AUTHOR'S NOTE: Yay thanks for all the great reviews! It's been fun to do a new take on all the characters, especially Ms. Frost. Here she is not in her mistrustful "survival mode," where she is scared for the lives of her students, as she was all through the New X-men series. Since this is taking place during the Academy X days when everything is peaceful and the school is still a proper school, she is able to see what Laura really is: a girl who desperately needs guidance. To answer a reviewer's question (although I did so via PM), yes Laura is fresh from the facility here. No NYX, no time with Megan and Debbie. That's all for now, hope you all enjoy this chapter! :)
CHAPTER 2
Making a Deal
"Book, check." Julian had picked it up, and was now flipping through it, probably searching for the clue. "Your enhanced senses still off?"
"Y-yes." Laura was cradling her injured hand, which had still not improved. Blood was dripping down to her elbow. She had not been able to retract her claws.
He glanced at her and sighed. "Clone. We have to stop that bleeding. Take off your glove and show me."
"No."
He raised an eyebrow. "I know some basic first aid. Maybe it'll hurt less."
Laura considered this, then slowly hooked her fingers into the edge of the arm tube and began to peel it downward. "Ahhhh…hhhh…hhhhhh…" more tears leaked from her eyes. Then the glove was past her knuckles and sliding over her claws.
Julian made a hissing sound. "Damn. That's…" he swallowed. "I can see bone."
Laura closed her eyes but said nothing.
"It'll be fine." He paused. "Let's find something to bind that with. It won't be sterile, but at least the blood flow will stop, and it'll lessen the amount of dirt that gets in."
Laura looked around.
"Your belt." Julian pointed at her waist. "It's fabric. That's perfect."
She reached down and tugged at it with her good hand, but it would not move, as it was sewn in to the outfit. After a moment she lowered her injured hand, and very gently slid a claw tip through the material, wincing. The belt fell to the ground at her feet.
Julian reached out his hand toward the belt, gave it a confused look, then sighed. "I keep trying to pick up things with my mind. Here." He knelt down, grabbed the belt, then stood and extended his hand, palm up.
She hesitated. She did not quite trust that he would not try to cause her pain.
He rolled his eyes. "I'm not gonna do anything bad. Yeah, I think you don't belong with us…but I'm not as screwed up as you are."
She sniffled again and eyed him mistrustfully.
"Promise." Julian sounded a little less annoyed.
After a moment, she pressed her injured, still-clawed hand into his, flinching slightly as he tilted his fingers, examining the wound.
"Yeah. Okay. If I tie this really tight, the edges of the cuts are going to press together. Perfect." Julian paused. "Going to keep your claws out?"
Laura nodded slightly.
"This is going to hurt. Just…" he frowned. "Just like, grab my shoulder or something, okay?"
She closed her eyes but nodded again.
"Good." He began to work, winding the belt around the width of her hand.
The pain followed shortly after he had encircled it once. She stomped the ground and slammed her other hand onto his shoulder, her teeth gritting together.
"Hey, watch it!" Julian sounded alarmed. "Those things are sharp!"
She looked down and saw that her injured hand had moved forward, and her claws were near his abdomen. She moved it back slightly.
"Okay. Deep breath." He paused, then yanked the ends of the binding together.
"AHHHHH!" Laura cried, but he had already tied the knot and let go.
Now he was grinning at her. "Didn't know Wolverine was such a cry baby."
She said nothing, examining the bindings on her hand. They seemed secure, and the bleeding had obviously slowed.
"You're welcome, by the way."
She looked at him again, raised an eyebrow.
"This is the part where you say 'thank you.' You know, since I helped you out and all." He folded his arms. "Which was pretty big of me. All things considered."
Laura tilted her head. For a moment, she planned to remain silent, then she remembered Ms. Frost's instructions. "Big…of…you?"
Julian paused, clearly not having expected her to speak. "Uh. Yeah. I didn't have to take care of that for you. I might've saved your life right now." He smirked. "Be polite and thank me. Like a good little clone."
For a moment, she hesitated. She knew what the words "thank you" meant. Kimura had made her say them many, many times. She was conditioned to say them. Yet, she did not want to say them. And, Ms. Frost had told her she was free to speak as she pleased. She wrinkled her nose. "You first."
"…" His forehead wrinkled. "Wait, what? The hell are you talking about?"
Laura pointed at the dead spider, lying about five feet away from them.
Julian followed her finger with his gaze, twitched, then looked back at her, his eyebrows drawn together. "That…uh…" he reached up and rubbed the back of his neck for a moment. "Guess we'll call it even."
