at her thumbnail gently. Nothing to do but face the music. Why am I worried anyway? Back in Brooklyn Iâd dump someone for way less. Didnât need friends. Gambit is smart. More than anything, heâs a thief. He gets it. The smart thing to do is stay the hell away from me.Â
As she sat contemplating, there was a BAMF! As Kurt suddenly teleported into the library, Rogue not far behind him.Â
Melanie looked up, brow furrowed. âWhat are you two doing here?â
âWe come to check on ya, sugah,â Rogue said gently. âFelt it was only right, even if Hank gave ya the once over in the infirmary.â
âIndeed,â Kurt said, teleporting to perch on the high back of the chair. âWe know how our mother likes to use her power for crueltyâs sake. We did not want you to feel alone.âÂ
Melanie blushed at their concern, staring down at her lap as Rogue commandeered a nearby ottoman.
âI donât even understand how she did it, much less why,â Melanie said. âI shouldâveâugh. I shouldâve known she was close.âÂ
âDonât you dare blame yourself, sug,â Rogue said firmly, taking Melanieâs hand. âMamaâs got a mean streak a country mile wide, ainât nothinâ you could do to change that. What matters is you got out in one piece.â
âI only got out because of Gambit,â Melanie said bitterly. âAnd look where that got us. I lost my shit and now heâs off who knows where!â
Rogue and Kurt exchanged a glance.Â
Melanie tugged at her hair. âGod, both him and you two must think Iâm psycho,â She muttered. âHere I am, some fuckinâ alley trash you guys had the good hearts to help, to make into something better, and I go and turn on you the second I thought someone was getting handsyâ!â
âShe did what?!â
Rogueâs screech of indignation snapped Melanie out of her self-deprecating rant, and she barely had time to process before she found herself encircled in the southern womanâs arms.Â
âSugah, ah am so sorry,â She said firmly. âMama ainât never liked Gambit, and she decided to take that out on you. Oh, Iâm sâmad Iâd like to knock her into next week!â
Melanie blinked. âBut Iââ
âBut nothing, fraulein. You protected yourself. Und I have known you long enough to know zat you are not ze kind of person who would feel shame for it.â
âN-no, IâI know I did the right thing, she was trying to kill meâŚbut god, the things I saidâŚif I were Gambit, Iâd have left, too.â Her eyes were beginning to sting again.Â
âAw, sugah,â Rogue said gently as she pulled away. âDonât you go gettinâ yourself down thinkinâ you spooked him. That ole boy put his life on the line for you and would do it again. Weâre a team, ainât we? That makes us some kinda family, ah reckon. And if my eyes donât deceive me, you ân Gambit are gettinâ to be real good friends.âÂ
âI agree with Rogue,â Kurt said with a sage nod. âGambit can be mysterious, but he is loyal to those he is close with. If he truly did not wish to remain your friend, he would not have spoken to you on the jet.â
âYou saw that?â
âHeard it. How could I not, with ears zis large?â Kurt joked.
Melanie laughed, a few tears finally slipping down her face, which she wiped away.Â
âTrue.â
She sat back against the chair, pinching her nose.
âAlways been hard on myself,â She sighed. âGuess I donât know when to turn it off.âÂ
âWeâve all been there, sugah.â Rogue said with a smile. âBelieve you me. Ainât a person in the whole wide world without some skeletons in their closet, âcept maybe a lil baby.â
Rogue stood, offering Melanie a hand. âIf you want, weâre doinâ a lil movie marathon in the TV room. Gonna kick back and watch the Terminator movies.âÂ
âYeah, cheesy action sounds great right now.â Melanie took Rogueâs hand, using it to stand as Kurt leapt down from his perch.
âI have also agreed to these on the condition zat zere vill be no German accent jokes,â Kurt said half-jokingly. âA man can only be called âBlue Arnoldâ by Morph so many times.â
Melanie cracked up as they headed to join the others.
