FicWad

Daddy's Girl
Chapter 12: Liberty and Justice for All

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The stage was set for Magneto's grandest plan as he and Sabretooth made the final adjustments on his machine. With the summit almost underway, their window was drawing near and they were poised to make the world know the true power of Homo superior.

Ground zero of this act would be in a most appropriate place. On the Statue of Liberty, a worldwide symbol of freedom and justice, mutant kind would rise above their oppressors. From the day he first laid eyes on this statue as a boy, Magneto knew that the fate of his kind was tied to this monument. And at long last, their time had come.

"Is everything in place, Sabretooth?" asked Magneto as he looked over the machine that would begin mutant liberation.

"Yeah, looks like we're set," he growled, "Now we just need the runt."

"Then it's time to begin," he proclaimed, putting on his helmet.

Then, with his magnetic powers, he levitated the barely conscious body of Laura Howlett into the secondary machine. She had been very unruly since their arrival and thrashed about at any attempt to move her. She even managed to cut Sabretooth across the face with her claws, prompting Magneto to 'discipline' her by warping her bones until she passed out.

Her hands were still bound by chains and she was groaning in pain as she felt herself placed in the center of the secondary machine. As a further security measure, Magneto used his powers to warp the chains and secure them to the ground so she couldn't escape.

"Relax child. It'll all be over soon," he told her.

"Go fuck yourself," she grunted.

Feeling undaunted by her language, Magneto powered up the device. The sooner they got this done the sooner that foul mouth of hers would be silenced for good.

"Activate the transducers, Sabretooth," ordered Magneto as he took his place in the machine, "Time to begin."

"With pleasure," growled Sabretooth, flashing Laura a scorn as he hit the necessary switches to power up the machine, "Let's get this party started!"

The low hum of the machine began to reverberate through the crisp air of the night. Down below, the people attending the summit had no clue what was going on. They would only know when it was over and that's how Magneto wanted it.

Their position couldn't have been better for this moment. They were on the very head of the Statue of Liberty. They were high enough to be out of sight and high enough to inflict the maximum damage.

In this position, nothing could stop them. Humanity's days were up. The time for mutant kind was now.

"Now the whole world will know the power of Homo superior!" bellowed Magneto as he used his powers to charge the machine.

"No...Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" cried Laura, feeling the energy surge through her.

The intense energy levels were forming the machine's distinctive bluish glow. Magneto was not holding back this time. With the healing power of Laura's mutation to aid him, he could push his efforts beyond all his limitations.

Sabretooth just watched with a satisfied snarl. But as the machine powered up, a familiar scent alerted his senses.

"Son of a bitch!" he growled, "He's here!"

"Who?!" yelled Magneto, trying to stay focused as he raised the energy levels.

"Who do you think?! Wolverine and his X-buddies!"

"Slow them down!" ordered Magneto, "I can't be stopped now!"

"With pleasure!" growled the loyal minion.

Following his animal senses, Sabretooth went into full predatory mode. Logan and his little bitch had gotten the better of him before. He was NOT going to let it happen again.

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As Wolverine, Storm, Cyclops, and Jean Grey ascended the structure, they came to an observation deck at the base of the statue. Here, they had a clear view to the top and much to their horror, the light from Magneto's machine was already visible.

"Oh no! He's already activated the machine!" said Storm as they were all transfixed on the intensifying light.

"Just in time for the opening ceremonies," commented Cyclops, "And from the best seat in the house no less."

This mattered little to Logan, who knew his daughter was in the center of that light crying for her daddy. The thought of her suffering was enough to send him into a rage and he was not about to let something like this stand.

"No...Laura," he said in a determined tone, "Redd, how's your aim with that mind of yours?"

"What are you..." began Jean, but it soon dawned on her what he was implying, "No way! You're crazy!"

"I'm a father," he quipped, "Can you do it or not? Either way, I need to get up there and save my little girl! So you can help me or I'm clawing my way up!"

With no time to argue, Jean prepared her telekinesis for a heavy load. Taking a step back, she raised her right arm and focused her mind on the feral mutant before her.

"This is a bad idea," said Scott, taking a step back as well.

"No shit! Now stop stalling and launch me!" yelled Logan, drawing his claws in preparation.

"You're a foolish, but dedicated man, Logan," said Jean as she prepared to launch him, "Good luck."

Then, with the invisible power of her mind, Jean hurled the feral Canadian skyward like a rocket. With the blue light of the machine as his guide, Logan braved violent wind sheers and dangerous terrain to save his daughter. His ascension was unguided and erratic, but once he got to the area of the head, he latched onto the copper structure with his claws and climbed his way up.

Back down with the others, however, the light was getting too bright. They had to act fast and despite Logan's determination, that still may not be enough.

"I hope he's okay," said Storm as Logan vanished from sight.

"He can take care of himself," said Scott, "But we need to get closer. If I can get a clear shot, I may be able to stop that machine."

