Categories > Movies > X-Men: The Movie > Daddy's Girl
Daddy's Girl
Chapter 4: Awakening
**************************************************
Camera's flashed and newsreels rolled as Senator Edward Kelly made his way towards his helicopter at Regan National Airport in the heart of Washington DC. He maintained an amicable smile and a skilled poise as he waved to the crowd and posed for a few pictures.
All around him, reporters were shouting questions at him like, "What do you say in response to allegations that the Mutant Registration act is just a ploy to set up your presidential nomination" or "Why battle mutants when the country is operating at record levels of debt?"
Thanks to his security staff, however, he didn't have to answer those questions and aside from the reporters, he had plenty of supporters to see him off. Some of them held up signs saying things like "Kelly is our savior!" and "Beat those muties back, Senator!" It gave him a sense of accomplishment knowing that he had created awareness about his cause and with all the connections he was forming in Congress, a bid for more 'executive' positions weren't out of the questions.
"Please, no more questions," he said as he stood at the entrance to his helicopter, "Thank you for all your support. Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do."
A round of applause sounded as they watched the lone senator enter the aircraft with his personal aide following close behind. He kept waving to the crowd as the helicopter took off, smiling kindly to show his gratitude for their support. And once they were on their way, he let out a tired sigh.
"The work of a politician is never done, isn't it sir?" commented his aide.
"Unfortunately no," said Kelly with a lighthearted laugh, "But you can't change the world without putting in a little elbow grease."
With his exhaustive schedule, Senator Kelly was tired and in need of some rest. He nodded off for a while, hoping to catch up on some much needed sleep. But because this was just a short flight to New Jersey where a major rally for his bill was planned, he knew he couldn't rest long.
After a quick cat nap, Senator Kelly forced himself to awaken again so he could go over his speech notes. New Jersey was a major swing state in this issue so he knew this rally was important.
"Do you really think it will pass?" his aide asked, breaking his silence.
"What? My bill?" said Kelly as he looked over a few papers, "That's still up in the air, but I sure hope so. Mutants are dangerous and the public has a right to be protected."
"Even at the risk of provocation?"
"I believe the benefits outweigh the drawbacks considerably," answered Kelly as he set aside a few of his speech notes, "Besides, would you honestly want freaks like this living in our own backyard?"
His aide didn't respond to that as his gaze diverted to the window. Soon, the senator's gaze drifted in that direction as well, but when he looked outside he was not met with the sight he had expected. They should still be over land and all he could see was ocean.
Confused, he turned to the pilot.
"David?" he said, knocking on the cockpit door, "David where are we? Why are we over water?"
Then, while his attention was diverted, the eyes of his aide suddenly shifted yellow and his whole body began to change shape until it was in the form of a blue skinned woman with an ominous look in her eyes. She was Mystique, the mutant shape shifter who could be anyone she wanted to be. And Senator Kelly was about to find that out the hard way.
"David, what the..."
Suddenly, Mystique shot out and attacked, grabbing his neck with her feet in a skilled show of her prowess as a fighter. The Senator's eyes widened with shock and horror as he looked at the blue skinned woman before him.
"You know, it was because of men like you that I was afraid to go to school as a little girl," she said angrily in a strange, modulated voice.
"Ack!" he choked, trying to get air into his lungs.
With a swift kick to the face, Senator Edward Kelly was knocked out cold. Smiling snidely to herself, Mystique made her way into the cockpit where a strange looking man with greenish skin was flying the aircraft.
"Is it done, luv?" he said in a British accent.
"Out like a light, my dear Toad," replied Mystique as she took some headphones and sat in the co-pilot's seat, "Almost too easy."
The green skinned man known as Toad simply smiled as he stepped on the throttle and flew full speed ahead, for they had big plans for their captive.
**************************************************
Down in the sterilized room of what looked to be high tech medical bays, the mysterious man known as Logan was out cold on a gurney. His tattered shirt which had been nearly eviscerated by Sabretooth had been removed along with his dog tag and wallet. And for a guy who had taken the blunt end of an explosion, he was in pretty good shape.
Looking over him was Dr. Jean Grey, a beautiful redheaded mutant who bore the power of telepathy and telekinesis. A guest like this to the medical bays was a rare occasion to say the least and the more she studied this mysterious new subject, the more intrigued she became.
His physiology was unlike anything she had ever seen. Some of the readings seemed outright impossible. But that only prompted more tests as she used her telekinesis to levitate a small syringe into the air and draw it into her hands. Taking the mysterious man's arm, she attempted to isolate an artery so she could draw some blood.
