Memories
Masks
Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men or any of their characters. Tora and Weapon X-ii are my own though.
Christmas seemed empty this year. Etana was upstairs with Kitty putting the finishing touches on their Hanukkah celebrations. Rogue was locked in her room doing who knew what, although it sounded like she was having a party with Carol Danvers. Remy was charging things and flicking them out of the window in an effort to stave off boredom. Hank was locked in the lab trying to find out about the new mutant virus. Jubilee was wondering why she had even bothered to come back. Gen X would be having better Christmas celebrations right now. Piotr had gone back home to be with his family and try and explain why Illyana was now thirteen. Storm was communing with her plants. Bobby was icing up the engines of every vehicle he could reach. Eloise was with her parents and Logan was down at the grave with two-dozen cans of beer and a plan to stay out all night.
So when the Professor sent out an emergency intruder warning, they came running. To find Hunter standing in the study, having got in without setting off a single alarm. She stood silent, waiting for them to attack her. Etana stopped them.
"In case you don't remember, Hunter got you out of the HYDRA cell."
"Yeah. After locking us there in the first place."
Hunter tilted her head back.
"I was forced to work undercover at HYDRA. I assume you know about the digital chips in our brains. Well I was told that unless I agreed to work for them, unless I faked my own death, I would suffer a stroke and my entire family would be destroyed. We both had…you know Fury's LMDs? Well, in the attempt to create our clones, they made brain-dead copies of us we could control remotely. They were designed to change as we did. If we got a scar, they'd get a scar. If we broke a bone, they'd break a bone. It was in case we needed to fake our deaths on a mission. I was forced to take over No. 3 and be shot in front of those I cared for. I woke up and I'm stuck in this armour. Entirely wired in. IV's for nutrients. I've not looked through my real eyes for six months."
The time she had been like that sunk in. Was that why Tora died? Did she refuse to work for these mysterious enemies of HYDRA? Or what if she had and was just now trying desperately to get home?
Hunter bowed her head.
"I came not to fight but to beg. Turn these things off. Stop them from ruining my life."
And she removed a slender silver control panel.
"If you can turn off the control chips, I can be free. If I try to open it then ZAP!"
Hank grabbed the box and started looking it over.
"I think Stark would be better for this."
Kitty snatched it off him.
"I can work computers you know Hank. And Etana's really good as well."
Everyone stared.
"What can I say? I like being up-to-date on technology. Who do you think flew Franklin's kite? It sure as anything wasn't him. And who do you think persuaded Logie Baird that his radio-with-pictures was really a brilliant idea?"
She sighed.
"Hand it over. I happen to be good with mind-control. Just don't ask me about SHIELD teleporters. I knew it was a bad idea at the start."
She started carefully prying the box open. She opened one of the many pouches on her toolbelt, some of which contained explosives, and slid on some glasses. She started gently probing through the wires, fingers moving swiftly. It was odd. No one had assumed she could be any good at electronics. Now it seemed stupid. She'd have learnt to fight earlier in her life. Then learnt languages. And now she was on electronics and appeared pretty good at it.
"Kitty, have you seen this thing. We'll have to send it to Richards later."
Kitty leant over and sighed.
"You are hopeless. You must be the oldest person to get the Internet."
They saw the slightly smug look on her face.
"It's not too hard. It's just like a psi-link."
Then there was a shower of sparks and the silver box dropped. There was the smell of singed fur and Etana grinned.
"Finished. The control chips are disabled. I've not turned off the other ones. I assume you want to keep them."
Hunter nodded.
"Thank goodness. They implanted the story I had to tell. Every time I tried to tell you, the other story came out."
Everyone glanced at one another. Hunter somehow managed to seen nervous.
"I fully understand if you want to thump me. Actually I'll probably feel better. Er…"
Now mouths were open and Etana had a slight smile.
"You should get it out before you freak out and run away."
