C H A P T E R   1 :   D E V I L   I N   H E E L S

"They say black cats bring bad luck", I heard his voice whispering in my ear, caressing my neck. A single shiver ran down my spine.

"Well, darling," I answered without turning to face him, "they're probably right."

Hours before

"Dammit." I cursed under my breath as my impatience grew stronger. Not only was I struggling inside of my suit with the late summer heat, I was also exhausted from a day of doing nothing. At least you're working your glutes, I thought to myself. Indeed I was squatting on the roof of a building nearby the jewelry store I was watching. 

I was waiting for the lights of the store to turn off, but much to my dismay the store clerk was taking longer than usual to close it. At this rate I would miss the last episode of my favorite show and not everyone could afford Netflix. Or had a friend that had a friend who could afford Netflix. Really, though, I still had a party to attend.

If there was one thing I didn't like to be late for, it was a party. And, God, what kind of human being would I be if I deprived those fancy rich CEOs' of my delightful presence? For the sake of humanity, I would have to prevent them from boring each other to death. 

A sigh of exasperation escaped my lips as my ears became more alert, ready to pick on any unsual, alarming sounds. I couldn't wait any longer. I didn't want to wait any longer. Remaining unseen, cloaked by the darkness, I took a look at the streets beneath my feet. They were empty and silent, the only lights coming from the jewelry store. Ugh, what was taking him so long? Was he having an affair inside or what? Perhaps with himself?

I held a chuckle and, without making a noise, swiftly jumped of the roof, landing smoothly in front of the store and making sure the employee did not see me. A smirk popped on my face when I scanned my outfit. Believe it or not, in a job like mine, uniforms were very important. My black leather costume was currently closed, but could easily be opened at the front to reveal my favoured cleavage. My cat mask was placed on my face, hiding my features but making my bright green eyes stand out. My white gloves matched my curly platinum blond hair that fell in waves down my back. 

Satisfied with my appearance and relishing on the adrenaline pulsing in my veins, I pushed the door open and entered the store. I loved this sensation, the rush of danger. I worked on thrill and ran in batteries of risks. That was the real reward. Jewelry didn't even matter that much to me, I mainly stole it to sell it and survive in the world of capitalism. Of course sometimes a piece would catch my eye and I just had to stick with it. Some gemstones were irresistible.

But make no mistake, even thieves like me were guided by a moral compass. We had rules and boundaries we never crossed. Mine were:

1. I only stole jewelry. Nothing else. I tried to limit the damage as much as I could and not hurt innocent people, but sometimes, collateral damage happened. Still, elder people and kids were when possible completely avoided.

2. I never, ever stole from those who had even less than me.

3. When and if I was feeling generous, I would help other people in need. I knew what that was. I knew what was like to strugggle and be alone, desperate, and hopeless, and not having anyone to turn to. Not everyone could do what I did. If I really had to live with these awful powers, I could at least use them for something good once in a while.

4. If during my nighttime adventures I saw or heard someone doing something that pissed me off, which included many things but especially violence and assault, I would kick their asses. Simple as that.

5. I never revealed who I was. Behind the mask, that is. Everyone knew the Black Cat. But no one knew who Felicia Hardy was, and I had every intention to keep it that way.

Most of the times, not even I did.

My thoughts vanished once the man behind the counter raised his head and his eyes met mine. Urgh, an old dude, I thought, seems like I never run out of my bad luck. Thank God I didn't open the zipper on my suit. Depending on the watcher, some gemstones were better left unseen. 

I watched as his face displayed his shock and then his desire as he bluntly checked me out. Men are so pathetic. I glanced at his left hand. A ring. Poor wife.

"S-sorry..." He stuttered, in an actual apologetic voice. Ugh, the nerve of this should-already-be-retired-dude. "We're closed."

And then he looked at me as if asking if I was too. I hid my disgust with a dazzling smile and walked towards the counter, where the man stood nervously. Were he younger and I would have actually managed to see his excitement.

"That's not a problem, honey," I let out in a seductive tone that came natural to me. I mentally laughed as he looked down at my chest. Not open, it said. Hopefully he could read. "I was actually waiting for you to close the shop, but you were taking so long I decided to come inside instead."

