Author's note: Also those of you that are not members here can leave a review. So please do it! ; ) Thanks to those who have reviewed the last chapter!!! : )
Don't get confused at the beginning. It's a flashback that merges with the reality.
This chapter was a b**ch to write. I had no ideas and never managed to write more than a couple of sentences in a row. That's why the update comes so late. Funny as it is, the flashback scenes in the middle were easy to write.
Say thanks to the song "Heavens Divide" by Donna Burke. It actually gave my muse back after being finally released. : ) I love that song.
I hope you'll enjoy the chapter and I'm very sorry for the long wait!!
In case some of you have Facebook, feel free to add me. : )
You might want to think back and remember that Logan thought he heard voices! It's explained here!!
Changes Sequel – III. War + Epilogue Part 2
The pain crept up his spine, blinded him, made him feel like his intestines were turned inside out. He wanted to scream but couldn't, his voice had long failed him, he wanted to struggle but his body didn't obey him. He was paralyzed, his eyes wide in horror, almost empty despite the intense pain that was tearing him apart. While one part of him understood and knew what was happening to him, what they did to him, the other, the still innocent part that was somewhere hidden behind the cold exterior, couldn't grasp the meaning of the whole situation. He wanted to understand the why, wanted to know what he had done to deserve this brutal punishment, tried to understand what was actually happening.
He didn't even gasp as one of them let finally go of him, had hardly noticed the remains and blood that dripped down, before the next one was already there and hurt him even the more. He felt like watching himself from a corner of the dark room, saw everything, took everything in but felt unable to act upon it. The calmer he was on the outside, the more he screamed on the inside, heard his own voice but didn't utter a word.
"He's shaking…"
Of course he was. He had given up any control over his body the moment his face had met the dirty table. They were in control, controlling him by destroying the last bit of innocence he still possessed. They were destroying him…
After it was finally over, he still watched himself from afar, how he pressed himself into a corner, legs pulled as close as possible, everything numb but hurting. He felt like being on fire, tried to understand but his mind was blank. He couldn't even cry anymore.
Then there was his voice, told him why it had happened, especially because of whom it had happened, fueled his rage and hate, bound him to the lie and swore that he was always safe with him, that he loved him and needed him. He wanted to cry but had no tears left anymore. If there had been a way out, a way to safe him from the wrong path it was gone now; had been as much destroyed as he. That day he had been swallowed by the darkness for good, had lost himself in it and found the comfort he had been looking for. The shadows had become his companions, he had lived in them for decades, had lived through everything that made him even harder and colder, didn't care, couldn't care. The only things he was familiar with were death and destruction. Pain had become his strength, he had endured everything that had been thrown at him, had become stronger. No one got close and even if they tried, he didn't care. He was more important, the rest were mere pawns that he used as he liked. Above him was no one, underneath him all the rest. He did what had been done to him, acted upon the rage inside, relished in the pain and suffering of others… He couldn't care, felt nothing, no pity, no sympathy or remorse, nothing. He needed no one. He had been shaped and molded to be one way only and there was no going back for him.
"Hold him down! I can't reach it."
Fear kicked back in, hands were touching him and even through the fog he felt the pressure on his back. He was back in the corner, watching how they pushed him down, hurt him, dirtied him, heard them laughing… He hated their touches, hated people touching him, hated not being in control. No one would push him down. Not again. Never again.
"Hold him down, damn it!"
Even if everything was blurry and turning he lashed out and used whatever strength he had left to fight against the shadows that surrounded him. Their hands reached for his bare skin in return, grabbed him, hurt him… He would kill them, one after the other. No one would control him ever again.
He got even dizzier as shadows and colors merged, painting his world into a blurry, sickening vision. It was enough to make him empty whatever was left in his stomach. It was too hot but also cold at the same time. And the shadows seemed to be everywhere. What had they done to him…?
"Tell him to calm down!"
Who was that voice anyway?!
He intended to move his head into the direction of that voice, but instead it dropped without any control. He wasn't in control… He was weak… So tired… The other voice spoke up again. His eyes rolled into the direction, saw blue colors only before the blue turned into a dark shadow again. He didn't want to sleep, not now when they were here and tried to hurt him again. He couldn't give in but he felt so tired and cold.
"…o?"
His read rolled back to the other side. Another shadow but he began to calm down. Something inside of him told him to calm down. He…knew that shadow, knew its voice and smell…
"…safe…"
Instinctively, he moved closer to it and did the only thing he could do in his helpless state. He clawed at the shadow and wanted to hide, wanted to hold on to it as he had always done, sought the comfort he was lacking now. When the shadow touched him back he knew he was safe. But still he didn't reckon with a sharp pain shooting up his spine next and dipping his vision into complete darkness.
"Got it…," Hank panted and dropped the silver object into his hand after pulling it forcefully out. It had been lodged between shoulder and ribs. "They couldn't use a bigger one, could they?!" he cursed and looked up when the bullet was taken out of his hand.
"Smells like carbonadium t'me… Explains everythin'," Logan grunted with narrowed eyes and dropped the object to the ground. He wasn't sure if he could narrow his eyes any further but it was worth giving it a try. In the end, he was furious enough at the moment. He watched Hank for a moment. "What's the situation?"
"Heartbeat 189 beats per minute and rising, breathing 45 times per minute," the doctor said matter-of-factly and shook his head. "The wound is largely infected. Considering heart rate, breathing rate and that the temperature is high… I would usually need a confirmation by white blood cell count, but in this case it is obvious it is a severe sepsis. The fact that he was confused, agitated and vomited makes it even more obvious."
"So?" Logan asked, not liking the concerned look on Hank's face.
"I can't treat it, Logan," his friend replied with a shake of his head. "I need nutrition and fluids… He's dehydrated and has lost weight. Antibiotics to fight off the sepsis, that is if it's not too late already…"
"What do ya mean already?!" Logan growled and knitted his eyebrows.
Hank gave him a brief look and shook his head. "From the way it looks, Logan, it's too late. He's in such a bad condition…"
"But not dead, yet!"
"No, but suffering. Up to 30% die within 30 days Logan. 60% even when they go into shock," Hank lectured him. "Considering it took them 2 ½ weeks to find us…"
"Then he still got 15 days!" the feral snapped, eyes blazing with anger. "'n I could still use the jet 'n…"
"And risk all of our lives just for one person?!" Cap asked and crossed his arms.
"Not just one person!" Logan growled and glared at him but his friend shook his head.
"You take the jet, fly to the next village and then what?" Cap said. "Force them to give you the medicine he needs? We are fugitives and you are pretty much under the top 3 of the Most Wanted-list at the moment! Only one of them recognizes you and all of us are in danger. I'm sorry but you were a soldier and you know that you don't risk the life of a whole group just to save one person!" He tried to keep a straight face as he was suddenly thrown and pinned to the next wall. "You know that I'm right!" he said and held the murderous glare he was given.
"We might still have some medicine in the jet. Maybe Hank can use it," Tony threw in, in hope to deescalate the situation. He looked from Logan to Cap and back again. "I'll go and get it. Just…don't kill each other while I'm gone, okay?" he added and left the house quickly.
"Logan, let him go," Parker begged and put a hand on the feral's arm. "Come on, it doesn't change anything when you beat him up."
Growling, Logan gave Cap another push and crossed his arm before he returned to the spot where Hank was occupied dressing the wound. He remained silent for the whole procedure, decided to just watch and try to keep himself from going berserk. He didn't even move as Tony returned and handed Hank whatever he had found in the jet's medical cabinet. He was pissed off, pissed off at the MRD, pissed off at Apocalypse and Sinister, pissed off at every one that had decided to go on his nerves at the moment. Even more so when they were right. He just wanted to smash something…or better someone.
"Daddy…?"
His head jerked aside and his eyes met green orbs. Immediately, his mood softened and he knelt down to scoop the owner up. "Can't sleep?" he asked, his voice soft for the first time in hours and received a shake of the head. "Right…," he mumbled and gave Hank a brief nod before he retreated. Upstairs, he went into his room, where he closed the door and sat down on the bed. "It ain't too cold?" he asked after tucking the child back in.
