Hellooo. (: This is a story I've had the hugest urge to write, I hope it amazes you. And I also hope I don't abandon it like my other lonely little X-Men fic... :D
Dis to the claim to the er: I do not own the X-Men movies. Really. I keep offering them money, but they just won't accept it.
Chapter 1: Awake
Images swirled around me at a million miles an hour, creating an infinite cylinder with a rainbow of colors. I didn't feel dizzy, but everything was hazy and distorted. The cylinder began to slow until one scene was spread out around me. It was a ballroom, filled with classical music played by a small band in the corner, and hundreds of dancing people, all in rhythm of a slow waltz. I realized I was dancing, too. A man had his hand in mine, leading me expertly in a dance I didn't know I knew. This would have been all well and good except for the fact that he didn't have a face. Instead, it was a blur that I couldn't bring myself to focus on. Startled, I looked around for help. I was only met with more faceless people. I tried to jerk from the man's grip, but he squeezed my hand and waist tightly, causing me to yelp in pain.
"Let me go!" I demanded, feeling tears start to well up in my eyes. The man dragged me through the waltz, ignoring my stumbling feet.
"I love you..." The voice was alto and rich, and somehow familiar. The man without a face leaned toward me and I screamed. I struggled desperately against the man, trying to free myself so I could run.
"No!" I yelled at him, "Let me go!"
"Wake up, kid, it's alright. Wake up." The deep voice shattered my nightmare, pulling my terrified mind back into reality. Except...
"You alright?" the voice asked gruffly. My eyelids reluctantly slid open to reveal a man's face floating over my own. He had thick, dark facial hair and his brow was furrowed in an almost annoyed expression. Whatever did I do to him?
"I-" I coughed, willing my vocal chords to work. "My head..." It was throbbing uncomfortably, the pain focused sorely on the sides of my head. I reached up to rub my temples, trying to ease the hurt. Everything felt groggy and confusing, like I was stuck in a sort of fog. Something was off. I couldn't quite put my finger on it... and then it hit me. "Where... am I?"
The man cocked a brow at me. "New Jersey, kid. Late night last night?"
I sat up quickly, immediately regretting it as I felt a sudden rush and the room spun. I began to panic, a sweat broke across my brow. I scrambled mentally for memories. Any memories. I looked at the man, who had straightened and was gazing down upon me, looking like he wanted to be anywhere but here. Where was here? A dirty apartment bedroom lit only by a small lamp, the only furniture being the full sized bed I was lying on, the nightstand, and a set of drawers across the room. Why was I here? But more importantly...
"Please," I choked, knowing I sounded and looked ridiculous as tears flooded my eyes. "I don't know who I am."
The stranger knelt down beside me, his features easing into a careful expression rather than an annoyed one. He looked distrustful, yet concerned. He looked like he wasn't sure what to make of me. "What's your name, kid?"
"I-I don't kn-know," I gasped, trying to stop the wracking sobs erupting from my body. I wiped the tears quickly as I came, somehow still finding a way to be completely embarrassed in this dire situation. Who am I?
"Look at me." I obeyed, turning to peer into his dark eyes. "My name is Logan," he informed me carefully, awkwardly. "Do you remember anything at all?"
I just shook my head, burying my face in my hands. I felt a hand placed gently on my back and the man – Logan – sat quietly next to me, waiting for me to calm down. "It'll be okay, kid," came his deep voice. It rang straight through to my bones, and my sobs slowed, eventually stopping altogether. I took deep breaths, desperately trying to calm down. I couldn't bring myself to speak as Logan fidgeted, looking unsure. Something crinkled beneath him. Curiously, he reached under the blanket he was sitting on and pulled out a small, torn piece of paper. I glimpsed what it said as he held it.
Olivia, I'm sorry.
Logan clenched his fist, reducing the paper to a ball. "So someone did this to you," he growled, his face contorted slightly with anger.
"My name..." I laid a finger on his large, closed fist and he opened it, allowing me to take the paper ball. I folded it back out carefully and stared at the first word written. "It's Olivia, isn't it?"
Logan said nothing, just stared at me with a kind of faraway look in his eyes. I looked back down at the short note, and suddenly I felt angry, betrayed. "I don't forgive you," I whispered furiously to the person and crumbled the paper again, throwing it across the room and not bothering to look where it fell.
