The sounds of sirens waved against the broken buildings and wormed its way between dark alleyways. All other sounds seemed muted in the thick fog that covered the wounded city. The Big Apple, which city line which had been known for its tall and proud skyscrapers, was just a semblance of what it once was. The few buildings that dared to reach above the fog had jagged broken tops, a few was burning, polluting the sky with black smoke. The cold feeble drops of rain that fell from the dark sky could not put out the fires. Except for the sirens, and the flickering lights from streetlamps, you would think this a dead and deserted city. No one dared to venture out from their safe hiding places in the sewers, basements or broken down shops. It would be considered suicide to venture out in the open when martial law was enforced. If you could not convince the hulking sentinels or the police that you were a law abiding human you were lucky to be executed on spot. The sentinels were frightening things by themselves. Some of them reached as far as a building so you could hardly make out its head. But the smallest of them was still as tall as two men. They were robots. Almost sentient beings, even if the larger models had men that controlled them from inside. The smaller ones had been upgraded with artificial intelligence and were allowed to roam the city by their own design and take decision as any man. But most frightening was the police.

Before the war, The police was someone most people trusted and believed were there to protect and serve. Not any more. These..things..were they even human? They looked human enough but possessed powers stolen from mutants and other super humans they captured and then disposed of. Whatever process gave them these powers, it changed something else inside them. The men and women that become the new Police no longer recognized their family. A woman had killed her newborn daughter because the babe had the x-gene, and had killed her husband without hesitation when he tried to stop her. Afterwards she showed no remorse…no feelings at all. And that is what the police have become. Very efficient and swift with even less feelings than the robots that follows them.

Now at this night, there seem to be more activity going on. There was only one reason for this. The police were on a hunt. Hover crafts sped thru the alleyways, illuminating the filth and debris collected there. Too often the sharp lights showed corpses of dogs or cats in various decay, or living scrawny animals scurrying away as fast as they could. A rag tag group of seven dirty children’s faces watched in frozen terror at the lights that revealed their hiding place among cardboard boxes. A woman, as dirty as the children just stared emptily as two men jumped down from the vehicle with weapons pulled. Behind them, the sounds of incoming sentinels could be heard. The smallest child, about four years old began crying. No one tried to comfort her. One of the armored policemen held out a scanning device that buzzed softly.

“X-gene negative”he said in a monotone voice. The other man did not lower the weapon.

“Have you seen this female?” The same man now took out a holo-disc, pressing on a button the 3D image of a young woman sprang up in the air. She had flowing white hair, dark complexion and blue eyes that turned milk white as her face contorted in fury. There was no response from the group. The little girl’s cries did not stop.
The policeman shut down the image and put the disc back into his belt. Then turning at an incoming sentinel he gave the order.

“Take them in. X-gene negative. They do no cooperate and might have knowledge of the rogue mutant.”

The little girl screamed as more sentinels advanced on them and her cries were answered with the moans and sobs of the other children. The woman did not utter a sound. She had seen too many horrors already to care about anything anymore. She did not fight as the sentinels raised tranquilizers and shot them one after one.

Far above them, on a broken roof of a former magnificent office building, the young woman pictured on the holographic image watched with tears in her eyes as the woman and the children were carried away. She cursed her cowardice, wanting to intervene, to unleash the full extent on her powers to help them. But doing so, would only endanger them. The soulless bastards would only believe that the woman knew her, and covered for her, and the punishment would be death. And using her powers in the open, she might get away, but they were many and more would come as the unregistered use of powers would pinpoint her location. Still, knowing that if she acted and tried to help the woman and kids would make matters worse, she couldn’t help the feeling of self loathing and guilt. She had been raised better than this, and she closed her eyes, thinking of her father. Foster father more. He had strongly opposed against her leaving their safe country for America. Wakanda was one of the few countries that mutants could live without fear of prosecution, and their king, Black Panther, her foster father offered amnesty to any mutant. Not many made it to Wakanda. The soulless as they called the police, was too efficient with hunting down the rogues, before they reached the safe haven. That was the reason she volunteered to come here, to find and help other rogues. So far she had no luck. Charles had helped her memorize the list of mutants he was sure hadn’t been captured. It was a safe list, burnt in her mind, like a child’s rhyme that wouldn’t make sense to anyone should they read her mind. To distract herself, she cycled through the list in her mind while slowly and silently, moved from the building:

