Feral Bonds Chapter 14
AN: In case someone missed it. This is now rated R.
Heatherthegreatone: Thanks. I'm gratified that you enjoy the action scenes.
Burning Light: Thanks, I'm glad you are enjoying quasi-unique spin I've put on Kitty. I've really tried to make the action scenes as realistic as I possibly could. Fights are short and brutal. None of this five minute back and forth you see in the movies. With two people that know what they are doing, the first unblocked/dodged strike usually finishes it. And when you have nine inch blades sticking out of your hands and absolutely no reservations about using them, things would get a bit...wet. It's probably just me, but hey.
Inuyasha0001: Thanks. The scene with Valerie took freaking forever to write. I must have trashed it and rewritten it eight or nine times before I was happy with it. I needed to put an element of tragedy in and I hope that fulfilled it.
Random: The term "dark halls of obscurity" isn't even mine. I agree with it, but it's still not mine. Almost every person I know personally that frequents ff.net don't even remember that the R fics aren't automatically included. They just read what comes up. When I talked about turning this into an R, my friend used it.
Rooftop
Scott shifted the block of shattered concrete and grunting, flipped it off the pile. It rolled down the side of the building and slammed into the remains of the Apache, making a hollow booming sound echo across the estate. He turned and took in the heavily damaged mansion, his eyes hidden from view behind his visor, and for once in his life, he was grateful. He bent back down and grasped another chunk of concrete. Straining, he lifted it and sent it to join it's companion's fate. Hearing a shout, he stuck his head over the side and saw Logan cleanly slicing the chopper into manageable pieces. Scott watched emotionlessly for a moment before he withdrew from the ledge and sat down heavily on the roof.
His eyes stared sightlessly into the sky as he relived the previous night. It had easily been the worst few hours of his life. Even after all the training, and the missions the X-men had gone on, nothing else had held the sheer terror last night had. He thought about the incident with Jean in the hallway. It had felt right to attack the soldiers. They were invading his home, his sanctuary, and they had come for blood. It felt right, but he couldn't forget the pleading look on Jean's face when she stopped him. She looked like she was pleading for something more than the soldier's lives. She looked like she was pleading for the life of a dream.
Scott shook his head in frustration. Look what that dream had almost done to them. What it had done to a few of them.
Amara, laying still unconscious in the medlab, her body broken.
Valerie, now entombed in ice. Waiting for her parents to come and claim her body for burial.
Kitty, also unconscious, but not a mark on her to explain why.
Kurt, down with the Professor, crying uncontrollably and rocking himself while the Professor tried to comfort him.
And Mark, laying in the medlab where he had spent most of his time here, thrashing and groaning while what was left of his healing factor slowly and painfully reconstructed what remained of his legs.
Scott sighed. At least they had done what they had to do. They might have blood on their hands and burns on their souls, but they could rest easily with the fact that they had given their all to defend their friends. He recalled the derisive sneer on Logan's face when he had left the medlab. Scott felt his insides churn in embarrassment and shame. Logan had done what he had to do, and in the process, probably saved the school. And while he was doing it, Scott had sat in the medlab, shaking and trying half- heartedly to come up with a plan to save them without bloodshed. And he had failed. Everything he could think of to do would have resulted in loss of life. He remembered Jean's look of understanding as Logan stormed out. A brief flash of annoyance flashed through his head. He didn't want understanding or pity. He was the leader of the X-men for god's sake.
He grabbed a chip of concrete and tossed it angrily across the roof. Next time was going to face the facts. Sometimes you had to just survive. The Professor's dream was a good thing, but they had to survive if they ever wanted it to come to pass.
Front steps
Logan tore another piece out of the chopper and tossed it to the rapidly growing pile. Standing back up, he popped his neck and took a glance around. Students were running back and forth, clearing rubble and putting the grounds back into shape. Focusing back on the downed Apache, he cut out another piece and threw it over. Movement at the corner of his eye caught his attention. Rogue was solid black and had a sparkling aura. He grunted. He admitted to himself that her power was more than useful on occasion. She had touched Sunspot after he begged off sick and gotten a dose of super- strength. She hefted a two ton block over her head and dropped it over the side of the stairs. He smirked. -Yep, defiantly useful.-
Bobby came zipping by on one of his ice slides and called out for lunch. Logan gave the chopper another look before grabbing a towel and wiping his hands off and heading in.
