Disclaimer thingie: Marvel owns the X-Men and all of their relatives. BBC/Lionheart own Doctor Who and Ms. Sam-Jones. Highlander is, iirc, owned by Rysher Entertainment. Buffy is owned by Joss Whedon (all hail the Master) and Fox/WB.
Marya, otoh, is mine. And, as a friend said, "If I discover any of you jabronis using Marya, I will take your little fanfic, spellcheck it real nice, save it in .txt format, turn that sumbitch sideways, and stick it STRAIGHT UP YOUR CANDY-ASS!"
PG13/R for swearing and some nastiness.
Notes: as before, I really *have* been coerced into mucking about with X-history. *narrow-eyed glare at a certain EvilKitten*
Dedication: To Lynxie, for co-plotting, kicking my ass for more and dragging in extraneous suggestions. Tap, is in there, too, as SHE helped Lynxie kick my ass into gear for writing it. KayJay and AliciaMc, however, are to be given the kudos for originally spawning the idea. And, Mitai, just 'cause.
Oh, and this is one of those Guess the Author thingies... What, you REALLY thought my name was Suzy DeZorga? Gad, you people are wierd.
The Rise and Fall of the House of DeZorga
Chapter Four: Of Secrets and Impressions
by Suzy DeZorga
I hadn't liked the way Xavier had phrased that. Almost as if he knew who it was and wanted something Very Bad (tm) to happen to them. I skidded around one corner and grabbed a doorway to loose some of the speed, then around another. And so on until I was skidding into the foyer. Unfortunately, I miscalculated and found myself tripping on the rug and flying through the air to slam into someone.
We went down hard. My lungs decided they hated me and stopped working for a moment. An elbow shoving into my sternum made them change their minds and I wheezed and rolled off of the person. For an instant, I felt an extreme feeling of recognition. Almost like I'd run into someone from a past moment in my life.
The first thing I heard was a female voice suddenly cursing vociferously. Next, I saw the hair. "Oh, shit. Jean?"
"I am NOT that stupid yuppie COW." The head turned to glare at me. Green eyes blazed extreme annoyance at me.
"Fuck. Don't hit me?" I shifted backwards, scrabbling away from the angry woman. Now that I'd seen her closer, I knew she wasn't Jean. It was just the hair, and the eyes, and the voice, and-- I stopped that train of thought and took in the X-crowd.
They surrounded us in various states of shock, amusement, anger, and battle-readiness. I blinked up at Bishop who was training a large gun on the both of us. "Bish?"
"Yes, Marya?" He didn't move.
"Could you maybe point that somewhere else? You know, in case it accidentally goes off?" I shifted to my knees, then stood. For an instant I swayed, then I was fine. The sedative's side-effects had finally worn off and I was as lucid as ever. Gotta love adrenaline rushes.
"Yes, Bishop, the man with the inadequacy problem, could you point that, oh, maybe at the cow attempting to marry my husband?" The syrupy sweetness of the woman's voice nearly sent me into hysterical giggles.
"Stand down, Bishop. I don't think our visitor wishes any of us harmed." Xavier wheeled forawrd in his chair. He barely glanced at me, more focused on the 'visitor' than anything else.
The intensity annoyed me. I turned around and held out a hand. "Hi. Sorry about that. Marya DeZorga."
She stared at me for a moment, then snickered. "New, aren't you?" She didn't shake my hand.
"Yeah." I tilted my head to the side and let my hand drop. "And you are?"
"Madelyne Pryor." She turned to Charles. "Hello, Chuck. Not that I came to see you. Hell, not that I came to see ANY of you. Well, almost none." She looked at the crowd and smiled. "Ah, there you are. How are you, Nate?"
I raised an eyebrow. "You came to see Nate?" I looked over at Nate, who was actually looking a bit uncomfortable. "Why?"
"It's Christmas," she snapped. "He's my son, why *shouldn't* I bloody well see him?"
"Son?" I blinked. My world view had just gotten a bit of adjustment. The young, nubile young woman was at LEAST ten years younger than the hulking Nathan Summers. Summers, again, I could never get away from them. And, that meant -- "You're Scott's wife."
"Yes." She narrowed her eyes and looked at Scott, who squirmed. "It should be ex, but I was sort of dead for a while, so the divorce never got finalised."
This put a whole new light on certain things. Although, one was still bothering me. "So, if you're Cable's mum, why's he got Jean's DNA?"
"Because she's my god-forsaken clone." A voice said brittlely.
"Always nice to know my template appreciates me."
I looked at Grey, then the rest of the X-ers and moved so that I was semi-shielding Pryor with my body. "Well, it's Christmas. A time for families--"
"Oh, is that why Forge brought that whore with him?" Jean smiled sweetly and unpleasantly at me. "I noticed you get on well. Is it fun fucking someone who can change their equipment in the middle of it?"
My eyes widened. Miss Prim and Proper was gone. In her place was the Bitter Hag. Grey had teeth and claws and wasn't afraid to use them.
"JEAN!" Scott grabbed his betrothed and turned her, shaking her. "What's gotten into you? Stop this!"
"I-I." Her face crumpled and she threw herself into his arms, crying. "I'm tired, my love. Take me home."
I knew what she considered home. She and Scott lived together separately from the Mansion in an old boathouse on the lake. I was very unimpressed with her display of temper. And, I must have projected that, because she turned and glared at me, all traces of tears gone. "And I've read your file, you bitch. I know what you've done. They don't," she waved an arm at the assembled crowd, "but I do."
"Really?" I asked conversationally, wishing I had something to lean against so I could cross my arms and look boredly unconcerned. "Then tell them."
She seemed to deflate a little, then rallied. "Fine. I know it was you who hacked the Pentagon. After all, you're so proud of it, and let it go into your file." She seemed triumphant, as if that was something to be proud of.
Not that I was all that proud of hacking the Pentagon. Even though the reason had been a good one.
Cable coughed from the crowd, I glanced at him and caught the sight of Dom elbowing him. Both of them knew of that job, just as both knew the reasons for it. Hell, so did Raven and Logan.
It was Xavier that answered Jean, though. "Jean, I think you're seriously over-stressed. You should go lay down and rest for a while."
"But, she--" Jean was nearly shrieking. "She did that, and you don't care?"
"Actually, I already knew," Xavier said calmly.
"But she's DANGEROUS, Charles."
