HELLO! The inflow of reviews telling me to continue has forced me to… well… continue. Hoorah!
Dory Shotgun: Oh, I didn't know I would be getting less reviews if I asked for logged-in ones. Hmm... Oh well, thanks for telling me. I've changed it!
Crazycatluver: Well, thanks for reading the story and all that jazz. Thanks for saying I keep them in character! (I hoped I had)
Blood –Fangs: Ho hum! Nice Gollum impression! Sorry for eating him and all. Ahem. (shyly hands over a newly-healed Logan) Here! Have a new one!I'm glad you liked it!
Nini the Electrocuted Sheep: Hee hee! I freaked you out so you can't even type out normal sentences! (I can't even do that normally) I reckoned it was intense too (even if I do say so myself) I had to take lots of deep breaths while writing it!
Hottietom: What is wrong with who? Logan? Me? THAT GREEN CHICKEN BEHIND YOU? Bet you looked! LoL! Um, yes, just ignore me. A bit too much sugar and too less sleep!
WolvieandSamwise: oh oooh! Yes, give me thy cookies! ALL OF YOU! Give me cookies and chocolate and I solemnly swear I will keep on writing! (Insert evil laugh here)
THANKS FOR REVIEWING! Now then on with …
Silver Eyed
Disclaimer: I don't own a thing from X-Men. Apart from this story. Well actually, the characters, their speech, appearance, their world is all yours but the paper I wrote it on is MINE! Come and get it, all you lawyers! I won't give it up! (Insert another evil laugh here)
Geez, I'm hungry. I'm off to make myself a home-made pizza. (Less fat, you know) while you guys read this!
Chapter 3: Doubts
For a moment, all was still. The horror of what they had just witnessed froze the X-Men to the spot, eyes trained on the circle of blood rapidly spiraling outwards from the silent figure. Then Ororo stumbled backwards, one hand trembling lightly on her throat, on the spots of blood, a reminder of what Logan could have done to her. Her legs hit a chair and she sat, overcome by shock. From the opposite corner Scott groaned, rising slowly from his position on the ground, his blurry eyes taking in the scene. Kurt had moved to Ororo's side and crouched by her, speaking softly with the weather goddess, trying to break her out of whatever daze held her motionless, liquid eyes focused on the crouched feral.
Scott's gloved fingers tenderly probed the back of his head, the fingertips coming away bloody. At this sight, his demeanor darkened, brows furrowed and his hand automatically went to his visor as he strode over to where Logan crouched, aiming carefully.
In this defensive stance, he turned his head to where Ororo sat and called protectively, 'Did he hurt you, 'Ro?' There was no reaction. Ororo's hands were still stroking her throat, her eyes still fixed somewhere far away. Taking this and the apparent silence from the other X-Men, Scott fixed a livid glare back onto Logan, growling, 'You bastard. What the hell did you do to her?' Logan could feel the stab marks in his chest receding from potentially fatal wounds to painful slash marks to fading bruises. The icy pain and his rasping breaths receded as his lungs repaired the damaged tissue and he took a deep breath of air stained with the scent of his blood. He had heard the damning question from Scott who hovered angrily above him but couldn't answer it. Oh, yes you can, you freak. You nearly stabbed a hole through her throat. After they came after you, and everything. Jesus, I should be in a cage. Not safe around normal people…Logan's body arched in self-disgust and he felt the urge to stab himself again, this time from hatred, rather than desperation. You blood-loving, murdering, clawed FREAK!
A growl shook deep through his chest as he stood, locking furious eyes with Scott's veiled ones. Scott's hand rested gently on the dial on his visor, facing off against the dangerous mutant boldly. He longed to twist the dial from stun to a killing blast in revenge for Ororo's obvious terror. He could tell that Logan's eyes weren't silver anymore. A darker hue of red gleamed in his eyes, not the lighter, more glittering crimson that had unnerved even Scott with his limited vision of before. He stared more, trying to read Logan's expression and saw fury and self-disgust written in them, a bitter look that puzzled Scott all the more.
