“So… You trashed my truck?” He asked. The girl nodded, clattering dishes in the sink. Logan had left Xavier and Tom after it became clear that both men had only educated guesses and tall tales to tell about the situation and wandered in to kitchen.
“Sorry about that. I was just thinking… I was trying to get out from this town. Maybe, if there hadn’t been that coyote… I couldn’t just drive over it…”
“Don’t worry about it. I was planning to get a new truck anyway. And that’s not what I came to talk about.”
“Oh… There’s not much that I know. Just something what I have heard from Tom, and I don’t think it’s so wise to listen to him…”
“I came to talk about your mutation. You were so fucking afraid in the truck when I took off your gloves… You do realize that Entragian has probably turned your skin off as well as he did with my healing and Xavier’s telepathy?” Logan asked. Again the girl nodded, turning to look at him.
“Then why do you want to wear gloves? Why not take this chance to touch and feel? … And that wasn’t supposed to sound so cheesy,” he grimaced, then flashed a brief smile.
“Don’t you think I know that? Do you have any idea how tempting this whole situation is for me? Just to get rid of you, Xavier and that old geezer and hook up with Entragian? Do you have any idea how much I want to touch all of you? Just to see if Tom’s stubble is as prickly as it seems? If professor’s really bald or is he just shaving his head? Are you… If you… If your muscles feel as good as they look?”
“If that’s how you feel, what the hell is holding you back?” Logan asked. The girl sighed, dried her hands and pulled on gloves that Tom had dug up for her. Ugly, hideous green things that hid her hands to green cotton from the tips of her fingers up to her elbows. Then she sat at the table opposite him.
“I was ten years old when I manifested. My parent’s… They took it actually quite well. Just made sure that there wouldn’t be any accidents when I played with other children. Dressed me up from head to toe. That’s how I learned to live my life. Covered. Hidden. Safe and secure. I haven’t touched another person in nearly ten years now. I don’t even remember how the skin feels under my fingers. Do you really think I want to find out that it actually feels good, and then get that all taken away from me again when you guys annihilate Entragian?”
“When we… But what if it was you? What if you drained him? Couldn’t you use what ever it is that he’s using to turn off mutations? Specifically yours?” Logan asked.
“No. I thought about that earlier, but what Tom told us, about Entragian not being a mutant… I don’t think it would work. If it is some sort of outer source, something possessing him…. No.”
“You said we shouldn’t trust Tom. How come you seem to take everything he says as the god honest truth?” Logan asked.
“I… I don’t. But I don’t want to start grasping straws. I spent so many years before I was able to get over the truth that I wouldn’t be able to touch another person, I don’t want to go through that all again. It’s easier to not know, not to hope… Don’t.” He had been reaching for her hand while she spoke. He snatched his hand back.
“Touch me and I’ll swear to God I will take that frying pan and bash in your face.” He stared at her for a moment; his head tilted slightly, his lips curved to a smile.
“You’d really do that, wouldn’t you. Jesus. Where the fuck have you been for all my life?” He huffed.
“Violent chicks turn you on?” She asked. Logan winked.
“There’s something in a woman that can kick your ass coming and going… Don’t see too many of those.”
“Oh, really…” She didn’t get to finish her thought. Sound of breaking glass and bloodcurdling howl echoing from the living room interrupted her and made Logan bolt on his feet.
Professor Xavier was sitting on his wheelchair, face turned to a horrified mask of pure terror. Huge puma was tearing in to Tom, clawing him and trying to push its snout under the old man’s chubby jaw. Logan lunged towards the beast, grabbing it and falling on his back, humungous cat landing on top of him, all four paws up in the air, clawing and hissing, spewing mewling cat-curses, trying to wrangle free from his grip. He could feel his hold slipping, fingers and palms gliding effortlessly over gleaming fur coating. Then suddenly Marie was there; the hitchhiker that had threatened to bash in his skull mere moments ago. She was wielding a large kitchen knife. She sliced open the puma’s belly, twisting the blade and making the animal’s guts spill out from the wound.
“Like I said… There’s very little use for a girl that’s afraid to get her hands dirty…” Logan groaned, letting his head drop against the floor, trying to catch his breath. The puma was steaming pile of guts and shit on top of him, but he had no strength to wrestle away from underneath it. Marie dropped the knife and hurried to Tom’s side. There was not much blood. Puma had only managed to scratch his arms, but nevertheless the man was dead. Dead as a doornail. Logan had been able to hear the distinct moment the old man’s heart had given up and stopped ticking. Wrestling match with the puma had been too much after the horrors he had witnessed earlier.
“Xavier? You alright?” He croaked. The professor tore his eyes from Tom’s unmoving body and turned to look at him.
“Yes… Yes… I, ah… It’s a little disturbing to see him use innocent creatures to do his bidding.”
“I’m not even trying to claim innocence, far from it, but in the end… Is it much different from what you do?” Logan asked crawling from under the puma, sitting up and eyeing his soiled clothes with distaste.
“Why do you think it bothers me that much?” Xavier asked, turning his chair and rolling out from the room, in to the kitchen. And then promptly back in to the living room.
“I think we have overstayed our welcome. Either that, or Entragian has moved on to the next stage of his little game.” Swarm of spiders and scorpions followed him, grasping to the pins of his wheelchair, crushing crisply under rubber wheels. They could hear the cat mewling in the kitchen. Either of them had any desires to go and see what was wrong with it. They fled the tidal wave of the insects out in to the night.
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