The father held the photo out with a shaking hand as he tried to describe the scene that had just happened. The picture was of a young boy, dark haired and with solid green eyes. A potential student for the Xavier institute.

The mother babbled through her tears, in a language that Logan didn't know. But he did know fear when he saw it. The father described the scene as best as he could. There was no need. Their front lawn had been devastated and tyre tracks ran across it. A van had come to a halt in their garden, collected the child and sped away again before the parents could do a thing.

Logan held up a hand, "Just tell me the color of the van." It was the only thing he couldn't work out for himself.

"Blue, blue! Dark blue." The father nodded manically then brought his hands together as if to pray.

"Please just bring him home."

"I'll get him back Mr Johal. I promise." Logan threw a leg over his motorbike and fired it into life. The pulsing of the engine was loud enough to drown out the sound of the Mrs Johal. He manouvered around a parked car and then he was away, leaving the terrible scene behind him.

It was a rural area with lots of small roads and shortcuts. Logan hoped his bike would let him catch up to them before they could get away. He had left his helmet behind, abandoned on the grass. It didn't matter, it let him smell better. He trusted his nose to follow the scent of burning tyres and exhaust but it was a task that grew in difficulty the faster he drove.

Half of tracking was intelligent guess work. Logan knew they'd most likely be aiming for the major roads, it was just a matter of picking the right one. When he reached a cross section he paused for a moment and sniffed the air. He wasn't entirely sure until his eyes looked to the ground and saw familiar tyre marks. They were still moving fast.

Logan revved the engine and leaned left, earning a beep as he cut across a car behind him. After a couple more inter-sections the buildings disappeared completely, giving way to farms and trees. There was only one way they could be going and to his relief the vehicle came into view at last. A navy blue van with blacked out windows.

The traffic was steady enough that he would have to act with caution. Logan caught up to the back of the van and then waited for a gap before veering out. Once he was beside the van he let his claws loose. His right hand let go of the accelerator and slashed a tyre. Logan hit the brakes and dropped back as he watched the van steer unsteadily. The driver lost control and the van broke through a barrier and crashed into a tree.

Logan came to a sudden stop and leapt from his bike. He ran forward and jabbed a claw through a lock, breaking the van's back doors. Two men came at him from either side. The first raised a baton and Logan grabbed him by the wrist. He twisted himself around and pulled the man over his shoulder, flipping him onto the ground. A kick to the face put him out of the fight.

The second man had a rifle which was carved into pieces before he could even cock it. Fear crossed the man's eyes for a moment and he looked ready to run. He seemed to swallow his fears and his hand went to the baton at his waist. A heavy punch to the stomach and another to the head and he was out cold with his friend.

Logan threw open the doors to see a mutant kneeling on the ground, though not the one he had been looking for. It was a girl in her late-teens with cuffs around wrists and something strapped to her back.

"You're not exactly the young Asian boy I was looking for," Logan said as if this was somehow their fault.

She offered him a wonky smile. "That's a very strange need you have there."

"What's your name kid?" he pushed up his chin as he asked.

"Sophie and I could use a hand." She lifted her hands and Logan sliced through the cuffs. "Wow, they're pretty handy."

Logan turned to leave only to realise he wasn't being followed. He checked back to see the girl standing but still in the van. She shrugged as if to apologise. "Sorry you're not quite done there." Logan hopped in and inspected the space behind her.

There was something growing from her back, tied together and lower down was a tail, a tail that had been locked to the floor. It had a bony tip and right below that was where it had been clamped. These men had been well prepared. Logan broke her free and left the thing on her back. He could deal with that once they were away.

"Get on, I'll take you home," he said, gesturing to his bike. He lifted it off the ground and hopped on. Now that the girl was free of the van he could get a better look. Her legs and feet were animalistic, as if she were a creature walking on its hindlegs. Her skin was tinged purple and scales decorated the edges of her face and the sides of her neck. They would have to ditch the bike once they were away or risk gaining too much attention.

Sophie climbed on and wrapped her arms around his waist. She managed to shout, "No helmets?" just as Logan drove back on to the road and the wind whipped her words away.