Laura said nothing but watched as he picked up the book. His face looked slightly red. He was embarrassed. The corners of her lips turned up, slightly.
A few minutes passed, with Julian flipping through pages. Finally, he shrugged and closed the book. "Nothing. Guess she meant for you to smell it out."
"Yes." Laura paused. Her first attempt had emboldened her. "You understand that now?"
"I liked you better when you were silent, clone." He shook his head. "Okay. So, is it just me, or is it darker out here than a bit ago?"
Laura glanced up at the sky. "Yes."
"Crap." Julian frowned. "I don't want to be out here in the dark. We need to find water…make a shelter. Let's get moving. We can come back here tomorrow, see if there are any clues about how to undo this thing."
He began walking again, the book tucked under his arm.
She followed.
"Hey—look!" Julian sounded excited as he stepped out of the trees.
Laura followed his gaze. They were on the edge of a cliff, but at the bottom was a small lake, into which a waterfall fed. She felt thirst almost instantly.
"Gotta figure out how to get down there." Julian paused. "You good to climb?"
Laura nodded. She did not anticipate problems, even with one hand out of commission.
They descended the cliff quickly. Or at least Laura did. Julian took longer, seemingly afraid to trust his footing. She waited about three minutes at the bottom, before he finally jumped down the last several inches.
"What?!" He snapped, seeing her raised eyebrow. "I fly most of the time, okay? I don't need to grub around in dirt like you."
Laura said nothing.
He scowled. "Go to the water and tell me if it's fresh or saltwater."
She gazed at him for a moment longer before turning and heading toward the lake. She sank to her knees on its bank, scooped up a handful, then sipped it tentatively. It was fresh. She smiled slightly, then began to drink.
"Clone! Stop!" Julian reached her and shoved her hand away.
She glared at him.
"We need to boil it first."
Laura paused. "Why?"
Julian stared at her. "Were you raised in a barn? By, like, the Amish?"
"The facility." Laura paused. "The Amish?" Pause, again. "Barn?"
"…" He closed his eyes, rubbed his face with his hands. "Oh my god. Just…we need to make a fire. Don't drink the water till its boiled."
She got to her feet, frowning. "What will boiling it do?"
He sighed. "Kill bacteria."
"Bacteria is not a concern for me." She said this confidently.
"Uh, yeah it is." He paused. "Now that your healing factor is turned off…it most definitely is. Bacteria is like…tiny invisible enemies to the rest of us." He paused. "Keep guzzling water straight like that and you could die of dysentery."
Laura eyed the water, touching her mouth with her hand. She knew how bacteria functioned, but she had never had to consider such matters before. Tiny, invisible enemies? This alarmed her greatly.
"Look for something we can burn." He paused. "You do know what fire is, right?"
Laura gave him a flat look. "Yes."
"Well, I had to make sure." He rolled his eyes. "Get to it, clone."
She turned away and began to examine the ground ahead of her.
For a while, all was silent. They wandered apart.
"AHHHH!" Julian shouted.
She started and ran over to him.
"…" He bent over, hands on his knees. "I…I almost picked up a snake."
Laura gazed at him, her forehead wrinkled.
"You know what a snake is, right?" he asked, after a moment.
"Yes." She paused. One of the exercises Ms. Frost had given her was to elaborate when asked questions. Give details. Context. "I…I have made poison from snake venom. Before."
"What?" He stared at her. "You—you made poison?"
She nodded. "Yes."
"…" Julian closed his eyes. "Why am I even surprised. I already know you're a psychopath."
Laura tilted her head. "This word. Psychopath. You keep repeating it." Pause. "It is bad?"
"Please tell me I didn't just hear you ask me if being a psychopath is bad." Julian opened his eyes again and glared at her. "Yes it's bad. It means you don't give a crap about anyone or anything around yo—"
BOOM. The ground shook under their feet. And the lake quivered, the waterfall wavering slightly.
"…" Julian's eyebrows drew together. "What the—"
BOOM. The ground shook again.
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWLLLLLRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR…..
A deep, sonorous growl reached their ears, echoing off the cliffs around them.
Julian stared at her. "Oh my god." He whispered this.
Laura hesitated. "It sounds like…a large creature?" She whispered, too.
He nodded slowly. "I…I think it's a…"
BOOM. BOOM.
He swallowed. "We need to hide. Now. We're toast if it finds us."
Laura looked around the area. Then her eyes snapped back to the waterfall. "There is a cave. There." She pointed.
"Perfect." Julian began to wade in, gasping as he began to swim.
