It was early, a little too early to be up yet. Anymore Rogue was dead tired at the end of the day and her mind too a buzz to sleep in. She’d been using the extra time to sort out the mystery of Logan’s death. Or non-death to be exact.
Another week had rolled by and they weren’t any closer to answers. Both she and Scott were convinced Logan had faked his death. There was no other explanation for why the explosions took place. They’d eliminated any other source of ignition, the metal on metal sound was Logan creating the spark with his claws. There had also been no remains, but one glance at his medical report indicated there should’ve been adamantium left even if his body burned.
Then there was the report with his writing filed days after he died. None of it added up. Why would he fake his death? What was the report about? Scott had exhausted every avenue to find answers on the report and still nothing.
All Rogue knew anymore was that she’d loved Logan; still did despite everything. He’d been cryptic when he told her that she needed to believe he loved her, no matter what. It was the only true thing left in his life and she didn’t doubt it even now, so there had to be a reason he chose the path he did.
They’d run the new simulation a million times, and it always ended the same way. “Inconclusive. More information needed.” There was no more information to input. Everything they had, even the skimpy medical… They hadn’t followed up on that.
Rogue dressed as fast as she could and grabbed leftovers from the fridge and her tablet. If she was going to convince Hank to turn over the name of a colleague, she would need facts and some breakfast.
“This is extensive,” Hank commented, studying the x-rays and small cover sheet that compromised the entirety of Logan’s medical records. “There should be reams of paperwork for the procedure alone.”
“And his healing factor. We all knew he healed, but this is…” Rogue paused, searching for the right word.
“Astronomical,” he supplied. “It would have to be for him to have survived this.”
“Or say an explosion and subsequent fire?” she offered helpfully.
“Indeed.” Looking up at her from the tablet, he asked, “You believe him to be alive?”
“It’s a possibility and there are so many questions I have. Being able to talk with someone that might be able to answer those questions or give me a lead to follow, well…” She was almost bouncing, he was considering her request.
“Please,” she pleaded. Begging would not be out of the question. A backup plan was already being formulated for hacking his email, but she would hate to involve Kitty in this if she didn’t have to.
“I won’t divulge who sent the file,” Hank said, taking a notepad and writing a name on it. “However, I will give you the name of a world-renowned scientist, who might be of assistance.”
Rogue stared at the paper then at him. “You’re kidding?”
The lobby was as slick as what Rogue would expect from Tony Stark. Avenger’s Tower was a beacon of advanced technology and she never thought she would be here talking to an Avenger. The X-Men and the Avengers didn’t quite run in the same circles.
A tour group stopped at the receptionist’s desk next to her and she had to smile at all the squirming youngsters. “Miss,” the receptionist said to get Rogue’s attention. “Dr. Banner isn’t here.”
“Do you know when he’ll be back?” she asked. She’d made great time driving into the city, Logan’s old pickup was in excellent shape and was a smooth ride. That didn’t mean she wanted to make a second trip.
The receptionist glanced at her monitor, “I’m sorry ma’am, he’s out of the country.”
“Is there a number I can reach him at?” This definitely wasn’t going the way Rogue had planned. Reality was crashing down on the hope that had been building in her.
“We’re not allowed to give out that information.” The receptionist gave her a sympathetic smile, “Would you like to leave a message?”
This was something best done in person. Rogue sighed, “No, not today.”
Turning to leave, she had to wait for the area to clear as the tour group was getting pictures with someone. As they were moving on, the kids were prompted to remember their manners. “Thank you, Captain America,” the group said in unison.
“You’re welcome, kids.” Standing in front of her was Steve Rogers. Rogue could only stare as he smiled at her. Logan had gone for drinks with a Cap and at one point had called him Rogers. Could this be the same man?
“Captain Rogers… Cap,” she mused. Surely it wasn’t this simple. When one door closes, another one opens. “Friday night with Cap?”
Roger’s forehead wrinkled in confusion for a second. There was only one person he’d had a standing drink order with for years and the woman in front of him would be one of the few people outside of the Avengers that might know that. “Rogue?”
Her heart soared, maybe Cap could provide a few answers. “Do you have a few minutes?”
“I do.” He surveyed the lobby area briefly. “Would you like to grab a coffee?”
Later, seated at one of the little courtyard tables, she finally asked, “Logan wasn’t a maintenance man, was he?”
“No,” he said, with a smile. “He was handy with tools but he worked for SHIELD. Occasionally he helped the Avengers.”
The Avengers she didn’t think would be interested in the school and they weren’t really a government entity. SHIELD, on the other hand, might fit the bill. So far in their brief conversation, she felt Cap was being cautious in his answers and she didn’t expect much but she had to try. “Why Xavier’s?” she asked.
“Threat assessment,” he said curtly. Steve really hated this game, and he’d never been good at playing politics. He, too, like Logan before him, was beginning to wonder where his loyalties were where SHIELD was concerned.
Rogue was a little worried about the fact that Cap was using past tense when he referred to Logan, but maybe she hadn’t asked the right questions. “There was a report on the school.”
He only nodded, and she was positive they were coming to an impasse. Cap was unwilling or unable to answer any questions. “It was signed almost a week after his death.”
This was what he’d been afraid of, being left with no answers outside of the truth. Steve Rogers had always prided himself on never telling a lie if he had a choice. In this case, he would have to intentionally lie to this woman to keep a promise to a friend. His best bet was to dissuade her from this pursuit.
