I spent some time in this chapter to get you more acquainted with Olivia. She's pretty naive and inexperienced, suffering from Post Traumatic Stress, and but still hopeful. Also, she is religious, and I hope that doesn't put anyone off. Hopefully it'll be interesting to see how her views of life and the world conflict with Logans. They are two very different people, and I am going to have one hell of time bringing this all to life!
Also, thank you to the user zuzzzu, who watched this story. It's my very first bit of feedback from this site, and it is incredibly appreciated!
Life used to be pretty simple. Olivia would get up, go to school, stay late with her chorus instructor for voice lessons, go home, do homework and go to bed, and repeat. Family life was pretty good too. They went to church, went to movies, had dinners at the kitchen table in the evenings, everything the ideal American family was supposed to have. Sure, they didn't always approve of her staying late with her vocal instructor, but no family was without their squabbles after all, and if that was the worst of it, she'd heartily consider herself blessed.
Besides, she had always been a good kid. She'd stayed out of trouble, never fell into the wrong crowd, hell, she'd had few friends at all. She thought that even if bad things happened, she had a family who could work through it, a supportive household and her beloved maestro! It was all she had needed in the world, and she had put such naive blind faith in it that she never even wondered about the future being anything but bright. She would graduate high school, go to a college for the arts, hone her voice and artistic abilities, and then take the stage and Broadway by storm! At least if she could work through her embarrassment of performing in front of others ...
Fate, she decided, had a very cruel and depraved sense of humor. There was only one thing in the world that she knew of that would turn her family up side down. Her father was very political, and his passionate support of the likes of Trask- when she was a child- and more recently, Senator Kelly, borderlined on fanaticism. Their lawn had been decorated by more than one very opinionated picket signs in favor of things like mutant registration, mutant control laws and protocols, and even 'Senator Kelly for President'. The one thing she knew that could effectively divide her family was if a mutant emerged among them.
She had always thought it was a stretch to imagine it! After all, there were far more humans than there were mutants, outnumbering them so heavily that the mutant minority hardly ever felt like a problem to her despite what the news reports claimed. But she had been wrong. Oh so very very wrong.
Olivia shuddered against the ropes in her seat, trying to push away the poisonous memories that clawed ravenously at her sanity. She did all she could not to think of that miserable day and the unending torture it had plunged her into, but her mind would not be deterred from it, seemingly set on reliving each agony filled second as often as possible. She still felt the bruising grasp of those boys on her as they drug her behind the library, three sets of hands groping her, clawing her, and greedily stealing any innocent wonder her body had to offer. Even if her mind tried not to, her body remembered it all, and once more, it responded with revulsion. She dry heaved, but with her stomach so empty, nothing could come up but a sob.
How long had it been sinse she had eaten? Two days? Three? God she was so hungry, but even if they had given her food and the free hands to consume it, she'd be too afraid to partake of it. She didn't trust this man and his hulky 'pet'. As it was she had been plucked off the streets by a huge hairy monster with glowing red eyes and thrown over his shoulder as though she were nothing more than some parcel. She had screamed, and that had been her first mistake. He'd thrown her to the ground, lifted her by her hair, and hit her in the back of the head so hard that her world instantly went black!
When she awoke, she was in this musty cold room and bound tightly to this old office chair. Her ankles fared well thanks to her boots, but her wrists felt miserable and raw, numb from the tightness. She also noticed that there were several puncture wounds on her arm, looking suspiciously like those of a needle. As soon as she realized the kind of danger she had to be in she was concentrating on vanishing, not caring how long it would be until she was visible again. If whoever had done this to her couldn't see her, they couldn't stab her with any more needles. Her cheeks were wet, and continuously fresh hot tears trickled down her cheeks and neck. She wouldn't make a sound, and keeping the sobs of despair safe in her chest made her tremble relentlessly. They never once stopped.
Olivias struggle with her mutant powers was ongoing. From the first day she disappeared she had been straining to learn the secret to controlling it, but seeing as fate had demented plans for her, it would be an entire month spent in invisibility before she discovered that her powers had a very unusual trigger.
She gasped, eyes freezing upon the doorway to her prison as she heard footsteps! As a musician she found they were odd in their tempo and nothing like the gait of a normal human being. Each footfall was lumbering and heavy and as they grew closer, she could also make out heavy throaty breathing. Her breath caught in her lungs as she watched the slim sliver of light under the door fluctuate as a shadow moved in front of it. She prayed fervently, Please no, please God, don't let him come in here again! I swear I will do anything, just please- The footsteps passed her by and she shakily exhaled, fluttering some of her loosened locks against her cheek. She sniffled, some more hot tears scalding her cool face.
