Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I own Marvel, let alone the wonderful mutants of the X-Men.
A/N: Yep! I was a right bastard, and gave you a cliff-hanger! ;P
Other than that, glad I'm still keeping you entertained - hopeful that will continue as I continue writing.
I'm glad you guys are enjoying my take on the underworld of the marvel universe, and I promise, that will make further appearances, though it will take a bit of a backseat for the next ten or so chapters as Harry/Tom integrate into the magical and mutant worlds.
Anyway, here is the meeting you've all been waiting for! Enjoy.
Chapter 18: Reunion
Harry swallowed, his throat dry. "X23." He winced. That's not what he meant to say.
"Laura," she corrected. She looked just as she had the day before, though she had ditched the uniform, instead wearing the sort of clothing associated with a ruffian - baggy denim, threadbare in several places. Similar to his own, he noted idly. Not Tom, though - he preferred to look professional, preferred his suits.
He gave a jerky nod. "Yeah. That's what I meant." He blinked, mouth opening a couple of times. "How have you been?"
"Good," she nodded. "You?"
"I've been alright," Harry nodded, setting his helm down on the table. He felt an irrational desire to cover it. Why should he? It was who he was. He was a killer. Laura would understand. Wouldn't she?
"What have you been up to?" Laura asked, wincing as she asked. He had been with Daken - she knew what he'd been up to.
"This and that," Harry said vaguely. "You?"
"I've been learning," Laura said, the sentence slightly less jerky than before. "History. Literature. Maths. All things I never learnt before."
"I never learnt that, not for the sake of learning," Harry snorted. "Still haven't. A waste of time. I learn what I need, when I have to."
"Are you… coming with us?" she asked hesitantly. "If you do… you could learn as well."
"I have to," he grumbled, before forcing a hesitant smile. "I, uh, it's, well, it's the only way I can see you. To go with you for half a week, and you come here the other half."
"I'll be here?" Laura blinked. She would get to go with Harry? But what about Kitty and the others?
Harry gave a jerky nod. "Not that you can learn anything. Magic, that is. Xavier said you'd be here for, uh, emotional shit. Meeting my peers. You and two friends."
"That's good," Kitty said. "We learn to fight, you know."
"Really?" Harry snorted. "I didn't think that bald shit would stand for that."
"The Professor's a good man, Harry," Laura sighed. "He understands that sometimes, a fight is unavoidable. We're taught to fight to protect, not kill."
"And if you need to kill?" Harry pushed.
"If it's necessary… then yes," Laura said. "But we try to avoid that."
"That's stupid," Harry grunted. "Killing is quick. Easy. Simple."
"There's a team," Laura said, ignoring him. "Or two, really. The X-Men."
"So I've heard," he grumbled. "Bunch of twats."
"A team to protect the innocent, save the tortured," Laura continued. "To save people like us."
"Bah, we didn't need saving," Harry spat.
"Would you rather be with the Department?" Harry said nothing. "Didn't think so. I want to join."
"Screw that," Harry said. He shook his head. "When this is over, I'm running."
Laura blinked in horror. "What?"
"Well, we're stuck here right now," Harry explained. "But at the end, I just want to run away. Leave the guns behind, sheathe the claws. Just me and you. Alaska, or Siberia. Somewhere, anywhere."
Laura shook her head. "We can't do that, Harry. What about our friends?"
"I ain't got none," Harry growled. "And I don't need none, not when I've got you."
"But I do," Laura cried. "What about my father? What about Daken?"
"Fuck 'em," Harry spat. "We don't need them."
"You'd just leave him?" Laura looked horrified. "You've been with him for four years!"
"And I'm mighty thankful," he growled. "But we knew from the start when we'd part ways."
Laura shook her head. "I can't just leave my dad."
"He isn't your fucking dad!" Harry growled. "What, so if Magneto showed up and claimed to be my fucking sperm donor, I should run off with him!"
"That's not fair, Harry," Laura cried. "Give him a chance."
"You know what, fuck you," Harry growled. "You've gone fucking soft. Now get out of the way."
Bobby had had enough. He had sat patiently at the side, watching the conversation warily, but now he stood up, standing in his way. "Come on man, you used to be friends. Have a little respect."
"Move, bub," Harry growled. "I won't ask twice."
