After watching a couple episodes of Law & Order, I decided to take a long deserved nap and just let AJ watch her show. Didn't work at first cause every few minutes she was shouting. "CUT THE FUCKERS BALLS OFF OLIVIA!"
I woke up a little later to discover that we had just landed and that I was asleep for like three hours and I felt awesome. Daken was still being quiet and AJ was trying to reach her luggage but failed miserably. I shook my head as she tried standing on one of the chairs. "You're just to short."
She glared at me, "I can reach my own damn luggage."
"Apparently you can't." I smirked.
She jumped down from the chair, and then leapt up, grabbing the edge of the overhanging shelf. She did a little pull up, before swinging back, then getting her knees hooked around it. Her arms now free, she grabbed her luggage, and then smirked upside down at me, "Eat it!"
I poked her in the eye.
She yelped, falling down on her head. "DAMN YOU JESS!"
Daken finally decided to interact with us by telling us to get moving. He had a car waiting for us a car, but from what he said we aren't going to a hotel or anything. So now we're going on a road trip to find Wolverine. Joy.
After what seemed like hours and Daken fiddling with his phone, he said he knew were his father was. I'm not sure I want to know who his source is, but at least we now knew were we where going. After listening to AJ complain about having to take a shower and wanting to stretch her legs, Daken finally rented a hotel room for us. We weren't that far from Wolverine either, so Daken decided to wait till later to go find him. I think he was just tired, he was still human after all.
Daken was still asleep when AJ and I decided to go for a walk in the park about two blocks away. I think she only wanted to go so she could flip around on the jungle gym in the dark. She only succeeded in falling a lot, and getting herself stuck eventually. We were there a bit because it was already dark as we walk back to the hotel. That's when we heard something in the bushes.
"Uh, AJ, not to sound like a wimp but-"
"When I tell you to run, then run." She said firmly, turning around to face the bushed head on, "I can feel your blood lust from here, just show yourself, and save me the trouble to dragging you out here."
How is it I'm twenty-one, yet this sixteen year old is the only taking charge? Damn this girl really doesn't know how small she is. That's when something unexpected happened. A large shadow of a man came out, he towered over seven feet tall, black and white hair, up in a samurai like fashion. "Oh my God..."
AJ raised an eyebrow, "Something wrong Jess? Don't get all scared on me now, this guy doesn't look that tough."
"That's Romulus, you idiot, we need to run!" I hissed.
She dropped her guard, looking over her shoulder at me, then back to Romulus, "Well damn..."
"There you are little ones, I've been looking all over for you." Said Romulus.
AJ's jaw went slack as he stepped forward, straightening to his full height. She has to crane her head nearly all the way back just to be able to look his him the eye. "Holy Jesus..."
He smirked down at her, "Still want to fight, little girl?"
I saw AJ take a deep breath, before she screamed at the top of her lungs, "I DON'T WANNA GET BRAINWASHED!"
Before anything else could be said AJ bolted with me right behind her, for a short person she ran fast. AS I started catching up to her sharp objects started flying past our heads. AJ's voice sounded right behind me. When had I passed her? "Keep your head low and run faster!"
I listened to her. I was terrified, and didn't want to find out what he wanted with us. Various images rushed through my mind, Romulus killing us, torturing us, breaking us...
Once I reached the hotel I looked behind me for AJ, she was right behind me last time I checked. But not anymore
"AJ…, AJ WHERE ARE YOU?!" I yelled into the darkness aimlessly.
WITH AJ:
I sighed as I heard Jess calling out for me, and a shock of guilt corroded my conscience. "Sorry Jess... but you wouldn't last anyway."
I heard a chuckle behind me, "Well, well. Giving yourself up for your friend? Very noble. Idiotic, pointless, and it implies you actually think you're capable of fighting me, but noble none the less."
I turned to face Romulus head on, "I'm used to doing this with wraps and boxing gloves, bare knuckle brawling is a bit new to me."
I fell into a tight boxing stance, focusing on him alone. "But I'm sure it's the same concept."
He smirked, and the fight was on.
His tree branch like arm swung out at me first, and ducking under that was no problem. But then his knee came up. I tried to jump to the side to avoid it, but it turned out to be a fake. His other leg swept around to trip me, and I barely had time to tuck and roll. His claw nearly took my head off. I dropped my hands, figuring that I would need them for a hand spring or something, seeing as I would never be able to get a hit on Romulus.
"You still think you can beat me, girl!?" Romulus snarled wickedly.
"I don't need to beat you." I grinned, jumping over another one of his kicks. I bent over backwards to avoid another swipe of his arms. "I just need to stall you."
Daken would come soon... he had to.
But before I could assure myself, a punch comes out of nowhere, and black is all I see.
