Memories
Healing Song
Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men or any of their characters. Tora and Weapon X-ii are my own though.
"He's an idiot."
"He's a guest."
"He's an alien."
"So is Lilandra."
"Yes, but Lilandra isn't an arrogant lump of orange goo."
"Is that a bit of speciesism I hear Logan?"
"He's orange goo!"
"And one of our students goes by the name of 'Glob'. Logan, if he picked anywhere else to land, people would run screaming, unless it was the Baxter Building where people saunter out, still chatting whilst they wait for Reed to notice or the Avengers Mansion, where Stark would blast him senseless."
Eloise sniggered slightly. Since the Doom Incident, she had started training as an X-Man as Tora more often than not was in another world, having some 'intelligent conversations'. But you could never be quite certain if she was merely concentrating on some long thought process or actually having a conversation with another version of her. Therefore, as Bobby had learned the hard way, running up to her and saying 'Who's Logan's pretty pet kitty?' was a short road to being knocked unconscious and dragged down three flights of stair to Hank, at which point he was well and truly concussed. No one else decided to make cat jokes in her earshot. It was difficult to believe that Tora and Bobby were the same age. Whilst Bobby was carefree and rather immature, Tora often acted rather world-weary and her eyes were incredibly old. The only difference came in classes, when Bobby ruled his Accounting class (Accounting? What twisted person made Bobby teach Accounting?) with a fist of steel, often freezing fidgeters to their seats and Tora's Language classes were normally full of laughter. However, that may have been a result of the students who took the time to learn the language, normally heard her muttering under her breath about a colleague who had annoyed her (cough *Bobby* cough) and she did just to reward the students who paid attention. The Espionage lessons were going well, with the students almost up to SHIELD standard. Fury had come over one day to get the paperwork about signing off an entire SHIELD squadron and allowing the Avengers to attack another country to rescue her and ended up watching. He had shrugged then asked Tora if she was interested in becoming a SHIELD training instructor. She had laughed.
"You asked Etana exactly the same thing, didn't you? Well my answer is just the same as hers."
"You don't agree with our gung-ho attitude and were a member of the Brotherhood of the Shield for decades so would rather stick with them?"
"Almost. Just no suffices."
And Fury had went off wondering how on earth Tora Logan had known he'd offered Etana a position in SHIELD at the end of the Second World War. And Tora had relayed the memory of his face to another Tora, who told Etana who laughed quite happily before disappearing again, to return three hours later humming happily and smelling of the Avenger's Mansion.
Death and Phoenix laughed cheerily as the memory flickered across the pool then glanced at their silent companion.
"Cheer up!"
"I am cheerful."
"Oh, so cheerful is sitting looking at a pool of water, reliving the glory days and wishing you were there again?"
"It's not like that Jean!"
"It is and you know it."
The two women on either side both reached round and hit her over the head.
"Stop being a morbid old idiot."
"Right. Out! Everyone out! I want to be able to mope in peace!"
Phoenix sighed and walked three steps before fading away whilst Death sat resolutely there.
"I said, get out!"
"And in case you don't remember, I outrank you."
"So what?"
"So, you can't order me to leave."
"I hate everyone."
Tora stood still in her uniform again. In a few short seconds, she was going to step out of the shadows and attack the Sentinel. And the whole world would go crazy. So far, they'd kept her return secret, but after the Doom Incident, she had decided to return to active duty. At the moment, Sue Richards was babysitting Jamie. Tora closed her eyes, raised her hands and put the headdress in place. Then she tensed and leapt out, landing on the Sentinel's head. She heard the shouts, including one 'Major bad taste' and a 'Why won't those muties die?' before the battle took all of her attention. She flipped over the head and ran her claws down through it's main memory. The thing hissed and she beheaded it. She jumped clear as it collapsed then ran towards Bobby, who looked like he was having trouble.
"Colossus, Fastball NOW!"
She went shooting through the air, feet first, smashing directly into the Spider-Sentinel's main sensor. Iceman gave her a cocky salute then ice-slided off to find someone else to annoy while she stripped the Sentinel of it's main components. The manual labour allowed her mind to wander and she instinctively slipped into the mind stream. Minds brushed and she allowed herself to enjoy living other lives. Then she sensed something and ducked, allowing a piece of flying shrapnel to bury itself in the building opposite. Logan charged past and smiled at her before leaping onto the Sentinel about to blast Scott. Jean was in full Phoenix mode, burning Sentinels to scrap. Then, as quickly as the battle started, it was over. Tora set to work slowing her breathing when a familiar scent came up behind her. She sighed and turned off her digital scramblers.
"Hello photographer."
"Ms Tigress, I'm Peter Parker, a photographer for the Daily Bugle. My partner Ben Urich was wondering if you would give an interview?"
"No. Ask Iceman. He's our PR rep."
"But it's you we're interested in. Weren't you shot and declared Dead at the Scene only a year and a half ago? Or are you taking on the mask of a fellow hero?"
She turned and looked at Parker's hopeful expression. She blessed the mask that hid her eyes.
"I do not give interviews. I value my privacy."
"Please…"
He lowered his voice.
"Tora, this could make my career."
"Ask Scott and Bobby. And check with Logan."
"You're a star Tora."
"You owe me one Spidey."
Parker nodded cheerfully. Running over to a grey-haired reporter he had a long discussion with waving arms. Smiling slightly, Tora went over to Kurt.
"Get me out of here."
"Natürlich, mein Freund."
The last thing she saw was Peter Parker's look of disbelief. When she recovered, she rang him.
"Come to Harry's. I'll meet you there. I couldn't resist that. Yes, I'm sorry."
Death smiled slightly.
"Parker has requested transfer to the Library to deal with Earth 'wisecracks'. Can you enlighten me?"
"Spider-man has a three-tiered level of verbal torments. Firstly he starts with sarcasm. Then he goes on to gloating, at which point you should be ready to leap in to save his arachnid backside then when he starts flirting, it's time to teleport him out."
"That didn't answer my question."
"I'm saying he doesn't really want to come. He's just trying to cheer me up."
Tora stood by the window after classes finished and allowed her mind to focus on the lamp in the corner of her mind. The light burned brightly, almost supernova in intensity.
Are you healed yet?
Almost. I no longer require your bridge between the worlds. My final part comes.
A single firefly slid through the door and then the supernova burned so brightly, Tora's entire mind was dazzled.
I am healed!
When you leave, will the barriers collapse?
When I leave?
You are leaving aren't you? My head's a little cluttered at the moment.
But you are the Avatar. After all these years, you are the perfect vessel for my power.
Tora allowed her mental self to withdraw.
I am myself. I do not accept lodgers in my head. My mind is precious to me.
But you are the Avatar. My 'sister' has had many. I swore to take only one and that being I would remain with for the rest of eternity and beyond.
I don't want too live for 'eternity and beyond'. I just wanted to save my friends.
Really? Then why did you allow me in? You built the barriers yourself. All I did was hold back the tide for a second.
You tricked me!
I never said I would give you barriers. All I said was I would help you.
GET OUT OF MY HEAD!
No.
GET OUT!
NO!
Tora screamed as the thing tried to wrap itself around her mind and link with it. Then the pain got too much and she collapsed to the ground, all her energy going into forcing the thing out.
"It has started."
"That it has Death old friend."
"And where will it end?"
"You and I alone know."
"You intend to go through with it?"
"Of course."