"What about the secondary observation deck? That's higher up," said Jean.

"Any other options?" he said, sensing that time was running out.

"None that I can think of," replied the redhead.

"Then let's get moving!" said Cyclops in an assertive tone, "Jean, come with me! Storm, get the X-jet fired up and get it to the top of the statue! We have to act fast before he kicks that machine into high gear!"

"Then what are we waiting for?" said Storm as she ran back towards the main entrance while Scott and Jean continued to ascend the structure.

Time was running out. Magneto was close to ultimate victory. With the lives of so many on the line, the X-men and their new ally wasted no time in carrying out their plan. However, they knew in the back of their minds that they may already be too late.

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Up atop Lady Liberty's head, Logan watched as the light from the machine grew more intense. Yet through this glowing field of energy, he could make out the pained cries of his daughter. She was suffering. Magneto was hurting her. And he was going to make him pay.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" cried Laura as she was immersed in a sea of bluish light, feeling her strength being drained away.

"Hold on, Laura! Daddy's coming!" yelled Logan through the noise.

But before he could take another step, a feral roar stopped him cold in his tracks.

"Oh no you don't, Wolverine!" yelled Sabretooth as he pounced upon his prey.

Logan didn't have a lot of time to react and it was hard maintaining his balance on a giant head, but Sabretooth wasn't going to make it easy for him as he drew him into a firm grapple. While Logan managed to avoid being tackled, his feral enemy managed to get his hands around his neck, pulling him into a death grip.

"You're not gonna stop us!" roared Sabretooth, "Nobody can stop the Brotherhood!"

"Wanna...Bet?" growled Logan.

Using his extensive combat skill, Logan kneed Sabretooth in the gut and broke free of his grip. He then went on the offensive, slashing about with his claws in horizontal swipes. However, Sabretooth avoided them with his cat-like reflexes and fought back with attacks of his own.

"You're too late, old buddy!" growled Sabretooth as he attacked with another swipe of his claws, "That bitch of yours is gonna die and this world is gonna be that much nicer!"

"You're makin' a big mistake, bub!" yelled Wolverine though the melee, "You call my daughter a bitch, you kidnap her, and you hurt her! I don't care who you are, but you're gonna pay! I swear on every god damn adamantium bone in my body, you're gonna pay!"

With his berserker rage in full swing, Logan tried to gain the upper hand. He tried several stabbing maneuvers, but Sabretooth's agility and strength allowed him to easily avoid the attacks and counter with a few moves of his own.

His rage made him vulnerable and Sabretooth was able to get in a few devastating slashes that caused him to howl in pain. In the background, the light kept getting more intense and Laura's cries were growing louder. Such sounds helped Logan fight through the pain as he struggled to save his family.

"Time to die, Logan!" roared Sabretooth as he hit Logan with another slash, "You're gonna die just like your daughter! And I'm gonna enjoy watchin' you suffer!"

The fight raged on as Magneto pushed himself to the final threshold. However, unknown to either of them, Cyclops and Jean had arrived at the secondary deck. And this time, they had clear, unobstructed view of what was going on.

"Scott..." gasped Jean as she saw the epic struggle.

"I know. I see it," said the young leader as he adjusted his visor to the proper setting, "I've gotta stop that machine!"

"That's a tricky shot," commented Jean, "I don't know if it's possible. You could wind up killing Magneto and Laura."

"If I don't Laura will be dead anyways and she'll have plenty of company," said Scott, as he prepared himself for what was sure to be the biggest test of his aim, "I'll let Logan chew me out for it later. But right now, it's our only chance."

Taking a deep breath, Scott carefully aimed his line of sight up towards the glowing light emulating from the machine. Jean took a step back to give him room, sending him a wish of good luck through their link.

"You can do it, Scott. I know you can," she encouraged him.

"I hope you're right," said Scott, his hands trembling as he prepared to make his shot.

Back up with Wolverine and Sabretooth, time was running out. Laura couldn't take much more. Her healing was being transferred to Magneto and it was draining the life from her young body. Her cries were starting to weaken, pushing Logan to fight even harder. But Sabretooth kept up with him every step of the way.

"You're making this too easy for me, Wolverine!" he growled as he dodged another round of horizontal slashes.

"Errrrrraahhhhhhhh!" he roared, throwing all his rage into his attacks, "Out of my way!"

Then, in a quick spin move, Logan managed to slice a good chunk of flesh from Sabretooth's torso, causing him to roar in pain. It was the turning point he needed as he hit him again with a few quick stabs.

Any other body would have been paralyzed by such blows, but Sabretooth wasn't about to be beaten like this. With blood now seeping out of his mouth, he unleashed one final attack, this time using his extra body weight to his advantage and tackling his nemesis to the edge of the statue, taking him in one final chokehold.

The light surrounding the machine was starting to expand. Magneto was about to pass the threshold that would unleash this machine's true power. And now that he was at Sabretooth's mercy, there was nothing Logan could do to stop it.

