Chapter 41
"Who are you Cat Grant?"
"Will you like stop asking that?" Kitty complains at Clark.
"Sorry," Clark says as he realises he probably has been asking that a lot. He was down in the computer room with Kitty as she worked her way through Cat Grant's life in between his trying to find the Prankster. He seriously needs more hours in the day.
Kitty sticks a candy bar in her mouth, bites a piece off and chews.
"Thank you for all this Kitty," Clark says gratefully for her aid.
"No problem," she says between chews. "Whoever they are they're good but you're right that something is off about Cat...which by the way I am like really upset about. She was the only one who shared my love of shopping."
"Who are they?"
"Don't know but they did all the usual stuff. Gave her a birth record, school attendance, the works but it's the more active data you have to scrutinise."
"Like?"
"Credit card records for example. Phone records is another. Neither of those exist for Cat beyond 5 months ago...and really these days? Who hasn't had a phone since they were like 5?"
"The start of the summer," Clark summarises when that was.
"That is when Cat Grant came into existence I'm like thinking."
"Still leaves the question of who is she really?"
"Can't give you that answer."
"The answer is probably in her house that has more security than this place."
"It was that good?"
"To the human eye no-one would notice but I could see it all. I couldn't see a way in without setting it off which would alert Cat or whoever she is that we're on to her which we don't want just yet."
"Ah my little grasshopper you still have much to learn," a voice from behind says.
Clark and Kitty look behind them as Domino stands in the doorway leaning against the frame dressed in her usual black X-Man uniform.
"Rogue told me about your little dilemma," Domino goes on to explain.
"And you can help?" Clark inquires.
"My time with Stryker wasn't all fairground rides and cotton candy," Domino answers that with, sounding a tad bitter about it all still. "All security systems have vulnerable points. Your little blue eyes, as gorgeous as they are, don't know what to look for. Also there happens to be the girl who can walk through walls," Dom points at Kitty. "And shorts out anything electronic."
"Which could backfire because she might set it off," Clark argues back. The way Kitty shorts stuff out isn't exactly a precise science.
"Um hello," Kitty says. "I'm like sitting right here. Can we not discuss me in the 3rd person?"
"Sorry Kitster," Domino says. "My point is you are the most likely person to be able to get in and shut it off...with my guidance of course and Clark's sharp eyes. That is if you are willing to help."
"Are you kidding?" Kitty asks with a cocked eyebrow. "Of course I'll help! This will be a great story to tell Peter on our next date!" she says with much excitement and enthusiasm.
Clark rolls his eyes. "Next date I have to drop you off to," he complains. "Kent Taxis at your service," he adds with a sarcastic flare. "And I don't even get paid!"
"Oh come on. You love me really," Kitty insists as the reason he does it
Clark takes a moment to think before shaking his head. "Nope. That's not it."
Kitty frowns angrily at him which on Kitty comes off as cute rather than scary.
Domino chuckles at the pair of them. She doesn't understand how they fell into this squabbling siblings like routine but it sure was damn funny. She walks over to the two teens. "Back on subject. Clark can you sketch a plan of everything you saw in that house?"
"No problem," he assures her.
"Good. Once you've done that we'll sit down and plan what we are going to do out," Domino decides. "Despite my powers I prefer not to leave anything to chance with this."
Clark agrees to Domino's plan as does Kitty. The 3 get up and start to leave so Clark an go sketch his plan.
"So how do you think it is going?" Kitty asks as they walk along.
"How what it going?" Clark asks her.
"Cha! Logan and Storm obviously," Kitty says like it should be obvious.
Clark sighs and rolls his eyes. "Kitty sometimes things are better left alone. Believe me I know too much as it is."
"What does that mean?" Domino asks, curiously.
"I have superhearing and x-ray vision, Domino, along with a sense of smell as good as Logan's do you really want me to answer what it is I see, hear and smell around here?"
"Yes!" Dom insists. The gossip monster inside her needs to be fed.
"Well tough. I'm not saying. I respect people's privacy...and that includes Logan and Storm up to a point."
