ViciousAssassin: Slayer is about 26, and yeah you and many other kind of read too much into it. They may end up as friends. Yeah we wanted both couple to be more comfortable around each other. Yeah it was time for Hank and Sage to get closer together. Plus if you were Jamie and wanted advice I figured you'd go to the older men. Yeah it's too early for Piotr to paint Kitty nude, but that doesn't mean he wont later on.
Mark C: Well I think Slayer is on the verge of making a few friends. I wanted the guys to bond a bit in this chapter since we hardly see that. I really like Hank/Sage together in this they just really work well together. And maybe well have more with the Rogue/Remy and Wanda/Kurt couples later on.
Aaron: Amara did need someone to talk to and since he's new he won't be able to judge. Yep the double date was one of the best parts in that chapter and I think those four should get closer. Yeah I liked that part with the boys and Jamie asking for advice he would want to go the older boys for the best advice. Actually I don't know what you mean by the cartoon I just came up with it as the thing to say.
TheUnknown325: Thanks we try our best and we wanted to make the Evo characters not in the show stand out more like how Emma is like a cross of main Marvel and Ultimate Marvel in personality. Yeah that might be mainly Slickboy and a little of me in that too. We'll talk about that thanks. Maybe they can be but they're supposed to be over the top because this is the type of battles that deal with magic and we have to show that it's different then other kinds of fights. Besides I like DBZ.
KaliAnn: Yep a very romantic chapter I figured all of the fluff in the last few chapters would help give a more calming tone for the story. Glad you liked the double date Slicky worked really hard on that one, and I figured it was about time Hank and Sage got intimate.
KSimonT-X: Well a lot of people thought the same with Amara/Slayer too. I'm glad you like how we're handling this story too we're putting a lot of effort into it. Yeah Kurt would be like that with how guy's deal with someone dating their sister. I really like this Hank/Sage thing too they just really work well together.
GothikStrawberry: Yeah guess we should have stated his age sooner, maybe they will be friends soon. Yeah I think everyone hates Trish Tilby for obvious reasons. Glad you also liked the double date too.
Silver Warrior: I don't think their relationship was forced at all she already had a secret crush on him from the show and we took out time to build this Romy just right. Maybe its' because Gambit is a lot different then Peter/Vincent that you just liked her with that type of character.
Thanks to: Simba317, X00001, IvyZoe, Draconigeno, Doza, coldqueen,
Hellfire and BrimstoneCHAPTER 53: FAMILY ISSUES PART 1
Xavier/Mystique
Professor Charles Xavier let out a deep sigh as he returned to his office after one last check on some of the students who still had injuries from the mission. Overall, he was deeply relieved that things had worked out and nobody had been injured or harmed on the same level as the previous encounter with the Hellfire Club. Sinister had been a challenge…But this time they managed to overcome the odds and step in before it got too serious. And thanks to help from the mutant warrior known as Slayer, nobody had been seriously hurt.
Now, as he sat in his quiet study, everything seemed so surreal to the man whose dream built this wondrous place. Everybody was back…Safe and sound. Everybody was recovering well, the fight against Sinister hadn't left nearly as many scars, and on top of that…They got two new recruits in the process. Young X23 had finally made the decision to stay, which the Professor though would definitely be a positive change given the tragic life she had lived and the connection she had with Logan. And in the back of his mind, he had a feeling that maybe she and Logan could help each other in a ways because of what they had been through and how closely linked they were.
In addition to X23, there was also the mysterious warrior who had helped them beat the odds against Sinister. He was the mutant warrior known as Slayer, but now he had another name for them to call him by…A human name that he hadn't shared with anybody for nearly a decade…Jack Robinson. It was because of him Selene hadn't succeeded in killing Emma or any of the others she had at her mercy. It was because of him they were all back safe and sound. And now, thanks to a little coaxing on Vincent's part, he was going to stay for a while.
Although Xavier didn't know a whole lot about Jack's story, he could already tell he was a very tortured soul. The look in his eyes was wrought with so much pain and it was clear that he was very haunted by forces that none of them could even begin to understand. But either way, he hoped his presence here would be a positive thing. He was even thinking about giving him a position amongst the staff to help train everybody to fight more efficiently against whatever foes they faced next. And since Selene and Shaw were still out there, it was clear that their battles were not over yet.
As the tired, wheel chair bound man sat at his desk, he found himself looking upon the old book that had so thoroughly consumed him in the days before the abduction from Sinister. The Gates of Hell…A book speaking of unbridled horrors from the innermost depths of darkness…Had not been lost upon him even in wake of their victory. From what he read, there was still a chance of this powerful darkness manifesting during the celestial alignment, which was not too far off when he thought about it…But there were still so many unknowns to make any kind of sound judgment.
Hopefully, he would find the answers as he translated more of the book, but for now, Professor Charles Xavier just wanted to take a moment to relax now that such great turmoil had passed and his students had once again triumphed. However…Such a moment wouldn't last long as the windows suddenly flew open, snapping him out of his daze. At first he thought it was just the wind…Then noticed a black raven fly in through the window and shift into the blue skinned woman he knew all too well.
