Chapter Two
X-Mansion, West Chester
December 20 21:50
"That's it, I'm goin' up there." Logan made for the steps that led to the large corridor Xavier's study led off of.
"You sure that's wise, Logan?" Piotr asked, holding up one of the large double doors in a single hand. The hinges on it were in a sorry state and here and there what looked to be claw marks patterned its otherwise smooth surface. "I mean, I'm sure the Professor can take care of himself." He stated his English tinged with a Russian accent. Logan hesitated for the briefest of seconds.
"Maybe you're right, kid, but I ain't willing to take that chance." With that he cleared the few steps in one bound, jogging down the corridor and entering through the door without so much as a knock. The study for the most part resembled the wrecked entranceway, chairs knocked over with legs missing, glass littering the floor, just generally in a complete and utter state of disarray. Lying in the midst of it all, her long, slightly curled, black hair arrayed around her was the woman, the Professor at her side.
"As always Logan, your timing is impeccable." Logan's eyebrow twitched and he rubbed the back of his neck. "I believe that the guest room adjacent to yours is still vacant and I would appreciate it if you could take our guest there."
"Our guest? You make it sound like she might be crashing here for a while."
"I hope Wanda will stay a couple of days, yes." Xavier nodded.
"You sure bout that, Chuck? That chick's dangerous an' I'd hate to see one of the kids get hurt just cus she wakes up with a major headache an' decides to take it out on us."
"I understand your concerns, Logan. However, I do not think Wanda would go so far as to injure one of the children, or behave in such a manner if a student was around. She may be angry, but she is not evil." He sighed, rubbing a temple with two fingertips. "No, take her upstairs then come to the living room, there are a few things that everyone needs to be made aware of should Wanda decide to stay with us."
"I know this is your place, Chuck, but you can't seriously be thinking about taking her in, she's a head case."
"I assure you, Logan; my reasoning will become clear soon enough. Besides, I believe that you were somewhat…hostile when you first entered the mansion." Logan humpfed, crossing his arms. "In any case, we should make her comfortable; I highly doubt the study floor is the best place to spend the night."
"You better be right bout this, Chuck." Logan stated, uncrossing his arms than bending down, slipping one muscular arm beneath her neck, the other under her knees before hefting her up to chest height. Wanda didn't even stir, her head lolling back against his arm, her glossy hair spilling down towards the floor. Professor Xavier moved to open the door, mechanics whirring, and Logan slipped out, careful not to hit the woman's head on the wooden door frame. "What did you do to knock her out? I've seen corpses with more life in 'em." He stated, walking down the hall with Xavier at his side. Her body was limp in his arms and he hefted her again to prevent her slipping.
"She is sleeping, or at least doing something like it, though it is far deeper than one could achieve naturally. In any case she'll be fine in the morning."
"If you say so, Chuck." He said as the Professor turned away and Logan headed for the elevator. After a moment waiting, the doors swished open and he stepped in, nudging the first floor button with an outstretched finger. The doors closed and the elevator started its ascent. With nothing better to do, he studied the woman's face, or at least what he could see of it due to the angle it was at. She had a softly pointed chin with the barest hint of a cleft at its centre and beyond that a pair of full, cherry red lips which contrasted heavily with her pale ivory skin. His eyes travelled down though, beyond her neck, there was little else to see, the rest of her body concealed by her long black coat. In the confinement of the elevator her perfume seemed to fill the air though he'd noticed it once before whilst he'd restrained her. It was heavy, sweet with a spicy tinge. It made his skin crawl; reminding him of the woman he could never forget. Though she had worn one that was far lighter, that reminded him of a flower picked after rainfall.
The doors opened again, the harsh light from the elevator standing out against that of the hall. Not far down the polished floored corridor, he passed the room he'd stayed in since coming to the mansion eight months previously and carried on till he reached the room next to it. To his knowledge it had been unoccupied since his arrival, a rare occurrence in a place where most of the rooms were inhabited by at least three people. With a degree of difficulty, he stretched out the hand under Wanda's neck and pushed the handle of one of the double doors down, musty air filling his nostrils as he entered.
