This takes place for Laura at the beginning-ish of the Logan Legacy #2 (which takes place after the All-New X-Men arc in the ultimate universe). For people not really reading comics, that means wolverine is dead, and Laura isn't taking it well, so she went off to find herself. There's lots of direct references to various comics in this chapter, but that likely won't be the case going forward, so if that is off-putting just hang on!
This is completely unbeta'd, so all blame for how clunky this chapter is goes to me.
Laura Kinney was never a "normal" person. She had been created as a clone for Weapon X. The man she was a clone of was a sometimes-leader of the X-men. She had metal bonded to claws in her hands and feet at age 7. She was an assassin at age 12. Then she joined the X-men at some point after. She was a student of the Jean Grey School, a student of the New Charles Xavier School, and a student of the Avenger's Academy. She was a member of the X-Force Strike Team. She had been a member of numerous different X-Men teams. And she had run off on her own.
It was not questioned why she had left. Living with her X-Men team in the abandoned Weapon X facility, Laura was still mourning and they all knew that. But they had expected her to come back. She was planning to (someday) come back. But it seemed fate had other plans.
Laura knew that to travel on her own in the way she was hoping to would require fake documentation. So she got the documents in a bar near the border before she left Canada. A fake name, saying she's just a college age girl from California (New York would have been better, but new york has different levels of suspicion)
Soon she was just traveling calmly past the border down into the US. Traveling aimlessly through the midwest. She soon ditched the car she was using (stolen) for a motorcycle she found (really stolen). And wasn't long before she found a mutant community.
It appeared when she was traveling through somewhere in the midwest? The community itself resided in what looked like a rural farming community. But in reality, it was an eclectic collection of runaways, especially ones which extremely physical mutations. Laura immediately thought of the Morlocks.
The group adopted her very quickly. She didn't ask her mutation, and she felt no need to show her claws. That was, until she tried to leave.
In the few days she was present in the community, Laura had been widely accepted. She helped in the community kitchen and soon gained a few friends. One of these new friends was Nina, one of the members of the leadership council. Nina's mutation gave her control over the physical appearances of other people. Laura had asked Nina to change herself- and she did. Laura's toed muscles were hidden under softer layers of fat. Her hair was not curly, with one blue and one yellow streak. For the first time in her life, Laura had curves- wider hips, bigger breasts, larger waist. Body-wise, she couldn't be recognized as any sort of assassin. Instead, she looked like one of the girls Laura had seen hanging around new york with fake glasses and a Starbucks. But she was hidden- it may have been within her own skin, but she was hidden.
But after two weeks, Laura was ready to move on. After everyone went to bed, she gathered her few belonging into a backpack and headed out. When she approached the edge of the almost-town, Laura saw figures waiting for her. But when she got close, she recognized the figures. It was the 3 members of the leadership council. Nina stood with her hand on the last figure's shoulder- a young girl around the age of 7 or 8.
It was nina that spoke first. "Laura. The council has declared- always declared- that none may leave here. We cannot allow the knowledge to authorities, human or otherwise." Laura responded by allowing her claws to extend from her knuckles, the metal coating catching the light.
One of the other figures shook their head. "Now we can't let you leave, but we really can't let you stay here. You're one of the X-Men. There's no way you wouldn't tell them about us and there's no way you'd ever stay against your will."
Nina give a smile that reminded Laura strongly of her sort-of brother Daken. "Well it looks like we'll have to deal with you our way. Mia?" Nina looked down at the little girl. "Are you ready?"
The little girl-Mia- nodded her head. "Yep. See the numbers, grab a number, throw the number."
Nina patted her shoulder. "That's right. Do you have a number ready?"
Mia gave a little smile. "Yup! It's a big one, with lots of nines."
Laura took a step forward. Then Mia began to glow. The air around Laura grew cold. Mia threw her hands forward. And Laura's vision shot to black. But she wasn't unconscious. What was happening?
When Laura's vision came back, she found herself sitting in a field. Her bag was-thankfully-still on her back. And the bag still had the fake documentation she gotten back in Canada.
So she walked. And walked. And walked. Until she found a road. Then she hitchhiked to the nearest town. Where she found a library. Where she found a computer and googled X-Men. And found no results.
Laura's hands almost shook as they dropped from the keyboard. Regaining confidence, she googled Charles Xavier. And almost nothing. He existed though, and that was almost enough. But the Xavier Institute didn't.
She googled the avengers. Nothing.
Tony Stark. Only a drunk billionaire.
Thor. Apparently hadn't hit earth yet.
Hank Pym. Just an old scientist-much older than she remembered.
Captain America. He existed. A legend. But had been missing in action.
Laura let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She was in another universe. Again. She had no way of getting back- the mutant who sent her over wouldn't have her powers in this universe. Because the reality she was in didn't have mutants. They didn't have heroes at all- yet.
But it was the one world where she might have a chance to start over. To have a regular, human life. No killing, no being forced into anything. To make herself who she wanted to be.
Laura pulled out the fake documentation in her backpack and looked closely at the name on the passport.
Darcy Lewis.
She could become Darcy Lewis. Darcy Lewis would be open and welcoming. Darcy Lewis would be confident and take complete control of her life. Darcy Lewis would have friends who liked her and have people who wished they were her. Darcy Lewis would never let anyone pity her. Darcy Lewis would be everything Laura Kinney could never be.