It was, all-in-all, a very good movie night. Scott kept talking about effective strategies to take down the Terminator, while Logan argued back about how they didnât work. Melanie found her place beside Kurt, who handed her snacks with his tail when she asked and kept chuckling understandingly at the times Arnold Schwarzeneggerâs accent simply couldnât be avoidedââIt is harder zan one would think!ââwhich she got a kick out of. By the time the tape of T2 was being put in, the chaos and regrets of the day had faded into a pleasant buzz of contentment.Â
Finally back in her room for the night, the silence in the dark was once again bearable. Melanie climbed into bed, happy to collapse. Sheâd barely rested since sheâd come home.
Just as sleep began to creep in, there was a gentle knock at the door.Â
Groaning softly, Melanie dragged herself to her feet to answer. But as the door swung open, she was greeted by empty air. Confused, Melanie leaned into the hall to look around; just in time to see the end of a long coat disappear into a room down the hall, the door clicking shut. Melanie went to step out after him, but her foot hit something.
Looking down, Melanie realized Gambit had left something outside her door. A smile crossed her face as she realized it was a small box with a few packs of her favorite spicy ramen, a few lavender cookies, a small stuffed black cat, and a note.Â
Picking up the paper, Melanie read:Â
Pour Ma Devinette,
Gambit thought you might like these. Hope you sleep tight and feel better.
And he hopes you can forgive him.Â
Cordialement,
Remy LeBeau.Â
Melanie stared for a long moment. ForgiveâŚhim? What on Earth did he have to apologize for, she was the one thatâŚ
Melanie sighed. Sheâd have to talk to him tomorrow.Â
She picked up the box and smiled. âI guess this means weâre cool, at least.â She said softly heading back into her room. Finally, Melanie got some much-needed sleep. Â
Edit: Hi I'm an idiot named Virgo who initially posted this to the wrong blog, feel free to throw tomatoes /j
Chapter Five, Chapter Five, it's gonna be a good time...with Melanie's first official mission! Even if she's not yet an X-Man. But it may be more than she can handle...
AO3 link here:
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Warnings: Strong language, violence, misuse of shape-shifting, unwanted romantic advances, implied unwanted sexual advances
âThere've been six alleged mutant incidents in the past month alone, all of which have targeted various members of government.âÂ
Melanie sat back in her chair, watching as Scott moved points of interest on the War Roomâs holo-display. She still hadnât agreed to officially take the X-Man title; but that didnât mean she wouldnât help out with a mission.Â
âSo, which one of the usual yahoos is doinâ this?â Wolverine asked gruffly.Â
âWeâve narrowed it down to a list of usual suspects,â Scott said. âCurrently, we think it could be either Lady Deathstrike, Bullseye, or Mystique.âÂ
At this last name, Rogue sighed and pinched her nose. âAh swear, if itâs Mama againâŚâÂ
Melanie raised an eyebrow and filed that tidbit away in her head.
âThe goal is simple: get in, investigate, detain if we can, get out. People are already in an uproar over this. They donât care what side weâre on, theyâll just see a mutant and start swinging.âÂ
âYou mean shooting.â Melanie chimed in. Â
Scott nodded grimly. âYes. Either way, we need to be subtle about this. Thatâs why weâre assigning two teams for this mission: a strike team and support.âÂ
He handed out a series of dossiers to each of them.
