"Logan, thank you for joining us," the professor greeted pleasantly as
Logan stepped into the school's garage.
"Wouldn't miss this for anything," he replied, smirking at Scott who was wearing a pained expression.
"I trust Jean has explained everything clearly to you?"
"Like crystal."
Scott winced.
"Good," the professor said without missing a beat. He rolled his wheelchair closer to the boxes stacked in the middle on the concrete room. "Look over the items I have gathered and make the necessary adjustments."
Logan stepped forward, already smelling the sulfur of the matches.
"Oh, and Logan?" He looked down beside him and waited for the professor to continue. "Please keep in mind that the children may require more necessities than you. In other words, better safe than sorry."
Logan nodded. "Where're we goin' tomorrow?" He began shuffling through the top box's contents.
Professor Xavier smiled and Scott seemed to relax a bit. "I have obtained permission from the Wildlife Conservation Department to let your group stay in the Ward Pound Ridge Reservation. It's a 4700 acre reservation in Cross River, about an hour northeast of here. That ought to be enough space and solitude for this test, don't you agree?"
Logan's gaze shifted as a small smile crept over his face. The place sounded perfect. Plenty big enough to lose One Eye. "That oughta do," he agreed, tossing a box to the ground in rejection.
The professor looked at the box with a raised eyebrow but didn't comment on Logan's authority. "You will take a com link, in the rare event of an emergency." The statement left no room for negotiations. "I am giving you leadership over this exercise. Do you understand your responsibilities?"
Logan held up a coil of rope then let it fall back into the box. "Yes."
The professor seemed unconvinced as Logan dropped the box of rope into a separate pile. "The children's lives are in your hands," he said with a deadly seriousness that made Scott swallow.
Logan stopped rummaging and looked down into the professor's eyes. "I understand." He too was serious. He knew he would protect the students with his life, if that's what was asked of him. But this was just a weekend camping trip. A party, as far as the students were concerned. Logan would be in charge and not only would he be able to smoke his fill of cigars, he'd make the kids each build a fire or set a trap, then they'd enjoy the scenery then come home. No big deal. Even Scott would be able to keep up. In fact, if One Eye was going to be tagging along, why not put him to good use? Logan grinned in a predatory sort of way when he imagined Cyclops falling victim to a well-placed snare or being used for mutant target practice.
He smiled at the professor in hopes of easing the worry, then smiled at Scott in a way he was sure he'd never done before. Scott flinched.
This was going to be the best camping trip ever.
"Wouldn't miss this for anything," he replied, smirking at Scott who was wearing a pained expression.
"I trust Jean has explained everything clearly to you?"
"Like crystal."
Scott winced.
"Good," the professor said without missing a beat. He rolled his wheelchair closer to the boxes stacked in the middle on the concrete room. "Look over the items I have gathered and make the necessary adjustments."
Logan stepped forward, already smelling the sulfur of the matches.
"Oh, and Logan?" He looked down beside him and waited for the professor to continue. "Please keep in mind that the children may require more necessities than you. In other words, better safe than sorry."
Logan nodded. "Where're we goin' tomorrow?" He began shuffling through the top box's contents.
Professor Xavier smiled and Scott seemed to relax a bit. "I have obtained permission from the Wildlife Conservation Department to let your group stay in the Ward Pound Ridge Reservation. It's a 4700 acre reservation in Cross River, about an hour northeast of here. That ought to be enough space and solitude for this test, don't you agree?"
Logan's gaze shifted as a small smile crept over his face. The place sounded perfect. Plenty big enough to lose One Eye. "That oughta do," he agreed, tossing a box to the ground in rejection.
The professor looked at the box with a raised eyebrow but didn't comment on Logan's authority. "You will take a com link, in the rare event of an emergency." The statement left no room for negotiations. "I am giving you leadership over this exercise. Do you understand your responsibilities?"
Logan held up a coil of rope then let it fall back into the box. "Yes."
The professor seemed unconvinced as Logan dropped the box of rope into a separate pile. "The children's lives are in your hands," he said with a deadly seriousness that made Scott swallow.
Logan stopped rummaging and looked down into the professor's eyes. "I understand." He too was serious. He knew he would protect the students with his life, if that's what was asked of him. But this was just a weekend camping trip. A party, as far as the students were concerned. Logan would be in charge and not only would he be able to smoke his fill of cigars, he'd make the kids each build a fire or set a trap, then they'd enjoy the scenery then come home. No big deal. Even Scott would be able to keep up. In fact, if One Eye was going to be tagging along, why not put him to good use? Logan grinned in a predatory sort of way when he imagined Cyclops falling victim to a well-placed snare or being used for mutant target practice.
He smiled at the professor in hopes of easing the worry, then smiled at Scott in a way he was sure he'd never done before. Scott flinched.
This was going to be the best camping trip ever.