"No but the shadows are scary…"
He looked and figured out what was meant. The storm on the outside made the old tree in front of the window shake and cast shadows against the walls. "They are only shadows…," he said soothingly and reached out to stroke through soft hair, remembered that he had always been scared of them as a child, too. "'n Miloh's here, too," he added with a nod at the wolf that slept at the end of the bed.
"I know…," came the whiney reply and the blanket was pulled even higher. "Still, I'm scared…"
"Nothin' will happen t'ya!" Logan tried a different tactic and turned his head a bit as he picked up on Hank talking downstairs. As he understood the situation was serious and not looking good at all. His heart sank at the thought of losing something he had just gotten back. He kept on asking himself the same question over and over again. Why hadn't they just stayed at the mansion? Maybe they could have prevented the attack somehow. Maybe they wouldn't have lost so much. Maybe he could have done more…
"I miss mommy…," Rachel suddenly began to cry and hid her face underneath the blanket.
He turned his head back into her direction, his heart clenching painfully at the sound and words. "I know, baby. Me, too…," he croaked and tried to clear his throat as good as possible. He couldn't cry in front of her, not here, not when he still felt like breaking apart beyond any repair. Not knowing what else to do, he sank down and knelt down next to the bed, reached out to pull the blanket aside and met her desperate, sad gaze. Not anything that he had experienced in Weapon X hurt him as much as seeing his child so upset. He hated to see them cry. "C'mere…," he whispered and within less than a second she was in his arm and sobbed restlessly into his neck.
Logan closed his eyes for a moment and swallowed hard. What was he supposed to say? Now that he himself was at a loss of words? He couldn't tell her that her mother wasn't coming back, that her siblings weren't returning to them either, that she would have to grow up without them and cling to memories, which were constantly fading with the time. No, he couldn't tell her anything that he couldn't and refused to accept himself… "We still got us…," he whispered instead and held her as close as possible, swayed a bit to calm her down. Hearing her crying so much, made him tear up, too. He couldn't hold them back, no matter how hard he fought against them.
They still got each other, so much was true. But how could this be good when their future was so uncertain? How was he supposed to explain to a nearly 8 year old that the world was going to hell? That they were fugitives and wanted dead? That there was a war coming up which would be more than ugly? That they were probably not able to win this? That he might not be able to protect them…?
"You won't leave, too, right?" he heard her sniffing into his neck and his eyes grew even sadder.
He would have to leave sooner or later, the war was inevitable… But what was he supposed to say now? He could neither tell her the truth nor lie… "I'll try not t'…," Logan replied and felt her arms tightening around his neck. She had clearly stiffened for a moment, so he prayed she would just leave the topic be. "Ray…," he said and made her look at him, held her frightened and sad look as good as he could. "Ya found us here. Ya traveled all the way up t'get back t'yer family, so I'll do anythin' I can t'make sure we'll stay together, 'kay? But t'make sure that we can… I can't promise ya that I don't have t'leave for a while t'make sure we won't get separated again. Do ya understand that?" he asked, his voice soft and he could tell she was on the verge of crying again. Still she nodded briefly and clung t him once more. "Trust me, I wish it was different…," he added and rested his head against hers.
"Will you stay here, daddy?" Rachel asked after a long moment of silence, resting her head against his shoulder.
"I'll have t'go downstairs again t'see how he's doin'… I'll come up later, 'kay?" he asked but she shook her head. "Baby, he needs me, too…"
"I want to come with you…," she sniffed and clung to him again.
"'kay…," he sighed and got up, took a pillow and blanket from the bed and then walked back downstairs, where he ignored the looks some of the Avengers gave him. He could easily tell that Rachel felt uncomfortable, too, since she buried her face in the crook of his neck and tightened her grip on his shirt. "Sit here," he told her and put her on one couch, before he headed back upstairs to get Kazuki and Jamie, who had both been sleeping in his old bed. Both boys gave a displeased sound when he pulled them carefully up, but didn't even wake up after he put them down next to Rachel. "Yer fine?" Logan asked his daughter, who nodded but still sniffed and kept on stroking over her head after he had tucked her and the boys back in. It didn't take long for Miloh to join them; the wolf taking his usual protective spot in front of Jamie, where he eyed everyone else attentively after getting comfortable.
"He won't die, will he, daddy?" the little redhead sniffed with a look at the couch opposite of the one she was currently lying on.
Logan exchanged a brief look with Hank, noticed the deep concern in the furbal's eyes and tried to give his daughter a smile. "I don't think so, sweetheart…" At least he hoped so.
"I don't want him to die…," she pouted and pulled her pillow closer, tears still visible in her eyes. When her father wiped them away she looked up and met his gaze.
"It's late, baby. Sleep now, alright?" he asked her and received a nod. When he kissed her goodnight and she hugged him, he wanted to promise her that everything would turn out fine somehow, but he couldn't. Instead he held her close until she finally fell asleep.
"I gave him antibiotics, painkillers and hooked him up to liquids and nutrition. That's all I can do," Hank told him in a hushed voice, tired and exhausted. "We can only wait… As drugged and weak as he is he won't wake up for a good while."
"'kay. Thanks," Logan nodded and told him to go and get some sleep, before he went over to the second sofa and knelt down next to it. His hand reached out and stroked over a hot, sweaty and very pale, almost grey cheek in full concern, still not believing how things had turned out.
From afar he was watched by Cap and those that had remained after the big surprise that had burst into the old house. Those that still watched him looked as concerned as Cap, but because of a whole different reason. When the blonde turned and headed back to his room that he still shared with the remaining Avengers, they followed him, up the stairs and past Northstar who gave them a rather sour look.
He knew exactly what they were thinking. Still, he ignored them as good as he could, bit back any cocky things that his mind came up with and continued heading downstairs to hand Logan a blanket, while he sat down next to him and wrapped himself into the second one. It would be the first of some very long and worrisome nights. He was convinced of it. Exhausted, he rested his head against the sofa, his heavy lidded eyes on the pale figure on the couch. By the look of him he could only guess what he had been through. Tomorrow, he told himself. They would get to know everything tomorrow, after some of them had a good nights rest…
"I don't like him being here at all…," Cap continued his rant in his room upstairs and was pacing, watched by his team. "He made us even more a target than we already are. And if he was followed…" He shook his head and stopped.
"I can't imagine it will be that bad…," MJ said and all eyes were on her. "I mean… Why would he follow us all the way and let himself be injured that badly, if he was the enemy?!"
"Because he's a complete psycho," Bucky spat and made sure his gun was loaded.
"You're exaggerating!" Elektra replied and crossed her arms.
"He's not!" Cap said and leant back against the wall behind him. "Have you ever looked into that guy's eyes? There's nothing in it. No emotions, nothing."
Elektra couldn't help but snort. "And so you dub him a psycho? Just because there's nothing in his eyes?" she asked him as if he was out of his mind. "You don't even know that guy and it's fairly obvious that you hate him!"
"Because I'm sure that he's a spy and that he's double crossing us!" Cap replied, eyes grim. "And he is a psycho! The bits that Fury managed to dig out about him spoke for themselves…"
When the women still shook their heads, Hawkeye jumped in. "I don't judge him because I don't know anything about him, but don't you agree that it's highly suspicious he has managed to find us up here? In the middle of nowhere? Thousand miles away from where we have last been?!"
"Oh, please!" MJ groaned. "Logan can track someone throughout the world!"
"Yes, but not when this person flew by jet!" Tony said and gave Pepper next to him a brief look, but looked away when she noticed it. "Listen, it's been a long day, we'll get to know the whole adventure by tomorrow and besides…" He made a dramatic pause. "…the Prince is pretty much out cold and not a threat. That is for any possible viruses he might produce or has caught in that state of his…."
"Prince?!" Elektra asked and gave him a confused look.
"Yes, Prince!"
"Why Prince?!" she demanded to know, exchanged a look with MJ and Pepper but both women could only shrug.
"Probably because he behaves like one…," Cap mumbled his snarky remark.
Tony sighed. "First of all, he's Logan's kid," he began matter-of-factly. "Considering the fact that our dear feral was born into a pretty rich family," he pointed at the house that surrounded them, "and is probably a lord, duke, king, whatever, it makes his lovely sonnyboy automatically as rich and a prince or whatever. Secondly, Logan can pretty much kill us all. That's a fact. So it makes him the king in a killing game. Ergo Satan's brute is once more automatically a prince."