âNightcrawler, Gambit, Shadowcat, Beast, andâMelanie, have you decided on a code name yet? I know youâre not officially wearing the X in a manner of speaking, but a code name is crucial here.âÂ
Melanie thought a moment. ââŚNevermore. Like, âquoth the ravenâ, yâknow? Always liked Poe growing up.âÂ
âNevermore. Well dat just rolls off de tongue, donât it?â Gambit chuckled.Â
âAlright, Nevermore it is.â Scott said. âSo that leaves myself, Marvel Girl, Rogue, Storm, Colossus, Jubilee, and Wolverine for support. Weâll distract anyone that might compromise the mission, and be on standby in case you need backup. And of course, if things get dicey, we rendezvous at the Blackbird. The Professor will be monitoring us with Cerebro. Everyone clear?âÂ
The team nodded.Â
âAlright. Wheels up in twenty.âÂ
As Melanie got up, Beast put a hand on her shoulder.Â
âIâve put the last few touches on your suit, Melanie,â He said, âBest to grab it sooner rather than later.âÂ
Melanie nodded and smiled. âThanks, Hank.âÂ
A few moments later, Melanie was tugging her jacket over the tight-fitting black and purple suit set. She took a moment to look at herself in the mirror; punk rock superhero. Not bad.Â
An appreciative whistle sounded from behind her.Â
âWell, donât you jusâ look like hell on two legs, petite.â Gambit chuckled as he stepped into the lab. âDem baddies ainât gonnâ stand a chance against Miss Nevermore.âÂ
Melanie laughed and folded her arms. âYeah, yeah, save the speeches for someone who needs them, furet.â The nickname slipped out before she even realized it.Â
Gambit gave a dramatic gasp of mock offense. âGambit, a ferret? You wound me, petite, Gambit a lilâ more suave than any ole polecat!âÂ
âOh yeah? Iâll believe it when I actually see suave.â Melanie laughed. âCâmon, Cajun, weâve got a flight to catch.âÂ
Gambit could only follow with a chuckle.Â
Before long, the Blackbird was soaring over an isolated and abandoned military base deep in the mountains.Â
âWeâve gotten readings from Cerebro that thereâs been increased mutant activity here,â Cyclops said from his pilotâs seat. âBut whoever it is has some kind of psychic resistance, so we canât be sure who weâre dealing with. So stay sharp, team.âÂ
With the Blackbird landed and cloaked, the support team took their place in the surrounding wilderness, while the strike team slipped inside.Â
The base was dark, cavernous. The air thick with the scent of damp and dust and what smelled like gun oil.Â
âCreepsville,â Melanie muttered to herself. âFeel like Iâm back in that old subway tunnel in the city.âÂ
âUnd did you often skulk about ze subway, fraulein?â Kurt teased playfully.Â
Melanie rolled her eyes with a smile. âAs if thatâs your business, blueberry boy.âÂ
âFocus,â Beast urged, fiddling with a device that looked to be a tracker. âThereâs a good chance we arenât alone here.âÂ
âLetâs find out for sure,â Melanie said. She closed her eyes, focusing in on the base around her. A beat of silence.Â
âThere,â She said, her face screwing up with effort. âSomeoneâs about two floors belowâtheyâre definitely a mutant, but itâs weird, I canâtâI canât get to them. Their mental signature, it keeps shifting somehow. I can just tell theyâre there.âÂ
âThe Professor did say they had a psychic resistance.â Kitty said.Â
Melanie huffed. âGreat. Alright, everyone hold still a sec; I need to get familiar with how you all feel mentally. That way if we get split up I can still find you.âÂ
With their consent, Melanie took stock of the psychic imprint of each of her teammates; Beast, solid and steady; Kitty, bright and energetic; Kurt, agile and subtle.Â
Melanie turned to Gambit, reaching out with her mind to examine him.Â
âAh!â Melanie recoiled with a start, shaking her head. It was as if a burst of static had blared in her ears for a moment.Â
âMerde, are you okay?â Gambit said worriedly. âGambit didnât mean to startle ya, petite, but he always been sorta hard to read.âÂ
âN-no, itâs okay, you didnât mean to. I went a little deeper than I shouldâve. Damn.â After a moment to collect herself, Melanie reached out again.Â
