Of God and Man
Disclaimers: Not mine. No cash. Don't sue.
A/N: Thanks to all who read and reviewed (You know who you are people). Here's the rehash: Logan has come home from a trip to find the mansion in the middle of an emotional meltdown. Xavier needs him to try to reach a new mutant who can control the emotions of those around her. By the way, he can't use sex. She's a nun. Kitty's ready to kill Jubilee and Jubes is ready to kill Wolvie. Hank's a mess, and Storm's holding on by the skin of her teeth. Charles is holed up in his study, trying to hold Logan together long enough to talk to the girl, or kill her, he's not sure yet.
Thanks to Stan Lee, Chris Claremont, Jim Lee and all the others who have written and drawn the X titles and Wolverine over the years. You guys are the best.
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Chapter 3 The New Mutant
'Where is she?' Logan asked in his head.
"A mile to your south near the fence,' Charles responded.
'Ya sound tired,' Logan told him as he made his way toward the mutant.
'I am,' Charles told him with a mental sigh. 'I also have the worst migraine I have ever had.'
'So what's this girl's name?'
'Carolyn Gibson,' Charles told him. 'Didn't you read the file I gave you?'
'Couldn't,' Wolverine told him as he ran through the grounds in a comfortable lope. 'Had ta keep Kitty from killin' Jubes, then keep Jubes from killin' me.'
'Where is Jubilee? Her emotions have changed from despair to anger but she's not moving.'
'I locked her inta cell eight. She woulda blown the place up if I didn't.'
'Has it gotten that bad?' Charles asked shocked.
''Ro's holding it together,' he told his mentor. 'She's just now getting sad. I think we have have a few days before she looses it.'
'If Storm looses her temper, I will need to drop our link and shut her down,' Charles cautioned him. 'Can you function without me?'
'Maybe,' he told him. 'I meditated while I was in the cell. I think I can block most of her emotions unless she really goes all out.'
'Do what ever you can Logan,' Charles told him. 'I can only give you two days at the most. If Ororo or Jean slip into anger, you will have to kill her quickly.'
'I'll keep that in mind. Gotta go. I can smell a camp fire.'
The property belonging to Charles Xavier was vast, covering over five hundred acres and Logan was familiar with every inch of it. The forest contained within the electrified fences was a second home to him. He knew every cave, every tree and every blade of grass. He knew when something was out of place. The smoke rising from a clump of trees was very out of place.
He crept slowly up to the camp, searching for possible threats. It was an automatic response. All of his training had caused him to treat the unknown as a threat until proved different. This unknown was attacking the X-Men, not that she knew she was doing it. He had to do his best to eliminate the threat and stop the attacks.
The camp, he saw, was rude. He had made many of them over the years. A small firepit, a pile of blankets that he recognized as coming from the mansion, a cup and a frying pan. The woman was not there
He caught her scent from the bedding and went in search of her. She wasn't far away. About a hundred yards from camp, he found her setting snares on a game run.
"You know your way around a primitive camp," he remarked from the trees.
She whirled around to face him, taking a low, defensive stance.
"Who are you?" she demanded her voice tremor ed slightly with fear.
"Relax Carolyn," he told her in what he hoped was a friendly voice. Her fear was making him react. "I'm from the mansion."
"How do I know that?" she asked, her eyes narrowing.
"Who the hell else would be out here?" he countered.
"Codename?" she barked.
"Wolverine," he barked right back. "Satisfied?"
"I guess," she said as she straightened still wary. "Xavier send you?"
"Yeah."
"What took you so long? I've been camping in these woods for over a week."
"There are... problems at the mansion," he hedged. "I just got back today."
"Couldn't anyone come out and tell me?" she demanded. "Would it have been too much trouble to let me come in and sleep in a real bed? What is it with you people? Xavier insists I stay as far away from the house as possible but he can't bring himself to talk to me face to face."
"Ya need ta calm down," he told her, the anger washing over him in waves. "That's the problem."
She stopped her tirade in sudden surprise. "What did I do?'' she asked.
"Yer emotions are controlling the team," he told her. "By now, most of 'em are angry."
"Oh no," she whispered.
"Chuck asked me ta teach ya how ta control yer emotions."
"You," she scoffed. "You have a reputation for being a hot head. What can you teach me?"
"I'm trained as a Samurai," he told her as he led her back to the camp. "Part of the training is meditation."
"And this will help me how?" she asked doubtfully.
"The meditation and my own will is what keeps me human. Without them, the part of me that is an animal would have killed ya by now."
"Oh," she said in a small voice.
"I'm not gonna kill ya," he told her. "I'm here ta help ya control yer raw emotions. Chuck'll teach ya to shield. Then I'm gonna turn ya over ta Storm who'll teach ya how ta use yer powers with a softer touch."
"Storm is empathic?"
