Pyrus: Shout outs to all those who reviewed. And a special shout out to Chellerbelle who kept me writing my fingers off in Nov.!!!
Emma: We Own NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!
Chapter 5
SHE was running scared out of her mind down a long dark hallway as loud footsteps echoed all around her. One second she had been safe in the arms of her Russian savior and the next she had been off running for her life once again. Nothing but the floor beneath her feet stood solid around her as she ran down the dark room. Kitty felt that if she was to stop running even if just for a second the shadows that drifted just beyond the strip of road she ran on would come out and get her.
Kitty could feel her heart pounding with in her chest like a frantic butterfly's wing beat. She thought that if she ran any faster any longer that her heart would burst from its fear and fly out of her chest leaving her empty and lifeless. Suddenly a figure appeared in front of her crouched low to the ground.
Kitty suddenly dug her heels into the ground before pulling herself to a hard stop, before her stood Sabretooth in all his wild madness. Kitty turned around like the frightened cat she was and quickly began running back the way she had come with the mad mutant pounding after her.
"AHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!" Kitty screamed bloody murder as she suddenly ran off the solid ground she had been running on, while Sabretooth laughed manically above her as he watched her fall further and further into the darkness.
Kitty awoke with a fright as she sat bolt up right in a room she didn't recognize. The walls were a pale pink with a white crown boarder. There was an ornate maple desk in the right corner, with a matching dresser to her left as well as a matching trunk at the foot of the bed. Kitty then looked around herself at the bed she sat upon. It was an elegant maple canopy bed that had pale red curtains hanging down off the side as well as darker red sheets, which were twisted around her much like a cocoon.
"Keettie?" came a happy screech room the floor.
The next think Kitty knew there was a gray dragon flying toward her from its bed beside the desk. She smiled and caught the dragon in a hug while it too wrapped it tiny front paws around her neck in greeting.
"Oh Lockheed I like thought I like lost you." Kitty sighed softly as she let go of the dragon that gently flopped onto the bed.
"He came straight here three weeks ago after those guys took you." Came a voice from the door that stood in front of Kitty's bed.
Kitty looked up, surprise and fear reflected in the light brown eyes that were met by a very dark shade of brown ones, instantly something in Kitty relaxed though she wasn't sure why. The girl had bone straight dark brown hair that matched her dark brown that smiled at Kitty reassuringly. Her skin was a mix between tan and white though if Kitty had to guess she would say that the girl had just spent way to much time in the sun. The girl wore a black uniform though hers revealed much more skin then that two toned haired girl that had attacked Kitty the night before.
This girl wore a black leather halter top that had a really low v cut that showed off the top of her breasts, while at the same time it showed off the black lined butterfly with the red parts on its wings. The bottom of the shirt even ended just above the girl's belly button, while her black leather pants hugged her hips and all her other leg curves as well before disappearing into the girls calf high black soldier boots.
"Hey Kitty. I bet you don't remember me. I'm Lexa." the girl said as she scratched Lockheed's head between his growing black horns.
"KKKEEEIIII!!!" Lockheed squealed happily.
"Like Lexa?" Kitty asked causing the girl to look up at her instead of at the baby dragon that had perched on her knees.
"Yes?" Lexa asked catching Lockheed so that he sat on the bed.
"Where like am I exactly?" Kitty asked softly.
"Well your in the Siren strong hold, your original home Kitty." Lexa said before lying sideways across the bed.
"But…," Kitty paused trying to form her words perfectly, "Like why did you guys like kidnap me?"
"Because they wouldn't have given you up any other way silly Kitty." Lexa said just before Lockheed flopped on top of her stomach.
"Like what in the world are you talking about??" Kitty asked feeling the tears slowly bubbling to the surface.
"I mean that if we had just walked up to the gate…" Lexa began as she sat up, but Kitty cut her off.
"THEY would have like let you into like see me and you would have like seen how happy I had been!!" Kitty said her tone pecking between a yelled and a shriek causing Lexa to cover her sensitive ears and for Lockheed to hide under the blanket.
"No, Kitty. After four long years with in the Brotherhood hideout they wouldn't have. Don't you remember you're the one mutant who could end this war," Lexa said as she took hold of Kitty's hands trying to calm her crying friend.
