A/N: Toad is referred to as Mortimer because this is Tara's point-of-view and that's all she ever calls him....at least I think it is.
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"I don't want my sister in this place, Mystique!" Tara curls up tighter in her seat, burying her face slightly against her legs. She was shaking but didn't want to show it since Mortimer was doing so much to help her; she didn't want to be there. Mystique crosses her legs, one over the other and leans back. "It's not your decision, Toad. Magneto wants her here...she stays,"she replies with a distasteful look at Tara,"Sadly." Tara cringes away as his fist slams into the table. "Dammnit, Mystique! Tara is not growing up in this place...I forbid it!" She laughs. "And? What good will that do?" "I want to talk to Vick--Victor or Magneto now." Mystique stands with a smirk. "We all want something, Toad. Neither of you will leave this room until Magneto says so..." She starts to walk out then turns back. "Oh, and Tara?" Tara looks up from her knees, inching closer to her brother. "Don't think Toad will protect you." The instant she left Mortimer moves to the door; there's no longer a door. It's vanished into the metal work of the door.
Mortimer crouches beside her. "You okay, Tadpole?"he questions, tilting his head to look in her eyes,"Tara?" She shakes her head, straightening out of her position some since they were alone. "I-I'm fine. When will I get to go back with Logan?"she questions; her voice shakes slightly as she speaks. He sighs. "If I had my way...you wouldn't be here to begin with. As soon as I can arrange it you'll go back." Tara smiles, halfway and hugs him. "Good...I don't like her. She doesn't wear any clothes...and she's blue, Morty,"she whisphers after a moment of silence between them,"it's creepy." "I agree. Mystique's realll creepy..." Tara wipes at her tears for a moment then looks around the room. "Who's Magneto, Morty?"she questions, running her hands over the table,"I don't remember him from Kitty." Mortimer hesitates. "Do you remember you and Angel played with a helmet and threw it out the window? Old wrinkly dude jumped out?" She nods, slowly. "That's Magneto..." "He gave me the creeps. Why do I have to be here? I want to go back with Logan." "You will. I promise." "How sickly sweet, Toad,"a new voice interrupts, drawing Tara's attention away. Her first thought at the sight of him was. What would happen if he went out in a lightening storm with that helmet on? Have to test that later, she decides before returning to watch her brother.
Mortimer tenses, visibly. "I want Tara out, Magneto. She won't be brought up in this hell hole like me." Magneto's laugh is his answer. "I want things too. Mutant domination for myself. A brotherhood that isn't total idiots and morons. A bucket of chicken but you don't see any of that do you?"he demands, moving around to stand to the side of them both,"This isn't a get what you want world, Toad." Tara remains silent deciding she didn't want to deal with Magneto. "This one thing. Let Tara go...why do you even need her?" Magneto scoffs,"Why else? She's just like you. A worker, loyal after a few beatings, and from what her test scores said a genius..." "You're a genius, Tadp-Tara?" She nods. "Yeah....or close enough. Mini version of one,"she mumbles, staring at her feet. Magneto smiles. "See? Where do you want to be, Tara?"he questions, looking down at her. Tara hesitates then tells the truth. "With Logan. I like my brother but I don't like being here." Mortimer mutters something. "Interesting. You can return to Logan on one condition, Tara." She looks up, curiously tilting her head to one side. "What?" "Don't..." Mortimer's silenced by a glare from Magneto.
His smile darkens. "If you want to see a news cast about your brother's death you can return to the X-Men. I promise you that he'll go through hell then die if you leave." "No!" "Make your decision, Tara. With Logan and let your brother suffer or here and forget the X-Men? The decision is yours...I have company. You won't leave this room, either of you." Magneto walks out, ignoring the words of both, Tara and Mortimer. "Dammnit!" "Morty, are you okay?" "Get out. If Logan comes, you're leaving. If he doesn't you'll run away,"he states, turning and walking away from her. "No!" The single word is all but yelled from the fifteen-year-old. "I'm not letting you suffer for me!" "You don't have a choice. I don't want you here and I refuse to let you be here!" Tara bolts up from her chair. "What good does that do? Either way I lose! I'm staying!" "You're leaving." "Staying." "Leaving." "Staying." "You're. Not. Staying." Tara stares up at him. "Yes. I. Am. Mort. Get. Used. To. It." "Dammnit, Tara, no. If you stay here I won't have anything to do with you..."Mortimer says as he slumps down into a chair, burying his head in his hands. Tears come to her eyes but she curls up once again in the chair on the opposite side of the room, crying. Her plans to keep her brother from being hurt had backfired and now he hated her. She felt worse then she ever had with the cirucs and during the first few months with Angel's and her parents. Sounds like a battle come outside along with explosions and voices. She doesn't bother to look up.
