Gifts and Curses
By Todd Fan
Disclaimer: "If subzero is already below zero, how can you be below subzero?"
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Chapter 3 – Different Directions
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Down in the darkness of the Morlock tunnels, the Morlocks were doing what they did best… surviving.
"Hey, come back with that!"
Caliban groaned from where he'd been sitting and trying to rest. It wasn't easy being a mutant detector living among mutants, sometimes it was nice to get away on his own to give his mind a rest…no chance of that. He rolled his eyes as a 15 year old Torpid was chased Artie and Leech, now both 16. In Torpid's hands was Artie's beloved baseball cap. The pink skinned mutant made various skull and cross bone images over his head.
"Come on, Torpid, give him his hat back", said Leech, crossing his arms.
He and Artie had grown close during the years, becoming best of friends, almost inseparable. Leech took it upon himself to be his mute friend's mouth, especially when it came to telling off Torpid.
"You want it, come and get it", smirked Torpid, holding out the hat at arms reach.
Torpid had surprised everyone the year before by breaking her silence and finally speaking. Why she had remained mute for so long, she would tell no one, and none of the Morlocks brought it up. As long as she was happy, they were.
Artie reached out to take the hat, only to have Torpid snatch it back quickly.
"PHYSCE!"
Caliban quickly grabbed the hate form her and handed it to Artie.
"I liked you better when you were sssssilent", he hissed, "go play ssssssomewhere elsssssse"
"Aye aye, Caliban", said Torpid with a salute.
"You've ssspent too much time with Ssssidney", grumbled Caliban, "ssshe'sss been a bad influencceeee on you"
The kids glanced at each other, laughed (albeit Artie doing it mutely) and ran off. Elsewhere in the tunnels, Callisto was tending to her duties as a leader, checking on supplies, making sure everyone was okay. Since her rise to stardom, Sidney had always sent a large amount of her profits to the Morlocks, allowing them to have proper beds, proper medical supplies, and real food. No more hunting in trash cans. Callisto smiled slightly. Sidney had done as she had promised, and had not forgotten the people who took her in when she had nowhere else to turn. Even with this money, the Morlocks chose to remain in their underground home. They felt safe there.. protected. It took so long after the massacre for them to feel safe in their tunnels again, but safe they did feel. She didn't even blink as a pair of hands wrapped around her waist. She'd sensed him long before he'd been near her.
"Hey you".
"Hey yourself", smiled Evan, kissing her cheek, "how're you doing?"
"Just checking up on stuff, you know, keeping myself busy", said Callisto with a shrug.
Evan frowned slightly.
"I know you're upset, Callisto", he said gently, "Healer said if we keep trying…we might be able to conceive"
"Might", echoed Callisto.
Evan hugged her gently, being careful not to spike her.
"I'm so sorry, I know how much you want children", he said.
"We've got kids here, we've got Torpid, and Leech, and…"
"And it's not the same", said Evan, then smiled, "I know you too well, Callisto"
"I'll be fine", said Callisto with a shrug, "We'll be fine"
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Whoosh SPLASH! Whoosh SPLASH.
At Dark Hollow, the mutant team known as Nightshift were training…apparently (1)
"Do ye really call throwing a ball intae the reservoir 'training'?", asked Syrin, arching a brow.
"Yes, yes I do", said Kyle with a fanged, smirk, then looked out over the water, "go long, Sammy!"
Squid-Boy, now getting into his seventeenth year, waved from the water before diving under. Wild Child grinned, tossing in ball in his hands out into the water. In a few seconds, Sammy leapt to the surface, grabbing it before the ball could hit the water and tossing it back.
"Dull, dull dull and more dull", yawned Maggott, petting Eany and Meany who were sitting on his shoulders, "Sammy's doing what a trained seal can do, big whoop"
"Aren't we Mister Personality today?", snorted Sammy, swimming up and getting out.
"Yes, thank you", said Maggott.
"Boys, stop fighting", said Lizzie, crossing her arms, "you're giving me a headache"
"Sorry, Lizzie", said Sammy sheepishly.
"Suck-up", retorted Maggott.
"Lizzie's been the closest thing to a mother I've had since my own abandoned me", said Sammy, "I don't like upsetting her"
Lizzie smiled, ruffling the fin on top of Sammy's head.
"It's okay, Sammy, Japeth's just jealous".
"How long will it be before Lucas comes back?", groaned Maggot, "and I'm not jealous"
"In about an hour", said Lizzie, then smirked, "Kyle has to have his inoculations".
