Memories
Ununited Fronts
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She stood aside from the others, not caring that she wasn't giving the appearance of a united front, not caring about anything anymore. She had her mission planned out. She would stop Scott from running. As a species, they ran so far, so fast, when they should stand firm. And when they had stopped running, then she would go. She would leave, she would run, she would find a way to slip away, into the blackness. Right now, she felt so dead in heart and soul, it would be a mercy to die in reality. People kept asking her how she was holding up, whether she wanted to talk. But she didn't, couldn't.
The one person she had entrusted everything to, knowing he would listen and never judge, was gone, had left her feeling like someone had torn a huge part of her away. The Cuckoos had walked up to her shortly after Nathan's funeral and spoken in unison, as they always did.
"We are sorry. We know what it is like to have a part of the whole being torn away."
And then they walked off, leaving Tora holding the cardboard box she was about to throw in the sea when the wind snatched the top open and stole a photograph. She had dropped the box and leapt to catch the photo and stared at it.
It had been taken last Christmas, in the middle of the whole SHRA argument. There hadn't been much to celebrate, but Kurt had been determined to continue their tradition of trying to catch her with mistletoe. Each year he succeeded, proceeding to kiss her chastely on the cheek. It was a game, a way of improving their skills. He would have to catch her unawares; she would try and avoid him. But he had caught her out as she was walking down the corridor, flicking down from the ceiling and catching her scarred cheek. Piotr had been there with a camera and caught the moment, teasing Tora that every year she went the same red colour as Kurt caught her out. The photo showed Kurt's grin and Tora's exasperated fondness as they stared at each other, the mistletoe tangled in her hair. That little flash of normality had made her day.
She hadn't thrown the box in the sea. Instead she placed it by the rubbish, knowing Logan would rescue it, and kept the photo tucked away. Every time she looked at it, she felt as if Bastion's arm had pierced her heart, but she needed him. She needed Kurt's eyes to be on her as she drifted closer and closer to joining him.
And then the shutter of the camera closed and Spider-Man flipped down from the ceiling, landing next to her.
"Hey. Why stand so far apart from us? We're all on the team. So why look like you hate us all?"
She looked up, eyes dark with sorrow.
"I don't think I'll be on this team for long."
"Why? You hate us that much?"
"I don't think I'll be on any team for much longer."
"What? Are you quitting? You can't quit! You're… You're like poster-girl for strong female mutant heroes!"
"No Spidey. I'm saying I won't be around to be on any teams."
"What? Please say you aren't going to do a Mar-vell on us!"
"No Spidey. I… I have lost something. I am not the person I once was. Hence the new uniform."
"Yeah, I did think it looked cool. By not being here, are you being all philosophical and deep, saying that because you're not the person you used to be, then you won't be on the team?"
She considered for a moment before nodding. It was easier to conceal the truth, the truth not even Logan or Emma knew. She could only entrust this to Kurt, and he was gone.
Dark Dragon was restless.
"Of course she was restless. Tora gave her dark side its freedom, thereby making Dark Dragon obsolete."
"How exactly did she make the beast free?"
"She gave it the freedom it wanted, splitting it from her permanently, but placed it in a creature that could not harm anyone."
"What?"
"She put it in a marmot."
"A…marmot?"
"Like we all knew, her sense of humour could be…slightly twisted at times."
Her eyes were sad as she glanced in.
"I'm taking Curt to the mainland. We need to try and enrol him in a new school, since the last one threw him out."
"Yeah, you never told me what happened at that meeting?"
"Curt had an argument with his teacher about who and what deserved human rights that resulted in the symbiote going slightly mad."
"Your son is trouble, you know that?"
"Er, Logan, if Curt is anyone's son, he's yours. I have never met a pair so likely to… Never mind."
He knew what caused that. She used to say just the same thing about him and the elf. She turned and prepared to walk out, but glanced back.
"Good work in Tokyo by the way."
"Thanks."
She walked along the corridors but suddenly someone caught her arm and she turned around to see a blue girl.
"Are… Are you Dragon?"
"Yes. And you are Laurie."
"I… I can't really believe you try and learn my name."
"I need to go into the city right now. My son has managed to be thrown out of his third school in as many months. I will see you later then Miss Tromette."
"Sure."
Tora walked quickly, deliberately not looking down to the sea, to the rocks where he had lain, so broken and bruised. She saw Nemesis standing watching the Mexican running on the water then falling in. She sighed, knowing the boy seemed determined to meet her but she got headaches every time he came near her. She knew he wasn't a speedster, but didn't want to stop Nemesis from having his fun. Curt was standing shamefaced by the boat.
"Right. Let's try and make a better impression this time. No threatening to eat teachers, students or telling the headmaster you're an alien. It really doesn't make them like you."
"Yeees Maman."
"Curt!"
"Sorry."
"Right, ground-rules. I'll do most of the talking. Poison, try not to change appearance half-way through an interview. If this doesn't work out, we're going to have to start schooling you from here with the old teachers."
"NO WAY! Doc Nemesis is scary!"
"If that's what it takes to get your education, then that is what we will do."
"Evil woman."
"I heard that!"
The boat across was only half-filled. As they stepped off, Anole staggered on. Tora stared at him and then pulled Curt away.
"He's probably only got the flu. Don't worry."
Curt was always difficult in cities. Poison wanted to investigate every little thing and Curt was just as bad, wanting to stop at every street vendor. Tora ended up compromising. They went to the school, Curt behaved and they would go to his favourite restaurant as a treat afterwards. Bribery was one of the few ways to make both him and the symbiote behave.
"Ah, so that's how she avoided the quarantine."
"Yes. Pure luck."
"Mrs Logan, Curt's reports are…varied to say the least. His reports from Xavier's are exemplary. All except for his Languages which say, if I may quote, 'Curt needs to treat the teacher with more respect'."
"Yes. He thought that he could get away with anything. He soon learned otherwise."
"But his reports after that… 'Needs to concentrate…', 'Aggression…', 'Threatening a teacher…'? These are not the acts of a student of this school."
"Curt has… problems. His mental state has always been…fragile. He feels insulted when people make derogatory comments about mutants or symbiotes."
"Why symbiotes?"
"He feels a…kinship with them."
"And the nature of Curtis' mutation?"
Tora blinked.
"I assume he is a mutant, seeing as he came from Xavier's."
"Curt is strong. He can change the appearance of his clothes. They're made of a natural fibre that is a part of him. He… He will talk to the others. He has three selves in his head. Curtis, Brian and Poison. He will often speak out loud to communicate with the others. It opens him up to…torment from others."
"How bad is his…er…?"
"He doesn't understand certain things. His social graces are…lacking, to say the least. But he has a heart of gold. Show him he is welcome and he will never let you down. CURT!"
"Am I in trouble?"
The headmaster turned round slowly and stared at the boy hanging upside-down outside the window."
"Is he…like Spider-Man?"
"Sort of."
"Well…er…errm… I'll be willing to give Curtis a trial period. Given his previous infringements, he can't be fully offered a place until he has proved himself. Do you understand?"
Curt nodded excitedly.
"Can we go to get ice-cream now?"
Tora pressed her fingers to her eyes and sighed softly.
"Another day, another grey hair."
"Yes. I'm amazed it took so long for her entire hair to go white."
"The black was stubborn. Very stubborn."