Canukcle and Cheshire ... rockstars as always. And welcome Blackhawk! All reviews much appreciated and I've decided to cut back on chapter sizes to try and post more regularly and get back to the story I always wanted to tell.
As Apex raced back to the Mansion, several different plans and contingencies ran through his head, but only two concerns: where was Vanyss ... and what state would Greer be in when he got back.
So as the panther raced back from the Shack and down into Xavier's, he could be excused from coming up in surprise at the sight of Greer pacing while she snarled at Jean and Dr. McCoy. It didn't take more than a glance for him to know she was alright ... and angry.
"I told you I'm fine. But if you ask me again and don't let me talk to Scott I swear to god ..."
"Ms. Nelson you experienced a horrible shock, if you would just give me a moment I promise -" Hank tried reasoning with his agitated ward but Greer wasn't having it.
"We don't have a moment. If Scott won't talk to me then I'm going after K and Logan so just - Colton!" Greer had been so focused on getting away from Hank and Jean that she hadn't even noticed Colton standing in the door and practically sprinted into his arms. Jean could sense an immense wave of tension momentarily leave her best friend as Greer took a moment to simply soak in the panther's scent before she seemed to steel herself and take a measured step back.
"Kraven's back. He has Vanyss. And he -" for the first time since she found herself back at the Mansion Greer came up short, but Apex knew from Betsy's message and putting a hand on Greer's shoulder, he looked over at Hank.
"Show me."
The good doctor seemed prepared to enlist Colton in his efforts to at least check out Greer but from the look the felines were giving him, Hank let out a sigh and led the way to his lab and through there to the small examination room he kept for autopsies and other less patient friendly procedures. Greer stood by the wall while Jean had headed upstairs, claiming to have heard Scott calling for her, while Hank stepped out of the way as the lights came on to reveal a white sheet covering a small mound in the center of the table. Apex didn't hesitate as he pulled it off and gently laid out the pelt and took a step back as if to take the whole gruesome sight in. Greer for her part didn't dare look away from it, though she fought down the urge to roar again.
"Thornn." Apex rumbled to himself more than anyone else.
"Still no word from Maria." Hank's tone was purely professional as Apex barely nodded.
"Kraven has her." Apex didn't look back as he leaned over and began to examine the pelt more closely.
"How do you know?" Greer spoke low as she watched Colton work, somewhat taken aback at how calmly ... how unfazed he seemed at what he was looking at. Skinned ... like a beast ... she gave her head a hard shake.
"Because I was the one looking for her." Hank looked over his shoulder at Greer with a raised eyebrow but the look Greer gave him made it clear she was as clueless as he was.
"Care to expand on that?" Dr. McCoy waited for an answer but the panther seemed to have lost interest in their conversation as he continued studying the pelt, annoying the doctor more than usual, but then his com went off. With a frown he went over and placed it to his ear for a few seconds before ending it with a brief 'understood.'
"Well you might want to rethink your silence," Hank grabbed his notes as he addressed Colton, "Logan and K just got back and Scott wants everyone in the main briefing room." and giving Greer a tight smile and nod, headed out the door back to the lab.
Greer raised on her toes to see what Colton was doing but he seemed not to notice, now running a hand slowly along the grey fur.
"What are you looking for?" Greer took a step toward the table but just then she almost saw what looked like Colton pluck something off the fur but just as quickly he turned to face her.
"C'mon, we should hear what Logan and K found." Greer nodded and half-turned back to the pelt to ask if he'd found anything but the sight earned a shiver from the tigress and she quickly followed Colton out of the room, the light automatically flicking off behind them.
"Everyone's here ... good," Scott said with a nod as he looked around the room. "Logan why don't you start us off." Scott had his usual spot, Jean at his side, with the rest of the X-Men spread out around the room in a rough circle. Apex stood in one of the corners with Greer.
"It was Kraven. We tracked him east for a couple miles. His scent was strong along with Vanyss'. He made the trail easy to follow. Wasn't tryin' to hide it at all. He came alone but once he hit the river we lost the trail. Both of us can track in a damn downpour, but a running river ... " Logan shook his head before he took a deep breath and continued. "We tracked up and down both sides mile each way but nothin'." It was obvious he was irritated if the glare at the steady drip of his soaked clothes hit the floor in a steady tempo was any hint. Scott nodded, ever the tactician in need of data, and turned to K.
"Anything to add?"
