She opened her eyes blinking softly and kicking at the soft matter
that lay on her legs. Looking around she quickly panicked, hyperventilating
soundly as she shook. A slight groan to her side made her turn her head
quickly to observe it. Logan cracked his neck as she studied him. He was
well built, not very tall and seemed very animal like her. Her eyes
followed the curves of his muscles from his arms onto his chest.
"Mornin'." He sat up, stretching his arms into the air, his back cracking. She growled, extending adamantium claws from her wrists and knuckles. "Easy now, I'm not gonna hurt ya." He took her arms, her skin soft and muscles weak she retracted her claws panting and staring into his eyes. "You got a name?" He spoke softly, she only shook her head. Reaching down to her left leg she pulled the covers above her ankle slightly. Logan swallowed as he read the bold black ink. 'X16.' Closing his eyes he registered what she had already gone through. "Just an identification number, that ain't a real name. Looks like I gotta name you." He thought for a while as he lay her head back onto the pillow. "Since I found you in the water... Misty, River, Brooke? How about Brooke?" He stared at her as she sat up, covers falling onto her shoulders lightly. Suddenly she panicked, looking around a few times she searched the room only to meet his eyes again in terror.
The med lab door swished open as Rogue sauntered inside; a sleeping bundle lay in her arms. Kurt followed close behind, searching around the room he had never seen before.
"Guten tag." He nodded in Logan's direction before smiling at Brooke. The girl still seemed terrified and Rogue touched her arm with a silken glove. Looking over at Logan her expression was clearly confused.
"Ah thought she was covered with staples last night." Rogue looked the girl over once more, her body clearly healed except for a few scars.
"She was, but her healing factor was thrown off, a result of Stryker's experiments."
"Ah got a surprise for her." Rogue uncovered the sleeping bundle to reveal a thin black and white kitten.
"That damn thing was the reason she was so upset when she woke up?" Logan handed the kitten to Brooke. "I ain't fond of cats." Brooke clutched the tiny kitten and smiled at Rogue.
"Th... Thank you for saving him." She managed to stutter.
"Your welcome, it was nothing really." She smiled. "Oh here, I brought you some things to change into." She placed them on the hospital bed. "So what's his name?"
"Midnight, he was one of the experimental cats in the facility. Sometimes they let me wander around and I found him in a dark cage. They wanted to kill him but I took him and hid him instead." Brooke closed her eyes squeezing Midnight as he purred.
"Well ah'll let you get changed. Ah'll see you later!" Rogue rushed out again, Kurt quickly following behind leaving Logan alone with her once more.
Brooke bowed her head sadly as she looked cautiously at her surroundings. Logan observed her from his seat, noticing how timid she was and how she never spoke.
"You alright darlin'?" He reached out to her, trying to place his hand on her shoulder. Brooke jerked away quickly and met his eyes with hers. Logan stared into them, green with a wild gold ring around them. Pain, torture, loneliness, terror and a reason not to trust flooded them. "I told you I'm not gonna hurt you." He tried to reach for her again, only to end up with searing pain being sent through his arm.
She had been taught well, taught to never trust and only to defend if not kill. Retracting her claws back again she flew back onto the hospital bed cowering in her covers and shaking violently.
'Logan...' A voice entered his mind. Professor Xavier already knew of her problems. 'Logan, this will take some time for her to trust you. Teach her, she needs you now more than anything else.' Logan registered the mind conference the Professor engraved into his head and closed his eyes. 'Logan...' He opened his eyes once more, listening to the Professor in his head. 'I want you to meet me in my office please.' Logan sighed knowing he would have to leave her alone again. "Alright I'll be back. Sit here an' rest." He tried his best to smile at her but her cold expression made him shutter.
Heading out the metal doors he made his way down the hall to the main elevator. The first floor doors opened and the sound of laughing children flooded his ears. 'If only SHE could laugh' He thought to himself as he headed towards the mahogany doors of the Professor's office.
