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“Why are you blond?” Gabby asked, peering over the seat.
“Gabby,” Laura scolded her from the driver’s seat.
“You can’t just ask people why they’re blond,” Akihiro added in his best Mean Girls impression.
“Aki, don’t encourage this,” Laura scolded her brother as well.
Jimmy sat in silence as the siblings began bickering amongst each other, with Laura attempting to keep the peace as Gabby and Akihiro tag-teamed in antagonizing their sister.
The other woman, with raven black hair, pointed ears, and icy, sky-blue eyes, watched with mild amusement as she sat in the seat next to Akihiro. Her name was Aurora, as Jimmy had remembered Akihiro mentioning. She and his not-brother were dating.
The call from Akihiro surprised Jimmy, as they hadn’t seen each other since X-Men Blue, back when Akihiro wielded two adamantium swords – a gift from Magneto. Apparently, he had since put the swords away for safe-keeping, an added insurance if he ever needs to go undercover in the future. Then, more recently, Akihiro had found himself possessed by a demon – calling itself Bagra-Ghul, as it sought to cleanse the world of evil through its all-consuming hellfire.
I guess I’d be one to talk, Jimmy told himself, as he considered his own predicament, as the host of the sole survivor of the Poison symbiotes.
They had invited Jimmy on a cross-country road trip, just the “Snikt Siblings” as they named themselves in the group chat. It puzzled him slightly, as he knew he didn’t quite belong in this world – he wasn’t technically their brother in a way. And yet, they invited him anyway, as Gabby had explained:
“Well, I’m a clone, so I’m not technically a sibling either, so who cares?”
Laura presented a straight-forward plan. They would begin in New York and work their way west, ending in San Francisco for the sea lions at Pier 39, in addition to every single tourist attraction they could find. But for Gabby’s sake, the sea lions were non-negotiable.
“I am not above turning this RV around,” Laura stated, still staring ahead at the road. “I suggest you act accordingly.”
“What?” Gabby exclaimed. “I just want to get to know my multiversal, potentially magic, half-alien brother!”
“I’m not magic,” Jimmy said.
“I thought you said your mother was the same as the Scarlet Witch?” Gabby asked. “How do you know you don’t have, like, genetic witch powers too?”
“I’m not a mutant like that,” he said. “Mutants aren’t natural in my world.”
“Oh,” she said. “Well, have you tried?”
“I guess not.”
“Maybe we can try it!” she said. “I have tarot deck. We’ll start small.”
“Gabby, don’t pressure him,” Akihiro added. “Besides, we should try a Ouija board first. I have some questions for an ex-boyfriend of mine.”
“Oooh,” Aurora chimed in. “I would also like to question this ex-boyfriend. If only to get some embarrassing stories.”
“If you guys buy a Ouija board at the next stop, we’re not making time for the gelato you wanted,” Laura called back.
“Aw, you’re no fun,” Gabby stuck out her lip in a slight pout. Akihiro agreed with Gabby in the form of a long “Boo!” aimed at Laura.
The siblings spent the rest of their first stretch in relative harmony, with Gabby and Jimmy occupying themselves with a few games of Go Fish. Laura drove until their third rest stop, before switching places with Akihiro. In the meantime, Aurora curled up on the RV’s pullout couch, her earbuds in as she listened to an audiobook while busying her hands with a knitting project.
“Hey, whatcha makin?’” Gabby asked her, bored after beating Jimmy for the past three rounds.
“I think the game is rigged in this universe,” he muttered under his breath.
“A sweater,” Aurora replied, holding up the newly made burgundy cashmere. fabric “For Aki.”
“That is a nice color. Good choice,” Gabby added, before leaving Aurora alone with her project. Turning her attention back to Jimmy, she asked: “You want to play Candy Poker? It’s like regular poker, except we use candy instead of money. Mostly because Laura says I have to stop fleecing people.”
