Summary: Something terrible has happened to Henry McCoy and the Xs try to cope. Part five of my Twilight series!
Notes: Sorry for the delay in getting this part up and running. I could run through the usual list of excuses – I got the flu, my kid is going to drive me into a mental hospital, my attention span is shrinking by the second. But mainly I've been I've been distracted by all the yummy Gambit promotional pics coming out for the upcoming Wolverine movie. The actor playing him – Taylor Kitsch – is going to be perfect. I've been watching his other work, mainly his work on the TV series Friday Night Lights that is now playing on NBC. He's just wonderful there and I recommend the show to anyone who enjoys realistic shows about teens coping with the high school blues.
But enough of me! Time to read! :)
Art for this is up at my website if anyone is interested in looking at it.
Updated 11-6-13 to add (break)s as needed and fix the usual crap.
(One)
"Zander had no call to say what he done," Kimble complained, worried about what his alter ego may have done. "Not after all Remy has done fer us."
"Do not fret, my luv," Aiden said to him, dutifully stoking Kimble's head as he would a sorrowful child. "You worry far too much."
The post-Game Solarium at mid-morning was oftentimes quiet with the Complex's diminished population and for now Aiden was glad of it. He and Kimble had come here to recuperate after the morning's mission and there was plenty of privacy.
A good sized portion of land on this level of the Solarium had been given over for the Siskans' use and Kimble and Asher had taken fair advantage of it. In recent weeks, Kimble had restored as much of his former Westchester garden as he could – Remy had been very helpful by returning to the Mansion as often as he could and recovering as many of Kimble's old statues and shrubs as he could manage. Kimble had arranged these decorations and plants in their new home with great skill, creating a wonderful sanctuary for all to enjoy. There were shady trees and benches all about, kept company by wonderful arrangements of planted flowers and stone gardens.
Asher had done his own part by erecting a large, garage sized sanctuary that housed an area for prayer and contemplation. It was open on three sides, allowing for plenty of fresh air and had a small steeple with a cross on top, making it look like a small outdoor church. Trying to keep it as non-denominational as possible, it had a plain unadorned cross with a kneeler in front, room enough for three or four at once. Stacks of handsome leather bound, gilded Bibles were off to one side with a sign announcing they were free for the taking. He had several translations, trying to encourage as many folks to read them as he could. A small shelf of glass encased prayer candles was off to one side, there for anyone to use. Asher asked for no donations, he paid for all of it through the inheritance he had been given by his deceased former Master, Trishnar. The sanctuary was constructed of stained hardwoods and was finely crafted, a lovely addition to Kimble's exquisite garden.
This land was not for the Siskans' exclusive and private use, anyone could come in, but with all the tall shrubs around it was private enough that Kimble would let his guard down enough to allow Aiden to touch him freely here, one reason why Aiden liked here as much as he did.
Kimble and Aiden now sat near to the sanctuary Asher had made, occupying one of the wooden picnic tables there. This table didn't have as much shade, they wanted to take advantage of the life giving sun streaming down from the mirrors above to recharge their tapped reserves. Aiden sat on the table top itself while Kimble had taken the bench, all the better to lay his head on Aiden's knee to be petted.
Kimble was nervous about what Zander had said and done. He didn't want Remy to be upset with him, though he knew at the moment that the thief had other concerns. It was obvious Gambit was still in shock over Julien.
"What did Zandair szay exactly?" Aiden wanted to know.
Kimble sighed in dismay. "Said that Remy wuz selfish and a coward. Selfish fer makin' me goes on the mission when he knews I didn't wanna and a coward fer not stickin' up fer hisself. He said that he wouldn't help Remy with his team if he wuz gonner be such a pussy. Remy ain't no pussy. Zander shouldn't never had said them things. Never."
Aiden intensified his petting, trying to quiet Kimble down while his own thoughts raced. Kimble might be worried about his own failure, but all Aiden saw was an opportunity. He didn't exactly disagree with Zander's sentiments though he might have put forward those same points with a bit more tact if he'd had a mind to bring them up.