Children ran down the hall chasing one another madly. It was the weekend which meant no school for the day. Logan reached the large wooden door as he felt a soft bump in his stomach. A small boy about 8 or so looked up at him, cowering in fear. Logan remembered what Ororo had said about him, how he caused the accident that killed his parents. Being a mutant orphan no one wanted to take him in except the institute. Logan smiled down at him, moving to allow the now smiling boy to pass and play with his friends happily.
The door now opened exposing Professor Xavier's smiling face. The man was always cheery in some way which made everyone feel more comfortable when talking to him. Closing the door he slowly approached the older man.
"Logan, please have a seat." The disabled man pointed to a chain in front of him and Logan took it.
"What's this about?" Logan sat back, happy to be now relaxed.
"About Brooke, that is what you have been calling her isn't it?"
"Yeah, a number ain't exactly a name."
"Yes, quite alright but I want to talk to you about her mental status as well as her physical status." Logan raised an eyebrow at Xavier's topic of discussion. "I have searched her mind this past night. It's screaming with terror, I can barely move within it. She has been abused and battered, basically put through hell, much like you Logan. Some recollection about her past she has, other parts she doesn't. Her powers are still new to me, I have yet to figure out her mutant abilities but yes, Stryker did create her for the sole purpose of killing." The older man leaned forward, placing his folded hands on his desk. "Her state is... very fragile. She needs special care, most people are unable to give it to her. I know one person that can help her regain her strength, one she will trust easier and be soothed by."
"I don't want no one touchin' her." Logan stood, crossing his arms on his chest.
"I was talking about you Logan." The Professor stared into his eyes. Logan turned his head quickly to stare back, amazed at what he had said.
"Me? Why me?"
"Well, you are very protective of her, you have shown me she will be safe in your care. I have also studied her brainwaves and emotional status, they have seemed to be soothed by your presence. She does trust you Logan, take care of her... she needs you." Professor Xavier took one final look at Logan who nodded silently and turned to return to the infirmary. Turning down the hall he walked slowly, yawning from the long night he'd spent trying to save Brooke's life. Suddenly, a stroke of sixth sense hit his chest. He stopped short, something was terribly wrong.
"Mornin'." He sat up, stretching his arms into the air, his back cracking. She growled, extending adamantium claws from her wrists and knuckles. "Easy now, I'm not gonna hurt ya." He took her arms, her skin soft and muscles weak she retracted her claws panting and staring into his eyes. "You got a name?" He spoke softly, she only shook her head. Reaching down to her left leg she pulled the covers above her ankle slightly. Logan swallowed as he read the bold black ink. 'X16.' Closing his eyes he registered what she had already gone through. "Just an identification number, that ain't a real name. Looks like I gotta name you." He thought for a while as he lay her head back onto the pillow. "Since I found you in the water... Misty, River, Brooke? How about Brooke?" He stared at her as she sat up, covers falling onto her shoulders lightly. Suddenly she panicked, looking around a few times she searched the room only to meet his eyes again in terror.
The med lab door swished open as Rogue sauntered inside; a sleeping bundle lay in her arms. Kurt followed close behind, searching around the room he had never seen before.
"Guten tag." He nodded in Logan's direction before smiling at Brooke. The girl still seemed terrified and Rogue touched her arm with a silken glove. Looking over at Logan her expression was clearly confused.
"Ah thought she was covered with staples last night." Rogue looked the girl over once more, her body clearly healed except for a few scars.
"She was, but her healing factor was thrown off, a result of Stryker's experiments."
"Ah got a surprise for her." Rogue uncovered the sleeping bundle to reveal a thin black and white kitten.
"That damn thing was the reason she was so upset when she woke up?" Logan handed the kitten to Brooke. "I ain't fond of cats." Brooke clutched the tiny kitten and smiled at Rogue.
"Th... Thank you for saving him." She managed to stutter.
"Your welcome, it was nothing really." She smiled. "Oh here, I brought you some things to change into." She placed them on the hospital bed. "So what's his name?"
