“Scott, I have an idea and I need your opinion.”
Scott Summers turned attentively towards the professor and waited while a small group of students passed the office. Summer was upon them and consequently, so was finals week. Scott was proud of his students for their accomplishments this year and he knew that each one had worked very hard. They would be nicely rewarded with high scores on the final exam. It was by no means an easy exam, but he was confident that all the previous assignments had prepared them. Scott shut the door to the professor’s office and it clicked softly before Professor Xavier cleared his throat.
“I’m sure you are aware that the final exams are to be given this week,” he started. When Scott smiled and gave a slight nod, he continued. “You and your fellow teammates have done well in preparing challenging exams. That is, all except one of you.”
Scott looked at the professor through his ruby glasses and smirked. He hoped he wasn’t too obvious. “Logan?”
Xavier sighed and clasped his hands over his waist. “Logan’s self defense class has become very popular and I am pleased with the outcome. The students are learning quite nicely, wouldn’t you agree?”
Scott kept his gaze level and clenched his jaw. “It has seemed to have boost their confidence.” He took the seat that the professor motioned to and waited.
“The only problem is that he has given them no written work throughout the entire course.”
Scott laughed. “None?” What an idiot.
“I’m afraid not. Unfortunately, I need something to base their grades off of. There must be some form of a written exam.” The professor reached for his grade book and opened it on the desk between them. “I think I have an answer that is fair.”
Scott relaxed in the leather chair. “Let’s hear it.”
“I’m going to send Logan into the Ward Pound Ridge Reservation with the students for the weekend, taking only the necessary equipment. He will then grade them on their ability to adapt and use the survival skills he’s taught them.”
Scott remained still and silent, waiting for the punch line. When it became apparent that the professor was serious, Scott’s mouth curved into a predatory grin. He couldn’t wait to tell Jean. “Sounds-” he coughed, trying not to sound excited, “Sounds good.”
The professor raised an eyebrow. “I had been hoping for a more constructive opinion.”
“Oh.” Scott ducked his head for a moment and tried to become serious. “I think the students will enjoy it. It’ll be good for Logan too. Maybe he’ll realize that looking after fifteen teenagers is harder than it seems.” He formed a mental picture of the mighty Wolverine chasing after giggling teenagers for an entire weekend. “It’ll be a nice break for us, too,” he added. He would rather enjoy a school that was minus some hormone driven teenagers and an egotistical Wolverine.
“Oh, no, Logan will not be going alone,” the professor corrected. “There are laws governing the ratio of students to chaperones. It would be simply unsafe to make him the only guardian.”
So the Wolverine needs a babysitter. Scott bounced his leg with enthusiasm because it was hidden from the professor’s view by the desk. Then, almost as suddenly as the thought came to him, another one took its place. “Not alone?” he echoed. His leg quit bouncing. “Who’s going with him?”
“Shit no.”
“Logan, we’re in a school, please refrain from cursing-”
“I ain’t friggin’ traipsing through the woods, for an entire friggin’ weekend, draggin’ along a bunch of hormone driven brats.”
Jean sighed. “But Scott will be there,” she tried to reason.
Logan shot her an incredulous look.
Jean sighed again. “Well, I’m sorry but the professor has already made up his mind. You and Scott leave tomorrow morning.”
“We’ll see.” Logan dared her to correct him. Even if this stupid, hair-brained idea was mandatory, by God he was going to pretend it was on his terms. Nobody told Wolverine what to do, especially if it involved baby-sitting a group of teenagers.
“Well, you’d better meet with the professor and Scott to go over the supplies you’ll be taking with you.”
Logan huffed and let his mock-rage drag his gaze around the room before settling on Jean. “Yeah. I guess so.” Then he had an idea. “You wanna come with us? Out in the woods…secluded…we can tell One Eye to take a hike…” he hinted.
Jean shook her head. “I’m afraid not Logan. There’s a medical conference in Florida I will be attending this weekend.” As if an afterthought she added, “Sorry.”
Logan dreams deflated as the images of Jean all to himself dissipated from his mind. “How’d you get so lucky?” he asked with feigned sarcasm.
“Well, if you’d rather go and listen to the world’s most prestigious doctors give two hour seminars on the newest technical advancements in modern medicine, than be my guest.”
Logan cocked his head, trying to make sense out of what she had just said. He huffed.
“You know Logan,” Jean started and Logan watched her with interest as her voice lowered suggestively. “You’ll have to make sure Scott doesn’t get into any trouble out there. I mean, he’s not exactly a boy scout.”
Logan considered what she was trying to tell him. Cyclops might be a great leader, or at least he might think he is, but Logan always noticed the way he depended on his pricey little gadgets in a situation that Logan just relied on his instincts. If they were to be in the woods with nothing but matches and rope and the likes, that would give Logan a major advantage over Scott. Logan grinned. “It’s my class, and I will be in charge,” he thought aloud.
“Yes.”
If Logan were a teenaged girl, he would have emitted one of those annoying, high-pitched girly screams of delight. Instead, he focused on pushing his joy back down to a more secluded, Wolverine-ish level. Scott would have to do whatever he said for the whole weekend. It was about time the gods had smiled upon him. “When do we leave?”
“Logan, thank you for joining us,” the professor greeted pleasantly as Logan stepped into the school’s garage.
“Wouldn’t miss this for anything,” he replied, smirking at Scott who was wearing a pained expression.
“I trust Jean has explained everything clearly to you?”
“Like crystal.”
Scott winced.
“Good,” the professor said without missing a beat. He rolled his wheelchair closer to the boxes stacked in the middle on the concrete room. “Look over the items I have gathered and make the necessary adjustments.”
Logan stepped forward, already smelling the sulfur of the matches.
“Oh, and Logan?” He looked down beside him and waited for the professor to continue. “Please keep in mind that the children may require more necessities than you. In other words, better safe than sorry.”
Logan nodded. While he may be able to survive on his instincts and his claws, the kids couldn‘t. “Where’re we goin’ tomorrow?” He began shuffling through the top box’s contents.
Professor Xavier smiled and Scott seemed to relax a bit. “I have obtained permission from the Wildlife Conservation Department to let your group stay in the Ward Pound Ridge Reservation. It’s a 4700 acre reservation in Cross River, about an hour northeast of here. That ought to be enough space and solitude for this test, don’t you agree?”
Logan’s gaze shifted in thought as a small smile crept over his face. The place sounded perfect. Plenty big enough to lose One Eye. “That oughta do,” he agreed, tossing a box to the ground in rejection.
The professor looked at the box with a raised eyebrow but didn’t comment on Logan’s authority. “You will take a com link, in the rare event of an emergency.” The statement left no room for negotiations. “I am giving you leadership over this exercise. Do you understand your responsibilities?”
Logan held up a coil of rope then let it fall back into the box. “Yes.”
The professor seemed unconvinced as Logan dropped the box of rope into a separate pile. “The children’s lives are in your hands,” he said with a deadly seriousness that made Scott swallow.
Logan stopped rummaging and looked down into the professor’s eyes. “I understand.” He too was serious. He knew he would protect the students with his life, if that’s what was asked of him. But this was just a weekend camping trip. A party, as far as the students were concerned. Logan would be in charge and not only would he be able to smoke his fill of cigars, he’d make the kids each build a fire or set a trap, then they’d enjoy the scenery then come home. No big deal. Even Scott would be able to keep up. In fact, if One Eye was going to be tagging along, why not put him to good use? Logan grinned in a predatory sort of way when he imagined Cyclops falling victim to a well-placed snare or being used for mutant target practice.
He smiled at the professor in hopes of easing the worry, then smiled at Scott in a way he was sure he’d never done before. Scott flinched.
This was going to be the best camping trip ever.
The next morning found Logan in a very good mood. The sun was shinning brightly, songbirds whistled happy tunes, even the air seemed positively charged. Logan was starting to wonder if someone had slipped something into his beer the night before.
He had dressed in his trademark worn blue jeans and a plain, snuggly fitting t-shirt. He couldn’t help it if the Hanes company didn’t make ‘Wolverine’ sized t-shirts. Plus, he rather enjoyed the attention he got from the women when they laid eyes on his chiseled torso. Feeling desirable was a good thing.
Logan drifted through the kitchen at an unknown time. He never really cared what time it was and that was one attribute that pissed Scott off. Time sort of loses some of its importance when you know you’re gonna be around until the end of it. After snagging a bowl of cold cereal, he made his way to the garage. The boxes of supplies remained in the two piles he had left them in; the ‘take’ pile and the ‘why-the-hell-would-we-ever-need-this’ pile. Logan sighed. If only he had had these luxuries with him while he had been in Canada. He might still be there, and enjoying it.
He caught a whiff of sweet southern air and turned, his mouth full of crunchy, processed grains. He nodded towards Marie before he could swallow.
“Hey,” she said softly, but she always sounded soft to him.
“Hey,” he replied. He watched her move across the concrete floor and touch a rejected box with a gloved hand. When he decided that ‘hey’ was enough for now, he shoveled another spoonful of cereal into his mouth.
Marie bent forward slightly and studied the contents of the box. “Logan,” she started, then took a breath. Or was it a sigh? Logan watched her pick up one of the rejected Swiss Army knives. She turned to face him with a half-smile tugging on one corner of her mouth. “Just cuz you have these built in don’t mean the rest of us do.”
Logan swallowed and smiled, more out of reflex than because he understood what she was saying. “You don’t find those just layin’ around the forest. And don’t expect your opponent to care so much as to hand them out before leaving you for dead.”
Marie stayed quiet at that, but the smile still lit her face as she dropped the knife back into the box. It landed with a muted clink. “You’re not goin’ to make this easy, are ya?”
“Surviving is never easy.”
Now the smile fell and Logan was disappointed to see it go. But Marie simply nodded as if she understood, then began silently nosing through the other boxes. Logan opened his mouth to say something appeasing, but just then he recognized the too-proud footfalls of Scott and a surge of testosterone broke his placid state of being. To busy his mouth with something, he settled for another bite of cereal and watched with resentment as Scott waltzed into the large garage.
“Good morning Rogue,” he said in a sickeningly cheerful manner that made Logan cringe.
“Mornin’,” she replied without looking up and Logan guessed that maybe it was just a courteous reflex.
Scott said nothing to Logan, and Logan couldn’t remember a time when Scott had voluntarily said anything pleasant to him. Just as well, Logan thought, because he was sure that his reflex wouldn’t be a pleasant as Marie’s.
“Logan, this doesn’t look like much supplies,” Scott started, averting his gaze.
Logan huffed. It had begun. “Looks can be deceiving, I’m sure you know that.”
Scott turned his ruby lenses in the direction of Logan’s form. Logan assumed the X-men leader was glaring at him. “Yes. Well,” Scott stammered, obviously trying to think of something more witty to say.
Logan wondered at that moment if one hand would fit around Scott’s entire head. Marie looked as if she knew what he was imagining. “It’s enough,” he mumbled to Scott, because Marie had told him a while ago that not answering people was rude. Logan wasn‘t rude. Anymore. Then, out of spite he added, “Trust me.”
When the soft sound of rubber against concrete filtered through Logan’s sensitive hearing, he knew it must be approaching departure time. Professor Xavier entered the garage with a gentle smile. In fact, Logan rarely ever saw the professor without that smile. “I see you’re looking forward to this Logan?”
‘Looking forward to’ may not have been the right words, but Logan agreed based on proximity. “Scott was just telling me that he thinks he’s more suited to be the head honcho.” Take that, smart-ass.
The professor looked to Scott, who shifted his weight backwards. “I was just observing his lack of provisions.” Logan watched Scott glance between the professor and himself with amusement.
Marie caught Logan’s gaze as she smiled knowingly. The professor said, “Logan understands his responsibilities here Scott. You are not to interfere with his lessons. This may prove to be a valuable experience to everyone involved.”
“Understood,” Scott said firmly. With his chin held high, he added, “I’m going to get my gear,” then promptly left the garage. Logan felt selfishly proud at his accomplishment.
“Logan, please realize that Scott is still the leader of the X-men.” The professor stopped at that, and Logan didn’t need further explanation. It meant, ‘Scott will be in charge when you return so don’t do anything stupid’.
Logan nodded and mocked, “Understood.”
“Good,” the professor confirmed before he wheeled closer to the white van on the far wall. “The vehicles have each have a full tank of gas, which is more than enough for your journey.” He turned to Logan. “If you’re satisfied with the provisions, you may load them now.”
Logan looked to the pile of boxes temporarily supporting Marie. She jumped and stood when she realized she was noticed. “I’ll help you,” she said.
