Coup De Grâce

Welcome to my Sanctuary Pt. 2

Kayden's POV

I brought Mystique to my home for 2 reasons: One, so she could get to know me better and Two, so I could train her personally, one on one, she needs all the training she can get before she goes out on her own. She is facing a problem different from the others back at Headquarters. She's facing my demons but she doesn't know it yet.

She needs to be trained mentally and physically. She needs to become a lethal weapon. I've escaped from them once and I don't plan on visiting them again. The time has come for her to fight this battle, and I'll just guide her through it.

We're both on the way up to my personal gym -- The place I go to when my anger needs to be let out or when I need to escape from my reality. When I need to be alone I come here, no one is going to suspect someone living in an "abandoned" house. I discovered this house a few years back after I went rogue and found a way in through the roof, cleaned up the rotting animal corpses, and created my ideal sanctuary so I could distract myself from the pain and manipulation I experienced growing up.

"This house is amazing. Only the inside though, the outside is gross."

"Im glad you think that."

Now entering the gym.

I made this room dark. The walls were black the lights were dim and there were black mats on the floor. There were weights of all sizes in one corner and kicking targets, punching bags and a massage chair in another corner.

"First we'll do some warm-ups. 50 jumping jacks and 50 sit ups."

She looked at me and blinked twice. In this very moment I was now mentally preparing myself for a long argument with her. She enjoyed listening to me as much as she enjoyed arguing with me. To my surprise she got on the mat, laid on her back and started counting.

"1, 2, 3, 4, 5......17, 18, 19... 30..." She was actually taking this serious. She did all 50 and then stood up and did 50 Jumping jacks. I told her to do a few stretches and then we would go over self defense. Still no arguing. As she was stretching I went to my closet to grab a few things.
I sent her to punch on the bag for a few while I got ready.

"Come over here. When I hold out the target punch it."

"Too easy." She smile confidently and went back serious. First hit was perfect, second, fifth, tenth, all perfect.

"Let's beef this up now. When I swing at you, dodge and counter." I'll get her with this one.

"When you are going to swi- Ow!!!"

I swung at her while she was talking. I knew she would be mad but she still needs to defend herself while talking.

"That's okay Kayden, Im ready now" she put her hands up and chin tucked. I smirked. How cute. She thinks she going to get through this training unharmed. I swung and she ducked right into the target. Ha. I swung again she dodged it. But left her face open so I got a fast punch in.

"Damnit Kayden"

After about 10 more dodges and a few more hits to the face, we started self defense.

"What's does the paper on the wall say behind you?" She turns around to read the paper.

"This is a....distraction?"

Mystique's POV

"....Distraction?" Wait what??? With no time at all to think, Kayden big arms were already choking me, cutting off my breathing. I couldn't panic, it would make it worse. His left arm was across my neck and his right arm holding the back of my head. I did the first thing that came to my mind.

"Ah!" I stomped on his foot.

I stomped on his foot and his grip loosened, giving me an opportunity to elbow him in his side and take him to the ground. I stepped behind his leg, grabbed his hair and forced him down. The I had momentum was used against me sadly, and he reversed the takedown. I was stuck, but I wasn't done yet. He began talking, but of course I wasn't listening. I was looking for a weak spot or any way out.

"Nice try. Good effort with the foot stomp but you need to make sure that you dont shift your body weight too much when bringing..."

I got an idea.

I lifted my kneed and aimed it towards is inner thigh -- or so I thought. Oops, oh well.

"Ahhgk! Okay okay, you win. Im done."

I hit him in his -- and watched as his face balled up and he grabbed his area, got up slowly and walked away. Apart of me wanted to laugh and apart of me was concerned.

"Kayden?" *no answer* "Kayden!?"

I looked out the doorway but no sign of him. I guess he ran and hid somewhere with his tail tucked between his legs covering his little ouchie.

I decided to go back to the puncing bag to practice some combinations. As I was punching -- "left, right, duck, uppercut, left." -- I heard a sound in the house. It souded like glass breaking downstairs. I stopped to see what it was.

"Kayden, is everything okay?" I walked down the stairs and seen Kayden by his small plants. I also seen a glass of ice cold tasty water that I was in great need of at this point. I ran to the glass and picked it up.

"Stop! Don't drink that."

"But im thirstyyy, I neeed it."

"Mystique, that is a highly toxicated liquid with many chemicals and if you even take a drop of it.. you will not live to see another day."

You've got to be kidding me....

"If it's that bad Kayden, then why leave it on the counter looking so cold and tempting and delicious" I said while looking at it.

"Because it's just water, why else?" He turned back around and continued with hus garden.

I didn't know what to think now. I wanted to drink it but now Im not sure whether its water or not. I mean it looks like water. Should I just drink it. I'll drink it. I took a long sip of it and the glass was half empty when I was done. Kayden turned around and looked at me with a smile. All of a sudden I started choking. I was coughing really hard and fell to my knees. I reached my hand out towards Kayden and he ran over. I watched as he grabbed my hand and repeatedly asked if I was okay. I shookem my head and tears rolled down my face, and then a pain grew in my stomach.

"Mystique!" He yelled and tried to help me to my feet. I watched as the panic grew in his body. He really does care. The second he turned around to get something, I wiped my fake tears away, stopped coughing and stood there and waited.

"Don't worry, I'll....." he stood there and dropped the towel he had grabbed.

"It was just water, why are you panicking?" I said with a straight face. 

"You were choking and you reached out for .. *sigh* Okay, very funny." He walked away and grabbed his jacket and keys. He put his jacket on and went to open the front door.

"Time to you back to your place. We'll be back here soon for more training so be ready."

I picked up my stuff, including the water and walked out the door. Kayden turned off all the lighted and exited. The house ws back to looking old and dirty. We both went down the stair and back to his motorcycle. He had stopped though. He was just standing and looking around very intensely.

"What's wrong?"

*clears throat* "Nothing. Just thought I heard something move in the bushes."

Noboby knew where he lived, so nobody should be here. It was only him and I that knew about it, not even Jax. He walked to the bike and got on, I followed. He took one last look around, put his helmet on and we finally rode off.