Everyone has different psychic energy; Melanie had seen everything from minds resembling great thunderstorms to flowing streams.Â
Gambitâs mind was all bright light. Pulsing, speeding, fuschia light. Warm and rich, Melanie could swear she could taste cinnamon on her tongue.Â
Must be the kinetic energy thing, Melanie thought with wonder.Â
âAlright, all set. Letâs get moving; whoever is here just moved a floor lower.â She said.Â
The group headed below, the smell and damp growing almost overwhelming. It was quiet as the grave, the only sound their breathing and footsteps.Â
âAny sign of our mysterious mutant, petite?â Gambit whispered to Melanie.Â
She shook her head. âWeâre on their tailâŚgod, why is it so hard to lock onto them? Itâs like trying to catch smoke!âÂ
âAccording to my tracker, they should beââ
Beast was interrupted by a tunk! Blood suddenly bloomed from under Beastâs fur as a bullet winged his arm.Â
âFucking shit!â Melanie exclaimed.Â
âGet down!â Kurt yanked anyone within reach to the floor, and Melanie had the realization that heâd pulled her down with his tail.Â
Beast grunted in pain. âSomething tells me that was a warning shot.âÂ
âWe easy pickins out here. Like rats in a maze.â Gambit said gravely.Â
âI could try and jump them?â Kitty suggested. âPhase through a wall and kick them in the face.âÂ
âNo, the last thing we need is for you to phase and then get shot as soon as you leave the wall.â Beast said, thinking. He sighed.Â
âAlright, here. I can provide us each a map of the facility over comms. Each of us will patrol a sector. If we donât find anything, we rendezvous at the main stairwell. And if we do, sound off over radio immediately. Understood?âÂ
âYep.âÂ
âOui.âÂ
âGot it!âÂ
âUnderstood, mein freund.â
âGood. Letâs get moving then. Iâll take the north and east sectors.â With that, Beast galloped off into the darkness.Â
âKitty und I will take ze west,â Kurt said. Kitty nodded, and with a bamf! and a phase through the wall, that just left Melanie and Gambit.Â
âLooks like de south sector is up ta you ân me, petite.â Gambit said. âAllons-y!âÂ
They walked the route in tense silence, Melanie focusing her powers on the dark, cavernous halls. Gambit clutched a few cards, borderline white-knuckling them.Â
Eventually, they came to a fork in the hallway.Â
âDammit.â Melanie pulled up her map. âLooks like these paths meet up in about fifty feet. Think we should split up and meet in the middle?âÂ
âDonât see why not, if dem powers of yours ainât feelinâ nothinâ.â Gambit said with a shrug.Â
Melanie checked in again. âNothing nearbyâŚthough it does feel like someone has definitely been here recently. Keep a few extra aces up your sleeve.âÂ
âHeh. Always, petite. Bonne chance.âÂ
With a nod, Melanie took the right path while Remy took the left.Â
There wasnât much in these halls; a few storage rooms and a length of air ducts above. Every few feet was a large ventilation grate or two. Every noise sent Melanieâs hair on end; every drip, every rattle, every creak.Â
âMan, fuck this shit,â Melanie muttered to herself. âIâm gonna beat the fuck out of whoeverâs camping out here just on principle for putting us through this McKamey Manor bullshit.âÂ
CLATTER!Â
âFUCKING CHRIST!â Melanie shouted, jumping so hard she smacked her back into the wall. Her heart hammered in her chest, but she was eventually able to calm down and catch her breath. As quietly as she could manage, she crept towards the spot where the hallways met again, eyes black and powers at the ready.Â
Melanie had to squint as she rounded the corner, surprised by a small light igniting in the darkness. A match, brought to Gambitâs lips as he leaned against the wall, lighting a cigarette.Â
He took a drag, blowing the smoke out lazily, and smiling just as such when he saw her.Â
âDere ya are, ma chĂŠrie,â He chuckled, pushing off the wall and walking towards her. âHad ole Gambit tâinkinâ he was gonnâ be waitinâ here forever for ya.âÂ
Melanie rolled her eyes. âYou scared the shit out of me, you know that? What the hell did you knock over, anyway? And donât call me that!âÂ