"Why don't you just say Akihiro has the looks, manners and walk of a prince, because that pretty much sums it up?" Pepper asked and raised an eyebrow when Tony gave her a look back.
"Probably because I must have missed all of those…attributes you just listed!"
"Whatever, I don't care," Cap sighed and came over to them where he lay down. "I don't trust that guy and I'd bet he's with the enemy…"
"Or maybe you are just jealous…," MJ mumbled and acted all innocently when the blonde turned his head into her direction to give her a sharp look. "Anyway, I'm tired. Good night!" she said and made sure her son was tucked in before she tried to get comfortable in the crowded space.
After he had soaked the cloth in cool water and put it back on Daken's sweaty forehead, Northstar tucked him further in and, after a moment of just looking at the feral, he left to join the rest in an adjoining room. They hadn't started, yet, as he figured and were still waiting for Jubilee to begin telling them what had happened at the mansion and how she, Daken and the children had gotten all the way up to the old Howlett estate.
"How's he doin'?" Logan asked the speedster in a hushed voice after the man has sat down next to him.
"Still out cold," the man replied and received a nod. He then turned his head towards the young woman, who was sitting next to Bobby and holding on to his arm. It was easy to tell that both could still not believe it to be reunited again.
"Well…," Hank began and broke the silence. "Since everyone is here now," he gave Scott and Remy a look, both men sitting together and not looking at anyone of them, "I think Jubilee should start telling us about what happened."
Hearing her name, the woman raised her head and looked into the round. Usually not one to feel nervous easily, she did so right now. Her hand clutched firmer at Bobby who gave her a reassuring squeeze. The horrors of the past two weeks were still fresh and painful, the shock still deep. "Right…," she mumbled and exchanged a last look with Bobby and Kitty before she swallowed hard. "Well, you had left for that emergency call from the Avengers. We went on preparing everything for midnight and waited for your return. And then…"
"Jean? What is it?" Ororo asked since her friend was suddenly staring at the window and stood like frozen on one spot without showing the tiniest reaction. Concerned, the woman laid a hand on the redhead's shoulder. "Jean?!" she said once more and noticed that the others had fallen silent and were watching them. "What's wrong?!"
"Something's wrong?!" Kitty asked and stepped closer, her eyes switching to and fro between both women.
"I…I don't know," the weather goddess told her, her eyes back on Jean. "She… She's not reaction to anything I say."
"Jean?" Kitty tried it but the redhead suddenly walked over to a window and looked out, eyes fixated on something only she could see.
"What's wrong with mommy?" Jack asked and looked up as his grandfather put a hand on his shoulder. It was then that he noticed once more how the wolf and his family behaved restless, whines, howled and were running back and forth the room. "Something's wrong…," the boy said more to himself and earned a frown from the man next to him.
"What's wrong?" Daken asked and let go of Jean-Paul next to whom he had been sitting on one sofa. He looked at his younger half-brother first, then at Jean who had turned back around and was staring at the floor thoughtfully.
"Jean? You're scaring me! Are you not feeling well?" Ororo asked and put both hands on her best friend's shoulder, who suddenly raised her head and stared at her with widened eyes. "What…?"
"Oh God…," was all the redhead gasped and turned towards the window once more, Miloh beginning to howl once more while Callie whimpered and kept on running back and forth.
"What's the matter?!" Northstar asked and put a hand on Daken's shoulder, while the man was still watching his step-mother thoughtfully.
"Jean?" Kitty asked and startled when the woman turned around all of a sudden, eyes still wide, looking shocked.
"Go, pack a bag with the most necessary things and head for the emergency exit in the basement immediately!" the redhead ordered and began to usher her children towards the door.
"Mommy?!" Lilly asked and was completely confused but also scared.
"Could you go get Jamie and pack a bag with some clothes?" Jean asked her father, who could only nod absentmindedly. "There's not much time. Hurry!"
"Jean, what is going on?!" Bobby asked and could tell that the behavior of the woman scared the others. He, too, began to feel nervous.
"Something's about to happen. We need to get out of here and that quickly. So pack some clothes, get the children and head for the emergency exit underground!" Jean ordered, her voice urgent and got annoyed when no one except her father began to actually do something. "MOVE!" she said and gave them a push with her powers. "There's no time!"
"Come on!" Jean-Paul said and pulled Daken with him to their room where he began to get a bag and pack some of their and Kazuki's things. He stopped in between when he began to remember something. "Kazu's upstairs in Logan's room. I'll go and get him."
"No, I'll go. They probably need help waking those things," Daken grunted and followed him out of the room.
"Those things are called students," Jean-Paul reprimanded him gently. "Are you sure? I'm faster than…"
"That's why they probably need you," the feral cut him off and looked up when Moira called over to Ororo that she would go and get some medical equipment, her son and would meet them downstairs. "Just go. We'll meet outside."
"Okay. Be careful," the speedster nodded and let go of the man's hand before he ran off to help Bobby, Peter and Kitty to wake the students that had already gone to bed.
"Mommy?!" Lily whined and looked at her mother in fear. "What's happening?"
"I don't know sweetheart…," Jean replied and made sure everyone had left the ballroom before she checked up on her father mentally and told everyone else to hurry up. Every single sense in her body was telling her that something was about to happen, the alarm bells ringing so much that she was getting a headache. "Come on, we need to go downstairs and prepare the exit, okay?" she told Laura, Jack and Lily and ushered her towards the elevator. Her powers had already begun to work on all the elevators in the mansion and programmed them to head downstairs as soon as the doors closed.
"Damn, damn, damn…," Jubilee cursed while she ran up the corridor, through the panicking students and shouted at them to hurry up and head for the next elevator to meet with Jean in the basement. "Come on. Go!"
"You can shout as much as you want, they don't listen to you at the moment."
She came to a halt and gave the man a confused look. "What's up with you?!" she asked Daken, who had Kazuki and Jamie on his arm, while Rachel stood next to him, holding her plush wolf close. "Wasn't John supposed to get them?!"
"He's old and too slow. Now stop babbling and tell me where one of those damn elevators is," he snapped and glared at her.
"Someone didn't pay attention in what the professor was telling him, huh?" Jubilee mocked and took Rachel's hand. "The next one is down the corridor to the left. The others should be occupied." She began to head that way, followed by him and, while running past more students, told them once more to not waste time and aim for the closest elevator.
"You're wasting time," Daken grumbled behind her.
"How do you want to know?!"
"Because people don't listen to anything during a panic, they just follow their instincts," he replied and began to frown when Jamie suddenly began to whine. "Don't drool on my shirt!"
"Hey, be nice to him!" the woman warned him, as they reached the elevator and went inside. "We should come up in the hangar. Jean is preparing the emergency exits down the corridor."
Daken shook his head. "Why not just leaving this fucking house through the front door…," he muttered.
"Shush! Language!" Jubilee warned him.
"Where's mommy?!" Rachel whined and tears became visible in her eyes.
"We'll meet her soon, don't you worry!" Jubilee tried to soothe her with a smile and headed out of the elevator. "Through that door over there and then to the right."
She had barely said it as Jean told them mentally to take cover and brace themselves. Before Jubilee could ask what was happening they heard several explosions and the earth around them began to shake so heavily that the ground, ceiling and walls were vibrating due to the impact. "Oh my God, what's happening?!" the young woman cried, moved closer to the feral next to her and pulled Rachel instinctively closer.
Daken had his eyes fixed to the ceiling and was sure the ceiling hadn't been built like that. "Get over there!" he barked and ran over to a semi-finished smaller jet, where he sought protection underneath. He couldn't care less that Jamie as well as Kazuki and Rachel were crying in fear, or that Jubilee clung to him. All he could think about was a way out as more explosions could be heard and the earth shook even heavier than before, so much that he would have definitely toppled over if it wasn't for his crouched position underneath the jet. From afar he heard several people screaming as a sound like an avalanche came steadily closer to their room. His eyes switched to the giant double door on their far right that had the same huge X on it as all the others in the basement. Dust and smoke seeped through it, became more the louder the sound became for him and the screams on the outside had long died. Even without seeing it, he knew what was going on and his heart began to beat uncontrollably.
