"She is waking up." Consciousness crashed in like an unwelcome wave, and she frowned.
"What's she thinking?" Eyes opened a crack and quickly shut again, light hurting the sensitive pupils. She tried again, making sure she had human eyes this time.
"I don't know. Her mind is either blank or shielded, I can't tell." Her vision blurry, she tried to focus on the man speaking.
"How are you feeling?" She didn't recognize him and her gaze swung wildly around the room until it settled on Logan, sitting by the other side of her bed. She sighed in relief and looked back to the other man.
"Much better, thank you." He was broad-shouldered, bald, and slightly tanned, with piercing blue eyes and an open, understanding face. His voice was cultured and gentle.
"You gave us quite a scare when Logan brought you in. Those injuries were very serious, especially your leg and stomach. Your leg might still need some stitches. The doctor was planning to check it shortly."
She smiled slightly, speaking with a quiet accent. "A good dressing was all that was required, I'm sure. I am indebted to you and your doctor for providing care. I feel much better." With another quick look to Logan to make sure he was still there, she flicked an eyebrow at the other man.
"Where am I?" He smiled.
"You're at my school for the gifted, near Salem in Westchester. I am Professor Charles Xavier." Her eyes narrowed.
"Gifted?" He smiled slightly and nodded.
"Logan has already told me what he knows of you, of the conversation you had. Gifted in this case does mean mutant, but I assure you, you are not in any danger here." After holding his gaze for a moment with an unreadable gaze, she nodded slightly.
"I believe you, Professor. Logan seems to trust you, and I trust Logan." The shorter man shifted in his chair next to her, and the Professor sighed.
"As you may have already guessed, that brings some confusion." Her gaze shifted to Logan and saw that his expression was as unreadable as hers. He still has his training... Logan cleared his throat.
"I don't remember anything before 1985...eighteen years ago. Everything before that is...nothin'."
Even though she had prepared herself for that, had even expected it, the statement still shocked her. Pressing fingertips to the bridge of her nose, she blinked back a sudden rush of tears. It took less than a second to get herself under control, but she could feel Logan's attitude change slightly. It gave her hope and she gave him a small smile.
But at the same time, she felt a small pressure inside her head and her smile immediately changed to a frown that she directed towards the professor.
"Stop." He raised an eyebrow and looked at her quizzically, but she could see through his expression that he knew what she meant.
"Consider that your one free chance. Next time you try to read my mind, you will come away with a very painful headache." His eyes narrowed slightly.
"You're that powerful of a telepath?" She grinned ruthlessly.
"Let us just say that I like to keep my thoughts to myself. So stay out of my head, and I will stay out of yours." He nodded and she glanced at Logan, who was observing with his usual non-expression. The professor quietly took control of the conversation again.
"I don't know if Logan had a chance to tell you this, but we can help you. We would like to assist you in finding the ones who did this to you. Can you tell us what happened?" She thought for a moment.
"It will take some time, for our history is a very long one." The professor nodded.
"We have set aside this entire day, just in case that was the situation. You have our undivided attention for as long as is necessary, child." She laughed slightly, and he smiled a question back at her.
"I am just amused with your use of the word 'child', Professor. That is certainly not something I hear from your age group." He frowned, the corners of his mouth still curled up.
"What do you mean?" She nodded slightly, but swung her legs to the side instead.
"Before I tell you, I need to walk for a little while. This is the longest I have ever been stationary after sleeping for...well, forever. And I do not want to stiffen up." The professor held up a cautionary hand.
"But be careful of your leg, please. Doctor Grey has not checked it for an hour or so, and you do not want to aggravate your injuries." She laughed out loud, and shook her head.
"Professor Xavier, when I said that a good dressing was all it required, that is exactly what I meant." With a lengthened nail, she cut the bandage and peeled it away from her leg. The skin was smooth and healthy, without even a scar to show what had happened.
Logan caught his breath in wonder. "You have a healing factor as well?" She looked at him with a sympathetic expression on her face as she peeled away the bandage on her stomach. For all he knows he is the only one like him. What a lonely existence...
"Not quite as pronounced as yours, Logan, but close." She turned slightly and Logan immediately began to remove the gauze from her back, careful not to rip the tape too quickly.
"I have not eaten properly for several months. And knowing that I was being tracked for the last several days, I have not slept, either. My healing factor has been concerned with keeping me alive, not necessarily healthy. Proper care and a long sleep was all I needed." Taking a few steps away from the bed, she tested her legs until she was sure they wouldn't collapse on her, then stretched like a cat and paced briskly on the balls of her feet, tensing and stretching muscles until she was satisfied. Then starting at one end of the room, she leisurely rolled through a succession of cartwheels and handsprings, hyper-pointing her toes and arching her back almost to the breaking point. Landing after a double somersault in the air, she cracked her toes and ankles then climbed back onto the bed as if nothing had happened. The men looked at her with amused expressions, but said nothing.
"When I commented about not being referred to as a child, Professor, I was talking about our age difference. It is not what you think." He arched his eyebrows in surprise, but she continued before he could say anything. "The truth is that I am older than you, Charles. And younger than Logan." She turned to give Logan a saucy wink. "Though not by much." Logan and the professor looked at her in surprise, but she just settled back against the pillows with a smug look on her face. "That was not what you expected, was it?" Charles shook his head and smiled.
"It only makes us that much more interested in your story." She sighed.
"There is so much, I do not know where to start...but I am sure that you will be doubly interested in helping when I am finished, because it is Logan's vendetta as well." Logan looked at her with a shocked gaze, and she held it seriously for a long moment until the professor spoke quietly.
"Then why don't you start at the beginning?" She nodded decisively, then took a deep breath.