The school grounds were strangely quiet, and it was slightly
unnerving. Children sat in small groups conversing, not doing much else.
The usual game of basketball was not being played and the court was empty.
Scott Summers walked past a discarded soccer ball and kicked the basketball back towards the court, not taking his hands out of his khaki trouser pockets. Even though the sun was hidden behind thick clouds, Scott wore deep ruby quartz sunglasses. He had no choice in the matter. If he were to remove the glasses without closing his eyes, he would destroy all that surrounded him. He had been cursed with the power many years before. He had sat alone for two months without opening his eyes after the first incident. He hated it and wished it would just disappear. But, as Professor Xavier had explained to him many times over the years, it was not a 'curse'; it was a 'gift'. It was there to stay. It could not be removed or cured.
Scott sighed and spotted a pair of students sitting on a picnic blanket under one of the many huge trees. He recognised them instantly. Bobby and Rogue. They too were like him, 'cursed' with a power that would never go away.
Bobby's power was controllable; he could turn things to ice and create ice in his hands if he wished to.
Rogue's power was much more of a curse than anyone else's; if she so much as touched another human being with her bare skin, she would draw all of their energy, life force -and in the case of mutants like themselves- their power into herself. She had run away from home after nearly killing two boys in her hometown. They had taken her in though.
"Hey, Scott!" Rogue called and motioned for him to join them. Bobby smiled and waved.
All of the children at the school were pleasant and well mannered, even to their tutors. They were grateful that these people had taken them in, no questions asked.
He moved over to them, smiling. "Hi," he greeted, "having a picnic or something?"
Bobby nodded. "Yeah. We felt like doing something different."
"Oh," Scott said, then turned his head to look over at the other children. "Do you think they wanted a change as well?"
Rogue cocked her pretty head and asked, "What do you mean?" The white streaks at the front of her hair gave her a unique look and added to her powerful personality.
"Well, they're all just sitting around, doing nothing," Scott explained. "They're usually energetic." He turned back to the two students, his glasses creating a red haze in front of his eyes.
They both shrugged.
"Well," Scott sighed, "I'll leave you two alone then." He started to move away.
"Bye!" Bobby and Rogue called simultaneously.
Scott moved back toward the mansion to see if he could find Jean Grey, his girlfriend. He had barely seen her all day, and wanted to talk to her. He just wanted to be with her.
As he entered the huge mansion through its large oaken doors, a familiar -and once annoying- voice called out to him.
"Hey, Cyclops! How are you?" Logan blurted as he walked up to Scott.
Cyclops was the pseudonym that Xavier referred to him by.
Logan's power was incredible healing. But, he had been experimented on, and an extremely strong metal called adamantium had been surgically grafted to his entire skeleton. His main defence in battle was his metal claws that protruded from in between his knuckles.
Logan's behaviour as he walked up to Scott was beyond weird. He was smiling, and he had asked Scott how he was! Logan never did that on a normal day, so he asked, "What are you after, Logan?"
Logan ran a large hand through his animal-like hair and simply replied, "I'm not after anything Scott. Can't I ask how you are every now and then?" Logan tried hard to look offended, and failed miserably.
Scott shifted on his feet, one hand still in a pocket. "No, not without making me paranoid," he replied, smiling. "What are you after?"
Logan opened his mouth to protest, but sighed and shrugged, simply saying, "You got me. Was it that obvious?"
Scott nodded and searched around in his pocket. He pulled out a set of keys and tossed them to Logan saying, "Here Wolvie. Go play." Logan caught the keys to Scott's black motorcycle in one hand.
"Thanks. I won't forget this," Logan called as he walked out of the mansion.
"Yes you will," Scott mumbled after him.
Wolverine was Logan's pseudonym, but he didn't use it often. Dog tags hanging around Logan's neck read the animal name, but that was about it.
Scott continued walking down the huge corridor towards the elevator. Just as he was about to reach it, the doors opened and Storm -a mutant who was able to control the weather- stood before him. She looked up at him, surprised to see him there.
"Hi," Scott said, smiling pleasantly. He took his hands out of his pockets, resting them at his side.
"Hello, Scott," Storm responded, returning the smile.