In the wild the Wolf prowls
Seeking the Bird of Fire
Guarded by the One Eyed watcher

Unchained the Beast rages
Destruction follows Shifter
While Sentinel keeps vigil

The Untouchables tears
Are caught by Gambler

Stalker in the dark
Seeks Ghost’s comfort

A Shell of warding still
Shatters in Frozen embrace

The police and sentinels were retreating, so it was time for her to move on. Not being able to use her powers was a hindrance. But her foster father had learnt her well to manage and fight without her powers. Her hand to hand combat was almost on par with his, and he was the best at that. Her gloved hands held a firm grip on the rope as she climbed down the building. The distance down to the ground didn’t bother her, and now her mind was calm again, thinking of the mission. Why had Panther been so reluctant in letting her go? He knew how much she wanted to help her fellow mutants, she joined the resistant he had been part of creating. They were fighting with all means to make the world as it once was. No sentinels, no soulless or concentration camps for unregistered super powered. A part of her understood Panther. He loved her and didn’t want her to risk her life or freedom. Even with Charles and Magnus assurances that she was capable for this mission it had taken him long time to budge. She had been here a week now, been close to capture but had managed to dodge her pursuers. Moving often and with no apparent destination for her travels, made it harder for the sentinels to pin point her location. Charles had let them know that the police had access to Cerebro, a device he had used in the earlier days to find mutants. But as he knew the machine, he could with Forge’s help create blockers that would hide her as long as she didn’t use her powers. She had a few blockers with her to give to those rogues she managed to find. She just needed a bit more time to find them. One of them. What she had found out about the soulless and the way they were created and controlled was valuable. Even if she didn’t find the rogues, they still have knowledge about the police base. The security looked impossible to break, but everything, everyone had a weakness as Panther used to say. They just needed to find that weakness and break it. Because without the controller, the current system would crumble to nothing.

“Unregistered Mutant, you are ordered to surrender”

She froze instantly. The voice came from below, and she was halfway down the building. How the hell had they managed to sneak up on her? Fuck! She had let her concentration slip!

“Surrender? That would make it easy for you eh? Sorry can’t do” She had nothing to loose, and it felt so damn good to finally let go of her tight control. A milky layer covered her blue eyes, and she let go of the rope while calling up a strong wind to carry her. Looking down at the handful of the soulless and a smaller sentinel, she called lightning, that sparkled and sneaked around her fists. Dark clouds had already gathered and the scent of lightning storm filled the air. All this happened so fast that they didn’t have a chance to react until the first bolt of lightning stuck the ground, knocking back the soulless. She avoided the sentinels fire, dancing with the winds, as if she was on stage, directing bolts of lightning and aiming strong winds to scatter her pursuers. But the dance ended as suddenly as it had begun. While a strong arctic air was battering against the sentinel, she felt herself loose control of her powers. It didn’t come gradually, no the effect was immediate, like the sting after a slap. The air rushed around her as the winds no longer supported her and she fell. Closed her eyes as the ground rapidly rose to meet her.

In a room only illuminated by two tall candles three men were standing in silence, observing the fourth that sat on his throne, grabbing a scepter, the symbol of his power. The golden light of the candles danced over his dark frame. He was the Black Panther, ruler and protector of Wakanda. The other men, was a part of the Illuminati. Charles Xaveir, Magnus Lenhserr and Steven Strange. After the news that Ororo had been captured, all according to the plan, The King had been silently staring at the floor with his jaws set. Finally he looked up, meeting Charles calm eyes.

“Are you sure she will live?”

