Chapter 10: Rage Against the Machine
"What da hell did ya do to her, Panther?" Logan growled as he met Panther on his way back to the clearing, the rumbling thunder a sign of Ororo's discontent.
"Nothing. It's obvious that she's suffering from some emotional stress and I was just trying to assist in her healing," Panther told him.
"She didn't need yer assistance. She was doing just fine before ya got here," he replied menacingly.
"Yes, she's doing just fine after creating a sizable severe thunderstorm system that caused nearly a million dollars in damage," T'Challa said sarcastically, "Now where is she so I can bid her farewell."
"What do ya mean, where is she?" Logan asked incredulously, "We left her with ya."
"Well, she flew off somewhere."
"Fuck!" Logan growled, turning to head back into the mansion. Before he could take the stairs, Ororo was coming toward the foyer with Gambit and Rogue.
"Ro?" Logan said, halting his movements, gazing over her to make sure she was okay.
"Logan," she replied, "I was coming to look for you so we could finish our conversation."
"Not before we finish ours," T'Challa said, taking a step toward her.
"Not today, bub. Ya've already upset her once. Wasn't that enough?"
"What happens between me and my fiancée is none of your concern, feral mutant."
"Ex fiancée. She kicked yer ass to the curb long time ago," Logan replied.
"Stop it," Ororo said softly.
"That's only because she needed more time to make up her mind but you didn't help matters, filling her head with lies about me!" T'Challa spat out.
"I said, stop it!" Ororo said loudly, the thunder shaking the mansion, "That is enough from both of you. I will not have my business spoken about in the middle of the foyer in front of my friends."
With a heated gaze at both of them, she turned and headed toward the elevators.
"I think we may have overstayed our welcome," Captain America said, drawing the attention of the assembled group, whose gaze was on the path that Ororo had taken.
"I do not think…," Panther began and took a step, only to be stopped by a firm hand on his forearm. Looking up into Captain America's face, he saw the subtle shake of his head.
"I believe that it's past time for us to return to base," Captain America told him, speaking loud enough for the others to hear. Sensing his colleague's anger, Cap removed his hand and turned to face the others present.
"It's been a pleasure seeing you all again. Please give the Professor our regards," Captain told them before heading out of the front door with Panther following reluctantly behind him, leaving without saying goodbye.
"Good riddance," Logan said before heading toward the elevator.
"Wolverine, don ya think she deserve some time alone, non?"
"If she wanted to be alone, she would have said so, Cajun," Logan replied over his shoulder not stopping his forward motion, determined to finish his conversation with the woman he loved.
The nerve of them, she thought as she hurried down the stairs, heading to the basement. She knew if she didn't release the anger she felt raging within, she would lash out and in the fragile state of mind she was, she didn't want to say something that she couldn't take back. So the safest bet was to remove herself from the company of people.
She rounded the corner and ran headlong into Hank, who with his quick reflexes caught her before she hit the floor.
"Oh my, Ororo, are you okay?" he asked, helping to stabilize her, gazing at her with concern.
"Yes and no," she replied, looking up into his kind face, the tears she had been holding in starting to fall.
"My dear, is there anything I can do?" he asked softly, pulling her to him in a gentle embrace.
"Yes," she replied, pulling away and wiping her face, "Would you be so kind as to program a session in the Danger Room for me?"
"Are you sure you will be up to it?"
"Absolutely," she replied defiantly, slightly lifting her quivering chin.
"Then by all means, who am I to not assist a damsel while she's in distress," he replied with a bow. He took her hand and placed it in the crook of his arm, immediately reminding her of Logan. He led her to the Control Tower for the Danger Room and got input from her about the level she desired.
"Please make sure I am not disturbed," she told him, her eyes whiting over as she guided the winds to lift her. She headed thorough the opened section of the observation deck which closed securely behind her. When she gave him the signal, he began the program.
A minute later, Logan burst through the door, his gaze going directly toward the flashes of lightning through the glass window that looked down into the Danger Room.
"Beast, what da hell ya thinking, letting 'er go through one of my level 7 simulations?" Logan asked, unable to take his eyes off the woman who fought ferociously against the simulated opponents.
"I've learned that when a woman wants something, it's in a man's best interest to make it so," Hank replied, equally riveted by the aerial acrobats and sharpshooter targeting that the resident wind rider was displaying.
"Dammit, Hank, she's not in the right mindset to be doing that shit," Logan replied angrily.
"And are you ever in the right mindset when you do the exact same thing she is doing? Releasing pent up emotions and anger in a controlled environment to avoid hurting others or damaging property?" Hank asked, slightly miffed at Logan's comment, "I did not deny her, just as I do not deny you or anyone else, myself included, when there is a need to purge yourself of the rage. She has been through a great deal and is entitled to have a moment where it's just her and the anger against the world."
"So like I do with you and others, I will stand by to ensure that no harm comes to her while she's engaged in the session."
As soon as he finished speaking, they heard a loud boom and watched in horror as a section of one of the simulated walls began to crumble. They watched helplessly as Ororo was entombed by the falling debris.
"ORORO!" Logan yelled, heading to the door, determined to get to her.
"Wait," Hank said from his standing position, his eyes on the mound of debris that covered their friend, "Look."
As they watched, the debris began to lift and swirl in a cyclonic pattern around the mound as if lifted by a tornado. Soon, all of the debris was airborn and Ororo on her hands and knees came into view. As soon as the last brick lifted, the goddess fell to the ground, the debris falling back to the ground in a circle around her.
"Open the damn door, Hank," Logan growled over his shoulder as he headed out the door and down the stairs.
Silently, the scientist complied, resetting the access code so that anyone with a code could enter. As he waited for Logan to make an appearance, he watched with wonder at the woman as she slowly got to her feet, her head lifting and her eyes meeting his. With a slight smile, she let him know that she was okay. He returned her slight smile but he worried about the gash on her forehead.
He went against his nature and instead of rushing in to attend her, he waited. Instinctively knowing she would be okay, Hank released a breath he didn't know he was holding as the doors slid open to admit Logan. Also knowing as well as he knew his name that Logan would take care of their resident goddess, Hank did the next logical thing. He entered the shutdown commands and left, headed to the MedLab to prepare it for her arrival. He left a battered Ororo to face an angry Wolverine.
"Logan," she said tiredly in greeting, "Please…"
"Please what, Ororo?" he begin, snatching a towel from the cabinet and headed to where she stood, lifting it to cover the deep gash in her head, "Dammit Ro, what the hell were you thinking?"
"Pretty much the same damn thing you're thinking when you do the same damn thing," she snapped pulling her head away from his ministrations, before trying to take a step, her legs wobbly, failing to support her weight.
He caught her before she fell.
"Unlike me, ya don't have a healing factor," he argued gently, his anger dissipating as the reality of the situation hit him, knowing that she could be seriously injured and he was standing there scolding her. He calmed a bit as her scent hit his nose.
Instinctively, he cradled her against him, "Where does it hurt?"
"Everywhere," she moaned after wincing, finally feeling the effects of being at the bottom of the pile.
"Ya were lucky," Logan replied, gently lifting her in his arms.
"Yes, that's me, the lucky goddess," she replied sarcastically as she laid her head against his shoulder.
"Ya stopped my heart with that stunt," he told her.
"I scared myself," she replied, wincing as she applied pressure to the towel on her head wound.
"So let's not do that again solo, okay?" he told her, heading toward the exit, "Call me and we can rage against the machines together, deal?"
"Deal," she replied tiredly, fighting to stay awake.