"go Wolverine!" cyclopes yelled over the battle as he shot another beam of energy at the newest prototype of a sentinel. It was better equipped and faster than the old ones.
"with pleasure." Wolverine growled back as he brought out his claws and launched himself at the sentinel. The sentinels thinking and calculating abilities must have also been improved. the robot turned its attention from Storm who was pelting him with lightning and wind to Wolverine who was now slashing angrily at his legs. In a flash the sentinel had smashed a huge hand into wolverine's side and had shot a beam of energy at the same time.
"GAH!" Wolverine cried in pain as he was sent flying into a neighboring building that was thankfully empty at this time of night. In a cloud of dust the entire building having it support wall taken out collapsed on top of wolverine burying him in rubble.
"wolverine!" Rouge yelled to her fallen companion as the sentinel didn't seem to think that what it did was enough to kill the fallen X-men and began firing off energy beams from its eyes at the place where wolverine was buried in the rubble. the robot had shot off about 10 blast at the rubble till Gambit finally drew its attention away from the charred area and back on him and the others. Rouge flew in landing a few good punches and kicks in before being swatted at by the gigantic hand. Jubilee fired off her pyrotechnics at the sentinel.
"Cyclopes now!" yelled storm as he finally got a clear shot that would sever the sentinels head in one shot. Everyone backed away from the robot as Cyclopes shot his beam. And the head of the robot was sent tumbling to the ground wires and gears sparked and whirred as it went offline. Storm and Rouge flew over to the building Wolverine had crashed into and searched the rubble for him.
"I can't find him!" rouge called over her shoulder as she continued to search.
"neither can I!" Storm reported but still did not give up the search.
"you don't think that attack could have killed him could you?" Jubilee asked her leader as he came over to help search.
"don't worry Pretty Wolverine has come back from worse." Gambit assured her as he kept out of the way of the others.
"where could he be?" Cyclopes muttered getting worried normally the ladder would have gotten to his feet by now and had started muttering a stream of curses at the sentinel. The sound of approaching helicopters and police cars signaled that it was time for the X-men to depart so not to get blamed even more for being dangerous.
"We can't leave him!" Jubilee argued stamping her foot to prove her point.
"look I don't like leaving him ether. But we can't stay here right now. Wolverine can take care of himself. We'll come back and find him when things die down a little. I promise!" Cyclopes promised as he rushed by her as he grabbed her upper arm and dragged her toward the jet. Rouge and storm gave one last longing look at the pile of rubble hoping that their comrade would emerge from it. But their hopes died away as there was no change in the rubble. So they flew after the others to the jet.
Meanwhile below the surface of the city a young girl around the age of 10 walked along the pipes and water of the sewer system. Her white wings were folded loosely against her back as she swung her arms and hummed a merry tune. She was on a mission to find stuff to make the fire burn back at base.
"Garpth will be happy if Ayala brings back stuff for the fire!" the girl, Ayala, said aloud to herself as she walked along. Her tail swung to the tune of her made up song and curled at the tip with happiness. Ayala and her older brother Garpth had found an old abandoned subway crossing about a week ago and decided to stay there till they needed to move on. They never stayed long in one place in fear that the School or the House would find them. Ayala stopped in her merriment as her cat ear that where on top of her head moved around. There were strange sounds coming from the surface. Ayala's ears perked straight up signaling that the sounds were directly above her. Yelping she jumped away and landed on a pipe behind her as the ceiling above her caved in as dust and rubble crashed to the ground around her. Something else fell down as well with a grunt that was human sounding. Ayala stayed where she was frozen waiting for the body to move but it didn't. Her tail lashed behind her for balance as she slinked along the pipe so she could get a better look at the thing that fell. Her cat ears lay flat against her head and her tail fluffed up making it look bigger than it was. The body shifted and groaned again but didn't get up. Her cat instincts made her hiss at the body and she watched it for a few moments looking for danger keeping alert for anything. Nothing changed for over a minute. She slowly crept down from her perch on the pipe her wings spread out to make her look bigger than she was. The body in the rubble was in a costume of sorts yellow and blue with a black mask. She stood up and walked closer but her tail continued to lash back and forth. Ayala closed her eyes and focused on the person in front of her she looked into his mind to see if he wanted to harm her and her brother are not. Seeing no bad intentions she exited his mind. She examined him closer to see his body was badly beaten.
"hey you ok?" she asked slowly. The man didn't reply. Her heart went out to him with his injuries. She thought for a moment.
