"Shattered" -- Part 10

Author: Notmanos

E-Mail: notmanos at yahoo dot com

Rating: R

Disclaimer: The characters of Angel and Drusilla are owned by 20th Century Fox and Mutant Enemy; the character of Wolverine is also owned by 20th Century Fox and Marvel Comics. No copyright
infringement intended. I'm not making any money off of this, but if you'd like to be a patron of the arts,
I won't object. ;-) Oh, and Bob is *my* character - keep your hands off!

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He was peripherally aware that it was no longer rain pelting down towards Crayax but snow,a small blizzard swirling around him,trying to envelope him and bury him alive.Arakis didn't like the cold.It wasn't enough to keep her out of the dimension,but it would surely be an annoyance,just one more problem she didn't need.

Also,a burst of light had hit Volta,not lightning but magic,as the sickly blackish-green color of his...aura?..had paled,and was continuing to pale.Without Arakis to help him out,Volta was no match for Amaranth.

Scott randomly sniped at him,trying to collapse the platform he was on.He still had enough magic to protect himself-at least for now-but Logan wondered if Scott was actually trying to hit him or simply providing both distraction and a cover for Bob, as Logan could now see the rather bizarre sight of his own body climbing up the wall of the cave,using his claws like climbing axes,right underneath Volta's platform so he could not see him coming.

The light was beginning to fade,shrink,and there was a hellish screech that could have shattered glass as Arakis reacted and poured on the strength,trying to force the door (as it were).

He felt a strange sort of pain as he instinctively 'fought back',but it was very odd-a metaphysical pain?-and not enough to keep him from stepping forward,the smaller rips in the dimension healing shut before him as he tried to mentally shove Arakis back.There was a dull ache in the back of his mind,but it was negligible,almost nothing;a suggestion of pain more than the real thing.He was seeing the world through a curious blue tint now,but he figured that just came with using all this power-or blood vessels had burst in Bob's eyes.He had that weird blue blood,after all.

In the shadows of his drastically narrowed perceptions,he saw Amaranth break through Volta's protection spell,and Scott fire, this time to some avail-his shot clipped Volta on the arm and spun him around,and he nearly fell off the ledge.Everybody heard the curse that resulted from that.

And by the time Volta had regained his footing and stood back up,Bob was on the ledge with him.But Bob must have learned how to negotiate things even with Logan's heavy body,because he moved very fast.Volta had just turned around when Bob jabbed his hand forward,and Logan saw his claws punch straight through Volta's chest. He said something to the Chaos demon that was inaudible,but Logan heard it in his mind:"Second verse,same as the first."Being in another body wasn't enough to keep Bob from killing Volta again.Hopefully it would stick this time.

Volta tried to say something,but he was unable to form a syllable as Bob retracted his claws,and Volta stumbled back,off the edge of the platform.The dull thud of his impact with the stone floor thirty feet below seemed to be sucked up by the noise of Arakis's ear splitting scream,somewhere between an air raid siren and the feeling of biting into tin foil.

Arakis-well,no,what was left of Crayax-was in an ankle deep snowdrift,the pile getting higher all the time,but while it was an annoyance,it was not stopping anything.In fact,Jean was weakening,and Arakis was getting stronger,and even though he could feel this power raging inside him,he could not access it,not properly,and he despaired that he had just blown everything.It was a good try,but he just didn't know how to get the car out of fourth gear.

But Bob figured out how to work his claws eventually,right?It was hardly a comparison,but if he could make it work...

But what if he didn't make it work?What if it was just a combination of dumb luck and rage?

Oh,hell-how could he be so fucking stupid?

Bob rarely if ever got mad,but maybe it wasn't because he was really beyond it.Maybe it was because of what might happen if he did get angry.Sometimes the simplest thing got overlooked on the assumption that the answer had to be more complex than that.But sometimes-much like life-the answer was so obvious it seemed almost tragic.

