Kimenomi: Yup, Magneto was one of the escapees from the British prison! Surely you have noticed who his female partner was? Purple hair? British? The female escapee is Psylocke!
Tamazi: I tried to emphasize that the coach's movements were done by Magneto by describing the metal of the vehicle frequently. Magneto, hidden from view, was controlling the coach's movements.
Blix: If you have read her profile on my website, you'll see that whilst she is part of the Brotherhood, she has a lack of loyalty.
Chapter 45"No." said Scott the instant after Logan had told him of Serpentine's proposal. Logan glowered.
Storm gave Scott a glare, "Don't be so rash," she hissed.
"Me being rash?" replied Scott sharply, glaring across to Storm, "He's the one wanting to give himself to the Brotherhood!" He jutted a finger in Logan's direction.
In response, Logan swiped away Scott's hand with an angry growl beginning in his throat, "You don't own me!" he said in a heated tone, volume growing, "We know they are capable of it, if we waste anymore time discussing this, Madeline is going to be dead!"
"What's the deal?" asked Siren quietly, turning her eyes upon Logan gravely. "Exchanging Madeline for you?"
Logan paused, sighing as he closed his eyes, "I didn't ask."
Scott threw his hands in the air with an undignified huff and turned away.
"Look!" said Logan with a low snarl, flashing his eyes dangerously upon Scott, "She said I must go and meet her alone. I'm willing to go through with this. Let me go and meet her, I'll tell Madeline to meet you here, at the Jet." Scott showed signs of talking but Logan determinedly carried on, "No, Scott! I must do this. I am not risking any plans you may have. We're doing as they ask this time. I want her back at Westchester tonight, even if I am there or not."
Aurora, who had not yet spoken raised her eyes slowly upon Logan. She quietly spoke, looking uncertain, "But Logan, you don't know what they want with you."
"I know," said Logan softly, looking to Aurora, "But all that matters is that Madeline doesn't die in their hands."
A short pause followed before Storm spoke up quietly, looking up to him, "Be careful Logan." Logan lowered his head slowly, eyes temporarily closing before they shot open at the surprise of feeling Storm holding an embrace around his chest, "The Professor will keep trying to find a track of you." A grateful smile managed to appear on Logan's face, slowly giving her a tight squeeze before he released her. But Scott had spun round, looking horrified at the group's seemingly mutual decision to allow Logan to do what he had to do.
Next, a hand jutted out to him. Slim gloved fingers begin held open to him. Logan stared down at the hand before looking up to see the sombre looking Gambit, "Good luck," he said quietly. Logan looked rather taken aback at the gesture, but raised his own hand and firmly placed it in Gambit's. A rough singular shake issued.
"Thanks," he muttered gruffly.
Siren bowed her head gently at him, responded with a tight-lipped smile from Logan. The goodbyes felt too final. He could sense that the group felt as though they would never see him again.
Logan glanced momentarily to Aurora, wondering if she felt that way too, but she was not looking at him. She was staring at the floor absently. Feeling a little rejected, Logan raised his eyes to Scott, who gave a sigh of submission, nodding his head slowly. "We'll be waiting for her, Logan."
In response to this, Logan nodded his head stiffly, the gratitude evident in his eyes. He released a low-throated sigh before he turned from the base of the car park block and strode across the road. Still debris littered it, even more so with the addition of ripped metal and shattered glass of the destroyed coach.
He had already put quite a large distance between himself and the X-Men before he heard the grind of boots to the gritty tarmac behind him, and looked over his shoulder slowly. Curious as to who had followed. He didn't manage to actually see anything. He thought he was being attacked because something had to leapt against him, a mass of flying ebony hair blinding his vision.
It only took a moment for him to allow his senses to kick in gear, and discovered that an enemy wasn't attacking him. It was Aurora. She was holding him alarmingly tight, as if scared to let him go. Logan would have been happy if the past few months with Gambit hadn't occurred. But now it just felt alien. It felt too close for comfort.
"I hope everything goes ok," Aurora said softly as she released the tight hold from around his body and stood looking up at him sadly. It was clear in her eyes that she too was looking at him as though this was the last time she may observe his feature.
"Me too," replied Logan gruffly, his arms still by his sides.
There was an uncomfortable air between them and a tense silence had fallen upon them. Even with their recent bitterness, it hurt Logan, somewhere inside, to see the look of despair on her face. "Hey.." he murmured roughly, causing her to look back at him, "I'll be back soon, I promise." He knew he may not be able to keep it.. but still.
"I just fear a repeat of Mount Rundle, only this time, real."
Logan understood. He feared that himself. Slowly, he nodded his head at her and turned the corner to walk away, feeling that the air had developed a slight chill and the warm sunlight was no longer. The once bright blue sky had become overcast with dreary looking clouds of grey. There was a dampness in the air that signalled oncoming showers. Logan bowed his head against the stirring winds and walked resolutely towards the large bridge. He walked with long strides, the thick boots of his uniform pressing solidly to the road surface, uneven with broken glass and strips of wood. He raised his head slowly to see the bridge across from him, stretching across the river flow beneath.
The winds had picked up speed and were now viciously beginning to whirl around him, sending his hair in a rippling frenzy. Determinedly, Logan trod on, walking across the bridge with quick strides. He stopped once he was a short way on the bridge, turning as he stared out across the water, feeling the wind blow in stronger across the water. Droplets of rain began to fall from the sky, not delicate drops, but sharp and slanted strikes. Logan narrowed his eyes defensively as his face began to be struck with the daggers of water; he bowed his head down gently.
But then, above him, Serpentine sharply jumped down from one of the towers, slithering her body expertly down the wires before she landed behind him on the bridge with a dangerous smile. Logan spun round to glare at her, "I'm here alone," he called through the increasingly aggressive weather, "Now where's Madeline."
Just then, Psylocke jumped into view, landing on the road of the bridge in a perfect crouch before she straightened calmly. Another figure too joined. Logan turned his head sharply as he heard the groan of bending metal and whipped his head skyward to see Magneto lowering himself down through the air, hands outstretched as he used the metal of the bridge to move him down through the cool air.
"Where's Madeline?" Logan repeated in a fiercer voice, directing his glare to Magneto as he lowered himself upon the road and gave Logan a stern yet rather disdainful once over.
"Don't worry, Wolverine," said Magneto with a low voice of utmost calm, "We shall take you to your darling daughter. She's quite the feisty one isn't she? Not to worry, Serpentine showed her a few manners during her stay." At this, Serpentine flexed her tail slowly, and Logan instantly clenched his fists.
"You mean she's not here?" he bellowed through the falling rain, shaking his head angrily as his wet fringe hung over his eyes in curved spikes.
Magneto gave a breath of a laugh, sounding sarcastic, "Wouldn't want her to catch a cold now, would we Wolverine? Don't worry; you'll see her soon. As long as you are a good boy," he smirked slowly, "Come along then." He outstretched a hand, magnetic powers dragging Logan towards him who let out a surprised gasp as his shoes dragged along the floor. Magneto turned calmly, dragging Logan in the air in behind him like some grotesque puppet as he walked along the bridge, Psylocke and Serpentine walking along closely behind.
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