He actually had to resort to first-aid. He couldn’t let Magneto die before the old man had revealed the whole truth. He didn’t know what had happened, the brothel around him was eerily silent, and nobody answered Magneto’s screams and pleading.
After dressing the worst of the wounds and making sure that Magneto wasn’t going to die for blood loss he waited for a while, entertaining himself with contents of Magneto’s archives. Folders filled with pictures and names, many of them stapled shut and labeled as ‘case closed’.
He could tell that she was really trying now. She was making an honest effort not to flinch or try and hide. Even talked a bit. Answered if he asked a question, with as few syllables as possible.
Folders gave names and faces for the dead men. They gave out their occupation, family and where they lived at. He even knew where they had bought their clothes and food. Most important information was missing. Why?
He discarded his futile search and turned to Magneto who had once again regained his consciousness and started pleading. Begging Wolverine to kill him.
“You’ll die when I say its okay for you to die. Now… We have some matters to discuss…” He said, placing the pile of folders in front of the old man.
She was making progress. Slowly but surely she was climbing out from the cocoon she had wrapped herself in. Every day she smiled more often. Spoke more often. She was even able to look him in the eye long enough for it to be classified as prolonged contact.
He tried his best to ignore temporary setbacks, involuntary twitches and flinches and long periods of mulish brooding. She was entitled to those as long as she kept getting better. And she really was trying.
“Why do you want to know…” Magneto’s voice had turned hoarse and scratchy from the screaming already; he was no more the all powerful leader, but an old, sick man. He felt no remorse. The old geezer had put Marie through wringer; it was only polite to return the favor.
“I need to know. I need to know, because there has got to be a sensible explanation for this whole mess. I know you. You’re a hard bastard, but you don’t bully little girls just for the hell of it. Why?”
Magneto stared at the folders, reluctance written all over his hunched posture. He huffed, then reached for his jaw and lifted his head. Raised his fist and released his claws.
“I will kill you as soon as I get what I want. It’s up to you how long it’ll take. We can get over with this quickly; just tell me what I want to know. I can keep you alive like this for probably several days, you know…”
Now she wasn’t entitled to any kind of brooding. Paralyzing reagent was spreading through his systems rapidly, shutting off organs, muscles and nerves, rendering him basically useless. Few more minutes and she would be on her own.
He had already managed to shove her on to the driver’s seat. He had even managed to crawl to passenger’s seat. The door was still hanging open, closing it would have required strength he didn’t have any more. He could only lean back and try and breathe, his eyes set to the rearview mirror. The road was empty and dark behind them, but too soon powerful searchlights would turn it to blazing inferno. And she was just sitting there, frozen, hands clamped tightly around her ribs, eyes screwed shut and her whole body shivering.
“Kid… Snap out of it… Marie? Ki…”
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