"Nah. Storm controls the weather. She uses her emotions ta cause winds and storms and other things like that. She hasta control her emotions or we'd be flooded every time she has her period."
She blushed red. "That's too much information Wolverine."
"My friends call me Logan."
"Am I your friend?" She looked straight into his eyes. Logan wasn't used to that. His own teammates rarely looked him in the eye. Jubilee did but she trusted him like no one else.
"I don't know yet," he admitted.
"At least you're honest," she remarked as she sat on the ground. She examined her fingernails closely. He could tell she had something on her mind but was reluctant to tell him. "Has anyone died?" she whispered.
"Not yet," he told her. "But if you don't control yer anger, someone will and it may be you."
Her head popped up in surprise. "You'd kill me?"
"I don't want ta," he told her. "But if ya can't control yerself, I may hafta to protect the public."
She was silent for a long time. "Is it that bad?"
"You've got a bunch of powerful mutants, who are used ta psychic attacks, ready ta kill each other. Yer responsible fer two riots and one orgy. If we turn ya loose on the world, ya could start a war."
"I guess if I weren't celibate there would be a population explosion," she said sourly.
"I'm glad ya are," he told her. "I, fer one, don't need the help."
"My, aren't you full of yourself."
"Just honest," he said smugly.
She needed to change the subject, quick. "How do I meditate?" she asked.
He let it slide and dropped to the ground beside her and crossed his legs.
"Find a comfortable position ta sit in," he instructed.
She arranged herself in a comfortable slouch.
"Ya need ta straighten up and give yerself room ta breathe."
She straightened he back and folded her legs. "Why is it that you aren't affected?" she asked as she settled herself.
"Meditation and a boost from Xavier," he admitted. "I have trouble controlling my anger, I admit, but I can help ya dampen down the rage until ya can do fer yerself."
"What now?"
"Concentrate on yer breathing," he told her. "Take deep breaths, in and out. Imagine breathing in the calm and breathing out the anger." He demonstrated.
She watched as he took large breaths, in and out. "Okay, I get that." She followed his instructions, breathing deeply. A calm began to wash over her. One she hadn't felt since she left seclusion.
"There's a place in yer mind that makes ya feel safe. I want ya ta find it." He watched as he breathing rhythm faltered as she searched her mind. "Concentrate on yer breathing."
"How can I do both?" she asked.
"The breathing'll take care of itself, just try to relax," he told her. "Close yer eyes. It'll make it easier ta do everything."
Her eyes slammed shut. He could smell she was still angry and agitated. "Where do ya feel safe?" he asked her.
"The day chapel at Mother of Mercy," she told him not opening her eyes.
"Can ya see it in yer head?" She nodded, a slight smile on her face. "Go there."
"Can I pray?" she asked.
"Ya can do what ever ya want. It's yer safe place."
He watched as her features began to relax, the tension flowing out of her. The scent of anger started to dissipate.
'It's working,' Charles told him in his head. 'She's much calmer.'
'She's not in control yet,' Logan told him.
'I know,' he said 'but she's not projecting anger and fear any more. I can help her now. Please tell her I am going to contact her. I don't want her to shower us with terror.'
"Carolyn, Chuck is going ta enter yer mind. He wants ta talk ta ya but he doesn't want ta scare ya."
"Okay," she answered calmly. He felt Xavier leave his mind and his emotions flooded back. He quickly slipped into his garden and sorted them out. He dampened the anger and pulled the happiness to the front. It took him five minutes.
When he opened his eyes, Carolyn was still beside him, her eyes closed and a look of peace on her face. Chuck was obviously still talking to her. He waited patiently while they talked.
Thirty minutes later, she opened her eyes and looked at him.
"Professor Xavier has helped me build a shield," she told him.
'The shield is not perfect but you can bring her inside now,' Xavier told him. 'We will need to put her in a shielded room. She's still leaking emotions.'
"Get yer stuff together," he told her. "I'll find ya a room." Joy washed over him as she got up from the ground and went to the fire to douse it.
"Yer projecting joy now," he told her.
She straightened, a blanket in her hands. "Is that a problem? I mean, that's a positive emotion."
"Yer gonna hafta stop projecting all of yer emotions, not just the bad ones," he told her, helping her gather her belongings. "It's not fair ta force other people ta feel what yer feeling. Ya hafta control all of 'em, good and bad."
"Will I be able to let go in my room? Professor Xavier it would be shielded."
"The shields won't keep the stronger emotions from being broadcasted. Joy, love, lust, hate, rage; they're all strong emotions and will leak through the shields. Ya can't depend on artificial shields ta do what ya need ta do fer yerself."
He grabbed the last blanket and shook it out. Her small pack was lying near the fire. "That all ya brought?" he asked as he picked it up.
"That's all I have. The Sisters of Mercy is a poor convent. We didn't have the finer things in life."
He reply was a grunt. He flung the pack on his back as she gathered the blankets. "Let's go," he said.
