Gifts and Curses
By Todd Fan
Disclaimer: "I'm not stubborn, I'm... right"
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Well, here we are, the end of yet another Chronicle. When we next see our merry mutants in the 10th and final Chronicle (yeah, it STILL hasn't got a name) 10 years will have passed. You know what this means? X-BABIES!. And, of course, a New (New-New) Mutants team, to which only a select few have already been privy to (okay, I'll be putting a team pic on DA sometime this week). But, before we get to the joys of the future, here is a tie-up….
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Chapter 36 – Life goes on
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In New York City, Jamie Madrox was sitting in a diner that had seen better days. He was trying in vain to warm his hands on a Styrofoam cup of coffee.
"Those are no friend to the environment, you know"
Jamie spun around to see Shiro Yashida, the Freedom Force member known as Sunfire. The mutant multiplier scowled.
"Isn't it bad enough I got Bobby tailing me?", he asked, "why can't you people leave me alone"
Shiro sighed, sitting down across the table from him.
"Bobby is worried about you", he said, "you did leave in quite a… violent way"
"That's my business, not his", said Jamie, "and not yours, either"
He narrowed his eyes.
"You're the one who took care of Gina, aren't you?", he asked.
"Yes, I am", said Shiro with a bow of his head, "she is a good, strong young woman. I am glad to have helped her in deciding not to do something that would have been a great mistake"
"Did you also 'help' her by telling her not to contact me?", asked Jamie, arching a brow.
"No", said Shiro, "she didn't speak of you. If she had, I would have encouraged her to contact you"
"Sure", said Jamie, rolling her eyes, "when she was enjoying time with Mr. Third Person"
Shiro sighed, shaking his head.
"You must let go of your anger and hatred", he advised, "it will eat at you if you let it"
"Doesn't bother me", said Jamie, looking miserably into his coffee, "not like I've got anyone to worry about hurting"
"And who's fault is that?", asked Shiro placidly.
Jamie growled, standing up, narrowing his eyes.
"Hey, I didn't ask you to come here and give me your opinion", he snapped, "I don't care what the hell you think. So why don't you just go back to your little HQ and leave me alone?"
"I was only voicing concerns", said Shiro, "I was not instigating a fight"
"Well, you'll get one if you don't get out of my face", growled Jamie, "I don't want help. I didn't ask for help. So don't give it"
"As you wish", said Shiro, ever calmly, getting up and walking to the door, "Gina was also concerned"
"Yeah, right", said Jamie, "she's got Thunderbolt to snuggle up to now, why should she care?"
"Because she's a caring person", said Shiro, opening the door and starting outside, "I hope you find your peace, Mr. Madrox, I truly do"
"Just leave me the hell alone", said Jamie coldly, as the Japanese mutant walked out of the diner.
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Elsewhere, in the Morlock tunnels, Callisto had given the good news to everyone in the tunnels, getting a general response of joy….even Caliban smiled….a tiny little bit.
"I still don't know what'll be so great about a baby", said Leech, "imagine screams echoing the tunnels at three in the morning. Ouch"
Artie nodded mutely, putting his fingers in his ears of emphasis
"Exactly", nodded Leech.
"Oh, don't be such a pair of whiners", said Torpid icily, pushing past the pair, "you should be happy for them. Jerk"
Artie rolled his eyes as she left, the word 'girls' popping up in a bubble on his head.
"….Wait…why am I the jerk?", blinked Leech, "what did I do?"
Artie arched a brow, giving a 'do you really want to know the answer to that question?' smirk.
"Thanks, Art", said Leech, "you're a big help"
Artie grinned, then walked off. Leech sighed, muttering under his breath as he walked after Torpid.
"Hey, Little Missy Moody, what's your problem?", he grinned.
"Don't start, Dorian", said Torpid, "I'm mad at you"
Leech blinked, a little confused.
"Okay….um….what did I do, exactly?"
"You were thoughtless, again", said Torpid, "and you avoided me in Sidney and Todd's wedding"
"No, I didn't", said Leech, "I avoided the wedding. Heloooo, Todd's cousin was there. You remember her, right? The one that killed my mother? You can't exactly blame me for not wanting to mingle"
"Oh……right…", Torpid shifted uneasily, "…sorry"
"I don't know why you're getting so worked up about it, it's not like we're dating", said Leech, then paused, "…are we?"
"If you don't know now, you never will", said Torpid moodily, crossing her arms…not an easy feat for someone with hands as big as hers.
"…Okay, now I know something's eating at you", said Leech, arching a brow, "some on, spill"
"Okay, fine", said Torpid, "today marks the third year of me speaking again".
"…..Yeah, a 'lovely' day for us all", said Leech, "so?"