“She is too valuable to kill. They will send her to Neverland as they did the rest of my X-men and Magnus brotherhood. ”

“T’Challa, we have gone through this. She will be the key to free the mutants in Neverland. As we don’t know if her mutant powers will work in Neverland, Strange and Xavier and you yourself have worked hard to make her capable of fighting without her weather abilities.” Magnus added a bit tersely.

“Her affinity for Magic is strong, even if she was reluctant to divulge in the arts. I know how much Ororo means to you Panther, but you yourself agreed that she was the best weapon at out disposal. You swore to let her go when she was ready. “ Steven’s tone was a bit more gentle, but final.

T’Challa rose and threw the scepter aside.

“To hell with you all. Using her, keeping her in the dark. Have you any idea how this will affect her once she finds out, if she will find out?”

Magnus stepped forward, head to head with the tall king of Wakanda, both having strong arrogant features, but Magnus was the more ruthless of the two leaders.

“She isn’t your blood, or more importantly not of your kind. Charles was a fool to let a sapien raise her, when she should have been with her own kind!”

“Magnus” Charles warned, but too late as The black man swung his arm, backhanding the white haired master of magnetism. Magnus caught himself and straightened his back.

“That is the same garbage racist crap that have put you in the position you are in now. Get out of my sight or I swear to God I will rip you to shreds” T’Challa growled raising his clawed hand.

For a heartbeat or two, Magnus met his gaze, before turning his back on the king.

“Forgive him T’Challa. He is as worried as we all are.”

T’Challa sank back on the hard throne, closing his eyes briefly as he tried to calm down.

“I know what I agreed to, and how important Ororo is. And she wants this, which is the sole reason I let her go. If I suspected that she wouldn’t take any part of this I would have kept her away from you. Even if she doesn’t know all of it, the real mission…” His voice trailed off

“We couldn’t let her know. In case they managed to get past her mental blocks and found out. All would have been for nothing and we would be no closer to finding a solution for this. Now we have a chance. With the key persons freed from Neverland we can attack the controller directly and put an end to all off this.” Charles explained, sighing. He was tiered, like all of them. It was vital that their plans succeeded. Years of planning and working in the dark would soon come to fruit. If they were lucky. As they were thinking the same thought, he met Dr. Strange’s eyes.

“There are so many damn if’s and uncertanities. I don’t doubt your talents Strange, but with the little we know of Neverland, how they erase the memories of those sent there..”

“The eye of Agamotto will protect Ororo and show her the truth. It will take time, depending on how much she fights the instincts coming to her, but it will show her who she is and will show the others the truth. When it happens, when they are gathered I will know and can bring them here. Have faith in her” Strange answered the Kings musings. T’Challa nodded, but the worried crease on his forehead didn’t disappear. Silence descended on them, and slowly the other men left the king to his dark thoughts.

They led her through a brightly lit corridor. Many doors were lined along the walls, all closed and unmarked. A stranger wouldn’t know which door could lead to a certain room. They, her captors didn’t talk, even between themselves. Silently they just led her. No weapons drawn and they didn’t push and show her forward. No need for it as her powers didn’t work. They hadn’t even bothered to bind her.

When she had woken up. Hurting and bleeding in the van a soulless woman had told her to follow them, and if she resisted they would shoot. Her powers didn’t work because of the woman. The soulless was a lecher, and able to suppress mutant’s powers if they were close enough. Ororo had pondered fighting. They were five of them, but being so close to the police station would be foolish. She was hurting too much from the fall, and she suspected she had landed badly on her right hand, because it hurt like hell when she moved it. Her father often told her that a good warrior knew when to fight, and when to wait. This was a time to wait. She wouldn’t yet admit that she had been defeated. Momentarily yes, but as long as she was alive there was a chance to fight later. So limping gingerly and holding her sprained wrists she followed the soulless into the tall building.

