• Spring break was only a couple more weeks away and soon she could spend time with Alif and Boldr, she smiled at the thought, they were like... no they were her family know, those two were the only family she had left and she would protect them as they would for her.

    Vanessa sat outside, not quiet alone because Harry sat next to her, "do you miss your old life?", Harry asked her, not knowing what to say she simply kept quiet, it was hard to discuss something like that to him, "sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up", he looks in another direction and she sighs, "it's fine, don't worry yourself over it", Vanessa stands up as she see's Peter and Mary Jane walking over towards them, "you know you don't have to leave", she looks at Harry, "I'll see you after school", she half smiles before walking away and heading back into the school. On the way in she saw Alif and he spotted her as well, "I've been wanting to speak with you today", he told her, "have you been feeling well? The dreams haven't disturbed your daily work have they?", he asked her, Vanessa shook her head, "no, not really I'm just a bit tired", she leans on the wall behind her and heaved a sigh, "what about you guys, I haven't kept you all awake with my screams have I?", she chuckled softly, "well I can't say we haven't but all is well", he smiled as well as she, "the bells about to ring, is there anything else that needs to be said?", Alif asked again, "no no, every things good so far", the bell rings and she waved Alif off.

    She sat in class looking out the window, she was off in her own little world that is until she saw a shadow like figure walk passed the window quickly causing her to flinch. Okay maybe it was her mind playing tricks on her, she hadn't had a good nights sleep in a week, yeah that must be it, it had to be. Vanessa looks out the window to check for the figure again but didn't see it, a short sigh escaped her, that's when she raised her hand, "Ms. Damp can I use the restroom?", the teacher shook her head yes and she quickly exited the classroom. Her head began to spin causing her to lean on a near by wall, "uhg", she placed her hand on her forehead, okay, maybe she should have stayed back at Harry's place, she looks forward for a second to see a shadowy figure just standing down the end of the hall, she blinks a few times and then it was gone, but she took no chances. Vanessa took a step forward but as she did the hall began to move making her balance off, it was as if she were on a boat and it kept moving from side to side it was sickening to tell the truth, she had no choice but to lean on the wall again, "uhhhg", she turns her head squinting now because it hurt to look, she could see the figure walking towards her and she backs up a few steps to only fall on her butt, everything was spinning too much, "aah!", red X's begin to swirl above her as confusion took over, she wanted to form a barrier between her and what ever it was coming for her but she was at the point of where it was hard to think. The X's that were above her began to slowly vanish until she was unconscious, "that's enough Vertigo she's out like a light", Sabretooth says as he lifts her up off the ground by her collar, "remember me? Because I remember you", he throws her over his shoulder and him and Vertigo head down the hall, unseen.

    - - - - -

    "Somethings not right, she was supposed to be here before us her class is right there!", Harry says clearly worried, "calm down, getting overwhelmed like that will get you no where", Alif tells him, "then what the hell am I supposed to do, stand here and think happy thoughts!?", Harry yelled out, Boldr grabs Harry's collar and lifts him up half way off of the ground, "you're not the only one worried, she's our teammate", he growled. He placed Harry down and turns around with arms crossed, "he's right Harry although the violence was unnecessary", Harry dusts himself off and gave Boldr a dirty look behind his back, "well we should get going, we won't be able to find her just standing around here now will we", Alif tells them, "yeah let's get going", Harry responds back with a nod.

    - - - - -

    "Mng....", she lay on the cold damp floor of what seemed to be a cell, but she wasn't exactly sure, it was dark after all. Vanessa groans as she placed her hand on her forehead and as she did she heard a rattling sound, chains? She lifts her arm up a few inches until her arm came to a stop, "che!", she was chained! But that was all she knew aside form the fact that Sabretooth kidnapped her and that she was in no doubt in some form of jail cell and as she thought about these things the lights suddenly turn on causing her to shut her eyes to the response of the bright lights, "and I supposed you've brought me a healthy specimen this time, one you have not beaten to a pulp?", Vanessa bit her lower lip in both fear and anger, fear that she would be cut open like an animal, and angry because she let her guard down so easily, "how do I keep ending up in these situations?", she groaned.

