Skye: We're going for the Liev Schreiber Sabretooth. Let's just imagine that he didn't die in X1.

Chapter 5: You're Worst Nightmare

Logan discovered several things about Elska over the week that followed. He discovered that she was great in the danger room, as if she had natural reflexes. The only downside was that her powers didn't always work. It seemed that they didn't work when she was around the amethyst crystal. He couldn't even remember how they had come to find that out, but it was a serious flaw. And they never did find out why. He also discovered that she was great with kids. She loved them like she loved...the sun or something. It appeared that the little nine-year-old Siryn was very attached to Elska. Elska spent most of her time during the day playing with the children who finished lessons earlier than the teenagers.
He supposed that playing with the children was a way for her to have the childhood games in the playground that she wasn't allowed to have. And even after the Danger Room session gone wrong when she broke her ribs, she still managed to play hopscotch and skipping and running games with them.
And the Danger Room session HAD looked pretty painful, even by Logan's standards.

Logan walked towards Storm and noted the kids lined up. Kitty, Rogue, Elska, and Colossus. He stopped beside Storm and turned to face them.
"So, today's session is going to be hand-to-hand practice," Logan said. "Storm and I will walk around you all to see how you're doing. I want offence and defence from all of you. Rogue and Kitty and Colossus and Elska. Go."
He watched Elska and Colossus for the first few seconds then Kitty and Rogue who were doing terribly compared to what they usually did. But Storm was attending to them. So he went over to coach Elska and Colossus.
"Elska, when you're kicking, be careful that he doesn't grab your ankle and knock you over," Logan whispered.
Elska took his advice on board and didn't kick from then on. He watched her turn sharply and stumble. It was like she had tripped over her own feet and she seemed to fall in slow motion. That was probably why it was so funny. Because, really? What kind of idiot doesn't put their hands out to stop themselves from falling? She wobbled around a bit then crashed to the ground. She uttered a loud, quick "OW!" and just kind of sat there.

Logan had laughed so hard and even chuckled now when he thought about it. But once he realised that there was an instant bruise on the left-hand side of her rib cage, he got her to the infirmary. She had had to stay there for a week but now she was up and about, although he noticed her wince if she jumped too hard.

But now he was sitting on a bench in the children's playground watching Elska play skipping games with some of the younger ones.

She was so pretty. Everything about her was, her personality included. It didn't matter that she'd had a violent past, it hadn't affected her although she had the emotional scars which weren't fully closed.

She caught him looking and whispered something to one of the kids, then came over and sat next to him.

"What were you staring at?" she asked playfully.

"Nothing," he said vaguely. "Are you feeling any better?"

"Yeah, I suppose," she said. "Hey, if anyone wonders where I've gone, tell them I've gone out to buy something for Kitty's birthday?"

"That depends," Logan said. "Are you actually going to do that?"

"Funnily enough," she said. "Bye."

"See ya," Logan said.

She had trouble getting to her feet and Logan realised that her ribs probably weren't feeling all that better. She bent down and hugged him then did something she'd never done before and kissed him on the cheek. She laughed when she saw his face afterwards, but he couldn't understand what was funny about it.

Elska made her way into the huge garage. There were several shiny cars and various vehicles in there but the one she'd been told she could have was a rusty old Chevy truck. She wasn't too bothered because, although she was able to drive and had learned, she had never been allowed to drove one when living with her father and brothers.

She got into it and took a few minutes to start it up: it kept dying on her, not from lack of gas, but probably because it was so old.

She drove into the nearest town, not even knowing the name of the place, and parked at the side of the road. There was hardly anyone around so she guessed that they were all at work. She made her way up the street, dropping spare change into the cup that a homeless man was holding. (I know, right? Where did she get the money?)

She walked past some coffee shops, the sun hot on her face. Then it happened. Something grabbed her arm and pulled her into the alley beside her. She opened her mouth to scream, but whatever it was faced her body away, put an arm around her waist and arms and covered her mouth. She thrashed around and attempted to bite whatever was holding her. Her ribs started throbbing but she didn't care. Something was pulling her around the corner in to the back of the alley, where no one could see them.

Then it suddenly pushed her to the ground, hand still covering her mouth and jumped on top of her. She screamed from under his hand and thrashed around more.

"If you stay still, be quiet and be a good girl, I won't do what you don't want me to," a raspy voice said.

She stopped struggling but she couldn't help her body shaking. And her ribs were thumping in pain. She felt something wet on her elbow. The man, as she discovered he was, took in a deep breath, smelling the air. He touched her elbow gently although his hands were rough. He lifted his hand and she saw scarlet blood on his fingers. She must have cut herself when he pushed her down. The man licked his fingers, where her blood was and she wanted to be sick.

He removed his hand from her face, but she didn't dare try to get away.

"Who-Who are you?" her voice shook.

"You're worst nightmare," he hissed, moving his face closer. It was the man – thing – from when Logan had crashed the car. "Sabretooth…but you can call me Victor."

She concentrated with all her might on transforming. She imagined the Wyvern, the long tail and neck, scales and wings and horns, but nothing happened. Sabretooth noticed this and pulled out a tiny cube of amethyst from his pocket.

"I have my ways of finding things out, Ellie," he said.

She didn't like the way he had said her name. And she was frightened. She wanted to call for Logan, but he would never hear her. Sabretooth suddenly cupped her face and seemed to be pushing quite hard on the back of her ear, but she didn't dare put her hand up to see what it was.

"What do you want?"

"You, Ellie," he said. "And I also want you to join the Brotherhood, but mostly I want you…and I always get what I want one way or another."

He stood up and pulled her up by her arm. He was about a foot taller than her. Her ribs gave a sharp throb and she cried out.

"Oh, sorry," he said mockingly. "I forgot about your ribs."

He pushed her up against the wall and then she felt his mouth on hers. It wasn't like she hadn't experienced it before, but it felt the same every time. She tried to push him away but it didn't work. He was too strong. He pinned her hands above her head and moved closer, pulling his lips away from hers.

He didn't say anything, just ground his body against hers. She wanted to scream, she had to scream.

The Sabretooth suddenly pulled away. She doubled over with the pain in her ribs.

"You're strong and smart. Now off you go, back to getting Kitty a birthday present. I'll drop in from time to time."

Elska started to run.

"Oh one more thing! Don't tell anyone about this, if you do, I'll kill them. And if I were you, I'd stay away from Logan."

She stopped but didn't turn around to face him.

"Why?"

"Well, if you think I'm bad," his arms snaked around her waist from behind and he licked her neck, "then you should see what he used to do to the women a few years ago."

"He doesn't remember any of that!"

"He may not remember it, but the instinct – habit, you could say – is still there. Bye-bye, Ellie."

She felt his arms disappear and she wheeled around. There was no one there. She realised that she was crying. She quickly wiped the tears away and ran out of the alley, then into her car, not bothering to buy anything for Kitty.

She drove quickly: as quickly as the Chevy would allow. When she arrived back, she caught sight of Logan talking to Rogue. She couldn't tell them. And she had to stay away from Logan. He would know, then he would be killed. She left the Chevy in the garage and ran to her bedroom. And she cried.

Skye: I'm not too happy with the ending to this chapter. But oh well, my time was limited.