Chapter 2: Mission: possible
Disclaimer: Yada yada, everything is Marvel's.
Notes: ~ is telepathy
Scott, Ororo, Jubilee, Bobby and Kitty sat in front of the Professor's desk, discussing the current problems. Aside from their failed mission to pick up Rogue, there was also the problem of the pick up that Logan and Jean had been doing at the same time, although with more success. They had rescued Dr Henry McCoy from a mutant experimentation facility outside Texas that had been masquerading as a research clinic for human diseases. Having been held for several years, the large, blue-furred mutant was in a bad state both physically and mentally - the years of so-called 'research' had taken its toll on him. Gone was the intellectual, brilliant minded research scientist that had been shown on the television many times when speaking on behalf of mutants and in his place was a cowering, terrified animal that could barely talk. Xavier looked at the assembled mutants in front of him, praying he could keep them safe from the same kind of experimentation Henry and Logan had both gone through.
"I'm afraid my informants have told me there were no records stored anywhere else that we know of, so we can't tell if this is a similar facility to the one Logan came from, or if it is from an independent source. I suggest we do our best to help Henry settle in here, and to try and help him heal the physical and mental wounds he has suffered, though I fear he will bear the scars for the rest of his life…Now, from what you have told about your meeting with Rogue, we can assume that she has been used badly by people whom she once trusted, so it is important to make sure she realises we do not intend to use her in any way, merely offering her a safe place to stay. Perhaps it will be best if we send Jean and Logan, as they will be able to find her the quickest, and a smaller group will not be so intimidating."
Thinking about Logan and the words 'not intimidating', the group sat before the professor tried not to look at him blankly, thinking perhaps he had never actually met Logan, but said nothing. Smiling, the professor shuffled the papers in front of him.
"Very well, if everyone is happy with that, I shall contact Jean and Logan and let them know."
When they realised this was their cue to leave, all five of them got up and left, allowing the professor to contact Jean and Logan telepathically.
"Dudes. Did he just say sending Logan and Jean would be less intimidating than us? Is there a different nice, polite Logan in the mansion that we don't know about?"
Shaking his head, Bobby slung an arm around Jubilee and sighed
"Well I guess that shows that either the Professor has seen something in Logan that we haven't, or else he has a clone hidden away somewhere that he sounds out on pick-ups to fool people..”
After the professor had contacted him mentally (something he had always hated), Logan called out to the computer to shut down the training program and surveyed the damage he had caused in the danger room. Going to take Henry (or 'Hank' as he had known him as previously) out of the experimentation facility had brought back nightmare images of his own time spent being an experiment and he popped the claws, looking at them in disgust; the physical reminders he had to live with everyday of the years he had lost in that place. Logan shook his head to dispel the macabre few memories he had and stomped out of the room, going up to Chuck's office about some new pick-up in Canada.
"…so I would like you both to do what you can, in a non-violent attempt to bring Rogue here - the fact that Eric let her go without a fuss means he still has plans for her and is not worried about letting her go for now. If you could please leave as soon as you can, that would be best. I appreciate you have just come back from picking up Dr. McCoy and apologise for sending you out again so soon, but I believe it could be somewhat of an emergency. Now, these are the co-ordinates of Rogue's last known location. Because she can fly, I am not sure she will even be in the area locally, so it may be wise to go through the fight circuits - apparently she is the current unbeaten champion."
The professor smiled when Logan gave a little growl at that - knowing Logan had once been 'king' of the cage, mentioning this new 'queen' of the cage would almost certainly help to get Logan to agree to go.
"Fine. We'll leave tonight then. That ok with you, Jeannie?"
Jean smiled and nodded, knowing that a Logan in this mood would ask a question but expect only the answer he wanted - in this case a yes. A new champion of the cage would be a great insult to his pride and this meant she would have to do a lot of 'persuading' to try and keep him from fighting her to regain his place.
"Good. We’ll go pack."
Half an hour later, they were stood in the underground hanger of the Blackbird, waiting with their two small bags whilst Scott made some last minute adjustments, half hidden in the engine.
"Hey Scooter, you gonna be long? This kid'll have gone back to the brotherhood by the time we get outta here.”