Scott ran a hand through his brown hair and inquired, "Have you seen Jean? I'm looking for her."
Storm thought for a moment, cocking her head slightly, and replied, "No, sorry. I haven't seen her all day come to think of it." Then she repeated, "Sorry."
"Oh," Scott mumbled, looking down from the black woman's face. "Thanks. See ya' later." He moved into the elevator after allowing Storm to leave. He watched her move down the corridor, her long white hair flowing behind her, and closed the doors.
The elevator moved down the shaft silently, calling no attention to itself. Suddenly, the doors opened with a quiet ping, revealing silvery- white walled corridors. Scott moved down one in the direction of the lab. The walkways were abandoned, making them appear unused.
Scott sighed to himself, listening to the sound of his shoes hitting the metal floor. He neared the laboratory and half-expected Jean not to be there.
But she was.
Sitting at the table, looking into a microscope was Jean Grey.
Scott smiled and moved over to her, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder.
She started and looked round, only to smile at who she saw. "Scott!" she exclaimed, still shocked. "I didn't hear you coming."
"I thought you were psychic," Scott quipped.
She narrowed her soft eyes and smiled. "I wasn't concentrating on that, okay?" She turned back to her microscope, removed the small slide and turned off the little light. She took her hand away from the slide, as if wanting it to plunge to the floor.
Scott almost reached out to catch it, but stopped when he realised Jean was making the slide suspend in mid-air. Scott smiled as it moved over to a container. The lid of the holder opened, allowing the slide to descend into it. The cover closed gently. Scott laughed quietly.
Jean's telekinetic ability was improving, as were her mental skills. He was especially proud of her for the psychic abilities she possessed.
A couple of days earlier, it had been late before Scott had gone to their room, feeling hungry. When he had arrived, Jean had prepared him a sandwich. She had sensed him coming and had felt his hunger. It had temporarily shocked him that she had reached that level. But, her lessons with Professor Xavier were going exceptionally well. At least that was what the Professor had told Scott when he had inquired. The lessons were private, allowing maximum concentration for the two.
"So," Jean began, her voice tender, "why are you here?"
Scott seemed surprised at the question and fumbled for a reply, "I just haven't seen you all day, that's all."
Jean nodded and exhaled. "Okay. But next time, let me know you've come in." She smiled warmly.
Before Jean could continue in any way, Scott leaned forward and kissed her. She didn't resist at all. She had wanted to see him all day too.
* * *
Logan parked the motorcycle with expert precision in the garage, and cut the engine, removing the keys afterwards. The trip had been pointless, but he loved to take little joy rides on Cyclops' bike, just for the hell of it. It was a magnificent and impressive vehicle with some cool gadgets.
Maybe I can get one of those from Chuck, Logan thought to himself, I'd probably crash it within a week! At that thought, he grinned.
There was a sudden, shrill sound behind him. He whirled, allowing his menacing blades to slide out from his knuckles.
A dark figure dressed completely in black stood before him. The figure squealed and Logan realised it was his young friend Rogue standing there.
"Sorry," she breathed, "I saw a spider. Why have you got your claws out?"
He grunted and retracted the slivers of adamantium, wincing slightly as he felt them move inside his arms back into his forearms, and the skin between his knuckles fuse back together, leaving no trace of the deadly weapons that were there only moments before.
"Be careful with those," she joked, "you could have someone's eye out."
Logan made an indelicate sound and asked what she was doing.
"I came down to find you. I knew that you'd be out on Scott's bike."
"Yeah, well, it's the most exciting thing in this wet-cloth of a base," he replied.
Rogue laughed, silvery peals of laughter echoing around the bare room.
Logan glanced about at the five or six cars around Cyclops' bike and remembered the underground complex and Blackbird jet.
"How can Chuck afford all this anyway?"
"Well," she replied, "the other kids say his parents were rich and he has lots of shares in huge companies. He runs it pretty well though."
Logan lifted one eyebrow. "But how can he run this place if he can't even walk himself."
Rogue stifled a giggle raising one gloved hand to her pink lips.
