The group had stopped by a gas station to fill up the tank. Logan had given Laura some money to ride the plastic pony while they filled up. When he got back into the car, he picked up the red cell phone that Storm hadn't noticed before. "Where'd you get that?"
"Belonged to her guardian," Logan answered, going to the video collection. He pressed play and a Hispanic woman came on.
"My name is Gabriela Lopez," the woman began. "And for ten years I worked as a nurse for a company known as Transigen research in Mexico City. Transigen is owned by the American Company, Essex."
"What you are about to see here is illegal in Canada and the United States…" she began as the camera panned to a closet door that was cracked. A hand went to Storm's mouth as she saw several children walk in a uniformed line to what looked like detention rooms. The door closed and shifted to a picture of a box with Alkali on it… a word that Storm knew did not bring so many fond memories to anyone in the car. "They said we were part of a pharmaceutical project; but of course that was a lie.
"These children…" the scene shifted again to show Laura and several others. "We're born here and have never left. They have never seen the sun or the ocean; rain or snow— or any of God's creatures. They have no birth certificates; no names— besides the ones we have given them." The scenes flicked through several children, and then to a bloody room. "They were raised in the bellies of Mexican girls. Girls no one can find anymore. Their fathers semillas geneticas— special seeds in a bottle."
Everyone looked at Laura as a birthday song filled the car. She seemed like any normal child right then, just enjoying a ride on a fake horse. Everyone knew though, that she was far from normal, but for the moment, it was easy to forget. Storm looked back at the screen. A doctor had called someone name Maria. "We do not dress them up for Halloween. We do not call them baby, or kiss boo-boos. Don't think of them as children, think of them as things— with patents and copyrights. Comprendé?"
A low rumble of thunder sounded off in the distance as the nurse responded. Storm closed her eyes as she fought to rein in her emotions, trying to keep them in check. A hand touched her shoulder and she smiled at Charles as they continued watching the video. "They thought we were too poor and stupid to understand. We're poor yes; but, we're not stupid."
The scene switched to a training room where one was ordering a child to use their powers. The child struck out against the mannequin and then against the instructor. "This is business, they are making soldiers. Killers." The scene flashed to Laura receiving adamantium graphs; but the battery also happened to die at this point— much to the relief of Storm.
"I need some air," she said, opening the car door and closing it before anyone could say anything. She stepped to the side of the building, allowing the wind to caress her as she once again fought to remain in control of her emotions. Damn the doctors who tortured the poor souls, she thought bitterly, looking up at the sky as the clouds darkened a bit. With a sigh, she reined in her hatred for the company and took long and slow breaths, feeling herself calm down a bit.
The car doors slamming caught her attention as Logan took out the wheelchair for the Professor and walked over to Laura who was ready to break open the coin box. After a few minutes the child got off and walked inside the convenient store. Storm followed her in a moment later, guessing Laura didn't have the money to pay for anything. Putting some distance between her and the child, she walked to the opposite side of the store. Keeping Laura in her peripheral vision as she grabbed a soda from the fridge.
The child had grabbed chips, candy and a pair of sunglasses when Storm looked her way again; but she also caught sight of the store manager… who had also noticed. Knowing trouble would be arising if Laura was spooked, Storm stepped closer to the duo.
"Hello," the manager said, crossing his arms at Laura. The child looked up at him tensely, as if she were debating whether or not he was an enemy. "Hi there. You know you have to pay for that right." Laura tried to bolt, but the manager caught her. "Hey! Where's your mommy and daddy."
"Laura," Storm called, stepping into the child's view. The manager turned to her.
"You know this child?"
Storm was about to respond when Laura bolted, only for the manager to catch her wrist. Big mistake. Laura used this chance to throw him over her shoulder, so he landed flat on his back. She then screamed, revealing her claws; the manager's eyes opened wide, probably watching as his life flashed in front of him.
The weather witch had only the chance to take a couple of steps before Logan came in and grabbed her wrist. "Not okay," he said firmly, before turning his attention to the downed manager, who was trembling in fear at the child as she was pulled away. "Sorry." he was about to walk out when something crosses his mind. "Uh, you sell phone chargers?"
The manager nodded, pointing in the direction. As he grabbed the charger and cigar, he saw Storm a few feet away from him. "Be right there," she said, pulling out a couple of twenties and placing them on the counter. "Keep the change," she said, grabbing a couple of candy bars as well. She then followed Logan out to the limo. "Come on, get in the car," he ordered Laura.
When she was in, Storm had caught up to them. "Did you really pay for that?" He asked, walking over to the driver's side.
