Disclaimer: The X-Men and characters around them belong to Stan Lee and Fox 20th Century entertainment. No money is being made in this story, only free time and giggles are being wasted. The character of Nixie/Sprite belongs to me.
Authors Rambling: This came to me in a dream, so if it's messed up, whatever.
This is in the movie-verse, and it's my first X-Men fanfic. It's a three-part installment, and I think of it as a continuation of the movie. Oh, for quick reference - Sprite means (according to Webster's) an elf, pixie, fairy or goblin. I'll be using it in the context of a fairy.
Summary: Logan finally gets the girl! He meets what seems like a living water sprite. With the help of this new mutant, the X-Men face their newest enemy and the Friends of Humanity. This has a PG-13 rating for violence, a few kisses and some choice words.
X-Men 2000:
Part 1 - Water and Wolverine?
Chapter 1
Alberta, Canada - 1994
"Swimmers take your marks," the judge said. The teenagers quickly fell into starting poses along the edge of the boat. Fifteen-year-old Nixie looked at her schoolmates around her before focusing her mind on the finish line two hundred meters ahead of her. The judge fired a cap gun and the swimmers dove gracefully into the water. Nixie kicked furiously propelling herself towards the line; she could fell the wakes of other students next to her and fought to keep her small lead. Then it happened, a hand latched on to her foot and pulled her under the water. Another hand furiously kept her under, hands of her fellow classmates. Nixie could feel her lungs burning for oxygen, she screamed mentally and flung her hands side-ways. In response to giant waves pushed her classmates off in the directions her hands were pointed. Nixie kicked furiously up to the surface and breathed the oxygen in heavily. She quickly swam to the finish line and hauled herself up onto the boat. She could feel the stares of her classmates around her and saw the pointing of fingers.
"What," she said breathlessly.
"What did you do," someone asked. Nixie turned around to see many of those who had held her under on the far beach struggling to get up.
"I didn't do anything," she said panicking.
"She's a mutant," one of the more popular students said. "Look at her hair!" Nixie turned to look over the edge of the boat into the reflecting lake; her once blonde hair had turned the color of the lake.
"I'm not a mutant," she said defensively. At that moment, nothing could stop the taunts and jeers from her classmates. Without a second thought she dove deep into the lake, and swam for the far side.
British Columbia - The Near Future
"There you are," a man called spotting a retreating figure down on the riverbank. The young-woman heard the call and stopped looking around at her options. She could try and out run him, or stay and fight. Without a second thought she turned around to face the oncoming man. She wasn't that tall, especially to the six foot five man charging her. She stood around five feet and three inches, and appeared to be very thin. She had the bluest eyes and pale skin; perhaps it was her hair that had called attention to her. Her hair was a crowning achievement, shoulder length with thick curls; it looked like a river flowing down her back, different shades of blue mainly with hints of the white of whitecaps and the green of moss. If it weren't for the mutant abilities she posed, the woman could have easily have been a model; unfortunately for her she had those powers.
"Sir, I don't want to cause any trouble," she said firmly. The man didn't seem fazed by her threat and continued his charge. "Please," she said worried about the outcome. "I don't want to hurt you."
"You won't you damned mutant," he snarled still charging. With a saddened look on her face she lightly extended a hand towards the creek, she looked at him giving him one more change to stop. "Take your best shot," he challenged. The woman flung her hand quickly across her body and blinked a wave of water shot out from the river and hit the man side on, knocking him flat. The man was quickly on his feet and brandishing a wicked looking hunting knife.
"I don't want to fight. Why can't you people just accept us for who we are?"
"I am, you're a damned mutant and you deserve to die," he yelled charging at her. She leapt high into the air aided by her flight capabilities. With the grace of a gymnast she flipped over and landed on the other side of him. Without warning he turned and slashed at her with the knife. She could feel the white hot pain on her shoulder; she grabbed it and stumbled back, now acting on the defense. She glanced at the river only a second before a second, weaker, wave of water flew at the man. Unlike the first wave, it didn't knock him down at all. He stumbled a minute before slashing at her again, she danced away from it and leapt into the sky, hovering a few feet above him. Her good hand pointed at the knife in his hand and a stream of water wrapped around it and drug it into the river. A triumphant smile crossed her lips and she landed on the frozen ground.
