FIC: For Every Matter Under Heaven
Title: For Every Matter Under Heaven
Fandom: X-men Current 616
Warnings: None
Rating: Gen
Summary: Hisako gains some perspective.
Disclaimer: I don't own the X-men and make no money writing fanfic. Damn.
A/N: For handyhunter. I hope you enjoy!
Many thanks to second_batgirl for the beta. Any remaining fail is because of me!
As always, feedback is welcome and appreciated.
*************
For everything there is a season,
And a time for every matter under heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
A time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to seek, and a time to lose;
A time to keep, and a time to throw away;
A time to tear, and a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate,
A time for war, and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
"It's about control, Hisako." Ororo's voice flowed over the sweaty and irate teenager from above and Hisako sighed and resisted the urge to make a rude hand gesture. Instead, she picked herself up from the dirt and shook herself off. Thus far, most of this lesson had been spent lying flat on her back with her hair crackling about her face.
"Easy for you to say," she muttered, turning to look at the older woman. "I don't think I can do it."
"And that's precisely why you can't." Ororo answered severely. She lifted her arms and floated down to the ground, the white draining out of her eyes as her feet hit solid earth again. "You must focus your mind."
"I'm trying!" Hisako picked at her sleeve, flicking away soot and char and something that she didn't want to think about. She could only hope that there were no dogs on Utopia.
"Don't try." Ororo ordered imperiously. "Do!"
"All right, Yoda." Hisako's patience snapped. "Or should I just curtsey, your majesty?"
Surprised, Ororo stared down at the shorter girl for a moment, before she smiled. "No curtseying necessary. You may save the pomp and circumstance for Utopia's other resident royal. He enjoys it far more than I do."
Embarrassed by her forwardness, Hisako shrugged. "Sorry." She bit her lip and took a deep breath. "But I rally am trying. I just… I keep thinking that you're going to zap me with a thousand volts and fry my brains or something."
"If I hit you with my full power, I probably would." Ororo admitted cheerfully. "That's why you're learning to focus your armor to just the places where you most need it. If you can push all your strength into one shield rather than all over your body, think how strong it would be."
Hisako thought about it for a moment, and then sighed. "Let's try again."
"Perhaps tomorrow." Ororo shook her head. "I believe two hours is enough practice. Besides, I'm hungry."
Trying to hide her relief, Hisako shook her head. "There isn't much edible in the kitchen until the others gets back from the shopping trip. No grocery stores on Utopia. I think Mr. Wagner took a few folks in to shop."
"I doubt there will be much edible in the kitchen after he gets back either, judging from the last time he did the shopping." Ororo answered mischievously. "But that's all right. I'm fairly decent at scrounging up my own food."
Hisako eyed Ororo, skeptically. "Don't you have cooks and things in your palace?"
Ororo shrugged. "I haven't always had such luxuries at my disposal. And there was a time that the whole of the X-men would have starved to death if it weren't for my skills as a fry cook." Ororo held out one arm and Hisako hesitantly stepped under it before leading the way to the kitchen. "I once made a living selling food from a cart at a market in Cairo."
"Really?" Hisako looked over her shoulder at the African Queen with a new respect as she went inside, the cool of the AC freezing the sweat to her body almost instantly. "I didn't know that."
"There is much you don't know about me, my young Padawan." Ororo replied, eyes twinkling. "The cart mostly served as a place for me to hone my skills as a pickpocket. There was a time when I would have given Gambit a run for his ill-gotten money." Her expression turned shrewd. "Perhaps I should try and sharpen that skill. It might be useful again someday."
Before Hisako could ask any of the thousand follow up questions that popped into her brain, the two women heard a roar coming from the kitchen. "One day, I shall kill you, you frost-bitten disrespectful…"
The kitchen door flew open and to Hisako's surprise, it wasn't one of the teenagers running out, but Bobby Drake. He managed to avoid colliding with them, but barely, though it didn't stop him from dashing around them. "Ladies, if you'll excuse me. His bark is worse than his bite… but not by enough for me to linger!"