Subtly, while they led her from one corridor to the next, through doors, down the lifts and taking turns, she observed the place. Memorizing details, security cameras, guards. Just like she had been trained to do in a situation like this. Panther had been adamant to train her how to survive, barren deserts, wild forests, mountains or cities.

It had always been like that as far back as she could remember. He could wake her up in the middle of the night, order her to follow him. Sometimes they walked for several miles to a place he wanted to teach or test her, or they took his private jet. She had loved those moments with him, with just the two of them in some wilderness. But he scared her too, disappearing and she had to survive for days without him, or hiding for her to find him. A few times he had made deals with some locals in the area they were in to capture her, just to test how she would get out of the situation. When she was older, he brought new tutors. Charles and Magnus that helped her with her newfound powers, and later Steven. She liked Steven, but the possibility that she could do magic scared her, and she was reluctant to take that step. Dr. Strange didn’t force her. He told her she had magic in her blood, and she had a strong affinity for it, but you couldn’t pour water in a closed vessel. Whatever that had meant. Instead he had thought her about a wide variety of more interesting things. Like how to calm her mind and body, falling into a trancelike state and still be able to observe the world around you with eagle sharp eyes. She had loved that, it felt like flying even if she had freaked out seeing her own body sitting in a lotus position far down. He taught her about herbs, plants, and more, and she had been eager to soak it all in. Next to her father Steven had been her favorite teacher. Charles was good too, but Magnus awful. She hated him, the way he embarrassed her when she failed his tests. The only relief she had during the torture he called lessons, was that she shared it with Forge, his son. Magnus didn’t treat him better. You would think he would treat his only child, after Wanda and Pietro had been killed with love, respect and kindness. But no, he was a monster to the boy. She liked Forge and he was a close friend that often got dragged into whatever mischief she planned. But he was changing, and sadly not for the better. Before she had left for this mission they had a big fight. He had swallowed his fathers bullshit that mutant’s, or homo superiors was far better than the humans, and they should be the one in control. The rightful rulers. And he had the gall to suggest that she, as a future queen of Wakanda should choose a homo superior as her husband. It was perfectly clear whom he pictured as the future prince of Wakanda. She had slapped his smug face and stormed out of the conversation. Not saying another word to him, not even a goodbye when she had left for the mission.

Now as she was led to a door at the end of the brightly lit corridor, her mind briefly touched on Forge. She wasn’t angry at him, but disappointed. He had never shown any romantic interest in her, that she had noticed, but she had feelings for him. But the way he suggested they should marry, and have strong x-gene children, was so cold and calculated it chilled her. If he had loved her, the “propose” wouldn’t have been so appalling, and she might had accepted. He had truly become his father’s son.

One of the guards pressed the digits on a pad at the door. She couldn’t see what code he entered, but the door slid aside to let them in. Her cerulean gaze took in the huge chamber they entered, and her heart almost stopped when she realized where she was. Had they brought her to the headquarters? The room was circular. With high domed ceiling that showed a grey sky up ahead. Had dawn come already? She must have been passed out for longer than she thought. A hand on her back made her stumble forward and she gasped as the sudden step pained her leg and hand. There were a handful people, and robots in here. At the center of the chamber, a small, black and wrinkled old man sat cross legged right on the floor. He held a boomerang resting on his thigh. His white hair stood around him like if a wind had blown through it and left it stiff. He sat motionless with his eyes closed. Her captors turned her, and her eyes widened now noticing a woman sitting on a throne of wires. Naked, with wires and cords plugged to her brain. It almost looked like hair made of thick wires. Her green eyes were open, forced open and she couldn’t blink because of the needles holding up her eyelids. Ororo knew her face, and she felt horror grip her that anyone could do such a thing to a living creature. It was Rachel Grey Summers.

“Ororo Munroe. Citizen of Wakanda, heiress to the throne” Rachel spoke, her tone was soft, yet emotionless and carried across the chamber. Ororo closed her eyes and tried to show her from her mind, but it was pointless. Everything that Charles thought her about blocking out a telepath seemed to have vanished. Tears sprung up in her eyes. She had failed. Goddess she had failed.