"Now you're unarmed. I don't want to cause any harm." The man just snarled a few choice words at her and leapt at her, his hands encircling her neck cutting off her oxygen. The woman struggled violently against his grip, whenever she got the chance she would scream loudly and summon another wave of water. Within a minute she edges of her vision turned fuzzy, the last thing she saw was his face full of hatred, and then blackness.
Logan wasn't paying attention as he walked along the side of the road towards a small bar. He was too busy thinking about the answers he had found, or the lack there of. The base, just as professor Charles Xavier had said, was empty. He had scouted around some of the surrounding towns and had received cold shoulders and no answers.
"I give up," he said angrily. "I haven't found a damn thing!" He continued his walk, rage building in him. He hoped for a fight, he needed something to release his anger. He pounded his fists together and turned his head when he heard what seemed like a faint scream. He stopped and turned back to the direction the scream had come from. Within moments another, louder, scream was heard. Logan gave a slight smile and ran towards the river that flowed threw the town, in the direction of the scream. He stopped to see a middle-aged man throttling a blue-haired young woman who had all but given up fighting. Both of them were soaked to the bone from, what Logan assumed was river water.
"Get off her," he said walking up to the man. The man paid him no attention and went on throttling the woman and yelling slander at her.
"Why do you care about her," the man said finally to him. "She's a damned mutant bitch!"
"You just gave me a reason to kick your ass," Logan said. The man got up and stepped back from the woman, who had fallen unconscious, and turned to Logan pulling out another knife.
"You're a damned mutant lover aren't you," the man asked slashing the knife in the air in front of him.
"No," Logan said smiling. With a metallic sound his adamantium claws extended to their full length. "I am a mutant." He slashed at the knife and quickly cut it in half, the man stared at the knife for a moment before running off, obviously scared. Logan let a triumphant smile cross his lips, before the gasping of the woman brought his attention back to her. He quickly retracted his claws and got down on his knees next to the woman, raising her head slightly. She gasped painfully, and began to flail her hands in her panic. "Calm down babe," Logan said trying to dodge the hands. Her eyes slowly opened and focused on the rugged face in front of her, and a wave of water hit Logan knocking him sideways. The woman painfully got to her feet and turned to face him.
"Back for more," she said hoarsely. She reached up with her left hand and grasped her right shoulder, which was still bleeding, but still managed to send another spray of water towards Logan.
"No, I'm not here to hurt you." The woman studied him for a minute before dropping to her knees in pain. He rushed over to help her, only to be stopped by her outstretched hand.
"No," she said through clenched teeth. "I'm a mutant and if you help me in these parts you're likely to get hurt."
"I've already helped you," Logan said smiling a bit at the woman. She was younger than Jean; with an exotic look about her, especially her hair.
"Then I'm sorry for what they do to you." She slowly got back up to her feet again and brought a lighter spray of water onto her bad shoulder to ease the pain. "And I thank-you for helping me. You probably saved my life."
"Who attacked you?" She gave a bitter laugh as she looked at him for a moment.
"Those damned Friends of Humanity. They've started up in Canada now, there's no place for people like me." Logan opened his mouth to say that he himself was a mutant, but the look of disgust the woman had on her face told him that right now all she wanted to do was rant.
"Do you have a name?"
"Do you," she asked a bit more interested in her benefactor.
"Logan."
"Nixie, but whatever you want to call me is fine. I have many names," she said with a slight flirtatious smile. Logan raised an eyebrow at her, this woman was flirting with him; and he liked it.
"They just call me Logan, plain old Logan."
"Well Plain Logan," she said with a slight smile. "I have to tend to this shoulder. Perhaps we'll meet again." With that she leapt into the air and gracefully flew away.
"I hope so babe."
"Hurry up mutant," the bar owner said to Nixie. She stood in the center of the bar and continued to sweep out the remnants of that night's crowd. Nixie didn't sigh or say the sarcastic remark that floated around her head, she needed the money.
"Yes sir," she said pushing the dirt pile closer to the door. She reached to open it when it swung open, and a pair of boots landed right into the dirt pile.
"You damn girl," the owner said to Nixie. "I'm sorry sir," he said to the man who had stepped in. Nixie didn't even look up from the dirt until the boots had stepped off it and quickly pushed it out the door.
"We meet again," a voice said in her ear. Nixie turned to see Logan standing next to the door. "You work here?"
"I work wherever I can pick up a few dollars and make my life a bit easier. This job pays me five dollars, which is the price of a meal here." She shrugged and put the broom back in its place. "I've finished." The man glared at her for a minute and handed her five dollars.
