X-24: WOLVERINE REBORN
CHAPTER III
Dani and John were sitting in the truck still thinking on what just happened. They knew a plan was in order to go back for Dani's father. Dani knew they would be stacking out her house so going back there is pointless. They were in a small town where they were resting until they knew what there net move will be. Dani was starting to feel overwhelmed because the planning was pretty much on her shoulders. John wasn't dumb by any means but he lacks real world knowledge and experience.
There was also the issue of money. Her father always left some in the truck for emergencies but between the two of them that could go quick. She was going to have to contemplate this for a while.
"Let's go grab something to eat," Dani said getting out the truck. She spotted the looks of some people passing by as she got out of the driver's seat.
She saw John come around and completely forgot about his clothes. There was still blood from the gunshots and burn marks from the electric sticks.
"Grab my dad's coat out the car. Cover up some of that," she addressing his clothes.
John did as such putting on a brown coat that was in the back of the truck and followed Dani into a nearby restaurant. They got a table next to a window and waited to get served. John looked at the menu and could make the words out but just didn't know what they were.
"Leave the ordering to me," Dani assured seeing his face.
Mister Moonstar was in the back of some car as he went god knows where. He is positive his daughter got away. Thank goodness he taught her to drive because no telling how John would do behind a wheel. He was definitely in a bad situation but his main concern was his daughter. There are things he hasn't told her yet. There was a reason he started homeschooling and moved out into the middle of nowhere.
The trunk opened to reveal Moonstar was definitely not in the woods anymore. He was in some facility where soldiers suddenly grabbed and pulled out the car. He was forced to his feet as Graydon walked up.
"Killing government officials is a serious crime Mister Moonstar," he said with a smug tone.
"So is cloning people," he retorted.
"Mutants aren't people," he responded. "Lock him up."
"May I ask why we are keeping him alive?" a soldier asked following Graydon.
"X-24 has form some kind of attachment to this man and don't forget the daughter is still with him."
"So are we just going to wait for him to come to us?"
"Oh please he'll never find this place alone. We are going to send some people to go after him. Mister Moonstar will just be used as a bargaining chip for when he arrives to get him to cooperate."
"Who are you going to send to retrieve him?"
"Old friends."
A waitress approached the table with two glasses of water setting them in front of John and Dani. She looked to be in her twenties with long red hair. He waitress uniform was all yellow and a white apron.
"Thank yall for coming out. What can I get for you?"
"I want the country fried steak," Dani replied.
"Alright, what about you big boy?" she asked John.
"He'll have the burger," Dani order for him.
"Okay then," she said walking away.
John had his eyes fixated on the woman with his eyes stuck on her red hair. He doesn't even know why he is being drawn to it.
"John, you see something you like?" Dani joked which flew right over his head.
Dani got up and went to the restroom. A few minutes later the waitress came back with another round of waters.
"I noticed the little one was driving," the waitress said to John. "You teaching her to drive?"
"Something like that," John replied going along with it.
"She your daughter," she asked prying.
"Um…no…my sister," he corrected.
"What's your name stranger? Never seen you in these parts."
"John…John Moonstar," he got a certain satisfaction from being able to say that.
"Moonstar?" she repeated. "That's an interesting name."
"Thank you, what's yours?"
"Rose."
Dani returned and shortly after their food came out where they dug in after going so long without eating. John really liked the burger and Dani's steak looked and smelled amazing. With a loud yawn the both of them got up paying for the food.
"I think better on a full stomach," Dani said. "So where should we start looking?" she asked more to herself than John.
"HEY!"
Both John and Dani turned to see two guys coming. Both seemed in their twenties and were dressed in typical hunter clothes.
"Can we help you?" Dani asked the men.
"Aint here to talk with girl just your brother," of them said.
"Don't know how you know Rose but I catch you getting close like that with her again we going to have a problem."
"The waitress?" John confirmed.
"Yes, the waitress," he yelled.
"She your girlfriend or something?" Dani wondered looking at the guy one eyebrow raised.
"This don't concern you girl," he said moving her aside.
As soon as John saw this he grabbed the guy by the collar and pushed him against the truck pulling one set of claws and having them inches away from his throat. John's eyes were stuck on him and failed to hear the other man pull out a gun and put it to the back of John's head.
"Let him go bub," the other one said.
John on instinct pulled out his other claws and with lightning fast reflexes cut the gun in half and had the claws at his throat. He looked him in the eyes and then back at the other guy. Both were terrified as they had their eyes glued to the blades at their throats. He could end both before they even blinked. However he saw attention was getting drawn to them and that was the last thing they needed. He sheathed his claws dropping his arms.
"Why don't you get out here…bub," John spat watching as they ran away. He caught the look of Rose in the restaurant.
Dani hopped in the driver seat and John followed getting in on the passenger side and the two took off.
It was the middle of the night now and Dani was asleep still sitting in the driver seat feet propped up on the stirring wheel. John was outside sitting on the ground back rested against the truck. He decided to sleep outside in case anyone was going to make a move on them. With his senses they wouldn't be caught to off guard.
He drifted into a deep sleep as he began to hear noises. He couldn't make them out at first but they seemed to be getting closer. There were screams of a girl, the angry yells of a man, an image began to form in his head as someone that looked like him was attacking him. The last thing he saw was the terrified eyes of an elderly man before everything went black.
"You still have time."
His eyes shot open as his breathing was heavy and heart beat fast. That was John's first time having a dream. A better description would be a nightmare.
He stood up dusting off the dirt from his pants as he walked a few feet away from the truck and stood in an open field. He just gazed at the full moon lost in thought. It was a weird feeling only having memories of a few months but the body of a grown man. Then again he was probably never a kid since he was created.
"You okay?" Dani asked coming behind him.
"Yeah," he lied. "Just a weird dream."
"I still can't think of where to start looking?" Dani confessed choking up with a tear coming down her eye. "I have no idea who those people were."
"What if…I…turn myself over?"
"NO! They will kill my dad on the spot then hunt me down anyway. We need to bring this fight to them on our terms."
"Okay," John agreed. He wasn't in a position to be making plans considering.
In the distance up on a hill a man was crouched looking down at John and Dani with his binoculars. He had thick black hair and smile that could steal any woman's heart.
"That is our target," a woman said.
"That's what they told us," another guy responded.
"So what's are next more?" she asked to get no answer. "Pretty Boy!"
"I hear you Deathstrike," Pretty Boy responded putting down the binoculars. "Don't get so impatient."
Deathstrike had a bandanna around her head and was wearing some self-crafted armor. She looked young in appearance but her experience was obvious. Her hair was long and black and he was of Japanese decent.
"Agreed, we can't half ass this."
"What are you talking about Skullbuster?" she asked.
Skullbuster was wearing a trenchcoat with one eye cover by a cybernetic enchantment. He had a sniper rifle strapped to his back. One of his hands was completely robotic. His hair was brown with gray on the sides.
"You heard what an old out of shape Wolverine could do. This one is in his prime," he informed her.
"But he lacks the amazing healing factor the original had."
"Quite both of you," Pretty Boy said. "His time will come to face the New Reavers."