    Sabretooth and the doctor who she would soon come to know as William Stryker stood in front of her cell, "yeah but remember the deal Stryker, once you're done with her she's mine", Sabretooth said with a grin wide enough to show his large fangs, "yeah right!", Vanessa yelled as she yanked on the chains, "it's useless to struggle miss Johnson", Vanessa's eyes widen, "you...!!!", she looks down at a puddle of water to see that the spell Alif had placed on her stopped working, she was back to her normal self, "you thought you could just hide and cover your mistake girl?", Sabretooth said, "well it don't work like that!!", he grabbed the bar and bent it like it was nothing, "now now Sabretooth you'll get what you want after I'm done with my specimen", she closed her eyes and just hoped for some sort of rescue to arrive, she was pretty sure Alif, Boldr, and Harry were already trying to find her but it wouldn't hurt to at least hurry up.

    - - - - -

    Alif and Boldr geared up quickly, their goal was to retrieve Vanessa as soon as possible end of story, "Alif, Boldr", Harry called out, the two turn around to face him, "the coordinates are already programed into your masks", he said while leaning on the door, Alif looks at Harry, he was worried, but they all were, "we'll find her Harry I swear it",he placed his hand on his shoulder to reassure him. As they were heading out Harry stopped them to say one more thing, "and please kick the hell out of whoever abducted Vanessa", Boldr and Alif grin, "we will".

    - - - - -

    It took longer than expected to make it towards the location due to the fact that well, it was in the middle of no where. They land on the ground and check out the land scape, just forest for miles, "whoever it is who took Vanessa wanted to make sure they wouldn't be found", Alif said, but it was obvious the person was under ground, they just needed to find a way in, "Alif!", Boldr quickly took him by his arm and pulled him back towards a tree, "what is so important as to interrupt me brother!?", Alif asked him in an irritated tone of voice, "look...", Alif looks at him for a moment before peeking from behind the tree, there were guards coming from a trap door that led underground and as they left to go god knows where Alif and Boldr went straight for the trap door as it began to shut, ALif slid down along with Boldr before the door shut, "this way!".

    "What in Odin's name is this??", Alif placed his hand on the glass, it contained a child and many more adorned the halls as well, "what is this place?", Boldr said, Alif shook his head, "I have no idea but now that I've seen such... horror we should hurry our pace", Boldr agreed and they took off down the hall unaware that cameras were watching their every move.

    - - - - -

    With the help of about ten people they dragged Vanessa out of her cell and she was placed in another area, this one of course a lab one where people dissect things... but today she was the one likely to be dissected. "Place her on the table, and be careful, I don't want her injuring- -!! You fools restrain her!!", she punched one of the guards in his face, breaking his nose in the process, "AHG THE LITTLE B!TCH BROKE MY NOSE!!!!", the guard yelled out before grabbing her arm and forcefully bringing it behind her back causing her to scream out in pain, "pay back you little brat", he says through clenched teeth, "hurry and place the collar around her neck", Stryker tells one of the guards, "it'll nullify her abilities until I'm done with her", he finished. One of the guards quickly placed the collar around her neck and backed away from her as quickly as he placed it on, and another placed her on the table, strapping her arms and legs down in the process, "now leave me", he commanded.

    Vanessa lay on the table, fear lingering in the back of her mind like a constant throb that wouldn't subside, "it's been a while since I've had much younger company", Stryker explains as his metal grapple of a hand trails up her leg to her thigh where he suddenly with out warning took hold of making her flinch so bad that she almost caused herself to get a Charley horse... in both legs. Stryker's eyes widen, "oh?~", he said before smiling, "no no no~~", he let go of her thigh and turns around to head to his work table, "don't be afraid, because soon you'll be unconscious, unaware of the things that will be happening to you", he took a syringe turns around and holds it up to her so she could see it, "so little a dose yet so powerful", he sticks the needle in her arm which in turn made her hiss from the pain, he hated needles and the way he jabbed it in her arm was awfully painful, "you b*****d! I'll kill you!", she spat out at him, Stryker chuckled, "of my, what a bold statement", he says before he took her by the cheeks and made her face him, "but you're not in a position to be making threats", he lets go of her cheeks and he turns around and heads back towards his work table and as he does her vision begins to blurr, "am... am I going to... die?", she uttered before she turned out like a light.

    - - - - -

    POW! that was the sound of one of the guards getting punched straight in the face by Baldr, "damn it brother you led us the wrong way!", Alif tells him before running towards one of the guards swinging his bow right at his head, "well I didn't hear you object!", Baldr responds back before kicking a guard into another guard causing the two to fall down and in the process stunning themselves with their own stun guns, "well I should have but seeing as there are a vast amount of guards in this particular area I think... and I might be wrong but my thoughts are that Vanessa maybe back there we just have to- -!", Alif stopped mid sentence and took his bow, pulled the bow string and shot three arrows at three guards, knocking them down completely, "AHH! YOU GET THE POINT!", he yelled before shooting off more arrows, each one hitting either between the eyes or right in the heart.