“Only because you managed to trick Remy out of hundreds of dollars and a diamond tiara,” Laura added, her eyes closed as she lay on the couch, attempting to take a nap before she had to drive again.
“And he was very proud, I might add,” Gabby declared.
The RV ventured south, along the coast, before they would detour west. Akihiro and Laura switched periodically, with Aurora intermittently taking a turn to drive as well. While she lacked the endurance of the clawed siblings, she still enjoyed the relatively slow pace and sense of peace that driving on the highway at night gave her. Once the sun had begun to set after the second day, they agreed to stop at an RV park for the night, and then staying for the next day or so -- giving them all a much needed chance to escape the confines of the campervan.
“Hey Gabby, I have a present for you,” Akihiro said as he handed her a bag from the local bookstore.
They stopped the RV in Baltimore, hoping to stretch their legs and take in some local sights before they reach the capital. They wandered downtown in groups, with Akihiro and Aurora going on an impromptu date at the local café, while Jimmy, Laura, and Gabby amused themselves with finding landmarks and shopping.
“A book?” she said, pulling out the hardcover that read The House of the Scorpion.
“That’s a cool cover,” she said.
“You’ll have to give me your personal review once you’re done with it,” he said. “Just because you’re a clone and all.”
“This book has clones in it?”
“Oh yes,” Akihiro smirked. “That’s one of the main themes. Except, these clones are grown in cows.”
“What,” Gabby whispered as her eyes widened, fixated on the cover. “I must know more.”
“Enjoy,” Akihiro cackled as he grabbed Aurora’s hand. Laura gave him a quick side eye before returning to their camper.
Gabby had torn through the book overnight. Without even stopping to sleep, had been vigorously taking notes, tapping away at the keyboard of her laptop to write a pseudo-academic report, complete with peer-review by Jonathan the Wolverine and supplemented by Powerpoint presentation breakdown.
By the time the rest of present company had awoken, Gabby had completed nearly 75% of the report alone. Laura joined her at the table first, initially concerned by the dark bags under her eyes. In turn, Gabby had pressing questions that desperately needed answers:
“Like, what if my mom was a cow?”
“Gabby, you came from a vat.”
“But what if?” Gabby asked. “Like, would I have to become a vegetarian?”
“Or would eating cows be cannibalism?” Akihiro added, much to Laura’s chagrin.
“Exactly,” Gabby said. “How would I ever eat cheeseburgers again?”
“Is that a central point in the book?” Laura asked, completely exasperated.
“No, it’s about whether clones count as real people and stuff. Spoiler alert: they do, but like they also use cows as surrogates.”
“Critique that in your official book report,” Akihiro joked, having awoken to Gabby’s pressing issues as he joined them. “The author didn’t cover the impact of having a dairy cow as a parental figure.
“Thank you, I will,” Gabby folded her arms. “But, hypothetically, if I did have cow for a mom, would you help me find her?”
“Gabby, if we ever find out you have cow-mom, I promise I will not only help you locate her, but we’ll bring her to a nice farm so she can live out the rest of her days in cow paradise.” Laura had completely given up trying to dissuade her.
“Thank you, Laura,” she said. “That’s all I ask.”
“If I had a cow for a mom, I think I’d want to make sure she had the best barn money could buy,” Jimmy added, before letting out a long yawn as he sat down. In the meantime, Akihiro had wandered to the kitchenette and switched on the electric kettle. “A big field too.”
“See, blondy gets it!” Gabby proclaimed loudly, gesturing toward him as she stood up from her seat.
“Quite the philosophical discussion this early in the morning,” Aurora yawned, joining them at the table. Akihiro poured her a cup of tea and placed it in her hand.
“Careful, it’s hot,” he said.
“Thank you, mon coeur,” she kissed his cheek.
“Ew,” Gabby replied.
“Not into romance?” Jimmy playfully elbowed her.
“Not when they’re all up in my face about it,” Gabby slumped back.