"What point?" Kitty asks.
"Rogue," Dom guesses as in even if he wanted to he can't ignore it completely because he is dating Logan's daughter.
"Oh yeah. How is she taking it?" Kitty wonders.
"Quite well. I think, maybe, she is starting to come to terms with the fact Logan is her father although by tomorrow I could be saying the opposite."
"Can't blame her for that," Domino sympathises and understands being in a not dissimilar position herself. "It can be creepy to think of yourself as the product of Logan's loins."
"EW! Dom!" Kitty protests at that image.
Clark makes a small face of revulsion. "For once I agree with Kitty and that is not how it happened. I thought we agreed you and her were probably grown in some kind of artificial environment."
"And that is better?" Dom questions with an arched eyebrow about how that image of her and Rogue's creation is better. 'Yeah the floating in a glass tube scenario is soooo much better,' Dom sarcastically mutters in her head.
Clark shrugs. "It is what it is. For all we know I could have been made exactly the same way. I pretty much accept I was at least engineered in some fashion."
"How do you know that?" Kitty wonders.
"My DNA is too perfect...too flawless to be natural. It had to be, minimally, tweaked to achieve that."
"And it doesn't like bother you?"
"What is there to bother me? I know I'm an alien. Therefore it occurred to me that how I came to be might not be the same way as humans come to be. I keep telling Rogue this; It doesn't matter about how any one of us came into existence. It is what you do with your life that matters, the choices you make...and ok I've made some stinkers in my life but, hey, that's all part of life's grand adventure."
"Good philosophy," Dom compliments him.
"Thanks. Look did that thought bother me in the past? Yes, because I didn't want to be different from everyone else but my decision to come here was about the fact I realised I had to stop pretending to be something I wasn't. Now I'm not saying that was easy. It wasn't. Believe me you don't want to do what I did to reach that point. What you need is someone there always willing to listen and understand which brings me saying that you need to have patience and give people time. Rogue always needs both."
Kitty wonders if that whole patience and time thing applies to Peter as well. She knows there is lots he doesn't talk about with her, call it woman's intuition as to how she knows but the point is she does. Peter talks and talks but he never says anything. "Well I'm like still going to wonder how it's going," she says in relation to Logan and Storm.
"Kitty I would be more surprised if you stopped," Clark says honestly.
Domino snorts with laughter while Kitty's eyes narrow in annoyance. Honestly Kitty could not tell you why she considers Clark to be a friend.
Mary's Bar and Grill, Bayville...
When Ororo had first glanced upon Logan's favourite watering hole she had raised an eyebrow but said nothing. In fact it was almost as she pictured Logan's favourite place to drink as matter of fact. The whole aesthetic of the place matched him.
When she sat down at the bar next to him they had been met by a rather plump woman in her 40s who Logan obviously knew well.
The head waitress/bartender/owner Mary Smith had looks at Logan with a sly grin and gets a glare back from him. "This is better than your usual company," she remarks.
"Oh and who is his usual company?" Ororo asks, with a coy look at Logan.
Mary opens her mouth but Logan never lets her speak. "No-one. She's joking. I come and sit here by myself and drink. Ain't that so Smith?" he challenges her to say otherwise.
"That's what I meant," Mary says with a too innocent grin.
"Just get me the usual," Logan orders.
"And your guest?"
"The same," Ororo says.
Mary goes and pours two beers. Logan twitches nervously and tries not to go rip a new one on the regulars who are undressing Ro with their eyes. Logan knows what they're doing. He can see it in their gaze. Hell he can practically smell it.
Mary returns with the beers and slides them to her two patrons.
Ororo picks up her glass. "Should we toast?" she queries with a playful smirk.
Logan looks at her.
"Lighten up Logan. I mean you do know how right?"
"Course I do."
"Really? Have never seen it...unless we're counting all those times you lock yourself in the Danger Room for hours getting blown up and cut to pieces."
A feral grin comes to Logan's face. "That's just my release mechanism. It's either that or I murder those kids in their sleep."
