"Cerebro Has detected another X-gene manifestaion," Professor X said to the X-men standing behind him.
"Who is it?" Scott Summers wanted to know.
"It is a name I have seen before. A female by the name of Cassidy Eyulf. Her last name suits her perfectly."
"What? Does it mean something?" Kitty Pryde asked.
"Scandinavian for, 'Lucky Wolf,' ."
"So how does it fit her?" Jean Grey asked.
"Well, for years now she has escaped Death's grip. More than once it has seemed that she'd surely die, but she finds some way, anyway, out," Professor X said, bringing up her personal information, " It says here she is the product of a science experiment. They had sucessfully inseminated a human female with--"
"I don't think the younger members of our happy story time need to hear anymore about that." Logan cut in, " Let's just get a move on."
"We have to go all the way across the Atlantic Ocean, to Scandinavia to find her." Professor X said.
The younger X-Men groaned and filed into the huge black jet.
Cassidy Eyulf crashed through the forest, panting heavily. She tightly clutched a tiny all black wolf pup in her arms. At her side ran a flame red fox. Shouts of hate and anger drew closer to her as she ran for what seemed like and enernity. Her lungs burned and her leg muscles felt like jelly.
She fell to her knees and said to the fox, " It's no use, Aedus. I will have to fight. Hide yourself and Maj." She put the wolf pup down.
Adeus nudged Maj into the bushes without hesitation, and, with a concerned look at Cassidy, jumped in after the pup. Cassidy stood up and widened her stance, bracing herself for attack.
"The last of the demon family remains!" a burly man yelled from the front of the mob that had finally caught up with Cassidy.
With torches and weapons raised, the mob let out a thunderous roar.
"How is it now with out your slaves to protect you?" the man asked.
Cassidy smirked, "If you think my pack was a bunch slaves, then you sir are ignorant to friendship and kindred."
The man spat at her and said, "You know nothing of friendship. You aren't human! How could you know friendship?"
The riot ran forth, charging in attack. Cassidy jumped up into a tree, her bare feet scrabbling for a foot hold. Her six black claws finally found a hold in the tree and she remained there, just out of their reach. The wind suddenly kicked up, blowing her red-gold hair around and her ankle long, dark red skirt against her legs. Down from the sky came a huge jet, the only one Cassidy had ever seen in person. The mob retreated back towards the villiage from whence they came. Cassidy watched with wide eyes as the jet landed dangerously close to where Aedus and Maj were hiding. The door to the jet opened and a man dressed in an orange jumpsuit like thing came out. Cassidy watched as he came over and stood under her tree.
"You can get down now," he told her.
Cassidy shook her head and clutched tighter to the tree.
"Don't make me come up there after you!" he shouted.
"Oh aye. Now I really wanna come down," she said sarcastically.
He stood for a moment, thinking, then said, " I can see up your skirt!"
"I don't care!"
Wolverine was really pissed off. He growled and shook the tree. Cassidy slipped and fell. Wolverine caught her and wouldn't let her go, no matter how much she fought him.
Aedus jumped from the bushes, growling rabidly and snapping his jaws at Wolverine.
"I ain't gonna hurt her," Wolverine tried to explain.
Cassidy saw her chance and bit one of his hands. He cried out and dropped her, blood dripping from his hand. Cassidy scooped up Aedus and backed up towards the bush where Maj was hiding. She hissed at Wolverine, her teeth glistening red with his blood.
"That's enough," Professor X said, coming out of the jet. He turned to Cassidy and said, " I know what you're going through. You're changing and you don't know why. You can't control it and as you may have noticed, you aren't like other people. It's alright, don't be frightened. Wolverine can be...forceful at times and a little harsh, but he doesn't really mean it. It's just how he is. He's like you, that's why I sent him out to try and talk you into coming with us, but it didn't work."
"Aye, I've had plans backfire before," she said, calming down. She put Aedus down next to the bush.
She looked over at Wolverine. He had his back to her. She stepped towards him, slowly making her way over to him. She looked over his shoulder. His hand was still bleeding.
