This will be the first official chapter to my X-23 story arc. It will contain a lot of similar elements to the comics, but will have my own special twists, turns, Characters and details that may have not been present.

The story is based off of 'X-23: Target X' but will stray away from the continuity a bit as the story progresses. Anyway, without further ado...

X-23: Escape

Chapter 1: A New Start

Unknown Location, October 5, 2012

Darkness… that was all that Laura Kinney could see. She didn't know where she was. All that Laura knew at that moment was that she was definitely captured, and was being held prisoner. Maybe her captors were gonna rape her? Make her a slave that did their bidding? They don't know what I am, Laura thought.

Suddenly, the lights turned on. It was a bit too bright to see anything for the first couple of seconds. Her eyes needed to adjust to the sudden exposure to the light. Once Laura's sight came back to her, she scanned the room to see where exactly she was. Laura was sat at a large stainless steel table that had a desk lamp, that somehow turned on, was shined directly at her face. The room was plain, walls were concrete gray, and there was two mirrors inside that Laura was sure that they were one way. They were watching her and she knew it. She could smell them.

"Yeah, definitely captured." Laura muttered to herself. She took her eyes off of the mirror, from her reflection, to her wrists. She was handcuffed to the chair she was sitting in. Laura struggled to try and break out of the cuffs until the door swung open, and two men entered. One man had a familiar scent, but she couldn't make out his face with the bright light shining on her face. The second man was a complete stranger to her. She didn't recognize his smell at all.

"Hello Laura… or should I say X-23." The first man said with a deep intimidating voice as he slapped a document folder onto the desk that showed photos of herself. The men's faces couldn't be seen through the severe lighting that shone on Laura's face, so that made it harder to identify her captors.

"Who are you?" Laura said with venom in her voice as she tried to gaze at the men with fire in her eyes.

"The real question is X-23" The first man said pointing his finger at her. "Who are you?" He repeated her question.

"What are you talking about?" Laura asked perplexed. She had no idea what they wanted or what they planned on doing to her. At least the facility taught me how to withstand torture, she thought.

"Your an assassin!" The first man blurted out in anger as he slammed his fists onto the table. "I have seen your work and I know what you're capable of!"

Laura didn't speak whatsoever. She just observed what these men knew about her. She was curious.

"Calm down Nick." The second man spoke up as he put his hand on his shoulders reassuringly. After a moment, the first man, Nick finally calmed down a bit.

"Look, we are not the bad guys. We just want to know your story." The second man said in a soft tone.

"Why?" Was all that Laura could say.

"About a year ago, we uncovered a secret facility deep in the Canadian wilderness." The second man explained. "The building was destroyed itself. But there was an underground part that had files of what it was researching… you." He motioned at her with his hands.

Laura was taken aback at this. She thought she destroyed that hell hole that took so much from her. Laura started to panic, she was breathing heavily and was struggling to get out of the chair once more. She even popped her right foot claw and kicked under the table, with the claw going straight through like a hot knife on butter.

"Calm down Laura! We are not going to hurt you!" The first man said as he backed up from the table. He didn't feel like getting stabbed today.

"Get away from me!" Laura snapped as she tried to release her footclaw from the table.

It was now stuck.

30 Minutes Later:

After several minutes, everybody calms down yet again and they continue the interrogation. "Laura, we need to know your story... Why this happened to you." The first man motioned at the hole in the table.

"You have the letter that you found on me don't you?" Laura asked the men.

They both nod in unison at her question. "Yes we do... why?" The second man then asked.

"Did you read it?" Laura said curiously.

"Well… no we did--" the second man said before being interrupted.

"Read it! You'll know what you wanted." Laura said in a bitter tone.

The first man walks out of the room and returns with a piece of paper in his hand a moment later. Both men took their time to look over the letter and what it had to say:

Dear Laura,

When I started this project, I was a different person. I was so cut off from everyone and everything, that I became almost emotionless. I have never loved anyone or anything since I was a child. But that was until you came along. I told myself over and over again that I would never get attached to you the way I did, and I failed. But that failure was the best thing that had ever happened to me.