The needle was about to go in when suddenly, the young telepath was in for a rude awakening.
"Rahhhhh!" yelled Logan as his eyes shot open and he grabbed the nearest presence he could sense by the throat.
"Ack!" gasped Jean as she suddenly found herself choked of air.
Scanning the area, Logan quickly found this place to be uncomfortable to say the least. It was cold, sterile, and high tech...All the workings of a secret laboratory. Had Weapon X found him? Or was it Hydra again?
With the attack on him and his daughter still fresh in his mind, his focus shifted to Laura, who was nowhere in sight. He didn't know who these pricks were but if they did ANYTHING to her, a vacation in hell would be like a tropical getaway when he got through with them.
"YOU!" he growled, his claws popping out of his knuckles as he angrily held them to the young woman's neck, "My daughter! WHERE IS SHE?!"
Jean tried to speak, but this man's grip was too strong. Logan was not playing games and prepared to ask again, but the young woman turned out to have a few tricks of her own.
Using her telekinesis, she levitated a few heavy medical supplies like pans and containers and flung them at the feral mutant. Instinctively, he turned to block them, dropping her in the process. But when all was said and done, Logan looked to see that she was out cold. And since unconscious bodies wouldn't talk, he stormed out in search of his little girl.
"Laura...Gotta find Laura."
**************************************************
While Jean was working on Logan, in a sick bay down the hall the other guest from the ambush was under the care of a beautiful white haired woman by the name of Ororo Munroe. Having been there when the fight took place, she offered to help her friend, Jean, take care of their newest guests.
Even though she was not a doctor, she did know a thing or two about medicine. After all, it was necessity in a place like this. But despite being in such an intense fight, the young girl before her bore no scars. And that said something in and of itself.
She looked no older than 15. Bearing a fairly athletic frame, she wore average clothes that bore the emblems of Harley Davidson. But there were few traces of ever having been in a fight despite being thrown head first into a truck.
Checking her pocket, Ororo found a small black wallet with the logo for American Chopper on it. Inside there wasn't much except a couple bills, a library card, a student ID, and a picture of her and the man she had been with, who she assumed was her father.
"Laura Howlett," she said, reading the ID, "Why would Sabretooth attack you?"
Setting the wallet aside, she turned her attention back to the unconscious girl. Taking a syringe in her hand, she prepared to draw a blood sample.
Then suddenly, her eyes fell upon something around her neck. Curious, Ororo took a closer look and found out that it was a small locket. She motioned to remove it, when suddenly young Laura's eyes shot open and erupted into a feral burst.
"Rahhh!" she growled angrily as she grabbed Ororo's by the arm, "Hands off!"
Before Ororo could say anything more, the self defense training that her dad had spent years teaching her kicked in and she hit the older woman with a strong kick to the side. And before she could recover, Laura rolled off the bed and delivered a double kick combo that knocked her out cold and sent her crashing to the floor.
Laura was breathing hard from all the adrenaline. The memory of the fight was all coming back to her. She remembered attacking that man beast who had her father in a choke hold and then being flung head first into the bumper of the truck. After that it was pretty fuzzy.
Sniffing the air around her, Laura scanned for any other possible figures. She tried looking for her dad, but he was nowhere in sight. Feeling a sudden sense of urgency take over, she grabbed her wallet and made her way out of the room in search of her father.
She didn't know who these people were or what they wanted with her and her dad, but she wasn't sticking around to find out. Anybody who stood in her way would have to learn the consequences of going toe to toe with a teenaged girl who was trained by Logan.
**************************************************
The sterile halls were like a maze as Logan carefully made his way down the corridors and into the main pathways of whatever this complex was. He kept frantically sniffing for the distinct scent of his little girl, but so far he was getting nothing.
"Damn! Where is she?"
Suddenly, he heard a strange voice in his head.
'Logan...'
Turning around, he instinctively drew his claws, but there was nobody there. It was like that voice had come from right inside his head.
"Who's there?!" he demanded, "Laura? Laura, where are you?!"
Making his way down the hall, he kept his claws drawn just in case, trying to see if he could track that voice. But wherever he went, there was no sign of any other presence. Whatever this place was, it was getting on his nerves. But he was not leaving without his little girl.
Then suddenly, out of one of the infirmary doors a familiar figure entered his line of sight. And as soon as her scent filled the air, Logan's was overcome with relief.
"Daddy?!" said Laura as she saw her father standing in the middle of the hall.
"Laura!" he exclaimed as she ran up to him and threw her arms around his neck.