"We have the money, Logan," Storm said as she opened the passenger side door. "We don't need to steal to survive."
"Tell that to her," Logan indicated Laura as he got in. "Why didn't you intervene before it got out of hand?"
"I was," Storm replied firmly. "But She spooked and lost it when the manager grabbed her wrist to keep her from running."
"Fair enough," Logan conceded, putting the car into drive and pulling out of the station.
After several hours, the limo pulled off at a cliff side to rest a bit. When the phone was fully charged, a light hit his eyelids with a musical sound. Logan coughed briefly, then turned to look at his passengers: Laura was in the back, sleeping next to Charles— who was passed out — at an angle beside her, also asleep; and Storm was in the passenger on her side, still as the night gaze lingered on her for a moment longer, fighting back a cough as he caressed her cheek for a moment, before turning his gaze back to the cell phone. Picking it up, h pressed play
"As the children got older, they became more difficult," Gabriela continued as the video focused on Laura. "They could not be controlled. The company had made their bodies into weapons. Tried to teach them to kill." The scene then changed to a child jumping off a building. "But they did not want to fight. A soldier who will not fight is useless." Logan took a deep breath, knowing the pain these children were going through. Weapon X had done the exact same thing to him; the only difference was that he had volunteered, not the other way around. "Inside this building, they are working on something new; something they think is better than the children. Something they say is without a soul."
"Would you like to hear my full lab report doctor Rice?" A nurse asked in the next shot after seeing several medical units and computers.
"You can't get Sushi in here," the man Logan assumes was Doctor Rice said. "It's the Mexican equivalent of Denver, Colorado."
"They must have been successful," Grabiela continued, the next scene showing nurses stuffing papers into folders. "About a week ago they told us to shut the program down." Children were then being dragged across the facility and roughly manhandled as they were brought into another room. "They began putting the children to sleep. We are going to save as many children as we can." Gabriela's face appeared again. "I read about a place up north. A place for mutants, they call it Eden." The next scene showed children being released from their rooms, one turning around and shooting flames at some guards to protect his friends. Grabriela appeared again, with a young Laura asleep in the background. "If you are watching this, it means that I am dead. I am not sure if any of the other children survived, we were separated. There is no more money… that was a lie. She is not my child, but I love her; you may not love her, but she is your child. Please, I beg of you, take her to safety."
As the video cut out, Logan stared at it for a moment; the seat creaking next to him alerting him that Storm had woken up. "How long have you been awake?" He asked, not looking up.
"Since the first scream," Storm replied, brushing his arm with her fingertips. "Can't sleep?"
"Nope," he said, reversing the limo out of its spot before putting it back into drive. After a moment he sighed and took her hand into his, his finger brushing against her diamond band. Something was off about her, but he prayed she wouldn't bring up the adamantium bucket that he still had in his pocket. "What's on your mind?"
"New York," Storm sighed, lglancing at him. "The anniversary is nearly upon us…"
Logan grunted. They didn't talk about New York much; they both wanted to forget what had happened, but at the same time, he knew Storm still held some guilt over the events that had transpired.
Out of his peripheral vision, he noticed Storm looking over her shoulder to glance at Laura. "She's so peaceful… you wouldn't think that her entire life was a nightmare." She looked back at Logan when he didn't respond. "Any idea where our next stop will be?"
"Not," he said with a sigh. "I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact I have a kid right now." A kid that's not ours, he added silently. And that I will never see grow up.
"I think we all are," Storm agreed, continuing her gentle caresses. They sat there in silence for several minutes. She had a certain look of anguish in her eyes… an anguish that seemed to be overshadowed by the slightes hint of hope. A cough erupted from his chest, as he let go of her hand to instinctively cover his mouth, distracting them for a moment. When he was finished, he felt Storm's hand on his shoulder; her fingertips squeezing it ever so slightly. "Do you have a plan?"
"Get the kid to safety," Logan replied., stealing a glance at her. She looked determined to talk to him more, but he could also detect the tiredness from her body language. He knew he couldn't keep avoiding the painful topics forever, but the more chance he had to just be with Storm, the better for him. "We'll be in the city in a few hours, try and get some sleep."
She gave him a hard look, but, then nodded tiredly, resting her hand against his, before drifting back into her own dreams.
A/N:So… I came across some interesting news about the movie. Apparently it's hinted that Logan was married in a deleted scene. Not specified to who, but it's implied it's Jean since that's the only X-woman Logan has killed in the entire movie franchise. Personally, I would think it'd be Storm… and only if they used a certain someone that will be arriving soon…