"At least she's a security risk for OTHER people when she's with us."
"BISHOP?!" I blinked, too. After all, until that moment, I had no idea the large black man liked me, let alone thought it was good that I was evil to his enemies.
"He's right." Rogue shrugged and moved to pat Jean on the arm. "You're stressing too much, hon. She's working on our side."
I blinked again. Apparently, the X-Men had, as one, decided they liked me. That was weird. Usually, it takes another week before everyone likes me. At least, it had taken two weeks with the Avengers. I frowned. The Avengers...McCoy.
"FINE." Jean's voice could have frozen hell. "I see you're all determined to ignore the fact that this woman is a dangerous spy and should be in jail. *I* am going away from her presence before she manipulates MY mind." With that the redhead whirled and flounced from the room. Scott gave us all a slight worried look, then ran after her, like a good little puppy dog. I didn't like that image, though.
"I take it this is a once a month thing for her?" I asked dryly, slowly relaxing from the battle-ready stance.
"She always like that. We blame it on her inability t' get laid more often," Remy replied.
"Thanks, Gambit. There goes my plans for ever eating lunch," Madelyne said, with a look of distaste. Several of the X-Crowd were fighting grins and laughter.
"Maddie, you don't need to eat," Remy pointed out, with an insouciant grin.
She snorted. "Damn. I don't? Too bad."
"Don't need to eat?" I raised an eyebrow. "Why not?" I paused and my stomach rumbled alarmingly. "'cause, I certainly do."
As if that was a pre-arranged signal, people began dispersing. Storm wandered over to me and gave Maddie a cold look. I noticed Raven grab Forge's arm and laugh throatily at something. My lips twisted into a smile as we trooped down the hall.
"What is so funny?" Madelyne had stuck with me, apparently deciding that she liked me. That, or maybe the look Dom had given her had convinced her that sticking by me, her one protector, was a good idea. As neutral as the look had been, I had the feeling Dom was trying to decide, and that Nate was talking to her about it through their link.
"Raven and Forge." I smiled more, feeling happy all at once. "They're so cute together, don't you agree, Ororo?" I turned to the Weather Goddess and caught something in her eyes that made me guess I'd just set back any friendship we might have by a thousand years.
"Yes," she said softly. "If you'll excuse me." She nodded to both of us and turned away, leaving the hall for parts unknown.
Madelyne snickered.
"What?"
"You didn't know?" She shook her head at me. "Back when I was hanging exclusively with these idealistic fools, Storm and Forge were an item. Or, would have been if she'd've gotten off her Goddess-cratic ass and told him."
"I only just got involved with them. Didn't know that." I sighed. "Great. So, what other things do you recommend I not do?"
"Oh, no. You're on your own, hon." She smiled sweetly at me. "Just like I was."
"Not even a little bit?" I gave her my best impression of Anime eyes.
"No." She snickered. "Besides, it'll be more fun this way."
"Oh, thanks," I said dryly. "That makes my day allll better."
---
Later that evening, after I'd left Betsy taking Maddie in hand, I sat cross-legged on the floor of my room and meditated. Every evening, I tried to do this sort of thing. The object is to strengthen my mental abilities and give me a moment of peace to recharge in. Slipping into a trance, I opened my eyes and looked at the shields surrounding me. They shimmered at me, blue and green, silver streaking through in strands.
I reached out mentally and played with them, twisting them, stretching them. Around me, I could suddenly sense emotions. No pictures, or words, just feelings. Anger, joy, happiness, a bit of rage, and a few blank spots I took to be telepaths well-shielded. The normal mix I'd assume a house full of people would produce. Especially since some weren't happy with some of the others.
Old friends, new friends. People who hated each other or liked each other. Enemies, lovers, friends...
Old friends...The thought drifted through my head and I remembered Will, suddenly. It had been ages since I'd thought of him. We'd been lovers, back in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. Our affair had been wonderfully torrid, just what I'd needed at the time. And it had been an affair. He was married, you see.
Not that I'd cared. I found myself smiling, suddenly. Will had been special. There were times when I missed him. I abruptly realised that Scott, oddly enough, reminded me of Will. I wasn't sure why, though.
I shook my head, trying to dislodge thoughts of old lovers and things fell into place. McCoy. And the Avengers. I'd met him, once. It had been a very fleeting meeting, and I rather doubt he'd remember me. But I remembered him. And, the personality flash I'd gotten then did NOT match the flash I'd gotten from him just a short while ago.
Ergo, McCoy wasn't McCoy, I wasn't sure -- my brain slid into another pathway and I was suddenly deluged by those split-second memories. Memories of a place not ours, of a world destroyed. A world where Apocalypse ruled, and McCoy experimented happily on his fellow mutants.
I snapped out of the trance, shaking. It was a world I recognised. I'd thought it was a dream. But I'd lived it. And I didn't want anything from it to destroy what was here.
Not that I was ever certain those memories were real. At times, they felt like the dreams of someone else. Other times, like now, they felt as if they'd happened yesterday.
It was in this pensive mood that I went in search of Remy.
---
"Remy?" I was sort of leaning against the door to his room, knocking would alert more people to my presence. People like certain auburn-haired women who had a thing for my old friend.
Movement, then the door cracked open and Remy stared out at me. "Yes, Lou -- Marya?"
"Remy, you can still call me Louisa," I said softly, backing up and pondering the options. Chat in his room or mine? Mine, at least, had mental shields already set up for activation. Still...
He just looked at me for a moment, then opened the door wider, shrugging. "If you say so."
I ran a hand through my hair and chose a third option. "Look, there's something I need to ask you -- could we go for a walk outside?" Actually, I realised, that was a brilliant idea. Logan needed to know about my suspicions, too.
"Jus' a moment."
The door closed again and I heard him rummaging around, then it opened again and he had a shirt on. It suddenly occurred to me that I wasn't attracted to my old friend in the least. How else to explain the fact that I hadn't actually realised he was half-naked?
I shook my head and led the way through the various halls of the mansion. A side door let us out onto the south lawn. Ahead of us, I could see a glimmer that made me think of water. Had to be the lake I hadn't bothered to check out yet. Nearby, though, were trees. Perfect.
We stayed silent until we'd entered the perimeter of the trees. As we crunched along, the leaves delightfully in that brittle-crunchy state, I finally started. "Remy...Did anything happen recently with McCoy?"