"Mystique…" he said as he saw her.
"Cut the crap, Xavier!" she spat as an angry expression took shape in her yellow eyes as she slammed her fists upon the powerful psychic's desk, "You have a lot of explaining to do!"
Feeling a bit overwhelmed by her sudden entrance and uncanny directness, the Professor wasn't sure what she was talking about given that neither he nor anybody else had seen her since the Apocalypse incident. However, judging from the look on her face, she was definitely here for a reason…And whatever it was, she was plenty upset about it.
"Well I would say it was nice to see you too, Raven…But somehow I get the feeling you aren't here to catch up on lost time," made the Professor, keeping his demeanor despite the angry shape shifter's presence.
"Shut up!" she spat, not in the mood for any such games, "You're lucky I'm not armed…Otherwise I'd make sure your legs aren't the only paralyzed limbs on your body! Now you're going to give me some answers or I'll…"
"Mystique!" interrupted the Professor, stopping her in mid sentence, for she was beginning to get hysterical, "Calm down…Just tell me why you're here."
Taking a deep breath, the shape shifter took a moment gather herself. She never thought she'd find herself facing Xavier like this again…But given the circumstances, she didn't care…For this involved something much more serious.
"I got a call from Destiny…" she said simply, keeping her tone low, but still threatening, "A call I should have gotten months ago, but I was busy running errands for Magneto. She told me something had happened to my kids…Something terrible. Now at first I didn't really know…Then I found out they were involved in a conflict with the HELLFIRE CLUB!"
Upon hearing that, Xavier's face fell. Even though this woman was an enemy in many ways…He never doubted that she still had a love for her children as any mother should and if she even remotely knew about the Hellfire Club…He could understand why she was so enraged.
"Yes…We all were involved with them, unfortunately," he said, not denying it for a second.
"You son of a bitch!" she said as she once again slammed her fists upon his desk, now looming a mere two feet away from his face with an angry look in her eyes, "You let MY children get involved with THOSE people! I thought you were supposed to keep everybody here safe! What are you doing letting them get tied up with those bloodthirsty, power-hungry assholes!"
Mystique was beyond rage at this point. It was one thing to take her kids from her…But quite another to pit them against people like the Hellfire Club. She knew as well as anybody who was unfortunate enough to know about them that they were NOT the nicest people to get involved with. They torture, destroy, and kill those that stand in their way and the thought of her kids facing people like that definitely didn't sit well with her to say the least.
And as hard as it was to be reminded of his own failures with that incident, Professor Charles Xavier did not falter under this angry woman's penetrating gaze. For all her tough demeanor, he knew her reasons for being upset…And if she knew the truth, than her anger towards him would be the least of her concerns.
"I had a feeling you might know of a group such as them given your line of work…" said the Professor with a sigh, "But I had no idea you'd be this concerned about the kids you so thoughtlessly abandoned here."
That definitely hurt the shape shifter…For it was a grim reminder that she hadn't been there when she should have. It got her to calm down and back off a bit, but she was still enraged in the presence of the man who had allowed her kids to get involved with such monsters. But even she couldn't have possibly known he full story…
"Of course I'm concerned…They're still my kids…" she argued, "And don't think for a second that I…"
However, Xavier once again cut her off, not needing to be reminded of that which he already was well aware of.
"I know, Raven…I just thought I'd remind you of where you anger should be truly directed," he said, causing the shape shifter to tense once again, "And you have a right to be angry…I won't deny you that. But what happened was more than just a petty squabble…What happened between the X-men and the Hellfire Club was far more serious."
"What do you mean?" she asked, eager to know what had happened to her kids.
"It was they who attacked us…" stipulated the Professor, "We had no way of knowing, no way of planning, and no way of preventing such an act of aggression. They ambushed us and abducted three innocent mutants…Two of which were my students…One of which was Rogue."
"No…" she said, stuttering at the thought of her daughter being held captive by those monsters, "Why didn't you protect her!"
"We tried, Raven…And Gambit nearly died because of it," said the Professor, "But in the end…We did manage to save her…But not without a grave price."
"Price! What do you mean, price!" she demanded, "WHAT DID THOSE BASTARDS DO TO MY DAUGHTER!"
Xavier gave the shape shifter a moment to calm herself, but given that there was no true way for him to tell her what they did…He knew there was only one option for which he could truly explain to her what happened to her children.
"I…I can't tell you just what they did to her…" he said, "But if you let down your shields…I can show you."
Mystique cast the powerful psychic a suspicious look, given that she never trusted this man for an instant…Especially given their history. But in Xavier's mind, she deserved to know what happened…Because these were still her kids and she deserved to know the truth.
"I promise you, I won't read any other thoughts from you…I'll just show you what happened…I'll just show you exactly what you want to know…Nothing more," he told her.
As much as she disliked Xavier, she knew he was not the kind of man who would stoop to trickery or deceit like some other men she was familiar with. But even if he was…She had to know the truth…She had to know what happened to her children.