“Sent on a mission. Charles Xavier, Magnus Lehnsherr, Forge Lehnsherr, Dr. Steven Strange…” she continued listing the names

“All of which were ordered to surrender to the law, abiding in Wakanda. Granted amnesty by King T’Challa.”

“Wolf…bird of fire” Rachel continued mercilessly to tear through Ororo’s mind her voice carrying the information she effortlessly gained from Ororo.

“What mission did they send her on?” Ororo noticed another woman, dressed in the soulless uniform, took the steps up to Rachel.

“To find rogue mutants”

“Which?”

“Wolf..Wolverine, Phoenix, Cyclops, Shadowcat, Sabretooth …” Rachel listed all the mutants. Ororo felt confused. How did Rachel know the codenames of the rogues? She herself didn’t know. Just got the mental image of them, and the names Charles had given her.

The uniformed woman frowned as Rachel ended the list.

“All those are captured and detained. Are you certain that is all?”

“This was her mission”

“Charles and Magnus must be out of loop. We took the last of the rogues a year ago. Very well. Ororo Munroe. “ The woman turned to regard Ororo.

“You are not citizen of the United States, but you have trespassed our borders to commit a crime, fully aware of our laws. By breaking the law in the States, you are subjected to our Laws. You are sentenced to banishment, until the time we will have use for you.”

Ororo was too confused to hear what the woman told her. Her mind was trying to understand one little thing. The Rogues had been captured? For over? That couldn’t be possible! Charles had told her he had contact with them…had he been set up? She could understand it, and in her confused state, she didn’t hear the woman give Rachel the final order.

“Shut her down”

Blackness overwhelmed her. She was unconscious when the soulless stripped her naked, dressed her in a white dress and carried her to the old black man. His eyes opened, shining in white, and he started to whip the boomerang above his head. The sound was like approaching thunder and slowly the air next to him started to shimmer and crack with energy. A gate spawned, high and wide enough for a man to walk straight into it. Ororo was carried to the gate. Her captors were careful not to touch the edges of the gate, but pushed her limp body through it. They stepped back when she disappeared. And as suddenly as the old man had opened the gate, he closed it. He resumed his motionless position, with the now still boomerang back on his thin thigh.

***

She woke up, with no memories hurting everywhere as a merciless sun hammered on her body where she laid on the hard ground. With a grunt, she opened her eyes and shut them briefly again at the brightness. The sky was red with two suns at high noon. No clouds marked the sky and no wind was blowing. It was hot, and the ground beneath her was dry and cracked. There was little vegetation. A few strands of dried grass that barely reached her knee when she finally managed to stand up. Her leg hurt, and her wrist. Looking at it, she saw it had swollen. Out of some instinct, she lifted the hem of her thin dress and tore out a piece to wrap it tight around her wrist. It still hurt, but she knew that the wrap would help the swelling down. Confused she looked around the strange scenery. Mountains rose in the distance. Oddly shaped trees were scattered here and there. She wouldn’t know the name of them, and it didn’t look familiar at all. Not that anything would be familiar. She pulled some dry leaves out of her short cropped white hair and tried to figure out what direction she should go. She was thirsty and hungry. Looking up at the sky again, she couldn’t mark any birds that would suggest a water source. At first the land seemed devoid of life, but looking closer, she could see insects, beetles scurrying over the dry grass and disappearing in the cracks. Limping gingerly she set her sight to one of the gnarled trees that was closest she needed something to support on, or soon she would be too tired to walk. When she reached the tree with a thick gray trunk, and low branches, she was lucky to find a branch low enough for her to try and break. It was as thick as her lower arm. Breaking it wasn’t easy, as she couldn’t use her injured arm or support herself on both legs. But being stubborn, she finally managed, and nearly fell over when the branch snapped. She would need something sharp to form it, but seeing no sharp rocks around her, it would have to do. Testing the branch that was as tall as her, and gnarled she was pleased to notice that it was strong enough to support her. With that thing solved, she once again pondered on where she should go. She looked around her, more carefully and tried to listen if she could her anything. The twin suns where high up in the sky, which means they would be descending in hour’s time. She tensed when she though she heard something in the distance. Turning to the sound, she strained her eyes to try and see something. Wasn’t there a cloud of dust? Yes. Gripping her staff, she stood still as the sound, and the dust came closer. It was the sound of running, and soon enough she saw it was animals. A small herd of four legged beautiful antelope’s running from possible pursuers. And she saw them too. Four of them, riding on steeds, calling and shouting and laughing as they hunted their prey. She pressed herself to the tree when the herd thundered past her. Not knowing the strangers she didn’t want to reveal herself, and hoped they wouldn’t notice her. But just as they were about to pass the tree, the last of the riders reigned in the odd animal he used as a steed. It had antlers, four long legs and pale reddish short furred coat. The elongated face reminded of a horse. The rider, a tall man with long brown hair, dressed in tattered breeches made of some animals hide, looked down at her in surprise, then laughing he shouted at his companions that turned their steeds and came back.

