Note: this is an AU X-story set in a film noir universe, where mutants and nonmutants coexist fairly peacefully. To help you understand the story better, I've included a cast of characters at the beginning. Enjoy!
CAST OF CHARACTERS
KITTY is one of Logan's kids he rescued from the street. She is loyal to him, but has a hard time remembering to hide her power from others.
CHARLIE is a telepathic mutant who heads the mutant police squad. He knows that sometimes, in order to protect the law, you have to break it. He has no problem with Logan, though he'd like to see him reform and join the Force some day. He'd also like Summers and Logan to stop fighting, as he values both men.
SUMMERS is a rules and regs, by the book cop. He will never act to break the rules. Logan pisses him off intensely, but he would never do anything to trap him, either, as that would be cheating. Summers never cheats.
ORORO MUNROE is not a rules and regs cop, but she is willing to go along with and support her partner in public. Privately, she does have some sympathy for Logan's methods.
GAMBIT is a shady nightclub owner, among other possible things. He sells watered down alcohol, has "girls" in the club who are for sale, and knows a thing or two about the criminal underground, as much of it spends time in his club.
WORTHINGTON is a privileged snot who doesn't think much of women. He doesn't let his low opinions out, normally, without being drunk. When he is not drunk, he represses his desire to hurt women.
AMANDA is a newcomer to the movie world, a shining star. Her three films with Kurt Wagner have broken box-office records. She is not related to him and did not meet him before working with him on movies. She liked him and found him fun to be with before Warren cut her up and put her in the hospital, but has recently fallen in love with him due to his devotion and kindness, despite her lowered appearance.
KURT is as dashing and daring off-screen as he is on-screen. He is handsome, brave, athletic, and does all his own stunts handily. He has dearly loved Amanda since their first movie. This led him to act on his dark desire to kill Warren for harming Amanda, and hiring Logan to do it for him. He does regret his decision, though, which is why he paid Logan more than he had planned in the beginning. He is planning to propose to Amanda tomorrow night. (She accepts.)
McCOY, in the noir world, is a slimy bastard, but a fairly unambitious slimy bastard. He wants nothing more than tenure and safety in the academic world, as well as the love and attention of women. He was hoping to get to seduce more women through the use of the telepathic formula, but told no one about this and wrote it nowhere, so no one but McCoy knows the truth. He is the original design "larger hands and feet" Beast.
McTAGGERT worked with her colleagues, Dr. Nathaniel ESSEX, Dr. BOOM, and Dr. Wilhelm STRANGE to create the telepathic formula. She felt it would promote understanding between human groups if it were used properly, and could even eradicate war. When "war" started over it, she panicked and decided to hide, then run. Unfortunately, "Red" caught her before she could.
RED is fairly simple. The Jean Grey of this world is a selfish, greedy woman who has power but no empathy. She doesn't really like anyone, but despises men, particularly men who like her, because they must be weak. She hoped to create her own telepaths, figuring she could finally make people like her. She has problems with anger, and has frequently sabotaged her own interests because she could not control her temper.
LOGAN is our noir hero. Doing good despite himself, while still having criminal impulses and doing criminal deeds, Logan only really trusts kids and men. He has a (low) code of honor and will not kill just anyone for anything. He does not really trust any women, though he does trust his "kids" at any age. He wishes he could, though, and regrets the further erosion of trust in women that Red caused. He is not irredeemable, and has the potential to trust and love a woman, but it would take a lot of effort and time to build such a relationship. Unfortunately, so far Blackbird's the only one interested, and she's out for the count for now....
Night Calls a Stranger, Chapter 1
I looked up at the house. This was it, all right. I knocked politely.
The door opened, and a servant stood there. "Yes?" she asked. I took her arm and swung her outside as I went in and locked it after me. I wasn't here for her. I was here for Warren.
Who am I? I'm Logan. Private investigator. Any job considered. Seeing that this was my only job right now, I was very inspired to do my best.