Taking her in a strong embrace, Logan let out a sigh of relief. He thought he'd lost her. He thought he had lost his little girl. And feeling her in his arms again was a welcome sensation of warmth and relief.
"What is this place, daddy? What have they done to you?!" she asked angrily as she took in his shirtless form.
"It's okay, darlin'. They didn't do anything. I busted out before they could," he assured her, trying to calm her nerves.
"Yeah, so did I," she said, trying to calm down, knowing the first rule of any attack was to keep a level head.
"That's my girl," he said proudly, causing her to smile, "Now come on, let's get the hell out of here before they wake up."
"Yes, I hate this place," she said, the sterile surroundings causing untold anxiety in the both of them.
"I know. Just stay close. We'll find a way out."
Knowing how much Laura hated hospitals, Logan took her hand and kept her close while they made their way down the hall. They both sniffed the air for any traces of resistance along the way, but so far there was nobody in sight.
The father/daughter duo maintained a firm, combat ready stance. If anybody stood in their way, they would fight through if they had to. As former living weapons, they would not go quietly.
Then suddenly, the voice from before sounded within their minds.
'This way...'
Instinctively, Logan and Laura quickly scanned the area, but like last time there was nobody in sight.
"Did you hear that?" said Laura, trying to catch a scent.
"Yeah, but where did it come from?"
They proceeded slowly until they reached what appeared to be a dead end. Then suddenly, a heavy door opened to reveal an elevator and the two feral mutants were left with a curious sight.
"What the..." said Logan, becoming increasingly suspicious of this place.
"An elevator?" said Laura as she took a look inside.
"Wait! It could be a trap."
Then they heard it again.
'It's alright. I assure you, it's safe.'
Now they were getting really confused. Where was that voice coming from? And who did it belong to?
"What the hell is going on here?" said Laura, still trying to find the source of that voice.
"I don't know, but let's not wait around to find out."
Knowing it was a gamble, Logan and Laura stepped into the elevator. They were about to hit one of the buttons when suddenly it started to ascend. This did not sit well with either of them as they maintained their alert poise.
"I don't like where this is going," said Laura, drawing her claws in anticipation.
"Me neither, kid. Get ready," said Logan, who quickly followed suit, ready to defend his daughter against anybody who dared to attack them.
But as the elevator stopped and the doors opened, they were met with a most unexpected sight. Instead of finding themselves in some super secret laboratory, they were now standing in what looked like a very elegant hall in what looked like a mansion.
Apparently, they were now on the ground floor, for there were windows everywhere with sunny light radiating through the area. It didn't at all seem hostile, but that didn't stop Logan and Laura from being suspicious.
"This just keeps getting weirder and weirder," commented Laura.
"Tell me about it," said Logan, sniffing the air for any trace of hostility, "What the hell is this place?"
Stepping out into what appeared to be a foyer, Logan and Laura found themselves in front of a large grand staircase. Looking around them, everything was fairly fancy. There were no signs of armed guards, weapon scientists, or anything of the sort.
Suddenly, they both heard the sound of laughing children running across the upper level hall right around the stairs. In seeing this, both Logan and Laura withdrew their claws and stood in a state of sheer confusion.
'It's alright. You're almost there.'
The sound of that voice quickly diverted their attention once more, only this time they were able to trace it to a door down the hall. Not knowing who they were dealing with, they took their defensive stance once more, not knowing what to expect.
"Stay close, Laura," said Logan as he slowly made his way down the hall.
"I've got your back, dad," said the teenage mutant, keeping a close eye out for any possible ambushes.
Then, as they finally reached the door, they heard the sound of more children from down the hall. Their anticipation was growing as they prepared to face whoever was behind this.
Standing poised to fight if necessary, Logan opened the door and burst in to find the last thing he had expected...A classroom.
And standing at the front of the room in a wheelchair, a wise and amicable man turned to face the two guests and greeted them with a smile.
"Glad you could join us," he said in a warm tone, "Welcome to the Xavier Institute."
**************************************************
The world was a haze of blurred visions and strange echoes for Senator Edward Kelly as his mind slowly returned to the world of the conscious. His memory was sketchy at best, but he remembered being on his helicopter, going over his speech, when he was suddenly attack by these...These freaks.
As his vision cleared, he thought he may have just had a horrible nightmare. But as the image before him became clear, he was in for a rude awakening, for it appeared he was not dreaming after all.
Looking around at his surroundings, it seemed as though he was in a strange cave of sorts. It was big, dark, and very unnerving to say the least. In addition, he was not alone.