Logan remembered the bowl in his hands and set in on the hood of Scott’s car before going to open the back of one van. “I shall go see how the children are coming along,” Professor Xavier announced, and after smiling warmly at Logan and Marie, he quietly left the garage.
“You gonna be okay with this?” Marie asked once the professor was out of view.
“Of course.”
Marie looked at him. “You and Scott and a herd of teenagers?”
Logan shrugged.
“Alone?”
“It’s just for the weekend. We’ll be fine.”
“Just remember, if you kill Scott, you won’t have anyone to steal motorcycles from.”
Logan snorted as he dropped a box into the back of the van. “I don’t steal.”
Marie let her box drop beside his. “Sorry. Borrow.”
Why was everyone making such a big deal out of this? It’s not like he would actually waste time and effort killing Scott. He just liked to talk about it. “Well, you’ll be there to keep an eye on us,” he said to make her feel important.
“Logan I’m just teasin’ ya,” she sighed from behind him as he carried another box.
He set down the box he was carrying and stepped to the side as she nearly collided into him, dropping another box in the van unceremoniously. He looked at her quizzically.
“Scuze me,” she panted. “It was heavy.”
Glad to have gotten onto a different subject, Logan said, “You don’t need to be liftin’ these. That’s what One-Eye’s for.” On his next breath, he recognized Scott’s odor and groaned inwardly.
“What was that?”
“Git over here and do some manly work,” Logan ordered. He waited for Scott’s reaction.
Scott cocked his head and opened his mouth, then paused. Logan felt like smiling. Scott had learned. Guess you can teach a dog. “Are you ready to go Marie?” Scott asked pleasantly.
Logan watched as the X-men leader tossed his backpack in the corner and went to the pile of boxes. “Ah was ready last night,” Marie answered. Her tone held no sarcasm, just honesty.
Logan was proud. His muscles burned amiably under the stress of the boxes as he continued working. He passed Scott a few times as they loaded the remaining supplies, neither one saying a word. An uncomfortable lack of speech settled through the garage, interrupted periodically by the sound of cardboard hitting steel. Just when Logan was about to comment on Scott’s poor taste in shorts, the first group of teenagers filed in.
He recognized Iceman, Colossus and Pyro and briefly stopped working to nod an acknowledgment at them. Logan knew these kids and had seen them grow skill and confidence during the classes. They would have no problem handling themselves this weekend. Plus, he knew he could count on them for some entertaining pranks.
“You mean we’re not ready to go yet?” Iceman quipped, spreading a disappointed look over his face.
“Yeah man, where is everyone?” Pyro whined. “Sooner we leave, the sooner we get back.”
Logan grinned at their unbridled enthusiasm. “You’re not bitchin’ already, are ya?” he sighed, stacking the last box in the back of the van.
“Logan,” Scott warned quietly as he shut the back of the second van.
Logan ignored Scott and listened to Pyro trying to reason. “Nah man, I’m just ready to get outta here for the weekend.”
“I hear ya,” Logan grumbled as he shot a hard look at Scott.
A loudly whistled catcall made everyone turn in the direction of the door. Jubilee stepped onto the concrete floor with a huge smile on her face. “Look at all the hunks in here,” she teased as Shadowcat entered behind her.
Marie moved to join the feminine duet. “It’s about time you showed up. The testosterone level was becoming unbearable.”
“Hey, do you know how long it takes to look this good?” Jubilee replied.
Logan withdrew into himself as more teenagers arrived and filled the echoing garage with banter. He had never been one for large groups, and a roomful of anxious teenagers was certainly pushing the limit. He could feel himself getting tense and it wouldn’t be long before he would have to take it out on Scott. Then, as if on cue, the professor entered the garage with Jean flanking him. She looked damn pretty this morning, Logan thought as he observed the way her form-fitting tank top hugged her womanly curves. He would have to compliment her.
“All right children,” the professor began as Logan watched Jean with a predatory smirk, “Give me your attention for a few minutes while I go over the fundamentals of this outing.”
The steady buzz of gossip died down as the group turned to face the professor. Logan leaned against the side of the van that was not currently supporting Scott and crossed his arms. The professor continued, “I want you all to remember that we have the permission of the state of New York to remain in this park beyond it’s normal operating hours. You will need to heed to the park’s rules and regulations while you are there.”
“Means don’t destroy nothing,” Logan felt the need to clarify, then felt odd for drawing attention to himself.
“Correct,” Professor Xavier replied as he glanced at Logan. “Secondly, as Logan has been the instructor of this class, he will also be heading this operation. You are to obey his orders at all times, is that clear?”
Logan felt a surge of power course through his veins when the group collectively nodded their heads in agreement.
“Well then, I want to wish you all good luck. This is your last exam before classes dismiss for the summer.”
A round of cheers and applause filled the garage as the group began to disperse. Logan migrated towards Jean, who was still standing beside the professor. But as Logan opened his mouth to address her, Scott brushed by him and grabbed Jean in a firm, protective hug. Logan changed targets and stopped in front of the professor as if it were his intention before asking, “So we‘re ready to leave?”
“Yes I believe so,” the professor replied as he motioned to where the teenagers had already split into two groups and were waiting outside the vans. “Just remember to check in with me every night.”
“We will,” Scott said and Logan was reminded just then of how much he disliked the little prick.
Logan turned away when Scott pulled Jean in for a kiss. He supposed his jealousy was unbiased; Jean wasn’t his anyway. “Come on,” he ordered before Jean could really return Scott’s kiss.
He knew Scott was glaring at him behind his back but didn’t care. The students were already filing into the vans and Logan opened the driver’s door of the closest one because it contained Marie and he wasn’t sure he could put up with a half dozen teenagers for very long without her. Logan pulled himself into the driver’s seat and shut the door rather forcefully, then looked in the rear-view mirror at the van’s startled occupants. Marie, Jubilee, and Kitty were comfortably squeezed together in the row behind him, and John, Bobby and Peter were in the row behind the girls. “Comfortable?” he asked but only really cared about one reply.
“We’ll live,” John replied first. “Just drive, man.”
Logan smiled as he turned the key in the ignition. The van roared to life under his heavy foot and as soon as sunlight filtered through the opening garage doors, Logan threw the van in reverse. His right arm settled across the back of the passenger seat as he twisted to look between the student’s heads and out the van’s rear windows. “Hold on.” They looked shocked, he noticed, so Logan smiled at them as he accelerated and steered the van through the still-opening garage doors and out into the bright summer heat. They all winced at the sudden harsh change in lighting. He turned sharply then slammed on the brakes, forcing the teenagers to lean forward with momentum, then slam back against their seats. Logan faced forward again, shifting into drive in one fluid motion with his right hand, then pressed on the accelerator.
The van’s occupants were pressed into the seat backs as the van lurched forward and down the clean blacktop driveway leading away from the mansion. “John,” Jubilee spoke up at last, “Don’t ever tell Wolvie to ‘just drive’ again, okay?”
Logan smiled and tried to act annoyed at the same time. Somehow over the course of his class, the young Jubilation Lee had wormed her way into his heart almost as far as Marie. It was her privilege, one that no one else dared to share, to call him ‘Wolvie’.
For an answer, John nervously nodded his head and swallowed. “Got it.”
They reached the end of the long driveway and Logan ‘misread’ the stop sign for a yield sign and cruised onto the highway. He nodded a silent goodbye to the large building as they passed it while the teenagers applauded and cheered for their temporary freedom. Logan sank into a more comfortable position in the driver’s seat and draped an arm over the top of the steering wheel. He glanced in the side rear view mirror and noted the other van following at a more respectable pace. “Well, you’re free,” he announced.
“This is so cool,” Bobby grinned.
“Yeah, you’re the best teacher,” Kitty agreed.
Modesty was not Logan’s strong suit so he tried to think of something else to talk about. “So who brought the booze?”
“Damnit, I told you he wouldn’t have cared!” John exclaimed as he elbowed Peter.
“No big deal, there’s a liquor store down the road.” Logan glanced at the boys in the rearview mirror.
“Really?”
“No.” When they groaned in disappointment, Logan added, “Only if you can keep Cyke from finding out about it.”
“Sweet!”
For once, Logan had to agree. Sweet.
“John, knock it off!”
“I’m not doing anything!”
“I can feel you poking me in the back!”
“It’s not me!”
“There it is again! Stop it!”
“I said I wasn’t doing anything!”
Logan looked longingly at the liquor store as they passed it. He really loved that place. It was dark and mostly unpopulated, kept almost every kind of alcohol imaginable in stock and most importantly, lacked teenagers.
“Jooohn!”
“Both of you knock it off!” Logan growled and clutched the steering wheel tighter. Good God, why had he agreed to this? This was insane! He wouldn’t wish this type of punishment on his worst enemies!
He hoped Scott had it ten times worse.
“Are we there yet?” Jubilee whined, speaking in excessive volume to hear herself over the music blaring in her headphones.
“Five minutes,” was all Logan could trust himself to say.
A collective sigh echoed through the teenagers. “Thank God. I can’t put up with this immaturity any longer.”
“Look who’s talking.”
“Shut up.”
“Make me.”
Logan thought that if there were any way he could have loaded up on whiskey without hearing about it from the professor, he would turn this van around right now and buy out the entire store. He glared into the side rear-view mirror and glanced at Scott, who was ‘closer than he appeared’. Logan may be in charge this weekend, but giving Cyke a reason to tattle to the professor was just asking for trouble. Logan didn’t ask without a good reason.
He turned the van onto the gravel road rather sharply, effectively shaking the teenagers out of their bickering. They turned to look out the tinted windows with enthusiasm. “Oh look, it’s so pretty out here!”
“I hope we see a bear.”
“You would.”
“What’s that suppose to mean?”
Logan slammed on the brakes after pulling into the unpopulated end of the campsite. “Git out,” he ordered as the students slammed back in their seats. Without waiting for a response, Logan opened his door and slid to the earth with a solid crunch. He inhaled deeply. The air was crisp and sweet and smelled of everything he loved. He relaxed a bit, rapidly cataloguing nearby flora and fauna in his memory.
As the teenagers filed out of the van, Logan reached across the drivers seat and snatched the park map off the passenger seat. He already had an idea where they were going but decided to take the professor’s advice and stay safe. Logan pushed the folded map into his back jeans pocket before shoving the keys into his front pocket. After shutting the door, he joined the guys at the back of the van.
Logan watched the three girls as they wandered into the surrounding vegetation and began marveling over the beauty of the wildflowers. Content that they were safely occupied, he turned his attention back to the van’s rear double doors and opened them. Immediately he picked a pack of cigars out of the box closest to him and selected one to stick in his mouth as he pocketed the remainders. Feeling better already, he turned and sat on the edge of the van’s bumper. Logan glanced between the three boys and grinned. “Gotta light?”
As Pyro stepped forward, Logan’s eyes moved to the spot where the gravel path emerged from behind an old oak tree. Seconds later, the second van pulled into view.
“He drives kinda slow,” Bobby noted, which earned an approving grin from Logan.
“No kinda about it,” he replied as he pulled an almost orgasmic drag from his precious cigar. Man he was addicted to these things.
Logan watched critically as Scott eased the van to a gentle stop beside the van Logan was resting on. The engine died and shortly after, doors were opened and more excited teenage voices polluted the park’s serenity. Scott appeared at the back of the van and let his quartz glasses settle on Logan with appeared to be an attempt at disapproval. “Nice driving.”
Logan huffed, sending a small cloud of sweet smoke into the air. “Yeah, I took the training wheels off before we left.” A brief pause. “You get to carry the fishin’ poles.”
Logan imagined that Scott rolled his eyes, and Logan turned his head as to not let the X-men leader see his satisfied grin. “Well, we better get a move on,” he announced loud enough for the teenagers to hear. “I want each of you over here to collect your supplies. Form a line or somethin’.” Logan waved his hand as he stood and turned towards the boxes stacked neatly in the van.
The group of twelve students slowly accumulated in a single file line facing Logan. As each student opened their backpack for a brief inspection, Logan divvied out the supplies so each teenager received equal rations of food and supplies. Logan grinned around his cigar when he found a small bottle of Crown Royal in Pyro’s backpack. He said nothing, instead dropping a coil of rope and a first aid kit into the bag on top of the alcohol.