"This is so frustrating!" I shouted and Logan flinched, probably not expecting it. I maneuvered around him, hastily getting to my feet and practically falling onto my face as my legs decided to give out. Logan was there in a millisecond to catch me. My weakness only fueled my anger and I shook out of his hold to stalk across the room, gripping the wood of the drawers before I fell again. I stared at my white knuckles. "I can't remember a thing..."
I sensed Logan's presence behind me, and his heavy arm rested across my shoulders. "Come on," he urged, leading me through an open door a few feet away. It was the bathroom. He dragged me to think sink and pointed at the reflection in the mirror. "I think it's time for an introduction. This is you. Say hi."
In the mirror, I saw a woman with slightly wavy blond hair that flowed down past her shoulders and a small, curved nosed in the middle of a soft face. Her features were tainted with anger and hurt and slowly, the anger drained from her face until only hurt was left. This was me. How do I not remember me? I reached up to touch my face, convincing myself it really was me in that mirror. "Hi," I said quietly, watching my lips move. "I'm kind of pretty."
"A cocky one, eh?" Logan teased beside me. I looked over at his reflection, seeing broad shoulders and defined muscles I hadn't really noticed before.
"You're kind of pretty, too," I told him before I could stop myself and I blushed a deep red. He winked at me, smirking. "I – I mean... Ah, damn..." He chuckled deeply, making me blush harder.
"Let's go, kid." I took one last look at myself before Logan pulled me out of the bathroom. "I'll take you to Xavier's. Charles'll help you. I know you probably have a ton of questions, and I'll try to answer some, but I ain't gonna know all the answers, alright?"
"Alright," I agreed. I followed him out of the apartment, not paying much attention to my surroundings as I played with the hem of my shirt and bit my lip, trying hard not to start crying again. My mind felt so blank, so void. I could tell by my looks I was at least twenty-five, but it felt as if I came into existence merely thirty minutes ago. I didn't know exactly how to react.
Logan ushered me into a sleek, black car and we were off to wherever was taking me. Suddenly, I was panicking. Throughout this whole ordeal, I hadn't questioned Logan once about why he was there and what he planned to do with me. What if he was a sadistic murderer or rapist? Why did I get into the car with him? My breaths shortened until I was practically hyperventilating.
"You okay?" Logan glanced over at me cautiously. "Don't worry, darlin', I'm not gonna hurt ya. Trust me. I'm taking you somewhere safe."
His sincere expression convinced me to take a deep breath and calm down. I felt like I could trust him. After all, he was there to comfort me when I woke up. And anyway, what other choice do I have? I could only hope this 'Charles' could help me. "What is this place you were talking about anyways? 'Xavier's'?"
"It's a school and a kind of safe haven for mutants. They can stay and learn how to control their powers and all that. It'll be a good place for you."
My mind was absolutely reeling. "Mutants?"
"Oh, jeez..." Logan's tone implied that a realization dawned on him. "You don't know nothin' about anything do ya?"
I looked down, feeling a little stupid, but also annoyed. "You don't really expect me to when my mind's been wiped, do you?" I asked indignantly.
"Guess not," he sighed deeply. "Mutants are people who've evolved into something a bit past human. They all have unique powers, stuff like telepathy and walking through walls." Logan looked over at me in the dark cab of the car. "Gettin' me?"
"Yeah, I guess, but... Why am I going there? Am I...?"
"Yep. Chuck picked ya up on Cerebro and sent me come get you, said there was something off. Guess we know what it is now," he said uncomfortably.
I let my head fall onto the window, watching dark trees pass by quickly as Logan sped down the forest road. "I don't even know what my power is..." I suddenly looked over at him, curious. "Are you a mutant?" I studied his appearance and saw nothing particularly unusual about it, but who said mutants had to look different?
"Yeah," he replied. The next moment, long, metal claws slid out of between his knuckles, looking sharp and deadly. He retracted them and flexed his hands. "I heal, too." I watched as the slits his claws created closed right before my eyes.
I looked down at my hands, expecting something to happen, some power to emerge. It didn't. "I wonder what I can do."