Laura understood this a moment later. The water was very cold. She was almost numb by the time they had reached the waterfall.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM… RRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWLLLLLRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR…..
The creature was getting nearer. She tried to scramble up into the cave after him, but doing so one-handed was very difficult with the water crashing on top of her. She began to slip.
Julian reached down and caught her under her arms. "G-got you. Let go."
She allowed him to drag her in, then lay on the cold floor of the cave for a moment, shivering and dripping. At least her injured hand, which had gotten wet, was also numb.
He sniffed. "You ok-kay?" His whisper echoed in the cave.
She nodded, then realized he could not see her in the dark. "Y-yes."
"Great." He paused. "Now we really n-need a fire."
She closed her eyes.
Laura awoke with a start and sat up. Something fell off her. She looked down and saw it was Julian's jacket, which he had apparently draped over her shoulders at some point. Then she realized she could see, and that it was because of a small fire about two feet away. And that he had dragged her from the mouth of the cave into the back.
She looked around but did not see him. Finally, she glanced over her shoulder and saw that he was lying behind her, asleep. Her forehead wrinkled. Why had he done all this? He wanted her to leave the school, did he not? Her death would have been an excellent reason. She remembered what he had said when she was afraid to give him her wounded hand. I'm not gonna do anything bad. Yeah, I think you don't belong with us…but I'm not as screwed up as you are, clone. She paused, her forehead wrinkling. What did he mean by that? "Screwed up"? And why would he refrain from hurting her? No one at the facility had done so, especially if they were not pleased with her. Which Julian most definitely was not.
"…Sofia…" he mumbled, still asleep.
Laura glanced at him again. Did he mean the other squad leader? Why was he addressing her? She recalled something Cessily had said, about the New Mutants, and his "girlfriend" being more intelligent than he was. Did that imply some sort of connection between the two, like Mr. Summers and Mrs. Grey-Summers? What was the connection? What benefit did this confer? She was still thinking about this when his eyes snapped open.
"…" Julian's eyebrows drew together. "Why are you staring at me?"
Laura paused. "You…said a name."
"Oh." He paused, thinking about this. "Well, unless it was yours, stop it."
"It was not."
"So eyeballs somewhere else, clone."
Laura lowered her eyes.
Silence.
Julian cleared his throat. "I think whatever that thing was yesterday is gone. You passed out, but I explored the cave a bit and there's a back entrance too. Got some stuff for the fire." He paused. "I think this would be a good place to camp out till we figure out how to get back. Or until the X-men come." He paused. "I bet they will. Everyone's probably looking for us."
Laura did not look up from the floor. "Yes."
He sighed. "You can look at me. Just don't…stare. That's creepy."
Laura glanced at him.
"Uh…" He sat up. "I couldn't figure out how to boil water without a container…so that's our first order of business, now that we have a place to sleep. Then we need to find something to eat."
"Yes."
He looked at her for a few moments. "How's your hand?"
Laura looked down at the bandage. Her previously white belt was now dark red. It hurt still, but it was a dull ache compared to the sharp, severe ripping pain of yesterday. "Better."
"Great." He paused. "Keep your claws out. So we can cut things…and if we run into any more stuff that wants to kill us."
Laura winced slightly at the thought of jostling her claws.
"My thoughts exactly." He paused. "Especially the spiders. Like, why is there any reason for a bug to get that big? Ever?"
She tilted her head. "You…are afraid of spiders."
Julian wrinkled his nose, eyed her. "I'm not afraid of anything, clone."
Laura gazed at him. She suspected he was lying but could not prove it, since she could not hear his vital signs or detect his scent.
"I just…" he hesitated, his forehead wrinkling. "It's something about the legs. And the fast movements. And the…the eyes…and…ugh, I just hate them, okay? I don't have to explain myself to you."
"No." She got to her feet, moved toward the back of the cave. It was very dark without her night vision, which was not working either. She wondered, briefly, why this was. Then she began to see a small sliver of light ahead, and she climbed out of the entrance into a small grassy clearing, in the middle of more forest. The trees were a mixture here, of Ginko, and others that she did not recognize. She looked up at them in wonder for a moment, then continued into the grass. This was slightly different than the grass she was used to, the color a dark, blueish green, but still grass nonetheless. Her brows drew together. What could they use that would withstand fire?
"Hey!" Julian called, from the mouth of the cave. He was running after her. "Wait up, clone! We should stick together."
Laura glanced at him as he reached her. "So that…you can 'keep an eye' on me?"
He paused. "No. I mean, this is a dangerous place. Neither of us should be alone. Buddy system."