"… idiotic, irresponsible…" The tirade hadn't stopped and the door flew open again, revealing the source of the noise. Namor checked himself at the sight of Ororo and Hisako. Ororo had one elegant eyebrow lifted in soft disapproval, while Hisako openly gaped at him.
"Your majesty." Namor's controlled façade slipped back into place smoothly as he inclined his head at Ororo. He ignored Hisako completely, though she sort of thought that was preferable to being under his scrutiny.
"King Namor." Ororo's replied solemnly, though Hisako thought she could detect a hint of amusement. "What has Bobby done to deserve such a tongue lashing?"
Namor's cheek twitched and his eyes flicked to Hisako, before returning to look at Ororo. "It would not do to describe his disrespect in detail to ladies such as yourself. Suffice it to say that I consider it the highest disregard for my position."
"Was it another statue of you and a dolphin?" Ororo asked bluntly and Namor scowled.
"No."
A cackle from behind them made all of them turn to see Bobby at the door. He leaned against the door jamb casually, although tension thrummed through his body revealing that he was prepared to flee on a moment's notice. "Octopus."
"IT WAS NOT AN OCTAPUS!" Namor bellowed, making Hisako jump. She could see that Bobby was having trouble keeping a straight face.
"You're right, I apologize. I think it might have been a squid. But really… to-may-to, to-mah-to."
"Enough." Namor started after Bobby again and the ice mutant beat a second hasty exit, the Sea King in hot pursuit. For a long moment, neither Ororo nor Hisako spoke. Then Ororo snickered.
"I wouldn't mind seeing that statue." Ororo managed. "Though I'm sure it's already been smashed to bits."
"Mr. Drake would probably make another on if you wanted." Hisako grinned, slightly. "I heard him tell Mr. Summers that he considered it his solemn duty to annoy King Namor until he lightened up."
"That will likely take awhile." Ororo said, going into the kitchen. “Namor may actually kill him first.”
"That's what Mr. Summers said," Hisako agreed. Ororo chuckled and went into the kitchen. Hisako hesitated, watching the door swing shut. If they weren't going to continue to practice, there was no real reason she should stay around, but she didn't know Ororo very well and this was the first time that the older woman had really seemed to be interested in talking to her.
Making up her mind, Hisako followed. Pushing the door open, Hisako waited until Ororo had pilfered through the cabinets and refrigerator. Spotting her, Ororo nodded to the pantry. "Can you please bring me the flour and the M&Ms? I feel like baking cookies."
Hesitantly Hisako obeyed, bringing out the flour and setting it on the counter. "I don't think there are any M&Ms. Junk food doesn't last long around here."
Ororo stood on her tiptoes, rummaging through the top shelf in one of the cabinets. "Check for a large can of spinach near the back of the pantry on the left. Then pull the top and see what happens."
Mystified, but curious, Hisako went back into the pantry and searched until she found the spinach can. Gingerly, she pulled on the lid, gaping in astonishment when it popped off with a soft noise and revealed several packages of candy inside. She carried the whole can out to the counter and set it down. "How did you know that these would be hidden there?"
"I've been friends with Hank for a long time, dear. He started hiding things in a spinach can when he was probably about your age. Mostly to keep Bobby from stealing them, I suspect. Though Jean had a sweet tooth as well."
Hisako pushed the can towards Ororo and bit her lip, watching as the older mutant began measuring and pouring ingredients into a big bowl. Finally Ororo glanced up, her eyes searching Hisako's curiously. "Is there something you want to ask, Hisako?"
"You've been an X-man for a long time."
"Longer than I would like to admit." Ororo agreed.
“It sounds like you really went through a lot.” Hisako hedged, passing the bag of brown sugar when Ororo gestured for it.
“Yes, we did. I did.” Ororo answered calmly. “I've lived lifetimes as an X-man.”
