I don't own Marvel characters...just Morgan, Argus, and this storyline. If youchange the names and republish it, I'll hurt you! Have a nice day!
Logan followed the disappearing shape across the grounds from a distance, not wanting to disturb her. As Morgan's walk quickened, so did his. When she broke into a run, he loped along behind her. Logan tailed her all around the expansive grounds, keeping the twilight-lit shape of the girl and her dog just in sight. When she turned a corner around a large hedge, he followed. Her scent grew in his nostrils as he rounded the corner, so he wasn't exactly surprised to find her waiting there.
"Why are you following me?"
"Well you're straight up, are you?" he replied casually, taking a long pull from his Budweiser. He watched her out of the corner of his eye; she had been polite, now she would be crude.
"I asked you a question, monkey-ass."
He choked on his beer, suppressing a violent laugh. The attempt was futile, however, and soon snorting guffaws erupted from the large man, making Argus bark enthusiastically. Morgan yanked on his leash in anger, cutting off the yapping abruptly. Fury boiled behind her green-brown eyes. Logan wiped a tear from his cheek, struggling to bring himself under control. "That…that was creative," he said breathlessly. Morgan's stormy expression cleared for an instant, but almost immediately returned to its previous livid state. Logan sighed. Kids these days.
"I was worried you were gonna run off." Better to be blunt. People paid attention better that way.
Morgan snorted. "And where would I run to, exactly? Not back to my parents, that's for sure." She spoke with an uncaring voice, but Logan could tell that talk of her parents was shaky ground. He smiled slightly, trying to reassure her. Unfortunately, Logan's pointed-tooth grin only served to make him look more sinister. Argus backed up a step, growling.
Logan sighed.
"Why don't I show you something?"
Morgan's eyes darkened suspiciously. "Oh, c'mon, kid! I'm not going to drag you off into the forest and stuff you in a plastic bag, for Christ's sake!" Logan cried exasperatedly, trying to keep the edge out of his voice. A crooked smile cracked the girl's face.
"Alright, then. Show me, already!" she replied evenly. She tightened her hold on Argus's leash, just in case. She had learned the hard way about trusting people.
He lead her across the manicured lawns, past the garage that held the tools of the X-Men, past the basketball court, and past the training field where the mutant children were allowed to burn off their energy by developing their skills. Logan crossed the rose garden, Morgan and her canine companion close behind. Finally, he came to a stop at a large hedge. Morgan raised an eyebrow.
"You brought me all this way to see a shrubbery?" she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Or is this leading to some sort of allegory? 'You know, this bush was once a small seed…'"
Logan shook his head. "Watch."
He reached into the hedge, his entire hand enveloped in the greenery. The soft thunk of turning lock echoed in Morgan's ears; as she watched, Logan pushed on the hedge and it separated from its fellows. A hidden door.
Logan grinned when he saw the look of awe on her face. "I found this awhile ago, when I was wandering around one day. Someone else knows about it, too, cause the fish are always fed."
"Fish?" she inquired, peering into the secret garden, unsure whether or not the man was allowing her to intrude on his secret. A small pond sat in the center of the circle of bushes, a tiny waterfall trickling amiably down the rocks. Morgan listened to the soft jingling of the water cascading into the pool; if she hadn't known it was there, she never would have heard.
"Go on, then. No use standing here," Logan said gruffly, as though doubting his decision to let her in on the clandestine patch of beauty. She stepped in, Argus following her, sniffing the scent-laden air with his wet nose. A stone bench rested at the edge of the pond; she approached it and brushed some stray leaves off. Sitting down, she gazed into the depths of the pool. Several spectacular goldfish drifted lazily around the pool, their multi-colored scales glistening in the mild sunlight. Morgan watched the fish in fascination, tracing their idle patterns with her bright eyes. Logan came silently around and leaned his hands on the back of the bench, smiling at the girl's wonder.