"I suppose you'll use that money to buy food here," he said sticking his hand back out. Nixie put the money back in his palm and sat down at the newly cleaned bar to wait for her food. Logan pulled a barstool next to her and sat down, staring at her hair.
"Where do you live?" She gave a slight laugh before turning to face him, smiling.
"My, aren't we forward. I hardly know you Mister Logan." Logan listened carefully to her speech, unlike the others around her she had an well-educated sound to her voice.
"I'm just wondering where such a sarcastic woman lives."
"Well, I'm not sure yet. Do you have a place?" Now it was Logan's turn to laugh at her comment, this woman reminded him too much of himself. The bar owner came back with a small lunch sack and handed it to Nixie.
"There mutant, now you leave this bar. What can I get you sir," he asked Logan. Logan smiled slightly; these people had no idea that he was a mutant.
"How about a beer, and this woman's company until I'm finished," he said indicating Nixie. The bar owner glared at Nixie angrily for a few moments before going to get the beer.
"You're going to get yourself hurt," Nixie said warning him. "I don't want anyone getting hurt on my account." Logan just shrugged and drank the beer the bar owner handed him. Nixie took a few moments to peer into the bag and gave a faint smile, she was hungry and anything looked good to her right now. The two were too preoccupied with their own thoughts to notice the five men who had walked into the bar.
"There he is," the smaller one said pointing at Logan. Both Logan and Nixie swore softly for a moment as they recognized this morning's attacker. "And there she is, still alive." Logan paid for his drink before stepping slightly in front of Nixie, who was too busy looking for another way out. The bartender looked at the men and then to Nixie before smiling.
"You're going to get it," he said to Nixie. Nixie, tired of the way he had treated her, grabbed his head in her hands and slammed it down on the bar knocking him out.
"Shut-up old man," she said as he slumped to the floor. The other patrons in the bar turned to look at her as she stood up and faced the five men; visibly upset at the way she had been treated. "So, who wants to be next?" Logan put a restraining hand on her shoulder and gave her a look with his brown eyes.
"You're still injured from this morning's fight," he said softly. Nixie only glanced in his way before reaching for the broom.
"Step-up," she said unscrewing the broom head leaving just the wooden pole. She twirled it around for a minute before standing in a fighting pose. "I've had just enough of you people."
"You two get her, the rest of us will get the other mutant," the lead Friends of Humanity goon said. Nixie turned to look at Logan who shrugged, and extended his claws.
"Glad someone told me," she said turning to the two men who advanced towards her. She was about to strike when the cocking of a few shotguns stopped them; a few of the other late night patrons had brought out their guns to stop the fight.
"I don't want to clean up the mess," the bartender said. "Take it outside." He pulled the broom-handle from Nixie's hand and handed her the sack of food. There was a tense moment until the Friends of Humanity turned and walked out of the bar. Nixie dropped her hands and breathed in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "That means you two, get out!" Nixie turned to face him, anger blazing her in deep blue eyes.
"I hope your children turn into mutants, then you'll know how it feels." She turned and stalked out of the bar, Logan right behind her.
"I'll kill them first," the man said. Nixie spun around and pointed right at him for a moment, the faucet broke off as a flood of water hit the man. She laughed and hurried out into the dark, cold Canadian night.
"So, where do you live," Logan asked Nixie as they sat outside the bar.
"Like I said, if you're interested in going anywhere, it'll be your home. I'm a wanderer, ever since my talents started."
"I know how you feel, a lot of people do." She gave a small snort of disbelief before handing him a small package of food.
"Hungry," she asked pressing it into his hands. "I'm a vegetarian, it's a meat sandwich."
"For someone who works for food, I wouldn't be picky."
"It's a long story, I don't like causing harm to innocent animals. So you eat the sandwich, as part of my thankfulness."
"So what all can you do," Logan asked before taking a bite of the sandwich.
"The basic stuff: cleaning, lessons, a bit of cooking," she said with a mischievous grin on her face.
"I meant..."
"I know what you meant. I'm your basic run of the mill mutant. I have the talent of water manipulation, and flight capabilities. What about you, those wicked claws?"
"Actually, these came from some sort of experimentation. I heal rapidly."
"Oh," she said before staring at a very greasy container of fries. She shook her head and put a few in her mouth, grimacing at the taste.