Standing before him was a rather ominous looking man with a lot of body hair and a feral look in his eye. He was Sabretooth, a mutant who had a pretty strong distaste of people like Kelly and who wasn't afraid to show it.
Sensing that he was not the only one, he turned to see another mutant sitting on the balls of his feet like a perch. He had green skin and orange hair, a look that was clearly not of a normal human.
Suddenly, he heard the sound of a pigeon on some branches off to the side. Then, much to the senator's shock and flat out disgust, the green skinned man opened his mouth and flung a long tongue that seemed on par with some kind of amphibian and grabbed the bird, drawing it to his mouth where he swallowed it whole.
"Ugh..." groaned the Senator, feeling all the contents in his stomach jump up to his throat.
"You'll have excuse my amphibious friend," came a deep yet commanding voice from behind, "Toad has a wicked tongue. It impresses me how he chooses to use it."
Turning around, the Senator suddenly found that his hands were bound by strange, metal shackles that felt all but unbreakable. Naturally, he started to panic as the blue skinned woman from before now stood before a tall, ominous man with white hair and a strange helmet.
"You...Who are you?! What is this place?!" he demanded.
"Senator Edward Kelly," he said as he stood before his bound form with a snide grin, "We meet at last. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Erik Lensherr. But you can call me Magneto."
"Magneto? You're a mutant!" shot the senator, still struggling with his restraints.
"Indeed I am," he answered proudly, "And so is everybody here at the Brotherhood of mutants."
"Brotherhood of mutants?" said Kelly, growing increasingly uneasy as he watched this strange man ascend a small flight of stairs to the top of a small mount where a dome of metal sat ominously.
"Oh come now, Senator...Don't tell me your surprised," said Magneto in a somewhat humored tone, "Isn't it a given? For every group that is oppressed, there will be those who choose to fight back. And oppression is an unfortunate habit of all humanity. Humans oppress what they fear. And they fear what they don't understand."
"Mutant terrorists..." gasped Senator Kelly.
"Please...Terrorism is such a strong word, Senator. I'd like to think of my humble team as freedom fighters. After all, isn't part of the American spirit fighting all those who attempt to usurp our rights? You of all people should know that senator. You and your human cronies in Washington can bite all you want. And we are the ones who simply bite back."
Then, with the mere flick of a wrist, the metal began to retract into the ground, revealing a strange series of machines. At the center of it all was a strange pad with metallic rings surrounding it. There was also a smaller pad to the side, but it looked inactive. Yet still, it was not a pleasant sight for the timid senator. Every part of him was dreading where this was going.
With an affectionate gaze, Mystique made her way to the side of the apparatus where Toad also joined her, ready to begin with this momentous demonstration.
"What...What are you doing? What is this thing?!" demanded Kelly as he continued to struggle, "I am a United States Senator! I demand that you..."
"Demand?" scoffed Magneto, cutting him off in mid sentence as he took of his helmet and set it aside, "Who are you to demand, Senator? What gives you the right to wield the power that you wield? You are weak...A feeble man whose power exists only in his mind. Just look at yourself...So helpless and lost."
Suddenly, the machine came to life and the sound of a strange hum began to fill the cave. Magneto was now standing in the center of the main energy pad, his eyes locked with that of the timid senator. He looked so pathetic...So impotent...So human.
Such a powerful man was now nothing more than a mere collection of flesh no different from the weak, primal masses just like him. And he, like the rest of humanity, was going to get a little lesson in evolution.
"The world is a dangerous place, Senator," said the master of magnetism as he stood within the whirling metal rings, "Only the strong can survive in a world of dynamic change. It is the basis of evolution...The inevitability of change. Homo Sapiens have long dominated their domain, yet they are still every bit as primitive as their primal ancestors. They fight, they bicker, and they oppress. And now, they are on a collision course with extinction and only the strong shall survive the coming end times."
"You're...You're insane!" shot Kelly, still struggling with his metal restraints.
"Am I? Is it insane to fight against those who would rather see us exterminated? Is it insane to wish that the strong take their rightful place as rulers rather than slaves? Call me what you will, Senator...But you'll learn. All of humanity will learn. The time of Homo Sapiens is waning. And the rise of Homo Superior has just begun."
Suddenly, in a burst of bluish, white light, Magneto was engulfed in an aura of great energy. It was so bright that Senator Kelly was forced to look away. Then, as the glowing light began to expand in an ominous dome of light, the bound man was consumed by the power.
"No...No...NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
**************************************************
YOU KNOW WHAT YOU MUST DO! PLEASE REVIEW!!!