Bobby raised his hands, moving to the side. "Okay, okay."
Harry turned back for a moment, hurt etched in his expression. "And just for your information? Friends are loyal."
There was silence as he left.
"Wait, people actually say bub?" Warren blinked. "I thought that was just Logan."
Laura felt tears trickle down her face. On a superficial level, that was an achievement - even with her growing emotional maturity, she struggled to grasp sadness. But she couldn't think of that now.
She collapsed onto her bed, Kitty immediately rushing over to her.
"Laura, I'm so, so sorry," Kitty apologised.
"'snot your fault," Laura sniffed, wiping her face. "It's all my fucking fault." She slashed across her arm with a claw, but was quickly stopped by Kitty.
"No!" she protested, before calming down. "No, it's not your fault. I didn't realise how… damaged he was."
Laura snorted. "He isn't damaged. He's an entitled jerk."
Kitty shook her head. "I saw him there, at the end. He was just as hurt as you were. He cannot understand why you would ever want to stay - he doesn't understand what it is to have friends. He's never learnt to trust as you have."
Laura glared at her. "Why are you defending him? You're supposed to be my friend."
"Well," Kitty said playfully. "He's hot, and I'd love to be in his good books should you ever dump him."
"Kitty!" she protested.
"But seriously!" Kitty continued. "This is the boy you've been looking for all this time - are you really going to let him run away from you, when he really needs your help? I heard what he said and saw how he acted - he's damaged, Laura. More damaged than you. And he needs your help."
Laura shook her head. "He won't let me. He doesn't trust you guys, so he doesn't trust me."
"So help him too," Kitty insisted. "You didn't trust me at first, did you?"
"I didn't run away!" Laura yelled.
"You had Sarah," Kitty said. "Back at the facility. Harry never had that. He's grown up believing that he has to look out for himself - worse, that everyone else is out to get him. It seems like you were an exception, as is Daken to a degree, but think about your first meeting!"
"I stabbed him in the eye," Laura whispered. "Does he still hate me?"
Kitty shook her head. "No. He likes you - he really likes you. I can see that. But he cannot fully trust you. Not yet. Not when he's only ever known you as a puppet. A weapon."
Laura sighed. "But what can I do? How can I get my friend back?"
"Keep trying," Kitty said. "You've just gotta keep going."
X
"Daken!"
Daken stopped glancing over his shoulder. "Fuck off."
Logan shook his head, chewing on a smouldering cigar. "We need to talk."
"No we don't," Daken growled, going to push past, stopped by the man's muscular frame.
"Cigar?" Logan offered.
"Not my vice," Daken spat. "The fuck do you want."
"I want to try again," Logan insisted. "I wasn't in the right place all those years ago. I couldn't be what you wanted me to be. But I am now."
"Too late," Daken growled. "I'm fine by lonesome."
"You might be," Logan barked. "But you don't have to be! Damnit, Daken, I want to get to know my son!"
"You don't have a son!" Daken roared. "You lost that right when you rejected me."
Logan sighed. "I've been raising Laura, you know? My daughter… and I know her."
Daken curled his lip in disgust. "Is this supposed to make me feel better? That you accepted a fucking clone over me?"
Logan shook his head. "The point is that I know what I missed out on." He shook his head, a chuckle escaping his lips. "Scott keeps telling me I'm going soft. Maybe I am. And I know I can never have with you what I have with Laura. But I'd like something."
Daken huffed, sitting down on a table. "You're not going to give up on this, are you?"
Logan shook his head. "No."
"I have a family now, sort of," Daken continued. "Harry. He's the closest fucking thing I have to a son. He's not, but it's nice to pretend. I know he doesn't agree. At the very best, I'm his friend, and even that's a stretch." He glanced up, eyes dull. "I'm not leaving him. Not while he's stuck here. So, for all this time, go ahead. Try your hardest. For one hour a week, I won't fight you. I'll do whatever father-son bonding session you want to do. Fuck, I'll even tolerate your presence. You can pretend that I'm still your son. But the second Harry can leave, I'm going with him, and I won't ever have to see you again."
"Thank you, Daken," Logan smiled - a slightly feral, angry looking smile, but a smile nonetheless. "I will make this up to you."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Daken drawled.