It was no great secret that Aiden was interested in joining a team and if Remy was going to lead one, well, Aiden wanted to be first in line to sign up for it. He also knew well enough that Remy wanted to do a hell of a lot more than just fly folks around, it was obvious by how he had been right there and ready to go on the missions themselves. Remy hadn't been afraid to get right back in the saddle and Aiden was all over it.
It was a no-brainer that if Remy was to assemble a team of his own that he was sure to include a Siskan or two. Aiden also knew that he and Kimble would probably get in just by default because they would be part of the transport crew for this possible team. The more he thought about it, the more Aiden's hopes were growing. Perhaps there was some way he could help nudge the idea further into Remy's mind without being as pushy or cruel about it as Zander had been.
"Remy's gonna hates me..." Kimble continued to lament.
"Tszk. Remy knowsz better zan to blame you for anyt'ing Zandair szay. Zandair got 'isz own way of doing t'ingsz and Remy knowsz it," Aiden continued to soothe. His words were automatic, his mind a million miles away. He wanted this team badly, he was practically salivating at the thought of it now that Kimble had brought it up. "Perhapsz Remy will make disz team and aszk usz to join, yesz?"
"Why would he asks me?" Kimble questioned with alarm, mortified at the idea. "I ain't no good fer that kinda thing. Lookit what happened today. I wuz worse than useless."
Aiden clicked his tongue again in disagreement. "Zat is not true. You can fly. You are a good 'elper."
"But I cain't fight fer shit," Kimble protested. "I ain't good fer nuthin' and I shure as hell ain't lettin' Zander comes out and takes over all the time. He'll kill evraone fer Pete's sake. What good could I possibly be?"
Aiden was firm as he answered with confidence, "You earned zat jacket, Keem, even b'fore we ever go to Twilight, remember zat. Being a 'elper isz juszt asz important asz being a fighter. You sztill earn it. You are sztill needed. Do not forget zat."
"It ain't the same," Kimble argued, too low to be so easily persuaded. He clung to his bad moods as fiercely as a small child its security blanket. "Remy'll just find someone else to do m' part that kin flies and fights. There wouldn't be no place fer me then."
Aiden felt Kimble's mood sinking even lower at the thought of being rejected, trying to drag his own down with it. He wasn't about to allow it. Once they had come to the Solarium, Aiden had left Kimble alone just long enough to quickly return to their apartment and retrieve the fudge he had purchased earlier. What Kimble needed was chocolate and Aiden opened the box now, slipping Kimble a treat.
Kimble silenced his woes at once, his shine sparkling brightly with anticipation as he saw what Aiden had brought for him. Kimble popped a piece of fudge into his mouth and his eyes closed in pure bliss as it dissolved against his tongue. He relaxed his head as it lay against Aiden's knee, calming down for the first time since they had arrived at home. The chocolate made everything better, even the natural heat of Aiden's leg felt warmer and more comforting against his cheek.
Kimble's eyes stayed shut and Aiden let him drowse, happy that Kimble had finally relaxed for the moment. If only Zander was so easy to tame. They had met just a couple of times, the Dreamer and the Punisher, but it was enough to earn Aiden's respect. The Punisher was a scary dude and Aiden would be happy himself if the guy never came out again.
Aiden was relaxed now. Kimble was complaining, yes, but this wasn't as bad as it could have been. Kimble was split, Aiden knew, and he would never be whole again. It affected how he responded to the every day stresses of his life. Kimble took things way too personally and Aiden was hoping that with time his own confidence would spread over to his lovemate. It wasn't fair how Kimble constantly put himself down, he should know better than that by now.
Aiden smiled to himself when he heard Kimble begin to softly snore, grateful that Kimble had let go of his fears enough to sleep a little. The nap would do him good.
It wasn't to be. Both Siskans startled when the door nearest to them slammed open with a loud bang. They were no longer alone.