Logan didn't reply, he just ran a hand through his dark hair, seeming troubled by something. "Well, I hope it's cool," I admitted. A deep chuckle filled the car, making me smile for the first time since I'd woken up. A comfortable silence then took over the next hour of the drive. I was absolutely bursting with questions, feeling so left out in the now, but I held them back, not wanting to overwhelm Logan. And there were many questions I had that no one but someone from my blank past would be able to answer. Frustration again started to seep in.
"Welcome to Mutant High," Logan announced as he pulled the car through iron gates leading to a very large mansion that I could barely see in the dark.
I gaped at the hugeness of the school and the fancy courtyard. "Wow." Logan parked the car at the entrance and led me inside, where I gaped some more at the sheer size and beauty.
"You get used to it," he chuckled. "Let's go see the Professor." He carefully laid a hand on the small of my back, sending little tingles up my spine. After a few minutes of walking through dark hallways, Logan stopped and opened a wooden panel in the wall, pushing me inside before following.
"Olivia, I presume?" An older man spoke from behind his desk. He was completely bald and, I noticed, in a wheelchair.
"Oh... yeah," I answered timidly. The name still wasn't very familiar to me.
"Please, have a seat." He gestured to a chair in front of the desk and I obliged. "Thank you for getting her, Logan."
Logan grunted in affirmation, seeming deep in thought. I wondered what he was thinking about exactly. I didn't have time to ponder though, as the Professor began to speak.
"I'm sure you know that I am Professor Xavier." When I nodded, he continued carefully, "I understand you have lost your memories?" At my confused expression he said, "Forgive me, I'm a telepath."
"It's alright," I assured him, though the idea of someone poking around in my head was less than appealing. "You're right though. I-I can't remember anything at all before I woke up." I stared down at my lap.
The Professor wheeled around until he was directly in front of me and then he reached for my temples. "May I?" I nodded reluctantly and his cool fingers rested on my skin as his eyes closed. Small tingles began where his fingers were and I sat uncomfortably for a few minutes, Logan still standing firmly beside me.
The Professor finally released my head. "I found nothing, dear. Whoever did this did a very good job." His gaze flicked to Logan, filled with concern, then back to me. "We will try to help you the best we can, Olivia. Consider this school your new home. Right now, I know you're hungry," he winked. He was right, I was ravenous. "So why don't you let Logan take you to the kitchen and show you to your room once your done eating. It was nice meeting you, and we shall have to talk again tomorrow about other matters."
I thanked him deeply as I left his office, Logan in the lead. For the first time in the couple hours I've been awake, I felt secure. These people would take care of me, and maybe the Professor could help me recover some memories. It all looked optimistic from here.
"How late is it?" I asked Logan as we walked to the kitchen. I had noticed the place was completely deserted.
"It's about two in the morning. Everyone's asleep. Except me and you." He looked over at me mischievously, and a weird feeling shot through me.
"And the Professor," I reminded him, smiling. He gave me a joking glare.
"Way to ruin it," he sighed and I laughed.
"Sorry I ruined your late night fantasy."
"It's okay, you just won't get to eat now," he told me, trying to keep a serious expression.
I pushed his shoulder, which surprisingly took a lot of effort. "Don't even joke about that, I'm so hungry right now."
Logan chuckled deeply as we walked into the kitchen. He fixed me two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and then watched me inhale them. "You weren't kidding," he laughed.
"Shut up." I blushed. He handed me a glass of milk and I drained it.
"I think it's your bedtime, kid." Logan pushed me out of the kitchen and took me up a flight of stairs.
"I'm definitely not a kid," I informed him indignantly.
"Whatever you say... kid." I scowled at him and he smirked. Why was he so attractive? He stopped at a large wooden door, opening it for me. "Here ya go. My room's there," he said, pointing to the door across from mine.
"Thanks, for everything." I looked up into his dark eyes. If he hadn't been there when I woke up, I don't know what I would've done. I really owed him.
Logan looked away awkwardly and then back at me. "You're welcome." He turned to go through his door, pausing to say, "Goodnight, Olivia." Then he disappeared into his room, seeming a little distant. I loved the sound of my name coming from him.
I went into my room, the door clicking softly shut. I whispered, "Goodnight, Logan."
I wasn't going to post this originally, but I wanted to see what people think. But I can't see what people think if they don't review. So in short, IF YOU DON'T REVIEW, THIS STORY WILL NOT BE UPDATED. EVER. NEVER. EVER. So yeah. Review.