BNW 4/?
--------------
Xavier met the plane in the hangar when it returned an hour after it departed. His first glimpse of their guest made his heart twist and his conscience give him a swift kick somewhere very uncomfortable.
{My God. What legitimate government agency would recruit someone so young?}
%%% professor, are you alright? your thoughts just then... they sounded almost anguished. %%%
%%% i didn't mean to upset you, jean. i'd forgotten I asked you to stay tuned in. i'm fine now. %%%
%%% good. are there any new developments i need to know about? %%%
%%% i don't believe so. only... steel yourself emotionally. sedated as he is, mr. fawkes looks much younger than his photograph and it's a bit of a shock at first. %%%
%%% i understand. %%%
%%% logan and i will be there in a few minutes. %%%
There was a brief pause, then Charles added to his statement. %%% pardon me. myself, logan and storm will be there.%%% he informed Jean with a chuckle.
A few minutes later, Logan and Storm carried the stretcher through the entrance to the school's medical facility and laid it on the floor. Logan easily lifted the young man up and placed him on one of the monitored beds. After recovering from her own measure of shock, Jean moved swiftly to his side and began doing basic checks.
"He's breathing well. His heart sounds strong. I'd say he survived the trip in very good condition. You were right, Charles..... he has the face of a teenager, but...."
Stretching out a hand, Jean gently touched Darien's face, extending her remarkable power shallowly into his sleeping mind. What she found made her back away with a hand over her mouth. Logan moved toward her, but she shook her head, turned and raced into a nearby restroom. Moments later they heard her retching quietly. The others waited silently until she returned, and even then they refrained from questioning her. After a minute or two her color began to return and she spoke about what she'd seen, though her voice shook slightly.
"What he went through, Charles.... it was inhuman. So much pain and fear.... I don't know how he survived."
"The way so many of us do, I imagine." Charles remarked. "He must have found someone to turn to for support."
"But this wasn't really his choice, you said so yourself...."
"It wasn't mine either. I got along." Logan reminded her, resisting the urge to sulk. Jean turned to him and shot back the winning volley.
"You had your healing to see you through after the procedure. He had a straight-jacket and near total isolation in a padded cell. Still feel like playing "top this", Wolverine?"
Logan smiled thinly and flexed his hands once before turning and exiting the infirmary.
"Jean....." Storm began, a mild reprimand in her tone. Jean cut her off with a sigh and a guilty glance.
"I know, I know. I shouldn't have snapped at him. I'll apologize later. Right now I need to give this young man his eyesight back." She responded, moving to a cabinet on the wall. She returned with a tiny vial and an eyedropper. "Storm, will you hold his eyes open for me, please? One at a time."
Reassured that the two women had the situation well in hand, Charles left the room as well, heading back to his office. He had a speech to make to the entire student body in the morning and he wanted to take time by himself to think about exactly how much he should reveal to the children.
-------------------------------
EARLY THE FOLLOWING MORNING:
"nnnhh... Logan? What is it?" Rogue mumbled, still half asleep.
"Four-thirty is what it is. The others'll be up in half an hour, so you better dress fast."
"You mean... Oh, wow! I get to see him first!" she squealed.
"Keep it down, willya? You get everybody runnin' in here right now it ain't gonna look too good. Yeah, you get to see him, after you tell me how the tutoring session went last night. An' I want the truth."
Rogue scowled, but answered truthfully.
"I still don't get algebra.... but I did okay."
"What's okay?"
"Professor Gray gave me a quiz an' she said I got an 81. That's like... a B minus I think."
"Close enough. Get dressed an' I'll take you down to the infirmary."
"I will if you get outta here first." she responded, blushing furiously and offering him a shy grin.
"Yeah... yeah, okay. Just don't take forever."
"I won't, but if you don't go I can't even get started."
--------------------------------
THE INFIRMARY
"Stay quiet, okay? Whispers only. He's still asleep, most likely." Logan advised as they approached Darien's bedside.
Rogue's gasp of shock was muffled behind a swiftly raised hand.
"Oh...."
"I know. He looks like he couldn't buy a beer without fake ID. You get used to it."
"Well, yeah.... he does, but.... that ain't it. He's beautiful!"
"I wouldn't know. I wasn't lookin' to ask him to the prom."
"You can't tell me you didn't notice."