(break)
Julien was running with all he had, not really paying attention to where he was going. High on his temporary freedom, he had bolted down the hallway and thrust himself through the nearest set of double doors, hardly realizing he had gone straight back into the Solarium. He knew it was stupid to have run away - this building was far too complex for him to actually get away for good, but he had panicked. He didn't know what else to do. He had nowhere to go, he knew that, they were sure to track him down and lock him away for good. He just couldn't stay there when Lucas came back to Kiden, and then with Henry it had happened all too fast. Things were going from bad to worse with impossible speed. He was so tired he wasn't even thinking straight anymore. He hurt all over from far too much exercise and abuse for one day on his poor fragile body and he was so hungry now, so hungry...
It was early afternoon now and while the place was well lit, it wasn't as blinding as it had been outside. He took in the grass and the trees hoping for some kind of escape, but paused when he saw it, the tip of a tall steeple of some kind peeking out over the tops of some high shrubs that had formed a privacy wall of sorts. The steeple wasn't large, but it had a cross on it. Not knowing where else to go, he headed right for it, for the one symbol that had meant safety to him for all these years.
He found the sanctuary with ease, the path through the shrubbery was paved with crushed pea stone and easily followed. He entered the open aired building, happy to find it unoccupied, and stumbled to his knees in front of the alter, throwing himself on the mercy of his Creator. He was at a loss. He had hurt someone again, maybe even killed. He was no idiot, he knew the Honey was deadly to mutants and this place had been full of them.
He cringed when he heard some kind of alarm go off. He had no doubt whatsoever that it had to do with him and what he had done but there was nowhere else for him to go so he remained as he was, the most terrified little boy in the world.
"Help me, Lord!" he gasped, shaking now from head to toe. He was exhausted and broke down into choking sobs. "I don't know what to do!"
There was no immediate answer to his prayer though simply being here made him feel better as he worked through his tears. It smelled wonderful inside this small building, Asher was meticulous about lighting incense whenever he could and the wonderful aroma of it had seeped into the wood, increasing the sense of this being a holy place. It soothed his jangled nerves and calmed him.
He was there a short while, even after the alarm had silenced, not immediately noticing he wasn't alone until he felt odd vibrations of peace and comfort drift over him. His head snapped up as his anger flared, he was sure it was the tall one, the one who looked like him, the one who claimed to be his father, but it wasn't. It was the strange one, the one with a girl's name - Kimble.
The Siskan had said nothing to announce his arrival. He was simply sitting there on the grass just outside the sanctuary, as close as he could come without actually entering the building itself, as though he were afraid of coming all the way inside.
And he was.
Kimble hadn't overcome his aversion to religious sites, he had become so convinced of his own damnation on the word of others that he wouldn't risk being vaporized the moment he crossed the threshold. That didn't mean he hadn't felt Julien's distress and wouldn't respond. He had come, but only as far as he dared. It was just as well, he hadn't wanted to crowd the boy.
Julien blinked at Kimble without trust, watching him sit there as though he had been invited, as if he had been called for. If this was an answer to his prayer, it wasn't what Julien had expected. Kimble was opening a small white cardboard box. The Siskan glanced up at him shyly as he realized he was being watched and smiled disarmingly. "The problem with fudge," Kimble said, "...is that when ya buys it, it's too easy to gits too much. Leena, she always gots out too many kinds. M' Dreamer, he always gits me one of each, but it's just too much fer one pilot ta eats all on his own. Wants ta help me?"
Julien just stared at him, his anger wisping away into exasperation. What was Kimble even doing here? Just the same, the fudge certainly smelled good and it had been ages since he'd had anything resembling candy. He came close enough to take a small piece and put it in his mouth, smiling automatically when the sweetness of it exploded on his tongue.
"Now see," Kimble continued. "Chocolate's the best thing after a good cry. The cryin' cleans up all the hurtin', and the chocolate puts the love back in. That's why it's always best ta haves some around. Fer emergencies, like."
Julien dropped his head a little, expecting that Kimble would ask him his troubles, but the Siskan said nothing more. He simply sat and munched in gentle quiet, leaving Julien to his own thoughts. He offered the box again and Julien took another. As that tender morsel dissolved in his mouth, Julien became aware that Aiden was lingering close by. Kimble's companion was resting easy against a tree, but keeping watch, smoking quietly at a distance and leaving them alone. Julien was soon to understand that these two were inseparable, one was never without the other for long.