"Sorry," she said, " self defense, you understand. Here let me have a look."
She grabbed his hand and fished a large leaf and some bandages out of her pocket. She wrapped the leaf onto his hand with the bandages. She ripped the bandage with her teeth and tied it off.
"Uh, thanks," he said, a little nervously, "but you didn't have to do that, I can heal myself." He was a little confused. Why hadn't his hand healed by itself? Was he losing his power?
"Really now? I doubt you could have healed what I did to you," she opened her mouth wide and two huge fangs lowered. Two drops of black liquid dripped from them and burned through the snow and turned the grass underneath it brown, "It's a strange venom and I am so sorry for biting you, but I thought you had come to take me back to the laboratory," she said, looking down at his hand which she was still holding onto. She ran a finger over the bandage, seemingly admiring her work.
"Nah, we just wanna help you," Wolverine answered, watching her trace her fingers over his hand, " You have the gentle touch of a healer."
"Aye, but I'm no healer. I just know what plants do what. Which are posion to eat, but can cure tetanus." she said absentmindedly, still running her fingers on his wound.
Professor X smiled as he watched them bond, " No, it wasn't a total backfire," he whispered to himself.
Aedus cocked his head to one side, confused. Cassidy never acted this way towards anyone. He and Maj had always beent he center of her attention after the pack had been murdered a week ago. He moaned and whimpered at her. Maj tumbled out of the bush and sat looking at everything with her orange eyes.
"And who do we have here?" Professor Xavier said, looking at Aedus and Maj.
Cassidy looked up from Wolverine's hand and said, " The fox is Aedus and the pup there is Maj."
"Are they yours?" the Professor asked.
"Not in the sense that I own them. To me they are family. The only family I have left. Those humans that were chasing me, they murdered the wolf pack that adopted me. Traitors the lot of 'em!" she spat on the ground.
"I...see. And if you were to come with us, would you bring them along?"
"Well, I'd like to. Maj I'd have to take along, she's only a pup and can't hunt for herself yet. I do all the hunting or her."
"And how old is she?"
"About half a year."
"She's kinda small don't you think?" Wolverine said.
"Aye, but she was the runt of the litter. She was out-numbered by her stronger siblings, so I took care of her. I wanted her to have a chance. Everyone deserves a chance."
"Well, I supposed I could allow you to bring them along," Professor X said.
Cassidy smiled and bowed to him, "Thank you sir."
"You don't have to bow to me."
"Aye? But that is how I was taught to treat my elders and superiors."
"Who taught you that?" Wolverine asked.
"The scienetist that basically 'raised' me. If you could call feeding and watering, raising a child until she had seen twenty-five winters."
"You're twenty-five?" Wolverine asked.
"Actually I should be older, but oddly enough, I haven't grown any older. I escaped the laboratory for the last time about three winters ago."
"Well, that's to be expected," the Professor said, " You are half human half dragon. Dragons don't age past twenty-five until they become sexually active."
Cassidy blushed and said, " Oh? And you know this how?"
"I read a lot."
"But after that.....if and when I do become........active, I'll age?" she asked.
"I'm not sure. The mixture of your species and the existance of the X-gene in you, may prevent you from actually growing any older at all. I am not sure. It will be something for you to test and find out for yourself."
"Oh, that's.....nice." she said, picking up Maj and placing her in the pouch on the front of her skirt. She kept her gaze on the wolf pup, not wanting to meet any of their eyes. She was not open to, or about love. She hadn't any love in her life at all, nor did she feel love for anyone, except for the animals. She wasn't even sure if she wanted love.
"So you'll come with us?" Wolverine asked.
Cassidy pondered the idea for a moment, " Well, there are up's and down's to this decision I will make. If I do go with you, I'll have protection, a home, and friends. However, I will no longer be free, will I?"
"Well, you won't have all of the freedoms you have here in the wild, I won't lie to you. There are rules in society." Professor X said, "But at the Xavier Institue, we can help you gain control over your powers and learn how to use them. We support you through your journey of self control and keep you going, even if you think you can't."
