CC - you should rent your services as a Logan whisperer. no joke. you know that man waaaay to well to keep it all to yourself.
Cheshire - glad you're liking everything part of the reason this is all finally working so well is because of your help. so thanks but save some credit for yourself.
Retro - yea...bit guilty of picking one of my favorite scenes from the arc Cheshire and I worked on and plugging it in here. not to worry, after a few more chapters I'm going to be posting that entire arc in a separate place. that way if cheshire and I ever collab again (yes please...) I can have a place to post whatever we work on next and not have to worry about little things like fitting it into whatever I'm currently working on here in the "main" storyline.
As always, reviews make the fingers type faster...
"So are we going to discuss it?"
Apex stood quietly studying the board as Xavier waited patiently. Apex had been steadily improving over the last couple of weeks and had agreed to meet with Xavier twice instead of once a week in order to test himself. The majority of their time was spent in silence, but Xavier had slowly been interjecting more and more conversations into their time.
"Colton, the students that you saved told me -"
"I didn't save anyone."
"That's not how they described it."
"Then they're exaggerating."
"Really? Because Amara and Kitty tell a different story." Xavier prodded.
Apex just kept mulling over the board. But his mind still drifted to the previous night.
The night before...
It had been late, long after the rest of the Mansion should have been asleep. He had been in the woods to the east of the Mansion. His mind going over his argument with Greer...and what he had seen afterwards.
He was trained to fight. To kill. To locate a target and complete an objective. But this...thing that was plaguing Greer...he wasn't sure how to approach it.
After he had watched the video from Greer's session in the Danger Room, he had deleted it and the backup from the server. No one else needed to see it. He kept an eye on her until she finally retreated to her room earlier than usual. He noted that aside from Jean, no one else in the Mansion appeared to even know anything was bothering her or her change in behavior.
Logan made a brief attempt at speaking with her but she brushed him off...another first. Greer's life revolved around this place. To see her acting...so much like him...was troubling.
If there was something that -
Yelling and shouting coming from the North.
Apex abandoned his position and silently made his way through the grounds to see what was happening.
...
"I'm telling you...I saw something." Kitty had finally pulled her roommate Amara from bed and the pair were standing by their window staring out onto the front of the grounds.
"Kitty, it's late...no...actually it's early. Please, just go back to -"
"There!" Kitty pointed to the fence that ran along the front of the Institute and sure enough Amara could see three shadows making their way towards the front gate.
"Should we wake up Scott?" Amara suddenly very awake and nervous. She had heard about what had been going on with the latest missions. And now there were people outside trying to get into the school.
"No...let's go check it out before we decide to trip an alarm and wake everybody up." Keeping on their pajama bottoms and grabbing a hoodie and their shoes, Kitty and Amara ran as quietly as possible to the stairs and out the front door that led to the grounds. Kitty being sure to keep a hand on Amara so that they didn't trigger any of the alarms.
As they got closer, the two girls could now clearly hear male voices coming from just outside the gates. With a silent nod, the two separated, Kitty bracing herself against the stone wall that supported the main gate.
Taking a deep breath, Kitty phased through.
Kitty was surprised when she saw that the 'intruders' appeared to be three mutants from their obviously inhuman outlines.
"Hey! Do you need help? Are you trying to get in?" Kitty called out in greeting but took a step back as the three mutants turned to face her. Each one was much larger than Kitty and while they appeared humanoid, each head was a different monstrous visage.
"Who...who are you?" Kitty tried to speak calmly but the way the three mutants just stood silently, watching her, had her very nervous. Looking down she saw that they held spray cans and past them she could make out the phrases "Mutants Die" and other rants were drawn across the Institute's main entrance.
"What the - what hell do you think you're doing?!" Kitty demanded furiously.
The three shared a silent look and began to slowly approach her. Suddenly, Kitty became very aware that she and Amara were out here all alone.
"Stay back!" Kitty knew she was exposed and tried to take another step to run back towards the Institute but the closest mutant reached out and grabbed her wrist in a painful grip. Kitty started screaming and twisting her arm to try and break free. She tried phasing but in her panic all thoughts of powers or training flew from her mind. She just couldn't focus.
Twisting her arm painfully behind her back the mutant placed a hand over her mouth to muffle her screams.
"No! No - get away from me!" Kitty saw Amara trying to keep the two other mutants at bay by throwing small handfuls of magma but one used his spray can and blinded her. The other quickly managed to circle around her and wrapped her in a bear hug before tossing her to the ground. Amara kicked and screamed before getting kicked in the stomach and wrapped up much like Kitty. The two shared terrified looks.
Kitty started screaming mentally for help.
'Jean! Jean! Help us!' But Kitty heard no reply.