"Don't make fun of Professor Xavier!" she scolded him mockingly. Logan smiled to see Marie happy again compared to when they had first met, her a runaway after putting her boyfriend in a coma and stealing a ride with him. He thought back about the days before he met Rogue, Xavier and the others. He had wondered the States finding work where there were no questions asked when a man could lift twice his own body weight. He had been like that for years before, his memories blurring.
Before even that, he had been in the military facility where they had implanted his skeleton and claws into a killing machine.
He had revisited the abandoned institute recently finding only empty rooms, some with old pieces of machinery too big to move, dust-choked and broken. His walk through there had brought dimly remembered flashes of images and feelings. Metal instruments, masked people, blood and the pain. Lots of pain.
"Logan?" Rogue murmured, bringing him out of his reverie. She looked concerned for him. He smiled again, showing his long canines and putting her at ease.
"I have to meet up with Chuck, Storm and the others. Magneto and his goonies are still out there."
"Can't I come?" she whined.
"No," he replied, smoothing the black dress on her shoulder. "You nearly died once. I don't want to lose you again."
"But-" she objected.
Logan cut her off, "No arguments. Go and study."
Wolverine thought about meeting the others again and seeing Jean Grey. The way she walked, the way her hair rested on her shoulders, the way her eyes shone. Logan couldn't stop thinking about her. Even if she was spoken for.
* * *
Ororo strode confidently down the polished floor past the oak panelling and doors where she could hear the gifted children having classes. She walked up to the secret elevator and, glancing around to check no students were near, she flicked the switch, and a section of wall slid open, revealing a small white room. She took a deep breath and steeled herself for the journey four floors down. She stepped in and the wall panel closed behind her. The elevator was big enough to accommodate Professor Xavier's wheelchair, still too small for her liking. She had made this trip a thousand times, but her claustrophobia always acted up.
The door slid open again and she stepped into the silvery-white corridors that were so familiar to her. She walked off toward the briefing room.
* * *
Jean rubbed her eyes and replaced her spectacles. She pushed the microscope away and replaced the slide.
Scott had gone up to take a shower before the meeting.
She walked to the door, took off her white lab coat, smoothed down the creases in her blouse and put her blue jacket on. She knew she'd worn the wrong shoes when they started to pinch. She thought about going up to her room and changing them, and surprising Scott in the shower, but dismissed the idea. They would be late for the meeting. She smiled to herself as she walked down the hall towards the briefing room.
* * *
Charles trundled towards the briefing room to meet with the X-Men. They had all come a long way since he had first met them. As the automatic doors slid open, Xavier could already sense that Cyclops and Wolverine were in the room, probably arguing.
"Good afternoon, gentlemen," he greeted them as he came in. The room was circular with computer displays and television screens around the walls. In the middle of the room was what Wolverine referred to as 'Arthur's table'. It was a circular, fairly low table with spaces for each of them. On top of the table at each place was a small computer readout and in the centre, a large holographic emitter.
Wolverine and Cyclops were on opposite sides of the table, Scott leaning on the table with one hand on his knuckles and one finger jabbing at Wolverine, and Logan leant back in his chair with his feet on the table.
"Good afternoon, Professor," said Cyclops.
"Hi, Chuck," greeted Wolverine.
With a quick glance in his direction, Charles continued, "I see the women have not arrived yet."
"Probably powdering their noses," Wolverine quipped.
Cyclops opened his mouth to protest, probably to ignite the inappropriate sparks between the two, only to be interrupted by the entrance of Storm.
"Good afternoon," she greeted, voice pleasant, "sorry I'm late."
Charles nodded his appreciation of her apology, and she moved to sit beside Wolverine, leaving the seat beside Cyclops for Jean.
Will you be long? Charles asked his missing student.
The door clicked open.
"No, I won't, Professor," came Jean's voice as she entered.
"Hi," Wolverine greeted, his smile growing wider by the minute, much to the disapproval of Cyclops, who just glared behind red sunglasses.
Charles took note that all of the X-Men wore casual dress, probably not knowing that Wolverine would request a gathering. He was going to request they gather himself anyway.
Taking his seat between Storm and Jean, he began the unscheduled briefing, "Logan, would you like to tell us what, exactly, this is all about?"