She sighed and looked down the dark hall. âI dunno, this shit isnât sitting right with me. I read the briefing, but none of this seems like Deathstrike or Bullseye, and Mystique is smart enough to get the hell out of DodgeâŚbut then again, sheâs got to be in trouble if she was willing to shoot Beast.â Melanie ran a hand through her hair.Â
âWhat do you think? Go deeper?â She turned back to RemyâŚand it gave her pause. In this light, with only the ember of his cigarette partially illuminating his face, he looked a little eerie.Â
I didnât even know he smoked, Melanie thought to herself. He must think this whole thing is a waste of time if heâs lighting up down here. Probably figures whoever was here gave us the slip.Â
Gambit fiddled with his comms device. âAinât got nothinâ hereâŚlet Gambit see de map, yeah?âÂ
Melanie swore at the revelation that he was cut off, giving him her comm so he could try the map, and turned back to the hall ahead, trying to focus her powers. âCome on, give me somethingâŚâÂ
She was startled out of her focus by a cloud of smoke being blown over her. She coughed, looking to him.Â
âDudeâkoffâNot cool! Look, I donât like going in circles either, butââ
âAnyone ever tell you dat you tâink too much, cherie?â He said with a smirk.Â
Melanie paused. âGambit. Seriously. We need to figure out what weâre gonnaââ
âOh, Gambit got some ideas, chère,â He advanced on her. âHeâs had plenty of ideas since your pretty lil self walked in de mansionâs door.âÂ
Melanieâs eyes widened. Her blood felt like ice.Â
She was stunned. Backing up. He kept coming.Â
Her back hit the wall.Â
Son of a bitch. How could I be so stupid?Â
His hands came up to cage her in. Melanie had a vivid image of biting out his throat and escaping, like an animal caught in a snare.Â
âWhat? You didnât tâink Gambit was just in dis for a little friendship, eh? He got his needs, cherie.â
Rage blossomed in her heart, hot and vitriolic, like she could suddenly spit acid.Â
âDonât you fucking dare,â Melanie snarled, as if she had hackles to raised. Her face and eyes burned. She knew that blue had become void again.Â
âGambit a tâief, chère. Like de sayinâ says: he ainât got a lick of honor in him.â
Melanieâs anger reached a crescendo just as Gambit leaned in.Â
âNO!âÂ
All at once, he was blasted back, smacking into the wall. Melanie was shaking, gritting her teeth so hard she heard them creak. Hot tears ran down her cheeks.Â
âIâm gonna kill you,â She snarled, unleashing another psychic blast that made him cry out in pain. âIâm gonna fucking kill you, you lying son of a bitch.â Melanie raised a hand to wreak her terrible justice on him. âI canât believe I fucking trustedââÂ
Cold.Â
Melanie blinked in surprise. His energyâŚhis mental signatureâŚitâs cold.Â
Her brow furrowed in confusion. âThat doesnâtâŚâÂ
She focused her power on him, and Gambitâs eyesâoh my god, his eyes. Theyâre different.Â
All at once, Melanie realized something was very wrong. Gambitâs eyes had never been hungry when they fell on her. But now, inexplicably, they were. No amount of manipulation or acting could change that, when it was intrinsic to someoneâs personality.Â
She focused back on âhisâ energy. Cold. Like steel. Hard and cruel.Â
âYouâre not Gambit. No way.âÂ
âGambitâ grunted, gritting his teeth and glaring at her.Â
âClever brat,â He hissed. âGonna run and tell the rest of Xavierâs lackeys that you caught the mutant terrorist?âÂ
âIn a minute.âÂ
He raised an eyebrow. Then he laughed. âOh, my. I really got under your skin, didnât I, girl? I was right then. This swamp rat means something to you.âÂ
âHeâs my friend,â Melanie spat. âAnd my teammate. And you tried to use him to hurt me. Only fair I hurt you back, right?âÂ
âHeh. You wonât get the chance, child. Though itâs nice to see that Xavier isnât recruiting soft little teenagers anymore.âÂ
âAnyone ever tell you that you talk to much, connasse?âÂ
âIt keeps people occupied.âÂ
âGambitâ suddenly produced a gun, suppressor and allâMelanie barely had time to reactâshe heard could almost hear the squeeze of the triggerâ
ZOT!Â