“Oh really?” Akihiro snapped to look at her. “So you call you and that Cosmar girl ‘discrete?””
“That’s different!” Gabby felt her face turn bright red, flush with embarrassment. She had continued seeing Tashi on and off, not fully committed to each other, as they attempted to work out a long distance relationship. On rare moments, they got together in a passionate flurry, cramming in as many dates as they could manage in short trips together.
“Sure,” Akihiro pretended to concede. “Whatever gets you through the day.”
Aurora volunteered to take the first drive of the day, stopping at the first rest stop around the three-hour mark. As they stretched their legs, they began considering what to do for lunch.
“Local place! Local place!” Gabby chanted, eagerly tapping away on her phone to search up the best local joints in the area, within an hour’s drive.
“As long as it’s not too expensive,” Jimmy added, watching the results pop up as he peered over Gabby’s shoulder.
“Then we must pick the most upscale restaurant in town,” Akihiro snorted. “Not all of us rely on handouts to get through the day.”
“Why did you invite me?” Jimmy asked. “I didn’t come along just t’be your personal punching bag.”
“Then why did you come?”
“To be nice,” Laura growled, interrupting them, staring daggers into Akihiro. “Because you are stranded in our world, and we are trying to be decent hosts. Right, Aki?”
“Yes, decent hosts,” he yielded. “If only out of proper etiquette.”
“Guys, what about lunch? We have important decisions to make,” Gabby piped up. “Healing factor or no, some of us still need to eat!”
“How about we drive around and stop at the first place we can agree on?” Aurora suggested. “It will be an adventure, like you want, oui?”
“That’s a brilliant idea!” Gabby bounced up and down. “Aki, never let her go!”
With a newfound spring in her step, Gabby marched toward the RV, followed by the rest of the group close behind. As Laura turned on the engine, they were startled by a knock at the door. Before the rest of them could react, Gabby strode up and confidently answered it, assured by the higher-than-average number of trained assassins in her midst—not including herself.
“Hey Gabby,” the pale woman removed her sunglasses as the door swung open.
“BELLONA?!” she squealed, throwing herself on her older sister. “What are you doing here? How are you? Where have you been? Why didn’t you come to Krakoa?”
“I’ve…been busy,” she replied quietly.
“Hello, Bellona,” Laura stood in the doorway, her arms folded. “Been awhile.”
“I can explain,” she replied stiffly.
“You should join us for lunch,” Gabby squealed. “We should catch up! I haven’t seen you in forever. We missed you on Krakoa.”
“Oh,” Bellona muttered, registering the three others in the camper as the sense of unease began to creep in the back of her mind. “Um, yes. We can do that.”
“How about just Gabby and I?” Laura suggested, smelling her clone-sister’s discomfort. Must be overwhelming, she thought. Doesn’t know Aki, and I’d be surprised if she’s even heard of Jimmy.
“Okay,” she replied as Gabby led her inside.
“Sit next to me,” Gabby said cheerfully, pulling her toward the booth that held their little table.
Bellona sat awkwardly in silence as they began driving. Gabby happily rambled about her latest adventures – the new girl she had been seeing, her friends, that wild fight with Shadow King, on and on as they drove. As she chatted away, Bellona found herself locking eyes with Akihiro, who studied her with intense interest. Bellona chose to respond in kind, taking careful inventory of the man across from her.
He smells like brimstone, she thought, as she attempted to recall their previous encounter. They had known each other, in passing, as if an acquaintance they always seem to miss out on. Bellona had his scent, even if vaguely, as neither of them had much reason to intentionally seek each other out. She had her own life to live, and Gabby deserved the peace and stability that Laura could provide.
The elven woman, his partner, intrigued her. She was graceful, elegant, and looked like she belonged in a modern telling of Snow White, with her dark hair and bright red lips. Aurora, she had heard in passing. Like Aurora Borealis or maybe even Aurora Australis. Light powers would make sense. As if on instinct, Bellona’s gaze shifted back to Akihiro, who began scowling, as if giving her a non-verbal warning.
