Memories

Little Glass of Poison

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If you want to use Tora, or any of my other characters, PM me.

Curt was blinking.

"Why are the others being sent away but I'm staying here?"

"Because you belong here."

"So do they!"

"I know Curt but Emma wants them to go. I'm sorry."

"They're my friends…"

"I know Curt. I know."

He noticed the tears on her face."

"Are you crying for me?"

"You and them Curt. You and them… And all the others…"

Logan stood at the door, wondering what to say. He was afraid of his son. Afraid of those eyes, one gold, the other blue, afraid of the taint of hatred in him. Afraid of the piece of himself he saw in his son. He tried not to admit it. But he looked at the boy and saw his worst aspects tempered with Tora's best. And every now and again, the shattering of his mind shone through. It hurt to see his child who acted so like Deadpool. Tora seemed to find it easy to love him but she gave her love so freely. The students she took under her wing, the injured animals she found. She seemed to find it easy to give out care and affection to those who needed it. She stood up.

"I have to go and speak to Emma. Try and dissuade her. Logan, Curt. Just…"

Her eyes told more than she said. Get to know him. Learn to love him. He's your son and he craves your approval. Give it to him. Just try. Please. For me.

She left and Logan went to take her seat. Curt fixed him with his eyes, pinning Logan down.

"Why do you hate me Dad?"

"I…I don't-"

"Don't lie to me Dad."

"I… I hate what they did to you. I hate the fact I wasn't there."

"Why?"

Logan stood up and went to stand by the window.

"Cos I'm yer Dad and I'm supposed to be there for you. And if I failed you and yer mother, what's to say I won't fail Jamie and Eva."

"When did you fail Maman?"

Logan pressed his forehead to the cold glass.

"Far too often. I let her die, I let her be kidnapped, I let her live in hell for twenty years because I was too good at what I did. I let her down each time I kill someone. I let Jamie get hurt. I wasn't there when she needed me most."

"Whoa… You really did let her down…"

"Curt, when someone says something like that… Never mind."

"What?"

"Look, Tora's better at the whole social rules things. She has to know them to disregard them see?"

"Maman doesn't care what anyone thinks."

"She does Curt. She cares about what you think."

"Me?"

"She…you weren't there. When she thought you were dead, it was like she was too. And when she knew you were alive… It's like her whole life she'd been pretending to be alive and when she knew you were there, she light up, burnt so brightly it hurt to look."

"Huh?"

"What I'm saying is, she wasn't complete until you came back."

"Really?"

"No."

Tora burst in.

"Jubilee's one of the casualties! Logan, you need to speak to her now!"

"Jubes… has been depowered…? No. Freaking. Way."

Curt blinked.

"I like Jubilee."

(Dad would kill you if he thought you wanted to go out with her.)

He's my DAD! He's going to approve of his own son going out with his partner in crime!

(Not. A. Chance.)

But we're both depowered. Maybe that'll make her notice me.

(No way Buster)

Can't you at least pretend.

(Nope. I'm insane but not that insane)

Curt sat listening to his parents arguing about what was going on. And he felt so alone.

Lonely. Each of the beings closed their eyes as the loneliness threatened to overtake them. They all knew what it meant to be lonely. To be in a position above everyone else. To be alone.

Life was…different. There were nowhere near as many children in the school. Nowhere near as many laughs. There were dark undercurrents. Everyone knew that the mutant race was on its last legs. Curt spent a long time sitting on his bed, staring at his hands, hating the fact he still had his claws but was unable to use them. It hurt so much to snikt them out, and then when he did, his hands bled and bled. He didn't dare even test his wrist claws. Laura had spoken to him but he didn't pay much attention to her. For a short while he had been a god. He could sense every little movement, hear every little sound. Catch every tiny scent, see all the tiny details that were so important. Heal from almost any injury. And now he was mortal, a human in all but the fact he had useless bone claws in his wrists.

He raised his head. And let the tears rain down.

Why? Why? Why? Why? WHY? WHY? WHY?

Curt had always been proud of himself. And now he was just a husk of what he used to be.

"So that was why he took the Poison. To stop feeling empty."

"Tora, I thought I'd warn you, stay out of my lab."

"Hank?"

"I've taken a sample of the Toxin symbiote, to see if the Thousandth mutation can be used to repower mutants."

"Hank, I don't think using a mutation from the symbiotes, even if it is Toxin, who's a pretty decent guy, will work."

"Look, just keep people out of the labs. Especially Xixy."

"Oh yes. We all know about Xixy and labs…"

Tora smiled then furrowed her brow.

"Hank, I can't watch the labs. I have other stuff I need to do."

"It's fine. I think I've told everyone."

They both hurried off their separate ways and neither saw Curt hiding in the shadows, eyes sparkling.

"He just wanted to show his father he was as good as he was."

"Huh?"

"Curt wanted to show Logan that Curt was as good as Logan."

"Oh…"

Curt slid into the lab. Sitting on the desk was a small glass vial. Was that what Dr McCoy was so worried about? Inside it, a small series of sticky strings zoomed about.

"You don't look that dangerous!"

You are lonely!

"Who said that?"

I did.

Who are you?"

I am…alone. Like you. Be my friend!

"Where are you?"

Right. HERE!

And the vial rattled. Curt reached out a hand.

"I want a friend."

You will never be ALONE! Just open my prison! And we can be together!

Curt unstoppered the bottle and the little sticky orange threads thwapped onto his hand, around his wrist, multiplying and increasing as it grew up his arm.

The string slid across his face as Curt's claws, no longer gleaming white bone but black with symbiote webbing, extended. He felt the webbing stop the bleeding. He could hear the noises! See the points! He was a god once more!

And Curt screamed in ecstasy, as he was no longer alone.

We! Are! POISON!

The women sighed as one.

"Loneliness can cause terrible things to happen."

"That it can."

A.N. Wow. Chapter 100. I wanted to do something special for this chapter and I hope I've managed it.