Memories
Love and Hate
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She pointed at the board.
"This session may be difficult to many of you. We are doing the Weapon Plus Program. Many of the Program's 'methods' will be described in detail. It will be graphic and disturbing. That is why all of you were vetted before being allowed to take this class."
She scribbled something up.
"Weapon Plus began with Captain America and the Super-Soldier Project. Weapon I."
She pressed a button and a slide changed.
"Abraham Erskine. He designed the Super-Soldier Serum. There have been a few peak-humans. Steve Rogers was joined by Isaiah Bradley. Close to three-hundred African-American soldiers were experimented on. That was the start of the abuses of the rights of the minority."
She flicked to the next slides and more than one student went white.
"These were some of the animals experimented on by Weapon II. Weapon III," the slide changed, "is this man here. Very little is known about him, except that he is a mutant and goes by the name Skinless Man."
She shot through another set of photos.
"The next two projects were experiments on various 'undesirables'. The Weapon Plus Project was gradually becoming more and more extreme. As seen with Weapon VI."
The man on the screen had the Stars and Stripes tattooed across his face.
"This man is dangerous but I have nothing but pity for him. From his birth he was manipulated and tortured until he was unstable. In Vietnam they carved that into his face. He must never be approached. Understand?!"
The students nodded. The door open and Tora ignored it. Logan and the inspectors.
"Weapon VII and VIII had no major 'successes'. They focused on sleeper agents and assassinations. Weapon IX… That was cybernetics. And now… Weapon X. X went rogue. Broke away from the main Weapon Plus fold. Incidentally, the first, and most famous Weapon X is standing in the back of the room right now."
Everyone turned to look. Tora coughed and they turned back.
"Weapon X worked on creating mutations and enhancing existing ones. Members of Weapon X include Deadpool, Team X, Native, the X-Plus project of which X-23 was the first and only success…" Images were flashing up and then her voice lowered to almost a whisper.
"…And Weapon X-ii. Ten Version Two. Dropped as a failure. Quite possibly the most successful failure ever. I will never speak of this again, understand? I have enough of that at night. I do not want to revisit it during the day as well."
The image was of her at about nine. Her eyes were staring up hopelessly, hand reaching out in a silent plea. Blood streaked down over her face. Hair cut into a tight bob. Tora at one of her weakest moments. The slide changed.
"Weapon XI was the first to be located in the World. After the fiasco of Weapon X, the Weapon Plus Project was moved to a 'safer' locale. I cannot find anything on this Weapon despite my best efforts. All I can believe is that the poor subject lived and died in agony. Weapon XII was the Huntsman. Zona Cluster 6. Long story but he was destroyed. He was part of the idea to make mutant genocide seem 'acceptable'. And I do believe you know this 'charming gentleman'. Charlie Cluster Seven, also called Jean-Phillipe, Fantomex and Weapon XIII. Unlucky Thirteen for Weapon X. He is a mutant with NanoSentinel technology implants. Both XII and XIII were born and raised in the World, which had time-warping capabilities. Fantomex is suave, a thief and one of the most annoying men I have ever met. Also, he's British. Do not let the phoney accent fool you."
That got a giggle.
"And I believe five members of Weapon XIV came to this very school. The Stepford Cuckoos. You call them the Three in One. The number is actually closer to few thousand. It's just only five were woken. All of them together would be capable of exterminating the entire mutant race, even at our peak. Do not underestimate them. They were designed as a 'Phoenix Trap'. Never underestimate the manipulation of John Sublime."
She pinched her nose.
"Finally. Weapon XV. Ultimaton. The most advanced living weapon in existence. There are rumours of a Weapon XVI called 'Allgod' but these are unsubstantial at best."
A hand was raised.
"Yes?"
"How do you know all this?"
Her eyes flashed for a second.
"I have made it my life's work to find out whatever I can about Weapon Plus. And then I will tear it apart. I'm still torn about the Thousand-In-One. We could successfully boost the mutant population but… There is no guarantee… Nevermind… Now, the Weapon Plus Project… Yes?"
This was directed at the inspector who had raised a hand languidly.
"Ms Logan?"
"Mrs Logan. Yes?"
"Do you really think it is suitable to tell teenagers about this?"
Tora raised an eyebrow.
"One of the students at this school was kidnapped by Weapon Plus as a child, forcibly aged and trained as an assassin. It is almost certain that we will be attacked by Weapon Plus and its anti-mutant propaganda again. They need to know what they're facing. Ruthless, inhumane and deadly. Also, the Weapon Plus Project has shaped mutant history and that is what this lesson is about. You would not object to me teaching the Holocaust to teenagers, would you? Now, if you'll excuse me… Weapon Plus was funded by the US Government… What?"
"Are you turning them against the State, Mrs Logan?"
Her eyes shone.
"I have proof that a high-ranking defence agent came to watch me training. He ordered my training to be increased and my discipline harshened. I am stating the truth. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a lesson to teach."
She returned to the board.
"Copy up the notes."
"She really hated John Sublime, didn't she?"
"She was prepared to let bygones be bygones. Until Sublime kidnapped her son. And then she was going to kill him. All she had to do was wait."
Cia was swaying in the breeze, roots dug deep into Krakoa's back. The eyes looked up.
"I can read him. We're linked. He sustains me. I provide company. He's kind of sweet."
"Well, that saves the energy, doesn't it?"
"Yes. Moving still hurts. But I like it here. Krakoa's…easy to get along with. Comfortable, if that makes sense?"
"Like an old friend?"
Cia nodded.
"It's a kind of symbiosis. I give him a voice and help take the pain. He keeps me alive."
"Pain?"
"He was tortured. He lives in agony. I can take the pain up through my roots. Keep it to a level we can both contain."
Tora nodded.
"Splitting the pain, whittling it down. Sharing memories, linking. Careful. You'll end up Makrrrst."
Cia made a non-committal noise.
"It'd be kind of nice… To be reliant on someone and to know they needed you as well. Equal friendship. It's rare for me to have that…"
Tora nodded sadly before walking away. For who was her equal?
"No equal. You were dead, Jean and Tora was forced to remain away from Wanda."
"For good reason…"
"Death, there was no reason for tearing apart people like that."
Phoenix sighed.
"She was always so secretive. I only found out how close she was to Wanda years on…"