"Yeah we dinnae want him all rabid", said Syrin, "he drools enough as it is"
Elsewhere in Dark Hollow, Alex had still not given up his quest to win Lorna's affections. Even if she'd been putting up a very good fight, it was easy to see she was slowly fighting a losing battle.
"Come on, one dinner date, or the movies", tried Alex, "come on, throw me a bone here!"
"Nope", said Lorna, filing her nails, "I'm not going on a date with you, Alex"
"You were my date for my brother's wedding", pointed out Alex.
"I went for the free food", said Lorna.
"You had a good time", said Alex, "you even danced with me".
He gave her a puppy-dog expression.
"You wouldn't build my hopes up to shatter them, would you?", he asked, "come on, you can't say 'never', can you?"
Lorna rolled her eyes, standing up.
"We'll see", she said, stomping off to her house.
Alex grinned, doing a little happy dance.
"Stop doing the dance", she called over her shoulder, "or you'll blow your chances"
Alex cleared his throat, sitting back down again, watching her head off with a goofy grin on his face.
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At the Brotherhood house, Pietro was sulking, as usual.
"Are you aware of how weird it is a human is living in the Brotherhood of Mutants home?", he sniffed.
Rosemary blinked at him.
"This from the guy who's been stalking a human girl for the better part of five years", she said.
"Flirting", corrected Pietro, "not stalking. Flirting"
"…You keep telling yourself that, Pie", said Rosemary, "besides, it's not like you guys don't have room, Todd and Sidney have had their own place for ages, and Lance'll be gone as soon as Kitty's got her law degree, and they get married".
"I'm the only single guy in the house!", wailed Pietro, "that is SO wrong"
He sent a glare at the ceiling.
"And it doesn't help hearing my SISTER having fun with that idiot fiancé of hers in the next room!", he shouted, "there are some things a person isn't supposed to hear!"
"Bite me, Pietro", came Wanda's muffled reply
"See?", snapped Pietro, "I get no respect as your leader"
"I thought we'd established Lance was our leader", pointed out Freddy, "remember, you guys had that cheesecake eating contest"
"It was fixed!", shouted Pietro, "I can't help it if I have a delicate metabolism!"
"Sure, Pietro, sure", smiled Rosemary as the door knocked.
She sighed, walking out of the room to answer it.
"She's out to get me", whispered Pietro, "I know it"
"Pietro, you're being paranoid", said Freddy, rolling his eyes.
"Am not", Pietro hissed back, "you're the paranoid one, not me!"
"..Shut up, Pietro", said Freddy.
It was then Rosemary walked in, followed by another figure.
"Errr, guys, there's some sort of pirate here who wants to talk to you", she said.
"Long time no see", said Fury, trying to ignore the pirate comment, "I'm surprised you people haven't destroyed anything for so long"
"Hey, we're not all destruction, you know", said Pietro, then shrugged, "besides, we've already destroyed everything once"
"What do you want, Fury?", said Wanda as she walked in, watching him distrustfully, she'd allowed her hair to grow long again, but other than that, she hadn't changed a bit.
"Gather the rest of your team", said Nick, "I have a proposition for you"
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Piotr Rasbutin should have been happy to come back to Siberia, going home was always such a joyous experience for him, but now… When he was told his sister had vanished without a trace, he'd returned home immediately to help look for her. How he could help, he didn't know, he just needed to be there.
"Cold"
He smiled slightly, glancing over his shoulder at what could only be described as a walking ball of coats, scarves and gloves that ALMOST resembled a human. When Rogue had told him there was no way on this planet he was going to Russia to look for Illyana without her, he'd been worried. But now he was glad for the company, just being in Rogue's presence lifted his spirits.
"How can you be cold?", he teased, "you have twelve coats, five scarves and three pairs of gloves on"
"A'hm from Mississippi", grumbled Rogue, "it's warm in Mississippi, it's cold in Siberia"
"Did all the snow give it away?", chuckled Piotr.
Rogue rolled her eyes, the only really visible part of her as she gave him a gentle shove, not actually moving Piotr an inch, but the thought was there…
"Come on, lets keep movin' before a'h freeze to death"
"It'll probably be an improvement", came a voice at the side of them.
The pair spun around, their eyes falling on a familiar figure. Rogue squinted to be sure it was him before speaking.
"….Iceman?"
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(1) – Lucas' team were given the name 'Nightshift' in my musical, which had to go because of stupid regulations, ho hum.
And so Todd Fan's love of cliff hangers once again restarts, bwhahahaha!. Do review. Until next time…