"Okay…" she said, gradually letting down her shields, "Show me. But if I sense for one second that you…"
"Believe me Mystique…After you see this…That'll be the least of your concerns," said Xavier in an ominous, yet mournful tone as he began broadcasting to the shape shifter the memories of what Rogue had been through during her captivity at the Hellfire Club.
Immediately, Mystique was bombarded with a maze of horrific images. They were the memories Xavier had seen when probing her mind in order to help her deal with such horrors and break her out of the coma she had fallen into after she was freed…And they were far from pleasant. They showed her being captured and confined too a prison cell, having her powers and freedom stripped away from her and leaving her helpless. Then…There were the images of what happened with her powers…The pain of losing control…And most disturbingly…The punishment she endured.
Images of her adopted daughter being stripped completely naked, bound at the wrists, and beaten with whips and other such 'toys' from an insidious raven haired woman who seemed to take a perverse pleasure in such suffering filled her mind. Then…There were the images of numerous men swarming around her, throwing her to the floor, and raping her without mercy…Beating and defiling her body and dignity…Making her cry and scream in pain.
It was truly a horror the likes of which Raven Darkholme had never seen before…Rogue, her own daughter…Raped…Violated…Tortured…Defiled. It made her sick in a way no words could describe…It revolted her in a manner that no feeling could match. She quickly went weak in the knees, almost throwing every meal from the past three days in the process. And to make matters worse, Xavier wasn't done…There was still what Selene did to Kurt. But she had seen enough…She could take no more of this horror.
"NOOOO! STOP! NO MORE! NO MORE!" she yelled as she immediately closed her mind and fell to the ground, clutching her head at the images that would surely haunt her as a mother and a person for the rest of her life.
"Raven…" began Xavier, shocked by her sudden breakdown, for he could actually see tears in her eyes, "I…"
"NOOOO! LEAVE ME ALONE!" she yelled as she suddenly shifted back into a raven and flew out the window before the Professor could say anything more.
Xavier was tempted to try and reach out to her via telepathy again…But it was clear she wanted none of that. For now…There was only one thing on her mind…One thing that overshadowed anything and everything past or present…And that was her children…Rogue and Kurt. And even if they still hated her…She had to see them…And refused to let anything stand in her way.
-Front of the Mansion-
A limo pulled up to the mansion as several people got out. First was a tall imposing looking man with a very expensive suit and a cold, stern look on his face. He also had short brown hair as he regarded the mansion with a cold look and a hint of utter contempt. Following close behind was his wife, a frail looking woman with a lighter shade of brown hair in a gray business suit. Lastly came their two daughters, their oldest a prissy looking woman of twenty bearing a generous amount of makeup as well some pretty expensive looking clothing. Last but not least was their youngest…A woman of eighteen to be precise. She had extremely short hair, a few piercings, and hair dyed black along with more common clothing…At least by their standards.
The man sighed as he looked at the Xavier Institute, "I can't believe that she ended up here of all places."
"She always was the freak of the family," the oldest daughter said under her breath.
The man took in the sight before him. It had taken him over a year, but they and finally found her. "Now remember why we're here, so try and behave…Even if it's just for this one time," he said sternly as he made his way to the mansion's front door.
As luck would have it, Tabitha had been walking near the foyer at the time. She had a cane to help her walk since her ankle was still sore and she needed to take it easy on her foot. She felt old walking around with it and with her foot bare and bandaged, but it hurt less that way and it was either this or a crutch and she didn't want that. Besides, it would only be for a few days. Then she heard the doorbell and looked around, hoping someone else was going to get if cause she wanted to rest up a little.
However, no one else was around really so she sighed and went to the door. She opened it up to what looked like a very wealthy family and a very imposing tall man. "Uh…Hey how can I help ya?"
The looked at her with something like contempt or close to it. "We're here to see Emma Frost."
"Oh? Who are you?"
"We're her family," he just stated making Tabitha's eyebrows raise up in surprise.
"Whoa, you are Frosty's family?"
"I believe I just said as much," Mr. Frost said in a very cold tone to her, "Tell me, does this…School…Of yours also cater to those who are mentally deficient? If so, perhaps you could get someone with more then enough brain cells to stop asking questions and to get my daughter."
Tabitha clenched her jaw. Emma never talked about her family and she was getting the idea of why that was. Then the oldest daughter snorted and looked at Tabitha with amusement. "Father, I somehow doubt she's a student. She looks more like trailer park white trash to me. Might be live-in help or with all that makeup, someone who earns their keep on her back."
"What did you say!" Tabby yelled out angrily at her, "And I wouldn't talk honey, you got more make up on then I do!"
"Well at least mine is in good taste and not some kind of harlot or street walker!"
"Enough of this!" Mr. Frost said in an angry tone that Tabitha had heard enough times from her own father to wince. He fixed her with an extremely nasty look. "Now will you get me my daughter or do I have to find her myself?"