"If that collar's botherin' you some, I kin takes it off," Kimble offered after a moment of companionable quiet.
"I don't want it off. I - I don't know if I can be trusted," Julien found himself admitting. He had been nervous all this time, fearful of his own power, but unwilling to say so. He still had nightmares of that last terrible explosion with his stepfather and he would be happy enough to never see an incident like that again. He hadn't needed to be told about Jerry's death, he still saw it over and over again in his dreams. Oddly, though, something about Kimble seemed so easy and comfortable that Julien had spoken his deepest fear without shyness.
Kimble nodded. "Well, when yer ready an' if I'm around, I kin takes it off fer ya. Remy teached me how ta picks locks. I'm jus' as good as he is though he wouldn't ever admits it, it bein' a matter of pride an' all."
Julien laughed softly at the gentle tease. He found himself liking this strange person very much, the way Kimble didn't pressure him about anything or box him in in any way. Kimble also seemed to carry an air of easy innocence that was very appealing to the world weary boy. "Maybe later."
Kimble nodded. "You hungry fer reals? It's after lunch time an' I'll bet Molly cooked up sumpthin' nice. She's the best."
At the mention of real food Julien's stomach growled. Truth was, he was famished. The kids at the Twilight camp had been fed that night before the escape, but that was hours ago now, and he'd had nothing else since then. He had no idea what time it was, the transition from one world to the next had been so jarring. He wanted to go with Kimble, but after running away, was embarrassed to return to where other people were. Would they arrest him for what he had done? Kimble didn't even seem to know about what had taken place in the hallway just outside. If he had, Julien doubted he would be as nice as he was.
"Don' you worry none 'bouts that," Kimble answered as if reading his thoughts. "Ain't a one of us that ain't gone hidin' after a bit of a fuss. Come on, then."
Julien sat as he was. "I don't want to be any trouble."
Kimble just laughed pleasantly. "That you ain't, not one bit. But if ya still wants the quiet, come an' eats with the Dreamer an' me. I ain't so good a cook as Molly, but I ain't no slouch neither."
Now that was tempting. Julien rose and complained a little at the pain. This had been one long trying day and he wanted nothing more than for it to be gone and done. Kimble assisted him once he had come outside of the sanctuary and they walked along, Aiden silently joining them as they made their way. Julien hadn't been so sure who the Dreamer was, but it was obvious soon enough when Aiden kept right by them.
Julien had expected Remy or someone to come after him, but they were left alone as they made their way to Kimble's place. The pilot let them in and Aiden followed them, making it clear he belonged here. Aiden left them, making his way down the hall, unbuttoning his black uniform shirt and taking it off before disappearing into a bedroom off to the right. Although it hadn't been said, Julien watched this and deduced that these two were more than co-workers, they were roommates here as well, just as he and others had been back at Twilight. It explained a lot, why these two were always together.
"Would ya likes to wash up some while I cooks lunch?" Kimble asked Julien, being a gracious host and gesturing to the nearby bathroom. "I gots some sweats you kin change into. They might be big, but they'll fits ya better'n anything Aiden gots."
"Thanks," Julien mumbled awkwardly, a bit out of place in his new surroundings. This was no cabin and it had been some time since he had been in a real house. On the other hand, a shower sounded wonderful.
Kimble led him down the hallway and into the bathroom, showing him where everything was - the shampoo and the soap and towels. Julien's anticipation was growing, not just a shower, but a hot one and with real soap. It had been ages since he had been treated so well. Once Kimble was sure he was settled in with some fresh clothes, he bowed at Julien politely and departed, leaving him to it.
Julien was eager for it and began to undress right away. He hadn't gotten far, though, when there was a soft knock on the door. He opened it shyly to see Aiden standing there. The Dreamer had changed his clothes, he was back in his familiar khaki shorts and bright floral silk shirt. The shirt was only half buttoned and Julien could just catch a glimpse of Aiden's large golden Mark. He didn't recognize it as a Mark of any kind, to him it was an extraordinarily large tattoo. It was a bit jarring, the change in Aiden's appearance, and Julien blinked at him in confusion.
