Searching for the Cause[Wolverine]

[grace2]

Laura Kinney, a.k.a. X-23, a young brunette female stood on some grass and held up a picture. The picture showed Charles Xavier's mansion from the front, side-angle view. Laura pulled the picture down to pocket it, then looked at the same exact image in front of her. She was at the Xavier Mansion and she had tracked down the man she wanted. This man was 'Wolverine', she held a picture of him along with a picture of an old man named Charles Xavier. Laura wanted to seek out the person that had caused her creation. She wanted to confront them... and she could already sense this man. His scent was very obvious to the female, she was basically an enhanced version of Wolverine.

Laura Kinney is the daughter of Sarah Kinney, someone who experimented with the Weapon X projects. Her daughter was forced to be the subject of their tests due to a ruthless man. She became a trained mutant soldiers, only taught to kill and be ruthless. With the upbringing as a weapon and not a human being made Laura a ruthless individual. She had much to learn, yet she didn't even know where to begin. Laura simply followed her animal instincts that brought her here. Laura had escaped them, but in the process many people died, including her mother. But her mother had left Laura with the three pictures she had. She had heard about Wolverine and how he was a past project like her, but the original one. She was going to find this man... but she didn't know what she would do once seeing the person who had caused her birth.

[rumble]

Logan lit his cigar as he walked from the mansion. Due to a recent accident, not his fault, the bike he rode sort of met a pickup truck head on. So, he had to walk to and from places now, which really sucked ass. Exhaling the rich tobacco he noticed a rather young girl standing just a few yards away from him. She was looking at some photo and had a distant look like she was lost or not supposed to be there. Having been behind the desk for a bit now, he sort of had a feeling for when students or potential students needed his help.

Right now he was piecing together his life bit by bit, trying to make sense of the stuff that all seemed a blur. Zipping up his jacket he heard his boots crunch over the gravel and he waved a friendly hand out to the girl. "Hey, you looking for someone...or something?" Logan lowered his hand and stopped a little before the girl. If danger was afoot he would know and immediatley be ready to defend himself. His claws were itching to pop out, and his nostril was detecting something...odd and familiar. This can't be good, he thought as he lowered his cigar and put it out at his feet.

[grace2]

The stink of tobacco filled her nose as she looked over to the scent she was looking for. He was walking over to her, she didn't move. Laura was still, her combat boots planted on the ground firmly. Thoughts raced through her head, emotions she never had felt before came up. X-23 had never experienced these kind of feelings before. She simply went with her instincts. "Yea... I found what I was looking for," Laura said as a small growl purred from her throat. "Wolverine, I can smell you from miles away," the female said as she started to approach the genetic twin.

They were about three feet apart as X-23 looked into the eyes of the other mutant. It was almost instantaneous- two claws popped out of each of her hands between the knuckles, then she started to slash rapidly at Wolverine. X-23 did a 360 in the air after slashing to push Wolverine back. After spinning in the air, she attempted to kick him in the face. It was obvious this female had adamantium like Logan, it was obvious she was a Weapon X project like him, but would it be obvious why she is here? She had her own agenda in line and she knew what she wanted to do now. It had sparked in her mind when she remembered what her creation had caused... only pain and destruction.

[rumble]

Logan was caught by surprise as the claws sprang forth from her flesh. What the hell-? Logan barely had time to react before she slashed at him cutting through his shirt and knipping at the skin now exposed. It was a mere scratch, but, it still stung like hell. The adamantium caused the claws to sing as they swung at him and he felt his body shoved roughly to the ground by her flip. Grinding his teeth he jumped to his feet and held out his arms and felt his own claws snap forth with a vengeance.

"That makes two of us kid," he said noting she was a lot younger then him. They were close to the same size, and, they had the same powers. The last time he had fought someone like this was Lady Deathstryke and that was in Alkali lake. He had only managed to defeat her by using the adamantium that was in the room they fought in. "You want this to happen, then lets, but, mind telling me why?" Logan raced forward and dug his claws at her shoulder pushing her up against the wall he could find.

[grace2]

X-23 only looked at Wolverine with her emotionless face, she was so normal to killing and fighting, it was almost a way of life for her. She kept on staring at Wolverine and watched as he unleashed his own adamantium claws and rushed forward at the female counterpart. She knew that this fight would last a long time and it would be the matter of who could deal the one finishing blow that would end the fight. She thought about what he said, why?, and she was lost in her thoughts for a second as he shoved his claws into her shoulder. She got slammed into a concrete wall nearby and smirked looking at the older Weapon X. "Weapon X," X-23 said, that was the only thing she responded to him. What did she mean by that? In time, Wolverine would find out.

