A/N - I have to say X-Men movie reviewers are absolutely the best! All
your reviews are really appreciated. Thank you!
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Chapter Six - No Excuse
When Logan opened his eyes all he saw was grass, dirt, and tree roots. He tried to sit up but he fell back to the ground. Groaning, he looked around, saw Ororo and Kurt sprawled out on the ground nearby and taking a deep breath he crawled over to Ororo. At the sound of running feet he looked up and saw several museum guards approaching.
"We were attacked," Logan said in Japanese, surprised at how easily the words came to him. "I'll take care of these two, see if you can find who attacked us."
"Yes, Logan-San!" One of the guards bowed as he spoke.
"Do I know you?"
"No but you are well known in the . . .um, excuse me," the guard bowed and started to leave.
"No, wait! How do you know me?"
"I have had some dealings with the underworld but I have already said too much," the guard mumbled as he backed away from Logan.
"Wait!"
"Please, I can say no more." The guard raced off.
"It ain't like I don't know where to find you, bub," Logan growled turning his attention to the tranquilizer darts in his arm.
He plucked several out of his arm glad his healing factor was kicking the drug out of his system but he knew it would be awhile before Ororo and Kurt woke up. He removed one dart each from Ororo and Kurt then picked Ororo up and carried her over to a large tree in the secluded area they'd been in earlier. He went back for Kurt, laying him on the grass beside Ororo and sat down beside her to wait it out.
"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" he hissed. Why couldn't he ever learn? Whenever he started getting interested in a woman it always seemed as if he let his defensives down. He had to remember he wasn't flying solo anymore and he had to consider his friend's lives as well now. He knew better. There was no excuse for asinine behavior.
He swore under his breath while looking at Ororo feeling helpless. She looked as if she were sleeping peacefully in her bed not as if she'd just been attacked and drugged. If she had been hurt it would've been his fault and that thought bothered him more than he cared to admit. He should've been paying more attention to the situation at hand but no! He had to try and make out with the girl while making his buddy play lookout. Some plan, putting Kurt's life in danger as well. How stupid could he get? Only he hadn't planned it that way at all-he'd had no thought of trying to kiss Ororo but holding her and breathing in her beautiful scent-he'd lost his head. He couldn't let that happen again, couldn't risk her life or Kurt's again. And now he'd have to tell the Professor what an idiot he'd been. He wasn't looking forward to that talk. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!
"So did ve catch the culprit?"
Logan turned to see Kurt sitting up with his head in his hands.
"I feel as if I vent ten rounds vith Colossus in the danger room!"
"Being doped up will do that to you."
"Maybe but he got in a good kick to my head too." Kurt looked over at Ororo. "Is she alright?"
"Yeah, she'll be fine-shot full of tranquilizers just like us."
Kurt was surprised to see the look of pain on Logan's face. He knew Logan would take the blame for this just as Ororo would. He could just imagine what Scott would have to say. Momentarily both men turned when they heard Ororo stirring.
"Ororo, you okay?" Logan asked as he pulled her up so that she was resting in his arms.
"My head feels like a train's running through it but other than that I'm fine."
"Ve vere drugged."
Ororo groaned as she tried to get up and failed, glad to have Logan's comforting arms to fall back into.
"I should have been more prepared," she said.
"The both of us," Logan said quietly.
"It vas my fault that I did not think he vould shoot at us here," Kurt spoke up.
"It wasn't your fault, Kurt," Ororo admitted. "I should have been more alert."
"The both of us," Logan agreed.
"I suppose we were a little . . . distracted," Ororo turned her head to look at Logan, a smile on her face.
"A little? We were saved by security guards for crying out loud!"
Ororo laughed as she got up.
"Just what's so freakin' funny?" Logan demanded.
Ororo grinned at Logan and said, " The mighty X-Men saved by security guards!" Then she burst out laughing again and much to Logan's annoyance Kurt's loud laughter joined hers.
"It ain't that funny," Logan growled but neither paid any attention to him.
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The Professor was not pleased.
"Am I to understand that someone shot the three of you with tranquilizer darts and then just left you lying on the ground in broad daylight?" His fingers were drumming a fast beat on the table they were seated at.
"Shot me with enough darts to knock me out long enough for them to get away- knew what they were doing."
"Which implies prior experience with you and your healing factor, Logan." The Professor folded his hands together, brought them under his chin and drew in his breath thoughtfully.
"Perhaps they were trying to keep Logan from meeting with the person who wrote the letter," Ororo suggested.
"Yet Kurt saw your attacker and could easily identify him," Charles shook his head. "Curious indeed."
"I'm thinking he was just an errand boy and whoever sent him managed to keep me from meeting our contact like Storm said," Logan said.
"Vhat vill ve do now?" Kurt asked them.
"Wait," Logan said. He got up from the table and left.
Ororo sighed as she watched Logan leave. She understood how he felt, they had both acted like amateurs and there was no excuse for that. As team leader she had taken full responsibility despite his and Kurt's objections but she knew the Professor thought there was something more going on though he had said nothing. Neither she nor Logan had mentioned their . . . distraction. She didn't know why or how it had happened. She simply should have been more alert instead of thinking about Logan. But being in Logan's strong arms had gone to her head. She hadn't expected to feel so- so what? So comfortable, so right? It didn't make any sense. Logan was family she kept repeating to herself. Family! Family! Family! She was determined not to let it happen again.