The décor matched that of his own room, sandy wall paper where the walls didn't have red wood panels, a square framed mirror behind a small dresser up ahead, not far down from that a door which he knew would lead to the en-suit bathroom. To the right, a large built in cupboard covered half the wall next to the double doorway and against the left wall was the double bed, opposite that a huge, square window. Aside from that there were a few lamps and the usual brick-a-brack that always found its way onto any surface in the mansion. After laying her on the bed, he exited the room, shutting the door behind him.
"Who's she?" Logan jumped at the sudden voice behind him.
"You shouldn't sneak up on people, kid." He chided, annoyed that someone had actually managed to. Lance –a lanky youth with limp brown hair- smiled in a way that was more than a little disconcerting. "What's it to you anyway?"
"I just wanted to have a look." He stated peering past Logan's shoulder despite the fact the doors were firmly closed. "Bobby said she…" He trailed off, finally noticing the warning look in Logan's eyes. "Never mind."
"Come on, Xavier's called a meeting an' I'm sure it'd be a real shame if you missed it."
"Oh, I don't think he'd miss me." Lance retorted, still stealing glances at the door.
"Look, kid, he's called everyone, that means you too."
"…yeah, I suppose." He mumbled as they started towards the stairs at the end of the hall. "Did she really do all that damage downstairs? It looks worse than when military crashed this place. The doors were knocked right off and they weigh a ton. Not even Storm could do that." Logan sniffed.
"You ain't seen Storm when she's pissed but yeah, that woman's packing some serious power."
"Why'd you think she's here? You think Xavier did something and now she wants revenge?"
"Couldn't say." Logan replied curtly as they entered the living room where the household had gathered, X-men sat on the couch and chairs, students lining the walls or sitting on the carpeted floor. Despite the subsequent number present this was barely half the usual number. The other students had returned home for the holidays, those who actually had homes to go back to. However, a few of the older students such as Kitty and Amara had stayed behind to help look after the orphans but, perhaps in part, it was because to them this felt more like home than home. "Why don't you ask the professor?" He suggested to the youth.
"Ask me what, Lance?"
"Oh, erm, don't worry bout it." He replied nervously, skulking off to a corner.
"In that case I'll begin." Charles took a moment before continuing, steepling his hands as he arranged his thoughts. "The reason that I've called you all here is that a woman who I have been expecting for sometime has arrived and is to be staying with us for the foreseeable future. Do not be alarmed by her earlier actions, so long as you do not pose a threat, which none of you do, she will not harm you. However, I would advise caution when dealing with her, Wanda is easily agitated not to mention erratic and her powers are immeasurable, so much so I doubt any of you would be in any real position to protect yourselves. Are there any questions?"
"Um, Professor, if you don't mind me asking," Piotr started hesitantly. "What is she doing here? Is she going to become an X-Man?"
"I highly doubt that, Piotr. No, like you Wanda has come because she is looking for a place where she can learn to control her gifts without hurting others or being seen as an outcast. If there is nothing else?" The room was silent. "In that case Kitty, Jubilee, you two get to clean up the hall as punishment for that little stunt you pulled."
"Ah, man!" Kitty whined. "I told you he'd find out."
"Hey! It was your idea too!" Jubilee retorted.
"It doesn't matter whose fault it was," the Professor broke in. "Just make sure that the floor is spotless before you two go to bed and remember to be careful of the glass."
"Yes Professor." They chorused.
"Good, now everyone excluding the X-Men may leave, curfew is in ten minutes and I don't want any of you roaming the halls trying to get a peek into Wanda's room." Lance's eyes dropped to the ground and as the young residents of the house exited reluctantly, he was at the head of the queue. A few of the students glanced back as they left, eager to listen in on a conversation that was not for their ears. Logan slid the doors shut as the last student went then stood next to the chair Storm was sat in, taking up his usual stance, arms crossed, feet slightly apart. A wolf ready to pounce. All the X-Men were present, Bobby, Rogue, Kurt, all except for Scott and…
"I'm sure you're all wondering why I'd let a mutant who is not only dangerous but bares immense hostility towards the X-Men remain here.
