~*~
Lance sat outside on the step, finishing off a cigarette, one of the few that he smoked. It had been about half an hour since Luke's strange collapse and he was now sitting there with the other mutant, Nikki, still under the influence of the anti-psychotic, slumbering next to him, head on Luke's lap.
"So.. can you remember anything more yet?" He asked casually.
"Little things." Luke sighed absentmindedly running his fingers through Nikki's hair as he stared off into the trees surrounding the mansion perimeter, "I feel weird... Like the wolf inside me wants to escape or something."
Lance nodded. "How weird is 'weird'?" He asked.
Luke shrugged slightly, "I don't know. I just feel... numb."
Nikki made sleepy kitten noises in his sleep, curling his fingers and shifting slightly before silencing again. Lance looked down and snickered, then looked back up at Luke. "That doesn't sound too good." He mused. "How're you feeling physically?"
"Physically I feel fine, never better actually." He smiled slightly but it didn't last long.
"What's wrong?" Lance asked, noting the way Luke's face fell.
Luke's back stiffened, "I've been trying to suppress my mutation for the pass fifteen minutes." He relaxed again and sighed.
As if he felt Luke's tension in his sleep, Nikki frowned and squeezed Luke's knee, where he could reach, gently, rubbing his cheek on Luke's leg as well. Lance gave Luke a quizzical look. "Are you sure that's a good idea? Why don't you just let it go?" He asked.
"I'm afraid I might loose control," Luke trembled closing his eyes again, "I'm afraid I might kill someone..."
"Is it that bad?" Lance asked, concerned for Luke's already stressed mental state.
Luke nodded grimacing slightly; his K-9 teeth had a vampire-ish point to them.
"I don't think I can... I can hold it back anymore... t-take Nikki a-and go inside." His voice had lowered into a throaty growl and when he opened his eyes again they had an unusual glow to them.
"Shit.." Lance was torn, not wanting to leave Luke in a vulnerable state. *Professor, get Logan to come down here... Luke's changing and he says he might be unstable.* He grabbed Nikki and hoisted him into his arms, where the smaller boy lay limply. "I called Xavier to get Logan to come and be with you... he might be able to help.." He said, before carrying Nikki into the house.
Luke nodded and once he heard the door close he let the mutation take over.
Logan came downstairs, and Lance pointed outside, having put Nikki down on the sofa. Logan opened and closed the door, seeing Luke, but keeping a wary distance. "Hey kid..." he started.
Luke's head jerked up at the new voice and he growled softly as the transformation between his human state and wolf state completed. He looked like a caged animal with the way his fur stood on end and his teeth bared. He glared at Logan with wide yellow eyes.
Logan also growled and stared Luke in the eye, demanding submission. He had the upper hand as this was his home turf, and he was older than the other wolf. "Come on kid, it's me, Logan. You can get a grip on this thing..."
Not backing down, Luke took a step forward; fear passed over his eyes briefly but was gone just as quick as it came.
Logan didn't move an inch. "Luke. I know you know me. Think.. you know Nikki, he's inside. You have to get this under control Luke, or how are you ever gonna be able to see Nikki again. Come on kid, I know you can do it. Just concentrate."
Taking several hesitant steps backwards, Luke averted his eyes to the glass door behind Logan. His sniffed the air then dove for the door.
Logan growled. "Oh no you don't." And he lunged, knocking the wolf away from his intended goal and onto his side. Logan pinned him down, trying to avoid the teeth at the front...
Luke struggled with all his might with the two-hundred-some pound man pinning him on the ground. He bared his teeth and managed to get a good solid bite on Logan's lower arm.
Logan snarled and used every ounce of self-restraint he had not to reflexively run the kid through with his claws. He grabbed Luke's mouth, with the jaws still around his arm with one hand, and sat on the wolf, holding his mouth closed.. "Luke.." He said, voice strained with pain. "Nikki's fine. But you have to come back to your senses. Luke.Listen to me. Youre not an animal... you're a mutant... remember.
Luke's eyes focused on him for a moment, he seemed to be gaining control over himself again.
'Logan...' He said mentally, his telepathic voice strained, 'don't...'
Logan kept his grip, but smoothed Luke's coat with his other hand. "Come on kid, don't give in. it's your power, own it. You can control yourself. Now come on."
'Loosing.... control....' Luke's eyes began to fog over again.
"No! Luke! You're not.. Come on, stay with me. Think about the training, think about Kitty... think about Nikki, Luke. Come on, I know you're strong enough."
Luke's eyes narrowed and in a sudden bout of energy he kicked Logan off himself and bolted for the door and jumped through the glass shattering it.
Nikki slept still on the sofa, and Lance stood in front of him, holding his hands up. "Luke, I don't wanna hurt you..." He started.
"LANCE!" Logan shouted. "GET OUT OF HIS WAY"
Luke jumped onto Lance grabbing him by his throat in a vice-like bite, the coppery taste of blood flooded his mouth and he pulled away jumping off Lance and onto the sofa.
Lance pressed a hand to his ripped throat, the blood loss making his sight gray around the edges. Logan ran in, leaving Luke with Nikki for the time being, as it didn't LOOK like the wolf was going to hurt the boy, and called to Xavier. *Chuck. We need some assistance down here NOW or Lance's gonna bite the big one.*
He ripped the cover from a cushion and pressed it against the wound in Lance's neck. "you're gonna be okay Rocky" He said, looking back at Luke.