The hours ticked by slowly but she learned that the passerby was someone guarding the area and specifically the room where she was kept. Every few minutes he passed by again, never entering but always seemingly present. Time continued to pass this way, until a different set of footfalls stole her attention, the other more familiar set joining the other in front of her doorway. It opened, admitting the beast who had abducted her and-
All color drained from her face and her stomach twisted painfully in her belly! A man she didn't recognize entered the room, looking more like a vampire lord than any human being. His skin was chalky and white, and his hair a dark oil slick combed back from his face, revealing a red pinched diamond shape on his forehead, a shape that he also wore emblazoned on his leather clothing, ploomed strips coming from the collar. It was his eyes however that disturbed her the most. They had no pupil or iris, looked like pools of freshly bled blood and as lifeless and cold as a sharks.
Even though she was invisible, he obviously knew she was there, striding towards the corner where he had left her. She tried to shuffle away from him, her chair creaking noisily.
"It seems you have woken my dear." He said in false geniality, his voice sounding from an age of aristocrats long past. "If it makes you feel better you may stay as you are, it will not bother me. I came to inform you that your stay here is drawing to a close! That should cheer you up, correct? I will escort you via an arriving helicopter to my facility. All plans have been made, and preparations for you are complete!"
She kept her lips pressed tightly together, her heart hammering mercilessly against the cage of her ribs. Burning questions raced through her mind, but she dared not give voice to any of them.
"What's the matter? After all the trouble I have gone through I would have at least expected a thank you. Or is it you are upset by the circumstances of your capture?" When again she did not answer, his face twisted into a horrific scowl. He reached out, into the blank space before him, and somehow found a handful of her hair and jerked her forward. Olivia whined in pain, straining against his grasp as he leaned in close to her squirming form. "You are to be the catalyst of greatness, child, and it is only at my whim that you will do so in comfort or suffer abysmally. You would do well to learn gratitude. Now, I believe you owe me thanks!"
"Go to hell." She whispered defiantly without looking at him, surprised at her own boldness. She had always been meek and gentle. Even when those boys had raped her, she didn't even scream she had been in such shock, but now, this moment, after enduring so much abuse she didn't want to give any man an inch of leverage over her if she had anything to say about it.
He smirked and let her go, slowly straightening to his full height.
"You, child, are going to suffer greatly for such insolence."
He had left after that, and the beast with him returned to his sentry duties, leaving her there to contemplate her future. He hadn't revealed much to her about what he meant to do to her, only that, thanks to her mouth, it wouldn't be an easy experience to endure. She could hardly endure the knowledge left with her. After trying to survive these last three months without warmth or affection, usually starving, left with intrusive returning memories of the fateful night of her mutation, how could she endure more?
Please God, I know you will not let me go through anything I can't endure, but I just don't know how much more I can take! Olivia prayed, her eyes squeezed so tightly shut that even her tears had trouble finding a gap to escape! Her hands tightened into fists and bowed her head deeply, pleading, I can't go on this way, I feel like I'm going to shatter under the pressure! Please give me strength, some means of deliverance, something to help me before I break!
With sharp suddenness, the door to her small room burst open, admitting a stranger.
Startled from her pleas to a higher power, she held her breath and grew perfectly still. At first, the man looked like he had expected to fight, but when he saw no one inside, he lowered his hands which were split between the knuckles with what looked like long knives! She felt her eyes grow wide, studying those hands from afar. Could they really be coming out of his body like that? His nostrils flared, the man smelling the air as he wandered into the center of the room. From this distance, she could see that indeed, those blades were very deeply imbedded between the hollows of his knuckles, but he didn't seem to be distracted by the pain, if he was experiencing any at all.
Satisfied that her eyes were not deceiving her, they wandered to the rest of him, wondering if he was working for that devil that had come in earlier. He was gruff looking, tall , and dressed simply in a pair of jeans, a white wife beater, and a belt and buckle that separated the two. Dog tags hung around his neck, glinting in the dim light. With bated breath her eyes followed his shoulders, which were broad and powerful, and from them were attached equally impressive arms wrapped in taut bulging muscles. A dusting of masculine hair peaked from the neckline of his shirt and peppered his arms, but the hair on his head and face was the thickest. Sleek mutton chops framed his strong square jaw, which seamlessly merged into his dark hair as it oddly swept back on each side of his head.