He blinked at me. "He be a bit more quiet, more buried in 'is work."
Mentally weaving a field of silence around us -- crunching leaves are a wonderful muffler, I sighed. "Remy, I think something happened to him."
"Oh?" He was suddenly densely neutral. I blinked up at him and halted.
"Yes." I leaned against the tree next to me and pondered how to put it, precisely..."When in doubt, tell the truth," I muttered. "Remy, I caught a flash from him, earlier, when I shook his hand. I...I met McCoy, once. He'd come back to the Avenger's Mansion one Christmas. We shook hands, and I got a telepathic imprint from him. Just one of the thousands I've got stored from myriad handshakes, touches, etcetera."
"Where you be goin' wit' dis, Louisa?" He didn't sound impatient, just...Wondering.
"The man I shook hands with this morning is a different person."
I waited the silence out as he processed that and watched me carefully. "Why?"
"When the Shi'ar M'Kraan crystal shattered for a millisecond, a new universe was born. I lived that universe, and, in my nightmares, I remember it." I shuddered. "The place was horrible. But, Remy, it was a parallel to this one. Every X-Man was duplicated. Including McCoy." I looked at him, checking to make sure he was following me. He was. "I think that he -- found a way, somehow, and came across to this universe." I shivered. "I just hope he was the only one."
"He wasn't," a voice rasped from above me.
I jumped, then glared up at Logan. "Oh? And just how do you know this?" I knew it wasn't because he was from that universe.
"There was a boy. A few weeks back he had an argument on the astral plain with--"
"Xavier," I cut in, paling. I remembered, now. I'd woken out of a sound sleep to find the astral plain around me, shuddering. "They tore it to shreds, you know. Power of that magnitude and all they could do was destroy." I snorted. "So, the boy is..." My eyes widened in shock. "He's Nate, isn't he?"
"Yes." Gambit looked at me, then Logan. "De chere here, she t'ink dat our Henri is not de right one." "I caught that, Cajun."
I snorted. "I don't THINK, I KNOW. Psychic imprints don't lie."
"Neither do noses." Logan dropped out of the tree. "I knew he smelled wrong, but I wasn't sure why."
"The McCoy in the other universe -- he was a genetic manipulator. Maybe he made up pheromones that duplicated the real McCoy's?" I winced at the horrid pun, but continued. "Either way, I'm betting the real Henry is alive. Maybe not well, but alive."
"I t'ink she be right." Remy lit a cigarette and puffed for a moment, gathering his thoughts.
"If I am right, we need to get his location from our erstwhile 'chum'." I absently checked the mental and aural cloaking around us and found it still stable. There was, however, someone approaching us rapidly.
Logan stiffened, and then relaxed. Remy raised an eyebrow. "Who be comin'?"
"I am." Madelyne stepped into the clearing and snorted. "Nice gathering you have here." She glanced at me, "Remember next time to not use Garbage's 'Stupid Girl' as filler noise for your brains. If you have them."
I laughed and reached into the folds of my shields and made some adjustments. "There, that better?"
"Yes." She raised an eyebrow, "So, what are you plotting and why didn't anyone tell me?"
"McCoy isn't our Henri."
"Oh, what a shock," Maddie snorted. "And you're just realising this?"
I blinked at her. "You knew?"
"Well, not knew. Guessed is a better word." She glared at us. "Oh, come on. You know how I was reborn in this universe. Of COURSE I mind-scanned the little brat that did it."
"Had a lot of memories of that universe, didn't he?" I asked softly.
"Yes." She snorted. "Although I wasn't pleased to find that his mother there was that cow, Jean."
Snickering, I leaned back against the tree again. Obviously, Madelyne's hatred of Jean was very deep-seated. Enough to give any woman lusting after her husband pause. But that was a thought for a later date. A date when I wasn't dealing with an evil geneticist impersonating a much nicer man. And his plans for world domination. I hoped this was the threat Fury's people had foreseen.
In short order we'd decided to have a chat with McCoy and proceed from there. I suggested we get Braddock's help. Maddie agreed, Remy and Logan agreed and also suggested we get Lorna and Nate. I blinked, but agreed. I knew Dom would end up along with us, that was a given where Nate was concerned.
---
"To what do I owe this nocturnal visit?"
It had been late evening before we'd decided on a strategy. I went in, alone. "Just wondering something..." I paused and stepped further into the lab. State of the art equipment dotted the benches and shelves. Slides sat on every available surface. Currently, there was one in the electron microscope. And I recognised what it was. DNA. Mine, to be exact. Hard to mistake it for anything else, of course. "Just wondering why you're looking at my DNA."
He blinked at me, then shrugged, "I was hoping there might be a cure for the Legacy virus in it."
Shit. He knew. Or, at least, it looked that way. I shrugged and chuckled. "Nah, I haven't had the vaunted virus, yet." I moved to relax against one of the counters. "So, let's dispense with the pleasantries, shall we?"
He blinked, then smiled toothily. "Oh, good. A woman of sense."
"Indeed." I nodded and smiled sweetly. "What have you done with him?"
"Ah, the penultimate question." He looked at me calmly. "And what makes you think I'll tell you?"
"Dunno. What's the ultimate question?"
"Please let me live?" he opined before moving. He was fast, I'll give him that. But he wasn't me.
Telekinetic bands snapped into place around him, one arching over his mouth and nose. "Cutting off your oxygen supply is bad for your brain, right?" I straightened and began walking around him, studying him clinically. "Not that it matters. I think it'd be fun to see what it does to your brain." I leaned into him, ignoring his futile struggles. "Where is he?"
For an instant, I saw something that might have been fear in his eyes, then hatred blazed out. And something else. Triumph.
The triumph was my only warning before something slammed into the back of my head and everything went black.
I refrained from swearing as I woke up. My head ached, probably from where someone had hit me with a bench. Or had it been a door? I wasn't sure, it had just *hurt*. I couldn't have been out for long, because, currently, I could hear the faux McCoy congratulating his rescuer. Although my hands were tied behind my back with what felt like electrical cord.
Grey, my mind guessed. The stupid bitch had no idea what she'd done. Of course, I was now pissed and ethics aside, I needed to know where the real Henry was. "Hey, Grey," I rasped.
"Oh, awake are you? Good. Do try and resist the restraints on you, I'll enjoy the struggling."