Logan closed his eyes,mentally reached out to the fiery core he could feel inside his (Bob's) mind,and, concentrating on anger that had nothing to do with Bob and everything to do with him,he focused on the hate until it felt like another weapon in his arsenal,and screamed in rage.

It was like a dam burst inside of him,and he almost felt like he was (psychically) vomiting blue fire as the power seemed to expel from him so forcefully it felt like a purging,an emptying of him.

Arakis's scream ratcheted up into the hyper audible region,beyond the range of not only human but most creature's hearing (although he was aware,on some level,Bob was in pain from it-it was not out of Logan hearing range,obviously),and he felt the skin of the dimension knitting itself around him,around her,and there was a cessation of pressure as she withdrew,the immovable rock finally crumbling under the unyielding force.

Things got really quiet as soon as the last of the rifts sealed up,natural dimensional 'pressure' (for lack of a better term-or any term,actually) aiding the effort greatly,and Logan felt amazingly light,like a dried,used up husk.In fact,he felt so insubstantial and empty he didn't realize he had collapsed until he hit the ground,the stone floor feeling cold and yet only partially real.

"What the hell was that?"He heard Scott asked,but he sounded like he was speaking from the inside of a long metal tunnel.

"I didn't even know I could do that,"Bob said,obviously in the same tunnel as old Cyke.

"Logan?"He heard Jean ask.She was far away too,but sounded kind of pained.

He felt like he was floating on this calm and blissful blue light,and he hated to open his eyes,but he supposed he'd have to,if only to assure them he was still alive.The blue light glow remained,tainting his vision,as he opened his eyes and somehow made his arm work,trying to push himself up to a sitting position,but he wasn't quite up to that yet.The best he could do was shove himself over onto his back,and stare up at the shattered roof of the cavern,which looked like a jagged piece of sky through his blue tinted eyes.

"Yeah,here,"he said,although it sounded both mushy and muffled to him."Yh,hr."

Jean's face crossed into the path of his vision,and while she looked pained and indeed was (and an attractive shade of turquoise as well),she seemed to study him intently.He could still hear her thoughts,somewhat faintly now.She was worried he'd done some kind of damage to himself,but she had no idea what,since she had no clear idea of what Bob actually was.She only knew he was not human,and therefore she had no idea how badly injured he (his body) might be."How do you feel?"She finally asked.

"Never better,"he replied,and honestly he meant it.Even spent and used up,feeling a bit like a discarded tissue,he still felt honestly wonderful.Maybe this was what it was like to be a cloud.

Jean grimaced at him,thinking he was making one of his flippant remarks.(She thought he made flippant remarks?)"Can you stand?"She asked,still playing doctor.Well,not in the way he wanted.

That thought almost made him laugh.

"No,"he admitted,not even trying.He felt barely tangible,lightly tethered to this world,like maybe walking was out of the question but floating was not.

"Okay,is somebody going to explain all of this to me?"Scott asked.He was exhausted,confused,and at his core rather unsettled about all that had happened here,knowing full well he had no hope of understanding it.In fact,part of him didn't even want to understand it.

"The world almost ended,but it didn't.The end.Can we go now?"Rogue snapped,unusually curt.But then again,she wasn't really Rogue:from the thought fragments swirling around him,he was able to pick up the fact that Helga had deliberately touched Rogue,so her presence would help her control her Raddock nature.A desperate gambit,but it worked.Helga only held on to her long enough that she felt like she had a really bad hangover,and while Rogue still had a lot of unintelligently aggressive Raddock in her,she had enough Helga infused control to handle it.

Bob came over and knelt down beside him,next to Jean,who gave him a slightly funny look.'Logan,not Logan,' she thought, being slightly flippant with herself.

Bob grabbed his hand,and gave it a solid squeeze."We did it,mate.Nice rally there.You've got real drama queen tendencies, don't ya?"He winked at him,and Logan smiled,too weak to laugh.

"You need to send me the manual on how you work this crazy thing next time."

"Only if you teach me the right way to use your claws."

"Deal."