"Argg, you just don't get it!", she said, frustrated, "it's the anniversary of the day I went back on my promise to myself. I broke my oath to stay mute"
"……..You lost me", said Leech
Torpid looked at him and gave a frustrated sigh.
"When I was ten, my Mom and me went swimming in the lake near our holiday home", she said, "…that's when it happened"
"When what happened?", asked Leech.
"We were playing tag…but when I touched her…., Torpid trailed off, looking heartbroken.
"Your powers manifested", blinked Leech, realising, "…she froze"
"She…she sank to the bottom", said Torpid, "I tried to save her….but I was only ten….I wasn't strong enough"
She put an oversized hand over her face, letting out a sob.
"I always blamed myself", she said quietly, "so I…I stopped talking, to punish myself"
"Oh", Leech looked at the floor, uncomfortable, before sighing, walking over and putting an arm around her shoulders, "it wasn't your fault, Torpid. It's not like you did it on purpose"
"I know that", snapped Torpid, "but I spoke….and I told myself I wouldn't"
"Yeh, well that wouldn't have worked for long", smirked Leech, "you're too loud and opinionated to keep quiet"
"Am I supposed to take that as a compliment?", asked Torpid, arching a brow, "if I am, it's a sucky one"
Her hands suddenly shrunk, her oversized gloves slipping off them. Leech chuckled, taking her hands in his, having 'switched off' her powers.
"Yeah, I know", he admitted, looking at their hands, "I suck at compliments. Not used to giving them. I'm sure I can get used to it though"
"You sure about that?", smirked Torpid, pulling him down for a kiss.
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Over at the Institute, with the college-bound mutants gone, things had got a little quieter. For those still living at the Institute, routine had finally taken place once more. Josh and Paige, though now a team of two, still attended their training sessions, and dutifully went to Bayville High. There was not change in Danielle's condition, but Kurt had gone into the habit of taking care of her while Kitty couldn't. Despite the protests of both staff and older students (who, technically, were no longer students) Magneto still remained at the Institute. Josh and Paige didn't seem to have as much of a problem with him as the others. After all, they'd only known him as a teacher, not an enemy. With the pair in school, however, the people who didn't mind his presence were vastly outnumbered by those who did, so the Master of Magnetism had decided to 'not hide' in the garden for some peace and quiet.
…No such luck.
"Dadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadadad!"
Magneto groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose as a gust of wind kept speeding around him.
"Pietro, please calm down….and slow down", he said, "I have a migraine, and you're not helping"
The gust of wind stopped and Pietro resorted to hopping from foot to foot.
"Dad, something horrible has happened!", he whimpered, "it's terrible, and oh so very wrong!"
Magneto arched a brow. He'd learned to be placid in his son's presence a long time ago….it was the best way to deal with him.
"Oh?"
Pietro paused for effect.
"Wanda and the fire-maniac have found a new place to live"
"I know", said Magneto, "so?"
Pietro looked horrified.
"You don't think that's wrong?", he asked, "she's moving to a place with a shop underneath, so she can run her freaking Wicca store! And she's going to live above it, with him!"
"Pietro, your sister is a grown woman, I think she's capable of making her own decisions….", started Magneto wearily.
"No, she isn't!", cried Pietro, "she's my little sister…"
"I doubt a few minutes behind you would constitute her as 'little'...", said Magneto.
"Okay, she's my twin!", said Pietro, "we have a cosmic, twin-bond. Unshakable by any and all tragedy"
"……Are we talking about the same set of twins here?", asked Magneto, "as I recall, you and your sister would spend as much time apart form each other as humanly possible….even as babies"
"But but…", Pietro whimpered, "she can't leave. You have to put your foot down, tell her she can't!"
"HAH!", laughed Magneto, "it would be more like 'putting my foot in it'. Your sister and I have barely rebuilt what is already a very unstable relationship. There's not way I'm going back to dodging attempts on my life again by trying to tell her how to live her life"
"But she's my sister", whined Pietro, "and I don't want her to go"
"Now you decide to grow close to her?", sighed Magneto tiredly, "oy vey. Pietro, you can't change her mind. Let her live her life. She's happy with the Idiot. Let her and the Idiot be"
"I don't like it", pouted Pietro.
"Go and grow an attachment to Lorna", said Magneto, "if you're so determined to have a sister around you"
"Last time I talked to her, she threw spoons at me", said Pietro, "…just like Wanda. Oh God, I want my sisters!"
With that, he sped off.
"I couldn't have normal children, could I?", asked Magneto, "oh no, that would have been far too much to ask for"
"I thought the words 'normal' and 'mutant' didn't belong together in the same sentence", said Bobby, ice-bridging over, "I missed the screaming sissy, didn't I?"