"Whatever." My eyes drifted closed and I dropped my shields. For an instant there was silence, then a cacophony of noise and emotion. Hate from Grey, smugness from McCoy. Outside, a few metres down the hall, I could feel Remy's worry and Logan's complaisence. Nate, I could vaguely sense as a null, and next to him, Dom and Maddie and Lorna. Betsy was shielded. Further away, I could sense the rest of the mansion, but I ruthlessly shunted those away from me and turned back to Maddie. #Maddie.#
#What?# She sounded cross, #Did the bitch get you?#
#Yes. I've tossed caution to the wind.# I felt her link in with me and reached out to McCoy. #Here little despotic evil geneticist bastard...#
She snickered.
#Ah, there he is.# I reached out and dove into the mind of the man. For an instant, there was nothing, then I heard the surface thoughts. 'Listen to this stupid fool, little does she know...' 'I wonder if they'll let me use her DNA? It's so lovely and twisted...' Mine, I was assuming.
So far, he hadn't detected the entry into his brain. But I still hadn't-- #There.#
#Core memory. Damned bastard has a lot.#
#Yeah.# I reached out and grabbed them. All the memories, loves, hates, days and years of Henry McCoy, late of a dark universe. They spilled into my mind and Madelyne's, filling us with him until we wanted to fight back. But we didn't. We needed the information, the location -- #You okay?#
#Yeah. Stupid bastard has a ton of memories.#
#Yes. Get the others in here, if you would?# I reached out, slowly reinstating my shields. I'd pay when I finally slept, all those people's memories would make for lots of dreams. But for now, I needed to sort the info while the others took care of Grey and the McCoy impostor.
#Right.# A moment passed, then the door opened. "Grey, you supercilious bitch."
"Madelyne? What are you -- Nathan!"
"Hello, Jean. Please leave. We have a few things to discuss with Mr McCoy." Nate sounded exhausted. Since that was a normal thing for him, I wasn't too worried.
A sound near me alerted me and I rolled, falling off the lab bench and landing under the table. "Ouch."
"McCoy, that was stupid." Dom.
"Nice to know the cavalry's arrived," I croaked, cracking my eyes open and staring out. My view was limited, but I could see Jean and Maddie glaring at each other while Dom, Nate and Lorna cornered the impostor. I wasn't sure where Logan and Remy were, much less Betsy.
"Have you the memories?" Betsy slipped under the table with me and began untying my hands.
"Yeah. Think we can get out of here intact -- before Grey pulls the house down around our ears?" I slipped into a kneeling position and rubbed my wrists, wincing.
"If the others do their parts. Yes."
"Good. I'm going to go play with memories." I curled into a cross-legged position and tranced down without waiting for her answer. I trusted that she'd stay as guard over me.
The morass of memories bubbled in my mind's eye for an instant, then I was falling into them. No matter what you hear, reading someone's memories isn't like watching a movie on a VCR. You can't stop and fast forward, or rewind. And they aren't always linear. Things the person thinks of constantly are on top, while things they don't want to remember are buried. In the middle are the things they don't want anyone else to know. Those were what I was looking for, but I had to go through the surface, first.
Memories of the last few weeks flitted through my mind. Lots of research and things like that. Then I began getting more. A flash of a fight -- two men in blue fur. A flash of something else. A blond man, tied, screaming in pain as something was forced into his brain over and over again. A flash of someone else, a young woman, who secretly hated him, but stayed anyway.
And there it was, suddenly. A vast storage of Sentinels, and something else, something that was buried so deep it would take me a long time to read to it. A warehouse, somewhere on the East Side of New York. I frowned, something about it looked familiar. I came out of the trance in a bit of a hurry, causing my body to sway slightly. "Found it."
"Good." Braddock nodded towards the main room. "They've contained him. For the moment."
"Grey?"
"Gone. Madelyne, Nathan, and I wiped her memory of this incident."
I blinked. Apparently, that didn't go against their code of ethics. A good thing, as far as I was concerned since we needed to leave, and we needed to leave SOON. "Right then, let's get this show on the road." I crawled out from under the table, Betsy following.
Nate and Dom were covering McCoy, who was tied to a chair. I wondered absently where the chair had come from. I also wondered why Raven was in the room. She glared at me, "Pulling a caper without me, Mare. Uncool."
"Oh. Sorry," I grinned.
McCoy snarled wordlessly and I turned to him. "Ah. The mad geneticist who's trying to give Sinister a run for his money." I sighed theatrically. "So sad, really. I think an accident should work, though. Something simple."
"Marya, he's unarmed." Lorna sounded surprised at the repressed viciousness in my voice.
"Really? Interesting, because, so were all his test subjects when they were brought to him." I turned to the door. "Besides, I try never to leave my enemies alive. Cuts down on my liability insurance."
"In cold blood?" Dane grabbed my shoulder and turned me. "I'm sorry, but--"
"Sorry? HE isn't." I reached out and dumped a few choice memories gleaned from McCoy's mind into Lorna's mind. She gasped and reeled, her face paling.
"My Gods."
"Sorry, they're busy." I reached out with TK and found the heart of the man tied in the chair. "Goodbye."
He jerked once and made a gurgling noise, then was silent, his eyes staring dully at the ceiling.
"Mare..." Raven was looking at me oddly.
"What?" I asked, reaching up to rub my eyes. Every so often I cursed having power levels large enough to destroy a galaxy and not enough sleep to succeed.
"We should go," Betsy said softly.
I felt incredibly weary as I looked at them all. I'd just finally done something that Grey hadn't accomplished. I'd disillusioned them all. At least, it felt that way. I looked at them, suddenly, wondering if it was myself I was disillusioning. After all, Nate, Dom and I had gone on assignments together. We knew what we were each capable of. Raven? Considering how often we'd talked about killing certain people...
No, I suddenly realised that the feeling I was getting was from Lorna, mainly. Betsy and Maddie, too. And it hit me that this impostor had looked enough like the real Henry to fool them all. I shuddered. It must have felt almost like losing him. They'd get over it, but for now I was suddenly a person they didn't quite trust.
"Yes." I turned and left the room, leaving the body of a man who had tortured and experimented on thousands of mutants and humans behind. My friends and comrades left behind their naiveté. Or, some of them, anyway.