Aiden nodded at him greeting and carefully handed him some rolls of bandages and some antibiotic ointment. "For you leg," he said, letting Julien know that he hadn't forgotten that he had been injured. Aiden's eyes roamed over Julien's emaciated torso, taking it all in as if cataloging what needed to be fixed, but he didn't comment aloud about it. Instead he offered, "If you need 'elp, Aiden will assziszt you."
"Thanks," Julien replied, feeling even more awkward. Frost had never given him bandages. The point of the Purifier was to suffer through it on one's own in payment for your sins, not to be babied. Still, he would comply if it meant they would leave him alone about it.
Aiden bowed at him as Kimble had done and withdrew, once more leaving him alone. Julien took his shower and felt wonderful. The heat made him feel less bruised, less damaged. He dressed in the sweats Kimble had given him, finding them a bit baggy, but comfortable enough. He had bandaged his leg decently, if not with any real finesse. The cuts were clean now and he wasn't bleeding anymore.
He made his way to the kitchen to see that Kimble had gone right to work as promised, slicing up chicken and tossing the bits into a pan for a quick stir fry. He was chopping up vegetables, smiling to himself as he heard Julien's stomach growl again. Julien wandered around a little, looking around the place.
The apartment was small but comfortable, neat and tidy as if well cared for - or the guys weren't around here much. There were some shelves in the livingroom stacked with music CDs of all kinds and crystal figurines of exotic creatures. Another held a wide assortment of books – biographies, fiction and pictures books of exotic places.
The walls were decorated with a series of watercolor paintings of castles out in some bright, sunny place. What also caught Julien's attention was a small area set aside for music. Proudly displayed in stands were three beautiful guitars, two acoustic and one shiny red electric next to a small amplifier. Julien had always desired to play, but now it seemed that choice was taken away from him. There was no way his mangled hand would allow it. Alongside those were a violin and a small electronic keyboard. A harmonica kept them company.
Kimble's place smelled almost as nice as Asher's sanctuary. There were scented candles about and fresh cut flowers. Everything was so neat and tidy, Julien had never seen a place so clean and well cared for. The apartment was spotless, the beds were made and everything was in its place.
Julien glanced up at Kimble as he worked in the open walled kitchen. If he had to take a guess, it would be Kimble who played these instruments. Aiden just didn't seem soulful enough. Kimble saw him looking at him and smiled, making him feel welcome. It didn't take long before the food was done and they ate at the table, Aiden joining them from the couch.
Aiden didn't say much, Julien figured that out right away. It might have been intimidating or mistaken as contempt, but Julien didn't forget the Siskan's earlier kindnesses to him. Aiden had stuck up for him with Max and had comforted him on the ship. He had brought him bandages. He could see that Aiden wasn't angry or snobby, just quiet and aloof. There had been a lot of kids like that at Twilight and it wasn't all that unusual to Julien. Aiden wasn't tuning them out at all, he laughed at Kimble's jokes and attempts at small talk. Aiden ate his plate, set his dishes in the sink, and retired back to the livingroom, turning on the television.
Kimble watched with pure Siskan pride as Julien ate two heaping plates of food, always pleased when anything he prepared was accepted with such enthusiasm. The pilot got up after his own small plate and washed up. Afterwards, he patted Julien's shoulder. "You kin crash here if ya wants. You kin sleeps in Aiden's room."
"I wouldn't want to impose on you," Julien said though he was sorely tempted. There was an easy comfort in the simple quiet of these two people. They had both made him feel welcome and at ease.
Kimble just smiled at him. "T'ain't never no trouble. Aiden kin sleeps with me tonight, it'll be all right."
"All right. Thanks," Julien said, happy with the offer.
Aiden got up from the couch without saying a word and moved down the hall. He gestured with an easy smile of welcome to the room on the right, flicking on a light for Julien. He then moved down the hallway, disappearing into the bedroom on the left.
"See?" Kimble said, vibrating happiness. "All's fine."
