"X24?" asked Sarah, confused.
"X24 was... is... the next attempt of Hydra to duplicate the Weapon X project. He was born shortly after you were," explained Dr. Risman quietly. Her hands were tightly clenched in her lap, so no one could see how they shook, and she never met Sarah's gaze.
"Another clone of me?" growl Logan dangerously.
"No, not of you, Weapo... er, Logan," she replied softly, glancing in his direction and shivering. She had little doubt if she said something he didn't like she'd wind up on the business end of his adamantium claws.
"But it is a clone then," replied Logan. He hadn't missed that important lapse in her reply.
"It is a clone of... the Weapon X operative called," she replied uneasily. "... Sabertooth."
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X24 had heard enough. Gracefully he flipped backwards and up onto the roof of the Xavier Institute. From there, a leap down into the driveway and another over the gates was easily accomplished, all without activating the security system. He moved too lightly to trigger pressure sensitive traps, and his body armor prevented the mutant assassin from giving off much of a heat signature. He was a ghost to them all. Not a soul saw him.
He had little doubt X23 would follow his scent though. So he purposefully made his way through the nearby stream to foil her senses. From there, he would rejoin Gauntlet and receive his new orders from his superiors. Things were all neatly falling into place.
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"Why didn't you tell us about this earlier?" asked Fury.
Dr. Risman sighed heavily, taking a few moments to gather herself up before replying. "I was unaware he was still alive. Hydra had ordered me to create him shortly after the creation of, er, Sarah..." she added, glancing at the dark-haired girl before her. "He was separated, his progress monitored at another facility. I was informed shortly after Sarah turned seven he'd been terminated. Too dangerous."
"So they lied to you," stated Logan coldly. An uncomfortable silence reigned, broken quickly by Fury.
"So what can you tell us about X24? What's he capable of? And are there more we should be worried about?" he added, taking the toothpick from between his teeth and twirling it idly in his fingers. Logan recognized the gesture. He was worried. If the toothpick snapped... he was afraid. And this was a man who could stand up to a berserker Wolverine without blinking his remaining eye.
"X24 was created from the DNA of Sabertooth, you already know," stated Dr. Risman quietly. "But unlike Sarah, it was modified very little to try an enhance. However, from what I am to understand, they wanted to create X24 to control X23, er, Sarah... in case she went rogue."
"But she didn't," observed Logan. Dr. Risman shook her head.
"X24 is even stronger and more dangerous than X23. They felt he was too dangerous even during training, where he was very destructive. He often flew into dangerous rages that makes Sarah's look like temper tantrums," she explained. "And he's stronger than the original Sabertooth. A lot stronger," she added.
Sarah growled softly, insulted, but also fearfully. She didn't like the picture they were painting of X24. And she'd seen this person in action, though thankfully not up close. She somehow doubted she'd enjoy the experience of hand to hand combat with someone like that. Or survive the experience.
"And to answer your earlier question, Mr. Fury," she stated quietly, turning to face the gray-haired agent. "I do not know. There were others, yes. When we realized the healing factor was the key we tried a number of others, not just Logan and Sabertooth. At least half a dozen of which I was aware."
Logan sucked in his breath, growling softly.
"I was told they were all destroyed, that they would focus on X23 first to see if the Weapon X procedure worked to bond adamantium. After it did, it did not occur to me to ask about the others. I honestly do not know."
Fury's toothpick snapped between his fingers.
Another uncomfortable silence ensued as each contemplated what had just been said. What it implied, and what it meant for the future of one fourteen year old girl. Sarah was the one who broke it this time, by abruptly sliding out of her chair and making her way out of the kitchen.
"Damn..." swore Logan, starting to go after her. He knew where she'd be going.
"Logan!" called out Fury. "Keep her and yourself out of this. We'll handle this X24 and bring him in. And if Hydra is still up and running we'll take care of them too. But the last thing we need right now is you and Sarah interfering. My hands are tied this time."
Logan told him, in no unclear terms, that Fury could go to hell, and take Dr. Risman with him. Fury grumbled, starting to go after him and the girl both, but Deborah placed her hand on his shoulder, stopping him.
"This is not your fight, Mr. Fury. And even if it was, X24 is too powerful for even Logan to stop alone. It has to be them both who confront him."
Logan stalked off down the corridor, trying to catch up to Sarah. But by the time he spotted her she'd already boarded the elevator heading to the lower levels. Cursing, he headed to the stairs.
