The slow slide of the doors had Charles glancing up although he knew who it was already. Smiling politely he met Logan’s gaze easily, refusing to show his own intimation and fear of the other man. Despite his telepathic abilities, Charles had no doubt that even he couldn’t beat Wolverine - Logan yes, but Wolverine was another matter. He was animalistic, feral to the extreme and in that would make even Sabertooth look like a boy scout under the right conditions.
“So, you got what you wanted huh?” Logan’s cold tone did little to ruffle his feathers as the gruff man stalked toward the table.
*Not hardly,* Charles thought but shrugged, “A deal is a deal Logan.”
“Yeah so pay up bub,” Logan shot back leaning on the hologram table. He was anxious to get out of this place, anxious to escape the disinfectants and the pansy-assed pretty boy upstairs. There were too many reminders of his ‘stay’ in that lab with all these pretty little medical gadgets and he wanted as far away from them as he could get. Granted there were a few hot women around but still, they weren’t reason enough to keep him here.
“There is an abandoned military facility a short distance from where we located you. It’s been abandoned for years but there may be a few answers there for you,” Charles said bringing up the proper holograms easily.
Logan nodded slowly, thoughtfully. It was a start but it made little sense to him, one would think to start where he’d woken up but then what did he know - his aptitude was for ass-kicking not thinking. Shifting his thoughts turned away from his search, away from *his* past to something far more important to him. Granted Wheels would have a problem with it but still, the Wolverine didn’t give up possession without a fight and there wasn’t anyone here that could fight him. They were all too weak, too pansy ass to actually take him on.
“I assume that’s all that you want?” Charles asked softly noting the thought filled expression in Logan’s eyes.
“In a way,” Logan replied before shifting his gaze to the man sitting watching him. “You gave me a lead, I’ll take it but I want something else from you.”
“What would that be?”
“Rogue..” Logan started.
“Is underage Logan, I will watch out for her you can be assured of that,” Charles interrupted softly, gently.
“You’d better,” Logan growled rising to his full height, “Cause when things of mine get damaged or hurt I get a little unreasonable. Get my drift.”
“I’ll protect her as best I can Logan, you need not concern yourself with her.”
Logan growled and glared at the man sitting staring at him dispassionately. “You know, I ain’t no genius but I ain’t stupid either. Rogue’s mine, she’s staying mine. Now I know I can’t take her with me, not yet anyway cause she needs to finish her schoolin’, but make no mistake Wheels. She’s mine. I’ll be back for what’s mine.”
“I thought Jean was yours,” Charles stated calmly, fully aware of Logan’s attraction to the red-haired doctor.
Logan chuckled at the words from Charles, “Jean’s an itch that I can get scratched at any damn bar in the world. The kid belongs to me, don’t fuck it up or you’ll spend the rest of your life sucking up dinner through a straw.”
Charles nodded slowly, carefully, “And what do I get out of this arrangement Logan?”
“You get to keep breathing,” Logan replied taking the envelope Charles held and tucking it into a pocket. “And your little pets do to.”
“Pets?” Charles gaped at Logan, sensing the banked hostility and rage within the man.
“Yeah, you know Pretty-boy, Red, and the Weather Queen. Ain’t one of ‘em that can take me and we both know it,” Logan stated calmly as he walked toward the door. “Your choice take it or leave it.”
Charles sighed, it would be better for Rogue to remain within the mansion walls and that Logan was willing to admit to it was an indication of his attachment to the girl. However, his propensity for violence was disconcerting, “I will guard Rogue with my life and keep you updated on her progress on one condition.”
“What’s that?” Logan demanded easily.
“No one is to know of this deal,” Charles sighed and looked at his hands before refocusing on Logan, “She loves you, not only that she knows you’ll be back for her, that she belongs to you. That gives her strength, faith but she’s young. I want her to have a chance to be young, to be a kid a little longer. Let her live her life until its time.”
Logan nodded, he could do that. He could give the kid a chance to live life free of his presence because he knew in the end she would belong to him. “I’ll be back for her,” Logan replied seriously and stepped through the doors letting them slide shut behind him.
Sitting in the cool interior of the mission room Charles stared at the hologram still visible and felt a chill go through him. It was best not to reveal to the others what had transpired between him and Logan, they would be violently opposed to the very idea of ownership especially concerning Rogue’s age. What none of them realized, what *he* hadn’t realized until Logan had said it was that there was more to the relationship between the untouchable girl and the cage brawler. Ownership went both ways, had right from the get go. Right from the moment when she’d screamed out a warning at Logan in that dingy little bar, offering him something nobody ever had. A connection and acceptance.
With his fingers steeple together under his chin, Charles took a cleansing breath. He rarely made deals with the devil, in fact he hadn’t made one since he and Magneto had gone their separate ways but this time he wondered just who would win in the end. This deal might prove to be more costly than any other out there!
He wasn’t in the habit of allowing such a powerful mutant as Rogue out on the general population - she was too powerful, and in that too desirable for any faction that wanted to use her. No it would be better if she remained here, if she remained within the walls of this place so he could monitor her. Glancing once more at the doors Charles sighed, he would keep his side of the deal, he had no desire to bury some of his own at least not yet.
Shaking his head, Charles headed topside to watch the early news. It would be interesting to see how the world reacted to the disappearance of a Senator and how the mansion reacted to having walking death within its corridors.
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