Kimble motioned for Julien to follow and they moved into the room Aiden had opened for them. The room was small but comfortable. It was clear this room was used by an artist, there were small pots of paints around and brushes aplenty. Some watercolor pictures were clipped to a clothesline, hanging to dry. The pictures were of desert landscapes and snowy mountains, peaceful settings. In the corner of the room was a small daybed, comfortable and inviting with pillows.
Julien pointed to the paintings, they matched the ones out in the livingroom. "Aiden made these?"
Kimble smiled with pride. "That's m' Dreamer. He's always workin' on sumpthin'."
Julien smiled at that, but was puzzled by the warm remark. It seemed odd to him that one man might speak of another with such affection.
Kimble noticed and retreated slightly, still smiling disarmingly. In all this time, he had not yet referred to Aiden with the title he deserved – husband. Kimble was cautious and timid when it came to his private life and with good reason. He had lived with enough prejudice that he wasn't about to push his luck with strangers who might not approve. Aiden would just have to forgive him as always. This was in fact Aiden's room, that was at least honest, but the Dreamer didn't sleep in here often. The daybed was for guests and today, well, they had one. Kimble wasn't going to tell Julien any more than he needed to know, at least not for now.
Julien was too tired to question what Kimble was about. All he wanted to do was sleep. He did have one question left, "What about that guy I came in with? Remy?" he asked, having to voice some concern about someone wondering where he was. He was still amazed he hadn't been hauled off and dumped in a prison cell by now. He wasn't about to call Gambit his father although the picture he had carried for so long pretty much made that clear. He needed more time to digest all that and was going to take it. "He doesn't know where I am."
Kimble just smiled. "He knows where yer at, don'cha worry none. But if ya wants ta talks to him about it, you can. If ya don'ts, yer still welcome here. He ain't gonner be worried fer yous, not here."
Julien hesitated, not wanting to be rude, but on the other hand, he simply just wanted to go to bed and crash. He had no idea at what point Remy had been notified where he was, there had been no phone call that he'd overheard. But then, maybe it hadn't been a coincidence that Kimble had been the one to find him. "I'll wait then."
Kimble smiled. "Good. G'night, then."
"Night."
Kimble bobbed his head at him and left.
(break)
Just a short time earlier, Logan walked briskly down the hallway to the jails, towing Kyle along at a quick pace. Kyle grunted a bit in complaint, not knowing what the rush was about, he was more than ready to go back to his cell without a fuss. After weeks of near isolation being outside so much today had wearied him.
Logan entered the jail without bothering to greet Jordie who was still at the watch desk. The morning's mission hadn't been that long, the man's shift hadn't yet ended. Logan hauled Kyle along without being too rough (he thought anyway) and scanned his badge over Kyle's electronic lock, hoping to end this quickly. Julien would need to be debriefed and Logan couldn't wait to see what Gambit's little brat had to say about Frost.
Before Logan quite had Kyle through the now open door, the young man stiffened in his grasp, digging his feet in hard and down to the floor. Skye was speaking in his slow and seductive voice and Kyle wanted to hear it. He missed his former Master so.
"Well, now," Skye drawled in his syrupy Rogue's voice. "You left here with two lions an' I kin sees ya brung home only one. I thoughts by now you'd have learned ta takes good care of life's most valuable things. Them lions wuzn't so easy to train, you know. So vera hards to finds."
"I told ya before, Skye," Logan growled impatiently, trying to get a most uncooperative Kyle to budge, but it wasn't working. "They aren't yer lions anymore."
Skye just laughed. "Of course they is. But if you wuz ta lose one in yer infinite carelessness, ya could've at least lost the weakest one, not the best. Not my Kristalay."
Logan heard Kyle's breath catch in his throat, could smell the instant chemical change in his scent as Kyle's outrage suddenly spiked. He barely had time to catch the kid before he went ballistic, all teeth and claws as he tried to escape, to punish the one who had offended him so. Inarticulate curses came from Kyle's mouth, too garbled to be understood.
"Kyle, calm down!" Logan ordered as he uselessly tried to contain the snarling tempest in his grasp. The boy was clawing and biting him, bringing pain with every swipe of his hands. "He's not worth it!"