WITH JESS:
I had hijacked one of Daken's cars, and driven all over the city until I eventually found them. And from what I could see, Daken and Logan were fighting. I drove straight towards in an attempt to stop them. Logan saw me first and dove out of the way, so I skidded to a stop just in front of Daken.
"Jess get the hell out of here, I don't need you right now." Growled Daken.
"Romulus got AJ!" I cried.
"What do you mean he got her?" Asked Daken.
"We were walking in the park when he showed up, we ran and I ended up running ahead, but I thought she was behind me, next thing I know, she's gone!" I practically shoved the words out of my mouth in a rush, not even aware of what I was saying.
"Why would he want your friend?" Asked Logan.
"He must have found out about us and wanted us for information." I turned to Daken, "Daken, AJ and I know everything about your father. He's going to want her to tell him a way to find his weaknesses, and believe me, she knows every single one of them."
"You left them alone knowing this? Are you insane!?" Logan's voice got louder with every word.
"I know what I'm doing old man!" Growled Daken.
"SHUT THE FUCK UP AND STOP FIGHTING!" I screamed. "HE'S GONNA KILL AJ! SHE'S JUST A KID GOD-DAMNIT!"
"Sorry darling, we need to find your friend." Logan said gently.
"But how? We have no way of knowing were his is. And either way, it's probably a trap." Daken pointed out. "And we'll need time... How much torture do you think AJ can take?"
"What!?" I snapped. The very idea of him hinting at leaving AJ for as long as he needed, at the hands of Romulus... It made me forget for a few seconds the fact he could easily kill me. All that registered in my brain was wanting to claw his eyes out. He might be a dick, but AJ looked up to him. She was in the comic book store every week, looking for Daken story arcs, action figures, and posters. When she couldn't find them, she would sit down with Photoshop and make them.
She said she didn't trust him, but I knew she respected him. She saw more in him than what was really there. She gave him credit he didn't deserve, and he talks about her like this!
Logan grabbed my shoulders, stopping me from attacking Daken, "Ignore him Darlin, and calm down. I might be able to sniff Romulus out, but it'll take awhile. Daken just wanted to know how much time we had."
I couldn't help the fire that blazed up in my center, the hate and anger coming to a boil. "I don't care! You can't keep treating AJ like this!"
Logan spun me around so I was facing him instead of Daken, "I know your angry, but keep it together! The more time you spend arguing, the more time your friend AJ is with Romulus."
"I have an idea, give me a moment." I said.
"Ok, go for it darlin." Logan relented, letting go of my shoulders.
I took a deep breath, holding my hands up as high as they would reach, "Asfrid the Fallen! Give me your power!"
As I finished my bracelets turned into there gauntlet form and Asfrid's spectral image appeared in front of us. She looked around, confused.
"Why have you summoned me to this peaceful scene?" Asfrid questioned.
"My friend AJ was taken by an enemy, I need you to locate her, now! Is there any type of spell to find were she is?" I asked.
"Yes, but it is a very strong spell. I can locate her and teleport us there, but I need a few minutes. And if I do this, I will be to weak to help you after, so you will have to use the skills you know on your own." Asfrid explained.
"Since when can you summon a Valkyrie?" Asked Daken.
"Since you abandoned AJ and I." I growled angrily.
Daken frowned, "It's not like you trusted me to stay."
"AJ did!" I hissed out.
Asfrid glowed as she searched for AJ. She grew even brighter as she released the energy back into the sky, then fell to the ground.
"Asfrid, please tell me you found her." I begged.
"Yes, now let me take us to her," Said Asfrid as she waved her hand in the air.
WITH AJ:
"This will go much simpler if you don't make me hurt you." Said Romulus, as if talking to a toddler. "Just tell me, how do I kill Logan?"
"Sure you wouldn't rather hear about how to use soap properly?" I asked, wrinkling my nose in disgust. Figured the caveman never heard of a shower.
I saw a shadow of a smirk on his face, before one claw was embedded in my shoulder. "AHHH!"
"How do I kill Wolverine!?" He thundered, yanking the claw out.
I panted, trying to find words past the pain. "Did you try... cutting off his head?"
His claw went through my thigh next. "AAAHHHHH!"
"Scream louder!" He ordered.
I bit down on my tongue as hard as I could, cutting off my own screams by choking on my own blood.
He wiggled his claw around harshly, "I said, SCREAM!"
My body shook with pain. I have no idea how I managed to keep from screaming.
I can't tell him. I can't tell him. Dear God I hope I can keep from telling him. It hasn't even been a full minute, and I already want to spill everything.
WITH JESS:
As Asfrid said we were suddenly teleported to what looked like an abandoned warehouse, and the door was wide open. He was waiting for us, I knew he was, there was no way he was just going to let us in and take AJ. Now it was just to get her out alive. I wasn't going to let anyone hurt my best friend. It was time to take a stand, I couldn't let her fight for me anymore, and I clearly can't depend on Daken to keep her safe. Time to step up.
