18033/Red Reign: A Bargain in Blood

Red Reign: A Bargain in Blood
Date of Scene:	22 May 2024
Location:	Penthouse
Synopsis:	Mary's had her fun with Gotham and she's ready to pack ship to New York...When she meets a fellow Revolutionary in Mystique, she secures herself a new home for her cult...and an invaluable new allyship. Her Red Reign shall continue on, in the Big Apple.
Cast of Characters:	Raven Darkholme, Mary Seward
Tinyplot:	Red Reign

---

Raven Darkholme has posed:
It wasn't uncommon for Mystique to have contacts and allies around the world, she was after all a master of espionage. So when the whispers from her Gotham contacts began concerning a vampire queen claiming her territory there, it didn't take the blue mutant long to plan an approach.

The first step was finding the Queen's location, which proved to take a touch longer that Mystique would have liked, but eventually she was victorious. The second step was arranging a meeting with her Majesty, and the third step was her gift; three very healthy, non-drug or alcohol using gang bangers gagged and hog tied.

Most people would take some sort of car or vehicle, they would knock on the door and wait to be invited in, but the meeting and time had been arranged. At the exact moment agreed upon, Mystique appeared in the foyer of the penthouse through a swirling of white mist, the three gangers trussed up like turkeys beside her.

"Knock, knock," she called out sweetly, as if she'd been there a million times before and they were already the best of friends.

Mary Seward has posed:
Getting into a scuffle with that group of wanna-be vampire hunters set things into perspective for The Queen of Blood. Ever since she got access to Kate's batcave and drones, she'd been taking advantage of her technology. Using her drones to scope out good places for her spawn to feed without interference from the Bats and their friends. Them, she could handle on her own.

But, now matters were complicating. They're stocking up on weapons against their kind, talking about brining in some friends of theirs to take the fight to them. She was able to beat on that team, but couldn't finish them off quick enough...They even got a hit or two off on her. Them getting big guns could be troublesome. Real troublesome.

As she's pacing across the Penthouse, thinking on that however, someone's bold enough to teleport their way in as mist. Usually, that was her M.O.

"...You've got about ten seconds to explain yourself before you're my midnight snack." She narrows her eyes at the mutant briefly, before they trail down to her three...'friends'.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Offering a bow to the Queen of Blood, Mystique indicates the three hog tied men, "A gift for you," she states with a soft smile. "A peace offering for my intrusion on your time, but there is a subject I wish to speak to you about."

She bends down to slide one of the struggling men forward, toward Mary, then straightens herself up. "I am known as Mystique, the leader of the Brotherhood of Mutants. If you seek subjects for your army in Gotham, I am more than willing to assist you in this endeavor. If these three are not enough to appease you, then I will bring you more, but you see, the subject of my request is more important to me then all the humans on this planet."

Mary Seward has posed:
Mary Seward In an instant, she has Mary's attention. "Oh...I see. The Brotherhood, huh?" She had heard of them. Of course she has, You don't go far in immortality by staying out of touch on the world around you. A group of freedom fighters that many would consider radical, just like her. That's something she could respect on a deep down, subconscious level.

"...Alright, I'm listening. I've been through this song and dance before plenty of times...Let me guess, you want me to turn you?"

Raven Darkholme has posed:
A gentle shake of her head sends her fiery red hair dancing around her face. "Oh no, not at all," Mystique replies. "I am already immortal with my own kind of powers. I'm quite content to remain as I am."

One of the three starts moaning through the gag, screaming quietly, so he gets a light nudge with her boot. "Be quiet, the adults are talking."

Lifting her eyes back toward the Queen, but not looking her directly in the eyes, she continues. "I protect mutants, that is my purpose in life, that is the Brotherhood's purpose. We are not humans. We are better than them, we are what they will all evolve into, the next state of existence on this planet. I have come to negotiate with you for their lives, for the mutants of this world."

Mary Seward has posed:
Mary Seward feels an eyebrow go up. This 'Mystique' is a curious one. True to her name. She speaks in a way that Mary herself would speak, appealing to Mary's own biases, whether she realizes it or not. "Oh, I know that feeling, sister. Believe me, I know it better than anyone I've ever met." She brags casually. She can't help it.

"That's really nice to hear and all, but...what exactly does this have to do with me?"

Raven Darkholme has posed:
A small smile spreads across Mystique face. "You are the queen of vampires, are you not? That is the whispers and rumors around Gotham right now," she begins, not approaching, in fact she doesn't move from the location she appeared in.

"What Queen does not want subjects to rule over? Your own personal collection of turned humans to do your bidding?" she gestures to the three men on the floor. "I applaud your goals, I welcome your goals, but you ask... what does my duty to protect all mutants have to do with you?"

There is a slight dip of her head before she lifts it again. "I've come to ask that you do not willingly feed on or turn any mutants, and what the price for this request will be."