"And don't worry-I think Ammy can put us back in our correct places."

"Damn-I was hoping to go out and cruise the chicks later.They go for you foreign dudes."

Bob laughed,while Jean just rolled her eyes."I was thinkin' the same thing about you!Who doesn't like the bad boy type,huh?"

"I'm not bad,I'm just drawn that way,"he said,actually repeating the thought Bob had just had as soon as he said that.

"Oh,you stole his line!"Helga exclaimed,still achy but kind of amused.Apparently Bob liked to use that line whenever the opportunity arose.

"Huh?"Scott wondered,basically about all of it.He wondered if they were all nuts and having some sort of collective psychotic episode.

Bob gave him his patented shit eating grin,which Logan found funny and ultimately disturbing to see on his own face.He looked like a self-satisfied wolf.'I'm surprised they call me Wolverine instead of Wolfman,'he thought idly."Get some rest-we'll do the cleaning up,'kay?Remember:if you broke me,you bought me."

Logan nodded,smiling faintly at his joke."You know I'd get the better end of the deal there."

Bob's smile faded,becoming slightly sad."No,you wouldn't."

He wondered what he meant,but he felt like he was going to float away,so as he closed his eyes and felt the river of blue light wash him away,he decided he would simply ask him later,when they were all in their right minds again.

Logan was more pleased to wake up in his own body than he thought he would be.At least it was familiar,even if it felt like gravity was singling him out for special punishment.

He was back at Xavier's mansion-no shock,in retrospect-more or less okay physically,just a little disoriented.He'd missed a day,though,so that was to be expected.

The Stansins survived the tidal wave,as did nearly everyone on the island not involved in the fight in the cavern,but the isle of Dis was now a ghost town...er,island,and had lost about two feet of beach and a whole bunch of trees.Storm's lightning bolts had also left the cliff a ruin,but it added a bit of character.

Crayax apparently liquefied after Arakis withdrew.He was pretty much pulped out,and considering the explosive removal of his leg,Logan wasn't surprised he was dead.Certainly Volta was;no question about that.

Amaranth and the Sisters had already returned to L.A.,as they didn't want to go to New York.Helga hadn't really wanted to either,but wanted to make sure Bob returned to his proper body."No offense,"she had told him."But I like my guys to keep the same face."

But it wasn't just that,and Logan knew it:Helga loved Bob.She liked him,she liked sleeping with him,but that was the extent of it,and while Logan always knew that,the knowledge of it,the awareness of how little he actually meant to her,was a bit of an ego bruiser.Not that it was bad thing to be used by her-it was kind of fun-but as far as Logan was concerned,it was over for good.

Physically,Bob had recovered from all that had happened to him while Logan was in the driver's seat.Logan did get the better end of the bargain there,because what little damaged the Raddocks had done to him before he could spring his claws had healed a long time ago."That's a trip,you know,"Bob told him."The whole healin' thing.It kinda hurts-I never realized that."

He told him you got used to that too.Logan never realized how many things he had just gotten used to.But they had ceased being strange a long time ago,if indeed they ever had been.

That night,he sat on the roof to have a smoke (well,Xavier didn't allow smoking in the mansion-and the roof was one place no one would bother him...in theory...),looking over the well lit,well tended grounds and out over the high fence towards the empty countryside surrounding them,a little sorry the stars seemed so pale here.It was all the lights on the grounds,of course, taking away the luster of the night sky.

He heard him long before he managed to get up on the roof.

"Can't a guy get a moment's peace around here?"Logan asked,not even bothering to turn around.

"What is it with you and roofs?"Bob asked,although it almost sounded rhetorical."You're like a bird or something."

"Last time I checked,I didn't have feathers,"he pointed out,watching the plume of smoke carrying his words dissapate in the air.

"Nor have you pooped on anyone's car,"Bob agreed,sitting down beside him on the edge of the roof.There was more of a trick to it,since the roof was sloped.