"Was that a joke? With you it's hard to tell," Ororo dryly remarks.
"Ro trust me it ain't hard to tell when I'm deadly serious...emphasis on the deadly."
"If you think I'm going to judge you on the fact you have killed people in the past you're mistaken. What matters is the fact that you made a deliberate choice to not be that person any more."
"It's not because I'm a good person ya know. It's my way of sticking it to them...to the guys at Weapon X. Every day I'm not what they wanted me to be I'm beating them."
"You never give yourself enough credit."
"You never see me as I really am."
"You're right. I don't. I see you as the man I believe you can be...but is that a bad thing Logan that I can see potential in you?"
"It's leaving you open to a big disappointment because I can't live up to it."
"Yes you do. Every day."
Logan doesn't know what to say to that. He drinks his beer. This night was already not going as he envisioned.
At the Institute...
In theory it sounded easy. Set down criteria on how to choose students...except it wasn't easy. It was incredibly difficult. As a compassionate man Charles wanted to be able to help everyone but knew he couldn't. He had always known that. It use to be easier when there were fewer mutants in the world.
Now with the exponential growth of the mutant population he faced the dilemma of who to pick to join the Institute. They needed...
Charles stops. The other night he had said to Henry they need greater numbers to counter all the threats that they faced and that was true but it had been said in error. Numbers alone isn't the point. They have to be the right people.
Just then the phone rings and he answers it. "Charles Xavier speaking."
The person on the other end responds, "Hello Charles. It's...it's Emma Frost."
'And so it begins,' Charles says in his head. He forces some surprise into his tone of voice. "Emma! It's...it's been a long time I must say this is a surprise. We didn't part on the best of terms."
"Yes I must apologise for my vulgar language at the time. I was young and uncouth. I can assure you it is a phase I have grown out of."
"You have no need to apologise Emma. You spoke in anger and grief. I understood."
"Most magnanimous of you."
"So what prompts this phone call?" he asks, although he knows.
"That is something I wish to discuss in person with you if that is possible."
"Certainly. I would be delighted to see you again. I know we never got a chance to speak at Tony Stark's function."
"Yes well that's what happens when 6 crazed villains crash a party isn't it," she says with her usual sarcastic flare.
"So where and when would you like to meet?"
"I am still in New York. Business issues. You'll thank me not to go into detail. It is hideously dull most of it. That will take me to the weekend to wrap up so how about I simply come to the mansion this Saturday?"
"Saturday should be fine," Charles agrees. "Any particular time?"
"Well I must have my facial, manicure and pedicure done first so lunchtime?"
"I will have a meal prepared for us to speak over."
"Sounds delightful."
"Then I shall see you then."
"Indeed. Farewell Charles."
"Until then, Emma."
The phone call ends...yet Charles knows their problems are only just beginning.
Mary's Bar and Grill, Bayville...
It had taken a good hour but Ororo had finally gotten Logan to relax. He and she were engaging in a game of pool and she was finally starting to see the real him instead of the front he had attempted, poorly, to put up tonight. "Five Ball. Side Pocket," Ororo says just a moment before she pockets it.
Logan looks bemused if anything as he puffs on his cigar. "Where did ya learn to play like that?"
Ororo smiles lightly. "Upset you're losing? That's what you get for letting me have so many shots."
"And people say I ain't a sportsman."
Ororo smiles wider. This is what she means by saying she has gotten him to relax. He's actually speaking to her in a light-hearted manner.
"Seriously though Ro. Where?" he asks because it is strange how comfortable she looks in this kind of place. Like she fits in where a woman with her grace should never be.
"I was a thief Logan and bars are easy marks. Drunk patrons don't notice when you pick their pockets," she explains as she sinks the 6-ball. She elegantly glides around the table. "Anyway that means I spent a lot of time in bars having to blend in so I played a lot of pool."
"Ro...you wouldn't have been old enough," Logan points out.