"Well, well boys. Look what we have here. Couple chickies wandered a little too far from the freak show." Kitty and Amara were dragged over to the remaining mutant so that the pair were facing the main gate.
"Let us go! You have no idea what kind of trouble you're getting into! The entire place is coming down any second!" Amara screamed while blinking desperately to clear her eyes. The third mutant, obviously the leader, looked back at the still dark Mansion.
"I don't think so." He said mockingly before raising his hand and slapping Amara across the face.
"Leave her alone!"
"Hey! Marcus...maybe we should just get out of here." The voice of one holding Kitty sounded nervous...and muffled.
"Shut it, Dom. Just help me hold this one down." The leader said leering at Kitty. She noticed that his voice sounded muffled as well. In fact, she realized his mouth hadn't moved at all.
"Marcus we - we were just supposed to just spray-paint some stuff. What are you -"
"I said grow a pair. We'll be quick, just keep her steady. I've never had mutie before..." Kitty saw the leader take a step toward her and she began trying to kick and squirm but all that did was cause the mutant holding her to tighten his grip. Kitty was finding it hard to breath and her vision started to blur. She felt hands at her feet and fought to stay conscious...until suddenly she found herself pushed to the ground and gasping for air.
Looking to her right, she saw Amara staring back at her as the two mutants that had been holding them were slowly backing away with their hands in front of them.
"Hey! What the hell? What are you two..." Marcus looked between his two cohorts and at the two girls but none of them were looking at him. They had joined with their attackers and were looking at something directly behind him.
"What is it?! What are you all..." Marcus turned at the sound. He'd never heard anything like it. Like thunder. But it made his blood run cold.
Apex looked down at the little man as it scrambled back to join the other intruders. He ignored their incoherent screaming and gave the two girls a quick glance to ensure they weren't harmed.
He registered some slight bruising, but otherwise fine. He noticed a wicked smile on Amara's face as she slowly got back to her feet and turned to face the remaining two attackers.
"I think you three better run." Amara whispered with enough menace to finally cut through their obvious terror.
With a curse they turned and ran.
"Colton..." Kitty and Amara cleaned themselves off as they approached. It looked like Colton was keeping an eye to make sure the three idiots were smart enough to keep running.
"You two should go back to the Mansion. It's against the rules to be on the grounds this late." Apex didn't look at either of them, saving his attention for the quickly shrinking forms of the three attackers now turning into the woods that led to the highway.
"Colton...we should head back to the Mansion." Amara offered cautiously. But Kitty saw how Apex still had his gaze locked on where the men had ran off.
"We needed to let them go..." Kitty reached out to get Colton's attention but came up short when he finally looked down at her.
"I disagree." He said it more as a growl then a sentence. Kitty's eyes widened as she realized what he intended to do.
"No wait!" But before either Kitty or Amara could finish, Apex was already gone. A black shadow streaking towards the forest in the direction the three men had gone. The two shared the briefest of looks.
"Oh shit..."
...
Kitty and Amara were sprinting towards the Mansion and almost made it to the door when Scott and Logan came barreling out of it. In their panic, Kitty realized she and Amara must have triggered just about every alarm on the grounds.
"Logan...Scott...You need to hurry C-" Kitty started but Scott raised his hand to cut Kitty off. Logan just stared grimly at the pair as they gasped to catch their breaths. Amara was holding a stitch in her side.
"What the hell happened?" Scott looked between the two girls noticing the dirt and tears covering most of their clothes...and something covering Amara's face.
Kitty and Amara both started yelling at once, about how they were attacked and Colton's intervention, getting enough across to Logan and Scott for the two to share a brief look of understanding before Kitty started up again, panic clear in her voice.
"Logan...Colton went after them." From the somewhat blank look on Logan's fact, Kitty didn't think they understood the magnitude of what she had said. "The men that attacked us, Logan...they weren't mutants." Kitty held up one of the masks that they had tossed down as they had turned to run. "They were just some assholes from the local college. This was supposed to have been a stupid prank..." Kitty had finally remembered where she had seen the logo on their sweatshirts.
"Logan..." Scott's voice said it all but Logan was already breathing deep, taking in the scent of the boys still covering Kitty and Amara.
"Summers, watch the girls." And with that, Logan bolted towards the treeline.
...
Stalking through the thick underbrush a few miles from the Mansion, Logan was doing his best to stay quiet while keeping a good pace.
He had followed the scent of the boys that he had smelled all over Punkin' and Amara. They had been making a straight path towards the highway in a tight group until they had suddenly broken up and scattered. Judging from the disturbed dirt that and drag marks, he had a pretty good idea what had happened.
When he finally found them, boys were in nothing but their boxers and obviously worked over...but breathing. They were bound and gagged from what he assumed were the remains of their clothes. Apex leaped out of a just finished hole Logan judged plenty deep and far enough away from the Mansion to draw suspicion.