Tabitha wanted to throw them a few bombs at them for their bullshit, but even though they deserved it, she didn't want to spend anymore time with these people. "Yeah fine, I'll get them. You can wait in the living room over there," she said bitterly as she pointed to a set of double doors. They walked past, her not giving her another look or acknowledgement.
Tabitha just walked off in a very pissed off mood, "God damn, and I thought my fucking old man and family was bad. Now I see why Emma doesn't want to talk about these assholes," she muttered to herself.
Mr. Winston Frost, followed by his wife Hazel and their daughters Adrienne, their oldest and Cordelia, their youngest entered the room to find Warren there reading. "Oh…Another one," Hazel sighed, seeing the mutant boy with wings. Warren raised up his head to see the new comers.
Cordelia smirked upon seeing the handsome blond man, despite his obvious disfigurement with those banged up wings. But he also seemed slightly familiar. "Hey there stud…Don't I know you from somewhere?"
"Oh wait I know, you're Warren Worthington III aren't you?" Adrienne said remembering him, "I think I met you once at one of your parents' parties a few years back. I didn't know that you were…"
"A mutant?" Warren offered, "Yes I am." He knew these types of people…Hell, he had grown up in that world and knew that they valued money, looks, and power…Not necessarily in that order either, but it was a world he had hoped to have left behind.
Winston Frost strolled up to him, "I'm Winston Frost and this is my family. We are here for Emma." Once again, a look of surprise fell upon Warren's face. Like everyone else, he never expected to hear anything about her family, let alone meet them.
"You know about those wings," Mrs. Frost started to say looking at them, "I know of a great surgeon that could help you with your problem by removing them."
"Yeah looking like that might put a damper on your life having to hide yourself," Adrienne sat down examining her nails, "I mean sure, it could be worse I suppose, but still it's not like you can show your face in public and have to hide yourself in this collection of…" She was about to say the word 'freaks,' but caught her tongue. She knew not to insult a member of a high standing family, for you never knew when they could be helpful in the future, "Special people."
"Yes well, if you'll excuse me, I have something to take care of and I bet you'll want to talk to your daughter alone," said Warren in response, making a fast exit. He was just glad that his family as well as Betsy's were nothing like that. Sometime money and power turned people into the worst humanity had to offer and if these people were any indication, he was glad he wasn't Emma at this moment.
The Frost family were waiting for their wayward daughter for nearly ten minutes when finally she made her entrance. She had heard about her family being here and wondered how they tracked her down. She didn't want anything more to do with these people and was tempted to just let them rot there, but she didn't want them to cause anymore tension or trouble then what she got from Tabitha, for she knew her parents had that effect on people. And it was for that reason she asked Vincent to be with her for this. Emma knew she could do it herself, but his presence would help calm her and give her strength if she needed it.
Emma walked in with an all white skirt and blouse in high heel shoes. Vincent was there with her in jeans and a black T-shirt on. He could feel how Emma was doing with their link and he tried to send her his strength. Then, her father looked at Emma without even a smile on his lips, "Hello Emma."
"What are you doing here!" she demanded of him, "And how did you find me?"
He didn't even seemed to be phased in the least by her attitude. He was a bit glad that she had grown a bit and gotten a bit more of a backbone. "When a certain Frost Enterprises showed up on the market, I was interested. I found the funding to an orphanage in Canada…Which was quite a surprise in my mind, but I guess a little good PR is a nice touch Emma. As for why I am here…I just wanted to know what happened to you and to bring you home."
"I AM home," Emma said coldly trying to stare down her father.
"Please, you can't be serious?" he told her, and then looked at Vincent for the first time. "And why is he here? If he's part of the help, then he might as well make himself useful and get us all something to drink."
That got Emma's temper, "He is NOT help! He's is my boyfriend!"
Her family looked at him, trying to judge everything about him and Vince felt a little exposed, but tried not to show it. He placed a hand on her shoulder, "Maybe I should, it would only be…Polite."
And I really don't like the way they're looking at me, he thought to her and she sighed, nodded her head in response. They told him what they wanted, although Emma's mother asked for brandy and Emma knew she was an alcoholic and wasn't pleasant to be around when she started getting drunk.
"I think I'll go with him to see what they got just in case," Cordelia said smirking and following behind him. Emma caught her checking him out from behind and bristled, for her sister always was trying to dig her claws into any man that she came across that interested her.
When they were gone her father looked at her, "What family background does that boy come from?"
"He doesn't," Emma said flat out at him. She knew that he wanted his daughters to marry into rich and powerful families. But she wouldn't lie to him, for she had nothing to be ashamed of. "He's an orphan…From that very same orphanage that I'm helping."
She could see the shameful look in his face and her sister really seemed to be enjoying this moment as she laughed at the response she saw, "Oh this is just priceless! You know when I saw you walk in, I wasn't sure it was you. I mean, you've obviously had some work done, but I never expected you to start slumming it with the common folk, and a foreigner too."
Her mother just shook her head, "Really dear, why not date that nice Warren boy? I mean, after his wings problem is fixed you two would be delightful together. Plus, not many other women would want someone so…Different." Emma knew she meant mutant…Hell it's one of the reasons why they threw her away all those years ago.
