Memories
Lost Souls
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She limped forward, resting as much of her weight as she dared on Kurt's shoulder. Blinking in the light, she stepped forward onto the podium with the rest of the Resistance's High Command. The cheering ceased almost instantly. Then a voice shouted out.
"What's that piece of Apocalypse Spawn doing up there!?"
She barely opened her mouth to defend herself before Steve was glowering at the crowd.
"Tora has been with us from the very beginning. She has given up the most of all of us. She has been our spy in Apocalypse's Inner Circle since the very start. And… she offered her life in place of the woman I love…"
Etana stepped forward, her eyes flashing dangerously.
"I would have failed unless Tora was forced to sell her morals to keep the Guards at bay. You would still be under Apocalypse's reign unless she had spied for us, lied for us, given up hope of ever surviving. This woman tried to take my place for the assassination of En Sabah Nur. She has long been one of our most important members. This is the woman who helped us evacuate Ohio. The mystery assassin of Archangel. We owe her everything. The Resistance would have been destroyed without her."
Tora smiled then gasped again. It hurt. The shattered blade had healed as a part of her and she hadn't told the others out of fear of them panicking. Maybe she should have…
Kurt was trying to lower her down, staring at her, eyes wide and afraid.
"Tora! What's wrong?!"
"Sword… Hurts… Kurt…? Please… Find Jamie… Find my son…"
"Steve! The blade is still in! We have to get her down to Magnus! NOW!"
But she could see the black crowding her vision and she knew that the Master of Magnetism would be too late. There were poisons in her system now, huge amounts of poison, enough to stagger her healing. Remove the metal and catch a vital organ, she wouldn't heal. She half-opened her mouth to speak then closed it. Better to be a martyr for the cause than the most reviled member.
xXx
"My name is Marie Circen. They called me Dragon. My husband…Logan, Wolverine… My children… Eva…Curt… Taken from me before I even knew them. And I blamed the X-Men. They were supposed to protect my family. So I was determined to make them experience my loss. I wanted them to live as I had done, forever in mourning. So I hurt them with their darkest fears, deepest secrets. I manipulated the Shi'ar to attack us, killing a close friend in the process. But still I wanted vengeance. The Brotherhood, -composed of those they tried and failed to save. I fell. And dragged the X-Men with me."
Iceman stood in silence, looking on at the bright silver light.
"She killed me… She caused the Shi'ar to melt me and boil me away to steam. And then she brought me back… I'll never know why but we have to run. She's doing it again… The Young Avengers have destroyed us all…"
Jessica was staring at the woman in the centre of the light.
"You've got to give the Logan kids credit. They found her, which is more than anyone else has done."
Beast coughed, embarrassed.
"Well…not exactly…"
Bobby glanced at him.
"You too?"
"In Transia. Which I think was deliberate, seeing as that was one of the few European countries she didn't travel through as a child. We had coffee. She didn't recognise me."
"Same here. We had…coffee. We had coffee too…"
Jewel glared at him.
"You slept with her?"
Beast coughed.
"What?!"
Even under the layer of ice, Bobby's face was going red.
"Can we focus on the impeding catastrophe, not on whether I may or may not have slept with a former teammate whose father would kill me if he found out? You know? The Shi'ar? The Brotherhood? Dragon?"
"Bobby, I don't think the threats are to us… Watch…"
"They're attacking Dragon? Great, she's trying to kill herself."
Curt's face was white.
"We have to stop her! Teddy, would you…?"
"No."
"Teddy, that's my mother!"
"She's not able to help you now."
"But…"
"Cassie, please… You know what it's like…"
"Okay."
Then Curt was at level with Dragon, reaching towards her.
"Stay back! My husband… My friends… My children… The students… All dead because of me. I deserve this…"
"Marie, please listen to me! Your friends are alive. Your husband is remembered as a hero across the world. And your children… We're alive…"
"What?"
"How do you explain me and Eva, twins, both of whom used to have healing factors and who have red and black hair?"
"Poison… This is what everything is about? You think you're my son? That's not possible…Curt was a baby… So was Eva… You've done all this because you think I'm your mother? Just because you were a part of Weapon X?"
"You are. I know you are. You have to be… Please… Use your sense of smell or something…"
Her eyes glowed silver and then he felt like someone was pulling him apart, gently seeing what he was made of.
"Well…?"
"I'm sorry…"
"You mean…?"
"I should have recognised you immediately. What sort of mother am I that cannot recognise her son?"
And then her arms wrapped around him and he felt the tears streaking across her face.
"Please…forgive me…"
"There's nothing to forgive."
"No. There's a great deal to forgive."