Mortimer's voice interrupts her. "Tara, come here..." She looks up a moment then goes to him, staring at him with tears still in her eyes. "I didn't mean what I said before about having nothing to do with you. If you have to stay, I'll let you. I won't like it but I'll let you." Tara hugs him at the same moment as a new 'door' gets ripped into the room; Logan enters, blades drawn. "Where the hell is she, Toad?"he demands, holding them up,"Where's Tara?" "She's right here, Logan. Go, Tara..." Tara releases him and walks over to Logan. "I'm not leaving, Logan." "Right, kid. Let's go...Cajun and Beast can only hold them off for a little while longer. I need to talk to you brother." "No, Logan...I can't leave. If I leave they hurt Mortimer and I don't want that...please let me stay. If not for him, for me." Logan argues awhile longer then drops his hands, blades entering, defeatedly. "Is this what you want, kid?" She nods. "More then anything...I'm sorry to you and Angel." He shakes his head. "We'll live. Toad, take care of her...anything happens to her or you I'll kill you. Tara, if he dies or disappeares you come back. No arguments." Tara closes her mouth, abruptly. Logan's voice echoed back as he exited the room. "Gambit, Beast, let's go...change of plans..."
SEVERAL HOURS LATER
"Who gets the joy of telling our resident Angel about Tara?" Hank rubs the bridge of his nose and stares at the almost untouched game of cards before them. Gambit draws a card from the deck. "Remy won'. De look on de petites face would haunt Remy's dreams,"he mumbles, passing a card to the left. Logan stares at it a moment then passes it on. "Hank?" "Not part of the doctorial duties, my friend. I didn't sign up for explaining to kids how they lost their best friends,"he replies, placing down a couple of cards and grabbing a spoon from the table; Gambit and Logan follow suit, grabbing for the one remaining spoon. Gambit gets it. "He wins." "Logan, mon ami, dat means it's you." Logan curses and tosses the cards in his hand onto the table. "Jean and Rogue gave her a sedative, right?" "Oui." "Good....drugs'll keep her from projecting too much and terrorizing ever telepath in the house,"he mumbles on his way upstairs and to her room. It was easy to find but suprisingly the only one present was Angel. She held a book propped on her stomache and stared blankly at the pages as if she wasn't sure what it said. The covers lay discarded beside her. "Angel?" She looks up and smiles. "Hi, Logan, where's Tara? Is she resting?" Logan shakes his head. "No, kid...she's not coming back."
Angel's expression doesn't change. "Why not? Why are you worried, Logan?"she questions without putting the book down or moving from her position. Obviously the drugs Jean had prescribed were affecting more then just her powers. Her judgement and empathy both seem to be off. "Angel, she's not coming back at all. It's been given that if she returns Toad will suffer and she won't be part to that..." Logan waits for tears, sobbing, a breakdown, anything but the silence. Angel turns onto one side, facing away from him. "Angel, are you okay?" "Fine, Logan...go away. I need to think and you need to go away..."
BROTHERHOOD PLACE-LIVING ESTABLISHMENT(SAME TIME)
Toad sits outside the door of his sister's room, listening to her quiet sobs. He leans his head against the door, listening with the kind of care only a family member could tell. He hadn't been lying when he said he didn't want her there. The part about having nothing to do with her was a failed last straw....a painful last straw. He stares at the ceiling, listening to her. Her sobbing quiets a little and he figures she's going to sleep now; over an hour of crying would make anyone tired. Toad bangs his head against the wall, muttering a thousand curses against Mystique and everyone else. "A plague of a million generations of morons and idiots just like me and these idiots on you all! A plague, a plague, upon your houses......ah, hell, I sound like Romeo and Juliette's Tybalt." He shudders. "Tara'll probaly be plague enough..."
