Curiosity drives her towards the cheering crowd. Wasn't there some proverb about curiosity and an unfortunate cat? The cheers curdled demanding blood forcing the muscles in her stomach clench uncomfortably the shouts that threatening to burst her eardrums when the door opened. The smell of yeast, sweat, blood and the testosterone on parade filled her senses. That wasn't a dangerous combination, right? The hair on the back of her neck prickled mocking her. If it weren't for the fact that it was below zero in the snow, she wouldn't venture inside but her extremities were becoming numb from exposure. The stench was so potent she stopped breathing through her nose being a hand on the small of her back forcing her forward into the ravenous crowd. Images she'd seen of Hyenas had more self control than this lot.
There was no room to breathe let alone maneuver through the bodies. Amber liquid spat out across the neck of a fellow audience member next to her missing AJ by a fraction. The anger and adrenaline of the densely populated male horde washed over Angelina with the brush of skin to skin contact while the victim of the spitting turned on his offender. It was overwhelming and unwelcome. They were excited, filled with hate and pure venom. They wanted to see pain, death and chaos. AJ waited for her opportunity sliding under raised arms moving anywhere away from this spot.
In the center of the bar lied a caged arena where two men were fighting. A beefy hand belonging to the truck driver she hitched with found the small of her back once again, his touch leaving a distinct impression on her. One that she would gladly have erased from her memory but sadly it didn't work like that. She knew what he wanted. A tweak of genetics left her perminately stamped in her being with images and emotions that would sicken anyone. He increased the pressure steering her towards the fence encircling the opponents and keeping the feeding frenzy outside away . His muscular arm raised up beside her head and fingers lacing into the fencing of the arena, pinning her where he wanted her. Angelina leaned into the fence avoiding having him touch her but it was no use the bastard clinged to her like one of those fish on a shark. Once pinned by his weight his left hand abandoned the fence for her stomach. Bile rose in her throat his palm reaching under her clothing to touch her skin the small finger dipped into the rim of her ill fitting jeans. Why oh why couldn't she find someone her size? Instead she had to wear jeans that threatened to fall off her hips. Thick, jagged nails dragged across her bare and bruised stomach pulling her into him, wanting her to feel the ridge in his jeans.
"Don't get to excited without me candy pants." He whispered in her ear making the pain that already resides inside her increase.
It took everything that she had not to turn around and drop him to the ground. She contemplated the thought watching him make his way to a friend at the bar. It's not as though anyone here would stop her, she might even be able to make a few dollars with it. AJ's stomach sinks catching two men dragging the defeated opponent from the ring. She quickly dismissed the idea of revenge her eyes fallowing the blood trail back to the arena. Blood lightly splattered the dirt floor. This was barbaric.
Though the champion has his back to her she automatically began to size him up. It's a small habit of hers. Survival is high on her list. He is about six foot four and weighs somewhere between 230 and 300 pounds. From the defined muscles in his back and arms she assumes that he must do this often. As her eyes travel to his head, he turns. His intense dark brown eyes lock with hers. Angelina's breath catches in her throat. She knows this man. He was the first person that she ever saw outside of her prison. He was the first person in her life. The image of his dog tags flashes in her mind, Wolverine.
She cannot afford to be discovered, fear winning she quickly dropped her head letting the hood of her jacket help to hide her face. There's no way that he would remember her. It was so long ago. To her dismay Wolverine slowly folded his body his large hand and fingers lacing with hers on the fence, curiosity in his posture needing to get a better view of her face. Ok, maybe I was a bit presumptuous believing that he wouldn't recall our past. But when she tried to pull away his heightened reflexes surpass hers with swiftness and ease, his rough callous fingers wrapped tightly around hers, preventing her from fleeing. This isn't happening! He can't remember. If he does…fear preying on her nerves, Angelina wrenched her hand away disappearing into the violent crowd.
Angel's heart fractures at the thought of Wolverine fighting bare knuckled in a caged ring. When she left him alive in the snow a few years ago, she had hoped that he would be doing something better with his life. "Come on are you going to let him steal your money like this? Who is brave enough to take on the Wolverine? "Prods the announcer. The bloodthirsty crowd cheers in favor of another round. A large bald man stands form the crowd, ready to fight.
