Roland looked up from his gun, having just taken it apart then starting to put it back together once again, at the sound of bird, talking its screeching talk, the way most birds will. It was a comfort to see that, no, they were not the only breathing creature in this God forsaken wasteland. As the bird, a hawk was Roland's guess, wheeled and screeched again. Roland was right, the feathered beast was indeed a hawk. Roland looked back down and continued putting his well-worn, well-trusted gun back together. Again. As the hawk screeched yet a third time, Oy looked up to see what pest was so rude as to wake him up. He crawled out from Jake's sleeping form and turned to see what Roland was doing.

"Oy," Oy said quietly looking at the gunslinger. The fire made his animalistic, but knowing eyes glitter and sparkle. He crawled back over to Jake and sat down, still watching Roland. He put his head down and Roland watched as his eyes slowly drooped shut as Oy fell asleep once more. A slight smile lightened Roland's features. He had found his ka-tet, still following his ka, and he was happy. Not the light-hearted joy most people are used to now, like his ka-tet felt when times were kind, but a quiet, subtle happiness deep within. They were the emotions of an experienced gunslinger.

Logan looked up. After the hell called M-Day, he was on the run again, but there were differences. It was these differences that kept him going. For starters, he wasn't alone- he had Kurt and Piotr. What really mattered was, it wasn't him they wanted. Hell was everywhere these, as anyone can tell you, but for a break in the usual, hell wasn't focused on him. He was living like a person, in civilization, not a beast in the woods. But nevertheless, he was running.

The other X-Men had taken their own paths since Xavier was killed and the Institute destroyed. Their worlds had shattered around their heads and their illusions of hope had faded, revealing the real world. And the real world hates anything different. Everyone coped in their own ways. Logan found himself in a bar by himself. Peter and Kurt were looking around the town. Scott and Emma had left together. As he passed though the various bars, he found himself looking for fights that were worth his time and would give him a chance to enjoy himself and have fun. As the fights started, noses were broken along with bones and pride. Logan gave bruises and a few times received bruises, but they healed as soon as they formed. And after a bar became a war field of moaning men and broken bones, Logan took his leave to find another bar for some more fun.

Roland watched as the sun came up, in all its glory and beauty. He wondered where he would be when and if the sun rose again. With the Beams giving away, he didn't know how much longer any if the worlds had left. The Tower would fall and the Crimson King would get the worlds, if anything was left. As the ka-tet's journey drew day into day until everything blurred together and time lost its meaning and no longer held the control it had lives ago. Beams gave away and broke, created unbelievable earthquakes, taking life, humanity, and everything near the Beam. If the Breakers destroyed the Beam…. And Roland knew from Ted that telepaths were the best breakers. Roland also knew from Jake that mutant were being born and hated for what they were. The only mutants Roland cared about was the telepaths. He knew the destruction would come quicker than even the Crimson King himself could have imagined if he stole all of these telepaths. He needed a way into Jake's world, to find a way to lead a rebellion against the bastard.

Roland was jolted out of his thoughts as Oy's cold nose rubbed his hand.

"Orning, Oland," Oy said happily looking up at Roland.

Roland looked down and smiled. "Good morning Oy," he said quietly to the talkative billybumbler.

Oy trotted off to Jake and carefully licked his face until Jake's eyes fluttered tiredly open. He saw Oy and smiled. The smile was not used as often as Roland would like, since Jake was only a young boy, whose ka forced him into a harsh life of kill or be killed. In the right circumstances, Roland thought grimly, a boy can mature quickly.

When Oy decided that Jake was awake, he went over to Susannah and Eddie and licked them until they groggily pushed him away. Oy walked back to Jake.

"Ake!" Oy barked.

"What, Oy?" Jake answered his billybumbler.

"Orning!" Oy happily answered. Jake smiled and patted his head.

Logan walked up to Piotr and Kurt.

"Back so soon, mein freund?" Kurt smiled.

"What, are you trin' to say something, Elf?" Logan smiled back.

Piotr smiled and laughed to himself as he listen to his friends talk and argue.

"Where are you leadin' me, Pete? Anywhere special?" Logan asked still grinning.

"No, Logan. Why? Is there anywhere special?" Piotr asked.

"Nope, just wonderin'."

They were grinning and laughing.

As his ka-tet traveled across the barren wasteland, they passed many small towns. Most of the residents of the pitiful towns were even more pitiful than the town. They were as God-forsaken as the land around them. The horribly mutated excuses for humanity were covered in sores. Their minds seemed as mutilated as their bodies.

Roland led as he usually did. Susannah held Jake's hand as Oy trotted close behind. Eddie was on the other side of Susannah. They stayed close to each other not for warmth but comfort. Safety in numbers is drilled deep into the human mind, and when at a place like this, the deepest parts of your mind are the only parts of your mind. Fear and pity of and for the people was felt by each member of the ka-tet. They kept all emotion hidden, and well, like the true gunslingers they were turning out to be.

Logan laughed much more than he normally did. It was not for himself, he could take of himself and did not care, but for the others. He was the unspoken leader, and if your leader is happy and at peace, then you can be too. They had only themselves left, for the being, as their past was dust in the shades of their memories, already. Logan was what kept them sane. He was support when you needed support. He was kind when kindness was called for, and tough when you needed a hard push. This too real, too sharp taste of reality, had been growing sour in all their mouths.

And the false feelings of safety, sanity, and glimmers of hope were about to be proved false, again. And none of them knew.

Roland led his ka-tet further into Mid-World. As much as Roland had faith in himself and his ka-tet, he thought -knew- that they couldn't do this by themselves. He didn't know if that was what ka wanted, or if ka was wrong. Damn ka. Damn fate. Damn the bastard who they were going to kill. Ka was a wheel, but that didn't mean it turned. Maybe fate was lost, paused, or stopped. He had always known you couldn't change ka, couldn't change fate. But what if that was wrong? What if you could change ka?

He hoped for another door, like the ones that brought him Jake, Eddie, and Susannah. But he knew that he had already drawn his three. Three more?

Ka- fate, destiny

Ka-tet- a group brought together by ka, but stronger. The ka-tet is broken if someone dies or leaves.

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