Tristan was waiting for Logan in the War Room. "You wanted to see me?" she said.
"Yes. Logan, I need to discus something important with you."
Logan leaned on the table. "What?"
"I am not going to be able to lead the fight against the Dark One on my own. I am going to need someone who can help me direct the action, and whom I can trust to make command decisions if I am unable…if something were to happen to me."
Logan could tell he meant, "if I died." "Yes, of course," she said. "But what does that have to do with me? Rebecca's the leader of this outfit."
"Yes, I am aware of that; however, Rainmaker and I discussed it, and we believed that you should be the one to lead by my side in this battle."
Logan looked at him in surprise. "Me? Why me?"
"I observed you fighting in the Danger Room earlier today, Logan. It has been many years since I have seen a warrior with your level of natural talent. Fighting comes so naturally to you, and I believe leadership would, too," Tristan explained.
"Yeah, well, I come from the best there is when it comes to fighting, but leadership? I'm a loner, Tristan. They stamped 'does not play well with others' on my forehead at birth."
Tristan shook his head. "I don't think so. You have too much warmth, Logan, despite what you want the others to believe. But you also have something else—you have fire, spirit. You give everything all you have, and when that's not enough you somehow find the strength to push harder. I could see it in you the first time I looked into your eyes, and after getting to see more of you, I know I was right. Rebecca may be a cultivated leader yes, but you, Logan—Wildcat—are the one I need by my side."
For a split second, the look in Tristan's eyes made Logan wonder if when he said he needed her by his side, he meant for more than his battles against the Dark One. "I…Tristan…I don't think I'll be able to give you what you need…"
"I know you can, Logan. Please, say you'll lead with me. I need you."
Logan nodded. "I'll do it."
He leaned in and kissed the top of her head chastely. "Thank you."
*** *** ***
Logan went back to the den after her chat with Tristan to find that Marie was the only one still in there. "Where is everyone?" Logan asked her.
Marie put the television on mute. "Sleeping. Tristan wore them out."
Logan shook her head. "Wussies," she said was a small smile.
"So what did the winged-one want with you? You guys playin' tonsil-hockey yet?"
Logan rolled her eyes. "Your maturity astounds me at times, Marie."
Marie shrugged. "Hey, it's my duty as the youngest member of the X-Men to make every attempt to be as immature as possible. And trust me, with Bobby and Jubilee as my predecessors, I've got a lot to live up to…"
"What about Kit Pryde? She was the youngest at one time."
Marie shuddered. "Please, never compare me to her in any way, shape, or form again. She was just annoying…"
"Tell me about it," Logan said, plopping down on the couch beside Marie. "She calls my dad all the time to complain about living in Russia."
"Does he care?"
"Not really. I think he's still ticked because Kit acted like a total bitch when Mom and Dad got together."
"Probably," Marie agreed. "Hey, you never answered my question about Tristan."
"Oooh…that winged-one. I thought you were accusing me of having an affair with Angela."
Marie rolled her eyes. "Don't play dumb with me. Besides, we both know you wouldn't do that—Cable would kick your ass."
Logan's eyes got wide. "You know about that?"
"Cable and Angie? Of course! Geez, I'm not a moron. I don't know who they think they're fooling…"
Logan laughed. "I thought I was the only one who knew."
"Nope. Warren, Rachel, Kacie, and Billy know, too. Basically, Twister, Rebecca, and Ric are out of the loop—though I doubt it would come as a surprise to any of them."
"Why didn't any of you guys tell me you knew. I've wanted to make like a million comments about it."
Marie giggled. "We thought you were one of the ones in the dark. We only recently figured out we all knew…"
"Well, glad to know I'm not alone."
"So spill about Tristan. Otherwise, I'm chargin' something and throwin' it at your head…"
Logan laughed. "Fine. Basically, he asked me to be his second-in-command during the battle against the Dark One."
"What about Rebecca?" Marie asked.
Logan shook her head. "Tristan wants it to be me."
"Did you accept?"
"Yes."
"But you're more like the brawn of the group—I didn't think you even liked leading."
"That's pretty much what I said, but Tristan said I could do it. Something about a fire in my eyes."
"Fire in your eyes?" Marie giggled. "The man's in love."
"I don't think so."
"I do. You gonna go for it?"
"Go for it? With Tristan? No way."
"Why not? He's like a big, fiery sex-god. Did you see him when he was fighting today? Drool. Besides, he's got a really nice smile."
Logan looked at Marie abruptly. "Smile? You saw him smile? I didn't even think he could. When did you see him smile."
"Last night. I showed him my art and he liked it. He told me I had amazing talent." Marie looked pleased with herself.
Logan gave her a light punch in the arm. "Maybe you're the one he's in love with."
Marie rolled her eyes. "Please. I'm a kid. Besides, the only kind of guys that like me are ones like Damien Thomas."
"Damien wasn't that bad."
Marie shrugged. "Yeah, I guess he came through for us in the end, but I certainly don't miss him being around the mansion all the time, making goo-goo eyes at me.
Logan laughed. "You're a mess, Marie."
Marie gave her a very Gambit-like smile. "With my parents, what else did you expect?"