"Not really," K replied with an easy shrug. She'd managed to stay out of the river after she and Logan played a quick hand of rock paper scissors to see who had to swim it, so only her boots were muddied. "This was about sending a message. My guess is that the girl was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."
"What makes you think it was a message?" Ororo asked as she gave Greer a brief look of concern. From what she'd heard the girl had been raging since she'd gotten back but she'd gone silent ... the storm godess couldn't help but worry it had to do with Colton being back.
"Pretty sure the skin nailed to the tree answers that." Rogue mumbled as the group gave a collective shiver. But Ororo shook her head and tried again.
"What I mean is you said a 'message.' How do you know it wasn't a threat? A warning of some kind. Kraven has never been our problem before." Greer couldn't help as her ears fell flat and she fought to keep her eyes away from Jean while Apex remained as stoic as usual. Greer hated how he could do that.
"Kraven and I have tangled a few times in the past," Logan said. "He's not stupid enough to threaten me or anyone around me." He looked to K, who nodded her agreement before he continued. "This wasn't about me. At all."
"Well it might not be about you specifically Logan but you might be involved regardless." Scott frowned as he internally went over what they knew.
"What you talkin' about Slim?" Logan
"Kraven's gotten some new fixation on hunting down ferals. Thornn. Wild Child. Feral. Even Vanyss might fall under that category if Kaven isn't being picky. And that means you, all of you," Scott looked at Logan, K, Greer, and Colton all in turn, "are potential targets."
"Not to shock you Summers but I'm pretty sure we're targets all the time." K said matter of factly while Greer couldn't help but chuckle a little and nod her head at the dark humor of it. Woman had a point.
"Fair enough but this danger is pressing and right in front of us," Scott opened his mouth to say something but frowned as he rubbed his forehead, "I take it asking any of you to stay put while we sort this out is pointless ... right?" Scott barely had to look up to get his answer. "Worth asking I guess." He mumbled before letting out a breath and drawing himself back up.
"Alright, we got a missing student and an enhanced human hunting down mutants. Radar didn't pick anything up so that leaves small aircraft or car. Hank I want you to reach out to our SHIELD contacts and make sure he doesn't try leaving the country. Jean and the professor will work Cerebro. Ororo will manage the institute with Peter. Logan and I will lead separate teams in turns to track Kraven down. Anybody have anything they wanna share before we get going?"
Greer shot a look up at Colton but he just kept his eyes straight ahead.
"Alright, let's get to work." Scott had his leader voice in full affect, "Colton a word." Scott called out just as everyone headed for the door.
"Alright, cliff notes?" K muttered as the two headed out from Scott's briefing, talking too low for anyone but a feral to even know they were speaking.
"Bout what you expect ... couple months before you showed up Kraven got a hardon for the felines. Decided he wanted to try huntin' down somethin' that'd fight back. Took a couple shots at Greer. We kept it quiet so Colton could deal with it. Thought the kid had gone out and taken care of it ... guess I was wrong." L
"He's never left anyone alive before." K said it mostly to herself.
"Nope. But what makes you think he let 'im live and didn't just miss?" Logan asked with a raised brow.
"Just a hunch." K shrug and the two headed to their room to prep for the search.
Scott wasn't surprised that Greer stuck to the panther's side and was giving him a glare that would make Logan proud.
"You don't have to look at me like that." Scott sounded both tired and offended as he had hoped Greer would have given him a break by now. But Greer wasn't going to have it and was ready to tear into Scott.
"If you think you're going to send Colton out to do this on his own your even worse than -"
"If you'd let me talk first," Scott cut in with an edge to his voice that earned a hard look from Apex but got Greer to pause, "thank you. What I was going to say," now Scott looked up at Colton, "was that I don't want you running solo on this. I don't know what history you two have with Kraven but it's pretty obvious this message was meant for you." Scott nodded between the felines. Greer glanced up at Colton, signaling for him to say something and for once he listened.
"I'm going to kill him." Scott frowned and Greer rolled her eyes with a muttered 'smooth'. Scott however had dealt with Logan for years so none of this was that unexpected.
"How about for now we focus on finding him first. I want you working with the X-Men on this one. We can't watch your back if you're out there alone."
Greer looked between Colton and Scott as it seemed Colton weighed what Scott was trying to sell him.
"I'm still going to kill him." Scott bowed his head for a moment as he let out a breath that sounded like 'ferals' before looking back up at Colton.
"Can I take that as a 'yes' then?"
