Bitemarks and Bloodstains
Title: Bitemarks and Bloodstains
Author: toxic_shadow
Fandom: X-Men
Characters/Pairings: Haylie/Michael (implied), Wolverine/Chandler, Colossus, Random Soldier
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Angst/Drama/AU
Warnings: Dark!fic and Psycho!Haylie
Description: They took her love, and her home. She was going to get her love back no matter what.
Author's Note: Response fic to one written by gusthemoose for cujo8705's birthday. Moose never posted the fic this is in response to so have fun! XD
Bitemarks and Bloodstains
It was gone. Everything was gone. Destroyed and laid in burnt and torn pieces at their feet. She’d decimated what remained of the dismembered Sentinels and military weapons in a blind and broken rage, her vow to never take a life slipping through her fingers as if the promise - as solid and real as her own flesh - was nothing more than the air on her skin in the moment the soldier at her feet begged for mercy. Her hand shot to the man’s throat, hoisting the larger and heavier body off the ground in an adrenaline-induced ease. There was nothing left in her eyes. What had once been Haylie Snyder was gone, buried in the ashes of the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters. In the wind that whipped through her hair, whispering the children’s cries for help and terrified screams as they were injured or taken away or pushed into hiding.
What terrified the veteran soldier was not the crushing vice-grip around his neck or the tattoo on her forearm that identified her as a Class 4 dangerous mutant. It was the pure white of her emotionless eyes against the bright red of her irises. She’d been pushing her powers in the entire battle for the school with little luck. They’d taken her home. Her children. Her only love. They’d taken her life away. There was no mercy within her now as her fingers tightened around the soldier’s neck and the grinding of bone began to echo around them and he groaned in pain.
“Haylie, stop!”
“Back off, Doc.” She hissed and the man moaned, struggling against her hand as she squeezed tighter around his throat.
“Haylie, listen to the Doc.” Logan stepped closer, reaching out to her. He’d have slit the bastard’s throat himself but Hope never would’ve forgiven him for it. As he thought about it he told himself Miracle Grow wouldn’t be too happy if Haylie gave up her vow for him.
“They destroyed our home, Logan. They took Michael and hurt Hope and my children. He’s gone, the school’s gone, this piece of shit will be gone soon enough. No one will ever know. There’ll be nothing left.” Her eyes filled with tears as her face remained blank, the torment streaming down her cheeks with an odor that stung Logan’s nose the way Hope’s blood did.
He growled low in his throat, wrapping an arm around Haylie’s waist as he pried her fingers from around the soldier’s neck. With a squeak and a solid thud the man collapsed in a heap at their feet and Logan tugged Haylie away and toward the others. Her body flinched involuntarily at the sudden force but eventually the final stage of “fight or flight” began to settle in and her body grew weak as the pain settled in.
“Tin man!” Logan yelled at Piotr, who was tending to a few of the children Hope had taken care of. Piotr rose and immediately eyed Haylie, fingers curling into tight fists. They were close friends and the sight of her mangled, bloody, and torn body broke his heart. “Make sure she doesn’t do anything stupid.”
Haylie collapsed into Piotr, who caught her easily and slowly lowered her to the ground, cradling her in his arms as she finally let go and cried. He stroked Haylie’s tangled hair and inspected her injuries cautiously while Logan took off searching for Hope - who had run off minutes earlier.
The tattered remains of Haylie’s green sweater stuck to bloody cuts and gashes on her body, coated in dust and ash. Her irises faded to a dull emerald as tears carved their trail over her bruised and dirty face. Surely a rib or two had been cracked in the struggle and the blood loss left her head spinning. The injuries she’d sustained in the battle with the Sentinels would’ve landed any other person in critical condition but left her weak and in mild pain. Pain she could barely feel over the terror and heartbreak that had consumed her when she watched the Sentinels burn their way through Michael’s defenses and nearly take his head off before capturing him.
She had never screamed so loud in her entire life. And never had she hated herself more for being too late. She’d been taken before; she knew what it was like. But now they had Michael. Not only would he be exposed as a mutant against his will, but he would be experimented on and picked apart as she had been. That knowledge made her shudder in her friend’s arms. Piotr stroked her hair soothingly as one of the mutant children - one that had powers similar to Hope’s - came up to them and healed up Haylie’s ribs and the deeper gashes, thanking her for protecting him from the Sentinels before running off.
“I have to find Michael.”
“Haylie…”
“You’re not the only tough-skinned one around, Piotr.” She forced a small smile for him as she got to her feet and shook her head. “You need to protect the children and Dr. Chandler while we’re gone.”
“Be careful.”
Without responding she nodded and bolted off in the direction Logan had gone, stopping when she’d seen Logan with Hope. Her heart ached for Michael as she watched them before clearing her throat. “Logan!” She was urgent but apologetic and understanding. No one knew better than she did how they were feeling, but she needed Michael back before she lost him for good. “We’re losin’ light.”
When he called back she nodded and turned away to give them some privacy as she headed back to tell her students that she would return soon with the promise of bringing everyone home. No matter the cost, Michael was coming back to her. And she would find them a new home. Haylie wasn’t going to let Xavier’s dream die. Not like this.