“But you left,” Hisako pointed out, staring fixedly at the bowl. Ororo stopped stirring for a moment and Hisako held her breath, aware that she was treading on sensitive ground.
“And you'd like to know why?” Ororo asked softly and Hisako dared to glance up at her. Ororo smiled at her, warmly.
“As long as I can remember, I've wanted to be an X-man.” Hisako admitted. “From the first time my powers flared up until I first came to the Mansion.”
“Is it not what you expected?” Ororo asked. “You're a full member of the team now. I know that everyone thinks you're doing a good job.”
“Even if I can't deflect a lightening strike?” Hisako asked pointedly, earning another amused look from Ororo.
“Yet. You can deflect a lightening bolt yet, Hisako.”
“It's just... so much has happened.” Hisako risked sneaking a spoon into the batter and licked it clean while she gathered her thoughts. “I mean, first came M Day and then Wing died, and then we were all kidnapped and taken to the Breakworld, only Ms. Pryde didn't come back. After that, there were alien invasions, and we moved to San Francisco; the riots, Osborn and now...”
“And now?” Ororo prompted, spooning some batter onto a cookie sheet.
“Sometimes, I don't know about Mr. Summers' plan for Utopia. Some of the kids think it's only a matter of time before we get nuked and others think that it's the best thing that could happen.”
“What do you think?” Ororo asked, the cookies temporarily forgotten as she waited for Hisako's answer.
Hisako shrugged, her thoughts tripping over each other as she tried to make sense of it. When she opened her mouth to answer, the words surprised her. “I miss my family.”
Ororo pulled out a clean spoon and handed it to Hisako, picking off a piece of batter off her own spoon and popping it into her mouth. She chewed thoughtfully, watching Hisako, until the younger mutant couldn't stand it and blurted, “Why did you come back?"
A pained look crossed Ororo's face and Hisako immediately apologized. "I'm sorry. I shouldn’t have asked. You don't have to answer."
"It's all right, Hisako. You have as much right as anyone to ask me that question. And I wish that I had a simple answer to give you. I once told Scott that he couldn't have divided loyalties, and now here I am.” Ororo began scooping the batter again, lining up rows of dough balls.
“I know what people say about me, you know. I know that people say I married my husband for convenience and not love and that's not true. I love T'Challa very much. I love Wakanda very much. In many ways, it's my home.”
“But?” Hisako asked, the spoon in her hand forgotten and batter dripping to the floor.
Ororo reached for the vanilla and poured some into a spoon, before dumping it into the next bowl of batter. She sighed. “I got this recipe from Kitty.”
The abrupt change of subject confused Hisako but she kept silent. “She was a terrible cook.” The laughter in Ororo's voice barely covered the grief under it. “But she eventually learned to make cookies. It helped when she had a sous chef.” Ororo lifted one shoulder in a very un-Queenly shrug. “I used to volunteer to help her, but it was mostly for self-preservation.”
“Uh huh.” Hisako mumbled uncomfortably, her own grief over Kitty's death still to fresh to talk about it easily.
“Scott used to play pool in the foyer. He and Logan would bet money and swear at each other when they thought that Jean and I couldn't hear them. I haven't seen him do anything fun in so long that I wonder if he's forgotten how.” Ororo glanced up, suddenly, eying Hisako and clearly wondering if she might be saying too much. Whatever she saw in Hisako's eyes must have reassured her, because she kept talking. “Jean and I used to complain about the Boys' Club, but we usually didn't mean it. Usually.”
“They were your friends.” Hisako said slowly.
“They aremy family. They are my people, as much as the Wakandans will ever be. I want to help them - help us. I have a duty.”
“So that's why you came back? Because of your duty?” Hisako demanded, irrationally irritated by that idea.
“Oh, no.” Ororo sounded genuinely surprised. “I came back because I want to be here. It's hard and it's messy and it's dangerous and sometimes it hurts so much I can't quite figure out how to breathe, but...”