"So where will you sleep tonight?" She turned giving him an amused look and shrugged.
"I saw an overpass a mile out of town. It's time to move on, I've outstayed my welcome in this town."
"Where will you go next?" She thought for a moment grasping her shoulders fighting off shivers.
"Maybe America, travel down to Florida where it's always warm. Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure."
"Why do you care so much about what I do," she said. She turned away suddenly, a bit disappointed in herself. "I'm sorry, it's just I've meet other mutants before; no one seems willing to help others."
"Not all mutants are alike, I think I know of a perfect place for you to go. I meet this great professor guy who teaches a school for mutants. You'd fit right in at that place, I could take you; I'm going back soon."
"No schools," Nixie said. "How young do you think I am? I'm twenty-two, way past school age."
"I still think you should at least see the place. It's in New York."
"That's not really near Florida."
"It's in America," Logan said. He turned to see her staring down the road lost in thought.
"And this professor, is he?"
"Everyone at the school is. Are you cold?" Nixie nodded and stood up to reach under the few stairs and pull out small backpack and an old jean jacket. Quickly, she pulled the jacket on and sat back down next to him.
"I'd like to meet more mutants, it's lonely sometimes; especially on the winter nights. What about you, you ever get lonely?" Logan nodded slightly, wondering where this conversation was going.
"I suppose I do, but I know I can go back to the school whenever I want too." Nixie nodded and stood up getting ready to leave, she turned to face him and looked him straight in the eyes.
"I'm going to go with you to this school. I'm warning you now, if this is a hoax you'll be sorry."
"This isn't a hoax, why don't we meet here tomorrow morning?" Nixie nodded and watched as he walked off. She picked up the small backpack and started walking back to where she had spent that past few nights in the town.
"I really like him," she thought out loud. "I just hope everything works out okay." She continued her monologue all the way to the overpass and went to sit by the river. "You know what water," she said to the gently flowing river. "Sometimes, I wonder if relationships between a mutant and another mutant are as hectic as non-mutant relationships. What do you think?" She sat by the river thinking for another few hours before slowly drifting off asleep under the safety of the overpass and the promise of a better life.
END OF CHAPTER 1 - PART 1
So, what did you think of the story? How about making a New Year resolution to read and review Agent Hotpant's stories? There's never a better time to start!
Stay Tuned for Chapter 2!!
Authors Rambling: This came to me in a dream, so if it's messed up, whatever.
This is in the movie-verse, and it's my first X-Men fanfic. It's a three-part installment, and I think of it as a continuation of the movie. Oh, for quick reference - Sprite means (according to Webster's) an elf, pixie, fairy or goblin. I'll be using it in the context of a fairy.
Summary: Logan finally gets the girl! He meets what seems like a living water sprite. With the help of this new mutant, the X-Men face their newest enemy and the Friends of Humanity. This has a PG-13 rating for violence, a few kisses and some choice words.
X-Men 2000:
Part 1 - Water and Wolverine?
Chapter 1
Alberta, Canada - 1994
"Swimmers take your marks," the judge said. The teenagers quickly fell into starting poses along the edge of the boat. Fifteen-year-old Nixie looked at her schoolmates around her before focusing her mind on the finish line two hundred meters ahead of her. The judge fired a cap gun and the swimmers dove gracefully into the water. Nixie kicked furiously propelling herself towards the line; she could fell the wakes of other students next to her and fought to keep her small lead. Then it happened, a hand latched on to her foot and pulled her under the water. Another hand furiously kept her under, hands of her fellow classmates. Nixie could feel her lungs burning for oxygen, she screamed mentally and flung her hands side-ways. In response to giant waves pushed her classmates off in the directions her hands were pointed. Nixie kicked furiously up to the surface and breathed the oxygen in heavily. She quickly swam to the finish line and hauled herself up onto the boat. She could feel the stares of her classmates around her and saw the pointing of fingers.
"What," she said breathlessly.
"What did you do," someone asked. Nixie turned around to see many of those who had held her under on the far beach struggling to get up.
"I didn't do anything," she said panicking.
"She's a mutant," one of the more popular students said. "Look at her hair!" Nixie turned to look over the edge of the boat into the reflecting lake; her once blonde hair had turned the color of the lake.
"I'm not a mutant," she said defensively. At that moment, nothing could stop the taunts and jeers from her classmates. Without a second thought she dove deep into the lake, and swam for the far side.
