Title: Another Choice
Fandom: X-Men movies
Summary: It came down to a choice. The professor was dust, Jean was gone, Scott was dead. Really, it was stick around with a bunch of kids or seek out the Phoenix. Then again, the choice had already been made.
Pairing: Logan x Phoenix
AU/ish
xXx
"I didn't come here to fight you," Logan grunted, eyes narrowed on Magneto. He could feel the grip of the man's power, clinging to every sliver of metal throughout his body. It hurt, like a bitch, but he absolutely refused to show just how much.
Off to the side, the Phoenix watched on, head canted slightly to the side curiously. But she didn't even seem to care that Logan was being hurt. Not that I'm all that surprised, he thought dismally.
Magneto quirked a brow. "Smart boy," he murmured, smirking faintly.
Logan swallowed. "I came for Jean," he muttered.
"You think I'm keeping her against her will?" The old man didn't look very impressed. He spread his fingers, drawing Logan closer - good god it hurts - expression dispassionate. "She's here because she wants to be."
A dozen things jumped through Logan's head, ways to toady, ways to negotiate, things to retort. You don't know what you're dealing with. That was what he was going to say. He could still remember watching the professor explode into dust, coating the room.
The words halted on the tip of his tongue, and his eyes shifted to look at her. Her gaze was strangely focused, eyes bright, as if this was exciting entertainment, a show put on just for her. She doesn't care about me.
The old Logan would have left it at that. The words would have come out, putting a distance there between himself and this world she'd become a part of. The words were there, right at the edge of his tongue, wobbling like a ball on the lip of a cliff...
But when they fell, they inexplicably changed. "I came for Jean," he repeated softly, grimacing in spite of himself.
Magneto's lip curled slightly in disdain. "You already said that," he replied. His hand twitched, but nothing happened. "... Phoenix?"
The old man turned his head, staring at her, and the floating male realized that Magneto must have meant to send Logan flying. But Jean was holding him in place.
"Wait," she whispered, drawing closer. She gave Logan a tiny, mesmerized smile. "I won't go with you, you know..."
The Wolverine swallowed against the pain, the pressure. "Yeah. Seems that way," he muttered. She'd not come back with him... To him. He couldn't have her, even though...
"Scott's dead," she said, finishing the thought aloud. "That's what you meant, right? You think because he's dead, I will fall into your arms." She took the final step and reached out, fingers brushing his bare shoulder, running along his collarbone, cupping his cheek. "That's what you want. Me. Is it because you couldn't have me before? Or... did you want me because I was timid, gentle? Is that why? You wanted a doe to sink your fangs into-"
"NO!" he yelled, furious. The pain ceased to matter. Magneto ceased to matter. Everything else ceased to matter, right then, but telling her the truth. "That's not it, Jean. Goddammit, I love you!"
The crimson-haired woman before him jerked back, as if he'd slapped her across the face. "SHUT UP!" she shrieked, and he slammed against the nearest tree.
The pain was horrible. It was like she had taken hold of every single one of his atoms and started to rip them apart from each other. He could feel his abilities awaken, reversing the damage immediately. "J... Jean... Stop... Stop... please," he moaned, fingers curling into fists. He clenched his teeth, swallowing a sob...
And then he fell to the forest floor. "That's not my name," she murmured softly. "I am the Phoenix. Remember that."
Then she turned away and left him there, gasping and helpless on the ground. A moment passed before he heard the soft crunch of feet over the forest floor. Approaching. They stopped, right by his ear. "How interesting," Magneto purred softly. "You love her, do you, Wolverine? Perhaps you should prove it."
Logan growled softly, and the old man chuckled. "If she'll let you," he amended. "Just remember, Wolverine. If you get in my way, I'll kill you." And then the man retreated, footsteps soft over the underbrush.
xXx
To his surprise, when he walked into the mutant camp half an hour later, no one stopped him. They stared warily, of course, but not a single one of them apprehended his progress.
At least until he trailed to a stop, eying them in return. "She said if anyone touched you, she'd burn them alive," a voice commented behind him.
He jerked around in surprise, and the dark-colored female smirked at him. "You're a class three," she continued, eying him. "Impressive... no, wait, you're barely class four, though I guess your ability isn't very handy in combat..."