“Oh lookie what Shinobi found. Fresh pussy!” One of the men hollered and the rest joined in the laughter, looking at her with hungry eyes.

Meanwhile in Wakanda a father and son was engaged in a heated one sided discussion in the early morning hours. Magnus was in his son’s room pacing back and forth, anger radiating from his impressive form. His son, Forge sat slumped on a chair, looking dour faced.

“I asked one thing of you, and that was to make Ororo yours! A simple thing, and yet you failed miserably!” He hissed, turning to his son

“You imbecile! Do you have any idea the position you would have had, being her husband once she becomes queen? To have this country with its riches, connections and standing to be ruled by us?”

“Dad, I tried...”

“You didn’t try hard enough. This isn’t game Forge and I didn’t simply ask you to try. I was ordering you to secure her! How hard can it be? You don’t need to love her. Just make her yours and make sure she gets pregnant. Did you even manage to get between her legs? No. And for what? Any idiot could se she was in love with you. She isn’t ugly and even if she was you could just have closed your eyes and plant the seeds!”

Forge winced at his father’s crude description. It was true that he didn’t need to love Ororo to seduce her, that wasn’t the problem. The problem was that he truly loved her. More than she loved him, and he couldn’t just do the thing his father wanted. His father was pushing him too hard, when he just wanted to take things slowly and not make this into some kind of dirty deal.

“When she returns with the brotherhood, I want you to resume your courtship of her. She must marry you, and I will make sure no one else, and especially not a human will become the future prince of Wakanda. The humans have had their time. It’s our turn now, Homo Superior are the inheritors of earth. When my brotherhood returns, the humans will all pay the price for the atrocities done to us.”

“If she returns” Forge added silently. His father didn’t seem to hear him.

“I have plans for how to deal with Charles and his X-men and any other that would stand in our way. When Ororo returns, she soon will become queen, and you WILL make her yours!”

Forge felt dread rising. T’Challa wasn’t that old for his father to make such a bold statement. He knew better than to ask what he was planning, and he didn’t want to know either. He just nodded.

“Yes dad”

The four men dismounted, leering at her. She pressed her back against the thick trunk of the tree. The tallest of them was the one they called Shinobi. He looked strong and muscles played over his bare chest when he moved towards her. His slanted dark eyes glittered as he ate her with his eyes. The others, a short man with ugly face, didn’t look as strong. He had just a loincloth, skinny long arms and legs, and the way he moved reminded her of a frog. He had wide mouth, and she shuddered, revolted when he flicked his impossible long tongue towards her.

“Hm this meat hunt become very interesting. I bet she tastes just as good as the antelopes” he giggled.

“Chief Sabretooth wouldn’t mind a bite from her that’s for sure.” A third man said, he was brown haired, slightly shorter and more slim than the black haired man.

