The Boogie Man
Sequel to Kittens Have Claws, Too. Victor, Katherine, Tayla and Mystique discover the secret to helping keep female ferals alive…But will nightmares be the setback for an old friend, or will her personal Boogie Man be the one to save her soul.
I DON'T own them…at this point I wish I did…I would put them all out to pasture and go on with my LIFE…SOMEONE get Victor Creed OUT of my head. Wait, never mind. (Victor muse purring in the background as he throws back the covers on the bed…) I am going to pet the kitty while you guys enjoy the story.
Chapter 15
She stared down at the body on the drive, her gut twisting in fear and grief. They'd never gotten along well, but they were still sisters. Kat leaned against Victor's strong frame. The last few days had left her in shock. Now she was going to have to call her parents – tell them Megan was dead.
"Katherine, you have our sympathies, however we need to either call the authorities or conduct an investigation of our own." Professor Xavier said softly, taking her hand in his.
"Call the authorities, I want an autopsy, I want to know how she died, and who's responsible." Kat said with a hiss. She KNEW who was responsible, and she could feel her husband's anger vibrating through her body he knew as well – knew and was already planning revenge.
The only good thing that had come from any of this was Tayla turning to Logan for protection and comfort. It had surprised all of them when she'd quietly slipped to his side after the helicopter departed. He hadn't said anything, just slipped an arm around her shoulder, and let her lean against him. Kat had been watching his face, watched as the glimmer of hope spread, and then disappeared. He wasn't taking anything for granted.
She stood there, Victor's arms around her until the police arrived. She waited, patiently while they asked a thousand questions, answering any that she could. Finally the coroner's van arrived, and they loaded Megan's broken and mutilated body into a bag and into the back of the van. She waited until the van was gone, the detective assigned to the case handed her his card and told her if she had any questions to call him, and then she slipped from Victor's embrace and around the corner of the building and threw up.
She'd seen corpses. She was married to probably the most prolific and certainly the most creative assassin in the world. He'd stopped trying to protect her years ago. She'd seen cadavers in medical school, some of them badly damaged. She'd seen her own children die, but she'd never seen anything so brutal.
Victor's hands pulled her hair back away from her face and he stroked her back as she continued to dry heave. He didn't say a word, just stroked her back until she calmed down.
"Kitten, you're gonna have ta call your parents." He said. "Unless you think they'd take it better from me."
"No." She said, wiping her mouth. "I'll tell them." She leaned against the wall as she stood up. "Just let me get cleaned up first."
"I'll say this, he's definitely my son." Victor said as they walked back into the house, his tone sarcastic.
"You brought him into this world, Victor Creed, I EXPECT you to take him out." She hissed. "He murdered my sister."
"Kitten – let's be realistic about this."
"Tell me you don't want to kill him." She hissed, spitting like a cat backed into a corner.
"I won't lie ta ya – I want the fucker dead, and would like to be the one ta do it, but Kitten – I think Myst gets first dibs – he tried ta kill HER too."
"WHAT!"
"Stabbed her during the raid on the compound." Victor said his voice a low hissing growl of anger.
"I want Graydon CREED dead!" She growled, she could feel her claws coming out, her eyes going black, the feral blood rage coursing through her body.
"Kitten – that's my job, you have a cub to protect." He growled back.
"Kill him Victor – I don't care if it's you or Myst but someone KILL that bastard before he hurts any more of my family."
She didn't see the people around them, didn't hear Storm's intake of breath as she issued her order to her husband. They were invisible as she walked up the stairs, pulling the small phone out of her pocket and dialing the well known number. She had a duty – she was going to have to tell her parents, at least they would come here – be safe, until Megan was buried properly. She would insist on it.
XXXXXX
He watched her climb the stairs, phone in hand. He'd rarely seen her like this and never this angry. It had been like looking in a mirror, in this state his Kitten was dangerous – very dangerous. He knew he was going to have to calm her down – but frankly was too angry to think about it. His bastard son had killed his wife's sister, nearly killed a good friend, and killed sixteen of the children Victor had raised. His wife was right. He had to die.
He looked at the X-Men surrounding him.
"What?"
"Are you going after him?" Professor Xavier asked simply.
"Why – he's coming here. Why else dump her body here. It was a message – I'm close and coming closer." He snarled.
"You are certain?"
"Positive – he's my SON!" He roared.
"Should we evacuate the younger children?"
"That's on you. He ain't comin' alone, so whatever defenses you have for a large assault – better get them out, we have a war comin."
"Did you have to bring your personal war here? Put us – these children in danger?" Storm demanded. He turned on the white haired mutant, snarling. She backed up in fear, and he almost grinned.