"I thought as much. But if I don't go...they'll take me back and I'll be all alone, but I'll have my freedoms, if I escape again." She looked up and at them both. She studied them hard, gazing for long moments into Wolverine's earth colored eyes, " I see truth in your eyes. I can see your memories, your life, and it's no better than mine has been. No wonder I can see it since they call you Wolverine."
"What's that s'posed to mean?" Wolverine asked.
"I speak with animals-mind to mind or out loud-, can give them the ability to speak for short moments, and I alter my form to look like them."
"Can you change into humans?" Professor X inquired.
Cassidy shook her head, "I have tried, many times to change who I am, but no matter what shape I take on, I am always Cassidy Eyulf."
"But that really doesn't explain how you can see my memories through my eyes," Wolverine said.
"That is something my father, or I think he was my father, told me in a dream I had long ago. I don't think I'm ready to tell anyone why or what it means."
Aedus made a whimpering noise and put a muddy paw on her red skirt. Cassidy bent down and pet his firey head. She sighed and stood up straight again.
"So, if I come along, you promise I will never have to be an experiment again?"
"Only if you want to submit yourself to it. We won't force you to do anything, nor will we experiment on you," the Professor said with a smile.
Cassidy smiled back at him and showed all of her pointed teeth. "So I'll come then!"
"Great! That's wonderful!" he said, obviously pleased, "Please, come with us."
Cassidy followed Professor Xavier onto the jet with Wolverine behind her and Adeus trotting along side him. She clutched Maj tightly once again, a little frightened. When she saw the whole group that had come along, she backed up quickly and ran into Wolverine.
"Hey, it's alright. They ain't gonna hurt you," he said, putting his strong hands on her shoulders.
Cassidy took one step forward, braced for an attack. She remembered the sword she had strapped to her leg under her long dark red skirt. She knew where it was, in case she needed it. She looked around at all of the team, fear clouding in her eyes. She felt Wolverine squeeze her shoulders lightly and she looked back at him. He gave her a reassuring smile.
She managed to mumble a "Hello," and that was all that was needed.
The entire group started talking and introducing themselves to her, all except for Rouge, who remained in her chair. Cassidy felt crowded at first, but soon got used to being around them all. They were nice people and she was grateful for that. No one had criticized her, yet.
"It's going to be a long way back, so please have a seat," Professor X said to Cassidy.
All of the team was willing to give up his or her seat, but Cassidy sat down in the back corner on the floor, her feet tucked under her and Maj in her lap. She sang softly to the pup until Maj fell asleep. Aedus sat next to his frieds, unmoving. It was as if he had turned to stone.
You look like a gargoyle, Aedus. Cassidy said to him.
Why thank you Cassidy. I going to take that as a compliment. he said back.
Maj moved and then sighed softly. Cassidy could feel her warm puppy breath on her leg.
You're such a good friend Aedus.
Hey, you saved my life so I have to return your kindness. It's the law of the fox.
Cassidy's memories came swiftly. She remembered finding Aedus with the wolf pack. He had only been a kit then, caught in a bear trap that had been set for her. Aedus was trashing around, trying with all of his might to free himself from the jagged jaws. Cassidy begged Manya, the alpha male, to let him come along with them, that the fox could have food from her part of the kills. She promised the kit wouldn't be a burden.
She remembered opening the pointed teeth of the trap and Adeus yipping with glee. She remembered the sweet and foolish look of kit he had in his eyes. Fox kits were the clowns of the forest, and now she had one of her own in her family.
It's partly my fault you were in that trap. Had they not been coming after me, that trap never would've been set. Cassidy said.
Aedus shrugged his flamey shoulders and kept his amber eyes on Rouge. She is dangerous, that one there. Do not trust her entirely. I feel she will play a big part in your future.
If you say so my friend.
"Um, Professor, sir?" she mumbled.
"Yes? Is something wrong?"
"No, I just wanted to know how you found me?"
