Daughter of Steel

Chapter One

Abigail's POV

Ever since I can remember I've lived with my dad. Even though we've never lived anywhere safe, or fancy, we've always had each other , and we've always been happy. Well I've always been happy; sometimes I see the sadness of my dad's past shadow his eyes.

I know he's had a messy past, what with Sebastian Shaw and all that. Not to mention what happened with Charles Xavier and Mystique and the other mutants. God knows where they are now. But back to what I was saying, we've always been close, we've always had each other.

But that's all changed now.

A few days ago, in the middle of the night, five men in black protective gear knocked down the door of the tiny apartment me and my father share. Four of them ran into my dad's room and shot tranquilizers into his neck. I tried to run to him, but out of nowhere the fifth guy grabbed my arms and jammed his elbow into my temple. The last thing I remember is dad's eyes giving me one last, desperate stare. Then the black spots got bigger and bigger, and my knees gave away.

The rest is black.

The next thing I know I'm waking up in a hospital, being treated for head trauma. Most of the days I'm kept by myself, so I use this opportunity to practice my powers; telepathy and power over metal, which I must have inherited from my dad. I'm also trained in advanced hand to hand combat, and know how to work a SWAT standard gun. Of course I never let the nurses or doctors see, just in case. But there's not much to do when you're on bed rest, they even left my books and sketchbooks at home.

After 4 weeks I'm pretty sure that I've had enough bed rest, and am ready to leave the Goddamn hospital. I start to make a plan on how I'm going to escape. There's nothing to pack, not even any spare clothes. Everything I'm wearing is hospital issued clothing. I've got no belongings, no possessions; all of my stuff Is back at the apartment.

But I never get a chance to execute my carefully thought out plan. Well into my fifth week in hospital I get a visitor.  I'm lying on my back, watching the weak early morning light filter through the crepe blinds, when I heard the door creak open. I turn over lazily to see Charles in his fancy new wheelchair rolling into the room.

I never know what to say in these situations. Turns out, I don't have to say anything at first.

"Hello Abigail."

"Hello Charles."

There's an uncomfortable silence, broken only by the distant sound of a vacuum cleaner down the hallway. I try and find out what I need to know

"where's my dad, Charles?"

"He's in a secured prison, we don't know where."

"Ok. When am I getting out of hospital? Not that I don't like it, but there's only so much rubberized chicken a girl can take!" Charles chuckles quietly to himself.

"I'm glad to see that your stay in hospital hasn't affected your humour at all, Abi"

"Oh yeah, I'm full of jokes."

I try and clear my head and sort out my thoughts. Ok. My dad is in prison. I'm in hospital. And when I leave- if I leave- then where will I go? Maybe I should ask Charles- he sees like the most sane person in the room right now.

"When am I leaving?" I try to control my voice but it trembled slightly. After all, I've not cried since that fateful night five weeks ago.

“Today, Abigail, you're leaving today" Charles says, snapping me out of my thoughts.

Today! I'm leaving this hellhole today! But then my stomach drops as I think about where I'm going to go. I'll never be allowed to go back to the apartment, and there's no way I'm going to a care home If I can help it. They'll have to drag me kicking and screaming.

"Where am I going Charles? When I leave, I mean."

“You'll be coming back with me, to my school."

Joy fills every part of me, as I grin at Charles.  "Thank you! Thank you so much!" Okay, maybe I'm not that grateful, but it's better than nothing.

Charles runs me through the plan: I'll stay at the school until a)my dad is let out of prison or b)I'm old enough to leave the school. He then leaves me alone for five minutes so I can "let it sink in"

It's only then that I let the tears come.