Scott was last, gathering the remaining supplies in his own larger pack. Logan grinned as he tossed two lightweight fishing poles at Scott’s chest. Scott frowned as he caught them. Logan himself took nothing besides what was in his pockets. Keys, cigars, the map and the com link. Personally, he only needed a fourth of what he was carrying. As the students congregated around the start of the trail, Logan locked the vans then joined the group. Scott remained quiet the entire time, only speaking when spoken to. Logan thought that was pretty nice.
Logan took the cigar out of his mouth. “All right, listen up. We’ll hike as far as we can before nightfall, then set up camp. Don’t get lost. Don’t piss off any animals bigger than you. Got it?”
“Um, what if we do get lost?”
“Follow the trail markers. Use your compass. Follow our footprints. Or just keep up.” Logan looked from face to face. “Any other questions?”
Logan thought they looked kind of scared as each student shook their head without hesitation. He nodded. “Follow me then.” Placing the half-used cigar back in his mouth, Logan turned and began walking briskly down the narrow dirt trail, the teenagers strung along behind like ducklings.
Soon Scott was at his side. “A little harsh, don’t you think?”
“No.”
Scott was quiet for a moment. Then, “Are there really dangerous animals around?”
Ha. Sure were, and as far as Scott should be concerned, Logan was one of them. “Yup.”
Logan’s head was up, his superhuman eyesight searching the woods as Scott replied, “Like bears?”
Logan glanced at the younger man. Cyke wasn’t afraid, was he? “Yup.”
“Huh.”
Logan shook his head in opposition and sighed a cloud of smoke.
“You know where you’re going? Without looking at the map I mean?”
Scott was looking between Logan’s face and the pocket containing the folded park map in expectation. Hadn’t the guy ever gone on a camping trip before? “Yeah,” was all Logan could bring himself to say.
Scott changed the subject. “You brought the com link right?”
Or maybe he hadn’t changed the subject. “Yeah,” he replied, insulted that Scott would think they would need it. Logan was grateful when Scott was quiet after that. The lure of the surrounding woods served to soothe his nerves and Logan surrendered to it as much as he dared. Bullfrogs sounded from their unseen hiding places among the small dark places. Spotted Salamanders darted through the fallen leaves littering the trail, alerted by the heavy footsteps of a man with adamantium covered bones. A Corn Snake slithered under a rotting log and Logan realized that he had not mentioned the numerous native poisonous snakes in his departure speech. Whoops.
“Um…” he started, coming to a stop that he would have considered sudden. He turned, pulling the last quarter of cigar from his mouth and waited for the small group to condense around him. “One more thing,” he started, glancing at Scott, then back to the curious young faces. “Watch your step. This park is home to more than one kind of poisonous snake.” Their faces fell. “Don’t git bit.”
As most of the teenagers began worrying amongst themselves and searching the ground, Marie looked straight at him. She said nothing, but she didn’t have to. The calm fear shining through her eyes told him everything. He would watch out for her. For them all.
“It is sooo hot!”
“Can’t we stop and rest?”
“I’m thirsty!”
“This trip sucks!”
“At lease at school there’s air conditioning!”
Logan was itching with pent up frustration. The group had been whining for at least the past mile. He had done his best to ignore them, because someone told him once that by ignoring something, said thing will go away. Well, they were ‘going’ alright, but it was the same direction Logan was traveling and he was becoming highly irritable.
Scott, who had fallen behind by a few paces, suddenly appeared at Logan’s side. Logan could feel the heat rolling off the other man and forced himself to hold his tongue. “Logan,” Scott panted, “I think we should-”
“Alright!” Logan exploded, turning to shout at the tired teenagers. “We’ll stop, okay? Quit bitchin’ and we’ll take a rest!”
The students all but fell on to nearby rocks or tree stumps. Scott stomped a foot and opened his mouth. “I was going to say, I think we should keep going. To get there by dark that is.”
Logan tried to feel apologetic but couldn’t muster it. “We’ll get there.” He looked at the students. At least they would sleep good tonight. Logan could use the peace after a day of putting up with this crap. This was insane. The professor was probably laughing his butt off right now.
“You’re the boss,” Scott sighed as he turned away and Logan knew the words were not sincere.
Everyone else was sitting, so Logan sat too. Perhaps it was his healing ability, or the fact that he’d had a rougher, longer life than these pampered kids, but Logan was not tired. Sure he was hot and sweaty and probably was beginning to stink, but he was also ready to forge on. He wasn’t used to being handicapped by kids, and he didn’t think he liked it.
Logan sat unnaturally still for a man who had just spent two hours hiking up a mountain. While the others guzzled water and picked at trail mix, Logan went back to observing his surroundings. He liked this place. There was an abundance of animals, which would have provided good hunting if not for the protection of the government. He inhaled deeply, recognizing the smell of a couple native species of trees and wishing he had learned the names of them. Pine essence was rich in the air, along with the smell of dried leaves that had been laying on the ground since last year. Logan’s heart beat a little faster when he smelled the faint odor of deer droppings. His eyes dove downwards, searching the impressionable ground for the cloven-hoofed tracks that would be nearby. When he finally found a clear hoof print about ten feet away, he called attention to it.
“Hey guys, come here.” Logan got up and kneeled before the track, pressing one jean-clad knee into the dirt. “Take a look at this. Who can tell me what animal made this track?”
The teenagers stood in a semi-circle behind Logan, peering over his shoulder until he stood up to allow them a better view. Once he was out of the way, the group closed around the hoof print. There was a moment of silence before Bobby raised his head. “That’s a deer track!”
“Good job,” Logan said, smiling because Bobby was obviously proud of himself. “First test passed.”
Logan never really taught the students how to track animals, much less how to determine the species of an animal from it’s track, but Logan figured it was a handy thing to know. It could be extra credit at least.
A few of the students bent down to look at the print closer, but most of them returned to their resting places. “Five more minutes, then we’re moving out,” Logan informed them, earning a collective moan in disappointment.
They had been traveling north and Logan was sure that they were about to come to a river. Plants were lush and strong here, and many different animal species had crossed paths here recently. Plus, he had looked over the map last night. Logan leaned to the side and pulled the folded map out of his pocket. As soon as it was completely open in his hands, Scott was beside him.
“We still on track?”
Logan made an exaggerated observation of the bold blue trail marker beside him. “We’re not lost, if that’s what you mean.”
Scott found the decency to look embarrassed. He avoided Logan’s gaze and studied the map. “We’re heading for the river?”
“We’re heading for dinner.”
“Ah.”
Logan looked at the pack of teenagers. They were starting to pick on each other again. If they had enough energy to tease each other, than they had enough energy to continue. He folded the map and shoved it back in his pocket. “All right, everybody up,” Logan spoke in a raised voice. “Let’s git goin’.”
The group rose, a little sluggishly for Logan’s liking, but they did not complain. They quickly replaced their canteens as Logan resumed his place at the front of the group. Scott shadowed him like a faithful dog as they started moving. “Can I be honest with you for a minute?” he asked, and Logan thought he sounded uncomfortable.
“Sure,” Logan replied as he stepped over a fallen branch.
Scott avoid the branch without the grace that Logan had. “I just wanted to tell you that I might have liked observing your class before this.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because I see the way they look up to you. I guess I just always thought that your class wasn’t ‘real’ or it wasn’t as important as mine.” Logan look sharply at Scott. “But I think I’m beginning to understand that these kids gained a whole different kind of knowledge from you. I’m a little impressed.”
Logan shook his head and rubbed his ear. “Who paid you to say that?”
“Nobody,” Scott sighed. “I’ve seen the way Rogue looks at you, like you’re her night in shining armor. You’re her rock.” Scott kicked a rock absently and Logan watched it bounce down the trail before them. “I wish I was a rock.”
“You’re Jean’s rock.”
“Who’s a rock?” Jubilee threw hers arms around the two X-men as they walked, startling Logan. He hadn’t been paying attention. The sensation was new and unwelcome. Jubilee took a couple awkward steps before releasing them. “What are we talking about? Are we there yet?”
“We’re not talking about anything that concerns you,” Scott said, but without the bitterness his words implied.
Logan cocked his head, listening to the earth. The symphony of singing birds was hard to listen past, but once his sensitive hearing filtered through their overlapping calls, he heard the faint sound of running water. “We’re almost there,” he announced, returning his attention to his immediate surroundings. The summer heat was just beginning to taper off and shadows were bleeding over the ground.
“Thank God,” Jubilee sighed as she slowed her pace to resume her spot next to Marie and Kitty.
Logan and Scott walked the rest of the way in silence. The mood for emotional pondering was gone now, and Logan didn’t feel comfortable giving Scott any advice in bettering his relationship with Jean. In fact, that was pretty much opposite of what he wanted to do. But what he wanted to do and what he should do were two completely separate things. Jean deserved to be happy, with whomever man she chose. Logan could respect that. He would respect that.
Cross River looked like something off the cover of a wildlife magazine. The forest had graciously parted upon the river’s banks, spotlighting the water’s majestic grace. The only litter here consisted of large boulders which lay haphazardly throughout the wide river as if the creator Himself had sprinkled them as a finishing touch on an earthly portrait. The water flowed freely and sparkled brilliantly as only fresh water can as it flowed to an unknown destination. Logan felt the temperature drop as the group approached the large river. Although it was not by any means cold, he felt the hair on his arms begin to stand on edge. Were his senses that acute, or was it simply a reaction to nature’s display of grandeur?
“Wow…” he heard a female voice taper off in awe.
“This is beautiful.” Logan recognized Marie’s voice, thick with a soft southern accent and amazement.
Logan had to agree. Maybe he was getting soft in his age, but the untouched, raw beauty of the clearing demanded respect. He searched the trees, always the sentinel, and met the piercing gaze of a well-fed hawk. The bird blinked once, then turned its head in search of some prey that Logan could not see.
Scott stepped forward and dropped his pack, followed by the fishing poles. “Are we pitching tents now?”
Bobby elbowed Pyro with a snort before the guys erupted in laughter. Logan grinned. Scott was no poetic, that was for sure. But someone had to answer him, and perverted teenage minds were obviously not functioning at the moment. “No, we are not ‘pitching tents’ right now.”
Scott looked either dumbfounded or innocent, Logan couldn’t tell through the red quartz that concealed Scott’s eyes. They stood for a few dramatic moments, studying each other, sizing each other up. “Fine,” Scott sighed finally, “you’re the leader of this happy little expedition. What’s the next ‘assignment’?”
Logan’s gaze dropped to the fishing poles at Scott’s feet. “Catchin’ dinner,” he replied. He suddenly wished that the forest wasn’t under government protection, so he could show these kids how to really hunt. He would love sinking his claws into a warm rabbit right now. Maybe it would curb his urge to do the same to One Eye. But like it or not, rules were rules, and Logan had never been one to break laws without a damn good reason. He sighed, resigning himself to the old-folk sport of fly fishing and picked up the poles.
“Catch,” he warned as he tossed a pole at Bobby.
Bobby easily caught the flying object even though it obviously startled him. “All right, I love fishing!”
Of course he does. “Good. While you and Pyro take care of dinner, the rest of us will scout the area and build a fire.” He looked at Scott. “Right?”
Scott’s face remained emotionless. “Whatever you say.”
Logan grinned. ‘Whatever I say. I could get used to that.’ He signaled with a raised hand for the remaining teenagers to cluster and follow him. They obeyed, murmuring amongst themselves as they trailed behind. Once again, Scott appeared beside him.
“So, what are we doing?”
“We’re scouting.”
“I know that’s what you said, but don’t you think you could explain a little?” He looked a tad embarrassed as he continued, “The kids might not know what you’re doing.”
Logan translated Scott’s rambling into meaning ‘I’ve never done this before and have no idea what’s going on.’ Logan sighed. This was beginning to feel like work. “Okay, I can narrate.” The small group of teenagers were silenced by the statement and walked a little faster to keep up. “Right now I’m smellin’ the air. Finding out what animals are nearby. If any people have been here recently.”
“We can’t do that.”
“I know. I’m also listenin’ for trouble. Angry bears and such.”
“Bears?”
Logan had a good memory. “Angry ones.”
“What do you see?” This time the question had a southern accent and Logan visibly relaxed as if it were a welcome touch.
“I see a whole lot of undisturbed wilderness. There’s an owl sleeping in the tree to your right,” he emphasized with a pointed finger, “and the bush up ahead is a favorite of the local deer.”
A jealous silence hung in the air, broken only by crunching footsteps. Logan walked a little straighter, uncomfortable with feeling so envied. He couldn’t even remember the last time anyone looked up to him. Then Logan corrected himself; Marie was always awed by his masculine power. Logan shook his head. Marie was like the daughter he might never have, and didn’t most children respect their parents that way? She was the one person whose view of him meant something, which is why he was at the school in the first place, teaching her that it’s good to face your fears.
