Hearts and Diamonds
Chapter 4
Number of words: 2426
Summary: Kana wants out of training, Wolverine's hissy and Kurt gets medical attention.
Author's comments: Comments will be made at the end of the story.
"I can't do this."
Kitty and Rogue both paused in mid-step and turned behind. Kana had somehow turned a shade of green that could put Toad's putrid skin to shame.
"It's just a training session," Kitty said, trying to comfort her. The poor girl looked like she was going to keel over any second. "Sure, the ones with Wolverine are bad. But you're new. People will forgive you if you're the first one out."
"Ah think th' younger kids would b' lookin' forward to someone else being the odd one out, f'r once," Rogue said dryly.
Kana tugged at the sleeve of her ill-fitting uniform. It was a last-minute loan from Amara, the smallest one available in the Institute. She still had to roll up the sleeves and pant legs several times in order to move freely. She didn't know what material it was made out of, and despite all it's supposed benefits - heat resistant, thermal insulation and fire proof, amongst others - she hated it. It was suffocating and restrictive, and it drowned her at the same time. It was an odd sensation. And she missed the freedom of her less technology spangled training robes.
"I just can't," Kana insisted.
Before either Kitty or Rogue had the chance to open their mouths to say anything, a new voice cut in.
"If Kana doesn't want to, she needn't," Xavier said. "Rogue, Kitty, you'd best head off first. You know Logan doesn't like to be kept waiting."
The two simultaneously blanched and took off in a panic, leaving the professor and Kana alone in the hallway.
"Hello Kana."
" 'morning, Professor," Kana greeted back evenly.
"While I perfectly understand why anyone would want to miss one of Logan's training sessions," and here, one of the Professor's lips twitched, as though he were repressing a smile, "I would like to know the reason behind your extreme reluctance to train."
Kana sighed. This wasn't going to go very well.
"I'm a pacifist," she said.
Was it her, or did one of the professor's eyebrows go up just a notch?
"I don't believe in using my powers for violence," she explained. "I guess I'm okay with fighting with my fists, but only for self defence. But I can't - " Her voice broke. She bit her lip, tried to get a grip of herself. "I won'tuse them against others."
Xavier propped his chin on interlaced fingers and examined her closely. She looked back, calming herself, reinforcing her mental barriers as well as she could. She knew it probably looked like she was lying, but she really didn't like people digging around in her head.
"Would your parents happen to know about your pacifism, by any chance?"
Kana bit her lip. "No."
"I don't have to be a telepath to know that you don't share a very... Easy relationship with your parents, Kana," the Professor said. Yep, he was definitely smiling now. "But you could have told me if you weren't comfortable with using your powers. It isunderstandable. Rogue herself prefers hand-to-hand combat when training."
Kana looked down at the carpet, contemplating how much it would have cost. It seemed like a ridiculously expensive one; absurdly plush, and somehow firm and comfortable enough to walk on at the same time.
"I figured my parents would have said something to you," she mumbled. "So you wouldn't listen even if I'd told you I didn't want to use my powers." She thought of her father and mother waking her up hours before dawn for combat training. She remembered the yelling she received for stifling a yawn, for slowing down, for faltering as they sparred with bamboo swords; for showing any signs of weakness or fatigue whatsoever. She remembered the bruises that would bloom on her skin like mottled flowers every time she failed them.
This carpet, Kana thought, is absolutely fascinating.She continued studying the carpet, tracing patterns on it with the toe of her shoe. The Professor was silent for a very long time.
"I understand," he said. "But please, Kana," he added, sounding very earnest as he did. "Your parents may be friends of mine, but that doesn't mean I entirely agree with their methods, nor will I follow them simply because they asked me to. You are my student now, Kana, and they'll just have to accept what I believe is best for you while you're under my care."
Kana blinked away the tears that had somehow managed to creep into her eyes. Much as she wanted to, she couldn't just bawl in front of the Professor - even though he sounded more sane and reasonable than her parents ever did. Instead, she forced a shaky, somewhat watery smile.
"Thank you," she whispered, shoulders sagging, as though a massive load had just been lifted. It certainly felt that way. She felt lighter, she really did.
"But," Xavier continued. Kana's heart sank. Of course, there was a 'but'. There always was.
"Logan still wants to see you."
The Professor was smirking, Kana thought. He was, he definitely was. It was a faint one, but damn, it was there.
"Why?" Kana managed to ask hoarsely.
