With the professor and Storm gone to Washington, Cyclops' hands had been
full with the students. Gambit and Rogue were out in town, and Jean had
gone grocery shopping. He thought he'd seen Wolverine out in the garden,
and Jubilee had blown by him in the hall earlier that day. Well, he
thought, at least the team is peaceful. That left two delinquents and a
bus full of teens to deal with. Whoever planned for the senior high
students to go on a retreat this weekend was off their rocker.
He exited the main office with a stack of permission forms, and was nearly plowed over by Wolverine. He didn't seem angry that Cyclops had gotten in his way. In fact, he didn't seem to have even noticed his teammate. Luckily, Scott had managed to save the papers from bringing on an early snowstorm, but that left a very troubled Wolverine; and from experience, that was not a good thing. Scott sighed and went back in his office. He called Beast down in the lab and explained what had just happened.
"I will talk to him, Cyclops, but you know how stubborn he can be."
"Thanks Hank. I'd do it myself, but I have a bus full of rowdy teenagers to tend to."
"I must say, my task will be much simpler my friend. Good luck." Cyclops hung up the phone and went to face the nightmare.
As Beast neared Wolverine's door, he heard the telltale signs of his friend's packing. However, this time it seemed to be more rushed and far more reckless. He was about to knock when the door flew open and Wolverine stormed out.
"Outta my way, Hank, or I'll knock you out of it."
"What is troubling you now, Logan?" Hank hurried next to his friend. They weren't headed outside to the garage, but to Cyclops' office. Then Hank noticed that Wolverine's bag was a lot more loaded than usual.
"Are you planning a long trip?" At this point, he was trying to get any information out of the apparently distraught man. Wolverine ignored him and barreled into Cyclop's office, only to find it empty.
"Where is he?" he demanded.
"I believe Scott was delivering permission slips to the students going on the retreat." Wolverine bolted out the door and outside. When he reached the bus, he saw Cyclops trying to settle the students. He leapt up the stairs in one bound.
Trying to get his leader's attention in this chaos was proving to be impossible. So he decided on a different approach. His claws extracted themselves from his knuckles, and he embedded them in a nearby pole, getting a satisfying *clang* that resounded through the bus. Cyclops turned around in the ensuing silence to see Wolverine retracting his claws.
"Yes Wolverine?" He sounded none too happy to be there, but looked grateful for the order that had been instilled.
"I'm outta here Cyke."
"Why bother telling me. You never have before."
"Cause this time I'm not comin back," was all he said, then he left. There was a collective gasp from the bus, and Cyclops turned back to them. He handed the stack of remaining papers to the driver.
"Finish handing these out, then you can go. Have a safe trip, and don't worry about Logan." He bolted off the bus in pursuit of his teammate. "Logan!" He barely caught the man loading his bike. "What do you think you're doing?!? You can't just leave!"
"I can, and I will. I didn't sign no contract or nothin' when I came on, so now I'm leavin'"
"So that's it? You're just up and gone? What about the team?"
"You've been wantin' ta get rid of me for years Cyke. Why are you arguing?"
"I may not agree with some of your methods, but you're still a part of this team. You have responsibilities. What about Jubilee?"
"Look, everyone's much better off without me. What's a teenage girl need with an old gruff like me anyway?" He kick started his bike, and it roared to life.
"You're wrong, Logan. How do you think she'll feel when she finds out you're not coming back? You know she'll come looking for you."
"Yeah, and I trust you won't let her. She don't need to be wanderin' out all alone. Keep her here where she's safe." From me, he added silently. He shoved Cyclops out of his way, and opened up the throttle.
Cyclops shook his head and ran inside to contact the professor. "This is not good," he mumbled to himself. He looked out the window in time to see the gates closing behind the Harley.
He exited the main office with a stack of permission forms, and was nearly plowed over by Wolverine. He didn't seem angry that Cyclops had gotten in his way. In fact, he didn't seem to have even noticed his teammate. Luckily, Scott had managed to save the papers from bringing on an early snowstorm, but that left a very troubled Wolverine; and from experience, that was not a good thing. Scott sighed and went back in his office. He called Beast down in the lab and explained what had just happened.
"I will talk to him, Cyclops, but you know how stubborn he can be."
"Thanks Hank. I'd do it myself, but I have a bus full of rowdy teenagers to tend to."
"I must say, my task will be much simpler my friend. Good luck." Cyclops hung up the phone and went to face the nightmare.
As Beast neared Wolverine's door, he heard the telltale signs of his friend's packing. However, this time it seemed to be more rushed and far more reckless. He was about to knock when the door flew open and Wolverine stormed out.
"Outta my way, Hank, or I'll knock you out of it."
"What is troubling you now, Logan?" Hank hurried next to his friend. They weren't headed outside to the garage, but to Cyclops' office. Then Hank noticed that Wolverine's bag was a lot more loaded than usual.
"Are you planning a long trip?" At this point, he was trying to get any information out of the apparently distraught man. Wolverine ignored him and barreled into Cyclop's office, only to find it empty.
"Where is he?" he demanded.
"I believe Scott was delivering permission slips to the students going on the retreat." Wolverine bolted out the door and outside. When he reached the bus, he saw Cyclops trying to settle the students. He leapt up the stairs in one bound.
Trying to get his leader's attention in this chaos was proving to be impossible. So he decided on a different approach. His claws extracted themselves from his knuckles, and he embedded them in a nearby pole, getting a satisfying *clang* that resounded through the bus. Cyclops turned around in the ensuing silence to see Wolverine retracting his claws.
"Yes Wolverine?" He sounded none too happy to be there, but looked grateful for the order that had been instilled.
"I'm outta here Cyke."
"Why bother telling me. You never have before."
"Cause this time I'm not comin back," was all he said, then he left. There was a collective gasp from the bus, and Cyclops turned back to them. He handed the stack of remaining papers to the driver.
"Finish handing these out, then you can go. Have a safe trip, and don't worry about Logan." He bolted off the bus in pursuit of his teammate. "Logan!" He barely caught the man loading his bike. "What do you think you're doing?!? You can't just leave!"
"I can, and I will. I didn't sign no contract or nothin' when I came on, so now I'm leavin'"
"So that's it? You're just up and gone? What about the team?"
"You've been wantin' ta get rid of me for years Cyke. Why are you arguing?"
"I may not agree with some of your methods, but you're still a part of this team. You have responsibilities. What about Jubilee?"
"Look, everyone's much better off without me. What's a teenage girl need with an old gruff like me anyway?" He kick started his bike, and it roared to life.
"You're wrong, Logan. How do you think she'll feel when she finds out you're not coming back? You know she'll come looking for you."
"Yeah, and I trust you won't let her. She don't need to be wanderin' out all alone. Keep her here where she's safe." From me, he added silently. He shoved Cyclops out of his way, and opened up the throttle.
Cyclops shook his head and ran inside to contact the professor. "This is not good," he mumbled to himself. He looked out the window in time to see the gates closing behind the Harley.