You Laura, were the best thing that had entered my life the day you were born. That made it all harder when the facility told me not to treat you like a child, like a human being. They only saw you as a weapon, while I saw you as much more than that. I had enough of their games with you, how they treated you. So I broke you out of there. And I somehow knew that I probably wouldn't survive that night as well.

I knew that they had a contingency plan for me if I were to try something like this, and maybe I was right. I can never ask for forgiveness, I can't. But what I do ask for you Laura, is to keep living, to keep fighting for your life. I love you.

Sincerely, Sarah Kinney

Both men were in awe about what they had just read. It had almost brought tears to their eyes as the result. "I'm sorry for your loss." The second man spoke up.

"I to, am sincerely sorry as well." The first man also replied. "But this doesn't tell us much about you though." He then added.

"All you need to know was that I killed everyone in there. I am the only survivor that managed to escape with my life." Laura said simply.

"What about after?" It took us about a year to find you. Where did you go?" The first man asked.

"Why do you you want to know?" Laura asked perplexed. I don't know these men. What they want. What they probably need.

The first man reached for the lamp and turned it off. Laura had a good look at the men who held her prisoner. She saw someone probably way worse than the facility.

"My name is director Nick Fury, and I work with Shield, and this is Matthew Murdock. Your lawyer." Fury introduced.

"What do you want with me?" Laura asked him with some fear and anger mixed in. She knew what Shield would use her for. She would use her as a weapon. No better than the facility.

"We want you to answer for your crimes! You have been responsible for over two hundred murders and some deserve justice!" Fury stated matter of factly.

"The only way to prove your innocence Laura, is to hear your side of everything. We know so far that this facility had used you. But we need to know if you remained a cold blooded killer." Murdock explained in a soft tone.

"What do you want to know?" Laura asked. She knew that fighting was pointless. Even though she could withstand torture, everybody had a breaking point. Everybody had a weakness.

"Start from after the facility. What you did within the year it took us to find you." Murdock said as he reached for a chair and sat in it. Nick Fury also did so but sat far away from the table. He saw Laura's foot claw and didn't want to be on the receiving end of it.

"I ran to the only place I knew… the only other place that was home." Laura explained with her eyes welling up with tears but managed to hold them back.

San Francisco California, August 29, 2011

6:56 am:

It had been nearly six weeks since I had fled from the facility. I was alone and cold. I had no-one after what had happened to my mother. That was the reason why I was even there in San Francisco. To be with family.

Laura sat on a bench across the street in a residential area of the sprawling city. She wore an old white and red star wars t-shirt, denim jeans, and a pair of nike black and white high tops. She had broken into a thrift store a couple of weeks back and stole as much clothes as she could carry. Laura still didn't really have a certain style since most of her life she had worn old pink dresses and combat fatigues. At least it was a step up, she thought.

Laura had her eyes set on this particular apartment building. She had been observing the whole block for a couple of days, trying to see if it was the exact place she had remembered from two years ago. It was hard for her to look at it though. She remembered when her mom first took her here. It was a mission sure, but it was a memory that Laura liked. Laura felt like a hero that day when she had killed that man that had threatened her cousin's life.

Laura quickly rushes out of her thoughts when she sees a woman with short pixie styled black hair and light green eyes walk out of the apartment building with a purple bathrobe and a cup of coffee in her right hand. Laura instantly recognized the woman. It was her aunt Debbie. She instantly recognized the similarities that her and her mother shared. Laura saw Debbie grab a newspaper that was in the driveway and walked back inside a moment later.

Now that Laura knew this was the place, now it was time to properly meet her family. Have a family. That is what mom wanted for me. Laura stands up from the bench and grabs her rucksack, swinging it over her shoulders before she walks across the street to the apartment.