I will die before they take my love and the kids I have left.
Author: toxic_shadow
Fandom: X-Men
Characters/Pairings: Haylie/Michael (implied), Wolverine/Chandler, Colossus, Random Soldier
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Angst/Drama/AU
Warnings: Dark!fic and Psycho!Haylie
Description: They took her love, and her home. She was going to get her love back no matter what.
Author's Note: Response fic to one written by gusthemoose for cujo8705's birthday. Moose never posted the fic this is in response to so have fun! XD
Bitemarks and Bloodstains
It was gone. Everything was gone. Destroyed and laid in burnt and torn pieces at their feet. She’d decimated what remained of the dismembered Sentinels and military weapons in a blind and broken rage, her vow to never take a life slipping through her fingers as if the promise - as solid and real as her own flesh - was nothing more than the air on her skin in the moment the soldier at her feet begged for mercy. Her hand shot to the man’s throat, hoisting the larger and heavier body off the ground in an adrenaline-induced ease. There was nothing left in her eyes. What had once been Haylie Snyder was gone, buried in the ashes of the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters. In the wind that whipped through her hair, whispering the children’s cries for help and terrified screams as they were injured or taken away or pushed into hiding.
What terrified the veteran soldier was not the crushing vice-grip around his neck or the tattoo on her forearm that identified her as a Class 4 dangerous mutant. It was the pure white of her emotionless eyes against the bright red of her irises. She’d been pushing her powers in the entire battle for the school with little luck. They’d taken her home. Her children. Her only love. They’d taken her life away. There was no mercy within her now as her fingers tightened around the soldier’s neck and the grinding of bone began to echo around them and he groaned in pain.
“Haylie, stop!”
“Back off, Doc.” She hissed and the man moaned, struggling against her hand as she squeezed tighter around his throat.
“Haylie, listen to the Doc.” Logan stepped closer, reaching out to her. He’d have slit the bastard’s throat himself but Hope never would’ve forgiven him for it. As he thought about it he told himself Miracle Grow wouldn’t be too happy if Haylie gave up her vow for him.
“They destroyed our home, Logan. They took Michael and hurt Hope and my children. He’s gone, the school’s gone, this piece of shit will be gone soon enough. No one will ever know. There’ll be nothing left.” Her eyes filled with tears as her face remained blank, the torment streaming down her cheeks with an odor that stung Logan’s nose the way Hope’s blood did.
He growled low in his throat, wrapping an arm around Haylie’s waist as he pried her fingers from around the soldier’s neck. With a squeak and a solid thud the man collapsed in a heap at their feet and Logan tugged Haylie away and toward the others. Her body flinched involuntarily at the sudden force but eventually the final stage of “fight or flight” began to settle in and her body grew weak as the pain settled in.
“Tin man!” Logan yelled at Piotr, who was tending to a few of the children Hope had taken care of. Piotr rose and immediately eyed Haylie, fingers curling into tight fists. They were close friends and the sight of her mangled, bloody, and torn body broke his heart. “Make sure she doesn’t do anything stupid.”
Haylie collapsed into Piotr, who caught her easily and slowly lowered her to the ground, cradling her in his arms as she finally let go and cried. He stroked Haylie’s tangled hair and inspected her injuries cautiously while Logan took off searching for Hope - who had run off minutes earlier.
The tattered remains of Haylie’s green sweater stuck to bloody cuts and gashes on her body, coated in dust and ash. Her irises faded to a dull emerald as tears carved their trail over her bruised and dirty face. Surely a rib or two had been cracked in the struggle and the blood loss left her head spinning. The injuries she’d sustained in the battle with the Sentinels would’ve landed any other person in critical condition but left her weak and in mild pain. Pain she could barely feel over the terror and heartbreak that had consumed her when she watched the Sentinels burn their way through Michael’s defenses and nearly take his head off before capturing him.
She had never screamed so loud in her entire life. And never had she hated herself more for being too late. She’d been taken before; she knew what it was like. But now they had Michael. Not only would he be exposed as a mutant against his will, but he would be experimented on and picked apart as she had been. That knowledge made her shudder in her friend’s arms. Piotr stroked her hair soothingly as one of the mutant children - one that had powers similar to Hope’s - came up to them and healed up Haylie’s ribs and the deeper gashes, thanking her for protecting him from the Sentinels before running off.
“I have to find Michael.”
“Haylie…”
“You’re not the only tough-skinned one around, Piotr.” She forced a small smile for him as she got to her feet and shook her head. “You need to protect the children and Dr. Chandler while we’re gone.”
“Be careful.”
Without responding she nodded and bolted off in the direction Logan had gone, stopping when she’d seen Logan with Hope. Her heart ached for Michael as she watched them before clearing her throat. “Logan!” She was urgent but apologetic and understanding. No one knew better than she did how they were feeling, but she needed Michael back before she lost him for good. “We’re losin’ light.”
When he called back she nodded and turned away to give them some privacy as she headed back to tell her students that she would return soon with the promise of bringing everyone home. No matter the cost, Michael was coming back to her. And she would find them a new home. Haylie wasn’t going to let Xavier’s dream die. Not like this.
I will die before they take my love and the kids I have left.