OOM: X meets Autor in the aftermath of Noriko's backhand

[herr_bookman]

Autor had to come back for his ink eventually, and was pleased to find that the bottles weren't disturbed. He fills them carefully, corking them shut, and starts in on the process of washing the dishes he used.

Comments

[cutting_edgex23]

"They wanted a weapon. For assassination."

It was very simple.

For them.

[herr_bookman]

"Wow," Autor says, stepping back to look her over. "That's rough. Are you still there?"

[cutting_edgex23]

"No."

She is very firm about that.

"I left. It has been years."

Eight years, pretty much.

Not that X is good at keeping track of time.

(That was not very necessary when she was small, either.)

[herr_bookman]

"Good," Autor says definitively. "Do you happen to know Charles Xavier?"

[cutting_edgex23]

X startles, just for a second.

Then --

"Yes. There is one on my world, too. But he is not the same as Charles here. He is older."

Beat.

"And his sister a different person."

Among other things.

"You have met him? Here."

[herr_bookman]

Autor files away that Charles even has a sister - and, more importantly, that X has that reaction to hearing his name.

"Would he be known as Professor X, then? Molly mentioned him once," he says, and then nods. "I do know the Charles here."

[cutting_edgex23]

"He is. Where I am from. And when."

A pause.

"You like him? Charles."

[herr_bookman]

Now it's Autor's turn to start. "He and I... got along in the past. Until we didn't," he says, clearing his throat. "I find him invasive. Are you a member of the X-men?"

[cutting_edgex23]

"Yes."

Her response is prompt.

"I am used to telepaths. We have several."

Maybe on this -- thinking where Autor and Charles might have a problem -- X is not terrible at guessing.

Maybe.

[herr_bookman]

"Several?" Autor says. Try as he might, he can't keep from wrinkling his nose. "I'm sorry to hear that? I imagine their powers can be useful, though."

He shakes his head. "You're not a telepath, are you? Just checking."

[cutting_edgex23]

X shakes her head.

"No. My healing factor helps shield me. Sometimes."

A brief hesitation.

"That is not always useful."

[herr_bookman]

Autor raises his brows. "Why wouldn't it be useful?" he asks. "I would think shielding like that would be eminently useful."

[cutting_edgex23]

"It is a useful way to relay information, sometimes. In combat. Or when you are ambushed."

X has been there.

[herr_bookman]

"Oh, I see," Autor says, abashed at his not thinking of this. He adjusts his glasses.

"I've never had to rely on a telepath, so I suppose it makes sense that I wouldn't have thought of it," he says, mostly to himself. "Do you end up in combat situations often?"

[cutting_edgex23]

"Yes. People try to kill us a lot. And other people, too."

Her shrug is one-shouldered and quick.

"We protect them. And ourselves. When it is necessary."

[herr_bookman]

He'd like to know who's trying to kill them, but he already got the general gist from Molly. People who hate mutants.

"Is there really a school there?"

[cutting_edgex23]

"There was. In New York. It was destroyed."

Beat.

"Now it is Greymalkin Industries. When I am from. There are classes. But it is a company, too. In California."

[herr_bookman]

"I guess they had to diversify," Autor says. "What are the extent of your healing powers? Do you ever get sick?"

[cutting_edgex23]

"No. Interdimensional spider venom is not effective against me, either. Anymore."

There was an incident.

[herr_bookman]

"Anymore," Autor repeats, blinking at her. He shakes his head. "All right, I have to ask. What happened there?"

[cutting_edgex23]

"I went to prom. With a friend. We were attacked. And traveled through realities to find the source. It was a house."

X shrugs.

"The spiders were a last-ditch defense. Of the house."

Beat.

"It was evil."

[herr_bookman]

"An evil... house?" Autor asks, laying a hand on his cheek. "With spiders. During prom."

The word 'what' is clearly written all over his face, as it should be. "How did you travel through realities?"

[cutting_edgex23]

"There was a car."

X considers this for a few moments.

"And a psychic. She gave directions."

The Dark Tower universe is a very strange place.

Thanks, Stephen King.

[herr_bookman]

Autor shakes his head again, wishing he could better wrap his head around X's strange universe. "I see," he says, though he really doesn't. "Well, I'm glad you managed to travel two and fro safely. Do you often travel between realities or was this a one-time incident?"

[cutting_edgex23]

"I have done it before. Not always from here."

Beat.

"There has been time travel, too. That is complicated."

Seriously.