Disclaimer: The X-Men aren't mine, they're Marvel's. I only claim possesion of Leo, Benj, Tyler, and Seth. (for now)
Author's Note: I realize this is a short (for me) chapter. It is more of a bridging chapter anyways, to link the story together. I almost forgot that Leo had to return to the zoo.
Please enjoy this chapter that I refer to as: "Wimpy Bridge"
Warm rays of sunlight flittered through the window blinds. Leo squinted, shifting to avoid their harsh glare. Unable to bear it any longer he sat up on his new bed at the Xavier Institute.
He looked over at Benj, who was fast asleep on the bed opposite his. The two of them had spent half the night arranging things and personalizing their room.
The two beds sat on opposite walls, each with the longer side against the wall. There was a nightstand for each of them; Leo placed his at the head of his bed, while Benj placed his at the foot. Benj had the unwelcome habit of completely flipping around during the night and sleeping backwards in his bed so the location of his clock was perfect. On Leo's nightstand sat a gray alarm clock with glowing red numbers. It read 7:02.
Leo sighed, and breathed in his new home. He glanced back at Benj.
Benj lay sprawled out completely on his bed, his arm hung over the side. The exhausted teen had fallen asleep with his jeans on. It almost looked like he had fallen into slumber while he was changing into pajamas (which was completely plausible), his borrowed shirt laid in a crumpled heap next to his bed.
Kurt had been nice enough to loan Benj a shirt, since his had been torched, but it had been covered in tiny blue, scratchy hairs. He'd hadn't said anything, but Leo knew it had bugged the crap out of him all day.
It was much too early for Benj to be up, partially because of their late night, but also because he was a late riser. The teen continued to sleep soundly, despite his brother's waking.
Leo got up and crept toward the closet. He opened it, flinching when it creaked, then grabbed a pair of khaki shorts and his zoo uniform shirt, which luckily he hadn't worn yesterday. He threw them on hastily and snatched the truck keys.
He still had a job to finish.
Logan sat in the kitchen, drinking his coffee and reading through the newspaper. Kitty sat at the table, typing a letter to her parents. It was a type of silence the two had started to enjoy and become accustomed to.
Then Leo came in. The teen's hair was freshly spiked, and he wore a polished set of blue colored shark's teeth around the leather chain on his neck. He didn't mean to be loud, but he was. The moment he slammed into the door it shattered the silence both Kitty and Logan were enjoying.
"Uh…" he said, glancing between the two. Obviously he had interrupted something, from the frustrated looks he was getting from the two. He gulped; it would take a while to get used to living with so many people. "Uhhh… Morning. Getting breakfast." He stood there awkwardly, swishing his tail back and forth.
"Can I help you with somethin' kid?" Logan grunted, breaking the silence he held.
"Yeah, uh… how do you open the gates? I gotta get to work" Leo answered.
"Work?" Kitty asked, shocked. None of the other X-Men held jobs, well not the kids at least.
"Yes, Kitty. Work." He said, impatient. "Look, if I don't leave now I'll be late for my last day… at least for a while."
Logan got up from his chair and set aside his coffee mug and paper. "I'll open the gates for you, kid. Just remember, try to be back here by four o' clock. The professor wants to get you fitted into a uniform." He looked the teen up and down. "You work at the Zoo? Know anything about that attack yesterday?" As soon as he finished the question he knew he shouldn't have. Wafts of fear came off of Leo, who was thinking that if he told the truth; he would be gone, banished from this new home.
The gruff man sighed, "Never mind that. Come on kid, off to work!"
Leo pulled through the Institute gates, and nodded at the solemn Logan who was standing to the side. He'd made him promise not to mention the Zoo incident until, well the professor asked. Not like Leo could hide it forever, but he wanted to deal with it later. Now was not a good time.
He reached the Zoo in less time than he thought, and entered in the employee entrance. Mr. Walkman stood there, waiting for him.
That's strange. He thought. Seth is usually the one who I would see first.
"Good morning, Mr. Walkman. Ready to get to work!" Leo said cheerfully.
"Likewise." The man answered, his gray mustache bristling.
