1 week later...
I decided it was time to alleviate guilt and take care of explanations. I found the professor first, and luckily, Kurt was with him. I knocked on the door frame. "May I come in?" The professor waved me in, and would have dismissed Kurt until I said, "Actually, I wanted to talk to both of you." I explained to Kurt first.
"Look, my attack wasn't your fault. I've lived with those attacks for nearly 18 years. It came with the mutant abilities. I guess you could call it my curse. Eric had a remedy, but I don't know what it was." He looked bewildered. "So I didn't...?" "Right." Next, I turned to the professor.
"You remember I told you Logan was my brother? And that my parents died in the subway?" At his nod, I continued nervously. "Well ...I...I didn't tell you the whole story." He frowned, and I finished quickly.
"My mutations manifested themselves at age 3. The hijackers had decided hostages were an easy was to succeed, and children were easy to control. I was first choice, David-second. I panicked. I didn't know what else to do. I pulled, and something snapped, in me and in the tunnel. Water poured in drowning everyone, including my parents. David never knew the truth."
The prof. asked, "And why are you telling me this?"
"How can I tell Logan? Should I tell Logan?"
A voice spoke behind me. "I think you just did." I wheeled around, and Logan stood in the doorway, but a Logan I had never seen. The anger radiated off him in waves: anger and pain. I opened my mouth to apologize, and he growled, "Don't bother."
He stalked away, and I glanced at the professor, and then ran after him. He stalked out the front door, ignoring my yells of "Logan!"
I heard an engine rev, and stood in the doorway, watching him disappear on my cycle. Numbly, I stumbled back, closed the door, and sank onto the couch. I felt someone sink down next to me and burst into tears. Arms encircled me, as I wept out my childhood pain.
When the tears passed, I found myself clinging to Cyclops. He didn't seem to be bothered by me, and I couldn't make myself let go of my last link to sanity. I felt my entire body trembling and thought it was shock.
The tremors became worse, and Cyclops tightened his hold on me, and said, "Kurt, run upstairs and ask Storm to move." The trembling stopped, and Cyclops asked, "Aria, are you okay?" I eased away from him, and wiped my eyes. "Yeah," I whispered.
Kurt burst in front of me, and asked, "Do you loff heem, care for heem?" I nodded, and he said, "Den find heem. You, and dis Institution are all he has. Bring heem back." His words gave me strength, and I said, "You're right."
I drew my feet up under me, and crouched on the couch. Gathering my strength, I leapt up, bounced off the wall, and landed on one of the high windows.
While Kurt and Cyclops watched, I turned to face the window, pushed it open, and fell backwards. Twisting, I snapped my wings open, and soared up through the open window.