"You here to help?" Apex didn't even look in Logan's direction. He had heard him coming, although his coming alone could have meant a number of things.
Logan couldn't help but shake his head with a little sigh before straightening up and taking a few steps before leaning against a tall oak.
"You gonna bury 'em alive?" Logan asked casually as he gestured towards the moaning bodies.
"I'm not Creed...I was gonna kill them first." Apex's tone sounded almost insulted. He wasn't a sadist like Creed was.
"Is that really how you wanna handle this?" Logan struck a match for his cigar. Since when did this become his job? Wasn't he the one that had to be talked out of these sort of decisions? The kid had to know this was gonna bring down heat on them one way or another.
"You think burning them would be more efficient?" Apex had considered putting them in their car and simply pushing it into a ravine but he felt this was more discreet.
"No...I think we need to let 'em go. Besides, ya' think Tigger's gonna understand when this comes out in the wash?"
"I'm not doing this for Greer." Logan just snorted and took another puff of his cigar.
"Sure yer' not...and I'm not sayin' they don't deserve it. But this ain't Weapon X. We don't kill dumb teenagers for bein' dumb."
"They didn't tell you." Apex didn't say it as a question as he slowly turned to face Logan. He had wondered how he had been exhibiting such self-control. He had assumed he had come here alone to exact his own form of punishment.
"Kitty told me enough."
"So then you know. You know how close they came to...having her." Logan furrowed his brow for a moment before realizing what Colton had just told him. What it was that these punks had actually tried to do...to Kitty...Logan recalled the tears on her clothes...
Logan gritted his teeth and drew in a slow, very deep breath. Eyes closed and fists balled up tightly at his sides.
No...the girls had failed to mention that detail.
"So...what do you suggest that we do?" Logan slid his eyes only briefly towards Apex before slowly walking towards the semi-conscious teenagers, looking them over carefully, noting that they'd soiled themselves some time earlier in the evening.
Logan worked his jaw back and forth for a moment as he stood over them before deciding what to do, "Which one the leader?" Apex pointed to the tallest, broadest boy there.
Logan huffed, 'Typical.' Squatting down so that his eyes locked onto the boy's, for a moment Logan saw hope in his eyes as he popped a single claw and cut him loose...
"Pl - please...don't let it eat us..."
Right before jamming his other fist under the boy's chin and quickly shutting him up.
"Let's get something straight, slimeball," Logan growled, popping the furthest left claw. "I'm doing you the favor of you life right now," the furthest right claw slid up, both having made razor thin cuts on either side of the boy's face tear stricken face. "You so much as breathe a word of this to anyone and me and the big guy here are gonna hunt you down and make all your worst nightmares come true. One. At a time." Logan smirked as Apex's growl enforced his point.
Logan remained cool and calm as the third claw slowly slit out just enough to pierce the skin at this throat.
"I wouldn't move right now if I were you. I might slip." as if in response, the boy held his breath, afraid to swallow and cut his own throat. "Now. You and your friends get to walk. Make sure you get the word out that this kind of shit ain't tolerated around here any more." Logan tossed the leader away in disgust before popping the other two free. The three of them running for their lives towards the highway.
"That's it?" Apex had a hard time believing that they were just letting them go. Logan had made valid points but still...
"For their sake, it better be." Logan slid his claws back up and elbowed Apex to follow him. Last thing he needed was to find out that Colton had followed those animals home and did what he wished he could do himself.
...
"We'll deal with all of this in morning. Hopefully none of them call the police. Amara, you come with me. You need to have Dr. McCoy take a look at your eyes." Apex and Logan had walked through the main doors to find Scott, Amara and Kitty waiting for them.
"I'll take care of Ms. Pride." Kitty paled. Logan never called her that. Sharing a final look of mutual self-pity, Amara followed Scott towards the elevator, leaving Apex, Kitty and Logan alone.
"You alright Kitten?" Kitty relaxed slightly at Logan's concerned tone. She was beyond relieved when Logan and Apex had walked through the doors noticeably absent of blood.
"Yea. Yea besides for some bruises we're -"
"Then damnit half pint! Didn't I teach you anything? What the flamin' hell is goin' on in that pretty little head a yers?" Kitty seemed to shrink into the ground as Logan laid into her.
"So you just thought grabbin' yur friend and going out on a recon mission without telling anyone was a tactical decision?"
"Logan! We weren't - it was the front yard." Kitty tried defending herself but Logan just shook his head in disbelief.
"Because trouble never follows us home." Logan gave a quick glance over to Apex who just watched the scene. "No, you shoulda' known better. And since you don't seem to realize that, you have detention with me in the danger room every night rest this week."