"Yes." Apex left the room so quick Greer almost stumbled as she barely had time to give Scott a 'thanks' before she darted after her boyfriend who was already at the stairs heading up.
"I can't believe you actually said yes." Greer said, the surprise evident in her voice. Apex just huffed.
"He's using us as bait."
This time Greer's surprise froze her on a step.
"No way."
"He knows we're the reason Kraven attacked. He knows Kraven wants to lure me back into his hunt. So Scott wants to keep us close until Kraven makes his move." Greer gave her head a hard shake as she jumped a few stairs to catch back up with Colton.
"Scott might be an ass sometimes but I don't think he'd do that. Not everyone -"
"Thinks like me." Apex glanced down at Greer who gave a guilty shrug as the two reached one of the lower levels dedicated to research, usually occupied by the Mansion's resident techs Kitty and Forge. Greer could hear Shadowcat herself typing furiously in her preferred workspace down the hall.
"What're we doing?" Greer wondered as she followed Apex to one of the research areas, really just a few rows of lab tables with all the usual equipment ... plus a few pieces of alien tech.
"Examining this." Apex pulled out what Greer thought looked like a bit of fur.
"What is that?" Greer sat on a stool near to the microscope Colton was busying himself with.
"I don't know yet. But it was woven into Thornn's pelt." Greer took a closer look and saw the fur was a deep brown ... definitely nothing like the gray and black coat from Thornn.
Greer sat with Colton for a while as he worked, keeping a close eye on the panther, and eventually asked the question she'd been chewing on.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"Talk about what?" Apex rumbled distractedly. He'd narrowed down the fur to some type of ape ... maybe east Asia? If he could figure out the animal and where it came from he'd find Kraven. He knew it. The message had been for him ...
"Are you mad at me for letting Kraven live?" Greer tone had a bit of a growl in it. She knew she felt like blaming herself for all this.
"No." Greer frowned a bit at Colton's brief response. His focus still on his work.
"Well what about Vanyss? We both care about her. Heh ... I'm pretty sure you actually spent more time with her then I did," Greer felt a bit better talking about the missing gargoyle, "maybe when we get her back I can -"
"Vanyss is dead." Greer's eyes went wide as Colton finally looked up from his work to fix her with a look she recognized from missions. Removed. Cold. Greer hated that look.
"You don't mean that. We need to stay positive ... She's smart. If she can't escape she'll - Vanyss is a fighter okay? She just needs a second to fly away and if she can't then we'll find her."
"Kraven doesn't keep things alive. He keeps trophies." Apex's face remained the same as Greer got out of her seat.
"That's sick Colton. How can you even say that?"
"It's a fact. Kraven's a hunter. He wanted my attention. Vanyss never should have been there."
Greer stood in silence as Colton calmly turned back to analyzing the fur and for a few moments she just watched him until anger replaced her shock.
"You can be a real ass sometimes. You know that? I know you care about her. The whole 'robot weapon' thing ... I don't buy it. And if you don't care, then don't worry about it. I'll bring her home. Alive. You just worry about hunting down Kraven. You two deserve each other." Greer growled and stormed out of the lab.
Apex waited until he could hear Greer reach the stairs before turning to look at where the tigress had been standing. Taking a deep breath, Apex growled for a moment, and went back to work.
"I found it!" Kitty practically ran into the hangar as Logan's team came off the X-Jet the next day without any sight of either Kraven or Vanyss. The team had tried picking up where Thornn had gone looking for her sister in the African game preserve but had come up with nothing. Vanyss had been missing for two days now. But it sounded like Kitty had more luck.
"What you got kitten?" Logan pulled off his cowl as Kitty caught her breath.
"I did a deep dive on Kraven's finances and it took a while but he got a couple smaller deposits like a year ago and at first I didn't really care but then a couple weeks ago he got a huge deposit in one of his offshore accounts. My guess is he got paid for some job and he's been brought back to carry out this one." Kitty beamed as she was clearly impressed with her detective work as she handed Logan the printout showing what she'd found. K had heard most of the conversation and came over to look.
"What's the connection?" K asked as she watched Kitty bounce in place. Now Kitty was really beaming.
"OK now that took me even longer - and I'm pretty sure I broke like ... thirteen different hacking laws - but guess where the money originated from?" Kitty looked between the ferals expectantly but when neither one seemed willing to play Kitty rolled her eyes and gave in, "those accounts? They trace back to the Hellfire Club."
Now that got Logan's attention and suddenly his brow furrowed as he went back and looked at the dates of the transactions.