"Yes I can. I don't play on that side a'the field, sweetheart."
Rogue tossed him a skeptical smile and snorted softly. Logan stiffened. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"The way you an' Cyclops fight.... please."
Logan's eyes grew dark and his lips thinned. Grasping her arm firmly he dragged her back toward the door.
"Wha... Hey, I whispered!"
"You saw the newbie. Time to get you back to your room before the other kids get up."
"I'm not the only one who's noticed, Logan." she shot back indignantly. "It's not that hard to figure out...."
As they reached the elevator, Logan pushed Rogue away from him none too gently and pinned her to the wall with his fierce gaze.
"I don't care whether you started the rumor or just kept it goin', you better start knockin' it down every chance you get, 'cause if it gets back to Cyke.... you don't wanna know. An' from here on out you keep your nose in the middle of your face an' out of my business. Understood?"
A shaky nod was all the answer Rogue could provide. When the doors opened a second later, she edged over and slipped inside. Her last sight before they closed again was Logan turning and moving away, shoulders rigid and his steps much closer to a stalk than a walk.
------------------------------
TWO HOURS LATER
%%% i wish i had a definitive answer for you, charles. he could regain consciousness any time between now and tonight. i don't know precisely what drugs they used on him. from the blood analysis, it looks like some kind of.... sedative cocktail.%%%
%%% the shipment of his medication is supposed to arrive today?%%%
%%% yes. is the same team going out on package retrieval duty?%%%
%%% in part. i'll be joining you this trip. rogue did well in her studies last night i trust?%%%
%%% yes, quite well. she's finally starting to understand the concepts.%%%
%%% i'm pleased to hear it. as a reward why don't you go inform her that she can accompany us?%%%
%%% of course. thank you charles. she'll be thrilled. she's been begging storm and i for a chance to fly in the jet.%%%
%%% i know. perhaps a bit of wish fulfillment will settle her even further and her math scores will continue their upswing.%%%
%%%one can only hope. i'm starting to believe her capacity for distraction knows no limits.%%% Jean chuckled. %%% i'll let you know when we're ready to take off.%%%
%%% excellent.%%%
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------
TBC.....
--------------
Xavier met the plane in the hangar when it returned an hour after it departed. His first glimpse of their guest made his heart twist and his conscience give him a swift kick somewhere very uncomfortable.
{My God. What legitimate government agency would recruit someone so young?}
%%% professor, are you alright? your thoughts just then... they sounded almost anguished. %%%
%%% i didn't mean to upset you, jean. i'd forgotten I asked you to stay tuned in. i'm fine now. %%%
%%% good. are there any new developments i need to know about? %%%
%%% i don't believe so. only... steel yourself emotionally. sedated as he is, mr. fawkes looks much younger than his photograph and it's a bit of a shock at first. %%%
%%% i understand. %%%
%%% logan and i will be there in a few minutes. %%%
There was a brief pause, then Charles added to his statement. %%% pardon me. myself, logan and storm will be there.%%% he informed Jean with a chuckle.
A few minutes later, Logan and Storm carried the stretcher through the entrance to the school's medical facility and laid it on the floor. Logan easily lifted the young man up and placed him on one of the monitored beds. After recovering from her own measure of shock, Jean moved swiftly to his side and began doing basic checks.
"He's breathing well. His heart sounds strong. I'd say he survived the trip in very good condition. You were right, Charles..... he has the face of a teenager, but...."
Stretching out a hand, Jean gently touched Darien's face, extending her remarkable power shallowly into his sleeping mind. What she found made her back away with a hand over her mouth. Logan moved toward her, but she shook her head, turned and raced into a nearby restroom. Moments later they heard her retching quietly. The others waited silently until she returned, and even then they refrained from questioning her. After a minute or two her color began to return and she spoke about what she'd seen, though her voice shook slightly.
"What he went through, Charles.... it was inhuman. So much pain and fear.... I don't know how he survived."
"The way so many of us do, I imagine." Charles remarked. "He must have found someone to turn to for support."
"But this wasn't really his choice, you said so yourself...."
"It wasn't mine either. I got along." Logan reminded her, resisting the urge to sulk. Jean turned to him and shot back the winning volley.
"You had your healing to see you through after the procedure. He had a straight-jacket and near total isolation in a padded cell. Still feel like playing "top this", Wolverine?"
