Author's Note: I own no one except Elena. Nesha is my friend's creation. Updates may be really spread out because I'm about to leave my internet access tomorrow. I'll still write even if I can't publish it. I'm sorry if this is inconvenient. I hate that I have such limited access. They won't let me on this site at school, so I can't do anything there either. I'll try my best to update quickly. Reviews are very welcome and encourage me to keep writing! I am much happier to write when I have fans! lol

Picture it, winter in Russia, 1938. Stalin was in power and causing plenty of strife, but he wasn't the worry of the locals of my little town. We had to deal with the roving bands of soldiers. My name is Elena Romanov. And unbeknownst to me, I am a mutant.

I was only 19 years old when I discovered I was unnatural. It wasn't a pretty sight when I did. My 15 year old sister, Nesha, and I were in town one day, shopping for family essentials and paying a visit to my boyfriend. It was very cold, so we were huddled in out coats and trying to stay out of the soldiers' way. Despite our attempts, we failed. A group of about 7 soldiers saw us and immediately approached us. "Well, well, well," one said. "Look what we have here! Come here, pretty ladies." What were we to do but resist? It earned me many slaps in the face and my sister as well. Her screams were enough to make my blood boil in rage. That was bad enough, but then, my boyfriend discovered us and tried to rescue us…alone. He was dead within moments. The soldiers left us bloodied and beaten in an alley, but their retreating backs sent me over the edge. I let out a fierce snarl and leapt up. I was scared to see that bones were protruding from between my knuckles, but I didn't let it faze me. An animalistic fury had leapt up within me, and it's bloodlust needed to be satisfied. As I ran at the soldiers, my sister screamed at me, but I did not listen. I used those bones to slit the throats of those men. I pinned one to the wall of a building before I killed him. He cried, "What are you?!" I growled and dug those knives into his chest. I was breathing hard, the cold air burning my lungs. I turned to look at my sister. She was staring in horror at her nails which had extended out to twice their normal length and sharpness. I heard more soldiers coming. They had heard the commotion and were coming to help. I ran over and grabbed my sister up by her shoulders.

"Nesha. Nesha! Come, we must go!" We ran down the alley together. As I looked at her, I noticed her busted lip slowly knit back together and the bruises on her face disappear. She too was staring at me presumably for the same reason. The pain was slowly going away in my face, but my chest burned with it. My love was laying slain in the street back there, but I couldn't go to him. I couldn't risk my sister's safety. And that angered me. Bitterness was welling up already. My shoulder-length black hair was dripping in blood and snow, and I was having trouble seeing through the rage in my hazel eyes.

"Elena," my sister cried when we had escaped. "Let's go home."

I looked down at the strange bones sticking out of my hands. With a flick, they retracted. Nessa watched and did the same with her nails. "We can't go home, Nesha. They will find us and it will put Mama and Papa in danger."

"Where can we go? We have no other family."

I racked my brain and was frustrated when I came up empty. I was supposed to be the big sister and have all the answers. Finally, something came to me. It was crazy and impulsive, but for some reason, that felt right to me. "Nesha, how do you feel about America?" I asked with a feral grin.

"America?" she gasped.

"There, no one can find us." I was beginning to feel sickened by the overpowering scent of the blood on me. It was filthy, just like the source. "Come, little sister. Look at us. We are strong now. Nothing can touch us. Do you smell that? The fear in the air. I can smell the very fear of the people."

She tested the air and nodded. "I smell it. It is horrid."

I closed my eyes and took a big whiff while shaking my head. "No…it enlightens me. I clears my mind." I opened my eyes again to see her nervous face looking up at me. She was the shortest in the family. At 5'5" she hardly compared to my 5'11". "Let's go, Nesha. We will start over in America."

"How will we afford tickets on a ship?"

I smirked. "We don't. We take what we want. Who can stop us? Look." I ran over and grabbed a sharp stone off the ground. I took it and sliced through my arm. The cut healed itself in a matter of seconds. "Nothing can hurt us permanently, now." She still seemed undecided. "Nesha, we are sisters, and sisters stick together. Come with me." She finally nodded.

Needless to say, we had to sneak on a ship. Thankfully, no one was killed in the process…just threatened. My new weapons appeared very useful and persuasive. On the long journey over the sea, we discovered the many abilities we had gained. Our incisors grew out, longer and sharper than before. Our senses of hearing and smelling and sight were unrivaled by even the most healthy. I was superhumanly fast. She did not appear to be quite so fast. That was one of the only places we differed besides the location of our claws. We had both been strong from the work we had done around our home, but we found ourselves stronger than before, and more temperamental. Some of the smallest things set us off. We often found ourselves scrabbling on the lower decks over stupid little things, but it felt good. I had trained myself not to smart off to anyone, but I felt so free that almost everything I said was sarcastic and mean.