Chapter 4: Awakening
**************************************************
Camera's flashed and newsreels rolled as Senator Edward Kelly made his way towards his helicopter at Regan National Airport in the heart of Washington DC. He maintained an amicable smile and a skilled poise as he waved to the crowd and posed for a few pictures.
All around him, reporters were shouting questions at him like, "What do you say in response to allegations that the Mutant Registration act is just a ploy to set up your presidential nomination" or "Why battle mutants when the country is operating at record levels of debt?"
Thanks to his security staff, however, he didn't have to answer those questions and aside from the reporters, he had plenty of supporters to see him off. Some of them held up signs saying things like "Kelly is our savior!" and "Beat those muties back, Senator!" It gave him a sense of accomplishment knowing that he had created awareness about his cause and with all the connections he was forming in Congress, a bid for more 'executive' positions weren't out of the questions.
"Please, no more questions," he said as he stood at the entrance to his helicopter, "Thank you for all your support. Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do."
A round of applause sounded as they watched the lone senator enter the aircraft with his personal aide following close behind. He kept waving to the crowd as the helicopter took off, smiling kindly to show his gratitude for their support. And once they were on their way, he let out a tired sigh.
"The work of a politician is never done, isn't it sir?" commented his aide.
"Unfortunately no," said Kelly with a lighthearted laugh, "But you can't change the world without putting in a little elbow grease."
With his exhaustive schedule, Senator Kelly was tired and in need of some rest. He nodded off for a while, hoping to catch up on some much needed sleep. But because this was just a short flight to New Jersey where a major rally for his bill was planned, he knew he couldn't rest long.
After a quick cat nap, Senator Kelly forced himself to awaken again so he could go over his speech notes. New Jersey was a major swing state in this issue so he knew this rally was important.
"Do you really think it will pass?" his aide asked, breaking his silence.
"What? My bill?" said Kelly as he looked over a few papers, "That's still up in the air, but I sure hope so. Mutants are dangerous and the public has a right to be protected."
"Even at the risk of provocation?"
"I believe the benefits outweigh the drawbacks considerably," answered Kelly as he set aside a few of his speech notes, "Besides, would you honestly want freaks like this living in our own backyard?"
His aide didn't respond to that as his gaze diverted to the window. Soon, the senator's gaze drifted in that direction as well, but when he looked outside he was not met with the sight he had expected. They should still be over land and all he could see was ocean.
Confused, he turned to the pilot.
"David?" he said, knocking on the cockpit door, "David where are we? Why are we over water?"
Then, while his attention was diverted, the eyes of his aide suddenly shifted yellow and his whole body began to change shape until it was in the form of a blue skinned woman with an ominous look in her eyes. She was Mystique, the mutant shape shifter who could be anyone she wanted to be. And Senator Kelly was about to find that out the hard way.
"David, what the..."
Suddenly, Mystique shot out and attacked, grabbing his neck with her feet in a skilled show of her prowess as a fighter. The Senator's eyes widened with shock and horror as he looked at the blue skinned woman before him.
"You know, it was because of men like you that I was afraid to go to school as a little girl," she said angrily in a strange, modulated voice.
"Ack!" he choked, trying to get air into his lungs.
With a swift kick to the face, Senator Edward Kelly was knocked out cold. Smiling snidely to herself, Mystique made her way into the cockpit where a strange looking man with greenish skin was flying the aircraft.
"Is it done, luv?" he said in a British accent.
"Out like a light, my dear Toad," replied Mystique as she took some headphones and sat in the co-pilot's seat, "Almost too easy."
The green skinned man known as Toad simply smiled as he stepped on the throttle and flew full speed ahead, for they had big plans for their captive.
**************************************************
Down in the sterilized room of what looked to be high tech medical bays, the mysterious man known as Logan was out cold on a gurney. His tattered shirt which had been nearly eviscerated by Sabretooth had been removed along with his dog tag and wallet. And for a guy who had taken the blunt end of an explosion, he was in pretty good shape.
Looking over him was Dr. Jean Grey, a beautiful redheaded mutant who bore the power of telepathy and telekinesis. A guest like this to the medical bays was a rare occasion to say the least and the more she studied this mysterious new subject, the more intrigued she became.
His physiology was unlike anything she had ever seen. Some of the readings seemed outright impossible. But that only prompted more tests as she used her telekinesis to levitate a small syringe into the air and draw it into her hands. Taking the mysterious man's arm, she attempted to isolate an artery so she could draw some blood.
