Forgotten • to cease or fail to remember; be unable to recall
Chapter Ten:
That Which Was Forgotten
Ororo wasn't sure know how much more inner turmoil she could endure. She closed her eyes against the dull pressure behind her eyes born out of worry and anxiety.
Lately, as it were, she got off of one emotional rollercoaster and right unto another, more crazy, one. If it wasn't Jean then it was Logan, and if it wasn't Jean and Logan it was Gambit. Now it was Wolverine, again, but this time . . . this time really caused her concern. Emotionally she was discombobulated – anxious and worried and filled with a certain dread. The sky outside looked as depressing as she felt inside, the dreary dark and grey of it. The foreboding feeling she had ever since that trip to the Friends of Humanity headquarters had remained and multiplied three-fold, settling bitterly in the pit of her stomach. The combination nearly made her sick.
Over a week had passed since the mission and she'd hardly spoken to Logan since. He spent all his time in sessions with the Professor when the older man wasn't teaching his Psychics Class and helping Laura adjust to her new surroundings. The young girl was making the mansion a home, at least until the unfortunate circumstances by which she'd come to them were sorted out and made clear.
Up in the dimness of her loft, Ororo miserably sat waiting for Logan. Again. Like she'd done nearly everyday.
He hadn't shared a bed with her since the day of Artie's birthday party – the day of the mission.
Logan made it so that whenever his business with Charles was over, he'd leave the mansion and remain gone the entirety of the day. Determinedly, she would sit up waiting for him until her tired eyes could no longer stay open and she fell asleep. When she awoke for class the following morning, he was already back and in a session with the Professor, and so the cycle went. Laura was questioned, Logan was unresponsive, and still she didn't know what to make of it all. Logan, the Professor, and Laura seemed to be privy to information no one else yet knew, but it all undoubtedly went back to their mission that afternoon.
The Mission –
Flashback
"Okay, Chuck," Logan said, "so what is it?"
"The F.o.H."
"Again?" complained Kathryn.
"Hmph. I'm surprised," Ororo chimed. "We haven't heard from them in some time. Not a sound."
"True. They've been low on the radar up until the present. Now I know why."
"What's the reason then?" Kathryn shrugged.
"They aren't up to their normal tactics this time. They've been abducting mutants under the radar and selling them to a government group," the Professor said gravely. "We do not know who."
That stunned them all. They all shot each other looks, disconcerting expressions written on each face.
"How do ya know this, Chuck?"
"A friend I have that works in the Pentagon, Dr. Henry McCoy."
"So we aren't supposed to know this then."
"Correct." Charles' smile was small at the admission.
"We listenin', mon ami."
"Good, hear me."
The four X-Men listened to the Professor give them a concise account of the circumstances. Dr. Henry McCoy, who worked for the government as an expert on Human/Mutant Relations, had covertly informed Charles about a bit of newly revealed information on the F.o.H - the Friends of Humanity. A bigoted, terrorist anti-mutant group led by a man named Graydon Creed. McCoy had alerted Charles to a recent operation of theirs where according to Dr. McCoy and the Professor, the F.o.H members were kidnapping mutants and selling them to anonymous group of buyers for whatever purposes.
"Henry says he doesn't think there's been many, but the ones who have been are fairly helpless. My guess is that they are young mutants."
"Typical. Do we know who these group of buyers are and why they're doing this?" Ororo put forth.
"Unfortunately, no," Charles said. "But we do believe they have government ties which was partially how Dr. McCoy was made abreast of it."
Nothing could be done, however, until more information was forthcoming. The X-Men's job was to infiltrate their headquarters, retrieve their information, and in the case that any mutants were presently being held, to release them and bring them home, which was the reason for the suddenness of the task. It was a clean, effective plan. A simple in and out mission.
"Kitty, you'll handle the data," Charles designated.
She nodded. "Right."
"Gambit, you'll infiltrate first, to disable the security."
"Oui."
"Wolverine—"
"No need ta guide me, Chuck. I'm the best—"
"—there is at what you do," Charles, Storm, and Kathryn parroted simultaneously, having heard the statement numerous times before.
Logan snorted and Charles grinned. "I want you all to suit up. You leave in less than thirty."
Ororo nodded and headed for the door, along with Logan and Kathryn. The Professor called Gambit's name and asked him to stay back. "I want to show you the map for inside and where the security systems are located."
Ororo narrowed her eyes curiously at the request, but said nothing. She avoided Gambit's eyes and started down the hall into the women's changing room, just paces behind Kathryn. Ororo slowed and turned when she felt a strong hand close around her arm. "Ro, hold up a minute, darlin'."