Upon our arrival in America, New York City to be exact, we learned of the war that was starting. Many of our earlier senses of decency and delicacy were gone, and there was a constant bloodlust within us. We heard that they were recruiting for their American Army, and we could hardly wait. I wanted revenge for the loss of my Peter. I wanted to kill all the terrible people in the world and this was a good place to find some. We watched the recruitment office for days, waiting for a chance to get in. But no women were allowed. One day, I sniffed the air and smelled something familiar. I couldn't place it. I traced it into and alley and started down it. "Elena?" Nesha whispered. "Maybe you shouldn't…"

"Shh!" I went farther into the shadows. My heightened sense of hearing caught the whisper of a breath a little farther ahead. The stench of rotting things in the alley made it impossible for me to distinguish what it was I was smelling that was familiar. I walked a few steps deeper and in a rush of wind and growls, I found myself smashed against the wall with a man's hand clamped around my throat. I ripped out my claws and slashed at his arms. He dropped me and I spun, baring me teeth at him, preparing to strike. I was shocked to find him a similar state. I didn't take the time to marvel at it. I did notice that his nails looked just like Nesha's before I leaped at him, snarling. I dug my claws into his chest. He staggered back, but his own claws were tearing into my back. My sister came running from the alley entrance.

"Elena!! Stop!"

A man came running from the other side. "Victor! Leave them alone!"

The man I was fighting with froze, his fist inches away from my face. I took his hesitation and head butted him. He let out a growl of rage and tried to gouge my eyes out. The other man reached him and yanked him off as Nesha came and pulled me away. I pulled against my sister's restraint, the desire for that man's blood on my hands stronger than anything I had ever felt. The feeling seemed to be mutual. We all stood there, staring at each other.

Finally, the civil man asked, "Who are you?"

Nesha, still holding me back, answered, "My name is Nesha Romanov. This is my older sister, Elena."

I whipped around and growled, "Don't give away information so freely, sister! We don't know these…men," I said with a disgusted glance at them.

"Hence we are introducing ourselves," she said calmly. I made a face at her then turned to look at my attacker and the other man. My attacker had calmed a bit as well, but he still glared at me as if he would want nothing more than to sink his teeth in my neck. I glared right back. Nesha took a small step forward. "Who are you?"

"My name is Logan," the calm one said. "This is my older brother, Victor. I'm sorry he bothered you. He insisted on coming down this alley."

"And obviously for a good reason," Victor muttered.

"You call this a good reason?"

"Look at them, Jimmy. They're like us." His nails extended again and he smiled, showing us his sharp, long canines. Nesha, amazed, extended hers as well. Logan reluctantly extended his claws, but he did not have the teeth. My claws were still out, so we all just stood there, staring.

Nesha whispered, "I didn't know there were others."

"What, did you think you were all alone in the world?" Victor asked. "Not so special after all, huh?" I growled quietly. He just seemed amused.

Logan asked, "What are you doing in this alley?"

I answered, "Tracking something. It smelled familiar, but I couldn't place it." I sniffed one of the scratches that were just healing and found the scent stronger there. It was a musky smell. Male. Apparently is was Victor. "I think it was him," I said, pointing at Victor.

"He smells familiar?" Nesha asked.

"Not exactly. It's probably because we're…whatever we are."

"Ferals," Victor added in.

"What's a feral exactly?"

"A type of mutant. One who has animalistic qualities."

"Mutant?"

"What, are you deaf? Yes, mutant."

I was having a very hard time fighting down my dislike for this man. He was too much like me. I guess the whole, opposites attract is true. Tired of just standing around staring, I said, "Well, we were kind of busy before you happened along, and I think we need to get back to it."

Victor chuckled. "And just what were you doing, my charming lady?"

"None of your concern!" I cried, while trying to ignore the smell of him radiating off my body. It was primal, and I liked it.

"Do you need help?" Logan asked. Victor and I said no and Nesha said yes at the same time. Logan smiled and said, "Great! Let me show you around." He offered an arm to Nesha and she took it, grinning. They took off down the alley together leaving me and Victor standing alone.

"Great," I grumbled. "Just great." I spun and took off after the other two. I heard Victor chuckled again before running and matching stride with me. I glanced at him, dislike emanating from every part of me. The only thing I could stand about this man was the smell of him. That made his presence bearable.

"So," he said, "are you Russian? You sound Russian."

"I'm as Russian as you are prick."

"Aww," he said, faking hurt feelings. "That's a little harsh."

I looked over at him. He wasn't looking at me, but he had a small smile on his lips. He knew I was annoyed and he enjoyed provoking me. We emerged into the light of day and followed Logan and my sister around. Logan showed her all kinds of sights and such while Victor and I stood around skulking.

Eventually, Victor couldn't seem to stand the silence between us anymore. "If I'm going to have to walk around with you, we might as well talk."

"And what, good sir," I spat, "do you suggest we talk about?"

"Why you're here. Are you citizens?"

"No."

"Oooo. Risky business. Are you on a mission for the Russian Mob?"

I looked at him like he was a dunce. "No! I wouldn't work for my country's government to save my life."