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Chapter Six - No Excuse
When Logan opened his eyes all he saw was grass, dirt, and tree roots. He tried to sit up but he fell back to the ground. Groaning, he looked around, saw Ororo and Kurt sprawled out on the ground nearby and taking a deep breath he crawled over to Ororo. At the sound of running feet he looked up and saw several museum guards approaching.
"We were attacked," Logan said in Japanese, surprised at how easily the words came to him. "I'll take care of these two, see if you can find who attacked us."
"Yes, Logan-San!" One of the guards bowed as he spoke.
"Do I know you?"
"No but you are well known in the . . .um, excuse me," the guard bowed and started to leave.
"No, wait! How do you know me?"
"I have had some dealings with the underworld but I have already said too much," the guard mumbled as he backed away from Logan.
"Wait!"
"Please, I can say no more." The guard raced off.
"It ain't like I don't know where to find you, bub," Logan growled turning his attention to the tranquilizer darts in his arm.
He plucked several out of his arm glad his healing factor was kicking the drug out of his system but he knew it would be awhile before Ororo and Kurt woke up. He removed one dart each from Ororo and Kurt then picked Ororo up and carried her over to a large tree in the secluded area they'd been in earlier. He went back for Kurt, laying him on the grass beside Ororo and sat down beside her to wait it out.
"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" he hissed. Why couldn't he ever learn? Whenever he started getting interested in a woman it always seemed as if he let his defensives down. He had to remember he wasn't flying solo anymore and he had to consider his friend's lives as well now. He knew better. There was no excuse for asinine behavior.
He swore under his breath while looking at Ororo feeling helpless. She looked as if she were sleeping peacefully in her bed not as if she'd just been attacked and drugged. If she had been hurt it would've been his fault and that thought bothered him more than he cared to admit. He should've been paying more attention to the situation at hand but no! He had to try and make out with the girl while making his buddy play lookout. Some plan, putting Kurt's life in danger as well. How stupid could he get? Only he hadn't planned it that way at all-he'd had no thought of trying to kiss Ororo but holding her and breathing in her beautiful scent-he'd lost his head. He couldn't let that happen again, couldn't risk her life or Kurt's again. And now he'd have to tell the Professor what an idiot he'd been. He wasn't looking forward to that talk. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!
"So did ve catch the culprit?"
Logan turned to see Kurt sitting up with his head in his hands.
"I feel as if I vent ten rounds vith Colossus in the danger room!"
"Being doped up will do that to you."
"Maybe but he got in a good kick to my head too." Kurt looked over at Ororo. "Is she alright?"
"Yeah, she'll be fine-shot full of tranquilizers just like us."
Kurt was surprised to see the look of pain on Logan's face. He knew Logan would take the blame for this just as Ororo would. He could just imagine what Scott would have to say. Momentarily both men turned when they heard Ororo stirring.
"Ororo, you okay?" Logan asked as he pulled her up so that she was resting in his arms.
"My head feels like a train's running through it but other than that I'm fine."
"Ve vere drugged."
Ororo groaned as she tried to get up and failed, glad to have Logan's comforting arms to fall back into.
"I should have been more prepared," she said.
"The both of us," Logan said quietly.
"It vas my fault that I did not think he vould shoot at us here," Kurt spoke up.
"It wasn't your fault, Kurt," Ororo admitted. "I should have been more alert."
"The both of us," Logan agreed.
"I suppose we were a little . . . distracted," Ororo turned her head to look at Logan, a smile on her face.
"A little? We were saved by security guards for crying out loud!"
Ororo laughed as she got up.
"Just what's so freakin' funny?" Logan demanded.
Ororo grinned at Logan and said, " The mighty X-Men saved by security guards!" Then she burst out laughing again and much to Logan's annoyance Kurt's loud laughter joined hers.
"It ain't that funny," Logan growled but neither paid any attention to him.
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The Professor was not pleased.
"Am I to understand that someone shot the three of you with tranquilizer darts and then just left you lying on the ground in broad daylight?" His fingers were drumming a fast beat on the table they were seated at.
"Shot me with enough darts to knock me out long enough for them to get away- knew what they were doing."
"Which implies prior experience with you and your healing factor, Logan." The Professor folded his hands together, brought them under his chin and drew in his breath thoughtfully.
"Perhaps they were trying to keep Logan from meeting with the person who wrote the letter," Ororo suggested.
"Yet Kurt saw your attacker and could easily identify him," Charles shook his head. "Curious indeed."
"I'm thinking he was just an errand boy and whoever sent him managed to keep me from meeting our contact like Storm said," Logan said.
"Vhat vill ve do now?" Kurt asked them.
"Wait," Logan said. He got up from the table and left.
Ororo sighed as she watched Logan leave. She understood how he felt, they had both acted like amateurs and there was no excuse for that. As team leader she had taken full responsibility despite his and Kurt's objections but she knew the Professor thought there was something more going on though he had said nothing. Neither she nor Logan had mentioned their . . . distraction. She didn't know why or how it had happened. She simply should have been more alert instead of thinking about Logan. But being in Logan's strong arms had gone to her head. She hadn't expected to feel so- so what? So comfortable, so right? It didn't make any sense. Logan was family she kept repeating to herself. Family! Family! Family! She was determined not to let it happen again.