"'Buddy'?" Laura asked, her eyebrows arching.
"Yeah. Like, you watch my back, I'll watch yours. We might not be friends…but I don't want either of us to die out here." He paused. "Uh, what about you? You want me dead?" He sounded as if he were actually uncertain.
Laura gave him a flat look. "I have saved your life twice now."
"Well, not really." Julian's nose wrinkled. "I could've handled the raptor…and the spider...easy. I'm not a weakling. I was just…really thrown off by how weird this place is, you know?"
"…" Laura gazed at him. "Why are you lying?"
Julian's expression changed to one of anger. He glared at her. "Whatever, clone. Fine. We can go our separate ways if that's what floats your boat. I don't need you. Actually, I bet you're lying and you do want to off me, 'coz I wouldn't let you just work your way in at the school." He paused. "Big mistake. Have fun surviving without me."
Laura's eyebrows drew together. She said nothing.
He stomped off.
She sighed and began to walk after him, since that was the only direction that didn't involve plunging straight into the thick woods on either side. She kept her eyes trained on the ground, in case there was something useful. Or snakes.
Eventually, the ground became wet and spongey beneath her feet, sucking at her boots with every step. A bog. It smelled earthy, and the grass was longer here. There were even some reeds, like bulrushes, which she had seen before around a pond on the school property. She paused, thinking of how Logan had responded when she asked him what they were. He had taken a while to answer her, puffing on his cigar, seeming both pleased and disappointed.
"…clone…" Julian's voice, from somewhere nearby.
Laura started slightly and looked around her, frowning. She could not see him.
"…down here…"
She angled her gaze downward. About five feet away was Julian's head, neck, and the top of his shoulders. Surrounded by what looked like wet dirt.
"…" Her eyebrows drew together. "Where is the rest of your body?"
Julian closed his eyes. "I stepped in quicksand or something. Just…just get me out of here." He paused. "Please."
She folded her arms. "You said you do not need me."
"Grr." His lip curled. "Yeah, well."
Laura regarded him, then sighed and began to edge toward the pool of 'quicksand,' trying to approach him without getting stuck herself. The footing seemed firmest along the edges, where the grass grew, so she worked her way along this region, then slowly knelt. "Can you—"
"Nope." He paused. "My arms are stuck." As he spoke, the tops of his shoulders disappeared.
Laura hesitated. "I will have to—"
"I know." His nose wrinkled. "Just do it."
She reached out and grasped his head carefully with her hands, then began to apply pressure upward, trying to avoid stabbing his skull with her claws. "Ahhhh…." She hissed, as her injured hand began to ache harder.
"Shit!" Julian hissed, presumably in pain, too.
But one of his shoulders had reappeared, which encouraged Laura to pull harder. A few moments later and his hand broke the surface of the mud. She grabbed at his fingers with hers, then proceeded to drag him out of the bog.
He finally tumbled into the grass beside her, panting. "T-thank you." He gasped this.
Laura, who had collapsed on her back, nodded slightly. Her hand was ringing, as loudly as it had when she had dispatched the raptor the other day.
A few minutes passed in silence. Then he reached out and patted her on the shoulder, grinning slightly.
"Good clone."
Laura wrinkled her nose. She remembered what Santo had said, about her deserving to be called whatever she wanted. "Stop it."
"…" Julian sat up. "You're getting bold."
She gazed at him. "I have saved your life three times now."
He nodded.
"My name is Laura."
He hesitated. "I wasn't…being a dick, just now. I meant…I was admitting I was wrong. About you." He paused. "I'm sorry."
Laura raised an eyebrow.
He rolled his eyes. "Fine. I'm sorry, Laura."
The corners of her lips turned upward. She was not fully certain what the word sorry meant, but she sensed he was asking for her to forget what he had done. Acknowledging his mistakes. As her sensai had taught her to do, when she was young. This she understood and approved of. She got to her feet, then extended her good hand to him.
He looked surprised, but he accepted it, and hauled himself to his feet. "Okay. So…if you see any shiny looking areas…I recommend avoiding them."
"Yes." Laura paused. "Walk on the grass."
"Cool." He glanced at her. "Any ideas on the container situation?"
She thought for a moment. Somehow, she felt as if she did have an idea. Something about what she had just done. Pried his head out of quicksand. Then she realized what it was. "A skull."
"Wha—oh, you mean like a bowl?" He paused, his nose wrinkling. "That's kind of nasty."
Laura said nothing.
"Might work. We can cook it first, should kill any bacteria." Julian frowned. "Need to find one, though."