"No Lexa. Like I don't know anything and they like have an ex-Brotherhood member to fill them in on like everything that has been going on over there since like this war began. I didn't see like anything other then the inside of my cell for like FOUR straight years!! I was raped like almost twice a day…. or more…" But Kitty found that she was unable to speck after that for her throat had tightened so much and her sobs became to over whelming for her to control anymore.
Lexa's face fell at what her sister had just said. Lockheed slowly poked his small horse like head out from under the blanket before jumping out into Kitty's lap. The strange dark gray dragon tried its best to comfort Kitty though it only made her cry more. Suddenly Lexa jumped off the bed and pulled a black bag out of no where.
Kitty lifted her head and looked at the strange black bag that Lexa had pulled out from seemingly no where, suddenly Kitty realized where she had seen the bag. It had been the bag the not Wolf Child wolf had been carrying as well as the bag that had always been hanging off of Piotr's bed post.
"Rahne, the wolf that lead you out of the room last night, had grabbed thinking that it was yours. I hope it helps you." Lexa said her dark brown eyes cast down at the floor, before she turned to leave.
"You like know…They have another man like you…" Kitty said softly just as Lexa was about to leave.
"What did you say??" Lexa asked a sharp tone of shock and distrust in her voice.
"They have…Wolverine…he's like you... he's got the claws, the like healing factor...everything even your eyes," Kitty said from her position still on the bed, instantly understanding why Lexa's eyes had calmed her so much.
Lexa's hands shook lightly before the leather wearing teen whipped around and left the room slamming the door behind her. Kitty stayed curled up on the bed for a few seconds before jumping up and grabbing the black bag gently. Kitty then began to gently pull the bags contents out and spreading them out across the bed around her. At first she only pulled out the mechanical pencils, colored pencils, paintbrushes, and paints that she remembered Piotr constantly using, before she bag pulling out the older sketch pads.
"They're like beautiful…" Kitty whispered as she pulled out the filled sketch pads.
The first ones had been of different black and white flowers though kitty noted the fact that none of the flowers had fully bloomed. Suddenly though after a rather dark drawling of a Water Lily sitting on a calm black mirror lake Kitty flipped the page and gasped.
She was looking at a full water color picture of a long steamed, deep dark, red rose that was in full bloom. The petals looked like they were made of rd velvet, while the steam stood thorn less. Below the flower was a clear pool of water that had a single ripple in it that chased away the shadows that surrounded the flower. On the bottom right corner Piotr had not only signed the paints but he had also dated it. The date read 05\12\12, which quickly brought new tears rolling down her face.
PIOTR awoke with to find the room dull and to find the girls huddled in the corner of the room whispering softly. As Piotr listened it became clear that the professor had brought all humans into the mansion opening the med floor for all those who had been injured during the Siren raid.
"Yeah I was so scared," Alice said softly, while she leaded against her sister Tracy's shoulder.
"Shhh Alice every thing's fine now." Tracy said, while rubbing her back lightly.
"No its not..." Surge said softly looking up at the ceiling, while she lay on her back hands folded behind her head.
"Yeah, Kit's gone." Loa said, while she and Talia cuddled close to Wolf Child's warm fur.
"I don't understand why she left..." Pixie said as she fluttered around the room, which was the equivalent of pacing to those of us without wings.
"She hadn't wanted to, half-pint, they tricked her." came Logan's growly voice.
Piotr turned and stood to see the Wolverine walk into the room Feral in his arms. Logan quickly dropped the Siren captive into the back corner causing the cat girl to growl sharply in response. Logan and the others in the room ignored her though, as Logan came around the desk and looked down at the group of girls.
"H-How do you know?" Talia asked sitting up to look at Logan properly.
"They had that wolf girl led her out. I know cause I followed their path from the room all the way to a half done tunnel that lead right out there explaining how the Professor first spotted them." Logan explained as he knelled down and placed a hand on Tracy's free shoulder.
"How's are the Russians holding up?" he whispered to her.
"Illyana is really taking it bad, but I think Piotr was taking it even worse." Tracy whispered back.
"Yo, Tin Man. I could smell you with them in the hall, too. Care to explain." Logan asked finally showing the girls that the elder Russian was wide wake.