The needle was about to go in when suddenly, the young telepath was in for a rude awakening.
"Rahhhhh!" yelled Logan as his eyes shot open and he grabbed the nearest presence he could sense by the throat.
"Ack!" gasped Jean as she suddenly found herself choked of air.
Scanning the area, Logan quickly found this place to be uncomfortable to say the least. It was cold, sterile, and high tech...All the workings of a secret laboratory. Had Weapon X found him? Or was it Hydra again?
With the attack on him and his daughter still fresh in his mind, his focus shifted to Laura, who was nowhere in sight. He didn't know who these pricks were but if they did ANYTHING to her, a vacation in hell would be like a tropical getaway when he got through with them.
"YOU!" he growled, his claws popping out of his knuckles as he angrily held them to the young woman's neck, "My daughter! WHERE IS SHE?!"
Jean tried to speak, but this man's grip was too strong. Logan was not playing games and prepared to ask again, but the young woman turned out to have a few tricks of her own.
Using her telekinesis, she levitated a few heavy medical supplies like pans and containers and flung them at the feral mutant. Instinctively, he turned to block them, dropping her in the process. But when all was said and done, Logan looked to see that she was out cold. And since unconscious bodies wouldn't talk, he stormed out in search of his little girl.
"Laura...Gotta find Laura."
**************************************************
While Jean was working on Logan, in a sick bay down the hall the other guest from the ambush was under the care of a beautiful white haired woman by the name of Ororo Munroe. Having been there when the fight took place, she offered to help her friend, Jean, take care of their newest guests.
Even though she was not a doctor, she did know a thing or two about medicine. After all, it was necessity in a place like this. But despite being in such an intense fight, the young girl before her bore no scars. And that said something in and of itself.
She looked no older than 15. Bearing a fairly athletic frame, she wore average clothes that bore the emblems of Harley Davidson. But there were few traces of ever having been in a fight despite being thrown head first into a truck.
Checking her pocket, Ororo found a small black wallet with the logo for American Chopper on it. Inside there wasn't much except a couple bills, a library card, a student ID, and a picture of her and the man she had been with, who she assumed was her father.
"Laura Howlett," she said, reading the ID, "Why would Sabretooth attack you?"
Setting the wallet aside, she turned her attention back to the unconscious girl. Taking a syringe in her hand, she prepared to draw a blood sample.
Then suddenly, her eyes fell upon something around her neck. Curious, Ororo took a closer look and found out that it was a small locket. She motioned to remove it, when suddenly young Laura's eyes shot open and erupted into a feral burst.
"Rahhh!" she growled angrily as she grabbed Ororo's by the arm, "Hands off!"
Before Ororo could say anything more, the self defense training that her dad had spent years teaching her kicked in and she hit the older woman with a strong kick to the side. And before she could recover, Laura rolled off the bed and delivered a double kick combo that knocked her out cold and sent her crashing to the floor.
Laura was breathing hard from all the adrenaline. The memory of the fight was all coming back to her. She remembered attacking that man beast who had her father in a choke hold and then being flung head first into the bumper of the truck. After that it was pretty fuzzy.
Sniffing the air around her, Laura scanned for any other possible figures. She tried looking for her dad, but he was nowhere in sight. Feeling a sudden sense of urgency take over, she grabbed her wallet and made her way out of the room in search of her father.
She didn't know who these people were or what they wanted with her and her dad, but she wasn't sticking around to find out. Anybody who stood in her way would have to learn the consequences of going toe to toe with a teenaged girl who was trained by Logan.
**************************************************
The sterile halls were like a maze as Logan carefully made his way down the corridors and into the main pathways of whatever this complex was. He kept frantically sniffing for the distinct scent of his little girl, but so far he was getting nothing.
"Damn! Where is she?"
Suddenly, he heard a strange voice in his head.
'Logan...'
Turning around, he instinctively drew his claws, but there was nobody there. It was like that voice had come from right inside his head.
"Who's there?!" he demanded, "Laura? Laura, where are you?!"
Making his way down the hall, he kept his claws drawn just in case, trying to see if he could track that voice. But wherever he went, there was no sign of any other presence. Whatever this place was, it was getting on his nerves. But he was not leaving without his little girl.
Then suddenly, out of one of the infirmary doors a familiar figure entered his line of sight. And as soon as her scent filled the air, Logan's was overcome with relief.
"Daddy?!" said Laura as she saw her father standing in the middle of the hall.
"Laura!" he exclaimed as she ran up to him and threw her arms around his neck.