"Midnight, he was one of the experimental cats in the facility. Sometimes they let me wander around and I found him in a dark cage. They wanted to kill him but I took him and hid him instead." Brooke closed her eyes squeezing Midnight as he purred.
"Well ah'll let you get changed. Ah'll see you later!" Rogue rushed out again, Kurt quickly following behind leaving Logan alone with her once more.
Brooke bowed her head sadly as she looked cautiously at her surroundings. Logan observed her from his seat, noticing how timid she was and how she never spoke.
"You alright darlin'?" He reached out to her, trying to place his hand on her shoulder. Brooke jerked away quickly and met his eyes with hers. Logan stared into them, green with a wild gold ring around them. Pain, torture, loneliness, terror and a reason not to trust flooded them. "I told you I'm not gonna hurt you." He tried to reach for her again, only to end up with searing pain being sent through his arm.
She had been taught well, taught to never trust and only to defend if not kill. Retracting her claws back again she flew back onto the hospital bed cowering in her covers and shaking violently.
'Logan...' A voice entered his mind. Professor Xavier already knew of her problems. 'Logan, this will take some time for her to trust you. Teach her, she needs you now more than anything else.' Logan registered the mind conference the Professor engraved into his head and closed his eyes. 'Logan...' He opened his eyes once more, listening to the Professor in his head. 'I want you to meet me in my office please.' Logan sighed knowing he would have to leave her alone again. "Alright I'll be back. Sit here an' rest." He tried his best to smile at her but her cold expression made him shutter.
Heading out the metal doors he made his way down the hall to the main elevator. The first floor doors opened and the sound of laughing children flooded his ears. 'If only SHE could laugh' He thought to himself as he headed towards the mahogany doors of the Professor's office.
Children ran down the hall chasing one another madly. It was the weekend which meant no school for the day. Logan reached the large wooden door as he felt a soft bump in his stomach. A small boy about 8 or so looked up at him, cowering in fear. Logan remembered what Ororo had said about him, how he caused the accident that killed his parents. Being a mutant orphan no one wanted to take him in except the institute. Logan smiled down at him, moving to allow the now smiling boy to pass and play with his friends happily.
The door now opened exposing Professor Xavier's smiling face. The man was always cheery in some way which made everyone feel more comfortable when talking to him. Closing the door he slowly approached the older man.
"Logan, please have a seat." The disabled man pointed to a chain in front of him and Logan took it.
"What's this about?" Logan sat back, happy to be now relaxed.
"About Brooke, that is what you have been calling her isn't it?"
"Yeah, a number ain't exactly a name."
"Yes, quite alright but I want to talk to you about her mental status as well as her physical status." Logan raised an eyebrow at Xavier's topic of discussion. "I have searched her mind this past night. It's screaming with terror, I can barely move within it. She has been abused and battered, basically put through hell, much like you Logan. Some recollection about her past she has, other parts she doesn't. Her powers are still new to me, I have yet to figure out her mutant abilities but yes, Stryker did create her for the sole purpose of killing." The older man leaned forward, placing his folded hands on his desk. "Her state is... very fragile. She needs special care, most people are unable to give it to her. I know one person that can help her regain her strength, one she will trust easier and be soothed by."
"I don't want no one touchin' her." Logan stood, crossing his arms on his chest.
"I was talking about you Logan." The Professor stared into his eyes. Logan turned his head quickly to stare back, amazed at what he had said.
"Me? Why me?"
"Well, you are very protective of her, you have shown me she will be safe in your care. I have also studied her brainwaves and emotional status, they have seemed to be soothed by your presence. She does trust you Logan, take care of her... she needs you." Professor Xavier took one final look at Logan who nodded silently and turned to return to the infirmary. Turning down the hall he walked slowly, yawning from the long night he'd spent trying to save Brooke's life. Suddenly, a stroke of sixth sense hit his chest. He stopped short, something was terribly wrong.