"I guess I could take him back to brother. Then once he's healed we can put him back on the surface." Smiling Ayala curled her tail around her waist and folded her wings. Reaching she took the man's arm and lifting him up with difficulty.
"your heavy." She strained as she pulled him onto her back and began trudging back toward where Garpth had set up base in the subway crossing.
(Garpth I'm on my way back) Ayala informed her bother through their mind link. She felt worry and concern coming from her bothers side.
(what was that crash?) her brother asked
(someone fell from above but he's badly injured I'm bringing him back with me.) she replied she felt unease from him but he knew she wouldn't let anyone bad come back with her so he let it go. She continued on her way amazed at how long it was taking but it didn't help that she had dead weight on her back. Once she reached the opening that lead to the crossing her brother was there in an instant and helped her with the man on her back. He pulled the man's arm over his shoulder and put and arm around the man's waist and helped him toward the fire where there was a mat waiting for him.
(go get some blankets for him okay?) her bother thought to her gently as he groaned under the man's weight.
Garpth figured that being 17 he had enough strength to help this man Ayala brought back to the mat he had prepared for him. God was he wrong. The man weighed a freaken ton. Ayala scuttled off to find more blankets amongst their stash. With another groan Garpth managed to get the man over to the mat and laid him on his back. Checking him over the man looked beaten but didn't look all too bad so he would live.
"here brother!" Ayala called out as she came back with an armful of blankets.
"thanks." Garpth took the blankets and put on top of the man. Ayala scooted closer to get a better look at the man before Garpth put the blanket over his chest so his badly damaged chest wouldn't show.
"hey his chest looks better than it did when I first found him." Ayala commented with a puzzled look on her face.
"really? Do you think he's like us?" Garpth asked as he places the blankets on him to keep the man warm. Garpth got up and rummaged around in the garbage around the room and found object that could burn and placed it on the fire as it flared up.
"what happened to him?" Garpth called over his shoulder to his sister who sat watching the man her tail curling around behind her.
"he fell through the ceiling after some strange sounds came from above." She reported. Puzzled Garpth went to his bag and grabbed 2 granola bars and handed one to his sister as he sat cross legged next to the man. Ayala crawled into Garpth lap and munched on her granola bar as they watched the man. Unfolding his pitch black wings he brought them forward so they wrapped around his body and covered Ayala keeping them warm since the man had all their blankets. Garpths tail curled around his sister's waist out of habit. His cat ears twitched forward as the man's face twisted in pain and he rolled over to his side and curled into the fetal position. Blinking in confusion both the winged kids watched as the man gasped and groaned in pain for a few moments more before falling silent.
"what happened?" Ayala asked curiously watching him. Garpth shrugged his shoulders and plucked his sister off his lap and placed her on the ground beside him. folding his wings he inched forward and rolled the man back onto his back and noticed that his injuries were gone there was nothing there. Ayala inched forward with him and also looked the man over.
"hm his wound are completely healed. He must have speed healing." Garpth concluded as notice the man twitch and groan again.
"I think he's waking up!" Ayala said happily from beside him as she watch the man's eyes flutter. The man blinked once and looked around his eyes glassed over unfocused. Something buzzed in Garpths head as the man bolted upright claws coming out of his knuckles. The man was on his feet in anger and confusion. In an instant Garpth had pulled Ayala behind him because he tail was still wrapped around her waist. He yanked her behind him and he spread his wings and crouched down his eyes flashed from white to green and his sight changed to night vision. His cat ears lay back against his head and he snarled and spread his wings out to their fullest obscuring the man's view of Ayala. Ayala cowered behind him.
"where the hell am i?" the man demanded. Garpth didn't reply and slowly began to back away not wanting to fight a man who had metal claws extending from his knuckles. The man's eyes lost their glassiness and became more focused.
"y-your just kids." The man relaxed and his claws retracted into his hands again.
"yeah what about it. Who wants to know?" Garpth shot back not wanting to trust this strange man.
"your sharp. Sorry lets just calm down." The man put his hands up in a calming gesture and straightened up and back up. Garpth watched him for another moment before straightening up but kept his guard up.
(whats he going to do?)Ayala asked in Garpth's mind the feeling of being scared leaked into his mind and he sent her calming thoughts.
(I don't think he will hurt us he was just surprised and confused.) Garpth replied.
"I'm Garpth and who are you?" Garpth asked slowly.
"wolverine." The man Wolverine replied as he looked them over. Garpth nodded.
