"You wanted to see me, Charles?" Logan asked as he entered Xavier's
office.
"Yes." The Professor waved him in, still absorbed in a stack of papers on the desk before him. After a moment he looked up. "You've been training James Redbourne's sister, Ruby?"
"Yeah." Logan wondered briefly where this was going. "She catches on quick."
"With you as her teacher, I've no doubt," Xavier said, perfectly blandly.
Logan merely raised an eyebrow.
"Have you had any problems – well, interruptions – in your training sessions, due to her powers?"
"No," Logan said, thinking back. Not due to her precognitive powers, anyway. He himself had interrupted the physical training to make her practice her other power, until she could neutralize his healing factor for as much as half an hour with the slightest touch.
"She had a vision the other night, about today's rally. I read her mind in the middle of it – it was quite intense." Xavier paused, and though his expression was calm, Logan though that perhaps the experience had shaken him. "I'd be interested to try a few tests, to see what stimulates the visions, and to find out if they could be more controlled. If, of course, she's up for it."
"She's tougher than she looks," Logan said. The Professor gave him a long, appraising look. Logan shrugged. "It would be a tremendous asset to us to have powers like that at our disposal – to know where the worst things will be before they happen." He held up a hand as Xavier started to speak. "I'm not implyin' that any of our people can't handle themselves, but some of you tend to put yourself in more danger than necessary."
Xavier chuckled and waved his hand. "Point conceded. Well, do as you see fit. I trust your judgment. There is one other favor I'd like to ask of you." Logan waited, and after a moment Xavier continued. "I've asked Ms. Redbourne to go to the rally today. She's our best chance at catching anything else that might go wrong. I'd like it if you'd keep an eye on her."
Logan grimaced. A hot, crowded rally – even one that was pro-mutant – wasn't exactly a thrilling prospect for him. Even so... "I can do that."
"Excellent." Someone knocked at the door. "Come in, Ms. Redbourne," Xavier called. He continued once she was in the room. "Wolverine, here, has agreed to accompany you to the rally. I thought you'd feel better with him along."
Logan gave Xavier an exasperated look over Ruby's shoulder.
"Thank you, Professor. I'm still not quite sure why you want me there." Ruby was standing just in front of Logan, and he could read tension in every line of her body.
"Two reasons, really," Xavier explained, radiating reassurance as he moved around his desk to talk to her. "First of all, and most importantly, I'd like to demonstrate to you that the things you see are not foregone conclusions. Your foreknowledge will allow us to prevent what you saw; there will be no massacre, and I think you'll feel much better knowing that."
Logan could see Ruby relaxing at those words. Massacre? What had the poor kid seen?
"Secondly," Xavier went on, "you are quite an effective early warning system. It may be a bit selfish of me, but if anything else were to go wrong, I'd like to have you on hand to let us know."
"All right, sir. I understand." Ruby looked back at Logan. He dropped one eyelid in a wink.
"Just try to enjoy yourself," Xavier said, propelling himself forward. "I've got to go, but I'll see you there." He stopped when he reached Ruby and took her hand. "Try not to worry, my dear. Wolverine won't let anything happen to you."
They both turned to look at Logan, and there was a ghost of a smile on Ruby's face as she said, "I know."
Xavier preceded them out, and Logan gestured to Ruby. He could tell she was still edgy. "I really won't let anything happen to you," he said as they walked out to the garage.
"I know. I just can't believe that there's a way around the things I saw."
Logan gripped her elbow lightly. "If Charles says it won't happen, then it won't happen. Now – how do you feel about motorcycles?"
Logan's tendency to speed got them to the rally site before the Professor or any of the other speakers. Ruby was rigid with tension as they moved among the drink vendors and milling people. The sun beat down on them viciously, and cranky children whined to their parents.
Logan wasn't sure if Ruby's stress was catching, or if something else was putting him on his guard.
The first speaker began; Logan paid him no heed. TV cameras were staged all around, most of them directed at the speaker and the podium, but a few panning the crowd. Logan moved himself and Ruby out of the path of one that had already filmed them and was headed back again.
"You seein' anything?" he asked her.
"Just way too many people," she answered a bit grimly. He couldn't argue with that.
They moved slowly around the perimeter, out of the thickest part of the crowd, just taking care not to get separated. Logan saw the man with the scarred cheek and the mangled ear for the third time right as Ruby froze in fear. Her eyes were riveted on the speaker.