Logan’s sharp eyes targeted on something in the bush on his left. He changed his direction suddenly, interrupting the group’s steady gait.
“What is it?” Scott asked, his tone of voice suspecting danger.
Logan was subconsciously aware of the teenagers huddled so close to his back that he could feel their heat. “Berries,” he observed, reaching out to cup a cluster of the dark berries that dripped off the branch.
“What kind?” One of the girls, Logan thought her name was Allison, asked.
Logan let the berries hang by their own weight and grabbed a leaf. “Doesn’t matter.“ He plucked it from the thin elastic branch and held it up to the group. “See the bite taken off the tip? The deer were after this bush.”
“So the berries are safe?” Jubilee questioned.
“Sure are,” Logan replied with a hint of pride. His teaching skills must be improving. Even Scott looks like he understands.
The kids advanced on the bush and began picking berries to take back to camp. Logan stepped back with Scott. “I never pictured you as a ‘fruit’ guy,” Scott said.
“When you’re on your own, you adapt.”
“Point taken.”
“All right guys, leave some for the deer.” Logan raised his voice and his hand. “Let’s keep moving. Start gathering wood for a fire.”
The teens each pocketed their handful of berries and followed Logan in a loose group, occasionally darting off the unmarked trail to pick up a fallen branch. Logan noted the songbirds as they fluttered from tree to tree and how he had never really listened to the cheerful songs they sung. The whole forest was a symphony, if you cared about crap like that, and Logan was feeling in-charge enough to let himself get lost in the sounds for a moment. He led the group in a wide circle around the area he had chosen to set up camp and just concentrated on the magnified sounds his boots made against the forest floor. The dead leaves provided enough crunch to satisfy, while the soft dirt was yielding enough to forgive. Logan heard the rasping sounds of a small salamander as it darted for cover a few feet away.
“Logan!”
Logan focused on Scott. “What?”
Scott looked at Logan though the placid quartz would not show his emotion. “Do they have enough firewood?”
Oh. Logan turned as he walked and quickly scanned the group’s collection. “That’ll do. Let’s head back.” Logan cleared his throat and changed direction, leading the group back to the campsite. Behind him, Scott watched with doubt.
Logan was pleasantly surprised when he led the group back to the campsite and found Bobby and John each proudly displaying the fairly large trout they had caught. He verbally praised them and patted Bobby on the back once. There were five fish on the ground and John had another on his line. Logan didn’t think he could have done any better if he had jumped in the river and speared the fish with his claws.
“Isn’t that kind of unusual,” Scott asked later, once they were a distance from the ‘master fishermen’, “That they caught that many fish in the half hour we were gone?”
Logan recognized the fact that Scott didn’t want to hurt the boy’s feelings but was nonetheless put off by the comment. “I doubt that this lake is fished much by humans. These fish don’t know what a lure is.”
Scott nodded. “Makes sense.”
“Because I’m right. Now let them have their glory.”
Scott almost looked hurt. “They have plenty of glory,” he retorted while waving his hand to where the girls had flocked around Bobby and John. “Maybe too much. All they did was catch some fish.”
Logan felt the hairs on the back of his neck begin to rise in agitation. “They caught your dinner.”
“I can catch my own dinner.”
Logan snorted. “Right. McDonalds don’t count.”
Scott grew visibly angrier. He even took a dominant step towards Logan, his hand raised and pointing his index finger. “I’ll have you know-”
The rest of what Cyke said was drowned out when John yelled, “Hey look! Testosterone fight!”
Scott’s jaw snapped shut and Logan wondered how he hadn’t bitten his tongue. “We’re not gonna fight,” Logan announced to the group, then lower and directed at Scott, “Not today.”
“I’ll be ready,” Scott growled back.
“Better be,” Logan said because he liked having the last word.
“So like, are we gonna build a fire or eat sushi?” Jubilee asked as she physically placed herself between Logan and Scott. Using her body, she herded Logan towards the rest of the group. “Show us how to make a fire out of two sticks.”
“Everyone get two thin, medium sized sticks,” Logan gave order, taking charge over his class once again. “Make sure they’re dry. As the teens scoured the immediate area, frequently stooping to pick up twigs, Logan thought they looked like a flock of chickens at feeding time. “When you have a handful, line up over here so I can help each of you.” Logan noticed Scott out of the corner of his eye, hanging back almost in the tree line and looking criticizing. Logan said nothing and decided to let the other man stew. When the last student joined the line, Logan took his position before them.
“First you put two one inch sticks across each other about seven inches apart, then put a few very thin pieces of kindling over them at angles and space them about one to two inches apart.” He paused while each teenager accomplished the procedure with little difficulty. “Now put long, thin, small dry twigs on top. Leave enough space for the fire to breathe.” The students acknowledged the fact and continued setting up their tinder on the ground. “Now put two more sticks about two inches wide over the ends of the thin sticks at angles. The larger pieces of wood won't allow the fire to blow away. Now, light your kindling.”
The students looked at each other. Finally Peter spoke up. “Uh, how are we supposed to do that?”
Logan grinned. He knew where the matches were but this was supposed to be a test, wasn’t it? “Rub a hardwood stick against a softer wood base.” Logan looked at the teens and knew he had to clarify. “Hard wood snaps. Soft wood bends.” He heard a couple frustrated sighs as the children returned to gathering sticks and twigs. When they had all returned and sat in front of their respective tinder towers, Logan instructed, “Cut a straight groove lengthwise in the soft wood and push the end of the hardwood stick up and down the groove.” The teenagers almost groaned in frustration before Logan tossed each of them a Swiss Army knife from a nearby backpack. “The plowing action of the hard wood pushes out small particles of wood fibers. Then, as you apply more pressure on each stroke, the friction ignites the wood particles.”
At some point during his instructions, Scott had crept forward and was watching the students with what looked like interest. As the teens busied themselves with the knives and wood, Logan asked, “Wanna try it?”
Scott looked at him and Logan wished he could see through that damn rose quartz. “I’m fine,” Scott replied. “Good instructions,” he added but it sounded forced.
Logan was no longer in the mood to fight. Instead, he turned back to the students, who were sounding unsuccessful. “Did I mention that no one eats until everyone has showed me that they can start a fire?” John grinned. “Without using mutations,” Logan quickly added.
“Shit,” someone cursed as John’s face fell.
Jubilee threw her closed knife at the ground before her. “This is so hard!”
Logan left them to complain to each other and took a seat some distance away to watch. They were smart, he knew they would figure it out. He settled his heavy frame against a large oak tree and looked out on the water. The sky was starting to trade the sun for the moon. An owl hooted from somewhere in the tree above him as it began preparing for it’s nightly hunt. The bird ruffled it’s feathers and Logan soon inhaled it’s dander. He rubbed his nose to mute the strange scent before Peter exclaimed, “Look, a spark!”
His attention focused on the small pile of tinder before Peter as the large teenager kept rubbing the sticks. Sure enough, a spark fell to the ground and glowed steadily from under the fragile tower of kindling. Logan allowed himself some pride as Peter threw up his hands in accomplishment. One down, eleven to go. Logan nodded his satisfaction when Peter looked at him.
They would be eating in no time.
One hour.
One freakin’ hour.
He didn’t understand. Hadn’t he told them exactly how to make a fire? What more could he possibly have said to make it any easier? God he wanted a drink right now.
“I got it!” Jubilee exclaimed. The excitement in her voice overshadowed the frustration on her face. She was the last.
“Finally,” a deep voice mumbled and Logan shot the shadowy figure a silencing glare.
“Good job,” he said, smiling and adding a friendly pat on the shoulder. “Now let’s eat.”
Everyone nodded in agreement. It was getting darker quickly and soon they would be without any sunlight. Logan hadn’t planned on the ‘fire test’ taking so long. Now they wouldn’t have time to do anything else after dinner.
“All right kids, lemme show ya how to gut a fish.” Logan said as he rose to his feet. Logan heard a muted popping sound and realized it was his own knees. When had that started happening?
Scott chuckled, low and in his ear. “Slowing down, old man?”
“You wish,” Logan retorted. The echo in his mind sounded childish, but he didn’t care. Logan grabbed the fish on the top of the pile and popped a single claw with a satisfying snikt. His hard eyes were glued to the quartz of Scott’s glasses as he ran his claw down the length of the fish. Logan barely heard the feminine protests of disgust as he retracted the claw and dug two fingers into the trout’s mouth, then pulled down.
Scott held his gaze the entire time, seemingly not affected. Logan was a little disappointed. A hunk of fish intestine landed on his shoe with a wet plop and Logan kicked it off. It landed at the water’s edge.
“I wanna try!” John exclaimed as he picked up a fish and stood closer to Logan.
Finally turning away from Scott, Logan took a calming breath and focused on the students. The girls had backed up in a tight group, as if trying to disappear amongst themselves like zebras. The boys, however, were almost fighting over the remaining dead fish. Logan didn’t interrupt them.
A branch broke. Logan stiffened and cocked his head, listening past the bickering teens and into the forest, past the dark tree line. There were no further sounds so Logan strained his eyes and searched the dark woods for the intruder. There, beside a 7 foot oak tree, were two eyes that seemed to be glowing from the firelight. Logan felt the hair on the back of his neck start to rise.
“What is it?” Scott asked, moving to stand just behind Logan.
Logan inhaled deeply and sifted through the onslaught of scents. He relaxed. Only a deer.
“It’s only a deer,” he stated, letting his shoulders sag. As if on cue, the eyes blinked and the figure bounded away, clearly flagged by an upright white tail.
The students were oblivious to the whole episode. Logan turned to them and winced when an ear-piercing scream vibrated in his ear drums.
“JOHN!” A brief pause. “That is SO gross! How DARE you!”
Clinging to the front of Jubilee’s very nice looking T-shirt was a piece of slimy fish gut.
“Get if OFF! Right now!”
“Make me.”
“Logan!”
Scott looked like he wanted to say something. Logan could handle this, even if his ears were ringing loudly. “John, stop throwing things. Jubilee, try not to yell so loud.” He stretched his jaw and titled his head.
“But he threw fish guts on me!”
“I’m sure it was an accident.”
“Yeah, it was an accident!” John echoed with enthusiasm.
Jubilee held up her middle finger for John to see.
“Hey now, none of that,” Scott said, stepping closer. “John, please get that off of her and don’t do it again. You’re not five.”
“Thank you,” Jubilee replied curtly as she pulled the shirt away from her body. Before John could comply, the piece of intestines fell to the dirt. John smirked before the group slowly went about the task of preparing dinner. Logan was left looking at Scott.
“What?” Scott snapped, turning to face Logan. “You obviously had no control over the situation and-”
“I had plenty of control!” Logan growled. “You just gotta let ‘em work things out for themselves.” He was pointing now.
Scott held Logan’s gaze a moment longer before visually checking on the teens. “They’re humans, not wolves. They don’t need to work things out, they need to talk things out like civilized people.”
Logan had a feeling that Scott’s words had a double meaning. Like maybe Scott was trying to make derogatory comments about how Logan was handling things. “They were talking,” he said in a low voice usually reserved for his most hated foes.
“If you couldn’t see the fight that was about to break out, then maybe you need to have Stryker take a look at your eyes.”
That hurt. Logan was temporarily paralyzed with surprise. That was a pretty low blow for Scott. The guy must be dropping his balls. Logan huffed, hoping a retaliation would come to mind. He pulled his fist back when he couldn’t form a comeback in his enraged mind.
Scott’s hand was moving towards his visor when a soft voice stole Logan’s attention. He turned to see Marie, shaking her head disapprovingly in an almost motherly manner. His fist lowered and once again, he vowed to get even later. Logan went to Marie and realized he must look like a dumb puppy. The feral half of him rejected that mental image viciously and longed to fight. Logan was proud when sanity took control of his emotions and he continued towards the group of teenagers. They were all pretty cool kids, so long as that opinion stayed to himself.
The fish were all speared and hanging over open flame. Logan couldn’t be more proud. “Good job guys,” he praised, then looked at Jubilee and added, “and girls.”
“So did we pass the test?” Peter spoke up from the opposite side of the crackling fire.
“I’d say so,” Logan replied, setting his heavy body down on the pliable forest floor. “As long as you don’t burn supper.”