"You... were waiting for me?" The man asked incredulously, while a small smile appeared on his face. Mistake number one. Never get your hopes up too high. You might end up landing hard on your ass.

"Of course I was, honey." I answered back. His smile grew wilder, slowly letting go of inhibitions. "Now, we can do this in two ways. You either ignore me, go away and let me steal as I wish, or you'll have to deal with my fury." 

"W-what?" His eyes widened in shock, but I knew he had heard. I shrugged my shoulders like the world usually shrugged me.

"You decide, honey. Freedom of choice is important in America, no?"

"But... but I thought... you... me..."

I gave him a smile made from fake compassion.

"Yes, I know, honey, you all do. But look, it's nothing against you. I just lost too much time already and this conversation is not helping. So why don't you go home to your loving wife instead of trying to get some with women the age of your granddaughter? You have three seconds exactly to decide. Think well." I warned, lacing my voice with a threat I hoped he would take seriously.

Like most men, he didn't. Instead, his face became enraged and I watched his eyes dart to the button that would allow him to call the cops. As for the surveillance cameras, I had already put them to sleep.

"I can not let you--"

"I see." I shook my head in understanding and then pretended to turn around, but only as an excuse for me to gain space and balance in order to perform a rotating kick that hit him straight in the stomach. Not strong enough to actually cause damage, but enough to take the breath out of his lungs and make him clash against the wall. His head made a loud bang and then he fell to the floor, unconscious. I surpressed a sting of guilt in my chest. I was running out of food, I couldn't remember when my last robbery had been. I had to do this. Right? 

For some people, there was simply no choice.

Once my ears caught his breathing, I let out a sigh of relief and started breaking the glass that protected the jewels, filling my bag with the most expensive ones, and quickly left the shop.

Using my enhanced abilities, I rapidly climbed a wall, my heart drumming in my ears. The night was mine as I jumped from roof to roof, allowing the wind to carry me like a leaf towards my apartment. I left the bag of jewelry there and checked the clock. 

Still had time. Bring me that party.

***

I rolled my eyes as laughter and chattering from downstairs filled my ears. This party was so boring. What was the point of having a big, expansive mansion if you didn't take advantage of it? Reunite the wealthiest bosses from a bunch of companies and what do you get? The same amount of fun you'd get in a funeral. The worst part was that because I always had to be so discreet and remain as invisible as possible, I couldn't actually show up to people and be the life of the party as I so much loved.  

The only thing I could do was to sneak to where the real deal was and steal as much as I could while they all talked about what they had bought the day before or would buy the day after. Oh, the irony.

Now, you may be wondering why I went to that jewelry store instead of coming here directly. Well, the answer is simple: I had to make the most ouf of each night. I didn't steal when I wanted to. Every theft was carefully planned in order to go by as unnoticeable as possible. For many times I had to repress my desire and urge of adrenaline and postpone it to a safer date. 

The Black Cat didn't appear every night. When she did, she had to be spotted in several spots to confuse the police. And to make the media talk, of course.

No one has ever seen her behind the mask, but witnesses say she's drop dead gorgeous. She will smile like an angel, but she's the Devil in Heels. Never let the Black Cat cross your path were some of their favorite lines about me. I wish I could tell them how right they were.

"I have a feeling you are not one of my guests." I heard a voice say behind me. Fuck, I thought. How did this happen? How did I let someone catch me? I had been so immersed in the wonders in front of me I had disregarded my instincts. Kidding. I just hadn't done this in a long time. Perhaps I was slightly untrained. There wasn't a school or a gym for burglars, and GTA wasn't exactly realistic.

Now, if I didn't solve this quickly, I'd pay the price.

I turned around and tried to look less surprised than what I really was once I saw what was standing in the doorway. Finally some luck. This guy was handsome. Brown hair and brown eyes, tanned skin, just like I liked it. Also, he couldn't be much older than me. And he was already filthy rich. The world was so unfair. If it wasn't, people like me wouldn't exist.

Luckily, he didn't seem pissed off. He looked pleased, like I was the only wonder in the room. Perhaps he had a fetish for devils in heels barging in to his house and stealing his stuff. If that was the case we would get along quite well.