Olivia felt a strange fluttering as she watched him, but still said nothing as his eyes roamed the room, assumingly to search for her. After all, she was still not sure why he was here and maybe he was going to drag her off to her promised suffering. Her best bet was to keep quiet and wait the moment out.
Then, at the barest of movements from her, his head snapped in her direction, eyes almost perfectly locking to her own, but that just wasn't possible! She was invisible, he shouldn't have any incling as to where she was!
"I ain't gonna hurt you kid." came his warm gravely voice, his hands moving up above his head non threateningly as the knives slid back into his body.
She wanted to believe him, but somehow she just couldn't.
"Olivia, I'm here to get you out of here, you don't want to be in this place right?"
The shock that this man knew her name was short lived, dwarfed by the sound of the beasts footsteps approaching from down the hall. Where as before her nervousness with this man had been reserved, now the fear was bubbling to a boil inside of her. He noticed the sound too, and he began to look agitated.
She wasn't able to hold her breath any longer, and she let out the stale air with a little gasp. He expertly detected her exact position from that small noise and came towards her. She tensed, shaking again with each step he took, but instead of hands reaching out for her, he simply knelt, eyes searching the space he knew she occupied but unable to locate her. Being safely out of his sight, she studied his face at this close proximity. There was a hardness to his features telling of years of hardships, but the way he spoke and the warmth in his dark eyes soothed away any of the reserve she had for the beautiful stranger.
As those footsteps grew closer however, she could see that softness fading into urgency, a tightness in his jaw as he spoke this time, "I want to help you kid, but I can't do that if you don't let me!" And his hand lifted, brushing her shoulder with his warm palm. It wandered the skin a moment, introducing a newer and stronger flutter to her belly, before his massive hand closed loosely around her shoulder and coaxed her to stand. Met with dead weight, she saw the revelation in his eyes. He moved his grasp and it came into contact with the invisable ropes. The frown that resulted darkened his face considerably. "Can you stand?"
She held back from answering a moment, knowing that this was the moment she had to decide whether or not she would entrust him with her life. Seeing that it was between trusting him and trusting the beast and the vampire man, the choice was very clear.
Her voice broke when she whispered, "No, I'm on a chair."
There was a glimmer of empathy in those midnight eyes of his and she was moved by that slight bit of tenderness, but the sound of the best quickly approaching cut the moment short.
He stood, and turned his muscled back to her to face what was about to come. He couldn't possibly mean to fight the beast that had abducted her, could he?! It was enormous, feral, and anxiously, she began to strain against her bonds in hopes that if she got loose by some miracle that they could just leave! Then knives shot out of him, like the claws of a cornered animal ready to fight his way through whatever stood in his way! When the creature appeared and roared over the much smaller man, her would be savior bellowed wildly right back, much to her amazement.
It was then the fight began, moving so quickly that Olivia had a hard time following the quick succession of blows! Before she knew it, the much smaller man was on its back mercilessly digging pounds of flesh and blood out of his opponent! Her ears hurt from the pitch of the screams the beast produced at this torment, and for a moment, Olivia thought maybe this man could win and really take her out of this place!
Those hopes were shattered before her eyes when the creature began to crush her savior into the wall! Over and over again with such force the whole room shook, the man was squashed into the buckling wall! He screamed, oh god he screamed and she wanted to get to him to make this thing stop hurting him! He had only been here to help her, he had tried to save her, and she was so distrustful that she couldn't just let him! Now they were both going to die! She bent over and cried as he was at last allowed to slump to the floor, twitching and broken. She wished that he could just be put out of his misery instead of wallowing there smooshed, but as each moment slipped into the past, something became very obvious. Both feral men were healing! The skin and flesh on both the creatures back and her hero was slowly but surely closing! Exhausted, the animal just remained on all fours, waiting for itself to be back in fighting shape. The man she had thought to certainly be at deaths door, was actually getting up, popping vertebrae and bones back into their places as he steadied himself! She could only stare, utterly stunned.
He looked like nothing had happened to him at all, and she listened dumbly as he called to her, "Hey kid, if you can concentrate on getting yourself visible that'd be great! Kinda hard to rescue ya if I can't see ya!"