"He honestly believes that, painful as his sessions may be, it's all for your own good." Xavier frowned. "Unfortunately, with anti-mutant sentiments, the real world is a lot more dangerous for you youngsters as I'd like. Peace won't happen overnight, and meanwhile, I'd prefer it if you all were able to defend yourselves if threatened. I believe your parents believed the same when they trained you," he added in a kind, sympathizing voice. Kana wondered briefly if he had been fed on a diet of honey and milk as a child. "They've at least done a good job in teaching you how to block out telepaths."
Kana's head jerked up in surprise. "Do you mean the mental barriers are working?" she asked.
"Fairly well," Xavier smiled. "It'd take quite a bit of concentration to break through them. Your father was quite an expert at this, if I recall."
"I'm nowhere near as good as him though." Kana chewed her lip.
"I believe you'll get there."
There he was again, Kana thought. Always kind, always encouraging. Like there wasn't a single mean or bad thought in him.
It only made her more aware of her own filth, the dirt and blood of her own past. It made her ashamed to be in this house, made her afraid to touch or sully anything.
Of course, she didn't say any of this, but instead smiled wanly. "Thank you, Professor."
"Well," Xavier said, preparing to wheel himself from the hallway, signaling the conversation was at an end. "Just go down the hallway, and meet Logan at the Medic Bay."
He was positively smirking as he left. Damn him.
XXXXX
"Mr McCoy?"
"Ah, Kana." Hank McCoy turned from tending his most recent patient to face the girl. She stood awkwardly at the doorway in a suit two sizes too big from her. "What can I do for you?"
"The Professor said Logan was here and wanted to see me."
"Logan's just stepped out for a while. Sit down, make yourself comfortable."
"Guh... My arm..." a German accented voice groaned.
"It's a little banged up, but it'll be fine soon," Hank said soothingly as he turned back to Kurt. The blue mutant sat up from the bed, holding his right arm stiffly.
"How soon is soon?" he cried. "I need this hand! Ve have so much homework tonight and I - Argh." He flopped back onto the bed with a groan.
"Here, Kurt." Barely aware or in control of what she was doing, Kana moved towards the bed. Her mouth felt dry, cottony. She shouldn't be doing this. But Kurt's grimace of pain tugged at her, making her feel itchy and uncomfortable and guilty all at once. She could help him. She had the power to. "Let me."
She reached for the pitcher of water beside the bed and drew out a stream of water, forming and shaping it with mental hands, until it was a perfectly formed orb, smooth and clear as glass.
"Hold still."
Kurt's eyes widened - in amazement or fear, she couldn't tell.
"Vat are you doing?" he asked, voice shaking just the tiniest bit. Yep, it was fear.
"Don't worry." Kana did her best to sound reassuring, but she just wasn't as good as the professor.
"Um, Kana," Hank said, placing a heavy hand on the girl's shoulder. "I don't think you should - "
Kana reached for Kurt's injured arm - swollen, and under the blue fur, mottled with bruises - bringing the globule closer. She inhaled, trying to relax. As she closed her eyes, she saw it, in a blaze of light and heat. His blood, wrapping and looping through his limbs in a latticed pattern, as fine and delicate as a thread of silk.
The pathway along his arm was erratic, broken, unlike the smooth course that traveled along the rest of his body. Nothing broken, but there was some deep tissue bruising. She inhaled, bringing the sphere of water to the injury and sinking it in slowly into Kurt's skin. She ignored the way Kurt flinched or the way his tail stiffened, ignored Hank's sharp intake of breath and focused on untangling the little knots of energies, smoothing and straightening them with her water. It took a couple of minutes of intense concentration, but then she was done.
"Vat," Kurt finally said. "Did you do?"
"Yes, Kana, could you tell me precisely - "
"My arm! It's vorking again!" Kurt leapt out of the bed, flailing his limb around, just in case no one had understood him.
"Um." Kana looked down at her hands, trying to appear as inconspicuous as possible. "Nothing very much."
"Kana." Hank pushed up his spectacles, as he spoke. Intense didn't capture the well, intensity of his expression. "You must tell me, preciselywhat you just did."
"Who cares?" Kurt whooped. "It vas amazing!"
"Alright, furball," Logan snapped as he entered the room. "You're officially discharged. Now don't you have some homework to do?"
Kurt, used to Logan's brusqueness, just gave the man a jaunty wave and vanished with a poof of sulfurous smoke.
"I thought you were a water moving thingy," Logan growled accusingly. It was a testimony of how intimidating he could be, that he could say 'thingy' and look so terrifying at the same time.
"I am," Kana replied, a little unnerved.