âGambitâ cried out in pain as a card charged with pink energy slammed into his hand, blowing the gun to pieces.Â
Startled by the sudden miniature explosion, Melanie dropped the impostor like a sack of potatoes. Before her eyes, their shape changed, from a facsimile of her teammateâto the woman with blue skin and red hair sheâd seen projected in the Danger Room.Â
âGambit tâink you owe Nevermore an apology, Mystique,â came the voice of the real Gambit from down the hall, the rest of the team in tow. He was more stern than Melanie had ever heard him; he looked furious. âCuz dat dere was crossinâ de line. Oh, anâ a word of advice: de next time you lock a Cajun in one of dese here armories, make sure he canât pick de lock!âÂ
There was a bamf! as Kurt teleported over, quickly placing cuffs on Mystique.Â
âI am sorry we keep meeting like zis, Mother,â He said, not sorry at all, âbut you have caused far too much suffering.âÂ
Mystique scoffed. âSave your speeches. Iâll change into a guard and walk out of whatever prison you send me to.âÂ
âNot unless I take care of you first.â Melanie growled, stepping forward. She could very vividly imagine tearing the shapeshifter limb from limb for this.Â
âNon, petite. Ah ainât gonnâ let you stoop to dat oneâs level.â Gambit said, a gentle hand on her shoulder.Â
âAgreed,â Beast said. âWhatever pain she inflicted, I couldnât stand to see it ruin you, Nevermore.âÂ
âYeah. Iâm not letting Miss Blue Raspberry screw up such a cool person.â Kitty chimed in.Â
âZen let us contact ze support team und see Mystique to ze proper authorities, ja?âÂ
Melanie nodded, her rage fizzling. âFine.âÂ
The flight home was quiet. With Mystique in custody, the exhaustion began to set in.Â
Melanie was cooped up in the back of the plane, idly picking at the edge of her seat, knees drawn up to her chest.Â
Iâm gonna kill youâI canât believe I trusted you!Â
Her words from her earlier rage seem to circle her head like smog. It made her face burn to think about, a cold pit in her stomach for how quickly sheâd resorted to her usual cruelty.Â
I canât even look at him, She thought miserably, He saved me from a bullet between my eyes and I canât even look at him.Â
Shame coiled deep inside her, rising to constrict her throat every time Gambit came near her. She couldnât bear the sight of his eyes; a gaze so gentle and understanding. And what had she done? Turned on him the moment she felt threatened.Â
I shouldâve checked his energy earlierâŚI shouldâve known it wasnât himâŚI shouldâve known that heâd neverâ
âDis seat taken?âÂ
Melanie jumped at the sound of his voice. âGambitâIâsorry, I didnâtâI justââ She shook herself. âN-no. You can sit.âÂ
She turned away as he did, suddenly interested in the wall.Â
Gambit sighed. âPetiteâŚlook, ah donât know all of what happened back dereâŚbut ah promise you, Melanie, Gambit ainât never gonna make you so upset, so long as he live. Or may the good Lord strike him down.â He chuckled a bit.Â
Melanie felt her stomach twist, and she clenched her fists until they stung from her fingernails digging in. She bit her lip hard.Â
âPetite.â Gambit looked to her pleadingly. âMelanie, please. Talk to me.âÂ
âI canât.â She said softly.Â
âWhy not?âÂ
âI just canât, okay?âÂ
Melanie got up from her seat with a huff. âI justâŚneed a minute. Alone, please.âÂ
Gambit look worried, but he sighed and nodded, giving her an understanding smile. âAlright, ma devinette. Take ya time.âÂ
Melanie headed to the very back of the Blackbird, nibbling at her thumbnail.Â
Can I even fix this? FixâŚwhatever it is about him that shakes me up so much?Â
She sighed, running a hand through her hair and sliding down the wall to land in a crouch. I have no idea what to do with this. All the other guys are fine. Even the flirty ones like Kurt. But GambitâŚ
Uhhhh so Iâm getting ready to post Chapter 5 of Quoth the Raven, and I decided just for a laugh to go into Google Docs and add up all my word counts to see how much Iâve written before.
Currently the entire thing sits at 15,846 words.
And Iâm not even to the halfway point gamers đ