Plagiarist
Chapter 5
by
SelinaSeo
(Note from the Archivist: English is not the authors first language. So be kind.)
Amanda woke up and sat on the bed abruptly, her breath coming in small gasps. She had a nightmare. She didn't remember it mostly, but it was terrifying without a doubt. The only memories about it were pitch darkness with some moving light spots there and unrecognizable smell. She didn't know what could it mean and what had actually scared her, but when she stretched her arm it appeared to be shaking. She definitely needed something to calm nerves. Nightmares were unusual thing for her and she wasn't used to them. Amanda looked around trying to suppress strange feeling that she deadly needed something she didn't know what that would partly return her to the normal state. She spied over the room when her eyes stopped on Logan who was still lying on the floor near the small table. Sharp pin of guilt sting her painfully. He shouldn't have been there like this, it was wrong. Amanda got up and took the cover off the bed. Carefully, trying not to break silence, she approached to him and gently covered him with blanket. Logan muttered something but didn't seem to wake up. Amanda was going to return to the bed when her eyes stopped on the cigar-package. *It's good neither to him nor for your health. What's wrong with you? You didn't smoke for a year at least, and you never smoked cigars!* She nervously licked her lips. *But I need them. I don't know why -- just need them.* Sticking all moral aspects of stealing, she grabbed one cigar and a lighter and sneaked soundlessly out of the truck. The girl leaned to the side of the truck and lit the cigar. She inhaled as deeply as she could and grinned with satisfaction. That's what she wanted. That's what she needed. It felt as if her body has been waiting for it for what seemed like eternity. For some reason it didn't even seem weird to her.
He is surrounded with pitch darkness. No sounds around. Only the smell. Very light but familiar one. It grows stronger until he recognized it. Shiver runs down his spine. It's unmistakable stuffy smell that chases him in every nightmare. Foundry. The moment realization hits him he finds himself in a dim room with metal walls. He's no more alone there. The pale light from nowhere glitters on dark-green eyes taking a young girl's face out of darkness. Amanda. She glances at him with serene look, she stares right into his eyes. *No!* He knows what she's going to do. *No! Anything but that!* Weak smile runs over her lips. *No! You don't understand! It's horrible! It's painful! So painful!* Still staring at him she shakes her head slowly and turns around. She goes away disappearing in darkness. He tries to scream but no sound escapes his lips. *no! No! NO!* is pounding in his head. Suddenly the light in the middle of the room catches glittering metal out of darkness. The tank full of cold, oh, so cold liquid is there. He can see her face through the little window in its side. She's tranquil, she doesn't understand what's going on -- and she can't move. People in white masks approach her with bright torches in their hands. He feels tears running down his cheeks. *No. . . please. . . she'll go insane. . . she's NOT ABLE to bare it. . . oh, please. . . she's too young. . . * He's begging them, pleading to let her go. But they don't listen. It seems they don't hear him at all. They bend above the tank. Terrifying machines insert their metal paws in cold liquid and serenity in Amanda's eyes fades being replaced with fear. *She realized. At last she realized. But it's too late. . . * Searing pain crosses her eyes her face remaining motionless. He almost can her soundless scream. Tears of weakness and despair stream down his face. He's unable to help her, to save her. . . and unable to turn away not to look. It's killing him twisting his soul inside out. *Stop! It's not her fault! It's MY fate! * He roars in frustration. *If you need someone to torture, take me! Take me and let her go! I'm used to all your inhuman experiments! I handled them once! Just let her go! * The light fades leaving him throwing swears in darkness. Then it returns and what he sees makes his knees buckle. He lowers on the floor, weak and empty. Amanda is lying on a cold metal lab-table. Her whole body is cut open and he can see the light glittering on the metal that covers her bones. But wounds don't disappear. He starts shivering in despair. No healing factor. She'll never heal. Never get up. Never breath again. He can't hear her heart beating. *No. . . * he can't accept it. *It's impossible. . . it can't be happening. . . with her. . . * He's still on the floor when abrupt searing pain tears his body into pieces. . .
Logan sat up on the floor of his truck with a scream in his throat he barely suppressed. Wide-eyed, he looked around still not quite realizing where he was. Then he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. That's all right. It was nothing more than one of those nightmares he should have been get used to. Though, this one differed out of amount of the others. In his worst nightmares he was dieing in pain without being able so much as to stir or roared ferally when his enemies took the upper hand in battle with him. But he never ever felt so helpless in his dreams. He never cried either. Strange dream with Amanda in place where he usually was. . . He threw a glance to the bed and nearly jumped on his feet. The bed was empty. No, she couldn't leave now. She wanted to stay; he felt it unmistakably as she spoke about a hotel and predators in the wood. He spied the room nervously and let go a sign of relief. Her white bag was still here, so she was somewhere near too. Logan was going to rise on to his feet when he noticed a blanket covering him to the waist-level. It must have slipped as he sat up abruptly waking of the nightmare. Logan smiled being touched with her care then got on his feet soundlessly. He'ld go out right now to smoke, calm nerves and look if she's near the truck. He stretched his hand to take cigar-package when he noticed the lighter disappeared. Puzzled, he got outside to feel the smoke even before he saw Amanda with a huge cigar between her long fingers. She turned to him and smiled a bit sheepishly "I took one of your cigars. I hope you don't mind?"
