So, here's the next installment of Escaping. I'm having surgery on Friday, so I won't be able to upload for a couple of weeks. This will just have to tide you over. However, I may be able to get you readers another chapter beforehand if you review--look at me, using chapters to bribe you guys for reviews.... I should feel guilty about it, but I just can't seem to find it in myself to do so
I hope you enjoy this next chapter!
She'd waited until nightfall to sneak out—if you could call slipping down the deserted hallways of Professor Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters sneaking out. With careful steps, Mina edged through the shadows of the darkened hallways and through the unlocked front door. It didn't quite seem safe to leave the entrance to a school unlocked, but Mina figured the Professor would know ahead of time whether or not someone intended to break in—at the very least, he had someone on staff who could predict an attack in enough time to stop it.
Keeping to the darkness, Mina circled the far corner of the building to the backyard. The waterfall was still running, the sound of the water pounding against the rock and drowning out the crunching of the Fall leaves beneath her feet. She examined the larger foundational rocks, checking for cracks and loose chunks in the mortar. Everything held solid as she prodded the rough surface of the stones. "Damn," Mina breathed.
Swiping her bangs from her face, Mina kicked off her shoes and socks so she could check the waterfall from the inside. The moon was full that night, so seeing beneath the surface of the pool wouldn't be a problem. She slipped out of her hoodie and jeans, inhaling deeply. As she flexed to make the dive into the deep end, a loud rumble sounded from about a hundred yards away.
Pushing herself into the shadows, Mina huddled behind the largest rock and peered towards the noise. She eyed the large form rising amidst the trees circling the yard narrowly. From the sound of it, it was a plane of some sort.
She followed the movement of the plane with her eyes, until it shimmered out of sight, leaving her wide-eyed and confused. So, the school had plane…interesting. The waterfall would have to wait; Mina wanted to know where that plane had come from.
Sticking to the shadows, she crept into the wooded area on all fours so that she could feel the loose dirt between her fingers. Searching for a seam in the forest floor was like finding a needle in a haystack, and after a few minutes, Mina gave up looking for the outside entrance to look for the inside one. Instead of taking the stairs and risking getting caught on the way up, she took the elevator.
Leaning against the cool steel, she noticed an almost imperceptible dent in the metal of the control panel. Curious, she fingered the edges, jerking back when the panel pulled away to display a singular button. Despite her misgivings, Mina braced herself against the wall of the elevator and pressed the button. The elevator halted, hovering midair for a moment, before descending so quickly that her stomach jumped into her throat.
With her breaths were coming in hollow pants, Mina forced herself to calm. If anything, she could bust the overhead light and disappear in the resulting darkness. Gripping the rail, she pulled hard to see if it would budge. No luck. Muttering a curse, she resigned herself to simply fighting her way out, if need be.
The elevator floated to smooth stop and Mina flinched when the doors opened with a sharp metallic hiss. She waited for a beat, hoping not to have to throw a punch—the trick in a fight was to not break the bones in your hand while smacking your opponent around. It was something she'd learned the hard way, she still had the pins in her right pinky to prove it.
Mina stepped forward when no one barreled into the elevator to beat the hell out of her. She glanced both ways before stepping gingerly out into the pristine hallway. To the left, there was a dead-end, to the right, a shining length of empty hallway with several doors. She spent a moment debating whether or not she should move forward or slide back into the waiting elevator.
Bouncing on the balls of her feet, Mina made her decision—she pressed herself to the wall, inching towards the intersection of hallways, which were all empty. She sprinted across the space, sliding along the opposite hall until she reached a door with an 'X' engraved in the metal. There was no lock in the door, and no knob. Mina spent a few moments running her hands over the cool steel, trying to determine how to get the door open, and pulling the sleeves of her hoodie over her hands to conceal fingerprints.
Looking up, she noticed a small motion detector over frame of the door. Mina smirked, stepping back and waving her hand in front of the reflective disk. The door opened with a soft swish, the lights inside turning on automatically. Gingerly, she stepped inside, examining what looked like a medical facility. The machines inside were far more advanced than the nurse's office two floors above, leading Mina to believe this particular room was used for much more dangerous injuries—though, she thought, probably not for the students.
Mina circled the room two or three times, checking each of the stations for any kind of useful information. Spies were trained to leave very little behind, so any information was coded and categorized for later use—the arrangement of machines, the files on various teachers in the cabinets—all of it, stored. With nimble fingers, she plucked a stray scalpel from a waiting tray, sliding it up into her sleeve just in case. She had no real idea what was going on, and, with no shadows to hide in, she didn't want to be caught unarmed.