“We better see if she is as good as she seems eh lads? Wouldn’t want to disappoint the chief.” The brown haired man grinned. The third man was bigger than the others, pale, with long black hair. His eyes were completely white, as if he were blind. But the way he moved didn’t suggest that. He didn’t speak or laugh, but she wouldn’t get any help from him. They all were armed with spears, and bows, and the white eyed man had a long knife at his waist. They were clearly a hunting party that had found a prey that was more interesting than the four legged animals. They had already shot one animal that was bound on the back on one of their mounts.

“C’mon on doll, don’t be shy. Those long legs of your sure must lead to some place sweet.” The frog like man leered and his long tongue once again flicked out. She raised her staff, defensively and looked back at them, not allowing herself to show fear.

“Feisty cunt. Just what we need. A prey that will fight back instead of just playing dead.”

That remark made her eyes flash in anger. The men chuckled, apparently amused. She took a step forward, changed the grip on her staff, holding it on the middle with both hands. Nearly forgetting her injured wrist but bit back the pain.

“If you touch me, I’ll kill you!” She spat. Her challenge seemed to have the opposite effect. Their eyes blazed, not with the fury she was possessed with, but with lust. The froglike man leapt forward, and ignoring the searing pain, she flicked her staff, connecting the butt of it, point blank between the eyes of the little man. His eyes glazed over, stumbling back and he fell on the hard ground. He was still breathing but unconscious. The remaining men, except the silent black man roared in laughter. Next one to approach her was the brown haired man. He was more careful, not rushing against her, but trying to find an opening. She whirled her staff, following his movements. He avoided a hit from the wood when she swung it, but wasn’t fast enough when she took a sudden step forward, the butt off the staff low and made a quick hard upward thrust. He grunted in pain and grabbed himself in the crotch where her strike had landed. The men sobered up, seeing that their prey indeed could fight. The two others joined in now, circling her, and she had to try and keep them all in her line of sight, flicking out the staff to strike against them when they got too close.

“Let’s make it a bit more interesting.” Shinobi picked up the spear, and so did the others. The little man was still unconscious on the ground. All three were bigger than her, and stronger, now armed they engaged her in a fight, her staff hitting their spears, and the impact jarred through her arms, sending up shots of pain through her injured wrist. She wouldn’t allow herself to despair or show weakness. As long as she breathed she would fight. She wouldn’t let them take her. The lean black haired man managed to land a hard strike at her wrist and she screamed in pain, loosing the grip of her staff with her injured hand. Stars danced in her vision when the butt of a spear hit her temple. Weakened and gripped with pain, the three men met no challenged when they advanced on her, tearing the staff from her hand and pushing her down on the hard ground. They ripped at her dress, chuckling appreciatively when her breasts were exposed. She kicked out with her good leg, but a hand caught it, and she nearly fainted in pain when a heavy body landed on top of her. Their hands were everywhere. Hard fingers grasping her breasts, prodding between her legs.

“Damn..a virgin? I didn’t think they made those anymore” The tall man showed the others away, claiming she was hers as he was the one that had found her. Grunting, the other men stepped away, while he released himself and forced his way between her legs. She tried to kick, hit and scratch him, but he just had to press her injured hand down for her to writhe in pain beneath him. He pressed his hard member between her legs, but it proved difficult. She was untouched and an unwilling tight girl such as her was always a bit problematic for those with more than an average sized member. The two others laughed at his attempts and coming with remarks that they would show him how it was done.

During the fight, and now at the attempt of coming between her legs, none of them had noticed a figure coming closer. He had been walking in a steady pace and didn’t seem to mind the hot climate much. He was clad in un tanned breeches, that sneaked around powerful legs. Bare footed and bare-chested he seemed oblivious to the glaring suns. But he wore a white cloth as a bandana over his unruly black hair. At his back, he had hiked up a sack, filled with the necessities a wanderer such as himself would need. He had just made a stop at a small dry tree to drink a few sips from his water pouch when he heard the commotion far away. A woman’s scream and men’s laughter. His gray eyes had narrowed and a low growl rising in his chest. It wasn’t his business, and he cared very little of others problems. But rape was one of the things that made him see red. Closing the pouch he had sprinted towards the sound. And saw the small pack of men, just as they had pushed the woman down on the ground. He recognized them; Shinobi, Avalanche, Toad and Gaza of the Reavers. They didn’t notice him, not until he came close enough to yank Shinobi off her.