X-23 quickly grabbed Wolverine's wrist and attempted to kick him in the gut. But as her kick was coming toward the stomach of Wolverine, a single adamantium blade came out of her foot. Making the time for Wolverine to act minimal. While she distracted him with this she pulled the man's hand out of her shoulder. X-23's strength could be noticed as she had no trouble taking the bigger male's blades out of her. After making contact with him, or missing, she would side step then flip backwards to make some distance between them again. The single claw on her foot was still out, but her left foot had nothing protruding out of it. But one could logically guess the other foot would have the another blade. Her leather vest was bloodied from the attack, but it was noticeable the wound that was once there, was no longer there. "Sarah Kinney was a scientist recruited by the Weapon X Operation, she is the one that that got broken parts of your DNA and created a clone. That clone was made as an enhanced version of you, a more devastating weapon that they could control. They trained that clone into a weapon to kill for money. That clone was me," X-23 spoke to Wolverine. What she was saying was like a mystery, she gave only broken parts and hints of why she was attacking him.

[rumble]

Logan was a tad stunned when he heard the name Weapon X. In the back of his head he wanted to say he knew it, and that he lived by that name as if it were yesterday. Another part of him was getting damn irritated just by everyone knowing stuff about him that he couldnt remember. In the recess of all that was true, he seemed to recall Stryker having called him that at one point in his life. He had worked with Stryker, had done things for him, had been modeled in such a way that he was a weapon along with others to go about...after that he lost it. The girl was a skilled combatant and when she managed to push him away and manage to heal from such a large wound, he realized the two of them could be the same. Relatives? Now that would be interesting, he mused, but highly unlikely as my half brother was sabertooth, from what he told me.

"I am sorry what happened to you," Logan said, "as I wish I could take back what happened to me years ago. Point is we're stuck like this, and, the cure created can only give you that human satisfaction for a short time. You can blame me all you want, hell, you can chop away at me until you get satisfaction, but, you know that I am capable of what you can do, so we'd be both wasting our breaths. So, are you still being paid to do a mission or are you here of your own free will?" Logan stared at her and let his claws sink back into his hands. I have to let my guard down, just to let her know I'm not an enemy here.

[grace2]

X-23 stood there as she waited for his response. She was slowly walking towards him now, ready to keep on going. There was a reason why she loved battle, it was because that was the only way she ever released her emotions. Sure, it wasn't the healthiest way to do it, but that was the only way she knew. The female counterpart ran up to the older male and slashed at him. Blood sprayed everywhere... Wolverine's t-shirt was ripped up and bloodied by now. X-23 stared at him, breathing in and out as she took a step back. He didn't have his claws out... he simply let her attack him. X-23 was dumbfounded as he simply stood there. She watched as his wounds slowly started to heal like her last one did.

X-23 wasn't sure what to do, it wasn't like it was her mission to kill him. She came here on her own free will, not knowing what to do. She instinctively attacked Wolverine on sight, but it seemed he didn't have the same intentions. X-23 was very immature, she hadn't been raised in the fashion normal people did. She had a unique way of thinking, because of the environment she grew up in. Hospitality from strangers were not something she was used to. X-23 felt a warmth in her body, the same warmth she felt when her mother's dying words were 'I love you'. She didn't know how to react to this warm emotion. X-23 had never been in situations where emotions came up, because she was almost like a mechanical robot weapon.

The adamantium claws hid themselves within the skin of Laura Kinney. "I came here on my free will... I came here to kill you... and then I would have killed myself. If I did this, no one else would suffer in the future from the Weapon X Operations," Laura started speaking, as the tension and hostiltiy started to lessen. Her way of thinking was very narrow minded, and it would seem very childish for her to think the Weapon X operations wouldn't exist simply from the test subjects dying. "Why did you stop fighting me? I don't understand? I attacked you first, wouldn't you want to get me back for that?" she questioned Wolverine as she stood in front of him.

[rumble]

Logan sighed as he looked over at her. The blood stains on his torn shirt were beginning to heal, so, he didn't bother crying out in pain. Sure it stung, like most attacks, but over the years he had grown used to the healing process his body underwent. Taking her anger out on him reminded him of when he did that, taking out brute strength upon an enemy and waiting to finish them without so much as a blink of an eye. She was tiring out, he could see that by the way she stopped attacking him. She pretty much confirmed what he thought, that her intent was to kill him and rid the world of her own existence after wards.

Logan kept still and waited till she asked that one question. Sure enough she did, and he tried to hide the know it all smile he usually wore. How could he come up with an answer that would solve all that tension and put aside this old grudge? "Well, I suppose for starter the two of us are the same, as we both fight through agression and get no satisfaction until we see the color red. We both heal, and that weighs heavily on the battle exhausting us both until neither of us can continue. I see no point in fighting you because...I don't have all those emotions bottled up inside like you do, plus, I don't even know you or hate you."

Logan said this simply while staring at her.

