[ A/N: None of the X-Men characters are owned by me, except myself (Kuroi Tori.) with a few Mutant-like alterations.]
**-**On to the show**-**
-Flashback-
"As a last resort, go to Xavier. He will help you." A green eyed woman reached in her bag and removed an envelope. She squeezed it within the girl's hand. "Please."
"Momma, will you coming back for me?...huh momma?" The little girl looked up to her mother with tearful crystal-like gray eyes. She shut the reflective orbs and released her tears as her mother wrapped her arms around her shoulders and back. Her mother's sob filled her right ear.
"I love you."
"...I love you too, mama."
-End flashback-
Tori straneously pulled herself up over the wall. Not enough strength came up with her as she pulled herself up and jump down onto the other side. She landed on one knee and looked up. Labored breathing filled her as she struggled to stand and walk toward the walkway. She paced her steps carefully and pulled on her cloaks hood to keep from being seen. She noticed the camera's from the ground, surveying the area quietly as she walked past them. Strange how she couldn't be detected. The East wing's walk was considered pretty far from how she imagined it and she could fathom that she wasn't strong enough for that 'long journey'.
"This must be it." She wheezed. "The X...Xavier Institute." -THUD-
* * *...10:46AM
Ororo looked through the kitchen window as her hands worked along the dishes in the sink. Breakfast had already been served and 'good cooking' compliments were being handed as each student brought their plate to her side. Her eyes scanned the area of the compound and found something out of the ordinary.
"What is.." Her words trailed off as she stood in silence to examine the situation a bit further. For a moment, the image reflecting in her eyes laid still. Unmoving and 'unbreathing'. When she blinked the image struggled and her eyes struggled to keep steady.
"Professor!" She pivoted and took off out of the room. She rushed past Logan and Scott, Jean and Rogue, Kitty and Kurt, Wolfsbane and Boom Boom, and Amara and Bobby's bedrooms until she reached the professor's office. She left behind a trail of confused murmurs as her comrades stepped into the hallway.
"What is it, Ororo?" Concerned, the professor sat up. Out of breath, Ororo shook her head to calm her nerves. The others who were left behind entered the room in numbers.
"What's the rush, Aunty O?" Evan asked stepping down from his skateboard.
"There's...There's something in the bushes near the East wing."
"Something like what?" Xavier asked.
"I don't know!" The professor turned to the wall of monitors.
"Nothing's penetrated the system. The alarm system hasn't gone off." He checked the security panel within his left hand drawer.
"But there's something there! Please come!" She beckoned. The professor took a moment to consider. He knew Ororo longer than he did the security system and trusted her better judgment.
"Okay."
* * * 10:54AM
With her hands folded against her chest, Ororo sighed as she watched Logan slowly advance toward the figure that laid cloaked, halfway out of the bushes and covered in dirt and leaves. By the looks of it, she must have been there prior to sunrise.
"What is it?" She asked. Logan kneeled near the limp figure and turned it over. His eyes strayed along its features and his hand moved to remove the hood of the cloak. He growled lowly.
"A chick." He explained. *How many more chicks were going to wander into this place?* He thought. He blinked when Xavier telepathically answered that question for him. He placed two digits to her neck and searched for a pulse. "She lives, but barely."
"I suggest we bring her in. She needs nourishments and plenty of rest. Kurt would you do the honors? You're much faster." Kurt nodded and scooped her up as Logan backed up a bit. BAMF!
* * *2:03PM
"So, like, who do you think she is?" The ever-so-curious cat decided to ask. She found a place to sit on the couch as she entered the rec. room. Rogue placed her arms along the back of the couch. Logan eased himself down slowly beside her and Amara. A beer in hand as usual.
"I'm not sure. Hopefully she's an ally." Xavier replied.
"Ah think she's a spy." Rogue mentioned looking around. "Ya'know she did just appear out of nowhere."
"At one point, you appeared out of nowhere." Logan grunted, looking over to Rogue. She replied by rolling her eyes. He smirked behind a sip of beer.
"I hope she's nice." Amara quietly voiced, looking to her shoes.
"She's been through quite a lot it seems. We'll let her rest for the night." Ororo said as she strolled into the room through the south door. A good book in her grasp as she found a comfortable seat near the fireplace.
* * *2:06PM
-Flashback-
"Momma! Momma!" Tori ran down a hall with tears blinding her faintly. "Momma where are you?" As she approached a room, she heard laughter emit through the crack of ajar double doors.
"With them gone, It's only right that she join with us now. She'll have no choice but to." Tori placed her right eye against the crack of the door. A womanly figure stood with her back turned, cloaked, and stood before a man in purple and red with a long cape that draped over his shoulders. "She will be a great asset to us and you know it!"