"Thank God" I said, in a cool, collected tone. Rule number one when getting caught was to never let anyone know it wasn't supposed to. Rule number one of being me was to never show what I was feeling. Those two rules tended to work well together. "Because this party sucks."

He chuckled. A smooth, husky chuckle actually came out of his sexy lips. Then he entered the room completely and closed the damn door. Hello there, window. 

Perhaps to create a more sensual environment, he didn't turn any lights on. The room was dark, the only source of light being the moon outside. Even up close he wouldn't be able to recognize me, whereas I, with my night vision, could see him very well.

"Well, that's not very nice, is it? Offending the host?" He questioned, my nose being invaded by waves of his Hugo Boss scent as he came closer. Yeah, my smelling was accurate like that.

"If you're the host," I responded in a low voice, leaning against his exorbitant wooden desk, "what are you doing here?"

This time he smirked.

"Caught me. The party really does suck. I came upstairs to get a breath of fresh air and instead I catch the Black Cat in the act."

"Well, you should be proud. Not many can say they have. I'm not usually this sloppy."

It's still that old dude. The remorse. It's messing me up. You're too soft, my father would say. Never lose that.

Too late, daddy.

"Oh, I'm not complaining. It's hot as fuck seeing you with my jewelry."

So he does have a fetish. Good.

"You know what's even hotter?" I smirked, making my right hand travel slowly towards my zipper so his hungry eyes could follow my movement. Very deliberately, I started to open it, revealing my wonders. My cleavage was suddenly demanding all of his attention, whereas my eyes and senses took the opportunity to analyse the room and come up with a plan.

All women were intelligent. But there were many ways to be intelligent. Seduction was one of them, and I knew how to take advantage of that like a boss.

"What?" He asked, closer and closer, his eyes devouring me before his lips or his fingers or whatever did. 

"Letting me get away with it."

I turned my back on him and smirked. A penny for where his eyes are right now. Let him appreciate a bit what he will never have.

He laughed, and I heard his steps until his arms were trapping me against his desk. All my senses became alert, the hair in my arms electrified. I hated feeling trapped, whether it was mentally or physically. Nonetheless, I couldn't deny even I was slightly excited. I could sense the tension building up, feel his arousal against my back. He wouldn't be able to contain it much longer and I wasn't sure I wanted him to.

"You know that's something I can't do, love."

"What can you do, then?" I asked, very slowly. I could see he praised his dominant side. Let's play with that. 

He couldn't stand any longer. Giving in to temptation, he spun me around and easier than I expected lifted me up onto the desk. My long legs automatically wrapped around his strong torso and squeezed hard. He moaned. Asshole, I'm not doing this to turn you even more on. I'm doing this to test your resistance. To see how much of a fight you will put up with.

My hands immediately clasped his shirt as his lips crashed against mine, his hands going everywhere, rubbing my thighs and my back, going up towards my hair and then down to stop on my breasts. Glad you're having fun there, buddy. 

A moan escaped my mouth as his greedy lips tasted my neck and then went down to my chest. What? I could have some superhuman traits but being immune to a good foreplay wasn't one of them, ok?

"This must be my lucky day." He said to my breasts as if they were more human than I was. The mention of luck, always such a sensitive topic, broke me from my haze and with one last intoxicating kiss I untangled my legs from him, pushed him away slightly and turned around again. 

His hands took that opportunity to feel my waist and then my ass. He pressed me firmly against him, my back against his chest, and made his lips slid freely on my neck. He was so entertained he did not notice me grabbing a handful of rings, earrings and bracelets and stuffing them on the secret pockets inside my suit. 

Rules of the Sweet Art of Stealing by Felicia Hardy:

1. Steal as much as you can as fast as you can.

2. Steal like nobody's watching, even if they are. As long as nobody recognizes you, enjoy the attention.

3. If you can steal, have fun and make out at the same time, for God's sake, do that.

"How is it possible?" He inquired. My legs were trembling slightly, but I could not allow them to turn into jelly should a fight unfold next. "What do you have planned, love?"

"The same as you, I suppose." I responded in that right tone I knew would get him where I wanted. His grasp on me tightened to a point where it could hurt a normal woman, which made any guilt in anticipation I could have fade. I usually liked it rough and tough but this guy was possessive and I had not given him permission to call me his. I wasn't anybody's. For years, not even mine.

