I head to the lower levels. Time in the danger room is about the only thing that could burn off this rage. I'm torn. There is no perspective, nothing to balance this against. If I stay, I feel like a pawn, used to help the team and the school. Am I the only one who sees this in the professor? If I go out again, and Rogue returns, would I be upholding any part of my promise to her? I am not even sure what my promise means to her.
"The Wolverine. I have heard much about you, but did not know what to believe."
I thought I locked the door. He walks into the control room, smelling of rum, women, and stale cigarettes. All of which reminds me of my life before the mansion.
"Remy LeBeau, Gambit by trade. You must be Logan," he says, extending his hand, but I wasn't sure what to think. Something about him is untrustworthy, so I leave him hanging.
"From what I heard, you should be 7 feet tall, throw a man 50 feet in the air, light a cigar, and slice him to pieces on the way down."
I turn to face him, looking directly into his eyes. SNIKT. Right under his nose, but I can't get a whiff a fear off of him. He must have been around a while. I pull them back in, not taking my eyes off him at all.
"What do you want?"
"I heard you used to fight. I wanted to see if you were up to some friendly one on one?"
"Hank's not back from D.C., it's not good to take on more than you can handle without a doctor here."
"Your confidence precedes you Logan. I teach the children here, at the confidence of the professor, no?"
"Bar fights and street gangs are one thing, but an army of mutants coming after you? I liked to see what you'd look like on the other side of that." Wasn't I thinking the same about him, just a few hours ago? His proposition is a little too convenient for my tastes. I'm not sure if he is sizing me up, or trying to knock me down.
"Try me." A much too overconfident smile. That boy looks too pretty to be able to stand up in a fight. "I bring my staff, you have your….. butter knives".
"Fine. If I kill you, you asked for it."
"We shall see, Logan."
I pull up a night street corner simulation, enough glass to make it fun, dim lighting to give me the upper hand. I drop my jacket and head down the stairs, he starts down the opposite set. Before I even make it to the end, a swirl of debris impales my skin, old papers charged like the sharpest knives. I dodge the remaining blows as they dent the wall behind me. I watch him duck out of sight, behind a brick wall, but I can hear him breathing. I know exactly how to get to him. I jump a fence that puts me directly behind him. He is still focused towards the light. I pull up the claws and quickly breaking the plate glass, he lunges forward, staff at the ready. I throw my right directly for the staff, but he is to quick. I take one on the chin, feeling the skin break open briefly. Then almost just as fast, I feel it knit itself back together.
"Oh, you heal as fast as you miss. You should be doing better."
As if conducting an orchestra, he waves his hand, making all the glass shards fly through the air, hitting my back, cutting through my jeans. The rest rolls forward catching the light. I don't let him see me flinch. I pull in my claws, throw a left into his shoulder, a bit of a shock I think. His staff is gone. I have his attention now, an upper jab, a quick left to his pretty face. Bleeding above his eye, he stumbles back bit. I pull away. His eyes glowing red, I feel a breeze from behind, I thrust out the claws and raise them just as his staff passes over my head, and by luck, it is now in five pieces. A static charge fills the room. My feet leave the ground, and my back hits a wall and continues through it.
"Pretty boy can't take a few hits," I holler out from the rubble. He stands under the light not charging me. His gaze breaks, shocked.
"We've got company."
"What?" I didn't program any add-ons. Did the mansion get raided?
Back into the center, I see Mystique in her blue nakedness descend from the street light. Sabertooth turns from around a dark alley. FUCK!!
"Stay with the lost kitten. I've got lizard girl," Remy shouts.
Sabertooth has his eyes on me already. I pace him out a bit, take a deep inhale of air, but I don't smell the usual stench that follows this group. Something's not right, but I can't put my finger on it. He growls, teeth showing. I feel a rumble build in my chest. He pounces first, his nails through my shoulder, but I get a good chunk out of his arm. He brings his feet up to my chest and pushes off, sending us both off our feet. I charge toward his back, claws penetrating his torso. He releases a loud hiss, but reaches around to claw a large gash from my back. I push him forward, letting my claws slip out on their own. He falls to a cat stance, turning toward my direction with all fours on the ground. I find a lamppost quickly, to have something at my back. He runs directly at me gaining speed, his eyes never blinking. I pierce through the metal, using it as support, bringing my feet to stop his momentum, then put him in a choke hold with my knee. Sabertooth is clawing at my legs, but I lean my weight into him. This will hold him for a breather.
"How are you doing with the Blue Wench?"
"Smashing, having a great time!" I look over and see him up on a fire escape stairs, focusing his energy to bend the lamppost Mystique has used as a retreat. She jumps and sticks to the brick like a spider. Everything freezes, and starts to fade. I lose my balance as the simulation disappears. Remy also falls directly to the original floor. Sabertooth and Mystique crumble. They were all part of the illusion. I look up to the control room and see Colossus staring down at both of us. It makes sense now. I let my guard down a bit. The kids are safe, the mansion is safe. Col just wanted to fuck with our minds.
Over the sound system, "Both of you up here, now." I am learning he is not one to piss off. We both head up, like little boys in trouble. I smile a bit at the idea. When I left the school after Alcatraz, he was the quiet reserved one. And now I think I'm going to get my ass chewed out by him.
He stares me down, first, with disappointment. Then he walks over to Remy, does the same. Remy starts trying to talk himself out of this first.
"I can assure you, we were not engaging in anything that would leave you without a team member-"
"Quiet, Cajun! This is for training, not for beer brawls and playing out your own masculine insecurities."
"Come on, Col. When did you become gate keeper of the danger room?" I had to know what stick got shoved up his ass. I used to fight in the sims in the danger room for hours on end.
"Until the Professors tells me otherwise, I set the standards here. Classes only. Logan, you know where all the bars are if you want to pick a fight."
That's was low. Professor's little pet I see.
"Gentlemen, all of you are wanted on the strategy room."
"This is over, for now," and with that he left. I wonder if he'll have us mopping floors and washing windows for detention. Or better yet, writing "I will not use the danger room for beer brawls" 100 times on a chalk board.
Remy looks at me with a stupid smile on his face, "So that woman, does she ever wear clothes?"
"Mystique? In her natural form, No."
The Wolverine & Rogue Fanfiction Archive
Barely Legal Since 2000