"What's happening?!" Jubilee cried into his shoulder and tried to keep the children between them.
But before he could reply the double door gave way and an avalanche of dust, smoke, bodies and fire washed over them like a giant wave…
"But how did you survive that?!" Cap asked, clearly confused and gave Logan, who had gotten up and was staring out of the window, his back to them, a look.
"When I opened my eyes again," Jubilee began and folded her hands in her lap, "we were surrounded by orange light. Like fire. I think Rachel or Jamie or both of them must have used their powers to protect us… I mean…they were screaming in fear…" She shrugged and kept staring at her hands.
"Neither Jamie nor Ray have this kinda power," Logan grunted without turning around.
"Maybe they used it unconsciously?" Ororo suggested but he shook his head. "Maybe Ray didn't. But Jamie…"
"No!" Logan insisted.
"Logan, Jamie brought Hiro back to life by just touching him. I've been in the same room when it happened," Jean-Paul tried it next. "And he accidentally activated his power to protect himself and Hiro from Phoenix's attack…"
"It's possible…," Hank nodded, still trying to get over what he had just heard. "The boy is very powerful…"
"Anyway, what happened then?" Cap asked Jubilee. "How did you get out?"
She sighed and heaved a deep breath next. "Well…"
When she opened her eyes again, the first thing she saw was fire. Above her, next to her, surrounding her. So she screamed.
"Damn it, stop shouting in my ear!" she heard Daken snapping at her angrily and it was then that she realized that the fire wasn't hot or burning her.
"What…?!" she asked and looked around herself, saw dust, and metal, wood and stones and things she didn't want to look to closely at all around her. "How…?" Jubilee said and sat up, realizing that they were pretty much trapped somewhere underground.
"I don't care. We survived this but we're not out of here, yet," Daken said and went on looking for a way out. The children were unconscious, the air was heavy with smoke and dust, his eyes watering and his nose and throat burning due to his heightened senses. Other than that he couldn't hear a damn thing. Considering what had happened, it didn't surprise him. His senses told him to find a way out and just go. No turning back, no caring, just go.
"Oh my God! That's Sara!" Jubilee suddenly screamed behind him and he growled as she clung to him, sobbing.
"Let go and don't look at it," he grunted and peeled her hands off him. "We need to get out of here and that quickly. There is hardly any oxygen in the air."
Since he had his back to her, he didn't see how she glared at him, eyes narrowed, fists clenched and tears streaming down her dirty cheeks while her chest was quickly heaving. "You…are so cold hearted!" she accused him and received a look for this.
"Ex…cuse me?!" Daken seethed, eyes narrowing, too.
"How can you think about yourself when the others might need our help or are dead?!"
"Because they are dead, so why should I care?" he replied coldly and went on with his search, ignoring her sobs.
Behind him she was boiling with anger, couldn't understand him or how he couldn't care. Even if she was still trapped meters underground with obviously no way out, her thoughts and feelings were with her friends and family. Had they been as lucky as they had? Were some of them still alive? The explosion must have been huge, so the X-Men in the field should have seen it. What if they were looking for them?! Her eyes fell on the children and she went quickly over to check on them, was glad to find a steady pulse. Then, she looked back at him, heard how he was working on some kind of metal on the ground. "Logan always puts others first, never himself…," Jubilee said and gave him a disgusted and furious look.
"Well…," she heard Daken saying in the same arrogant voice he usually addressed others, "some people should finally learn that I am not my father, don't you think?"
"No, you're not. You're cold hearted, arrogant and a complete jerk!" she snapped and her blood froze in her veins as his eyes, unusual dark, settled on her and gave her an indefinable look.
"Right. And guess what, sweetheart," Daken replied, voice very low and too soft, still without any emotions besides a suppressed fury. "I could kill you, right here, right now. No one would know. I could pin you to the floor and have my way with you over and over again, I could use my pheromones on you and make you beg me for more, or make you feel pain you have never felt before. I could do whatever I want with you, for how long I want it and then cut of your skin first and muscles next while I enjoy hearing you scream. I could do the same to those children over there," he told her and smirked when she began to back off. "And you can't do a damn thing against it. So shut up and let me look for a way out in peace, or I will try out what your ice prince has taught you up to now, understood?" With a last warning glare, he turned back towards the floor and went on pulling on the metallic door that he had found underneath some remains. He tore on it as hard as he could and, after he had already wanted to make her help him, managed to open it. He looked down into the dark hole and listened carefully to any threats, but all he could hear was some water. "Sewer…?" he mumbled to himself and got up to pull Rachel and Jamie up into his arm. "Carry him and climb down after me!"
Only glaring at him in silence, Jubilee did as she was told and followed him down a long ladder. She found it hard to hold on to Kazuki with one arm while she had to use the other one for the climbing. When she finally heard Daken landing on solid ground she was glad. Her arm was already killing her. Next to him, she took a look around and was surprised that there was another tunnel far underneath the mansion. Before she could ask, he had already begun walking into one direction. "Jerk…," she muttered under her breath and followed him, holding Kazuki close.
After what had appeared to be ages to both of them and after passing several cross roads, they finally reached the end of the tunnel. "Wait here," Daken grunted and pushed her against the wall to his right. He stepped out of the tunnel and took a long look at their surroundings. He was surprised that they had come out somewhere close to the city. At least that was his guess. He couldn't smell fire or smoke, didn't hear the water of the lake that was close to the mansion. Instead he could smell the scent of the ocean from miles away.
"Where are we?" Rachel suddenly mumbled into his neck but didn't look up.
"No idea…," he grunted and told Jubilee to come out of the tunnel. "Where would my father go to?" Daken demanded to know and stared her down.
"I don't know," the woman replied and avoided his eyes with an angry look on her face.
"You don't know," Daken repeated slowly, as if to try the taste of the sentence, and nodded. "Sure. Try another lie."
She sighed and looked around, still fighting back tears. "The groups agreed to meet at the closest HQ in case of an attack," she finally said and made him frown. "So tell me where we are and I'll let you know."
"Somewhere close to the ocean."
"Then they probably went to the Avenger's HQ," Jubilee concluded.
"And what if not?" Daken asked and began to walk without paying attention to her.
"Then to the Fantastic Four's HQ," she mocked and followed him. "Duh!"
He glared at her and led the way through some alleys, away from the main roads and tried to remember where exactly the Avenger's HQ was. He could tell that Jubilee was doing the same. The building was tall enough to be easily spotted thanks to the three towers, but he couldn't spot it anywhere. Still he was sure that he had walked the right path. His mind was like a hard drive, always remembering and memorizing things in case they became into handy to a later time.
"Are you sure we are at the right location?!" Jubilee suddenly asked him and shook her head after taking another look around. "I… I don't see it anywhere."
"That's because it's gone," Daken grunted. He had figured it out and his ears were already focusing on an announcement somewhere close to Times Square. He knew that voice, listened to the announcement and was well aware what it meant for them. "We need to go. Now!" he ordered and pulled her with him back into the alley and quickly to the opposite side, away from the main street and further into the dark. They needed shadows now. As many as they could find.
"What…," Jubilee began and tried to fight him off. "We need to go to the next HQ!"
"They don't exist anymore, don't you get that?!" Daken snapped at her and quickly regained his focus on keeping the children asleep with his pheromones. He couldn't need them to start crying loudly now.
"What do you mean?!" the woman asked and he chose to ignore it. He hated dealing with people in shock.
"In case they teamed up with the other groups," he began and, after a quick check on the street in front of them, went over to the first car he could find and broke into it. "Where would they go?!" he asked and put Jamie, Rachel and Kazuki on the back seats, buckled them in, before he pushed Jubilee, who still stared at him completely lost, into the passenger's seat and took the driver's seat next to her. "Where?!"
"I… I don't know…," she gasped and watched him working on the cables through a wall of fog and tears. "I…" Only shaking her head she buried her face into her hands and pulled her legs close. Everything, all the events of the past hours washed over her like one giant wave and she couldn't deal with it.