Laura stood there at the door for a very long time. She didn't know what to say. What could she say? Laura was definitely very nervous, that much was certain.

"Cmon! I have been blown up, fallen out of airliners that were thousands of feet up in the air, and have been impaled. I can do this." Laura muttered to herself. She let's out an audible sigh and raises her arm to knock on the door.

After a couple of seconds, the door opens to reveal the same woman that she had seen a couple of minutes ago. It was her aunt which made her glad. "Hello?" Debbie said simply as she looked at the Laura with curiosity.

"Hello." Laura said back. She still didn't know what else to say. Her tongue was twisted up.

"Are you lost? Debbie asked Laura. She didn't know who this girl was even though she looked very familiar.

Laura couldn't help but smile at her question. "No. I found where I'm supposed to be." Laura said blushing.

Debbie just chuckled "I'm sorry, who are you?" She asked.

"I'm Laura Kinney. Sarah's daughter" Laura answered back with a bright smile that she didn't even know she had.

Debbie just stood there in shock. Sarah's daughter? I didn't even know she had a daughter. Wait a minute! Now I remember Sarah telling me about her! "Do you want to come in?" Debbie asked, not sure what else to say.

Laura just nods in acceptance and brushes past Debbie, and entering the apartment. Once Debbie closed the door, she turned around to see Laura standing in front of her, waiting for something.

"Do you-um want breakfast? I'm making pancakes." Debbie asked Laura.

"Yes please." Laura nodded very quickly. She hadn't really had any actual food since she had left the facility. Even then the diet they had her on, consisted of only vitamins and minerals. No carbs. No flavor.

"Well follow me then." Debbie said as she walked from the door and into the kitchen. Laura followed closely behind and also entered. "Take a seat." Debbie politely gestured at the dining table.

Laura accepted and sat down, but scanning the room for threats. Old habits die hard I guess. No. The facility could still be hunting me down. They could look here if they wanted but they know I'm not that stupid. I hope they think I'm not that stupid, Laura thought.

"So, where is your mother?" Debbie asked Laura as she mixed the pancake batter in a bowl and poured some onto the stove top.

Shit! What should I say!? I can't just tell her that my mother is dead! Think Laura! Think! "She uh… is on a business trip. Yeah she went went to Japan for a couple of months and had me come here." Laura tried to sound convincing. I lie all the time, why was it so hard to now?

"Dammit!" Debbie said in frustration as she accidentally touched the stove. "Sarah could have at least called to ask if it was okay."

"Is it okay if I stay here?" Laura asked with some hope.

"Of course Laura. You always hav--" Debbie was about to day before a voice from upstairs interrupted her.

"MOM! WHERE IS THE HAIRSPRAY!?" The voice called from upstairs. The voice sounded that of a sixteen year old girl.

"It's under the sink Megan! Just look!" Debbie shouted from the kitchen. "Sorry about that, your cousin is a handful sometimes."

"OH! FOUND IT!" Megan shouted back in complete surprise.

"Well at least now Megan will have someone to talk to." Debbie sighed.

"She doesn't have friends?" Laura asked perplexed. The only information she had on teenagers, we're from magazines she would look at from a store until being scurried away from the shopkeeper.

"She was abducted, two years ago. She still has some issues with what happened and all the kids think she's crazy sometimes." Debbie said sadly. She didn't like her daughter being alone. But maybe now that will change with her cousin now staying.

Laura just nods in acknowledgement. She already knew the whole story, but Debbie didn't know that Laura was there to. "I think I heard her leave the bathroom. I wanna meet her." Laura said as she stood up and walked out of the kitchen, then upstairs.

"Tell her to come down for breakfast as well!" Debbie shouted out to Laura.

"Who you yelling at mom?" Megan asked as she snuck up behind her mother. She had the same light green eyes as her mother, but her hair was spiked in the back and had long bangs that covered half of her face. What was definitely different was that Megan's hair was dyed bleach blonde instead of it being raven colored.