Mary Seward has posed:
That's when the room starts to get more tension in it. "...No feeding on mutants." She hisses through her teeth. "..Ah, that's a big ask, Miss'Tique. Real big ask. That's a lot of food being left on the table. Lot of possible recruits left unrecruited...and with all kinds of special skills that I could use."

"She steps closer, looking back down on the sheep dropped at her for slaughter.

"It's definitely gonna take more than three people to compensate for that much..."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique chuckles very softly, "Oh these three are merely a gift for my intrusion tonight. It would be wrong not to arrive without a gift for the hostess."

Dressed in black leather pants, a black leather halter top style shirt and black boots, she keeps still while Mary moves closer to look at her 'gift'.

"I assure you, negotiations to ensuring the safety of mutants are completely open. There are some mutants I know of that loath being mutants, they want to be cured of what they consider a disease." She snorts softly. "This is not a disease, this is who and what we are.

Another smile appears as Mystique seems to think of something, reality is she was already thinking it. "I can bring you all the humans you could want, and as I find and collect the mutants who dared to try and kill me and my people, I will bring them to you."

Mary Seward has posed:
Mary Seward is quick to smile. "Right, right. That's more like it. I can roll with that." She chuckles. Something about a ruthless woman like herself gets her in the right mood. "There's something a little extra, I'd like to throw in, if you'd care to listen." She places a hand on Mystique's shoulder. "You see, here's a little thing, my crew and I...The Blood Red Moon, aren't actually making Gotham our permanent spot. We're actually on our way to New York right about now. We're mostly just stopping here to feed ourselves and build up our ranks, like we often do when passing through a town."

She paces herself around Mystique. "But, see, this city is rotten with costumed mortals so eager to get in our way. As a member of the Brotherhood, you know what it feels like to deal with that. I'm not as experienced..." With a shrug of her shoulders, and a flourishing of her bat cape, she places a hand on one soon-to-be victim's shoulder.

"...I've dealt with a few of them. The rest however, are getting ready to mobilize on me. Even bringing some of their friends over...So, I'm thinking now would be the good time to start skipping town..."

She leans in. "...So, I'd appreciate it so much....as a sign of our close and friendly partnership, if you'd be so gracious as to help us ensure a safe passage way out of here and onto the Big Apple."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
There is no indication of fear in the blue mutant as Mary walks around her, no reaction to her shoulder being touch. She stands there with a relaxed stance, as if she already trusted the murderous vampire. She did not of course, but she had spent her entire life, all one hundred and forty years of it, learning to conceal everything; emotions, thoughts, literally all signs that normal body language and facial expressions would offer.

"So Gotham was your snack, and New York shall be your feast," she says with a slightly wicked smile. "Yes, I know all too well about the capes and costumes, always shoving their noses into things. They are in fact the reason that for too long, the Brotherhood attempted to be... nice." She sneer's slightly at this confession.

"No more. It is time for us to be what we were meant to be," she continues. "And your request, granted. In New York, Bushwick is where they have shoved all the mutants, as if we are some sort of plague to be contained. I would suggest avoiding it, as they have a NYPD Special Investigation unit station there, and from what I have gleened, they are experts against the paranormal, magically enhanced, etc. beings."

She finally turns her head to look Mary right in the eyes. "I can get you into New York, anywhere you wish to go, when you are ready to go there."

Mary Seward has posed:
Mary Seward looks Raven deep in the eyes...

The mutant would be able to tell. Absolutely no attempt was made to hypnotize her. She had earned the woman's respect. Or perhaps, Mary just assumed she had too much force of will to control. It's probably somewhere between both. Maybe, those even mean the same thing to the Queen of Blood

"Consider me ready...Just gotta get the rest of my posse here...They all know where I am. How to come to me...We're all in tune like that."

She steps away from Mystique, her back turned to the mutant. For just a moment, she looks back.

"I hope we come to be so in tune...Partner."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Trust is offered with eye contact, Mystique's way of showing Mary that she knows what the vampire's are capable of. The mutant has had dealings with them in the past, in fact a former lover was a vampire, but she felt it was time for Mary to know.

"I will arrange for your 'transportation'. There is a Brotherhood safehouse in Bushwick you may use, until you find yourself an appropriate place to settle."

She glances for a moment to the three men, they were cattle, worthless to her but their value to Mary was clearly known. "We can work out the details of how many and when, once you have settled into a new home in New York."

Mary Seward has posed:
"Very good, sweetheart."

She pats Mystique on the shoulder. Already, she could see the rest of Mary's flock, come in through the open windows. A few start to crowd around the three bodies.

"...Now, if you'll excuse us...It's dinner time." Her grin stretches wide as she walks over to the incoming blood-bags.

The feeding frenzy shortly follows.