"If you are referring to the pitiful creature I have to call my offspring, yes", said Magneto, "why would you actively look to be in his company?"
"I'm not", said Bobby, "he owes Terrell twenty bucks, and he keeps running off before we can get to him"
"Ahhh, the reasons for wanting his more powerful and far less pathetic sisters are becoming clear", said Magneto, "put a few mirrors around, that'll stop him"
"Cheers, bucket head!", grinned Bobby, "why are you hiding in the garden, anyway?"
"I'm not hiding, I'm merely spending time alone", said Magneto.
"They'll get over the whole hatred thing", said Bobby, "the X-Men are big on forgiveness"
He paused to consider.
"Actually, I think I smoothed things over with most people here", he said, "okay, Roberto ignored me while he was still here, and I think Forge is still a bit bitter about the whole 'being whacked with his own arm' thing…but he can hold a grudge for decades"
"Don't I know it", said Magneto, rolling his eyes, "then again, I must admit, not even I attempted to kill them all off in one go. I'm rather impressed you almost pulled it off"
"Oh gee, that makes me feel better", said Bobby dryly.
"It wasn't meant to", said Magneto, equally dryly.
"…..You're nowhere near as fun to argue with than Xavier is", said Bobby.
"You obviously haven't spent a night with him in Rio", said Magneto, "suffice to say, it would change your view on him…..a drunken Charles getting over the fact that his latest girlfriend dumped him by buying himself a lap dance is not a fun thing" (1)
"….That was an image I could have lived my entire life living without", said Bobby, giving a shudder.
"You weren't there", said Magneto, "think how I feel"
"…….I'm going to go away now", said Bobby, creating an ice-bridge.
"That would be a good idea", said Magneto, "try the mirror thing….that or tea cozies. Those things put the frighteners up him"
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Back in New York, the college bound mutants (which were down to Rahne, Sam, Warlock and Doug) were busy having a day of deep study.
……Okay, they were watching movies.
"Okay", said Sam, tilting his head to the side, "how come does that camcorder work when all the other power doesn't?"
"Maybe it's a magical camcorder", said Rahne dryly, "oh look, here comes the alien tripod" (2)
"You know, I can point out a billion things wrong with this movie", said Warlock, "but I have to got make a Tlawqkrvth"
"…..A what now?", blinked Rahne, as Warlock hastily left.
"A 'slaughterhouse', 'nest' or 'sandwich', Technarchs use the same word for all three of them", said Doug, giving a shrug, "I'm guessing it's the last one"
"Sometimes, it's better nae te ask, huh?", smirked Rahne.
"Hell, yeah", said Doug, "he went on another chocolate rampage last night. There's nothing chocolate-related in our dorm room anymore. He ate it all. He even ate the hot chocolate…straight from the sachet…as powder"
"This is what you get for dating an alien", said Sam, "It's like Mork and Mindy crossed with Will and Grace"
"….Thanks for that", said Doug dryly, "I'll bear that in mind on the next 'chocolate shop'"
"See, you're getting sarcastic too", grinned Rahne, "he's rubbing off on ye"
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Elsewhere in New York, a brown haired woman stalked the streets, a jacket pulled up, hiding her features. She didn't see the man until she walked into him.
"Hey, watch it, buddy", she snapped, narrowing her eyes at him.
"Awfully sorry", smirked the pale-faced man, "I'll be more careful in future, Miss Leighton"
In one swift movement, Prudence has pulled a gun from her jacket, cocked it, and aimed it at the mans head. She wasn't a weapons expert for nothing.
"You have five seconds to explain yourself before I blow your brains out", she said.
She hadn't gone through the trouble of 'jumping' into a stripper and getting clear of the scene. She wasn't going to be caught now. Not by anyone. The man merely smirked.
"No need to be hostile, I'm here to help"
"Really?", sneered Prudence, "how?"
"I can give you your body back", he replied, "your real body, no more hiding in other peoples psyches. Think about it, Prudence, you can have freedom again", a smirk, "revenge"
Prudence stopped, turning to look at him.
"….You have my attention", she said, "perhaps we could cut a deal…Mr.?"
He chuckled, his red eyes glowing. He gave a fanged smirk.
"Call me.. Mr. Sinister"
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(1) – A in-joke to those in the Bevo RPG. Myself and Ravenpan play the ghosts of Magneto and Charles, respectively. Quite often, their banter leads to various versions of 'that one night in (insert location here), where one or both of them made an ass of themselves.
(2) – If you didn't know, they're watching War of the Worlds. I always wondered about the camcorder.
I left the Chronicle on a cliffy! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Yup, Sinister's back, baby! Now you have to wait until the 10th Chronicle to know what he's up to this time. Thanks for reading. Do review. Love ya all!