Logan walked ahead of us to check for any sort of trap that might be there. That's when the lights came on, revealing Romulus waiting for us as he stood by the bloodied body of AJ. She was tied to a chair, and I barely recognized her. Her legs were just a mess of scratched bone and tore muscle. Her arms and upper body were mutilated beyond recognition. The only way I new it was her, is because of her bright ginger hair.
"What did you do to her you monster!?" I yelled.
"I just wanted to talk, but she made it difficult. So I had to punish her." Said Romulus.
"Romulus let her go!" Growled Daken.
"What? Feeling compassion for another? This is so unlike you Daken." Romulus laughed.
"Romulus you've gone to far! If you want me, fight me now!" Logan demanded.
"Oh, there is a lot I want, and your part in my plan comes later." Romulus brushed off.
"Screw this! Your going down you god damned fossil!" I yelled as I charged towards Romulus.
I used my magic to encase my hand in ice to form razor sharp claws, and slashed at him. he weaved in and out of my attacks, and then grabbed me with one hand, throwing me across the room. I hit the railing on the upper level of the warehouse, and then smashed to the ground. I coughed up blood as I glared at the source of my rage. I staggered to get up, while Romulus got held AJ by both of her arms. She was barely conscious.
"Look little one, your friends are here to save you." Her eyes slowly traveled from Logan, to Daken, to rest on my crumpled up form. Once she focused on me, she actually grinned. "But unfortunately for them, you have outlived your usefulness." Said Romulus.
I ran as fast as I could towards her, but I couldn't move as fast in my condition. As I got closer, Romulus pulled his gloved hand back and then proceeded to swing it forward, impaling AJ with his clawed gauntlets. I looked on in horror and shock as he pulled his bloody claws out of her abdomen.
"NOOOOOOOOO!" I screamed.
I ran towards AJ as her body hit the floor and Romulus threw something at the floor, disappearing in a flash of smoke. I lifted AJ's nearly lifeless body in my arms as I tried to stop the bleeding. "AJ?" My voice came out a cracked whisper.
She just kept smiling up at me.
And then, her eyes closed. The crazy ginger was dead. My best friend died... and it was all my fault.
I felt a hand on my shoulder and I look up to see Logan looking at me with a look of remorse on his face. "I'm sorry kid."
I didn't even bother to stop the tears and sobs, "She was... she was just a kid! She was sixteen damn it, that's when life really starts!"
Logan nodded, and Daken leaned down, taking AJ away from me. He held her up to his chest, frowning at her dead body, in deep thought.
"She just wanted to help people, that's all she ever wanted to do." I mumbled. "She wanted to be a District Attorney... put bad guys in jail. That's all she ever talked about."
Logan put an arm around my shoulders, pulling me into a gentle hug. "Sometimes, the good die young Darlin."
Daken spoke up, "Jess I need you to do something, it might save AJ."
"Anything, just save her!" I cried, emotions reeling at the thought of her living.
"If I give her a blood transfusion with my blood, there's a good chance with enough of it, we can save her." Said Daken.
Logan frowned, "But she's already dead."
I felt hope surge through me, "No, you'll learn this later, but enough of your blood pumped into someone gives them a healing factor! She might already be dead, but it's worth a shot!"
Logan's eyes widened, "What do you mean, learn it later?"
"But we aren't anywhere near a hospital." I pointed out.
"Then use your magic to teleport us!" Daken snapped.
"I'll try," I said.
I summoned all my strength and magic and pictured the hospital I past when I went to get Daken. All of a sudden everything got bright and next thing I know we are in the middle of an empty operating room with a freaked out doctor staring at us. Daken quickly put AJ onto the table and then dragged the protesting doctor over to her, "You, give her a blood transfusion, now!"
"What happened to her?" Asked the doctor.
"Never mind that, just do the damn blood infusion or I'll imbed my claws into your neck!" threatened Daken unsheathing his claws.
The doctor nearly pissed himself, but his medical training seemed to kick in as he grabbed needles and blood bags, "Do you have any blood transmitted diseases?"
"I'm clean." Daken growled.
"What about her?" He asked, "Aids? And other STD's?"
"She's a virgin." I said dryly.
The doctor nodded, Shooting the needle into Daken's elbow, "Alright, you two, leave."
Logan lead me out into the hall. I leaned back against the wall and slid down till I was sitting on the floor, pulling my knees towards me, resting my chin on them. Logan sat on the floor next to me and put an arm around me to try and comfort me. I rested my head on his shoulder and just prated while we waited. We waited about fifteen minutes, after they were done, Daken let the doctor leave the room and promptly picked up AJ, with a gentleness I had never seen him use to anyone. Despite the blood transfusion, her legs and upper body were still torn to pieces.