Logan removed his feet from the large table, resting them on the floor and leant forward, appearing more professional. "I just thought we should all remember that Magneto and his goonies are still out there. They're a threat, if I'm not mistaken." His voice was stern and his message had been direct and to the point.
Charles was surprised at Logan's immediate response and the urgency in his gruff voice. When they had first met, Logan had not had the longest concentration span. He hadn't even wanted to join the X-Men. Xavier understood that Logan had had a difficult and disturbing past, but he had most definitely got his act together. More than that, he had become a second-in-command to Cyclops, even if Scott wasn't pleased with the circumstances. But now they were a stronger team due to Wolverine's arrival. He was a valuable member of the group, his sheer stamina raising their chances of success in battle. Even though Charles was sickened by what 'they' had done to Logan, it was an advantageous capability.
Charles responded with certainty, "Magneto is locked away, in a plastic prison I might add." His tone was intended to reassure Wolverine, but instead it drew an instant protest.
"But Sabretooth isn't," he blurted, not expecting a response, least of all from Cyclops.
"I blew him right out of the Statue of Liberty, remember?" Scott imparted confidently. "I think he might be dead."
Logan huffed like a foiled child and continued, "Toad?"
"Fried. Sorry," Storm said, as if killing someone so insidious as Toad was a wrong action.
Charles could see the frustration was building up inside Wolverine by the way his eyes flicked around the room, as if unwilling to surrender his plight for action.
"Mystique! We know she's not dead," Logan almost shouted, his low grumble of a voice almost going high-pitched.
Cyclops sighed and commented submittedly, "I hate to agree with Logan, but... I do."
Wolverine appeared almost smug at the response he had drawn from Cyclops and settled deeply into his padded chair, having contributed enough for one briefing.
"Yes, Logan, you are right," Charles agreed, nodding his head. "First of all though..." he stopped, waiting for a response from Logan. He got one.
"What?" the man mumbled indecisively, shaking his head in the slightest way. The look in his brown eyes was one of curiosity. Logan was taking interest. It was a good sign of his progression.
Charles continued without hesitation, putting Logan at ease, "I have had a rather interesting phone call from a mutant named Gambit who wishes to help us."
This time, Cyclops put in a question, "Help us, how?"
Charles could sense the doubt in Scott's mind, but he intended to put that aside, as he replied, "Help us in stopping Magneto."
The table was quiet. Looks were passed between the four, but no conversation. All of them were still so young.
All of them still have their hair! Charles thought humorously.
"Cyclops, I want you to go and rendezvous with Gambit. Take-"
Logan cut him off with an abrupt, false cough. Charles persisted, taking the hint, "Take Logan with you."
At that comment, Storm straightened instantly and glanced at Cyclops, who stared at Charles, unsettled.
"Professor," Storm said, facing him, "are you sure about this?"
Charles understood the question, its purpose and why she had asked it. "Logan is a wise choice, Storm. He has heightened senses and will be able to defend the both of them quickly," he explained in a fatherly tone. "Do you understand my decision?"
Reluctantly, Storm nodded. Cyclops still looked unsure.
Charles sighed. This was quite childish of the team to debate who got paired with whom on a mission. Especially one as minor as this. He glanced towards Scott. "You will handle all affairs between you and Gambit."
Scott nodded.
Wolverine seemed temporarily agitated to hear Charles' last statement, but soon lightened. He was probably glad to hear he had been trusted with this assignment. He would be like a security guard for the two. If an urgent situation should arise, Wolverine would be able to defend them within seconds.
"Well Logan, you have to admit, you're not the most diplomatic of people," Cyclops told him lightly.
Wolverine smiled. At least, his lips curled and he showed his teeth.
"What about us?" Jean inquired, speaking for the female faction of the X-Men.
"For you and Storm," he replied, "I have a very special task." With that, he wheeled out of the room.
* * *
Note: I started writing this THREE years ago, so you'll have to forgive the style. It's still in work, but it's just about finished now. Plenty more to come. I'd really appreciate reviews. I'd like to thank ikhan11 for his help in the beginning. You might find some differences to the original X-Men cartoon etc later on, but I changed it because it fit better with my plans. Hope you enjoyed this. Thanks!