"Just great…," Daken cursed and started the engine, then drove off. If she couldn't tell him where the groups would head to, he had no idea where to go. It would be easy for him to dispose of her and the children, then continue the path alone. No one would ever know. It would be way easier without them to get out of here undetected… "If they fled together, they'll need a huge hideout, a house or building…," he tried once more and placed a hand at the back of her head to make her look at him. "So where would they go?"
"I don't know…," Jubilee whispered and leant over to go on sobbing into his shoulder. "I don't know anything…"
Sighing, the feral could only shake his head and began focusing his pheromones on her, too. It didn't take long and she fell asleep. He despised doing it since he needed the information, but he wasn't dumb either. She was of no use now. No one of them was of any use for him now. "Just dump them in the ocean…," Daken muttered to himself and began to think harder. If he were his father and had to bring three groups into safety… If his currently biggest enemy had declared war on them and made them enemies of the state or better said country… If he was in their situation, which he actually was at the moment…, where would he go?
The States were in Apocalypses hand, the authorities, too, he had Sentinels and the Devils to hunt down mutants and humans alike… If he were his father, he wouldn't stay in the States. He would hide outside of it, treat the wounded, regroup, plan an attack. He was sure his father had done exactly that. "Great… That just leaves dozens of other countries that are not under US law," Daken cursed and kept his eyes on the dark road ahead of him.
He tried to remember if he had ever, in his time with Romulus been to any place that his father might know and that was not in the States. He had been everywhere on the world, mostly places his father had visited, too. "Useless…," he dismissed the thought. Maybe the Professor had contacted them and led them to wherever he was, he thought next but dismissed the idea, too. He was sure the Professor would have checked upon the mansion first and would have picked up on them.
A building, a house, another HQ he didn't know about… Anything that could help him. But then again he knew about all the HQs, knew all safe places of the groups, too. He had learned them by heart, wanted to be prepared for any upcoming mission. He knew the weaknesses and strengths of the Avengers and Fantastic Four, knew how he could manipulate them to his will… So he knew their safe places weren't big enough for all of them. That was if they had left together…
Only shaking his head, the feral turned his head and had actually wanted to look at Jubilee, but his eyes fell on something else. In front of the passenger's seat, barely noticeable on the first look, was a sticker of a red and white flag. "Of course…," Daken said and wanted to slap himself. His father was Canadian, so he would take them out of the States and to Canada, away from US authorities. But still…where would he take them? He thought hard, went through all the buildings of which he knew that his father was somehow related to them and his mind came to a halt at a building that was big enough, far away enough and at the most remote location possible. Still, he knew Logan wouldn't voluntarily set a foot anywhere close that house. That was, if he knew any other way out. And right now, after what happened, Daken was sure his father didn't know any other way out…
When she opened her eyes again, she was surprised that it was still dark. Or was it dark again and she had been unconscious for a whole day? Blinking, Jubilee looked next to her and was surprised to find the seat empty, but what shocked her even the more was that not only Daken but also the children were gone. Panic began to spread in her chest , made her unbuckle herself quickly before she headed out of the car and looked around, panting.
The sky was unnaturally black, the air chilly and she could see her breath in it. Wind was rustling in the trees around her, shadows everywhere even if there was no moon visible in the sky. She thought she could hear noises all around her and it scared her. "Dammit, dammit, dammit…," she whispered to herself, her eyes still searching between the trees around her. What if he had kidnapped the children? What if he thought she was asleep long enough to dispose of the children and then come back to have some perverted fun with her, before he would kill her next?
Jubilee's body began to shake, more of fear than the cold air and she thought about what to do. A sign close to the car told her that she was close to the Canadian border. It surprised her. She must have been out cold for a good while. Still, she didn't know what to do. He could track her down, easily. There was no way escaping him. Even if she somehow made it towards the border and actually over it, he would follow her, find her, probably torture her and then kill her. She was convinced of it. Her mind recalled what Logan had told them over and over again in one of his survival and self-defense classes. "If ya find yerself in a threatening situation, don't be stupid enough t'fight. Run!" Liking the sound of those words, Jubilee did what her instincts told her and ran for her life…
She ran up the street and past tree after tree, her lungs acing due to the cold air and her muscles heavily protesting. She had only one goal: reach the border or find anyone that could help her. As she went past another tree, she thought she had slipped and a silent scream escaped her lips. As she tried to get up again to continue her way, she found that she couldn't move and was suddenly pulled back by something strong. Looking up, she found angry dark eyes glaring at her and was soon dragged back into the direction of the car. "No, let me go. Let me GO!" she began to scream and used her fists and legs to fight against her capturer, who lifted her over his shoulder in the end and carried her back to the car. Not knowing what else she could do, she used her powers and heard Daken hiss in pain as parts of his skin was scorched. The woman gasped as she found herself as quickly pressed against the next tree, as the mansion has been blown to pieces and stared back at his furious glare with widened eyes. Her breath was caught in her throat and she felt like a rabbit caught in the car's light. Even furious like this, she couldn't help but think that he looked too handsome for his own good.
"You'll listen now," Daken seethed in barely more than a whisper that sent shivers down her spine and his eyes were narrowed to slits. "Get your ass back to the car or I'll leave you here to rod. Did I make myself clear?"
"You're going to kill me anyway!" she cried and began to sob in fear. Something that earned her a tilted head and cocked eyebrow.
"Yeah, I will if you try another stunt like that," he replied dryly, grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to the car. "It's already hard enough to keep them calm, so don't annoy me any further, girl," he added growling and started the engine again after he had pushed her back into her seat. He shot a glare at her from aside to tell her once more to shut up and used his pheromones once more to force her to calm down.
"Are you hungry?" Rachel suddenly asked from behind and held out a fruit salad in a plastic box for Jubilee.
"W…where did you get that?" the woman asked and gave the box a surprised look after taking it.
"Stole it in a deserted shop," Daken grunted and kept his eyes on the road, but checked the rearview mirror. "Buckle back in!"
"Sorry…," the little redhead mumbled and did as she was told.
Confused, Jubilee looked at the children and then at the feral next to her. Something was fishy but she couldn't tell what. "What have you done with them?!" she demanded to know and was surprised that he handed her a bottle with water from somewhere next to him. "It's poisoned!"
Groaning, he shook his head and dropped the bottle in her lap. "Yeah, and while you were sleeping I abused the children and had my fun with you. Since I soon got bored I killed some people, too…" He looked at her in complete annoyance. "How…does your ice cube of a husband actually cope with you without killing himself?!" he demanded to know and received a glare. "The kids needed to pee and even without my help, you were out cold for nearly a day. So I suggest you eat and drink because I can't and won't take you to a hospital in case you dehydrate," he added dryly and looked back at the road. "We'll reach the border soon so be prepared for a fight."
Jubilee looked behind her where Jamie and Kazuki were already sleeping again and Rachel was holding on to her wolf and close to doze off, too. She didn't understand. "Why…are you doing this?!" she asked and her eyes were back on him.
"Don't know," Daken grunted and ran a hand through his hair, feeling how the first stubble appeared on his head. He didn't want to know how messed up his usually styled mohawk looked. He could feel her eyes on him and it annoyed him. "Stop staring at me!"
Breaking the contact, Jubilee opened the box and slowly began to eat. "Where are we heading anyway?"
"My father's old home in Alberta."
She froze. "Al…berta? As in Canada?!" she asked and made him roll his eyes.
"No, Alberta as in Polynesia," he mocked and hook his head.
"Why?!" she asked next.
"Because I think it's where they are heading," he replied, his voice still full of sarcasm. "Now stop asking!"
But she would have none of it. "You…think? So you actually don't know for sure."
"Ahondara…," Daken cursed in his native tongue and was tempted to make use of his pheromones again.
"What does that even mean? Speak English!" Jubilee said dryly and sipped on the bottle. "Where exactly in Alberta is that supposed to be anyway?!"
Daken closed his eyes for a brief moment to heave a deep breath. "All the way up in the northern territories, somewhere in the Wood Buffalo area…," he tried to say in an as calm voice as possible but it sounded completely annoyed.
"Somewhere! There it is! So you have no idea at all." She looked out of the window and noticed once more that it was still pitch black. "What time is it?"
"8:30 a.m."
"Then why is it dark?!"
"Because it's dark since two days ago."
"Why?" she asked, still looking outside and chewing on the fruit.