"Perhaps" The man answered apathetically. "What good will this little child do for us? She doesn't know the power she possesses. You shouldn't have done away with her parents just yet. Who'll take care of her now?"
The cloaked figure dropped her eyes to the floor a moment. "I will."
"But what about the other?"
"Rogue? Rogue will have to cope with having a friend." The cloaked woman turned toward the double doors. Tori gasped and slowly stepped back. Rendered helpless, the double doors flew open and there the figure stood, towering over Tori. In horror, she watched as the woman slowly removed her hood. Red tresses adorning a blue visage was aparent as a fanged grin welcomed her with terror. Tori shut her eyes as her back slammed into the wall behind her. One hand clenched the collar of her dress. while the other forced Tori to look upon her.
"Tori, meet your new mother, Mystique."
-End Flashback-
* * *2:45PM
Startled, gray eyes glowed as they opened and Tori abruptly sat up with a gasp. The last thing she remembered was seeing the Xavier Institute. Then ... nothing.
"Guten Tag!" Her eyes zoomed over the room and settled in a dark corner with glowing yellow eyes.
"I'm not here to hurt you." Kurt reassured her as he stepped into the light. His hands were up as a sign of surrender. BAMF! Tori looked to her side at Kurt crouched beside her bed. Both arms rested on his knees as his hands hung inward. He was always the first to befriend the newcomers. "I'm zhe good guy. The name's Nightcrawler... Kurt ... Zhe fuzzy blue elf. vhichever you vish to call me."
"..."
"Vhat's your name?"
"..." Her icy stare remained fixed on him for quite some time. His tail swished seductively to her deadly silence. Her eyes followed his tail and its motion. He tilted his head and followed her gaze. He lowered his tail and the silence resumed. Her eyes drifted over her sheets and to her stomach where her fingertips pressed against the bandages.
"That vas quite a wound you had there. Luckily, zhe professor fixed you up." He cheerfully nodded.
"..."
"I must be scaring you." He sighed, hanging his head low. "If you need anything just yell or something."
Her eyes remained on the sheets that outlined her legs. She stared at her hands, her dark complexion. The black hair that overlapped her shoulders. Kurt realized that her eyes were the most interesting thing about her. They weren't hazel or blue, they were gray. Almost crystal-like and cold. He turned from his stare and headed toward the doorway.
"I finally made it. I'm here." She murmured softly to herself. Those fuzzy elf ears weren't just there for style.
"vhat? vhat do you mean?" He half-turned to face her. One hand against the frame of the doorway. She looked to him. She didn't think he would have actually heard her.
"Tori." She answered. "My name is Kuroi Tori." She blinked with much apathy in her stare. Kurt's silence began to bother her and his prolonged stare didn't help either.
~It means: Black Tiger~ Her soft voice filled his head. His mind. Now, he understood her meaning. Her name's meaning as his eyes cascaded over her visage. Like Ororo and Spyke, she held a dark complexion. The controversial eyes revealed the stripes of 'the unknowing aura' that a tiger held. The shield when in hunt. The curl-free, jet black, mid-back length hair that covered her head created the sense of grace and poise within her. it wasn't until now that he realized her accent. The translucent French accent that tumbled sweetly from her full lips. Don't get her wrong, she was no angel. No Mary-Sue protege. She was far from the relentless 'share my hate but I look sexy' creations. Well... maybe she carried some looks with her, but that was all. She was never perfect in other's eyes. She would always be mocked and scorned. She needed a place to escape and unwind. A place that would accept her and her ability and she believes she's found it. There was no hiding behind a veil anymore.
"Kuroi." Kurt repeated. With his accent in the way, he found it difficult to pronounce.
"Tori" She corrected. "Please, I must speak with Xavier."She removed herself from the soft mattress and stepped toward him. If he stood straight instead of slouching as he did, they'd be the same height.
"Okay, I'll take you to him."
Kurt grinned as he held out his hand to her. Her hand intertwined with his and she gasped. BAMF!
* * *3:08PM
" I gotta think of a new name for the squirt if she's goin' to stay here." Logan muttered aloud as he opened another beer for the 4th time in one hour.
"Like Logan, you don't quit do you?" Kitty scolded looking at the layer of beers crowding his feet.
"Pipe down, half-pint She ain't stealin' your name any time soon." He chugged the liquid down and moaned in satisfaction. He sighed. "You're safe from robbery."
Kurt and Tori dropped into the room and it immediately fell silent as eyes directed toward Tori.
"Guys! Vhere's the professor?" Kurt looked around at everyone. "Guys?"
"Hi, like, I'm Kitty Pryde!" Kitty squeeled with a wave. Tori looked her over and took notice of her apparel. In disgust, she turned to face Kurt.
"Find the professor."
He nodded to her. "Count on it."
BAMF!
