I don't own X-Men. I do own a screwdriver, however. I don't own Attack of the Killer Tomato either, and whoever does, I'm sure you're kicking yourself!
A.N.: As cute as she was, I think we've all had enough of Doria as a child.
Chapter 11: Teenaged Troubles
Nine Years Later
"WHA' THE FUCK!" Shouted Mort from his and Doria's bathroom. Doria rushed into the bathroom to find her father looking in horror at a cardboard box that had spilled its contents onto the floor. "WHA' ARE THOSE!"
Doria sighed and shoved the tubes back into the box. Holding them up for the horrified amphibian to see, she said, "They're tampons, Dad. Tam-pons." She enunciated it carefully.
"WELL WHA' ARE THEY DOING IN OUR BATHROOM!"
"Damn, Dad! Chill! I'm fifteen! you knew they were coming sometime!"
"Well, erm... WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE!" He stormed out the door.
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Mystique sighed, seeing Mort sobbing in his helicopter. He did this at every milestone Doria hit. They couldn't find him for two days when she got her first bra. The shape-shifter, walked over, and put a sympathetic arm around him. "What was it this time?"
"T-t-t... Tampons!" Mystique nodded in anticipation of the coming speech. "Why can' she stay little forever? She's growing up so fast She was just a baby!
"But she's not a baby anymore. She's a teenager."
"She still gets nightmares! She still catches fireflies! She can't be doin'... tha' yet!"
"Would you like her to stop bleeding from her crotch?"
"Yes." He looked up, and nodded. Mystique sighed, and walked away.
A voice from behind startled him. "Would a nice mission take your mind off things?"
He turned to Pyro. "Wha' is it?"
"Magneto has extended our hospitality to a new member, but Xavier's trying to intercept him. You and Doria up for some wall climbing?"
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Five years earlier, Doria had been dubbed "Zap". Zap and Toad scaled the apartment building quickly. "This the window?" asked Zap.
"Looks like it." He went to smash it, but she put up a hand. She knocked. No more than a minute later it slid open. "Can we come in?" Toad said with a smile. The boy stepped aside.
He was taller than the green-haired duo, but that wasn't saying much. He was quite tall- long too. Muscular too. Thought Doria mischievously, noting that he was in his boxers. Gazing at them through surfer-boy style bangs, he said, "You from Magneto?" They answered with nods. "Keep it down. This place is supposed to be empty."
"I'm Toad. This is Zap."
"Stretch. So who's this guy that's been digging in my head?"
"Professor Charles Xavier," said Zap, "bald leader of the goody-two-shoes team."
Toad nodded. "They're trying to intercept you and turn you to the pansy side. They'll be here any min-" Three metal points stabbed through the wall. An unnaturally long arm passed between Toad and Zap's heads, and closed the window.
Stretch headed for the door. "This way."
The three of them got no further than two stories down when a whooshing of wind warned them of a new arrival. Lightning crackled in the stairwell. "Got it, Z?" shouted Toad over the din. She closed her eyes and glowed a bit. All of Storm's lightning flew to the hanging light fixture.
"I've had about enough of your shit, Storm!" yelled the young mutant. Storm rounded the stair bend, giving Zap an evil grin. "All that electricity in your brain- you're a sitting duck." The white-haired "good girl" wretched in pain as the electrodes in her brain collided. Zap stopped when Storm passed out.
BLAM! An optic blast almost hit the girl, so she grabbed Stretch's hand, and dragged him to the middle stair rail. "Can you lower us down that?" He nodded. She yelled, "It's all you, Toad!" She latched onto the boy's bare back as his arm extended, allowing them to descend down the stairwell.
Cyclops spotted them on his way up the stairs. Zap swung herself around Stretch to escape his beams. He wouldn't shoot the innocent boy. She stuck her tongue out at the loser. "You know him?" asked the elastic young man.
"I used to beat him up when I was little."
"Is Toad gonna be okay?"