*** *** ***
Tristan walked through the moonlit gardens, taking the same path he had before with Logan. He couldn't get her out of her mind. Although the action would've been commonplace among his people, Tristan regretted kissing Logan on the forehead earlier in the War Room. Her skin had been so cool, so sweet under his lips and he shivered at the thought of how just that little touch had felt. He wanted more.
Tristan stopped at stared up at the stars, wondering if Maritheza's soul was somewhere among them. He took a deep breath, allowing himself to finally think of her, to remember her. He could suddenly see her face so clearly in his mind, and not just what she looked like as she lay dying in his arms as it had been for him in the past. He could see her smile, hear her laughter. He remembered the sparkle in her green eyes—how alive she'd always looked.
He wondered what Maritheza would think of Logan. Would she like her, or would she be jealous of the developing feelings that Tristan was still afraid to admit to completely? Tristan felt a cool breeze brush past him and he missed her more than he had since she first had died.
Tristan looked back down at the ground. Maybe Logan had been right when she had told him to accept the past in order to move on with the future. Could he block Mari's memory from his mind forever?
The Dark Angel stared up into the heavens, and for the first time since her death he allowed himself to cry for Maritheza.
*** *** ***
The next morning, Rebecca called all the X-Men to the War Room for a briefing and to inform them that Logan would be taking over the leadership position for the time being. Most of the team was surprised, but understood the decision.
Ric LeBeau, on the other hand, walked out of the room.
Tristan followed.
Logan started to get up and stop him, but Marie stopped her. "Let them go. They probably need to talk anyway."
"About what?" Logan asked. "They're just going to piss each other off."
Marie nodded. "Probably, but it's better they do it now than on the battle field, Logan."
Logan sighed. "You're right. How'd you get so smart anyway?"
Marie shrugged. "Luck."
*** *** ***
"Renegade."
Ric stopped in his tracks, his eyes narrowing at the sound of the Dark Angel's voice. He turned around slowly. "What the hell do you want."
Tristan looked emotionless. "Why did you leave the War Room?"
"Why does it matter to you?"
"I have a lot riding on this upcoming battle. I cannot afford dissention among the team."
"The team? You aren't even part of the team."
"I know that, but you and Logan are."
"Whatever is going on between Addie and me is none of your business."
"It is if it affects the outcome of this offensive against the Dark One."
Ric glared at Tristan, his red eyes making him look almost possessed. "You're one to talk, letting your desire for a woman fuel your choice on who should be leading with you."
Tristan raised an eyebrow. "You think I want to sleep with Logan and that's why I chose her to be my second-in-command?"
"I can't think of a better reason. Wildcat's not exactly a natural born leader."
"You're wrong there, Renegade."
"I know her a lot better than you ever will," Ric said. "She's a loner with a bad temper—not exactly the candidate for the next Scott Summers."
"Who?"
Ric sighed. "That's not the point." He ran a gloved hand though his hair, mussing up white streaks in the front. "Look, if you really want this battle to have the outcome you need, then pay less attention to Addie's curves and more attention to her personality."
Tristan showed the faintest signs of anger and Ric's words. "I have been paying attention to her personality, and I've seen that she has everything that a leader needs. I keep hearing that she's a loner—she said it herself even—but I've yet to see it. She is constantly surrounded by friends and was one of the only two people in this mansion who made any attempt to get to know me. She is a wonderful woman, capable of more than any of you people have seen. I cannot fathom how she ever could've loved you when you obviously know so little about who she is."
Ric's temper flared up even more at that. "You don't know a damn thing about what Logan and I felt for each other," he growled. "If you think you can just come in here, spend a couple of days where you have a few conversations with her and know all there is to know about her, you're wrong. There's a lot more to her than what can be seen on the surface."
"Maybe you're the one who needs to realize that."
"Look, you just stay away from her. She doesn't need you."
"That's Logan decision, not yours."
"You'll hurt her."
Tristan frowned. "I didn't follow you out here to discuss possible outcomes of a relationship between Logan and myself. I just wanted to warn you, if you let this anger you hold to consume you, it could cloud your judgment when it comes time to fight. You have never faced an evil such as this. You need to be thinking clearly when the time comes, not worrying about who may or may not be trying to woo the woman you once loved into his bed."
Ric bristled. "Is that what you're trying to do? Woo Addie into your bed?"
"That is what you're accusing me of, isn't it?"
"Keep away from her. She's been through enough without having you break her heart someday."
"Maybe someone should have given you the same advice."
Ric had nothing to say in response.
*** *** ***
Bolts of energy crackled in the sky. The ground quaked. Enemy soldiers approached from every angle. Hard to believed that in reality, the room was almost completely empty, save for the people currently fighting the all-too-real holographic simulations.
Tristan had to admit, he liked the Danger Room.
He watched on from the control room as Wildcat lead the action, making the quick decisions of an old pro, not a young woman giving leadership a try for the first time. A smile threatened to tug at the corners of Tristan's mouth. He had made a wise choice.
Tristan used the controls to throw another obstacle into the mix—the being the X-Men called Apocalypse. He had gone through the files on every villain the X-Men—past and present—had ever faced, and decided that Apocalypse was the one most similar to the Dark One.