"So how'd you do that?"
"Yes, exactly how? Is this your secondary mutation? To what extent can you heal others? How - ?"
Hank even had a notebook and pen, ready to scribble down anything Kana said. Clearly, his inner scientist was having a field day.
"Um," Kana said again. She could feel the sweat beading her upper lip. This, she thought, Must be what a cornered animal must feel like.
"No need to be scared, kid," Logan said. Was it her or did he sound just a little more gentle?
"My mom told me," Kana said, "That your life force runs along your entire body. Your chi, if you like."
"Chi. Yes," Hank said, scribbling furiously.
Kana cleared her throat surreptitiously. It really was unnerving, the way the big blue mutant was hanging on to her every word. And of course, the way Logan was glaring at her - but wait, wasn't that just his neutral face?
"And well, the chi's pathways are identical to the bloodstream. So if I use the water to direct the energy towards the injured cells, which allow them to regenerate faster. I'm not really sure how it works, my mom was better at explaining it then me." Kana bit her lip.
"I think I understand," Hank said, pausing in his scribbling to push up his spectacles. "Fascinating, this."
Wolverine looked at the girl. He saw how her shoulders tensed as she spoke, almost as though she expected a blow to come from nowhere. And he could smell her nervousness, sharp and bright, as it cut through the air like a knife.
She wasn't a fighter, he realised. He could force her into training, but he wouldn't be helping her, only breaking her. And, from the way she shook, ever so slightly, as she looked at him, it looked like her spirit had been broken a long time ago.
"Well, kid," he finally said. "It'd be handy to have a medic around with the way these idiots get injured." He paused, and Kana waited for him to continue.
"And congrats, kid," Logan said. "You're officially excused from training."
Then he turned and left. Or he would have, if he didn't almost slam into Kitty.
"Oops, sorry Mr Logan," Kitty sang. Unperturbed by his growls, she phased through him neatly. "Kurt told us about what you did! Ohmigod, that sounded like, amazing!"
"Um." Kitty's constant enthusiasm was honestly disturbing Kana. "Thanks?"
"So, like, what code name are you gonna take?"
"Code name?"
Kitty made an impatient sounding noise. "Y'know, so we can call you when you're wearing your uniform. Which, by the way, had better be coming soon 'cos Amara's just looks ridiculous on you."
"Oh, yeah." Kana had shut out most of what Kitty had said after the first sentence. She'd been thinking of a nickname for a while now, and thought she had one that fit.
"Scylla," she said.
"Scylla," Kitty repeated, trying the sound out. "Why?"
Kana smiled thinly. "She was a water nymph from Greek mythology."
"Cool!" Kitty bounced out of the door. "I'm gonna tell the others!"
Which left Kana alone in the medical bay with Hank.
"Well," Kana said. "It looks like I'm gonna be a regular here."
Hank's expression was grim. "Scylla?"
Kana shrugged. "I like the sound of it."
"I'm assuming you know the rest of the legend. That Scylla was a nymph transformed into a monster."
"I know."
As Hank looked at her, and she thought she saw something like pity on his face.
"You're not a monster," he said.
Kana couldn't help but smile.
"You don't have to look like a monster to be one," she said softly. He flinched, as she thought he would.
"I'm not a good person, Mr McCoy. Not like you."
"Kana, what makes you say you're a bad person?"
She closed her eyes, feeling her past weigh down on her like chains.
"You aren't a bad person," Hank said firmly. She wished she was as certain as he sounded.
"Thanks Mr McCoy," Kana whispered, and left.
Author's comment: Yes, Kana is basically a waterbender. (See Avatar: The Last Airbender) I was afraid that would make her a little overpowered, but I was looking through the various class five mutants – I mean, look at Ice Man, Wolverine, Storm, Emma Frost, etc. They all have secondary mutations and awesome abilities so it seemed perfectly fair for Kana to be a healer as well. And yes, more angst, but that would be explained later.
Why Scylla? The Mandarin names just didn't fit. 'Mazu' - the only really well-known Chinese goddess - does not sound like a codename you would use. At all.
I was supposed to give up on this story, but somehow, didn't. Had a weird dream involving X-Men characters the other day - Mystique, Magneto and Gambit were involved in this dastardly plot that I cannot remember. I woke up, remembered this fic, and started to continue writing it.
Please review, make any kind of comment that will convince me that someone is reading, and maybe I'll take a shorter time uploading the next chapter and writing this is not an absolute waste of time.
I don't write for my own pleasure, but for the pleasure of others. Weirdly enough.