"look sorry for scaring you kid I ain't going to hurt you." wolverine assured him.
Wolverine blinked everything was dark. He remembered that damn sentinel hit him and he landed inside the building then everything went black. Everything was fuzzy and the pain from his healing still tingled a little. To his right were 2 blobs they weren't anyone he knew. Wolverine shot up and jumped away claws out ready for an attack. But it never came as his eyes finally focused to the darkness. He noticed a kid around 17 standing infront of him ready for him to attack and he had cat ear that lay back on his head and he had wings that were spread out to make himself took threatening.
"y-your just kids." Wolverine said surprised normally he ran into other people trying to kill him.
"yeah what about it who wants to know?" the boy shot back. Wolverine smiled at the bite to his words.
"your sharp. Sorry Lets just calm down." Wolverine didn't want to have to fight these kids. He retracted his claws and put his hand up showing he meant no harm to them and straightened up. The boy hesitated for a moment then straightened up as well from his crouched position and looked Wolverine straight in the eye.
"I'm Garpth and who are you?" the kid Garpth asked. Wolverine couldn't see the kid's features much but the kid had wings and cat ears and pure white hair. The kid was a mutant just like Wolverine.
"wolverine." He answered gruffly
" look sorry I scared you but I ain't going to hurt you." the boy still looked unconvinced and lowered his guard his wings folded against his back again and he walked into the light of the fire so Wolverine could see him better. The kid had white hair and black cat ears and tail that stood out oddly with the white hair. The kids tail unwrapped from something behind him. out from behind him stepped a little girl with white hair white wings and white cat ears and tail. She clutched onto Garpth's side.
"this is my sister Ayala." The boy said simply as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder to calm her as she watched Wolverine with a nervous look. she blinked at him and waved to him. Wolverine nodded back. His mind was on overdrive why were there mutants hiding down here in the sewer? Didn't they have parents. He knew the mutant control was finding some mutants but not a lot. so why were they hiding? things weren't that bad. The boy walked closer and sat down by the fire and warmed himself.
"sit if you wish." The boy motioned to the other side of the fire where what looked like center blocks were lined together to mimic a bench. Wolverine raised an eyebrow at the easygoingness of the boy but took the boy's offer and sat down.
"your not human are you?" the girl asked blinking up at him with big eyes.
"what gave me away?" Wolverine smirked. The girl Ayala giggled and sat in her brothers lap her tail in her lap as it curled at the tip.
"what are you?" Garpth asked not looking up from the fire.
"I'm a mutant like you." wolverine answered. Both the kids looked up this time with confused looks on their faces.
"mutants?" the girl cocked her head to one side.
"yeah freaks, people who are different from the rest." Wolverine explained wondering why they were so confused. The girl just shrugged but a shadow fell across the boys face he muttered something under his breath.
Garpth understood why they were made experiments back at the Sunderlies. Because they were different, freaks. But why go to such lengths to…. Garpth shook his head and looked at Wolverine again.
"are you hungry? we don't have much here but I can go get some." Garpth watched him waiting for him to reply. Wolverine was silent but nodded. Wolverine reminded Garpth of Meket their other brother.
"Really?" Ayala turned to look at Garpth with sparkles in her eyes and a bright smile. Garpth laughed and ruffled her white locks.