Medlab
Hank picked up the squeeze bottle of warm saline and gently washed the wounds on Amara's legs once again. He quickly finished and dropped the now filthy gauze square into the nearly full trashcan. Leaning back, he reached up and rubbed his eyes, trying to banish the fatigue that had plagued him for the past few hours. He just sat in silence for a few minutes, letting the tension drain from his shoulders. Finally moving, he took a glance at Mark. He was laying down, still unconscious inside a makeshift oxygen tent. Hank grabbed the bottle and another swab and walked over. Brushing back the plastic, he raised the tented sheet and examined his legs. Pouring the saline over a shin, he gently rubbed the crisped skin. He nodded with satisfaction to himself when the blackened skin sloughed off and exposed the pink tint of newly formed skin. Hank finished removing the dead skin and backed away. Looking from Mark to Amara, he wished that he could bottle Mark's healing factor.
Sighing, he reached into a cabinet and searched for a Twinkie. Finding nothing, he double-checked to make sure, then strode out the door, heading to the kitchen to get something to eat before he started another long shift playing doctor.
Front Office
Jean smiled at the two police inspectors for what seemed like the hundredth time in the past hour. Her face left like it was going to split under the strain anytime now. "I can defiantly understand how the tower falling could be mistaken for a crash Officer." Jean reached out again, and using a trick she had learned from the Professor, nudged the officers minds to accept the fact that a wooden tower the school had erected as a team-building exercise had toppled over during the night and hit a propane tank which in turn caused the damage to the school.
Both of the inspectors had a glazed look in their eyes. Finally, one spoke. "I'm just here to check it out Ms. Grey. I'm sure that the people that called this in will be relieved to know it was just a tower falling and nothing serious like a plane crash."
Jean continued to smile. "I'm certainty glad you will have good news to report."
Both investigators nodded at each other and closed their notebooks. The taller one spoke. "Well Ms. Grey, I'm sure that you need to get back to the cleanup. Thank you for your time and cooperation."
Jean nodded her head. "Anytime. The Institute appreciates your speed in investigating this." She escorted them out of the institute and gave their minds a final push to make sure they didn't suddenly remember anything later.
She waved as they pulled out of the gate. She stood there until the gate fully closed then she seemed to slump into herself. She looked at the destruction with empty eyes. She just stood there motionless until she felt hunger pains starting. She turned and walked into the mansion.
Medlab
Mark's eyes opened and took in the white tile ceiling. He turned his head and saw Kitty laying on another table. His brows fell as the scent of her blood hit his nose. Flexing his legs a bit, he threw them over the side of the table and stood. His hand shot out and grabbed the table for support as his legs threatened to fold under him. He stood shakily for a few moments before letting go of the table and walking slowly, but steadily over to Kitty. Pulling back the blanket, he quickly ran his hands over her, looking for injuries. Finding none, he put a hand on her forehead and waited for her to wake.
He stood there motionless for little over an hour before Kitty's eyes fluttered and opened. She blinked and slowly focused on Mark. She coughed and sat up. Shaking her head to banish the mist that had formed, she let out a quiet sigh. Reaching up and brushing Mark's hand off, she stood. She let out a yelp and started to fall when her legs buckled, but Mark snapped a hand out and held her upright. She stood still for a moment, letting her head stop spinning. Finally getting her balance, she stood and brushed Mark's hand off. She looked around and saw Amara. Fear gripped her heart as she rushed over.
Kitty grabbed the table and started softly calling. "Amara, like wake up." Seeing Amara twitch and mumble, she let out a sigh of relief. She turned back to Mark. "Like what happened?"
He was silent for a moment before answering. "They left."
Kitty rolled her eyes. "That was totally informative. Is everyone ok?"
Mark nodded. "Yes."
Kitty sighed, realizing that that was about as much information as she was going to get out of him. She felt her stomach gurgle and she motioned to the door. "Come on, let's see if we can get something out of the fridge."
Kitchen
Logan stuck the sweatband in his back pocket and grabbed a hunk of chicken and a Molson from the fridge. He bit into the leg and looked over the gathered people. Watching the students quietly talk without any of the usual high-powered banter, he snorted. -Maybe something good came out of this after all.- His gaze finally fell on Hank. He was sitting at the end of a table with his head on the wood and a mound of Twinkie wrappers next to him. The other students were obviously giving him his rest. Logan popped the cap off the beer and took a slug. Thinking for a moment, he walked over and sat down next to Hank.
