I don't own anything to do with anything in the X-Men franchise. That sucks majorly, but that's all right. I'll live. I do own Jaklyn Porter, Silence Allerdyce, Andell Brown, and most of this plot, besides the bits that came from the movie. Mina belongs to my friend. This fic follows along with X-Men III: The Last Stand and is rated for language, violence, drinking, blood, gore, and a little bit of sexual content, but nothing too graphic. Enjoy.


Intoxication
Chapter Eight / Terror Restrained


She had been following him for hours, silently and always a step or two behind him, since he'd woken up after being thrown through a forest. It had been sunset then and it was the afternoon now; they had walked all night, their Adamantium bones and strong muscles needing little to no rest. He guessed she was waiting for the right time to attack him or… something. Actually, he wasn't sure why she hadn't attacked him yet. His back had been exposed for the entirety of their trek, but she hadn't made a move. Logan's body had been completely tense the whole time, ready for a possible attack at any minute.

Andell Brown. Test subject number one-thirteen.

As they walked, Logan's mind kept flicking back to the X-Ray images he'd seen of her at Alkali Lake: her solid Adamantium heels, the three claws nestled in her arms and identical to his, her metal skeleton, a massive conductor for the energy that obviously crackled through her body at her command. He wasn't sure of her powers, but she smelled like Adamantium and she smelled familiar, and that was all that mattered.Logan found it unsettling and oddly comforting to have her so close all the time. He'd never had anyone like him.

He'd tried to start a conversation with her several times, but none of his attempts had garnered any success. She remained quiet and he wasn't sure why. It's not like she hadn't spoken to him already, and since he was sure she was intent on following him all the way back to the mansion, talking would sure make the time go by faster. Whatever, he told himself for about the hundredth time. If she doesn't want to talk, that's her business. I've got to get back to the mansion and get the others so we can go get Jean. And stop Magneto. I wonder if Half-pint's feelin' up to fighting. Her strength would come in handy against the mutants Magneto's got working for him. He looked over his shoulder at Andell, trudging through the forest. She looked perfectly at home traversing the uneven ground, and she seemed accustomed to traveling with only the clothes on her back.

"How long are you planning on following me for?" he asked. "I thought you wanted revenge."

She didn't say anything.

He grunted. "Can you at least tell me if we're close to any people?"

Andell stopped walking and closed her eyes. Kind of flabbergasted that she was actually complying, Logan stopped and turned to watch her. Soft bolts of energy, barely visible, cackled around her hands and a look of concentration settled around her features. It was just over a full minute before she opened her violet eyes again and spoke, her voice slightly rougher than it had been due to her lack of speech.

"There's several groups of people that way." She pointed to the right.

Logan started walking in the opposite direction. He had left the motorcycle he'd "borrowed" from Scott several years ago parked down the road from a small campground. They walked for about thirty minutes more before the bike came into view. Well, sort of view. Logan had hidden it to the best of his ability. He pulled the branches off it and climbed on, taking the bike's weight with his legs in order to lift the kickstand.

"You'd better get on unless you're planning on running the rest of the way."

Andell climbed on the bike behind him. She sat like she belonged there. "Look. I'm biding my time. You're obviously going to try and stop Magneto and-slash-or rescue Jean or whatever her name was. You've got stuff to do, and until you do that stuff, you're not going to be one hundred percent into our fight. I need you to be in this one hundred percent. So, I'm going to stay with you until your shit is taken care of. Then, I'll get what I hunted you for."

He grunted again.

Logan started the motorcycle and took off down the road at a speed miles and miles over the speed limit, enjoying the thrill of excessive speed and – to be completely cliché – the wind in his hair. Riding motorcycles felt like freedom; something Logan sorely craved. But life at the mansion was almost as good. And he was rather attached to the people there, as unlikely as he was to admit that. But those people - Jean – were the reason he was still at the mansion; why he was planning on fighting Magneto and the threat of a cure head-on. Logan was and always had been a fighter. But he was also an honourable man, and if Andell was willing to wait, he would give her what she wanted. As long as she didn't interfere with what he was doing now. He didn't think she would interfere. She didn't sound like she had any loyalty to anyone except herself.