British Columbia - The Near Future
"There you are," a man called spotting a retreating figure down on the riverbank. The young-woman heard the call and stopped looking around at her options. She could try and out run him, or stay and fight. Without a second thought she turned around to face the oncoming man. She wasn't that tall, especially to the six foot five man charging her. She stood around five feet and three inches, and appeared to be very thin. She had the bluest eyes and pale skin; perhaps it was her hair that had called attention to her. Her hair was a crowning achievement, shoulder length with thick curls; it looked like a river flowing down her back, different shades of blue mainly with hints of the white of whitecaps and the green of moss. If it weren't for the mutant abilities she posed, the woman could have easily have been a model; unfortunately for her she had those powers.
"Sir, I don't want to cause any trouble," she said firmly. The man didn't seem fazed by her threat and continued his charge. "Please," she said worried about the outcome. "I don't want to hurt you."
"You won't you damned mutant," he snarled still charging. With a saddened look on her face she lightly extended a hand towards the creek, she looked at him giving him one more change to stop. "Take your best shot," he challenged. The woman flung her hand quickly across her body and blinked a wave of water shot out from the river and hit the man side on, knocking him flat. The man was quickly on his feet and brandishing a wicked looking hunting knife.
"I don't want to fight. Why can't you people just accept us for who we are?"
"I am, you're a damned mutant and you deserve to die," he yelled charging at her. She leapt high into the air aided by her flight capabilities. With the grace of a gymnast she flipped over and landed on the other side of him. Without warning he turned and slashed at her with the knife. She could feel the white hot pain on her shoulder; she grabbed it and stumbled back, now acting on the defense. She glanced at the river only a second before a second, weaker, wave of water flew at the man. Unlike the first wave, it didn't knock him down at all. He stumbled a minute before slashing at her again, she danced away from it and leapt into the sky, hovering a few feet above him. Her good hand pointed at the knife in his hand and a stream of water wrapped around it and drug it into the river. A triumphant smile crossed her lips and she landed on the frozen ground.
"Now you're unarmed. I don't want to cause any harm." The man just snarled a few choice words at her and leapt at her, his hands encircling her neck cutting off her oxygen. The woman struggled violently against his grip, whenever she got the chance she would scream loudly and summon another wave of water. Within a minute she edges of her vision turned fuzzy, the last thing she saw was his face full of hatred, and then blackness.
Logan wasn't paying attention as he walked along the side of the road towards a small bar. He was too busy thinking about the answers he had found, or the lack there of. The base, just as professor Charles Xavier had said, was empty. He had scouted around some of the surrounding towns and had received cold shoulders and no answers.
"I give up," he said angrily. "I haven't found a damn thing!" He continued his walk, rage building in him. He hoped for a fight, he needed something to release his anger. He pounded his fists together and turned his head when he heard what seemed like a faint scream. He stopped and turned back to the direction the scream had come from. Within moments another, louder, scream was heard. Logan gave a slight smile and ran towards the river that flowed threw the town, in the direction of the scream. He stopped to see a middle-aged man throttling a blue-haired young woman who had all but given up fighting. Both of them were soaked to the bone from, what Logan assumed was river water.
"Get off her," he said walking up to the man. The man paid him no attention and went on throttling the woman and yelling slander at her.
"Why do you care about her," the man said finally to him. "She's a damned mutant bitch!"
"You just gave me a reason to kick your ass," Logan said. The man got up and stepped back from the woman, who had fallen unconscious, and turned to Logan pulling out another knife.
"You're a damned mutant lover aren't you," the man asked slashing the knife in the air in front of him.
"No," Logan said smiling. With a metallic sound his adamantium claws extended to their full length. "I am a mutant." He slashed at the knife and quickly cut it in half, the man stared at the knife for a moment before running off, obviously scared. Logan let a triumphant smile cross his lips, before the gasping of the woman brought his attention back to her. He quickly retracted his claws and got down on his knees next to the woman, raising her head slightly. She gasped painfully, and began to flail her hands in her panic. "Calm down babe," Logan said trying to dodge the hands. Her eyes slowly opened and focused on the rugged face in front of her, and a wave of water hit Logan knocking him sideways. The woman painfully got to her feet and turned to face him.
"Back for more," she said hoarsely. She reached up with her left hand and grasped her right shoulder, which was still bleeding, but still managed to send another spray of water towards Logan.