---
End Chapter Four
=====
'I stood at the kitchen sink, my radio playing songs like "Tainted Love" and "Love is Strange"...'
__________________________________________________
© 2000 Suzy DeZorga
Marya, otoh, is mine. And, as a friend said, "If I discover any of you jabronis using Marya, I will take your little fanfic, spellcheck it real nice, save it in .txt format, turn that sumbitch sideways, and stick it STRAIGHT UP YOUR CANDY-ASS!"
PG13/R for swearing and some nastiness.
Notes: as before, I really *have* been coerced into mucking about with X-history. *narrow-eyed glare at a certain EvilKitten*
Dedication: To Lynxie, for co-plotting, kicking my ass for more and dragging in extraneous suggestions. Tap, is in there, too, as SHE helped Lynxie kick my ass into gear for writing it. KayJay and AliciaMc, however, are to be given the kudos for originally spawning the idea. And, Mitai, just 'cause.
Oh, and this is one of those Guess the Author thingies... What, you REALLY thought my name was Suzy DeZorga? Gad, you people are wierd.
The Rise and Fall of the House of DeZorga
Chapter Four: Of Secrets and Impressions
by Suzy DeZorga
I hadn't liked the way Xavier had phrased that. Almost as if he knew who it was and wanted something Very Bad (tm) to happen to them. I skidded around one corner and grabbed a doorway to loose some of the speed, then around another. And so on until I was skidding into the foyer. Unfortunately, I miscalculated and found myself tripping on the rug and flying through the air to slam into someone.
We went down hard. My lungs decided they hated me and stopped working for a moment. An elbow shoving into my sternum made them change their minds and I wheezed and rolled off of the person. For an instant, I felt an extreme feeling of recognition. Almost like I'd run into someone from a past moment in my life.
The first thing I heard was a female voice suddenly cursing vociferously. Next, I saw the hair. "Oh, shit. Jean?"
"I am NOT that stupid yuppie COW." The head turned to glare at me. Green eyes blazed extreme annoyance at me.
"Fuck. Don't hit me?" I shifted backwards, scrabbling away from the angry woman. Now that I'd seen her closer, I knew she wasn't Jean. It was just the hair, and the eyes, and the voice, and-- I stopped that train of thought and took in the X-crowd.
They surrounded us in various states of shock, amusement, anger, and battle-readiness. I blinked up at Bishop who was training a large gun on the both of us. "Bish?"
"Yes, Marya?" He didn't move.
"Could you maybe point that somewhere else? You know, in case it accidentally goes off?" I shifted to my knees, then stood. For an instant I swayed, then I was fine. The sedative's side-effects had finally worn off and I was as lucid as ever. Gotta love adrenaline rushes.
"Yes, Bishop, the man with the inadequacy problem, could you point that, oh, maybe at the cow attempting to marry my husband?" The syrupy sweetness of the woman's voice nearly sent me into hysterical giggles.
"Stand down, Bishop. I don't think our visitor wishes any of us harmed." Xavier wheeled forawrd in his chair. He barely glanced at me, more focused on the 'visitor' than anything else.
The intensity annoyed me. I turned around and held out a hand. "Hi. Sorry about that. Marya DeZorga."
She stared at me for a moment, then snickered. "New, aren't you?" She didn't shake my hand.
"Yeah." I tilted my head to the side and let my hand drop. "And you are?"
"Madelyne Pryor." She turned to Charles. "Hello, Chuck. Not that I came to see you. Hell, not that I came to see ANY of you. Well, almost none." She looked at the crowd and smiled. "Ah, there you are. How are you, Nate?"
I raised an eyebrow. "You came to see Nate?" I looked over at Nate, who was actually looking a bit uncomfortable. "Why?"
"It's Christmas," she snapped. "He's my son, why *shouldn't* I bloody well see him?"
"Son?" I blinked. My world view had just gotten a bit of adjustment. The young, nubile young woman was at LEAST ten years younger than the hulking Nathan Summers. Summers, again, I could never get away from them. And, that meant -- "You're Scott's wife."
"Yes." She narrowed her eyes and looked at Scott, who squirmed. "It should be ex, but I was sort of dead for a while, so the divorce never got finalised."
This put a whole new light on certain things. Although, one was still bothering me. "So, if you're Cable's mum, why's he got Jean's DNA?"
"Because she's my god-forsaken clone." A voice said brittlely.
"Always nice to know my template appreciates me."
I looked at Grey, then the rest of the X-ers and moved so that I was semi-shielding Pryor with my body. "Well, it's Christmas. A time for families--"
"Oh, is that why Forge brought that whore with him?" Jean smiled sweetly and unpleasantly at me. "I noticed you get on well. Is it fun fucking someone who can change their equipment in the middle of it?"
My eyes widened. Miss Prim and Proper was gone. In her place was the Bitter Hag. Grey had teeth and claws and wasn't afraid to use them.
"JEAN!" Scott grabbed his betrothed and turned her, shaking her. "What's gotten into you? Stop this!"
"I-I." Her face crumpled and she threw herself into his arms, crying. "I'm tired, my love. Take me home."
I knew what she considered home. She and Scott lived together separately from the Mansion in an old boathouse on the lake. I was very unimpressed with her display of temper. And, I must have projected that, because she turned and glared at me, all traces of tears gone. "And I've read your file, you bitch. I know what you've done. They don't," she waved an arm at the assembled crowd, "but I do."
"Really?" I asked conversationally, wishing I had something to lean against so I could cross my arms and look boredly unconcerned. "Then tell them."
She seemed to deflate a little, then rallied. "Fine. I know it was you who hacked the Pentagon. After all, you're so proud of it, and let it go into your file." She seemed triumphant, as if that was something to be proud of.
Not that I was all that proud of hacking the Pentagon. Even though the reason had been a good one.
Cable coughed from the crowd, I glanced at him and caught the sight of Dom elbowing him. Both of them knew of that job, just as both knew the reasons for it. Hell, so did Raven and Logan.
It was Xavier that answered Jean, though. "Jean, I think you're seriously over-stressed. You should go lay down and rest for a while."
"But, she--" Jean was nearly shrieking. "She did that, and you don't care?"
"Actually, I already knew," Xavier said calmly.
"But she's DANGEROUS, Charles."
"At least she's a security risk for OTHER people when she's with us."