"I don't know," He replied with hesitation. "They say black cats bring bad luck", I heard his voice whispering in my ear, caressing my neck. A single shiver ran down my spine.

"Well, darling," I answered without turning to face him, "they're probably right."

Then, free as a leaf, I released myself from his grip and punched him straight in the face.

"It was good while it lasted." I told him as he stared at me, shocked as all guys were when they had a taste of my right hook, his hands going to his bloody nose. He tried to hit me but I easily dodged. Seemed like our little game affected him more than me. Then I kicked him where moments ago he had been most excited. Ouch. He bent over and cried out.

"Don't be sad, darling. Nothing lasts forever."

Especially when you're immortal.

With that said, I jumped over the desk and opened up the large doors of the window while the guy shouted and cursed at me.

I sighed. "Shut up." I grabbed another handful of jewels as he watched powerless. Doesn't feel so good not being in control, does it? "And thank you, by the way. For... everything." At least I was polite. I looked outside, where everything was calm and silent, contrasting with the turmoil within me. Everyone was still downstairs with the same annoying chatter. No one had a clue. 

Time to go. The balcony was large and we were just in the third floor. It was an easy fall. Even if I jumped badly, I'd land on my feet, right?

Without a second thought, I jumped. After all, I had already survived enough to test the popular theory. I was the living proof that cats did have nine lives.

***

The next morning, as I walked out of my building, I felt my mind heavy. Like something or someone was all of a sudden inside my head. My heart started racing, all of me on alert. There was no way this was possible. I've had enough of people trying to reach for my brain. Keep calm. Act like you.

"Well, well, that's not very nice, is it?" I let out, venom dripping from my voice.

I looked around, focusing on my surroundings, trying to understand what was going on. My senses were off. I could usually rely on my gut but all it was telling me is that I had a visitor. A special visitor. I knew there were other enhanced individuals out there, but it wasn't really my intention to run into one. Especially one that could listen to my soul.

"Whoever is there, get out of my head. Now." I snapped in a dangerous tone.

Instead of a voice in my head, a bald man in a wheelchair appeared from the shadows across the street. He was accompanied by a woman with red hair and a muscular guy with glasses.

The bald man talked.

"Hello, Felicia."

I narrowed my eyes.

"Hm, no. It's usually bye, Felicia. How do you know my name?"

"We have been following you for a while now." The old man answered again, while the other two remained silent, observing me. I felt uncomfortable under their stare, as if they were judging me. Especially the redhead. Always the redhead. "Your... special abilities. And what you do with them. You know it's not right. You know you could do better."

His words sank in me and I realized this guy was dangerous, for he knew how to get to me. And then, fear attacked me. Even though I was usually wary and skeptical, I felt like they knew. I felt it in my core.

"Stop reading my mind." I warned through gritted teeth.

His eyes narrowed, as if I had noticed something I shouldn't have, which, quite idiotically, made me feel proud.

"You really are special." He declared, intrigued. If a mind reader was intrigued by me, I must have been doing something right. Even though I had no clue what.

"Aren't we all? Isn't that what they tell kids at schools?"

"It's exactly what we tell kids at our school." The redhead nodded.

"I was joking." I felt the need to state.

"Yes, we know you do that a lot." The woman retorted, seemingly unamused. Oh, well, I guess not everyone could fall for my charms. That was why ninety nine percent of the times I stole from men. The jewelry of their wives.

"We are here to help you, Felicia. To offer you the chance of a better life." The bald man informed. 

"I'm the only one who can offer myself the chances of a better life." Gosh, did I really believe this?

"And look how you've been handling that." The woman spoke again, clear distaste in her tone.

"Jean." The man in glasses spoke for the first time, and Jean, despite pressing her lips, shut up with that simple word. Some people just had that effect.

"Who are you? Or what are you?" I questioned them, looking straight at the bald man.

"We are like you, Felicia." He answered, so serene. "We have... powers. Gifts. My name is Charles Xavier, and these are Jean Grey and Scott Summers. We call ourselves mutants. We have reasons to believe you are one of us. Therefore we think it would be good for you if you came with us. As I said, we have a school, a safe place where our students can learn how to control their powers, find other people like them and where they can feel at home. It's called Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters."