"Like, she was totally like, rude to me. Hmph!" Kitty sat her chin in her hand.
**-**On to the show**-**
-Flashback-
"As a last resort, go to Xavier. He will help you." A green eyed woman reached in her bag and removed an envelope. She squeezed it within the girl's hand. "Please."
"Momma, will you coming back for me?...huh momma?" The little girl looked up to her mother with tearful crystal-like gray eyes. She shut the reflective orbs and released her tears as her mother wrapped her arms around her shoulders and back. Her mother's sob filled her right ear.
"I love you."
"...I love you too, mama."
-End flashback-
Tori straneously pulled herself up over the wall. Not enough strength came up with her as she pulled herself up and jump down onto the other side. She landed on one knee and looked up. Labored breathing filled her as she struggled to stand and walk toward the walkway. She paced her steps carefully and pulled on her cloaks hood to keep from being seen. She noticed the camera's from the ground, surveying the area quietly as she walked past them. Strange how she couldn't be detected. The East wing's walk was considered pretty far from how she imagined it and she could fathom that she wasn't strong enough for that 'long journey'.
"This must be it." She wheezed. "The X...Xavier Institute." -THUD-
* * *...10:46AM
Ororo looked through the kitchen window as her hands worked along the dishes in the sink. Breakfast had already been served and 'good cooking' compliments were being handed as each student brought their plate to her side. Her eyes scanned the area of the compound and found something out of the ordinary.
"What is.." Her words trailed off as she stood in silence to examine the situation a bit further. For a moment, the image reflecting in her eyes laid still. Unmoving and 'unbreathing'. When she blinked the image struggled and her eyes struggled to keep steady.
"Professor!" She pivoted and took off out of the room. She rushed past Logan and Scott, Jean and Rogue, Kitty and Kurt, Wolfsbane and Boom Boom, and Amara and Bobby's bedrooms until she reached the professor's office. She left behind a trail of confused murmurs as her comrades stepped into the hallway.
"What is it, Ororo?" Concerned, the professor sat up. Out of breath, Ororo shook her head to calm her nerves. The others who were left behind entered the room in numbers.
"What's the rush, Aunty O?" Evan asked stepping down from his skateboard.
"There's...There's something in the bushes near the East wing."
"Something like what?" Xavier asked.
"I don't know!" The professor turned to the wall of monitors.
"Nothing's penetrated the system. The alarm system hasn't gone off." He checked the security panel within his left hand drawer.
"But there's something there! Please come!" She beckoned. The professor took a moment to consider. He knew Ororo longer than he did the security system and trusted her better judgment.
"Okay."
* * * 10:54AM
With her hands folded against her chest, Ororo sighed as she watched Logan slowly advance toward the figure that laid cloaked, halfway out of the bushes and covered in dirt and leaves. By the looks of it, she must have been there prior to sunrise.
"What is it?" She asked. Logan kneeled near the limp figure and turned it over. His eyes strayed along its features and his hand moved to remove the hood of the cloak. He growled lowly.
"A chick." He explained. *How many more chicks were going to wander into this place?* He thought. He blinked when Xavier telepathically answered that question for him. He placed two digits to her neck and searched for a pulse. "She lives, but barely."
"I suggest we bring her in. She needs nourishments and plenty of rest. Kurt would you do the honors? You're much faster." Kurt nodded and scooped her up as Logan backed up a bit. BAMF!
* * *2:03PM
"So, like, who do you think she is?" The ever-so-curious cat decided to ask. She found a place to sit on the couch as she entered the rec. room. Rogue placed her arms along the back of the couch. Logan eased himself down slowly beside her and Amara. A beer in hand as usual.
"I'm not sure. Hopefully she's an ally." Xavier replied.
"Ah think she's a spy." Rogue mentioned looking around. "Ya'know she did just appear out of nowhere."
"At one point, you appeared out of nowhere." Logan grunted, looking over to Rogue. She replied by rolling her eyes. He smirked behind a sip of beer.
"I hope she's nice." Amara quietly voiced, looking to her shoes.
"She's been through quite a lot it seems. We'll let her rest for the night." Ororo said as she strolled into the room through the south door. A good book in her grasp as she found a comfortable seat near the fireplace.
* * *2:06PM
-Flashback-
"Momma! Momma!" Tori ran down a hall with tears blinding her faintly. "Momma where are you?" As she approached a room, she heard laughter emit through the crack of ajar double doors.
"With them gone, It's only right that she join with us now. She'll have no choice but to." Tori placed her right eye against the crack of the door. A womanly figure stood with her back turned, cloaked, and stood before a man in purple and red with a long cape that draped over his shoulders. "She will be a great asset to us and you know it!"
"Perhaps" The man answered apathetically. "What good will this little child do for us? She doesn't know the power she possesses. You shouldn't have done away with her parents just yet. Who'll take care of her now?"