“Wolverine. This ain’t your business, unless you want to get into more trouble again because of a woman. “ He didn’t answer Shinobi. Gaza and Avalanche advanced on him as he and Shinobi came to blows. The three men hesitated a second when the shorter man released his metal claws, but just for a second. Even knowing what a good fighter he was even when he was outnumbered they attacked him.

Ororo tried to fight the pain of as she crawled up. Tear in her eyes but she was still furious. Too angry to feel any fear. She watched as her rescuer, a short but powerful built lean man fought the three men. A movement at the corner of her eyes made her look, and the froglike man seemed to stir. She picked up a spear, limped to his side and struck him hard again. He didn’t move. Turning, she saw that the white eyed man had managed to lock her rescuers arms while the two others were pounding on him. With a hiss, she struck out with the spear, the sharp end slicing through his thigh. Roaring, Gaza released Logan, who quickly slashed with his claws across the other man’s throat. It was just a shallow wound. Ororo withdrew the spear, gritting her teeth at the man’s screams. The others were bleeding too, from Wolverine’s claws, and they retreated. Ororo made a movement to follow them, the spear raised. But her strength failed and the weapon fell down to the ground as she leaned against the thick trunk of the tree. Logan watched, reining in his instinct to kill them all, when the two that still could walk picked up the unconscious Toad. The animals they used as steeds had run off at the start of the fight. If they walked fast, they would make it to the Reavers territory at nightfall. But with the injuries, they would be lucky to make it come dawn. No words were exchanged. It wasn’t necessary, he knew that Sabretooth would find out and if the bastard wanted to do something, he was welcome to try. He was done, both with the Reavers and the others. He turned to look at the girl. She stood shaking at the tree, looking at the retreating men. She had tears in her eyes, but he could smell her fury, and is surprised she doesn’t pick up a spear to run them down. He wrinkled his nose when she suddenly doubled over and vomited. She didn’t have much content, but the little she puked up stank! Against his senses, that wanted to get as far away from the smell as possible, he approached her, and held out the water pouch. She was hesitant, wary but took it, and drank from the water gingerly. Good girl that didn’t splash all of it down and causing more nausea. She just took a few slow sips, before handing the pouch back to him.

“Thanks…for everything.” She whispered. He was struck by what a contrast her silverwhite short hair did against that dark complexion, and those large blue eyes. He grunted something inaudible, and then turned away.

“Wait…Wolverine? I’m…”

“I don’t care. Look, don’t go that way, or you’ll end up in trouble.” He pointed at the direction where the four could barely be seen.

“I’m not an idiot”

“No? Then why are you doing here close to the Reavers territory?” By her look, he could make out she had no idea what or who the Reavers were, and he sighed a little. She was a new arrival. They hadn’t had a new arrival since Rogue.

“See that mountain? Walk towards it, you’ll find others more..welcoming to ya. Should take ya three days walking.” She looked at where he pointed.

“How do I know they will be any better than those..reavers?”

“Not much better, but at least they won’t rape ya, or kill ya on sight. Yer pick darlin.” He picked up his bag and started walking.

“Wait!” She took up her staff and swearing limped after him.

“Hey you! What if they come back? I don’t know shit about this place, how am I going to find..”

“Not my problem darlin.”

“I’m coming with you!” He turned to her, with a raised eyebrow.

“No yer not. I’m not a fucking babysitter Go where the hell ya want”

“Then I’ll go where you go” She replied, stubborn, and he had to fight the urge to knock her out.

“Do yer best” he said instead, and walked away, knowing full well that she wouldn’t be able to keep up with his speed.