"Who the fuck are you?" Joss demanded punctuating her words with short jabs of the swords.
"Hey" he replied holding his hands up to show he was unarmed "It's okay. My name's Logan, I'm not gonna hurt you. You can relax."
"Really?!" she laughed "Well seven guys I never met before today just tried to kill me, I got shot, I'm covered in brains and now some crazy Edward Scissor hands wannabe is trying to strike up conversation with me. Go figure!!"
"Okay, fair point." He admitted "look, I live at this place.... a school for mutants where you can be safe from people like them...I really think you should come back with me." He pointed to her arm "We can fix that up." Jeez, he thought, I sound like Cyclops. Joss looked sceptical.
"Yeah...sure you can." She bent to pick up her bag but had to steady her self against the wall. Trying again she stood up to find him still standing there. "Look I really appreciate you helping me out and all but I'm just gonna be on my way, thanks." She took a few more steps and found that she was in slightly worse condition than she had previously thought and staggered into the wall. "Once I learn to see straight again" she corrected, hoping that this, 'Logan' wouldn't try to off her whilst she had her back turned.
Logan took a step back allowing her to try but waiting ready to catch her if she fell. She had dark, almost black hair reaching down to her shoulder blades with bright flecks of blue and red most dye - some blood and tanned skin looking all the darker against the white cotton shirt she was wearing and set off by the bright gold colour of her eyes.
Despite her current state Logan got the impression that she was used to taking care of her self and would be very defensive and untrusting but he wasn't going to leave her here, the best approach, he'd learnt from Jean, was gently. He sat down on the ground next to where she had propped her self against the wall. Her eyes were closed but she was conscious of him and shuffled away a little, eyes remaining closed but building up a picture of him with her other senses.
"You know smoking is bad for you," she muttered "but then I guess you don't exactly have worry about the 'big C'." he froze one hand half way to his pocket reaching for a cigar; she hadn't even opened her eyes.
"Well, your one to talk" he replied clamping the cigar between his teeth determined not to show his surprise "and what makes you think I needn't worry?"
"Well, if two bullets in the back don't kill you I doubt a few hundred cigars will."
"Fair point" he conceded "but what about you? You know that stuff; it's supposed to affect your memory. I could smell it on you from the other end of the alley." She smirked and opened her eyes startling Logan; her pupils in the dark of the alley were almost the size of her gold irises. Wow...she must have amazing night vision
"Well that makes two of us. Those Cuban things stink." She held out a hand gesturing for a cigar of her own and he obliged lighting it for her knowing he'd get told off by the professor for it. "Thanks"
"No problem. What's your name?"
"Lynx" Logan rolled his eyes; well it's more imaginative than Iceman!
"What's your real name?" he asked. She regarded him for moment as if deciding whether or not to trust him then smiled wryly.
"Joscelyn, Joscelyn Darko, but it's just Joss; I can't stand Joscelyn."
"You got a home Joscelyn, Darko?" he asked but secretly hoping he could take her back with him, she seemed a lot less annoying than the other kids he was used to and considering how much pain she must be in she hadn't complained yet at all.
"No, no I don't..."she paused frowning "Not any more." He nodded understanding.
"Lots of families find it difficult to accept that you're a mutant." He said consolingly.
"It wasn't that!" she said defensive again. "They never knew...they were killed when I was six."
"I'm sorry" Logan replied "How old are you now?"
"Sixteen"
"You've been looking after yourself for ten years?"
"Mostly, when I manage to avoid social bloody services."
She stopped suddenly aware of sharing something personal with this strange man and wrapped her good arm around her legs shivering a little.
"Here." Logan said feeling sorry for her wrapping his leather jacket around her shoulders noticing the two neat holes in the back. "Sorry about the holes." She pulled it close around her.
"S'okay."
"What's your mutation?" he asked changing the subject "Looks like you've pretty good night vision."
"Yeah," she replied, "I don't really have the energy to demonstrate but I can shape shift. It's pretty limited though; I can only do cats. I also have all the heightened senses of a cat, which is pretty handy in the dark." She turned to him half frowning "I don't know why I'm telling you this, you're not exactly the type of person I go usually spilling my guts to, there isn't a type of person I usually go spilling my guts to." Logan shrugged indifferently but was secretly pleased "Are you a psychic, are you fucking with my head?" she demanded, he laughed.
"No, certainly not! Going by the psychics I know I'd say you seem to have to be an intellectual to be one of them and I am most certainly not an intellectual. But don't you ever tell anyone I said that! I guess I just give out trusting rays!"
"What is your mutation then, apart from bullet proof hide or whatever?" she laughed "you could be like, 'Kevlar Man'!" Giggling too much she started to splutter, coughing blood. Finished she leant back against the wall catching her breath. He regarded her resting next to him and imagined taking her back to the school; one of kids trusting him might start a trend. Whilst the kids disappearing as soon as he entered a room could be entertaining it did grow tiresome.
After a while she lifted her head meeting his gaze where she held it for a long time. He cocked an eyebrow questioningly; her golden, cat-like eyes disconcerting him and he began to wonder if she was a psychic.
"This school of yours" she began after a few minutes "it wouldn't have an infirmary would it?" he smiled and stood up shaking his legs out.
"Thank God for that. I was starting to get a little cold on the ground there!" he looked down "You coming kid?"
"Patience is a virtue, Logan!" she admonished struggling on to her knees and with one arm pulling her self up the wall, winced as her body complained at the continued physical demands being put upon it. He sighed and bent down picking her up in his arms
"Not when you've already lost about three pints of blood its not Joss." she began to protest but only out of principle and after a moment, feeling weak and surprisingly sleepy, rested her head against his chest and allowed him to carry her over to the jeep setting her down in the passenger seat before going back for her bag, short swords and staff which he threw in the boot, Cyclops would certainly not approve of a student have weapons in school. He didn't want her to get kicked out before she even enrolled, he was starting to like this kid.
"Hey, Joscelyn stay awake please!" he said getting into the drivers seat beside her and noticing her head droop. Dammit! He thought why didn't I just chuck her in the trunk if she didn't want to come? I don't want to turn up at the school with a dead kid!