gene nation | epilogue

[x-callisto.livejournal.com]

Ororo, eventually, finds an offer Callisto won't refuse.



Most of Gene Nation - or the Morlocks, as they seemed to be once more, parted ways when they reached the surface. Some muttered conversations between Ororo and some of the ringleaders that Callisto had studiously ignored appeared to have established some kind of agreed contact, and by the time they went on their way even Erg and Brute seemed to have developed no small measure of respect for the white-haired mutant.

To Callisto's considerable surprise, however, half a dozen of the group seemed to have elected to take Ororo up on her offer of sanctuary, and it wasn't long before the small group was arriving at the Mansion. Callisto herself had accompanied them to see Sarah safe, but since the younger woman didn't seem overly keen to see her at that moment, she instead found herself loitering in the deserted main foyer while Ororo showed the newcomers to their quarters. She was somewhat surprised to have been left alone until it occurred to her that no doubt she was under surveillance, possibly in more ways than one. An uneasy feeling stole over her, and she shivered, not least because she was still damp and cold from the storm in the tunnels.

What are you doing here? She's not going to want to see you. She won't want anything to do with you. You heard her in there; she never truly stopped being a Morlock, she always felt a part of that. Berserker was right about you: you turned your back on them. You are a traitor. And she's never going to forgive you for that, or for leaving her alone.

Zipping her jacket and jamming her hands into her pockets, Callisto started for the door.

"Wait." Descending the staircase, Ororo had seen the other woman begin to leave, and hoped she had caught her before it was too late. "Callisto. Please, do not go yet."

The brunette turned, raising her eyebrows expectantly. "I should really get out of your way. I've already overstayed my welcome."

Reaching the foyer, Ororo shook her head. "Not at all. Would you like something to eat or drink? I believe a few packs of ice for the bruises I will have tomorrow may be in order," she added with a slight smirk.

Callisto hesitated. It was her greatest wish to leave, get out of here, get back to running away from her past, but... Never turn down a meal... She scowled, but nodded, pulling her hands out of her pockets and following Ororo.

She lead the way to the kitchen, retrieving food and drink from the ample supply stocked in the refrigerator and cupboards and inviting Callisto to sit at the dining table. Ororo stayed on her feet a bit longer, preparing a pot of tea that would be the first step towards repairing her jostled nerves from the day's excitements.

"I would like to thank you for everything you did today," she said as she finally came to sit across from the brunette, a mug clasped between her hands. "You helped a great many people."

Callisto raised a hand, running it wearily across her face, fingers absently trailing across her scar before dropping to drum lightly on the table. She shook her head. "It was my fault they were in danger in the first place," she said simply.

"I suppose you were the one to bomb the subway station, then," Ororo replied, arching an eyebrow. "That was not your fault. Blaming yourself for it would be foolish."

Narrowing her eyes, the other woman shook her head again. "I left them. After the massacre, after that bast- After that, I just went above-ground, changed my life, changed the way I looked, I just lived like a... normal human being, I guess. Well, a normal human being with no money or education, anyway. I never looked for them, I never tried going back down to see if anyone had survived. Not for years. And then it was too late."

"The people in the tunnels were in danger because they made the decision to follow a man who espoused violent, radical ideals." Ororo sipped her tea; it was still too hot, but she barely noticed. "Not because you decided to live your life above-ground. It was their choices that put them in that situation, not yours. You cannot take that responsibility away from them."

"Oh, I don't. I don't take responsibility for anything any more. I'm very careful about that," Callisto replied bitterly, lifting a hand to run her fingers through the hair at the back of her neck.

Ororo didn't reply, merely turning her attention to the food in front of them and selecting some for herself. "Sarah is going to be fine," she said after a bit, unfolding her napkin and placing it in her lap. "She will stay here for observation tonight, but it is likely she will be able to leave tomorrow. As am I sure you know, her healing factor has already addressed the worst of her injuries."

Callisto just stared at the food in front of her, nodding numbly. "Uh huh," she murmured quietly, only really half processing.

"And the people who came here will receive medical attention as well, if they need it." What would happen to them next wasn't clear, but Ororo would see that they were safe and given the opportunity to adapt to their new life. I suddenly find myself with much more free time on my hands... perhaps this will be a way to fill it, at least for now. I must talk to Nathan...

"Right. Okay."

"Is something the matter?"

The other woman glanced up sharply, frowning. "Why would there be?" As if to prove that this couldn't be the case, Callisto reached for some food from the table, putting it on her plate and picking up a fork to eat, though she looked at it a little as though it might choke her.

"It has been a very trying day. It would be understandable if you were... upset," Ororo suggested gently.

"I'm not upset!" Callisto snapped, placing her fork back on the table with a loud thunk. But somehow her elbow came to rest on the table surface, and her face in her hand, brow furrowed deeply, eyes hidden.