The cloaked figure dropped her eyes to the floor a moment. "I will."
"But what about the other?"
"Rogue? Rogue will have to cope with having a friend." The cloaked woman turned toward the double doors. Tori gasped and slowly stepped back. Rendered helpless, the double doors flew open and there the figure stood, towering over Tori. In horror, she watched as the woman slowly removed her hood. Red tresses adorning a blue visage was aparent as a fanged grin welcomed her with terror. Tori shut her eyes as her back slammed into the wall behind her. One hand clenched the collar of her dress. while the other forced Tori to look upon her.
"Tori, meet your new mother, Mystique."
-End Flashback-
* * *2:45PM
Startled, gray eyes glowed as they opened and Tori abruptly sat up with a gasp. The last thing she remembered was seeing the Xavier Institute. Then ... nothing.
"Guten Tag!" Her eyes zoomed over the room and settled in a dark corner with glowing yellow eyes.
"I'm not here to hurt you." Kurt reassured her as he stepped into the light. His hands were up as a sign of surrender. BAMF! Tori looked to her side at Kurt crouched beside her bed. Both arms rested on his knees as his hands hung inward. He was always the first to befriend the newcomers. "I'm zhe good guy. The name's Nightcrawler... Kurt ... Zhe fuzzy blue elf. vhichever you vish to call me."
"..."
"Vhat's your name?"
"..." Her icy stare remained fixed on him for quite some time. His tail swished seductively to her deadly silence. Her eyes followed his tail and its motion. He tilted his head and followed her gaze. He lowered his tail and the silence resumed. Her eyes drifted over her sheets and to her stomach where her fingertips pressed against the bandages.
"That vas quite a wound you had there. Luckily, zhe professor fixed you up." He cheerfully nodded.
"..."
"I must be scaring you." He sighed, hanging his head low. "If you need anything just yell or something."
Her eyes remained on the sheets that outlined her legs. She stared at her hands, her dark complexion. The black hair that overlapped her shoulders. Kurt realized that her eyes were the most interesting thing about her. They weren't hazel or blue, they were gray. Almost crystal-like and cold. He turned from his stare and headed toward the doorway.
"I finally made it. I'm here." She murmured softly to herself. Those fuzzy elf ears weren't just there for style.
"vhat? vhat do you mean?" He half-turned to face her. One hand against the frame of the doorway. She looked to him. She didn't think he would have actually heard her.
"Tori." She answered. "My name is Kuroi Tori." She blinked with much apathy in her stare. Kurt's silence began to bother her and his prolonged stare didn't help either.
~It means: Black Tiger~ Her soft voice filled his head. His mind. Now, he understood her meaning. Her name's meaning as his eyes cascaded over her visage. Like Ororo and Spyke, she held a dark complexion. The controversial eyes revealed the stripes of 'the unknowing aura' that a tiger held. The shield when in hunt. The curl-free, jet black, mid-back length hair that covered her head created the sense of grace and poise within her. it wasn't until now that he realized her accent. The translucent French accent that tumbled sweetly from her full lips. Don't get her wrong, she was no angel. No Mary-Sue protege. She was far from the relentless 'share my hate but I look sexy' creations. Well... maybe she carried some looks with her, but that was all. She was never perfect in other's eyes. She would always be mocked and scorned. She needed a place to escape and unwind. A place that would accept her and her ability and she believes she's found it. There was no hiding behind a veil anymore.
"Kuroi." Kurt repeated. With his accent in the way, he found it difficult to pronounce.
"Tori" She corrected. "Please, I must speak with Xavier."She removed herself from the soft mattress and stepped toward him. If he stood straight instead of slouching as he did, they'd be the same height.
"Okay, I'll take you to him."
Kurt grinned as he held out his hand to her. Her hand intertwined with his and she gasped. BAMF!
* * *3:08PM
" I gotta think of a new name for the squirt if she's goin' to stay here." Logan muttered aloud as he opened another beer for the 4th time in one hour.
"Like Logan, you don't quit do you?" Kitty scolded looking at the layer of beers crowding his feet.
"Pipe down, half-pint She ain't stealin' your name any time soon." He chugged the liquid down and moaned in satisfaction. He sighed. "You're safe from robbery."
Kurt and Tori dropped into the room and it immediately fell silent as eyes directed toward Tori.
"Guys! Vhere's the professor?" Kurt looked around at everyone. "Guys?"
"Hi, like, I'm Kitty Pryde!" Kitty squeeled with a wave. Tori looked her over and took notice of her apparel. In disgust, she turned to face Kurt.
"Find the professor."
He nodded to her. "Count on it."
BAMF!
"Like, she was totally like, rude to me. Hmph!" Kitty sat her chin in her hand.