Daken glared at her from aside. "Let me guess your secondary mutation," he began and she frowned at him. "Your brain's stuck at five years, am I right?"
"Jerk!" Jubilee replied and stuck out her tongue at him before she looked back outside.
"Yes, I was right," he nodded his confirmation and began to frown as he saw something from afar. "Damn…"
"What?"
"They placed the military at the border… Probably MRD," he replied and slowed the car down.
"So?" she shrugged.
"Well they just have the order to probably kill everyone at sight but never mind. Why should we worry, right?" he mocked and thought about what to do. He could stop the car, go ahead and kill those soldiers. But then again he couldn't tell what kind of weapons they had. He was convinced they were anti-mutant weapons. Then he could try to approach them and use his pheromones on them. But this would mean to risk the lives of the others and bring them into danger. Stopping the car, his mind began to calculate the possible outcome of every situation and he chose Plan A. Approaching the enemy alone was still the best choice he could make. "Stay here and no matter what, stay in the car and don't move!" he warned Jubilee, who watched him leaving the car and disappearing between the trees to their right.
She slumped down in her seat, so much that only her eyes were looking over the headboard. Her heart began to beat rapidly in her chest as she watched him approaching the guarding soldiers at the border and she actually held her breath as he took position in the shadows.
At the border four soldiers were patrolling and keeping their eyes on the road ahead of them. No one of them saw the black car that was parking further down the road. Instead they were talking about their boredom of actually being there.
"I need to pee," one of them cursed and sneezed. "Be right back." With his automatic rifle in his hand, he walked over to the trees and looked for a spot that gave him privacy but still a good view on the border. He reached out to pull his zipper down and sighed as he felt the much needed release.
"Not so big, aren't we?" a low baritone suddenly said next to him.
Before he could even gasp, a strong hand clasped over his mouth and something sharp went through his spine straight into his heart. Like a doll the soldier dropped to the ground.
Above him, Daken gave him a cold look. "Not so bright either…" He headed over to another tree and pressed himself against it. Four to five minutes. That's what he had calculated for the other soldiers to get suspicious. He was sure they'd come with two to check up on their comrades whereabouts. He'd wait until they had walked past him, then stab them from behind. Maybe stab one from behind and attack the other one from the front in case he turned around. The last one, he'd approach directly, let his pheromones do the rest.
"Come on, come on, come on….," Jubilee whined in the car and made sure the children were still asleep behind her. "Hurry…" She slumped further down again as the remaining three soldiers gave the wood a look and had an exchange, before two of them entered it with their weapons ready. "Damn…"
Behind the tree, Daken smirked satisfied. People were just too easy to read. He pressed himself closer to the tree and listened in to the conversation, his claws ready for the attack.
"Rick?" one of the men barked and used the lamp that was attached to the rifle to search for his missing comrade. "Where are you?!"
"Probably jerking off…," a female voice commented dryly and Daken would have chuckled, if he could. He could tell he liked her humor. "Rick?" she shouted and made another step forward, not seeing the shadow behind her comrade, who went silently and quickly around the tree, pulling her partner into the shadows. "Why can't you guys just use a normal toilet?! What's so great about pissing on trees?" she cursed and stopped to search between the many trees ahead.
"Marking territory, darling. It's in our genes," a voice suddenly said behind her and she had hardly turned around that she found herself pressed to the ground, weapon flying out of her hand and mouth covered by another hand. "Hm… You're very pretty," the voice said and her heart began to race in fear. "I'd use the standard sentence, don't make a noise and you'll live, but unfortunately…I can't do that."
Daken heard her taking in a sharp breath, one that almost sounded like a sob and considered what to do. She was definitely eye candy to him and he liked her smell. "Hm…," he made and noticed that the last soldier became impatient. He also knew that the stab marks he had left on the bodies were obvious enough. Their enemy would know they had fled to Canada. If he let her live… He heard her breathing speeding up and felt her trying to shake her head; a silent plea addressed to him. Thinking about it, he could find someone like her in any bigger city. "I don't feel generous today. Sorry," he simply shrugged and extended his inner wrist claw on the hand that was covering her mouth. It went straight through her skull and, after some spasms, she went as still as the others.
"One more to go…," Daken mumbled and retracted his claws. He got up and went straight towards the closest tree he could use to hide. He focused on the soldier and let his pheromones do the rest. He wanted him to be calm and pushed every button he could access to make the man dizzy with want. As he heard the heart speeding up and saw the man changing his posture, he left the shadow and approached him; a smirk visible on his lips. "Hey, sweetness," he greeted the soldier casually and chuckled when the man failed to raise his weapon, but stared at him with flushed cheeks instead. Daken stopped in front of him, smiling and cupped the man's chin. "I'm sorry but we need to get over that border and you're in my way," he apologized and his eyes darkened when his claws extracted. He didn't bother to watch how the man dropped to the ground and headed instantly back to the car, no reckoning with the man's finger accidentally pulling the trigger as he slumped dead to the ground.
Jubilee startled as the shot echoed through the night and she was sure the feral had been hit, even if he didn't stumble or gave any sign of it. She watched him sitting back down behind the wheel and only a second later, they were back on the road and finally over the border, away from the madness that the States currently were. "Were you hit?!" she asked him and wanted to have a look at his shoulder, but he slapped her hand away.
"I'm fine."
"But I'm sure you were hit!" Jubilee insisted.
"Too loud!" Jamie complained from behind them and rubbed his eyes tiredly, adding a whiny noise to it.
"Go back to sleep!" Daken told him and concentrated on the boy.
"That mutation of yours is scary!" Jubilee commented after the boy was asleep again. "I bet that's your way of getting people into your bed, too!"
He snorted. "Only when they are straight and I want them to do something for me, sweetheart."
She gave him a look. "Right… Mr. Loverboy," Jubilee mocked and pulled her legs close, her eyes back on the road. The sky was suddenly blue again, the sun where it actually belonged and she would have been happy about it, if it wasn't for everything that lay behind them. "I hope they are fine…," she said more to herself but received a look for it anyway.
"Why shouldn't they?" Daken said and moved his aching shoulder blade. They had to pump gas soon. He would head for the restroom and try to get that damn bullet out.
"Are you not even worried a bit?" Jubilee asked him. "I mean maybe they didn't even survive that mission, maybe they were shot down or who knows what else happened to them! Maybe our enemies have them, are torturing them or have already killed them," she began her angry rant and glared at him. "How can you not care?! Your siblings and lover were inside the mansion when it was blown up for fuck's sake!"
He sighed and shook his head. "Are you done?" he asked coolly and made her narrows her eyes even further.
"I really don't get why Paul sticks to you. Really! You don't give a damn about anything but yourself!" she accused him and crossed her arms.
"Exactly."
"He might be dead!" Jubilee tried a different tactic but Daken shrugged.
"Can't change that then, can I?" he asked and she wanted to punch him.
"You…," she began but was at a loss of words. "You are so pathetic!"
"Am I?" he asked and smirked arrogantly at her.
"Yes, you are!" she insisted and glared out of the window when he stopped at a gas station.
"Pump gas. I need to go the bathroom," she heard him saying and left the car instantly to do so. The fury within her was so strong that she wanted to punch the car, or anything else close by, preferably him. To her it was not understandable how he could not care. Their home was gone, their friends were either dead or missing or captured or whatever else and he didn't care. It made her angrier than she had ever felt before.
"I'm hungry," she heard Rachel in her head and tried to give the girl a smile.
"I'll give you something in a sec, Ray," she promised the girl and noticed that they didn't have any money. "Oh damn…" Not knowing what she could do about it now, she sat back down on the passenger's seat and rummaged in the bag that lay between hers and Daken's seat. "Here's a sandwich and some water."
Taking the things from her, Rachel looked out of the window. "Are we already in Canada?" she asked and received a nod, while Jubilee searched the front for anything they could pay the gas with. "So how much longer do we have to drive until we meet daddy?!"
Jubilee froze and turned around to give the girl a confused look. "Who told you this?!"
As an answer Rachel pointed out of the window and at Daken, who sat back down behind the wheel and drove off next.
"We didn't pay!" Jubilee cried and took a look back at the gas station that disappeared behind them.