Scott Summers walked past a discarded soccer ball and kicked the basketball back towards the court, not taking his hands out of his khaki trouser pockets. Even though the sun was hidden behind thick clouds, Scott wore deep ruby quartz sunglasses. He had no choice in the matter. If he were to remove the glasses without closing his eyes, he would destroy all that surrounded him. He had been cursed with the power many years before. He had sat alone for two months without opening his eyes after the first incident. He hated it and wished it would just disappear. But, as Professor Xavier had explained to him many times over the years, it was not a 'curse'; it was a 'gift'. It was there to stay. It could not be removed or cured.
Scott sighed and spotted a pair of students sitting on a picnic blanket under one of the many huge trees. He recognised them instantly. Bobby and Rogue. They too were like him, 'cursed' with a power that would never go away.
Bobby's power was controllable; he could turn things to ice and create ice in his hands if he wished to.
Rogue's power was much more of a curse than anyone else's; if she so much as touched another human being with her bare skin, she would draw all of their energy, life force -and in the case of mutants like themselves- their power into herself. She had run away from home after nearly killing two boys in her hometown. They had taken her in though.
"Hey, Scott!" Rogue called and motioned for him to join them. Bobby smiled and waved.
All of the children at the school were pleasant and well mannered, even to their tutors. They were grateful that these people had taken them in, no questions asked.
He moved over to them, smiling. "Hi," he greeted, "having a picnic or something?"
Bobby nodded. "Yeah. We felt like doing something different."
"Oh," Scott said, then turned his head to look over at the other children. "Do you think they wanted a change as well?"
Rogue cocked her pretty head and asked, "What do you mean?" The white streaks at the front of her hair gave her a unique look and added to her powerful personality.
"Well, they're all just sitting around, doing nothing," Scott explained. "They're usually energetic." He turned back to the two students, his glasses creating a red haze in front of his eyes.
They both shrugged.
"Well," Scott sighed, "I'll leave you two alone then." He started to move away.
"Bye!" Bobby and Rogue called simultaneously.
Scott moved back toward the mansion to see if he could find Jean Grey, his girlfriend. He had barely seen her all day, and wanted to talk to her. He just wanted to be with her.
As he entered the huge mansion through its large oaken doors, a familiar -and once annoying- voice called out to him.
"Hey, Cyclops! How are you?" Logan blurted as he walked up to Scott.
Cyclops was the pseudonym that Xavier referred to him by.
Logan's power was incredible healing. But, he had been experimented on, and an extremely strong metal called adamantium had been surgically grafted to his entire skeleton. His main defence in battle was his metal claws that protruded from in between his knuckles.
Logan's behaviour as he walked up to Scott was beyond weird. He was smiling, and he had asked Scott how he was! Logan never did that on a normal day, so he asked, "What are you after, Logan?"
Logan ran a large hand through his animal-like hair and simply replied, "I'm not after anything Scott. Can't I ask how you are every now and then?" Logan tried hard to look offended, and failed miserably.
Scott shifted on his feet, one hand still in a pocket. "No, not without making me paranoid," he replied, smiling. "What are you after?"
Logan opened his mouth to protest, but sighed and shrugged, simply saying, "You got me. Was it that obvious?"
Scott nodded and searched around in his pocket. He pulled out a set of keys and tossed them to Logan saying, "Here Wolvie. Go play." Logan caught the keys to Scott's black motorcycle in one hand.
"Thanks. I won't forget this," Logan called as he walked out of the mansion.
"Yes you will," Scott mumbled after him.
Wolverine was Logan's pseudonym, but he didn't use it often. Dog tags hanging around Logan's neck read the animal name, but that was about it.
Scott continued walking down the huge corridor towards the elevator. Just as he was about to reach it, the doors opened and Storm -a mutant who was able to control the weather- stood before him. She looked up at him, surprised to see him there.
"Hi," Scott said, smiling pleasantly. He took his hands out of his pockets, resting them at his side.
"Hello, Scott," Storm responded, returning the smile.
Scott ran a hand through his brown hair and inquired, "Have you seen Jean? I'm looking for her."