"C'mon. You have to meet Eva…"
Marie flew down gently.
"Eva?"
"Eva, I know you've never cared as much about this as I do but…"
"No. Did I ever tell you why I stopped calling myself Tigress like Nate originally called me? Why I started calling myself Wolverina instead? Because the X-Men aren't going to let anyone ever see her as anything other than what she really is. She killed her friends; her husband –our dad; wiped out almost an entire species and also killed kids. She's going to have to pay for that. And it doesn't matter if she is sorry or not, they're still going to take her away. She's either going to have to disappear again or be disappeared. And so in the end, it doesn't matter. We're never going to have a mother. She'll either be dead or on the run. So what's the point? Admit it, Curt. We're basically never going to have a family because one man got greedy and took us both."
"There was a point to it all. You've brought a criminal back to face justice. And… And I can see that my children are everything I hoped they would be. In fact, you are more. I…I wish I were good enough for you."
And then Bobby walked over, his voice torn between relief and coldness.
"Marie?"
"Bobby… I'm… I cannot…"
"I reckon because you brought me back, we're even for you killing me. Also, the Avengers are coming."
"Yes, about that… What are you doing here?"
Bobby blinked.
"You brought me back but…the X-Men weren't the same. Hank and I left shortly afterwards. The Avengers are coming but… If Scott finds out…"
"I'm not leaving, Bobby. I have to face up to what I did."
Bobby flushed.
"Look, do you remember anything from Transia? When did you go to Doom?"
Marie's eyebrow raised.
"Is this about you visiting?"
"Ah… So… That was you?"
"Why are you interested?"
Jessica grinned.
"Doombot."
Dragon's eyes were fixed on the horizon. Eva stepped forward.
"She can't stay. The Avengers will kill her."
"No they won't. They avenge. That isn't killing… I think… Besides, Pietro and Wanda won't let that happen."
"Try telling Angel that. He won't stop until he's killed Marie."
"You shouldn't have stopped him."
They turned to look at Marie.
"I deserve to die. I remember the deaths of the students… My students… I killed them… I killed children. I have to die for what I've done."
Beast blinked.
"No you don't. What if you undo it? Phoenix was capable of resurrection. You should be as well. And if you repower the mutants…"
"Henry… I don't know if I can."
"You can try. You said three words at the end of the reality-warping fiasco and in doing so, robbed almost every mutant of their powers. What if you unsay it?"
"Hank, it's not as simple as that… Dragon is a will unto itself. I can't always control it. I treated mutation as a disease when I did…what I did… I don't know if I'll be able to consider mutation as the healthy alternative now…"
"Trying is all that matters. We need a mutant, a depowered mutant and we can…"
"Come on. Who's desperate and/or stupid enough to be our former mutant guinea pig?"
A phone call later, Jamie Madrox stood in front of her, his eyes dark.
"Give me one reason that I shouldn't call the X-Men right now. Or better still, why I shouldn't run you through."
"I can help you. I can undo it…"
"Your siblings already tried. The Scarlet Witch did nothing. And Quicksilver caused mutants to get their powers back with exposure to the Terrigen Mists. They exploded."
"But this is different. I can help them. All I have to do is…"
A finger jabbed into her chest.
"You've done enough already. Your husband is dead, along with far too many friends of mine. And children. I think you had a student you considered your protegee. What was her name…? Oh yes. Laura Kinney. Do you know how she died? The Phoenix Force consumed her. And not just her body. All those you killed in the attack on the Institute can't come back. The Phoenix devoured them all."
"I'll do it."
She turned to Rictor.
"Are you sure?"
"Certain."
"Good. I will do everything in my power to fix this."
Shatterstar pointed his hand at her.
"If you hurt him, I will kill you."
Her eyes were older than anyone had ever seen them.
"Shatterstar, if I hurt him, I'll have killed myself before you get close to me."
And then she placed her hands on the man's head and the Dragon touched his head as they both screamed in agony. And then the building shook and Rictor leapt up and flung his arms around her, whispering "Thank you, thank you, thank you."
"There is nothing to thank."
And then her head shot around and her voice was laced with dread.
"They're here. The X-Men are here. And they aren't here to ask me to repower the mutants."
She walked out as the Avengers and the X-Men prepared to fight. Wanda ran to her and flung her arms around her neck.
"Marie!"
"Wanda. I…forgive me."
Then Quicksilver, gently wrapping his arms around her.
"Sister."
"Pietro."
"They-are-going-to-kill-you-so-when-I-give-the-signal-we-run-are-you-ready?"
"Thank you. But I've spent my whole life running. Now's the time to stop."