"He's comin after YOU! The fact that Kat and Tayla and I are here is to your advantage. He hates MUTANTS – yea he hates his family, probably knew we were here – but he's comin after this school and all it represents."
"I agree with Victor, this showdown with the Friends of Humanity has been coming for a while, Ororo. We have discussed it before, and having Victor and Erik and his men here will be a great asset." Charles said, trying to calm his second.
"How can you say that, Charles? Victor and his wife brought this on us, if they'd not involved us in the first place – none of this would be happening – OUR children wouldn't be in danger." The weather witch replied hotly.
"Ro! They got us involved to save a life – MY mate's life, in case you've forgotten." Logan said, his arm around said mate's shoulders.
"A mate that wanted to DIE rather than deal with you, Logan – or have YOU forgotten that in this new found closeness." Ro hissed at him. Victor growled, she wasn't going to hurt Tayla – not if he could stop her.
"You are right – Storm. I didn't want anything to do with Logan, and if we hadn't involved you, the FoH wouldn't have associated you with our facility in Colorado, but if we had asked for help for our children – would you have said no?" Tayla faced her, and Storm hung her head. Tayla was right. The X-Men would have been involved anyway – if only to help them save the children – they had always been the backup plan – simply because, as much of a pain in the ass as Charles could be – Victor could trust him to keep the kids safe.
"Pointing fingers is gonna get us dead – what we should be doing is preparing for the fight ahead, not blaming each other for them coming." Victor said. "Now – I'm gonna go deal with my wife – and her parents and start making whatever arrangements they want to make for Megan, I'll be upstairs when you are ready to stop laying blame and start making plans." He walked across the entry hall, twelve pair of confused feral eyes following him. "Kids – you are with the Runt and Tayla – do what they say."
XXXXXXX
Logan looked at the twelve faces that turned toward him. What was he supposed to do with them?
"Nancy – get the younger kids organized for an evacuation, Have Mary and Todd" she pointed to the youngest pair "get groups organized. Use our evacuation plan unless Charles already has one. Rogue" She said to the young woman as she walked into the milling mass of mutanthood in the entry way "help Mary and Todd organize your students for evacuation, if you would."
Logan just looked at the woman at his side. Where had the general come from?
"Storm if you and David" she pointed to the male standing near the one she'd called Nancy "would go over your defensive plan and where best to utilize the trained pairs of ferals that you have available. Magneto – we will need as many of your people as you can get here in a short period of time. If we are making this stand here – we are making it together."
Charles just sat there – shaking his head.
"Tayla – I think I'll leave you and Logan in charge if you need anything, I'll be in my office." She just nodded, and kept giving instructions.
"Someone get Hank - I need a full breakdown of what medical supplies we have – and will send teams to acquire what we don't have if there is time to do so. I also want a supply list of the pantry and foodstuffs so that we know how long we can hold out if it comes down to that."
"Tayla – this isn't a siege." Logan said.
"I KNOW that – You, work with Nancy and Storm – you know this place better than anyone – I want to know all the weak points and have them covered." He couldn't stop himself he snapped a salute.
"Yes Ma'am." He said.
She just glared at him, and turned toward Charles' office. "I'll be in with Charles going over anything he has on the FoH, Erik if you will join us after you get your people moving, and someone get Myst up here as soon as she is able to move, we are going to need her information as well. As soon as Victor and Katherine are able I would like them to join us as well."
Logan watched as his mate walked into the office. He wasn't used to this – she was usually quiet, usually letting Kat or Victor take charge. He was beginning to understand exactly what the problem had been all along – SHE was the one making the decisions – she was the one in charge, at least in a crisis. He grinned – at least she wasn't some kind of wilting flower that expected him to think for her – now if he could get her to let him in. He glanced over at a dumbfounded Magneto. At least he wasn't the only one who felt like he'd just been run over by a steamroller.
"She's YOUR mate?"
"Yeah."
Erik started to laugh. "Well – I finally have affirmation that there is a God – and he is very just." He spun on his heel and began issuing orders to Pyro and Avalanche. Logan just shook his head and went to find Storm.
XXXXXXXX
Charles was pulling all the information he had, and she was reading as fast as he handed the information across the desk.
"Well well, General, I have my people on the way. Since you managed to – steal – two of my most faithful followers – you will have to ask them for what information they have."
"Three." She said simply.
"What?"
"Three of your most faithful followers, Victor, Toad and Mystique are all a part of our program."
"MYSTIQUE!"
"You were talking about Toad?" She laughed. "Myst has been a part of this since the beginning."
She looked up as the woman in question limped into the door, her stomach bandaged, not very steady on her feet.
"Raven." Erik's voice was strained.
"Erik, loan a girl your arm, would you." She smiled at him.
"What happened?"
"A little present from my loving son." Mystique hissed.
"Son."
