A few hours later, as the younger mutants were setting up camp; Jean, Storm, Logan, Remy and I were in conference with Magneto and his loyal follower, Mystique.
"You know who attacked the mansion. Don't you?" I came right out and asked Magneto after we had all gathered around a camp fire a few yards out of hearing range of the camp.
The older man turned to me with an intrigued look on his face. "And how would you know that, my dear?" he asked me sounding like a nice old grandfather but I wasn't fooled.
Folding my arms across my chest I answered, "I read memories through touch and when you brushed past me just now, I saw that you knew who Stryker was." I told him hating the way his condescending gaze turned considering as if he was wondering what he could use someone with my powers for.
As though he did it unconsciously, Logan stepped closer to me, standing protectively as he glared at both Magneto and Mystique.
Magneto just smiled serenely before he answered my question. "His name is Colonel William Stryker. He invaded your mansion for one purpose, he wanted Cerebro. Or enough of it to make one for himself."
Jean shook her head. "That doesn't make any sense; Stryker would need the Professor to operate it."
Magneto smiled before turning deadly serious. "Which I think is the only reason my friend is still alive."
"Oh my god." Storm gasped.
Seeing the look going between her and Jean, Logan's eyebrows pulled together. "Hang on; what are all of you so worried about?"
Taking it upon himself to answer, Magneto looked to him. "Once Cerebro is working, Charles' mind is connected to every living person on the planet. If he were forced to concentrate hard enough on a particular group; let's say…mutants for example. He could kill us all."
I jumped as Remy suddenly swore viciously in French and ran a hand through his long hair.
"My thoughts exactly." Magneto said dryly.
"Wait a minute," Storm spoke up suddenly glaring suspiciously at Magneto, "How would Stryker even know where to find Cerebro in the first place?"
Magneto turned his gaze to the campfire in the middle of our group, his face becoming sad, "Because I told him. I helped Charles build it, remember."
I started to move restlessly from foot to foot as Magneto continued.
"Mr Stryker has powerful methods of persuasion, even against a mutant as strong as Charles."
After a few moments of shocked silence, Jean spoke up, "So who is this Stryker, anyway?"
"He's a military scientist. He's spent his whole life trying to solve the 'mutant problem'," Magneto explained. "If you want a more intimate perspective, why don't you ask Wolverine?" I saw Logan tense as he glanced at Jean and then turned back to Magneto. "You don't remember, do you?" the older mutant asked, "William Stryker – the only other man I know that can manipulate adamantium. The metal on your bones, it carries his signature."
A flicker of a memory flashed through my mind and I stepped back catching Remy's arm feeling suddenly unbalanced. I flinched when the echo of Logan's pain from that memory burnt through my body and had to bite back a groan. Breathing hard I bit my lip and looked up, my gaze colliding with Logan's hazel eyes. Looking away quickly I turned my attention back to the group to see Mystique, the blue skinned woman who was Magneto's companion, watching me emotionlessly.
"But the professor…" Logan started looking to Magneto again as I waved off Remy's worried look.
"The professor trusted that you were smart enough to discover it on your own," Magneto smirked, "He gives you more credit than I do."
Storm spoke up obviously wanting to get to the reasons behind Magneto's offer of help, "Why do you need us?"
"Mystique has discovered a plan for a base that Stryker has been operating out of for decades. We know that's where he's building the second Cerebro, but we don't know where this base is. And I believe one of you might." His gaze swept over the five of us and I knew he was just toying with us. The others, however, obviously didn't sense that.
"The professor already tried," Logan said his voice wavering a little in anger.
Magneto's smirk turned self-satisfied, "Once again you think it's all about you." He then looked up and we followed his gaze to see Kurt hanging upside-down from a tree branch above us."
When Kurt had teleported down and Jean had moved to read his mind I turned from the group not needing to know where we were headed next. Making my way back to the jet I walked up the steps and into the interior. I moved toward the front of the jet and hunkered down to see six slim cuts in the floor of the plane where Logan had slammed his claws into the metal floor panels to keep us both against the floor of the freefalling jet. Taking a breath I carefully reached out a hand and brushed my fingertips against one set of holes. I gasped as pain, fear and anger raced through me, the remnants of Logan's echoes when he had saved me. A memory flared in my mind, his memory. I flinched away from it. It was his memory of my broken body a moment before he saved me. Dragging my hand from the floor and my mind from the echo I had absorbed I blinked back tears and stood up quickly, panic tight in my throat. What was I doing? He was in love with another woman and I was falling for him.
Clenching my jaw I turned to the damage still visible on the roof of the jet. Sitting cross-legged on the floor I closed my eyes and let my powers take over.
"Jenna, cheri," I jumped at the feel of a hand shaking my shoulder and looked up into Remy's red-rimmed irises.
Getting to my feet slowly I looked around, "How long have I been here?"
Remy still had that worried older brother look on his face but he folded his arms across his chest and glanced around the jet, "'Bout an hour, amore. Yah done fixin' this heap so yah can get some rest?"
I smiled at him and stepped up to him, stood on tip-toe and pressed a kiss to his cheek, "Just let me make sure I've fixed everything I can then I'll go and rest."
Giving me a measured look, the tall mutant paused for a moment before sighing, "Yah always twist Remy's arm, don' yah, petite cheri?"
I smiled and let him hug me before he turned and left the jet. It took me a few more minutes to check over the repairs I'd done and then I left the plane.
I had just stepped down onto the grass under the jet when the scent of cigar smoke wafted through the air. I turned to see Logan leaning against the landing gear a cigar between his lips. Dropping my eyes from his mouth I bit my bottom lip and tucked a lock of hair behind my ear.
"I never thanked you properly for saving me before," I murmured knowing he would hear it even over the distance between us. I looked up at him then.
Taking the cigar from his mouth, the tall mutant walked to stand in front of me, "You shouldn't do crazy things like that, I might not be there ta save you next time, darlin'."
I swallow hard, the sound of that pet name coming from him setting my pulse racing even though I didn't want it to, "You okay?" I asked him.
He sighed, running a hand through his brown hair, "Yeah," he said a little too quickly.
"Logan-." I started but he suddenly reached out and wrapped his large hand around my wrist making my mouth go dry and snapping my gaze up to his.
"Why doesn't this work anymore?" He murmured almost to himself.
Shaking my head I tried to calm my pounding heart knowing he could probably feel my pulse thrumming wildly under his fingers, "I-I don't know," I answered truthfully.
His dark gaze lifted from his fingers to my face and I was torn between trying to pull away and trying to step closer. He made the choice for me and tugged me a step closer. We're standing so close our breath mingles in the small space between us.
"Logan…" I sighed, the stroke of his calloused thumb over my inner wrist sending heat rushing through me.
The crunch of stones and branches underfoot broke the pull between us and I stepped back as Logan dropped my wrist. A hot blush fills my cheeks when I see John standing wide-eyed a few feet away looking between Logan and I. Turning I rushed quickly to the tent I'm sharing with Storm and force myself to lie down and rest.