Unfortunately for both Logan and Verena, Jean had convinced them to wear suits. Verena wasn't having it, the fabric too tight against her skin as she tugged at the collar, trying to ease the discomfort. Storm swatted at her hands, "Stop messing with it. Just unzip it a little."

As the two women walked ahead toward the jet, Logan trailed behind, his gaze glued to Verena's back. The suit hugged her perfectly, every curve outlined as if the fabric had been custom-made for her. Her dark curls, loose and wild, cascaded just above her waist. In all the years he'd known her, Verena had only cut her hair a handful of times.

Logan's focus was broken when a hand clamped down on his shoulder. Scott. He immediately shrugged him off. "Stop staring holes into her back."

"Fuck off," Logan growled.

The team loaded into the jet, Logan struggling with the zipper on his suit. "You guys actually go outside in these things?"

"What would you prefer, yellow spandex?" Scott retorted, busy prepping the jet for takeoff. Verena glanced up as the basketball court above them opened, revealing the night sky. Logan, clearly trying to distract himself from the flight, unsheathed his claws, the metal tearing right through the fabric of his suit.

"Alright, there's the bridge. Storm, cover, please."

Verena watched in awe as Storm's eyes turned white, a thick blanket of fog enveloping the jet, concealing them from view. Scott landed the jet on the edge of Liberty Island with a jolt, shaking everyone inside.

"Sorry," Scott muttered, but Logan glared at him, clearly annoyed.

"You call that a landing?"

Verena snorted at Logan's remark as she unbuckled her seatbelt, joining the others as they disembarked. They climbed over the wall and onto the main platform of Liberty Island, Logan and Verena instinctively staying close together.

As they made their way through the Statue of Liberty, the team passed one by one through the metal detectors. When it was Logan and Verena's turn, the detectors went off immediately, loud alarms blaring through the air. Both of them unsheathed their claws, slicing straight through the machines without hesitation.

Scott had a smug smile on his face, but Logan casually flipped him off with his claw.

While they moved deeper into the statue, Verena suddenly caught a whiff of something unfamiliar. She could tell by Logan's reaction that he smelled it too. "There's someone here," she said, her voice low as she scanned the surroundings.

"Where?" Scott asked, looking around cautiously.

"Don't know," Verena responded, sniffing the air again. "Keep your eyes open." She and Logan peeled away from the group slightly, tracking the scent, tension mounting as they closed in on its source. The air felt thick with danger, the unfamiliar scent lingering strongly in their noses.

Suddenly, another Logan came barreling at Verena, crashing into both her and the real Logan, sending them tumbling into another room. Verena, wide-eyed, found herself staring at two Logans. The confusion was enough to make her hesitate, but she quickly unsheathed her claws, ready to fight the imposter.

The team arrived just in time to witness the chaos, and Scott immediately had his fingers on his visor, prepared to blast. Both Logans shouted, "Wait!" in unison, causing a brief pause. One of the Logans swiftly cut the weight holding the door open, slamming it shut and locking the team on the other side.

The fake Logan attacked first, swinging for Verena, but she countered with a hard punch to his nose. The real Logan grabbed the imposter, hurling him into the wall and slicing through his claws. A pained, feminine cry erupted from the fake Logan's throat, confusing them both even further.

Logan managed to cut through some wires, dimming the lights in the room, providing just enough cover for him and Verena to make a break for it. But before they could escape, the imposter found them again, this time launching straight at Logan. The real Logan blocked the attack just in time, claws sparking against claws. The fake Logan struck Logan hard in the nose, then followed up with a powerful kick to his chest, sending him stumbling back.

Verena lunged to help, but in an instant, the fake Logan twisted midair, morphing into a blue-skinned woman, her agility catching Verena off guard. The shapeshifter kicked her hard in the jaw, making Verena stumble backward. "Fanculo! What the hell?" Verena growled, clutching her face.

The blue woman launched herself off the ground before Logan could land a hit, using her speed and dexterity to land precise strikes on Logan—his chest, his neck, even a painful blow below the belt. Verena and Logan were cornered, the blue woman twirling chains in the air, preparing to trap them. With a quick slash of her claws, Verena caught the chains mid-swing and yanked hard, pulling the woman toward them.