He heard a woman's muffled voice far below,and then what sounded like electronic music oozing up from one of the rooms far below.Logan realized the woman-a sample on the song-kept repeating "Everybody's some kind of freak".Bob cocked his head,as if he could hear it too,and he gave Logan that sly smile of his."I knew Rogue would like my Mephisto Odyssey mix disc."

There were a lot more kids than Rogue down there."You're throwing a party,aren't you?"

"I thought it might be nice for the kids.Things are always so serious around here."

"And I bet Scott is having a cow."

"No:a calf."Bob continued to give him his patented smart ass grin."But he got out-voted,so he's living with it.The more he thinks I live to annoy him,the more the kids just love me."

"You're a people pleaser,Bob."

"Tell my ex-wives that,"he replied,giving him a wink,as if that was an inside joke between them.

Logan flicked the ash off the end of cigar,watching it dissolve in the wind before it came close to hitting the ground."Why do you stay here?"He asked,just curious.

"Oh,Hel and I are headin' out in the morning-"

"Not here,the mansion.I mean here,the world.You could leave any time you wanted,couldn't you?"

Bob's smile became impenetrable,a front for gods knew what."I got everything I need right here.Pizza,cable television, Australian Rules Football,edible underwear-why go?"

Logan glared at him."How is this all a joke to you?You've got people's thoughts nattering in your head all the time,and somewhere in you is the power to destroy reality as we know it,and yet you seem to think this is all being played for laughs."

"Mate,no one should know better than you that sometimes the choice in life is to laugh or cry.And I hate getting all snotty."He paused briefly,as the track below went more up tempo and louder."Besides,who said I have that kind of power?"

Logan scoffed,shaking his head."I walked a mile in your shoes,Bob-I know what you can do."

"No,you only know my potentialities.And frankly,Logan,you could do more with them than I could.I really never have been one for fighting.A nasty business."

"You hold your own."

"I said I didn't like it.I never said I didn't do it."

They sat for a moment,not speaking,the distant noise of electronica filling the gap as they stared off into the dark horizon. Logan could see the dim light haze of a larger town far away,but he wasn't sure Bob's eyesight was acute enough to pick it up.
Now that he knew Bob could hear every thought running through his head,he felt deeply uncomfortable around him,but what was the difference?He always could:Bob had always known what he was thinking.

Suddenly,out of nowhere,Bob said,"Don't go this time,Logan."

He looked at him sharply,sticking the cigar in the corner of his mouth.It was one of his last remaining souvenirs from Dis."I knew you came up here for some reason."

"Yeah,I did.I knew you'd be running off first chance you got,so I thought I'd better make my pitch while you were still inclined to hear it."

"No,you missed that boat."

"Too bad,I'm talkin' anyways,"he replied smoothly,brushing some of the leaf mold he got on the climb up off his hands."They need you here.I would hope that's obvious by now."

"What do they need me for,Bob?"He asked sarcastically."Takin' out the garbage?"

Bob gave him a look with a lot of put upon patience in it,like he was another wisecrack away from getting a smack in the face. "They need someone around here who has the guts to do what needs to be done when it needs doing.And that person is you."

Logan grunted humorously and looked away,back towards the distant city."They need a killer,you mean."

"I won't deny that's part of it,but it's much more than that,Logan.You have to know how nasty things are getting for mutants out there. They need someone around here who can balance the need for peaceful co-existence with the need for survival."

"I can't exist peacefully with anyone,Bob,in case you haven't noticed."

Bob sighed dramatically."You know what,Logan?You're suicidally reckless,because on the one hand you figure you're indestructible,and on the other hand,you figure finally destructing might not be such a bad idea.You distrust everyone because you figure they will hurt you the first chance they get,and you distrust yourself around others because you're afraid you'll hurt them. You're gonna have to start dumping some of this baggage,mate."

Logan glared at him,wishing he could hit him without Bob seeing it coming."I only hurt people who deserve it."