"They weren't the type of establishments that cared too much. In fact I've been in places that make this look like paradise by comparison. Besides by the time I was 15 I could pass for older and get in, no questions asked. I blossomed young you might phrase it."
Ororo bends down and misses her next pot letting Logan back in but it isn't a long stay as she had left the cue ball in a bad position for him. He misses.
"Well we can see Rogue certainly never inherited her skills from you can't we. She's good," Ororo jokes.
"I don't think pool skills are inherited Ro."
Ororo mentally works out the shot on the 7-ball. "You ever watched her and Clark play each other?"
"Once. Damn scary how good they are."
"Rogue loves the challenge. You can see it on her face," Ororo had observed. "Clark, I think, is good because his mind works out the angles and calculations in his head, probably within seconds."
"Perhaps but I think there is more to it than that."
"What do you mean?"
"Kid comes off as a boyscout, sure, but we both know he has a darker side to him." In other words Logan thinks Clark's pool skills came from playing. Call it a hunch but he has seen pool sharks and that one time he did watch Rogue and Clark he could see they both had that certain way of playing that pool sharks do.
"As do we all," Ororo says in reference to having a dark side as she bends down and pots the 7-ball by bouncing it off 2 cushions. It was a shot a professional would struggle with.
"Damn," Logan mutters impressed.
Ororo smiles at his comment and moves round to make the simpler final shot on the 8-ball. She pots it, winning the game. "I win," the African woman announces proudly.
"Yeah. This time. Next time I'm kicking your sweet behind."
"Bring it on," Ororo dares him with her own little feral grin.
Logan pulls his cigar out of his mouth and grabs his beer. He drowns the last remnants of it before he racks the balls back up. "How 'bout you break this time?"
Ororo shrugs and breaks the rack.
Logan bends down and aims up a shot. "I think you're wrong by the way."
"About?"
"You don't have a dark side."
"Certainly I do," she contradicts him with certainty in her words. "You don't spend time around the Shadow King without developing one," she says solemnly. She wasn't angry. More regretful of a past she wasn't proud of.
Logan pots the first ball "The Shadow who?" he asks.
"The telepath I mentioned. His name is Amahl Farouk but he was known in the criminal underworld as the Shadow King. I guess it was suppose to sound intimidating. My sister and I were part of a whole gang of street children he controlled although I believe we were only a minor part of the enterprise he ran. With his power I suspect his influence ran up to very high circles."
Logan stands up and wanders around the table to the next shot. "What happened? How did you end up in this country?" he asks her something he has never asked her before.
"Charles. He was on one of his adventures when he came to Cairo and ran across me and my sister. I'll spare the details but eventually that led him to confront Farouk. They engaged in psychic combat and Charles defeated him. Afterwards he brought my sister and I back here with him to this country."
Logan chews that over. "When was this?"
"Oh 15 years ago for all it matters."
"That doesn't make sense. I'm pretty certain Chuck was in his chair by then," Logan says from what he knows.
"He was...sort of. It's complicated."
"Uncomplicate it."
"Do you know who put Charles in his chair?"
"Never asked."
"It was Magneto, the day their friendship ended."
"Chuck told you this?"
Ororo nods. "Some of it. I get the impression much of it is too painful for Charles to wish to talk about in detail. Besides severing Charles' spine Magneto also left him behind something which kept him out of that chair for a few more years for periods. Some sort of magnetic clamps attached to the spine. They were designed to help people with spinal injuries. An attempt to show how mutant powers could be useful. Created when Charles and Magneto were friends. However only Magneto could recharge the devices so as soon as the charge ran down..."
"Charles was stuck in his chair," Logan can deduce the rest.
"Egypt was a last hoorah of a sort. He had used the devices sparingly for a few years. That adventure used up the last of the devices' charge."
Logan shakes his head. "I still can't imagine Chuck as this idealistic adventurer," he says unable to picture it.
"I don't think he was as idealistic by that point. This was after him and Magneto had gone their separate ways. In fact, if anything, I can remember a deep sadness about him."
