Raven Darkholme II

After I showed her my true self, Mystique and I reached an accord. Whether it was because she respected me, or feared me... I didn't know at the start of it. She told me her name was Raven Darkholme, and that she didn't want me to call her Mystique. 

For this partnership to work, we each put forth a condition. 

She asked of me that I'd treat her as an equal. She would work with me, not for me. I accepted that.

I requested her to not fall in love with me no matter what. She laughed it off, saying that she understood why I would request that, but that she didn't need to worry... as seeing my real self had placed a firm barrier in her heart. On her own, she was already a person to not harbour deep feelings towards anyone, especially someone she worked with... but seeing the real me segmented in her heart a mixture of reverence and fear. 

From that moment on, we started working together. She remained as a double spy working under Magneto, although she spent longer periods with me, telling me all the information they could gather. 

About the Mutant Registration Act, Charles Xavier and his X-Men, about the Hellfire Club. Raven was quite insightful, she told me she was quite old, but didn't want to specify her age.

She told me that she understood my predicament with Shaw, my main issue was not to kill him but to take over him. A problem I didn't have any more with her on my side. 

With her shapeshifter abilities, it was possible... and if I had Emma and Jean, two powerful telepaths with me, even more so. 

"I can pass as him until you segment your influence in New York and become the Black King. I can give you Obadiah Stane's shares of Stark Industries, I can do all those things for you, in exchange..."

In exchange, she wanted my help in achieving her ambition, a better world for mutants. A noble ambition I didn't expect of her. 

Charles Xavier is an old gullible cut. He has created a haven for mutants in the form of an academy located in Salem, New York where he teaches mutants about their powers and gives them a safe lodging. This academy is a neutral territory but it is far from behind able to lodge all the mutants in this world... he didn't have greater ambitions.

Magneto, Erick Lenchner and Xavier's lifelong rival. He was a bit more ambitious, hence why she chose to follow him. He wanted a world where mutants would dominate, and although that hadn't been her initial desire, it was better than Xavier's train of thought. 

Sebastian Shaw... only wanted to use Mutants for his financial gain, to become powerful in this world while stepping on everyone, humans and mutants alike. Someone she could never work alongside, someone Magneto also shouldn't be able to work alongside. 

And then there was me. I couldn't care less about their power struggle, I admittedly didn't care one bit about mutants. Emma and Jean were the only mutants I cared about, but her ambitions I could accept. 

We worked together, we kept our promises... and we kept moving forward. Now, I have all the pieces I need. I don't have much longer until the first round starts, Shaw won't be living much longer.

...

"Anyway, that's how we met" I finished my story, a little summary that Raven nodded to while drinking her beer. We were already on the highway enjoying drinks and snacks. The one that seemed to be enjoying herself the most was Jean. It must be like a pyjama party for her.

"Uhmm... seems to me that you're hiding something" Emma grunted, unlike the rest of us common humans, she was having iced wine in a cup. 

"I'm not," I said. 

"It doesn't matter, I'll just look it up in her memories" she smirked, I heard Raven's powerless growling, more than likely she already saw it in Raven's memories... a few 'moments' we have shared. 

I sighed, "Suit yourself".

"So, let's play some games!~" Jean giggled and had some beer, this girl and I shouldn't be drinking but who cares at this stage? 

"What games?" Emma asked. 

"Truth or dare~," Jean said.

"..."

"What are we, high schoolers?" Raven groaned.

"The two of them are" Emma giggled, referring to Jean and me, "So we can play this game... unless you feel you're too old for this?~".

"Oh fuck you..." Raven cursed, rolled her eyes in annoyance, you call it. But she still played, she wasn't going to let Emma win that argument. 

'What the hell are they doing? Truly a bored woman is terrifying' I don't understand why they can't just take a nap or something.

The bottle span levitating in the air, pure telekinetic style. It was Emma who was doing it, I see that her telekinesis has improved a lot since she awakened it. She could hardly use it before. 

"Are you stupid? how do I know you're not manipulating it?!" Raven protested.

*cough!* Emma coughed as if her intentions had just been exposed, "You will have to trust me~".

"Tch who would trust you...?"

The bottle span in the middle of the car and eventually stopped between me and Raven with the end pointing at me, so I'd have to do truth or dare.

Perfect... clearly, she still can't control her telekinesis properly.

"Pft!" Raven held back her laughter, Emma was outraged, Jean looked at Emma wondering why blondes were always so stupid, and I... drove.

"Wait, the way we're arranged... the bottle is never going to fall the way I wanted to!" Emma cursed, should have thought of that before spinning the bottle. 

We were four sitting in the car. Emma was behind me, Jean was next to me and Raven sat diagonal to me. If the bottle is in the middle, Jean and Emma couldn't challenge me, only Raven. 

Jean realised this too a bit later and still wondered why blondes are so stupid, she didn't realise redheads are not that far behind, in my opinion. Not like I'd say that out loud. Also, Raven is a redhead too, but she has blue skin so I guess she's an exception. 

"Let's change the arrangement every time!" Jean demanded.

"No, let's stay like this~" Raven joked.

I was having fun just listening to their shenanigans, guess this isn't too bad.

...

After a small argument, they decided to change the way they sat every round, this is too much trouble for a three-hour journey. 

"So, truth or dare?" Raven asked me.

"Truth," I said.

"Who do you love the most between these two?~" She pointed at Emma and Jean, who both immediately stared at me with such intensity, that I felt their telekinesis lock on me like I was going to flee. Girls... I mean, I don't think I can flee in this situation, but I can retreat. 

"... dare–"

"You can't change it!" Redhead and blonde came to a consensus. 

I can already see it, I'm fucked tonight.