Silverfox Lining Chapter 1
By Cadet Deming
I don't own the rights to X-Men or the Wolverine Origins Movie, Marvel and Fox Studios do, so please don't sue. I work in litigation so you wouldn't want to anyhow. Based on movie continuity. Wolverine/Kayla Silverfox/Victor Creed/Team X. Rated T for adult language, adult situations, and violence, but may go up to M later. Romance/Dark Comedy/Suspense Set in the 1970's. Takes place after my story Prey Drive, but I wouldn't call it a pure sequel and it should stand on its own.
Ontario Canada
Logan ordered a beer in the run-down pub, but it all felt fake. For one thing, his real name wasn't Logan, it was James Howlett. For another, he couldn't get drunk. He was one of the growing species, or plague, if you believed Congressmen Kelly, of mutants, people with astonishing abilities, often dangerous.
His nickname was the Wolverine, and he resembled one, in attitude and ability. A lot of people thought wolverines were closely related to wolves, but that wasn't quite true. They were actually part of the weasel family.
He certainly felt like a weasel at the moment. Although he'd been a soldier in 4 different wars, he'd walked away from his last confrontation. He surveyed the bar, wondering how many of the men present were draft-dodgers. Canada had certainly become a haven for them, with the Vietnam War and all.
As he checked his surroundings, he thought he caught a scent of what he had been running from: Victor Creed. Victor was his half-brother who had similar abilities, but he was more feline. Logan had run from him, and the secret military group they had fought side by side in.
He smelled deeper, and scanned the crowd, but got no sight of him. Perhaps he was just being paranoid. What were the chances he had been tracked back here?
A female slid in to the bar stool next to him. She had long dark brown hair and pale skin. She looked like a cross between a hippie earth mother and one of the native tribes: Algonquin perhaps, or a Chippewa.
The woman smiled at him mysteriously and turned away. Her mouth was a warm pink, full and sensual. She smelled like patchouli. It was as if she had doused herself with it, trying to cover something. How could anyone that beautiful possibly have something to hide?
"Hi. I don't think I've seen you around before. I would've remembered if I had," Logan said to her.
"Wow, that's original. Why don't you just ask me what my sign is?" she said.
"What is your sign?"
"I'm a scorpion…Scorpio."
"I'm a Logan…an Aries. I'd ask if I could buy you a drink, but you deserve something more original," he said.
"So, you're going to have to come up with something new," she said. There was a challenge in her voice, but her smile was warm.
"OK. How about you offer to buy me a drink? Women's Lib and all?" he joked.
"Well, you're the first guy who's ever asked me to buy him a drink. I'll give you credit for that. Bartender, another drink for the…gentleman," she said with a cocked eyebrow.
"Yeah, I'll have another Kamikaze, straight up," Logan told the bartender.
"Another one? Jesus Logan, that's your 10th tonight," the bartender said.
"A man who can hold his liquor. I like that," the woman said.
"You wouldn't believe the things I can hold. I didn't catch your name."
"It's Kayla. Kayla Silverfox."
She held out her hand to him. He took it to shake. Logan had never believed in love at first sight. Attraction, definitely, but not love. As she gripped him, he felt a rush of emotions he had never felt before.
"I guess you're going to have to just fall in love with me now," she said smiling that mysterious smile.
At that moment in time, he completely agreed with her.
Toronto, Canada, 6 Months Earlier
Kayla entered her stepfather Emmett Frost's home. It was one of those ostentatious upper-middle classsuburban places designed more to "Keep up with the Jones" than to live in. She had never really liked her stepfather, but after what happened to her half-sister, they had been forced to band together.
"Kayla, is that you?"
"Yes, Emmett." She had never felt comfortable calling him "Dad".
"Any word on Emma," she asked, entering the cavernous living room.
She had taken off all of her winter outerwear except for her gloves. She tried not to touch people unless it was with serious intent. Emmett was so cold, that wouldn't be a problem.
"No. Not a word. Not even a ransom note. The police have no leads. It's like she vanished into thin air. And she was about to apply to early admissions at McGill!"