Logan took another pull from the bottle and let it drop to the table. Hank's entire body jerked at the sound. He raised his face and shot Logan an exasperated look. "What is it Logan?"
Logan just snorted again. "You know Blue, shit happens and people die."
Hank rolled his eyes and dropped back to the table. "What a remarkably astute observation Logan, perhaps you should write a book."
Logan tore another hunk out of the chicken and slowly chewed it while he thought about what to say. "Ain't the first time someone died in combat Blue. Just stop worrying about it. It ain't the last time neither."
Hank hit the table with his forehead once before sitting up and fixing Logan with a baleful glare. "That is true Logan. But I think a soldier going KIA is a just a 'tiny' bit different than a seven year old."
Logan's face clouded over as he sat in thought. He finally drained the beer and slammed it down. "Think about it this way Macoy, all she did was die. Be grateful."
Hank was about to respond when he heard a shout from the other side of the kitchen. Both he and Logan both stood up and looked over the heads of the rest of the now silent and motionless students. Bobby was standing and pointing at Mark and Kitty, who both looked like they just walked in the door.
Bobby's face was scrunched up in obvious anger and people could see frost forming on the table. "It's YOUR fault. They came for you. They don't give a crap about us."
Another student's hand grabbed his sleeve and tried to pull him down. "Listen man, just let the Professor deal with it."
Bobby tore his arm away from the grasp. "No, We're just sitting here waiting for those people to come back for HIM again." He gave another jab in Mark's direction.
Kitty frowned. "It's totally not his fault. He was being hurt where he was Bobby." Bobby's table gained a coat of ice. "So it's ok to bring him here and have them hurt us? GOD DAMN IT KITTY, VALERIE IS DEAD. AND IT'S HIS FAULT!"
Logan saw Kitty's face flash a look of rage that wouldn't have looked out of place on him. Mark almost instantly shifted his weight to the balls of his feet, getting ready to fight. Logan decided that enough was enough. He slammed his hands down on the table and the entire room jumped when the thick wood cracked. He fixed Bobby with a glare. "Listen Icecube, people like Mark are why we do this. We aren't here just to hold people's hands when they show their powers, we're here to help mutants that are in danger because of what they are."
Bobby started to wilt under Logan's formidable glare, but his anger quickly overcame his fear. "That's fine, but dump him somewhere else. In case you forgot, people are 'dead' because of him."
Logan stepped around the table. "Maybe, but he's the reason most of the second year students got downstairs at all." Logan threw a quick glance over at Kitty, she seemed to be calming down, but he could smell the adrenaline pouring off Mark.
Bobby shook his head. "Great, so he brings em here, get's people hurt and killed, but it's all ok, he made sure not everyone got hurt." Bobby slammed his fist down on the table. "Screw it, and screw you Mark. I think I speak for everyone here when I say we don't want you here, so just fucking leave."
Kitty went right back to beet-red pissed. "Fuck you Bobby." And her hands clenched into fists.
Bobby's face twisted into a snarl of rage. He jumped over the table and took a step towards Kitty.
Logan knew exactly what was going to happen. He launched himself forward and hoped he got there in time.
Bobby started to raise his hands to fire a ice blast at Kitty when Mark suddenly snapped forward and grabbed his wrist in a crushing grip, the ice slightly cracking. Bobby yelped and swung his other fist over to dispense what he saw as justice for all the pain and fear of last night. His fist whistled through the air and slammed into Mark's temple, breaking the skin and tinting his ice fist pink.
Mark's head whipped to one side and his vision wavered for an instant. Twisting back around, he slammed his forearm into Bobby's chest, knocking the breath out of him and sending him back a few inches. Still holding tightly onto his wrist, Mark reached out and dug his fingers into Bobby's belt. Bobby started to fire an ice blast when Mark picked him up off the ground and torqued his waist, sending him flying against the wall. Bobby hit the wall and started to rebound.
Logan saw the claws rip out of Mark's hands and leaped into the air. Logan slammed into Mark's side and they both fell to the floor, cracking the tile. Logan quickly wrapped his arms around the kid's, trying to keep him immobile. They rolled around on the floor for a few moments, Mark straining to free his arms, and Logan grunting with the effort needed to keep in control.