"Oh shit! Debbie jumped up at her daughter's surprise appearance. "Don't do that Megan!" She said really annoyed.

"Sorry?" Megan said confused. "Who were you yelling at mom?" She repeats.

"Your cousin is here." Debbie simply stated.

"Cousin? I don't have any cousins?" Megan said in complete surprise and confusion. Megan came from the stairwell inside the kitchen instead of the one in the hallway.

"You do have a cousin, her name is Laura." Debbie explained. "She arrived just this morning."

"Where is this Laura then?" Megan said mockingly

"She must have went to your room. She really wanted to meet you." Debbie said, pointing the spatula towards the direction of the stairwell.

Before Debbie could say anything else, Megan immediately ran upstairs, and towards her room. Megan bursted in her room to find Laura flipping through a notebook of drawings. The drawings were of a shadowy figure with a knife or rope. "What the hell are you doing in my room!?" Megan asked in anger.

"Why do you draw the man who kidnapped you?" Laura asked Megan, and ignoring her question.

"That's none of your business!" Megan snapped at her as she rushed up to Laura and snatched the notebook from her hands.

"It is my business." Laura said rather to calmly. "Because I killed him." Laura then said out of nowhere in a whisper.

However, Megan managed to hear her cousin's last answer and just stood there in shock and fear. "W-what did you say?" Megan asked in a stutter.

Laura just gazed at her but remained silent.

Megan turned on her heels and quickly left her room and rushed downstairs. Well that didn't end well, Laura thought.

•••

"Mom!" Megan shouted at the top of her lungs. As she quickly made her way down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"What's wrong sweetie?" Debbie asked confused as she set down the stack of pancakes on the dining table.

"She just told me something!" Megan shouted in anger as she pointed her finger at Laura who was slowly walking in with her head bowed in shame.

"What did she tell you?" Debbie asked confused. What was up with her daughter?

Megan turned her attention towards Laura. "Tell her what you told me!"

Laura looked up at both Megan and Debbie, not knowing what to say yet again. What could she say? She hoped that Megan wouldn't have heard her say what she had said.

"Tell her!" Megan repeated hysterically.

"Megan? Settle down sweetie." Debbie placed her hand on her daughter's shoulder reassuringly.

Megan just shrugged it off and looked at her mother with her fists balled up. "You must think I'm crazy huh?" Megan asked surprisingly calm.

"Never Megan, I just--" Debbie was about to say before getting rudely interrupted by her daughter.

"Just what? That I'm some fucking nut that misheard my cousin say something I'm sure that she said!?" Megan bursted out with anger boiling inside her.

"Megan! Watch your language!" Debbie said with her teeth gritted.

"Whatever." Megan said as she stormed out of the kitchen door, and leaving the house.

"Megan!" Debbie called out but to no avail, she returns. Debbie took a seat in the nearest chair next to her and sat down at the dining table. Debbie let out a heavy sigh as she rested her head in her arms on the table until she notices Laura still standing in the same spot like a statue. "I'm sorry you had to see that Laura."

"It's alright. Where did she go?" Laura asked her aunt with curiosity.

"Probably school. She sometimes ditches so she could be anywhere at this point." Debbie explained. She stood up and made her way to Laura, and placing her right hand on her shoulders. "We should probably get you registered into school as well."

"I uh... already took care of that." Laura muttered.

"Oh?" Debbie said completely surprised.

"Yes. I enrolled there a couple of weeks ago." Laura said matter of factly. It wasn't a total lie. However she did have to fill out a ton of paperwork that she didn't understand one bit. Laura even had to make up most information that she had written down.

"Well, how about we get you settled in here first, before you go to school?" Debbie asked with a smile

Laura returned the smile and nodded in agreement. Laura had her eyes on the pancakes behind her aunt however. That was all she wanted at the moment. She was really hungry.