It took the rest of that day and most of the next driving non-stop – except for a short stop to fill up the bike's gas tank – for the pair to reach the New York countryside where the mansion was located. After her explanation, Andell said nothing else and Logan stopped trying to make her talk. Logan parked the bike in the massive garage, smirking slightly at the look of wonder on Andell's face at the amount of money parked beside the bike. But that moment didn't last. The urgency of the situation pressed down on him anew and he ran inside the massive house, his hyper-sensitive eyes and ears and nose searching for Storm.


"I haven't spent any time with Si for days," Mina whined. She flopped backwards against the back wall of Jaklyn's cell and sighed. "She's always with Warren. They're like, inseparable. And I know I should be happy for her, but I can't get over the fact that she didn't tell me about him. Like, I thought I was her best friend. Isn't that the kind of thing you tell your best friend? You talk with your best friends about boys, right?" Mina waited only for Jaklyn's grunt of acknowledgement before continuing her tirade. "I mean, I'm sure Warren is as nice as he is gorgeous – and he is gorgeous, let me tell you – and I'm sure he's a keeper, but why wouldn't she tell me about him? I don't think she told anyone actually. Warren was her little secret. Why can't I have a good boyfriend? I mean, my first serious boyfriend was great until his father tried to turn me into some kind of weapon and then there was John… Ass." Mina sighed again with more exuberance and then smiled at Jaklyn. "How have things with you and Pete been? I mean, it can't be easy on either of you…" She let her voice trail off as she gestured around the cell.

Jaklyn bit her lip to keep from crying. Every time she thought about Piotr, she got choked up and started sobbing. All she could see was the marks on his chest from her and the look on his face as he'd left her cell the last time – the look of absolute hurt. Piotr hadn't come down to see her again, but Jaklyn couldn't say that she blamed him. Who would want to be around her when there was a chance she'd go off at any minute? Silence had been ignoring her as much as she had Mina. Indeed, Mina seemed to be the only one who spent any amount of time with her, besides Logan, who Jaklyn couldn't hurt, even if she tried.

"Jaki…" Mina's voice had changed at the look on her friend's face. "I know something about losing control of your mutation. The Professor put a mental block in my head too because I'd go into fits similar to yours every time I transformed." Mina smiled, her baby blue eyes sparkling, when Jaklyn raised her wolfish face to meet her gaze. "The only reason I haven't gone absolutely nutso since we lost the Professor is because I haven't even tried to transform. I'm…" She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "I'm afraid. I don't want to know what will happen when I have to. But, Jaklyn, you can't just sit here and let it take over you. I know it sounds impossible, but you've got to try and control it. You've got to find a way to use it or something. If you don't… you'll turn into… I don't know, a monster or something. Jaki, you'll turn into everything the world is afraid mutants are."

When Jaklyn didn't say anything, Mina got to her feet and slapped her friend. Hard.

"OUCH! What the bloody hell-"

"STOP MOPING AROUND AND DO SOMETHING, JAKLYN! WE'RE ALL WORRIED SICK ABOUT YOU AND YOU SIT DOWN HERE STARING AT THE FUCKING WALL ALL DAY LIKE YOUR LIFE IS ENDING!" Mina's face had turned an impressive shade of scarlet and her eyes, kind and warm a moment ago, were now cold and angry. Jaklyn's lack of communication had obviously pushed Mina's last nerve. Tears had actually appeared in the corners of Mina's eyes. "YOU'VE GOT A BOYFRIEND WHO LOVES YOU AND IS TRYING HIS BEST TO BE WITH YOU THROUGH THIS AND YOU JUST KEEP PUSHING HIM AWAY! YOU JUST KEEP PUSHING EVERYONE AWAY!" She paused to take a few deep, sobbing breaths. "Just let us help you, Jaklyn… Don't do this alone…"

Jaklyn stared at Mina for a moment, her hand still on her cheek. The familiar and hated bubble of anger had started to form when Mina had slapped her, but now, it was fading away. "I'm sorry…" she whispered hoarsely, her eyes darting to the floor.

Mina all but fell forward to hug her friend. "Jaki, it's fine… But you're putting yourself through all this pain, and you don't have to. Not alone, anyway…"

The taller girl wrapped her arms around Mina and let herself relax against her friend, but their moment of solitude was interrupted by someone barging into the holding room. Jaklyn recognized his smell at once, but when the second smell tingled her nostrils, she looked up at Logan, confused. "What's going on?" she asked, standing up. Mina stood up beside her, and Jaklyn sensed the tension in her friend.