"Yeah yeah, I'm just doing a little adjustment and you can go."
Huffing, Logan leaned against the side of the jet, looking at his watch. Amused by his constant need for instant action, Jean smiled from her seat in the jet, already in the co-pilot’s chair. Since this was only a pick up and not an 'x men' mission, they were wearing their own clothes; Logan in his usual shirt, t shirt, jeans with a big red-neck buckle and big boots, and she in a red sweater, form fitting jeans and spiked heel boots (a wishful thought on her part that there would be no fighting, therefore no need to wear flats).
~I wouldn't worry about a few extra minutes Logan - I expect whatever Scott's doing will make it either faster or fly better, so we will make up for the lost time anyway.~
~Yeah well, I just don't like hanging around when we could be gone already - they sooner we're out of here, the sooner we get back with the kid~
And the sooner I get the chance to be 'king of the cage' again…
The thought that someone else had the chance of taking his title was one that was worrying him. If his instincts were right (and they were never wrong), and she really was following the fight circuit, then she should be heading for the big annual fight that was held in Calgary, Alberta for an absurdly huge sum of prize money - many of the patrons were rich humans paying to see mutants kill or at least maim each other. The thought of someone else taking the title that he had held for years hadn't bothered him in a while - it had been three years since he had worried about losing the title, but the thought that it was a girl taking it bothered him even more than usual, even if she was a super-mutant with super-strength, powers of flight and invulnerable skin that happened to be dangerous in itself to top it off. Although he tried to ignore it, part of him was looking forward to fighting her for his champion title again, to reassert his power in the world of cage fighting.
Speaking silently to Scott, Jean said wryly
~If previous experience is anything to go by, I think Logan's 'I'm ready to fight all of you' look means he's planning on challenging this girl. Do you think I have any chance in stopping him? After all, the Professor said this was to be a non-violent visit.~
Smiling, Scott re-emerged from the engine of the jet, black oil smears across his forehead and covering his hands. Taking a quick look at Logan, he smirked
~I think you have about as much chance as you would in getting him to get rid of those obnoxious belts.~
Sensing that Scott was looking at him, Logan glared at him, stomping up into the jet with his and Jean's bags - if they couldn't find Rogue straightaway, they had instructions to stay for a week at most. Since the big fight was tomorrow, he didn't think they would be staying much more than three days. Muttering, Logan dropped into his seat, piloting next to Jean.
"About damn time. Thanks Cyke."
"No problem. Should run much smoother now; make it easier to get better control in descent. Now you have no excuse for those bumpy crashes to the ground you call 'landings'."
Grinning, Scott stepped away from the jet as it powered up, the door closing with a hiss as the roof of the hangar, the tarmac of the basketball court slid open slowly into two halves, allowing plenty of room for the Blackbird to rise up. They shot out into the night sky, considerably faster with Logan at the controls than it usually did. In the five years Logan had been living at the mansion, the distrust and annoyance between him and Scott had turned into grudging respect and friendship of a sorts that included male bonding over the Blackbird and hockey (even if in Logan's opinion Scott supported a pansy-ass team and had no hesitations in telling him so).
After a two hour flight during which Logan huffed, chomped on his unlit cigar and muttered about kids taking his place, unaware of Jean trying not to laugh at his sudden attack of ‘the grumps’. They landed (rather bumpily) in a deserted field of snow behind a forest of snow-covered pines. Dumping their bags away from what the engines had now turned to slush, Logan turned to help Jean out of the jet, casting appreciative looks at the tight jeans that almost seemed to be sprayed on, and the sexy spiked boots he loved.
"Damn woman, I'm glad we ain't got company on this mission, 'cuz they wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight."
"Mmm...well in that case you'll be glad to hear I packed that lingerie set I know you love."
Giving him a seductive little smile, she picked up her bag, setting off in the direction of a nearby motel they had passed over, half wishing she had packed decent boots to walk through the snow with. But at any rate, the reaction she had gotten from Logan made up for it, even if she did end up with freezing, wet feet.
Logan following behind grabbed his pack, setting the security on the jet which projected the image of mere snow in its place, grinned ferally, knowing exactly what he would be doing when they got to the motel...
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