Disclaimer: A whole host of new characters are mine. Please don't use them. Of course, the X-Men and other such characters involved in the comic, books and the movie belong to Marvel, and new ones are mine. Also the plot is my own.

Throughout story:

" " = Speech

' ' = Thoughts

^ ^ = Telepath

I haven't had chance to add the new characters piccys to the site yet, but give me chance. x.x

Goth: Ooh! That's the fainting spell Aurora had in Chapter 2 ^^

Jenny: Phantom is a pretty interesting character.. I hope you get to like her.

LoneEagle: You have to understand, it's hard to get a lot into one chapter without thinking that you over loading it! Plus I enjoy using cliffhangers and using clever endings. Since WOTW my chapters are longer, instead of 3 A4 pages, there're now about 5. (:

And don't worry, the students are coming into it again. But you have to admit, it's hard to write about the students because the main action is focused around the older mutants. Sprite will be coming along in the next few chapters to give bobby and rogue a bit of grief. Oh dear.

Oh.. and long reviews.. I LOVE THEM! *hugs and invites Logan in too!* XD Hehe.

Chapter 28

            Logan glanced round uncomfortably in the blackness, "Nosy.. uh.. no. Just wondered what all the bangin' was."

"Ah.. you're one of the American ones aren't you?" Her accent was British, "Yes.. I saw some of you enter."

Logan looked around desperately, he tried to smell her out.. but for some reason he couldn't pinpoint her location, "I'm Canadian actually." He corrected sharply, "Mm.. And you're Phantom.. right?"

"Yes.."

Logan took a small step back, intending to try and find the trapdoor, "Yeah.. they mentioned you."

In the blackness, Phantom smiled, "Oh? Well, I suppose they had to explain the noise."

"You didn't answer my question about that.."

"Just me.." She then said quietly, a little downheartedly.

Logan rose his brow at her words, his boot shuffled across the floor, finding the handle, "Why?"

He heard her moving slowly, "I don't know.. I would go crazy if I couldn't vent all my feelings."

Logan's head canted slowly, "Things that bad?" A rather dumb question perhaps. Since she did lock herself in a dark attic alone.

No answer came, nay but a soft sigh from the blackness.

"Why don't you go downstairs? Into the house? Talk with people?"

Phantom gave a derisive breath of a laugh, "I'm not welcome round the house."

Logan paused from the door and now frowned, "What? Why?"

"Too dangerous ain't I?"

Logan's head tilted gently, his joints clicking, "Eh?"

Phantom struck up another match, lighting her position on the floor a few feet to the side of him, "You're the Wolverine bloke.. aren't you? Yeah.. I can tell. The one that can heal? Well put it this way.. I could kill you."

Logan then placed his foot onto the door again, then, he rather haughtily announced, "No.. you couldn't."

Phantom then gave a quiet laugh, "Yes I could."

Logan frowned and lowered to the floor, intending to leave, "Whatever.."

"You're feeling very anxious now.. about me. But you're also worried about another female mutant downstairs. But there's something more than worry there." Phantom then said slyly, "Want to cheer up a little?"

Logan was about to answer when he suddenly felt a sense of uplifting within him. The sense of dread inside his chest faded, and he felt his very veins come alive with a flush of rare happiness.

Then, after a few seconds, he felt the weight of misery collide with the pit of his stomach and drag him down into his usual sorrow, "Ugh.."

Phantom then said calmly, "You see?"

Logan's eyes glared her way, "How can that kill me? God.. I'm not surprised they chucked you up here. Giving everyone PMS."

Phantom shook her head, "I stay up here of my own accord.. like I said, I'm too dangerous downstairs." The match was held up to her face gently, lighting up the smooth dark skin, hollows of nostrils and eyes shadowed slightly, "That sensation? Of happiness.. It's effected by your soul."

Logan's brow now raised, saying scornfully, "My soul?"

"The very life within you.. I can demolish it without even touching you."

Logan now grabbed at the trapdoor, lifting it, "Shit, I'm going.. you ever try anythin' funny. I'll come back and frickin' claw you apart."

"You going so soon?" She suddenly said, not scornfully, but genuinely disappointed.

Logan dropped his feet down upon a few of the steps, "Yeah.. I don't feel very welcome round folks that are gonna kill me." Sarcasm dripped bitterly off his words.

Phantom now scrambled across the floor on her knees towards the door. With the moonlight shining in from the corridor below, he could see her face easily. Her eyes were very sharp, but their inners were horribly haunted, "No.. please. No one ever comes to see me.."