"Should we live in fear, instead of in love?" the speaker asked.
"No!" came the cry from the ralliers.
"Now," Ruby said, fright making her eyes wide. "Now is when it happens."
"We much learn to trust each other," the speaker continued. "Only then can we stand strong against those who would divide us!"
Logan stopped listening again as Ruby sagged in relief. She pressed her palms against her eyes, trembling. Then she shook herself, and abruptly looked more cheerful than she had all day.
They walked a little more, skirting the edge of the crowd. Logan saw the scarred man again, and now he was certain the man was watching one of them. Which one of them was still questionable.
Ruby leaned against a building, in the shade of an awning, and fanned herself with both hands. "Insane to have a rally in this kind of heat, anyway."
"Stay here," Logan said. "I'll get us something cold to drink."
He stopped at the closest vendor and bought two ridiculously overpriced drinks. A flash of movement caught his attention; the scarred man was moving rapidly toward Ruby, whose attention was back on the speaker. Suddenly alarmed, Logan hurried back to her.
The scarred man slowed, then stopped when Logan reached her. Logan stared at him – no point in pretending he hadn't seen him now. The man glared. Logan put himself between the man and Ruby and glowered right back.
"What is it?" Ruby asked, noticing something was wrong.
He gave her both drinks, so to have his hands free. "Our disfigured friend over yonder is uncommonly interested in you. Recognize him?"
"No." Ruby set the drinks on a window sill. "Do you think he's connected with what was supposed to happen today? That they somehow figured out that I saw what they were going to do?"
"I don't know," Logan said shortly.
"They won't do anything here, will they?" There was a tremor in her voice; if this man was involved with the same people, they had, of course, been planning on 'doing something here.'
"You see anything?" Logan asked, glancing around to see if he could spot anyone the scarred man might be working with. Way too many possibilities. The man was moving away, fading back into the crowd.
"Nothing," Ruby answered him.
"I think we've been here long enough." He propelled her with a hand at the small of her back, toward the parking lot. Logan couldn't be sure if people were just leaving or if they were still being tailed, and it bugged him.
Ruby climbed on his motorcycle behind him, hands at his ribs. As he sped up, she slid her arms more snugly around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder blade. He could feel her heartbeat where she pressed against his back, just a shade too fast with a residue of fright.
"Yes." The Professor waved him in, still absorbed in a stack of papers on the desk before him. After a moment he looked up. "You've been training James Redbourne's sister, Ruby?"
"Yeah." Logan wondered briefly where this was going. "She catches on quick."
"With you as her teacher, I've no doubt," Xavier said, perfectly blandly.
Logan merely raised an eyebrow.
"Have you had any problems – well, interruptions – in your training sessions, due to her powers?"
"No," Logan said, thinking back. Not due to her precognitive powers, anyway. He himself had interrupted the physical training to make her practice her other power, until she could neutralize his healing factor for as much as half an hour with the slightest touch.
"She had a vision the other night, about today's rally. I read her mind in the middle of it – it was quite intense." Xavier paused, and though his expression was calm, Logan though that perhaps the experience had shaken him. "I'd be interested to try a few tests, to see what stimulates the visions, and to find out if they could be more controlled. If, of course, she's up for it."
"She's tougher than she looks," Logan said. The Professor gave him a long, appraising look. Logan shrugged. "It would be a tremendous asset to us to have powers like that at our disposal – to know where the worst things will be before they happen." He held up a hand as Xavier started to speak. "I'm not implyin' that any of our people can't handle themselves, but some of you tend to put yourself in more danger than necessary."
Xavier chuckled and waved his hand. "Point conceded. Well, do as you see fit. I trust your judgment. There is one other favor I'd like to ask of you." Logan waited, and after a moment Xavier continued. "I've asked Ms. Redbourne to go to the rally today. She's our best chance at catching anything else that might go wrong. I'd like it if you'd keep an eye on her."
Logan grimaced. A hot, crowded rally – even one that was pro-mutant – wasn't exactly a thrilling prospect for him. Even so... "I can do that."
"Excellent." Someone knocked at the door. "Come in, Ms. Redbourne," Xavier called. He continued once she was in the room. "Wolverine, here, has agreed to accompany you to the rally. I thought you'd feel better with him along."
Logan gave Xavier an exasperated look over Ruby's shoulder.
"Thank you, Professor. I'm still not quite sure why you want me there." Ruby was standing just in front of Logan, and he could read tension in every line of her body.