Kyle wasn't listening. Fed now and far stronger than he had been just that morning, he left Logan little choice but to beat him down as Kristalay would have done. It took a Herculean effort but he accomplished it. Kyle's face was little more than a mangled bloody pulp when Logan had finished. It had taken a steady rain of hard, unchecked blows to the head just to stun him long enough for Logan step out and get the door locked. It had hurt Logan to do it, he hated himself more and more with every strike of his fists against that poor kid's face but he'd had no choice. As Kyle lay on the floor of his cell, sobbing as hard as he was gasping for air, Logan could hear Skye chuckling from down the hall.
"Told ya he wuz weak."
Logan was furious, quickly diverting the dark, sick, guilt driven contempt he had felt for himself back to the direction where it should have belonged in the first place. He stomped down the hallway to Skye's cell, grumbling curses and stood there, glaring at the Siskan, his mind going through a nearly endless roster of possible punishments. Skye was dressed in his favorite skin, that of a slim, well toned male with long fiery red hair down to his waist. He had thrown off his clothing in protest of his confinement and was naked now, showing off. All Siskans were designed to be pleasing to the eye and this one was no exception. Skye's favorite skin was unMarked, but Logan had seen the one that was and knew that his Mark was that of a bright yellow woman. It supposedly marked him as a Rogue with the Title of Catalyst though what exactly that meant, no one was certain. All they knew is that anyone who spent any real time with him suffered from physical, biological changes. In the case of his lions, it had allowed them to recover their healing mutations, but at what price? Both men were addicted to Skye's magic and not in a healthy way. Skye, being a sadist, had loved it. He was a master manipulator and it wasn't until Logan got a good look at Skye's eyes that he saw how well he'd just been played right now.
Skye had been living here for weeks now, cut off from everyone he had known except for short moments like these, and Skye had made the most of it. He had Logan's full attention now, the one thing he had actually been after all long. All Siskans craved attention, it meant they were valued, and like any small child, if they weren't given positive attention they would be just as happy to do what it took to get the negative. Anything was better than being ignored.
Logan just growled at him, showing his fangs. "That kid down there?" he said, gesturing to Kyle's cell and speaking loud enough that he hoped Kyle would hear. "As fucked up as he may be he's still worth more than a thousand of you!" He then slammed the security switch that blinded Skye's cell, cutting off Skye's ability to see out or be heard. He put in a code, locking it out. No one would be able to reverse his decision besides himself alone.
He had been warned against doing this by those with the best intentions. They had given him warnings like how Skye was damaged and punished enough just by being isolated like this. All those stupid bleeding hearts were worried Skye might break down worse than he already was, but Logan was damned if he was going to allow Skye to shred Kyle apart any further. The kid had come so far so good to let that go to waste.
He walked away but paused outside of Kyle's cell hopeful that Kyle had heard the compliment tossed his way but if he had, he showed no sign. The boy had dragged his body under his bunk, leaving an ugly bloody smear on the cement floor and had pulled the blanket down from the bed, hiding himself away as he continued to softly sob his misery away. Cody was there with him, offering as much comfort as a poor startled feline could. Logan had been so violent.
Logan slumped a little with an exasperated sigh, upset that Skye had won. There was little he could do about it now. Maybe after Kyle had rested up a bit he might be willing to listen to reason later.
Logan started walking back to the exit, barely noticing Jordie's pallid face. The young lad was new to the job and had never seen such ferocity before. Logan had been quite cruel yet effective in getting his job done. Logan had nothing to say to him that would make any of this better and so didn't even try.
Logan's hand just brushed the doorknob of the exit when the alarm went off, making him wince. It was much too loud for his sensitive ears. He glared at Jordie and shouted, "Where?"
Jordie glanced at his security monitor and answered back, "Med Lab!"
Logan snarled, not even wanting to know. Maybe one of the kids freaked out or something. He left, heading for the Lab. His phone went off and he answered it, not even breaking stride. A call that came right after an alarm was always bad.
"Logan!" he snarled as a greeting.
It was Cyclops on the other end and his voice was strained as he said, "You need to get down to Med lab right way. There's been an emergency."
"I'm on my way now."