Truth and Lies (A Logan Howlett Fanfic)

Resque

I was starting to fade away when I could barely make out yelling. I opened my eyes just enough to see a man that looked like Jace. The ropes that held me up were cut and I felt the cold, hard ground bruise my flesh. I was barely able to breath and I felt arms lift me up. I felt motion and I could barely hear any of the noises around me. The weird liquid they kept injecting me with was finally wearing off and I could feel myself healing, only the process was way slow. I could hear better and mentally smiled when I heard Logan curse.

I felt a leather bound seat and felt an oxygen mask press against my face. I fought weakly for a few seconds before I felt a hand gently brush my hair away and whisper in my ear “Hey, Lie. Lie, it’s okay, you’re safe in my arms.” It was Jace. Jace saved me just before I died. I relaxed and closed my eyes, allowing my lungs to fill with oxygen. I didn’t know where I was leaving behind me, I was in Jace’s arms, knew I was going home, and didn’t know what would happen after that.

I still couldn’t see very well and my only lifeline was the oxygen mask that allowed me to breath. I closed my eyes and tried to focus on breathing. I was left alone for a few hours, I think, and when I woke up next I was in my room lying on my bed with the door open and the curtains drawn closed. I sat up and held my head, I was dizzy and found that I still had a major headache. “Morning.” Someone said. I turned to my left and found Jace sitting in a chair next to my bed. I smiled and said “Hey.”

“The others are waiting outside.” Jace said, helping onto my feet. I was in a t-shirt and jeans, Jessica must have changed me out of that dress. I walked outside, leaning on Jace for support and said “How long have I been asleep?” “Only a month.” Jace answered. “And how long was I missing?” I asked. “You were missing for two or three weeks.” Jace explained stopping in front of the garage. “Well, look who’s awake” Victor chuckled. I glared at him.

“What did they do to you?” Ace asked me, the care and curiosity fake in his voice. “Why should I tell someone who doesn’t care?” I asked, looking at him with narrowed eyes. “I would like to know that myself.” Logan commented. I looked at him and sighed. “They stopped my healing and forced me to drink acid, ripped a few of my teeth out and poured acid on the wounds, cut my shoulder and arm until bone could be seen and poured acid on that wound, then I think they broke my knee. It looks like I’m all healed up though.” I explained. “Who was it? Do you know?” Jessica asked, now interested in me.

“Yes I know. I’m not going to tell you who it was.” I smiled. She glared and growled at me. I smiled back and stretched. “They torchered you?!” Logan exclaimed. I could see his claws extending and shook my head. Jace looked from me to him and I looked back at Jace. “Logan, maybe you should calm down.” Jace cautioned. “I am calm.” Logan snapped. I gave him my best ‘really’ look and yawned. This was so boring, why couldn’t I go for run or even be with my mom right now? “Lierra, why didn’t you fight back?” Victor asked me. “How could I fight back? There was a cloth of alcohol over my mouth and nose.” I stated matter of factly. Before anything more could be said I turned around and walked back to my room. I would have to find another place to stay if worse came to worse. Sophie knew where I lived and I doubt they killed her.

What was I going to do? I couldn’t stay at a hotel and I couldn’t stay here. I would have to find somewhere I could stay as an animal. I had so much to figure out and it was giving me a headache. I rubbed my temples and paced the length of my room and thought about where I could go. I self consciously shifted into a girl with black wings and my feathers would shift as I paced. Someone knocked on my wall and I turned to see Jessica standing by my door.

“Come to gloat?” I asked. “No, I came to see what’s wrong with you.” She answered simply. “When did you change?” I asked, folding my arms across my chest. “When you were kidnapped I realized how boring and different things were without you.” She explained leaning on my wall. I caught a glimpse of myself in my mirror and laughed to myself. “I must look like a zombie.” I smiled.

“You look more like dracula.” She chided. “ I huffed and shook my head. “So what do you really want?” I asked her, my tone serious again. “I want to know who did that to you.” She stated with the same tone. “How bad was I really?” I questioned, shifting my wings. She handed me a picture and said “It was enough to kill a normal human.” I looked at the picture and wasn’t really shocked. I looked like I was ran over by a military tank then exposed to poisonous gas while I was still clinging to life.

