Disclaimer: Logan is Marvel's, I make no money.  Kai is Kaylee's, she will
destroy any thieves.  Ana is mine, I will leave you alive. . . . .

Please send feedback to perihawk@subreality.com.  Thank you!

North 65 2/?
Shai

"Shouldn't we have done this last night?"  I asked Logan as he poked through
the trash they'd found me in.

"If you'll remember, kid,"  the bothersome man still refused to call me Ana,
"we were busy getting' yer cracked skull stitched."

I sighed.  For some reason, my tongue turned to acid when I got nervous.  I
also found that apologies couldn't seem to work their way past my throat.

Kai broke in through my thoughts.  "Ana, tell us everything you remember.
Start with the first thing you thought when you woke up."

I leaned against the brick wall and closed my eyes.  "The first thing I
remember thinking is that I hate Nashville with a hairy passion."

"You knew what city you were in?"

I nodded.  "I remember that I played a rugby game the day before, but I don'
t remember the game itself.  It's the same with the party.  When I saw you,
I remember thinking "they fight like me," but I don't ever remember
fighting."  I growled in frustration.  "I remember everything from the
moment I woke up facedown in garbage to now * perfectly *.  All I have from
before that are like things I read out of a book.  I don't * remember *
things.  I just know."  I tossed my head back, cracking it on the wall.
"Merde alors!" I yelped.

If I opened my eyes, I'd see Logan with a smug smirk on his face and Kai
grinning like a jester.

Images of dark, fighting and stark terror assaulted my mind.  Memories,
actual memories.  But of when?  And who was this man with the scar high on
his sharp cheekbone, with the black eyes that filled me with a tumultuous
blend of rage and gut-wrenching fear.

"ANA!"

I blinked up at Logan, who was quite handily pinning me to the ground.
There was a deep cut along his left cheek.  His shallow breathing indicated
rib damage.  I gulped down air like we were short on oxygen.  "W-what
happened?"

Logan took a moment to gather himself before he got to his feet and offered
me a hand.  I noticed the perfect twin crescents in his forearm.  I let him
pull me to my feet, feeling a new ache in my ribs and a twinge in my jaw.

Kai limped over.  "You started whimpering.  Logan went over to see if you
were okay, you tossed him into that Dumpster."  Kai pointed to the Dumpster
across the alley.  "I tried to help, but you went for my * knee *." She
grimaced and rubbed at the offended joint. "Then you went for Logan's god
damned THROAT with those claws you call nails..."

I looked at my hands.  My nails were of no length to set records, but they
were hard.  Blood covered the tips of the first two fingers on my left hand.
I had a sudden vision of blood completely covering both hands, right before
pain exploded in the back of my head.

I shook my head, just a memory.

I flinched and looked up.  "I don't know what they wanted."

I felt Kai hesitate before she laid a hand on my shoulder.  "Who Ana?"

I knew that the heavy breathing meant hyperventilation, but I couldn't seem
to make myself stop.  "The ones that attacked me.  They wanted something.
And then there was *him*."

I sank to my hands and knees.  "He, he -"

"She's going into shock."

I pushed myself to my feet.  "No.  I'll be fine." I staggered a bit before
gaining my balance, but stayed on my feet.  "I need a shower and a good set
of clothes."  I tugged on my rugby shorts.  "I feel *nasty*."  I forced the
images away, ignore it until I could deal.

I wiped the fog from the mirror with my eyes closed.  Slowly, I opened them.

Staring back at me was a blond of maybe five foot two.  She had ash blond
hair that fell to her shoulders and wide startlingly blue eyes.  Dark
eyebrows made them seem even larger.  Definitely better endowed than the
average female, but a narrow waist.  The muscles of her biceps and stomach
were clearly defined through her skin.  Her face held a sad, puzzled look.

She was a complete stranger.