Hunter nodded then she brought her had up to a small series of buttons on her shoulder. She pressed one and the helmet folded up, clicking into place on the back of her neck, revealing red and black hair, golden eyes and four parallel scars on the right side of her face. She was biting her lip in the way that meant she was very, very nervous.
"Happy Christmas everyone…?"
Phoenix was laughing and crying at the same time.
"The look on Logan's face… Priceless."
Her companion wasn't smiling.
"Didn't you feel the fear just now? She was terrified she'd be rejected. Scared you would push her away."
Phoenix stopped laughing.
"I can't believe she would even contemplate that."
Her friend didn't answer.
Logan snarled at her.
"I can't believe you didn't tell me!"
She wasn't speaking, her head hanging low.
"Tora, look at me!"
She looked up with sadness in her eyes.
"I couldn't. I tried. Every time I tried, the words came out wrong. Logan, they controlled what I said. What I did. What I thought. It was only the hope of getting back here, back to you, that kept me going."
She meant it. The sincerity in her eyes was obvious. He could see her trying not to cry.
"I understand if everything's changed since June. If you just want me to go. We can pretend I'm still dead. No one will ever know."
His heart stopped. Did she, could she mean that?
"No…"
He saw her look at him, eyes softening.
"You want me to stay?"
Then he wrapped his arms around her.
"I need you to stay."
She relaxed in his embrace, allowing the tension to drain out of her.
"I need you as well."
And he kissed her gently, allowing all the pain and loss of the last six months to drain out of him.
The others were sitting downstairs yelling at Etana. She was talking it rather well, just absorbing their insults. A smash upstairs stopped the ranting.
"Was it safe to leave her with Logan?"
"Don't worry Scott. I'd be more afraid with what she'll do to him. And I wouldn't go up. They aren't likely to forgive you."
This comment made everyone remember they were mad at Etana and they were supposed to be yelling at her. She remained stoically listening to their rants until half eight then check her watch.
"Sorry, I have to go out. I have a sort-of date. He wants it to be a date, I tell him it isn't."
Then she teleported, leaving them with no one to yell at so they returned to being happy. Piotr and Eloise had been contacted and from the cheer from them both, were desperate to get back and see Tora. Luke was now trying to find out exactly who Tora was and how on earth he was going to put her notebook back in her room. Remy was gabbling over the Vincent Rapide outside the house, that had parked up and was just being left there. Which was practically an invitation to have it stolen. Especially when it was a '49 Series C. Apparently they were discontinued because they were too good and therefore expensive. Storm shut him up and slowly the Christmas spirit started to seep in. So no one had the heart to yell at Etana when she returned at ten, humming 'Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree" and with a wide smile on her face. She grinned at Remy.
"I know you're planning to steal Tora's bike. She will probably never forgive you."
"Da bike is Tora's!"
"You think she'd have anything other than a classic? Especially when I told her to pick whichever she wanted from the garage in June."
"So…"
"When a classic motorcycle disappears from a garage to which only I and one other person –who is supposed to be dead- have the access code to, then yes, I assume it was the other person. Unless you have permission to enter, you will regret it. And Remy, don't try it. You'll be in hospital for weeks. I happen to like my bikes. I defend them with all my considerable talent."
"Remy thought you couldn't drive."
"The only motorised vehicle I can drive is a motorbike. Cap taught me in the forties."
"So Etana, who were you meeting."
Her black fur took on a tinge of red.
"Doesn't matter. I'm going to bed."
She marched off before anyone could quiz her further, which usually meant she was hiding something. They heard her footsteps stop, a door opening then closing and a mental picture relayed by Jean showing Logan and Tora snuggled together in the dark, both sleeping soundly.
"Thank the Goddess. Can you imagine how that could have gone?"
Phoenix started snuffling.
"Please don't cry Jean. I haven't got any tissues."
"Can we move on before I start bawling?"
A.N. Now I'm going to make an offer. If you have questions, ask them and I will answer them if and only if they won't ruin a surprise later in the story.