Previously, on A Past and a Future:
"Stryker," came Logan's response, still in that quiet manner that felt so foreign in the confident Canadian. The name had come without thinking, a flash of some fragment of memory that he couldn't fully catch hold of.
"Who is this Stryker?" Scott asked, thinking perhaps they could get some information about this new group who seemed interested in their school. Logan couldn't seem to make himself look any of them directly in the eye.
"I wish I knew…"
x_X_x
Three pairs of shocked eyes stared at him, but Ororo was the one who spoke first.
"If you can't completely remember him, does it mean this man might be connected to your past?" she asked, dark eyes still full of sympathy for their feral friend. She could understand how he must be feeling, suddenly confronted by a link to what had been only to lose it soon after. Storm was perhaps more empathetic than the others on the team, wishing only to understand and comfort as Logan gazed down at his hands silently, rubbing the fingers of his left hand over over the knuckles of his right. The other man's reticence only annoyed Scott further.
"Logan, this is serious. We need to tell the professor and see what he can find out." Hazel eyes lifted finally, a touch of bitterness in them as he met the shorter man's gaze.
"Chuck hasn't been able to tell me much about my past up to now, I doubt that's gonna change any time soon." He huffed, feeling a sudden need to get away from the conversation and take a shower, followed by a few stiff drinks and a cigar. "You tell him what you want, I'm… done here." Both hands cut through the air sharply in a frustrated gesture before he turned and headed back to the mansion at a distance-eating run, unwilling to talk about it anymore. Scott shook his head, arms crossed.
"Typical Logan. Try to rationalize and discuss, and he runs off." Jean chuckled softly at the bit of truth in the words, her attitude reflecting relief that the incident hadn't turned out worse, but Ororo frowned. Yes, their teammate tended to be less on the analytical side, but he was certainly no fool.
"Scott, can't you see he's just tired? Not physically, but emotionally. Not knowing where he's been, or what he's done… It eats at him." Of course, she couldn't know what was going through his mind when seeing some stranger who supposedly knew him, but obviously he was deeply affected, as evidenced by the complete loss of his ability to react in any way. "Let's just give him some time, okay? We'll update the professor, and let Logan come to us." Jean put a hand on her fiancée's shoulder and nodded her approval of that idea, making Scott sigh, a sound of reluctant agreement.
"All right, I suppose a day or two couldn't hurt. But I want to know what they were after; we don't need a repeat of last year."
x_X_x
Logan entered the school at the same rate of speed he'd headed toward it, glad there weren't many kids to dodge in the hallways as he jumped up several stairs at a time heading up to the wing that held his room. He finally came to a stop, catching his breath as he opened the door and went inside as if retreating from the outside world, leaning against the solid wood on the inside with his forehead against the cool surface. Just needed some time to think… His thoughts whirled as he stripped the sweaty workout clothes off and tossed them into a laundry bin, relishing the feel of air cooling his sweat-dampened body. Straight into the bathroom then to start the shower running, aiming for a temperature just above lukewarm to try and clear his head and calm his temper down. As he stepped in and began cleaning up, Logan tried to process what had just happened. He knew the man, certainly, since he now had a name to go with a face. But there were no memories at all. His gut feeling was one of unease, but… this guy knew him. Knew what had happened. That was precious information, tempting beyond belief, enough to override his normal sense of caution. Logan sighed, conflicted no matter how he thought about it. He had a duty to the people there at the school, not only to the kids but his teammates, his friends. This revelation, however, made him want to run again, go out and find someone who knew this Stryker and gain whatever information he could. Could he really do that? Surely they could understand his feelings, right? Although, Marie would want him to stay, that was certain. The girl was his first real friend he could remember, and she was just as attached to him. Hazel eyes closed as he stood under the water, letting the soapsuds sluice down his body for a minute. Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to talk with Charles, at least on a personal level; he'd have a better idea of what to do. The professor was usually adept at analyzing a course of action, and since they'd had no luck with leads on his past 'til now, this new one could be helpful. But first, he was going to indulge in a cigar and something stronger than beer. Course of action decided, Logan stepped out of the shower and dried himself off before heading back into his room to pull on fresh jeans, faded and perfectly soft from years of wearing, a close-fitting white tee shirt, and a forest green button-up shirt which would of course remain unbuttoned. He rolled the sleeves up comfortably and sat on the edge of his bed, wiggling his toes in the rug there while reaching for the bottle of whiskey hidden inside his nightstand. Logan was allowed a few indulgences while in the school that would allow him to frequent bars less often, and he was grateful to Charles for the understanding. Not that a bar was out of the question, because sometimes he just needed to let off steam, but it let him stay in the place he considered home on a more regular basis than if he were heading out every night. Logan took a few gulps directly from the bottle, letting the smooth heat burn down to his stomach. A cigar was pulled from a small box and lit, cheery sunlight coming in through his partially-open window and a breeze flirting over his cheeks. Well, at least there could be contentment for the short term, anyway.
x_X_x
Marie walked down the hall and stopped at Logan's door, listening. She couldn't hear anything, but there was the distinct and fresh smell of a cigar emanating from inside, so he was probably in. She knocked on the door.
"Logan, can I come in?" Her voice was soft and sweet, not being a naturally loud person or one to draw attention to herself, but she knew he would hear. At his invitation to enter, which was pretty much a given on his part when it came to her, the Southern girl stepped inside, not bothering to shut the door since this would be a short visit. Her gaze quickly found Logan sitting on his bed, enjoying two of his preferred vices and she smiled at the sight. The smell of a cigar would always remind her of her favorite gruff Canadian. "Hey, are you busy? I got my homework done and was going to watch a movie. Or we could catch a game instead, if you want." She leaned against the doorframe, casually waiting for his answer. Marie was glad that Logan stayed around the mansion more than he used to, maybe more content with life at the school, or perhaps becoming more accustomed to it. Whatever the reason, she was always happy to indulge in some premium Logan-time. She didn't have to worry about her skin so much with him, and he made her feel almost normal, ruffling her hair or giving her a half hug with one muscular arm as they laughed about something on television or the goofs that naturally happened in a school full of young mutants. Marie watched his lips turn up in a smile as he swallowed his gulp of whiskey.
"Sure, I got time for you darlin'." His deep voice was as strong and rich as the drink he indulged in, the bottle carefully capped and placed inside the nightstand before he stood up. The smoldering stogie was extinguished and left on a heavy glass ashtray for a later time, a long arm reaching for socks and boots. "How about a movie?" This suddenly sounded like a far better way to occupy his time than brooding in his room all alone. "No chick flicks allowed, though," he said with an overly stern look while humor tugged at the righthand corner of his mouth. Marie giggled at his teasing, just shaking her head while latching onto his arm in a silly kind of hug, and Logan mentally thanked whatever deities were out there that Marie was in his life.