AJ bites her tongue crawling back into the cab of the big rig that she arrived at this hell hole in. The pain invading her body once again as if someone were trying to tare her into two, she closes the door resting her head against the seat. There was heavy snowfall. The bar has practically cleared out now. There wasn't much chance of her running now anyway. There are only two cars left in the lot. Both are older models that don't have the power to get over a dime much less snow covered mountains. There's a truck with a camper shell on it and a haul. The haul is carrying a motorcycle that was none the less Wolverine's, but its missing parts. Seeing as it belongs to the large well muscled man, and she didn't have a death wish at the moment, she couldn't "barrow" it. She glanced down at the bandage peeking out from the top of her jeans soaked in blood. I'm not going to last very much longer.
***
"Hey," Wolverine says setting down his beer on the bar top in front of the truck driver.
The bulky man gives him a side glance before returning his attention back to the mutant hearings that are being televised on national television starring Senator Kelly. Kelly hates and fears mutants and would call for their annihilation if it were possible. Calling for a bill that forces mutants to register mine as well be a gun to the head of every mutant alive.
"Where's that girl that you showed up here with?" Logan asks.
He didn't get a great look at her, but he is positive that it was the woman that has been haunting his mind since awoke in the snow with nothing but dog tags. Xavier was right about her heading here. Logan opened his mouth to ask again but someone tapped his shoulder.
***
"Hey, I came to get what you owe me. "AJ's mind flashes alarm in her heart at the scene playing out in her mind.
One of the men that Wolverine defeated is standing behind him. She can feel the anger flowing from him. Wolverine slides away from the trucker taking a seat at the edge of the bar sipping his beer attempting to maintain his calm. Get up girl, move! She wills herself. "I don't know what you're talking about. "He grumbles. The man leans into Wolverine his size larger than that of the man she knows. "I know what you are, mutant. No man walks away from a beating like that without a scratch to show for it." Wolverine sets down his mug, never showing any sign of concern. "You lost the match. If you don't leave now, you'll lose more than that." He warns. "Watch out! " Angelina yells as the man pulls switchblade on Wolverine. She leans over to pull the door handle, hoping that Wolverine heard her in his mind but before her hand can reach the handle it's yanked from her hand.
Wolverine spins around and pins him to the beam with two large blades that extend from his knuckles. A third extends slowly, controlled stopping short of the man's neck. It's just enough to make him squirm. The bartender cocks the shotgun and places it to Wolverine's head. "Leave now. We don't want you kind around here." Wolverine turns with ease and accurate speed, and slices the shotgun in half.
***
"No!" the feminine voice yells in his head forcing him to scan the room. He knows that it belongs to the woman, but she's not here. It's the same voice that warned him about the knife. Where are you?
***
He's on top of her before she can react moving more smoothly than she had expected. No! Not again. Fight! For someone of his weight the bastard moved quickly straddling her ripping AJ's jeans down her hips. Stretching for the leverage she needs Al wrenched her head back straining her arm for the only weapon she recognized. Dancing from the rearview mirror was a great white sharks tooth begging to be used she lunged towards it, the wound on her hip ripping open, flesh scraping against the bandage. Preoccupied with her jeans, he didn't see her wiggling as a threat missing the tips of her fingers wrapping around the jagged bone ripping the sharks tooth from the mirror ramming it into his shoulder. Stunned he backs off of her resting on his knees facing her. AJ drags her legs out kicking him in the face right out of the truck.
The mistake was smiling, it didn't last. His body tilting back he blindly swung his arms in front of him catching her ankle before she can make contact with his face again pulling. "No." She shrieks frantically gripping at the seats for something to hold onto. This is what happens when you get cocky. Yes. Her hand grips the seat belt only to have the cheap and worn material snap under the pressure, sending her plummeting against the bottom of the floor, then the oversized metal step outside the door. There was a cracking sound in her head when it made contact with the step leaving her in a fog.
"You fucking bitch!" he bellowed gripping fists full of her thick hair, dragging her along the snow into the tree line.
***
Wolverine sniffed the air copper carried on the cold wind. Heart in his throat he ran in the direction of the scent. Far off behind an embankment sits a rusted big rig with the passenger side door open. He could smell her now. The unique scent that belonged to her alone was laced with fear. He ran full tilt to find blood pooled on the step of the truck.
No! He narrowed his eyes against the snow fallowing the blood trail launching himself like an animal over the embankment of snow where the trucker had dragged the woman. He lands behind the trucker who is hunched over yelling.