Taking her in a strong embrace, Logan let out a sigh of relief. He thought he'd lost her. He thought he had lost his little girl. And feeling her in his arms again was a welcome sensation of warmth and relief.
"What is this place, daddy? What have they done to you?!" she asked angrily as she took in his shirtless form.
"It's okay, darlin'. They didn't do anything. I busted out before they could," he assured her, trying to calm her nerves.
"Yeah, so did I," she said, trying to calm down, knowing the first rule of any attack was to keep a level head.
"That's my girl," he said proudly, causing her to smile, "Now come on, let's get the hell out of here before they wake up."
"Yes, I hate this place," she said, the sterile surroundings causing untold anxiety in the both of them.
"I know. Just stay close. We'll find a way out."
Knowing how much Laura hated hospitals, Logan took her hand and kept her close while they made their way down the hall. They both sniffed the air for any traces of resistance along the way, but so far there was nobody in sight.
The father/daughter duo maintained a firm, combat ready stance. If anybody stood in their way, they would fight through if they had to. As former living weapons, they would not go quietly.
Then suddenly, the voice from before sounded within their minds.
'This way...'
Instinctively, Logan and Laura quickly scanned the area, but like last time there was nobody in sight.
"Did you hear that?" said Laura, trying to catch a scent.
"Yeah, but where did it come from?"
They proceeded slowly until they reached what appeared to be a dead end. Then suddenly, a heavy door opened to reveal an elevator and the two feral mutants were left with a curious sight.
"What the..." said Logan, becoming increasingly suspicious of this place.
"An elevator?" said Laura as she took a look inside.
"Wait! It could be a trap."
Then they heard it again.
'It's alright. I assure you, it's safe.'
Now they were getting really confused. Where was that voice coming from? And who did it belong to?
"What the hell is going on here?" said Laura, still trying to find the source of that voice.
"I don't know, but let's not wait around to find out."
Knowing it was a gamble, Logan and Laura stepped into the elevator. They were about to hit one of the buttons when suddenly it started to ascend. This did not sit well with either of them as they maintained their alert poise.
"I don't like where this is going," said Laura, drawing her claws in anticipation.
"Me neither, kid. Get ready," said Logan, who quickly followed suit, ready to defend his daughter against anybody who dared to attack them.
But as the elevator stopped and the doors opened, they were met with a most unexpected sight. Instead of finding themselves in some super secret laboratory, they were now standing in what looked like a very elegant hall in what looked like a mansion.
Apparently, they were now on the ground floor, for there were windows everywhere with sunny light radiating through the area. It didn't at all seem hostile, but that didn't stop Logan and Laura from being suspicious.
"This just keeps getting weirder and weirder," commented Laura.
"Tell me about it," said Logan, sniffing the air for any trace of hostility, "What the hell is this place?"
Stepping out into what appeared to be a foyer, Logan and Laura found themselves in front of a large grand staircase. Looking around them, everything was fairly fancy. There were no signs of armed guards, weapon scientists, or anything of the sort.
Suddenly, they both heard the sound of laughing children running across the upper level hall right around the stairs. In seeing this, both Logan and Laura withdrew their claws and stood in a state of sheer confusion.
'It's alright. You're almost there.'
The sound of that voice quickly diverted their attention once more, only this time they were able to trace it to a door down the hall. Not knowing who they were dealing with, they took their defensive stance once more, not knowing what to expect.
"Stay close, Laura," said Logan as he slowly made his way down the hall.
"I've got your back, dad," said the teenage mutant, keeping a close eye out for any possible ambushes.
Then, as they finally reached the door, they heard the sound of more children from down the hall. Their anticipation was growing as they prepared to face whoever was behind this.
Standing poised to fight if necessary, Logan opened the door and burst in to find the last thing he had expected...A classroom.
And standing at the front of the room in a wheelchair, a wise and amicable man turned to face the two guests and greeted them with a smile.
"Glad you could join us," he said in a warm tone, "Welcome to the Xavier Institute."
**************************************************
The world was a haze of blurred visions and strange echoes for Senator Edward Kelly as his mind slowly returned to the world of the conscious. His memory was sketchy at best, but he remembered being on his helicopter, going over his speech, when he was suddenly attack by these...These freaks.
As his vision cleared, he thought he may have just had a horrible nightmare. But as the image before him became clear, he was in for a rude awakening, for it appeared he was not dreaming after all.
Looking around at his surroundings, it seemed as though he was in a strange cave of sorts. It was big, dark, and very unnerving to say the least. In addition, he was not alone.