Logan pretend as if nothing happened, though he couldn't imagine this tiny girl with a cigar in her mouth. It seemed too vulgar and corrupted to him; she shouldn't smoke at all to suit to her innocent image. "That's ok. I'll join you" He lit his own cigars soon as she returned him a lighter, and glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "Don't you think you're too young for unhealthy habits?" he said mockly but it looked like she got irritated for whatever reason. "I haven't smoke for a long time, so what?" He didn't answer but frowned. If she hadn't been smoking for a long time -- and she obviously hadn't 'cos she didn't even have a lighter -- her knees must buckle now, those cigars are strong enough. However, she wasn't even coughing. She smoked as if she used to do it 24/7. Amanda puffed the smoke in the air forming a cloud in front of her and spoke "You know, my body seems to get so heavy. What could it be?" Logan swallowed. "You mean, your whole body?" he knew he was lying to himself trying to avoid an unpleasant topic but he couldn't do a damn with that. "No" she shook her head "I think the bones. They're solid, feel it" She outstretched her arm and waited till Logan's fingers curled uncertainly around it. He squeezed her hand slightly and it was more than enough for him to feel adamantium. Shiver ran down his spine. It was too much. Abruptly he realized clearly what was weird with her pulls. She didn't copy just his natural features -- enhanced metal too! Was that possible?! How could it happen? His thoughts were cut with girl's stare. She needed answer and she was certainly going to get it. "Yesss. . . " he said slowly "You're right." "So what is that?" it seemed like her last try to be patient. Something was wrong. No more childlike little girlie. She looked too serious and nervous as if she was barely holding herself under control. That look in her eyes. It was so familiar. . . "My bones aren't normal" Her eyes narrowed "What is in there?" It wasn't a good time for stories about Weapon-X-Project. Any time wasn't good enough for it, actually. "They're just tougher than human ones, as simple as that." Her eyes turned into threatening slits and Logan almost physically felt her irritation grew. "There's something else beyond that all" she spat "I can feel it with my every cell. Just tell me what is that." Air seemed to get too cold abruptly making Logan to shrug. His explanation consisted mostly of true facts; he just kept silence about most important of them. But she felt it somehow. She didn't know what Weapon-X was, but she knew about its existence. She wasn't a telepath, or so he thought. She didn't take part in Weapon-X. So what's the hell was going on?! "I told you there's nothing special. It's just. . . " she cut him off sharply releasing her claws. "Stop it, bub. I'm tired of your lie, and I don't want to hear it any longer" she muttered through gritted teeth, and he could swear he heard a growl coming from the back of her throat. A guess slid lightly into his head growing in a minute, turning into realization and filling all his mind. What if hair and eyes are not the only things she copied? His rage? Character? Features? He didn't want to think forward. "How does your plagia-pull work?" Rageful roar cut the silence of the night as sharp knife cuts tender flesh. "Don't slip away, Logan! I need to know what's in me and I'll know it, one way or another!" "How far does your copy-process go?!" he was overwhelmed with new side of her abilities she had just exposed to him; he wanted his own answers.