FIN
That's the end of RAISED BY THE X-MEN. THE UNREAL WORLD shall be up soon along with updates on ALLIANCE:ANTI-TRUST; i'm hoping to get these going faster. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and this is neccessary for the next installment.
xXrogue_demonXx
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"I don't want my sister in this place, Mystique!" Tara curls up tighter in her seat, burying her face slightly against her legs. She was shaking but didn't want to show it since Mortimer was doing so much to help her; she didn't want to be there. Mystique crosses her legs, one over the other and leans back. "It's not your decision, Toad. Magneto wants her here...she stays,"she replies with a distasteful look at Tara,"Sadly." Tara cringes away as his fist slams into the table. "Dammnit, Mystique! Tara is not growing up in this place...I forbid it!" She laughs. "And? What good will that do?" "I want to talk to Vick--Victor or Magneto now." Mystique stands with a smirk. "We all want something, Toad. Neither of you will leave this room until Magneto says so..." She starts to walk out then turns back. "Oh, and Tara?" Tara looks up from her knees, inching closer to her brother. "Don't think Toad will protect you." The instant she left Mortimer moves to the door; there's no longer a door. It's vanished into the metal work of the door.
Mortimer crouches beside her. "You okay, Tadpole?"he questions, tilting his head to look in her eyes,"Tara?" She shakes her head, straightening out of her position some since they were alone. "I-I'm fine. When will I get to go back with Logan?"she questions; her voice shakes slightly as she speaks. He sighs. "If I had my way...you wouldn't be here to begin with. As soon as I can arrange it you'll go back." Tara smiles, halfway and hugs him. "Good...I don't like her. She doesn't wear any clothes...and she's blue, Morty,"she whisphers after a moment of silence between them,"it's creepy." "I agree. Mystique's realll creepy..." Tara wipes at her tears for a moment then looks around the room. "Who's Magneto, Morty?"she questions, running her hands over the table,"I don't remember him from Kitty." Mortimer hesitates. "Do you remember you and Angel played with a helmet and threw it out the window? Old wrinkly dude jumped out?" She nods, slowly. "That's Magneto..." "He gave me the creeps. Why do I have to be here? I want to go back with Logan." "You will. I promise." "How sickly sweet, Toad,"a new voice interrupts, drawing Tara's attention away. Her first thought at the sight of him was. What would happen if he went out in a lightening storm with that helmet on? Have to test that later, she decides before returning to watch her brother.
Mortimer tenses, visibly. "I want Tara out, Magneto. She won't be brought up in this hell hole like me." Magneto's laugh is his answer. "I want things too. Mutant domination for myself. A brotherhood that isn't total idiots and morons. A bucket of chicken but you don't see any of that do you?"he demands, moving around to stand to the side of them both,"This isn't a get what you want world, Toad." Tara remains silent deciding she didn't want to deal with Magneto. "This one thing. Let Tara go...why do you even need her?" Magneto scoffs,"Why else? She's just like you. A worker, loyal after a few beatings, and from what her test scores said a genius..." "You're a genius, Tadp-Tara?" She nods. "Yeah....or close enough. Mini version of one,"she mumbles, staring at her feet. Magneto smiles. "See? Where do you want to be, Tara?"he questions, looking down at her. Tara hesitates then tells the truth. "With Logan. I like my brother but I don't like being here." Mortimer mutters something. "Interesting. You can return to Logan on one condition, Tara." She looks up, curiously tilting her head to one side. "What?" "Don't..." Mortimer's silenced by a glare from Magneto.
His smile darkens. "If you want to see a news cast about your brother's death you can return to the X-Men. I promise you that he'll go through hell then die if you leave." "No!" "Make your decision, Tara. With Logan and let your brother suffer or here and forget the X-Men? The decision is yours...I have company. You won't leave this room, either of you." Magneto walks out, ignoring the words of both, Tara and Mortimer. "Dammnit!" "Morty, are you okay?" "Get out. If Logan comes, you're leaving. If he doesn't you'll run away,"he states, turning and walking away from her. "No!" The single word is all but yelled from the fifteen-year-old. "I'm not letting you suffer for me!" "You don't have a choice. I don't want you here and I refuse to let you be here!" Tara bolts up from her chair. "What good does that do? Either way I lose! I'm staying!" "You're leaving." "Staying." "Leaving." "Staying." "You're. Not. Staying." Tara stares up at him. "Yes. I. Am. Mort. Get. Used. To. It." "Dammnit, Tara, no. If you stay here I won't have anything to do with you..."Mortimer says as he slumps down into a chair, burying his head in his hands. Tears come to her eyes but she curls up once again in the chair on the opposite side of the room, crying. Her plans to keep her brother from being hurt had backfired and now he hated her. She felt worse then she ever had with the cirucs and during the first few months with Angel's and her parents. Sounds like a battle come outside along with explosions and voices. She doesn't bother to look up.