“You also can't figure out where else you'd rather be?” Hisako finished her question, flushing when Ororo smiled at her.
“Exactly.”
The oven timer dinged and Ororo grabbed an oven mitt to retrieve the first pan of cookies. She slipped them onto a cooling rack while Hisako took over the duties for scooping out the next batch onto another cookie sheet.
The smell of the cookies must have seeped out beyond the kitchen, because it didn't take long for the room to fill up. Logan came in and snagged a cookie from the cooling rack even as Hank demanded that Ororo replace his missing candy. The grin on Ororo's face gave lie to the threats he made and Hisako retreated over to a corner where Megan gleefully ate some of the raw cookie dough left from the last batch.
“Do you know where I hide my favorite shirt?” Hisako asked her roommate randomly.
Startled, Megan looked up. “I swear I didn't borrow it.”
“I know. I just wanted to know if you knew.”
Sheepishly, Megan nodded, her wings flittering a tiny bit. “In the white Tupperware thing under your bed.”
Hisako nodded, hiding her grin. “What about Laura's?”
“I don't have a favorite shirt.” The other mutant girl appeared silently at Hisako's left, but neither Hisako nor Megan jumped, long used to Laura's unexpected appearances.
“Yes, you do.” Megan and Hisako corrected her simultaneously.
“It's the black tank top with the slightly frayed left shoulder strap.” Megan grinned. “You keep it in your sock drawer.”
Laura raised an eyebrow, but she didn't argue. Instead, she accepted the spoon that Megan held out to her and dipped it into the last of the cookie dough. “How did your lesson with Storm go?” she asked Hisako before eating the treat.
“It went pretty well.” Hisako glanced over at Ororo and grinned when Ororo held up a wallet and waved it at her. Remy, who had come in to make sure he got his share of cookies, yelped.
“Dat's mine!”
The laughter that exploded in the kitchen felt comfortable and Hisako looked around, wondering if she might spend a random afternoon well in the future telling a younger mutant where to find the good junk food.
She hoped so.
Fandom: X-men Current 616
Warnings: None
Rating: Gen
Summary: Hisako gains some perspective.
Disclaimer: I don't own the X-men and make no money writing fanfic. Damn.
A/N: For handyhunter. I hope you enjoy!
Many thanks to second_batgirl for the beta. Any remaining fail is because of me!
As always, feedback is welcome and appreciated.
*************
For everything there is a season,
And a time for every matter under heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
A time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to seek, and a time to lose;
A time to keep, and a time to throw away;
A time to tear, and a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate,
A time for war, and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
"It's about control, Hisako." Ororo's voice flowed over the sweaty and irate teenager from above and Hisako sighed and resisted the urge to make a rude hand gesture. Instead, she picked herself up from the dirt and shook herself off. Thus far, most of this lesson had been spent lying flat on her back with her hair crackling about her face.
"Easy for you to say," she muttered, turning to look at the older woman. "I don't think I can do it."
"And that's precisely why you can't." Ororo answered severely. She lifted her arms and floated down to the ground, the white draining out of her eyes as her feet hit solid earth again. "You must focus your mind."
"I'm trying!" Hisako picked at her sleeve, flicking away soot and char and something that she didn't want to think about. She could only hope that there were no dogs on Utopia.
"Don't try." Ororo ordered imperiously. "Do!"
"All right, Yoda." Hisako's patience snapped. "Or should I just curtsey, your majesty?"
Surprised, Ororo stared down at the shorter girl for a moment, before she smiled. "No curtseying necessary. You may save the pomp and circumstance for Utopia's other resident royal. He enjoys it far more than I do."
Embarrassed by her forwardness, Hisako shrugged. "Sorry." She bit her lip and took a deep breath. "But I rally am trying. I just… I keep thinking that you're going to zap me with a thousand volts and fry my brains or something."