Looking concerned, Ororo reached out to place a hand on the other woman's arm, then thought the better of it and refrained. "You are welcome to stay here, you know," she said quietly. "If you wish to see Sarah again, perhaps you will be able to tomorrow morning. I am sure you both have much to talk about."

"I don't think Sarah has anything to say to me," Callisto said without uncovering her face. "It's a very long time since she did. She's been doing fine - better, even - without me, for a very long time now. I could only cause her harm."

"You did not cause her harm today," Ororo pointed out. "You saved her. I am sure that counts for something, no matter how your past relationship ended."

"You saved her. All I did was nearly put myself on the block with her."

"I would not have known she was in danger until it was too late, without you. And I certainly would not have found her." Surprised to find herself trying to reason with Callisto, Ororo nevertheless pressed on. "And I have no doubt that if I had failed, you would have found another way to free her. I am sure she will see that as well." She has feelings. Who would've known?

"Maybe. Or maybe she'll see that I hid from the world for years, and from her, even once I knew she was alive." Apparently feeling able to show her face again Callisto dropped her hand back to her fork, her fingers curling around its handle, although she didn't pick it up.

"So the way to prove her wrong is to... hide from her again?" the other woman asked, furrowing her brow.

"To leave her to live the life she has now as she chooses."

"And what will you do?"

"What do you care?"

"I..." Ororo stopped, not quite sure what to say or how to say it. You do not owe her anything - she is free to make her choices. "I think you have been given an opportunity," she said finally, setting down her mug. "If you regret leaving before, then perhaps this is a chance to make that decision again. To make it differently."

Callisto met Ororo's eyes, albeit briefly, at least waiting for her to go on.

"I need your help."

"Excuse me?"

"I need your help," Ororo repeated. "With the others from the tunnels. They need to learn to live on the surface, and you know the challenges they will face. I will do what I can for them, but without your aid they will have a much harder time of it."

Callisto was already shaking her head before Ororo even finished speaking. "I can't. I can't do that. Berserker was right. They aren't my people any more. And I'm not a leader, not really. It was a time and a place, and I'm not that person any more."

With a disappointed sigh, Ororo sat back in her chair. She didn't know what else to do; this woman was refusing every offer she could give her. "Very well. You are still welcome here, of course, for as long as you would like. I will have a room readied for you if you like."

"I don't need your charity."

"Fine," Ororo ground out between clenched teeth. "Then at least let me offer you a ride back to the city. It is the least I can do for the help you gave today."





Callisto had argued even that, of course, but she realised quickly that it was her only way back into the city if she didn't want to walk, and so after a short, painfully silent meal they found themselves back in the garage, Ororo grabbing the keys to one of the school's jeeps. It felt very strange to be sitting in a vehicle next to Ororo after everything that had happened. Entirely surreal. Callisto could almost have laughed.

As Ororo started the Jeep, though, Callisto frowned. "Wait," she murmured, touching her fingertips to Ororo's hand as the other woman made to pull out of the parking space.

Bringing the car to a halt, Ororo glanced sideways at the brunette. "What is it?" she asked, hoping that Callisto had experienced a change of heart after all.

Pursing her lips, Callisto said nothing for a moment, just sitting, the interior completely silent but for the hum of the engine. Reaching into a side pocket of her jacket, Callisto then pulled out a small, wickedly sharp-looking knife. Before Ororo could react, however, she was out of the jeep. "Pop the hood," she instructed, flipping the knife in her hand in a way that was somewhat reminiscent of Berserker earlier that same day, her tone brooking no argument.

This is certainly the strangest change of heart I have ever seen... Nevertheless, Ororo did as instructed, sliding out of her seat and following Callisto around to the front of the vehicle.

The other woman had already lifted the hood and was peering at the Jeep's inner workings, clicking her tongue thoughtfully. Leaning in, Ororo thought she saw her tighten something, or loosen it - in any event there was a tweak of Callisto's knife and she stood back, her brow clearing a little. "Okay," she said then, as though it was obvious what she had done.

"Why did you do that?" the silver-haired woman wanted to know.

Callisto shrugged. "Engine was out of tune," she said simply.

"How could you tell? And how did you know how to fix it?"

Another shrug. "Good hearing, a few months working as a car mechanic." Her gaze flickered briefly past Ororo's. "It's not the worst job I've done, I assure you."

Getting a look in her eyes much like the one when she was formulating the training roster and had a particularly 'interesting' rota in mind, Ororo nodded slowly. "And how would you like to have it again?"

Callisto made a sour face. "My fake ID was busted. I'm strictly on work that doesn't require a social security number. Not everyone has the good fortune to legally exist."

"...that may not be a problem."