    As time passed both Alif and Baldr began to get irritated not because of being tired that was beyond the fact, no it was because there were too many guards, "this has gone on long enough!", Baldr yelled out as he began to say a spell and in a moment the blade of his massive sword was engulfed in flames, "you... when?", Alif says, clearly speechless on the account that Baldr not even once practiced the art of magic, "I learned from the best", Baldr says before swinging his sword in a horizontal motion. A wave of fire came down the hall burning everything in its path including the guards, Alif gazed in awe, "you can brag about this later, we have to get going", Baldr told him, Alif snapped out of his daze and once again turned serious, "right time isn't on our side at the moment", he says before running ahead, taking the lead once more while Baldr was right behind him.

    As Alif came down the hall a huge fist suddenly appeared from the corner of the hall on the left hitting Alif on the left side of his face sending him flying down the hall, "ALIF!!", Baldr yelled but as he was about to run after Alif the sudden feeling of the room spinning made him stop in his tracks, "kuh...", he fell on his knees clutching his head in pain, "you think you can just barge in here and mess up the place?", Sabretooth says as he appears from the corner, "I don't think so", he watched as Baldr squirmed in pain as Vertigo continued to use her powers on Baldr, "wretched woman!!! AAHHH!!!!", he yelled which only made it worse, "keep it up until he's dead", Sabretooth tells her as he heads down the hall for Alif who's already up on his feet, but badly dazed, "B-Baldr.... nhg... I'll... I'll- -! UHG!", Sabretooth took Alifs face in his hand and lifts him up off of the ground like it was nothing, "you'll do what?" he says while applying pressure to his face, "I know why you two are here", he grins, "to save that girl", he laughed out loud, his large fangs showing, "you're better off leaving because by the time you get there she'll already be dead", he growled, "no wait I got that wrong, she'll still be alive but when I get to her she'll wish for death", he applied more pressure to Alifs face until his claws begin to cut into his skin causing blood to seep out of the mask, "mmm I can't wait to make her scream my name as I tear her limbs off... one by one", before Sabretooth knew it Baldr jumped up, sword drawn back, "AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!", Sabretooth placed his free hand up to try to block his attack but the blade went right through it, but the blade cut clean through his hand causing him to let go of Alif and scream in pain, "how did you manage to escape!!", Sabretooth yelled, Alif took off his mask revealing his face, "he's gone berserk", Alif says before shooting an arrow right in his knee and as he fell Alif ran up to him, "let me return the favor from last time!", and kneed him right in the face sending his head back, "you'll regret ever taking our friend", Alif tells him as he finished him off with a punch to the face. Now that he finished off Sabretooth he had to snap Baldr back to reality before he got a chance to touch him with that massive sword of his....

    - - - - -

    "Where is that beast when I need him!", Stryker says as his guards swarm out the door in order to protect the area, "as for you!", he tapped the glass container that held Vanessa, it was filled to the brim with a type of solution that kept her body afloat, "my dear, you are coming with me. Guards! Haul this to the elevator before- -!?? GAH!", the doors burst open sending guards flying left and right, "it took us a while but", as the dust cleared Alif and Baldr were revealed, "here we are", Alif shot an arrow at Strykers thigh and one in his knee cap causing the man to fall in pain, "it's too late! It's already done!!", he growled, "what did you do to her!?", Baldr says as he takes him by the collar, "ANSWER ME!!!", Stryker chuckled before answering, "I stripped her away of her mutant powers, she's just another human", Baldr was about to cut his head clean off but Alif stopped him, "don't", Baldr's eyes widen, "but you heard him yourself Alif, he took away what was given to her from birth!!", he lifts up his massive sword, "no brother, there are other ways... but not this", Baldr clenched his fist before throwing the old man to the ground, "I swear you feeble old man, that you will get what you deserve".

    They rescued not only Vanessa but numerous other mutants that were imprisoned and as they made it out they were surrounded by S.H.I.E.L.D agents, Baldr and a few other muscly male mutants got in front of everyone, "now this is unexpected", it was Fury along with Black Widow, "so you're the new hero's I've been hearing so much about", he placed his hand out for Baldr to shake but he refused to shake it that's when Baldr took off his mask along with Alif. Alif turns around, grabs Stryker and tossed him towards Fury's feet, "and what is this supposed to mean?", Fury gazed over the badly beaten Stryker and then up at Alif and Baldr, "a trade", Alif says, "we give you this man and in turn Vanessa gets to live a normal life again", Fury chuckled, "are you serious? Now why would I negotiate with with you when you know damn well she's a criminal, and not to mention you two were the ones that helped her escape!", Baldr clenched his fists, "he took her power and if we hadn't stopped him he would have done the same with others like her", a man named Bob carried Vanessa in his arms, "she's so cold", the man uttered, Fury could see the dread written all over their faces, "they saved us so if you bring them in we all go", a girl says before walking up and standing in front of Vanessa along with the others, "YEAH!!"