"have I ever lied to you?" Garpth chuckled and got up spreading his majestic black wings and waved goodbye to his sister and nodded his farewell to Wolverine before giving a great beat of his wings and flying off into the pipes. As the light from the fire disappeared behind him Garpth blinked as his eyes changed from white to green. Everything came into perfect view. When his eyes were neon green he had night vision. Looking ahead of him he noticed the end of the sewer tunnel was coming. With another great stroke of his wings he burst into the clean night air. Taking deep breaths he shot up into the sky letting the night air fill his wings. Flying like this made things feel better it almost made him thing that they weren't in such a bad situation. With a slight adjustment of his wings he sailed toward the downtown part of the city where there were slums and alleys. Garpth wished he didn't have to get food from the trash but that's all they could get. They had no money and they agreed not to steal from people so it was the best he could do. Blinking again his eyes turned red which meant he switched his sight to infrared. Not seeing any people down there from his height in the sky or anyone around that could be a threat. Garpth angled himself downward and shot down into that nearby alley. The alley was next to a fast food place that always had good food they threw away for no reason. Also they always put fresh trash out around now. Switching back to his night vision he found a new bag of trash. He opened it and ruffled through it till he found 5 uneaten hamburgers and some half eaten salads still in their containers. Checking to make sure that it was all still fresh he stuffed it into his backpack then took to the skies again. He glided back over the city heading toward the park where they had water fountains. Checking the area around the part he landed in a tree and folded his wings and curled his tail around his waist and pulled his shirt over the top of his tail hiding it from sight. Going into his backpack he pulled out a ball cap and placed it on his head to hide his ears. Then he pulled out a leather jacket that did have slots cut in the back for his wings but they were unnoticeable in the dark. So folding his wings tight against his back he put the jacket over top hiding his wings. Finally he looked human he jumped down from the tree to the sidewalk below him and began to run toward the fountains making it look like he was a late night jogger. A human nodded to him as he jogged by. He nodded back with a smile happy that some humans were so easy to fool. Coming to the first water fountain he pulled 2 plastic water bottles out of his backpack and filled them both up. He then continued jogging down the path to another fountain and filled up 2 more water bottles. His quest complete Garpth headed into the forest and did a 360 checking the area and skies for trouble then climbed a tree and jumped into the air. His wings snapped out and caught a gust of wind that took him high into the air. This city that they were in was so nice he hated to leave it. With a sigh he angled himself back toward the subway crossing underground. He landed at the entrance of the large pipe that led to the crossing.
(ayala I'm back) he thought to her so she didn't get scared when he came out of the darkness. Checking once again behind him to make sure he wasn't followed he entered the pipe.
Wolverine was busy thinking before he really could really understand what the kid had asked. Before he could object the kid had launched into the air and had disappeared into the tunnel.
"where's he going?"wolverine asked confused.
"he's going to hunt for food." Ayala replied simply.
"hunting?"
"well he doesn't hunt exactly he hunts around in the allies for food." She clarified. Wolverine was repulsed to think that these kids were eating out of dumpster in an alley. The girl saw his repulsed look and laughed out right at him. he growled at her making her quiet down.
"don't worry Garpth always gets good stuff." Ayala assured him. wolverine snorted she probably thought that the food she would eat was good because she never had real, real food.
"why are you kids here anyway." The girl looked up at him and opened her mouth to say something but shook her head decided against it and looked away with a sad look. She pulled the sleeves down on her long sleeve turtle neck shirts and pulled down her pants legs of her jeans further.
"why are you a mutant?" the girl ask surprisingly
"you could say that." Wolverine told her as he got up and stretched Ayala looked at him in shock.
"just like us." She whispered barely audible. Wolverine caught it but didn't push the subject seeing the sad look on her face. Her face broke into a smile after a moment as she looked toward the tunnel entrance.
"Garpth!" she ran toward the entrance of the tunnel and hugged the boy as he entered the crossing. His face held a fake smile. So he was putting on a fascade for the girl huh?
"hope you're hungry." He announced as he walked back toward the fire. He pulled off the pack on his back and produced some hamburgers. Wolverine walked over and was offered one. With a sniff Wolverine could tell it was still fresh. He shook his head and pushed the offering away. The kid sent him a confused look but understood and gave one to his sister. She opened it and munched on it happily. The boy took out a bottle of water to him which this time he took. Wolverine walked around and sat at his spot on the other edge of the fire and watched the kids eat. They ate quickly like they hadn't eaten in days. And well by the look of them he could tell that perhaps they didnt. They were so thin, thinner than Jubilee if that was even possible. They finished off their hamburger and drank their water. After they were finished they said a prayer thanking the god for letting them eat that night.
"you kids sure are weird." Wolverine commented. Garpth smiled at him sadly before picking up his sister.
"hey what are you doing!" she protested.
"bed time you little lump." The informed her as he tucked her under his arm.
"no I'm not sleepy!" she yelled back as she pounded on his back but it did little good. Seeing this Wolverine laughed and laughed cluching his sides as he did.
"too bad." Garpth shot back as he placed her on an old mattress against the wall and covered her in several layers of blankets. He brushed the bangs out of her face and placed a kiss on her dirty forehead.
"good night Ayala." He said gently as he straightened up. Ayala huffed but smiled and slowly nodded off. And in moments she was fast asleep nestled in the blankets.
Ok guys here is the next story I'm during. Did you like it? I'm sorry if Wolverine is a little OOC. I don't really watch or read the x-men too much. But I tried to stay into character as much as I could. But this is going to be a bit of a light WolverineXoc. So tell me what you think about it before you kill me. I don't own anything. But read and Review!