"They're beautiful," she whispered, glancing up at Logan as if seeing him for the first time. Perhaps she was. Prying her eyes from his face, she gazed around at the rest of the hidden garden. Wild roses the color of pearls had threaded themselves into the shrubbery walls, dotting the green fence with bursts of color. Potted hibiscus trees with blooms the size of tea pots waved gently in the welcome August breeze as sparkling hummingbirds flitted from flower to flower. A strange red flower that smelled of fresh fruit salad flourished along the edge of the fish pond. White water lilies floated serenely above the goldfish in the clear water. A slim white and yellow flower trailed the rocks that mad up the water fall. "Oleander," she murmured, reaching out to stroke the velvety petals.
Back in the kitchen, the rest of the group discuss the newest addition.
"Where'd she come from?" Bobby asked, swilling the remnants of his root beer around in the bottom of the bottle.
"We found her under the East Bridge two days ago," Scott replied. "The Professor located her with Cerebro, like he usually does. Apparently she can do anything another mutant can do, as long as she's seen it done."
"Who did she discover something like that? I mean, most mutants don't go around advertising what they can do," said Rogue, gazing out the window to where Morgan and Logan had disappeared.
"She was in the train station, when Magneto kidnapped you. On the same train, as it happens. She saw everything. When she got home, she wondered if she could to it, too," Aurora answered, dumping the vegetables she had been slicing into a large bowl.
"But that was a year ago! How come we haven't heard about her before this?" Bobby exclaimed. "I thought the Prof kept tabs on the really powerful ones."
Scott nodded. "He does. He been monitoring her for some time. She blew the roof off of her stepfather's house when she tried out my laser. That's when he first caught sight of her with Cerebro."
"Is that why she was under that bridge? She ran away?" Rogue asked, taking a small sip from her soda.
"She's been on the move all year, apparently. She spent her 15th birthday under a tree in Central Park." They all turned to stare at him. Scott shrugged. "The Professor briefed us on her while she was unconscious. He was able to probe her mind more thoroughly while she was out."
Rogue shivered. "Sorry," Bobby said quickly, trying to rein in his aura. She laughed.
"Not you, stupid. Morgan. She's even more dangerous than I am. She can do I anything at any time. Every time she sees one of us work our powers, she grows stronger. That's…eerie."
Bobby nodded. "Good thing we got her before Magneto did."
"Very good thing. That's why we have to keep her a secret," said Aurora. "She is going to have to remain on the grounds at all times; possibly even in the building itself. We can't risk Magneto and his cronies discovering Morgan…He's perfectly alright with using other mutants against their will." She nodded at Rogue. "It is imperative that we make her feel at home here. We can't allow her to run off like you did. If Magneto were to get his hands on her, the results would be disastrous."
Bobby and Rogue looked at each other. "So I'm guessing the 'make her feel at home' part has been delegated to us," Bobby said evenly. Too evenly.
"Yes. Oh, come on, man, it won't be that bad. You were getting along with her fine a few minutes ago," Scott said exasperatedly, eyeing his empty bottle irritably.
"But to be forced to? That's something totally different!" Bobby exclaimed. "I don't want to have to baby sit a fifteen-year-old! And she won't like it either. She's a sharp one…If we're tailing her everywhere, she'll figure out something's up."
"Gawd, Bobby, calm down!" Rogue said, her thick Alabama accent creeping into her voice. "She's just a kid. You hardly even know her. She may already be settling in." She placed a gloved and over his and hastily changed the subject. "Who's she staying with?"
"The Professor thinks it's best if she has her own room for the time being. We still have to figure out a way to tell the other students about her with out alarming them," Aurora said, resting her arms on the bar where the kids were sitting. "Come on. You guys are old enough to except a little responsibility. And you don't have to follow her around. Just make sure no one picks a fight with her, or whatever."
Come on, Bobby, she's a nice kid. It'll be fun!" Rogue said soothingly. His expression lightened somewhat, but he still appeared to have reservations.
"Yeah. Fun."