Chapter 4 (Logan)
My memories aren't all intact, but I know for certain I've had some shitty weeks in my however-many years of existence. Still, the last few weeks would probably make my top ten shittiest weeks list. The rage I felt when I saw the footage of Nori in Harvard Yard? In her fuzzy white hat and pastel pink coat, she looked like a lost little girl clinging to Pyro's hand. And the newscasters called her and Remy dangerous mutant terrorists, as if it weren't clear that they were being mind controlled or something. Well—maybe it wouldn't be clear to people who didn't know their faces as well as I do. But even if they had decided to return to the Brotherhood, there is no way Nori would take her twelve-year-old niece with her. But, of course, those newscasters don't know Nori and Remy. They're not prepared to think of two mutants as a kind, loving couple with a sweet little niece they care about very much. Goddammit.
I'd flown out to Boston with Cyke and Beast, but by the time we got there, they were long gone, and their scents were covered with smoke and fuel. I found melted remnants of plastic and metal that once were their cell phones. Apparently, I was taken over by rage when we got there and found the trail dead. There's an hour or so from that day I don't really remember. I guess I should be grateful that I didn't end up on the evening news myself. Since then, I've been living in a constant state of near-rage. I've been spending as much time alone as possible—I know I scared Rogue by snapping at her about something minor when she'd called home from college. I hate that, but I think she understood that it wasn't about her. I hope so. I should call her soon.
The kids are all pretty terrified too. Nori was—is—the closest thing some of those kids have to a mother, and even those who have real mothers are real fond of her. They like Remy, too, although most of the kids aren't as emotionally attached to him. Still—two of their teachers have been on TV, apparently fraternizing with the Brotherhood of Mutants but actually—brainwashed or something. It's not a good state of affairs.
But there's nothing I can really do but wait for Xavier to find my—lovers. And no one here really understands just how important Nori and Remy are to me. They know they're my closest friends, but… God, if they don't come back… well, I know I can survive it. I've survived losses before. But it won't be fun.
I think Xavier probably knows the full extent of our relationship—he spends a lot of time reading Nori's mind. And Scott might have guessed. He's not dumb, and he's seen a few things—Nori sitting on my lap, me leaving Nori and Remy's room at a suspicious hour—that would let him put two and two together, if he chose. But he's never said a word to me about it, which I respect.
Ten days after Nori and Remy went missing, I hear Xavier's mental voice calling me to the Sit Room. Instantly I think back, Nori and Remy?
… I am not sure. Please come to the Situation Room at once.
Not sure? What the hell does that mean? Still, I bring myself in out of the garden and get to the Sit Room as fast as I can—which is pretty fast. I sit anxiously, waiting for the rest of the team to join us.
Finally—I've probably only been sitting there for three minutes, but it feels much longer—Ororo, the last team member, joins us and Xavier says, "As you know, I have been spending much of my time in Cerebro, looking for signs of Nori and Remy. I—am not sure, but I believe… I briefly felt Nori's mental signature. As well as—" he takes a deep breath, and I can smell how frightened and confused he is. "Well—I also sensed Jean's presence."
You could have heard a pin drop in that room, even without my ears. There are a few beats of silence, and then Scott says, "I don't understand."
"I don't think I do, either," Xavier admits.
"You're saying—Jean is alive?" Scott says.
"I… well… perhaps. Or perhaps… there is another, with a mental signature very similar to Jean's? I really—I have never experienced anything like this."
Scott looks lost. I can tell he doesn't want to get his hopes up, but how can he help it?
I ask, "What about Nori? And Remy?"
Xavier shakes his head. "I cannot find Remy, and Nori has disappeared again."
"Well—where was she?"
"She and… the other mind… were both at Alkali Lake."
Every eye in the room is looking at Xavier now. There's another beat of silence, and I say, "Well, let's go to Alkali Lake, then."
"I agree with this course of action," Xavier says. "And I believe I should come along. I… I am not sure what we will find at Alkali Lake, but… my skills may be necessary."
Scott nods. "All right—Professor Xavier, me, Wolverine, Beast, and Storm will go. Nightcrawler, Marrow, Magma, Cecilia—you four stay with the school." Everyone nods, and those of us going head straight for the locker rooms. We quickly suit up. Storm and Cyclops prep the jet for takeoff faster than I've ever seen them do it, and we take off. The flight seems to be impossibly long, and everyone is extremely tense. From the air, we see a huge spot of dark earth where the snow has melted. We set down near there and disembark. I take a deep breath and am overwhelmed by the smells. Nori and Remy are definitely here, and a smell I'd almost forgotten… Jean. Jean was here, but I don't think she is any longer.
I follow my nose and am horrified to find Remy standing in the snow, his face blank and his arms full of an unconscious Aiko. Nori is lying on the half snow, half mud ground next to them. I run and pick her up. Her lips and the skin around her mouth are light blue and she's barely breathing—but she is breathing. I gently shake her. She makes a small sound, but doesn't wake up. Her eyelashes are coated in tiny ice crystals. I tug off one of my gloves and press my hand against her face, warming it.
