A Mutant Collector Quest

Marie gazes out of the truck window as the driver pulls up in front of an old bar at the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains. The driver, a burly man with a grizzled beard, turns to her and says, "This is as far as Ah can take ya, lil' lady."

Marie nods, thanking him and getting out of the truck.

She adjusts her hoodie, feeling a mix of fear and determination, as she watches the truck rumble away.

Yesterday was supposed to be one of the happiest days of her life, and it truly was until it all came crashing down. She was naive to think that the world would let her stay happy for long.

Just as she had become a woman and experienced the wonderful pleasures of flesh... the happiness was snatched away by a merciless curse. Now, she was forever condemned to a life without touch.

Luke hailed it as a wonderful gift, a power ... but to her, it felt like nothing but a curse. She never wanted to be a mutant, never desired this kind of power. All she had wanted was to be with Luke, and now even that had been torn away from her.

Luke had explained that he possessed powers capable of neutralising hers, allowing her to touch him without any adverse effects. He didn't explicitly state it, but Marie understood that his power required activation, unlike hers, which remained constantly active.

She had touched him for just a few seconds and had nearly drained the life out of him. The potential harm she could cause if Luke ever failed to activate his powers in time haunted her thoughts.

A shudder ran through Marie as she imagined accidentally brushing against someone at school, her aunt, or even her daddy, knowing the devastating consequences her touch could bring.

With a heavy heart, she had resigned herself to the fact that a normal life was no longer possible. Following in the footsteps of her runaway sister, Anna, Marie had chosen to embrace her new reality, seeking refuge in the forest as a Rogue.

She had always dreamed of exploring the Great Smoky Mountains with Lucas, but she hadn't planned on doin' it alone, and certainly not like this.

Marie glances at the dilapidated bar, her stomach rumblin'. Despite her resolve to embrace the wilderness, hunger was a more immediate concern. She unconsciously moves toward the entrance, clutchin' the secret credit card in her hand that Lucas had given her for emergencies, last year on her birthday.

She had used it sparingly, mostly on things which Luke would fancy, like the lingerie she had worn yesterday. But she didn't want to draw attention by usin' it here, if Lucas tracked her spendin', he might find her.

Pushin' open the door, Marie steps inside the dimly lit bar. The place is almost empty, save for a few scattered patrons. She makes her way to a side counter where a woman with her head down was holding a bottle of some kind of alcohol.

Marie sits at the far end, her mind racin' with thoughts about her next steps. Should she buy some campin' gear? Should she risk usin' Lucas's card? Would Luke think she hates him? Would he hate her? Maybe he would find her and bring her back. She shook her head, tryin' to push away thoughts of returnin'.

The bartender, a middle aged man approaches her and asks, "Need anything?"

"Just water, please," she replies, hurriedly coverin' her exposed hands as he gave her an odd look. He brings a glass of water sets it down and moves away.

Marie sighs, her gaze driftin' to the woman beside her. Suddenly, the door bursts open, and two middle-aged men swagger in, clearly drunk.

They look around the bar and make a beeline for the woman, one of them towers behind her and says, "Hey there, sweetheart, how about some company?"

Marie notices that the woman was even shorter than her, and was quite rough-lookin'. The woman barely glances up. "Fuck off," she growls.

"C'mon now, don't be like that," the man persists, reaching for her shoulder.

Shing

In a flash, two metal claws shoot out from the woman's right hand, stopping just short of the man's face. The third claw extends in between the two slowly, and the man pales, pissing his pants.

"Piss off," she hisses. The man's friend drags him away, apologising profusely as they stumble back in terror.

Marie watches this, her mouth open in shock. The woman retracts her claws and turns back to her drink, then glares at her. "What're ya starin' at, bub?"

"Nothin'," Marie stammers, lookin' away.

The woman took a swig from her bottle, then glances at Marie again. "Did Luke send you here?"

Marie's heart skips a beat. "How do ya know Luke?"

"I don't," the woman says with a shrug. "Just a guess."

Before Marie could ask more, the door swings open again, and a handsome man enters the bar.

---

"Don't break my heart this way, Logan. I thought we were friends," you say with a smirk as you step inside the bar and reach them.

"We're not friends," Logan huffs as she turns her attention back to her bottle.

You turn to Marie, who has stood up the moment she had noticed you enter. She had her face down, guilt written all over it.

"Luke, Ah am s-" Before she can speak anything more, you gently lift her chin and kiss her lovely lips. Your tongues meet as you devour her mouth, you are obviously using your ability Personal Anti-Power while kissing her.

"So that's why she has your scent all over her," Logan mutters, seeing you both make out.

You pull back, looking at Marie with relief. "I was so worried about you. I would have reached you sooner, but something urgent came up. I am just glad Logan found you." Marie is looking down with a red face, clearly embarrassed by the abrupt kiss.

"I didn't find her," Logan grumbles. "She just happened to pick this place, and I was here."

"Must be fate," you say with a grin.

"Will you run away from me again?" you ask, lifting Marie's gaze to meet yours.

"Ah jus—" You lean down and kiss her, silencing her.

"Will you leave me again?" you ask, your gaze heated. She shyly lowers her eyes and shakes her head.

"Promise?" you ask once more. She nods, her face red, and you smile happily, kissing her again.

Logan, who has been ignoring you both, drains her bottle in a big swig. As she stands up to leave, the bartender stops her, asking for payment.

"This handsome guy's payin'," Logan says, pointing at you as she walks away.

"Sure," you say, pulling out your wallet. You notice Marie looking at Logan's back, "Go after her and make sure she doesn't disappear until I join you both" You tell Marie.

Marie, curious and eager to know more about Logan, nods and follows her. Outside, she asks, "How do ya know Luke?"

Logan sighs. "The kid wanted me to be his bodyguard or some security mercenary. I said no, but he kept pestering me." She says as walking towards the back of the bar.

"Ya do look strong," Marie says, admiring her muscular form despite her petite stature. She still vividly remembers how sharp those metal protrusions looked.

"In the end, I agreed to be on call for emergencies. Honestly, I'm just ripping your boyfriend off," Logan says with a smirk. "He hasn't called me once since that day; he just keeps sending me money and gifts. But hey, check this out." She pats a chopper bike parked at the back. "He gave me this beauty. Harley-Davidson Rocker-C, I can't complain," she says with a wide smile.

Marie gazes at the bike, recognising that it must be expensive but not sharing Logan's enthusiasm for motorcycles. Just as she's about to ask Logan about the metal claws she had seen earlier, a tree trunk hurtles towards them out of nowhere. Logan reacts instantly, pushing Marie away just as the trunk pierces straight through the bike, causing it to explode.

Boom!

Logan was thrown to the side by the explosion, but she quickly recovers as the scars and scratches on her face heal instantly. Marie looks at Logan's face in shock, seeing the wounds vanish before her eyes. Logan's nose twitches as she extends her claws, scanning the tall trees ahead.

"Idiot!" a woman's voice shouts in rage and panic. "Ah didn't say anythin' about attackin'!"

"I can't control myself. It has been years since I have seen my prey and now I just want to hunt," another woman's voice sounds a bit more wild.

"I don't want to listen to ya, runt. If ya had hurt her, I would have killed ya myself!" The first woman warns seriously.

Marie feels that the woman's voice sounds very familiar. Logan stands protectively in front of Marie as two figures emerge from the tall trees.

Marie's eyes widen as she recognises one of them. "Anna?" She calls out, stepping forward, "Anna, is it really ya?"

The woman smiles. "Yes, it's me, sister. Ah've come for ya!"

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