"You feel that, Wolverine?! The end is here!" roared Sabretooth, using his iron grip to suck the life out of his nemesis, "You and your little bitch are gonna go down in history as the first ones to die in the war between humans and mutants!"

"SHUT...UP!" choked Wolverine, his lungs crying for air.

"Face it old chum...It's over!"

With an insidious grin, Sabretooth could practically smell his victory. Not only would he get revenge on humanity for treating him like a caged animal, but he'd get revenge on an old enemy of his as well. He may not have remembered the full truth, but that wouldn't matter for long as he prepared for his final triumph.

However, unknown to him or Logan for that matter, Cyclops was just about ready to take his shot. The light was growing. The air was thick with tension. People on the ground were even starting to take notice. Their time was up. It was now or never.

"Well...Here goes," said the young leader with a determined tone.

Pressing the button on his visor, Scott Summers unleashed a concentrated burst of photoconcussive energy directly at the machine. It struck just above the main mechanism where Magneto was standing and as soon as it impacted, the master of magnetism let out an anguished cry.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

The sudden impact caused Sabretooth to momentarily divert his attention. But just as he did, a small explosion rocked the main machine as the light faded and the nearby power cells exploded.

"What the..." he began, but it was too late.

Using this diversion to his advantage, Logan acted fast and grabbed Sabretooth by the neck.

"Ack!" he gasped.

"This is for my daughter!" growled Logan.

Then, using his legs and every last ounce of strength in his body, Logan threw his feral nemesis over the edge, sending him plummeting to the cold water below.

"LOGAAAAAAAAAAAAN!" he yelled as he disappeared from sight.

"Try to land on your feet from that, bub."

Taking a moment to catch his breath, Logan quickly drew his attention to the now disabled machines. Both of them were still running, but the sounds they were admitting were not good. They were sparking everywhere and Laura was still in the smaller machine, the life almost completely drained from her.

"DADDY!" she cried, tears streaming down her face as her body twisted and contorted with unparalleled pain.

"Laura! I'm commin' darlin'! Hold on!"

Ignoring the inherent danger, Logan ran up to the sparking machine and tore into it with his claws.

"Rrraahhhhhhhhh!" he grunted as he sliced through the metal rings and severed the main wires leading into the device.

Laura's body was going limp. The smell of her tears hung thick in Logan's nose. He couldn't fail her now. He couldn't let his baby down.

Slashing through the chains that were restraining her, Logan took his ailing daughter in his arms. He felt a surge of pain as he stepped into the machine, which was still thick with energy. But he ignored it as he pulled his daughter out and held her securely in his arms.

Soon, the hum of the machine died down and all activity ceased. Magneto was out cold from the miniature explosion caused by Cyclops's blast, but Logan didn't care about that. All he could think about now was his little girl.

"Laura! Laura please!" cried the feral mutant as he held her in his arms, "Come on darlin', come back to me! I'm so sorry! Please don't leave me! I need you! Please..."

She felt so weak. Her whole body was limp and there were weak signs of life from her. Logan was on the verge of tears, something he rarely ever experienced. But he couldn't help it. This was his little girl. This was his baby. He had sworn to protect her the day he first held her and he wasn't going back on is word. Not now, not ever.

Then, he felt it. The weak movements of her body were beginning to show as her healing returned. Her breathing was labored, her limbs were heavy, and she was in a great deal of pain. But when she opened her eyes and saw the hazy image of her father, such feelings were quickly washed away.

"Daddy..." she said in a weak, barely audible tone.

"Laura," said Logan, his words deeply strained as tears streamed down his eyes.

"I...I knew you'd come for me," she got out, managing a weak smile.

"Of course I came for you," he replied softly, gently holding her head and bringing her into his warmth, "I promised you I'd never let anything happened to you. I promised I would always be there."

"And you kept it," she cried.

Then, unable to control her sobs any longer, Laura threw her weak arms around her father's neck and pulled him into a strong embrace. She was so exhausted from all the pain she had gone through, but none of that mattered now. She had her daddy by her side and that was all she needed.

The tears of the teenage girl flowed freely as she clung to her father's embrace. The X-jet was now hovering just above them with Scott, Jean, and Ororo all ready to pick them up. Despite the odds, they had succeeded. They stopped the Brotherhood. And as they saw the tender scene between father and daughter below, they couldn't help but smile.

"Here...I thought you might want this back," said Logan as he handed her the locket she had lost when Magneto abducted her.

When Laura's eyes fell upon the sight of the silver locket, her most prized possession, she could no longer hold it in. She just broke down in a wave of emotion in the arms of her father.

"Thank you, Daddy. Thank you," said Laura, giving her father a loving hug.

"Anytime darlin'. Just don't ever forget...You have a father who loves you more than anything. You're my world. You're my life. And no matter what happens, you'll always be my baby."

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