The teens immediately tended the cooking fish, obviously checking them over. The orange flames flickered brightly in the clearing, sending thin tendrils of smoke up into the quiet darkness. The stars contrasted sharply in the black sky now. Logan tilted his head back and appreciated their unobtainable beauty. He felt like sighing, but knew that would seem thoughtful, and Logan was a man of action. The tree tops swayed in a breeze that would not sink low enough to grace the humans. As his gaze wandered down to earth, he noticed Scott just outside the circle of light and he was looking rather demonic. What was that saying about keeping your enemies close?
“Hey Cyke, there’s plenty of food to go around,” he hinted, resting torso back on his elbows now.
“I’m good, Logan, thanks.“ The firelight sparkled in his visor.
“Git over here and eat,” Logan ordered this time. A few of the students took note at that, but none said anything.
Logan himself wouldn’t have obeyed a command like that, but Scott was definitely not Logan. When the leader of the X-men moved closer, Logan took no pride in the obedience but merely offered Scott a place to sit. Scott nodded tensely but said nothing as he watched over the excited children.
Logan pulled a cigar from his pocket. He faked a deep scrutiny of his tobacco while his thoughts traveled through the day’s events. This wasn’t as hard as the professor had let on. Sure, the kids rubbed him the wrong way at times, but now that they had settled down they were much more tolerable. He took pride in them all. He wondered what he had been like at their age.
The sharp chirp of a cricket contrasted with the smooth sound of running water that had somehow lured into a trance and Logan shook himself. Marie approached with fish fillets in both hands and held them out for Scott and Logan. “Thanks kid,” Logan smiled as he pocketed his cigar and took the offered food. Scott voiced his gratitude also and gave her a brighter smile. Logan huffed.
“What, no raw rabbit?” Scott asked after Marie had joined her friends closer to the fire. Logan determined from his tone that the comment was not entirely with bad intentions.
“Nope,” he sighed, starting on his dinner, “This park has special rabbits. They each carry a copy of that damned wildlife protection act. Whip it out before you can kill ‘em.”
Scott chuckled and the tension in the air immediately drifted downstream. “Darn.”
Logan relaxed muscles he didn’t even know were tense. It was much easier to be nice on a full stomach. He wondered what the correlation was.
Everything was starting to wind down now. The teen’s chatter became softer as the night wore on and a cool breeze began to blow off the river. The fire was even dying down. Logan took a moment to really notice the rhythm of life. The nocturnal creatures were awakening now and creeping closer to the campsite in curiosity. Logan focused his powerful eyesight on a dark shape in the bushes and grinned softly when he recognized the large, upright ears and unblinking eyes of a deer.
Logan’s thoughts suddenly took a more serious turn. “Listen up,” he spoke up as he rose to his feet. “We gotta make sure that all the fish remains are cleaned up. I don’t want any unwelcome visitors later. Throw everything in the river. If I can smell it, the bears can too.”
A tingling of fear crackled in the air as the group hurried to rid the campsite of the fish. The loud chorus of crickets played a pressuring melody of background music as they worked. The moon provided the only means of visibility now, so it was no wonder when a couple of the girls stumbled over rocks. “Slow down and take it easy,” Logan said, keeping his voice gentle. “We’re not in any danger.” Yet.
Once Logan was satisfied that the wildlife would have no legitimate reason for rummaging through the campsite, he called off the clean-up crew. “Alright guys, that’s good. We got a good hike tomorrow so you’d better start getting some sleep.”
‘They must be exhausted,’ Logan thought as he watched all the teenagers begin rolling out their sleeping bags. Without being told, they were careful to stay within the campfire’s circle of light. They never responded this well when Xavier himself gave orders. ‘Huh.’
Logan took the self-proclaimed role as sentinel. He too relaxed a bit as he leaned against a tree that was older than he was. With a certain amount of pride, he watched his ‘flock’ with the same parental fierceness that had forced him to pick up Rogue back in Canada all those years ago. The group was asleep almost instantaneously with the exception of Scott, who was seemingly trying to decide if he should keep a lookout also. Logan had to give the guy credit. Even though this field trip placed Scott as the proverbial fish out of water, the team leader still kept his confidence. Or arrogance, however one chose to look at it.
“Goodnight Scott,” Logan called softly, for there was no need to be loud in the forest’s stillness.
Logan thought he saw a small smile contort Scott’s face before the man returned the pleasantry. After Scott had relaxed, Logan breathed a deep sigh of sweet, natural air and let his senses extend to take in all the animal activities that were taking place in the shadows.
The sound of a human grunt was magnified by Logan’s sensitive ears and spurred his brain into consciousness even before his body would move. Logan jerked away from the tree and looked around the campsite. It was dawn, and as Logan blinked to clear the sleepy haze from his piercing eyes, he connected the sound with the teenager that made it. “What’s wrong?”
John sat with his legs stretched out before him as his torso seemed to sway with incoherence. “What?” he echoed with a blank stare.
Logan studied the teen and decided that the only threat was the other kids who were now waking up. “Morning sunshine,” he teased.
As everyone grumbled and began stumbling around the campsite, Logan couldn’t help but notice that the symphony played out by the crickets had now been taken up by the songbirds. He doubted this forest had ever known silence.
Logan pushed himself to his feet. “Everyone grab some breakfast and pack up. We’ll be leaving soon.”
The majority of the kids grabbed their packs and dug out a baggie of trail mix or berries from the night before. Jubilee, however, looked to Logan with a familiar urgency as she approached him. “I have to go,” she whispered, her eyes darting to the others.
Logan studied her. “Go where?”
Jubilee rolled her eyes. “You know…”
Logan cocked his head in concentration for a moment before her clasped hands and bent knees spelled it out for him. “Oh. Uh…” Logan looked to the group and raised his voice. “Alright, guy’s bush is up stream and girl’s bush is downstream. And no peeking.” Logan opened his mouth and tried to decide whether or not he needed to say more. Jubilee looked at him with relief before she grabbed the hand of a petite blonde girl and together they made their way into the privacy of the shrubbery. A few of the guys headed in the opposite direction as Logan joined the kids to help pack away their equipment.
The students returned looking much more comfortable and soon the group was moving up the trail at a steady pace. Logan knew they must be sore after the laborious hike yesterday but he gave them credit for not being outwardly disgruntled. Even Scott was favoring his right shoulder but he never complained and Logan never asked.
The morning had passed uneventfully but now his charges were reaching their limits. Logan decided to give them a break before he had a mutiny on his hands. They had just entered a man-made clearing designed to give hikers a view of the valley below. To the right, a low wooden guard rail-like structure had been built to prevent accidental falls down the side of the mountain.
“We’ll stop to rest here,” he announced and the kids all but fell to the ground. “Take a few minutes to catch your breath. We’ve still got a way to go.”
Logan circled the perimeter of the little rest area, which was no more than a small clearing in the woods. He surveyed the area with his senses, not sure what he thought he might find out here anyway, but giving in to the habit nonetheless. Satisfied they were safe, Logan began to admire the scenery for all it’s wild grace. This part of the forest wasn’t as old as the rest, as the trees were thinner here. Logan made his way to the cliff and couldn’t help but breathe deeply at the sight below. The thick green trees covered the mountain, giving the effect of multi-tonal carpeting that blanketed the mountain side. An eagle circled in the air, looking quizzically at Logan with piercing yellow eyes before resuming its hunt for prey.
“Wow,” whispered Jubilee.
Logan smiled a half-smile to acknowledge her. Slowly, more of the kids were gathering around the edge of the cliff. “Stay back,” he warned. The cliff was steep, a straight four-story drop into a small body of water below. There was no way to determine the depth of the water, but Logan guessed it wasn’t very deep.
“It kinda looks like the earth ends here,” John said quietly.
“Or like someone just chiseled away the ground,” Kitty added.
“Cliffs are formed by erosion,” Scott announced, and Logan felt a headache coming on. “Rock that has been deteriorated by weathering. Usually the higher the cliff, the harder the rock.”
“Thank you professor,” Logan mumbled under his breath.
“Hey, this is supposed to be educational,” Scott shot back, and Logan was amazed that he had been heard. “I’m just sharing some trivia.”
“Well save it,” Logan grumbled as he turned away from the ‘formation’. “Five more minutes,” he called over his shoulder.
Disappointed grumbles filled the air as the kids moved away from the cliff and to the packs scattered over the forest floor. As they busied themselves with water and snacks, Scott approached Logan the way a terrier approaches a rat.
“What’s wrong with the kids learning something useful?” he asked, putting a sharp edge in his voice. “Learning something that doesn’t involve killing?”
“There’s nothing wrong with that in your classroom,” Logan growled. “But this is my classroom, and I’m teaching them things that will keep them alive in combat situations.”
“Combat?” Scott repeated incredulously. “Logan, these are teenagers.”
“They’re mutant teenagers,” Logan corrected, raising a hand to point at the nearest one. “They have to be able to defend themselves. Especially since you’re doin’ such a bang-up job of puttin’ away Magneto.”
Scott’s mouth opened and he sucked in a breath, ready to fight when Marie interrupted.
“Logan?”
Logan had only heard Marie sound like that when she was truly scared. He turned, halting whatever retort Scott was about to spew, and found Marie sitting in the tree line facing him and looking terrified.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, immediately smoothing his hackles and moving towards her.
Marie’s wide-eyed gaze was fixed on the ground beside her. “S-snake.” That’s when Logan heard the tell-tale, zipper-like warning of a Rattler.
The following events seemed happen simultaneously, in slow motion. Logan halted, knowing the short distance between himself and the poised Rattle Snake was precious. Snakes only hunted prey that they could swallow, and certainly never rattled when hunting. This animal was afraid, giving a warning signal because it believed itself threatened by the humans and wanting them to stay back. Quick movements caused quick vibrations, which would startle the snake and force it to strike. All these facts had become a feeling to Logan, one that he felt as soon as he recognized triangular head and heat-sensing pits below the animal’s eyes. Logan thought Scott knew that as well.
“I got it,” Scott said, reaching a hand to his visor as he plunged forward.
Marie flinched as the coiled snake sprang forward, it’s fangs unfolding from the roof of its mouth just before closing its jaws on the side of her thigh. She screamed, probably more from fear than pain at this point, as the snake quickly released its hold and darted away, swiftly puling it’s stocky, three and a half foot long body into the camouflaging dead leaves that littered the ground.
It was over that quick.
Logan ran forward, past Scott and dropped to his knees beside the trembling teenager. She pulled herself away from the tree trunk she had been leaning against and put her covered hands to her skin, encircling the twin puncture marks. She was dressed uncharacteristically in shorts, and Logan was grateful that the injury would be easier to care for this way.
“It’s okay,” he murmured, barely aware of the other students gathering behind him. “You alright?” he asked, eager to hear her voice.
“I- it…it was a Rattle snake, wasn’t it,” she said ever so softly.
Scott was on his knees now too, on the other side of Marie. “It’s okay, we’ll get you help, alright? All the hospitals have anti-venom now, we’ll get you taken care of.”
Even though Scott was spouting statistics about low fatality rates, Marie’s eyes locked with Logan’s. He had placed a strong hand over her gloved one for reassurance. Despite all of Scott’s babbling, Logan was touching her, making her believe that he would take care of her. Still, after all their time at the school, she was untouchable expect by Logan. No one else even tried.
Logan took off his T-shirt and tore a strip of fabric from it. He tossed the now useless shirt to the ground and quickly tied the fabric above the bite, his fingers barely brushing against her bare skin. “Keep your leg down,” he said softly, lowering her bent leg so that it rested on the ground. “Keep the bite below your heart.”
Marie looking into Logan eyes and for a second Logan felt her reading his soul. “It’s okay,” he said, and Marie relaxed as if now she believed, now that Logan had said so.
“-the venom is hemotoxic, containing digestive enzymes and anti-coagulants-”
“Shut up!” Logan shouted, effectively silencing Scott’s stream of facts. “We don’t need to know all that, just get the comlink and call the professor!”
The students parted like the Red Sea for Moses when Scott turned and headed for his forgotten pack back. “Everything’s gonna be okay,” Logan spoke loudly to the group. “Everything is under control.”
Finally Jubilee stepped forward. “Does it hurt?” she asked.
Marie looked at her and rolled her eyes. “No Jubes, I kinda like it.”
Logan smiled at Marie. “You stay here and don’t move. I’m gonna help Scott.” He rose to his feet, bits of leaves and dirt falling from his jeans at the motion, then he laid a caring hand on Marie’s head for a moment before turning to join Scott at the cliff.
“…need Jean and the Bird. I think we’re calling this trip off,” Scott finished as he glared at Logan.
Logan glared back. “Everything taken care of?”
“No thanks to you.”