"Yes." She raised her eyebrow. "The raptor?"
"Oh. Yeah." He shuddered. "That was so weird, the way it came back. Like a zombie or something."
"Zombie?" Laura asked.
"Yeah." He paused. "Oh, come on…really? How do you not know this stuff?"
She gave him a flat look.
"It's just a term for something that that comes back to life, after you kill it." He paused. "I think we need to stab them in the brains. That's how we took that raptor out, when it came back."
Laura wrinkled her nose. "'We'?"
"…" Julian sighed. "You. You took it out, okay?"
"Yes."
"You're almost snarkier than Cessily."
"'Snarkier'?"
Julian's lips pressed into a line. "I don't know how to explain that." He paused. "Well, for example, you point out every mistake I make."
Laura smiled slightly. "Stop making them."
He stared at her, then shook his head. "Whatever. Let's just keep moving. I think the days might not be as long here."
Her smile faded, and she glanced upward. He was correct. The sun was approaching its zenith, and yet it had hung much lower on the horizon when she had left the cave. Which was not that long ago, perhaps fifteen or twenty minutes.
They picked their way through the rest of the bog, both careful to stick to the grass this time. Then they turned in the approximate direction that the raptor should be, judging from the position of the water fall.
A large butterfly-like creature passed by them.
Julian craned his neck to watch it disappear, then he caught up to her. "Y'know, I wouldn't mind this place so much if everything in it weren't trying to kill me."
Laura said nothing.
"So." He glanced at her, after a few minutes of silence. "What was the facility like?"
She stiffened, her eyes widening.
"It's just a question."
"I…" Laura's eyebrows drew together. "I do not know how to answer."
He frowned slightly. "Ms. Frost said you were a weapon. That they kept you in a prison cell, and only let you out when they wanted you to kill something. Is that true?"
Laura hesitated, remembering Ms. Frost's words. She was free now. She could say whatever came to her mind. "Yes."
"Did they ever let you out for anything else?"
"No." She paused, looked down. "But my mother visited me."
"You had a mother?" Julian sounded surprised. "Where is she?"
"She is dead." Laura hesitated. She did not want to tell him how she had died. "She tried to help me escape."
"Oh." His eyebrows drew together. "That's…wow. I'm sorry."
Laura said nothing.
"I thought you were grown in a test tube." He paused. "Kind of dumb, now that I think about it."
She wrinkled her nose. "Yes."
"Well, I've never met a clone before." He wrinkled his nose too. "And you haven't been exactly chatty, you know."
"'Chatty'?"
"You don't talk much."
She raised an eyebrow. "I was taught to…to respond to questions. Only to questions."
"Oh." Julian's forehead wrinkled. "Wait, they didn't let you, like, hang out with other kids at all?"
"…" Laura stopped in her tracks, looked at him. "No."
Julian gazed at her. "Right." He paused. "I didn't…uh…think about the cell part too much."
She closed her eyes, shook her head, then continued on her way.
He followed. "Okay. Well, I guess it makes a bit more sense now. I just…it was hard to picture, alright?"
Laura said nothing, glancing at the trees around them. Nothing looked familiar yet, but they should be nearing the area where she had killed the raptor.
"Do you like being at the school now?" he asked.
"Yes and no."
"What does that mean?"
Laura looked at him again, her eyebrows arched. "You are the 'no.'"
He rolled his eyes. "Look, I know I gave you a hard time. I meant besides that."
"Yes." She paused. "Why did you give me this 'hard time'?"
"I was worried about my friends. Ms. Frost said some stuff that was pretty disturbing."
"Before."
Julian paused, obviously thinking. "Oh. The first danger room session?"
Laura nodded.
"You just…" he looked down. "You didn't seem to get that I was in charge. I got pissed that you weren't answering me…and when you attacked me—"
"You took hold of my arm." Laura frowned. "I performed a defensive maneuver out of instinct."
"Defensive maneuver?" Julian wrinkled his nose. "I wasn't going to hurt you."
Laura raised an eyebrow.
"Really. I'm not like that." He paused. "I just wanted you out of the room."
She said nothing.
"Alright, fine." He paused, his forehead wrinkling. "That was wrong of me. I'm sorry. I was…having a bad day." His eyebrows drew together. "I called Dad the night before to find out when they were coming in. For field day, you know. And I just got his voicemail again."
Laura glanced at him "'Voicemail'?" Pause. "'Dad'?"
Julian looked confused for a moment. "Oh. Yeah. Clone. Uh, most people have two parents…I guess Mr. Logan would kind of be your dad?"
She tilted her head. "And voicemail?"