"It is slightly bewildering, Charles." Ororo stated softly, still a little rattled from the earlier encounter.
"Then I suppose its best I start from the beginning." He moved into the centre of the room since it had been vacated. "Wanda is Magneto's daughter." He stated simply. There were a few gasps; even Logan felt his mouth drop open, shutting it with a snap when he realised he was gaping.
"Ah thought ah recognised her," Rogue stated. "Ah jus' couldn' figure out where from. Ah guess it musta been from deh memories ah absorbed from Magneto on Liberty Island."
"Indeed, Wanda and her twin brother were born in a small eastern European country called Transia. Their mother, Magda, had fled from Erik on discovery of his mutant abilities meaning that when she died hours after labour, the twins were adopted by a family called the Maximoff's. I only learnt that Erik was a father after he came to ask for my assistance in finding Wanda and Pietro and I got the impression he hadn't quite accepted that fact yet either. However, he was adamant about finding them so, despite my doubts about his capacity as a parent; I thought that becoming one might make him reconsider his aggressive stand on human mutant relations. So, I found them…" The Professor trailed off. You didn't have to be psyche to realise it was a decision he regretted. Professor Charles Xavier was rarely lost for words.
"They were happy with the Maximoff's and I was more than hesitant about letting Erik remove them from the only family they'd ever known. However, even at six years of age their mutant abilities had already manifested themselves and it was obvious to both Erik and I that the Maximoff's would be unable to cope with the twins when their powers developed. So Erik took them back to America." A pause. "But he was never very good with children." A ghost of a smile crossed the Professors lips. "Therefore, the twins spent the majority of there time here at the mansion and before long it became obvious that Erik was trying to shirk his responsibilities as a parent. Yet, I felt that if they were left with him for longer periods of time they might develop the same contempt for humans that he holds to this day. Not to mention the fact I felt somewhat responsible for them." He sighed.
"When the twins reached eleven, Wanda's abilities grew unpredictable, when she lost her temper more often than not one or two windows shattered or the house shook, though at times she didn't even have to get irritated. Neither Erik nor I knew how to help her; we'd already tried every method we knew to assist her in controlling her gifts, so she just became more frustrated. In the end it escalated to such an extent that she ended up injuring a number of people and nearly killing herself. Meaning that after she recovered, Erik decided it might be best if he send her somewhere where Wanda wouldn't be a danger to anyone." The Professor paused again.
"The last time I saw Wanda, she was being taken to a specialized institution in Detroit. That was sixteen years ago. I'm ashamed to say that in all those years I never once visited her. Perhaps it was the fact that I was consumed by my work helping the other mutants in my care. Yet a part of me knows it was simply because I didn't want to admit that I'd failed her. It was partially due to that that I formed the X-Men; I didn't want any other mutant to suffer her fate purely because I didn't have the means to help them."
"So what you're saying, Chuck is that she's here for to settle the score cus you helped to lock her up for sixteen years." Logan stated bluntly.
"Not quite, though I have to admit that at first I thought the same. Wanda wants to find her father and I'm sure you can imagine what she'll do if she does."
"So why not let her?" Bobby asked, sitting forward on the couch he shared with Rogue. "It's nothing he doesn't deserve."
"True, yet Wanda's abilities have virtually unlimited potential. Were her and Erik to clash in a populated area it might be devastating; thousands of innocents would die simply to resolve her feud."
"But zat still does not explain vy you are let'tink her stay here ven it seemz obvious she holdz an extreme dizlike for zis place." Kurt –the newest member of the team- stated, half hidden in a shadow riddled corner of the room.
"I suppose it is partially out of guilt, yet partially because I feel I am better equipped to help her cope with her gifts due to my experiences over the time she was…away."
