Geirr: chapter 3 is now up for you all the enjoy!
Chapter 3: The Way I Am
"You can leave his side just for a second Kai. He is safe here. And that dream pill Charley fed him will keep him snoozing into the night. You need food to recharge," Logan informed, leaning against the door frame. Rei was curled up beneath the comforter, sound asleep. Looking at peace for the first time.
Kai looked from his slumbering boyfriend to Wolverine. "I'm sorry Wolverine. But I will not leave his side. I left it once and…" He flinched at the memory, Crimson eyes traveling back to the slumbering neko-Jin. "And it did not end well."
Logan nodded and crossed his arms. "I know that feeling Kai. Trust me. I have someone who means a lot to me. And I will do whatever I can to protect him."
Kai caressed his sleeping tiger. The neko-Jin began to purr.
"He is surrounded by people here that will put their lives on the line to protect him. So you have nothing to worry about. Leave him here to rest. He will never be alone here. Now come and get some food."
The devilishly handsome (no pun intended) Kurt Wagner sipped from his teacup like a royal. His glowing yellow eyes scanning the occupants around the table. Blue spade tail twitching restlessly.
The BladeBreakers sat on one side of the table, minus Rei who was still asleep in his room. The X-men on the other side? However only a few of the x-men were present. Wolverine, Charles Xavier, Cyclops,Storm, Beast, Jean Grey and himself.
After names were exchanged all eyes fell onto Professor Xavier. He smiled. "Thank you again for contacting me Kai. I will do what I can to help you all. This school is now your home, and everyone inside will now be your friends and family. So please feel at home here." His gaze landed on the dark skinned goddess Storm. "Now BladeBreakers I will be pairing you up with a fellow x-man. They will be your mentor and teach you everything they know. Storm.."
Ororo got to her feet gracefully. "Yes Professor?"
The Professor's gaze then went to Tyson. "And Tyson. I will pair you two together. Your powers are very similar. Ororo has had years of practice and I believe she will be an excellent teacher." The two nodded in agreement.
The the Professor looked at Kai, then Jean. "With similar powers as well. I believe Jean and Kai would be perfect together."
Kai glanced over at the red head and nodded a slight greeting. Jean Grey acknowledged the greeting.
With that settled Professor Xavier then looked to the blonde, Max. "Ah Max. I do not have an x-man with similar mutant powers such as yours. However I do believe I know someone smart enough to come up with a training regime in order for you to ,aster your powers." The bald man scanned the crowd before landing his gaze upon the Beast. "Hank McCoy."
The Beast grinned a toothy grin. "Yes sir! I can take on that challenge and help Max understand and control his mutant abilities."
Max gave the blue furred mutant a thumbs up. "Coolio!"
"And for Rei…" Professor Xavier said, causing everyone in the room to become quiet. "I think Logan would be the perfect mentor for him."
Jean smiled. "I believe you are correct Professor. Logan will be able to help Rei immensely!"
"Thank Jeanie," Logan said. "I'll do what I can to help the kid."
Professor Xavier leaned forward. "Now I think it is time to begin some of your training. First we will take each of you down to the danger room and let you all show us your powers in action and how much control you have over them," he paused shifting his hover hair towards Logan. "Logan could you please go and retrieve Rei. I will gently awake him and mentally inform him of his location and yourself. Please and thank you."
Logan nodded but notice Kai stiffen with anxiety out of the corner of his eye. The Professor noticed too and nodded calmly at the phoenix. "Do not worry Kai. Rei will be alright and safe with Logan. You will see him soon." Kai relaxed slightly and nodded once.
And with that final statement everyone filed out of the large room, leaving only Logan. Logan turned in the opposite direction and headed for the living areas of the old mansion.
He climbed several flights of stairs until he reached the highest level. The guest sleeping quarters. Each dark wooden door was closed except for the double French doors at the end of the hallway. These doors led to the shared suite of Kai and Rei.