Her eyes closed briefly, opening them again before turning to face him. His keen eyes roamed her face curiously, and she turned to catch him wearing a slight frown.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing is wrong," she said. "What do you mean?"
"Yer nervous, unsettled. I noticed it as soon as ya walked in the room, so it ain't about the mission."
Damn the man's acute senses. "Gambit and I had a talk before coming down, that's all. We didn't exactly see eye to eye." That was an understatement, and an evasive one, but she supplied no more, still not knowing what to make of it herself.
"That's why he looked all pissed and disgruntled when he came in, eh?"
"I suppose."
"If the Cajun's upsettin' ya, 'Ro, I'll—"
"No, no, no," Ororo shook her head. "It's fine. Really, it's fine."
"Yer sure?"
"Yes."
Logan gave a short nod, then wrapped his arms around her. Ororo came willingly, throwing her arms around Logan's wide shoulders. She sighed deeply, her face buried into the crook of his neck. There she inhaled his scent, strong, woodsy. Like nature. He smelled like nature. She loved that. Her eyes closed as she savored it, along with the sure feel of him under her hands.
"I love you," she said to him, as if to prove a point, even as images of she and Remy blinked away in her mind. His dark eyes. His hand on her leg. His mouth drifting towards hers.
She slammed her eyes shut against the images. "I love you, so much," Ororo whispered harshly in the shell of Logan's ear, in defiance of anything inside her that would speak to the contrary. Her slender arms clenched around him.
Logan pulled back and cupped the sides of her face in his hands. "I know, 'Ro. I love ya too, darlin'."
Ororo stared at him a long moment. A small noise of indecision squeaked out from between her parted lips before leaning in and roughly planting her lips against his. The force behind her kiss made Logan's eyes widen in surprise and he chuckled deeply against her mouth, obviously taking some small measure of delight in her roughness. He released her lips, cracked a grin, and firmly slapped her on the behind. "Now go on, get suited up, eh?"
She forced herself to smile back and nodded her head. Leaving him staring after her as she entered the changing room door. Even as the African woman slid into the fitting black leather of her X-branded uniform, the nagging premonition that change was on the horizon made her stomach churn bitterly. She could feel it in her bones – as deeply as she could sense the changes in the weather. Like a shift in the winds, it was blowing her way.
x x x
Over an hour and a half later the X-Jet was hidden several yards away under the Shi'Ar cloaking device, and Wolverine and Storm stood outside the tall fences of the F.o.H perimeter. Gambit had already slipped inside the building to disable the security defenses for them all to enter without detection and Kathryn had followed behind. It was her job to wait for him, and once the defenses were down, to go ahead and access the sites mainframe computer and simultaneously retrieve and destroy the residual files.
The two remaining X-Men waited outside.
Beside him, Wolverine was giving Storm a subtle, but confused, glare. She held his hand so tightly that Wolverine was sure if it wasn't for the fact that he had an adamantium skeleton surely she would've broken his hand. She just seemed to stare ahead, at nothing.
"Ro—" Logan tried just as Gambit's drawl came over their communicators.
"Gambit, here. System's down."
"Got it," answered Storm. "We're on our way inside. Kitty, you may proceed now."
"Gotcha, Storm."
Once the signal from Gambit had been given, Kathryn made her way down the hallways amid the various twist and turns until she reached her desired level on the third floor. According to the maps they had reviewed in the air on their way in, there were three main-levels inside the building and one sub-level. This was where Storm and Wolverine were headed. And where the only current on-guard security was (outside of the watchman Storm had taken care of earlier upon their arrival).
Kathryn reached the sliding glass doors. The fact that they were sealed and were accessed only by personal authorization proved unproblematic as she quickly phased through the doors that at first glance appeared it would've barred her way. They were useless against her, however.
Wasting no time, Kathryn quickly crossed the room and inserted the drive into the port, her hands rapidly flying over the keys. Even as she worked, Kathryn released an excited, slightly nervous, chuckle. This was her first mission as an X-Men and the adrenaline was rushing through her veins. Alright, Kathryn, she said to herself, show 'em what you're made of.
x x x
At the secret, bottom level of the compound, Wolverine and Storm crept stealthy along the dark, slightly damp hall. She breathed deeply, consciously keeping in her check her ever-present fear of small, cramped spaces. Both X-Men kept a sharp ear and eye open for security that lurked, though neither of them worried. Wolverine's senses were second-to-none.