Unknown Location, October 5, 2012

"So Debbie and Megan are actually your family?" Murdock asked Laura with surprise. He had never heard of an assassin that had family.

"Yes. They are from my mother's side." Laura explained.

"You're still not giving us what we need." Fury said frustrated.

"What exactly do you need?" Laura said with venom as she glared daggers at him. "You wanted to know what I did, and I'm telling you just that."

"What your telling me miss Kinney, is some teenage bullshit drama story with your moody cousin!" Fury said unnecessarily loud.

"Keep talking like that and when I get out of these cuffs, I'm going straight for you." Laura laughed a bit at her remark.

"Is that a threat?" Fury asked. He wanted to push her buttons just to see what she would actually do. Maybe not the best idea though.

"Shut up Nick. We aren't gonna get anywhere with violence." Murdock stated ironically. "Will you please continue Laura?"

"Sure. Whatever." Laura rolled her eyes. I have definitely spent too much time with Megan.

San Francisco California, August 30, 2011

3:47 am:

I just spent the whole day with my aunt Debbie at the house with her, while she tried to find somewhere for me to sleep at. She had me sleep on the sofa for one night, until she could clear out the room that they had only used for storage so that I could stay in there. Megan didn't talk to me at all after she got out of school. She was still mad that I didn't say anything to back her up. I did however get to meet Debbie boyfriend, Desmond. He was alright I guess, he just always looked at me in a weird way.

"Morning sleepy head." Debbie shook Laura by the forearm, waking her up from her sleep.

"Huh?" Laura said still groggy. She jolt up suddenly and looked around the room frantically for a moment. "Mom!" She said in a scared tone and began to panic.

"Laura it's me! Your aunt Debbie!" She said as she engulfed her in a tight hug. It was something that Laura liked. She liked the safety she felt when she hugged someone. "You're okay Laura."

After a couple of minutes, Laura finally calms down from her sudden outburst. "Thank you aunt Debbie."

"You miss your mother huh?" Debbie asked. It wasn't a question.

"Yes. You have no idea." Laura said meekly. I just wish I could tell you the truth.

Debbie just smiles. "Don't worry Laura. She will be back." Debbie said with a small tint of sadness. Does she know? Why is she getting sad? "Well I just wanted to wake you up before Megan did."

"Why?" Laura asked simply confused.

"Megan tends to use all the hot water in the mornings. Thought it would be nice to give you a chance to use the shower first." Debbie answered with a chuckle.

Laura just sat there and tilted her head in confusion still. She didn't know what Debbie was talking about.

"It's your first day of school today remember?" Debbie rolled her eyes. "Cmon, Megan wakes up in fifteen minutes." Debbie added before walking away from the living room and into the kitchen. "Oh! And I picked out some of Megan's old clothes for you."

Laura didn't say anything, but acknowledges Debbie and gets up off of the couch. Laura looks through the clothing that Debbie had left until she had found something that had appealed to her. She then took the living room stairwell and went upstairs to where the bathroom was located, and walked inside, and shutting the door.

Laura flipped the light switch on and placed the clothes near the sink. Laura caught a glance of herself in the mirror and realizes she does look pretty gross and grimaces at her sleepy self. You would think an assassin would look good no matter what. Oh well. Laura goes to the shower and turns it on before pulling the little lever up, with the shower head activating and the steaming hot liquid pouring out of it. She then proceeds to remove all of her clothing until there is nothing left but a pile of pajamas remaining on the tile floor.

Laura steps into the shower, wincing at first when the steaming hot water suddenly hit her. After a couple of seconds, she gets used to the hot temperatures and feels nothing but relaxation. This was foreign to Laura. She was always washed with either a hose in her cell, or washed herself in a river. She relaxed her head on the wall under the shower head, and let the water pour down her back.

She remembered what they had done to her on a daily basis at the facility for years. They would put her through rigorous training that would be hazardous for normal people. She remembered when Zander tortured her for two days straight. She remembered when he had forcibly took out her bone claws with nothing but a scalpel and a pair of pliers. Laura even remembered the night, when she had killed her mother. The only person who cared for her.