Storm thought for a moment, cocking her head slightly, and replied, "No, sorry. I haven't seen her all day come to think of it." Then she repeated, "Sorry."
"Oh," Scott mumbled, looking down from the black woman's face. "Thanks. See ya' later." He moved into the elevator after allowing Storm to leave. He watched her move down the corridor, her long white hair flowing behind her, and closed the doors.
The elevator moved down the shaft silently, calling no attention to itself. Suddenly, the doors opened with a quiet ping, revealing silvery- white walled corridors. Scott moved down one in the direction of the lab. The walkways were abandoned, making them appear unused.
Scott sighed to himself, listening to the sound of his shoes hitting the metal floor. He neared the laboratory and half-expected Jean not to be there.
But she was.
Sitting at the table, looking into a microscope was Jean Grey.
Scott smiled and moved over to her, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder.
She started and looked round, only to smile at who she saw. "Scott!" she exclaimed, still shocked. "I didn't hear you coming."
"I thought you were psychic," Scott quipped.
She narrowed her soft eyes and smiled. "I wasn't concentrating on that, okay?" She turned back to her microscope, removed the small slide and turned off the little light. She took her hand away from the slide, as if wanting it to plunge to the floor.
Scott almost reached out to catch it, but stopped when he realised Jean was making the slide suspend in mid-air. Scott smiled as it moved over to a container. The lid of the holder opened, allowing the slide to descend into it. The cover closed gently. Scott laughed quietly.
Jean's telekinetic ability was improving, as were her mental skills. He was especially proud of her for the psychic abilities she possessed.
A couple of days earlier, it had been late before Scott had gone to their room, feeling hungry. When he had arrived, Jean had prepared him a sandwich. She had sensed him coming and had felt his hunger. It had temporarily shocked him that she had reached that level. But, her lessons with Professor Xavier were going exceptionally well. At least that was what the Professor had told Scott when he had inquired. The lessons were private, allowing maximum concentration for the two.
"So," Jean began, her voice tender, "why are you here?"
Scott seemed surprised at the question and fumbled for a reply, "I just haven't seen you all day, that's all."
Jean nodded and exhaled. "Okay. But next time, let me know you've come in." She smiled warmly.
Before Jean could continue in any way, Scott leaned forward and kissed her. She didn't resist at all. She had wanted to see him all day too.
* * *
Logan parked the motorcycle with expert precision in the garage, and cut the engine, removing the keys afterwards. The trip had been pointless, but he loved to take little joy rides on Cyclops' bike, just for the hell of it. It was a magnificent and impressive vehicle with some cool gadgets.
Maybe I can get one of those from Chuck, Logan thought to himself, I'd probably crash it within a week! At that thought, he grinned.
There was a sudden, shrill sound behind him. He whirled, allowing his menacing blades to slide out from his knuckles.
A dark figure dressed completely in black stood before him. The figure squealed and Logan realised it was his young friend Rogue standing there.
"Sorry," she breathed, "I saw a spider. Why have you got your claws out?"
He grunted and retracted the slivers of adamantium, wincing slightly as he felt them move inside his arms back into his forearms, and the skin between his knuckles fuse back together, leaving no trace of the deadly weapons that were there only moments before.
"Be careful with those," she joked, "you could have someone's eye out."
Logan made an indelicate sound and asked what she was doing.
"I came down to find you. I knew that you'd be out on Scott's bike."
"Yeah, well, it's the most exciting thing in this wet-cloth of a base," he replied.
Rogue laughed, silvery peals of laughter echoing around the bare room.
Logan glanced about at the five or six cars around Cyclops' bike and remembered the underground complex and Blackbird jet.
"How can Chuck afford all this anyway?"
"Well," she replied, "the other kids say his parents were rich and he has lots of shares in huge companies. He runs it pretty well though."
Logan lifted one eyebrow. "But how can he run this place if he can't even walk himself."
Rogue stifled a giggle raising one gloved hand to her pink lips.