Abruptly she rushed at him with her claws dangerously exposed. Guided with nothing but his animal reflexes, Logan thrust aside to avoid them and before he realized his actions he was on top of the girl pressing her wrists down to the ground making her claws useless. He waited until she stopped twisting under him in futile try to break free and then lowered his head until it was inches away from hers. "And now listen to me." He paused until he got her full attention. "Your plagia-pulls work more then you thought. It looks like you copy not only people's appearance but. . . some part of their character too." He nearly forced the words to go out of his throat; they didn't want to sound in cool morning air and spoil it with their existence. "So what?" she exhaled and Logan understood that his words didn't reach her mind. However, he didn't have full understanding of situation to have right words to explain her everything. "You mean I don't have my own mind, or what?" her lips curled in contempt. She obviously thought of his words as of another try to turn her attention away from changes in her bones. * One more try * Logan thought and took a deep breath "Think what you want about me, but you can't deny the facts. You haven't smoke for a long time and you don't cough after cigars that are much stronger than any cigarette you might have ever tried. Yesterday you were more or less calm person, as far as I know, - and look at yourself today. Pure fury! Besides, your behavior. . . it changed too." Her lips curled in mistrust as she replied "Something else to add before I ruin your speech or you've run out of your facts?" she pointed out the last word. He kept silence. Her behavior changed unbelievably. No more childishness and innocence. Just calculated moves and serious eyes spying you for any kind of threat. But how could he explain it all to her? He kept silence. "Ready for crushing your hypothesis?" she nodded as if he agreed and started "It's not a problem with cigars, such things happen to me recently. I don't smoke for a long time and then, when I start it once more I have no problems with coughing, breathing, etc. What about my character? I wanted the answers about what's wrong with my bones. Besides, I still want them" she looked at him instantly. An idea came to his mind. He couldn't let her go with all his rage and uncontrollable fury -- God help all people she'ld meet on her way -- but there was one place where the problem could be solved. The mansion. His thoughts immediately slid to Jean (* She can help to find out what to do with Amanda now*) and the feel of her cold careful hands brushing his bare skin while he was lying on a lab-table crossed his mind for a moment and faded as quickly as it came. "Let's deal" he said "I give you all the answers you want -- I mean those ones which I know -- and you go with me to one place where you can get those answers which I don't know." She was radiating the mistrust "And what's your pointing this?" It was getting really hard while he couldn't explain her the real things and had to invent something quickly. "Your ability. . . it's very interesting. In that place, in the mansion, live different mutants and my friends help them to gain control over their powers. Studying your plagia-pulls might help some of them. That's why I wanna bring you there. I was heading to the mansion when I hit you with the truck, so we'll just continue the travel together. Deal?" The sunder storm of thoughts ran through her mind. It was her first plagiarizing a mutant, and it was hard time for her to make everything clear about that. The only way to get the answers she needed so much was to follow him. . . to his "friends". Who are they? What are they going to do with her? Will she have a possibility to escape if things do wrong? She had no idea. But she definitely wasn't going to live a month-long with she-didn't-know-what until the next plagia-pull; and there was no guarantee that her next "object" would be human. Two bad options; she had to choose and she had to choose now. Amanda stared at her opponent straight into his eyes and didn't find the answer there. The choice was made. "Deal" she muttered quietly but clearly. Logan nearly let go the sign of relief. He got on his feet and stretched his hand to help the girl but she ignored it. "If we start now we'll be in the mansion in the afternoon." She nodded. . He watched instantly how she got up and walked to the door of the truck, and changes in her amazed him. Amazed and terrified. Childishness was gone; she was on alert, ready to spring in action if necessary. The expression on her face was deadly serious as if she was calculating all the ways the situation could turn. The pin of missing an open, merry girl who was replaced abruptly with some weird predator pricked his heart deeply but he threw it away immediately. He didn't dare to ease his attention on Amanda -- no matter did they deal or not; her face twisted with bare rage still stood in front of his eyes. * Do I look the same way? * he thought and he certainly knew he did.
They got into the truck and Logan didn't sit inside until the girl closed the door behind herself. He started the engine and went on the road but didn't stop watching her until the speed increased to 50 m/h when he finally realized that deep in his mind he couldn't deny a possibility of her leaping out of the truck. After a moment her voice broke the silence "So what's wrong with my bones?" His fingers squeezed the wheel so that knuckles got white. He knew she won't leave this topic but didn't wait for the question so soon. He swallowed hard "I don't want to talk about it" "You promised answers" disappointment and mistrust slid across her face. He really promised answers and he had to give them now. He took a deep breath to try to clam and spat "There's metal in there." She paused "Is it natural?" "No" he felt as if she was interrogating him. "So someone did it to you?" It was getting hard. "Yes" he growl too low for her to pay attention to it. "Who did it?" Logan took a deep breath. He felt as if she was pulling out the most private part of his soul in some kind of mental rape. The only thing that kept him from tearing Amanda into pieces at that moment was his promise he had to keep. "I don't know." "So it was against your will?" It was the last drop and he exploded "Don't you think it's NOT your business?! The process I'd got adamantium has NOTHING to do with you! So just shut up and that's it!" He took a deep breath and made his claws that appeared to be right under the skin to slid back. Amanda kept silence and he only heard her mouthing the word "adamantium" with hard frown across her face as if trying to remember something.
* Adamantium. It's something definitely unpleasant for him. Something awful.* she felt this word as sudden ghastly cold breath on her neck. The breath of Death. It was somehow connected with those light spots she saw in her nightmare and with that smell she still couldn't define. She didn't know why she decided to bend these two things together but the connection between them seemed clear and obvious abruptly. However, she had no idea of what that connection might be.
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