His claws slid slowly and pointedly out of his hands, but he said nothing. Still, she got the point. "Oh." Those dark eyes moved beyond him, and she huffed, apparently losing interest. "Later." Then she was leaving.
Logan turned, dismissing the encounter; he was unsurprised to find a familiar face. "Pyro."
"Wolverine," the youth returned, smirking. He was holding a ball of fire in one hand, looking greatly amused.
What a child, the older male thought irritably. "You want somethin', bub?" he demanded.
"Well, you're showing yours. Thought I'd join the party," Pyro replied blandly.
Oh. Reluctantly, Logan sheathed his claws, and in response, Pyro's fire went out. "That's better," the boy said with more cheer. "So! You're on our side, eh?"
Logan crossed his arms. "No," he replied flatly, scowling.
This seemed to surprise the other male, and he stiffened. "Then what...?"
"I'm on J-" Logan stopped, sighed. "Phoenix's side."
John blinked at him. "Same thing, isn't it?" he asked.
"You tell me."
Blue eyes shifted from Logan to a row of tents off on their left, and Pyro frowned. "Guess it isn't."
Isn't that informative. "I guess she's not up to company."
"Hell if I know." Pyro frowned, his own arms crossing as he adopted a defensive posture. "Man, the chick's whack. Bipolar, y'know? Can't get a read on her, but she has everyone scared shitless."
It really wasn't his place to explain, and if Jean didn't care to tell anyone, and Magneto didn't think they needed to know, Logan wasn't going to correct their views on her. "Don't whine to me about it," he replied instead, and headed toward the tents. He could smell her now. It'd be simple to find her.
"W-wait! She looked pissed, y'know?" Pyro said, hurrying after him. "I mean, she might blow you up, if you get my meaning. Eh, that is to say... she might blow you up."
Logan snorted. "I doubt it," he said. "I'm alive, ain't I?"
John had no answer to that, and he let the Wolverine go without another word.
He found her in the furthest tent in the row, curled up on a bunk with a worn stuffed rabbit clutched to her chest. She didn't look up as he entered, but he knew she was aware of him. The silence stretched between them for a long time before he eventually sat down in the middle of the tent. Her eyes moved to meet his, though she still didn't move.
"I don't care what they think," she said slowly.
"Yeah?" he murmured. "Good."
"You were angry. I remember. You yelled at him, at the professor-"
"I don't know what to think, J- Phoenix. Alright?" he demanded, crossing his arms. "This whole thing is a real shitty situation. I don't know if you're right or wrong, and I don't know if the professor is." He stopped, swallowing. "Was."
She flinched, eyes misting over. "I killed him," she whispered. "Just like Scott... they're gone... my lover, my father... I almost killed you, Logan! I don't know..." She sat up abruptly, covering her ears with her hands and bowing her head. "God, god, can't control-!"
He reached out, fingers grabbing her wrist. Her unfocused control snapped onto him instead of everything else, her eyes darkening. "Don't touch me!"
Logan didn't listen, and ignored the pain as her power attacked him; dragged her off the bed, into his lap. He released her wrist and grabbed her face like he had back in the mansion, forcing her to look at him. "You can't control it? That's bullshit, Phoenix. You've fucking controlled it since the beginning, you just can't control you."
She stiffened, eyes wide as she stared at him. The stinging of her abilities snapped off abruptly, but he pushed aside his relief. "Understand?" he whispered. "Just... just focus, alright? Like... mental imagery or something. Hell, I don't know..." This would have been a lot easier for her if the fucking professor hadn't stopped up her powers like that. She would have had better control over the flood now.
"I can't," she whispered. "I just..."
"Fine, then focus it on me, if you feel like it's slipping away again," he snapped. "I can handle it."
"I'll kill you!"
"I can handle it," he snarled. "I'll heal."
Her eyes widened, and her mouth fell open into a little 'o' of surprise. Then she slid her arms around his neck and buried her face in the crook. "Okay," she mumbled. "You'll stay with me, Logan?"
The man swallowed, feeling like the world was askew around him. "Yeah." And then, "But the name's Wolverine."
Her lips curled into a smile. "Wolverine..."
xXx
This... Got out. XDD