Training Flashbacks
Author's note: Illyana's Cat traumas have never really been explored well. Raised and trained by Cat for several years in wilderness. Then living with Cat for years with Belasco where Cat has been so reduced. Finally killing Cat in a fight to the death. Foster mother, best friend, big sister, fellow victim. Lots of good story material.
Part 1: Berto bitching
"Bitch. How dare she treat a da Costa that way". Bobby and Sam were walking down the corridor in the Boy's dorm wing of the school (the X-Men may have had mixed genders on the same corridor, but not the X-Babies).
Sam lifted his eye to haven looking for strength and wisdom. "Chill Bobby, you sound like Empath now. You should know better. She does that to everybody now who tries a frontal assault. Oh, and ixnay on the bitchay. She's gotten right cranky about such terms".
Bobby glared at his friend. "I have not seen you in chains".
Sam gave an ah shucks look and scratch the back of his head. "You wanr't here. Downright embarrassing that. Girl likes the chains. Count your blessings, least she thinks you're cute. Rahne came back with her legs tied together, like a roped calf, and wearing a muzzle. Lessons obvious, frontal assaults on a bulk teleporter is a no-no".
All good advice, but Bobby was in a mood. "She wouldn't fare so well if it was just simple hand to hand combat".
Sam stopped for a second and stared at Bobby as if he had suddenly started speaking nonsense, then shook his head from side to side as if saying no. "Umm, you warn't here as well. You know Dani and Illyana are in Wolverine's advanced personnel weapons class right? Swords, knives, spears, things like that".
Bobby was well into the beginning of a good rant. "Yes while we are still stuck in the intermediate class as I recall. Just because she's good with a sword does not...".
Sam interrupted "Bobby, she's not just good with swords".
Bobby stopped his rant with an eloquent "Huu"?
"Girls right proper bad ass with a knife. Saw it with my own eyes".
"When was this"?
"Shortly before you's come back. We were doing hand to hand combat practice, Wolverine was supervising. Wolverine was going on and on about reach and how each weapon has distinct advantages and disadvantages and how to exploit them. Wolverine decided to pair people up with dissimilar weapons to demonstrate. Dani had that training spear that she loves so well; to quote Wolvie (Stabbing, blocking, throwing, and quarter staff all in one). He paired Dani with Illyana and then things got interesting".
The boys resumed walking down the corridor to Sam's room.
"The rules were simple. No powers, first kill or disabling strike wins. Anyway Illyana had been in a bad mood all morning and was kind of distracted about something. Anyhoo rather then let Illyana use a sword he throws one of those wooden training daggers, long sucker, at her feet. Dani gets a bit feisty at this point and tries to call Wolverine out on this being an unfair fight. Wolverine's not having any of that, he grumbled tough deal with it. Illyana picks up the dagger and is kind of just staring at it while Dani gets all apologetic about how unfair this is for Illyana".
They both enter Sam's room. Bobby sits in the chair by the desk while Sam sits on the bed.
"So Illyana's just staring at the dagger in her hand and Dani's already apologizing for beating her ass before it's happened. Illyana suddenly gets one of those looks of irritation she gets when she thinks you're talking down to her. Enough Dani, apologize later she says. So Wolvie has them take up positions and says begin. I guess Dani was planning on going easy on Illyana, well warn't but a second or so and Dani's on her back with Illyana on top of her with the dagger under her chin in that move where you thrust up the dagger into the brain. Man you should have seen Dani's look of surprise".
Bobby was marginally impressed by the story so far. "Ok, so she surprised Dani. So what"?
"Well, Wolverine has them start over again. But now you can see Dani's a bit pissed. They get setup and Wolverine says begin again. I guess Dani was now on her guard but was still being careful because she didn't know how good Illyana might actually be. Anyway this time it takes maybe only three seconds before Illyana is inside the spear's reach. She blocks the spear and runs up the spear while keeping it away with the side of one arm; then she knees Dani in the stomach and thrusts the dagger under Dani's breast right where the heart is. Now it's 2 and 0 Illyana's favor".
"Dani must have loved that".
