Brandy's lifeless body lay flat on the steel examining table. Logan, Jean, Scott, and Charles Xavier crowded around Brandy waiting for her to awake.
"Only you could arrive here after two years with a severely beaten half-naked girl without anyone even questioning you," Scott chuckled. He was hoping to lighten the mood a little with his observation, but all he did was heighten Logan's feeling of upset, fear, guilt, and anger.
"Look, if you want to start somethin' just keep it up, bub," Logan quickly countered, tensing his muscles in preparation for a fight.
"Stop it, both of you," Jean scolded. "Why don't you two go out in the hall and wait for my word."
"I'm not leaving until she wakes up and I know she's alright," Logan replied sternly, glancing over at Jean and then back at Scott.
"She appears to stirring, perhaps she will awake soon," Xavier called to the others.
Brandy began to move her head from side to side and mumble something under her breath. Logan could tell that she was having a nightmare, a flashback. She started to sweat and tense all the muscles in her body. Logan's shirt was beginning to stick to Brandy's body, darkening with sweat. Logan knew what would be next...
"I think you should think about restrainin' her," Logan warned Jean. Both Jean and Scott gave Logan a weird look and then turned to Professor Xavier for reassurance.
Xavier could feel the turmoil building inside of Brandy's mind. It was the same kind of mixture of fear, pain, and hatred that he had once gauged inside of Logan's head. He knew that Logan was right, when Brandy woke up she would attack the first thing she saw. Xavier nodded to Jean to apply the restraints. But Jean had already felt the same turmoil building inside of Brandy and was already applying the two wrist restraints on Brandy.
Brandy was caught in a nightmarish world of memories that she couldn't understand. There were people in shapeless gowns crawling all over the place; they had masks over their faces and gloves over their hands. They looked like doctors, but Brandy knew that they were something far more sinister.
Then Brandy saw him, the military uniformed man who had a cruel stare and foreboding eyes - he was always in her dream. He came closer as she lay across the cold metal table, restrained at the wrists and ankles. The closer the man got to Brandy the further down she was lowered into a clear tub of liquid. By the time Brandy was fully submerged in the clear liquid the military man was standing directly over her, and by now Brandy could see the sharp, shiny scalpel in his hand. Then Brandy felt the mind numbing pain as the tub began to turn red and darken with Brandy's blood. Brandy opened her mouth to scream, but all she got was a mouthful of her own blood...
Brandy screamed as she vaulted forward with her claws already out. She would have pounced directly on Jean, but because she was restrained at the wrists all Brandy managed to do was pull herself up into a sitting position. She was still unsure as to whether or not she was dreaming until she heard the calming voice of Logan calling her name. She was relieved to that it was him standing by her side and not the military man.
"Brandy, Brandy it's okay," Logan said soothingly, "These are friends, they brought you here for medical attention."
"I don't need medical attention," Brandy countered stubbornly turning towards Jean and Xavier. She never wanted to feel like she was dependent on anyone, especially strangers.
The bald man in the wheelchair smiled at her gently and the redheaded woman walked over and undid the wrist restraints. "Thanks," Brandy said softly. The redhead smiled at her in appreciation.
"Brandy, my name is Professor Charles Xavier, this is Doctor Jean Grey, and Scott Summers. We are aware that you do not require medical attention, but Logan was concerned for your health and just wanted to be sure."
Brandy smiled wide showing her sharp canine teeth. "Oh," was all she said as looked up at Logan. Honestly she was a little surprised that he'd actually cared, but she was decidedly pleased that he had.
"However," Xavier continued, "I would like to extend you an offer to stay here with us. I wish to catch up with Logan and I would thoroughly enjoy getting to know you better. Logan had mentioned that you two seemed to have a lot in common, maybe even more than you both realize."
"Um...I guess I could stay for a little while," Brandy responded, "Sure, what do I have to lose?"
The truth was Brandy had nothing to lose. Except maybe her job, and she always got by before. Something told Brandy that this Professor Xavier would make losing her job worth it. She sensed that he may be able to help her discover her past and figure out why she felt so deeply connected to Logan. Brandy's gut told her that she was making the right choice and that these individuals were good people, her instincts were never wrong.
