Little By Little
Jennifer Granger is a changed woman. Of course, for her that has nothing to do with a change of heart. She is still a woman who has only her own interest at heart. Her interests haven't even changed so much since she last encountered Donovan Milady. In the long run, she would like to have Donovan as a partner in her endeavors. But right now, her main focus is on getting revenge for the hell Donovan has put her through.
Nearly a year ago, Jennifer winces at the forced memory, Donovan had left Jennifer to die at the hands of Sabretooth, a feral mutant with a grudge against Jennifer. She had stood by as Sabretooth mercilessly mauled her to the brink of death, shared words with the beast as Jennifer lay dying at their feet, and then had allowed Sabretooth to lead her out of the Weapon X hell hole. All this as Jennifer lay bleeding to death on the cold floor.
But Jennifer had not been allowed to die that die. No, the Weapon X facilitators, specifically a man named Colonel John Wraith, had other plans in store for the young woman whose given mutant ability was the power to diminish or enhance another mutant's abilities. After finding her, they conducted horrible experiments on her, hoping to tap into what gave her the power over another person's genes and control. Unable to extract that information, Jennifer Granger was to become a mutant killing machine.
The X-Men had been able to put a stop to the Weapon X project before they could wipe Jennifer's memory clean. But they had not stopped them in time to prevent the atrocious surgeries that enhanced her physical form. Though the extra strength and speed were a beneficial change, the results were hideous.
Once, Jennifer had been a very attractive woman. Her dark red hair had shone no matter what light she was in. Now it lay limp and dull on her head. Her sparkling gray eyes have faded greatly since her stay at Weapon X. Rather than her model figure, she now has a body more machine than human, her natural agility being bonded with the devices that are attached to her arms, legs, and torso to create the perfect killing instrument. She doesn't even know how many hidden weapons are on her body anymore.
Now, she is waiting for her ambush of Donovan Milady, the woman she holds responsible for her situation. If Donovan had just done as she was told, Jennifer would be at the top of the mutant mercenary market, selling her own human weapons for top dollar. But because Donovan had chosen to be difficult, her affections for one of the other prisoners in the facility clouding her judgment, she had lost what little humanity she had. For that crime, Donovan would pay dearly.
It had taken a long time to track Donovan. Apparently Wraith had had Donovan's memory altered before setting her loose in New York. Later, Donovan had risen very quickly to develop a strong reputation in Worthington Enterprises as a marketing genius. That fame made finding her a simple task.
Catching Rogue had been slightly more difficult. Jennifer lets her gaze fall on the Southern mutant, who is tied up and gagged on the floor of the small cabin she had chosen in the mountains of Canada. Rogue had long since given up struggling and is fast asleep on the pile of dirty clothes Jennifer had provided as a mattress. Jennifer is keeping her alive only so she can torture and kill her when Donovan arrives.
I just hope I can get that girl to remember what happened before I'm through with her, Jennifer thinks maliciously. I want her to know the pain of losing another loved one before she succumbs to me.
Donovan had witnessed the death of the girl she loved when her mutant powers were made known. She had been chased into an alley when the girl, Mandy Harper, tried to save her. Mandy had been shot by a man aiming for Donovan. The shock of it had driven Donovan to silence and self loathing. It had been her intense feelings for Rogue that had given Donovan a new purpose in life and her voice.
"Get up!" Jennifer snarls, and kicks Rogue in the ribs. Rogue cries out and opens her tear filled eyes. She stares up at Jennifer fearfully. "Your hero is on her way and I want you to be ready to greet her."
THE GREAT SLAVE LAKE- THURSDAY:
Warren follows Donovan as they push their way through the woods that blanket the area right before the mountains. Donovan has her wings spread as wide as they can, which is tough since they span about twenty feet total. Warren has his wings out, too, though they are not spread out as wide. He has no idea what they may be facing and doesn't want to risk damaging them before their encounter.
"How do you know we're going the right way?" Warren asks. He shivers. He wishes he had worn something a bit warmer.
Donovan shrugs. "Have no idea, fly boy. Mr. Personality back there pointed in this direction when I gave him the coordinates that I'm supposed to be at," she glances at her watch. Eight forty-five. "We'd better hurry, though. Time's almost up."
A low growl stops Donovan dead in her tracks. She looks around apprehensively. Warren stops and does the same. "What is—"
"Sh!" Donovan snaps. She crouches in a feral position, waiting for an attack. She stares out into the woods. "Something's coming!"
A large man bursts from the trees on Donovan's left. She dodges his slashing hands and rolls backward, using her wings to shield herself from further blows. Warren takes to the air and stares down at the battle.
Donovan can almost swear that she knows this man. He is tall, very big, and very mean. His long blond hair is matted and dirty and he is wearing a uniform with what looks like real animal fur trimming and thick, protective leather. Mental images plague her mind, causing her to lose focus. She seems to remember being scratched at by a figure matching this man's description. She gasps with realization. "You gave me my scars!"
The man takes a step back as Donovan uncovers herself from her wings' protection. She stares hard at him but is unable to come up with any other references. She sees Warren land near by. "Who are you? How do I know you?"
The man just ignores her and runs back into the woods. Donovan pumps her powerful wings and flies after the man. "Come back here, you bastard! Tell me what I need to know!"
Warren hurries to fly after her. "Donovan, wait for me!"
SABRETOOTH:
Sabretooth runs off in the direction of Jennifer's cottage. He's been stalking her for months, hoping to finish the kill he'd been denied back at the Weapon X facility. When he picked up Donovan's scent, however, he had almost been giddy with excitement. He can kill both women in the same day. His heart is racing as he leads Donovan and her winged companion back to Jennifer's soon-to-be tomb. Sabretooth has no idea who he is but anticipates a slow and agonizing torture of having each and every feather plucked from his angelic wings before he rips them off.