Mark sucked in a deep breath slowly and held it for a moment. Exhaling explosively, he rammed his head backwards. Logan was ready for the move, but didn't move quite fast enough. Mark's head slammed into his cheekbone and split the skin, drawing blood before the wound closed. A red haze finally falling over his vision, Logan flipped them both over and slammed his knee into Mark's midsection. Mark doubled over and spit out a glob of blood. Whipping his left arm around in an arc, Mark ripped the front of Logan's shirt off, missing the skin. Continuing the motion, Mark planted his hands on the floor and pushed, sending both of them into the air. While they were twisting in the air, Logan grabbed the back of Mark's head with his right hand and shifted his weight. As they came down, Logan dug his fingers into Mark's hair and slammed his forehead into the marble counter. The marble cracked and Mark bonelessly flopped to the floor.
Bobby stood and started shouting. "SEE! HE'S AN ANIMAL!. If he's here, NONE of us are safe! Either those people will come back, or he will try to finish the job himself!"
Kitty whipped around and slapped Bobby across the face. "That's totally not true Bobby!"
Bobby started to respond when the Professor rolled in. Flashing a glare around the kitchen, he took in the damage and with a quick scan, knew what happened. "Bobby, leave, go to your dorm." Bobby shot Mark's limp body a glare before turning back to the Professor and opening his mouth. Xavier beat him to it. "Now Bobby." Bobby ground his teeth and stomped out of the room.
Xavier followed him with his eyes until he made sure he had left before turning back to the students. "Kitty, Sam, take Mark down to the medlab." Turning to Hank. "When you get a few moments, would you examine him Hank?"
Hank groaned and dry-washed his face, trying to fight off sleep. "No problem Professor."
Kitty and Sam grabbed Mark's armpits and lifted. Kitty quickly phased them through the floor.
Xavier turned to Logan and reached out mentally. *Unfortunately, I think Bobby might have a valid point. We may have to send Mark elsewhere.*
Logan growled. *That's bullshit Chuck. Anywhere else, he's a sitting duck.*
Xavier sighed. *I am aware of that Logan. It's not something I want to do, but this is not a military installation, it's a school. And I can 'not' have students fear for their lives. *He paused for a moment. *Or lose them.*
Logan ground his teeth and slammed down his mental shields. Growling in frustration, he walked out of the room and slammed the door.
Xavier rolled back into the hallway and sighed. Sometimes, everyone lost.
AN: In case someone missed it. This is now rated R.
Heatherthegreatone: Thanks. I'm gratified that you enjoy the action scenes.
Burning Light: Thanks, I'm glad you are enjoying quasi-unique spin I've put on Kitty. I've really tried to make the action scenes as realistic as I possibly could. Fights are short and brutal. None of this five minute back and forth you see in the movies. With two people that know what they are doing, the first unblocked/dodged strike usually finishes it. And when you have nine inch blades sticking out of your hands and absolutely no reservations about using them, things would get a bit...wet. It's probably just me, but hey.
Inuyasha0001: Thanks. The scene with Valerie took freaking forever to write. I must have trashed it and rewritten it eight or nine times before I was happy with it. I needed to put an element of tragedy in and I hope that fulfilled it.
Random: The term "dark halls of obscurity" isn't even mine. I agree with it, but it's still not mine. Almost every person I know personally that frequents ff.net don't even remember that the R fics aren't automatically included. They just read what comes up. When I talked about turning this into an R, my friend used it.
Rooftop
Scott shifted the block of shattered concrete and grunting, flipped it off the pile. It rolled down the side of the building and slammed into the remains of the Apache, making a hollow booming sound echo across the estate. He turned and took in the heavily damaged mansion, his eyes hidden from view behind his visor, and for once in his life, he was grateful. He bent back down and grasped another chunk of concrete. Straining, he lifted it and sent it to join it's companion's fate. Hearing a shout, he stuck his head over the side and saw Logan cleanly slicing the chopper into manageable pieces. Scott watched emotionlessly for a moment before he withdrew from the ledge and sat down heavily on the roof.
His eyes stared sightlessly into the sky as he relived the previous night. It had easily been the worst few hours of his life. Even after all the training, and the missions the X-men had gone on, nothing else had held the sheer terror last night had. He thought about the incident with Jean in the hallway. It had felt right to attack the soldiers. They were invading his home, his sanctuary, and they had come for blood. It felt right, but he couldn't forget the pleading look on Jean's face when she stopped him. She looked like she was pleading for something more than the soldier's lives. She looked like she was pleading for the life of a dream.
Scott shook his head in frustration. Look what that dream had almost done to them. What it had done to a few of them.