"If I hit you with my full power, I probably would." Ororo admitted cheerfully. "That's why you're learning to focus your armor to just the places where you most need it. If you can push all your strength into one shield rather than all over your body, think how strong it would be."
Hisako thought about it for a moment, and then sighed. "Let's try again."
"Perhaps tomorrow." Ororo shook her head. "I believe two hours is enough practice. Besides, I'm hungry."
Trying to hide her relief, Hisako shook her head. "There isn't much edible in the kitchen until the others gets back from the shopping trip. No grocery stores on Utopia. I think Mr. Wagner took a few folks in to shop."
"I doubt there will be much edible in the kitchen after he gets back either, judging from the last time he did the shopping." Ororo answered mischievously. "But that's all right. I'm fairly decent at scrounging up my own food."
Hisako eyed Ororo, skeptically. "Don't you have cooks and things in your palace?"
Ororo shrugged. "I haven't always had such luxuries at my disposal. And there was a time that the whole of the X-men would have starved to death if it weren't for my skills as a fry cook." Ororo held out one arm and Hisako hesitantly stepped under it before leading the way to the kitchen. "I once made a living selling food from a cart at a market in Cairo."
"Really?" Hisako looked over her shoulder at the African Queen with a new respect as she went inside, the cool of the AC freezing the sweat to her body almost instantly. "I didn't know that."
"There is much you don't know about me, my young Padawan." Ororo replied, eyes twinkling. "The cart mostly served as a place for me to hone my skills as a pickpocket. There was a time when I would have given Gambit a run for his ill-gotten money." Her expression turned shrewd. "Perhaps I should try and sharpen that skill. It might be useful again someday."
Before Hisako could ask any of the thousand follow up questions that popped into her brain, the two women heard a roar coming from the kitchen. "One day, I shall kill you, you frost-bitten disrespectful…"
The kitchen door flew open and to Hisako's surprise, it wasn't one of the teenagers running out, but Bobby Drake. He managed to avoid colliding with them, but barely, though it didn't stop him from dashing around them. "Ladies, if you'll excuse me. His bark is worse than his bite… but not by enough for me to linger!"
"… idiotic, irresponsible…" The tirade hadn't stopped and the door flew open again, revealing the source of the noise. Namor checked himself at the sight of Ororo and Hisako. Ororo had one elegant eyebrow lifted in soft disapproval, while Hisako openly gaped at him.
"Your majesty." Namor's controlled façade slipped back into place smoothly as he inclined his head at Ororo. He ignored Hisako completely, though she sort of thought that was preferable to being under his scrutiny.
"King Namor." Ororo's replied solemnly, though Hisako thought she could detect a hint of amusement. "What has Bobby done to deserve such a tongue lashing?"
Namor's cheek twitched and his eyes flicked to Hisako, before returning to look at Ororo. "It would not do to describe his disrespect in detail to ladies such as yourself. Suffice it to say that I consider it the highest disregard for my position."
"Was it another statue of you and a dolphin?" Ororo asked bluntly and Namor scowled.
"No."
A cackle from behind them made all of them turn to see Bobby at the door. He leaned against the door jamb casually, although tension thrummed through his body revealing that he was prepared to flee on a moment's notice. "Octopus."
"IT WAS NOT AN OCTAPUS!" Namor bellowed, making Hisako jump. She could see that Bobby was having trouble keeping a straight face.
"You're right, I apologize. I think it might have been a squid. But really… to-may-to, to-mah-to."
"Enough." Namor started after Bobby again and the ice mutant beat a second hasty exit, the Sea King in hot pursuit. For a long moment, neither Ororo nor Hisako spoke. Then Ororo snickered.
"I wouldn't mind seeing that statue." Ororo managed. "Though I'm sure it's already been smashed to bits."
"Mr. Drake would probably make another on if you wanted." Hisako grinned, slightly. "I heard him tell Mr. Summers that he considered it his solemn duty to annoy King Namor until he lightened up."
"That will likely take awhile." Ororo said, going into the kitchen. “Namor may actually kill him first.”