“It looks like a failed attempt by the military to kill me.” I chuckled. She smiled and walked closer to me. “How did you manage to change this family so much in so little time?” She asked me, looking me up and down. “I’m trying to figure that out myself.” I sighed looking at my reflection in my mirror again. “Did they have a reason to torcher you?” She asked me sitting down on the edge of my bed. “They wanted to know where the base of your boss.” I explained watching a bird hop around on the ground outside my room.

It looked at me and flew away, I could swear it’s eyes were the wrong color though. “They must mean Styker’s Base.” She nodded. I sighed and shrugged “I don’t know his name.” She stood up and walked to the door. “If you ever want to tell us who it was so we can find them knock on the door.” I watched her disappear and grabbed my brush. I brushed my hair back and pulled it into a braid. My hair only reached just a few inches past my shoulders and I needed to wash it.

Jace walked in just as I tied my hair back, I looked at him and smiled weakly. “You’re confused aren’t you?” He asked me, walking over and taking my hand. “I am.” I sighed. He wrapped his arms around me and I laid my head on his chest. “I won’t leave you again, I promise.” He whispered in my ear. I closed my eyes and listened to his heart beat. I felt safe in his arms, like nothing in the world could hurt me again.

We gently rocked back and forth to the sound of the wind and our breathing.  Someone cleared their throat and Jace let me go and moved to my side. He put his arm around my shoulder and we looked at Logan, who was standing in the doorway. I looked at him and waited for him to say something, when he didn’t say anything I guessed he was waiting for me to speak and I sighed. “Yes?” I asked. “How are you doing?” He asked me. I looked at him and decided I would tell him I was fine just to get him to leave me alone.

“I’m fine………………………...Logan” I said. I could tell he was disappointed that I was still calling him Logan and not dad, but hey he didn’t really feel like a father to me. He hesitated in the doorway for a few minutes then walked away, disappointment and sadness noticeable in his eyes and face. When he was gone Jace looked at me. “Isn’t he your father?” He asked me. “Yes.” I sighed. I took a breath and continued “It just doesn’t seem like it, he left my mom for war and didn’t send word or come home when the war ended. My mom thought he was dead and that’s what I believed until my sixteenth birthday, when my mom died and I was told to find Logan. He didn’t even know I existed.”

“My father tried to kill my mom and left soon after.” Jace shrugged. I smiled and said “Well atleast we understand each other.” He smiled and nodded a little bit. A bird flew past my window and I smiled even bigger “Do you like flying?” I asked, an idea clear in my head. “I’ve never flown before.” He admitted rubbing his neck. “Come on, I think you’ll like flying with me.” I laughed, grabbing his hand and pulling out into the front yard. I heard cars on the gravel road and turned to see Stryker and the rest of the team.

My smile dropped and I shifted into a dragon, for some reason my scales, claws, and fangs, were made from the metal again. I looked back and them and laid down on the ground so Jace could climb onto my back. When he did I made sure he was comfortable and slowly stood. I walked a few steps and opened my wings. Jace mumbled something and I forced myself from the ground and into the air.

Jace grabbed my neck and I flapped my wings until we were at a comfortable height for the both of us, right above the tree line. I stabilized myself and let a low chuckling sound out of my throat. Jace relaxed and laughed. I looked at him out of the corner of my eye and flapped my wings a few times. I watched the sun as it rose higher and higher into the sky, making sure that it would hit Jace and keep him warm.

We flew for hours on end and when I figured it was time to go home I folded one wing a little and gently coasted into a turn. When I was straight again I found a strong wind to coast on and let the wind push us home. The sun going down on my scales felt amazing and I just hopped that Jace wasn’t too cold then I felt him stand up and jump. What was he thinking!? I stopped and looked for him only for him to appear from out of the clouds and a red dragon. I let out a laugh and we flew side by side, playing around at times, home.