[grace2]

Laura Kinney looked at Wolverine. She noticed that she could relate to what he was saying, but not on the emotional level. That field was suppressed for so many years that it merely didn't exist for her. She had to live with those pushed aside, because she never grew up with it around. It was only in her early teenage years that she first felt emotion. She didn't know what to do with it, so she simply followed her instincts. Laura had thought logically this time coming to her senses instead of being drunk with rage.

Laura simply looked at Wolverine, "How weird... maybe I am really a clone of you," she said, there was no emotion in her voice. The female Weapon X had understood what he was saying, there was no point of what she was doing. It was like fighting herself, and she knew that if she fought herself it would take days to finish a fight. Laura was silent as she started to turn around and walk away. "Well, I guess I'm supposed to say sorry," Laura's voice ended abruptly as she kept on walking.

[rumble]

Logan sighed and could not find anything to say to what she had just revealed. She was coming to terms with her life now, seeing it in a fresh perspective and all. It was sort of sad to see the animal die in her, but, she had to learn to control those powers and use them for a greater good. Beating up people and killing them would only fuel that fire and cause her to lose herself in the process. He knew of this just from spending his days in a steel cage fighting people to earn a living. The money was fine, but, he wanted to prove himself amongst the strongest.

Then she began to walk away, and he knew that what she said was as close to a sorry as one could get. "Hey kid...do you have a place to stay? I know of a man, he helped me as I was in the same spot as you. The guy is called Xavier, teaches an institute where Mutants learn to control their power and work in a team. You should give it a try...who knows, maybe you'll find others as lost as you." Logan stood there, not moving an inch, letting all the time pass and if she didn't turn around, he wasn't going to go chasing after her.

[grace2]

Laura stood there when she heard Wolverine talking about something she didn't expect. She stopped with her back turned to him as she kept on listening to what he had to say. It was a nice offer, and she didn't have anywhere to go. She was a lost soul not accustomed to a free life. She felt that warmth again, it was those emotions that came up. Laura assumed this was a good idea if she felt the same thing from her mother. Laura turned around with a small smile that was barely recognizable. "Who is this Xavier?" she asked.

Laura wasn't sure if this was going to be a good idea, but it was something other than not knowing what she was going to do with her life. She felt it was almost as if fate had plans for her. Maybe her mother had knew well that these people would be able to help her. She wasn't sure, but she simply followed her instincts as usual. But this time she was seeing things in a much more clear perspective.

[rumble]

"Charles Xavier runs an Institute for Mutants, a school if you will. It is there that he helps students with their powers, gives them what they need to become great Mutants, known as the X-MEN. Of course you have a choice if you want to be part of that team or not, it is really up to you. Just like High school for humans, you attend here as a student and graduate to go out into the real world. There is plenty of room and board and you will be around people like you and me...mutants."

Logan walked closer to her and wore a friendly smile. Sure she had tried to kill him before, but, perhaps things could be different now. He had once been a student, for a older guy like himself, and he managed to move from X-Men to a Professor at the esteemed place. This was all her decision, but, he knew she had some potential lurking beneath that scarred interior of hers.

[grace2]

Laura looked at Wolverine, "I see," she thought for a moment. Laura would like a normal life, even though a mutant school wasn't really normal to others, it was the most normal thing she would come across in her life. Maybe simplicity is what she needed. She was starting to look at Wolverine almost like an older brother. He was looking out for her well being, and that was something she noticed. Although, she didn't know what to make out the kindness since she really didn't experience much of it. Laura thought maybe her mother had planned this to all happen. Sarah Kinney did give her a picture of Wolverine, Xavier, and his institute.

"I'm guessing this is Xavier and his institute?" she asked Wolverine, pulling out pictures out of her vest. There were three pictures, one of Wolverine, Xavier, and the Mansion. It seemed everything was falling place. "I'm willing to try your institute, Wolverine," she told him. Laura wondered how this would work and how she would get along with the other kids.

[rumble]

Logan took one look at the pictures and nodded his head in confirmation. "Yeah, that is the old place alright. Though, things have changed a bit since those days. For starter, Jean Grey and Cyclops, two fine and reckless students and teachers turned aren't really full time right now. The Professor, well, he is less wheel chair bound and more getting to know you these days. The guy can work wonders though with the mind, and just from meeting you, I can tell there is a lot of your past you just want to talk in confidence with."

Logan smiled as she said she would give the place a try. "That is great, you won't be making a bad choice going to this school. I'd offer you a lift, but, I'm still getting that vibe that your not comfortable with me. So, when you feel ready, come to the school and ask for Xavier, he'll know your there. I'll be seeing you around kid, so, take care of yourself till then." Logan waved at her as he went to his motorcycle and revved it up before he took off. She still had his scent, as it was how she found him, so she should be ok finding the school.