"Yep. Chief was pissed. Now Wolverines watching them really hard like. He sets them up again. Dani's all in this time, right pissed. Illyana she's... she's got this weird look on her face. Like she's not quite seeing what we're all seeing. Anyway the next session take a lot longer, if you consider ten seconds a long time. Same outcome only this time Illyana hamstrings her (fake like, not for real). Wolverine has them do it again and again. Mostly the same outcome in that Dani loses each time and losses fast. I think Dani won three out of thirteen and that's only because Illyana apparently tried to get extra fancy a few times, like she was trying out some new moves or something to see how they'd work against Dani".
Bobby was somewhat impressed. "Wow, I'd have got to see this. I hope it's recorded in the Danger room's video logs".
"It is, but it's locked down now. You need authorization to play it back for some reason. Anyway Wolverine finally says done. Illyana then says something in Russian and she has this look on her face. Like she's so proud and happy about something. Then suddenly the look is gone. Really gone. Now she looks like she's just found out her dog's died. She stares real hard at Wolverine for second and then ports away just like that. Wolverine finished the class and then he wondered off somewhere as well, went looking for her is my guess. Dani wasn't pissed any more, she was concerned".
"That's it"?
"Yea. She was back by supper time. She was real quiet that night. I assume Dani and Illyana had already made up or something by that point as Dani wasn't all prissy like she gets when she loses. Ever since then Illyana's been in the advanced class".
"What did she say in Russian"?
"Ah asked Doug after the class. He said that she asked (Did I do well Cat?)".
Bobby scratched his head. "What the heck does that mean"?
"Ya got me Bobby. Don't know".
Part 2: A few days before (echoes of retrospective happier times)
Logan was searching the estate's grounds. He had on a pair of jeans, hiking boots, short sleeve yellow shirt, a cowboy hat, and a small backpack. He'd given her some time, felt like she needed it; but now wanted to make sure she was... well not ok, but alright mentally.
He could smell her over on the far side of the pond. Her usual scent, plus a fire, plus a rabbit being cooked. He took a deep whiff of the subtle play of scents and pheromones. "Kids upset" he grumbled to himself as he hiked to the other side of the pond.
He came upon Illyana in a small sheltered clearing. She was sitting by a small fire with her back up against a fallen log. She was wearing a tattered and tanned leather leotard that apparently was now reduced to mostly a top and a bottom. No shoes, just bare feet. A rabbit had been neatly skinned was propped up on sticks close to the fire being roasted. Illyana had a long stick in her hand which she was using to periodically poke the fire.
Logan came behind her and downwind. He and did not approach silently, but made little noise.
"Hello Login" Illyana said as he came within 30 feet.
"Hiya kid. Want some company"?
"No. Not really. Want some rabbit"?
Logan walked around the fire and sat opposite Illyana. "Sure, smells good. I brought some black Russian tea". He opened the backpack and brought out a thermos and two cups. He poured two cups full with hot tea and handed one to Illyana.
There was silence for a time apart from the crackling of the fire and the subdued sipping of tea.
"Rabbits ready" Illyana announced as she drew a dagger. The dagger was old, worn, battered. But apparently quite sharp as she cut off a quarter of the rabbit and tossed it to Logan. She cut off another quarter for herself.
They ate in silence.
Logan poured more tea for the both and Illyana cut the remainder of the rabbit in half and gave one half to Login.
They continued to eat in silence.
She smelt of many things. Blood and sweat, blood was the rabbits, sweat was hers. Grief. Anger. Pain. Regrets. Loss. Love. Nostalgia. And hate. Bitter bitter hate.
Logan dangled a compliment as he finished off his rabbit. "Good knife work. Somebody taught you well".
"Yea". Was all that Illyana replied.
Logan gestured around the little clearing. "Better times"?
Illyana just stared into the fire. Finally she whispered, "Yea, but I didn't know it at the time. I mostly hated it then. Now... now I wish it had never ended".
"You lived. She taught you well".
"She"? Illyana looked at Logan with a blank expression.
"She" Logan stated. "Smelled many things back there in Limbo. Ororo for one. Old scents of X-Men, and... some not so old. Never told anybody. Couldn't. Her smell of shame was so strong, it felt like betrayal to mention her. She still smelled like a bit like how she smells now, but time and Belasco had altered most of that".
Silent tears started to leak out of Illyana's eyes.
"I take it she didn't make it".
Illyana looked into the fire avoiding Logan's eyes. "No. Nobody really did".
Logan got up to leave. "You did good back there. She'd have been proud of ya".
Logan left her to cry in private. Some grief's are too deep to share.