"Well, maybe no news is good news. There's no evidence yet that she's not alive," Kayla replied optimistically.
"You always try to look for the silver lining don't you?" he said.
"Someone in this family has to. What's left of us, that is," she said.
"I suppose I'll just have to put my hopes on my other daughters. Including Christian."
"I heard that, father! You're such a homophobe!" Christian Frost called out from another room.
Emmett hadn't taken the news of his only son being gay very well. His late wife, Kayla's mother had a bigger sense of denial where her children were concerned. This extended to their "other talents".
"Speaking of hopes for my children, are you still working at that horrid school for the underprivileged? You have so many gifts, I hate to see you waste them on this left-wing 'save the world' garbage. "
"I teach because I love it and want to make a difference. My contract for next year is due to be signed in the next week or two."
"I could pull some strings and get you a job at an upscale boarding school. You could mix with the right sort of people for a change. Maybe meet a nice boy. You're getting a little old to be single."
"I don't believe there is a "wrong" sort of person. Look, Emmett, I appreciate that you're trying to help in your own way, but this is my life and my decisions. Please call me if you hear anything about Emma," she said.
Several Hours Later, in a Bar in Toronto
Kayla sat at a bar pondering Emmett's words. In a way, maybe it was good Emma was away from his influence. She had been turning into as much of an elitist, materialistic snob as he was.
Kayla had grown up with a totally different upbringing than Emma. She had spent her earliest years on a reservation. When her mother divorced her father and married into the Frost family, her life took a 180 degree turn.
She wondered where her half-sister was. Something instinctively told her she was alive. Then again instinct could be mixed up with wishful thinking.
"Is this seat taken?" a low voice rumbled next to her.
She looked up. A tall man grinned down at her. He had a mutton chop beard and grey eyes. Normally she would have blown off such an obvious come-on, but Emmett's words had touched a nerve with her.
"I guess it is now," she replied, smiling.
He sat down next to her. She saw he had United States dog tags on. She saw plenty of ex-military guys lately from down south, but not too many active members.
"How's the food in this place? I'm hungry enough to eat an ox."
"Stuffed potato skins, peanuts, salsa, and indigestion. Typical bar fare," Kayla replied.
She noticed he was still fully dressed. That would be normal in the winter, but this was late spring. He was covered from head to toe in black. He even had gloves on. She noticed because the fingertips seemed abnormally long. Was he like her, another mutant?
"Good thing I'm immune. I'm Victor."
"I'm Kayla. So what do you do?" she asked. She realized it was the type of question her stepfather would ask.
"Oh, I'm in murders and executions."
"Excuse me?"
"Mergers and Acquisitions. For Morgan Stanley. I got called up in the Army Reserves, though. Special Forces. Really Special Forces. What do you do?"
"I'm a teacher. I work with children."
"I love children. They're the sweetest" Victor said.
He sounded like he was talking about cake.
"Do you have any of your own?" she asked, starting to feel uncomfortable, but not quite sure why.
"I have a teenager now. She's a real hellfire."
"Oh, are you married?" she asked, stiffening.
"Oh no, I'm a widower."
"I'm sorry," she said.
"It's alright. It was dec…years ago."
"My parents are divorced. My mother passed away a few years ago. I have a half-brother and half-sister," she said, thinking of Emma.
"Well, it all comes down to family. They're supposed to be there for us no matter what," he said, staring at her.
She noticed he was staring at her a little too intently as her thoughts drifted to her sister. She should have been there for her. She should have protected her.
"Look I don't mean to be rude, but I need to go," she said, starting to rise.
Suddenly he grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her back in her seat.
"I'd sit down and shut up if you ever want to see Emma again," he said.
She quickly reached to take her gloves off when she felt something sharp and painful in her side. She assumed it was a knife. He smiled at her, revealing inhuman fangs.
"Don't even think about using your power of suggestion on me. I'll slice you open and then both you and your sister will die."
"What do you want from me," she whispered.
"Let's take a walk outside. There's someone who wants to meet you."
To Be Continued