Logan bends down for his next shot. "I never knew all that," he admits.
"Did you ever ask?"
Logan looks up with an expression that says it all. He isn't the type of person who asks about stuff like that. He returns to the shot and misses.
Ororo smiles mischievously. "Tsk. Tsk. You sure you've played this game before?"
Logan had to say she was cute when she was being playful. He also can't help but have more admiration and respect for her after hearing her story. This Farouk guys sounds like a piece of bad news that Logan would have no guilt over gutting. Yet there she is graceful, kind, charming, serene. It says a lot for her inner strength. "You tell this story to everyone?"
"About my past?"
Logan nods.
"If they ask I don't lie but I do not volunteer it either. It can be hard to explain...especially since now I am suppose to be a role model and teach children about how wrong it is to steal and lie."
"Yeah. That's kinda my view on my life too."
"Yes it is," Ororo says with a strange smile. That proves to her they do have things in common. She bends down. "Left corner pocket," she indicates where this one is going and proceeds to do just that.
"You're killin me here Ro."
"Well if you wish we could try another game. How are you at tiddlywinks?" she asks with a playful spark in her eyes.
"Not funny," he says gruffly.
"Yes it is. You just lack a...what is it called again? Oh yes. A sense of humour," she jokes dryly.
Logan growls. Infuriating woman. Worse part is his instincts aren't pushing him away like he wanted. The more they spend time here together getting to know each better a bit better the more his instincts are pushing him to get closer to her. "Doesn't that mean your sister had already had the Porcupine by the time you came here?" he works out, the thought just suddenly striking him.
"Evan? Yes," she confirms. "His father was working in Egypt when Vivian met him. Viv fell in love with him despite herself trying to keep him away from our world. He was there when Charles saved us. It's...a long story Logan and perhaps the details can be saved for another night," Ororo decides not wishing to spend their entire 1st date retelling that story. It's not 1st date material.
Logan makes a small grunt sound that means he isn't really bothered about hearing it...although he can't help but be a little curious to hear the rest of it one day.
Just then 6 thugs, for lack of a better term, enter the bar. All wearing those FOH armbands.
"Oh terrific," Logan mutters.
"Logan. Remain calm," Ororo advises. They don't want to start something.
The 6 FOH guys walk up to the bar and order drinks. Once they have them one of them walks up to Logan. "I know you don't I."
"I don't think so bub. I think I would remember someone who smelt like yak urine."
Ororo shuts her eyes and shakes her head. That's not the right thing to say when you're looking not to start to a fight.
The guy's 5 friends now surround Logan.
"Yeah I do know him. You're one of those mutie freaks aren't ya?" another one says.
Logan grins wolfishly. It had been awhile since his last fight and nothing would make him happier than knocking the hell out this mutant hating garbage.
"This bitch your girlfriend?" another one asks in reference to Logan.
"She's one of those freaks too. I recognise her!" another one says.
Ororo wished this could end peacefully. She feared that was unlikely knowing this type of person as she does. She could see the unreasoning hatred of her and Logan in their eyes.
"That's it. We're taking this trash out. Respectable places like this aren't for your kind," the leader of the group decides.
"Mary!" Logan calls out. "Your insurance paid up?" he asks.
"Try not to put up my premiums too high Logan," Mary requests, knowing there is no way Logan isn't going to be fighting these guys.
"No promises."
Ororo can see where this is now inevitably heading. "Logan, be gentle," she requests, not seeing any point in stopping him but not wishing to see even these sort of people permanently harmed in a way she knows Logan can easily do.
"Can't promise that either but they'll live to see another day."
"You threatening us freak!" the leader of the group gets in Logan's face.
"Nah. You're too dumb to understand when you're being threatened," Logan says with a deliberately insulting tone.
"We are going to take you ap..."
The leader never finishes that sentence as Logan head butts him and metal skull meets normal human skull. Because Logan is kind of short he hits the guy square in the nose breaking it and blood flows freely as the guy lies on the ground.
"Get him!" another one shouts and 3 jump Logan while the other 2 move towards Storm.