"You know, when you call someone and they don't pick up." Julian paused. "…you've used a phone before, right?"
"No." Laura hesitated. "I was not allowed outside contact."
"Right." He frowned. "Well, uh…so I got his voicemail and…and it said…said they were going on vacation to Maui…during field day…" He paused. "You know where Maui is?"
"Yes." Laura nodded. "What is a 'vacation'?"
Julian sighed. "Like, travelling somewhere nice, and relaxing."
They fell silent for a little while, the only sound the snapping of twigs and the rustling of leaves under their boots.
Laura glanced at him. "You did not want them to go on this 'vacation'?"
"Uh." Julian frowned. "No. I wanted them to come watch me…us…win." He paused. "But that seems really stupid now. Just forget I mentioned it, okay?"
"Why?"
"Just forget it."
"No." Laura tilted her head. "Why did you want them to watch you win?"
"I…they don't really think I'm good at anything, I guess." He paused. "I thought maybe it would prove that—holy shit."
Laura didn't question him. She was looking at the same thing. They had reached the raptor's carcass. Or what remained of it. Some of the bushes and smaller trees in the area had been flattened, and blood and entrails had been flung everywhere, along with bones.
They traded wide-eyed looks.
"That thing we heard the other night." Julian paused. "The T-rex."
"What is—"
"Giant raptor." He looked at the flattened foliage. "I think it's bigger than the Sentinel from the simulation."
Laura's eyebrows drew together.
Julian swallowed. "We can't let that thing know we're here."
"It has smelled us already." Laura paused. "We should retrieve the skull and leave quickly. In case it is still in the area."
"Agreed." He looked around, then pointed. "There. In that tree."
She followed his finger. He was pointing to a branch about fifteen feet up. The smaller raptor's head was caught in the foliage.
"I'll get it." Julian was heading toward the trunk. "Stay put."
"But—"
He pulled himself up to the lowest branch. "You have your hand to worry about. And I'm good with heights."
Laura craned her neck, watching him as he moved between the tree's limbs. He was not as incompetent as she had expected. A few minutes later, and he was edging out onto the final branch, the one in which the skull was wedged.
"Almost." He paused, sat back, and grinned at her. "Ready to catch?"
The corners of her lips tilted upward. "Yes."
Julian's forehead wrinkled. "You know, for a clone, you're—"
CRACK!
He scrambled backward, but then the limb gave way, and then he was crashing through the branches directly below him. "AHHHHHHHHH!" he roared, then landed with a loud thump! beside Laura. She raised her fist as the piece of wood followed, the claws of her injured hand slicing through the material like it was not even there. She squeezed her eyes shut against the jolt of pain.
"…" Julian made a wheezing noise.
She knelt beside him, frowning. "Are you—"
"…I think I'm dying…" his eyes slid shut. "…tell my friends I—"
BOOM. The ground shook under Laura's feet. Leaves fell from the trees.
Julian's eyes opened.
BOOM. The ground shook again.
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWLLLLLRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR…..
He sat up, his brows drawing together. "Get that skull and run."
Laura was already scooping it out from under the remains of the branch. It was slippery, but the water would fix that. "Lake."
A moment later they were bounding over fallen trees, stumps, crashing through bushes, anything to reach the water in time. At one point, Laura tripped on a vine and fell to her knees, the skull bouncing on the ground as it rolled away from her. Julian picked it up, then reached down and grabbed her good hand, dragging her to her feet.
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWLLLLLRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! HSSSSNNNGGHHHHH!
The sounds were coming from the area they had just occupied. Laura realized the enormous creature must now be aware of their nearby presence. It was sniffing them out.
"Shit!" Julian mouthed, as they reached the cliff again, the one overlooking the lake.
Laura grabbed the skull, swung over the edge, and slid down the incline, gritting her teeth against the pain of the bumps as she hit roots and hard clumps of dirt.
He followed close behind, hissing, but he got to his feet as quickly as she, and they ran toward the lake together, crashing into the shaking water as they had the last time the creature had pursued them.
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWLLLLLRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
Laura did not dare to look back. She dove beneath the surface and kicked as hard as she could against the current generated by the waterfall. She reached the cliff of the cave and shoved the skull over the edge, then scrambled up and onto the stone floor herself. She was about to relax, but then she saw that Julian was still struggling, still reaching for the cliff.
The ground was shaking harder now. BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM…
She fell to her knees and dangled her good hand over the edge.
He reached for it and missed at first, then caught it the second time, and with her help, hauled himself into the cave.
"Don't stop!" he whispered, pushing her further into the darkness.