“So, what are you going here?” Gabby interrupted her thoughts.
“I just completed a hit,” Bellona answered honestly. “Some wannabe gang leader had tried to stage a coup against the big boss. I was paid good money to take care of him.”
“You’re getting involved in gang wars now?” Gabby asked. “Why didn’t you just report him to the police?”
“Tch, Gabby, you know better than that,” Bellona scoffed. “I think the straight-and-narrow hero life has been a bad influence on you.”
“Nuh-uh,” gabby crossed her arms in a huff. “Ask Laura why I’m banned from poker night! AND POOL NIGHT TOO!”
“And every casino in Baltimore,” Jimmy added.
“WHAT?” Laura shouted from the driver’s seat, regretting taking a couple hours for herself, so Gabby and Jimmy could “hit up the arcades” or whatever games they were planning. She went and saw a movie, under the assumption that Gabby could take of herself and this blond not-brother would hopefully keep under control. Or at least, minimize the damage. “Jimmy, you told me you were watching her!”
“I was,” he shrugged. “I watched her take the fancy watches off of some rich weirdos.”
“Jimmy, that was supposed to be a secret!” Gabby yelled. “Now Aki knows what his Christmas present is going to be!”
“Thank you,” Akihiro smirked. “I appreciate the thought, regardless.”
“Ugh, but the surprise is ruined,” Gabby slunk into her seat.
“Well, at least you haven’t completely lost your edge,” Bellona relented.
“I’ve made sure of it,” Akihiro directed at her, the distrust of the albino version of his sister plastered all over his face.
They had stopped at the next restaurant they passed, a local hole-in-the-wall joint as Gabby had requested. Using the map on her phone, Aurora had searched up a much nicer restaurant, only a few blocks away. An easy walk, with minimal wait time, if they left now.
“Come on, Jimmy,” Akihiro said as he changed into a light purple oxford shirt. “We ought to show you what real dining is.”
Not having anything better to do, he shrugged as he tagged along with the couple. Aurora had insisted the meal would be her treat, including Jimmy, so he needn’t worry about his current financial situation.
This sisters had a quiet meal in peace, an uneasy silence hung over them as they ate, unsure where to begin – or even broach the subject. Gabby paid no mind, enjoying the company of both of her older sisters as she insisted on milkshakes for everyone and pie for dessert.
The two factions met back at the camper, arriving at relatively the same time as Gabby had quite a bit of storytelling to get through before she was satisfied.
Both Akihiro and Bellona hung back as the rest of the group made their way inside. Bellona had declined joining up on their little road trip, citing some unfished business she needed to take care of that would double her pay. Akihiro, once the rest had stepped inside, stepped close to her and kept his voice low.
“I suggest you watch it next time you decide to appear out of the blue again. Laura won’t get hurt,” Akihiro growled, mere inches from her face. “Not if I have any say in the matter.”
“As if I’d let Gabby get in harm’s way,” Bellona snarled back, meeting his threat with bared teeth.
Akihiro raised an eyebrow. Pale girl’s got some bite to her, he thought. At least, despite everything, her heart’s in the right place. Gabby had invited Bellona to Krakoa, he recalled. Because of her status as technically a mutant, they had granted her release from prison, on the condition she traveled directly to Krakoa alone.
Gabby had asked Sage to check the gate logs almost daily, for the month’s following news of Bellona’s release. At the six-month mark, Laura had Logan follow-up via X-Force recon, only to determine Bellona had never entered a gate and had gone completely AWOL.
“As long as we’re on the same page,” Akihiro straightened up, extending his hand.
“Agreed,” Bellona followed, accepting his offer of a handshake.
“By the way,” he added. “I don’t blame you for not joining us on the island paradise, but you really should’ve kept in touch with Gabby.”
“Like you kept in touch when the Shadow King got her?”