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Logan found her in the equipment room. Not gathering weapons, as he'd suspected, but sitting in the corner, legs drawn up to her chest with her arms wrapped around them. Sniffling. No tears had fallen yet, but her expression gave little doubt they would be soon. Logan dropped down into a crouch next to her, tapping her shoulder to get her attention.
"Kid... you okay?" he asked gently.
"I'm not a kid," she replied angrily, shrugging off his hand.
"Sarah, listen... we'll stop this guy. All of us, together. You're part of the team now, and the X-Men will always be there for you."
"It's because of me you're all in danger," replied Sarah, lifting her head and finally meeting Logan eye to eye. "I'll take of X24. He's my responsibility. I'll face him alone."
"You'll die alone," replied Logan darkly.
"No one'll miss me," she stated softly, again lowering her head, letting her dark locks conceal her eyes.
The slap caught her completely off guard. Logan too, all things considered. He wasn't normally the violent type around his friends and family. Didn't have to be. A growl and 'the look' was usually more than sufficient to send the New Recruits scurrying off. And while he might pick them up and shake them around, yell in their ears during training, he'd never physically struck one of them.
"Wake up, kid," said Logan as he stood, angry. "First of all, you are a kid. Don't tell me otherwise, 'cause I know its true, so stop putting up this damn wall for everyone that you're tough. I know exactly how tough you are. Second, do you honestly think the people who live here don't care enough about you? If so you need to seriously wake up!"
Sarah screeched like a wildcat, hurling herself at Logan angrily, claws sliding from their sheaths without thinking. His own claws popped out with the distinctive 'snickt' sound, neatly blocking hers. Sarah was crying as she re-sheathed her claws, falling forward as Logan caught her. She was tough, he knew. And damn good. But she wasn't thinking straight, so he forgave her attack on him.
"We all care about you, Sarah," he said gently, giving her a much-needed hug. "Now, its late... I'm heading to bed. First thing in the morning we track down this X24 and take him down. One way or another," he added meaningfully. Sarah nodded gently, still clinging to Logan for support.
Finally, she broke the hug, drawing herself up and taking deep breaths as she calmed down. Logan, satisfied, led her out of the equipment room and watched as Sarah headed back to the elevator to return to her room. It was getting late, and his internal clock knew the sun must've been setting on the horizon by now. Logan grumbled, making his way up the stairs yet again to return to Dr. Risman and Fury. If they were still here he needed to show them the door, if not he needed to grab a drink.
But before he left, he activated the security grid on the equipment room, punching in his five-digit number. An alarm would sound if anyone tried to open the door or broke it open by force without deactivating the security grid.
"I hope that wasn't necessary," he remarked to no one in particular.
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Night fell over the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters. The lights winked out one by one as the evening wore on, as the students lay down to rest after yet another difficult day of school.
Sarah tossed and turned, unable to sleep. When she did finally manage to relax enough to drift off her dreams were distorted and dark. Sinister images flew through her mind. Images of Wolverine, of Sabertooth, of herself and the other students. She saw them all captured by Hydra, dragged off to one of its remote facilities. She saw Wolverine, strapped to a table, his body being sliced open to get at the precious adamantium inside. She saw Rogue, chained to a wall, being brainwashed and experimented on, being turned into a mutant assassin. She saw Scott, she saw Jamie, she saw Tabitha, their bodies sliced open to find the secrets of their genes, to use them as weapons. She saw Kurt, his gold eyes lifeless, a red scar running down along his left cheek, being gunned down for trying to escape.
She saw herself. A dark vision of herself. Dark, distorted, barely visible in the light. But the eyes were there, cruel, menacing... evil. X24. Her sibling.
Sarah snapped awake, gasping for breath. She was all but bathed in sweat, her body tangled in the covers of her bed, as she sat up and tried to banish the dark images from her mind. Her throat was dry and parched from holding back a scream. She hadn't had a nightmare this bad in a long time.
Sarah sighed, unwinding her covers and stepping out into the hallway, making her way down to the kitchen to get a glass of water. All was quiet, and only she (and likely Logan) could hear the soft inhalation and exhalation of breath as everyone slept, or the creak and rustle of beds and bed sheets. Everyone, sleeping so soundly, so peacefully. Even after Logan had called them all together and told them about the threat. Bobby had emphasized their response with a big deal and a 'We can handle it.' They didn't know Hydra like she did. No one did. And if Weapon X24 was stronger than her...
The glass of water, drained, she left on the kitchen counter. Ororo would definitely scold her later for leaving the kitchenware out after being used. It was to go into the washing machine.
Sarah honestly hoped there would be a later.