Magneto moved towards her and she smiled softly.
"Marie."
"Father."
"I shall protect you."
"You must promise to let me handle this myself."
And then she faced the Avengers, stoic and alone.
"Captain." A swift nod of the head.
"Marie."
"I wish for all here to know I take full responsibility for what I have done and that I am prepared to do whatever I can to remedy it. Once I have fixed the damage I have wrought I shall surrender myself to be imprisoned or destroyed as those who were wronged by me see fit."
And Cyclops stepped forward, his visor glowing ominously.
"You don't get to negotiate on behalf of our kind, Captain. Dragon comes with us. We hold her accountable for what she has done and we will not rest until she is brought to justice."
And then Eva was in front of her mother and reached up to her mask. When she pulled it off, everyone froze for a long moment. Golden eyes, red hair and a dark black streak. She could be the younger version of the woman behind her except for the streak being on the opposite side.
"Yeah. I'm Eva Logan. I'm the girl you all thought was dead. You all gave up on me and my brother. You were supposed to care for us, not let Weapon X kidnap us and turn us into weapons. You were supposed to help my mother. But when she loses her children you don't try and help her. No, you pretend nothing ever happened, make her continue to act as normal. Made her walk down streets where mothers and children were together. You never asked! YOU NEVER OFFERED TO HELP HER! YOU DID IT YOURSELVES! YOU'RE MEANT TO BE THE GOOD GUYS BUT YOU'RE GOING TO KILL A WOMAN WHO WENT MAD WITH GRIEF! You all disgust me. In fact, I don't want to be a Young Avenger anymore. I don't want to be linked to either of you. You're all so petty and small."
Angel's finger pointed behind Eva.
"So you're prepared to be linked to the woman who basically exterminated the mutant race."
And Eva pulled herself up to her full height.
"At least she admits she's done wrong. But all you holier-than-thou 'heroes' can't admit you brought it on yourselves. She's braver than the rest of you."
And Magneto stepped up besides Eva.
"My granddaughter speaks sense. We are all responsible for the loss of the children and also responsible for refusing to help Marie when she was in desperate need."
"Stand aside, Erik."
"She is my daughter. I will protect her with my life."
"Yes. An illegitimate daughter who you didn't even know existed until she was in her mid-twenties. A daughter whose mother died trying to protect her from your enemies. Where were you when she needed you?"
"We all have our regrets. I have never sent my children to a dystopian future from which there is no escape."
"Which I only did because your daughter forced my hand! Say goodbye, Erik."
The blast was unexpected, right at Marie but then her hands were out and everyone but the Young Avengers fell to the ground.
"You are behaving like children! And I shall treat you as such."
"You do know they're going to wake up?"
"I know. But I've bought us time. I need answers. And I know where to get them."
Silver blossomed from her hands.
"We need to get to safety."
"Okay. Right, let's not jump to a hasty conclusion that just because she's come running back to Dr Doom…"
And she turned back.
"Victor has only helped me. He was the only one who tried to help me get my children back. He has been my ally from the start."
"The start of what? Was it Doom that did all this?"
"No. It was me. I remember most but not all. When I thought my children dead, I went for help. The Afterlives yielded no clue and neither did the magics of Strange and Voodoo. So I came to Victor. He agreed to help me, despite us being enemies. I…I remember the start but… then the memories fade."
"Marie already held a portion of the Dragon Song, the personification of healing and knowledge, I used my powers to bring the rest of it to her. The power –we had hoped- would make her strong enough to bring her children back. But… The Dragon is primal at its core. A mortal could hold a portion of it but the entirety… It was too much for her mind to handle, gave her a god's power over reality and… the force we unleashed could not be controlled and brought about the events that you all know. She vanished and I found her in Transia months later. I dare not tell her of what happened for risk of losing her."
"Victor, we have to fix this. We must."
"And so we shall. After all, one here other than you commands the power of the Dragon."
Curt frowned.
"Who?"
"You."
xXx
Tora ran towards the collapsing figure on the beach as the Sentinel fell into the sea.
"ETANA!"
The woman folded up onto the ground, breathing heavily as Tora skidded to a halt. The right arm was a tangled mess of blood and metal and as Tora watched, the metal began to move up the arm. Before she could stop her, Etana had a long knife in one hand and brought it down viciously on the bicep, just above the elbow. The blade was obviously enchanted, cutting through flesh, muscle and bone like they were butter. Tora crouched down and sent water to lap around the bloodied stump; hoping, willing that the limb would regrow as Etana's eyes rolled up in her head.
"So a revolutionary, a lost soul and a hero. How…contradictory…"