"No offence, Chuck, but I think she's managed that all on her own."
"I agree, Logan, that from the outside she appears more than capable, but inside she is fighting a battle against the side of her that would fully unleash her power. A battle that without help, she will not win."
"Alright Charles, we trust you." Ororo stated. "I just hope you can save her before it's too late."
With those last sombre words the meeting ended and one by one the X-Men left. Out in the foyer Kitty and Jubilee were busy sweeping up the fragments of glass and porcelain that littered the floor. The large burgundy rug that usually inhabited the centre of the room was rolled up next to the now empty fireplace. Tables and chairs were scattered here and there and the incessant sound from a mechanical screwdriver filled the air, alerting Logan to Piotr's presence. He was still attempting to attach the doors to what was left of the doorway.
"How's it goin'?" He asked, standing next to him.
"I think I can get them to stay up for now but we're going to have to get a professional in." Logan nodded before walking off. Heading to the basement, he had a quick workout in the gym, using up what energy he had left. It was a nightly routine, one that he kept to if he wanted a chance of getting any sleep. Otherwise the nightmares came and even being completely exhausted didn't always keep them at bay. Worn-out, he returned to his room, flicking on the light switch next to his door as he entered the spacious room. Logan had never grown accustomed to the idea of settling down anywhere, but he figured that, for now, this place was as good as any. Besides, with Scott and…well, he liked to think that they needed him.
Removing his dark blue t-shirt which showed patches of perspiration, he threw it on the bed, heading for the bathroom. Ensuring his room was in a perpetual state of disarray was one of the ways he copied with the normality of staying put for any length of time. Well, that was what he told the Professor anyway. Water poured down as he twiddled one of the taps on the shower, steam rising as it heated up. Leaving the rest of his clothes on the bathroom floor, he stepped in, hot water pounding down on his sweat slicked skin. His muscles relaxed as warmth surged onto him and, arms out; he leant against the tiled wall, stepping out minutes later and drying off, ditching the wet towel on the floor where he usually did. Replacing his boxers with a clean pair, he walked to the mirror, wiping off the layer of condensation with a palm.
Ageless eyes stared back at him and –not for the first time- he wondered how old he was. Fifty? One hundred? He didn't know, he might never. Despite finding Striker he still didn't know his identity, or more precisely, his identity before the experiment. Striker had said it was better if he didn't know, but anything was preferable to the eternal state of limbo he was in. The constant search for the unknown. Striker was the only link back to his past life and now that he was gone, so was Logan's hope. The desire to uncover his past was still there, but he'd been too busy helping out with the students to even think of beginning his search anew. Sometimes he thought that he should just forget about it, concentrate on building a new life, but every time he did those hazy memories beckoned from the dark corners of his mind.
Back in his room he donned a pair of jogging bottoms, turned off the lights and climbed under the jumbled covers. For a while he stared up at the ceiling, arms behind his head, thinking of nothing in particular. Logan knew it was going to be one of those nights, where the dream came to him. Months back he used to dream of the experiment, men in suits with needles, the pool he'd been submerged in, the shear agony that having adamantium grafted to his skeleton had caused him. But now it had been replaced with one that caused him far greater pain. One where the wall of water hit her, where he was powerless to do anything, just as he'd been then, and her lifeless body rotted at the bottom of the lake. Coldly beautiful, red hair framing a starkly pale face with pale blue lips. But those eyes, their murky green depths once so warm now only stared at him with icy accusation. He'd never fucking see her again, never.
Restless, he sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. The house was dead silent as he walked into the corridor, most if not all of the students already asleep. He intended to walk downstairs, have a smoke or watch a few mindless hours of TV, but he hesitated, looking at the room adjacent to his. Before he knew what he was doing he'd stepped into the hushed room. It was completely dark aside from a hint of moonlight that crept in through the large window. Closing the door quietly behind him, he walked to the bedside lamp, Wanda's prone form illuminated as the faint light it cast lit up the room.