"Don't worry about that," he grunted and held his left arm close to his chest. The itching and pain were going on his nerves.
"Don't tell me you killed the owner!" Jubilee whispered and stared at him in shock when he gave her a look back.
"Do you actually think I kill everything that moves?!" he asked back.
"Yeah!" she nodded and made him roll his eyes.
"Are we there, yet?!" Rachel asked and looked to and fro between them.
"No, not yet," Daken replied and heard her sighing. He remained silent for a while and watched the redhead through the mirror. He knew the girl was a telepath and teke as her mother and that the children shared a bond with their parents, so he guessed that she could pick up on their father's mental signature. "Rachel?"
"Hm?" she asked and he smiled at her.
"How about playing a game? Would you like that?" he asked and received a look from Jubilee.
"You sound like a perverted old man that picks up young schoolgirls!" she told him and looked back out of the window after receiving a warning glare. "Creep!"
"What kind of game?" the little redhead asked.
His attention was back on his younger sister. "The one who picks up on our father first wins."
The girl frowned. "But what's the prize?!" she demanded to know and made him chuckle.
"I don't know. You can choose," Daken shrugged and she nodded okay. "Good. But no cheating!"
"So we traveled all the way to Alberta and to the Wood Buffalo area. We spent days just driving around and tried to find you. Then Ray suddenly said she picked up on Logan," Jubilee shrugged, still looking at her hands. "I tried to get that bullet out of his shoulder but it was stuck too much. I knew he wasn't feeling well but he hid how bad he actually felt… If I had known it was that bad…" She gave Logan an apologetic look.
"Not yer fault, kid."
"Well, we went through the wood and I could already see the house on the hill when he suddenly collapsed. He scared the hell out of me and Rachel," she went on and hugged herself at the thought.
"What's wrong?!" Jubilee asked and knelt down next to the feral, who was lying in the snow, sweat visible on his skin and his chest heaving and falling quickly. She looked up when Rachel began to whine. "It's alright, Ray. He just stumbled, don't you worry!" she tried to soothe the girl, who held on to Jamie's and Kazuki's hands. "Come on, get up! We're almost there!" As hard as she could, she tried to pull the feral up and managed to do so. Still, he collapsed again after a few steps only. "Damn it, come on!" she cried and reached out to cup his cheek with one hand. She gasped in shock at how hot his skin was. "Why didn't you tell me you had a fever?!"
"What's wrong with him?!" Rachel cried and watched them with fear in her eyes.
Considering what do to, Jubilee looked at the estate and then at Daken, who was heaving deep and way too fast breaths. She didn't know what to do. She could neither carry the feral, nor leave him behind. Rachel had said that Logan was close by so he had to be in that house. "Ray, listen," she began and put a hand on her shoulder. "We'll play another game, okay?"
"No!" the girl cried and shook her head quickly.
"Listen. Your daddy is over there, in that house," Jubilee went on and pointed at the estate. "I need him to come here and help me with your brother. He's not feeling too well and needs to be brought to the house, okay? So we need to call for your daddy very, very loudly. Do you understand that?" she asked and received a nod. "Jamie, you love shouting for daddy, right? So on three we shout for him as loudly as we can, okay?" Nodding at them, she counted to three and they began shouting their lungs out over and over again. When no one came, Jubilee started cursing under her breath. "Damn you, Logan…"
"Why is daddy not coming?!" the little redhead asked and received a shrug.
"Maybe… Maybe he's occupied or sleeping and didn't hear us…," the woman guessed, since it was way past midnight in the end. "Ray, you need to do me a huge favor, okay?" she said after a moment of looking at the man next to her. "You need to take Kazu and Jamie and walk over to the house. Tell them to come here and help me with your brother."
"No! I don't want to go alone!" the girl cried and shook her head quickly.
"Ray, listen," Jubilee tried it once more. "I know you're scared. I know it's difficult and that you are tired, but I really, really need you to go and get help, okay? Come on, you're a brave girl. I know you can do it!" she begged her and received a weak nod that was accompanied by a sob after a moment. "Good. Just don't let go of Jamie's or Kazu's hand, okay? You can do it!" Worriedly, she watched the girl heading of with the two boys, who didn't liked to be dragged through the snow like this. All of them were tired and exhausted and freezing. When Rachel reached the gate, Jubilee knelt down next to Daken and placed his head into her lap; angry tears visible in her eyes. "Why didn't you tell me you were so sick, you….you asshole?!" she sniffed and stroked through his longer hair. "Damn you…"
"No, Kazu, stay here!" Rachel yelled but the boy headed off and disappeared in the dark somewhere behind the house.
"Gone…," Jamie said and wondered why his sister was so upset. "No cry!"
"I want daddy…," the little redhead sobbed and wiped her tears away.
"Daddy's there!" her younger brother said and pointed at a window to their opposite side, beginning to drag her into that direction.
"Jamie, Kazu's over there!" she protested and pulled him into the other direction again, much to his dismay.
"NO!"
"We need to find Kazu, Jamie!" Rachel insisted and dragged the crying boy with her. She was glad when she heard voices and saw light behind a backdoor. Speeding up, she entered the room, panting, and was surprised to actually see Hank and Jean-Paul, who already held Kazuki close. Not knowing what else to do, she began to cry and went to hug her Godfather's leg.
"Ray…," Hank said astonished and pulled the girl into a bear hug. "My God… How did you get here?!"
"What's going on here?" Steven suddenly asked and, looking drowsy, gave the children a confused look. Behind him some of the Avengers and X-men were standing, having woken up due to the noises Miloh was making in Logan's room. "How…did the kids get here?!"
"We don't know," Jean-Paul said and still held his boy as close a possible.
"Ray," Hank tried and pulled Jamie up with his free arm. "How did you get here?"
"Where's daddy?!" the girl sobbed into his shoulder instead and clung to her uncle for dear life. "I want daddy!"
"I'll go and get him, sweetheart!" Ororo tried to soothe her and ran quickly upstairs, shouting for Logan.
It didn't take long and the white wolf stormed into the room, tail wagging and jumped up and down in sheer happiness to see two people of his pack again. The room filled with his howls and low "woofs", until an annoyed voice behind all of them demanded to know what the hell was going on.
"Daddy!" Rachel cried out and wiggled out of Hank's grip to head for the surprised feral, who could only stare at her and Jamie in shock.
He stood like frozen, looking at them, his mind completely blank while his heart was racing. His senses told him this was real, not another dream and he was definitely not sleeping either. Slowly, Logan lowered himself to the ground and cupped his daughter's face, staring at her as if he was seeing her for the first time. It took a moment for his mind to click and understand the situation, but when it did, he pulled her as close as possible and couldn't help but cry in relief. When Hank let Jamie down and the boy headed over to his father next, found himself pressed against a strong chest and wondered why his sister and father were crying now.
"No cry!" he demanded and heard Logan chuckling before he was kissed. "Ew!"
Some of the Avengers exchanged surprised glances. They had never ever seen the mighty Wolverine crying before and didn't know what to make out of the situation. Especially those ones that hadn't known their former teammate actually had children.
"Ray…," Logan began and had to clear his throat, "did mommy bring you here?" he asked hopefully but his hopes were crushed when she shook her head and hid it again in the crook of his neck. "Who did then?" When she began to mumble incoherent things into it, he was about to ask her to calm down and tell him then, but the backdoor went open with a bang and a very upset Jubilee appeared.
"Why is no one coming?!" she almost barked at them, her voice mixed with anger and tears.
"Jubes…," Bobby gasped and didn't waste a second to run over to her and pull her close.
"Bobby!" she sobbed and clung to him as if she was drowning.
"Do ya want me t'dispose of him?" An annoyed Creed grunted and pointed at the rather lifeless figure over his shoulder.
"Who's that?!" Cap asked and tilted his head to have a look at the man.
Logan wouldn't have recognized his son with the longer hair either, if it wasn't for the scent the man wasn't suppressing for once. "What happened t'him?!" he asked Jubilee, who, still leaning tiredly against her husband, turned her head to look at him.
"He was hit by a bullet. I couldn't get it out," she croaked and tightened her grip. "That idiot didn't tell me he was that sick!"