Laura scrambled backward and sideways, until her back hit a wall. She stayed still, trying to breathe very quietly.
Julian was beside her, doing the same. She could feel his hand shaking, and realized he was still holding hers. She was about to pull her hand away when there was an enormous sound. A sweeping sound, along with a chorus of cracks and splitting noises. Then…
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The entire cave shook, and stones fell from the ceiling.
"Oh god." Julian mouthed this. "It's at the—"
SPPPPPPPPPPPPPLLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!
The lake rolled, and a wave entered the cave, slapping against the floor. Laura pressed her back against the wall, her eyes wide. This was something she had never experienced so strongly in all her time at the facility. A freezing, paralyzing sensation. Fear. She knew if the creature reached them, they would both be dead. She would not heal, so she would die.
HHHSSHHHHNNNNN…the creature was breathing loudly. Then the light at the mouth of the cave, just under the waterfall, was blocked. By the largest nostril she had ever seen.
SNNNNNNNNFFFFFFFFFFFFF.
Laura stared at the leathery pit, her heart rate increasing.
SNNNNNFFFFFFFFFFF.
SNNNFFFF—SNNORRRRTTT!
A spray of water filled the cave.
HRRRRRNNNNNLLLLGGHHHH…the nostril was replaced by teeth.
Teeth that were each the size of her leg.
SSSHLLLUNNNKKKK! As they snapped at the save opening. Rock fragments flew into the cave. Laura raised her arm, shielding her face.
Then….BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOOM! The cave shook again, but it was clear that the sounds were receiving.
Five minutes later and they were like distant thunder.
Ten minutes later, and Julian exhaled, hard. "That…that…"
Laura closed her eyes. "Yes."
"This place sucks." He moved beside her. "We really need to get out of here. Stat."
"Yes." She paused, then leaned forward and began to crawl away from him.
"What—oh yeah." He paused. "You take care of splitting that thing open. I'll, uh, see if I can get a fire going here, okay?"
"Yes."
"Cool." He paused. "Thanks for helping me up here. Pretty sure I'd be in little pieces otherwise."
"Yes." She frowned. "You did the same for me. Before. Now we are 'even'."
"True."
They were silent for a little while after. Laura moved over to the mouth of the cave again so that she could see what she was doing, then carefully sliced the skull into two halves and scraped the top part clean in small, careful strokes. Large movements caused sharp jolts of pain and made her hand ring afterward. She heard Julian moving the fire materials, rearranging logs further back in the cave where it was still dry, then as he settled into a repetitive motion, rotating a stick against another piece of wood.
After a while, he made a frustrated noise and threw the pieces aside. "This worked last time. I don't get why it won't work now. The stuff is dry." Pause. He looked down, frowned. "I'm tired…I'm thirsty as hell…I just want this to be over."
Laura picked up the skull top and moved toward him, holding it out.
"Oh." He paused, took it from her, examined it, then nodded at her. "Perfect."
The corners of her lips turned up. She lowered her claws to the stone floor, took a deep breath, then struck them against the floor, dragging the points sideways. Shhhlink! "Ahhhgh—" she flexed her fingers, but the pain had been worth it. A spark had flown off her claws and into the fire materials.
"Whoa." Julian scrambled over to it and began to blow on the spark, causing it to flare up. A minute later and the fire had taken hold, settling into a bright, steady flame.
"Now we just need some water, and some rocks or something." He paused. "I can get the rocks."
Laura took the skull bowl and got to her feet, heading for the mouth of the cave.
"Never thought water could taste that good." Julian was laying on his back, beside the fire, after they'd finished drinking a bowlful between them. After dangling their new vessel in the flames with a long stick for a while, they had heated stones, then dropped them into the bowl to boil the water. He had tucked one arm behind his head and was gazing at the flames. "Then again, never thought I'd be hiding out in a cave from a T-Rex."
Laura hugged her knees, also watching the fire, mesmerized. She was familiar with the substance but had never had been allowed to study it like this. It was fascinating. Violent. Bright. And best of all, it was warm, the only warm spot in the cave. Now that it was night again outside, it was cool.
"So…how long has it been since you escaped your 'facility'?" he asked.
Laura glanced at him. "A month now."
"That's not too long." He paused. "How did you do it? Alone, or…?"
Laura hesitated for a few moments, the crackling of the fire the only sound in the cave. He was asking for details on the facility again. Her instincts warned her that he was just trying a different angle. But again, Ms. Frost's suggestions came to mind. She closed her eyes.
"You don't have to—" he began.