"Only you could arrive here after two years with a severely beaten half-naked girl without anyone even questioning you," Scott chuckled. He was hoping to lighten the mood a little with his observation, but all he did was heighten Logan's feeling of upset, fear, guilt, and anger.
"Look, if you want to start somethin' just keep it up, bub," Logan quickly countered, tensing his muscles in preparation for a fight.
"Stop it, both of you," Jean scolded. "Why don't you two go out in the hall and wait for my word."
"I'm not leaving until she wakes up and I know she's alright," Logan replied sternly, glancing over at Jean and then back at Scott.
"She appears to stirring, perhaps she will awake soon," Xavier called to the others.
Brandy began to move her head from side to side and mumble something under her breath. Logan could tell that she was having a nightmare, a flashback. She started to sweat and tense all the muscles in her body. Logan's shirt was beginning to stick to Brandy's body, darkening with sweat. Logan knew what would be next...
"I think you should think about restrainin' her," Logan warned Jean. Both Jean and Scott gave Logan a weird look and then turned to Professor Xavier for reassurance.
Xavier could feel the turmoil building inside of Brandy's mind. It was the same kind of mixture of fear, pain, and hatred that he had once gauged inside of Logan's head. He knew that Logan was right, when Brandy woke up she would attack the first thing she saw. Xavier nodded to Jean to apply the restraints. But Jean had already felt the same turmoil building inside of Brandy and was already applying the two wrist restraints on Brandy.
Brandy was caught in a nightmarish world of memories that she couldn't understand. There were people in shapeless gowns crawling all over the place; they had masks over their faces and gloves over their hands. They looked like doctors, but Brandy knew that they were something far more sinister.
Then Brandy saw him, the military uniformed man who had a cruel stare and foreboding eyes - he was always in her dream. He came closer as she lay across the cold metal table, restrained at the wrists and ankles. The closer the man got to Brandy the further down she was lowered into a clear tub of liquid. By the time Brandy was fully submerged in the clear liquid the military man was standing directly over her, and by now Brandy could see the sharp, shiny scalpel in his hand. Then Brandy felt the mind numbing pain as the tub began to turn red and darken with Brandy's blood. Brandy opened her mouth to scream, but all she got was a mouthful of her own blood...
Brandy screamed as she vaulted forward with her claws already out. She would have pounced directly on Jean, but because she was restrained at the wrists all Brandy managed to do was pull herself up into a sitting position. She was still unsure as to whether or not she was dreaming until she heard the calming voice of Logan calling her name. She was relieved to that it was him standing by her side and not the military man.
"Brandy, Brandy it's okay," Logan said soothingly, "These are friends, they brought you here for medical attention."
"I don't need medical attention," Brandy countered stubbornly turning towards Jean and Xavier. She never wanted to feel like she was dependent on anyone, especially strangers.
The bald man in the wheelchair smiled at her gently and the redheaded woman walked over and undid the wrist restraints. "Thanks," Brandy said softly. The redhead smiled at her in appreciation.
"Brandy, my name is Professor Charles Xavier, this is Doctor Jean Grey, and Scott Summers. We are aware that you do not require medical attention, but Logan was concerned for your health and just wanted to be sure."
Brandy smiled wide showing her sharp canine teeth. "Oh," was all she said as looked up at Logan. Honestly she was a little surprised that he'd actually cared, but she was decidedly pleased that he had.
"However," Xavier continued, "I would like to extend you an offer to stay here with us. I wish to catch up with Logan and I would thoroughly enjoy getting to know you better. Logan had mentioned that you two seemed to have a lot in common, maybe even more than you both realize."
"Um...I guess I could stay for a little while," Brandy responded, "Sure, what do I have to lose?"
The truth was Brandy had nothing to lose. Except maybe her job, and she always got by before. Something told Brandy that this Professor Xavier would make losing her job worth it. She sensed that he may be able to help her discover her past and figure out why she felt so deeply connected to Logan. Brandy's gut told her that she was making the right choice and that these individuals were good people, her instincts were never wrong.