"For your information, Warren is already seeing Elizabeth Braddock of the British family you've heard about," she said crossing her arms at her mother.
"She's here too?" Emma then looked over towards her father and knew what he was thinking…That being friends with two members of prestigious families would make great business connections. She felt disgusted that was all her father was thinking, but there was something else. He was hiding something she was sure of it.
Her eyes narrowed, "Why are you really here father? You never really cared about me so why the sudden interests?"
"Emma how dare you say that?" he said angrily at her, "I did the best I could. I gave you everything…A great education, let you try your hand at textiles, and I even indulged in your fantasy of becoming a teacher of all things. And when you started to hear voices, I gave you the best mental help I could fine. I had no way of knowing you were a mutant!"
"Best mental help?" Emma felt like screaming at him, her face nothing, but anger. "You never ONCE came to see me. And do you know what a few of those sadistic guards did to me? They raped me father! They came to my cell and took advantage of the little teenage girl who heard voices! And you know what! I lost my ability to have children from that!"
Her sister looked uncomfortable and her mother paled a little, but her father just looked as impassive as ever. "I had heard about things like that after those men killed each other and there was only that one who got sent to prison because of it. Believe me, I had that place shut down and I had people looking for you trying to find you as you disappeared that day. But all I want is for you to come home."
She didn't buy it…There was something there and she was going to find it. Then, as she looked into his mind, fighting through his defenses…She found it. And then she screamed in anger at him.
Vincent, meanwhile, was trying to get the drinks. He could feel Emma's emotional state and he wanted to hurry, but her little sister kept getting in the way and making advances on him. "So tell me…How far have you and Emma gone?" she asked him from behind.
"That's none of your business," He told her, beginning to feel a little uncomfortable with her.
She just smiled and ran a finger over his scar on his face. He pulled back, looking at her with a stern look. "You know I've never had one of…Your kind before. But I guess it could be fun. And I want to see what my sister sees in you, although…" she looked him over, "I think I can guess."
"Look…I'm with Emma and that's that," Vincent said sternly.
She looked at him with a little anger, "What? You think you're better then me? You think she's better then me! Well she's not! And she never was! I know those boobs of hers are fake and that nose too! She never looked that perfect to begin with and I bet you know that she's not a real blond either."
"Doesn't matter to me," Vincent said to the girl losing his patience. He already knew all those things, but they didn't matter to him.
"So what? You're in it for her money! Is that it? You're just her little giggalo lover? Well whatever she pays you for a good fuck, I bet you I can double it and I bet I'm better at it anyways! Then again, given that she left that nut house without a penny to her name, she might have earned her fortune on her back. And boy to earn all that she must have-" but she was cut off as Vince grabbed her neck in anger and looked at her with a cold piercing stare.
She looked into his ice blue eyes. They were cold, hard, and spoke of many things she didn't want to know of. "Listen here and listen good…Because I will only say this once. You mean nothing to me…Got it? I don't care about your looks or wealth because they mean nothing to someone like me. I love your sister and that's something you will never have in your life. I can see right through you."
She thought that he could too, for his eyes looked like they were looking right into her soul, "You're just some little girl who never got any love in her family, so she just fucks anything hoping to feel something…Anything and you don't care who you hurt in the process." He then let go of her throat. He hadn't been holding it hard just strong enough to get her attention.
"You have no chance with me, so just stop trying! Because I would never want another woman then Emma. You could be more beautiful then her, have more money and power then anyone on the face of the planet, and you still couldn't have me because I love her and nothing can break that bond I have with her. I would die for that woman."
Then he leaned in close and her eyes filled with fear as Vincent's eyes turned a glowing crimson, "One more thing…Don't you ever, and I mean EVER, say anything like that about Emma again…Got it?" Before she answered, there was a blood curtailing scream of anger and Vince rushed in to see a very pissed off Emma yelling at her father.
"I don't believe this!" she shouted at him, "You only came here to find me to help you dig out of the financial trouble of your damn company! You knew I'm the best at business and my own little enterprise is going nicely and so you just want me to bail your asses out and that's it!"
"Emma-" he began, but she cut him off.
"You forget father that I 'hear voices' remember? You can't lie to a telepath father!" she spat in a rage, "I don't believe this…On second thought I do!"
"Now see here young lady!" se shouted at her, angry that she would raise her voice to him in such a manner.
"No! No more! You drove Christian to drugs and that killed him! He was my big brother and the only one of you all that seemed to really love me in the family! And you didn't even care! You didn't care when you sent me away or what really happened to me! Sure you sent people to look, but I can see it was just to hide me away again!" she started right at the man with a cold rage in her, "I think it best you all leave…Now."
"Now see here…" he grabbed her wrist, but that was enough for Vincent, who was ready to rip his arm off, but he knew that she could take care of herself, so he stood there and watched.