"How you feelin' Half-pint?"

"Like shit. Why?" Jaklyn may have been speaking to Logan, but her eyes, normal and mechanical, were pinned to the woman standing behind her feral friend. Adamantium… It's the female Logan…

"Do you think you can fight?"

"I could tear you apart."

"Right. You and Mina get down to the hanger. Changed. We're heading out to Alcatraz Island."

"You're going to take me?" Jaklyn asked, her voice loosing its edge and sounding more surprised than anything. "You trust me?" She watched as Logan deactivated the shield keeping her in the cell.

"I trust you to fight, Half-pint. I know you can do that. If you… freak out, we'll keep you under control."

Jaklyn was a little shocked, and she momentarily forgot about the "female Logan". As the pair of Adamantium-laced mutants made to leave the room, her senses came back to her. "What's she doing here? I thought we were on red alert for this one?" she snapped, folding her arms across her chest. Logan just grunted and left the room. As – What was her name? Oh yeah… - Andell left the room, Jaklyn let it go and turned to Mina. "Thanks, Mina."

Mina smiled. "It's no problem, Jaki. You're my friend, and I don't want to see you loose yourself. Forgive me for sounding like a teacher, but you were making real progress, and I think you can overcome this… personality defect, shall we call it?"

"That sounds about right."

Mina clapped Jaklyn on the shoulder. "Let's suit up and meet them all in the hanger."

As they left the cell and walked the subbasement halls, a thought dawned on Jaklyn. "Are you going to be OK to fight, Mina? You said it yourself: you're not sure of what will happen when you transform."

"Well… it doesn't matter, does it? We've got to fight. Logan was obviously apprehensive, and Alcatraz Island is where Worthington Labs is, right? My guess is Magneto is going to march on them, try and cut off the cure at its source." Mina sighed, running her fingers backwards through her auburn hair. "So, it doesn't matter what happens to me… I'll have to deal. Just like you. We'll be fine."

Jaklyn wasn't so sure, but she didn't say anything else as the girl walked into the change rooms and pulled out their leather battle uniforms. She pulled her long hair into a ponytail, slid her knives into the sheaths on her thighs and wiggled her fingers through her fingerless gloves; worn only to help with her grip on her knives, Jaklyn didn't always wear the gloves, but she was going to take any advantage she could get as well as the chance she wouldn't have to transform. Maybe that would keep her from flipping out. Mina came around the lockers in the centre of the room, just as Silence, Kitty and Storm entered the room.

"How are you feeling Jaklyn?" Kitty asked as she pulled her suit of the locker next to the metamorph's.

"I still feel terrible. But, I've been recruited to fight anyways."

"What else would you expect with Logan at the helm? Storm won't say no to him and everyone else is gone, so we're stuck listening to Wolvie." Kitty smiled mischievously. "I'm sure you'll be fine, Jaki." Kitty gave her friend's arm a squeeze before walking behind a curtain to change.

"You guys ready?" Silence asked, pulling her sleeves down to her wrists.

"You sure you're ready to show Warren your fiery self?" Mina snapped.

"Mina." Storm's eyes flashed white. "We can not be fighting amongst ourselves. Whatever problems you and Silence are having can wait until we get back. There are more important things to deal with." Without waiting for any protests, the white-haired woman left the room, her cape fluttering behind her.

"Mina?" Silence asked. "What's wrong? Are you mad at me?"

"Like Storm said, it can wait."

As Mina left, Silence turned to Jaklyn. "Do you know what's up?"

"Yeah, but it's not my place to tell."

"C'mon you two." Kitty grabbed both their wrists and led the way do the hanger where the Blackbird was parked. "The air around here is already oppressive enough without a quarrel between friends. All we've got to worry about right now is kicking some butt." Jaklyn marveled slightly at Kitty's ability to keep her mood light, even though she was probably very afraid. "So let's focus."

The three girls joined the rest of the team outside the hanger and turned to face Logan.

"There's only ten of us," Bobby said, looking along the line, Jaklyn following his gaze.

Herself, Kitty, Silence, Mina, Bobby, Piotr, Storm, Warren, Beast and Logan. Ten. Plus that Andell woman, standing behind Logan. But was she going to fight for them? Or just be a bystander? Or would she turn and fight for Magneto?