But the shapeshifter was quicker than expected, flipping out of Verena's grip. Verena lashed out with her claws, narrowly missing as the woman dodged gracefully. "Va bene, abbastanza!" Verena spat, and with a sudden motion, her foot claws shot out through her shoes, piercing the ground. She aimed a vicious kick at the woman's head, but the blue woman expertly dodged, spinning and sweeping Verena's legs out from under her, knocking her flat on her back.

Logan charged, managing to throw the woman against a chain-link fence. She used it to block his next attack, but Logan's claws sliced right through the metal. The shapeshifter dodged another swing, landing a backflip that sent her foot slamming into Logan's chin. Verena scrambled to her feet, rushing to assist, but the woman moved with blinding speed, kicking Verena hard in the side before slipping away into the shadows, leaving the clawed mutants panting and bruised.

"She's fast," Verena muttered, rubbing her jaw.

"Too fast," Logan grunted, wiping blood from his chin, already healing, but the frustration was written all over his face.

"Next time," Verena said, claws retracting, "I'm cutting her head off first."

Logan and Verena knew the blue woman hadn't gone far—the lingering scent in the air confirmed it. They stayed still, waiting patiently, their heightened senses on alert. It wasn't long before they heard footsteps, and then Storm's familiar voice broke the silence.

"Logan, Verena, is that you?" Storm called out as she approached from behind.

Logan raised a hand to shush her, his eyes narrowing in focus. Verena, already catching the faint scent of the blue woman mixed with Storm's familiar aroma, tensed. Her instincts were screaming that something wasn't right.

"C'mon, guys, we have to regroup," Storm urged, her voice closer now.

Verena slowly turned to face her, claws still extended. "Yeah, but there's a problem," she said coldly. In one swift movement, she sunk her claws deep into Storm's abdomen. "You're not part of the group."

Storm's face flickered with surprise before it melted away, revealing the true identity beneath. The blue-skinned woman, collapsed to the floor, gasping as she clutched the three deep claw marks now bleeding across her stomach.

Logan glanced down at Mystique, unimpressed, and Verena wiped her claws against her leg, muttering under her breath, "Should've done that sooner."

The two moved on, tracking the scent of their real teammates until they stumbled upon Scott and Jean. The moment they stepped into view, Scott's hand shot up to his visor, ready to unleash a blast.

"Hold it," Logan said, raising his hands in surrender. "It's me."

Scott didn't lower his hand, his brow furrowed. "Prove it."

Logan smirked. "You're a dick."

Scott's posture relaxed, and a reluctant smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "Alright." He lowered his hand, casting a glance at Jean, who suppressed a laugh.

Verena chuckled, shaking her head as she stepped up beside Logan. "Every damn time."

"Never gets old," Logan replied, though the tension in his shoulders hadn't completely eased.

Jean looked between them, concerned. "Is everyone alright?"

"For now," Verena said, her gaze drifting back down the hallway. "But that blue woman is playing games, and I'm done playing nice."

The team made their way up the flights of stairs to the crown of the Statue of Liberty, Verena muttering under her breath, "God, I hate stairs." As they reached the top, the view was both beautiful and ominous. They could see the torch of Lady Liberty glowing in the distance, but something felt off.

Verena suddenly froze, the invisible weight of an unnatural force holding her in place. She could feel the pressure building around them like a noose tightening. "Everyone needs to leave, now!" Verena shouted, her voice sharp with urgency.

"Why, what is it?" Storm asked, her eyes darting between Verena and Logan.

Logan, standing rigid beside Verena, growled low in his throat, "We can't move."

In an instant, Verena and Logan were thrown against the walls, the force slamming them hard. Pieces of metal from the statue twisted around the rest of the team, pinning them to the wall. Magneto floated down slowly, his cape billowing as he landed gracefully in front of them, his expression calm but menacing.

"Ah, my brothers. Welcome," Magneto greeted with cold charm. His gaze fell on Logan and Verena. "And you two—" He gestured toward them, his hand twisting in the air. "Point those claws of yours in a safer direction."