"I'm not surprised."

Phantom made a grab for Logan's wrist, Logan jerked faintly in surprise.

"Please.. I won't hurt you.. I don't like hurting others.. you don't understand what it does to me.."

Logan tried to pull his hand away, "Look yo – "

"Please! I need to talk to someone! I need to get rid of the voices in my head! I can still feel the dead inside me. I can't cope.. You don't understand!!"

Logan pulled his wrist free, "How do you know what I understand?" He said with a small growl.. not exactly feeling happy with conversation.

Phantom's hands fell limp on her knees, "I .. I don't."

Logan nodded, proceeding down the steps.

"Wolverine?" Came the quiet voice from the trap door.

Logan had reached the moonlit corridor. He looked up slowly, "Call me Logan." He said softly.

"Oh.. Logan." Said Phantom timidly, "Will you come and see me again?"

"Sure.. I'm gonna bring you downstairs tomorrow." He said with a wry smile as he turned and walked away.

"What?!" Came the sharp and sudden reply.

"You can't hide from it." Said Logan thoughtfully, "You can't hide from nothing.." He nodded slowly to her head that peered through the ceiling.

The door was slowly pulled up, Phantom watching the Wolverine leave with a thoughtful expression with a grown respect.

            Icy blue eyes tugged open grumpily to the roaring rays of sunlight through the window. Bobby lifted his head from the pillow, groaning. He turned away from the window, burying his head under the warm sleepy duvet, trying to hide from the daytime and fall back into a tender slumber.

Rogue bounded towards him from her bed, a happy and spirited mood was upon her, "Bobby!" She called shrilly. Hopping onto his bed and laughing to the quiet whimpers as she jumped upon his back, "Get up!"

Bobby moaned some incoherent curses to Rogue's lively mood.. he pulled the duvet firmly over his head, refusing to come free of his safe prison of sleep. Rogue wasn't giving up and she slithered off the bed on her belly before grabbing a corner of the duvet and yanking it back. The duvet was whipped off the bed and upon the floor suddenly. Bobby let out a shocked yelp as cool air hit his once warm body and he scrambled on his knees to try and retrieve his tent of heat, "Noo.." He whined pitifully.

Rogue threw a pillow to him, "You're up now! C'mon, we've got our first meeting as X-Men."

Bobby made a dull grunt as the pillow hit the side of his head limply and dropped to rest on the bed's mattress pathetically, "Alright.."

He shuffled off his bed slowly, a wide mouthed yawn stretching from his lungs. He moved over to Rogue and picked up the duvet from the floor. But instead of replacing it upon the bed, he clamped it over Rogue's head and ran off with a wild chorus of laughter as Rogue staggered beneath the heavy duvet, screeching threats and curses.

            Indeed the meeting was to be held outdoors. The sun had only blessed the landscape with light for the past few hours, and the aroma of morning dew still lingered blissfully outdoors. Jayne exited from double patio doors upon the terracotta-tiled patio. A cup of tea was held on one hand and she sat down gently upon one of the wooden chairs around a rectangular wooden table, ever so slightly wearied on the surface from the beatings of British weather.

As predicted, the first few mutants to join her were some of the British mutants. Electro exited with Bandit, Ghost following. Jayne nodded politely to the three, "Good morning." She said quietly.

A general murmur of reply came from the three as they each took a seat at the table.

"Do you think the American's will be long?" Asked Electro curiously, his face still holding an ever-serious expression.

Jayne shook her head, "No.. the X-Men are early risers. I'm sure the meeting will commence shortly.

"What is it exactly that's wrong in America?" Now asked Ghost quietly, her nimble limbs folding, the green of the grass seen softly through her semi-transparent body of white.

Jayne leant back in her chair, sipping on her tea mildly, "The humans have gone insane with anger. Turning against every mutant they see. My mother and I have been studying the American News Channels.. not a day goes by without a murder of a mutant."

Ghost winced softly, her head shaking, "Terrible."

Bandit nodded slowly, "Yeah.."

Jayne glanced upwards to the upper windows, "Bandit.. go and see where Beast has got to would you, please?"

Bandit nodded simply and stood up from his seat. He then left the patio at an alarming speed, his form a mysterious blur as he zoomed at an incredible rate into the building. Quick, speedy, and extremely agile it appeared.

The mutants on the patio fell quiet as Bandit left, waiting patiently for the arrival of Beast and the X-Men. But they did not expect the visitor.. from the attic.

***

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