"No…YOU see here," Emma turned into her diamond from and rammed a fist into his gut. He staggered to his knees as she turned back. "I have the power now…NOT you. As far as I'm concerned, I have no family anymore. So I suggest you all leave before you're thrown out. And trust me…I'm sure my lover over there would be more then happy to do it."
They looked at Vince, who wore a predatory grin on his face and made his eyes glow. His wife and daughter helped him up and when Cordelia came out they walked to the front door. Emma watched her family leave without a single word. She made it like that, for she knew that her sisters wouldn't keep silent so she made sure that they couldn't talk to her. She just made them leave under her power and made damn sure they knew it…And that they were not welcomed back in her life. When they left, she just felt so drained and not from her powers.
Vincent gently rubbed her upper arms from behind, "You okay?"
"I'm fine…" she said in a low monotone as she started walking off, but he stopped her.
"Don't lie to me Emma…I know you're not."
She sighed and leaned back against him for just a moment, "I know…I…I think I just need to be alone for a bit…Then maybe work off all this tension."
"Want some help?" he offered and she was glad for it.
She turned around and kissed him, "Maybe later tonight…But thanks anyway."
He watched her walked off, If you need me…Just call.
She smiled as she walked on, Thanks…I will. And Vincent…I love you.
I love you too. She felt her heart warm at those words, for they were words she never had gotten from her family, especially her father, so it was so welcoming to her that there was someone in her life that loved her and she would always take great comfort in that.
X23/Logan
After feeling well enough to leave the infirmary, X23 was led to the upper levels of the institute where she met with Professor Xavier…The man she had once so heartlessly attacked. And even though she didn't say much for the most part, he didn't seem to harbor any hard feelings towards her despite her past actions. It was somewhat of a relief for her…Since she had enough on her mind already.
Upon meeting the Professor and officially becoming enrolled in this strange place known as the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters, she was led by Ororo to what would become her room. Even though she didn't know her very well, she had already become somewhat comfortable around the white haired woman because of her gentle, kind nature. She hadn't known many people like that in her life and it was certainly a nice change after dealing with a guy like Sinister.
But even after she had left her to her room and asked if she needed anything, X23 just wanted to be alone now…She just wanted to have a moment to make sense out of all this. And so she found herself sitting alone in the dark, hugging her knees as she sat upon the soft bed that was now officially hers. The concept of this being 'her' room and having ownership of any given area was an alien concept to her…But it was the least of her worries at the moment as she now found herself contemplating where things went from here.
She was no longer a prisoner or a tool. Nobody was after her and there was nobody to run from anymore. So where did that leave her? Could she…A being who wasn't even technically 'born' in a sense…Ever have a normal life? Did she even have a purpose for being alive at this point? The more she thought about this, the more distraught and confused she became. Yet each time she thought about whether or not she had a purpose in life anymore…Her thoughts kept drifting back to Logan.
Of all the complications she faced and all the challenges she had to overcome…None had been more daunting or confusing than the man whose blood created her. Since arriving…He had been by her side, as if to protect her from something she could not see or sense. Then there had been what she had told him…What she had confided in him during her darkest hour. She wanted him to kill her…To free her of her pain…But he hadn't. Instead, he simply held her in his arms…Making her feel so many confusing and conflicting emotions that she simply broke down right then and there. She wasn't sure why, but when that man held her in his arms…She felt safe…She felt warm…As if it was okay to let it all out. And that's exactly what she did.
Now she was left at yet another crossroad…She had a chance to do something that she so rarely got to do…Make a choice. Should she try to build a future here in a place full of people she had once attacked and try to fit in? Or was she destined to keep running…Forever suffering from her past?
Yet as she contemplated those conflicting thoughts…She was brought out her state by an all too familiar scent at her door.
"Kid?" said Logan from he other side as he knocked a few times, "Kid are ya in there?"
Not getting a response, Logan simply entered to find the former living weapon simply curled up in her bed. In his hands, he had something he wanted her to see and to be a part of…But she wasn't ready, he didn't want to push her.
"Kid…" he said again as he took a step closer.
"How many times do I have to tell you…Don't call me kid," she said in a low monotone voice.
Logan couldn't help but laugh at that for a moment, for it was clear that she was as awake and alert as ever. But she still showed signs of deep stress…And as long as she was here, he wanted to help her with that as much as he could.
"Well I ain't gonna call ya, X23," he said as he made his way over to her bed and sat beside her, managing to grin somewhat in an effort to help lighten the mood.
"Why not?" she said, turning her gaze back to the man that was so often the source of her conflict, "What's wrong with X23?"
"It's the name of a weapon…Not a human being…Not a teenage girl," he told her as he moved in closer to her with the two sheets of paper in hand, "And that's kind of why I'm here. The Prof told me that you're gonna stick around for a while."
"That I haven't exactly decided upon…" she told him, making it clear that she hadn't made her choice yet, "It's just…I have nowhere else to go at the moment."
"All the more reason to stick around…" he told her in response, "I know it's a big decision for a young girl to make…But we can help you here kid. Just give us a chance and we can help undo some of the things Hydra or Sinister did to you. Now I'm not sayin' that we can make all the pain go away…But if ya just let us try…Maybe we can give ya some of the things you had taken away from you."
