In The Darkness, A Cherry Blossom Falls
By Vfgirl
Here's the third chapter. I'm afraid that this one's rather short. I had meant it to be at the beginning of the 2nd chapter, but found that it worked better by itself.
Chapter 3
It was night. The cool air whispered through the branches of the trees, intermingling with the sounds of the crickets and bullfrogs in the garden of the Xavier Institute. The entire mansion was quiet, and not a single person was awake. Suddenly, a single pained shout punctuated the stillness of the night air.
Inside, the man known only as Logan thrashed around, twisting and turning, growling and snarling, face twisted into a pained grimace. He tossed once more, kicking one last time before flinging the blanket off himself and waking up. Eyes that were normally hooded and suspicious were now filled with an uncharacteristically visible fear. He scanned the room once or twice, fighting off the animal instinct to run off into the night and hide until the danger was over.
He raised his arm to wipe off the layer of cold sweat on his forehead, doing his best to take in deep calming breaths. Common sense told him that it was just a dream, but gut instinct knew better. Getting up, he pulled on a pair of well-worn jeans and a loose flannel shirt, and walked to the door. He had to talk to Chuck about this one.
Professor Charles Xavier rested his elbows on the armrests of his wheelchair, and steepled his fingers together, staring intently at the space in front of him. His brow was knitted in concentration, as he thought about what Logan had come barging in here to tell him mere moments ago. He took one more look at the man in question, and frowned.
Logan was pacing up and down, the atmosphere surrounding the feral man positively crackling with tension. And yet, there was something different about Logan this time, a certain look in his eyes that worried Xavier greatly. He hadn't been able to pinpoint it exactly, but the answer came to him as suddenly as Logan had barreled into his room tonight.
Fear.
This was the man whose truly sinister past was known to only a select few, the man whose codename was Wolverine, fearsome beast of the forest, the man who, if possible, truly lived up to his namesake, fearless, and practically indestructible, with his healing abilities and adamantium skeleton. And yet, here he was, fearful for his own life, after a dream that he had had just minutes ago.
"What happened, Logan?" asked the Professor. "What's got you so upset?"
Logan stopped his restless pacing, and leveled his intense gaze at Charles. "These dreams, Charles. They're coming back. Hell, they wouldn't even bother me, if it ain't for the fact that I've just got the feelin' that trouble's brewin'." He then returned back to his relentless pacing, up and down, up and down, up and down.
That was a statement not without its truths. Logan had a past so terrible that Charles actually considered it a blessing that he didn't remember much of it. Despite numerous memory wipes during his rather shadowy experiences, much of those memories remained embedded in his subconscious, and he was still constantly haunted with nightmares. Such occurrences were normal for him.
So what was so special about this particular dream that it would force Logan to come looking for Charles? "You're thinking that your past might come back to haunt you." It wasn't a question; so much as it was a statement.
"Not just anything about my past, Chuck." He stopped again, and this time, the fear in his eyes was unmistakable. "Weapon X."
The shock hit Xavier like a strong blow to his chest. He would have reeled from it if he had not been sitting in a wheelchair. "Are you sure, my friend?" The concern in his voice was unmistakable. "If it is, then the consequences of your dream would be much more dire than I had feared."
"I wouldn't have woken you up if I wasn't, Charles." He paused, and Charles waited, letting him take his time. Those were painful memories, and it was difficult for his close friend to recall them. "I wish I can say that it's nothin', but all those years of training wouldn't let me. I've been taught all m' life to obey my gut instincts, and these instincts, and that dream I just had, tell me that they're comin' for me."
All the possibilities of what might happen if what Logan said were true about Weapon X ran through his mind, and it was all he could do to suppress a shudder. The feral man never missed anything, and he caught the fleeting glimpse of fear in his friend's eyes. "You're the only one who'd understand, Chuck. 'Cuz only you're the only one who knows the truth about Weapon X."
Logan had revealed to Charles some time ago about the true nature of Weapon X. He thought back to that conversation he'd had with Logan in the hospital wing of the mansion after he'd just returned from his 'incident' with Kurt and Kitty.
" You have to tell me what happened, Logan. Because of your actions, the lives of Kurt and Kitty were put on the line by your actions." He was serious, and clearly upset.
"If you don't tell me the truth about all that happened, and how they related to your past, I'm afraid-" he paused for a moment, regret heavy in his heart. "I'll have to ask you to leave."
