Memories
Larynx
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If you want to use Tora, or any of my other characters, PM me.
She stood in silence, watching as the refugees moved about. Their eyes refused to meet hers and she knew why. She was a mutant with useful powers, who seemed to be widely accepted by the human community and who had recently thrown aside the mask that protected her identity. It was like saying that she wasn't afraid. And she wasn't. She walked along until she found a young woman leaning up against a tree, eyes closed, head bopping to music from the earphones.
"Cia."
The greenish-brown eyes opened and the music stopped. The hands pulled out of the pockets and the girl just stared.
"I'm not running errands for you Dragon."
"I don't want that."
The girl turned her head away.
"I'm useless now. All I can do is talk to plants. I can't change. I'm just a normal person."
"A normal person? Cia, you warned us about the Sentinels approaching using your plant network."
"That's all I can do now. Before, I could have sent out feelers, stopped them from getting closer. Now all I am is an early warning system."
"Cia, you're more than that. You're a mutant, one of the last two hundred in the world. You have an exceptional gift, and even if you've lost your Secondary Mutation, you're still a lot more powerful than I am. Look at me! I have claws, enhanced senses and the ability to heal fast. You can talk to plants. You can persuade them to do what you want! You don't get lactic acid when you exercise-"
"Yeah, I just get drunk."
"Irrelevant. You're still able to talk to an entire group of living organisms that we can't. And if that isn't power, I don't know what is."
Cia shook her head.
"I'm losing control Dragon. Each day I'm getting weaker and weaker. I can't hear the grass anymore. Soon I'll only be able to hear the trees. And then I'll be deaf and blind."
"If you need help, go and speak to Beast."
"Why should I need help? It's my own fault. No one else can be responsible for me losing everything."
Cia turned and walked away, her head downcast, long black hair shading her eyes. Tora sighed, knowing that Cia's mutation was growing weaker by the day. And knowing Cia knew it too. It hurt to see one of the last mutants in the world drown in their own confusion and loss.
"Cia!"
The girl turned, her earbuds already being placed in position.
"Don't do anything foolish."
She shrugged.
"Why not? It's not like I'm worth anything."
"So bitter, so young."
"Whereas we are all bitter and very, very old."
"Yes."
"KITTY!"
The bullet hit Tora's chest and went straight through her. And when she opened her eyes, she had a second to glance at Kitty's frightened face before the whole bullet swept through her. She swept round and reached out again.
"KITTY! No… Kitty…"
And she gasped for breath again before turning to see the others.
"She's… gone… and she will return."
She froze, hands touching her throat.
"What did I just say? What did I just say!"
The others exchanged terrified glances at the sound of Dark Dragon's voice. Then Tora collapsed and the metal woman caught her. Logan instantly tensed but Danger turned her empty eyes towards him.
"She was always kind to me. Even when I was just a machine. I will not harm her."
She pressed her hand to Tora's face, and both beings tensed up.
"I have copied her physical patterns. She is healthy, but exhausted."
"How the…"
"She was the one who taught me of freedom, even if she did not realise it."
And Tora's head lolled back as she was gently passed over to the X-Men.
"We must see if we can help Shadowcat."
"So that's where Danger got that irritating little personality trait from."
"What irritating little personality trait?"
"You know, the whole, mystical secretive side."
"No."
She staggered and Logan caught her.
"What's wrong!"
"Temporal scream…"
And Emma suddenly staggered out of her office, blood trickling from her nose.
"Psychic scream…"
And she looked up to see Tora's eyes glowing silver as she straightened up.
"The Messiah comes."
Logan stiffened as Dark Dragon's voice emanated from Tora's mouth.
"We will fight for her. We will die for her. She will save us all."
"Tora?"
There was none of her previous Dark Dragon antics, which included, but weren't limited to, trying to kill them, trying to end the world and committing suicide.
"The Mutant Messiah has been born. Find her."
And Tora fell down, gasping for breath.
"Dammit Dragon! You could have just told me, rather than take over my mouth like that!"
She shook her head as if to dispel the final traces of the almost-possession. Emma knew she hated being used as a mouthpiece, preferring to be told and then to say it herself. Independence was one thing Tora hated loosing. So being used as a channel for Dragon wasn't one of her favourite occupations. Emma was just staring at Tora.
"What?"
"Look, I don't know what I say when Dragon does that."
"You were talking about some sort of 'mutant messiah'."
"She has come."
Tora's body was poker-straight, stiff-backed and rigid, a human mouthpiece.
"Find her. Save her. Let her live and save us all."
"Er…Can't you just tell Tora this and let her say it in her own way? Your voice is kinda scary."
"I am Dragon. I am scary. And Tora would insist on running off before I'd properly explained everything…"
After Dragon had spent thirteen minutes explaining in incredible detail what had just happened, Emma rolled her eyes and hurried off.
"Excuse me! I hadn't finished ye- Thank you, that is quite enough Mister Mouthy. Emma, get the Blackbird ready!"
Logan rolled his eyes and hurried after her, knowing she would almost certainly be entirely silent the whole journey to Alaska, arguing with Dragon about interrupting and possession.
"Oh Tribunal, I know all about those arguments. 'No taking over my vocal chords!', 'No interrupting my highly detailed description of future events!'. It's so amusing."
"For you maybe."