"Sweetheart, grab ol' Fearless. We need to have a little chat with that panther."
When Scott, Jean, Logan and K got together it wasn't in any of the official briefing rooms. Instead, Logan had told Kitty to send Scott to the barn. The fact Scott had brought Jean along wasn't that surprising, but a quick glare in warning from K threw their plan of peaking into her head to find out what was going on out the window pretty fast. Logan joined them a couple minutes later with Colton in tow.
"Is it true?" Scott asked Colton after Logan calmly explained what Kitty's research had uncovered: Kraven's first attempt on Apex had happened just as he'd been working his way through Weapon X. The fact that the Hellfire Club had paid Kraven then and now likely meant that Weapon X was either bankrolled or even controlled by the club.
"Yes." Apex answered Scott but his eyes were on Logan. Jean meanwhile sighed and leaned against a bale of hay. She'd tried snooping on the two ferals and seeing as how she'd never gotten into Colton's head, the red head felt rather defeated. Scott meanwhile was just getting pissed.
"'Yes?' That's all you got? Jesus Colton ... I knew you were running your own version of X-Force out there but I - Weapon X and the Hellfire Club? You never considered the danger you were putting everyone in? The school - the students!?" Scott seemed to be working to not blast Colton out of the barn, his jaw locked and his features as always unreadable behind the ruby quartz as he turned his attention to Logan.
"How long have you known about this?"
Logan was about to respond but Apex cut him off.
"It wasn't X-Force," Apex looked over at Scott, "I was hunting Weapon X alone."
"I know it wasn't X-Force, but you've been using our jet to hop around in your little vendetta. So you were gonna try to take down Weapon X all by yourself? How arrogant do you -" He cut himself short and just took a breath to try and refocus himself. It was clear from the intensity of the glow on his visor that he was concentrating hard. " ... you just added the Hellfire Club to the list on a whim?" Scott said through gritted teeth, but instead of answering Apex shifted his gaze elsewhere and clenched his fist. The lack of an answer wasn't lost on Scott.
"You had no idea they were involved ... did you?" Scott demanded, and another second of silence passed, "A kid was taken! All because you refuse to trust us. Because you had to go solo. Well guess what," Scott took a step into the panther's space and Apex glared down at him. "You're done. From now on you're going to either be a part of this team and trust us in these things or you can go somewhere else. You can't keep using us to fuel your personal vendettas. Now. We're gonna find Vanyss and then we are going to bring Kraven in so he can tell us what he knows about Weapon X and the Hellfire Club. And we'll do it as a team."
Scott stared straight up into Apex and no one else moved.
"You head out with the whole team in two hours." and with that Scott turned on his heel and marched back towards the Mansion with Jean at his side.
Apex didn't wait for Logan to say anything and instead headed in the direction of the forest.
He got about twenty yards from the barn when Greer slipped next to him in stride. The two hadn't spoken much since their argument the day before. Apex had been a bit surprised to find the tigress in their room that night and she'd went into how they were just 'stressed' from Kraven and Vanyss missing. Apex had just kept his muzzle shut and let Greer talk herself to sleep. It didn't do him any good pointing out he didn't feel things the way Greer did. Besides ... from what he'd seen emotions just got in the way.
Of course none of that meant Greer wasn't going to eavesdrop when he was involved.
"So you going to listen to Scott and actually work with the X-Men?" Greer's tone was conversational as the two hit the tree line.
"No." Greer sighed and wondered how this was any worse than Scott sending him out alone.
"Of course not. And are you going to tell him you have a lead on where Kraven is?" Apex didn't bother answering as he assumed Greer already knew the answer.
"Are you going to tell me how you know where Kraven is?" Greer didn't bother trying to hide being annoyed. To say she was stressed was an understatement. She'd had to sit with Pixie for almost an hour as the poor girl had gone from yelling to crying to yelling again. Little fairy could really let it out.
"Barbary Macque." Apex didn't miss Greer's raised eyebrow. "It's a primate from Algeria."
"We're going to Algeria?" Now Greer's eyebrow's went up.
"We're going to the Seneca Park Zoo." Apex slowed as they reached the Shack.
"Why on earth would we be -"
"Because before the park went under construction and closed to the public ... they acquired four Barbary Macques."
Greer nodded and her head and followed Apex down to prep and as she slipped into her gear she growled low to herself.
"This time he doesn't get to walk away ... I'm comin' Vanyss."
