Disclaimer: I don't own it... except Tory.
Author's Note: Here you go. Chapter Three. My first several chapters usually provide the introduction and backstory.
Tory shook her head to clear her thoughts. She rubbed her forehead. She looked up at Logan and into his eyes. And it dawned on her. She knew exactly where she had seen him before. He had been at the clinic on the day that her father had turned Jason into a living vegetable. It was the same day that she had been forced to accept her adamantium skeleton and her blades. But he had changed since that day. He was no longer the carefree, loud, arrogant jerk. Tory looked into his eyes. He was a man who had tasted and been consumed by both fear and sorrow.
"Tory… what's gotten into you? You look like you're seeing a ghost."
Tory blinked and shook her head. "Sorry, you just reminded me of someone." She said turning back to the truck. She wasn't ready to trust him just yet. And he would be wise not to pry.
Logan shook his head. He was completely baffled. There was something familiar about Tory, but he couldn't figure out what it was. She obviously didn't want to talk, and he certainly wasn't going to press her. If she set her mind to it, she could probably kick his ass.
"So, tell me about wherever the hell it is that we're going." Tory said once they were back on the road.
"It's a school for mutants. It's run by this guy named Charles Xavier."
Charles Xavier… I've heard that name before. Question is where have I heard it? Tory thought. "So why are you taking me there? I already told you that I'm past school age."
"Xavier wants to meet you."
"Why…?"
"I don't know; he didn't tell me."
"Did you even ask?"
Logan let out a small growl. Why the hell was she asking so many questions? "Of course I asked!" He snapped. This girl was starting to bug him.
Tory could tell she was irritating Logan. As much as that pleased her, she backed off before he decided to kick her out of his truck. She looked at the clock. It was nearing midnight. "How far away is this school?"
"We won't reach it tonight." Logan replied.
Tory noticed that Logan was pulling into a motel. "What are we doing here?"
"What anyone does at a motel, we're getting some sleep." Logan replied.
Tory rolled her eyes, but was secretly glad they were stopping. It would give her a chance to ditch this guy. Logan wasn't horrible company; however, he was way too connected to Tory's past. It took Logan less than ten minutes to check into the motel and unload the truck. Tory picked the twin bed closest to the wall, so as not to appear suspicious. Logan took off his shoes, jacket and shirt. Tory kicked off her boots. Then they both climbed into their separate beds. Tory stared at the ceiling trying to stay awake; however, Logan's deep, rhythmic breathing soon lulled her to sleep.
"TORY!" Her brother's voice screamed in her head. "HELP ME TOR-…" His mental voice went silent. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. Tory dashed past the two guards on her way to very back room of the clinic.
"Hey! Come back here!" One of them yelled.
Tory ignored them and kept running. Another scream came from somewhere else in the clinic. It wasn't her brother's. She burst through the door to find her father making the final adjustment to a plastic tube that was now connect to the base of Jason's skull. He looked up at Tory not seeming a bit surprised. "Hello, Victoria. I've finally found a way to get my revenge on you two."
Tory glared at him. "We didn't do anything wrong! And what the hell did you do to Jason?"
"Relax; Jason won't be able to cause any more trouble ever again. Dr. Anderson…" he said as he walked towards the door. "Get her ready for the same procedure that is being done on the Wolverine."
"What the hell…?" Tory yelled as she was grabbed from behind by two very strong hands. She didn't have time to put up much of a fight; a needle penetrated her skin, injection an almost lethal amount of sedative into her system. It would take a long time for her healing powers to get rid of. That was exactly what William Stryker was hoping for.
Despite her desperate struggle to remain conscious, Tory's world began to fade into darkness. "You two have been a thorn in my side for far too long." She vaguely heard her father saying. The last thing she remembered was being immersed in a large tub of foul liquid. Her father was going to kill her, and there was nothing she could do about it.
The pain was everywhere. It radiated throughout her entire body. She tried to move her hand. A long blade brushed against her leg. She looked down and saw three very sharp blades coming from both of her bloodied hands. There was something different about her entire being. What was it? A roar came from somewhere in the clinic. Tory jumped to her feet. She was alone. She looked over at a far wall. It contained numerous x-rays. She looked at the chart next to the last one, and read the last line aloud. "Adamantium insertion: complete success. Adamantium…? "What the hell is adamantium?"
"Adamantium is a metal. It is indestructible." Her father said. He had entered the room unnoticed.
Tory turned and glared at him. "What the hell did you do to me!" She demanded.
"Language, Victoria. You're a true animal now. A vile predator, I gave you adamantium claws and plated your skeleton in adamantium. You're marked now Victoria, when people learn of your monstrous nature, they will turn on you like frightened dogs."
Tory spotted her clothes and hurriedly dressed. Her father laughed. "Where can you run that I won't find you, Victoria?"
She lunged at him, grabbed him by the throat and slammed him against the wall. She brought her free hand up; claws extended, and held it only a centimeter away from his face. "Here is something you might think about, Father…" She growled. "You'd sure as hell better pray that I never see you again, because, if I do, I will kill you!" She said right before she head butted him, and let his unconscious body drop to the floor.
Tory woke from her dream with a jolt. She was drenched in a cold sweat and breathing hard. She looked at the clock. She had been asleep for more than eight hours. She looked over at Logan's bed. It was empty. "Good… that makes it easier." She muttered. She pulled on her shoes, and grabbed her duffle bag. She started for the door when it opened in front of her. She let out a small, startled yelp.
It was Logan. He was standing there with two cups of coffee. "You wouldn't be trying to run out on me?" He asked.
Tory shrugged. "It crossed my mind."
"You really don't want to do that." Logan said.
"How would you know what the hell I want?" Tory growled.
"Listen to me, Tory. If you run, the professor will send someone else…"
"I know how to hide."
"…Not from the professor. He's a telepath. He's got this machine called cerebro. It can find any mutant, anywhere on the planet."
"Oh… well then… I guess it's time to get back on the road, isn't it?" Tory asked. Her voice was slightly shaky.
Logan grinned. "I couldn't agree with you more. Which is why I've already checked out of the motel." He said as he grabbed the keys to the truck.
Tory climbed into the passenger's seat and buckled herself in. "So how far is it to the school?" She asked when Logan had them back on the highway.
"About two and a half hours."
"That's it? Why did we stop last night if we are so close?"
"I was tired." Logan said simply. "Besides, I didn't want to wake up any of the kids, it kinda ticks off the professor."