"I didn't mean hurt them like that.You said it yourself:you're poison.They get tired of trying to find a weakness in you,so they attack the people around you.At some point,Logan,you loved a human enough that you don't want to see any innocents get hurt.You don't want to watch any more of your loved ones die."

He winced and looked away,even more furious with Bob than before."Just shut the hell up.if I could fight a telepath,I could fight you."

Bob acted like he didn't hear that,and went on in that maddeningly reasonable tone of voice."Maybe a lot of people don't have your experience,Logan,but most people aren't that naive.They know you're a risk;they know you're dangerous.If you haven't noticed, some people don't care.They're willing to take that chance.I can understand the urge to shut people out for your and presumably their own good,but you have to stop.You're killing yourself,and not in a way that would make you happy.Keep this up,and I guarantee you will drive yourself crazy."

"You're assuming I'm not crazy all ready."

"I walked a mile in your shoes,Logan.You're not.But you have to stop this martyr shit."

Logan turned on him,snarling,but Bob had known it was coming and seemed to be about three feet farther away from him now."I am not-"he began,but Bob didn't let him finish.

"You have the right to,Logan.My god,no one should experience half the pain you've experienced in your life.But for a guy who can be kind of full of himself at times,you seem to always overlook the fact that you're actually an extraordinary man.And I'm not talking about your ability to heal,or your enhanced senses,or your ability to fight.I'm talking about the fact that you've been hurt time and time again,but not only did you get back up and keep going,but you never gave up on people,not really.You want to be with them-some part of you really does.It's time to let go of the fear."

"Maybe you were in my body for a little while,Bob,but you don't know anything about me,"he snapped,feeling the heat of anger make his face flush.

Bob looked at him sadly,which just infuriated him all the more."Look,if you're determined to go,give yourself a break from the crusade for a week.Here."He reached into the pocket of his leather pants,and pulled out a business card and what looked like a key.He held them out,and while Logan really didn't want to take it,he snatched them out of his hand,mainly out of curiosity.

The business card (from an erotic bakery in Van Nuys called 'Naughty Little Tarts'-he didn't want to know why Bob had their card) had a hastily scribbled set of directions for a Quebec address on the back,while the key looked like any old key."I have a friend who has a cabin on Lac des Cygnes,in the Laurentian mountain range.This cabin is so bloody remote it's a wonder he ever gets there at all.In the middle of a forest on a steep rise,there are no roads leading to it;you have to slog through the snow and the woods to get there,and you're miles and miles from any sign of civilization.The only electricity is supplied by a generator,and you'd better have supplies and a strong back for chopping wood,'cause you ain't going anywhere easily, especially at this time of year.I think it was aptly described as 'white hell' due to all the snow and the sheer,aggressive remoteness of the place.You could die up there and no one would know until the summer thaw.So immediately I thought you'd love it."

Logan studied the directions,frowning,knowing Bob was up to something."I don't get this,Bob."

"You want a place to think,without worrying about mutant torturers or your friendly neighbor demons looking you up?You couldn't find a better place to do it.Maybe,if you refuse to listen to me,you can be alone with yourself and try to figure out what you really want to do next.You will be searching for answers for a long time,Logan.I think you know by now that some will never come."

He didn't answer,but he didn't have to.He lost so much,it was a pipe dream that he'd ever get it all back.But he'd settle for some."I hope you're not suggesting I give up."

"Not at all.I'm saying just ease up for a bit,okay?You know some of this will come to you."

"I'll remember bits and pieces eventually."

"Well,yes,but I also meant they'll be coming for you."

That made him tense,the muscles in his back and shoulders feeling like they were seizing up.Yes,of course he knew they hadn't given up their search,but it wasn't something he liked to think about too much,as it would consume all of his free time. "Let 'em come.I can take 'em."

"Not always,Logan.You know the safest place you can be is here.Well,next to my place.And none of us are people you need to worry about-we can all take care of ourselves pretty well."

"I'll think about it."

"No you won't,"Bob replied,standing up."You've already made up your mind."