Akihiro squinted, keeping his mouth shut for a moment, before replying: “Fair point.”
“I’ll see you around,” Bellona waved as she walked off, leaving them to the rest of their travels. “Sooner or later.”
He watched her as she walked away, pausing to consider her motives, before stepping inside the RV so they could continue. They spent the rest of the day occupying themselves with their own individual activities. Gabby had continued writing her very important book report, preparing to give an impromptu lecture to anyone that so much as mentions her status as a clone next time. Bellona had already received quite the teaser trailer during their lunch earlier that day. Curled up in the corner of the booth, Akihiro and Aurora shared a pair of earbuds as they listened to Aurora’s latest audiobook, with Aurora busying her hands with her knitting. Jimmy volunteered to take a turn driving for once, just so Laura could rest and catch up on her own reading. By the next morning, Gabby had already formulated her next series of questions, this time pertaining to the relationship status of her older brother.
“Haven’t you guys had like a proper discussion about—" she gestured vaguely toward the couple “—whatever this is?”
“Like what?” Akihiro folded his arms. “What do we need to talk about?”
“Like all the deal-breaker Q&As! They’re all over the internet!” Gabby exclaimed.
“Could you give us an example?” Aurora asked, covering her mouth with one hand to hide her laughter.
“Like, for example – Aurora, ask my brother to peel an orange for you!”
“Mon loup, could you please peel an orange for me?” she turned to Akihiro and asked.
“Sure,” Akihiro said. He reached into the tote bag on the table – they had picked up some along the way, as Laura had deemed it practical to keep snacks, just in case. Selecting an orange, Akihiro skillfully peeled the orange in a corkscrew, leaving the discarded peel in one piece. Gabby sat with her arms folded, lips pursed together as she waited for her brother to hand over the fruit. Then finally: “Here you are.”
“Thank you,” Aurora said, taking the reddish pink flesh of the particularly sweet cara cara orange, then, splitting it in half, she handed one piece back to her lover. “Here, I’m not that hungry.”
“Thank you,” he replied, breaking off one slice and taking a bite, he turned back to Gabby. “So, now what?”
“We still have the classic questions,” Gabby huffed. “Like, for example, ‘would you love me if I was a worm?’”
“Well, would you love me if I was a worm?” Akihiro asked Aurora.
“Hm, that is a tricky question,” she replied, biting into her own orange slice. “What kind of worm? I would prefer that you were one of those worms that glow in the dark, but I might be able to manage with a plain earthworm. I don’t know where I’d find a leather jacket that small though.”
“What if I was a tapeworm?”
“Ick, non,” she retched slightly. “I cannot love a parasite, I am very sorry.”
“That’s fair.”
“You two are missing the point,” Gabby frowned.
“What is the point?” Aurora asked. “Is this supposed to be a test of our bond?”
“Exactly!” Gabby threw her hands up. “You’re supposed answer honestly, to check each other’s red flags!”
“Alright, ask us another then,” Akihiro said. “We’ll take it seriously this time.”
“Okay, how about this, point at someone and ask ‘is she prettier than me?”
Akihiro pointed at Jimmy, who had been occupying himself with a handheld videogame.
“Is she prettier than me?”
“Non, mon ange,” Aurora threw her arms around him, pressing her lips to his cheek in a messy, overdramatic kiss. “You are the prettiest in all the land.”
Gabby sat back with her arms folded as she scowled at them. In the corner, Jimmy had taken out his earbuds, staring at them in confusion.
“Oh, come on, “Akihiro surrendered. “You made that one too easy. Ask another.”
“I don’t think you guys are the target audience for this,” Gabby sighed, slumping into her seat. “I don’t even know what insecure partner questions I can even ask at this point.”
“The ‘do you still love me?’ is a classic,” Jimmy added, putting his earbuds back in.
“Well?” Aurora rested her head on her beloved’s shoulder.
“I do,” he said. “And before you ask, we are perfectly fine and I’m not mad at you.”