"Remy?" I ask. "Remy, you in there, buddy?"
He blinks at me. The rest of the X-Men catch up to me and stare. Remy glances at everyone, at Nori in my arms, at Aiko in his arms, and finally back at me.
"Remy? Remy, are you okay?" I ask.
He shrugs. I turn to Hank and say, "He was just standing here when I got here. Nori—she was just lying in the snow. I don't think he even knew she was there. And I think—I think she has hypothermia or something."
Hank looks at her and says, "Oh, my stars and garters. Logan, take her back to the jet, please. And get her out of those wet clothes." I glance back at Remy and nod.
On the jet, I quickly strip her and wrap her in a blanket from the emergency kit. I sit next to Xavier and hold her in my arms, and I use the end of the blanket to wipe mud off her face.
Xavier smiles. "Oh, thank goodness we found her. Is—"
"Remy and Aiko are out there. I… I didn't see Jean. But—I recognized her smell."
Xavier sucks in a breath. "Well… well." He closes his eyes and I know he is looking for her with his mind. He's still searching when Hank, Remy, and Aiko come back on the jet.
"Remy, you can put Aiko down here," Hank says, indicating a row of seats. He does, and then stands there with that same blank look on his face. It's extremely spooky.
"Hey, Cajun, c'mere," I say. He obeys and stands in front of me. "Sit down," I add. I wave my hand in front of his face and he blinks but doesn't otherwise react. "What the hell, Hank?" I ask.
Xavier opens his eyes and says, "Oh my."
"What is it?"
"I—I am not sure. Remy has a significant amount of static electricity around his mind, making it very difficult for me to get a read on him, but—I think perhaps he has been—hypnotized?"
"Hypnotized? That different from telepathy?"
"Yes," Xavier says, though he doesn't clarify.
"And Nori?"
"I cannot determine anything until she wakes up."
"And when do you think that will be?"
He shrugs, helplessly. I look down at Nori and see that her lips are regaining their normal pale pink color. I resist the urge to kiss them. Hank comes over and starts examining Remy. I watch and listen as Hank questions him.
"Can you tell me your name?"
"Gambit. Remy."
Hank nods. "Yes. Now, Remy, can you tell me what day it is?"
"February?"
"… well, yes, it is February. Do you know who the President of the United States is?"
"McKenna?"
I'm scared. I'm scared that Remy isn't making smartmouth responses. I'm scared that Remy would just leave his beloved wife to lie in the snow. I'm scared that Nori is still sleeping, and I'm scared of what she'll be like when she wakes up. I'm scared of what might have happened to Jean.
Eventually, Remy starts to snap out of it. He looks at me and says, "Oh. Oh no. Nori. Is she all right?"
I give a little sigh of relief and say, "Think so, Cajun. What—what happened?"
He shakes his head. "It's all—it's all confused. We—Sinister was there—and—Nori was—with him—and—everything glowed red."
Right. Maybe Remy's not back up to 100% yet.
"Sinister?" Hank asks. "We thought you were with Magneto."
"Oui, he was there too. And Pyro. And Mystique. And another man… he… that man…" Remy trails off. After a moment, he says, "Oh, mon Dieu, what about Aiko?"
"She's here, buddy. She's okay. You took care of her." He finally slumps and cries. "Hey. C'mere." He comes to sit next to me and I take his hand, careful to keep Nori steady. "It's all right, Remy. Everything's going to be all right."
He looks me in the eye and I hold back a shiver. His eyes are flat and fearful. "Is it?" he asks.
"Yeah," I say, though I'm not sure of that at all. It could be worse, for sure. Remy, Nori, and Aiko are all alive, and they're not with Sinister or Magneto.
Xavier tries to examine Remy's mind now that he's a little more lucid. After a few minutes he pulls away, stunned.
"Remy. Is that—you saw a woman appear on the shore?" Xavier asks.
Remy shrugs. "I think so. It was—it was so hard to think… and it was so… bright."
"Was it—Jean?" I ask.
"I believe it—it may have been," Xavier says. "I—I need to talk to Nori, when she is able. She—it looks like Sinister may have—she may have helped him to—well—raise her."
"Huh," I say.
A few minutes later, Storm and Cyclops come traipsing back onto the jet. Cyke's face is twisted with pain, and I don't blame him. It isn't pleasant being back at Alkali. Xavier fills them in on his theory.
"Jean's—back?" Scott asks. "And with—Magneto?"
Xavier sighs. "Perhaps? I think—the best thing to do now would be return to the mansion, where these three can receive proper medical attention. Based on what Remy has told me and shown me, I think Nori may have more information when she wakes up. And perhaps I can try Cerebro again."
Scott collapses into a seat and Storm flies back without a co-pilot. When we get back to the mansion, we make our way to the medbay. Nori's still wrapped in a blanket and asleep. Remy's still out of it, and Hank instructs him to wait on one of the exam tables. He's placed Aiko in a bed. As far as he can tell, nothing's really wrong with her. I bring down flannel pajamas for Nori and wait with Remy for her to awaken. From the sounds of it, she'd completely worn herself out using her power for Sinister. We were all keeping our fingers crossed that that was all that was wrong.