She quickly she obeyed, squinting her eyes closed so she could block out what was going on and do as was asked of her. It wasn't an easy task by any means. Despite her countless hours clocked in trying to learn how to control it effectively, her invisibility was as hard to lift as a concrete slab! Perspiration gathered on her forehead and temples, concentrating and willing the veil to shift. The familiar ache began to move into her joints and down the marrow of her bones until it burned like fire! She clenched her teeth, tears forming in the corner of her eyes. Slowly, she began to fluctuate back into view. A heavy impact to her left almost distracted her, pained sounds begging her to open her eyes, but she was too close to her goal! She soldiered on, keeping her eyes closed, and felt a ripple of pain in her center that spread out into all of her limbs. Almost, almost there, and then she exhaled in relief, knowing she was within sight. She looked to her lap to be absolutely sure. Seeing her favorite pair of jeans, worn and comfy in her sights, she smiled. She'd done it!
Her eyes lifted up in time to see the man with his claws buried deep in her prison keepers throat only for a second later to have the head guillotined completely off! She had never seen anything so grotesque! The thing shuddered as its life left it, and slumped to the floor in a heap. Its executioner didn't look like it had gotten to this point unscathed either, and he seemed to remain in that spot with his back turned for several tense seconds. She could make out the blood on his face, a glint of metal beneath it, but largely he concealed the wound from her, apparently sensitive to her witnessing his injuries.
After a short time, the wound seemed to vanish, and he shook his head brusquely as though to toss away the last remnants of sensation of it. He then turned back to her as well as ever and looking pleased that he could see her. Blood slowly oozed down his claws, and splatters of it stained his wife beater.
She quivered, watching him like a cornered rodent watched the cat hunting it. It was just the two of them now and suddenly being alone with him triggered something unsettling in her mind and body, something too powerful for her to ignore. Her empty stomach turned over on itself remembering all too swiftly just how devastating an advancing man could become! Even without mutant powers, men could hurt, impale, and destroy for their own pleasures. The rational part of her mind didn't think this man would do that to her, but the surging memories fueled only instinct and learned fear overpowered it easily. More wet tears trickled down her face and her body trembled again.
"Easy kid." He said, holding up his hands once again. "I'm going to cut you loose, then we're going to make a run for my bike. I'm going to take you somewhere safe where these guys won't be able to reach you."
He was moving in to cut the ropes off of her when his eyes met hers. She didn't need to wonder why. Her eyes were an unusual color, and it was usually those eyes that made people back away suspiciously, calling her a mutie and much more profane words. This man didn't seemed bothered by them, much to her relief. In fact, she swore she saw the corners of his mouth dart up on one side in a very handsome smirk. For a moment she was flattered that he seemed to like them, but then his eyes wandered her. It was a brief overview, but it was an action decidedly male in nature, especially with how his dark eyes settled on her ample chest for a split second.
Her entire body became rock hard with tension, but he moved to the back of the chair and expertly sliced away the ropes that fastened her to the chair. The sensation started to return painfully to her hands as she brought them to grasp the seat, glad for the discomfort that distracted her slightly from the uncomfortable moment she found herself in. He didn't look very pleased at her refusal to move.
His voice was rough as he scolded, "Look, I know you've gone through hell and I'm a big scary guy who just got pretty bloody, but you need to focus on getting the hell out of here, you hear me kid?" She frowned deeper, feeling badly about her distrust when she knew he was trying to help, but she just couldn't bring herself to answer. "Is it these?" He asked, holding up his hand as he retracted the claws. She shook her head in the negative. "Is it that?" He pried, gesturing to the dead beast in the room.
Again, she shook her head, her silky brown hair falling in her face to her her shame. How could she tell him what was wrong? To tell a man who had come in here and fought like a lion to free her that she was afraid of something that had probably not even crossed his mind? She knew how paranoid her fears were as she had to deal with them every day, but to explain them to someone else without sounding accusing or pathetically irrational was utterly impossible!
She flinched when he growled, obviously loosing patience with her. "Well if it ain't me rippin some guy apart in front of you, then why won't you let me-" He stopped suddenly, eyes getting just a bit wider as he realized what the problem was. He made a soft groan of self deprecation before gently asking, "Is it because I'm a man?"
How had he known? Was her misery and fear so transparent? He had known her name though, so maybe someone had sent him for her, but how they had known was a mystery to her. Her tear soaked lashes came to rest against her cheeks as her chest shuddered with breath, more warm tears marking paths down her face. She nodded, and his expression turned compassionate.