The lights mounted above on the ceiling cast a dim, slightly green glow on the walls and floor. The location seemed to tickle the recesses in the back of Logan's mind, but he ignored it and plowed ahead, sniffing out the first guard just as the man's approaching footsteps sounded in his hear. Before the man knew what had happened, his face met Logan's powerful fist and he slumped to the floor. Wolverine removed the man's firearm as well as the clip and pocketing the ammunition.
"You okay?" he whispered to Storm.
"Fine. Are you?"
"Peachy."
"Alright, let's go."
They continued around another corner. Before they'd left the mansion, Professor Xavier had initiated a telepathic sweep of the complex to be safe. According to the Professor's psychic scans, there was indeed a mutant located in the building – a young girl. Wolverine turned and told Ororo he could smell her the closer they approached – her along with four others.
Three more guards were taken down before coming upon the entrance. The sub-level operated on an entirely different security system which meant Wolverine and Storm had to wait until it was disabled to proceed. Right on time, Gambit's syrupy drawl echoed once more over the communicators notifying them that the last system was down and that he'd join them shortly. The security console, formerly flashing red died, indicating Gambit's success. *SNIKT* Wolverine placed his claws in the seam of them and pried open the thick, heavy doors.
The closer Wolverine got the more unsettled he had become, and the feeling seemed to come to a sharp head as he and Storm stepped inside the room. He shook his head futilely, trying to rid himself of the itchy feeling grating on the inside of his mind, but to no avail. The room was hardly lit, but since both he and she could see well in the dark the matter proved to be of no little consequence. It was a strangely empty room with cool, concrete floors. To the left was a small hall that led to a door, and to the right a short file cabinet sat in the corner alongside a desk. There were a handful of chairs strategically placed and not much else.
"She's through there," Wolverine pointed towards the small corridor. "But be careful, there's still someone other than the girl down here."
Ororo nodded. "And what about you?"
"I'll be there. I want to check out something though."
He watched her leave and slowly turned back towards the file cabinet. Apprehension began to weigh in on his shoulders with each forward step took, making his feet feel heavy, and his palms damp with sweat. He stared at the object several lengthy moments before unsheathing his claws and easily ripping through the metal lock. There was only one file in any of the drawers and it was stamped simply: DEPARTMENT K
He frowned down at the lettering when a barrage of memories assailed him without warning.
Water. Needles. Champagne classes being toasting in celebration. Wire. Tank. Blood. Pain. Hot Pain.
Logan growled against the onslaught of images, staggering unsteadily on his feet. The fragmented bits continued brutally and he was forced to his knees under the weight of them. Logan could almost feel the pain, as if wasn't past pain, but present.
"What the hell are you doing, mutie?" he heard a man bellow harshly, just barely piercing through the mental hell he was experiencing. "You animals broke into my building!"
Animals . . . Animals . . . "Become the animal, Wolverine," an unfamiliar voice coerced. "Embrace . . . the animal . . ."
Logan thew back his head and roared, the angry, violent scream filling the room. He turned on the new intruder, fangs barred, his vision red. The stocky man immediately stopped his approach and recoiled in fear. Wolverine's vision tunneled in on him and he jumped.
x x x
Ororo knelt and quickly picked the locked door with the spare lock-picking paraphernalia she always kept on her. Gambit would've been proud. She swung open the door and found the small girl drawled up on a cot in the corner, barefooted and wearing only a thin shirt and pants. Her stringy black hair hung in her face and her green eyes stared at Ororo in bewilderment and shock.
"W-Who are you?" she stuttered out.
"My name is Storm. I'm an X-Man. We've come to get you out of here, okay?
The girl looked skeptical a moment, and Ororo tried to beseech her with her eyes. "I won't hurt you, child, I promise."
After another brief moment of doubt, the girl reluctantly stood and reached for Ororo. "Don't worry, sweetheart, I'm taking you out of here. Now come." The older woman grabbed the girl's hand and began to make her way out with the girl following. "Gambit, where are you?" she spoke into the communicator.
"On m'way down, chère."
"Good. Kat?"
"Yeah, Storm."
"Have you gotten the data?"
"Just finishing up."
"Alright, we have the girl. Gambit, Wolverine, and I will meet you at the jet. Please be careful."
"Sounds good, Storm."
Ororo ended the contact and continued the track back to main room. When they made it she gasped in horror, her wide eyes falling on Logan. He was on the ground, leaning over a bloody and badly bruised man, beating him into the floor with no signs of stopping, looking frighteningly ferocious and wild.
"LOGAN! Stop!" Storm cried. "What are you doing?"
Logan paused mid-strike at the sound of her voice. The man beneath him moaned. The young girl, Laura, huddled behind Storm and held on for dear life obviously scared by the display.
He could've killed the man.