“I give up,” Gabby muttered. “You two deserve each other.”
The days passed with relative disinterest as the group travelled through West Virginia into Kentucky. Their next stop, Mammoth Cave, hosted a special presentation on bat communication in addition to their guided tours through the caves. Dragging Jimmy along on her latest excursion, Gabby had wanted to see as many national parks as possible during their jaunt through the United States, cramming in as much information and sights as possible before their next drive.
In the meantime, Laura and Gabby took charge in shopping for supplies, stopping at the nearest store to refuel and stock up on necessary essentials. Needing a moment of freedom, Aurora took to the skies, soaring past the clouds, as she took to twirling and somersaulting in the air. She had her earbuds in as she blasted music, getting vital respite from the claustrophobic space of the camper.
The eldest siblings returned first, agitated from the situation that had just occurred.
“Akihiro, I need you to take this seriously,” Laura scoffed, as they entered the RV.
“And you, Laura, need to lighten up,” he laughed, following close behind. “Come on, it’s not that big of a deal.”
“People could have gotten hurt,” she growled. “Maybe you don’t give a damn, but not everyone can just walk off a gunshot wound.”
“Hey, it’s not like I started it,” he folded his arms. “What was I supposed to do, let the guy rob the gas station?”
“No, but you didn’t need to taunt him,” she threw her hands up. “I mean, ‘hey, do you know where the BBQ chips are?’ What kind of question is that?”
“I was trying to distract him, first of all,” he said. “And besides, you love those spicy BBQ chips.”
“And what if he shot the cashier?”
“He didn’t.”
“But what if he did? Akihiro, there are ways to diffuse a situation without putting innocent people at risk!”
“What risk, Laura? What risk? I distracted him, you sliced his gun into pretty little ribbons, and everyone was fine,” he grabbed a bag of chips and threw them at Laura. “And you got your favorite chips.”
“And it wasn’t even that question that was the problem. You literally told him ‘might as well shoot the guy.’ I mean, what the hell, Akihiro?” Laura shouted. “The cashier was terrified.”
“You already had a handle on it,” he said. “And it was kinda funny.”
“That’s – All I’m saying is, that’s not how heroes are supposed to handle things!”
“Tell that to Spider-man,” he snorted. “Chatty little arachnid. I don’t think he knows how to shut up.”
“Spider-man doesn’t encourage the shooting of innocent people!”
“It was a joke, Laura!” he shouted. “I don’t know why you’re making such a big deal out of it!”
“Because some of us understand what empathy is!” Laura screamed. “I know it’s such a foreign concept to you, but not all of us rely on pheromones to make people feel what we want to. Sometimes, we realize that other people have emotions outside of us.”
“It doesn’t work like that,” he replied sourly.
“God, I wish it did,” she exclaimed. “Then maybe you could’ve made the guy put the gun down without acting like a complete jackass!”
“What do you want me to say?” he growled. “You want me to apologize? I hate to break it to you, but I’ve done way worse than taunt some sniveling coward with a gun!”
“I want you to care about someone outside of yourself for once,” she shot back. “Outside of a quick fuck, for one time in your life. I want a brother I can actually look up to! Someone who at least tries to be a decent person. I want a brother who actually wants to improve himself, instead of being some grumpy bastard set in his ways like our father!”
Akihiro’s eyes widened as his jaw snapped shut. Well, then I want a sister who isn’t some knockoff lab experiment gone wrong. Or perhaps, I really want a sister who isn’t too stupid to get her own mother killed, he thought, before restraining himself. No, that’s too far.
“I’m heading out,” he grabbed his coat and headed outside in one fluid turn, slamming the door behind him, as the wall hangings shook with the thud.
Laura stood in silence, feeling the ground sway under her as she finally collapsed into the nearest seat. Motionless, Laura registered the sun begin to set as she stayed with her thoughts, replaying the incident over in her head.