Amara, laying still unconscious in the medlab, her body broken.
Valerie, now entombed in ice. Waiting for her parents to come and claim her body for burial.
Kitty, also unconscious, but not a mark on her to explain why.
Kurt, down with the Professor, crying uncontrollably and rocking himself while the Professor tried to comfort him.
And Mark, laying in the medlab where he had spent most of his time here, thrashing and groaning while what was left of his healing factor slowly and painfully reconstructed what remained of his legs.
Scott sighed. At least they had done what they had to do. They might have blood on their hands and burns on their souls, but they could rest easily with the fact that they had given their all to defend their friends. He recalled the derisive sneer on Logan's face when he had left the medlab. Scott felt his insides churn in embarrassment and shame. Logan had done what he had to do, and in the process, probably saved the school. And while he was doing it, Scott had sat in the medlab, shaking and trying half- heartedly to come up with a plan to save them without bloodshed. And he had failed. Everything he could think of to do would have resulted in loss of life. He remembered Jean's look of understanding as Logan stormed out. A brief flash of annoyance flashed through his head. He didn't want understanding or pity. He was the leader of the X-men for god's sake.
He grabbed a chip of concrete and tossed it angrily across the roof. Next time was going to face the facts. Sometimes you had to just survive. The Professor's dream was a good thing, but they had to survive if they ever wanted it to come to pass.
Front steps
Logan tore another piece out of the chopper and tossed it to the rapidly growing pile. Standing back up, he popped his neck and took a glance around. Students were running back and forth, clearing rubble and putting the grounds back into shape. Focusing back on the downed Apache, he cut out another piece and threw it over. Movement at the corner of his eye caught his attention. Rogue was solid black and had a sparkling aura. He grunted. He admitted to himself that her power was more than useful on occasion. She had touched Sunspot after he begged off sick and gotten a dose of super- strength. She hefted a two ton block over her head and dropped it over the side of the stairs. He smirked. -Yep, defiantly useful.-
Bobby came zipping by on one of his ice slides and called out for lunch. Logan gave the chopper another look before grabbing a towel and wiping his hands off and heading in.
Medlab
Hank picked up the squeeze bottle of warm saline and gently washed the wounds on Amara's legs once again. He quickly finished and dropped the now filthy gauze square into the nearly full trashcan. Leaning back, he reached up and rubbed his eyes, trying to banish the fatigue that had plagued him for the past few hours. He just sat in silence for a few minutes, letting the tension drain from his shoulders. Finally moving, he took a glance at Mark. He was laying down, still unconscious inside a makeshift oxygen tent. Hank grabbed the bottle and another swab and walked over. Brushing back the plastic, he raised the tented sheet and examined his legs. Pouring the saline over a shin, he gently rubbed the crisped skin. He nodded with satisfaction to himself when the blackened skin sloughed off and exposed the pink tint of newly formed skin. Hank finished removing the dead skin and backed away. Looking from Mark to Amara, he wished that he could bottle Mark's healing factor.
Sighing, he reached into a cabinet and searched for a Twinkie. Finding nothing, he double-checked to make sure, then strode out the door, heading to the kitchen to get something to eat before he started another long shift playing doctor.
Front Office
Jean smiled at the two police inspectors for what seemed like the hundredth time in the past hour. Her face left like it was going to split under the strain anytime now. "I can defiantly understand how the tower falling could be mistaken for a crash Officer." Jean reached out again, and using a trick she had learned from the Professor, nudged the officers minds to accept the fact that a wooden tower the school had erected as a team-building exercise had toppled over during the night and hit a propane tank which in turn caused the damage to the school.
Both of the inspectors had a glazed look in their eyes. Finally, one spoke. "I'm just here to check it out Ms. Grey. I'm sure that the people that called this in will be relieved to know it was just a tower falling and nothing serious like a plane crash."
Jean continued to smile. "I'm certainty glad you will have good news to report."
Both investigators nodded at each other and closed their notebooks. The taller one spoke. "Well Ms. Grey, I'm sure that you need to get back to the cleanup. Thank you for your time and cooperation."
Jean nodded her head. "Anytime. The Institute appreciates your speed in investigating this." She escorted them out of the institute and gave their minds a final push to make sure they didn't suddenly remember anything later.
She waved as they pulled out of the gate. She stood there until the gate fully closed then she seemed to slump into herself. She looked at the destruction with empty eyes. She just stood there motionless until she felt hunger pains starting. She turned and walked into the mansion.