"Sir, where is Seth?" Leo asked.
Mr. Walkman turned to Leo as they walked down to the lion enclosure. "Mr. Severus wasn't feeling well this morning and called in sick. He hasn't really been himself the last couple days."
With a start Leo realized it too. Seth hadn't been his usual cheerful self yesterday. Leo contributed it to the fact that he attacked Zoo guests, but even still, Seth had seemed angry and dismal before that as well.
Suddenly he felt very worried for the mutant supervisor.
But he had little time to worry, his job was just beginning. They had arrived at the lion enclosure.
"Alright, Leo. You know what to do." Mr. Walkman said, leaving Leo to his tasks.
Leo turned to the two zoo employees who were there to assist with the lions. "Drake, Pat," he said, nodding. "You clear on the plan?"
Drake, a young man with blonde hair, and Pat, a similarly aged black man, nodded.
"Hey, Leo. What exactly happened yesterday?" Pat asked just as Leo was climbing into the enclosure.
He froze. "I'll tell you later. Hand me the tranquilizer." Neither were mutants, and in all honesty, Leo had no intention on telling them what happened.
He finished climbing the gate and crept through the enclosure, looking for the injured lions. He was going to tranquilize them then carry them out. He sighed. It would take less time if another employee went with him, but he was the only one for sure the lions wouldn't try to eat.
It sucked being a mutant. You got used, a lot.
Benj rolled over to hide his face from the light, but instead flopped off the bed. He groaned and threw his arm across his face. The wound in his side was throbbing to a whole different beat today.
Great. He thought. And now I'm stuck on the floor.
He tried sitting up, but the sudden movement split his side. Leo was gone, he knew that. There was no way Benj was going to try and call out for some random X-Men to help him so he came to a decision on what to do. He was going to lie on the floor. Forever if need be.
Luckily for him, a savior came. And he was fuzzy.
A puff of smoke entered the corner of the room, followed immediately by Kurt.
"Benj! Leo! You're going to miss breakfast!" Kurt yelled in utter dismay. Missing breakfast to him was like dying. He looked down at Benj. "What are you doing on da floor? And where's Leo?"
Benj smiled, and then groaned in pain. "Leo's at work. Now the answer to your first question: Can't get up. You mind helping me?" Kurt bent down to help him up by supporting him on his left side, "Ahh! No, no, Kurt get on my other side. Thanks" he said as Kurt helped him into the wheel chair sitting beside the bed. He wheeled himself over to the open closet and grabbed a dark green shirt. "Breakfast you said?" Benj said as he speedily wheeled himself out of the room. Kurt followed behind.
"Hey wait for me!" Kurt said, bounding after him.
The job was finished in little time, but still more than Leo would've liked. Leo saw that his pride (lions) got to the infirmary okay, then he practically bolted out. He stopped by Mr. Walkman's office on the way out to receive his last paycheck for a while.
For a while. That was the phrase he would use. It seemed hopeful, though he didn't completely believe it.
He knocked on the door then went in. Mr. Walkman looked up from some paperwork and sighed.
"Glad you're here Leo. I'm sorry about all of this."
Leo nodded, trying to keep the lump in his throat down. It couldn't just be ending.
It was those damn jocks anyways. Leo told himself. Once I start school I can't wait to grind them into dust, errr… in a completely school appropriate way of course.
Mr. Walkman signed a check and handed it to Leo. "Son, you know that if I had another choice... but the Zoo board will find out soon enough. This is the best way to protect you from getting into any real trouble. I'll call you when it is okay for you to return."
"Yes, sir." Leo answered gruffly.
He turned and retreated back to his pick-up. Once there he turned the stereo on full blast and drove back to the Institute. There might as well have been a dark cloud over Leo's head.
Author note: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Wimpy. Whatever, next chapter is what I was talking about before: Wolverine action.
Just stick around, okay? I'll pull a long Saturday, just for you guys. Special thanks to my first two reviewers: magicrazy101 and Tigereye13.
To answer Tigereye13's question: I'm going to explain from where Ray recognizes Benj in the next chapter. Oh the suspense!