Logan glanced down at the injured man with startled realization. He shook his head as if trying to dislodge something from it, and gaped silently, his breathing hard, and lowered his fist.
"I'm—I'm sorry. I-I didn't realize I—"
Ororo stared at him. Gambit appeared a second later and stopped when he saw their faces. The Cajun looked from Storm, to the frightened girl, to Wolverine, and finally the man writhing in pain on the floor. Damn.
"Y' alright, Stormy? Everyt'ing, bien?" he said, warily eying Logan.
Ororo simply nodded, still too shocked by the behavior she'd witnessed to speak. Finally, Logan grabbed some sort of file from off the floor beside him, and marched out of the room. Never speaking a word to any of them. Gambit went over to Storm and took her hand. "Y' sure yo' good, girl?"
"Yes, I'm fine," she said, though she wasn't. Not really.
"See ya got de petite."
"Yes," she said. "Come, let's get back."
On board, Wolverine didn't offer a word to anyone on the jet as they soared back home. She didn't let it concern her at first, she could tell something had shaken him. But he remained that way for the days following. Locked up and non-communicative, and her concern grew with each passing day.
THE PRESENT . . .
Ororo jumped a little when she heard the light rap on her door. Her heart resounded in her chest, hoping against hope it was Logan, finally seeing fit to come and speak with her.
Her voice quivered when she called out for whoever it was to come in. The door opened to reveal Jean Grey's concerned face. Ororo noticeably shrank with the disappointment.
"Hey, Ororo."
"Jean."
"May I come in?"
Ororo nodded. The redhead quietly closed the door behind her. "Brought you up some tea."
"Thank you, but . . . I'm fine."
"You don't look fine. That's what I'm worried about, and everyone else too," Jean said. "Remy's been a bit anxious."
Remy.
"Tell him I'm fine, too," Ororo said. He had tried to speak with her several times since the mission. She just wasn't in the frame of mind to discuss the situation between them and what had nearly happened right before their call to the mission. Not just yet. Not with this thing with Logan weighing on her mind.
Jean set the cup and saucer on Ororo's vanity table before coming to sit beside her, and taking a moment to regard her friend.
She looked awful. Her white hair was messily pulled back. Her ice blue eyes were dulled, making them lose their crystalline appearance, and she had dark circles under her eyes.
"Are you alright?" Jean laid a gentle hand on her back. Ororo closed her eyes and exhaled. "I will be as soon as I know what is going on with Logan."
"That mission really shook him up."
"That's what worries me. I'm afraid."
"Of what?"
Ororo shook her head. "I have a bad feeling."
"Ororo—"
"You know Logan . . . how he gets . . ."
"He and the Professor will work it out."
"I wish I knew what was happening. He has not spoken to me since that day. I'm just— I'm anxious, Jean." She sighed despondently and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I don't know what to do."
"Even so, Ro, worrying yourself until you're sick will not do any good. I imagine he's shaken and upset, but he'll be alright. You know the guy. You can't keep him down."
"You think he just needs time then?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I do," Jean said. She pushed back the hair from her friend's shoulder and placed a hand over hers in a show of comfort. "He just needs a little time."
Ororo nodded, in spite of the counter-intuitive feeling she had inside. A little optimism wouldn't kill her. She offered a weak smile. "Right. Okay."
Jean smiled at her and Ororo allowed one in return. "I'll take that tea now, if you don't mind."
x x x
Nearly an hour later, Jean left Ororo asleep on her bed. She smiled fondly at her tuckered friend and quietly exited the room and walked downstairs. She found Gambit waiting for her at the bottom.
"What's she doin', Jean? What'd she say?" he urged.
"She's sleeping. She's just been worried about Logan."
Gambit sucked his teeth and snorted dejectedly. His eyes closed on a sigh and rubbed the back of his neck. God, how he wanted to talk to her. Yes, he knew she was worried about the couillon, but there were things left unsettled between them. He'd be damned if that was the whole of it, what they had discussed in his room days prior.
When he'd almost kissed her, there was something in her eyes. He knew his Stormy – better than anyone. There was something between them. He wanted to talk to her and yet once again it seemed the Wolverine was barring his way.
Author's Note: I decided to post the proverbial 'poo' part in a separate update that I'll update the day after tomorrow (if not earlier). Only because this chapter was already broken up so much, and I'd rather the next part be separate. Thank you for reading and all your kind feedback. Sorry if I didn't respond to your review directly. I couldn't remember who I had and who I hadn't :D I appreciate it nonetheless.
End Note: This chapter was partly inspired by the 90's animated series episode: "Night of the Sentinels."