"No, Logan I didn't tell them she was here, and I had thought Talia had brought her to the office with the others. And to your question, the only thing I can think of is that this other wolf took my sketching bag. It was the only thing that I could think of that would carry my smell besides me." Piotr explained before joining them in the corner where he sat next to Illyana's sleeping form.
"Yeah well it turns out the Feral Siren over there," Logan said gesturing toward Feral causing the mutated girl to hiss in return, "Knocked out Havok and Scott before finding the tunnel. Alex says that if it hadn't been for that they might have been in time to capture Rogue or Wolfsbane to."
"Wolfsbane?" Piotr and Surge asked together.
"Yeah shes the Siren's pup. Her wolf is very similar to out puppy there, but her coat over all is a darker red and her legs and paws are black, while the tip of her tail is pure white." Logan explained.
"So she looks like a large fox right?" Piotr asked.
"Yeah. And worst is that in the dark she really looks like him. They have the same golden feral eyes in wolf form gets so annoying on night patrol. I've ran into the girl a lot more then Wolf Child in the beginning before the Professor moved him out of the night group." Logan said now standing his back cracking like popcorn as he did.
"Come on Tin Man it time to get out in the city. Gumbo get in here and take care of the little ones." Logan yelled as he marched to the door.
"Yeah. Yeah, Wolvie Remy got dem no need ta start a fight'n." Remy said walking into the room bow staff in hand, which was twirled elegantly around and around in his hands.
Piotr unwillingly stood up and followed Logan out of the room feet dragging slightly as he passed Remy.
"Please just keep them safe." Piotr whispered to his fellow X-man before exiting the room to join Logan on patrol.
Once they were out in the city Logan kept Piotr away from the Eastern part of the city worried that of what Piotr might do. As they walked Piotr in his metaled up state and Logan with his claws extended just encase trouble came around the next corner. Suddenly Piotr noticed Logan stop in his tracks, Logan then took a deep breath and growled deeply.
"Who is it." Piotr asked standing back to back with Logan.
"I don't know but they smell like me, but I need you to go two blocks south and then two to the east there's another scent I want you to check out." Logan said before walking to the west leaving Piotr to go and check out the other scent Logan had picked up.
It had only taken Piotr a few minutes to find his way to the said place that Logan had pin pointed the other person's scent. Piotr was surprised to see the back of a small eight-year-old girl with short bone straight brown hair that came to just under her chin, while being held back by a pair of green barrettes kept her bangs off of her face.
As he approached her he could see a strange butterfly tattoo at the base of her neck was lined in Royal Blue ink, instead of the black of the inner circle, while the coloring on the wings was Neon Green, which proved that she was part of the Siren's General core.
"She's a General? But she's so young!!" Piotr thought knowing what the tattoo's coloring meant.
It was then that he noted her uniform, or the lack there of. The girl wore a pale yellow sun dress that had small green stars across the bottom hem as well as across the top hem. Beside her stood a brown case and on top of that case sat a straw sun hat that had a white ribbon wrapped around it so that it had a tail hanging down onto the ground. Piotr decided that it was high time that he approached the girl.
"Hello little girl. Do you need help?" Piotr asked his metaled up status falling quickly in an attempt as to not look threatening, though his alertness didn't fall with in.
"Yes, please. Cleo ran up the tree and she won't come down." the girl said in a sad tone as she pointed up into the tree that stood before her.
Piotr looked up into the tree and wasn't at all surprised to see that the said cat, Cleo, was a Siamese that had bright blue eyes that easily rivaled his own. Piotr simply walked forward and began climbing the tree. It was certainly difficult because of his size and for the fact that ever time that he got close enough to grab her she would always leap gracefully to the branch above his head.
Finally his hands came to rest on the milky tan hide that tightened beneath warm hand before relaxing enough for him to pick her up. He brought the cat down and held in cradled under his chin while he held in as he carefully descended the tree, very surprised at how far he had climbed before finally reaching her. Finally after what seemed like forever Piotr jumped out of the tree and his feet hit the firm ground below with a muffled thump. Once he stood the cat suddenly lifted her head and licked his cheek, causing the little girl before him to laugh.
"She likes you," the girl said before opening her arms for the cat to jump into.