Medlab
Mark's eyes opened and took in the white tile ceiling. He turned his head and saw Kitty laying on another table. His brows fell as the scent of her blood hit his nose. Flexing his legs a bit, he threw them over the side of the table and stood. His hand shot out and grabbed the table for support as his legs threatened to fold under him. He stood shakily for a few moments before letting go of the table and walking slowly, but steadily over to Kitty. Pulling back the blanket, he quickly ran his hands over her, looking for injuries. Finding none, he put a hand on her forehead and waited for her to wake.
He stood there motionless for little over an hour before Kitty's eyes fluttered and opened. She blinked and slowly focused on Mark. She coughed and sat up. Shaking her head to banish the mist that had formed, she let out a quiet sigh. Reaching up and brushing Mark's hand off, she stood. She let out a yelp and started to fall when her legs buckled, but Mark snapped a hand out and held her upright. She stood still for a moment, letting her head stop spinning. Finally getting her balance, she stood and brushed Mark's hand off. She looked around and saw Amara. Fear gripped her heart as she rushed over.
Kitty grabbed the table and started softly calling. "Amara, like wake up." Seeing Amara twitch and mumble, she let out a sigh of relief. She turned back to Mark. "Like what happened?"
He was silent for a moment before answering. "They left."
Kitty rolled her eyes. "That was totally informative. Is everyone ok?"
Mark nodded. "Yes."
Kitty sighed, realizing that that was about as much information as she was going to get out of him. She felt her stomach gurgle and she motioned to the door. "Come on, let's see if we can get something out of the fridge."
Kitchen
Logan stuck the sweatband in his back pocket and grabbed a hunk of chicken and a Molson from the fridge. He bit into the leg and looked over the gathered people. Watching the students quietly talk without any of the usual high-powered banter, he snorted. -Maybe something good came out of this after all.- His gaze finally fell on Hank. He was sitting at the end of a table with his head on the wood and a mound of Twinkie wrappers next to him. The other students were obviously giving him his rest. Logan popped the cap off the beer and took a slug. Thinking for a moment, he walked over and sat down next to Hank.
Logan took another pull from the bottle and let it drop to the table. Hank's entire body jerked at the sound. He raised his face and shot Logan an exasperated look. "What is it Logan?"
Logan just snorted again. "You know Blue, shit happens and people die."
Hank rolled his eyes and dropped back to the table. "What a remarkably astute observation Logan, perhaps you should write a book."
Logan tore another hunk out of the chicken and slowly chewed it while he thought about what to say. "Ain't the first time someone died in combat Blue. Just stop worrying about it. It ain't the last time neither."
Hank hit the table with his forehead once before sitting up and fixing Logan with a baleful glare. "That is true Logan. But I think a soldier going KIA is a just a 'tiny' bit different than a seven year old."
Logan's face clouded over as he sat in thought. He finally drained the beer and slammed it down. "Think about it this way Macoy, all she did was die. Be grateful."
Hank was about to respond when he heard a shout from the other side of the kitchen. Both he and Logan both stood up and looked over the heads of the rest of the now silent and motionless students. Bobby was standing and pointing at Mark and Kitty, who both looked like they just walked in the door.
Bobby's face was scrunched up in obvious anger and people could see frost forming on the table. "It's YOUR fault. They came for you. They don't give a crap about us."
Another student's hand grabbed his sleeve and tried to pull him down. "Listen man, just let the Professor deal with it."
Bobby tore his arm away from the grasp. "No, We're just sitting here waiting for those people to come back for HIM again." He gave another jab in Mark's direction.
Kitty frowned. "It's totally not his fault. He was being hurt where he was Bobby." Bobby's table gained a coat of ice. "So it's ok to bring him here and have them hurt us? GOD DAMN IT KITTY, VALERIE IS DEAD. AND IT'S HIS FAULT!"
Logan saw Kitty's face flash a look of rage that wouldn't have looked out of place on him. Mark almost instantly shifted his weight to the balls of his feet, getting ready to fight. Logan decided that enough was enough. He slammed his hands down on the table and the entire room jumped when the thick wood cracked. He fixed Bobby with a glare. "Listen Icecube, people like Mark are why we do this. We aren't here just to hold people's hands when they show their powers, we're here to help mutants that are in danger because of what they are."