"No, I'm not here to hurt you." The woman studied him for a minute before dropping to her knees in pain. He rushed over to help her, only to be stopped by her outstretched hand.
"No," she said through clenched teeth. "I'm a mutant and if you help me in these parts you're likely to get hurt."
"I've already helped you," Logan said smiling a bit at the woman. She was younger than Jean; with an exotic look about her, especially her hair.
"Then I'm sorry for what they do to you." She slowly got back up to her feet again and brought a lighter spray of water onto her bad shoulder to ease the pain. "And I thank-you for helping me. You probably saved my life."
"Who attacked you?" She gave a bitter laugh as she looked at him for a moment.
"Those damned Friends of Humanity. They've started up in Canada now, there's no place for people like me." Logan opened his mouth to say that he himself was a mutant, but the look of disgust the woman had on her face told him that right now all she wanted to do was rant.
"Do you have a name?"
"Do you," she asked a bit more interested in her benefactor.
"Logan."
"Nixie, but whatever you want to call me is fine. I have many names," she said with a slight flirtatious smile. Logan raised an eyebrow at her, this woman was flirting with him; and he liked it.
"They just call me Logan, plain old Logan."
"Well Plain Logan," she said with a slight smile. "I have to tend to this shoulder. Perhaps we'll meet again." With that she leapt into the air and gracefully flew away.
"I hope so babe."
"Hurry up mutant," the bar owner said to Nixie. She stood in the center of the bar and continued to sweep out the remnants of that night's crowd. Nixie didn't sigh or say the sarcastic remark that floated around her head, she needed the money.
"Yes sir," she said pushing the dirt pile closer to the door. She reached to open it when it swung open, and a pair of boots landed right into the dirt pile.
"You damn girl," the owner said to Nixie. "I'm sorry sir," he said to the man who had stepped in. Nixie didn't even look up from the dirt until the boots had stepped off it and quickly pushed it out the door.
"We meet again," a voice said in her ear. Nixie turned to see Logan standing next to the door. "You work here?"
"I work wherever I can pick up a few dollars and make my life a bit easier. This job pays me five dollars, which is the price of a meal here." She shrugged and put the broom back in its place. "I've finished." The man glared at her for a minute and handed her five dollars.
"I suppose you'll use that money to buy food here," he said sticking his hand back out. Nixie put the money back in his palm and sat down at the newly cleaned bar to wait for her food. Logan pulled a barstool next to her and sat down, staring at her hair.
"Where do you live?" She gave a slight laugh before turning to face him, smiling.
"My, aren't we forward. I hardly know you Mister Logan." Logan listened carefully to her speech, unlike the others around her she had an well-educated sound to her voice.
"I'm just wondering where such a sarcastic woman lives."
"Well, I'm not sure yet. Do you have a place?" Now it was Logan's turn to laugh at her comment, this woman reminded him too much of himself. The bar owner came back with a small lunch sack and handed it to Nixie.
"There mutant, now you leave this bar. What can I get you sir," he asked Logan. Logan smiled slightly; these people had no idea that he was a mutant.
"How about a beer, and this woman's company until I'm finished," he said indicating Nixie. The bar owner glared at Nixie angrily for a few moments before going to get the beer.
"You're going to get yourself hurt," Nixie said warning him. "I don't want anyone getting hurt on my account." Logan just shrugged and drank the beer the bar owner handed him. Nixie took a few moments to peer into the bag and gave a faint smile, she was hungry and anything looked good to her right now. The two were too preoccupied with their own thoughts to notice the five men who had walked into the bar.
"There he is," the smaller one said pointing at Logan. Both Logan and Nixie swore softly for a moment as they recognized this morning's attacker. "And there she is, still alive." Logan paid for his drink before stepping slightly in front of Nixie, who was too busy looking for another way out. The bartender looked at the men and then to Nixie before smiling.
"You're going to get it," he said to Nixie. Nixie, tired of the way he had treated her, grabbed his head in her hands and slammed it down on the bar knocking him out.
"Shut-up old man," she said as he slumped to the floor. The other patrons in the bar turned to look at her as she stood up and faced the five men; visibly upset at the way she had been treated. "So, who wants to be next?" Logan put a restraining hand on her shoulder and gave her a look with his brown eyes.
"You're still injured from this morning's fight," he said softly. Nixie only glanced in his way before reaching for the broom.
"Step-up," she said unscrewing the broom head leaving just the wooden pole. She twirled it around for a minute before standing in a fighting pose. "I've had just enough of you people."