"So, what do you want to do?" Logan asked.
Daken raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think I'll help you on your endeavour."
"Fuck, bub," Logan growled. "Gimme something here! I'm trying to make it up to you, but I don't fucking know you yet!"
Daken smirked. "Better get guessing."
Logan huffed. "Wanna go for a drink?"
"Eh, might as well," Daken said. "Anywhere in mind?"
"We can head down to Glasgow," Logan grunted. "Gotta be somewhere down there."
Daken shrugged. "Up to you."
They walked together, stopping as they watched the ramp extend from the Blackbird.
"Wanna fly, bub?"
"Fuck yes."
X
Harry was furious as he stormed through the halls of Hogwarts. Laura had betrayed him - him! And for what? A fucking beast of a man, playing make-believe parent. He growled in anger, sinking his claws deep into the stone wall.
What was wrong with him? Why should he care what she chose to do - he'd been on his own all this time. He didn't need her. He didn't need anyone! The second he was free of this contract, he could make a run for it, live alone for the rest of his life. So why did that fill his gut with cold dread?
"Hey, sugah," a southern voice drawled. "What's up with yah?"
"Rogue," Harry grunted.
"Thah's me," the southern belle smiled, her gloved hands on her hips, clad in leather shorts. "So what's the big deal with thah display back thar?"
"What display?" Harry snapped.
"Thah proposal back thar," Rogue drawled. "To run off together, leave everyone behind."
"Forget about it," Harry growled.
"No," Rogue smirked, leaning against the wall. "Laura's mah student. 'sides, yah like yah could do with some advice."
"What?" Harry snapped. "Try to get to know her new friends, to appropriate myself into her lifestyle? To accept that she can change?"
Rogue nodded. "Yes."
"I was being rhetorical," Harry growled.
"Ah wasn't," Rogue sighed. "While ah understand yah may not agree with Xavier's pacifist stance - hell, ah know Logan doesn't - but that doesn't mean yah can't accept the institute. Laura did. Logan did. He helped me out as a kid too, you know? 'Bout ten years ago, now."
"I'm not Logan," Harry growled. "And I'm not Laura. I would never betray my family."
"Logan has made mistakes," Rogue admitted. "But Laura? Did yah mean yahself when yah said family?" Harry's silence spoke volumes. "She hasn't betrayed yah. She was just as nervous about seeing yah again as yah were her."
"Who said I was nervous?" Harry growled.
"Only natural," Rogue simpered. "But she hasn't betrayed yah. And it isn't fair to make her pick between her friends and yah."
"Then I won't make her," Harry snapped. "She won't choose me, so I'll leave."
Rogue shook her head. "Would yah be willing to do thah, and never see her again?"
"What?" Harry blinked. "I'd just wait a couple decades - she'll grow out of this childishness as she outlives her friends."
"Childishness?" Rogue scoffed. "Yah know, one of the things she was worried about was that yah'd run away. If yah do this, yall prove her right, and then she won't give yah another chance. She won't let yah hurt her again, whether she's sweet on yah or not."
Harry flicked his eyes to the ground. "Then I don't need her."
"Are yah really willing to leave her, knowing yah won't get another chance?" Rogue asked. "Just something to think about, sugah."
Harry didn't watch as she sauntered away, his eyes fixed firmly on the claw prints carved in the castle wall. Rogue was right. Was he willing?
He had a feeling the question wouldn't leave his mind for quite some time.
A/N: Harry just isn't having any luck here, is he? Can you believe it - even Daken is getting on better with Logan than Harry!
I mean, come on: did you expect immediate forgiveness? No, I'm a writer... I like torturing my puppets...
I've got to say, I love writing Kitty and Rogue, and Kitty especially be making a lot more appearances. I just really like writing her as this bubbly, flirty teen, y'know?
As always, please bump up my stats, I would love to see this fic reach 1k. If you like it, fave and follow. If you want, maybe even follow me! One day, I might actually update one of my other fics. Honestly? It will probably end up being the planned sequel of this fic that comes out first.
In addition, please give me some good old fashioned criticism! Constructive, if you will: what did I do well? What didn't I? What do you want to see more of? Anyone else you want to see make an appearance? Leave a review!
Until next time, this is JaguarAJG, signing off.