"I promise I won't touch you, not even to lead you out of here, unless you give me the okay." He said reassuringly, putting his open hand between them for her to take.
She eyed the palm and slightly curled fingers, debating inwardly what she could do. She could put her hand in his, go with him, and see where that path took her, or she could stay and let that madman torture her and bring her to a new appreciation of pain. Her eyes drifted from his warm brown eyes to that hand. He had arrived here while she was praying to God for a savior. Had her prayers been answered through him? The choice now seemed clear.
"Come on kid," He urged, "You can trust me."
She knew in that moment, as the circumstances of this meeting became clear, that she did trust him, and when he asked her if she believed her, she found it easy to nod in the affirmative.
"Then take my hand and let me get you out of here."
Her hand left her side and eased into his. It was warm and strong, and a second passed before her grip tightened on his firmly and faithfully. His digits closed around hers, like iron bars that not only surrounded her hand, but the rest of her as well. She was amazed to find that he made her feel safe.
"Thata girl." he murmured proudly, glad that they could finally get going.
Her heart gave a tiny leap, and she smiled back at him docilely.
With a satisfied nod he stood with her, the chair giving a groan as the weight left it. He was easily a foot taller than her and standing this close she could smell him. It was a musky mix of smoke, pine and rain, a smell that she committed to memory with innocent reverence.
"Stay close to me, Liv," He said as he helped her over the hairy victim of his claws. His large hands went to her waist and hoisted her weightlessly over it. She squeaked in surprise, amazed at how effortless moving her was to him! He continued, "If we run across trouble, stay behind me and out of the way. Otherwise, I want you right here." His hand grabbed hers again and she understood his meaning clearly. She held his hand tight and followed him into the unknown.
He went to the door, stopping there and sniffing the air. He huffed, finding that all he could make out was the damned black mold and the corpse in the room. At least the brown sugar vanilla scent that clung to Olivia made the sniff of air slightly more pleasant. He peaked his head past the door. No one was there. He moved quickly, leading her confidently.
"Hurry, ole' pasty face probably isn't far." He hurried to the door that led to the stairs and paused, his brow scrunched as he heard the approaching whip of a helicopters blades. Olivia, a few seconds later, heard it too.
She swallowed the dryness in her throat and after a moment to gather her courage, she spoke at last, breaking her self imposed silence. "He said he was going to take me in a helicopter some place."
He opened the door to the stairway. "Fancy that, you actually have a voice!" He teased with a roguish smirk. He stole a glance her way. "You should do it more often."
She found her face feeling just a bit hot at his playfulness, put at least partially at ease by his light tone. She murmured a shy thank you.
"Guess I got here in the nick of time." He remarked, thoughtless as to how unnerving his words would be to her. "A few minutes later and you mighta been gone, kid."
And just like that, the ease was undone.
She didn't want to think of how true his words were. Just before he had arrived she'd been face to face with the most terrifying man she had seen in her life! If he hadn't come when he did, she would be being led to that helicopter and far removed from the man who had come for her. Just to reassure herself that she was going to be okay, she clutched his hand a bit tighter. All what ifs aside, he was here now, and he had said he would take her some place safe.
He stepped out the door and glared agitatedly at the rickety staircase. "Shit." He muttered as he looked down at them. Was it normal to feel mocked by an inanimate object?
"What's wrong?" She asked trepeditiously. She searched for the problem, worrying that maybe someone was coming that would further delay their escape.
"These stairs won't support my weight," He grunted, "never mind both of us." He let go of her hand, and gave her a nudge forward. "Hurry down as fast as you can. We're gonna have to make a run for it once we're down there."
She took two steps forward at his urging, but she felt far less sure about his command the closer she got to the stairs. What if something came to meet her once she was at the bottom? What if that scary man came back while they were separated and he took her to the helicopter?
"Olivia, trust me, I'm not gonna let anything happen to you." He said firmly, "Just get down the damn stairs and make it quick! We don't have time!"
Apprehension vanished quickly and she obeyed without letting her mind dwell any further on it, scrambling down the creaking metal stairs until she was at the bottom. No sooner had she left the last stair did she heard the staircase give a mighty groan of protest.
She turned in time to see it crashing down, taking Logan with it!
And Logan lands on his sexy adamantium ass :D
I hope to get the next installment of the story out by Thursday! If you can spare a moment to tell me how I'm doing, I'd greatly appreciate it!