Logan went back the way he had come with the hopes of getting lost among the smaller streets. He also looked out for a potential new vehicle. The others back home probably wouldn't be too happy for him to steal but he had a kid he needed to keep safe. There were already people staring at the strange girl behind him.

When he spotted a small side-street or private carpark he would slow down and inspect them. "What are you doing?" asked Sophie, pushing her chin against his shoulder as she tried to get closer to his ear.

"Need to find a car, get you out of sight."

"Why didn't you just take the van back there?"

"A thing like that'll have GPS. They would've found us too fast." It was then that he spotted what he was looking for.

The bike was left behind a skip, buried amongst cardboard boxes and bin bags as Logan attempted to hide it. He hoped he'd be able to come back for it. Close by was a red station wagon. His claws made quick work of the lock and he held the door open for Sophie.

Sophie pointed a thumb to her back. "You'll need to deal with this otherwise I'll be lying on my tummy in the back seats." Logan pushed her shoulder to twist her around. He cut through what he hoped would be the last clamps.

There was an audible sigh from Sophie and she stretched out what Logan discovered to be a pair of leathery wings, a darker shade of purple to compliment her skin. Still impatient to get moving he immediately went back to the car and climbed into the driver's seat.

Sophie contemplated the passenger seat and changed her mind, opting for the back. She spread her wings awkwardly, twisting and curving them to fit in the small space. The first thing to do was get out of the area and put even more distance between them and the destroyed blue van. He would take the girl home but first he needed to ask some questions.

Logan worked his magic on the ignition and the car started with a low rumble. They shot out and on to the main road. "What happened kid, how'd they get you?" He glanced in the rear-view mirror, positioning it so he could see her better.

She threw up her hands and shook her head in disbelief. "I dunno, it was weird. I was at the store buying some things then the next thing I know a guy comes in with a gun, saying no one can leave. He kept asking the guy behind the counter about money and then about a safe. Then he left and the police arrived and then they arrested me instead."

"Sounds like a ruse to get to you without anyone fightin' it. You know where they were taking you?" he asked.

"A prison I guessed, I don't know. But hey, thanks for getting me out and everything. Really appreciate it." Sophie leaned her elbows on the two front seats and poked her head forwards with a smile.

Logan narrowed his eyes as a memory was jogged. "I know you don't I?"

"Well I am pretty memorable," she joked with a grin.

"Yeah, you were only little. 6 I think and your mother's chinese right?" Sophie nodded. "You didn't have the wings then."

"Nah, they didn't grow 'till later." Sophie's eyes lit up and she seemed to jump with excitement. "You must have been one of Mom's boyfriends, she's had a few over the years. Oh wait, I know you! My Mom told me. You're my dad!"

Logan almost steered into the path of an oncoming truck as his heart practically seized up with shock. He looked in the mirror to see the girl hiding a smirk behind her hand. "Sorry," she said.

"That was a lie. My Dad lives one State over."

"Don't do that again," he threatened.

"What?" she said innocently, "It was a joke!"

"All right half-pint tell me anything else you know and I'm dropping you home and I ain't coming in for coffee either."

Sophie leant back as far as her wings allowed and tapped a finger agaisnt her cheek as she thought back. "One of them mentioned Fern Ave but I know Fern Ave, the only thing there are apartments."

"That van you were in had room for more and I already know one other kid got snatched today. Stands to reason they could be after another." Logan tightened his grip on the wheel. "These don't seem like the type to give up. Might be able to head them off and stop them getting what they're after."

"Sounds exciting, want me to direct you?" Sophie poked her head forward again.

"I'm dropping you home."

"Come on, if someone's stealing mutants I feel like I should help. Anyway, if I don't tell you where home is then you don't have a safe place to drop me off."

Logan contemplated letting her out anyway. She could fly after all. Though he assumed the enemy would have ways to take her down, they seemed fairly well prepared. He didn't say another word, he simple grunted and gave a couple of nods. Sophie gave him a sly nod and began her to direct him.