Ororo remains calm as they draw closer, despite the menacing glares she is getting. "Please move back. I am more forgiving than my friend but it has its limits," she calmly warns them.
The two guys pull knives out. "Don't think so mutie bitch."
Ororo can see these men must be taught manners. She tightens her grip on the pool cue she still has in her hand. In a swift motion she uses the cue to disarm one man and then she swings it in one fluid motion upward into his jaw sending him reeling down to the floor.
The other man moves to attack her but as light as the wind Ororo spins out of the way of the blow and the man sails past. She brings the cue and slams it into the kidney area of the man, before spinning it round skilfully across her shoulder and slamming it into the side of his head and down he goes.
Ororo then is forced to duck out of the way as a man goes flying over her head and lands on the pool table, which breaks under the strain. She looks at Logan who is already down to the last thug who he has lifted up his jacket.
"You're just lucky my lady friend is here bub. Otherwise you would be discovering what your guts look like."
"I'm not afraid of you!" the man angrily shouts.
"That right huh?" Logan asks with an evil grin. He brings his left hand directly under the guys chin and pops the two claws on the end so they bracket the guy's face. "I have a third claw. Guess where that one is and what it will go through?"
"Logan," Ororo chastises. "Put the deranged thug down please?" she asks pleasantly.
Logan does so only for the wind to pick up instantly around the man who starts spinning round and round in a mini twister of Storm's concocting which then blows him out through the door until he lands on the ground outside. Before he can recover he finds his pals being dumped atop of him.
Logan dusts off his hands. "Take my advice," he says with a severe scowl. "Don't come back here or you'll find me in a less generous mood," he gives the only warning he will give.
"Logan. Most of them are unconscious," Ororo points out.
Logan shrugs and walks back toward her.
Ororo shakes her head at him and smiles. "Well you certainly know how to show a lady a good time."
"You...really mean that don't ya?" Logan asks, befuddled at the almost glow of amusement of Ro's skin.
"Of course. I told you, you couldn't scare me away. Besides I found that a nice way to unwind even if it was a little short in duration," she complains about the fight not lasting longer.
Logan laughs in disbelief at the fact she seemed to actually enjoyed that.
Ororo then sighs. "They seem to get more numerous every day that passes," she says in reference to the membership of mutant hate groups. It saddened her rather than angered her.
Logan stops next to her. "Welcome to the world Ro. It sucks."
Ororo leans over and kisses him. Her hand rises up to his cheek and gently turns his head more toward her and he doesn't resist. When it is over she says, a little breathless, "It doesn't completely suck if you have someone to share it with."
"Guess, thanks to these jerk-offs interrupting us , I owe ya another date."
Ororo strokes his cheek. "You don't owe me anything and if that is your way of asking me out again it needs work."
"Beats my usual way."
"Which is?"
"You. Me. Motel room," he says somehow with a perfectly straight face.
Ororo gives him a curious look as her lips quirk slightly. "If that is your usual way I'm surprised you've ever dated anyone," she lightly critiques.
"Actually I'm usually cruder than that but since you're a lady I'm choosing polite terms."
"So this mean you've changed your mind about us?"
Logan sighs. Part of him still wanted her as far away from him as possible but he couldn't give her the condition she wanted of saying he didn't want her. He did. More so after spending the night with her. "I'll give it a shot and that is all I can promise. On the plus side you already know what awaits you when I get you back to bed and how great it is."
"Such modesty!" Ororo exclaims in jest.
"Ah. Ya know me Ro. I'm all about modesty."
"It's going to take more than one date to get me back there. Just to warn you."
Logan grins wolfishly. "I'm the Wolverine darlin'. Half the fun is the chase and the hunt."
"You'll find me a challenging prey," Ororo warns him.
Logan grin grows wider. The bigger the challenge the bigger the reward at the end. It seems Ro understands him better then he thought. This should, at the very least, be interesting.
Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up; The investigation into Cat Grant continues as Emma arrives for her lunch with Charles.