"You two get her, the rest of us will get the other mutant," the lead Friends of Humanity goon said. Nixie turned to look at Logan who shrugged, and extended his claws.
"Glad someone told me," she said turning to the two men who advanced towards her. She was about to strike when the cocking of a few shotguns stopped them; a few of the other late night patrons had brought out their guns to stop the fight.
"I don't want to clean up the mess," the bartender said. "Take it outside." He pulled the broom-handle from Nixie's hand and handed her the sack of food. There was a tense moment until the Friends of Humanity turned and walked out of the bar. Nixie dropped her hands and breathed in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "That means you two, get out!" Nixie turned to face him, anger blazing her in deep blue eyes.
"I hope your children turn into mutants, then you'll know how it feels." She turned and stalked out of the bar, Logan right behind her.
"I'll kill them first," the man said. Nixie spun around and pointed right at him for a moment, the faucet broke off as a flood of water hit the man. She laughed and hurried out into the dark, cold Canadian night.
"So, where do you live," Logan asked Nixie as they sat outside the bar.
"Like I said, if you're interested in going anywhere, it'll be your home. I'm a wanderer, ever since my talents started."
"I know how you feel, a lot of people do." She gave a small snort of disbelief before handing him a small package of food.
"Hungry," she asked pressing it into his hands. "I'm a vegetarian, it's a meat sandwich."
"For someone who works for food, I wouldn't be picky."
"It's a long story, I don't like causing harm to innocent animals. So you eat the sandwich, as part of my thankfulness."
"So what all can you do," Logan asked before taking a bite of the sandwich.
"The basic stuff: cleaning, lessons, a bit of cooking," she said with a mischievous grin on her face.
"I meant..."
"I know what you meant. I'm your basic run of the mill mutant. I have the talent of water manipulation, and flight capabilities. What about you, those wicked claws?"
"Actually, these came from some sort of experimentation. I heal rapidly."
"Oh," she said before staring at a very greasy container of fries. She shook her head and put a few in her mouth, grimacing at the taste.
"So where will you sleep tonight?" She turned giving him an amused look and shrugged.
"I saw an overpass a mile out of town. It's time to move on, I've outstayed my welcome in this town."
"Where will you go next?" She thought for a moment grasping her shoulders fighting off shivers.
"Maybe America, travel down to Florida where it's always warm. Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure."
"Why do you care so much about what I do," she said. She turned away suddenly, a bit disappointed in herself. "I'm sorry, it's just I've meet other mutants before; no one seems willing to help others."
"Not all mutants are alike, I think I know of a perfect place for you to go. I meet this great professor guy who teaches a school for mutants. You'd fit right in at that place, I could take you; I'm going back soon."
"No schools," Nixie said. "How young do you think I am? I'm twenty-two, way past school age."
"I still think you should at least see the place. It's in New York."
"That's not really near Florida."
"It's in America," Logan said. He turned to see her staring down the road lost in thought.
"And this professor, is he?"
"Everyone at the school is. Are you cold?" Nixie nodded and stood up to reach under the few stairs and pull out small backpack and an old jean jacket. Quickly, she pulled the jacket on and sat back down next to him.
"I'd like to meet more mutants, it's lonely sometimes; especially on the winter nights. What about you, you ever get lonely?" Logan nodded slightly, wondering where this conversation was going.
"I suppose I do, but I know I can go back to the school whenever I want too." Nixie nodded and stood up getting ready to leave, she turned to face him and looked him straight in the eyes.
"I'm going to go with you to this school. I'm warning you now, if this is a hoax you'll be sorry."
"This isn't a hoax, why don't we meet here tomorrow morning?" Nixie nodded and watched as he walked off. She picked up the small backpack and started walking back to where she had spent that past few nights in the town.
"I really like him," she thought out loud. "I just hope everything works out okay." She continued her monologue all the way to the overpass and went to sit by the river. "You know what water," she said to the gently flowing river. "Sometimes, I wonder if relationships between a mutant and another mutant are as hectic as non-mutant relationships. What do you think?" She sat by the river thinking for another few hours before slowly drifting off asleep under the safety of the overpass and the promise of a better life.
END OF CHAPTER 1 - PART 1
So, what did you think of the story? How about making a New Year resolution to read and review Agent Hotpant's stories? There's never a better time to start!
Stay Tuned for Chapter 2!!