Once satisfied that there was nothing suspicious in the medical room, she headed to the next door. It swished open, revealing a large, empty space. Curious, Mina stepped inside warily. She palmed the scalpel, her eyes following the almost non-existent walls. "What is this place?" She murmured, leaning against the metal doorjamb. The Professor kept an empty, silver-walled room just hanging around the school? It didn't seem likely.
The air in the room shifted, shimmering around her dizzyingly. Mina turned to back out only find the door completely gone. Panicking, she crouched defensively, her eyes darting around the changing room. It seemed to move from one image to another—jungle to industrial, suburban to arid desert. She turned in slow circles, with her heart beating frantically in her chest, looking for an escape. For the first time since telling Fuller she was leaving, she felt a very real kind of fear that choked her breath and left her eyes filling with tears.
When the room around her settled back to the pristine, metallic, shape, Mina threw herself through the barely reappeared door, landing on her knees in the hallway. She took a few deep breaths, steadying her heart and listening for footsteps—she caught the whirring of a motor.
Glancing up, she watched as Professor Xavier wheeled towards her, a small smile playing on his face. "I see you've finally found our base of operations," he said, amusement clear in his voice.
Mina tried to catch her breath and pointed roughly to the door behind her, "Excuse the language, Professor, but what the fuck was that?"
He laughed, "Just a little exercise room, for our X-men training."
"Who?"
"X-men, my dear. Now, come along upstairs and I'll explain." He motioned to the elevator, wheeling backwards a few feet.
Mina paced a few steps to her left, her eyes focused on the Professor. "No, I don't think I'll be going anywhere until you tell me what I'm looking at." She'd been lied to for the better part of her life—it was a side effect of her occupation. But she trusted the Professor; it felt odd that he'd lie to her.
"I have never lied to you, Mina. Merely allowed you to come to the truth on your own," he said serenely.
"I believe we've been over my sentiments on reading my mind," Mina bit out, feeling every bit the fool for playing into his game.
The Professor's face softened, "Please, allow me to explain…now, don't protest. I know about your mutation, and I wanted to see it for myself. Your investigation into the secrets of my school was…a test, if you will. I want to ask you to join my team." When Mina did not respond, he continued, "I have assembled a unique group of mutants called the X-men, who help to keep to protect those who cannot protect themselves. I offer you the chance to use your gift for something far bigger than yourself." He leaned forward in his chair, urging her with his eyes, "Do you accept?"
Mina rocked back onto her heels, considering the Professor's offer. It would be nice to see the other side of the coin, to work with a team and use her mutation for something other than crime. It would also make her more vulnerable to Fuller, as she would actually have to leave the school to be on the team.
"Okay," she said softly. "What do I have to do?"
The Professor laughed, "Nothing, for the moment. You will teach your classes, as you have been—by the by, I love what you're doing for the students—and you will train on the weekends. When you are ready, you'll be fitted for a uniform."
"That's it?" Mina replied, her eyebrow cocked, "How long am I supposed to 'train'?" She had worked for years on a team, specializing in covert exercises. It had taken her years to develop the skills needed and the trust in her co-workers to pull off a job more complex than a smash-and-grab.
"We'll have to see how well you cooperate with the other members."
"Who are?"
The Professor's eyes held a faraway gaze for a moment, then, "I believe you'll meet them in a moment."
The third set of doors slid open, forcing Mina to scramble to her feet and press herself against the nearest wall. She let out a relieved breath as Ororo strode into the hallway, her step faltering when she spied Mina hovering just behind the Professor. Jean entered next, followed by Scott and Logan. She eyed each in turn, her eyebrows raised as she noticed the almost outlandish leather uniforms. Professor Xavier wanted to put her in one of those? She shook her head mentally: Not a chance.
Ororo stepped up to Mina, smiling, "So, you've found us out. Did the Professor offer you the position?"
"Um, yes, he did," Mina said, wondering just how many people were aware that Professor Xavier was planning on bringing her on as a teammate.
"And you did accept…"
Mina chuckled, "Yes, I did—,"
"Good!" She exclaimed, placing a warm hand on Mina's arm.
Ororo gave her one last smile, slipping off her gloves, "I'll see you at breakfast," she said before approaching the Professor and leaning down to speak with him. Jean and Scott joined her, the three X-men forming a half-circle around Professor Xavier's chair.
Feeling a little awkward on the outside, Mina shuffled her feet, trying her darndest not to listen in. Logan moved to lean his broad frame against the wall next to her, "You'll get used to it," he said, his voice a low rumble.
Mina tensed from his close proximity, but exhaled to calm herself, "Used to what?"
"Sitting on the outside," he replied. "I've been here for a couple of years, give or take a few months' vacation, and I'm still watching them circle up around him like vultures."