Wildcat didn't even flinch as she accommodated her battle plan to fit with the team's new obstacle. Tristan watched happily for a few moments until he noticed something that made him scowl down at the action. Renegade began to argue with Wildcat, and she became distracted. Apocalypse attacked, firing an energy blast that knocked Wildcat across the room and against the wall. Tristan knew in a real battle, it could've very easily been a killing blow.
He turned off the simulation and stormed down into the Danger Room. "Renegade!" he yelled. "What the hell was that?!"
All the X-Men froze. Wildcat slowly pulled herself up from the crumpled mass she'd formed by the wall. Kacie turned to Marie and whispered. "Did Tristan just curse?"
Marie nodded and whispered back. "Yeah…I'm frightened."
Renegade wheeled around to face Tristan, his eyes flashing. "She made a bad command decision. Don't try to blame this on me."
"Hard not to, seeing as Logan was doing just fine before you started yelling at her," Tristan snapped.
Logan walked over to them, her wounds already all but healed. She put her hand on Tristan's shoulder. "Please, don't do this," she said softly to him.
Renegade felt sick at the sight of her touching Tristan and the gentle tone in her voice. He'd only heard her talk to one other man that way—him. "You don't have to worry about me anymore, Tristan," Ric said. "I'm not going to stick around long enough to see your battle with the cosmic forces of evil."
"What are you talking about?" Tristan asked.
"I'm leaving," Ric said. "I'm sick of being here and always having to listen to how I should run my life. None of you people can just mind your own damn business." He looked directly at Logan. "And I'm sick of watching you flaunt with the herald of impending doom over there how quickly you got over what we had."
"I'm not the one who walked away from what we had, Ric."
"See ya around, Adanya."
Renegade walked out of the Danger Room, leaving behind him a stunned team of X-Men.
*** *** ***
Later that afternoon, Marie went upstairs to find Ric finishing up packing his things. "Ric?"
"I'm not in the mood to listen to any of your crap, Raven."
"Ric, please don't use my first name. You know I don't like that."
"Just go away, Marie."
"Don't leave. I don't want to be here without you."
Ric wheeled around, ready to get her out of his room in anyway he saw fit, but he melted as soon as he saw she was crying. "Marie…"
"Please, Ric. I need my big brother."
Ric pulled her over to him, hugging her tightly. "I know, Kiddo. And I'm not going to stay away from you for good. I just need to get out of the mansion. It's suffocating me. I know why Logan left when I first ended things now. This can get to be too much for a person…"
Marie pulled away. "Are you going to stay with Mom and Dad?" she asked.
Ric shook his head. "Probably not."
"But where will you go? You're only eighteen—you haven't even finished high school yet!"
Ric gave his sister a crooked grin. "I'll be all right, Marie. Don't worry about me."
"But I have to worry about you. We're on our own here, Ric—we've got to look out for each other."
"I know. And like I said, I won't be gone forever. I just need some time."
"We're going to need you when this 'Dark One' gets here. You're one of the most powerful mutants on the team."
"I'd only slow you guys down in battle. Tristan's right about that."
Marie frowned. "If you know he's right, why do you keep arguing about it?"
"I'm a guy—that's what we do."
"So I've noticed."
Ric leaned down and gave her a kiss on the cheek. He then grabbed his bag. "I'll be in touch," he said, walking out of the room.
"You better be," Marie replied, her voice full of tears.
Ric winked.
*** *** ***
Craig sat on the couch, watching Logan as she watched Ric. She was standing alone at the window, and Craig could tell she was hurting as she silently observed a man she'd loved so deeply drive away from the mansion towards a destination no one was sure of—not even Ric himself. Craig wanted to somehow comfort his younger sister, but he didn't know what he could do, or if she would even accept his aid. Once Ric's car pulled away, Logan walked upstairs without even as much as glancing in Craig's direction.
A few moments later, Briana walked into the room. She frowned at the look on Craig's face. "What's wrong, Darling?"
"Logan," Craig replied. "She just watched Ric leave and she was obviously upset."
"Well, I don't know your sister very well—and neither do you, if you want to get technical about it—but, she seemed to be leaning more towards Tristan in the Danger Room today."
"I know, but the way she was watching Ric leave—I don't know, is it even possible for someone to be in love with two people at the same time?"
Briana winced as Craig unknowingly spoke the same words that had been plaguing her thoughts since two nights ago when they'd made love. "Yes, I think it is," she replied. "Although in the end, one of those two people always gets hurt."
"What about the person torn between them—what about Logan?" Craig asked. He was feeling an emotion that was somewhat foreign to him, and he decided that it could only be brotherly concern.
Briana felt a pang of empathy towards Logan and her eyes became sad. "There is probably no way for her to avoid heartache either," Briana said. "For no matter who she is with when all is said and done, she's lost a man she loved."
"You sound almost like you're talking from experience," Craig told her.
Briana forced a smile. "Call it a woman's intuition."
*** *** ***
Sorry that took so long to get posted. I promise to be quicker with the next one, since I know you're all dying to know what's going to happen now that Ric's left the team…