"BISHOP?!" I blinked, too. After all, until that moment, I had no idea the large black man liked me, let alone thought it was good that I was evil to his enemies.
"He's right." Rogue shrugged and moved to pat Jean on the arm. "You're stressing too much, hon. She's working on our side."
I blinked again. Apparently, the X-Men had, as one, decided they liked me. That was weird. Usually, it takes another week before everyone likes me. At least, it had taken two weeks with the Avengers. I frowned. The Avengers...McCoy.
"FINE." Jean's voice could have frozen hell. "I see you're all determined to ignore the fact that this woman is a dangerous spy and should be in jail. *I* am going away from her presence before she manipulates MY mind." With that the redhead whirled and flounced from the room. Scott gave us all a slight worried look, then ran after her, like a good little puppy dog. I didn't like that image, though.
"I take it this is a once a month thing for her?" I asked dryly, slowly relaxing from the battle-ready stance.
"She always like that. We blame it on her inability t' get laid more often," Remy replied.
"Thanks, Gambit. There goes my plans for ever eating lunch," Madelyne said, with a look of distaste. Several of the X-Crowd were fighting grins and laughter.
"Maddie, you don't need to eat," Remy pointed out, with an insouciant grin.
She snorted. "Damn. I don't? Too bad."
"Don't need to eat?" I raised an eyebrow. "Why not?" I paused and my stomach rumbled alarmingly. "'cause, I certainly do."
As if that was a pre-arranged signal, people began dispersing. Storm wandered over to me and gave Maddie a cold look. I noticed Raven grab Forge's arm and laugh throatily at something. My lips twisted into a smile as we trooped down the hall.
"What is so funny?" Madelyne had stuck with me, apparently deciding that she liked me. That, or maybe the look Dom had given her had convinced her that sticking by me, her one protector, was a good idea. As neutral as the look had been, I had the feeling Dom was trying to decide, and that Nate was talking to her about it through their link.
"Raven and Forge." I smiled more, feeling happy all at once. "They're so cute together, don't you agree, Ororo?" I turned to the Weather Goddess and caught something in her eyes that made me guess I'd just set back any friendship we might have by a thousand years.
"Yes," she said softly. "If you'll excuse me." She nodded to both of us and turned away, leaving the hall for parts unknown.
Madelyne snickered.
"What?"
"You didn't know?" She shook her head at me. "Back when I was hanging exclusively with these idealistic fools, Storm and Forge were an item. Or, would have been if she'd've gotten off her Goddess-cratic ass and told him."
"I only just got involved with them. Didn't know that." I sighed. "Great. So, what other things do you recommend I not do?"
"Oh, no. You're on your own, hon." She smiled sweetly at me. "Just like I was."
"Not even a little bit?" I gave her my best impression of Anime eyes.
"No." She snickered. "Besides, it'll be more fun this way."
"Oh, thanks," I said dryly. "That makes my day allll better."
---
Later that evening, after I'd left Betsy taking Maddie in hand, I sat cross-legged on the floor of my room and meditated. Every evening, I tried to do this sort of thing. The object is to strengthen my mental abilities and give me a moment of peace to recharge in. Slipping into a trance, I opened my eyes and looked at the shields surrounding me. They shimmered at me, blue and green, silver streaking through in strands.
I reached out mentally and played with them, twisting them, stretching them. Around me, I could suddenly sense emotions. No pictures, or words, just feelings. Anger, joy, happiness, a bit of rage, and a few blank spots I took to be telepaths well-shielded. The normal mix I'd assume a house full of people would produce. Especially since some weren't happy with some of the others.
Old friends, new friends. People who hated each other or liked each other. Enemies, lovers, friends...
Old friends...The thought drifted through my head and I remembered Will, suddenly. It had been ages since I'd thought of him. We'd been lovers, back in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. Our affair had been wonderfully torrid, just what I'd needed at the time. And it had been an affair. He was married, you see.
Not that I'd cared. I found myself smiling, suddenly. Will had been special. There were times when I missed him. I abruptly realised that Scott, oddly enough, reminded me of Will. I wasn't sure why, though.
I shook my head, trying to dislodge thoughts of old lovers and things fell into place. McCoy. And the Avengers. I'd met him, once. It had been a very fleeting meeting, and I rather doubt he'd remember me. But I remembered him. And, the personality flash I'd gotten then did NOT match the flash I'd gotten from him just a short while ago.
Ergo, McCoy wasn't McCoy, I wasn't sure -- my brain slid into another pathway and I was suddenly deluged by those split-second memories. Memories of a place not ours, of a world destroyed. A world where Apocalypse ruled, and McCoy experimented happily on his fellow mutants.
I snapped out of the trance, shaking. It was a world I recognised. I'd thought it was a dream. But I'd lived it. And I didn't want anything from it to destroy what was here.
Not that I was ever certain those memories were real. At times, they felt like the dreams of someone else. Other times, like now, they felt as if they'd happened yesterday.
It was in this pensive mood that I went in search of Remy.
---
"Remy?" I was sort of leaning against the door to his room, knocking would alert more people to my presence. People like certain auburn-haired women who had a thing for my old friend.
Movement, then the door cracked open and Remy stared out at me. "Yes, Lou -- Marya?"
"Remy, you can still call me Louisa," I said softly, backing up and pondering the options. Chat in his room or mine? Mine, at least, had mental shields already set up for activation. Still...
He just looked at me for a moment, then opened the door wider, shrugging. "If you say so."
I ran a hand through my hair and chose a third option. "Look, there's something I need to ask you -- could we go for a walk outside?" Actually, I realised, that was a brilliant idea. Logan needed to know about my suspicions, too.
"Jus' a moment."
The door closed again and I heard him rummaging around, then it opened again and he had a shirt on. It suddenly occurred to me that I wasn't attracted to my old friend in the least. How else to explain the fact that I hadn't actually realised he was half-naked?
I shook my head and led the way through the various halls of the mansion. A side door let us out onto the south lawn. Ahead of us, I could see a glimmer that made me think of water. Had to be the lake I hadn't bothered to check out yet. Nearby, though, were trees. Perfect.
We stayed silent until we'd entered the perimeter of the trees. As we crunched along, the leaves delightfully in that brittle-crunchy state, I finally started. "Remy...Did anything happen recently with McCoy?"
He blinked at me. "He be a bit more quiet, more buried in 'is work."