"Graydon Creed, Tribune of the Friends of Humanity." She sneered.
"You son – I thought he was Victor's son?"
"He IS – I swear sometimes age is getting to you, old man." She laughed at the stunned look on his face. Tayla grinned at her, watching her stand up to Erik was a pleasure. He'd nearly destroyed her after the Cure – and Tayla knew Myst would never let him have that kind of power over her again.
"Charles – I think we ARE getting old – I had no idea about any of this." He sat in one of the leather chairs in the office, taking off his signature helmet, letting his tousled silver hair fall in his eyes.
"I have known for a while – but as no harm was being done – and much good – I didn't interfere." Tayla smiled at the telepath.
"My apologies, young lady, it appears I was mistaken." Erik nodded to Tayla.
"Thank you – but we really don't have time for this. We need a plan – and soon. Megan was a warning – they will come – and in full force."
"Megan?" Myst asked.
"Her body was dumped on the lawn three hours ago." Tayla said matter of factly. She would deal with the gut wrenching fear later – right now there were children to protect.
"My God – does Katherine know?"
"Victor is with her now – she's calling Dave and Diane and letting them know."
"Who dumped her body?"
"Your son."
"Well now that I am caught up full circle – what are we going to do about them?"
"Well, Victor and I both think they will attack here – the body was a warning of what will happen if we don't give in. We are analyzing the defenses of the school and surrounding grounds, this is a strategy session to determine what we know about them – and how they might attack. Victor and Katherine will join us as soon as they can. Logan, Nancy and the teams are looking for weak points and how best to utilize our very useful darlings." Mystique laughed at her term for the children – no not children – friends – they were mostly adults – and able to make their own choices.
Victor and Kat never joined them – but she hadn't expected them to. She knew Kat was devastated. The attack yesterday – and now this, she had to be near the end of her reserves, Tayla knew she was.
She left the three of them talking – going over the plans they'd made – arguing the best ways to implement them, her mind was numb and she needed peace and quiet for just a moment.
She was standing out on the back veranda looking out over the peaceful grounds, dreading the coming battle – the coming destruction to something so beautiful when she heard a sound behind her.
"Sorry – didn't know you were out here." Logan said as he turned to go back in the door.
"No –it's alright."
"I don't want to make you uncomfortable." He said softly – as if not to spook her.
"Logan – I'm in crisis mode – fear isn't an option." She laughed.
"Crisis mode?"
"That's what Myst and Kat call it – my brain switches on – and my emotions switch off, I analyze everything, and panic later." She said. It was true – she didn't know when she'd started dealing with things like this – sometime after her mother had died.
"So what was that – in there?"
"What?" She was puzzled.
"Just one moment you were this quiet thing, hiding under my arm, next thing I know – you took complete charge."
"Crisis mode." She laughed.
"Oh – guess that explains the general in there?" He said with a smile, lighting his cigar.
"Yeah – Victor calls me Napoleon sometimes." She smiled back.
"Just as long as you don't start reaching into your shirt – I don't think I could handle that." He grinned.
"Reaching into…?" She looked at him, completely confused.
"Napoleon – always had his left hand inside his shirt…" He leered at her, his eyes drifting down to her bust line.
"Logan – what are you talking about?" She started to turn away.
"Darlin – you need to get out of crisis mode." He said simply before his mouth descended on hers. She froze, wondering what he was doing? Was this some new form of torment? Her mind whirled – but her body knew exactly what to do, and it took her a moment to realize she was kissing him back.
His cigar smoldered on the ground forgotten as his fingers tangled in her hair, his mouth demanding she respond to him – and her body giving him everything he asked for. It was his bare fingers brushing across her bare stomach that startled her back to reality. His shirt was open, her hands tangled in the thick hair on his chest, her blouse only buttoned by a single button, and he'd been working on opening that when she pulled away.
"I'd definitely say that worked." He said, breathless, as he pressed one of her hands flat against his bare skin.
"What worked?" She looked up at him puzzled, her own breathing ragged.
"Darlin – you can't tell me you didn't feel anything." He said harshly.
"Of course I did – physiological response – it's normal with the mating bond." She replied automatically.
"You meant to tell me – you expect to react like that when I kiss you?" He looked puzzled.
"Yes. My physiological responses have nothing to do with emotions and everything to do with the genetics of the bond, if you had read the thesis…" He shut her up again, his mouth demanding her response, his arms crushing her against him.
"You mean – I've avoided the hell out of you for three fucking weeks because I was worried you'd spook on me, and YOU expected to react like this?" He demanded.
"Yes."
"Fuck." He picked her up and threw her over his shoulder.
"What are you doing?" She demanded.
"Exercising my right to physiological responses." He grumbled, as he carried her up the back stairs – and straight to his room.