A/N: Not my best- I blame whatever virus is bugging me (hah, get it?)- but I wanted this out tonight. More on this at the end.
Crisis on Infinite Cyclops Daughters:
S.W.O.R.D. & S.H.I.E.L.D.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
Brown eyes snapped at the newcomer in surprise.
"Excuse me?"
"That." The blonde tilted her head at the decimated punching bag. Whatever material it was made of, it did not stand a chance against her fists.
The newcomer briefly wondered if she really didn't have any powers.
"Work-out." She replied gruffly, capping her water bottle with a click. "I need to train or I'll lose my edge."
The tall woman was, after all, the only human on campus.
"Right. Anything else you're working out?"
She folded her arms. "…I don't know what you're implying."
"You know who I am, right?" Teasingly, her hands flew to her hips as she struck a mighty pose.
"Alison Blaire. Dazzler."
"Yes." She grinned widely at the recognition. "So you know what I can do?"
"Turn sound into a weapon." She answered automatically.
"Harness music." Dazzler corrected. "I mean, yeah, I can use any sound, but without a beat, I just don't feel it. There's no magic."
"Your point?"
"I feel music, Elle." She explained and sat on the open spot at the reality-traveler's side. "And your training was… angry. Beautiful, but sad."
Elle stilled, but refused to avert her gaze. "I don't have any reason to confide in you."
"Believe it or not, I am a teacher here." Dazzler told her with a humored smile. "Granted, this place isn't exactly a school, so mentor is probably the better term…"
"And, what, you want to mentor me?" There was no disdain in her voice; only incredulousness. It was as if the idea was simply silly.
Dazzler shrugged. "I notice you don't hang around with anyone but your family. Well, Scott and Ruby."
"I will not be interrogated." She fired back tightly.
"Is it because you feel guilty assaulting us without thinking?" Dazzler continued, unfazed.
"You're trying to compensate for something." Elle pointed out, cutting through the small talk or whatever it was Dazzler wanted.
"That's probably it, right? You feel shame, but you don't know how to express it."
The brunette felt her ire rise, and she fired back, "You screwed up, and now you're doing all you can to make amends."
"You can talk about it, you know?" Alison took the attack with grace. "Whatever's bothering you, it can't be that bad if you're still here."
Elle's face hardened and accused, "That's what you get for being so idealistic!"
Alison felt her melody, and her face softened. "Why do you hate yourself so much?"
"I-!"
Alison slung an arm around her shoulder and brought her close.
"Wh-what are you doing!" Elle asked, her brown eyes wide and alarmed.
"You're still so young…"
"I'm twenty." Elle answered, but didn't pull away after her initial struggle. "I'm not much younger than you."
But she was infinitely less experienced.
She wasn't the only one that reality-hopped, after all.
"I guess brooding is in the Summers genome, eh?"
"…"
"…you ready to talk?"
"…this is why I hate you S.H.I.E.L.D. agents." Elle murmured. "Always meddling with other people's business. Never following protocol. Lapdogs."
"It's called caring, Elle." Alison patiently pointed out. "And, former agent, thank you very much."
"Don't be so familiar!" Elle exclaimed, but there was no heat in her words. "You don't even know me."
"I know you're Scott's kid. That's enough to tell me that something horrible went down."
"My father is a hero."
"And your mother?"
For the first time since their argument, Elle averted her glare.
"Was it hard? Growing up with Wanda as your mother, I mean."
"How did you—the Cuckoos."
"They don't know how to respect other people's privacy."
"They don't know how to respect other people, period." Elle muttered with a scowl. "And… no. It wasn't hard."
"Even with Magneto as your grandfather? That side of the family is messed up, you realize."
"My grandfather was a hero."
"And your mother…?" Alison pressed, pulling back slightly so she could face the brunette. "Was she a hero, too?"
"I don't want to talk about her."
Instead of taking offense, Alison merely smiled. "So what do you want to talk about?"
"…Did someone set you up for this?" Elle asked in defeat. It seemed she wouldn't be getting out of this confrontation.
Alison shook her head. "Is it so hard to believe that I just want to know more about you?" Elle frowned at her, and Alison softly shook her head. The brunette was so paranoid. "I mean, I'm curious about you—and why an agent of S.W.O.R.D. would break protocol to travel all the way here, starting fights where she goes."
"What, the Cuckoos never told?"
"I'm curious about why you would throw away whatever life you had just to be here."
"…I needed answers."
Alison nodded and gently probed, "Why?"
"Because—because things don't make any sense."
"I see…" Alison trailed, the light of recognition glowing in her eyes. "You want closure."
Elle's lips flattened, but she did not refute the perceptive mutant's conclusion.
"And… have you found your answer?"
"…No."
And that was the crux of it.
It was the straw that broke the camel's back.
She had no game plan; no strategy nor direction.
And she had no closure so her wound continued to bleed.
The loss was taking its toll.
"Speak with Scott."
"I—I can't." There was so much pain in her voice, and it frustrated her that she felt so weak. She… Eleonora Summers should have been made of stronger stuff than this!
Alison observed as the young woman beside her was wrought with internal turmoil. The blonde mutant wondered if this was the inherent conflict when two tumultuous bloodlines crossed, but quickly dismissed the idea. She was no geneticist; she was a musician, and it was her job to bring happiness to all those around her.
Angst was not her style.
"Then talk to me." Alison Blaire said, and Elle was almost blinded by how dazzling her smile was. "Talk to me until you're able to talk to Scott."
"...why?"
"Because you look like you need a friend." Alison stated, as sure as the sun would always rise. "And we former agents need to stick together, right?"
For the first time since she arrived in this reality, Elle chuckled. It wasn't an overly loud, prolonged, or boisterous sound, but Alison could feel it.
Whatever weight brought her down was, at least temporarily, lifted.
Alison Blaire took that as a win.
"You're… silly." Elle finally said, her lips flat but soft. The smile was in her eyes—and in that moment, she truly resembled her father.
Not that Elle noticed.
"This is who we are." Alison countered as she stood, offering her hand to the young woman. "We protect. When someone is in pain, we can't turn a blind eye."
She stared at the outstretched hand before, with a small nod, accepting it. "…I still hate you S.H.I.E.L.D. agents."
"Like you S.W.O.R.D. folk are any better." Alison stuck out her tongue while her hands settled on her hips. "Now come. Scott's on breakfast duty again, and I'm starving."
With lighter footfalls, the two made their way to the mess hall.
"…
…
…
…Thanks."
A/N: Thanks for those that gave feedback to this story!
As some of you may have probably guessed, this "world-building" chapters mainly deals with pairing these OCs with canon characters that resonate with them.
In this edition, I wanted to highlight Dazzler's resilience and radiance. I'm not a musician, but I'd like to think Dazzler's more the feeler rather than the thinker. Where Elle (and Scott) are awkward brooders, Alison speaks her mind and doesn't let her woes paralyze her. Though both Scott and Alison are capable of compassion due to the hardships they went through, in contrast, Alison is more able in expressing herself.
Next, there's Elle: daughter of Cyclops and the Scarlet Witch. She's struggling after loss, conflicted in what to believe in, and frustrated by her weakness. She's spent her years driving herself to be stronger in the wake of having no powers, but despite it all, she still perceives herself to be weak.
Moving forward, I'd have Elle come to terms with herself, with Dazzler assuming the confidante role, culminating with a confrontation with 616!Wanda.
Or something like that.
Send me what you think in a review~
Ugh, this bug's making me feel like crap.
Up next:
Crisis on Infinite Cyclops Daughters: Heretic & Damned
(You all know the two who are up next, right?)