Mentally weaving a field of silence around us -- crunching leaves are a wonderful muffler, I sighed. "Remy, I think something happened to him."
"Oh?" He was suddenly densely neutral. I blinked up at him and halted.
"Yes." I leaned against the tree next to me and pondered how to put it, precisely..."When in doubt, tell the truth," I muttered. "Remy, I caught a flash from him, earlier, when I shook his hand. I...I met McCoy, once. He'd come back to the Avenger's Mansion one Christmas. We shook hands, and I got a telepathic imprint from him. Just one of the thousands I've got stored from myriad handshakes, touches, etcetera."
"Where you be goin' wit' dis, Louisa?" He didn't sound impatient, just...Wondering.
"The man I shook hands with this morning is a different person."
I waited the silence out as he processed that and watched me carefully. "Why?"
"When the Shi'ar M'Kraan crystal shattered for a millisecond, a new universe was born. I lived that universe, and, in my nightmares, I remember it." I shuddered. "The place was horrible. But, Remy, it was a parallel to this one. Every X-Man was duplicated. Including McCoy." I looked at him, checking to make sure he was following me. He was. "I think that he -- found a way, somehow, and came across to this universe." I shivered. "I just hope he was the only one."
"He wasn't," a voice rasped from above me.
I jumped, then glared up at Logan. "Oh? And just how do you know this?" I knew it wasn't because he was from that universe.
"There was a boy. A few weeks back he had an argument on the astral plain with--"
"Xavier," I cut in, paling. I remembered, now. I'd woken out of a sound sleep to find the astral plain around me, shuddering. "They tore it to shreds, you know. Power of that magnitude and all they could do was destroy." I snorted. "So, the boy is..." My eyes widened in shock. "He's Nate, isn't he?"
"Yes." Gambit looked at me, then Logan. "De chere here, she t'ink dat our Henri is not de right one." "I caught that, Cajun."
I snorted. "I don't THINK, I KNOW. Psychic imprints don't lie."
"Neither do noses." Logan dropped out of the tree. "I knew he smelled wrong, but I wasn't sure why."
"The McCoy in the other universe -- he was a genetic manipulator. Maybe he made up pheromones that duplicated the real McCoy's?" I winced at the horrid pun, but continued. "Either way, I'm betting the real Henry is alive. Maybe not well, but alive."
"I t'ink she be right." Remy lit a cigarette and puffed for a moment, gathering his thoughts.
"If I am right, we need to get his location from our erstwhile 'chum'." I absently checked the mental and aural cloaking around us and found it still stable. There was, however, someone approaching us rapidly.
Logan stiffened, and then relaxed. Remy raised an eyebrow. "Who be comin'?"
"I am." Madelyne stepped into the clearing and snorted. "Nice gathering you have here." She glanced at me, "Remember next time to not use Garbage's 'Stupid Girl' as filler noise for your brains. If you have them."
I laughed and reached into the folds of my shields and made some adjustments. "There, that better?"
"Yes." She raised an eyebrow, "So, what are you plotting and why didn't anyone tell me?"
"McCoy isn't our Henri."
"Oh, what a shock," Maddie snorted. "And you're just realising this?"
I blinked at her. "You knew?"
"Well, not knew. Guessed is a better word." She glared at us. "Oh, come on. You know how I was reborn in this universe. Of COURSE I mind-scanned the little brat that did it."
"Had a lot of memories of that universe, didn't he?" I asked softly.
"Yes." She snorted. "Although I wasn't pleased to find that his mother there was that cow, Jean."
Snickering, I leaned back against the tree again. Obviously, Madelyne's hatred of Jean was very deep-seated. Enough to give any woman lusting after her husband pause. But that was a thought for a later date. A date when I wasn't dealing with an evil geneticist impersonating a much nicer man. And his plans for world domination. I hoped this was the threat Fury's people had foreseen.
In short order we'd decided to have a chat with McCoy and proceed from there. I suggested we get Braddock's help. Maddie agreed, Remy and Logan agreed and also suggested we get Lorna and Nate. I blinked, but agreed. I knew Dom would end up along with us, that was a given where Nate was concerned.
---
"To what do I owe this nocturnal visit?"
It had been late evening before we'd decided on a strategy. I went in, alone. "Just wondering something..." I paused and stepped further into the lab. State of the art equipment dotted the benches and shelves. Slides sat on every available surface. Currently, there was one in the electron microscope. And I recognised what it was. DNA. Mine, to be exact. Hard to mistake it for anything else, of course. "Just wondering why you're looking at my DNA."
He blinked at me, then shrugged, "I was hoping there might be a cure for the Legacy virus in it."
Shit. He knew. Or, at least, it looked that way. I shrugged and chuckled. "Nah, I haven't had the vaunted virus, yet." I moved to relax against one of the counters. "So, let's dispense with the pleasantries, shall we?"
He blinked, then smiled toothily. "Oh, good. A woman of sense."
"Indeed." I nodded and smiled sweetly. "What have you done with him?"
"Ah, the penultimate question." He looked at me calmly. "And what makes you think I'll tell you?"
"Dunno. What's the ultimate question?"
"Please let me live?" he opined before moving. He was fast, I'll give him that. But he wasn't me.
Telekinetic bands snapped into place around him, one arching over his mouth and nose. "Cutting off your oxygen supply is bad for your brain, right?" I straightened and began walking around him, studying him clinically. "Not that it matters. I think it'd be fun to see what it does to your brain." I leaned into him, ignoring his futile struggles. "Where is he?"
For an instant, I saw something that might have been fear in his eyes, then hatred blazed out. And something else. Triumph.
The triumph was my only warning before something slammed into the back of my head and everything went black.
I refrained from swearing as I woke up. My head ached, probably from where someone had hit me with a bench. Or had it been a door? I wasn't sure, it had just *hurt*. I couldn't have been out for long, because, currently, I could hear the faux McCoy congratulating his rescuer. Although my hands were tied behind my back with what felt like electrical cord.
Grey, my mind guessed. The stupid bitch had no idea what she'd done. Of course, I was now pissed and ethics aside, I needed to know where the real Henry was. "Hey, Grey," I rasped.
"Oh, awake are you? Good. Do try and resist the restraints on you, I'll enjoy the struggling."