"Weapon X and several of his associates arrived at the facility at approximately two fifty-seven in the morning." Laura sat up slightly. "I detected a struggle in the hallway to my cell. Gunfire, laser weapons being discharged, sharp weapon combat. Twenty-nine of our militia were slaughtered before my handler freed me and ordered me to execute Weapon X." She lowered her eyes to the flames again. "We encountered in the corridor immediately outside my cell. Weapon X told me that I could choose to disobey my handler, that I was not bound to follow my orders." She paused. "He was soaked with blood and viscera at this point, and at 92% efficiency due to a large burn injury on his side, which was healing, albeit slowly in comparison to my own healing rate."
"Whoa." Julian sat up, his eyebrows raised. "So? What'd you do?"
"Attack." Laura paused. "I am not programmed to disobey."
"Then…how are you here? I mean…with the X-men? At the school?"
She looked down. "He called me by the name my mother gave me, and explained that she had couriered him a letter, approximately ten or eleven years ago. He had been searching for me ever since."
"And you went with him?" He guessed.
Laura nodded. "Mother had…told me that I should obey Weapon X above all others, should I ever meet him."
"Wait a minute." Julian sat up. "You're not at the school because you chose to be?"
She shook her head.
Silence.
He frowned. "Are you still obeying that order?"
"Yes."
Julian hesitated. "Do you want to be at the school? At all?"
Laura paused. "I have not thought about it."
"Part of being free is doing what you want." His eyebrows drew together. "You can't let anyone tell you what to do."
Laura looked at him, her eyebrows drawing together. "You allow Ms. Frost to issue your orders."
Julian closed his eyes. "Yeah, but just because I trust her. I mean…you can listen to advice…and orders…but if there's something you really don't want to do, you don't have to." He paused. "Like, if Ms. Frost asked me to kill someone, I wouldn't."
"Why?" she asked.
He sighed. "I forgot you don't get how wrong that is."
She said nothing.
"Killing is…" he looked at her, frowning. "I don't know what they told you in the facility, but it's the worst thing you can do. It's wrong."
"Why is it wrong?"
Julian shifted, his forehead wrinkling. "It's a big question. Usually, everyone just knows that, and you don't need to explain it." He paused. "It's…I don't know. I guess…in the real world…most people are decent, and they're important to someone else. So you don't want to kill anyone, ever, cause it's bad. It makes you a bad person."
Laura nodded slightly. "Why was I created, then? If everyone knows it is wrong?"
"I don't know." He paused. "Maybe not everyone gets that. But…you should."
"Why?" she asked again.
He frowned. "I don't think you're supposed to be a bad person."
Laura frowned too. "How do you know?"
"Just a feeling." He paused. "I guess…it's your choice. But I'm hoping you won't choose to be a bad person."
Laura hesitated. "But I have already killed." Pause. "Therefore, I am already bad, correct?"
"…" He looked down. "I don't know. Maybe. Maybe not. You didn't have a choice about it before, right?"
"No."
"So maybe not." He paused. "Maybe it's only the things you do now that matter, you know?"
Laura paused too, glanced at him. "Yes."
Silence, for a few minutes. She rubbed her arms, gazing at the fire again. The flames were soothing. Relaxing. She felt her eyelids begin to droop.
"Hey—I've been meaning to ask you something."
Laura looked at him again.
Julian hesitated. "You're an amazing fighter. Like…every time I see you in action, I'm just blown away."
She raised an eyebrow at him.
"I…uh…" he hesitated again. "I really want to learn to do that. To fight. I mean…I take Mr. Logan's class, but he just tells me what I'm doing wrong and then he's on to the next student, you know?"
Laura tilted her head. She did not know, but sensed he had another question.
"Will…will you teach me?" He paused. "How to fight like you."
Her eyebrows drew together. "I have practiced my entire life."
"I'm a fast learner." He grinned. "Mrs. Grey-Summers said she'd never seen anyone learn to fly as quickly as I did. I'll practice all the time."
She hesitated.
"And…I'll help you learn to fit in." He paused. "I'll teach you like, how to be normal."
Laura raised her eyebrows again and sat back. She nodded slowly.
He got to his knees, shuffled over to her, and extended his hand.
She looked at him. "What are you doing?"
"Handshake. Because we're making a deal, you know." Pause. "Give me your hand."
Laura hesitated, then extended her good hand, and watched as he gave it a quick shake.
"Cool." He gave her a firm look. "Let's get some shut-eye now. We're going to start this tomorrow…lock in a routine before the X-men show up and we forget all about it."
She nodded slightly. "Okay."