"Logan that's -"
"And I want you showin' up dressed exactly as you are now. Since that's obviously how seriously you take your own safety. Now - get upstairs before you say somethin' stupid and make it two."
Kitty was furious at Logan...and embarrassed with herself and stormed up the stairs, tears fighting their way down her face.
"And you..." Logan turned and took a few steps until he stood close enough to Apex without having to crane his neck.
Apex wasn't sure what Logan was going to do. This was the first they had been alone, let alone spoken, since their altercation a month ago. Both had seemed to make the silent agreement to pretend the other didn't exist. Apex was also aware that Logan had tailed him a number of times around the Mansion, particularly when he was spending time with Greer. If he was upset that he had -
"Thanks. For watchin' out for 'em." Logan allowed a moment to pass between them before nodding his head, as if agreeing with his own thoughts, and headed downstairs to check on Amara.
Apex had waited a few minutes to let the furor in the Mansion die down before he too headed upstairs.
He had timed it right and had barely stepped into his room and opened the door before she could even knock. He just stood aside to let her enter. He could tell she was worried as she quickly checked him over.
"It's alright Greer. No one was hurt."
Present...
"They both wanted to thank you but told me that they didn't really have a chance." Xavier still waited for Colton to respond.
"Mmmhmm." Apex moved his rook and made it a point to keep his eyes on the board.
"Regardless, they are thankful." Xavier shifted his king. "May I ask, what were you doing out on the grounds so late?" Apex looked briefly at Xavier before returning his attention back to the board. Weighing what to say...and what to reveal.
"I was on patrol."
"Colton, we don't have a patrol. I assure you, the security we have in place -"
"Didn't keep me out." Apex advanced a pawn.
"Fair enough. If you're concerned I'll have Forge rework our security. You can test it out yourself if you want." Apex nodded his head. Since he had started patrolling the grounds he had found a number of vulnerabilities that needed attention. If they were going to refuse lethal measures, the least they could do was make it secure.
"And why were you patrolling? I assume no one asked you..."
"Because I wanted to." Apex shifted his stance slightly.
"And did you just want to go to the aid of Ms. Pride and Aquilla?"
"I'm not certain I know what you're asking..."
"I'm more curious about why you acted." Xavier clasped his hands in front of him. The game temporarily forgotten.
"Certainly you wouldn't have wanted me to have done nothing?" Apex gave Xavier a cold look.
"Of course not. I simply wonder as to your motivation." Xavier tried to not seem too eager and leaned on his arm as if bored. He was aghast at the situation that had occurred so close to home but still...he had been waiting for this opportunity.
"My motivation?" Apex crossed his arms...'what is he talking about?'
"Alright, let me try a different way...Why did you let those men go?" Apex understood what Xavier was really asking. He wanted to know why he hadn't killed them.
"Logan's analysis was correct. It would have drawn too much attention to the Institute. They had likely told their peers where they were headed."
"Colton, I don't mean to be crude but I know for a fact you could have killed those three boys and ensured no one ever tied them to this place. So I ask again, why let them live?" Xavier challenged.
"It wasn't worth the risk. I didn't want to place anyone else in danger." In truth Apex had fought every instinct in not killing them. But he hadn't...
"Exactly. Colton...no one ordered you to patrol the grounds or to help those girls. You did it yourself. So...why did you do it? What ran through your mind when you saw Kitty and Amara in trouble?"
"I don't -"
"Was it the same reason you didn't want to put the rest of the Mansion in danger?"
"It doesn't -"
"Colton please -"
"I need to protect her!" Apex leaned over the board as he yelled before jerking back and turning his head. He had not intended to say that. He wasn't even sure where it had come from. Greer had spent a good hour in his room where he had replayed what had happened and had resigned to her checking him over to prove that he was indeed fine. He kept expecting her to resume her yelling from earlier in the day but she acted like nothing had happened.
But that didn't prevent Apex from remembering it.
"To protect her..." Xavier repeated thoughtfully.
"I think I've had enough games for today." Apex turned to leave. The only person that he sought to protect was himself...'Why did I say that?'
"Colton, I didn't mean to upset you."
"You didn't." Apex kept his back to Xavier. He never should have gotten so complacent. Relaxed. This was all just to -
"I simply believe that this raises the notion that perhaps Ms. Nelson is not the only one that can benefit from your...protection." Apex turned back to Xavier, for a moment considering if he had somehow read his mind. But he knew that was impossible. No...Apex knew what Xavier was trying to get at.
"I'm not one of your X-Men, Professor. It's not what I am."
"I don't think we should put a limit on what you are Colton. Besides, I was only making an observation." Giving a nod of his head which Apex took as a acknowledgment of his eagerness to leave, Apex quickly left Xavier's study.
Besides, he knew he had lost that game three turns ago and he needed to work off some steam.