"That's what Mr. Summers said," Hisako agreed. Ororo chuckled and went into the kitchen. Hisako hesitated, watching the door swing shut. If they weren't going to continue to practice, there was no real reason she should stay around, but she didn't know Ororo very well and this was the first time that the older woman had really seemed to be interested in talking to her.
Making up her mind, Hisako followed. Pushing the door open, Hisako waited until Ororo had pilfered through the cabinets and refrigerator. Spotting her, Ororo nodded to the pantry. "Can you please bring me the flour and the M&Ms? I feel like baking cookies."
Hesitantly Hisako obeyed, bringing out the flour and setting it on the counter. "I don't think there are any M&Ms. Junk food doesn't last long around here."
Ororo stood on her tiptoes, rummaging through the top shelf in one of the cabinets. "Check for a large can of spinach near the back of the pantry on the left. Then pull the top and see what happens."
Mystified, but curious, Hisako went back into the pantry and searched until she found the spinach can. Gingerly, she pulled on the lid, gaping in astonishment when it popped off with a soft noise and revealed several packages of candy inside. She carried the whole can out to the counter and set it down. "How did you know that these would be hidden there?"
"I've been friends with Hank for a long time, dear. He started hiding things in a spinach can when he was probably about your age. Mostly to keep Bobby from stealing them, I suspect. Though Jean had a sweet tooth as well."
Hisako pushed the can towards Ororo and bit her lip, watching as the older mutant began measuring and pouring ingredients into a big bowl. Finally Ororo glanced up, her eyes searching Hisako's curiously. "Is there something you want to ask, Hisako?"
"You've been an X-man for a long time."
"Longer than I would like to admit." Ororo agreed.
“It sounds like you really went through a lot.” Hisako hedged, passing the bag of brown sugar when Ororo gestured for it.
“Yes, we did. I did.” Ororo answered calmly. “I've lived lifetimes as an X-man.”
“But you left,” Hisako pointed out, staring fixedly at the bowl. Ororo stopped stirring for a moment and Hisako held her breath, aware that she was treading on sensitive ground.
“And you'd like to know why?” Ororo asked softly and Hisako dared to glance up at her. Ororo smiled at her, warmly.
“As long as I can remember, I've wanted to be an X-man.” Hisako admitted. “From the first time my powers flared up until I first came to the Mansion.”
“Is it not what you expected?” Ororo asked. “You're a full member of the team now. I know that everyone thinks you're doing a good job.”
“Even if I can't deflect a lightening strike?” Hisako asked pointedly, earning another amused look from Ororo.
“Yet. You can deflect a lightening bolt yet, Hisako.”
“It's just... so much has happened.” Hisako risked sneaking a spoon into the batter and licked it clean while she gathered her thoughts. “I mean, first came M Day and then Wing died, and then we were all kidnapped and taken to the Breakworld, only Ms. Pryde didn't come back. After that, there were alien invasions, and we moved to San Francisco; the riots, Osborn and now...”
“And now?” Ororo prompted, spooning some batter onto a cookie sheet.
“Sometimes, I don't know about Mr. Summers' plan for Utopia. Some of the kids think it's only a matter of time before we get nuked and others think that it's the best thing that could happen.”
“What do you think?” Ororo asked, the cookies temporarily forgotten as she waited for Hisako's answer.
Hisako shrugged, her thoughts tripping over each other as she tried to make sense of it. When she opened her mouth to answer, the words surprised her. “I miss my family.”
Ororo pulled out a clean spoon and handed it to Hisako, picking off a piece of batter off her own spoon and popping it into her mouth. She chewed thoughtfully, watching Hisako, until the younger mutant couldn't stand it and blurted, “Why did you come back?"
A pained look crossed Ororo's face and Hisako immediately apologized. "I'm sorry. I shouldn’t have asked. You don't have to answer."