The door was slightly ajar, lights turned the large suite an antique ornate four-poster bed sat upon a small Dias in the center of the room. Red velvet curtains surrounded the bed, but at this time they were pulled back revealing the thick blankets and mountain of pillows piled on top of the king sized mattress.
In the center of this mattress lay Rei Kon, curled beneath the heavy blankets. He was still slumbering, breathing lightly.
Logan placed his palm upon the door and gently pushed it open. Making a gap big enough for him to get through and into the room.
Suddenly the mutant in the bed shot upward, his golden slotted eyes landing immediately on the older mutant. Logan stilled his movement and watched Rei cautiously. Rei did the same.
Rei's nostrils flared several times, scenting the unfamiliar room around him. His eyes darting quickly around the strange place but always going back to the stranger in the room with him.
Logan's nose twitched, as well as his ears. He could scent a faint smell of blood coming from Rei.
"Logan's?" The neko-Jin questioned, his voice ringed with confusion and slight fear.
The Canadian released a breath he didn't even know he was holding. "Yes. That is me. I see Charley told you me name."
Rei finally blinked and took a deep breath. The confusion not leaving his face. "I guess." He shifted in the bed, throwing his feet over the side of the bed.
Logan's blue eyes widened with shock as he eyed Rei's feet. They were mutated. They were bare, faint black stripes crossed on top of his feet. They were slightly bigger than the average teenager's. But what shocked Logan more were the deadly lethal curved claws replacing each toenail on ever toe.
The Canadian's eyes travelled up the boy's body as the young mutant stood. He wore shredded jeans that hung low on his hips and a thin black tank top exposing well defined larger than normal arm muscles. These arms were also decorated with the black tiger stripe markings. At the end of each wrist was a bandaged hand. The bandages were crusted with dry blood.
Logan noticed Rei eyeing his bandaged hands with disgust, before remembering that Logan was in the room with him. "Sorry…let me change these first," he mumbled.
He sat back down upon the bed and reached underneath it and pulled out a small box. Inside the box was fresh gauze and pins. He removed items and set them beside his hip. He then prepared to unwrap the soiled bandages and dropped these on the floor at his feet.
"I'm guessing you know what I've done?" Rei asked as he dropped the last of the dirty gauze on the floor, revealing his mutated hands.
His fingers were long and thin. Instead of fingernails, thick keratin grew outwards from the nail matrix. They were approximately one each long and curved and ended in a deadly point. They reminded Wolverine of Sabertooth's feline claws. They looked like nothing you should find on a human body.
Rei cleared his throat, causing Logan to look up suddenly at the teen. He was caught starring. He just shrugged remembering the boy's earlier question. "Look kid I know what you did. It's bad and I am sorry that it happened to you." He crossed his arms across his wide chest. "However we have something in common." Rei's eyes widened with skeptics. "I too have a really sketchy past. Most of it I do not remember, but that is another story. Now all that matters is that that is behind me. I wasn't in control of myself and neither were you. What does matter is you are speaking help. You are here and safe and with friends. The Professor will do all he can to help you, just like he did with me. No matter your past, he Professor and everyone here sees the good in everyone."
At this point Rei had finished bandaging his mutant hands. He hissed slightly in pain, as blood blossomed slowly near his newly wrapped fingertips.
Logan raised a thick black eyebrow questioning lay.
Rei sighed, slowly getting to his feet. "Sorry, I can't control it. My claws are protactile claws. Meaning they partially hide in my fingertips. They're retractable. However I am not used to the new muscles there and my instinct just randomly releases them from time to time. They grow out so fast they rip the skin around them and it hurts."
Logan nodded in understanding. "I know that feeling." He lifted a clenched fist and tapped his pointer finger upon his rough knuckles.
The neko-jin's mouth fell open and he nodded. "Right! I forgot. You're Wolverine," he smiled slightly and looked down at his bandaged hands. "You have claws too. Probably just as deadly."
Logan shook his head. "They are only as deadly as the wearer."
Rei sighed.
"Now. Get up and let's get going. We are going down to the danger room to train."
Geirr: hope you all enjoyed. Reviews would be great!
