Memories
Losing Tora
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"Talk to me Henry."
"Iceman had third degree energy burns over 25 per cent of his body. We have Tora to thank for his healing, although he's still being fixed. Hellion… His hands are gone Scott. And most of one forearm. Tora tried, but she can't heal what has already been destroyed. The city is well past panic at this point. But we have military and police cooperation. Everyone is at risk here, human and mutant alike. Whatever's coming, they all know that the X-Men are their only chance. Tora's strategy to get the children out has definitely bought us favour, and since she sent out the message in the water, we know that X-Club and the Avengers have taken the children to safety."
"The Cuckoos are in contact with the contingent we left at the bridge. If more Sentinels appear-"
"No if. When Emma."
"-Then we'll know about it instantly."
"Prodigy, Beast, Dragon, what are we dealing with?"
"The dome is of unknown origin, formed of unknown energy. By all accounts it is physically impenetrable. All communications aside from Dragon's water thing are blocked. Not tech, no telepathy. Only Tora can see out, and she needs water to be able to do it. We don't even know about teleportation. Is anyone even left?"
"Vanisher went MIA when he found out the teleporters were being targeted."
"Wonderful. And as for the sphere, it's streaming an incredible amount of data. I asked Namor to put his hand into it to see what would happen. It's organic- unfriendly. Anyone other than Namor would have been killed. It's temporal, to a certain extent. The sphere is directly connecting our timeline to a future timeline… the one the Nimrod's originate from. However, this allows Tora to contact the version of her from that timeline and so we have an idea of the basic history. Tora, if you would…?"
She looked pale.
"These Nimrods are good. In fact, they're better than good. Their creators kidnapped one of us and took their experience and knowledge and turned it into the main computer. We couldn't outthink or outrun the Sentinels. Almost everyone is dead and I only survived through luck and Hank sacrificing his life to convert my digital scanners. Our only hope is in the time it has been since the last stand. The Nimrods aren't used to fighting. If we hit them, we have to hit them hard and silently. They cannot be aware we are coming."
"Whose brain? Who are we up against with all these Sentinels?"
Tora raised her head, her eyes betraying her exhaustion.
"They… They got Etana. We are fighting robots with three-thousand years of combat experience…"
Scott took this in his stride.
"How many?"
Prodigy looked ill.
"Our sensors analysed data from the sphere and downed Nimrods. The ones Dragon didn't obliterate, at any rate… They're in contact with the central A.I. in the future… we think… we think… I…oh god, I can't do this."
"How. Many."
"The sensors failed after 170,000."
No one spoke for a while.
"Well, I'm no mathematician, but that seems bad."
"I… We have to get out of here. Oh god, we're all going to die here."
"Shut up."
"You don't understand! We've got no chance here! I've seen the data—the odds are—"
"Shut the hell up and get yourself together. Or else you will die here."
"Logan… Back off now."
"I suggest you say something brilliant darling, before we pass out the Kool-Aid."
"Cable."
Tora gave a little gasp of understanding.
"We still have one bullet left… Cable and Hope came back to the present using a time-travel device. Cable's still got it. If Bastion's sending Hell after us from the future, then we send a team into that future to shut it down. We take the fight to them. Tora, can we count on the last few mutants there?"
"The entire mutant race is preparing to assemble for battle. They're not… They're messed up."
"You make it sound so easy."
"Scott…even if I could attune Cable's device to that specific time, even with Tora's help…what then? You heard the same numbers everyone else in this room is keenly aware of, and the Sentinels aren't known for their ability to be persuaded. Especially if they have Etana's mind-print."
"But we have someone who speaks their language. Cypher. Prodigy said they're all reporting to a central A.I. –If Cypher can access that system, he can rewrite it. He can take control of it. And then he can shut down every single Sentinel it controls. He can wipe them out simultaneously."
"Yeah? Well you're forgetting about Ramsey's one weakness… bullets."
"You son of a bitch!"
"Dani, enough! Logan's right. That's why I'm sending a team in with Doug to get him there."
"And who exactly are you going to send on this suicide mission?"
"I'll go. I'll absorb all the powers I can take and then-"
Tora shook her head violently.
"No, send Xixy and me. He's not a mutant, he's pretty much impossible to kill and he would love to be fighting. And if I go with him, we have a healer on the team as well."
"No. I'm sending in X-Force."
"Damn."
"X-Force? I'm not aware of-"
"Tell them Scott. Tell them about this team of killers you've assembled. The ones you sent to kill Bishop and god knows who else."
"I'm sorry, what? Scott… is this true?"
"Yes."
"…If we survive this, you and I have a lot to talk about."
