The Thin Line Between Good And Evil

Chapter 16: Two For The Road

I found the cafe easily, having passed it while shopping, and walked inside. It was the typical hipster hideout with the low lights, soft music, and poetry reading going on in the back. The scent of coffee soothed my nerves as I took a seat in one of the small booths. After a few minutes of silence two familiar figures slid onto the bench in front of me.

"How ya holdin up, Ace?" He flashed a kind smile while leaning forward. I glanced around worriedly before responding.

"You wouldn't believe how unbearable some of these people are. But they aren't all bad, in fact I made a couple friends. I could probably get them to join the brotherhood." I ended brightly.

"Have you gathered the information you were sent to collect?" Mystique asked shortly. Oddly enough, her disguise looked similar to Kurt's.

"No, they don't tell the students anything. The professors all talk to each other, but not to us." I explained with frustration. "I don't know how to get to the information you want."

"Have any of the professors expressed an extra fondness towards you?" Mystique asked her dark eyes boring into my own. My cheeks reddened at the thought of Kurt, thoroughly ashamed of my actions.

"Uh, Nightcrawler has been rather kind to me while I've been there," I admitted reluctantly. Gambit narrowed his eyes suspiciously and I ducked my head. "But uh, I don't think he'd be all that useful." I covered up my embarrassment with my typical blank face.

"Why do you say that?" Mystique asked curiously. Before I could reply a rather large figure approached our booth. Mystique quirked an eyebrow and Gambit frowned slightly. By the scent, I already knew who it was, my blood boiled and my stomach churned as he spoke in the same sarcastic voice I had become accustomed to.

"Gambit, Mystique, what are you two doing in my neck of the woods? Didn't have enough members in your sick little club and decided to leech off of the Professor?" My hands balled into fists under the table and the glass of coffee Mystique had in front of her began to boil slightly. "Alex, you are supposed to be with a group. Those are part of the rules," his voice sounded patronizing and I refused to look at him.

"Well, Logan," Mystique spoke with a sultry voice. "We gotta get recruits some how and Alex here was ripe for the taking." She was covering for me, I realized. But would it work? Logan was quite for a few moments and I began to grow anxious.

"You're going to have to look somewhere else because she isn't interested." His voice was gruff and stern. "Are we going to have an issue or can I be on my way. I have a student to escort," I could feel his eyes on me and clenched my jaw, irritated with his authoritative tone. Mystique flashed me a sharp look as I slid out of the booth.

"Sleep on our offer," Gambit spoke with a charming smile. "Get back to us if you're interested." I nodded slightly and followed a very mad Mr. Claws out of the cafe. We walked to the park rather than back to the school.

"Didn't Professor X send you to bring me back?" I asked worriedly. Maybe he didn't buy the recruitment story after all. He'd decided that I was better dead than risk me going back to the brotherhood. Why was I worried? I could take him, I had before. But never from this close of a range, and with those damned claws I would be minced meat in seconds.

"No, I have something I need to talk to you about." My stomach dropped and I felt my hands start to heat up. "How much do you know about your parents?" Thrown off guard, I remained silent. "Well?"

"My father murdered my mother, remember? You were kind of there," I said snipply. "Oh, but I recently found out that I was adopted," I added lightly. "What's it to you?"

"Well, while I was away I ran into a very interesting woman with the last name Romanov. Does that name ring a bell?" He asked cautiously. If possible, my stomach dropped further.