The Red Star

Chapter 46

Jay sat in silence as everyone bustled about, trying to forget what was going to be happening in that very building soon. She had a frown on her face and her elbows were rested on her knees. She couldn't believe that Crys had made a deal with death. What was she thinking?! It's not like she was familiar with death.........or was she?
Jay sat up and furrowed her brows. Crys refused to tell anyone what happened to her when she was held captive, not even Steve. Was it possible that Crys had at one point died and been resuscitated ? Her interest being piqued, she stood and hurried to find Matthew. She found him with Peter, talking to Crys, Steve and Moyra in the library.

"Hey Matt," Jay said, "Can I talk to you?"

Matt paused a moment and looked at her and she felt a small chill run through her. He was reading her mind. Jay put her hands on her hips and frowned saying,

"Stop it and get over here."

"Is everything okay?" Steve asked, sounding bothered.

"Everything is just fine." Jay said, grabbing Matt's arm and pulling him out of the room. She dragged him down the hall to the foyer and then stopped and said, "A, stop reading my mind, B what happened to Crys? Did she die when she was kidnapped?"

Matt ran his hands through his hair and he said,

"Listen, you don't want to know okay?"

"Matt she is my sister. "Jay added angrily.

"She's also my cousin and I swear to God that you don't want to know." Matt replied.

"You know what? You didn't even care about us until it became and accidental convenience for you." Jay said.

"You aren't making any sense?" Matt said with a hint of a smirk.

"You really don't want to piss me off right now." Jay said, "You tell me right now, did my sister die during her captivity?!"

"She came to me yes." a smooth and cold voice sounded behind them.

Jay spun around to see a black clothed figure across the room watching them in silence. A pair of white hands reached up and tugged the hood back to reveal the deathly white face of a woman. Her lips were a dark purple which almost looked black. A smile crept to those lips to reveal a straight white smile but one which was cold and almost sinister. Her hair was black and was tightly pulled back in a french braid and her dark violet eyes watched them carefully.

"Death." Jay said, "So pleased you could join us." her tone was lacking any sort of affection and Death chuckled, which sent a shiver through both mutants.

"You don't have to lie." she said.

"So you're Death?" Steve said as him and the others walked into the foyer.

"At your service." the woman curtsied, "I was summoned for what reason? You were not specific in your request darling." she said looking at Crys.

"Deadpool!" Crys shouted.

In what seemed like a streak of black and red, Deadpool appeared.

"Babe!" he said when he saw Death.

Death grinned and came up to him, pressing herself against his chest and running her hands over his masked face.

"Well if it isn't my favorite flirt." she said.

"Now tell us what you know Deadpool." Crys said.

"Well this Doom guy, lamest name I've ever heard," Deadpool chuckled,

"Says the guy who named himself Deadpool." Jay said, crossing her arms.

"He made these robot clones of himself and then was able to make these dorky looking helmets that look like skull caps for all his people to wear so your telepath couldn't read their minds. He's also using this blonde chick to control some humans to get what he wants from them." Deadpool said.

"Like what?" Steve asked.

"Like buying land, I'm guessing to build his base on or train his mutant army." Deadpool added, "He is actually heading to some fancy party in about a week to get to some general and a few heads of state."

"How do you know all this?" Peter asked.

"Magic pretty boy." Deadpool said.

Right as he finished saying this, Bucky appeared in the room and Death spun around to see him.

"Oops." Bucky said, "Am I interrupting something?"

"No." Death said smoothly, "Not at all."

"Um, okay?" Bucky said as she came closer.

"You are pretending to not know me." Death said, coming very close to him.

Jay burned red and stepped forward saying,

" Back off."

Without even paying attention to Jay, Death continued,

"You were Deadpool's runner up." she smiled and pressed Bucky against the wall. She leaned forward and placed her lips on Bucky's saying, "You loved flirting with Death, didn't you, James."

"Alright." Steve said.

"That's enough." Jay said, blades forming over her hands, "Get your mouth off of him bitch."

Death turned around, Bucky pale and silent behind her. She stepped toward Jay and said,

"You are the one that got away. Every time you came to me you left, it hurt my feelings you know."

"What--what are you talking about?" Jay said.

"I'm talking about you wanting to die. All those times after all those years. Why did you stop trying to come to me?" Death said.

"Jay," Bucky said, "What is she talking about?"

"Nothing." Jay said, "She's lying."

"I'm not and everyone here knows it." Death said with a smile.

There was then silence and Jay looked at all of their faces. Her eyes rested on Bucky who looked more than shocked, he looked hurt. Indeed he was, for he thought for sure that she would tell him. He furrowed his brows and Jay made a grunt of annoyance. Her blades retracted and she turned away.

"You cut your wrists and you tried to drink away your life. But you couldn't." Death said, "You did that for years until you stopped suddenly." Death added with a confused look, "Why did you stop?"

Jay looked up from her feet, her eyes brimmed with tears and said,

"You will never know." a smiled came to her as Death frowned.

"There are plenty of mortals for me. One pathetic mutant makes no difference." Death said, turning away and walking toward the door with Deadpool.

"You can't have them all." Jay said, "Not as soon as you'd like."

"And why is that?" Death said.

"Love." Jay said, "I'm not talking about infatuation, I'm talking about true love. The love and loyalty that abides in any meaningful friendship. There will always be love to battle you."

"Ah but you see, love can draw more to me than you think." Death laughed.

"Not when it causes someone to fight you. Plenty of children and adults alike are saved from death because of love. They think they are worthless and alone, each breath they take they believe is a waste of the air that should be taken in by much more important things. But when there is someone who loves them or they find love for someone in that dark chasm of pain that no one understands, it makes life seem like it's meant to be lived. Even when they are able to convince themselves to love themselves for who they are and accept their differences as unique qualities that make them even more special in their own eyes.....they can be saved from falling for you. You may win for all in the end, but you will not be able to take from them the happiness and meaningfulness that was placed in their life because of love."

Death did not speak, she only turned and walked out in silence, leaving everyone in such a state as they could not speak. Jay wiped her face with her hand and looked at Bucky again to find that his blue eyes were misty and a look of indescribable love and sorrow shown on his features. Jay hurried out the back door and down the stairs of the balcony, leaving them all alone, Bucky being the only thing on her tired mind.