He didn't bother to contradict him,because they both knew that was true.

Bob started to leave,but he heard him stop before he said,"By all rights,Volta's plan should have worked,you know.No human body should have been able to survive even a fragment of me.But I think the thing he was counting on most was the fact that no human would survive in me:the power I have should have eaten you alive.It didn't.Maybe you should think about that."

Logan scowled,taking a puff off his cigar,and turned to ask,"What do-"

But Bob was already gone,and Logan suddenly found himself wondering if he had ever really been up here at all.

He could hear the strains of the party bleeding down the hall as he packed up what little stuff he had in his knapsack.Bob had had it zapped in from L.A.,apparently,along with his bike,which was back in the garage.

Lots of rhythmically pulsing music that sounded all the same to him,with the generally happy,enthusiastic voices of the kids a faint but constant murmur in the background,oozed through the walls.Every now and then,he could hear Scott saying something to them-he was the unofficial chaperone-but even he didn't sound as anal as usual.Maybe he'd seen the wisdom in Bob's idea of letting the kids burn off a little steam.

When there was a light rap on his door,he assumed it was Bob,coming to try and talk him out of going again,but when the door opened,it was Jean who stuck her head in."Hey,"she said,giving him a wan smile."You're missing a party."

He shrugged,shouldering his knapsack."Not really a party without beer."

"Are you sure you never went to college?"She replied,her smile becoming a bit more genuine.She came inside,shutting the door behind her,her smile mutating into a troubled frown."I think I could make an awful joke about you being like a tree."

"Huh?"

"Always leaving."

He winced."Oh man,Jean,that sucked."

"I know,"she agreed,nodding sagely.Maybe because of the party,she had her hair down for once,and she was wearing a casual dark green shirtdress that was a nice contrast to her auburn hair (and she actually left the top three buttons undone,hinting at some cleavage-no,he was sure he never had a teacher that looked like her).She had a natural sort of elegance that always made him wonder if she ever looked sloppy.She must-no one could look that presentable all the time.Unless you were a telekinetic who could smooth things out without thinking about it?"But would it really kill you to stick around for a while?"

'It might kill you,'he thought instantly,but he decided not to say it.He just stared at her a moment,remembering what he had seen in her mind while in Bob's body,and asked,"Do you want me to stay?"

Her clear hazel eyes met his without hesitation,and she her lips curved up in a small,sweet smile."I think it would be nice."

He walked towards her slowly,never looking away from her dark and curious eyes."Why don't we cut the bullshit,Jean?We're both adults here.Why don't we act like it?"

"What are you talking about?"She looked slightly panicked,though,so he figured she knew.

"I know,"he said,feeling he didn't really need to say anymore.

She backed up against the door,looking fearful,but made no move to escape."I-I don't understand."

"Yes you do."She wanted to know what it was like to kiss him,huh?He thought he'd show her.

Braced for the possible telekinetic toss across the room,he kissed her,hands sliding slowly across her warm back,hoping if she had to hurt him,she would like him too much to knee him in the groin.

After a moment of hesitancy,he wasn't too surprised when she responded in kind,kissing him back even harder,her arms wrapping tightly around him.Her body pressed firmly against his,and she smelled so good,of White Linen perfume and some citrus scented hair conditioner,he wondered how long she could be gone before Scott noticed her missing.

He jinxed it,perhaps.She suddenly came to her senses and pushed him away,although not forcefully and-best of all-not telekinetically,not yet.She looked stunned,though,as if she couldn't believe he had kissed her,or that she had kissed him back.

"Logan,"she said,but seemed unable to finish whatever her sentence had been.

"Come with me,"he said,hoping he had acted fast enough.

"What?"

"Let's just go,just for a little while."

She continued to look startled,but he could see a war going on behind her eyes:she wanted to,she really did."What?I-I'm engaged to Scott."

"Break it."

"I love him."

"You think you do.Is that the same thing?"

