Chapter Two
New Orleans, Louisiana
Remy, Storm, Kurt, and Logan were now acquainted and sitting around a table in the corner of the bar. Logan had taken a quick disliking to the sweet-talker, who seemed to end each sentence when talking to Storm with "Cherre" or "belle". He didn't rub Logan right, and he didn't hide that he didn't like the boy.
"So you don't remember anything about William Stryker?" Storm asked, sitting to Remy's right.
"Naw," he replied. "Dis is interestin', though, because I've been wantin' to find out about him. He showed about four and a half months ago, and that's the last thing I remember, him walking into a bar."
"Interesting," Kurt said. "Did Magneto show any signs of amnesia?" He asked Storm.
"No, not that I know of." Storm turned to Remy, who had told them before that his mutant name was Gambit. "Do you mind if I take a look at the back of your neck?"
"Naw, I don't mind a bit, Cherre," Gambit replied.
Storm stood up and walked behind Gambit, who lowered his head so she could examine his neck. She ran her fingers over a circular scar, sending chills down his spine. She knew what this was from, and Stryker indeed had visited him. She sighed and resumed position in her seat.
"We need to get you back to our headquarters in New York," she said. "Our friend, Professor Xavier, will be able to explain what happened to you better than we could. And he will be able to tell you more about what happened to you. That is, if you'll let us take you."
"Anything for you, Cherre," Gambit said, taking her hand in his. She didn't resist, but she did not fall under his charm easily. Besides, someone else had her heart.
"If you're going, let's hit the road," Logan said coldly.
The four mutants stood up and made their way out of the bar, back onto the dark streets of New Orleans.
"Our jet is outside of town," Logan said. "We'll lodge here for the night and head back to New York in the morning."
They lodged in a small motel, Kurt and Storm taking one room, and Logan and Gambit in the other. Logan kept to himself under the order of Storm, although he wasn't raring to listen to her. But why make trouble while on such a simple mission? Logan might not be able to contain his temper in some circumstances, but he could think logically when he wanted to.
He lied on the bed in a light sleep. This mission wasn't too straining, so he didn't aim for deep sleep. But this Gambit was annoying, and he thought if the boy had any sense, he wouldn't annoy him if he thought he was asleep. Logan was wrong.
"Tha' belle of yours, Storm, is quite somethin', is she not?" Gambit said, walking out of the bathroom. Logan looked over and saw Gambit with nothing but a towel, his skin still damp, drops of water running down his muscular body. His hair seemed dark when wet and was draped in his face.
Wolverine felt something he had never felt before.
Miami Beach, Florida
He hadn't been at this point since he was a child. And until now, he didn't think he'd ever be able to return to this place in his lifetime. But he was here, and that's all that mattered.
Twenty years ago, Scott Summers was found unconscious on this beach when he was seven. For seven years, he was in a deep coma, and only awoke when he was visited by Professor Xavier. He had remembered the events that placed him on the beach, though. His parents - Christopher and Katherine Ann Summers - had taken him and his young brother, Alex, to vacation. His father piloted the plane himself, but could do nothing when it suddenly burst into flames and started falling. His mother strapped him and his brother into the only parachute, pushed them out of the plane, and crashed with it.
Scott never saw his parents or his brother again.
He watched the horizon and felt Xavier prodding his mind again, and blocked it again, as Xavier had taught him early in his training. He didn't feel good about doing it, but it was too hard to return to the mansion without Jean. And he wouldn't return without her.
After a while, Xavier stopped, obviously feeling that Scott wanted to be left alone. Somehow, someday, his friends would know why he could never return. Jean was what kept him strong. Without her, he was the seven year old boy washed up on the beach.
He turned around and entered the city, hearing commotion coming from the nearby park.
Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, Winchester, New York
Xavier knew where Scott was. Scott was able to block Xavier from prodding at his mind, but he still knew where he'd return to when something such as Jean's death happened. But he respected the man's decision to leave, so he did not tell the others.
He told the students that Scott was still deflecting him, and Bobby and Rogue went out. Jubilee hung back, though, even when Xavier went to the elevator. She held her arm and looked at the floor. He could tell she was thinking about something even without using his power.
"What is it, Jubilee?" he asked, coming out of the elevator.
"It's just that.. I.. I don't mean to insult you, Professor, but I think that instead of sitting on our asses and doing nothing, we should be out looking for Scott. You know him, I know you do, and you know enough about his past that you could play detective and find places where he might be without using your power."
Xavier smirked. He knew this girl had spunk, but he didn't realize her potential until just now. "Very well, Jubilee. We'll leave once Storm and the others return."
Miami Beach, Florida
The park looked empty when Scott arrived, and soon he saw why. The children were huddled around in a corner, the youngest being fourteen, the oldest seventeen. He felt something wasn't right, and went to break up the crowd.
In doing so, he found they were taunting a boy, who looked around fifteen, with blond hair and green eyes. He was lying on the ground, crying, covering his face with his hands. And Scott found the cause of the taunting; electricity was orbiting around his hands. He pushed his way through the kids, and picked him up. He felt some shock, but didn't loosen his grip.