"Considering you really can't die, that doesn't mean as much as it used to."

I took a deep breath to keep from attacking him again. "We are here to escape the government."

"What did you do?"

He seemed genuinely curious, so I answered. "I killed a bunch of soldiers after they beat me and my sister and killed my boyfriend."

He raised an eyebrow. "Hmph. You sure do get yourself into fights with all the wrong people, don't you?"

"Bad habit," I curtly stated. Logan and Nesha took off again, so we followed. "Really, the only reason we were over here at all is because we wanted to join your army."

"Do you now? And why would you want to do that?"

"I want revenge, she wants adventure. We figured that would be a good place to find it."

"Well," he sighed, "I've fought a few wars in my lifetime. You can find both of those things, but mostly all you find is nightmares."

I looked at him, surprised. That was the most sincere thing he had said since we met. "Just how long has your lifetime been?" I asked.

He smirked and looked intently at me from deep within his intense, blue-grey eyes. "I was born in 1830." My face betrayed my shock, I think, because he laughed. "And you?"

"I'm 20."

"Ah, I see. You have just discovered your abilities then." I nodded. He nodded in recognition. Then he gestured towards Nesha. "How old is she?"

"16."

He clicked his tongue. "So young, and already looking for blood."

"And apparently not finding it. They don't allow women to fight."

He shrugged. "I dunno. Me and Jimmy have a lot of influence. We've fought a lot for them."

"Why do you call him that?"

"That's his name."

"But he said…"

"Alias, you goober." My eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. Then we noticed that Logan and Nesha had moved on without us. "Shit," he whispered. They were nowhere in sight and hadn't noticed that we didn't follow. He grabbed my hand and pulled me with him as we chased after the two. Despite our animosity, I couldn't avoid laughing as we dashed through the streets. He even smiled back at me. Finally we caught up with our siblings.

"You could have told us you were leaving!" I cried.

They turned around. Logan just started laughing, while Nesha quietly said, "Sorry."

I suddenly realized that my hand was still in Victor's and gently took it back. His eyes fell on the spot where they had been joined, but he said nothing.

Over the next few days, we lodged with the brothers and got to know each other…when Victor and I weren't screaming at each other anyway. They eventually discussed it and decided that they were going to get us into the army…legally or not.

So…on June 6th, 1944, otherwise know as D-Day, Nesha and I, decked out in our helmets and stuff, followed those brothers onto the shores of Normandy. Victor had shown me a cool little trick he liked to do which consisted of him bounding around like a cat. It got the job done. He leapt up onto a ledge and started taking out gunners. I jumped up there with feline agility as well and helped, but then I looked at his face. He had stolen a gun from one of the men and was firing mercilessly into the small area. His face was a mask of hatred and ferociousness that I hadn't seen before.

After WWII, we lived with the brothers still. During that time, Victor and I got over our animosity. It just switched forms into mad love. We still argued over everything, it just ended in making out as opposed to tearing each other apart. We liked having a kindred spirit so close. Nesha and Logan remained friends, but nothing more. I really liked Logan. He was level headed and logical, just like Nesha. They were both just as smart-assy as me and Victor, but they restrained themselves better and as a result, kept their siblings in check. Logan was the only person Victor really listened to. I can't say that he even listened to me all that well. As the years passed, another war cropped up. Vietnam. We went there too.

One hot day, me Logan and Victor were in a helicopter flying over the battle and firing down. Nesha had been left at base. After we had flown out of the heated area, Victor kept firing. It was mostly civilians now. I grabbed his shoulder and yelled over the noise, "VICTOR! THAT'S ENOUGH!" He ignored me. The look on his face mirrored the one I had seen all those years ago. Terrible and unstoppable. "ENOUGH!" No response. Just more bullets fired. I wanted to elbow him in the head, but I yelled up to Logan who was piloting, "Logan! Get us out of here!" He veered off while I tugged on Victor's arm to no avail.

Later, we landed in a town that the American forces had taken over. I was dropping off some supplies to the store room when I heard a scream and that tell-tale laugh. I spun around and ran back. "Victor!" I screamed. He had been intending to rape a girl, but some other soldier had tried to stop him. He was now out of the cabin, claws flying and slashing the throat of one of our superiors. "NOO!" I cried. I ran over and shoved one of his opponents out of my way. Logan came running too and joined in. I threw my gun down and extended my claws, taking a ready stance. We were surrounded. I glared behind me at Victor's crouched form, wishing he would keep himself in check once in a while. I knew that we weren't getting out of this without punishment.

Two days later, I stood with my hands tied behind me around a wooden pole, facing a firing squad. Logan was on my right, and Victor on my left. Nesha was being restrained off to the side because she had tried to come help. As the firing squad got ready, Victor told me, "Wake me when it's over."

I lazily turned my head towards him and shook it in amazement. "The shit I do for you, Victor Creed." He was smirking, but it was only for me to see. As the squad fired, he yelled and I just closed my eyes as tight as I could.