Bobby started to wilt under Logan's formidable glare, but his anger quickly overcame his fear. "That's fine, but dump him somewhere else. In case you forgot, people are 'dead' because of him."
Logan stepped around the table. "Maybe, but he's the reason most of the second year students got downstairs at all." Logan threw a quick glance over at Kitty, she seemed to be calming down, but he could smell the adrenaline pouring off Mark.
Bobby shook his head. "Great, so he brings em here, get's people hurt and killed, but it's all ok, he made sure not everyone got hurt." Bobby slammed his fist down on the table. "Screw it, and screw you Mark. I think I speak for everyone here when I say we don't want you here, so just fucking leave."
Kitty went right back to beet-red pissed. "Fuck you Bobby." And her hands clenched into fists.
Bobby's face twisted into a snarl of rage. He jumped over the table and took a step towards Kitty.
Logan knew exactly what was going to happen. He launched himself forward and hoped he got there in time.
Bobby started to raise his hands to fire a ice blast at Kitty when Mark suddenly snapped forward and grabbed his wrist in a crushing grip, the ice slightly cracking. Bobby yelped and swung his other fist over to dispense what he saw as justice for all the pain and fear of last night. His fist whistled through the air and slammed into Mark's temple, breaking the skin and tinting his ice fist pink.
Mark's head whipped to one side and his vision wavered for an instant. Twisting back around, he slammed his forearm into Bobby's chest, knocking the breath out of him and sending him back a few inches. Still holding tightly onto his wrist, Mark reached out and dug his fingers into Bobby's belt. Bobby started to fire an ice blast when Mark picked him up off the ground and torqued his waist, sending him flying against the wall. Bobby hit the wall and started to rebound.
Logan saw the claws rip out of Mark's hands and leaped into the air. Logan slammed into Mark's side and they both fell to the floor, cracking the tile. Logan quickly wrapped his arms around the kid's, trying to keep him immobile. They rolled around on the floor for a few moments, Mark straining to free his arms, and Logan grunting with the effort needed to keep in control.
Mark sucked in a deep breath slowly and held it for a moment. Exhaling explosively, he rammed his head backwards. Logan was ready for the move, but didn't move quite fast enough. Mark's head slammed into his cheekbone and split the skin, drawing blood before the wound closed. A red haze finally falling over his vision, Logan flipped them both over and slammed his knee into Mark's midsection. Mark doubled over and spit out a glob of blood. Whipping his left arm around in an arc, Mark ripped the front of Logan's shirt off, missing the skin. Continuing the motion, Mark planted his hands on the floor and pushed, sending both of them into the air. While they were twisting in the air, Logan grabbed the back of Mark's head with his right hand and shifted his weight. As they came down, Logan dug his fingers into Mark's hair and slammed his forehead into the marble counter. The marble cracked and Mark bonelessly flopped to the floor.
Bobby stood and started shouting. "SEE! HE'S AN ANIMAL!. If he's here, NONE of us are safe! Either those people will come back, or he will try to finish the job himself!"
Kitty whipped around and slapped Bobby across the face. "That's totally not true Bobby!"
Bobby started to respond when the Professor rolled in. Flashing a glare around the kitchen, he took in the damage and with a quick scan, knew what happened. "Bobby, leave, go to your dorm." Bobby shot Mark's limp body a glare before turning back to the Professor and opening his mouth. Xavier beat him to it. "Now Bobby." Bobby ground his teeth and stomped out of the room.
Xavier followed him with his eyes until he made sure he had left before turning back to the students. "Kitty, Sam, take Mark down to the medlab." Turning to Hank. "When you get a few moments, would you examine him Hank?"
Hank groaned and dry-washed his face, trying to fight off sleep. "No problem Professor."
Kitty and Sam grabbed Mark's armpits and lifted. Kitty quickly phased them through the floor.
Xavier turned to Logan and reached out mentally. *Unfortunately, I think Bobby might have a valid point. We may have to send Mark elsewhere.*
Logan growled. *That's bullshit Chuck. Anywhere else, he's a sitting duck.*
Xavier sighed. *I am aware of that Logan. It's not something I want to do, but this is not a military installation, it's a school. And I can 'not' have students fear for their lives. *He paused for a moment. *Or lose them.*
Logan ground his teeth and slammed down his mental shields. Growling in frustration, he walked out of the room and slammed the door.
Xavier rolled back into the hallway and sighed. Sometimes, everyone lost.