"Don't make fun of Professor Xavier!" she scolded him mockingly. Logan smiled to see Marie happy again compared to when they had first met, her a runaway after putting her boyfriend in a coma and stealing a ride with him. He thought back about the days before he met Rogue, Xavier and the others. He had wondered the States finding work where there were no questions asked when a man could lift twice his own body weight. He had been like that for years before, his memories blurring.
Before even that, he had been in the military facility where they had implanted his skeleton and claws into a killing machine.
He had revisited the abandoned institute recently finding only empty rooms, some with old pieces of machinery too big to move, dust-choked and broken. His walk through there had brought dimly remembered flashes of images and feelings. Metal instruments, masked people, blood and the pain. Lots of pain.
"Logan?" Rogue murmured, bringing him out of his reverie. She looked concerned for him. He smiled again, showing his long canines and putting her at ease.
"I have to meet up with Chuck, Storm and the others. Magneto and his goonies are still out there."
"Can't I come?" she whined.
"No," he replied, smoothing the black dress on her shoulder. "You nearly died once. I don't want to lose you again."
"But-" she objected.
Logan cut her off, "No arguments. Go and study."
Wolverine thought about meeting the others again and seeing Jean Grey. The way she walked, the way her hair rested on her shoulders, the way her eyes shone. Logan couldn't stop thinking about her. Even if she was spoken for.
* * *
Ororo strode confidently down the polished floor past the oak panelling and doors where she could hear the gifted children having classes. She walked up to the secret elevator and, glancing around to check no students were near, she flicked the switch, and a section of wall slid open, revealing a small white room. She took a deep breath and steeled herself for the journey four floors down. She stepped in and the wall panel closed behind her. The elevator was big enough to accommodate Professor Xavier's wheelchair, still too small for her liking. She had made this trip a thousand times, but her claustrophobia always acted up.
The door slid open again and she stepped into the silvery-white corridors that were so familiar to her. She walked off toward the briefing room.
* * *
Jean rubbed her eyes and replaced her spectacles. She pushed the microscope away and replaced the slide.
Scott had gone up to take a shower before the meeting.
She walked to the door, took off her white lab coat, smoothed down the creases in her blouse and put her blue jacket on. She knew she'd worn the wrong shoes when they started to pinch. She thought about going up to her room and changing them, and surprising Scott in the shower, but dismissed the idea. They would be late for the meeting. She smiled to herself as she walked down the hall towards the briefing room.
* * *
Charles trundled towards the briefing room to meet with the X-Men. They had all come a long way since he had first met them. As the automatic doors slid open, Xavier could already sense that Cyclops and Wolverine were in the room, probably arguing.
"Good afternoon, gentlemen," he greeted them as he came in. The room was circular with computer displays and television screens around the walls. In the middle of the room was what Wolverine referred to as 'Arthur's table'. It was a circular, fairly low table with spaces for each of them. On top of the table at each place was a small computer readout and in the centre, a large holographic emitter.
Wolverine and Cyclops were on opposite sides of the table, Scott leaning on the table with one hand on his knuckles and one finger jabbing at Wolverine, and Logan leant back in his chair with his feet on the table.
"Good afternoon, Professor," said Cyclops.
"Hi, Chuck," greeted Wolverine.
With a quick glance in his direction, Charles continued, "I see the women have not arrived yet."
"Probably powdering their noses," Wolverine quipped.
Cyclops opened his mouth to protest, probably to ignite the inappropriate sparks between the two, only to be interrupted by the entrance of Storm.
"Good afternoon," she greeted, voice pleasant, "sorry I'm late."
Charles nodded his appreciation of her apology, and she moved to sit beside Wolverine, leaving the seat beside Cyclops for Jean.
Will you be long? Charles asked his missing student.
The door clicked open.
"No, I won't, Professor," came Jean's voice as she entered.
"Hi," Wolverine greeted, his smile growing wider by the minute, much to the disapproval of Cyclops, who just glared behind red sunglasses.
Charles took note that all of the X-Men wore casual dress, probably not knowing that Wolverine would request a gathering. He was going to request they gather himself anyway.
Taking his seat between Storm and Jean, he began the unscheduled briefing, "Logan, would you like to tell us what, exactly, this is all about?"