In retrospect,that was the wrong thing to say,and he regretted it the second it left his mouth.Love-passion-was not safe;it was dangerous by its nature.It was like handing your heart to someone and hoping they didn't squeeze it into a bloody pulp before throwing it aside and walking away.But for whatever reason,Jean wanted something safe;it didn't matter if it wasn't all that real (at least on her part),just as long as there was no sense of danger involved.

The Boy Scout was right:she wasn't crazy enough to run off with him.Not now.

She got this sort of pitying look on her face,and he knew what was coming."Logan,I-"

He stepped back from her,shaking his head,angry at her and himself.Her for being unwilling to go for what she wanted,no matter how scary it seemed,and himself for thinking she might be ready to take that plunge and forcing the issue.Even facing the end of the world together had not been enough."Forget it.I made a mistake.I'm sorry."He was sorry about a lot of things, but not about kissing her.

She looked at him,eyes wide in her pale face,and for a single moment,it looked as though she might change her mind. Finally, she said,"It's okay.This never happened."

She reached behind her back and opened the door,backing out and never looking away from his eyes until she was half way down the hall.And even then it seemed to take a physical effort on her part to turn away from him,to tear her gaze from his and continue back towards her safe,near normal life.But it did happen,and he was pretty sure neither of them were going to forget as easily as she wanted.

As soon as she was gone,he gently punched the wall-so as not to put his fist through it-and lightly banged his forehead against the door jamb-so as not to leave a big dent in it.Volta was right:sometimes he was a grade A moron.

Once he was done mentally berating himself,he left,heading towards the garage,the sounds of the party and Jean's lingering scent growing fainter with every step.If he had any sense at all,he'd swear off both women and people altogether,and become a hermetic monk somewhere in the Himalayas.But then he'd actually have to believe in gods,wouldn't he?

And yet he supposedly knew a demi-god who occasionally played poker with Ganesha.He'd even inhabited his body briefly, and felt the kind of power that could blow this fucking planet's reality up.In his hands,he might just do that,especially now.

But not Bob.He would never understand that man.Walking a mile in his shoes didn't even begin to help him understand what this man saw or why he did-or didn't do-what he did.He could be the super-villain to end all super-villains,yet he wasn't.Didn't absolute power corrupt absolutely?What was his excuse?

He had just about reached the side corridor that led directly to the garage when he heard a familiar electronic hum,and shortly after:"Logan.I was hoping to catch you before you left."

He turned around reluctantly to face Xavier,wondering if he was going to castigate him for making a pass at his pet's fiancee, but the older man was simply smiling up at him.But the smile was vaguely suspicious,as avuncular as it seemed."Guess you did,"he offered lamely,waiting to hear what Xavier had to say first.

Xavier nodded,continuing his wan smile,wrinkles gathering in the corners of his pale blue eyes."I was hoping I could convince you-if not to stay-then to come back soon."

He sighed,closing his eyes so Xavier didn't see him roll them."It's not that I don't appreciate the offer,but I really don't belong here.I'd think that would be obvious by now."

"Actually,the opposite seems to be true,"Xavier said kindly,adding,"I was,in fact,going to offer you a position here."

Logan glared down at him in disbelief,sure he was making fun of him,or perhaps just really drunk.But he didn't smell liquor on him.

"I'm completely serious,"the Professor went on,as if reading his mind.Maybe he did.But before he continued,his smile seemed to fade away in increments,like a time elapsed photo of erosion on a cliffside."Things have...taken a turn for the worse as far as public opinion of mutants go-"

"Yeah,I see the papers,"he interrupted,not bothering to add he didn't read them anymore,just saw them.It was always the same old shit;just the players rearranged themselves now and then.

Xavier didn't seem to be bothered by the interruption."Then you know how...dire things are becoming.I think it would be useful for the students to know how to defend themselves,in case they ever find themselves in a situation where they have no other choice."

Logan wasn't sure if he should laugh or not."What-you want me to teach them how to fight?"

"Who better?"

He scoffed derisively. "I ain't a teacher."