More servants were coming now, of course. I took some time to ask each of them if they wanted their blood on the carpet, or if they wanted to tell me where Warren was and leave with their heads attached to their necks.
Amazing, how quick people can turn on ya...I got the house cleared and Warren's location faster than lightning, and I didn't even bring any help.
The bedroom was dark. Only the fire in the fireplace gave light. I locked and braced the door behind me, then I spent a few minutes preparing a special surprise. Finally, I was ready.
"Hello, Warren," I said, holding my left hand, claws extended, at his throat. He gasped and then lay still.
"Do...do you want money? I...I'll give it to you. Just let me up."
"Ah, Warren. Warren, Warren, Warren. Nah, I don't want money." I raised my right hand with its claws extended up to his cheek, and he held very still. All three blades glowed with the heat of the fire. "I want to make sure you can't hurt more dames like you hurt that cute little frail, Amanda. You remember Amanda, don't you, Warren?" I sliced his cheeks open with my heated claws. He screamed, then started leaking tears as he protested and begged.
Sorry. I've heard it all before. I got to work. He was bruised and bloody by the time I heard an explosion at the door. I sheathed my claws and whispered, "Say one word, and I'll kill you later." He nodded and pulled the covers up over his head.
I calmly poured two cups of wine and waited. The door came down, and joy with it. My dear old friend Lieutenant Scott Summers stood there, with his partner, Ororo Munroe. Charlie's Cops.
"What are you doing here, Logan?" Summers asked, his nightstick out. I yawned. "Just came to see an old friend, Summers."
He frowned. "That's LIEUTENANT Summers to you, Logan. Mr. Worthington? Are you all right?"
The lump under the bed covers let out a muffled "Yes" and remained still.
Summers nodded to Munroe, who went over to the bed and pulled the covers back. Warren looked bad, and those slashes to his cheeks would definitely scar. "What happened to you?" she asked him.
I broke in, "He...fell."
He nodded. "I...I fell."
Munroe gave me a wise ass look. I knew she wasn't buying it. Summers came over and stood next to me, pounding the stick into his hand. "What did you do to him, Logan?"
I shrugged and sipped my wine. "I was gonna get him a drink, but you two beauties just waltzed in here before I could."
"Is that right, Mr. Worthington?" Munroe asked again. He nodded and curled up in his bed.
Summers growled. "One of these days, Logan...one of these days, you'll step too far out of line. And I'll be there to take you down."
I smiled. "Brandy?" I held out a cup to Munroe, ignoring Summers.
"Offering alcohol to a police officer on duty? Let's take him in," he said to Munroe, as she said no to my offer quietly.
"Lieutenant, perhaps we should just get a doctor for Mr. Worthington's injuries and then leave," Munroe said. "Go, Logan. You're in our way."
I shrugged. "I guess the bird tells you what to do, right, Summers?" I put my hat back on and left to the sounds of Summers sputtering behind me.
The penthouse was across town, and it took me forty minutes to get there. A few words, and I was admitted to a vastly different world. Posters, movies, swords and guns confronted me as I walked into Kurt Wagner's room.
The star himself looked up at me as I came in and quickly cleared the room of others. "Ja, it is done, mein freund?"
"Nah." I sat and tipped my hat back. "One of the servants must have called the cops. I beat him pretty bad, and some of those wounds will leave scars, but he'll live."
He sighed. "Well, even partial revenge is good. Here." He flung me some money and I counted it.
"Hey. This is only half of what we agreed to, Wagner."
He shrugged. "You only did half the job, Logan. I can't pay for unsatisfactory work."
I sighed. "Can't stop acting, even for a moment, can you, Kurt?" I put the money in my pocket. "That was straight from 'Dr. Forell and the Lady,' scene three."
He smiled. "I didn't know you'd followed my career since we left the Army, mein freund."
"Now, about that money," I began again.
He considered me, and then tossed me another small wad of cash. "For helping me with Amanda. Now go."
"Just one more thing, Wagner. Remember your role in The Adventures of Robin Hood?"