Memories
Who was Eden?
Disclaimer: Nope, not a chance of me ever owning the X-Men.
If you want to use Tora, or any of my other characters, PM me.
"Two!"
"Look Logan, I wasn't expecting it either. But Hank was interested because they both appear to have healing factors."
"Does that mean…?"
"I'll have my healing this time round."
He laughed and pressed his head to hers.
"Never thought I'd have a family. Too violent a past. But you've looked past that."
"I've had a pretty violent past."
"Was it…was it Eva?"
Her head snapped round.
"What do you mean?"
"You're always having nightmares where you shout out that name. And you called yourself Eva when you were Hunter."
She sighed then gestured for him to sit down.
"It's a long story and I will only tell it if you promise not to interrupt."
"Of course."
"I was…six. I went back to my cell one day and another girl was there. She was a mutant with the ability to bring pictures to life. Imagine that Logan… She could take an image of a person and turn it into a living, breathing copy. How else do you think they were able to make so many braindead clones? Eva showed me how to smile. We trained together for seven years. Shared everything and helped each other. No one, not even Jean, was as close to me friendwise as Eva was. We told each other everything. Then one day I came up with a hare-brained scheme to escape the facility. I was twelve, nearly thirteen. She was just thirteen. I managed keep a security photo of the pair of us hidden. Eva created the fascimiles and I managed to get us into the ventilation shaft. We crawled over five hundred metres where scorching air was blasted at us every ten seconds. We survived. We trecked over three miles in a blizzard, in sub-zero temperatures, wearing only our fatigues. You saw what I was wearing when you rescued me. I was wearing another version of those. We survived. Then I caught my ankle in a rabbit hole and broke it. This was before my healing. I ordered her on and waited for the search party to find me. They punished me by setting dogs on me. I was being torn to shreds. And they threw someone in through the door. Eva… Eva was… She had been torn by dogs… And shot thirteen times. I managed to get to her just as she… died. And I was mad… So mad. My claws tore through my skin and I killed every single one of those dogs. And I tried to kill the men inside the control box. And later, I tried to kill the man who had killed Eva and hurt her so, so much before she died."
Logan didn't say anything. Instead, he held her close as she cried quietly.
"It was my fault. I made the plan to escape. I told her to go on when she was never as fit or as strong as I was. I killed her… I killed my best and only friend!"
"Hush darlin'. Hush Tora. It's alright. I'm here."
"Thank you Logan…"
"There. Let it out."
They sat like that for a long time as the guilt Tora had kept hidden for twelve long years was allowed out.
Then he carefully tilted her head back.
"This is supposed to be a happy occasion."
"She was always trying to heal the world. She'd carry the whole world on her back."
"A useful trait for a cosmic entity who primarily healed."
"Hey. Sorry I've not been here for a while. You wouldn't believe some of the stuff that's been happening."
Tora curled up by the gravestone.
"I wish you were here for this time. I know you'd love Jamie. And in another world you just got married to Steve. Then teleported him away for three days. No one could find either of you."
There wasn't an answer but Tora felt slightly better for telling Etana about what had been happening. Last week, a group of fanatics, who seemed to belong to a religious order that worshipped the 'Black Angel' had tried to dig her up and resurrect her. Tora had shoved Etana's letter to her with the message about not being resurrected under the nose of the leader and they accused her of forging it. In the end, Luke had spun an illusion Etana, and Eloise and Emma had 'persuaded' the people that it was a spirit from beyond the grave.
Pressing her hand into the earth, Tora frowned. Something tiny was there. A trace of power. Not power being used but power that had been. Dragon power. Digging into the trail with her mind, she found a…memory. Etana, standing in front of an angelic man with cream coloured wings. He opened his mouth and spoke in an archaic dialect of what sounded like Latin.
"It won't work."
"It will Michael. It has to."
"My people have been wiped out by Azazel. What right do you have to hate him?"
"He killed my parents. Ordered my uncle's death. Tried to kill me. If anyone has the right to kill him, it is me."
"Darkwing, your exploits are legend. But you are his granddaughter."
"And I have almost killed him twice. I hate the man with a passion."
"Are you ready then?"
"I was always ready."
And they clasped hands. A red man burst into life in front of them and Etana shouted "NOW!". The Cheyarafim broke open a smooth egg-like silver, bejewelled orb. And the cloud around the man who looked like a parboiled Kurt was swept into it and the rift tore open. Azazel was swept towards the dark, rolling portal. Men and women, all demonic in appearance began to be swept into it. The dark eyes fixed on Etana.
"A worthy opponent. You are more Neyaphim than you care to admit."
"Silence!"
She broke hands with the man and she reached out to the demon leader.
"I am not like you!"
Her outstretched hands knocked him off balance and he was pulled into the rift. Then his hand caught on her wrist and she began to be pulled with him. She snapped the bones in his fingers but it was too late. As he fell into the portal, Etana began to be tugged along as well. A voice called out after her.
"All Neyaphim must pass through the portal. All Cheyarafim die in the Brimstone Dimension. Die Darkwing. DIE!"
She screamed and her partner tried to catch her outstretched hand. Black wings beat hopelessly as she was pulled further into the portal.
"Darkwing!"
"…Master… Help me…"
And then black waters burst into life around her, a dragon encircling an angel. She was pulled out of the portal and landed on the ground. The water crashed to the floor. Her head tilted back.
"Thank you Master. You always know best."
The Cheyarafim knelt down beside her.
"Darkwing? What was that?"
"My Master gave me a fragment of her power when I was born. I cannot normally access it. But then… She gave me permission to draw on the life that was. It was just a splinter of her power."
"A splinter? Who do you serve who is so powerful?"
"The Dragon. I serve Knowledge Incarnate and Life Renewed."
"The Dragon?"
"You have heard of how Fernon met the Phoenix. I serve her sister."
"The Phoenix… has a sister?"
"Yes."
And the memory shattered, leaving Tora breathless. Dragon had relayed the memory and it had been recorded on the Dragon fragment. That Tora recognized as the piece that had come to her in her fear and confusion. How long had Etana allowed a splinter of a cosmic entity to rest inside her? The memory was vivid and incredibly detailed. Sighing, Tora rose, knowing she'd have a class in five minutes. Then she was going to have a long, long conversation with Etana.
"She was a Dragon avatar?"
"No. She was Dragon-marked, with a fraction of the power placed in a 'black box'. It's a bit like Korvus. His ancestor was a Phoenix avatar but he was never touched by Phoenix. Yet he could wield the Blade of the Phoenix."
"Ah… I understand. I think…"