“Hey, how was I suppose to know that a rattle snake had plans to bite her?” Logan growled. “I’m not psychic.”
“What are you saying?” Scott rumbled as he took a dangerous step towards Logan.
Logan’s physique unconsciously prepared him for battle as his shoulders tensed and his fists balled. “It’s not important. What matters now is that Marie is taken care of.”
Scott’s visors seemed to light up with anger. “The only reason you wanted Jean to come on this pathetic little outing is so you could ogle her like the perverted animal you really are.”
That was the last straw. Logan had proudly held himself on a tight leash for this entire field trip but now Scott had gone too far. His claws slid silently from his hands and he could feel the testosterone-generated heat rolling off of him. Without a word, he lunged at Scott the way a dog lunges at the person who’s been blowing on its face in torment.
Logan had always thought that when it came right down to it, he had more bulk than Scott and therefore, could kick his ass in a fight. Logan was surprised then, to find himself rolling off Scott’s back after the younger man ducked. Logan’s momentum sent him falling to the ground on the other side of Scott, and rolling through the dirt. Suddenly the ground dropped out from underneath him and he was falling, hands and claws scrambling for purchase as a wall of rock rushed past him mockingly.
The last thing he heard was Marie’s familiar scream and a mumbled ‘Oh shit’ from Scott before Logan plunged face-up into the shallow water at the bottom of the steep cliff. A stabbing pain ripped through his shoulder almost simultaneously and when Logan grasped for whatever had hurt him, he found the offending object to be a large and jagged branch that was now protruding from his front side. Blood filled the water around him, his claws retracted like kicked puppies, and the world turned black.
Scott grabbed the wooden railing in a white-knuckled embrace and leaned over to search the scenery below. The kids, including a hobbling Marie, joined him a split second later.
“Logan!” Marie’s scream echoed through the trees.
Scott gulped. Forty feet below, Logan lay still in the red, shallow water. A sound between a prayer and a curse escaped his lips when Scott realized that Logan was impaled on a large tree branch. ‘That’s why he’s not moving,’ Scott thought as he allowed his eyes to slide shut behind ruby quartz. He was gonna be in deep shit for this one.
“Professor, do something!”
Scott blinked and opened his mouth when Peter interrupted him. “Come on guys, let’s get the rope!”
The teenagers scrambled to the scattered packs and within seconds, several coils of rope were produced. Marie was starting to sweat profusely now, and her leg was swelling. Scott went to her.
“Marie, we’ll get him, you sit under this tree and don’t move, okay?”
Marie glared at him.
Scott ignored her; he deserved to be glared after what he had done. He eased her to the ground before joining the boys closer to the cliff’s edge. “Okay guys, what’s the plan?”
The boys barely spared him a glance as they worked on tying knots in the rope. “We’re makin’ a harness. Peter’s gonna go down after Logan.”
“No. It’s too dangerous. I’ll-”
“You can stay and watch Rogue. You at least owe him that.”
Scott glanced at the fallen girl. Jubilee was at her side, trying to calm her as the venom released its poison. Scott turned back to the guys as they fitted a skeleton of a harness around Peter, checking their craftsmanship. He sighed. He didn’t like this one bit, but right now two lives were at stake. “You guys know what you’re doing?” he asked gently.
“It came up in class one day,” Peter shrugged. “It’s pretty easy to sidetrack Logan.”
“But is it easy to haul him straight up a four-story drop?” Scott countered, concerned for the safety of his students.
“We’ll find out,” Peter replied with a smile as Bobby and John tied the end of the rope around a large tree twenty feet away. “I mean, he can’t weigh that much.”
Scott peered over the cliff and into the coloring water below. Healing factor or not, that was a lot of blood. “Alright, go,” Scott sighed, turning away from the damage he had caused. “Be careful.” He patted Peter on the shoulder as he rejoined Marie and the female students.
The small group of determined boys quickly helped lower over the cliff and soon the large teenager was out of sight. Scott turned back to Marie with parental concern hidden beneath the quartz. He lay a hand on her forehead, feeling the heat there. “Try to relax,” he told her even as she lay against the tree, wincing. “We need to keep your heart rate down to slow the poison.” Hey, it sounded logical.
Marie squinted at him. “Ah grew up with snakes, ah know how it works.” She fumbled with the makeshift bandage, loosening it around her swelling thigh. “You make sure Logan’s alright.”
Scott felt out of place for the first time since he found the professor. “Don’t worry about him, he’ll be fine. It’s you we gotta get to a hospital.”
“Did you call for help?” Kitty asked, and only then was Scott aware of his young female audience.
“Jean’s on the way. Don’t worry, everything’s gonna be okay. Everyone just has to stay calm.”
The girls looked at each other and Scott realized that no one was actually stressing out. Scott began to wonder if maybe Logan’s class had been accomplishing what the professor claimed it would after all. Confidence. Self control. Respect. Survival.
“Um, professor?” Kitty spoke up. “When Jean gets here… where is she gonna land the jet?”
Well, crap. Scott looked around the small clearing, too small for the Black Bird, and realized that there really was no place to land a jet. The forest was too healthy, too thick with towering trees. Scott’s heart sank. He turned back to Marie, who was starting to go pale, and patted her unharmed leg. “Stay here, I’m gonna look around. I’ll be right back,” he finished, glancing to each of the girls.
Scott rose to his feet and crossed the small clearing to stand at the edge of the cliff. He looked down and breathed a sigh of relief when Peter landed gently in the water with a splash. The boys were working as a team and Scott couldn’t be more proud. As Peter waded through the red water, Scott searched the area below. The shore line receded a good ways into the trees, suggesting that this shallow pond hadn’t always been so shallow. There wasn’t much room, but it was enough to land a jet in an emergency, and boy did they have an emergency.
“Okay guys, change of plan,” Scott announced. “Jean will be here in twenty minutes, and she’ll have to land the Bird down there,” he said, pointing over the cliff. “I’m gonna take the girls and backtrack down the trail. You tell Peter to stay put. We’ll meet on the shore down there.”
“You can’t carry Rogue all the way back down the mountain,” John said as he fed the rope through his hands. “Look at her.”
Jubilee was holding back Marie’s hair as the poisoned girl leaned to the side and vomited. Scott’s anticipation mounted. “I have to,” he spoke quietly.
“Why don’t we lower them all down in the harness?” Bobby asked. “It’d save a lot of time.”
“Guys! I got him!” The shout echoed through the trees, prompting a few birds to take to flight above them.
Scott peered over the edge of the cliff as Peter struggled to drag Logan’s unmoving body to the shore. Scott thought he heard a few muttered curses. “Is he okay?” Scott called down and immediately felt stupid.
Peter fell backwards on the pebbled shore, heaving Logan’s bloodied torso onto dry land. “It’s a branch!” he called, squinting upwards. “It’s completely through his shoulder!”
Scott shuddered. He gave thanks once again that the Wolverine was out like a light. “Don’t touch it!” Scott yelled. “We’re coming down!” He turned to the guys. “Alright, pull the harness back up. We’ll start sending the girls down, saving Marie for last.”
The boys nodded and began carrying out the orders. Scott walked to the group of girls. His focus went to Marie. Her leg had swelled considerably, and now the punctures were oozing blood from the red, angry wound. Marie was ghostly pale and a fine sheen of sweat covered her visible skin. She was beginning to tremble in Jubilee’s arms. Scott took a deep breath. “Okay girls, we gotta start moving. Jean will be here soon, but we gotta be ready down there,” he finished, letting the words hang in the air.
“Down there?!” came the collective shriek.
“It’s the only way,” Scott replied, his hand already on a blonde’s arm. “Don’t worry, the rope is strong enough to hold Peter and you’ll have Bobby and John lowering you down. All you have to do is enjoy the scenery.”
“I’ve had enough scenery for a while,” came the meek reply.
Scott gently shoved her off to Bobby. “I’ll make you a deal. You let us lower you down and there’ll be no more scenery for a long time.”
The small girl gulped and looked into the bloodstained water four stories below. “I don’t think I can…”
The harness was fitted on her as Scott spoke reassurances. “You have to sweetie, I promise it’ll all be over soon. Go.”
Scott turned, but not before a single tear rolled down her cheek. He swallowed the lump in his own throat, determined not to let his fear show. He had to be strong, for Marie, for Logan, for them all. It might be the only way they get out of this mess alive.
Ten minutes later, the majority of the group was safely on the ground at the bottom of the rocky cliff. Scott let out a small breath as Jubilee was freed from the rope harness and guided to shore. She immediately joined the others in a cluster around Logan, who still had not stirred. Scott was beginning to worry about the strong X-men. He had never seen the Wolverine so still for so long.
Scott placed a hand on Bobby’s back as the teenager pulled the slack rope up the cliff. There were four of them left; Bobby and John, and Scott and Marie. “You’re next,” he said, patting John on the shoulder briefly. There was no hesitation from Pyro as he stepped into the harness.
The sun was starting to slide into the horizon now, just past the high point in the sky. With any luck, they would be out of this nightmare before dinner time. Scott sent out a silent prayer to the canopy of trees below.
A small moan grabbed his attention and Scott hurried back to Marie. He had laid her down in an attempt to ease her pain and now she was shivering with fever. He placed a hand to her clammy forehead ever so briefly, removing it before her mutation could begin it’s pull. Scott kept his face stony as he realized with dismay that Marie was losing ground against the venom racing through her veins. A small shout from the bottom of the cliff announced John’s safe decent. Scott sighed, gathering his strength and hope, then scooped Marie into his arms and quickly carried her to the edge of the cliff.
“She doesn’t look good,” Bobby noted as he hurried to pull up the rope.
“I need you to take her down,” Scott said. He looked around the clearing and spotted a forgotten back pack laying nearby. He snatched it, took out a blanket, and carefully wrapped the unconscious girl in the soft material. “Think you can do it?”
Bobby nodded and Scott couldn’t help but notice his nervous swallow. “She’ll be okay, right?”
Scott rocked back on his heels and brushed a strand of blonde hair off Marie’s forehead. “Jean will take care of her.”
“What about you?” Bobby asked, stepping into the harness.
“I think I’ll have some help from Jean,” Scott replied, not really having thought about it before.
Bobby bent and scooped up Marie. “Can you handle both our weight?”
Scott ran a hand through his sweaty hair. “Yeah, I’ll be fine.”
The two men looked at each other, the silence between them conveying the seriousness of the situation. Finally Bobby spoke, “Well, I guess I’ll see you at the bottom.”
Scott nodded, causing the bright sunlight to reflect off his visor. “At the bottom,” he agreed. He tightened his grip on the rope as Bobby sat on the edge of the cliff and peered into the calm water below. “You’ll be fine,” Scott reassured him. “I wont let you fall.”
Bobby nodded and took a deep breath. “Ready?”
Scott situated himself behind a good sized boulder and prepared to use it for leverage. “Go.”
With both hands wrapped tightly around Marie’s bundled form, Bobby was forced to simply let himself fall over the edge. Scott was nearly pulled into the rock at the sudden weight, but stopped himself and tried to ignore the burning rope burns on his palms. With a grunt, he leaned backwards, placing both feet on the rock and allowing the rope to slide slowly through his clenched fists. Sweat ran down his spine in a feather-light caress, eliciting goose bumps in the midsummer heat. Scott ground his teeth in an effort to maintain his hold on the raw rope.
A distant purr renewed his hope. He knew the quietness of the Black Bird as well as he knew the rumble of his motorcycle. His muscles burned in protest but a smile graced his face and Scott continued feeding the rope over the edge of the cliff. Help was on the way. He was more than willing to turn his injured friends over to the red-haired doctor.
Just as the rope went slack at last, a good omen in the form of a jet appeared over the canopy of trees. Scott allowed himself to collapse against the boulder, breathing heavy from the exertion and relieved that help had at last arrived.
The tree tops twirled in the wind from the jet, bending backwards in an effort to make room for the large aircraft. The group receded into the tree line as the Black Bird was gently lowered onto the small stony shore. Almost immediately after touchdown, the jet fell silent and the trees resumed their normal upright posture.
Scott ran to the edge of the cliff as the ramp lowered from the tail of the jet. “Jean!” he yelled, catching the doctor’s attention as soon as she was visible.
Storm rushed past Jean as the doctor froze on the metal ramp. Scott could hardly make out her features, but he knew she would be closing her eyes, gathering her energy and focus. Her hand extended, fingers aimed right at him, and Scott felt a tug. Fearful of the height but confident in her power, Scott swallowed hard and tried to remain still as he felt himself being pulled over the edge of the cliff. Jean remained frozen as Storm dropped to her knees at Marie’s side, forty feet away.