"Yeah, we're going to be sorely outnumbered."

"But we're a team," Storm reminded them. "We can work together where as they will be a mob."

Jaklyn guessed Storm had some information about what exactly they were going up against that she, or any of the other students, had. But, no one seemed keen on finding out what that information was, as everyone nodded at Storm's words and headed towards the jet. Jaklyn started to follow, but a strong and familiar hand wrapped around her forearm and pulled her back. She turned and looked up at Piotr, afraid of what he might say; she hadn't exactly been the kindest or most thankful she could have been…

"Jaki," he said quietly.

"I'm sorry Piotr," she confessed in a rush as she threw her arms around his middle and pressed her face into his chest.

"It's OK." He held her tightly for a moment and then pushed her back so he could look her in the face. "I just wanted you to know that I'll keep an eye on you. I won't let you hurt any of our friends."

Jaklyn buried her fact into Piotr's chest again.

"Let's get movin' Half-pint; Tin Man. We can't wait around all day."


Silence stared at the back of Mina's chair as the jet lifted out of the hanger and hovered momentarily in the air. There was a soft jolt as the super-sonic jet started its cross-country flight, but Silence's thoughts were not completely on the upcoming fight. Sure, she was worried, just like she always was before she fought, but she was excited. The risk to her life only made it that much more exciting. But the risk to her friend's lives? That made her more worried. That made her angry. After Stryker's attack on the mansion, she did not want to see her friends split up and threatened again. She did not like the risk of loosing any of the people on this plane. Especially not Mina and especially not Warren. Her best friend and her boyfriend. No, she didn't want to loose either of them. Or anyone. But she wanted to fight. There would be a change this time.

Instead of fighting for fun and enjoyment, she would fight to protect. Fight to save.

She balled her hands into fists in resolve.

"Are you OK, Silence?" Warren asked, placing a hand on her arm.

She looked into his bright blue eyes and smiled. "I'm fine, Warren." Silence unclenched her fist and took his warm hand in hers. "Just a little… worried."

"About the fight?"

"Not really." Silence red-eyed gaze went back to Mina's chair and her voice dropped. She didn't know why her thoughts still resided on Mina's angry voice before they'd left, but they did. It can wait until after we fight. After we win.


Warren was very uncomfortable for many reasons. First off and most obviously, he was worried about his father, out on the island with only the research staff and scientists at the labs to protect him. Second, he was worried about Silence, and about these X-Men, who had taken him in. He didn't know exactly what they were facing, but he knew they were outnumbered and he didn't want any of them to suffer because of his father's cure and the resistance it was meeting. Thirdly, he was worried about the actual fighting. He didn't know how to do much, and he wasn't an aggressive person. He didn't know what he could do. The only reason he was on this plane was so he could help his father and his friends. Fourthly, his wings were positioned awkwardly, and that always made him uncomfortable.

Beside him, Silence seemed distracted, and that made him worried as well. From what she'd said, she was a very powerful mutant, and Warren didn't think having her thinking about something other than the fight would be a good idea. "Are you OK, Silence?" he asked, placing a hand on her arm. He wanted to do what he could to help the X-Men fight, and if that meant making sure Silence was all right, then that's what he'd do. Not that he wouldn't do that in any other situation.


Mina closed her eyes as she listened to Silence and Warren speak. She was regretting her decision to make a snide comment at Silence earlier, because she knew that Silence distracted was a bad thing. Especially when they were bound to come up against one of the two people Blaze most wanted to get her hot little hands on. John, Mina thought, closing her eyes against the painful memories. She wasn't looking forward to seeing Pyro again herself. Not amidst the chaos of another good versus evil battle, not when she wasn't sure of her own powers.

Ever since she'd seen Jaklyn first fit, Mina had been afraid to transform, to test her own mutation after the Professor's death and the disappearance of her own mental block. Now, Mina was in a slightly better situation than Jaklyn was. She'd had her mental barrier for much longer and had been working the Professor on controlling herself without the barrier. The sessions had been going well, and Mina was confident she could contain her more… bestial side for a little while at least. But in the heated center of a battle such as the one they were facing? Ah… she wasn't positive she would be able to keep a level head. And John won't help things. Mina's own hands curled into fists and her nails dug into her palms through her gloves.