"He wouldn't be sick if it was a normal bullet…," Hank mumbled and went over to have a look at the dazed feral. "Victor, be so nice and carry him over to the living room. Put him on the couch, please!" he said and went to get some equipment.
"Why should I?!" Creed growled displeased, but did as he was told. Still he wasn't all too gently as he dropped Daken on the sofa. "Whoops… I'm so not sorry!"
"I wouldn't have recognized him…," Tony whispered into Cap's direction, who could only nod. "From the look on your face I'd say you're very happy to see him again."
"You can bet on it…," Rogers said and made room when Hank went past him. His eyes fell on Logan, who still held his two children close and he could tell he had hardly ever seen his old friend being so relieved. It made him happy.
"That looks bad…," Hank suddenly said and all heads turned into his direction.
"He's shaking…," Jubilee sniffed and received a nod.
"No wonder considering how high his fever is… I need you to hold him down. I can't reach it," the doctor said and gave John a look and was about to peel the soaked shirt from the feral's shoulders, as this one suddenly spun around and nearly stabbed him with a claw. "Jesus! Hold him down, damn it!" Hank cursed and Logan gave Ororo a nod to take care of the children. He didn't want them to see this.
"I'll be right there, okay?" he told Rachel, who didn't want to be separated from him again, and pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek.
"Come on, you look exhausted," the weather goddess said and pulled her and Jamie up, whereas Northstar handed Kazuki over to Kurt.
In the meantime, Hank tried once more to attend to the wound, was sure John had Daken under control this time, but as soon as he only came close to the wound, the feral tried to growl and fought against both of them.
"I thought he's sick and weak!" John cursed while trying to get the upper hand and was awarded with a long scratch.
"It's instinct," Logan explained and tried to help him. "He thinks he's in danger." But even if he tried to get through to his son, the man was too agitated as that it was of any use. "Paul," he said in the end and the speedster, who had watched the whole scene from afar up to now, came slowly closer. He knew how dangerous the feral could actually become in a state of being half awake. "Tell him to calm down!"
"But watch his claws!" Hank warned the speedster and was surprised that Daken actually looked into his direction. Still, he was sure the man could hardly see anything at all. "It'll be already difficult enough to treat him…"
"Now, I'm sure psycho-boy will react to his sweetheart…," Tony commented in a hushed voice and was elbowed by Pepper. "What?"
"Don't be so mean!" she reprimanded him and watched how Jean-Paul knelt down in front of the feral, but still kept a safe distance in case Daken lashed out at him next.
"Hiro…?" he asked in an as calm voice as he could come up with at the moment. To his surprise the man turned his head slowly into his direction. "It's alright. You're safe…" Carefully, he wanted to reach out but the feral was actually quicker and moved closer into his direction, away of what he thought were his enemies.
"See? I was right! He likes his sweetheart," Tony mocked and gave Pepper his best I-won-you-lost-smile. She could only roll her eyes.
"That's good, hold him!" Hank said and waited for Daken to hold on to the speedster, before he acted quickly and pulled the bullet, that had been lodged between shoulder blade and ribcage, out.
"His fever's nearly gone," Hank told Logan, who dragged parts of a dead elk into the kitchen. "Jesus… Where did you find that one?!" he said impressed and got up to help him.
"Was about time after one goddamn week," the feral answered to the first. "Ran into that fella up the river. Still it's getting' hard t'find food." He began packing the meat pieces into the makeshift fridge that Tony and Reed had set up.
"True…," Hank nodded and looked out of the window. "Creed's gone again?"
"He's in the wood. He hates bein' here."
"Well, you, too…"
"Yeah, but I didn't have an abusive father," Logan grunted and washed his hands when he heard Miloh howling upstairs. "That freakin' dog…"
Hank chuckled. "Well, he's happy to have his best friends back, isn't he?"
"Yeah…," the feral nodded but sounded all too happy, which his friend noticed.
But before Hank could say something, Pepper entered and handed him a small pot. "Tony said you wanted this?"
"Yes, thank you." Taking it from her, Hank looked at the pot and read through the ingredients.
"What's this?" Logan asked, crossed his arms and leant back against the wall.
"An ointment for inflammations," Hank explained. "I want to try if your son's wound heals better with it. The bullet did some good damage. He was lucky that his bones have a natural metallic compound…" His eyes fell on the room next to the old kitchen. "I think he's waking up…"
Surprised and curious, Logan looked around the corner and noticed that his son was moving indeed, as if he was about to wake up any minute. "About time…," was all he could say.
When he opened his eyes slowly, he took his time to look around the unfamiliar surroundings and kept as still as he could. He didn't know where he was, the scent was unfamiliar, the noises, too… How did he get here?! The last thing he actively remembered were them being on the streets and looking for the others. When someone came closer, he tensed up, kept his fists clenched to strike in case he needed to defend himself. How had he gotten here? Who had treated his wounds?
"You're finally awake?" an all too familiar voice asked and he gave the man a confused look. "How are you feeling?" Northstar asked concerned and touched the feral's cheek to check on the temperature.
"Where are we?" Daken asked drowsily and tried to sit slowly up but was stopped by a hand touching his chest.
"You shouldn't get up so fast. We're in your father's old house. You traveled all the way up here but collapsed on the outside," Jean-Paul explained and received a frown. "Hank said you've been very sick and nearly killed yourself. You scared the hell out of Jubilee and the children." He got up. "I'll get you something to drink."
Watching him retreating, Daken sat slowly up and looked around the unfamiliar house. It had changed the last time he'd been here to place a notebook for Sinister in the basement. The house was somehow brighter and tidier. He ran a hand over his face and felt how he became tired again. He hated feeling weak…
"Here," Jean-Paul said and handed him the water while he put a small pot on the table next to them.
"How are you feelin'?" Logan asked his son and gave him a concerned look.
"Tired…," the younger feral replied and watched Hank closely, as the man began examining him.
"Pulse is fine, temperature still warm," he said matter-of-factly and nodded at the bandages. "I'd like to examine your wound. Paul will put on the ointment since I know you hate being touched by others." When he began his work he felt how tensed the feral became and thought once more that whatever Romulus had done to the man, it went deep to the bone. "It's not as red anymore but still not healed completely," he let Logan know, who nodded. "Still your healing factor should kick in soon again. Your system is just messed up because of the sepsis and carbonadium poisoning. Just be patient." He got up to get fresh bandages and handed Northstar those. "When you're done put one of those bandage pads on the wound and tape them with those bandage tapes. You might want to massage his back a bit. His muscles must be sore from lying around all the time." Getting up, he patted Logan's shoulder and winked at the speedster. "Just don't be too wild."
"I'm not!" Jean-Paul sulked and watched them retreating. "Then lie down and let me know when it hurts," he said and took the pot from the table before he straddled the feral's hip to have a better access. "Your shoulder really looks much better," Jean-Paul noticed while doing what he was told to do and finished treating the wound, his hands then massaging the back. "It's not that red anymore…"
"Hm…," the feral commented and lay on the couch, arms wrapped around the pillow his head was resting on.
"Does it still hurt?" the speedster asked.
"No…," Akihiro mumbled, eyes closed and snuggled closer to the pillow.
"That's good…," Northstar nodded and went on with the massage. He noticed how relaxed and calm the feral was. When he was done massaging the muscles on the shoulder blades and went down the ones next to the spine, he looked up after receiving a content sigh from the feral. Stopping what he was doing, he leant forward a bit to have a better look at the man's face. It looked content and relaxed. Something that was very rare for the feral. "You're tired, huh?" he asked gently and stroked through Akihiro's hair.
"Hm…," came the sleepy reply.
"Then sleep," Jean-Paul said, placing a kiss to the feral's bare shoulder before he contemplated about what to do. In the end, he pulled the blanket behind him up, lay down on the man's back and hugged him as good as he could in the current position. "I missed you…," he whispered and kept his weight off the wounded parts. His hand reached up to rest on the feral's arm while he closed his eyes, too, sleeping well for the first time since the attack.
Happy Birthday to April! In the end, I managed to make it your birthday gift. ; )
I'm sorry for the long delay. I had such a writer's block. : ( I'm glad that I could finish the chapter before college starts here again. Thanks to all the persons that reviewed the last chapter. I'm so glad you liked it. Please, let me know what you think!! See ya!