She looked exactly the same as when he'd left her, hadn't moved a centimetre. He'd decided she was pretty the moment he'd seen her, not that it made him hesitate in the slightest, but seeing her now made it realise she was far more than that. Striking, was a better description. Even with the small fortune in jewellery that adorned her fingers, ears, neck and wrists –all silver he noted. He couldn't remember what colour her eyes had been, brown maybe, but he was sure they'd only compliment her appearance, whatever shade. Her rosy lips, parted slightly to suck in air, were alluring to say the least.
"You must have taken after your mother." He mused, sitting on the edge of the bed, something he doubtfully would have done had she been anywhere near conscience. "Cus you sure as hell don't look like yer dad." For no reason at all he just sat there, staring at the carpet blankly. "Well, night kid." He got up to leave but on taking a last look at her, stopped. Instead he sat back down, and gripping her left ankle in one hand, proceeded to take off the red leather boot located on that foot. "How the hell do women walk in these things?" He questioned, inspecting it for a moment before throwing it carelessly to the floor then starting on the next. "Like balancing on twigs." Logan had never really understood women in general, but then again he mused, what man did?
After folding half the blanket over her, he left, returning to his room instead of continuing downstairs. Minutes later he had drifted into a restless sleep, plagued by grief, helplessness and the woman he'd never forget.
A.N. Heyo! How's everyone? I don't actually have much to say (makes shocked face)…erm, I'm pretty much going to try and write different chapters from different peoples points of view because I think you get a more well round view of the situation that way n stuff. Just in case you were wondering why I stuck this one in Logan's P.O.V. That's pretty much it I think. Onto reviews.
rapunzel34: Thankies! And still grr to Bryan Singer. As if it wasn't bad enough he practically made Rogue this helpless kid. I see why he didn't, but it sure as hell don't mean I have to like it.
Majinme: Well thought out…I'm hoping it is, kinda sketchy but I'll fill in the gaps along the way.
darkstorm5000: I'm pretty much basing Wanda's character on the one in X-Men Evo…and possibly just a tad of the storyline which is where the whole deep rooted need to impale Magneto comes from. As for the car, I hate those people who go round in those uber tacky sports cars feeling the need to inflict their music tastes on innocent bystanders.
chris-warren876: Hun, step away from the computer and take a big ol breath. Good? K. First of all, I brought in Wanda cus why the hell not? I prefer to write something that hasn't been done before and to my knowledge a Wanda/Logan paring in the X-men movie section hasn't. Don't worry ur lil head, I'll make it work. Secondly, I never said that Wanda WAS the most powerful mutant, I said she had the POTENTIAL to be. See the difference? The fact is seeing as her probability can affect objects, people, ect. She is very powerful though because her abilities are unreliable, no, she isn't the most powerful mutant. As for Logan and David, yes, David is dead and although Logan is basically invincible, he's not actually that powerful if you compare him to someone like magneto. Lastly, yeah, it was kinda out line for me to slag off a load of fics so sorry. But the fact is I hadn't found a really decent X-Men movie fic so I was going on what I knew. I read force of nature and wow, it's good, but the fact is the writer is a hell of a lot older and more experienced than me and it shows…yeah…I don't know what I mean but yeah. K, that was sorta long but I kinda felt I had to justify myself.
P. S. what the hell is wrong with black eyeliner?
Eileen Blazer: Thankies! Ur fab too! Hope this was quick enough for you.
Fyre: Thanks to that rather unsubtle hint at the end of X2 I feel kinda obligated, but its cool cus that just makes for a better story line. As for soon…you'll just have to wait and see.
Admantuimclaws: Love the fact ur enthusiastic, lol. Hope this meets ur expectations
Ragincajunlover: Love the name ;p unfortunately, the way the plotline is in my head he won't be coming in for a couple of chapters. But I luv him so he's definitely gonna be a main part in the fic. She did kinda kick their arses but to be fair it was only 3 o' them and they were kinda unprepared and only going at her one at a time so I think the fight was in her advantage from the start…not that I planned it that way or anything…