"Fine. He'll be down in a few minutes." She let go and fell the last four feet. Stretch did the same, and let his arm return to normal. Sure enough, as they made their way to the helicopter, the green warrior leapt from the second story window. "You planning on driving, Toad?" she asked mockingly.
"Damn straight. Now get your ass in the back." She put her hands up in retreat, and proceeded to open the back door for Stretch and herself. "So Stretch," said Mort, preparing to take off, "What's your off-field name?"
"Alex Newton. How about you two?"
"Mort and Doria Toynbee," answered Mort.
"Yeah, you two look a lot alike. I figured you were brother and sister."
Doria cracked up. "Guess again. This is my dad! Don't worry, everyone thinks that."
"It's 'cause I'm so damn youthful, right Alex?" the green man chuckled. Alex was surprised at the easy-going nature of the two that had just fought their way through an apartment building. He let out a laugh.
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"You have no idea how cool it is to have another person my age here," said Doria, popping some popcorn into her mouth. She and Alex were currently watching some random horror film on cable. Attack of the Killer Tomato. "I mean, its almost weird. I've lived here since I was five with at least an five year difference between me and everyone else."
"Wow. I can't imagine growing up without any other kids around. You probably grew up really fast. I mean you must be real mature."
"I think most mutants have to be mature. Holy shit this movie sucks."
"Its pretty funny actually. Look- he's gonna get eaten." Three seconds later the man was tomato food. The two teens laughed.
"Why don't I like this?" Mort asked Wanda. He was sitting in the kitchen overlooking his daughter and the new boy.
"You're a dad. It's hard wired into your genes. My dad flipped when I first started meeting guys."
"I think he needs to go home."
"Doria has lived with a bunch of boring adults her whole life. She needs a chance to be a regular kid now."
"Don' like it," he muttered, and moped away.
The movie ended with a shockingly stupid solution. "They dropped the tomato in Antarctica," said Doria, stupified.
"Well that was interesting," agreed Alex, "Think you could navigate me to my room? This place is enormous." He stood up and offered his hand to pull her up. She accepted.
"Here you are." Doria smiled, and looked up expectantly. She had only seen romance in movies, but she liked him. That much the little mutant could tell.
They stood in front of Alex's door. It was a made-over holding cell so the door had a window with bars in it. Looking through, Alex said, "First time sleeping in a jail cell. It's enough to make a guy nervous."
Doria gave a sly smile. "Want me to come... check on you?"
He laughed nervously. "I think your dad's had enough stress for one night," he whispered with a wink.
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"AH!"
Mort heard the familiar screams and sobs through his daughter's door. He looked in to see her figure sitting hunched over with her face to her knees. "Shush, love. It's all right." The green man sat next to her, and placed a soft hand on her back. "You just let it all ou', now. Wha' was it this time?"
"She stuck pins in my arms!" sobbed the girl.
"It's awright now, dear. It's awright."
"No! It's not alright! I'm fifteen and I still see her in my head! It was ten fucking years ago, and I still have to wake you up at least once a week!" She put her head on his shoulder. "Why won't she leave me alone?"
Mort pulled Doria into a strong embrace, letting her cry softly into his neck. "Things like tha', dear, they never leave us. I hate to tell you, but they can't just vanish. Over time, you'll learn how to control them, no' get upset by them, and even ignore them. Did you know that I still get nightmares?"
"From the orphanage? And the streets?"
He nodded. "All the time. They're just there. I don't let them bother me. Tha' was a part of my life long ago, and though I can't make it disappear, I can tell myself tha' I live now. None of tha' can 'urt me now."
She sniffed and sat back. "Tell me what it'll be like. Tell me again."
"Well, when Magneto has finally succeeded, all the humans tha' are still alive will serve mutants like you and me..."
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You know me, I can't resist an angsty soppy father-daughter scene. Sorry it took me so long to update. I broke my elbow! I'm talented like that, you know. Review or face my sling-wielding wrath!