"It's all right, Hisako. You have as much right as anyone to ask me that question. And I wish that I had a simple answer to give you. I once told Scott that he couldn't have divided loyalties, and now here I am.” Ororo began scooping the batter again, lining up rows of dough balls.
“I know what people say about me, you know. I know that people say I married my husband for convenience and not love and that's not true. I love T'Challa very much. I love Wakanda very much. In many ways, it's my home.”
“But?” Hisako asked, the spoon in her hand forgotten and batter dripping to the floor.
Ororo reached for the vanilla and poured some into a spoon, before dumping it into the next bowl of batter. She sighed. “I got this recipe from Kitty.”
The abrupt change of subject confused Hisako but she kept silent. “She was a terrible cook.” The laughter in Ororo's voice barely covered the grief under it. “But she eventually learned to make cookies. It helped when she had a sous chef.” Ororo lifted one shoulder in a very un-Queenly shrug. “I used to volunteer to help her, but it was mostly for self-preservation.”
“Uh huh.” Hisako mumbled uncomfortably, her own grief over Kitty's death still to fresh to talk about it easily.
“Scott used to play pool in the foyer. He and Logan would bet money and swear at each other when they thought that Jean and I couldn't hear them. I haven't seen him do anything fun in so long that I wonder if he's forgotten how.” Ororo glanced up, suddenly, eying Hisako and clearly wondering if she might be saying too much. Whatever she saw in Hisako's eyes must have reassured her, because she kept talking. “Jean and I used to complain about the Boys' Club, but we usually didn't mean it. Usually.”
“They were your friends.” Hisako said slowly.
“They aremy family. They are my people, as much as the Wakandans will ever be. I want to help them - help us. I have a duty.”
“So that's why you came back? Because of your duty?” Hisako demanded, irrationally irritated by that idea.
“Oh, no.” Ororo sounded genuinely surprised. “I came back because I want to be here. It's hard and it's messy and it's dangerous and sometimes it hurts so much I can't quite figure out how to breathe, but...”
“You also can't figure out where else you'd rather be?” Hisako finished her question, flushing when Ororo smiled at her.
“Exactly.”
The oven timer dinged and Ororo grabbed an oven mitt to retrieve the first pan of cookies. She slipped them onto a cooling rack while Hisako took over the duties for scooping out the next batch onto another cookie sheet.
The smell of the cookies must have seeped out beyond the kitchen, because it didn't take long for the room to fill up. Logan came in and snagged a cookie from the cooling rack even as Hank demanded that Ororo replace his missing candy. The grin on Ororo's face gave lie to the threats he made and Hisako retreated over to a corner where Megan gleefully ate some of the raw cookie dough left from the last batch.
“Do you know where I hide my favorite shirt?” Hisako asked her roommate randomly.
Startled, Megan looked up. “I swear I didn't borrow it.”
“I know. I just wanted to know if you knew.”
Sheepishly, Megan nodded, her wings flittering a tiny bit. “In the white Tupperware thing under your bed.”
Hisako nodded, hiding her grin. “What about Laura's?”
“I don't have a favorite shirt.” The other mutant girl appeared silently at Hisako's left, but neither Hisako nor Megan jumped, long used to Laura's unexpected appearances.
“Yes, you do.” Megan and Hisako corrected her simultaneously.
“It's the black tank top with the slightly frayed left shoulder strap.” Megan grinned. “You keep it in your sock drawer.”
Laura raised an eyebrow, but she didn't argue. Instead, she accepted the spoon that Megan held out to her and dipped it into the last of the cookie dough. “How did your lesson with Storm go?” she asked Hisako before eating the treat.
“It went pretty well.” Hisako glanced over at Ororo and grinned when Ororo held up a wallet and waved it at her. Remy, who had come in to make sure he got his share of cookies, yelped.
“Dat's mine!”
The laughter that exploded in the kitchen felt comfortable and Hisako looked around, wondering if she might spend a random afternoon well in the future telling a younger mutant where to find the good junk food.
She hoped so.