Logan removed his feet from the large table, resting them on the floor and leant forward, appearing more professional. "I just thought we should all remember that Magneto and his goonies are still out there. They're a threat, if I'm not mistaken." His voice was stern and his message had been direct and to the point.
Charles was surprised at Logan's immediate response and the urgency in his gruff voice. When they had first met, Logan had not had the longest concentration span. He hadn't even wanted to join the X-Men. Xavier understood that Logan had had a difficult and disturbing past, but he had most definitely got his act together. More than that, he had become a second-in-command to Cyclops, even if Scott wasn't pleased with the circumstances. But now they were a stronger team due to Wolverine's arrival. He was a valuable member of the group, his sheer stamina raising their chances of success in battle. Even though Charles was sickened by what 'they' had done to Logan, it was an advantageous capability.
Charles responded with certainty, "Magneto is locked away, in a plastic prison I might add." His tone was intended to reassure Wolverine, but instead it drew an instant protest.
"But Sabretooth isn't," he blurted, not expecting a response, least of all from Cyclops.
"I blew him right out of the Statue of Liberty, remember?" Scott imparted confidently. "I think he might be dead."
Logan huffed like a foiled child and continued, "Toad?"
"Fried. Sorry," Storm said, as if killing someone so insidious as Toad was a wrong action.
Charles could see the frustration was building up inside Wolverine by the way his eyes flicked around the room, as if unwilling to surrender his plight for action.
"Mystique! We know she's not dead," Logan almost shouted, his low grumble of a voice almost going high-pitched.
Cyclops sighed and commented submittedly, "I hate to agree with Logan, but... I do."
Wolverine appeared almost smug at the response he had drawn from Cyclops and settled deeply into his padded chair, having contributed enough for one briefing.
"Yes, Logan, you are right," Charles agreed, nodding his head. "First of all though..." he stopped, waiting for a response from Logan. He got one.
"What?" the man mumbled indecisively, shaking his head in the slightest way. The look in his brown eyes was one of curiosity. Logan was taking interest. It was a good sign of his progression.
Charles continued without hesitation, putting Logan at ease, "I have had a rather interesting phone call from a mutant named Gambit who wishes to help us."
This time, Cyclops put in a question, "Help us, how?"
Charles could sense the doubt in Scott's mind, but he intended to put that aside, as he replied, "Help us in stopping Magneto."
The table was quiet. Looks were passed between the four, but no conversation. All of them were still so young.
All of them still have their hair! Charles thought humorously.
"Cyclops, I want you to go and rendezvous with Gambit. Take-"
Logan cut him off with an abrupt, false cough. Charles persisted, taking the hint, "Take Logan with you."
At that comment, Storm straightened instantly and glanced at Cyclops, who stared at Charles, unsettled.
"Professor," Storm said, facing him, "are you sure about this?"
Charles understood the question, its purpose and why she had asked it. "Logan is a wise choice, Storm. He has heightened senses and will be able to defend the both of them quickly," he explained in a fatherly tone. "Do you understand my decision?"
Reluctantly, Storm nodded. Cyclops still looked unsure.
Charles sighed. This was quite childish of the team to debate who got paired with whom on a mission. Especially one as minor as this. He glanced towards Scott. "You will handle all affairs between you and Gambit."
Scott nodded.
Wolverine seemed temporarily agitated to hear Charles' last statement, but soon lightened. He was probably glad to hear he had been trusted with this assignment. He would be like a security guard for the two. If an urgent situation should arise, Wolverine would be able to defend them within seconds.
"Well Logan, you have to admit, you're not the most diplomatic of people," Cyclops told him lightly.
Wolverine smiled. At least, his lips curled and he showed his teeth.
"What about us?" Jean inquired, speaking for the female faction of the X-Men.
"For you and Storm," he replied, "I have a very special task." With that, he wheeled out of the room.
* * *
Note: I started writing this THREE years ago, so you'll have to forgive the style. It's still in work, but it's just about finished now. Plenty more to come. I'd really appreciate reviews. I'd like to thank ikhan11 for his help in the beginning. You might find some differences to the original X-Men cartoon etc later on, but I changed it because it fit better with my plans. Hope you enjoyed this. Thanks!