He ran out of the park and into the alley, the kid stumbling behind him. Out of breath because lack of exercise for four months, he collapsed against the wall, the kid doing the same thing. They hadn't spoken to each other, the moment from the park to the alley being mere seconds.
"Are you okay?" Scott asked.
The kid was hesitant in his reply, out of fear or exhaustion, Scott didn't know. "I'm alright, Mister… Mister?"
"Call me Cyclops. What was going on back there?"
"They were beating me. Earlier, someone was teasing me and I- I- my powers went out of control. Are you a mutant too?"
Scott nodded. "What's your name?"
"My name's Vincent," he said. "If you're a mutant, then you can help me!"
New Orleans, Louisiana
Gambit was lying on the bed just arm's length away from Logan's bed, seemingly asleep. Logan wasn't sleepy, not since he had that feeling towards Gambit. He had never felt attraction towards another man before, let alone towards someone like Remy LeBeau. He couldn't deny that looking at the sleeping, shirtless mutant didn't stir some feelings he had felt for Jean, but it was Gambit he was lustily looking at. He didn't even like the guy.
He had to admit his way with women was better than he'd seen before. He wasn't too polite and he wasn't very raw, either. I've longed to be treated like that, he thought. But no! I'm Logan. Wolverine. I'm the tough, masculine one of the team. Not to mention I loved - love Jean.
That doesn't keep you from lusting for someone else, his mind retorted. Logan ran his hand through his hair, and brought it down to his side, knocking the clock off of the nightstand in the process. It crashed loudly on the floor, but Gambit didn't move. He was in a deep sleep.
Then Logan did something he'd never do otherwise. He stood up and pulled the sheets covering Gambit down, crawling into the same bed with him, and laying his muscular arm across the man's chest. Gambit didn't resist.
"You feel so good, Cherre," he muttered in his sleep. Logan smiled and fell asleep in the arms of the man he felt for.
Miami, Florida
"Help you with what?" Scot asked.
"My brother and sister were put into jail because their powers suddenly emerged when we were walking down the street. I was able to get away, but they weren't."
"And you want me to-"
"Break them out of jail."
"I can't do that!"
"But they're being wrongfully held. Come on, please."
Scott sighed. Vincent was right, they were being wrongfully held. He thought for a moment. If Jean were still alive, what would she do? She'd save them. "Okay, where are they being kept?"
Scott and Vincent walked into the Miami Jail, Scott having changed his glasses to his visors. Most were busy in the building, but each stared at Vincent, who couldn't get the electricity to stop orbiting his hands. He didn't pay attention to them. He was going to get his brother and sister out of jail.
"What're their names?" Scott asked, as they walked up to a desk.
"Joshua and Claire Park," Vincent replied.
"May I help you?" asked a large black female cop, who gave a downgrading stare to each of them.
"Yes, we're here to take Joshua and Claire Park home." Scott said coolly.
"I'm afraid that's not possible, sir."
"Why not?"
"Because they're a danger to the community," the cop said. "If I had my way, you'd all be behind bars." She added. Scott wasn't amused, but he could tell Vincent was pissed, as the electricity around his hands stopped and started to grow larger after doing so.
"They've done nothing wrong," Vincent said, anger flushing through his voice.
"They're dangerous and will not be released!" the woman yelled, obviously threatened by the electricity.
The other cops in the building starting crowding around the three of them, like the children in the park. Scott looked around, and each cop had their hand on their guns. He wasn't surprised, but this wasn't how he wanted things to go. He backed away from the desk, but Vincent didn't budge.
"Vincent, don't do anything stupid."
"Go get Claire and Joshua. I'll handle them."
Scott hesitated, but he realized that the only way they were going to escape is by force. He turned to his left, seeing the entrance to the holding cells. He shot a small blast in front of a few cops, making them fall, letting him get past them. They got up, but he heard them fall to the floor when Vincent sent bolts through their body.
He ran through the cells, until he saw a girl and a boy in the same cell. He had to look twice, as they both looked the same, and they both looked like Vincent. He hadn't told Scott he was a triplet. The girl, Claire, was standing facing the brick wall, her eyes closed. The boy, Joshua, was standing, facing the bars of the cell, his hands in front of him. Scott could tell they didn't have as much control of their powers as Vincent had, even though he had a small amount of control.
When he blasted a section of the bars out, he got the siblings' attention. They didn't have to ask what he was doing, as Vincent ran in and hugged them. A few cops ran in, and Scott turned to Claire and Joshua.
"Either one of you think you can keep them from getting in here?" he asked.
"Yeah, I'll try," Claire said, stepping forward. She tied her long, blond hair back and closed her eyes. The panic of the policeman, Scott knew, would awaken her power. And it did. She opened her eyes and they began to turn black, and the ground started to shake, resulting in the roof collapsing. Scott blasted a chunk of the wall out and they ran out.