Mina raised a brow as he pulled out a cigar and flicked open a lighter. She glanced down the length of his form, wondering just where he had the space to put it. The leather suit was form fitting, the supple material grazing over his torso and limbs, cut close enough that she could see the individual muscles as they flexed with his movements. Her mouth wet dry.
Pushing her suddenly impure thoughts away, she said, "They give you a month of vacation?"
Logan gave her a boyish smile, the corners of his eyes crinkling, "Nah. Sometimes, I just take the time off. Job's always here when I get back." Mina nodded, watching him watch her with darkening eyes. Suddenly, the voices in the background seemed to fade away, leaving her with the roaring of blood in her ears, pulsing with the beat of her heart. She bit her lip, feeling her cheeks grow hot. Almost immediately, she chastised herself—blushing like some schoolgirl.
Looking away, Mina caught sight of Jean approaching. Quickly, she; stuffed her hands into the pockets of her jeans, smiling. "Hey," she said, her voice cracking only slightly.
"Hey," Jean replied, "I'm looking forward to working with you." There was a soft kind of sincerity in her eyes that kept Mina rolling her eyes at the cliché formality of the statement. She dipped her chin, accepting the comment for what it was.
They stood there—Mina, Jean, and Logan—for a few more minutes, each more tense than the last. Jean kept glancing at Logan, then down at her boots, until Mina finally caught on. "I think I'll just head up to bed. I've got a lot to think about," she said, relenting to Jean's need to speak with the man at her side.
She nodded to the Professor, who was still speaking quietly with Ororo and Scott, before heading to the elevator. Once inside, she slumped against the cool metal walls, pulling at the strands of her hair that had fallen out of her ponytail. Had she just been admitted to the X-men and ogled Logan's leather-clad form all in the span of fifteen minutes? It was apparent that she had, though this could all seem like a dream in the morning. As a matter of fact, it seemed like a dream now.
The elevator opened to her floor and Mina stepped out, heading for her room. She crossed her arms over her chest, huddling into the fabric of her hoodie and ducking around a corner. She had almost made it to her door when she heard a gruff voice call her name.
Turning, she came face to face with Logan, who looked like he'd ran the entire three floors of stairs to reach her. It was almost endearing, the way he jogged up to her, still clad in his uniform. She squared her shoulders with him, pushing the stray hairs from her face and trying not to look intimidated.
In the darkened light of the hallway, he looked so much more fearsome than usual. It occurred to her that he had probably just been in some kind of skirmish—his hair fell haphazardly over his brow and there were tiny marks scuffing the fine leather of his uniform. It was, however, uncanny that his skin was completely unmarred, perfectly rough over the lines of his jaw, his cheekbones. She wondered just how good Logan really was…
"I know Chuck made this seem like cakewalk, but its real work. I hope you're ready for it," he said earnestly.
Mina pulled her brows together in confusion, "You ran all that way here," she pointed to the floor below them, "Just to tell me I have my work cut out for me?"
Logan frowned, running his fingers through his hair, "Yes—no. Listen, its dangerous stuff, what we do, and I'm not always going to be able to look out for ya."
"Then its lucky I don't need anyone to look out for me, Logan," Mina bit out. "I can take care of myself, thank you very much." Feeling her ire rise with every breath, the incredulous feeling of frustration she now associated exclusively with Logan. She turned to leave, only to feel his warm fingers grasp her elbow.
"I didn't mean to insult ya, but you have no idea what you're getting into," he said, his dark eyes boring into hers.
Mina inhaled slowly, the air around her filled with Logan's spicy scent, "I understand perfectly—or I will, once the training is complete," she said, forcing herself to remain calm. Then, "Maybe you should bring this up with Professor Xavier, it seems like you're questioning his judgment, not mine." She yanked her elbow from his all-too-comforting grasp, spinning on her heel and shoving through the door to her room, slamming it behind her.
The gall of that man! First he treats her like some kind of leper, then he invades her personal space at every turn, and finally he basically warns her against joining the X-men. The back and forth of his moods was throwing her for a spin, and she didn't appreciate it. Not to mention that the scrutinizing way he looked at her was almost as if he was sizing her up, making the room feel uncomfortably hot and frazzling her nerves.
Flinging herself onto the bed, Mina buried her face into her pillow and allowed herself to vent her frustration into the soft mass. She beat at the mattress with her fists, and kicked her feet like a child. If Logan was going to fight her every step of the way, she was going to give him Hell for it—she was going to ace training and show him what she was made of, what Fuller had created years ago, what government agencies had feared, and what had helped her to become the most sought after spy in the United States and some of the more industrialized countries in Europe.
Throwing herself onto her back, Mina looked at the clock. She had just a few hours' rest before her classes started in the morning, more than enough time to gather her strength.