Can I do this? Should I even be fighting? What if I hurt one of them?


Thoughts much the same were running through Jaklyn's head. But she was even more worried, because the more she thought about the impending fight, the more the hated growling echoed through her head. She felt closer and closer to losing herself with every passing second and every passing mile. If it wasn't for the reassuring presence of her friends around her and Piotr beside her, she was sure she would have already lost it.

At least I've found a way to keep it at bay for a while… Jaklyn sighed and leaned farther back in her seat, the belts contracting with her movement. Piotr's hand tightened on hers.

He said he'd keep an eye on her. Jaklyn was more thankful than she could say, because she knew he'd keep his word. She knew he'd do his best to keep her and everyone else safe from what she could become. But what if something happened to him? Logan had said they were going to be seriously out numbered, but that was all he'd said. Jaklyn figured they'd be fighting mutants, and if there was a lot of them, wouldn't it be logical there would be one who could get through Piotr's defenses?

What if he couldn't stop her? Would someone else on the team do it? Or would she be left to run a bloodthirsty course through the opposing side?

Could she survive losing herself in a mob of mutants ready to kill her?

She wasn't so sure.


Andell sat at the back of the plane, buckled into a seat on a wide bench. It wasn't particularly comfortable, but it allowed her an unobstructed view of the passengers in the front of the plane and it kept her far enough away that no one would talk to her. Being in such close proximity to ten other pressures was playing havoc with her head and she'd take whatever distance she could get. But she could still feel them all.

A shifting pressure, sometimes wild, sometimes calm. A metamorph. Mina. Silverfox.

A hot, unpredictable pressure like Pyro's. A creator and controller of fire. Silence. Blaze.

A calm, kind, pressure, warm to the touch and like a soft breeze on the mind. A flier. Warren. Angel.

A cold pressure, hard like ice. A creator of ice and snow. Bobby. Iceman.

A pressure that was almost untouchable, one that was free. A phaser. Kitty. Shadowcat.

Andell committed the first five pressures to memory, remembering the way they felt as they touched her own psyche, her own pressure, her own energy. She took a moment, and then moved on.

A stormy pressure, powerful and nigh unstoppable. A controller of weather. Ororo. Storm.

A controlled but powerful and feral pressure. A transformed man. Hank. Beast.

A metallic pressure, friendly, protective, defensive. A metal man. Peter. Colossus.

A tormented pressure, animalistic and powerful but kind underneath. A wolf. Jaklyn. Terror.

And just because she could, she ran her mental fingers over Logan's pressure again, the confined, feral, powerful and familiar pressure. Adamantium laced, comforting to know. Wolverine. As much as she wanted her revenge, as much as she wanted her answers, it was good to know there was still someone out there like her, someone who had survived and who would survive for a long time. She didn't want to kill him. She didn't think she could kill him. But she had to know his pressure, so she could keep an eye on him, follow him during the fight.

She had to know everyone, so she could keep an eye on them all. She'd only been around these people for a short time, but she… she quite liked them.


Author's Note… (falls over) So this was a bitch to get out, but I did it! OHMYGOD. I updated all three of my fanfictions-in-progress within like, two weeks. I'm so impress sed with myself. (beams) You should all be impressed with me too. (giggles) By the way, this is the only fic that I'm actually on schedule with. Schedule being the chapter plans I made before I started writing this. WOO.

To learn more about Mina, including the background on several obscure details mentioned in this chapter, go read Shauna's fanfiction "Beautiful Liar". It's about Mina pre-X1.

Forgive me if Logan is slightly out of character. I think he's OK. (Remember, this is MOVIE Logan.) It's been a while since I've written anything X-Men, so… yeah. I won't make any more excuses.

And Matt, I think what you said about Piotr giving Jaklyn a nickname is a great idea. Except I fail at thinking of one, so if you care to help, it'd be much appreciated. :P

Anyways, here you goes Shauna. This one is for you. I put in the Mina-drama we talked about. And some more Jaki-drama and some Silence-and-Warrnen-drama. Wow, they are a WEIRD couple. But whatever. This is another chapter. Enjoy it because I don't know when I'll be able to write another one. I hope this writing streak keeps up though. I want to get to the sequel of my Batman fics. Obviously, Batman is my favourite thing to write, so I'll be kind of focusing on that after this…

Next Chapter: Rage Equals Death