Logan closed his eyes, adjusting to this new revelation. He'd expected it, sooner or later, and frankly, he was surprised that it hadn't happened sooner. "Y' better brace yourself, Charles. What I'm about to tell ya ain't pretty. And you haveta promise me never to tell any of the kids about this. Not even half-pint and elf get t' know the truth."
"-And in your dream, they said that they'd come for you." Charles stated, summarizing what Logan had just finished telling him.
Logan grunted in acknowledgement. "Somethin' 'bout getting rid of loose ends. Can't remember exactly." He then proceeded to sit down, heavily, on a chair nearby. Running his hands through sleep tousled hair, he sighed. "I've decided, Charles. I'm leavin'. I'm too much of a risk to the kids safety to stay around."
Charles nearly hit himself on the head. He should have anticipated this. Wheeling over to Logan's side, he placed a hand on his arm. "My friend, don't leave. The students need you. I need you. If necessary, I'll tell them about the threat so that they can be on the alert for anything suspicious. I just don't want you to feel as if you cannot stay here and not feel safe."
"Chuck, if I stay here, they might come for y'all." The pain in Logan's eyes was bright and unhidden. "If they kill me, then so be it. Sometimes, I don't care if I live or die. But if they come here, they'll take all of you to become slaves. I can't let that happen."
"That is why you must stay here and keep a lookout, my friend. Only you would know what to look out for. Even if you left, they might come here anyways. Then what would your leaving accomplish? Nothing! Do you understand, Logan? Stay, and help us keep a lookout for these people. And I promise you, my friend, that if you stay, we will watch your back as well. And you know what they always say. 'Many pairs of eyes are better than one.' There is safety in numbers. "
Logan pinched the bridge of his nose, and closed his eyes, thinking. After a few minutes, he stood up. "Y' convinced me this time, Charlie. But I'm tellin' ya, if I have concrete evidence that they've sent someone for me, I'm leaving."
Charles sighed mentally. This was the best offer he was going to get from his friend. "Very well, Logan. But until you do, I expect you to stay." He watched the retreating form of Logan opening the door.
"And Logan." He paused, turning to look at Xavier. " Do please tell me before you leave."
The only response he got was a curt nod, and the shutting of his study room door.
By Vfgirl
Here's the third chapter. I'm afraid that this one's rather short. I had meant it to be at the beginning of the 2nd chapter, but found that it worked better by itself.
Chapter 3
It was night. The cool air whispered through the branches of the trees, intermingling with the sounds of the crickets and bullfrogs in the garden of the Xavier Institute. The entire mansion was quiet, and not a single person was awake. Suddenly, a single pained shout punctuated the stillness of the night air.
Inside, the man known only as Logan thrashed around, twisting and turning, growling and snarling, face twisted into a pained grimace. He tossed once more, kicking one last time before flinging the blanket off himself and waking up. Eyes that were normally hooded and suspicious were now filled with an uncharacteristically visible fear. He scanned the room once or twice, fighting off the animal instinct to run off into the night and hide until the danger was over.
He raised his arm to wipe off the layer of cold sweat on his forehead, doing his best to take in deep calming breaths. Common sense told him that it was just a dream, but gut instinct knew better. Getting up, he pulled on a pair of well-worn jeans and a loose flannel shirt, and walked to the door. He had to talk to Chuck about this one.
Professor Charles Xavier rested his elbows on the armrests of his wheelchair, and steepled his fingers together, staring intently at the space in front of him. His brow was knitted in concentration, as he thought about what Logan had come barging in here to tell him mere moments ago. He took one more look at the man in question, and frowned.
Logan was pacing up and down, the atmosphere surrounding the feral man positively crackling with tension. And yet, there was something different about Logan this time, a certain look in his eyes that worried Xavier greatly. He hadn't been able to pinpoint it exactly, but the answer came to him as suddenly as Logan had barreled into his room tonight.
Fear.
This was the man whose truly sinister past was known to only a select few, the man whose codename was Wolverine, fearsome beast of the forest, the man who, if possible, truly lived up to his namesake, fearless, and practically indestructible, with his healing abilities and adamantium skeleton. And yet, here he was, fearful for his own life, after a dream that he had had just minutes ago.
"What happened, Logan?" asked the Professor. "What's got you so upset?"