"Get off of her!" He growls spinning the man around in his grip.
His eyes moved down to the girl lying in the snow shivering, partially dressed, clothes ripped and colored with blood. Animalistic urges spread through Logan saturating his pores. He wanted to kill the son of a bitch who hurt her. His fingers curled around the truckers clothing hand shaking with rage. The trucker swung but missed. Wolverine dropped him and returned the punch making contact where the fucker had failed. And he was out, sleeping in the snow.
There is something familiar and comforting about her. But he can't imagine ever forgetting those deep blue almond shaped eyes. The cursory examination her body he noted problems other than physical injuries. The black boots were tattered and the insulation was poor already pulling away from the outer layer. Her blue jeans are faded with holes in the knees, a couple of small ones on the top of her thighs, hips, and pockets. Blood had dyed the top of her jeans over her hip red. The holes look as though they're from wear and struggle rather than fashion. Now torn to shreds by the trucker. As if reading his mind she gripped the jeans tugging them up past her tiny black underwear trying to force the broken zipper up the button now gone and tugged nervously on the bottom of her shirt. She wasn't wearing thermals. Her black cotton shirt was too thin providing no warmth from the cold Canada weather. Blood began trickling down around her neck from the wound on her head but froze in the weather leaving her dusted with red snow. "I won't hurt you." He says softly holding his arms up to catch her if she falls. He recognizes something there in her eyes.
Stubbornness.
"Look, you have two options here." He replies when she doesn't fallow him.
What would he react to in a situation like this? He can't let her go, and he can't force her to come with him. He watches her over his shoulder pulling the keys for the truck out of his pocket. "You can come with me, or stay here in this rat hole." She shifts her weight from leg to leg and almost falls over.
She's cold and tired, she'll come.
"You actually have to think about this?" He groans shaking his dark head. "Good bye." he mumbles walking to his truck.
***
"Don't I get a chance to think about this?" She asks shrugging her shoulders against the cold wind that is picking up.
Glancing over his broad shoulder, "If you have to think that hard about it, no." He turns around lightly walking backwards now towards his vehicle.
***
AJ wipes the blood on her pant leg catching him turning around to face her but continually walking backwards to his truck. It was sweet in a way. What was she supposed to do? Sweet wasn't exactly known territory.
"I just had a traumatic experience…that's what they call it right?"
Logan dipped his head looking at her face, "Yes, but you're obviously managing if you are wavering on the opportunity for a free ride from your night in shinning armor."
***
A smile touches her pale face her pace halted, "Night in shinning armor?" She jests wrapping her arms around herself.
Logan takes a step forward finding it difficult not to strip out of his leather coat to give to her, but maintains his ground aware that she's not quite there yet. It was agony not being able to reach for her or hold her. Instead of obliging the foreign emotions he shoves his hands in his pockets lifting his shoulders and dipping his head a bit more to watch her face. "Well, yeah." The woman tentatively lifts her chin her right brow arched in question.
"I'm not that familiar with children's stories, but aren't the knights supposed to be valiant with strict codes of honor? Or something to that effect," she asked amused.
The smile on Logan's face widens taking another step towards her yet keeping him self reserved with his hands in his pockets. He just wanted to touch her with kindness, show her that it was going to be alright. Hold her until she stopped shivering. But she was skittish and he didn't want to have her run. He's waited so long to see her in flesh and blood.
"What are you trying to say?" He jests shrugging his shoulders a little looking vulnerable.
"Wasn't that you in there fighting for money?" Wolverine tilts his head from side to side taking another step towards her as if he knew that she needed him to meet her half way. "I never claimed to be conventional. I mean how many knights have their armor built in." he asks tapping his knuckles.
"I see your point." She says softly only a few feet from him now.
She wrinkles her tiny nose, her voice weak, "Convention is highly overrated." Logan laughs a deep, honest to god laugh that radiates from his chest, "Exactly." The tension visibly eases a bit from her shoulders, "Why not. I'm use to working around predators. What's another?" She jokes.
A smile lifts the corners of her freezing mouth as Wolverine gestures for her to hurry. Something that has become somewhat foreign to him over the years sparks inside him protecting her is all that matters. She lightly nudges his elbow with hers the smile contagious. She's made a man laugh that wasn't much of a laugher not to mention someone who concerned himself with others well being.
He'd die for her.