We needed to leave before the cops showed up, since we just held a doctor captive and made him do a shady looking blood transfusion. We got out of the hospital and flagged down a cab as soon as we got out. Once we actually got back to the hotel, we let AJ rest and we sat in the living room as Daken prepared some food. I just looked at the window and watched as the cars below went by.
"It's not your fault you know." Said Logan suddenly.
"I should of made sure she was right behind me." I whispered. "Whether she lives through this or not, she's dead because of me."
"The only reason she had a prayer of making it through this is because you saved her, got her to the hospital." Logan argued.
Daken suddenly dropped the cups he had been holding onto the counter, walking out of the living room/kitchen area, towards the back bedroom where AJ's body as laid. Logan frowned, "How do you two know my son?"
I sighed, "It's a long story... but I guess you should know."
WITH AJ:
My eyes opened slowly, staring up at a white ceiling. That was the first thing I noticed, the white ceiling. Next thing I noticed was that my legs hurt like hell. I shifted my eyes down to look, and saw tiny strands of muscle, tissue, and skin lithering back together. I nearly screamed, but when I tried my throat felt like it was on fire. I screamed to much when I was with Romulus. The would-be scream turned into just a low moan. Damn this was painful... why the hell are my legs healing?
I looked to my left, to see Daken, perched in a chair nest to my bed, staring at me. "Hey." I managed to rasp out.
He shook his head, "Don't talk. Your own blood pooled in your throat, after you bit your own tongue off."
My eyes widened, and I moved my tongue around frantically. nothing was wrong with it. "But I don't-"
"Stop talking." He ordered, than gestured to my still healing legs, "You're healing factor will probably be temporary, and it's very slow. But that's okay, because Logan is keep Jess busy in the other room. He won't let her see you like this."
I nodded. Good. "How long-"
"Stop. Talking." He said firmly. "If you want to know how long it's take you to heal to the point where you can get up, walk around, and talk to Jess, probably about twenty minutes. If you want to know how long Jess will take to tell Logan who you two are, and how you got here, probably about half an hour. She just got to the part about you getting Ares on your side."
I nodded, trying to think past the pain. I didn't even want to look at my stomach and arms.
I grit my teeth against the pain, this was gonna take awhile.
WITH JESS:
"And then Daken just left us with the Fantastic Four. By the time he came back, I had already gotten my gauntlets... on accident."
Logan offered a small smile, "You've only had then a few weeks, and you're already teleporting. Pretty damn good."
I nodded, "I like magic, it's easier for me to learn that rather than... fighting."
"Have you tried?"
I nodded, "AJ tried to teach me, and I gave it my best effort, but it was a bit... pitiful. I think I nearly made her cry with my terrible attempts once. She said I lacked aggression."
"I saw some good aggression when you were trying to save her from Romulus." Logan pointed out.
"He killed AJ, she's like my little sister." I mumbled, "But all the other confrontations I've been in, I was mostly just trying to talk AJ out of fighting."
"Talk me out of fighting who?"
My head shot up, to see AJ standing there, smirking that cocky little smirk only that crazy ginger can do.
"Daken filled me in. Romulus killed me, and thanks to him and you, I'm alive again. Well, that's pretty damn awesome. I think I saw a Denny's nearby... and dying made me hungry. Let's go eat."
Logan stared at AJ with a look that said, 'damn, that is one tough kid.'
Daken rolled his eyes and said "I'm not eating at a shitty diner. I'll take you somewhere else to eat."
I just stared at her for a minute, processing what she just said. Without even thinking about it, I pulled my fist bad, and rammed it into her skull. She didn't fall, but she stumbled back a few feet, holding her face.
"Jess!?"
"Don't start AJ! You died! Do you understand that!? D.I.E.D. Still don't comprehend you're fucking mortality!? Or is your stupid red neck brain to small!? I watched Romulus kill you, my best friend, and you talk about FOOD!?"
I had never seen AJ like this... she honestly looked scared of me. "Uh... Jess, I can't help being hungry-"
Rage burned inside of me, and I body tackled her to the ground, started scratching at her face, until Daken pulled me off, and tossed me over his shoulder. "AJ, go wait in the parking lot." Daken ordered.
She ran out of there fast as she could, and Daken handed me off to Logan, "You're good with sentimental shit. Get her calmed down, and dump her wherever the hell you want. If she's smart enough to find her way back to the hotel, then fine. If not, no big loss."
Logan stared after Daken, "That bastard."
I give Logan a look, "Then you should have worn a condom."
And that everyone that is chapter seven and imagininja41 and I hope you enjoyed it as much as we enjoyed writing it. Sorry if it took a bit but we are also writing the next couple chapters. Eight is done I just have to go over it and nine still has to get the kinks out of it. But I hope you like it and leave some reviews on how you feel and later days my duckies.