Logan stopped his restless pacing, and leveled his intense gaze at Charles. "These dreams, Charles. They're coming back. Hell, they wouldn't even bother me, if it ain't for the fact that I've just got the feelin' that trouble's brewin'." He then returned back to his relentless pacing, up and down, up and down, up and down.
That was a statement not without its truths. Logan had a past so terrible that Charles actually considered it a blessing that he didn't remember much of it. Despite numerous memory wipes during his rather shadowy experiences, much of those memories remained embedded in his subconscious, and he was still constantly haunted with nightmares. Such occurrences were normal for him.
So what was so special about this particular dream that it would force Logan to come looking for Charles? "You're thinking that your past might come back to haunt you." It wasn't a question; so much as it was a statement.
"Not just anything about my past, Chuck." He stopped again, and this time, the fear in his eyes was unmistakable. "Weapon X."
The shock hit Xavier like a strong blow to his chest. He would have reeled from it if he had not been sitting in a wheelchair. "Are you sure, my friend?" The concern in his voice was unmistakable. "If it is, then the consequences of your dream would be much more dire than I had feared."
"I wouldn't have woken you up if I wasn't, Charles." He paused, and Charles waited, letting him take his time. Those were painful memories, and it was difficult for his close friend to recall them. "I wish I can say that it's nothin', but all those years of training wouldn't let me. I've been taught all m' life to obey my gut instincts, and these instincts, and that dream I just had, tell me that they're comin' for me."
All the possibilities of what might happen if what Logan said were true about Weapon X ran through his mind, and it was all he could do to suppress a shudder. The feral man never missed anything, and he caught the fleeting glimpse of fear in his friend's eyes. "You're the only one who'd understand, Chuck. 'Cuz only you're the only one who knows the truth about Weapon X."
Logan had revealed to Charles some time ago about the true nature of Weapon X. He thought back to that conversation he'd had with Logan in the hospital wing of the mansion after he'd just returned from his 'incident' with Kurt and Kitty.
" You have to tell me what happened, Logan. Because of your actions, the lives of Kurt and Kitty were put on the line by your actions." He was serious, and clearly upset.
"If you don't tell me the truth about all that happened, and how they related to your past, I'm afraid-" he paused for a moment, regret heavy in his heart. "I'll have to ask you to leave."
Logan closed his eyes, adjusting to this new revelation. He'd expected it, sooner or later, and frankly, he was surprised that it hadn't happened sooner. "Y' better brace yourself, Charles. What I'm about to tell ya ain't pretty. And you haveta promise me never to tell any of the kids about this. Not even half-pint and elf get t' know the truth."
"-And in your dream, they said that they'd come for you." Charles stated, summarizing what Logan had just finished telling him.
Logan grunted in acknowledgement. "Somethin' 'bout getting rid of loose ends. Can't remember exactly." He then proceeded to sit down, heavily, on a chair nearby. Running his hands through sleep tousled hair, he sighed. "I've decided, Charles. I'm leavin'. I'm too much of a risk to the kids safety to stay around."
Charles nearly hit himself on the head. He should have anticipated this. Wheeling over to Logan's side, he placed a hand on his arm. "My friend, don't leave. The students need you. I need you. If necessary, I'll tell them about the threat so that they can be on the alert for anything suspicious. I just don't want you to feel as if you cannot stay here and not feel safe."
"Chuck, if I stay here, they might come for y'all." The pain in Logan's eyes was bright and unhidden. "If they kill me, then so be it. Sometimes, I don't care if I live or die. But if they come here, they'll take all of you to become slaves. I can't let that happen."
"That is why you must stay here and keep a lookout, my friend. Only you would know what to look out for. Even if you left, they might come here anyways. Then what would your leaving accomplish? Nothing! Do you understand, Logan? Stay, and help us keep a lookout for these people. And I promise you, my friend, that if you stay, we will watch your back as well. And you know what they always say. 'Many pairs of eyes are better than one.' There is safety in numbers. "
Logan pinched the bridge of his nose, and closed his eyes, thinking. After a few minutes, he stood up. "Y' convinced me this time, Charlie. But I'm tellin' ya, if I have concrete evidence that they've sent someone for me, I'm leaving."
Charles sighed mentally. This was the best offer he was going to get from his friend. "Very well, Logan. But until you do, I expect you to stay." He watched the retreating form of Logan opening the door.
"And Logan." He paused, turning to look at Xavier. " Do please tell me before you leave."
The only response he got was a curt nod, and the shutting of his study room door.