As they browsed the drink aisle, a man came in with a gun tucked under his jacket. Such a stereotypical move, Akihiro had scoffed as he approached first, tapping the man on the shoulder. Laura followed close behind, ready to disarm the man. But upon asking for chips, the man had drawn his gun at the cashier instead, threatening to shoot up the entire place if they didn’t comply. Instead of attempting to diffuse, Akihiro simply leaned in close, and practically purred in the man’s ear:
“Well, if you’re such a big, strong man, you might as well shoot if you’re so trigger-happy.”
Laua felt lucky as she unsheathed her claws, slicing the barrel of the gun into three, neat pieces as it fell to the ground. She could hear the cashier’s heart race, pounding in her ears as she attempted to reassure him, while her brother made quick work of dropping the assailant, pinning him to the ground until the cops arrived.
Instead of playing the noble hero, which part of Laura would have preferred, Akihiro bided his time by taunting the failed robbery – critiquing everything from the man’s gun posture to the state of his clothes and apparent lack of basic hygiene. Laura tried to pick up the slack, calming the civilians and eventually taking care of the police statement. By the end of it, she would have sworn the failed robber was crying as they led him away in cuffs.
As they finished their shopping and left, Laura informed him he should have tried to do better, leading to their heated debate. Akihiro argued that this fizzled-out wannabe crook would think twice before trying to pull a stunt like that again, while Laura asserted that it wasn’t the point. He had claws. He had fighting experience. He could've stopped the shooter at any time. His time on Krakoa should have taught him better by now. Dating Aurora, a superhero, should have taught him better by now.
Aurora noticed from above as her lover stormed out of the RV. She watched with mild concern, drifting through the clouds as he made his way toward the nearest hiking trail entrance, in an apparent attempt to cool off. She opted to give him his space for now. Aurora had her phone on her, and he could text if he needed her. Touching down just outside of the camper, she gingerly stepped inside to find the young woman at the table.
“So, Laura,” Aurora said, as she sat down across from her at the table. “I don’t believe we’ve ever had a chance to properly chat.”
“No, we have not,” Laura replied, still staring at the travel chess set, having pulled it out to help refocus her mind.
“May I join you for a game?” she offered.
“Sure,” Laura reset the pieces, then gestured for Aurora to begin.
“You know, your brother has told me a lot about you,” Aurora moved the pawn diagonal to her king, in front of her bishop. “He talks about you often.”
“All good, I hope,” Laura moved the pawn in front of her king two squares forward.
“Of course,” Aurora moved the pawn in front of her knight two squares forward. “You and I apparently have a lot in common.”
“You realize I have already won, right?” Laura folded her hands.
“What do you mean?”
“I move my queen diagonal and put you in checkmate,” she said. “The Fool’s Mate. One of the quickest wins in the game.”
“Oh,” Aurora smiled. “Your brother was right. You are good at this game.”
“You did that intentionally,” Laura said. “Please do not lie to me.”
“You’re right,” Aurora sighed. “I wanted to talk to you. Without any distractions.”
“Did my brother put you up to this?”
“No,” she said. “If anything, I think he would prefer that I mind my business.”
“Then why are you here?”
“Because I know what it’s like to have a brother who can be…difficult,” Aurora smiled at the word “difficult.” Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out an envelope and handed it to Laura. “Before I forget, this is for you.”
“What is this?” Laura studied the envelope. In Akihiro’s handwriting, Laura’s name covered the center in emerald green ink, complementing the tree bark-colored paper. Opening it, Laura pulled out a card as something slid into her lap.
Laura looked at the card first. On the cover, in bright, colorful letters surrounded by cartoon balloons, read “Happy Birthday.” Underneath, an illustration of a cat wearing a birthday hat held out a birthday cake.
“It’s a bit early,” Aurora added. “But I was hoping we could go shopping together.”
Laura retrieved the gift card in her lap. On the back, $500 was written in the amount section for a high-end boutique.
“I don’t really do birthdays,” Laura said quietly.