Scott tensed when the ground dropped out from under him and suddenly there was nothing between him and the shallow pond below. He watched Jean’s hand begin to lower and Scott floated down in synchronization with her movements. A hawk flew over head, cocking it’s head at the curious sight, then blinked and beat it’s wings in an effort to flee the area. Scott’s heart was pounding from adrenaline and it seemed like minutes before his feet sank into the pebbles coating the shore. Jean opened her eyes and Scott breathed in relief. “Thanks,” he said as feeling crept back into his numb body.
Jean smiled in return and at once they were in movement. “Storm?” she called as together they ran to the group of teenagers.
Storm looked up from the pale and trembling girl on the ground before her. “She needs help Jean.”
“Let’s get her into the plane,” Jean ordered, moving to Marie’s head. “Scott, you and Peter get Logan. We need to get Marie back to the mansion now.”
Scott nodded and gently shoved a few of the children in the direction of the jet before turning to the large teenager already at Logan’s side. “Has he moved yet?” Scott asked as he quickly crossed the short distance to Peter’s side.
Peter shook his head. “He’s still bleedin’ pretty bad.”
Scott knelt down, knowing that the moisture seeping into the knee of his jeans was Logan’s blood. “His body’s pumping it out as fast as it’s making it,” he observed, noting the jagged, splintered tree limb and how it had swelled, plump with warm blood. Scott briefly wondered how long Logan would be able to exist in this state of limbo, if left untreated. “Let’s get him in the plane,” he said, reaching down and scraping his knuckles against the warm, wet pebbles as he reached under Logan’s shoulders.
Peter gripped the fallen man’s legs under his knees and together they lifted Logan off of the wet ground. Scott felt warm blood drip down his forearms as they moved slowly to the jet. It reminded Scott of the way his old car dripped oil. ‘Faithful thing never did break down,’ Scott thought grimly.
They were five feet from the jet’s ramp when Scott heard rather than saw six adamantium blades erupt from Logan’s flesh. The heavy body tensed simultaneously, then jerked. Scott dropped his burden in shock and stepped back as silver claws sliced the air in blind defense. Pain sliced through Scott’s forearm as Logan landed on the rocks with a thud and a grunt. Scott barely recognized his own blood filling the trademark wound on his arm as he yelled for Peter for get back. Scott’s attention was captivated by the writhing body on the ground.
Logan’s face was contorted in pain, or at least the part of if that wasn’t being hidden by the pebbles. He was breathing heavy know, Scott could hear the gasps even from his position at the base of the jet’s ramp. Peter slowly circled around the injured, confused Wolverine and came to a stop beside Scott.
“What should we do?” he asked, concern and fear both evident in his voice.
Scott was mesmerized by the sound of adamantium scraping rock as Logan clawed the ground, seemingly in an attempt to right himself. The vicious, splintered wood was became visible on both sides of Logan’s body as he flailed on the ground like a dying insect.
“Professor?”
“Get Jean,” Scott whispered, unsure of how to help now. Peter must have followed instructions, because Scott suddenly found himself alone with a dangerous Wolverine. “Logan,” he tried, projecting his voice and hoping to cut through the pain he knew must be overwhelming the man before him.
The claws of Logan’s right hand retracted and Scott allowed himself a moment of hope. “Logan, it’s just me. You gotta let us get it out of you,” he said, taking a step forward. The branch was impaled in Logan’s left shoulder, which Logan had wisely turned up before he had fallen, letting his right side take the brunt of the impact. Scott felt sympathetic as he watched Logan whimpering, rocking slightly on his side, probably unaware of what was happening.
“Logan!” Jean appeared beside Scott for a moment before moving forward.
Scott grabbed her arm. “Jean, wait!” he warned, looking in her eyes. “I think he’s out of it. He might turn on you.” He looked to his bleeding arm to enunciate the danger that the fallen man posed.
Jean’s face filled with sympathy at the sight and remained that way as she turned back to Logan. She took a deep breath and Scott could tell that she was struggling with her thoughts. “Stay here,” she said at last, very softly. “We’ll tranquilize him.”
Scott was once again left alone with Logan, feeling strangely sympathetic for the man they were about to dart like an animal. It was his fault, Scott realized, watching as the branch ripped Logan’s skin in protest to his thrashing. “Logan,” he tried again, ready to give his teammate another chance. Scott took a step closer.
Three sliver blades cut through the air and plunged deep into the pliant layer of pebbles three feet from Scott’s foot. Belatedly, Scott jumped back and watched as the claws raked through the pebbles, retracting from their strike and continuing to pierce the ground in front of Logan’s heaving chest.
Scott must have turned pale because when Jean reappeared, she asked, “What happened?”
“Nothing,” Scott replied. He looked at the syringe in her hand, full of a pale green liquid, then back to the heap of agony on the ground before them. “Will that work?”
“His healing factor is weakened now, I don’t think he’ll be able to fight it off. I determined the dosage shortly after he returned to the mansion several months ago.”
Scott didn’t know what to think about that statement. Why had Jean calculated how much drugs it would take to subdue Logan? Was Logan aware of it? “How-” he stammered, clearing his throat, “How are you going to give it to him?”
“It needs to be given intramuscularly,” she replied, not really answering his question.
Peter appeared on the other side of Jean. “Maybe I can help.”
Jean nodded. “Just hold his wrists. I’m going to inject his thigh.”
Peter quickly steeled himself, becoming Colossus. He marched forward, his now considerable weight causing him to sink into the pebbles as if they were sand. Logan lashed out, unseeing, but weaker than before and his claws merely scraped over Colossus’s armor with an ear-tickling shriek.
Jean ran forward the second Peter had Logan’s trembling hands secure. She plunged the needle into his thigh, through the wet and bloody denim covering his legs. She slowly forced the thick drug into tense and fighting muscle. Logan jerked and Scott wondered if it burned.
As soon as the syringe was empty, Jean withdrew the needle and stepped back. Logan’s feral cries quickly died away, as did his attempts of freedom. Peter transformed, no longer needing the power of his armor to control the injured man. Logan’s claws retracted.
“Get him inside,” Jean said, sounding almost heartbroken. “We need to leave immediately.”
Scott moved forward, once again grabbing Logan from under his armpits and hoisting him into the air. Between Peter and himself, they loaded the cumbersome, still form onto the jet without incident. The students parted like the Red Sea as they made their way to the area Storm had cleared for them. Storm was now at the front of the plane, preparing it for takeoff and Jean was making Marie as comfortable as she could. With a small grunt, Scott eased Logan down, mindful of jarring the injury further. Peter released Logan’s legs and stepped back, panting.
“You know, I think I was wrong about how heavy he is.”
Scott nodded and wiped sweat from his brow. “Yeah.”
“Should we… you know… I mean, what if he wakes up?”
Scott closed his eyes behind his visor. As cruel as he would feel, and as much as Logan would resent him, perhaps they should restrain Logan. Tie him up. Like the animal he has been trying so hard to overcome. “Yeah,” he sighed, looking away. “Hand me that rope.”
Peter grabbed the smooth, green and yellow cord from it’s hook on the wall and handed it to Scott. “I mean, it’s for his own good. It would kill him if he hurt somebody.”
“Yeah,” Scott agreed, but couldn’t get over the feeling in his gut. He freed a section of rope from the coil and rolled Logan against him while gently binding the large wrists together behind Logan’s back. When he was done, he let his hand linger briefly on his teammate’s arm.
“How is he?” Jean interrupted, kneeling next to them.
“Not a peep,” Scott informed her as Peter moved away.
Jean raised a delicate hand to softly touch the wood protruding from Logan’s chest. “What happened?” she asked.
“I-” Scott opened his mouth and paused. Confession time. “We got into it after Marie was bit. He lunged, I ducked.”
Jean let her hand fall to her side. “It needs to come out.”
“I know.”
“You tied him?” she asked, her eyes moving to the coil of rope behind Logan.
“I thought it was for the best.”
Jean nodded. “I’ll need your help,” she said at last. “We had better move now before he wakes up.”
Scott nodded and moved behind Logan, stepping in the puddle of pooling blood. “What do you want me to do?”
Jean glanced at him and Scott could see pain in her eyes. “Just hold him. It will hurt.”
Scott glanced up and noticed the kids watching their movement with concern. He raised his eyebrows, then remembered the visors had blocked the motion. “Hey guys, I need you to keep an eye on Marie,” he said, nodding towards the unconscious girl.
They took the hint and turned away. Scott looked at Jean and tightened his grip on Logan’s torso. “Ready.”
Jean looked at him with pain in her eyes before wrapping a gloved hand around the accessible wood. She pressed her other hand to Logan’s chest for leverage. Jean closed her eyes, visibly gathering her strength, then opened them, focusing on her patient, and pulled, hard.
Logan stiffened and arched away from Scott to follow the path of the pain, crying out even through his unconsciousness. His head pressed against Scott’s shoulder in what had to be agony. Before Logan fell silent, Scott heard the distinct sound of metal slicing metal, the shriek of it audible over Logan’s feral cry. Scott held on and glanced down to see Logan’s claws piercing the jet’s floor only an inch from his knees.
Jean threw the splinted wood to the floor as if it burned her. Logan fell limp against Scott and lay motionless and silent, save for his ragged breathing. Scott looked at Jean. Logan’s claws retracted.
Jean began to move. She pressed her gloved hand to Logan’s freely bleeding wound in desperation. “Jubilee, bring me the gauze. All of it.”
Scott became aware of the warmth spreading over him, numbly realizing it was Logan’s blood. “He’s not healing,” he said, watching the quickly pooling blood drain through the slices in the floor.
“His healing factor is depressed from the tranquilizer,” Jean replied, keeping a professional tone even though worry was etched on her face. A large stack of sterile gauze appeared at her side and she grabbed half the pile and pressed it to the wound which was steadily pumping blood to the floor. “Here,” she said, grabbing the remaining gauze with a bloody hand and thrusting it at Scott. “Press this to his back. Hard.”
The stench of blood was thickening in the air around them, overpowering Logan’s personal scent of wilderness and cigars. Jean was clearly worried. Scott was worried that she was worried. “What do we do now?” he asked.
“You guys okay back there?” Storm called over her shoulder.
Only then did Scott realize that they were airborne. Thank God.
“Just get us home quickly,” Jean replied, once again meeting Scott’s eyes. He didn’t like what he saw in hers.
“Doctor Grey!”
Scott looked up at the teenagers surrounding Marie. The young woman lay gasping for breath, her skin having lost its color. Her hair was wet with fever induced perspiration. Scott knew the paralyzing effects of the venom had begun and he silently prayed.
“Hold this tight,” Jean instructed, placing Scott’s free hand over the wound on Logan’s chest. Then she hurried to Marie and began working with her back towards Scott.
Scott let his head fall back against the plane then brought it forward again. “Come on Logan,” he murmured. “Marie needs you.” Scott realized he was sticky with Logan’s blood. “Stop bleeding all over me and help her, you big ox.”
Scott wasn’t sure how many minutes he sat like that, feeling the warmth of Logan’s blood covering his chest, his lap. He was sure he was also sitting in it. But then, something changed. What had been a steady and growing warmth stopped being so warm and stopped growing. While Jean’s back was still to him, Scott risked pulling the gauze off of Logan’s chest. The wound was still there, but it was not bleeding freely. Scott breathed a sigh of relief. God bless mutant abilities.
Scott shifted out from behind Logan and lowered the heavy frame to the floor.
“What are you doing?” Bobby asked and Scott jumped in surprise.
“He’s healing,” Scott said and couldn’t help but smile. “He’ll be okay.”
Bobby raised an eyebrow. “I think that’s the most blood I’ve ever seen.”
Scott looked at himself. There was no hope for this outfit. “Me too,” he replied. He looked at Marie, or what he could see of her from behind the worried students. “How is she?”
“Doctor Grey had to put a tube down her throat so she could breathe. She looks awful.”
A small groan escaped Logan and before Scott had fully turned his head, the claws popped, straining against the rope that bound them safely behind Logan’s back. Logan’s eyes were wide open as he struggled for breath, panting hard against the jet’s cold metal floor.
Scott crouched near Logan’s head. “Logan, relax. We’re on the Black Bird. Jean got the branch out. Do you remember?”
The feral spark had already dimmed from Logan’s clouded hazel eyes and Scott knew this was not a repeat performance. Logan looked up at Scott from his awkward position on the floor and Scott noticed the flesh had healed behind Logan’s torn shirt. “Untie me,” Logan grunted but it still sounded like an order.