"Of course it is." I retorted sarcastically. I didn't know what to think, whether to believe in them or not. But I had heard about mutants and the X-Men... and these three fit stupendously in the description. But me? Yes, I had powers. But it wasn't something I had been born with, it wasn't in my genes. It was something that had been slowly and painfully inflicted on me, without my consent. I hated them.

But I couldn't escape from the fact that a home sounded good. That even if I was not a mutant I could find other gifted people. That I could learn about my powers so I could control them and prevent them from destroying me or anything else like they had done in the past.

I couldn't run from the certainty I was in desperate need of a change. My life was a mess most of the times. As much as I tried to convince myself, I didn't have a purpose. I just went with the flow day after day. It was fun, yes, but many times I ached for something else. Just... something different. 

These guys came at the right time. It's like they knew. They knew when I would be most inclined to accept. I stared at Charles.

"So I'm guessing you're the headmaster?"

"Yes. People call me Professor X, but you can call me Charles."

"Ok, Charles. What makes you think I would want to go to your school?"

"Your life isn't exactly great here, is it? We can offer you better. You don't need to steal anymore. You can have a real home, Felicia. Tell me, aren't you sometimes afraid of getting caught? That your luck will eventually stop one day? Backfire on you? Aren't you sometimes just... tired?"

I couldn't feel his presence in my mind anymore but still it was like he knew just what to say. I swallowed. I wouldn't deny, I was attracted to the idea. But what if it was a trap? I had been through enough experiments already, I didn't need more. Then again, these ones were nothing like the others... the others came, took what they wanted and never said please. Or sorry.

"I'm a criminal." I retorted, because confessing wouldn't make a big difference for someone with access to our deepest secrets. I wanted to hate him for the invasion. But somehow, it felt like a salvation, and I knew better than to hate my saviors. "What interest could you possibly have in me? No one ever gives anything for free or out of kindness."

"It's time you stop thinking that way. There is so much more to the world, Felicia. Don't waste your talents just because you feel you aren't worth it. Come with us, and we'll show you just how much you are."

 "I'm not... I'm not sure I can trust you." I ended up saying, almost defeated. I didn't know what was happening. It was like being confronted with these three was making my mask drop just like that, making me face some of my real fears. I was scared, and, at the same time, relieved.

"You have good instincts. Listen to them. Trust them. Believe in what they're saying. Still, you will most likely continue to suspect us until you see with your own eyes. Come with us. What do you think?"

I couldn't help but laugh.

"You must enjoy that question very much, I imagine."

Charles smiled. It was the smile of a father, and my heart hurt. I sighed once more. I didn't know why, but I trusted him. For me to trust someone was just as rare as finding a male that could resist me.

"Answer me, Felicia. Please."

I nodded. Okay.

"But I promise you, if this is a trap..." I completed out loud.

"As you can learn with us, not everything nor everyone you will encounter will want to damage you, Felicia. There is good in this world. Let us show it to you."

He was speaking to my soul, saying all the right words. The Devil in Heels was being called by what seemed like an angel.

"One other thing, though." Charles continued. "In order for you to come with us, you must return the jewels where they belong. You won't need them with us."

"I'm a cat burglar." I joked. "It's in my blood. Aren't you afraid I'll steal at your school?"

"Of course not." Charles made a puzzled expression. "Who knows, perhaps is the school, or someone in it, that will steal something from you."

"That's not very encouraging."

"We tell nothing but the truth, and accept nothing but the truth." He stated, and I wondered how could someone put so much honesty in such simple words. "Felicia, will you return the jewels and give us, give you, a chance?"

Yes. Yes. Dammit, yes.

"Maybe. I'll think about it."

Charles nodded.

"When you make up your mind, someone from the school will come to pick you."

"How will you know?"

Stupid question. Charles made an enigmatic smile.

"Oh, believe me. I will."

A/N: Hi guys :) So I recently watched all 7 X-Men movies and fell in love with the franchise, and especially with Wolverine, so I decided to start a fanfic.

English is not my first language, so I apologize for any spelling/grammar mistakes. If you spot one, feel free to let me know!

To finish, I hope you like this story! If you have any doubts, questions, suggestions, etc, leave a comment :)

[ gif made by witchoria ]