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The door to the equipment room slid open silently. No alarm sounded. From her crouched position next to the door, Sarah slid her claw back into place and replaced the panel, covering up her handiwork. Though she was more adept at breaking through doors and walls than in disabling alarms, she had some skills. By comparison to SHIELD, the Institute was horrible under equipped. Logan's five-digit number, 5-6-4-2-6, didn't surprise her.
She was already dressed in her uniform, the uniform dark navy-blue that bordered on black. It was the standard color at the Institute. She'd also exchanged her bright yellow gloves and boots for some of Logan's black ones. Honestly, who wore this color of yellow, she thought to herself. Then she snapped her attention back to the task at hand. Fashion was the least of her concerns right now.
She snapped up some razor-disks, the only lethal weapon present. They were mostly used by Rogue for her Danger Room sessions, since she lacked any real powers of her own to use. She slid them into a pack, and also one or two stun sticks and a taser, and also a grappling hook and a line. Non-lethal, but they would do. Besides, there was only one she needed to kill to end this, and her own claws would be enough if it came to that. She also packed a few minor explosives, careful to choose those that had timed detonators. To this she added some things already previously confiscated from upstairs: a lighter and a flashlight.
Her next destination was the garage. She opened the door manually, not wanting to risk Logan hearing the automatic grinding of the mechanical garage opener. Loathe as she was to violate his personal property, Logan did have the fastest bike. Sstrapping the pack onto her back, she sat down and revved it up.
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He snapped awake, his dark hair ruffled, his eyes wide open, even before all his senses registered to his sleepy brain.
"Damn!" he cursed. Thought a casual observer would not be entirely sure if he was cursing over the fate of his bike or the fate of Sarah.
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Sarah didn't hesitate as she punched in the code to open the gates and sped off with Logan's bike. Moments later she could hear him shouting after her, but she tuned it out, ignoring him. She had to, for their sake. This was her fight.
Sarah left behind something her name, then and there. She had to become a weapon to fight a weapon. X23 rode the motorcycle into the city of Bayville and too the highway, not bothering with a helmet, not caring if someone tried to pull her over. A tear spilled from her eyes, nearly blinding her, before she got herself under control. X23 knew where she had to go, and knew what she had to do. It was time to end this.
One way or another.
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Logan growled as he watched from the still open garage door, watching as Sarah stole his bike and made her way off. To fight X24, alone. Cursing loudly, glad none of the students were around to hear him, he vehemently cursed everything that had led up to this. Growling loudly, he grabbed the fire alarm and yanked it down harshly.
It would be a harsh wakening, but he needed to gather the troops now and go after her. Not surprisingly, Scott was first, followed by Rogue, Kurt, and a number of the New Recruits. Leaving Jubilee to explain that it was, in fact, a false alarm, Logan grabbed the sleeping and half-asleep X-Men and dragged them with him down to the lower levels to change into their uniforms and prep the XM Velocity. By now Sarah would've activated the turbo on his bike, and be far out of the city. They wouldn't be able to track her by ground. So they'd have to beat her to her destination.
"Damnit... why did you have to inherit my stubbornness too?" growled Logan.
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X23's destination was, of course, the forest where she'd originally been attacked. The scent of her attacker was there, and now that she was properly prepared she followed it. Unsurprisingly, it ended at the very creek she'd been bathing in the day of the attack. No scent, the water washed it away. And no footprints or other such things she could use to track X24. But another scent was present. Since this scent followed Logans, X23 concluded it was Sabertooth's, not his clone's.
Not for the first time, X23 considered returning to seek aid from Logan, or the other X-Men. Logan did make up for her training with a great deal of experience. And Scott was a master tactician. Their aid would be welcome...
No. She'd made her decision, she could not second-guess herself now. Any doubts would hinder her abilities, and she could not afford to fight at anything less than her best if she wanted to beat X24.
X23 reluctantly grabbed Logan's bike and headed towards her next destination. She needed more clues, and that was the only place she could think of to find any.
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Author's Notes:
And that's who X24 is, ladies and gentlemen. Physical description to come in the next chapter, 'til then I'll just leave it to your imagination. Logan's code number is actually his name, in phone terms.
Steven P.P: I know, wasn't it just though?
The Rogue Witch: The tension is the sort you need an adamantium blade to cut through it. Enjoy.
Ultimate R-Man: Well I'll consider it but I'm not the comic sort. As for the finding body remark, I've read/heard that in a multitude of books and movies and shows. When dealing with superhumans, it is really just common sense. Hope you enjoy what is to come.
Kinomi: Its not a competition, just remember that. Hehehe. More to come, as always. X24 will show up soon.