With a flick of his wrist, Magneto forced Logan and Verena's bodies to face each other, their fists clenched, claws nearly extending into each other's torsos. They were only inches apart, staring into each other's eyes, knowing one wrong move could impale them both. The tension was palpable, their breaths shallow, as they struggled against Magneto's control.

"Verena," Logan growled through clenched teeth, "don't move."

"I'm trying," she spat, her voice strained with effort. Her eyes flickered with both fear and defiance.

Magneto turned his attention to Scott, a faint smirk on his lips. "Better close your eyes," he said with casual malice. Sabertooth appeared out of the shadows, tearing Scott's visor from his face. Scott's eyes slammed shut, fighting against the instinct to open them and protect Jean from getting blasted.

"Storm, blast him!" Scott shouted, his frustration clear.

"Ah yes, a bolt of lightning into a huge copper conductor," Magneto mused, as if amused by the thought. "I thought you lived at a school."

Jean's voice cut through the tense silence. "We saw what you did to Senator Kelly."

Magneto turned to her, his expression unreadable. "So the good Senator survived his fall... and the swim to shore. He's become more powerful than even I could have imagined."

"He's dead," Jean said flatly.

"It's true," Storm added, her voice solemn. "I saw him die—just like those people down there will die."

Magneto raised an eyebrow, seemingly unbothered. "Are you certain you saw what you think you saw?" He looked around at each of them, frustration brewing beneath his calm demeanor. "Why is it that none of you understand what I'm trying to do? Those people down there—" he gestured vaguely toward the island's edge, "—they control our fate, and the fate of every other mutant. Soon, our fate will be theirs."

A sharp, desperate cry rang through the air. "Help! Please, help!"

Rogue's voice echoed, the fear palpable in her plea.

Verena glared at Magneto, her hands still trapped against Logan's abdomen, the tips of her claws just shy of piercing his skin.

"You think you're some great liberator?" she spat, "You're just another delusional old man with a god complex."

Magneto raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Watch your tongue, girl."

Verena scoffed. "Or what? You'll make a speech? Threaten us with your toys? If you're so powerful, do something already."

Magneto's expression hardened, and with a casual flick of his wrist, Logan's claws shot out—right into Verena's stomach.

Her scream tore through the room as the metal slid through her flesh, and Logan's roar followed, feral and pained. He strained against the invisible force holding him, his eyes wild with rage. But the worst part wasn't the pain—it was the look in Logan's eyes, knowing he was the one hurting her, even if it wasn't his choice.

"Verena!" Logan growled, his voice thick with guilt.

"I'm—" She gasped, body twitching as her healing factor kicked in, "I'm fine—"

Magneto turned to them, almost bored. "If you say another word, I'll have your claws through her heart next. Logan here might not be able to stop me, but I'm sure he'll enjoy the show."

Verena whimpered as her body tried to close around the claws, blood seeping out slowly, healing only to tear open again. Logan's hands shook, his claws still stuck deep in her gut.

"Let her go!" Logan bellowed, his muscles straining uselessly.

"Now, now, I think I'm enjoying the silence," Magneto said, his eyes gleaming with cruel satisfaction.

Verena's breaths came out in short gasps, her skin pale. She gritted her teeth, voice barely a whisper. "Lo'... va bene."

"It's not okay, Reena," he growled, his voice breaking. "I can't... I can't get them out—"

He leaned closer, helpless, trying to keep her conscious, his forehead pressing against hers.

"È... niente. Just a scratch," Verena forced a weak smirk, her voice laced with pain.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

©️Fanofadifishman

Word count: 2134

Translations: 

Fanculo — Fuck!

Va bene, abbastanza — Alright, that's enough 

Va bene — It's fine

È niente — It's nothing

A/n: YALL LEMME TELL YOU SOMETHING. LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING. I love this story so much, I love me a little angst. Gang, I knowwwww Verena can heal, but just imagine the trauma. I kinda got the idea though because in Days of Future Past, Magneto like shoots a bunch of re-bar into Logan and he passes out because his body tries to heal around it.

ANYWAY, I love this so much, I'm also working on another chapter for my Dean Winchester fanfic, lots of angst, lots of fluff, lots of everything. Go check it out!!!!

Don't be ghost readers, I love reading y'alls comments so much!!!

Love y'all 

Allegra 💙