Animalistic
Disclaimer: I do not ownX-men or any of the characters or plots.
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Knock-knock.
"Charles, you wanted to see me?"
Xavier looked up to see Logan standing in the doorway, and ushered him in. He skimmed over the file one last time before calmly placing it back into his right side drawer.
Logan's boots clicked across the wooden panes of the floorboard as he shortened the distance between himself and the professor. He had just finished with his martial arts class, and was hoping to steal Scott's bike for another late night rendezvous. To say he was impatient to this pause in his late night appointment was the least.
Sighing, the professor he accepted the inevitable. Trying to convince Logan of this latest...favor was going to be trying. Shifting his body to a more comfortable position, the professor steeled himself and cleared his throat.
"Logan. I suppose you're wondering-"
"-Why you called me here, yes." He interrupted. Then again he always did. Logan had no qualms about respecting elders. Perhaps because underneath that youthful rejuvenating skin, Logan was just as old-if not older than the Professor himself.
The professor smiled at Logan's apparent agitation, and waved a hand at the green leather chair beside Logan.
"Sit, please."
The rogue X-man's eyes surveyed the room cautiously. His body stiff with indecision, mouth pulled in a taught line, and his guard, like always, up. After a few moments of silence a grunt was heard and the green leather chair creaked across the floor boards as Logan sat down.
Xavier looked over the man. Over the past six years, Logan had matured, but nonetheless remained his…animalistic self. True, he had taken guardianship over three of their bright young women, and become a permanent instructor at the academy. However, if anyone was looking at Logan for a change of character….well they surely were not going to find one. Luckily, Xavier was hoping-no praying for that animalistic, wild, charm that Logan so emitted on a daily basis.
It would be good for her. At least he hoped.
"Charles."
Xavier brought himself out of his musings, and smiled.
"I suppose there's no reason to delay the inevitable. You never were one for pleasantries and idle small talk."
Logan just stared, impatiently.
"A situation has come up and i feel that you are the best candidate to resolve it."
Getting serious Logan leaned forward. "Are you sure you don't want one eye on the job, or 'Ro even?"
The Professor cocked his head to the side.
"And why do you not think yourself a viable candidate?"
He shrugged. "Why the hell would I?"
"I think everyone here believes more in your team abilities more than you do Logan."
He said nothing.
"Remember, I'm only asking this as a favor not an official mission. If you should so chose, you can reject at any time, however concerning the circumstances I believe that in would be in your personal best interest to hear the proposition all the way through before deciding."
Logan gave a chipped nod, hinting at Charles to continue.
"This favor, if you so chose to accept it, is a retrieval and negotiations mission involving one of our own. The individual has been gone for four months, and has shown no signs of returning. As you know the x-men do not kidnap or force an individual to remain against their will…."
Logan tuned the professor out for a minute as he remained seated. His impatient and bored stance changed quickly to show his tension on said topic. His hands clutched the arms of the chair and the whitening of his knuckles showed his agitation on this particular subject. He knew where this was going , and man did he loathe it. Entirely.
"…we are lucky that the brotherhood has not sought her out, but we can only pray that M.P.U. does not take an interest in her now that she has returned to her native lands, unprotected."
Logan's eyebrows furrowed.
"You mean she was stupid enough to go back there?" he gruffly asked, the edge of normally concealed worry evident in his voice. Inside the professor smiled, it might not be a lot, but it just might be enough to push the hot headed X-man into searching for her.
"It is her home Logan, no matter how much we have tried to make her feel as comfortable here. This place will never be what the forest is to her."
"Then I say we leave her there."
Xavier looked sympathetically at the man before him.
"The transition is hard for her, Logan. It was hard for you too, once upon a time."
"Hard transition? Are you freakin' kiddin me X? Everyone around here from the X-men to six year old brats have been kissin' er ass trying to get her to stay. Even her own nephew doesn't want anything else to do with her. She left. End of story!"
"She is still a valuable asset to our team. And you know as well as I that Zhane is just hurting from his Aunt's disappearance."
"What has she contributed to this team?" He whispered furiously. His body language twisted to show his frustration. He was still pissed over that stunt she pulled on their last mission. "She's dead weight and we're the ones who're havin' to lug it. Hell, Scott n Kurt agree one hundred percent, n we don't even LIKE each other! She doesn't belong here Xavier! You're fighting a lost cause."
Logan stood up suddenly and brought his fist down on the table with a big bang! His metal claws tearing through the oak desk.
The only thing that could be heard was the deep breaths that Logan was trying to get under control. Slowly his claws retracted. The professor looked at him pensively.
"Whether we all deserve to be here Logan is a question for time itself to answer. Why do the humans deserve to shun us, when they are the very creators of our powers? Why are the mutants still divided by power that neither side is capable of sustaining. Why are you a constant target for fate to continually torment either by the loss of your loved ones, or the uprising of your enemies?
But whether or not it is right to take away that choice, the chance for a fellow man to decide that is a crime." The Professor paused.
"I haven't seen you this passionate in a long time." He spoke softly.
Logan Scoffed.
"Passionate? Ha! That girl is not worth my time. Mission. Rejected." Logan hissed, and turned on his heel leaving the room
It wasn't until Logan was all the way down the hall before the professor mentally invaded his mind with the atomic bomb that changed everything.
"And what about Jubilee's time and Kitty's time…or Rogue's for that matter. Is she worth their time, Logan…?"
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