Logan – X Mansion

(The last chapter of alternate X-Men storyline, then I try to learn to write some other characters, maybe Doctor Strange, I really need to work out Ant-Man and Wasp).

Waking up was a decidedly unpleasant experience. More body parts distinctly hurt than Logan thought he could name. Healing Rogue had taken almost all of his power it seemed.

If you're awake come upstairs. The Professor's voice in his mind. My office.

When Logan found his way there the room was almost empty, although he had expected it to be full of X-Men there was only the Professor and a woman.

"Good to see that you have recovered Logan, you were out for a couple of days." The Professor looked and sounded exhausted. He must have woken up some time between Liberty Island and now. "My colleague, Dr. Moira MacTaggert." He gestured to the woman tiredly and for the first time Logan noticed how old the man was, the same age as Magneto and the woman. Both were at least in their late seventies.

"Same to you. What's happened?" Logan found a chair.

"Alex talked to SHIELD, they say they'll cover up but they're not happy, as always. Magneto's imprisoned, Mystique escaped, no one can find Sabretooth. Mystique's impersonating Senator Kelly but we warned SHIELD. Now all goes back to normal." The woman explained. "I'll drive up there later. Hand over the paperwork. I'll have to tell them about you."

"And Rogue is perfectly well, you must talk to her before you leave Logan. But first I need to speak with you." The Professor said. "Betsy informed me of something she saw in your mind."

It took Logan a moment to remember that Betsy was Psylocke, and what she had seen and promised answers for.

"Yeah she did, she said she'd say what it was."

"It was an incident when she was younger. She was captured by Stryker, a government agent who works against and experiments on mutants. I took the liberty of glancing into your mind to understand. You met Remy there too. Stryker ran a program known as Weapon X, which you were an unwilling part of until recently. He had captured several mutant children to study their abilities. You broke out and freed them before being recaptured. Betsy and Remy tell me you were like a terrifying monster, but one acting to defend itself. They were two of the children Stryker had detained."

Logan did not like the old man's speech one bit, but knew he had to sit it out. His past was so blank.

"Your recollection of Kurt, Scott and Jean is from a while later, but also definitely occurred. When we were fighting Apocalypse a few years ago Stryker had caught several of us and they were working to free his prisoners. Scott freed you inadvertently and Jean slipped into your mind so you wouldn't harm them." The Professor concluded.

Hearing all of that the flashes of memory made more sense, opening more mental doors that would have to be examined at a later date. Those five X-Men had remembered him then, but had the grace not to bring it up.

Not that Logan was angry, looking again at those memories they were children, scared children cowering from threats they could hardly comprehend.

It was more disturbing than anything else.

"You intend to leave don't you?" The Professor asked directly, he must have read Logan's surface thoughts. "That is perfectly reasonable, you are welcome back here whenever you like. Although I must ask you about Laura."

Logan had almost forgotten her, but he still intended to leave the baby here, he couldn't take care of her and surely one of the women he had met could.

"I wanted to leave her here with you. I can't provide for a kid, it's a miracle I kept her alive before you found me." He said. I do love her but this is best. He didn't add.

"Of course, Rogue has been taking care of her. I do believe she will continue to do so." The old man continued in his genial fashion, perfectly understanding, Logan wasn't sure he liked it yet.

"Ok, thanks for the advice." Logan got up and left, he wanted to find Rogue and he'd already learnt plenty from those two, who in his humble opinion were rather too old to be running an operation like this.

The first X-Man he ran into was Nightcrawler, literally, the blue guy popped into existence in front of him and Logan almost knocked him down.

"Watch it elf. I'm looking for Rogue."

"Sorry, I always teleport here, she's in the break room, end of the hall." Then the guy disappeared with another puff of smoke, which smelt awful.

Strange people, but not a bad sort of strange.

The break room was full of teenagers, students, and Banshee and Havok playing pool. Rogue sat in a corner holding Laura talking to a girl with a little kid on her lap.

"It's not that hard, really, if you're ever too tired go to Jean or Ororo, they both love kids. I'm surprised Jean doesn't have one of her own yet." The other girl told Rogue then looked up. "You've got a visitor, I'll leave you to it. Come on Ilyana." She rose and pulled the kid after her.

"Thanks for the advice Kitty. Hello Logan." Rogue turned, shifting Laura who was awake but peaceful, the way she looked at Logan made him want to hold her and not let go.

But he had to, so he didn't reach out, instead sitting next to Rogue.

"You're leaving." So she could see right through him. Logan noticed two white streaks in the front of her hair that hadn't been there before.

"I am, but I'm saying goodbye first and it ain't forever. The Prof and his doctor buddy gave me some answers I wanna investigate." A nice way of saying he now planned to find that Stryker guy and possibly gut him and all his cronies, after punching answers out of them.

"I thought that'd be it. Thank you." Rogue didn't elaborate, yet the force of her gratitude was overwhelming.

"Any time kid." Logan felt a strange urge to hug the girl. He felt an odd affection for her, some bond they'd forged in the Canadian snow then again on the head of the Statue of Liberty. Not inappropriate, more fatherly if that was the word. "I've a favour to ask you. I'm not sure I'd trust anyone else with it."

"What's that?" That'd piqued her interest.

"Two things actually." He reached up to his dog tags and pulled them off, handing them to Rogue. She wore thick gloves and long sleeves he noticed. "I want you to keep these safe, and I want you to look after Laura. Just till I come back, and I will."

Rogue's mouth opened slightly in surprise. "You want me to look after your daughter, you've not known me a week."

"That's longer than I've known anyone else. I'm sure you can do it." Logan reassured. "I'll see you soon." He hugged her gently, surprised at himself, then he left, swearing to himself to be back before long.

Notes:

Guess who still can't end chapters, and needs to write more about Captain America because people seemed to like the last chapter.