Logan turned slowly to Ororo and witnessed the blind terror in them of a hunted animal, rather than a courageous and calm woman. Something twisted deep in his gut. That was the look the students had given him after Alkali Lake as they avoided him in the corridors, dropping their gaze to avoid eye contact with such a monster. Turning back to their leader, Logan's keen eyes caught the subtle shift of Scott's hand on his visor to kill. 'Why don't you do it, Cyclops? You know you want to.' Scott almost screamed with fury, incensed almost beyond coherent thought by the mocking tone, even though there was no trace of humour on Logan's face. Logan waited, half-hoping he might do it/ A moment or so passed and Logan turned abruptly, heading to the back of the jet and slumping in a chair, one leg drawn up to his chest, eyes still burning into Scott's. Finally Scott turned and headed back to the cockpit, shaking angrily.
Professor Xavier could tell something was wrong before the X-Jet even touched down. He wheeled himself down to the lower levels swiftly, normally calm face tight with anxiety at the streams of anger and fear coming from the jet. As the boarding ramp came down, Scott strode out, placing himself on land almost as the ramp touched the ground. He took a place next to Charles' wheelchair, glaring back up at the jet.
Next came Ororo, leaning heavily on Kurt. The fear radiating from her worried Charles deeply. Then Hank, his eyes trained on the ground, an unnaturally sad look on his furry pleasant face. The last was the one they had gone to find, Logan. He paused for a moment at the top, guilt and anger warring for a position on his face. The next moment he was down, the animalistic grace still apparent in his movements. He stood quietly a few meters away from the others, gaze downcast, not meeting Xavier's eyes at all.
But Charles didn't need eye contact to feel the self-hatred radiating from him. Xavier looked from one man to the other. From the corner of his eye, he could see the other three leaving, obviously reluctant to get involved in the confrontation. 'What happened?'
There was only a few seconds of silence before Scott launched into a rage. 'What happened? I'll tell you what happened! That animal…that, that freak nearly killed Ororo! He was an inch from putting his claws through her throat! And when I tried to stop him, he knocked me out! When I woke up, 'Ro was in shock and he was just…sitting there. Oh my God! It was…just…' Scott paused in his tirade, unable to find words to explain the anger that brewed inside him. Charles turned to Logan. 'Is this true?' Logan flinched at the words as though they had been shouted. Then he smiled savagely, turning cool eyes to where Scott stood, fists clenched at his sides. 'Pretty much. Scooter explained it so well, I really don't need to change the story.' There was an undercurrent of guilt in his voice. 'There you see! He admits to it!' Scott shouted again, raking a hand through his hair.
'Now, now Scott.' Xavier admonished, raising a hand to stem the flow of words. 'Logan, surely you didn't do that on purpose, did you?' His voice was calm, almost fatherly again. Logan stood rooted to the spot, face slack with shock. Then, in the blink of an eye, it became tight with fury. 'What part of Scooter's story didn't you understand, Charlie? I almost killed 'Ro! With these!' The six claws slid smoothly from their prison and were brandished angrily, causing Scott to stiffen. Xavier opened his mouth to speak but Logan overrode him, once again shying from anything Xavier might have said. 'I couldn't stop myself! You know why? 'Cause I. Am. A. Freak. This only proves I belong in a laboratory, not amongst normal people.' This twisted snarled confession was completely free of any self-pity, Charles noticed. Logan's eyes were like ice, his stance rigid.
He stopped, looking between the two for a minute before turning abruptly, mumbling,
'I'm leaving.' He began to move off but had only moved across at least half of the room when a blast threw him off his feet. Scott had shot at him. Logan stood, despite the pain and glanced backwards. Another blast hit part of a ship near him, filling the hanger with smoke. No doubt Charles had told Scott to stop him. There was a scrabbling in his mind. Xavier was trying to talk to him. Pushing it from his mind, blocking the telepath as best he could, Logan moved off, guilt burning in his eyes even as his long strides carried him away from the only group of people he had ever even slightly trusted.
(Taluliaka strolls back on, licking her fingers) Mmm, yummy pizza! Oh, right (clears throat) REIVEW OR NO MORE FOR YOU!
Signing out, from Taluliaka!