Hank and Cecilia confer and hover. Before too long, Ken and Misaki, Nori's brother-in-law and mother, come to join us. I've met them a few times, at Yuriko's memorial service and at Nori and Remy's wedding, but haven't spoken much to either of them. Now I talk to them in Japanese and tell them that Hank thinks both Nori and Aiko will be fine as soon as they wake up.
Ken is furious that his daughter has been put in such danger. Remy cries and apologizes. His eyes are still flat and frightened, and Misaki pats his hand.
"I am sure you… tried," she says. Remy sobs and nods. After a few hours, Aiko stirs. When she wakes up she's confused, though not quite as bad as Remy had been. She shies away from her father and clings to Remy. Eventually, she calms down and reassures her father that she's okay, that nothing had really happened to her.
"I just sat in that room with Uncle Remy the whole time. The man in black would bring us food. I… I don't know… everything is kind of fuzzy. Is—is Aunt Nori okay?"
"She's still sleepin'," Remy says. "She's over here." He nods toward Nori's bed. Aiko cries, seeing her aunt lying still and pale. Remy absently strokes her hair. Ken looks miserable. Misaki whispers reassurances in Japanese. An hour later, Nori's friend (and Cecilia's girlfriend) Rachael comes stumbling into the medbay. I offer her my chair.
"I been sitting too long anyway," I say. She nods and collapses into the chair.
"Is she-?" she asks.
"Just sleeping, looks like. Cecilia could give you the details better'n me."
Remy looks over at her and Rachael covers her mouth with her hand when she sees his shell-shocked face. She stands up and hugs him. "Remy—I'm so—how are you?"
Remy shrugs. Cecilia pulls her away and whispers to her. Rachael sighs and sits back down.
We all sit and wait for Nori to wake up. Amara brings food down for us. I eat, though no one else does. People doze off, and when Nori finally stirs around five in the morning, Remy and I are the only ones awake.
"Hey, darlin'," I say. She looks at me with flat eyes and says nothing.
"Cher?" Remy asks, uncertainly. She bites her lip and stares at the ceiling. I get on the phone and call Hank down. He shows up a few minutes later, clad in a lab coat. I wonder if he slept in it. I wonder if he usually sleeps in it.
He shines a light into Nori's eyes, checks her vitals. He asks her if she knows her name. "Echo," she whispers.
"Yes," Hank says. "People call you Echo. Do you remember what else people call you?"
"Cher?" she ventures.
Hank smiles. "Yes, Remy calls you that. Does the name Nori sound familiar?" She nods and Hank says, "Mostly people call you Nori. Do you know what day it is?"
"Something happened."
"Yes… something happened," Hank agrees. "Do you know who the President of the United States is?"
"He's okay."
I glance at Remy, who doesn't seem to have registered how off-kilter her responses are. Next I look to Hank, who shrugs. He brings her a bottle of water and helps her drink it. She looks all around the room. It's unclear how much of what she looks at she's really seeing. She repeats, intensely, "Something happened."
"What happened, darlin'?" I ask.
"Something."
I would find this conversation hilarious if I weren't so worried. Remy says, "He isn't here anymore, cher."
"Who isn't here anymore?" I say.
"The man."
Nori looks relieved and sad. "But where is he?"
"I don't know."
"Where are we?"
"Xavier's."
She nods. I look at Remy, who seems marginally more coherent than Nori. "What man are you talking about?"
"The man in black."
I'm sure he doesn't mean Johnny Cash. "Do you mean Magneto?"
"No," Remy says. "The man in black."
"Mesmero," Nori says.
"What?" Remy asks.
"That's what Pyro called him. Mesmero."
"Mesmero?" Hank asks. "Interesting. From the sound of it… I'd say this Mesmero is the one responsible for your… confusion."
"No, he was… or maybe…" Remy says.
"He was what?" I ask.
"A friend?" Remy says hesitantly.
"He don't sound like a friend," I say.
"Something happened," Nori repeats. "And he was there and I was there. She wasn't there but then she was."
"Who?"
"The Phoenix. The Phoenix was there." Abruptly, she bursts into tears. "I want to go home. Where is Aiko? Where is home?"
"Aiko's here," Remy says. "Asleep. Okay. Home is… here."
She shakes her head, tears still rolling down her cheeks.
"You're at Xavier's, darlin'. You live here. We live here. But we're in the basement, in the medbay. You usually sleep upstairs." I hand her a tissue and she holds it and looks at it. I pull another one out of the box and gently wipe her face for her.
Xavier appears in the medbay. "Ah, Nori, I am glad to see you're awake. How do you feel?"
"I feel feelings," she says, which actually sounds like something she might say on a normal day. Her empathy is sending out confusion and anxiety, which isn't surprising.
"Nori, would you permit me to examine your memories?"
I'm not sure she can technically give consent right now, but I guess it doesn't matter. I just hope Xavier can find something useful. Still clutching a Kleenex in her left hand, she offers her right to Xavier. He takes it and closes his eyes in concentration. Remy blearily rests his head on my shoulder, and we wait.