Where the Fire Is Unquenched

Posted on Wed Nov 13th, 2024 @ 6:29pm by Kennedy Kelly & Connor Bruin

1,301 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Episode 5: Days of Fortune Past
Location: X-Mansion
Timeline: November 12th, 1990

Connor noticed a sleek black town car pull up quietly at the front gates of the X-Mansion, its windows tinted so dark he couldn’t see inside. A man in a tailored suit stepped out, holding a large briefcase as he approached the main entrance. This wasn’t the typical mail delivery—his crisp attire and the briefcase he held hinted at something more formal and high-profile.

Moving to the entrance just as the man reached it, Connor observed him with guarded curiosity. Without a word, the courier held out an envelope bearing an elaborate wax seal. Connor’s eyes narrowed as he recognized the Hellfire Club insignia embedded in the thick, red wax. His pulse quickened. The envelope was addressed to Kennedy, no return address, no explanation... just the Hellfire seal.

Accepting the parcel with a nod, Connor lingered in thought, wondering what to do next. He weighed his options, debating whether he should open it or keep it sealed. The contents might reveal something important, or it could just be a petty reminder of her connection to that world. After a moment, he exhaled, deciding it was better not to pry. He’d take it to her directly and let her decide what to do.

With the ominous envelope tucked under his arm, Connor set off through the mansion’s quiet halls to find Kennedy. The sun streamed in through the windows and illuminated the polished wood, casting a warm glow that felt oddly out of place against the unsettling package he carried. When Connor finally found Kennedy, he was beginning to have second thoughts.

Kennedy had been a bit of a recluse after the Hellfire Gala, she would show up to class and to training sessions but most of the time she seemed a little hollow and withdrawn. Not that he blamed her, Connor was nursing his own broken heart and he could at least empathize with some of the discourse she was going through. So when he saw her finally reading outside of the confines of her now private bedroom, it seemed like a step in the right direction. Her golden hair caught the light she was sitting in and her curled up position by the window reminded him of a house cat basking in sunshine’s warmth.

“Hi, Connor.” Kennedy felt his eyes on her as he approached so she placed her bookmark between the pages of her current novel and looked up at him with a small smile. “What’s up?”

At first Connor hesitated to give Kennedy her envelope. Everything from the luxurious grade of paper to the ominous Hellfire wax seal filled him with foreboding. But he did it. As he did so, he signed with his free hand. “THIS ARRIVED FOR YOU. IT MAY BE FROM JACE.”

“Shinobi.” Kennedy corrected him with deadpan delivery. She hesitated in taking the envelope from Connor, treating the deep red paper as if it might burn her when she touched it. Once upon a time, she had been excited to see an envelope like this, now it filled her with so much dread and anxiety that it made her sick to her stomach.

“I…” Kennedy reached out and finally took the envelope from Connor but almost immediately set it down in front of her. “I’m scared to open it.” Her shoulders slumped in defeat as she admitted her feelings. “Whatever it is, why is he doing this?”

“HE HAS FEELINGS FOR YOU,” Connor signed. “HE REFUSED TO GIVE YOU BACK WHEN WE CAME TO RESCUE YOU. NOW HIS FEELINGS MIGHT BE HATRED INSTEAD OF LOVING.” He paused for a moment before adding, “I WILL THROW THAT IN THE FIRE IF YOU WANT.”

“I had feelings for him too.” Kennedy admitted while still staring at the envelope. She debated if she should just have Connor throw it away without even opening it, but that unknowing would probably haunt her forever. “No, I’ll open it.”

Kennedy picked up the envelope and opened it with one single, ruthless swipe. She found her personal effects inside, including the photos of her and Jace that she had always carried in her wallet.

“What? Why?” Kennedy examined all the items, it was everything that she had left behind at the Hellfire Mansion that terrible night. It felt like an almost considerate thing to do yet the nature and way it was executed felt ominous. “I don’t understand.”

Like most puzzles, Connor analyzed all the pieces and looked at how to apply them to a finished whole. “HE CLAIMED YOU. NOW HE HAS RELINQUISHED THAT CLAIM.” Thinking for a moment, Connor made an observation. “IT IS SAID IF YOU LOVE SOMETHING, YOU SET IT FREE. IF IT RETURNS TO YOU, THEN IT IS YOURS FOREVER, BUT IF IT DOES NOT, THEN IT NEVER WAS. THIS MAY BE THE ONLY FORM OF LOVE THAT JACE HAS LEFT IN HIS TWISTED HEART. HE LET YOU GO.”

“It feels like a power play to me.” Kennedy said as she recalled all the moves and dealings her father made as a senator. “He has all of this personal information and these items, he could have kept them or destroyed them. Instead he chose to give them back to me when he was ready and on his terms. The way they were delivered, no address or name and the exact same envelope and seal as the invitation. It’s a reminder that he knows everything and I know nothing. Shinobi is reminding me that he’s in control of the situation, that he can give and he can take whenever he wants to.”

Kennedy examined the pictures of her and Jace from the photo booth. The first photo was them smiling together for the camera, next they were making silly faces, the third was a candid photo of their laughter, the final a shared kiss. It hurt her to look at those pictures now, it reminded her too much of the person Jace was, not Shinobi who sent her cryptic mail.

“I hope what you’re saying is true Connor, that this is just his way of saying goodbye but part of me is worried that he isn’t done with me or the X-Men.” Kennedy shook her head and suddenly felt really scared. “I’m afraid of him, I’m afraid that I hurt and wronged Shinobi Shaw and he’s waiting for his revenge.”

“WE BEAT SHINOBI SHAW BEFORE AND WE WILL DO IT AGAIN.” Connor turned resolute in the face of Kennedy’s fear. “IF THIS IS THE BEST HE CAN DO, THEN IT IS NO WONDER HE SKULKS IN THE SHADOWS. THERE WILL ALWAYS BE X-MEN TO STAND AGAINST MUTANTS LIKE HIM AND MAGNETO.”

Looking up at the sky, Connor let out a boastful, single laugh. “Ha!!!” He continued signing to Kennedy. “THAT IS ALL SHINOBI GETS. IT IS THE BEST HE DESERVES. DO NOT LET HIM TROUBLE YOU FURTHER.”

Kennedy smiled at Connor and his optimistic and humorous attempt to squash her fears. Losing Jace hurt and the idea of Shinobi lurking scared her but she wasn’t alone. People cared about her and helped her, they had done as much during the Hellfire Gala.

“Thanks, Connor, I’m lucky to have you as a friend.” Kennedy said while collecting all the personal items Shinobi had sent back to her. “I think I’m going to have some hot chocolate, do you want some?”

The mention of hot chocolate sent Connor’s eyes bulging. He rolled his fist forward and ran for the kitchen before his speech-generating device could speak the word. “YES.”

“Hey! Slow down and wait for me!” Kennedy looked at the red envelope one last time before throwing it in the trashcan and catching up to Connor.

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