Logan smiled thinly and flexed his hands once before turning and exiting the infirmary.
"Jean....." Storm began, a mild reprimand in her tone. Jean cut her off with a sigh and a guilty glance.
"I know, I know. I shouldn't have snapped at him. I'll apologize later. Right now I need to give this young man his eyesight back." She responded, moving to a cabinet on the wall. She returned with a tiny vial and an eyedropper. "Storm, will you hold his eyes open for me, please? One at a time."
Reassured that the two women had the situation well in hand, Charles left the room as well, heading back to his office. He had a speech to make to the entire student body in the morning and he wanted to take time by himself to think about exactly how much he should reveal to the children.
-------------------------------
EARLY THE FOLLOWING MORNING:
"nnnhh... Logan? What is it?" Rogue mumbled, still half asleep.
"Four-thirty is what it is. The others'll be up in half an hour, so you better dress fast."
"You mean... Oh, wow! I get to see him first!" she squealed.
"Keep it down, willya? You get everybody runnin' in here right now it ain't gonna look too good. Yeah, you get to see him, after you tell me how the tutoring session went last night. An' I want the truth."
Rogue scowled, but answered truthfully.
"I still don't get algebra.... but I did okay."
"What's okay?"
"Professor Gray gave me a quiz an' she said I got an 81. That's like... a B minus I think."
"Close enough. Get dressed an' I'll take you down to the infirmary."
"I will if you get outta here first." she responded, blushing furiously and offering him a shy grin.
"Yeah... yeah, okay. Just don't take forever."
"I won't, but if you don't go I can't even get started."
--------------------------------
THE INFIRMARY
"Stay quiet, okay? Whispers only. He's still asleep, most likely." Logan advised as they approached Darien's bedside.
Rogue's gasp of shock was muffled behind a swiftly raised hand.
"Oh...."
"I know. He looks like he couldn't buy a beer without fake ID. You get used to it."
"Well, yeah.... he does, but.... that ain't it. He's beautiful!"
"I wouldn't know. I wasn't lookin' to ask him to the prom."
"You can't tell me you didn't notice."
"Yes I can. I don't play on that side a'the field, sweetheart."
Rogue tossed him a skeptical smile and snorted softly. Logan stiffened. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"The way you an' Cyclops fight.... please."
Logan's eyes grew dark and his lips thinned. Grasping her arm firmly he dragged her back toward the door.
"Wha... Hey, I whispered!"
"You saw the newbie. Time to get you back to your room before the other kids get up."
"I'm not the only one who's noticed, Logan." she shot back indignantly. "It's not that hard to figure out...."
As they reached the elevator, Logan pushed Rogue away from him none too gently and pinned her to the wall with his fierce gaze.
"I don't care whether you started the rumor or just kept it goin', you better start knockin' it down every chance you get, 'cause if it gets back to Cyke.... you don't wanna know. An' from here on out you keep your nose in the middle of your face an' out of my business. Understood?"
A shaky nod was all the answer Rogue could provide. When the doors opened a second later, she edged over and slipped inside. Her last sight before they closed again was Logan turning and moving away, shoulders rigid and his steps much closer to a stalk than a walk.
------------------------------
TWO HOURS LATER
%%% i wish i had a definitive answer for you, charles. he could regain consciousness any time between now and tonight. i don't know precisely what drugs they used on him. from the blood analysis, it looks like some kind of.... sedative cocktail.%%%
%%% the shipment of his medication is supposed to arrive today?%%%
%%% yes. is the same team going out on package retrieval duty?%%%
%%% in part. i'll be joining you this trip. rogue did well in her studies last night i trust?%%%
%%% yes, quite well. she's finally starting to understand the concepts.%%%
%%% i'm pleased to hear it. as a reward why don't you go inform her that she can accompany us?%%%
%%% of course. thank you charles. she'll be thrilled. she's been begging storm and i for a chance to fly in the jet.%%%
%%% i know. perhaps a bit of wish fulfillment will settle her even further and her math scores will continue their upswing.%%%
%%%one can only hope. i'm starting to believe her capacity for distraction knows no limits.%%% Jean chuckled. %%% i'll let you know when we're ready to take off.%%%
%%% excellent.%%%
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------
TBC.....