Chap 2: All In
She led him to a small bench in a nearby park that she knew to be empty of visitors that night. She couldn't think of many that would be out and about in a city park this late at night.
Taking a seat, she patted the spot next to her. Wolverine warily lowered himself to sit beside her, never once taking his gaze off of her. She extended her hand to him. "Name's Mikayla. Nahce ta fahnalleh meet ya, Logan.'' That caught Wolverine immediately off guard. His lips curled over his fangs, "How'd ya know who I am!''
Mikayla chuckled good-naturedly. "Ya got a real gratitude problem, don' ya?''
"Yeah, I've been told before. Now, I'll ask you again, how do you know my name?''
"Well honey, ya don' get ta beh S.H.I.E.L.D.'s top agent wit'out knowin 'ow ta fahnd things out.''
"S.H.I.E.L.D.! Did Fury put ya up to this!''
"Nah, sugah.'' Mikayla waved a dismissive hand. "Ah left Fury an' 'is shit long 'go. Ah'm here on mah own tahme. See, you an' ah got summin' in common, hon: we both hate Fury's guts.''
"Got that right,'' said Logan, relaxing a bit. "That being said, what do you want?''
"Ah'm here ta offah mah valuable services ta the X-Men.''
Logan couldn't help but look at her a little more warily at that statement. "Why do ya wanna join the X-Men?''
She shrugged her shoulders, as if they were talking casually. "Ah feel y'all could need all the 'elp ya can get. We bot' know human-mutant tension's onleh getting highur and highur ever' day. Now, ah ain' got no problems wit' humans, many 'ave been very good ta meh. Ah wuddn't wan' them, o' othahs, gettin hurt.'' She rolled her eyes, a disgusted scowl forming on her lips. "We bot' know Fury ain' doin' fuckin' shit 'bout it! Whahle folk lahke you an' meh do the 'ard work o' fightin an' dyin', his lyin', cheatin', Samuel L. Jackson-lookin ass takes all the goddamn credit fer it!''
Logan grinned; he was really beginning to like this girl. "Well, I'll admit were always lookin' for more muscle.'' His grin lowered a bit. "Still, I don't know you; don't know anything about you. How long were you with S.H.I.E.L.D.?''
"Nahne years. But ah left when ah was eighteen.''
"Nine years?'' Wolverine's brows furrowed. "Eighteen? But that'd mean you were recruited by S.H.I.E.L.D. when-''
"When ah was nahne, yeah. Ya normally nevah 'ear bout the government recruitin' kids that young. But, then 'gain, ah ain't a no'mal kid. They made an 'xception fo' meh cuz they saw mah potential.''
"Why'd ya leave?''
"Personal reasons. An' bah personal, ah mean personal, meanin mah business!'' she gently scolded. "Plus, an' ah may 'ave mentioned it 'fo', Fury's on mah blacklist.''
"I knew Fury.''
"Ah know that.''
"Why'd he never mention you?''
"Don' know? Fury keeps all kahnds o' dark lil' secrets-many o' which ah've helped mahself ta, ta which he ain't none the wisur.''
"So…you a good guy?''
She looked at him with a small, teasing smile. "Are any o' us pure good, honey?''
"Ya know what I mean.''
She rolled her eyes again, this time out of playfulness. "If ya mean ah fight fer truth, justice, an' the American way, not ta mention the preservation o' innocent lahves, then yeah.''
"What can you do?''
"So many things, sugah. Ta put it in a blunt manneh, ah'm a cosmic energy pawherhouse. Class 5.'' Logan's eyes widened in surprise at this.
"Don' worry,' she reassured him, "ah can control them jus' fahne. Ah've 'ad mah pawhers since ah was eight years old. Ah've 'ad plenteh o' tahme ta wrangle 'em in.
Ah'm also a precog. Ah see the future in mah dreams; not when ah'm awake, though. It's intuition when ah'm awake. An', it was in a dream vision that ah saw that y'all would beh needin' mah 'elp in the days ta come.''
"Why?'' Logan curiosity was definitely piqued. And not in the good way. "What did you see?''
"Nuttin' very specific, bits an' pieces mostleh. Visions ain't always very detailed. Needless ta say, ya gonna beh facin' some very scary stuff.''
"Anything else?'' Logan asked. Mikayla couldn't suppress a giggle. "Ya promise not ta get mad if ah tell ya?'' Logan mouth began to twitch into a frown. "Why?'' he asked with a brow raised.
Mikayla smiled. "Cuz ah used it on ya.''
"WHAT!'' Logan nearly shot off the bench. His look got a bit more feral; more dangerous. "What did ya do to me?''
"Take it easy, honey, it ain't that bad,'' said Mikayla calmly as she held up her hands in surrender. "Ah merely persuaded ya.''
"Persuaded me?'' Logan said the words as if they were a bad taste on his tongue.
"Yes, persuaded,'' Mikayla continued. "Ya might say that ah have a siren's voice: ah can get an'one ta do whatevah ah tell them ta wit' mah voice. Ah'll ah gotta do's uttah a single word an' there undah mah complete control. 'S a secondary mutation, one that ah got when ah was thirteen.'' Logan suddenly remembered what happened with Moss. "So…back there…ya commanded Moss to leave?''
"Ah did.''
"And me..?''
"Think 'bout it,'' Mikayla said, "wud ya 'ave followed meh hurr so easily, so willingly, had ah not done so othahwise?''