"Fine, but right now we have work to so. Psylocke, you're in charge of clearing the city… get as many people as far away from the sphere as you can. Rogue, I need you to evacuate all humans and non-combatants to the Atlantean column. We have to stabilise the wounded and get them out of here. When this goes down, it's going to happen fast. We need to be ready for the casualties. Everyone who can fight, fights. Because we're out of time. Tora, I'm afraid we can't have you on the front line."
"WHAT!"
"We need you here. You'll be our link with X-Force and we'll need a healer."
"Scott…"
"Don't question me Tora!"
"FINE! But if I think I should be there, or if, Heaven forbid, I think it should be there, then I am going."
"What? Tora, are you and Scott planning something?"
Emma shuddered.
"Tora, you can't."
"I have to."
"What's she planning?"
"If everything goes wrong… She's going to let Dark Dragon out, destroy Bastion and the Sentinels, and then get us to kill her."
They stared at her.
"It is a last ditch effort. I hope it shouldn't come to that."
"I would never be so foolish as to think I could control Dark Phoenix."
"She could though. Dark Dragon was a part of her."
"Stay safe."
She kissed Logan's cheek, trying to forget that last person she had said goodbye to in that manner. Curt stood back, looking angry.
"I should be allowed to go! They won't sense me! Laura can go! I'm on X-Force! I want to go!"
She turned to look at him. Then at Logan. Who suddenly held out a hand.
"You're protecting Doug. You do not engage the enemy unless it is absolutely necessary. You do not kill. You simply get Doug in, get him out, as fast as possible."
"Maman…?"
She looked at Logan and knew this was him trying to make up for his mistakes. Then she turned to Curt.
"This is your choice. But I don't… I don't want you to be hurt."
The symbiote thickened around him, the orange bleaching from it until it was black and white. She knew Logan had let Curt go on a few low risk missions with X-Force, keeping him away from the dirty jobs. But it was hard to see him in his X-Force uniform.
"I am not going to be hurt. Poison will not let anyone hurt me."
She blinked back tears and hugged him close, before standing on tiptoes to kiss his forehead.
"Why are you letting me go?"
"You're too like your father. You'd jump into the time-shift as it left."
She gave Laura a hug and slipped something into her hand as she did so.
"When you get back, I swear we will finally get around to doing something together. Something that isn't training, saving the world or protecting the cookie jar. What is it that mothers and daughters actually do together?"
She wasn't expecting Laura to wrap her arms tightly around her, but she hugged her back all the same.
"I love you Laura. As much as Jamie and Eva and Curt."
"Thank you…"
She pulled away and smiled sadly.
"I'll be waiting on the other side."
Cable walked over and Tora moved to wrap her arm around Hope's shoulder.
"Cable! Go!"
There was a 'VVVVVVVMMM!' noise and then they were gone. Emma glanced at Tora, who was now holding Hope closer, looking like she was trying not to cry.
"Do you really think they can do it?"
"… I do."
"…Scott. Scott, what aren't you telling me?"
"I just killed them."
Tora's head snapped up, eyes widening. Emma was looking at Scott in confusion.
"You just said that-"
"Cable's tech… It only had one jump left. He knew it. They all knew it. They went anyway. It's a one way trip, win or lose. I just killed X-Force. I just killed my son."
Tora turned.
"AND YOU DIDN'T THINK TO TELL ME! WHEN MY SON CHOSE TO GO WITH MY HUSBAND AND THE GIRL I THINK OF AS MY DAUGHTER!"
Hope pulled out of Tora's hold and hit Scott across the jaw.
"YOU SON OF A BITCH! How could you? A suicide mission! You sent Cable on a SUICIDE MISSION?"
"Hope. I need you to listen to me right now-"
"No—"
"—Hope—"
"NO— No. No, I will never listen to you. You just killed my father."
"… Hope—"
"No. I hate you Scott Summers. I hate you more than anything. You sent them all to die-!"
"Hope, wait—"
"Well that went well."
"Her eyes. Did you see her eyes? They looked just like mine… Ooffh…"
Tora pulled back, her eyes wild with anger.
"Give me one good reason not to kill you right now, Summers. Give me one good reason, because you are a second from Never. Having. Been. Born."
"Here's the deal. We survive. And then you can do whatever you want to me, because I deserve it."
"And Curt? What about him? He's insane! You sent a mentally ill child to his death!"
"He made his choice. As have we all."
Tora glared at him.
"I'm going to do as you asked. I will keep in contact with my husband, son and step-daughter. And when this is over, you will answer to your crimes."
She walked off, eyes glowing silver. Emma stared after her.
"Scott, I fear we have just lost Tora forever."
"Can we see the Tora X-Force met?"
"Of course."