*Logan, what's going on?* Xavier scent as he made his way into the living-room.
Luke sniffed Nikki over and growled when he smelt something off about the boy.
"Luke's transformed and he can't control himself, and he just took a bite outta Lance's throat" Logan grunted hurriedly.
Nikki, still in happy dream world, seemed to sense Luke near him, and turned over towards the body heat.
Something was wrong with the boy, and the only way to fix it in Luke's screwed up mind was to kill him. He barked angrily as Nikki moved towards him then attacked him.
Self-preservation took over, and the strange power possessing Nikki took over. He sat up, eyes swirling like oil, and held a hand up towards Luke. Luke was enveloped in a strange force, and pinned up onto the ceiling. Nikki.. or whoever it was, looked up at the wolf and grinned evilly, then turning his head, held a hand out to Lance. he closed his hand and as he did so, the large gash closed and healed, leaving the other boy pale and blood covered, but alive and breathing on the floor. He snarled at Logan and Xavier. "Honestly... you people are pathetic." He turned his attention back to Luke, bringing him down to the floor, then grabbing his head. The strange eyes closed, and then the boy made a terrible noise as smoke rose from where his hands were on Luke's skull. He forced Luke's body to change back to human form, then let go, letting it fall to the ground. He looked at his singed hands, and licked across one carefully, then smiled at Logan, chuckling. He lifted his hands again, as if he was going to do something else, but then he stopped, jerking, and growled. "You little fuck... NO!" And the strange color left his eyes, and he was Nikki again. The boy looked confused, began trembling when the pain from his hands hit him, then saw Luke and crawled over to him, crying. "Luke... Luke... wake up, please. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to." He sobbed, laying his head on Luke's chest.
Xavier wheeled himself over to the Nikki and Luke and frowned, he glanced up at Logan and sighed shaking his head.
Lance groaned, trying to sit up, but then lying back down when everything started spinning. "What happened?" He asked muggily. Nikki continued to cry, occasionally shaking Luke despite the pain in his hands.
Logan knelt down next to Luke and felt his neck for a pulse, then straightened back up and bowed his head.
"He's dead." He frowned.
Nikki continued to shake Luke. "Luke. Wake up, please... it's okay. Mummy's gone, Alex isn't here.. wake up Luke please.."
Lance closed his eyes. "Shit."
"Nikki," Logan rested his hand on Nikki's shoulder, "Luke's..." He looked to the others for help then added lamely, "a little tired... why don't we let him get some rest?"
"Logan." Xavier frowned at him, *We're going to have to tell him sooner or later.*
*Let Scooter tell 'im.* Logan scowled at Xavier, he didn't have the heart to tell the boy.
Nikki jumped under Logan's touch and shrank away from him. "What did you do to him?" he asked tearfully. "He won't wake up."
"Not me." Logan shook his head as he climbed to his feet.
"Nikki I'm sorry, Luke's dead..." Xavier told the boy softly.
Nikki froze, going white "N-no he's not." He said faintly. "You did something to him... he's only sleeping. " He turned back to Luke and shook him desperately. "Please Luke, please.." He entreated.
Logan glanced at Xavier who slowly nodded back, "Nikki," Logan said finally, "I need to take Luke down to the infirmary... will you let me?"
Nikki latched onto Luke, hiding his head in Luke's still chest. "No... I won't let you take him away." He whimpered.
Scott entered the room and glanced around suddenly looking panicked, "What happened?" He asked to no one in particular.
Lance feeling faint, and having actually passed out for a second there, beckoned Scott over. "Hey babe." He choked out, smiling weakly, although it faded. "Bad news love. Luke's dead."
Scott stopped in mid-stride, "What happened?" He asked looking down at Nikki curled up on Luke's still form.
Nikki looked up, his face tear stained, when he heard Scott's voice. "He won't wake up." He said mournfully. "Help me."
Lance shook his head. " He went nuts... Nikki made him change back, I dunno... healed me, but then Luke... well.."
"Didn't make it." Logan finished in a low growl.
Scott kneeled down next to Nikki, "Hey Nikki," he said softly, "Why don't we go and find your journal?"
Nikki was confused. He trusted Scott to not screw him over, and he was concerned, rabidly, about Luke, ignoring what he'd been told as he was unable to process that, but Scott behaving so calmly threw him. "Wh-what about Luke?"
"Lance, Logan, and Xavier are going to take care of him, okay?" Scott managed a sad smile; he didn't know how he was going to get the news through Nikki's head.
Nikki darted a quick look at Logan and Xavier, clutching to Luke. "I don't wanna leave him here." He said, but there was something in his voice that suggested he could be persuaded.
Scott frowned slightly in thought, "How about we get your journal and you can write in it for a while, or we can go watch a movie?"
Nikki sniffed and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. "Luke will be okay?" He asked suspiciously.
"Yea." Scott lied not knowing what else he could tell the boy.
Nikki looked back down at Luke and brushed his spilt hair from his eyes, then leant down and kissed him on the lips. "See you later." He told him, then turned and got up, skirting Logan and reaching a hand out to Scott.
Scott took his hand and after sparing one last look at Lance he left the room with Nikki in tow.
"Now what?" Logan grunted staring down at the paling Luke.
"Take him down stairs and I'll make the funeral arrangements." Xavier sighed sadly.
~*~