"Two reasons, really," Xavier explained, radiating reassurance as he moved around his desk to talk to her. "First of all, and most importantly, I'd like to demonstrate to you that the things you see are not foregone conclusions. Your foreknowledge will allow us to prevent what you saw; there will be no massacre, and I think you'll feel much better knowing that."
Logan could see Ruby relaxing at those words. Massacre? What had the poor kid seen?
"Secondly," Xavier went on, "you are quite an effective early warning system. It may be a bit selfish of me, but if anything else were to go wrong, I'd like to have you on hand to let us know."
"All right, sir. I understand." Ruby looked back at Logan. He dropped one eyelid in a wink.
"Just try to enjoy yourself," Xavier said, propelling himself forward. "I've got to go, but I'll see you there." He stopped when he reached Ruby and took her hand. "Try not to worry, my dear. Wolverine won't let anything happen to you."
They both turned to look at Logan, and there was a ghost of a smile on Ruby's face as she said, "I know."
Xavier preceded them out, and Logan gestured to Ruby. He could tell she was still edgy. "I really won't let anything happen to you," he said as they walked out to the garage.
"I know. I just can't believe that there's a way around the things I saw."
Logan gripped her elbow lightly. "If Charles says it won't happen, then it won't happen. Now – how do you feel about motorcycles?"
Logan's tendency to speed got them to the rally site before the Professor or any of the other speakers. Ruby was rigid with tension as they moved among the drink vendors and milling people. The sun beat down on them viciously, and cranky children whined to their parents.
Logan wasn't sure if Ruby's stress was catching, or if something else was putting him on his guard.
The first speaker began; Logan paid him no heed. TV cameras were staged all around, most of them directed at the speaker and the podium, but a few panning the crowd. Logan moved himself and Ruby out of the path of one that had already filmed them and was headed back again.
"You seein' anything?" he asked her.
"Just way too many people," she answered a bit grimly. He couldn't argue with that.
They moved slowly around the perimeter, out of the thickest part of the crowd, just taking care not to get separated. Logan saw the man with the scarred cheek and the mangled ear for the third time right as Ruby froze in fear. Her eyes were riveted on the speaker.
"Should we live in fear, instead of in love?" the speaker asked.
"No!" came the cry from the ralliers.
"Now," Ruby said, fright making her eyes wide. "Now is when it happens."
"We much learn to trust each other," the speaker continued. "Only then can we stand strong against those who would divide us!"
Logan stopped listening again as Ruby sagged in relief. She pressed her palms against her eyes, trembling. Then she shook herself, and abruptly looked more cheerful than she had all day.
They walked a little more, skirting the edge of the crowd. Logan saw the scarred man again, and now he was certain the man was watching one of them. Which one of them was still questionable.
Ruby leaned against a building, in the shade of an awning, and fanned herself with both hands. "Insane to have a rally in this kind of heat, anyway."
"Stay here," Logan said. "I'll get us something cold to drink."
He stopped at the closest vendor and bought two ridiculously overpriced drinks. A flash of movement caught his attention; the scarred man was moving rapidly toward Ruby, whose attention was back on the speaker. Suddenly alarmed, Logan hurried back to her.
The scarred man slowed, then stopped when Logan reached her. Logan stared at him – no point in pretending he hadn't seen him now. The man glared. Logan put himself between the man and Ruby and glowered right back.
"What is it?" Ruby asked, noticing something was wrong.
He gave her both drinks, so to have his hands free. "Our disfigured friend over yonder is uncommonly interested in you. Recognize him?"
"No." Ruby set the drinks on a window sill. "Do you think he's connected with what was supposed to happen today? That they somehow figured out that I saw what they were going to do?"
"I don't know," Logan said shortly.
"They won't do anything here, will they?" There was a tremor in her voice; if this man was involved with the same people, they had, of course, been planning on 'doing something here.'
"You see anything?" Logan asked, glancing around to see if he could spot anyone the scarred man might be working with. Way too many possibilities. The man was moving away, fading back into the crowd.
"Nothing," Ruby answered him.
"I think we've been here long enough." He propelled her with a hand at the small of her back, toward the parking lot. Logan couldn't be sure if people were just leaving or if they were still being tailed, and it bugged him.
Ruby climbed on his motorcycle behind him, hands at his ribs. As he sped up, she slid her arms more snugly around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder blade. He could feel her heartbeat where she pressed against his back, just a shade too fast with a residue of fright.