Mortimer's voice interrupts her. "Tara, come here..." She looks up a moment then goes to him, staring at him with tears still in her eyes. "I didn't mean what I said before about having nothing to do with you. If you have to stay, I'll let you. I won't like it but I'll let you." Tara hugs him at the same moment as a new 'door' gets ripped into the room; Logan enters, blades drawn. "Where the hell is she, Toad?"he demands, holding them up,"Where's Tara?" "She's right here, Logan. Go, Tara..." Tara releases him and walks over to Logan. "I'm not leaving, Logan." "Right, kid. Let's go...Cajun and Beast can only hold them off for a little while longer. I need to talk to you brother." "No, Logan...I can't leave. If I leave they hurt Mortimer and I don't want that...please let me stay. If not for him, for me." Logan argues awhile longer then drops his hands, blades entering, defeatedly. "Is this what you want, kid?" She nods. "More then anything...I'm sorry to you and Angel." He shakes his head. "We'll live. Toad, take care of her...anything happens to her or you I'll kill you. Tara, if he dies or disappeares you come back. No arguments." Tara closes her mouth, abruptly. Logan's voice echoed back as he exited the room. "Gambit, Beast, let's go...change of plans..."
SEVERAL HOURS LATER
"Who gets the joy of telling our resident Angel about Tara?" Hank rubs the bridge of his nose and stares at the almost untouched game of cards before them. Gambit draws a card from the deck. "Remy won'. De look on de petites face would haunt Remy's dreams,"he mumbles, passing a card to the left. Logan stares at it a moment then passes it on. "Hank?" "Not part of the doctorial duties, my friend. I didn't sign up for explaining to kids how they lost their best friends,"he replies, placing down a couple of cards and grabbing a spoon from the table; Gambit and Logan follow suit, grabbing for the one remaining spoon. Gambit gets it. "He wins." "Logan, mon ami, dat means it's you." Logan curses and tosses the cards in his hand onto the table. "Jean and Rogue gave her a sedative, right?" "Oui." "Good....drugs'll keep her from projecting too much and terrorizing ever telepath in the house,"he mumbles on his way upstairs and to her room. It was easy to find but suprisingly the only one present was Angel. She held a book propped on her stomache and stared blankly at the pages as if she wasn't sure what it said. The covers lay discarded beside her. "Angel?" She looks up and smiles. "Hi, Logan, where's Tara? Is she resting?" Logan shakes his head. "No, kid...she's not coming back."
Angel's expression doesn't change. "Why not? Why are you worried, Logan?"she questions without putting the book down or moving from her position. Obviously the drugs Jean had prescribed were affecting more then just her powers. Her judgement and empathy both seem to be off. "Angel, she's not coming back at all. It's been given that if she returns Toad will suffer and she won't be part to that..." Logan waits for tears, sobbing, a breakdown, anything but the silence. Angel turns onto one side, facing away from him. "Angel, are you okay?" "Fine, Logan...go away. I need to think and you need to go away..."
BROTHERHOOD PLACE-LIVING ESTABLISHMENT(SAME TIME)
Toad sits outside the door of his sister's room, listening to her quiet sobs. He leans his head against the door, listening with the kind of care only a family member could tell. He hadn't been lying when he said he didn't want her there. The part about having nothing to do with her was a failed last straw....a painful last straw. He stares at the ceiling, listening to her. Her sobbing quiets a little and he figures she's going to sleep now; over an hour of crying would make anyone tired. Toad bangs his head against the wall, muttering a thousand curses against Mystique and everyone else. "A plague of a million generations of morons and idiots just like me and these idiots on you all! A plague, a plague, upon your houses......ah, hell, I sound like Romeo and Juliette's Tybalt." He shudders. "Tara'll probaly be plague enough..."
FIN
That's the end of RAISED BY THE X-MEN. THE UNREAL WORLD shall be up soon along with updates on ALLIANCE:ANTI-TRUST; i'm hoping to get these going faster. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and this is neccessary for the next installment.
xXrogue_demonXx