It was a tempting offer…Especially to the extent that it promised something she never had before…Hope. Her whole life she had been struggling and suffering on her own with nobody there to help her…Yet here was a man and a place who were willing to change all that…To give her a new purpose and a new future. All she had to do was make a choice…Take a chance…And see it through. For the first time in her bleak life…She was faced with the chance to leave part of her past behind and actually build upon a future.
But still…It was just hard for her to imagine living a life like different than that of a tool and a killer. That part of her she could never leave behind…That part of her she could never forget. But thankfully…Logan wasn't done yet.
"Ororo told me she talked to ya about Fury stopping by earlier…" he told her, which she quickly remembered.
"Yes…" she answered, "She said that he and SHEILD aren't going to pursue me anymore."
"Right…But that's not all he did," he went on, sparking the young girls curiosity even more, "He also left me these…"
Then, Logan gave her some of the papers that the Professor had given him earlier. Immediately, X23's heart rate went up upon seeing them…For the text at the top made these documents unmistakable…And already she was beginning to understand where this was leading.
"A birth certificate…And adoption papers," he told her as he saw the look on her face and smiled, "Somethin' that's always gonna remind you that you're not a weapon…You're a human being. Most of it's already filled out…Ya just need to pick your name. But I'll leave that up to you…"
There was also something else that stood out on both papers to X23…Something that made a hard lump form in her throat, for it triggered many deep emotions within her. On each paper…There was a line that with the bold letters, 'father.' And on that line was Logan's signature. On both the adoption papers and the birth certificate…There was the small mark signifying that this man was more than just her genetic donor…He was her father…He was family.
"I…I don't know what to say," said X23, quickly becoming choked up once again by her emotions.
"Ya don't have to say anything kid…" said Logan as he protectively wrapped his arm around her, "Now I know it's a lot to take in…But these papers will make it official…They'll make us family. Now I'm not gonna lie to ya…It's as scary for me as it is for you. I've been alone in the world for a long time and I don't know much about family. But I think that…If you and me…If we were simply there for each other…Like we are now…Like we were when I we helped each other against Sinister…We could be family."
Family…A real family…Something X23 never thought she'd have, yet now with these papers it was official…She wasn't alone anymore…She had a family…She had a father. Such a thought was too much for her to bear as she once again broke down and threw her arms around Logan's neck in a surprise gesture that momentarily shocked him…But he willingly accepted it as the first real sign that they had finally found something in each other that had been missing from their hearts for so long.
X23 sobbed and cried into his shoulder, letting her tears flow freely as she tightly held the man who had just given her something she never thought she'd have. And has he held her in his arms, she felt as though nothing could hurt her…Not Hydra, not Sinister…Nothing. And from her muffled sobs, she managed one word…
"Father…" She said…Simply trying that word out. She just wanted to see what it was like to actually say the word, letting it all sink in. She just wanted to test it out and how it felt. It was strange to say such a thing, but there was a part deep inside of her that felt something…A warmth inside of her she never felt before.
Upon hearing that, Logan became choked up as well…Actually shedding a tear as he embraced his new daughter in his arms. He may not have had a lot of memories concerning his past or old family…But he was now determined to build upon what he had found now here in he present. And even though he was determined to give this girl everything she had been denied in life…He couldn't deny that she had already given him more than he could ever have imagined.
From that moment, it was truly official…They were now father and daughter. And later on, the former living weapon managed to fill the final line necessary to make it permanent…And from this day forward, she would be known as Laura Logan.
-Selene-
Selene was in a special room just for her in the manor. It was filled with black candles and glyphs, singuls, talismans, and magical wards and spells written all over the place. It also held a collection of tombs, books, and scrolls. She had been researching this Hell Gate ever since she found out about it. She had only a few pieces of information, but she needed more.
There was information on a book that talked about it with prophecies, but when she sent her agents to its last location, it wasn't there anymore and it hadn't been for some time. It was a shame, but she was still looking for the actual ritual itself that needed to be done.
She had tried to call forth a demon to tell her, but apparently that was against the 'rules.' It did tell her where to look at least so that hadn't been a waste. She had to find and sacrifice three virgins just to get that demon here. And cleaning up all the blood takes time and since none of the staff were allowed in here or could enter, she had to do it herself. 'Oh well…Teenagers go missing all the time at least, so they shouldn't be missed,' she thought to herself.
She had bought them from a slave trade, one that she used time to time for just such things.
She was looking for records of the Gate and it's location. But that would be all for nothing without the ritual itself. And she needed to be sure that it was the right one, for she knew what could happen when rituals went wrong. One wrong word or mispronunciation, or the wrong ingredients could be disastrous. It could be anything from the spell not just working or anything to what happened to Pompeii. One little mistake and an entire island destroyed in a volcano.