Laura's anger skyrocketed as she reminisced at her horrible childhood, that she hadn't noticed that she had popped her claws out, with them going straight through the plastic of the bathtub. Laura only noticed what she had done, when she had opened her eyes and saw blood flooding down the drain. Laura looked at her hands and saw that she had unleashed her claws. She quickly pulls them out and sees the four small holes that she had left.

Well this isn't good…

•••

Laura finished up her shower and got out, before drying herself off and throwing on her clothes. Once fully dressed, Laura looks up at the foggy mirror and runs her hand across it, wiping the moisture away. She caught another glance at herself, but this time she was more decent looking. That was the only thing that Laura liked about herself. She looked so similar to her mother that when she looked at herself, it was like a picture for her to look at in times of need. To remind Laura that she was here now. Alive, and free.

Laura exits the bathroom and walks downstairs, where she was greeted by both Debbie and Desmond. Debbie was washing plates, while Desmond was typically sitting at the dining table, reading a newspaper and drinking coffee.

"Wow! You look amazing Laura!" Debbie said in complete awe. Laura was currently dressed in casual attire. She wore a blue and black striped tank top with a black cropped leather jacket, a pair of black skinny jeans, and knee high black and white chuck taylor converse. "Wouldn't the jacket be too hot though?" Debbie then asked in confusion.

"No. Plus I really like it." Laura said defensively. I really like this jacket.

"Looks good, so I'm not one to argue." Desmond said as he took a sip from his coffee, and placed the newspaper on the table. "Well will you look at the time! I have to get to work. I'll see you tonight babe." Desmond then got up off of the chair and threw his suit jacket on, also giving Debbie a peck on the cheek before walking out the kitchen door.

Just as Desmond left, Megan strolls into the kitchen, dressed in her usual attire. She wore a pair of ripped jeans, a band T-shirt with a zip up gray and black hoodie, and red and black Adidas high tops. She said nothing, and didn't even look at anybody, as she opens the fridge and pulls out a jug of orange juice. She then took a glass cup from the cabinet above and poured it into the glass, before taking a long drink.

"Good morning Meg." Debbie said mockingly to her daughter but is successfully ignored as the result. "You have no reason to be mad at me." she then says with some anger.

"I'm not mom. It's Laura I'm pissed off with." Megan stated which affected Laura slightly.

That was hurtful, she thought to herself. But Laura said nothing. She just bottled up her emotions in her for the time being. Never show weakness, Laura scolded herself.

"Well it's gonna be her first day at school. And she could use a friend to talk to." Debbie said her daughter. She mostly thought that Megan needed it more.

"She'll be fine. Just look at me! I don't have friends and I'm ok." Megan said as if she were proud of it. But she was secretly lonely. She had nobody to talk to.

Her mother just glared at her with anger, but said nothing. Megan kinda backed away and left the kitchen, grabbing her book bag from near the coat rack. As she put her hand on the door knob, Debbie stands near the doorway with Laura next to her. "I'm taking Laura to school. Why don't you come with?" Debbie asked, trying to get her daughter to somewhat make friends with Laura.

"I like taking the bus." Megan said without looking at both her mother and cousin, and walks out the door.

"I wish she would just grow up sometimes." Debbie sighed and face palms. So far this isn't working, she thought.

What did you guys think of the first chapter? I know it was pretty slow. This chapter mainly introduced some of the key characters, as well as Laura getting settled in with her aunt and cousin. The next chapter will be about Laura learning and trying to fit in high school.

I hope this somewhat meets everyone's expectations for a full fledged X-23 story. I have been working on this, nonstop for about a week now, and I feel that it is ready for publication. Also for anyone who doesn't know, I don't have a beta reader, so I have to rely on my 11th grade english education to write these. So bear with me! :)

Reviews are appreciated!