Studying her a moment, he saw the determination, the soft accent, the frankness that had drawn Logan to this woman. She wasn’t Logan’s usual type, he’d always gone for the looser women that would be easily forgotten. This woman reminded him ever so slightly of Peggy and in that light, he could see why Logan had done what he had.
“Sometimes things are better left as they are,” he commented. He didn’t think she’d go for it, but it would let her know he wasn’t answering anything more specific.
Smiling to take a second and squash her anger, she decided to pull out all the stops. It was an emotional plea she had engineered to get more information from Banner. However, sitting across the table from Logan’s old buddy, it just might work better on Cap than the original intended target.
Opening her bag, she pulled out the slim file she had prepared. It was mainly pictures Jubilee had taken around the mansion, Logan fixing things, Rogue and Logan, his Sunday morning group, and the little memorial some of the students had built outside where he used to smoke his cigars. She could have handed over her tablet, but Rogue knew that people were more responsive holding a hard copy in their hands.
Laying the file on the table in front of him, she said, “If it were just about me, I wouldn’t be here.” Cap began leafing through the pictures. “Logan made a decision I don’t understand, but I’d let him go since that’s obviously what he wants.”
Rogue paused as he came to the end of the file, he picked up the sonogram. “But it’s not only about me.” He examined the picture in his hand and she saw the realization hit him.
“Did he know?” he asked.
She shook her head because her carefully cultivated calm suddenly left her. Clearing her throat twice, she finally found her voice. “No, I’m… I’m only ten weeks along.” She cleared her throat again trying to get rid of the shaking.
He saw her look away, swiping at her eye with her hand. If Logan had known, Steve was sure he would have chosen a different path. Steve’s own father was gone from his life all too soon as was Logan’s. This child deserved better than either of them had gotten. “You won’t find the story anywhere, SHIELD wants it forgotten. Several things blew up in their faces and they’re happy to see Logan gone.”
“What happened, do you know?” Rogue asked.
Pushing the file back to her, he leaned on the table, his voice low and serious. “SHIELD-Fury was pushing for a covert team to take down the X-Men,” he began. He saw her confusion. “There were rumors of a paramilitary group carrying out death sentences to any that crossed them.”
“The school…” she trailed off. The X-Men never dealt out punishment, they left that to the justice system. They were about helping people, getting information that stopped the bad guys, and the occasional fight but no serious damage. Nothing like the damage the Avengers and their ‘world saving’ adventures. The X-Men were just rumors with few people knowing what they did, and the school had never officially been connected to them.
Cap nodded, “Logan was supposed to get the information to bring this vigilante group to justice.”
“But we don’t…” Rogue couldn’t chance someone connecting the two, especially if Logan had done all this so that the school would remain untouched.
“Look, I know Logan and I know some of the assignments he accepted to do for SHIELD. More often than not they were starting to fall further past the morally gray area that Logan operated in.” He glanced down at his hands, interlacing his fingers. “The school, you… he didn’t want to leave you and had exceeded his deadline. I think he finally found something that gave him a real purpose. Something above that gray area. He saw no other choice but to protect it and you.”
Rogue didn’t try to swipe at the tears this time but she was proud of the way she kept from letting the sobs out. He’d finally gotten down to telling her the naked truth. Some of those morally gray actions Logan had alluded to but never outright talked about. He’d never been that at the school, with the X-Men, or with her.
Steve studied her for a second and the small tremor at the corner of her lips. Logan had picked a good woman and he needed her more than she needed him. This woman, their child, might help keep a lid on his feral tendencies, keep him out of the gray area.
“He’d arranged for me to meet him a couple of miles from the factory. I saw the explosion and went to investigate. I’ve seen him in bad shape before, but this,” he shook his head. “Don’t know how he made it as far as he did.” Steve decided it was best to skip the part about the amount of metal skeleton showing or how his gut would have been hanging out if they had all been there.
“Got him to a safe house until he was healed up.” He peered up at her, to see how she was doing. She seemed to be taking it in stride. “When he turned in the report, I stood guard outside Fury’s office so their talk, about a few budget items, would remain private.”
“What kind of things?” Rogue was curious as to what kind of information Logan would have that would make an agency like SHIELD accept his report at face value.
“Apparently SHIELD knowingly or unknowingly funded the sentinel program, and with the explosion, the right journalist need only follow a trail that would be laid out for them. Which in turn would lead to other programs they want to keep unnoticed. Logan laid it all out for him, even signed the report right there to make it official. Fury wasn’t too happy at first. Probably still isn’t with his office needing remodeled and those permanent gouges in his desk.”
Speechless and numb. Logan was alive and the nothing report was his attempt to shelter the school and by proxy the X-Men. She wasn’t sure if she should be grateful that he’d done all this to protect them or furious to find out he really had faked his own death. There would be time to figure that out later.
“Do you know where he is now?” It all boiled down to this important question.
“No, ma’am,” Cap said apologetically. He could see how much she loved Logan. She hadn’t gone to all this trouble to seek revenge, but to offer him absolution. “Once or twice he’s worked a fight circuit in Canada when he needed to clear his head.”
The Wolverine & Rogue Fanfiction Archive
Barely Legal Since 2000