“It doesn’t have to be a birthday gift, if you prefer,” Aurora added. “We could just go shopping, as a girls’ night out.”
“Okay.”
“Akihiro cares about you very deeply,” she said. “I know you and him have had your struggles, but he loves you, in his way. And I know your recent argument must have hurt him badly.”
“I didn’t mean to offend him that much,” she sighed. Laura had wanted it to sting. Just a little. Just enough to get it through his thick skull.
“Oh, I’m sure you didn’t,” Aurora assured her. “More, he’s hurt he argued with you in the first place. Despite the air d’indifférence he likes to front, he can be quite sensitive, particularly when it comes to you.”
Laura’s posture stiffened.
“My brother and I used to have nasty fights,” Aurora continued. “We didn’t meet until we had just become adults, did you know that? Even then, I’d hardly call us fully grown.”
“You met in Alpha Flight.”
“That’s correct,” she said. “Ah, Aki must have mentioned that to you. Good. I even used to say I hated Jean-Paul for a while – he was so judgy back then, with his condescending attitude on my love life. And general connard behavior. In hindsight, due to his own struggles around his sexuality in addition to our shared traumas. A celebrity athlete couldn’t just be out of the closet back then.”
“How did you make up?” Laura asked, shifting uncomfortably in her seat as she fidgeted with the card in her hand.
“Apologies, mostly. Then therapy. Then more apologies,” Aurora sighed. “To be fair, my system was rather disconnected back then. Jeanne-Marie and I were at war with each other. Jean-Paul wasn't even acknowledging his abandonment issues at the time. And then throw in the mix of playing hero for Canadian government. We took it out on each other sometimes. And while my brother meant the best for me, he didn't have the tools to understand yet. It took a long time for he and I to address our own issues by ourselves. Comes from both of us being headstrong individuals, I suppose.”
“I see,” Laura said. Aurora reached over and clasped one of Laura’s hands.
“He’ll come around,” she added. “Before you know it, he’ll be back to driving you crazy, in a good way.”
“Thank you, Aurora,” Laura said. “That means a lot.”
“Good,” Aurora gave her a gentle smile. “And, if you ever want to chat, just let me know. It may not seem like it, but I have a feeling you and I have a lot more in common than you might think.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
“Where I grew up,” Aurora looked away. “There was a pastor, as I was raised in a Catholic girl’s school, and…he took advantage of me.”
“I am sorry,” Laura said. That was honest, she thought. She must already know. “I assume Akihiro mentioned my past.”
“Partially,” she said, squeezing the younger woman’s hand. “He kept it vague, out of respect for you. It wasn’t his story to tell.”
“That is good,” she said. “And I will keep it in mind. Your offer of conversation, I mean.”
“Reach out anytime,” Aurora said. “Even if you just need a listening ear.”
“I think, I would like to take you up on your offer of a girls’ night first.”
“Wonderful,” Aurora clapped her hands together. “Next stop then! There’s a few spots in Chicago we should hit up. You can save your gift card. It will be my treat, of course.”
The RV door creaked open as Akihiro stepped inside. Looking at Laura, he stopped in his tracks:
“Hey,” he muttered.
“Hey,” Laura stood up, throwing her arms around her brother. “I’m sorry.”
“I-It’s okay,” Akihiro awkwardly returned the hug, surprised by Laura’s bold display of affection. “I should be the one apologizing to you.”
“I had a very productive conversation with your girlfriend,” Laura added as she released her embrace. “She is lovely. Don’t fuck it up.”
“Wasn’t planning on it,” he smirked. “So, should we round up Gabby and Jimmy and head out?”
“Assuming they haven’t blown anything up yet,” Aurora teased. “We might need to stay behind and fill out a police report.”
“Nah,” Akihiro said. “Screw that. We just have to make sure we clean up any traces of evidence at the crime scene and make a break for it.”
“Either way, we set aside time accordingly,” Laura finished.