"Yeah? Well I guess I would like the giant that save me from a tree, too." Piotr said as the cat jumped out of his arms and into the girl's out stretched ones.
"Well, I can see you point there." the girl said as the cat jumped on to her slim shoulder and wrapped itself around her neck.
"What's your name if you don't mind me asking?" Piotr asked as he watched the girl reach for her hat.
"No not at all. My human name is Hope, but my gang name is Trance. I like Hope better." the girl, Hope, said as she set her hat on her head and as she bent her knees to pick up her case, "Will you walk with me?"
"Of course. And may I ask where are you going, Miss Hope?" Piotr asked as he stepped forward so that they were walking side by side up the hill.
"To the X-men home. I have decided that this dumb war has gone on long enough and there's no need for it. Both Temptress and Bishop are dead have been for three years now so why does the war continue? Because none of use even remember why it started in the first place it was a secret of the first center circle, who have all died. So I just walked out." Hope stated as her free hand scratched Celio's head right behind the cat's darker coco ears.
"I see. Well it seems that many are starting to see the way you think now a days. We already have a three week old ex-Brotherhood member...and we had a stray Siren Kitty that he had rescued from the Brotherhood dungeons but as you most likely know the Sirens took her back last night." Piotr said looking at his feet instead of at the eight-year-old beside him.
"Yes...they did, but just so you know I wasn't there. Cleo and I have been hiding out in the park for the past week or so. I'm sorry I never got a chance to met the Shadowcat when she was at the Siren stronghold, but I'm sure someday we'll met on the right side." Hope said just as they came over the crest of the hill to see the mansion sitting before them behind her iron gates, in the light of the setting sun.
"Maybe..." Piotr trailed off as he stared at the picture before him.
Piotr felt as if the time and world had stopped after he had said that. He felt as if Kitty was still in there waiting for his speedy return, though he knew that wasn't the case, but in the back of his mind something told him that one day. One day it would be true that he would smile back at how this day had told him that. But like all good moments it was soon spoiled by of all things Piotr's stomach, which was not only as loud as a jet plane landing, but it also made Hope laugh.
WOLVERINE staked slowly through one of the many back ally ways, following the growing smell of himself of all things. He count quite place it but the smell was a little different, but not so much that it would immediately set him off to the fact that is wasn't his smell. He came out of the ally and found himself in the park of all places, suddenly before he had time to react someone kicked him forward and into the muddy ground.
"Aww that was the WRONG...move?" Logan said claws out and ready to shish kabob the idiot who had kicked him, but stopped short when he spotted the girl standing a few feet away from him.
It wasn't the fact that she was a girl that had stopped him it was the fact that she had two adamantium claws extending from each her fists as well as one on each of her feet. The girl all leather while at the same time showing off her body without a second thought to modesty. Her hair hung bone straight until it touched her shoulder blades.
"Who are you??" he asked sheathing his claws, but not loosing his fighting stance.
"I was going to ask you the same thing..." she asked stepping just a little closer to him.
"I'm Wolverine!" He said as he puffed out his broad chest.
"But why do you smell like me?" the girl asked.
"Why do I smell like you? Your the one that smells like me?" Wolverine said now noticing that she had the same black-ish eyes as he did, which stunned him, "Who are you?"
"Lexa... though I go by X-23 in the battle field." and thats when Wolverine understood.
"Your the clone??" He whispered before stepping back from her.
"What??" Lexa said shocked.
"Striker said that the place that gave me these," Logan said letting his claws retract outward, "Made a clone of me eighteen years ago."
"That would explain it." Lexa said as she looked at his claws before retracting her own out.
The two stood in stunned silence before retracting both pairs of claws into their body, before smirking are each other. Lexa held out her hand in which Logan merely looked out for a moment before taking it in his own. After a second Logan pulled her into a hug before turning them both around to begin walking toward the mansion. Both happy with what they had found that day as the sun began to set above them.
"You know I'm really sorry I left Kitty with the Sirens now.." Lexa said softly as they walked up the main drive and up to the front doors.
"It's alright I'm sure were going to see that stray cat again very soon." Logan said before leading Lexa through the main doors and up the mansions main stair case and toward the Professor's office.
Pyrus: I so hope this one made sense. If not i'm open for questions and PELASE review it helps me now if its good or not!!