Standing before him was a rather ominous looking man with a lot of body hair and a feral look in his eye. He was Sabretooth, a mutant who had a pretty strong distaste of people like Kelly and who wasn't afraid to show it.
Sensing that he was not the only one, he turned to see another mutant sitting on the balls of his feet like a perch. He had green skin and orange hair, a look that was clearly not of a normal human.
Suddenly, he heard the sound of a pigeon on some branches off to the side. Then, much to the senator's shock and flat out disgust, the green skinned man opened his mouth and flung a long tongue that seemed on par with some kind of amphibian and grabbed the bird, drawing it to his mouth where he swallowed it whole.
"Ugh..." groaned the Senator, feeling all the contents in his stomach jump up to his throat.
"You'll have excuse my amphibious friend," came a deep yet commanding voice from behind, "Toad has a wicked tongue. It impresses me how he chooses to use it."
Turning around, the Senator suddenly found that his hands were bound by strange, metal shackles that felt all but unbreakable. Naturally, he started to panic as the blue skinned woman from before now stood before a tall, ominous man with white hair and a strange helmet.
"You...Who are you?! What is this place?!" he demanded.
"Senator Edward Kelly," he said as he stood before his bound form with a snide grin, "We meet at last. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Erik Lensherr. But you can call me Magneto."
"Magneto? You're a mutant!" shot the senator, still struggling with his restraints.
"Indeed I am," he answered proudly, "And so is everybody here at the Brotherhood of mutants."
"Brotherhood of mutants?" said Kelly, growing increasingly uneasy as he watched this strange man ascend a small flight of stairs to the top of a small mount where a dome of metal sat ominously.
"Oh come now, Senator...Don't tell me your surprised," said Magneto in a somewhat humored tone, "Isn't it a given? For every group that is oppressed, there will be those who choose to fight back. And oppression is an unfortunate habit of all humanity. Humans oppress what they fear. And they fear what they don't understand."
"Mutant terrorists..." gasped Senator Kelly.
"Please...Terrorism is such a strong word, Senator. I'd like to think of my humble team as freedom fighters. After all, isn't part of the American spirit fighting all those who attempt to usurp our rights? You of all people should know that senator. You and your human cronies in Washington can bite all you want. And we are the ones who simply bite back."
Then, with the mere flick of a wrist, the metal began to retract into the ground, revealing a strange series of machines. At the center of it all was a strange pad with metallic rings surrounding it. There was also a smaller pad to the side, but it looked inactive. Yet still, it was not a pleasant sight for the timid senator. Every part of him was dreading where this was going.
With an affectionate gaze, Mystique made her way to the side of the apparatus where Toad also joined her, ready to begin with this momentous demonstration.
"What...What are you doing? What is this thing?!" demanded Kelly as he continued to struggle, "I am a United States Senator! I demand that you..."
"Demand?" scoffed Magneto, cutting him off in mid sentence as he took of his helmet and set it aside, "Who are you to demand, Senator? What gives you the right to wield the power that you wield? You are weak...A feeble man whose power exists only in his mind. Just look at yourself...So helpless and lost."
Suddenly, the machine came to life and the sound of a strange hum began to fill the cave. Magneto was now standing in the center of the main energy pad, his eyes locked with that of the timid senator. He looked so pathetic...So impotent...So human.
Such a powerful man was now nothing more than a mere collection of flesh no different from the weak, primal masses just like him. And he, like the rest of humanity, was going to get a little lesson in evolution.
"The world is a dangerous place, Senator," said the master of magnetism as he stood within the whirling metal rings, "Only the strong can survive in a world of dynamic change. It is the basis of evolution...The inevitability of change. Homo Sapiens have long dominated their domain, yet they are still every bit as primitive as their primal ancestors. They fight, they bicker, and they oppress. And now, they are on a collision course with extinction and only the strong shall survive the coming end times."
"You're...You're insane!" shot Kelly, still struggling with his metal restraints.
"Am I? Is it insane to fight against those who would rather see us exterminated? Is it insane to wish that the strong take their rightful place as rulers rather than slaves? Call me what you will, Senator...But you'll learn. All of humanity will learn. The time of Homo Sapiens is waning. And the rise of Homo Superior has just begun."
Suddenly, in a burst of bluish, white light, Magneto was engulfed in an aura of great energy. It was so bright that Senator Kelly was forced to look away. Then, as the glowing light began to expand in an ominous dome of light, the bound man was consumed by the power.
"No...No...NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
**************************************************
YOU KNOW WHAT YOU MUST DO! PLEASE REVIEW!!!
Sign up to rate and review this story