“Get rid of ‘em,” Scott said flatly.
Logan’s harsh breathing was slowly evening out. His eyes darted around his surroundings and finally, he relaxed. The claws retracted once more. “Untie me,” he repeated. He sounded… tired.
“I’m sorry,” Scott said, and he truly was. He quickly pulled the rope from Logan’s wrists and tossed it aside, away from the clotting pool of blood.
“Did you do it?” Logan asked as he pushed himself upright, seemingly ignoring the blood he splattered by doing so.
“You were completely gone,” Scott said. “It was for everyone’s safety.” It was the truth, why did he feel so horrible?
Logan looked at him with bright eyes, searching Scott for any dishonesty. Apparently finding none, he jerked his chin towards Marie. “How is she?”
“She needs you.”
Logan grew very quiet. “How far away are we from the mansion?”
“We’re only about halfway there.”
“She’s bad Logan,” Bobby spoke up. Scott had forgotten he was there.
Logan nodded. “Help me up.”
Scott and Bobby each took a sticky hand as Logan pushed himself to his feet, using the wall of the jet behind him for leverage. Scott watched with uncertainty as Logan tiled, then righted himself and took a step forward.
“Logan!” Jean exclaimed. “Sit down, you’re in no condition-”
“I gotta help her,” Logan interrupted, gently pushing past Jean and branding her with a handprint of tacky blood.
Jean glared at Scott. Scott shrugged. Logan had done this before, right? He would be fine in a few hours. ‘Let him do it,’ Scott said without opening his mouth.
“Logan, look at yourself, you can’t even stand straight up right now. I think Marie can wait-”
“That’s not good enough,” Logan shot back, finally reaching Marie’s side. He stopped, his eyes glued to her deteriorating form and stood motionless. Scott took a step closer, wondering if Logan had already passed out.
“Logan-” Scott started but was cut off when Logan almost violently ripped Marie’s glove from her lax hand. Logan bowed his head and grabbed Marie’s small hand in both of his. A hush spread throughout the plane.
Scott watched as the Wolverine’s eternal life force flowed backwards through his body, being drawn into Rogue’s by her equally as powerful mutation. Logan quickly turned pale then his breath hitched and failed to start again. He sank to his knees and Scott could feel his own body going numb at the sight. Marie’s convulsing eased to a stop, or had it traveled through her arm and into Logan? Her eyes popped open and she quickly jerked her hand from the two imprisoning it. Logan melted to the floor, landing with a thud.
Scott’s heart beat once before Jean began to move. “Damn him… Scott, get me an I.V. set and a bag of LRS. Marie, how are you feeling? You with us?”
Scott had no idea what the hell LRS was, but luckily the medical components of Jean’s crash cart were clearly labeled. He grabbed the bag of tubing and an I.V. bag seemingly filled with water and hurried back to Jean. Marie was sitting up now, coughing, and Jean was holding a wet endotrachial tube in one hand and soothing Marie with the other.
“Here,” he said, feeling awkward and holding out the supplies.
Jean grabbed Jubilee, mumbled something to her, then turned and took the items from Scott. “Can you bring the pump over here?” she asked, pulling a sterile needle from her pocket.
Scott wheeled the machine closer without words, content to just be of help. He watched Jean take the tubing from the plastic bag, attach the needle to one end, and plug the other end into the bottom of the I.V. bag. With expertise and precision acquired from practice, she quickly had the pump running and the tubing free from air bubbles. Scott watched the clear liquid dribble to the floor before Jean turned the pump off and grabbed Logan’s hand. She quickly inserted the needle into the somewhat deflated vein in his elbow, then produced a small roll of white tape from somewhere and secured the needle. She smiled at him as she turned the pump back on and stepped back.
Scott, feeling a little dumbfounded, asked, “Won’t he just heal on his own?”
“I’m not sure of the extent of Logan’s healing capabilities, Scott,” she sighed, then fumbled with the white tape. “I do know that giving him fluids will lessen the strain on his body.”
“ETA is five minutes,” Storm called over her shoulder.
Scott turned his attention to Marie. She was sitting up, quietly crying but looking very healthy. Jubilee and Kitty were at her side, as he had often seen them, murmuring reassurances. Scott left Jean to care for Logan and moved towards Marie. “He did this because he cares about you. He’ll be fine, you’ll see.”
“You don’t know!” Marie shot back, visibly startling her friends. “You don’t care about him at all, we all saw what you did!”
“Marie,” Jubilee scolded at the same time Scott replied, “It was an accident. He is just as much to blame.”
“You’re supposed to be the leader,” Marie said, pushing herself to her feet. “You’re-”
“Not suppose to defend myself?” Scott quipped.
“Not suppose to fight back,” Marie replied, this time more subdued.
Scott wanted to argue, wanted everyone to see what had happened as he saw it, but wasn’t given that option as Marie turned and walked away.
A warm hand grabbed his elbow. “Give her time,” Jean said. “Everyone is a little upset right now.”
“I’m sorry about what happened to him,” Scott said, trying to assure himself that she was on his side. “I’m sorry he was hurt, that I tied him up-”
“Scott,” Jean interrupted. “Marie is understandably upset right now. Don’t take everything to heart just yet.” Jean paused, glancing at Marie and smiled. “Besides, I think she sounds more like Logan right now.”
Scott huffed. Jean had a point. He had never heard the southern girl be so bold unless she was suffering from the lingering effects of the big Canadian. If he pushed Marie any further, she may growl and deck him.
“Everyone grab a seat, we’re coming in for a landing,” Storm announced.
Scott gently corralled the students to their seats before taking his own. He looked back to Logan. Jean was sitting beside the still form, checking his pupils for a reaction. Scott sighed. Logan had better wake up soon. They had a lot to talk about.
Scott leaned against the med lab wall as he watched Jean make notes in her ever-fattening patient chart for Logan. After the Black Bird was unloaded and Logan transported, Scott had strongly encouraged Jean to use the restraints. They were different the rope, in Scott’s mind, as he viewed the restraints as a medical tool and the rope a symbol of distrust. Jean had refused, on account of ‘He’ll be too weak to raise a finger’, so Scott stood as sentry in the corner, watching.
Jean had removed Logan’s torn and bloody shirt, bagged it and threw it in the trash, then went about the grisly task of cleaning away the dried blood and dirt from Logan’s flawless skin. Scott seethed silently as he watched, damning Logan for stealing Jean’s gentle ministrations. He had been so happy before the Wolverine showed up, so in-control, so confident… so naïve.
The mere arrival of the smoky and rude Canadian had pushed all of Scott’s buttons. Logan had wandered into Scott’s home, began marking the territory as his own, stealing the women and maintaining the nerve to disrespect the leader of the X-men through the whole process. Logan was change, and Scott hated it.
On the other hand, Logan had pushed Scott to reevaluate himself and the way he did things. Logan’s blunt refusal of an order was always backed by an explanation, and as much as Scott hated it, Logan made sense. Logan never gloated after Scott amended his plan of action. Logan never really kept score at all. He simply lived in the present, doing each task as best as he knew how. A man of action.
“Scott?”
He looked at Jean. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. You look like you have a lot on your mind.” She stepped closer and grabbed his hand.
“Just thinking.” He knew she would ask, so he continued, “About Logan. Trying to figure out why he is the way he is.” He looked at the body on the table.
She smiled. “I don’t think he knows the answer to that.”
Scott turned his attention to Jean. “Aren’t you suppose to be at a conference in Florida?”
“I came home this morning. I had a hunch.”
There was movement on the examining table and Jean went to it like a moth to light. “Logan, are you awake?” she asked as she came to stand by his head.
Scott stepped forward too. Logan would know where he was from the smells so there was no need to worry about claws. At least, that’s what Jean had said.
He studied the taught muscles and knew that Logan was awakening quickly. Jean was making notes and it was then that Scott realized the lack of equipment surrounding the once unconscious man. Scott toyed with that thought and how it must disappoint Jean when she didn’t get to use her medical machines.
No sooner had those deep hazel eyes opened than Logan was off the table and backed against the wall, regarding them with watchful alertness. “Morning sunshine,” Scott couldn’t help but mutter, even though it was not morning.
Logan breathed and the tension drained from his body. “How’s Marie?”
Jean tossed Logan a sweatshirt. “Disappointed. Alive.”
“Sounds good then,” Logan replied.
“Thank you,” Jean smiled. “You saved her life. I just wish you weren’t so reckless with yours.”
Logan kept quiet at that. Scott shifted his weight. “Logan-”
Jean interrupted. “Well, I’ll leave you boys to talk,” she said, gathering Logan’s patient file and heading towards the door. “No hitting below the waist.”
The door clicked shut gently. A ringing silence enshrouded Scott and Logan as they stood in uncomfortable proximity with each other. Scott eyed the muscular man before him, grateful that his visors concealed part of him. “I guess I should start with an apology,” he said, lifting his face to look directly at Logan.
“No harm done,” Logan shrugged, but Scott could still feel the tension.
“I guess we were lucky,” Scott replied, moving away to sit on a wheeled stool. He watched as Logan sat on the examining table. Cracking his knuckles.
“Look, I know that you’re the leader of the X-men, and that you’re the professor’s right-hand man, and I can respect that, I really can, but do not,” he emphasized with a raised finger, “think you know more about survival than I do. The professor gave me that assignment for a reason, and it was going fine until-”
“Fine?!” Scott blurted and was on his feet. “You were too caught up in trying to be their friend to actually teach them anything or else Marie never would have gotten bit!”
Logan remained sitting but watched Scott with a deadly intensity. “Maybe if you had stopped being a prick for one minute, I could have been paying closer attention!”
Scott opened his mouth to shout a retort but was silenced when the door opened. The professor wheeled into the large room with a smile on his face. “Logan, Jean told me you were awake. How are you feeling?”
“Like I was stabbed in the back.”
Scott met Logan’s gaze. The professor continued, unaware of the reference. “Yes, well, I hear it was a rather large branch. Must have been quite painful.”
Scott remembered seeing Logan’s tortured body on the ground outside the jet, bleeding freely into the pebbles and blindly clawing the stones for help. His heart sank a little when Logan simply shrugged. “I’m alright.”
Scott shook his head and let his gaze fall to the floor. What do you get when you combine Logan’s macho attitude with an incredible healing factor? The understatement of the century. Scott snorted.
“I came here to congratulate you,” Xavier smiled. “Although it didn’t turn out the way anyone had expected, I am very impressed with the knowledge and skills the children displayed today.”
Logan cocked his head at the professor, raising an eyebrow in an inquisitive expression.
“They were very proud of their rescue mission,” the professor stated. “Every one of the children stopped me while I was on my way down here. I received twelve very descriptive recounts of what transpired this weekend. I’ve decided to give each of them A’s, if you agree,” he finished, looked at Logan for approval.
“Uh… sure.”
“Well then, it’s settled. I trust you two have resolved the conflict between you?”
“We’re working on it,” Scott replied.
“See that you do. Good day, gentlemen.”
Scott and Logan were once again alone in the med lab. They looked at each other.
Scott broke first. “Good job.”
“Thanks. Same to you.”
“You had me scared for a while there,” Scott admitted, wanting Logan to understand the seriousness of the situation. “I’ll admit it.”
“You did good. Kept the kids in line.”
“They kept themselves in line, actually.” Scott sat down. “They were in control.”
“I guess I was kinda being an ass too,” Logan said and Scott knew it was as close to an apology as he would ever get from the Wolverine.
“Let’s remember this next time we aren’t seeing eye to eye, okay?”
“Scott, we never see eye to eye.”
Scott’s hand went to his visors. “Well, you know what I mean.”
Logan smiled. “Yeah.” He got to his feet. “I’m gonna to say hi to Marie.”
Scott rose also. It seemed to be a moment that called for his hand to be on Logan’s shoulder, only Scott knew better than that. “You mean beg forgiveness.”
“Call it what you want.”
“So are we okay?”
“Yeah. We’re okay.” Logan glanced at Scott as they walked into the hall. “Too bad we didn’t see more wildlife, huh? Maybe a bear?”
“Hey, we had enough excitement without one.”
“You’re right. There’s always next year.”
Scott stopped. “Whoa- wait a minute…”
Logan kept walking. “I think we should do this every year.”
Scott watched Logan’s retreating form. “Every year…” he mumbled. “I don’t think that’s such a great idea!” he hurried after Logan. “Why can’t you give out homework like a normal person? Logan? Logan!”
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