Logan did think about this. He remembered her voice-so sweet, so warm, so rich-washing over him like a wave of blissful energy; as delicious as pure honey. Her dulcet tones, haunting and beautiful, like the song of an angel, had captured his heart and soul, ensnared him completely in a web of her sound, and suddenly...he had forgotten everything else. All he had felt, all that he knew in that moment was that he wanted to do whatever that gorgeous voice commanded him to do, to do anything to please the owner of that ethereal voice. He shuddered as he realized the kind of power she had held over him.
"Don't do that again!''
"Ah undahstand, sug,'' Mikayla told Logan with an understanding voice. "Ah promise ah won' use mah voice 'less ah 'ave ta.'' Logan turned away; while he believed her, he was still dubious. Mikayla breathed in a frustrated sigh, exhaling a little more slowly than she inhaled. She admired him for not believing her right away; she knew from experience that trusting someone off the bat was a rookie mistake to make, especially nowadays. Clearly, he was going to need more convincing. And, as always, she had an ace in the hole.
Smoothly, and with great confidence, she crossed one leg over the other, gazing at Logan with shimmering eyes, her lips smiling. "What if ah was ta give ya some 'ard proof o' mah dedication ta the X-Men's cause? A lil' gesture o' good faith ya might call it?'' She watched as Logan turned back in her direction. Even though he was hiding it like a world-class pro, she knew he was definitely curious…interested even. "I'm listening,'' said Logan.
Mikayla's grin widened. "Word has it that y'all lost summin' impo'tant; a mutant pawher inhibitah colla'...again.''
"We didn't-''
"Save it, darlin', ah know good an' well that it was stolen once befo'. Ah ain't judging ya. An', ah also 'appen ta know who it wuz that stole it, though ah git the feelin' ya know too, am I raght?''
Logan growled low, bearing his fangs, "Gambit!''
"The infamous Remy LeBeau indeed,'' Mikayla stated as she tossed her long hair over her shoulder, "an' ratheh flawlessly too, ah ave heard; got in an' out in undah ten minutes. O' course, ya an' meh bot' know he's bidin' his tahme, waitin' fo' the perfect opportuniteh-an' the perfect price-ta sell it. Fortunately fo' you, ah know whurr he 'as it stashed.''
"Where?''
"Uh-uh, sugah,'' Mikayla playfully wagged her finger at him, "that's fo' meh ta know an' you ta fahnd out. Don' git meh wrong, ah ain't tryin' ta play witcha o' anythin', but the less people who know 'bout this the bettah. Considerin 'ow easeh it wuz fo' someone ta break inta the Institute, this job should stay on the DL till 's done.
Here's mah proposal: ah git the colla' back from the Cajun, an' ya lemme join the X-Men, 's that simple. Whaddaya say?''
Logan still didn't look sure.
Mikayla's eyes narrowed a bit. "Ya gonna wait till LeBeau sells it ta Kelly 'again. Wait till Trask's able ta figure out mo' o' its secrets. Wait till 's too late?'' Mikayla tapped her chin in mock thought. "O' mebbe, he'll sell it ta a terrorist group, whurr mebbe they'll reverse engineer it ta be bot' an inhibitah colla' an' a control colla'; jus' slap it on us mutants an' they'll 'ave their own prahvate army o' mahnd-controlled mutant slaves? O' mebbe…''
"Alright, alright, I get it!'' Logan nearly shouted. "I get it and you're right; we've had no idea if whether the Cajun had sold the collar or if he held onto it. But, if you know where it's at and you can get it back, then that's good enough for me.'' He angled his body more towards Mikayla, ready for more serious discussion. "You get the collar back-you're in.''
"Excellent!'' exclaimed Mikayla as she stood up gracefully from her spot on the bench. She handed him the iPad from her bedroom, plus a disposable phone. "Untraceable,'' she told him. She began to walk away, "Ah'll contact ya in a day o' two ta let ya know 'ow 's goin.''
"Wait! What!'' Logan looked confused, "What about backup? Ya can't seriously mean yer goin' this alone.''
"Course ah ain't goin' it 'lone,'' Mikayla said, turning around to face him, "ah jus' ain't usin' any o' yer people fo' this. Lahke ah said 'fo: the less people who know 'bout this the bettah. Gambit don' know a thing bout meh; don' know ah'm helpin' the X-Men. If any o' ya friends trah ta come wit meh, he'll see it comin from mahles 'away. Fo' all ya'll know, he managed ta bug yer place whahle he wazz helpin' himself ta the colla'. If so, ah'd do a clean sweep o' yer place ta make sure.''
Logan hadn't thought about that. Hearing her say so made him want to take her advice and search the mansion top to bottom for bugs.
"An','' Mikayla continued, "don' tell an' o' the othah X-Men, o' an'one, bout what ah'm doin' fer ya; fer the same reasons. Gambit's got eyes an' ears 'round the world. But luckileh, so do ah.'' She began walking even furthah away, "Don' worreh, Logan, the situation's in good hands, belie' me.''
Logan looked at the phone and the iPad in his hands then back up to her retreating figure. "Who are you?'' Mikayla stopped in her tracks to fluidly turn around to him. Smiling coyly, she said in a voice only he could hear, "A girl's got ta 'ave some secrets. Fo' now, ya can call me Jazz. An' remembah…'' she put a finger to her lips, "Shh.''
And with that, she disappeared into the night, letting the ink-black shadows envelope her like a blanket.
So now we know what Mikayla calls herself in uniform. So, she's just offered to help get the stolen collar back for Wolverine in exchange for becoming an X-Men. In the next chapter, she'll come face to face with the Ragin Cajun himself. What will happen? How will she happen? What will she wear? You'll just have to tune in. Please keep reading and review, please!