    - - - - -

    Vanessa woke up in a bed, her hands chained so she wouldn't escape, she felt so weak and she already knew why. Stryker took her power away from her, "AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!", her cries echoed not only in her room but down the halls of S.H.I.E.L.D's Hellicarrier, the door to her room slides open to her surprise it was Danny, and as he came closer she yelled, "STAY AWAY!!", he froze but continued until he held her in his embrace, "I'm sorry", he whispered as he held on a bit tighter, "I'm so sorry", she closed her eyes, "he took it away from me.....", she was already weak so it didn't take long for her to head back to sleep.

    "HAA!!" she wakes up, the rooms dark and she's still in chains, "Alif... Baldr?", she placed her knees up to her chest before shedding a few tears, it hadn't been a year, yet she was already afraid of being apart from them for too long. The door opens after an hour passed, it was Coulson, "where's Alif and Baldr?", she asked Coulson who completely ignored her while taking the chains off of her, he took a step back before speaking, "Harry Osborn is waiting outside for you.... you're free to go", Vanessa felt herself about to break down but she held it in until she exited the room and that's where she saw Harry standing there, it looked like he hadn't had much sleep, "oh god you're okay!", he took her into his embrace, "Harry", Vanessa whispered, "where's Alif and Baldr?", Harry looks at her confused, "who's Alif and Baldr??", her eyes widen and the tears began to fall before she covered her face with her hands. His memory of Alif and Baldr were erased from his mind and having ever known that she had powers... maybe it was all for the best, she didn't want them getting mixed up with her anyway.

    She was dropped off at the mansion a few hours ago, now she lay in her bed, "they should have erased my memory", she placed the pillow over her head and she sighed, was this punishment? Did she have to live life knowing that the two most important people in her life were gone and had no memory of her but she had memories of them!?", she groaned while pushing the pillow off of her head, and now she couldn't be trusted by anyone! Then there came a knock on the door, she eyed the door for a moment before speaking, "come in... it's open... it's always open", she mumbled the last part while sighing, the door opens slowly and Vanessa raised her eyebrow, "should I have said no?!", she growled then as the door opened all the way there standing were Alif and Baldr! Alif smiled, "surp- - bwah!", before he could finish the word Vanessa had already tackled the two on the ground with sheer force, "s-surprise....", Alif uttered while chuckling a little but then as he and Baldr gazed at her she was crying heavily, "I'm so glad...", the words came out kind of choked but she managed, Baldr and Alif placed their hands on top her head, "I'm so glad that you're both okay", but then she came to a big realization, and before she knew it she punched both Alif and Baldr in the head, "I WAS WORRIED SICK ABOUT YOU TWO!!!", she gets up off of the floor while Alif and Baldr sat down, gripping their heads while witnessing her fury, "I thought your memories were wiped clean of me and everything that has happened!", she placed her hands on her hips and turns around, her back now facing them, she went silent for a moment before sniffling, "but seeing you two in front of me gives me relief", she turns back around, "but it's not the same.... my powers are...", she stopped herself from finishing, Baldr clenched his fists, "Alif and I have joined S.H.I.E.L.D", Vanessa's eye widen, "brother!", Alif yelled, "she would have to know sooner or later, and I choose sooner", he looks back at Vanessa, "we made a deal with Fury to give you back your life, but he wanted something in turn", Alif looks out the window not wanting to see her reaction, "he wanted us to be apart of S.H.I.E.L.D and we accepted", Vanessa crossed her arms and frowned, "you don't know what you're getting yourself into!", Alif turns his head to look at her, "we do, and if it means keeping you out of harms way then we will do anything in our power to do so", Alif placed his hand over his heart, "we will protect you Vanessa, and joining S.H.I.E.L.D is our only means of doing so", Baldr straightens his posture and placed his hand over his heart, Vanessa didn't know what to say, she was all sorts of angry but happy that they were here right now, "do what ever you want I don't care...", but she did care and Alif and Baldr already knew it, "just don't be reckless!", Alif smiled, "this is our chance, no more hiding from now on", he tells her, and she shook her head, "yeah, I guess so".