It took only a few rookies were trying to make themselves immortal by currying favor with one of the Old Ones. Even Selene didn't try to contact those beings, for one couldn't just go calling on Powers, Dominations, and Higher Beings without knowing what the fuck you were doing. Those fools got themselves killed and everyone else there. She had felt the power on that island from where she had been, and that had only been a fraction of that power.
But unlike those fools, she wanted to make sure she got this right. She didn't want to make mistakes with this, but she'd need help. Maybe she should call forth a few demonic helpers? It would take more sacrifices and a few other things, but it would be faster. Maybe a few wraiths could be called up? Well, she used them before, so maybe it was time to stop using mercenaries and start calling up some help that didn't want money for their services.
It was all was finally coming together and she was growing back in strength, but not enough to face Slayer again or to summon anything else for some time. That last one tapped her powers for awhile. She was going to make sure that when she was at full strength again to summon up some help, she would also see once and for all how they managed to find Sinister's base.
In time, she would have everything she needed. And time was something she had plenty of, but only a short time to open the gate. Although if she did miss it this time, she could always try the next time. Immortality had advantages like that. Plus, if she did miss it, she was sure that she could find another way, but she wanted the entire world to burn and this was her greatest chance. Plus, the X-Men wouldn't be around the next time and she wanted them all to suffer.
-Motel in the middle of nowhere-
A young woman of eighteen woke up with a gasp. She looked around to see the room she had paid for last night, which was just a cheap motel really, two beds, a TV and nothing much else. She looked at the clock and it read five in the morning.
She groaned and fell back onto the covers. "What the hell is that bitch up to now?" she wondered out loud. She had just had a dream or a vision, maybe of what Selene was up do. She tried NOT to think about that woman as it was, at least no more then she had to. She pulled the covers from her bed and held her head in her hands knowing she couldn't sleep after what she had seen.
She got up and went to the bathroom for a shower. It helped to make her feel cleaner after having a vision of that woman. She despised her and was on her own quest to take her down for good. She turned on the light in the small bathroom and shielded her eyes from the pain of the suddenly bright light. She saw herself in the mirror.
She looked very pretty with high cheekbones and almost aristocratic features. Even a little Italian could be seen in her features. She guessed she mainly got her looks from her mother since she never knew her own father. She had long dark curled hair that was a mess from sleep and dark eyes too. She was slim, but had an athletic body, and was only in gray female underwear since she didn't bother with PJs, since she was always on the road anyway nowadays. She turned on the shower, glad that this place had running hot water and slipped out of her underwear. She only had this upside down pentagram on her lower back right above her ass on her spine. That was the only mark she carried on her body, at least on the outside.
On the inside, however, it was something else. She had dealings with Selene in the past and that left its own mark on her soul. But she had turned her pain into anger and rage from what Selene had done to her. She was going to make that immortal bitch pay for her and all others she harmed. She let the warm water and soap calm herself down and let her anger flow away with the water.
After that she felt more relaxed and stepped out of the shower and dried herself off. She wrapped a towel around herself and another in her hair as she went to the bedroom. She sat down at a small table with a few of her things. There was a leather biker jacket and helmet for her motorcycle that was outside. There was a backpack with a few ancient looking books and a notebook that was opened up. She had written down all useful information in it that she found. She had a few more books on hand too, some of which were mainly for research while others contained magic spells and incantations
She had been looking for anything that basically could kill and immortal. She found the a few weapons that might be able to do the job and a few that should. There was the sword Gram used by Sigurd to kill the dragon Fafnir and sure, Selene wasn't a dragon, but still that might be useful. There was the Spear of Destiny that had been used to pierce the side of Christ. And if a weapon used in the death of the son of the Christian God, then it should work on Selene.
Now August may not be part of that faith, but she wasn't an atheist either. She knew that there were forces far above and below and she believed that there were higher beings. It's just that she didn't follow any particular religion. Although the spear had also given victory to any who held it such as Alexander the Great, it had disappeared after World War II from Hitler's collection of artifacts.
She opened her laptop where she kept more information. She didn't have internet in this motel so she had to wait until an internet café opened up so she could do a little research. She had heard of a myth that the great Japanese sword smith, Masamune, created a sword that was so great the gods were frightened of it and took it from him and hid the sword. But it hadn't been heard of since. Excalibur was out and she tried to get it, and after finally finding that damn lake with the lake spirit who guarded the sword, but that hadn't turned out well.
Who knew that the Lady of the Lake had such a temper? She heard a rumour about Thor's hammer being on Earth, but she had also done research and had found that only those worthy could lift it…A fine safety feature, but a damn annoyance to her. She had a few other leads at the moment, but that will have to wait.
She had a feeling that Selene was up to something very dangerous and her own magic skills were nowhere near Selene's level. She was nothing but a rank armature compared to Selene, but she was able to get a few 'insights' now and then from her dreams thanks to the magic she dealt in. They only happened like eight times in her life, but there was something very wrong about her last one. She didn't know what it was…But she knew it was something very dark and very dangerous. And whatever it was, she guessed that she had to kill Selene fast to prevent it.
NEXT UP CHAPTER 53: FAMILY ISSUES PART2