"Whatever." My eyes drifted closed and I dropped my shields. For an instant there was silence, then a cacophony of noise and emotion. Hate from Grey, smugness from McCoy. Outside, a few metres down the hall, I could feel Remy's worry and Logan's complaisence. Nate, I could vaguely sense as a null, and next to him, Dom and Maddie and Lorna. Betsy was shielded. Further away, I could sense the rest of the mansion, but I ruthlessly shunted those away from me and turned back to Maddie. #Maddie.#
#What?# She sounded cross, #Did the bitch get you?#
#Yes. I've tossed caution to the wind.# I felt her link in with me and reached out to McCoy. #Here little despotic evil geneticist bastard...#
She snickered.
#Ah, there he is.# I reached out and dove into the mind of the man. For an instant, there was nothing, then I heard the surface thoughts. 'Listen to this stupid fool, little does she know...' 'I wonder if they'll let me use her DNA? It's so lovely and twisted...' Mine, I was assuming.
So far, he hadn't detected the entry into his brain. But I still hadn't-- #There.#
#Core memory. Damned bastard has a lot.#
#Yeah.# I reached out and grabbed them. All the memories, loves, hates, days and years of Henry McCoy, late of a dark universe. They spilled into my mind and Madelyne's, filling us with him until we wanted to fight back. But we didn't. We needed the information, the location -- #You okay?#
#Yeah. Stupid bastard has a ton of memories.#
#Yes. Get the others in here, if you would?# I reached out, slowly reinstating my shields. I'd pay when I finally slept, all those people's memories would make for lots of dreams. But for now, I needed to sort the info while the others took care of Grey and the McCoy impostor.
#Right.# A moment passed, then the door opened. "Grey, you supercilious bitch."
"Madelyne? What are you -- Nathan!"
"Hello, Jean. Please leave. We have a few things to discuss with Mr McCoy." Nate sounded exhausted. Since that was a normal thing for him, I wasn't too worried.
A sound near me alerted me and I rolled, falling off the lab bench and landing under the table. "Ouch."
"McCoy, that was stupid." Dom.
"Nice to know the cavalry's arrived," I croaked, cracking my eyes open and staring out. My view was limited, but I could see Jean and Maddie glaring at each other while Dom, Nate and Lorna cornered the impostor. I wasn't sure where Logan and Remy were, much less Betsy.
"Have you the memories?" Betsy slipped under the table with me and began untying my hands.
"Yeah. Think we can get out of here intact -- before Grey pulls the house down around our ears?" I slipped into a kneeling position and rubbed my wrists, wincing.
"If the others do their parts. Yes."
"Good. I'm going to go play with memories." I curled into a cross-legged position and tranced down without waiting for her answer. I trusted that she'd stay as guard over me.
The morass of memories bubbled in my mind's eye for an instant, then I was falling into them. No matter what you hear, reading someone's memories isn't like watching a movie on a VCR. You can't stop and fast forward, or rewind. And they aren't always linear. Things the person thinks of constantly are on top, while things they don't want to remember are buried. In the middle are the things they don't want anyone else to know. Those were what I was looking for, but I had to go through the surface, first.
Memories of the last few weeks flitted through my mind. Lots of research and things like that. Then I began getting more. A flash of a fight -- two men in blue fur. A flash of something else. A blond man, tied, screaming in pain as something was forced into his brain over and over again. A flash of someone else, a young woman, who secretly hated him, but stayed anyway.
And there it was, suddenly. A vast storage of Sentinels, and something else, something that was buried so deep it would take me a long time to read to it. A warehouse, somewhere on the East Side of New York. I frowned, something about it looked familiar. I came out of the trance in a bit of a hurry, causing my body to sway slightly. "Found it."
"Good." Braddock nodded towards the main room. "They've contained him. For the moment."
"Grey?"
"Gone. Madelyne, Nathan, and I wiped her memory of this incident."
I blinked. Apparently, that didn't go against their code of ethics. A good thing, as far as I was concerned since we needed to leave, and we needed to leave SOON. "Right then, let's get this show on the road." I crawled out from under the table, Betsy following.
Nate and Dom were covering McCoy, who was tied to a chair. I wondered absently where the chair had come from. I also wondered why Raven was in the room. She glared at me, "Pulling a caper without me, Mare. Uncool."
"Oh. Sorry," I grinned.
McCoy snarled wordlessly and I turned to him. "Ah. The mad geneticist who's trying to give Sinister a run for his money." I sighed theatrically. "So sad, really. I think an accident should work, though. Something simple."
"Marya, he's unarmed." Lorna sounded surprised at the repressed viciousness in my voice.
"Really? Interesting, because, so were all his test subjects when they were brought to him." I turned to the door. "Besides, I try never to leave my enemies alive. Cuts down on my liability insurance."
"In cold blood?" Dane grabbed my shoulder and turned me. "I'm sorry, but--"
"Sorry? HE isn't." I reached out and dumped a few choice memories gleaned from McCoy's mind into Lorna's mind. She gasped and reeled, her face paling.
"My Gods."
"Sorry, they're busy." I reached out with TK and found the heart of the man tied in the chair. "Goodbye."
He jerked once and made a gurgling noise, then was silent, his eyes staring dully at the ceiling.
"Mare..." Raven was looking at me oddly.
"What?" I asked, reaching up to rub my eyes. Every so often I cursed having power levels large enough to destroy a galaxy and not enough sleep to succeed.
"We should go," Betsy said softly.
I felt incredibly weary as I looked at them all. I'd just finally done something that Grey hadn't accomplished. I'd disillusioned them all. At least, it felt that way. I looked at them, suddenly, wondering if it was myself I was disillusioning. After all, Nate, Dom and I had gone on assignments together. We knew what we were each capable of. Raven? Considering how often we'd talked about killing certain people...
No, I suddenly realised that the feeling I was getting was from Lorna, mainly. Betsy and Maddie, too. And it hit me that this impostor had looked enough like the real Henry to fool them all. I shuddered. It must have felt almost like losing him. They'd get over it, but for now I was suddenly a person they didn't quite trust.
"Yes." I turned and left the room, leaving the body of a man who had tortured and experimented on thousands of mutants and humans behind. My friends and comrades left behind their naiveté. Or, some of them, anyway.
---
End Chapter Four
=====
'I stood at the kitchen sink, my radio playing songs like "Tainted Love" and "Love is Strange"...'
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© 2000 Suzy DeZorga